Archive for Game Stories
I wrote about the similarities between the ALDS and the ALCS in this afternoon’s game thread, and those similarities continued today. The Yankees won both Game Ones thanks to CC Sabathia’s dominance, then prevailed in extras in both Game Twos thanks to Alex Rodriguez’s homerun heroics. Game Three against the Angels played out similar to Game Three against the Twins, in that the Yanks relied on the long ball and the work of their pitching staff to stay in the game.
The game started off about as well the Yankees could have asked it too. Jered Weaver’s first two pitches to leadoff hitter Derek Jeter were off the plate away, but the third was a 2-0 fastball right in the Captain’s wheelhouse. Jeter pulled the ball into the leftfield seats – something we don’t see him do often – for a quick 1-0 lead. Hideki Matsui started off the second with nine-pitch at-bat resulting in a single to right, and Jorge Posada followed that up with a six-pitch walk. Robbie Cano, not exactly a guy with a nose for RBI spots, bounced a double play ball but beat out the throw. Nick Swisher followed by flying out to left, but not deep enough to score the run. Melky Cabrera grounded out weakly to second to end the threat. An eerily similar rally played out in the fourth, when the 7-8-9 hitters again couldn’t bring Matsui and/or Posada in with no out. Weaver was at 79 pitches after just four innings, but he did a good job wiggling out of jams.
Yankee pitchers were able to avoid the long ball in their first five playoff games, but Pettitte wasn’t able to extend the streak this afternoon. After the amazing Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon chipped in solo homers to give the Yanks a three run lead, Howie Kendrick took Pettitte deep in the fifth to cut the Yanks lead to two. Just an inning later Vlad Guerrero broke out of his postseason slump in a big way, drilling Andy’s two-strike pitch deep into left, almost to the exact same spot Kendrick hit his. The problem with Vladdy’s homer is that Bobby Abreu picked up his first hit of a series two batters earlier, so it was a two-run shot that tied the game at three.
Andy’s final line was damn close to what I predicted in this afternoon’s chat, seven hits and three runs in six and third innings of work. He’s wasn’t great, allowing at least one hit in every full inning he pitched, but on most nights it would have been good enough to win. Pettitte gave way to Joba Chamberlain, who was greeted rather rudely when Kendrick launched his first pitch off the right field wall for a triple. Two pitches later the Angels had the lead on a Maicer Izturis sac fly. Joba would go on to give up a double to Erick Aybar, but Damaso Marte came in to retire Chone Figgins on one pitch to kill the rally.
Like they’ve done so many times this postseason, the Yankees came right back and answered immediately after the opponent scored. Matsui worked his second walk of the game to leadoff the eighth, and was immediately replaced by pinch runner Brett Gardner. Unlike Game Two, when Gardner pinch ran but never did the running part, he took off for second but was gunned down on a pitch out. Posada picked up Gardner by homering to dead center – the Yanks fourth jack of the game – to knot the game up at four. Another battle of the bullpens was in place, and any Yankee fan would take it.
After Marte reached his pitch count of one, Phil Coke came in to face Abreu, the first of two questionable pitching moves. Abreu doubled to dead center but the Yanks caught a break when he got too greedy and was caught wandering too far off second. The Yanks caught another break in a postseason that has been full of them, however they never seemed to be able to get that big hit in this game.
The score remained tied into the 10th, when Phil Hughes, entering his second full inning of work, served up a leadoff double to backup catcher Jeff Mathis and was immediately lifted for the Hammer of God. Erick Aybar attempted to give himself up to move the runner to third, but Mo fielded the ball and flung it towards third to get the lead runner, except the ball ended up in left. Instead of a runner on third with one out, the Angels had runners on the corner with zero away.
Every Yankee fan feels comfortable when Mariano is on the mound, but I admit I had already accepted this game as a loss at this point. Instead, Mo did exactly what he does best – he bailed the Yankees out. Figgins grounded the first, and Tex touched the bag for the first out after looking the runner back to third. After an intentional walk to Abreu to load the bases and put the force at any base, Torii Hunter dug himself into a hole and tapped another grounder to first. Tex fielded and threw home for the force, although no return throw was made and the Angels still had the bases juiced for Vlad, who homered earlier.
At this point, I had shifted from accepting defeat to holding out hope that somehow Mo could escape the jam. His first pitch to Vlad was inside for a ball, and the second was fouled off for strike one. The third pitch, a nasty cutter down and away, was grounded weakly to Tex, who scooped it up and raced to the bag for the third out. The Yanks had a second lease on life, but it would be short lived.
With the score still tied in the 11th, Girardi turned to David Robertson, who made quick work of Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales. On a night when he already replace a lefty specialist who had thrown all of one pitch with another lefty specialist, Girardi got cute and took out K-Rob in favor of Al Aceves. Inevitably, Kendrick picked up a hit anyway, and two pitches later Mathis lined a double into the gap for the win. The Yanks lost for the first time this postseason, on a pitching move that was never necessary in the first place.
In the end, the Yankees inability to hit with runners in scoring position was every bit the goat as Girardi’s overmanaging. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position as a team, and the bottom three hitters in the order were a particularly dreadful 0-for-7. They had chances in the 2nd, 4th, and 8th innings, but didn’t bring anyone home. That said, the game of baseball just isn’t as hard as Joe Girardi makes it.
The Yankees still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, and are still sending CC Sabathia to the mound tomorrow. Things could certainly be worse.
With rain in the forecast and concerns over whether or not they’d be able to get the full game in, the Yanks and Angels started Game Two on-time only to experience nothing more than quick shower. Up 1-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Yankees drew first blood in the second inning thanks to a two-out walk by Nick Swisher and a triple into the gap by Robbie Cano. They tacked on another run in the very next inning on a Derek Jeter opposite field homer, and with AJ Burnett in control, things were looking good.
