Game 152: Last Legs

September 18, 2013 by Mike Axisa 202 Comments

At some point in the next week or so, the Yankees are going to be officially eliminated from playoff contention. That is, unless, they go off on a ridiculous tear and win nine of their final eleven games or something like that. Even then they would need some serious help from the five (!) teams ahead or tied with them in the standings. The only thing the Yankees can do is win their games — that has been a big challenge of late — and hope for the best. Here’s the lineup that will face left-hander J.A. Happ:

And on the mound is right-hander Phil Hughes … for the first few innings at least. Expect to see lefty David Huff at the first sign of trouble now that they’re working as a tandem.

It’s a lovely day in Toronto, nice and cool without a cloud in the sky. I imagine they’ll have the roof open at Rogers Centre. First pitch is scheduled for a little after 7pm ET and can be seen on YES. Try to enjoy.

Injury Updates: Boone Logan (elbow) threw 30 pitches in the bullpen — fastballs and sliders — and said everything felt fine. If he wakes up tomorrow feeling good, he could be available as soon as Friday.

Abe Rosenberg

We’ve started a petition to re-name the Yankee Stadium bullpen after Mariano Rivera. Please sign it, and spread the word! Thanks!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nameitaftermo/
- jim p
  
  The NY Post goes one further: rename River Ave., Rivera Ave.
  
  http://nypost.com/2013/09/18/t.....no-rivera/
  
  a Yankees fan named Dan Salogub created a Twitter account (@161stRIVERAve)
vicki

off-topic, but omigod mason williams is a baby doll.
- Bo Knows
  
  Thinking of robbing the cradle vicki?
  - vicki
    
    i don’t date guys with jobs.
Anderson Silva

No idea why they held Granderson, he would have scored easily.
- JGYank
  
  No he wouldn’t of. He hesitated off the bat.
JGYank

And we don’t come through. Typical. After cano the lineup is full of crap.
Deep Thoughts

Daily News headline tomorrow: HAPP-LESS
JGYank

This is already looking bad. And I thought things couldn’t get any worse.
- trr
  
  This is it tonight.
  They lose it’s next to impossible to make the playoffs.
  - JGYank
    
    Honestly we probably need like 89 wins so we would have to win like 10 out of 11 which isn’t happening with the injuries and way this team is playing. So we can’t lose any night.
your mom

Good start for Hughes.
Tom

How many pitches to Davis after getting to 0-2?

(I’m going with 4 or 5)
- Tom
  
  Only 3… not bad. (and an out!)
JGYank

On a side note anyone else feel uncomfortable with a call up calling the game with a bad pitcher on the mound? I’m surprised Hughes is listening and not calling his own game. But some signs are Probably from the dugout though.
- Bo Knows
  
  We’d know what Hughes’ would do if he called his own (fb fb fb fb….fb fb…..fb another fb)
  
  it’s a good sign imo that they are letting Murphy call it, Girardi barely let any other catcher call a game.
vicki

good job, hugsie.

suggestions for a nickname for the hughes/huff tag-team?
- Tom
  
  Hu2 (not smart enough to figure out ^2)
- trr
  
  H2O(shit!)
- ropeadope
  
  As Hughes has (team) seniority, could go with the Hues Corporation. Cause you know the boat is gonna be rockin’ at some point during the game.
- Tom
  
  Hu Never Know?
- Wheels
  
  H&H Bagels
  - vicki
    
    oh, cool. especially if they put up zeroes.
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      More likely top to bottom for an 8. Four apiece. Let’s be fair.
    - Wheels
      
      Yeah, wishful thinking.
  - ropeadope
    
    A baker’s dozen runs given up every outing!
- vicki
  
  i expected something censorious, like ‘hanger & banger’ but we can use the hu’s.
Tom

O’s down 2-0 early
JGYank

Hughes actually isn’t shitting the bed tonight. Maybe he could pitch deeper than usual.
Eddard

Hughes could pitch 9 scoreless innings and it wouldn’t mean a damn thing because it’d still be tied 0-0 and they’d lose when Kelley came in and served up a HR to Gose.
Bo Knows

Murphy looks good behind the plate
JGYank

Must score here. Normally I would bunt with the bottom of the order here but not with Reynolds.
JGYank

That’s why is bunt there.
- JGYank
  
  *why I’d normally
vicki

i hate that guy. hate.
Eddard

They will not score one single run in this series. The pitching will give up 7 total runs in the series and they’ll lose every single ballgame. A stark contrast from the Sox series in YS where they scored 26 runs over a 3 game span and still managed to lose all 3 ballgames. I don’t know how any team manages to do that.
- Mr. Roth
  
  Wow, nice prediction. You must be some sort of clairvoyant.
  
