Won for the Road (Postgame Notes 20 August 2008)

There was an early barometer for the Yankees in tonight's game.

In the top of the first inning they had the bases loaded with no one out--and too often, this season, the Yankees have found themselves in this situation and not been able to score.

Today, however, (thank g-d), the Yankees took advantage of the situation and scored two runs.

Though the two runs would be all they needed to win, the Yankees grabbed a few more insurance runs, including two on a Derek Jeter home run and won easily a game that they had to win.

It's perhaps an over-used phrase at this point in time--the Yankees have to go about 24-12 and hope Boston plays .500 ball the rest of the way to have a sot at the postseason--but it's true. Every game for the Yankees now is a must win game.

Andy Pettitte had one of his better starts this year, going seven innings and giving up just one run. He had some great defense behind him, and at one point retired nine in a row.

****

As far as the Olympics go, Usein Bolt has the most amazing and appropriate name ever, Michael Phelps has gills (but this you knew) and Nastia Liukin is so flexible she makes the Cirque du Soleil contortionists look rigid.

SoCal SoBad (postgame notes 08 August 08)

The Yankees, it seem, have a physical inability to win baseball games in Anaheim.

This would be not a big deal if the Yankees were not in the middle of a pennant race--one in which they are outsiders looking in.

By all accounts, the Yankees have a beat up pitching staff, and the only reason Ian Kennedy was starting tonight was because there was no other option. Phil Hughes is still at least a start away from being a viable candidate.

This does not excuse Kennedy's poor performance tonight, but it might help explain it.

Still, only two innings from Kennedy was the last thing the Yankees needed. It doesn't just mean that Kennedy had a bad outing, but that the Yankees were forced to use Darrell Rasner for an extended period of time.

While Rasner pitched well, it effectively means he will be unable to start until Wednesday, and the Yankees are now short a bullpen arm.

Brian Bruney had an evening he would rather forget--when he entered the game, the score was 7-5, and the Yankees were clearly still in the game, but by the time the inning ended, they were down 10-5. It's admirable that Bruney worked his bum off to be able to come back, but an outing like the one tonight was not what the Yankees needed.

In terms of the offense, the Yankees did not have an awful game. Most of the time, five runs should be enough to win the game.

As one poster on LoHud Yankees says,

Two of the pitcher on your opening-day rotation have a total of zero wins. Your ace is gone. Your all-star catcher, who seems to be a clubhouse leader, is gone. Matsui is gone. You have a new manager. Your replacement ace is injured. Not one single person on the team, with the exception of Mo, is really even having an above-average season.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/08/08/game-116-yankees-at-angels/#comment-486394

It really is a miracle that the Yankees are still in contention for a Wild Card spot.

*****

The Opening Ceremonies were marvelously well done. I was especially touched by the story of the boy that walked with Yao Ming (who was carrying the flag for the Chinese delegation).

He had been in school during the earthquake a few months ago. He pulled himself out of the rubble, and then went back to help his classmates.

Why? Because he was one of the class leaders and it was his responsibility.