River Avenue Blues

Game 152: Please beat the Angels

by

We all want to see the Yankees win every game. We know it’s impossible, but wins are just so nice that we tend to get greedy. Tonight, I don’t think it’s a matter of greed. It’s a matter of winning a game to relieve the fanbase of some anxiety. Andy Pettitte helped with his performance last night, and the next step is to pick up a W against the Angels in Anaheim.

The Yanks will go at it with Chad Gaudin, their recently named fifth starter. The Yanks acquired him in early August for $100,000 and the pro-rated league minimum salary. What a steal he’s been. It hasn’t been perfect — and no one would expect that from Gaudin, who at 26 years old is already something of a journeyman.

In four starts so far with the Yankees Gaudin has thrown 19.2 innings, allowing seven runs and striking out 15 to 11 walks. That’s a rough ratio, but nearly half those walks came in his first start for the Yanks, against Oakland. He might have a rough go tonight: he’s typically hell on righties, but the Angels have a ton of switch hitters. Gaudin could face a lot of guys hitting lefty.

The Angels will send out Ervin Santana. After what seemed like a breakout year in 2008, in which he had a 4.55 K/BB ratio and a 3.49 ERA in 219 innings, Santana has regressed in 2009. He missed all of April with an elbow injury, and pitched horribly when he came back. It wasn’t long before he complained of forearm tightness, eventually hitting the DL with “inflammation in his triceps area.” Yet even since his return from that he’s been a disappointment, striking out just 74 and walking 31 in 91.1 innings. His ERA in that span is 4.73, a bit down from his season ERA of 5.43.

Once again, Girardi is not messing around, hauling out a version of the A-lineup.

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Nick Swisher, RF
9. Brett Gardner, CF

And on the mound, number forty-one, Chad Gaudin.

David Robertson Injury Update: D-Rob took 20 pitches from a mound in the bullpen prior to the game. According to numerous reports from Anaheim, the right-hander is feeling great and will toss another pen session on Thursday. He should be activated in time to face Boston over the weekend.

Open Thread: Ground Rules Reminder

by 247 Comments

We have to do this every so often, so with the team in a bit of a funk and the playoffs coming around, now is as good a time as any. Below are our Commenting Guidelines, the 11 simple things we ask in return for providing you this wonderful (and free!) site. You can access them at any time via the nav bar above, just under the street sign.

  1. River Ave. Blues has never required registration for commenters, and we plan to keep things that way. We ask — but do not require — that you provide a real e-mail address in the e-mail field. We will not share or redistribute your e-mail address, and all e-mail addresses are safe from the prying eyes of spammers.
  2. For the most part, everyone reading and commenting on RAB is a Yankee fan. Those who are not Yankee fans choose to enter the fray anyway. When arguing and opining about the Yankees, remember that we are all fans of the same team. To that end, personal attacks and insults will not be tolerated. Any comments that we deem libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing or threatening will not be tolerated, and we may ban repeat offenders from contributing to the site. The same is true for fans of other teams who are here to insult Yankee fans. Constructive conversation, however, will not be stifled.
  3. Do not post links to or make mention of any unauthorized retransmissions of Major League Baseball game telecasts. These comments will be removed.
  4. While we try to limit profanity on site, we have not censored comments for profanity. We ask that you be judicious in your use of profanity and keep in mind that fans from all walks of life read and contribute to River Ave. Blues.
  5. Keep comments on topic. Every day during the regular season, we will host a Game Thread. In that thread, feel free to discuss the Yanks, the news of the day, what’s happening in the game, etc. For the rest of the posts, do your best to keep comments related to the topic at hand. News tips should be e-mailed to one of the writers. Contact information is available in the sidebar the right.
  6. If your comment does not appear or you receive a message saying it is awaiting moderation, e-mail us or simply wait. Those comments marked for moderation usually fail one of our spam tests, and we’ll approve them as soon as possible.
  7. Any comment written out in all capital letters will be deleted. That’s just unnecessary.
  8. We understand that many commenters may have blogs of their own. To that end, there is a field in the comments section where you can add the URL to your site. In the comments, your name then appears as a hyperlink. Please do not redundantly place a link below your comment as a “signature.”
  9. Don’t tell us that you were “first” to post in a thread. We don’t care. This is a one-strike offense. You do this; you get banned.
  10. Do not post the same comment in multiple threads. If you post something just before a game thread is closed, feel free to repeat it in the spillover thread, but do not abuse the privilege. Any repeat comments will be deleted, and if you continue to repost comments you’ll be banned.
  11. Do not post false breaking news. This is a zero tolerance item. You will be banned immediately if you are caught making up information. Breaking news should be emailed to one or all of use so we can start a thread with a new post.

