Game 157: The Final Home Series
By
(Maddie Meyer/Getty)
This series with the Rays could have been a lot more meaningful had the Yankees not gone into their recent tailspin. They’ve lost six of their last nine and ten of their last 17 games, which simply wasn’t good enough in the ultra-competitive AL wildcard race. There were too many other good teams in the hunt and they’ve buried New York.
So, instead of this series being about pushing the Rays and trying to claim a postseason spot, the Yankees are basically playing spoiler. Competing because they’re professionals and have pride. These are the only three home games left in Mariano Rivera‘s career and that, to me, is the story of the series. I’ll be at the game tonight collecting my Mo bobblehead voucher, but as much I as I want that sucker sitting on my desk, I’ll happily trade it to see Rivera pitch live for what will likely be the final time in my life. That really freaking sucks. Geez.
Anyway, here is the lineup that will face lefty Matt Moore:
- CF Ichiro Suzuki
- DH Alex Rodriguez
- 2B Robinson Cano
- LF Alfonso Soriano
- 1B Mark Reynolds
- 3B Eduardo Nunez
- RF Vernon Wells
- SS Brendan Ryan
- C Chris Stewart
And on the mound is right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. He’s got a 5.33 ERA (3.99 FIP) in his last eight starts and opponents are hitting .300/.347/.510 against him during that time. Kuroda, who was a legitimate Cy Young candidate as recently as mid-August, has turned each of the last 217 batters he’s faced into something resembling 2011 Cano (.302/.349/.522). Good grief.
It’s chilly but an otherwise clear night in New York. There’s no threat of rain or anything like that. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm ET and can be seen on My9. Enjoy.
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Countdown to Spring Training
Just 1 month and 25 days 'til pitchers and catchers report!
Lets do this.
Hey, RAB guys — a Deadspin appearance! You’ve truly made it to The Show!
I waited in line for almost two hours and didn’t even get a voucher. I never realized the austerity budget meant firing the people that work at the gates.
Yes! Stewart is catching!!!! :-/
please let mo record a save on thursday
Whattaway to start.
Come the hell on Hiroki.
Kuroda in mid-September form!!!!
Kuroda might be worse than Phil Hughes right now. And he was our best SP in the beginning of the year. That’s how you end up not making it to the playoffs
We lamented C.C. falling from a #1 to a #5 in the space of a season.
It took Kuroda five weeks to do the same.
It’s really a perfect encapsulation of this season of everything going wrong. Even the things that went right had to go wrong. Hiroki falling apart after being the hero for so long is oddly perfect.
Not too odd really, he tanked last Aug-Sept also.
Well, September, anyway. His ERA in August was 2.35.
Wow. I thought it was higher. I remember him having a rough Aug last year. Maybe only the last couple of starts in that month.
Yeah, the last couple of starts weren’t his finest, and it carried over to a 5.22 September ERA.
In the end, Kuroda’s final stat line is about where you would expect it to be when the season began. He saved their bacon with a bunch of early season wins – having a rough end to the season is always more noticeable than a rough beginning, but in the end, he will be where you expected him to be.
Well, this is an impressive start for Kuroda.
most excellent – hopefully kuroda will sign with the yanks for another year
Mercy rule?
Way to start off strong guys. At least we’ll a higher pick next year.
I can’t do it tonight, but I will tomorrow,
Umpires (from HP to 3B in order)
Tim Timmons
Mike Winters – CC
Laz Diaz – aghhhhhhhhhhh
Mark Wegner
We expect postseason fucking updates, mister, including the guys down the outfield line.
*jabs finger*
You want them then, you’ll get them then.
HR, single, double, third guy scored on an out? Wasn’t listening, but that’s what I’m gathering. Nice start.
I was actually doing some thinking after reading about how all our prospects flame out in AA all day, and it got me thinking…….who exactly DID flame out in AA of note?
Damn – that 3rd run probably shouldn’t have happened (they probably had no shot at home on that double even with a perfect throw)
Also don’t understand why Wells was so far into the gap with a lefty up (more shifting for the sake of shifting)
So A-Rod has 0HR and 0 RBI against LHP this year?
Is this true?
Yup, 0 XBH’s even. He’s getting on base by walking, but not really hitting them at all.
