ALCS Game 2 - ARod Does it Again

The Yanks trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the 11th, and ARod was behind in the count 0-2 against Brian Fuentes, the AL Saves Leader. Light-hitting Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner were also due up in the inning, so there wasn't a chance ARod was going to get a pitch he could drive to give the Yanks a shot at tying the game. Oops. ARod smacked an outside fastball over the RF wall to tie the score at 3 and send the wet crowd at Yankee Stadium into jubilation. Bobby Abreu made a rare visit to the wall as the HR just cleared his girly red mitt and hit a fan in the first row of the bleachers.

ARod's HR sent the game further into extra innings, and the Yanks relied on one of their bench players to provide the heroics. Jerry Hairston, Jr, in his first post season at bat of his career, led off the bottom of the 13th with a single. Gardner bunted Hairston to 2B and the Angels opted to intentionally walk Cano (I would have pitched to Cano - we all know he can't hit with RISP). Melky Cabrera, the owner of 3 walkoff hits this season, stepped to the plate. He hit a ball in the hole between first and second. 2B Maicer Izturis fielded it and inexplicably tried to force Cano out at second instead of getting the sure out at first. Big mistake. The ball went flying by SS Erick Aybar and towards 3B Chone Figgins, who began playing hot potato with the ball. Hairston broke for home and ended the epic 5 hour game and gave the Yanks a 2-0 advantage in the ALCS.

Hairston earned the pie in the face from AJ Burnett, the original starter of the game. Burnett tossed 6.1 solid innings, but was done in by his wildness in the 5th inning. Leading 2-0, Burnett allowed the Angels to tie the game, with the 2nd run coming on a wild pitch and 2 out. The Yankee bullpen threw 6.2 innings of 1 run ball, with Alfredo Aceves on the hook for the loss when ARod bailed him out. The bullpen wasn't dominant, allowing 10 base runners, but they didn't break. Mariano Rivera tossed the majority of the load, going 2.1 innings. It only took 25 pitches for him to retire 7 batters. David Robertson picked up his 2nd win of the postseason with 1.1 shutout innings.

Joe Girardi used 7 relievers, brilliantly mixing and matching. Girardi will unquestionably be called out by fans for his quick hook on some of his relievers, but you cannot fault the final outcome - the Yankees won. He still had Chad Gaudin left in the pen and this game would have had to go 19 innings before there was any concern. Fortunately, the Yankees offense, or should we say the Angels defense, didn't allow that situation to happen.

Next game is Monday in Anaheim and Girardi has already announced CC Sabathia will be his Game 4 starter. The Yanks need to go for the jugular and not let up.

Yankees Postseason Record: 5-0

ALCS Series: 2-0