The balls were friggin' flyin out of the Trop Monday night!
Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Morgan Ensberg (yes, you read right) went deep to help build a 7-2 lead, but the bullpen gave it all back until Robinson Cano belted a pinch-hit solo homer to break a 7-7 tie and give the
Yankees a hard-fought 8-7 victory over the Rays in Tampa. The Bombers banged out a season-high eight runs on 15 hits and edged the Rays 4-3 in the home run department to move back up to .500 on the year. The Yanks also said hello to a familiar face as Derek Jeter returned to the lineup and finished 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs.
The Good:Robinson Cano. Don't cha know! Joe Girardi inserted Alberto Gonzalez at second to start the game, but called on Robbie with one out and nobody on in the eighth. Cano has really been struggling and really needed a day off to clear his head. Or so it seemed. Canu calmly blasted the eventually game-winning dinger on a 2-1 pitch off of reliever Al Reyes. Robbie finished 1 for 1 with a run scored and an RBI on his first homer of the season (and it couldn't have come at a better time).
Alex Rodriguez. The Yankee third baseman was almost Mr. Perfect on Monday night. A-Rod ripped a solo shot in the first and then laced three singles (all on 1-2 counts) before grounding out in his fifth at-bat. I'm not sure if that's ever been done, but if anyone would know it would be the good people over at
Elias. The home run was also A-Rod's 521st of his career, tying him with Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Ted Williams for 15th place on the all-time list. Rodriguez finished 4 for 5 with a run scored and a run batted in.
Johnny Damon. Johnny D got the Yanks off and running as he cranked his first round-tripper of the year on the second pitch of the game to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 advantage. Damon also helped break the game open with a two-run double in the fourth to extend the Yankee lead to 5-1. The Bomber offense was clicking on Monday and it's no surprise to see that Damon was a big reason why. Damon finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
The Bad:Billy Traber. The lone southpaw reliever has done a solid job out of the pen so far for the Yanks this season, but he didn't fare well against the Rays. Traber was summoned to protect a 7-2 lead in the seventh with a runner on first and nobody out. He did record an out, but he also gave up a two-run shot to lefty Carl Crawford that sliced the Bomber lead to 7-4 and was taken out after he "plunked" Carlos Pena (the ball looked like it hit the knob of the bat). Traber's line: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR and 1 hit batsman.
Brian Bruney. The Maltese Falcon had also pitched well for the Yanks so far this season. Past tense. Bruney took over for Traber in the seventh and couldn't hold the three-run lead. He threw a fastball right down the middle on an 0-2 count to B.J. Upton and Upton made him pay, crushing a moster two-run homer to inch the Rays closer at 7-6. Then Evan Longoria stepped in and launched his first career four-bagger to left to complete Bruney's failure. Cano's shot in the top of the eighth made Bruney the winning pitcher in this one, but he shouldn't feel good about it. Bruney "earned" his first vulture win with this stinker: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR.
The Ugly:It's never easy is it? Ian Kennedy was pitching well and cruising toward his first win of the season when the unexpected happened. Jason Bartlett led off the seventh inning with a shot up the middle that struck Kennedy on the right hip. Kennedy scrambled after the ball, but Bartlett reached on the infield single. Joe Girardi removed Kennedy from the game with a 7-2 lead and the bullpen went on to blow the five-run advantage. Sometimes this game just isn't fair. The kid deserved a lot better. Let's hope he's OK. Kennedy's night: 6+ IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
The Bombers also made some roster moves before the game.
Joba Chamberlain was placed on the Major League bereavement list to be with his father who collapsed at his home on Sunday. Chamberlain will be out at least three days. The Yanks recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo to take his place. The Bombers also called up catcher
Chad Moeller from Triple-A. Jorge Posada is still unable to catch and Jose Molina tweaked his hamstring on Sunday against the Red Sox. To make room,
Wilson Betemit was placed on the disabled list with pink eye. Curious. Anyway, Moeller contributed Monday as he reached out on an attempted pitch out and laced a single on a hit-and-run. He also gunned out the speedy Upton at third base.
The Yanks will take out the brooms on Tuesday night and try and sweep this abbreviated two-game set. Andy Pettitte (1-1) will have the ball placed in his shoe and will oppose hard-throwing Edwin Jackson (2-0). These two pitchers met up 10 days ago at the Stadium. Jackson bested Pettitte and the Yanks that day as the Rays won 6-3 and ruined
my Saturday in the Bronx.
Let's see if the balls keep flying out of the park.
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