New York Yankees (0-2).


Indians- 2

Yankees- 1
Final


Gnats engulf Jacobs Field! It was like a scene out of 'The Reaping'.

A-Rod went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts in the game. He is now 4-for-47 with 0 RBIs in 14 playoffs games.

A marvelous pitching performance by Andy Pettitte was spoiled by a stagnant offense and a swarm of gnats that feasted on played havoc with the minds of key baseball players in the eighth inning.

The Yankees are going home down 0-2 and on the verge of getting swept. Right now, the Indians pitching staff is wearing down and wearing out the Yankees: They faced C.C. Sabathia on Thursday and Fausto Carmona on Friday.

The game was tied 0-0 until the top of the third.

With nobody on and one out, Melky Cabrera drove a Fausto Carmona offering over the wall in deep right to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Andy Pettitte masterfully worked himself out of jams in the second, third, and sixth inning to preserve the 1-0 lead. Pettitte allowed 0 runs, 7 hits, and 2 walks in 6 1/3 nnings pitched. He also had 5 strikeouts.

Joba Chamberlain took the ball in the eighth, and that's when... "The Attack of the Gnats" or "The Biting Midges" infested Jacobs Field.

It was mass hysteria in my local bar: I've watched games that featured... bees, wasps, and gnats, but nothing of this magnitude. Thousands of biting midges forced Jeter, Cano, A-Rod, Mientkiewicz, Chamberlain, and the umpires to get doused on several instances with bug spray. Players were even swatting at the gnats with their caps, hands, and gloves.

There is no doubt that the gnats affected Joba Chamberlain: A walk, a bunt, and two wild pitches allowed Grady Sizemore to score and tie the game at 1-1.

Fausto Carmona and Mariano Rivera pitched scoreless ninth innings.

Rafael Perez pitched a scoreless tenth inning for the Indians.

Mariano Rivera worked himself out of an intense, two-out bases loaded jam to keep the game tied.

Luis Vizcaino relieved Rivera and immediately ran into trouble in the 11th.

A walk and a single put the Indians in scoring position. A bunt by Casey Blake put runners on second and third with one out.

An intentional walk and pop out loaded the bases with two outs. Travis Hafner ripped a two-strike single to right field that scored Kenny Lofton to win the game.

Joba Chamberlain, who got the final two outs in the seventh, allowed 1 run and 2 walks in 1 2/3 innings pitched.