Live Blog: Yankees outburst in 8th seals 12-6 win over Royals

By Hunter AtkinsJuly 25, 2010

FINAL SCORE: Yankees 12, Royals 6

WP: Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04)

LP: Sean O'Sullivan (1-1, 4.00)

Top 9th: Chan Ho Park relieved Joba Chamberlain and finished the game, though it wasn'. Park gave up a lead-off single to Ankiel and walked Aviles, but he got Gordon to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Ankiel advanced to third. Ankiel scored on catcher's interference. Brayan Pena pinch-hit and lined a sharp grounder that clipped Teixeira's glove and spun into the outfield. Park then walked Getz (the No. 9 hitter) to put runners on first and second. After a long at-bat by Podsednik, Park finally ended the game getting the fly out.

SCORE: Yankees 12, Royals 6

Bottom 8th: The Yankees had a five-run outburst this inning. Blake Wood relieved Kanekoa Texeira. The Royals have shuffled their lineup frequently this season because of injuries, call-ups and a recent trade. Their fielding this inning showed the detriment of an inconsistent infield. Aviles sat out yesterday and made a wide throw last inning on a grounder to second. Getz moved from second yesterday to third today and pulled the first baseman off the bag on what should have been an easy and important first out of the inning on a Gardner ground out. Granderson walked, stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw. The throwing error by Getz left runners on first and third. Pena grounded to second and Jeter was intentionally walked to load the bases. Swisher roped a single to right that let Gardner and Granderson trot home to put the Yankees up four. Colin Curtis came in to pinch-run for Swisher. Teixeira singled to right to load the bases. We weren't sure we'd get to see A-Rod again, but here we are in the bottom of the eight with the bases juiced. Wood worked A-Rod inside, brushing him back on the second pitch and hitting him on the forearm with a fourth pitch up-and-in, which drove in Jeter. Juan Miranda came in to pinch-run for A-Rod who was helped off the field by Girardi and the trainer. Cano continued the outburst, hooking one over the rightfielder's head for a ground-rule double that drove home Curtis and Teixeira to put the Bombers up 12-5. The bludgeoning ended after Posada struck out and Granderson flied out to left. Podsednik made the last out by leaping into foul territory to bing in the Granderson fly.

SCORE: Yankees 12, Royals 5

Top 8th: Joba Chamberlain relieved Logan. Chamberlin followed Logan's scoreless performance with an unimpressive outing. After walking Getz to lead off the inning, Chamberlin served up a two-run homer to the not-so-powerful Podsednik. His homer to right was his second dinger of the day, unusual for a guy known as a singles hitter. Chamberlin then induced a ground out by Kendall, struck out Betemit on a slider and got Guillen to fly out to right on one pitch. No one is warming in the Yankees bullpen. It looks like Girardi might test Joba and leave him in with a two-run lead.

SCORE: Yankees 7, Royals 5

Bottom 7th: It looks like A-Rod will not be hitting No. 600 on this home-stand. However Rodriguez did drive in another run on a one-out single off the second baseman's glove that allowed Jeter to score. Kanekoa Texeira relieved Hughes. Jeter starting the inning off by lacing a ground ball-single up the middle. Swisher grounded into a force out at second, but beat out an offline throw to avoid a double play. Teixeira walked. A-Rod hit one hard to second and it took a wicked hop that clipped the second baseman's glove and skidded into center, driving home Jeter and leaving runners at first and second. Ankiel made another slick play, laying out on a Posada fly ball that was losing speed and diving downward to get the final out and strand two.

SCORE: Yankees 7, Royals 3

Top 7th: Pena took a sharp grounder off the chest and fired a laser to first to begin another stellar inning of work by Logan. Logan proceeded to strike out Aviles on a slider and induced a ground out to third from Betancourt.

SCORE: Yankees 6, Royals 3

Bottom 6th: Dusty Hughes relieved O'Sullivan. Hughes surrendered a lead-off single to right by Cano. Though Hughes retired Posada and Granderson on pop-ups, Gardner slashed a double to left that bounced off the wall in foul territory and ricocheted away from the leftfielder and, giving Cano the time needed to beat out the throw home. Pena hit what looked like it would be a double over the centerfielder's head, but Ankiel ran it down and made an over the shouler catch with his back to the infield. A nice play.

SCORE: Yankees 6, Royals 3

Top 6th: Dried off and ready to get back to work after a two and-a-half-hour rain delay, the Yankees went back to protecting the lead. Boone Logan relieved Hughes with one out and put the Royals down. Guillen fouled out to first and Ankiel grounded out to first. Four pitches into Betemit's at-bat the sky opened and fans quickly raced up the stands in search of refuge. Hughes struck out Betemit on a called-third strike, but play was suspended before he could face Guillen. Boone Logan had begun warming up before the rain delay.

