Yanks vs the Sox. August. First place on the line. What more can I say?
The Yankees enter this series as the underdog, because they’re the road team, because it had been nearly a month since they had been in first place, and because they have gone just 1-8 against Boston thus far this series. However, the Yankees also enter this series hot, having won their last seven games against the Orioles and White Sox. Not that the Red Sox could be considered cold, though they’ve split their first four games in August, they went an astonishing 20-6 (.769) in July.
Leading the Boston charge of late has been Dustin Pedroia, who since the calendar flipped to June has arguably been the best player in baseball, hitting .377/.454/.623 with 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts over that span in addition to his typically outstanding play in the field. Pedroia’s closest rival over that period has been the man who plays to his left, Adrian Gonzalez, who has hit .384/.457/.593 over that span. Indeed, the Boston lineup is just crushing it right now. Rookie Josh Reddick seems to have solved right field by hitting .333/.382/.581 since being recalled in late June. Their catchers are hitting, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia leading the way with a .290/.358/.574 line with ten home runs dating back to a series between these two teams in mid-April. That leaves Carl Crawford and Marco Scutaro as the only Red Sox regulars who aren’t crushing the ball right now. Indeed, that red-hot July was stoked by the Boston Bats, which pushed across a staggering 6.58 runs per game on the month.
On the season, the Sox lead the majors with 5.47 runs scored per game. The Yankees are second at 5.40. To put that productivity in proper context, third place is 5.02, fourth place is 4.81, and fifth place is 4.68, and the American League average is 4.36 runs per game.
The Sox have beaten the Yanks about the face and neck so far this year. Be nice to see that change starting tonight.
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Jorge Posada DH
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Go git ’em, boys. We’ll be cheerin’ you on:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Painting by Ray Ellis]
How come Nuñez? Any explanation?
[1] Tough LHP on the mound, plus Chavez is made of glass, sitting him seems a no-brainer ...
This is funny fucking stuff. From John Sickels' "New York Yankees 2011 Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review":
I'm becoming obsessed. Can't find the team consecutive no walk innings record anywhere.
Yankees have like 40 (don't want to jinx Colon). Anyone know the record?
I finally caught the HBO's Jeter 3,000 show this aftertoon. I thoroughly enoyed it because I missed that entire week of games up to and including his epic 5 for 5 day. Jeter spoke of rehabbing in Tampa as if it was prison. He just wanted to get back to big club asap. I think all the extra hititng down there did him a damn bit of good, too.
Oh, and please beat these @$@$#@$@#$# red sox.
[4] I read this over at RAB earier today.
"you have to go back to Nick Markakis’ third inning walk against Freddy Garcia on Sunday for the last time a Yankees’ pitcher but a man on base via ball four. It’s a span of 39 innings, the third longest walk-less streak since 1919. The 2002 Yankees went 54 IP, the 1965 Dodgers 42.1 IP. That’s pretty incredible, especially since A.J. Burnett started once of these games."
[4] I found it! Our own William had discussed the record on his blog.
From his Captain's Blog:
"The last batter walked by the Yankees was Nick Markakis, who worked a free pass off Freddy Garcia during Sunday’s game against the Orioles. Since then, the team has reeled off 42 1/3 consecutive innings without surrendering a walk."
"From September 5 to September 10, 2002, pinstripe pitchers went six consecutive games and 65 2/3 straight innings without permitting a free base runner."
Uggh. Nice that the Yankees have the record, but the current streak is 23 innings less than the 2002 mark. Almost three more games of no walk pitching. Let's hope.
And William, nice that Google had your blog listed when the question was asked.
[7] Hmmm, that seems odd. 6 games and 65+ innings?
[9] Yeah, it's a mystery. Maybe I cut and pasted incorrectly. Can William clarify?
Maybe extra innings?
Steven Tyler has to cut down on the botox.
[9] Right, those six games were all nine inning games, but the last 4.2 innings of the previous game were also walkless and then, well, I didn't check, but I guess the remainder in the subsequent game.
