[Nick Soulis]

Series #269



2008 New York Yankees vs 2013 Miami Marlins

GAME 1
Yankee Stadium II, The Bronx, New York

Miami 2013 Marlins 1
New York 2008 Yankees 4

Joba Chamberlain walked to the mound at Yankee Stadium on a fifty-nine degree October night and threw the game of his young life. The twenty-two-year-old right-hander held the Miami Marlins to four hits and one run over six and two-thirds innings, striking out twelve batters in a performance that set the Field of Dreams Tournament playoff record for strikeouts in a single game, and the 2008 New York Yankees opened Series Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine with a four to one victory before eighteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-four fans in the Bronx. For four innings the game was a pitching duel — Chamberlain and José Fernández matching zeroes with the quiet intensity of two young arms determined to outdo the other — until Miguel Olivo cracked a two-run double in the fifth to give Miami a one to nothing lead that briefly made Fernández's night feel like it might be enough. It was not enough.
The Yankees answered in the seventh when Álex Rodríguez delivered a two-out RBI single and Derek Jeter followed with a two-out RBI of his own, turning the lead over to New York at two to one and sending Fernández to the dugout after six and two-thirds innings having thrown ninety-nine pitches, allowed seven hits, and struck out five. Mike Dunn entered from the Miami bullpen and was immediately overwhelmed — in the eighth inning, with two outs and two runners aboard, Johnny Damon lined a double to the gap that cleared the bases and pushed the Yankees lead to four to one, effectively ending the drama. Brian Bruney retired the Marlins in order through his one and one-third innings of relief, and Mariano Rivera came on in the ninth and struck out the side on nineteen pitches, collecting his first save of the series with the same effortless authority that has defined his career. Fernández was brilliant in stretches and will be better for the experience — but on this night in the Bronx, Joba Chamberlain was better.

Key Performers:

Joba Chamberlain — 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K; Field of Dreams Tournament record for strikeouts in a playoff game; dominant command of his fastball all evening
Hideki Matsui — 4-for-4, a perfect night at the plate anchoring the middle of the order
Derek Jeter — 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, two-out clutch hit in the seventh that turned the game
Johnny Damon — 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB; two-out double in the eighth the decisive blow of the game
Mariano Rivera — 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K; save number one, nineteen pitches, locked the door
José Fernández — 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; quality start, fought hard, but the Yankees made him pay in the seventh
Miguel Olivo — 1-for-3, 1 RBI; Miami's only run, a fifth-inning double that briefly gave the Marlins the lead

Series: 2008 New York leads 1-0
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SERIES 269 — GAME 2
Yankee Stadium II, The Bronx, New York

Miami 2013 Marlins 5
New York 2008 Yankees 4

Derek Dietrich arrived at Yankee Stadium as a twenty-three-year-old with something to prove and left it having delivered the signature performance of this series so far, going two for four with two home runs and three RBI as the 2013 Miami Marlins stunned the home crowd and evened Series Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine at one game apiece with a five to four victory before nineteen thousand fans in the Bronx. Mike Mussina had no answer for the Marlins in the early innings — Plácido Polanco led the way with a solo home run in the second on a two-out count, and the third inning unraveled completely when Christian Yelich doubled, Marcell Ozuna drove him in with a single, and Dietrich then launched a two-run homer off Mussina's fastball with two outs to put Miami ahead four to nothing and send a stunned Yankee Stadium crowd into uneasy silence. Henderson Alvarez was everything the Marlins needed him to be — seven and one-third innings, five hits, four earned runs, seven strikeouts — and though the Yankees mounted a furious eighth-inning rally that very nearly turned the game entirely, with José Molina, Johnny Damon, and Robinson Canó all doubling in succession off Alvarez to close the gap to five to four, Steve Cishek entered with the bases alive and shut the door with ruthless efficiency, retiring the final five batters he faced including a clutch escape of the inherited runner to preserve the win. Dietrich added a solo homer off Edwar Ramirez in the eighth to provide what proved to be the decisive insurance run, and when Cishek struck out the final Yankee in the ninth the Marlins had their answer to Game One. The series, so comfortable for New York twenty-four hours ago, is suddenly a conversation again.

