Yanks Over Royals 6-to-3

I watched Sunday's game from the comfort of my air conditioned home. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to join him yesterday but, after sitting in the sweltering heat for Saturday's game at the Stadium, there was no way that I was going to do it again. I had tickets to today's afternoon game as well but sold them on StubHub since I had to work. I feel bad for anyone that has to be outdoors today in the predicted 100 degree temperatures.

Back to yesterday's game... Joba made it into the fifth inning and pitched much better than his first start. 53 strikes in 78 pitches, 5 strikeouts and one walk. He left the game with three runs on the board. Giese came in to relieve him and did very well. Three strikeouts, no hits, no walks. Veras successfully ate up the 8th and on to Mo for the save. Giese got the win for the day.

Giambi came through once again in the 6th with a home run (his 14th of the season). Bobby Abreu had also hit one out in the first inning to give the club its early lead.

No Support for Rasner

He pitched an amazing game for the Yankees. He released 118 pitches from the mound and 75 of them passed across the plate for strikes. He walked none and only let two runs score. He lasted 8 innings which, by recent Yankee pitching standards is incredible in itself. But yet again, his teammates were unable to perform for him offensively and Rasner wound up taking a loss for last night's 2-to-1 game against Kansas City.

In fact, in his last 3 starts, the Yankees have only scored 2 runs for Rasner. This is not the way to catch up to Boston.

Abreu, Rodriguez, Cano and Cabrera all went 2-for-4 last night and one would think that would have been enough to put more than one run in the books. But that doesn't always happen when you strand 9 men on base. A ground out double play (A-Rod) is not the way to move runners.

To the teams defense however, I think that it was the obnoxiously incorrect call by the home plate official (Ed Montague) in the bottom of the eighth inning that cost the Yankees this game. It happened with Giambi at the plate with runners at first and second and Jason didn't even come close to swinging at a 3-2 pitch but was called out for not checking his swing. It is surprising to get such a poor call from a veteran official... a call that never would have come to pass if Montague would have first checked with his colleagues at first and third base, as he is supposed to do.

"It doesn't matter now. I can't really do much about it," Giambi said. He is right... but where was the skipper to support his slugger? I would have liked to at least see Girardi leave the dugout to argue this one.

So the Yanks return to last place and one game under .500, unable to beat a team that was toting an 11-game losing streak on the road. They will have three more chances this weekend. The next one today at 1:05pm. I will be at the stadium. Perhaps I can provide the Bombers with a little bit of luck.

So maybe it IS the moustache...

Well, one thing is for certain... that moustache isn't goin' away anytime soon for Giambi. Not after that pinch-hit, walk-off home run that landed in the upper deck to give the Yankees the 9-to-8 win over Toronto on Thursday afternoon. For as long as mlb.com keeps it up, you can catch a glance at the game saving play here.

It was by far the most exciting game this season (as least the ending, anyway) and a much needed boost for the Yankees. It was looking pretty dismal for the Bombers after Wang's pitiful performance on the mound. Wang left his team with a five run deficit in the 5th inning after 90 pitches; but not before giving up 5 hits, 7 earned runs, and walking 4. The Yanks did rally in the next two innings to reduce the deficit to 1 run but then Girardi, as if he hasn't learned his lesson yet, brought Fartsworth in during the 9th to give up 3 hits, one run, and load the bases before getting out of the inning. I think the Yanks got lucky.

So New York takes this series 2 games to 1 and is back to the .500 mark, ready to host Kansas City this weekend. Now if we could just inspire the likes of Robinson Cano and others to grow a little facial hair we might be in better shape.

Musings

I don't know about you but I really like listening to sports commentators. My car radio is almost always tuned to ESPN radio. Sometimes a good determinant of whether I enjoy watching a baseball game on TV is who the particular color commentator is. One of the things I like most is the banter and discussion that takes place during this coverage.

Last night's game was a good example: When Joba came in to relieve Andy Pettitte in an effort to build up his pitch count, the commentary of course was directed to the decision by the Yankees to transition him to a starter. The plan was re-hashed, a clip of Girardi talking about Joba was played in which Joe stated that Joba would probably like to pitch every game, even if he had to do it under-hand, and there was speculation about whether Joba might get Kennedy's next start. Joba began his night on the mound a little shaky. He walked the first batter and, with only a one run lead at the time, was making everyone just a little bit anxious. Michael Kay then posed an interesting question: Who do you put in for Joba if he begins to get into trouble? Yes, the Yankees were trying to get him around 55 pitches last night but they needed the win more. At this juncture in the transition plan, would you ever want to bring Fartsworth in save Joba? A rather scary thought, I think. Of course, it never came to that. Joba straightened out and got the Yankees to the 9th in 28 pitches. I did wonder if Girardi considered keeping him in to finish the game and he probably would have if the Yankees didn't wind up leaving the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Instead, Mo was brought in for the save... and did a fine job, despite A-Rod's error.