Ellsbury and his ridiculous one sleeve are on my most hated players list
[14] Ellsbury not close to Youkilis on the wienie list.
Yankees as a team do not hit cutters well (their worst pitch according to fangraphs). Lester's cutter looks much better than it did last time they faced him. He had a tough time controlling it (and hit a few Yankees as a result).
Love that damn pitch. Nasty.
Most Valuable Pony.
I know this is irrational, but I hate the Boston nippled "B".
And the liquor is already flowing.
Great first inning for Colon. Superb velocity on his two-seamer. Low strike zone, based on what the pitch zone thinks of the called strikes in this game so far. That should play to Colon's advantage.
And the liquor is already flowing.
Hell, I got liquored up ... just to get liquored up for this game.
Why is Jones playing? He's not going to hit Lester..
Greenlight!
Yikes. Lester looks horrible out of the stretch. Just not finishing his delivery.
Eat shit, Lester. Off the plate.
Uh, I guess you had no choice, but a swing on 3-0 would have been a better choice ...
[26] Agreed! What was that fake bunt??
No way Martin had the green light. He was taking all the way. When you are taking all the way not a bad idea to show bunt to maybe get the third baseman closer, but obviously no way that's gonna work for Martin.
What makes Joe G think Posada is going to hit Lester? I don't get this lineup at all..
[29] #BINDERFAIL
Atta boy, Jorge. Watch the curve right down the pipe. ugh..
Was a cutter.
The problem is, there isn't another right-handed bat to put in there instead of Jorge. Because we have thirteen pitchers.
I'm watching NESN, by the way. Jerry and Don keep half agreeing with Lester about the calls, and then they show the Amica Pitch Zone and the pitches are obviously outside.
[33] Rather have Jones @ DH and GGBG (who hits LHP just fine) in LF.
Sit Down, Papi!! Bartolo looks great tonight.
97. Yowsers.
I'm sorry but Ortiz just has to be the slowest animal on earth.
[35] Yeah -- I think maybe (i) Joe still thinks of Brett as having problems against lefties, and (ii) they figure he needs a rest some time. Still, it's annoying to have Horrible Jorge in the order against Lester. He doesn't have a prayer.
NUNEY! Awesome!
Naked eye looked like the wrong call.
But replay shows Ump had it right!
Pedroia really is a great player..painful as it is to say.
Nunez is likely to be drilled at some point in this series.
Damn, that was so close to being a big inning.
Not many left fielders get that ball. Lucky for the Yanks, they have one. Too bad he ain't playin' tonight.
[33] And ARod is out....
Reddick slid pretty late there, too.
So, 'six man rotation' really means 'carry thirteen pitchers and Phil Hughes goes to the pen'. A middle reliever is developed. Awesome.
[35] Agreed... although if Joe wants to give Gritner a day, this one is as good as any. Playing the Sox ARod-less is a bummer.
I liked Snozzberry better when he was hurt and/or sucking. Shit!
[51] He is so much better this year. I wonder what happened.
[52] Shared some pina coladas with Bartolo's doctor down in the DR?
[52] nothing but hard work and clean living.
Deer antlers.
[55] JUVENILE deer antlers!
Am I being a Negative Neddy by saying I feel we'll lose this game?
[57] Well, home field, and I think Lester is a better pitcher than Bart, and, you know, they now have a lead. So they're favorites right now, but not prohibitive. (And it will be more fun this way when we come back and beat them.)
Colon's looked pretty damn good. This one isn't over by a longshot. I wasn't happy with his sliders in the 4th inning, but it never actually hurt him. Ellsbury hit a fastball which was higher than Colon would have liked.
[59] Whoa, are you a time traveler? So we are to look forward to some bad sliders this inning? :)
Haha! I meant the 3rd, obviously!
Do you think Youk looked in the mirror one day and thought, "I am not ugly enough. How can I develop a batting stance that will give me the power of Medusa?"
Not that Bartolo has a matinee idol visage.
Has all the shit about Ortiz calling out the official scorer made the NY news? (Or Japan?) Man, it's all they can talk about here. He has a babyish streak in him, but it gets blown up so far out of proportion.
Was a slider. Ugly pitch.
First August game in 6 years for Colon? Wow, wonder if that's a record for starters.
Uh oh.
Oh, god. I was just thinking, "Don't bust him inside," and I saw Martin set up and (really) I shouted "No!"...
Clean livin'.
[64] Did make ESPN -- at least PTI, wasn't really paying attention, don't know their take. It's childish.
We're down, huh?
Any player that complains about how a play is 'described' is an asshat. The end result is two runs score for your team, however it gets 'scored'. I get that we're all selfish to one degree or another, and I suppose it's OK to be pissed off a little. But you should be ashamed enough about being pissed off that you don't actually let anyone else know you're pissed off.
Completely classless to act the way Ortiz did.
[71] Wow, what'd I miss?
That was a strike??!
[71] I know, but then again, who cares?
Stop swinging at balls!!!
[72] Was just chiming in about Ortiz having a tantrum during Francona's press conference over how the official scorer decided to credit RBIs on a single of his the other day.
[52] Can't say. The only thing different this year is they moved his locker next to Papi's.
[72] Nothing, really.
Yesterday Papi had a public tantrum because one of the Fenway official scorers gave him one RBI when he thought he should have had two. (They took away the second one because the Indians bobbled the cutoff and the scorer though the second runner would have held up.)
But RSN could speak of nothing else today.
[76] Got it, thanks!
[78] Well, he should keep his mouth shut. :)
Did Coney and Ken just take a shot at Mussina?
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ANDRUW??!
Jesus, that was freaking stupid.
Great job, Andrew. That's fucking asshat.
Longest short walk back to the dugout there is.
And speaking of Mussina, he really should get more credit for the inning in 2003 Game 7 where he restored order in the fifth or whatever it was. That was probably his finest hour.
That and the 1-0 win in the flip game. (That was Moose, wasn't it?)
Tonight's lineup is the gift that keeps on giving.
[86] I think they were talking about Baltimore pitchers in Kenny's age. Most likely Palmer, wasn't he known to whine a bit?
WTF? Jorge is all but useless.
Carrying him instead of Jesus is a statement of settling for the WC.
We had this last year.
OLD POLL QUESTION:
The WC is all but locked up.
Should Joe/Cash be playing now to try and win the Division,
or setting up for the PS??
[89] Division. It's going to matter this year. Because Texas is much better than CLE/DET/CWS.
Just what I need, a brand new red sox player to loathe.
Jerry Remy: "... this time Reddick gets the slider and is able to pull it between the hole."
I love Jerry Remy.
Strange his move should be so catlike.
Do you think Woody Harrelson smoked up Larry David before the game?
I'm kind of bored by the pace of this game..
I hate this ballpark.
You never know when a flyball is going to be a homerun.
[94] No, you have to think of him as a small dinosaur.
[88] Ah, ok, that makes more sense.
[89] at the very least, they should carry Montero instead of having thirteen pitchers and a sort-of six man rotation.
Oh, nice changeup.
[98] Or Dickerson.
Shit.
No! A walk! There goes the streak.
I have a bad feeling about dusty's ab.
Did Ken and Mike mention it? Remy and Orsillo didn't notice.
Come on, Colon, keep it together...
Keep it together...
Fuck.
AGGGGGHHHHHH!
This is going to be a 3 1/2 hour game, isn't it? Even though it's low scoring.
Good!
Good fastball.
Just pound him with that.
He was overwhelmed.
MOTHERFUCKER!
Oy.
Now Adrian, not good.
Horsefuckingshit.
My Little Pony dribbler...damn...
Gee, I wonder what happens now.
*sigh*
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I don't know...
I think I'd leave Colon in.
[115] You misspelled "Booooooooooooooooooooooone!"
WHY IS HE TAKING OUT COLON FOR LOGAN???!!! That is wrong, am first-guessing it here! Colon is a MUCH better pitcher than Logan...panic move by JoeyJoeJoe! It'S the 5th inning!!!
I need a Valium..
[116] Yeah, I would. Just a tough walk, and two soft ground ball hits.
[116] I'm inclined to think the same. The stuff still seemed to be there.
[118] You probably didn't notice that A-Gon is a lefty. So, there was really no choice.
this is idiotic
[121] Newsflash! Boone Logan sucks. This isn't the playoffs, it's a panic move.
[117] I'lll be sure to spell it correctly after Adrian's ab. Oh, boy. Here we go.
[123] It's not panic. It's just the notebook.
I'll remind you that some people want the Yankees to have two lefties/
Boone to Banter: Eat it.
Wow!
Pfew!
Now what?
Bone! Holy fucking shit balls.
Shows what we know.
[129] Oh, uh... now you've spelled it... correctly... I guess.
I knew it all along! Those earlier posts were by Mr. OK Smooth Jazz Tokyo, my evil doppleganger. I had faith in Booooooone!!
[128] Now baseball!
[132] I knew it. Your reverse jinx.
[131] Bone is Boone minus the o. So Bone>Booooooooooooone. Obviously. : )
[126] only if that means carrying 14 pitchers.
Good point, Kenny.
Ok, good start...
damn i was really into that no walk streak
Great ab, Nuney! C'mon, Captain!
[135] Ah.
Wait, but when you take away 0, the thing stays the same as it was, right? So Bone = Boone = Booooooooooone. (You were told there would be math, I hope.)
[136] For interleague play, I think we should go with 17 pitchers, because we don't need a DH.
Basehit!
Yay!
Sad base hit.
Curtis is going to drag one methinks.
Come on, Curtis, be a stud right here!
Good cut.
Orsillo is concerned about a momentum shift.
Terrrrrible swing.
OHHH, FUCK YES!!!!
Oh, pretty.
Orsillo was right!
That was HUGE.
Hooray!
Oh, god, what a cookie!
Hell yeah!
[144] Shut up , fool!
...which means Teix will be hell-bent on pulling the ball.
Hit and run. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
Excellent!!!!!
Ah, better than pulling, better than punching... walking!
Come on, Rob...nice and easy...nice and easy...
LOAF PINCHER!!!
Fuck.
He's overanxious.
CRUSH IT, ROB!!!
Good...2-1...
Good patience.
Let's go Robinson!
He sure looks jumpy.
Fuck.
Come on, Robbie, hang in...
Here it comes...
Great pitch. Full count.
Damn. That was a bad ass 3-1 pitch.
Shut UP, Michael, we KNOW!
We're watching the fucking game!
Rob, it's the HR derby, your dad's pitching.
Fouled off.
It's going to have to be over the backstop for Robbie to walk.
Good rip...good rip...
He's gonna get Robbie with the curve. Here it comes...
Nope. Another foul.
Fight it off, Rob...hang in, hang in...
Another one.
Good at bat!
Get him, Rob, moiduh the bum!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh....
shit.
FUCKFUCKFUCK.
GAHBAHFUCK.
Tie-game, can live with it. Now let's get the lead!
Okay, Nick will come through. Here we go! (I bet he walks.)
Fuck.
At least we got the run. When it was hit I was convinced it would end the inning, forgot there were no outs.
Still, fuck.
I hate to say it, but this is an Andy-type performance.
Bang.
Hell yes.
Too bad we don't know who the sixth inning guy is.
Word. 2 out rbi's gitcha into baseball heaven. Yesssssssss!
Yaayyy!!!
Cornflake!
