10/05: Live Blog: 2006 ALDS Game 2
Posted by: Patrick
Top 1
Mussina fans Granderson and Polanco to start the game. The third strike on Polanco was dropped, but Posada had plenty of time to throw him out for the 2nd out. Sean Casey grounds to Jeter who fields it cleanly and throws off line to the home plate side of first. Sheffield reached and scooped it, but couldn't hang on with Casey coming down the line. They had a little collision, not that bad, and it looks like Sheff is alright. Mussina strikes out his third in Magglio.
Bottom 1
Damon bloops one in between Guillen and the Tigers LF for a leadoff single. Jeter tries to lay down a bunt, but it pops up and Pudge gets under it for the first out. A pretty rare thing for him, I'd say. And Jeter fails to reach base for the first tie in the playoffs. Abreu takes a four pitch walk. 1st and 2nd, 1 out. Sheffield fails to pull the bat back and gets K'ed. Giambi walks on the payoff to load them for A-Rod. He swings on a high pitch and misses. Fouls one back on the second pitch. And he gets called out on the third.
Mussina fans Granderson and Polanco to start the game. The third strike on Polanco was dropped, but Posada had plenty of time to throw him out for the 2nd out. Sean Casey grounds to Jeter who fields it cleanly and throws off line to the home plate side of first. Sheffield reached and scooped it, but couldn't hang on with Casey coming down the line. They had a little collision, not that bad, and it looks like Sheff is alright. Mussina strikes out his third in Magglio.
Bottom 1
Damon bloops one in between Guillen and the Tigers LF for a leadoff single. Jeter tries to lay down a bunt, but it pops up and Pudge gets under it for the first out. A pretty rare thing for him, I'd say. And Jeter fails to reach base for the first tie in the playoffs. Abreu takes a four pitch walk. 1st and 2nd, 1 out. Sheffield fails to pull the bat back and gets K'ed. Giambi walks on the payoff to load them for A-Rod. He swings on a high pitch and misses. Fouls one back on the second pitch. And he gets called out on the third.
10/05: Game 2 PPD by Rain
Posted by: Patrick
Well, game 2 was postponed by rain. I was ready to stay up until 2 and turn the alarm clark off. But, instead, I'm well rested and will be live blogging today's game, so check back for that. :)
There was a little mini controversy brewing as the Tigers said that they were not given the most up to date information and Verlander went out and threw a little soft toss:
There was a little mini controversy brewing as the Tigers said that they were not given the most up to date information and Verlander went out and threw a little soft toss:
"We wanted to get the game in. We thought we could," [Jimmie Lee, EVP of Baseball Operations at MLB] Solomon said. "The forecast indicated we could get in two, three innings tops and would have to stop against for an hour-and-a-half to two hours. We didn't want to burn up two pitchers if we had that coming through. We reconvened, talked and we made a decision jointly with the commissioner."
Solomon said both teams were informed of the rainout at approximately the same time but not simultaneously because cell phones didn't work underneath the ballpark. He said Verlander hadn't warmed up fully.
"He did some soft tossing and some stretching, but he didn't do any real pitching," Solomon said.
Solomon said both teams were informed of the rainout at approximately the same time but not simultaneously because cell phones didn't work underneath the ballpark. He said Verlander hadn't warmed up fully.
"He did some soft tossing and some stretching, but he didn't do any real pitching," Solomon said.
Posted by: Seamus
Coming into this series the Yankees had a few question marks. Could the young Chien-Ming Wang thrive as their postseason ace? Will the bullpen hold up enough to bridge the gap to Mariano Rivera? Is Randy Johnson going to be able to pitch? As you might notice, none of those questions involved Derek Jeter and whether or not he'd be ready for October. The captain was 5-5 last night and the Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 ALDS.
