How Do You Spell Redemption? A-R-O-D

Oh baby. What a finish! The Yankee bullpen did it's job keeping the O's off the bases, allowing the Yankees to slug their way to a dramatic come from behind victory.
I listened to the last half of the game while driving across the New York State Thruway from Buffalo to Syracuse. It made for one exciting ride. When Giambi hit his 3-run shot I started honking the horn in celebration while swerving back and forth across the highway. At the start of the last half of the 9th, I told the wife after Cano singled that I could just see A-Rod stepping up to the plate with a chance to win it, and sure enough, BOOM, he did it in grand slam fashion. Granted, I told the wife he I was afraid he was going to K and it would basically end his career in Pinstripes. When he had 2 strikes on him, I'll admit, I was scared he'd pull a Carlos Beltran and K looking to lose the game. After all, we've seen that so many times from Alex. And then it happened. I was sitting behind a line of cars waiting to pay my toll when John Sterling breaks into "It's a high drive to deep center field. It is high, it is far, it's over Patterson's head. IT'S GONE! Into the black. Yankees win. Thuuuuuuh Yankees Win." Maybe not in those exact words but pretty close. My adrenaline level jumped up and I started high-fiving the wife. I could see the guy in front of me do a fist pump and high five his traveling companion. Yankee baseball. I live for it!
As I mentioned in my previous post, the Yankees bullpen needs to be lights out if they want to stay in the game if the starters are ineffective. Unlike yesterday, the offense picked up Igawa, who I didn't think pitched poorly. I thought he got squeezed a few times that would have gotten him out of a mess or two. And Mora's bloop 3-run double was a bad break. Igawa definitely pitched better than his line will read in the box score. But back to the pen. 4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K. If the game is close when it goes to the pens, I think the Yankees are going to win most of the time. This Yankee bullpen is reminiscent of the last 90s Yankees bullpen when Moe was setting up for John Wetteland. I can see why people project this team is going to win 100+. The lineup is awesome. The bullpen is awesome. The rotation is ineffective right now, but there is no chance that they continue to pitch like they are. Once the rotation starts heating up, the Yankees are going to roll.
A-Rod is going to have a monster year.
Peace, love, and Pinstripes.
J