Game 13: Marlins (Weathers) at Yankees (Stroman)

When Weathers' slider was on, he was tough.

"In the ALDS against Texas, Weathers was New York’s bullpen ace, leading all relievers on both teams with five shutout innings. He struck out five and allowed only one single. Looking to clinch the series at Arlington in Game Four, New York trailed 4-3 in the fourth inning when Torre called Weathers into the game with two on and nobody out. Juan Gonzalez stepped to the plate, batting 7-for-14 with five home runs.

Arriving at the mound, Weathers and the infielders received one message from their manager. “Torre said, ‘Let’s pound the fastball in and get the double play.’ I’ll never forget Tino Martinez, when Joe walked off the mound, said, ‘You’re notthrowing him a first-pitch fastball. He’s killing us. He can’t hit your slider. Throw it until he doesn’t swing at it.’ Sure enough, I throw a slider and he fouled it off. Then I threw two more about a foot outside and he swung at both of them.”

After the huge strikeout of Gonzalez, Weathers snuffed Texas’s rally by getting Will Clark to ground into an inning-ending double play. The Yankees came back to win and Weathers was credited with the series-clinching victory. Weathers blanked Baltimore in two games in the ALCS, earning a second win, then gave up his first run in October, pitching in three World Series games against Atlanta for a total of 11 nearly flawless postseason innings."