Random thoughts from a crazy 11-9 Yankees victory that had highs, lows, and a lot of agita in between…
The lead-up to this quickie two-game set between the Yankees and the Red Sox featured several back stories:
1) The Red Sox were not a threat. They entered Monday night’s action in fourth place, three and a half games behind the Blue Jays, the starting pitching reduced to mediocrity, the bullpen reduced to tatters, and riddled by the combined struggles of David Ortiz and Victor Martinez, and injuries to Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury.
“The Red Sox don’t scare me,” so said 1050’s Seth Everett on Sunday. “They’re not a threat. David Ortiz doesn’t scare me. Not even now that he’s started to hit a little bit.”
“It’s not a rivalry right now,” said Mike Francesa. “It’s not a rivalry until the standings dictate that it’s a rivalry.”
To paraphrase Buster Olney, who subbed on “Mike and Mike in the Morning”: “By the end of May, Theo Epstein will evaluate and look at this team and restructure with 2011 in mind.”
Thank you, Cliff Corcoran, for bringing some sanity to the matter and giving the “Sox are dead” sayers a nice punch to the stomach. The Red Sox don’t suck and they proved it. (More on this later.)
2) Because Mariano Rivera hadn’t given up a run to date and was inhumanly infallible at Age 40, the fact that he yielded his first grand slam at home since 1995 and first grand slam since Bill Selby in July of 2002 to blow the save Sunday meant that something was wrong and the end was near. The likes of Olney, Craig Carton, and Mike Francesa all thankfully decried this notion. Olney said Rivera was allowed to have a bad day, Carton pointed to Teixeira’s drop of a line drive that would have ended the inning, and Francesa downplayed the importance of a Sunday game in May against a team the Yankees have owned in recent years.
3) Javier Vazquez is incapable of starting against the Red Sox, regardless of location. Monday morning, stories appeared stating that manager Joe Girardi planned on using Vazquez in the bullpen this week against the Sox and Rays to supplement a start. He struck out Kevin Youkilis on four pitches in the ninth inning — and was the winning pitcher — but even with that appearance, there’s a chance he may not start against the Mets at Citi Field Friday, in favor of the inimitable Sergio Meat Tray. If Vazquez is not good enough as a starter to get the Mets lineup out, in a National League ballpark, then why trot him out to the mound at all? That might be the kind of situation to get his confidence back.
In his postgame presser, Girardi got testy when the words “Javy Vazquez,” “skipped,” and “because of the Red Sox” were used in the same sentence.
“Absolutely not,” Girardi said. “I want to make this clear, OK?” His voice was stern and he was waving his hand in a karate chop motion. “He was not skipped because of that situation. Our bullpen is a mess. I needed a long guy today. We could not activate Chan Ho Park if you didn’t have a long man.”
Fine, but he was still skipped a second time during a Red Sox series. The reporter was right to ask the question. Girardi, to his credit, added that he didn’t want to use Vazquez because he still wanted to be able to start Vazquez on Friday, but with Joba Chamberlain unavailable after getting up twice to warm up on Saturday, and David Robertson unavailable, he had few options. After throwing just four pitches, Vazquez can still go Friday.
4) Nick Johnson will have wrist surgery tomorrow. It’ll be 4-6 weeks before he can pick up a bat, which means he’s likely not going to be back in the lineup until August. August of what year has yet to be determined, but August sounds about right.
_______________________
Raise your hand if after the Yankees sprinted to a 5-0 first-inning lead, which became 5-1 and then 6-1 and then 6-2 following a towering homer by Big Papi, you were comfortable. Really? Me neither.
You were probably less comfortable, then, when Marco Scutaro singled after a seven-pitch at-bat, Dustin Pedroia doubled to cap a 10-pitch at-bat, and J.D. Drew clocked a three-run homer off Phil Hughes to make it 6-5. Me, I felt a sinking feeling when Boone Logan was brought in to face Victor Martinez to start the sixth inning. After Martinez’s first at-bat, Ken Singleton, an accomplished switch hitter in his day, discussed the off splits in Martinez’s switch-hitting line. He was a .165 hitter from the left side and .389 from the right. Somehow, Joe Girardi didn’t get this memo. Martinez was 0-for-2 against Hughes. Batting right-handed against Logan, the inevitable happened. Solo home run, 7-6 Yankees.
