Game One of this ALDS couldn’t have gone much better for the Yankees. CC Sabathia was sharp, every starter but Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano got a hit, including Alex Rodriguez who had a pair of RBI singles, the key end-game relievers (Phil Coke, Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, and the re-purposed Joba Chamberlain) got their postseason spikes dirty with a big lead and a day off to follow, and, most importantly, the Bombers extended their regular season dominance of Minnesota with a 7-2 victory. Yesterday, however, gave the exhausted Twins, who in the 25 hours before the first pitch of Game One had played 12 innings to save their season then flown half way across the country, a much-needed day of rest, and Game Two brings another Yankee starting pitcher with a lot to prove.
I was an outspoken opponent of the five-year, $82.5 million contract the Yankees signed A.J. Burnett to in December. With one of those five regular seasons in the books, Burnett has exceeded my expectations in just one way: he stayed healthy and took every one of his turns throughout the season. That’s no small thing, but the net result of Burnett’s 33 starts wasn’t quite what you’d expect from a $16.5 million pitcher, and there are still four more years in which Burnett could well validate my concerns about his injury history.
The contract doesn’t matter tonight. All that matters is how well Burnett pitches in his first postseason start, which is why Joe Girardi has opted to start Jose Molina behind the plate despite the huge drop in production he represents at the plate compared to Jorge Posada. Opposing batters have hit just .221/.307/.352 against Burnett with Molina behind the plate compared to .270/.353/.421 with Posada receiving him. Supposedly the difference is due in part to Burnett’s lack of confidence in Posada’s ability to block his sharp curve in the dirt, which results in Burnett failing to break the pitch off properly when throwing to Posada. Burnett led the league in wild pitches, and one would assumes a certain percentage of those were pitches Burnett thought Posada should have blocked.
Burnett’s breaking point seemed to come in his August 12 start, when, with Posada catching, he uncorked three wild pitches then refused to talk about the issue after the game, saying bruskly, “I’d rather not talk about the wild pitches.” Up to that game, Posada caught 13 of Burnett’s starts while Molina, Francisco Cervelli, and Kevin Cash caught the other ten, five of them coming when Posada was on the disabled list. After that August 12 start, Posada caught just three more of Burnett’s starts, while Molina caught seven. Burnett didn’t thrown another wild pitch after August 12, but two of the three times he pitched to Posada he was rocked, giving up nine runs in five innings to the Red Sox on August 22, and six runs in 5 1/3 innings to the lowly Orioles on September 1. Those were the last two Burnett starts caught by Posada.
That’s why Joe Girardi is sitting a .285/.363/.522 hitter in a playoff game in favor of a man who has hit .217/.273/.298 in 406 at-bats over the last two seasons. I believe Posada himself said it best when he said, in reaction to the news that Molina would be starting, “I just hope we win that game.” Burnett’s need for Molina behind the plate only adds to the pressure he’ll be feeling tonight in his first career postseason start (he was out following Tommy John surgery when his Marlins beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series). The contract may not matter tonight, but Burnett will by trying to live up to it.
As for how he did in the regular season, Burnett’s aggregate line was actually no better than the no-name Twins sophomore he’ll face tonight:
A.J. Burnett: 4.04 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 2.01 K/BB, 33 GS, 21 QS
Nick Blackburn: 4.03 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 2.39 K/BB, 33 GS, 19 QS
Those lines are damn similar, with Blackburn holding the edge in the three key rate stats, which just goes to show how overrated Burnett really is. As for the 27-year-old Blackburn, his final 2009 line is almost an exact match for his 2008 rookie campaign, which means the Twins can now expect this sort of production from him. Blackburn’s WHIP is high because he led the league in hits allowed. Burnett’s is high because he led the league in walks with a career-high 97. That is also why A.J.’s K/BB is so low (because of all those walks, Burnett’s WHIP and K/BB this year were his worst since 2003, when he made just four starts).
Of course, Burnett and Blackburn are far from similar pitchers, as their strikeout and walk rates reveal:
Burnett: 8.5 K/9, 4.2 BB/9
Blackburn: 4.3 K/9, 1.8 BB/9
Better all those walks and strikeouts than all those hits, but you’d rather see a pitcher keep his opponents off the bases altogether.
Both pitchers finished the regular seaosn strong. In his last four starts (all with Molina catching), Burnett posted a 1.88 ERA, struck out 28 men in 24 innings, and allowed just one home run. In his last four starts, Blackburn posted a 1.65 ERA and walked just one man in 27 1/3 innings.
Blackburn last faced the Yankees on May 16. He took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning of that game only to let the Yankees tie it up in that inning (and ultimately win it in extras). Burnett faced the Twins twice this year, both times allowing just two runs in six-plus innings, but walking ten in those 13 frames.
The Twins have made one tweak to their lineup tonight. Jason Kubel is DHing, Denard Span is in right, and Carlos Gomez is in centerfield and batting in place of the team’s no-name DH platoon. Alex suggests this is because the Twins want to run on Burnett, but while A.J. allowed 23 steals on the year, he and his catchers caught 34 percent of attempting basestealers, that compared to a 25 percent league average and Jose Molina and Jorge Posada’s matching (yes, matching) 28 percent throw-out rates.
