08/31: August 31st vs. The Tigers
Today's matinee matchup featured aging lefty Randy Johnson facing off against the 23-year old veteran Jeremy Bonderman.
After RJ cruised through the first, the Yanks looked like they would strike early after a single by Damon and then a hit and run single by Jeter. With first and third and no one out, Bonderman got Abreu to pop out (Bobby barely missed hitting a 3-run homerun in the at-bat). He then walked Posada but got A-Rod to pop out and then struck out Robbie Cano. A deep fly would have been all that was necessary to score one run and the heart of the order can't come through. Amazing.
That missed opportunity immediately came back to bite the Yanks as Magglio Ordonez started the top of the second with a homerun. 1-0 Detroit.
The Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the third. After a Jeter groundout, Bobby Abreu hit a long double off Bonderman. Posada then flied out to left but A-Rod came through with a dink RBI single that barely cleared the shortstop. It wasn't pretty but it got the job done as Abreu scored and the score was tied. After A-Rod stole second to put himself in scoring position (one of 3 stolen bases against Pudge today), Cano ended the inning with a ground out to third. Bonderman is at 53 pitches through the third but with the Detroit bullpen being as strong as it is, getting him out of the game doesn't guarantee more scoring.
However, the Yankees would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out rally. After a Bernie ground-out and a Guiel (no sonic boom so far) strikeout, Melky got aboard with a dink single. Damon followed with another single and Derek Jeter worked out a walk bringing up Bobby Abreu, who was looking to atone for his earlier at-bat. This time, Bobby came through, singling to right and scoring Cabrera and Damon. 3-1 Yankees. Posada would ground out to end the inning but Bonderman has hit 76 pitches through 4 innings so far.
Randy on the other hand is cruising along in one of his better outings this year. So far, 5 innings, 1 H, 1 ER and 5Ks on 57 pitches (42 strikes!). He must really like facing this Tigers team.
The Yanks scored their fourth run after A-Rod legged out a double to start the bottom of the fifth. After Robbie Cano struck out for the first out, Bernie came through with a RBI single to give the Yanks a 4-1 lead. He was promptly erased and the inning came to an end when Aaron Guiel hit into an double play. The Tigers got the run back pretty much immediately as Omar Infante (yes, the Omar Infante who had 2 HRs so far this year) took Johnson deep to lead off the 6th. After that blip, Johnson got back in his groove and sat the next three Tigers down (2 of them by strikeout).
Through 7 innings, Randy has given up 2 hits (both homeruns but that's to be expected from him at this point), walked none and struck out 7. He's also only thrown 83 pitches through 7 (you see that how that works, Jaret?!)
The Yanks helped themselves to a bigger cushion in the 7th against lefty Jamie Walker. A-Rod led off with his 27th home-run of the year and the crowd was very appreciative. They even gave him a curtain call which hopefully made him feel pretty good. Robbie Cano followed with a fly-ball that Marcus Thames misplayed into a double and with Cano in scoring position, Bernie notched his second RBI of the day with a clean single that brought Robbie home. 6-2 Yankees. Bernie was erased from the bases on (another) double play off the bat of Aaron Guiel and Melky closed out the inning with a ground out.
A great 8 innings from Johnson today and with a 4 run lead and RJ up to 94 pitches, Torre should go to the pen (and I don't mean Scott Proctor!) to close out this game. With the rosters set to expand tomorrow and the Yankees cruising towards the AL East title, there's no need to risk Johnson going out for the 9th and hurting himself.
Apparently Joe Torre didn't get my memo. Perhaps I should have put that new cover sheet on top of my TPS report. Inexplicably, Johnson starts the 9th...and proceeds to walk Craig Monroe. And now Marcus Thames takes him deep. Wow. 6-4 now and here comes Mariano (who is scheduled for an MRI and reports that his elbow has been bothering him for a while now). Just wow. It's like Joe hasn't watched Randy pitch this year...he should have seen this coming a mile away and he should have had Dotel, Bruney or Farnsworth (yes, he was ready to go) warming and ready for the 9th.
It turns out not to matter much (today) as Mo gives up a double to Magglio Ordonez but gets out of the inning by getting Carlos Guillen, Sean Casey and Brandon Inge to all ground out. He's still the best at what he does...but still, I can't help but worry about that elbow.
Still, the Yankees win 6-4 and another game gets knocked off the magic number so it's a good day!
After RJ cruised through the first, the Yanks looked like they would strike early after a single by Damon and then a hit and run single by Jeter. With first and third and no one out, Bonderman got Abreu to pop out (Bobby barely missed hitting a 3-run homerun in the at-bat). He then walked Posada but got A-Rod to pop out and then struck out Robbie Cano. A deep fly would have been all that was necessary to score one run and the heart of the order can't come through. Amazing.
That missed opportunity immediately came back to bite the Yanks as Magglio Ordonez started the top of the second with a homerun. 1-0 Detroit.
The Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the third. After a Jeter groundout, Bobby Abreu hit a long double off Bonderman. Posada then flied out to left but A-Rod came through with a dink RBI single that barely cleared the shortstop. It wasn't pretty but it got the job done as Abreu scored and the score was tied. After A-Rod stole second to put himself in scoring position (one of 3 stolen bases against Pudge today), Cano ended the inning with a ground out to third. Bonderman is at 53 pitches through the third but with the Detroit bullpen being as strong as it is, getting him out of the game doesn't guarantee more scoring.
However, the Yankees would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out rally. After a Bernie ground-out and a Guiel (no sonic boom so far) strikeout, Melky got aboard with a dink single. Damon followed with another single and Derek Jeter worked out a walk bringing up Bobby Abreu, who was looking to atone for his earlier at-bat. This time, Bobby came through, singling to right and scoring Cabrera and Damon. 3-1 Yankees. Posada would ground out to end the inning but Bonderman has hit 76 pitches through 4 innings so far.
Randy on the other hand is cruising along in one of his better outings this year. So far, 5 innings, 1 H, 1 ER and 5Ks on 57 pitches (42 strikes!). He must really like facing this Tigers team.
The Yanks scored their fourth run after A-Rod legged out a double to start the bottom of the fifth. After Robbie Cano struck out for the first out, Bernie came through with a RBI single to give the Yanks a 4-1 lead. He was promptly erased and the inning came to an end when Aaron Guiel hit into an double play. The Tigers got the run back pretty much immediately as Omar Infante (yes, the Omar Infante who had 2 HRs so far this year) took Johnson deep to lead off the 6th. After that blip, Johnson got back in his groove and sat the next three Tigers down (2 of them by strikeout).
