Road Swing, Game 6

The roof is open on the stadium formerly known as Skydome

TOP 1: Towers gets the start for the Jays -- Jeter lines a leadoff single to center -- Cano grounds the first pitch to third into a 543 double play, two gone -- Sheffield goes down swinging to retire the side

BOT 1: The enigmatic Al Leiter goes for the NY -- Adams grounds to second, one down -- Johnson goes down swinging, two away -- Wells lines one to the gap in left center for a two out double -- Hillenbrand grounds up the middle to second to end the inning

TOP 2: ARod gets a hold of the first pitch and sends it to left ... GONE, a leadoff solo shot -- the Yankees lead, 1-0

Matsui rips a liner the opposite way down the leftfield line for a standup double -- Giambi rips a run scoring single to the rightfield corner -- the score is now NY 2-0

Posada goes down looking -- runner at first for Tino, he grounds up the middle to short into a 643 double play to end the rally

BOT 2: Hill grounds to deep third, one down -- Zaun lines to first ... a great diving stab by Tino to steal a hit away, two away -- Rios pops to second to end the inning

TOP 3: Womack grounds to second, one away -- Jeter grounds one just inside the bag, past the diving third baseman ... and down the line for a double -- Cano is beaned high off his right shoulder, on at first via HBP ... Torre and the trainer out to check on him, he will stay in

Runners now first and second for Sheffield, he slaps a single into left center, one run scores -- Yankees extend to 3-0

Runners first and second for ARod, he goes down swinging, two down -- Matsui grounds the first pitch to first to end the rally

BOT 3: Menechino pops to short, one down -- Hudson lines a single to right -- after tons of checkbacks by Leiter to hold Hudson on, Adams is plunked on the right elbow, one first via HBP ... trainer and manager out to check on him

Runners on first and second for Johnson, he grounds to third, the force play is made at second, two away -- runners now at the corners for Wells, he draws a two out walk

The bases are now loaded for Hillenbrand, he grounds to third ... ARod races to the bag to get the force at third to end the inning

TOP 4: Giambi grounds to first, the pitcher covers ... it hits the heel of Hillenbrand's glove and rolls away, Giambi reaches first on the error -- Posada lines the first pitch to right for a single, runners now first and second -- Tino lines a single to right, one run scores -- the Yankees now lead, 4-0

Runners at the corners for Womack, he grounds to short into a 643 double play, one run scores on the play -- NY now leads, 5-0

Jeter grounds to second to end the rally

BOT 4: Hill grounds to third, one away -- Zaun draws a walk -- Rios goes down swinging, two gone -- Menechino flies the first pitch to left center to end the inning

TOP 5: Cano draws a four pitch, leadoff walk -- Sheffield pops to short, one down -- runner at first for ARod, he lines a single to left, runners now first and second -- Matsui grounds to second ... great stop by Hudson and throw from his knees to save a probable run scoring single, two away -- runners at second and third for Giambi, he draws a walk to load the bases

Arnsberg out to confer -- Posada goes down swinging to retire the side

BOT 5: Hudson lines a leadoff single to center -- Adams flies to left, one gone -- Johnson flies to right center ... Sheffield makes a sliding attempt, gloves it ... but when he stands up, the ball pops out ... it is called an out, two away ... great defensive play! -- Wells pops the full count payoff ... foul to first to end the inning

TOP 6: Tino flies to left, one away -- Womack grounds to short, two down -- Jeter grounds a seeing eye two out single through to left -- Cano chops up the middle ... Adams ranges and makes a nice play to put out Cano and retire the side

BOT 6: After the low 2-0 pitch to Hillenbrand, Leiter kicks up dust off the mound in frustration ... Hillenbrand draws a leadoff walk -- Hill grounds to short, Jeter charges and throws to first ... it is slightly offline, Tino applies the tag, one down -- runner at second for Zaun, he pops to short, two gone

