Final Score: Yankees 5, Indians 2
Yankees: 14-13
Indians: 12-14
W- Mussina (3-3)
L- Laffey (0-1)
SV- Rivera (8)
Offense: The Yankee offense managed to score five runs, more than any other game this series. While they were no-hit through the first five innings, the offense scored four runs in the sixth and added another in the eighth. Melky Cabrera, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, and Morgan Ensberg each had one hit, and no one had a multi-hit game. Jason Giambi went 0-for-4, lowering his average to .167, and Robinson Cano went 0-for-3, lowering his average to .153. So far, Hideki Matsui is the only regular hitting above .290, and many of the usual sluggers are slumping. While the offense did enough to win the game, the hitting is still a foremost concern for the Yankees as they head into the end of April just one game above .500.
Pitching: Mike Mussina pitched a quality game, going five innings and allowing just two runs. In his last two outings, he has pitched twelve innings, allowed just four runs, and picked up two victories, which is quite a relief from his early season struggles. While he did get into some trouble in the fifth inning, Mussina escaped mostly unabashed, showing his veteran presence on the mound. He walked only one and struck out two, and he lowered his season ERA to 4.73. Overall, it was an impressive start from the venerable righty. The bullpen was dominant, as Albaladejo, Farnsworth, Chamberlain, and Rivera combined for four innings of one-hit ball. For the second straight night, Joba and Mo pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, and Rivera picked up his eighth save of the year, seven more than he had all of last April.
Final Notes:
- Alex Rodriguez left the game in the eighth with a quad injury. There has been no word on the seriousness of it.
- With the conclusion of tonight's game, the Yankees finish off a stretch in which they played eighteen of twenty games on the road. They stand at 14-13, quite an improvement from their 9-14 start last year. Still, they need to have a better May if they want to compete with the Red Sox and the surprising Orioles in the East.
- Jorge Posada is officially on the DL for the first time in his career. Minor-leaguer Chris Stewart has been called up.
From 1901 through 2007, there were five non-pitchers who finished a season with a batting average lower than .200 and an OPS (slugging + on base percentage) higher than .800. The five players were Greg Vaughn, Mark McGwire, Rob Deer, Kevin Roberson, and George Canale.
In 2008, only one person has done this so far, and his name is Jason Giambi. Entering yesterday's game, Giambi was hitting .177 but had an OPS of .810 based on his walks and home runs.
Vaughn, McGwire, Deer, and Canale all performed this feat in their final season.
According to Tyler Kepner of the Times, Jorge Posada is likely headed to the Disabled List for the first time in his career.
According to the article, the Yankees said that there would be no announcement until after the game, but Posada, who has a tear in his subscapularis muscle, is expected to visit Dr. James Andrews and will most likely land on the Disabled List.
While surgery is not necessary, the injury is another blow to the already fatigued Yankees. Jose Molina will be forced to start, and other than Molina, the Yankees have no experienced catcher in their organization after they DFA'd Chad Moeller. Hopefully, Moeller will clear waivers, but if not, the Yankees will face another serious problem.
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Meanwhile, the Yankees won 1-0 against the Indians today. I didn't catch the game, so there won't be game notes like usual, but the game panned out perfectly. A Melky Cabrera home run was the only source of offense, but it was enough for the win. Chien-Ming Wang pitched seven innings, striking out nine and allowing no runs. Joba pitched a perfect eighth, and Mo pitched a perfect ninth. You couldn't write it out better than that.
The Yankees are now back to .500, standing at an even 13-13 with one game left against Cleveland.
1) When Joe Girardi became manager of the Yankees, his first message to his players was to arrive in camp in tip-top shape. Brian Bruney became the poster boy to this effort, as he lost over thirty pounds, made his way onto the roster, and became a powerhouse out of the bullpen. Yet Bruney became the latest example on the Yankees to show that no amount of conditioning can combat the injuries that can suddenly alter a season. The righty's hard work paid off with a 1-0 record and a 1.59 ERA almost a month into the season, but after slipping and falling while trying to cover first base in a game against the White Sox, Bruney teared a ligament in his ankle, which will result in surgery. "It's a big loss," said manager Joe Girardi. The Yankees were forced to call up relievers Jonathan Albaladejo and Chris Britton to fill the void, but in the end, it will be Bruney that will feel the void more than his team.
