3-2 Changeup
07-15-2006, 08:55 AM
To offer all three players?????
Melky earns Yankees' keep
Delivers as Bombers bop champs
BY SAM BORDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
A little over a week ago, the Pirates approached the Yankees with a deal that would have sent Melky Cabrera and a prospect to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jeromy Burnitz, Craig Wilson and Salomon Torres, according to sources.
The Yankees flatly rejected the proposal, mostly because they believe in Cabrera. Last night, the rookie outfielder showed why.
Cabrera's single up the middle in the eighth inning broke a 3-all tie and sent the Bombers on their way to a 6-5 victory over the White Sox at the Stadium. The win cut the Yanks' deficit to just 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and also dealt Chicago ace Jose Contreras his first loss since last Aug. 15, snapping a streak of 17 straight decisions without a defeat for the former Yankee righthander.
"Melky's been a blessing for us," Johnny Damon said. "Whatever he can contribute is going to be huge and tonight was a big night for him."
With a little over two weeks until the trading deadline, help may be on the way for the Yanks' injury-riddled lineup, and outfield assistance is one of the areas of concern. But Cabrera, who has become the everyday left fielder in place of Hideki Matsui, figures only to be dealt in a blockbuster. Although the 21-year-old's defense is erratic at times - his throw home on a shallow sac fly in the seventh last night was way off line, allowing the tying run to score - the Bombers like his confidence.
That quality was on display in the eighth. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Andy Phillips whiffed for the first out of the inning and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called for lefty reliever Neal Cotts, turning the switch-hitting Cabrera around to the right side.
Despite having gone hitless in his first three at-bats, he fouled off the first pitch and then sent the second over a drawn-in infield and into center to score Alex Rodriguez with the go-ahead run.
"I stayed positive," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "What happened in the fourth (when he popped out with the bases loaded) has nothing to do with what happens in the bottom of the eighth. I wanted just to do the job. That's all."
Miguel Cairo's sac fly and Johnny Damon's RBI double gave Mariano Rivera some cushion in the ninth and Rivera needed every bit of it, as he gave up two runs on three hits. He then waged a nine-pitch battle with pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski, finally getting Pierzynski to fly out to right with the tying run on third to earn his 20th save and give the Yanks their fifth win in six games.
"It was a great at-bat," Rivera said, "but I wasn't giving in. If you're going to beat me, you're going to have to hit my best pitch."
Randy Johnson did not figure in the decision, but delivered a solid seven innings - and gave the Yanks a bit of a scare, too.
Pitching with a one-run lead following Aaron Guiel's first homer as a Yankee in the sixth, Johnson allowed Paul Konerko to reach third in the seventh on a single, wild pitch and groundout. That brought up Joe Crede - whose two-run homer in the second had given the Sox an early lead - and an errant slider from Johnson dove right into Crede's leg.
As the Sox third baseman hobbled to first, Johnson grabbed at his side, as though he was trying to stretch it out. That brought Joe Torre, pitching coach Ron Guidry and trainer Gene Monahan running to the mound, but Johnson sent them back after a brief conference.
He then gave up a game-tying sac fly to Juan Uribe before finishing the inning. He did not come out for the eighth, but Torre said that was because his pitch count was high (93) and the Yanks had their bullpen ready.
"It was on the right (non-throwing) side," Torre said of Johnson's discomfort. "It doesn't seem like it's a big deal or anything to worry about. It's not an issue."
Johnson agreed, saying: "I was stretching the whole game. It comes with the age."
The Unit, of course, is 42. Cabrera is half that. With the second half now officially underway and the Red Sox in sight, it is increasingly clear that the Yanks will need help from players young and old if they are to get where they want to go.
Melky earns Yankees' keep
Delivers as Bombers bop champs
BY SAM BORDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
A little over a week ago, the Pirates approached the Yankees with a deal that would have sent Melky Cabrera and a prospect to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jeromy Burnitz, Craig Wilson and Salomon Torres, according to sources.
The Yankees flatly rejected the proposal, mostly because they believe in Cabrera. Last night, the rookie outfielder showed why.
Cabrera's single up the middle in the eighth inning broke a 3-all tie and sent the Bombers on their way to a 6-5 victory over the White Sox at the Stadium. The win cut the Yanks' deficit to just 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and also dealt Chicago ace Jose Contreras his first loss since last Aug. 15, snapping a streak of 17 straight decisions without a defeat for the former Yankee righthander.
"Melky's been a blessing for us," Johnny Damon said. "Whatever he can contribute is going to be huge and tonight was a big night for him."
With a little over two weeks until the trading deadline, help may be on the way for the Yanks' injury-riddled lineup, and outfield assistance is one of the areas of concern. But Cabrera, who has become the everyday left fielder in place of Hideki Matsui, figures only to be dealt in a blockbuster. Although the 21-year-old's defense is erratic at times - his throw home on a shallow sac fly in the seventh last night was way off line, allowing the tying run to score - the Bombers like his confidence.
That quality was on display in the eighth. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Andy Phillips whiffed for the first out of the inning and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called for lefty reliever Neal Cotts, turning the switch-hitting Cabrera around to the right side.
Despite having gone hitless in his first three at-bats, he fouled off the first pitch and then sent the second over a drawn-in infield and into center to score Alex Rodriguez with the go-ahead run.
"I stayed positive," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "What happened in the fourth (when he popped out with the bases loaded) has nothing to do with what happens in the bottom of the eighth. I wanted just to do the job. That's all."
Miguel Cairo's sac fly and Johnny Damon's RBI double gave Mariano Rivera some cushion in the ninth and Rivera needed every bit of it, as he gave up two runs on three hits. He then waged a nine-pitch battle with pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski, finally getting Pierzynski to fly out to right with the tying run on third to earn his 20th save and give the Yanks their fifth win in six games.
"It was a great at-bat," Rivera said, "but I wasn't giving in. If you're going to beat me, you're going to have to hit my best pitch."
Randy Johnson did not figure in the decision, but delivered a solid seven innings - and gave the Yanks a bit of a scare, too.
Pitching with a one-run lead following Aaron Guiel's first homer as a Yankee in the sixth, Johnson allowed Paul Konerko to reach third in the seventh on a single, wild pitch and groundout. That brought up Joe Crede - whose two-run homer in the second had given the Sox an early lead - and an errant slider from Johnson dove right into Crede's leg.
As the Sox third baseman hobbled to first, Johnson grabbed at his side, as though he was trying to stretch it out. That brought Joe Torre, pitching coach Ron Guidry and trainer Gene Monahan running to the mound, but Johnson sent them back after a brief conference.
He then gave up a game-tying sac fly to Juan Uribe before finishing the inning. He did not come out for the eighth, but Torre said that was because his pitch count was high (93) and the Yanks had their bullpen ready.
"It was on the right (non-throwing) side," Torre said of Johnson's discomfort. "It doesn't seem like it's a big deal or anything to worry about. It's not an issue."
Johnson agreed, saying: "I was stretching the whole game. It comes with the age."
The Unit, of course, is 42. Cabrera is half that. With the second half now officially underway and the Red Sox in sight, it is increasingly clear that the Yanks will need help from players young and old if they are to get where they want to go.