Teixeira’s 9th Inning Heroics a Blast
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  | R | H | E | |
| NY Yankees | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 | |
| Seattle | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
WP - Hughes (5-3) SV - Rivera (34) LP - Lowe (1-5)
I was probably off the mark when I predicted Mark Teixeira would be the American League MVP this year. That being said, Teixeira has been plenty valuable to the Yankees this season. Last night Teixeira cracked his 30th home run to snap a 2-2 in the top of the 9th and the Yankees went on to a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The win gave the Yankees the first two games of the four game set and kept them 6 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the AL East.
Starter Andy Pettitte had a rough 1st inning, but settled down and struck out a season high 10 hitters. It gave the Yankees a chance to come back from a 2-0 deficit against Mariners’ starter Ryan Rowland-Smith and set up the 9th inning scenario. Hard throwing reliever Mark Lowe left a change up in Teixeira’s wheelhouse and the 1st baseman turned on it and sent a high arcing shot about 15 rows back in the right field stands. The Yankees then gave Mariano Rivera some breathing room with an insurance run. Robinson Cano reached on a 2-out ground rule double and scored on Nick Swisher’s single to right for a 4-2 lead.
Rivera who sat out Wednesday’s game with a sore shoulder and wasn’t needed Thursday night, got three ground ball outs in the bottom of the 9th for his league leading 34th save. Phil Hughes worked out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 8th to pick up his 5th win of the season and first since July 17. He’s allowed just 3 earned runs in his last 28.2 innings pitched.
Pettitte went deep in the count most of the night and ran into immediate trouble in the 1st inning. He allowed consecutive singles to Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Guitierrez to start the game and an RBI double to Jose Lopez. Ken Griffey Jr. drove in the M’s 2nd run of the inning with a ground out to Cano, but Pettitte stranded Lopez at 3rd by striking out Russell Branyan and Jack Hannahan.
The Yankees got a run back in the 2nd on Jorge Posada’s near-home run double off the yellow stripe in right-center field and an RBI ground out by Jerry Hairston Jr., and tied things up in the 5th on 2-out singles by Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon, sandwiched around a wild pitch.
Game Notes
Mariano Rivera became the 22nd pitcher in MLB history with 900 appearances.
Johnny Damon reached 600 hits as a Yankee, becoming just the third player to accomplish the feat with three different teams. The others were “Wee” Willie Keeler and Doc Cramer.
Damaso Marte is nearing the end of his rehab assignment, but Joe Girardi said the left-hander’s fastball is still not up to par.
Alex Rodriguez sat out again with a sore elbow and his 50/5o to play on Saturday.
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