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Yankees Game 30: Yankees lose rubber match to end homestand

Pettitte had a hard time keeping runners off base, walking four and hitting one today. (Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

Oakland Athletics 5 – New York Yankees 4

 

Yankees lose the rubber match by a score of 5-4 to the Oakland Athletics.

 

Andy Pettitte started today’s game and didn’t have his best stuff for a second straight start. The veteran left-hander created a problem in the first inning with a single and a pair of walks to load the bases but a strikeout would escape trouble. Free baserunners would come back to hurt Pettitte in the third inning. A walk and a hit batter would put two on and no out with Yoenis Cespedes coming up. With the Yankees attempting an around-the-horn double play, a rare throwing error by Robinson Cano would allow the first run to score.

Robinson Cano would seemingly makeup for his error in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Brett Gardner would hit a double and Cano would bring him home with a single, though would get thrown out attempting to advance to second.

Andy Pettitte’s struggles would continue in the fourth and fifth inning. A leadoff home run by designated hitter Luke Montz put the A’s ahead in the fourth inning and Yoenis Cespedes would hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to put the A’s ahead by three.

Rookie reliever Preston Claiborne would take over for Andy Pettitte in the sixth inning. Andy Pettitte exited the game with just five innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts. The walks and the Cano error played a factor in elevating his pitch count to 100.

Rookie Claiborne settled into the majors well as he pitched two perfect innings in a very successful debut. In the sixth inning, the Yankees also managed to get a rally and get on the scoreboard.

Ichiro Suzuki would come through with two on against left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins by hitting a run-scoring double into the right field corner. Lyle Overbay would tie the game later in the inning, also off of Blevins, scoring two on a single to right center.

After two great innings by Claiborne, Boone Logan would take on the heart of the lineup in the eighth inning. Third baseman Josh Donaldson would break the 4-4 tie with a solo home run to left field, giving the A’s a lead that they would not surrender.

Jayson Nix had a difficult day at the plate as he went hitless and left a total of seven on the bases. It seemed like he always came up in big spots and was not able to produce. Eduardo Nunez left the game after the fourth inning in what would be revealed to be tightness in his left ribcage. Despite Boone Logan having decent numbers against both left and right-handed bats, he may have been forced into a role he wasn’t used to. Injuries to Joba Chamberlain, that forced him on the disabled list, and David Robertson, removed the seventh and eighth inning relievers, leaving Logan to face a number of right-handed bats today. Also, despite losing this series, the Yankees finished a 10-game homestand with a 7-3 record.

 

Win – Sean Doolittle (2-0)

Loss – Boone Logan (2-2)

Save – Grant Balfour (5)

 

Notables

Athletics

*Josh Donaldson – 1 for 3, R, BB, Solo Home Run (3) in the 8th, RBI (22)

*Yoenis Cespedes – 1 for 4, R, 2-Run Home Run (5) in the 5th, 2 RBI (16)

Yankees

*Lyle Overbay – 1 for 4, 2 RBI (15)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 2 for 3, R, BB, 2B, RBI (6)

 

Current Yankees Record: 18-12

 

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