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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Angels (97-65) @ Yankees (103-59), Saturday, October 17, 2009, 7:57pm **Liveblog/Game Chatter**

ENTER SG:LAA: Joe Saunders (28, LHP, 16-7, 4.60 ERA, 5.17 FIP, 2.0 WAR) vs NYY: A.J. Burnett (32, RHP, 13-9, 4.04 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 3.2 WAR)

Lineups
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Chone Figgins, 3B (.298/.391/.393, 5.7 WAR)
Bobby Abreu, RF (.293/.390/.435, 2.1 WAR)
Torii Hunter, CF (.299/.366/.508, 3.0 WAR)
Vladimir Guerrero, DH (.295/.334/.460, 0.0 WAR)
Kendry Morales, 1B (.306/.355/.569, 3.4 WAR)
Juan Rivera, LF (.287/.332/.478, 2.1 WAR)
Maicer Izturis, 2B (.300/.357/.434, 2.5 WAR)
Mike Napoli, C (.272/.350/.492, 1.3 WAR)
Erick Aybar, SS (.312/.345/.423, 3.1 WAR)
Total,  (.296/.360/.465, 23.2 WAR)

New York Yankees
Derek Jeter, SS (.334/.404/.465, 5.7 WAR)
Johnny Damon, LF (.282/.364/.489, 3.1 WAR)
Mark Teixeira, 1B (.292/.383/.565, 4.7 WAR)
Alex Rodriguez, 3B (.286/.402/.532, 3.5 WAR)
Hideki Matsui, DH (.274/.366/.509, 1.9 WAR)
Nick Swisher, RF (.249/.369/.498, 3.0 WAR)
Robinson Cano, 2B (.320/.352/.520, 3.5 WAR)
Melky Cabrera, CF (.274/.333/.416, 0.9 WAR)
Jose Molina, C (.217/.290/.268, -0.7 WAR)
Total,  (.289/.370/.493, 25.6 WAR)

Yankee Win Probability: 56.5%

Yes, Jose Molina gets another start, and again, it’s not nearly as big of a deal as some are going to make it out to be.

The business side of baseball cannot be ignored.  There is a chance that tonight’s game will be the last one played in Yankee Stadium this year, if the Yankees lose tonight then get swept in Anaheim.  A win tonight guarantees at least one more home game, and all the potential revenue that entails.

Increased revenue = good for business.  The Yankees can use that extra money to tack on an extra year to Damaso Marte’s contract, or to lock up Molina as the backup from 2010-2015.  They may even have money left over to draft and sign more Tommy John surgery candidates.

Anything that’s good for business is important.  If the Yankees stop making money, they become the Kansas City Royals.  That could mean the return of Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth.  We don’t want that, do we?  Therefore, I shouldn’t have to tell you how important tonight’s game is. Its importance is self-evident.

It won’t be easy, because Joe Saunders has held the opposing team scoreless 12 times in his career.  It’s pretty hard to win if you don’t score.  It’s also worth noting that Mike Napoli has hit .364/.417/.909 against Burnett in his career.  That it’s only been 12 PAs is irrelevant.  This tells us far more than either player’s career numbers or projections.  Figure Napoli gets five PAs today, which means he will single-handedly provide at least two runs.

Maybe the Yankees will get lucky, and the umps will hand them a 3-2 win.

Go Yankees.

EXIT SG

ENTER LARRY MAHNKEN:

6:12 pm: I haven’t done this in some time, but we’re gonna try a liveblog of tonight’s game (should there be a game).  Got a cheap TV card in my computer, so maybe I can get some pics up during the game, but no promises on that one.

If you’re looking for multiple places to chat about the game, the BTF Game Chatters have been pretty active for the Yankees games, and the real-time IRC chats at #baseball_primer are fun, too.

Still no decision on whether there will be baseball, radar looks bad, but maybe it’ll be something they can play through.

