Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The single-admission doubleheader is a rarity in baseball these days, but thanks to last night's rain-out, and the fact that this is the Yankees' only trip to Texas this year, the Rangers will be hosting one today. Of course, they've split the game times, starting the first at 3:35 (2:25 local time in Arlington) and keeping the original start date for the nightcap at 8:05 (7:05 local) regardless of how early the opener ends.
In Game One, Andy Pettitte resumes his quest for win number two, but now faces Kevin Millwood rather than Robinson Tejeda (good news for Andy as Tejeda's been much better than Millwood in the early going). Tejeda will then start the nightcap against Mike Mussina, who will swap places on the roster/DL with Phil Hughes.
Mussina has been out exactly three weeks with what was originally considered a very minor hamstring tweak that might not even require a DL stay. It's amazing to think about how thing have changed while Moose has been away. When he took the mound in Minnesota for his second start of the year, the Yankees were 4-3. They then lost that game after he pulled up lame and went on to surrender a pair of walk-off wins to the A's in Oakland, but recovered to sweep the Indians at home to run their record to 8-6.
Then it all fell apart. With Mussina, Carl Pavano, Chien-Ming Wang, and Hideki Matsui on the disabled list, the Yankees rolled into Boston with Jeff Karstens and Chase Wright making two of their three starts and lost a trio of heartbreakers, the first of which saw Mariano Rivera blow his second consecutive save opportunity. Slinking into Tampa, Kei Igawa melted down and lost his rotation spot, ruining Matsui's return, and the bullpen was unable to convert Chien-Ming Wang's first start into a win, handing the Yankee ace the loss by allowing his bequeathed runners to score. Losses to the Blue Jays (in Phil Hughes major league debut) and Red Sox (an unexpected Andy Pettitte meltdown) followed, pushing the losing streak to seven before Igawa unexpectedly salvaged a game in which a comebacker on the very first pitch broke Karstens leg. Inclusive of that game the Yankees have won two of their last three, but their most recent win was tainted by the loss of Hughes to a serious hamstring injury . . . in the seventh inning of a no-hitter no less.
Oh the drama!
Meanwhile, Pavano, who hit the DL the same day as Mussina, has cut his most recent bullpen session short and hopped a plane to Alabama to see Tommy John specialist Dr. James Andrews. Meat's back on the indefinite DL, and Hughes is likely out until the All-Star Break, so the Yankees hopes of a turnaround are largely on the shoulders of the two men who will be pitching today.
But no pressure.
Update: Chris Britton takes Hughes's roster spot for the first game and will be optioned in favor of Mussina before game two. Mike Wood starts in place of Millwood in game one, giving the Yankees an even more favorable matchup (Mike Wood, Millwood, Millwood, Mike Wood, let's call the whole thing off).
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Pettitte LHP
That is a sweet lineup. Let's hope Giambi looks decent in the field. Of course, count on Game 2 to feature Nieves, Cairo, and Man Cave Itch, especially if the Yankees win game one.
Nieves (gotta rest Jorge) is fine for game 2, but not him plus Cairo and Minky. Play two, take two today.
The Yankee A-TEAM:
"In 2007 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by the commissioner of baseball for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Bronx underground. Today, still wanted by the powers that be at ESPN, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: THE A-TEAM."
Starring:
Jason Giambi as "B.A." Baracus
Derek Jeter as "Faceman" Peck
Joe Torre as "Hannibal" Smith
and
Jorge Posada as "Howling Mad" Murdock
I could see Giambi DH'ing game 2, and Phelps playing 1B. 'Cause you can almost bet Minky will be in as a LIDR for Giambi in this game, especially if the Yanks get out to a big lead.
Not sure who'll pinch run for Giambi though - maybe Cairo?
Wood looked wild too (at least according to Retro Gameday), but the Yanks didn't take advantage.
Should be Ian Kennedy, who's torn through the FlSt Lg thus far.
Nice job Andy. Blalock has really gone downhill. He seems like a guy who peaked really early.
Make 'em pay Jason.
And I am just about outta here -- off to see the SWaBbies tonight.
Hey everybody! It's pretty lonely here. Andy hasn't visited in a while. Hope to see him soon!
Cheers,
mehmattski
Its possible he has something that's bugging him, but he's gritting it out because the team can't afford ANOTHER starter on the DL. Hopefully, if there is an injury, its a small one, and this won't lead to something worse.
17 Its the Gameday 2006 interface with this year's games. Rob McMillan over at the 6-4-2 blog (I think its 6-4-2.blogspot.com) posts links for it every day. Today though, its really slow, and seems to be missing some data. I used it because I really didn't like Gameday 2007 back in early April; they must have changed it though, because its not bad now IMHO.
