Yankees Knuckle Under the Pressure

The way last night's Yankees-Red Sox game started out, it looked like whomever batted last would win the game. Only thing is, someone forgot to tell the Yankees. Lead by Alex Rodriguez, they failed in the clutch, Jason Giambi made a huge mental mistake, and Andy Pettitte picked the wrong night to have a miserable performance. The end result was a 7-3 Yankees loss that dropped them six games back of the Red Sox in the wildcard race.

The top of the order did everything they could in setting the table for the big guns that followed, but they flailed and failed miserably. Johnny Damon had a pair of solo home runs on the night, including one that led off the bottom of the first inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. But Pettitte gave it right back in the second inning.

In fairness, home plate ump Jim Reynolds was squeezing Pettitte, but he can't be blamed for the poor pitches Pettitte made all night. Pettitte escaped a two on, two out jam in the first inning (yes, we weren't disappointed..."he worked into, and out of, trouble"), but couldn't replicate his Houdini act in the second inning. Two out singles by Jeff Bailey, Kevin Cash, and Jacoby Ellsbury tied the game at 1-1.

The Yankees went back ahead in their half of the inning with a two out rally of their own off of Tim Wakefield. Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano set things up with singles, and Jose Molina delivered a big two out hit up the middle for an RBI single. With a chance for more, Damon grounded out to end the inning.

But this was not to be Andy Pettitte's finest hour. He was greeted in the third inning by back to back doubles by David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis to tie the game, and Jason Bay put the Red Sox on top for good with a single to center field.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the fifth inning with some help from Jason Giambi. Once again Pettitte retired the first two men he faced, but consecutive singles by Bay, Jed Lowrie, and Coco Crisp produced a fourth run. After Crisp stole second base, Bailey hit a high chopper near the line at third, A-Rod fielded it and fired across the diamond to Giambi, but not in time. The only problem was Giambi thought it was in time, and watched as Crisp, who never stopped running, scored behind Lowrie for a 6-2 lead. The play also ended the night for Pettitte, who gave way to Brian Bruney.

The Yankees had a chance to come right back against Wakefield in their half of the fifth inning. Damon's second home run cut the lead in half and Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu followed with one out singles. But A-Rod and Giambi both flied out to let Wakefield off the hook.

The Red Sox added another run in the seventh after Bruney walked the bases loaded (and yet Girardi left him in). Bay's sacrifice fly brought home the Sox seventh run and made a comeback that much more difficult. But the Yankees did have an opportunity against Javier Lopez in the seventh.

Walks to Damon and Abreu, sandwiched around a Jeter single, loaded the bases with just one out. But a chorus of boos would come crashing down from the fans when A-Rod bounced into an inning ending double play against Justin Masterson.

The Yankees tried again in the eighth. Giambi reached on an error and Xavier Nady singled to left. With two on and no one out, Terry Francona sent for left-hander Hideki Okajima. The Japanese import struck out his fellow countryman, Matsui, looking, and retired Robinson Cano on a pop up. Francona then went to his closer Jon Papelbon, who got the final out on a comebacker from Ivan Rodriguez.

The Yankees put a man on in the ninth, but it was apropos that A-Rod struck out to end the game.


News and Notes

A-Rod is 1-10 with the bases loaded this eason.

Johnny Damon's multi-homer game was the 11th of his career and first since 2006.

Dustin Pedroia's misplay in the eighth inning snapped a 61-game errorless streak.
Joba Chamberlain is set to throw another bullpen session on Thursday.

Lou Lamariello pulled the MetLife lever last night to reduce the number of Yankees home games to 15. They couldn't find a former Yankee to do it?


