Game 119. Top of lineup puts Yanks back into a tie for 1st. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Thome gets #600

Members of the LVYFC are in KC for the game. I believe they see tonight’s game and Wed. night’s, with tomorrow being a tour day.

Yanks 72-46, 1/2 game behind Boston in the AL East, 2nd place.
8 1/2 up on the wild card. OPS+111, ERA+ 120
Four games worse than the Pythagorean record.

Gardner LF  .283-5-28  36sb/47att OPS+ 106
Jeter SS .278-4-41  12/16  89   3036 hits
Granderson CF .275-33-94  22/32  150
Teixeira 1B .248-32-87  3/4  124
Cano 2B .304-20-81  8/9  132
Swisher RF .267-14-64  2/4  119
Chavez 3B .293-1-15  0/0  108
Posada DH .237-10-37  0/2  87
Martin C .226-12-46  8/9  86

Burnett P 8-9  4.60  ERA+ 91

The White Sox released Bruney today, Alfonso Soriano and Johnny Damon both cleared waivers (Matsui did earlier).

Word is that Montero and Banuelos could both come up after 9/1 and still be on the postseason roster due to injuries elsewhere.

The Twins sent Delmon Young to the Tigers.

Alex will rehab at SWB Tues & Wed.

Granderson leads the majors in R, the AL in triples and RBI.

Our friends at BBD report that Dellin Betances, like Manny Banuelos before him, has been promoted to AAA.

The Yanks strand two in the first, but after a 1-2-3 by AJ, take the lead in the 2nd. Swisher singles, Posada gets a one-out walk, and Gardner, with two down, singles in a run.  Jeter follows with an RBI single of his own, hit #3037 as he tries to chase down Carew (3053), Henderson (3055) and Biggio (3060). A walk to Granderson loads the bases. Gardner tried to score on a pitch that got away and gets nabbed at the plate. 2-0 Yanks after 1 1/2. With one out in the second, AJ gives up three straight hits, but a CS after the first one helps out AJ.

AJ gives up two singles in the 4th, but gets an inning-ending DP. 2-0 Yanks after four.

You may have seen that Ernie Johnson, ex-Braves pitcher and announcer, died at 87 a few days ago. Johnson was on those Braves teams that beat the Yanks in the 1957 WS and lost to them in 1958.

Yanks get two on, one out in the fifth, but strand the runners. In the bottom of the fifth, after one out, AJ gives up three straight hits. Does he meltdown here again? In 4 1/3, AJ hasn’t given up a run or walk, but he’s given up 8 hits. …. and he walks in a run.

And Cashman defends this guy?

There is a 2-run single. KC takes the lead. Get him out of there. NOW. He gets a DP to get out of it, but still, get him out of there now. Girardi usually leaves AJ in a batter or two too late. Get him out of there now.

The Yanks retake the lead in the sixth. With one out, singles by Posada, Martin and Gardner tie the game. Jeter triples in two (3038) and the Yanks go up 5-3.

AJ stays for the sixth (ugh). He gets two outs, gives up a single. Logan comes in and picks off the runner for the last out.

AJ 5 2/3, 3 R, 10 H, 1 walk and 2 K.  Not terrible, but not inspiring. ERA actually goes up a tick from 4.60 to 4.61.

The Yanks make it 6-3 in the 7th. Cano singles, two groundouts send him to third, and Jones PH single knocks him in.

Logan gets a K to start the 7th, then yields to Soriano. Groundout, walk, SB, double by Melky plate a run and cuts the Yanks’ lead to 6-4. Soriano then gets a flyout. End of 7, 6-4.

Logan 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. ERA dips to 2.97. Under 3.00. Good.

Soriano 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. ERA up to 4.15.

The Yanks get some insurance in the 8th. With one out, Jeter gets his 3rd hit of the game (3039), SB #13, and a two-out Teixeira single makes it 7-4.

