Gehrig's 4 HRs lift Yanks over Tribe in Bracket
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochThe all-time Yankees team is continuing to live up to its billing as an offensive juggernaut. These fantasy Bronx Bombers belted 18 home runs to power past the Indians in the second round of the MLB Dream Bracket, which included four long balls by “Larrupin’ Lou” Gehrig. Having dispatched the Mariners and Tribe, the Yanks are set to take part in the quarterfinals, where they'll take on the Astros.
Against the Indians, Tony Lazzeri clubbed three homers in the seven-game series and a trio of Yanks cleared the fences twice each, including Mickey Mantle, who collected seven RBIs in the showdown. Andy Pettitte (2-0, 0.77 ERA) and Whitey Ford (2-0, 1.54) were dominant in their four combined starts, limiting Cleveland to three earned runs over 23 1/3 innings while striking out 16.
The MLB Dream Bracket is a 32-team, best-of-seven simulation on Out of the Park Baseball featuring all-time teams for each of the 30 current Major League franchises, as well as teams consisting of Negro Leagues Stars and 25 & Under Stars. The 26-man rosters for each of the teams, compiled by MLB.com beat reporters, consist of 15 hitters and 11 pitchers.
For the simulation, players are rated using the average of their three best seasons on a single team. Rosters were constructed with balanced depth to specifically compete in a simulated regulation game.
Game 1: Yankees 7, Indians 1
Derek Jeter slugged a leadoff homer and Mantle cracked a two-run shot as the Yankees pounced early, thumping Bob Feller for five runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Babe Ruth chased Feller with a two-run homer, building a hearty lead for Ford, who struck out seven and held Cleveland to a Travis Hafner RBI single over 5 2/3 innings. Lazzeri completed the scoring with a two-run homer off Gaylord Perry in the seventh.
Game 2: Indians 8, Yankees 4
Cleveland answered by building an early seven-run lead against Ron Guidry, as Jim Thome, Lou Boudreau and Victor Martinez all homered off "Louisiana Lightning." Joe DiMaggio and Lazzeri chipped away, hitting solo homers off Sam McDowell, who struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings. Gehrig added a two-run homer in the eighth, facing Bob Lemon, a Hall of Fame hurler who later managed the 1978 Yankees back from a 14 1/2-game deficit in the American League East.
Game 3: Yankees 9, Indians 5
The Bombers peppered Corey Kluber for five runs and six hits over 2 2/3 innings, then continued to attack as Mantle and DiMaggio added two-run homers off Cody Allen. Pettitte notched the victory, limiting Cleveland to an unearned run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Indians trimmed the deficit late, including Manny Ramirez’s two-run homer off Mel Stottlemyre, but Mariano Rivera retired all six men he faced for a two-inning save.
Game 4: Indians 10, Yankees 3
Thome’s three-run, fifth-inning homer off Red Ruffing tipped the contest in Cleveland’s favor, as Early Wynn limited New York to a Ruth sacrifice fly and an Alex Rodriguez solo homer over 5 1/3 innings. Nap Lajoie raked a two-run double as part of a three-run sixth against Waite Hoyt, while Tris Speaker and Lajoie roped RBI extra-base hits in the eighth off Stottlemyre. Gehrig hit a ninth-inning solo homer off Bob Wickman.
Game 5: Yankees 8, Indians 1
Ruth, Lazzeri, Gehrig and Reggie Jackson all slugged solo homers off Feller, who lasted six innings before the Yanks pulled away against Cleveland’s bullpen. Jackson added a two-run single in the seventh, and Yogi Berra belted a solo blast in the eighth off Perry to support Whitey Ford, who picked up the victory by holding Cleveland to Belle’s fourth-inning RBI double among six hits over six innings. Hoyt hurled three scoreless innings for a save.
Game 6: Indians 6, Yankees 4
The Indians forced the series to the limit as Guidry was again thumped, serving up long balls to Lajoie and Ramirez as he permitted five runs and eight hits over four-plus innings. "Gator" has struggled in the Dream Bracket simulation, falling to 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA overall. McDowell held New York to two runs and one hit -- Gehrig’s second-inning homer -- despite issuing six walks. New York’s bullpen kept the team in the game, providing five innings of one-run relief, but the Yanks’ comeback stalled after Jackson and Berra combined to drive in three sixth-inning runs off Lemon.
Game 7: Yankees 5, Indians 2
Pettitte tossed 6 1/3 innings of strong ball, leading the Yankees to a series win by settling in following Hafner’s second-inning solo homer. Mantle tripled and scored on an A-Rod sacrifice fly in the fourth against Kluber, who surrendered run-scoring hits to Ruth and Mantle in the sixth as New York grabbed the lead. Speaker and Lajoie hit back-to-back doubles off Sparky Lyle in the eighth, trimming the Yanks’ lead to a run, but Graig Nettles crushed a key two-run homer in the eighth off Doug Jones that completed the scoring. Rivera recorded five outs for the save.