Six in the City (Postgame Notes 23 July 2008)

Eight shut out innings.

Two clutch hits.

Six wins and two sweeps in a row.

The Yankees can't ask for too much else right now (aside from an effective Hawkins, but even I admit that's pushing it).

The team hasn't just played better out of the break; they've been dominant. Oakland and Minnesota are not bad teams--overachieving, maybe, but certainly not bad. In fact, before the All Star break, the Yankees were trailing both Minnesota and Oakland in the Wild Card Race.

Now?

Not so much.

Mike Mussina's ERA is now down to 3.26.

Mussina. ERA. 3.26.

This is a guy that at the beginning of the season was supposed to be competing for the five spot.

He now has thirteen wins, tied for the league lead with Cliff Lee.

Today he allowed six hits over eight innings, struck out seven and (once again) did not walk a batter.

If he is not a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, there is something drastically wrong with the universe.


Also of note: seven different Twins struck out.


As for the offense, the Yankees did not have a dominating offensive explosion as they had in the first game, but they played like the Yankees, exploiting Minnesota's mistakes (Alexi Casilla running off the field as if the inning were over as opposed to doubling up Jose Molina most prominent among these) and getting two two-run hits from Justin Christian and Alex Rodriguez.

They have scored five runs or more in four of their first six games after the brea.

The Yankees have a well-earned off day tomorrow before they head into Boston, and that series now has some added significance. As of right now, the Yankees are only two back in the loss column of Boston; if Seattle can win tonight, they will be just one game out of the wild card spot.

The Yankees have Joba, Pettitte and Sidney Ponson pitching against Beckett, Wakefield and Lester, so it should be a very interesting weekend.

Sidney Ponson on the mound, Win in the column (Postgame Notes 21 July 2008)

Somewhere, in Yankeeland, apparently, there is a switch.

It's just like a light switch, with an on-off choice, and underneath the switch there is a label that reads:

New York Yankees

Underneath the label, there is a sign that reads:

PLEASE TURN ON SWITCH AFTER THE ALL STAR GAME AND LEAVE ON FOR REMAINDER OF CALENDAR YEAR

Someone turned that switch on, again.


Sidney Ponson was not great--5.2 innings, nine hits, two walks, two strikeouts and three earned runs--but he was able to Houdini himself out of a couple of tight spots and after the Yankees re-took the lead in the bottom of the second, he never looked back.

It's almost as if on the days that Ponson starts, the Yankees get an extra urge to win--of the four games he has started so far, the Yankees have scored at least nine runs, and in the one they didn't, they still won the game, anyway.

The Yankee offense was, simply, on fire tonight.

Every Yankee hitter except for Jason Giambi (who needs to dye the 'stache again) had a hit; even late inning replacements Wilson Betemit, Justin Christian and Richie Sexson reached base.

Alex Rodriguez had a two run home run with two out in the first; Robinson Canò and Derek Jeter each had solo shots as well, but perhaps what is more impressive is that eight of the Yankees' 12 runs were scored on hits that were not home runs.

The Yankees bullpen continued their stellar season--allowing just one run in 3.1 innings pitched. Even LaTroy Hawkins had a 1-2-3 eighth inning--as if to put a stamp on how well the bullpen is pitching.

One has to wonder if they add something to the water in New York in July--the Yankees have won four in a row now, eight straight at home, seven of nine, and eight of ten. Even in their last two losses--against Toronto--only one of the losses was really a "bad loss".

It happened last year: the Yankees went on an utter tear to come from 7.5 games out of a playofff spot to take the wild card. They're chasing more teams right now, but if they keep playing like this, it's not a question of if they'll make the playoffs, but when.

The Dark Knight is Amazing. Go See It. (Postgame Notes 18 July 2008)

If only the Yankees could play like this every night.

Good starting pitching, clutch hitting, clean defense and an overpowering bullpen will get you a win almost every time, and that's exactly what the Yankees had tonight.

Mike Mussina was not dominant--he gave up nine hits over six--but he was effective. He allowed one run in the first and did not allow another run the rest of the game. He did not walk a single batter and struck out the side in the second--all looking.

Mussina now has more wins (12) than he had all of last season, and still has a potential, if unlikely, shot at 20 wins. Many agree that one 20 win season would give Moose the boost he needs to be a serious Hall of Fame candidate.

I could gush more about the season that Mussina is having, but tonight's win wasn't just Mike Mussina.

The Yankee offense did something it's not done much of late, and played a good game. It wasn't just one guy with a good night, but the entire team seemed to be playing well.

Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Canò and Melky Cabrera all had multiple hit games that included extra base hits (doubles for Abreu and Melky; home runs for Alex and Canò).

