Satan's Luau

TOP 1: Chacon making his first start for NY, and yet another person wears #39 this year for the Yankees -- Figgins flies to right center, one down -- Cabrera pops to right, two away -- Erstad is jammed and hits a soft flare to short, Jeter fields but has no play, a two out infield single -- Vlad flies to the track in left to retire the side

BOT 1: Byrd going for Halos, on the scratch of Washburn -- Jeter goes down swinging, one away -- Cano also goes down swinging, two down -- Sheffield bloops a two out single to right center -- ARod grounds a single through to left, runners first and second -- Matsui flies to center to end the inning

TOP 2: Anderson lines a leadoff single to left -- Finley pops foul to third, one down -- Juan Rivera went down swinging on a checkswing, two away -- Jose Molina flies to center to end the inning

BOT 2: Giambi goes the opposite way and grounds to deep third, but because of the shift, is in with a leadoff infield single -- Posada grounds the first pitch to short into a 663 double play, two down

Bernie blasts the first pitch into the rightfield corner for a two out double --Womack ticks one to the left of the mound, Byrd over to field, he has no play, another infield single -- On the 1-1 to Jeter, Womack goes ... Molina takes a false step and does not throw, Womack in with a steal of second -- Runners at second and third for Jeter, he lines a two out single to left center, two runs in, the Yankees go up, 2-0

Runner at second for Cano, he grounds up the middle, Kennedy ranges and makes a great play against his body to make the play to first to end the two out rally

TOP 3: Kennedy pops to second, one down -- Figgins lines a single to center -- on the 1-0 pitch to Cabrera, Figgins goes ... Posada doesn't grip it well out of the glove, Figgins steals second without a throw -- Runner at second for Cabrera, he grounds sharply to third, ARod guns over ... in time, two away, runner to third on the play -- on the 1-0 pitch to Erstad, it gets away from Posada ... one run will score on the passed ball -- the score is now NY 2-1

Erstad draws a two out walk -- Runner at first for Vlad, he goes down swinging to end the rally

BOT 3: Sheffield pops to the pitcher, one away -- full count to ARod, the payoff ... he is plunked on the wrist, on first via HBP -- the trainer and Torre are out, he will stay in -- Matsui lines to center ... Finley comes in and makes the play, great catch, two down -- Giambi draws a walk, runners on first and second -- Posada flies to center to end the inning

TOP 4: Anderson chops back to the mound, Chacon fields and puts him out at first, one down -- Finley grounds to second, two away -- Juan Rivera grounds to deep short ... Jeter's throw is on a hop ... not in time, a two out infield single (replay: he was JUST out) -- Jose Molina pops to second to end the inning

BOT 4: Bernie goes down looking, one away -- Womack grounds slowly to second, kicks off the mound, Kennedy gloves and guns ... not in time, an infield single

Before the first pitch to Jeter, Womack anticipates a checkback that never comes ... and is shaken up, trainer is out to check on him, he will stay in -- on the 2-1 pitch to Jeter, Womack goes ... Byrd is NOT paying attention, the jump Womack gets is ridiculous, he is in at second after an easy uncontested steal

Full count to Jeter, he battles, has a quality AB, but eventually goes down swinging, two down -- Cano grounds the first pitch back to the mound to end the inning

TOP 5: Kennedy draws a four pitch, leadoff walk -- Figgins battles, draws a full count, he goes down swinging on the payoff ... Kennedy goes on the pitch, the play is close, but Kennedy steals second, one away -- Torre out to confer -- runner at second for Cabrera, he grounds to short ... Jeter's throw to first ... got him, two gone -- Erstad goes down swinging to retire the side

BOT 5: Sheffield flies to center, one down -- ARod hits the first pitch and flies to right, two away -- Matsui grounds to first to end the inning

TOP 6: In his warmups before the inning, Chacon missteps, falls over, lets one fly to the backstop, and looks to have tweaked his left foot -- Vlad grounds sharply to the mound, Chacon makes the stop with his glove and the play ... great play, one down -- Anderson flies to right center, two away -- Finley draws a two out walk -- Stottlemyre out to confer, Felix Rodriguez and Embree warm for NY --
On the pitch to Rivera, Finley goes ... the pitch is in the dirt, Finley steals second without a throw -- Juan Rivera flies to right to retire the side

Chacon absolutely fantastic in his debut with the Yankees, holding the Halos at bay and only allowing an unearned run -- nice pickup, let's see if the bullpen can hold so that he can get his first win since April

BOT 6: Giambi lines one to the corner in rightfield, he is hustling to second ... the throw from Rivera ... Giambi's hand looks in, Cabrera slaps down a quick tag ... called out, and Giambi goes off on the second base ump (replay: he did get in his hand, bad call), one down -- Posada flies to left, two away -- Bernie lasers the 1-2 pitch to right ... GONE, a two out solo shot -- the Yankees extend to 3-1

Womack rips one down the first baseline ... STOLEN BY ERSTAD on a leaping grab, what a play ... to end the two out rally

