Well, it's a good thing the Yankees won't be facing the Baltimore Orioles or the Toronto Blue Jays in the playoffs, because New York has been horrible against them lately. (New York is currently losing to Toronto 9-2.)
As the last two weeks until the end of the season trickle by (with most of the playoff berths tied up in both leagues), many teams are trying to conserve talent and rest players. That could really hurt the Yankees, though. They need to keep plugging, keep hitting, keep pitching...especially with all the lackluster playoff performances they've had lately.
In the tiny series that are the first round of the playoffs, even a great team can get sent home with a couple bad games. And considering the crap that A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain have been tossing off the mound lately (actually, Chamberlain would be throwing crap, but he hardly stays in long enough to throw anything), it's looking scary. CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte can't handle it all, and they've been shaky plenty of times this season, too (although Sabathia is a real September-October workhorse).
The good news is, the Yankees bullpen is great, and those pitchers have able to keep their arms fresh as the bum half of the pen has taken care of these last few games.
The return of Brett Gardner to the lineup has also given New York a little spark, and the spate of young players that showed up with the September expansion of the rosters has also been a good test of the Yankees' wide range of weapons.
But really, Yankees? Losing to the Blue Jays? And by half a dozen? That's got to stop.
Roy Halladay, a usual Yankees foil, was pitching for Toronto today. That means that as good as the Yankees are this year, they're still not drop-dead amazing enough to dethrone players who usually give them fits, such as the entire rosters of Red Sox and the Angels and even Detroit's Justin Verlander (a probably first-round foe). Not a good sign.
These next few games will be a good test to see whether New York is going to keep its foot on the gas, or whether the Yankees are letting off just in time for the most important games of the season.
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Showing posts with label orioles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orioles. Show all posts
9.15.2009
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.
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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.
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9.09.2009
Derek ties Lou, Yankees notch another comeback win
Derek Jeter snapped his 0-for-12 hitting streak and had three hits tonight to tie Lou Gehrig for the most hits in Yankees history. Gehrig's record of 2,721 had stood since his last hit on April 29, 1939.
Meanwhile, Jeter and company came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0.
Jorge Posada pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth and blasted a three-run homer that gave the Yankees their winning margin. Nick Swisher batted home the Yankees' other run after his big game last night, and Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez both went 2-for-4 in the win.
Johnny Damon had the only other New York hit.
Joba Chamberlain, in his third straight three-inning start, allowed two earned runs again. (His last three games have been exactly three innings, and exactly two earned runs: see it here.) Four Yankees relievers, including the always-sharp Alfredo Aceves, held the Rays scoreless for the rest of the game.
The Yankees get a day off tomorrow before hosting the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set this weekend.
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Meanwhile, Jeter and company came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0.
Jorge Posada pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth and blasted a three-run homer that gave the Yankees their winning margin. Nick Swisher batted home the Yankees' other run after his big game last night, and Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez both went 2-for-4 in the win.
Johnny Damon had the only other New York hit.
Joba Chamberlain, in his third straight three-inning start, allowed two earned runs again. (His last three games have been exactly three innings, and exactly two earned runs: see it here.) Four Yankees relievers, including the always-sharp Alfredo Aceves, held the Rays scoreless for the rest of the game.
The Yankees get a day off tomorrow before hosting the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set this weekend.
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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.
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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.
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9.02.2009
Sweep's up
Not content to merely sweep their series with the Baltimore Orioles by way of a 3-2 pitcher's duel win tonight, the Yankees explode for seven runs in the top of the ninth, dropping the O's 10-2.
Every New York player had some fun tonight, with constant singles in the last frame sending every Yankee to the plate at least once. And CC Sabathia won his 16th game of the year, which leads the bigs.
Alex Rodriguez had the best night. He singled twice with men on second and third, leaving him 3-for-5 with 4 RBI on the night.
