Results tagged ‘ Braves ’

Bats Power Yanks to Victory

HOLLER!!!!!!! The Yankees have once again taken a series and
everything…at least it seems…is right again with the Bronx
Bombers…everything has been going so good over the past 2 games that
even Arod decided to join the party! Hey Yankee fans, if you were
wondering how much of an impact Arod’s hitting has on the Yankees you
just have to look at the two past series, against Washington and
Florida, and then compare them to the two games they won against
Atlanta (Check last nights box-score here)…A
DIRECT CORRELATION! When Arod hits…he fuels the rest of the team and
therefore gets them more pitches to hit and then they score more
runs…and with last night as an example this team has the ability to win
when their pitching doesn’t show up…Pettitte was not impressive out of
the gate…even with a two run lead…and thankfully the Yankee bats were
there to back him up and beat up on a very good starter in Derek Lowe.
Two things can be a factor to what sparked this sudden burst of
offense…Joe Girardi getting tossed out or Cervelli’s first MLB homerun.
I would like to think it was Girardi but I might have to go with
Cervelli’s homer…here’s why…The Yankees were
at their best when they were relaxed and having fun with the game…when
they struggle (like any team and I can’t say I blame them) they aren’t
having fun, they try to fix everything at once, and therefore keep
digging themselves into a hole because they are pressing too hard…when
you press or try to hard to fix something you usually make it worse
because you do uncharacteristic things…i.e. Teixeira swinging at
pitches he usually wouldn’t chase…This example is mostly because he
felt the need to have to make up for what Arod was leaving behind…he
wasn’t getting pitches to hit so he was chasing bad pitches to try to
get the offense started…this continued last night as well as Lowe and
other pitchers attacked Arod (and rightfully so) because of his
horrific performance as of late and pitched around Tex and gave him bad
pitches to go after…and he did…going 0 for 5 last night…but if last
night is any indication Arod is back and hopefully starting one of
those HOTTTT streaks like we see from him where he hits .400, 10
homers, and 30 RBIs in a month…OR BETTER!!! If that is the case get
ready to see Teixeira’s numbers go wayyyyyy up…you can see Arod’s
impact on the top of the order as well…with Jeter going 4 for 5
yesterday…and getting a hit the night before…Side Track: Have you
noticed how many bases Jeter has stolen? If not he has 17 for the year
(and has only been caught once)…and one in each of the last 4
games…does he know how to play in the roles he is put in? Any doubters
on Jeter’s ability should just look at his career and how he changes
the game, and how much he understands it…bottom line is that Jeter
shouldn’t be a 2nd or 3rd ballot Hall of Famer…he proves year in and
year out why he should be 1st ballot…back to the top of the order…Damon
also had an impressive night at the plate going 3 for 4 while driving
in 4 ribbies…With Arod back you can imagine how many pitches these guys
are going to get…and if they start to click they can do A LOT of
damage…I’M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!

I am aware of how off track I just went there and that was a little
crazy…back to my point wayyyyyyy before with Cervelli’s homer 2 nights
ago…It fired this team up…they started to relax again and enjoy the
game like when they were young…it sparked this team and so far they
haven’t looked back…and hopefully this charge keeps them going through
this series with the Mets…tonite’s game isn’t looking too hot though :-(
…Now they can relax…Arod has the monkey off his back…and this team will
be dominate on offense again…I know everyone, me included, acted like
this little skid was the end of the Yankees…but look how quickly that
thought process can turn around…the good news is that they have
momentum going into bailout ballpark and might be the team to expose
the Mets and the farm team they are putting out every night…this series
is HUGE for the Yanks…and I am expecting HUGE things from them…I don’t
really want to touch on Pettitte because that’s a downer…he just was
flat out miserable last night…so let’s chalk that up to a bad
performance…he did only give up 3 earned :-D hahahaha….But the bats are hot, the bullpen is looking GREAT!!! and we are ready for the Mutts.

