Archive for June, 2010
Burnett takes fourth straight loss • 06.22.10
A.J. Burnett has made four starts this month. He’s lost all four. Tonight he allowed seven runs, all of them coming after Burnett had two outs and the bases empty. The Yankees offense couldn’t keep up and lost 10-4. The D-Backs have been a bad team this season, but they’ve done one thing really well: They rank third in the major leagues in home runs. Justin Upton, Mark Reynolds and Adam LaRoche each homered in a five-run first inning, then Upton hit a three-run shot off Chan Ho Park in the eighth.
Associated Press photo of Burnett walking off the field after the five-run first inning.
Game 70: Yankees at Diamondbacks • 06.21.10
YANKEES (43-26)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF
A.J. Burnett RHP
RHP A.J. Burnett (6-5, 4.33)
Burnett vs.Diamondbacks
DIAMONDBACKS (27-43)
Kelly Johnson 2B
Stephen Drew SS
Justin Upton RF
Miguel Montero C
Chris Young CF
Adam LaRoche 1B
Mark Reynolds 3B
Gerardo Parra LF
Rodrigo Lopez RHP
RHP Rodrigo Lopez (2-6, 4.70)
Lopez vs. Yankees
TIME/TV: 10:09 p.m. / YES Network and ESPN
UMPIRES: HP John Hirshbeck, 1B Wally Bell, 2B James Hoye, 3B Laz Diaz
WEATHER: It’s really, really hot outside. But the roof is closed so it feels nice at the park.
NOT A GOOD MEMORY: Luis Gonzalez, Matt Williams and Mark Grace threw out the first pitch. All three played on the 2001 Diamondbacks team that beat the Yankees in the World Series.
FAMILIAR NUMBER: Colin Curtis is the latest Yankee given jersey No. 27.
DIAMONDBACKS MOVE: Before the game, the D-Backs called up outfielder Cole Gillespie from Triple-A and optioned infielder Ryan Roberts. Gillespie was hitting .289 with four triples and four home runs in Triple-A.
UPDATE, 10:22 p.m.: After two quick outs A.J. Burnett is laboring a little bit here in the first inning. Justin Upton went deep to center field — really deep to center field — and now he’s allowed back to back singles… And before I could finish that sentence, Adam LaRoche hit a three-run bomb. Four runs, all with two outs, and it’s a 4-0 Diamondbacks lead.
UPDATE, 10:26 p.m.: Now it’s gotten ugly. Ryan Reynolds just took Burnett deep. It’s 5-0 Diamondbacks. That’s the fourth time the D-Backs have gone back-to-back this season. Reynold and LaRoche have gone back to back three times.
UPDATE, 10:35 p.m.: Well that’s finally over. Burnett struck out the pitcher to strand a double. Thank goodness for a National League lineup.
UPDATE, 10:50 p.m.: Is there any way to just let A.J. Burnett get the first two outs of every inning, then send someone else in for the third out? It’s now 6-0 Arizona on a two-out RBI double.
UPDATE, 10:59 p.m.: The Yankees have gotten into the two-out scoring thing. A two-out RBI triple by Nick Swisher has scored Brett Gardner and put the Yankees on the board, 6-1.
UPDATE, 11:26 p.m.: Two outs. Bases empty. The Diamondbacks turned it into a run. This is insane. It’s 7-1 Diamondbacks and every D-Backs run has scored in an inning that was two outs, bases empty.
UPDATE, 11:34 p.m.: Colin Curtis is making his major league debut pinch hitting for A.J. Burnett in the fifth inning. Burnett’s line: 4 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
UPDATE, 11:43 p.m.: Chad Guadin is now pitching (and batting ninth). And some guy just proposed on the big screen. He got a yes. So, you know, I guess that’s good news.
UPDATE, 11:55 p.m.: A foul ball into the press box just hit off the official scorer’s hands and bounced out into the crowd. He literally announced to the press box that he was declaring an error on himself. “It hit my hand,” he said.
UPDATE, 12:00 a.m.: The heart of the Yankees order just did something! Lead-off single by Teixeira and an RBI double by Rodriguez. It’s now 7-2 and this place is loud.
UPDATE, 12:02 p.m.: Add a hard-hit sac fly by Posada and it’s now 7-3. Still a long way to go, but the Yankees are making a little bit of noise.
