First let's talk about Jeter. All Star Lefty David Price got the ball for the Rays on Saturday and Jeter was in the lineup once again in the leadoff spot entering the game with 2,998 hits. This didn't look like the 37 year old struggling Jeter that we've been accustomed to seeing this year though. This looked like 27 year old Jeter who was always a tough out. After working the count full to start the game against Price, Jeter hit the 9th pitch of the at bat hard on the ground through the hole between short and third for hit number 2,999. Suddenly getting his 3000th hit at home this weekend seemed like an almost certainty. Jeter came up again in the third inning against Price with one out, and that's when he made history. Jeter worked the count full against Price once more and on the 8th pitch of the at bat, Price missed his spot with a breaking ball and Jeter hammered it into the left field bleachers for hit number 3000. Jeter had just 2 home runs all season entering the game and he couldn't have picked a better time to hit number 3. And now the 3000 hit club is one member larger. But Jeter wasn't done. Against Price in the 5th inning, Jeter hammered the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a double for hit number 3001. Then in the 6th inning, facing rookie right hander Brandon Gomes, he lined a 1-0 pitch through the right side for his 4th hit of the game and hit number 3002. Finally, in the bottom of the 8th with the score tied 4-4, and the go-ahead run on third base, Jeter came up again facing Joel Peralta, and on a 1-2 pitch, he singled through a drawn in infield to bring home what would be the winning run and his 3003rd hit. When the dust had finally cleared, Jeter was 5 for 5 with a pair of runs scored, a pair of runs batted in, a double, a home run, a stolen base, the game winning rbi and a membership to the 3000 hit club. Not a bad day at all. His average at the start of play on Saturday was .257. By Sunday it was .270. Jeter would hit hit number 3004 in Sunday's 1-0 win against the Rays as now the question becomes just how high up the list can Jeter go before hanging them up? He's already moved past Roberto Clemente putting him in 27th place and with just three more hits he will catch Tiger great Al Kaline.
Photo Courtesy: oregonlive.com
So that was Saturday. Already a pretty exciting weekend, but now you had the USA taking on Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup. I was actually traveling today so I was fortunate to catch any of this game. I checked my phone when my plane landed in Charlotte and saw the game was tied at 1 at the end of regulation and that the game would be headed to overtime. I probably found a television in around the 100th minute and noticed we were now down 2-1. To make matters worse, the U.S. had been playing a man down since the 65th minute when defender Rachel Buehler had been sent off. So now we're a man down, a goal down, and things looked bleak. The teams swapped sides and while the U.S. was able to keep the ball on Brazil's end for the most part, it wasn't leading to great chances. With time ticking away in the 120th minute, Carli Lloyd had a chance from the top of the box, but she was unable to keep her shot down and it went harmlessly over the bar. And I really thought that was going to be it. Somehow though, 122 minutes into the match, the U.S. was able to make one last run. After Brazil turned it over deep in the U.S. end the Americans tried to quickly counter. The ball made its way over to Megan Rapinoe on the left flank. Rapinoe made a good first touch setting up a long left-footed cross to the back post towards Abby Wambach. Brazil's keeper Andreia tried to make a play on the ball but came up short and the cross found Wambach's head and the 3rd leading scorer in U.S. history scored one of the biggest goals in American soccer history. The airport erupted in cheers and with the game headed to a shootout, the outcome seemed almost predetermined at that point. You knew the U.S. couldn't lose that game. All 5 American penalty kicks were converted with Ali Krieger scoring the game winner and propelling the U.S. to the semifinals. It was just unreal. Move over Landon Donovan, the goal against Algeria is no longer the most memorable goal in U.S. history. I loved how Wambach put it in her postgame interviews, that this was just a testament to the American spirit. The never-say-die attitude that this country has always had has been embodied by our teams. It's hard to picture anything stopping this team from winning the World Cup now.
Photo Courtesy: nydailynews.com
So yeah, try to top that weekend. And Go USA!
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