Sturtze warms for NY, Frasor warms for TOR -- Rios lines a two out single through to left, runner to third on the play -- Embree also warms for NY -- runners at the corners for Menechino, he draws a four pitch walk to load the bases ... Torre seems to be contemplating, yes he comes out to take the ball

That will be all for Leiter, a fairly solid outing until this inning where he seems to have lost the strike zone -- the thus far REALLY UNIMPRESSIVE Embree will pitch for NY -- Hudson pops the first pitch to first to end the inning

TOP 7: Frasor now pitching for the Jays -- Sheffield goes down looking at the full count payoff, one down -- ARod lines a shot to the gap for a double -- runner at second for Matsui, he flies to center, two away -- Giambi lines one past the Giambi shift ... infielders diving around like something out of Cirque du Soleil, can't stop it ... into right for a two out run scoring single, Yankees add another run, 6-0

Runner at first for Posada, he grounds to second, the force is made at second to end the rally

Seventh Inning Stretch, Yankees lead, 6-0

BOT 7: Embree continues for NY, Sturtze warms -- Adams goes down swinging, one away -- League warms for TOR -- Johnson goes down swinging at a pitch in the dirt, the putout is made at first, two down -- Wells grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 8: League now pitching for the Jays -- Tino pops to short in shallow left, one down -- Womack grounds to first ... Hillenbrand wins the footrace, two away -- Jeter battles, works it full, then draws a two out walk -- on the first pitch to Cano, the runner moves to second on the wild pitch ... the second straight pitch that League has uncorked -- runner at second for Cano, he is greenlighted on the 3-1 and grounds to short to retire the side

BOT 8: Sturtze pitching for NY -- Crosby in at RF -- Hillenbrand blasts a leadoff double to center -- Koskie in to PH for Hill, he goes down swinging, on a foultip one down ... Koskie can't believe it, he is still standing there, the manager is out to discuss (the replay: looks like Posada caught it, but with the glove face down)

Gordon warms for NY -- runner at second for Zaun, he draws a four pitch walk -- Stottlemyre out to confer as it appears Sturtze doesn't have great command thus far -- Catalanotto to PH for Rios, he draws a walk, the bases are now loaded

That will be all for Sturtze, who just didn't have it today -- Gordon now pitching -- as the PH carousel continues for the Jays, Hinske will PH for Menechino -- Hinske flies to left, the runner tags and scores from third ... Matsui sleeping out there, thinking it's three gone ... the runner goes after third, Matsui makes the easy play to third to cut him down and end the rally -- the score is now NY 6-1

WOW, that's the first time I've ever seen Matsui forget how many outs it is

TOP 9: Johnson in at RF, Koskie at 3B, Catalanotto at LF -- Crosby grounds to second, one down -- Mo warms for NY -- ARod draws a walk -- Matsui lines to short ... Adams throws back to first, in time to double off ARod and retire the side

BOT 9: Gordon continues for NY -- Hudson grounds to second, one gone --
looking like he was losing his footing during the swing, Adams still manages to line a single to left -- Johnson pops to second in shallow right, two away

On the first pitch to Wells, Adams advances to second on indifference -- Wells lines a single to center, just over the leaping Cano, one run will score -- the score is now NY 6-2

Mo warms for NY -- on the 2-2 pitch to Hillenbrand, Wells advances to second on indifference -- Hillenbrand works it full, the payoff ... ball four, he draws a walk

That will be all for Gordon, who also couldn't throw strikes today for some reason -- Mo will pitch for NY -- runners at first and second for Koskie, he flies the first pitch to left to end the game ... a one pitch outing for Mo

FINAL: Yankees win, 6-2

The Yankees win the series, and conclude this road swing at .500. Leiter pitched fairly solidly, but doesn't seem to be able to stretch it to longer outings. And the bullpen, hooboy, talk about shaky.

Yankees head home for a very tough series against the league leading White Sox

59UP 50DOWN ... back in the win column