Wow! He got out of it! Thanks, Michael Young!
Ouch.
Mike Wood's Gameday '07 picture looks just like a guy I went to college with.
Geez Cano, why are you swinging at so many pitches out of the zone?
Then the Yanks will get the soft underbelly that is Texas's bullpen, and that might hurt the Rangers for game 2 as well.
When Hughes comes back, that Wang, Andy, and Hughes as GB pitchers...
Ranger's ticket promo commerical: "Buy your tickets now and come out to root against the Yankees".
I'd also push him to 110-115 pitches considering he is on extra rest.
I don't think Abreu had any chance on that ball, but he seem so SLOOOOW out there.
I can't believe Wood is going to get through the 6th with less than 100 pitches. So much for getting into the Rangers' bullpen early. Sigh.
The worst part is that Gameday says Wood hasn't thrown a single pitch to Giambi in the strike zone yet - but 2 were called strikes!
Laird and his .178 batting average lead off the 7th.
I think I let Pettitte out there to at least get Laird and maybe go batter-by-batter with him.
He is on an extra day's rest. I was willing to go 115 pitches with him before, that may be 2 or 3 more outs.
The Yankees seriously need to score. Britton HAS to pitch this game, and I am not sure Torre will be willing to if it is a 1 run game.
I think the real problem with the BP is Joe's refusal to pitch a reliever for more than an inning and then give him an extra day or so of rest.
Shit, Hairston.
I go back to 76. Pettitte could have done that. :P
......i hope.......
/end sarcasm
Now, if we score 4 or 5 with 2 outs, that's another story.
Now would be a good time for Matsui to hit his second hr of the season.
Yay Hideki, boo Giambi/Hideki...
matsui doubled and then what?
Though maybe not as much now, since they swapped CFers with the Nats last night...
If it wasn't for bad luck, Torre'd have no luck at all! sheesh.
Unless, of course, your point is that the Yankees need to win this game because they have no idea what will happen in Game 2, then point taken.
I agree, the Yankees need to score several runs so that Britton can be used and Proctor/Rivera can be saved for tonight.
As I said, forget sending Britton down, DFA Myers!
Also, if you are going to take Giambi out for defensice purposes anyway, as Torre just did, then you might as well PR for him. So the fact that no one PR for him and Minky went in anyway suggests Giambi might be hurt.
The A's have a ton of pitching talent. I doubt most teams would have left Jared Burton unprotected, but the A's did.
160 This is Chris Snelling's career line: .229/.345/.383. Ouch.
157 I am not really understanding this DFA Myers sentiment. Yeah, he hasn't been that good of a LOOGY so far this season, but he has taken on some serious mop up situations so far this season. He is pitching so often so far this season that he is on pace for about 80 innings....to do that with a 2.00ish ERA is pretty good.
His leverage moments should be adjusted, but so far this year he has a place on the roster.
But I guess the Nats wanted Langerhans because he's supposed to have a good glove, and they need that in their park.
I do think he could tinker the lineup a bit until Abreu and Damon are back to form, but that's not the end of the world.
Ok Mo, let's get it going.
I doubt he ends the season with the Yankees...but he shouldn't be DFA'd right now.
In other news, who noticed that Melky's batting average is officially higher than Damon's?
Melky went 3-4 today which puts his average at .217
Damon went 0-4 today which puts his average at .216
People (above the age of 7) who sit behind home plate and wave at the camera all game.
I guess Mo's not washed up after all. I'm sure Sports Illustrated will print a retraction.
I can't believe how long he has survived with the big club this year.
Actually, I remember reading a Notebook in Newsday where Torre said that Bean was very close to making the team over Bruney in Spring Training.
Wish we had one of those things, but it's probably too crazy of an idea.
This ought to liven things up:
A source close to the right-hander told the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo that Carl Pavano will likely require Tommy John surgery.
Cafardo writes that "preliminary indications are that the ligament to the elbow is pretty messed up. Not completely torn, but stretched." If Pavano undergoes surgery, he'll miss the rest of the season. He might not be ready for 2008.
from rotoworld
On the other hand, seattle has no pitching, so 5-0 is really like 1-0...
The horror, the horror...
You know, if the Yanks had signed Meche, the only talk would be about how he's never been this good and won't keep it up...if he were a Sox he would be another "ace."
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Matsui LF
Cano 2B
Mientkiewicz 1B
Nieves C
Ugly bottom 2, and somehow poor Phelps isn't playing 9when the heck was the last time, Torre is brutal with the bench keeping them fresh).
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