Tagged: Darrell Rasner
Cano Leads Yanks In 8-7 Win As Bombers Sweep O’s
In a game that the Yankees had to win to stay alive for a playoff spot in October, the Bronx Bombers completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles yesterday on a big solo homerun by Robinson Cano in the top of the 7th inning, that broke a 7-7 tie, giving the Yanks the 8-7 lead at the time.
The Cano homer, which is one of the biggest hits in his Yankees career, turned out to be the winning run in the Yankees 8-7 win. This victory added much needed momentum as the Bombers head home to the Bronx in hopes of also sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the very important upcoming three-game series against their long-time rivals at Yankee Stadium this week.
The game today was a long drawn-out affair that lasted four hours and one minute.
The Orioles only lead came in the first inning, when Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff hit back-to-back homeruns off Yankees starter, Darrell Rasner, that put the O’s up on the board first, 2-0.
The O’s lead would not last long, though. as the Yankes battled right back scoring four runs in the top of the second inning, on a RBI double by Robinson Cano, the first of four hits for Cano on the day, that scored Nady; and, a three-run homer by Johnny Damon, that drove home Matsui and Cano, as Damon circled the bases before also crossing the plate to move the Bombers ahead 4-2.
The Yankees continued to rough-up Orioles starting pitcher, Daniel Cabrera, scoring three more runs in the 4th inning, to take what looked like was a commanding, 7-2, lead.
A RBI sac-fly by Jason Giambi; and, a two RBI double by Xavier Nady, knocked Daniel Cabrera out of the game after only 3 2/3 innings of work, in which he allowed, seven runs, on nine hits, three strikeouts, and no walks.
Darrell Rasner was not having a great outing, but after giving up the two first inning homers, he did manage to get out of a bases loaded situation in the second inning without allowing a run; and, struck-out Quiroz to strand two Baltimore runners in the bottom of a scoreless third inning to hold the Yankees lead.
But, Rasner’s luck would run out in the bottom of the 4th, when after getting one out, Derek Jeter made an error on a bad hop grounder by Brian Roberts, that opened the flood gates allowing the Orioles to score three runs, reducing the Yankees lead to 7-5.
The error was a bad break for Darrell Rasner, as his start would end after only three and a third innings, with him allowing five runs [three earned], on 8 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.
After the error, Rasner gave up a double to Markakis, and then walked Melvin Mora, to load the bases, which resulted in Joe Girardi bringing in David Robertson to pitch.
Robertson, who has been very solid out of the Yankees bullpen since being called-up from AAA-SWB, did not do his job in this game. He gave up a RBI double to Huff, and a sac-fly to Kevin Millar before ending the 4th inning on a fly ball to center.
In the bottom of the 5th, David Robertson gave up a lead off single to Jay Payton, but then retired the next two batters. At this point, Girardi decided to replace Robertson with Edwar Ramirez, to pitch to Brian Roberts.
Roberts greeted Ramirez by hitting a two-run homerun, that tied the score 7-7.
After Robinson Cano (4-for-5) hit the go-ahead homerun in the top of the 7th, giving the Yanks the 8-7 lead, it looked like the Yankees bullpen was going to lose this game, as Jose Veras was next in from the pen.
Veras, after getting one out in the bottom of the 7th, gave up back to back singles to, Juan Castro, and Brian Roberts, (3-for-5), that set-up a key moment in this game.
Damaso Marte was called-in to put out the fire.
Marte did what the Yankees expected from him, when he was brought to New York, from Pittsburg, in their deal with the Pirates. With the tying, and go-ahead runs on base, Damaso struck-out, both, Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora, to get out of this very tough situation, holding the Yankees lead at 8-7.
The game was not over yet, as there were still two innings to play.
The Yankees had an opportunity to score again in the 8th, as Bobby Abreu (3-for-4) stroked a one out double, which was followed by an Alex Rodriguez single. But, Jason Giambi ended the rally by hitting into a 4-6-3 double play; and, the Bombers also left two runners on base in the 9th, without scoring another run.
So, once again, it would come down to the performance of the Yankees bullpen to close out the victory.
Marte stayed in the game to pitch the bottom of the 8th, and retired the first two batters, before giving up a walk to Luke Scott. It was now “Mariano Time”, as the Hall of Fame Yankees closer was brought in to record the four-out save.
The “Great Mariano” delivered, striking out the batter for the final out of the 8th.
The Orioles had one more chance to tie, or win, this game in the bottom of th 9th inning.
After quickly recording two outs in the 9th, Rivera walked Brian Roberts, who stole second base, and advanced to third on a bad throw by Ivan Rodriguez. An error could have again cost the Yankees a run, and maybe the game; but, Mariano Rivera struck-out the next batter, Nick Markakis, on a called strike three pitch, for his 31st save, preserving the Yankees 8-7 victory.
The sweep of the Orioles is now complete. Next up, on to New York, to make it a “back-to-back” sweep, by sweeping the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium.
Blue Jays’ A.J Burnett Strike’s Down Yanks, 2-1
Entering last night’s first game of a very important three-game series againt the Blue Jays, in Toronto, the Yankees knew time is running out in their drive to to make the American League playoffs this year. The Yanks had only 38 games remaining as they started play yesterday, and needed to win at least 70% of those games [27 wins] for a chance to play meaningful games in October.
The Yankees task became a little bit harder after they made the final out in yesterday’s, 2-1, loss to the Blue Jays. Their record fell to (66-59), which is only one game better than the fourth place,Toronto Blue Jays (65-60).
Both the Tampa Bay Rays (77-48) and Boston Red Sox (73-53) won their games last night, to move even further ahead of the Bombers. The Yankees are now six games behind the Red Sox; and, eleven games behind the Rays, who now have the best record in baseball, after beating the L.A. Angels yesterday.
The Yankees jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, off Blue Jays starting pitcher, A.J. Burnett, on a leadoff walk to Johnny Damon, who scored on a RBI double by Bobby Abreu in the top of the first inning.
That first inning run, would be the only run the Yankees would score this night; and, it was the only run in the game, until Adam Lind hit a solo homerun, off Yankes starter, Darrell Rasner, in the bottom of the 7th inning, to tie the score, 1-1.
It was a pitching duel between Rasner and Burnett throughout the game, as both starting pitchers were brilliant.
In the bottom of the first, Darrell Rasner gave up a one out walk to Marco Scutaro, and it looked like he would record an easy second out when next batter, Alex Rios, hit a fly ball to centerfield. But, Johnny Damon, “dropped the ball”, for a two-base error. This set-up a second and third situation, with one out.
Rasner got the next two batters out without allowing a run to score. So, the Damon error was not costly, as the Yankees held onto the 1-0 lead.
After the first inning, Rasner coasted until giving up the 7th inning homer, pitching a solid 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, on three hits, one walk, and three strikeouts, while throwing 86 pitches.
This was Darrell Rasner’s best pitching performance of the season for the Yankees, and surely he deserved to win this game.
But, if this was Rasner’s best effort of the year [which it was], then he had the great misfortune to pitch against the Blue Jays, A.J. Burnett in this game.
Burnett, very simply, “pitched a gem” !!!
A.J. Burnett threw 120 pitches [120 pitches !!!], over eight outstanding innings, in which he gave up one run, on 5 hits, and one walk, while striking-out 13 batters. This tremendous display of awesome pitching improved Burnett’s record to: 16-9.
Among the 13 strikeouts, Jason Giambi struck-out, 3 times; Alex Rodriguez, 3 times; Johnny Damon, 2 times; Derek Jeter, 2 times; Nady, one time, Matsui, one time, and Ivan Rodriguez, once. Giambi also struck-out one more time [against Ryan], for his fourth strikeout on the night.
The only Yankee batter who had any success off A.J. Burnett was Bobby Abreu, who was 2-for-4, both doubles, with one RBI.
Jose Veras (L,3-2) replaced Rasner, and with the score still tied 1-1, recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the 8th. The next hitter, Joe Inglett, singled, putting the go-ahead run on base, with Marco Scutaro coming up to the plate.
Veras did his job by getting Scutaro to hit a long fly ball to centerfield. Damon drifted back to the wall, and it looked like he had the ball all lined up to make the catch, for the final out of the 8th. But, just like in the first inning, Johnny Damon, “dropped the ball” — again !!!
Inglett, running on the hit, easily rounded the bases to score the go-ahead run, as Scutaro made it to second for what was scored a double. But, the fly ball was clearly a two-base error, and should have been the third out. The ball was right at Damon, and bounced off the top part of his glove. The ball [just like the dropped ball in the first] should have been caught.
After the game, a very disappointed, and “upset” Johnny Damon, took full responsibility for the two dropped balls. Damon said, ” I just missed the balls, plain and simple. I missed two balls tonight, and that’s unacceptable”.
The Blue Jays closer, B.J. Ryan, entered the game in the top of the 9th inning, to protect the 2-1 Jays lead.
Alex Rodriguez led off the inning with a bloop hit over first base, that scooted into foul territory. A-Rod thought the ball rolled far enough away from the infield, and tried to stretch the hit into a double. Blue Jays’ first baseman, Lyle Overbay, very quickly hustled after the ball, slid on his knee, and made a beautiful perfect throw to shortstop, John McDonald, who placed the tag on the sliding Rodriguez, for the first out in the 9th.
It was an aggressive play by A-Rod, that did not work out. But, I think, you really can’t fault Rodriguez. The way the Yankees are hitting, he was just trying to get something going, trying to get a runner in scoring position, with no outs. It took a perfect play to get A-Rod out at second; and, I give all the credit to Overbay, for staying with the ball, and making the perfect throw to get the out. So be it !
There are many reasons why the Yankees lost this game, and the A-Rod play was not one of the main reasons. I do think, though, Alex Rodriguez getting thrown out on a perfect throw in the 9th, put an “exclamation mark” on how badly this game was going for the Yanks; and, also, on how badly this season is ending !!!
B.J. Ryan retired the next two batters, to record his 24th save of the season, to close out Toronto’s 2-1 victory.
Time is running out for the New York Yankees. October never looked so far away.
X-Tra Special Day For Nady In Yankees 14-9 Win
In one of the most exciting comebacks by the Yankees this season, the Bronx Bombers won the final game of this very important four-game series against the Angels, 14-9, to earn a very well deserved split of the series.
After the Yanks lost the first two games, it looked like the Angels could very well sweep this four-game series, which would have been “devastating” for the Yankees.
But, Mike Mussina “dazzled” the sold-out “Old Timer’s Day” crowd with his brilliant pitching performance in Saturday’s 8-2 victory; and, on Sunday, in this game, it was the Yankee hitters, most notably, Xavier Nady, who put on a show, this time a hitting clinic.
This game could almost be equated to a “Tennis Match”, as the scoring by both teams was clearly divided over three “sets”. The winner of two of the three sets would get the victory.
The Angels clearly took the first set [the first four innings], 5-0.
The Yankees dominated set number two [innings 5, 6 and 7], 8-0.
And, in a “battle-royal”, in the final set [the 8th and 9th innings], the Yankees prevailed, 6-4, to raise the flag of their, 14-9, victory.
Darrell Rasner got belted around in the first four innings, allowing 5 runs, on 7 hits, and 3 walks, which gave the Angels an early 5-0 lead, as the game entered the bottom of the 5th.
The Stadium crowd was so quiet at this point, on a hot summer day in the Bronx, as the Yanks looked very “flat”, and uninspired on the field; and, Angels starter, John Lackey, was coasting along without any sign of trouble from the Yankee bats.
The Yankees almost did score a run in the bottom of he 4th, when they loaded the bases with one out. Jeter walked leading off the inning; Abreu singled; A-Rod struck-out; and, Jason Giambi also reached first by a walk. Xavier Nady was the next batter up, and hit a long ball to left that should have been a sac fly, cutting the Angels lead to 5-1. But, that was not the case, as the inning ended on “one the rarest plays in baseball”.
Angels left fielder, Garret Anderson, made the catch for out number two. After the catch Derek Jeter raced home easiely, and would have scored. But, Bobby Abreu, on second base, thought the ball was long enough to also advance to third, and tagged up, then headed for third after the catch. The throw from left was to third, and Abreu was out, the third out of the inning.
Jeter crossed the plate, and the Yankees thought, at least, one run scored that inning. But, No! The home plate umpire waved to the press box, that the run did not count because Abreu was out before Jeter touched the plate. A replay on the YES Network clearly showed that the ump made the right call. The play was so embarrassing, that Joe Girardi didn’t even bother to come out of the dugout to argue the call.
Baseball 101 – “Never make the first or last out of an inning at third base”.
In the second set, [innings 5-6-7], the Yankees started to make their amazing comeback, by scoring a run in the 5th; three runs in the 6th; and, four runs in the 7th, to take a 8-5 lead into the top of the 8th inning.
Ivan Rodriguez (2-for-3) put the Yanks first run of the day on the board, by hitting his first homer as a Yankee, to cut the Angels lead to 5-1.
Then, the Bombers scored three more runs in the 6th, on a two-RBI double by Nady; and, a force play RBI grounder by Wilson Betemit. Angels 5, Yankees 4.
In the 7th inning the Yankees got a break, when with one out, Derek Jeter hit an easy fly ball to centerfield, that was “dropped” by Gary Matthews, Jr, for a two-base error. This opened the flood-gates for the Bombers, as the error was followed by a RBI single by Bobby Abreu (3-for-4), that tied the score, 5-5. Alex Rodriguez then singled to set-up the most dramatic moment of the game for the Yankees.
The “X”-Man, Xavier Nady, was the next batter up, and he formally had his “christening” as an official member of the New York Yankees, when he blasted a long three-run homerun into the left field seats, to move the Yankees into the lead, 8-5.
“X”, as his friends call him, was called out of the dugout for a “curtain call” by the Stadium crowd, and Nady, who was (4-for-5), with six RBI’s, was happy to step back onto the field, and wave his cap to the cheering fans.
So, the game was tied — two sets each, with the Yankees holding the 8-5 lead.
This very exciting game entered the final set [8th and 9th innings], and the Angels would not fly away without a fight.
Dan Giese, who replaced Rasner, kept the Yankees in this game, pitching three scoreless innings, giving up only one hit, two walks, and striking-out three. Edwar Ramirez was in to pitch the 8th.
The Angels loaded the bases off Ramirez, after he struck-out the first two batters in the top of the 8th, which brought up Mark Teixeira.
If “X” marked the spot for the Yankees on the Xavier Nady three-run homer; then, “TEX” would mark the spot for the L.A. Angels, as Teixeira rocketed a “grand-slam” homerun into the short-rightfield porch, that hushed the crowd, and put the Angels back into the lead, 9-8.
The Angels now led the final set, but the Bombers were ready to “ace” the win in this game.
Ivan Rodriguez led off the bottom of the 8th with a single, and was replaced by pinch-runner, Justin Christian. The hit-and-run was on with Melky Cabrera up, and the speed by Christian caused the shortstop, Erick Aybar to boot the possible double play ball for an error that allowed both runners to be safe.
With Damon up at the plate, Christian stole third, and scored the tying run when the throw by catcher, Jeff Mathis went into leftfield. Melky stole second base; and Damon walked, as Jeter came up with no outs.
Jeter grounded out, and Abreu walked to load the bases, with one out, and Alex Rodriguez coming up to the plate. A-Rod hit what looked like was a double play grounder to third, but Figgins made an error that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Yankees 10, Angels 9.
The Yankees completed the scoring with a pinch-hit, two-RBI double by Robinson Cano; a RBI single by Nady, his 4th hit of the day; and, a single by Justin Christian that drove home the final run of the game.
Jose Veras pitched a scoreless 9th, to close out the victory.
Point — Set — Match … The Yankees Win, 14-9.
This was a very big win for the Yankees, and one of their best comebacks of the year. They now head out on the road for a very tough 10-game road trip starting in Texas. Joba Chamberlain pitches tonight [Monday, August 4th]. Go Yankees !!!
On a personal note, this entry is Post: “Number 100” on my mlblog “Baseball, The Yankees, and Life” !!!
I started this blog in December, 2007, and I have really enjoyed my experience here at mlb.com. It has been fun, and I look forward to writing many more posts, and continuing to offer my comments, thoughts, and opinions about baseball, and the best team in the history of all sports, the New York Yankees.
I also thank all those who have visited my blog over the past nine months. I appreciate all the many great comments, and kind words of encouragement; and, I look forward to many more of your comments and thoughts in the future.
Thank you for your support, and viewership of “Baseball, The Yankees, and Life”.
All are welcome to visit any time !!!
— Jimmy [27NYY]
Yanks Continue Drive To First With Impressive 8-2 Win
The Yankees won their fifth straight game last night, which moved them to only 3.5 games behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays, who lost to the Oakland A’s, 8-1, yesterday.
The Rays free fall continues, as they have only won 3 of their last 10 games; while the Yankees have won 7 of their last 10 games, gaining four games [and counting] on Tampa Bay. The Boston Red Sox [who won 4-0 last night vs. Seattle] remain in second place in the AL EAST, now only one game behind the Rays, and two games ahead of the Yankees.
The “Pennant Race” in the AL EAST is well underway, as the Yankees have 62 games remaining, and the Red Sox have 61 games left to play. This weekend the race heats up to a high intensity level of “playoff baseball” in July, as the Yankees travel to Boston for a three-game “Showdown” at Fenway Park, in a battle for first place in the AL EAST.
The Tampa Bay Rays (58-41), play a four-game series against the Royals (45-55) in Kansas City this weekend. So, it will be interesting to see how the standings look on Monday, July 28th. The Yankees are on a winning track right now, and riding the express that is scheduled to take them into First Place in the AL EAST – soon !!!
Yesterday’s Yankees victory started out as a pitching duel between Yanks starter, Darrell Rasner, and Twins starting pitcher, Kevin Slowey.
The Yankees scored first, with a run in the second inning, on a RBI single by “red-hot” Robinson Cano, that drove home Alex Rodriguez, who led off the inning with a double.
Cano’s (2-for-4), with two RBI’s in this game, was his fifth straight multi-hit game, and raised his batting average to .263. He is hitting .522 (12-for-23) since the All-Star break; and, has a .358 batting average in the month of July. As Robinson Cano continues to move his average to the .300 mark, his production will help the whole Yankees lineup hit and score more runs, which will help the Yankees win more ballgames.
Darrell Rasner was brilliant in the first five innings of this game, allowing only one hit and three walks, but finally had some trouble in the top of the 6th.
Gomez led off the 6th with a double, and scored the Twins first run on a slow hit ball to Cano at second, by Twins rightfielder, Span, that was scored a single; but, on the attempt by Cano to get the out at first, Giambi made an error by letting the ball get past him which allowed Gomez to score.
A single by Casilla, and a walk to Morneau, loaded the bases. Then, Span scored the second run of the inning on a force play with Kubel up at the plate. That was the final batter Darrell Rasner faced in this game. David Robertson replaced Rasner, and threw one pitch to Young, to record the last out of the 6th, on another force play.
Overall, Darrell Rasner pitched 5 2/3 solid innings, allowing only two runs, on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.
The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the 6th, scoring three runs, on a two-run homerun by Bobby Abreu, that also scored Johnny Damon who led off the inning with a single; and, another RBI single by Cano, that drove home A-Rod, who singled and advanced to second on a stolen base. The Yanks now had a 4-2 lead in the game.
Twins starter, Kevin Slowey (6-7) was knocked out of the game in the middle of all the damage the Yankee bats caused in the 5th. He ended up throwing 96 pitches in his 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing the Yankees four runs, on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
The Yankee bats were not finished yet, as they exploded for four more runs in the bottom of the 7th off Twins reliever, Crain.
Gardner led off the 7th with a walk; Damon reached first base on an error; and, both scored on a two-strike, two-RBI double by Derek Jeter. Bobby Abreu followed with another double that plated Jeter. Then, Jason Giambi hit a RBI single that drove home the “Captain” which completed the Yankees scoring in this game.
The Yankees bullpen was lights-out once again, with scoreless relief performances by: Robertson [one pitch in the 6th]; Veras [one K in the 7th]; Farnsworth [three strikeouts and a walk in the 8th]; and, Giese closed out the game in the 9th, with one strikeout.
David Robertson (2-0) was the winning pitcher, and lowered his ERA to 1.59.
Twin Victories By Yankees, Not Triplets
After wins in the first two games of this four-game series against the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees lost Sunday’s game, 5-1. This was Darrell Rasner’s worse start since being called-up from AAA-SWB, but Rasner did manage to throw 111 pitches over 5 1/3 innings, as his won-loss record dropped to 3-2.
As it turned out, the Twins scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first, when their first three batters got on base, and then two runs were driven home on a single by rightfielder, Michael Cuddyer. Rasner did get out of the inning without any further damage, and set down the Twins 1-2-3 in the following two innings.
With the score 2-0, Darrell Rasner got into trouble in the 4th inning by loading the bases with no outs, but showed some toughness by getting out of the inning by allowing only one run to score, on a sac fly by third baseman, Mike Lamb.
Derek Jeter hit a lead-off homer in the top of the 5th, for the Yankees only run of the day, reducing the Twins lead to 3-1.
Bobby Abreu was the next batter, and he hit a bullet line drive that hit Twins starter, Nick Blackburn squarely in his face. He fell to the ground as if he had passed out, as Abreu looked on in horror while running to first to complete his single.
Thank God, Blackburn was able to walk off the field, with the help of the Twins trainer, as blood flowed from his nose. It was revealed later on in the game that x-rays were negative, and Blackburn would be okay. He is listed as day-to-day, and may even pitch in his next scheduled start.
Bobby Abreu was visibly affected by this very scary event, and at one point was shown being consoled by manager Joe Girardi in the Yankees dugout. I’m sure Abreu was relieved [like all of us] that Blackburn was not seriously injured.
Minnesota scored two more runs [one in the 6th and 7th] to finish the scoring in the game. That would be the final score: Twins 5, Yankees 1.
The run in the 6th came on a wired play in which a ball hit to right-centerfield by Justin Morneau, rolled to the wall, and as Melky Cabrera went to pick it up – he slipped. Melky was on the ground when he did pick-up the ball, and trying to make a relay to Bobby Abreu, threw the ball over Abreu’s head. Bobby chased after the ball, but it was too late. Morneau already rounded third and scored on what was first scored an inside the park homerun, but later changed to a triple and an error on Melky Cabrera. This is a play that will forever be shown on “blooper” highlight videos.
The Yankees only real chance to score some runs came in the top of the third inning, when they loaded the bases [against Blackburn] with one out. This gave them an opportunity to have a big inning, but Alex Rodriguez struck-out for out number two; and, Hideki Matsui made the third out on a weak grounder to second base. Inning over. Rally stopped. Great pitching by Nick Blackburn.
Because Nick Blackburn was hit by the batted ball by Abreu, with one out in the 4th inning, he could not get the win in this game. Brian Bass replaced Blackburn, and was the winning pitcher, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Then, Jesse Crain pitched two scoreless innings [in the 7th and 8th]; and, Joe Nathan threw a scoreless 9th, to close out the win for the Twins.
The Yankees made a roster move before the game, calling-up, righthanded reliever, Scott Patterson from AAA-SWB. To make room for Patterson on the 25-man roster, the Yankees placed Morgan Ensberg on the “designated for assignment” list.
Scott Patterson relieved Rasner with one out in the 6th inning, which was his major league debut. His first performance in the majors was only okay, as Patterson allowed one earned run, while giving up one hit, and two walks, and striking out two, in his 1 1/3 innings of work.
This loss moves the Yankees back down to the .500 mark, at 28-28; and, they also drop one more game behind both the first place Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, who both won their games today.
So, the Yankees won the first game of this series, 6-5, with Mike Mussina pitching a solid 6 innings for the win. Mussina is now 8-4, and well on his way to an All-Star selection, and, a possible 20 win season. Mariano Rivera closed-out the game, recording his 14th save.
The Yankees won a big extra innings game [12 innings], 7-6, in game number two of this series, on Saturday. Wang didn’t pitch well at all in this game. Ross Ohlendorf (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Another save by Mariano, #15. Rivera lowered his ERA to: 0.36.
Andy Pettitte starts for the Yankees in the final game of this series, Monday, June 2nd. Hopefully, Andy pitches a great game, leading the way for the Yankees to win this series, vs. the Twins, three games to one.
Then, it’s back to the Bronx for Joba Chamberlain’s first major league start on Tuesday, June 3rd against the Toronto Blue Jays. Very Exciting !!! I can’t wait !!!
Joba’s time has arrived, and he will be part of another great moment at Yankee Stadium !!!
Bullpen Ruins Solid Effort By Rasner; Yanks Lose, 6-1
Darrell Rasner once again had an excellent start for the Yankees; but, his six quality innings of work was wasted by the bullpen, as LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Veras turned a close [1-0] pitchers duel into a 6-1 Yankees loss to the Orioles, on Memorial Day, in Baltimore.
