Posted by: Patrick
Phil Hughes started for the Bombers and lasted only three innings. He started the bottom of the fourth, but after a single, two stolen bases and another single that led to an RBI, he was pulled. At that point, he had already thrown 87 pitches, despite having only retired 9 batters. He finished with 3 earned runs, 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. Ross Ohlendorf relieved him and threw 3 innings of his own, allowing 2 earned runs. After him, Billy Traber and LaTroy Hawkins each threw a scoreless frame.
The Yankees offense was held to just 2 runs, both of which came in the second inning, thanks to a Wilson Betemit RBI single and a Johnny Damon bases loaded walk. In the other eight innings, the team put together just 5 hits and 2 walks. Damon, Cano, Abreu, Matsui, Posada, Betemit and Melky collected hits. Damon had the best day of them all, adding 2 walks and an RBI to his single. A-Rod had a particularly rough day, going 0 for 4 and striking out all 4 times. This is just the fourth time that it's happened to the Yankee third baseman.
A frustrating game in all. Tomorrow night, at 8:10 PM ET, we'll get Ian Kennedy (0-1, 23.14) against Zack Greinke (1-0, 1.29).
The Yankees offense was held to just 2 runs, both of which came in the second inning, thanks to a Wilson Betemit RBI single and a Johnny Damon bases loaded walk. In the other eight innings, the team put together just 5 hits and 2 walks. Damon, Cano, Abreu, Matsui, Posada, Betemit and Melky collected hits. Damon had the best day of them all, adding 2 walks and an RBI to his single. A-Rod had a particularly rough day, going 0 for 4 and striking out all 4 times. This is just the fourth time that it's happened to the Yankee third baseman.
A frustrating game in all. Tomorrow night, at 8:10 PM ET, we'll get Ian Kennedy (0-1, 23.14) against Zack Greinke (1-0, 1.29).
Posted by: Patrick
Joe Girardi says that Derek Jeter is likely to be held out until after least Friday, when the Yankees' series with the Red Sox begins. Wilson Betemit will be the man for now, but Girardi did say that if looks like Jeter will be out for a week or more, they may make a call to the minors, peraps for Alberto Gonzalez.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees' bats finally came through Monday night, and Mike Mussina was lights out for six innings as the Yankees beat Tampa Bay by a score of 6-1 to earn a split in their wrap-around four-game set. Bobby Abreu was the star of the show, going 3-3 with a two-run shot and three runs scored, and finished the game only a double short of the cycle.
Abreu's home run in the first put the Yankees up 2-0. Back-to-back RBI singles by A-Rod and Matsui in the 6th and by Matsui and Cano in the 7th put the Bombers up 4-1 and 6-1, respectively. Johnny Damon added two hits, as well.
Aside from a home run by Jonny Gomes in the third, the Rays couldn't get anything going against Mike Mussina. After a somewhat shaky first start, Mussina shut down what may actually turn out to be a very potent Rays' offense, leaving the game with a line of just 2 hits and an earned run in 6 innings. The bullpen got it done once again as Brian Bruney and (GASP!) Kyle Farnsworth each threw hitless innings (Bruney hit a batter). Latroy Hawkins struggled a bit in the 9th, but got out of the inning without any damage done.
The one negative to come out of this game was when Derek Jeter left the game before the 3rd inning do to what the announcers said was a strained quadricep. Joe Girardi said after the game that Jeter won't be in the lineup for today's game in Kansas City, but Jeter says he hopefully won't be out too long.
The Yankees will be in Kansas City this afternoon for the Royals' home opener. Kansas City is surprisingly off to a pretty good start, going 4-2 in their opening road trip, including a sweep of the Tigers in Detroit. Phil Hughes will be going up against Brian Bannister in a battle of two young right-handers. Game starts at 4:10 E.T.
Abreu's home run in the first put the Yankees up 2-0. Back-to-back RBI singles by A-Rod and Matsui in the 6th and by Matsui and Cano in the 7th put the Bombers up 4-1 and 6-1, respectively. Johnny Damon added two hits, as well.