When Mark Teixeira popped out to kill the insurance rally in the bottom of the sixth, I received the following e-mail from our esteemed host, Alex Belth: “They need some insurance, here. Sox don’t have great hitters but enough good ones to do better than they’ve done.”
My response: “Chan Ho Park. Jesus Christ…” I thought Girardi was managing like he had no inclination to win the game. It was the seventh inning of a rivalry game, on the verge of blowing a huge lead; not exactly the time to unleash the Chan Ho Experiment.
Somehow, Park got out of the seventh inning unscathed. Prior to the eighth, Alex sent this: “Joba and Mo, take two.” Only Park emerged to pitch the eighth. A note pinged my inbox before I could reply. It was Alex.
“So I guess no Joba. It’ll be a miracle if they get out of the eighth with a lead.” (NOTE: This was before we knew which Yankee relievers were unavailable.)
Less than five minutes later, Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run home run to put the Sox on top, and Victor Martinez followed with another solo home run — this one from the left side, so apparently he can still hit as a lefty — to provide some padding. This left us both dispirited.
From Alex: “Last year, the Yanks had a ton of comeback wins. Another one tonight would be sweet but I’m not feeling it.”
I wasn’t, either. Then Gardner got on with the double. There was a chance. Teixeira made a loud out. Then A-Rod. So much for him not being clutch. And again against Papelbon. Huge home run to left-center. I immediately typed a note to Alex:
“A. F—ING. ROD.”
“Sweet Georgia Brown. They have to win now,” was the reply.
Then Cervelli gets plunked and we all could feel it. Then Michael Kay put on the prophet hat as Marcus Thames dug into the batter’s box:
“Marcus Thames can turn on a fastball, and he’ll be sitting dead red here.”
First pitch, 93-mph heat. Roped over the left-field wall. Jubilation.
Tomorrow, CC vs. Beckett. Beanball war, anyone?
KARMA
Something must be in the air at Yankee Stadium on May 17. Consider … In 1998, it was David Wells’ perfect game. In 2002, it was Jason Giambi’s game-winning grand slam in the 14th inning to cap a 13-12 win. Prior to the bottom of the 14th, as Mike Trombley made his warm-up tosses, Jim Kaat said off-air, “I bet the first three guys get on and Bernie (Williams) hits a grand slam to win it.” Shane Spencer singled, Alfonso Soriano flied out, then Jeter singled and Williams walked, leading up to the Giambi home run.
And now this victory, which will likely be re-aired as a Yankees Classic in two weeks.
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Marcus Thames got the first A.J. Burnett Shaving Cream Pie of the season. On June 10, 2002, the night of his Major League debut, in his first Major League at-bat, on the first pitch he saw, he homered off Randy Johnson. He received a pie in the face during his postgame interview that night also.
FRANKIE BRAINS BRINGS THE PAIN…TO OPPOSING PITCHERS
Courtesy of his RBI single in the first inning, Francisco Cervelli is batting .786 (11-for-14) with runners in scoring position this season. Overall, he’s batting an even .400 with an OPS of .988.
GARDY TO LEADOFF?
Brett Gardner got on base three more times in five plate appearances. I’ve taken my fair share of potshots at Gardner and his wet noodle swing, but the guy is a sparkplug and the kind of player I really enjoy watching. With his OBP now hovering closer to the .400 mark and Derek Jeter struggling, Girardi has to consider shaking up the top of the order to get Gardner on base.
BOONE’S BANE
Not only is it a cool obscure instrumental tune from Rush, it aptly describes the LOOGY Logan. “Relief” isn’t the operative word when describing Logan as a relief pitcher. Entering Monday’s game, Logan had walked six — he also struck out six — and had a WHIP of 1.80. He did little to improve those numbers, throwing three straight balls to open the at-bat to Martinez.