Through 7 innings, Randy has given up 2 hits (both homeruns but that's to be expected from him at this point), walked none and struck out 7. He's also only thrown 83 pitches through 7 (you see that how that works, Jaret?!)
The Yanks helped themselves to a bigger cushion in the 7th against lefty Jamie Walker. A-Rod led off with his 27th home-run of the year and the crowd was very appreciative. They even gave him a curtain call which hopefully made him feel pretty good. Robbie Cano followed with a fly-ball that Marcus Thames misplayed into a double and with Cano in scoring position, Bernie notched his second RBI of the day with a clean single that brought Robbie home. 6-2 Yankees. Bernie was erased from the bases on (another) double play off the bat of Aaron Guiel and Melky closed out the inning with a ground out.
A great 8 innings from Johnson today and with a 4 run lead and RJ up to 94 pitches, Torre should go to the pen (and I don't mean Scott Proctor!) to close out this game. With the rosters set to expand tomorrow and the Yankees cruising towards the AL East title, there's no need to risk Johnson going out for the 9th and hurting himself.
Apparently Joe Torre didn't get my memo. Perhaps I should have put that new cover sheet on top of my TPS report. Inexplicably, Johnson starts the 9th...and proceeds to walk Craig Monroe. And now Marcus Thames takes him deep. Wow. 6-4 now and here comes Mariano (who is scheduled for an MRI and reports that his elbow has been bothering him for a while now). Just wow. It's like Joe hasn't watched Randy pitch this year...he should have seen this coming a mile away and he should have had Dotel, Bruney or Farnsworth (yes, he was ready to go) warming and ready for the 9th.
It turns out not to matter much (today) as Mo gives up a double to Magglio Ordonez but gets out of the inning by getting Carlos Guillen, Sean Casey and Brandon Inge to all ground out. He's still the best at what he does...but still, I can't help but worry about that elbow.
Still, the Yankees win 6-4 and another game gets knocked off the magic number so it's a good day!
Posted by: James
Kevin Goldstein over at Baseball Prospectus checks in with a positional breakdown of the top 20 right-handed pitching prospects in the minors. Not surprisingly, Phil Hughes tops the list, just slightly ahead of the Reds' Homer Baily.
Tyler Clippard also made the list as a honorable mention.
Looking at the projected 2007 pitching staff, both of these guys would be greatly appreciated...and probably very needed.
1. Philip Hughes, Yankees
Age: 20.2 H/9: 5.74 BB/9: 2.17 K/9: 10.40
Really, you are looking at 1a and 1b here. If I ranked them tomorrow I might take Bailey. The next day I might go back to Hughes. The two are remarkably similar. Bailey was born about 50 days earlier than Hughes and both were 2004 first round picks out of high school. They both have classic power-pitcher builds, with Bailey at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds and Hughes a little bigger at 6-foot-5, 220. Both have electric stuff; while Bailey has a little more juice, Hughes has better command. Both began the year in the Florida State League, both dominated there, and both have had no problems adjusting to Double-A, holding opposing batters to a sub-.200 average while striking out more than a batter per inning. Both have made 25 starts, and their total numbers are nearly mirror images. Bailey has faced 560 batters, Hughes 542. Bailey has given up 96 hits, 46 walks and recorded 156 strikeouts, while Hughes has totals of 90, 34 and 163, respectively. Their immediate futures, however, couldn't be more different. Rumors in Southern Ohio have the Reds calling up Bailey to fill a rotation slot down the stretch as the Reds gun for a playoff slot, while Hughes will enjoy a peaceful offseason and is more than likely beginning next year at Triple-A Columbus. Bailey is expected to be the savior of a Reds rotation in desperate need of an ace, while Hughes will be eased into a star-studded lineup, with only the unique pressures of playing in New York on his shoulders. Flip a coin here folks, but my gut gives Hughes the wafer-thin edge.
Age: 20.2 H/9: 5.74 BB/9: 2.17 K/9: 10.40
Really, you are looking at 1a and 1b here. If I ranked them tomorrow I might take Bailey. The next day I might go back to Hughes. The two are remarkably similar. Bailey was born about 50 days earlier than Hughes and both were 2004 first round picks out of high school. They both have classic power-pitcher builds, with Bailey at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds and Hughes a little bigger at 6-foot-5, 220. Both have electric stuff; while Bailey has a little more juice, Hughes has better command. Both began the year in the Florida State League, both dominated there, and both have had no problems adjusting to Double-A, holding opposing batters to a sub-.200 average while striking out more than a batter per inning. Both have made 25 starts, and their total numbers are nearly mirror images. Bailey has faced 560 batters, Hughes 542. Bailey has given up 96 hits, 46 walks and recorded 156 strikeouts, while Hughes has totals of 90, 34 and 163, respectively. Their immediate futures, however, couldn't be more different. Rumors in Southern Ohio have the Reds calling up Bailey to fill a rotation slot down the stretch as the Reds gun for a playoff slot, while Hughes will enjoy a peaceful offseason and is more than likely beginning next year at Triple-A Columbus. Bailey is expected to be the savior of a Reds rotation in desperate need of an ace, while Hughes will be eased into a star-studded lineup, with only the unique pressures of playing in New York on his shoulders. Flip a coin here folks, but my gut gives Hughes the wafer-thin edge.
Tyler Clippard also made the list as a honorable mention.
Tyler Clippard, Yankees: He gets better every year, and could give the Yankees a second rookie option after Hughes by late 2007.
Looking at the projected 2007 pitching staff, both of these guys would be greatly appreciated...and probably very needed.
Posted by: Jason
Pardon the recap delay, my friends, I was embroiled in a conference call that started at 11AM Paris time...My day began well before dawn and I've now had enough caffeine to resuscitate an elephant.
In game one, Chien-Ming Wang demonstrated that he will be the centerpiece of the Yankees' rotation for at least the next two seasons. His 95 sinker (with movement) was baffling. Wang exploited the Tigers' well-known lack of plate patience and the first 25 feet of grass in front of home plate took a beating...The Yankees' ace induced at least a dozen ground ball outs.
I have heard Craig Wilson referred to as a "drop and drive" hitter. I was not sure what that meant until I saw Craig drop the sweet spot onto a Nate Robertson fastball and drive it 20-25 rows over the LF wall. The Yankees' other run came on a sacrifice fly by Giambi.
Two runs was all that was necessary. Proctor relieved Wang for a relatively uneventful 8th and Mariano did his thing in the 9th. 2-0 Yankees final.
The nightcap had all the atmosphere of game two of the ALCS. Jaret Wright surprised with an above average outing, pitching 6.1 innings while allowing 2 runs. As for the Yankees offense, on-base machine Sal Fasano cleverly arranged to be hit by a pitch and moved to third after a Melky double. Jeter drove them both in with a double of his own. Eventually Alex drove Jeter in from 3rd with a sac groundout.
In the 9th, with Mariano not available due to his game 1 save, Torre called on Scott Proctor, who walked two and then missed with either a curve or a slider. I could not specifically identify the pitch, because Craig Monroe tried to hit it to the International Space Station. The revived Todd Jones closed the Yankees out, 5-3 Tigers final.
The fun part is that they crank it up again at the Stadium for the rubber match in about 60 minutes.
In game one, Chien-Ming Wang demonstrated that he will be the centerpiece of the Yankees' rotation for at least the next two seasons. His 95 sinker (with movement) was baffling. Wang exploited the Tigers' well-known lack of plate patience and the first 25 feet of grass in front of home plate took a beating...The Yankees' ace induced at least a dozen ground ball outs.
I have heard Craig Wilson referred to as a "drop and drive" hitter. I was not sure what that meant until I saw Craig drop the sweet spot onto a Nate Robertson fastball and drive it 20-25 rows over the LF wall. The Yankees' other run came on a sacrifice fly by Giambi.
Two runs was all that was necessary. Proctor relieved Wang for a relatively uneventful 8th and Mariano did his thing in the 9th. 2-0 Yankees final.
The nightcap had all the atmosphere of game two of the ALCS. Jaret Wright surprised with an above average outing, pitching 6.1 innings while allowing 2 runs. As for the Yankees offense, on-base machine Sal Fasano cleverly arranged to be hit by a pitch and moved to third after a Melky double. Jeter drove them both in with a double of his own. Eventually Alex drove Jeter in from 3rd with a sac groundout.
In the 9th, with Mariano not available due to his game 1 save, Torre called on Scott Proctor, who walked two and then missed with either a curve or a slider. I could not specifically identify the pitch, because Craig Monroe tried to hit it to the International Space Station. The revived Todd Jones closed the Yankees out, 5-3 Tigers final.
The fun part is that they crank it up again at the Stadium for the rubber match in about 60 minutes.
Posted by: Patrick
From The New York Times:
Mariano Rivera and Jason Giambi played in yesterday’s doubleheader, so their health status is not alarming to the Yankees. But the team was concerned enough about them to schedule magnetic resonance imaging exams.
Rivera has experienced inflammation in his right elbow and will have a precautionary M.R.I. on the elbow soon, perhaps today. He earned the save in the first game yesterday but did not pitch in the second. ...
Giambi had an M.R.I. on his left wrist between games of the doubleheader, after he went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly as the designated hitter in the opener. He missed a start Sunday in Anaheim because of cramping in his hands, and he has had his wrist wrapped lately.
Rivera has experienced inflammation in his right elbow and will have a precautionary M.R.I. on the elbow soon, perhaps today. He earned the save in the first game yesterday but did not pitch in the second. ...
Giambi had an M.R.I. on his left wrist between games of the doubleheader, after he went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly as the designated hitter in the opener. He missed a start Sunday in Anaheim because of cramping in his hands, and he has had his wrist wrapped lately.
08/31: Lester & Ortiz
Posted by: James
MLB.com (and several other sources) are reporting that Red Sox rookie Jon Lester is dealing with more than just a bad back. Although Red Sox officials are being tight-lipped about the matter (as they should be), reports are that Lester has been undergoing an array of exams in Boston for internal medical issues, including cancer.
At this point, no one knows for sure if Lester has cancer or not but whatever it is, our little corner of the blogosphere wish him well. The same applies to David Ortiz, who is still at Massachusetts General Hospital being examined after he, on multiple occasions over a 10-day span, experienced a rapid heartbeat. Hopefully, both these cases turn out to be minor but even so, these aren't baseball related injuries, these are life-threating ones and so, we wish you the best and a speedy recovery.
The Boston Herald reported on its Web site Wednesday night that rookie left-hander Jon Lester, who was sent back to Boston earlier this week to have his ailing back examined, is also being tested for far more serious matters, including the possibility that he has cancer.
Reporter Tony Massarotti wrote that Lester "was diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes, according to sources. Such a symptom can be caused by an array of issues, from infections to cancer."
...
The 22-year-old Lester was rear-ended in a car accident on Storrow Drive while on his way to pitch at Fenway Park on Aug. 18. Before and during his next start at Anaheim -- a win -- his back locked on him as he was dealing with an apparent case of whiplash.
...
When the Red Sox went to Seattle last weekend, Lester, a native of Tacoma, Wash., wasn't seen in the clubhouse during media access hours for the entire series. A source confirmed to MLB.com that Lester spent much of the weekend in a Seattle hospital undergoing, among other things, a CT Scan.
Reporter Tony Massarotti wrote that Lester "was diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes, according to sources. Such a symptom can be caused by an array of issues, from infections to cancer."
...
The 22-year-old Lester was rear-ended in a car accident on Storrow Drive while on his way to pitch at Fenway Park on Aug. 18. Before and during his next start at Anaheim -- a win -- his back locked on him as he was dealing with an apparent case of whiplash.
...
When the Red Sox went to Seattle last weekend, Lester, a native of Tacoma, Wash., wasn't seen in the clubhouse during media access hours for the entire series. A source confirmed to MLB.com that Lester spent much of the weekend in a Seattle hospital undergoing, among other things, a CT Scan.
At this point, no one knows for sure if Lester has cancer or not but whatever it is, our little corner of the blogosphere wish him well. The same applies to David Ortiz, who is still at Massachusetts General Hospital being examined after he, on multiple occasions over a 10-day span, experienced a rapid heartbeat. Hopefully, both these cases turn out to be minor but even so, these aren't baseball related injuries, these are life-threating ones and so, we wish you the best and a speedy recovery.
08/30: Jaret Wright It Is...
Posted by: James
My (and Ben Kabak's) dreams were dashed today as Peter Abraham has reported that Pavano's been shut down (probably for the year).
Oy vey. I was really hoping that Pavano could have stepped up and taken the spot from Jaret Wright.
Well, Darrell Rasner just had a good AAA start and I think he'll be called up once the rosters expand. With the AL East division title sewn up (yes, I said it), maybe Rasner can get a shot or two. Who knows, maybe the kid can impress enough to bump Wright out of the rotation (hey, it could happen!) and as Joseph P. from the Sporting Brews pointed out, Rasner is on the 40-man roster so he's postseason roster eligble already.