More telling, however, was that six of the Yankee runs were scored on two outs--three of those coming on Robinson Canò's home run in the third to put the Yankees ahead. The Yankees never relinquished the lead.

The bullpen, which tonight didn't see Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth or Mariano Rivera, was absolutley dominant.

David Robertson struck out the side in the seventh; Edwar Ramirez struck out two of three in a one-two-three eighth, and LaTroy Hawkins had a one-two-three ninth, ending the game with a strike out.

In the last few years, and, most notably, last year, the Yankees have been a second-half team, and tonight, they posted one of their best-played wins this season to start it off.

If you believe in omens t all, consider tonight a good one.

An Open Letter to the 2008 New York Yankees Bullpen (PG Notes)

Dear Bullpen--

I realize it's only April 19 (or 20th, depending on your time zone), but even so, you've been on quite a ride this year. For the most part, you've done what's been asked of you, something that wasn't done a whole lot last year, so, minus that one game in Tampa, thank you.

I realize the starting pitching has not been there. I would like to believe that, like the offense, it will eventually come around. I mean, it has to, right?

So I can't directly apologize for the poor starts from the staff, though growing pains might explain a little of it. However, I can say, that as a fan, I really do appreciate the job you're trying to do--the new and improved Brian Bruney, the 1-2-3's from Kyle Farnsworth (there's been at least one), Ross Ohlendorf and Billy Traber getting it done, LaTroy Hawkins giving it his all...and, of course, Joba and Mo--Really, the effort is not going ignored.

Trust me, I wish there was some magic spell I could do to get the Yankees to score with RISP or to get the staters to go more than five innings in a start. However, I got deferred from Hogwarts, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help other than to offer this encouragement.

Hold fast.

Rebecca

Birdfeed (Postgame Notes 18 April 2008)

There aren't many Yankees-Devils fans out there, but, for the few of us, tonight is an exceptionally bitter pill to swallow.

Phil Hughes was not awful tonight. He had a better start than either of his past two starts, and with some better defense and offense with runners in scoring position (which seems to be our downfall this month), he may have well come out of the game at least down only 2-1, if not on top.

Instead, he only lasted into the sixth, and LaTroy Hawkins, nice guy though he may be, did resolutely not come through tonight.

It says something about the state of the offense when the best performance of the night comes from the third-string catcher Chad Moeller, who drove in both Yankee runs.

While Yankee fans can (likely) take comfort in that the slumping Robinson Canò will come around, and while Johnny Damon in left field gives the Yankees their best defensive alignment, the struggles of Jason Giambi are beginning to get old, especially when substitutes who have (so far) been performing, in Morgan Ensberg and Shelley Duncan, could possibly jump start the offense.

In the seventh inning, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez both had good line-drive swings that could have kept a rally going for the Yankees, if only they hadn't been hit at Orioles' fielders.


OPTIMIST TAKE: Hughes had his best outing since his first one. Moeller has exemplified the "low risk-high reward" signing and almost makes you wish they didn't have to send him down to Scranton. I enjoyed the weather and played Frisbee on the quad.

An Open Letter to LaTroy Hawkins

Hello--

I would like to clear something up with you, if that's all right.

Now, I haven't had the chance to go to Yankees Stadium yet this year, but rumor has it that you've not been accorded the reception from Yankees fans that you deserve, on account of a number.

I would like to make it clear that the minority of fans who probably don't know the difference between Roberto Clemente and Roger Clemens don't speak for the Yankees or their fan base as a whole. They are a gross embarrassment to a great city and a great franchise, and one hopes, in time, they'll learn.

Now don't get me wrong; most of us love Paul O'Neill and the heart he gave to the Dynasty Teams of the 1990s, but that pales in comparison to everything Roberto Clemente did off the field, and the intention to honor him is more than admirable.

I don't know you personally, but--everything you seem to have done thus far--from comforting Scott Patterson in the clubhouse, to walking around in a "JOBA RULES" t-shirt, to being the only member of the Colorado Rockies to wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day last year shows that you are a man of true character, and if there were more guys like you, the world would be a much better place.

Now, if we can do something about that Yankee Stadium ERA...


Rebecca

Oh Clutch, Where Art Thou? (Postgame Notes 13 April 2008)

In a game where Yankee starting pitching was so bad that the bullpen was up in the first inning, their undoing tonight proved not to be the men on the mound, but the hitters at the plate.

It wasn't that the Yankees didn't get on base.

They did, many, many times--enough that midnight rolled around before the ninth inning was done--but when it mattered, when one hit could have tied the game or brought the deficit to within one run, they faltered.

Again and again, it seemed, every inning, a new chance, and every inning, someone else failing to come through in the clutch.

