The 1-1 split in the Bronx means these two teams will play a 3 game series in Philadelphia.
If either team sweeps, they will win the World Series. But I think a sweep by either team is unlikely and a bit unrealistic. More likely, over the 3 games one team will win 2.
So both teams have the same realistic goal: take 2 of 3 in Philly so that you have 2 shots in the Bronx to win the whole thing. Lose 2 of three, and you're in deep trouble.
So here are the pitching matchups for the crucial 3-game mini-series in Philly:
Game 3: Pettitte vs. Hamels
Game 4: Sebathia vs. Blanton
Game 5: Burnett vs. Lee
Obviously, the Sebathia vs. Blanton matchup seems to be the most winnable. Chalk that one up for the Yankees unless Sebathia gets tired and/or the Yankees' unfamiliarity with Blanton makes it difficult for them to guess right. In that case, anything can happen.
And in game 5, the Yankees would need Burnett to be just as good, and maybe better than he was in game 2. That's probably not realistic, though Burnett has surprised people before. Lee, on the other hand, has the Yankees wrapped around his finger. I think the Yankees will be better against him (it would be hard for the Yankees to perform worse against Lee, so that's not exactly a bold prediction) but they may need to be much better against him, especially if Burnett is not at his best. The smart money, as much as I hate to say it, is probably on the Phillies in this one.
That brings us to the crucial game 3, probably the pivotal game. If things work out in practice like they seem to foreshadow on paper (CC winning game 4 and Lee winning game 5), then game 3 is the key. Andy Pettitte vs. Cole Hamels. Pettitte knows how to pitch in the postseason, and he's well rested. Hamels was the MVP of last years world series, but I think his youth and opponents' unfamiliarity with him contributed to his success (remember Jared Wright in 1997?). Hamels has had an up and down year and a mixed postseason in 2009, which indicates that opponents have been putting the readily available information about his style, pitch selection, and his other strategies to good use. If he's the real deal, he'll put in a quality start against the Yankees. If not, the Yankees will exploit his weaknesses, take him down, ride CC in game 4 and most likely return to the Bronx for game 6 with a 3-2 lead. Let's see what Mr. Hamels is made of.
Edit Nov. 2 2009: Here's Hamels' performance.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Posada and Matsui
Yeah. In my first game post of the season I wrote that the guys on this team who I still admire as true Yankee champions were Posada, Jeter, and Matsui. Here's what I said after the first loss in the first game of the season.
In a high-profile game like this, one can expect the experienced, championship caliber Yankee players to perform at their best, and they didn't disappoint. Jeter was 3-5 and Matsui and Posada homered. Though the Yankees lost in dispiriting fashion, the guys we can rely on, Jeter, Matsui, and Posada, will always play inspirational baseball when they're needed most. And that's the primary reason I still think the Yankees are worth watching.
Here's the link to that first post.
Of course, I wrote that at the beginning of the season. Since then, a lot of guys have emerged as ballplayers worthy of the pinstripes. More on that later.
On to Philly. The Yankees have a job to do, and that job is to take 2 of 3 from the Phillies in Philadelphia. Just two out of three. Win the miniseries, and they'll have two shots in the Bronx to close out their 27th World Series Championship.
In a high-profile game like this, one can expect the experienced, championship caliber Yankee players to perform at their best, and they didn't disappoint. Jeter was 3-5 and Matsui and Posada homered. Though the Yankees lost in dispiriting fashion, the guys we can rely on, Jeter, Matsui, and Posada, will always play inspirational baseball when they're needed most. And that's the primary reason I still think the Yankees are worth watching.
Here's the link to that first post.
Of course, I wrote that at the beginning of the season. Since then, a lot of guys have emerged as ballplayers worthy of the pinstripes. More on that later.
On to Philly. The Yankees have a job to do, and that job is to take 2 of 3 from the Phillies in Philadelphia. Just two out of three. Win the miniseries, and they'll have two shots in the Bronx to close out their 27th World Series Championship.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
AJ the Yankee (Yanks 3, Phillies 1. World Series Tied 1-1)
.jpg)
.jpg)
AJ Burnett became a Yankee today.
What a wonderful performance. What a spectacular night in Yankee land. What a game what a team these Yankees are.