Carl Pavano has been shut down again after being examined by team doctor Stuart Hershon. He will be sent to Tampa for two weeks and not allowed to pitch off the mound.
According to Brian Cashman, Pavano called him and said he wanted to pitch through the injury. But the organization doesn't seem to want much to do with him.
According to Brian Cashman, Pavano called him and said he wanted to pitch through the injury. But the organization doesn't seem to want much to do with him.
Oy vey. I was really hoping that Pavano could have stepped up and taken the spot from Jaret Wright.
Well, Darrell Rasner just had a good AAA start and I think he'll be called up once the rosters expand. With the AL East division title sewn up (yes, I said it), maybe Rasner can get a shot or two. Who knows, maybe the kid can impress enough to bump Wright out of the rotation (hey, it could happen!) and as Joseph P. from the Sporting Brews pointed out, Rasner is on the 40-man roster so he's postseason roster eligble already.
08/30: Here's hoping...
Posted by: Jason
08/30: Matsui Can Take BP
Posted by: Patrick
From the official site:
Hideki Matsui was cleared to take full batting practice for the first time on Tuesday, a big step in his hopeful return to the Yankees' lineup this season. Matsui is scheduled to hit indoors on Wednesday.
Matsui had no problems with soft-toss hitting drills on Sunday, but he hasn't taken live batting practice yet. The Yankees originally thought Matsui wouldn't be ready until some time later this week.
"In terms of being pain free, that's something I definitely feel good about and very satisfied," Matsui said through his interpreter. "I'm still working on my mechanics and things like that."
Matsui had no problems with soft-toss hitting drills on Sunday, but he hasn't taken live batting practice yet. The Yankees originally thought Matsui wouldn't be ready until some time later this week.
"In terms of being pain free, that's something I definitely feel good about and very satisfied," Matsui said through his interpreter. "I'm still working on my mechanics and things like that."
Posted by: Seamus
Tuesday night's series opener between the Yankees and Tigers has been postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Wednesday. Chien-Ming Wang will start the first game (1 ET) and Jaret Wright will be moved up from his scheduled start on Thursday to pitch the night game (7:05 ET). Randy Johnson's next start has been moved back to Thursday. The second game can be seen on ESPN for those of you outside the New York market.
The Yankees open the series four games behind the Tigers for home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.
The Yankees open the series four games behind the Tigers for home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.
Posted by: Jason
...from the Yankees universe, who this morning collectively realize that Carl Pavano has managed to become a bigger recent Yankees in-house joke than Hideki Irabu and Kevin Brown combined!!
Posted by: Jason
...with the day off, let's review the remainder of the Yankees schedule:
3 w/Detroit
3 w/Minnesota
3 w/Kansas City
7 w/Baltimore
7 w/Tampa Bay
6 w/Toronto
4 w/Boston, including a doubleheader.
If the Yankees play as we know they're capable of playing, (i.e., 3 or 4 series sweeps in the remaining 33 games) 100 wins is a realistic goal.
4 of 6 from DET and MIN is an important start.
3 w/Detroit
3 w/Minnesota
3 w/Kansas City
7 w/Baltimore
7 w/Tampa Bay
6 w/Toronto
4 w/Boston, including a doubleheader.
If the Yankees play as we know they're capable of playing, (i.e., 3 or 4 series sweeps in the remaining 33 games) 100 wins is a realistic goal.
4 of 6 from DET and MIN is an important start.
Posted by: David
The bats came alive for the Yankees on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim and Mariano Rivera closed the door on a potential late inning rally as the Yankees completed a 7-4 road trip with an 11-8 victory.
Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter were the hitting stars each hitting two home runs as the Yankees catapulted out to an 8-0 lead after three innings. Jeff Karstens in only his second major league start was the winner for the Bombers. He pitched six strong innings allowing only three runs with two unearned due to another A-Rod error on a potential inning ending double play.
In the first Damon led off with a double over the head of center fielder Chone Figgins. Jeter followed with a home run to right center to put the Yankees up 2-0. Bernie Williams' first home run in the second inning made the score 3-0. In the third inning the Yankees put the game potentially out of reach with a five spot highlighted by a two run single from Cano and a three run homer from Bernie.
The Halos fought back with two runs when A-Rod fielded a potential inning ending double play ball but his throw to Nick Green at second pulled him off the bag and the runner was ruled safe. Green's relay throw to first was in time. The error opened the door for the Angels as Vladimir Guerrero doubled up the gap in left center to score two runs. The Angels added another run in the next inning and the score was at 8-3.
Bernie Williams added a two run double to his day and concluded the day with at 4 for 5 with two homers and six RBI. Jeter added his second homer for the Yankees eleventh run. Jeter also made a web gem type defenseive play when he went deep into the hole at short and made his patented jump throw to first to nail speedster Chone Figgins. Karstens pitched economically in the fifth and sixth and Scott Proctor took over in the seventh. Proctor was ineffective and was followed by Kyle Farnsworth who couldn't find the plate. Farnworth didn't get anybody out, walking three and surrendering a two run single to Adam Kennedy to make the score 11-5.
Mariano Rivera hadn't pitched in a week and was summoned for the final two innings. He faced Chone Figgins with the bases loaded and induced a perfect double play grounder to Green which bounced up over his glove for an error allowing two runs to score and pull the Angels to within 11-7. Rivera got Maicer Izturis to bounce to A-Rod and Mike Nepoli was called out after a rundown for running out of the base line. Rivera struck out Orlando Cabrera and got Guerrero to ground to Jeter at short for a force at second to end the inning.
Rivera gave up a run in the ninth when after two outs, he hit Howie Kendrick. He took second on defensive indifference (DI) and scored on a bloop single over second basemen Cano off the bat of Adam Kennedy. Kennedy also took second on DI but Rivera retired the next batter to end the game.
The Yankee win coupled with another Red Sox loss puts New York in front of Boston by 6 1/2 games. The Yankees head home for a three game series with the Detroit Tigers starting on Tuesday night after a much needed day off on Monday. Chien Ming-Wang takes the mound vs. Detroit lefty Nate Robertson.
Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter were the hitting stars each hitting two home runs as the Yankees catapulted out to an 8-0 lead after three innings. Jeff Karstens in only his second major league start was the winner for the Bombers. He pitched six strong innings allowing only three runs with two unearned due to another A-Rod error on a potential inning ending double play.
In the first Damon led off with a double over the head of center fielder Chone Figgins. Jeter followed with a home run to right center to put the Yankees up 2-0. Bernie Williams' first home run in the second inning made the score 3-0. In the third inning the Yankees put the game potentially out of reach with a five spot highlighted by a two run single from Cano and a three run homer from Bernie.
The Halos fought back with two runs when A-Rod fielded a potential inning ending double play ball but his throw to Nick Green at second pulled him off the bag and the runner was ruled safe. Green's relay throw to first was in time. The error opened the door for the Angels as Vladimir Guerrero doubled up the gap in left center to score two runs. The Angels added another run in the next inning and the score was at 8-3.
Bernie Williams added a two run double to his day and concluded the day with at 4 for 5 with two homers and six RBI. Jeter added his second homer for the Yankees eleventh run. Jeter also made a web gem type defenseive play when he went deep into the hole at short and made his patented jump throw to first to nail speedster Chone Figgins. Karstens pitched economically in the fifth and sixth and Scott Proctor took over in the seventh. Proctor was ineffective and was followed by Kyle Farnsworth who couldn't find the plate. Farnworth didn't get anybody out, walking three and surrendering a two run single to Adam Kennedy to make the score 11-5.
Mariano Rivera hadn't pitched in a week and was summoned for the final two innings. He faced Chone Figgins with the bases loaded and induced a perfect double play grounder to Green which bounced up over his glove for an error allowing two runs to score and pull the Angels to within 11-7. Rivera got Maicer Izturis to bounce to A-Rod and Mike Nepoli was called out after a rundown for running out of the base line. Rivera struck out Orlando Cabrera and got Guerrero to ground to Jeter at short for a force at second to end the inning.
Rivera gave up a run in the ninth when after two outs, he hit Howie Kendrick. He took second on defensive indifference (DI) and scored on a bloop single over second basemen Cano off the bat of Adam Kennedy. Kennedy also took second on DI but Rivera retired the next batter to end the game.
The Yankee win coupled with another Red Sox loss puts New York in front of Boston by 6 1/2 games. The Yankees head home for a three game series with the Detroit Tigers starting on Tuesday night after a much needed day off on Monday. Chien Ming-Wang takes the mound vs. Detroit lefty Nate Robertson.
Update: Peter Abraham reports that Pavano is in fact injured but from reading his comments, it might not be too bad of an injury. As always with Pavano, it will be wait and see.
At this point, I'm fairly certain that everyone on the planet doesn't expect Carl Pavano to ever pitch again for the Yankees. Still, this is getting ridiculous as Pavano might have messed up his oblique in his latest start (and if that's the case, that's an injury that you don't come back quickly from):
Well, if this proves to be accurate, there go any ideas of getting the bullpen killing Jaret Wright out of the rotation.
Carl Pavano has what is being described as muscle pull on the right side of his rib cage near his armpit.
Joe Torre said the injury wasn't considered serious and that Pavano was scheduled to throw a side session tomorrow in Columbus. His next start is supposed to be Wednesday. The Yankees had been talking about bringing him to the majors to start Thursday or Friday. Those plans seem on hold now.
Joe Torre said the injury wasn't considered serious and that Pavano was scheduled to throw a side session tomorrow in Columbus. His next start is supposed to be Wednesday. The Yankees had been talking about bringing him to the majors to start Thursday or Friday. Those plans seem on hold now.
At this point, I'm fairly certain that everyone on the planet doesn't expect Carl Pavano to ever pitch again for the Yankees. Still, this is getting ridiculous as Pavano might have messed up his oblique in his latest start (and if that's the case, that's an injury that you don't come back quickly from):
Carl Pavano is running out of body parts to break down.
Following his rehab start for Columbus (Triple-A) Friday night, Pavano talked of a problem with an oblique muscle, and there is the possibility he will be shut down.
Asked to confirm the problem before yesterday's game, Joe Torre said he couldn't until he talked to GM Brian Cashman. After the 12-7 loss to the Angels, Torre said he still hadn't gotten in touch with Cashman.
Pavano, a $40-million investment who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since last June due to back, buttock and elbow troubles, threw six innings for Columbus. He allowed two runs, eight hits, walked one and fanned five. After the 89-pitch outing, Pavano said he felt he was ready for the big leagues.
Now, that's in jeopardy.
Following his rehab start for Columbus (Triple-A) Friday night, Pavano talked of a problem with an oblique muscle, and there is the possibility he will be shut down.
Asked to confirm the problem before yesterday's game, Joe Torre said he couldn't until he talked to GM Brian Cashman. After the 12-7 loss to the Angels, Torre said he still hadn't gotten in touch with Cashman.
Pavano, a $40-million investment who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since last June due to back, buttock and elbow troubles, threw six innings for Columbus. He allowed two runs, eight hits, walked one and fanned five. After the 89-pitch outing, Pavano said he felt he was ready for the big leagues.
Now, that's in jeopardy.
Well, if this proves to be accurate, there go any ideas of getting the bullpen killing Jaret Wright out of the rotation.
Posted by: Seamus
I have to admit, the only time I ever go into a game NOT automatically expecting the Yankees to win is when they play the Angels. There's a reason for that it turns out: going into yesterday's game the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim of the United States of Earth of the Solar System were 54-51 against the Yankees in the Joe Torre era. That makes them the only A.L. team with a winning record against the Bombers since 1996. That record improved to 55-51 yesterday as the Angels took another one from the Yanks by a score of 12-7.
Cory Lidle struggled a bit, allowing 5 runs and 9 hits in only 3 and 2/3. The Yankee offense was able to pick him up however and tied the game at 5 in the 6th via a sac fly by Jorge Posada. Howie Kendrick homered off Brian Bruney, who received his first Major League loss in the 6th to put the Angels back on top. Los Angeles of Anaheim (is that proper?) would add 3 more in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th. A two-run homer by Johnny Damon in the top of the 8th would be the last of the Yankee offense, although they did load the bases for Melky Cabrera in the 9th to get the tying run on deck.
I got nothing but love for A-Rod and I've been trying to stick up for him all year, but his performance today didn't help my case. 0-5 for the second straight day and has now struck out 7 times already in this series. One thing I must say is that maybe it would help just a little to get some of that anger out when he starts to get aggravated with himself. Not that little tossing the bat stuff, I want to see some fire. Everyone knows you're frustrated, Alex. I want to see you go back into the dugout and knock over some Gatorade coolers or something. Spill it all over the dugout. Let it all out. Just don't break your hand on the wall.
The Yankees will finally finish up this long stretch of 21 games in 20 days this afternoon as they'll try to salvage a game from the Angels before coming home for a series against Detroit starting Tuesday. The Yanks have gone 10-10 in the last 20, but thanks to that 5-game sweep in Boston, they managed to gain three games on the Red Sox in that span (since August 8).