Speaking of errors... the Yankees have been making their share of them lately.

After the game, Kim Jones got a hold of Giambi (who has been showing promise lately and went 2-for-3 last night with a homer) and one of the things she asked about was his moustache. In case you haven't noticed, Jason began growing a little fuzz under his nose. My wife is adamantly against it and can't stand looking at him anymore (though I am not sure that she swooned over him before, either). Anyway, there is superstition everywhere and Jason said that the moustache is staying. Hey, if he continues hitting I bet the Steinbrenner's would let him grow a mullet and a mohawk too. What is funny to me is that there is an entire press release article on the Yankees website that discusses the moustache craze.

So here is my point, and I do recognize that this concept is probably one of those things that will always be much clearer in my mind than on paper... I enjoy the full baseball "experience" from April till October. When the Yankees are not doing well, I like listening to people talk about it. I get a certain comfort in that. When New York is at the top of the standings (and I sure hope they are sooner than later), I like listening to people talk about how they got there. The side stories surrounding the baseball season are almost as much fun.

That is why I decided to write a blog, even if it is only for the two people that read it semi-regularly (thanks Jed and Amy).

The Yankees won last night's game by a score of 4-to-2, avoiding the sweep in Baltimore. They will be off today and begin a four game series against the Twins on the road on Friday night at 8:10pm.

Confidence

I always wonder why some people don't consider certain wins to be more important than others. I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine who said "a win is a win and a loss is a loss". His point was that at the end of the season, it is the number of games won as compared to the number of games lost that determine whether a team advances to the post season. No one will likely remember in October, an outfield catch in April that allowed a team to win a game against an seemingly insignificant opponent. Ultimately, this may be true except for the overwhelming effect of confidence.

Most will agree that a victory over an arch rival or a win that breaks a runaway losing streak can boost a team's confidence. And so much of sports (and life, for that matter) is about confidence. Those who have it will always have an edge over those who do not. Yesterday afternoon's 6-to-3 Yankee win against Cleveland may make only a small difference in September but, for at least some Yankees, it may help to turn things around.

The players who really performed yesterday were the very players that needed to perform. Giambi and Cano especially but it was nice to see something from Betemit too. Sometimes a home run or a key hit is all that is needed to bring a player around. I heard a statistic during the broadcast yesterday indicating that only one other Yankee in the last 80 years had performed as poorly at the plate as Cano and Giambi have at this point in the season. That one other player, whose name I can't remember (I wonder why?), played in the '60s.

My point is this... Cano is not a .172 hitter and Giambi can do better than .163. In the same way that a team's average in September has a way of "correcting" itself, so does a player's batting average. If you believe this, and there is no reason why someone shouldn't, then there are some Yankee hitters that are going to have to make a turn around real soon. And this will happen... it is inevitable. All that is necessary is a turning point. Hopefully yesterday's game was just that. Confidence. It is a powerful thing.

Now, on the same topic, I wanted to address the Joba fist pump that seems to be resurfacing to the headlines. Nothing more than confidence. For the very best players, a sport can be such an emotional thing. The pressures, the anxiety, the unpredictability. One pitch can mean a win or a loss... it is as simple as that. Greg Cohen did an great job in his blog yesterday analyzing the incident. I agree completely with his post, so I won't bother re-hashing it but you can find it here. While you are at it, check out another take on the issue here.

So the Yankees face Detroit tonight to see if they can give some payback for last week's licking that they took when they faced the Tiger's in the Bronx. Wouldn't it be nice to build a little more confidence?

Ice Cold Beer

When you go to Yankee Stadium to watch a game you are getting more than nine innings of baseball. There is history there... from the old timers like Ruth and DiMaggio to the sacred hollow of Munson to the current legends like Rivera, Jeter and Posada. You also get to see some great service people; like my friend Mark who vends beer in the upper decks. When you have a season ticket plan you begin to appreciate "regulars"; you use the fastest gate, buy your food from the same stands, and build a bond with the fans around you. I had recognized Mark from the many times over the years that I had seen him selling hot dogs. Yesterday, I happen to notice that he was carrying beer. "Two over here, beer man!"

