Yanks fall to Indians in Jeter’s return

July 5, 2011 by Mike Axisa 98 Comments

Hope you had a great Fourth of July, and to everyone outside of the U.S. … I hope you had a wonderful Monday. Let’s recap…

That foul ball by Lonnie Chisenhall in the seventh absolutely has to be caught, but it wasn’t. It’s the outfielder’s ball because he’s coming in on it, but for whatever reason (lack of communication?) it bounced between Alex Rodriguez and Brett Gardner. That should have been the third out.
I also don’t think A.J. Burnett should have faced Austin Kearns that inning because a) he hit two balls to the warning track earlier in the game and was obviously seeing the ball well out of his hand, and b) Burnett hung some curves to the previous batter and got away with them. He looked like he was tired as his pitch count climbed north of 110. You know what though? Chisenhall, Shelley Duncan, and Kearns came into the game with .300, .270, and .287 OBP’s, respectively. Just one of those guys needed to make an out, but instead four runs scored.
Other than that inning, Burnett was actually pretty good. Just two walks and two hits through the first six innings with five strikeouts. It looked like one of those classic games when A.J. pitched well and the offense wouldn’t bother to score.
Josh Tomlin managed to take a no-hitter into the seventh (!!!), but Mark Teixeira broke it up with a single back up the middle. Robinson Cano followed that up with an infield hit, and Nick Swisher drove in both of them with an opposite field gapper. Curtis Granderson hit his 23rd homer in the eighth, a solo shot.
Derek Jeter reached on an error in his first game back and hit one ball out of the infield in four at-bats, pretty much par for the course.
Cory Wade gave up his first run(s) with the Yankee, an opposite field two-run homer to Carlos Santana that gave the Indians some insurance runs in the eighth. Wasn’t even a bad pitch, a curveball on the outer half that Santana muscled out.
Here’s the box score and the depressing WPA graph.

CC Sabathia will try to stop the two-game losing streak when he takes the mound in his old stomping grounds on Tuesday night. Carlos Carrasco will go for the Tribe. That’s a normal 7:05pm ET start, and RAB Tickets can get you there on the cheap.

http://twitter.com/Bismarck1872 Jerome S.

so… blame… Jeter?
- mike c
  
  if jeter hitting 0-4 is now “par for the course” I don’t see how you couldn’t
  - David, Jr.
    
    It was back to his normal feeble grounders.
    - Mike c
      
      I stand corrected then, so “par for the course” is 0-4 with feeble grounders?
      My mistake, clearly nobody’s blaming jeter here, thanks for clearing that up
- BigTimeBartolo
  
  No. Blame Ramiro Pena, that’s what I’m doing anyways
  - Brian S.
    
    No blame Nunez, he’s terrible. But don’t count the games against the Mets because it helps my argument.
first time lawng time

Terrible game…Arod and Gardner totally screwed up AJ’s stats and the game.
- first time lawng time
  
  Also, those two didn’t even do anything offensively.
  
  Pathetic.
  - Brian S.
    
    Yes, I hate the second and third best position players on the team as well.
    - first time lawng time
      
      I don’t hate them. But they possibly cost the game.
  - pat
    
    It’s funny because you’re serious.
    - first time lawng time
      
      Well they didn’t do anything offensively and they cost the lead due to a communication error.
      
      They did not do much to help the team win this game.
- David, Jr.
  
  Gardner would have had it easily. Get the H out of the way.
  - whozat
    
    THen it’s his job to call off ARod, which he (by his own admission) did not do. Because he wasn’t sure he could get there. So…
    - Nuke Ladoosh
      
      That does mean fault is with GGBG. we could all see from the replay that if he went after the ball hard he gets it. If it was on the line (no other player around) Brett charges and gets there. He needed to be more decisive and call off Alex. Glad he made the mistake in July so he hopefully wont on October.
Brian S.

