Homestand, Game 8

TOP 1: Crawford goes down swinging (RJ 1), one gone -- Lugo also goes down swinging (RJ 2), two away -- Cantu lines a two out single to center -- Huff grounds to second to retire the side

BOT 1: Jeter hits it well but flies to left, one down -- Womack goes down swinging, two away -- Sheffield grounds to shortstop to end the inning

TOP 2: Perez draws a four pitch leadoff walk -- Gomes pops to short, one gone -- Hollins jacks a pitch to deep left, a two run shot, Rays lead 2-0

Cash jacks the very next pitch deep to left ... that one is gone, too -- TB 3-0

Gonzalez hits one into the gap in left center for a single -- On the first pitch to Crawford, Gonzales steals second uncontested -- Crawford lines a shot into the right center gap, one run will score, and Crawford cruises into third with a triple -- the score is now 4-0

Lugo grounds a single through the left side, another run scores -- Rays 5-0

Stottlemyre out to confer -- Cantu pops out to second in shallow right, two down -- The 1-0 to Huff is up and in and gets away from Flaherty, runner to second on the pitch -- Huff ticks one in front of the plate, Posada gloves and puts him out at first to end the carnage

BOT 2: ARod lines to third, one gone -- Matsui draws a walk -- Giambi pops up to shallow left ... no one can get to it, and it bounces into the stands, a ground rule double, runners now second and third

Bernie hits a deep sac fly to right, one run scores, two down -- Rays lead 5-1

Runner on second for Flaherty, he grounds to third to end the rally

TOP 3: Perez lines a leadoff single to center -- Gomes hits a shot ... that goes out to right, a two run shot, Rays now lead 7-1

Stottlemyre in to confer -- Hollins flies to left, one down -- Proctor warms for NY -- Cash goes down swinging, two away -- Gonzalez lines to third to end the rally

BOT 3: Cano goes down swinging, one away -- Jeter drives a ball to right center, it bounces into the stands for a ground rule double -- Womack flies to center, runner tags and goes to third, two down -- Sheffield grounds a single to right, one run scores, Rays now lead 7-2

Runner at first for ARod, he goes down swinging to end the rally

TOP 4: Proctor in to pitch for Yankees -- Crawford lines the 0-2 into center for a leadoff single -- Lugo draws a walk after a full count, runners now first and second -- Cantu pops to right, one gone -- On the first pitch to Huff, the Rays perfectly execute a double steal

Runners second and third, they give an intentional pass to Huff to load up the bases -- Stottlemyre out to confer -- Lee grounds to second, Cano tries to glove and slap Huff ... he doesn't even field it, one run scores, bases still loaded -- Rays 8-2

Gomes pops foul to third, tow away -- Hollins slaps a single to right, two more runs score, the score is now TB 10-2

Runners at the corners, two down for Cash, he goes down swinging to end the continuing carnage

BOT 4: Lee in at 1B -- Matsui lines a leadoff single over the leaping second baseman into right -- Giambi hits a deep fly ... out to right, one down -- Bernie chops to third, two away, runner to second on the play -- Flaherty grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 5: Gonzalez goes down looking, one down -- Stanton warms for Yankees -- Crawford lines a single to center -- Lugo grounds to third, two away -- Cantu also grounds to third to retire the side

BOT 5: Cano hits one long far .... and foul to right, he flies out to right center, one away -- Jeter grounds the first pitch just past the third baseman's glove into right for a single -- Womack lines a single into center, runners now first and second -- Sheffield jacks one over the left field wall, a three run shot -- Rays lead cut in half 10-5

Hernandez out to confer, Orvella up warming for TB -- ARod grounds to short, two down -- Matsui bloops a two out single to center -- Giambi lines a single to center, runners first and second -- Bernie rips a shot down the rightfield line and into the corner, runners now second and third, another run scores -- Rays 10-6

Piniella out to make a change, Orvella will pitch for the Rays -- Posada in to PH for Flaherty, he draws a walk and now the bases are loaded -- Hernandez in out to confer, Harper warms for the Rays

Cano comes to the plate, and .... he is the tying run?!?!?!?!, sheesh, he hits it well but grounds to second to end the rally

TOP 6: Stanton now pitching for NY -- Posada in at C -- Huff grounds to second, one down -- Sturtze warms for Yankees -- Lee reaches out and singles to right

