DMB: 2003 Marlins vs 1998 Yanks (Best of 9 Multiverse Series)

February 29, 2008

By DailySkew

2003 Marlins vs 1998 Yanks (Best of 9 Multiverse Series)

Will Josh Beckett celebrate at Yankees Stadium again?

Continuing my Diamond Mind Baseball computer simulation of the 1998 Yankees facing the World Series winners from other times.

Game 1- Marlins: 12 Yanks 2

Ramon Castro shocked David Wells and the Yankee Stadium fans by knocking 2 HR, and Alex Gonzalez and Pudge Rodriguez had 3 RBI each. With the Marlins bats pounding Wells and Ramiro Mendoza for 13 hits, the Yankees needed a poor performance by Josh Beckett to compete in this game, but that didn’t happen. Beckett pitched 7 strong innings, and Rick Helling hurled 2 scoreless.

Game 2- Marlins: 3 Yanks: 4

Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neil hit back-to-back homeruns in the 4th inning, and Chad Curtis added an important insurance run in the 6th, as David Cone (7.1 innings) lead the Yankees to victory. Carl Pavano pitched 6.2 innings surrendering 4 runs. Mariano Rivera got the save after coming in the 8 with two outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, although he allowed a solo HR to Mike Lowell in the 9th. The Marlins, known for their speed, only had 1 steal out of 3 attempts, while the Yankees were successful 3-3 times in this game.

Game 3- Yanks: 1 Marlins: 2

Dontrelle Willis pitched an 8-inning gem, got two hits of his own, including driving in the go-ahead run in the 7th inning after Andy Fox stole second, and Jeff Conine bunt sacrifed. Ugueth Urbina got the save with a perfect 9th. El Duque (6 innings; 2 runs) took the loss.

Game 4- Yanks: 3 Marlins: 4

Mike Lowell hit two homeruns, including another solo homerun off Mariano Rivera (0-1, 6.75) in the bottom of the 8th, and Ugeth Urbina (1-0, 0.00) continued his scoreless streak by tossing 3 innings in relief of Mike Redman. Rivera came into the 7th inning with 2 outs, and a runner on 1st and 3rd, before retiring Pudge Rodriguez with one pitch. Hideki Irabu and Redman both pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs. The Marlins lead the series 3-1.

Game 5- Yanks: 3 Marlins: 2

Jorge Posada’s pinch-hit two-out single in the top of the 9th inning scored Bernie Williams, as the Yankees beat the Marlins at Pro Player Stadium. Posada also got the last out of the game by throwing out Luis Castillo, who tried to steal 2nd with 2-outs in the 9th, with Rivera (S, 2) on the mound. David Wells (1-1, 5.79) and Josh Beckett both dueled for 8 innings, before the Yankees rallied against Marlins closer Bradon Looper (0-1, 9.00) in the 9th.

Game 6- Marlins: 0 Yanks: 7

David Cone (2-0, 1.26) hurled 7 shutout innings, only allowing 5 hits, and no walks, as the Yankees evened up the series 3-3 at Yankee Stadim. Thanks to Tim Raines, Paul O’Neil, and Bernie Williams’ timely hitting, Carl Pavano (0-2, 9.31) only lasted 3 innings, surrending 8 hits and 6 runs. Every Yankees batter except Chad Curtis had at least 1 hit.

Game 7- Marlins: 2 Yanks: 14

Bernie Williams went 5-5 with 3 doubles, Derek Jeter was 4-6, and Scott Brosius, Paul O’Neil, Shane Spencer, Chad Curtis, and Tino Martinez each had 2 RBI. Dontrelle Willis’ (1-1, 5.59) fortune changed as he only lasted 1.2 innings, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs. Brad Penny was not successful in relief (4.2 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs), and Nate Bump took one for the team (1.1 innings, 6 hits, 5 walks, 5 runs). El Duque (1-1, 2.08) breezed through the Marlins lineup (2 hits, 1 earned run, 8K, and 1 BB). After trailing this series 3 games to 1, the Yankees are now one game away from winning the series in Florida.

Game 8- Yanks: 5 Marlins: 6

Marlins manager Jack McKeon’s gambit to pitch John Beckett on 3-day’s rest did not pay off, but Ramon Castro’s game-tying grand slam in the 6th off Ramiro Mendoza (0-1, 7.11) paved the way for Miguel Cabrera and Mike Lowell’s go-ahead RBI singles off of Jeff Nelson in the 7th. That was Castro’s 3rd HR of the series. Hideki Irabu pitched 5 solid innings before running out of gas in the 6th, and loaded the bases for Castro, who proceeded to hit a deep grand slam of Mendoza. Although the Yankees were staked to a 4-0 by knocking Josh Beckett out of the game in the 3rd, the Marlins’ relievers- Phelps, Spooneybarger (1-0, 3.00), and Urbina (S, 2, 0.00) allowed only 1 run in 5.1 innings. Bernie Williams went 3-3 for the Yankees. The final game of the series is back in New York.

Game 9- Marlins: 2 Yanks: 5

Multiverse Series MVP David Cone (3-0, 1.69) solidified his reputation as a big game pitcher by hurling 7 innings on 3-day’s rest, allowing only 5 hits and 2 runs. Cone settled down after Ramon Castro hit a 2-run shot in the 2nd. That was Castro’s 4th HR of the series, and his 9th and 10th RBI. Graham Loyd pitched a perfect 8th, and Mariano Rivera (S, 3, 3.86) got Miguel Cabrera to line out to Derek Jeter to end the game, with runners on 1st and 2nd. The Yankees took the lead for good after Chuck Knoblauch’s double off Mike Redman (0-1, 5.25) scored Scott Brosius and Chili Davis. Shane Spencer’s homerun made it 4-2. Urbina did not allow an earned run in the final two innings, although he allowed 3 walks and an unearned run because of his throwing error. The Yankees celebrated on the hollowed ground of the Stadium.