7:45 p.m. - It's my first ever dual insta-blogging session and it comes at a time when the Yankees are on the verge of their 40th pennant and a trip to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Giants face the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.
For the Yankees: Tonight is it for them. They are up 3-2 in the series against the Angels, but are coming off a disappointing loss in Game 5. The Yankees need to win tonight to finish off a dangerous Angels team and to silence the critics who keep talking about the 2004 ALCS collapse to the Red Sox. Just be quiet people. You are making me more nervous. For the Yankees, Andy Pettitte is on the mound. And really, who better to calm my fears? With a win tonight, Pettitte will secure a historic, record breaking 16th playoff victory and record breaking 5th playoff series clincher.
For the Giants: They were embarrassed last week by the New Orleans Saints and need to come out tonight and get back to old Giant smash mouth running football, complimented by a confident Eli Manning and a young receiving core that has impressed the critics early in this season. I'm confident they can win it tonight if they can control the Cardinals aerial attack and put pressure on QB Kurt Warner - something they didn't do against the Saints' Drew Brees last week.
8:12 p.m. (Yankees) - In my Oct. 16th Delivering #27 Diary of Game 1 of the ALCS, I predicted that the Yankees would win the series in 6 games. Well, here we are. I'm sticking to my prediction.
8:20 p.m. (Giants) - Giants have to get up early in this game to silence the critics. Last week, they were down 2 TDs to the Saints before they could blink.
8:25 p.m. (Yankees) - Really good start by Andy. He's getting strike calls on the corner and his curve looks sharp tonight.
8:26 p.m. (Giants) - And now my first successful switch between the Yankees and Giants game. Did I mention that I'm also giving my wife a back massage at the same time. I'm talented..
8:31 p.m. (Yankees) - Johnny hits a pop fly to right and it nearly goes out of the park, but it is just foul. That's shades of early in the Yankees season when everything that was hit to right went out for a homer.
8:33 p.m. - (Giants) - Early fumble by Cardinals called down by contact, but replay shows otherwise. Giants need to challenge this. That's totally a fumble by Hightower. Tuck nearly ripped off his arm trying to get the ball.
8:34 p.m. (Yankees) - Tex rockets a single to center and the best player in this years playoffs comes to the plate to make a statement - hopefully....
8:35 p.m. (Yankees) - A-Rod knocks a single to right. 1st and 2nd with Jorge Posada coming to the plate. We need to break through early and get the Angels on their heels.
8:37 p.m. (Giants) - They are showing a shot of the new Giants Stadium and it just dwarfs and looks awesome compared to the old Stadium where tonight's game is being played.
8:38 p.m. (Giants) - And the Giants win the challenge and get 1st and 10 on the Giants' 27 yard line! Let's break it open early!
8:39 p.m. (Yankees) - The Yanks threaten in the bottom of 1st and don't score. Guerrero starts off top of 2nd with a infield single and barely beats the throw. Boy, he looks old...
8:40 p.m. (Yankees) - Old man Guerrero then gets doubled off of 1st on a great catch and throw by Nick Swisher. Hey, at least Swisher did something this series. :-)
8:41 p.m. (Giants) - A lot of early passing by Giants with a few runs sprinkled in. That worries me against the Cards.
8:49 p.m. (Random) - Just found out that the St. Louis - not Arizona - Cardinals hired Mark McGwire as the strength and steroid conditioning coach - I mean hitting coach....I'll be here all week.
8:50 p.m. (Yankees) - Cano knocks a single to center and up comes Mr. .118. Can we pick it up at bat, Nick. Please?!
8:51 p.m. (Giants) - Eli throws a deep pass and Hixon misses it and it's caught by Rodgers-Cromartie. Hixon really needs to fight harder for that ball. Plaxico was good at doing that....Yeah, he would have shot the guy in the leg....Please tip your wait staff.
8:52 p.m. (Yankees) - And Nick flies out and his AVG goes down to .110-something....
