East Yanked away
Matt Clement knew why the Yankees were celebrating on the field after their 8-4 win over the Red Sox this afternoon.
By virtue of New York’s win and Cleveland’s loss, the Yankees won the AL East thanks to their head-to-head record against Boston. Then again, since he is slated to pitch a possible Monday playoff game, Clement felt he ought to study up a bit more on the scenarios.
Kevin Millar, on the other hand, found out from Joe Buck in the top of the ninth as he entered the clubhouse.
“I heard it on TV,” he said. “The main thing is that to get into the dance, you have to get into the room, and into the party.”
With a win tomorrow, the Red Sox can clinch the wild card. If they lose and Cleveland wins, there is still a one-game playoff slated for Monday at Fenway.
As for the East, what was for so long Boston’s this season is now New York’s.
“We definitely wanted to change history,” said Johnny Damon. “Worst case we get to see Monday. But hopefully we can get out there and win, and then we only have to go half-way (Chicago for the ALDS) across the country.”
David Ortiz admitted he was disappointed in failing to win the East. “I think we played in some situations before that we should not be where we are right now. We had chances. We just have to come tomorrow and prepare for the playoffs.”
To do that, the Red Sox put the ball in the hands of their postseason hero of a year ago, Curt Schilling, who has been erratic at best in 2005.
“He’s the best big game pitcher of our generation,” Millar said.
— Randy Johnson improved to 5-0 with a 3.63 ERA against the Red Sox in 2005. He allowed five hits and three runs while walking three and striking out eight.
“We did better than we usually do against him,” Ortiz said.
Even though at times he was erratic, Damon thought the Big Unit looked better than he did in New York’s 1-0 win a few weeks ago, trading his lacking offspeed pitched for fastballs.
“He was all over the place, but sometimes that makes you tougher,” he said.
— The Red Sox reached 900 runs for the third straight season, the first team since the 1999-01 Colorado Rockies to score 900 three seasons in a row.
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