Bomber Pride

Thursday, October 29, 2009.  Just when they needed it, A.J. Burnett pitched his best game as a Yankee and led them to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.  A.J. went seven innings, giving up just 1 run, 4 hits, 2 walks and striking out 9.  Mariano Rivera pitched the eighth and ninth innings, gave up no runs, no walks, 2 hits and struck out 2.  Mo has 10 World Series saves, most all time.  In the overall post season, Mo has 38 saves, again the most all time.  Pedro Martinez also threw an excellent game for the Phillies.  The Yankees got two big homeruns, one each from  Hideki Matsui and Mark Teixeira.  Derek Jeter added a double, giving him 168 hits in the post season.  In second place is our own Bernie Williams with 128.  Final box score: Phillies – 1 run, 6 hits, 0 errors; Yankees – 3 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors.  Next game: Saturday, October 31st, 7:00 PM, New York @ Philadelphia.

Sunday, October 25, 2009.  Andy Pettitte won his 16th post season game, (the post season wins of any pitcher and his 5th clinching game) and the New York Yankees won their 40th Americanleague pennant. The Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-2.  Joba Chamberlain got the last 2 outs of the 7th inning and Mariano Rivera finished off the eighth and  ninth innings.  This will be the Yankees first World Series appearance since 2003.  They will be going for their 27th World Series win.  CC  Sabathia was voted the MVP of the series with his two wins and 1.21 ERA.  Final box score: Angels – 2 runs, 9 hits, 2 errors;  Yankees – 5 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors.  The Yankees will now face the regining World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, October 28th in New York.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009.  CC Sabathia was sensational and the Yankees were hitting as they easily crushed the LA Angels 10-1.  CC went 8 innings, yeilding only 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 5 strike outs.  Sabathia is now 3-0 in this post season with a 1.19 ERA.  Chad Gaudin pictched the ninth and retired the A’s in order.  AMany of the Yankees contributed to the hitting fest; Melky Cabrera went 3 for 4 with a double and 4 rbi, Derek Jeter wnet 2 for 5, Johnny Damon 1 for 5 with a 2 run homerun, and Alex Rodriguez 3 for 4 with a single, double, home run, 3 runs scored, 1 stolen base.  A-Rod has been on fire this post season, batting .407, 5 home runs, 11 rbi’s.  Alex has homered in the last three games.  The Yankees knocked Angels’ starter Scott Kasmir out after just four innings, who gave up 4 runs.  Final box score: Yankees – 10 runs, 13 hits, 0 errors; Angels – 1 run, 5 hits, 1 error.  Next game: Thursday, October 22nd, 7:30 PM EST, New York @ Los Angeles.

A very special Happy 99th Birthday to Bob Shepphard, the Yankees official public-address announcer for the past 57 years.

Monday, October 19, 2009.  The New York Yankees hit four solo home runs but could not stop the Los Angeles Angels who won in dramatic fashion last night in eleven innings  5-4.  Jeter hit his homerun to lead off the game.  Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posoda hit solo homeruns.  Jorge’s blast came in eighth to tie up the game 4-4.  Andy Pettitte started for New York and went 5 1/3 innings, yeilding 3 earned runs.  Joba Chamberlain followed and gave up a triple which led to another Angels run. Mariano Rivera came in the tenth with a runner on second and no one out.  After allowing another baserunner on an infield hit, Mark Texeria stopped a run from scoring with a great play to home. Mariano then gave up an intentional walk to load the bases. The next two batters could not get the ball out of the infield and the Yankees were out of the inning. But it was for naught. In the bottom of the eleventh, Mathis hit a double to score the winning run. The Yankees now lead the series 2-1.  Final box score: Yankees – 4 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors; Angels – 5 runs, 13 hits, 0 errors.  Next game:  Tuesday, October 20th,  7:57 PM, New York @ Los Angeles.

Sunday, October 11, 2009.  The New York Yankees nipped the Minnesota Twins tonight 4-1 and will move on to face the LA Angels in the American League Championship Series.  Unloved ex Yankee Carl Pavano started for the Twins and was outstanding. He outpitched Andy Pettitte until the seventh inning when he gave up solo homeruns to Alex Rodriquez and Jorge Posoda. That gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead which was all the Yankee bullpen needed.  Andy Pettitte was perfect for the first four innings and went 6 1/3 innings, gave up only one run, three hits and struck out seven.  Pettitte has not lost to Minnesota since 2001.  Andy earned his 15th post season win.  Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes held the Twins until the eighth went Mariano came in with two outs.  Mariano silenced the Twins threat in the eighth.  To lead off the ninth, Rivera gave up a lead off single but shut the Twins down in order from there. This was Mariano’s 35th post season save, 10 of which have been 4 out saves.  A-Rod was the Yankee’s hitting star for this series, hitting .455 with 2 homeruns, 6 rbi’s and 4 runs scored.  This will be the Yankees 13th trip to the ALCS and their first since 2004.  Final box score:  Yankees – 4 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors;  Twins – 1 run, 7 hits, 0 errors.  The ALCS starts Friday, October 16th at Yankee Stadium.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009.  The New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins in the first game of the playoffs tonight 7-2.  The Twins had taken an early lead off of CC Sabathia and led 2-0.  But Derek Jeter hit a two run homer in the third and the Yankees took off from there.  Nick Swisher got the Yankees the lead in the fourth with a rbi double.  Alex Rodriquez added rbi singles in the fifth and seventh innings.  Matsui also contributed with a two homer.  CC went 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one earned run, struck out 8 and walked none.  Phil Hughes, Phil Coke,  Joba Chamberlain all contributed to the relief effort until Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the ninth.  Final box score: Twins – 2 runs, 10 hits, 1 errors; Yankees – 7 runs, 9 hits, 0 error.  Friday, Oct. 9th, Minnesota @ New York.

Sunday, October 4, 2009.  The New York Yankees ended the regular season in grand fashion, tromping the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2.  The Yankees scored 10 runs in a wild sixth inning, sending 13 batters to the plate.  A-Rod hit a three run homer early in the inning, and a grand slam latter in the inning, giving him 7 rbi’s for the inning, setting a major league record. The grand slam was the eighteenth of his career.  That gave Rodriguez 30 homers and 100 rbi for the thirteenth time and twelveth year in a row.  Quite a feat considering he missed the first 28 games of the season.  The Yankees finished the season with 103 wins, tops in majors and their most since 2002.  A.J. Burnett went five strong innings, giving up just one earned run. It was his fourth solid start in a row.  Joba Chamberlain pitched an inning of relief, getting the Rays 1-2-3, to get him ready for his probable new role as a reliever in the post season. So the Yankees appear to be ready too take the playoffs by storm; we’ll see tomorrow when the Twins come to town.  Next game: Wednesday, Oct. 7th, Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees, American League Division Series, Game 1.