ALDS Write-Up, Minnesota vs Jersey
The Minnesota Nice swept the Jersey Damage, Inc. in four games to advance to the AL championship series. The Nice pitching shut down the Damage, limited them to a total of 7 runs and a composite .165/.236/.276 line.
I’ll go with Joe “waiver bait” Inglett as the series MVP. He did a good job all series, and delivered key hits in games two and four.
Game 1 – Minnesota (Beckett) @ Jersey (Burnett)
Jersey gets to Josh Beckett early, as Bobby Abreu leads off with a walk, and Chipper brings him around with a 2-out homer. A. J. Burnett dominates, with 10 strikeouts through 4 innings. He gives up a leadoff double to Ryan Sweeney in the 3rd, then strikes out the next 3 hitters.
Ramon Santiago finally puts Minnesota on the board with a one-out homer in the 5th. Two batters later Jim Edmonds blasts another one, tying the game.
Burnett shows signs of tiring with a man on first and two outs in the 6th. He hits Joe Inglett with a pitch, then throws a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Ryan Sweeney cashes in both runs with a single to make it 4-2 Minnesota.
Chipper hits another homer in the bottom of the 6th, but Nick Johnson restores the two run lead with a double in the 7th. Scott Downs and Joey Devine finish it for Beckett and the Nice opens the series with a 5-3 win.
Minnesota 1 Jersey 0
Game 2 – Minnesota (Mussina) @ Jersey (Haren)
Mussina struggles early, giving up six singles and a walk in the first 4 innings. Somehow he doesn’t give up a run.
Meanwhile Haren is brilliant, no-hitting the Nice through 6. Sweeney breaks it up with a leadoff single in the 7th, but he’s erased on a double play.
Jose Arredondo takes over for Mussina in the 7th, and sets down the Damage 1-2-3. James Loney opens the Nice 8th with a single, but Haren gets the next two hitters on a popup and a strikeout. With two outs Joe Inglett becomes the hero, bringing Loney around with a triple and putting the Nice up 1-0.
Arredondo cruises through the 8th, and Devine ends it with flair, picking Chris Dickerson off first for the final out.
Minnesota 2 Jersey 0
Game 3 – Jersey (Zambrano) @ Minnesota (Marcum)
Minnesota leadoff hitter David Wright opens with a solo shot off Zambrano. Marcum makes that run stand until the 4th, when Vernon Wells and Curtis Granderson open with singles, followed by Chipper’s run scoring double. Marcum settles down but a sac fly by Garrett Atkins puts Jersey up 2-1.
The Nice respond in the bottom of the inning. Edmonds and Jayson Werth walk, and both come around on singles by Loney and Chris Iannetta. A two-run homer by Manny Ramirez makes it 5-2 Minnesota after 5.
Marcum gives up a leadoff walk in the 5th, then retires the next 18 hitters in a row to finish a complete game 6-2 victory.
Minnesota 3 Jersey 0
Game 4 – Jersey (Cain) @ Minnesota (Volstad)
Jersey starts game 4 almost exactly like game 1. Abreu opens with a walk, and this time Dickerson brings them both around with the homer.
Minnesota comes roaring back in the bottom of the 2nd. Loney leads off with a homer, Henry Blanco singles, Inglett singles, Troy Tulowitzki rips a line drive – it’s caught by Mark Ellis, he steps on 2nd, throws to Jason Giambi at 1st, it’s a triple play!
Cain takes advantage of that play and just starts cruising through the Nice lineup inning after inning. Meanwhile Volstad is struggling with his control, and is pulled after consecutive walks with one out in the 5th. Frank Francisco relieves him and gets out of that inning and the next two.
A two-out double in the 8th by Ramirez brings in Takashi Saito for Cain, and he strikes out Edmonds to send the Damage to the 9th with a 2-1 lead.
Saito strikes out Werth and pinch hitter Nick Johnson to start the bottom of the 9th, but gives up a double to Iannetta followed by a game-tying double to Inglett. He intentionally walks the switch-hitting Santiago, then yields to Kerry Wood who will face Wright. Wright rips a double to left, winning the game and the series for Minnesota.
