Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Rays beat the Yankees 4-1 at Legends Field this afternoon, but the big news was a home plate collision with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that sent Yankee catching prospect Francisco Cervelli to the hospital where x-rays revealed a fractured right forearm. The play came with the Rays leading 3-1 in the top of the ninth with two outs and minor league infielder Elliot Johnson on first base via a botched play that was absurdly ruled a single (see below). Willy Aybar doubled to left and Johnson attempted to make it home from first base. As the relay came in from Wilson Betemit via Jason Lane, Cervelli set up in front of the plate. The ball beat Johnson to the plate, so Johnson dropped his head and shoulder and plowed full speed into Cervelli, who was rolled over, but held onto the ball for the out. Cervelli was promptly removed from the game and now has his arm in a cast. This play comes on the heels of another Ray, Carl Crawford, plowing into Houston catcher Humberto Quintaro on Wednesday. Cervelli wasn't going to make the team, but he is a valuable prospect and could be be hindered by the lost development time. Joe Girardi is not pleased. The Rays and Yankees play twice more this spring (the first coming on Wednesday) and 18 times during the regular season, so we haven't heard the last of this.
Lineup:
L - Johnny Damon (LF)
R - Derek Jeter (SS)
L - Bobby Abreu (RF)
R - Alex Rodriguez (DH)
L - Jason Giambi (1B)
L - Robinson Cano (2B)
R - Cody Ransom (3B)
R - Jose Molina (C)
S - Melky Cabrera (CF)
Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Chris Britton, Kyle Farnsworth, Jeff Karstens, Jonathan Albaladejo, Ross Ohlendorf
Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Bernie Castro (PR/2B), Wilson Betemit (SS), Nick Green (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), Kyle Anson (C), Jose Tabata (RF), Justin Christian (CF), Jason Lane (LF), Juan Miranda (DH)
Opposition: The Rays' starters save for Dioner Navarro.
Big Hits: Johnny Damon (1 for 3) led off the game by shooting a double down the left field line off Matt Garza. That was the Yankees' only extra-base hit of the game. They had just five hits in total and no Yankee had more than one.
Who Pitched Well: Mike Mussina had a monster curveball working and struck out five in 2 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits and walking two. One of those hits just happened to be a wind-blown solo homer by Jonny Gomes. Regarding the walks, Moose was being squeezed by home plate ump Mark Carlson, which is one reason why he only threw 55 percent of his pitches for strikes. It was also the source of some classic grouchy body language on the mound, as you might imagine. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect fifth inning. Chris Britton retired all four batters he faced, one via strikeout. Jon Albaladejo worked around a walk for a scoreless inning.
Who Didn't: Jeff Karstens wasn't awful, but he took the loss, allowing the tie-breaking run on three hits and a walk over two frames. Ross Ohledorf pitched in bad luck in the ninth (see the botched grounder ruled a hit in "Oopsies" and add in a passed ball by Kyle Anson that allowed a run to score), but also surrendered a solo homer to Hector Gimenez and a would-be RBI double to Willy Aybar that led to the play on which Cervelli was hurt.
Good Plays: The play that sent Cervelli to the hospital was a great block of the plate. Cervelli has certainly been living up to his defensive reputation thus far this spring. Credit is also due to Wilson Betemit for making a great relay throw from shortstop, and to Jason Lane for hitting the cutoff man. Shelley Duncan made a great leaping stab of a hard hopper over his head, but . . .
Oopsies: . . . he botched the transfer in his attempt to come down and start the 3-6-3 and only got the out at first. In the ninth, Duncan bit on a groundball to his right that was an easy play for the second baseman and in his scramble to cover the bag he both cut off Ohlendorf, who was covering, and dropped the throw. Amazingly, that was ruled a hit. Pressed into emergency duty after Cervelli's injury, Kyle Anson allowed a run to score on a passed ball during the only at-bat he caught in the game.
Ouchies: Alex Rodriguez singled and walked in his two trips as the DH. Jorge Posada did not play. Both are nursing sore right lat muscles. Hideki Matsui will see his first game action tomorrow as the DH, though Anthony Rieber asks, "Is it the best thing to have him take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride when he missed time last week with a stiff neck?"