Since I left them out of my initial preview, here are the ALDS rosters:
Minnesota Twins
2009 Record: 87-78 (.534)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 86-77 (.528)
Manager: Ron Gardenhire
General Manager: Bill Smith
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (93/93)
1B – Michael Cuddyer (R)
2B – Nick Punto (S)
SS – Orlando Cabrera (R)
3B – Matt Tolbert (R)
C – Joe Mauer (L)
RF – Jason Kubel (L)
CF – Denard Span (L)
LF – Delmon Young (R)
DH – Jose Morales (S)/Brendan Harris (R)
Bench:
R – Carlos Gomez (CF)
R – Mike Redmond (C)
S – Alexi Casilla (IF)
R – Brendan Harris (IF)/S – Jose Morales (C)
Rotation:
L – Brian Duensing
R – Nick Blackburn
R – Carl Pavano
R – Scott Baker
Bullpen:
R – Joe Nathan
R – Matt Guerrier
L – Jose Mijares
R – Jesse Crain
L – Francisco Liriano
R – Jon Rauch
L – Ron Mahay
Key injuries:
1B – Justin Morneau (stress fracture in lower back)
3B – Joe Crede (herniated disc in lower back)
RHP – Kevin Slowey (wrist surgery–bone chips)
LHP – Glen Perkins (shoulder tendonitis)
RHP – Boof Bonser (labrum and rotator cuff surgery)
RHP – Pat Neshek (TJ)
Typical Lineup:
L – Denard Span (LF)
R – Orlando Cabrera(SS)
L – Joe Mauer (C)
L – Jason Kubel (DH)
R – Michael Cuddyer (RF)
R – Delmon Young (LF)
S – Jose Morales/R – Brendan Harris (DH)
S – Nick Punto (2B)
* * *
New York Yankees
2009 Record: 103-59 (.636)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 95-67 (.586)
Manager: Joe Girardi
General Manager: Brian Cashman
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Yankee Stadium 2.0 (93/93)
1B – Mark Teixeira (S)
2B – Robinson Cano (L)
SS – Derek Jeter (R)
3B – Alex Rodriguez (R)
C – Jorge Posada (S)
RF – Nick Swisher (S)
CF – Melky Cabrera (S)
LF – Johnny Damon (L)
DH – Hideki Matsui (L)
Bench:
L – Brett Gardner (CF)
L – Eric Hinske (4C)
S – Jerry Hairston Jr. (UT)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Francisco Cervelli (C)
Rotation:
L – CC Sabathia
R – A.J. Burnett
L – Andy Pettitte
Bullpen:
R – Mariano Rivera
R – Phil Hughes
L – Phil Coke
R – Joba Chamberlain
R – Alfredo Aceves
L – Damaso Marte
R – David Robertson
R – Chad Gaudin
Key injuries:
RHP – Chien-Ming Wang (shoulder surgery)
OF – Xavier Nady (TJ)
Typical Lineup:
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
L – Melky Cabrera (CF)
Alex suggests this is because the Twins want to run on Burnett.
That, and the Twins want to play a couple of defensively sound players in the OF?
iirc, Blackburn was the pitcher who boBBy accidentally hit in the face last year with a line drive. that was scary. i remember boBBy jogging to first base with his head in his hands. thankfully, the pitcher (nick blackburn, methinks), was OK!
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher LF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Molina C
[1] Indeed. Blackburn throws a sinker, but he's a fly ball pitcher. (and yes, thelarmis, same guy)
BTW, my look at the postseason roster on Sept. 22 pretty much nailed it: dig.
Via PeteAbe errr....well Sam Borden maybe, A-Rod is not likely to need a second surgery. That's very good news methinks.
[0] Good stuff. I am sick and tired of the Molina/Posada/A.J. talk but I heard something fresh today. For me anyway. Flaherty on The Fat Man's show said Posada has to know when AJ is throwing either his four seam or two seam fastball. Molina on the other hand doesn't care b/c he can simply react to either fastball. Meaningful? Who knows. Just new. Let's go Yanks. Go on with your best bad-ass self tonight there Burnett and match C.C.'s performance. : D
good stuff cliff.
[1] flyball pitcher (as cliff points out [3] combined with gardenhire seeing a dropped ball last night ,perhaps?
[2] that's the only i can think about when i hear nick blackburn's name
what's up with that blackhole batting 9th :}
[4] just saw that too. does sound good
This is such outstanding new, I thought it warented a cut and paste. From SamB of Lohud:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Today his doctor, Dr. Marc Philippon, in town for a meeting, watched Rodriguez take batting practice. Afterward, Dr. Philippon said he now doesn’t expect A-Rod to need another surgery this offseason.
“(Not) at this point in time, based on my clinical exam and what I saw in batting practice,” Dr. Philippon said. “I need to do more tests, but so far I don’t think he will need surgery.”
Philippon said Rodriguez has recovered more rapidly from surgery than other baseball players. He estimated the third baseman at 95 percent. He believed Rodriguez was no better than 75-80 percent back in the spring. Dr. Philippon also said a patient of this surgery will continue to recover for up to a year after surgery, meaning Rodriguez will continue to improve from now through spring training.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Just how cool is that!
[8] This is such outstanding newS, I thought it warRented ...
[9] Time to git that borken keybored ficksed. : ) @ 45 minutes!!
Here's my dream scenario.
