Wang to Get Another Start

Joe Girardi announced today that Chien-Ming Wang will pitch next Wednesday against the Nationals.  Girardi made it sound like this could be Wang's last shot before the Yanks make a decision to remove him from the rotation.

I just have this to ask -  Can the Yanks afford to lose a game against a team they're suppose to beat?  And, as bad as the Nationals are - they can hit the ball.  I hope this doesn't bite the Yanks in the ass.  

Game 60 - Yanks Leave Boston With Tail Between Their Legs

Brutal.  Absolutely brutal loss for the Yankees, as they were swept out of Boston in a 4-3 defeat.  The Yanks led 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th.  CC Sabathia had cruised through the first 7 innings, only giving up a solo shot to the mysteriously better Big Sloppy Ortiz up to that point, when he came out for the 8th.  That's when the wheels came flying off the bus.  

The bottom of the 8th started with Nick Green lacing a hanging changeup into left, Yoda Pedroia weaseling out a walk and JD Drew lining a single up the middle to load the bases before Joe Girardi finally pulled CC.  Alfredo Aceves came in and surrendered the lead on 2 dinky hits (he was absolutely squeezed by the ump on a 2-2 pitch to crybaby Youkilis) and a sacrifice fly.  Papelbum hammered the final nail in the Yanks coffin with a 1-2-3 ninth for the ballgame.  

Somewhere off in the distance, all the "Joba to the bullpen" troglodytes are beating their drums.  Joe Girardi is getting raked over the coals for his decisions.  Unfortunately, that's not the true reason the Yanks lost tonight's game.  CC did tire in the 8th and the bullpen did cough up the lead, but the offense, once again, cost the Yanks a second night in a row.  Facing Brad Penny and his 5.85 ERA, they allowed him to escape one jam after another as he threw 6 shutout innings.  After last night's unexplainable 2-16 with runners in scoring position, the Yanks followed that up with another comatose-like 1-10 performance.  They had a man on 2nd with no outs in the first 2 innings and left them stranded.  For a second straight night, Nick Swisher inserted his noggin up his derriere, once again running into out after the ball was caught in front of him.  Are you kidding me?  This is little league stuff.  

Has anyone seen Robinson Cano?  This guy is just God-awful with runners in scoring position and an instant out when he's in that situation with 2 out.  He left 3 more men on in scoring position.  For the season, he's 11-40 with RISP and 2 out for a .220 batting average.  My poor wife has been listening to me about Cano's failures for 3 years now.  Digging further into Cano's statistics, before tonight's game, I discovered he hits .242 against starters and .403 against relievers.  This would be the last guy, outside of the rarely used Angel Berroa, I would ever want to see at the plate with the game on the line.

Girardi should seriously consider dropping Cano deep in the lineup and giving Swisher a day or two to think about his base running blunders.  As for his use of CC and the bullpen, it's hard to second guess him.  CC only had 106 pitches going into the 8th.   If anything, maybe Girardi should have broken the mold of saving your best reliever for the 9th, but if he brought Mariano Rivera during the 8th to get out of jam and then someone else lost the game in the 9th, he would get killed publicly.  

So Boston is now 8-0 against the Yanks and now lead them by 2 games in the standings.  Fortunately for the Yanks, they don't see Boston again till August.  Yankee announcer, Kenny Singleton brought up a good point on tonight's telecast.  The Sox are tough to beat at home, but they are a below average team on the road and also hit 40 points less away from home.  I'm looking forward to the Sox next road trip.

Yankees Record:  34-26

Blown Games:  6

Game 59 - Last Night Gutless, Tonight Clutchless

The Yanks fell to 0-7 on the season to their archrival Red Sox, losing a close one, 6-5.  The Yankees fell behind early, as Chien-Ming Wang pitched abysmally again, lasting just 2.2 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.  He's now 0-4 on the season and it's time for the Yanks to decide what to do with this guy, because they can't keep playing catch up every time he's on the mound.  

