Yanks Win With Walk-Off HBP

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Oakland	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1		3	11	2
N.Y. Yankees	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		4	13	0

	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18		R	H	E
Oakland	0	0	0								3	11	2
N.Y. Yankees	0	0	1								4	13	0

It wasn't pretty, but the Yankees were able to win their second straight to start the second half with a 12-inning 4-3 win over the A's today. It was probably a game they should have lost; after all they did leave 21 runners on base, but hey, I'll take it.

Joba Chamberlain started the game for the Yanks and was once again very effective. In six innings he allowed just one run on six hits, while striking out eight and walking only one.

With the Yankees leading 2-1 in the 7th Jose Veras came into the game to replace Joba. He did not have his best command and it cost him. He gave up a leadoff single to Wes Bankston, then retired the next two batters, but allowed a double to Kurt Suzuki, and a walk and wild pitch later the A’s had tied the game.

Kyle Farnsworth continues to shock the world and pitched another scoreless inning. He hasn't given up a run since June 22nd against the Reds. Damn it, I probably just jinxed him, but either way he's been great this year, especially since early June.

Once again Mariano Rivera struggled in a non-save situation, although he wasn't helped much by Posada and his sorry excuse for an arm. Rivera allowed the A's to take a 3-2 lead in the 9th on two hits, the big hit was a RBI double off the bat of Ryan Sweeney. Sweeney then stole second, the second stolen base of the inning, but Mo was able to strike out the next three batters to end the inning.

After the Yankees tied it in the bottom half of the inning, Edwar Ramirez came in and pitched two scoreless innings without allowing a hit, and striking out four. The only base runner he allowed came on one-out walk to Donnie Murphy in the 10th.

David Robertson came in to pitch the 12th and got into about little bit of trouble allowing a hit and a walk, but was able to get out of it with no damage done. He also was able to pick up his first major league win.

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chamberlain	6.0	6	1	1	1	8	0	2.52
Veras (BS, 1)	1.0	2	1	1	2	1	0	3.06
Farnsworth	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.43
Rivera	1.0	2	1	1	0	3	0	1.25
Ramirez	2.0	0	0	0	1	4	0	2.50
Robertson (W, 1-0)	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	1.80

A'S PITCHING

The Yanks took an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a RBI single by Melky Cabrera and a RBI double by Brett Gardner. But with runners on 2nd and 3rd and still nobody out Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, and Alex Rodriguez each struck out, and from then on it was nothing but wasted opportunity after wasted opportunity. As I mentioned before the Yankees left 21 men on base, the most since they left 22 on base on July 20, 1998, a 17 inning game that they lost to the Tigers 4-3.

So when the A's took the lead in the 9th you had to believe this one was going to end up in the L column. Jason Giambi did lead off the 9th with a walk, and Justin Christian was brought in to pinch run. But as he attempted to steal second he lost his footing and fell in between first and 2nd, got caught in a run down, and was eventually thrown out at 2nd. At this point you really had to figure this was as good as over, but it wasn't. With two out Robinson Cano, who had a great day, lined a ball into the gap in left for a double, and then on 0-2 count Wilson Betemit came through with a big RBI single to tie the game at three.

After squandering several opportunities in the 10th and 11th the Yankees finally broke through with the winning run in the 12th. They loaded the bases with one out, and with a 1-2 count on Jose Molina, A's reliever, and former Red Sock, Lenny DiNardo hit Molina on the back knee - Molina made no attempt at getting out of the way - and that was the ballgame. The last time the Yankees won a game with a walk-off HBP was on July 15, 1965, when Clete Boyer was hit by the Senators' Steve Ridzik.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	6	1	2	0	1	1	3	.283
Abreu, RF	4	0	0	0	3	1	5	.272
Rodriguez, A, 3B	5	0	0	0	2	3	7	.313
Giambi, DH	2	0	0	0	3	0	2	.251
1-Christian, PR-DH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.222
a-Sexson, PH-DH	1	0	0	0	1	1	2	.219
Posada, C	5	0	1	0	0	2	4	.268
Molina, C	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	.219
Cano, 2B	6	2	4	0	0	0	1	.256
Betemit, 1B	4	1	2	1	1	0	0	.252
Cabrera, CF	6	0	2	1	0	0	5	.246
Gardner, LF	6	0	2	1	0	1	5	.174
Totals	46	4	13	4	11	9	36
a-Struck out for Christian in the 10th. 1-Ran for Giambi in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Betemit (7, Gallagher), Gardner (1, Gallagher), Cano 2 (21, Gallagher, Street). TB: Jeter 2; Posada; Cano 6; Betemit 3; Cabrera 2; Gardner 3. RBI: Cabrera (35), Gardner (7), Betemit (15), Molina (11). 2-out RBI: Betemit. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Posada 2; Rodriguez, A 2; Cabrera; Giambi; Gardner 3; Molina. S: Betemit. Team LOB: 21. BASERUNNING SB: Abreu (13, 2nd base off Blevins/Suzuki). CS: Christian (1, 2nd base by Street/Suzuki).

A'S OFFNESE

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano (4-for-6, 2 2B, 2 R)

HONORABLE MENTION: Joba Chamberlain (6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)

The Yanks go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx. Andy Pettitte gets the start for the Yanks, and he will face off against Justin Duchscherer. Game Time: 1:05 p.m. - TV: YES - Radio: WCBS 880