Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
It didn't come easy, but the Yankees finally took a series from the Devil Rays, by pulling out a 6-5 victory in Tampa last night.
Throughout the game, the Yankees seemed on the verge of yet another collapse against the Devil Rays. They left the bases loaded in the first inning after plating just one run, stranded runners at the corners in both the third and fourth (scoring another run in the latter inning thanks in large part to a Julio Lugo throwing error), then promptly surrendered their 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out game-tying single by Toby Hall.
The first true sign of life came in the fifth when, with a man on first and two outs, Bernie Williams reached on an infield single to second and Ruben Sierra drew a five-pitch walk, just his fifth of the season, to load the bases and bring Robinson Cano to the plate. Cano, who was 1 for 15 on the season with the bases loaded coming into that at-bat, fell behind Tampa starter Mark Hendrickson 1-2, then lined a single into right that scored two runs, restoring the Yankees' two-run lead.
That the second Yankee lead was in part the result of two things that never happen--a Ruben Sierra walk and a Robinson Cano hit with the bases loaded--was an indication that last night just might be the night the Yankees broke through against the Devil Rays, but things weren't quite that simple. The Rays stormed right back in the bottom of the fifth when Joey Gathright lead off with an infield single and was replaced at first by Julio Lugo via a fielder's choice.
Joe Torre's decision to start the defensively challenged Ruben Sierra in right field on the Tropicana Dome turf then reared it's ugly head when Carl Crawford blasted a 1-1 pitch off the base of the wall which Sierra and Bernie Williams played into an easy triple. That hit scored Lugo. Jorge Cantu then followed with an RBI groundout to again tie the score.
But unlike past contests against the Devil Rays, the Yankees refused to role over. After his teammates were set down in order by reliever Chad Orvella in the sixth, Hideki Matsui led off the seventh with his second sharp double up the right field line of the game. Jorge Posada then lifted a fly ball the the warning track in center that moved Matsui to third, and Bernie Williams and Ruben Sierra drew a pair of walks on nine pitches (the latter giving Ruben a full third of his total walks this season in this game) to load the bases, again bringing Cano up with the bases loaded.
With the right-handed Orvella on the mound, as opposed to lefty starter Mark Hendrickson who surrendered Cano's previous bases loaded hit, Lou Piniella brought in lefty reliever Trever Miller to face Cano. Miller got Cano to pop out to short. Piniella then brought in righty Travis Harper to pitch to Derek Jeter with the bases still jacked and two outs. Jeter battled Miller, taking his first three pitches to get ahead 2-1, then swinging through strike two, fouling off another pitch, and taking ball three to run the count full. He then delivered the hit the Yankees had been waiting for all game, if not all season, laced a picture perfect opposite field Derek Jeter single to plate Matsui and Williams, giving the Yankees their third two-run lead of the game, and the only one they would not relinquish.
With Sierra having had what was likely to be his final at-bat in the top of the inning, Torre wised up and stuck Bubba Crosby in right. He also resisted whatever impulse he might have had to pull Chien-Ming Wang, who had thrown a mere 72 pitches through the first six innings. Unfortunately, the first two batters Wang faced, Alex Gonzalez and Joey Gathright picked up hits, a double and a single respectively, both to left field. Gathright's single pushed Gonzalez to third and the Tampa centerfielder promptly stole second on Wang's first pitch to Julio Lugo.
Wang recovered to retire Lugo on a comebacker that froze the runners, but Torre had seen enough, lifting Wang after 82 pitches and bringing in his prefered lefty, Alan Embree, to face Carl Crawford. Crawford loses 260 points of OPS when forced to face a lefty pitcher and was 1 for 9 in his career against Embree with four strikeouts entering last night's game. It took Embree just three pitches to get Crawford to ground out to second, but with Gathright having stolen second, there was no chance for a double play (which would have been no guarantee with Gathright and Crawford running anyway) and Gonzalez came home to bring the Rays within one while Gathright moved to third.
