A Mark in the Park

Sunday was a great day for the first trip to Yankee Stadium this year (notice I didn't call it the 'new' Yankee Stadium). Good game, at least the last three innings anyway. Perfect weather, good crowd, etc.

For years, we've always parked in the River Ave. garage. That was until last year when we were informed it was for season ticket holders only, much as the garage that was beyond THE Yankee Stadium. Things changed this year though and it's back to being an open lot. A $23 open lot.

"Sir, any money you take out of your wallet will be considered a tip"

Needless to say I forgot that you don't pay as you enter any more. That's a direct quote from the parking lot attendant. You get a ticket, which at some point you insert into a machine in the lot to pay. I also forgot that last year we went to the museum after the game so there weren't many people left in the lot. Ugh. A half-hour to exit the lot this year. Very poor system that has been set up by Kinney or whomever owns the lots now.

Seats were section 420c, upper tier, a little to the left of home plate. Very good viewing.

As for the game itself, great game by A.J. Burnett. It really helped out the bullpen with an eight inning stint. He nearly came out on the short end though as the Yankees bats were silenced by Justin Masterson, who entered the game without a win. There weren't many good at bats leading up to the 7th, when the Yankees finally broke through.

Derek Jeter, whose error led to two insurance runs for a 3-0 hole, singled in a pair to cut the deficit to one.

Curtis Granderson doubled off lefty reliever Tony Sipp. That brought up Mark Teixeira, who has been swinging the bat better of late, but still not coming up with hits in clutch situations.

Let's go back to Saturday's game for a moment. Paul O'Neill, doing color commentary for YES, talk about Tex's struggles. O'Neill talked about how you tend to press. Before you know it, you're down 0-2 and you press even more. Back to Sunday.

Tex quickly fell behind 0-2 and O'Neill's words echoed in my head. But Tex worked the count back to 2-2 and then crushed a pitch deep to left for a go-ahead 3-run home run. The 250th career home run of Tex's career.

The Yankees added two more insurance runs in the 8th and then it was an easy 1-2-3 9th for Mariano Rivera, though he nearly didn't come out of it unscathed. Mo broke yet another bat, but this time the bat tried to get revenge. Luis Valbuena hit a comebacker and his broken bat was neck and neck with the ball. Basically in one motion Mo hopped over the bat and knocked the ball down with his glove. Calmly picked the ball up and threw to first to end the game. There's no one better.

Oh, one final note. The people who make up the nachos (this is just from witnessing, not eating them) - the food should look better going in then coming out. That is all.