  Wait, this just in…you’re just plain old fucking wrong.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

It’s so nice to see the offense has gone away at the worst possible time.

THREE runs in the last 33 innings.
- Wheels
  
  oof.
  - https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries
    
    Last two innings of Friday = 0
    Saturday = 1
    Sunday = 2
    Monday + Tuesday (13 innings) = 0
    
    Yeah, it’s ugly.
Eddard

And that’s the ballgame. Through him a cookie right in his wheelhouse.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  In his Tollhouse.
  - vicki
    
    heh.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

It’s SO NICE to know that there is only ONE player in that Jays lineup who can hurt the Yankees, and he has done just that the past two nights now.
JGYank

Was nice while it lasted.
vicki

oof.
Eddard

Huff comes in one batter too late. He should have been in to face the lefty Rasmus. Wouldn’t have mattered anyway because they’re gonna get shut out again.
your mom

Seriously, fuck Rasmus………………and Hughes.
BigBlueAL

The Knicks and Nets should thank the 4 current NY pro teams for being so mediocre/boring (though still have hope Giants can go 9-7 and win a mediocre division) that for the first time since probably 1992/1993 NY should be most excited about the NBA season than any other sport.
Widget

So the schedule is incredibly “easy” down the stretch. Shame the Yankees dont realize that.
Tom

So Phil pitches to two lefties and then you pull him for Huff when the righty comes up?

Should have been out after Lawrie’s double with 2 lefties coming up; isn’t that the whole point of having a tandem?
NY2FanBoston

Crap…
NY2FanBoston

Watching Hughes fastball… He was throwing it 93 – 94 mph and this last inning he was topping out at 91.
Bo Knows

has everyone been doing there scouting for the 2014 draft? never too early
your mom

Is it July again? Where’s the offense?
Rob

Gotta love the Dill Huffughes SP tag team..
Tom

And to think there were quite a few people around here who wanted to roll the dice and give Phil a qualifying offer not all that long ago…
- your mom
  
  Fuck it, just give him one anyways.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

The Yankees are getting bashed and shutdown by a AAA team with their season on the line. Way to go, assholes.
- Bo Knows
  
  there are more major leaguers on that toronto team than there are on the yankees
will

At least not making the playoffs will get 20th overall pick….. 90’s dolphins = 2013 and beyond yankees… Just mediocre enough to get a crap pick
- your mom
  
  LOL, so true. The Dolphins might be playoff bound this year though.
- Bo Knows
  
  yankees are currently in line for the 18th pick (because of one team failed to sign there 2013 1st rounder) if they lose this game they’ll be in line for pick 17
Eddard

And it just makes you wonder why they bothered to give up that young arm for Soriano when it didn’t make a lick of difference towards making the postseason. A desperate attempt by a desperate man. We should be hanging on to all of the kids we have and seeing what they can do right now. JR Murphy should be playing every day. Zolio playing every day. Get those bullpen kids in the game and see what they can do.
stuart a

Does goins count that as his first homer since it is off hughes? Hughes will drop to what 4 and 13..

Hughes, Joba, and CC have been let’s say horrible this year. THe level of there crappiness cannot be understated.

Dead man walking this team. Tell SOriana Happ got the memo he is throwing him changeups….

They have to sign Cano for an obscene contract for next year he can lead them to 5th place next year to go along with the 4th place finish this year. I have been around a long time, unless some houdini moves happen in the offseason there are going to be multiple bad bad seasons on the horizon. These is a train wreck…
stuart a

in the car listening to the toronto broadcast did not know huff gave up the homer to goins.

hughes with the over 5 era and huff with the over 6 era…

next year may be scary for the bandwagon fans because this team is absolutely not competing nxt year, no chance.
Captain Turbo

This team is circling the toilet!
stuart a

best things the yanks can do in the offseason are; get rid of wells, hughes, joba, have aroid be suspended for all 211 games, and give out absolutely no long term deals. if cano cannot surivive on 5 years 100 mill let him go to seattle and enjoy himself…

logan for 3 years, NO THANKS…

go young, and reduce payroll and you are going to struggle.. they will be without; pettitte, mo, kuroda, and replace them with nothing so get rready for some lean times…….LEAN TIMES
- Eddard
  
