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July 20, 2006: Toronto 5, N.Y. Yankees 4
Well, it is a ballpark with hotel rooms overlooking the field...
This one was a heartbreaker. Moose seemed to be cruising. The Yanks were scratching out runs, with the whole lineup pitching in, top to bottom. They were leading 3-0 in the sixth...when it all fell apart. Yet another error by A-Rod seemed to throw Moose off his game, and before the inning was over, the Jays led, 4-3.
Bubba came in as a pinch-runner for Giambi in the top of the 8th. Bubba on 1B, two outs. A-Rod worked a walk, putting Bubba on 2B. Then Posada flared a single to LF. Bubba used his great eye, reading the ball off the bat perfectly. He took off as soon as Jorgie hit it, and made it home standing. No throw. Tie game!
Bubba didn't get a chance to bat. He took Giambi's spot at DH. I guess Joe didn't want to pull Bernie, in case the game went to extra innings. When Bubba's turn to bat came up, Joe put in Guiel as a pinch-hitter. (Guiel struck out. Gee, Bubba couldn't do that.)
That meant Bubba was out of the game, on both offense and defense. He went back to the dugout and put away his glove, then squeezed onto the bench between Randy Johnson and Johnny Damon.
Bubba gave them a chance, with his heads-up baserunning, but it didn't end well. It went to extra innings...where Mariano Rivera gave up a walkoff home run. I couldn't believe it. Mo gives up singles, even doubles, but very rarely homers. Drat. Guess it was just one of those days.
