"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Wake-Up Call

Failing to complete a sweep of the A’s, that was no big deal. Losing two of three to a good Angels team in Anaheim, you almost expect that. Losing the opener against a struggling Orioles team that had only won three games all season then looking back and realizing you have lost four of their last five, that’s a wake-up call. The Yankees need to win the next two games in Baltimore to avoid an embarrassing series loss to the lowly O’s as well as a losing record on their three-stop road trip. Fortunately, they have CC Sabathia on the mound tonight to help get the team back on track.

Sabathia’s last three games have been a near no-hitter and a pair of shortened complete games (six innings in a rain-shortened game, eight innings in a 4-2 loss), which makes this one of his better Aprils on record. One point of warning: CC has been pretty hit-lucky, holding opponents to an absurdly low .197 batting average on balls in play. As is typical for CC in April, his walks are up a bit, and his strikeout rate is no better than it was last year (which was a four-year low for the big lefty). We all know he’ll only get better from here, but those peripherals show there’s actually room for him to do so.

With Nick Johnson back in the lineup as the DH, Sabathia will pitch to Jorge Posada for the first time since Opening Day Night. That shouldn’t effect his performance, but Sabathia’s breakout game as a Yankee came here in Baltimore with Francisco Cervelli behind the plate just less than a year ago, on May 8, 2009. The opposing pitcher that night, Jeremy Guthrie, is on the hill for the O’s again tonight. All four of Guthrie’s starts this season have been quality (three of them against the Rays and Red Sox) and he has walked just five batters total. Despite that, the Orioles have lost all four of those games due to poor run and bullpen support. Guthrie faced the Yankees five times last year and turned in three quality starts, but his and the Orioles’ only win in those five games was Guthrie’s Opening Day matchup against, yes, CC Sabathia. In fact, tonight Guthrie and Sabathia face off for the fourth time dating back that Opening Day tilt. CC holds a 2-1 advantage in those matchups.

Categories:  Cliff Corcoran  Game Thread

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151 comments

Show/Hide Comments 1-100
1 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 6:53 pm

Despite that, the Orioles have lost all four of those games due to poor run and bullpen support.

Grrrr... makes me angry thinking about the loss last night.

C'mon Yanks... light the offense up!

2 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:09 pm

Congrats on tying Mattingly, Derek.

3 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:09 pm

Missed almost an entire game last night. Glad I did. Yeesh.

4 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:09 pm

attaboy, Captain!

5 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:10 pm

Ooopsie!

6 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:11 pm

[5] wait... what happened, exactly? (I'm at work and Sterling was blathering..)

7 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:13 pm

A-Rod gets the job done.

8 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:13 pm

[6] NJ took second on a E7.

9 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:14 pm

[6] The ball bounced in front of the O's LFer, can't spell the name at the moment, but he let it get behind him. That let Jeter score, which is why NJ didn't get an rbi, it was the error that let Derek score.

10 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:16 pm

well that's an auspicious start to game #2. C'mon CC - let's roll.

11 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:18 pm

Damn fine play by Alex.

12 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:18 pm

oh, yeah!

13 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:24 pm

Hm.

14 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:27 pm

Better.
And now we don't have all that no-hitter pressure.

15 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:29 pm

That was intentional methinks.

16 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

[15] What for?

17 ms october   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

seems like the o's are always hitting the yanks

18 ms october   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:33 pm

nice rip swish

19 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:33 pm

Posada needed Access-a-Ride to get around the bases

20 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:34 pm

[16] Guthrie stopped mid windup before the first pitch and Jorge walked to the front of the box and then took his ol' sweet time getting ready. Just a thought.....

21 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:34 pm

Swishtastic! The O's don't impress me, defensively.

22 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:34 pm

I am really enjoying the bottom half of our line-up. (I really meant bottom four, although Jorge is raking -- I think of him as Top Half.)

23 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:36 pm

who is the emergency catcher?

24 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:36 pm

[20] Could be. If so, he paid for it in ERA.

25 ms october   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:36 pm

[23] ramiro pena

26 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:38 pm

lemme present a question that's getting beaten into the carpet more and more these days -- how long before the Yankees have to make a switch behind the plate with Posada? And then what for Jorge? Most-day DH?

All due respect to the core four, and all. But it seems like he's just more and more of a liability back there.

27 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:40 pm

[23, 25] LoHud wrote the other day that AJ also catches, but it'll NEVER happen. : )

28 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:40 pm

[26]

Girardi would need to treat Posada like Francona has started to treat Papi, and nothing short of a major injury to Po is gonna make that happen.

