Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
I first posted this in the wake of Randy Johnson's showdown with Felix Hernandez, but as tonight is his first start since that inspiring performance, here it is again:
Randy Johnson's best consecutive starts this season:April 24 (Tex), 29 (Tor): 17 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 4 BB, 16 K
June 11 (StL), 16 (Pit): 16 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 18 K
July 21 (Ana), 26 (Min)*: 14 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 15 K
Aug 26 (KC), 31 (Sea): 15 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 13 K
*this pair, unlike the others which are more evenly split, is largely due to the excellence of the second start
Johnson has not turned in three consecutive quality starts at any point this season. The closest he came was an eight-inning, three-run performance against the Mariners following the first two starts on the above list. I've disqualified that start, however, as Johnson actually skipped his turn following the Toronto game due to a strained groin suffered while completing that duel against Roy Halladay.
That skipped start would have come against in Tampa against the Devil Rays (Sean Henn took Johnson's turn and got lit-up in his major league debut). Johnson has made three other starts against the Devil Rays this year with the Yankees, none of which have produced the desired result. Here's a brief history:
Tues 4/19 (home): With yours truly sitting in $5 seats in the upper deck, Johnson pitches well but surrenders a two run home run to Eduardo Perez in the third and a solo shot to Perez in the sixth. Meanwhile, the Yankees struggle to hit current Columbus Clipper Hideo Nomo, who was pitching on three day's rest. Final score 6-2 Devil Rays.
Tues 6/21 (home): Again facing off gainst Nomo, Johnson gets absolutely lit up, surrendering back-to-back homers to Damon Hollins and Kevin Cash amid a five-run second inning and a two-run shot by Jonny Gomes in the third. Johnson leaves the game down 7-1 after three innings, but the Yanks come back to win 20-11.
Tues 8/16 (away): Much like the first game, Johnson pitches well save a two-run homer by Eduardo Perez in the sixth. Still, he leaves with a 3-2 lead, which is erased when Perez hits a solo shot off Mariano Rivera with one out in the bottom of the ninth. The D-Rays win it in the eleventh when Scott Proctor, on in relief of Alan Embree, is ordered to intentionally walk Aubrey Huff to load the bases, then proceeds to walk Jonny Gomes on four pitches to drive in the winning run.
By now it's common knowledge that the Yankees are 4-9 against the Devil Rays this season. With six games to play against Tampa this week (home) and next (away), the Yankees need Johnson to step up and stop the bleeding tonight, setting the tone for the remaining five games between these two teams. Outside of the six remaining games against the Red Sox, tonight's contest just might be the most important game on the Yankees' remaining schedule.
It's also worth noting that the D-Rays are 29-20 (.592) since the All-Star break (just a game and a half worse than the Yankees who are 31-19, and two games worse than the Red Sox who are 31-18). That performance is in large part the doing of the sixth best offense in the American League, which has been lead by Perez's excellent performance in a platoon role (.274/.388/.563), the hot hitting of Alex's favorite Jonny Gomes (.284/.381/.557 in 264 ABs), and the consistency of 23-year-old second baseman-turned third baseman-turned second baseman Jorge Cantu (.292/.318/.500, 23 HR, 96 RBI). It seems to have taken all season for Cantu to ascend to the third spot in the Devil Ray order, and took until June for the D-Rays to give the 24-year-old Gomes a full-time job in the majors, which might help to explain the extreme difference between the team's pre- and post-break performances (28-61 .314 in the first half). Of course, no team can experience a turn around of nearly .280 points without the pitching contributing. Witness:
Starters pre-break: 6.00 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.27 HR/9
Starters post-break: 4.91 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.32 HR/9
The first group includes thirty starts by Hideo Nomo, Rob Bell, Dewon Brazelton, John Webb.
