Results tagged ‘ C.C. Sabathia ’
The ‘Pen Is Out of Ink
The Yanks finally ran out of steam today as they faced the Angels for the third game of this series at Yankee Stadium. C.C. Sabathia went for the Yanks against Matt Palmer. Both pitchers pitched well. Sabathia and the Yanks had the lead into the sixth when the Angels tied the score on a Kendry Morales groundout. It was tied until the top of the seventh when Sabathia let up three runs. After a Torii Hunter doubled to bring in two, Jonathon Albaladejo came in to try and get out of the inning. He pitched the rest of the inning giving up a hit but no runs.
Going into the eight, the Angels had the 5-1 lead. And then… Jose Veras came in. And you know what happens when Veras comes in. That’s right. He either blows it or makes things even worse. He gave up a homer to Kendry Morales to start off the inning which made the score 6-1 Angels. Finally, the ninth inning came around and you would’ve thought things were over by then. Yeah Right! Dave Robertson came in and gave up two more runs on a single from Torri Hunter. It didn’t help that Melky Cabrera made an error that let another run score.
The Yankees then came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth. At this point, I knew we were done. But then I had to think about what I said after Posada homered. That made the score 8-3. Jeter also drove in one on a fielding error from Matthews Jr. And that was all he wrote. Final score, 8-4.
Today’s game can’t be blamed on the bullpen totally. Sabathia gave up half the runs which gave him the loss. It didn’t help that the bullpen gave up four runs as well but it wasn’t totally their fault that we lost the game. Jose Veras continues to be probably the least reliable and worst pitcher the Yanks have in the ‘pen. So far this season, he has pitched 12.1 innings, has an ERA of 8.03, has given up 9 hits including two homers, and has given up 9 walks. He is having an absolutely terrible season. Sabathia definitely had a frustrating day.
Every time the Yanks bring him in to the game, my first thoughts are, “Here we go again.” Sometimes I know he is coming in because for some reason, the Yankees like him a lot. More than Phil Coke and Edwar Ramirez. And don’t even get me started about Damaso Marte. A 15.19 ERA is absolutely unacceptable. It’s getting to a point where if we are losing after the starter comes out, I almost give up. It’s a good thing the offense has proven they can make a comeback late in the game or I would be giving up totally.
When we get Brian Bruney back, he will be such a huge part of this team. Right now, the only guy out ofthe ‘pen that has proven, to me, that they can consistently get guys out. That has been Phil Coke. He has had some trouble this season but overall, he has been the best out of the bullpen. I know I wrote a post about how Phil Coke was involved in one of the bullpen’s blown games. That was earlier in the season when he had only appeared a couple times. Right now, he is clearly the best pitcher out of the ‘pen. When Brian Bruney comes back, he will make the bridge to Rivera easier. One thing that the starters will need to do is go deeper in games so that the bullpen will not have to appear as much. This will save us from having the bullpen blow more games.
The season finale tomorrow will have a matchup of Phil Hughes, who dominated in his season debut, against Joe Saunders, who is probably the Halo’s best pitcher. It will be a good matchup. There really isn’t anything else I can say about keys to the game. Obviously the offense needs to put up runs to support the pitching. The pitching needs to not give up runs to the other team to make the runs the offense score worth their while. And of course, the bullpen needs to be good and be able to avoid putting guys on base and get guys out. It’s that simple. But it really is easier said than done. Hopefully the Yanks can figure all this out and finish the series with a win. Go Yanks!
-DillonMcT
More Late Inning Heroics Save Bullpen
A couple days ago, it was Melky Cabrera who got the hit to give the Yankees the lead. Yesterday it was Jorge Posada who, in front of the home crowd, hit the walk off two run double into left-center to win the game for the Yankees and save the bullpen from yet another disappointing performance.
Andy Pettitte got the call to start the game for the Yanks and to give his bid to keep this winning streak going. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his best stuff. Pettitte gave up five runs on nine hits and four walks. He did have two strikeouts but his performance was ultimately a failure. The bullpen wasn’t much better. Mark Melancom pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up one run with a hit and a walk. Jose Veras was even worse. He also pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up three runs on two hits and a walk. Edwar Ramirez and Jonathon Albaladejo were the only pitchers yesterday to not give up a run. Ramirez pitched an inning and 2/3 giving up a hit and a walk. Albaladejo pitched an inning with no hits and no walks.
The offense was what eventually saved the bullpen yesterday. Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and Ramiro Pena led the offense with eight hits among them. Cano had an RBI and scored two runs while Pena had two RBI’s. Jorge Posada, of course, had the walk off hit to bring in two of his four RBI’s. He also scored two runs, including one on his first inning jack off Weaver. The offense was huge yesterday as they were able to bail out the pitching which clearly didn’t have their stuff. Now that the offense has started to play extremely well, they have been able to put more runs on the board to help the pitching which has not been top notch. Hopefully the pitching will get better so they won’t have to continue relying on the offense to score late in the game to bail them out.
After a month of baseball, the Yankees are 13-10 and are only two games behind the first place Blue Jays. And even more good news is coming. The Rays, who are currently 10-14 in fourth place, continue to beat up on the Red Sox who are occupying second place. If this continues and the Yankees’ hot play does as well, we can assume the Yankees will easily take second place and maybe even make a run at the first place spot. It all depends on if the surprising Blue Jays will be the “Rays of 2008.”
The Yanks finish up their series with the Angels today at 1:05 ET. They have C.C. Sabathia going to the mound to face off against Matt Palmer. It’s going to be a good series finale and the Yankees look to continue their hot streak by sweeping the always tough Angels. Go Yanks!
-DillonMcT
Move over Mickey
Derek Jeter, the loved and respected captain of the New York Yankees, reached another milestone in yesterday’s loss to the Tigers. He moved ahead of Mickey Mantle on the total at-bats list when he stepped up to the plate for the 8,103rd time. Jeter, one of the all-time great Yankees, can add this record to the list of records he will have aquired by the end of his Yankee career. He was probably upset that he ended the at-bat with a strikeout but he still had the at-bat, he still gets the record, and he is still one of the greatest Yankees of all time. Congrats from me Derek on you record.
On other matters, the Yanks lost 4-0 to the Tigers as the Yanks couldn’t muster anything up against Justin Verlander, who pitched a gem. C.C. Sabathia pitched well overall in his complete game performance. He did get the loss but it was still one of his best performances all season. This game was also the first time the Yanks have been shut out all season. Hopefully the nearing return of A-Rod will spark the Yankee offense so that they won’t be shut out again any time soon.
Yanks vs Tigers Tonight 7:05 ET
Well…..
The Yanks, once again, fell at the hands of the Red Sox. The Bronx vs. Beantown episode three ended in total failure from the boys from the bronx. A first series sweep from the Red Sox does not help us in the season series vs the Sox, the A.L. East standings, or the rights of bragging in the rivarly. It flat out kills us. The Yanks lost all three times as the Sox came from behind. The first two games were the worst. The last game was still disappointing but it wasn’t as heartbreaking as the first two.
The Yanks head off to Detroit to face the Tigers in a three game series. C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander, the respective aces, face off tonight for the opener of the series. It should be a good one as the Yanks look to get back on track. The Tigers are potentially a really dangerous team. Players like Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen are just the beginning of a talented team. The Yanks have their share of talented players too. Hopefully, the Yanks can come out on top to stop this skid. Check out the game tonight if you can. 7:05 ET.
UGHHHHHHHHHH
Nothing more to say than…….. THE BULLPEN IS ABSOLUTELY DREADFUL!
The opening game at the new Yankee Stadium was a dud as the bullpen blew it, again, for the Yanks. C.C. Sabathia pitched pretty well only allowing five hits, five walks, and a run. Sabathia also had four K’s. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up a nine run seventh. Sizemore went deep for a granny and Martinez also hit one out.
On the Yankees’ side, the offense got on base plenty of times but they left WAY too many guys on base. They scored the one run in the fifth on a Posada solo shot and another in the seventh on an RBI single from Robby Cano. Other than that, it was pretty much the same thing. They got some hits, got some guys on base, then left them there.
There is the obvious fact that the bullpen is the weak point of this Yankees team. The one move I am still curious of why they did it is the move that sent Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation. He is a much better pitcher out of the bullpen setting up for Rivera. He is coming around as a starter but with him in the bullpen, the bridge to Rivera is easier. So far, the bullpen has blown two games big time. They need all the help they can get. I doubt the Yanks are going to put Joba back in the ‘pen but I think he is a better fit there. I mean, come on. The Yanks definitely have the money to go out and get a fifth starter.
My final point is this. The bullpen needs a ton of work. This is obvious. Hopefully, they can fix all the problems soon so the Yanks don’t go into too much of a skid. All we can do is wait.
In Game Update
Top 6
Yankees 1 Indians 1
So far, the Yanks have looked pretty good. On the offensive side, the Yanks have left too many guys on base which concerns me a little but overall, they’re doing pretty well. The Yanks have gotten a lot of hits in the game but leaving them on base is not doing anything to help the pitching. So far, the only run scored for the Yanks was on a solo shot from Posada to center. It was a nice shot but we need some more guys to cross the plate.
Pitching-wise, the Yanks are doing okay. Sabathia’s day included a few hits, four strikeouts, and four walks. To me, four walks is too much. You’re just giving them too many free passes. Sabathia was able to get out of some jams that could have turned disastrous. Overall, I was pleased with Sabathia’s performance. There were some spots where he can improve for his next outing but it was still a solid performance.
We have to wait and see if the Yanks offense can pull ahead of the Indians to get the win. Sabathia can’t get the win but hopefully the offense can get some runs to save Sabathia from getting the loss.
They’re Here and They’re Not Going Anywhere
After falling asleep in the first two games of the season, I have been woken up by the sound of the Yankees’ bats. After losing two games to open the season, the offense has shown up and has really made an impact. They beat the Orioles 11-2 in the third game of the season. The next day, they beat the Royals 4-1. Scoring 15 runs in two games is definitely something worth talking about. Some may say the Yanks are not going to have a season that they were expected to have just because of the two losses to open the season. The fact that they scored 15 runs in two games to me says that the Yanks are here and they’re not going anywhere. The Yanks as a team had a couple of off days to open the season and that is not a big deal. Everyone has their off days. But the key is, everyone has their on days too. Sabathia and Wang were just unlucky and had off days on their 2009 debuts. Burnett and Pettitte were lucky and were on in their debuts. The pitching staff is a very special group of players that will be a very big part of the this team come the end of the season. The offense is also a great group that we are lucky to have. From top to bottom the batting order is full of proven veterans and rookies ready to make their own mark on this franchise. It is going to be a great season and now that the Yanks are here, I don’t think they are going anywhere. My final statement is this… the Yankees are going to have a great season on the mound, in the field and at the plate. Sure it took them a couple games to get going but they did it and they are going to be hard to stop once they get rolling. Watch out MLB, here come the Yankees.
A Kick In the Butt
Honestly, I expected better from the Yanks on opening day. All the energy and the hype was missing in the Yanks opening day loss to the Orioles. C.C. Sabathia definitely didn’t have his ‘A’ game as he walked five, gave up eight hits, let in six runs, and, get this… didn’t strikeout anyone. That is very rare. Sabathia just didn’t have his stuff and the result… he got rocked. But he wasn’t the only new star that struggled. Mark Teixeira came up to the plate four times to the boos of the Orioles crowd for not choosing to play for the Orioles but instead going to New York. My reaction to the boos- get over it. Next time, offer more money and you may just get the best player. As Teixeira received the boos, he got on base only once with a walk but didn’t have any hits. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon had five hits combined to lead the offense. Matsui and Posada each homered to drive in three runs total but other than that, the offense was very quiet against the good pitching from Jeremy Guthrie. I tip my hat to Guthrie for pitching a good game. Unfortunately, he pitched a good game against the Yankees. When Sabathia left the game, the lead was only four. The Yankees brought Albaladejo in to try and stop the offense of the Orioles. He pitched well and kept the Yanks in the game as they closed in on the Orioles’ lead. Unfortunately, the rest of the Yankees bullpen stunk. They let up four runs after Albaladejo came out and the Yankees were down in the dumps again. Overall, the Yankees just didn’t have it. They got some unlucky breaks like when Xavier Nady was caught too far off the bag on a Derek Jeter single up the middle that was stopped by Izturis. Nady got thrown out at third. And don’t even get me started on that homer by Izturis that Damon should have caught. The fan clearly interfered when Damon had the shot to catch it and the umpires made the wrong call. That just killed me. I hope the Yankees can pull it together offensively on Wednesday when they have Wang take the mound. I think Wang is going to have a solid year sitting at the front end of this great rotation. As long as he stays healthy, which he is right now, he should be great. He is going to need the offensive run support to help him get through the game. If the offense and pitching picks up maybe I won’t be kicking myself in the butt for staying on the couch watching the Yankees lose. Every time they lose I feel like it was a waste of time. I understand that we’re not going to win every game, but I would sure like it if they didn’t lose every game either. Hopefully they’ll bring it Wednesday.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Yankee Stadium
The new Yankee Stadium officially opens for the 2009 season on Thursday, April 16 when the Yankees face off in their home opener against the Cleveland Indians. C.C. Sabathia is planned to start the home opener and will get his first chance to impress the New York fans. As I mentioned in my previous post, “Two Games, Two Wins, Tough Love,” you have to play well in New York to be liked. If you don’t you will be hated. Sabathia is an excellent pitcher and should have no problem winning over the New York crowd. I think he will have a huge impact on the Yankees’ season this year and will lead the pitching staff that will lead the Yankees through the season and probably farther into the playoffs. This pitching staff is going to be great and Sabathia will be at the heart of the whole thing. Unfortunately, the Yanks play nine games before getting to play in front of their home crowd and it is going to be hard to wait for. But I’m sure that when it comes, it will have been worth the wait. I’m sure they will give the fans a taste of what the season will be like. If all goes well, the Yanks will win, the pitching staff will dominate, and the crowd will be on its feet the whole game. The season is looking like it is going to be great and I am looking forward to enjoying it.
Why the Yankees?
Why are we Yankees fans? It is a known fact that the Yankees are the most hated franchise in the MLB. We know what we go through. The criticism, the discrimination, the hate. It happens to us constantly yet we deal with it and continue to root for the Yanks. It’s simple. We love the New York Yankees. They consistently do their best to get the best players to give us the best team. We appreciate that. The Yankees are the richest franchise in the bigs and they use that money to get the top players. I mean seriously. The Yankees team is stacked this year. Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Matsui, Nady, Posada, Cano, Gardner and Rodriguez when he comes back make up the great offense the Yanks have. But that’s not even the best part. Easily the best pitching staff in the bigs, the Yanks have a starting rotation that consists of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte, and Chamberlain who is starting to come around as a starter. The bullpen is consistent and is finished off with one of the greatest closers of all-time… Mariano Rivera. This is why we go through all the stuff we do and continue rooting for the Yanks. They show us how much they appreciate our fan hood by continuing to do what they do best. Spend a lot of money to get the best players. Now you can see that there is a legitimate reason that me and all other Yankees fans continue to root for the Yanks.
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