While he was pouring, I told him that I remembered him from his hot dog days and congratulated him on his "promotion". (I am not positive, but I was told once that vendors start with things like cotton candy and foam fingers and move their way up the ranks to beer... the highest tipped merchandise). Mark and I began talking and I learned that he currently is in his 15th year of service at Yankee Stadium. 15 years! I was just a young whipper-snapper right out of college back then. Mark has seen a lot over the last decade and a half and I also learned yesterday that he is putting all of these memories in a book he is writing called, of course, "Ice Cold Beer". Ok readers... tell me that you can meet people like this at the newer SafeCo Field. Tell me that Nationals Park has a guy like Freddy who lets you bang out a quick rhythm on his clover-covered frying pan. If the Yankee Brass really wants to make the new stadium special, they will take care to make sure that some of their other legends, namely Freddy, the pan-man and Mark, the beer-man make it safely across the street. In the mean time Mark, please don't forget about section 627!

Yesterday's game was a lot like Friday night's outing. Quality pitching from the Yankees (and bloggers, please recognize The Moose's performance, winning three in a row now with a 4-3 record), some decent hitting by the Yankees, and a lot of errors by the Mariners (4 on Friday and 2 yesterday afternoon). Cano was back in the game to yet again contribute nothing; Giambi not looking any better these days.

Johnny Damon hit his 400th career double and asked to keep the ball. Derek Jeter also had a nice double that enabled him to surpass DiMaggio's record of 389 (Yankee Doubles).

So the Yankees take Game 2 against Seattle 6-to-1 and regardless of today's game will win the series.

Here are the Sunday standings:

An interesting game..

I was a little concerned going into last night's game, especially since Chicago has been dominating the standings (in both leagues) as of late. I suppose my concern was more appropriately an anxiety of not knowing what to expect. A-Rod took my advice and had his second child during an appropriate off-day while he was still recovering from a muscle strain, but of course that made him unavailable for the Chicago series. I would be watching Posada during his first return behind the plate since April 8th, hoping that there were no lingering issues. The Yankees had 19 different lineups in their last 20 games, and this lack of stability can have an underlying effect. Contreras would be facing Wang at the mound.

Let's start with Wang... he ultimately got the win (now 4-0). Part of me doesn't think he deserved it because his throw was just plain off. I am not sure what happened to his ground ball pitches, as I am seeing more and more pops. Wang struggled last night, his pitch count rose early in the game, leaving after 6 innings with 105 pitches which is high for him. But still, he pitched himself out of trouble several times and entered the dugout with a trail of only one run.

Then came Bobby Abreu to save the night (say thank you, Chin) with a 2-out grand slam off of Dotel. Hehe, Octavio Dotel didn't do anything for us as a Yankee and I am so glad he is up to his same stuff. Oh, and by the way, did you see the shot of that fan trying to catch Abreu's grand slam? Not only did he drop it from both hands but it knocked him on his ass. Very funny.

Traber and Bruney were a little frustrating to me with their untimely walks. Joba too for that matter but he ultimately got the job done. Fartsworth of course needed to come in to give out another of his infamous home run pitches.

But let's talk hitting... the Yankees looked good at the plate last night (let's home it lasts for more than one game). Giambi surely took some confidence from his early smack to the stands. Damon had a three run shot with two out in the 8th (and also had some nice stuff defensively last night, by the way). Cano made out with a double and anything from him lately is a flash of bright hope. In fact, Jeter was the only Yankee last night without a hit (except for late comer Gonzalez).

So this game was interesting in that it showed some promise. We saw some potential short-comings and we saw some great ball being played too. It showed the team working better together... batting to help pitching. Let's hope for the same tonight when the Moose takes the mound in game 2 of the series.

Stats

So here are the numbers for the Yankees so far this season as listed on the Yankees website. It would be easy to blame last night's loss to the Red Sox on Phil Hughes. Afterall, the young lad didn't look so great. The Yankees Chick blamed the loss on Fartsworth. My newly found blogger buddy Wolf Williams holds A-Rod accountable. I haven't seen the NY papers yet today but I am sure one of the writers will find some way to blame it on Girardi.

I got to tell you... I don't think any one person can be blamed for last night or even where the Yankees sit right now in the standings which, incidentally, is at the bottom of the AL East with a 6-7 record. Look at some of the numbers: our DH turned first baseman Jason Giambi is maintaining a .107 batting average; Mr. Cano, the guy who now makes me cringe every time he walks up the the plate is at .170. Leading our team with the greatest number of strikeouts, the third baseman, Alex Rodriguez. Shall I go on? Does anyone else think that Damon should be doing better than .190? Hits, dammit! We need some hits!