Burnett, making just the second postseason start of his career, started the game off by throwing first pitch strikes to 13 of the first 15 batters he faced. He had wicked run on his fastball and was commanding it to both sides of the plate – an extreme rarity for him – and dropping his curve in for a strike. Good AJ was in the house, at least until the 5th inning rolled around.
Still maintaining that two-run lead, Maicer Izturis ripped a leadoff ground rule double into right, the hardest hit ball off Burnett all night. Mike Napoli, who for some reason I think is way better than he actually is, flew out to center on the first pitch, but Erick Aybar singled back up to the middle to bring the Halos within one. AJ lost the plate and plunked Chone Figgins – 0-for-October up to that point – to put runners on first and second with one out. Bobby Abreu flew out to deep left after a 10-pitch battle with Burnett, but Torii Hunter walked to load the bases with a pair of outs. Jose Molina, Burnett’s personal catcher, must have gone out to the mound a half-dozen times to talk over pitches that inning, but one pitch that wasn’t in the plans was a 55-ft breaking ball to Vlad Guerrero. The ball got away from Molina, and Aybar trotted in from third to tie the game.
Burnett managed to throw another inning-plus and his final line (6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K) was actually pretty good, but the lead was gone. His counterpart, lefty Joe Saunders, justified Mike Scioscia’s faith in him by twirling a gem despite some early struggles. He completed seven innings, putting just seven men on base and giving up just the two early runs. It was certainly not what Yankee fans had in mind when they found out he was starting over Scott Kazmir, but give the man props, he pitched very well.
With the score tied, the Yanks certainly had their chances to push a run or two across in regulation. Melky Cabrera led off the bottom of the 5th with a single, and was followed by Molina’s bi-weekly base hit. With runners at first and second with no outs and the top of the order due up, we were all begging Derek Jeter not to bunt. In retrospect, maybe he should have. Jeter bounced into a tailor made double play to kill the rally, although the replay showed that he was actually safe at first. Ssuch is life.
Two innings later, Swish ripped a leadoff single into left and was promptly lifted for pinch Brett Gardner. I intentionally left the “runner” part off there because Gardner never bothered to attempt to steal second. Instead, Robbie Cano banged into another double play, the third in three innings for the Yankees. Every time we thought “okay, this is when they make their move,” it seemed like the rally was instantly squashed. Talk about frustrating.
Not to be outdone, the Angels blew some prime run scoring chances of their own. Erick Aybar reached base when Cano mishandled the routinest of routine grounders with one out in the 7th, and he eventually moved on down to second after Phil Coke walked Figgins. With Aybar dancing off first, Coke certainly seemed distracted. He rebounded with a big strikeout of Bobby Abreu before giving way to teh bull in a china shop. Joba coaxed a weak grounder out of Torii Hunter, but Jeter had no play at first and just ate it. With the bases loaded and the dangerous but not quite as dangerous as he used to be Vlad Guerrero up to bat, Joba pumped three straight fastballs before getting Vlad to swing over a slider for strike three. The threat was over, and oh yes, there was a fist pump.
Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera combined for three nearly flawless innings of relief, with Mo needing just 25 pitches to record seven outs. They were followed by Al Aceves in the 11th, who was working on eight day’s rest and showed clear signs of rust. Aceves walked the utterly useless Gary Matthews Jr. – a guy making eight figures this year – to leadoff the inning, and two batters later Figgins flared a single into right for his first hit of the postseason and 3-2 lead. A Torii Hunter double play later, and the Yanks were looking at having to mount another come from behind win against Brian Fuentes.
With Fast Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner hitting fifth and sixth after pinch running earlier in the game, Alex Rodriguez led off the bottom of the inning representing the last real threat in the Yanks the lineup. Fuentes started him off with two fastballs up in the zone, but Alex took both for strikes and faced a quick 0-2 hole. In year’s past, this spot was almost an automatic out for A-Rod, but he lifted Fuentes’ third fastball up into right field, and it found it’s way over the wall to tie the game. It may have been a cheapie, but the wind had been knocking balls down all night (and yesterday as well), so A-Rod had to put some muscle into it. A postseason of heroics continued, but more importantly, the Yanks were alive.
Even though it seemed like they were in trouble all night, the Yanks bullpen really did a tremendous job in this game. They combined to allow just five hits and four walks (three intentional) in seven and two-thirds inning, giving up the lone run by Aceves. The offense, on the other hand, seemed to hibernate at times. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base, not exactly how you draw it up in the playoffs. Let’s not forgot all the defensive miscues tonight as well, two by Cano. Thankfully, the bullpen did their part and held down the Angels just long enough.
Five hours after first pitch, Jerry Hairston Jr. pinch hit for Fast Freddy, and led off the 13th with a single right up the middle in his first career playoff at-bat. Everyone in the world knew Gardner was going to bunt Hairston over to second, and sure enough he did. The Greatest Manager Who Ever Lived ordered starter turned reliever Ervin Santana to walk Cano to get to Melky Cabrera, the man responsible for like, ten walk-offs this year. Usually we rip on people who swing at the first pitch after the pitcher walks a guy, but Melky placed the ball perfectly in the 3.5 hole, and instead of making the right play and going to first for the out, Izturis attempted to gun down the lead runner at second, throwing the ball away in the process. Hairston rounded third and scored, and the Yanks had themselves a walk-off, 2-0 series lead.
This was one of those gut punch games, meaning that whoever lost would feel like … well, like they got punched in the gut. The Yanks have all the momentum in the world going into Anaheim now, and will send Andy Pettitte to the mound in Game Three on Monday. Not even Mother Nature could stop them.
Despite protestations from the Angels, Mark Teixeira’s foot was clearly on the bag when Torii Hunter was called out in the sixth inning.
Eight innings. Four hits. One run. Seven strike outs. That’s pure dominance from the Yanks’ Big Man, and that’s why they’re paying him the big bucks.
When the Yankees signed CC Sabathia this winter, a few analysts questioned Sabathia’s role on the Yanks. He didn’t throw particularly well against the Yanks in the 2007 ALDS and did worse against the Red Sox in the ALCS. Could the Yanks lean on Sabathia to carry them through an October run if he hadn’t yet enjoyed much October success?
Last week against the Twins, Sabathia didn’t have his best stuff and still walked away a winner. On Friday, amidst some brutal cold, a bit of a drizzle and a powerful wind that in the words of Johnny Damon was “playing havoc” out there, CC stifled the Angels. He threw 113 pitches in eight innings and just 37 were out of the strike zone. He recorded 11 outs on the ground, seven by the K and just six in the air. That is dominance.
“CC’s been doing that all year for us,” Derek Jeter said after the game. “He did in the first round and he did it tonight.”
The Angels, meanwhile, didn’t play their generally solid game. They made three errors and let an easy two-out pop up fall for an RBI hit. The Yanks capitalized and walked away 4-1 winners. They are now just three wins away from a World Series berth.
The Yanks got off on the right foot in the first inning. Derek Jeter knocked out yet another first inning single, and Johnny Damon moved him to third with a base knock of his own. Damon advanced to second on an error, and with no outs, the Yanks were primed for a big inning. Mark Teixiera took a 3-0 hack and popped out. Although A-Rod drove in a run with a sac fly, the Yanks were left with a runner on second and two outs when Hideki Matsui lifted a lazy pop up right to third base. Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins couldn’t figure out which Angel would catch though, and it landed with a thud on the infield dirt. Damon scored, and the Yanks had all the runs they would need.
As the game progress, the Angels toyed with disaster all night, but the Yankees couldn’t capitalize. The Yanks put two runners on the third, two on in the fourth, three in the fifth and three in the sixth, but the offense could plate just two of those runners. They left 11 men on base and went just 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Yanks could have had more but for a play at the plate involving — who but? — Alex Rodriguez.
With two on in the fifth, Hideki Matsui doubled to left center, and Juan Rivera tumbled over himself trying to field it. Rob Thomson originally waved A-Rod on but threw up a stop sign too late for Alex to see it. Rodriguez headed home, but the thrown beat him. Although replays showed no tag, A-Rod was out as he bowled into Jeff Mathis. In another era, he would have been the goat, but tonight, the Yanks didn’t need the run.
In the sixth, they would add a fourth run, but why bother? CC just kept on rolling. He ran into one bit of trouble in the fourth when a Vladimir Guerrero double and a Kendry Morales single led to a run, but that would be all. He struck out Mike Napoli to end the 7th and pumped his fist emphatically as the crowd roared. “The stadium was rocking,” Sabathia said. “I was pretty pumped up.”
At just 98 pitches through seven, Sabathia went out for the 8th, and he served as his own Bridge to Mowhere. One-two-three went the Angels in the 8th and in came Rivera for the 9th. He walked Torii Hunter on four pitches, and Tim McCarver began predicting boom. But Mo was Mo was Mo. Vladimir Guerrero struck out; Juan Rivera flew out; and Kendry Morales followed suit.
As the strains of Frank Sinatra filled the air, Yankee fans left a very cold Yankee Stadium, quite pleased with their ace and enjoying the 1-0 lead in this best of seven ALCS. CC was every bit the ace the Yankees wanted and needed for this year, and the team stands just three wins away from a World Series appearance.
For a similar but different take on the Yanks’ Game 1 win over the Angels, check out my YESNetwork.com recap.
Game 3 is often the most critical one in a five-game series. In any of the three possible scenarios, a win is important. When up 2-0, winning the third game gives the team the ability to line up their Game 1 starter to start Game 1 of the ALCS. When down 2-0, the season is on the line. When tied 1-1, a win gives the team a decided advantage heading into Game 4. The Yankees went with Andy Pettitte in Game 3 this time, hoping that his strong second half would carry over to the postseason.
The Yanks got everything they could have expected from Pettitte, and might have even left some in the tank. He threw 81 pitches over 6.1 innings, striking out seven and walking just one and limiting the Twins to just one run. That lone run came in the sixth after a bases empty, two outs situation. It was all the Twins would get all night. He exited after striking out Jason Kubel to lead off the seventh, though with his low pitch count and superb results on the night, perhaps he could have finished the inning.
Joba Chamberlain made that a moot point. He made a mistake to the first batter, Delmon Young, who drove one into the gap for a one-out double. But Chamberlain beared down, inducing a soft grounder from Matt Tolbert before striking out Jose Morales to end the inning. It set up the bullpen for Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera in the eighth and ninth.
The Twins threatened in the eighth, and if not for a baserunning blunder would have been in position to tie the game. Nick Punto, who hit over .400 in the series, hit a 2-2 pitch between Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon for a leadoff double. The next batter, Denard Span, slapped one up the middle, but Jeter cut it off before it could leave the infield. Seeing Punto take a wide turn around third, Jeter fired home. Punto had slipped on his way back, giving Jorge Posada enough time to throw him out at third.
A first and third, no outs situation turned into a runner on first, one out situation, and it seemingly deflated the Twins. Orlando Cabrera flied out to center for the second out. That brought Joe Mauer to the plate, and Girardi did not mess around. He went to Mariano Rivera to get the AL batting champ and presumptive MVP, and the at-bat followed the script. Mauer swung at the second pitch, a cutter in on the hands, breaking his bat and grounding weakly to first. Teixeira fielded, ending the minor threat.
Mo finished off the game in typical fashion, allowing just one hit while retiring the final three batters he faced. He hit his stride after allowing a leadoff single, striking out the next two hitters before inducing a grounder to end the game.
