Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Rays (55-34) @ Yankees (48-42), 1:05pm **Game Chatter**
TBR: Edwin Jackson (24, RHP, 5-6, 4.08) vs. NYY: Snacks Pontoon (31, RHP, 5-1, 4.19)
Lineups…
Tampa Bay Rays
A. Iwamura, 2B(.274/.346/.379)
C. Crawford, LF(.284/.327/.404)
B. Upton, CF(.280/.392/.414)
C. Pena, 1B(.232/.336/.436)
E. Longoria, 3B(.280/.350/.529)
C. Floyd, DH(.263/.351/.456)
D. Navarro, C(.317/.371/.435)
E. Hinske, RF(.264/.349/.524)
R. Brignac, SS(.000/.200/.000)
New York Yankees
B. Gardner, LF(.130/.192/.130)
D. Jeter, SS(.284/.345/.390)
B. Abreu, RF(.274/.344/.440)
A. Rodriguez, 3B(.318/.403/.597)
J. Giambi, 1B(.256/.393/.537)
J. Posada, DH(.288/.367/.452)
R. Cano, 2B(.255/.291/.371)
M. Cabrera, CF(.247/.310/.359)
J. Molina, C(.229/.268/.318)
The sooner that ol’ Snacks is out of the rotation, the better. Go offense.
*Jonathan in for…(gasp), the liveblog*
Something tells me this game won’t mimic last night’s pitching duel.
Top first: Looks like Giambi has trimmed the stache. Looks good. Ponson starts Iwamura with a strike. That’s something. The count eventually goes to 2-2. Now its full. And Iwamura lines a single to center. Expect more of this and worse as the game goes on.
OK, so Crawford grounds into the 1-6-3 double play. I did not see that coming. Even Miss Cleo couldn’t have seen that one coming.
Wow, a 10 pitch inning as Upton grounds into the 6-3.
Bottom first: I’d like to see Gardner walk some more. Yuck, he tries to drag a bunt and ends up skying it to first for the pop out.
Jeter lines a single to right center. He seems to be on track.
Jeter was running on 3-1 and its ball 4 to Abreu. Two on for A-Rod.
A-Rod swings at the first pitch and flies out fairly deep to center. Jeter tags and moves to third.
Stache singles to center and Jeter scores! First and second now.
Posada hits a towering fly ball to right for the final out.
Rays…..0
Yanks…..1
Top second: Sydney walks Pena. Not good.
Longoria pulls a hard grounder that hits off A-Rod’s glove and goes into left. It was a hit, not A-Rod’s fault. He actually kept it from being a double.
Floyd hits one up the middle that Ponson deflects. He grabs it and flips to first for the first out. Had he not touched it, the Yankees may have had a double play. Oh well.
Navarro flies out down the line to Gardner. Pena bluffs because Gardner is not Damon.
Ponson drills Hinske in the right leg. Bases loaded. Ponson is flirting with disaster here.
Somebody named Brignac flies out to Gardner in left. I’m not sure how Sir Sydney got out of it. Probably best not to question it.
Bottom second: Cano flies out to fairly deep left.
Melky flies out to center.
Molino grounds one down the left field line fair and it hits off the protruding wall and bounces to Crawford. He can only leg out a single. Still, better than his usual AB.
Gardner strikes out looking. Bleh.
Top third: Ponson strikes out Iwamura looking. Somehow.
Ponson strikes out Crawford looking. Inexplicably.
Upton grounds one between third and short for a single.
Ponson strikes out Pena swinging! 
Bottom third: If my liveblog for this half inning is off, please excuse me. I’m still recovering from comprehending Ponson striking out the side.
Jeter flies out to Hinske for the first out.
Abreu lines out to center.
A-rod gets one on the trademark and it moseys its way to second base. Iwamura tries to fire to first but A-Rod beats it out for the single.
Giambi walks and A-Rod moves to second. Rays pitching coach out to talk to Jackson.
On the second pitch, Navarro fires to second to try to pick off A-Rod. He’s called safe but looks like he was out. Full count now to Posada. He pulls it to first and Pena makes a nice backhand and flip to Jackson for the last out.
Top fourth: Ponson drills Longoria in the elbow on the first pitch.
Floyd grounds a hot one to first and Giambi dives and makes the stop. He gets the sure out at first and Longoria moves to second.
Navarro lines out to short and Jeter tries to beat Evan back to the bag but is a step short. Two down.
