Saturday, September 22, 2007

Melkman Delivers Yankees from Belly-Itching (Postgame notes 22 Sept 07)

Do you guys remember when you were all kids, playing baseball at summer camp? There was a fairly common taunt/rhyme:

We want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher!

Well, for most of the game today, I found myself going over that refrain, again, and again, and again.

This was, quite simply, a game won on offense, and Melky and A-Rod, who had both been slumping something horrible, carried the team through it.

You know there wasn't much pitching today when you look at the scoreboard and you see that Jeff Karstens gets the win.

Pitchers making appearances today include: Phil Hughes, Ron Villone, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, Kyle Farnsworth, Chris Britton, Kei Igawa, Mariano Rivera and Jeff Karstens.

I cannot believe I just listed them all from memory.

That aside, Rivera pitched best out of everyone, and again Kyle Farnsworth showed why you cannot pitch him in a close, important game.

Anyway.

Tonight was a great game, offensively and defensively for Melky Cabrera and A-Rod. If Melky doesn't make that throw to Robby to Posada to get Matt Stairs out at home plate, his hit in the 10th would have only tied the game...

...Melky would not have even been up, in the 10th, however, if not for A-Rod's clutch hitting as well. No home runs tonight, but you need the singles and the doubles first. A-Rod's coming out of his funk, heating up at exactly the right time.

Oh, and I think we can officially declare the Matsui slump dead.

Depending on your take of things, this could be one of the best Yankee games of the season, or one of the worst, but at least we won.

Not sure I would have been able to handle two extra inning losses in a row!

Yankees' magic number: 4

Anyway.

I have family commitments tomorrow, to be followed by a four hour drive back to Syracuse that will keep me from being able to "cover" the game, though I'll try to get in some pregame notes in the morning and postgame notes when I get back, so you'll all have to keep the OPTIMISM flowing for me!


SCORES AND STUFFS

The White Sox beat Minnesota 8-3, Jim Thome hitting career HR 504. I'd like to like Thome, but I can't forgive him for those years on the Indians...

Seattle beat the Angels 3-2. The Angels were supposed to clinch the AL West this weekend, with their magic number at 1, but Seattle's not going down without a fight. Just a pity they took the first three weeks of September off...

Oakland leads Cleveland 3-0 in the fourth, Cleveland with a stranglehold on the AL Central.

Kansas City is up on Detroit 5-1 in the fourth, Yankees' fans everywhere hope that Kansas City can keep the score intact.

Boston is up on Tampa 2-0 in the fourth, a game which is not likely to help the Yankees, but stranger things have happened.

Baltimore finds itself in a strange position, up 2-0 on Texas in the first.

The Mets beat Florida 7-2, as they seem to have decided that losing the division at this point would be a bad thing.

Atlanta beat Milwaukee 4-3, and it looks more and more like the Cubs will hold on and take the NL Central.

The Cubs beat the Pirates 9-5. ARRR! I'm tired, and a witty response eludes me.

Houston and St. Louis are scoreless in the fifth.

Philadelphia is up on Washington 1-0, as they try to keep pace with the Mets.

Other games yet to get underway.


And, of course:

SYRACUSE BEAT LOUISVILLE!

Which makes today positively wonderful.

6 comments:

  1. Wow Rebecca what an eat your heart out and the baseball buffet win! may your new year be grand and wonderful.

    love
    larry

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  2. Pretty shocking that SU beat Louisville. Congrats.

    I'm a big SU basketball fan. The football team...not so much.

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  3. Gosh, Becca, I DO come by!! Sometimes, I even post [coulda SWORN I posted yesterday, but somehow musta deleted by mistake].

    Moving things from the house to storage, missed the game yesterday =:-0 [and the Gators over Ole Miss!] Boy, it will be good to be settled again!

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  4. Oh, two more short notes:

    The Belly-Itcher quote is, unfortunately, catchy. Heard it all the time playing in Little League [been EONS, but I DO have a few cogent memories] and coaching, too. Just the other day it was stuck in my mind like some horrible commercial jingle that ya can't seem to get rid of. hahaa old times :-)

    Chris Duncan out here in Saint Louis is saying that his and his bro [Shelley]'s sports hernias may be a result of the siblings lifting weights together in the offseason. Not sure where I read it, zooming through news and blogs and trying to get my lineups set before game time, but it seems that the brothers are extremely competitive and at one point had to start going to the gym at different times, just because of each trying to outlift the other.

    Not surprising. Once, when my boys were young, I heard a commotion and found them, each in his Hanes, grappling the other as they rolled around on the floor. It was hilarious! [So, I broke it up and talked to them about getting along, and began to teach them proper wrestling holds as well]. Good memories :-) Ah, brothers....

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  5. Larry---Mm, I love me a good buffet!

    Andrew--Yeah, I can't believe it, either! Thanks for stopping by!

    Charles--Mm, I know you come by, just yanking your chain :-D

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  6. haha! Congratulations on your big win in football yesterday! :-)

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