Saturday, August 18, 2007
8/18/2007: Detroit Tigers(67-55) at New York Yankees (68-54) - 3:55pm ***Game Chatter/Liveblog***
DET: Chad Durbin (7-5, 4.68) vs. NYY: Roger Clemens (4-5, 4.00)
Lineups
Detroit Tigers
C. Granderson, CF (.291/.350/.540)
M. Thames, 1B (.255/.291/.511)
G. Sheffield, DH (.279/.384/.499)
M. Ordonez, RF (.355/.428/.592)
C. Guillen, SS (.305/.368/.511)
I. Rodriguez, C (.280/.290/.433)
R. Raburn, 2B (.342/.366/.582)
B. Inge, 3B (.242/.318/.392)
C. Maybin, LF (.000/.000/.000)
C. Durbin , P ( 7-9 , 4.68)
New York Yankees
M. Cabrera, CF (.297/.351/.443)
D. Jeter, SS (.323/.392/.442)
B. Abreu, RF (.285/.365/.439)
A. Rodriguez, 3B (.304/.411/.628)
H. Matsui, LF (.302/.373/.523)
J. Posada, C (.332/.414/.527)
J. Giambi, DH (.273/.379/.494)
R. Cano, 2B (.310/.357/.494)
A. Phillips, 1B (.285/.324/.380)
R. Clemens , P ( 9-7 , 4.00)
I can’t liveblog this one, so I’m posting it as a game chatter. If Keith or anyone else is around and wants to handle it, all the better.
Go Yanks.
*** Keith in ***
Pregame chatter: FOX’s pregame is execrable. Kevin Kennedy and Eric Karros are in a competition to provide the world’s most meaningless analysis, with the added bonus of Karros always talking with his head leaned back like someone just put smelling salts under his nose. And then there’s Jeanie Zelasko, Living Blonde Joke.
Very nice tribute to Phil Rizzuto on the pregame. Kudos to FOX for that one. (Much better than This Week in Baseball, who superimposed Rizzuto over clips from the past week, and showing only his gaffes as an announcer.)
Interesting—Buck and McCarver have been broken up. McCarver’s at Yankee Stadium, but he’s paired with Kenny Albert and Ted Rosenthal. Nate Robertson does a crap job of reading the Tigers’ starting lineup, and Game On!
It’s Military Appreciation Day at the Stadium. Warrant Officer Derek Rodriguez throws out the first pitch. It’s a sinker in the dirt…
Top of the 1st
The Scum-Sucking Weasel pitches to Granderson. He gets under a 1-0 pitch and flies it to Melky for the first out.
Marcus Thames’s first major-league at-bat was for the Yankees against Randy Johnson, and he hit a home run. He was being interviewed by ESPN after the game, and in mid-interview, he got hit with a shaving-cream pie in the face. To his credit, he finished the interview in white-face. Today, however, he strikes out swinging.
My least favorite Yankee faces off against my second-least-favorite ex-Yankee (after RJ). Shef takes a bad swing on a bad pitch and muscles it to deep left over Matsui’s head for a double. The Guy With The Hair then strikes out swinging.
Bottom of the 1st
Sgt. Hector J. Benitez announces the Yankee lineup, and does marginally better than Robertson.
Melky pops out in foul territory to Inge. El Capitan flies out to center.
Interesting stat: Posada has caught more of Clemens’s games than any other catcher; #2 on the list is Yankees first-base coach Tony Peña. Today is the 150th time Jorgie Porgie has caught the Lying Sack of Shit.
My satellite signal just went out—which has never happened on a clear day before—so I’m using GameDay for the moment. Abreu flies out to center.
Top of the 2nd
Guillen grounds out to Canò. Pudge strikes out swinging.
Satellite’s still out, so I’m reduced to Sterling and Waldman. And yes, the radio announcers really are that bad, when I’m preferring Kenny and Timmy to Johnny and Suzie….
Raburn strikes out swinging to end it.
Bottom of the 2nd
I just tried DISH Network’s customer service. I got a busy signal three times. I’m guessing we’re not the only ones having problems.
A-Rod flies out to Magglio. Gojira grounds out to first. Jorgie Porgie works the count to 3-1, then hits it to left-center for a home run to make it 1-0. Sterling thought for sure it was a flyout.
Jorgie Porgie, puddin’ pie
Hit the ball, make the Tigers cry
And just in time, the satellite signal is reacquired, and I am spared Walding.
Maybin makes a rookie mistake: he calls off Inge on a pop-up and then misjudges it and it drops. That’s not the amazing part; the amazing part is that Giambi hustles it into a double. I never expected to write a sentence with “Giambi” as the subject and “to hustle” as the verb….
