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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

6/20/07: New York Yankees (35-33) at Colorado Rockies (36-34) - 9:05 PM ET **Liveblog**

A. Pettitte (4-4, 2.93) vs J. Francis (6-5, 3.61)

NY Yankees
M. Cabrera cf
D. Jeter ss
B. Abreu rf
A. Rodriguez 3b
J. Posada c
H. Matsui lf
R. Cano 2b
A. Phillips 1b
A. Pettitte p
Colorado
W. Taveras cf
K. Matsui 2b
M. Holliday lf
T. Helton 1b
G. Atkins 3b
B. Hawpe rf
T. Tulowitzki ss
Y. Torrealba c
J. Francis p

“Are you ready to step up.”

When the Yankees finally hit .500 at 31-31 in the midst of a nice winning streak, it felt like they had the ability to go 100-0 in their final 100 games.  Obviously, we all know it just felt that way.  Since reaching .500 in June, the Yankees have gone 4-2.  This team will lose games occasionally, even if they do end up making the playoffs.  Avoiding consecutive losses would help keep their playoff dreams alive.  Tonight, Pettitte tries to get the team right back on track after yesterday’s loss.  However, the Yankee offense needs to do its part too, unlike last night.  They need to take advantage of that thin air.  They need to pound Francis into oblivion.  They need to “step up.”

Pre-game chatter: Rachel has an 11-2 record here at RLYW.  I don’t think she’s ready to be a part of consecutive Yankee losses just yet.

I can’t liveblog tonight and Larry’s busy watching the Tigers slap the Nats around.  Perhaps SG will quit his job and liveblog.  Or maybe he’ll do it after work.

***Keith in***

I’ve got the WABC on the radio (no YES here—I have Dish Network), GameDay in another window, a Yankees beer stein full of Pepsi, it’s dark, and I’m wearing sunglasses. (Okay, just my regular glasses.)

Game on….

Top of the 1st

Suzyn Waldman says that Jeff Francis has a “whip-like motion” and a “whip-like action.” I don’t know why that amused me, but it did. Melky leads off. Waldman seems to think that Damon will be going on the DL because of his abdominal strain.

Now Sterling is calling Francis “sneaky-quick.” Melky grounds out to Tulowitzki for the first out. Under other circumstances, I’d just say “grounds out to the shortstop,” but how often do you get the chance to type a name like “Tulowitzki”? It’s the little things….

El Capitan is up, trying to extend his hitting streak, latest in a series, collect ‘em all.

And now it’s 14 in a row. The good news is Jeter is on first base with a single. The bad news is I had to hear Sterling refer to the “Jeterian swing,” which is quite possibly my least favorite of Sterling’s malapropisms.

Cutter just posted in the comments that therer are 300 registered readers for this site. Suddenly I have performance anxiety.

Okay, I’m over it. Abreu up. He runs the count to 3-2

Then he swings and misses. Sterling says it was ball four. GameDay has it on the outside corner but over the plate. I believe the web site, only because I trust Sterling’s judgment not at all.

A-Rod swings on the first pitch. grounds out to Tulowitzki. That inning sure died in a hurry….

Bottom of the 1st

I still remember listening to the 20-10 game back in 2002. Andy Pettitte started that game, too. Here’s hoping the result is similar, but without the whole other-team-scoring-ten-runs thing.

Tavares grounds out to Jeter on a 2-1 pitch.

The Other Matsui comes up. He hits a foul pop that Andy Phillips catches for the second out.

Holliday also grounds out to Jeter, thus giving Phillips all three putouts in his first 2007 game.

Top of the 2nd

Jorgie Porgie runs the count to 3-1 and then clubs a base hit to left field. BTW, there’s a really nice piece by Jay Jaffe on Jorgie’s Hall of Fame chances on BaseballProspectus.com.

The One True Matsui strikes out on four pitches.

Cano runs the count to 3-0, which is something I really enjoy typing. He gets an infield single on a ball that The Other Matsui can’t handle. First and second, one out for Phillips.

