Frankie The Sports Guy

The guy who has constantly been attacked for not getting the job done in the playoffs finally delivered. It all started for him in Game 1 where Alex Rodriguez got 2 hits, both RBi singles. The Yankees won this game 7-2 against the exhausted Minnesota Twins coming off a thrilling win 24 hrs before to get into the playoffs in a 1 game playoff at home vs the collapsing Tigers.

Game 2 I was fortunate enough to be at and was by far the best game of the 3. It was 3-1 as we entered the 9th inning and Joe Nathan, the Twins closer, came on to pitch. He has notoriously struggled in the Bronx, and Alex Rodriguez saw no reason to change that. Arod launched a laser into the Yankees bullpen to tie the game. The crowd absolutely erupted. I was screaming and shaking hands with anyone I saw in a Yankees hat or shirt. It was the most exciting moment at a baseball game I was ever at. In the 11th inning, the Twins has the bases loaded 0 out and failed to score. David Robertson came in and cleaned up Marte's mess as the Yankees escaped disaster in miracle fashion. Once they did not score, I knew the game was over and the Yankees would win it and sure enough, that was all she wrote. First batter of the bottom of the 11th Mark Teixeira sent a Tex message that lined right off the left field wall and into the seats. A postseason walk-off home run in Yankee Stadium. Does not get any better then that.

Finally we had the do or die game for Minnesota in game 3. This was potentially the last game to ever be played by the Twins at the Metrodome. This game was flying by as Andy Pettite and Carl Pavano were throwing up zeros until the 7th inning when the Twins finally broke through on a Mauer RBI single. However, the next inning, when the Yankees batted knowing they were trailing late, big hitters got big hits. Alex Rodriguez, the man of the series, hit a game tying opposite field home run. Then, 2 batters later, Jorge Posada follows that up with an opposite field home run of his own to left giving the Yankees the lead. They never looked back. Thanks to a Punto base running blunder and some solid relief pitching, the Yankees swept the Twins and now have a date with the Angels starting Friday night in the Bronx.  Thank you Yankees. Thank you Alex Rodriguez for showing your greatness when it counts.