A big game for the top of the lineup. Gardner 2 for 4, 2 RBI; Jeter 3 for 4, 3 RBI. Jeter gets his B.A. over .280. When Jeter got his 3000th hit, he went into to game at .257.    

Robertson for the 8th.  Groundout, K, single, SB. As Sterling accurately points out, why are you stealing down 3 in the 8th?

Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 72 K in 47 2/3. ERA a ridiculous 1.32.

Mo is up. We’ll see how he rebounds from three straight bad outings.

CONGRATS TO JIM THOME OF THE TWINS! #600 tonight. He hit #599 and #600 on consecutive at bats.

Well, we’ll see how many jump back on the Mariano bandwagon after jumping off so soon. I don’t jump off until I see a month to six weeks of bad outings, not one week. As I said, this time of year… 8/4 to about 8/23… I got in some interesting discussions last week with the gloom and doomers. Sheesh. You’d think the guy earned more respect than having some people give up on him after three bad outings….even at 41. Disgraceful. They call themselves fans of Mo?  

Mo gets a groundout. He gets another. A K. 1-2-3. The Mo we remember.

Mo’s 31st save, #590 of his career. ERA to 2.35.

AJ evens his record. 9-9, 4.61.

Game 37. Yanks blow it as many stars align. Twins 6-3.

I can hear it now. Is Mariano on the downside? Is Rivera done?   

It drives me nuts. Yes, he is 40. He is also human.

In the 8th inning, the Yanks were up 3-1, courtesy mostly of a 2-run triple by Randy Winn. Mitre was surprisingly strong, 5 IP, 1 R. HR by Morneau.

Robertson hopefully is getting back on track. 2 IP. Scoreless.

Yanks have a 3-1 lead entering the 8th. Joba, who got the loss, got two out but left with the bases loaded. Teix missed getting the last out on a play he may make most of the time. It would cost the Yanks.

Mo comes in with no margin of error. He walks Jim (569 HR) Thome. Then a grand slam by Kubel. Twins win 6-3, Joba with the loss.

No offense to the Fifth Dimension, but the moon was in the 7th house and Jupiter was aligned with Mars. Consider all of this:

• The last Twins win in NY before today was 7/4/2007.
• Mo had tied a record with 51 straight save conversions at home. He was going for the record. Now over.
• Mo’s 2010 ERA entering today was 0.00. You didn’t expect him to go the whole season with that, did you?   
• Mo hadn’t walked a batter with the bases loaded since 2005.
• Mo had only given up one grand slam in his career. Oops. Fourth. My fault. He did give up at least one when he was a starter in 1995. I don’t know about the other one. Anyway, this was the first since 2002. Funny, but that one was in Cleveland, and that year the LV Yankee Fan Club’s road trip was to Cleveland. A busload was there in 2002. I have friends with a partial season package who were at the stadium today.

In short, a lot of things were just plain due to happen. And they happened. On to tomorrow.

No, Mo isn’t done. Just overdue to blow one…and by various methods.

I see the Celtics held on to win game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals by 4. They had a 20 point lead or so at one time.

Amazing the run the Flyers are on. The last I saw, they were up 5-0 on Montreal. Not only did they come back from down 0-3 to Boston, but they had to win an overtime shootout in the last game of the season just to make the playoffs.

LoHUD has interesting news.

The following were all DFA’d today: Edwar, Gaudin and Bruney.

Meanwhile, Hector Noesi has been promoted to AA. The 23 year old RHP was 5-2, 2.72 at High A Tampa in 8 starts. 53 K in 43 IP and just 6 walks. Think that is a fluke? Consider this. 2009. Low A and High A. Combined 6-4, 2.92. 117 IP. 118 K and just 15 walks.

Other minors. Kei UGH-Gawa has an ERA of 5.31 at SWB. Brandon Laird 3 hits, 2 HR and 7 RBI for AA Trenton today.

 

 

Nice outing for Vazquez in Yanks 3-1 S.T. win.

The Yanks sent out the A lineup tonight, with Javy Vazquez on the mound.

