Showing posts with label mark teixeira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mark teixeira. Show all posts
11.13.2009
Silver and gold
Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira now have Silver Slugger awards to add to their Gold Gloves.
11.11.2009
Jeter, Teixeira win Gold Gloves
Derek Jeter (shortstop) and Mark Teixeira (first base) have won American League Gold Gloves at their positions. Notice in the story that these guys didn't get $25,000 tips; turns out their owner already pays them a decent wage.
11.04.2009
It's time
Just before the seventh, and FOX is showing great World Series moments. The ball dribbles through Bill Buckner's legs, and a laugh bursts out of my mouth as I move past the TV.
Problem is, I'm at the Boston Globe. And for those of you short on baseball history, that error was one of the worst moments in Boston Red Sox history, a play where the Sox had it all wrapped up until Buckner prolonged the 86-year curse.
The Sox have been done playing for a while now, of course. Worse yet, their archnemesis, New York, is leading the World Series three games to two.
I am forced to watch at the Boston Globe, where every laugh at Buckner gets a dirty look, and every Hideki Matsui RBI gets a groan.
Ah, yes, Matsui. That's where this story begins, right? The story of Game 6 and Championship #27.
The great storyline going into the game, of course, was that this contest offered a matchup between two players deep within Yankees-Red Sox lore. New York brought Andy Pettitte, who holds the record for most postseason games with 19. He's won four championships and was the pitcher who clinched the American League Division Series and American League Championship for the Yankees this year.
On the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies was Pedro Martinez, the same Pedro who slew the Yankees en route to the 2004 championship by the Sox. Martinez is best known for admitting, before he had learned how to get past New York, that the Yankees were his "daddy."
So they there were, the great Yankees-killer versus the great Yankees playoff pitcher, ready for a duel that made even New York fans who were sick over the series stretching to six games pleased as the great matchup.
Martinez buzzed through the first inning, as did Pettitte, then Martinez opened up the second frame with a leadoff walk. (You have to wonder who Pedro's Little League coach was, and if he spoke enough Spanish to teach little Pedro to never walk the leadoff man.)
Alex Rodriguez trotted to first, and the Matsui show began. Matsui battled Pedro in an eight-pitch battle that saw Godzilla (Matsui's nickname in his native Japan) hit a few Japanese home runs, towering blasts landing in the right-field seats that would once have been counted as homers in Japanese baseball.
Finally, Matsui straightened one out and went just as deep, and five batters into the game, the Yankees were ahead 2-1.
It was a lead New York would never relinquish.
Pettitte, although pitching on merelythree days of rest, looked decent early, humming through the Phillies lineup. He allowed a triple (that could have been a double if not for a strange bounce), then the runner scored on a sacrifice fly.
Pedro, on the other hand, hit some more trouble in the very next inning. Derek Jeter hit a one-out single, then Martinez walked Johnny Damon after a seven-pitch at-bat. Next up was Mark Teixeira, who has had a measley two hits this World Series and would probably be more comfortable hiding in a locker. But Pedro bailed him out, plunking him to load the bases.
Rodriguez stepped to the plate with another chance to continue writing his magical playoff story, but Pedro struck him out.
Next up: Matsui. The Yankees already led 2-1, with the designated hitter having done his job. Matsui seemed eager, though, to make up for time lost in Philadelphia, where he rode the pine for three games (with no DH).
Matsui ripped a beautiful RBI single up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded, boosting New York's margin to 4-1.
By the time the fifth came around, Pedro was gone, chased after just four innings. The vaunted pitching matchup had fallen to Japanese pressure, and the bats would now decide the game.
Jeter came out with no care for who was on the mound, lacing a leadoff double to keep the Phillies on their heels. After Jeter was sacrificed over to third, Teixeira finally came through, singling Jeter home to put the Yankees up 5-1. It was the only RBI the Yankees would get that wasn't by Matsui.
Yes, Matsui again. After A-Rod got plunked one more time (the fourth time this series), Matsui the Phillies-killer did as he knew best, doubling the runners home for a 7-1 New York lead.
Apparently, after being rested for three games, Matsui thought he'd compensate with three games' worth of stats in one amazing evening.
Matsui's 6 RBI tied a record for the most RBI in a World Series game.
In the top half of the innings, by the way, Pettitte was still mowing them down, pitching a nearly flawless game. He allowed just two hits through five innings, which is just what the Yankees needed after their poor pitching destroyed their six-run effort the night before.
As Pettitte moved into the sixth, the camera cut to the bullpen, capturing a shot of someone tossing a ball at Joba Chamberlain, who totally missed it and saw it fly by his head.
Stomach ulcers, commence. Yankees fans are already nervous enough about ever having to use the bullpen (especially Chamberlain), so that's the last thing we want to see.
Pettitte gave up a walk, a two-run homer, and a double, and it was time to summon Chamberlain. The real test began. But surprisingly, Chamberlain got his outs.
In the top of the seventh, Chase Utley came to the plate with two guys on, with the chance to pull the Phils within one with one swing. But the man who has foiled the Yankees so far this Series, who even dared to tie Mr. October Reggie Jackson's home record, was struck out by Damaso Marte.
It was then that you realized that it was time. This could be it. It could really be happening.
Rodriguez came to the plate, and the Phillies threw at his head again. But what were they doing? Getting A-Rod uncomfortable seemed to be Philadelphia's last, desperate ploy to keep some kind of hold on the Series.
But the Yankees have been winning with just moderate production from A-Rod. And the pitching showed up tonight. And they were holding fast; no meltdowns, no worries, nothing.
Phillies MVP Ryan Howard came to the plate and struck out again, the 13th time this series (that's a record). People say that if you're a power hitter, you're going to strike out a lot as well as hit home runs. Well, Howard has hit one home run and struck out 13 times. Yeah, I think New York has this one.
Enter Sandman. Five outs, game over. Did this just happen?
The New York Yankees are world champions. !!!!!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
Other Yankees Posts
Game Recap
Problem is, I'm at the Boston Globe. And for those of you short on baseball history, that error was one of the worst moments in Boston Red Sox history, a play where the Sox had it all wrapped up until Buckner prolonged the 86-year curse.
The Sox have been done playing for a while now, of course. Worse yet, their archnemesis, New York, is leading the World Series three games to two.
I am forced to watch at the Boston Globe, where every laugh at Buckner gets a dirty look, and every Hideki Matsui RBI gets a groan.
Ah, yes, Matsui. That's where this story begins, right? The story of Game 6 and Championship #27.
The great storyline going into the game, of course, was that this contest offered a matchup between two players deep within Yankees-Red Sox lore. New York brought Andy Pettitte, who holds the record for most postseason games with 19. He's won four championships and was the pitcher who clinched the American League Division Series and American League Championship for the Yankees this year.
On the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies was Pedro Martinez, the same Pedro who slew the Yankees en route to the 2004 championship by the Sox. Martinez is best known for admitting, before he had learned how to get past New York, that the Yankees were his "daddy."
So they there were, the great Yankees-killer versus the great Yankees playoff pitcher, ready for a duel that made even New York fans who were sick over the series stretching to six games pleased as the great matchup.
Martinez buzzed through the first inning, as did Pettitte, then Martinez opened up the second frame with a leadoff walk. (You have to wonder who Pedro's Little League coach was, and if he spoke enough Spanish to teach little Pedro to never walk the leadoff man.)
Alex Rodriguez trotted to first, and the Matsui show began. Matsui battled Pedro in an eight-pitch battle that saw Godzilla (Matsui's nickname in his native Japan) hit a few Japanese home runs, towering blasts landing in the right-field seats that would once have been counted as homers in Japanese baseball.
Finally, Matsui straightened one out and went just as deep, and five batters into the game, the Yankees were ahead 2-1.
It was a lead New York would never relinquish.
Pettitte, although pitching on merelythree days of rest, looked decent early, humming through the Phillies lineup. He allowed a triple (that could have been a double if not for a strange bounce), then the runner scored on a sacrifice fly.
Pedro, on the other hand, hit some more trouble in the very next inning. Derek Jeter hit a one-out single, then Martinez walked Johnny Damon after a seven-pitch at-bat. Next up was Mark Teixeira, who has had a measley two hits this World Series and would probably be more comfortable hiding in a locker. But Pedro bailed him out, plunking him to load the bases.
Rodriguez stepped to the plate with another chance to continue writing his magical playoff story, but Pedro struck him out.
Next up: Matsui. The Yankees already led 2-1, with the designated hitter having done his job. Matsui seemed eager, though, to make up for time lost in Philadelphia, where he rode the pine for three games (with no DH).
Matsui ripped a beautiful RBI single up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded, boosting New York's margin to 4-1.
By the time the fifth came around, Pedro was gone, chased after just four innings. The vaunted pitching matchup had fallen to Japanese pressure, and the bats would now decide the game.
Jeter came out with no care for who was on the mound, lacing a leadoff double to keep the Phillies on their heels. After Jeter was sacrificed over to third, Teixeira finally came through, singling Jeter home to put the Yankees up 5-1. It was the only RBI the Yankees would get that wasn't by Matsui.
Yes, Matsui again. After A-Rod got plunked one more time (the fourth time this series), Matsui the Phillies-killer did as he knew best, doubling the runners home for a 7-1 New York lead.
Apparently, after being rested for three games, Matsui thought he'd compensate with three games' worth of stats in one amazing evening.
Matsui's 6 RBI tied a record for the most RBI in a World Series game.
In the top half of the innings, by the way, Pettitte was still mowing them down, pitching a nearly flawless game. He allowed just two hits through five innings, which is just what the Yankees needed after their poor pitching destroyed their six-run effort the night before.
As Pettitte moved into the sixth, the camera cut to the bullpen, capturing a shot of someone tossing a ball at Joba Chamberlain, who totally missed it and saw it fly by his head.
Stomach ulcers, commence. Yankees fans are already nervous enough about ever having to use the bullpen (especially Chamberlain), so that's the last thing we want to see.
Pettitte gave up a walk, a two-run homer, and a double, and it was time to summon Chamberlain. The real test began. But surprisingly, Chamberlain got his outs.
In the top of the seventh, Chase Utley came to the plate with two guys on, with the chance to pull the Phils within one with one swing. But the man who has foiled the Yankees so far this Series, who even dared to tie Mr. October Reggie Jackson's home record, was struck out by Damaso Marte.
It was then that you realized that it was time. This could be it. It could really be happening.
Rodriguez came to the plate, and the Phillies threw at his head again. But what were they doing? Getting A-Rod uncomfortable seemed to be Philadelphia's last, desperate ploy to keep some kind of hold on the Series.
But the Yankees have been winning with just moderate production from A-Rod. And the pitching showed up tonight. And they were holding fast; no meltdowns, no worries, nothing.
Phillies MVP Ryan Howard came to the plate and struck out again, the 13th time this series (that's a record). People say that if you're a power hitter, you're going to strike out a lot as well as hit home runs. Well, Howard has hit one home run and struck out 13 times. Yeah, I think New York has this one.
Enter Sandman. Five outs, game over. Did this just happen?
The New York Yankees are world champions. !!!!!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
The New York Yankees are world champions!
Other Yankees Posts
Game Recap
11.02.2009
Team W
Was it Mr. November, punching home the go-ahead run in fifth? The acquired workhorse pitcher, muscling his way through nearly six innings on short rest? Perhaps the All-Star first baseman, cleaning up a 20-foot radius at the right-field bag? Or maybe the team's biggest "fraud," driving the hit he's been trying to find for the past five years? Wait — the old-man, shallow-throwing Boston defector? Or the bullpen ghosts, actually finding outs rather than bringing a curse? Perhaps the Sandman, closing it out with eight pitches?
It was the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers, the boys in pinstripes, the Evil Empire. The team that resides in New York, N.Y., collectively won Game 4 of the World Series tonight, and it was beautiful.