Canò socks it, but right at Raburn for the third out.
They finally reran the home run, which I missed thanks to DISH’s shenanigans—that was a sweet shot….
Top of the 3rd
Inge hits a nubber that nobody can get, and it’s a cheap infield hit.
Now Maybin’s up. In his first game he had to face Andy Pettitte in Yankee Stadium in front of 54,000 loud fans. In his second, he has to face Roger Clemens on national television at Yankee Stadium in front of 54,000 fans. Yesterday, he went 0-4. Today, he made a defensive gaffe—and socks a base hit. It’s a hit-and-run, so Canò was covering second, and Maybin hit it where they ain’t, to coin a phrase, and now it’s first and third, nobody out.
Granderson swings at Mr. Splitty for strike three, which is Clemens’s 1000th K as a New York Yankee. Big whoop.
Thames works the count to 3-2. Between the fouls balls and the pickoff attempts, this at-bat has taken roughly five weeks.
NICE! Thames strikes out, but Maybin was running. Posada throws the ball, not to second, but back to Clemens, who nails Inge trying to score in a rundown for a very bizarre strike-em-out-throw-em-out. Nice on Jorgie and Clemens, there.
Bottom of the 3rd
Phillips hits it on a weird hop to Guillen, who recovers nicely and throws him out. Melky shows bunt, then sobers up after strike one. On a 1-2 pitch, he socks a base hit up the middle. El Capitan flies out to Granderson.
Abreu works the count to 3-1, then draws the walk to bring up Mr. 39. He channels Jeter by swinging at the first pitch and grounding to Inge, who forces Melky at third. He’s so unclutch. (Or is that joke passé now?)
Top of the 4th
Shef leads off with a single to left. Magglio starts out 0-2, then fouls off a couple and sees one in the dirt in between eight hundred throws to first (because, y’know, 38-year-olds are usually big stolen-base threats). Finally, He Of The Hair strikes out. Guilllen lines a hit to center to put runners at first and second.
Pudge gets a base hit to left that’s short enough and hit hard enough that Shef can’t score. Bases loaded with only one out for Raburn. That last word is the only good news in that sentence. Raburn flies out to center, Shef scores easily to tie it at 1. Guillen advances to third. Inge then flies out to Abreu to end it.
In the comments, eric pointed out that Shef has 18 steals this year. He’s also only been caught four times. So he actually is a baserunning threat. Nemmind.
Bottom of the 4th
Gojira hits a crappy grounder back to the box. Jorgie Porgie follows it up with a scorching liner that is unfortunately right at Raburn, so it’s out #2. Giambi strikes out swinging at a curve ball that was seventeen feet outside. Yeesh.
Actually, it’s okay. I don’t want the Yanks to take the lead again until Asswipe isn’t pitching anymore….
Top of the 5th
Maybin hits his first career home run off one of the greatest pitchers who ever lived to make it 2-1. He hit that to dead center field. That was a really nice piece of hitting. Last night we saw a rookie with jitters. Today, he seems have settled down a bit, and it’s starting to become clearer why the Tigers are so high on him. McCarver is also completely beside himself.
Granderson and Thames both ground out. Shef gets his third hit of the game with a single to left. He then steals second, but Curly grounds back to Clemens to end it.
Bottom of the 5th
According to McCarver, Leyland won the ALDS last year because he psyched out the Yankees by complimenting their lineup after Game 1. Right.
Canò flies out to Maybin. Phillips becomes possessed by the Bunt Fairy, and naturally makes an out. Melky then grounds out to second. The Yanks made it easy—Durbin only threw five pitches….
Top of the 6th
Guillen flies out to Gojira. Pudge strikes out. That’s eight for Clemens.
FOX just showed the starting lineup of the first game Clemens ever pitched against the Tigers, in 1984 (the year the Tigers won the Series). Nobody in that lineup is still in the MLB. Nobody in that lineup has been in the MLB recently.
Raburn gets a hit when A-Rod gets tied up by an in-between hop. Clemens throws one pitch to Inge at home, sandwiched by six (!) pickoff attempts. WTF?
Inge hits it down the line, which A-Rod makes a nice spear on. Inge beats the throw to first, but without A-Rod catching it, that’s a run-scoring double.
Cameron “Babe Ruth” Maybin up. Clemens hits him on the arm with an 0-2 pitch. I would’ve preferred the strikeout. Bases loaded for Granderson, who pops it up to the infield. Jeter catches it.
Edwar spent most of the inning warming up in the bullpen—I suspect he starts the seventh.
