Indians Score 22 Runs At 'New' Yankee Stadium & Split Series

After 85 years of calling Yankee Stadium home, the New York Yankees moved next door to the $1.5 billion "New" Yankee Stadium. Last Thursday, the Cleveland Indians came to town for opening day and spoiled the historic afternoon with a 10-2 win. Game two of the four game series went to the Yankees, winning 6-5 thanks to five solo home runs for New York.

Game three on Saturday was a different story. It was beautiful day in the Bronx, but the way this game finished, was anything but beautiful for Yankees.



Trailing 2-0 in the top of the second inning, the Cleveland Indians' offense exploded! The Tribe scored 14 runs--the biggest inning ever against the New York Yankees. Shin-Soo Choo started the historic inning off with a three-run homer off Yankee starter Chien-Ming Wang. Asdrubal Camera followed with an RBI single, Mark DeRosa added a two-run double and Victor Martinez finished Wang's afternoon with an RBI single.


--------Wang's Box Score

IP---H---R--ER---BB---K---ERA
1.1---8---8---8----0-----1---34.50

Wang's replacement, Anthony Claggett, who was making his major league debut, did not fair any better.


Claggett gave up a two-run double to Jhonny Peralta, a grand slam to Asdrubal Cabrera and a solo home run by Grady Sizemore all in the second inning.

--------Claggett's Box Score
IP---H---R--ER---BB---K---ERA
1.2---9---8---8----2-----2---43.20

Wang and Claggett combined to throw 69 pitches in that half inning that lasted 37 minutes.

The Indians continued its assault with eight more runs, including three home runs by Martinez, DeRosa and Travis Hafner in a 22-4 spanking of the Yankees.

This is not the first time the Indians have scored 20 or more runs vs. the Yankees. In the more than 100 years history of both franchises, the Cleveland Indians have the highest single-game run totals vs. the Yankees.

7/29/1928--24 Runs
7/19/1987--22 Runs
8/31/2004--22 Runs (Most Runs Ever at "Old" Yankee Stadium)
4/18/2009--22 Runs

-In the 4 Game Weekend Series, Cleveland Out Scored New York 40-19.


The 22 runs tied a Yankees record for most runs allowed in one game. Cleveland banged out 13 hits in the second inning which marked a franchise record for hits by a Yankee opponent in one inning.


What the Cleveland Indians did to New York in the second inning will likely never happen again. Considering the Yankees have been around for more than 100 years and this is the first time this has happened, the Yankees will be do for another 14 run inning in the year 2115!

I obviously was not alive back in 1928 and I was too young to remember the 1987 game, but i do remember in 2004 when Cleveland dumped 22 runs on New York the most ever at "Old" Yankee Stadium. Last weeks offensive explosion to me means a whole lot more than the other ones because this was the first ever series at the new stadium and the Indians spoiled the weekend.

The Tribe have handed the Yankees its worst defeats in franchise history and as a Indians fan, that makes me smile.


~Sabol

North Carolina Rolls Past Michigan State To Win National Championship

Apparently it pays to stay in school. Just ask North Carolina Tar Heel Tyler Hansborough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green who withdrew their names from the NBA Draft last summer, to come back to school to win a national championship. That is exactly what they did Monday night. North Carolina blew out Michigan State 89-72.

Carolina dominated Michigan State from the start. In fact, Michigan State only lead of the game was 3-2 and it lasted for 19 seconds. After four minutes that Tar Heels led by 10 and then by 15 nearly 10 minutes later. The Tar Heels jumped quickly on the Spartans and never looked back.

It was a balanced attack by Lawson, Hansborough, Green, Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, and the games' Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, Wayne Ellington, proved to be too much for the younger Spartans team.

-----------Tar Heels' Balanced Scoring-

-----------------Lawson: 21 Pts
-----------------Ellington: 19 pts
-----------------Hansborough: 18 Pts
-----------------Davis: 11 Pts
-----------------Thompson: 9 Pts
-----------------Green: 6 Pts

----------"You've got six NBA players that could be drafted in the first round or early second. You're looking at a team that could probably beat the worst team in the NBA." -Michigan State Guard Travis Walton

---------------

Carolina played Michigan State back in December in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and crushed the Spartans by 35 points. Back in December, the Spartans were without its star center Goran Suton and were coming off playing three games in six days. Playing at Ford Field in Detroit, just 92 miles away from campus at East Lansing, seemed to give the Spartans a home court advantage. With a total of 72, 922 in attendance (the largest crowd ever to attend a NCAA Final Four), and mostly Spartan fans, Michigan State was looking in the driver seat to pullout a upset.

