The Yankees split a doubleheader at the Stadium yesterday, beating the Tigers 2-0 in the afternoon and falling 5-3 in the nightcap when Scott Proctor gave up a two-out ninth inning home run to Craig Monroe.
Chien-Ming Wang did a terrific job once again for the Bombers during the day. The sinkerballer shut out the Tigers for seven and two-thirds innings, allowing just three hits to pick up his 16th victory of the year. Proctor threw one pitch to get Wang out of an eighth inning jam and Mariano Rivera was flawless in the ninth for his 32nd save. The Yankees scored each of their runs in the bottom of the fifth. Craig Wilson hit a solo homer off Tigers starter and hard-luck loser Nate Robertson and Jason Giambi followed a bit later with a sacrifice fly that scored Johnny Damon.
In the nightcap, Joe Torre elected to keep Mariano Rivera on the bench with a 3-2 lead entering the ninth. Kyle Farnsworth would normally get the call to close out a game in such cases but his oft-balky back flared up and forced Torre to pull a Captain Harris and exhibit an over-reliance on Proctor. Like a night at the Blue Oyster Bar, things quickly went haywire as Proctor struggled to get two outs while walking Brandon Inge and Curtis Granderson. The second walk brought Monroe to the dish and shortly thereafter the Yankees hope for a doubleheader sweep went off into the Bronx night.
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