The Yankees and Orioles were originally scheduled to play the game being made up tonight at Camden Yards on Wednesday June 29. Instead, the game was washed away by rain, which seemed very similar to what was happening to the Yankees’ season at the time. The night before, Joe Torre had brought Mike Stanton in to pitch the bottom of the tenth inning against the top of the Orioles’ order despite not yet having used Mariano Rivera in the game (Rivera had thrown just two innings over the previous week). Brian Roberts crushed Stanton’s first pitch into the left field stands to give the Orioles a 4-3 win and drop the Yankees’ June record to 12-14.
During the two days of inactivity that followed (the first due to the rain-out, the second a travel day as the team headed to Detroit to start a weekend series against the Tigers), the Yankees designated relievers Mike Stanton and Paul Quantrill for assignment. When they returned to action on Friday night in Detroit, the Tigers and their 22-year-old ace Jeremy Bonderman handed the Yankees and their 41-year-old putative ace Randy Johnson a 10-2 loss that dropped the New Yorkers’ overall record to 39-39. After stumbling out of the gate with an 11-19 (.367) record, the Yankees appeared to have righted their ship in May with a ten-game winning streak, but by the time Tino Martinez grounded out to Bonderman to complete that July 1 loss in Detroit, most of the optimism that streak had brought had dissipated.
Since then, however, the Yankees have gone 52-25 (.675), and now, with exactly one week left in the regular season, find themselves tied with the Boston Red Sox for first in the American League East with the opportunity to tie the idle Indians for the Wild Card lead with a win tonight. It’s been an absolutely stunning turn around, and now, with just seven games left in the season, it’s time for the payoff.
At this point the final three games between the Yankees and Red Sox in Boston are all but guaranteed to mean something. While the Yankees play four games against the Orioles in Baltimore between now and Thursday, the Red Sox and Blue Jays will play four in Fenway. Even if one team collapses and falls three games behind the other by Friday, that club will still have the opportunity to tie for the division lead with a weekend sweep. More likely, the two teams will enter Friday night’s contest separated by no more than a single game.
That said, just about anything could happen this week. The Blue Jays, who have been right around .500 all year, have been playing much better baseball than the Orioles over the past few weeks, losing two of three at home to the Yankees two weekends ago, but only being outscored by just a single run, then outscoring the Mariners by a lone run during a four-game split last week before playing the Yankees hard in another three-game series loss this past weekend, winning the second game 7-4 and holding a lead in the seventh inning of the series finale yesterday.
The Orioles, meanwhile, have lost their last eight games and ten of their last eleven, including a four-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the Bronx last week. Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Brian Roberts will not play again this season for a variety of reasons all of which involve injury and the team has gone 20-43 (.317) since July 18.
To that end, the Yankees would appear to have the advantage over the next four days. Still, just because the Blue Jays are better than the Orioles, doesn’t mean the Red Sox are any less capable of sweeping them, particularly in Boston, where the Red Sox have posted a frightening 50-24 (.676) record thus far this season (note the similarity to the Yankees overall record since July 1–could these teams be more evenly matched?). The good news is that the Jays are 9-5 against the Red Sox thus far this season, including a 3-2 record in Fenway. Equally encouraging is the fact that the Orioles have been as bad at home as on the road this year (35-42 in Baltimore, 35-43 elsewhere), and, while the Yankees are just two games over .500 on the road this season, they are 7-2 in their last three road series (against the Jays, Rays and A’s).
Of course all these numbers and records mean very little in a sport with as much day-to-day volatility as baseball. That’s why they play ’em, and that’s why my stomach is twisting in knots as I write these ostensibly encouraging words. Tonight, Randy Johnson makes his penultimate start of the regular season, the final game being a doomsday match-up with Curt Schilling on FOX this Saturday. His opponent is Rodrigo Lopez, who made the Big Unit earn his pay last week, despite getting beat around by the Yanks in two of three previous starts on the year.
Baltimore Orioles
Manager: Sam Perlozzo
General Manager: Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan
Ballpark (2004 park factors): Oriole Park at Camden Yards (104/103)
Current Roster:
1B – Alejandro Freire (R)/Walter Young (L)
2B – Bernie Castro
SS – Miguel Tejada
3B – Melvin Mora
C – Geronimo Gil
RF – Jay Gibbons
CF – Luis Matos
LF – Eric Byrnes (R)/B.J. Surhoff (L)
DH – Javy Lopez
Bench:
L – David Newhan (CF/UT)
R – Chris Gomez (1B/IF)
R – Sal Fasano (C)
R – Eli Whiteside (C)
R – Ed Rogers (IF)
S – Brian Roberts (2B)*
L – Rafael Palmeiro (1B)*
*out for the year
Rotation:
R – Rodrigo Lopez
L – Bruce Chen
R – Daniel Cabrera
R – John Maine
L – Erik Bedard
Bullpen:
L – B.J. Ryan
R – Todd Williams
R – Jorge Julio
L – Steve Kline
L – Tim Byrdak
R – Chris Ray
R – Jason Grimsley
R – James Baldwin
L – Eric DuBose
R – Aaron Rakers
DL:
R – Sammy Sosa (OF)
R – Kurt Ainsworth (60-day)
L – Val Majewski (OF) (60-day)
R – Eli Marrero (OF) (60-day)
L – John Parrish (60-day)
Typical Line-up
S – Bernie Castro (2B)
R – Melvin Mora (3B)
R – Miguel Tejada (SS)
L – Jay Gibbons (1B)
R – Javy Lopez (DH)
R – Alejandro Friere (1B)/L – B.J. Surhoff (LF)
R – Eric Byrnes (LF)/L – Walter Young (1B)
R – Luis Matos (CF)
R – Geronimo Gil (C)
1. I haven't been this nervous since I was waiting for the test results to come back.
2. Alex,
If you check the Orioles record, if you can find such splits, you'll note that their road record, as of June 1, was much stronger than their home. Since that time, they've been awful on the road and simply bad at home
On the road last week, the Birds lost four straight to the Yankees, by a total of six runs. Two of their three losses to the Sox over the weekend were battles.
Neither the Orioles or the Jays appear to have quit. While I fully expect that both they Yanks and Sox will win three games before their head to head, I can see where either or both series could be split.
Tonight's game, with Unit vs. Lopez should be a gimme for the visitors.
The Jays have played the Sox tough, the two main culprits being Reed Johnson and Orlando Hudson, who turns into Ty Cobb when playing Boston. Hudson's absence this week is huge for the Sox.
Just went to the stats:
Johnson .387/.871/1.312, 3 hr, 15 rbi
Hudson .326/.435/.761 0 hr, 7 rbi, 10 r in 11 games
OK, so Hudson doesn't turn into Ty Cobb, but he does turn into Charlie Gehringer.
3. With the lineup the Orioles are running out for this series, is there any reason to pitch to Tejada, Gibbons or J Lopez? There is no excuse to let these guys beat you when the rest of the lineup is mostly dead weight.
4. Thank you Joe!
Torre named Small the starter for Thursday. Of course a rain out today could muck everything up.
5. As a side note, with 8 SOs tonight RJ moves into the top 10 SO seasons in Yankee history.
6. Ack. Are we rained again tonight?
7. Any word on the extent of the rain for those of us not on the east coast. Boston's game is delayed as well. What are the chances of getting the game(s) in?
8. VERY good news on Small. Thanks, Jen!
Its raining here in the greater Boston area. I'm sure they will wait for as long as possible to call the game. However, unless its been changed, there is a Boston city ordinance that stops games at 1 AM. So, I'm not sure to pull for a rainout/Sox-Jays doubleheader, or not.
9. i swear, the baseball gods are having fun squeezing every last drop of drama out of this season.
10. I think this is Rita's remnants. Here's the radar:
http://image.weather.com/web/radar/us_dca_closeradar_medium_usen.jpg
They're predicting showers until 1am.
11. Those of us on the West Coast don't even get to be drunk for the "evening" games...
12. If neither game (us-O's, Sox-Jays) comes off, we've still got that damned half game wrt the Indians, huh?
I don't seem to recall an NYC or Bronx ordinance on how late games can run. Can anyone verify it, either way?
13. If they have to play a doubleheader, the team would be exhausted and Wright would have to start.
14. Ugh, that's an excellent point, yankz. So no DH for us . . .
BTW, mea culpa - obviously we're in Baltimore tonight, so does anyone know if Baltimore has a city ordinance re: how late games can go?
15. MLB.com is reporting the Red Sox game as "postponed," the Yankees game as "delayed."
16. Maybe they can play a game after the Boston series... I don't know what the rules are for scheduling make-up games.
17. In Ball-tee-mowre you can play bawl until the Natty Bo runs out hon!
18. If both or just Red Sox are postponed what does this do to Schilling-Johnson on Saturday? I'd imagine it'd push them both to Sunday.
19. I blame Cliff. He asks what Wright will be hit with this time, and the guy gets nailed. He says "Death to flying things," and the Orioles die in the ninth inning, against the Red Sox. Now the headline is about showers, and lo and behold. It's uncanny, I tell you. ;)
20. Boston plays a day/night doubleheader tomorrow. They've announced it.
21. i'm with you, randy. damn cliff and alex and their uncanny predictions/coincidences. i say we fire them and let stormer and dimelo take over. : )
(much love cliff and alex)
22. Also, I'd rather they call it off than have a 41-year old pitch in the rain with a balky back, especially if they have to roll the tarp out one or two times.
23. They're taking the tarp off the field (in Baltimore). First pitch likely about 8:30 ET.
24. good call, bam-bam, but with boston playing two tomorrow (tired sux), i will take my chances.
25. So what's worse, playing late or having to play a doubleheader? Especially at this time of the year.
Isn't there a baseball rule that you can't start an inning after midnight or 1 am?
26. i guess there would be a theoretical advantage for the Yankees if Bosox playing a day/night DH tomorrow and we get our game in tonight without too many problems. Of course if Randy slips in slop while making a play our advantage won't do us much good.
27. If we play tonight and Boston doesn't...does Schilling pitch on short rest against us?
28. Think I'd prefer to go on regular rest only an hour late. Don't know if the dh is worse for the RSs or the BJs - maybe the team with the deeper pen is better.
I see there's more rain forcast for Thursday...
29. Game's going to start soon.
30. Any disruption of the schedule is bad because the pitching match-ups will get fouled up. If the Yanks get this game in without disruption or injury, it would be the best thing that could happen. The Boston rain out may have wiped out that dream Johnson-Schilling match-up, which is a shame, even if playing a double-header tomorrow reduces the odds of a Red Sox sweep.
Unfortunate. Here's hoping the rain holds off for the rest of the week (er, rest of the season).
31. This doesn't hurt the Sox as much as I'd like. They'll pitch Schilling on Sunday on regular rest (unless, I suppose, Saturday is a must-win), and Wakefield will go on three. And let's face it, Wakefield can go on two.
However, one can only hope that the Boston bullpen gets some serious work on Tuesday, which have a ripple effect.
But it's a blessing for us to go tonight. There's no way tomorrow's starter, Mussina, can go on three. I wouldn't want Johnson to do so either.
32. Jeter's in the on-deck circle, but it still appears to be raining.
33. If it rains in Boston tomorrow the only fair thing is to make them play a triple header the next day.
34. yankees radio network in one minute MARK
35. Nice start Derek, that fucking asshole letter writer isn't bothering him.
36. Jeter base hit to start!
37. Single for Jeter. Off to a good start!
38. Game on. Looks like the rain has stopped.
39. That letter arrived four months ago. It just leaked to the press today.
40. YES!!!
What a stroke of luck. This could really fuck up Boston's shit.
We HAVE to win this game. I know, it's like that every day, but ESPECIALLY this one.
41. And why in the hell is Rodriguez batting second? Matsui makes much more sense in the two-hole.
42. Thanks randym77. I just scanned the headlines today.
43. Arod walks.
44. A-Rod seems more comfortable batting second. Maybe because he doesn't feel the pressure to make the big hit.
It's starting to pour. :-(
45. Grr, the last thing we need is Randy going 3-4 innings, then call the game.
46. If they are going to put the tarp on, do it before RJ starts pitching.
47. It's pouring. Umps just conferenced and decided to keep going.
48. Glad they listened to me.
49. Rain delay. Grrrrr.
50. Fuck. Another delay.
51. And the tarp's going back. If we have to play two tomorrow, can we just pick up this game from this spot.
52. Tarp is going back on the field.
53. rain delay at least they stopped it before Randy warmed up
54. According to Singleton, the weather report is that the rain was supposed to stop at 8:30, so they scheduled the start for 8:30, but the rain didn't cooperate, so out comes the tarp. This is bad news, but, as Rich has said, at least Johnson hasn't thrown a pitch yet (though he did do his bullpen warmup).
