09/09: Timely Play Leads Yankees Past Red Sox 8-4
Posted by: Patrick
The Yankees have now entered the 2nd to last series of the season with the Red Sox, playing the 1st of the final 6 games. These 6 games are big. And we struck first. Lead by timely hitting and pitching, the Yankees beat the Red Sox 8-4.
Aaron Small remained undefeated, picking up his 7th win of the year and allowing 4 earned runs over 6 and 1/3 innings of work. After placing runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 7th, Torre went to Tanyon Sturtze, who promptly hit Manny Ramirez with a pitch. Exit Tanyon, enter Alan Embree, in his first appearance against his former team. An error by Cano later and a run has scored with the bases remaining loaded. Exit Embree, enter Flash who induces an inning ending double play off the bat of Jason Varitek. Big appearance. Gordon also took care of the 8th scoreless.
The Yankees were able to score 1 run in each of the first 4 innings. In the first, Jeter and Bernie were retired on groundouts, but the Yankees had a little 2 out rally with A-Rod blooping one into short right in front of Nixon and over Millar. He stretched it into a double and the table was set for Giambi. With the switch on, Giambi hit it hard to the second basemen in short right field and he fielded it. The only problem was that first baseman Millar had also turned toward it and now had a long way to go back to first. He ran, but it didn't matter - Giambi was going to be safe. Better yet, the throw was bad anyway and rolled into the grass between first and home in foul territory. A-Rod came around to score.
In the top of the 2nd, the Red Sox got 3 off Small - giving them a 3-1 lead. Leading off the 2nd, Posada homered to make it 3-2.
In the top of the 3rd, Small walked Varitek with 2 outs. Millar doubled to left and, for some reason, Varitek was trying to score from 1st. A nice throw to Jeter from Matsui, followed by a nice throw by Jeter to Posada followed by a beautiful play by Posada to not only catch the ball but hold onto it after the collision, resulted in the top half of the inning being over. In the bottom half, A-Rod added a solo shot to tie the game. In the 4th, Jeter singled in Posada to give the Yankees the lead.
The 6th was the big inning for the Yankees offense. With 1 out and a man on first, Cano singled to Damon in center. Only, Damon didn't field it so well... it hit the side of his glove and went to his right and this allowed Cano and Posada to each advance to 2nd and 3rd. But, it wasn't over just yet. Taking the relay from Damon was Renteria who was turning to go home. When he went to threw the ball... he threw it straight down into the ground. When the dust finally settled, Posada had scored and Cano was standing at third.
Lawton failed to bring Cano in as he grounded out to first. This brought an end to David Wells day as Chad Bradford came in to face our friend, Jeter. Ever pesky, Jeter walks. 2 outs, 1st and 3rd for Bernie. Disco Inferno comes up with a big single to bring in Cano and keep the inning alive. Not over yet. A-Rod does the same - Jeter scores. And Bradford is now out of the game after getting 0 guys out. Enter Mike Meyers to face Giambi. Yet another single scores Bernie. That's 3 2 out singles in a row (and a walk before that), scoring 3 runs. By the end of the 6th, the Yankees were up 8-3.
Heading into the 9th, it was 8-4 Yankees. Leaving nothing to chance, Mo comes in and he was great, despite allowing a leadoff single to Renteria. He got Ortiz to pop up weakly to right and then forced Manny to hit a hard shot at Jeter. It bounced up a bit, but Jeter fielded it cleanly and got off a great, quick throw to Cano. Cano dropped the ball - the ump ruled it as on the transfer and we got the out at 2nd. Trot Nixon came up next and Mo struck him out. Yankees win. No save for Mo.
Posada, A-Rod and Giambi each had 3 hits with Cano and Bernie adding 2 of their own. Runs were scored by Posada (3), A-Rod (2), Jeter, Bernie and Cano with RBIs coming from A-Rod (2), Jeter, Bernie and Posada.
