Results tagged ‘ Melky ’

Yankees 8, Mariners 5

Who would’ve
thunk it…Mariano throws out the first pitch and it wasn’t even from the
mound!!! I guess he was afraid of bouncing the ball LOL…I’m obviously
just kidding…but its good to see him honored in his home ball park for
his milestone accomplishment…Congrats again Mo! Now on to last night
and a very interesting game (to say the least) and one I was certainly
not expecting at all…Seattle, a team not known for it’s scoring, put up
an offensive fight last night against a high scoring, high powered
Yankee team who eventually landed the K.O. punch to the Mariners in the
bottom half of the 8th (Seattle tied the game in the top half after a
MOONSHOT by Arod in the 7th)…Joba, once again, has disappointed me and
now I am almost completely in agreeance that he should be the 8th
inning guy, and possibly sliding Hughes back into the rotation. The
problem is that Girardi and Cashman WANT Joba in the rotation so as
long as he keeps the Yanks in the game and gives them 5+ innings every
start, they are happy with that…especially if the bullpen can keep
performing the way they are. Nowwww if you
have been following this blog for a while (and if you are I thank you
greatly) you will know that I am actually a HUGE Joba fan, and have
fought for him to stay in the rotation. However it might be the time to
start the transition to put him back in the penn…I truly believe he can
be a great starter but for some reason it’s not clicking right now and
he isn’t trusting his stuff…I, like many others, feel that he could
potentially be Mos predecessor so maybe the wheels should start moving
on that project soon…Hughes is proving more and more every day that he
is worthy of that spot, and now that he has experience and confidence
he is making a strong, strong case.

Now back to the game…Joba did keep the Yanks in the game and only
gave up 3 earned runs…but he wasn’t as dominate as he should be…he put
12 guys on over 5.1 innings pitched and escaped only giving up 3
runs…even though you don’t want to see it…it is kind of impressive…he
can’t keep making this an every start thing though because he will
eventually get burned by it…and it’s worthy to note that Joba’s ERA is
slowly creeping up on an almost every start basis…but the Yankee bats
came through AGAIN and are still as hot as ever!!! and they are showing
fight! They might not have scored in the most “flashy” ways possible,
but hey, if they are using small ball to win games and putting the
fundamentals into play…I am happy with it…as long as those runs cross
the plate I don’t care how they do it AT ALL! There were a couple of
offensive mis-cues and missed opportunities last night…but they did
execute for the most part and that is good to see…they need to play
small ball sometimes to win and that has been a BIGGGG problem for them
in years past…but if last night is a testament to their ability to play
games that way…we are in good shape. The big news of last night, in my
opinion, was that Arod homerun…he is clearly coming into stride and hit
that ball into the stratosphere, and came through in a very clutch
situation to give the Yanks a short-lived lead. Arod has been
performing to his ability as of late and I am predicting a HUGEEEE
month of July from him, especially if this team continues to click the
way they are and continue to pump life into the clubhouse…I will say
this AGAIN if they continue to have fun and be enthusiastic they will
continue to win…there is clearly a direct correlation between the
two…when was the last time you’ve seen Arod this excited to play the
game???…it’s a good sign everyone! The other story is how clutch Melky
was last night…driving in 3 key runs, including the game winner in the
bottom of the 8th. Granted Seattle basically handed the game over to
the Yanks, it’s good to see them take advantage of that…they MUST beat
these teams and they are doing it and it’s good to see role players
coming through in big time spots…I have really changed my mind on Melky
and am actually (it’s hard for me to say) becoming a fan of his…after
his double in the 8th…captain clutch came up to knock in 2 more and
give the Yanks a 3 run lead going into the 9th…and with Mo coming
in…you know he closed the door on that game..hey the Yanks are getting
hits and bringing runners in when they are in scoring position…YAY!!!!

This is becoming a regular topic and that is the Yankee
bullpen…these guys were great last night, with the exception of a
blunder by Bruney last night, and continue to keep the Yanks in games
when they need them…they are quietly becoming one of the better
bullpens in the majors and are truly making their mark on their
opponents. I already did my schpeal on Hughes before, and you know how
amazing I think he is…Side Track (aka Hughes Watch 09): only 3 hits
over 8.1 innings, none in his last 5.1, and no runs (earned or
un-earned) have scored over the same amount of innings…he has been flat
out dominate out of the penn…if you want to see his numbers click here…I
can’t just praise Hughes…because everyone has been great…Robertson,
Coke, Aceves all three young guys are showing up in big ways…and lets
hope they keep it up during the end of the year…because it should be a
tight race and they will need to step up…I am very happy with the
bullpen and the way they have performed and I think every Yankee fan
should appreciate that and understand how many games they have saved
this year…they are truly the unsung heroes of this season so
far…hopefully they can keep it up.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd on to tonite…this is the only game I can see
the Yankees losing in this series and that is only because Washburn has
been on fire this year…and Pettitte has been horrific, at best, for the
Yanks at home. It’s a scary game that I can see really going either
way…Andy needs to show up tonite and keep this winning streak alive,
btw if you’re keeping score at home  (WOWWWW so cliched I’m horrible)
it’s at 6…and we are 2.5 out of first…but we need to have a good
performance by Andy, and if we get beat it has to be that Washburn had
a great game, not by Pettitte getting smashed…If Pettitte can show up,
hopefully it will spark him to calm down and get some confidence and
poise back, at home…because if his current trend keeps up…it could be a
long year for him…and we can see the rotation shuffled a little bit to
get him more starts on the road…but we all love to see Pettitte pitch
so we obviously don’t want that to happen, unless it is necessary.
Washburn is a vet, who knows how to pitch so I wouldn’t be surprised to
see a good performance out of him..but the Yankee bats are hotttt right
now and Washburn definitely has the ability to get smashed around…if
the Yanks can put a 5 or 6 spot up on him…or knock him out and get to
the bullpen early then they have a shot…but 3 or 4 runs might not cut
it…unless we get a great performance from Andy tonite…the bats are hot,
the guys are having fun, it’s gunna be a tough, fun game tonite…LET’S
GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