Ponson had Hinske 0-2 and then walks him.
On the next pitch, Brignac grounds softly to the right of the mound and Ponsons flips to first to end the inning.
Bottom fourth: Cano flies out to center.
Melky bounces a grounder to second for the 4-3.
Molina strikes out swinging.
Top fifth: Iwamura ground one up the middle. Cano field and fires to first where Giambi makes the nice stretch and scoop but he beats it out. Actually, he was out but the ump says Giambi was off the bag. I say BS.
Crawford chops one to Alex and he gets the lead out at second.
Upton grounds into the FC as Alex fields it and flips to second on the move.
Wow, on a 1-2 pitch (ball) Molina nails out Upton attempting to steal second. 
Bottom fifth: Gardner grounds one up the middle. Brignac was playing to pull and he dives and makes the stop but no throw. Infield single.
Jeter flies out to right.
With Abreu batting, Gardner steals second - his 4th on the year. Abreu grounds out to second and Gardner moves to third.
Jackson blows A-Rod away on a 3-2 fastball.
Top sixth: Pena hits a fly ball to deep right center and over the wall. There goes the lead.
Longoria flies out to the warning track in right center. Man, it looked like he hit it off the end of the bat.
Floyd drills one to center. Melky came in and then had to go back and leap to make the catch. Two down.
Ponson comes back to form and strikes out Navarro swinging.
Rays…..1
Yanks…..1
Bottom sixth: Giambi pops out to Jackson behind the mound.
Veras is warming in the Yanks pen. Posada flies out to short right.
This is stating the obvious but the Yankee offense really needs to step up in games like this.
Cano swings at the first pitch (shocker) and flies out to center.
Top seventh:
Call me a negative Nancy but I get the feeling that whoever comes in from the pen here is going to get lit up by the Rays. Just have a bad feeling. And its Veras to replace Ponson. Veras gets Hinske looking on a nice slider on the outside corner.
Brignac grounds out to Cano.
On a 3-2 pitch, Iwamura tries to check his swing but Doug Eddings at third base rings him up. So my fears were unfounded. For now.
Bottom seventh: Melky jams a soft liner over Iwamura for a single.
Molina lays down a sac bunt and Melky to second. Like it really matters where a Yankee runner happens to be.
Pitching change time. J.P. Howell in. Gardner strikes out looking.
Jeter strikes out looking. What a shocker: WOE fails to score.
Top eighth: Farnsworth in. Crawford hits it hard on the ground to Cano who makes the out at first.
Farnsworth strikes out Upton swinging on a 3-2 fastball down and away.
Pena hits a hard line drive to right and Abreu makes a leap on the track for the out. Phew.
Bottom eighth: Abreu made a good play to end the last half inning. So that means he has to do something good here, right? Oh no! The formula fails as he grounds out.
A-Rod lines out to Upton.
The only way the Yankees win this is on a HR since they are completely incapable of stringing multiple hits together. Giambi strikes out swinging. WOE is really embarrassing themselves now.
Top ninth: Mo comes in for the precarious non-save/tie game situation. He strikes out Longoria swinging on three pitches. Awesome.
Floyd walks on 4 pitches. Although half of those pitches looked like strikes, damnit! Gomes to run for Floyd.
Navarro flies out to Melky in left center.
Rivera strikes out Hinske looking. I love you, Mo.
Bottom ninth: Much like the previous 8 innings, I expect very little from the WOE here. Posada provides a glimmer of hope by walking. He is pinch ran for by Justin Christian.
Cano shows bunt. Shoot my face. Two straight balls. Please take off the bunt now. Nope, but he pulls back on a strike. Then he bunts the next one to third and Christian moves to second on the sac. Does this help the Yankees? I’m confused.
Balfour in to pitch. He’s a RH so Melky batting lefty. Christian steals third! His first as a major leaguer! The steal came on an 0-2 pitch. But Melky strikes out swinging. Really no surprise there.
Molina up to make the last out of the inning. Stealing home would probably be the Yankees best chance. Molina pops out to Iwamura in short right.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SACRIFICE FOR THE BOTTOM CRAP IN YOUR LINEUP.
My contract only requires me to do 9 innings. I’m hungry and tired of liveblogging WOE so I’m out of here. Hopefully it rains and the game gets continued after the Yankees replace the black holes in their lineup with some major league hitters.
