Game 114 - Yanks Top Jays in Pyrrhic Victory

The Yanks outlasted Toronto in 11 innings, winning 4-3 on a Robinson Cano walkoff single. That is not a misprint - "Robinson Cano" finally came through with a game-winning hit. Prior to his walkoff, the Yanks were 0-7 with RISP. In the first inning, they went 0-4 with RISP after Derek Jeter was HBP and Johnny Damon doubled. ARod reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Posada hit a potential double play that would have killed the whole inning, but Jays 2B, Aaron Hill, bobbled the ball and could only get Posada at 1st, allowing the Bombers to score just 1 run.

AJ Burnett wasn't that sharp today, allowing 10 hits and 3 wild pitches in 6 innings. He only allowed 1 hit to Boston in his last start. The Yanks gave him a 3-1 lead on solo HRs by Damon and Cano, but he allowed Toronto to tie it up in the 6th. Randy Ruiz, in his homecoming to the Bronx, started the Jays rally with a single. He homered for the 2nd straight game earlier in the day (and now has 3 for his career). 2 more hits and 2 wild pitches in the inning brought the Jays even.

After that, it became a battle of the bullpens. Jays reliever, Brandon League, mowed down the Yanks for 3 innings. He entered the game with an ERA of 4.76, but for some reason, he's cut through the Yanks like a hot knife through butter for 8 shutout innings this season and 10 Ks. The Yanks went through the usual suspects, David Robertson, Phil Coke and Phil Hughes out of the pen, but the score remained tied through 9. The Yanks brought in newly acquired Chad Gaudin (pronounced Go-dan) and he immediately began earning Joe Girardi's trust. He tossed 2 shutout innings, striking out 3.

The Yanks, who only mustered 7 hits all day, rallied for the winning run in the bottom of the 11th, when ARod was HBP. Jorge Posada, staring a golden sombrero in the face with 3 Ks already, avoided it by lacing a single, leading to Cano's unlikely heroics.

The Yankee victory may have come at a cost though. Jeter left the game in the 3rd after being plunked right on the toe in the 1st inning. He's listed as day-to-day. Posada took a ball off his right hand and will be out of the lineup tomorrow. ARod's arm went numb went he was hit by a pitch in the final inning. He said he would not have been able to continue if the game went beyond 11 innings. He's scheduled for an off day tomorrow, so it sounds like the Yanks will be without 33% of their starting lineup tomorrow. Not all is bad luck though, as the Pinstripers are finally getting the luck that the Sox seem to enjoy. They're ducking King Felix Hernandez for a 2nd time this season in a 4-game set with Seattle. This is on the heels of finally avoiding Roy Halladay, who appears to always pitch against the Yanks in any Toronto series.

With the win, the Yanks improved to a season high 28 games over .500.

Yankees Record: 71-43