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September 30, 2010

Projecting Yankees 25 Man Playoff Roster

by Jamie Insalaco

Now that the Yankees have clinched a playoff berth, I can have some fun and speculate on the Yankees 25 man playoff roster and talk about how I would use them if I were managing the Yankees.

Round 1 – best of 5 against the Minnesota Twins. I don’t feel the Yankees need to use 4 starting pitchers in this series, so I left AJ Burnett off the roster. For the best of 7 rounds, I dropped a backup outfielder (this could also be a relief pitcher in that 25th spot) and put Burnett back on there.

  1. CC Sabathia

    • game 1 starter
  2. Andy Pettitte
    • game 2 starter
  3. Phil Hughes
    • game 3 starter (AJ Burnett isn’t really giving me a choice here)
  4. Mariano Rivera
    • closer.  Mo saves: for he is the power, the kingdom, and the glory, forever and ever…
  5. Kerry Wood
    • primary setup man
  6. Joba Chamberlain
    • RH RP – comes into the game at the beginning of innings (preferably)
  7. David Robertson
    • RH RP – the fireman, comes into tough situations in the middle of innings to deliver us from evil with Ks
  8. Boone Logan
    • LH RP – primary lefty out of the pen to get the big bat out in the biggest match up situation
  9. Royce Ring
    • LH RP – extra match up lefty, used early in the game – especially useful against all those Twins left handed bats; if the Yankees don’t get the Twins at some point, maybe you fill this spot with another backup outfielder
  10. Sergio Mitre
    • emergency long man; Mitre has decent numbers out of the pen this year.  Javier Vazquez’s sample size for relief outings is too small and Chad Gaudin’s numbers stink.
  11. Jorge Posada
    • starting catcher
  12. Mark Teixeira
    • starting 1B
  13. Robinson Cano
    • starting 2B
  14. Derek Jeter
    • starting SS
  15. Alex Rodriguez
    • starting 3B
  16. Brett Gardner
    • starting LF
  17. Curtis Granderson
    • starting CF
  18. Nick Swisher
    • starting RF
  19. Austin Kearns
    • 4th outfielder
  20. Ramiro Pena
    • pinch runner/backup infielder for every position but 1B, unless absolutely necessary; haven’t seen him play there
  21. Francisco Cervelli
    • backup catcher, not an awful option for punch runner, but then we’re out of catchers, so only in a game ending situation
  22. Lance Berkman
    • DH/PH against right RHP, backup 1B
  23. Marcus Thames
    • DH/PH against LHP, emergency outfielder
  24. Eduardo Nunez
    • pinch runner, emergency middle infielder.  I went with Nunez over Juan Miranda because with Berkman and Thames, I feel like the Yankees bench has enough bats, and I don’t have a ton of faith in Miranda’s bat, anyway.  Besides, Nunez can play more than one position and has speed, which I’d like to have off the bench, say in the 8th inning after Posada walks…
  25. ALDC:  Colin Curtis/Greg Golson/Kevin Russo //  ALCS/WS:  A.J. Burnett, 4 starter
    • I haven’t seen enough of these guys to decide who’d be the most valuable as a pinch runner and/or as a backup outfielder; in fact, I considered putting a reliever in this spot, but who?  I like Ivan Nova a lot, but let’s face it, he’s a kid and has hardly an MLB experience
    • I know, I know – nobody wants to see Burnett in the playoffs.  Sorry, folks – you’re going to have to get over that.  If the Yankees make it passed the first round, Burnett is going to start.  Experience counts in the playoffs, and really, when it’s all on the line, who would you rather have out there?  Vazquez?  Gaudin?  Nova?  Mitre?  In your heart of hearts, you know Burnett and his 95 MPH fastball and nasty curve ball are the way to go.  All starters will be on a short leash, anyway, so at the first sign of trouble, Joe Girardi will more than likely go get him anyway – or anyone else

That’s the way I see it. I know some folks want to give Nova a chance, but I think that’s asking too much, too soon of an inexperienced kid. It’d be a bold move, and I don’t see someone as calculating as Girardi doing it. Joe Torre wouldn’t even consider it; he loves his veterans.

Wild Card or AL East Division winners, it’s all the same. The Yankees are in the dance, so they’ve got a chance. This is what we wait all year for, and we’ve had the opportunity to watch October baseball for 15 out the last 16 years, and it never gets old. No matter what happens, this has been a great year. Let’s see if they can go all the way and get number 28! I’m predicting a rematch of last year’s World Series and despite Philly looking a little better than last year (although I don’t know who they have in their bullpen), I’m also predicting the same outcome.