In his first season post-Yankees, Carl Pavano fared well against his former team in the regular season. He faced them twice, pitching 13.1 innings and allowing just four runs, splitting the match-ups. He started off Game 3 even better, striking out eight and allowing just three hits through six innings. It looked like he had control of the game, and when the Twins rallied for a run in the sixth it looked like the Yankees would have a tough road ahead.
The game changed in the seventh. After going down 0-2, Alex Rodriguez took three straight pitches outside the zone to work the count full. After fouling off a pitch, he got a fastball up and on the outside edge. It’s a pitch Alex handles well, and this time was no exception. He went with it, driving it high over the baggie in right for a game-tying home run. It was Rodriguez’s second home run and sixth RBI of the series, and the second time he tied the game with a homer.
With two outs and the bases empty, Jorge Posada stepped up. He took the first pitch, a changeup, well outside for ball one. Pavano then threw a good pitch, a sinker low and away, but Jorge timed it perfectly. Delmon Young gave the ball a chase, but it was just beyond his reach, in the stands for the go-ahead run. Fitting that the Yankees, who led the majors in homers (and homers on the road) this season took the lead on a pair of homers.
Even with Mariano Rivera to pitch the ninth, the Yankees knew insurance runs wouldn’t hurt. They picked up a few of those in the ninth. Ron Gardenhire used four pitchers in the inning, and none did the job satisfactorily. Ron Mahay recorded a strikeout and then walked Teixeira. Jon Rauch walked A-Rod. Jose Mijares walked Hideki Matsui. Joe Nathan then came on to face Jorge Posda, and surrendered and RBI single. Robinson Cano then blooped in a second insurance run.
Andy Pettitte’s contribution should not be understated. Over the past three postseasons, the Yankees couldn’t overcome their pitching problems. They rebuilt the rotation this season, and it’s a big reason why they had the best record in the regular season and then swept their way through the ALDS. Andy used two variations of what he calls his cutter — one a faster pitch that more resembles a fastball, and a slower one that more resembles a slider. That, mixed with his fastball, kept the Twins off-balance. Before their rally started with two outs in the sixth, Pettitte retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced.
Both the Yankees and Angels will enjoy a four-day vacation before squaring off in Game 1 of the ALCS Friday in the Bronx. Both teams will realign their rotations, meaning we’ll get the best possible match-ups. We’ll have plenty to say over the next few days, but for now I’m just going to enjoy this one. It sure does feel good to have the Yanks past the first round of the playoffs.
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Two days after the Yankees and Twins kicked off their Division Series matchup, the clubs finally came together to give Game Two a go. Regular catcher Jorge Posada would ride the bench in favor of backup Jose Molina, who had demonstrated the ability to work well with starter AJ Burnett in recent starts. The Yanks were looking to take a commanding lead in the series while the Twinkies were hoping to keep their playoff heads above water. One team got their wish, but not before they rode the roller coaster you see above.
Starters Burnett and Nick Blackburn matched zeroes for the first five innings, but did so in very different ways. Burnett, with his personal catcher in tow, walked a tight rope all night. He put at least one runner on base in all six innings he pitched, and seven of the ten batters he let reach base didn’t even have to swing the bat. It’s not normally a recipe for success, but it did the trick tonight. Blackburn, on the other hand, kept the Yankees hitters off balance all night with a mix of sinkers and curveballs and changeups, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
Minnesota drew first blood in the top of the sixth, when Burnett issued a walk to Delmon Young, who had drawn a grand total of 14 unintentional walks in 416 plate appearances this year. After Carlos Gomez struck out, predictably, pinch hitter Brendan Harris took Burnett’s 3-1 fastball and sent it deep into the left-centerfield. Teh bandbox managed to hold this one in, but the Twins were on the board thanks to a triple.
The Yankees would not be contained for long, answering back the very next inning. The Cap’n ground ruled a double into right center, and Johnny Damon followed that up with a walk to put runners at first and second with one out for the guys paid to drive in runs. Mark Teixeira, 0 for 6 in the series up to that point, flied out weakly to left, which brought last night’s hero – one Alex Rodriguez – to the plate. A-Rod spit on Blackburn’s first slider in the dirt, then send his next pitch through the 5.5 hole for an RBI single, knotting the game at one. Two games, three ribbies for the Yanks’ cleanup hitter, and he wasn’t done.
Burnett gave way to starter turned reliever turned starter turned reliever after an injury turned starter then turned reliever for the playoffs Joba Chamberlain, who got two quick ground ball outs before allowing a hit back up the middle to SuperMauer. Phil Coke came in and struck out Jason Kubel, who hits lefties like Jose Molina hits everyone. On came setup man Phil Hughes the next inning, who made quick work of Michael Cuddyer and Young. Carlos Gomez, a kid who has drawn just 47 unintentional walks in 963 plate appearances over the last two seasons, coaxed a free pass out of Hughes with two outs. Harris then laced his second hit of the night into the opposite field for a single, sending the speedy Gomez the third. Seven pitches later, #9 hitter Nick Punto looping a hanging curve in front of centerfield Melky Cabrera for a 2-1 lead.
Out went St. Phil and in came the Hammer of God, but Denard Span didn’t think much of the future Hall of Famer and singled to right to push the lead to two runs. Rivera escaped the inning without allowing any further damage, but the good guys were down two with ubercloser Joe Nathan looming in Minnesota’s pen.
An inning later, the Yanks were down those same two runs with just three outs to go against Nathan, and things looked bleak. Teixeira, now 0 for 7 in the series, took the first two pitches leading off the inning before lining a hard single down into the right field corner. With an RBI single already to his credit in the game, A-Rod came to plate needing to do anything besides make an out. He did that and then some.
