Yankees ride home runs to top of AL East
New York Yankees' Nick Swisher, right, is greeted by Mark Teixeira after Swisher hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Credit: AP
Before last night, the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays had been tied for first place in the American League East for eight straight days. That's the longest two teams had been tied for the top spot in a division this late in a season in big-league history.
What does it mean? Very little, actually. Especially in the wild-card era, with both teams at this point looking solid for postseason berths.
Still, you'd rather be in first place alone. It's like getting a window seat on a plane - it just feels better than the middle or aisle, even though you arrive at the same place at the same time.
The Yankees are alone in first after clubbing the Athletics, 9-3, at Yankee Stadium last night while the Rays were losing at home to Toronto, 13-5.
"It doesn't really mean a whole lot," manager Joe Girardi said. "One game ahead with a whole bunch to play still. We're going to meet them a bunch of times. But obviously, you'd rather have the lead than the other way. But as far as a lot of significance right now? No."
The Yankees begin September with a one-game lead after having weathered a tough August. They finished the "dog days" month 16-13, with an above-.500 record achieved only by winning the final four games.
"I thought we battled through a tough month with some injuries, and extremely tough schedule physically, some guys we expected to get back we didn't get back," Girardi said. "I thought our guys played extremely hard and found a way to have a winning month. In our division, that's extremely important."
Last night's victory was built on the long ball. Nick Swisher (25th), Curtis Granderson (15th) and Mark Teixeira (30th) all hit home runs, with Teixeira's three-run shot in the fourth giving the Yankees a 9-2 lead.
Phil Hughes was the happy recipient of the offensive barrage. Hughes (16-6, 4.10 ERA) walked five batters for the second straight start, but got through five innings having allowed only two runs and four hits with one strikeout. He was gone after 98 pitches; just 52 of them were strikes.
The Yankees struck early against Vin Mazzaro (6-7, 4.05 ERA). The first three batters reached and the first run scored on a double-play grounder by Robinson Cano. The second scored on an error by second baseman Mark Ellis, who booted Swisher's grounder to his right.
Jorge Posada followed with a triple off the leftfield wall to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. It was Posada's first triple since April 26, 2008.
After the A's scored a run in the third, Swisher hit a two-run homer to right on a 3-and-0 pitch in the bottom half. Granderson's solo shot on a 3-and-1 pitch in the fourth gave the Yankees a 6-2 lead. (Teixeira's three-run homer later in the inning came on a 2-and-2 pitch, in case you're curious.)
Once again, the Yankees did all this without Alex Rodriguez, who went through his second day of on-field workouts during batting practice. The Yankees are hopeful he will be back from his strained calf muscle Sunday. They are 16-3 when he doesn't start, another stat that really doesn't mean much but is fun to bring up at parties.
