Did anyone else watch the longest running Sunday TV drama in Cable TV history? I'm referring of course' date=' to ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, AKA, the Yankees vs. the Red Sox. Both teams had multiple DLers and DTDers, with NY starters, Jeter and Roberts unable to play. As the game progressed, the Yanks only backup Catcher, Franklin Cervelli, who had started at 1B (Gardy would have a field day on Girardi for this move, but that's for another post at a later date), pulled his hamstring and had to be removed from the game. Meanwhile, starting Catcher, Brian McCann, took a foul tip to his throwing hand. The Yanks were down to no position players left to put in, and all eyes were focused on the prospect of CC Sabathia having to possibly enter the game in the field. Everything was soon compounded when Yangervis Solarte came up limp with a hamstring pull trying to run out a grounder at 1st. NY Newday led with this account http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/yangervis-solarte-proving-to-be-key-asset-for-yankees-1.7702254:

 

 

The Yankees have liked everything they have learned about Yangervis Solarte since he showed up in spring training as a non-roster invitee. On Sunday night, they got to see his toughness in a time of crisis.

The Yankees were down three injured players and had no healthy bench players when Solarte was tagged in the groin area by Mike Napoli in the sixth inning on a bang-bang play at first base.

Solarte went down in pain. At first it appeared he had perhaps turned an ankle. But when the true nature of his injury was revealed, the rookie got sympathy from his teammates.

 

He also got instructions to stay in the game if at all possible. The Yankees already had Carlos Beltran playing first base for the first time in his long career and couldn't afford to lose another body.

In the top of the seventh, Solarte walked out to second base. Slowly. And he finished the Yankees' 3-2 victory over the Red Sox.

For Solarte, it was another key - if painful - moment in his emergence from unnoticed free-agent minor league signing to everyday player in the absence of the injured Mark Teixeira.

 

 

Solarte also went 2-4 in the game and played flawlessly in the field. Whatever it was that caused the Twins to let Solarte walk away, 13 teams negotiated to sign him in the offseason, now he's proving that he'll do whatever it takes to stay for good. On the Yankees of all teams.