UPDATE, 12:08 p.m.: I can’t imagine Chad Guadin trying to hit Upton in that situation, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see retaliation from the D-Backs.
UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: Chad Huffman is now pinch hitting for Gaudin after a bunt single by 3-for-3 Brett Gardner.
UPDATE, 12:20 p.m.: A rare showing of frustration from Mark Teixeira who looked like he was going to break his bat over his knee after popping out with runners at the corners. He instead just slammed the bat flat to the ground. It’s still 7-3. Chan Ho Park in to pitch.
Pregame notes: Familiar questions • 06.21.10
Surrounded by reports in the visiting clubhouse here in Phoenix, Phil Hughes was answering all of the questions you’d expect about his innings limit and his turn being skipped. When someone asked whether he knew exactly how many innings he would be allowed to pitch, Joba Chamberlain leaned over the crowd.
“High five,” he said, holding his left hand up to Hughes. “Someone else gets the question. Awesome!”
No, Hughes doesn’t know exactly how many innings he’s allowed to throw this season. He hasn’t asked. The only thing he asked when the Yankees told him his turn was being skipped this week was whether he’d have to miss another start before the all-star break. The Yankees assured him that, for now, it’s only this start that’s being skipped.
“I assume there are going to be some scenarios where something needs to happen in the second half,” Hughes said. “I can’t imagine one start prior to the all-star break being the breaking point of my innings limit. I didn’t ask about the second half because it’s so far off.”
Girardi said the Yankees are hoping to avoid last year’s Joba Chamberlain situation. The early season injury to Chien-Ming Wang kept the Yankees from being able to skip Chamberlain early last season, and they were forced to give him those strange three- and four-inning starts late in the year.
“Obviously you’d love to be able to say in spring training, here’s the plan, here’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Girardi said. “You’re going to average 6.1 innings per game and you’re going to get to your innings limitation on September 30. But the one thing I’m not going to do is I’m not going to jeopardize the game that he’s pitching in because of his innings limitation. If he’s dealing through six and it’s a 2-1 game, I’m not taking him out because of his innings limitation. We’ll worry about (later) and we’ll adjust.”
As for Hughes, he’s obviously disappointed that he won’t be able to pitch in front of his friends and family in Los Angeles, but he seemed to expect something like this would happen sooner or later. Hughes is a big guy and he seems to have a strong arm, but there’s no way of knowing who’s going to need this kind of treatment and who won’t.
“It’s hard for anybody to predict whether they’ll need it or not,” Hughes said. “Some guys obviously didn’t. Nolan Ryan didn’t need an innings limit. But some guys did. It’s impossible for me to say whether I do or not. But, I mean, they’re being on the safe side and I respect that because they obviously have my best interests in mind. Anytime an organization does that, you’re on board with it.”
Here’s Girardi explaining the situation.
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• Chad Moeller was in fact designated for assignment to make room for Colin Curtis, or “Little CC” as Girardi called him. “We felt in these games Colin gives us flexibility with double switches (and as a) left-handed pinch hitter,” Girardi said. “We feel that Jorge, he came through the other day where he didn’t feel it the whole game so we just felt it was worth the risk.”
• Girardi could play Posada two out of three games in each of these National League parks, getting him through the week without having to catch back-to-back games. Girardi said that scenario is possible, but he didn’t necessarily say it’s the plan.
• Curtis played college ball at Arizona State. His house is two blocks from the team hotel. The Yankees haven’t played a regular season game here since 2004, and an Arizona guy happens to be called up the day they return. Crazy.
• Girardi did not check with Alex Rodriguez before putting him in the lineup. The hope is for Rodriguez to play every game this road trip. “Can’t tell you for sure but that’s my hope,” Girardi said. “That was kind of the idea behind DH’ing him Saturday too, so it wouldn’t be six in a row.”
• Similar story with Derek Jeter. Girardi said he noticed Jeter hobbling a little bit on his sore right heel on Sunday, but Girardi is hopeful that he won’t have to take his shortstop out of the lineup out here.
