Satan's Luau

TOP 1: Elarton going for Tribe -- Jeter flies to right, one pitch, one away -- Cano also flies to right, two gone -- Sheffield is plunked, on first via HBP -- ARod goes down swinging to retire the side

BOT 1: Leiter going for NY -- Sizemore grounds to short, one down -- Crisp battles but goes down swinging, two away -- Peralta blasts one to left ... over Matsui, sticks at the base of the padding, a two out double -- Martinez lines a single through to left, the Indians wave the runner ... the throw home is there, the plate is blocked, the tag ... the ball is dropped, the run scores, runner to second on the play -- Tribe lead, 1-0

Runner at second, full count to Hernandez, the payoff ... he goes down swinging to end the two out rally

TOP 2: Matsui grounds up the middle ... Peralta ranges and makes the play at first, one down -- Giambi flies to right, two away -- Posada pops to short to retire the side

BOT 2: Belliard pops to third, one down -- full count to A.B.Boone, the payoff ... he draws a walk -- Blake flies to deep center, the runner tags and is into second, two away -- full count to Dubois, he draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Sizemore grounds a two out single up the middle, one run scores, the other runner to third -- Tribe now leads, 2-0

Runners at the corners for Crisp, he grounds to short, the force is made at second to end another two out rally

TOP 3: Tino blasts one to right ... gone, a leadoff solo shot that cuts the lead to CLE 2-1

Womack lays down the surprise bunt ... Boone fields and guns ... close play, he is called out, one down -- Jeter flies to right, two away -- Cano lines a two out single to right -- the 0-1 pitch to Sheffield gets away from the catcher ... runner to second on the wild pitch -- runner at second for Sheffield, he grounds sharply to second to end the rally

BOT 3: Full count to Peralta, the payoff ... ball four, he draws a leadoff walk -- another full count, Martinez also draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Stottlemyre out to confer -- Hernandez also draws a walk ... and Leiter has walked the bases full

Proctor warms for NY -- Belliard hits a shot into the left field corner ... two runs in, Matsui airmails over Jeter ... another run will score, and Belliard has cleared the bases with a double -- Tribe now leads, 5-1

Leiter couldn't get it done today, and Torre will turn to Proctor for long relief -- runner on second for A.B.Boone, he pops to short, ONE AWAY ... finally -- full count to Blake, the payoff ... he goes down swinging, two down -- Dubois grounds to third to end the inning

TOP 4: ARod grounds to third, one down -- Matsui pops to first, two away -- good lord Giambi just BASHES one .... foul to right ... and on the next pitch gets plunked, on first via HBP -- Posada goes down swinging to retire the side

BOT 4: Proctor continues -- Sizemore grounds sharply to first, the pitcher covers, one down -- Crisp grounds to second, two gone -- Peralta hits a broken bat grounder to third to end the inning

TOP 5: Full count to Tino, he goes down swinging, one down -- Womack flies to right center, two away -- Jeter grounds sharply to third ... great stop by Boone who puts him out to retire the side

BOT 5: Martinez blasts the full count payoff to right for a leadoff solo shot -- Indians extend to 6-1

Hernandez grounds to third, one away -- Belliard lines a single over the leaping Jeter into center -- Stottlemyre out to confer -- A.B.Boone pops to right, two down -- Blake lines to right to end the rally

TOP 6: Cano goes down swinging, ball is dropped, the catcher tags him out, one down -- Sheffield blasts one to right ... WATCHES IT ... it hits fair, high off the wall ... and by dogging it only gets the single -- ARod erases Sheffield's hubris on the first pitch ... GONE!!, a two run shot to the same spot in right... just a bit higher -- Tribe's lead cut in half, 6-3

Matsui lines one right at Elarton ... self defense stab, two away -- Giambi flies to right to end the rally

BOT 6: Proctor now into his fourth inning -- Dubois flies to right center, one down -- Rhodes warms for CLE -- Sizemore grounds sharply to short ... Jeter knocks it down backhanded, an infield single -- Crisp pops foul to third ... ARod near the stands, the old dude in the glasses misses it ... ARod doesn't, two away

On the first pitch to , Sizemore goes ... the throw is there, Sizemore JUST beats it, he has stolen second -- runner on second for Peralta, he goes down swinging on a checkswing to end the inning

TOP 7: Rhodes now pitching for CLE, after a solid, quality start by Elarton -- Posada lines a leadoff single to right center -- Tino grounds sharply to the mound, great stab by Rhodes, he turns to start a double play ... AND THROWS IT INTO CF ... the lead runner to third

Bernie will PH for Womack -- runners at the corners for Bernie, he pops to short, one down -- on the 2-2 to Jeter ... good lord, that was a strike, called a ball ... now full count, the payoff ... Jeter grounds up the middle off the mound, Peralta ranges to grab and get the force at second, one run scores -- the score is now CLE 6-4

Howry warms for Tribe -- runner at first, two down for Cano, he goes down looking to end the rally

Seventh Inning Semi-smelly, Indians lead, 6-4

BOT 7: Bernie in at CF -- A great hold'em by Proctor, Felix Rodriguez in to pitch for NY -- Martinez draws a leadoff walk ... as FRod per usual can't find the strike zone -- Hernandez grounds a hot shot to short ... amazing stab by Jeter, who starts a 643 double play, two gone -- Belliard grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 8: Howry now pitching for Tribe -- Sheffield grounds a leadoff single through to right -- ARod grounds to third ... Boone charges and puts him out at first, runner to second on the play

That will be all for Howry, Wedge calls for Sauerbeck to match L-L against Matsui -- runner at second, full count to Matsui, he grounds to second, runner to third on the play -- the first pitch to Giambi is in the dirt and away ... the runner doesn't advance ... the second pitch is TO THE BACKSTOP, here comes Sheffield, the pitcher covers ... a great slide to score a run -- Indians now lead by the slimmest of margins, 6-5

Giambi grounds to first to end the two out rally

BOT 8: Gordon in to pitch for NY -- A.B.Boone flies to right center, one down -- Wickman warms for Tribe -- Blake lines a single up the middle and into center -- Liefer in to PH for , he goes down swinging, two away -- runner at first for Sizemore, he goes down swinging, ball is dropped ... he is put out at first to end the inning

TOP 9: Wickman in to close for CLE -- Posada lines the first pitch to first, one pitch, one away -- Tino grounds to second, two down -- Bernie drives one to left ... Crisp runs it down, leaps at the wall ... it hits the wall, and looked to have clipped his glove ... a two out double for Bernie

Crisp is shaken up, after crashing his knee into the wall -- trainers out to check on him, he will stay in -- runner on second for Jeter, he grounds to second to end the game

FINAL: Indians win, 6-5

One run short ... the magic apparently all used up in the past two.

Same old story, the poor starting pitching puts the Yankees in a hole ... the previous two games, they miraculously dug out with clutch late rallies ... today, they battle back but fall short. A positive of late is that the Yankees have been gritting it out, and haven't folded down the stretch

Middle relief basically did the job to today, after Leiter stunk it up -- Proctor looked solid in long relief today ... F-Rod couldn't find the strike zone as usual, but was bailed out by defense, and Flash looked solid

56UP 48DOWN ... falling further back in both the WC and DIV, oh well