Yankees almost had it against the Red Sox in another important game that goes as a loss
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 6- This was a game the New York Yankees thought they had and just as quick it went away as a loss. It took 10 innings and over four hours, a typical Yankees-Red Sox game. It is September and a post season drive for the Yankees and for them it is more important.
The Yankees are 11-6 since coming back to beat the Red Sox, 9-6, a few weeks back up in Fenway Park. It was Alex Rodriquez who hit a home run then off Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster. Four innings before that, he got hit by Dempster in the first inning. That has claimed to be, what has rejuvenated this Yankees team.
A claim to make September interesting and make a push for playing baseball In October, and after a heart breaking 9-8 loss in the Bronx Thursday evening, the Yankees know how crucial this loss was.
“Tough loss,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. His closer Mariano Rivera recorded his sixth blown save of the season. With two outs in the ninth, Steven Drew singled to right-center and drove in Quintin Berry for the tying run.
You can’t expect Rivera, the all-time saves leader and with 41 this season to close them all. Even if it is September and his team is fighting for a spot to play in October, the best can’t be perfect. Berry came in to run for Mike Napoli who would steal second and advance on a throwing error by catcher Austin Romine.
“Its’ part of the game,” explained Rivera. It was a tough one. We have to forget about it.”
Romaine will also have to bounce back. He could not handle a throw to home from Ichiro Suzuki that could have nailed Jacoby Ellsbury. The eventual winning run scored in the 10th as the ball eluded Romaine at the plate. Maybe if he was closer to the plate the Red Sox don’t score.
It was a bad inning for Romaine who failed to nail Ellsbury from going to second.
“I held on the ball too long,’ said Romaine about the play at home. “Ball was short hopped… could have done a little better back there tonight.” He came in for Chris Stewart who was pinch hit for in the seventh, the inning where the Yankees came from behind and scored six runs on five hits.
The Yankees overcame a five-run deficit, and have at least one inning of four or more runs scored in each of their last four games.
Joba Chamberlain will have to forget about this one also. He got the loss in a 10th inning that saw the Red Sox score the decisive run, and quietly getting ejected for barking at a call he thought should have went the Yankees way on a check swing third strike to Shane Victorino.
It was a tenth inning the Yankees want to forget and all that was heard in the clubhouse was, “We have to bounce back tomorrow.” Every game counts, with 22 remaining, and it will be up to Andy Pettitte on the mound Friday night to hope and get the Yankees to bounce back.
But, these are the Boston Red Sox who scored 20-runs the night before against the league leading hitting Tigers. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and threw 58 pitches in two innings. The Red Sox scored two runs, though the Yankees and Nova got a break when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ground rule double that bounced over the center field wall that scored Will Middlebrook.
Nova was fortunate to get out of the inning giving up only two runs. The three –hit inning and two walks, one intentional to David Ortiz, ended when he caught Mike Napoli looking with the bases loaded.
It was going to be that typical Yankees-Red Sox game. New York came back in their half of the inning scoring two runs off Boston starter Jake Peavy who recorded a no-decision, Robinson Cano with the bases loaded, off a good Derek Jeter at bat, who walked, lined a ball to right that almost cleared the wall and went for a two-run double.
It went on with the Yankees and Red Sox scoring runs. There were six stolen bases by the Yankees, a season high, including one by David Wells in the six-run five-hit seventh that put the Yankees ahead, 8-7 and their third big inning on this home stand that happened also this week with Baltimore and the White Sox.
And there was the go-ahead single, and what the Yankees thought would be the winning run from Lyle Overbay in that seventh inning, a run that would not stand up.
There was that bottom of the ninth inning when it appeared these comeback Yankees were headed to a last at bat walk-off win. Alfonso Soriano would draw a walk and steal second after the Red Sox botched the pick-off attempt. With Curtis Granderson at the plate, Soriano got nailed trying to take third that went from the pitcher-to third-to shortstop- to second.
“Just trying to go to third,” claimed Soriano who has been a major part of this post season playoff push in the Bronx. It is a stretch of baseball being played in the Bronx that did not go the Yankees way in the first of four against the rival Red Sox.
There is more to come for sure, Friday night in the Bronx.
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