Can you think of a better way to spend a warm and sunny spring Saturday in April, then at Yankees Stadium? I really can't think of anything, unless it were perhaps jet setting across the Mediterranean or relaxing on a cruise, other then that, a baseball game in great weather at the best Stadium tops my list.
As a long time Yankee fan, like many fans, I take in the whole experience, starting with pre-game festivities at the Dug Out Pub, across the street from the stadium, the drinks are reasonable, and the inside is filled with white and blue, unless of course you get the bold and brazing other fans like the one I had the pleasure of staring who wrapped herself in a Canadian flag to support her team the Blue Jays, I get it, you love that team, must you wrap yourself in another countries flag too? I mean when I go to Canada to see a Blue Jays game, I'm not clothed in the American flag but purely my teams colors/jersey, but hey, it takes all kinds, I enjoyed the amusement.
The game day party consisted of a few friends and myself, some sports cuffs, drinks and snacks from game day regulars, my friend Kim, is as die hard a Yankee fan as me and had the Saturday Game Day ritual down to a Tee,
complete with her Original Sports Cuff, she wore on her wrist, as I did too, rocking the newest style: the bow baseball cuff, I met two others wearing their cuff and recognized mine and me from the internet, that's always a good feeling.
As game time was nearing, baseball talk was pumping, whose injured from the other day, my boy Cervelli, Jeter still out, A-Rod (well who cares about that?), but at least gutsy #11 Gardner was rearing to go and now we have Youkilis (we take all the Red Socks Players at some point), all hoping Sabathia has a good game.
In the stadium, The four of us grabbed some more pics, food consisting of cracker jacks, peanuts, pretzels and drinks (very healthy I assure you), finally grabbing our seats before the game started.
Notice Kim's Original Sports Cuff, that traveled to Yankee Stadium?
Here's a quick play by play highlight:
Top of the 1st
Play Type Play
Out Davis struck out swinging.
Out Cabrera popped out to second. No one on base with two outs
Out Bautista hit out to left to end the inning.
Bottom of the 1st
Play Type Play
Out Brett Gardner struck out swinging.
Single Jayson Nix singled to right, heads to first base, with one out.
Single Cano singled to right. On the play, Jayson Nix advances to second. Runners on first and second with one out.
Out Wells hits out to center. On the play, Jayson Nix advances to third. Runners on first and third with two outs.
Fielders-choice Youkilis grounds into a fielder's choice, third to second. On the play, Cano gets out at second to end the inning.
Top of the 2nd
Play Type Play
Out Encarnacion flied out to left, one out.
Out Arencibia flied out to left, two outs.
Out Lawrie flied out to center to end the inning.
Bottom of the 2nd
Play Type Play
Out Hafner flied out to left, one out.
Single Suzuki singled to left, heads to first with one out.
Out Nunez struck out looking. Runner on first with two outs.
Out Stewart lined out too short to end the inning.
Top of the 3rd
Play Type Play
Out DeRosa popped out to short, one out.
Single Izturis singled to short, heads to first with one out.
Double Bonifacio doubled to left. On the play, Izturis advances to third. Runners on second and third with one out.
Out Davis grounds out short to first, scoring Izturis with two outs. On the play, Bonifacio now advances to third.
Out Cabrera grounded out to first to end the inning.
Bottom of the 3rd
Play Type Play
Out Gardner grounded out short to first, one out.
Out Nix hits out to center, two outs.
Out Cano struck out swinging to end the inning.
Top of the 4th
Play Type Play
Home-run Bautista lead-off Home Run to left.
Single Encarnacion singled to left. Runner on first with none out.
Out Arencibia grounded out second to first. Encarnacion advances to second, with one out.
Error-passed-ball Encarnacion advances to third on a passed ball. Runner on third with one out.
Out Lawrie flied out to right. On the play, Encarnacion scored on Stewart's missed catch error with two out.
Single DeRosa singled to center. Runner on first with two outs.
Single Izturis singled to right. On the play, DeRosa advances to second. Runners on first and second with two outs.
Out Bonifacio flied out to center to end the inning.
