Pettitte Leads Yanks to Victory Over Rays

The Yankees beat the Rays 5-3 tonigt to swept the short 2-game series at Tropicana Field. The win improves the Yankees record to 8-7 on the season.

FINAL	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
N.Y. Yankees	0	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	0		5	8	0
Tampa Bay	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0		3	10	0

Andy Pettitte got the start and was shaky early but settled down as the game went on. Pettitte allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in the first three innings, but was able to hold the Rays to 1 run on 1 hit the rest of the way. In 7 innings Pettitte allowed 3 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 5. The win improves Pettitte's record to 2-1 on the year.

Kyle Farnsworth then came in a pitched a perfect 8th, I know, I'm surprised too. In that 8th inning Robinson Cano made a fantastic back-handed stop up the middle, and an equally great throw to retire Mike DeFilice, and he made it look easy. When he makes plays like this you realize that he could be a perennial gold-glove winner at 2nd base.

In the 9th Mariano Rivera came in and closed the door to notch his 5th save of the season.

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettitte (W, 2-1)	7.0	9	3	3	3	5	0	3.38
Farnsworth (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.91
Rivera (S, 5)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.00

RAYS PITCHING

The Yankees scored their first run in the top of the 2nd inning on a solo HR by Hideki Matsui. It was Matsui's third HR of the season. Bobby Abreu led off the 4th with a walk and then Alex Rodriguez doubled setting up 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Matsui then hit an RBI ground out scoring Abreu, and then A-Rod scored on a wild pitch to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The Yanks added two more runs in the top of the 5th on RBI singles by Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu.

AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Damon, LF 3 1 0 0 2 1 3 .200 Jeter, SS 4 1 3 1 1 0 0 .303 Abreu, RF 3 1 1 1 2 0 4 .296 Rodriguez, 3B 5 1 1 0 0 2 5 .300 Matsui, DH 5 1 2 2 0 0 3 .314 Giambi, 1B 4 0 0 0 1 1 3 .094 Cano, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .175 Cabrera, CF 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 .300 Moeller, C 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 .167 Totals 33 5 8 4 9 7 21 BATTING 2B: Rodriguez (5, Jackson). HR: Matsui (3, 2nd inning off Jackson, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Jeter 3; Abreu; Rodriguez 2; Matsui 5; Cabrera. RBI: Matsui 2 (8), Jeter (4), Abreu (7). 2-out RBI: Jeter; Abreu. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez 2; Damon 2; Giambi. GIDP: Abreu. Team LOB: 10. BASERUNNING SB: Damon (3, 2nd base off Jackson/DiFelice). CS: Abreu (2, 2nd base by Jackson/DiFelice).

RAYS HITTING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI)

The Yankees come home for a short two game series with the hated Boston Red Sox starting tomorrow night. Chien-Ming Wang gets the start for the Bombers and he will go up against Red Sox phenom Clay Buchholz. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and the game can be seen on YES and ESPN, and heard on WCBS 880 and XM radio.

Be sure to check my Yankees-Red Sox series preview tomorrow afternoon.