Could this be the run everyone has been praying for?
Carl Pavano's third start wasn't the charm, but the bullpen was stellar and Alex Rodriguez collected three hits and drove in four as the
Yanks clipped the Rays 8-4 in St. Petersburg. The Bombers fell behind 1-0 after one, but came storming back thanks to some two-out magic. Eric Hinske couldn't corral Robinson Cano's fly ball to left in the second and Xavier Nady came around on the ribbie-double to tie the score at 1-1. Ivan Rodriguez followed with a blooper into right that turned into an RBI-double to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead and they never looked back. Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui each drove in one and A-Rod punctuated the victory with a towering two-run shot in the ninth.
The only downer to this game was that the Red Sox also won. The Yankees remain seven back in the wild card chase.
The Good:
The pen. Once again, there was a feeling of impending doom when Edwar Ramirez took the hill for Pavano in the fifth with runners on first and second and nobody out. Sure, the Yanks were up 6-3 at the time, but they've lost more than a few games like this during the year. Ramirez gave up a hard single to load the bases, but settled down and authored a line-shot double play and a pop up to keep the lead at three. Enter Phil Coke for the sixth. Were you surprised Joe Girardi turned to the 26-year-old rookie? I sure was. Well, the lefty went not one, but two perfect innings to record the first "hold" of his career. If you recall, Coke was originally part of the trade that brought Damaso Marte and Nady to the Bronx, but the deal was reconfigured. It was a good thing it was Wednesday night. Brian Bruney came in for the eighth and retired the Rays 1, 2, 3 on 11 pitches. It's never a good thing when you have to dip into your bullpen in the fifth inning, but these three guys were up to the task. The trifecta's numbers: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Alex Rodriguez. It was a tough August for A-Rod (.243, 30 Ks), but he's off to a hot beginning in September. Rodriguez smoked an RBI-double in the third to help spark a three-run Yankee outburst. But his biggest hit of the night came in the ninth. Nady drilled a tape-measure shot Tuesday night, but nobody hits long homers like A-Rod. Rodriguez belted a ball high atop the catwalk in left to extend the Yankee lead to 8-3. I thought the ball hit the foul pole with the naked eye, but the Rays were complaining that the ball went foul. Tough luck for the Rays, right? Well, that was the case in the "old days," but not anymore! In case you forgot, Major League Baseball now has instant replay. Yep, the umps went to the video tape to determine if they made the right call. And upon further review -- they did. YES flashed the rule during the review and it says that only the crew chief has the authority to look at the play. Well, it looked like Rays manager Joe Maddon lobbied a bit for that review. Anyway, the dinger counted and the Yanks were on their way. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs.
Bobby Abreu. Alex Rodriguez was driving in the runs Wednesday night, but Abreu did a good job setting the table. Abreu cracked his 36th double of the season in the third and later scored the Yanks third run of the night on A-Rod's ribbie. The Candy Man also worked a 12-pitch walk with two outs in the ninth that brought A-Rod to the plate. I knew my scolding Tuesday night would do the trick. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.
The Bad:Carl Pavano. Nobody expected Carl to win three in a row, did they? Pavano gave up a quick run in the first, but then seemed to settle down. That is, until the fourth. Pavano got two quick outs, but then gave up a double and a long home run to Gabe Gross. By the fifth it looked like he was out of gas as B.J. Upton singled to start the inning and Carlos Pena followed with a walk. Exit Mr. Pavano. If this was a game in April or May, Girardi may have allowed Pavano to work through it, but wins are at a premium right now and nobody is going to feel bad if No. 45 doesn't go at least five to pick up a win. Still, Pavano was due for a clunker and the Yanks were able to win anyway. Yes, I'm choosing to look on the bright side of things. Pavano picked up a no-decision with this: 4+ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:Hands up! It was just your average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill stolen base, but it almost resulted in disaster. Abreu easily swiped second in the ninth, but dragged his left hand across the dirt as he slid. Bobby was flexing his left wrist as he took his lead and another injury is the last thing the Yankees need right now. Abreu seemed okay when the YES cameras showed him in the dugout, but the dread in me rose once again. Hopefully, it's not a big deal.
The Yanks will go for the sweep Thursday night and give the ball to Darrell Rasner (5-9, 5.08 ERA). Tampa will counter with their ace Scott Kazmir (10-6, 3.13 ERA). Kazmir has solid overall stats, but finished 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA in August and hasn't gone more than six innings in his past seven starts. The young lefty has excelled at home, however, going 6-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts. Kazmir is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts against the Yanks this year. Rasner pitched relatively well in his last start against the Blue Jays, but lost a chance at a win when the Yanks dropped that 7-6 heartbreaker in the Bronx. Still, The Ras has been stinking it up (0-1, 5.52 in six August games) and hasn't posted a "W" since July 12 (that's eight appearances ago if you're keeping track at home). Rasner is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 4 1/3 career innings against the Rays.
Is this too little, too late? We'll see.
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