55. No, they said Randy was already all warmed up and ready to go.
56. The radar shows that bulk of the rain should be past Baltimore. They should be in the clear. Radar lies!
57. crap crap crap
58. Kay just said, no makeups on Monday, ALDS is Tuesday and Monday has to be reserved for tie-breakers. So any cancellations will result in double-headers. Though if the Yanks are rained out on Thursday, that could be a major problem. I wonder, however, if the Sox are rained out on Thursday if they'd make them play a double-header with one game against the Blue Jays and one against the Yanks over the weekend.
Obviously I hope none of this comes to pass. I want that weekend series to go down as envisioned.
59. Looks promising . . . I hope:
http://weather.yahoo.com/img/us_bwi_metroradar_medium_usen.html
60. Tarp coming off the field. May get started fairly soon
61. All we need is five complete innings with a lead . . . the rain may be our biggest bullpen asset, after TanGorMo.
Allright! Game on! C'mon Sheff, time to uncork another laser beam!
62. Back in action.
63. weather improved, players on the field. ready to go shortly
64. BTW, ChiSox-Tigers tied 3-3 with 2 out, one on in the bottom of the 7th in Detroit . . .
65. Sheff strikes out
66. keep taking pitches. don't help em out
67. Crap, 3-0 groundout, the pulled outside pitch reminiscent of Matsui in his first season.
Rainouts are just one more reason why Wakefield is more valuable than his numbers -- the guy can pitch on short rest, or almost no rest, right?
68. horrible hitting approach by Yanks. I hope this isn't how it's going go. They manage to snatch nothing from something.
69. I've been saying to my friends here for YEARS that Wakefield is the unsung hero of the Sox. He starts, he middle-reliefs, he's closed, he eats innings.
As for tonight - get a big lead, pay off the umps George, and call the game after 5 innings !
70. Jeter's throws are consistently terrible. His thumb must be messed up.
71. 6 pitch first, way to go big man.
72. I thought Jeter was throwing better yesterday. Maybe he was just being more careful.
73. Jeter's become hazardous to Giambi's health. Soon they're going to have to put a warning on his uniform.
74. Not to make this into a Red Sox thread because that's disgusting but I've always liked Wakefield. My favorite Sock by far. Seems like a quiet nice guy. But I can't stand what we do when we face him. So frustrating. He is an unsung hero for those guys.
75. Another lead off man on- Sierra. Now some plate discipline please.
76. He's not so unsung this year. He's been their best starter, I think. Having a banner year, plus the rest of their pitchers have been hurtin' fer certain.
77. make him keep throwing balls. That's all he's throwing. Shit pop up on a 2-0 count. disgusting
78. What's the team's OBP% tonight with Flaherty, Sierra, and Cano all playing? Egad.
79. Come on! Why so impatient? He's throwing so many balls. What's the hurry?
80. And Crosby? Double egad ...
81. Mattingly, please talk to these crapheads between innings.
82. The trouble is now Lopez has probably almost found his stuff and we handed him an easy time while he was looking weak
83. randy stumbled, the ball came out of his hand so their ccalling a ball. Now another one slipped from his hand.
84. Someone tell the Orioles grounds crew that if Unit gets hurt tonight because of that mound, their lives may be in grave danger.
85. he's stumbling bumbling and losing his mechanics. Just gave up a double
86. Lopez lined one very hard foul before that double. Here's hoping RJ doesn't get flustered and start throwing crap.
87. Also let's hope he doesn't take it out on the ump
88. 97mph! Unit is feelin' it...
89. That "ball" was the same location as Sheff's called strike 3. Randy glared, but didn't say anything.
90. Good thing Bubba can cover almost all the ground out there!
91. That ball drops in on Bernie and it's 1-0 with a man on second.
92. If Randy got tossed again, oh, boy...
That drive from Byrnes had a little too much drama in it. Now let's get some baserunners!
93. Crap, Cap'n, your thumb is already sore, don't get your foot hurt too!
MVP? We could use a run . . .
