Oh, What a Night (At the Stadium)
Thanks to my friend Dan—congrats on the new job, buddy!—I went to the Stadium last night to see the Yankees and Randy Johnson take on the Orioles. It was a gorgeous night for baseball—warm, clear skies, a light breeze. All was indeed right under the heavens, as Johnson pitched beautifully for eight innings, with only a flash of the temper that got him thrown out of the last game he started. The Yankees led 2-1 in the top of the ninth when Mariano Rivera came in to relieve Johnson. He promptly hit a batter, and one out later gave up a single, putting the winning run on first. Yikes. But the next Oriole whiffed, and the next after that lined out to first, and just like that the Yanks had won their ninth out of their last ten games.
And to top off the evening...as we 50,000-plus fans (Yankee attendance will be over 4 million this year) filed out of the Stadium, the scoreboard flashed that the pesky Devil Rays were beating the Red Sox, 6-4. A huge roar went up from the crowd, and the Yankees who were leaving the field turned to look—if the Sox lost, the Yanks would be in first!
By the time I got out of the Stadium, it was 7-4; by the time I got home on the D train, it was a final.
The Yankees are in first. The Yankees are in first. The Yankees are in first.
This is a crazy season, and anything could yet happen. There are still those three games up at Fenway. And the Sox are too good to count out.
But still...if only for a day...I'm just going to enjoy this moment. New York needs this....
