Postgame notes: “We just didn’t play”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Aug 29, 2012 
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CC Sabathia tried to take all the blame for today’s debacle. As reporters gathered around his locker, the Yankees ace was blunt.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” he said. “I feel like this game is all my fault, obviously.”
Actually, it wasn’t obvious at all. Sabathia gave up a lead twice, so he deserved some of the blame, but the Yankees were 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They made three errors, and that’s not counting the two diving catches that fell out of Andruw Jones’ glove. They lost two out of three against the worst team in the division, and next they have to face the second-place Orioles.
“You show me a manager or player who’s happy to lose a ballgame, and I’ll show you a loser,” Joe Girardi said. “We didn’t play well today. We had plenty of opportunities to win that game and we didn’t get it done. You have to get it done. … We had chances offensively and didn’t get it done. We had chances defensively and didn’t get it done. We didn’t make pitches when we had to. We just didn’t play.”
True, true and true. This was a game the Yankees should have won for all sorts of different reasons, mostly because the Blue Jays are a bad team and the Yankees are supposed to a World Series contender. There are plenty of excuses – Sabathia’s defense let him down, the Yankees made some good plays to make up for some of their mistakes, the lineup is missing key pieces – but Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira aren’t coming back any time soon, and the Yankees have to beat teams like the Blue Jays.
Today was a bad game. It was a bad game for Sabathia, it was a bad game for the lineup and it was a bad game for the Yankees.
“Ain’t nobody that likes losing before off days,” Nick Swisher said. “Tough series for us, man. We’ve got to put it behind us. That off day for us couldn’t come at a better time. We’re a little banged up right now. We’ve just got to keep going out there. We’ve got to find a way to win games. That’s it.”
• The Yankees actually did have some good luck on their side. They scored two runs when Rajai Davis misplayed Curtis Granderson’s fly ball, and they scored another when Russell Martin’s bouncing ball hit the third-base bag and skipped into the outfield. “There’s a lot of times you say, ‘Hit the bag,’ and it never does,” Girardi said. “Today was one of those days it hit the bag, (but) it seemed like a few times we had runners on second with nobody out and weren’t able to get them home. That’s probably what cost us the game.”
• Andruw Jones nearly made two good catches, but with each diving attempt, the ball rolled out of his glove when he hit the ground. “The first one, I had it,” he said. “I just kind of rolled over my wrist a little bit and wasn’t actually (hurt) that bad. But the second one, I got my fingers caught up into the ground and rolled over a little bit. Those are tough plays, but if you get your glove to them, you’ve got to make them.”
• Jones clearly hurt his glove hand on the second diving play, but he said he was fine. “It’s alright,” he said. “It’s just my fingers went back a little bit. But it’s alright I guess.”
• Ichiro Suzuki is known for an ability to handle the bat, but he failed to get a bunt down today and it seemed to cost the Yankees. “Obviously in baseball you just have a lot of momentums,” he said. “And I wasn’t able to get that bunt down to create that momentum. Obviously in this important stretch, the run down the stretch, obviously we need to get things done and I need to do better.”
• The Yankees were held homerless in back-to-back games for the third time this season. It’s the first time they were back-to-back games without a homer at home this season.
• The Yankees reached base in six of nine innings and matched their season-high for at-bats with runners in scoring position in a nine-inning game. Of their eight hits, six were doubles, their most doubles in a game since July 30, 2011.
• Derek Jeter’s first-inning error was his first since July 8, snapping a 38-game errorless streak. According to Elias, it’s his longest error-free streak since a career-high 52 games in 2010.
• Sabathia’s day started to go bad when he gave up three runs with two outs in the third. Jayson Nix made a nice play to turn two and put Sabathia on the verge of ending the inning, but things started to unravel with a hit by Edwin Encarnacion. “I just think obviously it was 3-0 just trying to make a pitch,” Sabathia said. “He put a good swing on the pitch. I just think the two-strike pitches killed me today.”
• Sabathia on the homer to Escobar, which came on a hanging slider: “I was just trying to make a pitch and not walk him. I should probably be smarter than that.”