At some point tonight, Posada is brought in to pinch hit, and stays in the game. Tie game, bottom of the ninth, and Posada gets the game-winning hit.
Here comes AJ with a weighty pie!
To be continued ...
[9] oyf you always keep things lively, warrented?
[11] cool scenario - i don't know if i could handle it for most of the game, but that would be a helluva way to end it
It would just be funny, after all this "controversy", for AJ to smack Jorge with a pie. I suppose it would be a different scene depending on how AJ pitches. Posada breaking up a 3-3 tie and it's easy for Burnett to pie him. 6-6, not so much.
Air is heavy, heavy, heavy and dark, dark, dark in in New Haven, but no rain as of yet!
warrented? Jeez, 8 years of Bush has had its impact...
Hey... wouldn't it be better for AJ to have an outstanding game, get the post game interview, and have Jorge pie AJ?
And then, when we think it's over, Molina pies AJ again!!!!
Oh oh. Now that the Twins are rested....
THEY ARE SCRAPPY!
We are in deep shit now.
(If they get gritty tomorrow, we are doomed.)
That tie is messing with my tv
How come everyone shuts up when the game starts?
Two of the four called balls were in fact in the strike zone.
AJ looked great to those 1st 2 batters. i think he was just careful w/ Mauer, and i'm cool with that. he was pretty close on most of them, just like Ball 1 to Kubel. let's get 'im right here!
[20] i agree.
way to start off AJ!!!
nice inning aj
Good start. If he keeps this up, he can have Molina catch all his games.
Nasty breaking ball. I thought curve; was it really a slider?
Well, we know he's going to walk people, and if you're gonna walk someone, Mauer seems like the way to go.
[25] gameday called it a curve - who said slider, caray?
[25] does he throw a curve and slider? i thought he just throws an offspeed pitch that you could call either.
well at least jorgie got to catch reggie tonight
damn, he was hustling. i think they shoulda just let the game start w/ Jeter on 1st and pitch to Damon. : )
[19] I'm in and out--kidlet duty.
[30] I was afraid he'd injure himself, actually.
[29] damn, i missed it. wish i saw it. maybe it'll be on the highlights. i might be on stage by that time.
crap.
c'mon Tex!
「２６」Missed the top of the 1st..so it's mildly good AJ then? No problem walking Mauer, the guy is the Twins only great hitter..
Ron Darling is not so bad, btw..
[33] yeah darling is not so bad
i thought you were going to go back to normal brackets and #s for the postseason!!
[31] Making another?
[34] Ah sorry, bit early here and still groggy..coffee and mueslix first, then pointless Banter entries for me..
yeah, both AJ and Darling are pretty good.
well, 'cept for that single...
[36] :}
though banter entries are NOT pointless
beautiful !!!
well chippy is convinced that pitch is a slider
AJ's slider looks seriously unhittable..
[37] No Morgan, no McCarver, no complaints.
that's a good point - gomez was completely rushed because of the santana trade
nice play. 2 outs.
[35] Har har!
NO!
[43] aren't all met prospects rushed?
Yeah, Caray said that pitch (last inning) was a slider.
A slider is thrown quite differently, though I suppose the action might be somewhere between a normal curve and a normal slider.
Twins were fleeced in the Santana deal..
me likey!!!
Excellent.
AJ looks good -- not his absolute best, but in control.
[46] seems like it - then the twins probably felt they needed to play him with the big club instead of letting him develop in aaa
29 pitches for aj - 21 of which are strikes - can't complain about that
a baserunner! well, actually a baseclogger... ; )
[53] Let's see a rally-killer now!
i would love for Swish to hit one out here
[54] i'm on it!
i love that avocados are a major sponsor
[57] i thought was imagining that :}
tough pitch to k on
damn it!
That was *not* a strike!!!
i want that high pitch for AJ
Let's hope A.J. gets that pitch, too.
[62] i'd prefer he keep the ball down anyway
christ. nuthin'...
[64] Chuck missed a low strike when Rodriguez was up.
I agree with what you're saying, though.
Tough umpiring against Swisher- I like how the announcers are to busy fawning over the strike 3 pitch to mention that it was high.
i'm not convinced it really was high though. it looked pretty good to me, and i don't trust the up and down on that strike zone.
check - the nick punto can't be judged by his numbers statement
[69] BFOG
Ugh, you can't walk that chump.
wait...piranha's can't walk!!!
Umm..AJ, throw the ball down the middle at 80mph until Punto proves he can hit it!!
alright aj bear down (and don't walk fucking nick punto again)
[72]
Dinsdale!
uh-oh, Fish released EDSP !!!
shit - nice try though
[69] "Headsy."
bad call but very close
who does he think he is, CB Bucknor?!
feh!
God, I hate it when Nick Punto walks. I mean, I can understand it. It's like trying to thread a needle.
Whew. Damon adds excitement!
whew jd caught it and the runner didn't advance - double whew
[79] Yeah, close, but he was out. Stupid umps.
whew! that was carrying.
damon really does field like a girl. (sorry Diane & Ms. O !!!)
I'm so used to seeing our pitchers throw those comebackers over the SS/2B's head.
[79] Was it wrong? I missed the replay -- thought he was out on the live shot.
Whoa... Who's the "boss" in the Twinkies' dugout?
