Where was I after game 2? I don’t ever post here. But I would have been congratulating AJ for doing his job, and doing it well. The point is, and it has been made, that pitchers as good as AJ cannot afford to have their bad outings result in 2 IP, 6 earned, 4 walks..especially in the World Series. There is just absolutely no excuse for it. Joe Blanton was not good, he faced the yankees, and still put up a line 100x better than AJ. That just isn’t acceptable. There has to be a happy medium. And Burnett has not shown the ability to stop having games like this more regularly than other very good pitchers. And for him to do it in the World Series is just unfathomable to me.

I think Cano is moving back toward the stance he had when he struggled last season. In some at bats he looks like he is just standing there with no intention of swinging at the first two pitches. (I think he was told not to). The other thing is he is going into that over turn load up where you can see his numbers. His stance had been changed to keep him from doing that, it might not be as much as before, but it is more than we had been seeing through most of this season.

Regarding the concern over the number of visits, there will be a need to be able to have a team that is concerned with the other team stealing signs. The Phillies have been investigated a couple of times for this, so it seems to be part of their culture to feel it is OK to cheat (stealing signs using methods other than just picking them up, or seeing signs when on base).

I can’t see why people are ripping so much on AJ. Short rest wasn’t his problem. In fact, most of his short rest starts are better than his usual games. I think that is from him not being overly strong. AJ has shown all year that he is like the little girl with the curls. (Taken from ESPN radio). When he’s good he is very very good, but when he is bad…

He was bad last night. My thoughts are “what else is new”? He is Forest Gump’s box of chocolates. If the Yankees can ever figure out how to get that straightened out I feel sorry for the opposition.

Pettitte on short rest is a question, but I think he will be able to go deep enough in the game to keep the Yankees in it. Last year he had shoulder troubles, but I haven’t seen any of that issue creep up this year. Its his last start of the season, possibly his career if he decides to retire. He will empty the tank.

I think Pedro can still be tough. His pitches vary enough in speed, even the same pitches he throws have different velocity. The Yankee bats seemed to catch on to him, and given that this is the second time seeing him this series could make his outing that much more difficult.

I hope the Yankees spend today working with Teixeira. Maybe they can do some live BP with him being pitched to by Edwar. Get him seeing the change up better might help him to stop swinging at balls.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but only the hit against the Twins was a game the Yanks eventually won. I agree those hits are better than singles with two outs and nobody on (no offense, Damon), but they’re not monumental hits. A HR last night would have been a monumental hit if the Yanks then went on to win the WS.

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Really? I thought he was a Dodgers guy. My bad.

SJ44, you have wisdom that few have on this forum.

M,

No in that context I agree with you. You never walk someone to put the bases loaded with no outs.

However, the way Utley has been killing us, even lefties, I wouldnt be THAT upset if it happened.

Its so awful that this one man is the reason we dont have a ring yet. Think about it. HE is the soul reason.

Yankees will win the Series. Yankees pitching staff is better than the Phillie staff.

the phillies pen is a disaster area compared to the yanks.

phil coke, bruney, gaudin those are mop up guys………..

the yanks will win tommorrow but would have won last night if aj was a man a pitched with the heart that pettitte does……

I’m not a big fan of putting people on in the post-season. I’d rather they earn their way on base because baserunners are precious in post-season games.

They have to do a better job of moving Utley’s feet and not have him so comfortable in the box.

The Phillies are doing it with Arod. The Yankees need to do the same with Utley.

Trader,

One thing about Girardi. He’s stubborn, almost to a fault.

He gets something in his head and he seems to feel the need to force it in order to work. Its why he overmanaged against Anaheim and why (IMO) he went too far with the AJ-Molina pairing.

He’s a first time post-season manager learning how to do it on the biggest stage in baseball. Not easy.

I am hoping the veterans, Jeter, Damon, Arod, Andy, Mariano, etc, take it out of his hands.

Frankly, its in the veterans hands right now to finish the job.

Girardi has done a very good job this year. I think its up to the players to finish the deal and keep Girardi from his biggest enemy in the next day or two……himself.

Doreen,

I don’t know if AJ’s meltdowns will affect the Yankees thinking re: Wang. I believe he’s going to get non-tendered because they don’t want 5 million+ dollars tied up on a guy who may not pitch until mid-season and they have no idea how he will recover from this latest surgery.

I do think they will kick the tires on John Lackey for several reasons:

1. They will have serious money coming off the books again and can be creative if they want to.

2. They know he can pitch on the big stage and succeed. Especially with a better bullpen behind him.

3. AJ’s meltdowns. Basically, he’s a #4 starter production-wise. That ain’t good considering they are paying him 16+ million per year.

4. The unknown with Chamberlain. Even though he gave up the HR the other night, he threw the ball better in that appearance than he has since Mid-July.

I think there is going to be a LOT of talk internally about what to do with him in the off-season.

I will be surprised if both he and Hughes are in the rotation next year. Just a gut feeling from asking around but, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Phil in the rotation next year and Joba in the pen being groomed to be the future closer.