So Phil Hughes took a no-hitter into the eighth inning last night. How can this afternoon’s starter match that? Well, CC Sabathia has already taken a no-no into the eighth this season, getting two outs further than Hughes did last night, so he’ll have to come up with a new trick. Completing the Yankees second straight sweep and extending their winning streak to seven games would be sufficient.
CC needed just 73 pitches to get through six innings while striking out nine Rangers (and walking none) his last time out, and over his last two starts he’s allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 14 in 13 2/3 innings. He’ll face crafty 26-year-old lefty Dallas Braden this afternoon. Braden has shown improvement in each of his last two big-league campaigns and has been sharp in the early going, starting 2010 with three quality starts, all leading to Oakland wins. He faced the Yankees just once last year and was torched in the Bronx (seven runs on ten hits and six walks in 5 2/3 IP). A week later, an infected rash on his foot ended his season.
Nick Swisher returns to the lineup this afternoon while Curtis Granderson yeilds to Marcus Thames against the lefty Braden. Brett Gardner is in center. Francisco Cervelli catches the day game after the night game. After Cano, the lineup is Swisher, Thames, Cervelli, Gardner.
Pirates teased their fans for the first 10 games .... back to reality since ... losing 16-0 to Brewers today.
Hopefully Thames doesn't get lost out in that expansive McAfee outfield. About the only long-term concern for this team seems to be the backup LF combo of Thames/Winn.
Not exactly the most intimidating line-up after the first five. Ah, no worries!
jeter is really working his p/pa.
damnit cc, i need you to do well today!
Doesn't look like a no hitter today.
Suzuki now has 3 HRs lifetime against CC....he kills the Yankees.
that sucks.
The fastball to Suzuki seems so obviously like a bad call, it makes you wonder how both CC and Cervelli could agree to throw it.
[9] i think it was more like a slider that didn't slide, or a cutter that didn't cut.
uh oh we aren't supposed to be losing!!
Getting behind 3-0 really plays into a guy like Braden, who changes speeds and throws strikes.
If the Yankees win this game, I'll be very impressed. It's a day game before a flight, so it would be easy to just pack this one in, especially after your ace gives up an early three.
[10] Game day has a 93mph sinker, which would be a fastball.
The Yankees probably need to look for another 4th outfielder.
[13] wouldn't that be a sinker?
i don't think it was so much a bad idea as right down the middle of the plate
[14] A sinker is a fastball...just one with more downward action than normal.
Ok, get at least least a couple back. Or take the lead even.
I prefer the patient Nick Johnson who walks instead of making outs.
Braden is going to kill the Yankees with his changes...only Arod and Swisher have been able to sit back on it so far.
Getting people out with 74 mph changeups is f$%$ing annoying.
From STATS.COM:
Red Sox catchers have thrown out 1 of 35 basestealers thus far in 2010, worst in MLB.
[20] Makes you appreciate how good Arod is. In his AB, he waited perfectly and lined out the other way. Most everyone else has tried to pull it, which wont get it done.
CC is going to kick himself over that first pitch fastball to Suzuki.
I wonder why pitchers throw guys like Nick Johnson and Daric Barton 3-2 curves off the plate. They aren't going to swing at them.
Robbie C. Nice dp.
[24] i think it was supposed to be a strike and he just pulled it
kffl.com reporting Ellsbury doesn't have bruised ribs, but FRACTURED ribs ....
ouch!
[27] Along with the fractured psyches of the Red Sox catchers. I am crushed.
PeteAbe tweets that Ellsbury has hairline fractures of *4* ribs.
I realize hitters like to work off the fast ball, but you have to sit change against Braden. His fastball is 86-87, so it's not like you can't react to it.
this umpire kinda sucks
Very sloppy game.
Not a happy game. I was driving during the first couple of innings. After the Suzuki homer, John Sterling said... well, take a guess. For A-Rod's first at bat, we got a "Driven to deep right field, that ball is high, it is... caught a few steps in front of the track. I thought it was going further."
Ouch.
Well, at least Mo gets the day off.
[33] to be fair, i thought it was going a lot further off the bat too.
[34] Did you go into your home run call, too?
That's a start.
Maybe the Yankees don't need a new 4th outfielder?
They call him MISTER Thames!
