Yanks Avoid Sweep and Win in Walkoff Fashion

I always liked the Orioles. I always felt that they had some of the cutset players in the league, such as Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Luke Scott, and my new favorite Brian Matusz. And when they started playing better, I thought they were even cuter. But they weren’t too cute when they were beating my Yankees. A Yankees loss yesterday would have been devastating, especially since the Yankees haven’t lost 4 in a row yet this year. And looking ahead to the series against the Rangers, I didn’t have good thoughts: I was thinking the Yankees would be swept. Javy Vazquez would pitch game 1, A.J. Burnett game 2. And Moseley, who has been pretty okay, would go up against Cliff Lee in game 3…which hisn’t fair. So if the Yankees lost that finale, that would have made it a 4 game slide…and my calculations of them being swept in Texas would mean a 7 games slide. I don’t want my Yankees to lose like the Padres. The Orioles finale was crucial..a loss in that game would have been heartbreaking….but it wasn’t meant to be.

I stayed home from school yesterday – and it was all because of my Yankees. My grade was going on some kayaking and hiking trip so we could “bond as a senior class.” LOL. We’ve been together for 13 years…if we haven’t “bonded” by now, we never will. When I realized that the game on the day of the trip was a day game, a lightbulb went off: “Hmm…we aren’t going to do any work in school…and the Yankees play in the day…what’s the harm in skipping that day?”

The best part was, my parents didn’t even object.

I let my Fan-dom take over yesterday. I skipped for my Yankees. It was crucial that they won.

Ivan Nova started for the Yanks, and boy he was good….he’s really something. He made just 1 mistake…and I thought it was going to cost him. With a 3-0 count, Nova laid a cookie right over the plate for Matt Wieters, who didn’t miss it. That 2-run homer changed the whole complexion of the game, and gave the O’s a 2-1 lead.

For some reason, Brad Bergesen was unhittable yesterday…6.1 innings, 4 hits, and 1 run, courtesy of a Brett Gardner RBI double. He deserves some credit. But also, the Yankee bats were pretty dead yesterday. The at-bats were disgusting. The game was a little boring, and honestly, I was frustrated. I was beginning to wonder if I skipped school for no reason.

At least the pitching was good. Nova made just that one mistake, but otherwise he was splendid. David Robertson, Boone Logan, and Joba Chamberlain were lights-out. The fact that they were pitching so well gave me a teeny bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, the Yankees would come back.

In the 9th, A-Rod singled. Tying run on base…

With 1 out, it was Swisher’s turn. He got ahead in the count, just like he always did, and he got a good pitch to hit. And much like Matt Wieters, he was ready for it. Swish put a good swing on it, and drove it deep to left field. Deep….AND GONE! Nick Swisher has 1/2 of the Yankees’s walkoffs this year. That home run changed everything. Watching him round the bases almost brought tears to my eyes. He was limping…his knee still hurts from the other day. He’s so tough, and such a great guy. As usual, Nick Swisher proudly received his pie in the face. He’s enjoying every minute in pinstripes.

                           

                          

Nick, I’m enjoying every minute with you. I hope you will be a career Yankee…because I’d hate to see you on any other team.

 

Thank you, Nick Swisher, for this Drama Club win. Hopefully, this is the start of another long winning streak.