I figured that I wouldn't be much use to anyone after the Yanks game tonight in Anaheim, so I'm going to jot down my notes as I watch the game and share them with you guys, in real time.
There's no way Vlad thought he caught A-Rod's liner. Nice acting job, though. If anyone thinks Magglio is the MVP, they're sadly mistaken. 1-0, Yanks.
Before he takes the mound, let's take a look at Phil Hughes' home/road split:
Home: 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 14 innings, 20 hits, 14 Ks
Away: 2-0, 0.73 ERA, 12.1 innings, 4 hits, 12 Ks
Cano makes some of the most spectacular plays you'll ever see from a second baseman, if he could only handle the routine grounders at a higher rate, he'd be in the conversation for the Gold Glove.
Guerrero just jogged his way into a GIDP to end the inning. Quick work by Hughes in the bottom of the first. (Hughes pitch count: 5)
I think it's about time we count the airings of the Giusseppe Franco "Proceed" commercials with the Gary Busey cameo. If you've ever watched a game on YES, you know what I'm talking about. (1)
This game is flying. Good at bat for Melky in the top of the second. He was down 0-2 very quickly, then fouled a couple of pitches off and took a couple of pitched that he would've chased last week. Good signs.
I hate hustle doubles. Usually they mean someone on the defense wasn't hustling.
Jesus, back-to-back walks to load the bases with 1 out. Flaherty is saying Hughes doesn't get rattled, I don't know how else to explain this.
Bases-clearing double. Son of a bitch. 3-1 Angels. It was a hanging curve to the catcher, Mathis. It looked like he knew it was coming.
Hughes' change is a nice pitch, he doesn't use it enough. Not nearly enough. (Hughes pitch count: 30)
Yankee bats go silently into the night.
A dying quail. Baltimore chop, frozen rope and Sunday hop. Quick inning for Hughes. (Pitch count: 40)
Hip-Hip! Come on, show me the LoJack symbol. Ah, screw you YES, I'll do it myself.
You don't walk Cabrera with Vlad on deck. You got lucky, Phil. (Pitch count: 69)
Strange call to the pen for the Angels. Apparently Moseley is a 70-pitch guy. Time for the bats to get to work.
A-Bomb. 40 is a nice, round number. 4-3 Yankees.
If I'm Alex Rodriguez, I don't want my wife sitting in Scott Boras' box.
They should've gotten more than 2 out of that, but they have the lead. Hughes' pitch count is pretty low through 5, he should be able to get the ball to the Viz.
Hughes looks MUCH sharper now than he did earlier in the game. He's maintained the velocity on his fastball, and his curve looks sharp. 2-2 count on Matthews here, I want to see him put him away on this pitch. Don't go 3-2. Got him on an easy bouncer. Good work.
Kotchman Ks to end the inning. Nice, nice inning by Hughes. (Pitch count: 81, he should be in for the 7th, maybe deeper)
Kotchman is sick at first. That was one of the prettiest 3-3-6 DPs you'll ever see. This is one time Michael Kay is not over-stating things.
Hughes is done. Single, F-8, Walk in the 7th. (Final pitch count: 92)
RBI single for Figgins, damnit. First and third, one out. 4-4 tie.
RBI single for Cabrera, 5-4 Angels. First and third again, with Vlad up, and only 1 out. Not looking good. The Viz doesn't have it.
RBI ground out for Vlad. 6-4 Angels. Cabrera is still on second. Ugly inning, just stop the bleeding here.
Michael Kay, "The damage has been done." Couldn't have said it any better myself.
A-Rod will lead off the top of the eighth for the Yanks, better get something done quick. K-Rod will be in before you know it.
Giusseppe Franco, again. (3 total).
HIP HIP!!!6-6 tie. That is a clutch, clutch bomb. Takes Hughes off the hook for the loss, and also has me wondering who's going to pitch the eighth. If it's Edwar, I'll be psyched. It'll also let us know who Joe sees as Proctor's replacement.
