2004 American League Division Series

Infobox LDS
alds = yes


year = 2004
champion1 = New York Yankees (3)
champion1_manager = Joe Torre
champion1_games = 101-61, .623, GA: 3
runnerup1 = Minnesota Twins (1)
runnerup1_manager = Ron Gardenhire
runnerup1_games = 92-70, .568, GA: 9
date1 = October 5–October 9
television1 = FOX (Games 1, 4)
ESPN (Game 2-3)
announcers1 = Joe Buck and Tim McCarver (Game 1)
Jon Miller and Joe Morgan (Game 2-3)
Josh Lewin and Steve Lyons (Game 4)
champion2 = Boston Red Sox (3)
champion2_manager = Terry Francona
champion2_games = 98-64, .605, GB: 3
runnerup2 = Anaheim Angels (0)
runnerup2_manager = Mike Scioscia
runnerup2_games = 92-70, .568, GA: 1
date2 = October 5–October 8
television2 = ESPN
announcers2 = Chris Berman, Rick Sutcliffe, and Tony Gwynn
umpires2 = Charlie Reliford, Mark Wegner, Brian Gorman, Mike Everitt, Jerry Crawford, Paul Nauert (Yankees-Twins)
Larry Young, Jerry Meals, Brian Runge, Gary Cederstrom, Ed Montague, Kerwin Danley (Angels-Red Sox)The by|2004 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 2004 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 5, and ended on Saturday, October 9, with the champions of the three AL divisions – along with a "wild card" team – participating in two best-of-five series. They were:

*(1) New York Yankees (Eastern Division champion, 101-61) vs. (3) Minnesota Twins (Central Division champion, 92-70): Yankees win series, 3-1.
*(2) Anaheim Angels (Western Division champion, 92-70) vs. (4) Boston Red Sox (Wild Card, 98-64): Red Sox win series, 3-0.

"The higher seed (in parentheses) had the home field advantage. The Angels received home field advantage rather than the Twins due to their winning the season series 6-4 against Minnesota. Although the team with the best record was normally intended to play the wild card team, the Yankees played the Twins, rather than the wild card Red Sox, because the Yankees and Red Sox are in the same division."

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Red Sox became the American League champion, and defeated the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series for their first World Championship since 1918.

Matchups

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

New York wins the series, 3-1

Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox

Boston wins the series, 3-0

New York vs. Minnesota

Game 1, October 5

Yankee Stadium in New York, New YorkLinescore
Road=Minnesota|RoadAbr=MIN
R1=0|R2=0|R3=1|R4=0|R5=0|R6=1|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=2|RH=7|RE=0
Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYY
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=9|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Johan Santana (1-0)|LP=Mike Mussina (0-1)|SV=Joe Nathan (1)
RoadHR=Jacque Jones (1)|HomeHR=|

Pitching dominated in Game 1 as Mike Mussina faced Johan Santana. The Twins got on the board first when Shannon Stewart singled home Michael Cuddyer. Then in the 6th, Jacque Jones hit a solo home run to make it 2-0. The Yankees got nine hits and numerous walks but never capitalized on Johan Santana, Juan Rincon, or closer Joe Nathan as the Yankees hit into five double plays.

Game 2, October 6

Yankee Stadium in New York, New YorkLinescore
Road=Minnesota|RoadAbr=MIN
R1=1|R2=2|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=2|R9=0|R10=0|R11=0|R12=1|RR=6|RH=12|RE=0
Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYY
H1=1|H2=0|H3=2|H4=0|H5=1|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|H12=2|HR=7|HH=9|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Paul Quantrill (1-0)|LP=Joe Nathan (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Torii Hunter (1)|HomeHR=Derek Jeter (1), Alex Rodríguez (1), Gary Sheffield (1)|

Brad Radke faced Jon Lieber in a must-win game for the Yankees. It was arguably the best game of the series. In the top of the 1st, Justin Morneau doubled in Torii Hunter to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 1st, Derek Jeter led off the game with a game-tying home run to make it a 1-1 game. A single by Cuddyer and a sac fly by Henry Blanco made it 3-1 Twins. But Gary Sheffield would tie the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 3rd. Alex Rodriguez gave the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the 5th with a solo home run. He would also add in another run by singling home Miguel Cairo to make it 5-3 Yankees. A passed strike three ball allowed the Twins to tie the game. Torii Hunter would single to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Mariano Rivera came in but the Twins were still able to tie the game. A single by Morneau and a ground rule double by Corey Koskie would be the tying-run scorers. However, the ground rule double cost the Twins a run and would never be able to score that run as Jason Kubel and Cristian Guzman went down. The game went into extra innings and in the top of the 12th, Torii Hunter hit the go-ahead solo home run. The Twins were on the verge of putting the Yankees down, despite being heavy underdogs. But two one-out walks to Miguel Cairo and Derek Jeter proved costly. Alex Rodriguez hit a ground rule double that tied the game. Then, after Gary Sheffield was intentionally walked, Hideki Matsui hit the game winning sacrifice fly that scored Derek Jeter.

Game 3, October 8

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaLinescore
Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYY
R1=0|R2=3|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=4|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=8|RH=14|RE=1
Home=Minnesota|HomeAbr=MIN
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=3|HR=4|HH=12|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Kevin Brown (1-0)|LP=Carlos Silva (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Hideki Matsui (1), Bernie Williams (1)|HomeHR=Jacque Jones (2)|

Yankees starter Kevin Brown faced Twins hurler Carlos Silva in the crucial Game 3. The Twins grabbed the lead in the bottom of the 1st when Jacque Jones hit his second home run of the series. But it would be the last time the Twins would lead in this game. With 2 outs in the 2nd, 5 straight singles gave the Yankees a 3-run rally to put themselves ahead 3-1. Then, as the night wore on, the Yanks would blow the game wide open in the 6th. Bernie Williams hit a 2-run homer after Matsui singled to lead off the inning. Then Derek Jeter added a two-run single to make it 7-1 Yankees. Brown hurled 6 innings, giving up only one run to the Twins. Matsui would homer in the 7th inning to make it 8-1 going into the 9th. The Twins, however, would not go quietly. Two consecutive hit-by-pitches to lead off the bottom of the 9th inning by Felix Heredia gave the Twins some life. Then, Tanyon Sturtze came on in relief and gave up two consecutive hits to make it 8-2. An RBI-groundout and a sac fly made it 8-4, but the game was too far out of reach as the Yanks won.

Game 4, October 9

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaLinescore
Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYY
R1=0|R2=0|R3=1|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=4|R9=0|R10=0|R11=1|RR=6|RH=11|RE=0
Home=Minnesota|HomeAbr=MIN
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=3|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|HR=5|HH=12|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Mariano Rivera (1-0)|LP=Kyle Lohse (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Rubén Sierra (1)|HomeHR=Henry Blanco (1)|

Javier Vazquez went against Johan Santana, who pitched so well in Game 1. The Twins were on the board first with a sacrifice fly by Torii Hunter. But the Yankees would tie it on an RBI-single by Hideki Matsui in the 3rd. Another sac fly untied the score and gave the Twins the lead back in the 4th. Henry Blanco led the bottom of the 5th off with a home run to make it 3-1 Twins. A 2-run double by Lew Ford extended the Twins' lead to 5-1 later in the inning. However, the Twins would squander the lead in the top of the 8th with Juan Rincon pitching in relief. Bernie Williams would single home Gary Sheffield after a single and wild pitch. With Matsui and Williams on base and one out, Rubén Sierra hit the game-tying 3-run home run to make it tied at 5. Joe Nathan would come on in relief and get the next two outs. But, once again, the Twins blew the lead and a sense of déjà vu hung in the air. When the game moved to extra innings, Mariano Rivera came on and shut the Twins down. But the series would end when Alex Rodriguez doubled, stole third, and scored on Kyle Lohse's wild pitch in the top of the 11th. Rivera would get the win as he retired the Twins 1-2-3 to end the series in the bottom of the 11th.

Composite Box

2004 ALDS (3-1): New York Yankees over Minnesota TwinsLinescore
Road=New York Yankees
R1=1|R2=3|R3=3|R4=0|R5=1|R6=4|R7=2|R8=4|R9=0|R10=0|R11=1|R12=2|RR=21|RH=43|RE=1
Home=Minnesota Twins
H1=3|H2=2|H3=1|H4=1|H5=3|H6=1|H7=0|H8=2|H9=3|H10=0|H11=0|H12=1|HR=17|HH=43|HE=2Total Attendance: 219,404 Average Attendance: 54,851|

