THIRTY TIMES in 2005 the Yankees had trailed after eight innings, and on each occasion a team that has Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield, failed to win. Perhaps nothing spoke to the utter lack of mystique and aura surrounding this team quite like that statistic.
Finally, last night, the Yankees capitalized on a couple of huge mistakes, one by first-base ump Tony Randazzo in the ninth inning and one by Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson in the 10th, to rally for a 7-5 victory that felt touched by a dollop of magic, especially because of the way it ended and who ended it.
Jason Giambi crushed a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field off Pirates closer Jose Mesa with one down in the 10th inning, and suddenly his collection of memorable achievements was no longer limited to that walk-off grand slam in the rain against the Twins in 2003. Will he build on it? Who knows with these 2005 Yankees?
But for the first time in a long time, there was childlike exhilaration from players who have played dourly and as if the weight of George Steinbrenner were on their chest.
Suddenly, with Randy Johnson on the mound tonight, the Yankees can sweep a three-game series to open their 13-game homestand. Suddenly .500 (32-32) feels great. Again, who knows if it will go anyplace? These Yankees have reversed course a few times this year already.
Giambi struck out leading off the fifth and was booed. He popped out to very shallow right as the tying run in the seventh and the boos from the 48,828 in attendance elevated. He struck again, this time with the tying run on second in the eighth inning, and it was another moment when the fans saw only the most obvious juicer in the game, a man to loathe. But, for one day anyway, Giambi enjoyed a moment of redemption.
Tino Martinez led off with a walk against Mesa in the 10th. The Pirates read a hit-andrun correctly with Tony Womack at the plate and called for a pitchout. Pinch-runner Russ Johnson went about 30 feet and spun to head back to first base and would have been out easily had Wilson’s throw not struck Johnson’s back. Womack put down a sacrifice and Johnson took second.
A base was open, and not too long ago, Mesa would have worked carefully to Giambi with Robinson Cano on deck. But why do it now? Giambi, like Kevin Brown and Bernie Williams, seemed to become nothing more than the Yankees’ expensive mistakes, once elite players gone rather useless.
Mesa challenged Giambi with a 2-2 fastball, and Giambi unleashed his might and an eruption of relief and joy out of the Yankees dugout. With Steinbrenner in attendance after the unveiling of his new stadium plans, the victory provided a real exhale for the whole organization, especially because many of the Yankees’ problems manifested in this game.
Brown lasted 4 1/3 innings before being overwhelmed by back spasms just after he returned from a strained shoulder. His every start now is a questionable business. Brown was hurt by a poor defensive play by Rodriguez in the fourth inning and a slow pivot by Cano in the fifth, more bad Yankees defense.
The Yankees spent most of this game squandering chances. But in the ninth, on what should have been a game-ending double play, Randazzo called Gary Sheffield safe at first when he was clearly out. That enabled Jorge Posada to bat and deliver a game-tying single. A-Rod was easily thrown out at the plate trying to score after a bobble. But the Yankees had new life, Giambi had new life. This was the Yankees’ 12th come-from-behind win of the season. They had 61 last year. Will this unleash late-game fury from the Yankees now? Who knows?
Again, there simply is no reading this team that so often plays old and disillusioned. But for one night, mystique and aura were back in town. Giambi was a hero. With a new stadium now in the future, it felt like the clock had been turned back to a better time.
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Back-to-back at last
The Yankees won consecutive games for the first time this month:
DATE OPPONENT RESULT RECORD
June 4 Minnesota Won, 4-3 28-27
June 5 Minnesota Lost, 9-3 28-28
June 6 Milwaukee Lost, 4-3 28-29
June 7 Milwaukee Lost, 2-1 28-30
June 8 Milwaukee Won, 12-3 29-30
June 10 St. Louis Lost, 8-1 29-31
June 11 St. Louis Won, 5-0 30-31
June 12 St. Louis Lost, 5-3 30-32
June 14 Pittsburgh Won, 9-0 31-32
June 15 Pittsburgh Won, 7-5 32-32
