Lousy start for Ivan Nova? Check. Ass-whuppin’ for Preston Clairborne? Check. Good start by Jake Peavy? Check. A 7-2 lead as Kate Smith belted “God Bless America” en route to an easy-breezy win for the Red Sox?
Negative.
Because the bottom of the seventh went something like this:
Against Jake Peavy...
I Suzuki walked.
V Wells hit for C Stewart.
V Wells singled to center, I Suzuki to third
M Thornton relieved J Peavy.
B Gardner singled to left center, I Suzuki scored, V Wells to second.
V Wells stole third. (Is he knuts? Maybe. Gardner didn’t budge off first and the replays showed that Wells was out.)
D Jeter walked, B Gardner to second.
R Cano grounded into fielder’s choice to second, V Wells scored, D Jeter out at second, B Gardner to third.
J Tazawa relieved M Thornton.
A Soriano singled to right center, B Gardner scored, R Cano to second.
C Granderson doubled to deep right, R Cano scored, A Soriano to third.
A Rodriguez struck out swinging. (Tough sinking fastball, a splitter perhaps. Sitting on my couch, I tapped my foot and my heart raced. Rodriguez heard some boos but not as many as I expected.)
L Overbay singled to right, A Soriano and C Granderson scored, L Overbay to second advancing on throw.
I Suzuki struck out swinging.
And just like that, a couple of walks and a string of base hits gave the Yanks an 8-7 lead.
The question then, how would they finish? David Robertson didn’t pitch well last night and Mariano Rivera, having pitched two days in row, well, hell, he wasn’t going to pitch again, right?
Robertson struck Jacoby Ellsbury out looking on a 3-2 pitch to start the 8th. He got Shane Victorino to swing through a fastball for the second out and retired Dustin Pedrioa on a ground ball to Derek Jeter to end the inning.
The Yanks went down in order in the bottom of the inning and then wouldn’t you know it but: Enter Sandman.
And who should he face to start the inning but Papi Ortiz.
Went something like this:
First pitch, inside–almost too much of the plate–ball 1. Cutter inside, Ortiz hits it hard but the line drive goes straight at Lyle Overbay. Ortiz doesn’t have time to move out of the box. He glares and walks back to the dugout.
One out.
Daniel Nava. Cutter inside, 1-0. Fastball, right over the plate, 1-1. Hard to believe Nava took it. Now, cutter inside, ties him up, swing and a miss, 1-2. Now, backdoor? Upstairs? It’s upstairs but Nava holds up, 2-2. Then he goes outside but the pitch is low, 3-2. Goes back outside, or tries to, but the pitch is over the plate. Nava swings and hits a Mookie Wilson-to-Bill Buckner dribbler to Overbay. He fields it and steps on the bag for the second out.
Mike Napoli takes a fastball on the inside corner, 92 mph, for a strike. Fastball away, 1-1. Fastball low, 2-1. Heater, right down Broadway, good swing, but fouls it off, 2-2. Cutter, inside, but too far inside, 3-2. Fastball over the plate and Napoli slaps it into right center field for a base hit. The pitch was fat, juicy, and thank goodness it didnt go over the fence. Quintin Berry pinch runs for Napoli.
Stephen Drew. Takes a ball high. Berry takes off, Romine’s throw bounces in front of Jeter and into the outfield, Berry takes third (ah, shades of Dave Roberts). Next pitch, a cutter with no bite is hit into right for a base hit.
Tie game.
Jonny Gomes, pinch-hitting. Two-seamer comes up and in and almost hits Gomes, 1-0. Fastball, high, fouled back, 1-1. Another high fastball, popped foul behind the plate and caught by Romine for the third out.
Rivera’s 6th blown save of the year. 8-8. Yankees-Red Sox. On a school night. What else would you expect?
Alfonso Soriano walked with 1 out in the bottom of the ninth, got picked off first but Nava dropped the pick off throw and Soriano made it safely to second. And then the dumbass got picked off of second. I’d try to explain it but I can’t.
Needless the say, Curtis Granderson whiffed to send the game into extra innings.
And who should greet us to begin “free baseball” but Joba Chamberlain. And with Joba it’s not a question of “if” but “when”? Ellsbury singles and swipes second. Joba got 2 strikes on Vitorino, had him struck out on a check swing but first base ump Joe West ruled that Victorino did not swing. Even though he clearly swung. So of course the next pitch, a high fastball, is punched into right field for a base hit. Ellsbury scores and the Sox are back on top.
Boone Logan replaced Joba and Chamberlain got himself kicked out of the game by West. Ortiz is walked intentionally and then Nava is pinch-hit for by a righty,Brandon Snyder, who flies out to Gardner in center.
The Yanks went down like lambs in the bottom of the tenth (that’s not entirely right, Lyle Overbay had a valiant at bat before striking out) and the Sox, playing with house money, avenged that Sunday Night loss with one that hurt the Yanks were it counts.
