'98 Bombers outslug and sweep '71 O's

1998 NY Yankees vs 1971 Baltimore Orioles: This series pitted two dynasty era teams against each other. The Orioles were built around excellent starting pitching (4 twenty game winners) and the 3 run homer. The Bombers were built on veteran pitching and a offensive balance. They could manufacture runs with guys like Jeter and Koblauch at the top of the order and of course they had a whale of a bullpen.

GAME 1 (Memorial Stadium) NYY 8, BAL 0: Jim Palmer gave up 4 runs in 4 innings as the Bombers scored 8 and never let the O's in this contest. Andy Pettitte scattered 8 hits over 7 shutout innings of work and Ramiro Mendoza was just as good to close it out. #2 Derek Jeter (pronounced Jeetah by the voice of God) had 3 hits and 2 RBI's. The top of Baltimore's lineup (Don Bufford and Paul Blair) combined for 4 hits, but the big guns (both Robby's and Boog) could not bring them home.

GAME 2 (Memorial Stadium) NYY 6, BAL 4: Frank Costanza: HOW COULD YOU GIVE 12 MILLION DOLLARS TO HIDEKI IRABU?!!!! It rang true back in 1998 and it still rings true. Billed as the greatest import from Japan, all Hidecki Irabu did was earn the nickname of "Fat Toad" and Frank costanza's wrath. Well the Toad didn't disappoint. He gave up 4 runs in under 6 innings of work and didn't even qualify for the "quality start" tag that baseball agents created a decade ago. Lucky for him his team can flat out score runs. with the score 4-3 going into the top of the 9th the Orioles looked to even the series. Starter Dave McNally, who is not a "Fat Toad" pitched 7 solid innings (3 ER) against a lineup with no weakness. Relievers Pete Richert and Eddie Watt proceeded to butcher the 9th and give up 3 runs and the game. Jorge Posada led off the inning and homered. Scott Brosius singled and Daryl Strawberry came up as a pinch hitter and doubled to make it second and third. Watt then uncorked a WP as he was trying to pick the corners vs Rock Raines, which scored Brosius. A long fly to center would allow Straw to tag up and just like that a 1 run lead turned into a 2 run deficit. The "Sandman" came on and pitched a scoreless ninth, which was no shock, and the Bombers now had a 2 games to none lead as they headed home to close out the series.

GAME 3 (Yankee Stadium) NYY 10, BAL 8: Word of advice to anyone wanting to stave off elimination...don't expect it to happen in Yankee Stadium in the post season. On a cool crisp night all the ghosts were out and in rare form. Baltimore actually led the game early, but the clouds erupted and the game was washed out (ok...the new game crashed and a bug appeared, but creatively this sounded better). The restarted game was a wild one. The lead changed hands 4 times as both starters (Pat Dobson & David Cone) had nothing. Dobson, who won twenty during the regular season gave up 8 in 6 innings of work. Coney gave up 5 in 6, so neither guy was up to the task of carrying his team. This was a night that the last offense standing was going to win. Jeet's (Derek Jeter) and Straw both had 3 hits. In fact there were 7 long balls hit tonight, 4 by the Bombers. Carrying a 2 run lead into the 9th after scoring an insurance run in the 8th, Yankee manager Ed Mikhli had a easy decision to make...Enter Sandman and close out the series. Mo walked Boog Powell, but threw a cutter to Brooksie who sharply grounded to Tino who pivoted and turned a fantastic 3-6-3 that would have made Donnie Ballgame proud. Ellie Hendricks then weakly flied to left to end the series as the Bombers bats were too much for the O's arms.