Jul
03
Game 84: Tanaka Thursday
By
(Rich Schultz/Getty)
Tonight, for one night only, there is a reason to watch the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka will be on the mound to open the team’s four-game series against the Twins, meaning the five-game winning streak might actually come to an end. If it doesn’t … well this sucker just might keep going until Tanaka’s next start. The Yankees are playing that poorly right now. Here is the Twins lineup and here is the Yankees lineup:
- LF Brett Gardner
- SS Derek Jeter
- CF Jacoby Ellsbury
- 1B Mark Teixeira
- C Brian McCann
- DH Carlos Beltran
- RF Ichiro Suzuki
- 3B Zelous Wheeler — officially called up earlier today
- 2B Brendan Ryan
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
It’s a little cool with clear skies in Minneapolis. Real pleasant night for baseball. Tonight’s game is scheduled to begin at 8:10pm ET and you can watch on YES locally and, depending on where you live, MLB Network nationally. Enjoy the game.
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Boy do we have quite a crew this series. Introducing the 2nd best barffest in MLB, CREW Q
Alan Porter – No. 64 / HP – Alan Porter is in his fifth season of being a major league umpire. Porter is a big mess of an umpire. For whatever reason, when you watch videos of ejections, Porter shows up a lot, but you’d think for such a kid, Porter wouldn’t be a hothead. Already has two ejections this year, and given this crew, I could see it go up. (He had 5 last year…) Statistically, Porter has officiated 16 games behind the plate this season, and has a 3.52 ERA, which right now, is right about average at 57th of 89. His WHIP is on the average as well, only at 1.29. The rest of the statistics (H9/K9/HR9) all point to Porter being a hitter’s umpire, so hopefully the bats respond. I don’t really have a massive gripe with Porter, but I wouldn’t put him as my favorite umpire in the league.
Rob “Eject Me” Drake – No. 30 / 1B – If Porter has a hot head when it comes to ejections, Rob Drake is even worse. Drake is a career hothead, for someone who as Deadspin points out, is deeply religious. In 2001 alone he ejected 13 people, as well 9 in 2011. Yet somehow, he has not ejected a single person since 2012. Anyway, statistically, Drake has a trash strike zone. There will seriously be some problems with his strike zone because he is at times extremely generous to the hitter. The numers back it up, Drake has a 4.10 ERA (good enough for 32nd) and a 1.33 WHIP. Hits are almost even at a hit per inning, and strike outs are low, but strangely, so are HRs. I don’t anticipate a good day with this strike zone. Do have problems.
Marty “That’s a Strike?” Foster – No. 60 / 2B – Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. The only reason Marty Foster couldn’t be voted Worst Umpire of 2013 is because Angel Hernandez was worse. Foster had a downright terrible 2013, headlined by the really bad strike 3 call against Tampa Bay for Joe Nathan’s 300th save. The ball being in the dirt kind of gave the stupidity away. I only wish Zobrist could’ve taken the bat and shown Foster where that bat was. (I will say though that UEFL, one of my favorite sites, nominated Foster the winner in 2013 and 2014, but I think Hernandez deserved it.) Another wild strike zone umpire, Foster clearly means business when it comes to being outright shit. He, like Drake, is very generous to the hitter, calling balls in the strike zone all the time. Strangely though, Foster is 58th with a 3.52 ERA (same as Porter) and numbers that point to hitters umpire, 8.6 H/9, 1.28 WHIP, the latter of which is average. I am not expecting a fun series for pitchers here, and you can see why.
“Cowboy” Joe West – No. 22 / 3B-CC – I deservedly get a lot of shit (especially from Yankee fans) when I say that Joe West is one of my favorite umpires. Is he the best umpire in the game? No. He’s been here since 1976, and is statistically, the most senior umpire around. He is the president of the World Umpires Association and was a big part of the replay negotiations. Strangely, from a player perspective, West is either among the best or worst umpires around. For his personality, we know quite well that he means business. You don’t go ahead and bitch to Joe West. Continuing the theme of hitters umpires, Joe West boasts a 4.92 hitters ERA, and really has erratic strike zones. His WHIP is 1.61, which is good for the highest in the MLB, and really, we should expect a slugfest or an ejectionfest. Given West already has over 150 ejections in his career, no problem adding more of them, no? Just don’t argue with the quarterback.
