Game 89 - Yankee All Stars Lead Team in Win

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th, Yankees All Star shortstop, Derek Jeter, led off with a single, Johnny Damon doubled and All Star first baseman, Mark Teixeira, homered deep to right to erase the one-run deficit and give the Yanks a 5-3 lead over Detroit. The lead held up with the other All Star, Mariano Rivera, closing the door in the 9th in the Yanks first game since the All Star break.

AJ Burnett kept the Yankees in the game, limiting the Tigers to 3 runs in 6 innings, but he was far from stellar. He walked 5 while only striking out 1 and fell behind most of the hitters all night. He had a similar start prior to the All Star game when he walked 4 and struck out 2 batters in a win against the Twins. Hopefully, these 2 starts are just a blip and not a trend.

Mark Teixeira, historically a much better hitter after the mid-season break, led the Pinstripers with 3 hits. Hideki Matsui had 2 hits and knocked in the Yankees first run of the game. Phil Hughes relieved Burnett and struck out the side in the 7th and 8th innings sandwiched around 3 hits, topping the radar gun at 97 mph. Unlike his predecessor, Burnett, Hughes pumped strike after strike, getting the ball over the plate 30 times in 41 pitches.

I found Joe Girardi's decision to use Hughes for 2 innings interesting, as that deviates from the way the Yanks have been using him out of the pen. Girardi and the Yanks have intimated that Hughes has worked his way into the 8th inning role, but this 2-inning appearance virtually takes Hughes out for the rest of the Detroit series.

Hughes also recorded the win to improve his record to 4-2 and snapped the Yanks 3-game losing streak.

Yankees Record: 52-37