The Champs made their statement in game one. The Yankees were shut down by Cliff Lee, and Sabathia, our ace, was defeated. The bullpen was battered. The final score was lopsided. And the Yankees found themselves immediately down 0-1 against a Phillies team whose players had been telling anyone who would listen how easily they would defeat the Yankees. "6 games if we're nice", Rollins had said. And so the Yankees entered game 2 in a hole, with AJ the headcase taking the mound against perhaps the Yankees' greatest nemesis of the 21st century so far, Pedro Martinez.
But AJ delivered. We'd been worrying about him. For every 3 or 4 innings of brilliance, he kept having that one disastrous inning where everything would seem to fall apart. And any fan who had been watching the Yankees all year knew that it was all in his head. All of it.
What a wonderful performance. What a spectacular night in Yankee land. What a game what a team these Yankees are.
The Champs made their statement in game one. The Yankees were shut down by Cliff Lee, and Sabathia, our ace, was defeated. The bullpen was battered. The final score was lopsided. And the Yankees found themselves immediately down 0-1 against a Phillies team whose players had been telling anyone who would listen how easily they would defeat the Yankees. "6 games if we're nice", Rollins had said. And so the Yankees entered game 2 in a hole, with AJ the headcase taking the mound against perhaps the Yankees' greatest nemesis of the 21st century so far, Pedro Martinez.
But AJ delivered. We'd been worrying about him. For every 3 or 4 innings of brilliance, he kept having that one disastrous inning where everything would seem to fall apart. And any fan who had been watching the Yankees all year knew that it was all in his head. All of it.
And yet, there has always been something about AJ that gives you confidence. Maybe it's his quiet, thoughtful demeanor in the locker room. Or the fun he has with his teammates, throwing pies and running kangaroo courts, and the like. Maybe it's the tattoos, or that fighter's spirit we see in him. The fearless badass we know is there, ready to go out and kick some ass on baseball's biggest stage. Here's what I said about AJ a month ago after one of his mystifying starts, this one against the lowly Orioles:
Games like this make fans wonder about the postseason. CC is rolling right now, and Pettitte is a pretty reliable postseason guy. Lemme tell you, though...it doesn't matter how good our starters are. If someone gets rocked more than once in a postseason series the Yankees can kiss the World Series and the championship goodbye. Getting bombed like AJ got bombed today means no ring. Period.
Here's my feeling. Some guys step up in the postseason and win championships. Others implode. There's no way to tell for sure to which group Mr. Burnett belongs. But if I had to guess, I'd say AJ belongs to the former group. In other words, I think his mental makeup is suited towards postseason pressure and big games.
I think he'll come through when it matters most. Just my opinion, and I'm going to stick by it. Remember I said it!
Here's my feeling. Some guys step up in the postseason and win championships. Others implode. There's no way to tell for sure to which group Mr. Burnett belongs. But if I had to guess, I'd say AJ belongs to the former group. In other words, I think his mental makeup is suited towards postseason pressure and big games.
I think he'll come through when it matters most. Just my opinion, and I'm going to stick by it. Remember I said it!
And Burnett was absolutely electrifying. By the end the fans were jumping up and down and hugging each other after every out, even in the 6th and 7th innings. I was telling my girlfriend about it and it just brought tears to my eyes thinking about how he came through. He fooled the Phillies time and time again, with hard breaking balls and monster fastballs and everything in between. He was the AJ we always knew he could be, and he emerged just when we needed him most. In fact, by the end John Sterling said that, quite simply, it was AJ's best pitched game of the season. You know, I just watched that video three times in a row, and it gets better with each viewing. He just got so relaxed by the end, like it got easy for him. What a pitcher. What a Yankee.
So on one side we had AJ Burnett, overcoming his demons and officially earning his pinstripes, in a performance that will go down as one of the most memorable, most inspiring, most emotional performances of the Yankees' storied history.
And on the other side we had Pedro the villain. And boy does he love that role. For the first few innings he silenced the Yankee bats while the Phillies jumped out to an early and wholly undeserved lead, thanks to a bloop double and an error on A-Rod. It was 12 innings in a row of total defeat for the Yankee lineup, now at the hands of their most monstrous foe.
But suddenly, with one glorious swing of the bat, Mark Teixeira brought us back to Yankeeland. Here's the Tex message.
Matsui followed. Matsui's home run took the lead for the Yankees. It was a brilliant flick, in which he bend forwards and stuck out his bat almost along the dirt to lift the home run over the right field wall.