The first pitch was a breaking ball in the dirt, the second a breaking ball off the plate, ditto the third. With a 3-0 count after three pitches well off the plate, it seemed like the Twins were pitching around the three time AL MVP, however it didn’t make sense to do so in that spot. The fourth pitch was a fastball down and in, called for a strike. Great pitch, no way any righthanded batter hits that ball with any authority. 3-1 is a classic fastball count and A-Rod certainly got his fastball, crushing it to deep into the Yankees bullpen to tie the game. In a Yankee career full of postseason disappointments, Rodriguez atoned for all past mistakes with that one swing. The game was tied, and the Yankees had new lease on life in the game.
The Bombers came up to the plate in the 10th looking to start a rally, and Jorge Posada did just that when he blooped a Nathan pitch in for a single. On came pinch runner extraordinaire Brett Gardner, who stole second before moving to third when Nathan tossed a pickoff throw into centerfield. Derek Jeter was intentionally walked to set up the double play, and the Yanks were in business with runners on the corners and just one out. Johnny Damon, mired in a month long slump, took the first four pitches from reliever Jose Mijares before fouling a pitch off for a full count. Mijares’ next offered was lined back up the middle, and it seemed like the Yanks were on their way to another walk-off win and a 2-0 series lead. Except Orlando Cabrera caught it, and Brett Gardner ventured too far off third. O-Cab made the quick flip over to double off Gardner, and the Yankee threat was squashed.
Damaso Marte march out the pen to take the rubber in the top of the 11th. Placed on the ALDS roster for two reasons and two reasons only, Marte allowed both of them to reach base. Joe Girardi turned to young David Robertson with SuperMauer and Jason Kubel standing at first and second with no outs, and K-Rob™ hung a curve to Michael Cuddyer, which he promptly dunked into the outfield to load the bases with zero outs.
Plate discipline is a wonderful thing. It’s not all about drawing walks and working deep counts, it’s about being selective and knowing what pitches to swing at. Luckily for the Yankees and Mr. Robertson, neither Delmon Young nor Carlos Gomez has much plate discipline. Young lined the first pitch he saw to Mark Teixeira for out number one, then Gomez grounded to Tex, who forced the runner at home for out number two. With two gift outs in his pocket, Robertson needed to coax an out anyway he could out of Brendan Harris, who up to that point had been a pretty big pain in the Yankees’ ass. The first pitch was a fastball strike, the second a fastball low for a 1-1 count. D-Rob’s third fastball was lifted in the air by Harris, but landed safely in the glove of new centerfielder Brett Gardner. Bases loaded, no outs, and the Yanks escaped unscathed.
Even though the Yanks staff had kept them in the game, the pitching tonight was downright dreadful for the pinstripers. The Twins 6-7-8-9 hitters reached base a combined ten times, and 15 of Minny’s 21 baserunners overall reached base with two outs in the inning. No Yankee pitcher managed to retire the side in order. The Yankees can’t count on the opposing team stranding 17 runners on base every night, but for tonight it was just what the doctor ordered.
After David Robertson pulled his Houdini act in the 11th, the Yanks were looking to their heart of their order to give them the win. Mark Teixeira led off the inning for his second straight plate appearance, and four pitches into his at-bat he sent Jose Mijares’ offering into the people beyond the leftfield wall. The Yankees won in walk-off and comeback fashion yet again, and declared to not just the Twins, but to all of baseball that WE WILL NOT BE STOPPED.
Note: We’ll also be supplying recaps for YES during the playoffs. You can check out the Game 1 recap over at YES’s site.
It’s been nearly two full years since the Yankees last played a playoff game (two years tomorrow, actually), but the bad taste left in everyone’s mouth was washed out tonight. Many questioned what CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez would bring to the table after such brilliant regular seasons, and the pair answered those questions with authority.
Sabathia started the game off with two quick strikes to Denard Span, but the count eventually ran full and Span dumped a well-placed double into the left-centerfield gap. CC rebounded to strikeout the annoying Orlando Cabrera with a series of heaters and a two strike slider, then did the same to imminent MVP Joe Mauer. The molten hot Michael Cuddyer (.325-.398-.675 since mid-September) lofted a broken bat pop up to center that landed comfortably in Melky’s mitt. It took 22 pitches, but CC and the Yankees escaped the first inning unscathed.
Derek Jeter, as he did so often this year, led off the bottom of the first with a first pitch single through the 5.5 hole. Johnny Damon followed with a 2-2 pop up just beyond the infield, and Mark Teixeira ripped a tailor made inning ending GIDP ball, except Jeter was running on the play and made it to second safely. Twins starter Brian Duensing quickly got ahead of A-Rod 0-2 before the third baseman spoiled a few high fastballs. He fisted the next one into right, but the wind didn’t give enough of a push, and the inning was over.
The second inning came and went without much fanfare, but Nick Punto led off the third inning with a single back up the middle after taking what should have been called strike three. The speedy Span grounded right to A-Rod for a rally killing 5-4-3 DP, setting up a nice and easy two outs, none on situation. Or at least what should have been nice and easy. Orlando Cabrera somehow singled after getting seven (seven!) pitches out of the zone, then moved to third on a Mauer double. Michael Cuddyer Jetered a nice outside pitch into the opposite field for a quick 1-0 lead, but the real damage was done when Jorge Posada allowed his second passed ball of the game, then made it worse by lolligagging it when he went to retrieve the ball. Mauer scored from third on the play, and Minnesota had a 2-0 lead. Sabathia rebounded to strikeout Kubel to end the frame, but the Twinkies were on the board and CC’s pitch count was already up to 64 pitches.
After beating out an infield single with one out, Melky moved over to third on a Joe Mauer passed ball. After taking a fastball out of the zone, Jeter did something we don’t see him do often: he pulled a ball for a homerun. The game was tied, the New Stadium was alive, and all was right in the universe. The score stayed that way until the fourth when Posada reached by dunking a single into no man’s land. He was out at second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Robbie Cano, but exchanging an out for a faster runner would soon prove beneficial. Duensing drew a quick 0-2 count on 4th outfielder Nick Swisher, but Swish worked the count even, then drove Cano in from first with a double down the leftfield line. Expletives were yelled, high fives were had, but most importantly, the Yankees had the lead.
Perhaps just as important as the runs scored was the shutdown work by Sabathia in the next frame. After the Yanks tied the game in the third, CC went out and retired the next three Twins in order on just 12 pitches. When the Yanks went out and took the lead the next inning, Sabathia again tossed up a scoreless frame, this time with 11 pitches. Shutdown innings after scoring runs like those embody an ace pitcher, and Sabathia certainly qualifies as that.
A day without learning is a day wasted, and today we learned that A-Rod is able to pad his stats even in October. His RBI single in the 5th gave the Yanks a two run lead and little breathing room. After Ron Gardenhire replaced his lefty starter with a lefty reliever to face the lefty hitter with a reverse platoon split (got it?), Matsui dropped a bomb over Baghdad the centerfield fence, and the Yanks had a four run lead. It was all they’d need.
Even though he was somewhat rocky in the early going, Sabathia squashed the “he can’t pitch in October” meme by allowing two runs (one earned) in six and two-thirds innings. He struck out eight, including the uberhot trio of Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, and Delmon Young a combined five times. 71 of 113 pitches were strikes, but he was getting squeezed a bit, particularly on that Punto pitch in the second. Sabathia retired 12 of the final 15 batters he faced, throwing 58 fastballs, 21 changeups, and 26 sliders while topping out at 95.3 mph. It certainly wasn’t his best night stuff-wise, but the Yanks ace battled and gave his team a quality start.
That four run lead became a five run lead late in the game, when Alex Rodriguez, he who can not hit in the playoffs, ripped a hard hit single off reliever Jon Rauch, scoring Derek Jeter, who was on base four times. A-Rod came to the plate with runners on base in three of his four plate appearances, and twice he drove home a run. It was exactly what we all wanted to see from A-Rod … from A-Rod and Sabathia really, two high priced imports with October demons, no matter how unfounded they may have been.
The relief corps of Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera made the late innings a breeze, and the Yanks took Game One in relatively easy fashion. Game Two of the best-of-three series won’t be played until Friday, when AJ Burnett and his personal catcher Jose Molina take on Nick Blackburn and his AL worst 240 hits allowed and AL worst 4.29 K/9. Talk about polar opposites.
|
|
| Minnesota |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
LOB |
AVG |
| Span, CF |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
.400 |
| Cabrera, O, SS |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
.400 |
| Mauer, C |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
.500 |
| Cuddyer, 1B |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
.250 |
| Kubel, RF |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
.000 |
| Young, D, LF |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
.000 |
| Harris, B, DH |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
.250 |
| Tolbert, 3B |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
.000 |
| Punto, 2B |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.667 |
| Totals |
36 |
2 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
16 |
|
BATTING
2B: Span (1, Sabathia), Mauer (1, Sabathia).
TB: Span 3; Cabrera, O 2; Mauer 3; Cuddyer; Harris, B; Punto 2.
RBI: Cuddyer (1).
2-out RBI: Cuddyer.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cuddyer; Kubel; Mauer; Cabrera, O 4.
GIDP: Span.
Team RISP: 1-for-9.
Team LOB: 9.
BASERUNNING
SB: Cabrera, O (1, 2nd base off Sabathia/Posada).
FIELDING
E: Cuddyer (1, fielding).
DP: (Tolbert-Punto-Cuddyer). |
|
|
| NY Yankees |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
LOB |
AVG |
| Jeter, SS |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| Damon, LF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.250 |
| Teixeira, 1B |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
.000 |
| Rodriguez, A, 3B |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
.500 |
| Matsui, H, DH |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Posada, C |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
.250 |
| Cano, 2B |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
.000 |
| Swisher, RF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.250 |
| Gardner, CF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Cabrera, Me, CF-RF |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
.250 |
| Totals |
33 |
7 |
9 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
13 |
|
BATTING
2B: Swisher (1, Duensing).
HR: Jeter (1, 3rd inning off Duensing, 1 on, 1 out), Matsui, H (1, 5th inning off Liriano, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Jeter 5; Damon; Rodriguez, A 2; Matsui, H 4; Posada; Swisher 2; Cabrera, Me.
RBI: Jeter 2 (2), Swisher (1), Rodriguez, A 2 (2), Matsui, H 2 (2).
2-out RBI: Swisher; Rodriguez, A 2; Matsui, H 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Cabrera, Me; Posada.
GIDP: Teixeira.
Team RISP: 3-for-8.
Team LOB: 5.
FIELDING
PB: Posada 2 (2).
DP: (Rodriguez, A-Cano-Teixeira). |
|
|
| Minnesota |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
HR |
ERA |
| Duensing |
4.2 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
9.64 |
| Liriano |
2.0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4.50 |
| Rauch |
0.1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
| Mahay |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
|
|
WP: Duensing, Sabathia.
HBP: Tolbert (by Sabathia).
Pitches-strikes: Duensing 79-59, Liriano 35-19, Rauch 9-3, Mahay 14-9, Sabathia 113-71, Hughes, P 24-16, Coke 1-1, Chamberlain 2-1, Rivera, Ma 23-14.
Groundouts-flyouts: Duensing 6-5, Liriano 3-2, Rauch 1-0, Mahay 1-1, Sabathia 5-7, Hughes, P 0-0, Coke 0-1, Chamberlain 1-0, Rivera, Ma 1-0.
