06/08: Yanks Get 12-11 Victory in Crazy Back-and-Forth Affair
Posted by: Seamus
Wow...where do I start? The Yankees beat the Royals 12-11 in a game that had more twists and turns than a murder mystery film. Johnny Damon went 6-6, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th, and pretty much every Yankee was good with the exception of Andy Pettitte, who allowed 10 runs.
Pettitte struggled early on, as he gave up five runs in the first three innings, and the Royals entered the 4th inning with a 5-1 lead. The Yankees tied the game, however, with a 4-spot in the bottom of the 4th, and Jason Giambi put the Yankees ahead 6-5 in the 5th with a moonshot to right that is still probably waiting to land somewhere.
Andy Pettitte did settle down, and he rolled through the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, pitching three straight scoreless innings and keeping his pitch count down. It was enough for him to go back out there again in the 7th, even after allowing five runs. The 7th inning, if not for anything else, should prove to fans what a game of inches baseball really is. The Royals had tied the game at 6 with a Joey Gathwright single, and Pettitte labored through the next few batters, loading the bases. He was one strike away from getting out of it with the game tied 6-6, but Jose Guillen drove Pettitte's 2-2 pitch just over the left field wall for a grand slam to put Kansas City up by a score of 10-6.
The Yankees would answer back. Alex Rodriguez brought the Yanks to within 10-8 with a two-run homer in the 7th. Johnny Damon tied it at 10 in the 8th with his 5th hit of the game, a two-run single that brought in Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera.
The Yankees seemed destined to win this game at that point, as they were bringing Mariano Rivera into a tied ballgame in the 9th, and the Royals had only one pitcher left available in the pen after their closer, Jeff Soria. Much to everyone's surprise, however, David DeJesus took Rivera's first pitch of the inning into the stands to put the Royals up by a score of 11-10. It was only the second run Rivera allowed all season, and his E.R.A. is now up to a whopping 0.67.
The Yanks would get one more crack at it in the bottom of the 9th. Jason Giambi, the hero of just two nights prior, led off the inning by flying out to right field. Jorge Posada then came up and took the first pitch into the stands in right field for a solo home run, tying the game at 11. After a Wilson Betemit walk and a single by Cabrera, Johnny Damon would get up with a chance for his 6th hit of the game and a walk-off win, and he delivered. Damon drove a ball down the right field line that landed fair and rolled over to the wall, and that was all she wrote. The Yankees had won the game 12-11, avoiding what could have been a devastating loss after losing the opener to the Royals on Friday.
Joba Chamberlain will get his second start today, as he will go up against Zack Greinke in a battle of young, promising arms. Let's hope the final score today is not 12-11. Game starts at 1:05 E.T.
Pettitte struggled early on, as he gave up five runs in the first three innings, and the Royals entered the 4th inning with a 5-1 lead. The Yankees tied the game, however, with a 4-spot in the bottom of the 4th, and Jason Giambi put the Yankees ahead 6-5 in the 5th with a moonshot to right that is still probably waiting to land somewhere.
Andy Pettitte did settle down, and he rolled through the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, pitching three straight scoreless innings and keeping his pitch count down. It was enough for him to go back out there again in the 7th, even after allowing five runs. The 7th inning, if not for anything else, should prove to fans what a game of inches baseball really is. The Royals had tied the game at 6 with a Joey Gathwright single, and Pettitte labored through the next few batters, loading the bases. He was one strike away from getting out of it with the game tied 6-6, but Jose Guillen drove Pettitte's 2-2 pitch just over the left field wall for a grand slam to put Kansas City up by a score of 10-6.
The Yankees would answer back. Alex Rodriguez brought the Yanks to within 10-8 with a two-run homer in the 7th. Johnny Damon tied it at 10 in the 8th with his 5th hit of the game, a two-run single that brought in Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera.
The Yankees seemed destined to win this game at that point, as they were bringing Mariano Rivera into a tied ballgame in the 9th, and the Royals had only one pitcher left available in the pen after their closer, Jeff Soria. Much to everyone's surprise, however, David DeJesus took Rivera's first pitch of the inning into the stands to put the Royals up by a score of 11-10. It was only the second run Rivera allowed all season, and his E.R.A. is now up to a whopping 0.67.
The Yanks would get one more crack at it in the bottom of the 9th. Jason Giambi, the hero of just two nights prior, led off the inning by flying out to right field. Jorge Posada then came up and took the first pitch into the stands in right field for a solo home run, tying the game at 11. After a Wilson Betemit walk and a single by Cabrera, Johnny Damon would get up with a chance for his 6th hit of the game and a walk-off win, and he delivered. Damon drove a ball down the right field line that landed fair and rolled over to the wall, and that was all she wrote. The Yankees had won the game 12-11, avoiding what could have been a devastating loss after losing the opener to the Royals on Friday.
Joba Chamberlain will get his second start today, as he will go up against Zack Greinke in a battle of young, promising arms. Let's hope the final score today is not 12-11. Game starts at 1:05 E.T.