The action began in the first inning, as it always should, with Yankees captain Derek Jeter up to bat. He struck the second pitch of the night and ran for a single, and Johnny Damon followed behind with a pounding double.
Mark Teixeira, who has one hit to his name in the World Series so far, took a step in the right direction by lacing an RBI grounder down the right-field line. Teixeira was tagged out by first after a great Ryan Howard dive, but the Yankees were up 1-0 after six pitches.
(Irony: Teixeira and Howard are both first baseman and their team's leading sluggers, and both haven't been hitting in the Series but have played incredible defense.)
Alex Rodriguez came to the plate with his own redemption at stake. Since torching the American League Division and Championship Series, Rodriguez has been horrific against the Phils, striking out six times and getting just one hit (although it was a beauty, a two-run round-tripper). Clearly in the zone, A-Rod got in his stance and stared toward Philadelphia pitcher Joe Blanton, ready to send the runner on third home.
Blanton's first pitch skewed out of his hand and flew straight into the back of A-Rod's rib cage, a pitch so off the mark you had to think he was more shaken at the prospect of the ensuing at-bat than trying to plunk the hard-hitting cleanup man. A-Rod turned away, visibly angry — not so much at the pain, though. This man wanted to drive 'em in.
It was the third time Rodriguez had been hit in the last two games, with the two times he was beaned yesterday the first time since the 1960s that a player had been hit twice in a World Series game.
Jorge Posada came through with a sacrifice fly, putting New York up 2-0, and then it was time for CC Sabathia to get to work.
Sabathia looked rough early, allowing back-to-back doubles for a run, but he buckled down to strike out two and escape the innings. It appeared that the game might dissolve into a pitcher's duel, but in the bottom of the fourth, Sabathia allowed another run.
The Yankees' batters were ready.
Nick Swisher drew a four-pitch walk from the leadoff spot, a big feat for a guy who's been hitting nothing lately, sans yesterday's outburst. (Swisher ended up drawing two walks, a mix of hilarity and greatness.) Then, in a scene all Yankees fans could smile at, the camera cut to the on-deck circle to show Sabathia lopping his bat around, stretching/practice swinging, looking like a fat kid trying to imitate his father.
Melky Cabrera was up next, though, and he provided the Melky special with a man on first. Cabrera doesn't always hit it strong, but he finds ways to get on base, such as his legging out a bunt a couple games ago or his hit tonight, a grounder he outran.
Sabathia arrived at the plate wanting to pull a Pettitte and put his team ahead after letting the Phils catch up, but he came up short. No worries: Mr. November will take care of it.
Jeter hooked an RBI single to put the Yankees up again, 3-2, in the top of the fifth.
Damon followed, absolutely plopping the ball in the gap, and alert running by Cabrera helped him come all the way home once he knew the ball would drop, scoring a 4-2 run in a game that proved to hang on each run's importance.
With the Yankees bats finally, officially, unflukishly alive, all Sabathia had to do was hold the Phillies. The big man worked into the seventh and was an out away from sewing up the frame when Chase Utley came to the plate. Utley had already hit a first-inning RBI double off Sabathia to get Philly within one, and he was the one responsible for Philadelphia's Game 1 win, thanks to his two quads off of Sabathia while Cliff Lee held New York at bay (until the bullpen imploded, and New York destroyed itself).
Chase Utley did it again, chasing Sabathia with a solo homer that brought the Phillies, once again, within a run. 4-3 Yankees.
Sabathia left with six-and-two-thirds innings pitched, 107 pitches tossed, and six strikeouts. It wasn't a flawless game, but it was enough — just what the Yankees needed. New York didn't need dominance; it just needed him to work out of enough jams to let a decent bat effort win the game. You know, have him be part of the team rather than carrying everyone.
The bottom of the eighth brought a pitching change for the Yankees necessitated by a pinch batter, and manager Joe Girardi summoned Joba Chamberlain. Once the fireballing pride of the Bronx, Chamberlain has been caught in management's yo-yo routine between being an average starting pitcher and a dominating setup man to the point that he can barely do either now. But he seemed to have found his form again when he took the mound, striking out two and loading two strikes on Pedro Feliz.
Chamberlain was close to redemption, then boom, Feliz ripped one over the wall. In a game the Yankees had been controlling, with just one inning left, it was all evened up, 4-4.
Out of Philadelphia's bullpen, with the game on the line, came the Phillie with the biggest need of his own redemption: Brad Lidge. A year after being Philadelphia's savior, winning the town its first championship since 1983 by saving game after game with Mariano Rivera-like perfection, Lidge had imploded in the regular season, posting unsightly numbers and losing games.
But come October, he was the old Lidge, not allowing anything past him and closing out the tight Phillies games as the men in red recorded more of their vaunted comebacks.
It was the Yankees' first test against Lidge, and at first it looked like they were failing. Hideki Matsui went down on a popup, and Jeter struck out ugly on seven pitches. Damon came to the plate as the Yankees' final chance before an extra innings (or comeback) mess and worked up a nine-pitch, full-count single to put a man on first with two out and the American League's most prolific hitter in 2009 coming to the plate.
Problem is, the American League's most prolific hitter in 2009 has been one of the Yankees' worst postseason hitter. Teixeira has one hit so far in the Series, and his only other good stat (that first-inning RBI) was inches from being another chopped foul.
The pressure was on, and Teixeira — Sesame Street-face seriousness and all — was ready for it.
But the baseball gods wanted someone else to have a try at it. With a 1-0 count, Damon took off running for a steal of second, and the throw — while wayward — barely went to the right side of the bag as Damon slid in for an easy swipe. But Damon, realizing that the throw had drawn the second baseman away, and seeing that no Phillies were on the left side of the diamond due to the shift they'd put on to quell Teixeira, decided he'd take third.
At first, it looked like a blunder. Had Damon not seen that the fielder had the ball? Was he trying to be a hero? Why did he need third? Where was he going?
Moments later, when sneaky Damon had taken third, all was clear, and the Yankees were in prime position to close out the game.
The pressure was still on Teixeira, but Lidge took it off when his next pitch plunked Tex, putting men on first and third for the man the baseball gods have been summoning since last Wednesday.
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, come forth.
(Word play to not be taken seriously: Doesn't Emmanuel mean "God with us"?)
We've been saying it in June, in July, in the final days of September, that this A-Rod is the real deal. He's a team player; he's focused; he's ready to just play; he's firing on all cylinders. October showed up, and A-Rod bashed seven RBI in his final regular-season game to snatch 100 RBI and rev the motor for the playoffs. The postseason arrived, and he arrived with it, carrying the Yankees past the Twins and the Angels, breaking records and erasing years of terrible play.
But the World Series brought an 0-for-8 start, including six strikeouts. And even the two-run blast yesterday to pull the Yankees into the game wasn't a solace as A-Rod came to the plate against Lidge, who despite his foibles, had looked very good in striking out Jeter three batters before.
Strike looking. A-Rod is calm, serene, stepping back, then moving into the box again.
Nervousness grips the pinstriped faithful, for as much as they've hated him before, they don't want to hate him anymore. They want this one. They want it bad.
Take back what is rightfully our's. K-O the Phillies. Three games to one. Championship No. 27. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Swing — hard hit — oh, it's a hit — a good one — it's moving — Yankees ahead — A-Rod's for real — A-Rod's for real — A-Rod's for real!
Cannot believe it. The 1-for-13 batter just got it done.
A Jorge Posada single followed, scoring Teixeira and Rodriguez to put the game away (well, until Rivera's eight-pitch shut-down that blew away the three Phillies who'd had the air sucked out of them).
And there we go. A 7-4 win. A postseason edge.
27 outs away from No. 27.
Whew, I'm sure glad those 39 pitches Mo threw two games ago didn't let the Phillies figure him out like they said they would. Give me a break, Phillies. You're problem isn't Mo. It's not Sabathia. It's not even A-Rod, or Jeter, or Damon, or a rejuvenated bullpen.
You've met a collection of men called the New York Yankees, and they want this one.
Other Yankees Posts
Game Recap
Notables: Jeter was 2-for-4 with a walk, run, and RBI in a game where his stat line didn't reveal how insanely clutch this tight-pants-clad man is. ... Damon was 3-for-5, and officially absolved of the accusations that he brought the curse with him from Boston. ... A-Rod's double was his only hit of the night, and Teixeira was hitless again. ... Posada had just one hit but 3 RBI; he knows how to pick his spots. ... Cabrera may have pulled his hamstring after running out that grounder. He had to leave the game. ... Chamberlain got the win, with hopes it won't go to his head since his hat is already stretched to the seams (both literally and figuratively). He's also credited with a blown save, which is abbreviated "BS" in statistic-keeping. ... Rivera's save was his fifth of this postseason. ... The runs Lidge allowed were the first this postseason. Until now he was the last pitcher to not allow a run in the 2009 playoffs. ... Jimmy Rollins said the Phillies would win in five games.
It was the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers, the boys in pinstripes, the Evil Empire. The team that resides in New York, N.Y., collectively won Game 4 of the World Series tonight, and it was beautiful.
The action began in the first inning, as it always should, with Yankees captain Derek Jeter up to bat. He struck the second pitch of the night and ran for a single, and Johnny Damon followed behind with a pounding double.
Mark Teixeira, who has one hit to his name in the World Series so far, took a step in the right direction by lacing an RBI grounder down the right-field line. Teixeira was tagged out by first after a great Ryan Howard dive, but the Yankees were up 1-0 after six pitches.
(Irony: Teixeira and Howard are both first baseman and their team's leading sluggers, and both haven't been hitting in the Series but have played incredible defense.)
Alex Rodriguez came to the plate with his own redemption at stake. Since torching the American League Division and Championship Series, Rodriguez has been horrific against the Phils, striking out six times and getting just one hit (although it was a beauty, a two-run round-tripper). Clearly in the zone, A-Rod got in his stance and stared toward Philadelphia pitcher Joe Blanton, ready to send the runner on third home.
Blanton's first pitch skewed out of his hand and flew straight into the back of A-Rod's rib cage, a pitch so off the mark you had to think he was more shaken at the prospect of the ensuing at-bat than trying to plunk the hard-hitting cleanup man. A-Rod turned away, visibly angry — not so much at the pain, though. This man wanted to drive 'em in.
It was the third time Rodriguez had been hit in the last two games, with the two times he was beaned yesterday the first time since the 1960s that a player had been hit twice in a World Series game.
Jorge Posada came through with a sacrifice fly, putting New York up 2-0, and then it was time for CC Sabathia to get to work.
Sabathia looked rough early, allowing back-to-back doubles for a run, but he buckled down to strike out two and escape the innings. It appeared that the game might dissolve into a pitcher's duel, but in the bottom of the fourth, Sabathia allowed another run.
The Yankees' batters were ready.
Nick Swisher drew a four-pitch walk from the leadoff spot, a big feat for a guy who's been hitting nothing lately, sans yesterday's outburst. (Swisher ended up drawing two walks, a mix of hilarity and greatness.) Then, in a scene all Yankees fans could smile at, the camera cut to the on-deck circle to show Sabathia lopping his bat around, stretching/practice swinging, looking like a fat kid trying to imitate his father.
Melky Cabrera was up next, though, and he provided the Melky special with a man on first. Cabrera doesn't always hit it strong, but he finds ways to get on base, such as his legging out a bunt a couple games ago or his hit tonight, a grounder he outran.
Sabathia arrived at the plate wanting to pull a Pettitte and put his team ahead after letting the Phils catch up, but he came up short. No worries: Mr. November will take care of it.
Jeter hooked an RBI single to put the Yankees up again, 3-2, in the top of the fifth.
Damon followed, absolutely plopping the ball in the gap, and alert running by Cabrera helped him come all the way home once he knew the ball would drop, scoring a 4-2 run in a game that proved to hang on each run's importance.