The second group, other than a July 15 start by Nomo (7 R, 2 2/3 IP), is exclusively the current rotation of Scott Kazmir, Seth McClung, Doug Waechter, Casey Fossum, and Mark Hendrickson. Incidentally, those five are, in order, 21, 24, 24, 27 and 31 years old. Could it be that the Tampa Bay youth movement has finally begun in earnest? If so, the AL East just got a lot more interesting.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2005 Record: 57-81 (.413)
2005 Pythagorean Record: 55-83 (.398)
Manager: Lou Piniella
General Manager: Chuck LaMar
Ballpark (2004 park factors): Tropicana Field (96/96)
September Call-ups:
R - Lance Carter
R - Dewon Brazelton
L - Eric Munson (IF)
Current Roster:
1B – Travis Lee
2B – Jorge Cantu
SS – Julio Lugo
3B – Alex S. Gonzalez
C – Toby Hall
RF – Aubrey Huff
CF – Joey Gathright
LF – Carl Crawford
DH – Jonny Gomes
Bench:
R – Damon Hollins (OF)
R – Eduardo Perez (1B)
R - Nick Green (IF)
R – Kevin Cash (C)
L – Pete LaForest (C)
L - Eric Munson (IF)
Rotation:
L – Scott Kazmir
L – Casey Fossom
R – Doug Waechter
L – Mark Hendrickson
R – Seth McLung
Bullpen:
R – Danys Baez
R – Travis Harper
L – Trever Miller
R - Chad Orvella
R – Joe Borowski
R - Tim Corcoran
R - Lance Carter
R - Dewon Brazelton
DL:
R – Jesus Colome
R – Rocco Baldelli (OF) (60-day)
Typical Line-up
R – Julio Lugo (SS)
L – Carl Crawford (LF)
R – Jorge Cantu (2B)
L – Aubrey Huff (RF)
R - Jonny Gomes (DH)
L – Travis Lee (1B)
R - Alex Gonzalez (IF)
R – Toby Hall (C)
L – Joey Gathright (CF)
Nice article as usual, but I believe you meant to say the Yankees won that 20-11 game. Wasn't that the one where the Yanks put up 13 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning?
A-Rod: 3 HR in 17 AB vs. Fossum
Vlad: 4 HR in 11 AB vs. Wakefield
I'm not sure tonight's game is the most important game outside of the Red Sox series -- if RJ comes up with another stinker tonight, but the Yanks win the next 2 and the series against the Red Sox, they're still in reasonable shape (barring a real run by the other WC teams). However, I agree with most that RJ has to put up now...this is the type of game he's supposed to win and has to win.
According to thurmanmunson.com, Eric is not his son. If there's any relation, the website didn't specify it. Thurman's son is named Michael.
Also called-up:
Felix Escalona (IF)
Mike Vento (corner OF)
Scott Proctor (RHP)
Sam Marsonek (RHP)
(see Who's Who under Suggested Reading for more on Vento and Marsonek)
Still no Colter Bean or Jason Anderson.
play -off mode for now so we may see a lot more small ball. The playoff for the play-offs or whatever he said like that. It could mean a few less homers and a few more clutch hits. Oh-oh I hope Randy's not headed for let down. Maybe Flash can make sure he stays OK
Two words: Tony Woemack
But Flaherty though?
http://www.msgnetwork.com/content_news.jsp?&articleID=v0000msgn20050906T194118984&sports=baseball&league=mlb&team=Yankees&newsgroup=ap.sportsml.columnist.article/Yankees
Probably, its just the way you guys watch a Yankee game, where you EXPECT it to be perfect and are disappointed when its not and just think of it as if the players and coaches do their job when they win.
I see it from another perspective. I view it as a game of 9 guys vs 9 guys both trying to win, and in baseball more than in any other sport if your team is successful it will lose 1 out of 3 games.
we really need a DP right now.
Johnson got out of major trouble in the sixth, but hasn't had good stuff for three innings. Trouble is around the corner...
