There was no lack of offense in this one, with both teams scoring numbers of runs in bunches. This of course works great for the fans and the scoreboard, but the pitchers’ ERA tends to take some hits. Their numbers climb a little bit after a slug-fest like we had today. Plenty of souvenirs were given away today, with 9 Home Runs hit, and a total of 19 Runs scored (14 of them off those home runs). To say that either team had this one wrapped up early, even with the number of Runs scored, would be giving to much credit to one team or one pitcher. In other words, both teams struggled from the mound today, and both offenses took advantage of it.
The scoring started early, with both Giambi (solo shot to right) and Damon (3-run blast), scoring for the Yankees using the patented Yankee long ball. This put them up 4 Runs in the top of the 2nd inning, but with no support from the pitching staff, found themselves tied going into the 3rd. Not good.
Kennedy, and Burres, the starters for their respective clubs, both got beat up early, andhit hard all day. They bothended up getting pulled early (Kennedy due to a lat strain), but their relief was nothing to write home about. The hitting had just begun, from both sides, and there was a period of time where the fans were wondering if each team had enough pitchers to finish the game, without having to pull one of their outfielders (who may have pitched BP in college, or maybe read a book on pitching) to pitch in the late extra innings. But both teams made it through to the end, each using 6 pitchers to get there.
Just as quickly as the hitting started, it ended after the 5th inning, knotted at 8 Runs a piece. The middle relievers for both teams got the job done through regulation, with strategic spot-pitch performances. We even got to see Rivera today, as he was again great for two innings, only allowing 1 Hit, Striking Out 3, but keeping the game tied into extra innings.
The Yankees took the lead in the 11th inning off an RBI single from Matsui, making it 9-8, and LaTroyHawkins on the mound for the club to end it, with a hard fought victory, losing two 4 Run leads. But things did not go according to plan, and after getting in some trouble early in the 11th inning, Girardi elected to walk the bases loaded with1 out, in hopes of getting that “ground ball into a double play” thing, that we see most often in baseball. As much as I don’t agree with it, Girardi was playing the percentages. I suppose you would rather pitch to a player that doesn’t see action every day, and has been sitting for the better half of 3 1/2 hours, coming off the bench to pinch hit.
However, the deck was stacked against them today, and the game winning RBI came off the bat of Alex Cintron, hitting safely into right field, pushing home Aubrey Huff to win it, in the bottom of the 11th inning, in dramatic fashion.
This keeps the New York Yankees in last place in the East, 6 games behind league leaders Tampa Bay Strobe Lights, and5.5 games behind 2nd place Boston Tea Party. This is still anyone’s division to take at this point, and the Yankees are just the type of team to come away withit this year. Their record slips a bit to 2 games under .500 at 25-27, losing their second straight game to the Orioles, and hoping for a win tomorrow to avoid the sweep.
