Well, that was an exciting game. And thanks to some late inning heroics by the Yankees, the complexion of this recap changed dramatically. I was all set to hit submit on an “oh woe is us” recap lamenting the stranded runners, the missed opportunities and talking about how the Yankees had an almost sure victory snatched from their hands.
Instead, I get to write about how the Angels had that very thing done to them!
Both of the game’s starters – CJ Wilson and Hiroki Kuroda – started off strong with two scoreless innings apiece and it looked like the game could turn into one of those pitcher’s duels everyone knows and loves.
The Angels got on the board first with a monster home run to the second deck in right field by Erick Aybar in the third inning. The Yankees answered back in the bottom half of the frame. Derek Jeter hit a one-out bloop single to right which was followed by a Curtis Granderson strikeout – his 101st of the season. With one on and two outs, Wilson delivered an 0-1 pitch to Mark Teixeira who hit a laser of a home run to left that looked eerily similar to his game-winning home run against the Twins in the 2009 ALDS.
Kuroda was cruising until the seventh inning when he gave up a single to Albert Pujols. Next, he had Morales at 1-2 before hitting him with a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. In stepped Mark Trumbo, who must have thought he was back in Kansas City at the home run derby because he crushed a 1-1 offering from Kuroda into the seats over the visitor’s bullpen in left field to make it 4-2 Angels. It was Trumbo’s 23rd home run of the season.
The Angels added a run in the top of the eighth after Trout doubled to lead off, stole third and Pujols hit a ground rule double. Kuroda was removed from the game and Chad Qualls induced a pop by Morales and deep fly out by Trumbo to end the inning.
The Angels went to their bullpen in the bottom of the eighth and Jeter started off with a double to right center off reliever Scott Downs.
The Yankees had started off the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with extra base hits. The runners in the sixth and seventh never scored. The Yanks would end that drought in the eighth.
Granderson walked to put two on with no one out against Downs who entering tonight’s game had only allowed one earned run in 30 innings. Teixeira then launched a 1-2 pitch into the left field seats for home run number two on the night, number 17 on the season and the game was tied 5-5. Teixeira finished with five RBI for the game.
After Rodriguez and Cano both made outs, Swisher walked. Dewayne Wise replaced Swisher on first, stole second and Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen intentionally walked Raul Ibanez to put runners on first and second with two outs. Russell Martin who has struggled mightily this season hit a 1-0 line drive, base hit to right which scored Wise, gave the Yankees a lead and capped off a four run, three hit, three walk inning that saw nine Yankees batters face Angels pitching.
Rafael Soriano came in to pitch the ninth got Alberto Callaspo to strike out to start the inning. After Howard “Don’t Call Me Howie” Kendrick worked his at bat to a 3-2 count and singled to right, Soriano then got Aybar to pop out in front of the pitcher’s mound for the second out. Scioscia sent Macier Izturis to pinch hit for John Hester and after Soriano threw a passed ball, Kendrick took off for second, Martin recovered the ball, fired a strike to Jeter and nailed Kendrick for the final out of the game.
Martin pumped his first, said a bad word and bumped chests with Soriano as the Yankees celebrated an exciting 6-5 comeback victory.
Some notes:
- Rafael Soriano picked up his 21st save of the season.
- The Yankees are now 53-33, a season high 20 games over .500.
- They are 10 games over both at home and on the road.
- The Yankees have 28 comeback wins this season which is tops in the majors.
- The Yankees now have a 37 game streak of scoring 3 or more runs which tied for the third longest streak by Yankee team since 1920.
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46 Responses to The Comeback Kids Teixeira And Martin Lead The Yankees To Victory
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TIQ IQ
A great win and a great game for the Yankees, Teixeira and Martin. Hopefully this picks up Tex and Rus for the second half.
Everybody welcome Stacey to TYA!
I saw Al Leiter’s nephew pitch yesterday. He had a good game, struck out 10, a one-hitter through 5, two-hitter through 6, came out in the 7th with the game tied 2-2 and got a no decision.
