Tuesday night I mentioned that the Yankes were hitting .293/.380/.512 from the seventh through ninth innings entering the game. They picked up some hits in that period and upped their numbers to .295/.381/.516. We’ll see them even higher when Baseball Reference updates tomorrow morning. The Yanks went 9 for 17 with three walks and a double in the final three frames, icing the series sweep as they crushed the Orioles, 10-2.
The game was made possible by CC Sabathia, who picked up his 16th win of the season by pitching seven innings of one-run ball. Things started out shaky, as he allowed five hits in the first two innings. This included a bunt base hit and a check-swing bloop in the first, which Nick Markakis took advantage of by slapping a sac fly to left. The Orioles would gather three hits and load the bases with one out in the second, but CC struck out the final two hitters of the inning to escape unscathed.
Only a walk and a single marred his record the rest of the way, and the latter was erased by a 4-3 double play. Nine strikeouts helped keep runners off base. There were questions about CC’s strikeout rate earlier in the season, but no longer. Since the All-Star break he’s struck out 72 in 71 innings. His 6:1 K/BB ratio in the second half currently stands above his insane 5.12 ratio from last year in Milwaukee. This is even more impressive, because he doesn’t have the pitcher to face this year.
Despite CC’s best efforts, the Yanks still found themselves tied at one heading into the seventh inning. That simply would not do. Johnny Damon opened the frame by drawing a walk on a 3-2 count. He’d try to swipe a bag, but Nick Swisher had designs on a pitch breaking down and away from him. It didn’t appear to be a hit and run situation, especially with Swisher up, but it acted as one. Swisher blooped the pitch, and it landed in the exact right place. That set the Yanks up with second and third with none out.
Up came A-Rod, and he delivered exactly what the Yankees needed, a line single to center. That allowed by Damon and Swisher to score, and the Yanks to take a 3-1 lead. Earlier this season, something like this would have called for a sarcastic remark about A-Rod’s lack of clutch ability, but it’s not even necessary at this point. His early struggles affected his overall batting average, but from mid-June on A-Rod has been a force in every way.
Just how insane has A-Rod been since Brian Cashman visited the team in Atlanta? He was hitting .310/.426/.545 since then, and added to that with a 3 for 5 performance last night. There are plenty of reasons the Yankees are the best team in baseball. A-Rod is but one of them, but he’s certainly one of the bigger contributors.
The only downside to the game was Brian Bruney. Girardi gave him the ball to hold a 3-1 lead in the eighth, but he quickly gave back a run. He fell behind Cesar Izturis before retiring him, but he wouldn’t make it back from Nolan Reimold. The rookie home run leader took Bruney deep, pulling the O’s to within a run and forcing the hard throwing righty from the game. Phil Coke and Phil Hughes would split the final two outs, maintaining the lead.
That would all become moot with the Yanks insane ninth, when they walked and singled their way to seven runs, icing the game and the sweep. Derek Jeter, a walk and a single, and Johnny Damon, two singles, reached base twice in the inning. Phil Hughes got some quality work in, striking out the side in the ninth.
The bad news: It appears Mo is suffering from a sore groin and could miss a few days. The good news: the Yankees not only have a capable temp in Phil Hughes, but also have a 7.5 game lead in the East thanks to a Red Sox loss. That puts their magic number, as you can see to your right, at Donnie Baseball with 29 games left to play (30 for the Sox).
After a flight to Toronto, the Yanks will trot out Chad Gaudin tomorrow night in place of Sergio Mitre. Ricky Romero will go for the Jays. Like most games this season, I’ll be eagerly awaiting this one.
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