No nightmare on 161st Street: Freddy lives as Yanks beat Rangers
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Apr 16, 2011 
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Joe Girardi said before the game that he didn’t know what to expect from Freddy Garcia after such a long layoff but Garcia showed hardly any rust at all. The veteran righty threw six shutout innings in his first start of the season and the Yankees beat the Rangers, 5-2, to even the three-game series.
Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer for the Yankees and added a sac fly, while Robinson Cano also homered and Andruw Jones and Nick Swisher had two hits apiece.
Joba Chamberlain worked the seventh, Rafael Soriano narrowly avoided disaster in the eighth (Adrian Beltre saw a would-be three-run homer go just foul) and Mariano Rivera finished off the win in the ninth for the Yankees on a brutally cold and windy day at the Stadium.
Back with more from the clubhouse in a bit.
I suspect that Garcia and Colon will moot the need for a stupid, short-sighted trade.
Great, GREAT job by Garcia – the real hero of the game. Great job by Joba and Mo and by Cano, for giving us breathing room
Rich, I hope so. I’ve always thought Garcia would do well for us- it’s early, but this was such a huge game given the state of the staff.
You’d like to think that the GM, however, would be smart enough NOT to make a stupid trade.
not to worry…we’ve got pitchers!
Jah-BUDDHA!
It’s not the GM that concerns me, Betsy.
I’m wondering if ESPeeN will be saying that the Yankees sent a message right back to the Rangers, being that their story after yesterday was that the Rangers sent a message to the Yankees.
I have concerns about him, Rich – but if not him, then who? Remember that he was going to trade Montero for Lee
Kind of a smoke and mirrors performance by Garcia, but that’s better than walks and bombs.
I will now be accepting applications for the Freddy Garcia bandwagon.
People who said silly things like “Garcia doesn’t have the stuff to pitch against top offenses” (despite him doing so last year) need not apply.
Straw:
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/.....12/4547084
At times it seems like he could have no problem pitching until he is 50, but this week he said that he will put away his glove when his contract expires after the 2012 season. Via Buster Olney of ESPN: “I have another year, and after that, there won’t be any more,” said Mo, who signed a two-year deal this offseason. Or course, he qualified it by saying “That’s me talking [now].” Two things, Rivera has said this before. He’s actually said it more than once and he always qualifies it somehow. This time it was “that’s me talking now,” and other times he has used the ‘it’s in god’s hands’ line as well. So the fact that he has said this now doesn’t necessarily mean that he will retire after the 2012…
**Granted, I suppose he could change his mind
Levine and Hank
it almost got tight there at the end but the ‘nolan ryan pitching school’ which holds that you always stay too long with your starter helped us out there!
thanks nolan!
I wouldn’t expect Mo to pitch beyond this contract anyway.
Why is it smoke and mirrors? The guy can pitch.
LGY, there were plenty of people who thought Garcia could pitch and weren’t ready to toss him aside after he struggled in ST
“Cashman looking pretty damn smart right now for some of these veteran signings.”
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seriously. hats off to Cash!
many of my Sox fan friends were laughing it up in the offseason when the Yanks brought in Garcia, Colon, and Prior.
who’s laughing now b1tche$ ??
I have to laugh..Washed up Beckett ( according to some here) pitched another good game against a VG hitting team..
7..IP
3 ..Hits
1.. Run
9 K’s
nice win by the Yankees
LGY,
i think it was gumbeyandpokey who said, during the start of the game, that “Garcia obviously doesn’t have the stuff to get people out. what has become of the Yankees rotation”
yeah, “obviously”
Then that’s on Hal for listening to Hank, and Levine. I’m not worried about Hal, though……….not yet
So Alex was stiff in the 2nd inning and Joe still kept him out there?
joeman,
Beckett looks great, but how is Toronto a very good hitting team?
Betsy, I didn’t say he couldn’t pitch. Obviously he can. “Smoke and mirrors” describes the way he pitches.
BD, how is Toronto not a very good hitting team?
I mean, i fully expect him to retire at the end of the contract. But if he keeps pitching like this, they ay try to coax him into another deal. May not work though. Personally, I would rather see him leave at the top of his game than degrade.
Garcia looked like late career El Duque..
# Rich in NJ April 16th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I suspect that Garcia and Colon will moot the need for a stupid, short-sighted trade.
——————————————
Chances of Hughes coming back and Nova being the odd man out?
