Cano Catapults Club to Clip Chicago

The New York Yankees welcomed the Whitesox to a wet Bronx field Friday night and sent them home in extra innings damp and defeated. The convoluted Robinson Cano took advantage of bizarre windy conditions at Yankee Stadium with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. Cano sent New York home with a three run rocket to right off Chicago southpaw, Randy Williams. The second baseman’s strength was showcased and the Bombers snagged their 12th walk-off win of the season. The Yankees won game one of the home series by outlasting the Whitesox 5-2 for the latest pie-in-the-face celebration.
It seems as if the Yankees hail a new hero every night. Friday was Cano’s chance and he proudly produced his first game-winner of the year. Each player has embraced the role of hit king this year, but the team’s captain is still the bread and butter of the lineup. Derek Jeter’s extensive impact on the Yankees was felt immediately last night. The shortstop got New York on board in the first frame against hard-throwing, Mark Buehrle. The captain belted his 17th homer of 2009 with a solo shot to centerfield. In doing so, number two passed Don Mattingly on the Yankees all-time homerun list. Jeter now sits 10th overall in franchise history in hitting the long ball, with 223. It was also Jeter’s second leadoff tater of the week.
The hefty hurler in pinstripes, C.C. Sabathia, was untouched through his first six innings. Sabathia matched a season high with ten strikeouts. C.C. pounded the Chicago strike zone effectively until the sticky seventh. He ran into trouble when Jermaine Dye opened the inning with a double. Sabathia missed out on his chance to become the major’s first 16 game winner. The terrific tosser followed Dye’s drive with a walk and an Alex Rios double. Sabathia had difficulty spotting his fastball and setting up his curveball with just a one run lead. Ramon Castro then reached safely on a fielder’s choice with one out. The left-hander’s pitching was not a significant issue, but he was clearly tiring and failed to locate in the seventh. Laynce Nix lashed an infield hit to the hot corner before Gordon Beckham lifted a full-count offering into the left field to score Rios and tie the game at 2-2. The tie was preserved only because of Nick Swisher’s excellent fielding and Jose Molina’s keen scoop at the backstop position.
Buehrle limited the damage with six innings of work for the South Side Sox. Damon tapped a third inning dinger off the All-Star lefty, bringing his 2009 total to 23. The torch leaves Damon one homerun shy of his 2006 career high. The Chicago bullpen has been struggling and was unable to bar the battling Bomber bats from busting the game open. The unreliable relievers are frustrating outspoken manager, Ozzie Guillen. Matt Thornton pitched two innings in relief of Buehrle, but it was mix and match after his exit. Scott Linebrink was replaced by Williams after one scoreless frame. Williams began by setting down the power duo of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees didn’t need to plant base hits because Williams walked the next two sluggers on eight pitches to set the stage for the second baseman. Cano knows all about his struggles with runners in scoring position and wasted no time in chipping away at Williams. He staunchly smothered a 2-2 pitch in the extra innings to give Brian Bruney his fourth win of the year. Bruney pitched a perfect tenth, Phil Hughes struck out the side in the eighth, and Mariano Rivera retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.
Jeter and Cano are the two Yankee regulars hitting above .300. The pinstriped pair strike a unique balance in the Yankee lineup. Cano is hitting .313 and has already surpassed his career high in homeruns. The left-handed hitter drew blanks in his first four at-bats Friday night, but hammered the ball when it mattered most in his fifth try at the dish. Cano did leave four runners on base. The three runs he drove in were the difference in the exciting extra inning. His first career walk-off helped erase Cano’s missed opportunities earlier in the contest. The second baseman’s detrimental plate appearances were quickly forgotten with a satisfying summer sendoff.

Parting points: Speaking of summer sendoffs, here’s a nostalgic summer tune: “Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx