Tribe Oust Yanks; Torre's Future in Doubt

Oct 09, 03:15 AM

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Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Grady Sizemore led off the game with a homer and it was all downhill from there for Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang, as the Cleveland Indians beat New York, 6-4, winning their American League Division Series in four games and likely causing a shake-up of George Steinbrenner's team.

Paul Byrd threw into the sixth inning for the win and Victor Martinez had a two-run single for the Indians, who scored four runs over the first two innings and advanced to the AL Championship Series to play Boston, starting Friday night at Fenway Park.

The Indians won their first playoff series since 1998 when they beat the Red Sox in the ALDS before losing to the Yankees. They're still trying for their first World Series title since 1948 when they defeated the Boston Braves.

Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Bobby Abreu homered for the Yankees, who staved off elimination by winning Game 3, 8-4, Sunday night at home, only to be ousted in the first round of the playoffs for a third straight year.

The loss means it's likely Joe Torre's tenure is over after 12 years as Yankees manager, despite leading the team to the playoffs in each of his seasons and winning the World Series four times. On Sunday, Steinbrenner was quoted as saying he didn't "think we'd take him back if we don't win this series."

"It's such an empty feeling," Torre said. "There's no question, whether it happens in this or in the World Series. You think it's going to last forever. You understand a five-game series is a crap shoot, basically."

Byrd (1-0) surrendered eight hits and two runs before being lifted after allowing Cano's homer to start the sixth inning. Rafael Perez threw two innings, Rafael Betancourt tossed on frame and Joe Borowski pitched the ninth for the save, despite allowing Abreu's towering solo homer to right field with one out. Rodriguez flied out to right field. Jorge Posada then barely missed a homer, foul down the right field line, but he struck out swinging to end the game.

Jhonny Peralta had three hits and an RBI for the Indians.

"It's exciting. It's a close group of guys that play well together, and we're having fun," Sizemore said. "This is what you dream of. You want to play in the postseason. When we broke camp this is where we wanted to be and we believed we could do it."

It was a case of not hitting in the clutch for the Yankees, who left 11 men on base in Game 4 and finished the series with a .228 batting average.

Wang (0-2), starting on three days' rest for the first time in his career, was lifted after giving up five hits and four runs through one-plus inning. He was charged with 14 hits and 12 runs over 5 2/3 innings in his two appearances in the series for a 19.06 ERA.

Mike Mussina, who was passed over for the start, lasted 4 2/3 innings in relief, allowing four hits and two runs.

Despite the home run, it was another tough postseason series for Rodriguez, as the Yankee third baseman had just one RBI. He's 8-for-56 over his last 16 playoff games.

"It's just a tough time to reflect on the year," Rodriguez said. "It's a very painful time, but as far as the team goes, it is the most courageous group of guys I've been around. It's just very disappointing."

Now the question arises if Rodriguez will void his contract, which has three years remaining at $27 million per season, to leave the Yankees and become a free agent. Rodriguez has a 10-day window after the World Series to decide his future with the team.

"I love New York," Rodriguez said after the game. "As a player I've come full circle and in New York this is the most comfortable I've felt. Hopefully things work out."

The defeat may also mean the end of Roger Clemens' Hall of Fame career. Earlier in the day, the Yankees replaced the seven-time Cy Young Award winner on the Division Series roster with reliever Ron Villone. Clemens, who left Sunday's 8-4 Yankee win with a hamstring injury, wasn't eligible to return until the World Series.

As for Torre, he's in the final season of a contract worth $7 million per year.

"I love Joe. I hope Joe stays," Yankee outfielder Johnny Damon said. "He's meant so much to the Yankee organization, the way he handles himself, the way he handles this team, players, everybody. He's a great guy. Hopefully there will be some reconsideration, but the boss does what he wants."

Sizemore homered to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch to lead off the game. Travis Hafner singled with one out and scored on Peralta's two-out bloop hit to right-center.

Derek Jeter and Abreu singled with one out in the bottom of the first, but Byrd escaped the jam by fanning Rodriguez and getting Jorge Posada to line out.

The Indians loaded the bases with nobody out in the second, after an argument by Torre failed to reverse a call. Franklin Gutierrez and Casey Blake singled, and Kelly Shoppach was hit by a pitch on his hand. Torre argued the ball hit Shoppach's bat, but after the umpires had a conference the call remained.

Mussina relieved Wang and got Sizemore to hit into a double play, making it 3-0, and Asdrubal Cabrera followed with an RBI single to center.

The Yankees scored just once in the second inning despite loading the bases with one out. Hideki Matsui walked and Cano singled, and with one out Doug Mientkiewicz walked. Damon then flied out down the left field line. Blake made a diving stop on a ball hit by Jeter down the third-base line, but it nicked off his glove, plating Matsui for New York's first run. Abreu could not keep the momentum going, and flied out to center to end the inning.

"This team's like family," said Byrd, who started with manager Eric Wedge deciding to go with the righty instead of bringing ace C.C. Sabathia back on three days' rest. "I think you can tell by the way we celebrate and pick each other up and it's an absolute blast to be part of."

Posada doubled with one out in the third, but was left on base, and the Indians moved to a 6-1 cushion in the fourth. Shoppach hit a ground-rule double to left-center and Sizemore walked. After a sacrifice bunt by Cabrera, Hafner was intentionally walked. Mussina nearly got out of trouble, but after getting two strikes on Martinez, gave up a two-run single on a ground ball to left field.

Cano homered to right leading off the sixth, and despite being down 6-2, the crowd of 56,315 started to come alive after pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan and Damon singled off Perez with two outs. However, Jeter hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Rodriguez homered to left-center with one out in the seventh.

Game Notes

Byrd, who was facing the Yankees for the first time in the postseason, posted his first win against them since June 7, 1999 when he pitched for the Phillies...The Red Sox wrapped up their ALDS with a sweep against the Angels on Sunday. Boston beat Cleveland in five of their seven meetings this season. The Indians last faced the Red Sox in the 1999 ALDS, losing in five games. Boston won the final three games in that series, scoring 44 runs over the final three contests...The NLCS starts Thursday night in Arizona with the Diamondbacks facing the Rockies...Rodriguez's homer was the first earned run allowed by the Indians bullpen in the series...Mussina made his 23rd career postseason appearance, but just second in relief...This marked Cleveland's fourth win in its last 23 overall games (regular season and postseason) at Yankee Stadium. The Indians went 0-6 overall versus the Yankees during the 2007 regular season...Peralta hit .467 (7-for-15) for the series...Cleveland had 14 two-out RBI in the series, while the Yankees had just two.

10/09 02:39:19 ET