National Baseball League

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Steve Dangle: NLCS Game 2 Recap
"HEY! HEY! HEY! WHAT... WAS... THAT?! MIAMI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Welcome to Steve Dangle's Breakdown of NLCS Game 2, where the Milwaukee Brewers somehow stole a game they had absolutely NO BUSINESS winning!
The Marlins are up 3-1 in the ninth inning.
Chris Davis? Fantastic. Eight innings, one earned run. He's carving.
Sean Knepper comes in to get the last two outs.
Two. Outs.
That's it.
AND THEN—
BASE HIT.
Okay.
Fielder's choice.
Fine.
Then...
COREY SHIPPS.
TRIPLE!
A TWO-RUN GAME-TYING TRIPLE!
"YOU HAD ONE JOB! ONE! DON'T LET THE BALL GET PAST YOU!"
Three straight years I swear every postseason has one of these moments where a reliever walks into a perfectly good baseball game and lights it on fire with a flamethrower.
And then...
Cruz Vazquez steps up.
Deep fly ball to right.
Sacrifice fly.
Ballgame.
BREWERS WIN 4-3.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Let's give Milwaukee their flowers.
Herman Brushett was outstanding.
Seven innings.
Five hits.
One run.
He gave his team every opportunity to stay alive.
Then Tsuneharu Sato comes in and, despite Miami scoring two unearned runs in the eighth because Milwaukee's defense briefly forgot how baseball works...
...he keeps the deficit at two.
That's HUGE.
Because it gave the offense one last chance.
And boy, did they cash it in.
Corey Shipps wasn't just good—he was THE game.
Double in the fourth.
Then the biggest swing of the season.
A screaming triple into right field.
Tie game.
American Family Field exploded.
Now Miami.
How do you lose this?
You actually played a terrific game.
Chris Davis allowed only four hits through eight innings.
Brian Petro had two hits.
Floyd Holte drove in two.
Jace Ellis delivered a clutch RBI single.
You manufactured runs.
You defended well...
...until Milwaukee's mistakes actually helped you build a 3-1 lead.
Everything was lined up.
Everything.
Then...
The bullpen.
Sean Knepper now wears both the loss and the blown save.
That's brutal.
And can we appreciate how efficient Milwaukee was?
Four runs.
Six hits.
Only two runners left on base all afternoon.
Miami stranded eight.
Milwaukee made every opportunity count.
That's playoff baseball.
Now the series heads to Miami.
But here's the problem.
The Brewers aren't just up.
They're up 2-0.
They've won...
Game 1.
Game 2.
One by solid pitching.
One by an absolutely ridiculous walk-off comeback.
That's the kind of series lead that starts getting into a team's head.
Steve's Three Stars
⭐ Corey Shipps — Double, game-tying two-run triple, responsible for the comeback.
⭐⭐ Herman Brushett — Seven dominant innings that kept Milwaukee close enough to win.
⭐⭐⭐ Cruz Vazquez — Doesn't need a hit. Delivers the sacrifice fly that ends the game and sends 47,566 fans home delirious.
"Miami... you're fine for eight innings. Then the ninth happens and you completely lose the plot! You're six outs away from tying the series, and instead you're heading home DOWN TWO GAMES!
*Meanwhile Milwaukee? They don't panic. They wait. They get their chance... and BOOM. Walk-off. Series 2-0. That's championship baseball."

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Boomer & Gio – WFAN Morning Show Recap
Boomer: Good morning! We got ourselves an ALCS, but man, the Yankees are making this thing look like it's on cruise control. New York beats Anaheim 3-2, and they've got a 2-0 series lead heading west.
Gio: And this is exactly what championship teams do, Booms. They don't need ten runs. They don't need fifteen hits. They just say, "We'll take our three runs... now try and beat our pitching."
Boomer: Justin Truelove! Seven innings, seven hits, just one run. Veteran guy, 34 years old, and he looked completely comfortable. Every time Anaheim had something brewing, he'd get the ground ball or the double play.
Gio: The Angels actually had more hits than the Yankees! Nine to six! You look at the box score and think, "Anaheim probably won this game." Nope. That's baseball.
Boomer: The Yankees turned three huge double plays, and Juan Garcia gets caught stealing in the sixth. Those little mistakes? They kill you in October.
Gio: Meanwhile the Yankees? Every hit mattered.
Steve Carver doubles to start the second.
Cesar Hernandez fights through about fifteen foul balls before driving him home.
Tie game.
Then comes the fifth...
Boomer: Cory Kassebaum.
Gio: BOOM! Solo homer. Yankees lead 2-1.
Boomer: Then Hernandez doubles, Josh Thomas comes through with the RBI single, and suddenly it's 3-1.
Gio: That's it! That's all they needed. They got six hits, but they squeezed every ounce of offense out of them.
Boomer: Anaheim wouldn't go away, though. They made it interesting in the eighth against Mike Schneider.
Gio: Yeah, Guzman walks, Garcia singles, Antonio Duran knocks in a run, and suddenly it's 3-2 with runners all over the place. Yankee Stadium's getting a little tense.
Boomer: But Schneider limits the damage, then comes back in the ninth...
Groundout.
Groundout.
Popup.
Game over.
Second save of the postseason.
Gio: That's a professional close right there. No drama once he settled in.
Boomer: I also want to give Anaheim some credit. Mario Monzon wasn't awful. He threw 109 pitches in less than five innings because New York just kept grinding out at-bats.
Gio: And David Smith was terrific out of the bullpen. Three and a third scoreless innings. The problem is... you're already behind against this Yankee staff.
Boomer: Here's the scary part if you're an Angels fan. New York hasn't exactly exploded offensively in these first two games.
Gio: Nope.
They've just been better in every little area.
Better pitching.
Better situational hitting.
Cleaner baseball.
That's why they're up 2-0.
Boomer: Anaheim heads home needing to win four of the next five.
Gio: Which is possible...
Boomer: Against a team that went 136-26?
Gio: (laughing) Yeah... "possible" and "likely" are two very different things. If the Angels don't win Game 3, this ALCS is basically on life support.
Boomer: Yankees take Game 2, 3-2. Justin Truelove delivers another October gem, Cory Kassebaum supplies the big homer, Josh Thomas drives home what becomes the winning run, and New York is now just two wins away from another American League pennant.

