Home Stand, Game 1
Yankees back after a day off, off a solid performance on the road trip. Today it gets no easier as they start a three game series against wild card contender, Minnesota
Impressions of MIN at NYY (98/162)
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Still dig the Ecstasy of Gold/Battery warm up music for Unit at The Stadium
TOP 1: Unit going for NY -- Stewart is plunkt on the foot, on first base via HBP -- Punto grounds up the middle to short, Jeter steps on second unassisted and completes the 663 double play, two down -- Hunter goes down swinging (RJ 1) to retire the side
BOT 1: Radke going for Twins -- Jeter goes down looking, one down -- Cano grounds to first, the pitcher covering, two away -- Sheffield pops to right to end the inning
TOP 2: Mauer goes down looking (RJ 2), one down -- Lecroy also goes down looking (RJ 3), two away -- Ford flies to center to retire the side
BOT 2: ARod blasts one to center ... GONE, a solo shot to near straightaway center -- Yankees lead, 1-0
Matsui grounds to third, one down -- full count to Giambi, the payoff ... high, he draws a walk -- Bernie lines a single to right ... Giambi hustling to third, he is in there as the throw is offline -- runners at the corners for Tino, he grounds to second, Boone has to charge to glove ... he doesn't tag Bernie who is hung up in the baseline ... he decides to turn and throw to second to get the force, two away, one run scores -- Yankees now lead, 2-0
Flaherty flies to the track in left to end the inning and the rally
TOP 3: Boone goes down looking (RJ 4), one down -- Cuddyer lines to the center, two away -- Castro flies to right to retire the side
BOT 3: Jeter grounds to third, one pitch, one away -- Cano rips the 1-1 down the first baseline ... the ump calls it foul (replay: CHALK DUST POOF, I think not) ... he goes down swinging, the ball is dropped but he is put out at first, two down -- Sheffield reaches out and grounds to third to end the inning
TOP 4: Stewart goes down swinging (RJ 5), one down -- Punto grounds to first, two away -- Hunter is down looking (RJ 6) to retire the side
BOT 4: ARod pops to left, one down -- Matsui blasts one to the base of the wall in left for a double -- full count to Giambi, the payoff ... he draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Bernie grounds to the mound, off the pitcher, Radke knocks it down and makes the play at first, two away
Runners now second and third for Tino, he is plunkt, bases now loaded -- Flaherty goes down swinging to end the inning
TOP 5: Mauer goes down swinging (RJ 7), one away -- Lecroy grounds to short, two down -- Ford flies to left center to retire the side
BOT 5: Jeter grounds to short, Castro circles to glove ... Jeter in with a hustle leadoff infield single -- Cano grounds sharply to third into a 543 double play, two down -- Sheffield hits a broken bat grounder to third to end the inning
TOP 6: Boone grounds to third, one down -- Cuddyer goes down swinging (RJ 8), two away -- Castro grounds one up the middle ... and it bounces under Jeter's glove and into center for the FIRST HIT of the game, ending the Unit's no-hit bid -- Stewart goes down swinging to retire the side
BOT 6: ARod grounds a leadoff single up the middle and into center -- Matsui pops foul to the catcher ... Mauer makes a great running, reaching grab while approaching the visiting dugout rail, one down -- Giambi is plunkt, runners now first and second
The 2-1 to Bernie gets away from Mauer and kicks away ... the runners advance to second and third -- Bernie grounds to short ... ARod is hung up and run down, the runners now at first and second, two away -- Tino pops to center ... the campfire defense gathers, and Hunter makes the catch to end the inning
TOP 7: Punto goes down swinging (RJ 10), one down -- Hunter goes down swinging ... OLE!!!, the silver sombrero, two away (RJ 11) -- Mauer grounds to second to end the inning
Seventh Inning Stretch, Yankees lead, 2-0
BOT 7: Crain pitching for MIN -- Flaherty grounds to second, one down -- Jeter lays down a surprise bunt to third, no play possible other than to glove it, an infield single -- Cano goes down swinging, two away -- Sheffield lines a two out single to left, runners now first and second -- Anderson in to confer, Romero warms for MIN -- ARod draws a walk to load the bases
Gardenhire will match L-L and bring in Romero to face Matsui -- Matsui lines a clutch two out single up the middle, two runs score -- Yankees now lead, 4-0
Runners at first and second for Giambi, he goes down swinging to end the rally
TOP 8: Lecroy flies to left, one down -- Gordon warms for NY -- Ford blasts one out to left center, over Matsui's head and to the wall, in with a double -- Boone flies to center, the runner tags and goes to third, two away -- Cuddyer sharply grounds to first, great stop by Tino to retire the side
BOT 8: Mulholland now pitching for Twins -- Bernie grounds a leadoff single, past Punto and into left -- Tino grounds to second into a 434 double play, two down-- Gordon warms for NY -- Flaherty flies to right to end the inning
TOP 9: Unit is done for the night, a superb two hit shutout effort -- Gordon now pitching for NY -- Tiffee PH for Castro, he grounds back to the mound, one down -- Stewart flies to the track in right, two away -- full count to Punto, the payoff ... he grounds to first, Gordon covers to end the game
FINAL: Yankees win, 4-0
The big story is the Unit's performance tonight, effectively shutting down the Twins with a season high-tying 11 Ks, on two hits over 8IP -- Offense did just enough in what was basically a pitching and defense night, and another clutch hit by Matsui
53UP 45DOWN ... two straight wins