With Jorge Cantu due up, Torre then went back to his bullpen and brought in . . . Tanyon Sturtze?! Sturtze did pitch a solid inning and a third against the D-Rays in the Yankees' 5-4 win a week ago, but he had also surrendered a pair of home runs in his previous two and a third innings, one of which remains Miguel Ojeda's only homer of the season. In his last appearance, Sturtze was brought in to face Manny Ramirez with men on first and second, battled him for six pitches, then hit him with his seventh and got the hook from Torre. With two out in the seventh, the decision to go to Sturtze instead of Vice Closer Tom Gordon was both foolish and reckless.
As Sturtze trotted in from the bullpen, it seemed very likely that Cantu, who has a pair of homers against the Yankees already this year--both off the right-handed, ground-ball-throwing Wang--would give the Devil Rays the lead, and it seemed a virtual guarantee that he'd get Gathright home from third to tie the game. Then came a miracle.
Sturtze's first pitch sailed in on Cantu, clipping his elbow and nailing him in the side. The pitch appeared to get Cantu in the funny bone, causing his left hand to go numb and driving him from the game. Much as I hate to see any player hurt, particularly an emerging young star such as Cantu, that pitch just might have saved the Yankee's season.*
While the hit-by-pitch put the go-ahead run on base for the Devil Rays, it saved the Yankees in two ways. The more immediate was that Cantu's ribs stopped the ball from getting by Posada and allowing the tying run to score. Perhaps even more significantly, with the left-handed slugger Aubrey Huff on deck, Joe Torre yanked Sturtze and brought in the pitcher who sould have been called up on to face Cantu: Tom Gordon. Gordon got Huff to fly out to strand Gathright on third, then mowed through D-Rays on ten pitches in the eighth. With the Yanks still clinging to a one-run lead, Mariano Rivera pitched around a two-out walk to Julio Lugo in the ninth to nail down the win, giving the Yankees their first series win against the Devil Rays this season, and a crucial victory on a night when the Red Sox (on yet another game-winner by this guy) and Cleveland also won.
As for Chien-Ming Wang, despite his inability to hold a lead, he actually pitched a solid game considering he was pitching on turf in just his second start off the DL. Wang threw 62 percent of a mere 82 pitches for strikes through six and a third while walking none and posting a 3:1 groundball-to-flyball ratio. He's not all the way back quite yet, but he showed good control and no signs of discomfort.
I for one absolutely love watching Wang pitch. He works quickly and easily, throws mid-90s heat without much apparent effort, and gets groundball after groundball after groundball. Joe Torre has raved about Wang's coolness on the mound and it's just astonishing to see him out there. It's almost as if he's half asleep. As Jim Kaat would say, he just plays catch with Posada. It's fantastically relaxing and a delightful contrast to the nail-chewing intesntity of Randy Johnson or the frantic melodrama of Al Leiter.
Speaking of delightful pitchers to watch, Kitty Kaat look-alike Aaron Small takes the mound tomorrow to try to give the Yankees an unexpected, but much-needed sweep against rookie Seth McClung.
*Hyperbole? Probably, but get back to me on October 3.
As this was a must-win game, I made sure I was far, far away from any televisions, radios, and computers all evening.
This team does best when not distracted by my fandom.
It took a moment for the patheticness of that line to sink in. Their first series this season against the D-Rays? My God, we stink!!!!
Anyone seen Sin City? I swear Small has the same features as Mickey Rourke playing Marv. (very similar to Hellboy as well). Anyone??
BTW Cliff, if that pitch by "the Pride of Worcester, Massachusetts" ends up having saved the season, I will find it to be poetic justice.
(Side note: A lot of Yankee fans in/around Worcester - just 45 minutes from Boston - many of Italian descent who's parents/grandparents followed the Yanks because of DiMaggio. A radio station out there actually carried Yankees game for a few years, but not this year.)
It was a great win. This time, the Yankees showed patience at the plate, making Hendrickson throw a lot more pitches. And they used the Rays' strengths against them, as with the pitch out that ended the game.