Granted it was basically a B lineup—and of the Nats, to boot— but Vazquez had a nice outing tonight. 6 IP, 1 R, 4H, 0 walks and 6 K. Marte pitched one inning, scoreless, but he gave up a double in the 7th that enabled the inherited runner from Vazquez to score.

A-Rod had an RBI triple in the 4th, and he and Cano drove in runs in the 6th.

Mariano in the 8th. No runs, 1 hit, no walks and 2 Ks. The guy is amazing.

Francisco Cervelli entered the game as a sub—at 3B.

Pitching for the Nats tonight? Ex-Yanks Brian Bruney and Tyler Clippard.

Mark Melancon pitched the 9th. 1-2-3 with 2Ks.

I see that Robert Culp, who starred with Bill Cosby some 45 years ago in “I Spy,” has died at the age of 79. 

One observation. I do like the Post, and maybe the decisions that Girardi will make (Hughes as #5, Granderson in CF) are the ones that the Post says are already made. But it seems that the Post lately has not been reporting the news when it happens as much as trying to force the issue themselves. When Girardi makes a decision, then report it. It’s almost like they want to become the manager rather than be what they are—reporters. You can give an opinion of what you think will happen, but reporting something as fact—before the manager actually states so—seems a bit to be an attempt at making the news rather than just reporting it.   

 

Bruney dealt to Nats. Andy looks to be returning. Herzog and Harvey to the Hall. Rumors and more rumors.

Brian Bruney was dealt to Washington by the Yankees today for a player to be named later, which, reports are, could be the Nats first pick in the Rule 5 draft. Bruney was 5-0, 3.92 for the Yanks this year (ERA+ 109). He spent four years with the Yankees (2006-2009), going 12-3 with one save. He gave up 2 ER in 1/3 of an inning this postseason and was 0-0, 3.38 in the 2006 postseason (2 2/3 IP)

Reports are that Andy Pettitte has decided to come back for the 2010 season. Now it’s a matter of getting a deal. Reports (Post) also are that Andy turned down a 1-year, $10M deal…but the Daily News says no. Rumors abound. It looks like Andy will be back. Just a case of getting a contract to be agreed upon.

In the kicking the tires category, apparently the Yanks are looking at Jason Marquis, 15-13, 4.04 (ERA+113) for Colorado this year. Marquis is 31. 94-83, 4.48 for his career. He won a WS ring with the 2006 Cardinals despite going 14-16, 6.02 that year and not pitching in the postseason. 162 g. average 12-11, 4.48, ERA+ 99. I’m not excited about him. He does have lots of postseason experience, despite not being used in 2006. 2001 Braves, 2004 and 2005 Cardinals, 2008 Cubs, and the Rockies this year. His postseason record is 0-2, 4.56.  

Whitey Herzog and Doug Harvey were named by the Veterans Committee to the HOF today. Herzog the player was a .257 hitting OF. Of course that’s not why Whitey is making the HOF. He’s making it as a manager. He had a .532 winning pct. (86-76 average) who managed Texas, the Angels, the Royals and the Cardinals. He’s mostly known for his work with the Missouri teams, guiding the Royals to the ALCS (and losses to the Yankees) in 1976, 1977 and 1978, then guiding the Cardinals to the WS title in 1982 and WS appearances in 1985 and 1987.

Harvey was a top umpire for 31 years.

Got to hand it to guys like Chad Jennings, etc. This time of year, winter meetings and all the rumors…they are hustling. 

MLB is reporting that Lackey wants a 6-yr. deal? Um. No. Apparently the Cards are close to a Brad Penny deal (11-9, 4.88 overall this year, didn’t work out for Boston). The Angels are looking at Bay. Rumors, rumors, rumors… until it’s confirmed, nothing but rumors, and of course everyone wants to be first with any big scoop.

But how many rumors become reality?

Speaking of rumors…Kelly to ND, Harbaugh?

Claussen is entering the NFL draft, and an ESPN report lists the Browns as interested. How interesting would a Claussen/Quinn QB battle be?  