The injuries are not helping us either. I had a brighter outlook on things last week. Jeter being out for the last bunch of games sucked but (bright side...) it gave us a chance to see Alberto Gonzalez, who I think should stay with the team long term. Jorge Posada's dead arm didn't really cause me concern because (bright side...) Jose Molina is worthy of filling in on a consistent basis... BUT, then he gets injured and now the Yankees are going to need to scramble to find a fill-in for the fill-in. And this just in... Harlan Chamberlin, Joba's dad, collapsed last night at his Lincoln, Neb home and is currently in the hospital listed in critical condition. Joba left the team after last night's game to be with him and will most likely not be available for the Tampa games and perhaps not even the second set of Boston games later this week. These changes are becoming less and less manageable.

I was starting to see some signs of life (see Friday's post) but now I am just starting to get sad (not quite depressed yet, but it is only the beginning of the week. I am not sure what the answer here is or why there seems to be a dark cloud hovering over us. I know that there are some other strange things happening to other teams too... David Ortiz is sporting a .070 average (hehe) but that just makes me want to smile. The Detroit Tigers have a record of 2-10 (oh, my). The Mets last night couldn't even beat the Brewers (who are surprisingly 8-4). I thought Seattle would be doing better than 6-7.

I suppose that it is what is in front of us that matters though. I am really not concerned at this point... just frustrated. So, like any other true fan, I will put the stat sheet aside, look towards the future, and support my Yankees. I hope all of you will do the same.

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight...

It don't get much better than that! Chien-Ming Wang was firing on all cylinders in last night's 4-1 win over Boston in the first of three series (and first of eighteen regular season) games that Yankees will play against their rival team. Yes, one could argue that certain things could have made the outing a little sweeter for the Yankee's ace. Had Abreu caught that ball at the wall there would have been no home run and if Wang could have also made that out in the ninth on the bunt, then he would have pitched a perfect game. Now although that would have been awesome, it didn't happen; so let's not diminish Wang's stellar performance last night by adding all those footnotes. Wang threw a total of 93 pitches in nine complete innings (61 of those pitches were strikes). In that time, he faced 29 batters (only 2 more than the minimum) to average 3.2 pitches per batter! He finished his night with a 1.23 ERA.

The Yankee offense continues to improve as we saw Giambi hit his first Home Run of the year. It was nice to see him smiling in the post game interview on the field. In fact, many Yankees had much to be proud of last night. Molina seems to be showing a liking for doubles, making two of them last night for a total of six so far this season... not too shabby for a back-up catcher. In fact, signing him this winter for two years of service was an incredibly smart move by Cashman. Alberto Gonzalez is really looking sharp batting .375 in the short three days he has been here.

This was an important win for the Yankees mostly, I believe, because they needed something to put some more spring in their step. If you ask a Yankee on air about how they react when playing against Boston they will more than likely tell you that 'it is just another game- one out of 162'. But the truth is, it matters. It definitely matters. Not even so much because of the past rivalry (I really don't think stories of shirts buried in concrete matter too much to them) but because they are facing a team that plays ball at their level (though slightly below their level, I might correct). Every game matters, but the games played against the Red Sox always matter more. So, off we go this afternoon with the Moose going against Beckett... a good match up. I am feeling positive.

At last... some signs of life

Last night's game against Kansas City almost started to inspire me. We still have a little work to do at the plate but energy seems to be picking up. Homeruns by Cabrera, Rodriguez and Posada put 3 runs on the board (peculiarly, all 3 were 2 out shots with no men on base). The other three runs were the result of plate work from, well, yeah... Cabrera, Rodriguez and Posada, the only RBI-makers for the team. Matsui and Ensberg both left 3 on base. I guess this could be consider a game of threes; including Cano's three at bats that resulted in nothing.



I liked the way Pettitte pitched, especially after the very efficient 28 minute rain delay. A 3.09 ERA for the game, many say he tends to pitch better after the Yankees lose. Joba and Mo, or "Jo-Mo" as I like to call them did exactly what they were supposed to do.



Because of injury and and rest schedules, Jeter, Giambi, and Abreu sat out, Posada was moved to DH. Joe Girardi changed around the line-up a bit and it seemed to work ok. I like change. I want to see Melky more towards the top of the order, A-Rod batting third... why not? In fact, why not make some more changes... why not put A-Rod at short while Jeter is recovering? There are others that can play third base. Don't get me wrong... I am not saying that any of these changes need to be permanent, just a temporary practice to keep our Yankees awake and on their toes. It is all about inspiration and motivation. I think we may be turning things around... slowly.

