Road Trip, Game 4
Yankees start a three game weekend series today against the Twins ... the team trying to get off a five game slide
Inside, impressions of NYY at MIN (54/162)
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Today we get the Twins broadcast from FoxSports North ... after 5, it seems that this team is a homerish broadcast team
2:10PM HST
TOP 1: Lohse going for the Twins -- Lohse gets out in front 0-2 to Womack, but on the 1-2, Womack hits a sharp grounder up the middle, stopped by the second basemen, the throw ... no chance, infield single
Jeter hits the first pitch to third, one down, the runner to second on the play -- Sheffield hits a laser to left center and into the stands, a two run jack, Yankees lead 2-0
Matsui grounds a single up the middle -- ARod grounds a single through the left side and into leftfield, runners now first and second
Bernies hits a grounder to second that starts a 463 double play that ends the rally
BOT 1: Mussina going for Yankees -- Stewart hits a broken bat roller to first, one down -- Abernathy draws a walk -- Ford goes down swinging
Runner at first, two out for Hunter, he hits a deep flyout to right to end the inning
2:33PM HST
TOP 2: Posada draws a leadoff walk -- Tino grounds a single to right, runners now first and second -- Cano grounds to second, into a 463 double play
Runner at third, Womack goes down looking to retire the side
BOT 2: Jones grounds to short, one away -- Tiffee goes the opposite way and grounds a single to left -- Cuddyer grounds to short into a 643 inning ending double play
2:50PM
TOP 3: Jeter grounds to second, one down -- Sheffield also grounds to second, two gone -- Matsui hits a laser to right, it is off Jones' glove ... Matsui in with a two out double
Lohse gives the intentional pass to ARod, runners now first and second, two down -- Bernie lines a two out single up the middle into center, one run scores, Yankees now lead 3-0
Runners now at the corners for Posada, full count, he goes down swinging at the payoff to end the rally
BOT 3: Redmond grounds the first pitch to first, one gone -- Castro also grounds to first, two down -- Stewarts loops out to short to end the inning
3:06PM HST
TOP 4: Tino pops out to left, one gone -- Cano grounds to second, two away -- Womack grounds the payoff to first to retire the side
BOT 4: Abernathy squashes a leadoff HR to left ... and Muss knew it after he let it go, solo shot, Yankees lead cut to 3-1
Ford gashes the first pitch to the gap in right center, it is by Sheffield ... Ford will go for three, he is in with a triple
Runner at third, Hunter hits the first pitch up the middle and into center, one run scores, the score in now 3-2
Hunter steals on the first pitch, runner at second -- Jones singles to left, runners now at the corners, still none out ... and Stottlemyre out to the mound
Tiffee pops out to shallow left for the first out -- Runners at the corners, Cuddyer grounds to third and into an inning ending 543 double play
3:25PM HST
TOP 5: Jeter grounds to short, one down -- Sheffield grounds to third, two away -- full count to Matsui, the payoff ... is lined to center at a running Hunter, he loses it in the lights ... and it bounces to the wall, a two out double for Matsui
ARod drives a ball to deep left ... Stewart at the wall, jumps ... and ROBS ARod to retire the side (and this may be the game changing play)
BOT 5: Redmond grounds to short, one down -- Castro pops the first pitch to second, two gone -- Stewart ropes a two out double down the left field line
Abernathy draws a walk, runners now first and second, two out for Ford, he blasts one to left, a three run shot -- and the Twins take their first lead, 5-3
... and I wonder why I even bother to complain about 2-out rallies
Hunter grounds to first, close play at first, but the Twins are retired
TOP 6: Bernie grounds to second, one gone -- Posada flies out foul to left, two down -- Tino grounds the first pitch into right, a two out single
Cano shatters his bat and grounds to second to retire the side
BOT 6: Jones grounds to first, one down -- Tiffie also grounds to first, two away -- Cuddyer hits a sharp grounder up the middle, off Muss's glove, slows down a bit, Cano charges ... looks like he won't throw ... he does ... HE'S OUT, whoa what an arm! ... and the Twins are retired
TOP 7: Crain in pitch for Twins -- Womack tries to bunt his way on, Crain fields ... low throw to first, picked and is IN TIME, one down -- Jeter is down on a checkswing, tagged out by the catcher, two away -- Sheffield flies out to left to retire the side
Seventh Inning Sameness, Twins lead 5-3
Redmond blasts one by Matsui in center for a leadoff double -- Stottlemyre in to confer, and give Sturtze some tosses
Castro bunts back to Muss, he gloves ... turns to throw at ARod, and surprise surprise ... HE'S OUT OF POSITION! ... Muss throws to first and pulls Tino off the bag, everyone safe
Runners at the corners, none down for Stewart -- Sturtze in to face Stewart
He hits a deep drive to center, a sacfly that scores one run, the Twins now lead 6-3
Runner at first, one down for Abernathy, he grounds one up the middle and into center, runners now first and second
Ford grounds to second and into an inning ending 443 double play
4:16PM HST
TOP 8: Rincon in to pitch for the Twins -- Matsui down swinging, one gone -- full count to ARod, the payoff ... is lifted to right, a flyout, two down -- Bernie grounds the first pitch to short to retire the side
BOT 8: Rivera in due to inaction over the losing streak -- Hunter grounds a leadoff single up the middle, just past Jeter -- runner goes, Jones grounds a single to right, runners now at the corners
Jones goes on the first pitch to Tiffee, he steals second with no problem -- Tiffee chops one back to short, Jeter in on the play, holds the runner at third and puts him away, one down -- Romero and Nathan warming for the Twins
Runners second and third for Cuddyer, he grounds to third, the runner holds, two away -- Redmond goes down swinging to end the inning
TOP 9: Morneau in to play 1B, Nathan in to close the door -- Posada grounds to short, one away -- Tino grounds to first, two down -- Cano goes down swinging to end the game
Same problems.
FINAL: Twins win, 6-3
And at the one-third point of the season, the Yankees a ho-hum .500 -- Much like late last season, the pitching is the problem and it is really up and down the starters ... to top that off, the bats of the "on paper" lineup have been incredibly inconsistent
What more can be said ...
27UP 27DOWN ... 6 straight losses