No Gonzo, No ProbleMo: Mariano and the Yankees Hold Off Late Threat Avoid Near 2001 Meltdown

I was definitely not the most well played game ever, but it was an instant classic for the 2010 season, at least for the Yankees any ways, it will be a very memorable game.

The Bombers went into the ninth inning trailing 5-4, Jeter and Swisher both walked to lead off the inning against Aaron Heilman, Teixeira’s ground ball moved them to second and third, and A-Rod hit a sacrifice fly to score Jeter.

Mariano Rivera had a one-two-three bottom of the ninth and they headed to the 10th tied 5-5

Leading off the bottom of the 10th Curtis Granderson smacked a home run to deep right field to give the Yankees the lead 6-5. Jeter would ground into a double play, and Rivera grounded out in his third career at bat to end the inning, garnering much applause form the Yankee dugout.

Mo pitched the bottom of the 10th inning, making this his first two inning appearance of the year. But it would not be an easy inning, to say the least.

Leading off, Stephen Drew dunked in a bloop hit, reminiscent to Luis Gonzalez’s walk off hit off Mo in 2001. Justin Upton doubled to deep left and Drew was held at third, Miguel Montero was then intentionally walked to load the bases with none out.

The D-backs sure could have used Luis Gonzalez in that 10th inning, because the next three batters posed little threat to Mo. Chris Young fouled out to Cervelli, Adam LaRoche popped out to A-Rod, and Mark Reynolds struck out swinging to end the game.

Mo looked cool as a cucumber as he pitched to those final three batters, just as if there was no body on base. Clearly, Rivera had no mental damage left from that 2001 World Series.

The Yankees are now 9-3 against the D-backs and have never lost a series to them since 2001.

Next up for the Yanks is a visit to an old friend and old enemy, Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez out in L.A. The series gets started on Friday night after an off day on Thursday for the Bombers.

Interleague sets up World Series Rematches for Yankees

 

The Yankees are right in the middle of their interleague games this season, and are heading west to play the D-backs and Dodgers, two former World Series opponents.

Their last two series have been against the Mets and Phillies who were also in the World Series against the Bombers.

The Phillies and Yanks faced off last October, with the Yankees winning the series four games to two in their unprecedented 27th championship. But it was the Phillies who took the three game series this year.

The final installment of this years Subway Series brought the Mets to Yankee Stadium, and both teams had first place in sight heading into this weekend.

The Mets won the first game, but the Yankees would go on to win the final two games of the series, and thus take the top spot in the AL East away form the Rays.  

This was also one of the few years that the Subway Series has had a lot of meaning for both teams at the same time, probably one of the most anticipated match ups between the Mets and Yanks since the 2000 Fall Classic.

Now in first place the Yankees can look forward to a few more World Series rematches out west.

Starting tonight, the Bombers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a rematch from that memorable 2001 World Series.

Arizona snapped the Yankees stretch of three straight World Series titles that year, but the regular season match ups between the two have been owned by the Yankees, who have won seven of the nine games against the   D-backs since 2001.

After their stop in the desert, the Bombers head to the west coast for a long awaited and much anticipated series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This is a big series for several reasons, most of which is that it will be the first the Yankees will take on their former skipper Joe Torre.

The Dodgers also have a legendary “Yankee killer” by the name of Manny Ramirez, who the Yankees are not that excited to see I’m sure.

But the history between the Yankees and Dodgers goes back much further than Joe Torre and Manny.

The two iconic franchises have met in the World Series 11 times, more than any other AL and NL team in the history of the Fall Classic. 

Their first meeting was in 1941, while the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn, and the Yankees took the series four games to one. 

In fact the Yanks won the first five World Series match ups between the two, it wasn’t until 1955 that the Dodgers beat the Yankees.

Don Larsen threw the only no-hitter in postseason history against the Dodgers in 1956, and the Yankees won the title in seven games.

The Dodgers moved to L.A. in 1958, and swept the aging Yankees for the 1963 World Series crown behind the strong pitching of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

The rivalry was renewed in the 1977 Fall Classic, the Dodgers looked like they were going to win it, but Reggie Jackson sealed the deal with his three home runs in game six, thus earning him the nickname Mr. October.

The Yanks beat L.A. again in ’78, and the Yankees had won back to back titles for the first time since since 1961 and ’62.

The Dodgers finally got their revenge in 1981 beating the Yankees four games to two in the last meeting between the rivals.

In 2004 the two met up in an interleague match up for the first time, and the Dodgers won two out of the three games in the most recent non-exhibition games between New York and L.A.

So the looming series out in Los Angeles has a lot more behind it than just the reunion between the Yankees and their former manager Joe Torre and nemesis Manny Ramirez.

Overall this years interleague slate for the Yankees has been interesting and challenging, and you can expect nothing less form the final two series against old NL rivals.