"Randy immediately came off the mound and had some choice words to say," home plate ump Fieldin Culbreth said. "I told him to knock it off and get back on the mound. He screamed again, an expletive, and 'just call it a strike,' and at that point he also screamed out, 'and the pitch on Wells was an expletive strike as well.' And at that point, I ejected him."
The Yankees managed to hang on anyway, despite the Toronto Blue Jays scoring the last seven runs of the game, despite the Yankees having to deplete their bullpen by using five relievers to hand on 11-10.
The victory keeps them a half game behind the Cleveland Indians and a game and a half behind Boston for the AL East. If the season ended today, the Yankees would be bounced out of the postseason, despite having won their past five games in a row.
*****
Meanwhile, in Beantown, a day after saviour Schilling was hammered and the Red Sox precarious AL East lead over the Yankees was reduced to one and a half games, Manny Ramirez took one for the team with the bases loaded to give the Sox a narrow 10 inning 3-2 victory over the Oakland A's.
It was the first time a game-ending run had been forced in by a hit batter in the Major Leagues since Aug. 23, 2002, when Paul LoDuca took one for the team in a Dodgers victory over the Braves.
Tim Wakefield went nine innings and scattered seven hits and Papi Ortiz hit his 12th homer in the last 19 games, a game-tying solo homer in the 6th.
The loss dropped the A's to four games behind the Indians for the AL Wildcard and coupled with the Angels 12 inning 7-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers, left the A's a game behind the Angels for the AL West lead.
*****
The continuously exciting and surprising Cleveland Indians maintained their margin over the Yankees for the AL Wildcard by defeating the lowest of low KC Royales With Cheese, 3-1.
Indian's #9 hitter, Casey Blake's 2-run homer, his 21st of the season, was the difference.
Indians leadoff hitter, Grady Sizemore, also homered, his 20th of the season to go with his 20 stolen bases. He leads the team in hits, runs and total bases:
The Indians have a pretty soft schedule for the rest of the season: they will finish off this series against the Royales With Cheese, then face the White Sox in Chicago for what should be a dramatic 3 game series that may have some effect on the AL Central race although the Indians are still 4 1/2 game behind and would certainly require an unlikely sweep.
(Three singles and a sacrifice bunt saved the White Sox on Friday night with a 2-1 return-to-smallball-victory over the evil Twins.)
After that series it's onward to KC for another laughable four game series, then host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for a trio and then host the White Sox for a three-game series to close out the regular season. If things remain as they do now, the Indians would meet the Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs.
The Yankees and Boston will meet in a three game series at Fenway that will likely decide the AL East and quite possibly, the only realistic chance either have at the post-season.
*****
Anaheim is just 29-29 since the break and struggling every game to score a couple of runs. Since the break, only the Orioles, Twins and Royals have scored fewer runs than the Angels.
*****NL Wildcard
The Phillies, playing at Florida, managed to stay within a half game of the Houston Astros last night with a convincing 13-3 victory over the Marlins last night.
They managed 17 hits as Jimmy Rollins homered, drove in four runs and scored four times whilst Kenny Lofton went 5-for-6 with an RBI and two runs as the Phillies tagged Florida's bullpen for 11 runs. Rollins extended his hitting streak to 22 games.
In a crushing blow, Florida Marlins shortstop Damion Easley sprained his right ankle Friday night and might miss the rest of the regular season, forcing the team to rely on an untested rookie in the midst of the playoff race.
Easley stumbled and fell running into the outfield in anticipation of taking a cutoff throw following a double by Philadelphia's Ryan Howard in the second inning. The game was delayed for five minutes before Easley was helped onto a cart to be taken off the field.
Rookie Robert Andino, recalled Sept. 2 from Double-A Carolina, replaced Easley.
Today, the Phillies RH Vicente Padilla (8-12, 4.67) faces the Marlins LH Dontrelle Willis (21-8, 2.49) and on Sunday, the Phillies will start LH Eude Brito (1-0. 1.72) against RH Josh Beckett (13-8, 3.58).
*****
In Houston, the Astros won their third straight game, this time a nipper over the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1.
Astros starter Roy Oswalt failed to get his 18th victory, allowing one run and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
Rick Helling, trying to beat Houston for the second time in six days, gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, also striking out five and walking one.
The Brewers' lone run was produced by Lyle Overbay who homered leading off the sixth.
Jeff Bagwell will be limited to pinch-hitting the rest of the season but that didn't stop him from hitting the game-winning single. Houston got its 14th last at-bat win.
*****
Barry Bonds hits 704
Although the Giants are a faaaar cry from contending this year, at least they have a little something to get excited about as the season draws to a close and that is the return of Barry Bonds.
On the second pitch he saw from Brad Penny in the first inning, he officially restarted his chase for the Babe and the Hammer by hitting his first home run of 2005 and the 704th of his career.
The Giants beat the Dodgers, 5-4.
*****Sports Amnesia's Top Ten*****
1. USC (1-0)- v. Arkansas (1-1)
2. Florida St (2-0)- at Boston College (2-0)
3. Texas (2-0) - v. Rice (0-1)
4. Florida (2-0) - v. Tennessee (1-0)
5. Notre Dame (2-0) - v. Mich St (2-0)
6. Miami (0-1)- at Clemson (2-0)
7. Georgia (2-0) - v. UL-Munroe (0-2)
8. VA Tech (2-0) - v. Ohio (1-1)
9. Ohio State (1-1) - v. San Diego State (0-2)
10. Michigan (1-1) - v. Eastern Michigan (1-1)
*****Fitba*****
Good news for Man U haters as defender Gabriel Heinze will miss "most of the season" with cruciate knee ligament damage. The 27-year-old Argentine was hurt in a tackle with Jan Kromkamp during the first half of United's Champions League tie with Villarreal in midweek.
Heinz might be out for the season
Heinze's injury is a blow for United, who are set to be without Roy Keane for two weeks with a hamstring strain.
Man U face will travel to Liverpool on Sunday.
Prediction, Liverpool 1-0.
*****
Surprising Charlton will host Chelsea. Charlton are currently second in the table with 12 points, three behind the again-dominating Chelsea side although Chelsea have played one more match than Charlton.
Prediction, Chelsea 0-1.
*****
Newcastle, still looking for their first win of the season, travel to face Blackburn. Four of the last five Premiership meetings between these clubs at Ewood Park were drawn, including last season's match. Newcastle have never won a Premiership game at Ewood Park, nor have they claimed maximum points on Blackburn turf since a 0-1 success in the old Second Division on 1 September 1990. The Toon have not cheered on a top flight victory at Blackburn for 44 years ago, since the 2-4 triumph on 29 April 1961.
Prediction, Blackburn 2-1 with Owen scoring his first Newcastle goal and Graeme Souness feeling more pressure come to bear down on him and his likely sacking.
Not far from the Sack?
The match also features bad boy Welshman Craig Bellamy facing his former team and the manager with whom he had his contentious split with the club over.
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