6:46 pm: I don’t see it being that big a deal to start Molina over Posada in AJ’s starts.  Yes, you obviously want the better bat in the game, but Posada goes in as soon as Burnett comes out.  That probably means 2 ABs for Molina, and if he gets 3, that probably means that the Yanks have put up some runs.  If there is any possibility that Burnett really is better with Molina than Posada, then the Yankees would be coming out ahead on that trade.

If Burnett gets knocked around today, then you’ve got to go Posada in Game Five.  But until then, I can live with 2 ABs from Jose Molina.

7:32 pm: Sad to see the blimp shot of Yankee Stadium all lit up… with a big black emptiness next to it on the screen…

7:34 pm: FOX won’t tell you, but they’re the reason that this game might be suspended.

FOX wants a primetime game, of course, but a Saturday game should be played at 4:00.  If it had been… there would be no problems with the rain.  It would have been a bit warmer, too.

7:50 pm: Looks like we’ll have baseball tonight.

7:58 pm: We’re underway!

7:59 pm: AJ starts us off with a strikeout.  Keeping Figgins off the basepaths is going to be huge if the Yankees are going to win—he’s always been a pain in their ass.

8:04 pm: With two outs he gets ahead on Hunter and then gives up a bloop double down the right field line.  AJ is looking good, but with Vlad up, here’s a big moment early.

8:05 pm: No problems, easy bouncer to Derek for the third out.  AJ throwing some heat in that first inning, PitchFX had several pitches at 96.

8:09 pm: Uh-oh, Jeter hacking away early might mean the Yanks expect to pound Saunders.

Or maybe he just liked that first pitch…

8:10 pm: Damon hit one that looks like it would have been gone two months ago, but that died well in front of the wall.

8:12 pm: Not the best start for the lineup, but Damon and Tex managed to work the count a bit.  Not necessarily the most important thing when rain is not unlikely to suspend the game early, but it’s something.

8:15 pm: All you need is love.  And a BlackBerry.

8:17 pm: Well, it’s only 1.1 innings so far, but AJ looks nasty.  Score one for playing Molina?

8:18 pm: So apparently a baseball slows down while passing through the air.  Amazing.

But what if they played in a vacuum?

8:20 pm: A nice stab by Burnett to stop Izturis’s hard grounder, and he’s through two looking great.

8:24 pm: A-Rod with a soft liner to short.  UNCLUTCH.

8:27 pm: Nick Swisher walks to break up the perfect game for Saunders.  I was starting to sweat there.

8:30 pm: Robby rips an RBI triple to the gap, 1-0 Yanks!

8:32 pm: It needs to be said every time: Robby looks like he’s heading out to knock over a liquor store after the game.

8:33 pm: Melky strikes out and the Yankees fail to clear the pitcher.

8:39 pm: Great stretch by Tex, again.  Years of Giambi made us forget what great defense at first looks like.

8:42 pm: Figgins works a 1-2 count into a walk.  Let’s see how fast he ends up on third.

8:43 pm: Two outs, AJ.  Focus on Abreu.

8:46 pm: After falling behind 2-0 on Bobby, AJ throws 2 straight strikes and gets an easy flyball to Melky.  Looking great so far.

If Molina get a double or something here, then there really wasn’t anything lost by starting him.

8:50 pm: Okay, so much for that.  Molina strikes out and looks awful doing it.

8:51 pm: Wow, I actually thought there was a possibility we’d see no homers as NYS this series.  Jeter takes Saunders out the other way and it’s 2-0 Yanks.

8:53 pm: Show the game and stop slobbering over Jeter, FOX.

8:55 pm: Broken bat grounder to second, Tex beats out the relay so A-Rod is up with two outs and one on.

8:57 pm: A-Rod hits it pretty hard, but right at Abreu.

He’s very clearly over his postseason mental block, he looks good at the plate and is hitting the ball hard and to the outfield.

8:59 pm: That guy’s wife in the John Hancock text message commercial is the fastest text message typer ever.  And yet she still shortens “are” and “be”.

