Brett Gardner, Mike Ford Go Yard In New York's Come Back Win Over Oakland

Two players made the difference for the team that dawns the pinstripes in deciding if they were going to win or lose in the New York, Oakland finale as well as lose the series.

The first being the longest tenured player in the Yankee organization in Brett Gardner who has been in pinstripes for all eleven seasons of career. The second being Mike Ford who has gone between Scranton -Wilkies -Barre and the Bronx this season.

After Brett Gardner tied the game with a ninth-inning homer, Ford came off the bench and drove a Liam Hendriks offering into the Yankee Stadium bullpen, flipping his bat and breaking into a trot to celebrate the Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Athletics -- their second such win in as many days. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"I don’t think it has set in yet, but I definitely dreamed about it in the past," said Ford, the first Yankees rookie to ever slug a pinch-hit, walk-off homer. "It was just an awesome dream. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

The back-to-back blasts from Gardner and Ford echoed an Aug. 8, 2000 game at the old Yankee Stadium, when Bernie Williams and David Justice also led off the ninth inning with consecutive homers to sink the A's. The Yankees are the first team to reach 90 wins this year, while also leading the Majors with 41 comeback victories. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Combined with DJ LeMahieu's walk-off homer on Saturday, the Yankees have won consecutive games on walk-off homers for the first time since May 16-17, 2009, when Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon went deep to dispatch the Twins. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"Our guys have been great at this all year," manager Aaron Boone said. "Whoever we have brought up, they've controlled situations and the moment really well -- maybe beyond their experience." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Despite J.A. Happ's six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, the Yankees trailed by four runs with six outs remaining. With most of his more trusted relievers unavailable, Boone saw Oakland score three seventh-inning runs off Ryan Dull before Matt Olson belted an eighth-inning homer off Chance Adams. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Silenced through seven frames by Sean Manaea and two relievers, the Yankees broke through in the eighth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, setting up Gleyber Torres' sacrifice fly off Lou Trivino, and Didi Gregorius stroked a two-run single to center field off Hendriks.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"They have some tough arms in the bullpen, but up and down the lineup, guys had good at-bats," Gardner said. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Oakland asked Hendriks for a five-out save, but Gardner ensured it never got close, slugging a 97.8 mph fastball into the right-field seats to tie the game. Hitting in place of Clint Frazier, Ford looked at three straight balls to run the count full, then turned on a 97.6 mph fastball that sparked another wet and wild celebration at home plate. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

“The organization does a great job of preparing us, so we’re waiting down there [in the Minors] and if we get our chance, we run with it," Ford said.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

There's a Happ for that

Happ said that he was encouraged after completing six innings for just the second time in his last 14 outings, and for only the third time in 15 home starts. Happ equaled a season high with four walks, but he managed to keep Oakland off the scoreboard.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"I’ve been chasing results for a while now; to get some positive ones is great," Happ said. "I’ll try to continue that. Process-wise, it’s not that dissimilar from the way I’ve been throwing the ball, but the results were better so maybe the consistency was a little bit better today." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Happ induced a double-play grounder to end the second inning and pitched out of trouble in the fifth, stranding two men on. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"The couple of times it had a chance to get a little away from him, he buckled in and made a couple great pitches," Boone said. "I thought he was really good. Six innings, no runs; that speaks for itself." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

'Pen pals

There were some eyebrows raised when Dull was summoned from the bullpen to make his Yankees debut in a scoreless game, and even more when Sheldon Neuse broke the seventh-inning tie with his first big league hit, a two-run double to right field. Josh Phegley added a run-scoring fielder's choice. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Boone said that he turned to Dull and Adams because most of his relievers were unavailable. The Yankees are the only remaining team not to pitch a reliever three straight days, which automatically ruled out Cory Gearrin and Tommy Kahnle. They also wanted to stay away from Zack Britton after he exited Saturday's appearance with a right calf cramp. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"We knew we didn’t have a lot," Boone said. "We were able to hang around enough." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Home cooking

By taking two of three games from the A's, the Yankees improved to 20-0-3 in their last 23 series at Yankee Stadium. They have not lost a series in The Bronx since the White Sox took two of three games during an April 12-14 set, and they are 51-21 at home overall. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

"We've always played well at home," Gardner said. "I feel like this year especially we've played great here. Our fans were great today. We believe in ourselves, down to the very end, even if we're down by a few runs. We feed off that. It was a fun day." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-walk-off-with-back-to-back-homers-in-9th

Meanwhile, Oakland suffered a setback in finale.

The A’s know the feeling when it comes to blown saves. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

It was a trend that reared its ugly head again on Sunday afternoon, as the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs off closer Liam Hendriks in the bottom of the ninth to take the series finale in walk-off fashion, 5-4, at Yankee Stadium. The A’s have now blown 26 saves this season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

Manager Bob Melvin had brought Hendriks in for the five-out save during the prior frame, with Oakland holding onto a 4-1 lead, but he allowed a two-run single to Didi Gregorius to give the Yanks a chance to rally late. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

“I wasn’t crisp. … The ball had good life. The ball had good everything. I just wasn’t able to locate well today,” Hendriks said. “As you can see, I throw a lot of balls. When they were strikes, they tend to be right down the middle. Unfortunately, it was one of those days, I didn’t have the best command. It came back to bite us.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

But Hendriks wasn’t the only reliever who found himself in trouble Sunday. Right-hander Lou Trivino entered the game to replace Jake Diekman after the lefty gave up a leadoff walk, and was subsequently unable to get an out, allowing the Yankees to load the bases and score three runs in the eighth inning. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

Starter Sean Manaea, in his long-awaited return from injury, had put the A’s in a good position, throwing five scoreless innings. The left-hander retired the first nine hitters he faced before allowing a leadoff single in the fourth inning. But his efforts were wasted, as the bullpen allowed five runs in four frames after his exit. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

"He was pretty tough against us, living on the edges, the ball moving,” Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner said. “He did a good job of changing eye levels, changing speeds, keeping guys off balance." “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

Neuse get first big league hit

One wonders what A’s second baseman Sheldon Neuse must have been thinking when he came to the plate in the seventh inning on Sunday. He was already 0-for 9 with five strikeouts in the series. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

He acknowledged after the game that he was nervous going into the at-bat, but he didn’t seem to show it. Neuse doubled down the right-field line to drive in two runs and give the A’s a 2-0 lead. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

It was Neuse’s first big league hit, and he plans to keep the special ball for himself, despite Oakland’s eventual loss. “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

“It felt amazing getting it out of the way,” Neuse said. “It took me three games here, but I was finally able to drive in a couple of runs. I got on second and took a deep breath. … Hopefully, now, I can just calm down and play the game.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/a-s-blow-another-save-in-series-ending-loss

New York will remain in the Bronx for their next series that is supposed to start Labor Day as they welcome Texas to the Big Apple but mother nature might be the deciding factor as to if they get the opening game in or not.