After a disappointing loss Sunday to the Mets, the Yankees dropped another tough one Monday in Cleveland. Through 6 innings AJ Burnett was throwing his best game of the season, with just a notch over 80 pitches entering the 7th. An odd pop-up down the third base line that looked to be Brett Gardner’s ball extended the inning for AJ, who was left in the game one batter too long by Girardi. Girardi was in a difficult spot because Mariano Rivera was unavailable for the game with a sore triceps. Joe tried to push AJ through 7 to get the ball to Wade, Logan, and Robertson to finish the game. The turning point was a three-run home run by ex-Yank Austin Kearns, his first of the season. Kearns has been awful all season but hit the ball hard off AJ his first two time up and finally got to AJ in his third plate-appearance. It was especially disappointing because the Yankees had finally broke the scoreless tie after getting their first hit off Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin in the top of the inning. The loss was their second consecutive hard-luck loss, which is why the Yankees needed CC to be as dominant Tuesday as he had been in his previous two starts.
Sabathia pitched 7 great innings in the Yankees 9-2 blowout on Tuesday, finishing his outing with a strike out of Michael Brantley which was his 11th of the game. He became the first pitcher to reach 12 wins this season and has a chance to end his first half with 13. Despite the fact that CC is scheduled to start Sunday before the All Star break, he is deserving of his fifth career All-Star selection.
The Yankee offense broke out for 5 runs in the 2nd inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double to left-center for Jeter and punctuated by a bullet two-run home run down the right field line by Granderson, his first of two home runs. The double was a good sign for Jeter, who had an infield single in the first, but hit the ball hard for the first time since returning from the DL. Jeter needs four more hits to reach 3,000, which will likely come against Tampa at The Stadium on Thursday or Friday.
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Andrew Rotondi
NYYUniverse.com Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @Yankees_talk
