New York Yankees Win Wild Game, Johnny Damon Has Career Day

In almost a four hour game, Damon hit a walk-off ground-rule double to score Wilson Betemit to beat the Kansas City Royals 12-11 on Saturday afternoon.

Damon has been swinging a hot bat lately, and continued his hot hitting today. Damon pounded out six hits, the most hits he has had in a single game in his career. He is now only the third player in Yankees' history to gather six hits in one game.

The ball was jumping off the bats of the Bombers and the Royals. In the first inning, Jose Guillen connected for a two-run homer off Yankees' starter Andy Pettitte.

The Yanks answered back in the bottom of the first with one run. The Royals added three runs in the third, making the score 5-1.

The Bombers came back to knot the game at five in the fourth, scoring four runs. In the fifth, Jason Giambi massacred a pitch into the upper deck in right field, giving the Yankees a 6-5 edge.

In the top of the seventh inning, Guillen once again stuck a pin in the Yankees' balloon. Guillen nailed a grand slam off Pettitte, his second round tripper of the day. This gave Kansas City a 10-6 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Alex Rodriguez answered back and put a two spot on the board for the Yankees, hitting a two-run homer and cutting the lead to 10-8.

In the bottom of the eighth, Damon heroically knocked in two runs, once again tying the game, this time at 10 runs apiece.

In the ninth, Yankee Manager Joe Girardi turned to his closer, Mariano Rivera. In un-Rivera like fashion, Mo gave up a solo home run to David DeJesus.

With the Royals leading 11-10 in the bottom of the ninth, Jorge Posada came up to bat and smacked a solo homer tying the game yet again.

With Melky Cabrera and Betemit both reaching base after Posada's blast, Damon swung his bat and took a pitch down the line in right field for a ground rule double, scoring Betemit from third and securing a Yankee win.

Rivera picked up the win today, and his record is now 2-1. Joakim Soria of KC took the loss, is now 0-1, and blew his first save this year. Ramon Ramirez of the Royals also picked up a blown save, his second this season, as he failed to hold the lead.

With the win today, the Yanks climb back to 31-31, .500 on the season. The Royals fall to 24-38. Tomorrow afternoon at 1:05, the Yankees will start Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.42 ERA). The Royals will go with Zack Greinke (5-3, 3.56 ERA)