Game 129: Yankees at Tigers
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 25, 2007 
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Here is the lineup:
YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Betemit 1B
Cabrera CF
Wang RHP (14-6, 4.10)
Pregame chatter: Yanks are facing RHP Jeremy Bonderman (10-6, 4.65). … The clubhouse opened to the media at 3:30 p.m., as usual. The only player there was Kyle Farnsworth. Eleven other players arrived on the bus at 4:37 p.m. Neither team is taking BP today, as you might expect.
UPDATE, 5:50 p.m.: The Yankees just closed the clubhouse so Joe Torre could hold a team meeting. Undoubtedly the message will be that there are only 33 games left and they can’t let their momentum slip away. Good teams have to overcome a night like last night.
With Mussina facing Verlander on Monday, these next two games are huge for the Yankees. A 3-4 road trip to Anaheim and Detroit is acceptable. A 2-5 or 1-6 trip would be a problem.
UPDATE, 6:15 p.m.: Could the White Sox be a bigger bunch of dogs? Today would be their 12th loss in the last 14 games. Since the All-Star break last season, the White Sox are 89-114.
UPDATE, 8:24 p.m.: Sorry for the lack updates, I feel like I’m treading water as I write. My brain, what there is of it, is stuck in neutral. One Red Bull was not enough.
I did get a call from my niece, who is attending a Disney Channel concert and is quite excited because Aly and A.J. were going to be there along with Corbin from High School Musical. If you know a 7-year-old girl, you’d understand why that is important. The kid leads quite a life, I have to say. She found it amusing that I was at a baseball game until 3:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, Joe Torre said that he doesn’t quite understand why Joba Chamberlain needs a day of rest when he throws only 10 pitches as he did last night. It’s something “we’re talking about,” he said.
Roger Clemens had a blister on his right foot, which could have accounted for his poor showing last night.
UPDATE, 9:26 p.m.: Chien-Ming Wang, the ace of the Yankees, is pitching that way tonight. He has scattered five singles in seven innings, struck out six and walked one. He hasn’t been brilliant, but he has been plenty good on a night when the Yankees needed it. Torre should send him out there for the 8th.
UPDATE, 9:51 p.m.: With this long half-inning, I would think Wang is done. I saw somebody commented that, “the jury is still out on him.”
Really? With a win tonight he will he 34-12 with a 3.79 ERA and 377.1 innings pitched in the last two seasons. What is it you want him to do? The only other pitcher with those numbers is Johan Santana.
…and Giambi is on the bench again.
Wow Krazy Kyle was there first!
Damn now they are breaking it open.
Hope Wanger can go deep today. BP is probably gassed.
Is Giambi even on this team any more?
Chien-Ming Wang vs. The Detroit Tigers on August 25:
IP H R ER BB K HR
6.0 10 6 5 5 2 2
any word on why giambi wouldn’t play, or any roster moves (like, oh i don’t know, henn to Scranton??)
4 runs. Yep broke it open.:( no way they come back.
giambi is a bum.. keep him on the bench.. the team has been sliding since he came back…
Finally out of it. 4-0 dirty soxs.
Hopefully Wanger will go back to normal. We need a nice outting out of him. I don’t think the pen is gassed. The only one not available would be Joba.
I brought this situation up yesterday and here it is again. Who gets the boot first- Ozzie or Ken Williams?
P.S. Wang’s going to snap out of the funk tonight.
tterba – that’s because he hasn’t been playing.
Peter, it seems that Kyle Farnsworth is always one of the first in the clubhouse. Is he really a hard worker?
I think both should be gone. I guess being a nut, doesn’t work. Referring to ozzie.
I think we’ve all heard of Torre losses (as prominently featured by Nomaas). Cashman’s obstinancy in keeping Henn (if he hasn’t been sent out to Scranton), recharacterizes last night as a Cashman loss.
Don’t misunderstand me: I think Cashman has had a very good season, and he has shown organizational hutzpah by taking a bunch of toys from Torre in the last few weeks (and giving Torre a better bench than he’s had for years).
But when you get Gagned twice in a week by a pitcher which arguably is the last one in your BP depth chart, the GM has to be held responsible for his actions (or lack thereof).
Wow, Farns putting in long hours at the office eh? Good for him – I think he really hit his lowest point a few weeks back in that game vs the White Sox and has been working hard to bounce back since. I only hope that the positive results he has been seeing serve as a motivator to continue to do whatever he has been doing different lately.
I feel like quoting Bob Uecker in Major League, the White Sox have one (you-know-what) hit through six innings. I still hope that we get to face Wakefield next week, because we have beaten all three times that we have faced him this year.
“Who gets the boot first- Ozzie or Ken Williams?”
Williams is stupider than Ozzie so I will go with him being gone first, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see both get the boot.
“I only hope that the positive results [Farns] has been seeing serve as a motivator to continue to do whatever he has been doing different lately.”
Actually, Pete if you get a chance at some point maybe you could ask him what he has been doing different? I’m just curious cause honestly a month ago at this time, I didn’t even think he had it in him to pitch a 1-2-3. Nevermind several consecutive scoreless…
I think Ozzie is going first. Talk about not putting up a fight. swept in a double header yesterday, being one hit today.
Ozzie is going first, I’d guess before Sept 1.
Im with you guys about Giambi. I say put him in there as starting DH half the time, atleast. Damon showed us last night (and all year, sans 1 Baltimore game) he’s worthless @the plate in clutch situations. I say – LF Matsui & DH Giambi tonight.
Better off not asking him. You don’t want him to think about it.
with out thome in the lineup the whites sox offense is atrocious.
yea another day more talk about britton but nothing changes.
as someone posted before we all though Edwar was a no brainer but it took forever and then more time till joe decided to use him correctly which is a few times a week not once every 14 days..
i am just confused one why such a simple no cost move is so hard for the Yankees to do!!!
Send Henn down and bring him back in 15 days how complicated is that???
Yeah no Giambi again, Damon is playing better but you need to play iambi on occasion…I also would have played Betemit today at 2nd and kept Phillips at 1st..Canos D lately has not been that reat and his flailin at the plate is troublesome…With all his faults Cano is still top 5 2b in baseball;; utley, polanco, orlando hudson(maybe), and a few others are better but not many and Cano has the old upside on his side….
They’ll have a coin toss. Heads- Ozzie goes, tails- Ken goes. It might take the best 2 out of 3 tosses!
Gene LaMont may be better than Ozzie at this point!
Oh shock another run.
I would have put Betemit at second and Giambi at first or at DH tonight.
Cano needs a day out of the lineup to get his head back in the game. The April-June Robbie is back and its not helping the team. In fact, he’s killing them offensively and defensively right now.
At this point, not playing Giambi doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless, Matsui is really hurting (knee). If Matsui is really hurting, Damon has to be in there to play LF. They need Matsui’s bat in the lineup so, I understand him DH’ing. If he’s not hurting, Giambi should be in the lineup. Bonderman is a flyball pitcher.
At some point, Cano has to sit. If not, he will meander his way through the rest of the season. Its his “style”. We are seeing the signs all over again of “Robbie being Robbie”. They have to put an end to it now. Sitting is the best way to do it.
The pitching absent Joba and Andy, has been awful thus far on the roadtrip. 36 runs in 4 games, an average of 9 per night. Brutal. That dosen’t get you to the playoffs.
If they keep giving ground to the Mariners, it won’t matter when/if the Mariners come “down to earth”.
They will have enough of a cushion to hold off the other WC contenders.
Can’t use last night as an excuse. A loss tonight, and its the Denver, SF Baltimore trip all over again. If they pull a 1-6 on this one, September will be for evaluating 2008 and not for a playoff push.
Its “gettin’ late early”, as Yogi would say. They need a win tonight.
Maybe Farnsy slept in the clubhouse.
Team bus ??
Oh how times have changed. Remember how Steinbrenner demanded everyone travel together on the team bus. Now, only 11 outta 25. And I bet most of those were probably the kids saving up their per diem.
Next week’s pitching matchups are as follows:
Tues: Pettitte v. Matsuzaka
Wed: Clemens v. Beckett
Thurs: Wang v. Schilling
Beckett/Schilling may be switched b/c they both pitched yesterday in the doubleheader but both teams are going with their big 3.
Damon hits the crap out of Bonderman, .429. Giambi is a .200 hitter against him.
Farnsworth probably slept there.
I could care less about the Red Sox. The division has been in the rearview mirror since Late-May. As it should be when you mail in the first two months of a season, like the Yankees did. They don’t deserve to win the division and they won’t.
You can’t play two months of baseball and win the AL East. Gotta be better than that.
Its all about the WC now. Worry about Seattle, not the Red Sox.
The numbers only mean something if the players are hitting/pitching well at the time you play them. Damon is a .260 hitter this year. He isn’t hitting anybody with his past regularity.
He was awful again last night, especially in big situations. Spent the night swinging at balls no where near the plate.
Perhaps he breaks out tonight. I suspect, if Bonderman was watching last night, he won’t throw him a strike with two strikes on him and just watch Damon get himself out.
Where do I come off as worried, I was just stating the facts on who was pitching the upcoming series. Besides, someone asked earlier if Wakefield was going to pitch.
I’d forget about Seattle. They’re gonna pass the Halos.
Its the Halos who will be in front of our windshield.