The game was rather quiet through the first two innings as it looked like Nate Robertson might surprise everyone and shut that Yankee lineup down. The Yanks exploded in the 3rd, however, as they opened the inning with six straight hits, starting with Damon's little dribbler past the pitcher's mound. Jeter followed that up with a double, and Bobby Abreu brought both of them home with a double. Gary Sheffield then lined a single to right center, and was brought in by a Jason Giambi two-run homer to make it 5-0. A-Rod was the sixth and final Yankee to get a hit in that stretched but was stranded at first.
Chien-Ming Wang was rolling and had a shutout through four. Detroit then made it a game in the 5th inning with three runs. Craig Monroe led the inning off with a home run to straight away center. Brandon Inge later came up with a base hit with one out. The Tigers scored two more on back-to-back doubles by Placido Polanco and Sean Casey.
The Yankees started to pull away again in the 6th as Abreu knocked in Damon and Jeter with a base hit to make it 7-3. Curtis Granderson got one back for the Tigers in the 7th with a home run off of Mike Myers. Jeter took it right back in the 8th though by capping off his 5-5 night with a monster shot to centerfield to increase the Yankee lead to where it would stay, at 8-4. Mariano Rivera closed the game out with an uneventful ninth inning, allowing only a single to Granderson.
The final line for Wang was 3 runs on 8 hits and 4 strikeouts in 6 and 2/3. Curtis Granderson, who homered, was the only batter Mike Myers faced, so he's got that ugly looking early season/postseason E.R.A. of infinity. A lot of guys came through for the Yanks. Four Yankees had a multi-hit night and the only starter without a hit was Hideki Matsui. Abreu drove in four runs in his first postseason game since 1997 when he was a rookie with the Astros.
Well the one thing I'd have to say I enjoy most about postseason baseball as opposed to let's say the NBA Playoffs is that we don't have to wait four days for the next game. The two teams will be right back at it again tomorrow for a Game 2 showdown. The Tigers will put Mike Mussina to the test and the Yankees will get a look at Justin Verlander. Game starts at 8 E.T.
The game was rather quiet through the first two innings as it looked like Nate Robertson might surprise everyone and shut that Yankee lineup down. The Yanks exploded in the 3rd, however, as they opened the inning with six straight hits, starting with Damon's little dribbler past the pitcher's mound. Jeter followed that up with a double, and Bobby Abreu brought both of them home with a double. Gary Sheffield then lined a single to right center, and was brought in by a Jason Giambi two-run homer to make it 5-0. A-Rod was the sixth and final Yankee to get a hit in that stretched but was stranded at first.
Chien-Ming Wang was rolling and had a shutout through four. Detroit then made it a game in the 5th inning with three runs. Craig Monroe led the inning off with a home run to straight away center. Brandon Inge later came up with a base hit with one out. The Tigers scored two more on back-to-back doubles by Placido Polanco and Sean Casey.
The Yankees started to pull away again in the 6th as Abreu knocked in Damon and Jeter with a base hit to make it 7-3. Curtis Granderson got one back for the Tigers in the 7th with a home run off of Mike Myers. Jeter took it right back in the 8th though by capping off his 5-5 night with a monster shot to centerfield to increase the Yankee lead to where it would stay, at 8-4. Mariano Rivera closed the game out with an uneventful ninth inning, allowing only a single to Granderson.
The final line for Wang was 3 runs on 8 hits and 4 strikeouts in 6 and 2/3. Curtis Granderson, who homered, was the only batter Mike Myers faced, so he's got that ugly looking early season/postseason E.R.A. of infinity. A lot of guys came through for the Yanks. Four Yankees had a multi-hit night and the only starter without a hit was Hideki Matsui. Abreu drove in four runs in his first postseason game since 1997 when he was a rookie with the Astros.
Well the one thing I'd have to say I enjoy most about postseason baseball as opposed to let's say the NBA Playoffs is that we don't have to wait four days for the next game. The two teams will be right back at it again tomorrow for a Game 2 showdown. The Tigers will put Mike Mussina to the test and the Yankees will get a look at Justin Verlander. Game starts at 8 E.T.
