HOLY COW!!!

Vets Rally Yankees, 14-13

The Yankees did the near impossible last night, rallying from a 9 run deficit despite a lineup that no Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, or Gary Sheffield, to eventually win 14-13 on a two-out, 2-run home run by Jorge Posada in the bottom of the 9th. Texas was all over starter Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small in the early going to build 9-0 and 10-1 leads.

Trailing by a run in the 9th and facing Rangers closer Akinori Otsuka, Johnny Damon hit a ball down the first base line that bad hopped gold glover Mark Texeira for a lead off single. With Derek Jeter 4-4 on the night, Joe Torre opted not to have him try to sacrifice. Jeter's tapper in front of the mound had the same effect though as Damon advanced to second. Alex Rodriguez ripped a line drive to deep center, but Gary Matthews Jr. pulled it in for the 2nd out. That left it up to Jorge Posada who had already driven in 3 runs and withstood a home plate collision. Otsuka tried to get Posada to chase inside off-speed pitches, but Posada held his ground and got ahead in the count 3-0. After a call strike, Posada turned on an Otsuka pitch and drove it high into the night and into the bleachers in right-center for the 2nd walk-off home run of his career.

The Yankees began chipping away in the third when Derek Jeter doubled in a run and Jorge Posada singled him home to cut the margin to 10-3. In the fifth, Jeter started things off with a walk and Alex Rodriguez followed with a double. Posada's sacrifice fly scored Jeter and A-Rod came home on Robinson Cano's RBI ground out. After a walk to Bernie Williams, Buck Showalter yanked starter Jon Koranka one out shy of a possible win despite a 10-5 lead.

The game's biggest play came in the top of the sixth when Texas tried to extend their lead. With Mark Texeira on first and two down, Hank Blalock doubled in the left field corner. When Melky Cabrera starting playing kickball with the baseball, Rangers third base coach Steve Smith waved home Texeira. Cabrera threw a relay strike to Jeter who in turn threw a two-hopper to Posada in front of home plate. Posada scooped up Jeter's throw and braced himself as Texaira hit him like a fullback on Super Bowl Sunday. Posada held on to the ball and his senses for the third out of the inning. An already energized Yankees bench was jacked up even further.

Cabrera led off the sixth with a single and Johnny Damon followed with a walk. Derek Jeter then made a possible comeback a reality when he took a Scott Feldman pitch the opposite way, into the right field seats for a 3-run home run. Showalter sent for Joaquin Benoit to try to protect the suddenly slim 10-8 lead. The Yankees weren't done though. Benoit walked A-Rod and Posada before retiring Robinson Cano on a foul out for the first out of the inning. Bernie Williams roped a ball into the right field corner for an RBI double, putting the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position. Andy Phillips struck out looking, but Miguel Cairo hit a soft liner into left field for a two-run single and an 11-10 Yankee lead, and advanced to second on the throw home. The Yankees bench and the remainder of the 40,757 fans went wild. Benoit finally stopped the damage by striking out Cabrera.

The fans were barely over their delirium when an overworked Scott Proctor gave the lead right back. After issuing a lead off walk to Kevin Mench, Proctor left one up in the zone that Brad Wilkerson smacked into the right field seats for his 6th home run of the season and a 12-11 Texas lead. But this game was far from over and Rick Bauer was the new Rangers pitcher being fed to the lions. Mark Texeira committed a rare error on Johnny Damon's lead off grounder to start the 7th. Derek Jeter then laid down a beautiful bunt single near the third base line. Catcher Rod Barajas's throw was wide of Texeira allowing Damon to advance to third. Bauer retired A-Rod on a comebacker, but Posada delivered again, sending a fly ball to left-center field for a game tying sacrifice fly.

Amazingly, neither team scored in the 8th. The Yankees then turned things over in the 9th to Mariano Rivera. Mo's recent struggles continued as he allowed a lead off single to Kevin Mench. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Wilkerson, Rivera issued a walk to light hitting Mark DeRosa. Barajas made Rivera pay with a double into the left corner that put Texas back ahead 14-13 and left runners in scoring position with just one out. With the infield in, Mo escaped further trouble by getting Gary Matthews Jr. to bounce out to Cano for the 2nd out. Michael Young then grounded out as well to finish the threat.

Shawn Chacon's start was a brief last only 1 1-3 innings. Already trailing 2-0 in the 2nd, Chacon got himself in immediate trouble by walking Wilkerson and Matthews, and hitting Barajas in-between. Young singled to left to plate a pair and gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Mark Texeira's double in the gap in right-center scored two more and Phil Nevin followed with a single. That was as much as Torre could take and Chacon had his shortest exit of his Yankee career. With the Yankees struggles this season, it was especially disconcerting after Chacon's 4 1-3 inning, 100 pitch effort his last time out. Aaron Small came on in relief, but was no relief at all. As much as 2005 was a dream season for Small, 2006 has been a nightmare. A bad hamstring kept him on the disabled list to start the season and he has struggled since his recall from Florida. Hank Blalock greeted Small rudely by blasting a 3-run home run to right for a 9-0 Texas lead, and put the final ugly stamp on Chacon's pitching line for the night.

Notes

Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Miguel Cairo combined for 12 RBI. Jeter's 4-5 night raised his average back up to .349.

Shawn Chacon's ERA rose to 5.21 after allowing 7 earned runs in 1.1 innings. Aaron Small's ERA stood at 8.71 after the game and his days in pinstripes could be numbered.

Melky Cabrera went 2-3, but continues to struggle in the field. Though he isn't committing errors, he is having trouble judging fly balls and handling base hits. One problem may be that the Yankees have him positioned to deep in left field.