NYY 10, CHI(A) 3: Yanks Pull Away in the 9th

What started as a pitcher’s duel ended as a laugher. Mike Mussina and Jose Contreras matched each other pitch-for-pitch through seven innings. Then, the bullpens got involved. A game tied 1–1 after 7 saw 11 runs scored in the final two frames. Luckily, the Yankee pen wasn’t quite as pitiful as the Sox pen.

I think I might’ve said this before, but Kyle Farnsworth is useless. Tonight, he came in for the eighth, as usual (apparently giving the eighth to Bruney the other day was a mistake by Joe, not a pattern), he managed to get only one out before Mo had to be called upon to save his bacon. Chicago’s bull pen was, well, who needs words when you have numbers: 1.2 innings, 9 earned, 5 hits, 5 walks, 1 K.

Mo had to work hard to get out of the mess Farnsworth left for him in the eighth, and the score was 4–3 when the Yanks came up in the top of the ninth. That was the score when A-Rod came up with the bases loaded and two outs. If he strikes out, Mo has a pressure-packed ninth staring him in the face. A-Rod didn’t strike out, though, he hit a bomb. A salami. His second ninth-inning grand slam of the year. His ninth inning numbers are completely outrageous, by the way: 6 HRs, 16 RBIs. That’s clutch.

I’ll be shocked if Ozzie Guillen doesn’t go on a homophobic, obscenity-laced rant in the next twelve hours. He looked like he wanted to strangle someone in the dugout during the fateful ninth.

Abreu had two more hits tonight, he’s really on a tear. Jeter and Posada both got a rest tonight, but were called into action late in the game. This was Joe’s 2,000th win. He’s the only person in the history of the league to have 2,000 wins as a manager and 2,000 hits as a player. Congrats, Joe.

Boston won on a near no-hitter today, and Detroit pounded the hapless Rangers, again. The Yanks are 10.5 back in the east, and 6.5 back in the wild card race. This is the first time the Yanks have won back-to-back series this year. Up next, the Buccos at home.

Player of the Game: A-Rod. Everyone contributed, but A-Rod made this a laugher in the ninth. Mo only needed 17 pitches to record five outs because all the pressure was gone when he went back out for the ninth.