The Yankees were down 5-2 to start the bottom of the 8th inning. Jeter walks, Abreu drives in a run with a double. A-Rod walks, Giambi strikes out and Matsui comes in to pinch hit for Duncan. With a weak hit to the pitcher, Matsui hustles down the first base line and the throw to first is off the mark, allowing Abreu to score. Robbie Cano hits a sac fly to score A-Rod and then Molina hits a double to score Matsui, putting the Yankees up 6-5.
With a little help from the errant throw, the Yankees put together a solid inning of offense when they needed it. While Matsui could have been thrown out, give him credit for hustling to first to force the off-target throw. The Yankees got the hits when they needed and put the game in the win column despite an off day for Wang. If they can continue to play like this, the rest of the season could be interesting. Wang will have better days but it's nice to see the team pull out a victory even when the pitching staff is off their game.
Edwar Ramirez pitched 1.2 innings and hasn't allowed a run all year. Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th and struck out two, retiring the side in order for the save. Things looked iffy for a second there as Kyle Farnsworth was warming up in the 8th, but after the Yankees took the lead Mo was the go-to guy. The idea of bringing in the Farns in a close game is a little scary, as he hasn't shown he can be reliable in tight situations. Ramirez looks sharp and could also be a candidate for the setup job later in the season.
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