Game 35: Wang after a loss

by 46 Comments

A-Rod on the mend
No use for a (post) name

Chien-Ming Wang gets another start following a Yankees loss, a situation in which the team is 27-7 in the last 34 tries. He struck out nine last time against the Indians. Here’s to hoping he has them just as off kilter tonight.

Despite his beautiful opposite-field double last night, Jason Giambi sits against lefty Cliff Lee. It’s not so much that Lee is 5-0 with an ERA under 1.00. It’s that lefties are 5 for 41 against him this season. Damon, Abreu, Matsui, and Cano all get the nod, though.

Our cleanup hitter, once again, is on the interstate. Yes, it’s a terribly small sample size — 27 plate appearances — but Shelley has just one extra base hit all season. I understand the desire to split up the lefties in the lineup. But at this point — and no one ever thought I’d say this — you’re better off moving Melky into that spot.

Your lineup:

1. Johnny Damon, LF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Shelley Duncan, 1B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Melky Cabrera, CF
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Morgan Ensberg, 3B
9. Jose Molina, C

And on the mound, number forty, Chien-Ming Wang

A-Rod on the mend
No use for a (post) name
  • barry

    Shelley will dominate tonight.

  • RustyJohn

    Would agree whole-heartidly. No way that Duncan should be batting clean-up. And of all the candidates to bat cleanup, Melky would be the man. Maybe we’ll be lucky and Shelly will have a breakout game…or he’ll go 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph P.

      If I’m filling out the lineup card, I’m still putting Matsui at cleanup. But if the intention is to split up the lefties, yeah, Melky is the best of the available candidates.

      • KW

        yeah I agree. Funny how Shelley was in the minors maybe 2 weeks ago and is now batting cleanup for the 26 time WS champs! Times change eh?

  • Manimal

    Did you suggest Melky in the 4 spot. What a month makes, ehh?

  • Manimal

  • My Pet Goat

    Kay talking about WHIP? Big with roto guys and scouts? Boy, a little information in the wrong hands…

  • Charles

    Man, Wang’s having a hard time throwing strikes so far.

  • http://riveraveblues.com Ben K.

    Wang’s a little off his game tonight. It’ll be interesting to see how he adopts tonight to having less than stellar stuff.

  • Manimal

    Wang is struggling and the yankees are rushing to get him back out there. Great job yanks.

  • Manimal

    hahahaha everyone just owned themselves, back to back strikeouts.

  • Mac

    I like this new strike-out Wang. He’s kickass.

  • http://riveraveblues.com Ben K.

    The offense is really making Lee work hard. 33 pitches through three innings.

  • Joey

    got confused for a second, I thought Godzilla was injured and on the 60 day DL, then I realized it was on my MLB 08 The Show game. I’ve been playing it way too much lately

  • Joey

    shit, come on Molina, stop being a pussy, block the damn plate. On a quick sidenote, this could actually be an enjoyable game on ESPN- no Morgan. Plus Buck seems pretty good so far, no complaints

  • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

    Cliff Lee looks oustanding. Keeping guys off balance, always ahead in the count, being efficient with this pitches. Impressive.

    • barry

      He’s a fantasy dream come true for me, too bad it’s against the Yankees tonight.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

        Same here. My best pitcher at the start of the year was Ian Snell, so getting Lee as a FA was a godsend.

        • Mike R.

          Isn’t there some sort of rule against pitching like that? It’s not fair. It just isn’t.

  • RichYF

    Preface: I was a huge endorser of Ensberg at the beginning of the season.

    Is the Morgan Ensberg project over yet?

    • Joey

      I want the former Attorney General back!!! At least he has some defense and speed on the bases

    • A.D.

      I was actually about to ask the same thing, why is Ensberg still on this team? He’s not hitting and has no range at 3rd, I’d rather see Betemit or AG getting the at bats

  • Joey

    Robbie finally gets a hit and Ensberg and Molina can’t do shit… nice offense boys

  • dan

    Mike, I’m all for going after hitting in fantasy, but Ian Snell? I just dropped him a few days ago, and he was your #1 going into the season?

    • A.D.

      Ian Snell, definity a stretch… and pitching wins fantasy, else you can always trade it for bats.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

        Word. This year I tried an all offense strategy. I grabbed all hitters early, and used my last 8 draft picks on arms.

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      Yep. I’ve managed to grab Lee, Billingsley and Lincecum too fortify the SP situation though. Plus Harden’s coming back soon, so that should be another 2 or 3 great starts before he’s hurt again.

      • claybeez

        To grab Lincecum? Through trade I hope. If not, well….

        • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

          Yeah, via trade. Randy Wolf-Markakis-Weeks for Lincecum-Ellsbury-Keppinger. Had enough OFers to deal off Markakis, Weeks was on my bench because of Brandon Phillips, and I needed someone to play 3B while A-Rod was out, plus I can slide Kepp over to SS to rid myself of Khalil Greene once A-Rod’s back.

          It basically boils down to Markakis for Lincecum.

  • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

    Fuck the heck, where is everyone?

    • A.D.

      They fell asleep watching the Yankee offense

      • http://everythingbaseball.wordpress.com Aaron

        Agreed. The only bright spot of this game has been Molina’s defense.

    • avi404

      A yankee-hater friend of mine is at the stadium and says that he is absolutely loving it. Yankee fans around him have the “what can you do for me” attitude and don’t stand up and cheer till we are in scoring position and go absolutely dead once outs are made.

      Just seems like we are not getting the hits when we really need it – it is painful to watch considering that the bosox are already >4 games ahead and have 6-8 comeback wins this year.

      • A.D.

        I mean nothing kills compared to not scoring, obviously hit a guy thats been dealing in Lee, but they’ve let way too many pitchers off the hook this year, hell just on this homestand, they essentially had and oppertunity to go up big early against Carmona and all 3 tigers startes, and instead lost all 3 games.

        Offensively something has to change with this offense just failing to get hits, hopefully they can get something done this weekend, and ARod gives them a boost next week. Outside of the Seattle series the offense has been ugly.

        • avi404

          There are many ways to look at this but we have just not been able to have the tought at bats and string hits when we are behind, especially after the 5th inning.

          Hopefully we can make a game of it here in the 9th inning.

  • A.D.

    Tabata another hit today and White looks like he should be getting the call-up

  • avi404

    I hope Alby keeps it where it is – I can feel a comeback is right around the corner.

    • A.D.

      Miracle double play, hope you’re right

    • Newman

      Are you basing your comeback theory on their 0-15 record when trailing after 8? Seems to bode well

      • A.D.

        Best case they tease a comeback and come up short

      • avi404

        Not really – no theory here. Just hope. You can take everything away but not hope.

  • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

    Hava Molina!

  • avi404

    I just want to go to the mound and tip Betancourt over once he gets on one leg and is literally trembling…

  • http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.

    the only bright spot was Molina’s defense. i just dont get how Lee pitched so well. this offense sorely misses A & Po.

  • chris

    this offense want doing too well before arod and posada went down.

    i was all for resigning jorge and i know its tiny sample size, but i am beginning to regret the decision to keep him. i would rather have molina out there everyday and use that money to grab another big name free agent. to fix this team they are going to need two bats – on with speed and one with power, or two with power provided they arent slow as shit and a star pitcher.

    with joge’s salary on the books, i dont see that happenning now.

    face the facts – this team is not built to contend for a championship which is amazing considering their payroll. dollar for dolla this may be the worst put together team since the Mets team that was dubbed the worst team money can buy. I know its early, but I have no confidence in the starters or the offense. Ironic that the team’s best aspect is the bullpen – the weakest link though the crumbling of the empire.

    I really want to see the as many kids as possible out there – at least then the losses wont hurt as bad because i will have fun watching the kids develop