Ponson's gem helps Yankees earn two-ballpark split with MetsNEW YORK (AP) -- Two ballparks, two blowouts. Call it even.
Sidney Ponson pitched a gem in his return to the New York Yankees, silencing Carlos Delgado and the rest of the New York Mets for a 9-0 victory Friday night and a split of their two-stadium doubleheader.Delgado dominated the day game at Yankee Stadium. He set a Mets record with nine RBIs and hit a grand slam for one of his two homers in a 15-6 win that lasted 3 hours, 54 minutes."You have to be able to respond," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.His team did just that.After both squads got police escorts for their rush-hour bus trips to Shea Stadium, Bobby Abreu went 4-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs as the Yankees enjoyed a rout of their own.Ponson outpitched Pedro Martinez with six shutout innings, and the Bronx Bombers broke loose in Queens for their first win in four Subway Series games this season."It was a big start for us tonight," Girardi said. "He gave us everything we needed."Robinson Cano homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees, who have won 10 of 14 overall. Derek Jeter extended his season-high hitting streak to 15 games with an RBI double off the center-field fence.With a history of off-the-field trouble, Ponson pitched well for Texas this season but was cut for being a disruption to the team.Missing three injured starters, the Yankees signed him to a minor league deal last week and he made one four-inning start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before drawing a big assignment against the crosstown rival Mets.Ponson (5-1) certainly delivered after the Mets apparently used up all their big hits in the opener. The beefy right-hander, who pitched briefly for the Yankees in 2006, pumped his fist after wriggling out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the second.He loaded the bases in the third, too, then escaped again when Ramon Castro grounded sharply into an inning-ending double play."It's a fresh start," Ponson said. "I'm more comfortable here."The Yankees soon got to Martinez (2-2), who allowed six runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings while dropping his second consecutive start."I'm just not doing my job and that's something to worry about. It's time for me for getting better, not getting worse. I've got to make some adjustments," Martinez said. "The health is there. It's not physically, it's got to be mechanically."Ponson pitched around five hits and four walks, one intentional. Kyle Farnsworth, Jose Veras and Kei Igawa completed the eight-hitter.After the Yankees left a season-worst 14 runners on base in the opener, the Mets stranded eight in the first three innings of the nightcap.Still, Girardi wouldn't commit to another start for Ponson."We haven't had a chance to talk about it," he said. "I'm actually going to go home to sleep and then I'll make some decisions."This was the third time the teams played a two-stadium doubleheader. The Yankees swept the other two (July 2000 and June 2003).Game notesAbreu also stole two bases in the nightcap. ... Former Mets and Yankees slugger Darryl Strawberry threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Shea.
Source
See also:
No comments:
Post a Comment