Flying Solo

The Yankees started the 2nd half off with a bang, slugging 3 solo home runs to topple the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-3. Andy Pettitte (5-6) was effective enough over 5 2-3 innings to pick up his first victory in nearly a month and his 5th of the season.

Derek Jeter broke a 1-1 tie in the 4th inning with a deep home run, his 6th, to center field off of starter and loser Jamie Shields (7-5). Alex Rodriguez followed with a shot into the left field seats for his major league leading 31st home run and number 495 for his career. Two batters later, Bobby Abreu smacked his 6th HR of the season over the wall in right for a 4-1 lead.

Pettitte, who was clobbered in his last 2 starts, struggled with his location again and nearly gave the lead back in the bottom of the 4th. Brendan Harris lead off the inning with a double and Pettitte walked Carlos Pena. Delmon Young rapped a sharp single to right to load the bases with no one out.

But Pettitte bounced back, striking out Ty Wiggington looking. Jonny Gomes sacrifice fly brought home a run, but was the 2nd out and Pettitte struck out Dionner Navarro to end the threat.

In addition to his home run, Abreu doubled in a run in the 2nd and added an RBI single in the 8th. Jorge Posada doubled in a run as well.

Pettitte exited after giving up a pair of singles and a sac fly to Wigginton in the 6th. Luis Vizcaino picked up the final out of the inning and pitched a scoreless 7th. Kyle Farnsworth made things interesting as usual in the 8th, putting 2 men on with just 1 out, and getting Mariano Rivera up early in the pen. But as I yelled at the television set, imploring Farnsworth to be traded, he retired Young and Wiggington to escape unscathed. Mo closed the game out in the 9th in a non-save situation.


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Abreu is 14-26 in his last 7 games, with 7 RBI and 5 runs scored.

Everyone player in the lineup, with the exception of Robinson Cano, had at least 1 hit.

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