X-Men Cometh (Postgame Notes 03 August 2008)

Down 5-0 in the fourth inning, Yankees fans were just praying the deficit wouldn't get any larger.

Maybe, just maybe the Yankees would be able to chip away and make the game close, and maybe, just maybe, there would be that little glimmer of hope that the Yankees could end the series on a positive note.

When a base-running error with one out in the fourth inning by Bobby Abreu kept the Yankees from scoring on a sacrifice fly from Xavier Nady, you could hear the collective groaning from Yankee fans everywhere: that was our inning, and we missed it.

Guess everyone forgot that 27 outs are a lot of outs.

From the fifth inning on, the Yankees scored at least one run every inning--one in the fifth, three in the sixth, four in the seventh and then six in a wild eighth inning.

Xavier Nady had a career high 6 RBI, including a home run in the seventh to put the Yankees ahead 8-5. As a Yankee he is hitting .385 with three doubles, three home runs, and ten RBI in eight games--and that's despite a very slow start in Boston.

Boston can keep their Jason Bay; the Yankees like the X Man just fine.

In terms of pitching...well, there wasn't much of it unless you count what John Lackey did in the first three innings, and what Dan Giese did in the middle innings.

If anything, Giese made a case for him to start next Friday night against Lackey in Anaheim in place of Darrell Rasner, who did not have a good performance.

Edwar Ramirez was overdue for a couple of baserunners, but the grand slam he gave up to Mark Teixiera was a crushing blow after the Yankees had just taken a three run lead. Had the Angels played something remotely resembling defense in the eighth inning, it would have been a crushing loss for the Yankees.

As luck would have it, however, the ghosts seemed to be out today, and the Yankees, seemingly sparked by Justin Christian's double steal in the eighth, would not lose the game, and battled themselves to a split with the league's best team.

A word of caution: Apparently Mariano Rivera was unavailable to pitch today due to back spasms.

Day and Night (Postgame Notes 27 June 08)

Day

I don't know why my karma is so bad, but I am now 0-5 at Yankees games I have been to this year. One had the sense after the Mets took a 3-1 lead that there was absolutely no way the game was going to end at that score.

It didn't.


It just didn't end in a score to the Yankees favor. It wasn't that the Yankees didn't hit...they did...but each pitcher they had was progressively worse than the one before. Dan Giese threw too many balls, Edwar was not sharp, and Ross Ohlendorf was bad enough to get himself optioned back to Scranton.

However, there were a few bright spots (and the part where I was on the DiamondVision doesn't count)...like, as shown in the picture above, when a fan came out of the right field bleachers and ran onto the field.

I'm not quite sure it was worth the getting arrested part, but it was the highlight of the first game (at least from the Yankees' point of view).


Night

What a difference a...bus ride (?)...makes!

Everything the Yankees didn't do in the first game, they did in this one.

Poor pitching with men on base in the first game?

The Yankees escaped bases loaded, less than two out jams twice in the night cap without surrendering a run.

Poor hitting in the first game?

Every Yankee starter--yes, even Sidney Ponson--contributed offensively in the second game.

Speaking of Sidney Ponson...

...The first few innings were certainly a roller coaster, but in an old Sports Illustrated article I have hanging on my wall, New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur is quoted as saying that a roller coaster ride is okay, as long as you end on a high, and Ponson certainly ended on a high.

Six innings, five hits, no runs and four strikeouts certainly qualifies.

While he certainly can't expected to escape bases loaded situations without surrendering a run every time, Ponson has earned himself another start.


Do Not Go Gently...

The Yankees have Andy Pettitte on the mound tomorrow, against Johan Santana, without question the marquee match up of the series. He's working on a streak, of sorts.


Also of note--Hideki Matsui has been placed on the 15 day disabled list, though that is not exactly a surprise.

Red Light (Postgame Notes 21 June 2008)

I must be cursed. Or something.

Three times I've had tickets to a game at Yankee Stadium this year, and, now, three times they've lost.

Granted, the loss today was different than the Sunday 5/18 game against the Mets or the 6/3 "Joba Game" against Toronto, but alas, a loss is still a loss.

Dan Giese pitched great. It's hard to see that from a 6-0 score, but through six innings, Giese had yielded just two hits (okay, two I remember, anyway) and had thrown only 62 pitches. He gave the Yankees everything--and, of course, the Yankees gave him nothing back.

In the seventh inning, Giese made an error on a throw that should have started a double play, and things got out of hand from there.

However, the truth is, the Yankees lost the game in the second inning, when they had the bases loaded, with no one out, and could not bring a runner around to score. Every inning, it seemed, the Yankees would get a runner, or runners, on base, and every inning they failed to get the big hit.

Alas.

Anyway, the part you're all interested in, pictures!



Myself and Jon, with whom I went to the game. I know I look horrible, but, yeah, it was 85 degrees out and we were sitting in the sun!


Our view. Some people don't like the screen; I don't mind it.


Babe Ruth's daughter, grandson and great-grandchildren presenting Alex Rodriguez with an award for the most home runs hit last season. A-Rod was shocked by how heavy the thing was.


Robbie taking warm up tosses.



Alex


Exchanging line up cards.


Alex at bat.


Laura Posada with the two Posada children. The daughter, Paulina (I think?), kept shouting 'da-da' or 'da-ddy' until Jorge would turn around and wave. It might have been the highlight of the game.


Anyway, the Yankees will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow, and hey, as I'm not going to the game, they'll actually have a shot!

Joba Geise Win (Postgame Notes 08 June 2008

Don't look now, but the Yakees are beginning to fall into place.

Today's game was just the type of game we'd hope the Yankees would play this season--solid pitching, timely hitting, and more than five runs. If not for some stellar outfield defense from Kansas City's Joey Gathright, the Yankees would have at least had another two runs; probably closer to another three or four.

Anyway, to start at the beginning, coming off of yesterday's improbable win (I'm not quite sure how I managed to keep my car on the road while listening to the game on my way to Scranton), the Yankees were once again at .500 and with emotion on their side.

It was Joba's second start, and while he certainly wasn't perfect, Yankee fans (and management) have got to be pleased with his performance today. He threw 78 pitches, mostly strikes, going 4.1 innings. He did give up three runs, but two of those came on one mistake pitch to Jose Guillen and the third was unearned, on a passed ball.

Dan Giese, the Designated Reliever on Joba days, was excellent. In 2.2 innings, he allowed exactly one baserunner--and even that baserunner technically struck out. Jose Veras pitched a very good 8th and Mariano Rivera was, well, Mariano Rivera.

As for the offense, well, it was only the third time all year the Yankees had their Opening Day line up, but the line up performed as expected.

Johnny Damon continued his hot hitting (what is he eating for breakfast, and where can I get some?) despite going only 2-4...

Bobby Abreu had a two-run home run, adding to his RBI total, and the renaissance of Jason Giambi continued as he hit the home run to break the three-three tie.

If not for Joey Gathright, Jorge Posada would have had a two-RBI hit as well.

Right now, the Yankees look like they are finally beginning to figure out this season. Once again, they are above .500--and this time, they've gotten there with energized line ups and actually playing all 27 outs of the game.

Looks like the sleeping beast is beginning to wake up.

****

Had a tremendous night in Scranton last night with some of the fellow LoHud readers. A special thanks goes to Ron H. for putting it all together. It was wonderful to be able to meet so many people--here's hoping we can do it again next year!