Draft contest participants-
April 26, 2008Hey, Look. It’s Our Turn!
April 27, 2008
Yesterday’s win over the Yankees was no easy task, and today’s ninth inning win followed right in line.
After two late-game losses, I’m understanding of the angst that some Yankees fans are feeling. A quick blurb from Maureen Ryan (Yankees Chick) says it all:
Will someone please tell me why teams refuse to bring in their closers when the game is tied??? WHYYYYYY?!
When your team possesses someone as dominant as Mariano Rivera, it can be frustrating to see someone like Ross Ohlendorf (who??) implode at the most crucial of times. However, something else that Ms. Ryan touched on may be a little more important in the grand scheme of things. The Yanks left 23 men on base in this one. Twenty-three. It definitely feels good to be on the winning side of that statistic, I’ll tell you that much.
Other key ingredients to today’s big win? Jeremy Sowers, who Yahoo! has currently has as “unknown” in the box score (great database, by the way) was great through five innings. He was handed a 3-0 lead, and ran with it…at least until the sixth when all hell broke loose thanks to a Jensen Lewis meatball to Posada.
Did Kobayashi make me nervous as ever in the top of the ninth? Heck yea. But was I thrilled when Jeter grounded into that double play to end it? You bet.
And obviously, Victor Martinez coming in as clutch as ever in the ninth with the bases loaded was the play of the game. There is no other Indian I would have rather had at bat in that spot. In fact, walking Hafner may have proven to be a bit mistake. Something by-the-book, no doubt, but the way he has been (not) swinging the bat I think you pitch to him even with two on and first base open. But I’m sure glad they didn’t.
Also, can someone explain to me how Victor only had eight RBI on the season despite batting third in this lineup while hitting .365? Eight RBI. That’s 10 less than Casey Blake in only four fewer at bats – before today. Thankfully, he’s now one closer to double-digits, but I think this speaks volumes for this team thus far.
We have a big one tomorrow with Sabathia and Wang. I’d be tempted to take the “under,” but you never know. If my memory serves me correctly, the last time we faced Wang, he didn’t exactly last too long. I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it.
[print_link]
4 Comments
I have to give credit to Wedge for moving the runners in that 2nd inning. Granted it was the perfect opportunity, man on 1st and 2nd with nobody out, but hey he still pulled the trigger. And great slide by AstroCab to avoid the tag at first. That inning was HUGE. I can’t over-state how big it is to give our pitchers some early offense.
And you are right on who I would want at the plate in that situation. Victor hands down. I’m a little surprised though that the Yankee outfield wasn’t playing shallow to cut off the bloop hit. Anything deep there scores a run regardless.
I was mostly impressed with Sowers performance. It was relieving to see him go against Ian Kennedy but I felt like he really stepped up today. Although the cost of getting sowers by sending Fransisco back down is really a bummer, I always have to hold my breath anytime Dellucci has a ball hit his way… i.e the three runs given up i’m solely blaming on his poor defense. In the Royals game Dellucci watched two balls drop right in front of him that he could’ve layed out for, and instead allowed two doubles back to back. During that game he was coming straight at the ball and had Sizemore to back him up… and during today’s game he decides to lay out for a ball with the bases loaded and deflects the ball into the left field corner… I’m done venting but am I the only one who feels the same way about Dellucci?
I heard Yankee’s fans in the stadium bickering about why there wasn’t a pitching change, not that I wanted them to bring someone else in but I could feel their pain.
Not sure how to feel about Dellucci. Remember that awesome grab he made a few weeks ago? (Minnesota, I believe?)
An Outfielder Laying out for a play on a ball is a routine play. They make great highlight fodder but it really comes down to the read off the ball and an ensuing foot race. If you hit that same ball Franklin’s way he’d never have to leave his feet. Michael’s D is more impressive to me when he deftly grabs the ball off the wall and gets a quick relay in to second. As for Francisco…