Mayagüez, PR: Puerto Rico won 13 medals yesterday in the first day of competition in these XXI Central American & Caribbean Games, three of them Gold. The Puerto Rican Judo delegation surprised many in where the Boricua team won five medals, three of which were gold.
Melissa Mojica, María Pérez, and Carlos Santiago all won the first Gold medal for Puerto Rico.
On another front, Boricuas did not get one medal in the swimming competition. Out of 10 participants Puerto Rico did not qualify for one medal. This was surprising since Puerto Rico has historically won more medals in these games in swimming than any other discipline.
NEW YORK – The Liberty (9-10) ended its two-game home winning streak after being edged by the Indiana Fever (13-7), 84-81, in overtime on Sunday afternoon.
An announced crowd of 9,508 witnessed an exciting and hard-fought contest between two of the six tightly bunched Eastern Conference teams that are vying for a playoff spot.
Neither team, at any point, was able to move ahead of the other by double figures. The teams were tied 13 times and the lead changed hands on nine occasions. Each team had 82 offensive possessions.
Jorge Posada hit a 2-out, 2-run double to complete New York's 4-run 5th. (Photo by Bill Menzel)
YANKEE STADIUM -- The Yankees (58-33) had every excuse to lose their matinee rubber match against the Tampa Bay Rays (55-36) today.
Yet, somehow they were able to withstand an early 3-0 deficit - courtesy of first baseman Carlos Pena's first-inning, 3-run homer (20) - and, for the second time in as many days, the loss of a starter to an injury, to take the best-of-three weekend series from Tampa with a 9-5 win highlighted by six 2-out RBIs and an intrepid performance by reliever David Robertson (1.2 IP, 1H, 0R 1SO).
Robertson came in to pitch for starter Andy Pettitte (2.1 IP, 6H, 3R, 1HR), who left in the third inning after experiencing a discomfort in his left leg that was later diagnosed as a strained left groin. The 25-year-old reliever inherited Pettitte's first and second, 1-out jam and actually made it worse by walking Kelly Shoppach to load the bases.
Andy Pettitte left the game in the 3rd after feeling stiffness in his left leg. (Photo by Bill Menzel)
But before Tampa could extend their lead over New York, which by then was at 3-2 due to Robinson Cano's 2-out, 2-run triple in the bottom of the first, Robertson got Sean Rodriguez to pop out to short and B.J. Upton to fly out to right.
"I've been coming into situations like that since college," said Robertson, who pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in New York's 4-3, extra-inning win over the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS. "The bullpen has had some bad times and good times; the way we battled today gave us a chance to win."
Robertson kept his team in it, and boy was that big for the Yanks.
Yesterday it was A.J. Burnett (self-inflicted laceration on his right hand) exiting his start because of an injury. Today, Pettitte's strained groin, like yesterday, forced New York manager Joe Girardi to exhaust his bullpen. This time around, the bullpen (Chan Ho Park, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera), following Robertson's departure after the fourth, combined to submit a serviceable performance, keeping Tampa to 2 runs on 5 hits (1 HR) for the remaining 5 innings.
"You couldn't pick a worse day for me to go down after what happened yesterday," said Andy Pettitte, who is likely headed to the DL this week, but not before trainers examine him over the next few days, according to Joe Girardi. "It was a great job by the bullpen, especially after we were short yesterday."
Rays starter David Price (L, 12-5) was far less effective, giving up 7 runs (all earned) on 7 hits in 5 innings.
In the third inning, Mark Teixeira tied the game, 3-3, with an RBI single into the right field corner, and in the fifth, the Yankees put together a 4-run rally that put them ahead for good.
They took the lead for the first time in the game when Jeter's RBI single up the middle plated Brett Gardner from second. Jeter advanced to second on Price's wild pitch moments later, moved to third on Nick Swisher's sac fly to right-center, and came in to score on Alex Rodriguez's 2-out RBI single to center that made it 5-3.
