Young's Ninth Inning Homer Lifts Yankees to Thrilling Win Over Rays

Alex Cobb surrendered just a hit and an earned run in 7 1/3 innings and Michael Pineda gave up four times that in as many frames, but thanks to a late rally headed by Martin Prado and Chris Young the Yankees found a way to win tonight's rubber game over the Rays, 5-4, in what can only be described as amazing fashion.

Now as you can see by Cobb's final stats, the inconsistent Yanks' bats struggled for a good majority of this one, trailing 4-0 going into the last two innings due to a pair of home runs by Tampa Bay's Yunel Escobar.

Still, once Young doubled off Cobb with one out in the eighth frame (the Yankees' first hit of the game) to knock the right-hander out and Prado followed him with a two-run shot off Brad Boxberger the excitement began to go the home team's way, with New York's offense suddenly catching fire in their half of the ninth.

And yes, it was cool. 

After Rays' reliever Jake McGee hit Chase Headley in the mouth to start that at-bat, Ichiro laced a clutch double into the left-center field gap, moving pinch runner Austin Romine to third for Zelous Wheeler. 

No, Wheeler didn't get on base, but since his strikeout did still keep him out of a triple play the red-hot Young got another chance to hit, taking advantage of it by lining a fastball into the left-field stands.

In other words, in a thirty-minute span this evening things went from the-Yankees-are-going-to-get-no-hit to playoffs?, a strange happening I'm sure they'll happily take.