94. That was one helluva jump by A-Rod!
95. Man, Jason seems to be letting a lot of hittable pitches go by...
96. Move Giambi down.
97. Sheff, too.
No, actually, I agree.
98. Chicago and Detroit tied at 3 in the 9th!
99. 95 Looks like Giambi ca. April/May.
100. Jeter
Matsui
ARod
Sheff
Giambi
Posada
Cano
Bernie
Bubba
101. Rich — definitely. 5 for 38 is a full-on slump...
102. Jesus, John Sterling is jumping the gun a lot.
103. Bubba 'Gary Matthews' Crosby!
104. Notice that the O's aren't even thinking about pitching to A-Rod -- who has sick #'s against Lopez.
With Giambi flailing behind him, A-Rod is looking at a 4 walk night.
Give the guy some freakin protection in the line-up.
105. Bubba is everywhere out there.
106. What's he saying, Nick?
107. Ol' Golden Throat wants to make sure if anything happens the highlight features him in full bluster.
108. Nothing wrong with that lineup, Cliff. I like Mats in the 2 slot...
109. he's calling third strikes when they're balls. Getting my hopes up.
110. The O's are hitting the ball pretty well. Doesn't seem like RJ has his slider working. We have to hit my countryman Lopez hard this next inning, when we settles down he's difficult to hit.
111. Tigers walk-off homer.
112. typical sterling stuff, it's just I'm all wound up...
113. Go Detroit!
114. Cliff,
I was thinking the exact same thing: Giambi in Sept = Giambi in April/May. Lots of called 3rd strikes.
115. 1st pitch hitting worked for Matsui that time
116. Tribe an even two behind the Chisox now, a win would put the Yanks two behind them as well.
117. What the hell is Sierra swinging at?
118. Rueben needs to sit. Like for the rest of the season.
119. Agreed, Bklyn.
Cano almost fouled that out of the park.
120. Next pitch in his ear.
121. Nice catch by grampa, too!
122. Then two away, the second wasn't a strike, but was called one.
123. They have to score.
124. Good job, Rob ROY!
125. RBI man, Flaherty coming up
126. The pitcher might as well be batting.
127. Back inside, hard single, first and third for . . . sigh, Flaherty.
Oooh! Tried the squeeze! At long last! (safety, taken for a ball)
128. Check that, it was taken for a strike. D'oh!
129. "The pitcher might as well be batting."
Not RJ.
130. I just spaced for a split sec, saw the shot of Bubba from behind, and thought "cool, Brocius has a bat"... this season is getting to me...
131. Kay: "Rodrigo Slopez" - I'll give him credit for that.
132. Ah, good ole #18.
133. My man Bubba needs to shorten that swing again. No GS needed man just hit the ball
134. Stop trying to be a hero, Bubba. Put it in play!
135. Brosius used to rake in this park, by the way: .519 SLG vs. .422 overall career.
136. Bubba coulda squeezed, heck he mighta gotten a hit on it. Oh well, up to the Cap'n.
137. Dammit. That's twice they couldn't get a runner in from third with one out. WTF!
138. big AB for Jeter now.
139. C'mon cap, lead us!!
140. Be clutch dammit.
141. The ball was closer to the plate than the first strike and almost the same as the second strike.
142. I'll take a BB right about now...
143. me too
144. way to go Cap!
145. Jeter walks, A-Rod's up.
146. Very nice. Now the MVP with 2 outs and the bases jacked.
147. time for A-Rod to break it open
148. Prayers answered ;-)
Now let's blow it open!
149. Do you walk ARod here to get to Giambi?
150. boo ya!
151. If I'm the O's I still walk A-rod and pitch to Giambi
152. Thank you, A-Rod!
153. Oh yeah!!!!!! Clutch!
154. A rod mvp? You betcha!
155. A-Clutch!!!
156. Giambino!
157. Way to bust out of that slump, Giambeeeno!
158. Hoooooooo!!!!!! That's the July Jason!
159. I dunno, I think I like A-Rod in the two-hole and Giambi third... ;-)
160. Oh hell yes.
161. What did I say about Giambi again?
162. Six two-out runs for Randy. Awesome.
163. Now I can take Sterling
164. This is the week to heat up, Jason!
165. there goes the brief Giambi slump. Now the Giambino blasts it following MBP RBI's.
