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Yankees game 86: Walk off error ends the pitcher’s duel

 

800px-David_Phelps_on_April_14,_2012

New York Yankees 1 — Minnesota Twins 2 (11 innings)

The pitcher’s duel goes the Twins way in a poor defensive decision.

The Yankees sent David Phelps to the mound against Twins’ starter Yohan Pino. Raise your hand if you expected a pitcher’s duel.
Through the first four innings, each team got just one hit a piece. The Yankees finally got in the board in the fifth inning. Carlos Beltran started the inning with a walk but would be replaced on a force at second leaving Ichiro Suzuki. With two outs, Ichiro would steal second base and advanced to third on a close play at third base. All of the extra bases would play a big role as last minute lineup change Francisco Cervelli would hit a single to left field and scored the first run if the game.

After retiring 11 straight, David Phelps would give up the tying home run when Josh Willingham led off the seventh inning with a blast to left field.

In seven innings, David Phelps allowed just one run on three hits while walking two and striking out three.

Shawn Kelley replaced Phelps on the mound and the first batter he faced, Brian Dozier, got a second try when Soriano in left field and Jeter had a miscommunication in shallow left field foul territory. Dozier would hit a fly ball to left that got in and out of Soriano’s glove and let Dozier reach base. A single would follow but Ellsbury would make a sliding catch to take away a hit in shallow center field. Kelley would strike out the next two and keep the game tied in a big spot.

Kelley would strike out two more in his second inning of work which meant free baseball.

Matt Thornton got the extra innings. He allowed a lead off single to Sam Fuld but the Twins would bail him out by getting him picked him off. In the 11th inning, Chris Colabello nearly walked off when he hit a fly ball high off the wall, inches short of a home run but enough for a lead off double. After a ground out put the winning run on third, the Yankees would intentionally walk the next batter to set up the double play. The next batter would reach the hard way as Oswaldo Arcia was hit by a pitch for the second time in the day. With the bases loaded the double play was set up in more ways than one with a force at every base, Thornton would get a soft ground ball back to him from Trevor Plouffe. He would get the force out at home on a toss to Cervelli but the Yankees catcher tried to get the double play but his throw would be wide of first. With the ball going into right field, so went the game on a walk-off error.

 

Win- Brian Duensing (2-2)

Loss – Matt Thornton (0-2)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Francisco Cervelli – 2 for 4, RBI (3)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 1 for 5, R

Twins

*Josh Willingham – 1 for 4, 2 R, BB, Solo Home Run (8) in the 7th, RBI (24)

*Kurt Suzuki – 2 for 4, BB

 

Current Yankees Record: 43-43