Game 9 - Capitalist Yanks Overcome Socialist Rays in Squeaker

The free spending Yankees defeated the revenue hoarding Rays, 4-3 today, as the Yankee old timers stepped up, yet again, and helped the Yanks win the series.  Andy Pettitte pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up 3 earned runs and provided the Yankees with a quality start and another respite for the beleaguered bullpen.  Derek Jeter knocked in the winning run with 2 out in the top of the ninth and Mariano Rivera needed just 8 pitches to record the final three outs for his second save.  

Brian Bruney, still channeling the ghost of Goose Gossage for a second straight game, came in to strike out 2 more Rays in 2/3 of an inning, giving him 5 straight Ks overall.  Who is this guy all of a sudden?  Robinson Cano helped the Yanks tie the game 2-2 with a 2-run HR in the 4th inning, before Carlos Pena put the Penny Pinchers up 3-2 with a HR in the bottom of the inning.  

Yankee hitters struggled all day, but Joe Maddon, Rays manager, began to outguess himself and started to believe the hype that everything he did turned to gold.  He started the ol' Tony LaRussa school of thought with mixing and matching his bullpen and paid the price.  Jeter doubled to lead off the eighth and with Maddon bringing in lefty JP Howell, Johnny Damon doubled in the tying run.   In the ninth, Maddon brought in his 6th pitcher of the day, Troy Percival.  He gave up a one out double to Cody Ransom, and after Jose Molina lined out to 3rd, Mr. November stepped up and delivered the game winning hit.  The win gave the Yanks a 5-4 record on their longest road trip to start a season in team history.  

Congratulations to Cody Ransom who is finally hitting on the interstate.  Unfortunately, Mark Teixeira joined him today with an 0-4 and 3 Ks and is now hitting .174.  Cano and Swisher continued their hot hitting, although Swisher struck out with Damon on second in the 8th.  As a team, the Yanks struck out another 8 times today.  These high strike out rates could begin to haunt them if they begin leaving potential runs on base. 

I'm hoping the Rays get exposed this year.  I wonder what Maddon would have done if the game remained tied for awhile, since he practically blew through his whole bullpen.  I'm just dumbfounded by these managers with the quick hooks on their pitchers.  I'm also tired of hearing about all their young talent. They better have young talent - they've had 2 out the top 40 draft picks for the last 10 years!

Other Notes:

- Tomorrow, the new Yankee Stadium opens with Crooked Cap taking on his old teammates, the Indians.  Let's hope some of the old ghosts in old Yankee Stadium have made the trip across the street.

-Kudos to Tim Wakefield for his near no-no which he lost in the 8th against the A's.  I remember going to a game in Boston in the mid-'90s where Wakefield had a no-hitter going into the 8th when Mark "I'm not hear to talk about the past" McGuire deposited one over the Green Monster.

-Rangers' Ian Kinsler hit for the cycle and went 6-6. LA's Orlando Hudson also hit for the cycle earlier this week.

  

Yankees Record:  5-4