A-Rod actually has a reverse split for his career, although those numbers are obviously a bit extreme.
Can we please get rid of all of these pitchers? No QO for them. I would like to see as many new Yankees on the team next year as possible, both pitchers and position players.
1 foot foul and Cano didn’t even leave the box.
hypothetical question for everyone:
i’ve always assumed that if the team was eliminated, mo wouldn’t pitch in houston. however, andy pettitte needs to win his final start in order to finish his career without a single losing season. what if andy leaves with the lead and d-rob is ineffective and mo is the only option to close it out?
Why wouldn’t Mo pitch in Houston?
because he should throw his final pitch at yankee stadium?
I don’t think they’re going to follow that. If he needs to pitch, I’ll imagine he’ll pitch.
i’d love to see one more andy-mo win-save combo
I guess Mo would pitch in a save situation. Why not?
I don’t blame you for swinging, Sori.
You have to swing
So why isn’t Granderson playing? Binder madness again?
Yankees on their last leg.
and doing about as well as John Cleese’s Black Knight
Rays really starting to scare the shit out if me.
12-7.
No need to be scare they only look this good against the Yankees
who would you least like to play in the best-of-five?
tampa
cleveland
texas
best of five? or are we talking first week of October golf here?
As a Red Sox Fan: Cleveland by far
Well agree on something.
The revenge of Terry Francona.
Hello, all. Sheesh, I hope this game gets better. I dunno if I’ve ever seen a more demoralized looking baseball team. Not to mention us fans.
Where would we be if over the last 6 weeks, CC and Hiroki had a 4.00 ERA?
Nunez!!!
We are going to win!
Is Nunez a third baseman?
Am I wrong, or has Nuney been pretty decent at 3rd base?
I see Mike gave his normal “pep talk” at start of the game thread.
A speech of exhortation, as to a team or staff, meant to instill enthusiasm or bolster morale. pep talk. n
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
Yankees can’t even cool down the Rays a little? Rays going through the Yankees like a knife through hot butter.
Hot knife through butter. Red Sox fan can’t even get his expressions straight.
I’m gonna go cry about it.
where were you last year?
PH! (only half kidding)
Breaking News From Coors Field: • Dustin Pedroia played an intense game of Connect Four against Brock Holt before batting practice. Ellsbury, Napoli, and John McDonald were among the sideline analysts offering advice.
How I love this team.
How I’d love to see that hideous bunch of apes eliminated early.
Blood, Sweat, Beards.
You clinch the division and they are 1 game up on clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs then why are you on a site for the lonely 27 World Series Championships Yankees?
Just wondering?
Red Sox don’t start until 8:30, thought I’d have a little fun.
Plus the Yankees suck right now(And will continue to suck).
Funny we though the same of you last year and look how that turn out.
And if the Yankees suck why bother go on the site just be proud and win with grace and class.
Oh! sorry forgot
By the way lots of class in the Mo tribute if only they stop bragging about each Red Sox player who give the gifts.
Any truth to the rumor that Pedroia uses a step stool to get all the way up to the top of the Connect Four board so he can drop the chips in all by himself?
The only thing that makes sense about the anecdote is that it would take 3 people on the side to figure out the game and provide advice (and also to help count to four)
Now that is trolling! Like a knife through melted butter!
Rookie of the Year, MVP, Gold Glove winner, World Series champion Dustin Pedroia would like a word with you.
Will Ortiz carry him on his shoulders, or will he use a stepladder to maintain eye contact?
That’s PED free Ortiz and Manny. Have to love how they booed A-Rod yet they forget on who backs they won their first championship in 88 years.
David Ortiz didn’t go to Biogenesis.
“Ortiz is one of seven players since revealed to have tested positive in 2003. The others were then-teammate Manny Ramirez (who has since tested positive two more times),”
Here enjoy the rest
http://riveraveblues.com/2013/.....nt-6902375
That make a difference how exactly?
I give Ortiz his weekly PED shots to keep him in the majors.
ubaldo jimenez seems to have made the transition from thrower to pitcher
do the yankees go after him?
I sincerely felt bad for Boston and their fans last year. I wouldn’t have dreamed of going on one of their fan sites to gloat, but that’s just me.