Johnny Damon went 4-for-5 (RBI), Melky Cabrera (RBI) and Robinson Cano 2-for-5, Nick Swisher 2-for-3, Jose Molina 1-for-4 and Derek Jeter (RBI) and Hideki Matsui (RBI) 1-for-5. Eric Hinske (1-for-2, RBI) tied the game for New York in the top of the third with a solo home run, with Baltimore leading 1-0 since the first.
The Yankees had just eight of their 17 hits going into the last inning in a game that was tied 1-1 for three innings before the Yankees took the lead in the top of the seventh on a Rodriguez two-RBI single. Sabathia pitched seven full innings, logging nine strikeouts in the process.
New York carries its league-best 85-48 record into Toronto next.
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Every New York player had some fun tonight, with constant singles in the last frame sending every Yankee to the plate at least once. And CC Sabathia won his 16th game of the year, which leads the bigs.
Alex Rodriguez had the best night. He singled twice with men on second and third, leaving him 3-for-5 with 4 RBI on the night.
Johnny Damon went 4-for-5 (RBI), Melky Cabrera (RBI) and Robinson Cano 2-for-5, Nick Swisher 2-for-3, Jose Molina 1-for-4 and Derek Jeter (RBI) and Hideki Matsui (RBI) 1-for-5. Eric Hinske (1-for-2, RBI) tied the game for New York in the top of the third with a solo home run, with Baltimore leading 1-0 since the first.
The Yankees had just eight of their 17 hits going into the last inning in a game that was tied 1-1 for three innings before the Yankees took the lead in the top of the seventh on a Rodriguez two-RBI single. Sabathia pitched seven full innings, logging nine strikeouts in the process.
New York carries its league-best 85-48 record into Toronto next.
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9.01.2009
Hip, Hip Jorrrrgeee!
Jorge Posada hurt his finger the other day, which is no small deal for a catcher. Posada's been battling injuries for years, especially to his throwing arm, which has many critics telling him to hang up his catcher's gear, and even his spikes. This recent injury kept him out of a couple days just when controversy was also stewing about whether the Yankees' longtime catcher should be the one to catch for A.J. Burnett, who is in his first year for New York. Some said Posada messed things up for Burnett in his last few starts, that they didn't agree on the pitch selection, blah blah blah.
Burnett allowed six runs tonight with Posada behind the plate, so one of those arguments may have merit. But when the Yankees win 9-6 because of a player's batting, it doesn't really matter much what happens that night for that player behind the plate.
Posada tore the game open, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, accounting for 3 RBI. Behind him, Robinson Cano went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a home run, and Nick Swisher added a 2-RBI dinger to complete the 5-6-7 stackup slugfest for the Yankees.
The Orioles put up a fight tonight, not finished until a Mariano Rivera silencing in the ninth. Baltimore will have its last chance for a win tomorrow before the Yankees move on to a four-game set in Toronto.
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Burnett allowed six runs tonight with Posada behind the plate, so one of those arguments may have merit. But when the Yankees win 9-6 because of a player's batting, it doesn't really matter much what happens that night for that player behind the plate.
Posada tore the game open, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, accounting for 3 RBI. Behind him, Robinson Cano went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a home run, and Nick Swisher added a 2-RBI dinger to complete the 5-6-7 stackup slugfest for the Yankees.
The Orioles put up a fight tonight, not finished until a Mariano Rivera silencing in the ninth. Baltimore will have its last chance for a win tomorrow before the Yankees move on to a four-game set in Toronto.
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8.30.2009
Sox sweep
The Yankees swept the White Sox today with another drubbing, this time an 8-3 win to top a weekend in which New York outscored Chicago 23-5.
With starter Joba Chamberlain only going three innings as the Yankees increase his workload to that of a fulling starting pitcher again, the bullpen had a creative afternoon, with five pitchers combining to close the last six innings.
Chicago held New York to a 3-2 lead from the third inning on, until the bottom of the seventh, when the Yankees exploded for five runs. The rally was capped by Mark Teixeira, who hit a towering home run (his 32nd of the season) to score three. Teixeira now leads the American League with 101 RBIs.