Albert Pujols: I don’t want to say it but….who is gunna be the first
idiot to proclaim that Pujols is on steroids…it’s bound to happen
people and unfortunately that is what this game is becoming…certain
people soiled the name of baseball and now people like Pujols will have
to pay the price…they say they don’t care but they have to when people
are questioning their talents and abilities…but beyond all that Albert
hit his 30 and 31st homeruns last night and is on fire…if his average
can grow he can be a legit triple crown contender.

Red Saux: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….nice game last night…that’s all I really have to say…WOW!!!

Jason Kidd: Won’t be a Knick…Cuban is in love with him and has the money to prove it

That’s it…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 Can’t Help Wang, Lose 3-2

Well he finally did it…Wang finally
had a quality start…well sort of…and maybe, just maybe, might be on the
track to “recovery” and being a dominate pitcher once again. Even
though I can’t guarantee that this start means he is “back”, I can
guarantee that it at least earned him a spot in the rotation. Sorry
folks, this performance just solidified CMW’s spot in the rotation (or at least another handful of starts). I know what you all are thinking…”It was the Nationals“…”He wasn’t tested”…”There the worst team in baseball”…now wait a second…yes the Nationals
are a horrible team…but you have to understand that they are a very
formidable, powerful team that has the ability to put up HUGE
numbers…their biggest problems are their pitching and fielding, and
thus the reason for their horrible record…we did see the Elijah Dukes play on Tuesday right? Case and point. But admit it or not Wang pitched well last night, and this just might be the start he needed to get his confidence back, and his “mojo” working.He
gave us 5 strong innings only giving up 3 runs, 2 of which could’ve
been avoided if plays went a different way for him in the field…or so
it seemed that way…of course I was stuck listening to the game for 3
innings and we all know how that goes…an over-expressive John Sterling
making a call on a play by Pena (the Willy Harris stolen base in the 5th) saying that if he had the ball Harris was out…but you never know how close that play really was when you listen to Sterling and Waldman…then Melky’s diving play later on in the 5th on a Nick Johnson triple…Yeah I couldn’t believe it…a Nick Johnson triple!!!…if Melk doesn’t dive for that ball he cuts it off and only 1 run scores instead of 2…and Johnson is only on first with Guzman at 3rd…But Wang
showed me a lot last night…his sinker was falling off the table, his
location was good and he was pitching out of tight situations. Joe
Girardi and Dave Eiland must have a lot of faith in Wang not taking him out of the game after giving up 2 runs in the 5th…especially with his pitch count rising…But CMW got passed the Nick Johnson triple…he intentionally walked Dunn (not a surprise…did you see the Homer??? WOW!)…then got a ground out by Elijah Dukes to end the inning…GREAT JOB!!! Especially when Wang’s confidence has been at an all time low…ALL YEAR!!!…Last night Wang looked like the Wang
of old and if he can build off this start our rotation may have just
gotten a whole lot deeper…Don’t be fooled by the horrible record
though, the Nationals are a tough offense to face, with a lot of power and home run potential, and Wang threw 5 quality innings against them and kept the Yankees in the game…let’s hope (I am at least) that he can build on this start and solve the question to who the 5th starter will be.

Hey, Hey, Now, Now our bullpen is getting better and had another great performance last night…shutting down the Nationals, only giving up 1 hit and 1 walk, and NO RUNS!!!! The pitching last night kept the Yanks
in the game but their bats just couldn’t respond…they are showing that
they have trouble against young pitchers that they have never seen
before and John Lannan
was no exception. Now, I didn’t get to see much of the game so I don’t
know how he was throwing or how his location was…BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…but
he does pitch in a high scoring division in the NL East and his home
park is a bandbox so his performance last night was not a fluke…This
kid is good and he only gave up 4 hits last night, with one walk
attached to that as well…and he had two blemishes, both home runs to Cano and Damon…which
is alittle odd due to the fact that he is a lefty and so were the two
batters. That most likely means he was trying to pound them inside and
they just dropped the bat in the zone and took those pitches out. But Lannan
did go 8.1 innings last night, clearly trying to keep him in the game
and keep the bullpen at bay, so that means they trusted his stuff and
he clearly proved he has the ability to get guys out. He shut down a
dominate Yankees lineup and proved that he deserves to be in the conversation of great young pitchers in the game right now…Now if the Yanks
would see this kid again…who knows what would happen…I’m gunna chalk
this up as a disappointing loss, they didn’t take enough pitches (Lannan left the game in the 9th throwing only 108 pitches) and didn’t try to get the horrific Nats bullpen…Lannan did pitch well so I have to give him some credit but, the Yankees didn’t have a good game plan going into last night and they proved it. Now the Yanks put themselves into the precarious position of HAVING to win tonite…Boston
is up 3 on them so they need to stop it at that…I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE
PANIC MODE…but they MUST have a better game plan going into tonite’s
game. But last night was not a complete loss…Wang pitched well…despite getting the loss…and the bullpen looked great…and Phil Hughes may be more of an asset out of the bullpen than most will admit.