LET’S GO YANKEES!

NOTE:
Nice job by David Price for calling out his fan base – it might not have been the best business decision for the Rays organization, but they have a good team and it deserves it’s fan’s support. If they can’t get it, they should move – I’m sure Las Vegas would welcome them with open arms.
An even better job by the Rays for giving away thousands of free tickets in the wake of Price-Gate. Maybe they can win the fans over yet

Check out my post at The Fowl Balls on Mariano Rivera’s tough outings in September.

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September 27, 2010

Yankees magic number down to 1

by Jamie Insalaco

I took a few days off from blogging and I’ve returned to find things pretty much where I left them. The Yankees are a half game behind the Rays and still haven’t clinched a playoff spot. Still, the Yankees have reduced their magic number down to 1 – that is, 1 Yankees win or 1 Red Sox loss, whichever comes first. While the Yankees will get into the playoffs easily, winning the east is going to be tough: they’re facing the Yankee killing Toronto Blue Jays and then going into the hostile Fenway Park environment for another series with the Red Sox. Combine that with Rays schedule, and I just don’t see the Yankees winning the east. Sure, I don’t expect the Baltimore Orioles to lay down for the Rays, but Tampa has four games left with the Kansas City Royals. Nuff said.

So let’s see, what did I miss? Thursday night, CC Sabathia got a butt kicking from the Rays. Friday night, Andy Pettitte got a butt kicking from the Red Sox. Ivan Nova on the FOX Saturday Baseball Game of Death? Butt kicking by the Red Sox. Detecting a theme here? The starting pitching has been dreadful of late. Hence, Joe Girardi went with Phil Hughes last night rather than Dustin Mosely. Hughes pitched well: 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 4 ks, 4 BB. Girardi sent him out there for the 7th inning, which I thought was a strange move: I can’t remember the last time Hughes pitched 7 innings (that’s because he hasn’t done it since July) and every time he goes out there in the 7th, he always seems to leave a runner out there.

Enter the bullpen: David Robertson, the man the kids call D-Rob, came out and picked up the pieces in spectacular fashion and finished out the 7th. Kerry Wood got two outs in the 8th, and then Girardi wen to Mariano Rivera to get the last out. Strange; he had Wood walk David Ortiz instead of bringing in Boone Logan. Mo got it done against Adrian Beltre, and I’m sure Mo was feeling strong since he hasn’t pitched since Monday, but it seemed like a risky gambit, especially given the lefty v lefty opportunity that Girardi passed by, which I guess was his way of saying that he doesn’t trust Logan in that situation…

So Mo blows it in the top of the 9th. It’s another ugly one as Mo’s September of Horrors continues. The Yankees tied it in the bottom of the 9th against Jonathan Papelbon but don’t win it, despite having the bases loaded.

The Yankees sent out Joba Chamberlain to keep the tie in tact and wouldn’t you know it, Girardi wen tot Logan to get Ortiz after all, which he did. So it’s fair to say that Girardi puzzled me in this game – but not as much as Terry Francona did in the bottom of the 10th. Francona brings in Hideki Okajima to face the lefties Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner, despite the fact that Granderson already homered off Okajima in the series, but Fancona is managing by the book – fine. Then Okajima fails to retire either batter, and he sticks with him, much to my delight. He’s still got Daniel Bard down there – he said so during his stupid mid game ESPN interview. There is no tomorrow – losing this game pretty much ends the season for the Red Sox because the loss put them in the situation I described at the opening of this piece… what the hell was Francona thinking? I’m sure he had to answer this quesiton after the game, but I didn’t hear what he said – I went to bed. Note to ESPN: starting a game at 8 PM EST is TOO LATE. In the most anti-climatic win ever, Okajima walked in Juan Miranda for the Yankee win. Yep – Okajima saw three more batters after that.

Sorry I didn’t talk about Matsuzaka – he was awesome last night.

So that’s pretty much that. The Yankees can still win the east, but the Red Sox are done – unless the Yankees lose all six of their remaining games and the Red Sox win all six.

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September 23, 2010

Girardi goes to B relievers after rain delay

by Jamie Insalaco

Once Joe Girardi found out how long the rain delay was going to be (over two hours), I guess he made a decision. It must have been the kind of decision he’s been making a lot during this month of September, and that’s been the decision to protect the relievers he needs in the playoffs.

After AJ Burnett lost the rest of his start to the elements, Girardi wasted no time showing the Rays and Yankees fans that his bullpen was going to be protected today. Royce Ring took the mound for an inning and two thirds and surrendered a run. Next up was Dustin Moseley, who pitched an inning and a third and gave up one run. Moseley made way for Chad Gaudin, who promptly destroyed any hopes the Yankees had of winning the game by giving up 2 home runs in an inning and two thirds. Jonathon Albaladejo finished the night over an inning and a third and surrendered a run while walking three and striking out two. (I just don’t get Albaladejo; he has good stuff, but he can’t put it all together.)

What do all of those Yankees relievers have in common? None of them will be on the playoff roster. Not one. Once he lost his starter to the rain, Girardi decided that either these guys were going to do it, or they were going to lose the game. That’s it. It was a close game until the 7th, when Gaudin had his misadventure of serving off long balls into the night, but then, down by only 1 run to your division rival (suck it, Red Sox), I would think that under normal circumstances, you’d put in a higher quality reliever than Gaudin, but not this time.It might not have been the rain that effected Girardi’s decision after all; I believe he has a rule about relievers pitching two days in a row and then getting two days off, so a better reliever than Gaudin might not have been available last night.

Tonight, the Yankees should have a full complement of their best relievers available, but with CC Sabathia starting (against David Price), the Yankees might not need many relievers. This is also a rare opportunity for the Yankees to win a four game series; I feel like these four game sets usually get split. The last time Sabathia and Price matched up, it was an epic battle – hopefully the Yankees will come out on top this time.

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September 22, 2010

5 spot, Hughes and short handed pen beat Rays

by Jamie Insalaco

I’ll spare you the recap; I’m just going to assume you watched, listened or followed the game – here’s the box score and the Game Day. Here’s what bugged me about last night’s Yankees vs Rays contest:

Phil Hughes came out to pitch the seventh inning despite being over 100 pitches. I know the Yankees bullpen was short handed last night, but Hughes is on an innings limit to protect his arm – it seems contrary to skip him a time or two in the rotation and then leave him out there last night, but what do I know. I would also think that, since Javier Vazquez was one of the few available relievers last night, he would be better suited to starting the inning rather than coming in with a runner on base, which he allowed to score.

Joe Girardi continues to manage in such a way that protects his team for the playoffs. Sure, he’d like to win every game, but he didn’t run Mariano Rivera out there last night, and that tells you all you need to know.

Lance Berkman was interviewed by Susan Waldmen after the game; he said something to the effect of games in the National League being over when the home team puts up a five spot in the first inning. He also mentioned that the two and a half hour game just didn’t happen in the American League because the offenses are too good, and he’s right – Tampa had 8 hits and 2 walks, so they were no strangers to the base paths last night. Berkman also mentioned that since the games were longer, his eating schedule wasn’t what it used to be, and by the end of the game, he’d worked up quite the appetite. I guess his body’s clock hasn’t adjusted to being a Yankee yet.

Derek Jeter had two hits last night and his average has ticked up to .265. It’s too late for him to reach his usual numbers, but it doesn’t matter. I think he’ll hit in the post season and the Yankees will resign him for something like 4 or 5 years at $20+ million per year, so it’s Jeter’s 2010 campaign discussion is purely academic.

The Yankees are at 92 wins. I picked them to win 100 games this year and with 11 games left, I’m not sure I can pick them to go 8-3 against Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto. Oh and those Blue Jay games are AT THE ROGERS CENTRE. BOOOOOOOO.

Also, the NY Times post another article about the George Steinbrenner monument, just as I did. They’ve actually interviewed folks, and most people seem to agree that it’s just too big. To have your say, vote your mind here.

Tonight we’ll see AJ Burnett face off against Wade Davis. Which AJ will show up is anybody’s guess.

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September 21, 2010

Big Win, Bigger Monument

by Jamie Insalaco

The Yankees unveiled the George M. Steinbrenner III monument before last night’s game against the Rays. It’s friggin HUGE. It’s bigger than all of the ‘holy trinity’ monuments of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig combined. If it was up to me, I probably would have made it the same size as the aforementioned monuments of these legendary players. While I do believe Mr. Steinbrenner is as important to the Yankees as Babe Ruth was, I don’t think he was more important. I do think Mr. Steinbrenner changed the game of baseball, but Babe Ruth saved the game after the 1919 ‘Black Sox’ scandal. In my thinking, the monument to Mr. Steinbrenner indirectly implies that he was bigger than Mr. Ruth, which I don’t agree with. On the other hand, you can argue that the Yankees have given Mr. Ruth his due with Babe Ruth Plaza, but I don’t think you can ever say enough about what Babe Ruth did for the game. In fact, I think the Yankees need to add a statue of Mr. Ruth to his plaza, post haste. I also would have preferred that the event was handled more like a celebration of Mr. Steinbrenne’s life rather than a funeral, but I guess it’s a bit too soon for that sort of sentiment, and how they would have accomplished that… well, I admit I don’t have any solid suggestions. I know it was mentioned a million times, but I was impressed to see Joe Torre and Don Mattingly there.That was a classy move on the part of all concerned.

Last night’s game was a bit too close, or rather, closer than it should have been. Ivan Nova, who I believe has a bright future ahead of him, again hit the wall despite a low pitch count and dominating performance, this time through five innings instead of six. I’m still not sure what the problem is: fatigue, pressure, total innings pitched this year, pitching from the stretch rather than the wind up, third time through the order… there is an issue here, but I think it’s fixable. Nova could end up being a valuable player on the Yankees for years to come – I think he’s that good. Boone Logan had a rare off night and didn’t retire anybody, although Mark Teixeira booted a dribbler up the line he probably should have come up with, but it was a tough play. I know it was only the sixth inning, but I was pretty surprised to see Chad Gaudin come into the game in a big spot and after a walk, get a big flyout. Logan or Gaudin walked a runner in… I forget which one did, and they both gave up a walk. I could check game day, but whatever. Kerry Wood has emerged as the setup man – his season has turned around in a major way since coming to the Yankees – I guess playing for a winner makes a big difference to some guys. With Wood in the fold, the Yankees bullpen is stacked and is going to be a huge plus in the playoffs. Mariano Rivera was just not getting the calls last night (he wasn’t the only one), and his velocity seemed down from yesterday, when he blew the save. But two hits, a walk and 1 run weren’t enough for the Rays to catch up to the Yankees offense.

Besides Jorge Posada sitting this one out, I think this is the first time the Yankees have fielded their full team as starters in over a week at least. (I’d guess Francisco Cervelli gets the start when Nova pitches because he’s caught him in the minors.) Curtis Granderson continues to reward my faith. Last night’s two run home run performance to the tune of five RBI was impressive to say the least – I can’t recall seeing anyone hit a homer off the foul poll quite that high. I think I’ve said enough about Kevin Long on more than one occasion, but that guy sure can fix players. It was also nice to see Nick Swisher go 2-2 with an RBI and 2 BB while playing the outfield. It looks like he’s as close to 100% as he’s going to get. A-Rod continues to come up with RBI (that was number 112 on the year) despite not hitting for average or power, but I’ll take it – Alex Rodriguez leads the team in RBI and missed what, almost an entire month? How is that possible? Bizarre, but he’s that good. Even though he’s not hitting the ball out of the park, he hits solid line drives, not squeakers, and he continues to do what matters – plate base runners.

Last night’s win puts the Yankees 1.5 games in front of the Rays with 3 more to play in this series. With the Yankees having their full compliment of players available at home, I think we can confidently hope for a better outcome than last week’s series in Tampa Bay.

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September 16, 2010

And the Oscar goes to…

by Jamie Insalaco

Derek Jeter, for his Hit By Pitch performance in the 7th inning of last night’s Yankees at Rays game when Qualls’ pitch hit the knob of his bat! Bravo! However, anyone who played Little League can tell you that when the ball hits your bat anywhere within a few inches of your hands, you get that Looney Tunes BOING, rattling, Bugs Bunny-esque effect, and it does not feel good. The point it, the ball didn’t hit him, anyone who isn’t deaf could clearly hear the ball hit the bat, but whatever. I was surprised to read Matt’s post on Yankeeist that Jeter’s action, and actions like them, “don’t reflect good taste.” I don’t agree, but then, don’t have strong feelings on this either way.  I do think that if Jeter’s actions constitute cheating, as some have suggested, then so does framing the pitch, a crime which nearly every catcher is guilty of.

The Yankees continue to march out the Corner Outfielders of Doom in the persons of Austin Kearns and Colin Curtis. I like Kearns as a backup for an occasional start, and Curtis is OK for a defensive replacement, but starting these guys in the wake of the Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner injuries is starting to weigh on me. I know they’ve both had their moments, but I’m going to send Swisher and Gardner a get well soon card.

