Weekend pitching matchups vs. Toronto
Friday
RHP Ivan Nova (1-0, 1.93)
vs.
RHP Brandon Morrow (10-6, 4.27)
1:05 p.m., YES
Saturday
RHP Javier Vazquez (10-9, 4.86)
vs.
LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-3, 6.03)
1:05 p.m., YES
Sunday
RHP Phil Hughes (16-6, 4.10)
vs.
LHP Brett Cecil (11-7. 3.74)
1:05 p.m., YES/TBS
These names should look familiar. The Yankees faced the same three pitchers in Toronto last week. These are the exact same head-to-head matchups except with Javier Vazquez taking the place of Dustin Moseley on Saturday.
Red Sox fans ejected from Yankee Stadium – 2
Why do these drunk idiot moron Red Sux fans insist on coming here to our home, start trouble, only to get kick out of the Stadium???
Video Rating: 3 / 5
Postgame notes: “He had no-hit stuff today”
Not surprisingly, one of the reporters at the game today asked Jorge Posada a question about CC Sabathia’s consistency this season, and how important it was considering all the rest of the issues that have befallen the other Yankees starters. As soon as Posada saw where the question was going, he began to shake his head, almost fearfully.
“Knock on wood, man,” he said, looking around for something to rap his fingers against. “I don’t even want to answer that question. We need him.”
Posada’s concern about tempting fate is understandable; Sabathia has been an absolute rock this season, and today’s game was just the latest example. He went eight innings and allowed only a second-inning single to Mark Ellis, giving the Yankees their sixth straight win and pushing Sabathia’s personal total to 19. He figures to get five cracks at reaching 20 for the first time in his career.
Both Posada and Joe Girardi talked about how Sabathia threw early strikes against an A’s lineup that was happy to swing, and it was clear that Sabathia felt comfortable with all his pitches. He even mixed in some two-seam fastballs amongst the usual four-seamer, curve, slider and change.
“He had no-hit stuff today,” Posada said. “He really did.”
Without Sabathia going for a no-no, Girardi said it was an easy decision to pull him after eight. As for why he’s been on this incredible run at home, Sabathia shrugged. “My wife’s cooking, maybe?” he said.
• Another factor that helped Sabathia today – his stamina. Pitching in steamy conditions is tough for most pitchers, but Sabathia says he likes it. He’s also that rare pitcher who seems to get stronger as the season wears on. Girardi suggested that Sabathia’s size contributes to that, saying, “This is not someone that’s frail. He’s a football player playing baseball.”
When that comment was relayed to Sabathia, he nodded. “I agree with it,” he said. “I could see myself playing the offensive line.”
• Curtis Granderson wasn’t supposed to play this afternoon but – obviously – had no problem coming off the bench to replace Nick Swisher after Swisher felt stiffness in his knee. Girardi said he and his coaches spend a long time deciding on the lineup each day, and so he got an earful from Kevin Long as Granderson’s day only got better.
“K-Long was burying me on the bench today,” Girardi said. “(He said) ‘You were really not very smart, not putting Granderson in. But it only took you one inning to figure it out.’ Those guys, we like to give them a day here or there, especially the speed guys so they stay fresh. (And Granderson) was great today.”
• Swisher first hurt his knee during last week’s series in Toronto and told Girardi he “couldn’t explode” when he tried to run after his first at-bat. That was enough for Girardi, who pulled him. The Yankees are saying he’s day-to-day.
• Andy Pettitte did, in fact, report no issues after his bullpen yesterday. He’s on track to throw a simulated game Saturday and, if all goes well, he could be in a minor-league game sometime next week. Alex Rodriguez also felt fine after hitting on the field for a second straight day and still looks like a go for Sunday.
• Want a weird stat? The Yankees are now 3-0 against pitchers who have thrown no-hitters this season. They beat Dallas Braden today, Roy Halladay and the Phillies on June 15 and Matt Garza and the Rays on July 31.
CC is so good he actually sleep-walked through today’s game (Not really, but I just thought it was an unusual photo). Thanks to AP for the pic.
Yankees Shea Stadium American League History in Queens NY
A Yankee fan visits Shea Stadium for the last time.
Today’s Lineup
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1b
Cano 2b
Thames DH
Posada C
Kearns LF
Nunez 3b
Gardner CF
Sabathia P
Astronaut to throw first pitch for Yankees
Presented by collectSPACE.com — The Source for Space History and Artifacts. Astronaut Garrett Reisman has thrown the ultimate fastball for the New York Yankees, a pitch that clocked in at better than five miles a second. But the throw was high — at least 220 miles above the plate — aboard the International Space Station, where Reisman is orbiting Earth as a member of the 17th resident crew. Reisman’s ceremonial pitch will debut when it opens the Yankees’ game vs. the Boston Red Sox on April 16. It is the first-ever ceremonial pitch thrown from space in Yankees’ history, and although it was a bit high, it was near at least part of the Yankee infield. An avid fan and a native of Parsippany, NJ, Reisman brought along a few items to help him feel at home during his stay. With him on the station is a sample of dirt from the Yankee Stadium pitcher’s mound, a Yankees banner and a Yankees hat. On April 15, 2008, collectSPACE.com spoke with Reisman from on-board the ISS about the first pitch.
