Yankees’ Streak Ends at 8 With Loss to A’s

Winning streaks that start in July always come to an end in baseball, but if there were ever a day when a streak looked ready to be extended by a game, this was it. The surging Yankees were playing the overmatched Athletics, who not only have a weak lineup, but sent a shaky and inexperienced pitcher to the mound to start the game. But somehow Gio Gonzalez, coming off one of the worst performances of his young career Saturday, pitched the best game of his life and the A’s lineup pounded out a half-dozen runs to beat the Yankees, 6-4, and halt their winning streak at eight games.
Gonzalez allowed only one run on two hits in six and two-thirds innings, the longest he has ever lasted in a game, and struck out six to even his record at 2-2.
The Yankees scored three times in the eighth inning on home runs by Derek Jeter (a two-run shot) and Mark Teixeira off reliever Michael Wuertz, and threatened against the rookie closer Andrew Bailey, who walked the first two batters. But Bailey eventually got out of it to record his 11th save.
Gonzalez came into the game with a dubious record. His earned run average was a bloated 9.33, and in his previous five appearances since being recalled from Class AAA Sacramento it was 10.31.
Much of the damage was done in his previous start against the Twins when
he became only the second pitcher since 1900 to give up 11 runs in less than three innings (two and two-thirds) and not take the loss. The Athletics rallied and won the game, 14-13.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other time a pitcher escaped from a hook that deep was last year when the Rangers Scott Feldman gave up a dozen runs to the Red Sox and did not lose.
The amazing thing about Gonzalez’s previous outing against Minnesota was that all 11 runs came on four home runs with two outs, including a grand slam and a three-run homer by Justin Morneau.
But whatever was not working for him in that game was humming and snapping this time. Gonzalez, who throws a fairly straight fastball at between 90 and 92 miles per hour, was locating that pitch to great effect. But most impressive was the command of his curveball, which he consistently threw for strikes, especially so-called backdoor curves against right-handed hitters.
In the fourth, he struck out Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, with whom he works out over the winter in Miama, and then got Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano to make outs to open the fifth as the Yankees still did not have a hit.
But with two outs, Melky Cabrera surprised Gonzalez and the A’s with a pretty bunt down the third-base line. As Gonzalez went to field the ball, he twisted his left ankle and Cabrera was safe. Gonzaalez escaped more trouble when Jack Cust made a diving catch of Cody Ransom’s bloop to shallow right to end the inning.
But the Yankees finally broke the scoring deadlock in the sixth when Derek Jeter drew a one-out walk and then scored Gardner laced a high fastball — Gonzalez’s first bad mistake pitch — into the gap in right center for an run-scoring triple and a 1-0 lead.
Yankees starter Andy Pettitte pitched better than his line indicated as he was charged with four runs on five hits. But when Pettitte walked off the mound the score was tied, 1-1. Unfortunately for him, he left the bases loaded and the Athletics went to work on reliever Alfredo Aceves, who allowed three straight run-scoring hits before being relieved by David Robertson.
Petttitte allowed only one single through four innings, and just three after six — including a bunt and a ground ball single. But in the seventh he gave up a leadoff double to Scott Hairston, walked Nomar Garciaparra and then gave up a one-out single to Rajai Davis. Bobby Crosby reached on a bunt to load the bases, and that was it for Pettitte.
Aceves allowed all those runners to score, plus two more, in only a third of an inning.
The Yankees were playing the game with a modified lineup as Manager Joe Girardi felt some of his veteran players needed some rest. With the day game following the night game Friday — which followed a game that went past 12:30 on Thursday night due to a rain delay — Girardi gave Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter some form of rest. Damon and Posada did not start. Jeter started as the designated hitter and then shifted to shortstop in the eighth. Ransom started at shortstop and Jose Molina was the catcher.