A-Rod, Tex Lead Yanks To Another Walk-Off Win

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E
Minnesota	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0		4	8	0
NY Yankees	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2		6	7	0

Winning pitcher - Alfredo Aceves (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Craig Breslow (1-2)

For the second game in a row the Yankees won in dramatic walk-off fashion, this time when Alex Rodriguez sent a Craig Breslow slider deep into the seats in left for a walk-off two-run homer. It was his only hit of the day, but it obviously came at a perfect time.
After the game A-Rod told the media (via Peter Abraham), “I gave you guys something to talk about and write about in the 11th inning and I didn’t have to open my mouth. That’s the way I want things, to stay out of my own way.” Good idea Alex.

Joba Chamberlain started for the Yankees today and pitched well giving the Yankees six strong innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out six. He walked too many hitters which caused his pitch count to jump forcing Joe Girardi to remove him after the sixth. Of his 108 pitches 66 were strikes. He fastball was hitting 94-95 all day, topped out at 97 several times. According to MLB.com his average fastball was 92.1, ESPN was a little more generous, they said he was averaging 93.4.

Unlike his last two starts, Joba was able to avoid the big inning and a rocky first inning. He gave up individual runs in the second and fourth; the run in the second scored on a sac fly, and the run in the fourth came on a Joe Mauer solo homer into Monument Cave Park. His clean first inning could be due to his new pregame routine he started today. After throwing his usual warmup pitches, Chamberlain threw about 15 pitches to bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

If Mark Teixeira was looking for his breakout game as a Yankee, that game came today. He got the Yankees scoring started with a three-run homer in the third. He also drove in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. On the day he ended up going 4-for-4, with a double, a homer, a walk, four RBI, and two runs scored. The four hits raised his average from .213 to .238. Tex is clearly benefitting from A-Rod's return to the lineup. With him back, Teixeira is seeing better pitches and more fastballs.

Teixeira's homer held up until the top of the eighth when the Twins scored two runs to take a 4-3 lead. Justin Morneau tied the game with a solo homer off Phil Coke. It was Morneau's third homer of the series. Two batters later Michael Cuddyer drew a two out walk, and then scored on a Brian Buscher double. Had Melky Cabrera not missed the cutoff man Cuddyer would have been out by a mile, but once again Melky shows he's not the sharpest knife in the draw.

The Yankees came right in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game up. Hideki Matsui led off with a pinch-hit double. Derek Jeter then moved him to third with a sac bunt. Johnny Damon was next and considering how hot he's been you figured he would get the run in, but all he could do was ground a ball back to the box for the second out of the inning leaving things up to Teixeira. He took the third pitch he saw from Twins starter Nick Blackburn and lined it into right for an RBI single.

Mariano Rivera pitched two solid innings in relief, holding the Twins scoreless in the ninth and tenth. He threw 29 pitches on the day, 21 of them were strikes. It was the second highest number of pitches he's thrown this year, he had thrown 30 against Boston on April 24th.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless 11th. He was also helped by a very nice play by Jeter on a ball hit up the middle. If you ask me, Aceves should be coming into these games before guys like Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez, especially the former, because unlike Veras he throws strikes. Veras came into the game today in the seventh and walked the first batter he saw and then allowed a sharp single and a sac bunt before being removed from the game.

In the bottom of the eleventh Teixeira led off with a walk, and then A-Rod stepped up and ended the game with his blast to left. The Yankees are now 19-17 and have won four in a row. They look to make it five tomorrow afternoon with A.J. Burnett of the mound. Burnett has been struggling and hasn't won a game in a month. In his last five starts he's 0-1, with a 6.47 ERA. In 32 innings he's allowed 23 runs on 32 hits, walked 17 and struck out just 21. It's important for him to have a good game tomorrow, not only for his own confidence, but Mariano threw 29 pitches today so he might not be available tomorrow. Right-hander Kevin Slowey will get the ball for the Twins. He's 5-1, with a 4.91 ERA in seven starts this year.

So, which version of A.J. Burnett do you think will show up tomorrow?

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	2	1	0	0	2	0	0	.266
Damon, LF	4	1	1	0	1	0	2	.312
Teixeira, DH	4	2	4	4	1	0	0	.238
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	1	2	1	2	3	.154
Swisher, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.239
Cano, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.300
Cabrera, M, RF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.316
Gardner, CF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.244
Cervelli, C	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	.286
a-Matsui, PH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.262
1-Pena, PR	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.280
Cash, C	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.125
Totals	34	6	7	6	5	5	9
a-Doubled for Cervelli in the 8th. 1-Ran for Matsui in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Teixeira (7, Blackburn), Matsui (7, Blackburn). HR: Teixeira (8, 3rd inning off Blackburn, 2 on, 2 out), Rodriguez, A (2, 11th inning off Breslow, 1 on, 0 out). TB: Damon; Teixeira 8; Rodriguez, A 4; Matsui 2. RBI: Teixeira 4 (24), Rodriguez, A 2 (6). 2-out RBI: Teixeira 4. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Swisher. S: Jeter. GIDP: Swisher. Team RISP: 2-for-7. Team LOB: 4. BASERUNNING CS: Jeter (1, 2nd base by Blackburn/Redmond). FIELDING Outfield assists: Gardner (Cuddyer at 1st base). DP: (Gardner-Cervelli-Jeter).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chamberlain	6.0	3	2	2	4	6	1	3.76
Veras (H, 1)	0.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	6.75
Coke (BS, 2)	1.1	2	2	2	1	1	1	4.60
Ramirez, E	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	0	4.86
Rivera	2.0	2	0	0	0	2	0	2.93
Aceves, A (W, 1-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.45

TWINS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira (4-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB)

HONORABLE METION: Alex Rodriguez (1-for-4, walk-off homer, 2 RBI, BB, R)

Yankees vs. Twins
Game Time: 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
A.J. Burnett RHP (2-1, 5.36 ERA) vs. Kevin Slowey RHP (5-1, 4.91 ERA)