WC Home Stand, Game 4

On MLBtv, we get the YES Team tonight broadcasting, Michael Kay, Jim Kaat, and Dave Justice ... was hoping for Paul O'Neill, oh well

TOP 1: The Unit going for the Yankees today -- first time this year seeing the master of the slap hit, Ichiro, he strikes out in a pirouette, really (RJ 1) -- Winn hits an easy comebacker to the mound, two away -- Beltre hits a grounder to short, a bad off the foot throw pulls Tino off the bag, error

Runner on first, two away, Johnson comes up lame on the 1-2 to Sexson -- Torre and the trainer out, they confer, he'll stay in -- Sexson pounds one to the track in center, but Matsui is there with great ugly defense, the side is retired

BOT 1: Gil Meche going for Mariners -- Jeter hits a slow chopper to short, the throw just gets him, one away --Womack draws a one out walk -- Sheffield absolutely bombs the 0-1 pitch to right, just foul ... shirt!

Runner goes, Sheff flat swings and powers it up the middle, Womack hustles to third on the play -- One out, runners at the corners, Matsui lines a single up the middle and into center, one run scores, and the other runner moves up to third, Yankees draw first blood, 1-0

Jim Kaat with the questionable comment about Ichiro's very good English ... whatever

Runners now first and second, one down, Meche falls behind ARod 3-0, ARod is free to swing away ... he grounds weakly into an inning ending 463 DP, darn

1:30PM HST

TOP 2: Brett Boone rips one deep to center, Matsui is there, one away -- Unit's pitches look really flat and straight tonight, could be trouble

Ibanez down swinging at a slider, two away (RJ 2) -- Gonzalez down looking to retire the side (RJ 3)

BOT 2: Tino not exactly the most fleet of foot, hits a sharp grounder down the first baseline, is thrown out with the sky hook toss from Sexson, one away --
full count to Posada, he goes down looking, two away -- Giambi flies to center to end the inning, and that is now an 0-for his last 13

1:43PM HST

TOP 3: Bloomquist pops out to second, first pitch swinging -- Valdez walks, and steals second on a close play where Jeter just missed the sweep tag

Runner now on second, none out -- Ichiro grounds to second, Cano tries to barehand it, bobbles it, and Suzuki is in safe at first, runner to third on the play

Runners at corners, Winn hits a sac fly to left, runner tags and scores, the score is now tied 1-1 -- Beltre flied out to right to retire the side

BOT 3: Cano flies out to deep right, just missed it, one down -- Jeter hits a hard shot down the third base line, takes a wide turn but stays at first, long single

Womack hits a quick comebacker at Meche, he turns and gets the force at second, no throw to first, two away -- Sheffield ... bat taken out of his hands, Womack caught leaning the wrong way at first to end the inning

1:58PM HST

TOP 4: Sexson down on swinging (RJ 4) -- Boone down looking, two away (RJ 5) -- Ibanez flies out to left for the third out

BOT 4: Full count to Sheffield, down on strikes on a 12-6 curve ball, one down -- Matsui grounds to second, two away -- ARod hits a two out double to the gap, splitting the center and rightfielder

Two down, runner at second -- Tino hits it real hard ... GONE, a 2 run shot, the Yankees climb back into the lead, 3-1

Posada flies to left center to end the inning

2:15PM HST

TOP 5: Gonzalez grounds to third -- Bloomquist hits a line out to Cano, two away -- Valdez hits a two out fair shot up the third base line, it kicks off the stands in foul territory and into left, in with a double -- Ichiro slaps it the opposite way past Jeter, the runner will score, the Yankee lead is cut to 3-2

It's those damn two-out hits again, psshh

Ichiro is picked off trying to steal, Jeter applies the tag for the third out

BOT 5: Giambi grounds to second, perfect shift, one away -- Cano down swinging, two out -- full count to Jeter, he grounds the payoff pitch to second to retire the side

2:38PM HST

TOP 6: Winn grounds to second, Tino off the bag, and just gets there to receive Cano's throw, one away -- Beltre jacks the 3-1 fastball up, and deposits it in left center field, the game is tied again 3-3