Here's Ducquette on the Yankees' home runs off of Pedro Martinez. Taken together the home runs were just tremendous. Historic. How many adjectives are there? I don't know. But each home run deserves it's own post, and that's what they're going to get.
The game unfolded as AJ, with momentum on his side and the city of New York behind him, mowed down the Phillies with flair and drama that captured the imagination of all who witnessed it.
And when he was done, Girardi gave the Phillies nothing, not even one shot at our bullpen. He brought Mariano in for the final 6 outs. A lot has been said about Girardi's managerial decisions, like sitting Swisher and starting Molina, and bringing in Mo early. And they all paid off in Yankee glory last night.
Let's see the final out one more time. There's just something about Mariano's quiet walk toward the plate after the last out, that inexorable stroll that just says, "Yes, we won this game, and let's shake hands. But there's more work to be done. So let's go home, get some rest, come back tomorrow and continue what we've started today. The journey isn't over. It's just beginning."
Yes it is. It's just the beginning. And for A.J. Burnett, it's his beginning as a Yankee. Welcome to New York.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Cliff Lee Show (Phillies 6, Yanks 1. Phillies lead World Series 1-0)
That wasn't how the Yankees wanted to start the World Series, I think.
The powerful Yankee lineup was carved up by Cliff Lee today. 1 run, 6 hits in 9 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts. A-Rod struck out 3 times, Tex struck out twice and was 0 for 4.
The only Yankees who came to play were Matsui, Posada, and, of course, Derek Jeter, who had 3 hits. At the beginning of the season I said that these three were the ones to watch, and that the rest would have to prove themselves. Aside from CC's excellent postseason performance, and A-Rod's emergence, I've been right, as usual. A-Rod's 4 horrendous at bats were a vivid reminder of his last 5 years of postseason choking.
Only Roy Halladay has done anything like this to the Yankees this year. But it happened tonight, in game 1 of the World Series. Go figure.
All in all it was a sorry performance by the Yankee bats and by Phil Hughes, who let the game get away in the 8th inning. Until he gets control of his fastball he can no longer be relied upon in big spots. He needs to be on the bench, and the Yankees need to bring in their REAL 8th inning guy next time: Joba Chamberlain.
When you lose a game 1 it always feels like you're going to lose the whole series. And that feeling is even worse when the team also loses game 2. But do not despair, Yankee fans. This is only the first chapter of what promises to be an epic World Series story.
The powerful Yankee lineup was carved up by Cliff Lee today. 1 run, 6 hits in 9 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts. A-Rod struck out 3 times, Tex struck out twice and was 0 for 4.
The only Yankees who came to play were Matsui, Posada, and, of course, Derek Jeter, who had 3 hits. At the beginning of the season I said that these three were the ones to watch, and that the rest would have to prove themselves. Aside from CC's excellent postseason performance, and A-Rod's emergence, I've been right, as usual. A-Rod's 4 horrendous at bats were a vivid reminder of his last 5 years of postseason choking.
Only Roy Halladay has done anything like this to the Yankees this year. But it happened tonight, in game 1 of the World Series. Go figure.
All in all it was a sorry performance by the Yankee bats and by Phil Hughes, who let the game get away in the 8th inning. Until he gets control of his fastball he can no longer be relied upon in big spots. He needs to be on the bench, and the Yankees need to bring in their REAL 8th inning guy next time: Joba Chamberlain.
When you lose a game 1 it always feels like you're going to lose the whole series. And that feeling is even worse when the team also loses game 2. But do not despair, Yankee fans. This is only the first chapter of what promises to be an epic World Series story.
The Yankees and the Phillies
I weighed in on who I thought would win about 3 weeks ago when the playoffs began. Yes, I have predicted the entire MLB postseason perfectly (so far), and I disagree with Jimmy Rollins and believe the Yankees will win in 6 games, but of course I'm not that confident, because anything can happen in baseball, especially when two teams are so evenly matched.
There are plenty of good reasons to pick either team. Let's go with the Phillies first.
The Phillies have a deep lineup of 6 guys who can hit for average and power. They can take pitches, steal bases, and perform in the clutch. They'll wear down most pitchers and force a pitching change before the 8th inning almost every time (often before the 7th inning). They're young, have something to prove, and are in their primes. They're led by Charlie Manuel, whose hitting coaching experience has surely helped the Phillies get to where they are today.
