Have you had enough Yankees-Red Sox today? Don’t worry, the next game starts in 12 hours. The Yanks pulled out a win in ten innings in Part I of tonight’s baseball extravaganza, but couldn’t do it again, losing to Boston 7-6 in ten.
A.J. Burnett was not good, teetering on the edge of disaster all night, but hey, teetering on the edge is better than where Burnett has usually been of late, careening over the edge and into a ravine. He ended up getting through six innings and giving up four runs, leaving with the game tied. Of course, he also made a Chuck Knoblauch-style bonehead play in the fourth inning (I wanted to just call that “pulling a Knoblauch,” but that would probably imply a crazy Steve Blass-style errant throw, rather than the ol’ arguing-with-an-umpire-while-the-run-scores ploy. It’s never a good sign when “pulling a [Your Name Here]” could refer to any one of a number of fuck-ups): he argued a close call at first base in the fourth inning, while Daniel Nava scored from third. Sigh. I do not look forward to seeing Burnett try and tightrope-walk his way through a playoff start.
Anyway, a Francisco Cervelli single and a Hideki Okajima wild pitch gave the Yanks a 6-4 lead in the seventh, but Ivan Nova gave it right back in the eighth by, of all things, walking Kevin Cash with the bases loaded. That’s… not good. He did get out of it, and pitched a slightly too-eventful but scoreless ninth inning — before giving up the game-winning hit in the tenth, to somebody named “Eric Patterson”. Not a great night for Nova, but would you rather see Burnett or Vazquez in there in a playoff game? I’m not sure anymore.
Fun Fact: As of the end of their half of the ninth, the Yankees were FOUR FOR THIRTY-FOUR with runners in scoring position over the course of the double header. By the end of the 10th I believe it was four for thirty-six. Oy.
Discussion question: what percentage of double-headers are split, do you think? Taking a stab in the dark without doing any research, I’d guess something like 80%, does that sound about right? If so, I wonder how much higher that percentage is than for regular two-day, two-game series.
Additional discussion question: If the Wild Card did not exist, how many strokes would I have had tonight, and of what severity?
As of right now, October 3 2010, I'm completely fed up. I don't want to see AJ Burnett throw another pitch for the New York Yankees.
if the Wild Card didn't exist, I have to imagine Girardi wouldn't have stopped trying a few weeks back, so this game might not have mattered. You would think, right?
Historically, a little under a half of all doubleheaders are swept.
let's go First Place! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!
Moseley's good enough today, and the Royals get it done. It's money. Print it. Spend it.
Easy to second guess, but it would have been better perhaps not to use Hughes and Mo in game one, so Mo rather than Nova or whoever could finish game two.
Glad I didn't get to see this one...would have been infuriating. Looks like the Rays lock up first place today. And to think, a week or more ago some we saying how the yankees had no chance for the division so the smart move was rest, rest, rest those players. And yet, as it turns out, if they hadn't rest, rest, rested so many players for the last month, they proabably would have sealed the division by now.
Funny game, baseball. And hard too.
wouldn't we rather play minnesota anyway?
If there was no WC, my dog certainly would have sought a hiding place in our new house from about 4:30 to 1:00. Maybe he would have made an appearance whist they cleared out Fenway between games. Who knows? Bleh. Those games were fugly. Not to give AJ an excuse, but he did beat have that guy to first. Good call, blue.
[5] Why? To avoid facing 110 ERA+ with Texas Cliff Lee? To play the team with second best record in baseball? To play on the road where the Yankees are 43-37?
[4] Eh, I won't second guess using Mo and Hughes in the first game. I'm not a big fan of saving guys when you have a potential win in hand.
The Yankees also squandered numerous scoring opportunities as well. While I won't second guess using Hughes and Mo in the 1st game, I will second guess using Royce Ring.
[2] Thanks Bob! interesting... I would've sworn more double-headers were split, but the mind is a tricky thing.
8) normally maybe, but with a doubleheader scheduled? Also, if you are going to use Mo ingame one, then by all means save Phil. He was scheduled to get some work this weekend, but using him for only one inning is a near total waste. Either bring him in for a few innings inn game one, or plan to use him to relieve AJ, which is pretty much a guaranteed situation.
Anyway, maybe the Royals get lucky today and Mosely recaptures that lightning.