More Tiger Woods women are coming out of the wood(s)work. Hmm…seems like 18-hole course means something entirely different to Tiger…

  

 

 

Game 1. Lee, Utley lead Phils past Yanks, 6-1.

First. Two easy outs for CC then trouble. Walks Utley. Howard doubles. Walks Werth. Gets out of it when Ibanez bounces to Cano. Yanks go down 1-2-3, Jeter and Teix by K. Damon by bunt-out.

2nd. Much better, CC. 1-2-3. Yanks get a hit by Posada, nothing else. Lee with 4 Ks.

3rd. Utley, with 2 out, works CC and eventually gets his pitch. HR. Earlier, Melky made a nice running catch on a Rollins drive.  1-0 Phils. Jeter gets a two-out double, but nothing. The Yanks have to concentrate on taking Lee the other way.

4th. CC’s best inning. Meanwhile, T&A both whiff.  So does Jorge. 7 K in 4 IP for Lee. Yanks must concentrate on going the other way on him. Too many swings way out in front. 

 Update: Had to leave, saw end of game elsewhere.

In the sixth, Utley once again homered off CC, and once again with two strikes. I didn’t like the pitch selection there at all.  

As I wrote above, I felt the Yanks needed to go the other way on Lee. Is it any surprise that the master of going the other way, Jeter, had three of the Yanks’ six hits?

Any fears Phillies fans had or have about their bullpen have been put to rest this postseason by Lee, who once again this postseason went all the way. In this Game 1 he struck out 10 and allowed only an unearned run.

CC went 7, 2 Runs. Struggled, but kept his team in the game. If not for Utley…

The Yanks’ bullpen failed and let the game get away. Hughes walked both batters he faced and had something to say to the home plate ump (some pitches did seem like…well…) but both runners scored. Robertson gave up a two-out (Marte got them) walk to load the bases then a hit and two runs. In the 9th, Bruney was charged with two more runs. Coke gave up a double. A bit disturbing. We have to remember, as good as some guys are, Robertson, Joba and Hughes are all less than 24 years old.

The way Lee was going, what the bullpen did in the last two innings didn’t matter much anyway.

The bats have to wake up. Let’s face it, in many ways (Games 2 and 3 of the ALDS, Game 2 of the ALCS) the Yankees rode A-Rod’s bat here. A-Rod had a bad night last night as did almost all of the Yanks’ lineup. If not for Jeter, Lee would have had a three-hitter. We know the guys who have been struggling mightily.

A must-win tonight for the Yankees. We know that in 1996 they lost the first two at home then won three in a row in Atlanta. Don’t count on that happening here. A.J. must come up huge in the biggest game of his career. The Yanks’ bats have to wake up.

Otherwise, they’ll be in deep trouble.  

WS Game 1. Phils @ Yanks.

Lee vs. CC tonight. It looks like the rain will pass and enable the game to be played tonight.

More later. The roster isn’t in yet, but with the DH being lost down in Philly, I’d expect the Yanks to remove Freddie Guzman and replace him with Eric Hinske (pinch-hitting).  

Update: I see one idiot in my local paper went and discussed what happened in May. See my post of a few days ago in which I list the players who were there then and are NOT here now and also players here now that were NOT there then. Just asinine.

The Yanks made one other move besides dumping Guzman for Hinske. Cervelli is dropped and Bruney added. You have to think that…especially in the NL park, Posada catches Burnett. You can’t afford to lose the DH AND Posada’s stick.

Of course you would expect Jimmy Rollins to pick his own team to win the Series. Being a little bit brash about it seemed to tick off Mariano though, and Mo is one cool cucumber. Rollins has had a habit of popping off (his statement on the Mets a few years back). He’s backed it up though. Hopefully not this time.

The Post had some very interesting numbers. Marte may only have been 1-3, 9.45 in the regular season, but he may be very important in this WS. Why? Ibanez is 4 for 16 of Marte, no XBH. Utley 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Howard 0 for 3, 3 strikeouts. Stairs 1 for 6.

