Joba, Romine Can't Handle Pressure in Extras

In the top of the seventh inning you would figure that the Yankees do not have any business winning this game. However, after their six run outburst in the seventh which began innocently enough with a walk by Ichiro to lead off the inning you figured that this would be a game that the Yankees were not going to lose. The Yankees scored six times in the seventh capped off by a Lyle Overbay go-ahead two-run single against a very good Boston reliever. Because of the huge inning by the Yankees you had to believe that this would be the game that launches them into the playoffs in the long-run. They were losing by five runs in the seventh and much like the Yankees have done in every game this week they were able to big up a big inning, all without the benefit of a home run. The Yankees loss tonight will be as deflating of a loss as the Yankees have faced the entire year. To make matters worse, the Orioles also won against the White Sox and the Red Sox gain another game on the Yankees who had a slim chance of claiming the division if they played perfect baseball against the Red Sox. Although in a losing effort, the Yankees did all they could and Mariano Rivera could not put away Mike Napoli. Napoli singled with two outs in the ninth inning and after he was replaced by a pinch-runner, Quintin Berry, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Austin Romine. This wouldn't be the only crucial error Romine made in the game.

In the tenth, Joba Chamberlain was pitching to Shane Victorino with Jacoby Ellsbury on first and Victorino had a check-swing that was really a swing and he would follow with an RBI single to score the go-ahead run from second base, another runner that Romine was unable to throw out. As Ichiro threw the ball home on a line, Romine was unable to handle the short hop and allowed Ellsbury to score even though the throw beat Ellsbury home. Joba Chamberlain would get ejected by Joe West after voicing his opinion about the missed call. However, Austin Romine's spotty defense was the ultimate culprit in the game. Also, in the bottom of the ninth Alfonso Soriano was picked off second base with one out trying to advance to third with Granderson at the plate. When a team loses a game as painful as this one there will always be things that are second-guessed. One thing is certain, and it is that the Yankees have a long road ahead of them in the next three days against the Red Sox. Tonight's loss puts the Yankees in bad position to take the series against Boston but crazier things have happened. Look at the seventh inning of tonight's game...