It was billed as a battle between Randy Johnson and the future Randy Johnson, but it appears the future will have to wait for now. Pittsburgh starter, Oliver Perez, was knocked around, giving up six runs in five innings while walking five batters. Randy Johnson was dominant going the distance while giving up only a run and striking out eleven in the 6-1 victory.
Hideki Matsui got the scoring started with a home run in the first inning. Perhaps Matsui’s ankle injury is a blessing in disguise as he has gone 5-11 with 2 HR’s since twisting his ankle on Sunday. The resurgent Jason Giambi added a RBI double and Robinson Cano contributed two hits.
While sweeping the Pirates is nice, Gothamist can’t help but wonder if the Yankees are the schoolyard bullies of baseball. They seem to feast on the weaker teams while running away from the stronger ones. The Cubs are up next on the schedule and while they have some injury problems, Gothamist will be more impressed by wins over them. Carl Pavano, Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina will face the Cubs who are making their first appearance at Yankee Stadium since 1938.
Photo by Kathy Willens/AP via Yankees.com
