|
 His second occurred in a way that he remembered watching the
Yankees in the late-1990s growing up.
Headley gave the Yankees another important victory Thursday night
when he hit a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth
inning that lifted them to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
"I just remember them jumping up and down on the field a lot and
frankly that looks like a lot of fun and I want to be a part of
that," Headley said. "So just the clutch hits and the championships
but you could just tell that the guys expected to win. You expected
the magic moment, the big hit."
Headley's big hit helped the Yankees (72-66) win their second
straight following a three-game losing streak. At worst they will
remain four games behind the Detroit Tigers for the second American
League wild-card spot but they could have fallen five games out with
24 remaining if not for Headley.
"It's a great win," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "We needed it
and we're going to need a lot more."
 First baseman Mark Teixeira set the table for Headley's heroics when
he came into his at-bat against Boston closer Koji Uehara and
drilled 2-2 split-fingered fastball into the second deck in right
field for his 21st home run. Two batters later, Headley saw the same
pitch and put it in the right-center field seats.
"You got to try and get him up," Headley said. "He's got the great
split and good separation on the fastball and the split
velocity-wise. So you really kind of got to get him up in the zone.
It felt like I was seeing him pretty good. Finally I got to 3-2 and
I got a pitch I could handle."
It was Headley's third career walk-off home run and first since Aug
21, 2012, when he did it for a San Diego team that was 15 games
under .500.
It was New York's sixth walk-off win and third coming by home run.
Designated hitter Carlos Beltran hit a three-run shot off
Baltimore's Zach Britton on June 20 and catcher Brian McCann hit a
three-run shot in the 10th off Chicago's Jake Petricka on Aug. 24.
"We know home runs have been down for our team," Teixeira said.
"We're not going to out there trying to hit home runs but they're a
lot of fun when you do."
Added Girardi: "It doesn't matter how you win these games. You just
got to win."
[to top of second column] |
Headley's hit came after five New York relievers held the Red Sox to one
hit over the final 4 2/3 innings. After starter Chris Capuano allowed
three home runs in 4 1/3 innings, side-arming lefty Rich Hill fanned
Boston designated hitter David Ortiz for the second out of the fifth
after the Red Sox took a 3-0 lead on his 46th multi-home run game and a
4-3 lead on second baseman Brock Holt's first home run in nearly two
months.
Adam Warren (3-5) worked out of trouble created by his own throwing
error for the win by getting consecutive groundouts to end the ninth.
That came two innings after pinch runner Antoan Richardson was doubled
off first by center fielder Mookie Betts in a one-run game.
The ninth marked the fifth blown save in 31 opportunities for Uehara.
Ten of the 18 runs he has allowed have been in the last six outings
since Aug. 16.
"It's crazy man," Ortiz said. "But that's how the game goes. Things like
that happen."
NOTES: New York INF/OF Martin Prado tested his strained left hamstring
before the game by running at 50 percent. He won't return to action
until he can increase his level of activity without having any
difficulties. ... Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (right elbow inflammation)
will throw a bullpen session before Saturday's game. ... Boston 2B
Dustin Pedroia missed his fifth consecutive game because of
concussion-like symptoms, but he is expected to return Friday. ...
Former New York and Boston OF Johnny Damon was at Yankee Stadium. ...
Boston rookie CF Mookie Betts had a phone conversation with former CF
Ken Griffey Jr. earlier Thursday. Betts also interacted with New York SS
Derek Jeter on the field before the game. Jeter then took a photo with
Red Sox rookie C Christian Vazquez.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