Wondering if Tito should have called in a righty from the pen to pitch to Andruw, Jerry Remy:
"Certainly Joe Girardi didn't give Adrian Gonzalez a chance to... pitch.. to...the lefty... Adrian Gonzalez..."
Despondent, flummoxed, he lapses into silence.
Boone is not going to get Ugly out.
Boone is not going to get Ortiz out.
Boone is not going to get Crawford out.
Just Fair, you are doing excellent work.
[193] Indeed!
Shit. So close.
Just Fair fails. Call to the bullpen! We need a new reverse-jinxer.
[193] I am a big fan of the theory of momentum and the reverse jinx.
[197] QuanDUM physics!!!
[198] Be quiet. You got two guys, but now you're done. Hit the showers.
thefuckdidido?
- Jimmy McNulty
Excellent.
Cory Wade, good man.
Sweet.
RoSoMo or SoRoMo for the nightcap?
[202] I'd prefer a 1996 MoMoMo conclusion to this game..
[202] Well, obviously, Soriano is the EIG.
Who leads off the 7th, Scutaro? I'd use D-Rob for the better hitters.
We're tacking on, bitches ... and this question is MUTE!!!
Whoa! It's Soriano warming! Does this mean the Bama Hamma has been promoted???
Hey hey hey, it's MATT ALPERS!
I always wanted to say that.
So, Brett for defense now, right?
[207] I was thinking more of Herb Alpert.
Nune5!
STEAL!!!
Blechfughfuck.
Damn. Not even close.
Nunez seemed surprised that he was called out on that play where they pitched out and got him by eight feet
[210] Or not.
[213] It's *his* fault?
Cult, bad call. Bad call. You just don't have it tonight.
We have to go back to the bullpen. Who's next? Mr. OK? Or did we already use you when Boone came on in the fifth?
Look who's here!
Hey now nice grab.
[215] What? Seemed like a straight pitch out to me. Didn't notice anything he could have done better
[217] Who? (I'm watching NESN.)
[220] Soriano, I mean.
Ellsbury sucked last year and I thought his teammates and the whole town hated him. His comeback is most disappointing.
[219] Ok, that was what I was saying, just checking ...
Haven't seen him yet.
[223] No, I was just saying that he seemed shocked to be called out. It wasn't close.
Good work, Soriano.
Is that three 1-2-3 innings in a row for Raffy?
[216] Whaduynhavtehwheehaw???
[221] Oh, him. Yes. Has he been demoted to 7IG?
The eighth will be the tough inning. Pedroia, A-Gon, Youk, Papi. This calls for...
THE ALABAMA HAMMA!
[228] Calling the steal. (I hope that's the answer -- I don't speak Cthulhu very well.)
Bah!
[229] I envision a few walks and tense moments.
He does seem a bit excited.
[229] BAMA HAMMA!!!
High Cheese!
Good.
ONe out.
Heart stopping grounder to third...
One down. Heart skipped a bit before Nune5's throw.
[237] [238] :-)
We must have the same cardiologist.
Well, according to some weird-ass algorithm on BBTF, I just said this was an appearance from the BAMA MOTHERUCKING HAMMA!
Sheesh.
[233] There's your boy!
Hammer!
[232] No sir!
And the Bama Hamma slams it down. Heart of the mighty Red Sox order... nailed.
[237] Wasn't it? I instinctively held my breath.
[239] Dr. BUI
Drop the Hamma, baby! Drop it down hard. It's the Hamma of Justice, coming down on your Little Pony Head, on your Big Papi foot, coming down.
no D.Bard?
Who the fuck is Randy Williams?
[248] Yep. But lefties are up so..
Damn it!!
Oh, jeez. Good smack, Rob.
[245] That's the guy. He has that Vietnamese name, but he got his degree in the Dominican. I get CPR from the Dr. from the DR.
Another damn fine ab. Nice job, Swish.
Run Gritner, run!!!
Ripped.
MO time!
Goddam. Martin and Cano each tagged the ball, but no results.
Ladies and Gentlemen, #42, Mariano Rivera...#42...
