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 So after his fly ball cleared the right field wall, McCann let
loose his emotion with a big fist pump as he rounded first base.
McCann came up as a pinch hitter and delivered his biggest hit of
the season with a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of
the 10th inning, lifting the Yankees to a 7-4 victory over the
Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon.
"I was fired up," McCann said. "That's a moment that's up there for
me. I was going to let it out."
McCann did not have wait long to let out the emotion because there
was little doubt that when he drove a 3-2 changeup from Jake
Petricka that it was going to land in the seats. It was McCann's
second walk-off hit as a Yankee and sixth of his career.
McCann's other game-ending hit for New York was a bloop single to
beat the Cincinnati Reds five weeks ago. That one put the Yankees at
50-47 and the home run put them at 67-61 but also left them 3 1/2
games behind the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card. McCann came into his at-bat for Francisco Cervelli with three hits
in 20 at-bats since returning from the seven-day concussion list. He
also took a .233 average into that at-bat but fouled off a 95 mph
fastball before ending it with his third career walk-off home run
and first since May 17, 2011.
"It was awesome," McCann said. "Pinch hitting is not easy to do. To
lay off some tough pitches and to get a pitch up in the zone and not
miss with the game on the line is special."
"It just showed you that he stayed ready," New York manager Joe
Girardi said. "He came in and got a huge hit for us."
After rounding the bases, he was mobbed by teammates at the plate
and left fielder Brett Gardner gave him the Gatorade shower before
he conducted his on-field interview.
"He's a gamer," New York left fielder Martin Prado said of McCann,
his longtime teammate in Atlanta.
David Huff (3-1) worked through trouble in the 10th for the win. He
came on after closer David Robertson blew his first save in 23
chances by allowing a leadoff home run to right fielder Avisail
Garcia in the ninth.
Huff put two on but struck out first baseman Jose Abreu looking on a
close pitch to end it. That came after Derek Jeter hit into a double
play to end the ninth and before designated hitter Carlos Beltran
and third baseman Chase Headley was walked intentionally ahead of
McCann.
Before all the dramatics of the ninth, the Yankees pulled off an
unlikely comeback against left-hander Chris Sale aided by a misplay
in left field Dayan Viciedo. Vicedo's error on Prado's fly ball led
to four unearned runs and the Yankees went ahead 4-3 on center
fielder Ichiro Suzuki's bases-loaded single.
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"Things just kind of unraveled for me in the sixth," Sale said.
(I) just left pitches up to guys that will make you pay and that was
that"
Sale was cruising along with a 3-0 lead after shortstop Alexei
Ramirez and third baseman Conor Gillaspie homered. Ramirez hit his
first career leadoff home run and Gillaspie hit a two-run home run
in the sixth off New York lefty Chris Capuano.
Sale allowed four unearned runs and four hits in six innings and
picked up his eighth no-decision. The White Sox were handed their
season-high sixth straight defeat while dropping to 4-13 in their
last 17 games.
"Anytime you are dropping stuff like that, those should be made, you
are always giving them opportunities and I think that is the biggest
thing," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "Once you have them
where you have them and you give a lineup like that opportunities
they are going to make you pay for it"
Retiring designated hitter Paul Konerko played his final game in New
York and was 0-for-4. Before the game, Konerko was presented with an
autographed base from the Yankees by captain Derek Jeter.
NOTES: New York LF Brett Gardner was held out of the lineup with an
ankle injury, though he also has six hits in his last 42 at-bats and
none in seven previous at-bats against LHP Chris Sale. ... New York
CF Jacoby Ellsbury also was the given the day off for "general
soreness." though he entered the game in the seventh. ... New York
RHP Masahiro Tanaka's next step in his rehab from right elbow
inflammation will be a simulated game Thursday in Detroit. ...
Chicago OF Adam Eaton (oblique) was slated for a rehab game with
Triple-A Charlotte later Sunday and again on Monday. He could return
Tuesday. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura was asked about
Chicago's Jackie Robinson West Little League team that won the
Little League World Series on Saturday and he said: "You're happy
for them. It's exciting. The run, it's once in a lifetime because
you don't get to go back and do this. It's the one time to do it.
It's a special time in their lives. The notoriety they're getting is
great."
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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