• Some of the Blue Jays damage came on broken bat hits, but Sabathia couldn’t care less. “It really doesn’t matter,” he said. “They’re line drives to score runs. It’s up to me to make pitches and get out of the inning, and I didn’t do that tonight.”
• Make no mistake, Sabathia said he was fully healthy and had good stuff. “Just frustrated at actually having my stuff and not making the pitches,” he said. “Obviously you have to give them credit for putting together good at-bats, but I need to make better pitches and I didn’t do that today.”
• Final word goes to Girardi: “At times we haven’t hit during this little streak. We haven’t scored as many runs as we have in the past. Up until today our pitching wasn’t too bad. Today it was a combination of a lot of different things. You have to put it behind you. That’s all you can do. This day is over with, so put it behind you and move on.”
Associated Press photos
You can’t make those kind of catches with a smile on your face.
Rays up 6-0 on Texas already tonight. Young, hungry team and they are clicking right now. I was never worried about the Yankees losing the division until like right now. They need to pick it up and quickly or they will be fighting for a wild card spot soon.
Did a speed run to the City today and got home about 1/2 hour ago, thinking I was in time to see the game. Well I did’t remember it was being played today. I see we lost. I’d like to use the beat up and injured reason but who’s more beat up and injured than the Jays?
Anyway, we’ve got tired ballplayers. Everyone does. And we have a somewhat revolving lineup. So all we can do is what we can do. Hold tight and do the best we can.
I guess I was beyond perspicacious when I said the Orioles were going to be a team to watch! I was just a few seasons early when I started to say it. And boy they’re for real. They are leaving no stone unturned, and they’re on a high. I don’t know what their injury meter is but I don’t think it rivals ours in terms of importance of player down. I could be wrong.
Anyway, we just have to keep on keeping on. Maybe everyone’s trying to be the hero and everyone’s playing tight in the process. Who knows. I just know that we have playoff worthy players. Whether they are showing it at this very moment, I don’t know. But I do know we have them up and down the line. Hopefully things get straightened out, Andy comes back, Alex comes back, the pen is shored up for the postseason since some of our starters will end up in the pen. And hopefully our offense works in unison and shows once again why the Yankees are the team to beat.
as long as teams keep throwing leftys at us we are in trouble…balt just got saunders and another lefty, forget his name….price and moore , come on down.
“You have to put it behind you. That’s all you can do. This day is over with, so put it behind you and move on.”
And there’s the other half.
GO YANKS!
Y’s,
I don’t think George was perfect….far from it….he did some dumb things….but you never ever questioned his desire to win…..do you think the current ownership has that same desire? I’m not sure…..
i have never spoken to hal, hank or george so i dont know, but what did desire do for the yankees from 1982-1995?
the yankees are not a perfect team. there is no perfect team in baseball. the cardinals were far from perfect last season.
but the yankees are in first place and imo they are a better team than the rays or the orioles.
and once the yankees get into the PS (and they will) they can win it all. just like anyone else who gets in.
“i have never spoken to hal, hank or george so i dont know, but what did desire do for the yankees from 1982-1995?”
I didnt say the team should be ran exactly like George ran it….because it shouldnt…..but as a fan Id like to know Hal is upset right now….and maybe he is….
were the giants a perfect team last nfl season? were they even the best team? does that matter?
George being upset was a distraction and an entertainment.
When they were not winning, it took attention away from the losing; when they were mostly winning, the constant nit-picking game to game was annoying and worse.
George’s style was often a detriment. And a sideshow.
if someone told me in march that the yankees would be 3 games ahead in the division on august 29th. i’da been very happy to hear that.
there’s going to be a great pennant race in the al east this year.
pennant races ROCK!
bring em on!
Let’s Go Yankees!
“George’s style was often a detriment. And a sideshow.”
Yes….but did you ever question that winning was his #1 priority?
do you think the current ownership has that same desire? I’m not sure…..
——————
Of course not. George’s desire could not be matched. All the current ownership cares about is making it to the dance because anything can happen
blake -
I think there were times when George’s #1 priority was keeping the Yankees plastered on the back pages regardless of what they did on the field.
winning was probably ray handley’s first priority, too.
Yes….but did you ever question that winning was his #1 priority
—————–
Very Jordan-esque
“if someone told me in march that the yankees would be 3 games ahead in the division on august 29th. i’da been very happy to hear that.”