TOP 7: Chacon warms from the mound, but is taken out to a big ovation, great debut for Chacon, and the curtain call -- Felix Rodriguez now pitching for NY -- DaVanon in to PH for Jose Molina, F-Rod gets two strikes on DaVanon, then loses him to a leadoff walk

Torre will take the ball and bring in Embree to matchup L-L -- Embree gets ahead 0-2, then loses Kennedy on a bloop single to left, runners now first and second

Figgins sacbunts to the mound, Embree rushes to field, he throws low to Cano covering to first ... it's away, one run scores, runners to second and third on the overthrow -- the score is now NY 3-2

That will be all for Embree, Torre brings in Gordon ... and now you have to wonder whether Chacon didn't have ANOTHER inning in him today, psshh

Gordon now pitching for NY -- Cabrera drills the first pitch into the rightfield corner for a single, two runs score -- the score is now tied, 4-3

Runner at first for Erstad, he grounds to second, one down, runner to second on the play -- Gordon gets ahead 0-2 on Vlad, then balks Cabrera over to third ... UNFKNBELIEVABLE -- runner at third for Vlad, he grounds to second, the go ahead run scores, two away -- Angels now lead, 5-3

Anderson goes down swinging to end the rally

Ugly. Unfortunate for Chacon who gets completely let down by the Yankees' middle relief

Seventh Inning Stench, Angels lead, 5-3

BOT 7: Paul in at C -- Woods and Peralta warm for LA-A -- Byrd continues for Halos -- full count to Jeter, he flies to center, one down -- Cano grounds to second ... Kennedy's throw is offline, great stretch play by Erstad to keep that ball from being an error, two away -- Sheffield grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 8: Gordon continues for NY -- Finley lines a leadoff single to left -- Proctor and Franklin warm for NY -- Juan Rivera blasts the first pitch to center .... GONE, a two run shot that has probably put this game on ice for the Halos, who now lead, 7-3

And if it wasn't so before, Gordon (and the rest of the middle relief) just doesn't have it today -- Paul lines one to right ... over Sheffield, and off the wall for a double

That will be all for Gordon, Torre will call for the recalled Franklin -- runner at second for Kennedy, he lays down a sacbunt to the right of the mound, runner over to third on the play, one down -- the Angels call the squeeze play on 0-1, Figgins pops a bunt foul ... Figgins goes down looking ... he disputes with the ump, two away -- Cabrera grounds to short to end the rally

BOT 8: Peralta now pitching for Byrd -- in what is becoming a trend lately ... ARod goes down looking, one down -- that is all for Peralta, Woods now pitching for LA-A, Scioscia matching up L-L vs. natural lefties, Matsui and Giambi

Matsui grounds a single through to right -- Black out to confer, K-Rod warms for LA-A -- runner at first for Giambi, 3-1 count, GREEN LIGHT ... he crushes one to right ...GONE!!, a two run shot, the Angels lead is cut to 7-5

Scioscia will call on K-Rod to get a five out save -- Posada sharply grounds the first pitch to first, two away -- Bernie goes down looking at a nasty pitch at the knees to end the rally

TOP 9: Mo in to hold the Halos -- Erstad goes down swinging, one away -- Mo buzzes the tower two times to get him off the plate, Vlad also goes down swinging ... that was so nasty as to be ridiculous to one of the best hitters of the game, two down -- the 0-2 to Anderson buzzes the tower ... Anderson grounds to first to retire the side ... another great outing by Mo to hold the Angels, and provide the slimmest of hopes for a rally

BOT 9: K-Rod continues, three more outs to a possible 5-out SV --
Womack draws a leadoff walk -- on the 0-1 pitch to Jeter, Womack goes ... the pitch is low and in the dirt, the throw has no chance, Womack has stolen second -- runner at second for Jeter, he battles to a full count, then also draws a walk

Black in to confer -- runners now first and second for Cano, he attempts a bunt on the first pitch, foul ... shows bunt twice, two high pitches ... he bunts the 2-1, foul ... bunt off, full count to Cano, he goes down swinging, one away

K-Rod gets ahead 0-2 on Sheffield, Sheffield checkswings on 1-2 ... the appeal: NO (replay: Yes, Yankees catch a break) -- K-Rod lets one loose on the 2-2 pitch in the dirt ... and through the wickets, runners advance to second and third on the WP -- full count to Sheffield, the payoff ... inside, ball four ... he battles back and draws a walk, the bases are now loaded

Bases loaded for ARod, he draws a four pitch walk ... that forces home a run ... and it seems like K-Rod has lost the strike zone -- Angels by the slimmest of margins, 7-6

Bases still loaded for Matsui, he blasts the first pitch ... INTO THE GAP IN LEFT CENTER!! ... a two run doubled to complete the improbable comeback and win the game, Yankees win, 8-7

And the ghosts at The Stadium have made an appearance ...

FINAL: Yankees win, 8-7

Not much to say but to enjoy this one.

55UP 47DOWN ... back in the win column