Yanks lose fourth straight

Discussion in 'MLB General' started by YankeesDaily, Sep 13, 2010.

  1. YankeesDaily

    YankeesDaily Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2007
    Messages:
    520
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

    ST. PETERSBURG -- Reid Brignac belted a solo home run off Sergio Mitre in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Rays edged the Yankees, 1-0, on Monday in an instant classic at Tropicana Field.

    Brignac unloaded on a full-count offering from Mitre leading off the 11th inning to seal the Rays' sixth walk-off victory of the season, moving Tampa Bay into first place in the American League East ahead of the skidding Yankees, who have lost seven of their last eight games.

    The final went up after a pair of outstanding head-to-head efforts from starters CC Sabathia and David Price. Every bit as good as advertised, the pairing of high-octane left-handers dominated their respective opposing lineups and littered the scoreboard with zeroes through eight innings.

    Sabathia set down the first eight he faced before Kelly Shoppach, a former batterymate with the Indians, logged the first Tampa Bay hit with a single to left field.

    Sabathia continued mowing down the Rays' lineup after stranding two men aboard in the third, facing the minimum until Ben Zobrist looked at a full-count pitch for ball four with two outs in the seventh inning.

    But Mark Teixeira bailed an appreciative Sabathia out of the jam with a diving stop to his right that took a hit away from Carlos Pena, and Sabathia waited on the field to thank Teixeira after the inning was completed.

    Sean Rodriguez got to Sabathia for the second and last hit he'd allow in the eighth inning, shooting a leadoff single up the middle, and Sabathia was teetering after a sacrifice bunt and a pitch that clipped Shoppach.

    But Sabathia fanned B.J. Upton and got Jason Bartlett to bounce into a fielder's choice, ending his effort after eight innings of two-walk, nine-strikeout ball, firing 119 pitches.

    The Yankees didn't have much better luck getting to Price, with two baserunners through the first six innings against Price.

    Derek Jeter singled to open the first inning and was quickly erased on a double-play grounder, and Jorge Posada worked a fifth-inning walk but was gunned down by Shoppach on a steal attempt.

    The Yankees threatened one out in seventh, as Robinson Cano singled off Pena's glove into shallow right field -- the Yankees' first hit since Jeter led off the game -- and Teixeira walked.

    But Price found his groove and got both Rodriguez and Thames to fly to center field, ending the inning. Price hurled eight innings of three-hit ball, walking two and striking out four in a 114-pitch effort.

    In the New York 10th, pinch-hitter Lance Berkman walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Brett Gardner, who stole second. But Joaquin Benoit spotted Gardner taking off for third and nailed him sliding into third base, called out representing the potential go-ahead run.

    The Rays had the bases loaded in the 10th against Chad Gaudin, whom the Yankees stayed with despite a pair of two-out walks and a pinch-hit Dan Johnson single. But Gaudin buzzed a fastball past pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe, sending the game further into extra innings.
     

Share This Page