The Future Hall of Famer, Frank Thomas, aka The Big Hurt, had his number retired before the game today in Chicago. Then Ivan Nova, who is a pretty big kid himself, pitched into the sixth inning and left the game with a 2-1 lead. Boy, was he impressive, throwing hard and throwing strikes. He also had a good curve ball. Seven K’s and just one walk.
Marcus Thames–whose hacktastic swing sometimes looks straight out of a beer softball league–hit another home run and Brett Gardner singled home Francisco “4 for 4” Cervelli, putting a couple of runs on the board for the Yanks over the first three innings. After that, it was too much Nova and the Bombers’ bullpen. Kerry Wood slipped out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and Joba Chamberlain hit 100 mph on the radar gun on his way to 1.1 scoreless innings.
The Great Mariano worked around a one-out walk in the ninth and got Omar Vizquel to pop out in foul territory to Cervelli to end the game.
Final Score: Yanks 2, White Sox 1. That’s win number one for Mr. Nova.
A terrific win for the Bombers on a day when the pitching was good and the fielding was slick–the White Sox turned a lovely 6-4-3 double play in the second inning that is bound for the highlight reels.
Sox and Rays go tonight on Sunday Night Baseball.
Sit back, relax, grab some eats, have a beverage and enjoy. See ya in the a.m.
[Picture by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images and Gourmet Magazine]
To be sure, right now Nova > Moseley > Javy > AJ.
Nice win, and just a couple of days until call-ups.
Just two starts...but...he has looked good. I like his stuff plus I love that he throws strikes.
Big fastball. Nice curve. Change-up. Seemingly good control.. What the hell's NOT to like about Nova? In other news, Manny pinch hit today with the bases loaded and was promptly thrown out after arguing the 1st pitch. What a maroon!
I just came back from a big neighborhood barbecue. That corn looks good, though, Alex.
[3] And he (Manny) is definitely going to the ChiSox, I hear. Morgan & Miller just said so.
Too many damn day games...
Lackey and James Worthy matching zeros..not sure who to root for here..
Got to root for the Sox here no, as counter intuitive as it may seem...
[6] I suppose so but..it kind of hurts..
No, I think I'm rooting for the Rays.
Bury the Sox. Lock up a post-season spot. Then worry about beating out the Rays for the Division later.
[8] yes. exactly.
fuck boston. of course, lowell lead off with a double.
go tampon!
I find it hard to believe that Lackey will shut down the Rays' offense.
but, but...but, the ugly fucker is indeed shutting down the devil fishes' offenses... : /
siddown, florida evans!
CC! tie game.
100 career homers for carl crawford.
Told ya.
Hello all,
Good day in Yankeedom. How about that Nova? And Joba hitting 100 mph? And Wood a real asset? The Yankees winning without Arod, Tex, Po, and Jeter a non-offensive factor. Frankie Brains going 4 for 4 and throwing out the speedy Lillibridge stealing? It's been a strange year with the team changing before our eyes.
We have to pull for the Rays tonight, put Boston back 6.5 games as they are going to Baltimore for three staring Tuesday.
[16] It has been a very strange year.
I have no idea how we're in first place.
Could Joba be...back??
I was in a bar for most of the game. Did Kay shriek again when Joba hit 100? His voiced cracked at 99 yesterday
[17] First place with the best record in MLB, in the most competitive division. The team is not dominating, but winning enough and on pace for 100 wins. I guess we fans really can't complain.
The playoffs seem almost a lock, unless Boston does the impossible (they've done it before), but can the Yankees win this way in the post season? Will everything fall into place (Arod, AJ, Jeter, Hughes, Javy, Pettitte, Granderson, Joba) when the competition steps up a notch? Very interesting season, a dramatic arc in the making. And despite the sentiment here, Girardi is starting to look smarter than the average bear. We'll see how it ends up.
[19] I was watching TBS, so, couldn't tell you.
[19] My windows are still intact, so that's somethin'...
[18] I would like to devote an entire anthology of songs dedicated to that subject in his name if he is.
[17] a tough division in which offense in general all over baseball is falling back to earth and pitchers have taken advantage of I don't know what, exactly (I don't buy this Year of the Pitcher crap); but I wondered the other night if we don't give the hierarchy enough credit when things (like this) go right. Chessmaster Hex is an easy target here and there, but he's already proven himself twice (Manager of the Year with a lowly Fish roster, 2009 WS Champs) and despite his bewildering kung fu, the team is tied for best record in baseball. It's hard to imagine this team collapsing in the stretch run, but not too hard to see them bounced early from the playoffs, either. In fact, this year there are no clear winners among the supposedly playoff-bound, especially when you take into consideration the Year of the (Baaaaddasss) Umpire. Sure makes for bad kvetchup here, but it's gotta be kinda good in general (I say "kinda" because of the foul umpiring).
[23] especially when you take into consideration the Year of the (Baaaaddasss) Umpire
Only a matter of time before some player goes Sweetback on one of those umps.. :)
[24] Wow...I can't remember the last time i heard a Sweetback reference. The US is a different place since then, Glenn Beck had 300,000+ tea baggers rally in Washington this weekend. You might be lucky living in Japan right now. New Zealand is an appealing fantasy for me.
I'd love to see that, actually. Bobby Valentine already did his version of The Spook Who Sat By The Door for the Mutts...
i know it means we don't have 1st place all to ourselves, but i just really really love it when the shit sox lose.
Red Sox Lose! Always pleasing, and even with the Rays tied with the Yankees because of it, it feels like the better outcome for the Yankees today.
[19] should he not be excited about it? most fans get excited about 100. as do i.
[25] Tampa's reporting they had 100,00+ at the Red Sox game tonight. ; )
[30] Make that 100,000+. OY!
[25] 87,000 (+/- 9k) is the new 300,000+???
[29] After years of the Kyle Farnsworth debacle, I'm much more impressed with someone throwing 94 with some kind of clue than just throwing really, really hard.
Seems to me that, simply, Kerry is doing what Farnsy should have been doing those past years. Hope it keeps up.
[32] Just quoting the number NBC News gave, but I now see that most estimates were lower (some were even higher). I think the real number to figure out is how many teeth were missing? And how much money the Koch brothers and Murdock supplied for the buses and other stuff.
[33] i'm not sure how throwing 100 is less exciting just because Farnsy was unsuccessful with it. I wish i could throw 100 but... i can't. I think it's pretty wild when guys can. And i'm amazed when guys can hit it. Just as I think Moose was pretty cool with what he could do at lower speeds.
[27] yeah it never gets old