  I agree. The whole reason they had sustained success in the late 90s is because George built up that farm system and they were able to build the club around Jeter, Mo, Andy, Jorgie and Bernie. You look at the team now, it’ still built around Jeter, Mo, and Andy and also Cano and A-Rod. Cano is the youngest at 31 and he should be let go. They need youth and the fans need to be patient with the kids.
- Captain Turbo
  
  “have aroid be suspended for all 211 games”
  
  And how exactly are the Yankees going to accomplish that?
- your mom
  
  So we will be like the Astros then.
Tom

I say it takes at least 4 runs to win this game (for either team).

If the Yankees shut them down the rest of the way, I think they comeback.
stuart a

hughes, cc, and joba if they were a semblance of good all would be different. hughes won 16 and 18 games previously. joba once was an elite pitcher. CC use to be a stud…

those 3 zeroes kill..

imagine 3 more years of aroid.. the guy cannot stay healty for a 3 game series. he cannot move, and he is a schmo….

not sure who I like less; wells, ichiro, or aroid…
- Captain Turbo
  
  If you want the Yanks to win, you’ll answer Wells and Ichiro.
Eddard

Look at Robbie Cano just stand there and not even run down the 1st base line. Joe is just shaking his head.
- your mom
  
  I’d bench him.
Craig Sagermetrics

Another night, another shutout.

The majority of the team has thrown in the towel.
Eddard

The look on Andy’s face says it all. Why the hell did I come back to this? Such a shame Andy and Mo won’t get one last try for that elusive 6th ring. They deserved that chance.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  They’ll have to settle for 5 rings and hundreds of millions of dollars. They’ll be fine.
- Rob
  
  Whats so elusive about it? That they were only able to make it to the ALCS twice and playoffs 3 times since the 2009 WS win?
cooolbreeez

Hu’s on the mound?
- Captain Turbo
  
  Naturally.
  - Rolling Doughnut
    
    Used to be Naturally. Now he is juicing.
Wheels

Yankees’ minds drifting towards offseason vacation plans, reservations, plane tickets…
- Kenny
  
  Elk season’ll be starting in a few weeks–and moose, deer.
  - your mom
    
    But half the team already knew that.
vicki

somebody remind the lineup it’s ja happ.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

Cy Happ.

This is absolutely unbelievable.
WhittakerWalt

Yankees are really ending this season on a high note.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  Quiet, you!
YES

FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!!!!!
Eddard

This team is saying one thing right now – We want a regime change. They’ve quit on the manager, the GM has put them in this mess, are you listening Hal? The only way forward is to get fresh voices at the top.
- Kenny
  
  Hal? Why in hell are you asking Hal? He’s the guy who is giving up the Yankees’ one great advantage over its enemies in MLB. MONEY.
- your mom
  
  The team is saying: “We fucking suck shit” Loud and clear.
Betty Lizard

Huff Happ and Hughes. It’s like bad slapstick. I wish Girardi would put on Groucho glasses and smoke a cigar in the dugout.
- ropeadope
  
  Don Drysdale with Groucho on You Bet Your Life.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPm3_AabWxY
  - ropeadope
    
    Lol, when I try to embed, it never embeds. When I have no intent of embedding, it embeds!
    - Betty Lizard
      
      22 years old!
      - ropeadope
        
        Yes, just a kid at this point (show aired prior to the ’59 season). Drysdale would win 131 games for the Dodgers in the following seven years. Cy Young in ’62 (25 victories), six consecutive shutouts and 58 consecutive scoreless innings in ’68.
        
        Betty Lizard
        
        About the six shutouts in 68, I read Wikipedia to find out when Drysdale died and found this:
        
        “Among the personal belongings found in Drysdale’s hotel room was a cassette tape of Robert F. Kennedy’s victory speech after the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary, a speech given only moments before Senator Kennedy’s assassination. In the speech, Kennedy had noted, to the cheers of the crowd, that Drysdale had pitched his sixth straight shutout that evening. Drysdale had apparently carried the tape with him wherever he went since Kennedy’s murder.”
        
        ropeadope
        
        Extremely chilling story Betty – and one I was not familiar with (Drysdale carrying around the tape). I do recall the assassination of RFK and Roosevelt Grier and Rafer Johnson ((Wikipedia also credits George Plimpton) wrestling Sirhan Sirhan to the ground. I would have been 14 at the time. Those were crazy times with the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK.
        
