Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Like Randy Johnson the night before, Mike Mussina wasn't sharp yesterday afternoon, but still managed to keep his team in the game, limiting the Orioles to three runs in his five innings of work. Not that it mattered much. Rookie Adam Loewen, backed by some great defense by Brandon Fahey and Miguel Tejada, allowed just one hit, a first-inning single by Bobby Abreu, while striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings, and relievers Todd Williams and LaTroy Hawkins set the last eight Yanks down in order. It was the first time the Yankees had been limited to one-hit since July 16, 2004 when Mike Maroth pitched a complete-game one-hit shutout against the Yankees in Comerica Park. In that case the one hit was a Gary Sheffield double and the Yankees managed just three other base runners on an error and a pair of walks, one of which was erased by a double play. Yesterday the Yanks did a tad better, drawing five walks off Loewen such that each of the top six men in the order reached base exactly once (though, again, one was erased by a twin killing).
As surprising as that performance was given how well the team has been playing of late, winning nine of their previous ten and their first four games following the trading deadline, it was the fourth time this season the team failed to win its sixth consecutive game. Ron Villone, pitching in his fourth game in the last five days, gave up a pair of runs in the sixth to run the final score to 5-0, just the second time this season that the Yankees have been shutout.
The only worthwhile thing that came out of yesterday's game was that Jose Veras finally made his major league debut, pitching two hitless innings in which he allowed just one base runner, a lead-off walk to Jay Gibbons in the eighth that was erased by a double play. That said, Veras had some control issues, failing to record a single K despite his impressive minor league rates and throwing just 46 percent of his pitches for strikes.
Today the Yankees look to avoid what would be a humiliating series loss to the Orioles by sending Jaret Wright to the mound to face Rodrigo Lopez. Wright is coming off throwing a season-high 103 pitches in his last outing, but also has a fairly impressive line over his last two starts: 10 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 8 K. Despite being a fly ball pitcher, Wright has allowed just four home runs all season, that's one every 22 2/3 innings, a lower home run rate than Chien-Ming Wang's.
As for Lopez, he's been even better over his last two starts: 13 1/3 IP, 15 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 10 K. Of course one of those games came against the Royals, but in his last outing, against the Mariners, Lopez pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and needed just 82 pitches to do it. Of course, the Yankees handled Lopez well back in early June (four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 on their way to an 11-4 win), two starts after he had a very similar outing against Seattle.
1 Loewen definitely seems more than decent today...
Let's just say, again, since the Sox also lost, we are still keeping pace with them.
Look for a breakout by the bats today. They can't afford to let Loewen's gem put them in a funk and my guess is they won't.
Go Wright. Go bats. Go Yanks!
They've looked pretty flat to me the last couple of days. Lucky to win Friday, completely out of it Saturday. Against a team with a losing record, fer crissakes. I guess even this lineup can have bad days.
I hope Wright can try and spread out his pitch counts throughout innings today. With 103 pitches, Wang could've finished the game!
The problem is that even if Pavano does make it back, he'll be of limited value to us (particularly since he probably won't have much rehab in him and we'll not know what to expect).
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi 1B
Bernie Williams CF
Melky Cabrera LF
Sal Fasano C
Nick Green 2B
Nick Green? Sal Fasano? Bernie Williams? I thought those days were behind us...
Still...Bernie in CF with Wright on the mound makes me a bit nervous.
With that said, it brings to light the reality that we have two "aces" (and one of them has never pitched as many innings as he has this year), and 3 fourth/fifth starters. Our bullpen has really been a lifesaver this year, though the starter situation means the relievers may be on life support by the end of September.
Which makes it all the more imperative that the new look offense delivers (runs, that is, not the stink bomb they produced yesterday).
FWIW, the midseason report from RLYW showed the "worst Yankees" (thus far) were Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon, and Bernie Williams, at least when it came to the number of runs they cost us.
BTW, he admitted he was out yesterday. He never touched the bag. Mora fell on him and stopped his slide. He says he was "Down by contact."
Joe, sometimes you just make me wonna murder you. We haven't won the series yet asshole, so why are you already doing your sugnature "house money" line-up? Green, Fasano, AND Bernie in the line-up? And Bernie in CENTERFIELD?!
(Bernie in Centerfield pays off right away as Roberts gets an easy double on what is a single even for him if anybody else is out there)
oh man.
Though, Wright is back out.
Damon's power has been WAY better than advertised...or at least expected...by me anyway.
Bobby Bang.
A-Rod boom, but another banging out. Damn, his luck is CRAP.
Giambi with big RBI double.
Can the Yankees hit more booming fly balls this inning? Please?
Though he is on fire in August batting .211.