We lit up Tomlin last time we faced him and tonight he shut us down. Last time we faced Carasco he dominated, so we’re going to blast him tomorrow right?
- El Anonimo
  
  I hope so.
- http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
  
  Brian S. = Nostradamus?
Bob Michaels

Yankee bullpen is once again a crapshoot. Mariano is hurting.Should never have sent Nova Down. A wise move would be to put Hughes in the bull pen, but these guys Cashman and Girardi never make the smart move. They cave a screw job to Joba and will do the same with Nova.
If George were still alive he would have put an end to this nonsense.
- El Anonimo
  
  PHIL HUGHES IS A STARTING PITCHAH!!! TROLL
- Brian S.
  
  Hughes going to the pen would be the dumbest thing of all time. Effective starters are way more difficult to find than effective relievers. Wade gave up a home run to a good hitter off of a good pitch, it happens. Soriano will be back soon and our pen will be fine.
  - Bob Michaels
    
    We don`t know if hughes can still be effective, if you do you are another Casey Stengel
- pat
  
  Wait, so how did they “cave[sic] a screw job to Joba?”
  
  And wont putting Hughes in the bullpen also be caving him a screw job?
- Pat D
  
  If George were alive, this is a situation he’d probably make worse by immediately trading Montero for F-Rod.
  - http://myspace.com/bksmalls Smallz
    
    Its not up to George its up to Cash and Cashmans not stupid enough to send Montero to the Mets for K-Rod nor is soft enough to let that happpen.
    - Klemy
      
      If you’re saying that other people don’t over-rule Cashman, then Soriano says, “Hi!”.
- hogsmog
  
  Wait isn’t sending Hughes to the pen the exact same screw job they cave to Joba? Instead of letting him sort himself out as a starter in the minors just deciding “Ok looks like he’s a reliever forever because he sort of sucked for half a season”?
- http://myspace.com/bksmalls Smallz
  
  Thats not wise at all. Phil Hughes is a starter. Nova was an eh starter. he needs more than a fastball and a curveball. Hes gotta work on his changeup and slider. If Garcia would have been awful at all then DFAing him would be the best choice but, hes totally good enough to keep his job. For now, just hope Hughes comes back strong, Freddy keeps us in ballgames and Nova furthers his development in AAA.
first time lawng time

Actually, I just realized these past two losses are entirely my fault.

Listen.

Everytime I look at the pitch count and think, “oh he’s going to throw at least x amount of pitches this inning it turns out to be an offensive inning.

So last night, Rivera was in and he had 1 out and, say 5 pitches(I forget the actual number it was). I see 5 pitches and I think, ‘he’s going to throw at least 7 pitches.”. And then when there were 2 on and 2 out, I was like, oh this isn’t a threat at all, he’ll get out of it. Yeah, turns out he didn’t.

And then today, during the 7th, I did the same thing with AJs pitch count and look what happened.

Happens every time.

So yeah. I jinxed it. My fault. I take full responsibility.
- BigTimeBartolo
  
  Nice try, but I think I’m going to continue to blame Ramiro Pena for these past 2 losses, as well as any other problems going on with this team for the entire year
  - Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
    
    Blame Javy. You can never go wrong.
    - Cris Pengiuci
      
      Nah, I’m blaming first time lawng time. He’s willing to accept it and I’ll go along with that. maybe Pena deserves part of the blame, but not all of it. :-)
      - El Anonimo
        
        She not he ;)
Bob Michaels

I bet Soriano is done for the year, bad sign by the Tampa brain trust. lost a draft pick in this exercise in futility.
- pat
  
  If you know he’s done for the year you must be another Roger Peckinpaugh!
  - Pat D
    
    Nah, Snuffy Stirnweiss.
    - pat
      
      Dammit! That’s the exact name I was looking for but couldn’t remember it. I kept googling Stuffy Schoenweiss to no avail.
      - Cris Pengiuci
        
        Stuffy was a trivia question on my Yankees calendar for June. (What was his real first name?)
Bob Michaels

Yankees will score big time for the Big guy tomorrow nite, they usually do. They don`t hit much for Burnett.
Dino Velvet

The team let Jeter down.
first time lawng time

Poor AJ =( There’s going to be so much venom towards him for the next month.