Later that inning, catcher Jorge Posada blasted a 2-run double to left-center that increased New York's lead to 7-3.
Swisher's 2-out RBI single through the right side in the sixth made it 8-3; his run-scoring single gave New York a total of six 2-out RBIs.
Each team scored a run in the seventh - Tampa on Gabe Kapler's solo home run (2) to left, and, in the bottom of the inning, Alex Rodriguez crushed a solo homer (15) off the facade of the left field bleachers in the visitors' bullpen to wrap up the Yanks' robust offensive output in a game they really needed it.
With his homerun in the 7th inning, Alex Rodriguez is now two away from carreer HR #600. (Photo by Bill Menzel)
"It's all about coming out of the weekend winning 2 of 3 games," said Alex Rodriguez, who is only 2 homers shy of the 600 mark. "It's huge, because it is important for us to protect our home field."
With today's victory, New York is currently ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East standings by 3 games, and 6.5 in front of the Boston Red Sox (as of 9:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 18).
The pitcher of record for the Yankees was Chan Ho Park (5.90 ERA), who improved to 2-1 with the win.
PR had the largest number of delegates. (Photo LSV)
Interviews with Puerto Rico’s two present NBA players on their participation in the Central American & Caribbean Games – Mayagüez 2010. Both interview are courtesy of Claridad Special Edition Mayagüez 2010.
JJB as he is known to his coach and many friends is the official flag bearer for the host, Puerto Rico
José Juan Barea, Dallas Mavericks
Q: JJB: Is their more pressure playing in Puerto Rico?
Look you always want to look good, but without a doubt, playing in Puerto the responsibility is major.
Q: Can you imagine representing a country that is not Puerto Rico?
JJB: I will never do that. Representing Puerto Rico is a privilege and it’s about pride. It’s something that gives me a lot of satisfaction.
Q: You understand that Puerto Rico is sovereign in sports?
JJB: Yes, I understand. Puerto Rico has a lot of talent in all the sports and has surpassed great obstacles to have its achievements recognized throughout the world.
Q: What do you thoughts about Cuba not participating?
JJB: It’s a shame that they are not coming. They obviously have great athletes in many disciplines, but we have to move forward and stay focused. But without a doubt that is a notable loss.
Carlos Arroyo, (Free Agent, formally Miami Heat)
Q: Carlos you were the flag bearer in the past (2004). In your opinion what is significance that these games are held here in Puerto Rico?
CA: For mi it is indeed a happy moment and I believe that it is a gift to the people of Puerto Rico. As you mentioned in my particular case, I had the opportunity to carry the flag and that was the most important time of my career and that the games are held here give us a tremendous motivation to give our 100%.
Q: Can you imagine representing a country that is not Puerto Rico?
CA: I can’t imagine it; I could never represent anyone else. It is a special pride to put on the Puerto Rico jersey.
Q: You understand that Puerto Rico is sovereign in sports?
CA: I believe so. Puerto Rico has struggled a lot to reach the level we have in sports. We are a proud country in defending ours that is something that no one can take from us.
Q: What are your thoughts about Cuba not participating?
It’s a shame. Cuba obviously has much talent. I hope that the situation will change one day.
This OT game celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Yankees 1950 World Championship team. Yogi would have been in the list of participants wearing replica 1950 uniforms (Photo Bill Menzel)
El Bronx, New York: It was not only Yogi Berra missing in action at the 64th Old Timer’s Day of July 17th 2010 due to an injury, but also Luis Enrique “Tite” Arroyo, 83, the first Puerto Rican ball player for the New York Yankees, who the night before suffered a mild heart attack. It was later confirmed by a Yankees spokesperson that on Friday night Arroyo suffered a "mild heart attack" while on a Yankees-sponsored cruise, part of the Old Timers festivities. Yankees officials could not provide his condition nor which hospital he was in.
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