The home field advantage was turned on its head as the A's won all three games on the road and dropped both games at home in route to a 3 games to 2 series win.
Game 1: '28 A's 7, '03 Yankees 4; WP Grove (9 – 1); LP Wells (2 – 3); HRs Soriano (8), Foxx (8)
Jimmie Foxx drove in three runs with a single and 2-run homer (8) to lead the A's offense in a 7 – 4 win to open the series at Yankee Stadium.
The A's scored three in the top of the first on a double by Bing Miller and run scoring singles off the bats of Jimmie Foxx and Jimmie Dykes, but the Yanks came back in the bottom of the frame on an Alfonso Soriano two run shot, his eighth, to come within a run, 3 – 2. The A's hit the Yanks with another three run inning in the third on a single by Al Simmons driving in Bing Miller and Jimmie Foxx followed with a homer to extend the lead to 6 – 2.
The Yankees scored single runs in the bottom of the third and sixth innings to come within two runs of the A's, but a Ty Cobb single extended the lead to 7 – 4 and Lefty Grove held the Yankees scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Game 2: '28 A's 6, '03 Yankees 3; WP: Walberg (4-3); LP: Wells (2_4) HRs: Posada (3)
The Yankees jumped out to a 1 - 0 lead in the third with Derek Jeter singling home Mondesi. The A's tied the game at one all in the 4th on a Jimmie Foxx single; then struck for two runs in the sixth and the seventh for a 5 – 1 lead with Mickey Cochrane singling in two in the sixth and walking in another in the seventh. The Yankees on a solo shot by Posada and a run-scoring single by Hideo Matsui tightened the score to 5 – 3, but the A's scored a run in the eighth on a wild pitch and Eddie Rommel held the Yankees scoreless in the eighth and ninth for the A's victory and a two to nothing lead in the series.
Game 3: '03 New York 5, '28 A's 4; WP Rivera, (2 – 1): LP, Rommel (1 – 6); HRs Giambi (11), Simmons (6)
Philadelphia fans were jubilant as their A's returned home needing just one win to take the series, but left disappointed as Jason Giambi hit an 11th inning two run homer off Eddie Rommel to capture a 5 – 4 win and avoid elimination.
The A's out hit the Yankees 14 to 9, but could not get the big hit as they left the bases loaded in the third and fourth inning, failing to score a single run in either frame.
Alfonso Soriano broke a one run tie with a two run single in the 6th and the Yankees jumped out to a 3 – 1 lead, but the A's came back and tied the game in the bottom of the 7th on a single by Bing Miller and a pinch hit double by aging Eddie Collins.
Jason Giambi hit the game-winning two run homer in the 11th, but the A's made matters interesting with an Al Simmons home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th, but Jose Contreras got the next three batter for his first save of the season and a 5 – 4 Yankee win.
Game 4: '03 Yankees 4, '28 A's 1; WP: Mussina, (5- 3); LP Grove, (9 – 2) HRs: Giambi (12), Williams (3), Soriano (9)
Facing elimination again and facing the A's ace Lefty Grove things looked bleak for the Yankees, but homers from Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams staked the Yankees to a 3 – 0 lead. The A's threatened in the 4th with three hits and two walks, but could score only one run. Alfonso Soriano homered in the 9th to extend the lead to 4 – 1. Mariano Rivers pitched a scoreless 9th for his ninth save of the season and the Yankees had tied the series and were heading back home.
Game 5: '28 A's 4, '03 Yankees 2; WP: Jack Quinn (7 – 0) LP: Roger Clemens, (2 – 5) HRs Al Simmons (6)
Back to Yankee Stadium with the series tied at two each and Yankee fans hoping for the Yankee magic that had led to 27 World Championships would reassert itself.
Neither team could score in the first two innings, but Mule Haas doubled home Max Bishop to give the A's a 1 – 0 lead in the third and Al Simmons followed with a long homer to extend the lead to 3 – 0. In the bottom of the frame the Yankees got to Quinn with a walk and three hits but could score only one run on a Derek Jeter single.
In the sixth Sammy Hale singled home Mickey Cochrane to extend the lead to 4 – 1.
Quinn weakened in the bottom of the eighth yielding hits to Matsui and Johnson to lead off the inning. The A's brought in the second game starter Rube Walberg to face the left-hand hitting Jason Giambi who walked to load the bases with no one out. Soriano grounded out to score one run, but Walberg struck out Mondesi and Ventura to prevent further damage.
In the ninth Williams singled with one out and the A's brought in Eddie Rommel who retired the next two batters to give the A's a hard fought divisional championship.
Jim Clouser
