Baltimore Orioles VI: Bambi vs. Godzilla
Posted on Sep 11, 2009 5:14 pm
By Cliff Corcoran
The Yankees are 12-3 against the Orioles this year and 12-1 against them since the third day of the season. Last week, the Yanks swept the O’s in a three-game series in Baltimore, outscoring them 24-9. The Yankees now welcome the Orioles to the Bronx having just swept the third-place Rays in four games amid one of the most dominant second-half runs in major league history. The O’s are 12-25 (.324) since the trading deadline and have won just two of their last eight stretching back through that last series against the Yankees.
What makes this series different, other than its location, is that the Yankees get their first look at the O’s two young starting prospects, Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz, who start tonight and tomorrow. Tillman is a tall, skinny, 21-year-old righty who came over in the Erik Bedard trade. Matusz is an equally tall (though not as skinny), 22-year-old lefty who was drafted out of college with the fourth overall pick last year. Neither has had much success in the majors thus far, but they, along with catcher Matt Wieters and outfielders Nick Markakis, Adam Jones (currently on the DL with a bad back), and to a lesser degree Nolan Riemold, should be thorns in the Yankees’ side for years to come. Thus far, Matusz, the polished college product has had more success, though per my man Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus, Tillman remains the better prospect and a potential ace.
Taking on Tillman tonight (weather permitting, and it don’t look good) is Andy Pettitte, who has been ace-like himself in the second half, going 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA while the Yankees have won his last seven starts. Johnny Damon sits out the bad weather with a stiff back. Melky’s in left with Gardner in center, those two hits 8th and 9th. Swisher hits 2nd.
Baltimore Orioles
2009 Record: 56-83 (.403)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 60-79 (.432)
Manager: Dave Trembley
General Manager: Andy MacPhail
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Oriole Park at Camden Yards (103/104)
Who’s Replaced Whom:
- Jeffrey Fiorentino (minors) has replaced Adam Jones (DL)
- September additions: Justin Turner (IF), Guillermo Rodriguez (C), Dennis Sarfate (RHP-DL), Matt Albers (RHP), Bob McCrory (RHP), Chris Waters (LHP), Alberto Castillo (LHP), Sean Henn (LHP)
25-man Roster:
1B – Ty Wigginton (R)
2B – Brian Roberts (S)
SS – Cesar Izturis (S)
3B – Melvin Mora (R)
C – Matt Wieters (R)
RF – Nick Markakis (L)
CF – Felix Pie (L)
LF – Nolan Reimold (L)
DH – Luke Scott (L)
Bench:
L – Michael Aubrey (1B)
R – Robert Andino (IF)
R – Chad Moeller (C)
L – Jeffrey Fiorentio (OF)
R – Justin Turner (IF)
R – Guillermo Rodriguez (C)
Rotation:
R – Jeremy Guthrie
R – David Hernandez
R – Jason Berken
R – Chris Tillman
L – Brian Matusz
Bullpen:
R – Jim Johnson
R – Danys Baez
R – Chris Ray
R – Brian Bass
R – Cla Meredith
R – Kam Mickolio
L – Mark Hendrickson
R – Dennis Sarfate
R – Matt Albers
L – Chris Waters
L – Alberto Castillo
L – Sean Henn
15-day DL: CF – Adam Jones (back), RHP – Koji Uehara (torn elbow tendon)
60-day DL: OF – Luis Montanez (torn thumb ligament), RHP – Brad Bergesen (shin bruise), LHP – Rich Hill (torn labrum), RHP – Alfredo Simon (elbow ligament surgery)
Typical lineup:
S – Brian Roberts (2B)
L – Felix Pie (CF)
R – Nolan Reimold (LF)
L – Nick Markakis (RF)
R – Melvin Mora (3B)
R – Matt Wieters (C)
L – Luke Scott (DH)
R – Ty Wigginton (1B)
S – Cesar Izturis (SS)
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Wasn’t Michael Aubrey once a high-touted Indians prospect?
And speaking of former prospects, I wonder if Sean Henn will get to pitch in this series?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBkc2jK-6w
Whats up folks?
New to the banter community, just wanted to share the link. The title of the post reminded me very much of watching Godzilla with my dad when I was younger. One of his old movies we had was prefaced by the short “Bambi meets Godzilla”. Good stuff.
Weather-wise its dismal here in VT, heard it wasn’t much different down there in NYC. But if it goes on, enjoy the game tonight. I won’t get to watch it, all the bars have NESN via cable up here. Go Yanks!
Yankees are a juggernaut, the Orioles are patsies. Which is why I worry about losing the series.
As for the weather, on today, even The Sky is Crying
[2] Welcome to the Banter! Good clip.
I’m at the stadium now …. The warning track is a quagmire. Don’t think they should play but you know they’ll wait 3 hours.
[2] yes welcome.
yeah might be tough to get this puppy in – too bad.
and old friend chad moeller (aka your 7th grade chemistry teacher) is in the o’s lineup tonight.