        As to Drysdale’s passing, he went way too soon – three weeks shy of his 57th birthday.
    - Alkaline
      
      Weird. I just copy and paste and mine seem to embed. I wonder what the trick is?
      - ropeadope
        
        I think that is the trick. Just copy and paste! Which is what I did above (but was only expecting it to link, not embed.
Tom

A baserunner!

(It’s been a while)
Craig Sagermetrics

A hit! What is this?
JGYank

The team just doesn’t have what it takes to pull this off. The injuries and age/declining of players have killed this team. The inconsistency and our run differential show that this team doesn’t belong in the same group as the other contenders. We either needed more pieces at the deadline or more things to go our way if we wanted to pull this off.

But we could still have a good future if we make the right moves. Hopefully we will…
Rolling Doughnut

7 innings 3 hits. Wow. Shit Happens.
Eddard

Coming into the ballgame JA Happ was one of the few pitchers that had a higher ERA than Phil Hughes. They managed by 3 hits off him. That’s a team that has quit on their manager just two days after he gave them a stern talk to get them fired up. They’ve responded with 0 runs over 16 innings, that’s how much they want to fight for Girardi.
NY2FanMaynard

What was that? A hit?
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  a hit. a very palpable hit.
  - vicki
    
    why, you literate s.o.b.
    
    just steer clear of the scottish play.
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
      Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.
      - vicki
        
        angels and ministers of grace defend us!
JGYank

The Hughes/Huff combo gave us more than a quality start. It’s the offense tonight.
HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)

The way this team is playing makes me think I shouldn’t feel stupid for wanting them to sell at the deadline. Holy hell. During August I really thought they had a run in them and they made the right decision. Guess not.
- JGYank
  
  They kinda did neither. Just picking up Soriano isn’t going to change anything. You either had to get more pieces to fill holes and compete or find a way to get prospects without dumping all of your good players. They couldn’t stand pat and that is pretty much what they did.
  - HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)
    
    Yeah, I guess so. Although I think they wouldn’t have gotten crap without giving up the good players, namely Gardy, Kuroda, and Cano.
Tom

Brendan Ryan quietly cementing his place as the backup SS next year.
Tom

So you’re saying there’s a chance?
JGYank

If Arod walks here I like the matchup with Cano on deck against a RHP with the bases loaded and no outs.
Wheels

Cano with the defibrillation paddles.
Eddard

You just knew Alex would choke there. Now hit into a DP Robbie and don’t bother running down to 1st.
JGYank

new ballgame now. But the bottom of the order is coming up.
Adam

Vernon!
Tom

Vernon!
Eddard

THEY’VE TAKEN THE LEAD! THIS TEAM WAS DOWN TO ITS LAST 6 OUTS AND DIDN’T WANT TO QUIT! NEVER GIVE UP NEVER EVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!!
- vicki
  
  you’re the king, eddard.
  - ropeadope
    
    The King’s hand you mean. Or he was at one time.
    
    /GoT
- WhittakerWalt
  
  You’re the living end.
- Alkaline
  
  Meh. You’re getting too obvious now Eddard.
Rolling Doughnut

Wells? Wells!
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

Holy crap Vernon did it.
Tom

Shameless back slapping…

http://riveraveblues.com/2013/.....nt-6863914
- ropeadope
  
  Excellent call. Let’s hope four is sufficient, or we pad the four to a number that will be sufficient.
your mom

YCPB?
BigBlueAL

Signs of life!!
NY2FanMaynard

Finally some hits, some runs and a lead!
Alkaline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoLywiaM6PA
JGYank

Wait… we have a lead! That changed quickly. Need many more though if want it to lead somewhere. So did Eddard change his attitude yet?

This game sums up the season. We struggle, have an inspirational stretch, but then go back to inconsistency. Hopefully we can keep the momentum.
Captain Turbo

It’s almost like they have a major league offense.
WhittakerWalt

OMG a lead. Please make it stand up now.
Tom

PH here again with Adams? (like his D at 3rd better than Reynolds anyway)
Long-Past-His-Day-Rod

John Gibbons looks like an alcoholic.

