Yanks Walk Off vs. Rays, Race Tightens

The surging Yankees began a 4-game home series with the struggling Tampa Bay Rays last night. CC Sabathia started, and was a little shaky, allowing single runs in each of the 1st 3 innings. Joe Girardi panicked, and took him out in the 5th, and brought in Jonathan Holder, who got us through the 6th.

Didi Gregorious singled home a run in the 1st inning, and Brian McCann hit home runs in he 2nd and the 4th, giving him 19 on the season.

The game went to the bottom of the 9th tied 4-4. Tyler Austin came to the plate with 2 outs, against Erasmo Ramirez. (Not to be confused with former Yankee Edwar Ramirez.) Boom! Home run to right-center field. Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeee Yankees win!

Yankees 5, Rays 4. WP: Tommy Layne (2-1). No save. LP: Ramirez (7-11).

With 23 games to go, the Yankees are 4 games out of the American League Eastern Division lead, and 2 out of the 2nd AL Wild Card.

The Yankees were given up for dead. How do they look now? The races are tightening.

The series continues tonight, as Michael Pineda starts against Blake Snell. Come on you Bombers!

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Time until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Right now, away to Sayreville, a.k.a. Sewerville. Hell of a place to begin the season, even if the opposition wasn't good -- and, since 1990, they usually have been.

Hours until The Arsenal play again: 15, tomorrow morning, at 10:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time, home to Hampshire club Southampton.

Hours until Rutgers University plays football again: 17, tomorrow at 12:00 noon, home to Howard University of Washington, D.C. RU got crushed by the University of Washington in their season opener, 48-13. Hopefully, a Football Playoff Subdivision (formerly "Division I-AA") team at home will be easier going.

Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 2, Sunday afternoon at 1:00, home to their most hated opponent, D.C. United. (I've tried to tell Red Bull fans: A New York Tri-State Area's arch-rival is always either New England, or Philadelphia, or another Tri-State Area team -- not Washington, D.C. But they don't listen to me.)

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": The same 2. The next game against the Philadelphia Union is on Saturday night, October 1, at Red Bull Arena. There are no further games this regular season against New York City FC, although Metro could face them in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series: 6, next Thursday night, at 7:00 PM, at Fenway Park. It could be pivotal in the AL East race, more so in the AL Wild Card race.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play another regular season game: 34, on Thursday night, October 13, away to the Florida Panthers in the Miami suburb of Sunrise. Under 5 weeks. The home opener is 5 days later, on Tuesday night, October 18, against the Anaheim Ducks.

Days until the 2016 Presidential election: 60, on Tuesday, November 8. That's exactly 2 months. Make sure you are registered to vote, and then make sure you vote!

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 63, on November 11, home to arch-rival Mexico at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, in a CONCACAF Qualifying Match for the 2018 World Cup. That's 9 weeks. Regardless of whether Mexican-hater Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton in the election, there could be trouble from Trump's supporters. This match will be followed 4 days later by another Qualifier, away to Costa Rica.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving game: 76, on Thursday morning, November 24, at the purple shit pit on Route 9. Under 11 weeks.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play another local rival: 93. Their 1st game this season with the New York Rangers will be on Sunday night, December 11, at Madison Square Garden. Their 1st game this season with the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Thursday night, December 22, at the Prudential Center. By a quirk in the schedule, the New York Islanders, a team they usually play several times a season, don't show up on the slate until Saturday night, February 18, 2017, at the Prudential Center.

Days until The Contract From Hell runs out, and the Yankees no longer have to pay Alex Rodriguez any money for any reason: 478, on December 31, 2017. A little over 15 months.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 518, on February 9, 2018. Exactly 17 months.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 643, on June 14, 2018. Under 21 months. The U.S. team will probably qualify for it, but with Jurgen Klinsmann as manager, particularly in competitive matches such as World Cup Qualifiers, rather than in friendlies, you never know.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 851, on January 9, 2019. Under 2 1/2 years, or 28 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 1,216, on January 8, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or 40 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,414, on July 24, 2020. Under 4 years. Under 47 months.