Betsy,
They have hit well so far this year, but I don’t think Jose Molina is going to hit .350 this year.
They have about an average offense, IMO.
Bautista looks like the real deal and Escobar isn’t bad, but that is hardly a top offense.
Freddy Sez:
Freddy Lives!
RIP Freddy.
Before today, Toronto:
.264 .331 .410 .742
Straw, me too. Mo will know when the right time to walk away is, though.
and I’ll happily take any bets if someone thinks Toronto’s offense will be one of the best in the league this season.
Carlo
I really don’t know, but I think they will have depth, which provides options.
BD, they were very powerful last year, though
BD, I think they will be…………
They lost Wells and I really need to see Batista come close to last year’s stats before I believe he can repeat it.
Probably not even worth showing up tomorrow with Ogando in the mound. Guy is virtually untouchable. Best pitcher of all time. 0.52 whip.
# BD (Boston Dave) April 16th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
joeman,
Beckett looks great, but how is Toronto a very good hitting team?
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1st in HR’s last year in the AL by a wide margin and 5th in runs scored…
Rich, I guess we’ll see – I’d like to be wrong as I think they are a dangerous club.
Edit – that whip is 0.54, still the most dominant pitcher of the current generation.
I don’t know whether I’ll watch the Yankees or Knicks. Whenever I try to watch both it’s like watching neither.
Betsy,
name your price
They lost Vernon Wells and his 31HR, catcher John Buck and his 20HR, Overbay and his 20HR, Fred Lewis who was surprisingly good for them, and even Encarnacion’s 21HR.
They just don’t have the bats to be a top offense. Even if Bautista repeats his 51HR year, which seems unlikely.
Anything could happen – but they will regress over the course of the season.
Toronto was actually 6TH in runs scored last year.
Question from earlier about how were Soriano’s player options a smart move by Cashman:
If Cashman was not in favor of signing Soriano and using so much budget money for a position he envisioned being filled by Joba, then giving a Boras client an opt out was a brilliant Machiavellian move…figuring he would get rid of Soriano after one year and allow the spot to be filled by Joba and/or Brackman and others he has coming up the pipeline.
Great veteran performance by Garcia and did we ever need that. I was worried given the layoff and his lack of velocity that he would have a tough time against Texas but he proved me wrong.
When you have experience, command, can throw different pitches and can change speeds with movement you can win with your fast ball living in the high eighties, he proved that.
Great job Garcia.
joeman,
then i guess you shoulda suggested they were VG last season, not this one
Why would Soriano opt out?
Toronto lost 5 of their top 7 HR hitters from last season and naturally some of their top RBI guys and run scorers.
I do like Yunel Escobar, but they didn’t exactly replace that production with guys who can be counted on to replace that lost production.
I’m willing to give any team the benefit of the doubt if they deserve it, but Toronto doesn’t look like a club that will be an offensive juggernaut this season.
Rich–
If Sori has a decent year, Boras would probably try to take him back on the market as the premiere FA reliever. I know there will be a glut, but I suspect Boras beleives he can position Sori to Boston or someone as the best. (He has misread the market before)
“Why would Soriano opt out?”
—————-
Ask Scott Boras – his clients always do.
I don’t know what to make of the Jays offense. They led the league home runs, but were in the botton 3 in team BA and OBP. I guess, I wouldn’t really consider them very good. They hit a lot of solo home runs.
Have to run..later folks
Rich in NJ April 16th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Why would Soriano opt out?
——–
I read an interesting article, I think on mlbtraderumors that asked that same question. There isn’t a whole lot of incentive for Soriano to opt out unless he thinks he can get a better deal. Can he? I don’t really think so, unless he thinks he can get the Yanks to up their offer.
The thing with that is, I can’t see him pitching well enough under any set of circumstances that the Yankees would make him another offer. Unless Rivera goes down with an injury. That’s about it.
# BD (Boston Dave) April 16th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Betsy,
name your price
They lost Vernon Wells and his 31HR, catcher John Buck and his 20HR, Overbay and his 20HR, Fred Lewis who was surprisingly good for them, and even Encarnacion’s 21HR.
They just don’t have the bats to be a top offense. Even if Bautista repeats his 51HR year, which seems unlikely.
Anything could happen – but they will regress over the course of the season.