The YES announcers seem to think that the Yankees are just hoping TB makes a mistake, because the Rays are so error-prone. Jeez. They should be able to beat them outright, not just hope they screw up.
$%&^*(^$^%$%
Waldman is a good reporter, but as far as insight goes, I think she's lacking.
Can we PLEASE knock Fossum and Co. around?
COME ON, LET'S GO!!!!
And it's a good thing Sierra is being worked into the lineup and Bernie's glove is still in the field. Not that Lawton has set the world on fire, but it's obvious he's not one of Torre's guys already and won't get a chance.
Now, lets get it done.
Giambi's having a good night, though.
What I don't understand is why anyone would pitch to him at all in Fenway, that park is built for him
And as I speak, we once again screw up and will allow the D-Rays to beat us...we really don't deserve the postseason
GOD DAMN IT
I'm still pretty confident that the Yanks will make it to the play-offs.
So they're doing they're best to go 4 and 15 against the D-rays this season.
Be clutch, Jete.
This team doesn't deserve to make the playoffs.
Gameday is sucking right now
Went to the Sox game tonight, watched the Angels blow a chance to take the lead in the top of the 9th (Olerud saved the day, natch), then Ortiz wins it in a walk-off. Get into my car to turn on the Yankee game (reception not bad for 880 up here on clear nights), and immediately Cano makes the error to let the lead runner score.
(By the way, Ortiz' home run would have been out in any park -- it was smoked. Fenway does not help pull-hitting lefties.)
Thanks to you all for being my mutual therapy. Time to go try and sleep ...
Yep and its especially bad against lefties, since Bernie and Jorge can barely get the ball out of the infield these days from the right side of the plate it seems.
On the other hand, a first round playoff elimination will most likely spur another idiotic, overvalued off-season acquisition (Paul Konerko or the like) by the Tampa contingent, due to the erroneous thinking that we JUST MISSED another world series.
Like Alex said several comments up, this game doesn't depress me, it pisses me off. I've never been too irritated by the fact that the Yanks have been having so much trouble with the Devil Rays, because baseball is, after all, baseball, and sometimes fluky things like this happen. Also, the Rays have been playing fairly well since the break, so losing to Tampa is no longer a bad loss, just on the face of it.
The problem, though, is that this would've been an atrocious loss against any team, regardless of the city emblazoned across the fronts of the jerseys.
I turned on the game in the top of the second, and the first thing I saw was the score -- 2-0. The next thing I saw was a wicked slider from Johnson that dove like a rabbit into its hole. At that point, victory seemed likely. Then came the bottom of the second, which saw another long inning produce a third Yankee run. Fossum had already thrown sixty plus pitches, and suddenly victory seemed certain. Honestly, it didn't even occur to me that they'd lose.
But then the game changed, and with each missed opportunity, I felt the screws tightening. First there was Giambi's brain-lock in turning his single into an out, and then Sojo, foolishly sending Bernie home a few batters later. (Torre would later say it was risk you had to take in that situation, to force them to make two perfect throws, but I don't buy it. Not with Bernie as slow as he is now, and not when the play is happening in shallow right center field.) A while later, another opportunity vaporized as Bernie lined into a double play, a bit of bad luck that made me wonder if this game might be unwinnable...
And then came Canó. I can't necessarily get upset about his error, because things like that happen, but the whole thing still pisses the hell out of me, mainly because it's getting harder to convince myself that things are going to turn around. I suppose after 130 games, you are what you are. Randy Johnson is not capable of stringing together four or five straight dominant starts. The bullpen hasn't been bulletproof for four or five years now. There are no longer any automatic wins on the schedule. I know all of this because this is what we've all been struggling through for the past five months.
This team might still make the playoffs. In fact, I won't be surprized if it does, but only because all of the other teams are just as flawed. I just wish I didn't have live and die with this team over the next three weeks.
Now please excuse me while I gouge out my eyes with spoons.
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