The introductions were fairly uneventful, with the notable exception of Carl Pavano’s.
The boos reigned down from the half-full Yankee Stadium when Pavano, who had four injury-filled, pitiful years with the Yankees, was announced on the PA system. Pavano , who the Twins picked up from the Indians for the playoff push, is expected to start Game 3 at home for Minnesota.
A couple of injured Bombers received different reactions. Xavier Nady, who has missed the majority of the season with an elbow injury, got a very nice ovation. The same cannot be said for Chien-Ming Wang, who got what best be described as a polite applause from the crowd. Wang was dreadful this season (1-6, 9.64 ERA) for the Yankees and missed the second half of the season.
Top ninth:
Rivera summoned his usual postseason greatness by striking out Harris and Tolbert to start the ninth. The Twins got a walk and single, but Cabrera grounded out to Cano to secure the 7-2 win.
Things went as planned for the Yankees tonight: A-Rod had a couple of hits and RBIs, Sabathia pitched like an ace, the bullpen was solid and the Twins looked overmatched.
But that’s the way it felt when the Yankees pounded on the Tigers in Game 1 of the 2007 ALDS. That would be the last game the Yankees won all season as Detroit won that series in four games. Hopefully for the Yankees sakes there won’t be a repeat in 2009. See you for Game 2 on Friday night.
Bottom eighth:
The bottom of the order went quietly for the Bombers in the eighth, but the crowd erupted when “Enter Sandman” blasted from the PA to signal the arrival of closer Mariano Rivera. Either that or they were really pumped that Brett Gardner was coming in as a defensive replacement.
Even with a five-run lead it doesn’t hurt to use Rivera in this spot with tomorrow being an off-day in the series.
Top eighth:
You know the lead is getting out of control – Joba Chamberlain is warming up. “
City-side reporter Amber Sutherland has returned with a few celebrity sightings — A-Rod’s gal pal Kate Hudson is in the crowd sitting next to Jay-Z. And long-time Yankees fan Regis Philbin is also in the house. Also former American Idol contestant, , Constantine Maroulis, is here and I was asssured that counts as a celebrity sighting.
Coke is one of the keys to the Yankees’ success this postseason. Damaso Marte is the only other lefty in the Bombers bullpen and I can’t imagine that Girardi has any confidence in him.
Coke gets Kubel on a hot-shot to first (not much learned there) and here comes Joba … Chamberlain gets young on a tapper to shortstop and that wraps up the eighth inning and a good start for two of the question marks for the Yankees.
Bottom seventh:
Hughes leaves, along with some Yankees fans, after striking out Cuddyer. Mauer led off the inning with a single. Now lefty Phil Coke comes in to match up with Kubel.
Jeter led off the inning with another walk and has now been on base all four times. The Twins compound that mistake with another; first baseman Kubel led a Damon squibber sneak under his glove to put runners on first and second with nobody out.
Teixeira is having a miserable night that continued by hitting into 5-4-3 double play, but Rodriguez picked him up (thought it was supposed to be the other way around) with a double to right that plated Jeter to make it 7-2.
Top seventh:
It’s not over yet, but this would have been a devastating loss for the Yankees. I don’t know if they would want to face the possibility of going down 0-2 with A.J. Burnett on the mound Friday.
It still could be a devastating loss, but Sabathia looks to be in cruise control as he gets Harris swinging to start the seventh. Well, let’s scratch that for now.
Sabathia beamed Tolbert and then Punto singled off Sabathia to put runners on first and second with one out. Phil Hughes is warming in the bullpen.
The fans give Sabathia, who threw 113 pitches, a standing ovation as he is removed from the game with two outs in the seventh and runners on second and third. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Span’s fly ball to shallow right was fired in to home and Tolbert could not score from third.
It’s up to Hughes to close the door this inning. And Phil Hughes does what he has done since taking over the late-inning role: he struck out Cabrera on 10 pitches to get out of Sabathia’s jam.
Bottom sixth:
The Yankees follow the Twins quick sixth with one of their own, going down 1-2-3 with Cano, Swisher and Cabrera.
Top sixth:
“When your team scores for you in the top half, it’s so crucial to shut the opponents down.”
That’s is one baseball cliché I endorse. And Sabathia got the job done by getting Cuddyer on a line out to short, Kubel on a pop up to third and Young a lazy fly ball to left.
How much fight do these Twins have left after last night’s marathon?
Bottom fifth:
A-Rod atones himself with a two-out RBI single that gets the crowd going crazy. They want him to succeed, they really do.
And the Bombers have pushed their lead to 4-2 and Brian Duensing’s night is done. Considering the 26-year-old was making his 10th ever start, this is about what you would expect. He came his team in the game and that’s all you could ask of him.
Lefty Francisco Liriano enters to face Hideki Matsui and will try and keep the Yankees lead at two runs.
Matsui took a 93-mph fastball from Liriano and drilled it over the fence, just right of dead center and the Yankees lead is now 6-2. It’s official, Posada will not replace Matsui as DH for Game 2. And Posada strikes out to end the inning.
Top fifth:
Now the big man has it going. Sabathia gets through the fifth in 11 pitches (88 overall) to give himself a chance to make it through seven innings.