Bottom of the 4th
Play Type Play
Walk Wells walked, heads to first.
Walk Youkilis walked. Runners on first and second, no outs.
Home-run Hafner three-run Home Run to right scoring Wells and Youkilis with none out.
Out Suzuki flied out to right, one out.
Single Nunez singled to center, heads to first with one out.
Out Stewart flied out to center. Runner on first with two outs.
Single Gardner singled to center. On the play, Eduardo Nunez advances to second. Runners on first and second with two outs.
Out Nix lined out to short to end the inning.
Top of the 5th
Play Type Play
Single Davis infield singled to second. Runner on first with no outs.
Single Cabrera singled to left. On the play, Davis advances to second. Runners on first and second with no outs.
Out Bautista flied out to center. Runners on first and second and with one out.
Out Encarnacion flied out to left. Runners on first and second and with two outs.
Out Arencibia struck out swinging to end the inning.
Bottom of the 5th
Play Type Play
Out Cano flied out to center, one out.
Out Wells popped out to second, two outs.
Out Youkilis struck out looking to end the inning.
Top of the 6th
Play Type Play
Home-run Lawrie lead-off Home Run to right.
Out DeRosa grounded out short to first, One out.
Out Izturis grounded out short to first, two outs.
Out Bonifacio struck out swinging to end the inning.
Bottom of the 6th
Play Type Play
Out Hafner flied out to center, one out.
Single Suzuki singled to left. Runner on first with one out.
Out Nunez popped out to first. Runner on first with two outs.
Single Stewart bunt singled to third. On the play, Suzuki advances to second. Runners on first and second with two outs.
Out Gardner struck out swinging to end the inning.
Top of the 7th
Play Type Play
Out Davis grounded out third to first, one out.
Out Cabrera struck out swinging, two outs.
Out Bautista flied out to center to end the inning.
Bottom of the 7th
Play Type Play
Substitution Rogers starts the inning for the Blue Jays.
Out Nix lined out to right, one out.
Double Cano doubled to right. Runner on second with one out.
Single Wells single to center scoring Robinson Cano with one out. Runner on.
Out Youkilis grounded out third to first. On the play, Wells advances to second. Runner on second with two outs.
Substitution Cecil enters the game for the Blue Jays with two outs and a runner on second.
Stolen-base Wells stole third. Runner on third with two outs and Hafner at the plate.
Triple Hafner triple to center scoring Wells with two outs. Runner on third.
Out Suzuki grounded out second to first to end the inning.
Top of the 8th
Play Type Play
Out Encarnacion lined out to center, one out.
Out Arencibia grounded out short to first. None on with two outs.
Out Lawrie popped out to second to end the inning.
Bottom of the 8th
Play Type Play
Out Nunez lined out to right, one out.
Out Stewart grounded out third to first, two outs.
Out Gardner struck out swinging to end the inning.
Top of the 9th
Play Type Play
Substitution Colby Rasmus is pinch-hitting for the Blue Jays.
Out Pinch-Hitter Rasmus struck out swinging, one out.
Single Maicer Izturis singled to left. Runner on first with one out.
Substitution Kawasaki is pinch-running for the Blue Jays.
Single Bonifacio singled to third. On the play, Kawasaki advances to second. Runners on first and second with one out.
Out Davis flied out to right. Runners on first and second and with two outs.
Fielders-choice Cabrera grounded into a fielder's choice to third. On the play, Munenori Kawasaki out at third to end the game.
After watching the game and re-capping the play by play, I think the star of this game was Travis Hafner and good pitching by CC Sabathia. Travis Hafner hit an amazing three-run homer and kicked in four runs, which led to the New York Yankees win over the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4. The power and excitement of being in the stadium when a home run is plowed out is exhilarating, your chest is pounding and your voice is echoing through the stands, while chants are spreading like a disease and strangers are hugging or fist pumping each other in excitement. In the end Joba Chamberlain pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save since 2010, while Hafner hit those homers leading to advance the Yankees, and in my opinion led to him being the star of the game.
xoxo
Lisa
