08/28: Yankees salvage finale vs. Angels with 11-8 victory
Posted by: David
The bats came alive for the Yankees on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim and Mariano Rivera closed the door on a potential late inning rally as the Yankees completed a 7-4 road trip with an 11-8 victory.
Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter were the hitting stars each hitting two home runs as the Yankees catapulted out to an 8-0 lead after three innings. Jeff Karstens in only his second major league start was the winner for the Bombers. He pitched six strong innings allowing only three runs with two unearned due to another A-Rod error on a potential inning ending double play.
In the first Damon led off with a double over the head of center fielder Chone Figgins. Jeter followed with a home run to right center to put the Yankees up 2-0. Bernie Williams' first home run in the second inning made the score 3-0. In the third inning the Yankees put the game potentially out of reach with a five spot highlighted by a two run single from Cano and a three run homer from Bernie.
The Halos fought back with two runs when A-Rod fielded a potential inning ending double play ball but his throw to Nick Green at second pulled him off the bag and the runner was ruled safe. Green's relay throw to first was in time. The error opened the door for the Angels as Vladimir Guerrero doubled up the gap in left center to score two runs. The Angels added another run in the next inning and the score was at 8-3.
Bernie Williams added a two run double to his day and concluded the day with at 4 for 5 with two homers and six RBI. Jeter added his second homer for the Yankees eleventh run. Jeter also made a web gem type defenseive play when he went deep into the hole at short and made his patented jump throw to first to nail speedster Chone Figgins. Karstens pitched economically in the fifth and sixth and Scott Proctor took over in the seventh. Proctor was ineffective and was followed by Kyle Farnsworth who couldn't find the plate. Farnworth didn't get anybody out, walking three and surrendering a two run single to Adam Kennedy to make the score 11-5.
Mariano Rivera hadn't pitched in a week and was summoned for the final two innings. He faced Chone Figgins with the bases loaded and induced a perfect double play grounder to Green which bounced up over his glove for an error allowing two runs to score and pull the Angels to within 11-7. Rivera got Maicer Izturis to bounce to A-Rod and Mike Nepoli was called out after a rundown for running out of the base line. Rivera struck out Orlando Cabrera and got Guerrero to ground to Jeter at short for a force at second to end the inning.
Rivera gave up a run in the ninth when after two outs, he hit Howie Kendrick. He took second on defensive indifference (DI) and scored on a bloop single over second basemen Cano off the bat of Adam Kennedy. Kennedy also took second on DI but Rivera retired the next batter to end the game.
The Yankee win coupled with another Red Sox loss puts New York in front of Boston by 6 1/2 games. The Yankees head home for a three game series with the Detroit Tigers starting on Tuesday night after a much needed day off on Monday. Chien Ming-Wang takes the mound vs. Detroit lefty Nate Robertson.
Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter were the hitting stars each hitting two home runs as the Yankees catapulted out to an 8-0 lead after three innings. Jeff Karstens in only his second major league start was the winner for the Bombers. He pitched six strong innings allowing only three runs with two unearned due to another A-Rod error on a potential inning ending double play.
In the first Damon led off with a double over the head of center fielder Chone Figgins. Jeter followed with a home run to right center to put the Yankees up 2-0. Bernie Williams' first home run in the second inning made the score 3-0. In the third inning the Yankees put the game potentially out of reach with a five spot highlighted by a two run single from Cano and a three run homer from Bernie.
The Halos fought back with two runs when A-Rod fielded a potential inning ending double play ball but his throw to Nick Green at second pulled him off the bag and the runner was ruled safe. Green's relay throw to first was in time. The error opened the door for the Angels as Vladimir Guerrero doubled up the gap in left center to score two runs. The Angels added another run in the next inning and the score was at 8-3.
Bernie Williams added a two run double to his day and concluded the day with at 4 for 5 with two homers and six RBI. Jeter added his second homer for the Yankees eleventh run. Jeter also made a web gem type defenseive play when he went deep into the hole at short and made his patented jump throw to first to nail speedster Chone Figgins. Karstens pitched economically in the fifth and sixth and Scott Proctor took over in the seventh. Proctor was ineffective and was followed by Kyle Farnsworth who couldn't find the plate. Farnworth didn't get anybody out, walking three and surrendering a two run single to Adam Kennedy to make the score 11-5.
Mariano Rivera hadn't pitched in a week and was summoned for the final two innings. He faced Chone Figgins with the bases loaded and induced a perfect double play grounder to Green which bounced up over his glove for an error allowing two runs to score and pull the Angels to within 11-7. Rivera got Maicer Izturis to bounce to A-Rod and Mike Nepoli was called out after a rundown for running out of the base line. Rivera struck out Orlando Cabrera and got Guerrero to ground to Jeter at short for a force at second to end the inning.
Rivera gave up a run in the ninth when after two outs, he hit Howie Kendrick. He took second on defensive indifference (DI) and scored on a bloop single over second basemen Cano off the bat of Adam Kennedy. Kennedy also took second on DI but Rivera retired the next batter to end the game.
The Yankee win coupled with another Red Sox loss puts New York in front of Boston by 6 1/2 games. The Yankees head home for a three game series with the Detroit Tigers starting on Tuesday night after a much needed day off on Monday. Chien Ming-Wang takes the mound vs. Detroit lefty Nate Robertson.
Patrick wrote:
Big game for Bernie. Always good to see.