Mo vs. Papi. Like old times.
As Homer once said,
Mo Mo Mo.
BiG fatty. I wish he'd never climbed out of the gigantic funk last year.
This won't end well
[262] Will end Great!
Mo at 93...
[262] Ah, here's Mattpat to take over reverse-jinxing operations! I feel a lot better now.
Oh no
Damn!! E on Jeter? Teix?
Oh, fug. Dammit! Jeter had to rush it, but Teix has to pick that.
Awwwwwww. Shit. Really??????
[267] I think it was a hit all the way
Maybe a pitch-out?
[271] Mo's control seems a little spotty
Oh, fucking beautiful.
Remy: "Well, Saltalamacchia doesn't like it, but that's what Rivera does, everything inside then the cut fastball over the outside edge."
Sit down Salty you bellyaching piss of shit.
FINISH HIM!
Thanks be to Mo.
WOO-HOO!
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.
All Rise.
Those last two assholes were left talking to themselves.
Great.
Fucking.
Win.
Mikes caught Swisher saying "Feel that Shit!!" :)
PRAISE BE TO MO.
PRAISE BE.
[281] I wondered who and what that was. Awesome.
This was the first Yankee-Sox game this season I've been able to catch every pitch. Good times. : )
[279] I know, that was fucking beautiful.
Sox announcers (postgame, not Remy/Orsillo) say that was Salty's first AB ever against Mo. Surprising.
Yippie!
No ad libs, straight to the scrip.
All alone in first place!
Logan> AGon.
Well, tomorrow we have our best pitcher going against their ugliest, so lets keep the ball rolling.
Peter Gammons is one of the NESN postgame guys. I'm really enjoying watching him eat it. (The other two guys are actually good. Eckersley, and some other guy.)
That would be scripT
[287] Sadly, that game is on Fox. Ugh.
This is why I didn't like Brett's tantrum the other night, although I don't have a problem with Joe saying he was good with it. But it struck me as so very Red Sock.
It's incredible - it's like guy goes on that team, step 1) douchey facial hair, step 2) idiotic mullet or some other gimmick, step 3) become a cry baby bitch.
If you weren't a whiny bitch before you got to that team, they'll coach you up real fast. How is it that every last one of them is never actually out, despite the fact that you stood like a dipshit with the bat on your shoulder as strike three hit the mitt?
As a Jew, a hell of a philanthropist, and a supporter in the fight against diabetes, Youkilis is just too good a guy off the field for me to loathe as completely as I used to, but he must give whining lessons the moment the new guy steps off the bus/plane.
A GREAT Win!
Beating Lester, who was 8-1 against us.
Winning even with our fugliest lineup
(although there is always a hole in the lineup with ARod out).
Taking the first game and beating their best makes taking the series very doable.
2 Righties coming up, so Brett and Chavez in.
GO YANKESS!
Thinking it over, the best thing about the game was our bullpen. They utterly shut down the best offense in baseball. D-Rob set down, in order, three of baseball's top hitters, surely the best three-in-a-row in any lineup. Soriano cruised; Mo was just Mo; Boone smoked Adrian on three pitches in a super-high-leverage situation. And Cory Wade. I mean, a bullpen just doesn't do that against the Red Sox. They score seven runs per game since the All Star break.
Colon was fine, but the pen was just fantastic.
I bet Jon DeRosa has a good story :-)
I forgot to drink, the game was so much fun. I'm gonna mix up a gin and tonic.
Later, Banters.
As DRob would say, Roll ON!
Good night. Good game all around. Less than 3 hours.
Crisp as an October night in Vermont (where the Soxers might be vacationing).
CC just needs to be his regular self tomorrow, and the O should take care of Lackey.
Goodnight.
You folk know about this?
http://www.csnne.com/08/05/11/Bond-between-Ortiz-Cano-bigger-than-base/landing_redsox.html?blockID=546359&feedID=3352