Seventh Heaven (Postgame Notes 12 Sept 07)

It's not often that a team with four hits will beat a team with seven, but when you do the little things like walk and steal bases, it's certainly possible.

The Yankees just proved it.

First things first: Mussina, in one of the most critical starts of his career, was excellent. I'm not sure anyone expected him to go six; he got one out away from that, and no doubt if not for a couple of blown strike calls, he would have had it.

However, there's absolutely no reason to complain when your starter pitches 5.2 scoreless innings...

It wasn't likely that K-Ram would have been in the game for much more than one batter, given that the Yanks needed one out to get out of the inning, but still, the decision to use him here after having pitched two innings yesterday has got to raise some questions.

Which brings me to Joba.

He had a very nice, Joba-like seventh inning. Why he was brought out in the eighth, I'm not sure--I don't know how the Yanks justify being able to use him for two games in the Boston season.

However, good news the run scored was unearned. Though Joba did allow a run, his ERA is still 0.00, which is still a helluva lot better than that Buchholz chap!


Rivera made things interesting in the eighth, but returned to form in the ninth.


The top four guys on the Yankees today went something like 0-12, but Damon was robbed of an RBI when Wells trapped a hard-hit ball to center and the umpire called Damon out. On the replay, it was clearly a blown call.

More importantly, however, despite the Ofer, the top four guys did manage to walk a couple times, and Toronto paid the price.

Matsui had a great game, the type of game that breaks a slump--a great RBI single, and two walks, which means he's not trying to reach out of the strike zone to get his hits.

Robby Cano also had a great hit, but more importantly, he had great defense today. He had eleven assists, six in the first three innings alone. His defense now has improved greatly--it wasn't too long ago that even the routine throws over to first seemed to always pull Phillips or Giambi off of the bag.



It was the small things that got the game won tonight, and the Yankees have to be happy about that, despite A-Rod's error. I don't blame Joba if, for just tonight, he goes and considers Posada the MVP...

Anyway, more importantly. The Yankees have now won the series against Toronto, a series in which none of the pitching match-ups could really be said to be in our favor (Shaun Marcum is now 12-7, which is a better record than many of the Yankees' own starters, McGowan was 2-0 against the Yankees before tonight and we had Mussina on the mound, and tomorrow AJ Burnett is pitching), we've been able to win the games that matter.

Now, if only Tampa Bay knew that walking the Red Sox 'power guy' when the count is 3-1 is a much better decision than serving a fastball down the plate when there's a runner on and it's the bottom of the ninth, we'd be set!

Well, the Yankees can't concern themselves too much with Boston and Tampa--they have no control over it, and, well, for Tampa to take one of three is still not too bad.

Since I'm there anyway,

Scores and Stuffs

Boston beat Tampa, 5-4, in the bottom of the ninth on an Ortiz HR. Ortiz actually had five RBI, meaning he was Boston's entire offense tonight. Well now, if Tampa couldn't hold a seven run lead yesterday, do you honestly think they were safe with a one run lead? Still, I guess of all the Red Sox pitchers to beat, Schilling isn't a bad target...

Detroit beat Texas 5-1 to keep pace in the Wild Card. However, unless Detroit puts together a seven game win streak the same time the Yanks put together a seven game lose streak, it looks like the Yankees are probably in with at least the Wild Card.

Angels beat Baltimore 18-6. Anaheim fans are probably astounded that they couldn't score twenty.

The Chi Sox did the impossible and won the game, beating Cleveland 7-4. Jim Thome had his 499th career home run. Yankees fans can take heart: If Thome hits #500 this year, it won't come against the Yankees!

Kansas City beat Minnesota 6-3, finally getting a win as they attempt to stay out of last place in the AL Central.

Seattle leads Oakland 2-1 in the third, but it looks more and more like the Mariners are just playing out the string.

In the National League,

The Mets beat Atlanta, 4-3, as the Mets continue to be one of the two best teams in the NL. If they and Arizona don't meet in the NLCS, it'll be a surprise, and as Colorado beat Philadelphia 12-0, it looks like the Phillies, too, are no longer eye-ing the NL East as a prize.