Rasner who entered this game with a 3-0 record and 1.89 ERA, has been the Yankees most effective starter in recent weeks. He deserved better support from the bullpen; and, also, from the Yankee batters, who looked flat, while collecting only 5 hits off the three Baltimore pitchers who appeared in this game.
Only Hideki Matsui showed some life at the plate as he continued his hot hitting, going 3-4, with a double, raising his batting average to a team leading .331.
Matsui scored the Yankees only run on an RBI single by Chad Moeller in the 9th inning. Moeller also had a good day, getting on base three times with a walk, and hit-by-pitch, in addition to his single.
Johnny Damon was the only other Yankee to get a hit. In the top of the third he singled, moved to second on a walk to Alex Rodriguez, [A-Rod’s first of two walks], and almost scored a run when Matsui singled, but was out at the plate on a beautiful throw by rightfielder, Nick Markakis. The ball arrived just before the sliding Damon, as catcher Ramon Hernandez placed the tag on him for the final out of the inning.
That was a big play for the Orioles, because if Damon scored it would have given the Yankees an early 1-0 lead, with runners at second and third, two outs, and Shelley Duncan up next. As it turned out, the play ended a possible Yankee rally, and would be the closest the Yanks would come to scoring again, until the 9th inning, when the “run” they did score was important only because it broke up the Orioles [6-0] shutout. At that point, the way the Yankees were hitting today, the game was basically out of reach.
It was also a key moment for Baltimore’s starting pitcher, Garrett Olson. He was knocked out of his last start against the Yankees, when he allowed 6 runs in the third inning of the Yanks 8-0 win against the Orioles, last week in New York. That was Olson’s first loss of the season.
Garrett Olson made the proper adjustments, though, and pitched a great game today. He threw 107 pitches, over 7 scoreless innings, giving up only 3 hits, while walking four, and striking out seven, to earn the victory. Olson is now 4-1 this season.
In a start that Darrell Rasner actually lowered his ERA to 1.80, the weakness and inconsistency of the Yankees bullpen was evident [once again], as Hawkins and Veras failed to “hold” the score at 1-0; and, at least give the Yankee batters a chance to get the go-ahead run up to the plate, take the lead, and then complete the bridge work, so Mariano Rivera could enter the game for the “save”.
The Yankees bullpen was terrible.
Hawkins came into the game in the 7th, and only pitched 2/3 of an inning. He gave up 2 hits and a walk, that scored a run to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. With two runners on base, Jose Veras replaced Hawkins. Nick Markakis greeted Veras by getting a RBI single to make the score, 3-0. Then, still with two outs, Aubrey Huff got hold of a high fastball, and blasted a long three-run homerun which was the most damaging hit of the game. This homerun put the finishing touch on the Orioles scoring, giving the O’s a very comfortable 6-0 lead.
It was now time for the Orioles bullpen to enter the game, to preserve the victory. And, on this day, they would show the Yankee middle relievers how to “hold” a lead.
Chad Bradford pitched a scoreless 8th inning for the Orioles; and, Jamie Walker closed out the game, in the 9th, but did give up two hits, and the only Yankees run of the game.
The Orioles won this game on some great pitchng performances; and, also, a great day at the plate by both, Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff.
Makakis was 3-4, with 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI’s, including a solo homerun off Darrell Rasner in the 6th inning. Markakis now has 9 hits in 11 at bats against Rasner.
Huff hit the big three-run homer in the 7th inning, and, also, had another hit, to go 2-4 in the game, with a run, and three RBI’s.
This win brought the Orioles record to the .500 mark, at 25-25, moving them ahead of the Yankees in the AL East, as the Yanks drop below .500, to 25-26, and back into last place in the East.
So, we reach the first bench mark of the baseball season, Memorial Day weekend. With all the other teams in the AL East winning their games yeasterday, the Tampa Bay Rays remain on top in the East, followed by Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, and in last place, the New York Yankees [6 games behind the Rays].
But, as we all look forward to the upcoming hot days of summer, we should remember the importance of Memorial Day; and, always keep in our thoughts and prayers all the men and women who have served in our military, especially, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives, defending this great country of ours.
It was a nice tribute by Baseball, [at all games during yesterday’s Memorial Day], to honor all those who have served in our military with a “moment of silence”. These heroes have put their lives on the line, defending this great country of ours, and the freedom that we all enjoy. It’s a great thing to remember all these heroes on Memorial Day; but, also, these heroes should be in our hearts and minds throughout the whole year, and we should never forget all the sacrifices they have made for all of us.
May God Always Bless All Those In Our Military, And Their Families … and,
May God Always Bless This Great Country Of Ours, The United States of America !!!
Yankees Sweep M’s; Red Sox Swept By A’s
The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners with a dramatic, come from behind, 6-5 win yesterday, to move their record back to the .500 mark, at 25-25.
As the Yankees won their 5th straight game, the Boston Red Sox lost their game vs. the Oakland A’s, 6-3, which completed a three-game sweep by the A’s over the Sox, on the west coast.
So, with both sweep’s, the Red Sox fall out of first place, and the Tampa Bay Rays take over the top spot in the AL East. The Yankees are now in 4th place, five games behind the Rays.