Oh no. Four-eyes will pitch the eighth.
Wilson Betemit is my hero. He just saved the game with an amazing pickup and throw to the plate to stop the go-ahead run from scoring.
Farnsworth is garbage, he better buy Betemit a car or something to thank him for that.
Scioscia got tossed (by a white ump, SML), and I think he had a legit complaint on that call. YES wouldn't even show the side angle, probably because it proved Willets didn't swing.
K-Rod throws up a zero in the top of the ninth.
Michael Kay and Flaherty are questioning bringing Mo in for the bottom of the ninth. I like the move. Edwar is the only other guy out there I trust, and he pitched 2 innings yesterday. I say go with Mo for 2 right now and give the offense a chance to win it.
Mo made me sweat, but got out of trouble. 17 pitches, I think if the Yanks take the lead, he's back out there for the 10th, flip a coin if it's still tied.
Things don't get any easier on the left coast. The Yanks send Mussina to the hill tomorrow to take his robotic beating, and they face the Angels' two best pitchers over the next two days, Lackey and Escobar.
Of course, the Sox and Mariners both won earlier today, the deficits are 5 and 1.5, respectively.
When I was at Angel Stadium two weeks ago, I swore I would pop any beach ball that came near me. It never happened, unfortunately. I hate them at baseball games, and they're even worse at Dodger Stadium. I can't pop one there, though, because that's my home crowd and I don't really want them turning on me. But, beach balls don't belong at baseball games. And I'll stand by that forever.
I'm still in shock from that Betemit play. Wow. Joe really needs to give Farnsworth the same treatment he gave Edwar earlier in the year. Just forget he's on the team unless it's a 10-run game.
the yanks lost this game on the little things...im SOOOOO freakin mad.
hughes 5 walks
gary matthews hustle double on hughes
arods foul popup
viscaino over u sing the slider
cano error
torre putting henn in over edwar
farnsworth?!
henn?!?! weve seen him once in 2 months, in a mop up game! are u kidding?
Let's try and keep some faith here, even though it looks like we are gonna gonna get shelled over the next 2 days! Baseball has a way of taking odd twists and turns, especially this time of year.
Do you think Joe should return next year? Or should it be Donnie or Girardi?
I have zero confidence in Moose tonight. If they're going to win, they're going to have to shell Escobar.
As for next year, I really don't know. I think the "Joba rules" are a slap in Joe's face, and the organizational moves in the pen (trading proctor, demoting Bruney, DFA'ing Myers) were all not-so-subtly messages from the front office that they don't like the way he's handling the pen. If that's the case, and they've lost confidence in him, I'm not sure he comes back next season.
If he's gone, I'd like to see Donnie take over. I like Girardi, and I think he does really well with young guys (like he did in FLA), but I don't think he'd command the respect of the older guys. Donnie would. Girardi as bench coach, that I could get behind.
This is Sean Henn's quote with regard to the game-winning hit he gave up last night:
"When you start a guy off 2-0, they're definitely standing there a little bit more comfortable. I'm just trying to throw strikes, and I'm not a guy that's going to put it exactly where I want it."
Read that second sentence again. What does it mean? Is he saying he can't pitch?
Britton's numbers are OK in AAA. You can see them here.
Henn is a mop-up guy to me. Only to be used when there are no other viable options, or the game is out of reach, one way or the other. Unfortunately, he had to be used there.
The one thing I have a problem with, and I don't know if I got into this last night, is that Joe should've used Mo for 2 last night. He brought him in for the 9th, which was questionable, but I liked the move. At that point, you're committing to 2 innings from him. I realize that probably means he can't pitch tonight, but you can use Edwar and Joba for 3 innings tonight, if not 4, if the game is close, and you can't mail in any games at this point of the season.
If mo pitches the 10th, you still have to piece together the 11th minimum, but it probably would've gotten the Yankee bats another shot, and that's all you can hope for at that point.
My favorite part of that Gary Busey commercial is when Busey and the other creepy guy hug. It's a very weird hug.