Sturtze isn't pitching as well as he was earlier in the season, but I think it's because he's being put into tighter situations. I fear he's just not the type who thrives when you put him in with men on and a narrow lead. He needs some time to settle in, get adjusted, and in situations like last night's, he doesn't get that.
I think Small looks like Archie. You know, the comic book Archie.
One thing I noticed was how well Bernie looked. He didn't have that graying stubble that he sported often during the start of the season. He was clean-shaved and he looked fit, and happy. Just looks like a sweet guy, you know?
Also, I hate to be a downer but I fear that Small will get pounded tonight...I'm probably going to "predict" this until he finally does too. So it's imperitive that the Yanks out-pound the Rays.
One of Sully's main points:
A-Rod, good 3rd Baseman Playing Home Games in a Tough Hitters Park: .321/.421/.600
David Ortiz, Designated Hitter Playing Home Games in a Bandbox: .297/.397/.600
If Ortiz continues to hit big dingers, the debate will become even more heated in the weeks to come.
Mussina is the only pitcher I've felt comfortable with against the Rays this year. I hope the Yanks can pound McClung, or at least wear him down.
It's nice to have the series in hand. But apart from the obvious need to continue to win as many games as possible, doing well on the road trip is crucial...because it sets the stage for the final 7 game road trip that ends the season. We've been depressingly mediocre on the road all year -- turning that around this week gives the team confidence for those nerve-wracking final games.
Small has guts beyond anything on the Yankee pitching staff, save Mariano. His stuff isn't devastating, but his attitude is, and in the stretch run that's as valuable as "stuff".
The guys that put us over the top during our best years were Jimmy Key, David Cone, Orlando Hernandez, and David Wells. These guys are all top shelf pitchers, but their guts during the pressure games kept the line moving from win to win. Small strikes me as the same kind of player.
He hasn't made his name yet, but this is where it could happen. I'm going to predict a 7-4 Yankee win with Small pitching into the 8th. A-Rod will go deep and the other runs will be provided by Matsui and Jeter.
For what it's worth.
Cliff, the ball was one foot away from being a home run, it was a bullet, Bernie and Ruben didn't have a prayer.
To that end, I missed two very important details in my recap, but thankfully randym go them both:
1) Mo didn't so much pitch around that Lugo walk, as Torre or Stottlemyre called a pitch_out_ that enabled the sore-shouldered Posada to throw out Lugo stealing to end the game. With the lefty Crawford at the plate the pitch went into the right-handed batters box, and Posada's throw tailed right into Lugo as he went into his slide. Jeter, racing over from short stop, caught the ball on the run and made big sweeping tag, getting Lugo on the shoulder just before his foot hit the bag.
2) Unlike last time they faced Hendrickson, when he got through 7 2/3 innings on 85 pitches, the Yankees had good at-bats against Hendrickson all night, forcing him to throw 113 pitches through five. And wouldn't you know it, they beat him for the first time all year. We've only been saying it here all summer: take pitches! make these guys work! (grumble grumble)
Thanks for pointing us to Sully's debate, Alex. On "Mike & Mike" this morning, they seemed to be arguing the case for Ortiz as MVP - quote: "A-Rod is the best player but that's not necessarily what MVP means" - and were definitely in favor of Jones in the NL. Sad, isn't it?
Of course, Giambi won't come close, though he should, for the reasons Larry gives. If he finishes in the Top 10 in the voting, I'll be floored.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/how-not-to-use-statistics-why-david-ortiz-shouldnt-be-mvp/
How many different spots in the lineup has A-Rod occupied? It's definitely an adjustment and a different mentality when you're hitting 2nd as opposed to 4th or 5th.
Ortiz just has to swing for the fences- and he does, seemingly every time at bat. Sox games are like glorified batting practice for this guy.
I think the song they are playing on Boston radio, Papi for MVP, is reason alone to exclude him. I heard it on Mike and Mike and just about dropped my coffee.
Put a stop to those silly jingles once and for all. I suppose there is one called "Manny being Manny" "I'm just a boy who's intentions are good, oh fans please don't let me be misunderstood" as well. At least the Yankee Mambo wasn't that bad.
