Game 37: Win today, win the series
ByIt’s tough to beat the rush of the last two games, but a win today would be enough excitement in itself. The Yankees are looking to take the third of this four-game set, giving them a third-straight series victory. It seems the team has responded to a recent bout of ugliness with a winning streak of sorts, and there’s nothing better than a series win to keep that moving.
Taking the mound will be A.J. Burnett, who gave the Yanks length in his last appearance, though his performance wasn’t exactly what the team needed. He gave up five runs through 7.2 IP, though he didn’t give up the final two until the eighth. Seven innings, three runs would be just fine today, but with Cano out of the lineup and Swisher mired in a serious slump, they could use a good one out of A.J. to seal the series.
The Twins will send out 25-year-old Kevin Slowey to stanch the bleeding. His holds a 5-1 record, mainly because the Twins were able to overcome two outings in which he allowed five runs. He’s had three such appearances this year, the other resulting in a no-decision. He pitched well his last time out against Detroit, allowing just one run over six innings. Not your typical strikeout pitcher, Slowey compensates with impeccable control. He’s walked just four in 40.1 innings this year and allowed just 1.35 per nine innings in 2008. The Yanks might not be able to wait him out as they do many other pitchers.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Melky Cabrera, CF
8. Ramiro Pena, 2B
9. Kevin Cash, C
And on the mound, number thirty-four, A.J. Burnett
340 Comments
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The Mason Williams Watch
Hope to keep the streak going. Kinda sucks we only gained like 1 game on Toronto in it tho.
how many did they gain on Boston? i have to think that’s gotta be more important. as solid as Toronto may be, i don’t see them hanging around much past the all-star break.
Not to mention, the wild card will be coming from the East, so you want to be one of the top two in the division.
Slowey is the type of pitcher that can give the Yankees fits. Have to stay patient when he pitches out of the strike zone, but he will NOT walk you, so you have to swing at SOMETHING.
Let’s go A.J.!
Hey, anyone going to the game vs Baltimore on Thursday?
I am.
Heh, you’re at every game.
Not every, but a lot. Im going Mon, Wed & Thurs this week.
I’ll be the guy who runs on the field in the 8th inning.
Cool!!
I am. Where are you guys sitting?
My buddy tells me Section 205.
im 237
I’ll be wearing an A-Rod jersey.
Look for me
i walk over to that section at some point im sure
Yup. First game with the bleacher creatures too.
You’ll never forget a game with the creatures though the Red Sox or Mets games are the best.
Should’ve been more specific. First game w/the creatures this season. It’s always a blast out there.
Anything wrong with Cano or just a day off?
Probably just a day off. Hes played every game so far.
watching Fever Pitch…….have no idea why
I’m with you, I always seem to sit and watch it every time it’s on.
ZOMG teh empty seats!1!111!!!
Nice start for AJ.
Really AJ? Just walk Tolbert infront of Mauer and Morneau?
And there he walks Tolbert. Ugh.
Ugh, come on Burnett, strike this guy out. Get out of the inning.
That looked like a strike to me.
I’m perfectly okay with that walk to Morneau.
gee why he only has 3 HR this series guy can mash
walk machine
AJ walking everyone again… He needs to pound the zone (don’t give me a thats what she said).
Rather walk Justin than let him do some damage.
That’s what she….
um, that’s what he said.
Ump doesn’t believe in corner pitch strikes …
so the YES gun is awesome
NICE
Nice play, Pena. AJ needs to have some quick innings and start throwing strikes.
Ha. Remember when Wilson Betemit was the utility guy?
Yeah, it was when the Yankees arguably had the most prolific utility infielder in the AL.
Yeah, it was when the Yankees arguably had the most prolific offensive utility infielder in the AL.
I’d much rather have Pena’s glove than Betemit’s K’s and occasional HR’s.
Do you remember how bad Betemit was when he played ANY infield position?
And .289 OBP.
No, I think you’re selective memory is just choosing to point out that horrid game in Detroit and a couple others.
He wasn’t great with the glove, but he damn sure wasn’t as bad as perceived.
Would you seriously take Betemit over Pena? I really don’t think Betemit’s pop makes up for the disparity in defense between the two.
Betemit K’d in almost 30% of his PA’s last year. Again: OBP’d 289. Pena could probably beat that over the same number of PA’s. And Betemit’s strength, pop, is not the most important thing I want in a utility infielder.
Honestly, that’s a good question. If you’re taking everything into account (contracts; service time; option years) then yes, Pena > Betemit; however, I’m not sold on Pena’s bat in any sense of the phrase, so I’d probably take Betemit’s power and acceptable defense in the infield over Pena’s speed and superb defense, but unproven stick.
Then we’ll agree to disagree.
I still think Betemit means “a whale’s vagina.”
Don’t forget the super-utility player Miguel Cairo..
Nice play by the glove.
that was nice.
Wow. 337 BAA and only 4 walks? Yanks better swing away.
What was that? Slowey shook off every pitch in his arsenal.
Heh. Awesome inning.
at least we saw a lot of pitches. 9.
A.J. scoffs at that with his six-pitch second inning.
That was weak. Come on AJ, hold em’ down. You are due for a solid outing.
At least it wasn’t an Immaculate Inning.
Very nice inning, AJ.
Woot woot!
Coney keeps saying AJ’s a two-pitch pitcher; that seems to me to be really disingenuous. I’ve seen at least two different FB’s and and two different curves.
Nah, Burnett’s predominantly a two-pitch guy. He throws the occasional changeup (6% over the course of his career he throws a changeup over the course of a game), but he’s mainly a fastball-curveball guy.
Was it you, Jamal, who wrote his pitch repertoire section on Wikipedia?
Nah, I’m too lazy to do some shit like that. If I’m not getting graded, I’m not doing it!
Fair enough. I’m keeping up the Betemit argument above, though.
nice inning for AJ there.
Kay is ridonkulous with this bunting.
If some of you don’t know, this game is on TBS also, at least in Pitt it is. So if you don’t feel like listening to the YES feed, I would switch over.
Blacked out in NY.
Makes sense.
was Kay a b-jobber?
He still brings it up on every one of Joba’s starts.
I think he just loves the idea of the “debate”?
I like to turn off the sound and just follow along here. If Kay calls Mourneau and Mauer the M&M boys one more time I will reach through the television and strangle him. There were only one M&M boys and there will only be one M&M boys.
You have that kind of power?
Slowey. Throws. Strikes.
Why are you guys staring at pitches?
do you think maybe swish could get a day off
I think they said he will on tuesday. He really looks like he could use one.
he was given a day off a few days ago but Matsui had to come out of the game.
Man, Swish is just struggling. Hope he turns it on soon. Come on AJ, just like last inning.
Yanks have to start swinging earlier in the count. Slowey’s strike one, strike two on everyone.
Exactly.
I hate to say it, but this is the PERFECT pitcher for Cano to face, lol.
how fast does slowey throw?
Sits in the 88-91 range on his fastball. Locates it extremely well though.
so, it’s kindof slowey for a fastball?
http://www.instantcrickets.com
yes.
high 80′s
I guess you could say it’s a little bit SLOWey, amirite guys?
Guys?
Hehe.
oh, when DOUG says it, it’s mildly funny?
I just like how he brought the second “Guys?” into it.
But, no. Yours was solid too.
Also, by solid I mean corny as hell.
“Yours was solid too.”
TWSS.
boy Johnny can make it interesting
Nice catch, Johnny.
Punto had a really nice at bat there, nice to see AJ win that battle to leadoff the inning.
i wonder if aceves will be unavailable today?
Why? He is a guy who can be stretched out and only threw 10 pitches yesterday.
oh yea, he went only 1 inning yesterday…duh!
still not sure how they are going to use him so far he has shown to be one of the more reliable guys you would think they need to strongly consider using him in a short relief role and having Tomko as the long guy
Another nice inning, AJ.
filthy
That’s my boy.
AJ looks like a man on a mission.
The Final Frontier.
yeah, he told me he wants to fly to the moon.
Unfortunately, so does Slowey.
O’Neill dissing Cone right now…
What did he say?
he was saying Wells was the best pitcher in the league in 1998…with Cone, who won 20 games, sitting right there.
i was just joking around though.
Heh. Wells is so chill.
Can’t watch the game but from gameday it seems like Wang is dealing
Slowey has 30 pitches through 3… Awesomeness. Seems like the only way we can make him work is if we get hits. 2nd time through the order should accomplish that.
30 pitches in 3 innings? Wow, we really are gonna see the middle relief today. A baserunner would be nice.
No mo’ no-no.
Maybe we can concentrate on just winning this game now.
nice, a changeup registered as a fastball at 88 with 8″ break
Come on DP ball.
your welcome!
bad job by melky dang
1) Latroy Hawkins
2) Derek Jeter
3) Posada (I guess DL = ‘active’).
damn that ball ate Melky up
You gotta charge that ball Melky, not sit back. Morneau read Melky perfectly and he just fell asleep. Really need a DP ball now.
BOOM, that just happened.
Fucking awesome.
Nice turn by Pena.
Uuuge.
Ramiro Pena is awesome.
wow, i forgot there was 1 out already. nice DP there.
why is the cabbie in this commercial driving with his eyes closed?
why is that commercial on so damn much now its just very very annoying so much so that I can’t even remeber what its for
because he’s blind asshole. way to be considerate. If you see a person in a wheel chair, you don’t ask why he’s not walking. jeeze.
IETC.
well played
alright second time throught the order lets go boys
Wang through 4 innings: 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7-4 GB-FB ratio on just 38 pitches. Seems like he could be here for the Phils series.
nice
this is good to hear
Linden and Shelley also homered already. Please tell me again why Berroa is on the roster and non eof these two.
maybe b/c as soon as A-Rod came back, Jeter strained his oblique?
it’s a long season. i guarantee one of those guys will be up in a few weeks.
Way to hustle, Cap’n.
He looked out on the replay but I’ll take the call.
Heh, no one likes a Busch.
he’s no crede
That was obviously his gritty half that got him that hit.
he was out. i’ll take it though.
ha hit and run and he throws his worst pitch of the game I think we may have causght a break with that call
Ugh.
Alright, Teix. Just a sac fly, but I’ll take more.
Ugh, I hate the bunting.
i’m ok with trying to bunt for a hit. that wasn’t a straight sacrifice.
Usually I do too, but that was not a sacrifice. He was bunting for a hit. I think he would have been served pushing it toward third, however.
Girardi just punched Joba. LMAO
OH MY GOD JOHNNY. Really? You’re the best hitter on the team right now!
Here you go, free out. Don’t mention it, it’s my pleasure.
Sincerely,
Joe G.
I don’t think that came from the bench
Huh? that was probably not called from the bench. He clearly tried to bunt for a hit.
come on.
you guys can tell the difference b/w a drag bunt to 1B and a straight sacrifice.
My bad, I was only half watching.
you are forgiven.
so what’s everyone’s thoughts on ramiro pena and francisco cervelli now that they’ve been up for a while? i personally like the guy and think he should stick around. slick defensive player who has shown he can keep up in the majors. from what i say he AND cervelli haven’t looked over matched, which is nice.
Let’s wait to see what happens the second time through the league. Cervelli’s been up what, two weeks? That’s not a while.
i think Pena is here to stay.
seems like the yankees are set at UTI for a while.
Agreed. Perfect skill set for a UTI guy – solid to spectacular defense at SS/2B/3B, and decent contact skills. As long as he can stay > .250/.300, I’ll be happy.
Ahhh, c’mon Teix… Thats too close to take man, especially in that situation. You gotta at least foul that off.
Agreed.
I hate this ‘patience’, especially with a guy like Slowey pitching. He ain’t walking you, so you have to swing the fucking bat.
I’d love to have Cano in the lineup against this guy.
That fourth pitch was not a strike, but that Strike Three was a damn good pitch.
I agree.
Way to go Teixeira.
Did their scouting reports NOT say that THIS GUY THROWS STRIKES?
Well, according to Gameday, the last two pitches were balls. So I wonder if the scouting report said that Slowey throws pitches that are balls, but umpires call strikes. If so, Tex wasnt paying attention.
They were too close to take, especially with 2 strikes on ya.
Ok, that’s different than what you just said, however.
hey a pop up for old times sake
What a waste. Alright, AJ. Keep doing what you do.
They are straight up getting cheated out there. swing the bats. we are missing robi, jaja
I thought the Steins made a complaint about the officiating. Perhaps that just pissed off the umps even more.
Come on, Gomez, bunt; you know you wanna.
Just because the ump doesnt call the middle of the plate curve that touches the bottom of the zone, doesnt mean you should throw another curve middle of the plate thigh high. SMH we need more pitching minds on the team.
Just caught this on Rotoworld. Pretty funny stuff:
The Rays listed two third basemen on their lineup card on Sunday, causing them to lose their designated hitter.
The plan was for Evan Longoria to DH and bat third on Sunday, but he was listed at third, along with Ben Zobrist. Since he didn’t take a position in the top of the first, the Rays have now had to go to starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine as their No. 3 hitter.
LMFAOOO thats just inexcusable
that’s just silly.
could you imagine if Girardi did that?
The media would have his balls in a glass jar.
Hah.
Maddon is a genius!!!!!!! he is showing his team they can win with a pitcher batting third!!!! He is almost as good as Tito!!!
This ump has a very wide zone, both ways. It is amazing the amount of impact a particular umpire can have on a game.
the umpiring has been awful all series.
the impings been bad all year. If a game is going right, you don’t notice the ump. I’ve been noticing the umps a lot this year.
ha “imping” (umping)
bad AJ!
bad kitty
Come on, A.J. 0-2 and you walk him, ugh.
C’mn AJ, put him away.
This is Tolbert, AJ. Just throw the fastball and get the at bat over with.
I like this AJ. (minus the walks)
(and the hits)
Fearless prediction- Nick Swisher will do something other than strikeout. I know, I know, taking a huge leap there.
Nice.
Make more predictions.
Nope. Gonna retire as Moshe-damus right now, batting 1.000.
Yay me.
good job. predict something else
and the power ball numbers please
Unless CMW is using his four-seamer more, he still seems to be throwing a fair share of pitches across the letters.
so the super-duper fundamentally perfectly well-managed Twins bat their worst hitter 2nd?
it’s crap like that that reminds me that people are waaaaay too hard on Girardi.
Wang is at 59 pitches after 6. Too bad it’s a DH so they only play 7 per game. Would be fun if they would let him start the second game but he will probably pitch some more in the pen.
They might let him start game two. It’s a pretty quick turn around in the minors, 30 mins or so.
Man, the Nationals rival the Yankees when it comes to being STUPID with injuries. Elijah Dukes has been battling a hamstring strain, so he plays today and reaggravates it on a double.
S-M-R-T! S-M-R-T!
We know this guy pounds the zone, why are we watching strike 3? Granted, it was a great pitch but Teix got the same one thrown to him. Gotta make the adjustment.
fuck can we swing please god damn this guy throws strikes and is obviously getting that called 3rd strike on the 2 seamer in to lefties jesus christ make a god damn adjutment
(sorry had to rant)
Slowey is owning that inside pitch.
And our hitters refuse to adjust.
that pitch to matsui looked like it was going to hit him. that’s kind of hard to adjust to.
Bad hack, Melk.
Melky couldn’t do much about that. Great sequence and first time I think he has thrown that changeup all game.
at least Melky swung at every pitch in that AB
That just made leche look silly.
my brain hurts watching slowey pitch.
Really? I’m enjoying this. Love me a good pitcher’s duel.
i enjoy pitching duels, but not when we’re getting 2 hit and it’s by a guy throwing 88. I know velocity isn’t everything, but it just hurts my brain.
matsui’s hair is a little long for the yankees…
this is painful
TWSS
hehe
This Slowey kid is pretty good.
This M&M Boys crap has really run it’s course already.
but it fits, so they won’t let it go. pain will just be a part of life now.
No one can come up with an original nickname anymore. Everything is just a recreation of an old nickname. At least change it to the M&M Twins, since they, you know, play for the Twins.
No modern 3 and 4 should ever be compared to that 1961 combo. I’m just gonna start calling CC the “Chairman of the Board”.
I agree. As they say in the art world, everything’s already been done, nothing is original, it’s about putting a twist on it. Same could be said here. I rather them call them the “twin killers”.
he feels clever so its far from over
Often duplicated, never replicated.
the bottom looks awful swinging at junk and the top looks awful watching strikes
they have to get him eventually his stuff just isn’t good enough for this
Command + Movement > Velocity.
there has been alot of stuff in the middle of the plate waiting to be hit his era isn’t over4.5 because he’s awesome
Any pitcher can come out and have a great performance. Cliff Lee throwing 88-91. same style pitcher and owned the league last year.
Moose won 20 with a 73 MPH fastball last year
73 is pushing it. he’s no knuckleballer.
So close. Damn.
Nice try Ramiro.
I hate facing these 2 guys. C’mon, AJ.
Wang:
6 IP sofar
2 hits
0 runs
0BB
1K
59 pitches-41 strikes
11 ground outs/6 fly outs
only 1 K? How is his velocity?
not sure, milb gameday doesn’t show it. But wang isn’t really a strikeout pitcher. The main thing is no walks and getting those grounders
in the park nice
Eat it, you Canuck.
Go back to Canadia!
Big out. DP ball and get outta this inning quickly.
Seriously? An M & M boys montage? So YES is playing along with Kay. Ugh.
and Cone said it too this is spreading worse than swine flu someone must stop Kay and now
It’s like the Jason Bay Montage.
The 4 homers too.
He did not create it, they’ve been called that before Kay has said this.
Ya, it’s dumb, but Kay didn’t create it.
Didn’t say he created it. He is using it like it is something that your typical fan would know about or something, which it clearly is not.
Ya, I was just pointing it out.
But, you’re right.
The real M&Ms are rolling over in their graves.
Yes, Coney, I saw AJ exhale. Then he inhaled. It’s called breathing.
seriously? That bothers you?
Just making a little joke- did we really see AJ exhale or relax? He said it as if he knew what AJ was thinking.
he was a pitcher.
And if he would have said it in the context of “Pitchers tend to relax in these situation” instead of “AJ exhaled after Mourneau” I would not have said anything. As it was, it was just a throwaway line.
I just think he was using his knowledge as a pitcher and the situation to fill us in on his thoughts, without explaining it.
There you go, AJ. Put some on the boardd offense.
I think reversed that you.
at this rate Wang is going to have to throw in the BP after his start
he’ll start the second came of the double header.
are you serious? rofl
no
As I said earlier: It would be cool if they would let him start game two.
Come on, Angelini, botch a groundball so we can win this game!
One more inning for AJ and then trouble. Who is available today: Tomko, Alb, Veras.
Edwar, Mo. Maybe Aceves. I think the only one that’s not available is Coke, and that’s because Girardi said he wasn’t available.
Mo’s available after 2 innings yesterday ?
29 pitches, not terrible, especially since he didn’t pitch the day before. If push comes to shove, I bet he’s out there.
How has Cash lasted so long, although for short stints at a time, so long?
That was a great pitch.
Cash, word? Dude is pounding the zone and you just stand there with the bat on your shoulder? Least foul it off or something.
Easier said than done.
No!
I understand that but they have seen Slowey around the plate all day. At this point, you have to be up at the plate with a fairly aggressive mind set.
Ah, look at those three aces right there.
Is pretty cool.
YES with a Phil Hughes to the bullpen debate.
hey when you swing at a ball in the mddle of the plate you get a hit crazy just crazy who would expect that
Hey, when you are up against a major-league caliber pitcher with impeccable command and moving fastballs, you don’t always get the results you want. It’s crazy, but sometimes the Yankees aren’t the ones who should be blamed, but the good performance of their opposition.
The whole “put stud SP prospects into the bullpen” thing isn’t any more intelligent when it’s Hughes. Fire Kay.
has tex went the other way with a pitch this season?
I can recall two times. His first homerun of the season, against the O’s where he went left center. His double off Sherill where he put one in the right center gap.
This is a pitcher who coming into the game opponents were hitting .337, yet he looks like Greg Maddux so far today. Cant say I didnt see this coming!! At least AJ has matched him so far.
I hate when fast guys reach. The game just slows down- looking over, throwing over, etc.
I’ve only got GameDay. Did Gomez run into Tex as he was rounding first?
Heh.
leaving work now, should make it home just in time for the walk off.
Nice.
Just focus on the hitter, please.
A.J., I know Gomez represents the go-ahead run, but you have one down with Punto, Span and Tolbert coming up next; focus on the at-bat, please.
is wang pitching yet?
How the fuck do you walk Nick freakin Punto.
Gomez got in hes head. sad, but true.
That was awful. AJ totally was focused on Gomez. Walked freaking Nick Punto.
Just walked Punto? Walking all the wrong people today, except Morneau’s. Come on AJ, work out of this.
Why are you walking Punto, stop being so silly.
Had some ridic late movement there.
Great pitch by AJ.
Wow, that was some pitch.
Great pitch, AJ.
nice pitch.
Sit down, puta.
Disgusting 2-seamer.
WOW that pitch to span was nasty!
That inside fastball is ridiculous. fuck…
Damnit… Of all people… Tolbert gets the big hit.
shit….yanks better score now
Fuck.
Matt Tolbert is clutch.
AJ stayed toooo long in that inside corner. 3 pitches in a row? predictable result.
Nah, he just missed the spot.
nah, it floated back to the middle.
Fucking Melky, stupid throw home with Gomez running. Now the runner is in scoring position with Mauer up.
Nevermind, I’m an idiot.
You just hate melk
I have no idea what you are talking about.
I forgot there was a runner on first already, I thought Tolbert went to the second on the throw.
haha the hatred for melky continues
they’ have runners on 1 st and 2nd. they would have been in scoring position anyway….now they move up. Damn it Cash.
.162 Tolbert?
Cash sucks
He can’t handle the stuff.
no kidding
seriously wtf
You gotta be freakin’ kidding me… Trying to backhand it. You can’t do that with a man on third, Cash.
Yeah, that’s fucking retardaded!!! stupid Cash. GET RID O HIM!
Warm up Veras …
Sit Alba…
Be nice if both were sitting down.
Why is Cash catching today, again?
It’s the same fuckin story with A.J. every time out there. He starts out absolutely dominating hitters but then falls apart in the 6th or 7th
2 runs! 2 fucking runs is bad! they can’t just throw shut outs all the fucking time. if he had some run support, this wouldn’t be an issue.
I know that this game is the offense’s fault and he got no run support. But i’ve seen this same show from him quite a few times now.
The walk to Punto was the back breaker. You just can’t walk a number 9 hitter who really can’t hit much anyway.
Dude, Cash killed him this inning.
That walk to Morneau isn’t inexcusable.