Chalk this one up to the Go Figure Department. Serge Mitre pitches well, David Robertson does the job even if he still can’t throw strikes consistently. The Twins hit the ball hard but have little to show for it. Meanwhile, Randy Winn drives in two with a triple and the Yanks hold a 3-1 lead in the eighth. But Joba can’t get out of the inning, and loads the bases. With two out, Mariano comes in and falls behind 3-0 to Jim Thome (the second pitch was close, a pitch Mo usually gets, but was off the plate). Throws a strike, Thome fouls off two pitches and then takes ball four to force home a run.

Jason Kubel is next and he slaps Mo’s second pitch into the seats in right for a grand slam.

Silence. Kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then…jet.

Improbable, maybe. Bound to happen? Yeah. Just a reminder that winning games is hard even for the best of ’em. First two runs Mo have given up all year.

So in the bottom of the ninth, Winn singles up the middle and then Ramiro Pena pokes a base hit to right against Minnesota’s closer, Jon Rauch. Derek Jeter’s next and takes two huge cuts and the crowd is into it again. Tying man at the plate. Couple more foul balls and Rauch screws him into the ground on a curve ball in the dirt. Jeter can’t hold up, one out. Next, Gardner whiffs on three pitches. Finally, Mark Teixeira takes two strikes, looks at a couple of balls, swings late and barely manages to foul a pitch down the first base line, and then looks at strike three–a tailing fastball that hits the inside corner–as the Twins salvage the last game of the series, 6-3.

Only real drag is that the Rays won again so the Yanks drop another game out of first.

Can’t win ’em all.

[Photo Credit: Bags and Al Bello/Getty Images]