One make-or-break series for us could be from Sept. 3-5 against the Mariners. A sweep would possibly get us in the driver’s seat for the Wild Card. That series could be the biggest turning point of the season. I’m not saying it is the biggest one, but it could be.
grrr..
why doesn’t someone ask torrre why giambi, one of the best hitters on this team, can’t get in a game?
pete? ask torre!
i say bring up igawa and britton send down bruney and Henn….then make igawa into a long lefty reliver like vilone was but more effective.
no indication over the last six weeks that wang will rise to the occasion and shut down the tigers tonight. i expect a maximum of six innings and a minimum of five runs.
whatever. joba’s off today so my excitement is tempered. i expect we’ll see the same yankees we’ve seen the last few games. they’ll hit well enough to score some runs and pitch poorly enough to lose.
the angels will win the west. seattle will not beat the angels..
el duque is still doing it, it is amazing. the yankee pitching just stinks(17th in baseball) and el duque can still pitch, I know he just gave up back to back but he has had a good yr….
we will take 7 innings 2 runs every game….
Only 2 years removed from a WS Championship says it all in White Sox land. Guillen will be 1st and Williams is on a short leash.
They can’t afford to lose any more fanbase with the Cubs possibly headed for the playoffs.
The Whie Sox will be a busy team this winter.
Kasey SUnshine nice to see your post. what is the Yankee record? are the y20 below 500? Your posts lead me to believe that…
how is it ike to go thru life so gloomy and down???
“Gagned”–new word I learned here today. Very good.
“Better off not asking him. You don’t want him to think about it.”
Actually, good point – that and we also wouldn’t want him to tip off the other teams as to any changes he has made. I’m probably better off just continuing to wonder!
On another note, I’d like them to get Giambi in the lineup as many times as possible before we face Dicey next week and give Jeter a day or 2 off as well. Both of them have absolutely owned him in 2 previous meetings this season so I want Giambi to have some recent ABs to build off and Jeter to be as fresh as possible.
Your excitement is tempered? I don’t think there was ever any from you to begin with. You talk like we switched places with the Royals, the Rangers, or some other hopeless team. We’re not dead yet!! We’re just three games out, not twenty-three!!
the white sox will be bad for yrs. they have a bunch of bad contracts that no one will take off the heands; contreras, garland(looks terrible), Konerko(still a good player) but a big contract and there minor leagues are nothing special from what I hear..
Jenks is very good, vazquez is actually there 2nd best pitcher to Buerhle but they have big contracts and some age.
just shows you they hit lightning in th ebottle a few yrs ago..cliff politte and others all had career yrs….
Wang’s arm-angle is the problem.
He used to throw the ball with an arm-angle about 20 degree to his body. In the past month or so, he did it with an angle of 30-40 degree. As a result, his 2-seam fastballs have more lateral movement than downward. Fastballs with lateral movement pose little threat to a left-hand hitter, and Wang is thus less effective.
I miss his sinkers-fastballs with strong downward movement and hope the pitching coach can help him restore them.
Stuart:
Given a choice between Mussina and El Duque, give me El Duque no matter how old he is.
At least he can reach back for a little heat to offset his other stuff. Mussina can’t do it anymore.
Kasey – no disrespect but how can it even be fun to watch the games going into them with a mentality like that?
Stuart – El Duque’s still the man! I would give my pinky toe to have him back. What he has done this year is totally impressive especially considering his age, which is at least a few years older than what his player page says. But it doesn’t surprise me to see him perform this way, he is one of the gutsiest pitchers in baseball, a fighter through and through and leaves it all out there every time. Man I miss him!
For you minor league junkies, Ian Kennedy pitches tonight for Scranton in Buffalo. He’s pitching against Cliff Lee, former #3 starter for the Indians, who was demoted six weeks ago.
This will be interesting. If Kennedy has a lights out performance, and Mussina is awful again Monday, Kennedy’s next start could be a week from today at the stadium against the DRays.
I know, lots of “ifs”. But, its still something worth tracking.
The Scranton game starts at 7.
Smart move by Torre to call a team meeting. You always call a team meeting when your ace is pitching. If he wins, you look smart.
We shall see. I have a sinking feeling this is August’s version of that fateful June roadtrip, which set this team back a month.
I hope they prove me wrong and can win two of the next 3.
Its doable but, they are going to have to play a helluva lot better than they have played this week.
SJ44- Good point, this could be interesting with Kennedy and Moose. With Moose’s response “who would replace me,” you almost get the sense that he might be hearing footsteps. Don’t look back Moose, because Kennedy might be gaining on you.
I know about El DUque it is amazing he is one tough mofo…..
imagin Ken Harrelson doing the sox games he must be in misery. they had there magic carpet ride hopefully it will satisfy them for 20 or 30 yrs….
the only issue with el duque is the injury thing and I think he has been healthy most of the yr.
BTW the mets have had many more injuries then the Yanks, they just find a way to win close games…I’s rather see the mets win then many other teams, at least they are still NY
ers..
Gonzo has to make that play..
Bukvich having a stellar outing for the chisox…
Wang is there ace but he has not pitched well for 5 + starts.. I am not sure what the issue is but he has been striking out more hitters and giving up less groundballs.
I love Jeter but he is not having one of his better yrs. He only has 8 HR’s and his SB are way way down.. The 20 DP’s is also troublesome..
I am not sure what is up his avg with RISP and 2 outs is great but he has 4 more RBI’s then Melky!!!
What is up with Jeter?
Posada and Arod have been excpetianol, Matsui his usuall, abreu (Inconsistent which drives me crazy) but his #’s are pretty good but jeter not jeter like…
Al Horne was named EL pitcher of the year…congrats to big Al and I hope we see him in the Bronx sometime next year.
If the Moose fails again the Yanks have three candidates for his spot, they include Kennedy, White and even Igawa.
Does anyone know if its true that if an Outfielder throws his glove to stop a ball in the gap or so, it becomes an automatic triple.
The Devil Rays @ The Stadium would be the ideal setting for Ian Kennedy’s arrival to the bigs….Time is critical, the stretch run is here and now……No Giambino, what gives Joe Torre ?????? Robbie Cano needs the evening off…..
Its past the time to designate Henn and forget about him. With Moose’s 1 2/3 innings tues night and another Clemens stinker last night our bullpen is shot. Would be great to have a long man in the pen, but Cash man hasn’t been able to fill that role all year. At the very least, Britton should have been recalled today for Henn.
Blame cashman for getting rid of El Duque. Agreed, he is 10x the pitcher moose is. Duque is like undefeated in the postseason. Moose has never won anything.
The Little League World Series is nearly over. Japan will face the Warner Robins squad for the title tomorrow. It’s fun to watch the kids play, but the best part is getting to see the beautiful Erin Andrews! I love her!!
Everyone,
I think either Little League team remaining could beat the White Sox!
Didn’t Giambi smack Bonderman around last go or was that Robertson? I wonder why Joe refrained from starting him at 1B. I recognize his defensive shortcomings but his at-bats are infinitely more disciplined that Betemit’s.
wow the White Sox suck amazingly badly…
Again, I think the division race is pretty much done barring a miracle… must take the wild card, and take it with authority
Don’t give Mussina a chance to fail again and if the self-centered one whines about it, tell him nobody gives a chit what he cares about.
Pete the White Sox are a AAA1/2 team and I think Trenton and Scranton could give them a run for their money now.
Its pathetic how bad the White Sox are right now.
What’s worse, their farm system is the worst in the majors. They have ONE real prospect, Gio Fernandez, a good LH starter. That’s it.
They have made so many bad moves, especially for a major market team, its not funny.
Now, you add “dog” to the list. They are just mailing in the rest of the year.
In addition, the Hawk and DJ are FAR AND AWAY, the worst announcers in baseball. Its not even close.
They make John, Kay and Suzyn sound like Allen, Barber and Scully.
Bad ballclub, bad organization. Two years ago, they were World Champions. Now, if the DRays ownership spends a little money, the White Sox would become the worst franchise in baseball. Quite a fall from grace.
_Could the White Sox be a bigger bunch of dogs?_
whaya got against dogs, Peter ??
I thought it’s cats who are fat and lazy.
_In addition, the Hawk and DJ are FAR AND AWAY, the worst announcers in baseball. Its not even close._
You can put it on the board, SJ
c’mon doncha like it when sterling screws up
I take back anything negative I ever said about the Texas Rangers tonight and tomorrow.
Hey Rangers !!! ….. put it to those Mariners !
Wang GO GO GO~~
J-Dawg:
did someone say Erin Andrews!
http://tinyurl.com/3bywxn
GO GATORS!
Yeah they could. As I said before they should just go up with golf clubs and give golf balls to the pitchers. Unreal.
We turn the page and win tonight!! Thats right tonight, not tomorrow morning. LOL
I can’t believe there are only 33 games left. The summer has flown as usual.
White Sux, thanks for the subprime effort yet again. Why don’t you go play Japan for the little league WS title?
I heard on the radio, Suzy said the players didn’t get on the bus till 4:30 am. Said they were complaining about start time and that the players union may need to get involved.
Ca they couldn’t win that. I think even the local beer league teams could beat them.
LOL
what do Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau,Lew Ford, Vlad Guerrero (2), Kevin Willits, Paul Bako, Aubrey Huff. Kevin Millar, Brandon Inge, Raburn, Curtis Granderson, Mathis, Kasey Kotchman, Rabelo all have in common?? They have all struck out swinging against Edwar Ramirez.