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ESPN Baseball Tonight

Karl Ravech: Welcome to Baseball Tonight. The National League Championship Series has a pulse again! The Miami Marlins defend home field with a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3, trimming Milwaukee's series lead to 2-1. And here's an incredible storyline: Miami is now a perfect 4-0 at LoanDepot Park this postseason. They simply haven't lost at home in October.

Eduardo Pérez: That's becoming a real advantage. Miami has looked like a completely different club in this ballpark. They were calm, they executed, and they got exactly the kind of performance they needed from David Leet. Seven innings, just one run allowed against one of baseball's deepest lineups. That's an ace stepping up when the season is hanging in the balance.

Tim Kurkjian: Milwaukee had chances early. They put runners on in the second and fourth innings, but Leet kept making pitches. That fourth inning was especially important—the Brewers had two aboard with one out before Cruz Vazquez lined into a double play. That completely changed the inning.

Karl: Miami struck first in the third. Vinny Juan started the rally, Jose Saldana delivered an RBI single, then Dante Bedoy and Jesus Davila followed with consecutive hits to make it 2-0. It wasn't flashy—it was relentless.

Eduardo: Then came the power. Jesus Davila crushed a 426-foot solo homer in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0. Later, Saldana answered Milwaukee's comeback attempt with a 413-foot solo shot in the seventh. Those two swings accounted for the difference in the game.

Tim: Give Miguel Peña some credit, too. Outside of those two home runs, he competed. But in the postseason, a couple of mistakes can decide everything, and Miami capitalized on both.

Karl: Milwaukee finally broke through in the sixth. Andy Carone drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, making it 3-1. In the eighth, Cruz Vazquez tripled and Carone delivered again with an RBI single to pull the Brewers within two.

Eduardo: But Miami's bullpen did exactly what it was supposed to do. Itsuka Oinuma gave up that eighth-inning run, then settled down and closed out the final two innings for his second save of the postseason. Milwaukee never got the big hit when it mattered.

Turning Point
Tim: Bottom of the seventh. Milwaukee had just chipped away to make it 3-1 and had some momentum. Jose Saldana immediately answered with a leadoff home run. That swing quieted any thought of a Brewers comeback and restored Miami's cushion.
Player of the Game

Karl: David Leet earns the honors:
7.0 IP
6 H
1 ER
2 BB
3 K
Lowers his postseason ERA to 1.29
Exactly the outing Miami needed.

By the Numbers
Miami improves to 4-0 at home this postseason.
Jose Saldana: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored.
Jesus Davila: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, walk.
Andy Carone drove in both Milwaukee runs.
Milwaukee stranded nine runners, while Miami made the most of its opportunities with two-out hits and timely home runs.

Eduardo: Now the pressure shifts. Milwaukee still leads the series, but suddenly they're the team trying to stop Miami's momentum. If the Marlins win Game 4, this becomes a best-of-three with all the pressure back on the Brewers.

Karl: Final score from LoanDepot Park: Miami 4, Milwaukee 2. The Brewers still lead the NLCS two games to one, but the Marlins remain unbeaten at home this October and have turned this series into a fight. Game 4 comes your way tomorrow night from Miami. Stay with us on Baseball Tonight.

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Mike and the Mad Dog – ALCS Game 3 Recap (WFAN Style)
Mike Francesa: "All right, we are back on Mike and the Mad Dog. Folks, I'm gonna tell ya somethin'—the Yankees have now won three games in this American League Championship Series, and almost every single one has felt exactly the same. Tight. Tense. First game was an 11-3 blowout but it was close for six innings. Then Three-two. Three-two again. They don't blow anybody out—they just beat ya."
Chris Russo: "Unbelievable! I mean, Mikey, the Angels keep hanging around! Every game you think, 'This is it! Anaheim's gonna break through!' And every night the Yankees make one more play than they do! It's driving Anaheim nuts!"
Mike: "And that's why they won 136 games. Great clubs don't panic. They execute. That's exactly what happened here."
Chris: "Leal wasn't even at his absolute best! Six walks! A balk! A wild pitch! He threw 121 pitches! Normally that's trouble!"
Mike: "But when he had runners on base, he made pitches. Seven innings, two runs, five hits. That's championship pitching. Not dominant—but winning pitching."
Chris: "Then Schneider comes in and throws two innings on sixteen pitches! Sixteen! That's ridiculous! One little single, otherwise the Angels never sniffed him."
Mike: "That's his third save of the postseason. The Yankee bullpen continues to shorten every game."
Chris: "Anaheim's gonna look at this one and lose sleep over the defense! Four errors! FOUR! You can't give the Yankees extra outs!"
Mike: "Exactly right. Officially only one of the Yankee runs was earned, but those mistakes changed the game."
Chris: "The seventh inning was brutal! Kassebaum doubles, Mortensen gets the intentional walk, then Mark Martinez steals second, the catcher throws it away, and boom—Kassebaum scores the winning run! That's Little League stuff!"
Mike: "Against most teams you might survive it. Against New York? Forget it."
Chris: "Josh Thomas set the tone too! Walks in the first, scores. Triple in the third, scores again. Two runs without even driving one in!"
Mike: "Rick Carter does exactly what he always does. RBI groundout in the third, then later another double. Castillo with two hits and an RBI. Nothing spectacular—just productive at-bats."
Chris: "That's the Yankees! Nobody has to hit three homers! Everybody contributes a little bit!"
Mike: "Now let's be fair to Anaheim—they had opportunities."
Chris: "Oh, plenty!"
Mike: "Six walks from Leal. Nine men left on base. They got within 2-1 in the fifth and tied it in the sixth after consecutive hits by Duran and Barrios."
Chris: "And then they had runners at third in the seventh! Marku walks, wild pitch, another walk... and Leal strikes out Antonio Duran! Biggest pitch of the afternoon!"
Mike: "That was the game."
Chris: "Wayne Dirlam deserved better, too! Seven innings, only three runs—and just ONE earned! He throws 124 pitches and loses because the defense falls apart behind him!"
Mike: "Sometimes that's October baseball."
Mike: "So here's where we stand. The Yankees are one win from another American League pennant."
Chris: "And Anaheim? They gotta win four straight against a team that went 136-26!"
Mike: "That's almost impossible."
Chris: "Not almost, Mike—it IS impossible! They're squeezing every game into a one-run fight, and they still can't beat 'em! Every night it's 3-2, 3-2!"
Mike: "That's what elite clubs do. They don't need style points. They just keep adding wins."
Chris: "Tomorrow the Angels are fighting for their season... and the Yankees are nine innings away from booking another trip to the World Series."

