Courtesy of featurepics.com
You can all thank me for today’s win. I was there. Apparently I was all they needed to win a game. I hadn’t attended a game since July 1st and had missed being in my happy place.
Speaking of missing things, we missed the first inning thanks to construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge. By the time I made it up to my seat, the game was tied 1-1.
Did I mention how hot it was? Actually it wasn’t that bad for me. I sit in the penthouse, the top row of the upper deck. So even when it’s over 90 degrees, there’s a steady breeze. It’s annoying when you’re attempting to eat but it’s a welcome comfort when everyone in the seats below are sweating like crazy.
Speaking of sweating like crazy, Freddy Garcia started for the Yankees. If he were pitching against any other team he probably would have been knocked out after the first inning. Thankfully it was the Mariners who aren’t known for their offense.
As for the Yankees, their offense woke up a little today after yesterday’s swoon against Felix Hernandez.
In the fourth inning, Chris Stewart – the artist formerly known as CC Sabathia‘s personal catcher – singled, stole a base and scored on a Derek Jeter single to make the score 3-1.
Seattle pulled to within one in the bottom of the frame when Jesus Montero – currently known in some circles as the best player the Yankees traded away, ever – picked up another RBI on a single to right that scored Michael Saunders.
The Yankees added one more run in the fifth and in the sixth. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run home run, extending the lead to 6-2. It was his 15th home run of the year. On a personal note, it seems like Ibanez hits a home run every time I’m at the Stadium. I can think of at least four games he’s gone deep in while I was in attendance. See? It’s all me.
Boone Logan, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano combined to pitch four scoreless innings to help the Yankees salvage the series and pick up their 63rd win of the season.
Today’s win was Garcia’s 150th of his career. He pitched five full innings, gave up the two runs on five hits, walked four and struck out two batters.
Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak and now has a hit in each of his 12 games with Yankees. According to Elias, he’s now tied with Don Slaught for most hits to start a Yankee career. Slaught’s streak was way back in 1988.
One story from the game: Trayvon Robinson who was playing leftfield for Seattle hit into three line drives in his last three at bats. The first two were to Teixeira and to Jeter. Tex’s catch was funny. It was one of those, “Oh look at what’s in my glove?” types of catches. When Robinson came up in the ninth, my brother said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if he lined out again?” Well, would you know it? He did, right into Soriano’s glove for the first out of the ninth. My brother felt bad. I didn’t.