Before the preview I wanna touch on the bullpen quickly…what a GREAT
performance from these guys last night…Aceves came in for Pettitte in
the 4th and flat out dominated the Braves bats…only putting on 3
batters over the 2 and a third innings that he pitched. My boy Coke
came in and shut them down, only giving up 1 hit while striking out 2
over 2 innings…and even Robertson got in the action…too bad he gave up
a bomb to McCann (he’s really good by the way…REALLLLLLYYYY underrated,
in my opinion) but alls well that ends well…Mo got his second
consecutive save in a row (and he didn’t have to bat this time)…so
things are looking good ALL OVER!!! YES!!!! I’M PUMPED!!!

If this game actually happens tonite we see a pitching matchup that
is really lopsided…for the Mets of course…CC Sabathia against Mike
Pelfrey…my reference earlier was obviously sarcastic…but that gets lost
in writing ;-)
…Tonite (or tomorrow, which may be the case) is a huge test to see is
Sabathia’s arm trouble was just a freak thing or if it is something we
have to be concerned about. I am going with a freak thing…muscles
tighten up all the time and it was a good thing they took him out…the
last thing we need is CC going down for an extended period of time…he
is wayyyyy to important to this team and their success…I am going with
the “he’s fine” route and there is no sign that anything different is
happening. CC has had success in his one and only start against the
mutts…pitching 8 innings of 1 run ball, putting on less than a runner
per inning, and striking out 3 and getting the win…this Mets team is
similar to last years…except for the fact that the lineup is filled
with Triple-A players (no matter how well they are playing) so Sabathia
should have a fun time on the mound, especially with how big this place
plays. Pelfrey is a kid with a lot of potential but struggles with his
command…in 1 start against the Yankees he is 1 and 0 with a 7+ ERA, he
obviously has struggled against this team buttttttttttttttttt…this is a
new year…..but with the way the Yanks are batting right now…I don’t
know if I would be so eager to pitch against them…I think the Yanks
take this one with power and a great pitching performance…could
potentially be a problem if they are only thinking long ball…but
Pelfrey will be afraid of Arod and Tex so expect Jeter and Damon to get
a lot of hittable balls…Sabathia can attack this whole Mets lineup with
out a worry…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Ummmmmm….Might be back later I feel like I am forgetting something….late!

Yankees, Joba Win!

WOOOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOO!!!! WOW!!! What a great victory!!! And if it
wasn’t for Joba hitting a ball up the middle, and taking out Kawakami
who knows…the Yanks might have gotten “Perfect Gamed”…as my friend John
Sterling put it many times last night. And just when I start to have my
doubts about Joba being a starter…”He goes and does something like
this…and TOTALLY redeems himself.”…sorry Dumb and Dumber moment. Well
maybe not completely…the fact that he couldn’t get out of the bottom of
the 7th hurts him a little bit…but everyone has to admit he did look
great yesterday…even with him facing two pitchers combining for a
perfect game gone no hitter after a Brett Gardner walk in the 6th…I’ll
get back to that soon. But I was impressed with Joba’s poise and
confidence on the mound yesterday…most young
pitchers try too hard, which has been his problem in my opinion, when
they aren’t getting runs or their offense is struggling, but he stayed
calm and pitched his game. The more impressive point is that Joba
didn’t strike out a batter until the bottom of the 4th…and still didn’t
try too hard…he trusted his ability to get outs and he did…he pitched
great into the 7th inning, when they took him out, and I was very
impressed with his performance…he did what he had to do to keep the
Yankees in the game and didn’t try to put too much on his back…Joba
loves making people sway back and forth on whether he should be in the
pen or in the rotation.

I guess the Yankee bats were sick of getting torn apart because they
WENT OFF yesterday…but only after 5 innings of perfect pitching between
Kawakami and Medlen that kept the Yankee bats guessing and looking as
sluggish as they ever have…Let’s forget about the porous performance of
the Yankee bats in the first 5 innings…because there is nothing to be
said…sometimes a pitcher just has it…and it only makes the chances of
him “having it” that much better  when the Yankees have never seen him
before…point and case….THE WHOLE YEAR!!! But maybe Joba hitting
Kawakami with a line drive was a blessing in disguise…I’m not an
advocate of people getting hurt so don’t assume I am saying that…but
the Bronx Bombers eventually got to the Braves bullpen after he was out
of the game. I want to start this off by saying…”when it rains it
pours”…the Yankees couldn’t get a guy on base if they were paid to…oh
wait, that’s what they areeeeeee paid for…then when Gardner finally
gets on, by way of walk, he gets called out on a terrible call during a
pick off attempt at first! Just when things can’t get worse…THEY
DO!!!…Side Track: Gotta give it up for Girardi here…he came firing out
of the dugout and stood up for his player…this team needed some kind of
spark to get them going and Joe gave it to them…he was later quoted as
saying he wanted to get kicked out…which means he knew this would give
the Yanks a kick and a spark to get them fired up…AND IT WORKED!! Good
job Joe!…the batter after his tyraid it paid off, when Francisco
Cervelli hit his first Major League homerun and it couldn’t come at a
better time…just when the offense was at it’s worst he gets a hold of
one and sets off the offense and set up the Yanks for a HUGE inning…one
that us, as fans, have been waiting patiently for over these past few
games….who woulda thunk it would be the bat of “Cisco the Kid” (Sorry,
John Sterlingism again) getting a rally started. My heart-pounding
moment came with Arod at bat…Side Track: Wow, it’s been a while since
I’ve had two!!! Side Track: WOW, a side track inside a side track!!! I
feel like I have kinda pulled the fun out of the blog…I am working on
fixing that..I apologize if it has been too serious lately…back to the
original Side Track I have always pulled for Arod and it’s been more
now than ever before, he gets a bad wrap all of the time, even when he
comes through sometimes…listen its gunna be a while until he gets
better…I don’t like it either and am waiting for him to perform…I
expressed my concerns yesterday
so I am kinda being hypocritical now…but we have to be patient and his
hit yesterday just might be the catalyst to him turning it around…With
Arod at bat and in a 0-2 count I truly expected a strike out…but my
dream came true and I almost crashed my car when he got that hit…not
only that but it was a single to the opposite field!!! HE DIDN’T TRY TO
DO TOO MUCH!!!!!!! THAT’S NOT A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE…IT’S A SIGN OF
AROD TURNING THINGS AROUND!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

At the Middle of the 6th the Yanks finally had a lead in a game
again…they didn’t have a lead for 19 innings up to that point…and Joba
had the lead and just coasted through the bottom half…Swisher lead off
the 7th with a homer giving the Yanks a 4-1 lead that would come in
handy as the Braves put up a 2 spot on Joba in the bottom half…he came
out and the bullpen did what they do best and shut Atlanta down. The
Yankees offensive onslaught continued as they put up 2 runs in each the
8th and 9th innings…with Damon and Tex being right in the middle of
both those innings…that’s big people…showing that when Arod gets hits
the rest of the team comes through too…showing how important he is just
being in the lineup when he is performing…on that point…the two guys
batting in front of him Damon and Teixeira were the only two Yankees to
have a multi-hit game…anddd if Arod breaks out of his miserable
slump…Damon and Tex’s numbers will only get better!! Me and every other
Yankee fan out there is hoping this game is what breaks the Yanks out
of this mini-slump and has them gaining on the Saux…ohhh and Mo finally
got back in a game and looked great striking out all 3 batters…and he
looked semi-impressive at the plate too…wow, I wonder how many closers
have batted this year…hahahaha…I am very excited from this game and
hope they can carry the momentum into tonite.

A great veteran matchup tonite…Lowe vs. Pettitte…two guys who are
coming off good performances…I would call Pettitte’s great actually…and
guys who are facing off in very interesting circumstances…both guys
aren’t really having great years…but Pettitte is pitching well on the
road and Lowe is pitching great at home…so all signs point to this game
being a pitchers duel…but it will probably be a slugfest lol…It should
be a very interesting game either way tonite…with Pettitte having the
edge in the “career numbers” category…he has had great success against
the Braves, 3.13 ERA along with a 5-1 record…and Lowe has struggled
against the Yanks, 6.07 ERA with a 8-10 record…but this of course is a
different year, with much different players…and most of Lowe’s numbers
are when he was with the Saux…so the career numbers really don’t mean
anything…but they are fun to talk about. But the key to this matchup is
Lowe in my opinion…when he is on he is unhittalbe (well…you get the
point) and if the Yankees bats are too eager than he will definitely
have the advantage…but if they can build off of yesterday’s game and
get to Lowe early they can put a lot of damage on him and walk away
with this game…Pettitte has been great on the road, so there is no
reason to think he won’t perform tonite against a “decent”
lineup…especially in that ballpark…when the long-ball has been
Pettitte’s biggest problem…if the Yankees get guys on base…and actually
can play some small ball…they can get Lowe out early and attack their
bullpen…remember kids A LOT of this Yankee lineup has seen Lowe before
so they might have the Advantage in this one and take A TONNNNNNN of
momentum in to Bailout Ballpark this weekend…LET’S GO YANKEES!!

Other Notes:

Cavaliers: Hmmmmmmmmmm…very interesting….now that LeBron has a big
man will this team actually make waves in the playoffs? Are the Celtics
worried?

That’s it…I think…late

Yanks Lose 3rd Straight, 5 Games Back

Well there is
really only one word to describe the way the Yankees have played as of
late…and that is PATHETIC!!! This is the 3rd series in a row where they
are facing a team they have a distinct advantage over and now they drop
the first and most crucial game of this series. The worst part about
it? Wang looked good again!!! And this guy can’t buy a win…or even a no
decision! He pitched well his last two starts and the Yankee bats are
turning into the Mets when Santana is on the hill…except right now you
can’t hope to score 1 run…I KNOW THE YANKEES GOT SHUT OUT!…and win the
game with Wang on the hill…where is the offense? Hanson pitched okay
last night…but he didn’t have shut out stuff…calling all Yankee
hitters…when you get 10 guys on base off of a starter…especially a
rookie!!! YOU HAVE TO SCORE!!!! What are you guys doing???This
team just isn’t clicking right now…and the bad part is they have to
face ANOTHER pitcher they have never seen before again tonite!! And we
all know how that has been going! Side Track: I have made excuses for
him for a while now…but when will Arod turn it around? He is almost
turning into an automatic out and with him batting like this it is
almost causing the whole team to fail…there is no reason to not go
right at Arod right now…I don’t know if he isn’t trusting himself or he
is favoring his injury too much…but he has wayyyy to good to be batting
so close to the Mendoza line…he needs to turn it around so the offense
can start clicking again and firing on all cylinders…c’mon Arod…just
relax and do what you do best…stop trying so hard!…This team was on
fire…i feel like i say this all the time…when they were having fun and
relaxing…they won coming from behind…they blew teams out of the
water…but now they are flat…where is that energy?…where are those
smiles? I feel like these guys are just not having fun right now…which,
in my opinion, is the reason why they were playing so bad these past
few years. Swisher, Cano, Melky all need to fire this team up again and
get them loose…when these guys are on they are jumping around, joking
and having a good time…guys it’s still early in the season…stop
pressing so much and have fun!!! The hits will fall in and we will
start winning games again…PLEASE!!! for all Yankee fans sake start
enjoying the game again!!! Bottom line is two things can’t click right
now for the Yankees…they get good pitching…no hitting…they get good
hitting…no pitching…maybe this is just a little skid…maybe this isn’t
there year for interleague dominance…but either way they need to get
back on track…Tex is still hitting good, but if Arod can click this 3-4
combo will be unstoppable again…and the top of their order will be
incredible…Joe, please put Cano at #2 for at least 1 game…you will see
more offensive production this way…THANKS!

