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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

New York Yankees(7-7) at Tampa Bay Rays(6-7), 7:10pm **LiveBlog/Chatter**

The road trip from Hell continues.
NYY: Andy Pettitte (36, LHP, 1-1, 3.09) vs. TBR: Edwin Jackson (24, RHP, 2-0, 0.64)
Edwin Jackson for Cy Young!

Lineups…
NY Yankees
Damon, lf
Jeter, ss
Abreu, rf
Rodriguez, 3b
Matsui, dh
Giambi, 1b
Cano, 2b
Cabrera, cf
Moeller, c

Tampa Bay
Bartlett, ss
The Speedy Carl Crawford, lf
Pena, 1b
Upton, cf
Longoria, 3b
Gomes, dh
DeFelice, c
Ruggiano, rf
Johnson, 2b

Did you know?
- The Yankees are undefeated when Moeller starts
- Andy Pettitte got lit up like a Christmas tree the first time he faced the Rays (5 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings)
- Sub out Moeller for Posada and you’ve got your full desired starting lineup playing
- This is only a two game series, then it’s home for two games against the Red Sox before ten straight on the road

I may or may not be able to liveblog this one.  Go Yanks.

Top of the first
I’m throwing caution to the wind and trying to liveblog this one, at least until the Yankees start losing badly.

Damon starts thing off nicely by fanning.  Jeter follows up by working a full count walk.  Abreu decides the Yankees don’t need to score and hits into a double play.  Great start boys.

Bottom of the first
Pettitte will go to work against Bartlett, who flies out to Abreu.  The Speedy Carl Crawford singles to LF.  Carlos Pena follows up with another single and TSCC advances to third.  This is like Old School Pettitte who couldn’t get lefties out.  Fun times.

B.J. Upton pops up a cutter to Robinson Can’t O and there’s two outs with runners on the corners and Evan Longoria up.  Longoria’s got a bit of a Joker Joe Randa smile thing going.  High fastball gets Longoria swinging.  Nice recovery by Pettitte against Upton and Longoria.

Top of the second
It’d be sweet if yesterday was the start of one Alex Rodriguez’s hot streaks, wouldn’t it?

Your first inning pitch counts: Jackson: 12 pitches, 7 strikes.  Pettitte: 12 pitches, 8 strikes

Rodriguez grounds out on a 97 mph fastball.  It would really suck for the AL East if Edwin Jackson’s finally figured things out.

Hideki Matsui gets ahead 2-1 then POW!  Godzilla! He HRs to CF and the Yankees are up 1-0.

Giambi hits one right into the shift in short RF and there’s two down.  Don’t worry Jason, tomorrow you may get a shot at Mike Timlin again.

Can’t O steps up.  He’s wearing number 42 today in honor of Jackie Robinson, the man he was named after.  Cano takes an 0-2 fastball that looked like a strike.  God bless the automatic 0-2 and 3-0 calls.  Jackson is throwng hard, 95-97mph.  Robinson works a nine pitch walk.  That’s good to see.

Melky will try to continue his solid start to the season with two down and Cano on first.  I’d be ecstatic if Melky can put up an .800 OPS this year.  Melky rips one foul but then goes down looking on a slider down to end the inning. 

Bottom of the second
Pettitte goes after Gomes to start the second.  Fastball is taken for a strike then a cutter is fouled.  On 0-2 Gomes grounds to Rodriguez at third for the first out.

DeFelice stands in now.  Much like the Yanks, the Rays are on their third string catcher, at least tonight.  So of course he singles.

Ruggiano follows up with another single.

Elliot Johnson, the man who is reponsible for injuring Francisco Cervelli stands in now.  I wouldn’t be heartbroken if he gets buzzed here.  I don’t get my wish as he singles on the first pitch he sees and again the Rays have a threat going and one out.

The high-wire act continues as Pettitte gets a double play to get out of the inning.  Phew.

Top of the third
The incomparable Chad Moeller bats now and quickly falls behind 0-2.  He takes a ball then strikes out swinging.  Good AB by Moeller, seeing 4 pitches and all.

Johnny F’ing Damon pops up the first pitch and there are two outs.  Damon is really starting to get under my skin…

Jeter at least uses two pitches to make his out.  7 freaking pitches?  Weak.

Bottom of the third
Hey Andy, this whole let a bunch of guys on and get a DP style of pitching isn’t very enjoyable to watch.  How about a 1-2-3?

The TSCC grounds out to Cano.  One down.

Nice curve by Pettitte to get ahead of Pena 0-1.  A pair of changeups and a fastball all miss and now it’s 3-1.  Cripple pitch coming up… Another fastball misses and Pena walks.  It’s better than a HR.

Upton flies out to Abreu and there are two outs.  Looked scary off the bat but it was about 20 feet shy of the warning track.

Longoria up now and the count goes full.  Gameday has Pettitte topping out around 90 which is fine for him I think.  Longoria draws a walk.  He’s going to be a real PITA, isn’t he?

Here’s Gomes, who’s a much better hitter than tackler.  Gomes rolls one up the middle and Pettitte can’t get it and it rolls all the way into CF for an RBI single and we’re knotted up at 1.

