Results tagged ‘ Nationals ’

Yankees Welcome Mariners for 3 Games

Yankees Welcome Mariners for 3 Games

June 30, 2009 by bobdawg423 | Edit

Well
this can be a very interesting series for the Yankees…but another one
that they should win…but traditionally they struggle with the team from
Seattle…and they are actually playing surprisingly well and have some
pop on the team too…look out for Russel Branyan this guy is a
monster….slugging 19 homeruns with 10 of them coming at the UN HITTERS
FRIENDLY Safeco Field…the scary part is that he is a lefty coming into
this ballpark and we all know how fast the balls fly out to right in
the New Yankee Stadium…should be very interesting to see how they
handle him…Another scary point is that we are sending 2 pitchers that
have not been performing well, at all, at home…Joba tonite and Pettitte
tomorrow…these guys need to show up, this series is wayyyyy to
important and Boston is looking like they should at least take 2 of 3
from the O’s.

Tonite we got Joba on the mound facing off against a struggling
Brandon Morrow….PHEW!!!…the Yankees have smacked around Morrow in his
one past start against them butttttttttttt if Joba doesn’t give a good
performance it doesn’t mean anything…however, the good news is that 2
of the 3 starts Morrow has had this year were on the road and he has
gotten KILLED!!! Giving up 14 earned in 16.2 innings pitched which
equates to a 7.56 ERA….maybe they should’ve kept him in the
bullpen….butttt the scary part might be the fact that he strikes out a
lot of batters…so if the Yankees go up there swinging too much they can
dig themselves into a hole and beg Joba to pull them out…which is a
task in its own right….we have to give him runs to work with…he has to
relax and pitch his game…I say this all the time but with Hughes
lighting up the bullpen and Joba struggling as a starter we might see a
role reversal unless Joba can prove otherwise…and all signs point to
that not happening :-(
…Joba is 0 and 2 at home and has posted a 5.18 ERA and has averaged
less than 5 innings per start…not good!!! The day off yesterday gives
the bullpen a much deserved rest and gets them ready for this
series…especially if Joba and Pettitte get smacked around early….the
good news for our pitching is that Seattle is abysmal in their
offensive production so we really have to worry about their
pitching…but there is some more good news in that the starters they are
sending out aren’t studs and the Yanks have a good chance to score off
of them.

The Yanks offense has been on fire lately and has all Yankee fans
smiling once again…plus now that Arod is hitting/not swinging at balls
rolled to the plate…the team is winning and is dangerous to all
opponents. The bats need to be on tonite against a pitcher who, in all
honesty, really isn’t that good, especially on the road…however the
power numbers show that he doesn’t give up much homeruns and does
strike out a ton of batters….Ummm I said that earlier….I like being
repetitive sorry…Bottom line for tonite is that this lineup needs to
keep it up…score a few runs early and get Joba to feel comfortable so
he can calm down and not throw the entire game on his back so he
struggles…if they give him a 3 or 4 run lead he should get at least 6
innings in and be in line for the win….if he keeps the ball DOWN!!!
Back to the bats…the top of the order…Jeter in particular…is hot…they
are getting on base and the clean up guys are driving them in…it’s like
a machine almost…and the Yanks are doing what they are supposed to…more
impressively the whole team seemed to be battling the flu and they are
still on a 5 game winning streak. I am a little nervous of Tex’s slump
right now…but he did play with flu-like symptoms so let’s hope that is
why he wasn’t hitting…with Arod on fire and Tex hitting in front of him
this 3, 4 combo will be better than Man Ram and Ortiz in 04 and will
start to turn some heads soon…I can’t see the Yankees losing this
series…but that’s what I said about the series against the Nationals
and Marlins so you never know…but the team is having fun…Have you seen
Arod lately? He is smiling!! and ENJOYING THE GAME!! WOW!!! Just goes
to show you that when this team is having fun and are estatic they
win…let’s keep it up boys…keep playing the game you love and show how
much that is true…losing a game isn’t the end of the world so don’t get
dejected if you lose one or two in a row and end up in a skid you guys
are too good!!! 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!

Yanks Handle Marlins, Win 5-1

WOOOOOO
HOOOOOOO!!!! WOW….the Yankees handled a young pitcher!!! It’s almost
unbelievable that could happen, especially after that horrible
performance against the Nationals! They got to this kid West early and
didn’t look back scoring 5 runs off him in the first 3 innings and
holding on for the win. Now I have to keep this short and sweet because
I am on my way out…sorry!Have to give praise
to Pettitte, most importantly…he was clearly the Player of the game in
my book and he continued his dominance on the road. Andy went 7 strong
and struck out the same amount, while only giving up 1 run (off a Cody
Ross homerun) and only putting on 3 hitters…NO WALKS!!! He was flat out
dominant, and took advantage of a young upstart team, and he looked
like the Pettitte of old. Andy clearly still has it in him to be a
great starter for this Yankee team, and has backed it up with his
performances on the road, but what about him at home? There is
something wrong there…I don’t know if it’s just that he is pressing too
hard, or trying to over compensate for the fact that he has lost a
little off his ability due to age, but it is something that needs to be
addressed. He hasn’t been horrible at home, but he can’t keep giving up
4 – 5 runs every start he has in Yankee Stadium. Now maybe he is just
trying to be too cute with his pitches, and thus giving up runs, and
mostly homeruns, because of the rate at which balls are flying out of
the stadium, but he just has to trust his stuff and Pettitte can have a
very, very great year this year, probably one that no one would expect
out of him at his age. He may be getting old but he is still
performing, and if he figures it out at home, the Yankee rotation will
be feared.

Let’s give it up for the Yankee batters!!!! Every starter got at
least 1 hit, with Jeter, Damon, Teixeira and Posada each getting two
hits…who said Tex needed Arod in the line up to hit? What a great
performance by the Yankee hitter, very impressive and a great bounce
back victory against another team that they should take 2 out of 3
from. The Yankee bats were so hot, that EVEN PETTITTE got into the
action with an RBI double in the 2nd. The Yankees were clicking last
night, and it’s good to see that, from what I saw they were having fun,
and they looked more relaxed, probably thanks to an RBI single by
Posada in the first. If the Yankees get on the board early they relax
and have fun…GUYS PLEASE!!! WE NEED THAT FIRE BACK!!! I know I am being
ridiculous but it’s true, look at earlier this season they were just
having fun and enjoying the game and in return they were WINNING!!! We
need that back boys, let’s get it going!!! Side Track: Has anyone
noticed how hot Cano is right now? He has raised his average 19 points,
from 291 to 310, over the last 5 games, going 11 for 20 in that stretch
with 3 of those games being multi-hit….and he is a second half
hitter…pretty scary….needless to say the game last night was great, and
something the Yanks should take advantage of.

Short and sweet…Burnett vs Johnson…aka the Marquette matchup of this
series. Very interesting matchup as Johnson is the Marlins ace and one
of the better pitchers right now in the NL. Burnett is coming off a
great pitching performance against the Mets and hopefully can bring
that to his old team. Key to the game is how Burnett pitches, if he
pitches well the Yankee bats usually come around, hopefully he can hold
the Marlins to only 2 or less runs, considering that Johnson can, and
probably will hold the Yankees to only 3…very interesting game, that I
have figured to be a pitchers duel….if the Yankees are patient and can
play small ball behind Burnett, they can take this game…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!!!

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

Yankees Handle Nationals, Win 5-3

Well I must say that I did predict the Yankees to win last night,
buttttt I thought it would be a much more impressive win than what we
were witness to last night…To my utter surprise Martis showed up last
night and actually pitched a semi-impressive game,
and the only reason for that is that the Yankee bats couldn’t figure
him out when men were on base, even though they did score 2 runs (1
earned) off of him. You can almost, kind of, give the Yankees some sort
of break if the kid was pitching a great game…BUTTTTTTT putting 9 men
on, by way of walk (5!!!!) and hits (4), and not coming through and
bringing them in is pathetic. This kids control was clearly all over
the place, which can actually be a hindrance to batters, I UNDERSTAND,
but he wasn’t that crazy, he was giving up hits. The Yankees MUST be
able to hit young struggling pitchers, especially those not getting any
run support!!!When a young pitcher is
pitching good and his team isn’t scoring for him, they start to press
and try to take the workload on their own back…therefore make mistakes
more frequently…that’s when a team like the Yankees must pounce and
take advantage of it, which they didn’t do last night…I don’t want to
sound like a crazy “end of the world” fan but, this is a sign of
concern to me and a trend that CANNOT continue…I know the Yankees won,
WHO CARES IF THEY DIDN’T HIT!!! but to be honest this has happened in
the past, I KNOW, AGAIN, DIFFERENT TEAM, DIFFERENT YEAR…but they
should’ve been all over Martis and they weren’t…just a point I am
trying to make. Now I know I am being hard on the Yankees, and that is
the point, but Martis
has been pitching well as of late and this is actually his 3rd
consecutive start where he has pitched well. Also he has only given up
4 earned in his last 18 innings, so maybe, just maybe this kid is
showing promise and has the ability to pitch good in the Majors…Side
Track: I am weary of calling this kid good, or saying that he pitched
great last night, the truth of the matter is that he did put 9 men on
base last night, the other thing is that the Yankees didn’t take
advantage of this…This game was probably 1 or 2 base hits away from
being a 6 run, 4 inning outing…but I will pat myself on the back
because I did say the Yankees must take advantage of the Nationals
terrible bullpen…AND THEY DID!!!