Not that I'm complaining with his performance, cause I'm definitely not!
I'm happy to see BJ Upton up in the majors finally. Bossman Junior had two errors last night, but he was way outclassing the AAA pitching.
Maybe Jaret only pitches well when there are men on third. Perhaps he should IBB the first man and balk twice every inning.
DIAF Ortiz
I wouldn't mind them starting Bernie when Wang pitches. But today is not the right time, particularly with his now 0-17 batting history against Lopez.
I gotta watch the NASCAR race and the Yankees game. Adios mi amigos.
...Sal Fasano hits a double off the warning track.
Melky
2006 (22) 277 AB .285/.359/.394
Bernie:
1991 (22) 320 AB .238/.338/.360
1992 (23) 261 AB .280/.354/.406
Assuming Melky develops as a player in the same way that Bernie did, I'd have to say that Melky is actually further along than Bernie. I was too young to remember if Bernie was similar as a prospect- unheralded, took advantage of holes in the big league team. What I do remember is Mel Hall blasting Bernie in the media for stopping at 3rd when Mel needed a triple for the cycle...
Melky age 22 .282/.356/.389
Bernie age 22 .238/.336/.350
Bernie age 23 .280/.354/.406
Bernie age 24 .268/.333/.400
Bernie age 25 .289/.384/.453
Is Jaret Wright allergic to the sixth inning? Is that why he pitches like this?
If I were Cashman, I'd see if he can trade Pavano for a BJ from a crackhead in Hunts Point. I'd at least explore the option, but I can totally understand if the crackhead has too much respect for herself and rejects the offer - or lack thereof.
With that said, he seems pretty good today, albeit against a bad team.
Down to .350, Captain? Slump!
Breaking it down by pitches:
AB AVG OBP SLG OPS
Pitches 1-15 52 .385 .439 .558 .996
Pitches 16-30 70 .257 .325 .357 .682
Pitches 31-45 74 .324 .383 .473 .856
Pitches 46-60 64 .281 .319 .328 .647
Pitches 61-75 51 .216 .276 .314 .590
Pitches 76-90 44 .295 .404 .386 .790
Pitches 91-105 13 .462 .462 .692 1.154
Further, the OPS against versus Righties before this game was .666, versus lefties: .956.
Taking the usual small sample grain of salt, make of that what you will.
That said, 1-2-3.
Thanks, 117
Continuing on my stat-binge, in an effort to have more meaningful samples, here's a better answer to monkeypants' question:
Inning 1-3: 210 AB, .290/.355/.414
Inning 4-6: 146 AB, .301/.352/.377
So he doesn't appear to be walking any more hitters in later innings, and he's not throwing more pitches/at bat than usual. And in innings 4-6, in the second/third time through the lineup, he's got a lower OPS against. After all the stats, I've really got nothing...
valetudo(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks!
Man, where does he get these nuggets of info...
Meanwhile, Travis Lee, the .207 AVG Rays cleanup hitter, homers to make it 6-5 in the eighth.
Rays gotta bag up Timlin, because Lord knows Papelboner is warming up...
Take THAT Papelbitch!
;-)
Branyan (.201/.288/.503) leads off for the Rays.
branyan on the run. . .i mean walk. . .
and squeezes it. and manny might have taken a step toward first base at best.
BTW, can we start some sort of hitless streak count for javy lopez? i really think that would be a great deal of fun.
is he 0-8 so far as a red sawx?
ok, that was a little exagerated!
(Oh wait, Papi didn't hit it, sorry)
now THAT'S a fearsome 3-4-5. whaddya you guys think, big papsmear/manny/yuck or lee/norton/navarro? whistles
Declarmen: 0.2 IP, 2 ER
Timlin: 0.2 IP, 1 ER (HR)
Papelbon: 1.1 IP, 1 ER (HR)
Tavarez: 0.1 IP 1 ER, (HR)
Love it.
Enjoy this !
Declarmen: 0.2 IP, 2 ER
Timlin: 0.2 IP, 1 ER (HR)
Papelbon: 1.1 IP, 1 ER (HR)
Tavarez: 0.1 IP 1 ER, (HR)
Love it.
Don't care if he hit exactly .300 for his career. He's a terrible analyst.
Holla!
Just kidding. I actually think that Minaya has done an amazing job, and if it means he gets the best Latin players out there because he can....the Mets can win it all. After all, what part of the world is producing the best talent on the planet?
Hint: Not Bellaire, Texas (Bubba's hometown)
Anyway, Sierra's a bad move any way you slice it.
BTW, I agree that Ruben is a bad move. Maybe Dennis Quaid would be a better pickup, he could really bring the heat in the movie "The Rookie" ;-)
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