Minnesota 4 Jersey 0
I’ll go with Joe “waiver bait” Inglett as the series MVP. He did a good job all series, and delivered key hits in games two and four.
Game 1 – Minnesota (Beckett) @ Jersey (Burnett)
Jersey gets to Josh Beckett early, as Bobby Abreu leads off with a walk, and Chipper brings him around with a 2-out homer. A. J. Burnett dominates, with 10 strikeouts through 4 innings. He gives up a leadoff double to Ryan Sweeney in the 3rd, then strikes out the next 3 hitters.
Ramon Santiago finally puts Minnesota on the board with a one-out homer in the 5th. Two batters later Jim Edmonds blasts another one, tying the game.
Burnett shows signs of tiring with a man on first and two outs in the 6th. He hits Joe Inglett with a pitch, then throws a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Ryan Sweeney cashes in both runs with a single to make it 4-2 Minnesota.
Chipper hits another homer in the bottom of the 6th, but Nick Johnson restores the two run lead with a double in the 7th. Scott Downs and Joey Devine finish it for Beckett and the Nice opens the series with a 5-3 win.
Minnesota 1 Jersey 0
Game 2 – Minnesota (Mussina) @ Jersey (Haren)
Mussina struggles early, giving up six singles and a walk in the first 4 innings. Somehow he doesn’t give up a run.
Meanwhile Haren is brilliant, no-hitting the Nice through 6. Sweeney breaks it up with a leadoff single in the 7th, but he’s erased on a double play.
Jose Arredondo takes over for Mussina in the 7th, and sets down the Damage 1-2-3. James Loney opens the Nice 8th with a single, but Haren gets the next two hitters on a popup and a strikeout. With two outs Joe Inglett becomes the hero, bringing Loney around with a triple and putting the Nice up 1-0.
Arredondo cruises through the 8th, and Devine ends it with flair, picking Chris Dickerson off first for the final out.
Minnesota 2 Jersey 0
Game 3 – Jersey (Zambrano) @ Minnesota (Marcum)
Minnesota leadoff hitter David Wright opens with a solo shot off Zambrano. Marcum makes that run stand until the 4th, when Vernon Wells and Curtis Granderson open with singles, followed by Chipper’s run scoring double. Marcum settles down but a sac fly by Garrett Atkins puts Jersey up 2-1.
The Nice respond in the bottom of the inning. Edmonds and Jayson Werth walk, and both come around on singles by Loney and Chris Iannetta. A two-run homer by Manny Ramirez makes it 5-2 Minnesota after 5.
Marcum gives up a leadoff walk in the 5th, then retires the next 18 hitters in a row to finish a complete game 6-2 victory.
Minnesota 3 Jersey 0
Game 4 – Jersey (Cain) @ Minnesota (Volstad)
Jersey starts game 4 almost exactly like game 1. Abreu opens with a walk, and this time Dickerson brings them both around with the homer.
Minnesota comes roaring back in the bottom of the 2nd. Loney leads off with a homer, Henry Blanco singles, Inglett singles, Troy Tulowitzki rips a line drive – it’s caught by Mark Ellis, he steps on 2nd, throws to Jason Giambi at 1st, it’s a triple play!
Cain takes advantage of that play and just starts cruising through the Nice lineup inning after inning. Meanwhile Volstad is struggling with his control, and is pulled after consecutive walks with one out in the 5th. Frank Francisco relieves him and gets out of that inning and the next two.
A two-out double in the 8th by Ramirez brings in Takashi Saito for Cain, and he strikes out Edmonds to send the Damage to the 9th with a 2-1 lead.
Saito strikes out Werth and pinch hitter Nick Johnson to start the bottom of the 9th, but gives up a double to Iannetta followed by a game-tying double to Inglett. He intentionally walks the switch-hitting Santiago, then yields to Kerry Wood who will face Wright. Wright rips a double to left, winning the game and the series for Minnesota.
Minnesota 4 Jersey 0
posted by robo at 6:02 PM
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