Yankees Survive Late Fireworks

A win on the 4th of July is good. Then again, a win anytime is good.

The Yankees started Chase Whitley yesterday afternoon, against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. He had nothing: In just 3 innings, he gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk. From that point onward, however, the bullpen was quite strong: David Huff went 3 innings, followed by Adam Warren, Dellin Betances and David Robertson. They combined for 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and no walks.

But the Yankees needed runs. This time, they got them. Leading off the game, Brett Gardner tripled, Brian Roberts doubled him home, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded him over to 3rd base, and Mark Teixeira doubled him home. A passed ball got Teix to 3rd, and Carlos Beltran got him home on a sacrifice fly. 3-0 Yankees before the Twins even got to bat.

But Brian Dozier homered as the 1st batter to face Whitley. 3-1 Yankees.

Francisco Cervelli led off the 2nd with a double. Kelly Johnson grounded him to 3rd, and Brendan Ryan got him home with a sac fly. Gardner walked, Roberts hit a ground-rule double, and Ellsbury singled them home. 6-1 Yankees, and it was only the bottom of the 2nd.

But the Twins chipped away, and chipped away, and with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, the Twins closed to within 6-5. D-Rob slammed the door, though.

WP: Huff (3-0). SV: Robertson (20). LP: Kyle Gibson (7-7).

The series continues this afternoon, with David Phelps starting against Yohan Pino.

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Good news on 2 fronts for the Oakland Athletics. They made a deal to bring Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in to pitch for them, in exchange for 4 players they won't miss, as they try to win their 3rd straight American League Western Division title. And they signed an extension that will keep them in the Oakland Coliseum through the 2024.

This doesn't mean the A's absolutely won't move before then. It does mean that the likelihood that they will is now significantly reduced. In the meantime, they can work out a deal to build a new ballpark in the East Bay, or perhaps one with the San Francisco Giants to get permission to do so in San Jose. But leave Northern California? That no longer looks likely at any time in the next 10 years.

Yesterday, the New York Red Bulls and the Houston Dynamo played to a 2-2 tie. Germany beat France to advance to the World Cup Semifinals. Brazil beat Colombia, but Brazil's biggest current star, Neymar, got hurt, and will miss the Semi and, if they win that, the Final. (Shades of Pele in 1962 -- but Brazil won the World Cup anyway.) Today, Argentina have eliminated Belgium, while the Netherlands will attempt to do the same to Costa Rica.

Three weeks exactly until the Red Bulls host Arsenal at Red Bull Arena. Just 21 days.