Yankees beat Twins in ALDS Game 2: Mark Teixeira walk off HR

The New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium in dramatic fashion, 4-3 in the 11th inning. This game rivaled the Tigers-Twins Game 163 classic in terms of excitement and momentum shifting. Here are some bullet points for one of the greatest games in Yankees history:

• A.J. Burnett and Nick Blackburn both made their postseason debuts, and both dueled for around 6 innings. A.J. was a little wild but held the Twins to 1 run over 6 innings, and that’s the bottom line.
• Alex Rodriguez looked VERY relaxed and focused when he got his RBI single. He didn’t try and do too much.
• Derek Jeter made a FANTASTIC play to tag out Carlos Gomez at 2nd to prevent the Twins from scoring at home.
• Joba Chamberlain was only allowed to pitch to 2 batters because he surrendered a hit to MVP Joe Mauer. That could not have helped Joba’s confidence; Phil Coke came in and got the K.
• Being tied 1-1 in the 8th is not a good situation to play either the Yankees or Twins. The Yanks are undefeated if tied in the 7th inning. However, the Twins are just as dangerous because they foul pitches off and get cheap bloop singles off the end of the bat. That’s what happened to Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera in the 8th inning as the Twins went up 3-1.
• At this point, my wife started to panic, but I knew the Yanks would rally. Sure enough A-Rod hit a mammoth 2-run HR off Joe Nathan in the bottom of the 9th. This was the spot that A-Rod needed to get the MEDIA’s postseason monkey off of his back, and he did it. All is forgiven. This is the ALL NEW, ALL-IMPROVED A-ROD.
• The game was sent into extra innings, and Alfredo Aceves pitched out of a jam in the 10th.
• It looked like the Yankees were poised to win it all in the 10th but Brett Gardner was doubled up on a Johnny Damon line-drive out. I didn’t blame Brett at all- that ball was hit too low and too hard- it looked like a hit.
• In the top of the 11th, it was my turn to give up on the Yanks; Joe Girardi decided to put in Damaso Marte to face two lefties instead of leaving Aceves in, who can pitch 3-4 innings. I don’t believe in exposing the weak underbelly of this Yankees team (the backend of the bullpen) until you have to. Marte promptly gave up two hits. (Replays showed that Joe Mauer’s foul ball would have been a double.) In comes Dave Robertson. He gives up a hit, and now the bases are loaded with ZERO OUTS.
• How do people get nicknames? In this case, after the game Nick Swisher called David Robertson “Houdini” because he converted 3 outs in a row! Talk about a surprise and an unsung hero now!
• That was the FINAL momentum swing of the game as Mark Teixeira lead off the 11th with a walk-of HR. A.J. creampied Teixeira…Yankees win. Theeeeeeee Yankeees winnnnnnnnnnnn!

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