Postgame notes: Penned in, five Yankee relievers shine
Posted by: Josh Thomson - Posted in Misc on Jul 18, 2010 
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When Andy Pettitte went down with his groin strain, Joe Girardi summoned David Robertson from the bullpen. He gave his reasons — Robertson’s propensity for strikeouts and his ability to get loose quickly — but the situation practically required more than a typical long man. The Rays led 3-2 behind their ace, David Price, and they had a runner on with another batter up 3-and-0 in the count.
Alex Rodriguez later called it a bold move. It turned out to be the wise one. Robertson threw ball four to Kelly Shoppach but escaped the jam on a pair of fly outs by Sean Rodriguez and B.J. Upton.
“I think Joe did a great job,” A-Rod said. “Sending in Robertson was kind of a bold move, but it paid off. I think those were the two biggest outs of the game.”
The bullpen finished with 6 2/3 of two-run, five-hit ball. Robertson tossed 1 2/3 scoreless and Chan Ho Park followed with 1 1/3 perfect innings. Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain held the lead before Mariano Rivera recorded the final out with a man on by throwing just one pitch.
It all started with Robertson.
“I just felt that that was our best option at that time. I liked his stuff in that spot and he did a tremendous job,” Girardi said. “Our whole bullpen did a tremendous job tonight.”
Robertson conceded that it was a “weird” situation to warmup on the field rather than the bullpen. He was unswayed when they asked for him. He figured immediately that it was possible once Pettitte went down.
“I kind of saw the situation and thought it might be a situation I’m going to come in to,” Robertson said.
After Park’s perfect work, Logan, who was called up when Damaso Marte went on the DL Saturday, pitched well despite allowing a solo homer to Gabe Kapler. Chamberlain struck out two in a solid eighth before a pair of Tampa doubles in the ninth pushed another run across.
Girardi quickly turned to Rivera despite a four-run lead. However, he said it had more to do with Chamberlain’s pitch-count than his lack of faith in the struggling setup man.
“I had a pitch-limit on Joba. I wasn’t going to let him go more than that,” Girardi said. And I also felt it was good to get Mo in the game. He hadn’t pitched in four days until Friday.”
• Alex Rodriguez hit the 598th homer of his career. He said the pursuit of No. 600 is much different than that of No. 500 although this club is far more exclusive. Rodriguez will become just the seventh member of Club 600.
“We have so much going on,” Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of team goals going on right now, so my focus is on think small, think about driving in big runs and not worry about too much.”
• I’ll have more on him tomorrow, but Derek Jeter may have snapped out of his slump today. He went 2 for 5 with the go-ahead RBI single. It was just his second multi-hit game in his last 16.
• Quietly, Mark Teixeira has now reached base in 35 straight games. It matches the second-longest streak of his career and is just one shy of matching the longest. He has now hit safely in 22 of his last 25 games and 29 of his last 34. Tex has raised his average from .211 to .253.
• Now 58-33, the Yanks have moved three games in front in the division. It matches their biggest lead all season. They also now have their best record after 91 games since a pretty good year, 1998, when they were an absurd 68-23.
Given the severity of Andy’s injury and the consequences it will have, I can’t get too excited about today’s win.
More Notes:
10-3 in July
25 games over .500
3 game lead in the East.
7 game lead over Boston, who will start a dreadful 10 game west cost trip, after losing 3 of 4 at home (after coming an out away from being swept).
Andy’s next 5 starts where scheduled against:
KC at home 7/24
@ Cle on 7/29
Tor at home 8/3
Bos at home 8/9
@KC on 8/ 14
That’s a pretty good slate of opponents for Mitre.
Robin-
You are doing yeowoman’s work.
Tough break losing Andy for who knows how long. Hughes on innings limit. AJ inconsistent. Look for Cashman to get some pitching help.
On the upside: Pettitte’s arm gets a month off to ready for the stretch run.
Phil should only miss 2 or 3 starts, but with almost no off days, it’s going to be hard. If the Sox can make do without Beckett for all this time (and Buchholz for part of the time), then we should be able to as well (without going out and getting a starter). I guess this says how little the Yanks think of Nova as they won’t even give him a chance.
I AM excited about this win. Team really pulled it together. And we won because we hit ridiculously well with RISP, while the Rays did not.