2) It seems that Met fans are being serenaded by their favorite sounds once again- boos. Met fans are becoming impatient with their slumping sluggers and below-average pitching, in this, the final year of Shea Stadium. When David Wright was asked about it, he responded, "We have very passionate fans. They're passionate and they have opinions and they want more than anything else for us to win and to keep winning. There's nothing wrong with that." The main culprit of these boos has been Carlos Delgado, who entering today was hitting .186 with one home run. But it seems on every play that goes wrong - even if the Mets are winning - Met fans are quick to boo. Unless they are playing a game at Shea Stadium in October, these boos are going to continue for a long, long time.
3) Kerwin Danley, the umpire that a 96-mph. Brad Penny fastball to the jaw last night, was released from the hospital just hours after losing consciousness at Dodger Stadium. The game was stopped for eighteen minutes while Danley was placed into an ambulance. Russell Martin, the Dodgers catcher that missed the ball and caused it to hit Danley, said that he missed the ball because of a miscommunication with Penny. Martin said he apologized to Danley several times. "But I don't know if he heard me," he added. It was certainly a scary incident- only once in a blue moon do you see an umpire take an injury of that caliber.
4) Through the games of April 23rd last season, the American League had issued a grand total of 870 walks. Through the same span this season, the total has jumped to 1,044 base on balls. This has resulted in longer games, more pitching changes, and more gray hair for pitching coaches. The reason is probably because of the influx of younger pitchers, but it is certainly a troubling trend. Even on the Yankee side, pitchers like Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes are constantly weary of attacking the strike zone. Hopefully this trend will stabilize, but at this rate, American League pitchers are heading towards a new walks record.
5) Harold Reynolds is back in the announcing game. The former Major League Baseball All-Star and ESPN commentator will join SNY, the regional sports network home of the New York Mets, tomorrow night as an analyst. Reynolds will work primarily with Lee Mazzilli and Matt Yallof on SNY's Mets pre- and post-game shows. "Harold's studio experience, keen insight, and strong relationships with current and former players will enhance our baseball coverage and add a new dimension to our shows," said Curt Gowdy, Jr., senior vice president of production and executive producer of SNY, in a statement. "We're excited to have him join our team, and look forward to him sharing his in-depth knowledge of the game with out viewers." I like Reynolds, but he's no Bob Lorenz.
Who's Hot: Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera
Who's Not: Ross Ohlendorf, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Billy Traber
Quote of the Week: "That was probably my favorite at-bat of my entire life. I've never been booed like that before." -- Colorado's Ryan Spilborghs, trashed by fans in Houston after apparently trapping a ball in center that umpires ruled a catch.
Link of the Week: Click here
Standings
Baltimore: 14-10
Tampa Bay: 14-11
Boston: 15-12
New York: 13-13
Toronto: 10-15
Final Score: Indians 4, Yankees 3
Yankees: 12-13
Indians: 12-12
W- Kobayashi (1-0)
L- Ohlendorf (0-1)
Offense: The Yankee offense combined for twelve hits, which is normally good for about six or seven runs. However, on this night, they managed to score just three runs, owed in large part to their poor hitting with runners in scoring position. A pinch-hit three-run triple by Jorge Posada was the only source of runs for the Yankees, and Giambi, Ensberg, Cano, and Molina were all held hitless. Even a four-hit day by Damon was not enough to give the Yankees some insurance runs, and so they suffered a heart-wrenching loss. Their biggest opportunity came in the top of the ninth, when the game was tied 3-3. The Yankees had runners on first and third with one out. Jeter was up, and a fly ball or even a slow ground ball would be enough for the run. However, Jeter ended up grounding into a double play, leading into the eventual game-winning hit by Victor Martinez in the bottom of the ninth.
