Bronx, N.Y., September 27, 2009 — The Yankees and the Red Sox saved their best for last in the three-game weekend series, but it didn’t matter. Hard rains all morning were the more effective block to the home team clinching the AL East. But once a packed Stadium waited out a one-hour delay the Yanks did a day’s work and came away with a 4-2 victory for their 100th season win, a three-game sweep of their opponents, and the Division title.
The Red Sox showed up for this one, however, jumping on Andy Pettitte for a quick tally, and a 2-0 lead though three on six hits and two walks. J.D. Drew lined hard to Robbie Cano to close a bases-loaded first, and the home team turned double plays the next two frames to limit the damage. Pettitte then stiffened to retire 12 of 13, and the Sox had to rue that they hadn’t scored more when they had the chance.
But it didn’t look like they would need extra offense for a while, as the superb Paul Byrd gave 48,000 spectators a lesson in what it’s like to pitch well in the bigs when your fastball tops out at 86. It was the second straight day the Sox got an effective start from starters that do not top their rotation. The fact that they were able to mount offense combined with decent pitching worked well, for a while. Byrd survived Derek Jeter’s seemingly obligatory leadoff base hit in the first largely on his own hustle. Once Brett Gardner, batting second and playing center, bunted Derek to second, Mark Teixeira caromed a hotshot off Kevin Youkilis at first. The Sox were fortunate that it bounced right to Dustin Pedroia at second, but it would have been for naught had not Byrd busted it to first for the throw, beating Tex for out no. 2 by half a step. Byrd struck out A-Rod, then got two quick outs in the second before Cano singled to right. But second base ump Tim Welke made the first of two calls against the Yanks on the next pitch to Melky Cabrera, as Robbie was thrown out stealing.
Melky homered on Byrd’s next pitch, leading off the third, and it was hard not to be cognizant of the fact that had the caught stealing not taken place, we’d have had a 2-2 game. This became more frustrating as Byrd buzzed through six batters to get to the fifth inning still up 2-1. But then Nick Swisher reached him for a double down the right field line, and surprised the crowd and Jacoby Ellsbury by breaking for third on Cano’s fly to medium center. The throw was air-mailed and offline and Nick slid in safely, but when the Sox appealed with Byrd throwing to second, Welke punched Swisher out for leaving early. Two pitches later Melky singled hard to right center and fans groaned as the team had failed to score the equalizer yet again on a Melky hit that would have done the trick had the Bombers been less aggressive. On the other hand, the team had stolen nine bases the last two games, so the style of play can hardly be faulted. With Melky on first, Jose Molina stirred hope with a fly to deep right center but Drew ran it down.
Pettitte was a new man once the Sox had filled the bases in the third. A double play and strike out got him free, and he struck out one batter each the next three frames while coaxing four flies and a grounder around a Drew single. Byrd kept up his work too, but cracks began to form in his facade. Teixeira worked him to his only three-ball count of the day by fouling off five pitches before grounding out in the fourth. Coming off the near miss in the fifth, Jeter jumped Byrd’s first sixth-inning throw and drove Drew all the way to the wall in right center to snare his drive. The Sox pitching was better, and so was their defense; it was a good play. But the Boston righty looked clear when Gardner grounded out. He fell behind Teixeira 2-0 and Mark singled just in front of Ellsbury’s try. Then Alex Rodriguez came through with the at bat that broke Byrd’s, and Boston’s, back. He swung and missed, then fouled one to 0-2, then fouled off six pitches around two balls before singling to right.
Terry Francona replaced Byrd with Takaishi Saito, who got two called strikes on Hideki Matsui. But he wild pitched the runners up with his next throw. A foul and another ball later, the veteran Yankee DH lined hard to right. Drew made another good play with a charge and a dive, but it was obvious to one and all, including Welke, that he trapped the ball, and the Yanks had a 3-2 lead. With a stellar second half, Matsui is making the Yankees think hard about his and their future, and the adulation couldn’t come to a more faithful and deserving team member. A one-time iron man, Hideki broke his wrist playing against the Sox and apologized for it a few years ago, and he has suffered through knee operations the last two years. It seems only sensible that quality at bats start with quality legs, but don’t tell that fiction to Matsui. He is as clutch and as dangerous a batter as he ever was.
After all was said and done, the Yankee starter was one run better than Boston’s, and so was the Pinstriped pen. The up-and-down Brian Bruney replaced Pettitte in the seventh and promptly retired five straight on 21 pitches. Phil Coke came on to face David Ortiz with two down in the eighth and struck him out. On the Sox side, Ramon Ramirez pitched around a Jeter single in the Yankee seventh, but Teixeira blasted Daniel Bard’s second pitch of the eighth three rows deep in right to give the Yanks a 4-2 lead. Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth around a one-out hit and Cano error, and the Yanks had won their 100th game and clinched the AL East in a relatively brisk 2:56.
Despite running into early trouble for his second start in a row, Pettitte looked sharp carrying the game through six innings. The first run scored on an infield single caromed off Andy’s body in the first, but he recovered well. His 63/34 strikes/balls ratio was solid and not only did he pour in first-pitch strikes to 20 of 26 Sox batters, he did so to 17 of the last 20 to face him. The inconsistent Bruney looked in total command, Coke did his job with Ortiz, and Mo did his in the ninth. A team that barely broke into a smile when they clinched a playoff spot a few days back let down their guard and celebrated, both on the field in front of their fans, and in the clubhouse.
But mixed in with all the joy was a sense of purpose. Veterans in Pinstripes and those new to New York spoke with one voice about the fact that their 2009 work was far from done. This is a very businesslike team with a good work ethic. And they clinched the AL East on September 27, 2009, which happens to be the 66th birthday of the rock icon who penned this lyric:
- You get up every morning
From your alarm clock’s warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There’s a whistle up above
And people pushin’, people shovin’
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train’s on time
You can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay
Happy Birthday, Randy Bachman, and Congratulations, 2009 New York Yankees. Thanks for
Taking Care of Business
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!