Believe it or not though, Wang wasn't the real reason the Yanks lost tonight's game.  They've reverted to their old ways of not hitting with runners in scoring position.  They were a horrific 2-16 in those situations tonight.  One of the hits was a bunt by Nick Swisher.  The Yankees had a base runner on in all 9 innings, including the tying run on second base with 1 out in the 8th and 9th innings, leaving 10 men on base for the game.  The worse culprits were Derek Jeter, who looked absolutely clueless, going 0-5, leaving 5 on, and no shocker here, Robinson "worse clutch hitter ever" Cano left 4 on.  

Two big plays that probably turned this game around was Nick Swisher misjudging a fly ball for a run-scoring ground rule double, and Phil Hughes surrendering a 2-run shot to the Big Nugget, Youkilis, that stood up as the difference in the score.  It was Hughes only mistake, as he pitched effectively in 3.2 innings, striking out 5. 

The Yanks hit 3 HRs, but unfortunately they were all solo shots - Posada, Damon and Teixeira.  Tex's was his league-leading 19th, as he was one of the few Yanks who came to play tonight, going 4-5 with 2 doubles along with his dinger.  His single was a liner off the Green Monster, too.

The Yanks will need Crooked Cap to step up in the series finale.  Unfortunately, I don't think Sabathia has pitched well against the Sox in his career.  

As for Wang - I'd move him to the bullpen as a long guy with the occasional spot start, but I don't manage them.  Joe Girardi didn't sound committed to Wang in the rotation though, in his post game interviews, so I may get my wish.  It's all about confidence right now, so maybe a string of shutdown appearances out of the pen would give him a boost.

Yankees Record:  34-25 and 1 game back  

Game 58 - Yanks Turn In Gutless Performance

Robinson Cano's strike out to end the game tonight was a fitting end to a dreadful, gutless performance by the Yankees.  There wasn't any positives to take away from this game, unless one considers Jose Veras not walking a batter in 2 innings of relief a success.  This despite Veras only throwing 13 out of 29 pitches for strikes and hitting a batter (plus giving up a HR).  Below is a list of the many, many Yankee negatives in what was suppose to be a marquee matchup of the AL's 2 best teams:

-AJ once again stood for Absolute Joke when it comes to facing the Red Sox.  When Burnett signed with the Yanks this offseason, one of the big positives was his sterling 5-0 record against the Yanks archrivals.  In 2 starts against the Bosox this year, he coughed up a huge 6-0 lead in a 16-11 blow out and looked completely lost in his 2.2 innings of work tonight in the 7-0 loss.  He threw only 40 strikes in 84 pitches and fell behind the hitters from pitch 1.  Amazingly enough, he only allowed 5 runs and only 3 earned, but there were Red Sox base runners everywhere you turned.  He surrendered 5 hits and 5 walks with 1 K.  He was down right God-awful.  He did get ahead of 2 hitters, Big Nugget Youkilis, who he walked after having him down 1-2 in the count and JD Drew, who smacked an RBI double on an 0-2 count.  Pitiful.

-Big Sloppy Ortiz hit a 2-run bomb to dead center with the wind blowing directly in.  This is inexcusable.  This guy had the same number of HRs as Yankees reserve outfielder, Brett Gardner did coming into this game - and Ortiz plays everyday!  He's hitting below the Mendoza line.  Big Sloppy supposedly visited an eye doctor and received eye drops the other day.  Since then, he's hit 2 HRs in 3 games.  I guess eye doctor and eye drops is now code for steroid supplier and a needle in the ass.  All of a sudden he's catching up to a 95 mph heater on natural talent?  Doubtful.

-Nick Green knocking in 2 runs with a double and a HR.  I repeat, Nick Green.  This guy has been dumped by the Braves, Rays, Yanks and Mariners before showing up on the Red Sox doorstep.  He didn't even play in the Majors last season.  And yet, the Yanks made him look like an All-Star tonight.  Unbelievable.

