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Home Stand, Game 2

Very dominant pitching performance last night by the Unit, tonight Al Leiter gets his first start back in NY -- Yankees try to secure a series win against the always tough Johan Santana

Impressions of MIN at NYY (99/162)
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TOP 1: Leiter goes for NY -- Stewart grounds a leadoff single up the middle and into center -- Punto grounds a single through to left, runners now first and second -- Ford grounds to short, the force is made at third, one down

Mauer goes down swinging, two away -- Hunter grounds to short, great diving stop by Jeter's face to stop it from going through, an infield single -- Jones grounds to short ... Jeter charges, gloves and guns ... close play to retire the side

BOT 1: Santana goes for Twins -- Jeter grounds to short, one down -- Cano flies to left, two away -- Sheffield grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 2: Boone flies to right, one down -- Morneau grounds to second, two away -- full count to Cuddyer, he blasts it to left ... Matsui chases, it's off the wall and away, and Cuddyer in with a double (could have been a triple, if he didn't MAJORLY DOG IT with the HR trot)

Stewart plunked, on first via HBP -- Runners at first and second for Punto, he draws a walk to load the bases -- Ford grounds slowly to third, ARod has to charge ... big gun over to first, Tino catches the low throw ... in time to retire the side

BOT 2: ARod draws a leadoff walk -- Matsui grounds to second ... under Boone's glove and into right center for a single, runners now first and second -- Giambi goes down swinging, one down

Posada flies to left center, two away -- Tino flies to right to end the inning

TOP 3: Mauer works a full count then grounds a leadoff single through to right -- Before the 1-1 to Hunter, Mauer is hung up, Leiter's pickoff throw is slow ... Tino's throw to second will not get him, he steals second

Runner at second for Hunter, he flies to left, one down -- Jones grounds the first pitch to short, two away -- On the 2-1 to Boone, the pitch gets away from Posada ... runner to third on the wild pitch -- full count to Boone, the payoff ... low, he draws a two out walk -- runners at the corners for Morneau, he blasts one to deep left center, off the wall, one run scores, he is in with a double ... they wave Boone ... the tag is waiting for him to end the rally -- Twins lead, 1-0

BOT 3: Bernie grounds to deep short, one down -- Jeter grounds to short ... he beats out the throw, an infield single -- Cano lines a single to right, runners now first and second -- Sheffield sharply lines a single to center ... they wave Jeter, the throw by Hunter is damn perfect, Mauer tags out Jeter, two away

Runners at the corners for ARod, he flies to the track in left to end the inning

TOP 4: Cuddyer lofts a leadoff single to left -- Stewart draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Punto flies to left, one down -- Ford goes down swinging, two away-- full count to Mauer, the payoff ... he grounds back to the mound to retire the side

BOT 4: Matsui gets brushed back with the high chin music ... he bloops a leadoff single to right -- Giambi goes down looking, one down -- Posada goes down swinging, two away -- Tino pops to second to end the inning

TOP 5: Hunter draws a leadoff walk -- Felix Rodriguez warms for NY -- Jones grounds to first, the throw by Tino to second gets the force at second, one down -- full count to Boone, the payoff ... he draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Stottlemyre out to confer -- Morneau grounds to second into a 463 double play to retire the side

BOT 5: Bernie pops to third in left, one down -- Jeter goes down swinging, two away -- Cano lines a two out single the opposite way, off Cuddyer's glove and into left -- Sheffield grounds to third to end the inning

TOP 6: A high pitch count outing by Leiter but he has kept the Yankees in the game, he is done for the night -- Felix Rodriguez now pitching for NY -- Cuddyer pops to right, one down -- Stewart sharply grounds a single through to left --
On the first pitch to Groom, Stewart goes ... the pitch is low, no chance at a throw ... Stewart in at second with the steal -- Proctor and Groom warm for NY -- full count to Punto, he goes down swinging on a foul tip, two away -- full count to Ford, the payoff ... he pops foul to third to retire the side

