Bronx, N.Y., July 15, 2006 — Yankee fans could have been excused for being a little nervous about coming out of the All Star Break hosting the world champion White Sox in three at the Stadium. Although the Bombers have been holding their own of late, these White Sox dominated last year’s post season and they swept the Yanks in the Bronx in 2005. But those fears appear unfounded following the home team’s 14-3 laugher Saturday afternoon, following the tightly played Bombers 6-5 win Friday night.
Mike Mussina looked sharp from the start, while Sox number two (or three) starter Mark Buehrle was not. Moose struck Scott Podsednik out on three pitches to start the festivities, and held the Sox scoreless through three by retiring nine of 11. Buehrle, on the other hand, was down 1-0 after two batters, walking Johnny Damon on six tosses, and moving him to second on a wild pitch. Rookie center fielder Brian Anderson, who has been handling the position, if not his bat, in the first half, got a bad break on Derek Jeter’s hard liner, which carried over his head for a double and plated the first Yankee run. In 2005, ex-Sox Aarron Rowand makes that play.
It stayed 1-0 Yanks until the third when Damon got things going again with a perfect bunt base hit toward first. Once Jason Giambi was nicked by a pitch, Alex Rodriguez delivered run number two with a hard single to left, and the amazing Bernie Williams repaid the crowd for their consistently enthusiastic reactions to his appearances by splitting the outfielders for a two-run double to right center. 4-0, Yanks.
It would be easy, and somewhat justified, to put the four-run, fourth-inning rampage that doubled the Bombers’ advantage on the indifferent Chicago defense, but perhaps sensing that this was a lost day, Buehrle contributed greatly to the onslaught as well. The lefthander was in trouble right away when Sox second sacker Tadahito Iguchi failed to cover first on Miguel Cairo’s attempted sac bunt following Melky Cabrera’s leadoff single, putting two on. Then when Damon bunted too hard toward first, Paul Konerko grabbed the short hop and threw to third for an easy force, but Alex Cintron dropped the ball. Jeter and Giambi delivered four quick runs on a double and single, and Buehrle was lifted, down by eight runs after having recorded just nine outs.
Fans who were surprised this game was over in three hours despite the 17 runs had the Chicago lefty to thank. Thirty-three of Mark’s 51 tosses were for strikes, and 27 of those hit Yankee bats. With the game slipping away in the fourth, he threw seven of eight pitches for strikes, and all of them found wood, resulting in five Yankee hits, one error, and four runs. He threw more like a man interested in getting “out of there” than in getting “outs.”
Mussina had a one-inning glitch after his teammates provided the big bulge, with Jim Thome’s upper-deck homer highlighting a three-run top of the fifth, but Moose finished with an effective sixth before handing the ball to the bullpen. Mike had a better than average 67/27 strikes/balls ratio, he delivered 20 of 27 first-pitch strikes, and he notched five strike outs while allowing no walks in this, his 11th win on the season.
Everyone got involved in the Yankee offense. Damon reached and scored his first three times up, both Jeter and Williams doubled twice and knocked in three, and first baseman Andy Phillips homered and drove in four in the late going. Eight of nine starters hit safely, and even Jorge Posada, with no hits, scored twice after walking twice and reaching on a wild pitch on an eighth-inning strike out. And crowd favorite Bubba Crosby, in for Damon for defense, homered in the seventh. The Yankee pen closed the last three effectively, with the finally well-rested Scott Proctor looking particularly effective. He threw hard, and retired four straight, two on strike outs.
It was a hot day in the Bronx, but not quite as hot as advertised, with an unexpected cloud cover damping the sun’s rays more often than not. In fact, there was a moment as the Sox threatened in the top of the fifth where it seemed rain would fall before the game became official, not a welcome sight on an already drenched east coast. But the rain held off on the celebration enjoyed by the crowd of 55,019, exactly 50 less than the throng that spent much of Friday’s win on their edge of their seats until Mo finally recorded that contest’s final out.
The White Sox have appeared undaunted by the stellar record the Tigers have fashioned this season, forcing the still formidable world champs into second-place status in their own division. Led by their brash manager Ozzie Guillen, they have largely approached this season as if a playoff repeat were a given after adding starting pitching and power to the squad after the dominant 2005. And they hit the All Star break with a solid seven-game lead over the Yanks in the Wild Card chase.
But not all is heavenly on Mount Olympus. They are looking for relief and are rumored to be dangling inconsistent ’06 starters Javy Vazquez and Freddy Garcia in an attempt to shore up their pen. Guillen appeared to quash those reports the other day, calling for improved work from the newly returned Cliff Politte as an example of a guy who could fill the need from within. But Politte’s Saturday line could not have been encouraging: four runs over two frames on a walk and four hits, including two doubles and a home run. The Chicago pen allowed the pivotal three-run Yankee eighth Friday night, and even closer Bobby Jenks allowed a homer to Andy Phillips today.
Former Yank Jose Contreras, who has been routinely superb the last two years, had his win streak stopped Friday night, but the “great” stops there. Buehrle was atrocious today, and righty Jon Garland, despite a lofty win/loss record, pitches to an era over five. The Sox needed a Jermaine Dye ninth-inning game-tying home run to avoid being swept by the Red Sox before the break. And now they face the Yanks Sunday with that same down outcome hanging potentially over their collective heads. The Yanks have gained two games, and unlike the White Sox, they may have two great hitters returning down the stretch.
Saturday was the 210th anniversary of the birth of author Thomas Bulfinch, famed for giving us Bulfinch’s Mythology. What the White Sox did in 2005, returning to the Championship after 88 long years, was very impressive. But I would caution anyone who thinks that their return to winning playoff baseball is a given with a four game lead and two and a half months of games yet to be played. To the theory that this team is invincible, I would say that that is a myth.
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!