This is the kind of game that no one wants to relive. It was painful from the outset, and the Sox continued to twist the knife, scoring in five of nine innings. Overall the Sox raked up 15 hits, 11 of which were of the extra base variety. It hurt even more that all but one run came with two outs — and the one that didn’t was a homer by the all-glove Alex Gonzalez. They were harsh on every Yankees pitcher to appear. They were efficient, too, leaving just three men on base.
The Yankees did have their chances, but went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. This included seven men left on base for Hideki Matsui, the star of last night’s game, and six for Melky Cabrera, each of whom left three runners in scoring position with two outs. On a night after the team went 15 for 25 with runners in scoring position, they went 0 for 9 yesterday, leaving 13 men on base. That’s on 12 hits and three walks, with the only run coming on a seventh-inning Nick Swisher home run.
The post-game rhetoric was of Jorge Posada and A.J. Burnett not being on the same page. I would hope not. If they were on the same page and A.J. was giving up runs when he was one out away from escaping unscathed, I’d have bigger concerns. They’ve worked together well at points this year, but seem to cross each other up more frequently than other pitcher-catcher combos. They’ll use the remainder of the season to work on that.
Unfortunately, this one will linger for a bit. ESPN has the game, so it’s a day without baseball (unless you want to watch the Mets) until 8 p.m. Expect a light day around these parts, as we’ll be off doing various summer things. But at 8 p.m., our asses will be parked in front of our TVs for CC and Beckett. Please let this be a pitcher’s duel. I don’t think I can stomach much more offense.
any word on Damon?
that bench looks awfully short when someone is unavailable
Dear Mo, Girardi please do not start Hinske in left again. Honestly Hideki might be a better option after the horrific defense Hinske displayed out there.
About Johnny, I hope Girardi plays him tomorrow because we are going to need his bat for this big game. Of course if he is really hampered by it, by no means force him to play, though.
In the end, I do believe tomorrow night will be a decided by whomever’s bullpen holds off the other’s vitrol offense. And I think CC will deliver a lead to our pen, the question is can the almighty not succumb to his deadiliest foe?
deadliest is a relative term. he blew one game there this year, ergo that will not happen again. I’m going with CC for 7, then Hughes and Mo (four outs)
Yankees win 3-2
FWIW, Damon said he expects to play tomorrow. If he’s not completely healthy, don’t risk further damage by pushing him into playing. In the grand scheme of things, tomorrow’s game is not important. Our goal was to not get swept and we’ve accomplished that.
Umm Joe, which game are you talking about? I don’t remember this game ever happening. You’ve sure got a wild imagination.
You know what is hard to imagine, Salty? A.J. pitching a competent game for us at Fenway. I Flaherty would win a underground MC battle before A.J. gives us a respectable outing in hell, er, I mean Fenway.
Meh, things happen. Is it frustrating? Of course. But am I going to pull my hair out for it? Hells no. 2 shitty games don’t tell us anything, especially when AJ has dominated them there (only 1 ER last year in all starts) for his whole career before. Don’t worry, AJ’s going to be fine.
Hope, you’re right Salty. All I’m asking for is a competent performance, a chance to win when A.J. pitches in theses big games.
It’s even more frustrating because I really like how A.J. has help give this pitching staff a new identity and improved upon the old model {mercenary pitcher- Clemens II, Big Unit; quiet/ unimposing guy- Moose or Wang}
Not saying those guys were all bad for us during their run, especially Moose and Wang, but it never felt like the team had a championship worthy pitching staff that had that something extra. Watching A.J., CC, Joba and Andy pitch this year has been the closest reminder of that pitcher’s acumen we used to have with Wells, Cone Orlando and Andy.
With that staff the Univers had some sense of comfort that opposes team fear and respected the arms we hurled at them every night. We are so close to having that again and A.J. is a key part to that plan and setbacks like today worry me deeply.
Don’t worry that much and just along with what the Yanks are doing. They have best record in the MAJORS by 2 games, they obviously know what they are doing.
