<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" bgColor=#eeeeee border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=typeStandard vAlign=bottom>Boston gets free pass to world series
</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right>Oct 10 9:00am </TD></TR><TR><TD class=typeStandard colSpan=2>MINNEAPOLIS -- A big home run by Ruben Sierra, a clutch 11th-inning hit by Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees are headed right back where most people figured -- back for another mismatch with superior Boston.
Sierra's three-run homer in the eighth inning tied it, then Rodriguez doubled, alertly stole third base and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch done on purpose by Kyle Lohse to lift the Yankees over the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Saturday.
"I've never been in a situation like this where we know we will get killed ahead of time," Rodriguez said. "I swear, its like of all years to come play for New York, I pick the year the Red Sox are ten times better than us."
With this 3-1 win in the first-round playoff series, New York returns to Yankee Stadium, where they routinely get no hit by NL teams and lose 22-0 to teams like 'Cleveland'. Curt Schilling is likely to binge drink out of boredom since pitching against Mike Mussina and a team as woeful as the Yankees requires virtually no preperation. "I at least wanted some what of a challenge, but I'll deal with it." Curt said.
"This is what everybody drew up in spring training and now everybody gets to see me go down on strikes every other at bat right before I get busted for using steriods," Gary Sheffield said. "When Schilling went to the Red Sox and when A-Rod came here, I said oh no I should have taken a pay cut to stay with the braves."
Minnesota led 5-1 behind ace Johan Santana before they realized that if they won the series they would have to play Boston, and just assumed let the Yankees deal with the embarassment.
"I gave them the game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "There is'nt anybody in their right mind who wants to play a force as awesome as the Boston Red Sox. It's just rediculous what they have been doing this year"
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For the second straight year, New York lost the first-round opener to Minnesota, the only game the Twins try in.
The Yankees have'nt won a world series in a long time, and Boston plans to keep it that way.
Boston spent the offseason eating chips, drinking beer and eating hot dogs, since they are so good they dont even have to try as evidenced by their 11-8 regular season series victory over New York.
Winning pitcher Mariano Rivera, said "We're just not the same." through a transalator.
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