Red Sox in, Tribe out
Defending Series champs clinch AL wild-card berth Loss means Yanks must hit the road to play the Angels
Just when it looked as though the American League playoff picture might remain muddled for another day, everything was settled on the final afternoon of the regular season. The Boston Red Sox wrapped it up yesterday by pounding the AL East-champion New York Yankees 10- 1 at Fenway Park. With that victory, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez and the rest of the Red Sox earned the AL wild- card berth for the third consecutive season, the same spot that started them in 2004 toward their first World Series championship in 86 years. “Both of these teams went through a lot this year,” said Schilling, who shut the Yankees down yesterday. “ To be where we are says as much about the people as it does about the talent.”
Reigning World Series MVP Ramirez hit a three- run homer and also threw out Derek Jeter from the outfield to put Boston in the playoffs for a franchiserecord third consecutive year. A wild- card team has won the past three World Series titles.
Boston’s first- round series against the AL Central- champion White Sox begins tomorrow, 4: 09 p. m., in Chicago. The White Sox finished with the best record in the league at 99- 63 and will be trying to win their first post-season playoff since the 1917 World Series. “We are playing against the best. They are the champions and they know how to play in the playoffs,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
“ We didn’t face them during the season when we were pitching well. Now, we are. That’s a difference.”
Cleveland, the only other team that had a shot at the wild card, lost 3- 1 at home yesterday to the White Sox, who swept the seasonthree-game series. That defeat concluded a crushing final week for the young Indians ( 93- 69), who dropped six of their last seven games. “We ended like we started,” closer Bob Wickman said in a sombre Cleveland clubhouse. “ We came up . . . short. But the guys should be very proud of what they’ve accomplished.” The Yankees, who clinched their eighth consecutive AL East title on Saturday at Fenway Park, travel to Anaheim, Calif., to play the AL West- champion Los Angeles Angels beginning tomorrow at 8: 19 p. m. The Angels beat the Yankees in the 2002 division series en route to their only World Series championship. The Angels earned home- field advantage in the series by virtue of a 7- 4 victory in Texas yester-
day coupled with New York’s loss to Boston. Los Angeles and New York both finished the season at 95- 67 and the Angels won the season series between the teams.
“ I think we accomplished what we wanted to by getting guys rested and getting home field,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “ Everything had to fall in place perfectly and it looks like it did.”
All first- round series are bestoffive.
After Boston’s win over the Yankees at Fenway, coupled with Cleveland’s loss, the outfield scoreboards posted matching messages, one congratulating the Yankees and one congratulating the Red Sox, who both finished at 95- 67.
“ That’s got to be a first, huh?” Yankees shortstop Jeter said.
“ Two teams playing each other, clinching in the same stadium.” Only a day before, the AL pennant race was so jumbled that it looked as though the first double tiebreaker playoff in major league history might be necessary.
“ I think it’s what a lot of people expected at the beginning of the season, us and Boston back in the playoffs,” Jeter said.
“ In my whole career, I’ve never seen this type of race that you had to wait for the last day,” said Boston lefty David Wells, who will follow Matt Clement in the playoff rotation against the White Sox.
‘‘ There’s so many teams that are involved. You’ve got to smile because we’re in it.”