The Phillies also have great starting pitching. The 1-2-3 punch of Lee, Martinez, and Hamels is as good as you're going to see in the playoffs. These guys are capable of putting quality starts together against any lineup at any time, and that includes the Yankees.
What the Phillies don't have is a great bullpen. They do not have shut-down, blow-em-away guys as a bridge to Brad Lidge. And even Lidge has been vulnerable this year. Even though he's been good in the postseason so far, Lidge blew 11 saves this year, one of them coming against the Yankees.
On the Yankees side, their lineup has the same amount of power. They're a little older and therefore more suseptible to fatigue as the series wears on. But they're extremely skilled and experienced hitters. They hit for power, average, and they take pitches. They're not quite as quick on the bases but they're not exclusively a station-to-station team either. They have confidence and they're very, very hit right now, as A-Rod has emerged from his half-decade long postseason slump in electrifying fashion. You can never count this Yankee line-up out, and over the course of a series the Phillies will need their pitchers at their very best to contain them.
As for the Yankee pitching, CC, AJ, and Pettitte might be asked to pitch all the games, as a 3 man rotation. All three are capable of shutting opponents down or thoroughly containing them, and only one of them, Mr. Burnett, is a likely candidate for melting down. Hey, maybe AJ will find himself in this World Series, and become the mentally tough champion we know he can be. There's always hope.
In the bullpen the Yankees have Mariano and three guys who have the ability to and experience of completely blowing people away in the 7th and 8th innings. Those guys are Joba, Hughes, and Bruney (if he makes the roster).
In the end, I believe this series will come down to the Yankee offense in the late innings, and the ability of Hughes and Chamberlain (and maybe Robertson or even Bruney) to provide that vital bridge to Mariano. The Yankees will almost certainly have to come back to win at least one of the 4 games needed to reclaim baseball's throne. They'll need to defeat Phillies' bullpen, the only weakness in an otherwise extremely dangerous championship ballclub. And Hughes and Chamberlain will have to execute in the late innings. If the Yankees fail in these departments, they will lose, and the Phillies will have repeated as world champions and sent reverberations through the baseball universe that they are a dynasty to be compared with the greatest teams in baseball history. But if the Yankees succeed, they will have ousted the Phillies, reclaimed the throne, and brought glory back to New York baseball. If they play Yankee baseball, as we know they can when they're at their best, then the clouds will part and the sun will shine through once again, as brightly as ever, on our dear Yankeeland.
Let's play ball. We can do this.
There are plenty of good reasons to pick either team. Let's go with the Phillies first.
The Phillies have a deep lineup of 6 guys who can hit for average and power. They can take pitches, steal bases, and perform in the clutch. They'll wear down most pitchers and force a pitching change before the 8th inning almost every time (often before the 7th inning). They're young, have something to prove, and are in their primes. They're led by Charlie Manuel, whose hitting coaching experience has surely helped the Phillies get to where they are today.
The Phillies also have great starting pitching. The 1-2-3 punch of Lee, Martinez, and Hamels is as good as you're going to see in the playoffs. These guys are capable of putting quality starts together against any lineup at any time, and that includes the Yankees.
What the Phillies don't have is a great bullpen. They do not have shut-down, blow-em-away guys as a bridge to Brad Lidge. And even Lidge has been vulnerable this year. Even though he's been good in the postseason so far, Lidge blew 11 saves this year, one of them coming against the Yankees.
On the Yankees side, their lineup has the same amount of power. They're a little older and therefore more suseptible to fatigue as the series wears on. But they're extremely skilled and experienced hitters. They hit for power, average, and they take pitches. They're not quite as quick on the bases but they're not exclusively a station-to-station team either. They have confidence and they're very, very hit right now, as A-Rod has emerged from his half-decade long postseason slump in electrifying fashion. You can never count this Yankee line-up out, and over the course of a series the Phillies will need their pitchers at their very best to contain them.
As for the Yankee pitching, CC, AJ, and Pettitte might be asked to pitch all the games, as a 3 man rotation. All three are capable of shutting opponents down or thoroughly containing them, and only one of them, Mr. Burnett, is a likely candidate for melting down. Hey, maybe AJ will find himself in this World Series, and become the mentally tough champion we know he can be. There's always hope.
In the bullpen the Yankees have Mariano and three guys who have the ability to and experience of completely blowing people away in the 7th and 8th innings. Those guys are Joba, Hughes, and Bruney (if he makes the roster).
In the end, I believe this series will come down to the Yankee offense in the late innings, and the ability of Hughes and Chamberlain (and maybe Robertson or even Bruney) to provide that vital bridge to Mariano. The Yankees will almost certainly have to come back to win at least one of the 4 games needed to reclaim baseball's throne. They'll need to defeat Phillies' bullpen, the only weakness in an otherwise extremely dangerous championship ballclub. And Hughes and Chamberlain will have to execute in the late innings. If the Yankees fail in these departments, they will lose, and the Phillies will have repeated as world champions and sent reverberations through the baseball universe that they are a dynasty to be compared with the greatest teams in baseball history. But if the Yankees succeed, they will have ousted the Phillies, reclaimed the throne, and brought glory back to New York baseball. If they play Yankee baseball, as we know they can when they're at their best, then the clouds will part and the sun will shine through once again, as brightly as ever, on our dear Yankeeland.
Let's play ball. We can do this.
CC the MVP
Sorry, CC. It looks like I was wrong about you. You pitched poorly in our first game, and I called you the A-Rod of pitchers for your high salary and low performance standard in big games. And I was wrong.
Look at you now. You're the MVP of the 2009 ALCS. Congratulations, and may this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Put on those pinstripes, Yankee!
Look at you now. You're the MVP of the 2009 ALCS. Congratulations, and may this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Put on those pinstripes, Yankee!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Yankees Win the Pennant!!! (Yanks 5, Angels 2. Yankees win ALCS 4-2)
American League Champions again! Let the campaign flow!!! Start spreading the news!!!
The Yankees ousted the Angels, taking the American League Championship Series in 6 games, with the clincher coming in the Bronx.
It was a glorious affair. Needled by the Angels for much of the last 8 years, the Yankees, for the first time, had the opportunity to put them in their place in a 7 game showdown for the right to go to the World Series. Having done baseball a favor by sweeping the Red Sox, the Angels had firmly established themselves at the top rival to the Yankees. And so the Yankees rose to the challenge and proved once and for all (for this year, at least) that the Yankees run this town, and L.A. too.
As expected, Pettitte was the key. Though the Angels threatened from time to time, old Andy Pettitte, the workhorse, the postseason menace, beat back the Angel attack when it mattered most.
At the plate, the Yankee ground down Joe Saunders and then clobbered him. Once again the analysis by the expert at MLB.com was right on point, but I can say that the Yankees took it to him, and, led by A-Rod's perfect night, took it to him until he finally broke down and they broke through, the most important hit being Damon's 2 run single with the bases loaded.
Throughout the game, as in games 1 and 2, the Angels looked nervous, shaken and uneasy at the sight of the Bronx and the glittering new cathedral of baseball with bunting all around, and maybe most of all, of the pinstripes, the bright white and dark striped uniforms, with that NY insignia shining under the lights, bringing the mystique and aura of invincibility that only the Yankees can conjure. The Angels just weren't ready. They knew their time had come.
I should mention Jeff Mathis, whose Lemke-like performance was memorable and inspiring. He was spectacular throughout the series, hitting .583 with 5 doubles. What made it so amazing was that he's a .200 lifetime hitter who absolutely took it to a great Yankee pitching staff. Had the Angels capitalized on his effort by driving him in or getting on base more often in front of him, he's be the series MVP and a true baseball hero.
Anyway, enough about Mathis and the Angels. The Yankees headed to the 8th up 3-1. They would pad that lead in the bottom of the 8th, putting the game away with 2 insurance runs with no hits because Scott Kazmir couldn't throw to first. A fitting end to this year's installment of the Yankee-Kazimr rivalry that always seems to have a fresh twist.
Mariano Rivera's final 6 outs were a formality. Though he gave up a run, Mariano put the Angels to sleep and vaulted the Bombers into the world series. Here we come, Philadelphia. You'd better be ready.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
...or not.
Game 6 has been postponed until Sunday. And game 7, if it's necessary, will be played on Monday.
Here in Taiwan this schedule works OK for me, although I now won't be able to watch the games with my girlfriend. Unless the Yankees reach the World Series.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The importance of game 6
One of the key reasons that winning game 6 is so important for the Yankees:
If they win, CC Sabathia won't have to start game 7 in the ALCS. That will mean that Sabathia will be available potentially to start 3 World Series games; game 1, game 4 four days later, and game 7, 4 days after that.
