Game 138 - Yanks Outlast Rays in Pitchers Duel in Game 1

CC Sabathia and Matt "Spitting" Garza both pitched 1-run ball for 7 innings, but neither pitcher would factor in the decision as the Yankees broke a 1-1 tie in the 8th with 3 runs to win, 4-1 in the first game of a Labor Day doubleheader. CC limited the Rays to 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 10. Garza was just as good, allowing an unearned run on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7 Bombers.

The Captain, Derek Jeter, went 0-4 as he remains 3 hits behind the immortal Lou Gehrig. ARod went 3-3 and nearly had half of the Yanks 7 hits in the game. He drove in a run with a double in the 1st inning. Robinson Cano broke the tie in the 8th with a bases loaded sac fly after the Rays intentionally walked ARod. Jorge Posada followed up with an RBI single and Eric Hinske also hit a sac fly for the final run. The Yanks finished the game 1-7 with RISP. The Captain and Cano both were 0-2.

The dominant Phil Hughes came out for the 8th inning, but made a huge mistake when he walked the speedy Carl Crawford. The Yankee bench, though, guessed correctly when they ordered a pitchout on the first pitch, and Posada nipped Crawford at 2B while Cano slapped a quick tag. Hughes would finish the inning without further trouble. Mariano Rivera made his return after a brief rest for his sore groin, and picked up his 39th save.

Mo wasn't the only one returning today. Brett Gardner, out for over a month with a broken thumb, returned and made the catch of the game when he robbed a run scoring double off the bat of Fernando Perez in the 5th. With the victory and the Red Sox loss to the Chisox, the Yanks went up 8.5 games again in 3 games. Their magic number now stands at 17. AJ Burnett is slated to start game 2 of the doubleheader.

Yankees Record: 88-50