I do have to make a “silver lining” statement about Phil Hughes…this
kid has looked amazing coming out of the pen…and I think he has learned
what he needs to do to be a successful starter in the majors. In his
last 6 innings he hasn’t given up even a run (earned or unearned)…he
has pitched unbelievably well and taken his new role in stride and is
doing whatever it takes to help the team win. He is proving that you
can put him in any situation, any role and he will be dominate, and
adjust to it…in his last 2 appearances (3 innings) Hughes hasn’t even
given up a hit or a walk…and has struck out 4 batters…this kid is the
real deal and proving every time he comes into a game how much of an
asset he is to this team…I wouldn’t be surprised…if everything
continues the same way…to see Hughes back in the rotation if Joba can’t
get it together. There are a lot of sportscasters and sports talk radio
hosts pounding home the idea that Joba should be the 8th inning guy, I
was resilient to that point but now am thinking it might be the best
thing…I love Joba as a starter but he can’t get it together and you
can’t put the bullpen in the position of having to pitch 4 innings
every game he starts…I can’t believe I am actually saying this but I am
starting to agree Joba should be in the bullpen…If Phil continues to be
dominate and Joba continues to only pitch 5 innings there can be a
switch happening by the all-star break.

What about tonite’s game? Well this should be a head scratcher that
can really go either way…Joba vs Kawakami…another pitcher the Yankees
have never seen.. it’s the 8th game in a row this is
happening…GREAT!!!…This is another pitcher that gets knocked around a
little…but knows how to work out of trouble…he has an ERA just over 4
so that also means he gives up runs…in his last 2 starts however he has
only given up 4 earned runs over 11 innings pitched…with him shutting
down a very formidable Saux lineup…I haven’t seen much of this guy
pitch…but he has a similar delivery to Dice-K, for better or worse, so
he slows down the game and can deceive batters…NOT GOOD for the
Yankees!! These two things, deceptive delivery and seeing him for the
first time, combined spells a disaster waiting to happen…and this means
Joba needs to show up tonite!!! Joba, Joba, Joba…its sad somewhat
because he really doesn’t give up many runs…but he doesn’t trust his
stuff and gets into wayy to many jams…and it might actually be coming
around to hurt him finally…he has been sluggish and trying wayyyyyyyyyy
to hard to hit his spots…to the point where his 95 mph fastball is
turning into a 90 mph meatball in the middle of the plate…Joba has some
of the nastiest stuff in the game but doesn’t use it correctly…if he
can settle down and pitch his game he will be fine…but once runners get
on he tries to become too cute and too accurate…JOBA y0u can throw 95+
at any time…run the ball inside and scare some of these batters and
then have them diving over the plate for the slider…Joba needs to go 6+
tonite…and if he doesn’t the rumblings are gunna become screams for him
to be put in the bullpen…if he wants to keep being a starter he needs
to start pitching that way…very tough opponent tonite, and a very
interesting matchup that can go either way…hopefully it goes ours…LET’S
GO YANKEES!

Yanks Head to Atlanta for 3 Game Series

Let’s preview tonite’s game….shall we? Well to me the start of the
series is a very interesting one and one that can possible answer a lot
of questions on where Wang is in his “way back” to being a dominate, #1
form, starter again. He goes into Atlanta to face their famous, hard
throwing, #1 prospect Tommy Hanson, once again another pitcher the
Yankees have NEVER seen. This series is important for both teams to get
back on track, they both have lost their last 2 previous series, but
Atlanta is on a 4 series skid, so they are definitely looking to bounce
back and jump on the Yankees quickly tonite. The Yankees, as said
earlier, have lost their last 2 series to teams they should have beaten
and they go into Atlanta looking to prove they are within the ranks of
the elite ball clubs. Atlanta needs this series to try and stay
some-what afloat, but the Yankees need this series, not only for
confidence and momentum, because the Saux go into Washington and if
they continue to play the way they have been as of late, they should
take 2 from the Nationals easily. So to say the least the Yankees have to show up tonite and get a jump on this series.

