Bullpen Implodes as Yanks back in First Place Tie

This was a game the Yankees did not look like they were going to win through the first seven plus innings. However in the eighth inning a couple of hits and a couple of walks led to a 6-6 tie as Pedro Strop once again faltered under the pressure of a pennant race game. Ichiro Suzuki was the Yankee who tied the game with a single to score a couple. In the bottom of the eighth, the Yankee bullpen imploded as Adam Jones smashed a solo home run into the left field seats as the Yankees momentum was moving back toward the Orioles. David Robertson was at fault after serving up two homers to put the game out of the Yankees' hands.

This is a game which until the eighth inning, the Yankees had no business of winning. However, they rallied to tie the game and everything went to naught after Robertson served up Jones' home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. What makes this loss so heart breaking for the Yankees is that they were able to rally after displaying a dead offense over the first two-thirds of the game. Also, they have been unable to come back so many times this season and everything they did in that eighth was wasted. Scoring five runs in an inning is not easy and for the Yankees, they have not seen that kind of lob-sided number on their side in a long time.

Instead of gaining another game on the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees are back in a first place tie atop the AL East and the next three games should be interesting. Phil Hughes will try to keep the O's off the board tomorrow night as he faces lefty Chen who pitched against the Yankees last week.