Mason Jason

Bronx, N.Y., April 24, 2006 — In the long run, you’d have to say that Randy Johnson’s neatly performed 7-1 domination of [most of] the Orioles Sunday was the big story, but that was just one highlight of a surprisingly pleasant afternoon in the Bronx. Rain-delayed for 39 minutes and begun under the bleakest of skies, it ended 3:32 later under dazzling sun. The Unit went at his business like a conductor whose train got a late start leaving the station and who meant to do something about it.

He never allowed more than a baserunner an inning, even if the first of these was on a Miguel Tejada missile that gave the O’s a 1-0 second-inning lead once it struck the left-field foul pole screen. A few fans muttered, remembering Johnson’s poor outing last time out in Toronto, but the crowd relaxed quickly this day, and stayed that way. Designated Hitter Jason Giambi immediately tied it with a homer to right center, went yard for two more runs in the third and capped a five-rbi day with a two-run double off the left-field wall in the seventh. Johnson, meanwhile, effectively mixed a 95-mph fastball with a mid-80s darting slider to keep most of the O’s off balance all day.

I say “most,” because the Orioles would manage four hits this day, all four by Tejada, who followed his bomb with two singles off Johnson and one off Mariano Rivera, who came on in relief of the big southpaw to get some needed work in the ninth. The Unit threw 95 pitches over eight to an ideal ratio of 63 strikes to 32 balls. It wasn’t a strike-out fest, though all five he notched were swinging. He got the O’s to swing and miss 10 times, but the story of the day were the 36 tosses that Orioles bats did hit, resulting in nine ground outs, seven flies, three popups, and mementos aplenty for the cheering crowd.

Baltimore lefty Bruce Chen was no match, and his five runs allowed in four-plus innings would have been worse, but the Yanks had two thrown out at second attempting to steal, and another two doubled up off first on hard line drives. Derek Jeter had three hits, Gary Sheffield two hits and a walk, and Andy Phillips, playing first to give Giambi a blow, forged the initial lead with a two-out run-scoring single in the second for his first ’06 rbi. A surprising note on Chen: The leadoff walk he allowed to Damon (who is struggling at the plate and may be hurt) in the fifth was the only free pass he issued. He actually struggled with his control, and threw just four first-pitch strikes to the 21 batters he faced.

So now the Yanks are above .500 and have won the two home series so far played. And it’s a good day for the Yanks to win one, as it was 103 years ago on April 23 that the New York Highlanders got their first-ever win, a 7-2 victory over Washington. Further, the 3-0 shutout Allie Reynolds threw over the Red Sox this day in 1947 foreshadowed this game, too. Tejada got all four hits today; Rudy York managed the only (two) safeties Reynolds allowed 49 years ago.

Giambi hit his first bomb Sunday over the Armitron board in right center. Watching the Baltimore overshift at his next at bat, we noticed the W.B. Mason ad on the right field wall, and exhorted him to hit a “Mason Jason.” That he exceeded the wish by smacking a shot off the Tohatsu board affixed to the Tier facade some 50-60 feet higher was fine with us.

And Mr. Giambi has a little magic April 23 dust on him too, though I daresay none in the stands knew it when this game began. Playing for the A’s on this day in 1996, Giambi tallied a double in the first inning, followed with his first (of eight in his career so far) triple in the second, and drilled a two-run homer in the fourth. An easy single from a cycle, he lined out twice in the 9-6 win over the Brewers that day. So you can of course you can add a hard liner to first to his two home runs and one double today.

BTW,TYW

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!