Hi all, Andrew Fletcher from Scott Proctor's Arm here. Rebecca is enjoying herself at the Yankees game tonight, so I'll be updating you periodically throughout the night.
The Yankees begin a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins as part of an even longer 10-game homestand. Phil Hughes (1-2, 8.49 ERA) gets the start for New York tonight. Alex Rodriguez is also playing in his first game at the new Yankee Stadium.
Here is the Yankees' lineup:
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Kevin Cash C
Hughes threw to Cervelli when he got bombed in Baltimore last time out. Is that why Cash gets the nod tonight? I don't know, but that would be the case if I had to guess.
7:13 p.m.: Hughes allows a leadoff single to Denard Span but strikes out Matt Tolbert and gets Joe Mauer to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. He only threw 11 pitches.
7:25 p.m.: Justin Morneau golfs a pitch over the right-center field wall for a leadoff home run in the top of the second inning. 1-0 Twins.
7:35 p.m.: Hughes walks two batters but escapes further trouble. He wasn't helped when Teixeira couldn't scoop out a possible double play ball out of the dirt. Still 1-0 Twins, with Rodriguez leading off the bottom of the second.
8:06 p.m.: Damon strikes out on a questionable call with runners on first and second and no outs. He argued the call and got ejected, ending his extra-base hitting streak. Meanwhile, a walk to Teixeira loads the bases for Rodriguez.
8:10 p.m.: Fittingly, Rodriguez strikes out and gets booed.
8:12 p.m.: And Matsui can't beat out a slower grounder. Surprise, surprise; the Yankees left the bases loaded without scoring.
8:40 p.m.: The Twins scored on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and on a solo home run by Morneau in the fifth. 3-0 Twins. The offense has been nonexistent against Francisco Liriano and Hughes has been subpar. He has thrown 93 pitches through five innings, with only 50 of those going for strikes.
8:46 p.m.: Jeter lines a homer to right field. 3-1 Twins.
9:22 p.m.: And Joe Mauer homers off Phil Coke. 4-1 Twins. Here we go again.
9:38 p.m.: Gardner hits an inside-the-park home run and Teixeira hits a two-out double. There's some life in this crowd. 4-2 Twins.
9:49 p.m.: Swisher pops out with the bases loaded. Shucks.
10:32 p.m.: Gardner triples to right-center to lead off the ninth inning. He tripped over first base and still made it into third standing up. Teixeira follows with an RBI single. 4-3 Twins with Rodriguez up and no outs.
10:36 p.m.: Rodriguez walks for the fourth time tonight, despite two balls that were called strikes by home plate umpire Wally Bell. First and second, no outs.
10:42 p.m.: Matsui has a terrible at-bat (strikes out and doesn't advance the runners) and Swisher is robbed by Morneau at first. They are now walking Cano to load the bases with two outs with Cabrera on deck.
10:45 p.m.: Cabrera dunks in a single in between the left fielder and center fielder to win the game 5-4! Hooray!