Mike DeFelice singles again, and drives in another run and the Rays now lead 2-1. That’s 7 hits in 2.2 innings and that just ain’t cool.

Pettitte recovers to fan Ruggiano and end the inning.  My TV is being taken over for a bit so updates may be sporadic. 

Pitch counts through 3:
Jackson: 44 pitches, 27 strikes
Pettitte: 49 pitches, 33 strikes.

*** SG out ***

*** Keith in ***

The 4th through 6th innings

Abreu gets a leadoff walk, A-Rod sends him to third with a double, and Gojira grounds out to first, scoring Abreu to tie the game at 2, A-Rod to third. Then with Giambi batting, Jackson throws a wild pitch to score A-Rod to put the Yanks ahead 3-2. Giambi and Can’t-o both ground out to Peña and that ends it.

Pettitte gets a 1-2-3—striking out Jackson, getting Bartlett to ground out to third, and Crawford to fly out to Melky.

Melky strikes out and Moeller flies out, but then Damon walks and steals second, El Capitan singles him home to make it 4-2, and Jeter goes to second on the throw. Abreu singles Jetes home to make it 5-2, and then Abreu’s caught stealing.

Pettitte gets another 1-2-3 by getting Peña to line out to Abreu, Upton to ground out to A-Rod, and Longoria stirkes out.

Jackson out, J.P. “Thurston” Howell in. He strikes out A-Rod, gives up a single to Gojira, strikes out Giambi, and Can’t-o grounds out to first again.

Pettitte does not get a 1-2-3 here. Gomes singles, DiFelice pops out, Ruggiano walks, Johnson hits into a force that sends Gomes to third, Bartlett gets an infield single to drive in Gomes to cut the Yankee lead to 5-3, and Crawford grounds out to second to end it.

Top of the 7th

Melky grounds out to Longira. Moeller walks. So does Sexy Calves, sending Chad to second. (Who’s named “Chad” anymore, beyond preppies who have homes on Sag Harbor?

El Capitan loads ‘em up with a single to center. Abreu pops out to Upton too shallow to score anyone, particularly when the runner on third is a catcher. A-Rod strikes out to end it. For that, he should be beaten with his MVP trophy. (Is it a trophy? I don’t even know. A certificate? A plaque? A purple heart? What?)

Bottom of the 7th

Pettitte comes out to start the seventh. It’s really weird typing that about a Yankee starter in April. Mind you, it’s a good weird.....

Peña strikes out swinging. Upton flies out to Abreu. Longoria swings at the first pitch and also flies out to Abreu.

Top of the 8th

Thurston out, Trever Miller in.

Gojira grounds out right to Miller. Giambi clogs the bases with a walk. Can’t-o flies out to Crawford. Maybe we should just pinch-hit him from now on.....

Miller out (that was quick), Gary Glover in.

Melky socks a single to right on a 2-0 pitch. Chad stays in to hit, and he walks, to load the bases for Mr. Karaoke.

Y’know, the first week, these looked like the new! improved! Devil Rays, ones who’d had a bunch of good drafts and had some fine young talent and might vault past the stuck-in-neutral O’s and Jays to challenge the Yanks and Sawx. This week, though, they’re looking like the good ol’ Deviled Eggs, walking the third-string catcher to load the bases.....

Sexy Calves works the count full, then flies out to center to end it. Sigh. I was hoping for some insurance runs to Farnsworth-proof the game.

Bottom of the 8th

Pettitte out, FARNSWORTHICIDE!!!! in.

Gomes pops out to Jeter.

Wow.

He retired the first batter.

In other news, the world tilted off its axis....

DiFelice gets a shot up the middle, but Cano backhands it and throws him out. Nice play by the kid.

Hinske pinch hits for Ruggiano, who rewards Joe Maddon’s confidence in his hitting ability by striking out on four pitches.

A 1-2-3 for Kyle Farnsworth. Enjoy that sentence, I somehow doubt I’ll be typing it too terribly often.

Top of the 9th

Hinske stays in and plays right field.

El Capitan leads off with a hit up the middle. Abreu works the count full, then walks, sending Cap’n Jetes to second. A-Rod also works the count full, but he just pops out to second.

Sterling and Waldman are carrying on and on about how awful it is that the Yankees have left so many runners on base and passed up opportunities and a bunch of other things, and I had to remind myself that the Yankees are fucking winning the game! If they were down a run, I could see harping on this, but Jesus....

Gojira flies out to Hinske. Giambi grounds out to end it.

Bottom of the 9th

Say your prayers little one
Don’t forget, my son
To include everyone

Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comes

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
Off to never never land

Farnsworth out, Mo in.

Johnson strikes out looking. That’s one.

Bartlett gets an infield hit in the hole between Jeter and Rodriguez. However, The Speedy Carl Crawford flies out to left. That’s two.

Just as I was about to type how cool it is to have Mo facing Peña, one of the Rays’ power threats, with the game on the line, Peña swings at the first pitch and grounds out to end the game. That’s three.

Hey look! We’re a game over .500! Woot!

Goodnight, everybody!

*** Keith out ***