Girardi and Cano Bring Down the House

The Yankees got their first walk off win of the season tonight when Robinson Cano singled home Hideki Matsui with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th for a 2-1 win. It capped off a wild inning that saw manager Joe Girardi ejected for the first time this season.

The inning started with a lead off single by Matsui against Orioles reliever Jim Johnson. After Alex Rodriguez struck out, Jason Giambi worked the count to 2-2 and backed away from a fastball inside for an apparent full count. But home plate umpire Chris Guccione ruled that the ball hit the knob on Giambi's bat, and since catcher Ramon Hernandez caught the ball, it was a foul tip and strike 3. Giambi was dumbfounded and Girardi was incensed.

The biggest bone of contention was that it appeared that Guccione did not react until Hernandez pointed to Giambi and indicated that he thought the ball hit the bat. Perhaps it was weeks worth of frustration boiling over, but no matter what the reason, Girardi lit into Guccione. It was an effort worthy of arguements by Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Ralph Houk, and Lou Piniella. Girardi eventually threw his cap down, kicked it, and then kicked at the dirt before going back at Guccione again.

When play resumed, Bobby Abreu walked, and Cano delivered, slicing a ball into left field for a base hit. Matsui slid home ahead of a high throw from Jay Payton and the Yankees began a much needed raucous celebration.

As big as the win was the performance by Ian Kennedy tonight. The much maligned rookie threw 6 innings, allowing 1 run, while walking 4 and striking out 4. His only real trouble came in the 3rd inning when he allowed an RBI triple to Freddie Bynum and then walked the bases loaded. But unlike his prior starts this season, Kennedy didn't melt under the pressure. He struck out Nick Markakis swinging and then retired Aubrey Huff on a fly to Johnny Damon in left to end the inning.

The Yankees scored just once off Orioles starter Brian Burres, tying the game up in the 4th. Again it was Matsui starting things with a single. Giambi lined a single to right and Matsui beat the throw from Markakis to 3rd. Shelley Duncan then lofted a fly to deep left for a game tying sacrifice fly.

The Yankees offense wasn't exactly gangbusters, Damon and Matsui combined for 5 of the 8 hits, but their pitching took control. Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth got them through the 7th and 8th and Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless 9th for his first win of the season.

News and Notes

Chien-Ming Wang has been pushed back to Sunday to give his mild calf strain some additional rest. Mike Mussina, who made a 1st inning exit on Tuesday, will come back on 3 days rest on Saturday.

The victory was the 100th of Joe Girardi's managerial career.

Of Ian Kennedy's 4 strikeouts, 3 of them were by Nick Markakis.

The Yankees put up netting by the right-center field stairwell where A-Rod's ball hit last night and was erroneously ruled a double.

May 22, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	0
NY Yankees	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1		2	8	0

Baltimore	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Roberts, 2B	3	0	0	0	1	2	1	.263
Payton, LF	3	0	1	0	1	1	0	.220
Markakis, RF	4	0	0	0	0	3	4	.257
Huff, 3B	3	0	1	0	1	0	3	.246
Millar, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.241
Scott, DH	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.263
Hernandez, R, C	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.208
Jones, CF	3	1	1	0	0	0	1	.259
Bynum, SS	2	0	1	1	1	0	1	.286
Totals	30	1	5	1	4	7	16
BATTING 3B: Bynum (1, Kennedy). TB: Payton; Huff; Hernandez, R; Jones; Bynum 3. RBI: Bynum (2). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Huff 2; Scott. GIDP: Scott. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING SB: Roberts (13, 2nd base off Kennedy/Molina). CS: Bynum (1, 2nd base by Kennedy/Molina). FIELDING Outfield assists: Markakis (Damon at 1st base). DP: (Markakis-Millar).

Baltimore	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Burres	7.2	6	1	1	0	5	0	3.16
Johnson (L, 0-2)	1.0	2	1	1	1	2	0	1.44

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, LF	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	.268
Jeter, SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	.299
Matsui, DH	4	2	2	0	0	0	1	.302
Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.294
Giambi, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	2	1	.205
Duncan, S, RF	2	0	0	1	0	1	0	.182
a-Abreu, PH	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.289
Cano, 2B	4	0	1	1	0	0	1	.207
Molina, C	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.205
Cabrera, CF	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.248
Totals	32	2	8	2	1	7	10
a-Walked for Duncan, S in the 9th.
BATTING TB: Damon 3; Matsui 2; Giambi; Cano; Molina. RBI: Duncan, S (3), Cano (14). 2-out RBI: Cano. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter. SF: Duncan, S. Team LOB: 6. FIELDING DP: (Cano-Jeter-Giambi).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Kennedy	6.0	4	1	1	4	4	0	7.27
Veras	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3.52
Farnsworth	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.86
Rivera (W, 1-1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.47

Pitches-strikes: Burres 99-70, Johnson 27-16, Kennedy 97-57,
Veras 13-9, Farnsworth 7-6, Rivera 16-10.
Ground outs-fly outs: Burres 4-13, Johnson 0-1, Kennedy 5-8,
Veras 0-2, Farnsworth 1-1, Rivera 1-1.
Batters faced: Burres 28, Johnson 6, Kennedy 24, Veras 4,
Farnsworth 3, Rivera 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Johnson 1-0.
EjectionsNew York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi
ejected by HP umpire Chris Guccione. (9th).
Umpires: HP: Chris Guccione. 1B: Tim Welke. 2B: Chuck Meriwether. 3B: Bill Welke.
Weather: 58 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 15 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:49.
Att: 49,452.

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