166. It's like I said, Giambi is looking great. Slump. I never said that.
167. I was about to say they should in fact have walked Alex to get to Jason, but never mind.
168. Sheff walked, third of the inning, now they're getting the bullpen going.
169. that's MVP RBI's. I don't know what MBP is but I'm sure it's some obscure stat you guys know
170. Giambi, slump? Hell no, he's batting 1.000 over his last 1 AB's. That's no slump, my friend ;-)
171. That was a BP at-bat for Godzilla, just missed a two-run dinger to dead center.
172. Quick 1-2-3 inning RJ now, ok? Gracias.
Meanwhile, the rain continues to fall hard in Boston. Clearly the right call to postpone the game.
173. BPM is beats per minute. Uhm, Marginal Batting Production? (sounds like a real thing, right?)
174. MMMM...that's a nice inning...all with two outs too. Man, I wish I could stay up and see the rest of this game - damn early AM meetings! well...maybe a couple more innings...
175. I don't know if I'm imagining it or what, but it seems like the Yankees score an awful lot with two outs.
176. MMMM...that's a nice inning...all with two outs too. Man, I wish I could stay up and see the rest of this game - damn early AM meetings! well...maybe a couple more innings...
177. Good throw on that one.
178. JV — all you are going to miss is an 8-7 Yanks win in 10. Same 'ol stuff, you know it all too well. Get some rest and be fresh for those meetings. We'll absorb the stress for ya tonight... ;-)
179. shit, Randy's throwing a lot of pitches o to end up with 2 singles. I wouldn't mind so much if he gave it up with 2 pitches. Well, there's one out. Now a big batter.
180. Sully from The House That Dewey Built (see sidebar) reports that Schilling and Wakefield will start the double-header tomorrow. Wakefield will then go on short rest on Saturday, Schilling on regular rest on Sunday. So the dream match-up is no more. Damn rain. Could be good news for the Yanks, though, as Unit outdueled Wake when they last met.
181. THAT was what I was waiting for - classic Flaherty at bats - great walk last inning, good hit this inning...way to go Flash! Hard to believe his OPS is still well under 500.
182. 65 pitches through 4. Figure he'll make it through 6, maybe 7 or conceivably 8 if he gets an easy inning. We obviously don't want to use Mo if at all possible and it'd be good if somehow Gordon gets off. Maybe Sturtze can close the last 2
183. Even with a 6-0 lead and a lifeless bunch like the O's, I can't relax.
This is certainly better than 0-0 or being behind, but there's something about a big Yankee lead and lots of outs left that seems to invite boatloads of anxiety. (Then again, more O's errors like that one by Frede and I can breathe easier)
I just got back from a night class in a building directly across from Fenway, and the Sox fans are positively apoplectic at not being able to play tonight...a really obnoxious bandwagoner sitting next to me said it was a conspiracy against the Sox by MLB.
184. Wakefield is a robot, Baastin could almost go with a three-man rotation... let's hope in at least one of these starts, his knuckler ain't knucklin'...
185. We've had a Bucknerian error, how bout a Jeterian hit now
186. Deja vu
187. Crappy pop out.
188. Good ABs by Jeter so far.
Also, after I note how RJ could move into the top 10 in Yankee SO seasons...he has a grand total of 0 so far tonight...shoooot - I'll take a W over a K anyday.
All right, I'm hitting the sack for sure now - I got a good feeling...& lord forgive me for the things that I will do if there's an Embree type meltdown tonight.
Btw, I heard Ramiro was shut down for the year - is that true? If so, why not call up another arm just in case you need innings? Just a thought. Night
189. I wonder if this is the greatest week in baseball history, at least since the WC came into being.
190. I haven't heard anything about Mendoza, but you could be right. Randy just got a K now that you mention it.
Meanwhile, now that the game's official, I can say that the Baltimore radar shows nothing in the area:
http://weather.yahoo.com/img/us_bwi_metroradar_medium_usen.html
191. It would be a nice time for the heavens to open and put this one in the books...
192. Doobie's really lost it here.
193. Let's go, we need more runs here. Let em keep walking people.
194. Good thought on the radar map, Cliff... well, maybe would can just pad some stats and play the kids for a few innings — and pray no one gets hurt.
