Tie Breaker
Posted on Apr 15, 2009 4:09 pm
By Cliff Corcoran
Andy Pettitte takes the hill this afternoon looking to send the Yankees home with a win. Pettitte was fantastic against the Royals on Friday (7 IP, 1 R, 6 K, just four baserunners). In his last start against the Rays, last July, he was even better (8 IP, 0 R, 5 K, four baserunners), though that came at home and his results in three previous starts against the Rays were more mixed.
Johnny Damon, who missed yesterday’s game due to the flu, returns to the lineup this afternoon, bumping Derek Jeter back into the leadoff spot and Brett Gardner down to the seven hole. Damon takes the place of the ailing Xavier Nady who is out indefinitely due to a tear in his right elbow (more specific news is still pending as Nady waits to see the team doctors). The rest of the lineup is the same as last night’s with Jorge Posada at DH and Ramiro Peña at third base.
That lineup will face 26-year-old righty Andy Sonnanstine, who had a rough outing against the Orioles last week (4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K) and last faced the Yankees a year and one day ago, also at the Trop, and was even worse (3 1/3 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 HR). Of the three Yankees who homered of him in that game, only Damon is in today’s lineup (Alex Rodriguez and Morgan Ensberg were the other two).
Everyone’s wearing number 42 today in recognition of Jackie Robinson day. Whereas wearing the number was elective in past years, this year it’s manditory for everyone.
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Yahoo! says the game is being delayed. Is it raining inside the Trop?
/snark off
[1] I’m guessing it’s due to some kind of Jackie Robinson related ceremony?
Either that or Swisher rolled a ball into the Drays dugout and they’re brawling right now.
[2] Thanks, knuckles. Despite Czar Bud’s best efforts, I forgot it was Jackie Robinson Day. (And would someone please tell Seligula that when its a couple of players who request to wear #42 to honor him, its a nice gesture – but when he makes everyone do it, it comes off as contrived bs? Bud is pretty good at contrived bs, though.)
I bet Swisher could take on the whole Rays team, and the actual rays they keep in that tank in the OF, by himself.
Agreed on the #42 thing Shaun. It loses the impact when it’s mandatory.
Still, nice to see everyone honoring Mo today.
My whole thing is this: Someone like Brett Myers, who was parading his kid around in a confederate flag t-shirt during spring training, is going to “honor” Jackie Robinson? Seriously?
the delay was due to some power outage caused by yesterday’s storms.
is wakefield really throwing a freaking no-hitter thru 5?! i’m allowed to speak of this when it’s NOT our team…right?! : )
yeah, i think the whole 42 thing is a bit much. the clemente kick of retiring 21 is also. i do wish Larry Doby got more credit, credibility and was talked about more often…
I have great respect for Clemente, but I don’t get the “Retire 21″ thing at all.
Anyone with TWC have a blank screen, but sound? I do.
I think the pointless number retirement that can’t be topped is the NHL with 99. What was Wayne Gretzky’s lasting social impact? That cartoon he did with Jordan and Bo Jackson?
Never mind, it’s back
Doby deserves more credit. So does Minnie Minoso. The idea of retiring 21 for Clemente seems crazy.
wake has a no-no thru 6. i’ve gotta go teach. go A’s – get some hits!!!
Let’s GO YAN-KEES !! !!!
[8] [12] agreed.
have a good game y’all…
[13] The YES guys keep saying he’s got a perfect game going, but Boston has an error on the board.
Retiring any more numbers MLB-wide, to me, just dilutes the tribute of retiring 42 MLB-wide to honor Jackie Robinson. Its a great honor because its done for only one guy. Its like the everyone wearing #42 today thing.
Any suggestions for possible OFers to be had?
Swisher has a big “X” on the inside of his left forearm. Is that a previously existing tattoo, or a magic marker tribute to Nady?
I agree… but maybe a future retired number for the first openly gay player?
j/k.
[18] Piazza?
OYF, how about Damon, Gardner, and Swisher? The Yankees don’t need a starter, they need bench guy, preferably a righty. Hmmm. Shelley Duncan anyone?
OYF @ 18: Why just kidding?
[20] That assumes Matsui is an effective DH. That is still to be seen.
The Yanks missed it. Yaki slid OVER Homeplate and never touched it. The Ump did NOT call him safe. If the Yanks tagged him, we have a scoreless inning.
[21] Nah… they wouldn’t retire his number. The shower room maybe…
Canobiwan!
Oh, of course, because it’s Robinson Day (as Flash reminds us).
Dontcha know???
[5] Sure, why not? Repping the stars and bars does not automatically make one a racist.
[8][12] Given the reverence Clemente has around Puerto Rico and hispanic players in general (I’ve played in leagues dedicated to Clemente), it doesn’t seem that far-fetched. I don’t have a dog in this fight, and it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other, I’m just sayin…
[16][20] A bench guy, a part time player. If a FA is signed or if Shelly’s called up, another roster move will have to be made, as I think the Yanks are at their limit, unless a trade is made. But it looks like Melky takes Nady’s spot on the bench.
God, that was actually a really nice play by Pena.
Send the runner already! Jesus they have one fast guy. Let him run!
See they waited too long.
Crud.
Cone couldn’t relay that signal down to Girardi in time, huh? ;-)
Hmm. Pettitte doesn’t look too sharp. Still, I don’t think the Yanks are done scoring.
3-2, top 5th. How was Cano’s tater??
I hope Cashman brings up Jackson and we don’t go down the Geoff Jenkins-retread route..
[33] Crushed.
The problem with bringing up Jackson is that if he doesn’t play every day, it retards his development. Is that the plan, play him every day? It could be pretty frustrating watching him learn on the job, in the Bronx.
[34] Tanks!
if A-Rod is back, can’t the O survive with a light-hitting OF?
If the OF is Swisher, Damon and Gardner most of the time, Nady’s absence won’t be that big of a deal. I think if Swisher goes back to his typical (read: not last year) line, then he’s a suitable replacement. It’s just on those off days things might get a little weird.
[35] Yes, but in that case why not just stick with what we have now? We *have* a couple of good-fielding, weak-hitting OFers to go with Damon and Swisher.
The Rays’ running game has not been effective, it seems to me. I think they’ve given away a whole lot of outs with it.
[32] Seems like he’s not especially wild, but everything he pitches comes back the other way as a line drive…
What a cool shot of Andy talking to himself.
Gardner, Pena and Molina all in the lineup will not lead to many runs.
Just turned the game on. All the 42s look incredibly stupid. Can Bud go away now?
Joe Nelson looked REALLY good there.
[42] P.S. Bud made me make that comment in honor of Jackie.
Who is going to be the next Commish?? Wonder if Suzyn Waldman is interested..
The bottom of this lineup is way too weak to run out there with great frequency. Nady’s injury may be the catalyst, but I think the Yankees need to make a move before Arod returns.
Should have pinch hit for Molina!
(Scans bench.)
Never mind.
Molina vs Balfour..this is not going to lead to a run.
At least Matsui’s walk cleared the pitcher…I mean the Molina.
Well, Matsui’s walk did achieve one thing: cleared Molina, and we get to start with Jeter in the eighth.
[48] Genius!