10/03: In Other News...
Posted by: Jason
...a quote from Joe Girardi:
"I'll land on my feet," he said. "I talked to one of my mentors last night and I said, `I've never been fired before.' And he said, `Welcome to the club."'
Hmm, who do you think that mentor was? Someone with a penchant for Frank Sinatra and green tea, perhaps?
Just trying to get my mind off of tonight's game for a little while....
"I'll land on my feet," he said. "I talked to one of my mentors last night and I said, `I've never been fired before.' And he said, `Welcome to the club."'
Hmm, who do you think that mentor was? Someone with a penchant for Frank Sinatra and green tea, perhaps?
Just trying to get my mind off of tonight's game for a little while....
10/03: Does Anyone...
Posted by: Jason
...still want to argue with me about acquiring Barry Zito for next season? What a performance today...
P.S. The Big Hurt is 3-4 with two jacks...How does Kenny Williams feel right about now?
P.S. The Big Hurt is 3-4 with two jacks...How does Kenny Williams feel right about now?
Posted by: James
In addition to the great write-up that Seamus has done for our site, I was going to put up a link to many of the other division previews floating out there on the internet but Alex Belth over at the great Bronx Banter beat me to it.
Whew!
Update: Not really a DS preview but Jayson Stark has a "Why The Yankees Will Win the World Series" article up that's worth a read.
Now, I don't know if you guys can tell but boy am I keyed up today! It's only 9:45 in the AM and I have no idea how I'm going to make it through work, interviewing a couple of people and then a dinner out like this.
I'm not much for predictions and previews myself, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out what heads are saying about the Yankees-Tigers match-up in the ALCS. Dig the linkathon:
Tyler Kepner, Steven Goldman, Joel Sherman, John Donovan, Dayn Perry, David Pinto, Rany Jazayerli, SG, ESPN, Mitch Albom, Mike Plugh, Sam Borden, Ben Kabak, Don Amore, Steve Lombardi, and Brian Borawski.
Tyler Kepner, Steven Goldman, Joel Sherman, John Donovan, Dayn Perry, David Pinto, Rany Jazayerli, SG, ESPN, Mitch Albom, Mike Plugh, Sam Borden, Ben Kabak, Don Amore, Steve Lombardi, and Brian Borawski.
Whew!
Update: Not really a DS preview but Jayson Stark has a "Why The Yankees Will Win the World Series" article up that's worth a read.
Now, I don't know if you guys can tell but boy am I keyed up today! It's only 9:45 in the AM and I have no idea how I'm going to make it through work, interviewing a couple of people and then a dinner out like this.
10/03: Batting 9th
Posted by: James
Robbie Cano, who has just won the September Player of the Month award, is batting ninth. Is everyone else as giddy about this line-up as I am? Yes, I know the games are played on the field and not on paper...but come on, reading the following about the 23-year old batting ninth has got to put a grin on your face if you are a Yankee fan.
Robinson Cano has maintained that he wasn't concerned about being the best hitter in baseball, he was just happy to be able to contribute. That didn't stop the Yankees' second baseman from turning on the heat in September, batting .373 (41-for-110) to win American League Player of the Month accolades. ...
On Sept. 11, Cano hit a three-run double during a 9-6 victory over Baltimore that put the Yankees 30 games over .500 for the first time in the season. He then drove in three runs on Sept. 14 to help New York finish a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, which pushed it to the cusp of an AL East championship. Through it all, the sophomore remained cool and calm, refusing to read too much into his success.
On Sept. 11, Cano hit a three-run double during a 9-6 victory over Baltimore that put the Yankees 30 games over .500 for the first time in the season. He then drove in three runs on Sept. 14 to help New York finish a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, which pushed it to the cusp of an AL East championship. Through it all, the sophomore remained cool and calm, refusing to read too much into his success.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees will be taking on the Detroit Tigers starting tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium for what will be the Tigers' first postseason appearance since 1987. It will be the first ever postseason series between these two teams, and the Tigers will be looking to win their first series since their victory in the 1984 Fall Classic. The Yankees have a 5-2 head to head advantage over Detroit this season.
