Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
A pair of rookies face off in Anaheim this afternoon as the Yankees try to salvage the final game of their final west coast swing of the year and avoid being swept by those raggm fraggm Angels.
In his first major league start in Seattle earlier this week, 23-year-old Jeffrey Karstens, who looks like an uglier cross between Gilbert Godfried and Humphrey Bogart (or maybe the old Warner Bros. cartoon characature of Bogey), stayed in the strike zone (66 percent strikes, just two walks) and got 12 of his 15 outs in the air. He also surrendered a pair of home runs, including a moon shot by Richie Sexson. That fly ball tendency could spell disaster against the free-swinging Angels, who had nine extra base hits in yesterday's game.
Opposing Karstens will be 25-year-old lefty Joe Saunders, who has done well in five of his six starts this year including holding the Yankees to three runs on a six hits and a pair of walks over six innings when last these two teams met.
One things' for sure, tomorrow's off day couldn't come soon enough, and whether the Yankees are up by ten or down by twenty, Mariano Rivera should finally see some action today, if for no other reason than he's the most rested man in an exhausted bullpen that finally collapsed in yesterday's ugly loss.
Speaking of exhausted, Jason Giambi, who left yesterday's game due to "body-wide cramps" and dehydration, and Melky Cabrera, who has played every game since late May (!), get the day off, and Robinson Cano gets a day at DH. Nick Green and Bernie Williams, the good one that hits lefties, play the field. Bernie starts in left field for just the fifth time this season. Alex Rodriguez is back in the clean-up spot and Craig Wilson starts at first base against the lefty. Just win this one, boys, and you can go home and rest.
2. Derek Jeter SS
3. Bobby Abreu RF
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Jorge Posada C
6. Robinson Cano DH
7. Bernie Williams LF
8. Craig Wilson 1B
9. Nick Green 2B
Torre seriously considered benching A-Rod today, but decided to leave him in because there's a lefty on the mound.
He also said Jaret will make his next start. Pavano will stay in Columbus.
I don't get it. Joe gives everyone else a day off just to rest them, including Cano. Is he expecting to rest Melky in September when Matsui comes back?
Sorry guys...lame attempt to make light of our current situation and find humor in our sad week on the West Coast.
We may need a lot of runs to win, so I hope we don't run ourselves out of too many innings today.
You betcha.
It's Aaron Guiel for God's sake!
Guiel: OBP v. RHP .368, SLG v. RHP .515
Guiel is flat out a much better hitter v. RHP than Bernie is this year. Yeah, it's Aaron Guiel, for God's sake--and that shows just how far Bernie has fallen.
Let's see, I do have laundry to do and supper to make. . .
Oh, things can most certainly flip. Theo and Ownership's chicken shit approach to the trade deadline should lead to a revolt in "small market" Boston.
Oh and give Chavez one too, God knows they will, even though Beltre is so far and away better, it's downright laughable. I guess if you can get to balls that Chavez can't even sniff, and miss some plays, that counts against you.
I know I've seen it but I can't think of a specific instance.
Crap. Yanks do well when I'm not around. Guess it's time to deal with dinner & laundry.
Where did the Angels get this guy?
and that's different from the Angels' "track meet" offense you love... how?
Lets go Toronto!
Ibanez with a grand salami. Sox down 5-1.
What's our magic number going be tonight?
Bernie: 3 ABs vs LHP, 3-3, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBIs
and figures something out
I was counting on him like I was counting on Wright to toss a CG in the ALCS
I wonder if major leaguers have routine eye tests anyway. Maybe Bernie has an old set of frames he could let A-Rod put his new prescription into.
for the most part Farnsworth sucks with flashes of brilliance...the old million dollar arm...ten cent head...
yeah, I didn't think so, a save is a save, can't mess with that...
Followed closely by Why are the "trusted" relievers blowing a 7 run lead?
It is funny how 2 inning saves were the norm 20 years ago and now it is like he is performing a miracle of some sort...
that is a good point...perhaps they did not want Wright to feel bad about his 4 2/3 inning starts
Wow, Torre taking Bernie out mid inning
The ball went through Green's legs. He was looking up toward Jeter instead of keeping his eye on the ball. The ball took a high hop and went over his glove.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP5hNtoJ9gA
Hmm, I like the sound of that.
Git out da brooms in Seattle!!!
Cano is hitting .334 and I think he now qualifies for batting average leaders, and I think he is 3rd behind Jeter and Mauer! :)
That five-game sweep was a lot of fun, but I don't read too much into it. The Royals swept them, too.
Yanks get a mulligan for the week. Nice.
Hope they sleep well on the red eye.
Let's see what happens in September.
Yeehaw.
The way things have been going for Proctor you get the feeling Joe is going to make him load the plane, and fly it tonight?
Memo to Craig Wilson: the bunt single can be your friend.
Memo to Kyle Farnswacker: Uh, that sucked, dude. Get 'em next time, tough guy.
And both times, he has not said a word. Priceless.
Is there a Mango tree large enough for all of RSN??
From BP's Post Season Odds, Generated Mon Aug 28 08:58:46 EDT 2006
Yankees
Chance of winning AL East: 97.54725
Chance of winning Wild Card: .29671
Chance of going to playoffs: 97.84396
Red Sox
Chance of winning AL East: 1.95925
Chance of winning Wild Card: 2.27190
Chance of going to playoffs: 4.23115
BTW - the only team in MLB with better odds of making the playoffs - the Mets (99.99985 overall).
I understand this is a different, considerably weaker Red Sox team, but it's still way too early to bury the Boston bums, and dance on their grave. However, it feels good to start digging the hole.
Hopefully much smoother sailing after the Tigers and Twins this week.
www.time.com/time/asia/2003/h...ki_matsui.html
I'm sure Cliff and Alex will be all over this tomorrow, but the Yanks raked Robertson for 6 runs on May 30th without Jeter and Damon in the lineup.
Giambi and A-Rod each went 3-4 against the lefty.
Bigger picture: A-Rod is 6 for 16 against Roberston with 5 RBI, Giambi is 5-for-7, and Damon is 7-for-14, also 5 RBI.
Those three might have to do the heavy lifting, as Robertson has been able to contain the the rest of the Yanks lineup.
Bernie is 3-for-14 against Roberston, Jeter is 2-for-12.
I don't expect Giambi to be rested again despite the lefty-lefty matchup.
Also, reading Dirty Diaper Dan in the B. Globe is a tonic at times like these. Today he did not let me down. Ah good times, good times.
Thanks for the link to schadenfreude, wsporter.
Go A's!
PS - Francona coughing up blood. That's horrible.
241 MFD, sometimes I wish I still subscribed to the Globe. You can easily understand why Bill Simmons hates DDD's guts.
That's the vision right now. We must believe!
I am confident of making the post-season, if only because Boston is so pathetic.
It's what happens after that I'm worried about. :-P
There are times I suppose when schadendreude is the only real joy. Not now though, 6.5 up with a magic number of 27 with 33 games to go. No, not the only joy.
Anything - even if Alex or Cliff posted what they had for breakfast this morning, I'd take it.
;-)
Keg stands, anyone?
255 Ummmm . . . virtual beer . . .
You'd have thought he'd have a few words to say about that one? Talk about schadenfreude, that would be the very definition for me.
Maroth or Miner Wed.
Bonderman Thurs.
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