Let’s keep this up Yanks!
Alkaline

Got the lead. Let’s hold it and win!

For Lewis and Clarke!
HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)

Wow. Go to shower and they score 4 runs. Inning that turned the season around?
- your mom
  
  Probably not.
- Tom
  
  Inning that extended the tease.
  - HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)
    
    I laughed. You’re probably right.
  - Alkaline
    
    Yeah, most likely.
    
    But I hope they tease till the last day.
Eddard

Is this team still fighting for its manager or what? I think they’re also fighting for Andy and Mo who deserves a chance at that elusive 6th ring. One thing’s for sure, they’re not dead yet.
- Alkaline
  
  Oh Eddard:
  
  http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fv-sKP17xTw/0.jpg
  - HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)
    
    hahaha.
- Mr. Roth
  
  You’re not Nostradamus, you’re more like Miss Cleo.
NY2FanMaynard

So Stewart is a defensive specialist?
- Alkaline
  
  Heh…
- vicki
  
  fucking nichols law.
lee

Chris Stewart in for defensive purposes? sorry, does not compute.
Tom

KC up on CLE 4-2
Bal tied with Bos 3-3
Someone will lose the TB/TEX game (hopefully after going 20 innings)

Definitely need to make this standup and pickup some ground
- Alkaline
  
  Absolutely.
Wheels

I don’t know about bringing Mo in here.
Eddard

Even had a pitch out called and the defensive catcher couldn’t get him. Now Mo will have to get 4 outs. He’s prone to the blooper here.
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  I hope this works out….
WhittakerWalt

“Chris Stewart is behind the plate; they’re putting in their best defensive team”

LOLOLOLOL
Tom

Should have just brought Mo in in the first place – count would likely have been 0-1 at least.
lee

four multi-inning games for Mo in one month. when was the last time he had four multi-inning games in an entire season?
- lee
  
  LOL, YES was wondering the same thing.
- vicki
  
  you can’t take it with you.
- Winter
  
  2010
Alkaline

Watch your lips!
Long-Past-His-Day-Rod

As shiteous as that bunt attempt was, I gotta say I like Ryan’s intensity.
- Winter
  
  He’s #scrappy.
Alkaline

3 outs. Let’s go!
Alkaline

Can we get an A bomb for some insurance runs?
BigBlueAL

Mo is having a hard time jamming lefties lately.
Eddard

Why wasn’t Ryan shifted over on the 1st base side of 2nd. This is not good. Mariano has to close this.
vicki

i don’t feel good.
Rolling Doughnut

Jesus Mo.
Eddard

Mariano’s gonna blow this and if he does that’s all she wrote.
- Captain Turbo
  
  He didn’t and it isn’t yet.
The Real Grege

The really sad thing is that despite the crappy offense and the crappy starting pitching, if Mo doesn’t blow a lot of these saves, the Yankees might be in the playoffs.

And a bad bunt
Tom

Props to Overbay…. ain’t easy to crash that hard, especially after he took the bat back on the 2nd pitch to swing.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

Well done by Lyle there. Need two more outs.
vicki

that. was. awesome.
Rolling Doughnut

Now that’s a Houdini finish.
Eddard

Great play by Overbay. Great throw.
JGYank

a dp away…
JGYank

Wow.
Captain Turbo

OK, I can breathe now.
Long-Past-His-Day-Rod

Vintage Mo!
Wheels

Phew.
The Real Grege

The three games with the Rays will probably decide the Yankees fate.
your mom

Mo will be missed.
Mariano Rivera

Ha! I was just trolling guys. After all these years, you guys should know better.

Now where’s my gift?
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  Hahaha
NY2FanMaynard

omg. They won!!!
JGYank

The inning that saved the season?
The Real Grege

Updates:

Baltimore and Boston are tied at 3 in the top of the ninth

Texas and Tampa are tied at 2 in extras top of the tenth,

Kansas City leads Cleveland 4-2 in the top of the 7th. If Cleveland wins, they move into a WC spot
JGYank

Mo isn’t as automatic as he used to be that’s for sure.
The Scheister of Doom

Lets go Boston let’s go!
The Real Greg

Adrian Beltre drives in Elvis Andrus and the Rangers have a 3-2 ;ead.
The Real Greg

Indians walks in a run and the Royals increase their lead 5-2 and looking for more