This series, more than any of the other three first-round matchups, features two teams at opposite ends of the momentum spectrum. The Yankees are coming off probably one of their best regular seasons in the Joe Torre era, considering all the injuries and the contributions from some of their young players. Heck, it was probably one of their best seasons even without all that. The Yanks hung around early despite the loss of Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui thanks to the play of some of their young blood, meaning guys like Melky Cabrera, Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano. As the Yankees got more healthy as the second half went on, they torched the rest of the A.L. East and won the division by 10 games over Toronto. Detroit, on the other hand, led the A.L. Central by 10 games on August 7 and then went through a total collapse. They still had a chance to wrap up the division during the last week of the season, but lost two in a row to the Royals and had to settle for their first wild card berth. Here's a look at some of the matchups:
This series, more than any of the other three first-round matchups, features two teams at opposite ends of the momentum spectrum. The Yankees are coming off probably one of their best regular seasons in the Joe Torre era, considering all the injuries and the contributions from some of their young players. Heck, it was probably one of their best seasons even without all that. The Yanks hung around early despite the loss of Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui thanks to the play of some of their young blood, meaning guys like Melky Cabrera, Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano. As the Yankees got more healthy as the second half went on, they torched the rest of the A.L. East and won the division by 10 games over Toronto. Detroit, on the other hand, led the A.L. Central by 10 games on August 7 and then went through a total collapse. They still had a chance to wrap up the division during the last week of the season, but lost two in a row to the Royals and had to settle for their first wild card berth. Here's a look at some of the matchups:
Posted by: Patrick
From Yankees.com:
(I think the article reads too much into Torre's comments, "going into" is like saying "we'd like to."). Anyway, we all know (and Torre knows it, too, of course) that when it's really on the line, that goes out the window.
Mariano Rivera's role in this postseason? He will be Torre's ninth-inning guy, pure and simple.
"Yeah, we're going into to the postseason with Mariano being a ninth-inning pitcher," Torre said. "We feel we have enough support leading up to him to be able to do this." ...
Don't expect Rivera to be called on in the eighth inning as he has in so many instances during October. Don't expect him to turn in the type of three-inning masterpiece that occurred in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox.
"Yeah, we're going into to the postseason with Mariano being a ninth-inning pitcher," Torre said. "We feel we have enough support leading up to him to be able to do this." ...
Don't expect Rivera to be called on in the eighth inning as he has in so many instances during October. Don't expect him to turn in the type of three-inning masterpiece that occurred in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox.
(I think the article reads too much into Torre's comments, "going into" is like saying "we'd like to."). Anyway, we all know (and Torre knows it, too, of course) that when it's really on the line, that goes out the window.
10/02: Unit Prepping for Friday
Posted by: Patrick
According to the official site:
Asked if he felt he'd be good to go for Game 3, Johnson nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm going to throw on the side on Wednesday."
Though Wednesday's bullpen session will be the final hurdle, the Yankees plan on the Big Unit taking the ball when the series shifts to Detroit.
"Randy did work in the weight room today," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "He will play a little catch [Tuesday]. He's on the roster. We anticipate he's going to pitch on Friday. Again, I mean is he going to be, you know, as healthy as he's ever been? Probably not. But is he going to be healthy enough to pitch? We feel he will be."
Though Wednesday's bullpen session will be the final hurdle, the Yankees plan on the Big Unit taking the ball when the series shifts to Detroit.
"Randy did work in the weight room today," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "He will play a little catch [Tuesday]. He's on the roster. We anticipate he's going to pitch on Friday. Again, I mean is he going to be, you know, as healthy as he's ever been? Probably not. But is he going to be healthy enough to pitch? We feel he will be."
