Game 115: Banged up out west
ByThe dust has settled, and we can finally take a toll of the wounded Yankees. It’s not quite as bad as we might have imagined yesterday, but the Yankees aren’t carrying a full crew tonight. A-Rod is unavailable after taking a fastball off the elbow. Sounds like he might miss some more time as well, but we’ll know more tomorrow. Posada has some sore fingers, but says he could play. He’s not in the starting lineup. Mariano Rivera says his shoulder is fine and can pitch. Finally, Derek Jeter sits atop the order and at shortstop, despite yesterday’s hit by pitch.
That’s relatively good news for the Yanks. They have a slightly depleted lineup tonight, but even when they’re at 80 percent the Yanks lineup is better than most of the league. Plus, the pitching matchup is decidedly in their favor.
Taking the bump for Seattle is Ian Snell. Many Yankees fans, your truly included, wanted to see the team make a run at Snell, who fell out of favor in Pittsburgh. He ended up going to Seattle along with Jack Wilson, and will make his third start for the M’s tonight. His first outing wasn’t bad, as he lasted six innings on just 84 pitches, allowing two runs while playing the Texas Rangers on the road. The three walks and two homers were certainly a concern, but the results were there.
Snell hit a bit of a snag in his last start at home against the Rays. The M’s are known for having a spacious park and some excellent defense, but as the cliche goes you can’t defend against the walk. Snell issued six of them while facing just 13 batters. The affair ended after an inning and a third, in which Snell threw 60 pitches, just 27 for strikes.
In 2007 Snell had a seemingly breakout year when he scrapped his curveball to go fastball-slider-change. He pitched to a 3.76 ERA that year while reducing his walks. This led the pirates to sign him to a three-year, $8.6 million deal in Spring Training 2008, with two club options. Snell thanked the club for their confidence by completely bombing in 2008, walking two more batters per nine than he did in 07 and allowing way, way too many hits (201 in 164.1 IP).
Things haven’t been much better for Snell in 2009. He was terrible, and was so displeased with the club which gave him so much money that he requested an assignment to AAA, infamously striking out 17 in his first appearance there. This led to the pre-deadline trade.
Snell has picked up the curveball again this year, and emphatically so. He’s now throwing it nearly as much as his slider, and he’s also started throwing the change like he did in 2007. Problem is, it hasn’t changed much. You can have great stuff, but if you walk the farm you can’t expect to win ballgames.
Thankfully, the Yankees have CC Sabathia on the mound. I need not say more about the big lefty.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Hideki Matsui, DH
5. Nick Swisher, RF
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Melky Cabrera, CF
8. Jerry Hairston, 3B
9. Jose Molina, C
And on the mound, number fifty-two, CC Sabathia.



LETS GET GET IT YANKS!
Personally I would have benched Jeter today as well.
+1
It would have resulted in like our C Lineup. However, it would be resting everyone when they all need rest. Let’s hope Mo doesn’t work today and maybe we can rest Jeter tomorrow.
Yeah, but even our C lineup should beat Ian Snell with Sabathia going.
There’s a 2% chance I make it past the 3rd inning. I will wake up for updates, though.
Why is baseball so damn phallic?
Well you also make it very easy on us to point things out in your comments.
Because you have a dirty mind.
Because the Yankees hurt their Wang! (On a serious note, so did Adrian Beltre).
Why is baseball, missiles, cars, sausages, tall buildings, horseback riding, guns, microphones, cannolli and trains entering tunnels so damn phallic?
Tell me you just saw them show that girl eating the hot dog (sans bun) on YES as they went to commercial to end the pre-game show.
Reality has a phallic-shaped bias.
Verlander straight up dominated the Sox tonight. Let’s get a win today and extend our lead to 6.5
Guess Verlander heard all that “Beckett’s on his way to the Cy Young” chatter coming out of Boston the last couple of days.
I swear, how the hell is the Boston media so f-ing successful in dictating the discussion in baseball?
Maybe a lot of sox fans just happen to work in broadcasting nationwide? Or at least at espn
Hold your Cy Young award while I kiss my World Series Champions Ring
Today. It was a day game. He was filthy.
Oops my bad. Thanks for the correction.
Let’s distance ourselves from the Sox today.
Verlander best pitcher in the american league?
My mind is completley gone tonight. I mean gone.
EVERYTHING is a phallic reference to me tonight. This might get odd.
