Once More, With Feeling
Posted on Nov 2, 2009 6:02 am
By Emma Span
Whew.
After a tense, up-and-down (and-up-and-down-and-up) game, with some smart batting and quick thinking from Johnny Damon, and yet another monster (centaur-ish, even?) Alex Rodriguez hit, the Yankees beat the Phillies 7-4 and took a 3-1 lead in the Series. Now they’ve got three more chances to get that 11th postseason win… but for the sake of older Yankees fans and those with hypertension or weak hearts, let’s hope this thing doesn’t go to Game 7.
For one thing, while CC Sabathia came through and pitched a solid game tonight, he wasn’t quite the dominant force he was against the Angels; he’s now thrown 266 innings this year, so it would hardly be shocking if he was getting a little worn out. The Yankees staked him to a 2-run lead right away, on Jeter’s single, Damon’s double, Teixeira’s RBI groundout, A-Rod’s third HBP of the last two games, and Posada’s sac fly; for a little while, it looked like Blanton might implode. But either he got it together or the Yankees let him off the hook, depending on your point of view, and in the bottom of the first Sabathia gave back a run on two doubles – the second hit by Sabathia’s current arch-nemesis Chase Utley (who now, with that hair, looks like the sidekick to the snobby frat-guy villain of a Revenge of the Nerds sequel).
Both pitchers clamped down after that, until the bottom of the fourth, when Ryan Howard – you remember Ryan Howard – singled and scored on Pedro Feliz’s hit to left, tying the game. It didn’t last long: the Yankees rallied right back in the top of the fifth, with Jeter and Damon coming through again, knocking in Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera respectively, and making it 4-2 Yankees.
Since it was That Kind of Game, that score didn’t last, either. In the seventh Utley destroyed yet another Sabathia slider, pulling the Phillies to within a run, and ending Sabathia’s night at a workmanlike 6.2 innings with three earned runs, six strikeouts and three walks. The Phillies went on to tie it up the eighth, when Pedro Feliz of all people rudely interrupted an otherwise-excellent Joba Chamberlain inning with a big blast to left: 4-4.
Charlie Manuel brought in Brad Lidge for the ninth, and the Philly closer made pretty quick work of Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter. I admit that at this point, I was trying and failing to imagine the Yankees surviving an inning of Phil Coke. Johnny Damon’s two-out at-bat, though, turned everything around, not just for Lidge but very possible for the Phillies. It took nine tense pitches, as Damon fouled off several sliders and fastball after fastball, looking for something he could hit – and when he finally got it, he dumped it into left field.
With Mark Teixeira up, Damon immediately took off for second base, slid in with a little room to spare… then popped up, paused for just a fraction of a second, and took off for third. “I was like, ‘Where is he going?!’” said Jorge Posada after the game, and that makes two of us. Joba Chamberlain said he had “a mini heart attack” watching the play, while Brett Gardner’s initial reaction was “Uh oh.” I think most Yankee fans could probably relate to one if not all of those responses, but in fact, Damon simply realized that because on the shift on Teixeira, no one was covering third base – no one was even close to covering third base – and that given where Pedro Feliz had caught the ball, he wasn’t in any position to outrun Damon. Hence, two stolen bases on a single pitch.
Teixeira was hit by a pitch – I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but still, Phillies pitchers: if you can’t pitch inside without hitting people, maybe don’t throw inside so much – and that brought up Alex Rodriguez. Of course. Lidge seemed rattled by then, and his second pitch to Rodriguez was a fat fastball that was promptly redirected towards the left field wall. The Yankees went up 5-4, and then up 7-4 on Jorge Posada’s two-run single. That was all they’d get, but not once in Mariano Rivera’s postseason career has three runs not been enough, and tonight was no exception.
(Incidentally, I love how Yankee fans have embraced the whole centaur thing. Personally, I think it’s hilarious if true – and it’s almost too weird to be invented – but anyway, Rodriguez has hit so well for most of this postseason, it would take a pretty serious felony for anyone to be bothered at this point).
Needless to say, the Series ain’t over til it’s over, as someone who’d know once put it, and you don’t have to try too hard to imagine ways in which the momentum could shift – Cliff Lee tomorrow, just for instance. But the Yankees are awfully close now… so stock up on the self-medication of your choice and get ready for another wild night.
