Bronx, N.Y., June 8, 2007 — The 76-degree temp posted at the start of the Friday night game between the Yanks and the visiting Pirates in Yankee Stadium seemed about right, but a cool breeze obscured the effects of the rising humidity, at least at the game’s start. Three tense hours later, there wasn’t a dry forehead in the packed house. It was due, I suspect, to both the tight game and the still, steamy evening.

Coming into this game, neither the fans nor the sub-.500 Yankees took visiting Pittsburgh lightly, and with good reason. The first meeting since the 1960 World Series between these clubs resulted in a Yankee three-game sweep in 2005, but two of those games were tight, and the Yanks needed a big late-inning rally to take the middle game of three to extra innings. And it took the Yanks 10 frames to beat the Pirates 5-4 yet again this night.

Southpaws Andy Pettitte and Tom Gorzelanny locked horns in this one and, though both pitched very well, Yankee Pettitte had to claw from behind much of the night after a second-inning Xavier Nady home run gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. Both guys mixed heat with an assortment of offspeed stuff. Gorzelanny threw harder, reaching 95 once while Andy hovered around 90. They struck out five apiece through seven though the Yanks worked the visitor for three walks. The only free pass the Pirates managed was intentional. The Buccos extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth on three straight soft singles. But then in the sixth, Hideki Matsui tied it in a nonce with a two-run liner over the wall in right following a Jorge Posada one-out single.

Pittsburgh came back and threatened right away but Pettitte coaxed meek ground ball outs around a Ronnie Paulino single in the seventh. Andy threw a high 2-2 fastball to center fielder Chris Duffy and he lined it into center. Melky Cabrera closed on the rising liner, but it evaded him despite a dive and rolled all the way to the wall. Melky ran hard to recover the ball, but it didn’t matter. Duffy cashed in a two-run, inside-the-park home run without even drawing a throw to the plate. The visitors led 4-2 in the seventh.

It had taken the New Yorkers five innings to equal things earlier. They attacked right away now. Miguel Cairo doubled to left and one out later Derek Jeter ended Gorzelanny’s night by singling in a run. Although the Pirates lefty pitched with a lead much of the night, he maintained it through two 23-pitch innings during which the Yanks threatened. With the mounting pitch count, he left after 117 tosses. Anticipating an easier time with the Pirates pen, the fans were delighted when Bobby Abreu singled off lefty John Grabow and Jorge Posada tied the game with a single off Salomon Torres, but then Pittsburgh shut the door. One-time Yankee lefty prospect Damaso Marte retired Matsui and Robinson Cano despite tense, back-to-back full count battles.

The game drifted into extra innings from there with the closers working two frames apiece. Mariano Rivera pitched around a single and a walk in the ninth and another one-base hit in the 10th, while Matt Capps retired the Yanks in the bottom of the ninth despite hitting Posada with a pitch.

But Capps was in immediate trouble in the 10th. Robbie Cano was retired his first three times up this night on just eight throws; then he battled Marte through another nine pitches before flying to center in the eighth. Robbie’s impatience at the plate is disturbing sometimes, but having a cutter and slasher at the plate with a good line-drive swing is a genuine weapon. He doubled to the left center field wall on Capps’s first pitch of the 10th. Cabrera expertly sacrificed him to third on the next toss. With the infield and outfield in, Cairo reached on a roller to third with Cano holding, and Damon was walked intentionally once Miguel took second uncontested.

Early arrivals to this game who were 25 years old and over received a free Derek Jeter figurine before the game. The Yankee Captain had already knocked in the Yanks’ third run and scored their fourth on this, his special night. And no one was surprised when he promptly delivered the game winner, even though it was on an infield grounder toward second. It will look like a line drive in the line score.

Successful teams win series by getting contributions from everyone. One key contributor, particularly on defense, in the team’s recent success has been Melky Cabrera in center field. But until the Yanks pulled this one out, it was his play on Duffy’s liner that gave the Pirates their best chance. Once Melky scrambled to his feet and ran to the center field wall to retrieve that ball, he stayed on the warning track after throwing it in. He paced the track, looking distressed, looking as if he was trying to find a place to hide.

Despite the visible seams in the wall, Melky found no secret sanctuary, and he made his way slowly back to his position. And with 50,000-plus peering on, he struck out swinging his next time up. But with Cano perched on second leading off the home 10th, the Melkman delivered a perfect bunt to set up the winner.

Another baseball lesson learned: If there is nowhere to hide, might as well go out and win the blasted ballgame.

BTW,TYW

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!