The Cano Show

LAA 2 5 0
NYY 6 9 0

WP Hughes (1-0)
LP: Kazmir (0-1)

Player of the Game: Robinson Cano. On Jackie Robinson Day, Cano, who was named after him, hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 6-2 win.

Play of the Game: Granderson's triples. To get two triples hit to right field in Yankee Stadium is pretty darn impressive.

Turning Point in the Game: Robinson Cano's second home run. It pretty much put the Angels out of the game.

Notes:

• Phil Hughes looked good early, but labored over the last three innings. What I don't understand is why Girardi left him in to start the sixth. Hughes was at 94 pitches after 5, he's young, why push it with him? Hughes walked the two guys he faced in the sixth and didn't have to pitch it. I'm sure Girardi will address that in the postgame.
• Hideki Matsui hit a solo home run in the second inning, and received some cheers for it. Obviously it was a class move for the fans to honor Matsui, but it kind of bothered me because it was a home run to take the lead. The last time a visitor got cheered for a home run was when Tino Martinez returned to Yankee Stadium as a Cardinal.
• Derek Jeter hit his second home run of the season to put the Yankees up 2-1 in the third.
• The Yankees have taken 2 out of 3 in each series so far this season.

Tomorrow

Yankees (6-4) vs Rangers (5-4) (weather pending)

CC Sabathia (1-0) vs CJ Wilson (0-0)

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Top Yankee Games of the Decade Part 3

With the decade coming to an end tommorow we look back at the best Yankee games of the past decade. Here are our #2 and 3 games we have chosen, which also comes from the best World Series of the decade:

3. November 1, 2001 Game 5 World Series "Deja Vu All Over Again": After a late-inning dramatic come-from behind win the night before, the Yankees and Diamondbacks were tied 2-2 with the winner being one game away from winning the World Series. Should the Yankees lose they would go back to Arizona where they lost the first two games. Mike Mussina pitched for the Yankees, going 8 innings giving up 2 runs. But Miguel Batista outpitched him going 7.2 shutout innings. In the ninth inning Byung Hyun Kim was looking for redemption after giving up the game tying home-run to Tino Martinez and game-winning home run to Derek Jeter the previous night. Just as in Game 4, Kim allowed one baserunner but managed to get two outs. He was one out away from sending the Diamondbacks up 3-2 back to Arizona. Then Scott Brosius came to the plate.

Brosius swung at a 1-0 pitch and drilled the ball down the leftfield line and into the stands for a home-run. The Yankees had done it again. The game was tied and the Yankees and their fans celebrated while the Diamondbacks were stunned. The game remained tied at two and eventually headed into the 12th inning. In the 12th Alfonso Soriano finished the job with a walk-off single scoring Chuck Knoblauch and the Yankees won 3-2.

Blowing leads and walk-off wins happen. But to do the same thing, in the same fashion, on the next night off the same pitcher in the World Series? Never again will you see that happen.

2. October 31, 2001 Game 4 World Series "Mr. November": This game preceeded the one above so I kind of already explained what happened. But lets get a little more into it. The Yankees were in a 2-1 hole and no team wants to be down 3-1 in the World Series so this was a must win game. Curt Schilling and El Duque found themselves battling a pitchers duel. Each gave up 1 run while working into the seventh inning. Mike Stanton blew the tie score out of the bullpen in the top of the 8th giving the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead. Bob Brenly called on closer Byung Hyun Kim in the bottom of the 8th who struck out the side.

Kim came back out for the 8th and got two outs while giving up a single to Paul O'Neill. Now, I was at this game, and with two outs and Tino Martinez, who was hitless in his last 9 at bats up at the plate, we decided to start heading out to beat the rush out of the stadium. As we walked down the ramps of Yankee Stadium the crowd suddenly erupted with cheer. I swear I felt the stadium shake. I ran out to the next section and went to see what happened. Tino Martinez just tied the game with a home run. Well that turned us right around and back to our seats.

The game went to the 10th and Kim was still out there. Now as Derek Jeter came to the plate, the clock struck midnight and for the first time ever, there was baseball in November. Jeter worked the count full, then drove an outside pitch over the right field wall for the game-winning home run. An overzealous Michael Kay even added TWO extra See Ya's! on his home run call.

Now, the Yankees did not win the World Series. But what made these two games extra special was the fact that it happened right after 9/11. The Yankees in the World Series gave the people of New York something to take their minds off of. The way the Yankees won these two games in the aftermath of 9/11 was somewhat inspiring and gave the city of New York a positive energy and vibe.

Wow that was a lot of writing. I'm sure you've figured out what the best game is by now, but that should deserve its own separate post so you'll have to wait until tommorow.

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Game 2 ALCS; Angels at Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 1.50 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Maicer Izturis 2B
Mike Napoli C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: LHP Joe Saunders (0-0, 0.00)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

I wonder whether the weather will be nice: Since John is on his way to the game, I'm keeping a watch on the weather reports to keep him updated. He's had some pretty bad luck in the past with going to rained-out games. Off the top of my head, I remember him having to go back for Opening Day last year and missing a playoff game against Detroit because of a scheduling conflict after the game got pushed back a day. I, however, have never had a game rained out or had to go back another day, so maybe he should have brought me. But, alas, he's pulling the family card and going with his younger brother.

Bad spark plug: Chone Figgins, the Angels catalyst and lead-off hitter is hittless in four postseason games this year. If the Yankees pitchers can keep him off base, it will prevent him from stealing and getting the Halos's running game going.

Molina Time: As with Game 2 of the ALDS, Jose Molina gets the nod to catch AJ Burnett. The results were too good last time to warrant a chang, so Jorge sits again. But as was the case last time, Posada will be in there the second Burnett is done pitching. Plus, Molina will help keep the Angels in check on the bases.

Do you believe in magic?: The Yanks are trying to draw on some of the positive energy surround the 90's dynasty as Tino Martinez will throw out the first pitch tonight after David Cone did the honors last night.

Meeting of the Minds: There will apparently be a meeting between Girardi, Scioscia, and MLB officials at 7 to decide on the fate of the world. Or maybe just tonight's game.

Stay tuned for news on the state of the game. And if the game gets rained out, maybe I'll post John's text message. That is, if it's not just a string of curse words.

UPDATE 7:46: There will be baseball! Keep up with the game @jgeant on Twitter.

Enjoy the game and your Saturday night.

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