Nick Swisher's hustle helped score the game winner.Written for Baseball Digest Online
Derek Jeter moved no closer to Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankees hit record, but the Yankees took the opener of a day-night doubleheader with the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1. CC Sabathia and Matt Garza dueled for seven innings in a 1-1 game before the Yankees broke through against the Rays bullpen in the 8th inning. Mariano Rivera came on in the 9th, making his first appearance since September 1st, and picked up his 39th save.
Jeter was 0-4 and made the final out in the 7th. He then watched as seven of his teammates came to the plate an inning later. Nick Swisher drew a lead off walk from Lance Cormier and Mark Teixeira followed with a single to right. Gabe Kapler booted the ball, allowing both runners to move up a base. Joe Maddon knows the Yankees well so he walked Alex Rodriguez to set up a match up with Robinson Cano. The 2nd baseman entered the game hitting just .240 this season with the bases loaded. But Cano drove a ball to deep center to score pinch-runner Jerry Hairston Jr. with the go ahead run.
Maddon sent for submariner Chad Bradford, but Jorge Posada lined an RBI single to right and Eric Hinske added another insurance run with a sacrifice fly. That left things up to Rivera to close things out. He walked Pat Burrell to start the inning, but struck out Evan Longoria, retired pinch-hitter Gabe Gross on a pop up, and struck out pinch-hitter Aki Iwamura to tie Brian Fuentes for the AL lead in saves.
Phil Hughes pitched a scoreless 8th inning to improve his record to 6-2. He got off the wrong foot, issuing a lead off walk to speedster Carl Crawford. But the Yankees guessed correctly and called for a pitch out. It enabled Jorge Posada to throw out Crawford trying to steal 2nd base.
The Yankees had just seven hits on the day, three of them by A-Rod, who drove in the Bombers first run with a 1st inning single. Longoria tied the game at one apiece with his 29th home run, and 101st RBI, in the 2nd inning.
Game Notes
CC Sabathia allowed three hits, walked four and struck out 10, matching his season high.
Brett Gardner was 0-3 in his return to the Yankees line up. He had been on the DL since July 26 with a fractured wrist.
A.J. Burnett faces Andy Sonnanstine in the nightcap.
Derek Jeter moved no closer to Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankees hit record, but the Yankees took the opener of a day-night doubleheader with the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1. CC Sabathia and Matt Garza dueled for seven innings in a 1-1 game before the Yankees broke through against the Rays bullpen in the 8th inning. Mariano Rivera came on in the 9th, making his first appearance since September 1st, and picked up his 39th save.
Jeter was 0-4 and made the final out in the 7th. He then watched as seven of his teammates came to the plate an inning later. Nick Swisher drew a lead off walk from Lance Cormier and Mark Teixeira followed with a single to right. Gabe Kapler booted the ball, allowing both runners to move up a base. Joe Maddon knows the Yankees well so he walked Alex Rodriguez to set up a match up with Robinson Cano. The 2nd baseman entered the game hitting just .240 this season with the bases loaded. But Cano drove a ball to deep center to score pinch-runner Jerry Hairston Jr. with the go ahead run.
Maddon sent for submariner Chad Bradford, but Jorge Posada lined an RBI single to right and Eric Hinske added another insurance run with a sacrifice fly. That left things up to Rivera to close things out. He walked Pat Burrell to start the inning, but struck out Evan Longoria, retired pinch-hitter Gabe Gross on a pop up, and struck out pinch-hitter Aki Iwamura to tie Brian Fuentes for the AL lead in saves.
Phil Hughes pitched a scoreless 8th inning to improve his record to 6-2. He got off the wrong foot, issuing a lead off walk to speedster Carl Crawford. But the Yankees guessed correctly and called for a pitch out. It enabled Jorge Posada to throw out Crawford trying to steal 2nd base.
The Yankees had just seven hits on the day, three of them by A-Rod, who drove in the Bombers first run with a 1st inning single. Longoria tied the game at one apiece with his 29th home run, and 101st RBI, in the 2nd inning.
Game Notes
CC Sabathia allowed three hits, walked four and struck out 10, matching his season high.
Brett Gardner was 0-3 in his return to the Yankees line up. He had been on the DL since July 26 with a fractured wrist.
A.J. Burnett faces Andy Sonnanstine in the nightcap.
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