Andy wasn’t good, but did it really matter?

how many people assumed the game was over when the Rays scored their 2nd run?

at that point, i assumed a 2 run lead was insurmountable. 

the offense is pathetic.

I assumed the game was over when the Rays scored their first run, to be honest.  This team just looks terrible right now.

As bad as it looks, the team really does just need to tread water until A-Rod and Posada are back. So long as they hover within five games of the playoffs until then, they should be okay.

But yeah, it is unbelievably painful to watch this team right now.

But it also doesn’t help that the last two games of this series look like serious mismatches for the Rays - Shields and Kazmir against Moose and Rasner? Ouch.

According to fangraphs, Cano’s line drive % is 17.9, which is actually higher than it was last year (16.9%).  Isn’t batting average usually LD% + .012?  Seems like Cano’s been striking the ball hard in the past week or two and he’s just been unlucky and lining out directly to the defense.

In any event, we’ve seen slow Yankee starts for the past three years so this isn’t anything new.  It is really frustrating but short of exploring a few internal options, all you can do is wait for them to play out of their funk. 

With Tampa Bay now looking like a legitimately good team now, the Yankees’ margin of error is lower than it’s been in the past.

The flip side is the Rays have also stopped any other AL East team from running away from the division.  The Yankees are only 4 games out of first.  Weren’t they 14.5 behind Boston at some point last year?

I just want to point out that even by NY Post standards, “Ray-ggeddy Andy” is particularly unwieldy and unhumorous.

In 2007, after 39 Yankee games played, they were in 2nd place in the division at 18-21, but 9.5 games back of the Red Sox and 5.5 back of the Tigers for the wild-card.  Roger Clemens was going to be the one who turned everything around.  I think 4 out of the division at this point isn’t terrible, the offense just needs to get on track.  Losing 2 ARods will do that.  They are only giving up an average of 4.4 runs a game, which isn’t terrible.  Cano really does look like he’s snapping out of it, which will be great.

With Tampa Bay now looking like a legitimately good team now, the Yankees’ margin of error is lower than it’s been in the past.

I agree.  The Yankees might have the second worst starting pitching in the division at this point.  For 2008, wouldn’t the Yankees take any of Boston’s, Tampa’s, or Toronto’s starting staffs?

BC - Tonight is Wang v. Jackson and tomorrow is Moose v. Shields, those are friendlier matchups than you are afraid of.

Unlike Kennedy, he doesn’t nibble. He goes right after hitters, and has 43 strikeouts in 46 innings this season to prove it.

Kennedy has 8 strikeouts and no walks in 8.1 AAA innings.  If he’d been in the SWB rotation all season, his K/IP and K/BB would match up with McCutcheon’s very nicely.  And the NY tabloids would be touting young master Ian as the savior of the staff.

Tonight is Wang v. Jackson and tomorrow is Moose v. Shields...

But it’s a four game set.  They’ll see Kazmir on Thursday.

And oh yeah, if McCutcheon’s going to be this year’s Joba, shouldn’t they move him to AAA and put him in the bullpen?

At this point, bringing up ever pitcher we have in the minors for an audition wouldn’t be a terrible idea. Well, I mean, yeah it would, but maybe someone would stick.

Ah, crap.  I’m stupid.  Yeah, Wang better be on tonight, and the offense better remember to bring their non-foam bats.

And oh yeah, if McCutcheon’s going to be this year’s Joba, shouldn’t they move him to AAA and put him in the bullpen?

I think this year’s Joba is going to be a starting pitcher, not a reliever. The bullpen is pretty strong, with Mo, Farnsworth turning in one of his good years so far, Ohlendorf recovering nicely from his slump, Joba already being there for now, Edwar and Veras looking very good, Albaladejo and Britton looking serviceable, and a couple of depth guys (Strickland, Patterson) hanging out in AAA. If some young gun comes to help out of no where, there’s really only need for him in the rotation, even after Joba begins to start. I suppose the Yanks might be nervous about call up depth now that Horne is injured, but I think the rotation has to be a bigger concern now and with McCutchen being 26, he’s a prime candidate for getting pushed along a little bit harder than the rest.

any one have an idea what McCutcheon’s inning limit is? He spent a decent amount of time last year suspended for a drug policy violation. If innings aren’t an issue, then he should be pushed harder since he’s already mid 20s.