Logan retired the next three hitters and was credited with a hold. He threw first-pitch strikes to only one of the four batters he faced.
STRANGE BUT TRUE
Jeremy Hermida was the only starter on either team to go hitless and not reach base.
I just got back from the game ..... what a fun, draining, crazy, infuriating one it was.
I want a Cervelli jersey ... I don't care if he gets dealt in the off-season.
Strangest non-baseball moment .... you know how players have their at-bat music, and Mo has "Enter Sandman" ... well Javy entered the game to some Christian rock. My buddy and I looked at each other as if to say, "umm .... is he hoping for some divine guidance?"
"The Red Sox don't suck and proved it"
Really?
19-20, 8.5 games back, -9 run differential, allowed the most runs in the AL., been beaten soundly by the Yanks, Rays and TIgers so far (and swept by the Orioles!!)
I just don't get the massive respect given to that team this year..they suck (so far). Time to forget them and focus on catching the Rays...
[0] ooh, i hate to do this to you, Will and [1] Diane will back me up, but...
the RUSH song is actually called "Broon's Bane". Broon, not Boone. it is obscure, as it's only on Exit...Stage Left, their 2nd Live record from 1981. it is an instrumental, but it's just a solo guitar piece by Alex Lifeson and really just acts as a glorified intro to "The Trees". the song is dedicated to "Elliot", who may or may not be one of their Canadian engineers, (i'm not sure...).
but i'll give you credit for thinking of this piece!
[1] To Hell With The Devil !!! (777)
Oh yeah, great win! Wish I could have watched it on tv. Hey Boatzilla, can't we set up a "sales meeting" at your office and watch tomorrow morning?
[2] they don't suck, i'm still scared of them and i do respect them. but, more importantly -
Rush is NOT metal!!! : )
I am sorry, but I can't see how this game disproves the notion that the Red Sox may not have a good team this year. Sure, they battled back and exposed a weak Yankees bullpen, but more importantly, they played awful defense, saw their closer blow up and their fifth starter look awful. The negatives from this game would have been a concern even if Boston won. The fact that they lost makes it even worse.
The Red Sox have enough talent on paper to rebound, but they haven't been playing well this year and have shown very few signs of breaking out.
[3]
I approve of this message. :-)
[8] i'm such a Rush dork, that i always memorized the name Skip Gildersleeve, from their crew. why, you ask? because he was their longtime stage LEFT technician!
i never did buy those tour books. but i'm looking forward to their documentary dvd coming out and first ever cd single w/ 2 new tracks. i hope to see them again live, end of Sept.
LoHud has an AP photo up of A-Rod & Brains after the formers' homerun. gazoo looks like a midget. it's so hilarious, you'd swear it was photoshopped!
Email? Is that some antediluvian form of instant messaging? (writes the man without a blog post)
Excellent piece, as always, Will. I'm with Mr. OK Jazz Tokyo, though, in that I think the Sox aren't all that important right now.
[10] yo thelarmis, my pop emailed me asking why people were referring to Brains as "the Gazoo"... i sent him a picture figuring it would be self-explanatory..
Well, I just put a bid on ebay for a Cervelli jersey.
I love Gazoo .... I hope he stays with the Yanks for a while.
Something that bothered me during the Drew at bat. I know ultimately it may have meant nothing, but the end result made it annoy me more. 0-2 count, two long at bats before this that led to a pitch count near or at 100, and the third pitch was over Drew's head.
Its not just Hughes, its this mentality that "you can't be beat on the 0-2 pitch" that drives me nuts, because in the era of pitchcounts, why would you waste x number of pitches during a game on pitches that no one on earth would ever swing at?
[14] Interesting..it's opposite that gets to me. I can't stand watching guys take straight fastballs down the pike on 3-0 counts...You know the guy is not trying to walk you, you know it's probably a fastball, and MLB hitters can usually rake a straight fastball. Guess I just like watching guys swing the bat, too many walks = boring baseball.
When Cano got thrown out at the plate in the 1st I had two thoughts:
1. knock Vmart to next week
2. That's a run we're gonna need later
Well, I'm stivking with #1...
[2] Count me in the "Sox suck" category. They're supposed to be a pitching and defense team and they have neither. They've given up the most runs in the AL and they just gave up 11 runs to a Yankee lineup utterly decimated by injuries. To put things into proper perspective, the Sox have to run off a .630 WPCT the rest of the way just to win 96 games. The Yankees, by contrast, have to win at a .575 clip to win 96 games and the Rays are looking at a .560 WPCT to win 96 games.
It ain't happening. The 2010 Red Sox are a mediocre ballclub.
One more stat to say what the Sox are rather than what some wish they were?
They're 2-9 against their only competition for a playoff spot.
10 of those games have been played at Fenway.
Hm, I don't want to make this into a Criticize WW comments section, but unless I am mistaken Frankie was 11 for 14 with RISP before that single. Now he's 12 for 15, a cool .800.
I wonder if he'll regress to the mean...
I liked your "Karma" paragraph, Will.
Oh, also, Diane: I'm really glad you got to see Pie Game I.
Best game of the year so far.
So far.
[20]
A good portion of the grandstand was shouting "we want pie" after Thames homer. :-)
[14] I think I like watching Cervelli and Hughes the best right now but at least five times during the game, they wasted a pitch, fastball way up, with two strikes. It's like - guys, it aint working.
Great win last night, especially as it came at the expense of Papelbon.
Rodriguez may not be a very appealing person, but I sure hope by now he has changed his "un-clutch Yankee" reputation. First 2007 MVP season (esp first half -- carried the team), then 2009 post-season, now this (from LoHud):
"Of the past 16 Yankees walk-offs, Rodriguez has driven in the game-tying or game-winning run in seven of them."
Great feedback, all ... Let me address some points individually:
You guys can criticize me all day. I can take it. I'm not sensitive like that. It's OK. We're all friends here. Plus, I use a lot of your comments to help make my posts better the next time. You're a tough audience to please, and I love that.
[2] I recall 2005 when the Yankees were 11-19 and fighting like hell to get to mediocre leading up to the All-Star Break and these same discussions were had re: the Pinstripers. The team didn't suck, it was just going through a bad stretch. Had the Sox come back and capped it off, this could have been a turning-point kind of win for them. It had that kind of feel, as many have written and said. It's still to be determined if the Sox fall in the suckdom category. I'm not ready to pull the plug on this Red Sox team.
[3], [8] ... I should have made the correction in the first line of the "Boone's Bane" subhead. I know the title is "Broon's Bane." It's a perfectly constructed lead-in to "The Trees" as it appears on the Exit Stage Left album. It's my favorite part of that album, actually. But don't get me started on Rush. I could spend way too much time on that. I just biffed the proofread in the wee hours. Thanks for the catch.
[11] Neither Alex nor I was on IM. E-mail had to do at that moment.
[19] Thanks for the compliment on the Karma graph. RIYank. I watched the Post Game Show over again, and backchecked Jack Curry's tweet on that subject, and the numbers were tabulated after Gazoo's RBI single. Curry mentioned that Cervelli, even if he went hitless in his next 19 AB with RISP, he'd still be batting .333 with RISP. So it's accurate.
i only watched bits and pieces of this games once the god damn lakers dominance of the suns began - i flipped back to see 6-5 and thought what the hell happened there - then i flip over and see chop and on the mound and the score 8-7 and figure that was a bullshit game to lose. so i was pleasantly surprised to see an 11-9 win with two enormous dingers off that douche paps.
both hrs were absolutely crushed - alex looks to be getting his power stroke back and really good for thames to be making such a big contribution, especially off a power rhp.
Thanks, WIll.
I just checked more carefully on Baseball Reference (looking at game logs and splits), and you're quite right.