Yea I would to….problem is that we know how they got here and how theyve been playing since the all star break…..theyve been a .500 team for awhile now. A lot of that has to do with health of course….but they need to play better
And George’s tenure and this current tenure are operating under different rules – a whole new ballgame, so to speak. There’s been expansion and the wild card, and the real push for parity. George did not have the same limits on what he could spend and pretty much no competition for spending money (which he did not always spend wisely).
they can win it all. just like anyone else who gets in.
————
I think many will be surprised if they do. Yes there are yrs when teams go on Cinderella runs but those are exceptions not the rule.
really, who cares? they’re here, they’ve got a great chance to win the division and that’s the goal for the RS.
i just cant be all bummed out because they’re not winning by 10 games. this is going to be a GREAT september pennant race.
“And George’s tenure and this current tenure are operating under different rules –”
True….but I do think its interesting that MLB has been wanting these rules for years….but couldnt make it happen until George was gone? Coincidence?
You could never call a Yankees run a Cinderella run.
They were expected to be about exactly the spot they are in now. It’s just, the route they took to get to this spot was somewhat, um, interesting.
“i just cant be all bummed out because they’re not winning by 10 games. this is going to be a GREAT september pennant race.”
I love great pennant races…..I just prefer the Yanks to run away with their division and the rest to be tight
He was probably the biggest road block to those changes.
I would hardly call this a “little streak.” Apart from the Texas series, we’ve been playing fundamentally bad baseball for six weeks. If we’ve hit, we’ve pitched badly. We’ve given away games without stealing any ourselves.
Apart from the Texas series, we’ve been playing fundamentally bad baseball for six weeks.
=======================
Is Arod the answer? Arod and Tex, yes.
mick August 29th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
tightwad? how spoiled can you possibly be? spending more than anybody else isnt enough for you.
======================
How much has Hal laid out for guys he signed?
i haven’t been playing any baseball…
more than anyone else has spent on the guys they signed.
They do miss Alex badly……and they really miss Tex too….
FITS and Shiggles.
Josh Beckett (26 Years old) 15-11 with a 5.05 era and 1.29 whip. 200 innings 158Ks
Phil Hughes ( 26 Years old) 13-11 4.01 era 1.25 whip. 156 innings ( TBD) 130Ks ( TBD)
Hal hasn’t spent a dime and won’t in the OS if it effects 2014 189.
The RS want to be the Yanks so bad they will try to steal as much as they can from us this OS like they thought they did with Aceves.
Their 1st target should be A. Jones.
My problem with the Yankee team is that it was designed from the outset to be a platoon heavy team and that is the kind of team that can get killed by injuries. The Yankees have done really well to still be in first despite all the stuff they have had to deal with. That is the payroll working.
I wish Cashman would have made a real trade at the deadline. I feel like Ichiro was kind of their ‘splash’ since they gave up actual prospects for him, but he wasn’t exactly what they needed.
One of the problems with signing Ibanez is that I said Girardi would play him in the OF more than he should be played there (never) and if there is an injury you have a guy that they are looking at trying to be a bounce back bat (which he hasn’t really) getting forced into the lineup. It also has not helped that Mr ‘I’m gonna take someones job’ Jones sucks.
hal hasnt spent a dime? who’s covering the biggest payroll in baseball then. thats a preposterous argument.
where is the platoon? if gardner was healthy, who would be platooning?
i said it before but you ignore it….who has Hal signed.
Hal is paying Arod, sure, but it obviously wasn’t his choice or direction.
Hence Hank has been ousted as the 2 could not co-exist.
they’d have a dh platoon thats it. unless you count chavez spelling arod at 3b occasionally as a platoon. by design this was 8 regulars and a dh platoon at most.
Jones was really good last year vs LHP…..the Yanks were counting on that again and it just hasnt happened …..its really hurt them.
so you are saying hal didnt sign tex? cc? aj burnett? hasnt re-signed mo and jeter? i dont get what you are trying to say, do you mean who has he recruited to sign?
they’d have a dh platoon thats it. unless you count chavez spelling arod at 3b occasionally as a platoon. by design this was 8 regulars and a dh platoon at most.