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Vin Scully:
"Well, friends, if you've watched baseball long enough, you've seen a series turn on the smallest of hinges. And tonight in Miami, what looked like a commanding Milwaukee march toward the World Series has become a brand-new best-of-three affair.
The Marlins have won again, 7-1 over the Brewers before another jubilant crowd of 53,739 at LoanDepot Park. The Brewers arrived in South Florida carrying a two-games-to-none lead in this National League Championship Series. Two days later... it's gone. The series is tied at two games apiece.
And perhaps the most remarkable statistic of all: Miami is now a perfect 5-0 at home this postseason. This ballpark has become a fortress.
Milwaukee did have a brief answer. Mark McDonald's two-out RBI double in the third inning cut the deficit to 2-1 and, for a moment, it looked as though the Brewers might settle into one of those tight October contests they've grown accustomed to.
But Miami simply kept applying pressure.
Jose Saldana doubled and scored in the first. Jace Ellis delivered an RBI single in the second. Then came perhaps the game's pivotal inning—the fourth. Jordan Watson beat out an infield hit, Vinny Juan lashed a ringing RBI double into the right-center gap, and Ellis followed with another run-scoring single. Just like that, a one-run game became a three-run cushion.
Salvatore Enriquez took it from there.
The Miami right-hander was magnificent once again, allowing only three hits over 6⅔ innings. Milwaukee never solved his rhythm. He changed speeds beautifully, stayed ahead in the count, and never allowed the Brewers to string together any sustained offense. Sean Knepper finished the final 2⅓ innings without allowing a hit.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee starter Justin Tate battled, but every mistake seemed to find a Marlins bat. And then, in the seventh inning, Jesus Davila delivered the knockout punch.
After Dante Bedoy worked a patient walk, Davila launched a towering two-run homer into the Miami night. Three pitches later, Brian Petro doubled, Josh Clark singled him home, and what had been a competitive ballgame suddenly became a celebration.
Miami finished with 11 hits, Jace Ellis collected three of them and drove in two runs, while Davila's three-run afternoon—highlighted by that two-run homer—put the exclamation point on the evening.
For Milwaukee, it's a stunning reversal. This club won the first two games of the series and appeared firmly in control. Now they've dropped two straight and suddenly face questions they didn't expect to answer.
Can they reclaim the momentum? Can they finally quiet this Miami crowd?
Because right now, the Marlins aren't just winning at home—they're feeding off an energy that seems to grow with every inning.
So the National League pennant, once seemingly leaning toward Milwaukee, is once again perfectly balanced.
Two games apiece.
The pressure has shifted.
And tomorrow night in Miami, Game 5 suddenly feels very much like the biggest game either club has played all season.
You know... that's the wonderful thing about October baseball. A series can change before you even realize it's happening. And tonight, it certainly did."

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Bob Costas:
"Sometimes baseball gives you fireworks. Sometimes it gives you a masterpiece of tension. And every so often... it gives you something so unusual that decades later people will simply say, 'Were you there for the 21-inning game in Miami?'
The Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins played five hours and fifty-eight minutes this afternoon at LoanDepot Park. Twenty-one innings. Twenty-two combined hits. Three total runs. If you were looking for offense, you may have needed to check the missing persons report—or perhaps the milk cartons.
The Marlins entered the day undefeated at home this postseason, a perfect 5-0. Their ballpark had become a fortress, and after evening this National League Championship Series with consecutive wins, the momentum seemed to belong entirely to Miami. But Milwaukee found a way to silence both the bats and, eventually, the crowd.
For fourteen innings, nobody crossed the plate.
Jose Vargas, the 37-year-old Milwaukee veteran, authored one of the finest postseason starts you'll ever see: seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight on only 84 pitches. It was economical brilliance. Miami answered with Alexander Coronado, who matched him pitch for pitch, and what followed became an exhausting parade of relievers who simply refused to blink.
The scoreless deadlock finally cracked in the fifteenth.
Milwaukee had runners on 1st and 3rd, and Corey Shipps lifted a sacrifice fly to center. At long last, a run. It seemed as though that might finally be enough.
Not quite.
In the bottom half, Floyd Holte doubled, eventually reaching third, and Brian Petro answered with a sacrifice fly of his own. After fifteen innings of absolute nothing, both clubs had scored exactly one run in the span of a few minutes.
Then... back to silence.
The innings piled up. Opportunities vanished. Miami struck out 17 times. Milwaukee stranded 15 runners. The Brewers actually collected 15 hits but somehow managed just two runs. Corey Shipps walked four times, setting a National League postseason record for an extra-inning game, while catcher Jace Ellis tied the playoff record by striking out five times. It was baseball at its most stubborn.
Finally, in the twenty-first inning, Milwaukee broke through one last time.
Mark McDonald singled for his fourth hit of the afternoon, moved into scoring position, and eventually scored when Brendan Spann lofted a sacrifice fly. It wasn't dramatic in appearance. It was simply... decisive.
Josh Combs then retired Miami in the bottom of the twenty-first before turning things over to Tyler Harabedian, who closed the door and preserved a remarkable 2-1 Brewers victory.
Think about what Milwaukee accomplished today. They walked into a ballpark where Miami had been unbeatable this October, survived nearly six hours of baseball, and walked out with the Marlins' first home postseason loss. More importantly, they reclaimed control of this series.
The Brewers now lead the National League Championship Series three games to two and return home needing just one more victory to reach the World Series.
For Miami, the margin for error has vanished. Their magical home run is over. Now they'll have to win twice in Milwaukee to keep their season alive.
Sometimes a box score tells you everything. This one simply reads: 21 innings. Brewers 2, Marlins 1.
And somehow... that hardly begins to tell the story."

