Game 7 Liveblog: Rays at Yankees

I'm finally around to watch a game, so I feel like doing some in-game updates.

If, for whatever reason, you can't watch the game, keep following this post for updates until around 9:00.

First Inning

Mike Mussina gets the Rays to go down in order on eight pitches, including striking out Carlos Pena.

Johnny Damon is set to leadoff. Hopefully tonight is the night the lineup gets out of their collective funk.

• Damon leads off with a single. Great start for the offense.
• Derek Jeter grounds into a fielder's choice, forcing out Damon at second. If it was hit any harder, it would have been a double play.
• Bobby Abreu hits a line drive that finds its way over the right field wall for a two-run home run. 2-0 Yankees.
  
• Alex Rodriguez grounds out to third for the second out of the inning.
• Hideki Matsui grounds out to first to end the inning.

Second Inning

Mussina pitches another 1-2-3 inning, getting two pop outs and a ground out.

• Robinson Cano grounds to second on the second pitch of hit at-bat.
• Wilson Betemit strikes out. Where is Morgan Ensberg?
• Melky Cabrera hits a lazy fly ball to left to end the inning. I hope the first inning wasn't the only offensive burst of the night.

Third Inning

Great, Jeter is out of the game, apparently aggravating something while running to first base. Betemit slides over to short, and Ensberg comes in to play first. He's been found.

• Jonny Gomes, replacing a scratched Cliff Floyd, hits a solo home run to left field to break up the perfect game. 2-1 Yankees.
• Mussina allows a one-out walk to Jason Bartlett.
  
• With Akinori Iwamura up, Bartlett steals second base. Iwamura eventually grounds out to second, advancing Bartlett to third.
• Carl Crawford grounds out to Cano to end the Rays' threat.

• Jose Molina doubles to right field to lead off the bottom of the second.
• Damon hits a useless pop up to second. Molina is still on second with one out.
• Ensberg, batting in Jeter's No. 2 spot, walks up to "Come Together" by The Beatles. I love him already. Ensberg, whom I stopped loving, pops out for the second out.
• It was just announced by Michael Kay that Jeter has a strained left quadriceps. Just lovely.
• Abreu singles to center. Wow, a two-out RISP hit! Too bad it's Molina running, as he had to be held at third.
• Rodriguez grounds into a fielder's choice to end the inning. I knew two consecutive two-out hits would be too much to ask for.

Fourth Inning

Mussina works an easy fourth inning, throwing only six pitches, and has retired the last five batters he's faced. He's at 44 on the evening so far.

• Matsui flies out to deep left center for the first out of the inning.
• Cano hits a line drive that is caught by a lunging Eric Hinske for the second out - very nice play.
• Betemit grounds out to short on one pitch to end the inning. Hammel threw four pitches this inning.

Fifth Inning

• Willy Aybar strikes out swinging for the first out. This is Mussina's second strike out and sixth-straight batter retired.
• Gomes strikes out swinging. There was an appeal and the first base umpire punched him out.
• Mike DiFelice doubles to left center on a two-strike pitch. The throw from Cabrera came in to the third base side of the bag and DiFelice was in standing up.
• Apparently opponents hit .347 with two outs and runners in scoring position against Mussina last year. That's excellent. Mussina and Molina (the new M & M Boys) are having trouble with the signs. Bartlett flies out to Cabrera to end this inning.

• Cabrera grounds out to short to lead off the bottom of the fifth.
• Molina grounds out to the pitcher for a quick second out. The offense is falling asleep again.
• Damon hits a line drive in between Bartlett and B.J. Upton for a two-out single, his second hit of the game.
• Ensberg grounds out to Aybar. Pena made a beautiful scoop. This game is flying.
  

Sixth Inning

• I just heard Kay mention the "Martini Glass defense" for the first time this season. Baseball is now officially back! Keep in mind that this is only the third game I've been able to watch live. He could've said this 17 or 18 times already this season.
• With two outs and Pena up, Cano makes a bad throw to Ensberg on a ground out. Cano had a lot of time but bounced the throw and Ensberg couldn't handle it.
• Upton grounds into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Abreu is set to lead things off for New York in the bottom half of the inning.

• Abreu leads off with a triple off the top of the wall. He is now a double shy of a cycle.
• Rodriguez singles to right to drive in Abreu. 3-1 Yankees. I love when they get RISP hits.
• Matsui doubles on a full count, driving in Rodriguez. 4-1 Yankees.
• Cano breaks hit bat while grounding out to short. Matsui advances to third with one out.
• Betemit strikes out for the second out. That's another runner left at third with less than two outs. Why is he still on this team?
• Cabrera is being intentionally walked.
• Molina grounds into a fielder's choice on the first pitch.

That's it for the liveblog for now. I have to go to a meeting.

Currently, the Yankees lead the Rays 4-1 through six innings. Mussina has allowed two hits and one earned run, while striking out three and walking one batter.