Cano Gives A-Rod The Last Laugh...
FINAL SCENE
A hitter steps into the batter's box. His current manager looks on with confidence. His former manager is concerned. The hitter's team has rallied from four runs down in the 9th to send the game into extra innings. Now the lefty gunslinger strides the mound. He's not as quick on the draw as he used to be.FINAL SCENE
The gunslinger goes into the delivery and fires. The crack of the bat can be heard for miles. The ball jumps off the hitter's bat and lands deep into the seats in left-center field. Quite a poke for a left-handed hitter. Teammates rejoice. The closer comes out of the dugout for another inning and slams the door shut, reminding his old manager that there is no one better. The good guys win.
THE END
It was a comeback for the ages last night at Dodgers Stadium. The Yankees had their stopper, Andy Pettitte, on the mound against the Dodgers' rising star Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw was as good as advertised, limiting the Yankees to an Alex Rodriguez 2-run home run in seven innings of work. He left with a 5-2 lead and watched as the Yankees rallied in the 9th and won it in the 10th when Robinson Cano homered off lefty George Sherrill for an 8-6 Yankees victory.
Pettitte, on the other hand, was a mess. After watching CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett forget to cover first base recently and Pettitte's two wild throws after fielding bunts last night, you would understand if Joe Girardi wants to run a little PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice) before this week's games.
It will be interesting to see if some teams try to bunt more against Pettitte after last night's debacle, which was both physical and mental.
Reed Johnson led off the Dodger 3rd with a double to right. Kershaw then bunted to the left side of the infield. Despite Rodriguez imploring Pettitte to throw to first base, the big Texan fired a wild throw to third, well out of Rodriguez's reach. 1-0 Dodgers and the beginning of some "not in the glove" cursing from Pettitte.
Rafael Furcal thought a bunt looked like a good idea and laid one down on the left side as well. Rodriguez charged, bare handed and fire to first, but not in time. Two on, no one out. Yeah, you know what's coming next.
Ronnie Belliard laid down another bunt, which Pettitte fielded cleanly...and threw wide of Cano for another error and another Dodgers run. Cano may have been able to record the putout, but Pettitte's thrown was in the baseline, which caused Cano to get alligator arms. Andre Ethier tacked on another run on a sac fly for a 3-0 LA lead.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the 4th, including a solo home run by Belliard, and things looked bleak. But A-Rod, who spoke briefly with Torre before the game, came up with the first of two very big hits on the night. One would argue his hits were even bigger than Cano's game winning home run.
A-Rod took Kershaw deep with a man aboard in the 6th to get the Yankees on the board. Though down 5-2 it gave the team some life and some spark. After the Dodgers added an insurance run off Joba Chamberlain in the 8th, it was A-Rod once again who got things going in the 9th with a one out single.
After moving to second base on defensive indifference, A-Rod came home when Cano ripped a double past first baseman James Loney. Then the Yankees really started to make closer Jonathan Broxton work.
Jorge Posada's 10 pitch at-bat resulted in a single to right, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Curtis Granderson. The Grandy man worked an eight pitch at-bat to draw a walk to load the bases. Chad Huffman got three straight 96 mph fastballs, lining the last one to right for a 2-run single to cut the Dodgers lead to 6-5. Granderson moved to third on the play to set up a big confrontation between Broxton and pinch-hitter Colin Curtis.
Curtis worked another 10 pitch at-bat before grounding to Loney at first. Instead of throwing home immediately, Loney chose to step on first for the second out of the inning and then made an off-balance throw home. The throw was the right side of home plate, allowing Granderson to beat catcher Russell Martin to the plate to tie the game.
After intentionally walking Derek Jeter, Broxton finally retired Francisco Cervelli to end the inning. The Dodgers closer threw a career high 48 pitches in the inning after throwing 19 the day before.
Rivera retired the side in order in the 9th, but Loney reached on a lead off single in the 10th to make things interesting. No problem as Rivera struck out Martin and Johnson, and got Jamey Carroll on a game ending ground out.
Just another day in the Hollywood.
