Rodriguez singled on the first pitch he saw from Price in the first inning, a fastball, and then Price got him out the next time on off-speed pitches. Now, he went after Rodriguez with more soft stuff. Rodriguez fouled pitches off, good pitches, nasty pitches. Until he saw 11, almost all soft (3 hard fastballs mixed in there for good measure). It was a riveting at bat and if Yankee fans felt that Rodriguez was bound to whiff at least he wasn’t making it easy on Price.
Then he struck out on a change-up, or was it a slider? Doesn’t matter. Rodriguez was booed–unfairly, it says here–on his walk back to the dugout. Robinson Cano was next and the 1-1 pitch was a 97-mph fastball, right down the middle. Cano put a good swing on it but fouled it off. He too ruined a couple of good pitches by Price before grounding out weakly to second base to end the threat. Cano was not booed but he had the best chance of the inning–the one true mistake that Price made (I’m not including the two walks).
That ended Price’s night but it was also as close as the Yanks would come (Eric Chavez, pinch-hitting in the eighth inning, represented the tying run and missed a fat pitch, fouling it off, that could well keep him up tonight if he’s the sensitive kind). Just a nervy performance by Price in the fifth.
C.C. Sabathia had an effective slider but made a few too many mistakes (an error by Rodriguez did him no favors, either) as the Rays escaped New York with a win.
Final Score: Rays 7, Yanks 3.
The Yanks couldn’t take advantage of an Orioles loss to move into first place so they remain in second as our attention turns to the dreaded Subway Serious. You can guess the narrative: the Mets are scrappy, full of gamers–they’ve got spunk! they’ve got heart! they’ve got guts!–they are fun, they are what baseball is supposed to be about. The Yankees, meanwhile, are boring and bloated, overpaid, a regular snoozefest. Wonder who the reporters are pulling for?
[Photo Credit: Bags; Seth Wenig/AP; Jim McIsaac/Getty Images]
Tex didn't help any in the 5th.
[1] He walked to load the bases, didn't he? That's helping. Or am I mistaken?
Who are these idiots booing A-Rod after that monumental, but, alas fruitless at-bat?
Yankee fans used to be as knowledgeable and devoted as they were loud and vulgar. Now the people coming to the Stadium seem to be spoiled and boorish (as well as loud and vulgar).
Sorry for the sweeping generalizations. Just talking about what I hear from the telecasts.
[3] Whatever the case, the stadium crowd never defined me. It's too bad they nevertheless represent Yankee fans so poorly.
[3] They're the spoiled band wagon idiots. They expect success every time, and weren't around for the dark 1980s.
I was at the game last night, the booing of A-Rod was beyond idiotic.
I guess it's a case of "ya payz ur monez, ya duz as ya feelz". The New Yankee Stadium fosters this type of attitude. A moat around the insanely priced seats that are fairly empty. Ownership that lives on the pomp and circumstance of heritage and past glory. Baseball played by the fat book, with little forward thinking and gut.
Granderson struck out four times yesterday. Was he booed? Arod has always been difficult to love even in his current elder statesman status. He made a costly error last night. He's not been driving the ball with consistency this year. The thought that the team is obligated for 5 more years at $30M per is daunting (with a deal made when Arod emphatically stated he had no PED past). In the fifth inning, he did have a heroic AB against a premier pitcher at his peak performance, and he was not able to come through. I think the boos are more about cumulative frustration.
I love the Yankees and cut my fandom teeth during the darkest days of the late 60's and early seventies. I might not boo Arod, but I don't have to like him. Band Wagon?