Bronx, N.Y., Apr. 14, 2003 — Julie Christie, one of my favorite actresses, turned 62 today, and I swear I heard strains of “Somewhere My Love” (the theme song from David Lean’s epic film Doctor Zhivago) drifting toward the left field bleachers in the eighth inning after Juan Acevedo, our fifth (we used six) pitcher of the evening, hit Josh Phelps with his first pitch in the eighth. As a matter of fact everything was drifting toward left field in a stiff breeze on this night, except the almost full moon and the three Yankee homers. Even though one of the three did clear the left field fence, none of those shots was affected by the wind anymore than that moon was.
My preconception that the night would be drier was right on; where I got the idea it would be warmer I don’t know. Arriving in my Tier box seat just in time for Andy Pettitte’s 7:09 first pitch, I immediately noticed two things. The moon, though “ghosted” somewhat against a still clear blue sky, dominated the view behind the outfield wall, as it was perched directly over the Bronx County Courthouse. This huge edifice spans the Bronx sky beyond the fence roughly from the left-field end of the big conventional scoreboard to the right-field side of the newly replaced (and awesome in its displays) Diamond Vision screen in right center.
The other thing that caught my eye was that for the first time this week (and this 2003 baseball season) the winds that cross the outfield and beyond were blowing hard to left field (they have been the opposite all week). Perhaps a study should be made of wind direction and how it correlates to length of games. The game got off to an entertaining if quirky start. I would rather Alfonso have gotten on (and stolen the first of two bases) via a base hit on the one hand, but he wasn’t actually hurt by the hit-by-pitch, and he did score the first run of the game. Tanyon Sturtze set a pattern with the 20 pitches he threw that first inning (as he followed it with 21, 28, 16, and 16 of the 27 Blue Jay pitches in the fifth).
But Andy seemed OK, even if Jorge could tell you that he threw an inordinate ampount of 55-footers on the evening. He was extended to 27 pitches in the second with two base hits and a nine-pitch strike out of Hinske, but the other early frames took nine, 14 and 12 pitches, even if he did relinquish the lead in the third. He got a visit from Mel, Gene Monahan, and a tardy Joe Torre in that third, and maybe there was something wrong, because he just couldn’t get it done in the fifth. Three hits and a long fly to center got him out of the game and Jason Anderson in, but the rookie established nothing, giving up a sac fly and three walks. And even though Contreras gave up a run-scoring single to his first batter (well played by Matsui in left to deny the Jays what could have been a pivotal second run) and three walks, the fact that he ended the frame and got us four more outs actually did fairly earn him the victory.
We would win this game because we hit three homers and because we would allow only three of our eight walks and one HBP to score. The Jays gave us 14 baserunners (12 walks and 2 HBP). Our two three-run homers (Posada in the third, Matsui in the fifth) both scored the batters (of course) and the two guys who had just walked back-to-back before them. Throw in another of the walks that scored and the HBP of Soriano in the first and you begin to see why we scored 10 runs with only eight hits. (Strangely, neither of the Yanks who reached on errors crossed the plate.)
And the scoreboard, as usual, did its best to make the walks we received entertaining, accompanying our guys strolling to first with the likes of “Walk This Way” (Bernie in the first), “Walking on the Sun” (Hideki in the third), “Free Ride” (Nick in the fourth), “Walking in Rhythm” (Bernie again, in the sixth), and “These Boots Were Made for Walking” (Jorge in the sixth), along with “Life in the Fast Lane” for the first of Alfonso’s two steals. They thankfully did not use any music to highlight the fact that one guy after another who emerged from our pen failed (with the exception of Hammond, and that’s good news), though each did well initially (except for young Jason Anderson).
We did not actually hit well, but we showed great patience at the plate, and after failing repeatedly to come up with the big hit yesterday, the three homers were all both well hit and stroked dramatically and just when they were needed. Jorge brought us from 2-1 down to 4-2 up. Raul’s no-doubt, first pitch drive that easily cleared where the wall in left was before the last two times it was moved in, tied the game and came with two outs. And Hideki’s upper deck shot over the Komatsu sign in right broke the tie Raul had created, and did it with two outs too.
And yes, we almost gave it all back, but I’m actually glad I stayed until the end (though I did make my way to the field level in the left field corner in the eighth), primarily because I almost saw our guys turn a triple play for the first time (I’ve seen ’em hit into at least two). The game went 4:08 (I should have known we’d pay for the earlier 2;25 and 2:22 tilts) and featured a lot of ugly numbers. And you don’t have to tell me that even stat counts are sometimes in the eye of the beholder. For instance, I heard Steiner on the postgame tell his audience that there were 19 walks, but I would argue for 20.
But you count these things for a while and nothing surprises you. I am sure, for instance, that even though we played two very different games offensively (16 Jays hits, 0 homers; eight Yankee hits, three homers) that the Blue Jays batted 48 guys, and that we batted 47. But the one that blows me away (by my count anyway): The Blue Jays used six pitchers who threw 188 pitches.
The Yanks? Six pitchers, 188 pitches.
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!