As lethargic as the team looked yesterday, it’s kinda hard to believe they’re coming into today’s game with a chance to win this edition of the Subway Series. If they’re going to win today, they’re going to have to earn, because the Metsies are sending Johan Santana to the bump. After his amazingly great start that had him sitting pretty with a 0.78 ERA on May 16th, teh Johan’s been rather pedestrian in his last five starts, pitching to a 4.64 ERA and a .848 OPS against.
The Yanks are sending former Mets’ farmhand AJ Burnett to mound, and we all know what happened in his last time out. His last five starts have been very similar to Santana’s – 4.13 ERA, .839 OPSA – but that and ten bucks will get you a cup of “coffee” at Starbucks. Burnett needs to execute, and needs to avoid the ridiculous walk issues that have plagued Yankee pitchers in the first two games of the series.
Meanwhile, Brian Bruney and Francisco Rodriguez almost came to blows and had to be separated in the outfield before the game according to Newsday’s David Lennon. The YES pregame said K-Rod instigated the incident and actually shoved Bruney before cooler heads prevailed. I’m sure MLB will look into that. In a way, K-Rod validated Bruney’s comments by showing that he is kind of a dick.
Here’s the lineup:
Jeter, SS
Damon, LF
Teixeira, 1B
A-Rod, 3B
Cano, 2B – why is his still batting fifth?
Swisher, RF
Matsui, DH
Cabrera, CF
Cervelli, C
And on the mound, Allen James Burnett.
Update 1:04 p.m.: Mark Feinsand has more on the Bruney/K-Rod flap: “Bruney and K-Rod have confrontation during batting practice. Bruney went to apologize and K-Rod didn’t want to hear it. More to come.”
It sounds more and more as though K-Rod just proved Bruney’s point. Way to take the high road there, Francisco.