NOW THE BIGGGGG RANT!!! Johnny Damon hits a lead off homer, giving the Yankees
life and a chance to strike back…We’ve seen this before, especially
with this team…they have life…they are fiery…they can win this game
like championship teams do…after a disappointing Swisher fly out to left, Teixeira (who is making a name for himself in Yankee lore) hits a single, which subsequently led to Lannan coming out of the game…YES!!! That Nats bullpen!!!! Tex is pinch run for by Gardner…is he fast?…Brett steals 2nd, then 3rd…so we have Arod at the plate with a man on third…AND ONLY 1 OUT!!!…Arod walks, so now there are men on 1st and 2nd. Here is the bad part…why is Arod standing on first in a close game??? Especially with the tying run 90ft away and a speedy Gardner
on 3rd…HE SCORES ON A GROUND BALL…well maybe not, but def a short fly
ball anywhere in the outfield. My point being that you have Berroa on the bench…why isn’t he in? Right now he is faster than Arod and could potentially swipe 2nd…eliminating the double play…Girardi will never send Arod in that situation…especially with this hip…so why again is Berroa not in there???? Especially with Cano, a lefty who pulls the ball a lot, at the plate…YOU NEED ALL THE SPEED YOU CAN GET!!!! Horrible managing and because of it Cano
hit into a double play…YOU TRADE THAT OUT FOR A POTENTIAL GO AHEAD RUN
JOE!!!!!! WHY WASN’T A RUNNER IN THE GAME AT THAT POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please someone explain that to me…it’s not the 7th inning…it’s the 9th!
PATHETIC!!!! Oh btw…all Arod
haters…he is under-performing, I KNOW, but give him a break…he is
coming off major surgery…without spring training…I agree his numbers
should be better…but he is in pain and is tired…he was supposed to get
every other day off but hasn’t and has started all 37 games since he
has been back…JOE GIVE HIM A DAY OFF….HE NEEDS THE REST!!!

On to tonite’s game…Joba vs Stammen…well the only thing I really have to say about this game is to sit back on this pitcher for the Nationals
and make him make mistakes…he is a struggling rookie who doesn’t have
good numbers at all this year, but he is better on the road than at
home…but not much better. YANKEES
PLEASE!!! be patient with this guy…you saw what happened last night!!!
He isn’t good at all…no excuse if you don’t score…then get him out of
the game early and attack that abysmal bullpen…Key to the game is Joba going more than 4 innings…He needs to prove that he is a starter and wants to be there…TRUST YOURSELF JOBA!!! You have shut down stuff…you should be in the range of a Haren or Lincecum…just
pitch your game…don’t think about your pitch count…and ATTACK THE
ZONE!! Stop trying to be cute…you throw 93 – 95…NOT 90!!! C’mon Joba
prove that you deserve a spot in the rotation..and not that you
care…prove to the media and fans that you are more valuable in the
rotation than as a set-up guy…Yankees should win tonite…they clearly have the pitching advantage in this one…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

U.S. Open: Gunna be very interesting…especially with the weather…has
an Open ever finished on a Wednesday before? Tiger is obvs the heavy
favorite but he struggles off the tee sometimes…he will probably win
but I’m pulling for Phil…hopefully he can keep his focus…if not him
Ogilvy or Harrington.

That’s it…let’s see if there is a game tonite…late

Sox Outlast Yanks, Go 8-0 this Season

What could I possibly say about last night?….o that’s right PATHETIC
comes to mind…I want to start this off by saying I’m not one of those
fans who always has the “doomsday” scenario in their mind, “If they don’t win tonite
they’re doomed”, and I generally take one game at a time…it is a long
season, but the performance last night was disgusting and inexcusable!
Calling all Yankee batters…that was Brad Penny on the mound last night!
And he is not the Brad Penny of years past, although it seemed that
way, but he is the Brad Penny who has a 5.32 ERA and a WHIP of 1.56!!!
Are you kidding me? The worst part about it, in my mind, is that they
got 6 hits but couldn’t get ANY runs off of him!!! Oh and again TOO
MANY BATTERS LEFT IN SCORING POSITION!!! C’mon guys the bats have to wake up…in the late innings we saw that Yankee fight but this game should’ve been a NO CONTEST!!!! Sabathia
is out there pitching his heart out and we can’t get any runs for him?
Well they did but I am really talking about against Penny…Penny hasn’t
been good for 3 years and last night he looked like the Cy Young
caliber pitcher he once was…maybe he reached back and found something
from his past…I don’t know, either way the Yankees looked horrible
against him last night…NOT GOOD!!!

So….now the Yankees are 0-8 for the season against the Saux
and they don’t seem to have any type of answer for them, in any
situation…it’s getting depressing…but let’s be real for a moment it’s
not the end of the world…my biggest concern is not them losing but the
fact that they looked flat out there, with
no drive or emotion, no big smiles, all serious again….LOOSEN UP GUYS!!
RELAX!!! That’s why we were on a roll earlier this year…just because
its the Saux doesn’t mean you should tighten
up…that might be the problem…to much emphasis on this series…don’t
worry I’m not making excuses I actually have A LOT of problems with last night’s performance.

