“You make mistakes against them, you’ll see what happens. They bang it around pretty well.” – RON GARDENHIRE
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MINNEAPOLIS – It took 13 innings, but the Yankees finally figured out Johan Santana.
Like his Game 1 start, Santana didn’t make it to the fifth inning yesterday either, but this time it wasn’t because of cramping. After holding the Yankees scoreless for 13 innings this year (including the first 3 1/3 yesterday), Santana was belted in the fourth, allowing six runs on five hits and an intentional walk.
How out of character was Santana’s effort? The 8-1 defeat marked the 24-year-old southpaw’s first loss since July 23. Meanwhile, the six runs was only the second time this season he’s allowed more than five in a game.
Before the game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was asked about the fact that the Yankees tend to fare better against pitchers the second time around. But Gardenhire said that with Santana, that wouldn’t matter.
“When you’re facing veteran hitters like the Yankees have, it’s going to come down to Johan making pitches,” he said. “He’s got great stuff and he’s going to have to make a lot of good pitches whether they’ve seen him or not. You make mistakes against them, you’ll see what happens. They bang it around pretty well.”
Santana began the game brilliantly, mowing down the Yankees with ease and looking like he might not be touched all day. He struck out Alfonso Soriano with a nasty sinker-slider to open the game and, after allowing Derek Jeter’s single, cut through the lineup the rest of the way.
Santana retired the next nine hitters, capping his magic by striking out Soriano to end the third and whiffing Jeter to start the fourth. But then things fell apart, and they fell apart quickly.
Jason Giambi began the rally by clubbing an opposite-field double to left-center, and Bernie Williams followed by pulling an RBI double into the left-field corner. It marked the first run Santana had allowed to the Yankees this season.
It would be far from the last. Jorge Posada singled to left before Hideki Matsui smashed a run-scoring, ground-rule double to right-center.
Santana recovered temporarily, inducing Aaron Boone to pop to short, but Gardenhire then curiously called for an intentional walk to Juan Rivera.
The logic was easy enough to see on the surface since on-deck hitter Nick Johnson is left-handed. But Johnson is a significantly more dangerous hitter than Rivera. As far as previous history against Santana, it was essentially moot – Rivera was 0-2 lifetime, while Johnson was 0-4 with two walks.
Not surprisingly, the move was a colossal backfire. Santana left a fastball up and out over the plate to Johnson, and he ripped it to right for a two-run double and a 4-0 Yankee lead.
Gardenhire pulled Santana at that point after having thrown just 55 pitches. Incredibly, after needing just 29 pitches to get through the first three innings, Santana hurled 26 in the disastrous fourth. No cramps yesterday, but no success, either.