With the Yankees bats finally, officially, unflukishly alive, all Sabathia had to do was hold the Phillies. The big man worked into the seventh and was an out away from sewing up the frame when Chase Utley came to the plate. Utley had already hit a first-inning RBI double off Sabathia to get Philly within one, and he was the one responsible for Philadelphia's Game 1 win, thanks to his two quads off of Sabathia while Cliff Lee held New York at bay (until the bullpen imploded, and New York destroyed itself).
Chase Utley did it again, chasing Sabathia with a solo homer that brought the Phillies, once again, within a run. 4-3 Yankees.
Sabathia left with six-and-two-thirds innings pitched, 107 pitches tossed, and six strikeouts. It wasn't a flawless game, but it was enough — just what the Yankees needed. New York didn't need dominance; it just needed him to work out of enough jams to let a decent bat effort win the game. You know, have him be part of the team rather than carrying everyone.
The bottom of the eighth brought a pitching change for the Yankees necessitated by a pinch batter, and manager Joe Girardi summoned Joba Chamberlain. Once the fireballing pride of the Bronx, Chamberlain has been caught in management's yo-yo routine between being an average starting pitcher and a dominating setup man to the point that he can barely do either now. But he seemed to have found his form again when he took the mound, striking out two and loading two strikes on Pedro Feliz.
Chamberlain was close to redemption, then boom, Feliz ripped one over the wall. In a game the Yankees had been controlling, with just one inning left, it was all evened up, 4-4.
Out of Philadelphia's bullpen, with the game on the line, came the Phillie with the biggest need of his own redemption: Brad Lidge. A year after being Philadelphia's savior, winning the town its first championship since 1983 by saving game after game with Mariano Rivera-like perfection, Lidge had imploded in the regular season, posting unsightly numbers and losing games.
But come October, he was the old Lidge, not allowing anything past him and closing out the tight Phillies games as the men in red recorded more of their vaunted comebacks.
It was the Yankees' first test against Lidge, and at first it looked like they were failing. Hideki Matsui went down on a popup, and Jeter struck out ugly on seven pitches. Damon came to the plate as the Yankees' final chance before an extra innings (or comeback) mess and worked up a nine-pitch, full-count single to put a man on first with two out and the American League's most prolific hitter in 2009 coming to the plate.
Problem is, the American League's most prolific hitter in 2009 has been one of the Yankees' worst postseason hitter. Teixeira has one hit so far in the Series, and his only other good stat (that first-inning RBI) was inches from being another chopped foul.
The pressure was on, and Teixeira — Sesame Street-face seriousness and all — was ready for it.
But the baseball gods wanted someone else to have a try at it. With a 1-0 count, Damon took off running for a steal of second, and the throw — while wayward — barely went to the right side of the bag as Damon slid in for an easy swipe. But Damon, realizing that the throw had drawn the second baseman away, and seeing that no Phillies were on the left side of the diamond due to the shift they'd put on to quell Teixeira, decided he'd take third.
At first, it looked like a blunder. Had Damon not seen that the fielder had the ball? Was he trying to be a hero? Why did he need third? Where was he going?
Moments later, when sneaky Damon had taken third, all was clear, and the Yankees were in prime position to close out the game.
The pressure was still on Teixeira, but Lidge took it off when his next pitch plunked Tex, putting men on first and third for the man the baseball gods have been summoning since last Wednesday.
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, come forth.
(Word play to not be taken seriously: Doesn't Emmanuel mean "God with us"?)
We've been saying it in June, in July, in the final days of September, that this A-Rod is the real deal. He's a team player; he's focused; he's ready to just play; he's firing on all cylinders. October showed up, and A-Rod bashed seven RBI in his final regular-season game to snatch 100 RBI and rev the motor for the playoffs. The postseason arrived, and he arrived with it, carrying the Yankees past the Twins and the Angels, breaking records and erasing years of terrible play.
But the World Series brought an 0-for-8 start, including six strikeouts. And even the two-run blast yesterday to pull the Yankees into the game wasn't a solace as A-Rod came to the plate against Lidge, who despite his foibles, had looked very good in striking out Jeter three batters before.
Strike looking. A-Rod is calm, serene, stepping back, then moving into the box again.
Nervousness grips the pinstriped faithful, for as much as they've hated him before, they don't want to hate him anymore. They want this one. They want it bad.
Take back what is rightfully our's. K-O the Phillies. Three games to one. Championship No. 27. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Swing — hard hit — oh, it's a hit — a good one — it's moving — Yankees ahead — A-Rod's for real — A-Rod's for real — A-Rod's for real!
Cannot believe it. The 1-for-13 batter just got it done.
A Jorge Posada single followed, scoring Teixeira and Rodriguez to put the game away (well, until Rivera's eight-pitch shut-down that blew away the three Phillies who'd had the air sucked out of them).
And there we go. A 7-4 win. A postseason edge.
27 outs away from No. 27.
Whew, I'm sure glad those 39 pitches Mo threw two games ago didn't let the Phillies figure him out like they said they would. Give me a break, Phillies. You're problem isn't Mo. It's not Sabathia. It's not even A-Rod, or Jeter, or Damon, or a rejuvenated bullpen.
You've met a collection of men called the New York Yankees, and they want this one.
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Game Recap
Notables: Jeter was 2-for-4 with a walk, run, and RBI in a game where his stat line didn't reveal how insanely clutch this tight-pants-clad man is. ... Damon was 3-for-5, and officially absolved of the accusations that he brought the curse with him from Boston. ... A-Rod's double was his only hit of the night, and Teixeira was hitless again. ... Posada had just one hit but 3 RBI; he knows how to pick his spots. ... Cabrera may have pulled his hamstring after running out that grounder. He had to leave the game. ... Chamberlain got the win, with hopes it won't go to his head since his hat is already stretched to the seams (both literally and figuratively). He's also credited with a blown save, which is abbreviated "BS" in statistic-keeping. ... Rivera's save was his fifth of this postseason. ... The runs Lidge allowed were the first this postseason. Until now he was the last pitcher to not allow a run in the 2009 playoffs. ... Jimmy Rollins said the Phillies would win in five games.
10.29.2009
The right medicine
A.J. Burnett was just what the Yankees needed tonight, and I'll credit the uneven No. 2 pitcher for New York for this Game 2 win.
After sporadic pitching performances throughout the postseason (not just winning some games and losing some, or letting a lot of runs in during one and not the other, but throwing more pitches in the dirt in some than some pitchers throw all year), Burnett was excellent tonight.
He pitched hard and kept his head in the game even after the Phillies went ahead. With nine strikeouts and seven innings pitched, he didn't just get the guys in red out, he also saved the New York bullpen (which had no right coming into this game) and sent a message to a hard-hitting Philly lineup. And by allowing just four hits, he reasserted that although he may not be an ace, he can still hold down that second-pitcher spot.
After allowing that one run, Burnett didn't let any runners get past second.
On Saturday Andy Pettitte, the Yanks' postseason veteran, gets to take his stab in enemy territory, but tonight, the Yankees are happy for the win.
This series has already turned into a National League showdown, and that's not a good thing, especially since the first two games were in New York. After sporting perfection at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were no-shows in the first game, excluding the bullpen, which showed up to throw meatballs and let the Phillies run away with the 6-1 Game 1 win.
That all changed tonight. There was no New York bombing (the good kind), but there was gutsy Yankees playing, which is exactly what the Pinstriped Faithful needed to see their boys get back in the series.
After falling behind 1-0, Mark Teixeira showed up with a fourth-inning homer that evened the game. He had been batting .182 in the postseason so far.
Two innings later, Hideki Matsui (who has had middling postseason numbers) sent one into the right field porch with two outs to put New York up 2-1.
The seventh inning was a well-crafted Yankees onslaught, with Jerry Hairston Jr. (of all people) making good on his promotion into Nick Swisher's spot (finally) singling. Melky Cabrera provided another timely hit, putting guys on first and second without an out.
In a scene that is a great part of the 2009 Yankees' postseason, Jorge Posada came up to pinch-hit for Jose Molina, who was catching Burnett, as is usual of late. Posada has been able to come in fresh and inject some life into the late inning for the Yankees, and tonight was no different, with the New York catcher lacing an RBI single to put men on first and second with one out and the leadoff hitter coming to the plate. Yankees 3, Phillies 1.
But remember how I said this was a National League showdown? Yeah. On top of the ludicrous starting pitching and Joe Girardi's hyper hook with the bullpen, the manager who holds the American League pennant started managing his tuchis off again. And that's not a good thing because, remember, his team is in the American League. American League. With hitters, and designated hitters. Not the National League, where you managed the Florida Marlins. American League. American.
Nope, we've got Derek Jeter bunting. Not just bunting, but bunting three times in a row, for a strikeout. Derek Jeter. Mr. November. The guy who has more clutch, postseason hits than most people have years they've lived. The guy who hits a dozen home runs in a year then cranks half a dozen over the wall when it comes to the fortnight that is the playoffs.
Men on first and second, and Jeter is bunting. Oi, Girardi.
Stack another blown call by the playoff umps on the next play (a one-hopper into Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard's glove was ruled a lineout), and the inning was over. But not even Girardi could derail the rest of the Yankees' day.
In a change from his six-relievers-for-two-innings approach, Girardi called on Mariano Rivera to take care of the last two frames. Mo didn't have to pitch in last night's debacle, and after letting guys reach first and second, a dark horse factor for the Yankees showed up. Robinson Cano turned a great double play to Derek Jeter, who fired, legs splayed over a sliding Phil, to Mark Teixeiera at first just in time to save the inning. The Yankees x-factor defense had made the difference.
Rivera was out for the ninth, of course, and Cano caught a lazy liner for a phenomenal second out before Rivera took down way-too-heavy Philly DH Matt Stairs on strikes for the win.
It wasn't a pretty night, with plenty of Yankee problems, but the goal is a win, and New York got that. Alex Rodriguez had another rough night, whiffing three times for the second day in a row to increase his World Series drought to 0-for-8 through two games. Let's hope it doesn't take him as long to get on track in the Fall Classic as it has in the postseason of recent years.
Phillies slugger Howard struck out four times.
Jeter had an uncharacteristic three strikeouts and a double, and aside from the aforementioned hits, there was only singles by Cano and Matsui, leaving the Yankees with eight hits on the night.
Rivera's fourth save of this postseason was his 10th World Series save and 38th playoff save of his career. Burnett got his first win of the playoffs after three no-decisions.
Game Recap
Other Yankees Posts
After sporadic pitching performances throughout the postseason (not just winning some games and losing some, or letting a lot of runs in during one and not the other, but throwing more pitches in the dirt in some than some pitchers throw all year), Burnett was excellent tonight.
He pitched hard and kept his head in the game even after the Phillies went ahead. With nine strikeouts and seven innings pitched, he didn't just get the guys in red out, he also saved the New York bullpen (which had no right coming into this game) and sent a message to a hard-hitting Philly lineup. And by allowing just four hits, he reasserted that although he may not be an ace, he can still hold down that second-pitcher spot.
After allowing that one run, Burnett didn't let any runners get past second.
On Saturday Andy Pettitte, the Yanks' postseason veteran, gets to take his stab in enemy territory, but tonight, the Yankees are happy for the win.
This series has already turned into a National League showdown, and that's not a good thing, especially since the first two games were in New York. After sporting perfection at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were no-shows in the first game, excluding the bullpen, which showed up to throw meatballs and let the Phillies run away with the 6-1 Game 1 win.
That all changed tonight. There was no New York bombing (the good kind), but there was gutsy Yankees playing, which is exactly what the Pinstriped Faithful needed to see their boys get back in the series.
After falling behind 1-0, Mark Teixeira showed up with a fourth-inning homer that evened the game. He had been batting .182 in the postseason so far.
Two innings later, Hideki Matsui (who has had middling postseason numbers) sent one into the right field porch with two outs to put New York up 2-1.
The seventh inning was a well-crafted Yankees onslaught, with Jerry Hairston Jr. (of all people) making good on his promotion into Nick Swisher's spot (finally) singling. Melky Cabrera provided another timely hit, putting guys on first and second without an out.