The win was New York's 82nd, and the Yankees sport no signs of slowing up as they head into Baltimore and Toronto for the next week.
I'll have more to say about the New York's season as a whole in my next post, but for now, how 'bout them Yankees?
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With starter Joba Chamberlain only going three innings as the Yankees increase his workload to that of a fulling starting pitcher again, the bullpen had a creative afternoon, with five pitchers combining to close the last six innings.
Chicago held New York to a 3-2 lead from the third inning on, until the bottom of the seventh, when the Yankees exploded for five runs. The rally was capped by Mark Teixeira, who hit a towering home run (his 32nd of the season) to score three. Teixeira now leads the American League with 101 RBIs.
The win was New York's 82nd, and the Yankees sport no signs of slowing up as they head into Baltimore and Toronto for the next week.
I'll have more to say about the New York's season as a whole in my next post, but for now, how 'bout them Yankees?
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7.24.2009
Eight runs, eight wins in a row
Rumor had it that the A's were sending their ace to the mound tonight.
Well, the Yankees were sending their bats, and they would not be denied.
First it was a modest 2-1 lead, then it built. 3-1 in the fifth. 4-1 in the sixth.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth, when the Yankees could have hung their cleats and let Mo come in to finish off the Non-Athletics, New York ripped it open to lead 8-1.
Eight runs, eight wins in a row.
With the 8-3 win, New York kept its edge in the American League East as the Red Sox slipped past the Orioles 3-1 tonight. (Tampa Bay and Toronto, never satisfied to let a game go a mere nine innings, went into the 10th before the Rays won 4-2.)
The Yankees knocked out A's ace Brett Anderson, who was scoreless in 21 innings and hadn't lost in his past six starts. The Bombers countered with a sharp pitcher of their own, the recently surging Joba Chamberlain, who went into the eighth inning with a new durability that wasn't present earlier in the season.
Joba let a first-inning run score then shut down Oakland the rest of the way.
Derek Jeter went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, and Johnny Damon's one hit sent home three runs. Melky Cabrera was 3-for-4, Robinson Cano went 2-for-3, and Jorge Posada continued to break out of his recent hitting slump with a four-bag dinger for the second time in three games.
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Well, the Yankees were sending their bats, and they would not be denied.
First it was a modest 2-1 lead, then it built. 3-1 in the fifth. 4-1 in the sixth.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth, when the Yankees could have hung their cleats and let Mo come in to finish off the Non-Athletics, New York ripped it open to lead 8-1.
Eight runs, eight wins in a row.
With the 8-3 win, New York kept its edge in the American League East as the Red Sox slipped past the Orioles 3-1 tonight. (Tampa Bay and Toronto, never satisfied to let a game go a mere nine innings, went into the 10th before the Rays won 4-2.)
The Yankees knocked out A's ace Brett Anderson, who was scoreless in 21 innings and hadn't lost in his past six starts. The Bombers countered with a sharp pitcher of their own, the recently surging Joba Chamberlain, who went into the eighth inning with a new durability that wasn't present earlier in the season.
Joba let a first-inning run score then shut down Oakland the rest of the way.
Derek Jeter went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, and Johnny Damon's one hit sent home three runs. Melky Cabrera was 3-for-4, Robinson Cano went 2-for-3, and Jorge Posada continued to break out of his recent hitting slump with a four-bag dinger for the second time in three games.
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Labels:
blue jays,
mariano rivera,
new york yankees,
oakland a's,
orioles,
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red sox
7.21.2009
5 in a row; Division lead
Enter Sandman. Mo Rivera seals the game for the Yankees, who have won five in a row and took the American League East outright with a Red Sox loss tonight (4-2 to the Texas Rangers).
The young pitcher who was called up to start for New York tonight didn't look so sharp, but that's what the rest of the team (and super-efficient Alfredo Aceves: 12 pitches, 4 outs) is for. New York won 6-4.