Notes
Garrett Anderson and Russell Martin were both ejected after facing Rivera. Anderson was upset at a strike call in his pinch-hit at-bat in the 9th and said a no-no to home plate ump Chris Guccione on his way back to the dugout. Anderson and Torre pleaded the outfielder's case, but to no avail. Martin then K'ed looking in the 10th and slammed his bat down to garner another ejection from Guccione.
George Sherrill had not allowed a home run to a left-hander entering play last night. Cano was also 0-11 against him lifetime.
Pettitte, on the other hand, was a mess. After watching CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett forget to cover first base recently and Pettitte's two wild throws after fielding bunts last night, you would understand if Joe Girardi wants to run a little PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice) before this week's games.
It will be interesting to see if some teams try to bunt more against Pettitte after last night's debacle, which was both physical and mental.
Reed Johnson led off the Dodger 3rd with a double to right. Kershaw then bunted to the left side of the infield. Despite Rodriguez imploring Pettitte to throw to first base, the big Texan fired a wild throw to third, well out of Rodriguez's reach. 1-0 Dodgers and the beginning of some "not in the glove" cursing from Pettitte.
Rafael Furcal thought a bunt looked like a good idea and laid one down on the left side as well. Rodriguez charged, bare handed and fire to first, but not in time. Two on, no one out. Yeah, you know what's coming next.
Ronnie Belliard laid down another bunt, which Pettitte fielded cleanly...and threw wide of Cano for another error and another Dodgers run. Cano may have been able to record the putout, but Pettitte's thrown was in the baseline, which caused Cano to get alligator arms. Andre Ethier tacked on another run on a sac fly for a 3-0 LA lead.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the 4th, including a solo home run by Belliard, and things looked bleak. But A-Rod, who spoke briefly with Torre before the game, came up with the first of two very big hits on the night. One would argue his hits were even bigger than Cano's game winning home run.
A-Rod took Kershaw deep with a man aboard in the 6th to get the Yankees on the board. Though down 5-2 it gave the team some life and some spark. After the Dodgers added an insurance run off Joba Chamberlain in the 8th, it was A-Rod once again who got things going in the 9th with a one out single.
After moving to second base on defensive indifference, A-Rod came home when Cano ripped a double past first baseman James Loney. Then the Yankees really started to make closer Jonathan Broxton work.
Jorge Posada's 10 pitch at-bat resulted in a single to right, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Curtis Granderson. The Grandy man worked an eight pitch at-bat to draw a walk to load the bases. Chad Huffman got three straight 96 mph fastballs, lining the last one to right for a 2-run single to cut the Dodgers lead to 6-5. Granderson moved to third on the play to set up a big confrontation between Broxton and pinch-hitter Colin Curtis.
Curtis worked another 10 pitch at-bat before grounding to Loney at first. Instead of throwing home immediately, Loney chose to step on first for the second out of the inning and then made an off-balance throw home. The throw was the right side of home plate, allowing Granderson to beat catcher Russell Martin to the plate to tie the game.
After intentionally walking Derek Jeter, Broxton finally retired Francisco Cervelli to end the inning. The Dodgers closer threw a career high 48 pitches in the inning after throwing 19 the day before.
Rivera retired the side in order in the 9th, but Loney reached on a lead off single in the 10th to make things interesting. No problem as Rivera struck out Martin and Johnson, and got Jamey Carroll on a game ending ground out.
Just another day in the Hollywood.
Notes
Garrett Anderson and Russell Martin were both ejected after facing Rivera. Anderson was upset at a strike call in his pinch-hit at-bat in the 9th and said a no-no to home plate ump Chris Guccione on his way back to the dugout. Anderson and Torre pleaded the outfielder's case, but to no avail. Martin then K'ed looking in the 10th and slammed his bat down to garner another ejection from Guccione.
George Sherrill had not allowed a home run to a left-hander entering play last night. Cano was also 0-11 against him lifetime.
Brett Gardner had to leave the game after being hit with a Kershaw pitch in the forearm. Gardner stayed in the game at first, but then the arm began to swell. He'll have it further evaluated today.
photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports
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