You are crazy honest and forthcoming in these comments-sections. Admirable, if probably unwise.
You have no idea.
I can’t even talk about it.
You can, but I’d advise you don’t. lol
Might want to take a cold shower.
I really hope Alex recovers soon…like by tomorrow.
Melky, Hairston, and Molina at the bottom order means that the big batters probably better have a good day and that CC be good.
Or it means those guys will probably have 6 or 7 hits between them.
thats what Im hoping for
I think he’ll be fine by tomorrow. Seems like just a good opportunity to give him a day off.
[...] Confidence Poll « Game 115: Banged up out west Aug [...]
i bet molina and hairston get hits today
I feel like this game is never going to start.
One of the few times I’m glad I’m on the left coast.
57/53 K/BB. Please wait this dude out.
nick swisher will get 2 walks against him if he doesn’t get a fastball up over the zone
Lets play some baseball.
Did the Yankees face Snell last year? I can’t remember
Nope.
no
Two white shortstops named wilson who can’t really hit on the same team? What are the odds?
1 in 9847801114
Nick Green and Jed Lowrie?
Kinda missed the whole “named Wilson” aspect of that whole thing. That ratchets up the level of difficulty a tad.
Hmm well I guess that’s a minor fail on my part
Anyone else psyched for Post Grad? I mean, what?
FUCK.
GRAD.
SCHOOL.
FUCKING BITE ME GRAD SCHOOL.
BITE ME.
Don’t sugar coat it, Rebecca. Tell us how you really feel.
Hells yeah im psyched for some rory gilmore.
Huh?
Damn it Jeter that was ball four!
Damn, Jeter fouled a ball off his foot without even moving his bat.
Well that was disappointing Derek.
Johnny…don’t swing early. He doesn’t have good control. Ugh.
I wasn’t surprised.
That was dissapointing, his pitches look really hittable
disappointing. im intelligent, i swear
everyone should wait 4 pitches for every at bat
they are basically guaranteed a 2-2 count
Not sure if anyone else saw this but really great human interest story on the Yankees on ESPN (Magazine). Hope the link works
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....ortCat=mlb
Yeah someone posted it the other day. Such a good story
Sorry didn’t see it then.
No didn’t mean to shoot you down, im sure plenty of people didn’t see it
man what a great story.
CC= Dirty
wow, if that doesnt touch you, i dont think you are human, thanks for posting that
I do like how fast this Snell dude pitches. He’s the anti-mussina/anti-coke.
Good Mo, the Mariners have four pitchers at the bottom of their lineup.
To be fair, the Yankees don’t really have their A line up out there, either…
Not that I’m complaining or anything. Could still beat every other team.
haha yeah its like playing the astros
poor Beltre…
That would be a cool strategy- you could switch pitchers without having to remove them from the game. You’d lose every game, but it would be cool
“Good Mo, the Mariners have
four pitchers at the bottom ofJose Lopez hitting third in their lineup.”Well, he is slugging .450 so that’s something. .302 OBP, though. Ha. He’s the M’s answer to Jose Guillen.
Dude’s batting third for a team in playoff contention. That’s pretty rough.
Mike Sweeney is their DH and clean up hitter….
(Shudders)
That inning kinda sucked. More patience guys.
CC throwing strikes early and often
Worst. Swing. Ever.
one of the girliest swings ever
thats usually a beer league softball swing
Psh, I play beer league softball and I’ve never seen a swing that bad.
ZZ you latah
Haha. What the hell was that on Lopez’s strikeout? It was a quarter swing.
CC looked fuckin nasty in his 1st inning of work.
That was a sick pitch
I can’t believe Molina let that ball get by him!!! Bring in teh Jorge!!11
11 pitches — 9 strikes, 2 balls. Horse-like.
Whenever I hear opposing fans yell “Yankees Suck!,” on TV or live, I want to say “well, no, clearly they don’t suck, they’re obviously very good. You should pay more attention.”
Haha, IETC.
Yeah, if we’ve got the best record in baseball and WE suck, what does that make you?
Hideki going oppo? Nice.
I love when matsui goes the other way
You know, I would love some more efficiency from our so-called ace because our offense has stunk so far and we’re gonna need length from CC to help the bullpen.
/Jumping to conclusions…Irrational’d
Godzilla’s looked great at the dish lately.
Over/under on the number of pitches sees tonight is set at 24.5.
How the hell do you hit 206 at home? That’s nuts.
.257 BABIP at home.
Snell is all over the place, bring’em home Cano!
How can Robbie have 60 RBI’s ? He never hits with RISP
stay hot robbie
haha what did i tell you guys about swisha takin a walk
[/self promotion
Thats like predicting that youkilis will talk to himself and scowl while walking back to the dugout after a strikeout.
Its gonna happen
haha true dat
Here’s to hoping last night sparks the end of Robbie’s RISP woes.
Melky will do it!
Why didn’t the runners advance on that fly ball?
Godzilla’s Hover-round hasn’t made it to Seattle yet.
haha IETC.
Hahahaha, well done.
considering Matsui is on 2nd, ill guess it wasnt deep enough
Matsui’s really slow, gutierrez has good arm
Bad Melky™ making a triumphant return.
No competition.
Yes, Melky should never slump. How dare he.
He shouldn’t be putting on the Barry Bonds swing, no.
Damn slider…
That’s shitty for Bedard; he was having a solid season.
Absence of Ichiro? what?
heh. I give Kenny a pass.
Is Jojhima the only Japanese right-handed batter in the league?
I swear, they all seem to be lefty.
I think they all learn how to hit lefty when they’re young. I know ichiro did that.
Kaz Matsui is a switch hitter. Does that count?
Kaz was the only other one i was thinking.
When I think of Japanese hitters, I think of their first step towards first move that they all seem to have.
I mean, not to be racist or anything.
Kaz Matsui is righty right? (he may be switch)
Hideki Matsui is a natural righty batter.
And when was the last time he hit right-handed? Before high school?
lol probably
Don Wakamatsu = right-handed batter. If he counts.
Hey, we’re working the count, just like the yankee teams of old.
Hooray for bloop doubles.
HAIRSTON!!!!!!
nice!!
so much for the vaunted Seattle outfield defense
Jerry! Hooray for big ballparks!
I thought Gutierrez was gonna track that down.
I don’t care what the stats say: I like our Molina.
Hairston needs a nick name. If it were Girardi’s meme, it would be Hairy.
J-Hair ftw
Hairball?
im inclined to call him that but I can usually stop myself
Awesome. “Hairy” it is.
How about anti-Pedroia? Too wordy?
how about just “Giant” for that
Hairsty?
Jerryey?
I lol’d. Girardi’s ridiculous with that shit.
Robby calls him Yeddy
ha
Sick as hell.
Snell fundamentals fail.
I didn’t realize Posada was catching for the M’s.
pwned
Jose directing traffic. HA
Posada!…err Johjima!!!
Ive wanted an inning like this for so long. they always seem to happen for the other team
Yeah, i was just saying how odds of Gutierrez making that catch against us were like 99% and against other teams were about %60%
Something tells me that won’t be the only wild pitch we score on tonight.
Fun fact: Ian Snell and I share the same exact birthday, year and everything.
Now I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing in life…
Being one of the authors of RAB is good
Quick..call Michael Kay.
ain’t that a bitch?
Hey, You’re a Yankee Fan.
RAB > Pirates
Mussina’s birthday is the day before mine.
Thats how snell feels
i have the same birthday as Obama but I have years till I catch up to him.
My older sister shares the same exact same birthday and year as the kid as Daniel Radcliffe, the guy who plays Harry Potter.
thank god for fluke runs
2-0
I was going to say this is more about the team than the player.
I just why people don’t use personal winning percentage as a legit stat. I mean Ken Singleton and the YES staff feel like the said stat holds merit; those dumbass GMs just don’t get it.
Based on a very unscientific look at BABIP, Jeter is at .344 right now, with a career BABIP of .358 whereas Cano’s is at .315 with a career BABIP of .319 so Jeter stands to rise a bit. I’ll go with Jeter.
Anyone else playing the Michael Kay drinking game?
Did you start a little early? lol
haha, just imagine Flaherty is Michael Kay, you’ll sober up.
Yeah but it’s weird, I haven’t had to drink much. Is this a fluke? Does he know about it and has amended his ways as a public service?
It’s just the second inning. I’ll be vomiting in the litter box by the 6th. There’s no way Kay will dash my hopes.
I’m trying to imagine it’s Kay. When I feel I’m sobering up I have a sound bite of Kay saying “See Ya!” to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”.
Yes, I have a lot of free time.
No, I do not wish for your pity.
what’s the Michael Kay drinking game? We made a drinking game for Clyde when we watch Knicks games (we need to drink for that).
No, I’m playing the John Flaherty edition. I’m still waiting for him to say “CC is proud of his fastball”.
Focus CC
Damn, cant play the Michael Kay drinking game tonight.
Drink whenever they say balls.
good call.
Are you sure?
That was supposed to link to the page with the drinking game.
http://www.scottproctorsarm.co.....nking.html
hey cc, you just walked mike sweeney
Those Griffey shots were great.
The Griffey Sr/Jr back-to-back thing is so incredibly badass.
How awesome would it be to hit back-to-back HRs with your dad in a MLB game?
i would love to do that in a softball game, i can’t imagine how awesome that would be in an mlb game
That ball was CRUSHED. I bet A-Rod does it next.
were there actually no shots of the ball hitting the glass?
Didn’t Branyan have like, nine straight strikeouts against the Yanks earlier in the year?
pretty sure.
then a 2 run homer
Yeah the homer was the next day,after 6 consecutive Ks
I was at that game. I kept saying oh no he’s due! And then he would strike out again on 3 pitches
Efficiency CC EFFICIENCY
Does anyone remember when John Flaherty sucked as a baseball player? Didn’t his suckage continue through his whole career? Didn’t he move to broadcasting because there was still time left over on his contract, and he sucked so bad at playing?
Yeaaaah, I remember those days.
Yeah he’s played for like everyone. Came up through the Sux system I think.
Does anyone else see Jorge as a future manager?
he could be
He’d make Girardi seem like a cream puff.
Nah, he’d probably cut someone like Swisher if he ever smiled out on the field
Girardi was a much better field manager than Jorge is so I hope he manages somewhere else.
i think he may be manager material
Yes.
Are The Raidahs! and cowboys on TV?
CC correcting his K/9.
CC is unimpressed by your talk of his declining strikeout rate.
I’m such a pants pisser!
Via Brooks, Verlander’s average fastball was 96.97 tonight. Damn.
During the 7th/8th inning, verlander was still throwing 100mph.
He got squeezed a bit, but boy was he dealing. Jason Bay and David ortiz looked liked school children
I would be terrified if there was a kid in my school who looked like ortiz
100 on his 123rd pitch of the night.
he was incredible. Glad i was able to catch the game
{shudder}
I hope Mrs. Beltre (is there one?) isn’t expecting kids any time soon.
How the shit did Beltre chase down the ball after that?
Pretty sure he finished the game.
Yeah he did. It’s nuts to say the least.
lol
Also… There’s always that, like, 3 second period after you get hit where you’re like “oh, ok, it doesn’t hurt, I’m lucky.” Then fate brings the pain, and you crumble to the ground holding your junk.
Haha right in the bread-basket. Good for YES for showing that clip.
This is literally the only MLB game going on right now. I fee so alone.
The wind currents at this stadium are a joke. The Yankees absolutely have to adjust the walls at the end of the season.
Wow I fail. I think I just lost the Flaherty drinking game, I’m gone.
I mashed my teeth looking at that replay of Beltre.
I have phantom sympathy pains for Beltre.
I do, for obvious reasons, but at the same time you’re just asking for it by not wearing a cup.
Seriously, CC? Jack Hanahan? Come on. There’s no need to feed that dude sliders; just blow his ass away.
CC is at 37 pitches, how?
This inning sucks where’d CC go?
CC getting squeezed today
Man second seattle series in a row where we escape having to see adrian beltre
the yankees luck continues during the year
no holliday, clayton richards, alex rios, now beltre (twice this season)
I wish we could face Beltre and his 82 OPS+ (.686 OPS)
Won’t see Felix Hernandez all year too, if he makes all of his scheduled starts.
no, its about time. We’ve had bad luck all year except recently.
Adrian Beltre scares you?
not at all, but eh, he can still be dangerous at times
oh and i forgot about king felix (the red sox had the pleasure of facing him earlier this summer if i remember right and lost)
Anyone think Beltre took steroids in 2004?
i am thoroughly convinced he and ritchie sexton used steroids
We need some length tonight CC so please be more efficient. Threw 29 pitched that inning.
You know he’ll be out there in the seventh. He always is.
Double “only on YES” action? Damn.
I’m going to watch this next half inning, thank the good Mo for making me a Yankee fan and go to bed.
Balls.
That said, I could handle YES showing Adrian Beltre’s injury if I did not already know what happened.
Jeter!
Bandbox!
What injury?
BANDBOX!!!
JETER!!!
Jeter see’s your Nikon sign and raises you a hr.
Oh damn a Jeter HR not aided by the YSIII.
Derek Jeter is unimpressed by the Nikon sign death valley that Griffey alluded to.
I guess Jeter’s foot is okay
Jeter we ain’t playing in NY, you can’t hit homeruns.
man, that was crushed.
he did that so he didn’t have to run
take that, cano!
the bandbox!
Seeeeeeeeeee yah!
Derek is your Daddy!
What is the M’s bullpen like?
Jeter crushed that ball. hot damn!
A-rod was like “Oh, Wow!” to Jeter
I think he said “Holy shit!!”
maybe I suck at lip-reading usually.
That wasn’t your typical Jeter HR to right field. That was crushed.
Ian Snell… I suggest you and your Kmart Jaclyn Smith Collection outfit… Stay the hell away from Derek Jeter!
“Ian Snell… I suggest you and your Kmart Jaclyn Smith Collection outfit… Stay the hell away from
Derek JeterHideki Matsui!”Fuck your NIKON SIGN BITCHES!
Jeter doesn’t need a foot to kick your A.
HOLY GOD, JETER.
I love it when our leadoff guys are on fire.
BTW, i hate the way Ken Singleton said “carried”. What a jerk.
Godzilla!
BOMB!!!
Bandbox!
Holy Moses
Homerdeki.
MATSUI!
Johnny rockets that down the line!
nice job johnny D!!!
A-rod looks odd in a hoodie.
MATSUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sketchiness, he might be dealin those roids yo.
Seeyanara.
nice!
I’m going to miss Matsui
Great minds.
Godzilla!!!!
if only we had snell our pitching would be so good…
Straw-man, FTW.
I’m gonna miss Matsui next year, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Mo’ runs!
The YES camera guys are not very sharp tonight.
it seems like the whole yes crew has been off this whole season. especially that radar gun.
or, i guess you can go off first pitches, too.
He called that a strike?
WTF ump?
I’m glad we didn’t get this guy, and you guys thought Mitre is bad.
Nick says to ump: I take 4 balls and then my base. Pay attention.
IETC. He seems to like walking more than even hitting the ball.
Matsui hit that like Mary Kay Letourneau would hit Flaherty’s birthday girl.
HITDEKI!!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
TEH BANDBOX!!! TEH BANDBOX!!
CC didnt get that same call to Swish for strike 1 that Snell did.
we don’t need no stinking fairness
I’m liking this offense.
So when are they going to finally DFA Matsui?
You know the Yankees are stupid.
damn you gutierrez!
Everything’s getting crushed this inning. An average CF and Swish is on second.
Wow. Great range by Gutierrez.
Every strike this guy throws is right down the middle
I have a feeling Cano won’t be first-pitch swinging at all while Snell’s on the mound.
That play by Gutierrez is more impressive to me than most of the diving catches that will be on SC tonight.
agreed
that was 1990s gold glove griffey-esqe
Cleveland probably regrets getting rid of Gutierrez. Although Sizemore would move over, still.
Whod they get for him?
It was in the 3-Way Mets, Indians, Mariners trade. I Think they got Valbuena and Joe Smith. Smith has been decent, but nothing like Gutierrez’s output.
David Puddy knows all about CC’s “move.”
Swirl.
counter-clockwise
Cano says “fuck a back leg.”
Cano is to hitting what Mastodon is to music.
I would love to just fuck up their bullpen today, so that by the time we get to mitre and gaudin this weekend, ther spent
they played a 14 inning game last night (the mariners) so i bet their bullpen is a little tired
Patient Melky. Nice.
Two Yankee rules:
1. If you’re on first and Jeter is at the plate, you must run.
2. Clear the bases if Cano is coming up behind you to hit.
So i’m pretty confident I wont have to stay up to see how this game ends
“There is no higher league than this one.”
The earth also revolves around the sun.
No higher league than this one? That was Michael Kay-esque in it’s stupidity.
i LOL’d really loud
This yankee team is good…….like really good.
Things are getting hairy for um you know that guy.