Game Notes
The odds were stacked up against the New York Yankees before Texas Rangers Cliff Lee even threw his first pitch.
By the top of the sixth inning, Lee was schooling the Yankees again, with a 6-1 lead, posting 11 strikeouts, no walks, and a stacked bullpen just waiting.
Yankees Javier Vazquez pitched just shy of six innings. Vazquez is fighting a pitcher’s “dead arm,” which is fatigue from throwing, but regardless Vazquez didn’t skip his start and that is a sign of a true ballplayer.
Mark Teixeira was on a mini-paternity leave, but is back today and his hot bat is always appreciated.
Replacing Tex at the plate and at first base was Marcus Thames, who was the player of the game by a landslide. Thames hit a homer and the ninth inning single that drove in the needed runs for the win.
I really like Thames because he has preformed since joining the Yankees this season. Thames is like a subdued Swisher, just happy to be a Yankee and fans are happy to have him too.
Manager Notes:
I am not even going to try and dissect Skipper Joe Girardi’s decision making because it gets me too upset.
Still, I can’t help but point out that Jorge Posada was in the lineup for the win last night. Ironically 24 hours prior, Jorge was scratched form the lineup due to a bad shoulder.
Another Girardi move in question is why Curtis Granderson is not starting everyday.
Grandy is used to playing everyday and my guess would be that might get his hitting back on track. Grandy is a talented outfielder, if not the best on the Yankees.
Please don’t tell me that Girardi can’t chance Grandy against lefty pitchers. Girardi is the king of giving too many chances (i.e. Mitre), but obviously he can’t seem to figure out who, what, when it makes sense.
Team Notes:
Just 24 hours earlier, Tuesday night’s loss at Rangers Ballpark was awful, gross, and becoming a Yankees trend.
The bats were dead and Mariano Rivera lost the game 4-1 in the 10th inning.
It was grim because the Yankees looked old. Questions about playing October baseball were becoming doubts, but for good reason.
Then came Wednesday night and all of a sudden it felt like 2009 all over again. The Yankees were down multiple runs deep in the game, but that wasn’t going to stop them from winning.
It was dramatic, old school baseball at its best—weekly occurrence last season that was essential in this team’s success.
Nothing but positives can come from beating Cliff Lee, as the aurora of the Yankee players’ attitudes seemed to resurface. That never-giving-up attitude has been dormant this season.
Never-giving-up attitude was the fundamental theme of the 2009 World Series Champions. If the Yankees want to repeat as champs in 2010, it needs to be again.
Last night proved that this team could do it all over again.
Mark my words, beating the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, in 100-plus degree weather and against the best pitcher in baseball will be remembered as the turning point for the 2010 Yankees.
It’s about time the Bombers started acting like champs and last night that swagger came back.
The improbable and impossible victory also gave Yankees fans some needed comfort and a good night’s sleep.
READ MORE AT…LADY LOVES PINSTRIPES.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com