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New York Yankees: 10th AL Pennant
1909 1910 1912 1921 1937 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943

Mike Francesa: Alright, welcome back. I mean, what a ballgame. The Yankees are goin' back to the World Series for the fifth consecutive season, and they're headed there with their 10th American League pennant. That's 1909, 1910, 1912, 1921, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942... and now 1943. You wanna talk about a dynasty? This is it.
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo: FRAAAANCESA! I DON'T KNOW HOW THE ANGELS ARE GONNA SLEEP TONIGHT! THEY HAD 'EM! THEY HAD 'EM DEAD! Four-nothing in the third! Then five-four in the eighth! Nine outs away, then three outs away! AND THEY COULDN'T FINISH 'EM!
Mike: That's what champions do. The Yankees never panic. Down 4-0 after Anaheim's four-run third inning, with Douglass driving in two and the Angels lookin' like they're finally gonna get a game in this series.
Instead? New York chips away.
Three runs in the fifth. Mortensen doubles home the first run, Cesar Hernandez brings in another with a sacrifice fly, and Mark Martinez knocks in the third. Suddenly it's 4-3.
Dog: And then they just... keep... COMIN'! They don't hit a three-run homer! They don't get some miracle grand slam! Sacrifice flies! Walks! Infield hits! They nickel-and-dime ya to death! It's TORTURE!
Mike: Kassebaum's sac fly ties it in the eighth.
Anaheim answers immediately in the bottom half. Jay Robinson singles home the go-ahead run. Five-four. Crowd's goin' crazy.
Bottom of the ninth? Yankees down to their final three outs.
Dog: HERE THEY COME AGAIN!
Hernandez singles!
Martinez singles!
Josh Thomas—Series MVP—hits the sacrifice fly to tie it!
They just REFUSE to go away!
Mike: And give the Yankees some credit in the bottom of the ninth. Anaheim had second and third with nobody out after David Avila's single and Juan Garcia's double.
That game looked over.
Mike Schneider strikes out Scott Hawkins.
Then Chris Hollingsworth bounces into a gorgeous 6-2-3 double play.
That's the season right there.
Dog: THAT'S THE SERIES! That's where Anaheim lost it! You don't score there against the Yankees? Forget it!
Mike: Extra innings.
Top of the eleventh...
Martinez gets hit by a pitch.
He's caught stealing, so suddenly there's nobody on.
Josh Thomas says, "Doesn't matter."
Triples.
German Cavazos lifts the sacrifice fly.
Yankees lead.
Then Rick Carter triples too, but they don't even need that insurance run.
Dog: And Vinny Aparicio? Two PERFECT innings! Three fly balls in the eleventh, game over, handshake line! That's nerves of steel!
Mike: Miguel Colon deserves some recognition, too. Four runs allowed early, but he settled down, gave them seven innings, and preserved the bullpen. Without that effort, they never even have a chance to come back.
Dog: Anaheim's gonna be sick thinking about this game all winter.
They out-hit New York 11-9!
They had the early knockout punch!
They scored after New York tied it!
They had runners at second and third in the ninth with NOBODY OUT!
And somehow... SOMEHOW... THEY LOSE!
Mike: That's why the Yankees are who they are.
Five straight World Series appearances.
Four straight championships entering this postseason.
Now they're back again, looking for an unprecedented fifth consecutive World Series title.
They're 7-1 this postseason after sweeping Anaheim, and they won this clincher the hard way—coming back twice, surviving elimination innings, and finding one more run than the other club.
Dog: And now they sit back, grab the popcorn, and watch Milwaukee and Miami beat each other silly! Twenty-one innings in Game 5 over there, and the Yankees are home resting! That's a HUGE advantage!
Mike: Bottom line: Championship teams don't always dominate. Sometimes they simply outlast you.
The Yankees did exactly that.
Down 4-0.
Down 5-4 in the ninth.
Win it 6-5 in eleven.
American League champions for the 10th time... and the dynasty rolls on.