SCORE: Yankees 5, Royals 3

Bottom 5th: The crowd was pressing more during A-Rod's third at-bat today than during his previous trips to the plate. As Rodriguez has approached the plate the crowd gave its loudest cheer and, after a long at-bat that was interrupted by an injury delay, its loudest groan when he grounded out to short. Jeter led off with a single to right, Swisher flied out and Teixeira fouled out, before A-Rod's inning-ending ground out.

SCORE: Yankees 5, Royals 3

Top 5th: Hughes has his second 1-2-3 inning, getting a ground out and two fly outs.

Fast Fact: At the inning's end, Hughes now has a 6.32 ERA in his last 41 and 1/3 innings pitched.

SCORE: Yankees 5, Royals 3

Bottom 4th: Granderson has been a letdown offensively this year, but today might be the start of something good. After Posada flied out to deep center, Granderson hit his second homer of the day - making it his fifth career multi homer game - to put the Yankees up two. Prior to today his last multi-homer game was July 29, 2009 at Texas. Gardner grounded out to short and Pena spun around, striking out swinging over a deadly changeup.

SCORE: Yankees 5, Royals 3

Top 4th: Another Royal caught up to Hughes' fastball this inning: Ankiel, and he did so in a big way. Ankiel geared up and tattooed a middle-high 92 mph fastball into the second deck in right for his fourth of the year and to shrink the Yankees lead to one. Aviles flied out to center, Gordon singled to shallow left and Betancourt flied out to right to end the inning. With Dejesus out this is Ankiel's time to shine in center and prove he can still swing it at the major league level.

SCORE: Yankees 4, Royals 3

Bottom 3rd: And the Yankees are back on top! Granderson led off the inning with his eighth dinger of the year, his first since June 23rd. Gardner flew out to shallow left, but Pena sent a double buzzing to left and Jeter drove him home with a triple, advancing to third on the throw home. Kendall attempted to pull a fast one on Pena. As Jeter's liner reached the wall in left and the ball came in on the relay, Kendall stood upright on home plate, with his arms to his sides, as if there was not going to be a play at home. As the relay came home, Kendall was primed for the tag, but Pena slid hard and snuck his hand between Kendall's legs and was in safely. Pena did not bite in part because Swisher got down on his knees behind home plate and throw his arms down emphatically, motioning for Pena to slide. Swisher struck out swinging , but the Yankees were not finished. Teixeira drove home Jeter on a soft single the died on its way to third for the third run of the inning. Teixeira has now reached base in 41 consecutive games. While it wasn't a home run, A-Rod came through, lacing a double down the leftfield line and driving in Tex. It looked as if Tex wold be held at third, but the left-fielder fumbled the ball and Tex cruised in to score without a throw. Cano grounded out to second to end the inning.

SCORE: Yankees 4, Royals 2

Top 3rd: For the second time in his last two startrs, Hughes given up the first run of a game. After a ground out by Betancourt, Getz reached first after drilling Hughes with a comebacker that ricocheted off Hughes' backside and dribbled in front of Teixeira. Getz then stole second on a close play (replays showed he was out). Podsednik reached out and hit a laser off the leftfield foul pole for his fourth homer of the year to put the Royals up two. Hughes then induced fly outs to center from Kendall and Betemit. Hughes' velocity is down, leveling out around 92 mph. Podsednik caught up to the high heat--his dart off the pole showed how much of a difference a few miles per hour can mean.

SCORE: Yankees 0, Royals 2

Bottom 2nd: And the groans continue: A-Rod grounded out to short on the first pitch from O'Sullivan. Cano followed with a fly out and Posada struck out looking at a high-and-in changeup. O'Sullivan missed with the changeup, but his off-speed pitches are still getting the job done.

SCORE: Yankees 0, Royals 0

Top 2nd: Cano took care of everything this inning. After a leadoff single by Ankiel, New York native Aviles grounded to Cano, who turned the double play himself, stepping on the bag and taking his time throwing a bullet to first.

SCORE: Yankees 0, Royals 0

Bottom 1st: No A-bombs as the Yankees go down in order. Jeter flew out to center, Swisher pulled a grounder to first and Teixeira flew out to the warning track in center. O'Sullivan only threw two changes this inning, but both induced fly outs. His changeup was the key in shutting down the Yankees after the first inning of Tuesday's game. We'll see if his success continues or if the Yankees adjust.

SCORE: Yankees 0, Royals 0

Top 1st: Podsednik had three hits yesterday and with a lead off single to center today extended his hit streak to 12 games. Hughes avoided further damage, however, striking out Kendall on outside heater and getting fly outs to left from Betemit and to right from Guillen. Hughes is looking to bounce back from a bad outing against the Angels on Tuesday when he lost in a showdown with today's starter O'Sullivan, who was traded to the Royals this week. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last pitcher to start games against the Yankees for two different teams within a sex-day span was George Brunet in 1969 for the Angels (7/27) and Brewers (8/2).

SCORE: Yankees 0, Royals 0

Injury Note: Swisher is in today's lineup after being out yesterday with a sore Achilles tendon and Gardner is back after being out with acid reflux.

Yankees lineup: