What a big win in a game that they seemed destined to lose. The Yanks came back three times to finally overtake Boston on A-Rod's monster shot off of Curt Schilling in the ninth inning giving the Yanks the win.
Mike Mussina struggled early and often surrendering four first inning runs, but managed to pitch out of some jams and lasted six innings. This offense, the new offense has been sizzling since Jason Giambi regained his stroke and he got the Yankees going again with an excuse me home run that wrapped around the Pesky pole just out of reach of Trot Nixon to open up the second inning. That was quickly followed by a Bernie Williams home run and the Yanks were back in the game.
Gary Sheffield had a big game also getting 3 extra base hits, two doubles and a home run to keep the Yanks alive. What impressed me about Sheffield was how hard he hustled out of the box after he crushed line drive after line drive. There was no dog in his shoes tonight.
Johnny Damon proves to be a profit as he questioned the move to make Schilling the closer and he was right. I don't understand the logic behind the move. Here's a guy coming off the disabled list and hasn't pitched in the big leagues for some time. It's purely ego that led the Red Sox to bump him ahead of Mike Timlin and that was their undoing tonight. If Schilling can't throw as hard as he did he'll have a tough time in the closer's roll. It was evident right form the get-go as he was pitching to Sheffield because his fastball only topped 91 mph. Sheffield ripped a double and then A-Rod won the game on a moon shot in deep left center field. Does that count as a big hit?
Marino Rivera came in and struck out Damon, Renteria, and Ortiz to earn his twenty-first save of the year, quickly showing the Red Sox Nation that he isn't the pitcher who started the season. With the pitching staff in disarray right now, the Yanks got a must win. Their offense is going to have to carry them through the rest of the series and tonight they were money in the bank.
They are staring down the throats of the Red Sox as they closed to gap to 1 1/2 games and I can see the rest of the series high scoring games. The difference looks to me to be Gordon and Rivera because of Boston's weakened bullpen if we can get the ball in their hands.
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