The Giambino Saves the Day

Jason Giambi has been the Giamnoshow in big spots for over a month, but today he single-handedly provided the Yankees offense in a must needed 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The victory moved the Yankees back to within six games, which still sounds insurmountable, but is better than being eight games out, of Boston in the wildcard race.

The Yankees trailed the Red Sox 2-0 with two outs in the seventh inning, when Cody Ransom doubled off Boston starter Jon Lester. Joe Girardi sent up Giambi to pinch-hit for Jose Molina, even though he knew Terry Francona would counter the move with lefty specialist Hideki Okajima. But Giambi made Girardi look like a genius when he hit a laser over the center field wall for a game tying home run.

Then with two outs in the ninth and the bases loaded against Justin Masteron, Francona sent for his closer Jon Papelbon to face Giambi. Again, Giambi came out on top, singling to center for the game winning run.

The game was a classic pitcher's duel as Mike Mussina and Jon Lester put up goose eggs until the fifth inning. But with one out, Jed Lowrie reached on a single and Mussina hit Alex Cora. Jason Varitek, who has struggled at the plate all season, singled to right to score Lowrie with the game's first run. A second Red Sox run would score on yet another mental mistake by Robinson Cano. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a potential inning ending double play ball to Cano, but instead of taking it to the bag himself, he flipped the ball to Derek Jeter, whose throw to first base was not in time to double up the speedy Ellsbury. Cora scored on the play for a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees put two men aboard in the second inning on one out singles by Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu, but Alex Rodriguez struck out for the first of three times on the day, and Xavier Nady grounded out. In the sixth, Damon was hit by a Lester pitch and Jeter reached on another single to put two aboard with no one out. But fly outs by Abreu and Nady, sandwiched around an A-Rod foul out, led to a chorus of boos and no runs.

Mussina was pulled after seven innings and 113 pitches. Brian Bruney got the first out in the eighth and then Girardi sent for Damaso Marte to retire David Ortiz. Mariano Rivera then retired Kevin Youkilis, for a three pitcher, three out scenario. Rivera retired the side after a Jeter error in the ninth to earn his fourth win.


News and Notes

Derek Jeter was 3-4 and 6-13 (.462) in the series to raise his average to .297.

Brett Gardner pinch-ran for Xavier Nady in the ninth and stole his sixth base in as many attempts. Gardner was 37-46 in steal attempts for Scranton.

Phil Hughes had a much better outing for Scranton Wednesday night, picking up the win in a 3-2 game with Buffalo. Hughes allowed allowed 2 runs on 6 hits in 6.1 innings pitched, with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts.

August 28, 2008

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

Boston	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Ellsbury, CF	4	0	0	1	0	1	2	.262
Pedroia, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.317
Ortiz, DH	2	0	0	0	2	1	1	.265
Youkilis, 1B	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.316
Bay, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.293
Kotsay, RF	4	0	1	0	0	1	3	.289
Lowrie, 3B	4	1	1	0	0	1	2	.295
Cora, SS	3	1	1	0	0	0	2	.269
Varitek, C	3	0	1	1	0	1	1	.225
Totals	31	2	5	2	2	6	16
BATTING 2B: Kotsay (18, Mussina). TB: Pedroia; Kotsay 2; Lowrie; Cora; Varitek. RBI: Varitek (37), Ellsbury (39). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cora 2; Kotsay 2; Ellsbury. GIDP: Bay. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING SB: Cora (1, 2nd base off Mussina/Molina). CS: Ellsbury (8, 2nd base by Mussina/Molina).

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, CF	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	.311
Jeter, SS	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	.297
Abreu, RF	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.296
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	3	4	.307
Nady, LF	4	0	1	0	0	1	4	.327
1-Gardner, PR	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.189
Cano, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.266
Matsui, DH	3	0	0	0	1	2	0	.307
Ransom, 1B	2	1	1	0	0	1	0	.750
Rodriguez, I, C	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.280
Molina, C	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.228
a-Giambi, PH-1B	2	1	2	3	0	0	0	.251
Totals	32	3	8	3	2	10	12
a-Homered for Molina in the 7th. 1-Ran for Nady in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Ransom (1, Lester). HR: Giambi (27, 7th inning off Okajima, 1 on, 2 out). TB: Jeter 3; Abreu; Nady; Ransom 2; Giambi 5. RBI: Giambi 3 (81). 2-out RBI: Giambi 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Nady 2. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Gardner (6, 2nd base off Masterson/Varitek). CS: Jeter (4, 2nd base by Lester/Varitek). FIELDING E: Jeter (11, throw). DP: (Cano-Ransom).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina	7.0	5	2	2	2	6	0	3.41
Bruney	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.35
Marte	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4.24
Rivera (W, 5-5)	1.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.50

IBB: Matsui (by Masterson).
HBP: Ransom (by Lester), Damon (by Lester), Cora
(by Mussina), Youkilis (by Mussina).
Pitches-strikes: Lester 119-78, Okajima 16-11, Masterson 26-12,
Papelbon 3-3, Mussina 113-73, Bruney 2-1, Marte 2-1, Rivera 15-10.
Groundouts-flyouts: Lester 3-8, Okajima 0-2, Masterson 0-1,
Papelbon 0-0, Mussina 7-7, Bruney 0-1, Marte 1-0, Rivera 2-2.
Batters faced: Lester 26, Okajima 4, Masterson 5, Papelbon 1,
Mussina 28, Bruney 1, Marte 1, Rivera 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Okajima 1-1, Papelbon 3-1.
Umpires: HP: Gary Cederstrom. 1B: Fieldin Culbreth.
2B: Jim Reynolds. 3B: Tim Timmons.
Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 10 mph, R to L.
T: 3:21.

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