The only blemish came on a Cabrera single to left with two outs. The pesky Cabrera stole second, but Sabathia kept the Yankees ahead by getting Mauer to ground out to second.
Bottom fourth:
Swisher comes through with a two-out double down the left-field line to drive home Cano. And the Yankees are up 3-2 and have their first lead of the night. Cano reached first on a fielder’s choice after Posada blooped a one-out single to right.
Melky strikes out swinging to end the inning.
It’s 3-2 Yankees after four.
Top fourth:
A much-needed 1-2-3 inning for Sabathia as his pitch count is up to 77 through four innings. Even if Sabathia’s going to throw 120 tonight, he won’t make it through six innings.
Sabathia has six strike outs, including Young to start the fourth, which is part of the reason his count is so high.
The B Train won the Subway Race on the Yankee Stadium big screen to take a 1-0 postseason lead on the D and 4.
Bottom third:
After a one-out infield single by Melky Cabrera (Swisher flied out to start the inning), Jeter scorches one over the left-field fence to tie the game 2-2. The crowd starts an MVP chant for Jeter. Take that Joe Mauer!
Damon rips one to left and the clock might be striking midnight for Duensing.
Teixeira hits into a force play and then A-Rod strikes out swinging to end the inning. And this time there actually were boos, but just a smattering.
Tied 2-2 through three innings.
Top third:
Punto, who hit .228 this year, grounds one under the glove of Cano and into center for a leadoff single.
Back to Gardenhire for a second. Did anyone see the look on his face when he saw Craig Sager’s bright purple suit last night. He looked at Sager like he had 10 heads after hugging Cabrera, who Sager was mid-interview with.
The single is erased on a 5-4-3 double play hit by Span. The Twins’ speedster won’t hit into many of those, but it was a rocket to A-Rod who was playing up for the bunt. Speaking of Cabrera, he just roped a single to right. If the Twins are to win this series expect Cabrera’s numbers to be something like 9-for-21 with six RBIs and eight runs scored.
Mauer goes up field with a double that Cabrera cuts off in the gap to save a run. But it’s still second and third with two outs for the Twins. And Minnesota is on the board with an RBI single by Cuddyer. Mauer then scores on a passed ball. Mauer went and stopped twice on the third-base line and still beat the tag by Sabathia.
The inning ends as Kubel goes down swinging, but the looks on the fans faces near me (Section 405, auxiliary press box) all seem to be saying: So wait, it’s Sabathia vs. Duensing and we are down 2-0. It’s as if they didn’t realize it was possible.
It’s the exact opposite of the face I imagine Braylon Edwards had on his face this morning when he found out the 0-4 Browns traded him to the Jets.
Bottom second:
Hideki Matsui is retired on a tapper to second. Jorge Posada hits a lazy fly ball to right. But the “Hip-hip Jorge” chants from the crowd was a nice sign of life.
If you were wondering Duensing did pitch in relief against the Yankees on July 7 and gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings. But he seems to be sharp tonight as he ends the second inning by striking out Robinson Cano looking.
And we are still scoreless after two innings.
Top second:
Sabathia keeps things going with back-to-back swinging strikeouts of Jason Kubel and Delmon Young to start the second inning.
Some interesting facts on Twins manager Rod Gardenhire: he is 3-22 against the Yankees in the regular season and he has been to the playoffs five of his eight seasons. I am not sure which one of those facts is more surprising.
Brendan Harris hit a sharp single to center, but the inning ended on ground out by Matt Tolbert.
Bottom first:
Derek Jeter comes out first-pitch swinging against Twins starter Brian Duensing and pulls one in between third and short for a base hit. I wonder how this youngster feels making his 10th start ever in Game 1 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium. This is my first live blog from Yankee Stadium and even I have butterflies.
Johnny Damon pops up to second base. You can tell the wind gave Twins second baseman Nick Punto a little bit of trouble with the wind, but he settled under it. Jeter advances to second on Mark Teixeira ground out.
Alex Rodriguez gets a huge ovation from the crowd. It’s as if they are saying to him, alright we are giving you another chance, now please, please don’t screw it up.
A-Rod lines out to right to end the first inning. And the crowd is calling for blood. Just kidding, they handled A-Rod’s 0-for-1 with civility. And we are scoreless after one inning.
Duensing took 18 pitches to get through the first innings. Noteworthy since the Twins bullpen has to be shot after last night’s 12-inning game just to make it to The Bronx tonight.
Top first:
Twins leadoff man Denard Span fell behind 0-2 against CC Sabathia, but battled back before ripping a double to left-center.
Orlando Cabrera, who always seems to be in the playoffs, struck out swinging at a pitch in the dirt.
It doesn’t quite feel like a playoff atmosphere at the Stadium yet. Not sure if it’s because of the 6 p.m. start and it’s not filled up yet or the fact that it’s ridiculously windy and cold. Or if there’s some truth to the feeling that this place is not as loud as the old one.
After Span got to third on a passed ball, Sabathia strikes out soon-to-be MVP Joe Mauer. And Michael Cuddyer goes down on a lazy fly ball to Melky Cabrera in center.
Good inning, important inning for Sabathia.
