Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Offense: Much like the last series against Boston, the Yankees scored just 4.33 runs per game (it was 4.67 in the previous series), but the Sox only allow 4.04 runs per game, so that's above average. The offense disappeared in the middle game against 19-game winner Josh Beckett, but came from behind to deliver wins in the other two games.
Studs:
Derek Jeter 5 for 14, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R
Robinson Cano 3 for 12, 2 solo HR, 2 K
Jason Giambi 2 for 6, 2B, HR, RBI, R, 2 BB, HBP, 3 K
Doug Mientkiewicz 2 for 3, R
Duds:
Melky Cabrera 0 for 10, 2 BB, R, GIDP, 3 K
Alex Rodriguez 1 for 11, RBI, BB, HBP, SB, 5 K
Hideki Matsui 1 for 7, 3B, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jose Molina, Alberto Gonzalez, and Bronson Sardinha were each 0 for 1, though Molina executed a sac bunt, and Sardinha scored a run as a pinch runner but also hit into a double play in his only major league at-bat thus far. Wilson Betemit appeared as a defensive replacement, but did not come to the plate.
Rotation: Go figure baseball sometimes. Chein-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte, the two aces of the Yankee staff, posted this combined line in the first two games of this series:
9 2/3 IP, 18 H, 10 R (9 ER), 0 HR, 5 BB, 8 K, 2.38 WHIP, 8.38 ERA
Meanwhile the other four men starters combined to do this in their most recent turns:
24 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 HR, 13 BB, 13 K, 0.97 WHIP, 0.72 ERA
In other words, Clemens good, Wang and Pettitte bad. That said, the good showings from the rest of the rotation are a very good sign. The big question is if Clemens and Mussina especially can do it again the next time around.
Bullpen: Awful. The pen allowed nine runs and 20 baserunners in 10 1/3 innings. Torre's mismanagement of his enlarged relief corps in the middle game didn't help, nor did the Joba rules, Luis Vizcaino's sore elbow and back, or Kyle Farnsworth's stiff neck. With the exception of Vizcaino, Villone and Henn, you can take my designations below with a grain of salt.
The Good:
Vizcaino pitched a perfect eighth, needing just ten pitches, seven strikes, to retire the side while striking out one in the opener. I have to lower my standards after that. Edwar Ramirez struck out two of the three men he faced in the middle game, but he walked the middle batter and was inexplicably pulled after sixteen pitches. Joba Chamberlian gave up a double and a solo homer, but no other base runners while striking out three in two innings and stranding that leadoff double by Hinske. Ross Ohlendorf came into a bases-loaded situation and walked in a run. He then gave up a solo home run in the next frame, but those were his only two base runners and he struck out the other four men he faced.
The Bad:
Mariano Rivera walked two, hit a third, and gave up an RBI double while protecting a two-run lead in the finale. On the series he allowed five baserunners in his two innings, though he did convert both saves and struck out two. Ron Villone walked the only man he faced. Sean Henn faced four batters and retired none of them, giving up a pair of singles and walking two while allowing three of his four inherited runners to score. Jose Veras was perfect in his first inning of relief, but gave up a pair of singles in his second frame, necessitating an intentional walk to Ortiz, plating a run, and prompting Torre to call on Henn in a vain attempt to get the third out. Brian Bruney struck out Bobby Kielty with the bases loaded to stop the bleeding after Henn and Veras on Friday night, then worked a perfect seventh, earning the line-up card from Torre after the game. He then gave it all back the next day by giving up an RBI double and a walk before picking up a strikeout and prompting Torre's second call for Henn.
Farnsworth did not pitch, nor did Chris Britton.
Conclusion: Saturday's game was a disaster on all fronts, while Friday's game was a stirring comeback, but both were sloppy. Sunday's game felt like a postseason win with plenty of gutty performances to go around and all of Torre's decisions paying off. The only thing that was really consistent in this series, however, was the shakiness of the bullpen. Heck, even Joba gave up an earned run. Still, the Yanks have nothing but cupcakes left on the schedule, are no longer distracted by hopes of winning the division, and merely have to keep pace with the Tigers who are three games behind in the loss column. That should give Torre an opportunity to sort out the pen and rotation. Here's hoping it also gives Melky and Matsui time to solve their problems at the plate. If not, I just might find myself in favor of starting Mientkiewicz at first in the postseason with one of those two taking a seat each day.
Dout Out on a postseason lineup card, eh, not ready to ponder that.
Not reading too much into Melky's slump. He should come around vs the cupcakes.
Same for Matsui. He was on the verge of finding his groove again, but fell back into bail mode.
He deserves it, though, if only for his glove. He prevented at least two runs with his play at 1B last night, which turned out to be the game. I don't think even a healthy Andy Phillips makes that play.
The highwire act is one thing, but if you're tripping over your own feet or walking the line with you're shoes untied, well what can you say except that it's your own fault when you fall? That's what's been so frustrating, and I hope that we can get over that before we go into the postseason (I'm still feeling good about it, btw).
/rant
resume ignore
>;)
Giambi had a bad game at 1B, no question, but he's generally much better than that.
The Yanks defense has been better than I expected for most of the season. Perhaps the recent errors are just a late-season correction of sorts.
Not too worried about it. Pitching is still the number one concern with this team.
Imagine being so good that you can make it appear as though you're toying with Fenway, willing Ortiz to the plate, just so you can end the game on your terms.
