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Yankees look to even ALDS behind Wang

Oct 8, 2007 - 1:51 PM Cleveland at NY Yankees 7:37 pm EDT American League Division Series Indians lead, 2-1

BRONX, New York (Ticker) - Not every Division Series will end in a sweep this postseason. The New York Yankees refused to let that happen.

The Yankees will look to even their American League Division Series with the Cleveland Indians when they host Game Four on Monday.

The Indians built a commanding two-games-to-none lead in Cleveland, but the home crowd and some menacing words from owner George Steinbrenner about the job security of popular manager Joe Torre lit a fire under the Yankees in Game Three.

Rookie Phil Hughes (1-0) allowed two hits in 3 2/3 innings of relief after starter Roger Clemens was forced to leave with a strained left hamstring, and New York got a three-run homer out of Johnny Damon in the fifth and tacked on three runs in the sixth en route to an 8-4 victory on Sunday night.

Before the Yankees even had a chance to get settled at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon, rumors about Torre's job security were swirling. A report in the Bergen Record in New Jersey had comments from Steinbrenner that indicated Torre's 12-year tenure was going to end with a third straight loss in the division series.

For four innings it looked like Torre was managing his final game as the Yankees struggled against Jake Westbrook's sinker. They hit into three double plays through the first three innings and faced a 3-1 deficit. Captain Derek Jeter bounced into double plays in the first and third while Jorge Posada hit into one in the second.

But they recovered to beat Westbrook and extend the series at least one more game.

New York will bring back Game One starter Chien-Ming Wang (0-1) on three days' rest in Game Four. The righthanded sinkerballer went 19-7 in the regular season, but could not keep his trademark sinker down against the Indians last Thursday.

Wang was knocked around for eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 frames as the Yankees dropped the opener, 12-3.

"I feel fine. No sore, my arm feel good, no problem," Wang said about going on three days' rest.

"And the last time I faced Cleveland the ball was up, and tomorrow I'll try to get the ball down," he continued.

The Indians will counter with 15-game winner Paul Byrd (NR). The righthanded control artist will be making his first appearance this postseason after struggling to a 1-3 record with a 6.43 ERA in his final five starts.

He has appeared in the postseason in 2004 with the Atlanta Braves and in 2005 with the Angels. Byrd owns a 1-1 record in the playoffs with a 5.40 ERA in five games - three starts.

"We're going to move forward just as we had planned," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said after the Game Three disappointment. "(Byrd) will be on the mound tomorrow, and we'll go from there.

"You know, it's where we are. We knew we were going to need four starters, if it went that far here in the series. And that's where we're at. That's what we're going to go with."

Byrd is just 1-4 with a 4.44 ERA against New York in his career. He surrendered seven runs and seven hits in two innings to suffer a loss against the Yankees on August 11.