Final Score: Yankees 5, Rangers 3 Winning Pitcher: Sidney Ponson(7-2) Losing Pitcher: Tommy Hunter(0-1) Save: Mariano Rivera(27)
Game summary: Normally I would start writing the recap o####ame around the 7th inning, when it's usually decided who will win and who will lose. However, with the Rangers only down by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cardiac Kids of major league baseball have come back from bigger deficits than that. However, Mariano Rivera proved to be as lights out as he has been in his previous save attempts, polishing off the Ranger offense to become perfect in save attempts this year(27 for 27). In other news, Jason Giambi hit a solo home run(22) off Ranger starter Tommy Hunter. Michael Young also hit a home run(10) in the bottom of the 4th off Sidney Ponson.
Good: Sidney Ponson is one of the most underrated pitchers in the majors. A 7-2 record would make him a #2 or #3 starter on most MLB rosters. However, after talking his way out of the Rangers organization, the Yankees were the only one who would take a chance on him. Neither offense really did much, but Jason Giambi hitting his 22nd home run was a nice touch on a good comeback season for Giambi. Chris "Crush" Davis continued the hot streak he has had of late, hitting a 2-run single in the 2nd inning(28).
Bad: Tommy Hunter showed his inexperience on the mound today. While having a wicked curveball at times, he missed the plate numerous times. With the new pitching coaches trying to stress pounding the strike zone, Hunter strayed away from this during his 4 and 1/3rd innings of work. Overall, this was just a bad game. Neither offense really showed much pop, and the Ranger pitching was bland.
Ugly: Umpiring took a bad turn for the second night in a row. In the second inning Robinson Cano got to a ball that clearly skipped the ground before entering his glove, allowing Josh Hamilton to score from 3rd. However, Cano and Joe Giradi argued the call, saying Cano caught it and the bases should stay loaded. The umpires acquiesced and sent Gerald Laird back to the dugout. Ron Washington tried his best to argue the call, but he was rejected. Michael Young, even though he hit his 10th home run, was awful tonight. Not only did he dive and miss at a ball that allowed two runs to score, he dropped a ball during a Derek Jeter rundown that could have proved disastrous if Hunter didn't strike out Alex Rodriguez at the next pitch. He followed up in the next inning with a strikeout. Mistakes like these down the stretch will cost the team. Also ugly was the collision between David Murphy and Ivan Rodriguez on the play at the plate. While the play showed Pudge's dedication to great defense even at his advanced age, it took both Murphy and Rodriguez out of the game. With the Yankees trading for Pudge because of Jorge Posada's season ending shoulder surgery, this can not be good for them.
Preview of next game-8/7 vs. New York Yankees(62-52): Scott Feldman works on 4 days rest against Mike "Moose" Mussina. This is a classic youth vs. experience battle. A win for the Yankees would cement them as a contender in the wild card, and give them some added energy going into their next couple of games. The Rangers, who with this loss dropped to 6 games behind in the Wild Card, with a win would jump-start their Wild Card hopes. They play in Baltimore for 3 games coming up, and with the Orioles slumping, it could mean gaining major ground in the Wild Card. Both teams could benefit greatly from a win tomorrow night.
I am a junior at Azle High School, and sports editor of the AHS newspaper. I enjoy watching, listening to, and writing about all the sports that I am interested in. I hope you enjoy what I write, and even if you do not enjoy it I hope you think about what you read. Then I have done my job in the world. Thanks ahead of time for reading.