I can’t believe they reversed the error on Polanco.
Arod has been taking the walks that opposing pitchers give him; more for the rest of the lineup because Arod has great backup – Matsui!
Scoring first is big: the Yankees lose more often when they’re the first to be put in a hole.
Coming up,
my guess: sadly, Curtis Anderson triples again!
2-0
Ugh, Wang’ control shaky again so far. C’mon, Wang, get it together
Jen-
_The summer has flown as usual._
it’s that the truth. sure, things are busier during summer, but it’s like a hill – you feel like you’re walking up hill during winter and you feel like you’re rolling down during summmer.
Yep, I’ve been busy every weekend. This is the first weekend where I have nothing to do, and I am bored!! LOL
At least I get to relax and watch the yankees. They better win!!
Anyone know if the Tigers did anything for the fans that sat at the game until 3:30 am?
_didn’t get on the bus till 4:30 am._
considering the game didn’t end until 3:40 am (yeah, Edt is in the eastern time zone – who knew), that’s a fast turnaround – a single hour to talk to the press, shower and change.
God how often are they going to show that g___d___n walk off hr from last nite?
MVP Ordonez, a four-hit night.
Nowadays, Igawang is a 6th starter at best
I heard Oprah gave them free cars
Dr. A- Awesome pic of Erin! She is so hot!! I was watching one of the Little League games today, then I saw her, and I completely forgot who was playing!
It seems like Wang has struggled in the 1st inning in all of his road starts lately.
Kennedy 1 hit no runs, 2 strikeouts in the 1st against the Cleveland Indians AAA club.
It looks like we’re not getting the old Wang back this year, which featured high GB, low SO. If he’s adjusting due to the nail, will the nail even get fixed with a few months off?
It really is amazing to me this team continues to walk people.
At some point, you owould think they realize every walk is a double because they can’t throw anybody out.
They walk 5-7 a night, give up 4-5 stolen bases a night, and give up 7-9 runs. Its amazing they can’t see the correlation.
Just throw strikes. If they beat you with the bat, that’s baseball.
The walks and stolen bases have killed this team all year.
Next year, strikethrowing better become a priority. It sure as hell hasn’t been this year.
130 games in, and they are still struggling with the strikezone. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the pitching coach.
Its why the offense has to score 10 every night to win. Pretty damn tough to do when you play real teams.
J-Dawg-
* LOL! thanks for the laugh, I outta send ya a bleeping album. She one hot Gator.
* Wang’s finger nails are still messed up. just look at this picture. http://tinyurl.com/29z4e7
* Check out all those Yankees wearing colors in the stands
Why is everything dunking in for them?
Would Leo Mazzone be available next year? He seems to be doing great things in Baltimore. (and we know what he did in Atlanta). He stayed on in Baltimore when Perloza got the axe. We could move Gator to the pen.
After 2 innings Kennedy dealing against Indians AAA team
2 1 0 0 0 3
Johnny Damon *SUCKS*
Yeah, Johnny!
Yeah Johnny Damon is so pathetic! LOL!!
That’s why Damon has to be in the lineup!!!! Too bad Giambi can’t play 1b, but you gotta play Damon! You can put it on the board…YES!!!!!!
JOHNNNNNYYY!!
Good call puttin him in the lineup! 2 meetings & 2 homers in 2 weeks vs Bonderman – noice!!
oh in 1 week rather – we really need an edit button!
Yeah Johnny Damon is a bum!! LOL
Damon’s great numbers against Bonderman continue. Speaking of Bonderman, SI ranked him above Jeter in thier Top 50.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
How the hell is that?
Alex showed bunt. LOL well it was only so that Bobby could steal. But now will they walk Alex?
Bobby’s in a running mood today
1st and 3rd 2 outs. Mats at least a deep fly.
Two great at-bats by Johnny and Bobby. Let’s go A-Rod!!
I second or third the edit button. well now it is two outs.
Send A-Rod
He went.
No throw!
Easier to run when Sludge isn’t behind the plate.
well at least we got one.
One thing you have to like about watching this inning: the Yankees have wheels in their toolbox. Indeed the most overcooked theory about running (one of them anyway) is that it “takes the bat out of a [his] hands”.
No further runs but the Detroit BP is already depleted and their SP doesn’t look long for this game unless the Yankees bail him out on their own.
Bonderman at 62 pitches thru 3…hopefully we can knock him out soon to the tune of several runs!!
more grounders for Wang. That’s a good sign.
It doesn’t matter what happens from here on out, I still say Wang is coming out of the funk.
Kennedy after 3 innings:
3 1 0 0 0 3
jennifer: The only time pitchers consider IBBs are when it’s late in the game with a thin egde to either side, usually not early in the game. The only time they’d give the intentional pass this early in the game is if there’s a UNCONCIENABLE drop off in player production with the man coming up; that’s not the case with the Yankees – Matsui backing up Arod and Posada backing up Matsui.
Yeah, very good inning for the Wanger there.
Clarification: most of the time, the pitchers will not IBB in that situation but they usually DO “pitch around”.
hmm. our bottom three helping keep bonderman in the game.
Gawd the melkman sure hasn’t been delivering much lately.
Beautiful defense by Arod.
Ian Kennedy is not hurting his cause to be called up to replace Mussina.
Stew on that – Moosie !!!
WTF, come on Robbie, get your head out of the clouds
the bottom 3 in the order have seen about 12 pitches in 6 AB’s.. Damon saw more pitches then those 3 on his own…
Matsui 1st and 3rd, pitch 1 swings pops out to 3rd..bad AB…
the Yanks could have 6 runs with a bit hit .
Got to get Robbie out of the lineup for a day or two. He brain cramps are a nightly occurance now.
He isn’t hitting enough right now to warrant forgiving his horrible defensive play.
Give him a day and maybe that gets him on back on track.
The Tampa Yanks are destroying Homer Bailey right now.
Vintage Abreu with the walk. He’s an expert at working the count!
Kennedy struggling in the fourth…2 runs allowed so far.
The White Sox really stink. They’ve just given up. Poor Ozzie.
SJ,
Any opinion on Marcos Vechinocci? He’s got the tools to be great but he seems to be struggling to put it all togeather. I haven’t seen him play in a couple years, so I don’t know much about him.
haha terrible spelling on my part…Vechionacci is how it is spelled(i think).
Wow, Posada has had quite a few throwing attempts get away from him.
C’mon Jorge that is just awful. CAn’t even through out a busted hit and run with a slow runner.
I think Posada needs a day off, too. His throws today have been awful….
Jorge may has well have just handed them a run.
Outside of Sheff of course, is there any Tiger more annoying than Brandon Inge? He’s like a gnat.
I’m curious, are the Yankees ever going to throw out a baserunner again or is every single or walk a double for the rest of the season?
Its amazing how poor this team is in throwing out runners.
Now, the obligatory WP/PB, which is becoming a Wang staple and here comes a giveaway run.
So much for this team to work on in the off-season. Its going to take a lot of work to get this team back to where it should be. Lots of flaws among this group.
Homer Bailey – there’s a case of someone who was brought up too early.
Ah crap, another stolen base.
Like clockwork, Wang/Posada strikes again.
What a way to giveaway a run. But, since they have been doing it in all of Wang’s starts the last two months, I can’t say I’m surprised.
Better score a lot more runs tonight. They are going to need it.
I’d say Anderson is more annoying that Inge.
Chill, SJ.
So a changeup from Wang. Is that new ? I don’t know if that last strikeout was a change, but I definitely saw a swing and miss this inning on a pitch that registered 79. That is definitely changeup speed.
Anyone ?
That was a terrible run for Wang and Posada. It sure seems like they have had a lot of WP and PBs lately, respectively.
Good job by Wang to shake it off. Part of winning is overcoming adversity.
Can’t keep giving away runs like that. That’s awful.
They are 11-29 in games decided by one or two runs. So, for all intents and purposes, its like they are behind in this one.
The Tigers had to do nothing in that inning and scored. Just awful baseball. The April/May Yankees are back.
Marcus? He’s and up and down player. He’s still very young but, when you are buried in A ball and you have been in the organization as long as he has, he will need a real good spring next year to open eyes.
I thought he would be further along than he is right now.
omg, is Al leiter logically challenged.
bla bla bla Wang’s ERA is much lower when not runners are not on base…bla bla Wang’s ERA is so much lower at 0.53 when bases are empty.
WELL OF COURSE DUH…if no one’s on base the only way anyone can score a run from that at bat is by hitting a home run…YA THINK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE?
Posada just costs Wang a run… really..
Wang’s been throwing both his change and slider tonight, and pretty decently.
I know they’ve scuffled a bit on the trip thus far, but all is not lost. Henn didn’t help us in two of the games and when Boston is playing well(against a god awful team)it magnifies a few Yankee losses even more.
Al Leiter is McCarver-like in his annoyance from the booth.
He really offers nothing except reading a stat sheet. You learn about the game listening to him.
He had so much promise when he first broke into broadcasting on Fox. Now, its a complete mail in effort.
How about the attorney general down at Scranton? He’s been great since returning from his demotion/exile to Trenton. Any chance he see’s some action with the Yanks is Sept.?
Put Matsui in motion.
How is Wang an ace? He throws a ton of pitches and goes to pieces with guys on base. I just don’t get it…He never used to be this jittery with ducks on the pond.