The home run by Curtis Granderson was a delight – as I’ve mentioned before, I had high hopes for him in pinstripes and now that he’s starting to hit, I couldn’t be more pleased. I think Granderson will have a great 2011 and put his early Bronx Blues behind him. Phil Hughes pitched well yesterday, but I was surprised to see Joe Girardi let him linger out there for as long as he did in the seventh, and that second home run by Dan Johnson was hit amongst my screams to remove Hughes, but too late.

Girardi seems to be managing like the Yankees have already clinched a playoff birth – by all rights they have, unless they have a Mets like collapse. I guess Girardi isn’t too concerned about home field advantage, but maybe he’s pinned all his hopes to the four game series against the Rays in the Bronx next week. He’s continued to manage his bullpen to keep his boys fresh and rested and is not asking his position players to gut out injuries on the field. This is probably the right call by Girardi, but its been frustrating to watch on this recent road trip.

Tomorrow is an off day, so look for a Yankee Stadium feature here at BomberBanter.com – at least that’s what I have planned! As for the Yankees, they’ll be enjoying a day off in Baltimore, then face the Orioles for a three game set at Camden Yards.

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September 15, 2010

Yankees reclaim first place from Rays

by Jamie Insalaco

Just like that, all the bad feels get washed away.

It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? After Monday night’s extra inning loss to the Rays, the Yankees were amidst their first four game losing streak of the year and coming off their first sweep of the year courtesy of the Texas Rangers. Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner are banged up; A-Rod isn’t 100% yet. Andy Pettitte still isn’t back (although he’s probably only days away now), and Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves are never coming back. The road trip had been a disaster up to this point.

And by the fifth inning, things weren’t looking much better. Rookie right hander Ivan Nova has essentially dominated the Rays over the first four, but suddenly, like in his other starts, he began to falter in the fifth. Why this keeps happening, I don’t know; he’s a young guy and maybe he’s never pitched hits many innings before, or maybe you just have to work that much harder at the MLB level, and it’s tiring him. The bottom line is, after throwing about 50 pitches in the first four innings, the Rays put up a 7 spot in the 5th. Nova let four runs score before Joe Girardi finally lifted him for Boone Logan; I think Girardi wanted to see if Nova could wiggle out of trouble, and it didn’t happen. I don’t think he would have gotten that opportunity if the Yankees didn’t have such a big wild card lead and AJ Burnett wasn’t struggling the way he is. Logan came in and gave up a 3 run homer that gave the Rays a 7-6 lead, and all the optimism generated by Nova’s early performance and the home runs by Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez was whipped away. Logan was dominate after the home run, but the damage had been done… or so it seemed. Game Day.

The Yankees immediately tied the game on Robinson Cano’s double, scoring A-Rod, and it became a duel of the bullpens. Joba Chamberlain, Kerry Wood and David Robertson held the Rays in check until the top of the 11th, when Jorge Posada came up with a pinch hit homer that hasn’t landed yet. OK, maybe it didn’t go that far, but it was still pretty awe inspiring.

Mariano Rivera came on to get the save, and Carl Crawford got on board immediately, but was a base running disaster in the bottom of the 11th inning. He failed to tag out on a ball that was either going to be a home run or an out, and he made the last out at third. These are two fundamental no-nos that I wouldn’t expect Crawford to make, but he did, and the Yankees won the game because of it. Box Score.

I believe Girardi left Nova in to see if he could get out of a tough spot, as aforementioned, and he didn’t. I’d say that this eliminates any chance of Nova getting a start in the playoffs, despite Brian Cashman saying that they were going to start their best four guys and salary didn’t matter. Nova could be a candidate for the long man role in the pen for the playoffs, but if that’s something he’s never done, the playoffs might not be a good place for him to start.

Tonight’s the rubber game, and the Yankees really need to win this game, more for their psyche than for anything else. Sure, winning the AL East will get the Yankees home field advantage in the AL playoffs, but getting to the dance is what matters. Phil Hughes will match up against the one they call Big Game James, aka James Shields. If Hughes brings his A game, this could be a close game… They skipped his last turn, so who knows how that’s going to effect him – he might be fresh… or he might be rusty. I don’t know what to expect, so all we can really do is tune in and pray that our Lord and Savior, Mariano Rivera, gets an opportunity.

