The Yanks make most of the plays--Jeter does what he usually does--clutch hitting and base running to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead going into the ninth. Done deal right? Wrong. Rivera pitched in the opener so he was unavailable. In comes Proctor who looks to have very good stuff. Perez grounds out, cool--one down. Then Inge walks...OK, he does that occasionally. I-Rod looks over matched and Proctor sends him to the dugout looking weak. Two down. Granderson comes to the plate. Just throw strikes Scott please... Ball four after a fierce battle with Curtis. I'm nervous now. Giudry comes to the mound. The Yanks huddle as Ron gives some instructions. Guidry goes back in the dugout. The first pitch to Craig Monroe hangs in the mid evening air like a balloon and he smokes it for a three run HR. Game over 5-3.
A wasted three hours or so. The Tigers beat us in their last at bat without Rivera again for the only two wins they have against the Bombers.
Where was Farnsworth? Why would they call for a slider on the first pitch to Monroe? Aren't you supposed to get beat by your best pitch? Isn't that Baseball's universal law? The talking heads will claim that this game has saved the Tigers from possible ruin.
These games make you want to stop watching for a week.
Update [2006-8-30 23:5:7 by John Amato]: Farnsworth was unavailable. Torre said his back locked up again. That's just wonderful. I still like Proctor a lot, but this loss stung. Bruney keeps impressing me. I didn't like a couple of pitch choices, but he has a nice arm. When his slider starts getting over for strikes he will be very tough and he's only 24 years young.
Update [2006-8-30 23:40:24 by John Amato]:Farnsworth says he wasn't too bad and could have pitched, but thought Torre was being cautious. And so it goes. Finally the Yanks get a great performance out of Wright and it's wasted.