Bronx, N.Y., May 10, 2011 – Freddy Garcia continued to defy Father Time Tuesday night, giving the Yanks yet another quality start in a 3-1 win vs. Kansas City in Yankee Stadium. As has been his wont, Garcia threw everything but the kitchen sink against them, starting second baseman Chris Getz with an 87 mph fast ball, and following with sliders, curves, a change of pace and, perhaps his plus-one pitch of the night, a nasty split-finger, all before getting three outs to get through the first.
Usually a strike thrower, Freddy struggled a bit with that side of his game, though he only walked two through six-plus innings, the first and last batters he faced. But he got the game to his bullpen with a 3-1 lead, allowing one run on six hits and the two walks. He found the zone on first pitches 15 of 25 times and finished with a 51/34 strikes/balls ratio, but he used the split finger to get two strike outs in the fifth, one of two frames he surrendered two hits but escaped without allowing a run. Nick Swisher would make the best play of the game to get the third out that inning, a diving grab of Getz’s line drive bid for an rbi base hit to right with two on. A leadoff Melky Cabrera home run to dead center in the fourth had equaled matters after an early Yankee tally, and Swish’s grab denied the visitors of their only real chance to take a lead.
What could have been KC’s first chance in the third was a tale of two hits, and two misses. Once Matt Treanor singled leading off, Garcia almost doubled him off after grabbing a popped up sac bunt attempt. Apparently deciding his destiny was at second, Treanor tried a delayed steal as Freddy prepped to pitch to Getz, but the Yankee hurler stepped off and caught him with a peg to Jeter, on which Treanor was ruled out, then safe via a balk, then out again once the plate umps agreed that Garcia had indeed stepped off. Getz then singled up the middle, but he met a similar fate, pegged out Martin to Jeter when Russell quickly pounced on a short almost wild pitch on yet another splitter.
The Yanks took a 3-1 lead in the home fifth following Swisher’s big catch when Gardner worked a one-out walk, then moved to second on another single by Jeter, who had delivered the first Yankee run with a one-base hit in the third. Davies hit Teixeira with a pitch and the sacks were jammed for Alex Rodriguez, who has seemed incapable of even buying a base hit for the last few weeks. But A-Rod’s an rbi guy, and he singled past short for two runs, forging what would be the final 3-1 score.
Which is not to say that the drama was over. The Royals took one more shot at Garcia starting the seventh, with Jeff Francoeur reaching on a single, then a walk on a 3-2 pitch to prospect Eric Hosmer that sent Garcia to the showers. Pounding up to 97 mph heat a bit beyond what we are used to seeing, David Robertson got an out but walked one to load the bases next. But he got swinging strike outs of Alcides Escobar (on seven pitches) and Getz (eight throws) to escape the frame. The fans in the stands did not know that Rafael Soriano was unavailable with elbow soreness, which was just as well, and even better, because Joba Chamberlain threw a masterful eighth, striking out two with an infield out on just nine pitches, featuring 98-mph heat and 80-mph curves. Mariano Rivera did not hesitate to fnish the job despite surrendering a leadoff single to Francoeur. He fell behind Hosner 3-0, then struck him out, then made a nifty stab on a Mike Aviles grounder through the box, snatching the hot shot and starting a 1-4-3 to end the game.
May 10 was a huge day in the 1996 Championship season, as few gave the Yanks any real shot once David Cone was lost that day to aneurysm surgery. But the Yanks got an unexpected boost from an aging Doc Gooden, who would throw a no-hit shutout over Seattle four days later, keying an 11-7 campaign that helped keep the Bombers in first until Coney returned.
What’s left to be said is that this Tuesday 2011 win was the rare game where the Bombers outscored their opposition without hitting any home runs. They came off a losing road trip that, despite a 12-run explosion Sunday, showed decidedly uneven offense, often struggling to accumulate as many as four or five hits in game. And KC starter Kyle Davies seemed to have their number early, setting the first eight batters down on just 26 pitches. But with two down in the third, Brett Gardner lifted an arching liner to deep right center that split the outfield for a standup triple. He was delivered by Derek Jeter who, New York talk radio notwithstanding, has not been struggling at the plate for more than week. Two innings later Gardner reached on a one-out walk, Jeter singled and the Yanks went on to score the decisive runs of the game.
It was on May 10, 1752, that Ben Franklin conducted his first test of what would become his lightning rod. Brett Gardner earlier this season had three home runs in a week, and Derek Jeter hit two on Sunday. But if you’re looking for the next opportunity for the team to score without a long ball, look no further than the bottom and the top of the order for
that spark to a Yankee win.
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!