Addendum – While normally I would stop here with the review, I am taking this time to personally write a message to news we who follow the umpire community have just found out. Gary Darling, umpire No. 37, has retired from Major League Baseball umpiring mid-season. He’s been on the Umpire’s Disabled List all season and has been doing other things, such as his work at UMPS CARE, a not-for-profit charity. Darling has been in the league since his debut in June 3, 1986. Known as a no-nonsense umpire, Darling had 111 ejetions in his MLB career and umpired 3,357 major league games. Sad to see Darling go, but unfortunately, that’s he decision. In his place, one of the rising star rookie umpires, Quinn Wolcott (No. 93), who made his MLB debut last May, is now a permanent rotation umpire. We’ll see him a lot more, and hopefully as he gets experienced, he’ll get a full review from me at some point. Congrats to Mr. Wolcott.
normally I don’t read the Game threads, but I always look out for/look forward to these. nice job as always.
Yeah, well, I have Drake and West at the wrong positions.
Four game series, we’ll see each one at each position by Sunday. Excellent work.
Run support, please.
Wearing my Hughes T today, hoping he gets lit up for old times sake.
Until Mike posts a “Just Win” title, the wins are never actually going to start coming.
Pretty sure he did it in the last seven days. Thought he did it against the Sox – if not them, the O’s
http://riveraveblues.com/2014/.....in-105335/
I just watched that MLB video, with all the 1st basemen, taking parts of Gehrig’s speech. Very nicely done, and moving. It is, as they were saying on YES the other night, not just a great baseball speech but a great American speech. By which I take them to mean a great use of the American language itself, with the simplicity and directness of the language offsetting the terrible fact of the cause of the occasion.
By the way, the Rays won six of seven games against the O’s and Yankees. Then, they go to a non-AL East team, on the road, and are getting whacked. Yes, the Tigers are really good and everything, but the basic point of the AL East being dogshit is pretty well reinforced when you see that kind of stuff happen.
(the Cubs sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway is also a pretty good sign of this. Yankees lose 2/3 at home to a team that gets swept by the Cubs immediately thereafter. What. The. FUCK?)
What you say is true, and yet the Yankees seem, nevertheless, to be the worst of the AL East’s mediocre teams.
We would have swept them too if we faced Peavy, Workman, and bucholz. Cubs didnt face their top 2 starters, NYY did.
what’s up, zelots.
I, Lex Luthor, will now discuss my, Lex Luthor’s, plan. My villainous, villainous, plan. Question the plan at your peril!
Any questions?
Do you think the Death Star had a Canteen/cafeteria area?
Only if Penne al Arribbiata is on the menu.
i don’t get these jokes, but now i want pasta.
What I said was from an episode of the Justice League cartoon series when The Flash and Lex Luthor had their minds switched, so The Flash was trying to pretend to be Luthor, and not doing a good job.
What Dalek said was from an Eddie Izzard stand up routine.
i made out with eddie izzard.
I actually believe this.
cc shut down indefinitely. the hits just keep on coming.
you mean CC with the 88 mph fast ball and about 5 e.r.a. who after each time he gets lit up never fails to mention in his post game speech– ” I feel great” — I think he just said the same thing again in the NY Daily NEWS after giving up 5 ( 3 earned_ and 5 hits in 4 innings down in his AAA..
This could be a blessing in disguise. CC would merely be a sub for Nuno or Huff but with a much bigger salary and ego. For some reason, CC still thinks he can pitch and thinks everyone wants to know how great he feels each time he gets bombed out of a game by the 5th or 6th inning..
It’s like Joe saying ” the talent is here- we just need to hit better”…. brilliant stuff
Pretty sure he says he “feels great” in response to reporters asking him how he feels.
Pretty sure it’s just his way of not making excuses for poor performances.
Pretty sure even bad CC is better than Nuno.
Sometimes I think you whine just for the sake of whining.
The Era of Zelous’ Zealots starts tonight.
I really expected the Yanks to eventually get it going offensively. I just wish they’d be more willing to mix the lineup up. I’m talking take a chance on Refs, Almonte, maybe Roller, to go with the Beltys, Ells, Cappy..etc..etc
Just way to many guys that have all ready made it and getting paid crazy money.
Michael Kay is so pissed Ellsbury didn’t play yesterday. I only caught the beginning and end of his rant during his radio show this afternoon so idk if he was directing his anger at Ells or Girardi but he called it a “disgrace” and did a whole little mini rant about Ripken’s streak and Jeter playing yesterday.