Igawa was a star in Japan- can we trade him back there for a player who is planning on coming to the US in 2009? I hate Kei.

Hasn’t Patterson been putrid in AAA?

idk about putrid, but he’s not been his 2007 or spring training self. He’s also been pitching for over a year straight now, so he may have been going through a dead-arm period.

Patterson has a 3.18 ERA and 17 K’s in 17 innings with only 5 walks. He let up 4 of his 6 ER in a stretch of 4 games in mid-april, but other than that has been solid.

McCutch is a bit older, so I’m thinking he can handle the toll on his arm a little better and adjust to the bigs a bit quicker than Hughes or IPK.  If the choice is Kei or someone like Steven White, I’d bring up McCutch and see what he can do.

If McCutch can stick, maybe the Yanks can move him later on, in the offseason, for some bats.  They need bats.

Frankly, if the choice is Kei or someone like Steven White, I wouldn’t be averse to giving Chase Wright another shot.  Speaking of, why hasn’t he been promoted to Scranton yet?  Anyone know?

Ok, I wasn’t sure. I remember hearing he got off to a rough start.

This is Patterson’s first full season in AAA and he’s striking out a guy an inning. That’s really promising. Of course he’s going to struggle more at a higher level, but if he keeps pitching like this, they ought to add him to the Majors-AAA bullpen rotation.

Speaking of, why hasn’t he been promoted to Scranton yet?  Anyone know?

My guess is he is simply lower on the depth-chart than the other starters the Yankees have in AAA right now.  So IF the Yankees decided to keep Igawa in the pen after IPK comes up, the pitcher (Wright or McCutcheon) they promote to AAA is probably the next one coming to the Majors.

I think this year’s Joba is going to be a starting pitcher, not a reliever.

If that’s the case, then this year’s Joba is last year’s Joba.

If that’s the case, then this year’s Joba is last year’s Joba.

Or, simply, Joba.

Coming soon, a new fragrance from Calvin Kline: Simply Joba.  Smell the fist-pump.

With a delicate bouquet of sandalwood, ego, excitability and playing-game-the-wrong-way.

I’d buy it!

It’s a little hard to see now, because this has been another frustrating season so far, but all in all the Yankees are not doing so badly considering Hughes/Kennedy/Arod/Posada.  And yes the Rays are better, but the Jays are worse.

It would be nice if the Yankees led wire to wire, but horses that close run the more exciting races.  It’s too early to know if they can overtake the frontrunners or if they’ll be pulled up.

McCutcheon is 25 and he’s been good but not fantastic in AA.  Joba and IPK dominated at younger ages.  Wasn’t Chase Wright absolutely unhittable in AA?  I have my doubts.  But Karstens is ready to get a few start at Trenton or Scranton in preparation for sucking for the Yankees

McCutcheon is 25 and he’s been good but not fantastic in AA.  Joba and IPK dominated at younger ages.

Useful for projecting who will have the better career/more upside, not necessarily who may have the better year this year.  I can say with confidence that McCutcheon would pitch better than Hughes right now

FGas: I agree, if the team can play .500 ball while waiting for what is essentially 2 MVP’s to come back and the real IPK/Phil Hughes to stand up then that is much better than the position they put themselves in the last few years.  And on a positive note the bullpen has been a strength for once.

Let not beat ourselves up here over the offense.  When you run into the Matt Garzas of the world there’s very little an offense can do.

I guess [34] is sarcastic - but Garza was one of the top prospects in the country (minor league player of the year, etc.) - it shouldn’t be surprising that he might have shut-down stuff on occasion.

but Garza was one of the top prospects in the country (minor league player of the year, etc.)

Yes, but as his record reveals, he has not lived up to the expectations at the major league level.

Maybe just not yet or not consistently…