When they got off the train in Detroit the night before their series against the Tigers, the Yankees were greeted with the stunning news that Lou Gehrig had died earlier in the day. Several of the older players, including DiMaggio, who had played with Gehrig were concerned for his wife and considered skipping the game. DiMaggio decided to play, and his fourth-inning homerun was a small bright spot in a bleak day as the Yankees lost, 4-2, while mourning their former captain.
On Star Wars night at Comerica Park the Yankees and Tigers played a taut, tension-filled game. The Stakes seemed high for both teams–for the Yanks because Justin Verlander is pitching tomorrow, for the Tigers because they’ve been horrible lately.
Rick Porcello got Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson out in the first on hard ground ball outs and after Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano singled, Mark Teixeira popped out to end the inning. Quintin Berry walked in the bottom of the inning, stole second, and was sacrificed to third. Then the rain came and the game was called for forty minutes. When it resumed, Hiroki Kuroda got out of trouble, retiring the demolition duo known as Cabrera and Fielder.
The game moved quickly. In the fourth, Don Kelly, a tall, thin left fielder, stretched out and robbed Teixeira of a homer. Bottom of the inning, however, there was no robbing Cabrera of anything as he hit an absolute bomb to center field. The Tigers added another run in the fifth and it stayed 2-0 when the Yanks led off the seventh with back-to-back singles (Chavez, Martin). Juaquin Benoit came in and Jeter sacrificed them over, as we all knew he would, and in spite of some of our hollering.
Would the Tigers walk Granderson to face Rodriguez? I thought they would. Instead they went right after Grandy. The first pitch, a change up, low and away was called a strike though it looked nowhere near the strike zone. Grandy popped the next pitch foul and out of play near the Yankee dugout and apparently Kevin Long said something to home plate umpire–and notorious crank–Bob Davidson because in not time he was thrown out of the game. Joe Girardi was heated, charged over to Davidson and he too was excused from the game. Then Grandy whiffed and Rodriguez hit a soft pop up to second and once again the Yanks couldn’t come through with the big hit.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cory Wade replaced Kuroda and got Berry to ground out to Cano for the first out. Cano moved to his left and fielded the ball on a short hop. He made the play look easy but it was anything but–second base always has odd plays that appear simple because the throw to first is short. Wade got a pop out to Cano and then had to deal with Cabrera.
But Cabrera dealt with him instead launching a 2-1 pitch to deep center right into the cameras.
“What a terrifying hitter he is,” said Tim McCarver on the Fox broadcast.
Enter the Jackass: Jose Valverde, who has added to his jackassedness with a blond billy goat beard since last we saw him (the tail of his hair is blond too).
First pitch he threw clipped Russell Martin in the left shoulder. Dwayne Wise pinch came in to run for Martin and he took off on the second pitch to Derek Jeter (and second ball) and made it to second safely. Three pitches later, Jeter drew a base on balls. Granderson took ball one and then hit a harmless fly ball to center for the first out.
Once again, Rodriguez was in a key spot. He took the first pitch for a strike while Wise and Jeter took off and successfully reached third and second respectively. The infield came in. And Rodriguez took a fastball, high and inside for a ball. The next pitch, another fastball, was outside. The next pitch summed up the season for Rodriguez. Right down the pipe, inside corner, 94 mph. Good swing, but futile, swung right through it for strike two. And then came a fastball that nailed Rodriguez on the left elbow, the funny bone. Rodriguez looked to be in considerable pain as the trainer Steve Donohue led him down to first base.
Leyland commenced to pacing as Valverde’s first pitch was so far outside that I was surprised that it wasn’t his last of the night. But he got the next pitch in on Cano’s hands and the second baseman hit a weak pop fly to short. All down to Teixeira.
The first pitch was way high for a ball. Next, another fastball outside, 2-0. The next pitch, again outside, and not even close, 3-0. How could the Tigers escape this? How could the Yanks find a way to screw it up? The crowd cheered when the following pitch was a strike down the middle. Would Teix take another one? He would not as he fouled a ball off.
Now the Tiger fans were shouting, trying to will their team to a win. Fastball inside, like the one that got Cano out, but Teix fouled it back. More screaming, fans standing, clapping. And ball four in the dirt. Game tied. Now, those same fans booed.
Raul Ibanez leaned back and took a 95 mph fastball inside for a ball. A called strike. Another ball and then a pop up. The catcher Omir Santos came over near the Yankee dugout and he missed the ball. Flat missed it. More boos. Life for Ibanez as he tipped the next pitch–a good pitch to hit. Fouled off the next pitch too. Then grounded out weakly to Fielder.
David Phelps got the first man out in the ninth, gave up a single and then Jhonny Peralta sliced a ball to right. Nick Swisher, moving to the corner, fielded it on a hop with his bare hand. The ball was tailing to his left. It saved the game though runners were on the corners. Enter Boone Logan. Ramon Santiago, a right-handed hitter, pinch hit for Kelly. Took the first pitch in the dirt for a ball. Next pitch bounced too and Chris Stewart, the new catcher, blocked them both. Then Santiago was walked intentionally.
Bases loaded. Again. For Santos. The 9 hitter. And sunken stomachs in Yankee land, figuring this would just about figure. So Logan throws him a breaking ball for a strike. He lined the next pitch to right, good enough for a sac fly and good enough for the win.
Final Score: Tigers 4, Yanks 3.
Less than fourteen hours until Phil Hughes. Sleep well.
While the Mets remain the talk of the town the dullards from the Bronx look to win another game behind Hiroki Kuroda. Be a nice “w” what with Mr. Verlander vs. Phil Hughes tomorrow.
How ’bout some more runs, fellas?
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez DH
Russell Martin C
Never mind the storm troopers: Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photo Credit: Scarlet Pimp]
The Yankees attempted to complete a sweep of their series against the Indians but were faced with the daunting task of hitting against one of the league’s hottest pitchers, Bob Feller. Coming into the game he hadn’t allowed a run in twenty-nine straight innings, and although the Yankees snapped that string in the second, Feller was still able to earn his eleventh win of the young season as the Indians came out on top, 7-5. DiMaggio had a single and a double on this day, and back in his hometown, the San Francisco Chronicle picked up on the streak for the first time. Soon enough, every paper in the country would be tracking DiMaggio’s progress.
It rained all night. Now the sun is struggling to peak through the clouds.
[Photo Credit: Worship the Feminine]
Who says the Yanks can’t hit rookie pitchers they’ve never faced before? Who says they can’t get a big hit with the bases loaded? They had plenty fun tonight thanks to a grand slam by Curtis Granderson (2-0 pitch and son hit an absolute bomb) and a yeoman effort from C.C. Sabathia. It was a cold and rainy night in the Motor City but the Yanks got a lead and held it together. Grittsy n gutsy by C.C. who threw 39 pitches in the third inning but five in the sixth (after a bad call went against the Yanks, Robinson Cano was positioned just right to make an unassisted double play).
Alex Rodriguez whiffed three times but interrupted a rant by Michael Kay about how he hasn’t hit for power (which is, of course, true enough) to hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Rafael Soriano had to come in the game with the bases loaded, one out and Miguel Cabrera up in the bottom of the inning but got a ground ball double play to end it.
Final Score: Yanks 9, Tigers 4.
Course, the big news round these parts tonight was Johan Santana’s no-hitter for the Mets, the first no-hitter in franchise history. I only caught the final three outs and have never rooted so hard for the Mets. Good for them.
A good night for the locals indeed.
[Photo Credit: SNY]
The Tigers have been bad. That’s gotta change, right?
Here’s hoping the Yanks take two of three this weekend.
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones DH
Jayson Nix LF
Chris Stewart C
Never mind the rookie: Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Picture via Activity Village]
Maxim has an oral history of “The Wire.” A must-read for groupies of the show.
I’m going to be at the Warner Library in Tarrytown on Monday night talking to Rob Fleder about “Damn Yankees.”
Fall through if you are around that neck of the woods.
[Pictures via: It’s a Long Season]
Happy Yankee anniversary to Derek Jeter. Joel Sherman and George King III have the skinny today in the Post.
Playing their second doubleheader in three days, the Yankees continued their roadtrip by sweeping two games from the Cleveland Indians and moving to within a game and a half of the first place White Sox. DiMaggio had one single in each of the games to bring the streak to eighteen games. His hit in the second game came in his last at bat of the day. At this point, as a new paper each day seemed to pick up on the DiMaggio streak, he certainly must have been aware of what was at stake. He smashed a rocket that glanced off the glove of third baseman Ken Keltner. (The next time the Yankees came to Cleveland, DiMaggio would not be so lucky.) Elsewhere, Ted Williams was also continuing his torrid pace. He collected four hits in a doubleheader against the Tigers, raising his average to an obscene .430. His hitting streak was still intact a game beyond DiMaggio’s at nineteen straight, and he was even hotter than Joe D. Williams’s streak average was an even .500 (36 for 72) while DiMaggio was hitting a comparatively mild .362 (25 for 69).
Nice piece by Rick Paulas over at the Awl on ball players who had a cup of coffee in the big leagues.
[Photo Credit: Shhilja]
Picture via Elevated Encouragement.
Sweet cherry pie from Smitten Kitchen. Yes, please.
