Live Blogging: NYY @ LAA 7/11/09

After another frustrating start from Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees hope to grab a part of first place with a win this afternoon. Brett Gardner gets another start, and the recently acquired Eric Hinske takes the place of Nick Swisher in right field. Andy Pettitte (8-4) looks to rebound after struggling once more against the Toronto Blue Jays at home (0-5 through eight starts). The Yankees will try to solve the Angels, with an 18-31 record against the club over the past five years.

1. Jeter, SS
2. Damon, LF
3. Teixeira, 1B
4. Rodriguez, 3B
5. Matsui, DH
6. Posada, C
7. Cano, 2B
8. Hinske, RF
9. Gardner, CF

Mike Scioscia will attempt to piece together another win with key players Vladimir Guerrero and Toii Hunter on the disabled list. After being knocked around of July 1st (5.1 IP, 8 H, 7 ER), Jered Weaver added his ninth win against the Rangers on the 6th, and will look to continue his impressive season today.
1. Figgins, DH
2. Aybar, SS
3. Abreu, RF
4. Napoli, C
5. Morales, 1B
6. Matthews Jr., CF
7. Kendrick, 2B
8. Wood, 3B
9. Quinlan, LF

Roundup

Winning pitcher: Jered Weaver (10-3) / 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 9 K
Losing pitcher: Andy Pettitte (8-5) / 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 K

The Yankees were hurt by Pettitte’s failure to get deep into games, a recurring theme throughout the rotation recently. New York has numerous chances to get back into the lead, only to see their relievers allow Los Angeles to extend the lead. Eric Hinske and Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs apiece, amounting to three RBIs for both.

Live updates after the jump…
Top of first inning: After retiring Jeter, walking Johnny Damon, and inducing a pop out from a booed Mark Teixeira, Jered Weaver left a fastball right over the plate, which A-Rod promptly delivered over the left-field wall. Weaver strikes out Hideki Matsui to end the inning. 2-0 Yankees

Bottom of first inning: Pettitte walks the speedy Chone Figgins. Aybar then is robbed of a bloop single after Gardner makes a tremendous diving catch. He fires to first to nab Figgins, who was running on the play. Figgins is ruled safe by umpire Brian Gorman, but the Yankees argue, with television replays showing Figgins out by a half-step. Another ruling that bites the Yanks. Figgins promptly steals second base, and advances to third on as Bobby Abreu grounds out, but Pettitte escapes.

Top of second inning: Posada (K) and Cano (GO) are retired, before Hinske drills a homer on a breaking ball into the right field bleachers. Through one run of the lineup, 3-0 Yankees.

Bottom of second inning: An easy 1-2-3 inning for Pettitte.

Top of third inning: Jeter flies out, before Damon and and Teixeira strike out back-to-back.

Bottom of third inning: Brandon Wood is given a free pass to first, with walks developing as a problem for Pettitte this season. Wood is erased on a double play kicked off by a Quinlan grounder. Figgins flies out to end the inning.

Top of fourth inning: A-Rod draws a leadoff walk, and then is nearly picked off. Matsui is punched out for the second time. Rodriguez advances to second after 1B Morales botches a pickoff. After Posada flies out, Cano finally comes through, driving in Rodriguez from 2nd base with a single. Hinske ends inning. 4-0 Yankees

Bottom of fourth inning: After a leadoff double, Aybar is driven in by our good, former Yankee friend Bobby Abreu. Pettitte then records three outs in a row. 4-1 Yankees

Top of fifth inning: Gardner becomes victim to Weaver’s sixth strikeout. Jeter was close to shooting the Yanks’ third home run of the day, but settles for a double. 3B Wood nabs a bullet off of Damon’s bat to save a run. Weaver is getting his pitch count up there (nearing the century mark), and with it being a steamy day in Southern California, we may see some bullpen action soon. Weaver Ks Teixeira for #7.