BOT 6: ARod draws a leadoff walk -- Matsui grounds to second into a 463 double play, two down -- Sturtze warms for NY -- Giambi grounds to second to end the inning

TOP 7: Sturtze in for NY -- Mauer goes the opposite way and slices one over ARod and into the leftfield corner for a leadoff double -- Hunter grounds a single through to right ... the throw by Sheffield home is off-line, one run scores ... the checkback throw to second ... FLOATS, in at second on the throw -- Twins now lead, 2-0

Hunter goes on the 1-1 to Jones, easily steals third -- Jones goes down looking, one away -- Boone grounds to short, Jeter is in on the play, checks the runner back to third and makes the putout to first, two down

Morneau will receive the intentional pass, BB, runners now at the corners

Play is interrupted on the 3-0 to Cuddyer by fan idiocy running on the field -- Cuddyer draws a four pitch walk, bases now loaded

Stewart lines a single to right center, two runs will score ... Stewart hustles to second on the lazy throw in by Bernie -- Stottlemyre in to confer, Groom warms for NY -- runners second and third for Punto, he goes down looking at the full count payoff to end the two out rally

Sturtze couldn't find the strike zone today, and the Yankees are burned with another productive two out rally ... this time by the weak hitting Twins, psshh

Seventh Inning SLOWWWWWWWWW (and boring): Twins lead, 4-0

BOT 7: Posada grounds to second ... great reaching diving stop by Boone, one down -- Tino lines a single to right -- Proctor warms for NY, Rincon warms for MIN -- Bernie goes down swinging, two away -- Jeter grounds sharply to second to end the inning

TOP 8: Proctor in for NY -- Ford grounds to short, one down -- Mauer grounds to third, two away -- Hunter grounds a two out single through to right -- Jones blasts one out to left center ... courtesy chase by Matsui, gone, a two run, TWO OUT shot -- Twins now lead, 6-0

Boone goes down swinging to end the (YET ANOTHER) two out rally ... this one has likely iced the game for the Twins

BOT 8: Santana out after a dominant performance -- Rincon now pitching for MIN -- Cano grounds the first pitch into center for a leadoff single -- Sheffield lines a single to right, runners now first and second -- ARod flies to center, Cano tags and goes to third, one down

Runners at the corners for Matsui, he draws a walk to load the bases -- pitching coach out to confer, Nathan warms for MIN -- Giambi works a full count, the payoff ... low, he draws a walk and a run scores -- the score is now MIN 6-1

Bases still loaded for Posada, he pops to short in shallow left, two away -- Tino works a full count, the payoff ... he grounds to second, Boone gloves, spins, has trouble with the ball in the glove, throws .... in the dirt, and skips away from the first baseman, two runs in ... and a runner to third on the errant throw -- the Twins lead is now cut to 6-3

The Twins will pull Rincon ... in the dugout he throws stuff around in disgust -- Nathan, the MIN closer, now pitching for MIN -- runners at the corners for Bernie

F@#KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK ... Bernie hits the 0-1, long, far ...... and just wide of the foulpole in right (the tying HR is averted), then goes down swinging on the next pitch to end the rally

TOP 9: Graman pirching for NY -- Morneau, down 0-2, battles, then blasts one to right, a leadoff solo shot to right, great AB -- Twins now lead, 7-3

Cuddyer draws a walk -- Stewart flies to the rightfield corner next to the stands, great catch by Sheffield, the runner tags and goes to second, one down -- Punto grounds to third, two away, runner to third on the play -- Ford grounds to short to end the rally

BOT 9: Nathan going for the SV -- full count to Jeter, the payoff ... he draws a leadoff walk -- Cano chops to the mound, the pitcher makes the play at first, one down -- runner at second for Sheffield, he pops foul to the catcher, two away -- ARod goes down looking to end the inning


FINAL: Twins win, 7-3

Dominant performance by Santana, combined with two out lapses by the Yankee pitching is the formula for this loss ... despite the Yankees coming very close to tying it up in the 8th

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