Pettitte is the only starter on the Yanks’ staff that has stepped up his game. All the rest are just treading water (or worse). That just isn’t going to cut it…
Seriously. It am not as bothered abt the run given up as I am with how Posada gave it up. He did not move his body on the passed ball or the wild pitch. And the throw was Damoneseque. Pitchers throw wild pitches once in a while. You atleast need to try to block it.
Love to see Wilson nail one here…
Honestly, I think they’re on cruise control after last night. Win this game, get some sleep and be back to normal tomorrow.
Having said that, they absolutely need to bear down and focus on winning this game…no stupid mental errors.
Melky man Come on ~~ score some run !
Yanks absolutely can’t let Bonderman and the Tigers off the hook right here. Let’s get a hit with RISP for a change, guys!
HP ump’s been decent tonight, Tigers shouldn’t be arguing balls and strikes here.
Need a few more runs to give Wang at least a 3-run lead.
Wang’s thrown a good game thus far. There have been some shaky moments but few are the games with nary a blemish. If he can get through 6 or 7 with 3 or fewer runs, I’ll be more than happy….
Melky!
the melkman finally delivers…took him long enough.
Milkman delivers!!!
LECHE!!!!
Huge hit- maybe the biggest of August for us.
THE MELKMAN DELIVERS!!!!
AWESOME!! GO MELK-MAN!!!!
Outstanding!
Granderson risked the dive and over-estimated it…now Jeter has a chance to drive one in.
Woooooow back-to-back triples!!! Go Melky & Damon!!
back-to-back triples??????????
What’s wrong with Jeter lately, by the way? You think he’s injured?
booya…ok with this big margin we should see Wang at his best. Just attack hitters and not worry about if one or two folks get onbase…
Wow, haven’t seen back to back triple in a while
Melky Cabrera is why I ignore Baseball America and Keith Law from ESPN when they talk about Yankee prospects.
If that kid is a 4th OF, then those folks don’t have the foggiest idea about talent.
Its why I would suggest people ignore what BA and Law say about Ian Kennedy.
Like Melky, Kennedy is going to be a helluva lot better than they think he is going to be.
That 1st strike on Jeter was absolutely bogus.
I’ll say it again- that Johnny Damon is so pathetic!!
It may have been bogus (I agree with you) but, he is really stuggling at the plate.
He’s got to be hurt more than anybody is letting on. He’s a shell of himself. It hurts to watch.
Hopefully, he gets his second wind in September. Right now, the poor guy looks whipped. He’s logged a lot of innings this year.
Think Ian wants to pitch in the Bronx?
5 4 2 2 2 6
Ouch…That’s a gimme run sitting on third…Would hate to see it left there!
Haha yep – Melky said, take that, Steve Phillips!
And Johnny Damon sucks
floodgates opened
hahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha
Jeter’s been fine, he’s made good contact in this game but twice he’s hit the ball at somebody. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him pull the ball with authority but that’s not really his MO anyway.
CMW’s going to shut them down now. Everything is all right.
our dear captain hasn’t been right since July…if this were ARod doing it, folks would be giving him hell at the stadium and questioning his psychiatric make-up to handle NY in the papers…maybe he can use more time off.
Hopefully Wang can throw fewer pitches this next inning. They really need to get seven or eight out of him. Heck, I’m sure they’d be glad to let him go nine if he manages to get through the next few in a fairly economic fashion.
In all fairness, Jeter did hit that ball hard. I do think he needs a few days off though, and I agree he maybe hurting more than they are letting on.
This team is so much better than it was earlier in the year. The depth we’ve added is HUGE – nice job by Cash on the Betemit pick-up especially.
The fact he can spell any infield position should help keep everyone fresher as we get through this rough stretch.
Win tonight and tomorrow, pray for a miracle Moose magic (ok, maybe 15 runs is more realistic), and back home to the Bronx
He’s leading the league in GIDP’s and I don’t think he’s had an extra base hit in about 10 days.
He’s anything but fine. He’s got to be hurt because he usually drives the ball in the air to get that run in.
Well, here’s a test for Wang. The past 3 years, one of the real problems with this pitching staff has been giving up runs the half inning after they score.
This has to be a shutdown inning for CMW. Shut them down and don’t give runs back. That’s what aces have to do.
Jetes has been hurting since he got nailed in the thigh at Tampa back in May(?), then his wrist got nailed (don’t remember which game).
2 more frames from CMW would be just what the doctor ordered.
DP!!!!
Yeah what the hell Johnny *sucks* only a homerun and triple. Send him to Scranton, no wait better yet Tampa.
On the first pitch, too – gotta love it.
Doesn’t that end Wang’s streak of consecutive innings without giving up any unearned runs?
Beautiful. Wang is dealing tonight, haven’t seen him this good in a month+.
Big DP and shut-down inning for Wang. Getting through the meat of the order, you can expect him to come out for the 7th and possibly the 8th, giving our bullpen a big day off so the Yankees can load up for tomorrow’s game.
Jeter is pretty banged up. I think a day off would be just what the Dr. ordered. Do you rest him tomorrow (*full*) day off? We need wins, but we need him for the Boston series.
I hope Joe lets Wang go over 100 pitches…I know the bullpen would certainly appreciate it!!
That’s the kind of shutdown inning they needed. Aside from another bout with WP/PB’s, this is the best Wang has looked in a month.
TK, I’ll take three more frames, please!
Make that 1 more! Gotta love GIDP’s by the bad guys.
As for Jeter – He is dinged up and he has only lost about 15-20pts off his average. Leading by example.
wah wah wah
6 IP
5 H
2 R
1 ER
1 BB
5 K
Jennifer,
Yeah, send Damon down and make him take that no-good Chien-Ming Wang with him!! LOL!!
Things are looking better!!
Yankeeography Andy P.
on Wednesday. Probably won’t be on until 1 am, with the way the soxs games go.
This is what’s great from CMWang, he’s always due for a 7 pitch inning late in the game.
Just when Torre is rubbing his hands together (ready to blow out another bullpen arm), Wang looks like he can go 1 or 2 more innings.
I agree Dave.
In a perfect setup, Wang goes 8, they have at least a 5 run lead into the 9th and Bruney pitches the 9th.
This would give the entire bullpen the day off and its all hands on deck tomorrow for Hughes’ start.
With Moose going Monday, tonight and tomorrow are must win games. A fully rested bullpen greatly enhances their chances tomorrow.
I really wish we’d hit Grilli, He pumped those fists a little too much for me.
If Jeter is really that hurt, I wish they would bench him and put Betemit in there. Of course, we all know Jeter is going to keep starting even if he keeps hitting into one DP after another…It’s kind of like a Ripken thing. I’m just afraid he could really hurt our chances if he keeps (not) hitting like this.
Kennedy is done for the evening…
5.2 4 2 2 2 6
Moose better be worried.
I think you rest Jeter tomorrow – we definitely want him for the Boston series, he has pretty good numbers off alot of their pitching.
Grilli is a scrub and he knows it only too well. He has to celebrate every out he gets!
oops he had 7 strikeouts, not 6
Seattle now leading 2-0
And Seattle is beating Texas yet again…At this rate I’ll be interested to see what happens when they meet LA. If they sweep the Angels then I think you have to start worrying about Seattle running away with the WC.
Not his best start but, I’ll take it.
Here’s the thing about Kennedy. If he is needed by the Yankees, they don’t need him to pitch in 8-10 games. They need him for 2, maybe 3 starts.
If he goes 5+ and keeps them in the game, its an upgrade.
He’s not going to be on the post-season roster because of his innings cap.
But, if they deem he can help them, they could certainly slot him into the rotation, if Moose continues to struggle.
2-0 Seattle. They just won’t lose. Which is why the Yankees are going to have to play .650 baseball, at a minimum, down the stretch to have a shot at the playoffs.
If they sweep the Angles, we’ll be worrying about LA for the WC, not Seattle who will be leading the division.
godhelpus – That’s an excellent point. If we end up chasing the Angels…well, I think we all know the Yanks’ track record against the Halos!! I’m still hoping Seattle goes cold (sometime soon!!!).
SUB 4 ERA FOR WANG!!! YAY!
Of course it would help if Texas would play Sosa…
I thought that the point of having good pitching over a good offense was that offense’s tend to go cold after a while (just like ours has for a short stretch)
Dave,
I am praying Seattle folds…Doesn’t look like it is happening though.
Think Wang will come out for the 8th?
Actually, what we really want is for Seattle to stay absurdly and confusingly unbeatable while the Angels tank it. If the Angels keep the West and we win the WC, we’ll face them in the first round and have a boatload of trouble in that short series.
Seattle wins, Angels lose, Yanks win = happy
What do you want to bet Seattle folds when/if they get to the playoffs, though?!
Another 1-2-3 inning for Wang. Can’t he do anything right?!? Just had to poke a little jab at some bloggers who were a little too worried about Wang!
Tom B. – I don’t see the Angels folding (although I wish they would!). Still, your’re right…that would probably be the best scenario for us…
I don’t know, it seems like the Angels are only good against the Yanks(not true I know, but it sure seems that way)
“Just had to poke a little jab at some bloggers who were a little too worried about Wang!”
If he does the same thing his next time out (without the jitters he showed when he gave up Detroit’s second run), then I’ll stop worrying. For now, I think the jury is still out. One good start doesn’t make up for the bad trend CMW has been on lately…
at this point, the last team i want to face in the playoffs is the angels.