Really the only blame last night should fall on bats, and maybe Girardi…I’ll get to that in a little bit…They came through late with Cervelli and Arod…Side Note: Where are those Arod haters now? Now that he comes through you are quiet? How bout you cheer for him now too…but throughout the game they were horrible…I’m not gunna break it down like I did yesterday but they were terrible with RISP
AGAIN!!! that’s two games in a row…showing me that they are pressing
too much, and expecting things to come to them…where was that fire last
night boys? C’MON!!! By the way for the 8 games so far the Yankees are averaging .132 with RISP…and last night they went 0 for 6 before Cervelli got the double that scored Melky…just to even things out for the entire night the Yankees went 2 for 11. Nowwww
not all of those outs were unproductive BUT that is still not
acceptable…the only good thing is that somehow the Yankees took the
lead, for a short period of time, in the 7th. I must say 2 of the outs with RISP came from Cervelli, don’t yell at me yet I’m actually not blaming him, one was on a STUPID running mistake by Swisher, Cervelli
flied out and Swisher was caught off the bag napping..REALLY? I like
Swisher A LOT but this isn’t A ball man, that was bush league…and then Cervelli
put a charge into a ball hit at Lowell…I thought it was a hit at
first…good play by Lowell that almost turned good for the Yankees when
he didn’t know where to go with
the ball…he stepped on third for the force. If the Yankees want to be
the dominate team in the East they have to improve these numbers
dramatically…They are too good of a team, and it’s not time to
overreact yet…0-8 sucks but it is still early…and hopefully it fires
this Yankee team up!!!

Now…I like Girardi but he made a huge
blunder last night…there might be more than one but the biggest one is
what I am talking about now…Side Track: Now remember, Hindsight is
20-20 and of course we know the outcome now…keep that in mind…Why was Sabathia brought back out for the 8th? I mean I know he is a workhorse and he was pitching great buttttttttt…he
had to be between 95 and 105 pitches going into that inning so at what
point will you take him out or not trot him back out there? That’s A
LOT of pitches Joe….I know he can pitch forever but our bullpen has
been pitching well lately…have some confidence in them…test these young
guys…I know you don’t want to put a young inexperienced pitcher into
that type of atmosphere but when Sabathia is
at 100+ pitches…you might have to take that chance…ALSO…did Joe not see
the rain? It was pretty bad…it was pouring out…so when fatigue and rain
mix…NOT A GOOD RESULT…plus you are risking injury in an unnecessary situation. There was NO reason for Sabathia to be put back out there…people might argue, but if you saw Aceves or Coke come out of the bullpen you probably wouldn’t have even noticed…Sabathia had the lead going into the 8th…I’m
just not sure why they put him back out there…it doesn’t make much
sense to me…but of course, like I said before, hindsight is 20-20 so
when the result doesn’t go right you can question it all you like…I
still don’t like that decision though..not worth it…and Sabathia took a loss that he shouldn’t have…Girardi sometimes you have to use your own judgement and not just let Sabathia choose if he will pitch or not.

ALRIGHT! BIG SERIES STARTS TONITE (weather permitting) with a decent pitching matchup…that hopefully the Yankees can handle…Joba vs Hernandez…very intriguing and one that could potentially have us scratching our heads…Truth
be told the Yankees should be able to handle Hernandez but he is
putting up numbers that…if they last all year…might have him in
contention for the Comeback Player of the Year…he is the diamond in the
rough for the Mets and one of the few reasons they are staying afloat right now…This matchup could be a surprise and turn into a pitchers duel…both teams are looking to rebound from losing series’ where they both under-performed and were at times over matched. Both
teams are going into this series dejected and low and looking to come
back and show why they are power houses in their respective divisions.
I think the Yankees power should over come in this matchup but Livan is a crafty pitcher that has the ability to last late into games, so if he is on then the Yankees will be in for a long night…Joba has been pitching very good as of late and if he can come out strong he can confuse these Mets batters…the only concern is that the Mets have VERY good fast ball hitters but if Joba can get that over early and get to his slider he will be fine…the Mets are prone to strikeouts and press alittle too hard with runners in scoring position…hmmmmmmm Just like the Yankees…bottom line is that both teams want to rebound so they might be pressing too hard to get something going and get runs early…if both
pitchers take advantage of the hitter eagerness it can turn into a low
scoring game that will be close to the end and will turn in to a battle
of the bullpens…in which I think the Yankees win…Key to the game is the
Yankee batters being patient and waiting for Livan’s
fastball…his breaking stuff is nasty and he can keep it in the zone and
cause tons of ground outs…THE YANKEES CAN’T BE OVER AGGRESSIVE TONITE…Livan is a Vet who knows how to pitch, and he is doing it well this season…patience is a virtue…keep that in mind Yankee batters and the game is yours to win…LET’S GO YANKEES!

Other Notes:

Lakers: They showed why they are going to win this series…HORRIBLE
defense by the Magic have been their acheles heel and the Lakers are
taking advantage of it and will continue to…where did the Magic go in
the last 2 minutes of that game? Horrible…now they have no chance of
winning.

Red Wing: They win tonite…I know my predictions haven’t been good
lately but they are home and have been here before…they are winners and
are in hockey town…it’s a no doubter.