If Ellsbury needed a day off and that helps him play more games in the long run, I’m all for it.
I agree, but the HOW DARE THIS HAPPEN DURING A LOSING STREAK level of incredulity in his voice when he was saying it was like…forum troll level.
He actually had a fairly lengthy debate about this yesterday after the game on Twitter with me since I kinda mocked him about his Ellsbury rant during the broadcast yesterday. Best part was he said no way a young player like Ellsbury can sit out a big game. Yes he called yesterday a big game. LOL
How ironic is it that the Yankees offense pretty much stinks but Jeter has actually been hitting the last month or so.lol
Apr wRC+ 88
May wRC+ 87
June wRC+ 76
So I understand, you are suggesting he has been hitting BETTER the last month?
Shhh, they’re saying he’s hitting during the broadcast and on sports talk radio, so it must be true.
I think that giant slump he had was in the first week of June, but he’s been better the last few weeks or so
Brendan Kuty ?@BrendanKutyNJ 4h
Derek Jeter’s hitting .317 over his last 20 games.
Not a month, but last 20 games: 317/360/402
That .402SLG% must really be striking fear into pitcher’s heats
Not much power, but I’d be thrilled if he could keep that up (not that I expect him to).
And in the last 14 days: .260/.315/.340
He had a hot stretch a couple of weeks ago when facing I think SEA (and maybe a game or two in Oakland?)
endpoint, schmendpoint.
This team would be in good shape if 40 yr old Jeter was their worst hitter. :sigh:
Also a brief 5-game stretch before yesterday: 381/409/429
Tanaka always gives up leadoff hits.No biggie usually.
The defense will be so good tonight. Ryan and Wheeler.
Say hello to our new shortstop, Brett Gardner.
so much nicer when it’s other people’s stupid.
Nice scoop wheeler and nice heads up play by Gardy.
Come on Yanks, i’m having a terrible past couple days. Please give me these 3hours of pleasure, ending with a Win.
Whoa. Overzelous Wheels is kinda chunky, huh?
If he can make the plays I don’t care. Corner infielders can get away with being big guys.
Well then, let’s see if he can make the plays.
A bit overzelous when it comes to food
still not quite fhofrm big, right? or has his portliness grown in my memory?
Lol. Not quite that big, no.
fangraphs actually has wheeler heavier, but i don’t trust them at all with guys who’ve never made the bigs. they still say mason is 6’0″/150.
I think they say Bonds cap size is 6 and three quarters, too
I might have to call him Proud Mary til he shows me something, though. (In reference to your Big Wheels comment last nite)
Yup. Hes alittle older and has a Abe Almonte/P.Sandoval type build to em.
could be are charlie hayes lol he was chunky to.
Yeah. 2nd version of Hayes only had to platoon with Boggs, though. First version was on some bad, bad teams.
Uh-oh, 1-0.
Ill be the first to say it, game over
Hughes throws a perfect game tonight or just a no-hitter??
ichiro laughs in your face.
though he could still face the minimum. sigh.
Only positive tonight could be the game ending in 2 1/2 hours so the torture will end alot quicker than most nights lol.
Twins announcers talking bout how dissapointing McCann and Beltran have been. No shit!
I wonder what’s going on with Niecy Nash?
You guys where not kidding, Zelous is a big dude.
do it, big wheel!!
Sterling’s homerun call for Zelous:
The wheels on Zelous go round and round,
round and round, round and round.
The wheels on Zelous go round and round,
all around the bases!
i like it lol
Thank you. Even better in Sterling’s voice.
For those coming to the thread late, this was posted before Wheeler’s first at-bat. He homered in his second at-bat, and Sterling’s call was not as predicted. Something along the lines of The Wheels on Zelous go up. Got to the call late, as for some reason the radio broadcast is about 10 seconds ahead of the television broadcast (in my area).
Love seeing a guy whose entire existence in the big leagues is predicated on being an awesome defensive shortstop, playing somewhere other than shortstop.
2b is better than playing 1b which Ryan has done on a couple of occasions this season.
Bust!
Cashmanfailed
OBVI
Everyone on this team who can steal a base should be running. Every time. We DO NOT hit XBH. We DO hit grounders. The runners have to move themselves or else it’s just going to be a whole lot of this nothing.
Ryan is practicing so next year when he takes over for Jeet we won’t notice a difference.