195. walk another run in. That keeps our boy's arms rested
196. Sierra isn't hitting all that well, but I guess he doesn't have to.
197. I want to see this blueprint repeated in every game this week.
198. keep the merry-go -round going. Keep walking. I hope we get more than one run out of this. After all our middle relief is probably going to be seen now when Randy exits
199. Baltimore's already thrown 130 pitches. Wonderful.
200. Flaherty. off the glove and through the legs? I wish I would have seen that
201. I just hope this 'quit' in the Birds will last the rest of the season, or at least for the next 3 nights...
202. Sox probably watching this on TV and getting real pissed.
203. Shut the Unit down?
204. I think it's Andy Phillips time too.
205. marc — was just thinking that. You know they're watching (Wells from a saloon, I'm sure) and can't be diggin' this, knowing they have to play 2 tomorrow.
206. Definitely get ARod off that wet field.
207. Hell yeah, Jeter.
208. I'd pull Randy right now, for sure...
209. Bring in the C squad. Worst case scenario, Embree gives up 9 nine runs and Mo has to get the last three outs.
210. so, i have two thoughts about this game....
(1) the yankees will lose tomorrow. i just feel like everytime they have a blowout win, they lose the next day.
(2) joe will use bull(crap)pen (embree, franklin, proctor, etc) - and this game will end up being 11-10 with Mariano coming in to save the game.
211. We needed one like this.
212. Damn Newhan...if he missed that, the resulting lead might have actually been Proctor-proofed.
213. 10 BB, holy shit.
214. just recently our middle relief frittered away most of an11-3 lead forcing Mo in the game. No reason to pull Randy now. It's just asking for problems as long as he's pitching and feeling well. Let him keep his shutout going and eat up another inning or two.
215. LOL even Womack gets hits.
216. Sounds like Randy's done. Which scrub is the least horrible to come in?
217. A's just scored 2, now 4-2 Halos, bottom 5...
218. Randy is pitching to the scoreboard, which you have to admire.
219. Considering the delay between his bullpen and first pitch and the wet mound, I can deal with pulling Randy after six innings and 87 pitches with an 11-0 lead.
220. Looks like Randy's in the showers. Wonder who's coming in? F-Rod? Franklin?
221. let's see if if Proctor gives up 4 and F-Rod Gives up 4 we'll be right back in the soup. Let's get some more runs here. So much for that idea. I'm afraid to find out who's coming in
222. argh! it's proctor!
223. Mel Hall was just signed and will take over for Sierra...
224. Com'on Proctor, only give up 2 and no more
225. K for Proctor!!
226. Was there a bottom of the 6th? Sport.yahoo.com/mlb doesn't think so, and it went by awful quick if at all...
227. KYK 210, allow me to refute #1 per my Sept. 14 post:
"Prior to last night, the Yankees had run up a double-digit run total in thirteen games this season. In six of the games that followed such an outburst, the Yankees scored fewer than five runs, but in six others they scored more than five runs (in the one remaining game they scored exactly five), twice scoring in double-digits again the next day and once scoring nine runs and following that with a fifteen-spot the next day. While it may not look impressive compared to the nearly 14 runs the team scored on average in their thirteen highest-scoring games, the Yankees have scored an average of 5.62 runs in the games immediately following those outbursts, with a median total of five runs. That average is actually higher than their overall season average of 5.39 runs per game."
The Yankees won that day following a 17-run outburst. Since then they've twice scored ten-plus runs, both times winning the next day.
228. Bottom of the 6th
Position Change: Escalona moves to SS
Position Change: Lawton moves to RF
Defensive Substitution: (RF) Sheffield replaced by (1B) Martinez
Out: Gomez strikes out. 1 out.
Out: Mora flies out to CF. 2 outs.
Out: Tejada flies out to CF. 3 outs.
229. Bklyn, you mean to tell me that Sierra and Hall are not the same person?
230. so i'm thinking that joe should change pitchers at least every inning here - you know, give everyone some work :-)
231. Bottom 7: Bellhorn replaces Rodriguez (3B), Womack replaces Matsui (LF), Proctor replaces Johnson (P)
232. Wow, the Orioles are putting their scrubs in too, I thought their scrubs started the game! (I keeed)
233. cliff - i concede - i knew i had no facts to back me up, just a bad feeling.