At the start of play today [Memorial Day], we have reached the first bench mark of the season. The standings in the AL East are very close, as the Yankees are playing great ball right now, and are ready to finally make their move towards first place in the East. The Bronx Bombers hope to extend their five game winning streak in Baltimore today against the Orioles.
Darrell Rasner, 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA, also hopes to continue his winning streak, as he gets the call to pitch the first game in this three-game series vs. the Orioles. The Yankees will face Baltimore lefthanded pitcher, Garrett Olson, who is 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA. Olson’s only loss was against the Yankees last week.
As we enjoy the game today, and also the final day of this Memorial Day weekend, may we keep in our thoughts and prayers, all the men and women who have served our country in the military, and especially those who lost their lives defending our great Nation. The freedom we all enjoy is because of the many sacrifices all these “heroes” have made for us.
May God always bless them, and their families !!!
There will be a special moment of silence during all baseball games today, at 3:00 p.m., in honor of all those who have served in our military. Please take the time to remember and thank all these heroes. And, also, if you are not watching a game at the time, please take a moment of silence from whatever you are doing, and say a little prayer of “thanks” to all our great heroes, who have given so much for us and our great country, the United States of America !!!
Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day !!!
Darrell Rasner (3-0) Impressive Again, In Yanks 8-0 Win
Darrell Rasner seems to be getting better each time he goes to the mound for the New York Yankees, as he pitched his best game [last night] since being called up from AAA-SWB to replace the injured Phil Huges in the starting rotation.
Rasner threw 95 pitches, allowing five hits, and one walk, while striking-out six, in seven shutout innings, to earn his third victory, in the Yankees 8-0 win against the Baltimore Orioles. He is now 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA.
The Yankee bats finally woke up, scoring 3-runs in each of the 2nd and 3rd innings, to give Darrell Rasner an early 6-0 lead. This was all he needed as he coasted through the Orioles lineup, looking very much like an “ace” starter. The three wins by Rasner, coupled with the 5 wins by Mike Mussina, represent 8 of the Yankees 21 wins so far this season. Not exactly where the Yankees expected these wins would come from at this point in the season, but a welcome surprise, and constant reminder, that a team can never have enough pitching. Throughout the long baseball season, a team will have to depend on many different pitchers.
Alex Rodriguez provided the power in the Yankees lineup for the second night in a row, hitting his second homerun since his return from the DL, and having another homer taken away from him on a bad call by crew chief umpire, Tom Welke. In the 6th inning, A-Rod hit a shot off the yellow staircase, over the wall, in the right-center field bleachers which should have been called a homerun. But, it was ruled to have just hit the wall, and Rodriguez had to settle for a double.
After the game, Welke watched the replay, and admitted he made a mistake. It did not affect the game, but did deny A-Rod his 7th HR of the season, and 525th of his career. Alex was 3 for 4, including the HR, and two doubles, with 2 RBI’s, and 2 runs scored. He is batting .306, and having A-Rod’s bat back in the lineup has added the spark plug the Yankees have been missing over the last few weeks he has been injured. The return of Jorge Posada is the next jolt of energy the Yankees are waiting for, and hopefully that will come soon.
The Yankees 8-0 win, Darrell Rasner’s great pitching performance, and Alex Rodriguez’s great hitting, were big stories, but the “lead story” of the night was buried.
Joba Chamberlain replaced Rasner in the 8th, and pitched two scoreless innings, in the 8th and 9th, to close out the win. Joba was brilliant as usual, striking-out three, while walking two, and giving up one hit, on 35 pitches thrown.
It wasn’t until after the game, though, that Manager Joe Girardi announced that Joba’s appearance in last night’s game was the beginning of the process of moving Joba Chamberlain into the starting rotation.
Joba will stay in the bullpen as he builds up his arm strenght, and innings pitched; then, at some point in “this season” will be moved into the starting rotation.
Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman both said, this is a move that was planned before the season started; and, the plan called for the move to be made at this point in the season. But, the timing of the move clearly looks like it was directed by Hank Steinbrenner behind the scenes. And, that’s a good thing, because this is a move that had to be made.
Even though Joba Chamberlain is the Yankees best “bridge to Mariano” as the 8th inning set-up man out of the bullpen, he is much more valuable to the Yankees as a starter. He can be the “ace” and “number one” starter for the Yankees [now], and for many years in the future. So, Joba gets his chance to finally prove how great a starting pitcher he can be.
Hank Steinbrenner firmly believes this is the right decision. Yesterday, he said, “What I’ve learned over 35 years of all this, from baseball people, is that you can talk all you want about bullpens, but starting pitching is what gets it done”. “If you have two great relievers”, Hank continued to say, “it doesn’t do us any good”.
I totally agree with Hank Steinbrenner, as it has [always] been my opinion from the end of last year, that, “Joba is more valuable to the Yankees as a starting pitcher”. I would only add that, the Yankees should try to have as many great relievers as possible in the bullpen; but, when you have a great talent [such as Joba], it is a waste to have him exiled in the bullpen when his best value to the team is [as a starter] in the starting rotation.
Joba’s time has arrived.
Joba, Joba, Joba !!! How sweet that sounds !!!
