New York Yankees 6 – Texas Rangers 7
The Yankees fall in walk-off fashion to finish off their series in Texas.
In the first inning, Jacoby Ellsbury started the game with a double off of Yovani Gallardo and when left fielder Ryan Rua bobbled it, Ellsbury took third base. Brett Gardner hit the productive sacrifice fly to bring home Ellsbury and gives the Yankees the 1-0 lead. Then, with two outs, Mark Teixeira went yard for his 25th home run of the season to extend the lead to two. To keep the two out offense going, Brian McCann ripped a single to right field and Carlos Beltran walked. Chase Headley followed with a single to center field and just like that, the Yankees handed a three-run lead to CC Sabathia.
Delino DeShields Jr. started the bottom of the first inning with a single. Taking advantage of the less-than-agile Sabathia, Elvis Andrus dropped a bunt and put two on with no outs. Sabathia bounced back from the bad start with a pair of outs but Josh Hamilton prevented Sabathia from escaping the inning unscathed. Hamilton took Sabathia deep to right field for a three-run home run in a left-on-left at-bat to tie the game up.
After the Yankees were set down in order in the second inning, the left-handed bats continued taking Sabathia deep.
Shin-Soo Choo led off the second inning with a home run to break the 3-3 tie. The Yankees had a response in the third inning when Mark Teixeira reached with a single and Brian McCann hit the two-run home run to right field, giving the Yankees the lead yet again at 5-4.
In the bottom of the third, Sabathia was helped out by some poor baserunning by Elvis Andrus, who ran into a double play on a fly out. But, the defense helps and the defense hurts. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ryan Rua hit a dying line drive to center field where Jacoby Ellsbury made a sliding attempt on a catch but missed it, allowing the ball to roll all the way to the wall. Rua rounded the bases in a sprint and made it all the way around for a game-tying inside-the-park home run.
In five innings, CC Sabathia allowed five runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
In the seventh inning, Mark Teixeira snapped the 5-5 tie with a solo home run to center field, his second of the night. With the lead, the more dependable arms got the call.
After Justin Wilson walked one and struck out one in the seventh inning, Dellin Betances got the call. Elvis Andrus hit a single to left field to put runners on the corners with one out. Betances generated the ground ball from Prince Fielder but it was to the left of Stephen Drew, who ranged to get it and tried to make the difficult play. Drew threw to second base for an attempt at a double play. Unfortunately the throw was high and Didi paid the price on a hard slide with some incidental contact. The tying run scored on the error by Drew.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth inning but Brett Gardner struck out to end the inning and their last threat to score.
After finishing the eighth inning in his major league debut, Nick Goody walked the first batter in the ninth inning before closer Andrew Miller came in. After retiring the first batter Miller faced, Leonys Martin hit a ground ball that hit the runner on base, resulting in the second out of the game. Adrian Beltre walked and Josh Hamilton finished off his 4-RBI night with a walk-off single to right field to split the four-game series between the Yankees and the Rangers.
It would be revealed after the game that CC Sabathia was sent to the hospital due to dehydration. Hopefully the big lefty is okay.
CC not in clubhouse… Was sent to hospital to get checked out after experiencing symptoms of dehydration #yankees
— Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) July 31, 2015
Win – Shawn Tolleson (3-2)
Loss – Nick Goody (0-1)
Notables
Yankees
*Mark Teixeira – 3 for 4, 3 R, BB, 2 Solo home runs (26) in the 1st & 7th, 2 RBI (67)
*Brian McCann – 2 for 5, 2 R, Two-run home run (16) in the 3rd, 2 RBI (60)
Rangers
*Josh Hamilton – 2 for 4, R, BB, Walk-off single, Three-run home run (4) in the 1st, 4 RBI (14)
*Ryan Rua – 2 for 3, R, Inside-the-park solo home run (4) in the 4th, RBI (7)
Current Yankees Record: 57-44
