Must be 4 Feet to Ride

If you felt like you were on the Cyclone at Coney Island yesterday there's good reason for that. The Yankees blew 1-0, 6-3, and 9-8 leads, but rallied from 3-1, 8-6, and 11-10 deficits to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 12-11, in 10 innings. With Friday night's marathon, the two teams played 24 innings in a 24 hour period. The win combined with the Tigers loss, dropped their magic number to 3 to clinch the Wild Card. The Red Sox won, as the Rays' Al Reyes blew his 3rd save to them this season, clinched a post season berth for Boston and kept them 2.5 games ahead in the AL East.

Melky Cabrera, who was 0-4 at one point, had game tying singles in the 7th and 8th innings and set off a celebration in the 10th with a game winning line drive to right-center. Both starters were long gone by then. Phil Hughes had a very erratic outing, unable to protect a 1-0 lead when he was touched up for 3 runs in his 5th and final inning. He threw 99 pitches and was hurt by a pair of hanging breaking pitches.

Blue Jays' starter Shaun Marcum had to leave the game after just 3 innings with a sore knee. The Jays also lost Frank Thomas with a sore knee in the 5th and reliever Scott Downs with a strained back in the 6th.

The Yankees trailed 3-2 in the 6th, but Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui drove in 2 runs each for a 6-3 Yankees lead. Russ Ohlendorf, who got the final out of the 6th, was in line for the win, but instead of seeing what Ohlendorf could do, Joe Torre decided to go to Jose Veras in the 7th and the lead was soon gone. Veras and Edwar Ramirez combined to give up 5 runs and the Yankees suddenly found themselves down 8-6.

But the Bombers came right back in their half of the 7th as Cabrera's single plated a pair and A-Rod put them back up again with a single. The only problem was that Kyle Farnsworth was coming into the game. He was loudly booed by the fans upon his entry and didn't leave with any more love after giving up 3 runs. Chris Britton and even Kei Igawa managed to retire the only men they faced, but the Yankees again trailed by 2 as they went to the bottom of the 8th.
Thankfully for the Yankees, the Jays' bullpen was even worse than their own. With Brian Wolfe on the hill, Jorge Posada lead off the inning with a single. Robinson Cano drew a 1-out walk and both runners moved up on Wilson Betemit's ground out. That's when Aaron Hill helped the Yankees out again. The Blue Jays' 2nd Baseman, who is known more for his glove than his bat, couldn't field Cabrera's bouncer up the middle, the ball squirting under his glove. Cabrera was given a 2-run single and the teams would soon be headed to extra frames again.

The Jays had a chance to take the lead, but Cabrera's defense prevented that. Matt Stairs had lead off with a single off of Jeff Karstens and tried to score on Hill's 2-out double to center. But Cabrera played the high carom off the wall with his bare hand and fired a strike to relay man Robinson Cano. Cano's throw home hit the mound, but still found it's target in Posada's glove, and the catcher tagged out a sliding Stairs for the inning's final out.

The 3 players who combined for the big defensive play then combined for the game winner. Posada blooped a ground rule double to left off of Josh Towers. After an intentional walk to Jason Giambi, Cano's fly to left moved pinch-runner Johnny Damon and Giambi up a base. Betemit struck out, but the Melkman delivered the game winner.

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Alex Rodriguez's amazing season continues. His 3 RBI gave him 146 on the season, the most by a Yankee since Don Mattingly knocked in 145 in 1985. He's the 1st major leaguer since Ted Williams in 1949 to score at least 137 runs in addition to driving in 146.

Jorge Posada's double was a career high 41st. His 3 hits raised his average to .337, 60 points better than his career mark.

photos courtesy of AP