The Yankees rolled into the final week of August 2011 locked neck and neck with the Red Sox for the AL East lead. They welcomed the Athletics to the Bronx two nights prior, but losses in the first two games of the series saw them fall a game behind their bitter rivals in the division. New York needed a win in the final game not only to avoid the sweep, but to keep pace in the fierce battle for first place.
Final Score: Yankees 22, Athletics 9
Game MVP(s): Russell Martin, Robinson Canó, Curtis Granderson
It was a beautiful late summer afternoon as Phil Hughes took the Yankee Stadium mound, tasked with stopping the bleeding of the previous two dropped games.