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Chris Capuano took on Brandon Workman tonight in the Bronx, and while the Yankees bats were (predictably) quiet early on, some fireworks in the ninth inning gave the Yankees and wild and wonderful walk-off win.
It certainly didn't start off well, though. In the first, Capuano, who has been serviceable if not stellar for the Yankees since being picked up, left one in the heart of the plate to David Ortiz, who got just enough of it to give the Red Sox an early one-run lead. Ortiz picked up right where he left off in the third inning, this time blasting another one into the seats to score Mookie Betts and himself and increase the Boston lead to 3-0.
The Yankee bats got going in the bottom of the third, as Ichiro Suzuki managed a one-out single and Jacoby Ellsbury worked a walk. With two on, the Captain came to the plate looking to do some damage and narrow the gap. After hitting the ball hard in his first at bat, Derek Jeter made good contact yet again, and this ball would not be caught. Instead, it sailed over Betts' head in center to land near the warning track, giving Jeter a double and scoring Ichiro and Ellsbury. But the Yankees weren't done yet - Carlos Beltran kept the party rocking by ripping a single into right to score Jeter. Just like that, the game was tied.
However, that didn't last long. In the top of the fifth, Brock Holt (having a decent run with the Red Sox this season) ripped his fourth homer of the year out to take back the lead. It also pretty much signaled the end of Capuano, who, after getting Betts out, was pulled so as not to press his luck with Ortiz for the third time. To face Ortiz, Girardi brought in...Rich Hill? Oh well, it worked - Hill got the out, Esmil Rogers relieved him, and the Yankees escaped the inning without any more damage being done.
That's how things stayed until the bottom of the ninth. With Koji Uehara looking for his 27th save of the season, Mark Teixeira blasted a homer into the seats above right field to tie the game! Tex, hitting just .196/.298/.329 with a 77 wRC+ and just five homers since July 1st, has obviously been in a deep slump recently, but he sure found a great time tonight to find his power stroke, at least for one at bat. After Brian McCann lined out, Chase Headley pulled a ball deep to right center and over the fence. Just like that, the Yankees had won - what an ending.
This season's been kind of meh, but that was fun. That's why we watch baseball. Go Yankees.