Bronx, N.Y., September 12, 2006 — All of the Bronx, much of New York, and selected groups of fans around the country held their collective breath during the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s Yankees/Devil Rays game. All eyes were on Rays rookie Delmon Young as he drifted back, back, back to the right field wall and finally hauled in Bobby Abreu’s grand-slam bid with no room to spare.

Of course, there’s nothing surprising about the paying crowd and the team’s fanbase being transfixed by a play in September, when so many postseason dreams are nurtured and broken. But this didn’t exactly fit the pattern, as the game was hardly in doubt. Nor had it been since a bombastic, relentless Yankee offense pounded Rays pitching for a 9-0 lead in the first inning.

Rightfielder Bobby Abreu was having a game for the ages, now that he’s finally playing in a place where that behavior is not only encouraged but expected, and had his long drive carried a foot or two more we’d be talking about an 11-rbi monster game. As it was, he (and we) had to settle for six plated in the first (three-run homer, three-run double) and seven on the game. Despite the audible groan that blanketed the stadium when Young made that catch, this crowd was hardly disappointed.

And who could blame them considering the fact that the Abreu line was but one of several subplots to this impressive display of prowess? Many thousands of fans were excited and showed their pleasure at welcoming back Designated Hitter Hideki Matsui. A great many had witnessed the horrific wrist break in short left field that threatened to end his season and perhaps his career four months and one day ago. Just to see him healthy and swinging a bat was inspiring and life-affirming. That he stroked four straight singles and a walk, scoring twice and driving one across himself, was the stuff of legend. Baseball hitters learn to live with failure. When they overcome the odds and their own frailities and limitations, we all win.

Starting pitcher Mike Mussina was the subject of more than a few studied looks this evening too. The veteran righty had largely carried this squad in April and May, but he too was coming back from injury. Much rides on Moose’s mastery in the coming playoffs; Yankee management and fans alike had to be encouraged with what they saw. Mike threw strikes all night, mixing all the pitches in his impressive arsenal, keeping the young Rays off stride. He retired the first 10 Tampa players before Young grounded a single to left in the fourth, struck out five (four swinging), did not walk a batter, and faced only one three-ball count all night.

Eighteen of 24 Rays batters faced a first-pitch strike, and Moose’s 62/25 strikes/balls ratio ranks well even against some of his finest games. He pounded cut fastballs for strikes at will, and fluttered curves and changes of pace, but the most encouraging news of all perhaps was that he threw his fastball, and often. Varying in speed from 88 up through 91 or 92, visiting bats rarely drove the ball hard or far. It would be impossible to fault the superb work of fellow righty Chien-Ming Wang, who routinely coaxes ground-ball-outs 70 to 90 percent of the time, but veteran Mussina doesn’t confine himself to one strategy for success. An equal-opportunity hurler, he retired the Rays on strike outs, infield popups, fly balls and grounders in almost identical numbers.

Following a dominant Mussina one-two-three first inning, the Yanks wasted no time in claiming this contest as their own. They are trying to win games, set themselves up for the playoffs, and rest their regulars. They succeeded in all three areas, in spades. Johnny Damon stroked a 3-2 single, and following a stolen base, Captain Derek Jeter worked a full-count walk. Abreu’s first-pitch, upper-deck drive to right put the hometown team up 3-0, and they refused to stop. A walk to A-Rod and hits by Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, Matsui, and Melky Cabrera plated two more. Jeter walked yet again for a 6-0 lead, and Abreu laced a double to deep left for three more. Forfeited games are scored 9-0 in favor of the other team. From that point on, this one was played like the Rays had forfeited.

The Yanks added three runs in the third. That man Jeter was in the thick of things, loading the bases when hit by a pitch so an Abreu sac fly, and single, then double by Rodriguez and Jason Giambi, respectively, delivered the tallies. Playing first, Giambi showed some promise after his recent struggles with a sore wrist. The double was pulled hard down the right field line, and he lined hard to center twice.

With Moose still pitching perfect ball, Abreu made a diving catch in right in the second. And the crowd was treated to yet another Jeter grab in the hole, wheel, and jump pass to first in the third. The crowd chanted “MVP!” during several of Jeets’s at bats, and he followed a Matsui single and Damon walk with his third free pass to set up Abreu’s near miss. Matsui pounded hit after hit, Abreu drove them home, but the patient captain reached first four times and scored three.

The Yankees looked ready for October this night, and Torre rested all of his regulars in the latter innings except Melky Cabrera. When former left fielder Matsui walked in the eighth, he carried a batting average of .285. Current left fielder Cabrera followed with a strike out batting .286. Mr. Torre and staff have their work cut out for them, with the enviable problem of having too many great players.

But that’s not really anything new in the Bronx. Take Abreu’s great night for instance. Had he managed the fourth-inning slam, he would have bettered teammate Alex Rodriguez’s one-game rbi total from just last year (10) by only one. And with the seven, he doesn’t even qualify for the high for this day in the Torre years. Bernie Williams drove eight home against the Tigers in a 12-3 win over the Tigers on September 12, 1996.

Former Olympic hero Jesse Owens, who dominated the Games in Adolf Hitler’s Germany 70 years ago, would have been 93 years old Tuesday. He shocked the Germans and inspired the world with his four Gold Medals. The Yanks pummeled Tampa Bay 12-4 this night on the “gold medal” work of Abreu, Matsui, Mussina, and Jeter.

BTW,TYW

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!