The old school catch-phrase that pitching and defense wins baseball games proved true Thursday night at the A Diamond, as the Damn Yankees outlasted the Cubs, 7-2.
Of course, a bases-loaded triple by Joe Careccia in the fifth inning to break open a tight 1-0 game didn't hurt either.
A two-out RBI single by Joe Hervieux against Cubs starter Ron Massaroni gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the second, and it was all that showed up on the scoreboard until Careccia broke the game open with his left-center gapper.
John Weber scattered six singles in keeping the mighty Cubs bats at bay, and received solid defense behind him. Careccia made two diving catches in center to take the air out of two potential rallies, and the infield played errorless ball -- thanks to two big digs at first base by Rich Royka.
The Cubs rallied for a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, but fell short. Massaroni led the Cubs offense with a pair of hits.
It was a classic dual between two teams that play hard, and then tip their cap to the opponent at the end of the game before sharing a cooler session. Knowing these Cubs, they will be biting at the bit for the rematch on Aug. 18.
-- Edited by adtimbrown on Friday 24th of July 2020 08:27:09 AM
-- Edited by adtimbrown on Friday 24th of July 2020 08:28:44 AM
The Yanks were a very good team last year, and with the additions of Careccia, Royka, Darrell Duncan, and Pete Geanellis this is a great team. Loved sharing the field with these guys and definitely look forward to a rematch. This is 55+ baseball at its best.
