Improbable things that happened in this game: Derek Jeter home run, Stephen Drew RBI, Chase Headley walk-off
The Yankees started their final series of the season against the Blue Jays with yet another great outing by Shane Greene. After a mistake by Shawn Kelley, it looked like the game might be headed for extra innings, but Chase Headley was able to knock the ball through Adam Lind's legs for the walk-off victory.
Neither team was able to get anything going until the 5th inning. In the Yankees case, this was somewhat due to Kevin Pillar making some nice diving plays, which robbed both Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter of a base hit. Finally, Headley was able to work a walk, and Stephen Drew (!) doubled on a line drive to right field. The Blue Jays ended up throwing the relay away which allowed Headley to score. In the following inning, just when Yankee fans started to wonder if we might have seen Jeter's last home run, R.A. Dickey decided to gift him with a fastball down the middle. That was the first home run that Jeter has hit in Yankee Stadium this year, and only his fourth of the season.
Shane Greene had an excellent outing and continued to build on the case that he should be in the rotation next season. He notched six strikeouts through 6.2 innings, while only allowing three hits and two walks. After allowing a walk and a single in the seventh, Joe Girardi opted to have Dellin Betances get the final out of the inning. It wasn't until Shawn Kelley came in in the eighth that the Blue Jays were able to get their only runs of the game. With two outs and Jose Reyes on base, Francisco Cervelli called for the pitch to Jose Bautista to be up high. Unfortunately, Kelley left it hanging and Bautista tied the game with a home run to left.
The game seemed all but destined to go to extra innings after David Robertson pitched a clean ninth inning. The Blue Jays sent Aaron Sanchez to the mound, and Chris Young led off with a line drive to center. With Brett Gardner at the plate, speedy Antoan Richardson came in to pinch run for Young. For some reason Gardner was bunting and bunting and bunting. Finally, Richardson stole second, and Gardner laid down a sac bunt to get Richardson over to third. Next up was Headley, who hit the ball between Adam Lind's legs, giving the Yankees the win on an unearned run.
The Yankees will try for three wins in a row tomorrow, as Hiroki Kuroda and Mark Buehrle are set to face off at 7:05 pm EST.