If the Yankees lose game 6 of this ALCS, Sabathia will need to start game 7, which will be on a normal 4 days of rest. That means Sabathia will only have the opportunity to pitch in two World Series games. Those probably would be games 3 and 7 but possibly games 2 and 6, depending on how Girardi wants to do things.
Here's a link to the postseason schedule. But I can simplify it by saying:
Win game 6, and the Yankees will be fully rested with all pitching options available for the World Series. Lose game 6 and the Yankees will need to make compromises that will limit their options against the Phillies. That is, if they make it to Philadelphia at all.
If they win, CC Sabathia won't have to start game 7 in the ALCS. That will mean that Sabathia will be available potentially to start 3 World Series games; game 1, game 4 four days later, and game 7, 4 days after that.
If the Yankees lose game 6 of this ALCS, Sabathia will need to start game 7, which will be on a normal 4 days of rest. That means Sabathia will only have the opportunity to pitch in two World Series games. Those probably would be games 3 and 7 but possibly games 2 and 6, depending on how Girardi wants to do things.
Here's a link to the postseason schedule. But I can simplify it by saying:
Win game 6, and the Yankees will be fully rested with all pitching options available for the World Series. Lose game 6 and the Yankees will need to make compromises that will limit their options against the Phillies. That is, if they make it to Philadelphia at all.
Let's go back to the Bronx (Angels 7, Yanks 6. Yankees lead ALCS 3-2)
Take a deep breath, folks.
We're going back to the Bronx. We all knew this was going to be an extremely volatile series, with massive swings, runs scored in bunches, and defiance after defiance of predictions. We all knew it would be a war. So that's what we got. A war.
A.J. Burnett finally imploded in the postseason, and he made it extra memorable because he managed to implode twice in one game. To begin the day he gave up 4 runs on his first 13 pitches. That's not a "struggle to warm up" or "a slip" or whatever catchphrase you want to use to absolve someone of responsibility. It was A.J. having emotional problems on the mound, that's all it was.
Once he'd "settled down" (aka relieved himself of having to pitch under pressure by tanking immediately and totally, thus lowering expectations and relaxing him), he pitched 5 brilliant innings (6 if you count the 1st inning after the initial meltdown).
Of course, the Yankees came roaring back on a bases clearing double by Teixeira and a big hit by Cano. But A.J. responded to the pressure of having to keep a small lead by melting down again, as the Angels immediately came back to take a 7-6 lead, one that the Yankees could not overcome with 6 outs left, even though the final out was made on a 3-2 pitch to Nick Swisher with the bases loaded.
So it goes. So the journey continues. So we play another, and this one is huge. That's because if the Yankees don't win, in game 7 they'll probably have to start Sabathia, which would make it certain that Sabathia would only be able to pitch two World Series games. It would also give the Yankees minimal rest before the championship.
But that's baseball. After taking the first 2 at Yankee Stadium, and given the way the Angels are extremely tough at home, the goal should have been to get at least one in Anaheim, and that's what the Yankees did. Just one win for the Bombers in Anaheim means that the Angels need to come back to the Bronx in a 3-2 hole against a healthy, deadly Yankee team.
Let's go Yankees.
We're going back to the Bronx. We all knew this was going to be an extremely volatile series, with massive swings, runs scored in bunches, and defiance after defiance of predictions. We all knew it would be a war. So that's what we got. A war.
A.J. Burnett finally imploded in the postseason, and he made it extra memorable because he managed to implode twice in one game. To begin the day he gave up 4 runs on his first 13 pitches. That's not a "struggle to warm up" or "a slip" or whatever catchphrase you want to use to absolve someone of responsibility. It was A.J. having emotional problems on the mound, that's all it was.
Once he'd "settled down" (aka relieved himself of having to pitch under pressure by tanking immediately and totally, thus lowering expectations and relaxing him), he pitched 5 brilliant innings (6 if you count the 1st inning after the initial meltdown).
Of course, the Yankees came roaring back on a bases clearing double by Teixeira and a big hit by Cano. But A.J. responded to the pressure of having to keep a small lead by melting down again, as the Angels immediately came back to take a 7-6 lead, one that the Yankees could not overcome with 6 outs left, even though the final out was made on a 3-2 pitch to Nick Swisher with the bases loaded.