Welcome Stacey! Im sure youll do a terrific job
Game thread?
I guess well just take this over. Im expecting a lot of scoring today. Freddy and his kitchen sink approach scare me. I just feel like the margin for error is so small that with the powerful hitters the Angels have in their lineup hes going to get crushed
Hey Professor. Looked like Freddy was having trouble finding Stewart’s mitt in that inning. I hope he finds it or we’re in for a long afternoon.
Boy these arent the Angels I remember. A couple times yesterday and now this today I see a lot of very sloppy fielding plays
Even though the Yankees beat them in 2009, I still dislike the Angels for 2002, 2005 and all of the other regular season series in between.
Oh yeah Angels are definitely on the list of teams I strongly dislike. I was very concerned back in 09 when they played in the playoffs. If we made it through them I thought we would beat the Phillies easily. Or as Rollins put it “5 if theyre lucky.”
It’s funny, I knew that since it was a seven game series in 09 the Yankees would win.
Five game series are tricky and something screwy always seems to happen that causes the series to be changed in one game.
At least with a seven game series there is more room for error.
My list of teams to hare includes anyone that the Yanks play.
Nice shot by Cano. Looking like the high scoring game Michael predicted.
Angels lineup is scary when you think that Pujols is the 3rd best hitter on the team but extremely top heavy.
Not much power after the 2Ts and P. Some decent averages, but none great afterwards either.
I really thought Garcia was going to get out of that first inning.
Yeah as Kay said I heard that the Yankees were very much planning on taking Trout if he fell to them. Imagine this team with Trout and Gerritt Cole if he signed? Be the second coming of the 90s dynasty.
Nice job by Fred in the second.
He’s not pitching badly. Just couldn’t get that other out when he needed it.
It also didn’t help that the home plate ump called the same pitch a strike to make it 0-1 and then a ball to make it 2-1 in the same at bat. That seemed to screw with him a bit.
(It was a low pitch in both instances but the umps should at least try to be consistent.)
True, but they aren’t, and everyone has to live with it. Some guys can shrug it off.
He has to get through the weak underbelly of that lineup. Its the TPT threesome im most concerned with. The other guys he should go right after though
It’s Garcia. He doesn’t really go right after anyone.
30 pitches, no out in the second. Yeah, it’s a Yankee game.
Since a week or so before the break Swisher has been a lot more patient at the plate, seeing more pitches.
About time. He hacked his way through the first half, and didn’t even get any extra power to compensate for the loss of OBP.
Hopefully he has a strong second half. I think he might be overcompensating because its a contract year. Hes a good guy, a bit on the obnoxious side in my opinion, but hes useful as long as he goes back to that power/patience approach.
I like him a lot and hope the Yankees keep him. But he’s obviously overswinging at times this year.
He keeps this up and I bet within the week we’ll see an uptick in his slg%
I think you’re right.
Only think? I’m hurt by your lack of confidence in me. lol
I personally regard thinking as a much higher form of confirmation than mere belief.
Belief? I expect you to KNOW that I’m right.
Ir would be nice for Garcia to have a low pitch inning but with Pujols & Trunbo batting this inning I doubt it.
Might get a glimpse at DJ Mitchell for a couple innings
He’s already up to 55 pitches. He won’t last long anyway.
I saw Mark Leiter Jr pitch yesterday. He pitched a good game.
Is he a lefty like his daddy?
No, a righty. I remember both Leiters as Yankees. Neither was great.
At what point do you think an OBP shows a hitter is taking walks at a good rate? 75 points above BA?
When I see 50 I generally think, OK this guy at least has the skill. But, yeah, around 75 you can’t help but add a lot of value.
Heyy how about that? Nice baserunning I like seeing a bit of aggression on the basepaths
Yeah, without Gardner it’s been a slow-basepath season.
Phil C, I guess I just haven’t attained that level of enlightenment. I’ll work on it.
Paul O’Neill straightened Granderson out.
Alex Rodriguez is looking worse and worse.
Wanna come join us at the game thread? It was posted a little while ago