Old Guard Leads Yanks To 5-1 Win Over Jays

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

Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte led the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Jays tonight. Jeter went 3-for-5, with a homer, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Jeter's homer gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead and put the game away. Jeter is now hitting .400 for the month of August. And Andy Pettitte gave the Yanks a vintage Pettitte performance, going seven innings and allowing just one runs on five hits, while striking out four and walking none. We shouldn't be surprised that when the Yankees need a win the most that it's these two who step up and lead them.

Brian Bruney pitched two solid innings in relief. He retired all six batters he faced.

It was nice to see the Yankees hit a pitcher they were supposed to. They knocked out Jays' starter David Purcey after four innings after he allowed five runs on seven hits.

Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady had two hits and an RBI apiece, and Jason Giambi drove in a run with a sac fly in the first.

The Rays and Red Sox both lost tonight so the Yankees now trial the Rays by 10 games in the division race, and the Red Sox by 5.5 in the wild card.

Here's a postgame quote from The Captain:

“It’s our job to go out and try and prove people wrong. People are always going to have opinions; you can’t help opinions. But as long as everybody in this clubhouse feels as though we can win, we’ll be fine.”

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, CF	4	2	2	1	1	0	1	.313
Jeter, SS	5	2	3	2	0	1	1	.298
Abreu, RF	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.290
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1	3	.310
Giambi, 1B	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	.246
Ransom, 1B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000
Nady, LF	4	0	2	1	0	0	0	.328
Matsui, DH	4	0	1	0	0	0	3	.318
Cano, 2B	3	1	0	0	1	2	1	.263
Molina, C	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.227
Totals	35	5	10	5	2	6	11
BATTING 2B: Matsui (14, Frasor). HR: Jeter (8, 4th inning off Purcey, 1 on, 2 out). TB: Damon 2; Jeter 6; Abreu; Nady 2; Matsui 2; Molina. RBI: Giambi (73), Nady (76), Damon (52), Jeter 2 (60). 2-out RBI: Nady; Jeter 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Matsui; Abreu. SF: Giambi. Team LOB: 6.

JAYS' OFFENSE

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettitte (W, 13-9)	7.0	5	1	1	0	4	0	4.17
Bruney	2.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.33

JAYS' PITCHING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Andy Pettitte (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Derek Jeter (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)

They were both the players of the game, but pitching is always slightly more important than offense so Andy got the nod.

The Yankees will look to take the series tomorrow night in Toronto, but it won't be easy because the Jays are starting their ace, Roy Halladay. The Yankees will counter with the surprise of the season, Sidney Ponson. Game Time: 7:07 p.m. - TV: YES - Radio: WCBS 880