LatinoSports BB: Two Balks Don’t Make It Right but CC Sabathia had his Night

El Bronx –C.C. Sabathia started the night looking for his first victory of the season.  After giving up 3 runs through the first 3 innings on four hits, it could have been in doubt if he would get it with his shaky start.

The Twins Josh Willingham, named the American League Player of the Week (Period ending April 15^th ) and who had hit safely in each of the Twins first 10 games (now 11), got the Twins on board on the top of the second inning with his 5^th home run of the season (had been tied for first in HRs). Missing from the Twins lineup was Justin Morneau – batting .452 in 11 career regular season games in New York.

The Yankees tied the game on a walk to Curtis Granderson who advanced to second base on a balk* by Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano; later reached third on a bunt single by Eduardo Nuñez and scored on a RBI double down the left field line by Brett Gardner.

The Twins who usually leave New York with a feeling of rejection if not outright dejection (The Yanks have a home 175-110 win-lost advantage and an overall 334-245 record against them) regained the lead with two runs the following inning; had their center fielder Denard Span and skipper Ron Gardenhire ejected from the game on the top of the 3^rd.

Span on what appeared to be an argument on balls and strikes with the plate umpire Greg Gibson, and the skipper for standing up for his player. He would later say: “He (Span) got ejected, and then I said my piece. I got dejected and then ejected.”

On that bottom of the inning Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia balked** second baseman Alexi Castilla who singled after one out. Clete Thomas, in for the ejected Span doubled in a run and would later score on an RBI single by short stop Jamey Carroll. So, in consecutive innings each pitcher had a balk; this would not necessarily be a sign of what was to come, but in case someone is into premonitions, why not…

But the Yankees answered back with 4 runs in the bottom of that frame; this got Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano out of the game: would be 0-2 and would be winless in his career at Yankee Stadium. Skipper Gardenhire would say after the game: “It was a battle. It’s a battle for him right now. He’s not able to execute well enough.”

Then the Yankees added a run in the, 4^th, 5^th and 7^th innings. A highlight of the scoring was Yankees second-string catcher Chris Stewart driving in two runs with single to left. Later he would add another RBI in the bottom of the 7^th after a Brett Gardner steal of second base. Steward wound up with 3 RBI (a career high).

The second highlight came in the 4^th on Andrew Jones’ homerun, his second of the season. Jones was batting fifth in place of not-in-the-lineup first baseman Mark Teixeira, scratched from the lineup due to flu-like symptoms.

C.C. Sabathia would not allow another hit from the 4^th through the 6^th and faced one batter in the 7^th; he got that one out before David Robertson replaced him on the mound. CC. would strike out 7 and allowed only one base on balls. 

David Robertson is part of a bullpen that is second in the American League with a 2.36 ERA behind Texas and fifth best in the Majors before tonight’s game.

On another note: Derek Jeter who needed 7 RBI to tie Bill Dickey (1,210) got two tonight.

So with all the mini-highlights – not leaving out Brett Garner’s sparking catch earlier in the game, and not to be mentioned, a fan running  on the field in what would be “on the field delay,” – would be an 8-3 Yankees win with the Yankees Ace gaining his first win of the year.

* (baseball 101: a balk is a technicality on the pitcher’s movement: stepping towards the plate and throwing to first. It awards a runner (s) to advance to the next base.

Written for Latino Sports.