[76] Invite him to Spring training? I think the Yankees owe him at least a month of meals.
[85] that's just sergio's bad luck -- feeling any better?
[84]
no prob ... I bake/cook like a guy. :-)
I was really hoping not to see Mauer up with men on base, at all.
why do they keep going outside on mauer? pound him in!
ok but that was nice
Great pitch!
That pitch was gorgeous.
Ah.
Okay, I underestimated AJ. That was *very* good.
nicely done aj
time to get a hit - this inning - no need for a nother inning of no hit ball - okay hit hit hit
[75] did i tell you that Neil Peart's old Rush drumkit sold for a little over $25,000 on ebay pretty recently? it's the kit on which he recorded Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, 2112 and was featured on the cover of All The World's A Stage.
he had given it away through a Modern Drummer solo contest like 25+ years ago. it eventually made it to a store in Brooklyn and they turned it around...
wasn't in great shape, or anything, but i guess it's cool to some rich collector...
I see we're all agreed on that strike-out pitch!
That wasn't a strike, but it was pretty.
Electric Stuff !!!
Oh, I think we got the good AJ tonight.
crosses fingers, knocks on wood, throws salt over left shoulder.
[86] yeah it looked like he was just out
Astro Boy .... that doesn't look like Biggio ... hmmm
[100] You're right, it was outside. I couldn't tell live, but Pitch f/X says it was outside.
i think this ump has a pretty generous zone
[98]
wow ... I hadn't heard/read that ...
youtube is full of people who do GREAT note-for-note drumming of Rush songs.
nice lines cut in the side of aj's head
Not listening to closely, have there been any "team full of ballplayers" mentions yet? And, er, why have we not scored yet??
damnit that part of the park is too deep for that hit
C'mon Jose, time to break up the no no
[109] I was just thinking that Darling really isn't bad tonight. I wonder if I've changed perspectives or if he's really better.
And more important, why don't we have a hit???
[111] Whoa, dude. You are way behind.
damn. close...
[107] i'll try to get you the link in a little bit...
i transcribed "Cinderella Man" from A Farewell To Kings, note for note. I recorded Spirit Of Radio - note for note - when i was in the 9th grade! : )
[113] should we tell him what happened...
[112] Darling generally isn't that bad. and he's a nice guy, in person...
can't say i was expecting a serious pitcher's duel through 3
What is the over/under on George Lopez commercials tonight?
[116]
I rode in a Shea Stadium elevator with him a few years ago ... (sorry if its name-dropping)
[116] And he dated Madonna!
AJ looks great, we'll win this game for sure. Twins can't shut us out...
Nice. I love it when the other team is muttering to themselves as they walk back to the dugout.
my brother took my nephews to Nassau Collesium to see KISS tonight! they're there right now. my younger nephew called me before, he was soooo excited. he's 8. when i was 8/9, my pop took us to see The Who and The Police at Shea Stadium and Pete Seeger/Arlo Guthrie at Carnegie Hall.
ron i think a more apt way to describe po is he is a take no shit puerto rican (not a blue collar mine worker) and aj is an emotional country guy (not a surfer)
[119] Did he say, "Who let that DARN GIRL ON?"
[119] it's not name-dropping. i've known Ron for most of my life.
[120] did he really?! last time i saw him, he was taking a skanky hooker (Keisha!) back to his hotel in downtown Atlanta. this was about 2 years ago...
[122]
I wonder if Chaim will sing to Lois Pewterschmidt at the concert?
(obscure "Family Guy" reference)
Don't like Alex way in like that...
[118] i mute all the commercials, rendering them moot : )
fuck c'mon aj
Huh. That's not good.
That looks like it hurt.
Um, back-to-back HBP?
he was swinging. we better not get drilled. AJ is NOT doing this on purpose. fuck.
Awesome!!! Swisheroooooooooooo!
Wow!
YES
AWESOME.
Oh, what a play. That was just fantastic.
I'm stunned.
wow yes - nice throw swsih ans way to get the tag fast
HELL MOTHERFUCKIN' YEAH!!!!
beautiful !!!!!
good karma, too !!!! : )
[124] i think you're thinking of hernandez
Tag before the score! Yes.
Heads up play, Nick.
Let's get some runs now!
[141] Well, but you know he loves the ladies...
well i feel bad for gomez since he just got drilled but he doesn't have baseball instincts (yet)
[126] i get the Chaim/Gene Simmons part, but i don't watch Family Guy. i didn't get your earlier reference to one of my comments, either. can't remember which one.
i'll have that Neil Peart link for you shortly...
I am normally a patience advocate, but Blackburn is throwing pitches down the middle. It's time to start being aggressive.
Cy Blackburn. sigh.
get a HIT alex
I can't believe we've put eleven balls in play and got no hits. Sure, the balls in play have not exactly been bullet liners, but only one little tapper (I think).
The quality of the ABs have been very poor...they are swinging at balls and taking pitches right down the middle. Yankees really need a lead.
aaarrrggghhh!!!
Is that score line correct, the Yankees have no hits through 4 innings?
MAN PURSE anagrams to SUPERMAN ...
[153] yep thankfully matsui walked or nick balckburn would have a perfecto going
thelarmis, just watched the Holliday error on J-tv here as the do all the highlights..that was crazy!!
[154] i guess the answer to my earlier question if you were feeling better has been answered
[154] see if this works...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320407426848&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Why can't the Yankees throw strikes to Nick Punto?
[156] yeah man, i ended up seeing it a bunch last night. was crazy!
I wonder if Punto will challenge Eckstein's career grittiness factor.
[159] cause he is the 2nd best athlete on the twins
gorgeous, AJ!!!
Another beautiful pitch.
[159] Your wish is AJ's command.
[162] Mo and AJ walked him...CC was behind 2-0 at least twice...I was starting to think the gameplan was to pitch around Punto.
that curve has a ton of movement tonight
[159] I explained this earlier. It's like threading a needle.
just a little off, i guess...
another nice play
Good job, AJ. Way to work at it.
alex seems to be playing in at 3rd on a lot of batters
[172] Hey, you're right.
Well he's playing at Grit Depth.
[158]
SWEET ...
Just missed.
damnit - alright let's get mauer again
what was THAT?!?!
don't do that w/ Mauer on deck. : /
i like that call he just blew it
Huh. Have to agree with Darling and...
No, I can't say it.
But he really needed to throw a strike with Mauer coming up.
Not the time to be fancy...AJ should have been pumping fastballs. Big mistake. This is a huge batter in this game.
get that stupid fuck with lights for legs off the screen
[179] Don't worry, that's like agreeing with someone that the Earth is round.
This inning is going to get scarier...
QUIZ TIME ...
4 players have as many as 50 plate appearances against Burnett lifetime. One of them has a .313 batting average against him ... the others are .256, .205, .135. against him.
Which batter is hitting .313?
Hint: he COULD face Burnett at some point in a later round of the playoffs.
3-0 down the middle to Mauer, but 3-2 curve to Cabrera?
Don't leave that 3-1 ther e again AJ
abreu?
that's par for aj's course chippy
[184] Chone?
This is why AJ is an uncomfortable pitcher in a close game. Even when he is pitching very well, he can just have a lapse at a moment's notice.
4 walks, 2 HBP : /
[187]
ding ding ding .... correct.
[185] Yeah, dunno what was up with that. Especially since Cabrera was chasing the high fb
Now this is definitely the key batter of the game...
[185] This should be multiple choice.
[195] Just like your question!
Goooooood AJ. Good AJ.
Huge out...MUST get runs now.
Phew!
awesome!!!
yes -
AJ is driving me to drink tonight.
Blackburn has a no-no going?
So, only two hits, and one of them was also an out -- didn't result in a base runner... but four BB and two HBP. That's a very unbalanced diet.
[203] Confirmed. Blackburn is pitching a no hitter.
we really need a freakin' hit. this is simply reedikulous, couzin larry!
[203] [205] where's mk when you need him - maybe the fake one will do
Anyone notice Blackburn is throwing a no-hitter? Wow.
[202] have one for me. i have a late gig tonight, so no brew for me. i get mine tomorrow night...
I have to go drive for about an hour, dammit. John and Suzyn for me. Argh.
i was about to say he is throwing a ton of strikes - but of 59 pitches 35 are strikes - good but nothing outstanding
oh, christ.
That was a nice pitch.
We ain't losing, but we sure is getting beat.
This is the worst the Yankees have looked against a pitcher not exactly throwing particularly well.
[209] I can certainly make that sacrifice.
That was pretty filthy. Easy to see why he has yet to give up a hit, in case no one has noticed.
[210] drive safely! : )
Swish is going to come through. I have a good feeling.
Runs, please and thank you...
At what point do the Yankees start changing their approach and swinging at those early strikes?
everything he's throwing is on the edges--only mistake so far was that pitch for Jeter that he hit to center.....
[217] Blackburn hasn't given up a hit?
this is fucking pathetic. my god. : /
[223] No sir, he has not given up a hit. Thought I was the only one that noticed.
215--could not disagree with you more, William--fastball has late movement, everything right around the edges....
attention yankees, attention yankees - nick blackburn, yes nick blackburn is NO-HITTING you, there is no need for this
Boom goes the dynamite.
[225] Really? Cano just pulled a whaddayaknow!
wait to break that shit up robbie
hooray!!!!
finally!!!!
thanks, robbie : )
Oh my God, that was our first hit???
[221] The 5th inning apparently.
that was a sweet swing!
Yes! Robbie!
BTW, Blackburn still has a shutout going. Just sayin'
[226] From my standpoint, I've seen a lot of 90mph fastballs early in these counts that look very hittable. I think the shutout is more the result of poor ABs than good pitching.
Is this guy pitching a no-hitter? Oh well "mute" now.
[235] Wow. A shutout... Wow...
how ironic that robbie was not the aggressive one
Again with the fisted, Chip??
That's a flat 86 mph slider (I think). That ball has to be crushed.
jesus.
shit melky
That was pretty pathetic...sucks to have Molina leading off the next inning (unless AJ only goes 6).
Maddux and Glavine did fine with 90 mph fasballs; I think his location's been just outstanding--when guys are looking fastball, they get one they can't do anything with....
[245] Maddux and Glavine did...Blackburn is not Maddux and Glavine.
velocity, stuff: once you get over a certain minimum level NONE of that matters as much as location, location, location. move it around and get guys guessing, you will do well. this guy is not a replacement level pitcher.
blackburn looks pretty good to me, mixing his pitches well and locating. but i do think they should be doing a little better than this. not a problem as long as aj dominates.
