08/16: Bullpen Secures Victory for Mitre, Yankees
Posted by: Andrew
Coming into Saturday night's Yankees/Mariners game at Safeco Field, the Mariners had struck out 22 times in the first two games of this four-game series. Tonight would be no different, as the M's went down on strikes 11 times at the hands of Yankees pitchers, including eight from the bullpen. The strikeouts helped secure a 5-2 victory for the Yankees and Sergio Mitre.
Mitre allowed two runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings and a dropped fly ball by Franklin Gutierrez in the second inning helped propel the Yankees.
The Mariners got on the board in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. Robinson Cano got eaten up on an in-between hop off the bat of Ichiro that resulted in a two-base error. Following a groundout, Jose Lopez flew out to left to drive in the run.
But the Yankees countered with four in the second, helped by Gutierrez's miscue with one out. Cano led off with a single. After Jerry Hairston Jr. flew out, Melky Cabrera hit a fly to center. Ichiro Suzuki got close to Gutierrez, which threw him off and eventually led to the ball dropping. Jose Molina followed with an RBI single. Derek Jeter then added a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. After that, Nick Swisher hit a two-run home run to left.
Mitre seemingly ran out of gas in the sixth. After getting Ken Griffey Jr. to strike out, he allowed two singles and a walk before being removed in favor of David Robertson. Robertson got Josh Wilson to strike out swinging for the second out. He then struck out Ryan Langerhans looking, in what was a questionable call by C.B. Bucknor.
In total, Robertson struck out three batters in one inning of work and Phil Coke, who was brought in with one out in the seventh, struck out three in his 1 2/3 innings.
There was another questionable call in the bottom of the seventh - this time strategically - as Suzuki was caught trying to steal third with two outs and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Derek Jeter hit a solo home run in the ninth to extend the Yankees' lead to 5-2. Mariano Rivera nailed down the save in the ninth, his 35th of the season. The Yankees are now 31 games over .500 and have a 7.5-game lead in the American League East. Joba Chamberlain starts tomorrow afternoon, as the Yankees will look to sweep the four-game series in Seattle.
Recap records: Seamus: 34–20, Patrick: 31–14, Andrew: 9–9
Andrew Fletcher blogs about the Yankees regularly at Scott Proctor's Arm.
Mitre allowed two runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings and a dropped fly ball by Franklin Gutierrez in the second inning helped propel the Yankees.
The Mariners got on the board in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. Robinson Cano got eaten up on an in-between hop off the bat of Ichiro that resulted in a two-base error. Following a groundout, Jose Lopez flew out to left to drive in the run.
But the Yankees countered with four in the second, helped by Gutierrez's miscue with one out. Cano led off with a single. After Jerry Hairston Jr. flew out, Melky Cabrera hit a fly to center. Ichiro Suzuki got close to Gutierrez, which threw him off and eventually led to the ball dropping. Jose Molina followed with an RBI single. Derek Jeter then added a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. After that, Nick Swisher hit a two-run home run to left.
Mitre seemingly ran out of gas in the sixth. After getting Ken Griffey Jr. to strike out, he allowed two singles and a walk before being removed in favor of David Robertson. Robertson got Josh Wilson to strike out swinging for the second out. He then struck out Ryan Langerhans looking, in what was a questionable call by C.B. Bucknor.
In total, Robertson struck out three batters in one inning of work and Phil Coke, who was brought in with one out in the seventh, struck out three in his 1 2/3 innings.
There was another questionable call in the bottom of the seventh - this time strategically - as Suzuki was caught trying to steal third with two outs and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Derek Jeter hit a solo home run in the ninth to extend the Yankees' lead to 5-2. Mariano Rivera nailed down the save in the ninth, his 35th of the season. The Yankees are now 31 games over .500 and have a 7.5-game lead in the American League East. Joba Chamberlain starts tomorrow afternoon, as the Yankees will look to sweep the four-game series in Seattle.
Recap records: Seamus: 34–20, Patrick: 31–14, Andrew: 9–9
Andrew Fletcher blogs about the Yankees regularly at Scott Proctor's Arm.