I think that’s it….late

Another Bad Start for Wang

Even though I
hate to admit it, it seems like maybe the Yankees experiment with Wang
is coming to an end, and he has one more start to prove he should be in
the rotation. The start will come against the Nationals and it will
have huge implications upon where he will spend the rest of the year.
In my opinion, he should be sent to the minors to work out the kinks
and make all the necessary starts, unlike being rushed back this time
in fear that Joba was hurt for an extended period of time. This means
Hughes is back into the rotation again, figuring in that Wang wouldn’t
perform, he has pitched well coming out of the pen and showed again he
is a HUGE asset…he also performed and proved to be very effective last
night when he relieved Wang in the 3rd. Hughes had one blemish, an
opposite field homerun to Youkilis on a pitch that might have been a
little high but wasn’t that bad and was more impressive hitting than it
was bad pitching.Back to Wang…it is really
sad to see what this guy is going through, our ace for the past 3 years
is now the laughing stock of all Major League Baseball…over the first 5
starts of the season he has the highest ERA in HISTORY!!! This guy won
54 games in his first 4 seasons, he was the most consistent Yankee
pitcher for years and was usually the stop gap if the Yanks were on a
slide for an extended period of time…I’m really hoping this guy can
come back because it is truly sad to see someone so talented perform so
poorly. My true feeling is that Wang should go to the minors…and
everything else I said earlier…and then get put as long relief in the
bullpen for the rest of the year, unless an injury or struggles occur,
and start over from spring training next season…Maybe some winter ball
to get his confidence back…he is far too good and talented to just give
up on him…I have faith that he will return to be a great asset to this
team but we almost have to give up on him being a starter this
year…Side Track: Now wait a minute…it is only what? 60 games into the
season? I know I am being rash and possibly overreacting…but isn’t that
what being a Yankee fan is all about?…Just Kidding…but for real
everyone growing up in New York expects perfection 100% of the time…it
doesn’t happen like that…we are killing Wang and the Yankee front
office for putting him out there…but don’t forget he was the ACE of
this staff for 3 years, they don’t owe it to him but they should show
confidence in him…so before we kill them…it’s still early in the
season…if this happens down the stretch we take the protest to the
streets…but the season is only 1/3 over let’s not get too hasty…I KNOW
A LITTLE HYPOCRITICAL…but it’s the truth.

Hmmmmmmmmm….tough to find a bright spot in last nights game…..but
you almost have to say the bats and bullpen were what kept us in
it…before I praise the bats I have to bash them a little bit though.
Not that it’s a BIG number but still not good…the Yankee batters
stranded 6 runners in scoring position last night…that’s 6 potential
runs with 5 of those runs not getting in with 1 out or less in the
inning…my small ball rant from the other day fits perfectly here…that’s
just not acceptable especially against a guy like Wakefield…I
understand the game and I know how hard it is to hit a Knuckleballer,
especially when he is on his game, BUT 6 runners left in scoring
position with 5 of them with 1 out or less? that’s INSANE!!!
UNEXPLAINABLE!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!! C’mon guys this is Wakefield not
Beckett! I am so dejected and upset by this that I decided to outline
each inning they left runners on:

1st: Tex single, Arod Walk, Cano pop out to 3rd = 1 risp

2nd: Posada Homerun…Matsui Double, Swisher bunt to pitcher – Mastsui
to Third, Melky lines into double play (tough to swallow but you can’t
really get mad about that one), Jeter pop out to catcher = 1 risp

3rd: Tex Double, Arod and Cano fly out to center = 1 risp

see a trend yet? By the way Wakefield is still in and at this point it is 3 to 1 turns 4 to 1 after bottom of inning

4th: Matsui singles, Swisher walks, MELKY DRIVES IN MATSUI!!!!
YAY!!! (so after stranding 3 we finally come through) Swisher to
second, Jeter and Damon both fly out to….THE CATCHER!!! At least get
the ball on the field boys! = 1 Risp

5th: NONE!!  WOW!!!! Cano grounds out to 3rd to drive in Tex

Wakefield still in…6-3 Red Sox

6th: NONE!!! – Matsui did single in inning…rest of hitters down in order

7th: NONE!!! – Wakefield out..YAY!!! Back to back homers by Damon and Tex

6-5 Red Sox

8th: Swisher single, pinch runner Gardner comes in, Melky Sacrifies
him to 2nd then back to back Strikeouts by Jeter and Damon…PUT THE BALL
IN PLAY!!!! = 1 risp

9th: Rodriguez draws walk, pinch runner Pena comes in, Pena steals second, Cano strikes out, Posada fly out = 1 risp

That’s all 6 runners in scoring position…pretty bad Yankees,
pretty bad. SOOO Bad that I’m writing right now in bold to make a
stronger point…I know I’m pathetic thank you…two pop outs to the
catcher and back to back strike outs???? That’s horrible and
unacceptable guys, come on!!! The bullpen gave you a chance…you did
fight back…but we had sooo many opportunities to tie/win the game it’s
nauseating.

Well sorry for that, but I was frustrated by the shear lack of
effort last night and the flat, lackluster performance. There were two
bright spots in last night’s game Teixeira went 4 for 5, with his one
out coming off Papelbon, and Matsui going 2 for 3 and breaking out of a
horrible slump and hopefully this will be the catalyst to him turning
his season around. Three other decent bright spots were the Homeruns by
Posada, Tex and Damon, all put a charge back into the game and made it
interesting but unfortunately the team couldn’t pull it out in the end.
On to the bullpen…what a great performance by these guys last
night…Wang left the game giving up 4 runs and Hughes gave up 2 but that
was in the first 4 innings and the rest of the night the potent Saux
offense was shut down and dominated. Red Sox batters only got 6 guys on
by way of walk and hit and were struck out 5 times…all by Hughes…this
Yankee bullpen is showing up big and responding to the call…My main
concern is that they are being used too much right now…With Sabathia on
the hill tonite they should get a rest…but if they get worn out by the
end of the year it is very, very worrisome…our starters neeeeed to go
longer!

Tonite!!!! Sabathia vs Penny…the Marquee Matchup…the creme de la
creme of pitching excellence…oh wait…Penny not Peavy…sorry…ummmm not
much to say here if Sabathia keeps pitching the way he has…and gets
over his performance against the Rays the advantage is definitely on
the Yankees side. Sabathia has handled the Sox well over his tenure as
an MLB pitcher, despite his losing record at 2-4, but his ERA is a
respectable 3.91 over 7 starts. The Yankees NEED this game to prevent
falling 2 games behind in the East and still staying ahead of a hot
Blue Jays team, remember they fell apart a few weeks ago…well their
back! and playing very well (but how long will that last?). Yankees
will be fired up…Sabathia knows how big this game is for the Yankees
psyche going into this weekend against the Mets. This is a must win for
the Yanks and I think they should win easily with Penny on the
mound…perfect matchup for the struggling Yankees and it couldn’t come
at a better time…LET’S GO YANKEES!

Other Notes:
Mets: You thought the Yankees stranding 6 RISP is bad? How bout them
Mets leaving 16!!! that’s right 16 runners left on base last
night…direct reason for their loss..DON’T BLAME PARNELL!

Verlander: He’s back…simple as pie…performing at his best…he can’t
be touched and has his confidence back…dare I say Cy Young contender?

Lakers/Magic/Kobe: This is a MUST WIN for the Magic…if they don’t
put up an effort tonite they are done and there is no way they can win
in LA they must even the series…Kobe was offended that he was asked if
he was tired and responded in a weird way to me…the right way, but
weird in my opinion, WE KNOW YOUR TOUGH KOBE, DON’T WORRY!

That’s it…Late!

p.s.: Look for a joint blog entry previewing this weekend’s BIG
MATCHUP in the eyes of a Yankee fan (River Ave Rant) and a Met Fan (4th
Quarter Punts)

Yanks lose in 9th

A very, very
disappointing game today…one with many peaks and valleys but at the end
of the day the Yanks put themselves in a 4 run hole that they can only
half way dig out of. I, and probably every other Yankee fan, thought
that with the way they battled back there was noooooo shot they would
lose, especially with Mo coming in. Side Track: Hey Joe!!! Maybe it’s
time you realize that Mo can’t come in, in non save situations!!!! He
doesn’t have the same intensity and doesn’t have the same focus.
Please!!! we have other guys in the bullpen, definitely not as good or
with even close to the same track record but maybe Mo should only be in
during save situations…it has been said by many closers and many
pitching experts that when a closer comes in in a tie game they don’t
have that same fire or adrenaline rush…Joe, we have some talent in the
bullpen, including Phil Hughes lets give them a try too…Sorry Mo lovers
I am one too but you have to admit there is something wrong there.
Anyway the Yanks in the top of the 9th looked horrible, really can’t
blame them I guess…they got beat by the bats of the Rays and by Mo
getting just a bit too much of the plate. Although disappointing it is
just one loss, and the Sox still have to play a powerful offense today,
but as of right now we are tied for 1st.In
the long run the ONLY bad thing about this game was the
pitching…Sabathia’s performance was lackluster, although he did eat up
a ton of innings, 8 to be exact…but he kept the team in the game
despite giving up 5 earned on 2 homeruns. Price pitched extremely well,
he gave up 3 runs but only 1 of them was earned and the other 2 runs
were either caused or set up by Navarro who had 3 errors in the
game…OUCH! Without these errors the Yanks really had no shot, but
because of them it kept them in the game and the crowd was pumping, and
kept their adrenaline running…Side Track: Now you have to understand I
am a huge fan of Michael Kay’s radio show, I think it’s great but today
he really really made me mad. Jeter smacked a ball to right field in
the bottom of the 7th, and if it was a homerun it would have tied the
game but it wasn’t really that close, and Michael called it the whole
way like it was 20 rows deep and it was a no doubter…I understand the
job of the commentator is the keep the game entertaining but…Stop being
a superfan Michael….and you’ve been around this game long enough to
know when it is a no doubter…C’mon man I know people make mistakes but
that was a Sterling mistake.

Sorry…so like i said the pitching was the Achilles heel of the
Yankees today and it wasn’t from their inexperienced bullpen or their
journeymen pitchers but from two pitchers who you wouldn’t expect it
from. It really is just one loss, and everyone has their bad  days but
you just wish, with the way this team fought back, that both wouldn’t
come across bad performances today. O well, chalk it up to bad luck.
The Rays bats were on fire today and they took advantage of every bad
pitch they got, especially their position players and three guys you
really wouldn’t expect it from. One is Ben Zobrist, taking over for the
injured Bartlett, he went 2 for 3 today, with a solo homerun and the
most important hit of the game a triple in the 9th, followed by scoring
a run on a single by Joe Dillon…another unsung hero…Joe went 3 for 3
today and got key hits off of two really great pitchers and more
importantly the go ahead RBI off of Mo. The thrid player is Willie
Aybar, who hit a bomb in the top of the 6th to give the Rays a 5-3 lead
which they would eventually blow. But let’s not dwell and praise the
Rays, this is a Yankee blog hahaha.
YANKEE HITTERS!!! My prediction was right from the other day, in that
the Yanks MUST get Price out of the game early and get to this depleted
bullpen, who struggled ALL OVER today including the bottom of the 9th.
Until the bottom of the 8th the Rays bullpen actually showed up and I
thought the Yanks couldn’t come back with the way they were
pitching…but then Balfour decided to throw Tex a fastball down the
middle of the plate, btw he had him in either a 0-2 or 1-2 count,
Navarro wanted to the ball higher but Balfour made a HUGE mistake and
Tex hit the longest ball in Yankee Stadium so far…NOTE: I JUST MADE
THAT UP BUT IT WAS A BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMBBBBB!!!!!…After a couple of
close calls going the Yankees way the bases were loaded for Melky…seems
to be a theme Melky in clutch situations…anywho, he grounds a weak ball
to short and there is a very close play at first that could’ve went
either way…My opinion he was out…but it doesn’t matter the Ump said
safe…YES!!! the Yanks are tied…Matsui struck out swinging on a call
that went to Rays way…my opinion he checked his swing. After the worst
top of the 9th inning I have ever seen, Tex does it again, after a
single by Jeter and a misplayed double by Damon, Teixeira hits a double
in the gap to bring the Yankees within 2 runs…but to no avail Randy
Choate comes in and gets Cano to hit a long fly ball to Center…which
almost went over the head of Upton…but didn’t.

