Triple-A Scranton (1-0 win over Rochester)
Brett Gardner & Nick Green: both 1 for 3 – Gardner K’ed once & was caught stealing
Bernie Castro: 2 for 4, 1 K
Greg Porter: 1 for 4, 1 2B
rest of lineup: combined 0 for 13, 1 R, 1 RBI, 5 K, 4 K – Cody Ransom drove in Chris Stewart with a bases loaded walk for the game’s only run
Dan Giese: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 8-3 GB/FB – remember when Cash said Alan Horne would only miss one start? funny how that works, huh?
Heath Phillips, Scott Strickland & Jose Veras combined 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K – each guy K’ed two apiece
Game 19: Please, let’s not lose to the O’s again
Last night was one of those where I had to say “eff this” in the sixth and turn it off. There were plenty of better things I could have been doing (and did) than watch the Yanks get trounced by the Orioles.
I’m not sure why but I can’t stand losing to the Orioles. It irks me more to lose to the O’s than any other team other than the Sawks. I’m bothered even more by seeing them above the Yanks in the standings, even if it’s April, and even keeping in mind 2005.
A few notes from PeteAbe: Joba is en rote to Camden Yards. Not sure if he’ll pitch tonight unless absolutely necessary. PA also notes that Posada could be ready to catch tomorrow or Tuesday. That means there’s no chance he catches tomorrow, since there’s an off-day (!!) on Monday.
Yanks lineup:
1. Johnny Damon, LF
2. Melky Cabrera, CF
3. Derek Jeter, SS
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B DH
5. Jorge Posada, 1B
6. Hideki Matsui, RF
7. Morgan Ensberg, 1B 3B
8. Robinson Cano, 2B — there’s a case to be made for starting the AG here
9. Chad Moeller, C Jose Molina, C
And on the mound, number thirty-one, Ian Patrick Kennedy
Update by Mike: Mass confusion about the lineup, it’s fixed now.
Joba’s back
Title says it all. Oh happy day.
Posada still out; Molina nears return
The Yankee catching situation, in which their backup backup catcher has now started five games this season, may clear up soon. While Pete Kerzel at MLB.com reports that Jorge Posada is still out indefinitely from behind the plate, Ed Price tells us that Jose Molina could return as early as tonight. At this point, it’s clear that the Yanks are begin less than forthcoming with news on Posada’s shoulder.
Looks like a suspension for Farnsworth
Defend your teammates, get suspended. That’s the message MLB is apparently sending to its players. Mark Feinsand is hearing a rumor that Kyle Farnsworth will be suspended for throwing at Manny Ramirez on Thursday night. It should be of the three-game type, though an appeal is almost certain. To me, this is beyond ridiculous.
Say what you will about the location of the pitch. It was behind him, but I saw it as being more towards the shoulders than the neck/head. Plus — and I don’t know why I haven’t read this elsewhere — Kyle Farnsworth has no control of his pitches! Have we not learned this over the first two years of his contract? It stands to reason that Farnsworth could have been aiming for the middle of the back, where they hit A-Rod, and just missed by a bit.
All this does is allow aggressions from one team to go unrequited. So if you want to hit someone, you’d better make sure none of your guys were hit recently. Because that’s retaliation, and you’re on the hook for a suspension. Hit the guy first, though, and you’re in the clear.
Does this make sense to anyone?
Wah, wah, wah
Guess who isn’t happy with Kyle Farnsworth? Don’t hurt yourself typing too much there, buddy. You might re-aggravate your shoulder injury.
Let’s go back to booing LaTroy now
So that was hardly ideal tonight, huh? Phil Hughes flashes his stuff for five innings and then becomes undone by an A-Rod error and some shoddy relief pitching. Meanwhile, the Yanks’ bats can’t hit a lick off Orioles pitching.
As far as Hughes’ outing goes, I don’t have much to say. Except for the second inning when he couldn’t find his out-pitch, Hughes kept his pitch count manageable and was getting ahead of hitters. He was throwing his fastball and breaking pitches for strikes, and the Orioles, until the sixth, couldn’t put much of anything together off of him. The third time through the lineup however was decidedly not the charm.
While some commenters in the game thread suggested sending Hughes down to AAA to work out whatever mechanical problems the bunch of pitching coaches on RAB seem to have spotted, I’m firmly in the camp that he has to stay in the Majors. I’m ready to write off Moose after four starts because I know what Mussina brings to the table now that he’s 39 and pitching in the twilight of his career. I’m not ready to write off a 21-year-old with good stuff who’s learning how to get Major League hitters out. Beyond the hit to his confidence, the Yankees wouldn’t be doing themselves any favors by replacing Hughes right now.
Beyond Hughes, LaTroy Hawkins continued to pitch maddeningly inconsistent baseball. If you all want to boo him for that, go right ahead. Had he come in to be the stopper — something that his stuff suggests he isn’t — the Yanks and Hughes emerge in a close game, and maybe the offense wakes up from its slumber.
In that situation with two runners in scoring position and the Yanks in need of an out, Joe Girardi should really turn to a strike out guy. That’s a prime spot for Brian Bruney to blow a few 96-mph fastballs past the next few hitters. Hawkins wasn’t the right man for the job, and the results just backed up my feeling at the time.
Finally, Mr. Giambi’s days should be numbered at first base. He can’t field; he isn’t hitting; and when the ten days are up and the catchers are healthy, Shelley Duncan should get that job until he’s hitting worse than Giambi’s .116/.291/.302. There’s little downside and a lot to be gained from that potential move.
Saturday’s another game. We’ll get ’em next time.
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