Post Game Recap From The Heartland

Here's Jason from Heartland Pinstripes write-up on last night's game. Jason has been kind enough to fill in for me on softball Wednesdays. Give his site a look. Good stuff. And as always, thanks Jason. I appreciate it. Enjoy:

The offense exploded in a big way, laying nine on Texas in the bottom of the seventh to erase the Rangers’ 7-6 lead, then adding three more in the eighth for good measure to rip Texas 18-7. Every starter got a hit, Brett Gardner got his first major-league hit with an RBI single, Giambi had a huge night with six RBIs, A-Rod is heating back up, Cano is improving, and the Yankees gained some much-needed momentum before the big four-game home series against Boston starting tomorrow.

Ponson wasn’t very good tonight, getting some defensive help before coughing up two two-run homers in the sixth with the lead. But again, the bullpen held its ground. Edwar came in and kept it at 7-6 through the seventh with two hitless, scoreless innings with three K’s. Nuke and Hawkins finished up the rout.

The Yanks got on the board first in the bottom of the second when A-Rod singled, moved to second on Jorge’s 4-3, and Cano ripped a double to right, 1-0. But Sir Sidney coughed it up in the top of the third. Boggs singled, Duran flew out, Kinsler singled on a bloop to center, Young doubled to score Bonds, and Hamilton singled to score Kinsler and Young, 3-1. But the Yanks responded right away in the bottom of the third, usually a sign the Yanks will hang tough as they did tonight. JD singled, Jeter reached on an error, Abreu lined out to right for the second out, A-Rod worked a walk to load the bases, and Giambi tattooed a 2-1 change into the upper deck in right for a grand slam, his 18th of the year and 382nd of his career, 5-3 Yanks. The Yanks made it 6-3 in the fifth in odd fashion. Jeter walks, Abreu forced him, A-Rod reached on an E5, Giambi was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Jorge walked on a 3-2 pitch. Hilariously, Sterling spoke when the count was 1-2 as if the Yanks would end the inning still at 5-3, presumptuously, and Jorge came back to work the RBI walk.

But Ponson couldn’t hold the lead throughout. Though he got a double play in the fourth and the fifth, he allowed two two-run, no-out homers from Bradley and Davis to give Texas the 7-6 lead. Edwar held the fort for two innings until the Yanks exploded in the seventh. After wasting two lead-off walks in the sixth, the Yanks salted it the next inning against hard-throwing but straight-throwing and inexperienced righty Warner Madrigal. Abreu blooped a ground-rule double to left, A-Rod walked, Giambi double to the gap in left-center to give the Yanks an 8-7 lead, Jorge doubled to right to score Giambi, 9-7. Cano singled, first and third no outs, Betemit’s 4-1 scored Jorge, 10-7, Cano moved to third on a wild pitch and Gardner earned his first hit and RBI, scoring Cano with a single to right 11-7. He then stole second and scored on JD’s single, 12-7, Jeter’s 4-3 moved JD to third, Abreu walked, and A-Rod cranked a line-drive homer to right, his 535th to pass Jimmy Foxx on the all-time home-run list and move to within one homer of tying Yankee great Mickey Mantle, 15-7. In the eighth, JD’s single scored Molina, 16-7, and Abreu’s single scored Gardner and JD 18-7.

Ponson wasn’t good and worsened as the game wore on, but got lots of help from the bullpen and the previously slumbering offense. Giambi was 2-4 with a double, a homer, 2 runs and 6 RBIs, up to 52 now, and his homer was his 18th and 382nd all time, batting .268. A-Rod also dominated, going 2-3, scoring 4 times, driving in 3 (47 RBIs), walking twice, and hitting his 17th homer, batting .321. Abreu was 2-5 with 3 runs and 2 driven in (55 on the season to still lead the team), batting .284. JD was 3-6 with 3 runs, two RBIs (37 on the year), batting .320. Cano was 2-5 with a run and his 35th RBI, batting .248 and hitting the ball hard all night. Jorge was 1-3 with a run and 2 RBIs (22 now) with a double, batting .293. Jeter was 1-5, batting .279. Molina was 1-1 with a run, and Gardner got his first hit, first RBI and a walk, scoring twice in four at-bats.

Big series against Boston, who just got swept by Damn Tampa. Time to move up and make up ground, guys.