Sweeping Success

| 11 Nov 2014 | 01:42

    After fattening up on bottom-of-the-food-chain fodder since the All-Streak break, the New York Yankees marched into Jacobs Field this weekend with something to prove: That they belonged with the big boys. The AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians—embroiled in both a divisional and Wild Card race—needed to make a statement in the series as well. What would give?

    Unsurprisingly, the Indians [crumbled like a Minneapolis bridge], as the [Yankees swept Cleveland](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270812105&action=playvideo&hcmp=motion) in the three-game set. The wins [vaulted New York into a tie](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings) in the Wild Care chase and edged them to within four games of the first-place Red Sox—the closest they’ve been since April 24 (back when [iPhones](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone) and [black people winning Formula 1](http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=6&id=2899757) races were just figments of the imagination).

    The Cleveland lineup did their best Harry Houdini impression, disappearing into thin air as the Indians scored just six runs the entire series. The Yankees got [much needed help] from newcomers Philip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, and five combined home runs from Alex Rodriguez (three) and Jason Giambi (two). There’s no relaxing, however, since the Bombers battle Baltimore, Detroit and Anaheim—all who are playing good baseball—the next three series. It sure makes you nostalgic for those days when all we did was play the Tampa Bay and Kansas City.