8:56 p.m. (Yankees) - The Captain comes to the plate and the table is set for him with Cano on 2nd and Melky on 1st.
8:57 p.m. (Giants) - Warner complains about a pass interference, but refs don't see it that way. And G-men get the ball back. It's still scoreless at the Meadowlands.
8:59 p.m. (Yankees) - Jeter walks to load the bases and 1B ump McClelland says Jeter didn't swing on ball 4. First call that he's got right all series. The ducks are on the pond for Johnny.
9:01 p.m. (Yankees) - And he hits a weak ground ball to right to end the inning. Rough. It's still scoreless at Yankee Stadium.
9:04 p.m (Yankees) - Angels backup catcher Jeff Mathis comes up to start 3rd and hits another double to center. Where did this guy come from? He thinks he's Johnny Bench or something.
9:05 p.m. (Giants) - Great throw and catch by Manning and Manningham there. ...or Ham as I like to call that connection. Giants have been aided this drive on 2 off-sides calls in a row by Cards.
9:07 p.m. (Giants) - Rough start for the Giants offense as they look as disjointed tonight as my DVR channel switching skills.
9:10 p.m. (Yankees) - Who is the Preston on the right shoulder of each Angels jersey? Bill S. Preston Esq.?.....And Ted "Theodore" Logan. ...Try the veal.
9:11 p.m. (Yankees) - Great, great play by Cano as he gets groundball, spins and throws out Figgins. He's been doing that all season long. A great, underrated fielder.
9:12 p.m. (Yankees) - Abreu singles in Mathis. 1-0 Angels. Uh oh.
9:15 p.m. (Giants) - Very nice pick there by Terrell Thomas as Kurt Warner just flings it. Giants ball on Cards' 29 yard line. The offense need to bang it in here.
9:16 p.m. (Giants) - Jacobs bangs his first nice run of the year flying 25 yards. Giants at 4 yeard line.
9:17 p.m. (Giants) - Jacobs bulls his way into endzone to put the Giants up: 7-0 Giants.
9:19 p.m. (Yankees) - After threatening in 1st and 2nd, Yankees need to score in 3rd to answer Angels. With the heart of their lineup coming up, hopefully they can do just that.
9:19 p.m. (Yankees) - Tex was completely safe on that infield single there and McClleland paused for a few seconds before calling him out.
9:21 p.m. (Yankees) - A-Rod walks on 5 pitches. It's clear in that at-bat right there that the Angels don't want any part of Alex. Now, the Yankees batters need to make them pay for that.
9:23 p.m. (Giants) - Giants pressure Cards on series and Cards go 3 and out. The defense looks great tonight.
9:24 p.m. (Yankees) - Posada hits one to the RF wall and Abreu nearly misplays it. Oh, how I miss those days.
9:25 p.m. (Giants) - Does the good Steve Smith even have a catch tonigh?. What happened to that guy? I have him on two of my fantasy teams, joined as a fan on his FB page, follow him on Twitter and now he lets me down with no catches. What gives?
9:28 p.m. (Yankees) - It's only the top of the 4th with Angels leading 1-0, but I've officially become nervous. Did you hear there's a Giants game on and they are leading? Who knew?
9:29 p.m. (Yankees) - Old man Guerrero strikes out looking and shows up HP ump Dale Scott. Should have gotten thrown out right there.
9:31 p.m. (Giants) - More pressure by Giants defense, including a sack by Danny Clark and the Cards are 3 and out again.
9:32 p.m. (Yankees) - Andy strikes out his 5th batter to end the top of 4th. Yanks need to break thru in bottom of 4th.
9:34 p.m. (Random) - I think I've seen the Transformers 2 commercial four times already and I'm fast forwarding through them!
9:35 p.m. (Giants) - It's definitely hurting the Giants tonight that McKenzie isn't playing. Eli is getting rushed a ton and his hurrying his throws. And that's when the bad Eli comes out. We hate the bad Eli.