Bottom of the 6th
Thames out, Sean Casey in at first.
El Capitan gets what feels like his first hit since June, a solid shot to left.
FOX just showed Scooter calling Roger Maris’s 61st home run and Jeter’s first major-league homer. (And also the time he introduced himself as Bill White, causing White, standing next to him, to crack up.)
Farnsworth is warming up in the pen. Say what? Why was Edwar warming up if he wasn’t coming in to pitch the seventh? Does Torre want to lose?????
WOO HOO! Abreu hits a ball that I honestly thought was a cheap pop-up, and it hits the foul pole in left field for a two-run homer to make it 3-2. He fouled off four pitches before finally getting that homer. Veddy nice.
Mr. 39 works the count to 3-1. He socks a base-hit up the middle. You can see the fork in Chad Durbin.
Durbin out, Tim Byrdak in. Byrdak buys his glasses from the same guy as Farnsworth.
Farnsworth is still warming up. The Tigers send up Casey, Sheffield, and Ordoñez up in the seventh. There is no way, none, that that can be construed as a good thing. The Yanks need to score at least eight runs before I’ll feel comfortable with bringing Kyle in….
Byrdak has thrown the ball home twice and to first four times. I’d love to see Alex steal second. Instead, Gojira pops out to short left. Feh.
Jorgie Porgie up. The crowd is chanting his name. He hits it to the hole between short and third. Guillen makes a nice grab, but he can’t even get the force. Infield hit for Jorgie, and runners at first and second for Giambi. He hits a cheap popup to Guilen. At least he isn’t clogging any bases.
Canò shoots a base hit to left, scoring A-Rod to make it 4-2. I honestly thought that A-Rod was dead meat at home, but the cutoff throw was offline.
Byrdak out, Jason Grilli in. He was probably the subject of a lot of BBQ jokes when he was a kid….
I hear “Sweet Home Alabama,” so Phillips must be up. Wouldn’t this be a good time to pinch hit Damon? Ah, well. Phillips makes me look stupid by lifting a flare to short left field to score Posada, making it 5-2. Canò to second.
Grilli goes to 0-2 on Melky. He also went to 0-2 on Phillips, of course. However, Melky swings at a bad pitch to K for the final out.
I really wish they’d waited one more inning for this. Now Fuck-nose is the pitcher of record.
Of course, if Farnsworth comes in, the lead could be gone in fairly short order….
Top of the 7th
Clemens out. Farnsworthicide has commenced.
I predict a leadoff double or a leadoff walk. I’m grateful to be wrong: Casey flies out on a 3-2 pitch to Matsui.
Shef will probably get on base again. The crowd is chanting, “Gary sucks!” I love the Stadium crowds.
And I’m wrong again! Farnsworth strikes out Shef on four pitches. He swung at all three strikes, and the crowd cheered louder than they have all day.
Hair Guy up. He’ll probably hit a homer. Wrong again! Magglio strikes out swinging!
A 1-2-3 inning for Kyle Farnsworth! Holy shit. In other news, hell froze over.
Seriously, that may have been the most important inning Kyle Farnsworth has pitched all year.
AUGH! KATE SMITH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Bottom of the 7th
For the second inning in a row, El Capitan leads off. He grounds out.
Abreu flies out to Granderson. A-Rod grounds out to third.
L-Viz is warming up in the bullpen, and I’m wondering just what Edwar has to do to get into a game.
Top of the 8th
Sho’ ‘nuff, Farnsworth out, L-Viz in. Does he pitch two? Does Edwar pitch the ninth? Does Mo come in? Does anybody really know what time it is?
Guillen golfs the 2-2 pitch to right field for the first out, after fouling off several pitches. Pudge muscles a hit to center field. Raburn pops out to second.
McCarver just said that the Phillies had to overcome more than any other NL team, and I’m wondering if he’s forgotten how badly the Cubs sucked at the beginning of the year….
And now McCarver said he doesn’t think the fans in Philadelphia are questioning Charlie Manuel’s strategy. I don’t see how anyone who has paid attention to baseball, y’know, ever, could say that about Phillie fans. These are the yahoos who ran Scott Rolen and Bobby Abreu out of town. These guys would question Babe Ruth.
L-Viz freezes Inge for strike three.
Bottom of the 8th
Grilli out, Bobby Seay in. Both these guys make the Were Made Fun Of As Kids All-Star Team.
Mo is warming up in the bullpen. Because heaven forfend Edwar ever pitch. *rolleyes*
Gojira grounds out to first. Jorgie Porgie socks a base hit to left. Giambi hits it hard to short center, but Granderson makes a nice running catch. Canò hits a sharp grounder that Inge catches and forces Posada at second.
