Cano’s Clutch Clip Caps Comeback

All-star second baseman, Robinson Cano, belted a tie-breaking ninth inning homerun off All-Star closer, Rafael Soriano, to lift New York over the Rays 5-4 at Tropicana Field on Saturday. Cano’s 21st blast of 2010 gave the visiting Yankees their 34th come-from-behind victory of the season. The second baseman finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a solo shot. It was Cano’s 11th career homerun at Tropicana Field and was enough to snap the Rays’ seven-game winning streak. New York leads the AL East by two games over Tampa.
Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher added homeruns for New York as the Yankees defeated their division rivals behind starter, Javier Vazquez. The New York pitcher yielded four runs and eight hits through six plus innings. The Rays scored in the bottom of the first on Evan Longoria’s sacrifice fly and threatened to add to their one run lead after Carl Crawford stole his 38th base. Vazquez escaped the first without allowing another tally. The speedy left fielder for Tampa, Crawford, singled in a run in the third inning but not before the Yankees put up a run in the second. Curtis Granderson answered Longoria’s sacrifice fly with one of his own to tie the contest at 1-1. Tampa retook the lead in the third via Crawford’s RBI and increased their edge to 3-1 in the fifth on Jason Bartlett’s sacrifice fly.
Teixeira erased the 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning with a two run tater off Matt Garza. Garza, toeing the rubber for the first time since his no-hitter, lasted seven innings and allowed four hits on five runs. Garza struck out nine before handing the game over to his bullpen. Tampa’s Matt Joyce provided Garza with the lead again heading into the seventh frame. Joyce clubbed a solo homerun on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie. Swisher pulled a full count Garza offering to right field in the seventh to make it a tie ball game again. The Yankees’ Boone Logan and Dave Robertson teamed up for a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth. Tampa’s Joaquin Benoit matched the relief duo by tossing a hitless eighth frame to keep the game knotted at 4-4. Cano’s crush off Soriano put the visiting team up by a run and closer, Mariano Rivera made it stand for good in the ninth. Rivera earned his 22nd save of the season, making a winner out of Robertson.
Yankees’ trade-deadline acquisition, Lance Berkman, went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter in his New York debut. New York shipped pitcher, Mark Melancon and infielder, Jimmy Paredes to Houston for Berkman. The Bombers made two more trades in the hours leading up to last night’s deadline. Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood were added to the roster. Kearns and Wood, an outfielder and pitcher from Cleveland, respectively, were traded for players to be named later. Wood’s addition provides a solid veteran in the bullpen and also puts Joba Chamberlain’s role in question. Kearns and Berkman are backup position players who add depth to the bench. Berkman will likely be inserted at first base and DH. Kearns will see time off the bench as a pinch hitter and reserve outfield option for Joe Girardi’s Bombers.

Parting Points: Sunday song- “All My Life” by Foo Fighters

Movie of the day- Brian’s Song