After a masterfully pitched game yesterday, the Yankees are gaining momentum. Everything went well yesterday. The first inning went largely unnoticed, but it was the key to the game. Damon forced Beckett to throw 10 pitches, and Jeter and Abreu got on safely. Both A-Rod and Giambi took pitches, and got Beckett up to 22 pitches. I did expect us to score off of Beckett the AL That really wore him down. In the bottom of the second, we really showed our grit. Joba was getting hit hard, but was bailed out by the defense. Melky laid out to get the fly, and Cano started a beautiful double play, on a ball that should have been a single at worst. With two outs in the third, Abreu started a mini rally with an innocent enough single. A-Rod hit one up the middle, moving Abreu to third. Because of the semi-shift, Giambi was able to get an infield single, scoring Abreu. That, as it turns out, was all the Yankees needed. Fastforward to the bottom of the 8th. Farnsworth, who's having a breakout year, comes to pitch. And I'm actually comfortable seeing that. What a difference a Joe makes. Lowrie singles, and Varitek pops up in foul ground. Here's the key part. Crisp hits a roller up the line, Sexson sees it's going foul, and stops. Unfortunately, Farnsworth didn't have a good angle, got over anxious, and flubbed it. Enter Mo. Jacoby goes down swinging, and up comes Pedroia. Pedroia is the hitter on the Sox I fear the most. More than Papi, more than Manny. I've never seen Dustin fail before. But fail he did. He grounded weakly to Mo, inning and threat over. Ortiz flied out in the 9th, Youk singled, and then the fun started. Lowell is struck out on a pitch that's been called a strike all game, for both sides (the game was very well umpired yesterday. Consistency, only 1-2 blown calls, all bang-bang). Lowell, gives the umpire hell, and gets ejected. Drew is struckout on a paint fastball, and the game is over. Team Hero: Joba Honorable Mentions: Giambi, Rivera. Can Pettitte continue the hot pitching? I think he can. He threw a gem last start, and the combination of control and stuff is the best I've seen from him in the last two years. Expect him to give the Red Sox fits, and the Yankees to crush their oft-seen nemesis Wakefield. The Yankees have had a bitch of a post-break schedule, and we've responded better than anyone could have hoped. Here's their schedule. Only one team is below 500, and that's the Orioles. Schedule with records at the break. All of the road series are tough ones, and only one easy home series. 3 vs. OAK (51-44) 3 vs. MIN (53-42) 3 @ BOS (57-40) 3 vs. BAL (45-48) 4 vs. LAA (57-38) 4 @ TEX (50-46) 3 @ LAA (57-38) 3 @ MIN (53-42) Projected lineups when I hear Nady's status. Stats on the pitchers: Andy Pettitte: 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 6.77 K/9. This includes his terrible beginning of the year. Tim Wakefield: 3.69 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 5.92 K/9. Wakefield had an okay start his last inning, with 4 ER in 7 innings, and two homers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#1_War_Poet_ForLife @ Jul 26 2008, 11:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>That was me. Different picture, because I couldn't find the old one. (I actually made this one)</div> Just playing with you bro. I was happy for Joba last night.
IDK Damaso Marte is a big addition. Idc about Xavier Nady that makes like 12 quality batters for the Yankees, but only 9 can play at a time.
Matsui and Posada are out. Here's the projected for this year: DH: Damon C: Molina 1B: Giambi 2B: Cano 3B: A-Rod SS: Jeter RF: Abreu CF: Melky LF: Nady. It's why I pray Posada gets surgery, and Abreu's option isn't picked up.
Wow. A-Rod gets drilled in the wrist, with a 97 MPH fastball, and Sox fans start cheering like Ted Williams just came back from the grave. Real classy, Sox fans.
Well he's as good as anybody we got right now. Honestly whether we are swept or not doesn't really matter to me, we already flopped in our quest to create breathing room between us and NY no matter what happens tomorrow.