So Monday night was supposed to be a different game...right? WRONG!

Adding a healthy Suton, a couple days of rest and the "home court advantage" had ingredients for different game. But the skill, athleticism, talent, coaching, and team chemistry of the Tar Heels proved to me too much for Spartans.

The Spartans never got a in groove on the offensive end. Michigan State guards, Kalin Lucas and Durrrell Summers struggled shooting a combined 8-24 from the field. Goran Suton was the only Spartan that could get into a rhythm, shooting 7-10 from the field and a team high 17 points. They did not fair well from beyond the arc either. MSU shot a dismal 7-23 from 3-point range.

But shooting was not the only problem. The Spartans turned the ball over 21 times, including 15 turnovers from its starting five, resulting into 25 points for Carolina. You can thank Carolina's Ty Lawson for eight of those 21 turnovers, as he set a record for eight steals in a championship game.

This game was being played at the site where the NFL's worst team the Detroit Lions play. By the way the Spartans played, it looked like they stole some plays out of the Lions' playbook.

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---------"When you play North Carolina, there's nothing you can do. Lawson says it all. He does stir the drink." -Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo

You cannot take too much away from the Spartans though. After all, no one including me, picked them to make it the Final Four, let alone beat UConn to get to the title game. They did everything right in the UConn game, surprising me and most of the country. Suton and the rest of the MSU defense dominated UConn's star center Hasheem Thabeet. That was something I did not think they could do. I was wrong to pick them against them in that game, but prior to Carolina game, I knew the Spartans would not pull out a victory.

------------------------------
North Carolina just had too much fire power in the end. Their dominating defense, great perimeter shootings and unstoppable inside game proved to be the difference. This team had no weakness and was the total package. They were focused, unselfish and were relentless to win.

Look at how dominate this team was:



------------------"Heel" of a Season


--------*Carolina won all of its NCAA tournament games in double digits --first time that's happened since Duke in 2001.
--------*Average margin of victory was 20.2 points --largest since Kentucky in 1996.
--------*Second largest tournament point differential by a champion +121. (Kentucky +129 in 1996)
--------*UNC led 55-43 at halftime, which set the marks for the most points scored in a first half and the biggest halftime lead in tournament history.
--------*Ty Lawson equaled a Final Four record with 10 steals (2 vs. Villanova & 8 vs. MSU), set championship game record 8 steals and became just the fifth player since 1997 to total 100 points, 30 rebounds and 20 assists in a single tournament.

--------------
--------*Tyler Hansborough set NCAA record for Free Throws made: 907
--------*Hansborough also set ACC record for most career points: 2,789
--------*North Carolina Fifth National Championship-second since 2005.

----------------
--------*Roy Williams in the last seven years: 3 Final Four Appearances and 2 National Titles (Tied with legendary UNC coach Dean Smith with two).



This championship journey for North Carolina started last spring right after Carolina got embarrassed against Kansas, losing 84-66 in the semifinal game of the Final Four. That loss left a sour taste in the mouth of Ty Lawson, Danny Green, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansborough. That taste was so bad, those kids held off jumping to the NBA and put the draft on hold for one more year. It is not to often these days you see college athletes leave an NBA contract worth millions of guaranteed money.

-------------"Sounds Like I made a pretty good decision. Nothing beats this feeling right here." -North Carolina Center Tyler Hansborough

I can guarantee, kids who watched this game and heard this, now know the lessons of staying an extra year in college. It not only provides you more education, but shows if you set a goal and work hard enough, it will be accomplished. Just ask those players.

-------------------

North Carolina had a magical and historical season that everyone will remember. This is arguably one of the best college basketball teams ever assembled. There will never be another team like this. Putting the historical stats, numbers and highlights to the side, the biggest story from this team is what those four players did. They are the definition of team. They stuck together and led this team to success and maturity. They went against the norm to better themselves as basketball players and as young men.

They are leaders. They are role models. They are an inspiration.

~Sabol

Final Four Begins Tonight!

I think it is safe to say that everyone's bracket is in complete disarray thanks to the Elite Eight surprise departure of Pittsburgh and Louisville. In all my brackets I did not have Villanova or Michigan State in the Final Four, but I did have Connecticut and North Carolina. UConn and Carolina are keeping my bracket alive and if they both loose tonight, then I am done! I have Carolina beating UConn in the championship game on Monday night by six points (73-67).

Enough of my bracket, lets quickly brake down these games tonight.

--------
2. Michigan State -----vs. ---1. Connecticut

The Spartans are a tough team and even though they do not have the star power like the Huskies, they are very versatile. It is not often you see a 6-10ft center hit 19 foot jumpers from the perimeter and rebound eight a game, but that is what Goran Suton does for Michigan State. That could cause a match up problem for the Huskies and Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet is 7-3 and does not move much out of the paint. If the Spartans can get Thabeet out of the paint with Suton on a consistent basis, then will cause trouble for UConn.

-----------------------------
---------------------------------------Goran Suton

The Huskies guard play of A.J. Price will be the difference in this game. He played great in the Elite Eight game against Missouri and is on fire in this tournament. His counter part, Kalin Lucas does not have the skill nor the experience to play in big games as Price does. Lucas is talented but not nearly as good as Price and will be too much for the Spartans to overcome, especially in the fast break. The Huskies thrive in the fast break with Thabeet dominating the boards and Price or Kemba Walker starting in transition. Michigan State should not be able to stop the quick and athletic Huskies.

-----------------------------

--------------------------------------A.J. Price

In the end, I am picking UConn over Michigan State. Even though Suton can possibly take Thabeet out of the paint, I think the Uconn defense will make the Spartans run which they do not like. They have only scored 12 points in the Regionals and like to play it slow. UConn will take advantage of that and will come out with a win.

----

3. Villanova----- vs -------1. North Carolina

Villanova is the highest ranked team in the Final Four with a three seed and it is safe to say they are the biggest surprise to be in the Final Four. The Wildcats would not be here if it was not for Scottie Reynold's lay-up at the buzzer to defeat Pittsburgh. Reynolds showed Pittsburgh and the rest of the country, what he is made of. He is athletic and talented, but matching-up against North Carolina is a little different...well actually, it is A LOT different.

--------------------------

------------------------------------Scottie Reynolds

Carolina's point guard Ty Lawson is the best in the country. No argument. The Tar Heels were a different team with him out of the lineup for parts of the season with his injured toe. Now healthy, Lawson is back and full strength and will be too much for Reynolds to guard. Lawson is just to quick off the dribble and can create his own shots in a blink of an eye. Not to mention he is a play maker and distributes the ball the best in the country.

North Carolina is loaded with future NBA players including Ty Lawson. There is just way too much talent on this team for them to loose against Nova. Tyler Hansborough, Ed Davis, Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, and Deon Thompson are all names you will see in the NBA soon. All these guys contribute in different ways and will prove to be too much for Villanova. Too much inside game, perimeter shooting, defense, and ball control will bring the Tar Heels over the Wildcats.

So here is your national title game: 1. Connecticut vs. 1. North Carolina

Before the season started I picked North Carolina to win in all this year and like I said before I have them winning it my bracket as well. This game will be close, but in my opinion, too much team chemistry with the Tar Heels. They will overcome Hasheem Thabeet's big presence inside and A.J. Price's scoring threat to win.

-------------------------
------------------------------Hasheem Thabeet

Thabeet will probably dominate Tyler Hansbourgh, but Ed Davis at 6-10 and Tyler Zeller at 7-0 will help out in the paint. Both Hansborough and Davis are very physical and could irritate Thabeet. Even though Thabeet normally owns the boards, I feel the Tar Heels do enough to win.

---------------------------

------------------------------------Tyler Hansborough

Besides the Hansborough/Thabeet match up, the one other match up that will be interesting will be A.J. Price vs. Ty Lawson. Like I said before, UConn loves to run in the fast break, but Lawson plays great defense and could cause trouble for Price in transition. The Tar Heels key is to its transition defense. That means both Lawson, Bobby Frasor and Danny Green Both will have to step up. Price and Lawson are very athletic and quick, but Lawson even with coming off an injured toe, is still much better than Price.

------------------------

-----------------------------------Ty Lawson

With that said, I am sticking with my preseason pick with North Carolina winning the National Championship. They are just the best all around team and has way too much fire power. The Tar Heels lost last year in the Final Four to Kansas, but this year will be different. Tyler Hansborough, Ty Lawson, and Danny Green almost jumped last year to the NBA Draft, but all decided to come back for a chance to win a national title. It will turn out to be a good decision as North Carolina will hoist another banner in the rafters of the Dean Dome back at Chapel Hill.

I will check back here on Tuesday with my reactions to the title game...hopefully my predictions and brackets are correct!

Enjoy the games!

~Sabol