I am not sure who, but someone was nice enought to post the rules given to the voters for the MVP award yesterday. Although there is a clear intent expessed in the written "letter" of the rule to include the DH, as they say in the law, as practiced by writers in the past, the "spirit" of the rule has always, as a practical matter, excluded them.
I feel in my heart of heart heart, that the the writers simply will not give a DH the award so long as a viable alternative exists who plays defense, and in Arod's case, Gold Glove defense -- although I secretly pine for Giambi as my Dark Horse. The addittional energy expended in having to play the field, addittional time spent preparing for hitters' strengths and weaknesses. By virtue of the foregoing, less time spent on hitting and all the tangeltials included. A DH is able to commit virtually all of his practice time to hitting, spend alomst no time on defensive drills and practice, virtually no time practicing situational defense and pre-formulated plays, research, prep. etc. I think the writers, yes, even the writers, get that.
For these and other reasons, not the least of which I think most writers understand:
It's bad for baseball.
Further, I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how Earplugs won the Gold Glove in 1999 while playing only 28 games on defense, please?
Mikeplugh..,
I fear that I also have a bad feeling about tonight, I think that while Small is great, he is due for a whooping. I have a bad feeling, but I do hope it doesn't happen till sometime next year or something like that...
"You can't compare Rodriguez's total package from day one to Giambi's offense-only contributions over the past two and a half months [which included a wicked slump when he DHed in August], no matter how impressive Giambi has been."
There's just no contest.
Oh and condolences to the Rocket & his family.
However, I understand your argument.
Further,
No more bad vibes amount my man, my playoff savior, my 1980s sitcom phenom "Small Wonder."
Aaron Small will come through!
One thing I did notice last night, when ARod was batting in the 7th he had the bases loaded and all he could do was hit a fly ball to center. Not long after I turn to the Red Sox game and Ortiz is jacking one out of the park vs. Towers. Papi comes up big in the situation where his team needs him most -- basically delivering the big blow. ARod again has that opportunity in the 9th but hits a first pitch pop-up, I'm not saying ARod isn't worthy of the MVP but he does frustrate many Yankee fans like myself when you need him to really deliver that big blow to deflate that other team. The HR against Schilling (in July) was f-en awesome, it deflated that team and any chance they had of winning that game was deposited over the CF wall.
Anyhow, my point is that ARod's inability to do that is what makes the MVP argument into a debate -- and it really shouldn't be. If ARod is able to string together a few big blows in the next two weeks then the case is closed, but if he can't, then I find it hard to believe that he'll be this year's AL MVP. I wish him well but I want to see him put the nail in the coffin in the next two weeks. Be A-God, not ARod.
The reason I say this is that Papi will NOT be hitting like this for the rest of the this season. He is HOT HOT HOT right now, but eventually teams will stop giving him anything to hit...and then that'll spell the doom of this current Sawx team (what with Manny being less-than-stellar right now, no bullpen at all, Damon hurt, Kapler out, Varitek slumping, etc.).
As long as the Yanks win the games they need to win, I think we have a very strong chance to take 1st place. And if we do, and the Tribe takes the WC, well then that'll kill Papi's chances for the MVP.
That said - much of the 'substance' of this MVP debate really irks me. I guess its because I feel that the story ("Ortiz is a beloved clutch god!") is driving the argument ("Ortiz should be MVP!"), which is backwards from how it should be. Its a lot of highlight-driven BS. Since when has "number of 'clutch' home runs" determined value? Its so ridiculous as to be irritating.
But, at the end of the day, it's about total production - and, A-Rod owns Papi there.
Besides, how many of those late and clutch opp's for Ortiz and just the luck of playing for a team with a terrible bullpen?
But beside that, Arods #'s are better around the board other than RBI, the one stat he has less control over. I honestly just can't see them giving the award to a DH too many oldtimers...And the argument that the Sox wouldn't be where they were without him is garbage too, where would the Yanks be without A-Rod? Or Mariano? Or Giambi? And the Sox without Clement? Or Wells? Or Tek? Or Manny? Its just not possible in baseball to narrow it down to such narrow terms...
