How Many Losses in a Unit?

Johnson throws another one away, 7-6

Injuries, stranding runners and unreliable pitching performances have beset the Yankees this season and last night's 7-6 loss to the New York Mets was another example of that. The Yankees jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but Randy Johnson quickly gave it all back. Jorge Posada had to leave the game in the 2nd inning with back spasms, Bernie Williams pulled a muscle in his ass legging out a double, and Mariano Rivera lost the game in the 9th. The 2006 Yankee season is quickly unraveling.

Things started out great as the Yankees knocked Mets starter Jeremi Gonzalez around in the first inning. Johnny Damon led off the ball game with a double and scored on Derek Jeter's single to left. After Jeter stole 2nd, Jason Giambi walked to set the table for Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod came through with an RBI single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double as Giambi reached third. Gonzalez finally retired Posada on a ground out, but Robinson Cano and Williams stroked back-to-back doubles to plate two more. The lack of a DH immediately came into play as Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked to set up a match up with Johnson. The Big Unit went down swinging to end the inning.

Buoyed by a 4-0 lead, Johnson immediately walked the Mets lead off hitter, Jose Reyes. After a walk to Paul Lo Duca, Carlos Beltran blasted his 11th home run of the season over the fence in left to cut the lead to 4-3.

Cano's sacrifice fly in the third stretched the lead to 5-3, but Xavier Nady took Johnson deep to right-center with a man aboard in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. It was Nady's 9th home run of the season. The tie didn't last long as Jeter led off fourth with a double, knocking Gonzalez out of the game in the process. Darren Oliver hit Jason Giambi with a pitch before striking out A-Rod for the first out of the inning. Jorge Posada was warming up Johnson in the 2nd when he had to leave the game with back spasms. His replacement Kelly Stinnett stroked his 2nd hit of the ball game, an RBI single to left to score Jeter and put the Yankees back on top 6-5. Bernie Williams two-out infield single loaded the bases, but Cabrera grounded out to end the inning.

The Mets stranded two runners in the fourth before tying things up off of Johnson again in the 5th. David Wright singled with one man out and advanced to 2nd on Nady's ground out. The much maligned Kaz Matsui came through with a single to right to tie the game up again, 6-6. It would stay that way until the ninth when the slightly younger sandman out did the older one.

Billy Wagner (3-0) struck out Giambi, A-Rod, and Stinnett for a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Mariano Rivera would not come away unscathed. Many wondered why Kyle Farnsworth, who had pitched the eighth, wasn't brought back for the 9th with a tie game on the road. It was revealed later that he too was suffering from a sore back and couldn't continue. Meanwhile Rivera's struggles of late continued. With one out and a 1-2 count on Lo Duca, Rivera left a cutter over the plate and Lo Duca yanked it to left for a double. Rivera came back to strike out Carlos Beltran for the 2nd out and set up a potential face-off with Carlos Delgado. Delgado was 7-18 (.389) lifetime against Rivera (1-3) with no home runs, 1 RBI and 3 strike outs. In an unusual move, the Yankees intentionally walked Delgago to face the less experienced Wright. There was a time an intentional walk never even would have been considered. Delgado is swinging the bat well and Wright is inexperienced, but Rivera has greater success with his cutter against lefties than against righties. Wright proved that point when he hit a pitch deep over the head of Damon in center to win the ball game 7-6.

Notes

Rivera has now been scored upon in 3 of his
last 5 outings.

After a visit to Dr. James Andrews, Carl Pavano will be having surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. Pavano had bone chips removed in 2000 as well. Andrews will also be performing surgery on Tanyon Sturtze's rotator cuff.

With Bernie Williams joining the banged up outfield list, Kevin Reese is expected to get the start in left field today.