Results tagged ‘ Randy Winn ’
Tonight’s Loss To The Mets In A Nutshell
* The Yankees left 13 men on base and were 3-for-14 with RISP.
* Mark Teixeira is killing us with the bat, although he’s still a genius with the glove.
* Jeter isn’t a very impressive leadoff guy right now.
* Randy Winn is about as good a left fielder as I am.
* Kevin Russo, a call-up from Triple A, is our hottest hitter.
* Phil Hughes wasn’t sharp, but three runs shouldn’t have been insurmountable.
* Chan Ho Park isn’t getting people out.
* I miss Damon and Matsui.
* I sound like a yapping dog, but I can’t help it.
Bad Pitching + Weak Offense + More Injuries = Disaster
So much for A.J. turning in a dazzling performance tonight. He was all over the place and the Rays capitalized. And if he’d been able to hang on a little longer, we wouldn’t have had to witness more of the mediocrity that is Boone Logan, followed by the sadly not-ready-for-prime-time Mark Melancon. Yuck. Just yuck.
Aside from A-Rod, who added to his career home run total and seems to be on base every night, and Cano, who was four-for-four and shows no signs of cooling off, the offense was as dead as my phone when the battery conks out. Jeter got a hit, but still. He’s not acting Jeterian. And Tex. Dude, you were allowed to be AWOL in April, because we all know that’s not your month, but how about turning it on already?
But the real problem tonight had to do with the fact that OUR PLAYERS ARE DISAPPEARING! It wasn’t bad enough that, going into this game, we were down
Nick Johnson
Curtis Granderson
Alfredo Aceves
Jorge Posada
Nick Swisher
and were, therefore, forced to continue using Thames and Winn in the outfield and at the bottom of the order – players who were never intended to be more than bench jockeys? Now Thames trips over his own bat and sprains his ankle? Really?
And Pena – our utility infielder and only remaining bench guy – has to play right field in place of Thames? Scary. But scarier still was the news that Posada’s “sore foot” is actually BROKEN. Well, okay, so it’s a hairline fracture, not a complete break, but it sounds bad to me. I mean, here’s what I’d look like if my hairline were fractured.
The point is we need bodies. Healthy bodies. If I were Brian Cashman, I’d raid other teams or start trolling for talent in the farm system – the younger the better.
Last Night? Euphoria. Tonight? Not So Much.
How many Yankees does it take to screw up a ball game? (No, this isn’t a joke.) Can’t guess? OK, here’s the answer: seven. Actually, there were probably more than seven who contributed to the Yanks’ 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Red Sox, but the following seven stood out for me in what was a truly torturous game to watch. So what if Girardi played it “under protest” because Beckett was taken out for an injury, not a….Oh, never mind. It’s irrelevant. What matters is we let the Sox back into a game for the second night in a row. Herewith are my screw-up seven…
1) Thames
Last night’s hero was tonight’s clown. His “basket catch” of Scutero’s fly ball in the ninth inning was brutal.
2) Joba
After CC went seven heroic innings on a cold, rainy, windy night, Joba was supposed to preserve our 5-1 lead. End of story. Instead? Four runs (three earned) and a chorus of boos. Suddenly, it’s 5-5. Not nice.
3) A-Rod
His throwing error kicked off Joba’s shoddy inning. He was on base several times and made a terrific play earlier in the game, but I have to include him if I’m naming names.
4) Tex
With Jeter and Gardner on base in the bottom of the eighth, the Yanks had a chance to come roaring back with some runs of their own. Nope. Bard K’d Tex and that was that. Poor at bat.
5) Winn
He can’t hit except for the occasional surprise ground ball that finds a hole. There. I said it. When he stepped in with two outs in the ninth, our last hope, I kept saying, “Why isn’t Swisher or Posada pinch hitting?” Winn struck out to end the game. Boo.
6) Cervelli
We need runs and you’re bunting? Why give up an out?
7) Mo
This one hurts. I hate putting his name on this list. But fair is fair. He was victimized by Thames’ error in the ninth, as well as a ridiculous strike zone, plus a trio of outfielders who were playing so shallow they could all have been catchers, but he allowed Hermida’s tie-breaking double. He did. And he got the loss.
But here’s what really worries me. The game was delayed by rain and lasted over four hours – the longest nine-inning game in the majors this season (Joe West must be furious). And now the boys have to bounce back against the Rays tomorrow. I hope they sleep well, I really do. I’m not sure I will.
Ron Gardenhire Must Hate Playing The Yankees
Who can blame him? Wasn’t today, like, the Yankees’ 12th consecutive win against the Twins? And doesn’t it seem as if every move Gardenhire makes backfires on him?
Anyhow, what a brilliant performance by Pettitte, who would have had a shutout if not for Boone Logan. (Can’t wait till Chan Ho is back with the team tomorrow.) And how about the defense behind Andy. Just stellar. As for the offense, it was good to see Jeter hit the ball like we know he can, and those shots by Tex and Posada are probably still traveling.
Glad to see Swisher in the lineup, even if he wasn’t 100%. He’s still a better option than Randy Winn. Will the Yankees sweep tomorrow? Not too optimistic with Mitre on the mound, but when it comes to the Twins anything is possible. We learned that lesson in last year’s ALDS.
Top Ten Reasons Why The Yankees Didn’t Winn Tonight
Yeah, he’s Reason #1:
Winn may look a little like Bernie Williams but he sure doesn’t hit like him. I was hoping he’d step up when Granderson went down and make something of his opportunity. Not so far and definitely not tonight.
Reason #2:
“Boone Logan” is a cool name for a pitcher, but that’s not enough. Sometimes you actually have to get hitters out.
Reason #3:
Mitre wasn’t bad, and I’d be fine with him making another spot start if necessary, but when he served up that solo shot to Damon I felt sick.
Reason #4:
A-Rod made a throwing error and Gardner lost a ball in center, and the defense looked flat in general – well, except for a terrific play by Cano and some nice picks by Tex.
Reason #5:
Jeter’s in a slump. He looks uncomfortable when he swings…and misses.
Reason #6:
Dontrelle was scratched at the last minute, so the Yankees had to face an Aussie with no discernible talent or experience. They don’t do well against pitchers like that.
Reason #7:
Ordonez cut his hair. Now that it’s short, he has less weight to carry around. He made a web gem-y diving catch in right field.
Reason #8:
The Yankees always lay down after they finish up a series against the Red Sox. The poor things were just spent.
Reason #9:
The Bombers’ plane got into Detroit really late after the Boston game Sunday night, plus their pilots were too busy fondling the championship trophy to avoid turbulence.
Reason #10:
When Valverde came in to close, with the Yankees only down a run, they were forced to watch him jump around on the mound and couldn’t stop laughing. I know I couldn’t. We’re not talking about a guy who pumps his fist at the end of an inning. This character puts on a show after every pitch. And apparently, it’s been going on awhile.
Well? Wouldn’t you be a little distracted by the Little Richard routine?
As Clint Eastwood Would Say: “Get. Off. My. Yankees.”
I can’t pretend to be inside Josh Beckett’s head. (The thought of going anywhere near his head is highly unappealing.) So I can’t say with any certainty that he hit anybody on purpose in tonight’s 10-3 massacre at Fenway. But here’s what I think. He was cruising along with pinpoint control, striking out batter after batter. Then Swisher drove one out of the park for three runs. And the Beckster wasn’t amused. Or, as MLB’s Bryan Hoch put it, he became unhinged.
He pitched inside to Cano, hit him on the knee and knocked him out of the game. Just what we needed: another injury. Actually, not just another injury but an injury to our hottest hitter. The Beckster threw in the vicinity of Cervelli’s head twice, including once after Cisco had the nerve to step out of the batter’s box. And then we get to Jeter, who was plunked squarely on the #2 on his back. I was watching via the NESN feed (thanks, MLB Network), but it was easy to see how angry some of the Yankees were — CC, A-Rod, even Mo. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mo mad, because normally he looks like this.
Anyhow, the Beckster basically handed the Yankees the ball game, but we did get timely hits too. (You go, Randy Winn.) And even better, we got another great performance by Huuughes. He got into trouble here and there but always managed to get himself out of it, and gave us seven strong innings. Kudos. I wish D-Rob would recapture his 2009 form, but maybe he needs some time in Scranton to work things out. Dunno. What I also don’t know is why the ump didn’t warn Beckett….and whether the Yankees will retaliate tomorrow with CC on the mound. If I were a Red Sock and CC plunked me, I sure wouldn’t charge the mound and risk looking at this.
On one hand, I want to see the Yankees send a message. On the other, we don’t need any ejections or suspensions, and we certainly don’t need more injuries. I mean, Nick Johnson. Wow. When I heard he had a sore wrist and was on his way to NY for an MRI, all I could think of was that he’s becoming this guy, only with a better attitude.
To sum up, in yesterday’s post I speculated that The Rivalry might be getting a little stale. Now? Not so much.
Dropping Like Flies
I know. I’m overreacting. We beat the O’s tonight — welcome to Yankeeville, Randy Winn! — and I’m happy about that. CC going eight strong innings was sweet too. So was Swisher’s hot bat. But it was tough to see Posada go down with a calf strain, especially after he’d just recovered from his last encounter with Jeremy Guthrie. And I wasn’t thrilled that it was Joba, not Mo, who trotted in for the save in the ninth. So Mo’s side is stiff? Don’t they still make this?
With Granderson out for God knows how long and Chan Ho Park not making any progress, I’d really hate it if the Yankees were taken down by injuries. So hear this: NOBODY ELSE IS ALLOWED TO GET HURT OR SICK! NOBODY!
Mo said he could have pitched tonight but Girardi didn’t want to “push it.” I agree. Mo is like a priceless piece of art.
Actually, I think Mo is better looking than Mo-na, but that’s just me. Anyhow, the Yanks are right to be careful with him. On the other hand, we need him. So I hope a little rest will do the trick and he’ll be his old/young self in no time.
(Wow. He was even skinnier than Edwar Ramirez.)
What to make of the Yankees’ decision to skip Vazquez’s next start in Boston? Again, I think it was the right call — if his problem is mechanical. He can “catch his breath,” as Girardi said, and work on whatever’s wrong. If his problem is mental, however, the decision could make him lose even more confidence in himself. By all accounts, he’s a good guy who doesn’t complain, doesn’t have an attitude and just wants to pitch well. I hope his little hiatus is helpful to him. But as of now, he’ll be starting in Detroit, which means a bigger ballpark than Fenway, sure, but it also means he’ll be facing an old and painful nemesis.
As Joe Louis said, “He can run but he can’t hide.”
An Open Letter To The Yankees
Dear Yankees,
It’s my birthday tomorrow (Sunday, May 2nd), so I’ll be taking the day off from blogging, tweeting and watching/listening to the finale against the White Sox. While I’m out celebrating, here’s what I’d like to happen on your end.
* Heal Curtis Granderson’s groin. (Chan Ho Park’s hammy too.)
* Insist that Kevin Long fix Nick Johnson’s swing.
* Make Dave Eiland figure out what’s wrong with Robertson, Marte and, yes, Vazquez. (More on him in a sec.)
* Give Sergio Mitre a raise.
* Let A-Rod know that no one will mind if he passes Frank Robinson on the home run list.
* Remind Cano that April streaks are nice, but it’s good to hit in May too.
* Congratulate Swisher for busting out of his Yankee Stadium slump.
* If you must call up Melancon, tell him not to plunk anybody.
* Instead of using Thames/Winn in left, how about calling up Jon Weber or Colin Curtis.
* Tell Javy I didn’t boo him today. Well, not out loud. Sure, I want him to pitch better, but it’s not as if he’s screwing up on purpose. So tell him I support him…for now.
* Please win on my birthday. You hardly ever do, but try.
Love and xxoo, She-Fan
P.S. I got birthday flowers from Mike Fierman, Friend of the Blog and all-around great guy. Take a look!
P.P.S. I also got a cake from Melissa!!!
Huuuuuuuuughes!
What a difference a day makes. Tuesday night’s game was kind of a snooze, but tonight’s? I was on the edge of my seat every second.
From the first inning, it was clear that Phil Hughes had it going. He worked quickly, threw strikes, had good velocity, looked determined. The A’s batters went down, one after the other (well, except for a walk), and before I knew it, it was the seventh inning – and Hughes hadn’t given up a hit. Would he throw a no-hitter? Would he? My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty.
Into the eighth we went. Hughes got out #1. Big sigh. Then up came Eric Chavez, Oh, no! His stupid chopper back to the mound bounced off Hughes’ chest and he made it to first for an infield single. What a way to break up the no-no! Bummer!
The Yankees offense, by the way, wasn’t exactly teeing off on Ben Sheets. He gave up back to back triples to A-Rod and Cano (yes, triples!), and an RBI ground out to Posada, but that was it. So when Hughes started to falter in the eighth, the Yanks were only up 2-0. Joba allowed one of Hughes’ base runners to score for 2-1. I felt my throat close up at that point.
But the inning ended without further damage and the Yanks provided some insurance in the ninth (huge single for Gardner, scoring Granderson to put us up 3-1). Then came Mo.
Normally, I figure “game over.” But Mo – shockingly – gave up a single to Sweeney, then he hit Suzuki. He looked sort of annoyed by the whole thing and promptly got down to business. The A’s didn’t score, the win was preserved for Hughes and the Yankees’ consecutive series streak is now at five – which hasn’t been matched for the franchise since 1926.
Nick Johnson and Mark Teixeira still aren’t hitting, Randy Winn may never get a hit, and the A’s fans and their “Yankees suck” chant were obnoxious, but who cares. The night belonged to Hughes. He was brilliant.
In the Spotlight: Minka Kelly and Joe Torre. (No, they’re not an item.)
The screenwriter’s panel I went to over the weekend as part of the Santa Barbara Film Festival featured the writer of the quirky new romantic comedy “500 Days of Summer.”
He was interesting, so I figured I should see the movie. I thought it was a sweet little story, but imagine my surprise when I got to the final scene. Who was in it but Minka. She plays a girl waiting to be interviewed for a job. She has about six lines, but, hey, that’s more than Jeter has in his car commercials. I dug up her appearance on Craig Ferguson’s show to promote the film. If Letterman had been the host, he would have asked her about The Captain for sure. Instead, Ferguson makes stupid jokes. If nothing else, Minka is a good sport. So her mother invented the name “Minka” and her father was a guitarist in Aerosmith? Who knew?
And thanks to Leah, a frequent commenter on this blog, I checked out tonight’s episode of “Castle” on ABC to see Joe Torre’s cameo. Joe was Joe – calm, sincere, comfortable on camera. I don’t think he should give up his day job, but he wasn’t bad at all.
(I had to remove the clip since ABC decided not to permit viewing. Basically, it just shows Joe shaking hands with the two investigators and saying how sad it is about the murder of the ballplayer. He looks very earnest and Torre-like.)
Oh, and let me welcome Marcus Thames back to the Yankees. I have no idea what we’re going to do with him, but I’m sure his buddy Granderson will be glad to have him around.
Let’s see. That makes four left fielders, right? Gardner, Winn, Hoffman and now Thames? Too bad we didn’t hang on to Nady, Hinske and Hairston. There would have been a party out there.
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