[248] i agree - he is a good pitcher, but not someone with unhittable stuff
This "Men of a Certain Age" program seems interesting. I liked Scott Bakula's work in "Quantum Leap" and "Murphy Brown" and I liked Andre Braugher's work in "Homicide: Life on the Streets."
[247] NONE??? i guess that's why curt schilling was the best pitcher ever!
[250] i may give it a chance myself, i need some new shows - i really liked ab in homicide too
[250]
Yes ... its always good to see Braugher on the screen ...
oh aj i was hoping for a quick inning
Just missed. Again.
Burnett can be so damn frustrating.
jesus, another fuckin' walk...
[249] But given pitchers who have thrown no-hitters, I don't think having "unhittable stuff" matters sometimes. Blackburn is doing a pretty good job of moving the ball around and has good movement and is changing speeds.
when i was watching game 1 at my friends' house, no one knew what homicide was. what a shame, it was a pretty good show.
we've hit one ball hard (Jeter's), and have one hit. we're a little unlucky, BABIP wise, but.....
however i have no interest in some sappy show about middle aged men with ray romano
[259] Was Homicide a prequel to The Wire?? Havn't seen TW but isn't it also in Baltimore with the same characters? Always like Homicide, with Braugher, Yaphet Kotto, etc
[258] yeah i thought about that as i was typing - his stuff is not overwhelming tonight, but he certainly has the yanks off kilter
[259] To be fair, it really didn't do well in the ratings. It's to NBC's credit that they stuck with it as long as they did.
oh come on robby that was a great throw
Cano usually makes that tag.
nevermind
Ewww..cricket swing there by Gomez..
[262] no- david simon wrote the book that homicide was based on and the guys who made oz made homicide; david simon and ed burns wrote and produced the wire and they used a lot of stuff they gathered from homicide in the wire
[262] Both programs were based on works done by David Simon. But they weren't related. The only thing they really had in common was Baltimore.
this should be aj's last inning i think
[269][270] Cool, thanks! Will get to the Wire one day, Sopranos too (my pop-in-law has the whole thing on DVD here). But only in the offseason.
How many times can AJ get out of trouble? The dangerous Punto on deck...
AJ, by contrast, throws everywhere EXCEPT the black--infuriating, though often awesome....
let's get out of this - the dangerous punto is up next
goddamn motherfuck.
fucking shit - bound to happen
Crap!
do not re-sign johnny damon!!!
damn, misplayed that one...
Disgusting...awful to give up a bomb to Harris...and awful to have Damon impale himself on the wall.
At least it stayed in the park.
Carp.
Ugh. Johnny face-planted the wall there.
NOT a "nice try"--a catchable ball, Damon overran it......
Is it me, or does Damon crash into a lot of walls ?
send jorge up
Ok, now can we hit this guy?
Was that ball misplayed? I will gladly take 1 run in 6 innings from AJ, that's a solid performance. This one is on the O..so O, wake up please!
[284] Damon battled it all the way to the wall
That would have been a lot less painful if the Yankees weren't getting completely shut down by Sandy Kou.....er......Nick Blackburn.
[286] Yes. Seconded.
we're lucky it's only 1-nothin'. but we kinda suck for not doing a blessed thing against nick fucking blackburn. it's time to turn it up. we gotta take it here!!!
Still, if you told me AJ would only give up 1 run through 6 innings, I would have signed up for that. I wouldn't have expected Blackburn to be shutting out the Yankees.
Have to pinch hit for Molina here.
Braugher has an impressive resume (even if it DOES include the 2nd Fantastic Four movie, and the remake of Andromeda Strain)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0105672/bio
[290] :)
It's all part of the plan, Twins have to take the early lead before the Yankees crush them.
[288] Damon should've been the primary, with Melky backing him up. The ball got by Melky, which is why Harris was able to make it to 3b
[286] yes, definitely!
AJ, while not really sharp, did his job. The offense, however, has been sleepwalking through this game. Hopefully, they'll wake up before they let the Twins in this series.
I wonder why more pitchers don't go to the no windup delivery.
[298] Yes, exactly. Melky should have been there.
Here we go.
The ball was not misplayed.
damnit, don't block Lady Liberty w/ your stoopid logo. move it to the other side of the screen. fuck you tbs!
fuck. that woulda RULED!!! : /
gomez is too fucking fast
Burnett at 95 pitches ....
Damn. Missed it by that much.
[304] Yes it was, or else Harris wouldn't have been standing on 3b.
[304] maybe not, but a decent lf catches it easily
yeah, Jeter!
now, steal 3rd and let's tie this bitch up!
Not bad. Let's see if Damon can atone.
Turn the key, start it up. Let's take this thing for a spin.
JD can make up for it here...
This series is eerily starting to feel a little bit like the 2005 ALDS against Detroit. In game 1, the Yankees bats exploded and it looked like they would cruise to victory, but then the bats went silent thereafter (with the exception of Jeter).
[314] what does a truck key look like? is it just like a car key, or is it much bigger?
Ah, I should clarify, the misplay I refer to is the ball getting past Melky. I had no problem with Damon going after the ball, and it would've been a hell of a play had he caught it.