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September 14, 2010

Yankees suffer another walk off loss

by Jamie Insalaco

The Yankees are on a road trip of disastrous proportions, having lost four games in a row and 3 of the walk off variety. True, it’s pretty hard to win extra innings games on the road, but something’s got to give at some point, right?

The bar I was at was fully inundated with Monday Night Football, and the table we got was far away from the lone Yankee game, so it was hard to see what was going on. However, the box score shows a well pitched game by two of the games great starters in CC Sabathia and David Price. Both pitchers did everything that they could, coming up with eight scoreless innings each, but neither got the win as the shut out finally ended in the eleventh, courtesy of Sergio Mitre.

The one up side is that with the exception of Kerry Wood, the Yankees didn’t use any of their elite relief pitches, except Boone Logan, who struck out the only batter he faced. Of course, there is no way to tell how rookie Ivan Nova will respond to the pressure tonight, but if he does well, the Yankees have plenty of backup dancers ready to run out there.

As for Monday Night Football, well – the Jets talk a good game, but as Ray Rice observed, “HBO is not going to win the Super Bowl.” How hilarious was that when what’s-his-name ran out of bounds with no one around him short of the 1st down? Well, probably not that hilarious if you’re a Jets fan.

I’m laughing because I’m a Giants fan. See that NY Giants link up there in the menu? I’ll be blogging about the Giants in the space, especially when the Yankees season is over. I missed the entire first half last week, but from what I saw in that sloppy second half, I think that if the Giants can stay healthy, they’ll win 10 games. They’ve got a lot of talent over there, and if they can keep everyone on the field, they could surprise me and go deep in the playoffs.

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September 13, 2010

Attack of the Expanded Roster

by Jamie Insalaco

Full disclosure: I didn’t watch every inning of all three games, but here’s what I saw.

In game 1, Joe Girardi let Mariano Rivera go out there for 2 innings despite not having pitched in two weeks; Mo performed brilliantly, but the Yankees ended up losing the game on a walk off home run against… someone. I just couldn’t stay awake during the extra innings; I was in and out. The reason I bring this up right off the bat is I feel this was a case of losing the battle to lose the war: Mo blew the save Saturday night. His control was not good; pretty sure he hit a guy. You’d of thought Mo was not available after pitching two innings the day before, and although the bullpen was used pretty hard on Friday, I’d of liked to see somebody else in there on Saturday, if to only protect Mo’s health. The Yankees aren’t going anywhere in the post season without Mo. Joe Girardi usually handles the bullpen with such excellence, but I don’t understand what he was doing over the weekend in Texas; the Rays are nipping at the Yankees heels, but risking injury to Mo is pure insanity.

The Yankees left a small village on the base paths during the series; they just couldn’t score. It was frustrating. Hopefully, the Yankees will regain their swing in Tampa, but then, if Tampa has the expanded roster tools that the Rangers had (a million relievers who throw 95 MPH), then it might be another long series. Sure, the Yankees made a ton of moves during the series, but Ron Washington wore out a path between the dugout and the mound. That system is deep with guys who throw hard.

Yanks-Rays a must-CC, worth Price of entry Wow, MLB.com. You got corny all over me. Jeez.
Honestly, though, does it really matter who finishes in first in the AL East? I suppose I’d rather the Yankees play the Twins in the first round, but it doesn’t matter much to me; Texas isn’t going to come into the 1st round with a 40 man roster and a million relief pitchers. Anyway, the big Yankees vs Rays series starts tonight at 7:10 PM in Tampa.

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September 8, 2010

Yankees walk off against Os

by Jamie Insalaco

Another day game and I missed most of it.

The Yankees win today avoids the first sweep of the year at home for the Yankees and their first four game losing streak of the year.

Ivan Nova must have pitched pretty well to put up a line of 6 IP, 2 ER (6 hits, 1 HR), 2 BB, and 6 Ks. I know its early in his young career, but Nova’s game log is impressive.

Well, you can’t write four or five sentences about this game I barely saw without mentioning Nick Swisher’s 2 run walk off home run from the left side, but his the other way to left field.

Jorge Posada was benched today for concussion symptoms, but he’s been tested and cleared to play and is listed as day to day. This is great news; not only does he not have a concussion, but he’s flying with the team to Texas to face the Rangers, and since the last thing you want to do with a concussion case is put him on a plane, he must be in good shape. We’ll have to wait till Friday to see if he’s back in the lineup.

As of this writing, the Red Sox are kicking the stuffing out of the Rays, so we’ll have to see if the Rays are 2.5 games back in the morning.

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