Ah, man, this is getting to be all too familiar.
One run game, another fuggin loss.
I got back to the Bronx this afternoon after spending the last week with family. It was a week of missing out on Yankee baseball, save some highlights and bits and pieces of the games against the Red Sox last weekend.
So I unpacked and settled in for the game tonight, watched a couple of innings when a call from an old friend pulled me away from the action. The Yanks were down 3-2 when I left and losing 5-3 when I returned, just in time to see Ichiro hit his first home run in pinstripes.
The wife was happy. I took one look at the score–5-4 Yanks trailing–and my joy was tempered. Even more so when I saw the replay of Mark Teixeira diving after a base hit and falling hard on his glove hand. The play was bad enough for Tex to leave the game. Never a good sign and we’ll hold our collective breath for the details on his injury.
Robinson Cano picked the wrong time to go into a slump and not only did he have poor at bats tonight but he botched the tail end of two sure-fire double plays (fortunately, neither led to a run).
In the ninth, Nick Swisher led off with a double and was replaced by Ramiro Pena. Raul Ibanez, who homered in the fifth, followed and whiffed on a 2-2 change up in the dirt. Eric Chavez, who also homered earlier–a long, whiffle ball-wet-dream-of a homer–walked which brought Ichiro to the plate:
Fastball low for a ball. Sinker, soft ground ball to short. They go to second for the out, no chance to double up Ichi at first. So, first and third, two out and Russell Martin stepped in as a pinch-hitter:
Breaking ball, 81 mph, called strike. Fastball, 95 mph, low, 1-1. Another breaking ball, Martin took a late, feeble hack, swung right over it, 1-2. Fastball outside, Ichiro takes second. I’m sitting at home thinking there is no way Martin gets a hit. No way…And I was right as he swung over a sinker.
The Yankees have lost eight times in their last eleven games. As we mentioned earlier, they’ve all been close games, these losses, but at some pernt that doesn’t mean Jack Boil Scratch. Their lead over Baltimore is down to six-and-a-half.
Fuggin’ Frustrating.
[Photo Credit: Bruce Stanfield; Jim McIsaac/Getty Images]
Man, this has to turn around...I mean...it fucking better.
There seem to have been some bad at bats in key moments. Cano is swinging at everything and not running hard on his outs.
In that last rally Ibañez looked bad (although he had a good game going). Ichiro swung at a ball near his ankles.
Pressing perhaps?
[2] Ichiro swung at a ball near his ankles.
Ichiro has been pretty awful this season...well, for the last couple of seasons. I'm not sure if he swings at a bad pitch that it's evidence he's pressing so much as that he is a shell of his former self (at least on the offensive side of the ball).
via lohud:
Mark Teixeira hurt his left wrist on that diving play in the seventh. He is going for tests tomorrow and Joe Girardi called it a big concern.
FUCK!!!
i wouldn't be if Ichi stays put and Swish is at 1st...
please be OK, Tex!!!
Oh for fucks's sake. If Teix is going to miss significant time Cashman is going to have to get busy. And not in a good way.
[6] Yes, but with a capable glove in RF and a DH who can play a little OF in LF, swish can easily take over at 3B. That leaves the DH position open for resting players for September and October.
[4] Xrays came back negative, so that has me even more concerned. Wrist injuries seem to plague the Yankees, eh?
[8] yeah, apparently, he initially hurt it on a swing yesterday. the wrist is sooo important to hitters (and fielders) and take a long time to fully heal. tex has been killin' it, too...
[7] swish at 1b. yeah, that's definitely going to happen.
A wrist injury that only keeps you out a few days? Yeah, right.
Fuck.
[7] Sarcastic, yes? Next you're going to say you caught Olympic Fever!
[7] swish can easily take over at 1B.
OK, that's fixed.
[9] You know Girardi is just itching to keep Ichiro in RF, and now this opportunity has landed right on his plate. It's only a matter of time until we get Peña or Nix in CF.
[11] I simply can't wait to see who grabs the gold in Olympic soccer!
[12] I wouldn't be surprised if we see TONY Peña in CF.
[8] Really??? Ichiro in 2010: .315/.359, 214 hits. 32 steals and 17 MVP votes.
That's pretty awful, or awfully wonderful.
[14] Check that link, should be [3].
Good thing I'm on vacation this week in the middle of nowhere NC/VA (Lake Gaston) with no Extra Innings and the Olympics to distract. Heck I don't have any bars for my phone, which normally I wouldn't mind, but Sparky recently had surgery for an abcessed tooth, and I'd like to keep in touch with his foster mom.
Return Sunday to bask in a new Yankees win streak.
[15]
2011: 86 OPS+
2012: 82 OPS+
I'll stand by my observation: it's no surprise to see him swinging at bad pitches.
Here ya go mp, this'll cheer you up (via LoHud)...