Bleacher Creature Feature

#60: "World Series Game 4"

22 October 2003

ALFONSO SORIANO GOT ON BASE! TO LEAD OFF THE GAME! WOW!

And, of course, Derek Jeter wastes it by grounding into a double play -- one that might've only been a force out if Jeter hadn't stopped running, thinking it was a line out. Tim McCarver's right, you should never assume, and that's very uncharacteristic of Jeter who has always been a smart base runner.

For the rest of his life, Miguel Cabrera will be telling the story of how he, as a 20-year-old rookie in his first World Series, hit a two-run home run off one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history in his final start.

Clemens cannot get out of the first inning. After retiring Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo easily, he's given up five singles and Cabrera's home run.

And now the eight words I never wanted to have to type in sequence: Jeff Weaver is warming up in the bullpen. Luckily, Clemens got out of it.

Hideki Matsui just got a gift from the first-base umpire, as he was called safe on a grounder on which the replay showed him clearly to be out. This after a dubious out call on the Marlins in the first inning when a crap throw by Jeter pulled Jason Giambi off the bag.

Another infield hit for Jorge Posada, which loads the bases. That's the good news. The bad news is that the next three hitters are the unreliable Karim Garcia, the miserable Aaron Boone (two particular at-bats notwithstanding), and Clemens.

On the other hand, Garcia has been known to work the count when necessary. Not with any consistency, mind you, but it's been known to happen.

Not tonight, though -- he worked it to 3-2, but then he struck out. Again. (It was his fifth of the postseason.)

Boone flies out to center, though, and the Yankees take advantage -- not only does Bernie score easily, but Matsui tags up, Pierre stupidly throws to third, having no chance, and Posada advances to second on the throw.

Not that it matters, with Clemens up. He grounds out weakly, and the Yankees get all of one run when they load the bases with one out. The word you're looking for is "pathetic."

While I find the whole Sprint PCS talk-to-a-celebrity-in-the-middle-of-the-ballgame promotion to be offensive on pretty much every level (Robin Williams at least was sitting next to 61* director Billy Crystal and is a fan; Michael Strahan at least has a sports connection; but the frickin' host of American Idol?????), I will give them credit for tonight talking to Curt Schilling, who at least, y'know, has something to do with baseball.

More words I never expected to type: Clemens leads off the fifth with a base hit. Not only that, but he hit an 0-2 pitch!

Words I type far too often: Soriano strikes out swinging on a ball so far out of the zone it was in the next county.

This has settled down to a nice little pitchers duel, with both teams squandering opportunities. Both teams also have been doing a lot of coming from behind in recent times, so I can't bring myself to think of this as being over for either team by any means....

It couldn't possibly be more appropriate for Clemens's last out as a starter to be a strikeout. And kudos to the Florida crowd and especially the Marlins players, who gave Clemens a standing ovation when he came out after seven innings, six of which were absolutely brilliant. Pity about the first inning, which, barring a late-inning comeback, will tag him with a loss.

And now it's down to this. Ruben Sierra pinch-hitting with runners on first and third, two outs, against Ugueth Urbina. It was 3-0, and Sierra took two borderline pitches for strikes. Now he's fouled off two pitches.

Then a game-tying triple. I love this game.

Joe Torre has made good use of his bench. When the pitcher's spot came up to lead off, Torre used Nick Johnson, because leading off an inning you want your high-OBP guy. Johnson wound up bouncing out, first of a 1-2-3 inning, but the principle was sound. On the other hand, with two runners on base, you want your high-SLG guy, and that's Sierra. And, unlike Johnson, Sierra came through. Of course, it helped that Sierra was facing the wild Urbina instead of Carl Pavano, who deserved to win this game, and has been just as cheated as Clemens would have been if he had been forced to endure a loss.

Time is not on the Yankees' side, however. Jose Contreras is in now, on the theory that Mariano Rivera pitched two innings yesterday, and Contreras is generally a starter and can go multiple innings, especially since he hasn't pitched much lately. The Marlins, however, have a much deeper bullpen...

Gawrsh! Giambi striking out with a runner in scoring position! Boy, it's a good thing we have his bat in the lineup....

Now we have the strategizing. Bernie doubles and Matsui draws a walk. David Dellucci sacrifices the runners over, so the Marlins walk Juan Rivera so Braden Looper can pitch to Boone. Unlike Uggy, Looper does his job. Boone strikes out, leaving the Yanks' hopes in the hands of--

--John Flaherty?

He pops out, so Torre brings in--

--Jeff Weaver?

This is what it's come down to. Depending on Flaherty and Weaver.

It's really hard to be optimistic about this game right now.

For some reason, after walking Rivera to load the bases, thus setting up a possible double play, the Marlins played the infield in on Boone. Buh? It wound up not mattering, since Boone still can't hit the broad side of the Great Wall of China, but a regular double play ends the inning, why take it out of possibility?

Weaver just pitched the second most important inning of his entire major-league career, and plowed through the Marlins 1-2-3.

Gawrsh! Soriano leads off the inning with an out! Boy, it's a good thing we have him batting first...

Giambi finally earns his keep with a two-out base hit, bringing up Bernie, who's having a killer night. Until now, when the only thing he's killed is the Yanks' scoring chances this inning with a weak-ass groundout.

Weaver just pitched the most important inning of his entire major-league career, and gave up a walk-off home run to Alex "Aaron Boone" Gonzalez.

One can't entirely blame Weaver, as the Yankee offense had about eight million chances to win this and blew it. Still, having confidence in the ability of Weaver to pitch well at the major-league level is a fool's game, and has been since the ill-advised trade for him a year and a half ago.

However, this means that the World Series will now end at Yankee Stadium, which is fitting. Winning the World Series in so dreary a place as Pro Player Stadium is just wrong, regardless of who takes the trophy. You're gonna play on the big stage, finish on the big stage, not the crummy converted football field with the hot tubs.

NEXT: "World Series Game 5"

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