Tommy Hanson has proved he has the stuff to be a dominate pitcher in
the big leagues. His first start in the majors was a rough one that had
him getting bashed around for 6 earned, but over his last two starts he
has given up only 2 runs in 11 innings pitched. This kid is a hard
throwing righty that has the ability to strike batters out, he must
have trouble with his command right now, because his k’s are
wayyyyyyyyyy down and he is getting smacked around a little bit…posting
a 1.58 WHIP….but obviously teams aren’t getting their runners in when
they are on base, so he has the ability to pitch in tight
situations…two starts ago against Baltimore Hanson put on 14
runners….YES 14!!!! but the Orioles could only manage 2 runs!!! That’s
insane…and that cannot happen tonite!!! AT ALL!!!

So once again what do we have to practice tonite??? PATIENCE!!!
YAY!!! The Yankee bats have to be calm and take pitches, not only to
get pitches to hit but to put pressure on this kid…plus it wouldn’t
hurt to get to the Atlanta bullpen…pssssst their bullpen isn’t very
good at all…The Yanks have batters who walk a lot, Teixeira, Arod,
Swisher but they also have people who strike out a lot…and if counts go
deep they could be too eager and sitting fastball and get a hunk of
off-speed glory that will have them swinging out of their shoes. The
middle of this order has to be patient and take pitches…get into
hitters counts and drive the ball to the gaps…we are in a power
shortage so just swing for hits boys…PLEASE!!! The long ball isn’t
always the answer to victory…small ball is too…GIRARDI!!! send runners
once and a while and try hit and runs…get this kid confused and
worried…don’t let him pitch his game…you have to rattle rookies and
young pitchers and the Yankees haven’t done that AT ALL this year…if
they can make this kid throw a lot of pitches the Yanks have the
advantage….if the Yankees swing early and give into the kid this will
be a long night, especially if Wang doesn’t perform.

What a segue!! Wang is the ONLY
key to tonite’s game for Yankee victory, at least in my opinion. He
showed confidence and poise in his last start and actually had some of
his old stuff back, and considering where he has started this year I’ll
take a 5 inning 3 run performance every time. Wang has to be on tonite
and give the Yanks a chance to stick it to this kid and relax…if they
start pressing they are playing to Hanson’s hand and he will be able to
pitch his game and clam down and rely on his great ability. I will be
happy with 5 or 6 innings from Wang giving up 3 or 4 runs, I truly
believe that is all the Yankees need to be able to hang in this game
and possibly win it. I have confidence in our bullpen to take over
after Wang leaves the game, and if they get a lead along with it, I am
even more confident for them to hold on to it. Wang has to keep the
ball low, and if he stays away from the long ball, he shouldn’t be
dejected and lose any confidence he has coming off his last start. He
is starting to show signs of getting his sinker back and if he can get
his fastball back to 93-95 he will be back to his original form and
dominate once again. It is wayyyyy to early to give up on Wang, he has
much to much talent to just throw him away, and he can be an asset in
the rotation. He is on his way back, and if he strings back to back
quality starts together…that makes it even better. If the bats are
patient and willing to sit back for their pitch and Wang can get his
sinker and fastball working together, it could be a great night for the
Yankees and an even better start to the series. This series is very
important and can become a catalyst for the Yankees getting back on
track and taking the momentum into Citi Field…LET’S GO YANKEES!

That’s it…Late!

Stammen Bests Joba, Nats Take Series 2-1

ummmmmmmmmm…was I sleeping or something along those lines? Because I’m pretty sure I just had a nightmare that the Yankees couldn’t handle the WORST TEAM in baseball (possibly ever)…and dropped 2 of 3 to them. Really? Is that what you guys are about? I know teams go into slumps…yada, yada, yada…but right now? AGAINST THE NATIONALS??? I hope you guys didn’t have people fooled earlier this year when you looked like a championship caliber team…because this week you looked like you belonged in AAA. The worst part about it is that the pitching was there…BUT WHERE WAS THE HITTING!!! This team is an offensive juggernaut and they scored a total of 7 runs!!! 7 runs!!! Is this a joke or something? I understand the struggles hitters have when they don’t know a pitcher or have never seen him before…but a whole team? And whyyyyyyy are you swinging so early? They clearly had NO strategy going into this series…what a horrible performance by a team that should’ve averaged 6 runs per game against Washington…but I guess that’s what happens when you expect to win and become lackadaisical.