Batters faced: Duensing 22, Liriano 8, Rauch 3, Mahay 3, Sabathia 28, Hughes, P 3, Coke 1, Chamberlain 1, Rivera, Ma 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Liriano 1-1, Rauch 1-1, Hughes, P 2-0, Coke 1-0, Chamberlain 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Tim Tschida. 1B: Chuck Meriwether. 2B: Mark Wegner. 3B: Paul Emmel. LF: Jim Joyce. RF: Phil Cuzzi.
Weather: 62 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 24 mph, Out to RF.
October 7, 2009 |
|
As mentioned before the game, there was a milestone or two at stake in this game. Both Mark Teixeira and the team were tied atop their respective home run leader boards, Teixeira tied with Carlos Pena atop the AL leaders and the team tied with the 2004 squad for most home runs by a Yankees team. While Mark had to settle for a tie, the team accomplished their milestone, and in grand fashion. It also brought along another milestone, one that was unlikely to be reached.
At the beginning, it looked like another lackadaisical game for the Yanks. They collected just three hits through the first five innings, and Derek Jeter, who knows no off switch, had two of them. It’s always tough to tell in that situation whether it’s the pitcher going well or the offense just not producing. Considering the Yankees position, it seemed like the latter. So the Yanks would go out losers of four straight. No big deal.
Apparently, they weren’t having any of that. Johnny Damon, who was 0 for 2 on the day and was slumping badly over the past few weeks, led off with a double. Mark Teixeira walked, and then A-Rod got a hold of one, sending it over the left field fence for home run No. 29 and RBI No. 96 on the season. It was a shame, I’m sure a few of you noted, that Alex would fall short of the 30/100 milestone, especially since he had such a great year. Still, 29 homers and 96 RBI in 124 games is pretty remarkable, especially considering the recovery he made from March hip surgery.
After Freddy Guzman ran for Hideki Matsui a batter later, it was clear the regulars were coming out. There was little chance A-Rod would get another at bat in the game. But then a series of strange events unfolded. After tapping one in front of the plate, Melky Cabrera ran as hard as I’ve ever seen him, just barely beating the throw to first base. Best of all, it didn’t look like he even entertained the idea of sliding. A batter later, Jose Molina tapped one in front of the plate as well, but Andy Sonnanstine couldn’t field it cleanly, allowing Guzman to score.
That’s when Damon struck again. With the bases loaded and two outs he laced one down the right field line, plating Melky and Swisher and putting runners on second and third. The Rays, not wanting to serve up Mark Teixeira’s 40th home run, intentionally walked him to get to A-Rod, which is like a pitcher walking Ortiz to get to Manny back in 2005. The bases were set up for A-Rod.
I don’t know how he did it. I don’t know why Sonnanstine left a pitch where he did, and I don’t know how A-Rod managed to get a hold of it and take it to right center. All I know is that it dropped beyond the fence, and in the span of one inning A-Rod has gotten to his 30 home runs and 100 RBI. With his three hits in the game he raised his average to .286 after being in the .260s in August. It’s been a wild ride for A-Rod, and now he’s facing his biggest challenge: producing in the playoffs.
Burnett’s tune-up wasn’t all bad. He allowed a home run to Evan Longoria in the first, a forgivable solo shot, and then another run scored on a Jose Molina passed ball. While Burnett allowed seven hits and a walk, a few too many baserunners in five innings, he also threw 55 of his 84 pitches for strikes, 65 percent. He came out after the fifth, but because the Yanks batted first in the sixth he picked up his 13th win of the season, lowering his ERA to an acceptable 4.04.
Afer that, the game was a cinch. The bullpen didn’t allow a hit or walk, and all five Yankees relievers recorded a strikeout. The story, of course, was Joba Chamberlain, who looked sharp in his frame, retiring the Rays with just nine pitches, seven of which were strikes. It wasn’t the setup man Joba were were quite used to — his fastball topped out around 95, though again that’s perfectly acceptable. He mixed that with an accurate slider to put down the Rays as fast as they came up. If this was a true audition for a postseason roster spot, he passed without question.
That’s it, folks. The regular season is over for the Yankees. Their 103 wins matches 2002’s total, which is the highest since 1998. We’ll go over the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, and the creamy middles between now and Wednesday, when the Yankees are expected to play their first playoff game since 2007. The game will start at 6:07 EDT regardless of whether it’s Wednesday or Thursday.
And with that, it’s time for an open thread. Discuss the game, A-Rod, the Tigers-Twins playoff — which will happen Tuesday — or anything else you want.
For the second straight night the Yankees starting pitcher has struggled and left the game before completing five innings. Not that either would have remotely qualified for the win. On Friday CC allowed nine runs, five earned, through 2.2 innings, and last night Pettitte allowed five, three earned, in a slightly longer span, 4.1 innings. The offense could plate only three runs, and the game amounted to another loss.
Pettitte’s command was not there last night. He had trouble spotting pitches, and that led to general wildness. He threw just 54 of his 95 pitches (57%) for strikes, which is below his season average of 61 percent and even further below his second-half average of 63 percent. It led to four walks, and three of those runners scored — though the last two were because of Al Aceves’s errant throw.
It wasn’t what the Yanks were looking for from Pettitte, but then again this was just a start to stay in rhythm. No one likes it that Pettitte didn’t pitch well, but as far as next week is concerned, it means nothing. Everything starts anew then, and Pettitte will come into his first playoff start well rested. The Yanks will need him to play a big role in every series.
After the throwing error, Aceves worked a perfect 2.1 innings of relief, striking out three Rays. Gaudin followed that with 1.1 innings of one-hit ball, striking out two Rays of his own. Aceves’s spot on the postseason roster is a lock, and Gaudin’s performance, combined with his efforts in the rotation this month, should earn him a long look. He, Brian Bruney, and Joba Chamberlain are vying for what could be just one roster spot.