The “worry” about Wang is quite warranted. He has not pitched well for a month.
This is his best start in a month. Clearly, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
But, let’s not act like the kid has been lights out the last month. He hasn’t been. He’s been struggling bigtime.
The only problem with the Angels is they have the best home record in baseball. They are a great home team.
If they maintain their .700 pace at home, that’s a lot of wins in the bank for them.
Seattle? If they survive the next two weeks (if they win tonight, they would go to 5-1 at the start of this roadtrip), they play 14 of their final 21 at home. They are also a great home team.
Its why you have to win the close games, not just the blowouts and don’t count on the other teams losing. Just win your games. Its the difference between going to the playoffs and sitting home.
glad to see Wang in for the 8th. Who do you think will be in the 9th?
Yeah the Angels usually heat up at the end of the year…although the Red Sox usually fade and that doesn’t seem to be happening yet…perhaps this year they’ve exchanged fates?
Last year they were 13 games over .500 for the last month and a half of the season…I’d like to see 13 games under…of course we could’ve helped that cause last week if we knew how to win close games.
at 101 pitches, need a quick inning. Maybe he can have a complete game.
Why use Viz?? YOu don’t trust Brian? Why is he here than? It is a 5 run lead?!
Kennedy tonite: 5.2 4 2 2 2 7
Seriously, no Viz please.Big bad Brian Bruney could throw an inning plus.
Sorry folks, it’s just good to see Wang bounce back. I know he struggled lately, but it was a little ridiculous. He had 2 or 3 bad starts and some people were talking about him like he was useless and needed to be demoted to the pen, that’s all.
Wang just throws so many balls…He really has to work on his ball-to-strike ratio (and, at the same time, work on putting guys away earlier in the count).
Damn Wang almost got Jeter killed on that play.
Eight solid innings, just what the doctor ordered!!
Nice DP there, though I’d rather just have Jeet jump out of the way and screw the throw if he’s going to go limping off like that.
This guy really needs a vacation. Maybe a series against KC would do the trick
Somebody should tell Joe Torre to just look at his bullpen tonight and see Luis Vizcaino warming up as the reason why the Joba rules are so strict.
Bruney or Edwar should be given the 9th (or the end of the 8th had it come to that) with a 7-2 lead.
Pete, Wang isn’t the ace this year. Pettitte has better numbers in every category. Wang only has a slightly better WHIP, and a few more wins, which are irrelevant to how good a pitcher is.
Britton tonight (so far): 1.1 2 1 1 0 0 1 HR
Boy Jeter hobbling into the dugout after that DP in the 8th doesn’t look good.
putting guys away earlier in the count? i may have missed something because i haven’t seen the game, but it looks like he threw 110 pitches through 8 innings. that’s like 14 pitches an inning…
Yeah what happened to Jeter on that DP? I’d stepped out of the room for a minute.
He came up big tonight. To get 8 innings after last nights debacle (both the result and the time of the game) was huge.
He’s a young kid still learning how to pitch. There are going to be ups and downs.
Its unfortunate he has to take on the role of “ace”, because that’s a little too much, too soon for that, IMO. Puts a lot of pressure on a young kid.
Its also why I am glad Andy is back. He can take a lot of pressure off Wang, as he has this season.
Do you let Wanger go out there for another inning? Or do you use Brian?
This is why Wang’s our ace.
On a night after the bullpen was COMPLETELY burned out, he goes out and gives us 8 innings and a win.
Proud to be wearing my Wang jersey today =)
Let Wang go one more…We’re going to wear out the bullpen again tomorrow night…
The HR was by Mike Rose, switch-hitting C (.257), followed by a single by Keith Ginter, RH hitting DH (.253).
They need to tie Jeter up tomorrow and make him take a day off. I admire how he’s gutting it out, but he really needs a break!
Seattle has a lot of tough games coming up:
3 — LAA
1 — @ CLE
3 — @ TOR
3 — @ NYY
3 — @ DET
The last 10 games of the regular season, they also play 4 more games @ LAA and 3 games against CLE.
If Seattle can make it through this rough stretch, they deserve the WC.
Never fear, though. Their weak starting pitching after King Felix is going to catch up with them against the good teams.
The Yanks will win the WC.
I say throw Bruney out there…keep the chairs away from him though.
Here’s one more vote for Andy as our “ace” this year.
WANG is the ACE, no dispute that
Dave, R you a new Wang hater?
SJ,
Next week will be the real test for the Mariners. 3 at home against the Angels, 1 at Cleveland, then 3 at Toronto before coming to the Bronx. If the M’s still hold a significant wild card lead by then, it could be mighty difficult for the Yanks to overcome.
I think the M’s will lose some games this week and be worn down by the Yankees series and hopefully we’ll be in front after that Labor Day week series.
I think Bruney should pitch the 9th. I wouldn’t even use Edwar when we could save him for when we have smaller leads. 5 run lead, if Bruney can’t get 3 outs under those conditions (which I think he can) then I agree, there is no reason he’s even on the roster.
Peter,
A warning about High School Musical 2: there is a baseball dance scene that should not be viewed by anyone especially our young impressionable minds. I have a 8 and a 12 year old and refuse to let them watch it in my home. It’s a disgrace to our national pastime. Just a heads up.
No, actually I like Wang quite a bit…I just don’t think he’s an “ace”…or, at least, he’s certainly not “ace” caliber at this point in his young career.
Josh,
Ain’t that the truth? Its why I laugh when people write on here they need to relax the Joba Rules.
Joe would burn that kid out in two weeks if the rules were lifted.
Too many years of bullpen abuse to relax the rules. Just the way it is.
If Joe doesn’t like it, there are 29 other ballclubs he can manage after this season.
If I was the GM, I wouldn’t think breaking the Joba Rules.
If Torre ever did it on his own (obviously he won’t. Just saying it as an example) it would be a firable offense.
very nice game offensively by abreu today.
The Yanks don’t have a typical “ace” IMO. Phil Hughes could be it, but he obviously needs a litte more time. Petite and Wang both put too many on and don’t strike out enough people to be considered an “ace” IMO. That being said, I always thought that assigning pitchers numbers like number one starter, is a stupid way of assesing them. Petite and Wang have both been good, but compared to other teams top starters(Boston, Cleveland, Anahiem), they have slightly worse numbers.
I vote Wang.
When I saw the Yanks playing The Angels, the one thing that I noticed is how Jeter looks tired…..His gate & stride is no longer crisp and long….He was nailed & second on a throw to the plate, and that never happens…..His legs just seem soft…..A few days off would go a long way, or not playing in Tuesday night’s blowout might have helped…..Wang stepping up tonight is big….Mussina tomorrow gives me indigestion……At least it may be his last start this season ?????
Maybe relax the rules somewhat. He can pitch back to back games if he doesn’t pitch more than 15 pitches in an inning.
Bobby must be wearing his PF Fliers.
JOBA Warming??? WHAT?????
chamberlain rules being broken so soon?
Joba has the stuff to be a prototypical “ace” starting pitcher. No one else currently on the roster has anywhere near the same air of dominance that Joba brings to the mound. Again, I like Wang, but I just don’t see any team ever being honestly “afraid” of facing him. With Joba, it’s a different story…
wow. tigers tv is saying chamberlain is warming up …. i wasn’t really paying attention but that was bruney right ?
On the Detroit broadcast, they just showed Joba throwing in the bullpen…wonder if they’re breaking the Joba rules or if he’s just throwing.
what? On MLB.TV they said Joba was warming up, wasn’t it Bruney they just showed?
i couldnt tell, they said joba tho
Torre must be high….Sit down Big Guy
WTF, why would Joba be warming up. This game is totally in the bag and he could very well be needed tomorrow.
i think ur right its prolly bruney
Good Lord please put Bruney in. If it’s a close one tomorrow and Bruney comes in to give up 2 runs, this Joba move tonight is going to look very, very bad
Angels & Mariners play each other 7 more times! Yanks will benefit no matter who wins.
It was Bruney. Was not Joba
No love for Andy (in the ace debate)? I’m honestly surprised…Do you guys forget that miniscule ERA he had for a good portion of the first half, or the way he has pitched his last 4-5 starts (as the pressure to win has gone up considerably)? Come on, now!
i’m 99% positive that was bruney. it better be bruney
Sterling said it was Joba, but you can’t trust Sterling.
I just went back in my Tivo…it does look like Bruney, not Joba. I guess they just saw a stocky guy and figured it was Joba?
They haven’t even showed that on Yes.
Why are we not considering Joba as the next Mo. There is all this talk about him being the No. 1 starter. In this day and age, it is more important to have a dominant closer. We won those WS b/c we were lights out after the 7th inning. I would leave himin the bullpen. In a year or so, he will be the best closer in baseball.
common sense points to bruney, its prolly him
200 innings is worth more than 70.
Closers are worthless without quality starters…
not that Joba would throw 200 next season(I would guess the Yanks would let him throw 160, assuming he reaches 130 this season).
What the Hell happened to Tampa. now all of a sudden they know how to score runs?
This will be Wang’s 8th quality start in 11 games. I don’t know what more folks expect from their ace…yes 11 qs/11 starts would be nice, but minus those two consecutive bad starts–and even Joba is going to have two consecutive bad starts sometime in his career folks–he would have a 3.48 ERA.