Key Performers:

Derek Dietrich — 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R; two-run homer in the third the turning point, solo shot in the eighth the insurance
Henderson Alvarez III — 7.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; kept the Yankees off-balance all night, gutted through the eighth
Plácido Polanco — 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI; solo homer in the second set the tone for Miami's early surge
Steve Cishek — 1.2 IP, 6 H faced, 0 ER, 1 K; inherited a dangerous situation in the eighth and slammed it shut
Christian Yelich — 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 SB; doubled in the third to ignite the decisive rally
Johnny Damon — 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI; two doubles, kept the Yankees' eighth-inning rally alive
Mike Mussina — 6.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; surrendered two home runs, couldn't survive the third inning unscathed

Series: Tied 1-1
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SERIES 269 — GAME 3
Marlins Park, Miami, Florida

New York 2008 Yankees 4
Miami 2013 Marlins 5

Jason Giambi hit two home runs and drove in three runs but it was not nearly enough, as the 2013 Miami Marlins erased a three-run first-inning deficit with a chaotic four-run second inning and held on to defeat the Yankees five to four at Marlins Park, taking a two games to one series lead in the process. Andy Pettitte could not survive the second inning — a succession of singles, walks, a wild pitch, a Yelich sacrifice fly, and a Ruggiano double produced four Miami runs before the inning was over and the Marlins never relinquished the lead from that point forward. Giambi kept the Yankees alive with a solo shot in the fifth, but AJ Ramos shut the door with two immaculate relief innings and Christian Yelich delivered the knockout punch in the eighth with a two-out RBI single off Phil Coke that pushed the margin to five to four. Cishek retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save of the series, and the Marlins now stand one win away from one of the most remarkable series victories this tournament has seen.

Key Performers:

Jason Giambi — 2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R; the Yankees' entire offense in one player
AJ Ramos — 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K; two dominant bridge innings that sealed the game
Christian Yelich — 2-for-4, 2 RBI; sac fly in the second, decisive single in the eighth
Justin Ruggiano — 2-for-5, 1 RBI; double capped the four-run second-inning rally
Steve Cishek — 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER; second save, perfect ninth
Andy Pettitte — 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER; could not escape the second inning with the lead intact

Series: 2013cMiami leads 2-1
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SERIES 269 — GAME 4
Marlins Park, Miami, Florida

New York 2008 Yankees 6
Miami 2013 Marlins 5

Derek Jeter singled home Brett Gardner in the top of the ninth inning to break a five to five tie and the Yankees bullpen held on to deliver a six to five victory at Marlins Park, evening Series Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine at two games apiece in a game that swung back and forth with relentless drama. New York jumped on Ricky Nolasco for three runs in the first — Jeter and Giambi hit by pitches loaded the bases, an Abreu walk forced in Damon, a Cabrera fielder's choice scored Jeter, and a Cano infield single plated Giambi — but Miami chipped away methodically, with a Morrison double scoring Dietrich in the fourth and then an extraordinary five-run fifth inning that completely erased Rodríguez's two-run homer off Nolasco and sent Marlins Park into a frenzy. Stanton doubled home Coghlan, Polanco singled home Stanton, and Morrison singled home Dietrich to tie the game at five and chase Wang from the mound. Both bullpens then locked down for three scoreless innings before Gardner reached on a walk in the ninth, stole third, and scored on Jeter's clean single off Cishek. Mariano Rivera came on in the bottom of the ninth, allowed two singles to Yelich and Ruggiano, and then watched Stanton strike out and Dietrich ground into a series-ending double play to secure the save. Series tied, two games apiece, with one game remaining in Miami.

Key Performers:

Derek Jeter — 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI; ninth-inning single the decisive blow of the game
Christian Yelich — 3-for-3, 2 BB, 1 R; reached base five times, the Marlins' most dangerous offensive presence
Álex Rodríguez — 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI; two-run blast in the fifth briefly pushed New York ahead by three
Logan Morrison — 3-for-4, 1 RBI; two-run double in the fourth and RBI single in the fifth kept Miami alive
Mariano Rivera — 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 K; stranded two runners in the ninth, second save of the series
Brett Gardner — 0-for-0, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 SB; reached, stole third, scored the winning run without recording an at-bat

Series: Tied 2-2
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SERIES 269 — GAME 5
Marlins Park, Miami, Florida

New York 2008 Yankees 1
Miami 2013 Marlins 2

José Fernández took the mound at Marlins Park in the most important game of his young life and delivered exactly what the moment demanded. The twenty-year-old right-hander threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six and scattering five hits, as the Miami Marlins defeated the Yankees two to one to take a three games to two series lead and move within one victory of one of the most stunning upsets in Field of Dreams Tournament history. Miami struck first in the bottom of the first when Yelich singled, stole second, tagged and scored on a Ruggiano fly ball, and Dietrich doubled to keep the inning alive — a one to nothing lead that felt fragile but proved durable. The Yankees tied it in the third on a two-out Rodríguez RBI single that scored Chamberlain from third, and for three innings the game sat perfectly balanced at one apiece with both young starters refusing to yield. The decisive moment came in the sixth — Stanton singled, Dietrich doubled him to third, and after Polanco walked to load the bases, Edwar Ramirez entered and immediately walked Morrison on four pitches to force home Stanton with what proved to be the winning run. Fernández shut out the Yankees the rest of the way, Chad Qualls held on in the eighth, and Tom Koehler retired the side in order in the ninth. The Marlins go to New York needing one win. The Yankees must win both remaining games at home to survive.