Some back-dated comments...

Saturday Afternoon - April 5 (Tampa Bay)
It was nice to be back at our Saturday season ticket seats today. The weather cleared up and it turned out to be a nice day (though perhaps a little chilly). We arrived at the stadium early to purchase some additional tickets at the advanced sales window. Season ticket holders get a handful of discount coupons and we generally have no problems getting decent seats for some mid-week night games. Well, not this year. Practically nothing was available!I had all the best of expectations for a Yankee win today but like Friday night, it just wasn’t meant to be. I don’t really blame Pettitte (who received a warm welcome from the fans). True, he gave up 5 runs on 8 hits but I continue to see offense as the major downfall in these games. We left 21 players on base today including a bases-loaded situation. Unacceptable! What is it going to take to start hitting like a championship team? Today’s loss of 6-3 puts the Yankees on the bottom of the AL-East. Something needs to be done to turn around these slumps.

Friday Night - April 4 (Tampa Bay)
There are some games that you just don’t deserve to win. Friday night’s 4-game series opener against Tampa Bay was one of those games for the Yankees. Pitching can set the tone for a game. Good, quality pitching can be a true motivator just as poor performance on the mound can drain some of the strongest inspiration. Ian Kennedy was horrible and he knew it. He may have gotten squeezed on a few pitches but, for the most part the strike zone seemed invisible to him. Last year when Kennedy and Hughes made their debut, I heard many compare the talent of these two noticeably young starters. I didn’t agree those comparisons then and as most would have to agree now, there was nothing even remotely comparable between Hughes’ quality start last night and Kennedy’s weak pitching tonight.This being said, if Kennedy could be described as weak, than Hawkins was just plain pathetic. Six runs off of six hits in two-thirds of an inning. An ERA of 31.50 for the game. Why is LaTroy Hawkins even here? Is it to keep Fartsworth company? In complete contrast, Albaladejo, Ohlendorf and Traber pitched incredibly well. In fact, I am not sure why Ohlendorf and Traber didn’t get more than an inning each.Now let’s discuss hitting. Aside from the third, which seemed to be something of a passing dream of what should be instead of reality, the Yankees had nothing. I know it is only game four but aren’t we supposed be in our best form after Spring Training, rested from the off season and eager to perform. I am just not seeing that. Why did we not see Shelley Duncan until the ninth inning? Or how about Ensberg? Yes, Giambi has definitely impressed me at first base but if he is cold at the plate, bring someone else in. I suppose that I believe in stirring the pot.I will be at Saturday’s game in my usual seat in Section 627 hoping that a Friday night loss will lead to a Saturday afternoon win. Tonight’s score of 13 to 4 needs to be vindicated.

Thursday Night - April 3 (Toronto)
I had a late meeting at work last night and was only able to hear the first 6 innings of the rubber match between the Yanks and Jays on XM radio as I drove home. That was really no big deal since not much happened before the sixth inning anyway.
Let me take that back… Phil Hughes did what I thought was an excellent job allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits over 6 frames. In fact, the entire pitching staff performed exactly the way they should have. Limiting a club like Toronto to only a few runs opens the door for a qualified Yankee offense to do their work and bring in the win. Hughes performed like, as Damon said in the post game, an ace in the making. Traber completed his task with lefty Overbay. Bruney, whom amongst a handful of other Yanks that dropped some pounds this past winter, was sharp. The Joba (who registered a 99 mph pitch) got the win after pitching the 8th and the Sandman led us to Frank. A very respectable night on the mound.
As far as hitting is concerned, I thought I was going to have to continue my rant from yesterday. But, thanks to Abreu, my rant can now just be a warning: Cano, Giambi, and Matsui… you really need to be doing better at the plate. I know it will happen and I am not really worried but I think in recent years we have lacked some consistency and predictability at the plate. I want my Yankees to make me proud. I am not going to mention A-Rod here because A-Rod is A-Rod. When he is on, we love him but, like every single other person in this world, he has the ability to disappoint us too.
So the Yankees win the game 3-2 and take the first series of the season 2 games to 1. I am looking forward to Tampa coming to town for the next 4 games, secretly hoping that we see some residual drama left over from Spring Training (the Elliot Johnson slide into Francisco Cervelli at the plate, the Shelly Duncan slide into Akinori Iwamura at 2nd, the Melk-man’s involvement). It is probable that Duncan will get his first start of the season tonight.