Meanwhile, the O's sink to 41-52, giving them a firm hold on the cellar spot they fill so well. I'm tempted to say Baltimore would be better if it didn't play in such a tight division, but the botched double play and a dropped fly a couple innings ago took that argument from my fingers.
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The young pitcher who was called up to start for New York tonight didn't look so sharp, but that's what the rest of the team (and super-efficient Alfredo Aceves: 12 pitches, 4 outs) is for. New York won 6-4.
Meanwhile, the O's sink to 41-52, giving them a firm hold on the cellar spot they fill so well. I'm tempted to say Baltimore would be better if it didn't play in such a tight division, but the botched double play and a dropped fly a couple innings ago took that argument from my fingers.
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A-Rod pokes 'em home
UPDATE: A beautiful Derek Jeter-Robinson Cano double play. Jeter tosses, Cano sends it to first with the whip of his arm, not even turning his hips. YouTube it.
UPDATE: Johnny Damon sends one home with a well-placed single in the bottom of the fourth, putting New York up 6-2.
RUNNING UPDATE: Robinson Cano made up for an earlier whiff of a K with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth, putting the Yankees on top 5-2 at home against the Baltimore Orioles. His shot chased Orioles starting pitcher Rich Hill.
One inning before, Alex Rodriguez helped spike the image that he's bad in the clutch.
He sat at the plate in the bottom of the third, with the bases loaded and two outs, letting the Yankee crowd ring in his ears as he faced an 0-1 count.
Hapless Baltimore pitcher Hill (who, despite having a no-hitter through two, had allowed Derek Jeter to score off a walk and a couple sacrifice flies), tossed him a pumpkin, right down the middle.
A-Rod let it go by. But before the slugger could soak in much more hate from the legions of Yankees fans upset at him for letting such a beautiful pitch go by, he unleashed his picture-perfect swing. The result was a solid connection, a poke on a looping pitch that plopped over short and sent two New York runners home.
A-Rod's strong hitting this year with runners on base has balanced an attack that statistically has not been as strong as in other years for the three-time MVP. He's only hitting .250 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs, which is well under par for him (and especially for an odd-numbered year, when he is usually blistering at the plate).
Despite a slow start due to his hip injury, however, A-Rod has given his team a winning record while he's healthy (thus dooming many theories about the effect of him as a teammate) and is still second on the team in long bombs with 19 and RBI (52).
Across the league, the Red Sox are already behind the Texas Rangers, 2-0.
Cross your fingers....
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UPDATE: Johnny Damon sends one home with a well-placed single in the bottom of the fourth, putting New York up 6-2.
RUNNING UPDATE: Robinson Cano made up for an earlier whiff of a K with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth, putting the Yankees on top 5-2 at home against the Baltimore Orioles. His shot chased Orioles starting pitcher Rich Hill.
One inning before, Alex Rodriguez helped spike the image that he's bad in the clutch.
He sat at the plate in the bottom of the third, with the bases loaded and two outs, letting the Yankee crowd ring in his ears as he faced an 0-1 count.
Hapless Baltimore pitcher Hill (who, despite having a no-hitter through two, had allowed Derek Jeter to score off a walk and a couple sacrifice flies), tossed him a pumpkin, right down the middle.
A-Rod let it go by. But before the slugger could soak in much more hate from the legions of Yankees fans upset at him for letting such a beautiful pitch go by, he unleashed his picture-perfect swing. The result was a solid connection, a poke on a looping pitch that plopped over short and sent two New York runners home.
A-Rod's strong hitting this year with runners on base has balanced an attack that statistically has not been as strong as in other years for the three-time MVP. He's only hitting .250 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs, which is well under par for him (and especially for an odd-numbered year, when he is usually blistering at the plate).
Despite a slow start due to his hip injury, however, A-Rod has given his team a winning record while he's healthy (thus dooming many theories about the effect of him as a teammate) and is still second on the team in long bombs with 19 and RBI (52).
Across the league, the Red Sox are already behind the Texas Rangers, 2-0.
Cross your fingers....
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7.20.2009
Tied.
