A hard childhood evolved into problems with alcohol, including a blackout at a party that ended up with Heathcott having a shotgun pulled on him and waking up in an emergency room with a deep gash that he doesn’t remember receiving. But given a chance against the Yankees, he took advantage.
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Right-hander Brandon Gomes pitched the ninth for his first career save, becoming the eighth Tampa Bay pitcher to earn a save this season. McCann followed by hammering a 1-and-0 pitch to right where Mahtook, the right fielder, made a leaping catch, his back crashing into the wall.
The decision paid off, as Heathcott sent a three-run home run the opposite way to left field, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead; the eventual final tally.
Shaffer is finishing his season with the Rays after hitting 26 homers, with a.267 average, while moving from Montgomery to Durham.
“Obviously it would have been nice”, he said. “The season didn’t start off the way I wanted it to”. The next fastball was mostly in the same spot, but a bit more over the plate, and it went for the homer. “I think if you just look at our dugout, the way they reacted, it was definitely our biggest hit of the season”, Sabathia said. “I didn’t mean to get overexcited, but instincts took over, we’re down by one….”
But you can understand why he did.
Bird gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead on a two-run homer in the fourth that came on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Jake Odorizzi allowed three runs and three hits in six innings. Detroit starter Kyle Lobstein struggled mightily and early, allowing six runs on seven innings in one and a third innings.
Monday night’s dramatic ending for the New York Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays sums up their season perfectly.
“It’s tough”, a tight-lipped Girardi said. Warren gave him four and left with the Yankees holding a 3-2 lead on the home runs by Rodriguez (solo shot, No. 32) and Bird (two-run shot, No. 6).
The Yankees will again try to get the best of Odorizzi (7-8, 3.21 ERA), who has a 5.68 ERA while losing all three starts against them in 2015. The homer turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 Rays lead.
A-Rod underwent an MRI on his left knee Tuesday in Tampa, and while the test revealed a bone bruise, he was in the lineup later that evening against the Rays. Arencibia then blooped one to right field. McCann could be seen muttering “That’s horseshit” after the play.
MEDICAL MATTERS: Cash said C Curt Casali (hamstring) and OF Desmond Jennings (knee) continue to progress but there are no set dates for their returns. Jaso tried to go to third, but Gardner alertly threw him out. “Big, signature Yankee moment”.
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With Adam Warren making his first start since June 25 and able to go four, maybe five innings, Joe Girardi knew the challenge ahead.
