I probably don’t mean this or I’m misrembering the absolute torture that is a New York City summer heat wave. But I wish I were there right now, instead of sunny and cool San Francisco. There’s something character-building about suffering through the concrete heat. I’m especially nostalgic because the Yanks are currently channeling the great teams of my late teen years. Hopefully, tonight Chien-Ming Wang plays the role of Andy Pettitte (by the way, this is a great comparison made a couple of weeks ago by YF) as the Yanks aim to extend their streak to 4 and continue to put the heat on the Sox. This is your thread for comment.
Summer In The City: Yanks-M’s Gamer I
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There’s something character-building about suffering through the concrete heat
Yeah, and what is it, Nick, exactly? The putrid odors that waft off every street corner here in lovely NYC? The inability to stay focused at work because the searing heat makes you so sleepy that you want to sack out even as your phone rings incessantly and the work piles up? Or am I romanticizing for you too much, making you jealous?
(remember, I am stuck here in that concrete heat as you daydream about it from your perfect-humidity biosphere…)
I knew that would piss millions of New Yorkers off.
anyway, soon enough I’ll be teaching at a NYC public school without air conditioning in that awful heat. Karma has already planned its revenge.
Hey Nick, how about we switch places for a week? Then you can soak up all the stinky, sweaty, searing, concrete-igniting heat you could ever want!
(Cramped studio on UES, but at least I have A/C!)
SF is spot on.
Johnny is back! Tonight’s lineup courtesy of LoHud:
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Jason Giambi DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Bernie Williams RF
Andy Phillips 1B
Melky Cabrera LF
Miguel Cairo 2B
SF is right, but you know what? I love it. Maybe that’s due to an upbringing in permanently gray, drizzly London Town, but so long as its sunny, I say bring it on!
As for the game: Wang had a shaky first inning, which is not usually a good sign with him.
…and then he has a nice second inning, so go figure.
Is anyone else watching this game on YES? What’s with those BK ads with the little people stacking the burgers? Is that supposed to make me want one?
Bernie leads off the bottom of the fourth. He’s 0-1 with a flyout in the second. Strike one swinging; strike two on a hard shot foul up third. The 0-2 is off the plate for ball one. Bernie is SWEATING. He really is feeling the heat I guess. He taps the 1-2 into no-man’s land between the pitcher and third for an infield single.
AP takes a big cut and misses at the first pitch. The 0-1 is in the dirt for ball one. The 1-1 misses inside and low. The 2-1 is cut on and hit foul up third. 2-2 is lifted high in the air to deep left. Ibanez makes the catch for the first out.
Melky takes ball one. The 1-0 is up in the zone. The 2-0 is a straight pitch for strike one. The 2-1 is cut on and chopped at third. Bernie is retired on the FC as Melky reaches first. Cairo up with two away, and cuts the first pitch foul up right.
The 0-1 is outside. Washburn checks Cabrera back to first. The 1-1 is hit to straightaway center, where Jones makes the catch to retire the side.
Sunny and 73 degrees in Portland. I for one, certainly do not miss August in New York.
Johjima grounds out 63 to start the top of five. That’s eight ground outs for Wang so far I think.
Betancourt up. He falls behind 0-2, and then takes a pitch outside. The 1-2 is lined to center field for a base hit.
Betancourt is a threat to steal here against the slow delivery of Wang.
Jones up. He starts to bluff a bunt and takes strike one. Wang is at 51 pitches so far.
Nice sinker by Wang induces a big cut from Jones to make it 0-2.
Jones grounds to ARod who throws to Cairo. Cairo is pulled off the bag by the throw and Betancourt is called safe.
It’s first and second, one out to Ichiro. Dangerous situation here.
Ichiro grounds into what normally would be a DP, but he’s too speedy. FC gets Jones at second, but Ichiro is on at first and Betancourt is at third with two away to Bloomquist.
Wang misses inside. Something might have been crossed up and Jorge comes out to talk about it. Ichiro is 28 of 30 on steals this year.
The 1-0 is fouled back to make it one ball, one strike. Wang checks Suzuki back to first. The 1-1 is a breaking pitch fouled back and left. It’s 1-2 and there are some cheers as the fans look for the K; Wang brings a fastball that floats back towards the middle of the plate but Bloomquist is late and fouls it up first.
The 1-2 is low. It’s 2-2 with two away, two on, top of five: Wang misses in the dirt and away to make it a full count. The payoff pitch: Bloomquist takes ball four on a pitch way outside. Jorge comes back out to check on his pitcher as Beltre steps in with the bases loaded. TENSE.