In a scene that is a great part of the 2009 Yankees' postseason, Jorge Posada came up to pinch-hit for Jose Molina, who was catching Burnett, as is usual of late. Posada has been able to come in fresh and inject some life into the late inning for the Yankees, and tonight was no different, with the New York catcher lacing an RBI single to put men on first and second with one out and the leadoff hitter coming to the plate. Yankees 3, Phillies 1.
But remember how I said this was a National League showdown? Yeah. On top of the ludicrous starting pitching and Joe Girardi's hyper hook with the bullpen, the manager who holds the American League pennant started managing his tuchis off again. And that's not a good thing because, remember, his team is in the American League. American League. With hitters, and designated hitters. Not the National League, where you managed the Florida Marlins. American League. American.
Nope, we've got Derek Jeter bunting. Not just bunting, but bunting three times in a row, for a strikeout. Derek Jeter. Mr. November. The guy who has more clutch, postseason hits than most people have years they've lived. The guy who hits a dozen home runs in a year then cranks half a dozen over the wall when it comes to the fortnight that is the playoffs.
Men on first and second, and Jeter is bunting. Oi, Girardi.
Stack another blown call by the playoff umps on the next play (a one-hopper into Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard's glove was ruled a lineout), and the inning was over. But not even Girardi could derail the rest of the Yankees' day.
In a change from his six-relievers-for-two-innings approach, Girardi called on Mariano Rivera to take care of the last two frames. Mo didn't have to pitch in last night's debacle, and after letting guys reach first and second, a dark horse factor for the Yankees showed up. Robinson Cano turned a great double play to Derek Jeter, who fired, legs splayed over a sliding Phil, to Mark Teixeiera at first just in time to save the inning. The Yankees x-factor defense had made the difference.
Rivera was out for the ninth, of course, and Cano caught a lazy liner for a phenomenal second out before Rivera took down way-too-heavy Philly DH Matt Stairs on strikes for the win.
It wasn't a pretty night, with plenty of Yankee problems, but the goal is a win, and New York got that. Alex Rodriguez had another rough night, whiffing three times for the second day in a row to increase his World Series drought to 0-for-8 through two games. Let's hope it doesn't take him as long to get on track in the Fall Classic as it has in the postseason of recent years.
Phillies slugger Howard struck out four times.
Jeter had an uncharacteristic three strikeouts and a double, and aside from the aforementioned hits, there was only singles by Cano and Matsui, leaving the Yankees with eight hits on the night.
Rivera's fourth save of this postseason was his 10th World Series save and 38th playoff save of his career. Burnett got his first win of the playoffs after three no-decisions.
Game Recap
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10.27.2009
World Series preview
I'm not sure I have the attention span for a full-fledged World Series preview, so I'm going to post bits and pieces as I think of them.
My #1 concern going into the series: the Yankees' bats and bullpen.
Let's start with the bullpen. I trust CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera completely, but I haven't been impressed with the bullpen this postseason. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should no longer be treated the way they were in the regular season, when they could be lights out. Instead, the few guys who have shown they can hold the seventh and eighth down should be called upon in the next four to seven games.
Some of this has to do with Joe Girardi's decision-making, but more of it has to do with some of these guys just not having it right now. I don't know if it's them being figured out after a long season or the jitters of the playoffs, but the bullpen's going to have to be stronger in the World Series.
Don't get me started on A.J. Burnett.
My other worry is the Yankees' batting woes. While slumpers Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher did come around (no pun intended) this last game, the Yankees' lineup from top to bottom has been horrid in the last two playoff series. Without Alex Rodriguez, timely hits by Derek Jeter, and the random hit every once in a while by everyone else, the Yankees could have easily been shut out.
Some guys have had bad luck, lining out or missing the gaps, but others have been horrid. Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, and Swisher have been the worst. Teixeira and Johnny Damon have been half and half. Jorge Posada has been hitting, but his getting on base is rarely rewarded. Melky Cabrera has held his own.
With only three or four consistent hitters, the Yankees are waiting to be feasted upon.
The good news is that this last game provided some great momentum. Most of the guys got a hit, and hopefully a little rest and refocusing can get the bats going again. As long as they're hitting the ball well, they won't have to rely on flukish errors and flubs by the other team to make the difference in tight games.
Other Yankees Posts
My #1 concern going into the series: the Yankees' bats and bullpen.
Let's start with the bullpen. I trust CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera completely, but I haven't been impressed with the bullpen this postseason. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should no longer be treated the way they were in the regular season, when they could be lights out. Instead, the few guys who have shown they can hold the seventh and eighth down should be called upon in the next four to seven games.
Some of this has to do with Joe Girardi's decision-making, but more of it has to do with some of these guys just not having it right now. I don't know if it's them being figured out after a long season or the jitters of the playoffs, but the bullpen's going to have to be stronger in the World Series.
Don't get me started on A.J. Burnett.
My other worry is the Yankees' batting woes. While slumpers Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher did come around (no pun intended) this last game, the Yankees' lineup from top to bottom has been horrid in the last two playoff series. Without Alex Rodriguez, timely hits by Derek Jeter, and the random hit every once in a while by everyone else, the Yankees could have easily been shut out.
Some guys have had bad luck, lining out or missing the gaps, but others have been horrid. Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, and Swisher have been the worst. Teixeira and Johnny Damon have been half and half. Jorge Posada has been hitting, but his getting on base is rarely rewarded. Melky Cabrera has held his own.
With only three or four consistent hitters, the Yankees are waiting to be feasted upon.
The good news is that this last game provided some great momentum. Most of the guys got a hit, and hopefully a little rest and refocusing can get the bats going again. As long as they're hitting the ball well, they won't have to rely on flukish errors and flubs by the other team to make the difference in tight games.
Other Yankees Posts
10.26.2009
Unroll the bunting
When the Yankees missed the playoffs last season, I put a "World Series 2009!" banner on the top of my Web page for the team. Well, it's 2009, and they've done their part.
The Yankees are in the World Series for the 40th time.
Tonight's 5-2 win was another classic Andy Pettitte-Mariano Rivera combination, with Pettitte winning a postseason-record 16th game and Rivera grabbing his 37th playoff save.
Pettitte was sharp all night, going 6.1 innings and allowing just one run while striking out six. Mo let a run through in the eighth but pitched two full innings, striking out the final batter to send the Yankees into November.
Despite holding the record for wins in the postseason, Pettitte had yet to beat the Angels until tonight (he was 0-4). He defers the compliments and says he's just surrounded by good guys, but tonight he showed that's just not true; he's a playoff master as much as Rivera.
The Yankees didn't break through until the fourth inning tonight after three straight innings (and several games, for that matter) of leaving men on base. In the first, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez both hit singles but were left stranded. In the second, it was Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, plus a Derek Jeter walk, but Johnny Damon couldn't come through. In the third, Rodriguez walked, but no runs.
In the fourth, a Cano walk and Nick Swisher single, with the men advanced to second and third on a Cabrera sacrifice, set the stage for Los Angeles to unravel. It began when Jeter fouled a ball off near the right field seats that Angels first baseman Kendry Morales pulled up on and didn't make an attempt to dive to catch (a "Jeter," if you will). Jeter ended up with a free pass to first a few pitches later, and Damon came to the plate to avenge himself.
After going 0-for-4 with the bases loaded in the postseason, Damon slapped a two-run-scoring single, putting the Yankees ahead.
Angels starter Joe Saunders had been looking shaky already, one-hopping some pitches to the plate, and he walked Teixeira next to load the bags.
The crowd was pensive, nervous, standing without much motion as memories of recent Yankee collapses surely streamed through their heads.
The new October hero, Rodriguez, came to the plate, and after a hard cut on a foul ball, Saunders was the one looking nervous, walking A-Rod to score a run and put the Yankees up 3-1. Rodriguez ended the night with three walks.
The small-ball hitting was the theme of the night, as Yankee Stadium went without a homer for the second time this postseason after just one day without a home run during the regular season.
When the seventh inning rolled around, though, the worrying could reconvene as New York turned to its bullpen, which has had its issues lately. But Joba Chamberlain pulled through for his two outs, and Rivera was summoned to put the Angels away (but not before a little teasing and making it a nail-biter by letting the Angels come within a run at 3-2).
The Yankees came out ready in the bottom of the eighth, not content to be ahead by just one. After getting a man on first, Swisher showed he is actually good for something this season, putting down an excellent bunt then legging it out to force an error at first and put men on first and second with no outs.
Another beautiful Cabrera bunt looked to advance the runners, but the same Yankees that were in the Angels' heads for most of the series were there again tonight. Scott Kazmir, who was already questionably in the game after being the losing pitcher in the game 4 Yankees blowout, made a huge error. His lob to first flew way over the leaping first baseman's head, letting a Yankee run score and preserving another out.
Kazmir tried to make up for his gaffe with the next batter, firing to first to get Jeter on a groundout, but the damage was done.
By now, the Yankees knew. A-Rod was smelling it, sitting perky in the dugout. He had carried the team so far and no longer cared about his October monkeys; he wanted the World Series.
Jeter stood, holding back a grin. He was relishing the new Yankee Stadium, full of screaming fans and perfect color, with the Angels on the ropes. There's no way the game was tense for him; he knew they had it.
A Teixeira sacrifice fly had the Yankees taking the field for the top of the ninth up 5-2.
This was how they wanted it: at home, in front of this crowd, with this kind of domination, with this momentum going into a matchup with the defending champions.
A few pitches later, they had it. It was all over but the champagne.
CC Sabathia, who is almost certainly starting Wednesday's World Series opener, was named the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player, despite Rodriguez batting .438 with five home runs and 11 RBI, and all his game-tying or game-winning heroics.
But the A-Rod that has cared about quality, not image, all season, was at Yankee Stadium again tonight. When he jumped in celebration after Mo struck out the final batter, his gum flopped out of his supermodel mouth, ruining the splendid image that should be A-Rod.
He jumped into a hug with Jeter and Teixeira, just one of the guys.
One of the guys going to the World Series.
Other Yankees Posts
The Yankees are in the World Series for the 40th time.
Tonight's 5-2 win was another classic Andy Pettitte-Mariano Rivera combination, with Pettitte winning a postseason-record 16th game and Rivera grabbing his 37th playoff save.
Pettitte was sharp all night, going 6.1 innings and allowing just one run while striking out six. Mo let a run through in the eighth but pitched two full innings, striking out the final batter to send the Yankees into November.
Despite holding the record for wins in the postseason, Pettitte had yet to beat the Angels until tonight (he was 0-4). He defers the compliments and says he's just surrounded by good guys, but tonight he showed that's just not true; he's a playoff master as much as Rivera.
The Yankees didn't break through until the fourth inning tonight after three straight innings (and several games, for that matter) of leaving men on base. In the first, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez both hit singles but were left stranded. In the second, it was Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, plus a Derek Jeter walk, but Johnny Damon couldn't come through. In the third, Rodriguez walked, but no runs.
In the fourth, a Cano walk and Nick Swisher single, with the men advanced to second and third on a Cabrera sacrifice, set the stage for Los Angeles to unravel. It began when Jeter fouled a ball off near the right field seats that Angels first baseman Kendry Morales pulled up on and didn't make an attempt to dive to catch (a "Jeter," if you will). Jeter ended up with a free pass to first a few pitches later, and Damon came to the plate to avenge himself.
After going 0-for-4 with the bases loaded in the postseason, Damon slapped a two-run-scoring single, putting the Yankees ahead.
Angels starter Joe Saunders had been looking shaky already, one-hopping some pitches to the plate, and he walked Teixeira next to load the bags.
The crowd was pensive, nervous, standing without much motion as memories of recent Yankee collapses surely streamed through their heads.
The new October hero, Rodriguez, came to the plate, and after a hard cut on a foul ball, Saunders was the one looking nervous, walking A-Rod to score a run and put the Yankees up 3-1. Rodriguez ended the night with three walks.