For all the talk he’s not an “ace”, just ask yourself: how many GMs out there wouldn’t trade their current team’s ace for Wang straight up. I can think of any outside of Baltimore and San Diego and maybe Cleveland (and yes that includes Minnesota due to Santana’s upcoming FA), and even taking $/cheapness out of the equation you will fall far short of even half the teams.
Jorge must still be distracted by anger (from being ejected last night)…
I like Joba, I like him a lot. But the guy has thrown what 9 innings at the big leauge level? Too early to crown him the next Yankee closer or our next ace. Joba has been incredibly impressive, but IMHO he still has a lot to prove — that he can take the ball in a critical must-win game, that he can handle the rigors of a long season, that he can handle adversity.
Kevin Long tooked like a miget next to Wang. Brian better get thru this.
If you followed that logic, they would have kept Mo a starter. My point is he can save 40+ games as compared to win 15-20.
SJ,
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I think the Joba rules could theoretically be relaxed to take into account pitch count more and maybe even to let him come in mid-innings but given Torre’s track record with relievers, I’d rather be overly cautious.
And if Torre somehow broke the Joba rules, I agree it’s a fireable offense.
I do think Bruney and Joba follow the same diet. HA!!!
Well Brian, you ran your mouth yesterday, now get the job done. Don’t turn this game into something.
Loud out for out #1. Doesn’t matter to me, as long as they are outs.
*VERY long loud out*
I don’t think Boston would trade Becket for Wang, even though it pains me to say that. Would Detroit trade Verlander for him? Doubtful. Would Toronto trade Halladay for him? I doubt it. Would Tampa trade Kazmir for him? Nope.
Chicago Dave,
I wish that Posada could have reached third base tonight. It may have been something to really watch- a potential conversation between him and “Blind as a Bat” Bob.
Chicago Dave,
The See-Food diet? Had to be said!
joba should be a starter because he can keep up his velocity for an entire game. they have clocked him at 97 in the 7th at swb, it is a waste of his endurance to use him out of the pen. p.s. some idiot on espn said he thought joba was better as a reliever because he looked like a “max effort” guy. he had no clue what he was talking about. Joba starts, Ohlendorf and Sanchez develop to work out of the pen. it will be interesting if kennedy, hughes, and joba all pan out as starters what happens when horne, brackman, et al develop
Brian hurt? what the heck?
Joba and Bruney are both stocky guys, they must have mistaken both HAHA
King Felix, John Lackey, Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels…I don’t think any of those teams GM’s would trade for Wang. I am not trying to hate on Wang, I just don’t like that way of assessing players(and by that way I mean would you trade your ace for our ace).
Ahhh Brian…You just have to laugh!!!
Yankees win!!
Told everyone that we would bounce back.
Sweet victory!!!!!!!!!
Wow, I didn’t realize that the Yankees didn’t K ONCE this game…
Theeeeee Yankeeees win!! Terrific job Wang, he gave us much needed-innings, and a delivery from the Melkman w/the big hit!
J-Dawg – Oh yeah, I would have LOVED to see Posada lay a beatdown on that chump tonight!
joba has lost a lot of weight the last few years. decent job by bruney
Good crisp game tonight, a little alka seltzer after last night’s indigestible game.
Michael Kay: “Abreu got on base a couple times tonight.”
Yes, if four equals a couple, then he is absolutely correct! Two walks, two singles, and three stolen bases is a nice little night.
To state the obvious, that’s a very big win tonight.
Nice to see the Yanks bounce back so well from such a potentially devastating loss. If only Mussina wasn’t pitching next!
Quick game tonight. Now Joe should tell all his players to go back to the hotel and go to bed. Tonight have a curfew.
Chicago he isn’t. Hughes is tomorrow afternoon.
Tie game in Texas
Chicago he isn’t. Hughes is tomorrow afternoon.
Wang might not be a traditional “ace” but the bottom line is that the Yanks win when he is on the mound. Look at the stats over his career, number of wins and team record.
My bad…Mussina after Hughes. Still, to know Mussina will be starting against the Tigers fills me with such abject despair…
Kinsler ties it up!
Have a good night all – after yesterday’s late finish its going to be an early one for me, and I would imagine the team too…no partying tonight lol.
“Tonight have a curfew.”
Robbie Cano laughs at your so-called “curfew”!!!
Texas just tied Seattle.
3 run homer for Tex makes it 3-3 (Tex vs. Sea.)
Hey you never know. Mike might just pull a rabbit out of his hat.
The old, “hold a team meeting before your ace pitches” theory rings true again.
Very, very important win to keep pace.
Now, we need Hughes to be great tomorrow. A big outing from him can salvage this roadtrip.
You don’t want to count on Moose. Time for the training wheels to come off tomorrow Phil and come up big. The team needs it.
Tell Robbie, he can hold off on his *playa* status for one night. Go to bed earlier, tomorrow is a day game.
Kinsler ties the game.
Well, Texas tied last night’s game on a homer as well…only to be held scoreless the rest of the way. Is it too much to hope that Texas could find some spunk and beat the Mariners?!
Pete really loves using a pitcher’s win total to prove that they are a good pitcher. Freakin’ Randy Johnson won 18 games last season with an ERA near 5. Wang is good, but just because he has a lot of wins since 2006 doesn’t mean he has been the second best pitcher in baseball, behind Santana. Anyways, I feel stupid talking about this as the Yanks have managed to right the ship, at least for an evening.
Halladay is 3 years older, has virtually identical stats, and is signed through 2010 for $40 million.
At least Beckett is ~same age so that’s a slightly better example. Though at $30 million guaranteed till 2010…
If Cashman offers Wang for Beckett or Halladay, the response from Boston and Toronto would be ok where do I sign.
Detroit ok that’s a hard call. I think I may prefer Verlander too, but not by much, primarily due to age.
If one wouldn’t trade Kazmir and his health record straight up for Wang, one’s obviously not a GM.
One thing I do with the lineup tomorrow. Give Jorge a day off.
He has to be whipped off the last two nights. I give Molina the start behind the plate.
Who threw water in Johnny’s face?
Foobar,
Didn’t realize you were factoring salary into the decision making process…That changes everything, obviously.
Yeah i’m sure Jorge will be off tomorrow, espically with the long game till Saturday morning, and tomorrow being day after night.
Striking guys out is not a prerequisite for being an ACE
Wang gotta to be Yankees ACE, look at his WINS last 2+ years
Jennifer – Sorry, noboby tells Robbie when to go to bed! So there!!! As usual, he will probably be lousy in tomorrow’s (afternoon) game. Seriously, when’s the last time he had a decent game when it was a day-following-night situation? The price of being a playa is sometimes high…
I hate David Justice. How can he say the passed ball was lack of consentration? The ball hit the back of the plate and took a bad hop!
He may be banged up, but I think its funny how when Jeter struggles, everyone is quick to say he is “banged up”. If it were A-Rod, everyone would be saying how bad he is.
And Seattle is about to take the lead right back! Pathetic…
Dean,
You could win games with that offense behind you. The amount of wins a pitcher has is not a good measure of how successful they are. Look at Horacio Ramirez…the guy has been terrible, yet he still has a winning record. Why? Seattle scores runs for him when he starts.
Well than Daddy Joe, better speak to him about his playa status. No partying when you have a day after a night game.
1. wang’s a very, very good pitcher, but andy pettitte is the ace of the yankees staff. compare the two since the all-star break and tell me wang’s the ace.
2. however, the jury is not “still out” on wang. he’s a very good, young pitcher. but, as sj44 said, let’s not pretend he’s been mowing hitters down the last six weeks. for the most part, he’s been wild, up in the zone, and not nearly as effective as he was last season. doesn’t make him a bad pitcher, but to pretend he’s been great all year is insane.
3. pete, you’re right. a good team bounces back from a game like last night’s and the yankees bounced back and got the win. there’s no question this offense is very good (though i agree that both cano and jeter look like they could use about a week off), the yankees season will be decided by their pitching. their bullpen (aside from joba, viz and mo) is pretty week. their rotation isn’t up to snuff (both hughes and clemens appear to be 6 inning pitchers, tops, right now, wang has been up and down and mussina is terrible). unless those problems magically disappear, the yankees season is still in trouble. seattle will cool down as their schedule toughens up a bit, but if the yankees can’t pitch better, that won’t matter.
4. i was wrong about wang tonight. glad he pitched well. they’ll need him down the stretch. they’ll need clemens and hughes to step up, as well. mussina will, in all likelihood, go 6 innings and give up 4-5 runs monday and, in all likelihood, they’ll lose the game. and, in all likelihood, he’ll stay in the rotation. he’s here AT LEAST through the year. deal with it. he’s putrid, we all know it. just be pleasantly surprised if they win a game he starts and hope the other four starters step up. that’s all you can do.
……….Chien-Ming Wang, the ace of the Yankees, is pitching that way tonight. He has scattered five singles in seven innings, struck out six and walked one. He hasn’t been brilliant, but he has been plenty good on a night when the Yankees needed it………………………………..
People always forget about the good times when they are in bad, and lose all the memory of bad times in good times. We like to forget Wang has only pitched one full season in the big. More than two months on the DL in his first year, started on the DL nursing his injuried groin this year, and not to mentioned he had a surgery in the minor that set his progress back for a few years.
But, he is 42 and 12 so far, being set up as the ace of the staff, and started an playoff game in his first major league year. If rot sets in with bruise, what about the other way around.
