Game 64 - Yanks Rally For CC

The Yanks led 2-0 after 3 innings, but it looked as if they were taking the lowly Washington Nationals for granted, as they started the game 1-7 with RISP.  CC Sabathia cruised through the first 4 innings till he faced the Nats' daunting bottom of the order.  Ex-Yankee rejects, Alberto Gonzalez and Wil Nieves both singled with one out, and the very light-hitting Anderson Hernandez hit his 2nd career HR, first since 2006, to give the Nats a 3-2 lead.  

Washington starter, Shairon Martis, held the Yanks to 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings, despite walking 5 batters.  He looked as though he could have walked every lefty batter in the lineup, if the Yankees had let him.  He was bailed out twice by Hideki Matsui's weak dribblers with RISP, ending potential threats.  

The Yanks finally woke up from their slumber in the 7th, rallying against ol' Yankee reliever, Ron Villone for 2 runs.  Doubles from Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano (yes, there was a Cano sighting with a RISP), gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead.  Both doubles were aided by the horrendous fielding of criminal CF, Elijah Dukes.  Cano finished the day an impressive 4-4 to raise his season average to .309.  

CC improved to 6-4, pitching 7.2 innings with 2 Ks - his only mistake the 3-run shot to Hernandez.  Brian Bruney, fresh off the DL, came on with 2 out in the 8th to retire his only batter.  The great Mariano finished up the 9th for his 497th career save, 15th this season.  Besides the lack of clutch hitting, the only other thing to mar the Yankees win was Derek Jeter leaving the game in the 8th due to soreness in his ankle.  

Yankees Record:  37-27