He really did pitch well. He just go tired towards the end. I feel bad. I also hope his confidence won’t get affected.

You know, I should be his mental coach. I’d do a really good job.
duzzi23

Why can everyone admit when a veteran is done unless its Derek jeter. The Yankees treated Bernie williams like an after thought and he was more productive at the same point in their careers. Even that lowball take it or leave it contract they gave to Pettitte or how posadas being treated in the twilight of his career. HIT HIM 9th!!
- first time lawng time
  
  He’s EL CAPITAN!
- pat
  
  The only person not admitting that Derek Jeter is done is Derek Jeter.
  - first time lawng time
    
    And Girardi.
    
    Although maybe Girardi has admitted it, he just doesn’t care to stick him 9th where he belongs.
  - The BIG 3
    
    and me.
    
    A player of Jeter’s caliber (hell, of any caliber actually) does not decline like so: (OPS) .871, .710, .639, without injury or crippling age, of which Jeter has neither.
    
    I still believe, as I did pre-season that he’s got a .750 season in him, which means that sooner rather then later, he’s going to start knocking the snot out of the ball.
    
    He didn’t change leagues like Alomar, wasn’t hampered by injuries like Larkin. There is no rational for Jeter’s steep decline which is why I’m not buying any of it yet.
    - V
      
      Except an utter lack of willingness to make changes to his swing. Kevin Long tried to work with him, and as soon as the season started, he went right back to his old swing.
      
      Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson – all three have humbled themselves, gone to the hitting coach, begged for help, and let him revamp their swings. Each time, they’ve come out of it absolutely popping.
      
      Derek Jeter is too good for that, apparently.
- Dino Velvet
  
  because he’s got an edge
  - Monteroisdinero
    
    but Noonie’s got karma.
    
    And speed and power and range and a stronger arm and youth and a 15M cheaper paycheck.
    - Cris Pengiuci
      
      Again, that $15M isn’t going away simply because Nunez is playing in place of Jeter. Offense is about equal. Defense is tough to tell. Jeter doens’t get to as many balls as Nunez, but makes the plays he gets to. They’re probably a wash, but Jeter may provide a slight advantage. Should he bat lower in the order? Sure. It’ll happen someday. However, Nunez is not the answer now or in the long term as a SS for the Yankees, except in a stop-gap role.
- whozat
  
  Bernie was given a thousand at bats over two seasons after it was clear he was done.
duzzi23

Haha yes he is. Varitek is the sox captain but he’s a part time player. He wears tht big C just in case anyone forgot what a loser. Not comparing jeter to varitek that would be ridiculous just saying the fact hes the captain should have no weight on where he hits in the lineup.
Pat D

Well, I’ve decided to nickname WallyMatt “The King of the Gloom-Baggers.”

If anyone needs to know why, just seek out his latest piece of journalistic hypochondria on the worldwide leader’s site.
- pat
  
  As much as I hate to admit it,he might have a point. We have pretty much a single MLB quality reliever in our pen as of today. If Mo is out for any stretch of time we’re in trouble.
- first time lawng time
  
  He is terrible writer. Did you see thebpieve hebwrotebabout Arod? And how the Yankees are the best team except the RS, despite having a better record. He also said that the R are automatically making it to thr ALCS.
  
  And then Ian O’connor’s piece about AJ was terrible.
Will

Glad to see people don’t have their pitchforks out for Burnett on here…he pitched well as usual this year, but was let down by the defense (it’s been either that or the offense, and sometimes both, in most of his starts). That said, he was left in a batter too long. Austin Kearns may not be a very good hitter, but it was obvious to everyone in the ballpark except Girardi that for whatever reason he was on everything AJ threw tonight.
- first time lawng time
  
  he pitched well as usual this year
  
  Such a beautiful statement.
  
