08/02: Melky Hits for the Cycle in Yankee Victory
Posted by: Seamus
You know how just about every other night there's that one player towards the end of the game who the announcer mentions is just "a triple away from the cycle" and it completely skips over your head because it NEVER happens? Well, today it happened. With one out in the 9th, Melky Cabrera drilled a ball to right and chugged all the way around to third for a triple, capping off the first cycle achieved by a Yankee since Tony Fernandez did it back in 1995. Oh yeah, and the Yankees won 8–5 over the White Sox to salvage the final game of this four-game series after losing the first three.
Melky's day included a three-run homer that just cleared the left field wall and gave the Yankees a 3–0 lead early in the second, a leadoff double in the 4th, an RBI single in the 5th and of course the triple in the 9th. Cabrera drove in four runs and scored three times, and his 4-for-5 afternoon pushed his average up to .292.
On the other side of the ball, CC Sabathia was OK, all things considered after he briefly coughed up the 3–0 lead by allowing four runs in the bottom of the third. The Yankees did go ahead for good in the 4th, and Sabathia would last until he was taken out after facing one batter in the 8th, finishing with a line of 5 runs on 10 hits. Not pretty, but he did show some grit by getting through 7 in this one while throwing just 100 pitches.
Phil Hughes came into the game to relieve Sabathia, and struck out two batters and walked a guy before Joe Girardi pulled him in favor of Mariano Rivera. Rivera did cough up an RBI single off of Carlos Quentin (run charged to Sabathia), but he settled down after that, as he struck out Chris Getz to end the inning and set down the Sox without any damage done in the 9th to record his 30th save of the year. He is now tied with Angels' closer Brian Fuentes for the most in baseball.
The Yankees' lead over the Red Sox remains at just a half game, however, as the BoSox trampled the Orioles by a score of 18-10 (yes that's Sox-O's, not Pats-Ravens).
Joe Girardi's crew will have the day off tomorrow and they'll be in Toronto Tuesday night to take on the Blue Jays for the first game of a quick two-game series at Rogers Centre. Today's victory becomes ever more important because they'll be facing Roy Halladay on Tuesday. Andy Pettitte will be on the mound for the Yanks. Game starts at 7:07 ET.
Recap records: Patrick: 28–14, Seamus: 28–19, Andrew: 7–9
Melky's day included a three-run homer that just cleared the left field wall and gave the Yankees a 3–0 lead early in the second, a leadoff double in the 4th, an RBI single in the 5th and of course the triple in the 9th. Cabrera drove in four runs and scored three times, and his 4-for-5 afternoon pushed his average up to .292.
On the other side of the ball, CC Sabathia was OK, all things considered after he briefly coughed up the 3–0 lead by allowing four runs in the bottom of the third. The Yankees did go ahead for good in the 4th, and Sabathia would last until he was taken out after facing one batter in the 8th, finishing with a line of 5 runs on 10 hits. Not pretty, but he did show some grit by getting through 7 in this one while throwing just 100 pitches.
Phil Hughes came into the game to relieve Sabathia, and struck out two batters and walked a guy before Joe Girardi pulled him in favor of Mariano Rivera. Rivera did cough up an RBI single off of Carlos Quentin (run charged to Sabathia), but he settled down after that, as he struck out Chris Getz to end the inning and set down the Sox without any damage done in the 9th to record his 30th save of the year. He is now tied with Angels' closer Brian Fuentes for the most in baseball.
The Yankees' lead over the Red Sox remains at just a half game, however, as the BoSox trampled the Orioles by a score of 18-10 (yes that's Sox-O's, not Pats-Ravens).
Joe Girardi's crew will have the day off tomorrow and they'll be in Toronto Tuesday night to take on the Blue Jays for the first game of a quick two-game series at Rogers Centre. Today's victory becomes ever more important because they'll be facing Roy Halladay on Tuesday. Andy Pettitte will be on the mound for the Yanks. Game starts at 7:07 ET.
Recap records: Patrick: 28–14, Seamus: 28–19, Andrew: 7–9
Kathy wrote: