Salvaging a Game
It was beginning to seem like the Yankees didn’t work weekends. After dropping two straight games to Texas, the Yankees had compiled a 2-7 record on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Desperately needing to salvage a win, the Yankees turned to their imported ace, Randy Johnson, and he delivered. Johnson pitched the way the Yankees envisioned he would when they acquired him, giving up three hits and one run in the Yankees’ 11-1 triumph. With Jaret Wright on the disabled list and Kevin Brown ineffective at best, the Yankees will need more efforts like this from Johnson, Mussina and Pavano.
Rookie, Andy Phillips, was the offensive star of the game, going 2-4 with a home run while driving in four runs. Phillips, who had spent time on the bench earlier this season, was recalled from Columbus Friday to replace Ruben Sierra who will be out four to six weeks. With Tino Martinez and Jason Giambi struggling, perhaps Phillips will get more playing time over the next month. He certainly earned another look based on his performance Sunday.
The victory brought the Yankees’ record to 8-11, exactly where it stood last year after nineteen games. That team promptly reeled off eight straight victories on their way to winning thirty games out of forty, putting questions of their age and desire behind them. It will be interesting to see if this team has a similar streak within them.
Photo by AP/Kathy Willens via ESPN