On the offensive side, the Yanks put on 12 baserunners, which is not a bad total, but could bring only three around to score. This was the product of a 3 for 11 mark with runners in scoring position. With a version of the B or even C lineup in, it’s tough to expect more. Matsui and Swisher were the only regulars without a hit, though Swisher drew a walk.
Just one more game to go. A.J. Burnett gets his last tune-up under acting manager Jorge Posada tomorrow afternoon. It’d be nice to see the regulars get in some hits and finish the season with a win, but if they don’t? Meh.
We talk about narratives a lot. Sometimes, they’re valid, but mostly, they’re used a tool to get through a very long season. Tonight’s game was part of that narrative.
Baseball is a marathon. For eight months, a bunch of players play nine innings every day. They play 30 games in Spring Training, 162 times during the regular season, and then, for the lucky and good teams, another 15 games in October. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go the way the fans want.
Tonight was one of those nights. As CC Sabathia said during the post-game interviews, he just wasn’t comfortable tonight. From the first pitch on, he couldn’t find his change-up, and when the Yanks gave up four unearned runs in the first, it just compounded the problem. By the time his night was over, CC had thrown a Joba-ian 82 pitches in 2.2 innings and allowed nine runs — five of them earned — as the Rays knocked 8 hits off the big man. He struck out three but walked five. Better today than next week.
While it would have been nice for Sabathia to win his 20th game, that’s about all it would have been. For the last three months, he’s been the staff ace, and in five days, he’ll take up that mantle in a game that counts. Feeling good after the game, he declared himself set for the post-season. “I’ll be ready five days from now,” CC said. So will the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Sabathia wasn’t the only one struggling to say focused and in control during a meaningless game on a Friday in front of 22,704 fans in Tampa. Phil Hughes, throwing in the 8th to get some work, couldn’t put away hitters. He threw 12 of 17 pitches for strikes but gave up three hits and a row. Joe Girardi lifted him for Damaso Marte, and it appeared to me as though Phil was just throwing for the sake of throwing. It was 12-3, and that’s called pitching to the score. At least Brian Bruney and Phil Coke looked good.
For the Yankees, the highlights were few and far apart. The first highlight — or scare — was retaliation. In the first inning, Mark Teixeira was hit on the left hand by a David Price pitch. It was clear retaliation for the Yanks’ unintentional beaning of Carlos Peña a few weeks ago. That HBP broke Peña’s fingers. This one just nicked Teixeira’s. “It just kind of grazed me. So luckily it’s good,” the Yanks’ slugger said after the game. He will be okay.
In the top of the 8th, the Yanks caught of glimpse of some left-handed power. Juan Miranda took a Dale Thayer offering into the back of the right field seats for his first career home run. The Yankees should be able to find a taker for Miranda this off-season, and while power-hitting left-handed first basemen are a dime a dozen, he’ll probably return something useful.
In the end, this was an ugly one. The Rays won 13-4, and B.J. Upton had hit for the cycle by the 5th inning. In five days, it’ll count. This one didn’t, and it showed.
With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The Outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Bronx Bombers last night:
The score stood four to three, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Hinske popped to third, and Matsui K’d,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Peña could get but a whack at that -
We’d put up even money, now, with Peña at the bat.
But Cervelli preceded Peña, as did also Freddy Guzman,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Peña’s getting to the bat.
But Cervelli let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Guzman, the much despis-ed for his prior caught stealing, rolled the ball to Yuniesky.
And when Betancourt errored, and the Yanks saw what had occurred,
There was Freddy safe at second and Frankie a-hugging third.
Then from 46,956 throats — or what was left — there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the borough, it rattled in the Bronx;
It knocked upon Manhattan and recoiled upon the flat,
For Peña, mighty Peña, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Peña’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Peña’s bearing and a smile on Peña’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Peña at the bat.
Forty thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Forthy thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing Soria ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Peña’s eye, a sneer curled Peña’s lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Peña foul it a-back in haughty grandeur there.
Into the Yankee blue seats the ball unheeded sped-
“That ain’t my style,” said Peña. “Strike one,” the umpire said.
From the benches, filled with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
“We want some pie! We want some pie!” shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they’d a-pied him had not Peña been at bat.
With a smile of Yankee charity great Peña’s visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Peña still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Ball one.”
“Strike two!” cried the umpire as the next one painted black.
But one scornful look from Peña and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Peña wouldn’t let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Peña’s lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now Soria holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Peña’s blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no pie in the Bronx – not-so-mighty Peña has popped out.
* * *
Okay, okay, poetry and Ramiro Peña’s Wednesday home run aside, Wednesday’s game was not what the Yanks expected. Joba Chamberlain used up 91 pitches to get through just 3.2 innings. Although he allowed only three earned runs — and those runs came on some cheap bloop hits — the lackluster Royals mustered seven hits and four walks against the Yanks’ youngster. Joba struck out three, but he was not long for the game.
The bullpen pitched admirable, but Damaso Marte and Sergio Mitre allowed the Royals to plate a decisive run in the 7th. The Yanks again had a walk-off brewing with the winning run in scoring position in the ninth, but as my verse shows, Ramiro Peña could not come through. The Royals grabbed a game from the 102-win Yanks.
We could worry about Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod and Hideki Matsui going a combined 0 for 16, but that’s allowed to happen now and then. The real story was Joba, and he could not build upon his success against the Red Sox. This was his last outing of the season, and as it stands now, I wouldn’t be surprised if Joba isn’t on the ALDS roster and if Chad Gaudin is tabbed for a potential ALCS start. At some point, we’ll assess Joba’s overall 2009 campaign. His regular season effort ended on a very sour note.
