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Yanks fry up some Amazin’ Chickens
(Photos by Gary Quintal)
By Howard Goldin
QUEENS, NEW YORK, June 24- For the second consecutive evening, home runs accounted for all the runs scored by the Yankees. Unlike the previous night, the four runs were sufficient to the give the Yankees the win. The Yankee win ended the team’s longest losing streak of the year, three games.
The home runs and excellent relief work by the bullpen contingent of the Yanks combined to earn the Yanks the win over the Mets.
Although Yankee starter Ivan Nova only pitched 5.2 innings and was not involved in the decision, he managed to raise his undefeated road streak to 16 starts. His record during the streak is 12-0.
The first hit Nova surrendered was a lead-off home run to Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the third.
An error by Alex Rodriguez on Scott Hairston, the first batter in the following inning allowed him to reach first. Hairston crossed the plate on a double to center by Omar Quintanilla.
The final Mets run off Nova came on an RBI single by his counterpart, Chris young, with two out in the sixth. Nova left the game after the hit. He gave up five hits and three walks while fanning seven in his stint.
The Yankee relievers continued their outstanding work for the final 3.1 innings of the contest. The five hurlers, Clay Rapada, Cody Eppley, Boone Logan, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano, combined to keep the Mets scoreless while giving up only two hits and two walks. Eight of the ten outs were recorded by strikeout. The save for Soriano was his 14th in 15 save opportunities.
The Yankees bullpen staff entered the game second in the American League in ERA and first in allowing the lowest percentage of inherited runners to score. They improved their numbers in each categpry during the game.
Both managers were impressed by the performances of the Yankees relievers. Mets skipper terry Collins said, “They threw the ball good; they made good pitches.”
Mets starter Chris Young kept the Yanks scoreless and yielded only two singles in the first six frames. The visitors scored all four runs in the seventh and all by the long ball.
Mark Teixeira led-off by drawing a base on balls. Nick Swisher’s 1,000th hit in the majors was a double to right that Lucas Duda dived for but could not grab. The next batter, Raul Ibañez, tied the game at three with his 11th home run of the year.
After the homer, Jon Rauch entered to relieve Young. Eric Chavez was sent by Yankees manager Joe Girardi to pinch hit. On an 0-2 count, the 34 year-old veteran hit his 237th big league homer, but first as a pinch hitter to left field. The blast decided the outcome in favor of the Yankees.
Girardi spoke highly of the two veterans whose homers gave the team the victory, “They’re experienced guys. They’re not going to get caught up in the moment. They know how to get the ball out.”
The Yankees lead the majors in homers with 11o. The four bagger has been their decisive weapon this year. The Yankees have a compiled a 41-15 mark in games during which they homer while finishing 1-13 in games in which they don’t drive the baseball in the seats.
The rubber game of the second Subway Series of 2012 will feature a potential pitching duel as CC Sabathia (9-3) hooks up with R.A. Dickey (11-1) on Sunday night.
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