So it goes. So the journey continues. So we play another, and this one is huge. That's because if the Yankees don't win, in game 7 they'll probably have to start Sabathia, which would make it certain that Sabathia would only be able to pitch two World Series games. It would also give the Yankees minimal rest before the championship.
But that's baseball. After taking the first 2 at Yankee Stadium, and given the way the Angels are extremely tough at home, the goal should have been to get at least one in Anaheim, and that's what the Yankees did. Just one win for the Bombers in Anaheim means that the Angels need to come back to the Bronx in a 3-2 hole against a healthy, deadly Yankee team.
Let's go Yankees.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod and Ryan Howard have both, at the same time, tied Lou Gehrig for the longest postseason streak with an RBI (at 8 games).
Funny thing is, they might still be on those streaks next week, when they will probably face each other in the World Series.
Video here.
Funny thing is, they might still be on those streaks next week, when they will probably face each other in the World Series.
Video here.
Jeorgie the Junkie?
Can anyone confirm that Jorge Posada is on mood-altering chemicals?
It's either that, or maybe administering good, old-fashioned Yankee thrashings can render you dazed and confused.
It's either that, or maybe administering good, old-fashioned Yankee thrashings can render you dazed and confused.
Angel heart
I just want to mention that these Angels really do have heart. They are extremely tough, and right now, even with the Yankees in a nearly indomitable 3-1 advantage, I still wouldn't be all that surprised if the Angels won the next 3 to upset the Yankees and win themselves the pennant.
The reason is that these guys have real heart, amazing intensity, and every one of those guys in that lineup is going to perform at his best when it matters most. You could see it when they got behind and started their comeback, their focus increasing and intensity level rising. Problem for them was, the Yankees matched it.
So I give these guys a lot of respect. Now let's see the Yankees kick their asses and send them home.
The Yankee Response (Yanks 10, Angels 1. Yankees lead ALCS 3-1)
After the dreadful, agonizing loss yesterday, there were a lot a hanging heads, slumping shoulders, and fingers pointed in Girardi's direction for taking Robertson out with two out and nobody on.
But this is baseball. It's just one game, and the Angels need 3 more. There's another game to be played the next day.
And OH did the Yankees play that game!
CC started on 3 days rest and took over the game for 8 innings of nearly flawless pitching.
The lineup came in with something to prove, and OH did they prove it. Let's go to the videotape!
First CC. It seemed like it got easier for him as the game went along. It didn't matter what the Angels did, they didn't appear to have a chance. Utterly shut down inning after inning. The big man was in the house, and he made sure that, for today, it was his house. Here's Duquette's analysis.
On the other side of the ball, the Yankee bats were itching to get swinging at Kazmir. Why was he only the 4th starter for the Angels? Well because Scoscia knew the Yankees were probably going to do stuff like this! And this (the gamebreaker from Melky).
Of course, the Angels, for a bit, reminded the Yankees that they were in Anaheim, in one of the hardest places to play in all of American sports. They set off a lot of fireworks, the smoke from which lingers over the field and settles, filling the air with the sights, sounds, and even smells of Angel intimidation. But all of those LA theatrics was no match for CC, as the big man righted the ship and put the Yankees on course for a victory.
All the while, we were seeing some pretty bizarre stuff from the umpires. One moment they're calling Swisher out when replays show he's out by 6 inches. Then, in what looks to basketball fans like a makeup call, another umpire calls Swisher out for leaving third too soon on a tag, even though that umpire wasn't actually looking at Swisher. Then when Cano was standing off of third base he called him safe while a tag was being applied. Here are the 2 plays (Swisher 1, Swisher 2, the makeup call Posada and Cano), the analysis, and the explanations.
Didn't faze the Yankees, though. They ripped right through the Angels pitching all night long, responding emphatically with this A-Bomb and this shot from Damon, not to mention Melky's continued redemption from a dreadful performance in game 3 and with CC taking care of business when he needed to, the Yankees were able to rest their bullpen, bring in Gaudin, and put themselves one win from the pennant.
So you know what? On Friday I want to see the Yankees win the pennant. Yeah right now. In LA, with the Rally Monkey out. Win it right now and shut those Californians up with a brand new proposition, called Proposition 40: for 40 Yankee American League Pennants.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
