Bronx, N.Y., July 31, 2011 – Well, OK, I suppose we Yankee fans were being silly and presumptuous, expecting massive scoring breakouts after the thunderous double header sweep over the Orioles on Saturday. But on the other hand, who could blame us? After all, the unprecedented 12-run first-inning outburst Saturday night may have featured 10 hits, but even it started with a strike out of Captain Derek Jeter.
But despite our lofty expectations, the throng was disappointed when the team loaded the bases against right-hander Jake Arrieta in the first inning Sunday afternoon, settling for nothing more than a slight edge in pitch count once Nick Swisher, who had homered in each game the day before, bounced out to end the inning scoreless. Although present, the frustration wasn’t as palpable in the second when nothing came of Eduardo Nunez’s two-out single.
But things started reaching a fever pitch in the third. First, the Orioles actually took a one-run lead off Freddy Garcia, who had started the game in gangbusters fashion by striking out four of the first six Baltimore batters, all of them swinging. But the overeager visitors took a more restrained approach in the third and, despite a fifth swinging strike out by catcher Craig Tatum leading off, got Garcia in trouble by reaching him for his only two walks of the day. Second baseman Robert Andino swiped second after he walked, then third one out later following a free pass to Nick Markakis. Speedy Adam Jones followed with a bouncer up the middle. That Jeter got to this grounder belies much criticism about his range, but the Yankee shortstop had no play, even though he hit Markakis when trying for the force at second. Vlad Guerrero bounced to third but the O’s were up, 1-0.
But the Yanks were threatening once again immediately. First Arrieta delivered one up and in that smacked hard off Jeter’s hand, sending him to first, and out of the game one inning later. One out later, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano drew back-to-back walks and, with the bases loaded fans rose and screamed for the rally they’d been expecting for three innings. But down 0-2, Swisher bounced back to the box into a 1-6-3 double play, and yet another opportunity had passed.
Garcia, seeming somewhat animated and out of sorts on the mound, went back to work, yielding just a bunt base hit to Felix Pie through the next two innings, and Pie was out stealing when he tried to take second on a short wild pitch. The long third and a troublesome sixth to come drove up his pitch count, and he would be out after six, but with yet another quality start. His 59/36 strikes/balls ratio was only fair, but the 17 of 24 first-pitch strikes was good. He walked just the two with five strike outs, and would leave having allowed a second run on just five hits. Would that not be good enough?
It was enough, and that was because Arrieta’s luck finally ran out in the fourth, with a huge boost from his own defense. Eric Chavez battled to a seven-pitch walk, but Russell Martin hit a double play ball to short. Only it went right through the wickets of J.J. Hardy and the Yanks were in business. Rob Thompson held Chavez at third on Nunez’s second straight single, but now the bases were loaded with no one out. The Yanks had left six on base in the first three frames, but not this time, and Brett Gardner tripled right down the first-base line for a sudden 3-1 Yankee lead. Backup catcher Francisco Cervelli, playing second base now for the injured Jeter after having played an inning at third the night before, took a third strike, but Gardner scored the fourth run on Granderson’s soft bouncer toward first.
Not the 12-run uprising from the night before, but the rally was sudden, and gave Garcia a three-run lead. A sixth-inning Jones single and stolen base and Guerrero one-base hit to center scored a second Baltimore run, but that would be as close as they would get. The second out of that frame, by the way, was a pretty good Cervelli play for a 4-6 force at second base, though the throw was a bit low. With Garcia out, Hector Noesi got two outs in the seventh before Andino singled to center, but he would be the last O’s base runner. David Robertson got a fly out to close the seventh, then struck out the side in the eighth.
The Yanks failed to pile on after two walks in the sixth, or two singles in the seventh, and Kevin Gregg struck out the side in the home eighth, an inning where the sides compiled strike outs against all six batters. And Mariano Rivera retired the side in order for his 27th save, and the 586th of his career. There remains a chance of another big in-season 2011 party in the Bronx, I see.
What used to be known as the hit parade back on July 31, 1955, featured Rock Around the Clock, a rock anthem by Bill Haley and the Comets any fan or Yankee employee who attended 10 hours of baseball on Saturday and Sunday can identify with. But also on the list was a pop hit by the late Sammy Davis Jr., Something’s Gotta Give.
As it turned out, the Yankee fans were right Sunday afternoon. After accumulating 10 base runners while the team made just nine outs,
Something Had to Give
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!