Pirates unable to withstand Yanks' rally

NEW YORK -- On Wednesday night, the Pirates, who have had 12 consecutive losing seasons, were as good as the Yankees, who have been in 10 consecutive postseasons -- for nine innings.
The Pirates staved off four Yankees attacks on their 5-1 lead before bending in the bottom of the ninth, when New York tied the game on Jorge Posada's RBI double.

The Bucs threatened in the 10th, but couldn't push a run across, and Yankee rally No. 6 did them in.

With a runner on second, Jason Giambi crushed a 2-2 fastball from Jose Mesa into the upper deck in right field for a game-winning two-run homer. The 7-5 loss in Yankee Stadium was the Pirates' third in a row.

"If you're playing the Yankees, who have one of the best lineups in the league, and you give them any extra outs, you see what happens," Daryle Ward said. "They come back in the game with the guys with the big sticks that they have. That was just something we were trying to keep from happening. We wanted the double play, and we had it. We just didn't get it."

The botched double play Ward referred to was crucial to the Yankees' game-tying rally in the ninth against Mesa (0-5).

After Bernie Williams worked a one-out walk, Gary Sheffield lined a ball off Mesa's leg. The ball ricocheted to shortstop Jack Wilson, who tossed it to second for one out. The relay throw to first arrived nearly simultaneously with Sheffield, who was ruled safe.

"I know it was an out," Mesa said. "It was an out -- you could see it on the replay. It was an out, I know it. Sometimes when you play the Yankees ... that's what happens."

Ward was less certain, but still felt it had been a game-ending third out.

"I can only catch it. I can't tell you exactly where he stepped on the bag," said Ward. "I know it was pretty close, but it felt like he was out and that we had the ballgame."

Ward refrained from arguing, citing his status as the only player who could play first at that point, and also noting that the Pirates still had a chance to close out the win.

Two batters, a single and a run-scoring double later, the game was tied and headed to extra innings. Despite the controversy, Mesa took the blame for the loss.

"No, I don't think I did my job, because I blew the save and I lost the game," Mesa said. "I don't think I did my job even though the umpire missed the play. It's plain and simple. If you lose the game, you didn't do your job."

But Mesa wasn't the only Pirates reliever to struggle. Rick White and Mike Gonzalez each allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning pitched. The struggles wiped out a strong start by Mark Redman, who allowed two runs and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings.

"[Redman] was outstanding," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He deserved to win a ballgame today. It's a shame he didn't get to."

Back spasms forced Redman's counterpart, Kevin Brown, from the game after 4 1/3 innings, with the Yankees trailing, 3-1. Buddy Groom followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, but Tanyon Sturtze allowed home runs to Wilson and Jason Bay, as the Pirates extended their lead to 5-1 and set the stage for the Yankees' late-inning heroics.

Wilson's homer was historic: the first long ball by a Pirate in storied Yankee Stadium. The Bucs didn't homer in five prior World Series appearances in the Bronx -- two games in 1927, and three in 1960.

The Pirates have now lost three games in a row for the first time since being swept by the Cardinals, May 23-25.

That sweep also marked the Pirates' last series loss; since then, they split a four-game series with the Reds, then took sets from the Marlins, Braves, Orioles and Devil Rays.

And yet, after two losses to the Yankees -- each demoralizing in a different way -- the Pirates' resilience was evident.

"Yesterday was yesterday, and today we played good baseball, good enough to win," said Redman. "We need to come out [Thursday] and play the same way, and be ready to play for nine innings."

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/