Can’t win ‘em all. CC will pitch a gem tomorrow.
We were due for a bomb game. It happens. Now you shrug it off and let the ace take charge tomorrow.
Dont kid yourselves.
Tomorrow night is a playoff game. We’ll see what this team is tomorrow. Can CC match Beckett. We got the full complement of relievers if need be.
Why is it a playoff game? Maybe for them, but why for the Yanks?
Cause we have looked like a triple-a club at Fenway all year except for 1 game. Perhaps, that is a wee bit pecliar for a team with the best record in the game? We have to show we are simply capable of taking a series against them or else it remains a very ugly question going into the playoffs.
Regular season records don’t mean shit when you play in the crap shoot that is the postseason. Remember how we absolutely dominated Cleveland in the regular season in 2007 but then got beat in the postseason? Yanks are a better team than Boston, so I’d like our chances no matter what. The Natinals beat us 2 out of 3, but it doesn’t mean they are better than us.
I understand your point, Salty. Yet you can’t deny a team like Boston will use this home-field dominance to their advantage in the playoffs.
and it can motivate a team to overcome great measures to defeat anyone.
Recent championship experience runs through that team’s veins {among other things
We forget how our own playoff acumen in the early part of this decade help us defeat opponents who were PERHAPS superior to us {01′ Mariners, 03′ Red Sox}.
Still, I realize if we had won the last ten against them it wouldn’t necessiate anything in the playoffs. Unfortunately, I do believe that this team can take a 3 home season series victories into the playoffs and turn it into a secret weapon against us
IETCVVM!! I know some here don’t care if we lose every series of the season at Boston but this fan does. Tomorrow we need to find a way to beat a team that still doesn’t fully fear us. How can we be a threat if our second best pitcher impersonates Jose Contreas everytime he goes up to Fenway? And oh yeah, if we can’t take one series from them at home?
Still, we have a perfect opportunity to prove ourselves as a worthy contender by finding way to outpitch their ace with ours and our bullpen hold a lead in Fenway in a close game. I’m telling you one thing’s for sure, I don’t care what the lead in division is after tomorrow, if we can’t win series in Boston… then we all better pray we don’t face them in the postseason.
You do realize that since the Yankees would have home field in the playoffs they coul lose every game at Fenway and still win the series?
Ya really, want to play a do-or-die game 7, Chris? Plus, how many times have you seen a team succeded in beating teams only at home in a playoff series? The Yankees have to prove to themselves they can take a series up there. Or by any rational nature this will cause them to become very anxious if they need any wins come October in Fenway.
I you would tell me the Yankees would get to Game 7 of the ALCS, I would take it right then and there.
hopefully the team bounces back well tomorrow and show the doubters that this IS a different team then it was back in April. if not, oh well, there goes groups of bandwagon fans lol
It’s okay, if we jump bridges now then wed deserve to be swimming in the Hudson.
watch out, sometimes a massive plane might land in it
Too soon. I lost my pet bird, Boris, to that awful crash. Is it his fault he likes to chase the giant white birdies that make loud noises? I think not, sob
Here’s a picture of that poor dear:
http://www.geocities.com/…/scuttle3.jpg
Sorry, it seems my tears have ruined that pic. But here’s some video…
oh my man i was talking about the us airways plane that landed in the hudson by captain sully! Not the heli/plane crash
I’m happy I missed this one. I guess I just don’t understand how someone so good could be so bad… disappointing to say the least.
THE GIRL WITH THE CURL!!!
Silver Lining: We touched up TEH UNTOUCHABLE BARD again
Pitcher A:
37 innings, 19 runs, 15 earned (3.65 ERA), 16 walks, 48 Ks (11.68 K/9), 1.24 WHIP.
Pitcher B:
36.1 innings, 17 runs, 14 earned (3.47 ERA), 21 walks, 53 Ks (13.13 K/9), 1.40 WHIP
pitcher A is TEH UNTOUCHABLE BARD
pitcher B? David Robertson
I don’t like either guy, as for anyone saying how great Bard is, we all know the Red Sox have alot more supporters in the media than the Yanks do.
I like Robertson, but he needs to cut down the walks–1.40 is too high a WHIP. The big thing I was pointing out there was that his strikeout rate is higher than the incredibly hyped Bard’s (and best in the AL, second only to Broxton)
Not arguing, but we’ve pretty much only seen Robbie in low leverage situations. BB’s are a concern as you correctly pointed out, but overall I think his stuff is good, not great.
Robbie’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, but to me its a bit telling as to how Girardi has used him – and whether you like Girardi or not I think his best work has been with managing the pen (well, pen management and championing the “deranged mental patient” hairstyle – Bravo I say).
Bard really does throw 100 mph, but if its straight, he and Mark Wohlers can start a club and maybe get some t-shirts made up saying “100 mph club” but that’s about it – for further support see “Farnsworth, Kyle”.
Bard throws upper 90s, of course he’s going to get more press. He was also a first round pick, as opposed to Robertson, who was much later in the draft.
The way I see it, the BoSox are hitting everything right now. A couple weeks ago they were not. The Porcello incident lit a fire and VMart, Kotchman & Gonzalez have stabilized the lineup. I think they continue to play well and make the playoffs.
Both teams have top offenses and sometimes it doesn’t matter who the P is. The Yanks recently had a similar stretch when they knocked off several top hurlers (Halladay, et al) in the span of a week. I hope CC is dominant but I can see him allowing some runs. No Yank P (except Marte) has stopped them yet. Hopefully the Yanks sticks are up to the task.
People (sadly) always want to point fingers at other people but I think those guys are executing their strategy as best they can and it just doesn’t matter. Sometimes the only thing you can point at is timing.
So do we just move Molina to being A.J.’s catcher like we did with Moose? That is if he’s not too busy at 3rd base.
I mean, if you want Molina in the starting lineup of a playoff game.
I gotta say, I’m really not upset about the loss. I’d love to see CC get the W tonight, but even with a 5 1/2 game lead I feel good about this team. I just wanted to win one game this weekend – anything more would be (a lot of gravy).
I still have the same ?’s if the Yanks play in October – what will CC have left and Burnett yesterday was troubling – but its not like the Sox don’t have as many or more issues.
If the Yanks beat them tonight, that really would be exciting and may really show the Sox are not close to the team they have been the last few years.
Posada and Burnett not on the same page!?
It was dreadful.
What’s the sign for a hanging curveball? In the first two innings, when it was obvious the slow curve was not there, they kept throwing it, and it got whacked. That and Cano’s being thrown out at 2nd was the game.
The Big Papi at bat was particularly egregious. Fastballs away, a hanging curveball away, then another hanging curveball away — whack. Two runs.
Big Papi can’t get around on Burnett’s heater any more. They needed to go after him.
AJ claims that the curveball felt good and didn’t want Jorge to go away from it so fast.
Jorge claims that they were on his curve early, so he wanted to throw other pitches to keep them off it.
Either way, this should not be public and I can’t help but blame AJ here. Sore loser? One bad start against the Sox and he publicly lays the blame with Posada? Come on man
Girardi was a good catcher…does he NOT know who Posada can catch and who he can’t catch?
AJ Burnett has 17 WP this season, the most of any season he’s ever had. That’s not an opinion, its a fact.
http://www.baseball-reference......a.01.shtml
Posada calling for an off speed pitch to Ortiz on the outside part of the plate was just plain stupid. Blow the Big Liar away with heat. I think Posada has Burnett and Joba nibble too much with hitters. Get beat with your best stuff.
That would make sense.
I hope it doesn’t get rained out!
Burnett’s era @ Boston – 11.84
Burnett’s era everywhere else – 3.27
Sigh.
AJ won’t pitch in Fenway again (including playoffs).
Unless he does so poorly the rest of the season Girardi decides to make Pettitte the number 2 starter.
I don’t really like AJ throwing Jorge under the bus like that. He should not have been so demonstrative on the field, and he should not have talked to the press about it. It is like we lose one game to the Sox and the wheels start falling off. What happened to the cream pies and having so much fun? Now, AJ is blaming Jorge’s pitch selection and Jorge says it was more about execution and pitch location. This is nuts.
I don’t think either guy was that blatant about it. When AJ spoke about “not throwing pitches with conviction” that could refer to his stuff on that day as much as pitch selection.
But this has been a recurring issue all year, and at some point you have to stop banging your head against the wall. Can Jorge catch him? Sure, when he’s on. But when he’s not, Jorge seems to make matters worse.
No, they were even more blatant about it. I just saw the interviews on ESPN this morning. AJ was clear that he disagreed with the way Jorge called the game, and when Ortiz hit that home run, he threw his arms up and said “Why would we throw that pitch,” right in the middle of the field. He was clearly throwing Posada right under the bus in front of fans and teammates. Then he talked to the press about it
Jorge then said it was about pitch location and execution, meaning, AJ just sucked. He said they were hitting his curve, so he called other pitches, which they also hit.
I took that as “Why did I throw that pitch”. Look, I’m not saying your wrong, both guys came very close to a public divorce yesterday. I’m just saying the quotes I’ve seen could be read both ways. If you have something more damning, then please post it.
I don’t have the exact quotes. I just saw the interviews on ESPN. It was clear though, AJ wanted to throw different pitches and blamed his poor pitching performance on the fact that he didnt want to throw those pitches at the time, citing his “conviction” to throw the pitches.
Also, while on the mound, he clearly said, “Why? Why? Why would you throw that pitch.” He no doubt, 100%, meant “you,” as in Jorge. He turned his back to Jorge and did that right in front of the rest of the team. He threw Jorge under the bus in front of his teammates. It just rubbed me wrong. As you said, maybe this will be the breaking point they needed to get this thing figured out.
“He no doubt, 100%, meant “you,” as in Jorge.”
While that might be true, it’s probably not best to present your interpretation as fact. Jorge didn’t throw the pitch, A.J. did. He’s been hard on himself all year, and I doubt he blamed Posada.
The way he said it on the mound, combined with the quotes after the game, make it 100% clear to me. But I guess you are right and it will not be as clear to others.
Here’s what I think you’re alluding to:
” Though the Yankees downplayed it, Burnett again clashed with Jorge Posada, shaking off several pitches as they struggled to find a fluid rhythm.
“I didn’t have a lot of conviction in my pitches today,” Burnett said. “I threw a lot of balls that I didn’t want to throw. That’s pretty much what the outcome was.”
Burnett liked what he saw from his curveball early, especially because he had trouble throwing his fastball to the corners. Posada thought the Red Sox might be getting wise to his sequences, and either way, the results weren’t pretty.
“I tried to get on the same page as him,” Posada said. “At times we were, and then we weren’t a lot of times. It’s frustrating, because, obviously, he wants to throw a certain pitch and I want to throw another one. When they’re hitting like that, it’s tough to get on the same page.””
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....8;c_id=nyy
It’s obvious they weren’t on the same page, and that’s been an issue all year. I don’t think AJ was killing Jorge there. Close, but not quite. But that’s not to say there’s no issue here.
Did you see the interview? I’m not saying your opinion will change, but seeing the interview, to me, made it clear that AJ was making excuses and putting blame on Jorge. The guy basically has two pitches, fastball and curve. He claims that because he disagreed with the pitches, he was not 100% behind them. That is bullcrap to me. If he disagreed, he should have still put all his effort and conviction into the pitches. That is just me though. This shows a side of AJ I had not seen before. That is all. I know it is not fair that I dont have the exact quotes, or I cant show you the clips. I guess it is just my opinion of the matter.
Veteran Yankee fans know this is not the first time a pitcher has had problems with Posada. David Cone had problems, Mussina had problems and now AJ. The Yankees are going to have to address this issue over the winter. Posada eroding defensive skills can not be ignored and Molina just can’t hit enough to start what I think should be about 50 to 60 games a year.
I would match AJ with Molina for the rest of the season.