[1] Yes he was, but he had trouble staying healthy, I believe a bad back was the primary problem.
YES in Official Rain-Delay Programming (Yankeeography)…
Rain-delay..oh well, Seattle-Texas on tv in an hour here (yawn….)
Why is it that even with different managers and a very new roster filled with young go-getters, the Orioles continually bomb in the 2nd half of the season? It’s bizarre…
Fire Girardi.
Dang, I so want a nap, and then, I don’t want to miss a Jeter at bat. I need an alarm that will go off if they actually play.
Then again, thanks to mlb’s ridiculous black out rules and the criminal deal Angelos struck with Selig so that his team could continue to suck criminally while he pockets revenue, I can’t get the game on mlb tv. Radio only. Because in DC, I’m in the Orioles “market.” Bad enough that I’m a native NY’er, away from home who wants his team’s damn games, because that’s what mlb tv is for, but even if I was from here, I wouldn’t give a flying fig about the stupid, crappy Orioles.
[10] What now? Or is that just out of principle…
petey posted that they will come to a decision within the next 15 minutes, so by about 7:45pm we should know
[11] Ever been to the “VACE” deli up on Connecticu Ave? Near Cleveland Park? They make a mighty fine sandwich there!
Peter Angelos..blechhh….
[12] Right, I think it’s just important to get it in once in a while, just in case we missed something horrible that he did.
8:20pm start time folks
Woo hoo, game on at 8:20!
Excellent. Figured they’d push to get this one in, and fortunately the rain let up.
Oh, no!
I’m not near the tevee machine until later so I was actually hoping for a delay of about a 10pm start time. :(
I am happy to see there will be a game, though, to go home to.
But I am :( that I always seem to miss my beloved Andy.
[14] I travel very little around this city. Working on broadening the circle of my peregrinations, but don’t really make it up that way for much of anything. Will keep it in mind.
[16],[17] I had just started watching Lan tou He on DVD, but oh well… I can deal with experiencing the Tao of Jeter for a little while >;)
Girardi said earlier on ESPN radio that he thought Andy would be pitching with a “heavy heart” tonight due to the anniversary of 9/11. It was an off the cuff assessment that I thought was insightful and well-worded.
[15] Excellent idea. The Romans used to inlcude in all of their prayers to the gods a formula like “and to all the gods known and unknown to the Roman people…”), just to make sure not to play it safe.
We should probably think of doing this every game thread. Maybe “Girardi sucks” could/should replace “First!”
Hmmmmm, Guinesss………….I’d be watchiing anyway but Jeter’s ab’s give a bit more meaning to a misty Friday night against a putrid O’s team.. Too bad no Coney or no O’Neill. Uh-oh, it’s the hats.
still looks nasty out there
[23] “…sure
notto play it safe.”I won’t pay for MLB.tv…but I would consider paying so that we can edit posts after the fact.
Oh, and what a freakshow IF Jeter gets a hit and then the the deluge comes in the 4th. : /
[24] amen just fair to both points (announcers, hats).
i had to miss coney when i was out of town the week before.
and we got an andrew eugene pettitte.
Jeez, that IS some rain coming down. The Sox game started in similar weather. The Rays got a couple of guys on and then, boom, rain delay in the top of the first.
[27] Yikes, I had not thought of that!
maybe they wanted po in the game tonight in case derek broke the record, and i am not really complaining, but i think i might have let frankie brains deal with the weather
[31] Girarid could have punted the whole lineup with house money but that would have seemed bizarre.
someone please tell me why they’re wearing red hats
I really don’t understand why they started the game. If the weather is going to pass, why not wait a little longer (surely the team will make money on a captive audience in new Yankee reverse cash machine Stadium, and the players can luxuriate in the plush new facilities)? If the weather will not pass, just play two tomorrow.
[33] 9/11
It was stupid to start with the rain coming down this hard…
[33] 9/11…MLB-wide.
Man, awful weather tonight.
[36] I’ve thinking bout Aqua Teen Hungerforce, “I am The Drizzle!!”
Lets go Captain. Knock one off the lightower. : D
Kay: “Knowing Derek Jeter, he wants to get this over with…he does not want to be in the spotlight.”
Hm. It seems that he should want to get it over with because that means he got a hit and got on base!
Nerts!
Looks like Derek wants to get it over with ASAP.
Christ, Kay. Come up for air.
[40] i guess it would have been just far too mcuh for singleton to do this game
damn that he crushed that one
As much as I dislike the red caps on the Yankees, they really don’t go with the Orioles black and orange.
Woo Hoo! A-Rod!!
I think it’s safe to say that Jeter sparked this rally. You just can’t quantify that…Oops, now A-Rod went and killed it.
You almost saw that coming, didn’t you? >;) He actually might get 100 RBI. Another thing to keep us up in the later part of the month…
Nothing beats a 3 run moonshot. : )
pouring rain here too..and in Ananheim where they are showing the tarp on the field, instead of cutting to the Yanks-O’s game…
[46] Oh, that’s right; (ahem) what a momentum-killer! >;)