Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
There are 24 games left in the Yankees' 2006 season, all of them against AL East opponents. Tonight they play the first of seven remaining games against the Orioles. They also have seven left against the Devil Rays, six against Toronto, and a four-game home set against the second-place Red Sox.
Entering tonight's action the Yankees have a nine game lead in the division and their magic number to clinch is 15. The Orioles, meawhile, would be eliminated from the division race with a single Yankee win this weekend and could be eliminated from the playoffs altogether before the Yankees leave Baltimore.
Hideki Matsui is 1 for 6 in his first two rehab games with the Trenton Thunder, but the Thunder's playoff series is knotted at 1-1, so he should have plenty of opportunities to get the kinks worked out. In last night's game he walked in his first trip, coming around to score, then grounded out to second and popped out twice to the left side of the infield.
In other news, Kevin Thompson has been activated, having recovered from the staph infection that developed after he fouled a ball off his shin. There's a Carl Pavano dig in there somewhere.
Cory Lidle starts tonight against Erik Bedard. Lidle has pitched six shutout innings in two of his last three starts. If you ask me, the 27-year-old Bedard is quickly becoming overrated, though he did hold the Yankees to one run over six innings the last time these two teams met.
The Yanks are running out the usual suspects, with Craig Wilson getting the first base start against the lefty Bedard, and the lefty Cano hitting behind Jorge Posada.
Seven more games against the Orioles. Have they banned greenies for bloggers as well?
Baltimore Orioles
2006 Record: 61-78 (.439)
2006 Pythagorean Record: 60-79 (.429)
Manager: Sam Perlozzo
General Manager: Mike Flanagan
Home Ballpark (2005 Park Factors): Oriole Park at Camden Yards (94/95)
Who's Replaced Whom?
Current Roster
1B – Kevin Millar (R)
2B – Brian Roberts (S)
SS – Miguel Tejada (R)
3B – Melvin Mora (R)
C – Ramon Hernandez (R)
RF – Nick Markakis (L)
CF – David Newhan (L)
LF – Brandon Fahey (L)
DH – Jay Gibbons (L)
Bench:
L – Corey Patterson (OF)
R – Chris Gomez (IF)
R – Fernando Tatis (IF)
R – Chris Widger (C)
R – Danny Ardoin (C)
L – Jeffrey Fiorentino (OF)*
R – Raul Chavez (C)*
Rotation:
L – Erik Bedard
L – Adam Loewen
R – Hayden Penn*
R – Rodrigo Lopez
R – Kris Benson
R – Daniel Cabrera
Bullpen:
R – Chris Ray
R – LaTroy Hawkins
R – Todd Williams
L – Bruce Chen
R – Russ Ortiz
R – Jim Hoey
R – Chris Britton*
R – Julio Manon*
R – Winston Abreu*
15-day DL: L – John Parrish
60-day DL: L – Kurt Birkins, R – Aaron Rakers
*September call-ups
Typical Lineup
S – Brian Roberts (2B)
R – Melvin Mora (3B)
L – Nick Markakis (RF)
R – Miguel Tejada (SS)
L – Jay Gibbons (DH)
R – Kevin Millar (1B)
L – David Newhan (CF)
R – Ramon Hernandez (C)
L – Brandon Fahey (LF)
I can still get geeked up for the matchup against Adam Loewen, but that's for all the wrong reasons.
Yanks:
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
A-Rod 3B
Giambi DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Wilson 1B
Cabrera LF
Birds:
Roberts 2B
Mora 3B
Markakis RF
Tejada SS
Gibbons DH
Millar 1B
Newhan CF
Hernandez C
Fafey LF
Let's Go Yanks!!
/rant
6 Get one of those plastic rings from a gumball machine. Of course, it'll have to be smoothed down.
And who needs greenies when you got a bottle of bourbon.
Suddenly Bedard, according to the O's announcers, who, of course, suck, has "special stuff" tonight...what a surprise from Cy Bedard...
Okay, Joe, why not put all the scrubs in? Let's see what the kids have. They'll play hard, no matter how big a blowout it is.
We can do it...someone throw something at Bedard's head!
CRAP!
Oh, and I think the HP umpire is a tool!!!
So close...yet so far!
John Buck lined out to center. Runner on first with two outs and Angel Berroa due up.
Angel Berroa singled to left. Runners on first and second with two outs and Joey Gathright due up.
:-)
David DeJesus grounded out to first to end the inning.
3-2 Red Sox.
The Twinks-Tigers game is going very slowly, anybody know why?
Karstens is making a case for staying on the postseason roster...
Karsten's, yes, certainly the best Yankee pitcher today. Hm, faint praise indeed.
Meanwhile, BoSox have second and third with nobody out, Willie Mo batting.
Hello?
Lowell reached on error, Nixon doubled, but then K, pop, fly out.
.275 BA
33 HRs
.935 OPS
$500,000 salary
Such a deal
(praying to the baseball demons!)
Mudhens knocked out the IL pitcher of the year in the 3d, IIRC.
Ryan Howard is ridiculous. MLB really needs to get behind this guy, he's an easy guy to root for.
I can't stand Barry Bonds, but I don't get why people can treat him like a pariiah and then go out and pretend that Howard isn't doing the same thing.
And, yes, this game blows.
Kinda like when he said that no other club had a better top 3 than we did with Moose, Wang and RJ. Since then, Moose went on the DL, Wang has been OK but scuffled a bit more, and RJ got bombed immediately after (though he's since looked better).
While Bonds miraculously hit his physical peak when he was 37. That was pretty incriminating, IMO.
At least Boston is taking their turn with the KC Swoon.
Oh wait, that was despite her being in it....
123 LOL
We should pick him up? He's better then Salvatore, no?
Canniz!
But they just don't have the pitching, and Schilling and Pap may be shut down for the season.
I'm worried about the Angels now...I'd rather deal with the Twins and Santana/Liriano, than have to deal with any more of the Halos and more Chone, more first to third, more K-Rod histrionics, more crap.
Like this game tonight which I've done everything I can to ignore.
Whoa. Maybe this will be a Clippers Classic. Can't really be a Yankee Classic: not enough Yankees.
Sorry, I can't help it.
The Royals are apparently conceding the game (i.e., Gobble is up in the pen).
Twins have taken the lead. So at least one thing is going right.
130 A big fat Yankee Classic turd.
The KC bullpen: "your lead is in good hands."
...hope which will undoubtedly be crushed by a 1-2-3 inning from Timlin.
OTOH, I'm sure Cashman has some input into who goes on the PS roster, maybe he'll make Joe add Karstens or whoever if he thinks it's a good idea...
Anyone checked out the Mets game? Kuo simply destroyed them, you can see why when both he and Wang came to the states he was rated much higher, lefty with crazy fastball is always a big plus.
Maybe he'll change his mind about Karstens...
I heart the Royals, even if they end up losing!
I love that you are such a cheerleader, Abby!
Booo, crappy Boston relievers!
Hooray beer (and Royals)!
All is still right in the world
I guess KC, but not by much.
we gonna sip Bacardi like it's your birthday!
Looks like the Twins have iced it. 9-4 and batting in the seventh. Mauer's up with Nick Punto on third (he tripled) with one out. Mauer three for three with a walk.
And he grounds out, the run doesn't score.
Not clutch at all.
It's all about the Wang!
192 Thanks RI!
Here's to the worm signs tomorrow!
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