So if there is something positive to take away from this game it is
that the Yankees will show fight in every game, and even though they
were battling back into the game, it seems like they always have
enthusiasm and the desire to win…I’m liking this team this year, the
kids are showing the Vets how to have fun and enjoy the game again…our
pitchers are showing up…most of the time…and the bats are on fire and
seem like they will never stop…let’s forget this loss….even though it
is a tough one to swallow…and take the next 2.

Tomorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrow! Chamberlain against Garza….Great matchup of
two perennial all stars and two pitchers who in 2 or 3 years will be
among the ELITE in the game. This matchup does intrigue me ALOT…it can
really go either way…can I be more vague? I thought today’s game would
be a pitchers duel…I was half right (Price did pitch great)….but
tomorrow I don’t see much offense coming through…both pitchers do have
the ability to get knocked around but this game determines the series.
Chamberlain proved over his last start why he is an asset to the
starting rotation and why he really wants to be here…if he can keep his
pitch count out of his mind, and let his ability and skill take over he
will dominate this matchup…Garza is a head case who usually throws
first ball fastballs to get ahead in the count…I don’t like over
aggressiveness but tomorrow the hitters might have to be. I’m gunna
call this game being a coin toss with either teams having to take
advantage of first pitch strikes and having the runners, those who do
get on, making the pitcher pay too much attention to them…if the
pitchers aren’t challenged and taken into late counts this game could
be a 1 – 0 victory by either team. The Yankees have to be aggressive
tomorrow in both pitching and hitting…the Rays strike out a lot but
don’t throw too many fastball because they have a lot of power. If the
bats get to Garza he gets flustered…swing early in counts if the pitch
is there…but if he is a little wild take him deep into counts and
rattle him a little…Gunna be a good game tomorrow…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

No notes…can’t really think of any….late

Wang Struggles, Melky Hits Game Winner

Well let the
debates begin….NOW! I haven’t heard them yet but I am sure there are
sports talk radio shows that will blow up with callers yelling about
Wang starting yesterday when Phil Hughes got sent to the bullpen for
pitching much better than that so far this year. But one thing people
have to remember is that WE WON THE GAME! I know that isn’t condolence
for much people but…it doesn’t matter…Do people forget about how much
of an asset Wang is? Is that what Yankee fans have become? I don’t
remember Yankee fans turning their back on a player…Granted they have
let them know when they fail but it seems like no one wants Wang to
pitch anymore. The only argument I have is that they shouldn’t have
made the move official but I do believe you needed to let Wang start
after his performance in Cleveland. We can’t give up on this guy, in
2006 and 2007 he WON 19 GAMES EACH YEAR!!! Last year he was 8 and 2
before getting hurt!!! He’s too good to not let me try, and it’s early
enough that if they did lose the game it wouldn’t have really mattered!
Like I said I think they should’ve went with
an abbreviated 6 man rotation or gave Wang a spot start…his next start
is against the Sox and if he doesn’t perform he might get sent to the
minors again to regain his confidence. Don’t worry folks you will see
Hughes start again, but he is also filling a huge gap in our bullpen
right now…so before we put Girardi out to pasture on this one, let’s
see how affective this move can be, and remember WE WON THE GAME!!!
On to yesterdays game…SIDE TRACK: There was a caller on Boomer and
Carton this morning that was making it seem like a bad thing that the
Yankees win games late…UMMMMM I disagree! Although I do agree with him
in terms of you don’t want this to be a trend…but it’s not…and also he
stated that our starters can’t give up 5 or 6 runs…I AGREE TOO! BUTTTTT
let’s not get too hasty besides yesterday debacle with Wang (who gave
up 5 earned) the most runs given up by a starter in the past 12 games
is 5 earned by Burnett against the Phillies…So I know it seems like the
Yankees have been getting creamed in the early goings of the game and
winning late…but it’s not as bad as it seems…and Championship teams
always fight and are always in the game…so please stop acting like this
is a bad thing…PLEASE!! Sorry about that, I had to get that off my mind
too…but any way. Wang was so amazing in the first 2 innings yesterday
that I thought there would be no doubt the Yankees would run away with
that game. His pitches had incredible movement, he kept the ball down
and diving and most of all the hitters couldn’t get a good read on the
ball. You know what, even after the 2 run 3rd I was confident…but
that’s where the trouble began…I don’t know what happened but he just
couldn’t locate the ball right and every pitch off his hand was
flat…and it turned into batting practice…topped off by Nelson Cruz (see
earlier posts…this kid is the real deal) who hit a taser to the
visitors bullpen. Wang was pulled after 4.2 innings and will have to
perform in Boston if he wants to stay in the rotation.

