Rain Delays Yankees 5-4 Loss

Bats can't overcome early errors

The rubber game of the Yankees-Chicago White Sox series was delayed for nearly 90 minutes due to heavy rains. For those on the east coast who stayed up until 1 a.m. to watch the entire game it would have been better if it had just been rained out. Misplays by Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera helped the White Sox score 4 runs in the 2nd inning and a shaky Javier Vazquez and the White Sox pen held on for a 5-4 win. All 3 games in the series were decided by one run, with the White Sox taking 2 of 3. Remarkably, the Yankees still gained a game in the AL East lead thanks to the KC Royals sweeping the Boston Red Sox.

Mike Mussina hit Jermaine Dye with a pitch to start the 2nd and A.J. Pierzynski followed with a single to right. Mussina looked like he was going to end the threat quickly when he induced a potential double play grounder by Joe Crede. Rodriguez fielded the ball cleanly at 3rd, but threw the ball into right field, well out of the reach of 2nd baseman Robinson Cano. Alex Cintron followed with an RBI single to left. When Melky Cabrera mishandled the ball, Crede came around to score as well. Mussina struck out Brian Anderson to finally record the first out of the inning, but Scott Podsednik singled in the 4th run of the inning.

The Yankees immediately put Vazquez in a jam in the first when Johnny Damon led off the game with a double and Derek Jeter followed with an infield single. Both runners advanced on Bobby Abreu's deep fly out, but A-Rod struck out for the 2nd out. Jason Giambi drew a walk, but Vazquez bounced back by getting Jorge Posada to line out to end the inning. Vazquez (11-6) escaped with men in scoring position in the first 4 innings of the game.

The Yankees did cut the lead in half in the 3rd when Giambi smacked his 33rd home run of the season with a man aboard. Giambi has now hit 55 HRs and driven in 145 runs in his last 171 games since the 2005 All-Star break.

Mussina (13-5) settled down after the 2nd, but the White Sox picked up a big insurance run off of him in the 6th. Mussina retired the first 2 hitters, but Brian Anderson doubled and Podsednik followed with an RBI single. The run proved to be huge as Melky Cabrera smacked a 2-run shot, his 7th, off of Brandon McCarthy in the 8th. The Yankees had one more chance in the 9th against closer Bobby Jenks, but again failed to get the big hit with runners in scoring position. Bernie Williams and Cabrera singled after there were two away, but Johnny Damon grounded out to Paul Konerko at first to end the game.

Notes

Robinson Cano is 7-14 with 4 doubles and a home run since being activated from the DL.

Octavio Dotel threw a 1-2-3 6th inning for the Double-A Trenton Thunder last night. He retired the side on a strikeout, ground out, and a fly out. Prospect Eric Duncan has missed time recently at Trenton due to a bad back.

Manager Joe Torre said yesterday that he expects to have Hideki Matsui back before Gary Sheffield. The timetable for both is iffy, especially with the minor league season winding down which could eliminate rehab games.