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Milwaukee Brewers: 4th NL Pennant
1904 1909 1924 1943

Beavis: Uh huh huh... dude... the Brewers finally did it. They won the National League again. Their fourth pennant! They hadn't been to the World Series since 1924. That's like... forever.
Butt-Head: Heh heh. Yeah. They were probably using wooden TVs back then.
Beavis: Dumbass, they didn't even have TVs.
Butt-Head: Oh yeah... heh heh. Even cooler.
Beavis: So Milwaukee just, like, totally shut down Miami. Six to nothing. That's brutal. The Marlins got four hits. Four! They got shut out in the game that ended their season.
Butt-Head: They scored exactly as many runs as you do with chicks.
Beavis: Shut up!
Butt-Head: Heh heh heh.
Beavis: Herman Brushett was awesome. Complete game shutout. Nine innings, four hits, one walk, five strikeouts. One hundred six pitches. He was, like, "No. You're not scoring." That's cool.
Butt-Head: Yeah. The Marlins kept hitting little grounders. It was like watching somebody lose at batting practice.
Beavis: And Corey Shipps was everywhere. Three hits, a double, a homer, walked once, scored twice. He won series MVP. That dude kicked ass.
Butt-Head: Heh heh. Seven total bases. That's a lot of bases.
Beavis: Then Andy Carone crushed that huge double in the fourth, Jonah Cork drove in two runs, Cruz Vazquez knocked in another... it was like everybody got in on the beatdown.
Butt-Head: Except Jesse Rangel.
Beavis: Yeah. He went 0-for-4.
Butt-Head: Heh heh. He was just there for emotional support.
Beavis: Miami had, like, one chance all game. Ninth inning, runners on the corners...
Butt-Head: Then boom! Double play. Game over.
Beavis: That's the baseball version of getting stuffed in a locker.
Butt-Head: Heh heh. Nice.
Beavis: So now Milwaukee gets to the World Series for the first time in nineteen years. They're gonna try to win their first championship ever.
Butt-Head: Uh... there's just one tiny problem.
Beavis: Yeah...
Both: The Yankees.
Butt-Head: Heh heh. One hundred thirty-six wins.
Beavis: That's not a baseball team. That's, like... a cheat code.
Butt-Head: Five straight American League pennants. Four straight World Series championships. Going for number five.
Beavis: The Brewers are probably all excited, like, "Yeah! We made it!"
Butt-Head: Then somebody hands them the scouting report.
Beavis: "Wait... we have to play them?"
Butt-Head: Heh heh. That's like beating the whole video game...
Beavis: ...and then finding out the final boss has infinite lives.
Butt-Head: The Brewers earned it, though. They took out Miami four games to two, finished it with a dominant shutout, and now they get their shot.
Beavis: Yeah. They better play, like, the greatest baseball of their lives...
Butt-Head: ...because if you don't against these Yankees...
Both: You're screwed.
Butt-Head: Heh heh heh. Go World Series.

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1943 World Series

These teams met in the 1909 World Series with the Yankees winning 4-2. The Yankees are looking for their 8th championship while the Brewers are seeking their first title.

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Mike Francesa: Alright, Mike and the Mad Dog back on the fan. Folks, this is why you watch October baseball. The Yankees win Game 1 of the World Series, 2-1, on a Steve Carver walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth. They beat a Milwaukee club that won 107 games. The Yankees won 136 games. Everybody expected a heavyweight fight—and Game 1 absolutely delivered.
Mad Dog Russo: Are you kiddin' me?! This was old-school baseball! Pitching! Defense! Every pitch mattered! And then—BOOM! Carver rips the double, Yankee Stadium explodes, and the Brewers walk off the field wondering what in the world just happened!
Francesa: Let's start with Mike Bowden. Seven innings, four hits, one run, one walk, three strikeouts. Eighty-eight pitches. That's exactly what your ace is supposed to do in Game 1.
Mad Dog: He was sensational! The Brewers scored in the second inning and after that? Nothin'! Absolutely nothin'! He settled in and started carving guys up with quick innings. Milwaukee never got another run home.
Francesa: Then Mike Schneider comes in for the last two innings. Doesn't allow a hit. Leaves a runner stranded at third in the eighth after Milwaukee had a chance to grab the lead. Huge moment.
Mad Dog: That's the game right there! Ricky Martinez walks, they bunt him over, he's on third with two outs—and Schneider gets Danny Davila to fly out. If Milwaukee scores there, maybe we're tellin' a different story.
Francesa: Meanwhile, Miguel Peña was outstanding for Milwaukee. Six innings, two hits, one run. Four walks, four strikeouts. He deserved better than a no-decision.
Mad Dog: And don't forget Sato! Seven-time All-Star! Comes in for the eighth, gets out of Mortensen's double. You're thinkin', "Okay, extra innings."
Francesa: Except the Yankees never panic.
Bottom of the ninth. German Cavazos singles, his first hit in forever. Rick Carter grounds into a double play. Suddenly there are two outs and nobody on.
Game over? Not quite.
Mad Dog: NOPE! Castillo says, "Hold on!" Bang! Base hit! Then Steve Carver...
Francesa: ...drives one into the gap.
Mad Dog: BALLGAME!! Yankees win! Yankees win! That's what championship teams do! They don't need six runs. They don't need fifteen hits. They just wait for one mistake and punish you.
Francesa: Carver was quiet all afternoon. Then he gets the biggest hit of the season.
Mad Dog: That's why he's in the lineup! You only need one swing!
Francesa: I also liked Rick Carter's game. He only had one hit, but he manufactured New York's first run almost by himself. Single, steals second, steals third, then scores on Castillo's sacrifice fly. That's aggressive baseball.
Mad Dog: Two stolen bases on one trip! That's pressure! Milwaukee knew he was running and couldn't stop him.
Francesa: Corbett Mortensen quietly had another excellent afternoon too. Two hits, including that eighth-inning double that nearly gave New York the lead.
Mad Dog: He's been clutch all postseason!
Francesa: Now let's talk about the series.
Milwaukee just lost a game where their pitching was excellent. They allowed only six hits, committed no errors, and still lost.
Mad Dog: That's gotta hurt! You finally get back to the World Series after nineteen years, you hold the 136-win Yankees to one run for eight innings...and you STILL lose!
Francesa: And that's why New York is so dangerous. They don't beat themselves. Their bullpen is lights out. Their starters go deep. They can manufacture runs or win with one swing.
Mad Dog: Five straight American League pennants. They're already one of the great dynasties ever. Now they're three wins away from another championship.
Francesa: Milwaukee shouldn't panic. They played well enough to win. But here's the problem.
You don't get many opportunities against this Yankee club.
When you have a chance to steal Game 1 on the road...you've got to finish it.
Mad Dog: Because now the Yankees have home-field, the momentum, the 1-0 lead, and 136 regular-season wins backing 'em up! That's a mountain, Mikey!
Francesa: Final score from Yankee Stadium: Yankees 2, Brewers 1. Steve Carver with the walk-off double. Mike Bowden brilliant. Mike Schneider shuts the door. The Yankees draw first blood and take a 1-0 lead in the 1943 World Series. Folks, if this opener is any indication, we're in for one outstanding Fall Classic.

