Ugh.
Game 59: Big game in June
Last night, YES’s Kim Jones asked both Johnny Damon and Joe Girardi if they felt this was a different team than the one which lost two games to the Sox (and then again to the Rays) back in early May. This was a pretty silly question. Of course they’re a different team. That’s part of baseball’s beauty: the team you see in April is not the same team you see in June, which is not the same team you see in the dog days. The Yanks pitching staff has turned a corner since then, and they’ve been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past month.
When the Yanks dropped the second of two games to the Sox on May 5, they were 13-13. They are now 34-23, which means they’ve been 21-10 since then, and that includes the two losses to Tampa, after which the team really began its sprint to the top of the division. What better way to solidify their superiority than by exacting some revenge for the five games the Sox have taken from the Yanks? Hey, if the Yanks really are the best in the East, they’re going to have to even out that record vs. the Sox eventually.
Josh Beckett will take the mound with hopes of bringing the Sox back into a tie for first. He’s faced the Yanks twice this year, not pitching particularly well either time. The first time was the 16-11 marathon game, wherein both Beckett and A.J. Burnett let the game get out of hand early. Beckett lasted just five innings and surrendered eight earned runs, allowing 10 hits and walking four in the process. He was a bit better last time, for that May 5 game, tossing six innings of three-run ball. He did allow 10 hits, but the Yanks went 1 for 5 with RISP and couldn’t capitalize. That was also the game, I’m sure you remember, where Joba Chamberlain allowed four runs in the first and then came back to strike out 12 Sox.
Despite the playoff success against the Yankees in 2003, Beckett has fared rather poorly in general when facing them in the regular season. In 85.1 career innings he’s allowed 57 runs, 55 earned, for a 5.80 ERA. The only teams to fare better against Beckett have lesser samples. The Jays have hit him for a 5.95 ERA in 59 innings, but the two others — Cincinnati and Milwaukee — have seen him for under 20 innings.
A.J. Burnett’s turn didn’t come up for the two-game series, and we already discussed his pitiful outing back on April 25. He’s had his ups and downs this season, but he handled the heavy-hitting Texas Rangers very well in his last two starts. Burnett can be infuriating at times. For instance, he had a 1-2 count on Michael Young in his last appearance against Texas, but went onto walk him. That’s what led to the three-run homer, which was the only damage he allowed that game.
Pitching coach Dave Eiland talked about this issue after Burnett’s outing against Philadelphia. “But he can’t get lazy with that front side. He cannot take one pitch off. He’s got to be locked in every pitch.” The Red Sox lineup is filled with guys who will destroy mistakes. Burnett has to be spot-on tonight. He’s definitely got it in him.
Programming Note: As you know, the MLB draft is going on right now. Make sure to scroll down for Mike’s liveblog. He’ll also be posting information on the Yanks’ picks as they make them. Also, we’ve shut off the new comment indicators for the evening. It might not be necessary, but we’re not going to risk sever issues tonight.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, DH
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Nick Swisher, LF
8. Melky Cabrera, RF
9. Brett Gardner, CF
And on the mound, number thirty-four, A.J. Burnett.
Game 57 Spillover Thread II
Sandman enters …
Game 57 Spillover Thread
Phil Hughes? Please?
Game 57: Time to take another series
In baseball, two out of three is stellar. If a team won two out of three games in every series they played, they’d be a 108-win team, a lock for the playoffs in this environment. So when the Yanks have a rubber game, it becomes a bit more important. Gotta take that second game, gotta keep that winning percentage up.
To accomplish this, the Yankees will trot out their A lineup, wherein the .303/.355/.465 Melky Cabrera hits ninth. Top to bottom it’s up there with the best lineups in baseball. Their target: the Rays’ weakest link, right-hander Andy Sonnanstine.
This will be the third time Sonnanstine faces the Yanks this season, and in his previous appearances he’s been pretty damn good. His 7.1-inning, two-run performance back on May 6 is his longest and probably best outing of the year. One problem: in neither prior appearance did the Yankees trot out this lineup. There was no A-Rod then. Jorge was not in the lineup. This time, the troops are rallied, ready to lay the hurt on ol’ Andy. Hopefully, if we’re so lucky, like the Indians laid into him on May 27. That would be a sweet way to cap this series.
Andy Pettitte takes the hill for the Yankees. While Sonnanstine has struggled at times this year, it’s not like Pettitte has been without issue. He’s had a rough go of it his last four appearances, starting May 18th against Minnesota when he allowed 12 hits and four earned runs. Philly hit him for four runs in seven innings — not bad, but not great. He then labored in Cleveland, but held the Tribe to one run over five innings. He again labored last Wednesday, allowing four runs in five innings to the Rangers, walking six and allowing seven hits in the process.
This time he’ll have backup. Phil Hughes hasn’t pitched since last Sunday, so he’s in line to get some work tonight. With Mo likely unavailable, look for Hughes to pick up some innings later in the game. If he doesn’t pitch and Pettitte doesn’t pitch a complete game, I’d really have to wonder about the decision to put him in the bullpen.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Hideki Matsui, DH
8. Nick Swisher, RF
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
And on the mound, number forty-six, Andy Pettitte.
Game 56 Spillover Thread
And the thread-pen door open …
Game 56: Getting Back On Track
The best and worst thing about baseball is that they play every day. It’s great because you have a chance to make up for a loss or extend a winning streak right away. It sucks because it wears you down. But after a deflating loss like yesterday’s, you’re thankful for the chance to get right back at it.
The Yanks are sending Joba Chamberlain to the mound and hope he builds on his dominant outing in Cleveland last time out. There’s also a good chance he’ll be relieved by Phil Hughes, who was warming up in the bullpen to pitch a potential 10th inning yesterday and hasn’t pitched in six days. With any luck, the Yanks will put up a boatload of runs, Joba will go six strong and Hughes finishes up the final three frames.
Scoring runs might not be easy though, because Matt Garza has quietly been one of the best pitchers in the league over the last month and a half. He’s put up a 2.98 ERA, 1.03 WHIP & .596 OPS against over his last seven starts. Thankfully, the Yanks will be trotting the A-lineup out there:
Jeter, SS
Damon, LF
Teixeira, 1B
A-Rod, 3B
Cano, 2B
Posada, C
Matsui, DH
Swisher, RF
Melky, CF
And on the mound, Jobber Chamberlain.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 315
- 316
- 317
- 318
- 319
- …
- 380
- Next Page »