[316] i thought you said you were relaxed in the postseason
Truck key ... got my chips cashed in ...
[317] Beep beep beep. The score truck is getting into position.
[319] "More" relaxed. Besides, I do feel pretty relaxed. I just haven't like the vibe of this game.
wow, Swish was called out on that pitch
Beep beep beep.
Tex message, anyone??
This is where Tex needs to make his Mark!
nice AB!
double steal, haha!!! ; )
alright Tex - time to become a "True Yankee" !!!
Ok, it's on you Teix
[325] I'd settle for a tex memo.
Texual Healing ...
[330] Got to Give It Up...
Blackburn fading in the dead of night ...
Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
oh i really hate chip carey
ah man... : (
I just pooped in my pants.
Figuratively.
...
Yeah.
Figuratively.
[330-331] Cute
Missed it by that much.
Missed another one!
[331] [332] quality
cutter in?
yuck
A-Clutch.
goddamn motherfucking bullshit!!! : /
Nerts. Come on, A-Rod.
Three pitches to hammer! I really don't want to go through another post season waiting for a superstar to get a big hit.
Whelp, it comes down to Mr. Rodriguez
please, A-Rod. i'm begging you!!!
All comes down to A-Rod...
& it comes down to the Rod.........
very gutsy to throw those fastballs right down the middle
relax alex, any hit will do here
Scared the cat, my roomie and probably the neighbors.
Blowing bubbles. Loose. A good sign, right?
i'm holding his 2009 Upper Deck baseball card
[347-50] you guys know it's the 6th inning right?
theere you go alex
YAY-ROD !!!
:D
A-Clutch!!
yep. he's money.
"And A-Rod has come through again."
Clutch-Rod!
What a difference A ROD makes.
still, that's very nice
Yeah, Alex! Derek ran like the wind!
YAYYYYYYYY!!
Bravo, Alex!!!
Bravo!
You hang around with Madonna ... bad things happen.
You hang around with Kate Hudson ... good things happen.
[353] LOL! My dog looked at me as if I was crazy.
[220] Thanks again, Alex. More, please...
Wow... when I saw that pitch come in, I thought 440'.
But I'll take it!
cy blackburn OUT. thank god...
alex just told mick that it was a fastball - i like that exchange for some reason
[368] Heh.
(Hopefully) Arod is providing to Teixeira, what no one provided to Arod in 2005-2007...someone to follow-up on his failure with a big hit.
[368] Hilarious.
ok, who gets the 7th? Joba or Hughes?
awww, a Thurman clip! : D
Reggie lookin kinda sharp there :)
[377] Aceves, I would guess.
Go Go Matsui!!!
haha reggie sporting the fresh hat
[377] joba - lohud said he was up last inning and hughesy is the 8th
At least the Yanks got to the Twinkie bullpen. Guys like Rauch and Mijares could be had.
I think Hideki goes boom here ..
[377] not Hughes. he's 8th...
[382] Something tells me the lefties will be involved next inning.
Great...now only Arod hits in the clutch!!
Is Rodriguez 3 for 3 w/RISP and 2 outs this postseason?
[380] Really? Even with the off day tomorrow?
alright now that the goose egg is off the board i feel better about this game
well, at least it's tied up...
let's keep it there. i'd really like a nice, easy 1-2-3. i'm down w/ going with Ace here.
[389] I was assuming he would want to have Aceves start the inning and go to Coke or Marte for Mauer and Kubel.
Again, I am not worried.
[392] Just to be clear...that's what I think Girardi will do...not what I would do.
Nick Punto trying to emasculate the Captain ... :-(
http://www.nytimes.com/
So it's Jobamania? I like it! Blow them away, kid. You can do it!!
joba time
it's Joba
NOW...I am nervous.
[392] I'd rather not futz around with those guys
good job. i like the "Atta Boy" from Jetes
how was that not a strike?
sager's baseball suits are so tame compared to his basketball suits
WHOA, JOBA!
another good play.
[395] Yiles... along with everything else, Derek has the world's most animated penis!
[403]
They're from the Lindsey Nelson collection :-)
(yeah, I had to leave for 5).....if I'm Aceves or Robertson I'm a little pissed right now....
[403] Perhaps because baseball is more conservative than basketball? :D
[403] tame is NOT the adjective i'd use! ; )
ouchie. please still give us strikes! ; )
ouch
Joba hasn't seen 97 since Fenway last year.
Jorge's catching skills have really declined.
Home plate umpire allowing Molina to come back in the game and catch.
[409] that's my thinking too
[410] watch one basketball game on tnt right around halftime and you will see
you'll have that...
That's it for Joba? WTF? A hit to Mauer is on shame..
wait, what? leave him in!
uh chippy tell us who the hell is coming in
[415] no thanking you! (i've actually seen 'em before. yuch!)
This is a bad decision now...Joba looks so sharp and now he is going to leave this in the hands of Coke or Marte (I am assuming because TBS can't be bothered to let us know).
Seems like a waste of a starting pitcher
Girardi over-managing here?
[399] NOW *I'm* nervous
should leave him in unless this is hughes
C.B. Bucknor is behind the plate tonight for Sox/Angels ... should be IN-TER-ES-TING ...