• One other interesting note on adding left-handed hitting Curtis: The Diamondbacks have nothing but right-handers in the bullpen. So why not call up Juan Miranda? Girardi indicated Miranda might not have been called up at all this season had Curtis not been hurt at the end of April. “He was playing extremely well in spring training, he was playing extremely well in Scranton,” Girardi said. “Whether it would have been him or Miranda, I’m not sure at that time, but we just decided to go get him now.”
• What’s been wrong with A.J. Burnett this month? “He just hasn’t been able to get ahead in the count,” Girardi said. “His fastball has gotten too much of the middle of the plate at times. We’ve talked a lot the last few days about the importance of living on the edges.”
DIAMONDBACKS
Kelly Johnson 2B
Stephen Drew SS
Justin Upton RF
Miguel Montero C
Chris Young CF
Adam LaRoche 1B
Mark Reynolds 3B
Gerardo Parra LF
Rodriguez Lopez RHP
Associated Press photos of Hughes, and of Girardi with Diamondbacks A.J. Hinch before tonight’s game.
Hughes being skipped • 06.21.10
Phil Hughes will have his next start skipped. The move is strictly to cut back on his innings.
He will make three more starts, not four, before the all-star break.
Regulars in the lineup vs. DBacks • 06.21.10
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF
A.J. Burnett RHP
Chad Moeller is not listed on the bench. Looks like he’s the move for Colin Curtis.
Colin Curtis called up from Scranton • 06.21.10
No word on a corresponding move, but outfielder Colin Curtis has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Curtis was hitting .280 in Triple-A. He’s a versatile outfielder who can play all three spots with a little bit of power and speed on offense. He might have been called up earlier this season, but he suffered a high ankle sprain that left him on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre disabled list. He came back slowly but hit .293 in his past 10 games.
Still not sure who’s coming off the roster. The obvious choice would be Chad Huffman, but I’m hearing it might not be him. Could be Chad Moeller or Kevin Russo instead.
Curtis will have to be added to the 40-man roster.
Hamilton joins all-star leaders • 06.21.10
Here’s the latest American League all-star update from Major League Baseball. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano still lead at second base and shortstop. Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson rank fifth and sixth in the outfield.
Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has joined the American League’s leading vote-getters for the first time this year in the fifth set of balloting figures for the 81st All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 13th at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The fifth National League All-Star balloting update will be released tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22nd.
Enjoying a monumental June with 37 hits in his 78 at-bats (.474), seven home runs and 25 RBI in 19 games, Hamilton (.337, 16 HR, 52 RBI) has jumped past teammate and fellow 2009 A.L. All-Star Nelson Cruz to join Ichiro Suzuki (.336, 95 H, 20 SB) of the Seattle Mariners and Carl Crawford (.307, 38 RBI, 24 SB) of the Tampa Bay Rays among the leading A.L. outfielders. Hamilton, who had been in fourth place since the onset of balloting, has drawn 1,431,013 votes, ahead of Cruz’s 1,377,399 and behind Ichiro’s 1,567,788 and Crawford’s 1,445,615.
If elected, it would mark the third consecutive year that Ichiro and Hamilton would be in the A.L.’s starting lineup. Crawford, a three-time A.L. All-Star and last year’s Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet, is seeking his first starting assignment. Hamilton has 10 multi-hit games in June and six games with three hits or more, highlighted by a 5-for-6 effort in Sunday’s 5-4 win at Houston. New York Yankees teammates Nick Swisher (1,049,047) and Curtis Granderson (967,003) and Torii Hunter (943,814) of the host Angels are the next in line among A.L. outfielders.
The closest race in the infield is at first base, where Justin Morneau (.340, 15 HR, 47 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins leads a field of veteran All-Stars with 1,752,276 votes. Mark Teixeira (1,507,769) of the Yankees and Miguel Cabrera (1,426,973) of the Detroit Tigers remain within reach. Twins catcher Joe Mauer (.304, 3 HR, 31 RBI) remains Major League Baseball’s leading vote-getter with 3,280,565 votes.
Following Mauer among A.L. players are Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (2,692,418; .283, 8 HR, 39 RBI), Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (2,534,967; .304, 12 HR, 52 RBI), New York second baseman Robinson Cano (2,330,278; .367, 14 HR, 49 RBI) and Rangers designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero (2,316,229; .327, 15 HR, 57 RBI).