It was the kind of shit Jordan used to pull against the Knicks. Only it's so much better when it's Mo against Boston.
http://tinyurl.com/299evt
http://tinyurl.com/5ua26
Wow, praise of Torre from nomaas. I am happy -- and a bit scared that this could be the first sign of the apocalypse.
http://i13.tinypic.com/68i57j6.jpg
(I posted it in the last thread but I'm not sure if anyone is still over there).
Also, I'm not sure if you two saw the one I did for your K-Rod thunder-arms idea from Friday (it might not be safe for children, but here you go):
http://i2.tinypic.com/4ml7skh.jpg
Counter that with Minky's fine play around the bag. If only we could squash those two together sort of like Jeff Goldblum and the bug in "The Fly" and come out with a modern day Donny Baseball.
(sigh).
I don't think Giambi has regressed to only filling the Ruben Sierra Memorial "Slugger off the bench" role. He still has value as an every day hitter. What to do with Matsui?
I've got no answers. Only questions.
the only problem with the clemens one is that now i really wish he'd have done that. some gauze, some heinz, and some cheeze. it would've been great.
the k-rod one was exactly what i had in mind.
thanks for that. good stuff.
Wang and Pettitte will most likely pick up from where they left off before the series and continue what they do best into next month. The unknown factor still seems to be the rest of the rotation. The rest of the pitching staff just seem to get it together and fall apart so fast all the time. That said, the Yanks are going into next month with probably most chips than they had all season.
Matsui 53 PA .125/.308/.200
Melky 62 PA .190/.242/.241
Damon: 60 PA .259/.322/.426
Giambi: 34 PA .154/.353/.423
At least Matsui is still walking, despite his inability to hit lately. The outfield defense would take a hit, but when lineups like last night's are out there (with Melky, Minky, and Molina), it's no wonder Schilling was only at 69 pitches after 7 innings...
http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=3883
Melk needs some rest, but I wouldn't try to re-establish Damon as a centerfielder.
Matsui is hurt (knee), and should probably be the primary DH in the postseason, which brings us back to the Giambi/Dougie D question.
Joe has a lot of position players who require rest over the next two weeks, so I won't be too upset if we get a heavier dose of Doug Out.
Last night Dougie D re-established his value as a late-inning defensive replacment for Giambi, and showed Joe he can still hit in small doses at the ML level.
But I don't think the Yanks postseason plans should have much to do with him, aside from his crucial role as a late-inning defensive replacement, or pinch runner for Giambi.
Even during their slumps the bats belonging to Giambi, Melky, Damon, and Matsui are worth more to the club than Dougie's glove, as I see it.
That makes two of us. Are we really thinking that Mink and his Womackian .676 OPS deserves to be the PS starter at 1B?
What exactly is our starting rotation in the PS? Wang, Pettitte...Clemens? Then...? Right now, I would be rooting for IPK. Moose is my long relief guy. But if IPK is on the roster, you know JT will carry six starters because he won't leave Moose off it.
Matsui has always been a streak-hitter. Right now, he's on the low side. If he doesn't come out of it in the next 13 games, it's in my mind that he does the majority of the sitting. But who knows -- maybe using Giambi as Strawberry in '96 plays out.
And who goes in the pen? Mariano, Joba, Viz...then Farnswacker and Ramirez? And...Roly Poly Ohlie? Please not "where is the strike zone?" Bruney. I wouldn't survive it! Not in the PS...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8547285560243429315
Ouch.
There will be certain phrases that will stick with this generation of Yankee fans, and that is one of them.
Womakian (woe-mack-ee-an)
-adjective
1. Of or pertaining to the inability to hit major league pitching.
2. Having the tendency to complain about playing time in spite of poor performance on the field.
3. A general surly attitude.
Lucky for us, Dougie Defense is only a crappy hitter. Otherwise, he seems to be a pretty decent guy.
http://www.vote756.com
- noun
1.) the condition or quality of being Quantrillian
Core meaning: the inability to complete tasks due to severe abuse by past and present management.
The ox pulled the cart up the mountain until quantrillity set in.
Baseball useage:
The pitcher's moment of quantrillity was shattered by the crack of the bat, and replaced by the tranquility of the ball flying 430 feet.
His screwball is amazing.
AWESOME!
he protects his hitters. he's not afraid to drill a hitter.
on defense, he can really climb the ladder.
(I hate myself)
(that should help you feel relatively better about yourself, yankz.)
http://i15.tinypic.com/4v80dif.jpg
"
Well, it seems Eric Gagne finally did something positive for the Red Sox. He injured Mariano Rivera.
As Rivera was stretching in the bullpen in the eighth inning last night, he was struck by an errant toss from Gagne, who was warming up in the adjacent bullpen.
The ball struck his right pinky finger. The finger was bruised and numb as Rivera pitched, which explains his lack of control on the ninth inning.
Rivera said today that he is fine and available."
(whew... I have no shame today, so don't worry about a thing, yankz...)
Doug is a terrible, terrible hitter. But even terrible hitters go on hot streaks, and you might as well take advantage of whatever flash of competence this guy shows you.
That being said, if he goes 0-8 in the next two games, that should be the end of it.
Also, Torre is nowhere near the top of the list of people in that organization that want my head to explode.
Now, once Damon or Matsui rotate back to DH, then Giambi really must start at 1B and Minky should go back to the spot on the bench that he has richly earned.
https://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/790200.html
Comment #38
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