The Yanks have two reliable starters–C.C. Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. Neither have been terrific of late and right when the team needs them the most. This especially true of Sabathia who has been their Little Big Man. Tonight, a win would put the Yankees two games ahead of the Orioles with a chance to make it three tomorrow. But Sabathia did not pitch like an ace, giving up five runs in 6.1 innings. The Orioles hit three home runs against him.
Meanwhile, the Yanks scored a run in the first and a run in the second against Joe Saunders but then he tantalized them with an effective combination of change-ups and breaking pitches (his fastball topped out at 87-88 mph), retiring ten in a row at one point. Yankee hitters just missed hitting home runs and they struck out in key situations. Example: they had men on first and second with one out in the sixth when Russell Martin whiffed and Curtis Granderson, you guessed it, struck out too.
Nick Swisher is 0-for his last-23, 2-38.
Mark Teixeira was called out on a close pitch against Pedro Strop with one out in the eighth. It was a full count and the damn pitch looked outside. I don’t know about you but I was screaming from my couch at home. Ken Singleton, ever the diplomat, said on the YES broadcast that it was too close to take.
Alex Rodriguez crushed the first pitch he saw from Strop, a fastball, over the center field fence for a homer and when a 1-1 breaking ball to Robinson Cano looked outside Rodriguez started yelling from the dugout at the ump. Cano walked and Russell Martin got ahead, 3-1, fouled off a fastball right over the plate, just a little too high to do anything with, and then lined a base hit, off another high fastball, to right center.
That put runners at first and third and ended Strop’s night. Brian Matusz relieved him and faced Curtis-5-for-his-last-42-Granderson. Eduardo Nunez pinch running for Martin. A ball, a called strike, a ball, then a fastball over the plate and Grandy got under it: a harmless pop up to the catcher.
Fail.
In the ninth, Ichiro singles to left to open the inning against Jim Johnson. Eric Chavez singles to left on the first pitch he saw.
Hey, Now.
Jeter and nerves a plenty round my way. Does he bunt? The Orioles play the infield in. He bunts…and gets a base hit.
Swisher. Bases loaded, nobody out. Soft ground ball to short, too slow for a double play. Run scores, 5-4. The relay throw to first bounced and Mark Reynolds made a nice play to field it and stay on the bag. They just get Swisher.
Ball one in the dirt to Teixeira. Fastball low, 2-0. Change up, up in the zone, outer part of the plate and good for a called strike. Fastball, same spot, called strike two. Curve ball, fouled off, barely. And then, a sinker. Teixeira hits a soft grounder to second, they go to second for the first out. Teixeira hobbling down the line dives head first into the bag and beats the play. Easily.
And Jerry Meals calls him out.
During this string of poor play, this has to count as one of the most dispiriting losses. It went from disappointing to infuriating.
The ump may have cost them a chance to win at the end but the majority of this one rests on Sabathia’s shoulders. There’s no way to soften it, unless he’s pitching hurt, which is a possibility, who knows? Regardless, he’s supposed to be The Stopper, The Ace, and right now, he’s a Grade A Dud.
As a side note, Sabathia hit Nick Markakis in the thumb with a pitch. Markakis left the game and was later seen in the dugout with his hand wrapped. Buck Showalter came over and gave him a hug. He’s a likable player and a damn good one too. But Markakis is out six weeks, and man, you hate to see that.
There was pain to go around tonight, even for the winners.
[Photo Credit: Brechtbug]
Girardi is very grumpy
He's got company.
"Is CC healthy?"
"For the third time yes. Yes, he's healthy."
"Well, it's part of the game."
"I know but I was asked three times."
"Still part of the game."
"No. I'm not lying. One time is sufficient."
Then the guy said something I couldn't quite make out, but I think it was "You're making big money as Yankee manager, it's part of the game"
Girardi just shook his head, annoyed. I would be too, geez.
If the Yankees lose tomorrow you'd have to say that's rock bottom. However, I've already projected past that. If the Yanks lost 2 of 3 to the Red Sox this week, THAT will be rock bottom.