More Cuts: The Yankees reassigned five pitchers to minor league camp: Steven White, Steven Jackson, Mark Melancon, Dan McCutchen, and Scott Strickland. Strickland came down with a sore elbow before games started and never saw action this spring. White and Jackson both got roughed up. McCutchen pitched a solid inning (one hit, one K), but he's pitched just seven games above A-ball and was never a contender to make the team. Melancon pitched one perfect inning, but is coming off a year lost to late-2006 Tommy John surgery. Both Melancon and McCutchen are arms to keep an eye on. White, however, is in danger of losing his spot on the 40-man roster.
1 IIRC, BP projects the Rays to win 89 games. The talent is definitely there.
It was great to see Girardi immediately respond after the game. Torre would have been diplomatic afterwards, but you get the get the feeling Girardi wont forget this. Whether there is some retaliation, or Joe G. simply uses the play for motivation, I like the fire.
That was some breaking ball, wasn't it?
Damn.
And for strikes.
7 Drafting at or near the top for a decade plus ought to result in a heck of a run of talent. The Rays are lucky they (finally) got it right; the Pirates and the Royals certainly did not, though things in KC seem to be turning around.
The AL East in 2010 could be like the NL West of 2008 - four potential juggernauts and one team that at least has some very good pitching. I'm not sure which will be the odd team out; I could see if being any of them. Probably Baltimore.
11 I think you overrate the teams in the NL West. A good division, but four juggernauts? Hardly.
The Jays' health risk factor is actually pretty bad... just about EVERYONE of their position player is a pretty seriously health risk outside of Rios and Hill. and going with 3 young pitcher plus Burnett (who has a "reputation" for health) and Halladay (who always seem to manage to miss some games via silly accidents) isn't a good recepie for success.
I think we saw last year and maybe even the year before that assuming the Yanks would sweep the Devil Rays or easily take 3 of 4 is folly - granted, and I didn't pull up the schedule, but it seemed like the Yanks played al lot of games agaianst Tampa during their crap fests. But going forward, it is going to be very tough to rack up overwhelming series wins consistently. The Yanks are going to have to do better against the NL and the other AL divisions to make up for a more competitive East.
It needs to be outlawed. Catchers should not have to deal with it. When I was a kid, most players went in with their arms across their chest. Now they go in shoulder first. It's bad. MLB needs to wake up. This ain't hockey.
Plunk the first Devil Ray on Wednesday, and leave it in ST.
re: AL East, I foresee the Orioles spending a lot of time in the basement. They better start picking our curtains.
I turn on YES and there's some world series game from the seventies.
Raining in Florida?
Anyone know?
BUT it is not "some world series game from the seventies" - it is reggie's 3 homer game. :}
my friend called and told me to put it on - though i have explained at least 30 times i don't get yes in boston.
But Hughes has absolutely cruised through his three innings, totally dominant. Hitting every spot perfectly (Molina hasn't had to move his glove) and from what I can make out of the curve with the feed, its biting down hard. He must be mixing in some changes b/c a few guys are going from way ahead to way behind or vice versa. There's no gun on FSN North, and it is just a ST start, but Hughes is getting a good mix of GBs, weak flyballs, and K's....
Molina had a 3-run double.
david price looked incredible, but i believe he only threw 2 offspeed pitches, one for a strike and one for a ball. i'd like to see more of those before saying he's a definite ace.
If Kazmir and Shields can also stay healthy the Rays are a threatening team this year. The AL East is going to be a bear of a division in about a year. Man, what I wouldn't give to be in the NL Central, sigh.
And few things bother me more than when we acquire someone whose ceiling is fourth starter. Because often they don't reach that ceiling.
This too is an exaggeration; yes, if they knew Joba would be a HOF reliever, maybe then you groom him for the job. But in general, they really should try Joba out as a starter first, and relegate him to the BP only if starting doesn't work out. And you're right, they would never use him like they used Gossage. So forget those 130 inning seasons: you're looking at 60 innings of Joba-as-closer once they get enamored with him in the pen.
http://polijamblog.polijam.com/?p=823
How fucking exciting!
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