Everything about Gary Busey is creepy. This commercial haunts me.
does anyone think the beach balls are a liiitttllle bit out of hand....
When I was at Angel Stadium two weeks ago, I swore I would pop any beach ball that came near me. It never happened, unfortunately. I hate them at baseball games, and they're even worse at Dodger Stadium. I can't pop one there, though, because that's my home crowd and I don't really want them turning on me. But, beach balls don't belong at baseball games. And I'll stand by that forever.
Yes, they are. One time they stopped the game to get some guy's fedora off the field. Friggin' hipsters.
they seem almost as annoying as the nonstop sound effects and music and video screen crap at basketball games. Almost.
I like the mascot and cheerleaders with the T-shirt bazooka at hoops games.
the do or die decisive moment for farnsworth if h e comes in...
I'm still in shock from that Betemit play. Wow. Joe really needs to give Farnsworth the same treatment he gave Edwar earlier in the year. Just forget he's on the team unless it's a 10-run game.
the yanks lost this game on the little things...im SOOOOO freakin mad.
hughes 5 walks
gary matthews hustle double on hughes
arods foul popup
viscaino over u sing the slider
cano error
torre putting henn in over edwar
farnsworth?!
henn?!?! weve seen him once in 2 months, in a mop up game! are u kidding?
gimme donnie M or joe girardi, please...
This is a tough one to swallow, especially with the Moose going tomorrow. They might be lucky to win one game in this series.
What a shame to see Hughes give up 5 walks! That's shooting yourself in the foot. Would rather see a pitcher give up an honest hit than walk guys.
What's up Buddy, no Letter to the skipper?
Let's try and keep some faith here, even though it looks like we are gonna gonna get shelled over the next 2 days! Baseball has a way of taking odd twists and turns, especially this time of year.
Do you think Joe should return next year? Or should it be Donnie or Girardi?
Aaron
Stayed up till 1:45 watching that damn game last night, would like to see a win tonight!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Moose can do us proud against Escobar. They can't all be winners for the Angels, right?
Aaron
Aaron,
I have zero confidence in Moose tonight. If they're going to win, they're going to have to shell Escobar.
As for next year, I really don't know. I think the "Joba rules" are a slap in Joe's face, and the organizational moves in the pen (trading proctor, demoting Bruney, DFA'ing Myers) were all not-so-subtly messages from the front office that they don't like the way he's handling the pen. If that's the case, and they've lost confidence in him, I'm not sure he comes back next season.
If he's gone, I'd like to see Donnie take over. I like Girardi, and I think he does really well with young guys (like he did in FLA), but I don't think he'd command the respect of the older guys. Donnie would. Girardi as bench coach, that I could get behind.
This is Sean Henn's quote with regard to the game-winning hit he gave up last night:
"When you start a guy off 2-0, they're definitely standing there a little bit more comfortable. I'm just trying to throw strikes, and I'm not a guy that's going to put it exactly where I want it."
Read that second sentence again. What does it mean? Is he saying he can't pitch?
I think he's saying he can't pitch well. Or that he isn't a control pitcher. Or that he's a moron.
Probably all of the above.
Thats ridiculous that he said that. Meanwhile isnt chris Britton tearin shit up in AAA??
Britton's numbers are OK in AAA. You can see them here.
Henn is a mop-up guy to me. Only to be used when there are no other viable options, or the game is out of reach, one way or the other. Unfortunately, he had to be used there.
The one thing I have a problem with, and I don't know if I got into this last night, is that Joe should've used Mo for 2 last night. He brought him in for the 9th, which was questionable, but I liked the move. At that point, you're committing to 2 innings from him. I realize that probably means he can't pitch tonight, but you can use Edwar and Joba for 3 innings tonight, if not 4, if the game is close, and you can't mail in any games at this point of the season.
If mo pitches the 10th, you still have to piece together the 11th minimum, but it probably would've gotten the Yankee bats another shot, and that's all you can hope for at that point.