Postgame notes: A “personality win” for A.J.
Joe Girardi remembers how his old manager, Don Zimmer, used to talk about “personality hits.” If a guy was particularly scuffling at the plate and his confidence was down, one hit – just one – could be enough to turn his outlook around. Along those lines, tonight was a “personality win” for A.J. Burnett, Girardi said, as the righthander got his first victory since July 28.
Now obviously Burnett pitched well at points during that stretch – eight innings of one-run ball against the Royals most notably – but there’s something to be said for feeling like you’re a part of the team’s success, and even Burnett admitted it felt good to finally get a win.
“It helps – it’s a good win for the team,” he said. “My job is to go out and do what I did tonight. I’m going to pitch well and now’s the time to do it.”
That was a common theme, as both Burnett and Derek Jeter talked about the importance of forgetting their less-than-appetizing season statistics since all that matters now is what happens over these next four weeks or so. “I don’t look,” Jeter said when asked about seeing his numbers on the scoreboard. “I’d love to be hitting .350 but that’s not the case.”
Does he care? Of course. But he cares more about contributing, and tonight Jeter went 1-for-5, reached on an error and scored two of the four Yankee runs. Knowing Jeter, he’ll take that and a win every time.
Here’s the Girardi audio:
• What stood out about Burnett’s performance? His curveball and change-up. If those two pitches are on, particularly the change-up, it makes Burnett’s fastball even more dominant. “If (the change) is a good one, it gives hitters something different to think about,” Girardi said. For those who were watching tonight, you might have noticed the change-up with a particularly nasty dive to it; Girardi even likened it to a splitter. “I attacked,” Burnett said.
Here’s some of Burnett’s audio:
• Mark Teixeira now has 50 RBI in his last 53 games going back to July 1, though even he admitted his hits tonight weren’t exactly thunderous blasts. “Two of the hits were actually lucky,” he said. “Ground balls with eyes.”
• Assuming he feels OK tomorrow, Andy Pettitte will throw a simulated game on Saturday. If all goes well, he could be headed on a minor-league rehab outing after that.
• Jorge Posada definitely had a legit gripe over the strike three call from Dana DeMuth in the eighth, but Posada is lucky that he threw his fit tonight instead of yesterday. Since rosters had expanded, the Yankees had Chad Moeller available to come in and catch the ninth. Girardi said he was “really glad” he had Moeller since Eduardo Nunez was already out of the game and Ramiro Pena – who is the emergency catcher – was set to go to third base.
• Nice work out of the bullpen, with Joba Chamberlain getting into and out of trouble in the seventh and Boone Logan, Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera following him to close the game out. Asked about Logan and Wood, Girardi said, “They’ve meant a lot. They’ve given us options. They give us a nice group of guys down there that can get big outs.” For the record, Logan has retired 27 of the last 31 lefties he’s faced while Wood has allowed just one earned run in 13 1/3 innings since coming to the Bronx.
That’s it for tonight. Back at it tomorrow with CC looking for the sweep. Thanks to everyone for reading.
Red Sox Fan Fights with Cops
This Red Sox fan thinks she can take on a female NYPD Officer. She’s pretty angry. www.hotdailyvideos.com http www.hotdailyvideos.com http www.hotfunnyclub.com http www.allinnone.com http
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Pettitte: It’s a great day
Andy Pettitte came through his bullpen session this afternoon without any major issues and said he it was “a great day” for him as he recovers from a groin injury.
“I’m going to come in tomorrow and see how it feels,” Pettitte said. “I was a little tender after my last time and obviously I did more this time. I hope I just have a little bit of soreness. I imagine I will.”
Pettitte had initially suggested that he could be back about a week-and-a-half from now and he said he’s not sure how today’s bullpen would affect that estimate. Pettitte threw 30 pitches, sat down for about five or six minutes, then threw “a good hard simulated inning,” he said.
Although Pettitte’s schedule is still to be determined, he expects to face hitters in a simulated game before making at least one minor league rehab start. “It’s just a matter of where,” he said.
The best part of today for Pettitte was that he was able to focus on the location of his pitches, instead of feeling for any pain every time he threw the ball. “I’m a long way from the command that I need,” he said, “but this is a good start.”
Mariano Rivera entering Game 6 2009 World Series Yankee Stadium Nov 4, 2009
Mariano Rivera the best closer in baseball history running in to Enter Sandman to close Game 6 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Mariano Rivera is the man.