The weird thing about this is that they did it off of the former Yankee, Ron Villone…Noooooooo…That’s
not why it is weird though, it’s weird because he is clearly their best
pitcher in the bullpen and the Yankees got to him, despite his great
numbers to date. Going into last night Villone owned a .96 ERA, only
giving up 2 earned in 18.2 innings pitched…the weirder thing is that he
posses a 3-4 record despite his great pitching…however his losing
efforts have come in games where he has given up an earned run
(well….all but 1)…andddddd Villone has been charged with a loss in each
of his last 4 appearances….so the Yankees got him at a perfect time…and
after giving up 2 earned last night he still has a very respectable
1.83 ERA. But enough praising the former Yankee, and lets hear it for
the Yankee batters!!! Despite getting shut down, some what, by Martis,
the Yanks came out strong against Villone…right away Damon jumped on him singling to right, followed by a deep shot by Teixeira
that missed a homerun by about 4 feet…but it bounced off the wall,
allowing Damon to score the tying run. And after an Arod strikeout…Side
Track: I am a huge proponent of leaving Arod alone, not because he is
sensitive but because he is under a microscope in every at bat, but I
am getting scared now. I don’t know how long the recovery time is for
this injury but he just isn’t performing and he needs to start coming
through…IN A BAD WAY!!!…Cano, who had an outstanding night going 4 for 4, bashed a double to deep center, mostly in part to a horrible play by Elijah Dukes
who misplayed the ball, scoring Tex and giving the Yanks a 4-3 lead,
which they held on to…actually scoring one more run…and winning the
game 5-3, with Mo getting the save….BTW Bruney is back…and that makes me very happy…as long as he stays healthy!!!

Sabathia
pitched GREAT last night…despite giving up a 3 run FLUKE!! of a homerun
to a kid who hasn’t hit one in 3 years!!!! HOW LUCKY IS THAT!!! Despite
putting 7 men on base last night CC was on his game…creating ground
ball outs, double plays, and fooling batters into making horrible
contact on his pitches. He didn’t have many Ks, but that happens from
time to time…however against this team it is kind of interesting…I
expected at least 5, but I’ll take 2 anytime if that means there will
be a win attached. CC was unlucky with the runs he gave up…but he did
shut down all the power in the lineup, the 2 through 5 hitters were 2
for 15 off of him, and gave up a homerun on a hanging slider that the
#9 hitter, Anderson Hernandez,
was lucky enough to pull into the left field seats, do balls fly out of
the stadium or no? Side Track: How did that ball carry out? And Tex’s
didn’t? Baseball is a craaaaaaaazy game! But overall you have to
applaud CC and his effort, he pitched great and showed how much of an
asset he truly is to this team, eating up 7.2 innings and coming back
after a less than steller outing against the Saux and getting a BIG win
against a weak team, hopefully he is the catalyst to a winning
series…maybe a sweep? Well that depends on our good friend CMW.

The most intriguing matchup of this series bar none! I am not going
to even go into depth about this game and who’s gunna win and all
that….because bottom line the ONLY key to the game is how Wang pitches
and what it means to his future with the Yankees. I lied a little…Wang
is facing a very respectable opponent tonite in John
Lannan, the Nationals ace who, if he was on another team, could be one
of the games better pitchers. He is a product of pitching in a bandbox
on a sub-par team, which will wear on anyone eventually. He has been
pitching well as of late and definitely has the ability to pitch well
against this Yankee team, which is why Wang’s start is so important.
Wang cannot have another bad start otherwise, I truly believe, this is
the last stop for him in the rotation, at least for this year. He has
been horrible in every start this year and doesn’t seem to have the
confidence of years past, and, according to Dave Eiland, isn’t taking
his bullpen sessions out on the mound with him. I don’t need to go into
specifics but the bottom line is that if Wang wants to stay in the
rotation,  which I can’t imagine him not wanting, he has to show up
tonite, against a really bad opposing team. The Yankee bats need to
help him, however this might be more of a pitchers duel than expected…Duel
is a BIG OPPERATIVE WORD in this sense…because that means Wang has to
show up too. I believe Wang will have success against this team, but he
has to be careful with the powerful lefties in this lineup, especially
with the way the balls have been flying out in right field. If he keeps
the ball down, gets his leg kick back to where it belongs, and has more
confidence in his stuff, he can pitch a great game. If he doesn’t fix
his mechanics on the mound…he might be bullpen bound (didn’t mean for
it to rhyme it just happened) or possibly put on the DL…I don’t see him
getting traded or optioned to the minors…he can still be an asset out
of the bullpen and has proved it. Very interesting game with Wang being
the key to success for the Yankees, and going toe to toe with
Lannan…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

Stallworth: I hate to bring negativity to this blog but…It is
absolutely pathetic that he is only getting 24 days in prison…it is an
embarrassment to our countries justice department and a travesty to the
family of the man who was killed…they settled a $5 million civil suit
outside of court to avoid the pain of the dragging process…but that
works in his favor in criminal court…HE WAS DRUNK AND WAS DRIVING!!!
Does that not mean anything???…way to set an example for younger
players and kids across the country…PATHETIC…this guy should be in jail
for years…he killed a person…WHILE DRUNK DRIVING!!! C’MON USE YOUR
HEADS!!! I am embarrassed for the justice department and what it has
become, celebrity buys you freedom apparently…OH and it’s fair that he
gets to play football, right? He gets 24 days while Vick gets 2 1/2
years…tell me how that is justified.

Bryce Harper: Leaving High School 2 years early to further his
professional career. The kid is a beast and if he stays on the same
track this won’t mean anything. He can only grow from this experience
and I think he is gunna be a MONSTER when he makes it to the MLB.

Mal Hall: Former Yankee great gets arrested and thrown in jail for
Child Molestation…what a moron…the arraignment only took 90-minutes…not
looking good for ol’ Mel…what a piece of garbage…he deserves to get
life.

Yankees, Nationals Game 1

Well this is not gunna start off the way you think it will but I do
have a quick story to tell you about my night, last night. So there I
am, 2 strikes in the 10th, a third needed for immortality, well sort of
(this is bowling by the way), I make my approach and release the ball,
as it rolls down the lane I notice something was terribly wrong, I
threw it too slow and it’s hooking WAYYYYY to early…The ball hits the
pins and I stand there staring at a 3-4-6-7 split (for those
non-bowlers…that’s not a good shot at all) and so there I am, all alone
at the foul line with my hands on my head…I blew it…I blew my chance at
my bowling alley’s strike-a-pot…I blew my chance at $3,800. Yeah so
that was my night last night, the only good news is that I bowled my
high series at 746…Thought I would give you some insight to my exciting
personal life…LOL…well on to tonite’s game.This
game should be a walk in the park for the Yankees…but then again that’s
what I said about the matchup of Pettitte vs Nieve, this past
Saturday…but that was then…this is now…and these are two completely
different pitchers. If you want to peer at yesterday’s
post you will see a preview of the upcoming series against the
Nationals and a brief overview of tonite’s matchup…but why would you go
there….when you are here already? So here we go….

The Yankees are coming off a HUGE series win over the Mets and an
absolute bashing this past Sunday, when they won 15-0, a game in which
they faced oft-considered the best pitcher in the game, Johan Santana.
Needless to say, that is a huge confidence boost for the Yankees and
gives them the momentum going into this 3 game series. Tonite the
Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia takes the mound against 2nd year pitcher Shairon Martis,
a matchup that should have Yankee hitters and fans feeling
confident…and should keep the momentum rolling for the Yankees through
the series. Clearly the Yankees have the advantage on the mound tonite,
a seasoned Vet at home, facing a young kid who has never pitched
against the Yankees…let alone Yankee Stadium. CC has also had great
success in the past against the Nationals, with 2 starts against them
CC has gone 1 and 1 with a 1.65 ERA (allowing only 3 runs over 16.1
innings)…including a 5 hitter where he fanned 9 batters, while with the
Brewers. CC is also coming off a terrible loss, in his last start, to
the Red Sox, where he went 7+, and fell apart in the 8th where he let
the first 3 batters on…and was charged when all 3 batters scored. CC is
definitely looking to bounce back after that disappointing loss…and the
Nationals are the perfect team to bounce back against…most of their
power is from the left side of the plate (except Ryan Zimmerman)
and CC has dominated left handed batters this year, but has also
struggled at home posting a 4.07 ERA and giving up 3 homeruns. However,
I believe, all the planets are aligned and show signs that Sabathia
will pitch great tonite against the MLB’s worst team.

Along with that I believe the bats will help CC out tremendously
tonite. The Yankees are a dominate team, as well as an intimidating
one, with an opposing lineup full of all stars and potential Hall of
Famers, tonite is not a good night for Martis to be making his first
start against the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have the momentum from the
Mets series on their side and flat out dominated them in their 15-0 win
this past Sunday….BTW
that was without their two best players performing…THAT IS SCARY!!!
Like I said before the Yankee batters are probably licking their chops
at the chance to get at this kid…but lets not be too hasty. A few
horrible outings have bloated this kids ERA, but he does poses a 5 and
1 record, which means, generally, that the Nationals are scoring for
him in his starts…in fact they score an average of 5.4 runs per start
for him…not too shabby…but will be a much harder feat to accomplish
when facing Sabathia. And, actually, in his past 2 starts or 12 innings
pitched Martis has only given up 3 earned…a very respectable
accomplishment (wow, I hate repeating words). Butttttttt he didn’t
really face a lineup like the Yankees, but he did pitch at home in his
own bandbox. I still think his recent trend will be no problem for the
Yankee batters, I know they have never seen this kid pitch before, but
he is young, and isn’t really having that great of a year. I truly
don’t see how the Yankees can lose this game…they have to attack this
kid when he is in the zone and let him get into his own trouble….DON’T
HELP HIM OUT AT ALL…TAKE PITCHES, FOUL PITCHES OFF, GET THIS KID
NERVOUS!!!!!! Yankees win tonite on route to a series win…LET’S GO
YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

Cowboys: Roy Williams…SHUT UP!!! Play your game…that’s what you are on the team for…not to criticize your quarterback.

Indians/Brewers: How scary is Prince? And how great must that game
have been to be at or watch live? I saw the highlights and couldn’t
turn away….what a great game by two offensive juggernauts.

That’s it…I think…late!

Yankees vs Nationals Preview

Needless to say this series is a BIG one…if the Yankees play the way
they should, and exploit the horrible Nationals pitching this SHOULD
be a sweep, and there is no excuse if they don’t come out of this 2 to
1. The only concern I really have in this series is that the Nationals
have BIG bats and have shown their muscle in the past…plus they also
play in a bandbox in Washington so they know how to play on a ballpark
that is similar to theirs. The Yankees should be on a high after their
2 to 1 series win over the Mets and especially the win yesterday over
Santana, where their bats were absolutely on fire! If
that carries over, I wouldn’t want to be a Nationals fan, or pitcher
for that matter. I don’t see the Yankees coming out of this series as a
loser…the Nationals are too weak of a team and they must take advantage
of that to stay close to Boston who are facing the Florida Marlins, a
scrappy underrated team who needs this series to stay afloat…and in my
opinion have the pitching advantage in the first two games of this
series. If Florida can play Boston hard we can see the Yankees down by
1 in the standings….I can’t see the Sox getting swept at all…However
the Yankees can’t bank on Boston losing so they must take advantage of
the upcoming series.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Sabathia vs Martis

I don’t think I really have to say this buttttt….the advantage is
clearly Sabathia in this matchup. Martis has shown this season that he
definitely has potential, and even for a short period of time he was
looking dominate and was the best pitcher in the Nationals
rotation…however the batters caught up to him and exposed what he
really is and now he posses a bloated ERA but still has an impressive 5
and 1 record despite his ERA is 5.04…although over his last 2 starts
…or 12 innings…he has shown that promise again…only giving up 3 earned.
Still the pitching advantage is clearly in the Yankees corner with the
Veteran workhorse Sabathia. CC has had 2 bad starts in a row (for his
standards) and is looking to bounce back and against a weak opponent it
is a great time to do it. Sabathia definitely has not forgotten about
his performance in Boston and that loss has left a bad taste in his
mouth, no doubt. I really can’t see the Yankees losing this game, the
bats (even in losing efforts) have been hot lately, and they, for the
most part (except against Nieve), have been hitting bad pitching REALLY
hard! The Yankees must take advantage of teams they can beat and this
matchup should almost guarantee a victory…oh by the way Sabathia is 1
and 1 with a 1.65 ERA against the Nationals in his career…if they can’t
win this game…this might be a longggg series.