I’ve been incredibly disappointed with Torre’s inability to make use of Josh Phelps, but it was obvious that Torre wasn’t going to use him because he put disproportionate emphasis on his bad fielding. Phillips, at least, will get at-bats.

He runs the count to 3-0 and takes all the way. I honestly don’t understand why anyone ever swings at a 3-0 pitch. If the guy hasn’t come near home plate for three pitches, there’s a good chance he won’t again.

Then Phillips grounds into a double play to end the inning. And that’s another inning that dies like a quail…..

Bottom of the 2nd

Helton gets his 1000th hit at Coors Field on the first pitch to ruin Pettitte’s perfect game.

Atkins strikes out on four pitches.

Waldman and Sterling just took a shot at the media reporting something incorrectly, in this case the reports that Joe Girardi already has the Orioles managing job. Glass houses and stones, guys.

Brad Hawpe, who just had to be made fun of constantly throughout his childhood, strikes out swinging.

Now my favorite Rockie, Tulowitzki, comes up. I love that the Rockies have Hawpe, Tulowitzki, and Torrealba coming up all in a row. Pettitte walks Tulowitzki on four pitches.

Torrealba hits a force-out to Jeter, who shovels it to Cano to end the inning.

Top of the 3rd

One of the Yankee sponsors is a law firm called Segal and Lax. Would you want someone named “Lax” to represent you? Just sayin’...

Pettitte leads off. I wonder if three years in the NL has made him a better hitter. I remember watching him bat in the World Series from 1996-2003, and it was comical.

Apparently not—he strikes out on five pitches.

Melky runs the count to 3-1, then pops out to center field. Francis isn’t throwing strikes at all, and the Yankees really should have some, y’know, runs and stuff.

Jeter grounds out to The Other Matsui. I wasn’t enjoying the get-people-on-base-and-fizzle-out innings, but a 1-2-3 isn’t an improvement….

Bottom of the 3rd

Francis grounds out to Cano.

Tavares strikes out swinging.

The Other Matsui grounds out to A-Rod, who makes a nice bare-handed play. Pettitte has only thrown 36 pitches through three, according to GameDay.

Top of the 4th

Abreu strikes out again.

A-Rod strikes out swinging.

Jorgie grounds out to Tulowitzki. The Yankees are wallowing in lameness.

Bottom of the 4th

Holliday strikes out.

Helton flies out to The One True Matsui.

Atkins flies out to Abreu. Francis is pitching his way out of problems. Pettitte, though, is pitching phenomenally. Four Ks, only one walk and one hit, and 48 pitches in four innings.

Top of the 5th

Now would be a great time for the Yankees to figure out Francis’s changeup.

The One True Matsui strikes out swinging, keeping the theme of the evening going. *headdesk* I’ve never liked Benihana, as I prefer real Japanese food rather than the silly stuff Benihana does for tourists, but even if I was a fan, I wouldn’t be after listening to Waldman shill for them for all these years. Gyuh.

Cano grounds out to Helton on the second pitch. Sheesh.

Phillips grounds out to Tulowitzki. I’m not enjoying his name as much now.

Bottom of the 5th

Hawpe grounds out to Phillips.

Tulowitzki hits a single to left.

I like Marc Feinsand. Sterling says the Yankees need “a veteran” to be the DH and a bench player, and Feinsand instead suggests Shelley Duncan, which makes more sense than finding another over-the-hill player…..

Torrealba hits into a DP, Jeter to Cano to Phillips. How very Pettitte.

Top of the 6th

Pettitte strikes out again.

Melky hits a double to the gap that Tavares lets go to the wall. Let’s see if the meat of the order can actually pick him up.

YES! El Capitan hits a double of his own to score Melky, 1-0 Yankees. Finally.

Abreu needs to not strike out again. Instead he grounds to Francis, who makes a nice grab and then stupidly tries to get Jeter out. Jeter keeps the rundown going long enough for Abreu to go all the way to second on the fielder’s (dumb) choice.

A-Rod walks. It’s only not an IBB because Torrealba didn’t actually stand up.

Jorgie Porgie strikes out. It’s Francis’s eighth K, but at least they got on the board. The way Pettitte is pitching, it might be enough.

Bottom of the 6th

Buh??? Pettitte leads off the inning by walking the pitcher. That’s, er, inauspicious.

Tavares negates the value of the walk by wasting an at-bat with a bunt, compounded by A-Rod alertly forcing Francis at second. Bad bad call by Hurdle there.

Holliday makes the dumb move moot by hitting a two-run homer. Sigh. 2-1 Rockies. Oh, I forgot—The Other Matsui popped out to Jeter before Holliday ruined my evening.

And then Helton piles on with a double.

Atkins gets a hit to left, and The One True Matsui nails Helton at the plate for the third out, which ends the inning and keeps the game in reach. Go go Godzilla!

Top of the 7th

Christ, the seventh already? It was just the second five minutes ago, wasn’t it?

The One True Matsui follows up his great throw with a wimpy groundout.

Waldman and Sterling claim that Helton was safe and the umpire blew the call. Honestly—the Yanks’ umpiring karma has sucked rocks so it’s nice to get some of their own back.

Cano grounds out to The Other Matsui.

Phillips strikes out swinging. Way to step up, guys. Did you not see Rachel at the top of the blog??????

Bottom of the 7th

The One True Matsui continues his efforts to get on Baseball Tonight by making a diving catch on what would’ve been a Hawpe double for the first out.

My mortal enemy, Troy Tulowitzki, gets a base hit.

Torrealba bloops a single that Sterling had convinced me that Melky caught. Two on, and Ryan Spilborghs (yes, that’s really his name) pinch hits for Francis. This is good news, as this means Francis won’t be pitching anymore.

Spilborghs hits a dribbler to Phillips, who gets the forceout at second. First and third, now, with two outs for Tavares.

Tavares gets a base hit to make the game 3-1. You wouldn’t imagine that would be an insurmountable lead for the Yankees in Coors Field, and yet…..

The Other Matsui hits a triple to make it 5-1. For some odd reason, Torre is taking Pettitte out…...

L-Viz in to pitch to Holliday, who promptly gets a hit to score Kaz to make it 6-1.

Helton grounds out to Cano to finally end the nightmare.

Top of the 8th

Presumably Damon will pinch hit for L-Viz in the hopes of starting something.

Yup. And Waldman just said he’s pinch-hitting for Pettitte. Good job there, Suzie.

And Damon grounds out weakly to third. Heck, L-Viz coulda done that….

Melky grounds out weakly to short. Apparently somebody has replaced the Yankees with the Washington Nationals and didn’t tell anybody…..

Jeter is down 0-2 then works his way back to 3-2. Then he grounds out to the pitcher.

Bottom of the 8th

Ron Villone in to pitch for the first time since the 4th of the month. This could be interesting—in the Chinese curse sense of the word…..

Atkins flies out to Abreu.

Hawpe flies out to Melky.

Tulowitzki grounds out to Jeter. Not bad.

Top of the 9th

I’ve decided that Jeter is incredibly annoying in his Ford ads.

Jeremy Affeldt in to pitch. He’s a former Royal. This means he should probably suck.

Abreu is channeling his April self, striking out for the third time in four PAs.

A-Rod goes to 1-2. This is a former Royal, f’cryin’ out loud!!!!!

Then he works the count to 3-2, and then walks. It’s a start.

Jorgie strikes out on three pitches, thus crushing the faint hope the walk gave me.

Matsui grounds out to my arch enemy to end the game.

This is my fourth liveblog and my first loss. I feel—empty.

That two losses in a row, two runs in eighteen innings in Coors bloody Field!

Sigh.

Ah, well. Goodnight, everybody!

***Keith out***