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I don't need to remind anyone what's a stake tonight. Roger Clemens will take the hill for the Yankees. How much he has left in the tank is anyone's guess. It shouldn't matter. The Yankee offense should be able to put 7 or 8 runs on the board against Jake Westbrook. I'm expecting an explosion. I'm expecting a win. As usual, the score will be updated below, and the live blogging will take place after the jump. Leave your thoughts in the comments and enjoy, Yankee fans. Let's hope we're right back here tomorrow night. 
| Lineups |
| Indians | Yankees |
| 1. Damon (LF) | 1. Sizemore (CF) |
| 2. Jeter (SS) | 2. Cabrera (2B) |
| 3. Abreu (RF) | 3. Hafner (DH) |
| 4. A-Rod (3B) | 4. Martinez (C) |
| 5. Posada (C) | 5. Garko (1B) |
| 6. Giambi (1B) | 6. Peralta (SS) |
| 7. Matsui (DH) | 7. Lofton (LF) |
| 8. Cano (2B) | 8. Nixon (RF) |
| 9. Melky (CF) | 9. Blake (3B) |
- As most of you know, George Steinbrenner said in an interview earlier that if the Yankees don't win this series, Joe Torre will not be back as the Yankees' manager next year. Fair, or not. Accurate or not, he said it. George also spoke about A-Rod's situation, and made a point of saying the first two losses of the series were not his fault. Every veteran on this team has had Torre stick up for him, and stick with him, in tough times. If there was ever a day to repay him, today is that day.
- Joe has gone with his best offensive lineup, Giambi at first, and Matsui at DH. I think this is a solid move, the Yanks should be able to bludgeon Jake Westbrook.
- 40 minutes 'til first pitch.
- It looks like I'm going to be 0-3 in my predictions. Not only am I 0 for 3 in picking the series winners, but the teams I picked to win all got swept. Whoops.
- TNT doesn't seem to want to cut into the riveting Julia Styles movie they're showing right now. It's 6:30 and they haven't switched to the Yanks yet.
- Top First: Skidmark starts out throwing hard. Posada starts out dropping balls. Sizemore grounds out to Cano. Cabrera safe at first on a Jeter error. They ruled it a hit, which is wrong. 3-0 splitter to Hafner. Either Clemens is being extra careful, or he has a better feel for the split early in the game. Hafner walks on a 3-2 pitch. We need a ground ball here. He definitely has a better feel for the split. Full count on Martinez. Fly out to left. Two down, Garko at the plate. Single up the middle, Cabrera scores. 1-0, Indians. Stop it here. Jeter handles a weak grounder from Peralta and steps on second to end the inning. Let's get that run back right here.
- Bottom First: Atta boy Johnny. Single to left. Chip Caray is amazed a Yankee can hit the ball the other way. Jeter lays down a perfect bunt, but it just rolls foul. Double play turned by Peralta. Abreu grounds out to first on a 3-1 pitch.
- Top Second: Nixon's up second this inning, he's owned Clemens throughout his career. Keep an eye on that at bat. Lofton pops out to Jeter in shallow left. F&ck. HR for Nixon. 2-0, Indians. Blake grounds out to second. Chip Caray is basically begging the crowd to boo A-Rod, I hope it doesn't happen. Sizemore singles to right. Sizemore steals second. Cabrera flies out to Cabrera to end the inning.
- I say 3 is the max number of runs you can leave Clemens in to allow. If the Tribe mounts any kind of rally next inning you have to get Hughes or Moose up.
- Bottom Second: I thought I heard an MVP chant going when A-Rod came to plate, but it wasn't that loud. He looks a little more relaxed up there, up in the count 3-1. Single to left center for A-Rod, and he hit the crap out of it. Let's go now. Listen to that crowd. Jorge grounds into another double play. They just can't string anything together. Giambi grounds right into the teeth of the shift.
- Top Third: Someone's up in the pen, but they don't feel like telling us who it is. It's Phil Hughes. Good move by Joe. I think might be all for Clemens, Joe's coming out with the trainer. Nope, he's staying in. He just doesn't have it. If he loses Hafner here you have to get him out of there. Hafner walks to lead off the inning. He just can't put anyone away. He started Hafner 0-2 and walked him, started Martinez 0-2 and now he's 3-2. He reached back for that fastball. Martinez Ks on a 92 MPH fastball. Clemens is done. I could really care less if that was the last pitch Roger Clemens will throw in the major leagues, to be honest with you. We have a game to win here. Hughes is in. He was impressive in game 1. Let's see what he can do here. Garko homered off him in game 1 on a fastball away. Let's see if he learned from that mistake. Hafner moves to second on a wild pitch. Garko grounds out to short. Two down, Peralta at the plate. Broken-bat double to right. Hafner scores. 3-0, Cleveland. Unbelievable. Lofton flies out to left to end the inning.
- At this rate, the Yanks are going to have to score 10 to win.
- Bottom Third: Maybe the long layoff will take its toll on Westbrook. Nice hustle for Matsui, infield single. How about we DON'T hit into a double play here, huh? Cano grounds out to first, Matsui was moving on the play, he's on second. Melky taps a swinging bunt out in front of the plate, Martinez tries to get Matsui at third, but he avoids the tag and makes it into third. First and third, one out. Let's Go Damon!!!! RBI single for Damon. 3-1, Indians. Jeter's at the plate, first and second, one out. Three double plays in three innings. Two runners stranded. BUT, they got on the board. The first run is always the hardest to get.