The Red Sox fell tonight 6-3, which, coupled with the Yankees' win over the Orioles, ties New York and Boston atop the American League East.
Both are 55-37, with the Yankees winning the last four in a row and the Red Sox losing the last three.
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Both are 55-37, with the Yankees winning the last four in a row and the Red Sox losing the last three.
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Labels:
american league east,
new york yankees,
orioles,
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Another 2-1 win
It's another 2-1 win for the Yankees, who top the Baltimore Orioles for their fourth win in a row and an undefeated run since the All-Star break.
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7.19.2009
Joba's back
Joba Chamberlain was back today, pitching a gem to lead the Yankees past Detroit in another National League-like 2-1 win. Joba had eight strikeouts, with five of them being the last five batters he faced. He went well into the game, too (six and two-thirds innings), and notched his first win since June 24.
The bullpen helped New York the rest of the way, with Phil Hughes throwing another solid inning (2 Ks) and Mariano Rivera closing it out the third day in a row for his 26th save in 27 chances this season.
(Side note: whether it's Hughes or Joba, I really like having a guy with starting pitcher-quality firepower anchoring the eighth inning. It's the missing link in a bullpen that was blowing huge leads earlier this season.)
Offensively, only two guys showed up for New York, and it was the two guys with the most green in their pockets: Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Both went 2-for-4 with an RBI on solo home run shots. Teixeira also had a double.
The Yankees now sit just one game back from the division-leading Boston Red Sox.
The Bombers host the Baltimore Orioles, a division foe, for the next three games before welcoming the Oakland A's for a series.
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The bullpen helped New York the rest of the way, with Phil Hughes throwing another solid inning (2 Ks) and Mariano Rivera closing it out the third day in a row for his 26th save in 27 chances this season.
(Side note: whether it's Hughes or Joba, I really like having a guy with starting pitcher-quality firepower anchoring the eighth inning. It's the missing link in a bullpen that was blowing huge leads earlier this season.)
Offensively, only two guys showed up for New York, and it was the two guys with the most green in their pockets: Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Both went 2-for-4 with an RBI on solo home run shots. Teixeira also had a double.
The Yankees now sit just one game back from the division-leading Boston Red Sox.
The Bombers host the Baltimore Orioles, a division foe, for the next three games before welcoming the Oakland A's for a series.
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6.30.2009
Rolling, rolling, rolling
It's another W for the Yankees, the sixth in a row, as the Bombers wait out the rain and top Seattle 8-5.
And to make things even better, the Red Sox blew a 10-1 lead and let the Orioles back in the game, giving Baltimore its biggest comeback win in the team's history. (But perhaps we knew they weren't in the game anymore when the whole Red Sox infield walked off the field in the sixth inning...when there were only two outs.)
A-Rod led the Yankees with his 12th dinger of the season, and Mariano Rivera recorded save 501 one game after number 500. He's 19-for-20 in save chances this season.
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And to make things even better, the Red Sox blew a 10-1 lead and let the Orioles back in the game, giving Baltimore its biggest comeback win in the team's history. (But perhaps we knew they weren't in the game anymore when the whole Red Sox infield walked off the field in the sixth inning...when there were only two outs.)
A-Rod led the Yankees with his 12th dinger of the season, and Mariano Rivera recorded save 501 one game after number 500. He's 19-for-20 in save chances this season.
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5.22.2009
That makes 9
The Yankees won their ninth game today, topping the Baltimore Orioles 7-4. Joba Chamberlain got pegged in the leg with a line drive, but with Chien Ming Wang coming back soon, the Yankees should be able to patch things together without him. (Or maybe put him in the number one reliever spot, where he belongs.)
Previous posts:
Full seats, sharp pitching, eight in a row
The Bombers are Back
Tex: batter, gold glover, Sesame Street character
Go! Go, Johnny, go go go!
A-Rod? In the clutch? No way.
Another W for NY
Pen Problems
Our kind of Brett
Sweet curses
An A-Bomb! For A-Rod!
What's that nasty smell from the Bronx?
