The New York Yankees had numerous chances against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night, but it was Raul Ibanez who finally pulled them through. The Yankees won, 4-3, in 12 innings, and now have a magic number of one for clinching the American League East, with one game remaining.
Raul Ibanez, Yankees rally past Red Sox, win 4-3 in 12 innings
Raul Ibanez hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning to tie the game, and then won the game with a walk-off single in the 12th.
Al Bello - Getty Images
The Red Sox got on the board early, posting two runs in the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a single and Dustin Pedroia hit an opposite-field double to score him. Daniel Nava grounded out to advance Pedroia to third, and Cody Ross drove him in with a sacrifice fly.
The Yankees scratched out a run in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a pair of singles by Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez, with a little help from a throwing error by Pedro Ciriaco. The Yankees ended up pounding out 11 hits through the first eight innings, but were unable to capitalize beyond that lone run.
The Red Sox would add what proved to be a very important insurance run in the top of the ninth as James Loney led off the inning with a home run. Andrew Bailey came on for the ninth inning to get the save, but the Yankees were not yet finished.
Granderson led off with a single, and then Raul Ibanez came on to pinch-hit for Nunez. Ibanez ended up depositing Bailey's offering just over the right field wall, tying the game at 3. Bailey continued to struggle through the inning, loading the bases before sitting down in favor of Mark Melancon, who was able to put out the fire and send the game to extra innings.
The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the 12th. With two on and two out, Ibanez rapped an opposite-field single to score the winning run. It was the Yankees’ first win this season in a game during which they trailed after the eighth inning. They had lost 58 straight such games so far this season.
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