Things didn’t exactly begin as planned for the New York Yankees against the Rangers on Friday night in Texas, but a slow start meant little in a 6-5 comeback victory that secured them a 1-0 ALCS series lead.
Yankees ace CC Sabathia could not find the strike zone to start the game, and his team stumbled to an early 3-0 deficit after a three-run home run by Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton in the first inning.
Sabathia’s struggles continued throughout the night, as he gave up another two runs off a Michael Young double in the fourth inning, giving the Rangers a 5-0 lead. Sabathia did not have his best stuff and threw more balls than strikes in an uncharacteristic performance. No. 52 departed after four innings, finishing with five runs allowed on six hits and four walks.
As Sabathia left the game, in came reliever Joba Chamberlain. Yankees fans cringe at the sight of Chamberlain, but the big righty came through on Friday, pitching a scoreless fifth inning with no hits and one walk allowed.
As Chamberlain settled things down for the Yanks, MVP candidate Robinson Cano finally got to Rangers starter C.J. Wilson, who had been brilliant all night long. Cano hit a solo shot in the top of the seventh, cutting the Rangers lead to 5-1. Cano finished 3-for-4 on the night with two RBI.
Relieving Chamberlain was Dustin Moseley, perhaps the most important pitcher of the game for the Yankees. Moseley pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, striking out four and walking none. Moseley held the Rangers’ lead to four runs, which proved to be no problem for the Yankees offense.
After being dominant for seven innings, Wilson finally began to fold. The confident lefty gave up an infield single to a hustling Brett Gardner, who dove to first base to beat it out. Derek Jeter then hit a double down the line to score Gardner all the way from first.
That proved to be it for Wilson, as he could not get an out in the top of the eighth.
Darren Oliver relieved Wilson and loaded the bases for former Ranger Alex Rodriguez, who hit a bullet that took a tough hop right over Michael Young’s glove into the outfield. Rodriguez’s single scored Jeter and Swisher, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 5-4.
Cano followed with a single up the middle that tied the game at five. With runners on the corners, Marcus Thames singled to shallow left, scoring Rodriguez and giving the Yankees a 6-5 lead.
The Yankees’ eighth-inning man, Kerry Wood, relieved Moseley and gave up a leadoff walk to Ian Kinsler. The Yankees did not want to give up their lead right away, and they didn’t. Wood caught Kinsler sleeping and picked him off for the first out of the inning, then nailed down the final two outs of the eighth to set things up for Mariano Rivera in the ninth.
Rivera gave up a leadoff single, but it did not faze the best closer of all time. Rivera got the save as he always does, securing the Yankees’ dramatic comeback.
Phil Hughes will be on the mound for New York in Game 2 on Saturday, as he will take on Colby Lewis.
in Texas
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