Should Joe Blanton start for the Phils later in this series, consider this. Blanton is 0-3, 8.18 vs. the Yanks in his career.

It’s interesting how I read where the winner of this Series could be the “team” of 2000-2009. I don’t know. If the Yanks win, maybe. Two (and almost a third) titles. But I really think Boston (and yes, as a Yankees fan, I hate to write this) deserves to be considered. Two titles, and both WS victories came in sweeps. Not only that, but one Aaron Boone swing (and Grady Little managerial decision) from possibly three titles.

Here is the Yanks lineup:      

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA in postseason)   

Yanks going old school with ALCS rotation?

Those of us who remember baseball before the Divisional or Championship Series—when there was no divisions, and the league winners played in the World Series (pre-1969), remember when there were 3-man rotations. Your ace went in 1-4-7, #2 went 2-5 and #3 went 3-6. Remember, say, Bob Gibson in 1967 and 1968 for example? Heck, Burnette (1957, 1958), Gibson (1964), Koufax (1965), Lonborg (1967) and Lolich (1968) all went 2-5-7 with various success.

It appears the Yanks could be going old school. With an off-day both before and after Game 5, this could be the setup. Off course, weather permitting:

Game 1 Fri (CC)
Game 2 Sat (AJ —with Molina?)
Game 3 Mon (Andy)
Game 4 Tue (CC on 3 days rest)
*Game 5 Thu (AJ, normal rest, with Molina?)
*Game 6 Sat (Andy, normal rest)
*Game 7 Sun (CC, normal rest) 

 *= if necessary.

Game 4 could see a strict pitch count on CC. A lot will depend on how the first three games go and how heavily taxed the bullpen is in those games, but with Aceves, Joba and Gaudin, the Yanks figure to have the sixth and seventh covered before turning it over to Hughes and Rivera for the 8th and 9th. Bruney could be in the mix as well, replacing Marte.       

NLCS Set. Phils vs. Dodgers.

1977, 1978, 1983, 2008 and now 2009.

For the 5th time in NLCS history, the Phils will face the Dodgers for the pennant.

After the Phils bullpen imploded in the 8th, Huston Street gave it right back in the 9th. Even at that, the Rockies had two on in the bottom of the 9th when Brad Lidge whiffed Tulowitzki to end it.

I wrote this yesterday and saw a couple of articles elsewhere repeating what I wrote.

Basically, that the theme of this offseason (to me, at least) is this: Closers not closing games out.

Just look. Franklin couldn’t close out Game 2 vs. the Dodgers, even after Holliday’s error. He still could have gotten that last out.

Nathan couldn’t close out Game 2 vs. the Yankees. He gave up A-Rod’s dinger. In game 3 he had to keep the game at 2-1 Yankees. Instead he gave up 2 hits and 2 runs (neither charged to him, but…)

Boston in Game 3 is up 5-2 going into the 8th. Wagner gives up two runs. Boston makes it 6-4. Papelbon gives up 3 in the 9th.

Street lost two games vs. the Phils. He gives up the run in the top of the 9th in Game 3.

Madson blew the lead in the 8th in Game 4 against the Rockies only to see Street give it back to the Phils. Eyre then almost gave it back to the Rockies.

Franklin…Nathan…Wagner…Papelbon…Madson…Street…Eyre…

I know I’m a Yankees fan and this may sound biased….but looking at that, I feel more blessed that the Yankees have Rivera. Consistency. Sure, he has blown a postseason game in the past and we don’t know what the future holds. But who would you feel most confident in right now to close a game? Wouldn’t it be someone whose postseason resume reads 8-1, 35 saves and a 0.74 ERA in 121 IP?

