07/23: Yanks Take 3rd Game of Series 5-4 Over Jays
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees put an end to their 3-game losing streak yesterday with a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays. The game featured a few blunders by Toronto after two days of the Jays feasting on Yankee mistakes. Chien-Ming Wang was not quite as good as in his previous performances, but was good enough nevertheless as he gave up 4 runs on 10 hits to improve his record to 11-4. The Yankees remain 2.5 behind Boston and have pulled to within a game and a half of the White Sox for the wild card. The win is also significant because with a loss the Blue Jays would've pulled to within a game of the Yanks for second place.
The Yankees struck first in the 2nd inning when Bernie Williams hit a two run shot following a triple by Jorge Posada (<--not a typo). Toronto answered with a run in the 3rd and tied the score on a home run by Eric Hinske. The Blue Jays took the lead in the 5th via a two-run double by Lyle Overbay. The Yankees cut the lead to 4-3 on a balk by Ted Lilly in the 6th. The Yanks went ahead in the next inning as Jason Giambi doubled in Bernie to tie the game (and then was pinch run for by... Jaret Wright?) and Jeter walked in the go-ahead run. The bullpen was solid from there with three scoreless innings. Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth both struck out the side and Farnsworth was throwing his best heat of the season as one of his pitches was clocked at 101mph. Mariano Rivera worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 23rd save.
Also of note is that Joe Torre decided to use A-Rod as the designated hitter yesterday and started Nick Green at 3B (if you're wondering why Jaret Wright was used as a pinch runner, it's because Aaron Guiel was the only remaining player on the Yankee bench as Green was replaced by Andy Phillips and then Rodriguez at 3B). He proceeded to go 0-4, striking out all four times he came up. It was his first golden sombrero since 1995 when he was a backup SS for Luis Sojo. I know Rodriguez has struggled lately at 3B, but when you're going through as tough a mental slump as he is, I don't really see the point of DH'ing him so that when he strikes out, he gets a full hour to think about it before he comes up to bat again. I kind of think that's why Jason Giambi hit so much better last year as a first baseman than he did as a DH.
Well, in any case, between A-Rod striking out four times, Jaret Wright being used as a pinch runner and Jorge Posada recording a triple, we might be seeing some signs of the apocolypse. Come to think of it, it was unseasonably chilly in my house when I woke up this morning... ah, nevermind, turns out I just had the AC temperature set too low. Anyway, the Yankees will look to leave Toronto with a split as Sidney Ponson will get his second Yankee start against Shaun Marcum, who will be making the second start of his career. Marcum has pitched out of the bullpen a bit for the Jays over the course of the last two seasons. Game starts at 1 ET.
The Yankees struck first in the 2nd inning when Bernie Williams hit a two run shot following a triple by Jorge Posada (<--not a typo). Toronto answered with a run in the 3rd and tied the score on a home run by Eric Hinske. The Blue Jays took the lead in the 5th via a two-run double by Lyle Overbay. The Yankees cut the lead to 4-3 on a balk by Ted Lilly in the 6th. The Yanks went ahead in the next inning as Jason Giambi doubled in Bernie to tie the game (and then was pinch run for by... Jaret Wright?) and Jeter walked in the go-ahead run. The bullpen was solid from there with three scoreless innings. Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth both struck out the side and Farnsworth was throwing his best heat of the season as one of his pitches was clocked at 101mph. Mariano Rivera worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 23rd save.
Also of note is that Joe Torre decided to use A-Rod as the designated hitter yesterday and started Nick Green at 3B (if you're wondering why Jaret Wright was used as a pinch runner, it's because Aaron Guiel was the only remaining player on the Yankee bench as Green was replaced by Andy Phillips and then Rodriguez at 3B). He proceeded to go 0-4, striking out all four times he came up. It was his first golden sombrero since 1995 when he was a backup SS for Luis Sojo. I know Rodriguez has struggled lately at 3B, but when you're going through as tough a mental slump as he is, I don't really see the point of DH'ing him so that when he strikes out, he gets a full hour to think about it before he comes up to bat again. I kind of think that's why Jason Giambi hit so much better last year as a first baseman than he did as a DH.
Well, in any case, between A-Rod striking out four times, Jaret Wright being used as a pinch runner and Jorge Posada recording a triple, we might be seeing some signs of the apocolypse. Come to think of it, it was unseasonably chilly in my house when I woke up this morning... ah, nevermind, turns out I just had the AC temperature set too low. Anyway, the Yankees will look to leave Toronto with a split as Sidney Ponson will get his second Yankee start against Shaun Marcum, who will be making the second start of his career. Marcum has pitched out of the bullpen a bit for the Jays over the course of the last two seasons. Game starts at 1 ET.