Tomorrow at 1:15 PM Eastern Shawn Chacon gets his first look at the Sox as a Yankee. He will go against Curt Schilling (5-7, 6.83).
Aaron Small remained undefeated, picking up his 7th win of the year and allowing 4 earned runs over 6 and 1/3 innings of work. After placing runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 7th, Torre went to Tanyon Sturtze, who promptly hit Manny Ramirez with a pitch. Exit Tanyon, enter Alan Embree, in his first appearance against his former team. An error by Cano later and a run has scored with the bases remaining loaded. Exit Embree, enter Flash who induces an inning ending double play off the bat of Jason Varitek. Big appearance. Gordon also took care of the 8th scoreless.
The Yankees were able to score 1 run in each of the first 4 innings. In the first, Jeter and Bernie were retired on groundouts, but the Yankees had a little 2 out rally with A-Rod blooping one into short right in front of Nixon and over Millar. He stretched it into a double and the table was set for Giambi. With the switch on, Giambi hit it hard to the second basemen in short right field and he fielded it. The only problem was that first baseman Millar had also turned toward it and now had a long way to go back to first. He ran, but it didn't matter - Giambi was going to be safe. Better yet, the throw was bad anyway and rolled into the grass between first and home in foul territory. A-Rod came around to score.
In the top of the 2nd, the Red Sox got 3 off Small - giving them a 3-1 lead. Leading off the 2nd, Posada homered to make it 3-2.
In the top of the 3rd, Small walked Varitek with 2 outs. Millar doubled to left and, for some reason, Varitek was trying to score from 1st. A nice throw to Jeter from Matsui, followed by a nice throw by Jeter to Posada followed by a beautiful play by Posada to not only catch the ball but hold onto it after the collision, resulted in the top half of the inning being over. In the bottom half, A-Rod added a solo shot to tie the game. In the 4th, Jeter singled in Posada to give the Yankees the lead.
The 6th was the big inning for the Yankees offense. With 1 out and a man on first, Cano singled to Damon in center. Only, Damon didn't field it so well... it hit the side of his glove and went to his right and this allowed Cano and Posada to each advance to 2nd and 3rd. But, it wasn't over just yet. Taking the relay from Damon was Renteria who was turning to go home. When he went to threw the ball... he threw it straight down into the ground. When the dust finally settled, Posada had scored and Cano was standing at third.
Lawton failed to bring Cano in as he grounded out to first. This brought an end to David Wells day as Chad Bradford came in to face our friend, Jeter. Ever pesky, Jeter walks. 2 outs, 1st and 3rd for Bernie. Disco Inferno comes up with a big single to bring in Cano and keep the inning alive. Not over yet. A-Rod does the same - Jeter scores. And Bradford is now out of the game after getting 0 guys out. Enter Mike Meyers to face Giambi. Yet another single scores Bernie. That's 3 2 out singles in a row (and a walk before that), scoring 3 runs. By the end of the 6th, the Yankees were up 8-3.
Heading into the 9th, it was 8-4 Yankees. Leaving nothing to chance, Mo comes in and he was great, despite allowing a leadoff single to Renteria. He got Ortiz to pop up weakly to right and then forced Manny to hit a hard shot at Jeter. It bounced up a bit, but Jeter fielded it cleanly and got off a great, quick throw to Cano. Cano dropped the ball - the ump ruled it as on the transfer and we got the out at 2nd. Trot Nixon came up next and Mo struck him out. Yankees win. No save for Mo.
Posada, A-Rod and Giambi each had 3 hits with Cano and Bernie adding 2 of their own. Runs were scored by Posada (3), A-Rod (2), Jeter, Bernie and Cano with RBIs coming from A-Rod (2), Jeter, Bernie and Posada.
Tomorrow at 1:15 PM Eastern Shawn Chacon gets his first look at the Sox as a Yankee. He will go against Curt Schilling (5-7, 6.83).