Beltre takes the first pitch for a strike. The 0-1 is low. Close pitch, but low. The 1-1 is grounded to short. Jeter tosses to Cairo to end the inning.
I’m really pissed at A-Rod for these throwing errors right about now. Get it together!
It’s the bottom of the fifth, with NY sending the top of the order to the plate. Johnny takes a strike, then foulsone off to make it 0-2. Washburn misses just outside for ball one, then low for ball two. Damon is 2 for 2 at the plate. The 2-2 is outside and low. Full count to Johnny: popped to left. Ibanez was playing shallow against the lefty and had to retreat but got back in plenty of time to make the out.
Nick, yeah. The one to first was bad. The one to Cairo wasn’t as bad. It more looked like Cairo lost his timing on the play, but the throw was a bit high.
Jeter grounds to second for the second out.
JASON!!!! Home run, upper deck in right on a 2-1 pitch.
The Yanks begin that process of allowing a team’s pitcher to settle in after the first two innings.
Spoke a wee bit too soon now, didn’t I?
The Giambino!!!!
Washburn tried to sneak a fastball by him. It hung out over the middle and Giambi just killed it. Washburn didn’t even turn to look; he knew it on contact.
ARod grounds out to short. Inning over, but not before Walein reverse-hexes our NY bats. Thanks, buddy! ;)
Good job, bro!
Wang is facing Ibanez to lead off the top of the 6th.
Very try AG. Earlier in the season I would have said something to the effect “Let’s Go Jason!” or “C’mon Giambi!” and, in doing so, would have induced a foul out or the rare strike out looking; but now I know that Jason only responds to “tough love.”
So, nothing but negative reinforcement from now on!
;)
That was suppossed to be very “right”…I must have brained “i try” into that…oh the years of partying have finally caught up to me.
Wang looks a bit shaky and is behind 2-0. The 2-0 is chopped foul straight down in the dirt. The 2-1 is a called strike on the outside corner. Close pitch. The 2-2 is grounded just past Cairo for a single.
Sexson is up and strokes it off the wall in right for a single. Ibanez advances to third on the play. Wang’s pitch had home run written all over it. Lucky.
Carl Everett up with no outs. Wang feeds two balls. Jorge tells him to settle down. The 2-0 is popped to shallow left for out number one. No chance for Ibanez to tag up there. Nice. Now let’s turn two and get out of this inning. Johjima to the plated.
crap
Kenji takes strikeone. The 0-1 is ripped to left for a base hit. Ibanez scores. It’s first and second with one out, Seattle 2, NY 4. Let’s see some action in the pen. Wang’s breaking pitches are flat.
GIDP!
Sweet DP! 643 as Betancourt grounds to Jeter who fed Cairo, who had to turn fast to catch Yuniesky, who is fleet of foot while Kenji was breaking up the play with his slide. I like, I like.
But Wang is not his game tonight. He’s consistently hanging pitches in there, the ball seems to riding up on him. Probably should be considering a bullpen visit sooner than later.
JORGE!!! lifts it to deep center for the double over the mitt of Jones. Jones was way shallow on Posada.
Bernie flies out to Ichiro who shows off his arm just for the hell of it, not the Jorge would run. Wow, what a gun.
I think it’s time to give him one more inning against the bottom of the order and then have Farnsworth earn the 8th and mo the 9th…or just call the emergency room and have Tanyon pitch from the gurney!
AP first pitch swings and pops out, again to Ichiro.
Melky breaks his bat as he grounds out 5-3 to end the inning. That was fast.
walein, you might be right, but I have sense you want to get more GIDP for your fantasy team.
I swear to god I speak the English. Damn typos!
That’s partly it…though right now I’d rather he had a clean 1-2-3 inning. But Wang has thrown 79 pitches. His min. is suppossed to be 85 (interestingly enough, according to Torre it’s both his min. and his max.).
Also, we need to get some semblance of a start, set up and close…why not try to start that against the Seattle Mariners?
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s the heat or what, but Wang looks like he’s flagging out there.
Tomorrow’s starters: Joel Piniero against Sidney Ponson. Both have ERAs over 5. Should be interesting. In a car-wreck sort of way.
Wang starts off against Jones here in the top of the seventh.
I’m outta work. Have a good night fellas.
He gets ahead of Jones 1-2. The 1-2 is a sinker chopped foul. Jones reaches out on another 1-2. It’s fouled back maybe 5 or 6 rows off of the first base line in middle right.
Bye, Nick.
A ball makes it 202. Jones fouls off another one. He then hits a 2-2 straight at Bernie for out number one. Ichiro coming up.