——————————–
OK I’m sorry Beckett didn’t have another shut down game …..he stinks
Soriano’s deal favors him and not the Yankees that’s pretty obvious and elementary. If he pitches well and is healthy he walks and goes close elsewhere. If he pitches poorly or gets hurt the Yankees are stuck with him.
# Rich in NJ April 16th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Why would Soriano opt out?
———————————————————
wants to be a closer….CC will want more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$4
Before I run…one question. If Beckett had an epidural for his back, how can that NOT be a performance enhancing drug?
Repost:
“the opt outs give no advantage to the Yanks whatsoever
they are player options.”
An opt-out might motivate Soriano to pitch better because he’s theoretically playing for a new contract. Look at Arod’s 2007 season or Burnett’s last season with the Blue Jays. The Yankees can then either convince him to re-sign or let him go and recoup this year’s lost draft picks. Worst case scenario, Soriano has a bad year and sticks around, but that would happen with or without the opt-out clauses.
I think I’ll I’ll wait and see if he opts out before determining that he will. Of course I was sure CC wasn’t going to based on his insistence that he wouldn’t and now it appears he will………….boo
# BoJo April 16th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Before I run…one question. If Beckett had an epidural for his back, how can that NOT be a performance enhancing drug?
______________
It is, but doesn’t have the romance of other PEDs.
# BoJo April 16th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Before I run…one question. If Beckett had an epidural for his back, how can that NOT be a performance enhancing drug?
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thinking a lot of that is done by many
joeman,
as I said, very specifically, “Beckett looks great, but how is Toronto a very good hitting team?”
so you’re right about Beckett, but it’s not like he “Garcia’d” a team like Texas or the White Sox.
RS,
possible – I’ll give you that.
I hope it plays out that way and Soriano pitches his heart out this season.
“Why would Soriano opt out?
With his injury history. if he has a dominant year, he may try his hand at a 3-4 yr deal.
Not sure if he loves being in NY or being a SU man either.
Freddy Garcia’s last 3 starts against Texas:
19IP, 5ER, 15H, 4BB
could have used him in the ALCS
Garcia did great today. Good for him.
Boras client always chase the $$.
Even at his introductory PC, Soriano said he hoped to be closer again in the future. Also has been brittle in the past, so he might not want to risk going yr to yr.
# BD (Boston Dave) April 16th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
joeman,
as I said, very specifically, “Beckett looks great, but how is Toronto a very good hitting team?”
so you’re right about Beckett, but it’s not like he “Garcia’d” a team like Texas or the White Sox.
———————————————
Beckett shut the Yanks down
Any opinions on how Gustavo looked behind the plate today?
joeman,
what part of “Beckett looks great” is going over your head?
# BD (Boston Dave) April 16th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
joeman,
what part of “Beckett looks great” is going over your head?
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all of it
Wow, one great start by Garcia and some on here already bloviating how we better not make a trade at the end of JULY???
Look, I’ve never thought that Garcia was the questionmark in this rotation either. He had a very nice year last year for Chicago.
But Hughes, our #3 starter is a dead-armed mess.
Burnett, our #2, is Burnett. Off to a nice start but we’ve seen that before. Not exactly Old Reliable.
And Nova, our #4 is still a work in progress, as we saw last night.
So you think that, in the middle of April, with CC, Burnett, Garcia and Colon we’re all good in the rotation to go to the World Series…
Knee-jerk reactions can work both ways.
Let’s wait and see what the rotation looks like in July before we decide whether Cashman needs to make a deal or not.
Freddy gave the rotation just the shot in the arm it needed.
AnthonyMcCarron A-Rod said he felt the tightness before the game and it got worse during the game. He’s hopeful about tomorrow night’s game, but who knows?
swbyankeesTT Mark Prior joining SWB bullpen tomorrow, I’m told. Big step toward possible big league return.
Felix ordinary again: 5 runs (two earned), six hits and the loss. Last start he got bombed by Blue Jays but was saved from “L” by huge comeback.
I’m off the bandwagon.
No one is Doc Halladay.
damn that no-good felix, he sucks, we need to trade him for a middle reliever before he loses all his trade value and we’re left with nothing……
….ooops!, sorry i thought this was the lohud MARINERS blog, sorry…
“West Coast Yankee Fan April 16th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
No one is Doc Halladay.”
////
that will come as quite a shock to Mrs. Halladay!
I’m sure she can handle it given her allowance.
Yeah, King Felix sucks. The Mariners would be wise to trade him for Kei Igawa, straight up.