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Michael Kay: “Well Paul, the Yankees had a chance to close it out here in Texas, but the Rangers had other ideas. Final score: 12–6, and we are heading back to New York for a decisive Game 5.”
Paul O’Neill: “Yeah, Michael, it really came down to that third inning. Gary Hall was in trouble, bases loaded, and Juan Contreras—boy, did he deliver. That bases-clearing double just set the tone. Five RBIs on the night for Contreras, and the Yankees were playing catch-up the rest of the way.”
Michael Kay: “And that’s the kind of swing that can change a whole series. You look at Contreras—3-for-5, scored three times. And when your pitching staff gives up 17 hits, Paul, you’re not going to win many postseason games.”
Paul O’Neill: “No, you’re not. The Yankees’ bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding. Aguilera, Abdul-Ra’uf, they just couldn’t get that big out. And Texas did a great job of putting together at-bats with two outs. That’s tough on a defense—it wears you down.”
Michael Kay: “The Yankees did show some fight. Marco Garcia’s two-run homer in the fifth, Shackford’s double in the ninth—but it was just too big of a hole. Now, Paul, it comes down to one game, Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The crowd will be rocking.”
Paul O’Neill: “That’s the beauty of October baseball. Anything can happen in a Game 5. The Yankees have been here before, they know what it takes. But they’ve got to pitch better. You can’t give up crooked numbers every other inning and expect to advance.”
Michael Kay: “So the Yankees and Rangers tied at two games apiece. Saturday, the Bronx becomes the center of the baseball universe. Winner moves on, loser goes home. Buckle up.”
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