Numbers 2 & 10 are worth repeating: absolutely no personal attacks are allowed, and we will not tolerate the same comment appearing over and over again in different threads, especially if it’s off topic. If you’re concerned that the Yanks will blow the division, fine, but you don’t need to tell everyone over and over and over again. On any given day we have 8-10 new posts up, so we’ll get to what’s on your mind at some point. You can always contact us via the “Submit A Tip” box on the right as well.

Thank you for your cooperation.

* * *

Here’s your open thread for the night. The Mets and Braves are playing, and my guide says the MLB Network is carrying a game at 7pm, but the teams are TBA. Talk about whatever you want while waiting for the Yanks game, just be cool. And follow the damn guidelines!

Link Dump: Sotomayor, Fresh Prince, AAA, fastballs

by 27 Comments

Just some reading material for between now and the game.

Justice Sotomayor to throw out first pitch Saturday

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, recently sworn in as the 111th Supreme Court Justice, will throw out the first pitch on Saturday when the Yankees face the Red Sox. Raised in the Bronx, Sotomayor is famous in baseball circles because “she issued an order that helped end the Major League Baseball strike of 1994-95.” Want to impress us, Justice? Throw a strike from the mound.

Chad Gaudin like Will Smith?

When I saw the juxtaposition of Chad Gaudin in Will Smith in the headline of Marc Carig’s article, I didn’t know what to expect. He makes it clear early on: Gaudin was having trouble in San Diego, so the Padres sent him to live with his auntie and uncle in New York. It’s a great look at Gaudin, who has impressed the Yankees enough during his tenure to earn a rotation spot.

AAA outfielders, 2009 and 2010

Chad Jennings lines up reviews of the six primary outfielders for Scranton Wilkes-Barre this season (plus one who got two at bats). He then takes a look at the names for next year. There doesn’t appear to be much turnover, but there are some variables there. Most notably, Shelley Duncan, who could be a minor league free agent if removed from the 40-man roster, and Colin Curtis, Rule 5 eligible, could head elsewhere.

Who has the best fastball?

In an awesome bit on The Baseball Analysts, Chris Moore look at the top 20 fastballs from 2007 and August 2009, rated by control, velocity, and movement. Only one Yankee appears on the list (guess who), and Roy Halladay appears twice in the top 7. Yeah, that guy’s just a little good. The guy who ranks No. 1 is pretty good too, I hear.

Cashman: ‘No assumptions’ Joba will pitch in Oct.

by 116 Comments

Anyone 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.

Despite blip, Yanks have matters well at hand

by 75 Comments

Are the Yankees on their way to a September collapse? Depending on who delivers your information, that might be the case. The Yankees are 4-6 in their last 10, and the Red Sox are 8-2. That’s allowed the latter to gain a few games, four since the end of play on September 9. The Yanks had a nine game lead at that point, and it division seemed wrapped up. Now with a five game lead, it might not seem as much of a lock.

This reeks of specious logic. From September 10 through September 21, the Red Sox gained four games. That’s 12 days. For the Red Sox to take the division, they’d have to play just as well and the Yankees would have to play just as poorly as they both are right now. While that’s a possibility, it’s far from probable. The Yankees have the best record in baseball. They even have a winning record in September — a convincingly winning one at that. Are we really to expect a full collapse?

The reason many people thought the Yankees had the division wrapped up on September 9 was because of the massive lead. Even if things didn’t go quite a well from there on out, they still had a huge margin of error. Some of that margin has slipped over the past few weeks, but there’s been another change: there are fewer games left in the season. So while the Red Sox have crept closer, the Yankees are actually closer to a division win: their magic number has gone from 14 on the ninth to eight today.

As the Yanks work through a small slump, the pundits are active. I’ve seen more than one comparison to the 2000 team lately, one which played particularly poorly in September. They entered the month with a 74-56 record, first in the AL East by five games, and went a paltry 13-18 over the season’s final 31 games. The Red Sox tried to play catch-up, but finished 85-77, 2.5 games back, after a 16-16 month. The difference, of course, is that Boston is playing quite a bit better this season than they were in 2000. So should the Yanks be scared?

Hardly. Even with the Yankees losing six of their last 10, they’re still 12-8 this month, and still have a five game edge on the Red Sox. The latter has gained some ground, and while four games is a significant margin in such a small time, it’s difficult to expect them to continue this pace. The Yankees have proven that they’re a good team, and we can expect them to shake this slump soon enough. With 11 games left and 13 for the Sox, the Yankees just need a combination of eight wins or Sox losses to wrap this up. It seems almost a certainty.

In fact, the Yankees might be slumping at just the right time. The last time they lost six of their last 10 was from June 12 through the 23 (or 13 through 24, but whatever), when they lost a few games to the Mets, Nationals, Marlins, and Braves. What did they do after that 4-6 stretch? They ripped off seven straight wins and 13 of their next 15.