–
Without a doubt Girardi was going to platoon the outfield.
And he did. Gardner sat a lot to start the season.
The Yanks , when healthy, are a juggernaut, it’s just that they are not healthy very often.
Age was not the excuse this time as Andy, Gardy, Tex and Arod were all hurt in other ways.
It’s a good thing they had this depth but utility players cannot win you a championship.
The other big problem is that their platoon players outside of Eric Chavez aren’t actually that great.
Ibanez barely gets on base, he is just good for a little pop in the stadium.
The RS want to be the Yanks so bad
——————-
Well Cashman more than once admitted he copied what the Red Sox were doing in the 2000s when it came to the farm so I guess it’s their time to copy us.
gardner played 159 games in the outfield last season.
so you are saying hal didnt sign tex? cc? aj burnett? hasnt re-signed mo and jeter? i dont get what you are trying to say, do you mean who has he recruited to sign?
=============================================
Hal resigned CC and Jeter, they were no brainers.
If you don’t think he is going to cut back, you’re wrong.
gardner didnt sit til his elbow started hurting.
gardner played 159 games in the outfield last season.
–
Cool what does that have to do with this season?
Well Cashman more than once admitted he copied what the Red Sox were doing in the 2000s when it came to the farm so I guess it’s their time to copy us.
=====================
The RS have always been Yankee wannabes.
gardner didnt sit til his elbow started hurting.
–
He sat the second game of the season.
Cashman complains about the cost of trades at the deadline every year and then the vast majority of the prospects he holds on to bust out.
Remember when including Nunez in the Cliff Lee trade suddenly was way too much for Cash? Or Joba for the multitude of high quality players he could have been moved for. Look at those two guys now.
Either Cashman needs to stop whining about the price of trades and move prospects for established players or actually develop them so they can contribute to the club.
The dumpster diving band aides only work for some long and right now we are past the expiration date on a lot of them.
And did not start the 4th or the 8th.
what are you talking about mick?
was hal not in charge when they signed cc and tex originally? because if you think he wasnt, then you know something that everyone else around the yankees doesnt.
, sure, but it obviously wasn’this choice or direction
——–
How wasn’t it? He was the money guy at the time and still is. Ppl always mention Hank when it comes to Arod but Hal should be mentioned as well
hal has been the head of the ownership group since 1996!
How was Hal in charge as long as Hank was around Ys?
Hal is in charge since Hank was ousted.
so you’re saying hank ran the team till the end of the 2008 season?
hank couldnt run a fruit stand.
hal has been the head of the ownership group since 1996!
===================================
when George was still coherent?
give me a break…
Hal wanted no part of this when Geo. was around, everybody knows that.
The RS have always been Yankee wannabes
————-
Touche
hank was allowed to negotiate arod’s return. he f’ed it up so bad that they never let him near the team again.
george was not coherent in 1996. he never took control of running the team after his suspension.
so you’re saying hank ran the team till the end of the 2008 season?
========================
there’s a differnce between having autonomy and battling divergent factions within one’s organization and family.
it seems that part of the deal is over.
mick August 29th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
How was Hal in charge as long as Hank was around Ys? Hal is I
—————-
The point is Hal should take the same amount of blame for the Arod contract as Hank does.
The Yankees need to call up Mark Montgomery. He’s striking out over 14 per 9 and walking less than 3 in AA.
Yes, it would be risky because it’s probably rushing him but he’s the only guy in the system above A ball that has the high quality stuff they desperately need in the bullpen right now.
george was not coherent in 1996.
========================
who was that guy in the locker room after game 6 that looked like him?
c’mon every biography about george concedes that he was never in charge again after his suspension. idk when the family first started seeing the signs of his dimentia, but it was likely around 96.
“Either Cashman needs to stop whining about the price of trades and move prospects for established players or actually develop them so they can contribute to the club.
The dumpster diving band aides only work for some long and right now we are past the expiration date on a lot of them.”
bingo
George was not demented in 96.
A little melancholy but not certifiable.
hal was officially named the head of the yankees in september of 2007. saying he didnt ‘sign’ tex, cc and aj is ridiculous. hank was out of the picture by that offseason.