29 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:40 pm

[26] DH, occasional 1B (spelling Tex), occasional C (spelling Brains), starting next year? Or in two years.

30 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:41 pm

[29] jesus, can he make it that far?

31 RagingTartabull   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:41 pm

[28] yeah but Georgie can still, ya know...hit

32 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:43 pm

Hmmm ... "Amber" ... the blonde hottie on the Orioles broadcast ... just used "rbi" for the plural ... I think I'm in LOVE!!!

33 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:43 pm

[31] Right, as long as he hits like he's hitting (or even close), he can be a real contributor.

34 ms october   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:46 pm

[33] amen to that. i know he stinks back there, but his hitting still makes up for his deficiencies.

now, rather than guthrie intentionally hitting posada on his own, any chance cc paid him to do it? :}

35 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:46 pm

Good play, Grandpa. : )

36 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:47 pm

[34] Funny!

37 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:48 pm

[34] Yes! A conspiracy theory. : )

38 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:49 pm

Damn, ARod can throw the ball hard when he wants to.

39 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:49 pm

in the offseason, I felt a lil bad for fans of captain facemask cause theo went with victor "cant get a ball to 2B" mart over him as the everyday C. Secretly, I was happy about the captain getting humiliated a lil. Anyway, then '10 starts, and it's just getting more and more evident that PoPo is in decline defensively, too. Of course, the big difference 'tween the red sux and the yanks is that we don't have a paid pro DH (unless you count NJ.. which I guess you have to). hmmmm.

40 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:50 pm

[30] You'll have to ask Jesus - Montero, that.

41 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:50 pm

[23] Dan Quayle

42 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:50 pm

[34] Hah!
Well, CC can afford it.
Speaking of which, Ryan Howard homered today in a game that the Phils won by a run. So I figure that's already about $5M.

43 RagingTartabull   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:52 pm

YA KNOW!

44 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:53 pm

Robbie, dontchaknow!

45 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:53 pm

Robbie-Flavored Cano!!

46 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:53 pm

Da RIPPER!!!!

Robbie, I think I LOVES you!!!

47 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:53 pm

I'll have me some Robbie, please. MVP!

48 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:53 pm

Oh, man.
I was just about to say, a lot of our outs are blasts, and then Rob shows the true meaning of 'blast'.

49 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:54 pm

Ah, so that's what it takes to bring Chyll Will out of the woodwork.

50 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:57 pm

Late to the party...what happened to Posada?

51 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:58 pm

[50] HBP, back of knee.

52 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 7:59 pm

[49] Nah, I've been super-busy with crisis management after finishing a month-long gig. I'll be in and out for the next few days, maybe a couple weeks until I sort this out. >;)

53 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:00 pm

Bad play, Grandpa.

54 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:01 pm

[52] I'm never 100% sure whether your >;) is a winking smile with a squinty forehead, or more like a sober dude with a droopy mustache.

55 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:03 pm

[50] His pi-mesons were disrupted by proximity to Brett "The Singularity" Gardner.

56 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:04 pm

[54] doesn't that indicate angry eyebrows?

57 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:08 pm

The Camden Yard infield. It is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 9 innings afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff. Courtesy of Caddyshack of course.

58 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:08 pm

[54] More like a devilish grin, "nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more"... yunnow when the bad guy in movies puts on the charm...

59 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:10 pm

[58] Okay. So the parenthesis is the bottom of his/your face. That's what I suspected, but I couldn't quite decide. Turn it over and he's kind of fu-manchu.

60 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:11 pm

C'mon Stick!!!

RIP IT!!!

61 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:11 pm

[57] I haven't seen grass that high since I sat in the Yankee Stadium bleachers in the 1980s.

62 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:12 pm

Ow.

That was a nasty pitch.

63 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:13 pm

All of a sudden Jeremy Guthrie is a good pitcher.
He does have a good ERA. Well, he did until a little over an hour ago.

64 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:13 pm

GRITTY!!!!!

65 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:13 pm

[59] Yeah, but then he/I looks kinda sad. Interesting though, never would've looked at him/myself that way...

66 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:14 pm

Here we go-go Gardiner.

67 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:15 pm

Well, that was worth FUCK-ALL.

68 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:16 pm

[65] Yes. I would have said "droopy" more than "sad".

69 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:18 pm

[55] Brett “The Singularity” Gardner

I like.

70 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:18 pm

Per Suzyn, Jorge has a right knee contusion -- no tests being performed.

71 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:20 pm

Gotta luv dat change!

72 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:21 pm

Judge Reimold k's on the changeup...

73 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:21 pm

CC's got that peaceful, easy inning.

74 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:22 pm

[73] Now I'm picturing CC driving home blaring The Eagles on his car stereo.

Get the fuck outta my cab.

75 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:24 pm

[74] No, that's Swish, driving the Score Truck! Hm, I think he has some of that good old Camden Yards Gold smoldering away, too.

76 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:25 pm

Wow. I think Baby Ruth got away with about 3 actual strikes ...

77 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:27 pm

[76] Heh. Beats that Panama Red any day.

78 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:28 pm

No es bueno Alex.

Meh.

79 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:28 pm

[77] [76] = [75]. And I haven't touched that stuff in decades.

80 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:29 pm

[76] another interesting point... do you guys think some umps give the benefit of doubt to batters who are known to have a good eye? A la a close pitch, and since NJ never even offered or flinched, then they'll call it a ball?

81 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:29 pm

Heh.

Hendrickson vs Cano???

I'm betting Cano ...

82 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:32 pm

Yeah, like I said ...

83 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:32 pm

[81] +1

84 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:32 pm

[80] The old time announcers (like Scooter, Frank White, etc) used to claim that all the time, for both the pitcher and the batter ("so-and-so is gonna get that call".

85 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:33 pm

Oh, Brains!

86 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:33 pm

Brains!

I'm fast becoming a zombie.

87 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:33 pm

Uh, *no* Kay ... Cano and Utley aren't comparable.

As good as Robbie is, he *isn't* Chase.

88 The Hawk   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:34 pm

I tell you, Cervelli "gets it".

89 The Hawk   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:35 pm

[86] I like it. Consider me a zombie (FOFB)

90 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:37 pm

Um, having Johnny Walker sponsor anything with Billy Martin, is that in good taste?

[89] Thanks. There should be a zombie club.

91 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:40 pm

c'mon CC ... pound it like it's 2-1.

92 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:41 pm

Ugh.
Strikes, CC, strikes. Save Our Bullpen.

93 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:42 pm

Yes. Like that. Good.

94 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:43 pm

[87] The World Weries was the most I have seen of Utley. He was insane. I am sure he is pretty good the other 162 games as well. But who wants to watch the Phils that much? ha. Good dp.

95 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:43 pm

Da Scoop!

96 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:44 pm

That was a SHIT throw from Cano.

Let's just be thankful we have Teix manning 1st, instead of Giambi, or the like ...

97 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:45 pm

[92] S.O.B. >;)

98 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:46 pm

[96] You forget, Giambi could scoop pretty well.
Still glad to have Teix there, I'm just saying.

99 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:47 pm

[96],[98] Teix with the pooper-scooper...

100 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:48 pm

[99] ...okay, it was waiting to be said.

Show/Hide Comments 101-151
101 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:50 pm

Like I said [22], the bottom of our line-up rocks.

102 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:51 pm

The DC hangover is gone.

103 patrick b   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:51 pm

By the way, Dallas Braden just got chased in the bottom of the 5th losing to the Rays. In about 5 minutes of watching between Yankee innings, I noticed him go into the batter's box about 4 times to cover the plate, back-up, etc, including his last play he was in. Obviously there is nothing wrong with that it just would have been funny to hear the announcers mention it just to bring home the absurdity of his complaint.

104 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:52 pm

Top doesn't suck either.

105 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:52 pm

I think Brett was waiting for Swisher to score so he can steal home from second...

106 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:53 pm

[98] I just don't think Giambi was anywhere near Teix in terms of his scooping ... even though that might have been Giambi's best attribute ...

107 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:53 pm

[105] On a pitch out.

108 Just Fair   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:53 pm

Swing the f#$%ing bat.

109 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:56 pm

Nope, it doesn't hurt to mix and match when you're down 8-1, no sir...

110 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:56 pm

Oh, it's Big Pla Cla.

111 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:57 pm

Clam Eredith, your new crustacean pitcher

112 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:57 pm

[87] Cano going to have a better career than Hair-gel Utley..

Is CC taking care of business? Too early to bust this out? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj_abOomcac

113 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:58 pm

Hello All,
Ahh...this is what we expected from this series.

It was the Yankees who were the zombies last night. Too much social pressure for them; after all they are athletes who had to wear suits and meet the President and all. Combine that with the long flight, and just playing the Angels.

And...Cano is en fuego!

114 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 8:58 pm

[107] His singularity would create a vortex that disrupts the pitcher-catcher continuum... WARP speed, Mr. Gardner!

115 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:00 pm

I know there's a ballgame going on and all, but if anyone's interested in hearing a great orcestra, my alma mater has their concert sreaming online right now. http://recording.music.unt.edu/index.php/live/hd

116 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:00 pm

[111] Pssst: mollusc.

117 NYYfan22   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:00 pm

[115] bah! I meant orchestra.

118 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:01 pm

That was almost So Awesome™...

119 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:02 pm

I'm dying here without Matsui..this morning's game on NHK (national tv) is Seatlle - Kansas City..other than Ichiro this is unwatchable..

120 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:03 pm

[117] As long as you didn't mean orcastra...

121 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:04 pm

[112] Yuck.
I kept thinking the bottles were from Sabathia's MLB random drug test sessions.

122 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:05 pm

[120] ...a sreaming orcastra at that.

123 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:06 pm

[120] ...or OrKestra, the ELO tribute band.

124 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:06 pm

That fan in the audio sounds like a sreaming orcastra...

125 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:08 pm

[123] Orks are... well...

126 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:12 pm

[112] Cano going to have a better career than Hair-gel Utley

Maybe. Cano got started earlier, but Utley has been an absolute beast from age 26 through 31.

127 cult of basebaal   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:15 pm

Cano going to have a better career than Hair-gel Utley..

Yeah ... gonna say ... no ... and it won't be especially close ...

128 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:15 pm

[120], [122], [123] Those are whales of puns.

129 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:16 pm

[128] Maybe a pun, but definitely a real (though now defunct) group:

http://www.face-the-music.de/orkest_e.html

130 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:22 pm

I think Swisher has upped his game by embracing going the other way. I think his BA will be much better the next few years then it has been before.

131 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:23 pm

Lester is just destroying the Blue Jays. High pitch count as he finishes up the seventh.
If the Sox win two games by scoring four runs, that will be annoying.

132 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:33 pm

So, does CC return for the 8th? And who's next -- Joba?

133 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:38 pm

Yep.

134 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:39 pm

CC looked like he was laboring last inning, too.

135 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:40 pm

CC's a horse & all, but I wonder if you put some limits on him (say June & July) to save him for October.

136 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:42 pm

[135] Didn't last year, and he was pretty strong in October. Of course, he did get some extra rest in September.

137 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:43 pm

[135] Girardi did that last year, although more in Aug/Sept. then June. But I agree we should not take CC's 'horseability' for granted. But as Kenny just said, the BP needs to step up a bit.

138 rbj   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:43 pm

[136] I'll take September rest. Just want something in the tank for October.

139 RIYank   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:44 pm

Dan Bard throwing lightning bolts.

140 williamnyy23   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:46 pm

C.C. did a fine job despite having subpar stuff...he is a real luxury.

[135] I guess 110 is the magic number. He pulled Hughes with 109 and CC with 111. I hope that's not the case because another formula in Girardi's hands would be dangerous. Yesterday, it seemed as if Hughes was at a comfortable 109, while tonight CC threw a hard 111. I wish Girardi could tell the difference.

141 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:46 pm

TB is really playing well. They lead, by far, MLB is RS/RA Diff, and have posted a 9-1 record on the Road.

142 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:49 pm

Is Joba allowed to pitch the ninth?

143 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:54 pm

Dag, he made Granderson look like a Little Leaguer...

144 The Hawk   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:54 pm

140. "... another formula in Girardi’s hands would be dangerous."

Haha, true, true.

145 monkeypants   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:55 pm

Uh-oh. Gameday says 'injury delay.' What's up?

146 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:55 pm

That looked like an Ozzie Smith flip, only on the ground...

147 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:57 pm

[145] Nuthin'. Swish tapped one off his instep and Girardi and Donahue started to come out, then changed their minds so they could mess with Gameday...

148 OldYanksFan   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:57 pm

I think when it comes to handling pitchers, Girardi has done a good job. Phil is young and on an innings limit. 110 pitches is a healthy amount. Why push things. Better to 'err' on the conservative side.

If CC has any arm problems, everyone here will bemoan all those 'one last inning' CC has pitched.

149 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 9:59 pm

Meat Tray mopping up. That sounds unsanitary...

150 williamnyy23   ~  Apr 28, 2010 10:00 pm

[141] They've also played 6 games against the Orioles, although after last night, that's not as strong an argument.

151 Chyll Will   ~  Apr 28, 2010 10:00 pm

[149] Or rather "closing out" as in a close-out sale...

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
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