Daniel Descalso Leads Cards in Comeback Game Five Victory; C.C. Sabathia Hurls Yankees Past Orioles

Players of the Day for Friday, October 12, 2012

American League

ALDS: NY Yankees 3 Baltimore 1 - When it came down to deciding which team would advance to the league championship, the New York Yankees showed up with their ace, C.C. Sabathia, and the Orioles couldn't match up.

C.C. Sabathia

Sabathia, who went 8 2/3 innings to win game one, finally pitched his first post-season complete game, shutting down the Orioles on four hits to help the Yankees advance to the championship series against the Detroit Tigers.

The O's didn't get to Sabathia until the eighth inning, loading the bases, but only coming away with a single run. Manager Joe Girardi never made a move from his dugout position, allowing his ace to work out of his own jam.

Walking two while fanning nine, Sabathia improved his post-season record to 9-4.

The series with the Tigers opens Saturday at Yankee Stadium with first pitch set for 8:07 pm EDT. Doug Fister goes for the Tigers against Andy Pettitte of the Yankees.


National League

NLDS: St. Louis 9 Washington 7 - St. Louis spotted the Washington Nationals six runs, then came back to beat them, advancing to the league championship against San Francisco.

Daniel Descalso

St. Louis starter, Adam Wainwright, was rocked by the Nationals, allowing six runs on seven hits over just 2 1/3 innings.

Never giving up, the Cardinals chipped away at the lead, getting it down to one run, 6-5, in the top of the eighth. Washington scored another run in the bottom of the frame, but, in their last at-bat, the Cardinals put up four runs to clinch game five and move on to the next round of playoffs.

Daniel Descalso had the game of his life, socking a solo homer in the eighth to pull the Cardinals to within a run and driving in the first two runs in the ninth with a bases-loaded single to tie the game at seven.

He also scored the Cardinals' final run after stealing second, following David Freese home on Pete Kozma's single to right field.

Earlier, in the fifth, Descalso doubled and scored on a wild pitch. He finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI.

Closer Jason Motte, who gave up three hits and a run in the 8th, polished off the Nationals with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, earning the win, his second of the series.

The league championship series begins Sunday in San Francisco at 8:07 pm EDT.