07/19: Yankees Take Over First Place with Win Over Texas
Posted by: Seamus
For the first time since April 9, the Yankees are in first place as they won a wild and somewhat sloppy 11-10 game at Ameriquest Field in Texas. The struggling Red Sox fell to the Devil Rays 3-1 and the Orioles defeated the Twins in extra innings, meaning the Yankees have a half-game lead over the Red Sox and Orioles for both the division and wild card lead.
The bats came through again last night, as the Yankees got to Ricardo Rodriguez early with 6 runs in the 2nd inning. The Yankees hit another three homers (Posada, Sheffield, Matsui), giving them 29 in their last 11 games. They needed all the offense they could get tonight, because the pitching just wasn't there. Kevin Brown didn't look good in his return, although I guess that was to be expected because he wasn't even given a rehab start. Scott Proctor and Wayne Franklin also struggled, and an error by Bernie Williams costed us three runs (none of the three runs given up by Franklin were earned). The bullpen settled down though once Tanyon Sturtze entered the ballgame as he retired all 7 batters he faced and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 24th save of the season.
The key hit of the game came off the bat of Ruben Sierra (not surprised, anyone?) as he launched a single to left-centerfield in the 8th that scored both Sheffield and A-Rod and put the Yankees ahead 11-10. Unfortunately, Sierra had to be helped off the field with a hamstring injury and Joe Torre said he will more than likely be put on the DL. Hopefully it isn't TOO serious because he's been maybe our best clutch hitter this season and we're going to need his bat late in the season if this AL East race goes down to the wire.
Another notable play of this game and a reason Alfonso Soriano is starting to fall out of favor with me a little bit is a ball he hit off the wall in dead centerfield and only got a single out of it. That ball would have been a sure double for Chili Davis in his late years with the Yankees. Soriano is one of the fastest players in baseball. However, the Rangers' second baseman decided to stand in the box for an extra second, take a little walk and watch the ball, thinking he had a home run as he watched the ball in its entire flight until the ball hit the wall. In the next half inning, Derek Jeter stretched a routine single into a double. Figure that.
The Yankees will send Mike Mussina to the mound tonight to face Chan Ho Park. Just for anyone who doesn't know here what the Rangers' lineup can do, Park has an ERA of 5.64 yet he has an 8-4 record. Hopefully the Moose can quiet their bats down a bit.
The bats came through again last night, as the Yankees got to Ricardo Rodriguez early with 6 runs in the 2nd inning. The Yankees hit another three homers (Posada, Sheffield, Matsui), giving them 29 in their last 11 games. They needed all the offense they could get tonight, because the pitching just wasn't there. Kevin Brown didn't look good in his return, although I guess that was to be expected because he wasn't even given a rehab start. Scott Proctor and Wayne Franklin also struggled, and an error by Bernie Williams costed us three runs (none of the three runs given up by Franklin were earned). The bullpen settled down though once Tanyon Sturtze entered the ballgame as he retired all 7 batters he faced and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 24th save of the season.
The key hit of the game came off the bat of Ruben Sierra (not surprised, anyone?) as he launched a single to left-centerfield in the 8th that scored both Sheffield and A-Rod and put the Yankees ahead 11-10. Unfortunately, Sierra had to be helped off the field with a hamstring injury and Joe Torre said he will more than likely be put on the DL. Hopefully it isn't TOO serious because he's been maybe our best clutch hitter this season and we're going to need his bat late in the season if this AL East race goes down to the wire.
Another notable play of this game and a reason Alfonso Soriano is starting to fall out of favor with me a little bit is a ball he hit off the wall in dead centerfield and only got a single out of it. That ball would have been a sure double for Chili Davis in his late years with the Yankees. Soriano is one of the fastest players in baseball. However, the Rangers' second baseman decided to stand in the box for an extra second, take a little walk and watch the ball, thinking he had a home run as he watched the ball in its entire flight until the ball hit the wall. In the next half inning, Derek Jeter stretched a routine single into a double. Figure that.
The Yankees will send Mike Mussina to the mound tonight to face Chan Ho Park. Just for anyone who doesn't know here what the Rangers' lineup can do, Park has an ERA of 5.64 yet he has an 8-4 record. Hopefully the Moose can quiet their bats down a bit.
Patrick wrote:
Yeah, that Jeter play was a great example of why Yankees fan love the guy and why, if anyone watched him every day with an open mind, he'd win them over.
Most hitters in baseball would have had a single on that play, would have cruised into first with a single and that would have been it. But, he hustled it and stretched it into a double. Sweet.
It's awesome how pretty much everyone seems to be hitting alright/well. Sheff, A-Rod, Matsui have been tearing the cover off the ball. Cano (above .300 now - nice throw to the plate), Posada (nice job on that play, as well) and Sierra came up big, too.
Everything except most of the pitching was pretty good.