Imagine you’re sitting at work tracking the game on your computer as you file this report or the other. You have high hopes because Phil Hughes looked so good during his last outing, and you know this is an important game — no one wants to be swept by the Oakland A’s. But things go bad quickly. You smirk at the screen as Hughes gives up a run in the first and another in the second, then implodes in the third. He only manages two outs in that frame before giving way to Cory Wade. When the inning finally ends the Yankees are down 7-1, and a sweep seems inevitable. You close your browser in disgust and snarl at your co-workers for the rest of the afternoon.
You’re still burning inside, choking on your own bile and grinding your teeth into dust as you leave work. You’re so distracted that you run smack into me as I’m tumbling out of a nearby sports bar, happy as a clam. You curse my ignorance under your breath, but then you stop dead in your tracks, doubting what you think you just heard me say: “I can’t believe they won that game!” You shout after me, begging for an explanation, and this is what I tell you…
Rich Harden was pretty much in control for the first few innings, but then things started to get away from him in the fourth. Russell Martin launched a home run to right, and even though the Yankees were still down by five runs, there was a sense that seven runs wouldn’t be enough for Oakland on this afternoon.
Derek Jeter (whose average would climb to .300 for a minute towards the end of the game) opened the fifth inning with a hard single to center, then Curtis Granderson followed with a walk. After Mark Teixeira struck out, Alex Rodríguez singled to load the bases for Robinson Canó. Was there any one of us who wasn’t thinking about a grand slam? When you’re wondering if your team can back into a game, there’s a tendency to slice large leads by imaginary grand slams, but it doesn’t usually happen that way. I don’t know whether or not that was in Canó’s mind, but he turned on an inside pitch from Harden and popped it into the right field stands. Suddenly it was 7-6 A’s, but it felt more like the Yankees were ahead than behind. A few minutes later Harden was lifted in favor of Craig Breslow, and the Yankees would load the bases again — this would be a recurring theme — but they wouldn’t score again that inning.
In the sixth inning, they left the A’s behind. Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch, Alex Rodríguez drew a walk, and after those two advanced on a wild pitch, Nick Swisher was walked intentionally to load the bases for Martin — who hit a grand slam.
Things looked comfortable at 10-7, but it would get more comfortable in the seventh, which looked like this: walk, walk, walk, sac fly, walk (pitching change), single, ground out, walk, walk, single, walk, line out. It was just your standard six-run, two-hit inning, and the game was out of reach. Yankees 16, A’s 7.
But wait, there’s more. In the eighth the Yankees would bat around for the fourth inning in a row. By the time Granderson came up with two outs in the inning and the bases loaded — again — I started to feel sorry for the A’s, and certainly for pitcher Bruce Billings. I wasn’t wondering if Granderson would hit another grand slam, I was actually kind of expecting it. Afterall, how could the Grandy Man not hit a grand slam on Grand Slam Day?
So when he launched a fly ball high and deep to right center field, I wasn’t surprised. It was the team’s third grand slam of the day, something that had never been done before, and the Yankees were up 21-7. The A’s would actually bring in their closer, Brian Fuentes, to face Andruw Jones. Jones christened him by blasting his own homer to deep left.
And just in case things weren’t crazy enough, Jorge Posada was inserted to play second base in the top of the ninth. He even fielded a grounder, looked the runner back to third even though there were two outs, and took a professional crow hop before firing a throw to first baseman… Nick Swisher. Swisher somehow corralled the throw as he tumbled to the ground, and the game was over. Crazy enough for you?
So in case you missed it, in case you gave up early and your day was ruined, I’m here to tell you that everything is okay. Yankees 22, A’s 9.
A quick look at some of the damage:
- Jeter: 3 for 6, 3B, .299
- Granderson: 2 for 4, 4 runs, grand slam, 5 RBIs
- Canó: 2 for 4, grand slam, 5 RBIs
- Martin: 5 for 5, 2B, solo HR, grand slam, 6 RBIs
- Nuñez: 3 for 5
- Team: 21 hits, 13 walks, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs
Love the intro to the recap! Sounds like you had a couple of beers at that sports bar.
[1] Poetic license. I was sitting on the couch.
Caught the last half of this game at the local tavern. Holy smokes! The bases seemed to be loaded at all times. Excpect for the 3 salamis. And the Posada play was a riot. He took his time like he knew what he was doing and just fired it into the dirt. Good on Swisher. The wet blanket, however, is that Hughes sucked and the good guys lost a series to the lowly a's. boo.
How many PAs were there with the bases loaded?
It was like two different games, I missed the 7-1 part, really enjoyed the 21-2 half. 3 touchdowns to a safety.
[4] By my count, there were 16 plate appearances with the bases loaded.
First of all, I didn't even realize there was a game today. I was still sitting here wondering if I'd get home in time to catch the last inning or two as it slowly began to dawn on me this was actually a wrap-up and not some weird dream scenario.
Jorgie played second? Really?
Wtf?
Bummer to miss this game live, will check it out on mlb.com tonight for sure. Go Go Jorgie!!
Grandish! I left work when Cano came up in the 7th with the bases loaded. Was down in the village with the score 16-7. I thought, 'wouldn't it be great if Granderson hit a grand slam too? Then Sterling would really have something to chortle about." I went to dinner and when I checked the score later to see that Granderson did in fact hit a grand salami...well, that's what I call being spoiled.
Guess the offense really doesn't suck after all.
[7] It was a weird dream.
Hank's story about meeting me on the street is waaaaaay more realistic than the actual game. It was wacky.
only bummer is it turns out the boston has no problem w/ texas after all.
