The Derek Jeter Show starring Derek Jeter will not be seen tonight so that we can bring you this awesome catcher hitting things with his bat.
I don't know if you've heard, but the Derek Jeter Show on FOX has been cancelled after nineteen terrific seasons. In its last season, FOX has recycled some of the themes it has used during the entire run of the Derek Jeter Show - class, leadership, limited defensive range. But tonight, its main star Derek Jeter took a complimentary role to a younger, fresher castmember - Salvador Perez. Perhaps FOX is gauging the audience's temperature for a spinoff show? The Sal Perez Show in New York? Right, Rex?
While the FOX announcers were detailing every aspect of Derek Jeter's life, Salvador Perez put on a show. The All-Star catcher collected three hits, falling just a triple short of the cycle. His three-run home run, a team-leading sixth dong of the year, would give the Royals a lead they would not relinquish. The Royals went into the sixth inning with a 3-0 lead, thanks to back-to-back doubles in the second by by Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, and RBI singles by Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Danny Duffy cruised over the first five innings, but struggled in the sixth. An RBI double by Carlos Beltran should have signaled to Ned Yost it was time to pull Duffy, but our fearless skipper left Duffy in to give up a two-run single by Yangervis Solarte to tie the game.
Joe Girardi would one-up Yost in the bottom of the frame however. After David Phelps walked the first two hitters, Girardi left him in to give up Perez's bomb to give the Royals a 6-3 lead. Girardi would let Phelps continue to pitch, allowing a triple to Lorenzo Cain, which led to another run when Nori Aoki singled off reliever Matt Daley.
Then in the seventh - it happened. Many had heard the stories, but you had to see it to believe it. Not the Yeti. Not the elusive Chupacabra. It was - an Eric Hosmer home run!
That put the game out of reach which surely bummed out the FOX announcing team and the numerous Yankees fans from the area who will now have to resort to wearing their Miami Heat jerseys tomorrow. ROLL TIDE!