The small-ball hitting was the theme of the night, as Yankee Stadium went without a homer for the second time this postseason after just one day without a home run during the regular season.
When the seventh inning rolled around, though, the worrying could reconvene as New York turned to its bullpen, which has had its issues lately. But Joba Chamberlain pulled through for his two outs, and Rivera was summoned to put the Angels away (but not before a little teasing and making it a nail-biter by letting the Angels come within a run at 3-2).
The Yankees came out ready in the bottom of the eighth, not content to be ahead by just one. After getting a man on first, Swisher showed he is actually good for something this season, putting down an excellent bunt then legging it out to force an error at first and put men on first and second with no outs.
Another beautiful Cabrera bunt looked to advance the runners, but the same Yankees that were in the Angels' heads for most of the series were there again tonight. Scott Kazmir, who was already questionably in the game after being the losing pitcher in the game 4 Yankees blowout, made a huge error. His lob to first flew way over the leaping first baseman's head, letting a Yankee run score and preserving another out.
Kazmir tried to make up for his gaffe with the next batter, firing to first to get Jeter on a groundout, but the damage was done.
By now, the Yankees knew. A-Rod was smelling it, sitting perky in the dugout. He had carried the team so far and no longer cared about his October monkeys; he wanted the World Series.
Jeter stood, holding back a grin. He was relishing the new Yankee Stadium, full of screaming fans and perfect color, with the Angels on the ropes. There's no way the game was tense for him; he knew they had it.
A Teixeira sacrifice fly had the Yankees taking the field for the top of the ninth up 5-2.
This was how they wanted it: at home, in front of this crowd, with this kind of domination, with this momentum going into a matchup with the defending champions.
A few pitches later, they had it. It was all over but the champagne.
CC Sabathia, who is almost certainly starting Wednesday's World Series opener, was named the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player, despite Rodriguez batting .438 with five home runs and 11 RBI, and all his game-tying or game-winning heroics.
But the A-Rod that has cared about quality, not image, all season, was at Yankee Stadium again tonight. When he jumped in celebration after Mo struck out the final batter, his gum flopped out of his supermodel mouth, ruining the splendid image that should be A-Rod.
He jumped into a hug with Jeter and Teixeira, just one of the guys.
One of the guys going to the World Series.
Other Yankees Posts
10.18.2009
"Classic," defined.
This kid has only been here since July, but Jerry Hairston Jr. knows what it means to be a 2009 Yankee: "We knew we were going to win this game."
Hairston was the baserunner for the Yanks in the bottom of the 13th, the random cog left from New York's postseason-shrunk roster who scored on a Melky Cabrera slapshot up the middle that the Angels bobbled. The Yankees won the second game of the American League Championship Series 4-3 but more importantly kept their hex over an Angels team that doesn't appear to be able to beat them, even with the game handed over on a silver platter.
Los Angeles left 28 men on base tonight, committed two errors and saw its everyone-hits-over-.300 lineup bat .170.
But the Angels faults were of secondary concern, for their failure was a reaction to the Yankees, who squandered most of the game until gutting out the win four innings past the end of regulation, in nasty conditions of heavy rain and whipping winds. New York had already committed three errors of its own, putting Angels on base with no outs due to walks, wild pitches, errors and muffed catches. Even the vaunted Yankees lineup left 20 men on base, with the 2009 Murderer's Row bleeting just .271 with hardly any runs to show for it.
The Angels left the door open, and the Yankees charged through. Pie in hands, ear-warmers in their pockets, Anaheim on their minds, New York took the contest by the neck once the game went to extra innings and produced what can be called nothing other than a fall classic.
It was a win so good you could barely touch it, with soaked fans in rally caps watching the new version of the New York Yankees sketch a picture-perfect win the same way Yankees teams have done in the postseason 26 times before.
Every New York starter had a hit in the marathon, sans Mark Teixeira (who was busy earning his paycheck by devouring every ball that came near first base). Robinson Cano, who appeared eager to become the team goat with two terrible errors, put the Yankees up early with an RBI triple.
Derek Jeter's solo home run gave New York a 2-0 edge before A.J. Burnett's wild throws let the Angels back into the game.
But New York's bullpen was phenomenal, and after Alex Rodriguez continued his postseason rampage with an equalizer in the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees calmly held on before squirting the winner across in the 13th, breaking the Angels' will.
Maicer Izturis lost the game for the Angels the same way the Pirates lose every season: trying to be the Yankees, when you really, really can't be. Izturis tried to throw across his body and get the runner on second, pulling a "Jeter" (the classic spin and throw move from the New York shortstop). Instead, he threw the ball, and the game, away.
Damon and Cabrera were the only Yankees with two hits. Jeter, Rodriguez and Cano had the three RBI (the final run scoring on an error).
Although his usual erratic self on the mound, Burnett threw some good stuff, too, picking up four strikeouts against only two walks in 6.1 innings of work.
Mariano Rivera worked a little longer than usual, logging 2.1 innings in the 13-inning contest.
The series now shifts to sunny California, with three games scheduled. Judging by the mood of the Yankees clubhouse, and all that shaving cream Burnett is stuffing in his duffel, though, the Angels' season could easily end in two.
Mrs. October? A tribute to the 2009 version of A-Rod
Photos from tonight's game
Other Yankees Posts
Hairston was the baserunner for the Yanks in the bottom of the 13th, the random cog left from New York's postseason-shrunk roster who scored on a Melky Cabrera slapshot up the middle that the Angels bobbled. The Yankees won the second game of the American League Championship Series 4-3 but more importantly kept their hex over an Angels team that doesn't appear to be able to beat them, even with the game handed over on a silver platter.
Los Angeles left 28 men on base tonight, committed two errors and saw its everyone-hits-over-.300 lineup bat .170.
But the Angels faults were of secondary concern, for their failure was a reaction to the Yankees, who squandered most of the game until gutting out the win four innings past the end of regulation, in nasty conditions of heavy rain and whipping winds. New York had already committed three errors of its own, putting Angels on base with no outs due to walks, wild pitches, errors and muffed catches. Even the vaunted Yankees lineup left 20 men on base, with the 2009 Murderer's Row bleeting just .271 with hardly any runs to show for it.
The Angels left the door open, and the Yankees charged through. Pie in hands, ear-warmers in their pockets, Anaheim on their minds, New York took the contest by the neck once the game went to extra innings and produced what can be called nothing other than a fall classic.
It was a win so good you could barely touch it, with soaked fans in rally caps watching the new version of the New York Yankees sketch a picture-perfect win the same way Yankees teams have done in the postseason 26 times before.
Every New York starter had a hit in the marathon, sans Mark Teixeira (who was busy earning his paycheck by devouring every ball that came near first base). Robinson Cano, who appeared eager to become the team goat with two terrible errors, put the Yankees up early with an RBI triple.
Derek Jeter's solo home run gave New York a 2-0 edge before A.J. Burnett's wild throws let the Angels back into the game.
But New York's bullpen was phenomenal, and after Alex Rodriguez continued his postseason rampage with an equalizer in the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees calmly held on before squirting the winner across in the 13th, breaking the Angels' will.
Maicer Izturis lost the game for the Angels the same way the Pirates lose every season: trying to be the Yankees, when you really, really can't be. Izturis tried to throw across his body and get the runner on second, pulling a "Jeter" (the classic spin and throw move from the New York shortstop). Instead, he threw the ball, and the game, away.
Damon and Cabrera were the only Yankees with two hits. Jeter, Rodriguez and Cano had the three RBI (the final run scoring on an error).
Although his usual erratic self on the mound, Burnett threw some good stuff, too, picking up four strikeouts against only two walks in 6.1 innings of work.
Mariano Rivera worked a little longer than usual, logging 2.1 innings in the 13-inning contest.
The series now shifts to sunny California, with three games scheduled. Judging by the mood of the Yankees clubhouse, and all that shaving cream Burnett is stuffing in his duffel, though, the Angels' season could easily end in two.
Mrs. October? A tribute to the 2009 version of A-Rod
Photos from tonight's game
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Mrs. October? A tribute to the 2009 version of A-Rod
You want him to do it. He comes to the plate, and you say, "Come on, A-Rod. Over the fence."
And he does it, effortlessly. In his prettier-than-springtime swing, he sends the ball sailing out of the diamond. Left field, right field, deep, short — a homer's a homer, and Alex Rodriguez is hitting them whenever they're needed.
Rodriguez took the monkeys off his back last week as the Yankees steamrolled the Minnesota Twins behind half a dozen A-Rod RBI.
Tonight, he pulled the Yankees onto his back by keeping them in a game they blew numerous chances to win.
New York had been clipping along fine, with Robbie Cano smashing a triple to score a run, then Mr. Postseason hitting a homer (Derek Jeter, who is not much of a power hitter, smacks round-trippers in the postseason like a kid raiding the cookie jar once his parents have left the house).
But scattershot-throwing A.J. Burnett let the lead slip away. A walk and a wild pitch with hits interspersed vaporized the 2-0 New York edge.
Both teams hung tough and piled men on the bases. Both teams saw unusual errors fall from their usually golden gloves. Both teams also got gutsy pitching and good fielding to keep it all close.
At first base, Mark Teixeira showed he was worth every penny of his $172 million with play after play. Stretching, lunging, scooping — any ball tossed within 10 feet of the bag fell into Tex's mitt.
Johnny Damon made a great catch in left, and Yankees speedsters Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner were available to spare the old legs.
But New York couldn't break the tie. And then Los Angeles went ahead by a run.
The Yankees have had 51 come-from-behind wins this year (out of 103 total wins) and 15 walkoff shots. Signs in the outfield seats read "WE WANT PIE" as the rain fell harder and Burnett, the team's resident walk-off baker, watched his squandered lead loom larger.
Enter A-Rod.
The cleanup batter was 0-for-4 so far in the game, the first game of this postseason he didn't have an RBI in yet.
But when Alex Rodriguez shows up in October, he really shows up. The 2009 A-Rod changes games, bails his team out, pierces the challengers to the heart.
A-Rod fell behind 0-2 in the count, but looking as calm as he has every other time he's altered a game in the past two weeks, he stepped back into the box for another pitch.
Connection. It's in the air, a line drive at least. It'll drop in right. No wait, it's carrying. It's carrying! It's in Bobby Abreu land (that's a good sign this won't be a catch).
It's gone. How on earth did he do that — again?
Bottom of the 11th, game tied, a few more scoreless frames to follow. (Including one where A-Rod fails to drive in a go-ahead run with the bases loaded; does he only work October magic when tying games?) I don't think there's anyone in New York, or the rest of baseball, doubting A-Rod anymore. Monkeys off the back, team on it.
I'm not ready to anoint him Mr. October — he still runs like a girl. Could this be Mrs. October?
Yankees 4, Angels 3 game recap
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And he does it, effortlessly. In his prettier-than-springtime swing, he sends the ball sailing out of the diamond. Left field, right field, deep, short — a homer's a homer, and Alex Rodriguez is hitting them whenever they're needed.
Rodriguez took the monkeys off his back last week as the Yankees steamrolled the Minnesota Twins behind half a dozen A-Rod RBI.
Tonight, he pulled the Yankees onto his back by keeping them in a game they blew numerous chances to win.
New York had been clipping along fine, with Robbie Cano smashing a triple to score a run, then Mr. Postseason hitting a homer (Derek Jeter, who is not much of a power hitter, smacks round-trippers in the postseason like a kid raiding the cookie jar once his parents have left the house).
But scattershot-throwing A.J. Burnett let the lead slip away. A walk and a wild pitch with hits interspersed vaporized the 2-0 New York edge.
Both teams hung tough and piled men on the bases. Both teams saw unusual errors fall from their usually golden gloves. Both teams also got gutsy pitching and good fielding to keep it all close.