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Forgot to add that Melky is most likely out for the rest of the series, with a “minor strain” of his hamstring. Not good. Gardner isn’t a huge downgrade, but starting him in center limits Girardi’s pinch-running options quite a bit. So… am I being paranoid, or could we potentially see a lineup with a bottom third of Hairston, Molina, and Burnett? Eeep!
Great write up Emma. Don’t worry Gardner is destined to be a New Yankee HEro, shades of Brian Dole. (Which side did he wear his “chaw” on?
And regarding A-Rod, the Centaur thing. There’s only one explanation. Dude must be hung like a horse. At least he hits like a champ.
True, having Brett in the line-up does limit Girardi’s pinch running options… I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.
[4] Fair point, but I think my nerves are a little too raw for an outfield of Swisher, Damon AND Jerry Hairston Jr.
Poor Melky. Pinch running options aside, I have no problem with Gardner starting. He plays hard.
As much as I’d like baseball to go on forever, I can’t take much more of this.
I’m wondering which AJ shows up. He likes short rest.
Lee be scary!
I’m not so sure the beaning of Tex was unintentional. In fact, I call bullshit. No coincidence as I see it, none whatsoever that Tex has been drilled twice in this Series, and ARod 3X. McCarver saying otherwise, suggesting that “revenge” only takes place in spring training or somesuch nonsense – is a bullshitting fool. The Philly pitchers’ momentary lapses of muscular coordination against select Yankee sluggers remind me a bit of the Red Sox pitchers (back when they were relevant).
Lidge took out his frustration on Tex and paid for it. Good for him. Even better that the fool ump behind the plate allowed Lidge to stay in the game, and take his meltdown into Act 3 — and that ALEX WAS THE MAN who silenced the steroids-chanting white kerchief-waving fans of the hometeam. Take THAT Philly! (and on a personal football note to the city of Philadelphia: yeah, I’m a Giants fan, but the only football I’m talking about today is the 40 yard reception my 7 year old son made in flag football yesterday… setting up the game winning td against the Cowboys. The NY Giants will get back to winning football when it’s Yankees fanbase is good and ready).
ARod’s game winner reminded me of the Strawberry blast that silenced the Just Say No chants at Fenway a decade ago. Sooooo satisfying. Soooo richly deserved.
Great job CC, unbelievable job, Damon.
Gotta give it up to the backpage of then NY Post this morning, with the headline that says it all: “Phinish ‘em!”
High whipped cream pie in the sky hopes for AJ tonight!
I would start Gardner. He hit better v. LH pitching:
v. L: .781 OPS (55 AB)
v. R: .708 OPS (193 AB)
(Hariston v. L: .741 OPS)
I just wish he would stop uppercutting the ball. It’s stupid beyond belief.
[7] I don’t think it was a coincidence, but that doesn’t mean it was intentional. The pitchers had decided on a strategy of busting those guys inside. You do that all game (two games) and you’re taking the chance of some HBPs.
AJ could dust someone early and get the warnings issued right away. That would make Lee very wary of coming in on A-Rod.
It not exactly like Melky is ripping the cover off the ball……..
[9] nah, I strongly disagree, RI. busting inside does not mean drilliing between the numbers. Lidge got cute, hoping to set up the force at 2b, and paid for it — as I see it.
re: the toothless warnings. After the warning last night the umps assured Girardi that CC could still pitch inside. They just didnt want to see retaliation. So even if AJ plunks, say Utley in his first at-bat (which I would advise against) – the umps will issue their warning, but Lee will still be allowed to work inside.
[8] even if the numbers were reversed I’d go with Gardner’s defense.
I’d also go with Posada tonight, but if Girardi sticks with hip hip Jose I won’t complain.
That sound you hear is sportswriters across America sharpening their pencils, getting out their draft of the “Yankees buy the World Series, and it’s terrible for baseball” column they’ve had since 2002.
[11] That would be just an incredibly stupid move, though — which isn’t to say it’s not what happened, but I’m very reluctant to attribute stupidity of that magnitude to anyone. (Well, anyone who isn’t a member of a national baseball broadcast crew.)
So, Mariano has retired five Phils in the past two games, and it took him 13 pitches. He must be ready for a full load tonight, huh? Not two innings, but say, four outs? He got the Phillies in the ninth in eight pitches, which is fewer than Brad Lidge threw to Johnny Damon.
[13] Oh, and I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that you gave us this news in comment #13, mehmattski. You choking centaur.
[13] Unlike the RS, who outspend almost every other team.
I hope that they can start writing the Yankee payroll story a lot more often over the next few Novembers, and that they also note that A-Rod is a very, very clutch player.
[12] I have been hugely against the AJ-Molina thing, but with the 3-1 lead and AJ on short rest and facing Lee, I’m not all that up set if Girardi sticks with the formula. There is an off day tomorrow, so he can be very quick with the hook (and presumably AJ won’t go as deep on short rest), So Po will get his 2 ABs tonight anyway.
It was shown last night by someone that a team CAN in fact make a roster move during the series to replace an injured player. I wonder if the Yankees make such a move, especially for this last game in the NL park.
[14] It’s fine, I was born on a Friday the 13th, which makes 13 my lucky number, canceling it out. You should be able to verify that on a Luck Expectancy Chart somewhere.
Can the Yankees replace Melky with Guzman? Gardner should certainly be starting over Hairston but if Girardi really values Gardy’s legs, he could wind up with Hinske playing 2B in an emergency.
Call Melky done -without his legs he’s below Guzman in value.
Am I the only here who has Game 6 tix and so conflicted about tonight?
If I had Game 6 tickets I would gladly eat the money if it meant winning tonight.
[16] I thought the rule was they then lose the player for the next series to prevent egregious substitutions. But then there is no next series (or game!).
[13] Last few years, the articles were on how there was more parity in baseball. This year, the system isn’t working. What changed? In the meantime, when the Yankees play, rating are high, sportswriters get read. It’s a win-win which is good for the business of baseball.
Same argument as always, but now the sound you hear are actually computer keyboards clacking.
[19] Yeah, except I’m looking at 10 large.
Part of me would like to see them throw Gaudin tonight. True, you want to sweep the leg, but I’d feel much better with Burnett and Pettitte on regular rest. And against Lee this post-season, a very good start from Burnett very likely will not be enough.
I just hate the idea of Guzman returning to the team. Ugh.
Can’t we have Ramiro Pena? Or a big bat? Or Cervelli, so that in case Posada is on base in the late innings, with Molina already gone, we could still pinch run? To me, swapping a decent runner for Posada is more important than having Guzman go in and… who knows…
[20] I thought so too, but someone pointed out that Hinske was added to the Rays’ roster last year (for Floyd?) in the middle of the WS.
[14] yeah, definitley not a smart move, especially with the go-ahead run 90 feet away, but I’m very reluctant to attribute a momentary loss of muscular coordination to Lidge whose control was fine until Damon rattled his cage. Looked more to me like a momentary act of frustration, that had some tactical advantage in setting up the force at 2b
Tex hasn’t had too many hits this Series, but that doesn’t mean he’s not as dangerous as any hitter on either team. Lidge picked his poison and picked wrong. Good for him. Better for us.
Olney on HBPs:
[22] Gaudin: Yeah, I know what you mean. More or less concede this one and be set up to go for the kill in G6 or G7. Hey, wait a minute, conflict of interest, Paul, you are disqualified from this discussion.
[23] I would love to see them take a flyer on Miranda, which won’t happen. But if so, they could follow through with my evil plan of starting player X at catcher, batting him in the first, then substituting Molina to catch in the bottom of the first.
Meanwhile, how silly does it look that they decided to go with the 12th pitcher (Bruney)?
OK, not that silly, because they have a big series lead. But still…
AJ has a pretty low ERA on short rest. Anyone care to confirm?
Personally, I am looking forward to seeing AJ drill Utley or Howard tonight.
[21] I just like to imagine that those sportswriters who make such canned, thoughtless arguments aren’t using computers and they write their articles in pencil on carbon paper.
On the roster changes: I’ve found a couple of articles which suggest that a player CAN be replaced with a like-player (pitcher for pitcher, position player for position player), but the injured player cannot return in this round or the next (irrelevant here).
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2009/10/new-rule-cushions-the-impact-of-postseason-injuries/
[26] Buster should know better that the Yankees don’t tend to play the retaliation game. And why they would risk injury with a fight in spring training is beyond me, right Shelley Duncan?
[28] No, I think carrying the twelfth pitcher now looks just terrible. It’s irrelevant that they have a big series lead. It’s become apparent that that pitcher, whether it’s Bruney or whomever, is a complete waste.
Ace has been of no use, though that was a reasonable move for the obvious reason. Could be useful tonight, in fact.
[29] Burnett is 4-0 in four starts on three days rest. He has a 2.33 ERA and 24 strikeouts (10 walks) in 27 innings. Comparing his OPS allowed to the rest of his career, he’s been 33% better on three days rest than Burnett’s average:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=burnea.01&year=Career&t=p#dr
[34] Burnett on 3 days rest:
http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/U5s9D
[34] SSS, but also reassuring.
It’s very plausible that a strong pitcher can make one or two short-rest starts and do better than usual. Think of Jim Palmer and those guys, they did it all the time. I believe it shortened their careers, and made them maybe less effective in September, but as a short-term tactic I’m for it.
But what about Andy? That’s the worry. Because if Lee out-duels Burnett, then you either have Andy on short rest against Pedro, or you have to go to Gaudin anyway — and if the latter, you may as well have him pitch Game Five so Burnett can go on full rest.
[24] Cool, thanks. If Melky can’t go tonight they should absolutely make a move. Hairston starting in CF is a problem waiting to happen.
[27] Yup, huge conflict! But given how much better Burnett pitches at home, and how both CC and Pettitte have looked gassed, I’d rather they hold them all back.
[26] This is probably likely. But it would be pretty silly 6 months later.
[36] Even worse than SSS is anecdotal evidence (the plural of which, despite what sociologists tell you, is not data).
Anyway, I’ve heard that pitchers have tighter breaking balls on short rest, which is good for Burnett’s beautiful (at times) curve. It also means that Girardi almost certainly has to start Molina, because if it’s too tight, the curve will be bouncing all over the place. Too bad Posada can’t play right field…
One more win.
One more win.
One more win.
I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning, just going down stairs.
[37] That’s right, Burnett’s Home/Road splits.
Hmmm.
Yeah, I’m now kind of wishing it was Gaudin tonight.
Burnett’s 3-day numbers are reassuring, but even then he isn’t as money as Lee has been. Why waste him?
[34] Thanks. Home/Road splits aside, this makes for interesting baseball.
AJ’s home/road splits are worth noting, but to me they’re not enough of a factor to consider Gaudin a better Plan A option.
Gaudin is a Plan B pitcher.
Gotta have faith that Burnett will overcome the noise, and white kerchief waving, even if the AJ Whisperer (Molina) is on the bench.
Not too much of a stretch to predict neither Burnett nor Lee will be as dominant as their first starts, and that the better bullpen wins tonight.
[43] But what’s your Game Six plan? Pettitte on short rest plus AJ on short rest, that’s not obviously better than Gaudin followed by Burnett (at home, full rest), is it?
So, what Yankees WS moments are as memorable as JD’s SB in the 9th? Is it up there with Girardi’s triple in 1996? Alex Gonzales’ homer in 2003? Clemens and Piazza?
I’m a little nervous, but I support the AJ move. Its the agressive thing to do, going for the kill.
You pitch Gaudin tonight and you’re pitching not to lose, you pitch AJ and you’re looking to make sure the next time the team see’s New York is for a parade.
It’s obviously risky, but like McKeon thought in ‘03 sometimes you just have to go for it.
[44] Exactly how I feel. If they’re thinking Andy on short rest, then they really should be re-evaluating. Andy was gassed on regular rest. And CC was last night too.
By the way, reading the comments from last night is hilarious. I’m just glad I avoid that stuff during the game.
JD’s SB was a work of art, as was his at-bat. The inning was a masterpiece from JD to Mo.
If Utley comes up in the first with 2 out, he gets one in the back. Then it’ll be up to Burnett to deal with Howard. Risky. But doesn’t Burnett have the rep of beaning guys? Unless he has Saint Mussina whispering in his good ear, someone’s gonna get his tonight.
“It’s obviously risky, but like McKeon thought in ‘03 sometimes you just have to go for it.”
That was different. The Marlins had a clearly inferior team with pitching that got hot at the right time.
The Yankees are clearly superior in this series apart from Lee. And if they can’t win one game at home they don’t deserve to win. Throwing Burnett tonight with Andy in Game 6 isn’t just risky – it’s risky with no safety net. They have Gaudin – use him.