Previous posts:
Full seats, sharp pitching, eight in a row
The Bombers are Back
Tex: batter, gold glover, Sesame Street character
Go! Go, Johnny, go go go!
A-Rod? In the clutch? No way.
Another W for NY
Pen Problems
Our kind of Brett
Sweet curses
An A-Bomb! For A-Rod!
What's that nasty smell from the Bronx?
Labels:
chien ming wang,
joba chamberlain,
new york yankees,
orioles
5.08.2009
What's that nasty smell from the Bronx?
The Yankees flat-out stink right now. That's all I can say to describe the preposterous situation they're in. At 13-15 and going into Baltimore for a three-day stint, they face the possibility of becoming the American League East cellar occupants, and trailing the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. And while you can say a lot of nice things about the AL East being tough this year, the Yankees have earned every one of their losses.
At first, I thought it was just the bullpen, which consistently gave up multi-run leads at the beginning of the season. Then the starting pitching faltered. The $15 million batters (there's several...and a few in the $20 million range) are barely batting over the Mendoza line. Tonight Mariano Rivera blew another save and let two guys go deep off of him for the first time in forever.
The Yankees' best hitter right now is Johnny Damon, the very man who brought the curse with him from Boston. Derek Jeter's artificial hip isn't helping him grab grounders at short, and Mark Teixera's famed first base play has been less than flawless. Chubs Molina continues to blow it behind the plate, but that's better than having Grandpa Posada and his gimpy legs and arms anchor the backstop.
Who else? All of them. They all stink right now.
The Yankees are good at one thing right now: taking something good and changing it, for no reason. A couple examples: Joba Chamberlain was the best reliever the Yankees have had for decades, so instead of relying on his heat to anchor the seventh and eighth innings, they brought him into a starting pitching spot, where he's been decent but not great. Meanwhile, Yankees' relievers regularly give up four earned runs a night and walk the bases full every other game.
My other example: you had the world's best stadium, with DiMaggio's ghost in the basement, and you tore it down to build a palace across the street. Fine. But in the process, you happened to create a wind tunnel that helps the other team win (you can't even get your own hitters to pull for right field) and also spread the stinking grandstands out so far that it's no longer loud within the stadium. That's fine, too, because with all the white-collar bums that are "packing" the stadium now in the Berkaloungers down near home plate, the only cheering you'll get is, as John Lennon would say, rich people rattling their jewelry.
Argh.
At first, I thought it was just the bullpen, which consistently gave up multi-run leads at the beginning of the season. Then the starting pitching faltered. The $15 million batters (there's several...and a few in the $20 million range) are barely batting over the Mendoza line. Tonight Mariano Rivera blew another save and let two guys go deep off of him for the first time in forever.
The Yankees' best hitter right now is Johnny Damon, the very man who brought the curse with him from Boston. Derek Jeter's artificial hip isn't helping him grab grounders at short, and Mark Teixera's famed first base play has been less than flawless. Chubs Molina continues to blow it behind the plate, but that's better than having Grandpa Posada and his gimpy legs and arms anchor the backstop.
Who else? All of them. They all stink right now.
The Yankees are good at one thing right now: taking something good and changing it, for no reason. A couple examples: Joba Chamberlain was the best reliever the Yankees have had for decades, so instead of relying on his heat to anchor the seventh and eighth innings, they brought him into a starting pitching spot, where he's been decent but not great. Meanwhile, Yankees' relievers regularly give up four earned runs a night and walk the bases full every other game.
My other example: you had the world's best stadium, with DiMaggio's ghost in the basement, and you tore it down to build a palace across the street. Fine. But in the process, you happened to create a wind tunnel that helps the other team win (you can't even get your own hitters to pull for right field) and also spread the stinking grandstands out so far that it's no longer loud within the stadium. That's fine, too, because with all the white-collar bums that are "packing" the stadium now in the Berkaloungers down near home plate, the only cheering you'll get is, as John Lennon would say, rich people rattling their jewelry.
Argh.
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