Yankees vs. Athletics Live Blog: Instant Analysis and Debate
July 8, 2015 · Daniel Ferrara · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The Yankees may have gotten two players back from the disabled list in Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Miller, but it was a familiar face who propelled them to a 5-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.
All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira had two solo home runs and two defensive gems and saved the day for the Bombers, who took an unconventional route to victory.
Both starting pitchers were underwhelming to say the least.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi showed he had little faith in CC Sabathia after pulling him after 5.1 innings, but he would eventually get his first win in over a month. The victory pushed his record to 4-8 in what has been a frustrating 2015 campaign for the big lefty.
On the other side, Oakland’s Scott Kazmir left the game after just three innings due to left triceps tightness. The severity of the injury was not immediately known, but if Kazmir were to miss any significant time, it could greatly impact his value on the trade market in the coming weeks. The Athletics are expected to move Kazmir, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Teixeira homers in the fourth and sixth innings ensured the Yankees would stay in front in the middle innings, but things got bumpy in the ninth. After a Stephen Drew home run put the Yankees up 5-2 in the top of the ninth, it looked as if the Yankees would cruise to victory.
A’s shortstop Marcus Semien had other ideas, however.
He deposited a two-run homer into the left field seats off of Yankees’ closer Andrew Miller in the bottom half of the frame to close the deficit to 5-4. A Gregorio Petit error put the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate, but Miller got Ben Zobrist to ground out to end the game.
Miller had to work hard in his first game back, but he eventually notched his 18th save in as many opportunities in pinstripes.
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