9:36 p.m. (Yankees) - Cano starts it off right for Yankees as he walks to lead off the bottom of 4th. When's the last time he walked? Last year?
9:37 p.m. (Yankees) ....And up comes Mr. 111.
9:38 p.m. (Yankees) ....And he literally dribbles a single to left field. Nice. 1st and 2nd and no outs. Yanks threatening again.
9:40 p.m. (Yankees) - Melky bunts and puts runners on 2nd and 3rd. Angels are thinking about walking Jeter to load the bases. Do they realize it's only the 4th inning and not the 8th?
9:44 p.m. (Yankees) - And Fox screws me by showing that the Cards just tied the Giants at 7. Damn, I was a few minutes behind that game! I hate you Joe Buck.
9:44 p.m. (Giants) - Hey, Beanie Wells just scored a TD for the Cards to tie the game. Who knew? I hate you Fox. 7-7
9:45 p.m. (Yankees) - Jeter walks to load up the bases again for Yankees and Johnny, for 2nd time tonight. Ducks! On! Pond!
9:47 p.m. (Yankees) - Johnny rips it to left to drive in 2 runs for Yanks. 2-1 Yankees!
9:48 p.m. (Yankees) - Seriously Joe Buck...Stop giving me updates on the Giants game. Still behind! I'm not leaving the Yankees game now to catch up.
9:48 p.m. (Giants) - Hakeem Nicks catches a deflection off of Mario Manningham and speeds into endzone for a 62 yard TD. 14-7 Giants.
9:49 p.m. (Giants) - Did I mention I am playing my brother-in-law tonight in fantasy football and he has Manningham and I have Nicks. Nice!
9:51 p.m. (Yankees) - Tex knocks Fielders choice to SS and Jeter is safe at second. Bases loaded for A-Rod.
9:52 p.m. (Yankees) - You would think that Sciososa should take out Saunders here, no?
9:54 p.m. (Yankees) - A-Rod walks to bring in a run. That pitch from Saunders was literally right down the middle. Maybe low. 3-1 Yankees.
9:56 p.m. (Giants) - Great stop by Giants defense to stop them before the half. I'm shocked the refs didn't throw a flag on Webster because they always assume pass interference and throw the flag regardless.
9:57 p.m. (Giants) - Cards knock through 30 yard FG. 14-10 Giants.
9:59 p.m. (Yankees) - Posada grounds into double play with the bases loaded. Thanks Jorge for ending that rally. Damn.
10:05 p.m. (Yankees) - Pettitte strikes out Mathis, the Angels hottest hitter doing a Johnny Bench impersonation. It's his 6th K of the night.
10:10 p.m. (Giants) - It's halftime for the Giants and they are leading by 4. I wish I could tell you how they are playing, but I have literally been fast forwarding through the game as I have been making Game 6 of the ALCS a top priority. So I really couldn't tell you about the flow of the game or how the team is performing. I saw some pressures of Kurt Warner in there and a fluke 62 yard TD catch by Nicks, but that's about it. Now back to the Yankees game.
10:11p.m. (Yankees) - Hey, everyone, it's Mr. .158.
10:16 p.m. (Giants) - The Giants offense go 3 and out and their offense continues to look disjointed tonight. No, it's not my DVR fast forwarding.
10:17 p.m. (Yankees) - Andy has pitched real well tonight. Top 6 and he's got to keep it going.
10:18 p.m. (Yankees) - Figgins tries to bunt and the ball hits him on the way to 2nd base and he's called out. Tim McCarver tells us later that if you are scoring at home it's a 2 unassisted. That's something I didn't know and I was a professional score keeper on my high school baseball team. Thanks Tim. You are having a good ALCS. I'm shocked and in awe.
10:20 p.m. (Yankees) - Where did this "Core 4" garbage come from. Supposedly what they call Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Rivera for being with the Yankees during their late 90s Dynasty. I have never heard that before. It's just plain dumb.
10:21 p.m. (Giants) - Cards are driving on Giants defense on 27 yard pass to Fitzgerald.
10:24 p.m. (Yankees) - That's literally the 3rd time this series that a Hunter check swing wasn't called a strike.
10:25 p.m. (Yankees) - Seriously Fox, stop showing highlights where Guerrero actually got a hit and drove in a run. I'd rather hear the score to the Giants game again.
10:25 p.m. (Giants) - Tim Hightower bangs it in for Cards. Ugh. 17-14 Cardinals. The Giants, much like Pettitte need to start picking it up right here.
10:28 p.m. (Yankees) - Guerrero hits one off his shoetops and puts runners on 2nd and 3rd. Come on Andy!
10:29 p.m. (Giants) - No doubt due to the absence of McKenzie, the Giants offensive line looks horrible tonight and Eli is sacked again.
10:30 p.m. (Yankees) - Seriously Fox. Stop...showing...the Giants score.. Oh wait, I already knew about that score change.
10:31 p.m. (Yankees) - Ground ball to Andy to end the Angels threat and I couldn't care less about the Giants score...or world peace....or nuclear weapons in Iran.
10:34 p.m. (Yankees) - Yanks need to put some distance between them and the Angels. That last half inning was a little too nerve wracking to my liking.
10:35 p.m. (Giants) - The Giants offense looks gawd awful tonight.
10:36 p.m. (Giants) - Giants dodge one as Fitzgerald drops an easy TD.
10:39 p.m. (Yankees) - I think Andy should definitely start the 7th for the Yankees. Hopefully Girardi agrees.
10:41 p.m. (Yankees) - Johnny hits a Johnny Rocket....er I mean Johnny Sparkler to short center field and it's 1st and 2nd with 1 out for Tex. ...and then Tex hits a DP to end the inning. ugh.
10:43 p.m. (Giants) - A tipped ball is intercepted by Cards and they have the ball deep in Giants territory. Double ugh.
10:44 p.m. (Giants) - And now the defense looks as bad as the offense as Beanie Wells runs up the middle for 20+ yards. Triple ugh.
10:46 p.m. (Giants) - Cards Score. I'm out of ughs. 24-14 Cardinals. Back to the Yankee game. My emotions are all over the place tonight.
10:46 p.m. (Yankees) - Andy starts the 7th. Let's go!
10:47 p.m. (Yankees) - Great diving catch by Swisher on a line drive by Kendrick. My heart jumped for a second there.
10:49 p.m. - (Yankees) - Andy is taken out of the game with 1 out in 7th and a runner on 1B. Great performance by Pettitte tonight. Now, the bullpen has to finish it.
10:51 p.m. (Yankees) - Joba's in for the Yankees. For some reason, Scosicia lifted Mathis - who has been completely unconscious this series - for Izturis.
10:51 p.m. (Giants) Wow, the good Steve Smith finally made his first catch of the night. Sorry Steve, even the bad Steve Smith had a better game for the putrid Carolina Panthers today.
10:54 p.m. (Yankees) - Great play by Cano to make up for near Jeter error. 2 outs in 7th.
10:55 p.m. (Yankees) - Joba gets out of 7th on another ground ball, this time it's fielded easily by Jeter.
10:56 p.m. (Yankees) - 6 outs to World Series!
10:58 p.m. (Yankees) - Final line on Pettitte: 6 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 6 Ks, 1 BB
10:59 p.m. (Giants) - Offense back on the field after a bad series by Cards. Anquan Boldin cannot run at all on his high ankle sprain. That is bad news for the fantasy team. Yeah, in addition to the good Steve Smith's ineptness tonight.
11:01 p.m. (Giants) - Nice bull rush by Jacobs. That reminds me of the old Jacobs.
11:02 p.m. (Yankees) - The Sandman is warming up the in the bullpen for the Yankees.