Unfortunately, Wang didn’t grow up with a gold or silver spoon fed to hime, nor he was blessed with an arm like Joba, Clemen, or ……….
And, more unfortunately, he bought in this crap about being the ace in the toughtest crwod in America.
Fortunately, like a lot of sinker baller, he started his path the old fashion way. Work the count, not allow many home runs, and get people out with collective effort. Kind of like a lot of average Joe watching the game. We ain’t gonna be named in the Fortune 500, or being televised as a role model in the spot light, but we just do our part in the society even if we are just the tiny little screw in this big machine of call reality.
Wang is that way, too. He isn’t a dominating dew on the mount, but I like to watch him pitch because he pitches as we live our life: not always perfect with sunshine on the ass but with twists and bumps that keep your eyes grew to the television, to the team, and to this game call baseball.
Oh, not to mention Wang has turned Taiwan into Yankee country.
Just leave him alone with this and that, people need time (hard works) to develop into who they really are. I think Tiger woods would agree on that note, too.
oh, and boston wouldn’t trade beckett for wang. not a chance.
Did anyone see that they took away the error for Polanco yesterday and instead gave it to the first baseman Thames? Now his 147 game errorless streak continues. I don’t how official scorers get away with this crap. Defensive stats incuding the gold glove award are the biggest injustices in all of baseball at this point.
Sorry, but this idea that almost any team would trade their best pitcher for Wang is really stretching it…
He’s doing great at this very early stage of his career, but I think a lot of teams would still prefer their own go-to guys on the mound in a “must win” game over Wang.
I just noticed Pete’s note about Torre being a little upset about the Joba Rules.
My answer to him…. too damn bad. Perhaps the nearly 20 games he has used Vizcaino in blowouts this season, and the record of killing guys in the ‘pen, rendering them useless for the post-season, plays into this as much as protecting the kid.
Is it babying him? Perhaps.
Depends though, on your point of view. For a 67 year old manager, in the final year of a 7+ million dollar deal, and looking for another payday (knowing the playoffs are his only shot to get one), I would think he doesn’t like the rules too much.
For an organization that has wasted over 100 million dollars the past several years on bust out, or broken down veteran pitchers, perhaps they don’t want their future ace messed up by being overused in a role in which he probably won’t be back to next season.
Its all in the chair in which you sit. As a manager, I’d probably be ticked off. As a GM, I hold firm.
JMO but, when Torre goes public with something that isn’t along the company line, it sends a smoke signal to me that tensions are running high on this issue.
It will be interesting to see who wins this power struggle.
Jeff- Talk about homecooking
When Wang is right, he can do not wrong.
Almost all the runs given up in the 2 Detroit games could have been prevented. We still scored so no harm, no foul. In tight games those are going to hurt. Something is definitely up with him. But to complain about him and say he’s this and that is ridiculous. We all knew that he was our ace by default, but he’s still done a good job over the last 2 years.
Right now Andy’s the ace and I would start a postseason series with him. Andy may not have the “stuff” he used to have, but he’s still got it between the ears.
Wow. Texas bullpen held Seattle to no runs with runner on third/1 out.
Since you yankees fans don’t like Wang,that’s fine,we will try to tell Wang not to stay with yankees when he becomes the free agent,money will not be any important for him since he can make a bunch of that by being an endorser of some products in Taiwan ,all he wants is reapect from people.So whether he is an ace ,doesn’t matter,he will not be with you yankees fans if you don’t give him respect .
Don’t even talk about gold gloves. Palmeiro anyone. HMM lets give it to a player who played 20 games at first. yep makes total sense.
Or lets just keep giving the award to someone who always wins it just because they always win it Chavez/
Jeff,
I didn’t see that. They really did that? That is really bush league. Wow.
I don’t give a sh*t if he’s an ace or not. I just hate it when people point to his 34 wins over the past two season’s and claim that because of this he’s an ace.
If they make it so Joba can pitch on abck to back days, where does it stop? Torre has such a history of ruining relievers that if they change the rules at all he will do something stupid and might get our future injured.
What do they say, give em an inch and they take a mile. We cant afford to let Torre hurt Joba.
well, well, well.
Blue jays tie up the Halos and Texas is dueling with the Ms.
A nice way to start a Saturday nite.
Hernandex is a maybe. More exciting stuff, less control. Def more potential, but it wouldn’t be a clear win either side.
Lackey LAA would do in an eyelash. Older, more expensive, and has not been an ace much of his career.
Dan Haren ok Oakland would probably keep. For one thing they’re very into their own type of players.
Brandon Webb is a hard call. Same age, more expensive but not a ridiculous contract. Factor in league difference…toss up.
Would Phillies trade Hamels for Wang? That’s similar to asking would Yankees trade Phil Hughes for Brandon Webb? and regardless of the answer: does that make either less of a pitcher?
and through all this…notice we have to only bring up the elite among elite, cream of the crop pitchers. Let’s pause and think about the types of pitchers we’rehaving to bring up just to compare to Wang. How many team’s #2s would you trade straight-up for Wang? Can’t name more than about 2 (maybe Young in SD, Carmona in Cleveland…and even them it’s just *maybes*) Well obviously Wang is not a 2 then isn’t it?
How many team’s #2s would you trade straight-up for Pettite?
In short, whether the folks here like it or not just b/c he had a couple of bad starts, Wang is the Yankee’s ace and would be the ace for at least half the teams in the majors.
Arguing over whether Wang or Pettitte are the ace of the staff is like arguing over which ice cream flavor you like. Its all good.
Yeah I saw it on Rotoworld. It was a terrible play all around by Polanco. Should have just thrown to the SS covering 2nd. It’s really ridiculous.
This is angering. Fo whatever reason, DirecTV does not have the Seattle game on the extra innnings package tonight. Instead they have the Marlins and Reds!!!!
I’m sorry, if the Yankees could trade Wang for Felix they would have to do it…Felix is the most exciting pitcher to come along in a generation.
SJ44, truest words spoken tonight. Love watching Wang on the mound. And it’s so great to have Andy back in pinstripes. Great one-two punch as far as I’m concerned.
Sammy Sosa takes a walk. Gasp!
Toronto ties it up with Angels. Best case scenario is Seattle and Angels both lose.
Did you guys notice how many times they mentioned the reversal of Polanco’s error? I stopped counting after 3. “In case you missed it…” I liked last night’s crew better. The guy who wasn’t there last night, but there tonight was such a pill, pointing out every negative tendency of the Yankees.
I really doubt the Ms would trade King Felix who Im pretty sure is like 22 for Wang who is 26, I think. Felix has no ceiling
It is a good one two punch, no doubt. And I agree that it is silly to argue over who is the ace. All I am arguing about is the fact that Wang’s win totals make him one of the best pitchers in baseball, which is not true, IMO.
I had no idea that the Mariners had Rick White, seriously. I didn’t even know that he was still around.
I look at 2008 and you have Wang, Pettitte, Hughes and Chamberlain as your top 3 starters, you automatically have 55-65 wins in the bank. Three of the guys can be in this rotation for the next 5-8 years. It doesn’t get any better than that.
godhelpus,
you could say Wang is lucky of run supports,
but over the past 2+ years, Wang just keeps piling up WINS
Ace is when Wang goes out there, and you know there is a VERY GOOD chance he will give us a WIN
I feel comfortable putting WANG in there Game 7 ALDS anytime over Petitee
godhelpus, i can accept that. especially when one considers run support. just remember andy and the rocket languishing in houston with crap run support.
look I’m not saying CMW hasn’t been struggling a little lately. But when all is said and done, this is a guy who came in 2nd in Cy Young last year…ok one could point out even Pete Schourek (sp?) won 20 games once…but here he is again with 15 wins. There’s really not much reason to believe he wouldn’t continue to do this year in and year out: an ERA ~3.5, 15-18 wins, 200 innings a year with 2/3 of starts Quality Starts. That may not be enough to win him 5 Cy Youngs, and no he’s not an cream of the cream of the crop like a in-his-prime Pedro or Santana…but just for what he already is, I think he deserves recognition as an ace and far more benefit of the doubt from us fans that everytime he throws a WP or let more than 3 runs score, we start questioning his mental strength and ability to ever be an ace etc.
That is all.
I meant to say, top 4 starters. We need an edit button!!!! lol
Dean- There are only 5 games in the ALDS
If Andy had the same run support Wang had, his record would be the same (if not better) right now. I’m just saying…
Gotta give some love to the guy that has been pitching great baseball for the Yanks for a lot longer than Wang has.
SJ44- An edit button would be great for people like me who cant type
Go NYR,
I mean ALCS, haha
The party down in Texas continues. Ramirez has pitched almost like a Cy Young tonight, except for one pitch.
Cumberberg,
Exactly…Think about how many wins RJ would have had last season on a team like Dodgers(or some other light hitting team). A pitcher’s win total is just not a great indicator of how well the pitched. Neither is ERA for that matter, but it is better than wins, IMO.
yeah agreed SJ44 and godhelpus…let’s just consider maybe we have 2 aces
soon to be 3 as Hughes’ pitching matures…and then there’s Joba next year.
We can come here next year and argue which team’s ace would we trade for our #4 straight up then
I think Andy and CMW can be co-holders of the title of “Ace.” This may have been pointed out already, if it has I apologize, but a stat says that this is the first time in 4 years that Bonderman had a start without a strikeout, so kudos to the lineup tonight! Good night to all, maybe Phil can provide a gem tomorrow!!
