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No Mo Ties
What began as a sick pitcher's duel between two of the nastiest southpaws in the game, ended with Mariano Rivera shaking his head as he was removed from a game in the middle of an inning for the second time this season. The moral of the story: I won't question Girardi again if he avoids using Mo in a tie game.
The Yanks sent CC to the hill today in the hopes that he could continue his streak of dominant performances, I think it's safe to say CC is the best lefty in the A.L. I also don't think it's a stretch to say David Price could be the guy who dethrones him a couple of years down the road.
Unfortunately, neither guy brought his a-game to the park today. CC went his usual 8 innings, but yielded 5 runs in doing so. Price couldn't get out of the sixth inning, thanks to a bloated pitch count, a flat slider, and horrible defense behind him. Both guys had live fastballs and not much more.
The Yanks entered the bottom of the eight down 5-3, they rallied to tie the game on a ground out by Melky (Senor Clutch), then Girardi made the call to the pen. CC's day was done, and Mo was coming in to get the team to the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game. The top of the Yankee order was due up, only three outs separated them from another walk-off win.
It just wasn't meant to be, though. Ben Zobrist led the top of the ninth off with a triple in the left-center gap. He scored on Dillon's single to give the Rays a 6-5 lead. When all was said and done, Phil Choke would be called upon to get the final out, two more runs would score on his watch, making the score 9-5.
The Yanks weren't quite done: Jeter singled, Damon doubled and Teixeira doubled them both home off Dan Wheeler to start the bottom of the ninth. A-Rod stepped to the plate in front of his new lady friend (allegedly), Kate Hudson, with a chance to play the hero. He represented the tying run, he grounded out to third. Then Posada got his chance to knot the score up. He lined out to deep center. Finally, Cano took a turn against former Yankee Randy Choate, he lined out to deep center as well. Honestly, the Yanks scorched 5 balls in the bottom of the ninth, two of them were caught by B.J. Upton, and another one probably should've been. As Sterling I'm sure said multiple times during this one, "That's baseball."
Player of The Game: Teixeira. LOOOONG bomb off the hands of some butterfingers in the suite level in right, plus that two-run double in the 9th.
Team Record: 32-23
Up Next: Joba vs. Garza tomorrow.
"I won't question Girardi again if he avoids using Mo in a tie game."
This decree won't last two games.
No faith.
Zero.
Something about Mo and tie games... This was a good stomach punch game.