I am glad to see that the Yankees are taking advantage of mediocre
pitchers…SIDE TRACK: This is why Texas will not win the West, the
Angels are fighters and the Rangers only have 2 decent pitchers at
best…Too much youth on the mound, but they do have a ton of offensive
firepower, but not enough to hold the lead for the whole year…sorry
Ranger Fans…anywho McCarthy is supposed to be a great pitcher for the
Rangers however he has struggled in the Majors…after the lead off
homerun to Damon I figured the Yankees would role to victory…however
McCarthy did calm down until the 5th inning, where he didn’t even get a
single out…The Yanks got the bases loaded and after a walk to Swisher
which made the game 5-2, Teixeira hit on the the weirdest bases
clearing doubles I have ever seen and if the Rangers weren’t shading
him to the right side of the field there is no doubt Young would have
gotten that and at least got Damon at home, but that’s what you get
putting a shortstop at 3rd ;-)
. Arod comes up in a tied game with Tex at 2nd (who was smiling and
having fun…HEY THAT’S A THEME!!!!! FUN!!! EXCITEMENT!!! ENERGY!!! I
LOVE IT!!!) and hits a single off the right field wall to bring in
Teixeira….BTW that makes up for Wednesday’s terrible performance. SIDE
TRACK: Sorry for all of these BUT!!! C’mon guys, I know he failed a lot
that day but he can’t come through EVERY TIME!!!…I’m gunna talk about
how good our bullpen was in a second..but in the top of the 5th Kinsler
hit a ball so far that if the Foul Pole didn’t get in the way it might
have made it’s way into the Audi Club….what a shot…but more importantly
what a bad pitch LOL…so after a few innings of good pitching? Really?
The unpredictable C.J. Wilson (The Rangers closer last year, I’m pretty
sure they are happy to have Fransico closing now) comes in, walks Cano
then gives up a 2 run BOM…o sorry… a 2 run pop fly, (Just Kidding) that
was almost caught, to left to give the Yanks an 8-6 lead! Melky has
been on fire this year and maybe he learned the hard way last year that
starting is a privilege not a right! Mo came in the 9th and shut the
door, he wasn’t as dominate as usual but he got the job done…that’s all
that matters!

On to the young guns in the bullpen…what a performance! Pitching 4.1
innings in relief and shutting the Rangers powerful offense down.
Besides the one blemish, Kinsler’s Bomb, they were amazing. Only
letting 6 people on base by way of 4 hits and 2 walks. But I think the
unsung hero of this game is Phil Coke, now I know I have expressed my
love for him in the past and I think that he is going to be a huge star
here but I am being honest, he shut down this offense and kept the
Yankees in the game and if it wasn’t for him getting relieve d by
Robertson he would’ve gotten the win…BUT 3 CHEERS TO THE BULLPEN…I
really don’t think they are as bad as they seem people…they have a gap
in the 8th but I don’t think we need a “set in concrete set-up man” I
believe all these role players can fill that role, They were
Magnificent yesterday and I think we can call them a Good Bullpen,
let’s not kill them for struggling once and a while…IT HAPPENS!!! Side
Track: I just read that Cruz’s homerun is the first homer by a righty
off Wang in 22 starts, that’s crazy!.

Tonite: Sabathia vs Price…this game might not even happen tonite due
to rain but I am hoping it does, cuz I have tickets and I want to see
both of these guys pitch. This is a very intriguing matchup indeed..the
Young Stud, and wonderkid especially in last years playoffs, against
the best lefty in the American League. On paper the advantage goes to
the Yankees, I mean you have to think that they can handle a young kid
who is making his first start in Yankee Stadium, the pressure will get
to him..BLAH BLAH BLAH…rewind to last years playoffs, granted no one
knew anything about him but let’s be real for a second this kid was not
phased by pressure at all!!! I expect him to perform tonite, and work
off his last start in which he looked AMAZING!! Giving up 1 earned in
5.2 innings and striking out 11..Hey Carton (wow, that’s two references
today) check your stats before you make an outlandish remark! This kid
is good and could give the Yankees some trouble, I have to say I am a
little nervous about tonite, not because of Sabathia but because of the
potential this kid has. I am truly thinking that this game will be a
pitchers duel and whoever gives up the first run loses the game. The
key to the game for the Yankees offense is to make Price throw a lot of
pitches and knock him out of the game early and get to their struggling
bullpen. Sabathia can pitch forever so if he is on we need to keep him
out there as long as possible, especially if the game is close because
I don’t know who is gunna close the game tonite due to the fact that Mo
has closed out 2 straight…ATTENTION GIRARDI!!! ATTENTION GIRARDI!!! DO
NOT bring Mo in tonite…we can not lose him due to injury or a tired
arm! My prediction is that the Yankees win if they keep Price throwing
pitches…you must take him late into counts and take advantage (AGAIN)
of rookie mistakes…and LOOK for the slider in 2 strike counts, that’s
his put away pitch and it usually comes no where near the plate! But
I’m not a professional hitter so I shouldn’t really say anything
because I have no idea how deceptive it really is. Again Yankees win if
they get to the Rays bullpen early, and if Sabathia can pitch late into
this game, we need the bullpen to rest after yesterday, although Phil
Hughes is out there, but he shouldn’t be a mop up guy…Could Phil close
tonite? LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:
Red Wings: C’MON!!!! I know the Pens are young and quick but YOU MUST!!
Win this next game…if you go down 3-2 you have no shot to win this
series.

Magic/Lakers: Not surprised…I have to be honest I don’t see the
Magic having any shot in this series, they are too overmatched by role
players. If they guard Howard like that all series, the Magic have no
shot. Yesterday was a fluke each game will be closer than that but I
don’t see how the Magic can win.

Complete Games: There might be more but there were at least 3 last
night…and TWO in the same game! But I really did this to give it up for
Carpenter who is back baby! I really like this guy and I’m glad he is
getting back to playing…Injuries tarnished what should’ve been a great
career but it looks like he is back in dominate fashion!

I think that’s it…late!

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