By now our readers know the story… I am looking back to see how the Yankees performed on my birthday each year since I’ve been born and then telling the story of what took place on that summer day.
As always, whenever I do research like this, my first two stops are always Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference.
Let’s head back to 2013…
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July 12, 2013 would be a good day for the Yankees. Up to this point, July 12, at least since 1968, seems to have been a very good day for the Yankees. This one would prove to be similar.
On this day, the Yankees were home against the Twins.
The Twins were not good that year. They came into the game with a 37-52 record. The Yankees were 50-42.
On this day, Scott Diamond of the Twins (who I do not remember, at all) would face Hiroki Kuroda of the Yankees.
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The Twins sent the following lineup to face the Yankees:
Brian Dozier – 2b
Chris Parmelee -rf
Joe Mauer – c
Justin Morneau – 1b
Ryan Doumit – dh
Trevor Plouffe – 3b
Oswaldo Arcia – lf
Aaron Hicks – cf
Pedro Florimon -ss
The Yankees countered with the following:
Brett Gardner – cf
Ichiro Suzuki – rf
Robinson Cano- 2b
Vernon Wells – dh
Zolio Almonte – lf
Lyle Overbay – 1b
Eduardo Nunez – ss
Luis Cruz – 3b
Chris Steward – c
***
Note – To start, I am amazed with the number of less-than-familiar names that appeared in this game. I needed to do some further research before beginning…
The Twins pitcher, Scott Diamond, pitched from 2011 to 2013 (and then made one appearance in 2016). He pitched for the Twins his whole career (except for the one game with the Blue Jays). He appeared in 59 games in his career. He made three starts agaisnt the Yankees in his career sporting an overall record of 0-1.
I did not remember Luis Cruz as a Yankee. Indeed, he played in all of 16 games for New York batting ..182.
***
To the game action:
In the first inning, the Twins got back-to-back two out singles from Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, but failed to score.
The Yankees got back-to-back two out walks in their half of the first, but also failed to score.
In the second inning, the Twins wasted a lead-off single by Trevor Plouffre.
The Yankees responded by wasting a lead-off single by Lyle Overbay.
In the Twins’ third, Brian Dozier began by hitting a double. One out later, Joe Mauer walked. The Twins still couldn’t score.
Neither did the Yankees (although Robbie Cano walked).
(Note – When I called this section, the game action, I was using a relative term. There wasn’t much action it seems.)
In the fourth… neither team scored. The Twins had another single and even a wild pitch, but it amounted to nothing. In the Yankees’ half of the inning, the big excitement was that Scott Diamond came out of the game and was replaced by Ryan Pressly.
In the fifth… the Twins didn’t score.
The Yankees though… DID!!! Here’s how it happened:
Luis Cruz (of course) singled. (This was one of the ten hits he’d have as a Yankee.)
Chris Steward bunted him to second.
Brett Gardner drove him home. (This was one of the six runs he’d score as a Yankee.) Gardner went to second on the throw home.
Brian Duensing then came in to pitch for Minnesota…
Ichiro grounded out advancing Gardner to third.
Robbie Cano drove home Brett Gardner. (This was one of the 896 runs Brett Gardner would score as a Yankee.)
Cano was then caught stealing to end the frame.
After five innings, the Yankees led 2-0.
In the 6th, neither team scored.
In the 7th, neither team scored.
In the 8th, neither team scored.
And in the 9th, neither team scored.
Along the way, the Yankees used the following pitchers:
Hiroki Kuroda (5 innings), Preston Claiborne (1 inning), Boone Logan (1 inning), David Robertson (1 inning), and Mariano Rivera (1 inning).
Hiroki Kuroda earned the win to go 8-6 on the year.
Mariano Rivera eared his 30th save of the year. He also struck out one batter in his last ever game on July 12.
***
Next, the Yankees head to Baltimore to play the Orioles.
Spoiler Alert – another shutout is coming.
***
Yankees Record on July 12 (in this series – since 1968): 20-7
(There were no games played on July 12 in 1971, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, or 2012.)
Hideki Matsui on July 12 (to date): 2 for 9 (.222), double, strikeout, 3 walks
Derek Jeter on July 12 (to date): 10 for 29 (.344), 5 runs, 5 RBI, 5 SO, 2 BB, home run
Mariano Rivera on July 12: 4 innings, no runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, 2 saves, 1 blown save (0.00)
Don Mattingly on July 12 (in his career on July 12): 12 for 31 (.387), 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, SO
Graig Nettles (as a Yankee on July 12): 33 AB, 7 hits (.212), 1 run, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks. 1 RBI (I had hoped that my favorite player would have done better on my birthday.)
