Final Score at New Yankee Stadium: Angels 6, Yankees 4
Bobby Abreu used to play for the Yankees. In returning to his old stomping grounds he sent the fans in the stands two souvenirs. Bobby hit a solo HR to tie the game in the 6th and a two run blast in the 9th off of Mariano Rivera to break a 4-4 tie.
In a postgame interview with Jose Mota on FSN-West, Abreu explained that his season-long power slump may be ending after a session of batting analysis with teammate Alberto Callaspo. AC noticed that Bobby's foot was landing too early during his swing to produce the type of power that the Smiling Venezuelan is known and feared for. Bobby didn't schedule a consultation with hitting coach Mickey Hatcher - he adjusted his motion and dropped an A.J. Burnett fastball into the short, softball league porch of New Yankee Stadium's laughable Lollipop Kids RF wall. A 9th inning offering from Future Hall of Famer Mo-42 was deposited deep into No Doubter territory to give the Angels the lead for good.
The biggest hit of the night, though, belonged to Jeff Mathis, he of the derided batting average forty points below his weight. His ground rule double scored two runs to break a 1-1 tie in the 6th. It was the 10th double of the season for the Angels questionable choice of first string Catcher. His 2011 RBI total remains in adolescence, #16 and 17 driven in tonight. Peter Bourjos would have scored on the Mathis hit if the ball had stayed in the stadium, but got a chance to rub Russell Martin's defensive mediocrity into his face by scoring on a wild pitch that bounced less than four feet off of the pinstriped catcher to the right of home plate. Fleet Pete was rounding back to the dugout before Le Russell had a good grip on the ball.
Manager Mike Scioscia was not around to see his favorite Angel plate those ribbys as he was ejected by home plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing a called check swing to Mathis. As always, when you have to mention an umpire in a game recap, it means he was upstaging the game.
Dan Haren pitched a fine Harenesque game. Leaving with men on and a 4-2 lead in the 7th, Fernando Rodney gave the Angels a good lesson in ever trusting him down the season's stretch. Pulp-Fiction-Rod recorded no outs and cost Dirty Dan the W. Hisanori Takahashi left no doubt that he would not be starting tomorrow's game when he came in to get the final out of the 7th. Scott "Shut" Downs pitched a scoreless Right Place Right Time 8th inning that yielded him the win when Mo-42 let the Bombers down for the second straight game.
All Star closer Jordan Walden got his 26th save in true Frankie-Fuentes fashion, interspersing a strikeout and a Fielder's Choice groundout with a single, a SB and a walk. With Mark Teixeira representing the winning run at the plate and Curtis Granderson the tying run on 1B, Walden pickled Granderson trying to steal, score it 1 - 6 - 3 on the basepaths and Light Up That Halo.