9:01 pm: 2009 ALCS MVP?  Mark Teixeira’s right foot.

9:03 pm: Vlad strikes out on a ball in the dirt, ball bounces off of Molina and then off of Vlad, Molina barely gets Vlad at first.  Maybe.

Still counts.

9:07 pm: Painful inning for Molina.  Ball off his knee and head on the same foul ball, then a foul off his thumb.

Still, AJ continues to look amazing.  I guess Molina will either be catching Game Five… or Game Two?

9:12 pm: Was Vlad safe?  Looks like a tie to me, and since you have to be on the bag with the runner not yet on it, looks like Vlad was safe:

9:14 pm: A relatively quiet inning for the Yanks, back to the AJ show…

9:18 pm: Not a good start to the fifth, Izturis rips an automatic double to right.  The Angels are great at turning these opportunities into runs.

9:19 pm: A shallow flyball to center keeps Izturis at second.  It’ll take a hit or some kind of Yankees miscue now.

9:21 pm: Aybar does just that, hard single up the middle and it’s 2-1.

It’s been a great 4 innings from AJ, but he’s got to keep it together here.

9:23 pm: Aybar steals second and now a single makes it a new game.  Another big moment here.

9:25 pm: A HBP with two strikes and AJ is in trouble.

9:26 pm: This is where Molina really needs to earn his start, keep AJ from falling apart.

9:32 pm: Bobby Abreu swings at ball 4 on 3-1, and then hits one to the wall in foul territory for the second out.  Almost 4-2 Angels.

9:33 pm: AJ has really lost command this inning.

9:36 pm: AJ throws a wild pitch on 3-2 to load the bases, but it goes in the stands to keep Aybar from scoring.

Now it’s the man who isn’t throwing strikes vs. the guy who swings at balls.  This is the turning point of this game.

9:39 pm: A 2-strike wild pitch ties the game.

You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?

9:40 pm: A grounder to Jeter ends it… it could have been a lot worse.

AJ probably has only one inning left in him, do they pinch-hit Posada for Molina this inning?

9:43 pm: They’ve got to get to Saunders soon.

9:44 pm: Melky starts it off with a single up the middle.  If you’re keeping Molina in here, he’s got to bunt.  But they should send up Jorge.

They don’t.  BIG moment.

9:45 pm: Missed bunt and foul bunt for Molina.  Not looking like a smart move by Joe.  Especially if AJ gets knocked out of the box next inning.

9:48 pm: Jose makes fools of us all with a 3-2 single.  Great AB by Jose after the bunt attempts.

9:49 pm: Derek: DO NOT BUNT.

9:50 pm: Maybe he should have bunted…

9:51 pm: Wow, Jeter was safe.  Well, can’t catch all the breaks.

9:52 pm: Damon strikes out and the Yankees blow the opportunity.

Now comes the biggest half-inning of the game.  Which AJ will we see?

9:55 pm: Screen shot of Jeter getting thrown out on the DP:

9:57 pm: Morales struck out looking on a nice backdoor breaking ball (probably a little outside).  Good start for AJ.  Two more and you’ve done your job.

9:59 pm: Flyout to Swish for #2.  One more to go.

10:01 pm: AJ fights back from 3-1 to get a flyout to Melky.

If that’s it… it was a nice start.  That fifth inning sucked, but he looked amazing for the first four innings.

It’s all on the lineup now.  You can’t let Joe Saunders off the hook like they have, even though it’s cold.

10:05 pm: Will another AJ start end with another pie?

10:06 pm: Tex grounds out but dislodges the ball with his butt and is safe at first.  A-Rod thinking, “why didn’t I think of using my butt?”

10:06 pm: A-Rod pops out to right.  A week and a half ago the boobirds would be raining down…

10:07 pm: Matsui grounds into a double play, and they’ve totally let Saunders off the hook tonight.  Horrible.