There are 3 Yankee trolls on the Red Sox blog I read.
So you are trying to even up the score? Go watch Duck Dynasty….I mean the Red Sox.
I’m not even trolling.
Yet your the only one here.
*you’re
Moore looks terrible.
Alright dammit, 2 on with no outs, time to score some runs.
Fucksake Mark, swinging at the first pitch after 4 balls in a row?
How the hell do you swing at the first pitch in that spot?
(and how does Ichiro not score?)
I have the horrible feeling that Moore will end up not giving up a single run to this lineup.
55 foot pitch, Reynolds still swings. Amazing…
You can see where this is going.
6 LOB in 3 innings.
We suck.
Yankees doing a wonderful job letting Matt Moore off the hook time and time again.
6 LOB in only three innings.
Five walks in three innings, and no runs on the board. This team.
Red Sox…a team named after underwear.
Nice scoop Reynolds. I’m sure you’ll make up for it at the plate though…
That’s a rough error if there’s no hit with it too, though I guess it doesn’t matter much since there’s an error either way.
Nunez giveth and Nunez taketh…
(unfortunately he needs to giveth a little bit less)
I’m off to watch my gritty and bearded bunch of players. Adios Yankee fans.
Smell you later!
Go F yourself
Um…….I’d like to troll you Yankees fans too, if that’s alright.
Dafug?
After the game he should just claim he did that on purpose to reach.
Sturtze did a good job for the Yankees, Michael???
11-5!
(http://www.baseball-reference......g_standard)
Nice hack Vern.
Twice in two innings someone has swung at 55 foot wild pitches. Unbelievable.
OK new plan – how about not swinging, at all.
I think Moore would have walked two or three runs in by now.
If Moore was facing a more patient offense, he would’ve walked about 15 guys already (though really he would’ve just been knocked out of the game about 2 innings ago).
Stewart makes the softest contact ever.
Seriously, little leaguers make harder contact than him.
I think that’s the best at bat I’ve seen from Stewart this entire season.
Chances Ichiro swings at the first pitch?
Do you even have to ask?
14 pitch AB for Stewart, that’s how bad Moore is tonight and still our guys haven’t scored.
This is remarkable.
8 LOB in 4 innings.
Moore has a 1 hit shutout going.
This is starting to resemble AJ’s no-hitter with nine walks…
Or Doc Ellis’ LSD no-hitter, He walked 8 and hit a batter if I remember correctly.
Good job guys. Keep swinging at everything, clearly it’s working very well for you.
Well Moore’s been around the plate so much you don’t want to fall into that 3-0 or 3-1 hole…
It’s the Kevin Long way. Just what sort of player was Kevin Long?
Playing career has nothing to do with coaching career.
Seriously who the fuck is coaching this team?
They have swung at the last 4 pitches and made 3 outs after he threw ~90pitches to get 10 outs.
Fuck Robbie, what are you doing?
Two more men on base, time to end the inning.
10 LOB through 5. They reach a new low everyday. Thanks for the great team Cashman!
What’s comical, is that the Indians are actually losing right now.
Well, the Indians aren’t losing anymore.
That was a nice impression of Bobby Abreu that Soriano just did there.
So tired of the James Loney BS.
Binder says Loney 0-11, so pitch to him. It should have said, Joe, it’s never too soon for Boone.
Awesome stargerinessment here. Walk a lefty to load the base for another lefty.
And have your lefty specialist warming up in the pen for show.
I can’t really blame Girardi. It’s critical that you have the righty in there to face the always dangerous Jose Molina.
IBB to load the bases. That worked out well.
So much blame to go around, so much lackluster play and poor decisions, but Girardi not taking Kuroda out with bases loaded and 3-0 count really hard to excuse.
I bet Mike’s having a great time at the game.
There is much work to be done this winter. I hope Ichiro, Kuroda and Wells decide to retire. I know its a dream but I can dream. Watch Cano sign elsewhere because the roster in 2014 will resemble a nightmare!
A solid World Series would be CLE/OAK vs. PIT.
I’d watch (some of) that.
Lowest TV ratings ever.
Indians/Pirates, because the football rivalry is dead.
