Yankees Tie It, Lose in Extras

Adam Warren was one strike away from sending the Yankees into the twelfth inning for another crack at taking a lead over the Red Sox in order to give them a chance to win the series. Instead, Mike Napoli who already blasted a three-run homer over the Green Monster, took another ball deep into the third row in straightaway center field. In his other at bats, Napoli struck out three times and grounded into a crucial inning ending double play that sent the game into the ninth inning tied at 7. The real culprit of the Yankees loss was CC Sabathia. He was cruising through two innings but the third inning was the back-breaker for Sabathia as he allowed a four spot followed by a two spot in the fourth inning. Sabathia's season ERA has inflated to 4.37 as he allowed seven earned runs in just five innings pitched. It took CC 102 pitches to get through the five innings as he labored through the order the second and third time through. Girardi was forced to take CC out of the game in the sixth after allowing a leadoff walk to Jacoby Ellsbury. The bullpen was fantastic before Warren allowed the walk-off homer to Napoli in the eleventh inning. Especially impressive was Shawn Kelley who in two innings, struck out five batters. David Robertson caught a huge break in the eighth with the game tied. In a bases loaded jam, the same Mike Napoli who won the game for the Red Sox grounded into an inning-ending double play that allowed the Yankees another chance to score a run in the ninth.

The offense was impressive tonight, despite not getting any extra base hits. Of the thirteen hits, all thirteen were singles and the Yankees were aided by three errors made in the field by the Red Sox. They were awarded two gift runs in the first with two consecutive errors on Ryan Dempster on a throw to second base followed by a throwing error by Saltalamacchia in an effort to throw Ichiro Suzuki out trying to steal second base. Despite the Yankees losing in extra innings, I am proud of them for getting as far as they did, coming back from four runs down to tie it in the seventh inning. An at-bat that impressed me in the game was by Brett Gardner who worked a fifteen pitch walk off Tazawa in the seventh inning despite not coming around to score. The fifteen pitch at-bat was only the second of the season in all of Major League Baseball. The at-bat by Gardner was a throwback of a typical Yankee at-bat in the golden years of the '90's and even in recent years. The Yankees are in the bottom of the barrel when it comes to offensive statistics this year but Brett Gardner is not at fault. He walks and gets on base, despite not stealing as many bags this year, with only sixteen more than halfway through the season.

After losing two of three to the Red Sox the Yankees are heading to Arlington, Texas for three games against the Rangers. Alex Rodriguez was diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain of the quad so his plans to suit up for the Yankees tomorrow will be delayed for at least another week. Ivan Nova will pitch for the Yankees tomorrow. Nova has been excellent since coming up from AAA. Rangers ace Yu Darvish will be on the mound for Texas.