The New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of their division series and set up an America League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Angels rallied to beat the Red Sox 7-6 in Boston to complete a sweep of their own on the same night, while in frigid Denver, the Philadelphia Phillies took a 2-1 lead over the Colorado Rockies in their NL division series with a 6-5 victory, snapping a 5-5 tie with a run in the top of the ninth.
In Minnesota, New York's Alex Rodriguez, who tied Friday's Game 2 with a home run in the bottom of the ninth, tied the score at 1-1 in the seventh with a long homer off the Twins' starter Carl Pavano.
Two batters later, Jorge Posada cleared the wall in left with another solo shot. The visiting Yankees added two more runs in the ninth to set up the clash with the Angels, the winner earning a spot in the World Series.
New York's seventh-inning surge broke up a pitchers' duel between Pavano and Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte.
Pettitte, who tied John Smoltz for the most post-season wins with 15, gave up three hits in six and a third innings, walking one and striking out seven as New York improved to 10-0 against the Twins this season.
It was the last Twins game to be played at the Metrodome, and as the Yankees celebrated in the middle of the diamond, ground staff began digging up the home plate to move it across the street to their new park.
The Minnesota manager, Ron Gardenhire, saluted the Yankees.
"That's a great baseball team over there," he said. "You have to tip your hat to them, they deserve all the accolades. Great bullpen, bench, the whole deal."
In Denver, Brad Lidge stranded runners at first and second base in the ninth on a bitterly cold Sunday night when he got Troy Tulowitzki to fly out to shallow left field, preserving the Phillies' 6-5 win over Colorado in Game 3 of their NL play-off series.
The defending World Series champions lead the best-of-five series 2-1 and can wrap it up tonight. The division winners will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.
In Boston, Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-out, two-run single off the Red Sox closing pitcher Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning as the Angels came back from 6-4 behind to reach the American League championship series with their first post-season sweep.
The Red Sox intentionally walked Torii Hunter with runners on second and third to bring up Guerrero, who capped the three-run comeback with his go-ahead hit off Papelbon, who had never before allowed a run in the post-season.
* Reuters
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
