Matsui Birthday Slams Athletics

Hideki Matsui likes to hit grand slams in big moments. In his rookie year in 2003 he went deep with the bases loaded on opening day against the Twins and then in first game of the day-night, two fields doubleheader against the Mets. In 2004, there was a grand slam up in Fenway and another against the Mets. He hadn't it another grand slam since, that is until last night when he celebrated his 34th birthday with a grand slam home run that supplied all of the Yankees runs in their 4-1 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Andy Pettitte was pitching beautifully, but the Yankees trailed 1-0 entering the 6th inning. A's starter Joe Blanton had allowed just 3 hits through the first 5 innings and the Yankees had stranded runners in scoring position in two of them. 2nd baseman Mark Ellis made a diving stop of Derek Jeter's grounder to start the 6th, but had no play. Then Blanton hurt himself with his propensity to walk hitters. He issued back to back free passes to Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez with no one out. That's when Godzilla stomped on McAfee Stadium, sending a Blanton change up well over and above the 362-ft sign in right-center field.

Then it was all up to Pettitte and the veteran came through with his best performance of the season. He retired the last 11 men he faced, coming up with 1-2-3 innings in the 6th, 7th, and 8th. The victory was the 170th of his Yankees career, tying him with Ron Guidry for 4th place on the all-time team list. And what would a milestone victory be for Pettitte without Mariano Rivera to nail it down.

Pitching for the fourth time in five days, Rivera recorded his 18th save in as many chances, and the 53rd in a game in which Pettitte was the winning pitcher. He issued a lead off walk to Eric Chavez, but retired Ellis on a fly out and struck out Emil Brown and Carlos Gonzalez to end the game.

The lone A's run came in the 2nd inning when Ellis doubled, moved to 3rd on Brown's ground out to the right side, and scored on a Gonzalez single.



News and Notes

Relief pitcher Jonathan Albaledejo is out for the year after additional tests revealed a stress fracture in his elbow. It was originally thought to be just a strain.

According to Peter Abraham, Matsui also hit grand slams on his birthday in Japan in 1996 and 1998.

Kim Jones reported on the YES pre-game that Joe Girardi told Melky Cabrera to stop sliding head first into 1st base, and characterized the play as "overhustling".

Anthony McCarron of the NY Daily News reported that Yankees 2nd round draft pick Jeremy Bleich will start Stanford's opening round game in the College World Series this Saturday against Florida State.

Bobby Abreu had his modest 7-game hitting streak snapped.