Yanks crush Twins, sky ceases falling
Player | WPA | pLI | Pitcher | WPA | pLI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alex | .168 | 0.27 | Pettitte | .232 | 0.73 |
Melky | .100 | 0.48 | Vizcaino | .021 | 0.19 |
Damon | .043 | 0.48 | Rivera | .000 | 0.00 |
Cano | .025 | 0.19 | Proctor | -.009 | 0.33 |
Jeter | .019 | .027 | |||
KT | .001 | 0.01 | |||
Minky | -.012 | 0.41 | |||
Giambi | -.012 | 0.30 | |||
Posada | -.036 | 0.27 | |||
Abreu | -.040 | 0.36 |
Now, the only question that remains: do we cut off Chicken Little’s head for the false alarm? Or do we let him suffer the same fate as the proverbial boy who cried wolf?
It appears all has returned to normal in Yankeeland, as they got their second straight “normal” start. Like with Pavano last night, there were a few things I didn’t like from Pettitte tonight. Thankfully, most of those concerns amounted to his control, which is surely the result of a shortened Spring Training. This really isn’t troubling, especially considering he’s still on a rough pitch count (though he kind of blew through that last night).
I must point this out 15 or so times a season, but it is incredibly difficult to put together an interesting recap of a blowout like last night. Yeah, they hit a lot. Yeah, Pettitte pitched like we remember him. But there was little that sparked any emotion, save for Alex’s first-inning home run.
At least Melky was able to avoid looking foolish at the plate yesterday. He went 3 for 4, and didn’t seem to be flailing at pitches like he was in the season’s first week. I noticed this especially in his at bat in the ninth (which coincidentally followed a nice play on a liner to left to end the 8th). He laid off a first-pitch off-speed offering, which he might not have just a few days ago. He still has plenty to work on, but at least he’s got some semblance of a swing working for him.
A couple of notes:
- I’ve been hearing a lot lately about all the times that Minky has saved errors this season. While it’s great that he’s playing solid D at first, I sincerely doubt that he’s saved more than two errors over what Giambi could have done. That’s because Giambi’s more glaring shortcoming isn’t his ability to scoop errant throws, it’s his complete lack of range (followed closely by his inability to throw the ball). But, as long as the Yanks are hitting like this, I’ll take him at first basel.
- Ben had mentioned something about the weather in his previous post, which got me thinking. Writers and bloggers all around the league are complaining about the weather in some form or another. The thing is, though, that most are blaming it for their poor hitting, while Yanks fans blame it for their poor pitching. Maybe we should lay off the weather argument?
- The biggest WPA shift for the Yanks today: Alex’s home run, of course (.174). The most detrimental to the Twins: Mike Cuddyer grounding into a double play in the fourth, with the game still close at 3-0 (-.126).
Mike Mussina gets his chance tonight against Ramon Ortiz. The Yanks just gotta take advantage of this crappy pitching.
Yanks 8, Twins 2
Player | WPA | pLI | Pitcher | WPA | pLI | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abreu | .198 | 0.55 | Pavano | .155 | 0.53 | |
Posada | .126 | 0.56 | Bruney | .009 | 0.12 | |
Damon | .075 | 0.35 | Farnsworth | .004 | 0.11 | |
Jeter | .041 | 0.49 | ||||
Giambi | .030 | 0.45 | ||||
Alex | .021 | 0.43 | ||||
Melky | -.031 | 0.30 | ||||
Minky | -.060 | 0.50 | ||||
Cano | -.068 | 0.36 |
I won’t lie: I was afraid that this was going to be one of those games against an unknown or otherwise crappy pitcher where the Yanks can’t manage more than one or two runs. However, not even Sidney Ponson is that bad, apparently. The Yanks hit him hard and early, ending up with an 8-2 win.
Ben summed up the game well, so there’s no need to repeat material here. The only Pavano-related tidbit I can offer is that he was letting a lot of pitches sail early in the game. I suppose it’s one of those side effects of being out for a year and a half, and it did subside a bit as the game moved along.
Posada’s ground rule double was the biggest WPA shift in the game, moving the Yanks 13.2% closer to victory. It also came along with the game’s highest Leverage Index, so I suppose that was the most important at bat of the game.
For a different perspective, check out Aaron Gleeman’s recap. For the most part, I agree: the Twins played terrible defense and made some costly errors (Mike Cuddyer trying to advance from second on a grounder to short comes to mind, as well as Kubel’s misplay of Jorge’s aforementioned double). I initially took issue with his claim that the ump was squeezing Ponson, particularly on the walk to Giambi, but then I realized that the losing team’s fans tend to think they’re being squeezed. I do it all the time when the Yanks are down. When they’re up like last night, though, I tend not notice less and less.
Pettitte gets his shot at redemption tonight against Boof Bonser. Please, no jokes about his name.
