05/31: Moose Picks Up 8th Victory as Yanks Beat Twins, 6-5
Posted by: Patrick
We got behind in a hurry in this one, thanks to a for run first inning by the Twins offense. Their quick lead was aided by some poor defense and only two of those runs were earned. Hideki Matsui drove in Bobby Abreu in the top of the first. Exiting the inning, the Yankees were down 4-1.
At this point, some are thinking "here we go, we'll be lucky if Moose pitches 4." But, as he has done often this year, Mussina came through, pitching six solid innings. Those four runs would be all he would allow and he would throw a total of 109 pitches - 73 for strikes. After that rocky first, he allowed two hits in the final five, while walking no one and striking out three.
The Yankees chipped away at the deficit bit by bit. A-Rod drove in Abreu in the third to cut the Twins' lead to two. In the fourth, Melky hit a two RBI single, scoring Cano and Duncan, to tie it up. And then the team took the lead back when A-Rod doubled in Bobby Abreu to make the score 5-4, Yankees.
An insurance run was added in the seventh when Hideki Matsui singled in - who else? - Bobby Abreu for his fourth run of the day.
Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez worked together to clear the seven inning, holding the Twins scoreless. Kyle Farnsworth entered to start the eighth, looking to protect a two run lead. He allowed a homer and it was 6-5, Yankees, by the time he was done.
Mariano came in, in the ninth, to pitch his fourth inning in as many days. Mike Lamb grounded out and Brendan Harris walked. Carlos Gomez and Craig Monroe struck out, back to back, to end the game. It was Mariano's 13 save and his ERA is now down to 0.38 - and he's 38 years old!
Offensively, the Yankees were raining hits down on the Twins, but struggled to get anyone to score. The Yankees had 16 hits, 3 walks and one batter hit by a pitch. The Twins had 7 hits and 3 walks. And, yet, the Yankees managed to only score one more run than them. Wilson Betemit and Jason Giambi each left six runners on base.
Every lineup starter collected a hit in this one, except for Derek Jeter (0 for 5) and Shelley Duncan (0 for 1, 1 run, 1 walk - pinch hit for by Wilson Betemit in the fifth). Four Yankees collected three hits each. They were Bobby Abreu (3 for 4, two triples, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1 stolen base), Alex Rodriguez (3 for 4, two doubles, two RBIs), Hideki Matsui (3 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 walk) and Melky Cabrera (3 for 4, 2 RBIs).
The other Yankee starters were Jason Giambi (1 for 5), Robinson Cano (1 for 4, 1 run) and Jose Molina (2 for 3).
Tonight at 7:10 PM ET, the series continues with Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82) going against Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16). From those numbers, this could be a good chance to get above .500.
At this point, some are thinking "here we go, we'll be lucky if Moose pitches 4." But, as he has done often this year, Mussina came through, pitching six solid innings. Those four runs would be all he would allow and he would throw a total of 109 pitches - 73 for strikes. After that rocky first, he allowed two hits in the final five, while walking no one and striking out three.
The Yankees chipped away at the deficit bit by bit. A-Rod drove in Abreu in the third to cut the Twins' lead to two. In the fourth, Melky hit a two RBI single, scoring Cano and Duncan, to tie it up. And then the team took the lead back when A-Rod doubled in Bobby Abreu to make the score 5-4, Yankees.
An insurance run was added in the seventh when Hideki Matsui singled in - who else? - Bobby Abreu for his fourth run of the day.
Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez worked together to clear the seven inning, holding the Twins scoreless. Kyle Farnsworth entered to start the eighth, looking to protect a two run lead. He allowed a homer and it was 6-5, Yankees, by the time he was done.
Mariano came in, in the ninth, to pitch his fourth inning in as many days. Mike Lamb grounded out and Brendan Harris walked. Carlos Gomez and Craig Monroe struck out, back to back, to end the game. It was Mariano's 13 save and his ERA is now down to 0.38 - and he's 38 years old!
Offensively, the Yankees were raining hits down on the Twins, but struggled to get anyone to score. The Yankees had 16 hits, 3 walks and one batter hit by a pitch. The Twins had 7 hits and 3 walks. And, yet, the Yankees managed to only score one more run than them. Wilson Betemit and Jason Giambi each left six runners on base.
Every lineup starter collected a hit in this one, except for Derek Jeter (0 for 5) and Shelley Duncan (0 for 1, 1 run, 1 walk - pinch hit for by Wilson Betemit in the fifth). Four Yankees collected three hits each. They were Bobby Abreu (3 for 4, two triples, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1 stolen base), Alex Rodriguez (3 for 4, two doubles, two RBIs), Hideki Matsui (3 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 walk) and Melky Cabrera (3 for 4, 2 RBIs).
The other Yankee starters were Jason Giambi (1 for 5), Robinson Cano (1 for 4, 1 run) and Jose Molina (2 for 3).
Tonight at 7:10 PM ET, the series continues with Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82) going against Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16). From those numbers, this could be a good chance to get above .500.
