"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

A Most Satisfying Win

When Mark Teixeira fielded the ground ball and hustled to first for the final out in the bottom of the ninth, manager Joe Girardi watched eagerly from the vistor’s dugout.  He was coiled.  But when the last out was made, Girardi and his coaches shook hands with enthusiasm.  Everyone was pumped up.

Yanks 4, Rays 3.   

They had every right to be pleased as the Yankees earned perhaps their most satisfying win so far this year.  Andy Pettitte staked the Rays to an early 2-0 lead but pitched a wonderful game, allowing three runs and working into the eighth inning.  Brian Bruney, who struck out the side last night on ten pitches, replaced Pettitte and whiffed the two batters he faced (Bruney got the win).  Robinson Cano hit a two-run dinger and Johnny Damon, who missed the two previous games, drove in the tying run in the top of the eighth. 

Then, in the ninth, Cody Ransom, who hasn’t hit a lick (and was benched again today in favor of Ramiro Pena), laced a one-out, pinch-hit liner into right center field.  Running hard out of the box, he hustled his way into a double (a good throw would have made it close, but it was off-line).  One out later, Derek Jeter singled to left, a ground ball that darted between the shortstop and third baseman.  Ransom charged home as Carl Crawford bobbled the ball momentarily allowing him to score easily.  The Yankees took advantage of two poor outfield throws, turning the tables on the Rays who ran without mercy on the Yankee outfielders last season.

Our great friend Mr. Rivera pitched the ninth: fly out to right, and two ground ball outs to first.  Zip, zip, zip.  The Bombers finish their nine-game road trip on a high note, and they will open the new Yankee Stadium tomorrow with a winning record of 5-4.

Hot Dog.

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22 comments

1 chrismarz   ~  Apr 15, 2009 9:14 pm

I forgot how stressful this fun thing called yankee baseball can be. ecstatic with two wins over al champs tb rays, let's take it to our friends from NE Ohio. I'm going saturday, hope wang has his mojo back.

2 Rich   ~  Apr 15, 2009 10:47 pm

It's heartening to see Jeter demonstrating that he can still hit with SLG.

This team is developing a grittiness and mental toughness that is reminiscent of the teams of the late-'90s. Comeback wins on the road are can really help a team coalesce.

3 PJ   ~  Apr 15, 2009 10:48 pm

"The Bombers finish their nine-game road trip on a high note, and they will open the new Yankee Stadium tomorrow with a winning record of 5-4."

Queue Cloris Leachman!

YS2.0 will be rockin'!

I'll be watchin'!

4 Mattpat11   ~  Apr 15, 2009 11:03 pm

Is it wrong that the Yankees are opening a new ballpark and the two things I'm most looking forward too are the thunderous boos Carl Pavano will get and the Yankees making the clock hit midnight on Cliff Lee's Cinderella story?

5 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 15, 2009 11:25 pm

[4] Thundercats, ho!!!

6 Mattpat11   ~  Apr 15, 2009 11:40 pm

That went over my head

7 PJ   ~  Apr 15, 2009 11:41 pm

[4] I'm still having trouble with all of the "firsts," Mattpat...

I mean, didn't Robinson Cano already hit the first HR at YS2.0? Isn't there a prescedent with respect to Mantle hitting the first one in the Astrodome? What about first start/win, first strike, first K, first backwards K, first Yankee to get a hit (Jeter), first to get two hits (still Jeter), first Yankee Captain to play there (!), first visiting Manager who couldn't figure out the new coffee maker (Piniella)???

Help a brother out please?

8 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:02 am

[5] beautiful, chyll! thundercats and skelator!

hello, old friend. hope uncle woodrow is doing better and happy belated birthday to you, pal!

9 3rd gen yankee fan   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:09 am

I was dancin after the game today. We took two from the Rays! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Man that felt good.

[4] No.

Also just wanted to let you kids know, at the Sunday game against the Royals, they played GBA before Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Sooo... I guess this fad has spread around some. I don't recall the Royals playing it last year...