10:11 pm: Another inning for AJ.  He’s been good 5 of 6… can he finish strong?  Yanks need it.

10:14 pm: AJ gets Aybar to ground to second on a 3-2, but Cano boots it.  They’re going to pay for that.

10:15 pm: Phil Coke coming in for Figgins and, presumably, Abreu.  It’s nailbiting time.

10:19 pm: Coke spending a little too much time with Aybar, falls behind 2-0 to Figgins.

10:21 pm: And he walks Figgins!  Brutal failure for Coke.

10:22 pm: I think we’ve all seen this film before…

10:25 pm: Big strikeout of Abreu for the second out, now it’ll be Joba vs. Hunter.  I’m willing to hear another year of “JOBA TO THE PEN!” for a strikeout here…

10:31 pm: Joba gets Hunter to hit a slow chopper to Jeter, but too slow.  Bases loaded.

10:32 pm: Joba vs. Vlad?  This ends really well or really badly.

Well, with the bases loaded and two outs, I guess it has to…

10:35 pm: Vlad swings at ball one—at least twice—and the inning is over.

10:40 pm: Swisher rips a leadoff single, and Brett Gardner comes in to pinch-run.  Another huge spot in a game full of them so far.

10:41 pm: Saunders stays in to face Cano, and Robby swings at ball one.

10:44 pm: Cano screws it up and hits into a double play.

WE’VE SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE.

10:46 pm: The Yankees do not deserve to win this game.

10:48 pm: Someone should sit down with Brett Gardner and explain to him the point of putting in a pinch-runner…

10:50 pm: Despite the ALDS struggles, it is calming to see Hughes in here.  Let’s see if he’s straightened it out.

10:51 pm: A fly out to Gardner, then a base hit to center.  Willits on to run for Rivera.

I bet he runs.

10:54 pm: Derek Jeter not very clutch tonight.  Is this the trade we made for A-Rod’s ALDS?  Jeter blows an easy DP.

10:57 pm: Gary Matthews, Jr. pinch hits for some reason and strikes out.

And now Rivera comes in… what?!?!

10:59 pm: I just don’t get this move.  It’s not that I oppose using Rivera in a tied game, but the fact is that Hughes wasn’t pitching badly, just make Matthews look bad, and this game might go for a while.  I don’t agree with this move at all.  I hope it works out okay.

11:00 pm: FYI, that doesn’t count as it working out.  Working out means that they don’t lose until extra innings, and Marte or Gaudin don’t show up until the 15th.

11:04 pm: Here comes Jorge.  Can he give the Yankees the lead?

11:04 pm: Nope, he grounds out.  Well, Molina could have done that.  Molina got a hit!  You suck, Jorge!

11:06 pm: Homer aside, Derek Jeter has been as unclutch in this game as any postseason game A-Rod ever got ripped for.

11:08 pm: Another inning, another pathetic offensive effort.  They look a lot like the Angels did last night.

11:09 pm: The difference being that they’re not facing CC Sabathia…

11:11 pm: Damon with a great sliding catch to put out Figgins.  I could see shades of Dave Roberts this inning on that play.

11:13 pm: Abreu strikes out looking on a pitch I think was a ball all night.  But hey, it’s Mo.  He gets calls.

11:15 pm: A strikeout looking by Hunter, and that may have been inside.  But Mo gets calls.  He’s earned them.

11:19 pm: Looked at the video, those were strikes.  Great job by Rivera.

If the Yanks win tonight, it’s a pie night.

11:20 pm: A-Rod up with a chance to win it.  Can he come through again?

11:22 pm: Nope.

11:24 pm: Matsui with a broken-bat single with two outs, and he’s out of the game.  So that’s the last pitch A-Rod will see tonight.

11:27 pm: Brett Gardner bounces a single to left through the hole vacated by Aybar, and Guzman goes to third.  Cano up with two outs and the winning run on third.

Robby has struggled with runners in scoring position all year.  But this is the only time that matters.