  And, yes, it is not AJ’s fault. He got screwed over tonight by his defense and offense and Girardi.
  - Foghorn Leghorn
    
    If AJ had bigger balls he gets out of that inning..CC would’ve, Colon would’ve and a number of other pitchers in the league would’ve. Even when tired they overcome adversity and get their job done. AJ is paid the big bucks to do that and he has rarely come through when the Yanks really need him to.
    - first time lawng time
      
      Yeah, his balls weren’t big enough. That’s why he couldn’t get out of the inning.
      
      And how do you know CC and other pitchers would have?
      
      CC has been needed to come through and beat Boston and hasn’t. He gave up something like 5 runs in th 7th inning against them. Was that because his balls weren’t big enough?
      
      What about Rivera? He was one strike away from winning the game, but blew it. He isn’t come through. Was that because his balls weren’t big enough?
      
      How is it that AJ gets blamed for the loss when his defense failed him, but it’s Pena’s fault and not Logan’s (or Rivera’s) against the Mets?
      
      Logan should have come through after the error.
      
      Rivera should have come through after the questionable called ball.
      
      CC should have come through to stop the losing streak, especially against their division rival.
      
      But Logan and Rivera and CC have big balls so I guess it’s okay
      - Foghorn Leghorn
        
        i’m sure if you pour over box scores from the last 2.5 yrs you’ll find a few times when CC came through in big situations…and the same with Mo over the past 15 yrs…but AJ has done it once.
        
        first time lawng time
        
        You’ll also find a few times when they haven’t. For example 2001 and 2004
        
        But you’re obviously looking for ways to blame AJ and hate on him. Other than last year, he’s been fine for the Yankees.
        
        But you can ignore facts and find a scapegoat. That’s okay, too.
        
        Also, you do realize that if that were ruled an error, all of AJ’s runs would be unearned and everybody would be blaming the entire game on AJ.
        
        In fact, the offense is another culprit. The past 2 days they’ve been no hit through 5+ fucking innings. Maybe they should give Rivera a cushion and AJ some run support.
        
        Foghorn Leghorn
        
        are you AJ’s mom?
        
        first time lawng time
        
        No. Do you have to hate him and blame him for everything? His defense and manager failed him.
        
        Foghorn Leghorn
        
        i don’t hate AJ…but its all on him there….
        
        first time lawng time
        
        Look his defense failed him. If it were Rivera pitching or Colon or Hughes, everyone would be flipping at the defense.
        
        I don’t wanna hear it. AJ pitched well then got tired and screwed over by Gardner.
    - Pat D
      
      Glad to see you’re still harping on this “AJ has no guts/balls/intestinal fortitude” narrative. It just never gets old.
      - first time lawng time
        
        I don’t get that.
        Now, when I say a player who has an injury should suck it up and be a man, I’m just playing around.
        
        But when people say AJ has no balls to finish an inning, that makes no send to me. He pt beaten on his pitches. That has nothing to do with masculinity (or lack thereof); rather, it has to do with poor location and good hitting.
        
        I actually don’t even know what that means.–AJ had no balls to get Kearns out.
        
        Also, if the 7th innin happened in the first, AJ would probably be erring credit for settiling down and the offense would be getting criticized for not scoring any more runs.
    - toad
      
      What is that supposed to mean?
      
