Game 70: One more for the road
ByAfter Mike Mussina’s victory last night, the Yanks find themselves at 36-33, three games over .500 for the first time since last September. They’re also once again ahead of their 2007 pace when they were 35-34 through 69 games, 10 games out of first and six out of the Wild Card.
Today, they’ll go for their fifth win in six road games, and an another solid outing from Chien-Ming Wang would do wonders for this team. Last week in Oakland, Wang won for the first time since the start of May and looked much better than he had recently. Check out his front shoulder and the movement on his sinker early on. If that all looks good, the Yanks should be set.
The Astros are countering with Roy Oswalt, their ace in name only. For years, Oswalt has been one of the premier pitchers in the National League, but he has struggled mightily this year. He’s 5-6 with a 5.06 ERA, a mark nearly two runs higher than his career ERA. He’s allowed 15 more hits than innings pitched this year and has already surrendered 17 long balls.
On the offensive side of things, Melky Cabrera is making his 2008 right field debut. He’s played 13 games there throughout his big league career. The slumping Bobby Abreu — 4 for his last 18 — gets the day off.
Game time is 2:05 p.m.
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Matsui LF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera RF
Wang P
Game Notes: PeteAbe notes that the last six Yankee games have all been under the three-hour mark. This is the first time in recent memory I can recall that happening.
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wow, arod crushed that ball. Bourn had him played perfectly
Nice DP, nice to see vintage Wang
Looks like we’re getting vintage Oswalt too.
Yeah, not what I was hoping for
Oi, that changeup to Cano was filthy. No fault of Robbie’s right there, Oswalt threw a great pitch.
You have to score this run. You just have to.
striking out theside. ouch babe.
Can’t blame Cano, but Melky got clowned.
I’m sorry to say that after Posada walked and I realized we had Melky, Robbie and Wang coming up, I had a strong suspicion were not going to score.
Nice inning for the Wangster.
I mean he’s called that a ball several times already
Wearin’ him out. Looks like the Yankees of old.
You beat me to that comment by 3 seconds.
Oswalt at 66 pitches and he hasn’t even finished the 3rd.
I know Cano drove in two with that single, but come one man, he just walked three straight batters and YOU SWUNG AT THE FIRST PITCH!!!
better lucky than good
Haha, thinking the same thing. You KNEW he was coming out swinging.
Its not as if he has been missing by a mile and its clear that they are picking up on his breaking stuff and laying off because he cant throw it for a strike. Plus they do say when a guy has walked in a run he is likely to start the next guy with a get me over strike and knowing Oswalt’s control I dont think its that awful. And lets be honest waiting for Robbie to take pitches is not a reality, he has spent the first three years of his career hacking and has .315 average. Im skeptical whether he could really change now.
Def should be able to knock Oswalt out early and get to the pen
Hey Mike A. you think Posada a HOFer?
I say no. I think another 2 or 3 good years, say .275-.375.475, and he’d be a candidate.
Hopefully he gives us 4 more years of that kind of production
I hope you are taking in account that he’s a catcher and has been one of the best catchers in baseball history inconcern with OBP and BB’s.
I use to think he wasn’t but more and more, I shading towards that.
Meanwhile, Wang is at 27 pitches after two. Let’s hope he can maintain his pitch economy.
Hey, do we know why Berkman isn’t in the lineup today? Count your blessings…
It’s funny whe Pettitte was saying happy father’s day and saying thanks for this and that, I was thinking in the back of my mind like imagine pettitte said thanks dad for giving me those steriods.
Come on wang, can’t give up a hit to the pitcher.
Oh by the way, does cano has range for days.
Any Yankees draftees in the college world series today?
Nay. The only two are Bleich and Rye, and they’re both off today.
Wow, upset city this year. Florida State lost, Miami lost, Rice is getting creamed by Fresno State…
Rice is getting murdered
Darin Erstad has a made a career out of getting hits like that.
Great Play by A-Rod.
Wow, what a play by A-Rod.
Wang is really throwing that slider a lot to the righties today. I wonder if he just really has a feel for it today or the sinker isn’t sinking like he wants. That will be moot though if we can pull it together against Oswalt here and knock him out early
Wow, it helps having 5 tools
Hell of a play by A-Rod, Kay went a little overboard on the commentary into the commerical
kay goes overboard alot.
Wang is pretty tall, you dont notice when hes on a mound but next to the catcher and ump hes pretty tall.
he’s 6’3”
the reds suck they are losing 9-0, good thing we are playing them.
I sure hope we get a crack at Homer Bailey. He must be hurt, he was only throwing 89-90 today and his curve was big and loopy. He usually throws 95-97 without breaking a sweat.
Either two things has happen, either he’s hurt or they made a slight change in his mechanics.
Chances are he’s gonna pitch against the yankees because unless they skip him or send him down he’s slated to start against the yanks.
Mike mussina second most wins in baseball since 01. surprise.
“Bourne was all over him like a cheap suit.” You gotta love Kenny Singleton.
I’m hesitant to say it, but given the way Wang has pitched the last two games, Do we have the makings of a decent roation? Wang, Mussina, Chamberlin, Pettite, and Rasner (or Hughes/Kennedy)
Way to jinx it. Jerk.
(I’m kidding. Sort of)
What’s the use. Let Cano swing at everything. They’ll start dropping in eventually.
Yikes, Wang on the basepaths
Fucking NL.
what the hell was Wang doing?
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.
This is just great
FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKK
Bitch ass NL
OOOOOHHHH SHHHHIIIITTTTT!!!!
why would anyone actually want this?
Stupid fucking NL. Who the hell wants to watch a pitcher bat, seriously.
good god… let’s hope it’s nothing too serious. he could have sprained something.
So I’m gonna attempt to make some fun of this situation. Say Wang can’t make his next start, who does? Karstens, McCutchen, Igawa, Giese, someone else?
Karstens maybe?
IPK should be ready soon. They can’t even take advantage of the off day to finagle the rotation a bit. I’m assuming Giese will start one of the doubleheader games against the Mets.
11-0 isn’t supposed to feel bad…
well the hitters are certainly pissed about this.
none of this would have happened if wang had just been able to get a sac bunt down
WTF? Why doesn’t Girardi bring in Giese? He hasn’t pitched in 7 games…
They must really not like Ohlendorf.
Maybe they figure Giese just found a spot in the rotation, though it seems like he could get some work in after not having pitched in so long
Man, I guess they don’t think much of him after all.
What the hell happened?
Wang pulled up lame and limped off the field after scoring from second on a single. Looks like a hammy or quad.
Pete Abe is saying its his foot
Right foot injury – hopefully just a sprain?
Michael Kay just did not say it’s “Abercrombie and Switch.” We deserve better as Yankees’ fans.
American League teams that have pitchers that aren’t used to hitting should just go 8-1 and take the out. What the hell does it matter? If they need the #9 hitter then fine pinch hit. Otherwise just take the out. Not like Wang is going to hit anyway. Let Moose or Joba or whoever wants to hit hit, but if they’re not used to it don’t waste time. Sigh.
A-Jax three homers in 3 days…
WTF? Why not Giese?
Or Hawkins, didn’t Ramirez pitch yesterday?
Giese is too good for a 11-0 game. Let Olhendorf get his era down.
Everytime Olhendorf pitches more than one he struggles
Melky and Kennedy for CC!!!!!
I just had an idea. Would Kei Igawa make sense for a start vs the reds? First of all they suck(when volquez doesnt start) and a mediocre start would bring up his trade value drastically.
I’d prefer if they keep Kei Igawa as far away from a ML mound as possible. I’d rather take my chances with Giese.
have giese come in if igawa begins to suck.
Igawa shouldn’t be starting, and probably in reality teams won’t take one start as him turning a corner
Some instant analysis for you on Wang.
