2010 World Series SIMULATION (Game 5)

As a treat for those of you needing their baseball fix with spring training more than three months away, I’ve decided to post results from a simulated version of the 2010 World Series featuring the Yankees and Giants (NOTE: All simulations courtesy of WhatIf Sports). Game 1 saw the Yankees click on all cylinders in beating the Giants on the road. San Francisco came back in Game 2 to pull even. The Yankees offense picked up Phil Hughes in Game 3 to take control of the Series, and Alex Rodriguez powered the Yankees to a convincing Game 4 win. Can the Yankees close it out at home?

Heading into Game 5, the Yankees found themselves in a familiar position. With a 3-1 Series lead, they only needed one more win to close it out against the Giants at the Stadium. And with big-money ace CC Sabathia on the mound facing Tim Lincecum, the game pretty much seemed to be in the bag. All signs pointed to a celebration at the Stadium.

The Giants, however, would have none of that.

Thanks in part to an unprecedented 14-hit attack, San Francisco came away with a 10-9 victory in ten innings to force a Game 6 back West. Lincecum fared much better than he did in Game 1, going seven innings and allowing just two runs with 10 strikeouts. Buried on the bench for the first four games, Bruce Bochy went with his gut and inserted Aaron Rowand in the lineup. Rowand paid huge dividends with a key 3-run HR in the ninth inning that seemed to put the game out of reach at 9-2. Six other Giants had multi-hit games, including a combined 6-15 with 5 RBIs from Buster Posey, Cody Ross and Juan Uribe.

Sabathia was not at his finest in this elimination game, allowing four runs and an uncharacteristic six walks over six innings. The bullpen fared no better. Joba Chamberlain had his second straight rough outing, giving up two runs in the seventh to put the Yankees in a deeper hole. Kerry Wood and Chad Gaudin also contributed to the deficit, allowing late-inning runs. However, these are the Yankees. And with that offense, a game is never over until the 27th out is recorded.

With Sergio Romo on the mound and Brian “Fear The Beard” Wilson looming, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada hit back-to-back HRs to start the last of the ninth. It also marked the start of a seven-run rally that would bring the Yankees back in this Game 5. All in all six straight Yankees reach base to begin the ninth, and the scoring was capped off by a Robinson Cano 2-run shot of awareness to tied the score at 9. New life was restored in the Yankee crowd and it was evident the momentum would eventually result in champagne. But it was not meant to be, as Joe Girardi brought to life three words that no Yankee fan should ever hear in a close game:

Enter. Sergio. Mitre.

You read that right.

Not even the binder would’ve called that one.

In a move that will live forever in New York Yankees infamy, Girardi elected to use “Meat Tray” over Mariano Rivera (who you may know as the greatest relief pitcher ever) for the tenth inning. Naturally, Uribe crushes a HR and the Yankees go quietly in their half of the inning to cement the Giants’ win.

View box score (at your own risk)

*****

Despite a valiant comeback, the Yankees could not end the Series at Yankee Stadium. And so, we are heading back to the Bay Area for Game 6. Will the Giants be able to ride the momentum from their exciting Game 5 win to force a Game 7? Or will Andy Pettitte return to his old form and send the Giants packing? Come back this afternoon and find out!