At first base, Mark Teixeira showed he was worth every penny of his $172 million with play after play. Stretching, lunging, scooping — any ball tossed within 10 feet of the bag fell into Tex's mitt.
Johnny Damon made a great catch in left, and Yankees speedsters Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner were available to spare the old legs.
But New York couldn't break the tie. And then Los Angeles went ahead by a run.
The Yankees have had 51 come-from-behind wins this year (out of 103 total wins) and 15 walkoff shots. Signs in the outfield seats read "WE WANT PIE" as the rain fell harder and Burnett, the team's resident walk-off baker, watched his squandered lead loom larger.
Enter A-Rod.
The cleanup batter was 0-for-4 so far in the game, the first game of this postseason he didn't have an RBI in yet.
But when Alex Rodriguez shows up in October, he really shows up. The 2009 A-Rod changes games, bails his team out, pierces the challengers to the heart.
A-Rod fell behind 0-2 in the count, but looking as calm as he has every other time he's altered a game in the past two weeks, he stepped back into the box for another pitch.
Connection. It's in the air, a line drive at least. It'll drop in right. No wait, it's carrying. It's carrying! It's in Bobby Abreu land (that's a good sign this won't be a catch).
It's gone. How on earth did he do that — again?
Bottom of the 11th, game tied, a few more scoreless frames to follow. (Including one where A-Rod fails to drive in a go-ahead run with the bases loaded; does he only work October magic when tying games?) I don't think there's anyone in New York, or the rest of baseball, doubting A-Rod anymore. Monkeys off the back, team on it.
I'm not ready to anoint him Mr. October — he still runs like a girl. Could this be Mrs. October?
Yankees 4, Angels 3 game recap
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10.16.2009
Yankees take the opener
CC Sabathia, the old workhorse, went eight innings and 113 pitchings in a game where the Yankees were clearly flummoxing the visiting Angels.
Countless dropped balls and missed opportunities led to L.A.'s demise while the steady puttering of the Yankees machine gave the home team the 4-1 victory edge.
In a game devoid of home runs, New York won it the old-fashioned way. Hideki Matsui went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI (that man's legs are truly old-fashioned), and Alex Rodriguez knocked in a run on 1-for-2 hitting.
Derek Jeter (RBI) and Johnny Damon went 2-for-5. Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira knocked in the other two hits.
Doubles by Matsui and Damon were the only extra-base hits.
Sabathia was the true star of the game, however, muscling his way through eight strong innings while only allowing four hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.
The Yankees also kept the speedy L.A. runners off the basepaths.
Tomorrow night the two teams play again in another 7:57 nightcap, with A.J. Burnett throwing to try to take the Yankees to Anaheim with a 2-0 edge.
The Yankees Not-So-Gaudy Playoff Statistics:
Alex Rodriguez: .462, 7 RBI, 2 HR
Derek Jeter: .400, 3 RBI
Hideki Matsui: .333, 4 RBI, HR
Jorge Posada: .286, 2 RBI, HR
Melky Cabrera: .214
Mark Teixeira: .188, game-winning HR
Johnny Damon: .176
Robinson Cano: .133
Nick Swisher: .125
CC Sabathia: 1.23 ERA, 15 Ks, 14.2 IP
A.J. Burnett: 1.50 ERA, 6 Ks, 6.0 IP
Andy Pettitte: 1.42 ERA, 7 Ks, 6.1 IP
Mariano Rivera: 0.00 ERA, 8 Ks, 3.2 IP
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Countless dropped balls and missed opportunities led to L.A.'s demise while the steady puttering of the Yankees machine gave the home team the 4-1 victory edge.
In a game devoid of home runs, New York won it the old-fashioned way. Hideki Matsui went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI (that man's legs are truly old-fashioned), and Alex Rodriguez knocked in a run on 1-for-2 hitting.
Derek Jeter (RBI) and Johnny Damon went 2-for-5. Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira knocked in the other two hits.
Doubles by Matsui and Damon were the only extra-base hits.
Sabathia was the true star of the game, however, muscling his way through eight strong innings while only allowing four hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.
The Yankees also kept the speedy L.A. runners off the basepaths.
Tomorrow night the two teams play again in another 7:57 nightcap, with A.J. Burnett throwing to try to take the Yankees to Anaheim with a 2-0 edge.
The Yankees Not-So-Gaudy Playoff Statistics:
Alex Rodriguez: .462, 7 RBI, 2 HR
Derek Jeter: .400, 3 RBI
Hideki Matsui: .333, 4 RBI, HR
Jorge Posada: .286, 2 RBI, HR
Melky Cabrera: .214
Mark Teixeira: .188, game-winning HR
Johnny Damon: .176
Robinson Cano: .133
Nick Swisher: .125
CC Sabathia: 1.23 ERA, 15 Ks, 14.2 IP
A.J. Burnett: 1.50 ERA, 6 Ks, 6.0 IP
Andy Pettitte: 1.42 ERA, 7 Ks, 6.1 IP
Mariano Rivera: 0.00 ERA, 8 Ks, 3.2 IP
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10.09.2009
Tex time
I've detailed the Yankees heroics up to the 10th inning, but it's what happened in the last two frames that decided the game, of course.Mark Teixeira hit the world's shortest walkoff home run, chipping a ball off the left field fence, to send the Yankees to a 4-3 win in the bottom of the 11th.
It was New York's 14th walkoff win of the year (several of which have been over the poor Twins), and A.J. Burnett rewarded it with another pie to the face.
(Burnett was actually the starting pitching tonight, too, in a great performance that disspelled questions about his recent performance. So it's nice that the pie-dishing was not his only exercise for the day.)
The after-game interview was so beautiful. Sure, everyone talks about team and blah blah, but to see A-Rod grinning from ear-to-ear and just loving that his team won was fantastic.
It almost didn't happen, of course. In the top of the 11th, the New York bullpen almost let it get away before some gutsy pitching worked the pinstripes out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam. After nabbing two Twinsies on first-pitch outs, Almost-the-Goat-Gardner snared a fly to give Teixeira his rip at tying the game.
Gardner? A goat? Yes, yes.
The fleet-footed center fielder came in the game in the bottom of the 10th after Jorge Posada showed his postseason magic with a broken-bat single to center.
(Underlying storyline: Posada had been left out of his starting pitcher role when manager Joe Girardi turned to Jose Molina instead since A.J. Burnett had pitched better when in tandem with him throughout the season. Posada was, of course, upset, especially since the not-getting-younger veteran has been working so hard to get back to the playoffs, not to mention working hard to be able to play at all. But Posada was able to be in just the position he wanted (a major contributor to the game) when he came in two-thirds of the way through the contest after Burnett was done. In the bottom of the 10th, with the game on the line, he got his postseason pressure chance and did exactly what he had to do.)
The commentator said Gardner had been running sprints in the batting cages under Yankee Stadium, but the way he moves, he probably didn't need a warmup. He took off during Derek Jeter's at-bat and easily made it to second, long ahead of an off-the-mark throw. Then, when Minnesota's star closer, Joe Nathan, inexplicably tried to hold him on second (yes, second), Gardner took third (but not before falling in his butt en route, which drew a grimace from Jeter, who was watching from the batter's box).It looked like that was it. Nathan's gaffe would decide the game, since Gardner was now on third with just one out.
Jeter was intentionally walked, and the reliable Johnny Damon came up, but then the stupidity came out.
The third base coach had Gardner running on contact, which wouldn't have been an issue except that Damon hit a pitch hard, in the air, that was snared for an out. A quick toss later, and the inning was over, with Gardner caught off the bag.
Who knows who made the decision to send Gardner, but it obviously was a very bad one.
Now, instead of the Yankees winning or at least still having a runner in scoring position, it was the 11th inning. That prospect looked even worse a few pitches later, when Minnesota loaded it with no outs.
But the Yankees came through, and in beautiful, Yankees-2009 fashion. Strong defense in the diamond, a good starting pitching effort, quality relief, timely hitting, and a couple bombs.
So good.
The only Yankees with more than a hit were Teixeira (RBI) and Rodriguez (3 RBI). Jeter, Robinson Cano and Posada each had the other hits.
Burnett worked six innings and struck out six while allowing only three hits and one run. Mariano Rivera had three strikeouts over his four outs, and Phil Hughes was let off the hook despite allowing two earned runs that put the Twins ahead.
The Yankees left nine men on base throughout the night, but that was nothing compared to the Twins, who stranded 26.
It's to the MetroDome for the third game. Andy Pettitte will throw for New York.
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Above: After Alex Rodriguez hit his game-tying, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, he simply turned to the home dugout and pumped his fist. He knew.
You SHOW them, A-Rod
The Patriot Ledger, 9:30 p.m. The Red Sox game starts in seven minutes, but all eyes here are on the New York-Minnesota game. It's the ninth inning, and it looks like the challengers are going to go away with a win on New York's turf.
The Twins were one of the few teams to get to Phil Hughes this year, tagging him for a couple runs to take a 3-1 lead.
But the Yankees got one last try, in the bottom of the ninth.
It's the chance every kid dreams about, and the Yankees' highest paid batters were there to take advantage of it, or to fail.
Mark Teixeira did his bit, with a strong single up the right side.
But all eyes were on the cleanup spot, for the second time that night.
Alex Rodriguez had already hit the equalizer in the sixth inning, raking another monkey off his back in the process, in the city of blinding lights that has no room for playoff error.
Now he was digging in again, with the Twins' star closer on the hill.
Man on base, no outs. Home run ties it.
It's not going to happen, right? That's what the Patriot Ledger newsroom was saying. That's what Red Sox Nation was saying, especially the millions of TV sets flicked on for the Sox-Angels game, due to start as soon as A-Rod would bounce into a double play and set up the Yankees defeat.
Rodriguez has never hit in October, and that's been the mantra of Yankees naysayers all the while. What else do they have to say? They can't decry the 103 wins, the nine dominating takedowns of the Sox this year, the withering pitching and loaded lineup in the Bronx. They have to pick on A-Rod, feast on A-Rod, call him A-Fraud, consider him A-Not.
This year's been different, with Rodriguez powering the team and not padding his stats. This October has been different, with Rodriguez actually hitting the ball when there's runners on base.
But no, it couldn't happen, not twice in a game. He tied it once; he can't be expected to do it again. Even a single would be a stretch for a guy who is this bad in October.
Twins' closer Joe Nathan tosses a ball. A-Rod waits and shifts, completely composed.
Is he screaming in his head? Does he know that he has to have this one? That one swing will get all those blasted fans and monkeys off his back for good?
"He's putting it over the fence," I tell the guy next to me. "He'll do it."
"I don't know," he answers, with the typical Red Sox shake of the head. "It's October."
"He tied the game before," I say. "He'll do it again. Home run."
Two balls later, then a strike.
"That was your pitch," I growl.
It was a nice toss, in around the belt where he can pull back and tee off. He's ahead in the count, though, so he had to take that one, and he'll get another.
Here comes the pitch. The most perfect swing in baseball. It's a hit. It's deep, so deep, so deep....
"I told you!"
I'm screaming and jumping as much as the lone Yankees fan, the lone girl, the employee who's only been at her job for two weeks, the interloper who hardly knows her co-workers names, can.
"I told you."
I'm grinning like crazy now, clutching my hands together in claps and holds that only hurt. A couple double-fist pumps, more smiling.
This game is tied, and A-Rod has done as I've said.
Yes, Yankees, yes. I'm going to go call my mother.
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The Twins were one of the few teams to get to Phil Hughes this year, tagging him for a couple runs to take a 3-1 lead.
But the Yankees got one last try, in the bottom of the ninth.
It's the chance every kid dreams about, and the Yankees' highest paid batters were there to take advantage of it, or to fail.
Mark Teixeira did his bit, with a strong single up the right side.
But all eyes were on the cleanup spot, for the second time that night.
Alex Rodriguez had already hit the equalizer in the sixth inning, raking another monkey off his back in the process, in the city of blinding lights that has no room for playoff error.
Now he was digging in again, with the Twins' star closer on the hill.
Man on base, no outs. Home run ties it.
It's not going to happen, right? That's what the Patriot Ledger newsroom was saying. That's what Red Sox Nation was saying, especially the millions of TV sets flicked on for the Sox-Angels game, due to start as soon as A-Rod would bounce into a double play and set up the Yankees defeat.
Rodriguez has never hit in October, and that's been the mantra of Yankees naysayers all the while. What else do they have to say? They can't decry the 103 wins, the nine dominating takedowns of the Sox this year, the withering pitching and loaded lineup in the Bronx. They have to pick on A-Rod, feast on A-Rod, call him A-Fraud, consider him A-Not.
This year's been different, with Rodriguez powering the team and not padding his stats. This October has been different, with Rodriguez actually hitting the ball when there's runners on base.
But no, it couldn't happen, not twice in a game. He tied it once; he can't be expected to do it again. Even a single would be a stretch for a guy who is this bad in October.
Twins' closer Joe Nathan tosses a ball. A-Rod waits and shifts, completely composed.
Is he screaming in his head? Does he know that he has to have this one? That one swing will get all those blasted fans and monkeys off his back for good?
"He's putting it over the fence," I tell the guy next to me. "He'll do it."
"I don't know," he answers, with the typical Red Sox shake of the head. "It's October."
"He tied the game before," I say. "He'll do it again. Home run."
Two balls later, then a strike.
"That was your pitch," I growl.
It was a nice toss, in around the belt where he can pull back and tee off. He's ahead in the count, though, so he had to take that one, and he'll get another.
Here comes the pitch. The most perfect swing in baseball. It's a hit. It's deep, so deep, so deep....
"I told you!"
I'm screaming and jumping as much as the lone Yankees fan, the lone girl, the employee who's only been at her job for two weeks, the interloper who hardly knows her co-workers names, can.
"I told you."
I'm grinning like crazy now, clutching my hands together in claps and holds that only hurt. A couple double-fist pumps, more smiling.
This game is tied, and A-Rod has done as I've said.
Yes, Yankees, yes. I'm going to go call my mother.
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AAAAAA-Rod!
In the sixth, with the Yankees up for their licks in the bottom of the inning after breaking up a Minnesota no-hitter one frame before (thanks, Robbie Cano), the game went like the front office planned it when they snatched Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez half a decade ago.
Yankee captain Derek Jeter did his usual job, getting on base with a double. Then Damon drew a walk. Mark Teixeira, this year's big-name addition, pounded a big hit down the right field line only to see it skew foul before flying out.
Alex Rodriguez.
It's a name hated by baseball for the pompous salary it gathers, a name hated by New York fans for the ineptitude it represents when in the batter's box with runners in scoring position in a playoff game. It's a name the front office expected to come up big on the way to championship No. 27, only to see it go 0-for-30 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs.
When Rodriguez drilled a couple hits, with 2 RBI included, on Wednesday night, everyone shrugged and said he was lucky. This is the man that freezes once October brings the cold playoff air.
But this year's A-Rod has been different, as I've said so many times before. And just days after showing his October spirit with a seven-RBI, two-homer performance to close the season, and then his first playoff RBIs since 2004, he came through again tonight.
With two outs and a 1-0 count, all eyes were on A-Rod as he lopped a pitch through short to send Jeter scurrying home, tying the game at 1.
The seventh inning's starting. I don't think we have to worry about the the No. 4 spot coming up with the game on the line anymore.
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Yankee captain Derek Jeter did his usual job, getting on base with a double. Then Damon drew a walk. Mark Teixeira, this year's big-name addition, pounded a big hit down the right field line only to see it skew foul before flying out.
Alex Rodriguez.
It's a name hated by baseball for the pompous salary it gathers, a name hated by New York fans for the ineptitude it represents when in the batter's box with runners in scoring position in a playoff game. It's a name the front office expected to come up big on the way to championship No. 27, only to see it go 0-for-30 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs.
When Rodriguez drilled a couple hits, with 2 RBI included, on Wednesday night, everyone shrugged and said he was lucky. This is the man that freezes once October brings the cold playoff air.
But this year's A-Rod has been different, as I've said so many times before. And just days after showing his October spirit with a seven-RBI, two-homer performance to close the season, and then his first playoff RBIs since 2004, he came through again tonight.
With two outs and a 1-0 count, all eyes were on A-Rod as he lopped a pitch through short to send Jeter scurrying home, tying the game at 1.
The seventh inning's starting. I don't think we have to worry about the the No. 4 spot coming up with the game on the line anymore.
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9.27.2009
100, baby!
100 wins, the division, and a downing of the Red Sox, all in one day!
The classic Andy Pettitte-Mariano Rivera combo did it again today, with Pettitte showing he hasn't lost his edge (6 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 Ks) and Mo cleaning up in the ninth (44th).
The Yankees have six games left this season, during which they'll be able to tweak their lineup and rotation for the playoffs, which will start either October 7 or 8 for them.
Notables:
Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 today, going after several first pitches and raising his batting average to .333 for the season.
Mark Teixeira went 2-for-4 with a home run. His batting average has slowly risen to .294, and he has a chance to break .300 this season after spending the early months under the Mendoza Line. Teixeira also notched his 38th homer and 120th RBI today, on pace for his best MLB totals, save his 2005 season with Texas.
Nick Swisher, who was 1-for-3 with a double today, has hit 27 home runs this season in 481 at-bats. His career-high, 35, was during a season when he had 556 at-bats. Not bad for a bench-warmer.
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The classic Andy Pettitte-Mariano Rivera combo did it again today, with Pettitte showing he hasn't lost his edge (6 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 Ks) and Mo cleaning up in the ninth (44th).
The Yankees have six games left this season, during which they'll be able to tweak their lineup and rotation for the playoffs, which will start either October 7 or 8 for them.
Notables:
Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 today, going after several first pitches and raising his batting average to .333 for the season.
Mark Teixeira went 2-for-4 with a home run. His batting average has slowly risen to .294, and he has a chance to break .300 this season after spending the early months under the Mendoza Line. Teixeira also notched his 38th homer and 120th RBI today, on pace for his best MLB totals, save his 2005 season with Texas.
Nick Swisher, who was 1-for-3 with a double today, has hit 27 home runs this season in 481 at-bats. His career-high, 35, was during a season when he had 556 at-bats. Not bad for a bench-warmer.
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9.20.2009
Yankees 10, Mariners 1
An update from the previous post:
After a sneaky 3-2 comeback win last night to the Mariners, the Yankees left no room for error and trounced Seattle 10-1 behind seven innings of scoreless ball from CC Sabathia (eight strikeouts) and a 4-for-5 performance from Mark Teixeira (5 RBI).
Robinson Cano was also 4-for-5, and Johnny Damon went 3-for-4 (RBI) in a strong night for the Bombers.
The Yankees are a comfortable six games up on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East with 13 games left to play. Boston has already pretty much nabbed the wild card, though, with Texas nine games behind them.
New York still has the best record in baseball by six games.
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After a sneaky 3-2 comeback win last night to the Mariners, the Yankees left no room for error and trounced Seattle 10-1 behind seven innings of scoreless ball from CC Sabathia (eight strikeouts) and a 4-for-5 performance from Mark Teixeira (5 RBI).
Robinson Cano was also 4-for-5, and Johnny Damon went 3-for-4 (RBI) in a strong night for the Bombers.
The Yankees are a comfortable six games up on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East with 13 games left to play. Boston has already pretty much nabbed the wild card, though, with Texas nine games behind them.
New York still has the best record in baseball by six games.
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How to answer a loss
The Mariners went all sneaky and stunned the Yankees with a bottom-of-the-ninth game-winning homer last night.
So today the Yankees have left no room for error. CC Sabathia has churned through seven innings, throwing eight strikeouts, and New York has steadily piled up runs behind him. The Yankees now lead 8-1 in the top of the eighth.
Nice try, Mariners.
Oh, and kudos to Mark Teixeira for being awesome. He's currently 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, and his outrageous numbers this season make me wonder why I asked myself this past offseason, "Do we need another big free agent signing? Can't Giambi play first?" Bite your tongue, me in the past!
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So today the Yankees have left no room for error. CC Sabathia has churned through seven innings, throwing eight strikeouts, and New York has steadily piled up runs behind him. The Yankees now lead 8-1 in the top of the eighth.
Nice try, Mariners.
Oh, and kudos to Mark Teixeira for being awesome. He's currently 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, and his outrageous numbers this season make me wonder why I asked myself this past offseason, "Do we need another big free agent signing? Can't Giambi play first?" Bite your tongue, me in the past!
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9.14.2009
Roundup for the night: Yankees, Pats, Fed
It was a big night in sports, with the Yankees and Patriots recording comeback wins and Roger Federer losing a stunner to Juan Martin Del Potro.
In the Bronx, Mark Teixeira (3-for-4, two-run triple) and Nick Swisher (2-for-4, home run) led the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Mariano Rivera got his 40th save (the seventh season he's done so) and Joba Chamberlain went four innings in his start, allowing just one run (breaking his recent trend). The Yankees are now 93-52.
In Foxborough, the Patriots came out looking very 2003, which is to say that they were terrifying, falling behind early, and almost dead before they magically came back from 11 down on some flukish plays to win the game. They have a lot of new players this year, and a Tom Brady who's still coming back from injury, so I suppose all that can be excused. A win's a win, right? And at 25-24, despite all the miscues and missed plays, the Patriots have won.
Finally, Federer was rolling until Del Potro dug into some place crazy to find the magic to bust him in two tie-breakers then nab the fourth set. It's too hard to talk about, but the recap is here.
In the Bronx, Mark Teixeira (3-for-4, two-run triple) and Nick Swisher (2-for-4, home run) led the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Mariano Rivera got his 40th save (the seventh season he's done so) and Joba Chamberlain went four innings in his start, allowing just one run (breaking his recent trend). The Yankees are now 93-52.
In Foxborough, the Patriots came out looking very 2003, which is to say that they were terrifying, falling behind early, and almost dead before they magically came back from 11 down on some flukish plays to win the game. They have a lot of new players this year, and a Tom Brady who's still coming back from injury, so I suppose all that can be excused. A win's a win, right? And at 25-24, despite all the miscues and missed plays, the Patriots have won.
Finally, Federer was rolling until Del Potro dug into some place crazy to find the magic to bust him in two tie-breakers then nab the fourth set. It's too hard to talk about, but the recap is here.
9.13.2009
By the numbers
After the Yankees' 13-3 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles today (first sweep in 23 years? not in the House that Jeter built, Bird-Boys), I thought it was a good time to look over the numbers for two of the Yankees' biggest batting contributors, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui.
Rodriguez, who got off to a very slow start this year after also missing some time for his injured hip, is hitting .287, which is low for him (especially after he was doing so well in odd-numbered years, winning the MVP in 2005 and 2007 with sparkling stats). But considering how poorly A-Rod was doing earlier this season, his recent resurgence is a great sign...and perhaps (knock on wood) an omen that he may actually be able to contribute to the Yankees' postseason this year.
A-Rod's tenure in New York has been known for two things: not hitting in the clutch, and not hitting in the playoffs. This year, he's taken care of that clutch problem. Gone are the perfect numbers, him as a porous teammate; here now is less-than-gaudy statistics, but a definitive swing toward a winning record since he's come back. (The Yankees are 78-37 since his return, and 14-15 before it. And Mark Teixeira started hitting the ball once he had A-Rod's shadow on deck.) Rodriguez's reaction (a smashed bat on the ground) to leaving men on base at the end of a game, when he flew out on a popup (or thought he did, if not for the Yankees playing the hapless Mets), shows he's really starting to care about quality instead of just the image.
Rodriguez's .287 batting average is actually third-highest on this slugging Yankees team (where all good players suffer from somebody in the lineup getting one of the three outs per inning); his 84 RBI is second; and his 25 home runs are third, despite missing 30 games.