But as Cliff said, who cares about the MVP if we win in the playoffs
I agree about the RBI. I was watching LA vs. Colorado, Kent got his 100'th RBI last night, and to me, is right up there with the biggest accomplishments this season, well other than Andruw Jones mastery of the whizzinator, he must have Adrian Beltre on speed dial. 100 RBI for Kent, that is like 350 (exageration), for the Red Sox or Yankees, is there some reason Kent never was really considered in the off-season. Is it because he is a Jerk, his top 10 hitting never noticed on the late west coast feeds, accused Racist?
I mean Cantu grabbed 100 but that team scores, LA is like a run scoring black hole.
I predict the Indians will overtake the White Sox on September 28, 2005.
So then all we have to do is sit tight, win our games and we'll eventually pass the White Sox for the wild card...:-)
Look, all the kidding aside, this is a very realistic scenario...
The WSox and Tribe meet 6 more times this season. After today, the WSox have no more games against the Royals, while Cleveland has 7 more games against Kansas City.
As I write this, the Sox and Royals are tied 2-2 in the 6th inning. If the Sox lose and the Indians win, then that is a 4 game spread with many more games to play. AND, to add to the drama, while the Yanks finish the season against the Red Sox in what might be a HUGE three game series, the Indians and White Sox play each other in what very well might be just as HUGE a series.
The way the Tribe is playing these days, the Yanks aren't playing to pass the Tribe in the WC race, but just playing to keep pace. Wouldn't it be nice if the Tribe took care of our business for us by overtaking Chicago and then allowing the Yanks to claim the WC lead.
serious, serios scenario here...as a Yankee fan, I'd watch the AL Central race as closely as I would watch the AL East and WC races.
The Indians trail the White Sox by five games with six head-to-head match-ups remaining, including the final three games of the season at Jacobs Field.
To my mind this would not be a White Sox collapse as much as that team playing to their true ability while the Indians are simply going nuts right now (10-3 in September and 9-1 over their last ten).
However, the Yankees are currently six games behind the White Sox, which is ton at this point in the season. Both the Indians and White Sox have easy schedules other than their head-to-head match-ups, thus even if the Indians whooped the Chisox head-to-head, sweeping all six games, the White Sox could still finish with a better record than the Yankees.
For this reason, it is imperitive that the Yankees hang tight in the AL East race. As it stands now, they can win the East by matching the Red Sox win-for-win, then sweeping the final series. If they can gain one more game on Boston before that series, then take 2 of 3 in Fenway, they'll force a playoff.
The consolation concerning the Indians is that the Yanks remain tied with them in the loss column. Still, keeping pace with the Tribe the rest of the way, let alone gaining a game on them, might prove to be a Herculean task.
apropo(sp?) of nothing: upon the recommendation of alex and the links he posted, i took "Bat Boy" out of Brooklyn Public and read it in two and half sittings. it was absolutely fantastic - just a lot of fun to read as summer turns to fall and we in yankeeland pray for the playoffs. thanks for the rec. alex.
http://tinyurl.com/cpgtk
NM. Cliff's right - looks like Carl changed his tune - hopefully, he can turn it around.
I have to admit that though I know that the White Sox would be a easier (on paper) opponent, I find myself actively rooting against them. Maybe it's the combination of A.J. and Ozzie Guillen. I don't know what it is, but I wouldn't mind one bit if they were to collapse...
On the Indians, perhaps some hope for us:
Indians vs. KC in '05: 7-5
Indians vs. TB in '05: 3-4
KC can give a team problems, and we all know that Tampa Bay is no longer a bad team.
As much as I don't care for the White Sox (and Ozzie Guillen, who's either a brilliant liar or a dumb liar), I'd rather have them in the playoffs than the Red Sox.
In fact, I think that's the Yankees dream scenario. Let Cleveland and the AL West winner - be it LA or the A's, I'm guessing A's - kill each other while we crush the White Sox, and the Red Sox watch on TV.
From your lips to God's ears....
WOW!
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