AG – would you say Wang has cemented his place as the Yanks No3 for the next few years? Seems to me that his work this year has proved that he’s no flash in the pan. He’s got in trouble at times tonight, but overall he’s been good, old dependable Wang.
A ball, then a foul for 1-1. A ball, then another foul. Ichiro then hits a ball that goes straight down and stops one foot in front of the plate. Jorge throws to first for the out. Bloomquist up.
Sam, I would disagree. Barring a sign or trade for a major pitcher arm (Zito is a free agent!) I would say he is number 2. Wang is the most consistent starter in the rotation outside of Mussina.
Bloomquist singled to left. Beltre up.
The count is even at 1-1: Arod muffs another throw to first on the ground ball, but Bloomquist gets caught in the pickle to end the inning as Jeter runs him down on the 5-3-4-5-6. Haha. That’s fun to type.
I agree AG.
What a crazy play! DJ finally puts an end to the madness – started by another A-Rod error by running down Bloomquist (who’s faster than he looks).
AG – yeah, he’s number 2 now, but I do wonder about the long term. I’m thinking in the years ahead, he’ll be no3, with Moose no2, and Zito/Willis/A N Other as the ace.
What is up with ARod and the throwing yips tonight? Sheesh. This stuff might fly with a so-so team like the Mariners, but he has to work this out before we go to Toronto. Great Knoblach’s ghost, Alex. Settle down.
Cairo is retired on a foul out to first.
Then Damon with the opposite field single. Nice night for Johnny D who is 3 for four now on the night.
Now the Mariners are in on clown ball as Bloomquist blows the throw from Betancourt. We’ll take it. Second and third, one out on the E4.
sounds like a Giambi walk coming up
Yeah, Sam, I don’t expect that NY will sit still. However, I think Wang might become a legitimate 2 regardless of who they sign based on the fact his consistency is really coming along.
Hargrove will call for a pitching change as he wants no part of Jason’s hurtin’ stick and loads them for ARod.
incredible that we’re at a point where Giambi gets walked to face A Rod
Mark Lowe only has 3 1/3 innings in two appearances so far this year. He’s a righty with a 3ish ERA in to face Alex who can break this game wide open.
Agreed Walein.
Arod falls behind 0-2 then takes a pitch away to for ball one. The 1-2 is a tad low for ball 2. The 2-2 from Lowe is a breaking pitch that fooled ARod who sits down with the swinging K.
Well, that was the right coaching decision.
Jorge up hitting as a lefty to try to make good with all these base runners. He takes inside for ball one, then two strikes. Low and inside for 2-2.
Jorge pops out to shallow left to end the inning. Bummer. Wouldn’t have minded a run or two at all.
Think we will see Farns or Proctor?
I want Farnsworth to work out. I have the feeling it’ll be Proctor, since Farnsworth pitched yesterday.
Myers faces one batter and Ibanez grounds out to second. Nick Green is playing third for NY.
Farns will pitch the 9th, no?
Nice way to finish out that inning. Missed the last two outs.
Looks like Mo for the ninth.
Proctor looked sharp. Has Joe been resting him recently?
Another infield error, this one by the M’s. What’s going on tonight?
The fielding continues to be abysmal as Betancourt throws it 10 feet short of Sexson. That’s three errors for Seattle, four for NY.
Cabrera singles to right but gets too aggressive as Jones guns him down at second. AP to third on the play. Cairo up
Rest for Proctor = 25 minutes in the showers after the game.
I think Joe and Gator have him throwing pitches against the wall in his htoel room.
Mo. Simply Mo. Thanks, Mo. Ball game, NY 4, M’s 2.
Ugly game last night, but hey, at least they won.
Baseball Tonight crew was all over A-Rod last night, all but annointing him the new Knoublach. A bit premature, ain’t it? I mean, he stunk last night but turned in a few sparklers just the day before. Everyone can have an off night, give the man a break! I swear, ESPN is worse than the booing knuckleheads at the Stadium.
MO actually looked human, but buckled down nicely. He really is firing on all cylinders right now. Using his brain and his arm=deadly to opponents.
“He really is firing on all cylinders right now.”
Unfortunately for yanker fans, his arm is going to fall off in early september. 41 appearances? The guy ain’t 35 anymore… (and 45 for Proctor and F*#@sworth? Who, praytell, is going to be coming out of the bullpen down the stretch?)
Ron Guidry.
Villone has been solid. Dotel will be back by next month (granted, he is an unknown). Myers has been used almost solely in strategic 1 or 2 out appearances, but could go longer if needed. He pitched 2 scoreless innings against the Mets. There are options. Two out of three in Chacon, Wilson, and Ponson are going to end up in the pen or traded. There are options.