Yanks – Royals III: No Sweep for you?

I’m joining the game in action and after a slight rain delay Pettitte got a quick inning with two groundouts and a pick off at first! Go Andy! The score is now 2-1 Yankees and I’ll give you the scoring report as I can research it. For now, have a lineup!

Damon LF
Cabrera CF
Rodriguez 3B
Posada DH
Matsui RF
Molina C
Cano 2B
Ensberg 1B
Gonzalez SS
Pettitte LHP

Ensberg starts off the top of the… 5th inning (had to check) with a solid single, then Gonzo (starting at short again for the ailing Captain) sac bunts him over to second, one away. Johnny Damon brings the top of the order back up and gets an infield single to short, moving Ensberg to third. John Bale is still on the mound for KC as Cabrera steps in with a solo jack already this game. He gets a nice pitch and a nice single to right which scores Ensberg and moves Damon to third! Second ribby of the night for The Melkman! A-Rod is up as it seems that GI Joe has shuffled the lineup to try and stir up some offense. So far, so good. A-Rod hits a double play ball to third but the Royals only get one as Esteban (at second) drops the ball on the transfer and can’t fire to first. Damon scores, 4-1 Yankees, Posada up in the DH slot. Bale gets Posada looking on an inside pitch to end the half.

Pettitte quickly gets a ground out from Buck to Gonzo with love. Two hops to A-Rod by JR, over to Ensberg and there are two away. Gathright goes down quickly as well on a fly to “short right field” (looked more like left field to me), 1-2-3 go the Royals to end the inning.

Scoring report: Single by Teahen followed by a double by Guillen scored the Royals’ first run in the first. Melky homered in the top of the third, then a pair of singles by Posada and Matusi allowed Posada to score from third on a double play ball by Molina in the 4th.

Matsui grounds out to start off the inning and Molina steps in. He gets himself a nicely hit double that split the outfielders. Cano having some equipment problems as he gets a new set of batting gloves before stepping in. Cano moves Molina over to third with a grounder to the right side, but Ensberg tips it off the end of the bat softly back to Bale and strands Molina at third. We’re headed to the bottom of the 6th!

Pettitte has allowed only 4 hits, 2 BBs, and one earned run through 5. He’ll face Esteban GERMAN (edited) who about kills Pettitte with a line drive but HE’S TOO FAST and snags it! Damn that was a lucky grab! KC Announcer: “All you see is a white flash and you don’t know if its the ball or the end of the line!” Teahen comes up and gets sent packing on strikes then gets Guillen to ground out softly to an infielder not shown on this broadcast. Another 1-2-3 inning for Pettitte and we’ll head to lucky #7!

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez singles right away off of Hideo Nomo. Nomo (complete with wicked sideburns) showed up as a non-roster invitee and tried for a starting spot in the Royal Rotation but accepted a slot in the bullpen instead. He gets Damon to ground into a fielder’s choice that gets Gonzo at second but no double play. The Melkman steps in and swats the ball almost through the gap between first and second. German can’t get Damon at second but settles for the out at first. Damon to second and then quickly to third on a passed ball. Two away for A-Rod. Nomo pitches around him (wisely) and a BB to A-Rod brings up Jorgie. Posada’s not off to a great start this year with struggles at the plate and with his shoulder, but he draws his own walk. Another samurai battle breaks out as Matsui steps in to face Hideo Nomo. Nomo was really the first major Japanese ballplayer to make a splash on this side of the pond and paved the way for some others like Matsui, Ichiro, Dice-K, Okajima, and more. Injuries have plagued him but he’s had a storied career, and the latest chapter gets Matsui to fly out to “right” (left) field, stranding three.

William T. Butler (middle initial made up for dramatization) steps in and squares one right through the gap for a clean single. Alex Gordon check-swings one softly to Pettitte who whirls and fires to Gonzo who whirls and fires to Ensberg – but a wide throw pulls Ensberg off the bag… One away, one on, and Eiland comes out to say hi to Andy and slap his ass before leaving him in. Joba warming up in the pen! Gload flies out to Cabrera for the end of Pettitte’s night and the beginning of Jobamania in Kansas City!

John Buck steps in – he hit the homer last night off of Farnsworth and the KC announcing team has the gall to compare Joba and Farnsey. Sorry, not quite. Gordon, standing on first, played with Joba in college at U of Nebraska. I have a lot of respect for the state of Nebraska after having the pleasure of serving along side of the fine men and women of the Nebraska Army National Guard last year. Buck pops a foul to shallow right, but Cano and Matsui can’t make up their minds who has it and the ball drops. A passed ball allows Gordon to second but a pop up by Buck ends the inning.

Josey Molina flies out to center against Nomo, Cano grounds out, and Ensberg hits another single to bring the Yankee hit total to 10. The Attorney General fouls out to left as one of three Royals trying to occupy the same space makes the grab. Joba back after this!

Rifled shot goes off of Cano’s glove and spins off to right to give Alberto Callaspo a pinch hit hit. Gathright faces Joba now – Joba’s uses a curve to set up the fastball and Gathright grounds into an FC to the AG and AC is out at 2B. Esteban German (whose name I’ve gotten wrong twice so far I think) steps in with one on and one away. Gathright has stolen a crapload against the Yankees so far, but Chamberlain is holding him close. German goes down swinging, two away. Last pitch was 98 mph. Fastball swung on and missed, curve drops into the zone, 98 mph fastball just away, but slider in is ripped to right field and Teahen gets on and moves Gathright to third. Jose Guillen steps as the tying run. Rivera warms his up arm out in the pen but Chamberlain sets up Guillen with a curve and then zips a heater right past the swinging Guillen for the third strike!

Who says baseball is boring?

Damon faces Nomo in the top of the 9th but goes down quietly, as does Cabrera. A-Rod, however, decides that now is the time to make some noise with a deeeeeeeeep blast to left and over the wall! Solo jack makes it 5-1, and that little insurance is always nice. Jorgie doesn’t want A-Rod to have all the fun so he jacks one over the right field wall! Hellllllllo offense! Nomo doesn’t get the hook and now faces Matsui again. Matsui commits the baseball version of seppuku and strikes out to end the Yankee half.

Enter Sandman in a non-save situation to face Billy “William R. (middle initial corrected for accuracy)” Butler.  He grounds to A-Rod who hurls a strong toss off of his back foot and from foul territory to record the first out.  Alex Gordon pops out to Alberto Gonzalez.  Ross Gload steps in with two away.  Five pitches later he lines one left side for a single.  Miguel Olivo pinch hits for Buck – he was suspended for the first four games this year stemming from some trouble at the end of last year when he was with Florida.  He hits it deep – it is high, its is fair, it is… caught by Damon at the track!  Yankees Win!  Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees win!

No sweep for you, indeed, and a good showing by the Yankee bats tonight as well as the pitching staff.  I’ll catch you all tomorrow and the Yankees will catch a plane tonight to take them into the lion’s den!  Good night!