Cisco Gets His Pie

Mystique and Aura..and Exuberance

Written for Baseball Digest Online

A certain blowhard pitcher can make fun of mystique and aura all he wants, but it looks like they those two have been joined this season by exuberance in the new Yankee Stadium. There was plenty on display tonight as the Yankees came up with their 14th walk off win of the season, 5-4 over the Toronto Blue Jays. The victory was also the Yankees' 34th come from behind triumph, the most since the 1932 Yankees.

Despite a solid outing from spot starter Chad Gaudin, the Yankees slept their way through seven innings of dull baseball and trailed 4-2 in the 8th. Phil Hughes started things out with a dynamite top of the inning and then the bats came to life. Alex Rodriguez dunked n a 1-out single off lefty Scott Downs and then it was time for Godzilla to destroy another city. Hideki Matsui entered the game with nearly half his 24 home runs coming against southpaws. Number 25 landed in the right field stands and tied the game at four apiece.

"Pie Anticipation" set in after Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless 9th and Brett Gardner kept the momentum going with a lead off single against Jays' closer Jason Frasor in the home half of the inning. The speedster swiped his 22nd base in 27 attempts and moved to third on Derek Jeter's ground out up the middle. With no third catcher available due to Jorge Posada's suspension, Joe Girardi had no choice but to let Francisco Cervelli bat for himself. The "Cisco Kid" didn't let his manager down, singling through the left side for yet another last at-bat win for the Pinstripes.

Cervelli also showed the exuberance that has affected both the youngsters and the veterans. He joyously rounded first and headed towards right field in an attempt to out run his teammates/mob scene. But a smiling Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera caught him, setting up another raucous Bronx celebration that culminated when A.J. Burnett gave the rookie catcher his first taste of victory pie.

The Yankees were in the game because Gaudin, starting in place of Andy Pettitte, was solid through five plus innings. He allowed a solo home run by Jose Bautista, but got out of other jams with run producing ground outs. The Blue Jays tacked one on against Brian Bruney in the 7th, but mystique, aura, and exuberance were waiting in the wings.

Game Notes

Mariano Rivera won his 3rd game of the season and the 71st of his career.

The Yankees have Thursday off and will travel to the west coast for games at Seattle and LA (Ana).