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Beating Traffic

Yankee ace CC Sabathia had two runs in one pocket and a ray of sunshine in the other. He didn’t have the world’s greatest defensive performance behind him, but the runs and the sunshine should have been enough against the lowly Blue Jays. It wasn’t nearly. The Jays beat the Yanks 8-5, took the series, and if you watched all the games without knowing the standings, you’d be shocked to learn that the Yankees were on top and the Jays were on the bottom.

I was at the game with my family and for two innings, we lived the ideal day at the ball park. Unobstructed views for the wee ones, shade, and the Yankees kicking ass. I noted it, but I should have savored it. My kids began melting down approximately five minutes before Sabathia did and it never really got any better. We ended up leaving the stadium in storm of tears, trailing by a run in the seventh.

By the time we got home, my kids had straightened things out, but the Yankees never did get it together. I didn’t properly appreciate the Yankees 2-1 win yesterday. In the face of this series chucking loss, the 2-1 win seems like an oasis of pleasure.

Losses on TV make me want to spill a thousand words. Losses in person just make me shrug my shoulders. It’s so obviously a game of action and execution when you watch it live. It’s not the scripted drama I tend to make it when I watch on TV.

Can’t say much for this series except the Blue Jays clearly outplayed the Yankees and deserved their two wins. The Yankees will be in first place for several more days at least. It could stretch for the rest of season. Despite the evidence on the field lately, I think it will.

 

Photo by Rich Schultz/AP

Categories:  1: Featured  Game Recap  Jon DeRosa  Yankees

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21 comments

1 RIYank   ~  Aug 29, 2012 4:19 pm

Jon, you are such a baseball philosopher.

Sorry about the kids, but they bounce back like a good closer, huh?

2 Bobtaco   ~  Aug 29, 2012 5:58 pm

This team seems to play up or down to their opponent, you can only hope they will dust themselves off and play better against the Orioles.

Otherwise, they continue the downward slide since mid-July and give up first place and possibly the post-season altogether.

Neither would shock me.

The injury threshold may have already been crossed. The bullpen has been burnt out. If they can get into September in first place with the roster expanding, maybe they can limp to the finish line. However, unless Granderson and Cano get back to producing at peak levels, this team is not going far.

It's difficult to watch.

3 The Hawk   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:11 pm

So true about it being less troubling when you're there. It's like "Oh look the other team hit a two run homer ... Ah well"

4 rbj   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:12 pm

[2] Yankees will be in first on Sept. 1. Orioles win tonight, they are 2.5 back. Only O's play tomorrow, so that's a possible 2 back. Then Friday could result in 1 game behind. Rosters expand Saturday. Getting to be razor thin, but still a lead.

5 Bruce Markusen   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:31 pm

Simply an awful loss today. How do you allow eight runs to essentially a quadruple-A lineup? Sabathia gives up the lead twice. Yet another game when they can't hit with runners in scoring position, 3 for 17. And three errors in the field.

Does anyone on this team ever get angry?

Joe Girardi needs to do a Billy Martin impression and give them a good, verbal clubhouse thrashing.

6 Bruce Markusen   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:34 pm

Oh by the way, Shelley Duncan has been designated for assignment by the Indians. I'd pick him up and send Andruw Jones on his way. At least Duncan acts likes he gives a darn.

7 rbj   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:43 pm

Nice post by David Pinto:
http://baseballmusings.com/?p=87866

"The Yankees made three errors against the Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon. The four unearned runs allowed resulted in the 8-5 Blue Jays win.

Errors are not a great way to measure defense. It better to think in terms of high probability outs that don’t get converted. Sometimes they go for hits if a fielder was out of position or has poor range. Sometime they go for errors in the fielder simply makes a mistake. The Yankees have not played well defensively this year according to FanGraphs, losing 3.6 runs per 150 balls in play. That poor defense, on balls that were high probability of outs, cost them the game today."

Ugh.

8 monkeypants   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:43 pm

[6] And he can simulate a 1B, which would allow for the banishment of cleanup hitter experiment Steve Pearce.

9 monkeypants   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:45 pm

[5] How do you allow eight runs to essentially a quadruple-A lineup?

Well, trotting out your own quadruple-A lineup and bullpen is a good start.

10 monkeypants   ~  Aug 29, 2012 6:47 pm

[6][8] Unfortunately, Shelley appears unable to hit either RHP or LHP.

11 jjmerlock   ~  Aug 29, 2012 7:02 pm

[5] That's exactly what I was saying in the game thread.

I want it to go away, but I'm still stewing. It is inexcusable to lose that game.

3 blown freaking leads in 3 games (CC blew TWO) to the Blue Jays and a series loss? The Blue Jays were 25-40 on the road coming into this series. Fucking pathetic showing by the Yankees today.

Easily could be at home for the PS.

Cash made some excellent moves, but it is unfathomable to me that he couldn't have found better alternatives than a number of the guys being run out there all too often.

12 Jon DeRosa   ~  Aug 29, 2012 7:36 pm

[1] They bounce back, but it's more a AAA type thing, up and down from the Show to the minors until they're out of options.

I never thought they were going to lose that game. Right up until Jones misplayed the flyball in the ninth.

As bad as they are playing, if they are back to health (IE Pettitte, Teixeira and Arod at all close to full strength) by October, they probably are as good as anybody.

13 RIYank   ~  Aug 29, 2012 7:58 pm

I was irrationally confident during the game too, Jon.

The Orioles are getting their bird brains beat in.
Rays are winning a close one.

14 RIYank   ~  Aug 29, 2012 7:59 pm

Ah, well, not as close as when I started typing. But that's a win-win (or lose-lose) game as far as the Yankees are concerned: we want to have the best record in the AL, so we get to play the WC winner...

15 Jon DeRosa   ~  Aug 29, 2012 8:47 pm

The Postseason is going to be a crappier-shoot than usual this year. The 10 teams that make it are going to be pretty evenly matched.

16 RIYank   ~  Aug 29, 2012 8:54 pm

[15] Maybe the Nationals are a cut above? I've hardly seen them at all, and of course they'll be without their ace. Or the Reds. But none of the AL teams has separated themselves. Weird season.

17 RIYank   ~  Aug 29, 2012 8:59 pm

Down go the Orioles.

18 monkeypants   ~  Aug 29, 2012 9:03 pm

[16] I tell you, if I ran the Nationals, there is no way I would not pitch Strasburg during the PS.

19 Jon DeRosa   ~  Aug 29, 2012 9:29 pm

[18] Assume that there is a hard innings limit for whatever reason. Would you stretch out his appearances so he can start in the Postseason, even if it meant getting caught by the Braves and playing a Wild Card Game? What's better, having your ace, or winning the division? (of course they could stretch him out and win the division too, but it's close enough where it's risky)

20 monkeypants   ~  Aug 29, 2012 9:43 pm

[19] Tough question, mainly because if I ran the club---one that has been remarkably unsuccessful in two cities for a long time---I would abandon his innings limit given what the team is potentially poised to do. So my first answer is, eliminate the innings limit and pitch him all the way through.

But if I decided to keep some semblance of an innings limit, I would (a) fudge the limit (go over by 10 or 20 innings) and stretch his appearances during the regular season. It looks like they've been careful with him already: he's averaging about 5.2 INN/start and he's not thrown many pitches (skimming his game logs). At this pace he would start another maybe 6 games---that's 30 or 35 innings, for a total of 180-185 going into the PS.

Maybe skip a couple of his starts. , try to keep him at 170 or so for the regular season.

21 OldYanksFan   ~  Aug 30, 2012 9:01 am

[11] Cashman makes what he feels are reasonable moves... but ultimately the player bears the responsibiliy.

Last year, Jones was very good. Cashman is a GENIUS!
Early this year, Jones was very good. Cashman is a GENIUS!
Lastly, Jones has been terrible. Cashman is an IDIOT!

With any player, we all (and Cashman) have certain expectations.
Sometimes a player surpasses them.
Sometimes a player underperforms.
This is not on Cashmans head.

I mean, next year, if Cashman trades Pearce for Strasberg straight up, and Strasberg has a shitty year, is it a shitty trade? Is Cashman an idiot????

A GM has 0% responsibilty for how a player performs relative to realistic expectations.
A Manager has 10% responsibilty for how a player performs relative to realistic expectations.

Ultimately, the players are the guys who decide the outcome of any given year. And this is filled with a confluence of random luck.

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