Pitching: Ian Kennedy had a rough second inning, throwing nearly forty pitches and surrendering three runs. But even with the rough inning, Kennedy rebounded and pitched well in the third, fourth and fifth innings. His final line was 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. The walks were a bit high, and even though he didn't pitch into the sixth inning, it was definitely an improvement for him. In this game, it should have been enough for the win, but the Yankee offense just could not get it done. LaTroy Hawkins pitched the sixth and seventh innings without surrendering a run, Farnsworth pitched a scoreless eighth, and Ohlendorf gave up the winning run in the ninth. This may not have been the smartest move for Girardi- bringing in Ohlendorf with a tie game in the ninth is certainly questionable. Joba and Mariano were both available, and in a game like this, I was surprised he didn't throw Chamberlain out there. It could have been the difference between a win and a loss.
Final Notes:
- Masa Kobayashi got his first major-league win for the Indians after pitching ten seasons in Japan.
- David Dellucci said after the game, "When Victor came up, we knew something good was going to happen. When you have confidence, good things can happen." Thanks for that, David.
- Johnny Damon had this to say after the game: "We're OK. Nothing has got in our way. With the number of injuries we've had and the bounces not going our way, we still have our heads up. When all is said and done, we're going to get back to normal.
- The Yankees are now 3-11 when their opponent scores first.
Every Saturday here at the Bronx Insider, I'll list a few "short hops," or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com Here are this week's:- Both Eric Hinske and Adrian Gonzalez were a single short of the cycle on Tuesday. In fact, there have been 269 such such games since 1956, meaning it happens about five times a season. In 26 of those, a player has been "too good," clubbing four extra-base hits. Numerous players have missed the single twice in their careers, but the only ones who've fallen short three times in that span have been Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Manny Trillo, Ellis Burks, Greg Jefferies, and Brian Giles. In those last 53 seasons, there have been 939 instances in which the cycle's been avoided by just the double; the triple's been absent 8,558 times; and the home run on 2,267 occasions. - Frank Thomas' parting shot before being released by Toronto was his refusal to shake hands with his teammates after they'd beaten the Tigers on April 19th. The Big Hurt Feelings had been benched that game amidst a 4-for-35 swoon.- Joel Pineiro has started twice and pitched 10 innings for the Cardinals, but has yet to strike out anyone. Remember Glenn Abbott? He once made six consecutive starts for the 1983-84 Tigers without whiffing anyone. After that streak, he fanned one batter in each of his next three starts, then never pitched again.- The Padres went 106 innings without hitting a home run.- At the end of play on April 21st, three all-time team vs. team series were dead even: Rockies vs. Marlins (65-65), Reds vs. Brewers (83-83), and Cubs vs. Mets (334-334).
Final Score: Indians 6, Yankees 4
Cleveland: 11-12
Yankees: 12-12
W- Byrd (1-2)
L- Pettitte (3-2)
SV- Betancourt (2)
Offense: The Yankee offense sans-Giambi struggled in the 6-4 loss. Giambi hit two home runs and drove in three, and other than that, the only run came off a Hideki Matsui home run. Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, and Cabrera were all held hitless, giving the Yankees just one hitter above .300 for the season (they had four going into the Chicago series). While the offense only struck out twice, it seemed every ball they hit went to a Cleveland fielder, and the hitters just could not find holes. They could have won this game, but in the end, their hitting did not come through.
Pitching: Andy Pettitte, or the "stopper" as YES referred to him about 100 times, did not come through in his fifth start of the season. He fell into some trouble in the first, then rebounded in innings two through four, and fell apart in the fifth. After getting two outs, he gave up singles to Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez before a three-run home run by Johnny Peralta that just killed Pettitte's momentum. Franklin Gutierrez then added another home run to give the Indians a 5-3 lead. Billy Traber pitched the sixth and gave up another run, giving way to a solid performance by Jonathan Albaladejo in the seventh and eighth innings. Pettitte's start may have been enough to win if he got some run support, but the offense was not there, and Pettitte could not protect the lead.
Final Notes:
- The Yankees now fall to 12-12, and the Indians stand at 11-12.
- Alex Rodriguez was in the lineup and had a great day in the field, but went 0-for-4 at the plate.
- Jonathan Albaladejo and Chris Britton were called up before the game, and catcher Chad Moeller was designated for assignment.
- This was the Yankees first game in Cleveland since the bug incident back in last year's ALDS.
Brian Bruney, who has so far pitched far better than expected in 2008, is headed to the DL with a torn ligament in his foot. Bruney, along with Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera, had formed a solid contingent in the bullpen that was actually one of the strengths of the team.
