(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.Y. Yankees | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| L.A. Angels | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | x | 6 | 12 | 1 |
SV: B. Fuentes (2)
Burnett's worst inning came in the third when he allowed three runs just a half inning after the Yankees had handed him a 3-1 lead. The big hits in the inning were back-to-back two out doubles by Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis.
It really just wasn't his night and I give him a little credit for giving the Yankees the effort he did. After allowing those four runs over the first four innings, Burnett settled down and eventually stayed in the game until one out into the seventh.
Like Burnett, Angels' starter Ervin Santana struggled early and allowed four earned run over the first four innings. Three of those runs came across in the top half of the third, on an RBI double by Derek Jeter, and RBI singles by Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, but the biggest story of the inning was Mark Teixeira leveling catcher Bobby Wilson at home plate.
(AP Photo: Chris Carlson)Tex was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, and when he scored on a single by Robinson Cano, he ran over Wilson and ended up sending him to the hospital with a concussion and an injured ankle.
Here's what Tex had to say about the play via Chad Jennings:
"As soon as I came around third I picked up (Jorge Posada) who was telling me to slide,” Teixeira said. “It was going to be a close play. I saw he was on the plate, but I saw he didn’t have the ball yet, so I started to get down and make my slide. As soon as he turned toward me, I figured he had the ball and in that instance, the only choice that I have is to lower my shoulder and try to knock the ball loose.”
...
“You never wan tot hurt anybody,” Teixeira said. “You just want to knock the ball loose. I’ve run into a dozen catchers in my career. Unfortunatly, this is the first one that’s gotten hurt.”
I'm sure some of what Tex said above is true, but I have to believe that the frustration of another terrible April and getting hit by a pitch got to him and he needed to hit somebody. It's just a shame that the dude he hit was making his first major league start and ended up with a trip to the hospital. But it's worth mentioning that Jennings also reported that both managers called it a clean play.
What did you guys think of the play?
After Burnett had turned a 3-1 Yanks lead into a 4-3 deficit, Nick Swisher tied things up with a solo homer in the fourth, his second of the year.
As the game went on the Yankees had their chances to push across some runs, but each time failed to get a big hit. Their best chance, and possibly the turning point in the game came in the top of the sixth when the Yankees put runners on first and second for Brett Gardner. Gardner popped his bunt attempt back to the pitcher and the Yankees rally would eventually come to an end when Nick Johnson grounded out with runners on second and third.
Gardner did give the Yanks another chance to take the lead when he walked and stole second with two out in the top of the eighth, but Derek Jeter grounded out weakly to pitcher Fernando Rodney to end the inning. For the game the Yankees were 3-for-10 with RISP and left 9 men on base.
The game would be decided in the bottom of the eighth with Joba Chamberlain on the mound. Hideki Matsui started things off for the Angels with a leadoff single. Kendry Morales, who owns Joba, was next batter and launched a hanging slider over the wall in right for a two-run homer. It was the second homer he's hit off Joba, and he's now 5-for-7 against him overall. Joba had nothing working tonight. He had no command of his pitches--just 9 of his 20 pitches were strikes, his fastball had no life and sat at just 92 MPH, and his slider was flat. It was his first really bad outing of the season, so it's not time to panic, but he does need to throw strikes more consistently, and a few extra MPH on that fastball wouldn't hurt either.
Brain Fuentes closed things out for the Halos with a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.
The Yanks look to even the series tomorrow afternoon with Andy Pettitte on the mound. He will be matched up against Angels right-hander Joel Pineiro, who has already beaten the Yanks once this year. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. and the game will be on FOX.
Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Derek Jeter, SS 5 1 2 1 0 0 2 .328 Nick Johnson, DH 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 .135 a- Marcus Thames, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .462 Mark Teixeira, 1B 4 1 0 0 0 2 2 .117 Alex Rodriguez, 3B 5 0 2 1 0 0 0 .322 Robinson Cano, 2B 3 0 1 1 1 0 1 .333 Jorge Posada, C 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .320 Curtis Granderson, CF 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 .268 Nick Swisher, RF 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 .216 Brett Gardner, LF 3 1 1 0 1 0 2 .310 Totals 35 4 8 4 3 6 a-struck out for N. Johnson in the 9th Batting 2B: Gardner (1, Santana, E), Jeter (3, Santana, E).
HR: Swisher (2, 4th inning off Santana, E, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Jeter 3; Johnson, N; Rodriguez, A 2; Cano; Swisher 4; Gardner 2.
RBI: Jeter (10), Rodriguez, A (11), Cano (12), Swisher (7).
2-out RBI: Rodriguez, A; Cano.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Posada 2; Teixeira; Johnson, N 2; Jeter.
Team RISP: 3-for-10.
Team LOB: 9.
BASERUNNING
SB: Jeter (3, 2nd base off Santana, E/Napoli), Gardner (8, 2nd base off Rodney/Napoli).Fielding DP - Cano-Jeter-Teixeira, Cano-Jeter-Teixeira E - Alex Rodriguez (1, Throwing)
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| A.J. Burnett | 6.1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3.20 |
| David Robertson | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.71 |
| Joba Chamberlain (L,0-1) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.86 |
| HBP - Morales (by A.J. Burnett), Napoli (by A.J. Burnett) | ||||||||
| Pitches-Strikes - A.J. Burnett 103-59, David Robertson 6-3, Joba Chamberlain 20-9 | ||||||||
| Ground Balls-Fly Balls - A.J. Burnett 10-3 | ||||||||
| Batters Faced - A.J. Burnett 29, David Robertson 1, Joba Chamberlain 6 | ||||||||
| PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kendry Morales (3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) HONORABLE MENTION: Bobby Abreu (2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 R) GOAT OF THE GAME: Joba Chamberlain |