[38]
Was anyone aware that Marcus's middle name was Markley?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thamema01.shtml
We have our own Marky Mark!
[29] Ouch. Cracking ribs by colliding with Adrian Beltre. That's an unusual injury.
it amazes me that Cervelli is hitting .625. super small sample but i love it!
I was just thinking the good thing about Gardner is he never hits into double plays.
gardner into a dp? that's odd.
CC looks like he had too much home cooking the last few days. There must be hundreds of Vallejoans in the stands today (and probably on his dime).
Yeah! Marcus Thames...
Garder, doubled up?
I'm only half listening to the game. Very, very sub-optimal. And to to think that I missed the game last night, which was on TV here!
Sigh.
Put a tent on that circus!
Yeah, as opposed to crunching nuts...
That's 2.
GameDay makes it look like they're whacking the ball all over the field, and it's just landing in fielders' gloves. Is anyone watching? Are the outs line drives, or lazy flies?
Nice. Too bad OB artist NJ hit weekly to second (again), before Tex's HR.
Damn! JUST foul.
Rats...looked like Braden might be tiring.
[49] Neither, exactly -- some blasts that didn't quite blast enough.
Weird ... anyone know why Braden was mad at Alex?
What the hell was Braden bitching about? A-Rod gave him the brush off motion. lol
Kind of looks like Jeter has lost his new found range.
Posada'd.
What did Arod do to piss off Braden? He is such a gentleman when he runs the bases, I can't imagine.
Meh ... *not* a good game for the big fella.
This game has a Meat-Tray feel to it ...
Very nice!!!
This game is now worth watching!
Did we really just see a triple play?
HOLY CRAP!!!!
I've NEVER seen a triple play live before.
5-4-3 TP.
Can't predict baseball.
Man, I stood up to heat up some food and only heard Kenny's call from the kitchen. Fuck a duck. Nice replay. : /
Did I really just miss a triple play peeling potatoes?
Remember that game a couple years ago when Alex thought he had a triple play but then realized he'd recorded the same out twice?
[67] First one by the Yankees in 42 years.
Doesn't seem like the triple play woke the bats up much ...
[68] That was the Jeter dive into the stands game.
[68] that was the jeter flying into the stands game in 04.
i also remember chili davis hitting into a dp on a hit and run in 99 or so (line drive right to the 2b).
[70] If anything, it made them more quiet.
Hard to explain today's offensive effort, except to say, that's baseball.
sorry, tp
Wow, really? I remember both plays clearly, but I didn't remember they were in the same game. [71] [72]
The Yankees could lose this game on one very bad decision by Sabathia and Cervelli.
[75] yeah and i always thought arod's was the better play, even if afterwards instead of getting bruised up he just looked like an idiot. i can't believe that was almost 6 years ago.
[76] it's incredible that anyone ever gets away with a first pitch fastball.
[77] Much less one that comes in the first inning after walking the first batters and against a hitter who has touched you for a homer twice before. All of the stars seemed to scream for an off speed, but alas.
Gardner really needs to make more an effort to learn how to bunt.
Was Jeter jogging down the line on that?
Nick's patience at watching called 3rd strikes on the inside corner is unmatched.
Even with six walks, and a general lack of command, CC gutted out a winable performance. I hope the offence picks him up in the ninth.
Why swing down 2!!! That was ball 4.
The Yankees played a very lazy, sloppy game today. Things have been coming so easy, that it would have been nice to seem them battle a little bit more after falling behind early.
Bollocks. Can't win 'em all.
Dang, I did not realize it was an afternoon game, completely missed it. And a triple play, too.
[85] Nope, they can't, but they should come close when Sabathia is on the mound against a lineup as weak as this one. 11-4 is nothing to fret about, but this wasn't a good effort by the Yankees in a game they should have won.
Dallas Braden is a cry baby and should be suspended for his silly comments. I'd love to see Girardi fire back at him strongly.
I love Arod's response...he slapped him down by saying he never heard a pitcher say "stay off my mound", especially by a pitcher with a "handful of wins".
Good game at Fenway.
Not so good anymore. Though, in another way, even better.
good night cleveland, there will be no encore...
matsui has 4 homers for the halos and boBBy has two doubles tonight, amongst his 3 hits...