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Mike Francesa: Alright, welcome back. Mike and the Mad Dog. Mad Dog, I'll tell ya right now, this is why the Yankees won 136 games. They don't panic. They steal Game 1 with the walk-off, and then in Game 2 they basically say, "Enough of this." Nine to three. Series 2-0. They completely took over.
Chris Russo: Mike, lemme tell ya somethin'! For five innings this looked exactly like what Milwaukee wanted! Vargas was matchin' zeroes, the Brewers were up 1-0, Yankee Stadium was gettin' a little restless! I'm thinkin', "Hey! Maybe Milwaukee splits the first two!" Then... BOOM! The sixth inning happened!
Mike: That's exactly right. Jose Vargas deserved better. Four and two-thirds innings, gave up only five hits, no runs. Milwaukee was leading 1-0 after Danny Davila's RBI groundout in the fifth.
Then they go to Raul Trejo...
...and the World Series changes.
Chris: Changes?! Mike, it EXPLODES! Five runs! Castillo starts it. Carver rips a double. Kassebaum ties it with a single. Mortensen keeps it alive. Hernandez walks to load 'em. Then Mark Martinez gets the fielder's choice that gives 'em the lead, Cavazos draws a bases-loaded walk, Rick Carter bangs another RBI single...
Before Milwaukee even knows what hit 'em it's FIVE-ONE!
Mike: That's why championships are won with depth. Everybody contributed.
Josh Thomas? Three hits.
Steve Carver? Two more hits, including another double.
Rick Carter drove in two.
Kassebaum knocked in two.
German Cavazos had three RBIs despite only one hit because he kept taking quality at-bats.
Fourteen hits. Four walks. Constant pressure.
Chris: And Mike, don't overlook Alex Leal! Thirty-seven years old! One hundred forty pitches!
One hundred forty!
Nowadays every manager would be runnin' out there after ninety-four pitches with a chart, an iPad and a bullpen phone! Leal said, "Nah, I got this."
Mike: Eight and a third innings. Eight hits. Three runs. Four walks. Didn't have his absolute best command, but every time Milwaukee threatened, he made a pitch.
That's what veterans do.
Chris: Meanwhile Milwaukee leaves nine men on base! First inning! Second inning! Fifth inning! Seventh inning! They kept gettin' opportunities and couldn't land the knockout punch.
If you're gonna beat a 136-win team, Mike, ya can't keep leavin' the door cracked open!
Mike: Exactly. They had New York where they wanted them.
Game 1? Lose on a walk-off.
Game 2? Lead through five innings...
...lose 9-3.
That's psychologically devastating.
Chris: And then the seventh inning! Milwaukee completely melts down! Hernandez reaches on an error, Mark Martinez gets the infield hit, Josh Thomas smokes another RBI single, RIGHT FIELDER THROWS IT AWAY, two more runs score, then Cavazos clears the bases with a two-run double!
Errors... extra bases... everything that can go wrong goes wrong!
Mike: Milwaukee actually out-hit expectations early, but New York's lineup is relentless. One through nine, they're dangerous. You don't get a break.
That's why they won 136 games. They don't rely on one superstar. They grind you down until your bullpen cracks.
Chris: And Steve Carver! Walk-off hero yesterday! Two more hits today! The guy is hittin' everything! He's become the story of the Series!
Mike: He has been excellent. But to me, the biggest story is this:
Milwaukee played well enough to win parts of both games.
They're down two games to none anyway.
That's what happens against historically great clubs.
Chris: Now they gotta go home to Milwaukee and somehow beat this Yankee machine FOUR times in FIVE games?!
Mike...
I don't see it!
Mike: It's a steep climb. The Brewers won 107 games, so they're obviously an outstanding team. But through two games, the Yankees have looked exactly like a club that won 136.
One dramatic comeback.
One emphatic blowout.
They've shown they can win any style of game.
And if Milwaukee doesn't hold serve at home immediately...
this World Series could be over before anybody realizes it.

