Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Round 1: Ancient Bombers (10) upset O's (1) in miracle sweep

GAME 1 - Memorial Stadium
Downing vs Palmer
Yankees 4, Orioles 2

Roger Maris' 2 run shot off of Jim Palmer in the top of the 6th put the resurgent Bronx Bombers on top 3-2.  Joe Pepitone's solo blast in the 9th off of Dick Hall would allow New York to double up the O's behind 7 strong innings from Al Downing.  Pepitone would go 2 for 5 and increase his tournament batting average to .467.  Baltimore would compile just 4 hits.
Yankees lead series 1-0

 




GAME 2 - Memorial Stadium
Peterson vs McNally
Yankees 13, Orioles 2

The cast of Cocoon, I mean the New York Yankees, once again turned back the clock five years earlier and bombarded the O's with 17 hits that plated 13 runs.  Unheralded switch hitting rookie Roy White came out of the shadows of the M&M boys to go 3 for 5 with 4 runs scored and an RBI.  1962 Rookie of the Year Tommy Tresh also recorded 3 hits as well as 3 runs.  Elston Howard and Hector Lopez provided some late inning long balls for window dressing as the 10th seed Yankees put the #1 seed O's on the ropes.  Fritz Peterson gave up just 1 run in 7 innings of work and left the game after throwing just 88 pitches.  Bob Friend finished out the final 2 innings, so New York's lefty ace could be well rested if needed later in the series.
Yankees lead series 2-0

GAME 3 - Yankee Stadium
Barber vs Stottlemyre
Yankees 6, Orioles 2
The heavily favored O's needed a spark or their tournament would end quickly and tragically.  Back to back RBI hits by Boog Powell and Brooks Robinson in the top of the first staked Steve Barber to a 2-0 lead.  Those 2 runs looked to be the spark that would get this heavily favored O's team back on track.  Unfortunately for the O's someone forgot to tell the Cinderella Bombers that it was time for them to collapse.  New York answered right back with 4 mammoth runs in the bottom of the inning and just like that the O's were back on life support.  After Bobby Richardson led off the game as a strike out victim the next two batters (White & Tresh) both walked.  The Mick singled home White to make it 2-1.  Joe Pepitone (2-3, 2 runs scored) followed with an RBI single of his own to tie the game at 2-2.  A sac fly by Clete Boyer put the Bombers up and a single by Lou Clinton made it 4-2 New York.  With a lightning fast 2 run lead third year man Stottlemyre put the hammer down on the O's bats.  Mel would get to within 1 out of a complete game victory before he ran out of gas.  Hal Reniff was called in from the pen to face little Luis Aparicio with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 out.  Aparicio showed zero patience by lunging at Reniff's first offering which he beat into the ground.  Shortstop Boyer fielded it cleanly and pegged a strike over to Pepi at first for the final out of the game.  New York's pitching staff held the O's famed lineup to a .188 team batting average.  Frank Robby hit an abysmal .091 and Brooksie went .083.  When your two big bats are that cold it's impossible to win.  Cleanup hitter Boog Powell hit only .222.  The burning embers of the great Yankee dynasty move into the Elite 8 looking like it's 1961 all over again.
Yankees win series 3-0

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