Final Score: Yankees 7, Twins 6
Yankees: 28-27
Twins: 28-27
W- Ohlendorf (1-1)
L- Rincon (2-2)
SV- Rivera (15)
Offense: The Yankee offense scored their runs in bunches tonight. They were shut down the first two innings, put up a three-spot in the third, failed to score in the fourth and fifth, put up another three-spot in the sixth, and then went scoreless all the way until the top of the twelfth inning. Overall, the Yankees scored seven runs on eleven hits in an exciting, 7-6 win in extra innings. Every Yankee starter had at least one hit, and the Yankees got contributions from all over the lineup. The biggest hit came in the twelfth, when Bobby Abreu hit a rocket up the middle to score Johnny Damon, which gave the Yankees the lead. The Yankees are now 2-0 against the Twins in the series and have scored thirteen runs in two games.
Pitching: Chien-Ming Wang, who started the season on-fire, has cooled off his last 5 starts, failing to record a win. His pitching was not good tonight, as he allowed five runs in 5.1 innings. He also allowed 9 hits and 3 walks, while fanning four. In relief, Edwar Ramirez gave up his first run of the year- a game-tying home run to Michael Cuddyer. His ERA now stands at 0.56. Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth combined to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth, before Ross Ohlendorf came into pitch in the tenth. Ohlendorf nearly lost the game twice- first, in the tenth inning he allowed a triple and a walk with two outs but then got Carlos Gomez to strike out. Then, in the eleventh, he faced a first-and-second, no out jam, but managed to escape it unharmed. Hopefully, this outing was a real confidence booster for Ohlendorf, who has struggled this season. With the lead in the twelfth, Mariano Rivera shut the door for his 15th save, lowering his already absurd ERA to 0.36. Overall, the Yankees needed this type of win, and their solid pitching in the late innings enabled them to gain the victory.
Final Notes:
- Derek Jeter, who went 1-for-6 in the game, is now 4 for his last 43.
- In the tenth, Mike Lamb missed a game-winning home run by about a foot. His moonshot went off the top of the right field wall, and Lamb recorded a triple.
- It took 47 outs before Edwar Ramirez gave up his first run of the season.
- The Yankees stole four bases in the game: one by Damon, two by A-Rod, and one by Abreu.
- With the win, the Yankees snapped their seven game extra-inning losing streak on the road, and improve to 1-2 on the year in extra-inning games overall.
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:
- The unreported angle on Shawn Chacon's record-setting nine consecutive no-decisions to start the season is this: the man whose mark he broke is Dick Stigman, who muddled through eight for the 1965 Twins- the only starts he made all year. The lefty swingman then booked a pair of NDs to open '66, thus becoming the first starter ever to be saddled with 10 in a row (John D'Acquisto and Barry Lerch -- both in 1977 -- later matched him). Stiggy finally broke his 13-month stretch of sister-kissing by losing a start that May. The unfortunate native of the unfortunately-named Nimrod, Minnesota, then posted no-decisions in his next four starts before finally ending what was by then a three-season, 21-start winless spell by shutting out the White Sox. Barely. Nursing a 1-0 lead into the ninth, Stigman survived a couple of hits to end his epic frustration.
- The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Mike Cameron is the first batter since 1920 to endure two strings of 20 or more games with at least one strikeout.
- It was May 24th until the Nationals got a homer from their outfielders in back-to-back games.
- Last week, Johnny Damon stole the first base surrendered by Seattle's Jarrod Washburn in 121 innings, dating back to last July.
- So Mariano Rivera just issued his first walk. Entering Thursday, only 12 of the 76 batters Rivera has faced have reached base -- two doubles, nine singles, and the solitary pass. He's recorded more strikeouts (19) than balls hit to the outfield (18).
- The two most-heralded young hitters in the game had quite different nights on Tuesday. While Jay Bruce was making his Reds debut by going 3-for-3 with two walks and a steal, the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton was fanning three times to extend his slump to 0-for-26 with 17 strikeouts.
- For the first time in almost five years, Ichiro was called out on strikes twice in a game by the same pitcher (Andy Pettitte).
- And in other Ichiro news, he came who we believe to be the first ballplayer ever to use the words "Papua New Guinea" in a postgame interview (he was enumerating the origins of beers he might be drinking if he were "objectively" watching the woeful Mariners on a daily basis).
Final Score: Yankees 6, Twins 5
Yankees: 27-27
Twins: 28-26
W- Mussina (8-4)
L- Perkins (2-2)
SV- Rivera (14)
Offense: The Yankee offense scored six runs on sixteen hits in what proved to be an offensive outburst by many players. Bobby Abreu went 3-for-4 with two triples and tied a career high with four runs scored. A-Rod, Matsui, and Cabrera each went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI's apiece. Overall, the team had 16 hits in 37 at bats, which basically tells you just how good the offense was in this game. Unfortunately, there were a lot of doubleplays and baserunning mishaps, so they only managed to score six. Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-5, is now down to .272 (keep in mind he's never hit below .291), while Hideki Matsui now leads the league in hitting with a stellar .339 average. It seemed in this game, the Yankees just kept getting hit after hit, and hopefully it's a sign of good things to come.
Pitching: Mike Mussina struggled early in the game, allowing four runs (two unearned) in the first, but he rebounded and ended up pitching six innings. His line: 6 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. He threw a season-high 109 pitches. His record on the year now stands at 8-4, and his eight wins are the most on the team. His ERA is also 4.26, which is certainly respectable. After Mussina, Jose Veras walked the number 9 hitter in the seventh inning, which is just unacceptable with a two-run lead, which gave way to Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez got two outs on five pitches to end the inning, and thus he continued his dominance in the 2008 season. Kyle Farnsworth allowed an eighth-inning home run to Justin Morneau (the fourth home run he has allowed in his last 5.2 innings), but it turned out to be negligible as Mariano Rivera shut the door in the ninth, lowering his ERA to 0.38. It seems the more that Farnsworth pitches, the more he exposes himself as unreliable- the bottom line is that he cannot be trusted with a small lead in the late innings. The fact of the matter is that his inconsistency is going to lead to a lot of losses down the road. But at least for one night, his mistakes are negated by the victory.
Final Notes:
- In his last eight starts, Mussina is 7-1. He now has 258 career victories.
- Perkins was the 10th lefty the Yankees have faced in their last 13 games.
- Since 2002, the Yankees are 29-10 against Minnesota.
- Derek Jeter is now in the midst of a 3-for-37 slide.
- The last time Mussina threw more than 109 pitches was on June 15th, 2006, when he threw 110 against Cleveland.
- Through 54 games, the Yankees are now even at .500 with a 27-27 record. Last year, they were 24-30.
The Yankees start a four-game, wrap-around series against the Minnesota Twins tonight at the Metrodome. The Yankees have yet to face the Twins this year, and it should be a good opportunity to beat up on a below-average team. Here are the pitching matchups:
Tonight, 8:10 P.M.: Mike Mussina (7-4, 4.39 ERA) vs. Glen Perkins (2-1, 2.77 ERA)
Tomorrow, 7:10 P.M.: Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82 ERA) vs. Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16 ERA)
Sunday, 2:10 P.M.: Darrell Rasner (3-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. Nick Blackburn (4-3, 3.39 ERA)
Monday, 7:05 P.M. Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.11 ERA) vs. Livan Hernandez (6-2, 4.60 ERA)
My Prediction: The Yankees win tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday, but fail to complete the sweep on Monday.
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It was announced this afternoon that Joba Chamberlain will make his first start on Tuesday against Toronto at Yankee Stadium. He will be limited to 65-70 pitches, so don't expect to see him pitch more than five innings. Also, Jorge Posada is improving in his rehab process, and he will most likely return later this week.
With the 54th game coming up on Friday, the guys over at The Bronx Block handed out the "first trimester awards" for the Yankees. Here are my picks:
MVP- Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is notoriously a slow starter, but this has not been the case in 2008. He has recorded thirteen saves through the first third of the year, and his 0.39 ERA is just absurd. In 23 innings, he has surrendered just twelve baserunners for a WHIP of 0.52. Batters are hitting just .150 against him. In my eyes, this was a fairly simple selection. Runner up: Chien-Ming Wang
Offensive Player of the Year- Hideki Matsui
Matsui doesn't have the home runs that Jason Giambi has, but he is certainly the best overall offensive player on the team so far. His .330 average is tops on the team (Jorge Posada, at .302, is the only other player with an average above .300), and his 30 runs scored is second only to Johnny Damon. It seems with the early offensive struggles, Hideki Matsui has been the one constant in the lineup, and so in my eyes, he is the offensive player of the year at this point. Runner up: Jason Giambi
Rookie of the Year- Joba Chamberlain
Joba began the year with the 8th inning role, and like last year, he thrived. He is 1-2 on the year with a 2.28 ERA. His 30 strikeouts in 23.2 innings is the best ratio on the team, and his 1.14 WHIP is second only to Mo. If he continues his dominance in the rotation, he may become a leading contender for the American League Rookie of the Year. Runner up: Darrell Rasner
Starting Pitcher of the Year- Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang came out of the gate as hot as anyone, winning his first six decisions with masterful stuff. Though he has struggled his last few starts, bringing his record to 6-2 and a 3.82 ERA, Wang has easily been the best starter on the team through May. He has emerged as the ace of the staff, and at the end of the year, his numbers are going to be up there with the best of them. Runner up: Mike Mussina
Surprise of the Year- Darrell Rasner
Darrell Rasner was called up a few weeks ago to fill in for the injured Phil Hughes. He was expected to make a start or two and then be placed back in the minors. However, through four starts, Rasner is 3-1 with an ERA of just 1.80, and he is making a strong case to remain in the rotation throughout the rest of the year. His stuff isn't overpowering by any stretch of the imagination, but he is locating his pitches well and getting hitters out. Runner up: Edwar Ramirez
Biggest Disappointment- Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy
Hughes and Kennedy were supposed to be the number 3 and 4 starters for the team entering the season, yet neither has recorded a win through the first one-third of the year. Hughes, now injured, started off strong but then faded- through six starts, he was 0-4 with an ERA of 9.00. Kennedy, who recently returned from an injury only to be placed back on the D.L., has started eight games and is 0-3 with a 7.41 ERA. Hopefully, when they return from their injuries, they will get back on track to where they should be as starters. Runner up: Robinson Cano
The Yankees, overall, are 26-27, which is mediocre at best. I'd be lying is I said the season hasn't been a disappointment so far. Still, there are two-thirds of the season left to catch the Rays and Sox.
