Archive for Pitching
Where did Phil Hughes’ curveball go?
Posted by: | CommentsLike most (all?) of you guys, I spent my Sunday evening watching Phil Hughes pitch part of the 8th inning in the Yankees’ series clinching win over the Twins. And also like most of you, I was waiting for Hughes to throw either Denard Span or Orlando Cabrera a curveball, a curveball that ultimately never came. In fact, just 3 (3!) of the 59 pitches Hughes threw in the ALDS were curveballs, that’s it. This wasn’t the first time I found myself wondering if St. Phil was ever going to break out Uncle Charlie, and it seemed like I was waiting for it more and more as the season progressed.
Since your memory can deceive you (”Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They’re just an interpretation, they’re not a record, and they’re irrelevant if you have the facts,” said the guy in Memento), I decided to turn to good ol’ PitchFX and dig up the facts. First things first, let’s take a look at Hughes’ pitch selection this season. Remember to click any chart in this, or pretty much any RAB post, for a larger view.
As you probably expected, Hughes went fastball heavy once he shifted to the bullpen, as he should. There’s no point messing around with your third or fourth best pitch as a reliever, and you can clearly see that his velocity spiked after the move. As for how much he was throwing each pitch as the season progressed, well that graph comes after the jump.
Yanks turning to Sabathia for Game 1
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Had the Twins won last night to force a Game 4 in the ALDS, CC Sabathia would have been on the mound this evening in an effort to bring the Yanks to the League Championship Series. Instead, Andy Pettitte and the Yanks’ bats wrapped up the series in Minnesota, and the Yankees have a week off in which they can set their rotation.
Although the Yanks have not made an announcement yet, it is all but official that CC Sabathia will start Game 1 of the ALCS. The big lefty will take the ball against the Angels on Friday, nine days after facing the Twins in Game 1 of the division series. The long layoff may mean that Sabathia is too fresh, but that’s a risk I’m happy to take.
Last week, Sabathia had a pretty good ALDS start. His final line — 6.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K — earned him a postseason win, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. For the first three innings, Sabathia labored. He needed a Jobaian 64 pitches to record nine outs and did not have his best fastball. Rather, he and Jorge Posada came up with a game plan that relied on change-ups and sliders instead. It worked as he needed just 49 pitches to record the last 12 outs.
In a sense, Sabathia is the perfect pitcher to face the Angels. Most important for a series against the Angels is the fact that Sabathia simply doesn’t issue many walks. To win against the Angels, it is important to avoid giving them free bases. As the team demonstrated against the Red Sox this week, they will capitalize against pitchers who give them walks. Although the Twins did not score much against A.J. Burnett and the Yanks during a Game 2 that featured no 1-2-3 innings, the Angels will not let the Yanks off the hook that easily.
Furthermore, as a lefty, Sabathia can cut down on the Angels’ running game. Not as sneaky with the pick-off move as Andy Pettitte is, Sabathia can try to keep Bobby Abreu and Chone Figgins, Anaheim’s two biggest base-stealing threats, closer to first.
With the advantages, Sabathia is primed to face the Angels at least twice and maybe three times. If the Yankees opt to take advantage of the extra day off during the season to go with three starters, Sabathia could pitch Game 1 on Friday, Game 4 on three days’ rest and Game 7 on full rest. Who needs a fourth starter?
Yet, despite this profile, the Angels, a right-hand hitting team, have given Sabathia trouble this year. He allowed four earned runs in 6.2 innings on May 2nd and five earned runs in 6.2 innings on July 12. In fact, the Angels were one of only two teams to beat CC twice this season. Still, there is no one I would rather see on the mound come Friday. With the K pitch working, Sabathia can neutralize the Angels. As Joe wrote earlier today, the Yanks’ good pitching will determine the extent of their October success. In the ALCS, as CC goes, so go the Yankees.
Yanks show that the difference is pitching
Posted by: | CommentsAfter last night’s Game 3 victory over the Twins, the Yankees were quick to talk about their pitching. “Our pitching is the reason why we’re here,” said Derek Jeter. “CC started it, A.J. followed, and Andy finished. That’s how you have to win in the playoffs.” Mariano Rivera agreed. “Everything was pitching.”
Poor pitching has doomed so many previous postseason teams. In the 2005 ALDS the Yankees gave up five or more runs in three games, including an 11-run Angels assault in Game 3. In 2006 they surrendered six and eight runs to the Tigers in Games 3 and 4. Things were a bit better in 2007, but two poor pitching performances led to 12- and six-run Indians surges that buried the Yanks. No matter how powerful their offense, their pitching shortcomings were exposed in October.
The 2009 ALDS was different. The Yankees got the pitching performances they needed, holding the Twins to just six runs in the three games. Any more and they might not be in this position right now. The offense didn’t disappear, but the team didn’t hit at the level of the regular season. That tends to happen at times in the playoffs, and the only way to keep it from killing your team is to pitch well.
While there was no shortage of power, the Yankees offense generally hit poorly in the series, going 23 for 102 with six walks, three doubles, and six homers, for a slash line of .225/.288/.431. During the regular season, the team hit .283/.362/.478, so there was a noticeable decline in almost every offensive aspect. The only exception was pure power: the team had a .194 Iso in the regular season and .206 in the first round.
That meant the pitching had to take over. The Twins had more base runners than the Yankees, but that’s about it. They hit .257/.311/.301 in the series. They had more hits, 29, and walks, nine, than the Yankees, but scored eight fewer runs. That’s because of the Yankees pitchers. For starters, as you can see in the SLG, they kept the ball in the park. Just four of Minnesota’s 29 hits were for extra bases, so even when they put men on they had a hard time bringing them all the way around.
The other crucial aspect for the Yanks pitchers was holding down the Twins with runners in scoring position. The Twins came to bat 28 times with at least a runner on second, and picked up eight hits for a respectable .285 average. The difference, however, was that each of those hits with RISP was a single. The Twins couldn’t pick up that big hit in critical situations. Some of that is attributable to luck, but the Yankees pitching certainly did its part to limit the damage.
A powerhouse offense can carry a team through the regular season, but as the Yankees have proven over the past five years, it’s difficult to advance in the postseason without solid pitching. The Yanks got that this series. Their offense was decent, not great as it was during the season, but added enough power to keep the Yanks in every game. The pitching did the rest. That’s the difference in 2009.
Sherman: Yankees concerned Joba was too comfortable
Posted by: | CommentsIn today’s column, Joel Sherman writes that many of the Yanks’ bigwigs felt Joba Chamberlain was a little comfortable about his place in the organziation, and considered demoting him to Triple-A Scranton back in August. In an ironic twist of fate, I suggested they do that exact same thing, but back in July. The team didn’t follow through with the move because, frankly, they were scared of having both Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin in their rotation at the same time.
The more important issue here is next season. CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett are locks atop the rotation. Andy Pettitte may or may not return, but beyond that you have a collection of unproven commodities. Many felt that Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes were a little to comfortable last year coming out of Spring Training, and the Yanks are probably worried about that happening again, rightly so. As it stands now, Joba, Hughes, Gaudin, Kennedy, Mitre, and even Al Aceves could come to camp competing for as many three rotation spots. While competition is ideal, having that many question marks is not.
Joba will be just fine in the bullpen
Posted by: | CommentsWhen word leaked that Joba Chamberlain would stay in the bullpen for the remainder of the season, we deemed it big enough news to get an instant post. Ben briefly discussed the decision yesterday evening, but left it as mostly a report. There’s a lot more to say about this move, and while regular RAB readers might think we’re against it, I’ll take a stand and say it’s the right move.
This isn’t the regular season. The Yankees cannot afford to hand Chamberlain the ball and hope for the best, as they did in September. During the regular season teams have a margin for error. The Yanks were able to use Joba every fifth day because there were four other starters to help cover up his bad starts. If the Yanks were facing another team’s fourth or fifth starter (or, really, any of their non-ace guys), they might have even been able to put up more runs than Joba allowed. This is not the case in the playoffs.
There is no covering up for mistakes in the playoffs. If Joba has a bad game, as he did for almost the entire months of August and September, it puts the Yankees one loss closer to elimination. That’s something no team can afford, even for one game in the playoffs. Given how Chamberlain pitched in August and September — 39 earned runs in 46.2 innings with a 36:26 K/BB ratio and a .913 OPS against — the Yanks are wise to seek alternatives in the ALCS.
The only place to turn is to Chad Gaudin, the team’s fifth starter down the stretch. In five September starts he pitched 26.2 innings, allowing 11 runs on 27 hits, walking 10 to 18 strikeouts. Those aren’t sterling numbers, but they’re far better than Joba’s. Gaudin shouldn’t be starting for a playoff team, but the Yankees find themselves in dire circumstances. Their fourth starter has proven ineffective, so the fifth starter must take over if he’s pitching better.
There is, of course, a chance Gaudin pitches poorly and puts the Yankees out of a game early. Given how he pitched compared to Joba, though, it would appear that the Yanks’ chances are better with Gaudin. There is also an issue of stamina — Gaudin pitched six or more innings only twice, and once was against the Royals. I would guess that when the Yankees say Gaudin will start in the ALCS, they mean that Gaudin will start and Aceves will act as his caddy, as he did for Joba in August and September. It’s not an ideal solution, but the Gaudin-Aceves combo, while wasting a roster spot, puts the Yankees in a better position.
On top of all that is the issue of Joba’s innings. Between college and the Hawaiian Winter League in 2006, Joba threw just under 130 innings. He is now three years removed from that total, and he pitched just under 160 innings this year. In addition, he has pitched just 370 innings as a professional. The Yankees worked Joba plenty in the regular season, and while he’d get only two starts, those are two starts in which he’d be well past his high water mark, and way, way beyond his 100 inning total from 2008.
The decision is not perfect. The Yankees surely don’t want to have Chad Gaudin pitch in the ALCS and World Series. (Though, again, if they pitch CC once on three days’ rest in the ALCS, they won’t need a fourth starter.) Given the alternatives, it is the only decision. Forget about how Joba can play a big role in multiple games out of the pen. The decision is based on performance, and Gaudin clearly outperformed Joba down the stretch.
As to Joba’s future, I wouldn’t read anything into this decision. Maybe Joba shines in the playoffs and the Yankees deem him a future closer — though I doubt they’d base a major decision on a small stretch of games. They have a long-term plan, and I assume they’ll stick to it. But when it comes to the playoffs, long-term thinking goes out the window. The Yanks want to win this now, and given how they’ve pitched, going with Gaudin (or, really, Gaudin and Aceves) is the right call.
One inning, under the microscope
Posted by: | CommentsI missed most of Sunday’s season finale against the Rays. I was perusing the Atlantic Antic today in Brooklyn while keeping track of the game via MLB.com’s mobile site. I arrived back home just in time for the all-important seventh inning when Joba Chamberlain made his 2009 relief debut.
Earlier in the day, I had read all about the Yanks’ plans for Joba. As they can do with a series in which they need to use only three starters, the Yankees plan on loading up their bullpen with guys who can get outs. To that end, Chamberlain will more likely than not be available for relief work during the ALDS before potentially moving back to the rotation for Game 4 of the ALCS.
Initially, I was skeptical of this move (and still am) due to the fact that Joba has been rather abysmal in his first inning of work this year. In 31 first innings, he has allowed 37 hits, 12 walks and 21 runs. Opponents are hitting .301/.360/.504 against him in 136 first inning plate appearances. Considering that a reliever generally pitches only one inning, those early-game struggles do not bode well for Joba Chamberlain out of the pen.
Apparently, though, everyone else was pretty excited about Joba’s return to the pen. Bryan Hoch called it a revision to the 2009 Joba Rules. Mark Feinsand noted that Joba would return to his “old role,” never mind that Joba had always been a starter until necessity knocked in 2007.
During the game, Joba blew everyone away!! Or so the story goes. Unfortunately, pitch f/x caught just four of Joba’s seven pitches, but he was sitting where he has been all season. His fastball topped out at 95 and his slider had some bite. It was Joba the starter on his good days but just transported to the bullpen. Not to take away from a crisp inning, but Joba was certainly helped out by the fact that he faced three guys hitting a combined .244 with a .395 slugging. Michael Cuddyer, Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel this was not.
After the game, the media went gaga over Joba. Feinsand called him “a man on fire” and noted his seemingly increased fastball velocity based on the Tampa gun. Sam Borden, somewhat skeptically, called him the “old” Joba. Tyler Kepner, a somewhat recent convert from the B-Jobber position, noted how comfortable Joba looked. Kepner noted the 95-mph fastball too, but again, that was nothing we hadn’t seen from Joba this year. When he’s regularly hitting 98/99/100 out of the pen, we can chat.
Echoing David Cone’s in-game comments, even the Yanks’ skipper noted Joba the reliever. “He looked a little different,” Joe Girardi said after the game. “Starting is different than relieving; one inning is different than asking a guy to go seven or eight. You don’t necessarily need to use all your pitches, so you can pitch a little different.”
The truth is that Joba threw exactly one inning of seven pitches against three weak hitters in a low-stress situation. He showed that he can warm up to come out of the bullpen, and he showed how good he can be when he’s throwing well against bad hitters he should dominate. As Phil Hughes has shown this year, Joba illustrated the simple baseball truth that good starters make excellent relievers.
I’m sure over the course of the next few weeks, Joba will be called upon to get some key outs as a reliever, and he’ll rise to the task. We’ll have the same old bullpen/starting pitcher debate all over again. There is, though, but one simple truth. To paraphrase a famous New York City radio personality, Joba Chamberlain is a starting pitcher.
‘One pitch’ lands Mo on the cover of SI
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As part of a Tom Verducci package on Mariano Rivera and his Cutter of Doom, Number 42 finds himself atop Sports Illustrated this week. Here’s what the press release from the sports weekly had to say:
This week’s October 5, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, features Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera with the billing One Man, One Pitch: The One and Only Mariano Rivera. As the gates swing open upon another MLB postseason, baseball will once again attempt to divine one of the game’s great mysteries: how a man, closing fast on 40 and armed with but a single pitch, continues to dominate in the clutch like no other player, 13 years and counting.
SI senior baseball writer Tom Verducci reveals that Rivera’s cutter—the defining pitch of his generation—was the result of a happy accident: “God touched Mariano Rivera one June afternoon in 1997, and Rivera shrugged. Just three months into his new role as the closer for a budding Yankees dynasty, Rivera was suddenly unable to throw his signature four-seam fastball straight, not even during his daily toss with pitcher Ramiro Mendoza. Every catch a struggle, Mendoza told Rivera to knock it off, to quit making the ball dip and dart. Rivera assured his friend that he wasn’t doing it intentionally. He was gripping the ball the same way he always had, releasing it the same way he always had. The wicked movement just … happened…. Rivera didn’t have an explanation, and though he says he ‘didn’t have any idea where the ball was going,’ his results did not suffer. He got the save in that game, then in the next three. Still, for a month, he worked with [bullpen catcher Mike] Borzello and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre to eliminate the cutting action. ‘We were trying to make the pitch stay straighter, [as it had] in ’95 and ’96,’ Rivera says, referring to his first two seasons in the big leagues, ‘but it didn’t work. Then I said, ‘I’m tired of working at this. Let’s let it happen.’ And since that day we didn’t try to straighten it out anymore.’ He smiles. ‘And the rest is history.’ ”
Rivera has become the best closer with the demeanor of a benevolent king; baseball royalty without the arrogance. As a result, he has engendered as much respect from opponents as he has from teammates. Says David Ortiz of the rival Red Sox: “I have respect for Mariano like I have for my father. Why? He’s just different. If you talk to him at an All-Star Game, it’s like talking to somebody who just got called up. To him, everybody else is good. I don’t get it. To him everybody else is the best. It’s unbelievable. And he is the greatest. You know what? Sometimes in those times when he struggles, like when I watch him on TV, I feel bad for him. I seriously do. Good people, you want to do well.”
Those are some might big words of praise from David Ortiz.
Another good start by A.J. further alleviates concern
Posted by: | CommentsAfter Andy Pettitte finished the sixth inning on Monday, there was a sense of relief. He was going on nine days’ rest in an attempt to rest his fatigued shoulder, something that concerned anyone with a stake in the Yankees’ chances. Andy passed his test, and will have two more tune-up starts before the playoffs. Next up on the checklist: A.J. Burnett. After a few rough starts in the past two months he’s looked good in his last couple of starts, helping ease concern.
As with Pettitte’s start, A.J.’s latest start wasn’t his best. He didn’t make it out of the sixth, allowing 10 baserunners along the way. But he worked out of trouble most of the time, using a sharp curveball to keep the Angels hitters off-balance. Burnett ended the day with 11 strikeouts, a sign that he had his best stuff. He also threw about 65 percent strikes, a good sign for his control, though the three walks don’t help that case. Of the Angels’ seven hits, only two were for extra bases.
We’ve seen Burnett at his best this season. He’s had stretches — well, one notable stretch — of absolute dominance. Unfortunately, he’s also had skids where it seems a team of David Ecksteins can rock him. He had a few of the latter at the end of August and into September, but over his past two starts A.J. has been much better. Jose Molina thinks it’s his last four starts, noting that one bad pitch, the grand slam to Brian Roberts, tainted Burnett’s start against the Orioles. In any case, his recent outings help the Yankees brass sleep a bit easier over the season’s final week and a half.
This doesn’t completely erase the concern. If we’ve learned anything from Burnett this season, anything can happen in any given start. Bad A.J. might show up and give up seven runs over four innings. Good A.J. might show up and dominate through seven. Or we might get that happy medium, the six-inning, three-run A.J. that walks a few too many guys but limits the damage. What alleviates the concern is that A.J. isn’t going into the postseason riding a losing streak.
It’s hard to believe, but Burnett has just one more start in the 2009 season, the middle game of the Kansas City series. The Yanks might juggle, starting Burnett on the season’s final day so he doesn’t have a huge gap between his final one and his first playoff start. If A.J. looks anything like he did yesterday or last Friday, it will go a long way in boosting confidence in the team heading to the playoffs.
Next up on the checklist: Joba Chamberlain. The team’s fourth starter draws the Red Sox on Friday and then the Royals on the 30th before packing it in for the regular season. How he looks in those two starts could determine whether the Yankees take the long or the short ALDS, though it seems they’re preparing for the long series. Joba would not pitch until the ALCS, meaning he’d pitch a maximum two games in the playoffs. That eases concern right off the bat, no?
A reshuffled rotation to give CC rest
Posted by: | CommentsCC Sabathia is, in the old baseball sense of the word, a horse. With two starts remaining, he has thrown 220 innings for the Yanks after throwing 253 last year and 241 the year before. Tack on the postseason, and his innings total climbs by another 19 frames.
Somewhat unfairly and somewhat not, Sabathia carries around with him a reputation for postseason struggles. While he beat the Yanks in the ALDS in 2007, he wasn’t effective, giving up three earned runs on four hits and six walks in just five innings. Chien-Ming Wang was worse, and the Indians grabbed the Game 1 win. His ALCS starts against the Red Sox were worse. Last year, Sabathia’s numbers were ugly against the Phillies. He managed just 3.2 innings in his Game 2 start, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks. Those results are not good.
Last year, though, Sabathia was pitching under some tough circumstances. Beginning with his start on September 16, Sabathia pitched with three days’ rest for five consecutive starts. During the four regular season starts, he went 2-2 but with a 1.88 ERA anda 26:4 K:BB ratio in 28.2 innings. In his last two starts for the Brewers — do or die games for Milwaukee’s playoff hopes — he gave up one earned run over 16 innings while fanning 18 and issuing just three free passes. Those games carried with them the pressures of the playoffs, and after 16 days of it, Sabathia was hosed.
Because the Yankees have wrapped up a playoff spot, because they have a six-game lead with nine games left to play, the Yankees won’t need to lean on the rubber arm of CC Sabathia. In fact, they can do something the Brewers could not do: They will rest CC.
After their nail-biter against the Angels yesterday afternoon, the Yankees announced the pitching match-ups for the series against the Red Sox, and the team did some shuffling. Joba Chamberlain will face Jon Lester in the Friday evening affair; CC Sabathia will square off against Daisuke Matsuzaka on Saturday afternoon; and Andy Pettitte will meet Paul Byrd in the Sunday afternoon match-up. While Joba will be going on their normal rest, CC and Andy will get a sixth day.
“It’s just giving CC a little extra rest and trying to give him a couple of extra days here. He’ll get an extra day the next time and then he’ll be on regular rest,” Joe Girardi said to reporters on Wednesday.
So while ten days ago, I set up the playoff rotation, let’s reset it.
| Date | Game | Pitcher |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 25 | vs. Bos | Chamberlain |
| Sept. 26 | vs. Bos | Sabathia |
| Sept. 27 | vs. Bos | Pettitte |
| Sept. 28 | vs. KC | Gaudin |
| Sept. 29 | vs. KC | Burnett |
| Sept. 30 | vs. KC | Chamberlain |
| Oct. 1 | Off Day | |
| Oct. 2 | vs. TB | Sabathia |
| Oct. 3 | vs. TB | Pettitte |
| Oct. 4 | vs. TB | Gaudin/Burnett |
| Oct. 5 | Off Day | |
| Oct. 6 | Off Day | |
| Oct. 7 | ALDS (A) 1 | Sabathia |
| Oct. 8 | ALDS (B) 1 | Sabathia |
| Oct. 9 | LDS 2 | Pettitte/Burnett |
| Oct. 10 | Off Day | |
| Oct. 11 | ALDS 3 | Burnett/Pettitte |
Except for the final game of the season, we can see how the rotation shakes down. Not only are the Yankees giving CC an extra day off this week, but due to next Thursday’s off-day, he’ll enjoy another extra day of rest next week. As an added bonus, if the Yankees pick the short playoff series, he’ll get yet another extra day off. If they pick the longer series — the one that requires just three starters — the Big Man will be lined up on normal rest to pitch Game 1 in the Bronx against Detroit or Minnesota.