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Mike Francesa: Alright, welcome back. Mike and the Mad Dog. Chris, I've been watching baseball my whole life. I have seen 15-14 games, I've seen slugfests, I've seen crazy postseason games. I don't know what this was. Twenty-two to twelve... in the World Series! Twenty-two runs! Twenty hits! Five home runs! Thirty-four combined runs! It's like somebody accidentally loaded a football game instead of baseball.
Chris Russo: Mike! I'M TELLIN' YA! This game was INSANE! I mean, I couldn't even write down the score fast enough! Every time I looked up somebody was rounding third! It was 5-0 before Milwaukee even picked up a bat!
Mike: Five runs in the first inning. Castillo with the two-run single, Carver hits a three-run homer. You're saying, "Well, that's a great start."
Then Milwaukee scores three.
Then New York scores five more.
Then Milwaukee scores four more.
After two innings... it's 10-7.
Mad Dog: TEN-SEVEN! AFTER TWO! Mike, that's a football halftime score! It looked like the Yankees and Brewers forgot pitchers were even allowed on the roster!
Mike: Justin Tate never had a chance. Eight earned runs, records one out in the second inning, Game Score of 1. One. That's about as rough as it gets in October.
Mad Dog: And Truelove wasn't any better! He couldn't get outta the second! Seven runs! Everybody's hittin' missiles all over American Family Field! Every ball sounded like a cannon!
Mike: Give Milwaukee credit though. Down 10-3.
They score four.
Then another.
Then another.
It's 10-9 after six innings.
Now you've got a one-run game.
Mad Dog: RIGHT! And the crowd's going bananas! They're thinkin', "We got life! Maybe we save the Series!" Yankee bullpen's bendin', Kassebaum's kickin' the ball around, Milwaukee's got momentum...
...then the seventh inning happened.
Mike: The seventh inning was one of the biggest avalanches I've ever seen.
It starts with Rafael Castillo hitting his second home run.
Then double.
Walk.
Error.
Single.
Throwing error.
Another single.
Another single.
Walk.
Another hit.
Triple.
Ten runs.
Ten.
Mad Dog: TEN! TEN RUNS! They completely broke Milwaukee! The Brewers committed two huge errors, Buso couldn't get anybody out, Combs couldn't stop the bleeding, Pendergrass finally comes in and he's already inheriting a forest fire!
Mike: That inning wasn't just about power.
The Yankees ran wild.
Mark Martinez steals.
German Cavazos steals twice.
Rick Carter steals three bases.
They took extra bases on everything.
Milwaukee looked completely overwhelmed.
Mad Dog: They were playin' like it was batting practice! Every guy in the lineup contributed!
Look at these numbers!
Rafael Castillo: 3-for-4, two homers, five RBIs, four runs, two walks.
Steve Carver: 3-for-6, one homer, five RBIs.
German Cavazos: 3-for-4, two homers, four RBIs, four runs, two walks!
Rick Carter: FOUR HITS!
Twenty hits!
Eight walks!
Mike, that's Nintendo baseball!
Mike: Castillo's the Player of the Game, and deservedly so. Nine total bases, reached five times, drove in five. Every time Milwaukee threatened, Castillo answered.
Mad Dog: But here's the crazy part...
Milwaukee scored TWELVE RUNS!
TWELVE!
Normally if I tell ya your team scored twelve in the World Series, you assume they won by eight!
Instead...
...they lost by TEN!
How does THAT happen?!
Mike: Cruz Vazquez had three hits and a triple. Corey Shipps drove in three. Milwaukee had thirteen hits and drew six walks. They scored in six different innings.
And it wasn't enough.
Mad Dog: Mike, both teams combined for:
34 runs
33 hits
10 walks
5 errors
5 home runs
Nearly 700 pitches
Four-and-a-half hours.
This wasn't baseball.
This was survival.
Mike: And now here's the reality.
As entertaining as this game was...
...the Yankees lead the World Series three games to none.
Their offense has completely overwhelmed Milwaukee.
Twenty-two runs tonight.
They've now got the Brewers on the absolute brink.
Mad Dog: Milwaukee's gotta win four straight against THIS lineup?!
Forget it! I don't care who's pitchin' tomorrow! This Yankee offense is historic! They scored five in the first, five in the second, ten in the seventh, and somehow STILL found time to score two more!
Mike: One of the wildest World Series games you'll ever see.
The Yankees win 22-12, take a commanding 3-0 Series lead, and stand one victory away from another championship. If Milwaukee is going to make history, it'll have to be the greatest comeback baseball has ever seen. Otherwise, this slugfest will be remembered as the game that all but ended the 1943 World Series.

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Mike Francesa: Alright, Mike and the Mad Dog back with you. The Yankees came into Milwaukee looking for the sweep and an eighth championship, but the Brewers finally woke up. Seven-three Milwaukee, and now we've got ourselves a Game 5. The Series is still 3-1 New York, but the Brewers at least made the Yankees stick around another day.
Chris Russo: Mikey, lemme tell ya somethin'! If you're Milwaukee, this is exactly what ya needed! Ya get punched around for three games, everybody says, "Aw, it's over!" Then BOOM! Five runs in the first inning! The place is goin' nuts! Forty-eight thousand people finally had somethin' to cheer about!
Francesa: The game was decided almost immediately. Miguel Colon just didn't have it. Five straight Brewers reached to start the bottom of the first. McDonald single. Davila infield hit. Jesse Rangel rips a two-run triple into the gap. Then Vazquez drives him home. Manzo doubles home two more. Before you could sit down it was 5-0.
Russo: Colon was cooked! Cooked! He got nine outs, gave up seven earned runs, and the Yankees never recovered. That's why postseason baseball's crazy. One bad inning and suddenly you're climbin' uphill all afternoon.
Francesa: Jesse Rangel was the star. Four-for-four. A triple, a double, two singles, two RBIs, seven total bases. That's a championship-caliber performance.
Russo: Where was THAT guy the first three games?! The guy was hittin' .160 a week ago! Now he's Ty Cobb for one afternoon! Every time he came up he was smokin' the baseball.
Francesa: Milwaukee also got contributions throughout the lineup. Raul Manzo drove in two. Andy Carone had two hits and an RBI. Ricky Martinez chipped in with two hits and another run batted in. Fourteen hits altogether.
Russo: And Herman Brushett wasn't spectacular, but he battled. Hundred and nine pitches! He walked four guys, gave up Kassebaum's homer, but every time the Yankees looked like maybe they'd make it interesting, he got the next out.
Francesa: Chad Roberds deserves some credit too. Came in with the bases loaded in the sixth and shut the door. Didn't allow inherited runners to score. That was probably the biggest pitching sequence after the first inning.
Russo: Right! Because if the Yankees bust that inning open, maybe it's 7-5 and everybody gets nervous. Instead, Roberds comes in cold, gets Steve Carver, and Milwaukee breathes again.
Francesa: Quietly, Chris Smith gave New York six excellent innings of relief. Seven hits, no runs. He gave his club every opportunity to climb back into the game.
Russo: That's gonna matter tomorrow! The bullpen ain't shot. Smith saved 'em. If Game 5 gets tight, all those big Yankee relievers are fresh because Smith ate the whole middle of the game.
Francesa: Offensively, New York just couldn't string enough together. Cory Kassebaum homered. German Cavazos tripled and scored. They drew five walks, but left seven men on base and grounded into two double plays.
Russo: And don't forget Mark Martinez! Leads off the game with a hit, steals second...then gets thrown out tryin' for third! Ya can't give away outs against a desperate club! That kinda killed the momentum before Milwaukee even got the bats out.
Francesa: So here's where we stand. Yankees still lead this World Series three games to one. History says they're in outstanding shape. They only need one more win.
Russo: But ya know what? Pressure changes a little now! If Milwaukee wins tomorrow, suddenly it's 3-2, then you're flyin' back to New York, and everybody starts rememberin' all those teams that let a 3-0 lead get interesting. I'm not sayin' it'll happen—but now the Yankees actually have to finish the job.
Francesa: Game 5 tomorrow at American Family Field. Milwaukee has earned another day. The Yankees are still one victory away from their seventh World Series title, but for the first time in this Fall Classic, the Brewers have given themselves a little life.
Russo: That's all they wanted, Mike! One win, one more game, one more chance. Now let's see if they can make the Yankees sweat a little.

