Sunday’s Major League Baseball Playoff Summaries

AP
Published: October 6, 2008

Sunday’s Major League Baseball Playoff Summaries

NLDS: Phillies 6, Brewers 2 (Phillies Win Series 3-1)

MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Philadelphia Phillies found plenty of power to go with their pitching and they’re taking that combination into the National League championship series.

Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run, Pat Burrell connected twice and Jayson Werth added a solo shot to lead the Phillies to a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. That clinched the Phillies’ first trip to the NLCS since 1993 by eliminating the wild-card Brewers in four games

Despite pitching on an eight-day layoff, Phillies starter Joe Blanton held the Brewers to one run while pitching into the seventh inning in just his second career postseason appearance.

Next up is the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 is Thursday in Philadelphia.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel already has laid down his marker on that series, saying: “I like our chances. I think we can beat anyone in the National League, really.”

ALDS: White Sox 5, Rays 3 (Rays Lead Series 2-1)

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago still has one team alive in the baseball playoffs.

One day after the Cubs were swept in the National League playoffs, the Chicago White Sox stayed alive by beating Tampa Bay 5-3. That cuts the Rays’ lead in the AL playoff series to 2-1.

John Danks pitched another big game to save the White Sox season. Danks allowed three runs in six and two-thirds innings in getting the win. Bobby Jenks earned the save with a scoreless run.

DeWayne Wise delivered a two-run double in the White Sox fourth when Chicago broke a 1-1 tie with three runs. Matt Garza was the Rays’ losing pitcher, allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings.

Game four in the best-of-five matchup is Monday in Chicago, with Gavin Floyd facing Tampa Bay’s Andy Sonnanstine.

ALDS: Angels 5, Red Sox 4, 12 Innings (Red Sox Lead Series 2-1)

BOSTON (AP) - The Los Angeles Angels are alive in the American League Division Series after winning a marathon 5-4 game over Boston on Erick Aybar’s run-scoring bloop single in the 12th inning. That cuts the Red Sox’ lead to 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

That ends the Angels’ streak of 11 straight postseason losses to the Red Sox, including three-game sweeps in the AL division series in 2004 and 2007.

Mike Napoli homered twice, drove in three and scored the go-ahead run. Napoli opened the rally in the 12th with a single off losing pitcher Javier Lopez. After being sacrificed to second, Napoli scored the winning run on Aybar’s single.

The Red Sox went ahead 3-1 in the third on the first three-run single in postseason history. Jacoby Ellsbury’s pop fly to short center fell between second baseman Howie Kendrick and center fielder Torii Hunter as Kendrick backed off at the last moment.

Napoli tied the game in the third with a two-run homer after a double by Vladimir Guerrero. In his first career relief appearance, Jered Weaver pitched two innings of scoreless relief to get the win.

The victory forces a Game four Monday night at Fenway Park. John Lackey tries to even the series for the Angels against Jon Lester of the Red Sox.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)