*Jonathan out*
Comments
I think the Yanks will get to Jackson today, I also think the D-Rays will get to Ponson today, should be a long game.
Ah, weekday afternoon games. They tie me to my computer enough that I feel like I’m working but distract me enough so that I’m not really.
I know I’ve said this before but…
When Jeter hit that pitch from Kazmir on the black of the plate off the RF wall in the first, I thought it was a clear sign his bat was in a groove. Even his DP ball last night was hit hard. July is his month this year.
Uh, the third that is.
What’s the DP count on Jeter this year?
13. It’d be less if Damon’s OBP was lower.
AB - 7
I miss Wang. It’s just not the same when I can’t make imaginary newspaper headlines incorporating clever penis jokes. Although I suppose something as simple as “I miss wang” had promise.
IPK’s performance last night not very encouraging. Who can man down the 4 and 5 spots best until September.
CC Sabathia could have occupied both spots. Get it? Cause he’s fat. Get it?
I thought fat jokes were banned on days Ponson started (until his inevitable meltdown of course)
I like IPK and think he can be a decent MLB pitcher, but I also like the idea of him staying in AAA for a while. Also, AAA’s rotation could be a great watch soon if Horne and Aceves come back healthy. It’d those two IPK and McCutchen fighting for the inevitable call up.
of course coming back from the DL would imply health, I meant effective.
I have no problem with Rasner staying in the five spot for a while. They need someone better than Ponson for the 4 spot. I have to think McCutchen can’t be to far away.
Bring back Chacon
Girardi said Ponson will stay in the rotation after the break. On the other hand Ponson just might be the second coming of Bryan Webb.
That was painless.
so far so good
I think IPK has the most upside. He’s already excelled in AAA in his 1st year of pro ball whereas I would have expected McCutchen to already be major league ready at his age.
I like that Ponson is throwing a lot more fastballs than his last start. Its really his only serviceable pitch
Horne hasn’t pitched since he left his start after 2/3rds of an inning more than a week ago. There was no injury, just apparent fatigue. I wonder when he’ll get back on the bump? I think he’s lost enough time that the Yankees would just prefer to get him some more AAA innings going forward, then let him compete for a big league job next spring.
Chauncey Gardiner should be able to bunt better then that
I’d argue that Horne has the most upside. He also has the most question marks. But his stuff is certainly better than any of the other 3.
It’s starting to look like Horne, just like “Fetch”, just isn’t going to happen.
Edwin Jackson isn’t a very creative pithcer. All fastballs, all out of the zone.
He’s already excelled in AAA in his 1st year of pro ball whereas I would have expected McCutchen to already be major league ready at his age
Not to pick on you bebop, but I think people need to fixate less on McCutchen’s age. He’s actually progressed quite quickly since he was drafted, having endured several injuries in college. He was selected in the same year as Joba, Kennedy and Robertson…and he was suspended for 50 games. Age doesn’t mean you don’t have to pass tests at each level. He’s doing that rather rapidly.
unrelated question…what is jobas innings limit this year? I would guess that he would get 140-155ish if he keeps making his starts.
why did mccutchen get suspended for 50 games?
What does McCutchen throw?
Stache power.
Nice work by the Yankee offense their, almost looks like a real team.
drug violation. claims it was a prescription or something like that.
50 games? PEDs?
ADD meds.
dcristal…I recall reading that it’s in the 150ish range.
McCutchen was suspended for 50 games for a substance abuse violation, though it was apparently Adderal or some prescription type drug meant to help him study for college finals; not PEDs. I’ve seen him throw a few times, and he’s got a low-90’s 2 seam FB, a good curve that he’s actually strugged with some this year, and a very good change. He’s now apparently working in a slider.
He’s now apparently working in a slider.
surprising, the Yankees seem to generally stay away from sliders.
we had the chance to break it open in the first.
so players are not allowed to use ADD or ADHD medication at all? That does not seem very fair….how are these ADD pitchers going to keep from balking
man, I hate Ponson.
heeeere’s Sidney.
I hate that fat drunk.
YANKEES radio announcer John Sterling is being called out for foul behavior in the stadium’s press dining room. “Sterling has made a habit of walking over to the dessert table and dipping his finger into the ice cream barrel,” one stadium worker told us, adding that the play-by-play vet has also used the same tablespoon to repeatedly take samples. During the Boston series, “He wandered over to the cake and pie section, broke off a piece of a cake slice, ate it and wiped his grimy hands on the linen tablecloth, leaving the remainder of the slice for someone else to eat - which indeed happened,” our spy continued
George Costanza redux
The bats need to step up to win this one. Can they?
Anyone watching, how do you have a groundout to the pitcher without a play at third or 2nd? Was it tapped really lightly? Or is ponson just ponson?
Anyone watching, how shallow was Navarro’s flyball?
Flirtin’ with Disaster
The ball was deflected off his glove.
Ol’ Snacky is a big fan of baserunners.
Yay smoke and mirrors.
Navarro’s ball was hit down the line just passed where the stands jet into the field.
Ponson’s strategy seems to be maximizing baserunners. Does not sound or read like a good one to me.
And yet, keeping his pitch count low. I don’t get it.
Molina is on fire.
Molina is going on one of hit mini-steaks after not hitting for the past two months. Suzy W. is now praising his bat to the skies.
Molina with a hit?
By the way, I’d like to see Gardner bunt more - although pop-ups are not welcome.
Molina only eats mega-steaks. Mini-steaks should be shunned.
We don’t seem to be working the pitch count as we were last night…but that could just appear that way because I’m gameday(ing)...
Mega-steaks indeed!
How about that fat drunk!
How about that fat drunk!
What did Wells do now?
Snacks is dealing!
are ya kidding me?
2 called out….
Ponson seems to be throwing strikes at roughly the same spot, per gameday. And getting strikeouts.
I am surprised, but I will take them.
If I were Ponson, I would undo the bottom button on my uni. No t-shirt underneath, so just a little something was peeking out. If there’s a bigger edge than making hitters wonder if they’re looking at your happy trail, I don’t want to hear about it.
Can you tell my mind is wondering here at work today?
Ponson strikes out the Side!
I really can’t fucking believe that.
wondering=wandering
me=dumm
Does not compute.
Fat drunk dealing
I honestly don’t think there’s anything better than reading through the comments on days the fat drunk is pitching. Especially when the Yanks win.
Especially when the Yanks win.
Slow down, chief.
I think Ponson is a better pitcher than most of the posters here give him credit for. The discrepancy between his actual and perceived efficacy is his unlikability.
WOE
no no no no no, especially when the yanks lose!
Way to work the count guys.
Top third: Ponson strikes out Iwamura looking. Somehow.
Ponson strikes out Crawford looking. Inexplicably.
Upton grounds one between third and short for a single.
Ponson strikes out Pena swinging!
What…!@#$%^
Does anyone know the last time Jeter pulled a pitch?
“I think Ponson is a better pitcher than most of the posters here give him credit for. The discrepancy between his actual and perceived efficacy is his unlikability.”
lets get through this game first
The discrepancy could be his unlikeability or it could be the OPS against of over 800…
Take second A-Rod.
Alex Rodriguez is proficient at hitting baseball with a bat.
As someone who speaks some Dutch, I feel like I should like anyone who has been knighted by her highness Queen Beatrix.
But the putridity of pitching quality combined with the DUI (s?) make it very difficult.
What…!@#$%^
!@#$% the heck.
Much better.
Mattingly to become LA hitting coach in the second half.
Take that kim!
lets get through this game first
Would that change your opinion of Ponson’s pitching, regardless of outcome?
Ponson didn’t really implode till the 3 run hr against texas. Let’s all just keep holding our breath.
Tampa really has an unlimited stock of position players.
And next season they will be even better once David Price joins the rotation.
Maybe David Price will have inexplicable and long-lasting injuries.
And next season they will be even better once David Price joins the rotation.
Apparently they are considering bringing him up before the rosters expand. I don’t believe it though.
Are they planning on letting him play for the yanks?
What was the deal with Mattingly and the Dodgers anyway?
His wife was divorcing him (it got ugly, he had to call the cops at one point), so he pretty much took a leave of absence. He was a “special advisor” to the team.
Mattingly was going through a rather messy divorce, I believe - which wasn’t conducive to him being in LA all the time.
Ok, I am off the Ponson bandwagon. Hitting people to put the lead runner on is just inexcusable.
The ‘Stache plays defense too.
Price has been breezing through the minors. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays call him up.
That’s right. Thanks folks.
Was that double play able? I don’t mind the sure out. Giambi could pick it pretty decent.
Jeter bails out the team.
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