Remember, this is a guy who didn't break .200 until 14 games into the season, and was batting .207 as late as the end of June. His recent resurgence has been great, and with 18 games left in the regular season, he can still do some damage. (And he hasn't had to sit out due to lingering injuries in a while.)
Hideki Matsui, on the other hand, presents a different sort of numbers game. Matsui has long been hobbled by knee problems and more, and this season he has yet to play an actual position; he's either the designated hitter or no hitter at all. At $13 million a year, you expect production from Godzilla, and he has provided: .271, 85 RBI, 24 bombs.
But Matsui's best nights (5 RBI last night, and 7 RBI in the 20-11 blast-fest against the BoSox) were both on nights when the score didn't really matter, and extra runs really weren't needed.
(I counted three games out of the whole season where Matsui's batting would have made the difference between winning and losing.)
Considering all the talent on the New York bench, you could argue that any of the Yankees could fill Matsui's shoes and do as he's done. He's a good player and a good part of the team, but he's not getting any healthier.
Matsui has the second-most RBI of all Yankees players (behind Teixeira) and the fourth-most home runs. But I think, when it comes to seeing who is putting more into the winning mix for the team, it's not even debatable.
Well, I think...let me get back to you in November.
Other Yankees Posts
Rodriguez, who got off to a very slow start this year after also missing some time for his injured hip, is hitting .287, which is low for him (especially after he was doing so well in odd-numbered years, winning the MVP in 2005 and 2007 with sparkling stats). But considering how poorly A-Rod was doing earlier this season, his recent resurgence is a great sign...and perhaps (knock on wood) an omen that he may actually be able to contribute to the Yankees' postseason this year.
A-Rod's tenure in New York has been known for two things: not hitting in the clutch, and not hitting in the playoffs. This year, he's taken care of that clutch problem. Gone are the perfect numbers, him as a porous teammate; here now is less-than-gaudy statistics, but a definitive swing toward a winning record since he's come back. (The Yankees are 78-37 since his return, and 14-15 before it. And Mark Teixeira started hitting the ball once he had A-Rod's shadow on deck.) Rodriguez's reaction (a smashed bat on the ground) to leaving men on base at the end of a game, when he flew out on a popup (or thought he did, if not for the Yankees playing the hapless Mets), shows he's really starting to care about quality instead of just the image.
Rodriguez's .287 batting average is actually third-highest on this slugging Yankees team (where all good players suffer from somebody in the lineup getting one of the three outs per inning); his 84 RBI is second; and his 25 home runs are third, despite missing 30 games.
Remember, this is a guy who didn't break .200 until 14 games into the season, and was batting .207 as late as the end of June. His recent resurgence has been great, and with 18 games left in the regular season, he can still do some damage. (And he hasn't had to sit out due to lingering injuries in a while.)
Hideki Matsui, on the other hand, presents a different sort of numbers game. Matsui has long been hobbled by knee problems and more, and this season he has yet to play an actual position; he's either the designated hitter or no hitter at all. At $13 million a year, you expect production from Godzilla, and he has provided: .271, 85 RBI, 24 bombs.
But Matsui's best nights (5 RBI last night, and 7 RBI in the 20-11 blast-fest against the BoSox) were both on nights when the score didn't really matter, and extra runs really weren't needed.
(I counted three games out of the whole season where Matsui's batting would have made the difference between winning and losing.)
Considering all the talent on the New York bench, you could argue that any of the Yankees could fill Matsui's shoes and do as he's done. He's a good player and a good part of the team, but he's not getting any healthier.
Matsui has the second-most RBI of all Yankees players (behind Teixeira) and the fourth-most home runs. But I think, when it comes to seeing who is putting more into the winning mix for the team, it's not even debatable.
Well, I think...let me get back to you in November.
Other Yankees Posts
9.08.2009
90.
Yes, that's walkoff win #12 for the Yankees, who take down the Rays 3-2 with a Nick Swisher home run in the bottom of the ninth.
The win is the 90th of the season for the Yankees.
Swisher's left-handed bomb redeems him for leaving men on base earlier in the game and gets New York reliever Phil Hughes off the hook after the first run he allowed in 13 games turned out to be a game-tying homer. Swisher also hit a right-handed home run in the second, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI for the game.
Derek Jeter, with the pressure on to catch up to Lou Gehrig's Yankees hits record, went 0-for-4, marking the third game in a row without a hit for the New York captain.
Other than Swisher, only Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez (RBI) and Robinson Cano had hits in a quiet night for the Yankees.
After a chance to sweep the Rays tomorrow, the Yankees host the Orioles for three games this weekend before heading west to face the Angels.
Other Yankees Posts
The win is the 90th of the season for the Yankees.
Swisher's left-handed bomb redeems him for leaving men on base earlier in the game and gets New York reliever Phil Hughes off the hook after the first run he allowed in 13 games turned out to be a game-tying homer. Swisher also hit a right-handed home run in the second, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI for the game.
Derek Jeter, with the pressure on to catch up to Lou Gehrig's Yankees hits record, went 0-for-4, marking the third game in a row without a hit for the New York captain.
Other than Swisher, only Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez (RBI) and Robinson Cano had hits in a quiet night for the Yankees.
After a chance to sweep the Rays tomorrow, the Yankees host the Orioles for three games this weekend before heading west to face the Angels.
Other Yankees Posts
8.31.2009
A NYY column: The reason behind their success
On why captain Derek Jeter is the reason the Yankees are earning their pinstripes this year.Early in the New York Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Chicago White Sox this Sunday, the television commentators were engaged in their usual banter. They talked about all the jersey numbers the Yankees organization has retired, about Jorge Posada anchoring the plate, about Joe Girardi’s managing style, and, of course, the favorite topic whenever the Yankees play on a major network: Mr. Derek Jeter.
"Jeter" is one of those names imagined, bred, and birthed for sports, meant to be yelled as a one-word epithet, in gloating or in hatred. He’s been a player for the Yankees for 15 years, the captain seven years, an irreplaceable contributor every year.
Early in the New York victory on Sunday, though, Jeter was showing why he’s more than all that this year. Simply put, "Numbah Two," Derek Jeter, has been the main reason for the Yankees success this season.
His resurgence over the summer, in particular, has marked the return of the Bronx Bombers as real contenders.
Consider the bottom of the third inning in Sunday’s game. The score was closer then — with New York down 2-1. Jeter stepped into the batter’s box, complete with the usual repertoire of wriggling and shifting that does Broadway proud. Before his lurching legs were even planted, he was swinging at the first pitch — a liner over the infield’s heads that landed in the outfield grass with the nearest fielder 50 feet away.
The single looked routine, and even unimpressive. Such a hit is nothing compared to the slap-shot doubles that come off Johnny Damon’s bat, the sweeping perfection of Alex Rodriguez’s home run stroke, or the loose, hip-swinging cut of hard-hitting Robinson Cano. But Jeter was on first. And one pitch later, he was on home plate, having completed his job as the leadoff batter.
That was exactly how it was supposed to work; Jeter did his job, then Damon did his — scoring them both with a rightfield homer.
The single was Jeter’s second hit of the night. He led off the Yankees’ half of the first frame with a double, on which he was also able to score, thanks to a sacrifice fly from the number three batter, Mark Teixeira.
After Jeter returned to the dugout in the third inning, having accounted for enough runs to tie the game, neither team scored for three innings. (The game might have ended with that one-run margin if not for a five-run explosion by New York in the seventh.) Jeter hadn’t been just a strong leadoff man; his runs were almost it for the home team.
Sunday’s win was exemplary of the types of games Jeter has been having all season — especially this summer — and the positive effect his performance has had on the team.
Remember, this is a lineup with troves of All-Stars, former MVPs, Cy Young winners, and would-be-the-top-player-on-any-other-team guys. It’s easy to forget how good Jeter is, how solid he’s been throughout the years, how important he is to this New York team.
People can be quick to dismiss the Yankees, with their millions invested in the payroll and their 26 World Series championships. They’re expected to be good, to win — but it’s not like the Babe or Joltin’ Joe are actually in that clubhouse anymore. Each Yankees generation has to prove itself, to overcome its hurdles of the times, to be just as good as the uniforms it wears.
That task has never been hard for Jeter. He entered the league as a hot prospect in 1995 (1996 was his first full season) and promptly won four championships in the next five seasons. He’s a lifetime .317 hitter, averaging 111 runs, 193 hits, 75 runs batted in, 16 homers and 21 steals a season. He fields at a .976 clip and is knocking down Yankees and league records systematically. And he’s also known for his standing in the community, his excellent attitude, his good-guy image, and his ability to never let frivolity affect the way he handles his life, or slip into his status as a Yankee. He is a professional, as a player and more, with little to tarnish his legacy. But he is also aging. Critics have enjoyed the last couple years, when they’ve been able to talk down his ability as a fielder. Old, old, they say. Still playing that spot on the field because he’s Jeter. A flea on the back of four championships, not the legs that made them.
Jeter, in his usual Jeter way, hasn’t rebutted any claims, staying silent instead. Yankees manager Joe Girardi backed his shortstop, then gave him a vote of confidence that met accusations head-on — he moved Jeter to the leadoff spot in the lineup, where he’d have to leg out infield singles and steal second on hard-thrown fastballs. That’s not an assignment for an old, slow player.
Jeter has piled up 23 steals so far this season (he’s had more in only three seasons). And although he has only 60 runs batted in as he hits from the No. 1 spot, he’s stacked up 93 runs already (ninth in Major League Baseball). His best statistic: a hot .335 batting average, which is fifth out of all American League players and seventh overall. (If it holds, it will be Jeter’s fourth-best batting average in 15 years in the majors.)
But forget his numbers — look at the Yankees. It’s a cliche that a team should perform as its captain does, but that’s exactly what’s happened in the Bronx this year.
For years, Jeter has been good, but not awesome. As the sprightly shortstop on the 1990s’ victory train (his first five full seasons), he batted around .323 and had 199 hits, 120 runs and 81 RBI a season. But in the last few years, as the Yankees have fallen short of their ultimate goal for nearly a decade, it’s been .312, 192 hits, 108 runs and 74 RBI (not including this season).
The Yankees have followed suit, being good, but not great. This New York team of the past couple years is the first one in a while to make its fans nervous — and legitimately so. The front office spends and spends; the "Bombers" choke and choke (or, bad pun: bomb and bomb). They can’t come back from a deficit; Rodriguez is horrid in the clutch; they’re absorbing double-digit losses.
The worst, of course, has been the early playoff losses — or last year, when there were no playoffs at all. That may have been added motivation for Mr. Derek Jeter.
This year, he’s on pace to break all his season averages. That includes a .357 batting average in July, and .374 in August. Some are saying he should be the American League MVP — but I won’t get into that here.
The point is that now, for the Yankees, anything can happen.
New York has had 11 walk-off wins this year, and a load of come-from-behind victories. Rodriguez has actually driven in runs when the Yankees are behind, and late in the game, too.
The Bombers have ripped through their schedule and racked up 82 wins (soon to be 89 in just one week — you read it here first) — four more than their closest challenger, the National League’s Los Angeles Dodgers (conveniently managed by ex-Yankees manager Joe Torre).
Go ahead, critics, complain about the Yankees again — they are finally as good as their paychecks and their pinstripes.
Top of the fourth, Sunday: Jeter spears a line drive. A little while later, he fields another ball and does "the Jeter" — a move named after the man who (may have invented and definitely) perfected it: snaring a grounder, planting, and flipping the ball, mid-air, to first, all in one motion, without a pause.
He may be slower; he is 35. But he’s also making the plays when he needs to, and hitting how he needs to, and getting his team to where it needs to be.
He’s as good as the lauding pundits say, as good as the paychecks read, as good as the pinstripes demand.
All the way this year, Jeter. It’s time for Numbah Two to get Number 27.
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