11:03 p.m. (Giants) - Just a horrible drop by Manningham on a sure TD pass from Eli.
11:04 p.m. (Yankees) - A-Rod starts the 7th with a single straight at my TV screen (or up the middle in the real world).
11:05 p.m. (Giants) - Great catch over the middle for Steve Smith. Hey, thanks for waking up. Was my taunting that you weren't the best Steve Smith any longer offending to you?
11:07 p.m. (Yankees) - Posada grounds into yet another DP and runs to first base slower than Old Man Guerrero. And he runs slow....
11:08 p.m. (Giants) - It's just really disappointing that the Giants don't score a TD right there. Tynes cuts Cards lead to 7. Cards 24-17
11:11 p.m. (Yankees) - Enter Sandman!
11:12 p.m. (Yankees) RT @JoeandEvan Girardi now officially "second guess" proof in handling his pen today...its all on the back of the greatest closer in history
11:15 p.m. (Yankees) - Great, great diving stop by Tex. 5 outs left.
11:16 p.m. (Yankees) - Luckily Cano was positioned up the middle and he makes a play to throw out Hunter. 4 outs.
11:21 p.m. (Yankees) - A long battle between Mo and Old Man Guerrero ends with a dinker to right to cut score. 3-2 Yankees.
11:23 p.m. (Yankees) - Another ground ball out for Mo and he escapes further damage. I am officially not turning back on the Giants game until this one is over.
11:24 p.m. (Giants) - And then I do anyway. Great run by Bradshaw ends up in a fumble. That is a heartbreaker for the Giants right there.
11:26 p.m. (Yankees) - 3 outs to the World Series.
11:28 p.m. (Yankees) - Cano walks to lead off inning. Yankees need to tack on a run right here.
11:30 p.m. (Yankees) - Hello Mr. .150. Care to bunt?
11:31 p.m. (Giants) -Just a great, great catch by Smith and a great pass by Manning out of the Giants endzone.
11:33 p.m. (Yankees) - Great bunt by Swisher and Kendrick drops the throw. I'm surprised McClelland didn't call Swisher out.
11:34 p.m. (Giants) - Eli is driving Giants under 2 minutes in the only way he knows how: Awesomely.
11:35 p.m. (Yankees) - Another bunt, by Melky, and another horrible throw to first by Kazmir, who launches the ball over Kendrick's head. Cano scores. 4-2 Yankees. I can smell the World Series.
11:36 p.m. (Yankees) - Kazmir literally launched that ball into the upper deck.
11:38 p.m. (Giants) - Damn, Eli throws a pick and the Giants late comeback ends in defeat
11:40 p.m. (Yankees) - Johnny needs to break it open here to leave no doubt. ...and he walks.
11:44 p.m. (Yankees) - Tex hits a blast DEEP to center and Gardner scores on the Sac Fly. 5-2 Yankees.
11:45 p.m. (Giants) - And the Giants lose to Cards 24-17. If the Yankees weren't winning now, I would be pissed. But right now, I couldn't care less.
11:53 p.m. - (Yankees) The bottom of the 9th ends with the bases loaded when Posada strikes out looking. Hey, at least he didn't ground into a double play. Oh wait....
11:54 p.m. - (Yankees) Despite the strikeout by Posada, those 2 runs the Yankees added in the bottom of the 8th were huge.
11:55 p.m. - (Yankees) 3 more outs until a Wednesday date with the Phillies in the World Series.
11:56 p.m. - (Yankees) 2 more outs!
11:58 p.m. (Yankees) 1 more out!
12:01 p.m. (Yankees) - And it's over....on a strikeout by Mariano Rivera! How fitting!
The New York Yankees have won their 40th AL Pennant and are headed to face the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. It's going to be a fascinating and classic World Series....but that is for tomorrow. I can finally breath a sigh of relief after the Yankees dispatch their long-time nemesis Angels.
Let's go Yankees!
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