Return of the Seattle trolls! Then again, maybe its just Red Sox trolls taking a new approach? Either way, it’s quite sad. I guess they just don’t have access to decent blogs for their own teams!
haha a rotation of Joba, Hughes, Wang, Petite and whoever else is absolutely mind boggling.
P.S. – The last “invincible” Seattle team (the 116-win team) lost to the Yanks in the playoffs. ‘Nuff said!
Guess not. I wouldn’t even want to bother to look for a sox blog. Yet they are so obsessed with us, that they look for a Yankee blog. I guess we should feel special.
Seattle- I dont know if you ever heard this but “almost” doesnt really count
Chicago Dave — Seattle trolls? Didn’t know that Seattle had a big enough fan base to support more than one troll.
Why are we the only team that cant get Garett Anderson out?
it surprises me how people say we have to give hughes time to develop when he struggles this year, but jump on wang. wang is still young. the kid finished second in the cy young voting to santana his only full year in the bigs. people complain because he isn’t flashy, but he is able to keep his pitch counts down and eat up a ton of innings, which has been huge with out bullpen lacking depth the last few years. I really don’t understand what more you guys want than a young pitcher who is one the best in the bigs and eats up a ton of innings. i guess throwing two bad games in his third year in the majors is unacceptable. because clemens or santana or nolan ryan or pedro martinez never struggled.
Cumberberg – So true!!!
godhelpus, kennedy would be a nice fifth
and when pettite retires we can sign a santana or bedard, or bring up one the many other young pitchers we have on the way
Jennifer — Precisely. So many Boston fans seem to define themselves by being rabid Yankee-haters more than being supporters of their own team.
Cumberberg- With RSN’s World Domination, they have enough Red Sox losers to pretend to be Seattle trolls
GO NYR – Yeah, the rest of baseball figured out Anderson years ago. It’s like he remains in some sort of magical timewarp whenever he faces the Yanks!
I’m not so sure Pettitte will come back next year… I honestly think he’s ready to hang ‘em up.
Interesting they are interviewing Gator.
Blue Jays up 3-2 now
Trenton is in the playoffs?
BTW, any of you seattle fans can answer why ICHIRO is sitting out?
He should be out there chasing Ordonez’s BA, they just separated by a hair
4-2 Jays 3 doubles in a row
Check out the image of Rick White on Gameday right now! He looks like a trucker masquerading as a baseball player!! Hilarious!!!
5-2 Jays
http://www.trentonthunder.com/.....D=20070814
Cool items for treton thunder fan apreciation day.
White still looks (slightly) better than a Kruk-driver.
Greg Zaun just made one of the nicest head first slides at the plate to get the 5th run
Pettitte had 2 horrible starts in a row also in early July. I skimmed Wang and Petitte’s stats real quick though and Petitte has given 19 “quality” starts and Wang 16. Wang has allowed more than 4 runs four times this season including those 2 back to back bad starts. Andy’s done it 5 times. All in all they’re pretty much even when you look at those stats, they’re both fairly reliable starters you can typically count to give you at least 6 or 7 innings of quality ball. Andy’s done around 170 innings this year, Wang has done around 150.
Pete -
OK, I see you took issue with my “the jury is still out” comment about Wang. I think you misinterpreted the context in which I used that phrase. I meant that “the jury is still out” on whether he is now back on his game after the run of poor starts he had. In other words, does one good start mean he is back to being the Wang of old?
Of course I didn’t mean to imply that it’s still not clear whether Wang will turn into a good pitcher, because that would be a preposterous assertion indeed!
Wow just saw clips of the white sox game. They are playing very lazy. 3rd baseman had the ball and stood there with it while the run scored. Ozzie really needs to be fired, unless you can release the entire team, for their lazy play.
“If Andy had the same run support Wang had, his record would be the same (if not better) right now.”
Could anybody tell me why Wang always get better run support?
Not matter Wang is ace or not, we just need someone when he is on mound can give lots WINS. And Wang did.
So let us give him some applause.
Texas has the lead!!
ichiro’s getting a day off because he needs one. believe it or not, the mariners care more about keeping their guys relatively fresh for the stretch run than they do ichiro winning the batting title. they’re playing 44 games in 45 days, the guy needed a night off.
5-3 Texas, suicide squeeze.
where did our pet seattle troll go? must be furiously typing on his team’s blogs. if the mariners do have their own blog…
I say Andy comes back.
Jennifer – Actually, Jerry Reinsdorf (owner of the ChiSox) just praised Ozzie for keeping the team playing hard despite all the losing. I kid you not!!!
What a joke…The White Sox hung it up months ago!
Rick White needs to go back to driving the big rigs. HA!!!
Really thats pretty funny, considering the clips I just saw they weren’t playing hard.
Wow crazy squeeze, in texas.
That’s Rick White pitching how Rick White pitches.
The White Sox have reverted to their earlier image, the BLACK SOX.
You can’t blame the White Sox for the fact that the Yankees dug themselves into such a big hole for the first two months of the season. The White Sox are not responsible for “helping” the Yankees.
Um they are responcible to play to win. Not lay down. Which they are doing.
gee ray, i don’t think anyone said that. what we’ve all been saying is that the white sox look like crap. this is a team that won the WS just two years ago and now is only second to Tampa Bay for the worst record in the AL. they stink and they’re playing like they don’t give a sh*t. and that’s sad.
I hope Andy comes back…If Kennedy is the fifth starter, that would give us three sub 23 year olds in the rotation. If Andy leaves we have to have another youngster in his place(probably not happening) or sign somebody from the pathetic crop of FA’s.
Hot Digity
just as important, Toronto spins the Halos wth 3 spot in the 6th
Or we could trade for an established starter, though the price would surely be prohibitive. I just hope Andy comes back.
I am of course assuming Mike Mussina won’t be back…He almost certainly and unfortunately would be back if Andy doesn’t pick up his player option for ’08.
isn’t mussina already signed for next year? thought he signed a two-year deal this year?
he is signed through ’08. I am just assuming they will attempt to have him waive the NTC and move him in the offseason.
Few bad games from Wang, and some of you guys think he doesn’t deserve to get the respect like others. It just reminded me again on how A-rod was treated last year when he’s had a season that was better than most of the players in the league and Yankee fans booed him viciously.
A guy with a under 500K salary that’s giving you two 15+ wins seasons (not to mention the only post season win from last year), and literary turned Taiwan into a Yankee nation… Just like Pete said, what else do you want him to do? >:-(
I love Yankees, I love Jeter, A-rod, Robbie, the whole team, but I would just love to see some of you spoiled Yankees fans’ face when A-rod hits game ending home run, and Wang pitches shut out games against Yankees.
Because, geez, I really hate some of you “pretend to be objective” fans.
I think they will buy out Mike’s contract if he continues to pitch poorly.
CJ Wilson sucks. 2 on no one out.
Moose will be back in 2007. So will Andy Pettitte.
Pettitte wanted that player option because of his health and lingering elbow problem he’s had off and on for the last few years.
Clearly, that hasn’t been a problem this season – so I expect Pettitte back in 2008.
So we have Wang, Pettitte, Mike, Hughes and Joba.
We gained a game!! WOO HOO
Why do you assume Moose will be back? The most difficult part of moving him IMO is getting him to waive the NTC. If he is faced with the prospect of pitching out of the bullpen, I think he would waive it, but who knows. I don’t think his salary is particularly oppressive(given that it is only one season) and I’m sure the Yanks would contribute some money to whatever team took him.
whew. tex closes it out.
Pete,
I think the concert your niece went to is in Hershey, Pennsylvannia because me and my family went to Hershey Park two days ago and saw billboards with Corbin and Aly and AJ and it said they were going to perform together at the Hershey Arena or something. When I was reading that part in your blog, I read it aloud because my nine year old sister was around and she came running and asked me what was going on. Little kids these days.
_Why do you assume Moose will be back? The most difficult part of moving him IMO is getting him to waive the NTC. If he is faced with the prospect of pitching out of the bullpen, I think he would waive it, but who knows. I don’t think his salary is particularly oppressive(given that it is only one season) and I’m sure the Yanks would contribute some money to whatever team took him._
How do you know that he’ll be faced with pitching out of the pen?
We don’t don’t that. I like Kennedy too, but do you really expect the Yanks to come out of Spring Training with 60% of your rotation made up of rookies?
I know these kids have a lot of talent and may very well be good pitchers for a long time. But, they are still rookies.
I don’t see the Yanks giving Kennedy a slot in the rotation right away.
The Chi-Sox are not laying down, they just su ck. Hopefully they play Cleveland and Detroit tough come September.
Re: 2008 Yanks rotation. Let’s say Mussina is traded and Pettitte picks up his free money i.e. his $16M player’s option for ’08, they could go with this rotation:
Wang/ Pettitte/ Hughes/ Chamberlain/ Kennedy or White
The 3-5 compete to stay in the rotation if Clemens wants to return for June on and the Yanks want him back.
Unless Mussina comes to spring training determined with something to prove and (earns) his way on the starting staff, he’s in for a tough road. Seldom does a pitcher gain velocity with age and unless he does his other pitches all look the same to hitters.
If presented in the right way, he can waive his no trade clause and accept a deal to a team (Cleveland ?) closer to home with hopes that he can reinvent himself.