Game 2: Wang vs Lannan

The real ace of this Nationals staff is facing the once ace of this
Yankees staff, and has fans wondering if this will be the game where
Wang finally turns it around and salvages his rotation spot for this
year. I can’t believe I am saying this but Washington has the pitching
advantage in this one. The ONLY key to this game is if Wang pitches or
not…I think the Yankees can score off Lannan, but if they can’t they
definitely have to knock him out early and then attack the Nationals
less than stellar bullpen. However if Wang doesn’t show up and gets
hammered that allows Lannan, who is TERRIBLE on the road this season,
to calm down and pitch his game with a lead. Wang must pitch well and
eat up some innings…the bullpen will be rested, because of Burnett’s
performance and the day off today, but if he doesn’t eat up innings
that isn’t good for his progress and, truth be told, means that he
didn’t have a good pitching day. Wang, in my opinion, is the ONLY key
to the game…if he doesn’t pitch well I think the Yankees will have a
tough day…I think they can hit Lannan but if he has a lead he can pitch
the way he wants, anddddd if Wang is off against the Nationals line-up,
they will put up BIGGGG numbers on him…if he keeps the ball high in the
zone Zimmerman and Dunn will hurt him badly…and I am positive Dunn is
licking his lips and hoping he gets balls to hit…and if he does we will
see some of the longest homeruns we have ever seen fly out of Yankee
Stadium.

Game 3: Joba vs Stammen

Again the Yankees have the pitching advantage…I can’t see how they
can lose against a struggling rookie, especially at home. The key to
the game is Joba, he NEEDS to eat up innings, he can’t have another 4
inning performance…he must calm down and take his time and again, trust
his stuff…if he does it’s a no doubter to me…he’s too dominate when he
is on and I can’t see the Yankees NOT knocking around this kid.

Key to the Series:

Starting Pitching…bottom line! If they pitch well against this
potent, but underrated, lineup they should have no problem winning
these games, especially if it turns into a bullpen shootout…the
Nationals bullpen is abysmal so the Yankees should take pitches and get
the National starters out of the game…quickly.

The series has to go to the Yankees…I really see them sweeping the
Nationals but to me there is no way they don’t win at least 2 of 3,
especially at home. This is too big of a series for them to be flat and
not perform they must come out and play like the championship caliber
team that they are…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

That’s It…Late!

Yanks Hand Mets, Santana a 13-0 Beating

Well now that I am officially back from my trip to A/C I can make my triumphant long awaited return to my blog…don’t act like you didn’t miss me…and boyyyyy howdy do I have a lot to talk about…Just a heads up there is no game tomorrow so I am saving my preview of he first game in the Nationals series for tomorrow. Wow, what a weekend! Not just for me but the Yankees and Mets as well…A whole lot of ups and downs but WHO CARES the Yankees take the series 2 to 1 and after a quick nap yesterday (only scoring two runs off of who? oh right Nieve) the Yankee bats were alive and ON FIRE!!! Scoring 15….yeah that’s right 1-5…15 runs today!! I’m gunna get back to today’s extremely impressive performance in a few but…I of course have to talk about Friday and Yesterday’s game…of course no one cares about either BUT I DO!!! So I am just gunna go over a few quick notes about each game…really brief I promise.

 

Friday:

What a great game…well it had to be b/c I had tickets to it but couldn’t go (inside joke)…The Yankee bats did what they had to do…they attacked Livan Hernandez and took him for 6 earned over 5.1 innings pitched. Too bad Joba, who gave up 2 earned by way of a bases loaded HBP and Walk) couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain and only pitched for 4 innings (throwing 100 pitches by that time…not good) Brett Tomko blew up giving up 4 earned over 2/3 of a inning and leaving the Yankees in a 6 to 3 hole after the top of the 5th. The Yankees took the lead 7 – 6 in the bottom of the 6th by way of a 3 run Matsui bomb and that’s where the real fun started. The Mets seemed to be on a role…Side Track: Wow, in the middle of a sentence….anywho the game was no where to be found in atlantic city so I am piecing this together off of recollection of my oft-praised MLB.com App on my Iphone…and they took back the lead in the top of the 8th on a David Wright double…Oh wait…this is where the fun begins!!! After a one out single by Jeter, he steals 2nd when Damon strikes out, followed by an IBB to Teixeira, Arod comes up to bat and pops up a fastball right down the middle and Castillo makes the out to win the game….OHHHHH NOOOOO!!!! That was supposed to happen but didn’t…Castillo tracked the ball wrong and it ended up hitting the heel of his glove and dropping to the ground…ummmm what do you call that a walk off error? That was too good!!!! 

 

Saturday:

Real real short…I hate praising the Mets…this guy (I called him a kid the other day and was clearly wrong) Nieve pitched a great game and showed the Yankees of years past…They usually have a history of not being able to hit horrible pitchers…but w/e….Mets clearly out played the Yankees in this one and exploited Pettitte and his continuing woes at home…I don’t know what is wrong with him…it’s really scaring me but it doesn’t seem to matter to anyone else…including the Yankee announcers….In my opinion they need to do something with Pettitte….Have him pitch batting practice or something along those lines to see what he can get away with at home…because he is clearly not pitching to his potential when the Yankees are in the Bronx…I just checked his YTD (year to date) stats for this year at home and he has only had 2 starts where he has given up less than 3 runs….Something needs to be done or it can be a LONGGGG season for Pettitte at home.

 

Today :-) :

One of those rare “PERFECT” days for the Yankees today…I think everyone and their brother…including me…figured the Yankees would have had a hard time against Santana today…but WOW were we wrong…the Yanks took 9 earned off of Santana before knocking him out in the 4th before he got an out…The Yankees woke up today and scored 4 runs in the second inning then were at full steam in the 4th when they knocked in 9, yes 9 runs!!! What a great day to be a Yankee fan but an even better day to be a Yankee batter…it must’ve seemed like batting practice to them….Side Track: I wonder how the Mets fans are gunna take this two game skid from Santana…I can only imagine the sports talk shows tomorrow…but they might have a point this is the only time in Santana’s career when he has given up 9 earned…by the way that’s 14 earned over his past two starts…it happens Mets fans don’t go crazy and kill yourselves it’s one game…too bad Philly won today too LOL…I want to go over the bats first…with a brief synopsis b/c dinner is almost here but I will hit on Burnett very soon…There is really no complaints from me about the Yankee bats AT ALL…I am a little concerned about Arod though…he is not getting into the swing
of things…and it’s gunna kill me to say this butttt Susan Waldman (ewwwwww) actually said something worth while and made a great point that we kind of have to be patient with Arod…he is coming off major surgery and probably doesn’t trust his hip yet…but we shouldn’t fret on that what a great hitter performance overall…7 of the 9 starting hitters got a hit in this game with 5 of them having multi-hit games..and Jeter going 4 for 4…what a great day..I am very happy…and more importantly Damon got his swing back and this game will hopefully completely snap him out of his slump. Oh by the way Matsui hit another one and if he stays healthy that just makes our line up even more dangerous….sorry for being brief…

 

Player of the game has to be Burnett in my mind…he not only set the pace by getting out of a no out bases loaded situation without giving up a run but struck out 2 of those batters….he flat out dominated the Mets hitters today and showed the Yankees why they went out and got him….He has been teasing the media by saying once he is “on” he is never gunna stop…let’s hope this game is a sign of the future with him on this team….Burnett pitched a great game and hopefully now he can calm down…this just might be his “Yankee Moment”….although not the biggest rival of the Yankees this matchup always stirs up emotions and is a HUGE deal to the Yankee fans…ALWAYS…so hopefully if he was feeling the pressure of pitching against Boston as a Yankee this game will be a huge step in the right direction for him. Again Burnett showed his real stuff today and how dominate he can be, yes the Mets are dinged up but they still have great bats in the lineup…he worked out of tight situations and kept his composure the whole way through…The Yankees were fired up today and the swagger was back…let’s keep the Mojo working boys…don’t lose that desire and become flat again, like you did in Boston PLEASE!!!! Interesting series coming up starting Tuesday…will be back tomorrow to preview it…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

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)

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