Things were looking bleak going to the bottom of the 8th inning last night. The Yankees were down 3-0 to the Red Sox, on the verge of falling 5 1/2 games out of first place. Aaron Hicks fresh off the DL with an oblique injury changed all that. Hicks took control of the game in every way possible. He hit a 2 run home run down the right field line that just stayed inside the foul pole. His reaction when he got to 1st base and saw that the ball had in fact stayed fair had more of an impact. He screamed into the Yankee dugout as he rounded the bases showing a passion, toughness and desperation to win that was sorely needed. The Yanks who had been shut out to that point, went on to put up 5 runs in the 8th vs. the best bullpen statistically in the league.Then in the top of the 9th, up 5-3, it looked like Aroldis Chapman was going to blow the save by walking the bases loaded with none out ! Hicks then turned a DP by gunning down Eduardo Nunez trying to tag up from 2nd to 3rd on a deep fly out to left field, throwing a laser to Todd Frazier. Chapman then got the last out on a fly out to CF and the Yanks broke the Sox 8 game winning streak, moving the struggling Yankees to within 3 1/2 games of 1st place.
Hicks took control of the game and it happened quickly. He did it with his bat, with his glove, with his arm, and with his leadership.
WHAT AA GAME !! WELCOME BACK AA.RON !!
