NEW YORK – The night started great, saw turbulence in the middle, looked bleak, and ended with a pie in the face.
All in a nights work.
When it comes to the Yankees, do not leave for the exit right away when they are down to their final three out no matter who the opponent is. Most fans know this and last night was another reason why.
Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees got their first ninth inning comeback win of the season, rallying from two runs down to score four off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to a shocking 11-9 victory in front of 48,271 at Yankee Stadium.
With Papelbon in the game, Boston was in search of a miraculous comeback victory of their own coming from a first inning five-run deficit to take the lead 9-7.
Instead, it was a victory made for a future edition of Yankees Classics.
Brett Gardner led off the Yankees ninth with a double on a ball that missed the outstretched glove of outfielder Darnell McDonald. After Mark Teixeira flew out deep to the track in right, Alex Rodriguez would step in a crushed a first pitch fastball from Papelbon and drove it over the wall in left center to tie the game.
After Francisco Cervelli took a fastball off the arm that sent him to the dirt, Marcus Thames, like Rodriguez, took a first pitch fastball and hammered it down the line in left for a game-winning walk-off that earned him a pie in the face, the first any Yankee has received this season.
After the first inning, it did not appear as if the game would get to that point. The Yankees offense stepped on the throat of Boston starter Daisuke Matzusaka, who threw 25 pitches before recording his first out. The six five hitters reached base on two singles by Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner. A walk to Teixeira loaded the bases before Rodriguez would drive in his first two runs of the game with a single to right-center.
Robinson Cano would then produce a run-scoring single and Cervelli doubled home a run before Cano was tagged out trying to score the Yankees sixth run that they would later get in the inning when Thames scored Cervelli from third on a sacrifice fly.
The margin should have been more than overwhelming for Phil Hughes, who came into the game sporting a .134 ERA and a 5-0 record. However, lengthy at bats by Red Sox hitters allowed them to piece by piece, claw their way back into the game.
Adrian Beltre would drive in Boston’s first run with a single to right in the second. Teixeira would answer by doubling home Gardner on a deep drive to right center. David Ortiz would hit a homerun into the second deck in right to cut the lead to 6-2 in the fourth.
With Hughes’ pitch count rising, he got the first two outs on three pitches to begin the fifth and appeared to have a quick inning. Marco Scutaro would work a seven-pitch at-bat before lining a single to center and then Dustin Pedroia would battle to a ten-pitch sequence before hitting a double down the line in left.
JD Drew would then see a cutter from Hughes and was able to hook it inside the right field foul line for a three run shot that cut the margin to 6-5.
Hughes only went five innings, giving up five runs (the most of the season), six hits, walking one and striking out three in 104 pitches.
The Yankees increased the margin back to 7-5 when Thames’ RBI double scored Cervelli. However, with limited bullpen options, Boone Logan would start the sixth inning and immediately surrender a homerun to Victor Martinez.
Chan Ho Park would make his return to the team after missing six weeks with a hamstring injury, and after pitching a scoreless seventh, the Red Sox would strike.
Drew started the eighth with single to right and Youkilis followed with a homerun to give the Red Sox an 8-7 lead.
Martinez would then homer increase the lead to two and Boston had the chance to pull out an inspiring win if only they could have got the final six outs.
Daniel Bard pitched a dominant eighth, putting the ball in Papelbon’s hands with a lead if need be.
The Red Sox had a chance to take on more runs in the ninth, and with first and third with two outs, Manager Joe Girardi summoned Javier Vazquez from the bullpen who was to be the long man between now and Wednesday in the event a pitcher got hurt or had a poor start early in the game.
Vazquez came and struck out Youkilis to end the inning, setting up the bottom of the ninth heroics and earning him his first victory of the season.
The Yankees have now won 14 of the last 17 games played between the teams, included the last eight at Yankee Stadium.
CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett will be the mound opponents on Tuesday night.
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