It’s a turnpike series! Expect lousy weather. It’s the worse time of the year for baseball in the Northeast, half-warm, half-cold, windy, and soggy. Kids, thank Bud! Saving grace here is that the teams are seperated by just a three-hour busride up and down I-95, which, one would think, should make start times logical and reasonable to the fan. We’ll see about that.
What gives the Yankees the edge, if there is one, against the awesome Phillies? Throughout the playoffs, the Yanks held good-hitting opposition to less than three runs per game. This is critical. The starters, led by ALCS MVP CC Sabathia, had a combined ERA of 2.55 while working an average of 6 2/3 innings per start and striking out 7 batters per 9 innings. These numbers are distorted by a bad first inning out in LA for A.J. Burnett – which is typical of the kind of unpredictability we know to expect from A.J. The relievers, led by Mariano Rivera, were even stingier with runs to the tune of a 2.28 ERA and 8 K’s/9 innings. The bullpen did bear the responsibility of the two losses, and tallied a 1.55 WHIP – perhaps showing weakness in keeping runners off the bases. We’ve only seen three innings pitched by hot-handed David Robertson, while Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes have been anything but dominant. It remains to be seen whether or not Joe Girardi can stoicly execute the right moves late in the game.
In the field, the Yanks have not made an error in eight of nine games (outside of when the cold, hard ground sparked 3-error flare-up for Cano and Jeter in game 2 of the ALCS, a game which was ultimately won) while the opposition has made a total of six. There has been some sparkling play on the right side. Robbie Cano has ranged out to the left and right to deliver pitchers from more than a few late-inning jams, while Nick Swisher was instrumental in capitalizing on the unusually high number of the opposition’s baserunning blunders with accurate and decisive throws. Of course, there is always Mark Teixeira scooping, leaping, tagging, and stretching. You can give an assist to Mick Kelleher, the infield coach, as the Yanks seem always to be in position to make a play with runners on. Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter.
At the plate, the big story is Alex Rodriguez shaking the monkey off his back but the box scores show a shared load, the Yanks delivering from many spots in the lineup and primarily using their multiple power threats to put runs on the board. Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, and Robbie Cano have shown signs of life versus the Angels, while Hideki Matsui slumps. Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter. Melky Cabrera has been hot out of the bottom of the order, and is making Nick Swisher’s rough patch and the absence of Xavier Nady not so difficult to bear. Hopefully, Joe Girardi will start using speed to his advantage – which he has yet to do. The many times that he has pinch-run in late innings, it has either backfired or was not really leveraged to the fullest. The Yanks are just 3-3 in stolen base attempts (that includes an Angels pitchout that nailed Brett Gardner), and did not even attempt to hit-and-run in the playoffs, which counters what we saw in the regular season over any given nine-game stretch.
As we’ve known since last season, Girardi will have to occasionally put the clipboard down and use some common sense and intuition to summit the mountain. He has shown a bit of rookie nerves, but ARod being hot and CC being money have picked him up. How long that can stand versus a Phillies team that bangs at every level is anyone’s guess. If anything will keep the Yankees firm, it’ll be the players – and if the players have a leader, it’s Derek Jeter, and if he has champion, it’s Mariano Rivera. What else can be said.
hahaha Mets. thanks for the laugh.
wtf???
fix the fuckin’ site
ARod 3 whiffs.Kate must have closed down her freeway
test
testing
testes
that sucked
Lee was brilliant……Bigga
testicles/??
Hey Lib- You should have BBT Trench Coats made up for some of the regulars. This place was filthier than an old Times Square Movie Theater last night. I had to go through a HazMat wash after reading through the comments. Game 1 of the World Series in BBT’s first year was not a stellar showing for the BBT crew last night.
I’m glad I wasn’t a part of that
At least there was a distraction from Tex, Al and Jorge going 1-12 with 7 k.
Someone needs to tell Girardi that there is no garbage time in the World Series and that Bruney should be relegated to picking up Mo’s sunflower seeds in the bullpen. Hughes is into his third series of not getting it done. Someone better step up aside from Marte on the way to Mo or this will be a short series.
LB,I take a size XXL
XXX would be more fitting, no?
ahahahahahahahahaha
Levi,I’m as clean as the day is long(I think)
It was that Mantle7 guy and LB with the dirty talk
Can’t wait to see what the crystal binder tells Joe tonight.
“…and LB”-ahahahahahahaahahhahaah
I can’t wait to see what AJ shows up…the good,the bad or the ugly
As long as he has his whip cream, everything is right in the world. I have a feeling Molina will be stuffed in a hamper right before lineups are posted. “Sorry AJ, it will have to be Jorge because we have no idea where Jose is.”