234. hey! new pitcher! f-rod! wonder if joe is reading this for hints :-)
235. This is great. boyds in swing at every pitch mode.
236. Thanks, randym77
The O scrubs are probably more motivated and perhaps more dangerous than the regular O's...
237. After all those tense games it's nice to see one at the point where both teams don't give a shit at this point and just trying to get home. On intangibles we killed the Sox tonight. Gormo get a much needed rest, Randy leaves a little in the tank and boston has to sit and watch cursing the weather.
238. Yup, great night all around for the Yanks.
239. The O's have offically given up.
240. Embree getting another audition.
241. What time does the first Red Sox game start tomorrow?
242. I think 1 and 7PM
243. Suddenly it's AAA.
244. Cliff, you could be onto something with Hall and Sierra. No one's heard from Mel in ages, and Sierra was off the radar in Mexico for a while... hmmmm, maybe something happened down there that needs some investigatin'...
245. Who do we have to back Embree up? I really don't want to see Mo tonight.
246. This has to convince Torre that Embree can't be trusted, right? A single by a lefty followed by a middle-infielder's first major league homer in an 11-0 game in which F-Rod got a 1-2-3 inning? This has to be the end of Embree, right? Right?
247. embree's toast. i think we're going to have to rely on leiter to be our loogy.
248. Send Embree down to AA.
249. Lawton should have got that. :-P
250. Another bad audition for Lawton... better to re-re-re-confirm this now than this weekend.
251. And that Lawton can't be trusted in the OF . . .
252. Embree's latest audition going about the same as the others
253. Alex Graman never got a shot at the LOOGY job this year. Someone explain that to me.
254. This is just about a perfect evening. Big enough cushion (I think) for Embree to tank in his audition and to completely lose Torre's lust for late-inning lefties (no matter how maddeningly mediocre).
255. If Embree makes the PS roster, I will personally take one for the team and do a Tonya Harding on him at the airport.
256. it's all Yankees fans at Baltimore because I hear loud booing for Embree
257. It's like the end of WarGames. Joe's watching Embree give up hits left and right in a game that's very much over. Girardi asks' Stottlemyre what's going on, why Joe just stares blankly at the field without doing anything.
"He's learning," says Mel.
258. LOL. You can really hear the fans in the sparse stadium... "Embree, you suck!" came in loud and clear...
259. Better make that single-A.
260. Finally!
261. Embree with a tremendous Strike 3. He's the man
262. I "watch" almost every game on the MLB Gameday, since I'm on the west coast and I can't really get away with MLBTV at the office. So I spend a lot of time staring at postage-stamp-size pictures of players. And I will say this: though he's not much of a pitcher, Embree looks like a very happy man. Yogic peace maybe. Can't be job satisfaction.
263. I feel sorry for that Rogers guy. For the rest of his life people will ask him who he hit his first homer off of and he'll have to say "Embree".
264. rilke — brutal, but how true...
265. Pure comic relief at the end of a long evening...comments trickling down to one every 2 to 3 minutes, then with Embree's appearance, the comments spike up to 2 a minute, and you can hear the Yankees fans heckling him mercilessly.
Let's hope there's no letdown, and that the doubleheader takes a lot out of the Sox pitching (at a minimum)...one or two losses wouldn't be too bad either.
266. Dear Joe Torre,
In the next week, barring some miraculous recovery to June 22, 2002 (See below, I'm obsessed with this game), Embree should NOT make the post-season.
Respectfully,
Paul in Boston
YANKEES 7TH: B. Williams doubled to center; EMBREE REPLACED
TRAMMELL (PITCHING);
Ventura grounded out (shortstop to first); Spencer was walked
intentionally; WHITE BATTED FOR VANDER WAL; White struck out;
Castillo grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Yankees 1, Padres 0.
YANKEES 8TH: Lilly struck out; Soriano was called out on
strikes; Jeter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 1,
Padres 0.
YANKEES 9TH: Giambi struck out; B. Williams struck out; Ventura
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 1, Padres 0.
267. This was actually a big night. We tied cleveland. Something that looked unlikely a few days ago.
268. Just caught a quick take on SportsCenter from Harold Reynolds on Bubba's impact on overall Yankee D... pretty cool. I'm tellin' ya — he's our Brian Doyle this year...