Yankees Start Stretch Run With a Bang
Written for Baseball DigestThe calendar may have turned to September, but the Yankees continued their winning ways with a 9-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. After winning 21 of 28 in August, the Bombers lived up to their nickname, slugging 5 home runs, including a pair by Jorge Posada.
They would need plenty of offense to overcome a shaky performance by starter A.J. Burnett. The right-hander had a live fastball and plenty of movement on his breaking balls, but his pitches either missed the zone or were meatballs devoured by the Orioles hitters like they were Dominick DiNapoli. Fortunately the Yankees bullpen was outstanding, tossing 3-2/3 scoreless innings. Damaso Marte earned his first win since September 13th of last season and just his second in Pinstripes.
Home runs by Robinson Cano and Posada off of David Hernandez had given the Yankees an early 3-1 lead, but Burnett quickly gave it back, allowing a game-tying 2-run double to Melvin Mora in the 3rd. Posada was called out on strikes- well, he though he was!- but it turned out the count was only full. Posada took advantage, taking Hernandez deep again for a 5-3 Yankees lead in the 5th. But Burnett and the Yankees were looking at a deficit again in the home half of the inning when Luke Scott hit his 21st home run of the season with two men aboard.
Burnett didn’t make it out of the 6th inning, but the Yankees bats kept churning out runs against the O’s bullpen. Alex Rodriguez tied the game with an RBI single off Chris Ray in the 6th, and one inning later Nick Swisher and Eric Hinske went yard against Ray to account for the final score. It was Swisher’s 13th home run in 25 games at Camden Yards.
The only thing left was for Mariano Rivera to pick up his 38th save, which he did when he got Scott to bounce into a game-ending double play.
Game Notes
Derek Jeter had one hit, putting him 9 behind Lou Gehrig as the all-time franchise leader for total career hits.
The Yankees are 36 games over .500 for the first time since the final game of the 2004 season. Hopefully there are no omens from that.
Nick Swisher has 3 home runs this year at Yankee Stadium and 4 at Camden Yards.
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