I feel like that title’s probably been used before, but all my Easter puns were in rather poor taste.
Joba Chamberlain made his first start of the season this afternoon, finally giving fans something to talk about besides his efforts to butter up arresting officers while drunk, and thank god for that. He pitched a somewhat rocky but ultimately effective six innings, giving up three runs, but only one earned (thanks to a late and just correction from the official scorer). The Yankees rallied from 3-1 to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it, and the Royals came back from the dead salvaged the final game of the series, winning 6-4.
Mark Teixeira was out today again with a sore wrist that they’re (for now) calling tendonitis, which sent me and, I’m sure, thousands of others scurrying to WebMD. Not that helpful, though as usual I picked out four or five new fatal diseases I could conceivably have. Anyway, with Teixeira out and Posada and Damon resting, the Yankees didn’t put forth their strongest lineup – Gardner leading off, Melky in left, Molina behind the plate, and of course Cody Ransom still at third, doing all he can to make sure Yankees fans properly appreciate and respect the talents of Alex Rodriguez.
In the top of the first Brett Gardner singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and then dashed home on a wild pitch that never got all that far from catcher John Buck — manufacturing a run with that speed we’ve been hearing so much about. Said David Cone, who I think is developing a bit of a man-crush: “There’s no hitch in that giddyup!”
After that first inning, Gil Meche settled down in a big way and once again made me feel like an idiot for having made so much fun of that signing. He allowed scattered hits here and there but kept the Yankees from putting anything together for the next five innings. Meanwhile, Chamberlain started off great, with two super-efficient 1-2-3 innings, before allowing a solid John Buck homer to left in the third inning. But his biggest struggles came in the fourth, as he got himself into a hole with a walk and a hit batter. He managed two outs, but then Alberto Callaspo reached on a Nick Swisher error (inexplicably scored a hit at first), and new Joba nemesis John Buck singled DeJesus and Teahen home. It was 3-1 KC.
By this time Meche was in his groove, and the Yankee offense sputtered for a couple innings They finally broke through in the seventh: Swisher and Matsui each swung at Meche’s first offering and singled; Nady doubled Swisher in; Cano reached on an error while Matsui came home; and finally Melky Cabrera’s second double play of the game was good for an RBI. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly an overwhelming show of force, but it looked like it was going to get the job done. Brian Bruney pitched a strong seventh, too.
So it seemed the Yanks had resurrected staged their comeback – but after Damaso Marte’s two outs in the eighth, things fell apart for the bullpen. Joe Girardi was making a lot of moves, searching for most advantageous matchup, and I’m sure he’s going to be heavily criticized for that, because why bother when you’ve got God Mariano Rivera available? I wonder if the Yankees have specific health-related reasons for not wanting to use Mo more than one inning, in which case Girardi’s moves wouldn’t seem all that unreasonable to me — as Dolly Parton once sang, “Well, it looked good on paper” — but who knows.
Anyway, it went like this: Billy Butler pinch hit for lefty Jacobs, so Girardi swapped out Marte for Jose Veras, who promptly gave up a walk. Then Phil Coke came in to face Brayan “[Sic]” Pena, who promptly tied the game with a double. Callaspo singled, and John “Yankee Killer” Buck doubled, and the Royals had a two-run lead that Joakim Soria, who is a serious badass, had no trouble nailing down securing. Afterwards Coke, who looks about 17, wore an expression that suggested he was barely suppressing the urge to hurl himself off the nearest tall building. Somebody please give that kid a Cadbury Creme egg and a hug.
The Yanks are off to Tampa, and I’m off to do my taxes. Actually, I wouldn’t take a Cadbury Creme egg or a hug amiss right now either.
Just finished a Cadbury egg myself.
Hmmmmm. Eggs.
I know Butler destroys LHP, but Marte is no LOOGY. Why not let him pitch to Butler? Yeah, the Yanks have depth in the 'pen, and the matchup and numbers say "go to the RHP", but it always seemed like Girardi got into trouble last year when he treated Marte as somone who couldn't get righty batters out. He can.
Or, to put it another way, handedness aside, why switch from the 2nd or 3rd best reliever in the 'pen to the guy who's probably the worst?
[3] You are correct:
2006-08
v. L: .197 .284 .277 .561
v. R: .235 .323 .364 .686
You can't get an RBI if you ground into a double play (just look at Melky's line in the box score), but you can drive in a run.