Truth be told I am usually not a fan that overreacts or flies off the handle like that…but this series was horrible and continued a trend that has been seen in years past. TEAMS WILL HAVE YOUNG PITCHERS IN THEIR ROTATION!!! You guys obviously have to prep better, because if you can’t hit off pitchers you have never seen before, it’s gunna be a longgggg year. How come a team of vets couldn’t work a walk off a rookie who is making his first start in Yankee Stadium? That’s crazy….young pitchers walk batters…YETTTT…there they go swinging away at the first pitch…I’ll give the John Lannan his due, because he pitched a good game and has at least been around long enough, but this kid Stammen is a ROOKIE!!! C’mon guys…YOU’RE THE YANKEES!!! Now I will admit that the Nats made some good plays in the field, saving a few big hits…but the Yankees looked flat the whole series and didn’t have that fiery attitude, like the one the exuded all through the first 2 months. I really don’t know what else to say about the performance of this past week so I am going to leave it along…butttt how do you get 7 hits in a game and not get one guy in? Where is the small ball?
I do, for a moment, want to talk about the pitching. THE ONLY BRIGHT SPOT TO THIS SERIES!!! All 3 starters pitched extremely well only giving up 3 runs each, and, more importantly, keeping the team in the game, and within striking distance at all times. But the praise doesn’t really fall to them, but I don’t want to overshadow their performance, it goes to the bullpen. If anyone has taken notice the ‘pen has been pretty solid lately and are becoming something, if they can keep it up, that the Yankees can rely on, and not be afraid to use. Over 8.2 innings (or basically a whole game) the bullpen didn’t give up ANY earned runs. Now you can go back to what I was saying earlier, and how the Nats are a bad team and all that…buttttthey are a product of bad pitching (starting and bullpen) and defense, they are actually a very good hitting team. So in my opinion the fact that the Yankees kept the bats at bay through the whole series is impressive, especially with all that power and the way balls fly out of Yankee Stadium right now. Side Track: The streak has been snapped at 35, there were no home runs hit in last nights game, pretty impressive. So there is the silver lining for this series and hopefully this is a trend they can keep up, a good bullpen will win you games and keep you in the hunt. And although I was “ranting” before about how bad this series was, the Yanks are only 3 games out of first, due to a Boston loss yesterday…so maybe I shouldn’t be going so crazy…but sometimes it’s fun to do that.

Tonite’s game: Pettitte vs West…a battle of south paws…and it should be a fun one to watch…I actually enjoy watching the Marlins play and think that this series is a very interesting one. Tonite’s matchup is hard to breakdown because this kid West is a rookie and has had ups and downs. He has shown a lot of potential and promise, including a June 8th performance that had him bringing a no-hitter into the 7th while facing a very intimidating Randy Johnson. The thing that scares me is that the Yankees haven’t seen this kid yet either…and if this series against the Nationals is any indication, then the Yankee bats will struggle tonite too. West is a hard throwing lefty who doesn’t put a lot of batters on to begin with, so this might be a long night, and Pettitte has to show up. Andy might be showing signs of his age, I hate to say it but it’s true, and you almost have to go into a game expecting him to give up 3 or 4 runs, so the bats have to wake up to give us a shot tonite. Now Pettitte has been much, much better on the road then at home this year, so I am hoping that we can see him perform at his highest level tonite. He is getting hit around a lot but Florida plays in a big ballpark and that should help him, considering that he has given up 10 homers this year, but only one of them has been on the road. This should be an interesting game, and should almost be a pitchers duel, unless the Yankee bats can wake up and hit this kid West, they are on a 2 game skid (I use that term loosely) so this game is important especially with Boston facing a struggling Braves team. Calling all Yankee hitters…we need you tonite, more importantly we need you on base…take your time against this kid, make him make mistakes, AND TAKE PITCHES!!! Don’t let him get comfortable…PLEASE!!!!…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

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