Big Apple: Jeter's homer lifts Yankees
Big Apple: Jeter's homer lifts Yankees
04/11/2006 6:59 PM ET
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.comNEW YORK -- On Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, there was no more fitting ending.
The Yankees struggled through the first seven innings, blowing a three-run lead against the Royals in what looked to be another brutal loss for New York.
Enter Derek Jeter.
The Yankees captain made sure the sellout crowd of 54,698 went home happy, belting a game-winning three-run home run in the eighth, lifting the Yankees to a 9-7 win.
"He's always had a flair for the dramatic," said Bernie Williams, whose RBI single in the eighth helped keep the Yankees rally going. "A day like this, it's just the way he is. It doesn't surprise me."
"I've been watching this kid for 11 years," said manager Joe Torre. "It seems when something needs to happen, he's at the start of it or the finish of it. He's been as consistent as anybody."
Jason Giambi also contributed a three-run homer, as the Yankees pulled to within one game of .500 at 3-4.
"It seems like the season hasn't officially started until we play our home opener," Jeter said. "Any time you have a chance to do something special, it means a lot -- especially on Opening Day."
Giambi gave the Yankees a quick lead with his first-inning blast off Joe Mays, his first of the season, and the Yankees took a 4-1 lead into the fourth.
Chien-Ming Wang, who got eight of his nine outs in the first three innings on ground balls, lost his effectiveness in the fourth, allowing four hits (including Reggie Sanders' solo homer) and a walk, as the Royals tied the game at 4.
Wang tossed a scoreless fifth, but a walk and two singles in the sixth put the Royals ahead, 5-4. In six innings, Wang allowed five runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one.
"He was getting ground ball after ground ball, then he elevated a couple of pitches and they let him know about it," Torre said. "I thought he threw the ball good when he had the location he needed."
Kansas City promptly extended the lead against Tanyon Sturtze in the seventh, as Shane Costa belted a solo shot on Sturtze's first pitch. Mark Grudzielanek doubled, scoring on Sanders' RBI single, boosting the lead to 7-4.
Andrew Sisco opened the bottom of the eighth on the mound for the Royals, but instead of attacking, the Yankees remained patient. Giambi worked a leadoff walk, Hideki Matsui singled and Jorge Posada walked, loading the bases.
Robinson Cano hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Giambi home to cut the lead to two runs. Bernie Williams, who had run the Yankees out of a potential rally in the fourth on what he called a "brain cramp," got some redemption with an RBI single, slicing the deficit to one run.
That set the stage for Johnny Damon, playing his first game in the Bronx as a member of the Yankees. Kansas City brought in closer Ambiorix Burgos, who struck Damon out on three pitches for the second out.
"I had a real good feeling about Johnny slapping a double into the gap or something," said Alex Rodriguez. "What makes our lineup tough is that if it's not one guy, it can be another."
In this case, it was Jeter's turn to give his team a lift. The captain pounced on a first-pitch splitter that stayed up in the zone, drilling it into the left-field seats to give the Yankees a 9-7 lead.
"The captain bailed us out," Williams said. "He knows how to perform in situations like this. I would have been surprised if he didn't do anything."
"Derek Jeter picked up the whole team with one swing of the bat," Damon said. "It's definitely going to be much easier for me to sleep."
Scott Proctor (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and earned the victory. Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
The win marks the ninth consecutive victory in a home opener by the Yankees, snapping a tie with the 1920-27 team for the longest such streak in franchise history.
"It's fun to win one like this at Yankee Stadium any time," Torre said. "But Opening Day made it special."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
04/11/2006 6:59 PM ET
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.comNEW YORK -- On Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, there was no more fitting ending.
The Yankees struggled through the first seven innings, blowing a three-run lead against the Royals in what looked to be another brutal loss for New York.
Enter Derek Jeter.
The Yankees captain made sure the sellout crowd of 54,698 went home happy, belting a game-winning three-run home run in the eighth, lifting the Yankees to a 9-7 win.
"He's always had a flair for the dramatic," said Bernie Williams, whose RBI single in the eighth helped keep the Yankees rally going. "A day like this, it's just the way he is. It doesn't surprise me."
"I've been watching this kid for 11 years," said manager Joe Torre. "It seems when something needs to happen, he's at the start of it or the finish of it. He's been as consistent as anybody."
Jason Giambi also contributed a three-run homer, as the Yankees pulled to within one game of .500 at 3-4.
"It seems like the season hasn't officially started until we play our home opener," Jeter said. "Any time you have a chance to do something special, it means a lot -- especially on Opening Day."
Giambi gave the Yankees a quick lead with his first-inning blast off Joe Mays, his first of the season, and the Yankees took a 4-1 lead into the fourth.
Chien-Ming Wang, who got eight of his nine outs in the first three innings on ground balls, lost his effectiveness in the fourth, allowing four hits (including Reggie Sanders' solo homer) and a walk, as the Royals tied the game at 4.
Wang tossed a scoreless fifth, but a walk and two singles in the sixth put the Royals ahead, 5-4. In six innings, Wang allowed five runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one.
"He was getting ground ball after ground ball, then he elevated a couple of pitches and they let him know about it," Torre said. "I thought he threw the ball good when he had the location he needed."
Kansas City promptly extended the lead against Tanyon Sturtze in the seventh, as Shane Costa belted a solo shot on Sturtze's first pitch. Mark Grudzielanek doubled, scoring on Sanders' RBI single, boosting the lead to 7-4.
Andrew Sisco opened the bottom of the eighth on the mound for the Royals, but instead of attacking, the Yankees remained patient. Giambi worked a leadoff walk, Hideki Matsui singled and Jorge Posada walked, loading the bases.
Robinson Cano hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Giambi home to cut the lead to two runs. Bernie Williams, who had run the Yankees out of a potential rally in the fourth on what he called a "brain cramp," got some redemption with an RBI single, slicing the deficit to one run.
That set the stage for Johnny Damon, playing his first game in the Bronx as a member of the Yankees. Kansas City brought in closer Ambiorix Burgos, who struck Damon out on three pitches for the second out.
"I had a real good feeling about Johnny slapping a double into the gap or something," said Alex Rodriguez. "What makes our lineup tough is that if it's not one guy, it can be another."
In this case, it was Jeter's turn to give his team a lift. The captain pounced on a first-pitch splitter that stayed up in the zone, drilling it into the left-field seats to give the Yankees a 9-7 lead.
"The captain bailed us out," Williams said. "He knows how to perform in situations like this. I would have been surprised if he didn't do anything."
"Derek Jeter picked up the whole team with one swing of the bat," Damon said. "It's definitely going to be much easier for me to sleep."
Scott Proctor (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and earned the victory. Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
The win marks the ninth consecutive victory in a home opener by the Yankees, snapping a tie with the 1920-27 team for the longest such streak in franchise history.
"It's fun to win one like this at Yankee Stadium any time," Torre said. "But Opening Day made it special."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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