Aside from a home run by Jonny Gomes in the third, the Rays couldn't get anything going against Mike Mussina. After a somewhat shaky first start, Mussina shut down what may actually turn out to be a very potent Rays' offense, leaving the game with a line of just 2 hits and an earned run in 6 innings. The bullpen got it done once again as Brian Bruney and (GASP!) Kyle Farnsworth each threw hitless innings (Bruney hit a batter). Latroy Hawkins struggled a bit in the 9th, but got out of the inning without any damage done.
The one negative to come out of this game was when Derek Jeter left the game before the 3rd inning do to what the announcers said was a strained quadricep. Joe Girardi said after the game that Jeter won't be in the lineup for today's game in Kansas City, but Jeter says he hopefully won't be out too long.
The Yankees will be in Kansas City this afternoon for the Royals' home opener. Kansas City is surprisingly off to a pretty good start, going 4-2 in their opening road trip, including a sweep of the Tigers in Detroit. Phil Hughes will be going up against Brian Bannister in a battle of two young right-handers. Game starts at 4:10 E.T.
04/07: Yankees vs. the Rays; 4/6/08
Posted by: James
aka Hideki Matsui 2, Rays 0. Heck of a game today as the Yankees ended up getting their first win against the Rays with a 2-0 victory.
All the offense in the game came in the bottom of the fourth when Hideki followed an A-Rod double with a blast to right. Matsui went 3-4 and Robbie Cano got 2 hits but the Yankee offense did end leaving 8 guys on base for the game.
Obi-Wang went 6 very strong innings (taking a no-hitter into the fifth), giving up no runs on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6 (his second highest total ever - he hit 8 once last year but hadn't gone over 5 in any other start).
Wang did get into trouble in the 7th when Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske both singled, setting up first and third to start off the inning. Joe Girardi brought in Joba (where he could best be leveraged) and he did not disappoint. Facing Willy Aybar, Joba unleashed a curve, a 100 mph fastball (per the stadium gun) and a slider and sat Willy down for the first out. The Yankees then got out of the inning with no harm done when the next batter, Shawn Riggins, lined a shot that Robbie Cano picked out of the air and snapped a throw to first to get the double play.
In other news, Boston got swept up in Toronto...yes, it's early but doesn't it seem as if the other teams in the AL East are making an statement that they aren't going to be pushovers this year? It should be an interesting season...
All the offense in the game came in the bottom of the fourth when Hideki followed an A-Rod double with a blast to right. Matsui went 3-4 and Robbie Cano got 2 hits but the Yankee offense did end leaving 8 guys on base for the game.
Obi-Wang went 6 very strong innings (taking a no-hitter into the fifth), giving up no runs on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6 (his second highest total ever - he hit 8 once last year but hadn't gone over 5 in any other start).
Wang did get into trouble in the 7th when Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske both singled, setting up first and third to start off the inning. Joe Girardi brought in Joba (where he could best be leveraged) and he did not disappoint. Facing Willy Aybar, Joba unleashed a curve, a 100 mph fastball (per the stadium gun) and a slider and sat Willy down for the first out. The Yankees then got out of the inning with no harm done when the next batter, Shawn Riggins, lined a shot that Robbie Cano picked out of the air and snapped a throw to first to get the double play.
In other news, Boston got swept up in Toronto...yes, it's early but doesn't it seem as if the other teams in the AL East are making an statement that they aren't going to be pushovers this year? It should be an interesting season...
04/06: Giambi: "Day to Day"
Posted by: Patrick
According to Joe Girardi, Jason Giambi is day to day with a sore left groin. Though, he notes, Giambi is there if needed.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees struggled to put runs on the board again, and Andy Pettitte labored a bit in his 2008 debut as the Yankees fell to the Rays by a score of 6-3 for their second consecutive loss.
Pettitte looked okay in the first couple innings but he struggled in the third, allowing two runs. In the 5th inning he allowed a 3-run home run to Jonny Gomes which put Tampa Bay ahead by a score of 5-1. The final line for Pettitte was similar to Mussina's the other day, 3 ER on 8 hits in 5 innings pitched.
Aside from an RBI double by A-Rod and a two-run single in the 8th by Posada, there wasn't really much offense generated by the Yankees. Rodriguez and Posada had two hits apiece.
