July 23, 2007 — The Yankees outlasted the Mets 14-13 over five hours Sunday night to advance to the Raphael Jackson AA Baseball league finals.
The Yankees came into the bottom of the ninth trailing by four runs at 13-9. But they won the game after tying the score at 13 when the Mets’ second baseman misjudged what should have been a routine pop fly off the bat of Eustace Davis.
After a scoreless first inning, the Mets got on the board with one run in the top of the second on a wild pitch to take the early lead. The Yankees failed to score in the bottom of the inning.
The score would stay blank until the bottom of the fourth, when the Yankees scored three runs on a two-run single by Carlos Morales and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Omari Eastman to lead 3-1 at the end of four complete innings.
The Mets plated one run in the top of the fifth on another wild pitch to trail 3-2. The Yankees, however, answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning on a three-run double by Eliezer Ramirez to extend their lead to four at 6-2 after five innings.
The Mets exploded for nine runs in the top of the sixth to take what at the time looked to be an insurmountable 10-6 lead. They scored nine runs on an RBI single by Juan Santana, Encenido Bon and Francois Barini, a bases-loaded walk drawn by Luis Moreno and several defensive miscues by the Yankees defense. The Yankees had no answer in the bottom of the inning.
After the Mets failed to score in the top of the seventh inning, the Yankees plated two run on bases-loaded walks drawn by Ramirez and Rael Sackey to trail 11-8 after eight innings.
The Yankees added another run in the bottom of the eight on Jermaine Lynch’s RBI ground out to trail 11-9.
Edwin Derweer’s two-run double in the top of the ninth gave the Mets some temporary breathing room at 13-9, but to their disappointment it was to be short-lived. The Yankees’ huge comeback began after Davis drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets’ pitching staff then went on to walk four straight hitters, walking in a run in the process. Another run then score on a passed ball to set the score at 13-11.
With runners on the corners, the Mets’ catcher made a throwing error on a steal attempt and two more runs scored to tie the game at 13. More wildness by the Mets’ pitching staff and the bases were soon loaded for Yankee shortstop Carlos Morales with one out. But Morales popped up on the infield, and soon there were two outs and bases loaded for pinch hitter Davis. Mets reliever Cruz Soto jammed Davis, coercing what looked like an easy pop fly to Bon at second for the final out of the inning, but Bon misjudged the ball, allowing the winning run to score.
Jermaine Lynch on in relief in the top of the ninth picked up the win for the Yankees, while Tony Cruz got the loss for the Mets. Omar Encarnacion gave the Yankees five strong innings before running into trouble in the sixth. Top hitters for the Yankees were Simmonds, 4 for 5; Morales, 2 for 6 with an RBI; and Ramirez, 1 for 5 with three RBIs. For the Mets, Cruz went 3 for 6 and Santana 2 for 6 with an RBI.
The Yankees will face the Monarchs, who knocked off the defending champion Vikings in the finals, beginning Tuesday night.
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