I think Cashman has maybe become a little too afraid of overpaying…..the problem is that there are a host of teams willing to go for it every year now….
who was that guy in the locker room after game 6 that looked like him
———–
It was Hank impersonating George
i can tell you from personal experience with alzheimers that the family knows way before it is obvious to outsiders. reporters started commenting on george’s ‘health’ around 1999.
when hal was named has nothing to do with it.
he told them , after arod, either you run it or I will, we both can’t.
for all we know they hate each other and he bought part of Hank out.
the problem is that there are a host of teams willing to go for it every year now….
=========================
and Cash will work for them someday..
LGY,
I agree on Montogomery….he a reliever….he can be rushed
LGY…….It was mentioned back before the winter meetings that one old timer scout told me that Montgomery would be a very fast mover in the Yanks system………I think the Yanks should try to do the 2002 K-Rod lightening in the bottle trick…….I agree with you get him up before the deadline date for playoff options
one more game and this team will start to turn around…
anyway im looking forward to kicking some oriole asp this weekend! kicking them while they were down just wasnt as fun as it was in the old days…
The Yankees need another plus arm in their bullpen….if it’s not going to be Joba and they can’t trade for one then they should try Montgomery
Pat M -
Who goes if they get Montgomery up here before Saturday? They are really down to the wire if they would want him around for the PS.
What the Yanks have going wrong is fixable, soon. More than the RS can say.
What they did during that 10 game winning streak can happen again and could come mid Sept.
I’m sure guys up on Sept 1 are eligible for the PS.
ChiSox are up 8-1 so it looks like they might help us there…..now if the Rangers can ralley
.I agree with you get him up before the deadline date for playoff options
–
With Mariano’s injury they can probably use the injury replacement rule to get anyone brought up in september or traded for in sept on the roster.
I’m sure guys up on Sept 1 are eligible for the PS.
–
Have to be on the active roster before Sept 1
Desperate times call for desperate measures. OK, so we’re not quite at desperation point yet, but when the rosters expand I hope we’ll see less of Jones and Co. and more of Nunez and Dickerson. Nunez can play a game or two at SS and let Jeter DH. I know they’re not the answer but this lineup needs a spark from someone – and soon.
With Mariano’s injury they can probably use the injury replacement rule to get anyone brought up in september or traded for in sept on the roster.
–
Have to be on the active roster before Sept 1
===================
sounds contradictory
Who goes if they get Montgomery up here before Saturday? They are really down to the wire if they would want him around for the PS.
- – - – - –
I’d get rid of Eppley.
Why isn’t Joba in the minors getting work?
joba could be that guy. he pitched well today, wouldve only given up one run if jones made the catch. give him another 7 innings and he’ll be a weapon.
sounds contradictory
–
Guys brought up after August 31st need to use a loop hole to get on the post season roster, they are not eligible by default.
Orioles, Nationals, White Sox, Athletics, Pirates, Dodgers, Phillies.
Biggest surprise?
NYY ownership/management put themselves into the positon they are in. It is on the GMs lap to fix it and for Hal to fund the fix. If Hal is unwilling to fund it, Cashman needs to adopt his ways and get creative, you know like 80% of all the other teams GMS have to do. If Cash can’t do it, he needs to go. Because ownership sure as hell isn’t going anywhere.
The problem with Cash as I see it is not so much the 25 man roster but the 40 man. When you really have to depend on guys who are 30-35+ the main risk is keeping guys healthy and rested through the marathon. A key way to handle the injury fallout is the ready availability of minor league talent to help supplement the big club when injuries hit hard.
Unfortunately, NYY has had nobody up from AAA or AA ready to help out the team this year. The two guys that came up, Warren and Mitchell, basically bombed out in their brief trials. They have not had a single AB from a rookie this year. To me, that is an alarming signal that despite huge attention, accolades and hype, the minor leagues are not producing talent when needed. And make no mistake, the Yankees could have really used an infusion of youth this year.
This is a troubling reality for a team that is dead set on cutting its payroll. Hopefully this is just a one year hiccup in terms of prospect progress and health, because if not, this team is going to struggle to stay competitive, much less compete for championships, when they are committed to dropping payroll, yet not producing enough young, inexpensive talent to compensate.