Today's pitching matchup will feature a battle of rookies, as Jeff Karstens will make his second Major League start against Tony Saunders. Saunders is off to a good start, going 4-1 with a 3.06 E.R.A. in his first 6 starts in the bigs. He had a good start at Yankee Stadium on August 11, allowing 2 ER in 6 IP. Karstens was decent in his Major League debut in Seattle on Tuesday, leaving the game with the Yankees up 5-3 before the bullpen failed to hold the lead. Hopefully the Yankees can make something of this trip. 2-4 on a 6-game west coast swing and losing only .5 to a 1.5 games in the standings to the Red Sox is acceptable to me. Game starts at 3:35 E.T.
Cory Lidle struggled a bit, allowing 5 runs and 9 hits in only 3 and 2/3. The Yankee offense was able to pick him up however and tied the game at 5 in the 6th via a sac fly by Jorge Posada. Howie Kendrick homered off Brian Bruney, who received his first Major League loss in the 6th to put the Angels back on top. Los Angeles of Anaheim (is that proper?) would add 3 more in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th. A two-run homer by Johnny Damon in the top of the 8th would be the last of the Yankee offense, although they did load the bases for Melky Cabrera in the 9th to get the tying run on deck.
I got nothing but love for A-Rod and I've been trying to stick up for him all year, but his performance today didn't help my case. 0-5 for the second straight day and has now struck out 7 times already in this series. One thing I must say is that maybe it would help just a little to get some of that anger out when he starts to get aggravated with himself. Not that little tossing the bat stuff, I want to see some fire. Everyone knows you're frustrated, Alex. I want to see you go back into the dugout and knock over some Gatorade coolers or something. Spill it all over the dugout. Let it all out. Just don't break your hand on the wall.
The Yankees will finally finish up this long stretch of 21 games in 20 days this afternoon as they'll try to salvage a game from the Angels before coming home for a series against Detroit starting Tuesday. The Yanks have gone 10-10 in the last 20, but thanks to that 5-game sweep in Boston, they managed to gain three games on the Red Sox in that span (since August 8).
Today's pitching matchup will feature a battle of rookies, as Jeff Karstens will make his second Major League start against Tony Saunders. Saunders is off to a good start, going 4-1 with a 3.06 E.R.A. in his first 6 starts in the bigs. He had a good start at Yankee Stadium on August 11, allowing 2 ER in 6 IP. Karstens was decent in his Major League debut in Seattle on Tuesday, leaving the game with the Yankees up 5-3 before the bullpen failed to hold the lead. Hopefully the Yankees can make something of this trip. 2-4 on a 6-game west coast swing and losing only .5 to a 1.5 games in the standings to the Red Sox is acceptable to me. Game starts at 3:35 E.T.
The negotiations are over. Mark Melancon, drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round of this year's draft, has signed on. He made his first appearance as part of the Yankees organization last night for the Staten Island Yankees and pitched an inning in relief, giving up one hit and racking up one strikeout.
Melancon put up some great numbers in college. Mark is the University of Arizona's career saves leader with 18 but was limited to a career-low 39 1/3 innings last season. He missed the last seven weeks of the season with an elbow injury (on his throwing arm). Still, before he went down, he was arguably the best college reliever in the country. He fell in the draft due to those injury concerns but the Yankees were quick to scoop him up. Let's hope he continues to be healthy and that we see him promoted as aggressively as J.B. Cox.
Given the chance, he (ERA: Mid-2008?) & Cox (ERA: 2nd half 2007) will be a great luxury for the Yankees bullpen and though I don't want to think about it, there's a good chance one of them will be the successor to Mariano.
Melancon put up some great numbers in college. Mark is the University of Arizona's career saves leader with 18 but was limited to a career-low 39 1/3 innings last season. He missed the last seven weeks of the season with an elbow injury (on his throwing arm). Still, before he went down, he was arguably the best college reliever in the country. He fell in the draft due to those injury concerns but the Yankees were quick to scoop him up. Let's hope he continues to be healthy and that we see him promoted as aggressively as J.B. Cox.
Given the chance, he (ERA: Mid-2008?) & Cox (ERA: 2nd half 2007) will be a great luxury for the Yankees bullpen and though I don't want to think about it, there's a good chance one of them will be the successor to Mariano.
Posted by: David
The Yankees battled back on Friday night in Anaheim to take a 5-4 lead but couldn't hold on and lost in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly 6-5.
The Angels took an early 3-0 lead when they were aided by a two run double from Vladimir Guerrero. The Yankees struck back for two off of Angels starter John Lackey. Anaheim extended the lead later to 4-2 but the Yankees took the lead late at 5-4.
Jaret Wright was awful and lasted only in to the fourth inning. Ron Villone releived him and gave up an additional run. Villone was relieved by Scott Proctor after the Yankees took the lead and he gave it back as the Angels tied the score in the seventh at 5. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless eighth and Octavio Dotel was summoned for the ninth.
Dotel gave up a leadoff double to Garret Anderson to start the inning. Juan Rivera then singled to left and the Angels had runners on first and third with no outs. The next batter was walked intentionally to load the bases. Adam Kennedy popped out to short for the first out and then Mike Nepoli was up next. Dotel worked him hard and got to two strikes and didn't get the call on a 2-2 pitch. On the 3-2 pitch the ball was out over the plate and Nepoli hit it to left for a sacrifice fly to end the game.
A-Rod was simply awful all night. He struck out four times in critical situations and grounded out his last time up. Aaron Guiel contriubuted an RBI single but the Yankees missed scoring opportunities all night long.
The series resumes on Saturday afternoon with Cory Lidle facing Erwin Santana in a 4pm start.
The Angels took an early 3-0 lead when they were aided by a two run double from Vladimir Guerrero. The Yankees struck back for two off of Angels starter John Lackey. Anaheim extended the lead later to 4-2 but the Yankees took the lead late at 5-4.
Jaret Wright was awful and lasted only in to the fourth inning. Ron Villone releived him and gave up an additional run. Villone was relieved by Scott Proctor after the Yankees took the lead and he gave it back as the Angels tied the score in the seventh at 5. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless eighth and Octavio Dotel was summoned for the ninth.
Dotel gave up a leadoff double to Garret Anderson to start the inning. Juan Rivera then singled to left and the Angels had runners on first and third with no outs. The next batter was walked intentionally to load the bases. Adam Kennedy popped out to short for the first out and then Mike Nepoli was up next. Dotel worked him hard and got to two strikes and didn't get the call on a 2-2 pitch. On the 3-2 pitch the ball was out over the plate and Nepoli hit it to left for a sacrifice fly to end the game.