Boy, the whole team is getting just murdered in the Boston media today. In the top of the ninth, Rem-dog and Orsillo were talking, tentatively, about a "turning point". It's a turning point all right.
One thing, though. I just hate to admit this, but Pedroia was very classy on the post-game show. He was asked about Papelbon, and he said (I have to paraphrase), "We have the utmost confidence in Paps. Hey, it happens to everyone. Look, even one of the greatest of all time the other day... or, the greatest of all time. So, it happens to everyone."
Hat tip to little pony.
[27] Pedroia is one of those players on the Red Sox that I love to watch. I can't hate him because he plays the game the right way and says the right thing, and you believe him when he says it. Props to the short guys who hustle.
[24] I haven't felt anything but confidence in him for a while. 2007 was great but he faded in the playoffs. 2008 he was what I considered his typical self: great numbers in the end but in a big spot did not inspire confidence. But last year that all changed. His numbers were very good, not up to his standards, but he had so many huge hits throughout the year and obviously in the post-season.
It appears it may continue this year. I actually appreciated his hit in the first inning more than the home run, not in terms of importance to the game but that he clearly was not trying to jack it out. Perhaps now that he has his ring and a beastly post-season under his belt, he won't feel the need to do everything all at once. That was a great hit.
[29] I agree, that was a terrific AB for Alex. I commented at the time that Weeping for B. would love it, because A-Rod shortened up his swing for the occasion and executed perfectly.
Btw what is Tyler Kepner talking about the rivalry lacking "villains"? The Red Sox still have players you love to hate: Beckett, Youkilis, Papelbon being chief among them. Ortiz has plenty of villainy left over from his salad days. Pedroia looks like he has hooves, for the love of god. What the hell else does Kepner want?
Hello, and thanks for the great wrap up and thoughts. It's nice that the Yankees won, but this was a very disturbing game to watch and only the redemption at the end allowed for peaceful sleep.
For many reasons, this team is winning with smoke and mirrors, and I fear that in the long haul; luck will run out.
Nice to see Arod come through in the clutch, and I hope he returns to his career numbers but man, is he odd or what? I almost feel sorry for him (but with $400 million, he should be getting the best therapy). To paraphrase the joke, "Why won't cannibals eat Arod? Because he tastes funny" and not funny in the ha-ha sense.
And lastly, everytime Boone Logan enters the game, I can't help but think of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu0CYQGO0O0&feature=related
The Yankees NEED the Red Sox as an archfoe. EVERY great team needs an opponent that will push them/test them/beat them once in a while. That's what makes sports great.
I mean, the Yanks dynasty of 49-64 might have been "fun", but in terms of drama and excitement ...
[22] The fastball that's eye-high doesn't work except with crappy hitters or incredibly undisciplined ones. Going up the ladder means throwing your best fastball letter-high, skirting the upper boundary of the zone not in the eyes of the home plate umpire. Plus, in this day and age, the down and away off-speed pitch gets more Ks.
[32] The Yankees have the 3rd best staff ERA in the league, the second highest team BA, and are among the leaders in defense. What smoke and mirrors are you talking about?
[35]
Their lineup last night ended at the surprising Cervelli (the Thames HR notwithstanding).
How many ABs do you want to see of Pena, Winn and Thames during the year?
[36] Diane, great point. Had the Red Sox won, I was going to make the exact point that the Yankee lineup last night was only six-deep, Thames's exploits earlier in the game notwithstanding.
[31] yeah as long as ugly, beckett, paps, and pony are around they are not likable to me.
[32] [35] yeah i don't think this team is winning on smoke and mirrors.
as johnny c points out they are pitching well, playing good defense, and are doing pretty well on offense all things considered. the only "fortunate" thing is frankie b is hitting well in more abs than he was probably penciled in for and even though they haven't been particularly good, thames and winn have had a few big hits.
[37]
Heaven forbid any of Jeter, Cano or A-Rod go down for any extended period of time.
There really aren't any ML-ready replacement down on the farm for those three, are there?