Robertson pitched well, Tex and Alex continued their hot hitting.
Andy’s injury is a downer and a concern to be sure. But the rest of the guys will step up like the championships do.
And they beat Price. He may have been rusty like most if the starters after the allstar break have been. But they ripped him for 7 runs. No heart, indeed.
Agree, I think Cashman will go after a seasoned veteran to help get us through the “the dog days”. I think the pitcher will be more like the Gaudin, Small type of guy that you hope you ‘catch lightening in a bottle’ with.
Betsy good to see you here!
Comet.
Betsy,
Call Andy what you like. He has been our 2nd best pitcher this year. The rest you stated, but Hughes may get down time in September now.
Comet, thanks! I don’t know how often I will be here – I don’t appreciate some jerk saying he hates me as his user name. It didn’t help that no one seemed to dispute that, lol. I just came to vent – I doubt I’ll be hanging around
SAS, I have no idea what you are talking about. Why don’t you point out to me where I criticized Andy?
As to Phil, I have said it before (like when we thought we were getting Lee): putting him in the pen before late September is dumb – and it will stunt his development as a starter.
Comet,
Have you and your wife done any more thinking about getting a place in AZ. If not, try renting for a year or 2. We did that and I am glad.
Yes, Josh, the situation called for a longman. But as burned both options yesterday. So really, it was looking at the bullpen and making a snap judgement. Who can best get us out of this mess of first & second, one out?
Robertson’s ability to strike out people and the fact that he doesn’t rattle easily made it an easy call.
“Alex Rodriguez hit the 598th homer of his career. He said the pursuit of No. 600 is much different than that of No. 500 although this club is far more exclusive.”
No kidding. He wasn’t busted as a ‘roid cheat yet when he hit 500. Of course it’s different.
Betsy, I never said that you criticized Andy. I meant how very important he has been to the team this year, and that Phil’s off days may have to be put off for a while.
Yankees will be fine. Time for the other starts to man up.
“On the upside: Pettitte’s arm gets a month off to ready for the stretch run.”
Be concerned about Andy’s groin injury. His arm will be well rested but it won’t matter if his groin is not healed.
Ok, I didn’t get your comment “call Andy what you like” – I’m very upset about his injury as you can see from my first post and he has been overall, their best pitcher, IMO.
I don’t know what the Yankees are going to do with Phil – I still expect them to skip him between now and September. It would be foolish to just keep pitching him and then completely shut him down………….
Now 58-33, the Yanks have moved three games in front in the division. It matches their biggest lead all season. They also now have their best record after 91 games since a pretty good year, 1998, when they were an absurd 68-23.
——————————————————
If Joba hadn’t blown all those games this season, we would be around 63-28.
So, yeah, not too bad, even compared to 1998.
Rumors will have the Yanks in the market for another starter, but I would prefer that we try and just get by with what we have – like the Sox have. It just seems like Cashman has no faith in Nova, etc..
Get well soon, Andy!!!!!
This may end up being a blessing in disguise-it will keep his arm fresh for later in the season.
4 weeks isn’t that bad, IMO-I’ll miss him, but hopefully they’ll go by fast.
Put me down as VERY excited about this win.
This was an important series to win.
They have played the Red Sox and Rays in 6 series so far this year. They are 4-1-1 in those series.
They are 14-4 in their last 18 games against the Red Sox and 8-3 in their last 11 against the Rays.
In other words, despite the crying from some on here, the Yankees are the dominant team in this division and the team to beat. Its not a perfect team but, its an awfully good and resillant team.
Important because its all about confidence against the teams you are battling against for playoff spots.
Andy? This will enable him to be fresh for the last 6 weeks of the season. More important than rushing him back during the dog days of summer.
As Pat said in an earlier thread, its more like the “El Duque Vacation Plan” for Andy.
Mitre made this team as the 6th starter/longman. That’s his job so, its not surprising he gets first crack at the slot.
After Saturday’s start, he will be able to be stretched out to 90 pitches.
Every team has to deal with injuries. They will be fine.
Scott Kazmir scratched from schedule, left shoulder fatigue. Yankees will face triple A call ups,Trevor Bell 8.15 Era, or Sean O’Sullivan 5.37 Era .