Torre out to get Stanton, Sturtze will take over -- Lee goes on the first pitch to Gomes, Posada's throw is wide ... Cano tags him on the ass, one down -- Gomes lines a single to left -- grounds to third, the force is made at second to retire the side

BOT 6: Orvella continues for Rays, Jeter hits a first pitch bomb to center, a solo shot ... WHOA, Rays 10-7

Womack goes down swinging, one down -- Harper warms for TB -- Sheffield pops to center, two away -- ARod flies to right to end the rally

TOP 7: Sturtze in for Yankees -- Cash down swinging, one down -- Gonzalez lines a single to left -- Crawford rips a single past ARod on the bag side, runners only first and second due to the slow afoot Gonzalez, runners now first and second

Groom warms for NY -- Lugo lines a single to right to load up the bases -- Stottlemyre out to confer -- Cantu hits a sharp grounder to third, ARod makes a great diving stab, steps on third and guns to first ... runner safe, one run scores, Rays now 11-7

Torre out to make another move, Groom in to pitch for NY -- Huff hits the first pitch and flies to right to end the rally

Seventh Inning Stench, Rays leading 11-7

BOT 7: Orvella still pitching for TB -- Matsui goes down swinging, one away -- full count to Giambi, the payoff ... ball four, he draws a walk -- Bernie flies the first pitch to left, two down -- Nunez warms for TB -- Posada pops foul to third alongside the bag to end the inning

TOP 8: Q in to pitch for NY -- Lee hits a shot into the left center gap for a leadoff double -- Gomes hits a sinking liner to right, Sheffield slides in, gloves ... it pops out, a single and runners at the corners -- Hollins grounds to short, runner checked back to third, play is made at first, one down

Runners at second and third, one away for Cash, full count, the payoff ... inside, ball four, the bases loaded ... dejavualloveragain -- Gonzalez grounds to third into an inning ending 543 double play

BOT 8: Nunez in to pitch for Rays -- Gordon warms for NY -- Cano lines a leadoff single into center -- Jeter lines a single to right, runners at the corners

Sierra in to PH for Womack -- Hernandez in to confer -- Sierra hits a hot shot to deep second, great glove by Cantu to save the single and an additional run, one run scores, runners to second on the play, one down -- Rays 11-8

Sheffield bloops a single to left center, Jeter had to hold and wait for the ball to drop, runners now second and third -- ARod comes up ... and he is the tying run

ARod rips a single into left, another run scores, Rays 11-9 ... runners now at the corners -- Lou has seen enough, Harper now pitching for Rays -- Mo and Gordon warm for Yankees

Runners at first and second, one away for Matsui, he rips a shot to right ... over the head of the fielder and off the wall, one run will score ... a clutch double for Godzilla, runners now second and third -- Rays 11-10

They give the intentional pass to Giambi to load them up for Bernie -- Johnson in to PR for Giambi -- Bernie pounds one to deep center ... OVER THE HEAD of the centerfielder and off the wall

BERNIE WILLIAMS CLEARS THE BASES WITH A 3-RUN TRIPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- Yankees take their first lead, 13-11

Mo warming alone now -- still one down, runner at third for Posada, he blasts one to deep right center.... IT's GONE! ... into the stands, a 2-run shot ... the Yankees now lead, 15-11!!!

Cano flies to center, two away -- Gordon now up for NY with the four run lead -- Jeter grounds to second, Cantu stops it .... and that's all, an infield single for Jeter and that's a 5-HIT game for The Captain

Sierra rips a single to right, runner to third on the hit, runners now at the corners -- Sheffield ... good GOD .... GONE ... A 2-RUN BLAST TO LEFT CENTER!! -- Yankees now 18-11 ... and SEVEN RBI for Sheff

ARod just smashes one to right center... this one's gone too, good lord, a solo shot -- NY leads 19-11

Matsui ... INTO THE BLACK SEATS ... jeebus, GONE -- Yankees now lead 20-11

Russ Johnson lifts one to right center to end the onslaught

TOP 9: Gordon in to pitch for NY -- Sierra in LF, Johnson at 1B -- Crawford flies to left, one away -- Lugo down looking at a curveball, two down -- Cantu goes down swinging ... gets away from Posada, Cantu marching back to the dugout ... and is tagged out to end the game

A testament to the explosiveness and ... ultimately, a summary of what is wrong and could be right with the team this year

FINAL: Yankees win, 20-11

Ugly.

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