Yankees score six runs in ninth to win on Gregorius' walk-off homer

The Yankees dropped the first two games of a key series with the Texas Rangers to fall two games under .500. After seven innings, the team looked dead in the water facing a 6-2 deficit, but thanks to a Brian McCann solo homer in the eighth, and a three-run shot as part of six run ninth inning, the Yankees won 9-7, on a Didi Gregorius walk-off two-run dinger.

Picture Credit: Kathy Willens | AP

Masahiro Tanaka started this game for the Yankees and struggled across six innings of work allowing eight hits and six runs, all earned, all while striking out seven batters. His counterpart, Nick Martinez, was effectively wild going five innings giving up three hits, and two runs although he would walk five Yankee hitters.

The Rangers did most of their work early scoring five runs by the third inning. Elvis Andrus began the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning. Normar Mazara put three runs on the board in the third with a bases clearing double, and Prince Fielder drove home Mazara on a single. The Rangers would add what they thought was an insurance run in the eighth on a solo home run by Adrian Beltre.

Chase Headley provided rare pop with a solo home run in the first inning, and he also drove home the second Yankee run on a sacrifice fly to right field. In the bottom of the eighth, Brian McCann hit what I initially called a garbage time solo home run to make the score 7-3. The rally began in the ninth inning with Rangers set-up man Matt Bush on the mound.

Bush allowed a single to Rob Refsnyder to begin the inning, then walked Jacoby Ellsbury before Rangers’ manager Brian Bannister brought in closer Sam Dyson. Dyson was welcomed to a single by Brett Gardner, which drove home Refsnyder. He then got Alex Rodriguez to line out sharply on a slight shift up the middle by second baseman Rougned Odor. The ensuing hitter, McCann, tied the game on a clutch three run shot, a no-doubter. After a Starlin Castro walk, Didi Gregorius ended the game on a first-pitch swinging pitch down the middle of the plate for a walk-off two-run dinger. Yankees rookie Luis Cessa picked up his first career major league victory as he tossed three innings allowing just one hit and one run.

Picture Credit: Kathy Willens | AP

The Yankees will look to split the four game set with the series finale tomorrow. Michael Pineda will get the ball and he will face off against A.J. Griffin, in his second start off the DL.

Recap by: Chad Raines

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