Yankees beat Blue Jays in extra innings on country’s birthday

Yesterday’s game was an odd affair. Phil Hughes continued his recent struggles. Mariano Rivera gave up a run for the first time since May. Marcus Thames collected his 2nd walk-off hit of the year. But for me the highlight of the game was Brett Gardner‘s inside the park home run. The Yankees were trailing 5-3 until the hit tied the score at 5, and the play was so clearly an error that I’m still a bit perplexed at the ruling.

Hughes allowed 5 runs and 3 homers in 6 innings of work. He started the game looking sharp, but the wheels came off in the middle innings. He left the game with the Blue Jays ahead.

In the bottom of the 6th inning Blue Jays’ Center Fielder Dewayne Wise misplayed what looked to be a routine fly ball off the bat of Brett Gardner. Wise lost the ball in the sun, dropping it after it glanced off his glove. That was all the speedy Gardner would need. Once the ball was dropped Brett turned on the jets and scored. Jorge Posada (who is day-to-day after spraining a finger) was on 2nd at the time, so the hit drove in 2 runs. Mark Teixeira would give the Yankees the lead in the next inning, on one of his 3 hits on the day.

Mariano Rivera was not sharp in the 9th. He allowed the Jays to tie the score on 3 hits. It is an understatement to say Mo has been lights out this year. The blown save was upsetting, but these things do happen, rarely. David Robertson worked into and out of trouble in the 10th, and then Thames won the game on a bloop single. The best part? The Red Sox lost at home to the Orioles, giving the Yankees a 1.5 game lead on the division.