Final Score: Yankees 4, Orioles 2
Yankees: 26-27
Orioles: 26-26
W- Pettitte (5-5)
L- Guthrie (2-6)
SV- Rivera (13)
Offense: After scoring nine runs and losing last night, the Yankees scored four runs in tonight's game and came out on top. The offense was by no means potent, but they did enough to win the game. Johnny Damon continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-5, which raised his average to .288. Matsui and Giambi also continued to hit, as both went 2-for-4. Giambi's second inning single and fourth inning home run gave the Yankees an immediate offensive edge in the game- he is now at .244 for the year with 11 home runs and 27 RBI's, which doesn't tell the whole story of Giambi's excellent season so far. His on-base percentage is close to .400, and he has put together some amazing at bats. On the negative side, Jeter, Abreu, and A-Rod combined to go 0-for-12. Robinson Cano and Chad Moeller were also held hitless. Still, the Yankees did enough to win the game and thus salvaged the final game of the series against Baltimore.
Pitching: Andy Pettittte truly portrayed why he is the "stopper" in tonight's game, holding the Orioles to just two runs and eight hits in 6.2 innings. Pettitte gave the Yankees exactly what they needed- a solid, quality start that saved the bullpen from strenuous work. With the win, Pettitte is now 5-5 on the year with a 4.11 ERA. Considering that he is historically a second-half pitcher, Pettitte is going to end up with a fine season when all is said and done. Joba Chamberlain pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts. Because his pitch count was not high enough, he threw several dozen pitches in the bullpen after the game, finalizing his eventual transition into the rotation. Mariano Rivera pitched a solid ninth for his 13th save of the year, and his ERA now stands at 0.39.
Final Notes:
- Andy Pettitte is now 24-6 in his career against Baltimore. He is 15-4 at Camden Yards. No visiting pitcher has more wins.
- Joba Chamberlain threw 28 pitches in what could be his final relief appearance for a long time.
- In the 17-year history of Camden Yards, 42 home runs have landed on Eutaw Street. Giambi has hit three of the last five, including one last night and one tonight.
- Over his last seven games, Hideki Matsui is 14-for-27 with twelve runs and five multi-hit games. Can you say Hit-deki?
- Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez combined to go 3-for-23 in the series. Let's hope it goes better for them up in Minnesota.
Via yankees.com: Fans can now choose up to 5 games for an upcoming Yankees DVD to celebrate the best games in Yankee Stadium (since 1970).
If you can, check it out, it is pretty neat. They have video clips from the games and it's definitely interesting to look back on some of the greatest moments in Yankee Stadium.
As for me, I chose:
1977 World Series, Game 6
1996 World Series, Game 6
July 18th, 1999- David Cone's Perfect Game
2001 World Series, Game 5
2003 ALCS, Game 7
After taking five of six from Baltimore and Seattle, the Yankees are back to their losing ways, as they have now lost the first two games to the Orioles at Camden Yards. The games have not been pretty at all- the first one, the Yankees lost 6-1 after a solid performance from Darrell Rasner and a poor showing by the bullpen. Last night, they lost 10-9 after a poor performance by Ian Kennedy, Ross Ohlendorf, and LaTroy Hawkins. The only reason the Yankees managed to stay in the game was because of the offense and good pitching from Edwar Ramirez, Kyle Farnsworth, and Mariano Rivera.
Plain and simple, the Yankees, now at 25-27, are not having a good season. Am I worried? No. But their inability to stay consistent over several weeks at a time is certainly troubling, and the plethora of injuries that have emerged isn't a good sign, either. In fact, after the game last night, Ian Kennedy was placed on the 15-day DL. With Kennedy out, Joba might be in, so at least there is some good news on the horizon.
Hopefully the Yankees will salvage the final game of the series and play well over the weekend against Minnesota. They were in a much worse state last year at this time (21-29 on May 29th), but they had to win nearly two-thirds of their games down the stretch to win the wild card. With the A.L. East as strong as it is this year, the Yankees need to rebound quickly so there is less pressure down the stretch.
Joba Chamberlain's tenure as a Yankee relief pitcher will most likely come to an end after one more appearance, according to Newsday.
Chamberlain is expected to throw roughly 55 pitches in his next relief outing, and afterwards, he will finally make the transition into the starting rotation.
As Yankee fans, we've had the pleasure over the last year or so to view Joba's greatness out of the pen. But who knows- perhaps we may be seeing him in a relief outing for the final time.
Last Sunday, the Mets did something that's only been done once before in baseball history.
At Coors Field, they held the Rockies to three hits (or less) in the game and lost.
The last and only time this had been done was in 1999, when the Atlanta Braves held the Rockies to three hits and lost, 4-1.