A-Rod was simply awful all night. He struck out four times in critical situations and grounded out his last time up. Aaron Guiel contriubuted an RBI single but the Yankees missed scoring opportunities all night long.
The series resumes on Saturday afternoon with Cory Lidle facing Erwin Santana in a 4pm start.
08/26: Pavano Ready?
Posted by: Patrick
Well, according to the New York Daily News:
Well, I know pretty much everyone has low expectations for this, but with the injury to Moose, it seems like as good a time as any to get him a couple (2) of starts and see if he might be able to help us in September or (dare I say it) October (don't hurt me).
Carl Pavano allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings for Triple-A Columbus last night in what might have been his final rehab start.
Although Pavano has only thrown 16-2/3 innings in the minors since May surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, the Yankees are considering bringing him up to make his season debut.
Although Pavano has only thrown 16-2/3 innings in the minors since May surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, the Yankees are considering bringing him up to make his season debut.
Well, I know pretty much everyone has low expectations for this, but with the injury to Moose, it seems like as good a time as any to get him a couple (2) of starts and see if he might be able to help us in September or (dare I say it) October (don't hurt me).
08/25: King Chien-Ming
Posted by: James
There's a quick little article over at ESPN from the AP about Chien-Ming Wang and how loved he is at home (Taiwan). Most people have gathered that from the Taiwanese flags and supporters that show up for Wang's games (both in the Bronx and on the road) but the article repeats the point.
Coach, if you can remember where these players that are than Wang are...you let the Yankee brass know!
I'm just glad that the guy is on our team. He's young, confident, funny and stays out of trouble. Throw in the fact that he's a huge figure in a foreign country (meaning increased international merchandise sales and more importantly, a better talent pipeline into Taiwan) and things certainly have come up roses for the Yanks and Wang so far.
...Twelve year old pitcher Nien Wen-Fang explains what it means to have Wang as a role model.
"I absolutely idolize him," he said. "I want to be just like him."
...
The team practices five days a week, two hours a day under the watchful eye of coach Liu Yong-Song, a personable 53-year-old who has been at the school for 20 years -- including the time in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Wang was on the squad.
"Wang donated the statue in the courtyard," Liu says. "He comes here during the offseason to give our players tips. He's a big presence in our program."
...
"From the time he was in third grade I knew he had talent," he said. "But even more important was his personality. He was quiet, self-contained and he didn't horse around with other kids." Still, Liu says, he had no idea that Wang was destined for stardom in the major leagues.
"The truth is," he said. "I've coached better players."
"I absolutely idolize him," he said. "I want to be just like him."
...
The team practices five days a week, two hours a day under the watchful eye of coach Liu Yong-Song, a personable 53-year-old who has been at the school for 20 years -- including the time in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Wang was on the squad.
"Wang donated the statue in the courtyard," Liu says. "He comes here during the offseason to give our players tips. He's a big presence in our program."
...
"From the time he was in third grade I knew he had talent," he said. "But even more important was his personality. He was quiet, self-contained and he didn't horse around with other kids." Still, Liu says, he had no idea that Wang was destined for stardom in the major leagues.
"The truth is," he said. "I've coached better players."
Coach, if you can remember where these players that are than Wang are...you let the Yankee brass know!
I'm just glad that the guy is on our team. He's young, confident, funny and stays out of trouble. Throw in the fact that he's a huge figure in a foreign country (meaning increased international merchandise sales and more importantly, a better talent pipeline into Taiwan) and things certainly have come up roses for the Yanks and Wang so far.
Posted by: Patrick
Wagner: Winning the most important:
At the end of the day, that just seems really lame to me. I know the reason for the lack of criticism, though. Postseason numbers:
Mariano Rivera: 24 postseason series (team record: 17-7, 4 world champions), 72 games, 111.2 IP, 8-1, 34 saves, 0.81 ERA.
Trevor Hoffman: 5 postseason series (team record: 2-3, 0 world champions), 11 games, 12 IP, 1-2, 3 saves, 3.75 ERA.
Billy Wagner: 4 postseason series (team record: 0-4, 0 world champions), 5 games, 4.2 IP, 1-0, 0 saves, 7.71 ERA.
Yes, I realize there are team factors, but regardless, when your that good, most criticism is short sighted.
Wagner also likes to take a jab or two at the cult of Mariano Rivera worshippers. Any time Rivera blows a save, which doesn't happen often, Wagner will make some sort of comment within earshot of reporters. It's not a rip on Rivera, just the aura of infallibility that surrounds him.
"I'm jealous," Wagner said. "As a player, that's where you want to be, to be put in his situation. He's been great and winning cures a lot of things. I mean, if you win, it's awful hard to get criticized very much, and he's won championships and he's proven himself like nobody else in the game has besides Trevor [Hoffman].
"I'm jealous," Wagner said. "As a player, that's where you want to be, to be put in his situation. He's been great and winning cures a lot of things. I mean, if you win, it's awful hard to get criticized very much, and he's won championships and he's proven himself like nobody else in the game has besides Trevor [Hoffman].
At the end of the day, that just seems really lame to me. I know the reason for the lack of criticism, though. Postseason numbers:
Mariano Rivera: 24 postseason series (team record: 17-7, 4 world champions), 72 games, 111.2 IP, 8-1, 34 saves, 0.81 ERA.
Trevor Hoffman: 5 postseason series (team record: 2-3, 0 world champions), 11 games, 12 IP, 1-2, 3 saves, 3.75 ERA.
Billy Wagner: 4 postseason series (team record: 0-4, 0 world champions), 5 games, 4.2 IP, 1-0, 0 saves, 7.71 ERA.
Yes, I realize there are team factors, but regardless, when your that good, most criticism is short sighted.
Posted by: James
Both teams were without their starting third basemen as A-Rod continued to recover from a throat infection and Adrian Beltre had to sit out due to a stiff-neck.
Jarrod Washburn looked like he had his good stuff going last night as after a leadoff walk to Damon, he struck out both Jeter (who's slumping right now), Abreu and got Giambi to fly out to center. Facing a Seattle line-up that was depleted of one of their better hitters in Beltre (say you what you will but Adrian had been pretty hot since the break...and his replacement was Willie Bloomquist), Randy got into trouble early allowing a leadoff double to Ichiro. After a groudout advanced him to third, a Jose Lopez single brought Ichiro in with the first run of the game. That run was actually the first that Randy had ever given up at Safeco. Luckily, Johnson was able to settle down and get out of the first without any further damage.