-The entire Yankees starting lineup amassed a total of 2 hits and 4 walks.  They finally mounted a "threat" in the 4th, already trailing 5-0, when Jorge Posada struck out with runners on 1st and 2nd to end the inning.  Derek Jeter set the tone, grounding out on the game's first pitch.  Josh Beckett recorded 8 Ks in 6 innings of work.  I believe the offense is beginning to slump and it couldn't come at a worse time, going up against the Sox.  In the 3 games against Tampa Bay, they recorded 7 hits, 6 hits, and 6 hits before dinking in 2 tonight.  21 hits in 4 games - not acceptable.  What happened to this dangerous lineup?  Jeter, ARod, Cano, Posada and Cabrera have all gone into mini-slumps.  Horrendous.

-ARod had an error in the 2nd and now the Yankees have erred in 7 straight games after setting the ML record of errorless ball in the previous 18 games.  ARod's gaffe came against the aforementioned Nick Green - a batter the Yanks just need to get out against the Red Sox lineup.  Sloppy.

  

-7 walks to the Red Sox.  To quote Yankee announcer, Michael Kay, "that's dreadful".  You can't walk the Sox - they'll kill you every time.  3 of the walks came in to score.   What Kay said. 

I'm sure I've missed some other negatives, but what it comes down to is the Yankees didn't look like they came to play against a team they are competing with for the division.  Boston has beaten them like a drum this season and the Yanks, going 6-0.  Tonight, the Yanks acted like a team who knows the Sox have their number, which surprises me, because this team has been walking around with a lot of swagger since the ARod's return off the DL.   No matter how badly the Yanks struggled in the last few seasons, they always showed up to play against Boston.  Where were they tonight?

I just found at least one other positive from tonight's game - the fraudulent MVP, Yoda Pedroia went 0-4.  

Yankees Record:  34-24

 

Game 57 - 4 HRs Lead Yanks Over Rays

If it weren't for the long ball tonight, the Yanks may have been shutout.  Solo shots by Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira, plus a 2-run dinger from hot-hitting Nick Swisher, led to all the Yanks scoring in a 5-3 victory over the Rays.  Andy Pettitte gutted it out through 6 innings, giving up 3 runs, 2 earned, while striking out 7.  Pettitte's only mistake came against Gabe Kapler in the 4th, when the .169 hitter hit his 1st homer of the year.  Inexcusable, but at least it didn't cost the Bombers the game.  

Despite all those HRs though by the hometowners, the highlight of the night may have been Phil Hughes appearance out of the bullpen in the 7th.  Johnny Damon just gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th.  Facing the top of the Rays very talented order, he retired BJ Upton and Carl Crawford on grounders.  Mixing 94-95 mph fastballs with a 77 mph curve ball, Hughes reared back and blew away the dangerous Evan Longoria.  Phil Coke and the great Mariano Rivera finished the Rays off in the 8th and 9th to clinch the 3-game series.   

But let me return to the subject of the young Phil Hughes.  I'll be the first in line to say Phil Hughes is a starting pitcher, just like I feel Joba belongs in the rotation, and just as I believed that Dave Righetti was on track to be a great starting pitcher in the 1980's before the Yankees destroyed his career by making him a closer.  But I could not help being tantalized by Hughes performance tonight out of the pen.  It was electric.  The guy came in throwing gas and had sharp command of both his fastball and curveball.  Unfortunately for Hughes, the Yanks have 5 starting pitchers.  He's not going to unseat Sabathia, Burnett or Pettitte in the rotation.  Wang is a question mark, so Hughes may unseat him if Wang's troubles persist.  Joba is on an innings limit this season and I assume Hughes will pick up some of his starts later in the season.    There's always the chance of a mid-season injury, too.  In the meantime, Hughes has proved all that he can down in the minors.  Why not keep him in the bullpen for awhile with the big club?