I’m gonna try to say this with a straightface (keep in mind I think you guys do a wonderful job) are you joking? “Not conditioned to run the bases” Everyone is conditioned to run the bases it’s part of passing gym classes that you can run a mile. The fattest of fat people can fun the 90 feet to each base. If he can’t he doesn’t deserve to be called an athlete.
It’s a different beast during a game when the adrenaline takes over and one is sprinting around the bases. Sure, someone can 90 feet a time, but it’s a different kind of running. That’s why teams in practice do base-running drills. It’s not just for conditioning, but it’s for learning how to run the bases.
Ben, I hear what your saying, but for the love of God is this what our society has deterioarated into? Where an athlete, which that man is, can’t run without getting injured. It’s a fluke nothing more, nothing less.
I agreed with you. ML baseball players should be able to run the bases with no problem. This was just a freak thing. It happens.
I also don’t mean “conditioned” in the “in shape” sense of the word. They don’t train to run the bases with the same intensity as NL pitchers do.
But yes, freak things happen too.
PeteAbe is speculating, and he emphasized it was merely speculation that it’s an achilles tendon injury. That would be season ending, right?
Yes. That one’s got a 4-6 month recovery period.
Mother fucker.
Well of course it would be the nature, it also means the Yankees would be lying that Wang has a foot injury, as achilles shouldn’t be considered in that.
Hava Moeller!
Did Robinson Cano really just draw a 4 pitch walk with the bases loaded? Wow.
You dont see that everyday kids.
Then Melky swung at the first pitch after 8 straight balls.
Now that you can see everyday.
Am I the only one that wishes some of these runs could be saved and stretched into another game?
The more the merrier. Before this game their run differential was -1, now its +12(so far)
I’ll take them all. Hopefully the keep up the hot hitting against San Diego.
I can see the headlines now, “Unlucky 13 Sets Wang on DL”.
I don’t think it is right to necessarily blame Inter-league play for CMW’s injury. I mean come on, Brian Bruney ripped his foot to shreds just trying to cover first base. How many times did Randy Johnson and Kyle Farnsworth tweak their respective backs just trying to cover first base? Freak injuries happen, it sucks yes but injuries just happen.
Agree totally with you man, I understand Ben’s point but what can you do? Wang could’ve shredded his foot covering first base next game or doing his pregame running routines. Just bc it happened on the basepaths doesn’t mean that interleague play is to blame.
We all are going to over react because we’re yankee fans and its out player, if this happened to Josh Beckett we would have just said “sucks” and not ripped into interleague for it
I saw what happen to Wang at the gym any word on the injury I got nothing from the radio. I just LOVE the NL.
Wanted to see how fast batting practice I mean IPK name came up.
Good old Mike.
LOL
Would you rather Igawa’s name came up?
Well what did you expect? Kei Igawa? Jeff Karstens?
NO.
Giese and maybe McCutchen.
I have a soft spot for McCutchen, but like you guys always say here they should give those young guys a chance.
By the way Happy father’s Day, Mike.
i don’t understand PA’s injury assessment. why jump to such a random, worst case scenario? the same thing happened to albert pujols the other day when he ran out of the box, but he’ll be missing about 3 weeks, not 3 months (he’s not a pitcher, but still).
he was speculating for shits and giggles
What are the odds that Girardi uses Giese in the 9th inning? 50-1? 100-1?
should have took that bet lol.
It’s time for Johnny Damon to start getting some All-Star Game love.
Best Case Scenario: Rolled ankle
Worst Case:Structural Damage to his ankle/foot(Achilles tendon tear/foot ligament damage)
best case scenario: cramp
worst case scenario: kei igawa
ha well said.
lol, yea, two extremes.
Dan Giese, finally.
Was there really an issue with how he managed the pen, especially with the day off tomorrow?
I thought so, especially since it looks like Giese may have to start one of the doubleheader games vs the Mets on Friday, and might even have to hold down a rotation spot.
He was wasting away out there, he needed work.
This game has made me so happy and so sad.