YANKEES GONE WILD
Card.
Dice-K finally stepped up big against a good team last night and the Yankees were the main beneficiaries. With the Mariners dropping a doubleheader, the Twins losing again (and again today), Cleveland alone looks to stand between the Yankees and October. Seattle is only 1.5 games up (and cratering), actually just one if you count the game the Yankees have in hand from the suspended contest against Baltimore. And on that basis, even the Indians are only 4 up, which is nothing at this point in the season. What's more, Cleveland is playing really poorly at the moment. They looked just terrible against Lester, whose only out pitch was an out of the zone high fastball that the Tribe just kept swinging at. If they hadn't gotten themselves out repeatedly in the 4th, he never would have survived the inning. With Beckett going tonight, the Yanks have a chance to narrow the gap to 3, though Mussina may well scotch that hope.
Hughes looked great again last night, winning 4-0 and Clemens continues to pitch beyond my expectations. Almost every start since the first couple, when he was still in spring training mode, has not only been solid (look at his ERA!) but, more surprisingly, has gone 7 or 8 innings. With added rest, even the mediocre bullpen hads proven serviceable, particularly Vizcaino, whose ERA is 0.99 since May 28 (in 26 appearances). With RJ all but announcing the end of his career yesterday, I have to give the Cashboy credit for once. To get someone to take Johnson's contract and give up anything at all for the privelege looks pretty astute.
A rotation of Clemens, Pettite, Hughes and Wang, with added bullpen help from Chamberlain (to replace the hopeless Farnsworth) and Ian Kennedy (to replace Meyers) could get the Yankees into October even if they cool off, as they must, with the bats. Phillips has been transformative for this team in the field: with his average and pop, he allows Torre to DH Damon without worrying that he has sacrificed too much power and to DH Duncan without worrying that he has sacrificed too much contact. He's fielding the position beautifuklly as well. Plus last night, after the Yankees surrendered 2 rund of their early 6 run lead, Phillips successfully laid down a sacrifice that put them back up by 5 in the fourth. It's just that kind of tack on run that breaks the other team's momentum, prolongs the outing of your starter, increases the rest of your bullpen etc. and it all stems from doing the fundamentals right. When you trade Sheffield, Giambi, and Damon on the field for Abreu, Phillips and Cabrera, you have lost all sorts of potential in one sense, but you will be playing a sounder all around game. And that's what the Yankees are doing.
My in-laws are in upstate Pa. this week and say the weather is great. Jason, give Wilkes-Barre a try.
Dice-K finally stepped up big against a good team last night and the Yankees were the main beneficiaries. With the Mariners dropping a doubleheader, the Twins losing again (and again today), Cleveland alone looks to stand between the Yankees and October. Seattle is only 1.5 games up (and cratering), actually just one if you count the game the Yankees have in hand from the suspended contest against Baltimore. And on that basis, even the Indians are only 4 up, which is nothing at this point in the season. What's more, Cleveland is playing really poorly at the moment. They looked just terrible against Lester, whose only out pitch was an out of the zone high fastball that the Tribe just kept swinging at. If they hadn't gotten themselves out repeatedly in the 4th, he never would have survived the inning. With Beckett going tonight, the Yanks have a chance to narrow the gap to 3, though Mussina may well scotch that hope.
Hughes looked great again last night, winning 4-0 and Clemens continues to pitch beyond my expectations. Almost every start since the first couple, when he was still in spring training mode, has not only been solid (look at his ERA!) but, more surprisingly, has gone 7 or 8 innings. With added rest, even the mediocre bullpen hads proven serviceable, particularly Vizcaino, whose ERA is 0.99 since May 28 (in 26 appearances). With RJ all but announcing the end of his career yesterday, I have to give the Cashboy credit for once. To get someone to take Johnson's contract and give up anything at all for the privelege looks pretty astute.
A rotation of Clemens, Pettite, Hughes and Wang, with added bullpen help from Chamberlain (to replace the hopeless Farnsworth) and Ian Kennedy (to replace Meyers) could get the Yankees into October even if they cool off, as they must, with the bats. Phillips has been transformative for this team in the field: with his average and pop, he allows Torre to DH Damon without worrying that he has sacrificed too much power and to DH Duncan without worrying that he has sacrificed too much contact. He's fielding the position beautifuklly as well. Plus last night, after the Yankees surrendered 2 rund of their early 6 run lead, Phillips successfully laid down a sacrifice that put them back up by 5 in the fourth. It's just that kind of tack on run that breaks the other team's momentum, prolongs the outing of your starter, increases the rest of your bullpen etc. and it all stems from doing the fundamentals right. When you trade Sheffield, Giambi, and Damon on the field for Abreu, Phillips and Cabrera, you have lost all sorts of potential in one sense, but you will be playing a sounder all around game. And that's what the Yankees are doing.
My in-laws are in upstate Pa. this week and say the weather is great. Jason, give Wilkes-Barre a try.
posted by joe valente | 4:17 PM
2 Comments:
I can't wait for the talking heads to get started; cue Ravech:
"the yankees offense has been on a tear--and now Gimabi's coming back!!!! what, now they'll score 30 runs a game? Peter, with the addition of Gimabi to the lineup, is this the greatest team in sports history?"
Gammons: "I'd have to say so, Karl."
Cue monatge of Yankees losing 10 straight.
But surely, even Torre must see how well the team has been functioning with the Phillips-Cano-Melky triangle; how little the team needs another lefty bat; and how disruptive it is if Giambi has to hog the DH role, especially if it relegates Melky to the bench. Even slow joe can see that, right? So, Giambi can replace Duncan as an occasional DH, although it'll hurt to lose a RH power bat; and if G gets 4 ABs before the trade deadline and pops one, maybe we can ship him off to Anaheim.
You've hit the nail on the head. We need right handed hitting, preferably from someone who can get around the bases at a slightly better rate than the speed of ooze. Giambi's only possible role is as a late inning pinch-hitter, which they really do need. As it stands now, they have no bench at all, mainly because they carry so many crappy relievers. If Giambi's return means they designate Farnsworth, I'm all for it.
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