It's frustrating, especially when you know the team is too good to stay mired in a slump, and even though it's not even the tax deadline, the cold weather excuse is beginning to get old.

Yes, the Yankees have had to play baseball in horrible weather--but then, so did whoever it was that they were playing, and somehow, unless Wang was pitching, they found a way to hit as well.

That said, there are some encouraging signs. The walks the Yankees took show that they aren't wholly lost at the plate, and that the famed Yankee patience isn't just a thing of the past. They managed to take a 7-1 deficit and climb to within 7-5 at the closest, again showing that never-say-die is as much a part of the game as cracker jacks and rain delays.

The bats will come out of their slumber, and on a hot night in August, when Mike Mussina or Ian Kennedy has a similar evening like Phil Hughes's tonight, they will complete the comeback. They are too good not to.


OPTIMIST TAKE: LaTroy Hawkins had possibly his best pinstripe performance yet. Every Yankee except for Canò and Rodriguez reached base at least once. The Yankees may have had one of their best games defensively so far this year. Jose Molina continues to hit as if he was a regular and Alberto Gonzalez is turning out to be a better offensive player than many of us thought he'd be.


It's late and I'm tired--driving five and a half hours twice in three days will do that to you--so check ESPN for scores if you need them.

Stung (Postgame Notes 04 April 2008)

Games like tonight, painful clunkers, will happen over the course of the season. How the Yankees respond to them, is what is more important.

Ian Kennedy simply did not have his command tonight. He did get squeezed on a couple of calls, but on the whole, he simply wasn't throwing enough strikes, and the hits that Tampa did get were good hits.

It says something about the Yankees as a team that, in the third, they came back offensively, and got the game to within 6-4.

For most of the game, the bullpen did a wonderful job--Albaladejo, Ohlendorf and Traber all pitched excellent, next-to-perfect baseball--and the Yankees were right in it, but they could not muster anything offensively once Andy Sonnanstine got it going.

Hawkins, however, had an even worse outing than Kennedy. Maybe it's part bad karma for wearing 21 (even if the intention to honor Clemente is itself very honorable) or just the cold night, but after tonight, you would think that it's Hawkins that should be sent down (even though he can't be), and not Albaladejo, to make room for Pettitte tomorrow.

Farnsworth did make the three-run mistake, but by that time the game was already 10-4.

So the Yankees fell a bit tonight, but, the score tomorrow starts at 0-0, and it's an afternoon game, so there's not too much time to dwell.

OPTIMIST TAKE: The job that Albaladejo, Ohlendorf and Traber all did inspires a lot of confidence in the bullpen. If Hawkins makes a habit of being awful, we have plenty other talent in Scranton itching for a chance. I'm thinking of you, Scott Patterson. Jason Giambi had his first hit of the season and Jeter had two well hit balls that didn't quite make it out. Matsui had his first home run of the year. Tonight's game also shows us just how much better defensively we are with Melky in center and Damon in left, so good thing that suspension's not any longer than two games.



SCORES AND STUFFS

Astros over Cubs, 4-3. Tejada with an important triple.

White Sox over Tigers, 8-5. The Tigers are still winless. However, the Pistons beat the Nets.

Brewers over Giants, 13-4. So the Yankee game wasn't the only clunker tonight.

Marlins over Pirates, 5-4 on a walk-off home run from Mike Jacobs.

Blue Jays over Red Sox, 6-3. Marcum pitched a one-hitter through six and Toronto has had a quality start in every game so far.

Orioles over Mariners, 7-4. The Mariners have placed closer JJ Putz on the DL.

Diamondbacks over Rockies, 8-1, as the Rockies are 2-hit.

Twins lead Royals 4-3 in the 8th, Cardinals lead Nationals 5-2 in the 7th, Phillies lead Reds 7-4 in the 5th, Rangers-Angels, Dodgers-Padres, Athletics and Indians are all scoreless in the 2nd.

Mets and Braves are postponed.

Seeing Reds (Exhibition Game Notes)

So I saw most of today's baseball game, which is the first time i've been able to do that since, like, the beginning of last week, though I did miss most of Joba's pitching to eat dinner. Anyway, some notes.

1) Joba does need to get his pitch count down. He got the job done, but if he is to succeed as a starter, he's got to throw less than 45 pitches over two innings. I have no doubt Joba can do it, but I won't lie, I was a little nervous in the first where he was getting behind in counts and whatnot...but maybe I've just been spoiled by Phil Hughes.

2) Ian Kennedy got notably better as his innings went on.

3) Traber and Hawkins were good; Rivera was vintage. You would think he's got fifteen years left on his contract.