Top of the 9th
Say your prayers little one
Don’t forget, my son
To include everyoneTuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comesSleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tightExit light
Enter night
Take my hand
Off to never never land
L-Viz out, Mo in. I’d prefer to have seen Edwar get some work in, but I’d also like Mo to right the ship. So fine, let’s have us some Mo.
Maybin strikes out swinging on four pitches.
Granderson hits the 1-0 pitch to center, which Melky catches easily.
Mo goes to 3-0 on Casey. He gets a strike, then walks him.
Now it’s Mo vs. Shef. Gotta love it.
Ramon Santiago in to pinch run for Casey.
Called strike one to Shef. Santiago steals second uncontested. After a ball, Shef grounds out to A-Rod, who throws him out for the win.
That’s two in a row, fifteen games over .500, and at least holding serve and possibly gaining ground in the division and wild card (with the possibility of taking first place in the WC—go White Sox!). It’s also a win for Clemens, but hey, you can’t have everything. Farnsworth pitches well, too, and I’m 20-6 in liveblogging. 
Goodnight, everybody!
*** Keith out ***
Comments
So, I’m probably dreaming here, but think how dangerous this team would be if Farnswroth turns into a reliable/semi-reliable pitcher. The bullpen would be pretty damn good with Mo/Viz/Joba/Edwar/Farns in there. Can’t hurt to dream.
Also, Grilli calls himself “The Cheeseman”. How dumb is that?
So, I’m probably dreaming here, but think how dangerous this team would be if Farnswroth turns into a reliable/semi-reliable pitcher. The bullpen would be pretty damn good with Mo/Viz/Joba/Edwar/Farns in there. Can’t hurt to dream.
I had the exact same thought, and almost wrote it in the liveblog, but didn’t want to tempt fate.
Thanks for taking the heat off. 
Farnsie has had stretches of being good to very good as long as you don’t use him in the deciding game of a playoff series
as long as you don’t use him in the deciding game of a playoff series
Unless you have a 10-1 lead, anyhow….
Viz in the eight.
Does that mean that Mariano’s four day rest is over?
Lets see, he pitched Wednesday afternoon. Today is Saturday. Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat.
Thats four days.
I think Edwar will pitch the 9th.
Yankees career SO leaders, as per BBREF. Last column is IP. Interesting they’ve had 10 guys now reach 1000 but no one reach 2000.
1. Whitey Ford 1956 3170.3
2. Ron Guidry 1778 2392.0
3. Red Ruffing 1526 3168.7
4. Lefty Gomez 1468 2498.3
5. Andy Pettitte 1383 1958.7
6. Mel Stottlemyre 1257 2661.3
7. Bob Shawkey 1163 2488.7
8. Mike Mussina 1112 1319.7
9. Al Downing 1028 1235.3
10. Roger Clemens 995 1076.0
This game istaking too long
I think Edwar will pitch the 9th.
I almost made that same joke.
I loathe no one more than Pudge.
You really think there’s no way? porqua? Frankly, I’m not sure why he was’t brought in in the 7th.
Nice Enrico Pallazzo move by the home plate ump on that strikeout.
Well I’ve been 100% wrong in all my predictions so far this game, thankfully, but the reason I don’t think he’d do it is because it is a Ninth-inning Save Situation which means Torre is obligated to go to Mo. He has no choice in the matter.
And I’m not sure why Edwar wasn’t pitching the 7th, either (or the 7th and 8th for that matter).
I’d love to see Edwar in the ninth.
A couple of insurance runs would be nice, then we could see Edwar.
Once Farnsie had the recent 123 innings in blowouts it became much more likely that Torre would use him over Edwar close and late. I’m not sure when Torre would use Edwar. There’s no way Mo was not going to pitch the 9th unless the Yankees opened up a monumental lead.
Mariano up.
Four days.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
Sean Henn warming??
Ok, now Henn is up. Joe must be mocking us.
I heard Mo had been sitting with Farnsie recently and Farnsie had spotted a flaw in Mo’s delivery.
—Interesting they’ve had 10 guys now reach 1000 but no one reach 2000.—-
Give Joba some time…there’s still a month and a half left to the season.
So that’s 5 out of 6 against the top 2 teams in the AL central in the last week+. Not too shabby.
It’s currently Angels 5, Sawx 0. It’s so pretty….
To expand:
Jeff’s talented brother: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 60 PT
38pitches.com: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 69 PT
I love it!
Weaver meltdown.
Indeed. That’ll teach me to speak too soon. *sigh*
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