Over the last year, we’ve often talked about Jorge Posada and A.J. Burnett as though they were the Yankees’ version of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Yesterday in Tampa, though, the two silenced the battery doubters as Burnett escaped a shaky first inning to shut down the Rays, and Jorge Posada’s two-run home run gave the Yanks a lead they would never surrender. When the dust settled, the Yanks walked away with a 7-3 victory over Tampa, their second straight series win to open the season and a nifty 4-2 road trip to begin their World Championship defense.
Good A.J. arrives
One day after CC Sabathia flirted with a no-hitter, Jason Bartlett made sure that the Yanks and A.J. Burnett wouldn’t worry about baseball history and pitch counts. He singled to start the game, stole second and then scored on a Carl Crawford hit. The Rays were set up, and Burnett’s pitches seemed flat. Shades of Bad A.J. started to creep into the game.
But then, Ben Zobrist game the Yankees a gift. With the Rays’ win probability pushing 70 percent after a Crawford stolen base, one of the game’s better and more versatile hitters, laid down a sacrifice bunt. Burnett fielded the ball and fired to Mark Teixeira for the first out of the inning. Although a second run would score on a Carlos Peña ground-out, Zobrist’s decision to bunt cost the Rays a chance at that crooked number, and it gave Burnett a badly-needed out.
After that first inning, he and Jorge went to work. Although the strike-out pitch wasn’t working, Burnett kept the Rays off base and off balance. Overall, he went seven innings for his first W of the season and allowed just six hits and two earned runs. He walked three and strike out only one but stayed effectively wild. For a start, at least, Burnett and Posada were able to overcome their philosophical life differences and work together for a Yankee win.
Biggest Hit: Jorge Posada’s Home Run
As the sixth inning rolled around, the Yanks found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 game. James Shields had pitched well to that point, but as they do so well, the Yanks had worn him down. After an A-Rod fly ball and a Robinson Cano double, Shields was at 103 pitches, and Joe Maddon went to his bullpen. Strangely enough, with Jorge Posada up, Maddon went to Randy Choate, a lefty, and Posada was able to bat from his strong side.
Posada didn’t disappoint. He took a 1-1, 86-mph fastball over the fence in left-center field, and the Yanks had their 3-2 lead. After the A-Rod out to start the inning, the Rays’ win probability was at 69.1 percent. When Jorge’s blast settled into the seats, Tampa’s win expectancy was down to 37.3 percent. The home run was good for .254 WPA points, and the Yanks never looked back. Curtis Granderson scored on a wild pitch a few batters later, and the Yanks’ bats went to work.
Almost the Biggest Non-Out
With the Yanks clinging to a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Rays, aided by their stadium, mounted a threat, and it appeared as though A.J. Burnett would give back the lead the Yanks had just secured. After two quick outs in the inning, Zobrist singled, and Evan Longoria hit a towering pop up that seemed to go foul. As the Yanks settled under the ball, it struck a speaker high up in the catwalk in the Trop and landed in fair territory. No one knew what to do.
The umpires conferred and made the wrong call. As both the Yanks’ and Rays’ TV announcers eventually explained, the ball struck a speaker in foul territory and should have been ruled a foul ball. Either the umpires didn’t know the rules or didn’t see the play. All of a sudden, Tampa had the tying run on first, and their big bats up.
Meanwhile, Burnett on the mound had to throw more pitchers to dangerous hitters. He avoided home plate against Carlos Peña as though it were infected and had to stare down B.J. Upton with two outs and the bases loaded. Upton swung at the first pitch and lifted a lazy pop-up to Mark Teixeira. Threat over. Tampa’s hopes over.
Things That Made Me Smile
This week made me smile. This is my first chance to tackle the game story this season, and I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen from the Yanks so far. They score runs in bunches and have a solid lineup from top to bottom. The outfield, in particular, has been a source of production. Curtis Granderson has played stellar center field defense. Today, he started a good old 8-3 double play, stole a base and scored on a wild pitch. He’s hitting .348/.423/.652 and will get a huge ovation on Tuesday afternoon.
And then we have Nick Swisher. After three bad at-bats, he felt his lumber was too light and switched to a heavy bat to slow down his swing. The result? A home run. He’s off to a great start with a triple-slash line of .333/.450/.571 and gives the Yanks great depth at the bottom of the order.
WPA Graph
Up Next
The Yanks have a day off tonight as they head back to the Bronx. Instead, they’ll host the annual Welcome Home dinner and gear up for a 1:05 Tuesday afternoon special against their ALCS opponent Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team will get its World Series rings during the home opener, and Hideki Matsui will make his triumphant return to the Bronx.
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