Molina HBP in 12th to push Yanks past A's

Baseball Betting Lines

07/19/2008 - Bronx, NY (Baseball Betting) - Jose Molina was hit by a Lenny DiNardo pitch in the 12th inning to force in Derek Jeter as the game-winning run to lift the New York Yankees over the Oakland Athletics, 4-3, in the second bout of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Robinson Cano scored two runs on a game-high four hits for the Yankees, who picked up their sixth straight win in the Bronx.

Ryan Sweeney drove in two runs on two hits for the Athletics, who have dropped four straight for the first time since May.

The game was tied at three going into the bottom of the 12th inning, which Jeter got things going with a lead-off walk. Jeter was able to make it to second on a Bobby Abreu groundout, which forced the A's to intentionally walk Alex Rodriguez. Richie Sexson then drew the conventional walk and with the bases loaded and one out, Molina came to the plate. On a 1-2 pitch, Molina was hit to force in Jeter and end the game which lasted four hours and 45 minutes.

David Robertson (1-0) earned the victory after tossing one scoreless inning in which he allowed one hit and one walk, while striking out one.

DiNardo (1-2) suffered the defeat as he surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. DiNardo also allowed two hits and two walks.

The two starting pitchers received no decisions. Joba Chamberlain, who was coming off his first loss as a starter, pitched six solid innings of one-run ball. The hard throwing right-hander yielded six hits and one walk, while striking out eight.

As for Sean Gallagher, he went five innings in which he allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks. Gallagher, who faced the Yankees for the first time in his career, also picked up seven strikeouts.

Heading into the ninth inning, the game was tied at two with Oakland looking for its first lead. Jack Hannahan started the rally with a lead-off single as he was then taken out for pinch-runner, Rajai Davis. Davis stole second and with no outs, crossed the plate on a single to left by Ryan Sweeney.

But the Yanks came right back with a run in the bottom of the frame to send the affair to extra innings. With two outs and the bases empty New York appeared to be in trouble, but Cano smacked a double and came in when Wilson Betemit followed with an RBI single.

The Yankees got on the board with two runs off of four straight hits to start the second inning. Cano smacked a single to left and then raced to third courtesy of a double to right by Betemit. Cano crossed the plate on a Melky Cabrera base hit, and Betemit came around thanks to a double to center off of the bat of Brett Gardner.

Oakland got on the board with a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Sweeney. Matt Murton scored on the deep fly to center after he led off with a double and moved to third on a Wes Bankston single.

In the seventh, the A's knotted the game at two. Bankston led off with a single and two outs later, he moved to third on a Kurt Suzuki double. Bankston then scored on a wild pitch in the dirt by Jose Veras.

Game Notes

The teams entered the day with identical records of 51-45...Gallagher made his second start for the A's since being part of the trade which sent Rich Harden to the Cubs...It was the second hit batter by DiNardo...Before the game, the Athletics placed first baseman Daric Barton on the 15-day disabled list due to a neck strain. The move is retroactive to July 14. In a related move, the team called up Bankston.