Come on Girardi. Wave the white flag and let the kids play. Should have started with Stewart with Murphy. Ok Ichiro’s gone Now that Binder is talking.
He still playing, Tear up the Binder, Goodnight1
And another pet peeve: Girardi pulls the lefty to start the next inning off with… a different lefty.
And then pulls him after 1 friggin batter?
Why not just leave Logan in dumbass?
Maybe if Warren gives up about 10 runs, Girardi might actually let Betances throw a pitch.
Nah, probably not…
For once, screw pride and let’s get as high a pick as possible in the draft next year. We extended our streak of winning seasons already and are missing the postseason so why not?
It’s not about pride. I like watching the Yankees win. I don’t like watching the Yankees lose. I’d rather watch the Yankees win than watch the Yankees lose.
I want to see them win too but at this point we might as well look toward the future and salvage what we can even if that’s only a slightly higher pick.
given the cap restriction they shoulda done this from the beginning of the season, or at worst the trade deadline.
Ridiculous.
More terrific defense from Reynolds.
I can’t believe people actually wanted them to re-sign him next season.
Stuck with the Rays feed and they keep trying to talk up how well Moore pitched because he stranded all those runners. (They apparently are not at the game)
I never understand why umpires put up the strikes with their right hand and balls with their left hand. That means to read it you have to read from right to left, as you’re looking at him, which is the opposite of how people actually read and say the count.
They do it that way for the people behind them who are reading it. AKA the fans.
But the reason they’re doing it is so the players know what the count is when there’s confusion. They should put it up the right way for them.
Chi Sox tie it. Fucking so ridiculous all we had to do was win our own games and we would have made the playoffs easy.
Same goes for every other team in the race it seems. Everyone’s been somewhere between bad and awful in September, the Yankees were just trailing at the start.
Now the ChiSox go ahead. Just fucking trolling the shit out of us.
CLE, TB, KC all have better records in Sept (and have played better than .500 ball).
After tonight Baltimore will have the same record as the Yankees in Sept.
The only WC contending team playing worse ball is Texas.
Oh yeah fucking Overbay blows some major ass too. Strand another God Damn fucking runner. FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really hope Hal and Cash don’t do the same crap again next year. Pick up a bunch of players that got cut from other teams just so they can suck for us all year long. Great Plan IDIOTS!!!!
Still love Jason Giambi.
May I suggest flipping over to the Nationals-Cardinals game, if you are able to.
And miss a minute of this enthralling Yankee game???
Cleveland walks off.
If this score holds, the best the Yankees can do is tie for the 2nd WC (a Yankees loss or CLE win will eliminate them)
Wacha throwing a no hitter for StL in the top of the 9th (on MLB Network for those that have it)
No no-hitter there. Shame.
people are STILL talking playoffs? refer to jim mora youtube video on playoffs…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3-eavMSBnk
As long as the Yankees are not mathematically eliminated, some small, irrational part of me will hold out hope.
Cone’d….
they gotta start checking the catcher’s mitts on this team for holes.
P U
I hate this Yankee team.
Have you ever seen a team just give up like this? Other than Andy and Mo on Sunday, there’s just no fight at all
Could this be Granderson’s last days as a Yankee?
they should all be teabagged. I’m not rational at times like this. cut off all their limbs. I’ll take Gardner back, that’s it.
I don’t even want Gardner. He’s always injured. And he’s a fast guy who is not a great base stealer.
He is cheap for his production. One of the few good values they’ve had on this team.
Nice double play Arod!
the long nightmare has ended
go dodgers
Well, that sure was a huge waste of time.
What a Shit Show. Just embarrassing. FUCK THIS TEAM!!!!!
I will forebear commenting for now. Oh my….
Mike
So in the last 2 “must-win” games we’ve scored a grand total of ONE run.
Sigh.
Those bobbleheads? Just going for $100 minimum on ebay.
As always I am hoping for a Yankees win tomorrow but at the same time I am hoping for a Cleveland win so this can all be over. I irrationally hold out hope as long as it is still mathematically possible so it would finally give me some peace for the last nail to go in the coffin.
2013 has been horrible. Hopefully Cashman earns his money this offseason and changes almost everything about this team.