After leaving everyone on base, Yanks hit (by pitch) their way to a win

Posted by mobile phone:
So that game was pretty ridiculous. Or as John Sterling kept saying on the radio, it was “nutty.” In fact, he just kept saying that over and over and over again.

For the Yanks, this game started off promising. They plated two in the second and had runners on second and third with no one out. But Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez struck out thus initiating an offensive malaise that would last until Jose Molina’s clutch two-strike bases-loaded HBP in the 12th to give the Yanks their second win in two games after the break.

For the Yankees, much of this game rested on the top of the lineup. A-Rod went 0 for 5 and left seven runners on base. Jeter didn’t pick up his two hits until the innings of free baseball kicked in. While Robinson Cano continued his hot hitting with four hits, and Melky and Brett Gardner each had a pair of hits, the Yanks left a whopping 21 runners on base. That they won is a testament to good luck, their bullpen and the A’s anemic offense.

On the pitching front, Joba was again stellar as a starter. He threw six innings, allowing a run on six hits and one walk. He also struck out eight and needed just under 16 pitches per inning, a far better mark than he had seen recently.

The bullpen was a little unsettled at first. Jose Veras pitched himself into trouble and couldn’t pitch out of it. Mariano continued to struggle a tad in non-save situations. But the bullpen struck out 10 in six innings of work.

In the end, the Yanks won a game they could have won many times over and did it in the oddest way possible: a hit, two walks and an HBP in the 12th. I’ll take it. A win is a win is a win.