A look at the closers left:

Mo. 3-3. 1.76. 44 saves. The postseason record listed above. ERA+ 253
Fuentes. 1-5. 3.93. 48 saves led the majors, but 3.93 is not impressive. ERA+ 116.
1-0, 5.56 in the postseason. Two saves.
Lidge.  0-8, 7.21. 31 saves. ERA+ 59. 1-3, 2.04 in the postseason. 14 saves (7 last year).
Broxton. 7-2, 2.61. 36 saves. 114 K in 76 IP. 0-1 3.97 in the postseason. 2 saves.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll go with Mo. The experience and the savvy. The starters job is to get to him. I like the Yanks’ bullpen to get to Mo. Hughes struggled a bit against the Twins, but he, along with Joba, Aceves, Robertson, Mo…I am confident in them. I worry about Coke and Marte. Given that the Angels aren’t as lefty-dominated as the Twins, don’t be surprised if Marte (not that good in the ALDS) is dumped for Bruney.

Looking at the closers’ failures this postseason and comparing them to how Mo has been since 1995…then in looking at who is left, I’m confident in the Yankees. Not cocky, for I know the Angels are a pain in the wazoo, but confident.  

P.S. Of course, the Yankees bats…and starting pitching…have to get to Mariano. 

Wrap it up, I’ll take it. Yanks weekend sweep of Boston (4-2) clinches East, best record. Win #100.

Yes, I’m home. I called in and had to take a day. The shoulder was killing me and I didn’t feel too well. I know you probably aren’t buying it. True, though. I spent the afternoon half asleep with an ice pack on the shoulder.

So I did catch the Yanks clinching the division and best record in the AL with win #100 today.

The Yanks join the Thunderbirds
as being Fabulous.  

Boston got runs in the first and third off Pettitte, but Andy gave 6 IP of 2-run ball and the bullpen shut down Boston in the Yanks 4-2 win. For Pettitte, it’s win #14 of the season and #229 of his career, tying Sam Jones, Luis Tiant and Will White on the all-time list.

Bruney pitched 1 2/3 scoreless and Coke came in for one batter, whiffing the Big Popup.

Then Mo in the 9th. He gave up a hit and another runner reached on an error by Cano, but Mo locked her down. Save 44 of 46 this year and # 526 of his career is the one that gives the Yanks the 2009 AL East title. ERA drops to 1.82.

The comeback from down 0-2 started with a solo HR by Melky in the third, #13. Matsui got a 2-run single in the sixth to give the Yanks the lead and Matsui a 90 RBI season. Teixeira got a “cheapie” HR in the 8th for insurance. #38 for Teix puts him one behind injured league-leader Carlos Pena. His 120th RBI.

Some huge falls in college football. 10 spots or more. Ole Miss 4 to 21. PSU 5 to 15. Cal 6 to 24.   

Is it me, or isn’t it ironic that Roman Polanski gets picked up in Switzerland for that gross misdeed he did in 1977 the very same week in which ex-Manson follower Susan Atkins (who was one of the butchers of Polanski’s ex-wife, Sharon Tate) dies.

Danged Steelers. Lose another in the end.  

Game 151. House of Horrors continues for Yanks as they lose 5-2 in Anaheim.

Good News: The magic number for winning the division is now 8. The same with AL best record.

Bad news: The magic number for clinching a playoff spot is still 1.

Good News: KC overcame two six-run deficits to beat Boston 12-9.

Bad News: The Yankees couldn’t take advantage, losing once again in Anaheim, 5-2.

Good News: After a rusty first inning is which he gave up two runs, Pettitte settled in, giving up only one more run. His shoulder passed the test, 6 IP, 3R.

Bad News: The only offense mustered by the Yanks came on two solo HR. Alex (#26, 579*) and Matsui #27.

One headscratcher was Girardi bringing in Bruney with the Yanks down 3-1. Where was Aceves? Unless Girardi figures on Ace for tonight what with Gaudin starting. Audition…as a STARTER….for Gaudin? Still, you are trying to clinch a playoff spot, the game is still close and going to Bruney (who may not be on the postseason roster) and Albaladejo (who definitely won’t be)?

Another one bites the dust: Cecil Cooper fired as Houston’s manager.