Still, the fact that Johnson gave up a run so quickly was enough to scare me a little bit. The Seattle line-up is hands-down one of the weakest in the majors, though they do play at a pretty extreme pitcher's park. Still, even in any context, this is a pretty bad lineup and then when you take Beltre out of that line-up - well, it hurt me physically looking at it. It reminded me too much of the Alvaro Espinosa, Pat Kelly and Kevin Maas days (though that was the first time we all got to see Bernie).
After cruising through the first two innings, the Yanks got to Washburn in the third with singles by Craig Wilson and Johnny Damon. With one out (a Nick Green K), Derek Jeter's single tied the game and put runners on first and second. However, Washburn was able to right himself and struck out both Abreu and Giambi.
The bottom of the third started off much like the first for Randy. The leadoff man in the inning, Chris Snelling, led off with a double and advanced on a goundout by Ichiro. A swinging bunt by Willie Bloomquist put runners on first and third (the runner didn't come home as the hit was a very slow dribbler to first). A RBI single by Jose Lopez (he was down in the count 2 strikes) put the Mariners back on top and a Richie Sexson double (also, down in the count 2 strikes) cleared the bases, put Sexson on second with one out and gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead. Randy got out of the inning at that point thanks to an Eduardo Perez strikeout and a Kenji Johjima groundout.
In the top of the 4th, Posada was hit by a pitch followed by a single by Cano (who's hitting quite a bit better with runners on since he came back from his injury) put runners on first and second with no one out. Washburn was able to strike out Melky (his 8th strikeout of the game) to get the first out and was gifted the second out as Robbie Cano was picked off first by a snap throw by Kenji Johjima. That was a huge out in the game as it seemed to let all the air out of the rally. Still, the inning wasn't quite over as Craig Wilson worked out a walk and Nick Green was hit by a pitch. This loaded the bases with 2 outs for Johnny Damon who lined out to left. It was a disappointing set of events for an inning that had started out well but at the least, Washburn's pitch count had hit 80 after 4 innings.
However, that lost opportunity would be it for the Yankees as Washburn ended up pitching two more solid innings before allowing a second Yankees run on a solo home-run by Damon (who is making a serious push for player of the month) in the seventh. The home run would have been more meaningful had Nick Green been on base but Ichiro, playing center, made a really good grab on Green's shot to the wall. The Seattle bullpen then came in and contributed 3 scoreless innings of work to seal the win at 4-2. For his part, Johnson did end up settling down and pitching a complete game for the Yanks, giving a tired bullpen some much needed rest. Still, the Red Sox who beat the previously unbeaten Jered Weaver, did gain a game in the standings so the Yankees go into a series with the (always troublesome) Angels on a sour note, having lost 2 of 3 and with only a 5.5 game lead in the standings.
Jarrod Washburn looked like he had his good stuff going last night as after a leadoff walk to Damon, he struck out both Jeter (who's slumping right now), Abreu and got Giambi to fly out to center. Facing a Seattle line-up that was depleted of one of their better hitters in Beltre (say you what you will but Adrian had been pretty hot since the break...and his replacement was Willie Bloomquist), Randy got into trouble early allowing a leadoff double to Ichiro. After a groudout advanced him to third, a Jose Lopez single brought Ichiro in with the first run of the game. That run was actually the first that Randy had ever given up at Safeco. Luckily, Johnson was able to settle down and get out of the first without any further damage.
Still, the fact that Johnson gave up a run so quickly was enough to scare me a little bit. The Seattle line-up is hands-down one of the weakest in the majors, though they do play at a pretty extreme pitcher's park. Still, even in any context, this is a pretty bad lineup and then when you take Beltre out of that line-up - well, it hurt me physically looking at it. It reminded me too much of the Alvaro Espinosa, Pat Kelly and Kevin Maas days (though that was the first time we all got to see Bernie).
After cruising through the first two innings, the Yanks got to Washburn in the third with singles by Craig Wilson and Johnny Damon. With one out (a Nick Green K), Derek Jeter's single tied the game and put runners on first and second. However, Washburn was able to right himself and struck out both Abreu and Giambi.
The bottom of the third started off much like the first for Randy. The leadoff man in the inning, Chris Snelling, led off with a double and advanced on a goundout by Ichiro. A swinging bunt by Willie Bloomquist put runners on first and third (the runner didn't come home as the hit was a very slow dribbler to first). A RBI single by Jose Lopez (he was down in the count 2 strikes) put the Mariners back on top and a Richie Sexson double (also, down in the count 2 strikes) cleared the bases, put Sexson on second with one out and gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead. Randy got out of the inning at that point thanks to an Eduardo Perez strikeout and a Kenji Johjima groundout.
In the top of the 4th, Posada was hit by a pitch followed by a single by Cano (who's hitting quite a bit better with runners on since he came back from his injury) put runners on first and second with no one out. Washburn was able to strike out Melky (his 8th strikeout of the game) to get the first out and was gifted the second out as Robbie Cano was picked off first by a snap throw by Kenji Johjima. That was a huge out in the game as it seemed to let all the air out of the rally. Still, the inning wasn't quite over as Craig Wilson worked out a walk and Nick Green was hit by a pitch. This loaded the bases with 2 outs for Johnny Damon who lined out to left. It was a disappointing set of events for an inning that had started out well but at the least, Washburn's pitch count had hit 80 after 4 innings.
However, that lost opportunity would be it for the Yankees as Washburn ended up pitching two more solid innings before allowing a second Yankees run on a solo home-run by Damon (who is making a serious push for player of the month) in the seventh. The home run would have been more meaningful had Nick Green been on base but Ichiro, playing center, made a really good grab on Green's shot to the wall. The Seattle bullpen then came in and contributed 3 scoreless innings of work to seal the win at 4-2. For his part, Johnson did end up settling down and pitching a complete game for the Yanks, giving a tired bullpen some much needed rest. Still, the Red Sox who beat the previously unbeaten Jered Weaver, did gain a game in the standings so the Yankees go into a series with the (always troublesome) Angels on a sour note, having lost 2 of 3 and with only a 5.5 game lead in the standings.
Posted by: Patrick
Steve posts some interesting numbers in support of the Derek Jeter for MVP campaign. Basically, it contrasts Jeter's and David Ortiz's OBA when down by 1, 2 or 3 runs. Jeter is ahead in all 3 of those categorizations (.489 vs .298, .516 vs. .476 and .500 vs. .324).
08/24: The Very Unique Chien-Ming
Posted by: James