The problem with keeping Hughes in the pen is that it prohibits his development as a starting pitcher and denies him a chance to build up his innings total toward the magic 200 innings total.  Intelligent Yankee fans and baseball experts will tell us he should continue to start, even if it's in the minors.  Normally, I agree 100%, but if Hughes can dominate out of the pen like he did tonight and shorten the game to get to Mariano, I might be onboard.  And my reason is this - Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano are not getting any younger.  This could be their last hurrah before their games begin deteriorating in front of our disbelieving eyes.  They're not the only ones aging, either.  Johnny Damon is getting up there in age and in his free agent year.  Do the Yanks want to lose out on making a long run in the playoffs in what may be his last year with the team?  Matsui is in the same boat as Damon.  Hughes could be that missing piece to bring the Yanks back to the promised land.  Manager Joe Girardi's philosophy, just as he learned from his mentor, Padre Joe Torre, is to win today and not worry about tomorrow.  Shouldn't that be applied to this season as well?  

For once, I'm glad I'm not Brian Cashman.  He's got some tough choices ahead.  If the Yanks are lucky, the triumphant return of Damaso Marte and Brian Bruney to the bullpen could make all of this a moot point and Hughes can continue his dominance and development in Triple A.  For once though, the Yankees have a very good problem on their hands.

Yankees Record:  34-23, 1 game up on the Bosox as they head up to Boston for a 3-game set.

Game 56 - Cardiac Kids Come Through Again

For 7 innings, the Yankee bats looked lethargic, collecting only 4 hits and a run on a Nick Swisher HR.  Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain pitched 6 solid innings, limiting Tampa Bay to 5 hits and 3 runs.  He only walked one and struck out 4.   The game was tied 1-1 till the sixth, when Joba, who had only thrown 70 pitches coming into the inning, lost command of his fastball.  In his last inning of work, he labored through 30 pitches and surrendered a 2-out, 2-run single to Gabe Gross to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.  

Things looked grim for the Yanks coming into the 8th.  Joe Nelson, coming into the game toting a robust ERA over 6.00, relieved Tampa starter, Matt Garza, and retired 6 straight Yanks without even giving them a whiff of first base.  Grant Balfour answered the bell for the 8th and retired his first batter.  But, as the hometown heroes have done time and again in this young season, they rose from the deck and mounted their signature rally.  Johnny Damon started it off innocently enough with a hard fought single on a 1-2 count after fouling off a couple of mid-90s fastballs.  Mark Teixeira followed with a rip off the right field wall, but held to a single because he hit it so hard.  ARod loaded the bases with a walk and then things really starting going the Yankees way.  

Robinson Cano pulled off the rare feat of actually walking with the bags juiced.  Cano has been swinging at a lot of first pitch swings lately, bringing on his old, terrible habits of yesteryear, but looked patient at the plate as he drew a 5-pitch walk.  Posada then stepped up to the plate with the tying run at 3rd, the same position he found himself in last Sunday's loss when he failed miserably by ending that threat with a double play.  Posada failed again today, but was spared by the ineptitude of the Rays defense.  3B Willie Aybar couldn't handle Posada's potential double play grounder, allowing the tying run to score and keeping the bases loaded with 1 out.  Hideki Matsui then chopped the ball up the middle to the 2B, and once again, Posada almost blew the Yanks chance of taking a 4-3 lead when he ran straight into the Ben Zobrist's tag, but Matsui found another gear in those old, tired legs of his, and beat the throw to first.  Without the ball leaving the infield (because they're the Yankees and they wouldn't know a sac fly if one came up and bit them on the ass), they scored 3 runs to take the 4-3 lead.  

