Yanks turn 9-0 deficit into 15-9 win over Bosox
Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees heads for home after he hit a three run homer in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox. (April 21, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
BOSTON -- Sure, you saw that coming.
The Yankees freely admitted they certainly didn't.
After five innings Saturday, they trailed the Red Sox by nine runs and Yankee fans were bemoaning another abysmal Freddy Garcia outing.
Two-plus hours later, the Yankees left Fenway Park with a 15-9 victory, producing an impressive top-to-bottom display of power and production that left 37,839 in stunned disbelief and their rival in shambles.
"Never,'' Alex Rodriguez said when asked if he'd experienced anything like it.
"It's still pretty shocking,'' said Mark Teixeira, who had plenty to do with the rally.
Said Joe Girardi: "When you're down 9-0 after five innings, I know we have a great offense, but you don't see a comeback at any level very often [like that].''
Beleaguered Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine simply said, "I think we've hit bottom.'' He likely will get little argument from Boston fans.
Where to start?
Back-to-back seven-run innings in the seventh and eighth that turned a 9-1 deficit into a 15-9 lead is as good a place as any. The Yankees (9-6) scored 15 runs in the span of 24 batters, picking up 13 of their 16 hits in that span.
It matched the largest deficit overcome for a win in franchise history, done five previous times, most recently May 16, 2006, against the Rangers (whose first baseman was Teixeira).
Nick Swisher and Teixeira had six RBIs each, with Swisher hitting a grand slam and a two-run double and Teixeira contributing a three-run homer, a solo homer and a two-run double. Russell Martin also had a two-run double.
"I thought it was a meaningless homer, really,'' Teixeira said of his sixth-inning shot off Red Sox starter Felix Doubront, which made it 9-1.
The Yankees have hit 12 home runs in the last three games and 13 in their last 27 innings.
After lefthander Doubront held the Yankees to a run, four hits and three walks in six innings, striking out seven, Valentine replaced him with Vicente Padilla to start the seventh, the kindling that helped sparked the comeback.
In the inning, one in which the Yankees sent 11 to the plate, Swisher hit a grand slam and Teixeira clobbered a three-run homer to make it 9-8.
Though the Red Sox (4-10) kept it there, the sense of unease in the ballpark was palpable, with Valentine hearing loud boos -- as he's heard much of the season at home -- with each subsequent pitching change.
"It's been an interesting feel the last two days,'' Teixeira said. "I don't really hear them boo their own team very much here. I've been playing here 10 years now and I don't know if I've ever heard them boo their own team. That was just the weird feeling I got today.''
The Yankees blew it open in the eighth, this time sending 12 to the plate. Swisher, Teixeira and Martin each had a two-run double in the inning as Swisher took over the American League lead with 20 RBIs.
The outburst somewhat obscured a very poor outing by Garcia, who lasted only 12/3 innings, his shortest outing since June 7 of last year, when he lasted that long against . . . the Red Sox.
But his struggles, and the first below-average outing in four appearances by rookie David Phelps (three runs), became mere sidenotes.
Swisher said he'd never been part of this kind of game. "I don't know what else to say . . . It was just big hits all night long for us. What a huge win for us. For us to come out, get smacked around for the first five innings, it was nice to put it in high gear and see what this lineup can do top to bottom.''