      Burnett pitched fine.
Bavarian Yankee

I’m surprised that nobody blames Girardi, where are those damn trolls?
- Pat D
  
  That was in the game thread.
Monteroisdinero

For all those taking responsibility: At 6:48 PM on the game thread I posted that “we are doomed because Duncan and Kearns were both starting against a righty”

Inevitable.
Wil Nieves Number 1 Fan

AJ Burnett hates America.
- Bavarian Yankee
  
  is this good or bad?
- http://myspace.com/bksmalls Smallz
  
  Pretty sure, AJ Burnett looks like a guy who blew alot of shit up yesterday. For ‘Merica.
JohnC

Even after the miscommunication between Arod and gardner, AJ still needed just one pitch to get out of the inning and couldn’t make it. Had Chisenall down 2 strikes and couldn’t finish him off, and Had Duncan down 0-2 and couldn’t puit him away, and then gives up a homer to Kearns who has been pathetic all year.
- Foghorn Leghorn
  
  right on…too much complaining about the missed catch. Many pitchers will bear down and get that out but AJ never does.
  - Frank
    
    Amen. Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact he did walk 2 batters and threw another wild pitch (what a surprise) in that inning. Yes, the catch should have been made, but that’s not the reason they lost. AJ had inconsistent command all night and it caught up to him that inning.
    - Foghorn Leghorn
      
      burnett was ahead of a rookie hitter and a career hack AAAA player well before Kearns came to bat. he needs to get one of those guys out, even with the missed catch.
- first time lawng time
  
  How is it that one night it’s the defense’s fault and another it’s the pitcher’s fault?
  
  If that catch is made, no one is complaining about AJ’s night.
  
  He was also tiring; Girari could have pulled him.
Hester Prynne

Our vaunted pitching staff has cost us the past two ballgames. The offense had those games won and the pitching blew it. If AJ cannot finish off Shelly Duncan and Austin Kearns late in ballgames how are we to count on him going up against Gonzalez and Youkilis in October? Good move having Nova waiting on the wings just in case AJ continues to struggle.
- Patrick
  
  “Our vaunted pitching staff has cost us the past two ballgames. The offense had those games won and the pitching blew it.”
  
  Wrong. The offense scored exactly 2 runs in each of the last 2 games at the point in the games you are talking about.
  
  Sorry–but 2 runs by the offense is not good enough! If they would have scored at least 4 or 5–then I would agree with you.
  
  The defense and offense have let this team down the last 2 games. Pitching problem got magnified because of poor defense…and offense.
  - Hester Prynne
    
    Offense gave the pitching the lead in both ballgames. It’s the pitching’s job to win those close games against weak offenses. Mo couldn’t get scrubs out and AJ couldn’t put away career castoffs and misfits. The offense can’t score 5 runs every game so pitching needs to step up.
    - Clay Bellinger
      
      It’s entirely unreasonable to pin these losses on the pitching alone. They gave up 3 runs over 10 innings on Sunday. That just doesn’t go on the pitching. Both games included costly misplays on defense as well. Without the botched pop-up, none of that happens yesterday.
- mt
  
  I would love to see Nova replace Burnett if AJ struggles in second half – it is easy to send Nova to AAA in favor of starting a Phil Hughes: this would be much more ballsy
  
  Given his backing away from Posada batting ninth, not sure Girardi will do anything to AJ I can see Joe dumping Garcia or even Hughes if they struggle (Hughes is a question mark) but I want to see if he will bench $82.5 million AJ during regular season – they never did it last year when he had the worst season in Yankee history for a pitcher who made so many starts – but last year “no credible back-up” could have been the excuse.
  
  Now with Nova in AAA, no longer that excuse if starters falter – we’ll see. Hopefully AJ will pitch well and avoid the issue.
mt

Missed catch was bad but as a pitcher you have got to not let 4 runs score there with those people up and 2 outs – Chisenhall, Duncan, Kearns.

Our expectations are so low for AJ that we always look for excuses – but when will he pick up his teammates ever when they make errors/missed plays – he obviously knew that Rivera was out and Ayala was out so bullpen was short and he (not Brett, not AROD) needed to come through big – viewers like us did not know that Rivera/Ayala was out until after the game – so he needed to come through there – he puts his teammates in such bad situations several times with his wild pitches and stolen bases because he cannot hold runners on so he should not compalin or lose it on a missed foul pop down the line – as the $82.5 million man, when will come through to pick up his teammates?