Cincinnati beat St. Louis, 5-1. Rick Ankiel had a hit and scored the Cardinals' only run, a bit of good news since the HGH story broke. He has not homered since the story broke.

Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee 7-4. Neither Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun homered as Milwaukee seems to be unable to decide whether or not they actually want to win the NL Central.

The Cubs beat Houston 3-2, so I think that means the Cubs and the Brewers are tied for first, but I'm not really sure and the best decision might be just to look at the Sports Page on October 1st.

The Dodgers are up 2-1 on the Padres in the fourth, and, rounding out the night, Arizona is up 3-0 in the fourth.


I would like to say Shana Tova to any and all Jewish readers, may the New Year be filled with sweet and happy memories. I don't have any apples or honey on me, however, you're on your own for that =P

Lucky Number Seven (Post Game Notes 07 Sept 07)

Yankees escaped with a win tonight. There is good and bad to take away from tonight's game. First, the GOOD:

Despite a very shaky first two innings, Ian Kennedy settled down and had a great third, fourth and fifth. Lesser pitchers would have caved--we saw it earlier in the year. That Ian was able to regain himself is a great sign.

Maybe, when the game starts, we should start with the third inning? ;)


A-Rod went yard again, and he's off to a crazy September--five home runs in seven days, and considering the Yankees have only played six of them, it means there are only two games in which A-Rod did not have a HR (he had the multi-HR game on the 5th). He also had two singles, with some great baserunning mixed in.

Jorge Posada also had a hr, but more importantly, threw out the guy at second in the fourth.

Kyle Farnsworth....got the WIN. Wow. That's where optimism and Scooter join forces...

Joba is...well...there aren't words to describe it, really. 14.1 Innings Pitched, and he still has an ERA of 0.00. More importantly, he pitched tonight, finally, in front of his father. If you saw the game, you saw Harlan's tears. Only someone unfamiliar with the story or with a heart of stone could fail to be moved by that.

Johnny Damon had a GREAT play. I don't want to say he plays left better than Matsui, but he's certainly not any worse, especially now that he's getting considerable time there.

Mo was his vintage self. Loved the ending with a strikeout!



The NOT-SO-GOOD:

The Yankees had the bases loaded with two out in the sixth, seventh and eighth, and scored NO runs in any of these.

The Yankees were lucky their pitching and defense held up; however not coming through in these situations won't help much in October.



About the LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN:

The Yankees more or less own the seventh inning right now--they blew the last two games against Seattle out in the seventh, and they won it tonight in the seventh.

Tonight was Mo's 777th appearance.

Game one in '98? Tino's grand slam was in the 7th.

So the fact that it's 2007 and we're going for 27...

Yeah. I feel it too.


[edit] Can't believe I forgot!

Other scores around the league:

Boston beat Baltimore, 4-0. Cabrera, the pitcher for Baltimore, was thrown out after throwing behind Pedroia of Boston, sparking a benches-and-bullpen clearing brawl.

Detroit beat Seattle, 6-1, meaning that Yankees fans gain another game on Seattle and Detroit is still three back. To hope for the best, the Yankees fan should hope for Seattle to win one game, and the Yanks to sweep in KC...unless Detroit sweeps we won't lose significant ground.

Toronto beat Tampa, 7-2, of note is that Toronto's pitcher had 12 Ks.

In the Battle for the Bottom of the AL West, Texas beat Oakland (and it actually is a battle--Oakland only has three more wins than Texas, a team that can apparently score 30 runs in a game).

After both rolling 6s in the 9th, Minnesota and the Chi Sox are tied at 10 in the 12th.

Angels are up on the Indians, 2-1 in the eighth.


All NL Central contenders (Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis) lost, Milwaukee's loss being the ugliest. Rick Ankiel did not have a home run, but Prince Fielder did. Don't think he's going to catch A-Rod, though.

In Atlanta, John Smoltz took a no-hitter into the eighth, he lost the bid but won the game, which keeps Atlanta on life support.

Mets won and Philadelphia lost, so the NL East right now seems to be a battle for second place, and a chance at the Wild Card.

Colorado is up on San Diego, and the Giants have just taken the lead on the Dodgers, making the NL West officially baseball's 2nd most interesting division, after the NL Central.