The thing here is, the Yankees have actually run into some darn good pitching these first five games. You would think that you see Tampa and can assume you're just going to knock everyone around, but Sonnanstine owns the Yankees for whatever reason and Edwin Jackson had some really good stuff yesterday.
The Yanks and Rays will go back at it in the third game of a four-game set today at 1:05 E.T. as Chien-Ming Wang will be making his second start against the up-and-coming James Shields.
Pettitte looked okay in the first couple innings but he struggled in the third, allowing two runs. In the 5th inning he allowed a 3-run home run to Jonny Gomes which put Tampa Bay ahead by a score of 5-1. The final line for Pettitte was similar to Mussina's the other day, 3 ER on 8 hits in 5 innings pitched.
Aside from an RBI double by A-Rod and a two-run single in the 8th by Posada, there wasn't really much offense generated by the Yankees. Rodriguez and Posada had two hits apiece.
The thing here is, the Yankees have actually run into some darn good pitching these first five games. You would think that you see Tampa and can assume you're just going to knock everyone around, but Sonnanstine owns the Yankees for whatever reason and Edwin Jackson had some really good stuff yesterday.
The Yanks and Rays will go back at it in the third game of a four-game set today at 1:05 E.T. as Chien-Ming Wang will be making his second start against the up-and-coming James Shields.
Posted by: Patrick
Our next victim is Derek Jacques of The Weblog That Derek Built.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Writing, mostly. I write about baseball (not specifically the Yanks, like on my blog or in the Bombers Broadside annual) at the Baseball Prospectus website, where I do columns about statistics and legal issues, and in books like the Baseball Prospectus annual. My wife and I also run an editorial services company as our "day jobs," so there's more writing there. Some evenings, when I'm not writing, you can find me shooting pool downtown.
This may be obvious, but I wanted to ask anyway: Can you explain why you named your blog "The Weblog That Derek Built" and how you arrived at that title?
I was originally going to call it simply the Derek Jacques Weblog, but when I mocked up a page using that title, it looked too much like Aaron Gleeman's old blog design for comfort. At the time, plans for the new Yankee Stadium had been in the news, and I'd joked among friends that a new Yankee Stadium would be the House That Derek Jeter Built - so I appropriated that double meaning for my blog.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Writing, mostly. I write about baseball (not specifically the Yanks, like on my blog or in the Bombers Broadside annual) at the Baseball Prospectus website, where I do columns about statistics and legal issues, and in books like the Baseball Prospectus annual. My wife and I also run an editorial services company as our "day jobs," so there's more writing there. Some evenings, when I'm not writing, you can find me shooting pool downtown.
This may be obvious, but I wanted to ask anyway: Can you explain why you named your blog "The Weblog That Derek Built" and how you arrived at that title?
I was originally going to call it simply the Derek Jacques Weblog, but when I mocked up a page using that title, it looked too much like Aaron Gleeman's old blog design for comfort. At the time, plans for the new Yankee Stadium had been in the news, and I'd joked among friends that a new Yankee Stadium would be the House That Derek Jeter Built - so I appropriated that double meaning for my blog.
Posted by: Patrick
Ian Kennedy's first start of the regular season was one that I'm sure he'd like to forget. In the first, he allowed a run on a two out RBI single by Cliff Floryd. But, he'd get out of the inning without further damage. After a 1-2-3 second inning, he struggled big time in the third.
After a single, he made Carl Crawford ground out. But, after a wild pitch and a walk, it was first and third with one out. B.J. Upton singled home a runner and then Kennedy walked Cliff Floyd to load them up. Shawn Riggans ended Kennedy's day with a three RBI double. Kennedy's line: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
Jonathan Albaladejo got the call. After an RBI doubled, he retired the next two batters to end the bleeding. Albaladejo pitched very well, after that, throwing back to back 1-2-3 frames before being relieved by Ohlendorf to start the sixth.
The Yanks answered back with a four spot in the bottom half of the third, highlighted by a Matsui solo homer, a Derek Jeter RBI triple, a Bobby Abreu RBI ground out and a Jason Giambi RBI double. After 3, it was 6-4, Rays. For the fourth through seventh innings, the teams would exchange goose eggs, making it 6-4 heading to the top of the 8th.