“Dirty talk,dirty talk,it’s a wonder you can walk”
_____Buddy Hinton to Cindy Brady until Peter punched his lights out
Hey Lev what a bargain this guy Lee is, they have him for 8 million next year, that cat was a magician last night. There should be an investigation in cleveland. If hughes and his boys keep pitching like they are we can wait till next year, without that bull pen implosion that 9th inning the Yanks had with Lee getting tired might have made it a game. To bad if’s don’t count.
I’ve never seen a team more relaxed then Philadelphia was last night considering what’s at stake, that scares me more than anything, maybe not as much as the Yankee bull pen stinks but close.
Babe i’d expect more Mantle 7′s coming in from boston if this continues, you might have to go to your A list material to hold them off.
The Phillies played like the defending Champs last night Sal. Ice running through Lee’s veins. He did win the Cy Young last year in the AL. The idea that this guy has come from nowhere is silly. One team taking care of business last night and the other looking like it had no clue why it was there. Jeter was Jeter though. It’s October, would you expect anything different?
3-4-5 didnt get it done, simple as that
AJ’s gotta respond tonight & spin a gem like he did in the 2nd game of the regular season after CC lost the opener in Baltimore. He got the 2nd biggest FA deal for a SP behind CC in 2009 & tonight more than ever before needs to prove to the Yankees & their fans that he’s worth the $$ he’s getting paid.
Babe, I am on the outskirts, to answer your question from last night.
They need to jump all over pedro tonight, Supe
absolutely jrz, & I think they will. But the key IMO is AJ on the bump. He’s gotta somehow someway keep Utz & Rhino in the yard.
These wussy Phillies better show up tonight. It’s best-of-seve, NOT best-of-one. Show some heart, you bunch of pussies. prove yourself by NOT settling for a split. Otherwise, you are a bunch of heartless losers, just like The Washington Nationals.
JRZ: what is going on with you and another poster? On this site? what did he’she say? Who do you suspect that it is? If you don’t mind, just give me a brief recap of what is going on. I don’t know anything yet, exceot that you are upset with another poster.
Jorge has struck out 33 times in 60 career ab against Pedro. Maybe they will stick with Molina.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/bvsp?playerId=2717
OH, I agree that AJ needs to be on.A 5 run lead in the 2nd would go a long way to helping him settle in.
These assholes from Philadelphia have to show what they are made of TONIGHT. Last night is over and done with, history. What the hell do you guys (The Phillies) have tonight? You going to be happy with a split on the road ??? If so, then you are a bunch of spineless wimps.
Unshod, this isn’t their first rodeo. They are the ones with the trophy.
levi-I stopped by here last night after the game to exchange a few comments. I thought I had found a porn site and left immediately.
Not what I expected here. Truly disappointing
The Molina project is over. Yanks need all hands on deck, & that does not include Molina in the starting lineup. I’ll take my chances w/ JP behind the plate & @ the plate vs. Petey despite the history.
Scared of The Yankees, and scared of The Yankee fans… That is what The Phillies will be if they lose tonight. Let’s see if the Phillies have the balls to win a game REGARDLESS of the park that they are playing in, REGARDLESS of 52,000 fans screaming for the other team. Let’s see if they can REALLY play ball, or are they just pretenders, happy to win one game, and then fold.
LEVI:
Although I always say that I don’t believe in curses, jinxes, and all that other superstitious bullshit, I am tryong a reverse jinx on The Phillies. “Tough love”, so to speak.
Nooger- “disappointing” is on target
Tex is killing them in the 3 hole and they can’t do anything about it.
BOB RAISSMAN may not be the most courageous guy in the world, and he may even be hypocritical at times, but you ahve to admit that he is often right on when he sticks his foot up someone’s ass. You know, never mind who the messenger is or what kind of person he/she is, just read the message.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/10/29/2009-10-29_raissman.html
utley did exactly what he was supposed to do hitting in front of howard and Tex didnt hold up his end.
I wouldn’t read too much into last night. I think we’ve all been posting here long enough to know that this is a legitimate baseball/Yankee blog…sure it digressed a bit last night but that happens sometimes.
Lee was awesome. Great rhythm and location. He had 4 pitches going. Even when the game was 2-0, it seemed like it was 10-0.
If he goes in game 4 on short rest, maybe it will be different. It’s going to be a tough series and a hard hard climb if the bullpen doesn’t show up. Both Andy and AJ usually need bullpen help so we’ll find out pretty soon.
SINNER SWING:
You got that right. So The Phillies won last year’s World Series? Big whoop-dee-damn, do. So The Phillies took the opening game of this year’s World Series? Big whoop-dee-damn, do.
Let’s see if they REALLY have any heart, and see if they show up to play tonight.
it’s not how you start shoejoe, it’s how you finish.
Bunch of gutless wimps better show some offense to support Pedro Martinez tonight.
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