I'll wake up with a dose of optimism but right now, thinking about Freddy Garcia, man, I'm not feeling it.
Man, that play isn't even close. Clearly safe.
Markakis: six weeks, broken thumb.
Tex is heated. Also said he doesn't feel as good as he'd like and probably won't play tomorrow.
The only sliver lining I can take from this game is we were spared from seeing the Yanks lose in extras. Oi.
Incredible that the AP story doesn't even mention the call:
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320908101
[9] Yes it does.
"The Yankees, meanwhile, were angry over the way the game ended. Mark Teixeira, in his return from a strained left calf, was called out at first base at the end of a double play despite a desperate head-first slide.
Replays, however, indicated the call by umpire Jerry Meals was wrong."
[1,],[2],[5],[10] Good. Hopefully the fire is lit and they start beating the snot out of these guys and the rest of the mugs that come at them in September. If a game like this doesn't put them on notice, nothing will.
[6] That's a shame... even though it might help us.
It happened to ARod, and it's happened many times to many players.
I guess it's part of the game, another random type event that can have a big effect on a team's eventual outcome.
But I hate to see it.
"Postgame Chaos: Girardi got into it with Joel Sherman of the Post, too. They were separated at one point."
It takes a lot to provoke Girardi.
It seems pretty obvious that Joe and the entire team are pressing and stressing.
Obviously, with Teix and ARod back, we are playing better ball.
Is either/both Granderson and Swisher start hitting, we might still win this thing.
But the boys are very tight.
I wouldn't want to see the guys like this in the PS.
Yeah, hate to see that happen to Markakis. I suppose this means someone's gonna get plunked today.
Girardi seems to be really stressed out lately.
I sometimes wish the Yanks would have orchestrated a decent trade for Markakis several years ago ala Paul O'Neill. It would have made a difference in my opinion. Now it's probably too late for any decent long term production, which is probably when they figure to pounce :'
There seems to a be culture of whining coming from the higher ups in the front office that I'm sure even George would not have approved of. When umpires make bad calls, you hear about it for days from top to botartom in the media as if they just cost them the World Series. I'm freakin' tired of the whining.; maybe if they hit when they had guys on base, the bad calls wouldn't be an issue. How about throwing strikes more often than not? In regards to Girardi, I don't think he's much different than he already was; very tightly wound any ready to blow at any moment; not unlike his performance in 2008. Gotta wonder if shit's been rolling downhill on Girardi for a while now (for the record, I hope not and that he just needs a break.)
14) I don't blame Joe for being pissed. He apparently had to be restrained for going at it with Joel Sherman last night.
(15) Sherman is annoying but you never want the manager to act like that..Joe ain't Billy Martin, he should know better.
More enjoyable baseball news: Mike Trout!! Amazing!! Just a joy to watch that guy play baseball, how many more times can he make catches like that??
Trout is incredible. Too bad he plays for the Angels.
[18] For now... (bwah-hah-hah) okay, likely forever, but hey. We need scouts like that...
19) So does every other team in the majors...
[16] Yeah, I saw the story here. Girardi called Sherman into his office to ream him out.
[21] Seems like Sherman was embarrassed by not having a thoughtful question and decided to be a dick when Giradi snapped at him. Whether Girardi should have taken the high road or not, Sherman deserved a dressing down for not doing his own job.
I didn't get to watch the end of the game, but was tracking it on my phone while out to dinner. I was irritated enough to see that the Yanks scored only once after loading the bases with none out, but then I came home and watched the recording. Holy Jesus.
One thing about Girardi. It seems like most of the time managers don't have an angle on most plays and usually argue based on the reactions of their players. I simply couldn't believe that with the HUGE reaction from Teixeira, and especially that of Kelleher who was actually watching the play, Girardi didn't move from the dugout. Would it have made a difference? Obviously not. But he needed to be out there supporting his players, supporting his team.