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Yankees game 77: Avoid the sweep with team offense

Hiroki_Kuroda_on_May_22,_2013

New York Yankees 5 — Toronto Blue Jays 3

The Yankees would find enough offense to avoid the sweep.

The Yankees would get a lead off double by Brett Gardner against Drew Hutchison but after a sacrifice bunt by Derek Jeter, the Yankees would hit the bad luck spot again. With Gardner on third, the infield played in for Jacoby Ellsbury. The Yankees center fielder would hit a laser but Jose Reyes would snag it to keep the run from scoring. Teixeira would ground out to first and the Yankees wasted a leadoff runner in scoring position.

The Blue Jays would find as instant an offense as you can have. On the very first pitch by Hiroki Kuroda, Jose Reyes would drill it into the right field crowd for a leadoff home run. Melky Cabrera would follow with a single but Kuroda would settle down and struck out two of the next three batters to minimize the damage.

The Yankees would not have a response until the third inning. Kelly Johnson would start the inning with a walk and would come around to score on the double to right center field by Francisco Cervelli. The next hit would come with two outs when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a single to center field, scoring Cervelli. Mark Teixeira would hit the big blow with a two-run home run that just cleared the wall in right field. The Yankees put up four runs in the inning.

The top of the Jays lineup would get to Kuroda in the fifth inning. With two outs and one on, Jose Reyes would hit a ground-rule double to right field and Cabrera would continue to hit well against the Yankees with a two-run single to left field. By the time the inning ended, the Yankees lead was just one.

The Yankees had a failed opportunity with the bases loaded in the fifth inning but would find an insurance run in the seventh inning. With Drew Hutchison out and reliever Rob Rasmussen in, control would elude the lefty. After a walk of Brett Gardner, Rasmussen would hit Derek Jeter on the front of the foot to put two on. A wild pitch would put runners on the corners but Rasmussen would walk Ellsbury to load the bases for Mark Teixeira. Sergio Santos would replace Rasmussen but Teixeira would find a way to productively fly out to center field to bring in the Yankees fifth run of the game.

Hiroki Kuroda lasted 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out four.

With one on and one out, Shawn Kelley came in and allowed a single to Reyes before getting Cabrera out. Lefty Matt Thornton would come in with two out and two on but the situation would get even more intense when Gose and Reyes stole second and third to put two in scoring position. Thornton would get Adam Lind to ground out back to him and the lead remained intact.

Adam Warren got the eighth inning but got one out and let one reach base before David Robertson got the call for a five-out save. Robertson would have a great start, striking out the last two outs of the eighth inning. The ninth inning would be as harmless as Robertson’s eighth. He would get a strikeout and a pair of ground outs to end the game and the losing streak.

 

Win – Hiroki Kuroda (5-5)

Loss – Drew Hutchison (5-6)

Save – David Robertson (18)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Jacoby Ellsbury – 3 for 4, R, BB, RBI (33)

*Mark Teixeira – 1 for 4, R, 2-Run Home Run (14) in the 3rd, 3 RBI (39)

Blue Jays

*Jose Reyes – 3 for 5, 2 R< 2B, Solo Home Run (6) in the 1st, RBI (21)

*Melky Cabrera – 2 for 4, 2 RBI (41)

 

Current Yankees Record: 40-37