Ohlendorf worked a scoreless sixth and Billy Traber did the same in the seventh. But, you can only call on so many relievers before something bad happens. LaTroy Hawkins was called to pitch the 8th. He retired B.J. Upton, but allowed a solo shot to Cliff Floyd to make it 7-4, Rays. However, he then retired Riggans to make it two outs, with no runners on. Unfortunately, he just couldn't get that final out.
He allowed a double, then a single, then a stolen base, then a single that scored two runs, then a single and, finally, a single that scored another run. When he left, it was 10-4 with runners on 1st and 2nd base. Kyle Farnsworth did nothing to stop the run, giving up a three run homer to Carlos Pena, the first hitter he saw. After B.J. Upton, the batter who started the inning with a ground out, singled; Farnsworth retired Cliff Floyd to end the seven run 8th.
And, that's pretty much how it ended. Farnsworth pitched a scoreless ninth. The Yankees bats got six hits all day (all off of Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine, who pitched six innings) and didn't even make a peep once the Rays got into their bullpen. Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez, Giambi, Matsui and Molina (in for Posada, who missed his second consecutive game) all collected hits.
Andy Pettitte makes his debut tomorrow against Edwin Jackson at 1:05 ET.
After a single, he made Carl Crawford ground out. But, after a wild pitch and a walk, it was first and third with one out. B.J. Upton singled home a runner and then Kennedy walked Cliff Floyd to load them up. Shawn Riggans ended Kennedy's day with a three RBI double. Kennedy's line: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
Jonathan Albaladejo got the call. After an RBI doubled, he retired the next two batters to end the bleeding. Albaladejo pitched very well, after that, throwing back to back 1-2-3 frames before being relieved by Ohlendorf to start the sixth.
The Yanks answered back with a four spot in the bottom half of the third, highlighted by a Matsui solo homer, a Derek Jeter RBI triple, a Bobby Abreu RBI ground out and a Jason Giambi RBI double. After 3, it was 6-4, Rays. For the fourth through seventh innings, the teams would exchange goose eggs, making it 6-4 heading to the top of the 8th.
Ohlendorf worked a scoreless sixth and Billy Traber did the same in the seventh. But, you can only call on so many relievers before something bad happens. LaTroy Hawkins was called to pitch the 8th. He retired B.J. Upton, but allowed a solo shot to Cliff Floyd to make it 7-4, Rays. However, he then retired Riggans to make it two outs, with no runners on. Unfortunately, he just couldn't get that final out.
He allowed a double, then a single, then a stolen base, then a single that scored two runs, then a single and, finally, a single that scored another run. When he left, it was 10-4 with runners on 1st and 2nd base. Kyle Farnsworth did nothing to stop the run, giving up a three run homer to Carlos Pena, the first hitter he saw. After B.J. Upton, the batter who started the inning with a ground out, singled; Farnsworth retired Cliff Floyd to end the seven run 8th.
And, that's pretty much how it ended. Farnsworth pitched a scoreless ninth. The Yankees bats got six hits all day (all off of Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine, who pitched six innings) and didn't even make a peep once the Rays got into their bullpen. Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez, Giambi, Matsui and Molina (in for Posada, who missed his second consecutive game) all collected hits.
Andy Pettitte makes his debut tomorrow against Edwin Jackson at 1:05 ET.
Posted by: Patrick
USA Today is in search of the greatest Yankee team of all-time. They took each of the Yankees 26 World Series title winning team and broke them up into two divisions. They had APBA Baseball run a simulation of an entire season. The 1998 Yankees and 1938 Yankees ended up winning the pennants.
Beginning on April 11, they'll be running a 7 game series to determine the champion. They'll be one game played every Friday until one of the teams wins a total of four games.
Beginning on April 11, they'll be running a 7 game series to determine the champion. They'll be one game played every Friday until one of the teams wins a total of four games.
Posted by: Patrick
Joe Girardi will miss tonight's game due to an "upper respiratory infection". He has a high fever and has been resting, placed in a mock quarantine, of sorts. Hopefully, he'll be feeling better soon.