Same old story in loss to Orioles
Player | WPA | pLI | Pitcher | WPA | pLI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alex | .136 | 1.08 | Henn | .072 | 1.70 |
Damon | .122 | 1.15 | Pettitte | .042 | 0.58 |
Giambi | .010 | 1.41 | Myers | .029 | 0.25 |
Jeter | -.002 | 1.16 | Vizcaino | .010 | 0.34 |
Abreu | -.031 | 0.88 | Proctor | -.056 | 0.83 |
Cairo | -.045 | 1.33 | Rasner | -.330 | 0.92 |
Cano | -.051 | 1.39 | |||
Nieves | -.059 | 1.04 | |||
Posada | -.067 | 1.23 | |||
Cabrera | -.134 | 1.37 | |||
Phelps | -.145 | 1.90 |
The offense can’t be counted on to come back from deficits like this every game. The Yanks have played this game five times so far this year, and it’s only going to result in a win every so often. Hopefully, a move to a climate-controlled environment helps out.
Ben sums up the woes very well here and here. The only thing I have to add is that Melky should not be batting leadoff for any reason until he starts taking pitches — ones in the dirt don’t count.
Pavano vs. Fat Ass Ponson tonight. If we don’t pound the crap out of this guy, I’m going to be very disappointed.
Bernie jammin’ with the Allman Brothers
Sorry, can’t get the embedded player to work.
As you can see, he’s much better at guitar than he is at playing the outfield. Not that Derrick Trucks or Warren Haynes are slouches…
Today’s starter
A few too many bong rips before picture time?
Pass the nachos, yo!
Clutch
Player | WPA | pLI | Pitcher | WPA | pLI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alex | .937 | 2.76 | Rivera | .044 | 0.87 |
Giambi | .169 | 0.85 | Bruney | .018 | 0.23 |
Abreu | .099 | 1.77 | Myers | .014 | 0.20 |
Jeter | .040 | 1.14 | Vizcaino | .010 | 0.12 |
Posada | -.015 | 0.93 | Igawa | -.419 | 0.92 |
Cano | -.017 | 0.92 | |||
Matsui | -.023 | 0.89 | |||
Cairo | -.041 | 0.85 | |||
Damon | -.049 | 1.92 | |||
Cabrera | -.108 | 1.20 | |||
Minky | -.159 | 1.48 |
Revel for a moment, if you will, in the glory that was Alex’s 9th inning bomb. There’s simply no more dramatic way to win a game, and it couldn’t have been delivered by a better player. End hyperbole.
Let’s get to the real concern, though: starting pitching. Some people looked Igawa’s numbers and thought he had a crappy game. Others, thinking that their observation skills could shine a brighter light on the game, pointed out that three of the runs scored on Melvin Mora’s dinky pop that miraculously found the grass. So, in essence, he didn’t pitch as badly as his line suggests. I find much fault in that argument.
Over five innings, Igawa gave us eight hits, walked three, struck out just two, and gave up two taters. Mora hit or no Mora hit, that’s still a line that’s going to kill you most games. He threw just 53 of his 97 pitches for strikes, and was continuously up in the zone. Against a team more disciplined than the Orioles (say, like the Red Sox), that’s a line that will get you slaughtered.
Now, that said, his working out of a jam was quite impressive. Regardless of the outcome, it’s discouraging to see a guy load the bases with none outs. But when you can induce an infield fly, strikeout, and pop up behind first base to follow, it shows at least a bit of poise. And yeah, it was bad luck that the Mora dinker touched down.
So you have to luck factors playing into the game’s outcome. He was unlucky to have the bloop single, and he was lucky that his walks, hits, and homers didn’t lead to more runs otherwise.
The bullpen was spectacular again. I know we’re only four games into the season, but this bullpen looks like the best in the league. Whether that holds up over the next 157 games we don’t know, but it’s tough not to like what we’ve seen so far.
An unsung highlight from yesterday’s bullpen team was Mike Myers. A lot of us don’t agree with the decision to use (or waste) a roster spot on a true LOOGY; they could probably get more value from a more versatile reliever or a fifth outfielder. However, Myers pitched a full inning and didn’t allow Baltimore to expand the lead. If he can be a LOOGY and come into situations like that and not surrender runs, he may just prove worthy of his roster spot. Him going a full inning yesterday allows more bullpen flexibility over the next few days, as the Yanks weren’t forced to use anyone for two innings, and let Proctor and Farnsworth (not to mention Henn, who did his duty on Friday) take the day off.
Rasner, looking to be the first starter to surpass the five-inning mark, takes on Erik Bedard, who we hope pitches like he did Monday in Minnesota. If Rasner can give us seven — hell, even six — innings, I’ll be more than happy. Despite the starters’ woes last week, the bullpen still seems to be in decent shape, with Proctor, Farnsworth, and Mo ready to go, the former two with some rest. Is it too much to ask for 12 runs and a complete game by Rasner?
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