Murphy beats Mariano, Yankees in 10th
Texas Rangers’ David Murphy hit a 10th inning single off Mariano Rivera, giving the great Yankee stopper his first ever loss in Arlington, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
The Texas Rangers made it clear before the trade deadline that they are going for it all this year. Even though their pitching was already strong, they traded for Cliff Lee, who has a track record of excelling in the post season.
So, each game Texas plays against a potential playoff opponent is that much more meaningful for the team. Tuesday night’s game against the Yankees will go down as a statement game.
Murphy, who had two walk-off home runs for Texas over the last week, hit another one earlier in the game before his game-winning single off Rivera (3-2) in the first extra inning. He was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base.
“Sweet stroke, that’s what we call him,” Rangers starter C.J. Wilson said.
“I’ve been taking the single approach up there and looking out over the plate and reacting,” Murphy said. “It’s working right now and I’ll stick with it.”
Rivera has made 32 career appearances at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Previously he had a win-loss record of 2-0 with 17 saves. What’s more, the Yankees had won 29 consecutive games there when Rivera pitched in a game. His streak included appearances in three consecutive playoff series that New York won in the late nineties that ended Texas’ only postseason appearances. He was like a personal talisman, a boogie-man that made Texas run for cover.
That’s the significance of this statement win for Texas as they approach the final stretch of the 2010 season. Because there’s no doubt at this stage that these two teams are on a collision course. The Yankees have the best record in baseball and Texas has the largest division lead of any team in the Major Leagues – eight and half games ahead of the Angels.
Murphy’s two-run homer in the sixth put the Rangers ahead 3-2.
Alex Rodriguez led off the eighth with his 18th homer this season, his 97th homer at Rangers Ballpark (where he spent several years before joining the Yankees), and his 601st career homer.
AJ Burnett pitched seven innings for the Yankees, giving up just three runs, all earned, but he has been up and down all year, similar to most of his non-contract years. That’s got to be another concern for the Yankees as they approach the post season.
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