Run, Johnny, Run!!

One more win. One more win for #27. Didn’t manage to catch the game live on ESPN again, but caught most of the action on Gameday (as usual lol). The Yankees were up 4-3 when Joba Chamberlain serves up a home run to Pedro Feliz, tying it at 4-4 to end the 8th.

Send in “Mr. Blown Save” Brad Lidge at the top of the 9th inning to preserve the tie and what do you get? You guessed it; a loss for the Phillies… I have nothing against him (he seems like a genuine guy who’s struggling and trying hard to bounce back), but seriously. Cole Hamels and Lidge both need to work out where they went wrong this season/postseason…

After breezing through the first two outs, getting pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui to pop out to Jimmy Rollins AND striking out Derek Jeter, Lidge crumbles after a lengthy 9-pitch duel with Johnny Damon, giving up a single. THEN on the first pitch to Mark Teixeira, Damon takes off, bringing chaos along and an eventual win for the Bombers. Not only does he steal 2nd, but he manages to steal 3rd base as well on the same play (you have to watch the replay/highlight at MLB.com, because it’s simply epic). Lidge proceeds to hit Teix with a pitch, then Damon comes home on Alex Rodriguez’s clutch RBI-double. By now, the Yanks re-claim the lead, 5-4. Next up, Jorge Posada drills a two-RBI single to center, inflating the lead to 7-4.

Enter Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th. Mo only needs EIGHT pitches to dispose of Matt Stairs, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. All three grounding out/popping up harmlessly to Teix at 1st. Game over, save, victory for the Yankees.

So there you have it. Clutch hitting from Damon, A-Rod and Jorgie; combined with clutch (and epic) base-running from Damon; and a solid save from Mo brings the Yankees within ONE win for #27. I look forward to Game 5 tomorrow!

Player of the Game for today? Johnny Damon. Period.

LET’S GO YANKEES!!

Bronx Bombers Up By One

Didn’t watch the game on ESPN today because of the three exams I have left… However, caught most of the “action” on MLB.com Gameday. Yankees bested the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, with veteran Andy Pettitte picking up the win and Cole Hamels the loss (what the hell is wrong with him this season/postseason?!).

Phil Hughes was shaky, giving up a home run to Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz in a non-save situation. Thankfully, Joe Girardi brought in who else but Mo to close out the win and pick up the save (since Hughes gave up the solo homer, the game became a save-situation) before any further damage could have been done.

What was most peculiar for me was Andy Pettitte logging a single to centerfield, then rounding the bases in a warm up jacket on Johnny Damon’s two-RBI double (was it a double or a single? I forget). Now I know he was most probably keeping his arm warm, but I’ve honestly never seen any other pitcher do that before lol. Forgive me if this is common practice, but I haven’t seen that many baseball games… Yet!

Nevertheless, great game. Yanks up 2-1!

K-Rod = FAIL

First of all, I’d like to wish my girlfriend a very Happy 23rd Birthday for yesterday! I hope you had a great day cuz I did!

Watching the Yankees @Mets game on Sky EPSN as I post this. Yanks lead 4-2, bottom of the 9th. Wang pitched pretty solidly through 6 innings, but definitely not fully back to his old self yet, although his velocity and sinker are returning slowly.

I LOL’d hard when in a dream matchup, closing pitcher vs opposing closer batting, K-Rod vs. Mo, resulted in K-Rod walking Mo, helping Rivera pick up his very first career RBI LOL!

A lot of people speak highly of Francisco Rodriguez, but I really don’t see what’s so great about him. His command is ridiculous. And if you manage to walk the opposing pitcher (esp. if this is Mariano Rivera, who’s hardly had an at-bat; this one being his 3rd. to be precise), you must be pretty useless.

UPDATE: The game just ended, with Mo breezing through the bottom of the 9th, picking up his 500th career save. Yankees win it.

CONGRATULATIONS, MARIANO RIVERA!! The greatest closer of all-time!! 500 career saves!!

On other news, Michael Jackson sadly passed away a few days ago… Why do all the legends die so young?…

Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop… 29th August 1958 – 25th June 2009

Finals-Bound Again!

35 points (on 12-for-20 shooting), 10 assists, 6 rebounds. That’s all the Lakers needed from Kobe Bryant to punch their ticket to their second NBA Finals in as many years. I watched the game on Sky/ESPN earlier this afternoon with Dill, and boy was I ecstatic. After Game 5, I knew it was time to strike. With Game 6 at Denver, I had a strong feeling Kobe would sense the urgency to close the series off, and he did it spectacularly. After the game, George Karl called what Kobe did divine intervention. I call it Black Mamba going to work as usual, working his magic.

Of course, Mamba didn’t do it by himself. Who did all those assists go to, you ask? Well, I’m happy to announce that many of the other Lakers also stepped up. Pau Gasol had a double-double as well (20 points, 12 rebounds; along with 6 assists); Lamar Odom picked up exactly where he left off from Game 5 with 20 points, 8 rebounds; Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton both had marvelous games too, especially Ariza, setting the tone early in the first two quarters.

Congratulations, LA!! Whoever your opponent may be, I’m behind you guys all the way!!

And a quick MLB update for today; both the Yankees and Phillies won today woohoo! The Bombers have also taken first place in the AL East yay!!