Giving up a hit to Mauer is no sin. At least it's with 2 outs and he's in no better position than a BB would give him.
i'd have kept Joba in. but it's Cokey for the lefty...
I thought you guys wouldn't like this move. I certainly don't.
cokey it is, i hope this works out
Tony La Russa move here..I do not agree. Joba is better than Coke in every way..screw lefty/righty, leave the better pitcher in, I say...
I HATE this Phil Coke for the 3rd out lefty shit, HATE it.....
[425] agreed
Maybe it makes sense from the lefty splits perspective, but I simply can not accept losing a playoff game with Phil Coke on the mound.
[426] yeah, Neyer had a big post about it.
i hope we don't regret this decision. Joba coulda handled this just fine...
[429] BUT COKE IS A LEFTY!!!!!!
fuck cokey settle down
[429] Don't like it either
careful coke. c'mon kid!!!
2-0...damage pitch.
after the walk we better see Phil...
actually, Chip - he was ahead at 1-0, also. jackass.
Lucky umpiring
nice pitch. get 'im out!
[434] Yep...
good job cokey - brilliant joey joe joe
Hot damn.
*whew*
COKEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
girardi's a genius, haha!!!
Huge out for Coke...I would have stuck with Joba, but Girardi can certainly defend it regardless of the outcome.
But it works out! Good Job, Coke-y!
ahhhhh! I never trust Coke until I feel that initial high....
As much as I feel like a guy who comes to church on Christmas and Easter exclusively, I couldn't not come to the Banter in the postseason. nice pitch by Coke
Kubel was 0-5 against Coke before that.
Incidentally, I get a really cool PDF in my in-box every morning for FREE - "The Bill James Daily Matchup" from Acta Sports. It shows all Yankee pitchers against all Twins hitters and vice versa in a 2 page PDF which I've printed and I'm using to follow the game.....
If anyone wants it I'll post the email address and what you need to put in the Subject and body of the email to subscribe. Again, it's free and it's for whatever team you designate.
Regardless of score, it has to be Hughes for the 8th, Mariano for the 9th (and 10th if he has an easy inning) and then Aceves for 10th to 12th.
Where exactly did Blackburn stick his nose?
(erk) what the hell is C.B. Bucknor doing behind ANYTHING in a postseason game? Is there an umpire strike??
[450] I would've rather stayed with Joba in case the Yanks don't score this inning.
[456] I thought the same thing last night. He is really a bad umpire.
[454]
and Fernando Rodney for the 13th till whenever ... :-)
[456] He also has a history with the Red Sox...I recall a game over the last year or so in which he had a very animated 9th inning, punching out two Red Sox on pitches way off the plate and doing it with glee.
You guys have no faith.
Love that Cokey!
Jolly Old Saint Nick has never faced Rauch before, BTW. Tex and Hinkske hit him in tiny samples..
[459] hysterical !!!
That pitch is a killer...definitely outside.
what kind of bullshit call is that? merryweather has NOT been calling that pitch all night.
[461] Just no Coke against Mr. Mauer....I don't think we need to worry about that matchup occurring.
[461] welcome back!
[462] thanks man, keep it comin'!
[459] unfortunately rodney is still at the metrodome - we may see him sunday though
[453]
actually, you can go to mlb.com and print out the actual press notes package prior to each game ...
http://presspass.mlb.com/pp_teamselect.asp
[465] If he calls pitches that far off the plate, Mariano can pitch three innings.
Hi everybody!
Does anyone feel like they've lost about 5 years off their life tonight, besides me?
Just because he's been consistent with a call doesn't make it a good call. That's a consistently high and out of the strike zone pitch he's been calling strike. Not a good game, guys... same with yesterday as well!
[460] i thought that was laz diaz
dammit! : /
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
[471] Nope. I am not worried. I am annoyed by the high strike calls, but that's about it.
[473] Maybe...but for some reason, CB Bucknor's grin stands out.
So, I told youse I was going to be getting the game from John and Suzyn for an hour. On Teix's loud foul I got an "It is high... it is far..."
[469] That's awesome - thanks Diane! Are you feeling any better?
[465] [470] Chuck Merryweather? Why do I know that name?
why "Damn it!"??
Must take a strike here Melky.
[480] Cano hit what looked like a gapper (and would have been if Kubel was in LF).
dangerous pitch on 3-0 to melky?
jesus christ that was HIGH!!!
get your head in the game blue
goddamn that's just terrible umpiring
Bad umpires are death to the Yankees because they know the strike zone.
It's really shameful that MLB continues to accept such poor quality umpires.
Too much speed in the Twins outfield. We need Carl Spacker to cut some Achilles tendons.
[469] good info Diane....Only one thing. We have a sonic wall at work and I can't get it there and print it (and I'm one of those people that have to have a piece of paper in my hand). BUT I circumvent that, a bit, by getting a daily email feed from James, River Avenue Blues and MLB Trade Rumors.
Gee I wish we'd get a Bronx Banter email everyday....cough cough....hint hint....LOL
[476] Like that last one? Cripes!
I thought Joe West was retired. Is this why Blackburn pitched so well?
and "strike" 2 was outside. total fucking bollocks!!! : /
I thought those pitches were close. Maybe just nipped the edge of the zone.
jeez... Took them right out the inning
my stomach and i need a very easy, quick inning here.