Well, three useless innings are already in the books.
Tanaka doesn’t look very Tanakarish tonight.
Second time though the League(s) is not going too well is it?
vs. Tor
1st time: 7 IP, 6H, 3R, 8K
2nd time: 6 IP, 5H, 1R, 4K
vs. Bal
1st time: 7IP, 7H, 3R, 10K
2nd time: 7IP, 6H, 3R, 6K
vs. Cubs
1st time: 8 IP, 2H, 0R, 10K
2nd time: 6 IP, 8H, 4R, 7K
vs. Bos
1st time: 7.1 IP, 7H, 2R, 7K
2nd time: 9 IP, 7H, 2R, 8L
Doesn’t seem to be a major issue. You’d expect him to have more of an advantage the first time teams have seen him.
Before today, a 2.57 ERA against teams in his second try.
BUT TEH SUB .500 RECORD!!1
*try again. 2.89 ERA in his second try
Good heads up play by the defensive specialist. Did he not have a play at 2nd on that?
Tanaka is a great defensive pitcher on top of everything else. I know he hasn’t been his normal self tonight…but man, is there anything this guy CANT do?
Can someone please describe what just happened?
Gameday says lineuout, 2B to 1B but runners moved up?
It wasn’t a line out, it looked as such, but the ball trickled away from Ryan a bit allowing the run to score from third and the runner to get to second as Ryan went to first for the out.
Thanks
Wow. Even Tanaka is beginning to fold.
Hold me. What if the bloom is off the Tanaka rose?
I had to come on here and see if it was true that someone said this.
COME ON DUDE. HE’S FUCKING TANAKA. HE MAKES SWEET LOVE TO THE ROSE.
Im really beginning to miss Cano. Alot.
Ryan should of caught that. Not even that hard of a play.
ryan has to catch that.
Guh.
Poop.
2 AB’s by Gardner: 16 pitches
8 other AB’s: 25 pitches
(now if he can just avoid the K’s… at least Gardner is making him work)
Jesus, this team really does suck. How do they not run into some hits and runs??lol I mean, show something for fucks sake!
Finally something is brewing. Now something wrong with McCann.
There we go! Goodness we needed that HR.
dammit, huggsie.
Good to see Hughesy is still rocking the “post Yankee” beard.
Could these Yankees get any worse? I doubt they could beat a team of 5 year olds in a t-ball game!
In fairness, they probably haven’t played t-ball in quite some time.
New offensive goal:
Get a runner to 2nd this inning (preferably without having to bunt)
Now set some runs as the goal.
This team. If they actually sell important future pieces to make this team marginally better in the short term, they are even worse than their on-field product.
Anyone want to wager if they score here?
Wow, Texeira goes the other way & gets a hit. Holy cow!!!
Time to think outside the box here, let them grow beards.
Now there’s the Hughes we know and love.
Thats the Hughes we all know and love!! lol
See, I told you, keep an eye on Beltran.
And now I would like someone to knock on the door with a million dollar check?
(This would have worked better if it wasn’t posted before the comment below)
Yeah, the threads have been weird all year.
Now that’s our Hughsie.
Back to back hits!
What is this madness.
Oh hell, how about a 3 run jack?
TOM CALLED IT!!!!!!!!!!
What are tonight’s lottery numbers?
Pls wish for another homerun! QUICK
FUCK I mean, McCann hasn’t been great…but he’s better than what Cervelli and Murphy will give us full time, I’m sure of that.
I woulden’t be so sure of that. You act like Murphy is just some 18th rd college prospect who wasen’t supposed to do anything in his career. Like Mike said, Murphys trade stock is up there now. He could have a very good career, and at least be better then McCann this yr.
Maybe eventually. Right now he’s not even outhitting McCann against AAA pitching.
But he was on the ML level. I think with reg AB’s as a pro, he can be pretty solid. Not saying McCann’s past so much but def better then this yr.
seeeeeee yaaaaaaaaaaaa
seeee yaaaaaaaaaaaa
IT’S A FESTIVUS MIRACLE!!!
Wheeler!
Cruuuuuuushed it.
Huh? Did I see what I just thought I saw?
fuck yeah!
Hughes is grooving some fastballs this inning. ouch
Ciaoooooooo
Sterling’s call, please?
There’s the Phil we know and love.
Give him a plaque in monument park!!
Hughes gotta Hughes!
Theres the Phil Hughes we all know and love.