Final Score: Red Sox 9, Yanks 8.
So close, yet so far away. Sigh.
Using Joba Chamberlain in an important spot in an important game solely because he happens to throw with his right hand is indefensible
2) True. As was Soriano getting picked off.
[3] You take the good and bad with Soriano..boneheaded but it happens. Joba shouldn't be in the league..I don't even blame him. Girardi has been great this year overall, but this was really terrible.
Terrible loss, but it seemed like an improbable win before that. The Yanks played like boys against men until the rally. It was cold at the stadium, breezy and most were caught off guard wearing shorts and sandals. After Soriano got picked off, we had to leave because of what would probably happen next. I saw Joba warming up.
Cano's big hit was great, but Overbay's was even better. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end, but if the Yankees fail to get to the post season, we'll look at this game that they almost stole. One Mariano strike away...
{5} Ooops, I meant Granderson's big hit.
[2] [3] [4] I can live with Soriano. He was trying to make something happen, took a little too much of a risk, but that's the way it goes. Girardi going to Joba is completely indefensible. I'm not sure I understand it at all, and looking at the postgame quotes, it seems like Girardi really had no good explanation and knew it. Someone in the organization has to make it explicit to Girardi that he can't use Joba in any high or even medium leverage situation unless there is no one else in he pen. These games are just too important.
I didn't like seeing Joba in that situation either, but who was left?
Hughes? one of the starters? another Sept. callup?
It's not like Girardi had an arsenal of weapons to choose from.
After Mo blows a save, you're rolling the dice.
last night with Mo blowing the save we got a preview of the rest of our lives.
Went to sleep in the 8th. Glad I didn't see the 9th or 10th. Felt the pulse of the game in your written replay. Not sure I get the cartoon, though.
As for Chamberlain, please tell me he isn't coming back. I'd sooner have A-Rod back and I ain't happy about that either. Jackass got thrown out of the game. When you argue checked swings, you got a real problem with your fastball. Throw a heater and see if he hits it.
And, 38 year olds shouldn't be trying to find their youth and carry the team, especially if they have spent the last few years in Chicago. That was really stupid. Joe Girardi should be ashamed. Poor coaching. After the last attempt, albeit a successful one, he should have said, "... don't do it again. We cannot risk you making out."
Let's not forget special praise for the catcher brought in for defensive purposes who cannot throw or catch.
[5]But Mo ain't Mo. One strike away used to be the Sox cry.
10) He did throw his heater. And Victorino hit it.
Also glad I went to bed. Autumn is coming, can now sleep with the windows open and the air conditioner off. After Mo blew the lead I figured it was over.
Huge game, Mo blows save, to hated Sox, wasted comeback. It'll never hurt like this again.
That was an agonizing lost. I could taste the win, and then it all went away. I wish I had back the 90 minutes of sleep I lost.
On the plus side, I am wearing a polo shirt at work today with the interlocking NY on it, and so far I haven't heard a lot of crap.
Worst loss in this attempted comeback to make the playoffs. Mo gave up a broken bat, opposite field bloop single to tie the game. It happens. The worst was using Chamberlain. Looking back the entire Banter crowd moaned. I thought Girardi should be considered for Manager of the year considering holding the ship together to get to within striking distance with a lineup that looked minor league at best. Can't say that anymore since he insists on going to The Fat Slob over and over. I'd trust Vernon Wells pitching more than Joba. The faster he leaves this team, the happier I'll be. Why didn't someone send him that trampoline I suggested a few weeks ago?
so who were the other options aside from Joba?
Shawn Kelley is not available - triceps
Huff. Tomorrow's starter.
Pettitte. Tonight's starter
Kuroda - pitched day before
CC - pitched 2 days earlier
Joe's main options to start the 10th werey:
Hughes, Logan, Betances or Brett Marshall. You can argue that all of these are better choices than Joba, but if you're thinking right hander, you're looking at Hughes, Betances, or Marshall.
Would you want to make Phil's first appearance back in the bullpen a 10th inning start vs the Red Sox? Me neither.
Betances, who was called up to mop up?
or Marshall, who got shellacked by the Mariners(?) in his only ML appearance earlier this year? Any pitcher you go with, you're rolling the dice.
Maybe you would have preferred losing with Hughes, Betances, Marshall, or Logan. But considering Giarardi's options, I might have taken a chance with Joba as well.
it's also worth noting, Joba has been okay recently.
before last night, three of his four previous appearances were two innings each against Baltimore, Toronto, and Tampa. Yes, they were low leverage innings, but he pitched well. Just one earned run, a solo shot in those six innings.
He does tend to lose his shit against the Red Sox, so he had that going against him, but I still think he wasn't the worst option Joe had to start the 10th.