These Yankees don’t slump for long. They’ve shown that they can win games, and it would seem a bit rash to think that a small slump, coming off a stretch where they were playing better than .750 ball in the second half, will alter that. Nothing is guaranteed in baseball — as our magic number says, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. But the Yankees have things pretty well in hand right now. It would take an uncharacteristic collapse for them to lose the division. I’m not sure why anyone would expect that.

Whither Al Aceves?

by 69 Comments

Down just two runs with six outs left at their disposal, the Yankees were certainly in an unfavorable position last night, but one we’ve seen them overcome plenty of times this season. Instead of holding the Halos down and keeping the deficit at two runs, the only-when-losing relief corps of Brian Bruney and Jon Albaladejo allowed the Angels to tack on some insurance runs, essentially putting the game out of reach.

As I said to Ben during the game, where was Al Aceves? As you know, he’s been used as Joba Chamberlain’s personal caddy this month, backing him up when his starts were cut short due to his innings limit. However, Joba started just yesterday, and even if they need someone to soak up innings behind Chad Gaudin tonight, they have Josh Towers, Ian Kennedy, Mark Melancon, Edwar Ramirez, and about a million other guys sitting out in the bullpen. Aceves was well rested, having not pitched in seven days. It just didn’t add up, it was still a winnable game with his team in a funk, but Joe Girardi didn’t put his best foot forward.

Ace is going to be a key cog in the Yankees postseason bullpen; he’s essentially going to be asked to bridge any gap between the starter and Phil Hughes, whether it be one out, one inning, or three innings. The problem is that Aceves hasn’t been used as a reliever much of late, in fact you can say he’s essentially been working on the Joba Rules. He’s made just six appearances in the last month, tossing 13.2 IP with a 3.29 ERA (3.02 FIP) and a .557 OPS against, and he hasn’t thrown in back-to-back days since July 20th & 21st. Only twice in the team’s last 42 games has Aceves come out of the bullpen in the middle of an inning. Ace has been extremely effective when used, although his appearances aren’t come as frequently as they once did.

Now don’t get me wrong, Aceves is a big boy who’s been around and has done the job all year, so surely he knows what he needs to do to keep himself prepared, but there’s a rust factor. How will he take to pitching in back-to-back days after not doing it for two months? What about warming up twice in a game? It’s almost like they need to work him a little like a guy on a minor league rehab assignment, getting him ready to be used whenever and wherever. I just can’t see how you could expect him to go from working two or three innings every five days for over a month to all of a sudden going back to being the uber-middle reliever he once was.

Maybe I’m just crazy and this is a non-issue. What do you think?

Pettitte eases concern over pitching staff

by 93 Comments

The Yankees are not perfect. Despite having the best record in baseball, and despite coming off a stretch of nearly two months in which they played .750 ball, there are concerns with this team heading into the playoffs. Like most of their post-2003 counterparts, these are concerns with pitching. Even with a much-improved rotation the Yankees have issues after their No. 1 man, CC Sabathia. Thankfully, Andy Pettitte helped alleviate some of those concerns last night.

Pettitte was an integral part of the team’s August surge. He pitched 39.2 innings that month, striking out 39 to 12 walks and allowing only 13 runs, 11 earned. The Yankees went 6-0 in his starts. But in September the waters got a bit rougher. Pettitte allowed four runs over six innings, and then three runs over five innings. That last start came on Friday the 11th, and on Tuesday the 15th, just before his next scheduled start, we learned that the Yankees were pushing back his next start due to shoulder fatigue.

The news couldn’t have come at a worse time. A.J. Burnett was riding a string of poor starts, the only saving grace coming in the back half of a doubleheader against the Rays. In the two starts surrounding that he’d allowed 12 runs over 12.1 innings. Concerns abounded for Joba Chamberlain as well. After storming out of the gates in the second half, Joba was looking the worst of his career. Pettitte’s injury meant there were question marks with each of the team’s starters after Sabathia. That’s not a position a playoff team wants to be in.

By pitching well last night, Pettitte started to alleviate those concerns. He had trouble in the first inning, throwing 29 pitches and allowing two runs, but he settled down and worked quickly through the next three frames. Four of his six innings were of the 1-2-3 variety, though he did allow runs in the other two. The Yanks weren’t pushing too hard, as they lifted Pettitte after six innings and 91 pitches. He had shown them that he was healthy.

After the game, Pettitte said he felt good:

“Physically, everything was good,” the lefty said after pitching six solid innings. “Joe (Girardi) pulled me, he didn’t want me to push it. I felt things went well as far as me being healthy.”

Winning is the ultimate goal, but the Yankees got a decent consolation prize. No, Andy Pettitte probably won’t pitch again like he did in August. But he can still be a reliable arm in the playoffs. He’s had a few hiccups this season, but on the whole he’s bee the Yanks second-most reliable starter. They’re going to need him in three weeks, and Yanks fans can rest easy knowing he’ll be ready to answer the call.