This was the game I almost didn't go to. I initially tried to sell my tickets on Stubhub and figured I should just go to work. But as of last night, I couldn't sell the them so I called up a friend who had just graduated college, figuring he was unemployed and offered him the extra ticket to go with me.
We get to the Stadium, grab a large leisurely lunch at the Rojo Molino for the price of a stadium hot dog and get to the gates at 2:25pm. And to my surprise, my tickets don't work! I go to the box office who then tell me that Stubhub had sold my tickets and they were being used. So now I am pissed at Stubhub but what to do about the game and my friend I dragged out to the Stadium in the rain?
So I decide to scalp tickets. A guy approaches me, offers me Section 120 for $100 each. I negotiate him down to $30 each (it was already the top of the first). So I ask him how I know the tickets are real. So he gives one to my friend and he gets in. I give him $60 and find out that my ticket is used already. By the time I turn around, the scalper is around the corner and gone. I tell my friend to enjoy the game and walk resigned to the subway while the rain drizzled down.
Along the way, I call Stubhub to complain. After 15 min of hold, transfer to service rep and explaining, Stubhub apologized and put me on hold. At that point, I noticed the scalper coming back and setting up again to look for another patsy.
I hung up the phone and approached the guy. He didn't recognize me and offers me tickets again. I tell him that he has already ripped me off once. So I will follow him around the rest of the day and make sure he doesn't sell to anyone else. At this point, he realizes that he is stuck. So he offers me tickets which were the $5 bleacher seats. That just made me more annoyed. I refused. All of a sudden a woman walks by and waves to me. She says that she has free tickets. So I go with her. Her tickets are right behind the plate, first row behind the moat: Section 119. My seats were better than the one my friend got (section 127). Soon as the rain got harder, she decided to leave. She gave me her ticket as well so my friend could join. So we both got to sit together in time to watch the Cano grand slam.
All in all, things worked out well after a miserable start.
11) That. Was. Amazing. Wonderful story, thanks for sharing.
[11] That, is crazy. Good on ya!
[11] Omg. That's almost wackier even than the game!
Wow.
What a crazy fucking story!
Lady was super nice. Her sister had cancelled on her at the last minute. So she didn't want to waste the ticket. She walked around the ticket office looking to offer it to someone and heard me and the scalper go at it. At which point she intervened. Thankfully.
Now I have been scalping tickets since my college days in the 90s. I thought I knew all the tricks. It never occurred to me that that he would give me one good ticket and one bad ticket. I guess innovation continues in all professions.
Hahahahahah!!
Just saw Jorgie make his play in the rebroadcast.
Good Lord, how preposterous.
I'm cracking up right now.
[11] Great story.
And, in a way, it mirrors the story of the game: a first few innings of utter frustration and then sweet, sweet payoff.
Thank goodness for the sweet, sweet payoff ...
Robinson's smile makes my day. Goddamn is he good!
[18] Just imagined if he jumped up before each pitch how much better he could be! (Sorry, beating that Dusty dead horse).
Can't wait to watch this game tonight.
[19] I'll take Robbie over my little pony every Modamn day of the week and twice on Sunday.
[20] You bet!
That photo of Posada is hysterical, his ass looks about 5x larger than a usual 2Bman and his motion looks like 3-yro ld Jazz Jr.'s!
All'a ya'll forgot your medication on the last thread. Good thing the ol' Score Barge brought a load and a half...
[11] great story, screenplay material. That it happened on such a day, that's Don Delillo sort of stuff!
[0] well done! Best recap I've read on the banter this season. Many thanks!
[20] Interesting how there is sentiment for Granderson to be considered the league MVP, but for the followers of the team who watch nearly every day, Cano is the most valuable player on the team.
If one of the two had to leave the Yankees, I think it would be unanimous here that Cano must stay.
[24] Cano is great, but he's not been better than Curtis this year. Still I agree with you that I'd rather keep Cano long-term.
[11] Totally wacky day.
Emailed my parents, who are in Newport News Va, about the hurricane. Joked that with the earthquake and now the storm, that they should be alert for locusts. Turns out that while we were on vacation, locusts did attack my sister's backyard.
[5] There were 17 (via LoHud) bases loaded PAs. Wonder if that's a record too.
echo that this was a great recap and what a crazy [11] way to end up at this game.
i was one of those who was put out after i saw that it was 7-1.
i checked in on my blackberry for the helluva it and saw that robbie hit the salami. figured then they would win.
glad i made it home in time to see grandy's grand slam and po's play at 2b.
162 games a year, many of which just run together, but this was just a stand out crazy god damn game. go yankees!!
Thanks for the recap. I gave up on the game and said a number of times that if they don't win the division, getting swept by the As at home would be the chief culprit. Ha!
[11] GREAT story ... But I do wish you'd gotten your $30 back!
[25] Actually, I think if you factor in his defense, he wins, hands down.
[29] Sorry, are you saying that Cano wins hands down or Granderson? Granderson is vastly better than Cano this year on offense. In every single category imaginable except for a few points of batting average.
The stats hate both of them defensively, but I think Cano's had a fine year with the glove. Better than Granderson's year in CF to be sure, but nowhere near enough to span the chasm offenisively.
[30] I agree with you that Cano is not in the running for league MVP. My point was, who is the most valuable member of the team, now and for the foreseeable years.
And thanks to Mr. Waddles for a great recap of a crazy game that is difficult to encapsulate.
[31] Yeah, Cano is our best Yankee going forward, I agree there no argument.