Ah the stench from the first series lost of the year. Can you smell it? You can smell it.
SATURDAY
What can you say about pitching like this? Ivan Nova had a bad outing, but Clay Buchholz had a TERRIBLE trip to the mound. That’s all there is to it. Kudos to David Robertson for getting the job done in relief. Nobody puts a fire out like D-Rob!
To anybody who didn’t want Russell Martin – now would be a good time to admit you were wrong. The guy is obviously a fine catcher, and he can actually frame a pitch (take that, Jorge Posada!), but also has a variety of offensive tools, including power and base stealing. Assuming he stays healthy, we’re pretty lucky to have Martin.
Luis Ayala pitched two scoreless innings in relief – who knew he had it in him? Given Ayala’s many-stopped history, I’m sure he was the last person to know, but good for him!
SUNDAY
Sunday night’s top of the 9th strike outs to Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira… wow. Those last called looking strikes were not strikes. I appreciate that it was getting late and it was raining and it’s only April, but come on – don’t give Jonathan Paplebon any help, Blue.
That being said, Mark Teixeira looked awful at the plate during this series, going 0-15 with 7 Ks and 2 BB. Of course, Derek Jeter looked infinitely worse swinging wildly at those fastballs against Josh Beckett. Beckett looked, for the most part, like he’s returned to prime form after a few off seasons – the velocity was especially impressive, but can he stay healthy? That’s the question.
Dustin Pedroia was a beast the entire series: 9-13 in the series, 4 XBH, 4 R, 5 RBI. Not saying I’d trade Robinson Cano for him, but still, a good performance. Is it just me, or does he play back on the ball or is never in the right position to field a play, because he is always running all over the place out there. Granted, he always makes it, which is a testament to he is speed, but maybe if he was positioned better, he wouldn’t have to wear himself out every game. I feel like he has to sprint 5 yards to every routine ground ball, and it just looks weird.
CC Sabathia has an 0-1 record. What the shiz is that? He battled all night long last night and got zero run support. It’s ridiculous! Why can’t the Yankees score any runs for him?
Going into Friday afternoon’s game, I caught myself pitying the Red Sox fans. Their team was coming home with an 0-6 record, facing a Yankee team that was finding ways to win (mostly via the home run and pitching) on a 40 degree opening day. That sucks for anybody. Of course, the Red Sox fans made me regret any compassion I felt for them over and over throughout the weekend. Do you really need to let Fenway Park ring with chants of “Yankees suck!” when you’re winning a game 1-0? In April? I’m not saying Yankees fans don’t chant ‘Boston sucks!’ because we totally do, but the whole stadium doesn’t vibrate from the hollering of drunk morons – at a Yankee game, it’s just a few hundred people, not every single person in the building. I know this sounds crazy, but the behavior of Red Sox fans is so far outside the norm of what I see during other games (granted, the Yankees almost never head into Philadelphia) that I’m always shocked by it, no matter how many times I see it. Stay classy, Boston fans. (Keep in mind that I love the city of Boston and in my experience, people have always been very kind to me in and around the city. But I have been to a game at Fenway and yeah, it was scary. That building does something to those folks. Yankee fans might be hardcore, but Red Sox fans are in a cult or something.)
Monday is an off day before the Baltimore Orioles come to town with their AL East leading record, which I assure you, will not last. Brian Roberts is apparently not ill anymore and is cleared to play. We’ll have to wait and see what the Os truly have to offer on Tuesday.
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Jamie Insalaco
