Thanks in great part to Yankees starter Vidal Nuno, the short flight north from The House of Horrors will be a bit more tolerable tonight, as the Yankees salvaged a split in their 4-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays with a much-needed 5-1 win.
Dean Anna‘s gritty at-bat that resulted in a walk with the bases loaded pushed across the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th. Carlos Beltran followed with a 2-run single, then an Alfonso Soriano bloop to right knocked in the 5th and final run. Preston Claiborne, just called up from Scranton this morning, pitched the 11th and 12th for the win.
Mark Teixeira returned to the line up and looked good in his 2-6 effort, striking out twice but also putting solid wood on the ball. The Yanks need not only his bat, but his reliable defense at first.
Vidal Sets Tone, Pen Follows
Vidal Nuno restored order to the Yankees pitching woes, scattering 3 hits over 5 shutout innings, with 6 strikeouts. Holding the potent Ray’s offense to only 1 run over the next 7 innings were David Phelps, Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, Shawn Kelly and finally Claiborne.
DL for Ivan Nova
Number three starter Ivan Nova is headed for a least a 15-day stint on the disabled list with a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow. Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York reports that while no one is saying ‘Tommy John’ surgery is a certainty, it remains a possibility. Nova will be examined tomorrow in New York. Chad Jennings of LoHud has a piece on the dejected hurler’s reaction.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES : Matt Daley DFA’d. Scott Sizemore sent down to AAA Scranton. Mark Teixeira back, and RHP’s Preston Claiborne and Bryan Mitchell called up.
Here’s the box score. And recaps from New York and Tampa. After an off-day tomorrow, the Yanks head to Fenway Park for a 3-game series against the Red Sox.