11:29 pm: And he grounds out weakly.

11:33 pm: A leadoff single for Vlad.

11:34 pm: Joe Buck has been hanging out with Chip Carey.  FISTED TO CANO!

11:35 pm: A-Rod tries to kill Rivera on a bunt popout.  Not clutch, Alex.

11:35 pm: Stop the presses, Joe Buck said something clever!

“Always catch a popup with four hands”

11:37 pm: Y’all still alive there?  Cano makes a running catch which live looked like a base hit until he appeared on the screen.

11:39 pm: 25 pitches for Mo.  He can probably come out for the 11th with tomorrow off.

11:41 pm: On a night where the ball isn’t carrying, everyone’s gonna try to homer from here on out.

11:43 pm: Bloop hit to center for Melky, and the Yankees have a shot again.

11:45 pm: Jorge hits into a DP… BUT THEY CALL MELKY SAFE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAY!

That was too obvious to let it go, I think.

11:49 pm: Yanks are going to waste that, Damon pops out to Figgins in foul territory.

11:51 pm: Tex grounds out to short, and it means nothing.

Still, the Angels don’t really have a moral leg to stand on here.  Umpires do screw up that call—intentionally—all the time, but the rule is still the rule.  You have to touch the bag.

11:54 pm: Now it’s on Aceves.

11:57 pm: You can’t walk Matthews!  You can’t do it!

Yanks lose in this inning.

12:01 am: Told ya.

12:02 am: You. Can’t. Walk. Matthews.

Jesus.

12:04 am: So A-Rod, Guzman and Gardner to tie it.  Whee.

12:07 am: Yes, I accept the blame for this one.

12:11 am: HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12:18 am: So the Yanks can’t win it there, but A-Rod really put the nail in the coffin of the unclutch stuff.

12:21 am: So in comes Marte to face Morales with one out.  Will Damaso make A-Rod’s home run all for naught?  Will he put Robertson in a pickle again?

12:25 am: Or get Morales to ground to third?

12:26 am: Now it’s Robertson to try and keep it tied for an inning or two.

Girardi knows he’s almost out of pitchers, right?

12:29 am: And Robertson gives up a two strike double to Jeff Mathis.  Not promising.

12:30 am: Walking Izturis is a good way to ensure that a solo homer doesn’t tie it in the bottom of the inning.

12:33 am: Hey, Alfredo—that’s what you’re supposed to do with Matthews.

If you had done that, Alex would have a pie in his face now.

12:36 am: Ervin Santana in now… flashbacks to Game Five of the 2005 ALDS… not pleasant.

12:40 am: A bloop single to right for Jorge with one out, and the Yanks have the winning run on.

12:42 am: Jeter hits into another GDP, but Aybar drops it and they only get a forceout.

Great clutchness tonight, Derek.  Very clutch.

12:44 am: Base hit to right, and if Tex can manage a single the Yanks head to LA up 2-0.

12:46 am: Bases loaded, two outs, tied game… Alex Rodriguez at the plate.

Please.  Please.

12:47 am: CHOKER!  GET BACK SORIANO!!!

12:48 am: Robertson needs to keep the Angels scoreless here.  Guzman-Gardner-Cano isn’t likely to score a run.

12:50 am: Well, we know who the goat is tonight.

12:59 am: Robertson gets Hunter, now the Angels have 2nd and 3rd with two out and Vlad up.

1:01 am: Robertson gets out of it… and we go on and on.  Will Robertson come out for the 14th?  Because this game ain’t ending here.

1:05 am: Hairston pinch-hits and the Yanks have another opportunity they can waste.

1:06 am: Santana almost sends Hairston to third walking Cano.

Melky and Jorge (barring ANOTHER GDP) to try and win it.

1:08 am: PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE!

2-0 YANKS!

1:25 am: Bad news: I have to work Monday, and won’t be home until the middle of the game or so.  So I can’t keep the liveblog karma going… but they won Friday without one, so we’ll live.