The Fire From Within: Indians 12, Yankees 3

C.C. Sabathia wasn’t lights out–but he was clutch

The atmosphere was electric. The fans showed the same fire that brought them the magic in the mid-90’s. The stage was set and the team did not fail to deliver in their biggest game of the season; or for that matter, a decade.

As editor George and I traded texts back and forth (untill the game got out of hand), the night got better as the innings rolled onward. When C.C. Sabathia struck out Jorge Posada with the bases loaded and 1 out, after starting 3-0, the dagger was driven deep in the heart of the Bronx Bombers and they would not recover.

Here you have David conquering Goliath on the grand stage. The Indians entire lineup didn’t equal the payroll of either Alex Rodriguez, or the the Yankees 3 hitters that led off the ballgame. The Yankees team had over 280 postseason games from the players on their roster, while the Indians had just under 80; all from Kenny Lofton. Chien-Ming Wang had no answer for the Indians bats that seemed emotionally charged.

I was a bit nervous when the Yankees struck first with a Johnny Damon homerun that I felt would happen. That quickly subsided when the Indians came back with 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning–2 of the RBI off the bat of Kenny Lofton–who had 4 RBI with 2 outs in the game. It could not have been a better homecoming in the postseason for Lofton.

The Indians got 4 monster homeruns tonight. Cabrera, Hafner, Martinez, and Garko.

Even Grady Sizemore had a hit. Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt did their thing. Alex Rodriguez continued to be the old, shitty, postseason A-Rod–although I have a feeling he has a big night tomorrow night. The night was picture perfect.

If the Indians don’t win another game this postseason–and I truly mean this–on this one night, the magic was truly back at Jacobs Field.

[Box Score]