[jg2977]

[Craig Carton]: Alright Booms, here we go! Yankee Stadium, October 10th, 1923 — and let me tell ya, it was an absolute beatdown. The Yankees didn’t just win, they steamrolled the Seattle Mariners, eleven to three. ELEVEN TO THREE!
[Boomer Esiason]: Yeah, Craig, this wasn’t just a win, this was a statement. The Yankees go up two games to none in the Division Series, and Mike Deming — the lefty — complete game, 8 hits, 3 runs, throws 102 pitches, and does it with a kind of efficiency you just don’t see anymore.
[Carton]: Yeah, Deming goes nine innings, doesn’t even blink. Meanwhile, the Mariners — I mean, what happened here, Booms? They were flat. Dead on arrival. Couldn’t hit with runners on, couldn’t pitch, couldn’t field — B. Bol with an error that opened the floodgates.
[Boomer]: Well, that’s the difference between a team built for October and one that’s just happy to be here. Look at the Yankees lineup — S. Johnson, grand slam in the eighth, four RBIs on the day. Geoff Shackford, two hits, two RBIs, steady behind the plate. And let’s not forget A. Rivera, two hits, driving in one, scoring twice — it’s balance, Craig.
[Carton]: It’s depth, Booms! One through nine — even the bat boy probably had a base hit. And the Mariners? I mean, their best hitter was their catcher, G. Papasogli, who goes 3-for-4 with a solo homer. That guy’s doing everything short of driving the team bus.
[Boomer]: Exactly. And Craig, that fifth inning was the turning point. Yankees put up a five-spot — Romero with the bases-clearing double, Rivera following it up, and suddenly the Mariners’ starter, Carlos Galindo, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
[Carton]: Galindo’s ERA is now 6.17 — that’s not postseason baseball, that’s spring training in Arizona. And then M. Hill comes in — gives up four more — Booms, it’s like pouring gasoline on a bonfire.
[Boomer]: You’re right. And you know what I like most about this Yankees team? They’re not flashy. They’re efficient. They score runs, they don’t waste at-bats, they turn double plays, and Deming — he just goes out there and competes.
[Carton]: Yeah, but let’s be honest, Booms — this thing’s over. The Mariners are done. Stick a fork in ‘em. You can already start printing those LCS tickets.
[Boomer]: Well, hold on, Craig — the next game’s in Seattle, they’ll have the crowd behind them, maybe the travel helps reset them a little bit.
[Carton]: Nah, nah, nah — this is Yankee baseball, Booms. You go up 2-0, you’ve outscored your opponent 12-3 in two games, and your ace just went the distance? Come on. This series is toast.
[Boomer]: (laughs) Alright, alright, we’ll see. But I’ll say this — Mike Deming, Player of the Game, no question about it. Nine innings, no walks, five strikeouts, and that’s the kind of performance that tells your team, “Hop on my back, I got this.”
[Carton]: And he did! Yankees take it 11-3, 43,841 in attendance, everyone going home happy in the Bronx. Next stop — Seattle, where the Mariners will try to remember what winning feels like.
[Boomer]: (chuckles) Good luck with that.
[Carton]: Booms, if the Yankees sweep this thing, I’m buying you a Deming jersey.
[Boomer]: I’ll hold you to that, Craig.
[Carton]: Yeah, yeah — as long as you wear the high socks and stirrups too.
[Boomer]: (laughs) Let’s not get carried away.