Shaun, what troubles me is that the meme on Marte out of Yankee camp this spring (trumpeted proudly by Michael Kay) is that Girardi feels he misused Marte by not using him purely as a match-up guy last year. Remember, Girardi let Marte throw 42 pitches in Texas and Marte's elbow promptly went sproing! What Girardi (and Kay) seem to have missed is that it was the pitch count, not the handedness of the opponents, that was the problem. Let him pitch to righties, just don't use him for much more than 30 pitches per outing.
I really only had one eye on this game, so I can't say I was first-guessing Girardi, but with Mo having had Saturday off while Veras pitched 1 1/3 innings, it does seem it would have made more sense to go straight to Mo when Butler came in. Butler's one of the better hitters on the Royals, so I'm not sure I would have used that spot to test Marte against a righty, at least not in a one-run game with Mo being fully rested. But that really is a second guess.
Depressing game..when in doubt, why not bring in a rested Mo?
Btw, whomever is in charge of the music at Kauffman Stadium should be fired immediatlely..VERY distracting during the tv broadcast the whole game! I really don't understand this trend in baseball..what possible focus group would ever say "yes, I love hearing 6 second excerpts of Quiet Riot and C&C Music Factory at max volume, between pitches"...
Or maybe I am getting old..
Cody Ransom..sigh..how long till A-Rod gets back??
Skimmed the game thread and think there was more on Joe G there but my two cents here..I do NOT understand the lineup for today's game at all. Gil Meche can pitch but we had Ransom, Melky and Molina out there (combined with no Tex or A-Rod and the questionable day-off for Damon). Then due to some good fortune in the 7th we get the lead, only for another odd bullpen choice..One-game sample here, yes, but this was a Joe G loss. Very Very odd managing here
Johnson's catch of Prince Fielder's shot..WOW!
Oh, how do Torii Hunter and Mike Sciosia get ejected and Beckett stays in the game??
Eggcellent summation, Emma.
I'm with the 'it's on Girardi' crew here. Not so much for what seems like a collective decision to not use Mo for more than an inning in April, nor for the house money lineup, again a cold day in April and Damon had been due for his day off the day before when Tex was a late scratch.
I'm just bothered, as Ciff was, by the idea that Marte can't be trusted with righties. If he's a LOOGY he's way overpaid. If he can get left and right, he's a terrific asset. Veras was the mistake, for me. Butler is not a homer run hitter. Probably headed for 15 or so if hegets 500 at-bats. If he does get on Marte has a lefty to deal with next and he was not at a huge number of pitches.
Things happen on a ball field (the go-ahead run off Coke was a lucky bloop shot) but this felt like over-managing.
PeteAbe and T-Kep have both mentioned that Mo probably wasn't used because it's early in the season and he's coming off surgery - so I'm OK with that. I don't blame Girardi for the loss anymore, I'm really not one to get excited about whether it should be Marte vs Veras vs Coke. It all seems so marginal anyway, once you take away Mo. Had Marte been left in we would all be screaming about leaving in a lefty against a lefty-masher.
And I think we should applaud using Bruney for the tough part of the order and then Marte against the tough lefties, instead just using Bruney for THE EIGHT INNING.
Had Marte been left in we would all be screaming about leaving in a lefty against a lefty-masher.
Not really, he could've walked him or he could've pitched to him, or he could've pitched around him.
I was under the impression that Marte was signed for all that $$ to be a setup guy, and Coke would've been the LOOGY. I could be wrong, tho'
Being in Beantown over the weekend I had the pleasure of watching some of their particular neuroses on display on Sports Xtra. Reaction to that loss in Anaheim was hilarious; I swear the showed that bunt play like six times in a row. Put things in perspective.
They were also very supportive of Beckett's dickhead behavior and closed the quick recap of the Yankees game by saying "'Jabba the Hut' Joba Chamberlain gets the loss." Wishful thinking?
They gave Marte big set-up man money to be the #2 behind Mo. If Billy Butler and Brayan Pena beat him, you tip your cap to them. I would have gone to bed saying "Marte sucks," but that would have been it.
If Girardi can trust Melky Cabrera 1st and 3rd no-out in the sixth, then he should be able to trust Marte to get one more out.
In the space of four batters, Girardi "managed" to insult a veteran (Marte) and potentially hurt the growing confidence of a kid (Coke) who should never have been in the game in the first place.
I woulda stayed with Veras even after the walk, he was getting squeezed but his stuff and his location looked fine. Coke on the other hand had NOTHING.
[16] Veras did get squeezed. In fact, on the 3-1 pitch that was called Ball 4, even Butler stayed in the box because it was so obviously a strike.
Even so, Marte should have been left in to get Butler.
My wife and I enjoy Cadbury Creme Eggs too, especially the original and orange ones!
;)
Oh, I forgot... Get well soon Emma!
;)