Key Performers:

José Fernández — 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; composed and dominant when it mattered most
Derek Dietrich — 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 1 SB; catalytic presence in both Miami scoring innings
Giancarlo Stanton — 1-for-4, 1 R; singled to ignite the decisive sixth-inning rally
Christian Yelich — 2-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 SB; scored the first run, reached base three times
Logan Morrison — 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI; bases-loaded walk off Ramirez was the margin of victory
Joba Chamberlain — 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; kept the Yankees in the game but could not escape the sixth

2013 Miami leads 3-2
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SERIES 269 — GAME 6
Yankee Stadium II, The Bronx, New York

Miami 2013 Marlins 3
New York 2008 Yankees 12

The Yankees answered an elimination game the only way a dynasty knows how — with overwhelming force. New York pounded out eighteen hits and twelve runs against a Miami pitching staff that had no answers all night, with Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, and Derek Jeter all delivering multi-hit performances as the Yankees forced a decisive Game Seven with a twelve to three victory at Yankee Stadium. Henderson Alvarez never found his Game Two form, surrendering five runs on eight hits before recording just two outs in the third inning, and Jacob Turner and Tom Koehler fared no better as the Yankees sent ten runs across in the second through sixth innings in a display of offensive depth that had been conspicuously absent throughout the series in Miami. Mike Mussina was everything the Yankees needed him to be — eight innings, three earned runs, four strikeouts, one hundred and eleven pitches — redeeming his Game Two performance with a gutty, determined outing that kept the Marlins from stringing anything dangerous together until two cosmetic runs in the ninth off garbage time. The Marlins got a home run and four hits from Dietrich and two hits from Morrison, but it was far too little against a Yankees lineup that finally looked like itself. David Robertson finished the ninth with three strikeouts. Series tied three games apiece. Winner take all tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.

Key Performers:

Bobby Abreu — 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 double; the game's catalyst, consistent damage all night
Hideki Matsui — 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI; his best offensive game of the series at the perfect moment
Melky Cabrera — 2-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI; delivered a pivotal second-inning single and kept producing
Derek Jeter — 3-for-5, 3 R; reached base four times, set the table all evening
Mike Mussina — 8.0 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; a redemption performance when the season demanded it
Derek Dietrich — 4-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R; the one Marlin who refused to quit even in a blowout

Series: Tied 3-3
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SERIES 269 — GAME 7
Yankee Stadium II, The Bronx, New York

Miami 2013 Marlins 9
New York 2008 Yankees 22

The 2008 New York Yankees are advancing. In a Game Seven that will be remembered for the sheer relentlessness of the offensive explosion it produced, New York demolished the Miami Marlins twenty-two to nine at Yankee Stadium, with Álex Rodríguez hitting two three-run home runs in the second inning alone, Johnny Damon going five for seven with two stolen bases, and a cast of Yankees hitters combining for twenty-seven hits in one of the most stunning offensive performances this tournament has ever seen. Miami drew first blood when Yelich scored on a Stanton groundout in the first, and the Marlins briefly seized the lead with a six-run second inning — Dietrich's bases-clearing triple the centerpiece — that put them ahead seven to four and silenced a stunned Yankee Stadium crowd. The Yankees answered immediately and decisively. In the bottom of the second, Rodríguez launched a three-run homer off Ramos and then, with the bases loaded again moments later, hit another three-run shot off Dunn — two home runs, six RBI, one inning — and New York poured ten runs across before the frame ended, turning a three-run deficit into a fourteen to seven lead that the Marlins never remotely threatened. Cabrera's RBI single in the fifth, a five-run sixth capped by Cano's two-out double, and Abreu's two-run homer in the seventh finished the scoring. Robertson and Ramirez closed out the ninth with the Marlins going quietly, and when Morrison flew out to end it the Yankees had their series.

Key Performers:

Álex Rodríguez — 4-for-6, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 R; two three-run homers in the second inning, a tournament record eight RBI in a single playoff game
Johnny Damon — 5-for-7, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB; the series MVP, on base all night and setting the table relentlessly
Bobby Abreu — 4-for-5, 5 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR; two-run homer in the seventh, five runs scored sets a tournament record
Robinson Canó — 4-for-6, 1 R, 4 RBI; two-out double in the sixth the exclamation point on a decisive inning
Melky Cabrera — 4-for-6, 2 R, 3 RBI; productive throughout, delivered when the lineup needed him
Derek Dietrich — 2-for-5, 1 triple, 2 RBI; fought until the end for Miami, his bases-clearing triple briefly gave the Marlins hope


2008 New York Yankees Win Series 4-3

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Series MVP:

(.357, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB, 1.116 OPS)