The Bronx is Burning, Again

Johnny Damon hit a clutch 2-run home run against his former teammates, and Mr. August, Andy Pettitte, was brilliant in defeating the Boston Red Sox 5-3 last night at Yankee Stadium. Jason Varitek's home run in the top of the 7th had tied the game 3-3 and left Pettitte smashing his glove in the dugout at inning's end.

But Andy Phillips lead off the bottom of the inning with a single of Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Melky Cabrera successfully sacrificed him to 2nd. Damon jumped on Dice-K's (13-11) first pitch and sent it just over the fence in the right field short porch for his 9th HR of the season. The crowd went crazy and amped it up even more when Joba Chamberlain got up in the Yankees pen.

Chamberlain's first Yankees-Sox experience was a memorable one. After walking Kevin Youkillis on a 3-2 pitch, Chamberlain got David Ortiz to pop out on a high fastball. He struck out Eric Hinske on 3 straight pitches before Mike Lowell hit a soft liner to center for a single. But Joba the Great came right back and fooled J.D. Drew for an inning ending strikeout.

Mariano Rivera was even more outstanding in the 9th, blowing away Varitek and Coco Crisp, before getting Julio Lugo on a soft liner to Robinson Cano for the game's final out and his 21st save.

The Yankees staked Pettitte to a quick 2-0 lead when they jumped on Dice-K in the 1st inning. The Bombers loaded the bases on a single by Damon, a walk to Bobby Abreu, and Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch in the small of the back. Hideki Matsui grounded into a force out to score one run and Jorge Posada delivered another with an RBI double. Matsuzaka escaped further trouble when Cano's drive to deep right-center settled into the glove of Crisp for the final out of the inning.

Boston got 1 run back in the 2nd on Manny Ramirez's 20th home run of the season. It was Ramirez's 13th straight season with at least 20 home runs. He would have to leave the game later with back spasms. David Ortiz's sac fly tied the game up in the 3rd, but the Captain brought some excitement back in the 5th.
Derek Jeter, hampered by injuries, was muddled in a 1-18 slide when he drove a Dice-K delivery to right for his 9th home run, and 1st since August 1st. Then it was up to the former idiot, Damon, and the guns, Joba and Mo, to finish things off.

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The Yankees pulled to within a game of the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card chase. The M's jumped on the Angels Ervin Santana for 5 runs in the 1st inning, but ex-Yankee Jeff Weaver helped pay them back for the misery he caused. The Angels came back for a 10-6 win.

Andy Pettitte earned his 198th career victory, and finished August 6-0, 2.36.

Joba Chamberlain has now thrown 10 scoreless innings over 8 appearance. He's allowed just 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 17.


Derek Jeter's home run was the 192nd of his career, tying him with Tino Martinez on the all-time Yankees list. It so happened the Bam-Tino was in attendance.

photos courtesy of AP