Teixeira watches his 3-run blast into Monument ParkTeixeira Slugs Yankees to Sweep
Written for Baseball Digest
Mark Teixeira slugged a pair of home runs and A.J. Burnett won his first game since July 27 as the Yankees beat the TampaBay Rays 11-1 last night. The victory completed the sweep of a day-night doubleheader and put the Yankees a solid nine games in front of Boston in the AL East.
The Yankees took control of the nightcap early, scoring eight times in the 3rd inning. The Rays had taken a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning on back to back doubles by Gabe Gross and Evan Longoria, and Burnett had walked a batter in each of the first two innings. But the Yankees bats went on the attack, knocking out Rays’ starter Andy Sonnanstine after just 2 2/3 innings.
Singles by Melky Cabrera and Jose Molina, sandwiched around a walk to Jerry Hairston Jr., loaded the bases with no one out. Derek Jeter, still three hits behind Lou Gehrig for the franchise record, bounced into a run producing force out to tie the game at one apiece. The Captain would go 0-4 for the game, finishing the day and night 0-8. It was the first time he had ever gone hitless in a doubleheader.
Johnny Damon’s single to center put the Yankees up 2-1 and set the stage for Teixeira. The Yankees best offensive addition of ‘09, smashed a Sonnanstine delivery into Monument Park in straight away center to boost the Bombers advantage to 5-1. And the Yankees weren’t done yet. Hideki Matsui singled and Nick Swisher walked to put two aboard. Sonnanstine retired Robinson Cano, but Cabrera’s second single of the inning brought home the sixth run of the inning and ended Sonnanstine’s day.
Hairston greeted Chad Bradford with an RBI single to left and Molina’s second hit of the inning plated the eighth and final run. Jeter than earned the unwanted distinction of making the first and last outs of the inning.
Burnett settled down after the first two innings, allowing just two hits and another walk over the next four innings. He finished with eight strikeouts in picking up his 11th win.
The Yankees added three more runs in the 6th, including a solo home run by Teixeira, his 35th of the season.
Game Notes
While Derek Jeter didn’t move closer to Lou Gehrig’s hit record, he did pass Yogi Berra for third place on the team’s games played list with 2,117. Only Mickey Mantle (2,401) and Gehrig (2,164) have played in more games in the Pinstripes.
Mark Teixeira has three multi-homer games this season and 24 for his career.
The Yankees are 39 games over .500 for the first time since 2004. Meanwhile, the Rays have lost six straight to fall 16.5 games behind the Yankees in the division and 7.5 games back of Boston in the AL wild card.
Couple of more obscure stats from the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees have won 15 straight games in which they were tied after the 7th inning. Only the 1906 NY Giants (16) have won more consecutive games. The Yankees bullpen has won 12 straight decisions. That’s just one less than the 2002 Atlanta Braves.
Chad Gaudin has the unenviable task of facing fireballer David Price when the series continues tonight at 7:05 P.M. ET
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment