Darrell Rasner has definitely earned himself a spot in the Yankees starting rotation.  His outing today was just like his first one . . . WIN-derful!  Two runs in 6+ innings?  Not bad.

3 posts in a 3 week span? Pathetic.

But not as pathetic as: Hughes and Kennedy pitching/injuring their ways out of the NY rotation; Gonzalez being demoted *tear*;Roger Clemens David Wells wanting to join the Yankees yet again; and Red Sox winning every single game because their opposition can't do squat.

Pathetic. Pathetic.

However, Cano and Giambi both homered in an afternoon game (that I had no idea about) yesterday.  Cano's average is improving . . . it's .172.  Hip Hip Cano!! 

 

Forget about the games (that I was going to write about), we all know how the Yankees have played over the past couple of weeks. 

Wang improving to 5-0 while Hughes faltering to 0-4; Mussina, Pettitte and Kennedy still hanging in there; Melky and Giambi leading the team in homers; Joba losing his first game EVER; bunch of players are on the DL . . . you remember.

The unfortunate (or fortunate if you're a trade-for-Santana kind of person) news is that Hughes is going to be missing many, many games with a rib injury.  He won't be able to do anything baseball related (except being a cheerleader) for at least a month.  Terrible news for such a young guy.  He's obviously been pitching poorly this year, but you still hate to see another Yankee go on the DL. 

I know that Girardi was tougher on the NYY during ST than Joe Torre ever was.  But do you think Girardi went over the top?  Posada, A-Rod, Bruney, and Hughes* are on the DL; Farnsworth, Chamberlain, Jeter, and Molina have had their share of injuries as well . . . something's up . . .that's all I know.

*I would have included Betemit, put I don't think Girardi had anything to do with pink-eye. 

 

. . . doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?

A lot of baseball topics can fit this line over the 2+ weeks I've been away.

• Posada, Betemit, A-Rod, Bruney, and Phil Hughes are all on the DL
• Chad Moeller came, left (DFA'd), came back
• Shelley Duncan came back up
• Billy Traber was sent to SWB
• Ramirez, Britton, Alba have been up and down between NY and SWB a million times each.
• Gonzalez (who originally came up to play SS) can play 3B and 2B.
• Girardi has practically had a different line up every game
• TB is not last in the AL East  - - was in 1st
• Barry Zito is in SF bullpen

Many things.  Many things.

I'll be back with players' stats and game recaps of the many games that were played during the time that I was pulling a Phil Hughes - - not updating my blog on a consistent basis.

I will try to do better.  I will try to do better.

 

 

Apparently, the Yankees can't win when I watch them. 

In the first game vs TB, I started watching when the score was 7-1, only to see Traber and Bruney give up homers and tie the game.  That's 6 runs from the OPPOSING team.  (I did see Cano's homer though.)

I didn't watch the second game except for the bottom 9th with Rivera.  We all know that he can seal the deal.  Otherwise Pettitte had a decent outing and the offense scored some runs.

I watched the first 4 1/2 innings against the Red Sox, but then I had to leave after Wang and Ohlendorf disgusted me.  The Yankees were losing 9-7 but of course, they scored four runs in the bottom half of that inning and never looked back.

I watched the next game on a "Treo" (kind of like a blackberry) until it was 7-0.  I find out this morning that the Yankees had the tying run at the plate in the ninth.  Was it Cano? Giambi? Posada? No idea.

 

I didn't watch Hughes first started (ND) but have watched his last two (0-2).  Maybe I should TiVo today's game and watch it tomorrow. 

 

 

 

Yup, Alberto Gonzalez turns 25 today. 

For some reason, I always forget that the Yankees got him when they traded away Randy Johnson. 

 

 

 

According to Pete Abraham, Alberto Gonzalez will be making his MLB debut at second base tonight**.  I can't believe this is happening; a rookie SS filing in for Robinson Cano. 

Also, Betemit goes on the DL (pink eye).  Joba goes on the bereavement list (family reason).  Moeller and Albaladejo get called up.

I still haven't seen anything involving Molina getting placed on the DL (yet).

* Ha, to those of you thinking that Gonzo was going to be sent back to AAA once Jeter came back.

Catch-Up Time

 

1) Second game of series

2) Rubber game of series

 

Here we go:

1) In the 2+-hour rain delayed game, I just knew A-Rod was going to strikeout.  I just knew it.  The announcers were all concerned about Papelbon and how much he "warmed-up" during the delay, but really A-Rod should have been the main concern (Can he hit in the clutch? Will he be too anxious? Etc).  Imagine what was going through his mind during those couple of hours.  Do you really think that he could have done anything else?. . . Posada looks really bad at the plate; swinging pitches a mile under the strike zone . . . Giambi is doing nothing but striking out . . . Mike Mussina was OK, no thanks to Bruney . . . Gonzo remains a pest to the Red Sox by hitting, playing small ball, and scoring on a WP that literally went only a few feet from home plate . . . Cano went 2-4 with an RBI (he's getting there) . . . FOX just completely stopped showing the game to show NASCAR.  It was the 9th inning, 2 outs, and 3-2 count on Cano, who was battling Papelbon, when FOX changed it.  Obviously, Cano got out, but I think what FOX did was uncalled for. 

 

1a) Second game was not pretty either. Hughes was terrible again . . . Ohlendorf gave up inherited runs again (I think) . . . Giambi hit a solo homer (why can't he hit one with runners on base?) . . . Cano still struggling . . . Gonzo had the at-bat of the series (in my opinion).  He saw 10-11 pitches; fouled off many of them; didn't swing at ones outside of the strike zone; and hit a clutch RBI single.  If Molina wasn't on, then two runs could have scored . . . Molina left the game with a hamstring injury.  Uggh.  Posada looked somewhat uncomfortable behind the plate when he came in as a replacement . . . Rivera and Chamberlain didn't pitch at all in this series.  Bet the Red Sox were happy about that.

 

Tonight Kennedy takes on TB at 7:10pm ET.

 

I'll also be back with my opinion on a Masters champion who isn't named Tiger Woods.

I have officially forgiven Wang for his performances in the playoffs.  That outing yesterday was an amazing performance.  Here are random things about the game:

• Wang threw 93 pitches.  That's 10.33333333333333 pitches per inning.
• Alberto Gonzalez can play small ball and can smoke doubles and has an amazingly strong arm.
• Before Giambi's GW homer, he was batting .050; I'm guessing he didn't want it go lower.
• Yankees ended two innings twice when the bases were loaded.
• Molina is T1st in the AL with doubles.  Unbelievable.
• Cano will come through . . . eventually. 
• Memo to Michael Kay: I had a touch time watching the game.  All you talked about was the Red Sox players.  Yeah you mentioned things about Gonzalez, Wang, and the fact that Cano and Giambi (pre-homer) are slumping but otherwise it was Varitek this, Lugo that, Buchholz this, Ortiz that, Ramirez this, etc.  It got old fast . . . Is out-stolen-based correct English? . . . Alberto Gonzalez does not chug into 2B.  Molina, Giambi, and Posada do, but not a 5' 11", 160 lbs, 24-year-old shortstop. 

Yankees are playing the Red Sox now.  Beckett had a perfect 1st with 2 Ks and Mussina is already struggling in the bottom of the 1st.  What a shock!

I left yesterday's live-blogging post with the Yankees winning.  I really wasn't sure if they would hold on, but they did. 

Pettitte got the win, Chamberlain the hold.  Rivera pitched the 9th. 

Melky, A-Rod, and Jorgie each had homers.  The Melkman and the A-Rod each drove in 2 runs as well. 

Overall it was a good game.  On to the Red Sox tonight!

 

Probable pitchers this series:

Today: CM Wang (2-0, 1.38 ERA) vs Clay Buchholz (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Saturday: Mike Mussina (1-1, 3.09 ERA) vs Josh Beckett (0-1, 9.64 ERA)

Sunday: Phil Hughes (0-1, 5.00 ERA) vs Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47 ERA)

 

Interesting how Wang and D-Mat have the most wins and lowest ERA for their respected teams.