One-on-one Teixeira interview tonight on MLB Network • 06.21.10
MLB Network has always done a nice job highlighting baseball’s past, but tonight it’s airing a series of interviews about the game’s present. Rays manager Joe Maddon, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Phillies infielders Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins will be featured in interviews beginning tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
Beyond the Game: Maddon, a 30-minute interview by Tom Verducci with Maddon, begins at 7. That’s followed at 7:30 by Beyond the Game: Teixeira, a sit-down interview between Harold Reynolds and Teixeira.
“What was intriguing about talking with Mark was how he comes off as so personable. I don’t think people really know Mark Teixeira and the purpose of this was so you could get to know him away from the game,” Reynolds said in a press release from the Network. “We got to talk with him about his childhood and, in particular, a journal he wrote when he was 12-years old that his parents shared with us. Even then, the way he looked up to Don Mattingly stood out.”
At 8, Howard and Rollins will be the guests for MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas. That interview was taped on May 25, with Howard and Rollins becoming the first current players featured on the show.
Associated Press photo of Teixeira.
Pitching matchups in Arizona • 06.21.10
Tonight
RHP A.J. Burnett (6-5, 4.33)
vs.
RHP Rodrigo Lopez (2-6, 4.70)
10:09 p.m., YES Network and ESPN
Tuesday
LHP Andy Pettitte (8-2, 2.47)
vs.
RHP Dan Haren (7-5, 4.71)
9:40 p.m., YES Network
Wednesday
RHP Javier Vazquez (6-5, 5.01)
vs.
LHP Dontrelle Willis (2-2, 4.78)
9:40 p.m., YES Network
The Yankees won’t face Ian Kennedy, who took the loss last night against the Tigers. Kennedy allowed only three runs last night, but back-to-back home runs did him in. He’s 3-5 with a 3.60 ERA, easily the lowest ERA in the Diamondbacks rotation.
Kennedy developed a bad reputation in New York after that ugly postgame interview in Anaheim, but personally I always liked him a lot. Whatever the outside perception, Kennedy’s a good guy, and I’m happy to see him pitching well.
Speaking of good guys, I covered Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch at the very end of his playing career. I had just graduated from college, and Hinch basically spent two years teaching me the ins and outs of professional baseball. Having him in the clubhouse made a huge difference for me as a baseball writer. I’ve been surprised to see his team struggle with him as manager. He knows the game as well as anyone I’ve ever met, but his team has been absolutely awful this season.
Associated Press photo of Pettitte
A good day to play • 06.21.10
Several months ago, I got a text message from absolutely the last person on the planet I expected. My father. It wasn’t all that long ago that email left my father absolutely baffled, and the idea of a text message would have been far beyond his grasp. Now my dad seems to love it, and so my first Father’s Day message yesterday was a text.
I’m about to spend five hours in the middle row of a flight to Phoenix. I hope your Father’s Day is much more comfortable.
I called when I landed, and Dad was spending his Father’s Day on the back porch with my mom watching the Cardinals game. I’m sure he went to the farm at some point — Missouri farmers find it pretty hard to take a full day off in the middle of June — but I was glad to know he was spending at least part of the day relaxing with a baseball game. Seemed like the right thing to do.
Obviously the Yankees had a pretty good Father’s Day. Mark Teixeira had already hit his grand slam by the time I was on the ground in Phoenix, and I was able to vaguely follow along for the last few innings. That’s a big start from CC Sabathia, and obviously a huge hit for Teixeira. Before the game, the crew from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition filmed a segment at Yankee Stadium. It seemed like an appropriate day to do it.
If you missed it, baseball’s best Father’s Day story probably came in Toronto, where John McDonald homered in his first at-bat since the death of his father, who fought cancer for eight months before dying on Tuesday.
“We cried on each other’s shoulder for a good 30 seconds,” Vernon Wells told my friend Jordan Bastian. “When it went out, it was instant goosebumps. It kind of puts everything in perspective on whether you had a good day or a bad day at the plate or in the field. Wins and losses don’t really matter at that point.
“That’s one of the most special moments that I’ve gotten to see in this game. It couldn’t happen to a better person. I think that was the happiest loss that any of us have encountered in our professional careers.”
The picture is of the Extreme Makeover group with Nick Swisher, Joe Girardi and Brett Gardner. The photo was passed along by the Yankees.
