Now, that there’s a fine way to go into the break. Big, fat win at Fenway Park with plenty of big hits and luck on the side of the visitors. Even when the Yanks kicked the ball around in the 9th inning, fortune was on their side and if Rob Refsnyder’s home run in the top of the 9th summed up what’s gone right this year in the Bronx, then Hanley Ramirez’s 7th inning strike out against Dellin Betances said all you need to know about the Sox.
Betances spotted a fastball for strike one, got Ramirez to swing and miss at a tight, unforgiving slider for strike two, and then busted him up with a fastball. Ramirez started to swing, then tried to hold up, and in the process punched the bat out of his left hand with his right hand. He then gave a little jump and shook his hand as if he’d slammed it in a car door. It was humiliating. (And this is against the great Ramirez who had 2 hits today.)
Brian McCann, Chase Headley, and Alex Rodriguez got the key hits for the Yanks–and Gardner had two hits again–but the hero of the game was Refsnyder. He didn’t look like much in his first two at bats but then got his first big league hit with a line drive to center the next time up. His home run over the Green Monster in the 9th bared no resemblance to Bucky Dent’s infamous 1978 pop fly. This was was a shot. Got my ass up, clapping, tell you that.
Refsnyder also made a decisive, confident defensive move in the 8th inning. Alejandro De Aza led off with a single, the Yanks up 6-4, and Shane Victorino followed with a slow ground ball to second. Refsynder fielded the ball and flipped to second, not the sure out at all. It was a close play but he’d measured it correctly and the Yanks got the force at second.
On the flip side, Refsnyder helped Andrew Miller botch a possible game-ending double play in the 9th, but hey, nobody’s perfect, and nobody will remember the near-miss. Refsnyder gets a few days off riding on a cloud. For a team that’s been uneven but often endearing, it’s been an unexpectedly decent first half. Not great, but not bad. Sort of sucky, sort of good.
Let’s hope these dudes can stay healthy during the long summer. Love to see them with a fighting chance come October.
[Photo Credit: Matthew Healey/N.Y. Daily News]
Definitely rooting for the kid to do better than advertised; remember Cap'n came in with both high expectations and high criticism as well. If he can do more than half as well, then I'd say we could stop worrying about second for a while.
Awesome game, and what a moment for the kid. One of the nice things about morning baseball here is I can watch the archived game in the afternoon with Jazz Jr when he gets home from school. He was so excited to see the rookie get his first big league tater.
4 days off. Let's hope the good vibes continue, this team is growing on me! (Note: That does not include sorry Stephen Drew. Sorry, Stephen, nothing personal.)
This team is performing well above my expectations.
Go figure.
I have gone and figured. My figurin tells me that we need an impact bat to replace Beltran. I know he's been a little better lately, but he can't cut it.
Well, Beltran hasn't been playing for two weeks. Before that he was hitting well.
Sure, I'd try to grab a bat at the deadline -- OF or 3B I guess, if there's one available.
Headley is their guy, they ain't going after a third baseman, for better or for worse.
I doubt Alex and Tex will make it through the end of the year without getting hurt.