If this really was the final game in Yankee Stadium between these two long time rivals, it was only fitting that the Yankees closed it out with a victory.
The win does not do much for them in the standings as much as it simply gives them another day to breathe. Make no mistake, the inevitable is coming. It is just a matter of time before the door is finally shut on the season.
For one day though, they reached down when it appeared they would go weakly into the night and rallied from a 2-0 seventh inning deficit.
Jason Giambi, the scorn of many Yankee fans for his .203 average this season with runners in scoring position, hit a game tying home run to center field. In the ninth inning, he followed that up by lining a single to left center off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to give the Yankees a 3-2 win to salvage the final game of the three game series.
The win put them now six games behind Boston with 29 games to play.
Staging a comeback of that type is nearly impossible. Of course, the New York Mets last year staged the biggest collapse in the history of baseball choking a seven game lead with 17 games to play.
However, the Red Sox are not the Mets.
Mike Mussina earned a tough luck no decision. He pitched outstanding; giving up two runs on five his in seven strong innings to lower his ERA to 3.41. He remains four wins from the elusive 20 that he has looking for his entire career.
It appeared as if Red Sox starter Jon Lester was going to notch his 13th win of the season. After struggling with his control early, he settled down and was fooling and overpowering the Yankees lineup as he has in two previous starts this season.
But in the seventh inning and with Lester’s pitch count at 119 after giving up a two out double to Cody Ransom, manager Terry Francona pulled him in favor of setup man Hideki Okajima. Girardi, seeing that, pinch hit catch Jose Molina with Giambi.
With the season almost all but lost, he had nothing to lose. On a 0-1 pitch, Giambi connected on a home run to dead center field to tie the game.
In the eighth inning with two out, Girardi, still in “save the season” mode, called on Mariano Rivera to keep the game tied with Kevin Youkilis at the plate.
Youkilis would fly out to center.
After Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth inning, the Yankees set out to win the game.
Xavier Nady led off with a single and Brett Gardner came in to pinch run. After Robinson Cano lined out, Gardner stole second with Hideki Matsui at the plate.
Matsui was intentionally walked. Ivan Rodriguez then worked a walk to load the bases. Into the game entered Jonathan Papelbon, which went to show how much the Red Sox wanted to kill any chances of the Yankees making a comeback in the final month.
Giambi stepped in, and on a two strike pitch laced a single to left center to win the game.
While it would be nice to say that this live saver could give them confidence, there is too much visual evidence this season to conclude that once again this is all a tease. A lineup that features five hitters, near or above hitting .300, still has problems scoring.
Three-fifths of the rotation is a question each time they go out to the mound. Today, news came that when Joba Chamberlain returns, he will be used out of the bullpen and not in the starting rotation. That alone should raise red flags about the real severity of his injury.
For one day though, they could smile and hold their heads up high.
Just before the frowns and long faces settle back in.
The win does not do much for them in the standings as much as it simply gives them another day to breathe. Make no mistake, the inevitable is coming. It is just a matter of time before the door is finally shut on the season.
For one day though, they reached down when it appeared they would go weakly into the night and rallied from a 2-0 seventh inning deficit.
Jason Giambi, the scorn of many Yankee fans for his .203 average this season with runners in scoring position, hit a game tying home run to center field. In the ninth inning, he followed that up by lining a single to left center off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to give the Yankees a 3-2 win to salvage the final game of the three game series.
The win put them now six games behind Boston with 29 games to play.
Staging a comeback of that type is nearly impossible. Of course, the New York Mets last year staged the biggest collapse in the history of baseball choking a seven game lead with 17 games to play.
However, the Red Sox are not the Mets.
Mike Mussina earned a tough luck no decision. He pitched outstanding; giving up two runs on five his in seven strong innings to lower his ERA to 3.41. He remains four wins from the elusive 20 that he has looking for his entire career.
It appeared as if Red Sox starter Jon Lester was going to notch his 13th win of the season. After struggling with his control early, he settled down and was fooling and overpowering the Yankees lineup as he has in two previous starts this season.
But in the seventh inning and with Lester’s pitch count at 119 after giving up a two out double to Cody Ransom, manager Terry Francona pulled him in favor of setup man Hideki Okajima. Girardi, seeing that, pinch hit catch Jose Molina with Giambi.
With the season almost all but lost, he had nothing to lose. On a 0-1 pitch, Giambi connected on a home run to dead center field to tie the game.
In the eighth inning with two out, Girardi, still in “save the season” mode, called on Mariano Rivera to keep the game tied with Kevin Youkilis at the plate.
Youkilis would fly out to center.
After Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth inning, the Yankees set out to win the game.
Xavier Nady led off with a single and Brett Gardner came in to pinch run. After Robinson Cano lined out, Gardner stole second with Hideki Matsui at the plate.
Matsui was intentionally walked. Ivan Rodriguez then worked a walk to load the bases. Into the game entered Jonathan Papelbon, which went to show how much the Red Sox wanted to kill any chances of the Yankees making a comeback in the final month.
Giambi stepped in, and on a two strike pitch laced a single to left center to win the game.
While it would be nice to say that this live saver could give them confidence, there is too much visual evidence this season to conclude that once again this is all a tease. A lineup that features five hitters, near or above hitting .300, still has problems scoring.
Three-fifths of the rotation is a question each time they go out to the mound. Today, news came that when Joba Chamberlain returns, he will be used out of the bullpen and not in the starting rotation. That alone should raise red flags about the real severity of his injury.
For one day though, they could smile and hold their heads up high.
Just before the frowns and long faces settle back in.
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