Rasner Solid Again In Yankees 5-2 Win
Darrell Rasner started this game like he did in his first start vs. the Seattle Mariners, by giving up a homerun in the first inning. But, he quickly settled down, allowing only one more run over the next five innings, to earn his second win since being called up from AAA-Scranton/Willes Barre, leading the Yankees to a 5-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers.
Rasner was 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA at SWB, and continues to pitch well here with the “Big-League Club”. In a solid six innings of work, he threw 87 pitches, giving up two earned runs, on four hits, and one walk, while striking out one.
Derek Jeter, who got the Yankees off to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first by hitting his first homerun of the season [after 128 at-bats without one], is very impressed by Rasner’s pitching approach. Jeter said, “he [Rasner] works quick and throws strikes. He is fun to play behind. It goes to show you how much you can do when you throw strikes”.
And, as Manager Joe Girardi said, “when you continue to pitch well, you stay in the rotation”. Girardi went on to say, ” Rasner has figured out how to use his stuff, and he has been great”.
Well, Darrell Rasner understands the importance of his two excellent pitching performances so far, and hopes to ride this winning wave throughout the rest of the season. After the game, Rasner said, “this is a great opportunity, and I am doing my best to run with it”.
Kyle Farnsworth entered the game in the 7th, and allowed Rasner’s second run to score by giving up an RBI double to Gary Sheffield. But, after that, Joba Chamberlain didn’t give up a hit in a scoreless 8th inning of “bridge-work to Mariano”; and, “The Great Mariano” closed the game out in the 9th, recording his 10th save of the year.
This “big win” evened the Yankees record at 19-19, as they look to Andy Pettitte to lead them to their 20th win, and over the .500 mark, in today’s rubber game in this three game series against the Tigers.
The Yankees “look” for a “number-four starter” may be over though, as Darrell Rasner may have ended that search with his two solid starts. Hopefully, Rasner will continue his winning ways, as the Yankees continue this current road trip, when they head to Tampa Bay for a four-game series starting tomorrow.
Three’s A Charm As Yankees Sweep Mariners
The Yankees needed a “Big Game” by starting pitcher, Darrell Rasner; and, he delivered, by pitching six solid innings, giving up 2 earned runs [a 2-run HR], 5 hits, no walks, and striking out 5, to earn his first win of the season in the Yankees 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Darrell Rasner, who was called up from AAA-SWB to replace the injured Phil Hughes in the starting rotation, didn’t look like he was going to make it out of the first inning. He gave up a single to Raul Ibanez, and then a two-run homerun to Adrian Beltre for a quick 2-0 lead by the Mariners.
After he got the final out in the first, Rasner settled down over the next 5 innings, pitching shutout ball, and looking more like the 4-0, 0.87 ERA starter he was at (AAA) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
Again, just like the first two games of this three-game sweep by the Yankees, the starting pitcher, Darrell Rasner, mirrored the great pitching efforts by Chien-Ming Wang in Friday’s 5-1 victory; and, Mike Mussina’s beautiful pitching gem in the Yankees 6-1 win on Saturday.
Also, the bullpen was once again “lights out”. In today’s game, the combination of Ohlenorf, Farnsworth, and Rivera, each pitched a scoreless inning throughout the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, to hold, and close out the Yankees 8-2 victory.
With a day off on Monday, and needing some work, Mariano Rivera was called into this game to close it out, even though it was not a save situation. Mariano made it look easy, throwing only 8 pitches to record a 1-2-3 scoreless 9th inning. The final out of the game was a soft pop-up right over the pitchers mound, which floated so gentlly right into Mariano’s glove. It looked like the “Great Mariano” was enjoying a day in the park, playing pitch and catch with a bunch of youngsters. He continues to enjoy one of his best starts of the year as the Yankees closer out of the bullpen. Mariano has still yet to give up an earned run this season, and his 0.00 ERA reaffirms why he is still the greatest closer in the history of the game.
The Yankees scored all their runs in the third and fourth innings, scoring 6 in the 3rd; and 2 in the 4th.
The highlight of the third inning was the back-to-back homeruns by close friends, Melky Cabrera [a 2-run shot], and “don’t you know”, Robinson Cano. After Cano hit his homer, it looked like Melky was more happy for his friend, than Melky was for himself, after his homerun. Cano is still in the middle of a very long batting slump, so maybe the homerun, and warmer weather will be a spark plug to get Robby to hit like he did in the second half of last year, at, or, around the .400 mark.
The top of the Yankees batting order continues to do most of the damage in the lineup. Damon was 2-5, with 2 runs scored; Jeter had a four hit game, going 4-5 with 2 runs and an RBI; Abreu went 3-4, with a walk, run, and RBI; and, Matsui was 2-4, scoring one run, and driving home two.
There were many stars in this game; but, the “Star of the Game” has to go to Darrell Rasner. With Hughes injured, and Ian Kennedy demoted to AAA-SWB, the Yankees needed Rasner to pitch as effectively as Wang and Mussina did [in the first two games of this series], to complete the three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners.
Well, Mr. Rasner did just that. And, “that” is just what the Yankees needed !!!
Baseball, The Yankees, and Life... 