2006 American League Championship Series

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Image:2006 ALCS Logo.png

The 2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs; it began on October 10 and ended on October 14. The Detroit Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics 4 games to 0 to advance to the 2006 World Series, and became the fourth AL team to win ten pennants, joining the New York Yankees (39), Athletics (15) and Boston Red Sox (11). Magglio Ordóñez's game-winning walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 sealed the pennant for the Tigers. Including this year's ALCS, the last five AL pennant winners have been different. (2006 Tigers, 2005 White Sox, 2004 Red Sox, 2003 Yankees, and 2002 Angels).

The Athletics had defeated the Minnesota Twins, three games to none, in AL Division Series, and the Tigers had defeated the Yankees, three games to one. The Tigers faced the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, but fell to them, 4 games to 1, in one of the biggest upsets in Detroit Tigers history.

Oakland had home-field advantage (despite Detroit having a better record) because Oakland was a division champion, but they effectively lost the advantage by losing Games 1 and 2 at home. Detroit hosted Games 3 and 4.

The Athletics were seeking their first AL pennant since 1990, while the Tigers captured the league title for the first time since their 1984 World Series championship year. The series was a rematch of the 1972 American League Championship Series, in which Oakland defeated Detroit in 5 games (then a best-of-five series). Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who led the Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series title, became the seventh manager in history to win pennants in both leagues.

Managers: Ken Macha (Oakland), Jim Leyland (Detroit)

Umpires: Jerry Crawford, Hunter Wendelstedt, Derryl Cousins, Chuck Meriwether, Gary Cederstrom, Mike Reilly

Series MVP: Plácido Polanco

Television commentators (FOX): Thom Brennaman, Steve Lyons, José Mota, Lou Piniella, and Chris Myers; Lyons commentated through Game 3, but was fired by FOX for comments, which the network deemed insensitive to Piniella's Hispanic background.<ref>FOX dismisses Lyons for racially insensitive comment, Associated Press. October 14 2006.</ref>

1 Matchup
2 Quotes
3 References

[edit] Matchup

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (Det-Oak)
1	October 10	Detroit	5	Oakland	1	1-0
2	October 11	Detroit	8	Oakland	5	2-0
3	October 13	Oakland	0	Detroit	3	3-0
4	October 14	Oakland	3	Detroit	6	4-0
Detroit wins series 4–0 and advance to the World Series

[edit] Game 1, October 10

McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California

Oakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays (both are LCS records). Tigers first baseman Sean Casey left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning due to an apparent leg injury.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	5	11	1
Oakland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	8	1
WP: Nate Robertson (1-0) LP: Barry Zito (0-1)
HRs: Det – Brandon Inge (1), Iván Rodríguez (1)

[edit] Game 2, October 11

McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California

Detroit used a four-run fourth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Detroit survived two home runs by Milton Bradley and a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to escape with a win. The game was overshadowed by the tragic death of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle in a plane crash in New York City. Lidle pitched for the Athletics from 2001-2002. Since the ALCS has been increased to a seven-game series, no team has came back to win the series after losing the first two games at home.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit	0	1	0	4	0	2	0	0	1	8	11	0
Oakland	1	0	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	5	11	1
WP: Justin Verlander (1-0) LP: Esteban Loaiza (0-1) SV: Todd Jones (1)
HRs: Det – Alexis Gómez (1), Curtis Granderson (1) Oak – Milton Bradley 2 (2), Eric Chavez (1)

[edit] Game 3, October 13

Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan

Oakland infielder Mark Kiger, who substituted for injured second baseman Mark Ellis in the ALCS, became the first player in modern baseball history to make his major-league debut in a postseason game. <ref>Kiger says historic debut with A's spoiled by loss. Jenkins, Chris, The San Diego Union-Tribune. October 14 2006</ref>

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Detroit	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	3	6	0
WP: Kenny Rogers (1-0) LP: Rich Harden (0-1) SV: Todd Jones (2)
HRs: Det – Craig Monroe (1)

[edit] Game 4, October 14

Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan

Magglio Ordonez hit two home runs, the first of which tied the score in the sixth inning, and the second of which, a walk off three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, won the American League pennant for Detroit. Ordonez's blast was the first pennant winning home run since Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	1
Detroit	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	3	6	11	0
WP: Wilfredo Ledezma (1-0) LP: Huston Street (0-1)
HRs: Oak – Jay Payton (1) Det – Magglio Ordóñez 2 (2)

[edit] Quotes

"IN THE AIR, LEFT FIELD! THE TIGERS MARCH TO THE WORLD SERIES! They celebrated twenty-two years ago today as World Series champions! And October the 14th, 2006, the Detroit Tigers are American League Champions!" - Thom Brennaman, calling Magglio Ordonez's ALCS walk-off homerun in Game 4.

"Swing and a fly ball, left field, IT'S DEEP, IT'S WAAAY BACK! THE TIGERS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!" Dan Dickerson, calling Magglio Ordonez's walkoff over the air on WXYT Detroit.

[edit] References

2006 Major League Baseball Playoffs
2006 World Series
American League Championship Series American League Division Series AL Playoff teams: Detroit \| Minnesota \| New York \| Oakland
National League Championship Series National League Division Series NL Playoff teams: Los Angeles \| New York \| St. Louis \| San Diego