They ought to seriously consider Montgomery. The jump from high-A to AA is suppose to be the first tough test, but it hasn’t slowed him down. He’s actually producing better peripherals at AA. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he does get the call to the show. They could use his premium, albeit inexperienced arm in the pen.
I would add the Red Sox but they kind of self-destructed at the end of 2011, so we kind of saw this collapse coming.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweets.....-joe-mauer
Mauer cleared waivers….some trade possibilites that won’t happen but fun to look at
I would say the Orioles are the biggest surprise of the year. The Nationals are a great story but the O’s have emerged in the AL East.
Orioles, Nationals, White Sox, Athletics, Pirates, Dodgers, Phillies.
Biggest surprise?”
Orioles for me….
The odds were really stacked against them. And they have so many players that no one talks about.
The Nats have high profile guys and there was a buzz around Harper, Strasburg, the Werth signing.
They came out of nowhere in the toughest division in baseball – definitely the O’s for me.
The Nats aren’t that big a surprise with that pitching staff….I knew they were coming….they are just here a little earlier than most thought……
Best x-Yankee pitcher..
Karstens
Kennedy
Burnett
McCallister
I’d take Burnett
IPK
Surprise player of the year?
I’d have to go with Encarnacion.
Surprise Yankee of the year?
Rafael Soriano.
Biggest disappointment?
Wow, so many
I’ll go with Russell Martin. Had you told me he would hit below .200 I would’ve been pretty ticked off about that.
“Biggest disappointment?”
Jonesy
Encarnacion is a good one…..Soriano also for the Yanks.
Jones? C’mon he’s a platoon player, a support guy. Martin is the starting catcher!
Martin has been a black hole on a daily basis. He really hurts this offense. Think about it, Chris Stewart is being given playing time because of it. Chris Stewart!
Maybe the Yankees should target Carlos Santana over Choo.
“Jones? C’mon he’s a platoon player, a support guy. Martin is the starting catcher!”
I didn’t expect a ton out of Martin offensively…..Jones had a .923 OPS against LHP last year……it’s .707 this year with a .206 average. He’s killing them because they were counting on him to balance out the lineup a bit vs LHP
Bret-
I couldn’t agree more.
I want Martin to disappear in the OS.
“Maybe the Yankees should target Carlos Santana over Choo.”
if it weren’t for the money they should get Mauer who has a .400+ OBP vs righties and lefties.
but Martin is a disappointment.
All this jawboning about Hal, Hank, will they, won’t they, is nothing more than idle speculative chatter and not even interesting chatter because there is no basis in fact whatsoever for the postulations. Nobody knows what they are going to do next offseason.
The real fun in the game is waiting around to find out the reality. You just melt yourself into butter if you get crazed and actually start believing in your positions. Repeat after me. You DON’T know.
So chill and enjoy the show.
The rest of this season should be about chilling and enjoying the show. Because the reality is that nobody knows jacksquat (no offense jacksquat) about how this is going to play out. It’s impossible to transfer a situation and make it the new universal. Is CC done for the season because he had a bad game today? Will Yankee offense never score again because they had some bad games? If you believe the answers to those questions are unequivocal yesses, then give up on the season.
All we have it to wait and watch it play out. You might have guesses, just as I have guesses, but that’s all they are. And whatever your guesses are, live with them bravely and let the season play out. My guess is that all will work itself out in the Yankees favor. I have total faith in the players on that team to keep it together. I will live with that bravely and let the chips fall where they may.
Guillermo Mota is off his 100-day suspension and on the mound for the San Francisco Giants.
If they win tonight, by the way, it will be the first time since signing Barry Zito that they would have won 5 consecutive Zito starts. They lead 6-3 in the 6th inning in Houston.
We do know the team has announced it was cut the payroll significantly. Honesty requires admitting an important part of the Yankees success over the past years is willingness and ability to spend money to fill needs. That advantage no longer exists for spending going forward. Success will be less frequent without that advantage.
trisha – true pinstriped blue August 29th, 2012 at 10:05 pm
QFT!
The sad thing about this team to me is that they are boring. They have no young dynamic players. Their foundation is basically a group of older players on the downside of their careers. This team needs an infusion of young talent so bad it aint funny.