4) Cincinnati has this pitcher named Volquez, which keeps making me think of Star Trek, but the point is, Volquez struck out eight in four innings, including six in two. I haven't heard of him before tonight, but DANG.

5) The offense did its thing, of course.

Same Ole, Same Ole (Postgame notes Exhibition Game Two)

Some notes from today's exhibition game:

1) It looks like there's going to be some competition for the first base spot, and if competition gets guys to produce, I'm all for it. Giambi had a great game, and looked good even on defense.

2)Jason Lane, a guy you might not have been aware of before today, hit to the hard half of the cycle, with a home run and a triple.

3) A-Rod and Posada each just missed their own home runs, and Bobby Abreu is already having a great spring. In fact, if you didn't know it was Abreu's walk year before, you'd probably recognize it now.

4) A bunch of notes pitching-wise:

--Andy Pettitte had an okay first (for him) and a great second. As per Andy Pettitte Start Regulations (tm), there was a double play and a pick-off.

--Steven White couldn't finish his two innings and did not look sharp at all. Four runs and five hit in 1 and 2/3 innings.

--Scott Patterson only pitched 1/3 innings but did his job.

--LaTroy Hawkins looked great, one inning no BBs, hits or runs.

--Kyle Farnsworth picked up where he left off, giving up a home run on his second pitch, but he settled down after that. It's only one inning for one game so it's too early to make any judgments; next few times out should tell us a lot more. However, John Sterling, Suzyn Waldmen and Michael Kay all have amazing timing.

--Sean Henn, (surprisingly) did not give up a run.

--Brian Bruney, despite looking much better conditioned, did not pitch well. Three hits, two runs and a walk in an inning of work. He and Farnsworth need to be able to pitch well for us to be able to start Joba as a starter, so there's some work to do there.

--Jose Veras looked great. I think he threw a grand total of six pitches, but I might be wrong on that.


5) I like the no extra innings in spring training.


6) That is the first TV I've watched since the episode of "House" after the Super Bowl. That was 5 February. Which means...I had gone 25 days without watching TV. And no, I did not watch the Oscars or any American Idol. My TV must have been mad at me; it randomly turned off in the middle of the game (and then turned back on again).

Good Vibes

LaTroy Hawkins has a "Joba Rules" shirt.
Mike Mussina has a thing for interior decorating.
Derek Jeter is setting himself up for really bad fanfic with Andy Pettitte.
Phil Hughes posts an email address on his blog. Not to mention, he reads--and responds--to the comments.


There have been Yankees teams you've felt good about in the past, and there will be Yankees teams you feel good about in the future...but this has a feeling to it...

You'd think maybe because it's the last year of Yankee Stadium or because there's a new manager in town, or even if it's just because of the extra running, the mood would be intense, but if the above stories are any indication, it's nothing like that.

You know this is one of the seasons we're going to remember forever, given the significance of it to us as Yankees fans, and I have to say, if these are the guys we've got in our clubhouse, I'd love to freeze time right now, and make this moment last forever.

I don't know about you, but I think it's a damned good time to be a Yankee fan.

Shameless Self Promotion, Among Other Things

So I'm not sure who it was that invented the concept of finals, but, oh man, I would so love to give that guy a good thwapping.

Anyway.

The SportstalkNY webcast that I am a part of is slated this week to start Thursday at nine, instead of Wednesday.

Why?

Well, it looks like our host, Mark, has got something awesome up his sleeve, because we've got guests!

> Neil Best from Newsday, and Zack Hample

If you don't know who these guys are, click on the links in the previous paragraph. It's pretty cool stuff.

I've got a final on Thursday from 7-9, so I might be a little late, but at the latest I'll be there by 9.30.

Anyway, on the Yankees' front:

You probably know by now the Yankees signed reliever LaTroy Hawkins to a one year deal; this may be a brilliant move or one of Cashman's worst, and since baseball is so unpredictable, we probably won't know until July or August, but the good news is that he's signed for one year. Thus, if he doesn't pan out in 2008, we have no Farnsworth/Pavano-ian obligation.


Though I have heard rumors of Japanese outfielder Fukudome (no, it's not pronounced like that) being interested in the Yankees, I haven't seen any confirmation. At any rate, the Yankees have a surplus of outfielders for 2008; if we were to sign Fukudome, it'd mean that we'd have one of Damon/Melky rotting in the bench. I could see us going after him if we had traded Melky, but we haven't (yet), so don't look for any new Japanese imports. At least, not in center field.



I wrote 6600 words on The Season over the weekend (which is about ten pages single-spaced or twenty pages doubled), which makes it one of the most successful weekends I've had. I look forward to sharing it with all of you...:-D