Holiday Weekend Cop Out Recap

I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, but man that was a tough game to watch today. That, coupled with it being Saturday on a holiday weekend, means it's cop-out-bullet-point-style-recap time. And away we go:

• Andy Pettitte wasn't great, needing 101 pitches to get through six innings and throwing just under 60% of them for strikes. He issued an uncharacteristic five walks and gave up four runs. He wasn't helped by some defensive miscues, including a mental lapse on his own part when he failed to back up the third baseline in the sixth, costing him his fourth and final run on the day. After the extra innings needed from the bullpen over the past two games, it would have been nicer if Pettitte could have turned in another stellar start covering 7 or 8 innings. But, he still did his job, gutting his way through six on a day when he clearly didn't have his best stuff and keeping the team in position to win.

• The Yankee offensive all at once had both a good and a bad day: good in that they were able to put 21 runners on base over the course of the afternoon, bad in that they left 14 of those runners on base and went a miserable 5 for 19 with runners in scoring position.

• Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira both hit big home runs. Cano's solo shot gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Teix's solo shot in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Yankees a lead they would not relinquesh.

• Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez both reached base three times, Cano four times. Melky Cabrera also reached three time, going 2 for 4 with an HBP and 2 RBI.

• David Robertson, Brian Bruney, and Phil Hughes finished off the game with three scoreless innings. D-Rob K'd one, Bruney K'd the leadoff hitter, got a fly out, and was then yanked after issuing a walk. Hughes worked 1.1 perfect innings with 3 Ks in getting his third career save.

• The Red Sox lost again, pushing the lead to 8.5 games.

• As previously speculated, the Yankeed did in fact recall Josh Towers. Kevin Cash, out for the year with an injury, was released to make room on the 40 man roster. Towers will provide added bullpen depth with Mitre going tomorrow and the double header on Monday.

• Mariano Rivera threw his bullpen session before the game and reported no problems. He should be available tomorrow.

Enjoy the evening folks. Back with a preview tomorrow.

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