Mariano Rivera avenged yesterday's poor outing by retiring the side in the 9th for his 13th save.  Alfredo Aceves picked up his 4th win, pitching 2 brilliant innings in relief of Joba, striking out 4, including the side in the 8th.  As for the Rays, it's enjoyable to watch their socialistic ways catch up to them in the bullpen.  By signing cheap retreads like Troy Percival and Jason Isringhausen and mixing and matching the rest of the bullpen with hacks (although JP Howell is not too bad), they are costing themselves a good shot at challenging for the division.  I can only imagine how good this team could be if they signed someone like K-Rod in the offseason.  Why wouldn't they even make an offer?  Their weak-ass bullpen nearly cost them the game yesterday as well, as the Yanks tied the game in the 8th and almost came back from a 4-run deficit in the 9th.  I'm glad I don't root for this team - their bullpen would give me a stroke.  Are Tampa fans calling for David Price to pitch in the pen a la Yankee fans with Joba?  Better question - are there any real Tampa fans in existence?

Yankees Record:  33-23, .5 game up on the Sox who lost today to Texas.  One more with Tampa Bay tomorrow and then 3 games in Boston.  Should be an interesting test.

Game 55 - Pitching Duel Blows Up

The Saturday matinee featured a doozy - CC Sabathia vs. David Price.  The cheap, upstart Tampa Bay Rays vs. the free spending, capitalistic Yankees.  What the customers watched was a slop fest, as Tampa prevailed 9-7.  Crooked Cap limited Tampa to one hit through the first 4 innings, as the Yanks led 2-0 on an ARod homer and Robinson Cano's RBI groundout.  In the top of the 5th, the Crooked One served up a dinger to the hot-hitting Ben Zobrist.  The Rays tied the Yanks in the inning, when Johnny Damon took minor league journeyman Joe Dillon's single in leftfield and promptly tossed it into short rightfield.  If you didn't know there was a game going on, one would have thought he was trying to have a catch with Yankee RF, Nick Swisher.  What really happened was he airmailed the throw over second that Nick Swisher had to go chase down.  Rays catcher and ex-Yankee, Dioner Navarro followed up with a sac fly to tie the game.

David Price pitched 2-hit ball through 5.2 innings, walking 5 and striking out 3.  He gave up 3 runs, but only 1 earned.  Tampa would commit 4 errors in the game, with Navarro throwing the ball all over the place, committing 3 throwing errors himself.  He left the game with the lead, 5-3 after Willie Aybar deposited a pitiful changeup from Sabathia into the leftfield seats for a 3-run blast.  

The Yanks rallied back to tie it up at 5 against the Rays pathetic bullpen in the 8th, with Teixeira hitting his 17th HR and Melky Cabrera's RBI fielder's choice.  The only thing more pathetic than the Rays pen today, though, was Mariano Rivera.  He was brought in the top of the 9th to hold Tampa, but instead got torched for 4 runs.  He wasn't helped out by Phil Coke, who came in and allowed a run scoring single and ARod committed the Yanks second gaffe of the day for the last run.  

In the bottom of the 9th, the Yanks, following a trend all season, would not go away quietly.  Mark Teixeira's double knocked in Jeter and Damon to close the gap to 2 runs.  In a move that saved the game, Rays manager, Joe Maddon, moved back CF BJ Upton after Damon doubled over his head.  Upton normally plays a very shallow centerfield, so when Maddon moved him back, he was able to catch Jorge Posada's deep fly to center and corral and absolute bullet from Cano to end the game and stranding Teixeira.  

It was a tough loss for the Yanks, especially in the first game of a series where your staff ace pitched.  Mariano continues to struggle in non-save situation games, which follows his career trend.  This season, in 10 non-save games, his ERA is 5.59 and opponents are batting .310 off of him.  Maybe he doesn't bring the same adrenaline into those games, because he looks mortal, almost Edwar Ramirez-like.  It's easy to spot when Mariano is not on his game.  His pitches will be lower in the zone and not have the rising movement or dart down like a slider which his cutter normally does.

Tomorrow brings another good matchup with 2 more hard throwers - Joba Chamberlain vs. Matt Garza.  

Yankees Record:  32-23

Blown Games:  5