Anaheim vs. Boston

Game 1, October 5

Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Boston|RoadAbr=BOS
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=7|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=9|RH=11|RE=1
Home=Anaheim|HomeAbr=ANA
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=2|H8=0|H9=0|HR=3|HH=9|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Curt Schilling (1-0)|LP=Jarrod Washburn (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Manny Ramírez (1), Kevin Millar (1)|HomeHR=Darin Erstad (1), Troy Glaus (1)|

Game 1 pitted Curt Schilling against Jarrod Washburn. The Red Sox struck first when David Ortiz singled home Manny Ramírez. In the 4th, the Red Sox put the game away. After Ortiz walked to open the inning, Kevin Millar homered to make it 3-0. Then the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out. Johnny Damon would reach on an error by Chone Figgins that scored two unearned runs to make it 5-0. After Mark Bellhorn struck out, Manny Ramírez hit a three-run home run to make it 8-0. The Angels would score three and never come close as the Red Sox won. This was the game where Schilling injured his ankle.

Game 2, October 6

Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Boston|RoadAbr=BOS
R1=0|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=2|R7=1|R8=0|R9=4|RR=8|RH=12|RE=0
Home=Anaheim|HomeAbr=ANA
H1=0|H2=1|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=3|HH=7|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Pedro Martínez (1-0)|LP=Francisco Rodríguez (0-1)|SV=Keith Foulke (1)
RoadHR=Jason Varitek (1)|HomeHR=|

Pedro Martínez faced Bartolo Colón. A bases loaded walk for the Red Sox in the 2nd put them ahead 1-0. But the Angels would tie it in the bottom half with an RBI-single by Dallas McPherson. The Angels would take their only lead in the series when Vladimir Guerrero, the eventual MVP, singled home Jose Molina and David Eckstein. The Red Sox immediately responded when Jason Varitek hit a 2-out, 2-run homer to tie the game in the 6th. The Sox would take the lead on a sacrifice fly by Manny Ramírez in the 7th. The Red Sox finished off the Angels in the 9th, an inning capped off with a bases loaded double by Orlando Cabrera.

Game 3, October 8

Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsLinescore
Road=Anaheim|RoadAbr=ANA
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=5|R8=0|R9=0|R10=0|RR=6|RH=8|RE=2
Home=Boston|HomeAbr=BOS
H1=0|H2=0|H3=2|H4=3|H5=1|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=2|HR=8|HH=12|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Derek Lowe (1-0)|LP=Francisco Rodríguez (0-2)|SV=
RoadHR=Vladimir Guerrero (1), Troy Glaus (2)|HomeHR=David Ortiz (1)|

Kelvim Escobar and Bronson Arroyo faced off in the clincher. The Red Sox once again struck first with a single and a groundout that made it 2-0 in the 3rd. The Angels cut the lead in half when Troy Glaus hit a solo home run in the 4th. Numerous errors by the Angels' defense opened the door for a 3-run rally in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1. Manny Ramírez would single home another run in the 5th to make it 6-1 Red Sox. It appeared as if the Angels were down and out. The Angels would load the bases thanks to two walks and a single. After Chone Figgins struck out, Darin Erstad walked to force in a run that made it 6-2. With 2 outs and the bases loaded, Mike Timlin then threw to Vladimir Guerrero and paid. Guerrero hit a grand slam to right that evened the score at 6-6 and stunned the Fenway crowd. The game went to extra innings and, in the bottom of the 10th, Johnny Damon led off with a single. After Pokey Reese forced him and Ramirez struck out, David Ortiz began his postseason legacy by hitting a series-winning walk-off home run off Jarrod Washburn, in relief of Francisco Rodriguez, over the Green Monster.

Composite Box

2004 ALDS (3-0): Boston Red Sox over Anaheim AngelsLinescore
Road=Boston Red Sox
R1=1|R2=1|R3=2|R4=10|R5=1|R6=2|R7=1|R8=1|R9=4|R10=2|RR=25|RH=35|RE=1
Home=Anaheim Angels
H1=0|H2=1|H3=0|H4=2|H5=2|H6=0|H7=7|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|HR=12|HH=24|HE=3Total Attendance: 125,273 Average Attendance: 41,758|

Quotes

"Swing and a fly ball to left field...way back! Way back! The Red Sox are going to the American League Championship Series on the back of David Ortiz!"

Notes

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2004_ALDS2.shtml New York-Minnesota at Baseball-Reference]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2004_ALDS1.shtml Boston-Anaheim at Baseball-Reference]