Wheeler gonna get Zealous right here.
Nice call!
Boom!!!
Good call!
Zelous!!!!
What was the call?!?!?
Fuck Yeah Wheeler! BOOM! Hence why you mix in guys like this. There hungry still.
ZELOUS WHEELER FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT IS A HR
Wheels!
Alright, what did Sterling say?
“Wheels up for Zellous”
not bad.
I was expecting more.
*Zelous
That hr reminded me of Marcus Thames hitting a hr against Randy Johnson in 02
Question: Anybody in the North Jersey area having sound problems watching on Optimum (more than usual, I mean)
http://www.atlantamotorsportsp.....wheels.jpg
I would like that for my birthday, please.
I like it.
Any one else lose their YES feed?
No, but I keep losing sound. It probably has something to do with this storm in the NYC area.
Storm caused by the Yankees hitting two homeruns in one inning?
Tanaka needs a shutdown inning!
Man, I didn’t even realize how much ground we had lost till looking at the standings today. To say this is a must win is a under statement. ADD AND HOLD!!
In terms of the AL East they are still only 3 back in the loss column of both Tor and Bal. Where they have lost alot of ground in is the WC race.
I’ve been saying for weeks that Zealous should be up here and what do you know he hits a HR.
No YES, I DONT want to see the “King of Bachata”
Of course he homered. Fucking baseball.
Lucky they are playing in this park.
but seriously, what’s got into kurt suzuki this year?
hmm. babip .50 points over his career average. slash line looks a little like vintage another suzuki.
Steroids and HGH.
It’s his one opportunity to be the best Suzuki in the majors.
Why isn’t the second coming of Ted Williams and brooks Robinson playing 3B for the twins tonight. And where is mick longing for Hughes? He’s Cy Young junior I thought. If the yanks score one more it will be Hughes 3rd straight game giving up 5. But the yanks should have never let him go. #cashman failed
Tanaka needs to work on his FB and he will more than one Cy Young!
Kuroda must be annoyed right now.lol
Zelous has good Wheels for his stocky frame.
it’s been a pleasure, philip.
#thesecondcoming(of the first 2 months of Solarte)
big wheel!!!
Be nice to scratch out another run here – Phil seems to be losing some steam on his fastball.
And on cue… nice Zelous.
Future HOFer.
The Wheel of (all) Time.
Is there still time to vote for Wheeler for the All-Star game??
Extrapolate his stats, and he is on pace for about 200 home runs on the season.
I already got my tickets for his plaque ceremony.
now you can get cheap pizza.
Thank You Yanks for giving us this kinda offensive game. Much needed with the crap storm going on in my life past couple days. Thanks for the break from it Yanks.
It is fun to see them score in bunches. Now do this in bunches of games in a row!
It’d be nice. I’ve been mostly positive this entire yr but its kinda gotten to me lately. I think if they mix in some guys who are hungry with the high priced vets, we can really have something. Maybe bring Refs up soon and see if he can bring a spark with em.
A weeks worth of runs in one game! Who are these guys in the Yankees uniforms?
Alittle new blood in the lineup can make quite a difference.
Well Tanaka is human after all.
Don’t mess around. Get Dellin up.
It’s pretty clear that Tanaka is simply confused by all the run support.
he’s certainly earned the latitude to give up four in seven complete, and leave in line for the W.
’bout time one of those went our way.
Pirela 3-5 and Refs walked 2 times for Scranton tonight.
Aaron Judge smacked another HR tonight for Tampa. Fucking beast!
Good pull by Girardi, I think.
A pretty low pitch count but his next few starts are on 4 days rest and he was not sharp tonight – no need to mess around trying to get a few more outs
gidp. you’re a yankee now, wheels.
Another brilliant outing for Severino. 6inn 0er 2bb 6k
*ignores earlier homers*
OMG dp, he’s a bust!
He’s cooling off… send him down and get Pirela up here!
big wheel and drob grew up two years and eighty-six miles apart.
Yeah, you can’t miss the resemblance.
We now have three Alabamans on the 25MR.
HP ump Alan Porter is just brutal.
Is this really only Robertson’s 3rd appearance since Jun 15th?
He’s certainly making up for lost pitches.
Most enjoyable game in a long, long time.
it was a blast.
The Yankees won? Whoa.
Way to close it out DROB.
Wow, Meredith’s interview w/Zelous was actually moving!