I had a bad feeling about that AB that Beltre was due, darn my psychic powers LOL -- Unit works it full to Sexson, the payoff is hit over RJ, now that's tall and into center

To reset, one down, runner at first -- Unit looking very off right now falling behind 3-0 on Brett Boone, who hits the 3-1 into a 463 DP to retire the side

BOT 6: Womack grounds a comebacker to Meche, one down -- Sheffield hits a reach out grounder to Boone at second, just gets him on the play, two away --
Matsui dinks one out in front of the mound, Meche makes the play for the third out

2:54PM HST

TOP 7: Ibanez grounds to second, one away -- Gonzalez bloops one to short left, single -- Bloomquist flies out to center, two away -- Valdez is the second ballet dancer, doing a pirouette swing (RJ 6)

Seventh Inning Stretch, Yankees and Mariners, tied 3-3

SIS at the Stadium is still Ronan Tynan, not superstitious at all LOL

BOT 7: Meche still going for Mariners --Thornton and Nelson warming for Mariners -- ARod draws a leadoff walk -- Tino grounds to the first baseman, tags the bag, ARod hung up in rundown, he is doubled off

Two away, Posada grounds a single through the infield to left, mannnn ... DP was key -- Meche had a solid outing, he will be pulled by Hargrove

The lefthander Thornton in to face Giambi, with a runner at first and two down ... honestly, if you wanted to say someone was totally due, it's Giambi ... but given how he has looked really BAD, it's hard to say he'll come through in this spot

Thornton gets ahead on Giambi 0-2, Giambi down looking on a nasty 2-2 inside breaking ball ... I dunno, I think I remember SWINGING a bat, but that's me, I don't play MLB ...

3:15PM HST

TOP 8: Mannnn, Ichiro is FASSSSTTTT, he taps a grounder to short, and nearly beats it out, one away, hoo -- Winn singles to right

Little bit of retro baseball here, Torre leaving RJ out to work his way out of this -- Unit will face the dangerous Beltre, goes ahead 0-2, Beltre grounds the 1-2 pitch to ARod, no play at second, two away

Intentional pass to Sexson, Unit will face Boone with two down, runners at first and second -- and the Unit gets Boone swinging, wow, makes you think what if other managers would manage old school style how much more mileage they could get out of quality starts from quality starting pitchers ... three away (RJ 7)

BOT 8: A bit of managerial hijinx, Torre sends in Rey Sanchez to PH for Cano -- Hargrove matches with hooking Thornton and inserting Jeff Nelson, interesting

Sanchez singles a hanging breaking ball to left -- Jeter pushes a sac bunt up the first base line, he legs it out ... and nearly beats it out, one down, runner to second on the play

One down, runner at second, Womack hits a seeing eye single up the middle, finds the hole and into center! ... one run scores, Yankees teeter totter back into the lead, 4-3

Runner at first now, one down for Sheffield, he grounds to short, runner moves up to second, two away -- the hook comes for Nelson

Vallone now pitching for the M's -- Mo warming in pen for Yankees

The reset, two down, runner at second -- Matsui down swinging to end the inning

3:40PM HST

TOP 9: After two days of rest following his FIFTY pitch performance in that defensive debacle vs. the A's on Friday, Mo will be in to try and close this game for the Yankees

Ibanez hits a comeback high chop, Mo reaches up and retires Ibanez, one down -- First pitch swinging, sounded like a broken bat, Gonzalez grounds to second, two away -- Dobbs in to PH for Bloomquist, and Mo gets him with the fastball under the hands to end the game

And that's THREE!!! ... lol, small accomplishments are really great in this mostly down season thus far

If you can believe it, this is the first time since 1925 that the Yankees have played so many games to start a season and not won 3 straight games, wow

I can't believe I'm saying it but the Yankees look like they are rounding into form now

3:47 PM HST

FINAL: Yankees win 4-3

Wang scheduled to pitch tomorrow as the Yankees fifth starter, and for Seattle it will be Aaron Sele

14 UP 19 DOWN, and of course, 3 in a row