Bottom of fifth inning: Kendrick shoots a high pitch up the middle to start things off. The Angels narrow the deficit to one run after Brandon Wood drives a homer to right: 4-3 Yankees.
Quinlan scoots a single before Hinske, as Dave Robertson begins to throw in the ‘pen. Chone Figgins grounds to Jeter, who feeds to Cano, who throws to Teixeira, but not before Figgins escapes a double play. Aybar gets a hit to right, allowing Figgins to reach 3rd base.
Abreu knocks in Figgins with the single, and Aybar reaches third: tied at 4.
And that will be it for Pettitte, who struggled for the second consecutive start. Dave Robertson enters, only to given up a two-run double to Mike Napoli: 6-4 Angels. Robertson has struggled all year with inherited runners, with this being one of the first days in which Joe Girardi has utilized his services in a close game. Morales grounds out to 2B, allowing Napoli to advance. Matthews Jr. walks, to put runners at the corners. As Howie Kendrick comes up, the Angels will have batted around. Matthews nabs second without a throw.
Kendrick singles up the middle to drive in Napoli and Matthews. 8-4 Angels. For the second consecutive day, the Yankees have fallen victim to a Los Angeles comeback. Posada guns out Kendrick attempting a steal.

Top of sixth inning: Weaver strikes out A-Rod on his 101st pitch, for his eight K of the day, and then Matsui for #9 (third on Matsui). After falling behind 0-2, Posada works it to a full count before lining out to right.

Bottom of sixth inning: With Robertson staying in for New York, Wood is struck out on a breaking ball. Reggie Willits, who replaced LF Quinlan, swings for strike three on a bouncing ball far from home plate, but reaches 1B regardless as Posada fails to gather the wild pitch. Robertson strikes out Figgins, while Willits steals second. Aybar triples on a ball driven into the left field gap, scoring Willits: 9-4 Angels. Robertson is replaced by Brett Tomko. Abreu flies out to deep center field.

Top of seventh inning: Darren Oliver replaces Jered Weaver. Cano singles on a slicing drive to CF Matthews. Eric Hinske rips his second homer of the game to right. Hinske is now 4-for-8 with three home runs as a Bronx Bomber: 9-6 Angels.
Melky Cabrera pinch hits for Gardner, which I find a bit interesting, and strikes out. Jeter grounds out to first. Damon is struck out to end the inning.

Bottom of seventh inning: Mike Napoli drives a high pitch from Tomko into the left field stands. Tomko seemed to be missing his spots that whole at-bat and eventually paid for it: 10-6 Angels.
Morales grounds out to Teixeira for the first out. Gary Matthews Jr. lines a ball to Hinske for a single. Kendrick then singles to center. A double play strands the runners.

Top of eight inning: After Tex is retired, A-Rod hits a shot into right field for his second homer of the game. 10-7 Angels
Make it back-to-back. Matsui hits a HR near the same spot as Rodriguez. 10-8 Angels
Posada strikes out for the second time (0-4 on the afternoon). Cano draws a walk, and Scioscia has seen enough of pitcher Bulger. Kevin Jepsen is called in. Hinske misses a base knock by a few feet, lining out to second.

Bottom of eight inning: Phil Coke enters. Willits lines a seeing-eye single just past a lunging Jeter. Willits advances to second after Coke throws away a pickoff. Then, Coke throws a pitch into the dirt for a strikeout. Willits goes to third, and Figgins goes to first. The last thing any team attempting to overcome a deficit is are mental mistakes like these. Aybar flies out to Jeter, who nearly misplays another pop out. Abreu hits a sacrifice fly to center, easily scoring Willits. 11-8 Angels
Figgins steals second base just under Cano’s tag, though TV replays showed him out by roughly a half foot. Yankees intentionally walk Napoli, though it backfires as Morales doubles into the left field corner, scoring Figgins. 12-8 Angels
Gary Matthews Jr. drives in Napoli and Morales on a single. 14-8 Angels
A ground out to third ends the inning.

Top of ninth inning: Potential last licks for the Yanks. Melky Cabrera singles to starts things off, before being eliminated after Jeter was induced into grounding into a double play. Damon strikes out to end the game.