Posada Comes Up Big, New York Yankees Come Back to Down Los Angeles Angels

Being down 9-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning of Friday’s game was no problem for the New York Yankees, as they mounted an incredible comeback to beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by a score of 10-9.

Yankee catcher Jorge Posada had a huge night, smacking the game-winning single to score Mark Teixeira and Angel Berroa, along with clubbing a two-run homer in the first inning of the game.

“There’s a lot of life in this club,” Posada stated after the game.

“We’re doing a lot of things well, and it’s big. We’re having great at-bats, no panic, and we knew we had a chance.”

In addition to Posada’s two-run homer in the first inning, the Yankees received RBI support from Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano, who extended his hitting streak to a whopping 19 games.  

Mounting the comeback in the eighth, Melky Cabrera singled to score Cano, Ramiro Pena singled to score Posada and Brett Gardner, and Derek Jeter grounded out to score Cabrera, putting the Yanks within one run of the Halos before winning the game in the ninth.

“It was amazing,” said Yankee manager Joe Girardi after the game.

“It starts with one out in the eighth, Robbie (Cano) gets a double, the guys kept pecking away and pecking away, and all the sudden we’re only down 9-8. It’s a great win, because we had a lead, we squandered that lead, but we won. Robbie just got us going. It’s just great to see.”

The Angels broke out the wood in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, scoring six runs in the sixth and adding three more in the seventh.

In the top of the sixth, Angels’ catcher Jeff Mathis singled to score Torii Hunter and Mike Napoli, and Gary Matthews, Jr. knocked a bases clearing triple to score Mathis, Erick Aybar, and Chone Figgins.

Later in the frame, a wild pitch from Yankee reliever Mark Melancon enabled Matthews, Jr. to score from third, putting the Halos ahead by three.

In the top of the seventh, Maicer Izturis singled to score Napoli, Mathis laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Howie Kendrick, and Matthews, Jr. hit a sac fly to score Izturis, completing the Angels’ offense for the night.

A minor concern for the Yankees, Nick Swisher was hit with a pitch above the right elbow in the top of the first, and was forced to leave the game.  

“It was right on the elbow, and it didn’t hit me that bad,” Swisher remarked after the game.

The x-rays were negative, and hopefully I’ll be able to play tomorrow. I feel good enough to.”

Andy Pettitte took the ball for the Yankees tonight. He went 5.2 innings, gave up five earned runs on nine hits, walked four, and struck out two.

“I hated to give up that lead, but it was an impressive game to see them tack on those runs at the end,” Pettitte said to the media after the game.

“Our guys have been battling. Anytime we come back it’s a good thing. I was struggling with my command, and I hated that I gave up the lead in the sixth. I just ran out of gas, and used up too much energy early.”

Jered Weaver started for the Angels. He lasted six innings, gave up four earned runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out two.

Jonathan Albaladejo, who tossed a scoreless top of the ninth for the Yanks, picks up the win and goes to 2-1.

Brian Fuentes, who gave up the game-winning hit to Posada, takes the loss and falls to 0-2 on the year.

Melancon also gets his first blown save for not holding the Yankee lead.

With the win tonight, the Yankees stretch their winning streak to four games.

Tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m. the Bronx Bombers and Halos will play game three of the four-game weekend set.

CC Sabathia of the Yankees (1-2, 4.73 ERA) will face Matt Palmer of the Angels (1-0, 6.00 ERA)