Homer happy Jays trounce Yanks
By Joseph PawlikowskiFor Yanks’ fans, the most entertaining part of last night’s game came in the eighth inning, when the benches cleared twice. First came when reliever Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada, clearly in retaliation for Mark Melancon beaning Aaron Hill a frame earlier. The second was the more violent escapade. Posada instigated it when he bumped Carlson after scoring, and Carlson escalated it with verbal abuse he hurled at Posada (one would think Jorge’s wife a popular target).
Both benches cleared, and the bullpens ran in for reinforcement. No one appeared seriously hurt, though apparently one umpire couldn’t go on. Joe Girardi got caught on the ear and on the eye, and Carlson had a decent bruise on his forehead. Posada appeared to escape unscathed, carried off the battlefield by CC Sabathia in what was easily the most amusing image of the scrum. The umps tossed Posada and Carlson, and the game went on.
The situation was ripe for a grand narrative. Brett Gardner had just doubled in a run, and the Yankees had runners on second and third with two outs and Derek Jeter at the plate. Had Jeter slapped one to right, driving in those two runs, perhaps the Yankees would have rallied back from down 9-2. Even then, it was a long shot. Even with those two runs, the score still would have been 9-5 with just four outs left. But that’s what grand narratives are made of: improbable events following high-intensity moments.
That didn’t happen, though the Yanks did manage another run in the ninth. Mark Teixeira tripled for the second time in two days, and Hideki Matsui singled him home after a hard-fought at-bat. They didn’t go down without a fight, both figuratively and literally. Maybe that will power them in tomorrow’s contest. After all, you know what Paul O’Neill says about teams that score late in blowouts.
The game came down to two frustrations:
Timely hits
For the game, the Yankees went 5 for 16 with runners in scoring position, a more-than-respectable .313 average. Yet despite those five hits, they plated only four runs. How many times do you see a team that has more hits with RISP than runs scored? Not many. The problem was that of their five extra-base hits, only one drove in a run. That was Gardner’s double in the eighth. Nick Swisher hit two doubles off Roy Halladay, but neither came with runners in scoring position.
Even more frustrating was that the Yankees outhit the Blue Jays 15 to 13 and were on base more, 18 to 15. How a team like the Yankees puts 18 runners on base and scores just four of them is beyond my comprehension. That’s just 22 percent. Thankfully, that’s an anomaly. Most nights the Yanks put this many guys on base, they plate at least a few more runners.
That this came against Halladay is the topper. It was clear from the beginning that Halladay wasn’t at his best, and the Yanks didn’t take advantage. They managed 12 baserunners against him, but scored only two. It has to be disheartening when you have a pitcher like Halladay on the ropes and don’t deliver the knockout blow.
Sergio Mitre
Through the first two innings, it appeared Sergio Mitre might make it through this one. He had allowed no runs on just one hit, a Marco Scutaro single to lead off the game. There was little chance he would finish with a shutout, but a six-inning, three run performance seemed within reach. But then the third inning happened, and there was no recovery.
Walking the No. 8 hitter, especially when it’s the .226-hitting Jose Bautista, is unacceptable. It can come back to bite you, especially when the No. 9 hitter is a highly regarded rookie with power. Mitre left a pitch waist high and right over the plate, and Travis Snider did with it what any respectable hitter would do: deposited it in the second deck in right for a two-run shot. Adam Lind followed later in the inning with a shot of his own, giving the Blue Jays the lead.
Edwin Encarnacion struck the next blow, destroying another high and over the plate pitch to give the Jays a 4-2 lead. Three batters later, Mitre left another pitch right over the plate to Snider, and again he put it in the second deck. The 3-2 deficit was fine; the Yankees come back from those all the time. The 4-2 deficit was a bit disheartening, especially because Encarnacion hit the homer. But a 5-2 deficit? That became a bit hard to handle. Yes, the Yanks have made up more than three runs in a few games this season, but the Blue Jays just weren’t letting up.
Girardi let Mitre come out for the sixth, and that proved to be a mistake. Lyle Overbay dribbled one down the third base line for an easy infield single. Mitre then hit Encarnacion and surrendered a double to Rod Barajas. That put runners on second and third with none out, and put the Jays up 6-2. Enter Edwar Ramirez, which is code for “we’re giving up on this game.”
From the third inning on, the game was nothing but frustration. If it wasn’t the homers, it was A-Rod getting thrown out at the plate — on a great throw by Bautista, no less. If it wasn’t the likes of Edwin Encarnacion and Rod Barajas driving in runs, it was Mark Melancon showing few, if any, signs that he’s going to turn it around and start pitching well this season.
The short series closes tomorrow night with Chad Gaudin taking on Brian Tallet. The Yanks could use a win in this one heading into the off-day. If MLB issues a suspension tomorrow, look for Jorge to appeal. I wonder if it would even be heard before the end of the season.
Edwar Ramirez dragging barajas around by his catching gear like a 3 year old handling a babydoll….CLASSIC!!
It’s aight, we’ll get em tomorrow
I used to defend Mitre. Hoping he would show us something good.
No dice.
I apologize for being wrong.
Damn you Mitre.
same here
i am off the mitre bandwagon
the guy can go rot in the minors
yep.
when they bullpen started against minnesotta earlier, i was boasting “why not bring up mitre?” the dude is terrible. and he’s not a bullpen pitcher, either. what’s his numbers first time through a line-up?
i remember 2 or 3 starts in he had like a 10 era through the first three innings.
i saw the match-up, was pretty sure it would be an L so i played golf instead. probably did about as poorly as mitre. but, we did sit down after the round just in time to see the fight.
any word on further penalties?
Ahem (brought you by RiverAveBlues’ Twitter feed):
Just did the calculations and found out that in those five (not four, my bad) starts and 25.1 innings pitched against non-Blue Jays opponents this season, Sergio Mitre has pitched to the tune of a 3.55 FIP, not to mention 1.68 GB/FB.
3.55 FIP?!?!
my lord.
Makes sense. One of the games was the one with the Robbie/Sergio error on potential DP ball and he was decent. The other 2 were on turf. Then, today he stunk, which could be the Jays figuring him out (no, this is not an excuse)
So you’re telling me don’t abandon hope?
He has a 5.55 ERA and a 1.570 WHIP for his career (before tonight’s start), with most of those innings being thrown in the NL.
Configure the stats all you want, he still sucks.
He is a groundball pitcher, when the defense sucks, he sucks. It happens. I like the guy, but I’m having a hard time defending him
Shit, his numbers now for the year after tonight’s gem are a 7.63 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. If he was starting for the Red Sox you would be having a field day ripping him, dont now start trying to defend him cause he is a Yankee. I dont care what he does cause he is just basically an emergency 5th starter.
Mitre sucks period.
Glad you guys can finally accept reality. Did it really take you all this long to realize hes terrible???
same here
I don’t apologize but Mitre made me look like an ass. No bueno.
Melancon with pin-point control tonight.
IETC. He is clearly not ready for the major leagues yet.
boooo, i hate being here in maryland and not being able to see it live!! but good thing we called shelley smash up!
It’s called the Extra Innings package.
dude never sat in the bleachers before and man it was awesome. despite the yanks losing i think it was the most fun ive had at a yankees ballgame both at the old and new stadium.
us in the right center field bleachers were DESTROYING vernon wells.
Yeah, he and Torii Hunter get it bad.
“Your name’s Ver-non, clap clap clapclapclap”
“Torii’s a girl’s name!”
I wonder how they treated Bobby Abreu; he was awesome with us throughout his tenure as a Yankee.
I was sitting in Section 205 at the Angels game, didn’t hear disparaging comments to Torii. I guess I just wasn’t listening for them
Heh, so you saw the asshole with the Favre jersey get tossed?
Yeah, but he came back. Then he left again. Then he came back. But then he left one last time.
i said bad stuff. like “vernon what are those weird bumps on your lips” and “vernon you were supposed to be aborted” and “vernon your children dont like you” and “wells your mother is ugly” and “wells you smell” and “wells you got dissed by a 7 year old” (because some kid was screaming right along with me.
it was awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
for 12 bucks i def got my moneys worth.
Jorge getting suspended won’t be a big deal with everything virtually locked up, but there was no need to start a fight and risk injury. That’s one thing that will derail the season is an injury to a key player.
Is Sergio Mitre a worse baseball player than Cody Ransom?
Nope. Sergio has potential. Cody’s ship has sailed.
No. Sergio Mitre can still win us ball games. Cody Ransom cannot.
How does Berroa not get mentioned?
Maybe when Jorge’s suspended, the rest might be a blessing in disguise.
It’s gotta be. He’s an old catcher. Sitting down for a few days has got to feel good on the legs.
What an embarrassing game today. Posada made the Yankees look like sore losers…
I think you’re the only person on this planet that took it that way.
+1
Not sure what getting thrown BEHIND you has to do with the score of the game.
I see it the opposite. Posada gave Carlson the business.
These aren’t the Joe Torre Yankees anymore. We won’t lie down when you throw at us. I’m glad Posada did what he did.
At least he didn’t charge the mound, throw his helmet at the pitcher, and then get tossed on his back
You do realize the Joe Torre Yankees in 1998 got into a fight and beat the living shit out of Armando Benitez and the Orioles.
Talk about jumping in the way-back machine.
Well he was implying that Joe Torre’s teams were soft. Far from it actually. His championship teams were not soft at all and used to get into alot of fights, heck twice they did so in Seattle in a span of couple of years.
His later teams may have looked soft because the players were maybe “soft” but they didnt start becoming soft because Torre told them to or anything.
How could any team that had Paul O’Neill on it be considered “soft”?
Oh I know. Just sayin’ is all.
Too bad Krazy Kyle wasn’t on the team. He would have pile-drived someone out there.
“Posada instigated it when he bumped Carlson after scoring, and Carlson escalated it with verbal abuse he hurled at Posada (one would think Jorge’s wife a popular target).”
Can someone explain/expand on the part of the sentence in parentheses?
http://umpbump.com/press/wp-co.....osada1.jpg
Need I say more?
We know she’s sexy as hell, what does that have to do with Carlson yelling at Posada?
Got me. I didn’t get it. JoPo’s wife is the basis of verbal abuse from Carlson? I dunno.
Just speculation that if someone were to curse at Jorge, it’d be about his wife.
Guys… It was clearly a joke. Tough crowd.
Jorge has a hot wife. I would think that when guys want to insult him, they go right for her. Probably fires him right up, and he was fired up last night.
But, again, see Mondesi’s comment.
Heh, anyone see Molina? He seemed pissed. He was being held back by one of the Jays but he kept trying to push his way back in.
Oh and Edwar became a man today by holding back Barajas by his gear.
Shelley was also really pumped…and it was cool to see The Big Man pry Posada from the mess. Rather symbolic, actually.
Yea, I guess the genius in Girardi knew this and thats why he brought up Shelley.
It is obvious that Posada is not respected by his pitchers.
/sarcasm
hahahahahahaha
Holding a man by his gear does not make you a man.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
A representative sample of what’s out there; Newsday’s Ken Davidoff:
“The greater question is why Posada felt compelled to get mixed up in this mess. It was their pitchers, not the Blue Jays’, who were using the opponents as target practice. It was their fiery player, not Toronto’s, who deliberately escalated the moment.”
Only someone who dislikes the team and/or has very little experience with baseball would make the above statement. Posada was plunked because normally the choice for retaliation is the opposing pitcher or the equivalent position player to the one from your team who was plunked. Since this is the AL, and plunking the pitcher is not possible, either Canó or Posada were candidates for a deliberate pitch in retaliation for Hill.
Throwing a deliberate pitch like Carlson did, after a non-deliberate plunking by opposing pitcher, was the crux of the escalation! Also, what was Carlson doing in the path of Posada’s retreat to the dugout–after scoring–and not behind home plate which is what he is taught to do and where he was supposed to be? Was that an attempt to show Posada up? Why else would he be there? Trying to stir things up or absent-minded idiocy? Either way, Carlson exercised even worse judgment than Posada, since the former’s actions CLEARLY enabled the situation to happen and later escalate.
The ‘98 Benitez and Clemens incidents have been brought up in light of this brawl. But how ‘bout Pedro Martinez and the many times Yankee hitters were plunked bad and there was never any retaliation? I don’t believe in brawls but it’s good to see this ain’t Joe Torre’s taking-the-plunking-lying-down Yankees.
Yeah, because Clemens never threw at batters when he was with the Yankees.
Jesus Christ stop with this bullshit about Torre’s teams being soft. The roster and players who were acquired after the 1996-2003 teams maybe were soft but the last thing you can call those first bunch of teams under Torre was soft.
Plus Melancon drilling hitters left and right aint a sign of these Yankees retaliating and being tough, its a sign that Melancon has no clue where the hell the pitches he is throwing are going.
Actually, Torre told Clemens to tone down his act when he came here, telling him “You don’t need to do that stuff, you’re a good pitcher”. That edict seemed to get loosened over the years, but Torre always made clear he wanted no part of getting into bean ball wars. Girardi wants his pitchers to command the inside part of the plate, but that means when you miss, guys will get hit.
But I agree 100% about Torre’s teams not being soft, at least on the field. People forget that while the Red Sox threw at the Yanks all those years, they lost the divisions and ALCS match ups. The Yanks won the battles on the field, where it really counts.
Posada wasn’t plunked.
The ball was thrown behind him.
He ended up working a walk.
Just clarifying.
Duly noted.
What I find funny is all these writers, Yankees beat writers no less, saying how what Posada did to Carlson was inexcusable because Carlson was just doing what he is supposed to do in backing up home plate. Yeah he was backing up home plate right in front of the Yankees dugout when the ball was hit to right-field.
Carlson was looking for a confrontation from Posada and he got it, end of story.
Standing in the baseline, no less. He was looking to bump heads with him. His play is behind the plate, backing up the throw.
Kruk was the only one I’ve heard on anything say that Carlson should’ve been on the other side of the plate. So +1 for Baseball Tonight. Then, of course, Gammons goes off saying that Mitre “could’ve hit him in the head” (could’ve?) and that Melancon hit them on purpose, and did so with such disgust that it’s -100 for them on the night as usual.
Sux-loving-Yankee-hating Gammons can go to hell, for all I care.
1 link: http://www.espnboston.com
Lets look at some positives from the game.
I thought Gardner looked good at the plate, he really battled against Halladay in those at bats and in the end got 2 hits and 2 RBI. I don’t think we ever got to see what he could do as a full time starter. He has some promise and should be more than just a defensive replacement and pinch runner.
Swisher continues to be hot with those 2 doubles. Before the game he was hitting .295 in the last 30 days. We need a Nick Swisher appreciation thread. He has a shot at his second career 100 walk season. He currently has the highest SLG % and OPS of his career.
Swisher rocks.
This pennant race is not over! We have no dependable 4th or 5th starter and I see Dice K was lights outs last night against the Angels.
But all the other teams we could face DO have dependable 4th and 5th starters? Dice-K had one good start. Excuse me if that doesn’t set off my panic alarms.
I’d still take Joba vs Sox offense over Dice-K vs our offense every day of the year.
Dice has a career 6.35 ERA against the Yankees.
Ugh. The pennant race is over. If the Yanks go 8-8 over their last 16 games, the Sox will have to go 16-3 just to tie the Yanks atop the division. Not gonna happen.
unless the yankees all get swine flu
Getting Dice K back is a big bonus for the Sox. But they know the division is over. I think they’ll be content with playing the Angels. A team that cannot beat them.
However, Kabak, there’s one giant hole in your logic:
Based on the fact that the Yankees lost last night and the Red Sox won, I am left with no choice but to conclude that the Yankees are going to lose all 16 of their remaining games and the Sox are going to win all 19 of their remaining games.
We’re definitely missing the playoffs. Let’s start packing now.
it’s funny, our chance of making the playoffs actually went up from 99.9% to 100% after yesterday.
I think I read somewhere last week that NO ONE has a dependable 4th or 5th starter and quite a few teams don’t even have a 3rd.
That is a terrible reason not to have one.
way to bring absolutely nothing to the table in this conversation.
it is nto a reason. it shows a trend league wide that pitching depth is an impossible thing to nail down. With a long season and inevitable injuries there is no way a team can possibly have and afford to have enough solid ml level talent to have a 4th or 5th starter who is very good.
if it was the yankees and kiko’s comment said well neither does team x or y or z or q thn you might have a point. but since it is a league wide issue you don’t. only so many people can throw a baseball wlel enough to get hitters out 3 or 4 times through a lineup and it is hard enough for 30 teams to find 5 of them each let alone for all 150 guys to stay healthy.
therefore why guys like livan hernandez, tim redding, daniel cabrera, sergio mitre, russ ortiz, insert anyone else here, still get jobs.
Bo, that’s NOT A REASON NOT TO HAVE ONE.
It’s just an observation, mentioned to show perspective. Kiko Jones is not arguing that we shouldn’t have a dependable 4th or 5th starter.
Thanks guys, that was exactly what I was getting at.
But more importantly, it shocked me that a pervasive lack of 4s and 5s was the case. When jsbrendog breaks down the numbers, however, it makes perfect sense.
Then again, there is no need for there to be 30 MLB teams. Especially when the local fans give very little support, despite championships and winning seasons. (I’m looking at you, people of Florida.) All these teams are just diluting the level of play, IMHO.
Had Jeter slapped one to right, driving in those two runs, perhaps the Yankees would have rallied back from down 9-2.
So what you’re saying is…Jeter failed the team by working a walk?
(I know, I know! I just found that sentence amusing after all the A-Rod talk from ag.)
We’re just lucky that Girardi didnt have him bunt the runners over.
Well what happened to the 8 game lead? 5 in the loss column and dwindling. Sergio Mitre set to pitch next sunday against the sox(ha,ha,ha,ha) at least that willbe over quick. Anyone now want to question cash for not supplying an additional quaulity starter at the deadline? This has to be one of teh worst pitchers in yankee history. How can this loser wear pinstripes? what a joke that game was. The fans should be reimbursed their money for that garbage and the way they have played this homestand. Somone should tell them they have not won anything yet.
Remember this comment when we win #27
Will do.
You wear your moniker proudly, I see.
the way they have played this homestand.
The Yanks are 5-3 on this homestand. If they want tonight, that’s a .667 winning percentage. You want your money back for that? You need some real perspective here.
I thought the whole “OMG this loss means we may not win the division and we should have traded for Jarrod Washburn” section of the post was proof enough that dude is lacking perspective.
So fans are guaranteed W’s when they go to games now?
We’re still winning the majority of all homestands and roadtrips we have. I just hope we can play as dominant as we did a few weeks ago instead of how we’re playing right now. Not that we’re playing bad or unacceptable right now…but we have played a lot better before…and clearly I’d rather see that come playoff time.
Hopefully this brawl lit another fire in the Yankees’ bellies…
Seriously, when did the football mentality start coming over to baseball. There’s a 162 games, you’re gonna lose some. Every loss is not the end of the road when it’s 1/162nd of your season as opposed to 1/16th. A game in which we face one of the best pitchers in the league while throwing a scrap-heap 5th starter is one that you pretty much have to chalk up as an L and hope you get lucky and get a W. It’s not the end of the world.
No no no. This loss clearly means that the Yankees should dump Joba and go get Verlander and Sizemore.
Sincerely,
A more eloquent mryankee
What a joke your post was, Pawlikowski. I should be refunded my money for that garbage, and for the way you’ve been writing posts during this homestand.
Your right. It’s embarrassing.
Everyone, please line up to received your $0.00 refund.
I’m here waiting…where is everybody else??
I’ll take my settlement in beer, thankyouverymuch.
Football mentality is the preferred currency of much of NY’s sports fans, especially among those of us who follow the Yankees. (Just listen to WFAN for a sampling.) Ugh.
Your act is tired.
Last 10:
Yanks: 7-3
Sox: 7-3
DWINDLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go get Verlander! Or Sizemore!
Should the umpires take some of the heat for the fight? If they had thought that what Melancon did was intentional, he would have either been ejected or, more likely, both teams would have been warned.
Eh. How many times a year do umps get crap for being too quick to throw a guy out? If we start complaining that they were too lenient then we just look like whiners.
How can you blame the umps?
why appeal, especially if the # of games isn’t excessive? wouldn’t you just want to serve the suspension, especially with games against the sox looming.
Mitre vs Halladay might have been the biggest pitching mistmatch of the season.
It might have.
Good thing it came in Game #146 when we already had 93 wins against 52 losses have clearly established our status as the best team in baseball to the point where we can piss meaningless September games away because we don’t give a crap.
Good thing it came in Game #146 when we already had 93 wins against 52 losses
Whenever I see something like this it still amazes me that the 98′ Yankees only had a total of 50 losses including the playoffs lol
We’ll never see anything quite like the ‘98 team. One of a kind.
I wasn’t able to see any of this so I have a few easy quick questions if you don’t mind…
No one appeared seriously hurt, though apparently one umpire couldn’t go on.
What happened to the umpire? I’m guessing he got injured or hit trying to break up the brawl? Anyone else on the team that could get suspended for being in the brawl throwing haymakers?
and Carlson escalated it with verbal abuse he hurled at Posada (one would think Jorge’s wife a popular target).
Don’t really know how to take what’s in parenthesis. Is it a popular target because Jorge’s wife has specifically been a popular target in the past? Or is it just a broad sense of being because anybody’s wife would seem to be a popular target?
jorge’s wife is hot. when you have a hot wife people figure you will get touchy when they talk about dirty things about her.
makes sense esp since im sure many guys with hot wives can sometimes get a bit jealous or worry about them because theyre so hto and must get so much attention when theyre not around.
That’s true. Some players are truly classless out there…so at least he didn’t mention anything about Jorge’s son. Had he done that I’d be willing to bet Carlson’s family would be on the phone with the mortuary right about now…
[Jorge brushes Carlson in passing]
Carlson: Watch where you’re going, asshole!
Jorge: Screw you, loser.
Carlson: Hey, Jorge, apropos of nothing, GOD, YOUR WIFE IS HOT. What a rack. Talk about a ground-rule double. Hey, Jorge, how many baseballs can she fit in her mouth? I’d make her a back-end starter, if you know what I’m saying.
Jorge: CHINGATUMADRE, PUTA!!!!!
[all hell breaks loose]
… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, SCENE
mmmmmmmm jorge’s wife.
http://images.dailyradar.com/m.....373956.jpg (safe, but still fun)
Those can’t be real, tho.
They’re not, but who cares? They’re marvelous.
The article on Yahoo said that the umpire was hit in the knee with a bottle thrown from the stands. He went inside to get it checked out.
Where’s the link saying that Carlson said anything about Posada’s wife? Is there any proof of that or is that just an assumption? I would think Carlson after getting bumped is not going to scream “you’re wife’s a slut”. He has to have some balls.
there’s no proof. just idle speculation
bunch of savages in this town…
I believe the ump got thrown a soda by a fan in the stands.
Oh, how thoughtful. How did the fan know he was thirsty?
How was Edwar holding back Barajas not more comical than CC holding back Posada? Edwar the Enforcer was hilarious…
“Hey, I may be super skinny but, don’t mess with me Barajas.”