Phil should only miss 2 or 3 starts, but with almost no off days, it’s going to be hard to skip him without effecting the rotation. He’s probably set for about 14 more starts – if he averages 6 innings per, that’s 84. Skipping him twice would keep him under his limits in time for the post-season (which limits don’t count there anyway).
I would be keeping my eyes open for a seasoned veteran if I were Cashman. With the problems with AJ, Andy being out for a month and Hughes innings situation, we could use someone other than Gaudin for long relief or to spot start.
I agree, Betsy, overall Andy has been the best pitcher this year.
Its not a question of not having any faith in Nova. Its more about using the guy with major league experience in Mitre. That’s why he is on the roster and he’s pitched well this year.
The Yankees have two guys in Gaudin and Moseley who can pitch long relief. If you ask me, its one guy too many.
Mitre should get first crack at it. If it doesn’t work out, then you look to AAA.
He doesn’t have to be Cy Young. Give them 4 starts where he keeps the team in the game.
He’s certainly capable of doing that.
Betsy I called the hater out and so did SJ44. A lot of people support you here and don’t want to lose you. Remember if you disappear the jerk wins. None of us want that.
I have no idea what Pat was referring to with the El Duque vacation plan. Ok, it’s nice to take the positive attitude with Andy’s injury, but this is a real setback.
Mitre is mediocre and now we don’t have a long man again. Mosely? Gaudin? Awful.
Yes, the team should be able to get by – the Red Sox have made do – but I’m very disturbed by Cashman’s refusal to make use of the farm system like the Sox have done.
Comet, I did see your comment – thank you for that, I appreciate it. I’m not trying to beg anyone to like me – if they don’t, they don’t – but I’m not going to hang around and be insulted like that.
If we can build enough cushion we can skip Phil without missing a beat. Unfortunately we play TB & Boston a ton towards the end of the season.
LOL, is that really you, SJ?
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SAS we’ve got an agent and she’s advised us to wait until fall to go down. Prices are still falling. It seems like we’ve pretty much settled on Phoenix with Palm Desert CA, a possibility as we have friends there. Florida is out as we will be moving west after our elderly parents move on. My wife’s children live in Alberta. Thanks for asking!
OK, SJ – I have a problem with giving Mitre a crack at it this go round when he can’t go very deep into the game and the pen will be burned.
Gaudin and Mosely are awful. I understand long men are generally mediocre, but mediocre is one thing – awful is another. Cash strikes me as being very inconsistent. He said last year that sometimes the needs of the parent club come ahead of the bests interests of a player – that was his reasoning for putting Phil in the pen and not sending him down to start. Why then is Nova not being given a chance up here? I think he’d get a lot of use, whatwith Mitre being who he is and AJ being who he is.
Betsy,
What makes you think Ivan Nova is the solution to anything?
If they felt he was an upgrade to Mitre, they would use him.
Mitre has pitched very well this year. Its more important to have a guy in the rotation than it is to have a long man. The long man is the 12 th guy on an AL pitching staff.
In other words, he’s irrelevent.
Mitre is a better pitcher than Nova. That’s why he’s getting the shot.
It has nothing to do with matching wits with Theo Epstein and the Red Sox farm system.
The Red Sox would LOVE to have a guy like Mitre starting for them right now. It beats watching Felix Dubronet getting his brains beat in every five days.
Roy Oswalt has practically been begging to come to the Yankees, dare I say this, is he a option?
Betsy,you would be better off not taking everything so personal challenging every single comment that is remotely related to yours.
I personally like when you are here so it would be a shame if you allowed yourself to no be comfortable here.
You do have control over this issue.
A lot of things try to get passed as facts here when the reality is that they are not facts or we have no way of proving either way wether they are or not.
Anyways can we pry kemp away from the dodgers?
A little turmoil there with him.
What about a trade for edwin jackson???
SJ, that’s true………I’m really just concerned with the upcoming start. You’re right – Mitre had a very good spring training and he’s been effective. As you said, he doesn’t have to be Cy Young- just give us 5 or 6 innings of 3/4 runs -then hopefully the offense can do the job.
I didn’t go crazy over the injury because I realize other teams (Sox) have been killed – and you just have to deal with it.
I assume you don’t think the Yanks will go and get another starter? What are your thoughts on Phil’s innings limits? As I explained, I think he should be ok if he’s skipped twice. I think people are making too big a deal out of this….
just wondering how i can register…