Matsui on a Mantle-like tear for Yankees
Photo credit: Getty/Al Bello | NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: (L-R) Alex Rodriguez #13 and Mark Teixeira #25 of the New York Yankees walk back to the dugout after they scored on a 2-run double by Hideki Matsui #55 in the bottom of the first inning against the Texas Rangers on August 25, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo BY Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Coming off a monster series against the Yankees' AL East rival Red Sox in Boston this weekend, designated hitter Hideki Matsui continued his offensive tear last night with a two-run double that propelled the Yankees to a four-run first inning.
With one out and two runners on, Matsui hit a line drive to right to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Jorge Posada followed with a two-run shot to extend the margin to 4-0.
Matsui's first-inning hit was only the latest in a highly productive recent spurt. Matsui, who also had an RBI in the ninth, had two multi-home run games in the most recent series against Boston, and has had three multihomer games in his past seven. No Yankee has had as many multihomer games in such a span since Mickey Mantle in 1966.
"[He's had a] very good August and there's still some time left," manager Joe Girardi said before the game. "He's had some big hits for us, some home runs. He's been on kind of a home run tear for us lately."
In the first game of the Red Sox series Friday night, Matsui hit two three-run homers and had a career-high seven RBIs in a 20-11 rout. Then Sunday night, Matsui went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers to help the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 8-4.
Matsui's breakout weekend capped off a successful road trip in which he went 10-for-32 with six home runs, 15 RBIs and eight runs in seven starts as the DH.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Matsui's recent achievements, however, is that they come on the heels of a three-game span (Aug. 15-17) in which Matsui did not play because of his balky left knee. Matsui, who had arthroscopic surgery on his knee last September, has been forced to battle through issues with the knee throughout the season.
During his absence from the lineup amid the Yankees' 10-game road trip, Matsui had his knee drained for the second time this season.
Luckily for the Yankees, however, that has not apparently hurt his performance. "Fortunately for us, a couple days off to rest his knee didn't really affect his swing. He got right back into the mix of it," Girardi said. "He's had a very, very good August."