[25] The problem with the analogy to 05 is the Yankees were legitimately only fighting one team for the division and a bunch of also-rans for the wild card. The Sox are fighting at least two teams in the division and another one or two for the wild card. That's where the competition comes into play: 2-9 against the Yanks and Rays (with 10 home games!) tells you what kind of team the Sox are....one that's not competing for a playoff spot unless the Yankees or Rays suddenly turn into .500 ballclubs.
[35] You are absolutely right about the starting pitching, and if the rotation holds without injury, then it will be a cruise to the end of the regular season. But in the heat of the summer, the middle bullpen has to be more dependable.
I just think that the team has been carried by the heroics of players who have not had a track record over the years. Gardner, Brains, Thames, etc. And, there is zero depth on the bench. Maybe the team is evolving, but unless Arod, Teix, Jeter, and the rest of the core meet expectations, then the opposition will figure out how to stop the newbies from being so effective.
I also think that the Rays at this time, have the complete package...we'll see.
I am a little cynical after watching last night's game, and admittedly need to lighten up as the season is only 1/4 done. Just feeling it.
[40]
Perhaps the Sox can re-acquire Hanley Ramirez, who is quickly burying himself in the Marlins doghouse in the last 24 hours.
Follow him for more details
http://twitter.com/joecapMARLINS
[39] Eduardo Nunez is having a decent go of it at AAA - .800 OPS. Kevin Russo would also hit if given the time to adjust. Neither are what they'd replace but they could both tread water for a time. Actually, for the first time in a long time, the Yankees do seem well-prepared for injuries with replacement level depth at AAA.
I'm more worried about a pitcher injury given the choice to make Joba a reliever. There we're looking a Mitre and Nova. After that, it's a whole lot of unproven arms.
I'm feeling much more like Ms. Oct.
Sure, an injury to Cano or Jeter (although how much of a loss would his bat really be at this point?) or A-Rod would be very bad, but you could say that about any team's stars. Look at it the other way: Cano and Jeter have been very cold, Posada and Swish have missed a lot of action, we've been without our starting CF, Vazquez has been even worse than expected... and the team is still in great shape. A return to form of some and just plain old return of others, or maybe one or two bullpen pitchers start stepping it up, and that can compensate for downturns from others or even another injury.
Toooptimistic? Maybe. I'm feelin' it!
Huh, I guess Ken Boyer [41] and I [44] are both "feeling it", but the "it" we're feeling doesn't seem to be the same "it"!
[45] Maybe it's the rainy day, or the hangover from the fortification needed to watch that game last night. Or the fear that every school budget will be defeated today. Or that the best that the Yanks can come up with are Boone Logan and Chan Homer Park.
I want to be toooptomistic, and the great thing is that there is another game tonight (weather permitting) to turn the "it" around.
[46]
(sheepishly admitting to misreading the word "fortification") :-P
Great recap, Will, but you short-shrifted Brett's contribution to that ninth! He had the key ab in that inning! Just watching him was a joy, he exuded so much confidence and from start to finish looked thoroughly in control of the situation.
Right now, he's the guy on the team I have the most confidence in in any given situation. Not to hit a home run, obviously, but to not strike out and to get on base by hook or by crook.
This is the guy--this is the swing--I've been waiting for all these years! So impossibly short, it's a revelation.
[48] Thanks ... I actually knew Gardner would get in base, it was just a matter of how. And Darnell McDonald is a chump out there. It was a great at-bat.
[40] Paul, I agree, but if you look at the composite, the Red Sox will be looking at not just two teams in the division, but another 4 or 5 for the Wild Card. Even at this stage, it's not wise to write them off. There's too much season left, Terry Francona is too good of a manager, and there's too much talent and experience over there to believe they're going to continue to play like chumps.
[25] hey will - that's totally cool on Rush! it's funny, i've never liked broon's bane. i always thought it was excessive & pointless and i pretty much always skip right over it. as my grandma used to say, "this is what makes horse races"!!! : )