Yankees Bunt and Bloop Out a Win

You could tell someone other than Joe Torre was managing tonight when the Yankees bunted back-to-back times in the 8th inning. The sacrifices helped lead to the winning run when Bobby Abreu's broken bat bloop fell into centerfield, scoring Melky Cabrera from 3rd Base with what proved to be the difference in the game.

Cabrera lead off the 8th with a sharp single to right and moved up when Johnny Damon laid down a perfect sac bunt. Pitcher Scott Downs booted the ball allowing Damon to reach 1st Base safely. Joe Girardi gave Derek Jeter the bunt sign as well and the captain put down another perfect bunt. He appeared to beat the throw to 1st Base, but was called out on a questionable ruling by ump Paul Emmel.

With Alex Rodriguez waiting on deck, Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons elected to let lefty Downs face the left-handed hitting Abreu. Abreu got jammed by a pitch, but got enough bat on the ball to drop it in front of a charging Vernon Wells.

Wells started the Jays' 9th with a single off of Mariano Rivera, but the Yankees closer picked up his 445th career save by retiring the next 3 hitters. Aaron Hill took a called third strike to end the game.

Phil Hughes was super in his first start of the season, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings. He walked 1 and struck out 4, while having very good control all evening. Hughes retired the first 9 men he faced before David Eckstein lead off the 4th with a double. He would later come around to score on an Alex Rios single.

The Blue Jays added another run in the 5th on a walk to Marcos Scutaro, a double by Greg Zaun, and Eckstein's RBI single.

The Yankees couldn't do anything against Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan, but the right-hander, who was still recuperating from the flu, wore down in the 6th as his pitched count neared 100.

Damon lead off the inning with a double to right-center and Jeter was hit by a pitch. Abreu walked to load the bases and Damon came home when a McGowan pitch to A-Rod skipped in the dirt and got away. McGowan came back to strike out the reigning MVP, but Jason Giambi drove in his 1st run of the season with a sac fly to right to tie the game. Abreu was thrown at 3rd as he tried to advance on the play.

News and Notes

Billy Traber made his Yankees debut, striking out the only batter, Lyle Overbay, that he faced. Brian Bruney made his '08 debut by retiring both hitters he faced.

Joba Chamberlain tossed a scoreless 8th and gave Michael Kay yet another opportunity to discuss the merits of Joba's fist pump.

Mariano Rivera didn't get his 2nd save last year until May 3rd.

Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas was tossed by home plate ump Bill Miller after being called out on a strikes in the 4th inning. The Big Hurt was big time angry.

Toronto	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Eckstein, SS	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	.154
Stairs, LF	4	0	1	0	0	1	3	.250
1-Coats, PR-LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Rios, RF	4	0	1	1	0	1	1	.444
Wells, V, CF	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	.333
Thomas, DH	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.111
a-Stewart, PH-DH	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.200
Overbay, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.182
Hill, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.250
Scutaro, 3B	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	.125
Zaun, C	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.333
Totals	33	2	6	2	1	7	9
a-Grounded out for Thomas in the 6th. 1-Ran for Stairs in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Eckstein (1, Hughes), Zaun (1, Hughes). TB: Eckstein 3; Stairs; Rios; Wells, V; Zaun 2. RBI: Rios (3), Eckstein (1). 2-out RBI: Eckstein. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Thomas; Stairs; Hill. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING SB: Rios (2, 2nd base off Hughes/Molina). FIELDING E: Downs (1, fielding). Outfield assists: Rios (Abreu at 3rd base). DP: 3 (Eckstein-Hill-Overbay, Hill-Eckstein-Overbay, Rios-Overbay-Scutaro).

Toronto	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
McGowan	6.0	4	2	2	3	4	0	3.00
Wolfe (L, 0-1)	1.0	1	1	1	0	1	0	9.00
Downs	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.00

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, DH	3	1	1	0	0	1	2	.182
Jeter, SS	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	.300
Abreu, RF	3	0	2	1	1	1	0	.500
Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	5	.273
Giambi, 1B	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	.000
Cano, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	5	.091
Matsui, LF	3	0	1	0	0	2	1	.222
Molina, C	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	.333
Cabrera, CF	2	1	1	0	1	0	1	.375
Totals	25	3	6	2	3	6	18
BATTING 2B: Damon (1, McGowan). TB: Damon 2; Abreu 2; Matsui; Molina; Cabrera. RBI: Giambi (1), Abreu (1). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cano 3. S: Damon; Jeter. SF: Giambi. GIDP: Jeter; Cabrera. Team LOB: 6. FIELDING E: Cano (1, missed catch).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Hughes	6.0	4	2	2	1	4	0	3.00
Traber	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
Bruney	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Chamberlain (W, 1-0)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
Rivera (S, 2)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.00

Wolfe pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

WP: McGowan.
HBP: Jeter (by McGowan), Giambi (by Downs).
Pitches-strikes: McGowan 99-57, Wolfe 11-8, Downs 15-11, Hughes 87-58, Traber 4-3, Bruney 10-5, Chamberlain 11-8, Rivera 13-8.
Ground outs-fly outs: McGowan 8-5, Wolfe 2-0, Downs 1-1, Hughes 7-7, Traber 0-0, Bruney 1-1, Chamberlain 1-1, Rivera 2-0.
Batters faced: McGowan 23, Wolfe 4, Downs 6, Hughes 23, Traber 1, Bruney 2, Chamberlain 4, Rivera 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Downs 1-1.
EjectionsToronto Blue Jays designated hitter Frank Thomas ejected by HP umpire Bill Miller. (4th).
Umpires: HP: Bill Miller. 1B: Paul Emmel. 2B: Gary Darling. 3B: Jerry Meals.
Weather: 42 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 10 mph, R to L.
T: 2:45.
Att: 47,785.

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