Derek Jeter hit his 3,000th career hit in the only way he knew how – with style.
The all-star shortstop homered for his milestone hit and raced right past the celebrated mark in a scintillating performance Saturday, going 5-for-5 with a tie-breaking single in the eighth inning that gave the New York Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I don’t think you can script it any better. This is already movie-ready,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s just remarkable the day that he had.”
As always, Jeter put the fate of the Yankees ahead of his own personal performance.
“It would have been really, really awkward to be out there doing interviews and waving to the crowd after the game if we had lost. So that was going through my head in my last at-bat today,” Jeter said. “If we didn’t win, it definitely would have put a damper on things.”
Jeter doubled and had three singles while starting a pair of Yankees rallies and finishing off their last one. He bounced a single through the left side his first time up to give him No. 2,999, then sent a no-doubt drive deep into the left-field bleachers off Rays ace David Price in the third inning.
That made Jeter the 28th major leaguer to get 3,000 hits, one of baseball’s biggest milestones, and the first to do it with the Yankees. Former teammate Wade Boggs was the only other player to reach the plateau with a homer.
“Hitting a home run was the last thing I was thinking about,” Jeter said.
His shot set off quite a celebration in the Bronx, with teammates mobbing Jeter at home plate in a pack of pinstripes before he took a curtain call and saluted the sellout crowd of 48,103. The game was held up for four minutes, and Jeter also acknowledged the Tampa Bay players who applauded.
“It was a great moment for Derek and his family and the history of the Yankee franchise,” said former teammate Johnny Damon, who led the cheers from the Rays dugout. “Derek stands for the good stuff in baseball. I’m proud of him. Everybody in this clubhouse respects Derek Jeter.”
What a moment for No. 2. His second hit of the game – and right at 2 p.m.
Moments later, a montage of messages from ex-teammates, including Andy Pettitte, was shown on the big video board in centre field. By the fourth inning, the screen showed DJ3K merchandise flying off the shelves at Yankee Stadium souvenir shops.
The home run was Jeter’s third of the season and first at home since an inside-the-park shot July 22, 2010, against Kansas City. But the 37-year-old captain was just warming up in a turn-back-the-clock performance – and the Yankees needed all of it.
Elsewhere in the American League it was: Toronto 5 Cleveland 4 (10 innings); Texas 7 Oakland 6; Chicago White Sox 4 Minnesota 3; L.A. Angels 9 Seattle 3; Boston 4 Baltimore 0 and Kansas City 13 Detroit 6.
At New York City, Eduardo Nunez, perhaps Jeter’s heir apparent at shortstop, doubled to start the eighth against Joel Peralta (2-4). Brett Gardner dropped down a sacrifice bunt to push Nunez to third and up stepped Jeter again, looking to cap his big day in style.
Tampa Bay brought the infield in and Jeter poked a two-strike pitch up the middle, giving New York a 5-4 lead and prompting another round of “De-rek Je-ter!” chants. A sign in the stands read “Mr. 3,000.”
Mariano Rivera got three quick outs for his 22nd save in 26 chances, his first outing since blowing a save Sunday against the Mets. Rivera was out of action for three days because of a sore right triceps before pronouncing himself available to pitch Thursday night.
Curtis Granderson caught Kelly Shoppach’s long drive at the centre-field fence for the second out in the ninth, and the Yankees held on after losing four of their previous five games.
Granderson also had an RBI single to drive in Jeter in the fifth, and A.J. Burnett struck out nine in 5 2-3 innings. He left with a 4-3 lead, but Tampa Bay tied it in the eighth against David Robertson (2-0).
Damon led off with a triple and scored when Ben Zobrist grounded a single through a drawn-in infield.
—
Blue Jays 5 Indians 4 (10 innings)
At Cleveland, Jose Bautista led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, lifting the Blue Jays to the victory. Bautista, who leads the majors with 31 homers, connected on a 1-0 pitch from Chris Perez after the Indians tied it in the ninth on Travis Buck’s two-out double. The third baseman now has 101 home runs as a Blue Jay.
—
Rangers 7 Athletics 6
At Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton hit a game-ending, two-run homer and the Rangers beat Oakland 7-6 to extend their winning streak to six games.
—
White Sox 4 Twins 3
At Chicago, Alexei Ramirez hit a game-ending RBI single with two out in the ninth inning, sending Chicago to its first win over the Twins in seven meetings this season. Toronto’s Jesse Crain (5-2) got three outs for the win.
—
Angels 9 Mariners 3
At Anaheim, Calif., Torii Hunter drove in a season-high five runs with a pair of homers, Mark Trumbo also went deep and the Angels earned their 13th victory in the last 16 games.
—
Red Sox 4 Orioles 0
At Boston, John Lackey rebounded from the worst start of his Red Sox career with 6 2-3 shutout innings and Boston extended its winning streak to five games.
—
Royals 13 Tigers 6
At Kansas City, Mo., Alex Gordon belted a three-run homer and Kansas City roughed up Charlie Furbush, then weathered Luke Hochevar’s struggles to get the win.
Comments