This news comes a day after it was announced that Kyle Farnsworth had sustained an elbow injury.
Chris Britton and Jonathan Albaladejo are in Cleveland and ready to pitch if needed. The Yankees would have to send a pitcher down to activate both pitchers.
It seems that every team is sustaining an uncharacteristically high number of injuries this year. About half the Yankee roster has already missed some time due to injuries, bereavement leave, or child births.
Remember 2005 when the Yankees were forced to start Darryl May and Tim Redding in Boston? The Yankees are headed down that path again.
The Yankees begin a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians tonight. The Yankees will enter Jacobs Field at a 12-11 mark, while the Indians are 10-12.
Game 1 tonight will feature Andy Pettitte versus Paul Byrd. Pettitte won Game 2 of the ALDS for the Yankees last year at Jacobs Field against Fausto Carmona. He enters the game with a 3-1 record and a 2.45 ERA. Byrd, a contact pitcher, is 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA. Byrd won the deciding game 4 against the Yankees in last year's ALDS, but often times, the Yankee hitters tee off his pitches.
Game 2 on Saturday will be on FOX and will feature two youngsters: Ian Kennedy and Jeremy Sowers. Kennedy is still looking for his first win of the year, and he enters the game with a 9.64 ERA.
Game 3 on Sunday will be a rematch of Game 1 of last year's ALDS: Chien-Ming Wang and C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is 1-3 with a 10.13 ERA, a far cry from his Cy Young performance last year, and Wang is 4-0 with a 3.94 ERA.
Game 4 on Monday will conclude the series. It will be Mike Mussina, who won his first game of the season in his last start, against Aaron Laffey.
The Yankees, at 12-11, are aiming to win three out of four in this series. While teams often split four-game series, if the Yankees get good pitching out of their starters, they should be able to win three of these games. Pettitte in particular needs to give the Yankees innings tonight, especially after the bullpen-draining series in Chicago.
Final Score: Yankees 9, White Sox 5
Yankees: 11-10
White Sox: 11-8
W- Wang (4-0)
L- Contreras (1-2)
Offense: Coming off a much-needed off day, the Yankee offense exploded for nine runs in an important game against the White Sox. The Yankees hit three home runs -- a solo shot by Giambi in the second, a grand slam by Abreu in the seventh, and a three run home run by Damon in the eighth -- and all of the starters except for Jeter had at least one hit. The Yankees needed this kind of game to raise their confidence- a game where their starter isn't exceptional, but they still find a way to win. Wang wasn't great, but the offense bailed him out.
Pitching: Chien-Ming Wang wasn't exactly lights out, but he gave the Yankees a quality start -- 6 innings, 10 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts -- and earned his fourth win in five starts. He struggled early with his command, but the offense bailed him out of an early deficit. The bullpen struggled, as Billy Traber and Kyle Farnsworth each gave up a run, but Bruney and Chamberlain were able to hold the lead. Bruney (1.59) and Chamberlain (1.12) have each performed great, and their miniscule ERA's prove that in the early going. Put in Mariano Rivera's 0.00 ERA, and the Yankees have three relievers with sub-2.00 ERA. Not bad.
Final Notes:
- Johnny Damon had this to say after the game: "The guys did a good job of getting on base and we scored right of our runs off home runs. When you are able to get a grand slam and a three-run homer, it makes things a lot easier."
- Bobby Abreu had this to say after the game: "We're supposed to score runs. We're an offensive team. That's what we're here for. You have a guy like behind you like Alex, they are going to just come right at you. It's a different thing. You just have to get yourself prepared when Alex is not there. I just make my adjustments and that's pretty much what it is." He added, "I like to hit here. It's a very nice ballpark to hit. The first time I came here it felt good."
- Jason Giambi was removed from the game in the bottom of the eighth as a precautionary measure when he had swelling in his right thumb. He hurt it going for infield single in the seventh.
- In his 85th career start, Wang became the quickest major leaguer to record 50 wins as a starter since Dwight Gooden got No. 50 in his 82nd start in 1986, against the Cubs. Wang is also the fastest Yankees starter to 50 wins since Ron Guidry got there in his 82nd start in 1979 against Texas.