10 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:10 am

[5] Back from a falafel lunch xtravaganza, love the reference!
Hope too that the news is improving on that end.

[8] Grant Green "Idle Moments" on during a slow stroll through the park at lunch..has there ever been a more apt title for a song? Flawless performance by all involved on that one..but how to sit down back at work now??

11 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:17 am

[10] i'm reading about the nice win today! soooo glad wake didn't get a no-no!!!

idle moments is an absolute classic. that said, i'm not a big al harewood fan and wish there was a different drummer on that record...

i'm listening to Shakti right now - john mclaughlin's brilliant Classical Indian fusion group. simply astounding. this is a "remembering" shakti reunion type disc from 1999. i saw the US tour a year later. i'm still blown away by it!

12 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:18 am

Bruney's last 5 outings:

4.2 IP, 10 K, 0 H, 0 BB

13 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:32 am

[11] I love anythiing with GG, doesn't matter the sidemen!

Shakti..ridiculous band. How can people actually play like that, technically AND with spirit?? Inhuman..would love to have seen them live. When gigs like that come here the tix are so expensive, easily over US$ 100

[12] Bruney is becoming a Nasty Boy

14 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:35 am

i just picked up 2 live GG cd's - At Club Mozambique and at the Lighthouse. both are on BN. i also got the 3cd Lee Morgan live set at the Lighthouse, which is ridiculous.

Shakti = one of the greatest band of musicians EVER assembled! ever. period, end of.

let's hope Bruney keeps it up and stays healthy. i'm sure he'll go in a rut here and there, but hopefully those will be few and far between.

15 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 12:49 am

Those are great GG albums! Dig him on "Patches", stupid funky riff he pulls out there on a maudlin, sappy song. Though "Alive" still my favorite, you MUST like Idris Muhammad on drums on that one??

Agree about Shakti..power of the gods in their playing.

Do you think Bruney really can keep it going? 1-2 punch in the pen would be reassuring..Mo can't slam the door if there's no one to unhook the latch..

16 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:08 am

i've been digging idris's playing lately - Leo Morris!!! i don't have Alive yet. i'm getting that and Green Is Beautiful in about a month. at that point, i'll have every GG cd on BN. 26 or 27 titles. the only one they've never released on disc, is Shades of Green.

Ichiro having an amazing first game back - 2 hits - including homer - 4 rbi, run scored and stolen base. The Kid hit a homer in Seattle, too! : ) Washburn's been pitching well... Kinsler had 6 hits and went for the cycle. i dig that kid!

well, if bruney stays healthy, i think he'll be alright. i'm sure he'll go thru some bouts of control issues, dead arm and getting hit hard, but hopefully he won't get injured and his overall pitching will be on the positive side of the ledger.

17 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:22 am

Ichiro is the Last Samurai, man. First Japanese player to make the HOF, for sure. Good to see the M's rebounding a bit from last year's debacle. Now about those Washington Nationals..

You will LOVE Alive. top-10 all time funky album.

18 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:28 am

yeah on Alive, plus i hear Grant's still playing some straight ahead solos on that one, so i'm psyched to get it and am sure i'll dig it a lot.

kershaw had 13 K's in 7 innings tonight. crazy night when Kris Benson AND Mike Hampton each get wins! at least Krazy Kyle lost...

19 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:39 am

and six hits + the Cycle for Kinsler down in Tejas, impressive!

I feel bad for Farnsworth..glas he is no longer on the Yankees of course, but he seems a likable fellow, just not very good at pitching..

20 thelarmis   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:49 am

yeah, pete abe painted kyle a good guy. he lives not far from me in metro atlanta...

21 Mattpat11   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:59 am

I still cackle when he fails though.

22 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 16, 2009 1:59 am

[20] really? better get on his good side incase of a brawl!

btw, you mention heading out for a beer or two to your local..can you walk there? i always picture Atlanta just being suburbs and hughe highways..

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver