Late rally comes up short, Yankees fall to O’s

July 30, 2011 by Mike Axisa 51 Comments

It’s pretty late and it’s Friday, so I’m going to do this as quickly as possible…

A.J. Burnett struck out a season-high ten (his most in a game since 2009), but he allowed five hits (all for extra bases) and three of them to the reanimated corpses of Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee. I’ll take eight innings and four runs from him all year, but I hate seeing him get beat by two over-the-hill guys like that. Oh well.
The Yankees didn’t muster much offense until late, when the certifiably terrible Kevin Gregg put on an LOLshow. Brett Gardner struck out to end the game (with the tying run on base) after the pitch that should have been ball four was called strike two. He smashed his bat into the ground out of frustration, smashing it to pieces, and I’m pretty confident in saying that if some other players did that (not necessarily on the Yankees), we’d hear about what terrible people they were.
Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher had doubles, and Jorge Posada reached base four times (two singles and two walks). Luis Ayala needed 30 pitches to throw a scoreless ninth down three runs.
Here’s the box score, here’s the FanGraphs stuff, here’s the standings.

These two teams will play two games tomorrow, with Bartolo Colon and some guy named TBA (either Zach Britton or Chris Tillman, most likely) going for the Orioles at 1pm ET.

Matt DiBari

So, uhm, was there a point to replacing Martin with Nunez to stand there and do nothing until the game ended?
Bob Michaels

They just don`t score for A.J., when he pitches he should change his name. The Grandy man is striking out a little too much. Must win the next three.
JonS

Does AJ really have value at $16.5m of “keeping them in the game”?
- Will
  
  Actually, AJ’s main value to the Yankees so far has been durability and, yes, keeping the team in the game. Sure, he’s probably overpaid, but the bottom line is, especially this season (and really throughout most of his contract, other than his twin disaster months of June and August last year), he’s almost always going to get into or past the 6th inning and give up 4 runs or fewer. Not flashy numbers, but with the Yankee offense his record should be a lot better than it is (keep in mind he’s lost 2 1-0 games this year at at least one other in which he allowed 2 runs).
  
  As far as tonight, yeah, it would have been nice if he didn’t groove a fastball to Reynolds after a walk, and if Derrick Lee didn’t somehow hit a jam shot homerun. But it’s not as if the O’s can’t hit (especially recently, they’ve been scoring a ton of runs). Main thing is, against THAT pitching staff, the Yankees should be able to score at least 5 runs.
  - Ted Nelson
    
    I think you make some good points, but in hindsight there is no doubt AJ is overpaid. W-L is not a credible way to measure a pitcher’s performance. If AJ were pitching the way he has for most of his career when healthy he might be earning his money… He’s not though.
- toad
  
  That’s not the issue. The money isn’t coming back. The only question is whether he’s better than whoever might reasonably replace him.
  
  Clearly, that’s not even close.
first time lawng time

Well, last night I dreamed that the Yankees went 0-24 with RISP.

Just be glad that didn’t happen during thus game.

Although, technically they could still win, but that would still be pretty hideous.
first time lawng time

Attention everyone: AJ is overpaid and does not pitch like a number 2 starter. So you may as well get over it and shut up. Now that we have come to terms with that, be happy with what you get from him and don’t act like brats.

Could we all just please move on with our lives?
- cool story, bro
  
  yep
- Brian S.
  
  Weren’t you just berating him in the game thread?
  - first time lawng time
    
    I was just pissed at the time. What happened between 2009 and now that has caused such a drop off? In 2009, he was the usual Good AJ or Bad AJ; he would be stellar or terrible. Now, he’s just decent at best. He hasn’t been his old 4 IP 8 ER self this year, but he also hasn’t been his 8IP 2 ER, either.
    
    I don’t miss the former; he’s been consistently “keep your team in the game AJ,” but I really, really miss those stellar outings.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      So you’re telling others to “shut up” for something you just did yourself?
Kevin

How about the fact we couldn’t hit for squat with RISP. Especially in the 9th inning. Martin KILLED the rally we had going.
- Rick
  
  Not that I necessarily think it was a bad call, but I sure would have loved to actually see a replay of the force at second with a slow-mo/freeze cam instead of eight replays of Jorge dancing out of the way of the ball.
  
  I thought there was a non-trivial chance Dickerson hit the bag first (though it’s always hard to tell on forces at second because half the time the guys are so preoccupied with the take-out that they don’t actually hit the bag with their lead foot at all).
  
  Instead YES gave us “hey, look, Jorge didn’t get hit with the ball!”
stuart a

1 for 9 with risp. aj gets his typical free ride from the fandom.

again the tease did just enough to lose..

3 or 4 mistakes hit real hard and aj does what he does well, lost his 9th game… the guy must have top 25 BA against but is under 500 and with a mid 4 era. our #2 starter is a cement head…
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  aj gets his typical free ride from the fandom.
  
  Laughable. The last thing Burnett gets from the fans is a pass.
- first time lawng time
  
  If he is below .500 with a mid four ERA, wouldn’t that have more to do with his arm than his head? I don’t understand what a cement head is. If you are trying to imply he’s a head case then you are a) doing a pretty bad job of it and b) pretty far off, because I don’t know how you can determine one’s mental stability based on one throwing a ball for a living, and even if one does have mental issues, then how could that affect one’s pitching, especially considering that is an all physical process?
  
  People can say AJ is overpaid, that he is inconsistent, that he isn’t a “true number 2. But, people, do not call him a headcase. That is extremely dumb. I don’t see a point in it.
  - Oscar Gamble’s Fro
    
    If you truly think anything in sports is “an all physical process,” you have a lot to learn.
    
    Have you ever competed athletically at a remotely high level?
    
    I mean, c’mon man.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      The “have you ever played sports?” response is one of the most cliche douchebag blog responses out there… So I guess you may be incorrect in saying I am the biggest douche on the board
      - CMP
        
        Disagree.
        
        To suggest pitching is an “all physical process” is an incomprehensibly ridiculous statement that shows about as much insight as I’d expect from a 7 year old.
        
        Oscar had a valid point suggesting that if someone played organized sports at any level, they’d have an idea why that is the case.
      - Oscar Gamble’s Fro
        
        Incorrect again, Teddie. In the context of the discussion, it was a perfectly valid question to ask. CMP hit the nail on the head in his last sentence below. Therefore, you remain the biggest douche on the board. Congrats.
        
        Oscar Gamble’s Fro
        
        “. . . in his last sentence above.”
  - Mike
    
    I think the previous poster was referring to Burnett’s body language on the mound. When ever he gets into a little adversity, the next pitch is usually a bad one. He looks pretty perturbed out there when there’s a bad call, or the ump squeezes him.
    
    When the Yanks were in Toronto I believe, AJ was coming out of the game and a Yankees fan in the stands must’ve said something rude to him. AJ stopped before going in the dugout and jawed away at the guy. What I am saying is, AJ isn’t good at hiding his emotions during the game. That’s not always the greatest trait to have on the mound and it gets the best of him sometimes. I think that’s what the guy meant when he said “cement head”.
- Ted Nelson
  
  Wins and Losses are a team stat. AJ has been bad, but saying his offense stunk and he lost the game is not the way to show that. Check out fangraphs.com for more descriptive stats.
Slurve

Gardner’s ball 4 was not on 3-1, it was on 1-0. Gregg couldn’t find the plate and Gardner should not have been swinging until he had at least one strike on him, maybe two.
- Brian S.
  
  Oh well, he showed the dirt behind the batters box who was boss.
Dino Velvet

“and I’m pretty confident in saying that if some other players did that (not necessarily on the Yankees), we’d hear about what terrible people they were.”
——————————————–
Nah. We’d be hearing how gutty and gritty they are.
http://www.wordpress.heresthepitch.com MP

Well at least the smashing of the bat was hilarious. That was a freakin’ all-out massacre on the home plate dirt. There should be a full post tomorrow on how wonderful that was. I laughed for about 5 minutes.

/completelyserious
- Sarah
  
  I loved it. I love it when players show their emotions. At least he’s pissed. Some guys are all nonchalant, “Dang, well, you win some, you lose some.” Not Gardy tonight. Nope. He’s pissed as hell and everyone knows it.
  
  The dopes on MLB network even did a segment after the game on how to break your bat properly, for the kids out there hoping to pull that stunt.
  - Oscar Gamble’s Fro
    
    Right there with you, Sarah. Showing a little competitive fire every now and again is a good thing. The picture of Gardy in today’s Post is awesome. Dude looks apoplectic.
- forensic
  
  The best part of that was Mitch Williams saying how easy it was to break a bat on your knee instead, then failing to do it twice, while also hurting his leg and limping around the studio, in the next hour of MLB Tonight.
  - Pat D
    
    There is so much to like about MLB Network.
    
    But first on the list of things to hate is every single studio analyst they employ not named Al Leiter.
  - Sarah
    
    That was amazing. Especially after he said, “It’s difficult to break a bat like Gardner just did without hurting yourself.” And proceeds to hurt himself. Gardy could teach Williams a few things about breaking a bat!
FIPster Doofus

Cashman better get his ass in gear by Sunday. Teams that can’t hit Jeremy Guthrie don’t win World Serieseseseses.
- Kevin
  
  Boston couldn’t hit him either.
  - Troll Killer
    
    Thank You.
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    I was joking.
forensic

I was hoping the title would be something like ‘Yankees told game postponed, return to Stadium late’…
ItsATarp

Call up Jesus…I can’t stand Martin anymore
- Rich in NJ
  
  They could make a great catching tandem.
forensic

I find it amazing how Gardner is scorching hot at the bottom of the order, Girardi finally moves him up to leadoff, and immediately Gardner disappears going 3-24 up there since the change. In the middle of that stretch, he has one game in the 9 hole and goes 2-4 with a double.

No middle ground between the two (at this SSS moment), almost enough to make you wonder…
- Rich in NJ
  
  The SB slump didn’t make sense either, but he overcame it. I think he will do the same thing with hitting leadoff (assuming there is something to overcome beyond sample size issues) if given the chance.
  - forensic
    
    Yeah, I think (hope) it’ll even out, it’s just amazing how clearly it lined up with the line-up change. And he’s been terrific leading off innings this year, but terrible if it’s the 1st inning he’s leading off (he was terrific last year).
    
    Of course, I’m sure he’ll just figure it out 2-3 days before A-Rod is back and he’s banished back to #9 again anyway.
pat

I miss you Arod. I miss your musk.
Kevin

I know it’s going to shock some people, but the likihood of us or any other team taking 18-0 from the O’s was next to nothing. Even in 09, the O’s took two series from the Yanks, and they were just as bad then as they are now.
Bavarian Yankee

Everytime you lose against Guthrie you just shake your head :D

btw: I realized a few days ago that Granderson plays (or has to play) weird shifts and I think that cost us at least one run in this game (3rd one that is) and 2(?) runs in the loss against the M’s. Maybe that’s something to look into.
teddy

so unless the yankees win the next 3 games, this home stand is a diaster against 3 pretty awful teams and a 7 and 3 homestand is alright, nothing special.
CMP

I’d like to congratulate AJ on reaching 1.0 WAR with yesterdays game. It only took him 23 starts and 138.1 innings to get there. I think he has a chance to surpass last seasons lofty total of 1.3 so kudos to AJ.
Bronx Byte

Burnett is a thrower – not a pitcher. Stuck with him through 2013.
Jack Merridew

Great lineup for game 1, Nunez hitting 2nd. Anything less than 3/4 is unacceptable against these guys. This was our homestand to make up some ground on the Sox and we just haven’t done it.
David, Jr.

The article about Jeter’s resurgence may have been a touch premature. The facts show a .326 on base percentage, with as little power as just about anybody in the majors. Certainly not all on him, but a reason why we have games like last night.