Yankees ride Pettitte to victory

Behind Andy Pettitte’s seven strong innings, the Yankees (79-47) cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Rangers (70-55).

Quick ‘Cap:
Up 4-2 in the seventh inning, the Yanks rallied for five runs led by two-run singles from Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter. The key play of the game was definitely Jorge Posada’s three-run blast in the second to open up the scoring.

The Rangers nibbled one run in the fifth and seventh innings, but that was all and not close to enough. Brian Bruney escaped a huge jam in the eighth and Phil Coke pitched an easy ninth. Full box score here.

Thoughts:
Nice to see the Yankees get revenge so quickly after the devastating loss on Tuesday. Good pitching and good hitting won this ballgame. (Easier said than done.)

Line of the Night:
Jerry Hairston Jr. 1-for-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K. He has really proven himself as a premier utility player. He’s a great defender and an underrated hitter.

Up Next:
This afternoon’s rubber match features Dustin Nippert (4-2, 3.95) and A.J. Burnett (10-7, 4.08).