August 26, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Boston	0	1	2	0	3	1	0	0	0		7	14	2
NY Yankees	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		3	10	1

Boston	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Ellsbury, RF	6	0	1	1	0	2	3	.263
Pedroia, 2B	5	1	0	0	1	0	5	.315
Ortiz, DH	3	1	2	0	2	0	0	.263
Youkilis, 3B-1B	2	1	1	1	3	0	0	.319
Bay, LF	4	1	2	2	0	0	2	.293
Lowrie, SS-3B	5	1	1	0	0	1	6	.296
Crisp, CF	5	1	3	1	0	1	0	.263
Bailey, 1B	4	1	2	2	0	1	1	.278
Cora, SS	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.278
Cash, C	4	0	2	0	1	1	2	.229
Totals	39	7	14	7	7	6	20
BATTING 2B: Ortiz 2 (19, Pettitte, Ramirez), Youkilis (35, Pettitte). TB: Ellsbury; Ortiz 4; Youkilis 2; Bay 2; Lowrie; Crisp 3; Bailey 2; Cash 2. RBI: Ellsbury (38), Youkilis (90), Bay 2 (84), Crisp (32), Bailey 2 (3). 2-out RBI: Ellsbury; Crisp; Bailey 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bay; Pedroia 2; Lowrie 3. SF: Bay. GIDP: Lowrie. Team LOB: 13. BASERUNNING SB: Crisp (16, 2nd base off Pettitte/Molina). CS: Crisp (6, 2nd base by Robertson/Molina). FIELDING E: Pedroia (6, fielding), Lowrie (1, fielding). DP: 2 (Lowrie-Pedroia-Bailey, Cora-Youkilis).

Boston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Wakefield (W, 8-8)	5.0	8	3	3	1	1	2	3.73
Lopez	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.92
Delcarmen	0.1	1	0	0	2	1	0	4.25
Masterson (H, 2)	0.2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3.21
Okajima (H, 20)	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.77
Papelbon (S, 34)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	1.71

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, CF	4	2	2	2	1	1	2	.313
Jeter, SS	5	0	2	0	0	0	0	.294
Abreu, RF	4	0	2	0	1	0	1	.298
Rodriguez, A, 3B	5	0	0	0	0	2	7	.308
Giambi, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.247
Nady, LF	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	.328
Matsui, DH	4	1	1	0	0	1	3	.310
Cano, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	1	3	.269
Molina, C	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	.230
a-Rodriguez, I, PH-C	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	.283
Totals	37	3	10	3	3	6	20
a-Struck out for Molina in the 7th.
BATTING HR: Damon 2 (11, 1st inning off Wakefield, 0 on, 0 out; 5th inning off Wakefield, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Damon 8; Jeter 2; Abreu 2; Nady; Matsui; Cano; Molina. RBI: Damon 2 (57), Molina (15). 2-out RBI: Molina. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Damon; Giambi; Rodriguez, I. GIDP: Rodriguez, A 2. Team LOB: 10. FIELDING E: Rodriguez, A (10, throw). DP: (Cano-Giambi).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettitte (L, 13-10)	4.2	10	6	6	3	3	0	4.37
Bruney	1.1	0	1	1	3	0	0	2.38
Robertson	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	5.76
Ramirez	1.0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3.59
Britton	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	4.30

Masterson pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.

IBB: Youkilis (by Ramirez).
Pitches-strikes: Wakefield 80-55, Lopez 9-9, Delcarmen 18-7,
Masterson 9-6, Okajima 14-8, Papelbon 15-10, Pettitte 101-60,
Bruney 33-16, Robertson 13-10, Ramirez 15-8, Britton 18-12.
Groundouts-flyouts: Wakefield 7-7, Lopez 1-1, Delcarmen 0-0,
Masterson 2-0, Okajima 0-1, Papelbon 2-0, Pettitte 8-3, Bruney 1-3,
Robertson 0-0, Ramirez 1-2, Britton 0-2.
Batters faced: Wakefield 23, Lopez 3, Delcarmen 4, Masterson 3,
Okajima 2, Papelbon 5, Pettitte 26, Bruney 7, Robertson 3, Ramirez 6, Britton 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Masterson 3-0, Okajima 2-0, Papelbon 2-0, Bruney 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Jim Reynolds. 1B: Tim Timmons. 2B: Gary Cederstrom. 3B: Fieldin Culbreth.
Weather: 75 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 8 mph, In from LF.
T: 3:22.
Att: 55,058.

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