It is not like the pop-up was a double or triple – it just extended the at-bat – just like when Martin does not catch a foul strike for strike 3 – it happens – he should be able to overcome.

Walking 2 is the crime with those set of batters up and giving up home run – reminds me of the Molina home run in last year’s ALCS game 4. We are not taking AGon or Bautista here; it is Austin Kearns.

I guess we just must be resigned to fact that he is what he is.
- first time lawng time
  
  You mean a good pitcher that gets blamed for everything? Okay.
  
  The offense knew the BP was short. Why couldn’t they have scored runs to make it a blowout and use mopup men? Maybe they should score throughout the game and not 1 inning.
  - Cris Pengiuci
    
    Why couldn’t they have scored runs to make it a blowout and use mopup men? Maybe they should score throughout the game and not 1 inning.
    
    Yeah, they’re professionals getting paid millions of dollars. They should be able to score countless runs at will against any pitcher, just because they want to. If they don’t score, it’s because theyr’re not trying hard enough or don’t care. It has nothing to do with baseball being a sport where a top batter will fail 67%-70% of the time.
    - Foghorn Leghorn
      
      and just because Kearns hits the ball hard two times up doesn’t mean he will do it a 3rd.
      
      Shelly Duncan is a career .225 hitter and he k’s a lot. the yanks know how to pitch to him since he came up through the system.
      
      the lovefest for AJ is making me sick and i’m going to go puke in a bucket.
Foghorn Leghorn

just once…AJ needs to man up and do his job. can’t believe people are defending him. he simply has to get one of those guys out…a rookie batter, a career hack and Kearns who is not very good….and he can’t get any of them out? even if he’s tiring he has to get one of those guys out, finish the inning and turn it over to the pen for the 8th.
- ItsATarp
  
  he made good pitches, they fouled them off. They got him tired out. Happens to every pitcher…not just AJ. Cliff Lee gave up 3 home runs and like 6 runs or something with 2 outs in the 8th just the other day after pitching brilliantly for 7 innings. And aside from Bautista none of the other hitters were exactly something to be feared.
Foghorn Leghorn

AJ should pay half of his contract back for the performance he’s given. at least he’s better than John Lackey.
- Pat D
  
  I’m surprised you’re willing to admit that.
Hester Prynne

I don’t think we’ll ever see AJ removed from the starting rotation in favor of Nova because Girardi doesn’t have it in him. Just like he doesn’t have it in him to hit Jeter 9th, just like how he caved to Posada, and just like how he does not bar Robinson Cano from participating in the homerun derby which is statistically proven to harm a hitter’s swing. Bobby Abreu never recovered.
- Clay Bellinger
  
  “I don’t think we’ll ever see AJ removed from the starting rotation in favor of Nova because Girardi doesn’t have it in him.”
  
  This wouldn’t be Girardi’s decision alone and they shouldn’t remove him from the rotation anyway.
  
  …and how did he cave into Posada? If he did, are you upset about that? Jorge came on pretty strong in June.
  
  Does any manager ever bar anyone from the HR Derby? Why would Giradi step up and be the first?
Monteroisdinero

AJ needs to throw his changeup more and with confidence. It will help him in the late innings. This pitch was a big weapon for Tomlin although Tex and Swish surprisingly got hits off it. It is a big reason why CC is so good. Easier said than done but….
Alibaba

I don’t think either A-Rod or Gardner called for THAT pop-up. When he saw A-Rod chasing the ball, Gardner could have called for it. It’s funny how one play turns a game around.
Klemy

I can’t totally blame AJ, there is enough to go around. Everyone deserved a share between missing the pop-up, maybe leaving AJ in a hitter too long, and not getting one of the low quality hitters out.

All blame being placed is revisionist anyway. A lot of things could’ve gotten them out of the inning, but there is no guarantee a pitching change would’ve done it. Team loss in my opinion. I think most people are just disappointed it happened more than anything else.
- toad
  
  This.