- We need Phil to put a zero on the board here.
- Top Fourth: Trot Nixon goes to a full count. Phil throws him a 3-2 change, I love that. He fouled it off. Then struck him out with heat. Great sequence for Hughes there. Blake flies out to medium-depth center. Phil sits Sizemore down looking with a perfect 3-2 heater. Exactly what we needed.
- Bottom Fourth: Abreu grounds back to the pitcher. Here comes A-Rod. A-Rod pops out to left, got under it. Full count to Jorge. He grounds out to second. 1,2,3 inning for Westbrook, and we're getting close to the point where the Rafaels will come in.
- Top Fifth: Cabrera flies out to left to lead off the fifth. Cano gets out of the way of a Hafner line drive. They call it an error. Martinez flies out to center. Two down, man on first. Garko goes down looking on a sick heater. Phil is cruising, let's get the friggin' bats going.
- Bottom Fifth: Giambi strikes out, and looks bad doing it. Gwynn was trying to make a good point there, why doesn't Giambi bunt? Down two runs, we need runners. Matsui singles to left. Someone needs to explain what the tying run means. Double to deep left for Cano. Second and third, one out for Melky. Let's Go!!! Right here Melky. RBI single for Melky to left, Matsui scores. 3-2, Indians. First and third, one out for Damon. NO DOUBLE PLAYS!!!!!!!! HOME RUN DAMON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5-3, Yanks. Jeter lines out to center. Abreu pops out to short. Caray wants to cry himself to sleep.
- We need a quick inning from Phil here. Put another zero on the board. DO NOT let them get any momentum back.
- Top Sixth: Nasty slider from Phil to start off the sixth. Peralta pushes a bleeder through the left side for a single. Joba's up and Gator goes to the mound. Phil looks really good to me. I don't think I like getting Joba up now, but I guess it's better safe than sorry. Lofton goes down swinging. Phil is dealing. Caray is a dumbass. Hughes didn't pick up his first regular season win against the Indians. It was against Texas. Nixon pops out to left after a long at bat. Blake flies out to left to end the inning. Excellent job by Hughes. Excellent.
- OK, time to start tacking on.
- Bottom Sixth: I can't believe Westbrook is back out there. Nice hustle by A-Rod. Peralta is a lazy shortstop, by the way. Infield single for A-Rod. I'd look to run him here. Aaron Fultz is in to face Posada. Single to left for Posada. Fist and second, no one out for Giambi. I'd pinch-hit here, and bunt. Doug is pinch hitting, and bunting, and this is a perfect, perfect call by Torre. Doug lays down a perfect bunt, and they walk Matsui to load the bases for Cano. That is going to bite them in the ass. Mark my words. YES!!!!! Cano smoked a single to right, Nixon charged and it went right through him. All three runs score!!!!! 8-3, Yankees. Cano winds up on third with one out. Melky grounds out to third. Joe should sit Joba down now. Send Phil out for another inning. Damon Ks to end the inning.
- Please do not bring Joba in now. Phil is cruising and he has a cushion. Send him back out there. Don't burn Joba.
- Top Seventh: Joe is going for the throat, apparently. Joba is in there. You only live for today, so I'm not going to slam Joe too much for this move, but if it was me, Phil would be back out there. Best case scenario here is a scoreless 7th for Joba, then the Yanks tack on a couple and the Viz and Farnsworth can work the 8th and 9th. Sizemore goes down on an insane slider in the dirt on a 3-2 count. Nice curve there from Joba at 79 MPH, we haven't seen many of those. Martinez Ks on another nasty slider. Another curve, 77 MPH, Hafner missed it by a foot. Hafner pops out to right. What a display by the kids.
- Hughes + Joba = 4.2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 6 Ks.
- Bottom Seventh: Jensen Lewis in to face Jeter to start the seventh. Jeter Ks. Abreu Ks on a fastball right down the pipe. Lewis threw him an 85 MPH change the pitch before, setting up the fastball perfectly. Here's the MVP chant for A-Rod, music to my ears. Lewis strikes out the side. He's like Joba, just not as good.
- Top Eighth: Joba is still in there, and still dealing. Martinez tomahawks a single through the infield. Garko hits into a 6-4-3 double play. Peralta walks on a 96 MPH heater that just missed the inside corner. Lofton singles down the left field line. I really wish Joba hadn't been sent out there for this inning. He's at 32 pitches now. Nixon doubles to left center. This was avoidable. 8-4, Yanks. He's going to wind up throwing 40 pitches here. Blake flies out to right to end the inning. Thank God.
- Bottom Eighth: In comes Borowski. Jorge walks to lead off the eighth. Borowski really is garbage. Doug flies out to center. Matsui walks. First and second, 1 out, Cano at the plate. Cano flies out to shallow center. Melky flies out to center.
- Enter Sandman?
- Top Ninth: Sandman it is. Sizemore flies out to shallow left. Cabrera Ks. TBS chooses Damon as the player of the game. Hard to argue with, but I'm going in a different direction. Hafner Ks looking to end it.
- I'll have a preview up later tonight for tomorrow's game. Here's a preview of the preview: Chien-Ming Wang needs to start the game.
Player of The Game: Phil Hughes. The Franchise saved the season today. Someone else is going to have to step up and do it tomorrow, but without him, they don't win this game.
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40 minutes until the most annoying announcing team. I can guarantee they'll beat this Big Stein's comments situation to death. I'll be watching with the volume off.