The only real remaining question mark of the season concerns A.J. Burnett. With the power pitching throwing well of late, the Yanks will probably line him up for a Game 2 start. He is, however, schedule to make just one start this year and could be pitching in the playoffs after a 10- or 12-day layoff. That idea scares me.
To that end, the Yankees could opt for Burnett to make an abbreviated start on the final day of the season with any number of relievers ready to step in after three or four innings. While Gaudin is the projected starter for that day, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Burnett draw the ball to give him on a regular schedule.
So that’s that. It is hard to believe the Yanks have just nine days left. It is comforting though to see the rotation shake down so nicely.
Cashman: ‘No assumptions’ Joba will pitch in Oct.
Posted by: | CommentsAnyone watching the Yankees knows that Joba Chamberlain’s last seven weeks have been tumultuous to say the least. Since starting the second half 3-0, Joba has gone 1-4 with an 8.25 ERA over his last nine starts. Limited to just 36 innings, Joba has allowed 50 hits and 21 walks while striking out just 27. Opponents are hitting .327/.409/.523, and whether we blame the Joba Rules, the extreme media attention to him, fatigue or the Moon’s current position in retrograde, everyone agrees that Joba Chamberlain has stunk up the joint lately.
While on Sunday, Joe Girardi half-heartedly committed himself to Joba in October, the Yanks’ GM was singing a different tune to Pete Caldera today. In an interview with The Record scribe, Cashman explained how Joba will have to earn a postseason roster spot. “He needs to declare himself. He’s no different than anyone else,” Cashman said. “Everybody loves his tenacity. But we’re going to take the best 10 guys. There’s no assumptions there.”
This is, of course, a warning and a threat from Brian Cashman. It’s probably an effort to light a fire under Joba, and we all know Joba could use something to spur him on. It is also an indication to watch closely tonight. In Anaheim, Chad Gaudin will take the ball and face the AL West-leading Angels. While we toss around the phrase “playoff preview” as a joke, Gaudin’s start tonight is a playoff preview. If he can hold down the Angels, he will, for better or worse, begin to inch ahead of Joba on the Yanks’ October depth charts.
So with Joba’s job in jeopardy, the Yankees will have to fill in a postseason roster somehow. Brian Cashman’s comment — “we’re going to take the best 10 guys” — gives us a starting point for a talk. The mortal locks include CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, some guy named Mariano, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke and Alfredo Aceves. That leaves us with three spots for Joba Chamberlain, Chad Gaudin, Damaso Marte, David Robertson, Jonathan Albaladejo, Edwar Ramirez, Sergio Mitre and Mark Melancon.
We can, after last night, dispatch with Brian Bruney. His ERA as a reliever isn’t horrible, but since Aug. 1, he has allowed 29 base runners in 16 innings. Over that stretch, he is sporting an ugly 3:4 K:BB ratio. He claimed his mechanics were fine, but the results aren’t there. Sergio Mitre, Jonathan Albaladejo and Edwar Ramirez belong in the same boat. None has have much to offer.
Melancon is an intriguing candidate because he is a highly-touted prospect, but he hasn’t sported very good control at the Major League level. He is striking out and walking 5.5 men per 9 IP and has a propensity toward hitting batters. The Yankees will, however, probably take Damaso Marte just to deploy him against lefties. His numbers are bad, but the stuff has always been tantalizing. Having two lefties in the pen would do wonders for the Yanks.
In the end, then, the Joba decision will come down to two factors. There is first the David Roberston factor. If the Yanks’ unheralded middle relief specialist can come back strong this weekend, he will join the mortal locks. After watching Bruney and Albaladejo cough up the game last night, Robertson can’t come back fast enough.
If Robertson is healthy, then, the debate will be Gaudin vs. Joba. And there we are, back to tonight’s game. Chad Gaudin and Joba Chamberlain, whether they realize or not, are auditioning for the same playoff spot. With 11 games left, this battle is the season within the season. While the last man standing so to speak won’t be that determinative of the Yanks’ October chances, we will get to see just how much faith the Yanks have in Joba Chamberlain right now.
