In a shocking move, Alfonso Soriano is out of the New York lineup. Enrique Wilson is at second base, batting second behind Derek Jeter. Jason Giambi had been dropped back down to sixth in the original order, but at the last minute, was scratched in favour of Nick Johnson. Joe Torre again shows complete fearlessness, opening himself up to second-guessing galore, and the changes are the main story line of this pivotal game.
The pitching matchup is a Game 1 rematch. Brad Penny was the unlikely winner over David Wells that night, and tries to repeat a performance that seemed lucky to me. The big righty was effectively wild, scattering seven hits and three walks in his 5.1 innings; every time the Yankees threatened, he seemed to wiggle out of trouble.
Boomer did an adequate job, allowing three runs in his seven innings, though he lacked the support I anticipated. He did walk two batters, which is unusual, but most of the damage was created by Juan Pierre, who scored after a leadoff bunt single and hit a flare to left to drive in the winning runs.
This is more of a "must win" for the Marlins, who will be scrambling for a Game 6 starter if they lose, and might have to use Beckett on short rest. If the Fish win, they can afford to go with Willis and a bunch of relievers, saving their ace for Game 7. The Yankees still have Pettitte and Mussina lined up for the home games, so they could survive a loss tonight.
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