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A Win is a Win is a Win
2008-07-20 06:50
by Alex Belth

Hey, they don't need to be pretty to count, right? The Yankees left 7436 men in scoring position on Saturday while their pitching staff whiffed 632 A's. A long, frustrating day in the heat at Yankee Stadium.  And it all came down to Jose Molina batting with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Molina entered the game as a defensive replacement for Jorge Posada who allowed two stolen bases in the ninth  (Rivera was at much at fault for the swipes but Posada's arm has nevertheless become a liability).  Lenny DiNardo, Oakland's side-arming lefty almost hit Molina with the second pitch of the at bat. A few pitches later, another slider got away from him inside, Molina froze, then carefully leaned his right knee into the ball, which grazed him, allowing the winning run to score.

“José did a good job of letting the ball hit his leg,” [manager, Joe] Girardi said.

Yanks 4, A's 3.

"I was never so happy to see someone get hit," Derek Jeter told reporters after the game.

As one of the Banterites mentioned, it was a "fitting end to a maddening day." A day, incidentally, where David Cone, the YES analyst, invented a new word--"Variates." As in "He does a good good of variating his pitches." A pitcher doesn't vary his pitches, he "variates" them. I guess Coney is really becoming an analyst after all!

Mariano Rivera gave up a run in the ninth and Huston Street blew the save in the bottom of the inning. Robinson Cano had a terrific day, collecting four hits. He's hitting the ball squarely now, a good sign for sure.  And the much-maligned Wilson Betemit got the game-tying hit against Street, lofting a single to left on an 0-2 pitch.  Joba Chamberlain had another solid start too.  Man, has it ever been fun watching this kid--first as a reliever, now as a starter, or what?

Gunna be another warm one today.  Dude, it's roasting right now.

Comments
2008-07-20 07:45:04
1.   Knuckles
Maddening is the exact word for that game. I bonked, hard, riding my bike yesterday and came home, curled up on the couch and watched the whole things in a zombie-like state. If I had been lucid and had the strength, I'd have probably thrown something thru my TV.

I guess the A's held back Ducshsherherhsher to today to avoid Joba- hope Andy makes them pay.

2008-07-20 07:54:26
2.   Shaun P
I'm glad I got out before the real fun started. Never have I been so grateful that one of the kids woke up from a nap early.

Today should go well for the Yanks. Justin D. is due for a bad game, don't you all think? And, IIRC, Master Toaster Master Ken A. is going to be at this game, so I hope its not another maddening affair, for his sake.

2008-07-20 08:18:18
3.   AllReb
Variates makes more sense when you consider that the folks paid to talk are commentators, not commentors..
2008-07-20 08:27:47
4.   rbj
Hot 'n' humid here too. Brilliant idea, draining a swamp and putting Toledo on top. The dog and I lasted all of ten minutes at the park -- the mosquitoes are out in force, at the midge vs. Joba level.

I guess Andy needs to go deep today.

2008-07-20 08:28:56
5.   ms october
fortnately i didn't see any of it.
i was on gameday in the 9th - went back out and was home for the 12th.

hopefully at some point here joba can start picking up some wins in these games he pitches well enough to get a win.

cone is so funny to me that i will give him a pass on almost anything - even making up crazy words.

hmm - lineup is up. no posada at all - supposedly he has a bruised hand. the ctaching situation might get even murkier.

2008-07-20 09:33:59
6.   monkeypants
5 Can it actually be murkier? I guess they could call up Stewart and carry 4 catchers on the roster...
2008-07-20 09:40:06
7.   rbj
6 Don't give Cashman any ideas.
2008-07-20 10:23:12
8.   RIYank
So I'm thinking, watch what Meachem says, and then do the opposite.
2008-07-20 10:23:47
9.   rbj
Psst, new game thread above.

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