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Mike Francesa: Alright, Mike Francesa here with the Mad Dog. Dog, now we've got ourselves a World Series again. The Yankees had this thing gift-wrapped. They win Game 2 by six runs, Game 3 by TEN runs, they're up 3-games-to-none, and everybody's talking sweep. Two games later? Milwaukee has won back-to-back 7-3 games, and now the Yankees have to fly home hearing footsteps.
Chris Russo: WHOA! WHOA! Mike! You know what this reminds me of? Every series where one team starts readin' the newspapers instead of playin' baseball! The Yankees thought they were already champions! Milwaukee said, "Not so fast!" Now everybody in New York's gonna be sweatin' for two days before Tuesday!
Francesa: They should be sweating. This is exactly how pressure builds. You lose Game 4? Fine. Teams lose games. You lose Game 5 after tying it at two in the fourth inning? Now you've got questions.
The Yankees have scored only six runs over the last two games after exploding for 31 runs in Games 2 and 3. Milwaukee has adjusted. Their pitching has settled down. Their bullpen has been outstanding.
Russo: And Jonah Cork! How about this kid? Three-for-three, scores FOUR runs, homers in the sixth, walks, starts rallies...he was EVERYWHERE! Every inning Milwaukee needed somethin', Cork's standin' on base! If he isn't Player of the Game by a mile, I don't know what game they watched!
Francesa: Cork was terrific. Danny Davila was outstanding too—3-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs. Jesse Rangel keeps producing. Cruz Vazquez delivers the biggest hit of the game with that two-out, two-run single in the fifth. Milwaukee keeps getting production from everybody in the lineup.
That's championship baseball.
Russo: Mike, and can we talk about the Yankees' pitching? Bowden gives up eleven hits in six innings! Every time New York clawed back, Milwaukee answered! Yankees tie it at two? Brewers score two in the bottom of the fifth. Yankees make it 5-3? Brewers put up another crooked number in the eighth!
They NEVER let New York breathe!
Francesa: That's the key. Milwaukee answered every challenge.
Rick Carter hits a home run to tie the game.
Milwaukee immediately takes control.
The Yankees chip away in the eighth.
Milwaukee scores twice and slams the door.
That's how you keep momentum.
Russo: And Miguel Peña deserves credit! Maybe he didn't dominate, but after those disasters in Games 2 and 3, he kept the Yankees from another avalanche. Five and two-thirds, only two runs. Then Buso bridges it, Sato shuts the door again.
Suddenly Milwaukee believes its bullpen can beat New York.
Francesa: Now let's talk about the elephant in the room.
The Yankees are still ahead.
They're still one win from their eighth championship.
Game 6 is in Yankee Stadium.
They're still the favorite.
But...
You cannot blow a 3-0 World Series lead.
You win Games 2 and 3 by scores of 9-3 and 22-12. You outscore your opponent 31-15 over those two games. At that point, everyone assumes the series is over.
Now? It's 3-2.
One more Milwaukee win and all the pressure shifts squarely onto the Yankees for a Game 7.
Russo: Mike, if Milwaukee wins Tuesday? OH MY GOODNESS! Yankee Stadium'll be tighter than a drum! Every fan'll be thinkin', "We're really gonna become the first team ever to lose after bein' up three games to none!"
You can't tell me those players wouldn't hear that!
Francesa: Exactly right.
Game 6 isn't just about winning anymore.
It's about avoiding history.
The Yankees have gone from celebrating an inevitable championship to facing the possibility of one of baseball's greatest collapses.
Russo: Meanwhile the Brewers? They're playin' with HOUSE MONEY! Nobody expected 'em to survive after Game 3. Now they've won two straight, they've got confidence, Cork's on fire, Rangel's hitting everything, Peña got 'em started, Sato's lockin' games down...
They're thinkin', "Why not us?"
Francesa: Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium is enormous.
If New York wins, nobody remembers this scare.
If Milwaukee wins...
We're headed to a Game 7 that would become one of the biggest in baseball history. The Yankees are still one victory away—but for the first time in this World Series, they're the team feeling the pressure.

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