The Detroit 1-4 hitters killed the Yankees last night, with Curtis Granderson scoring three runs while Phil Hughes exited early, requiring the Yankee pen to carry the game for five and a third. They did so admirably, especially Russ Ohlendorf who struck out five and walked one while allowing only one hit and pitching out of an inherited jam in the fourth.
Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez joined Jorge Posada on the disabled list, leaving the Yankees looking for answers as to how they will replace such important cogs in their offense and on the field. Giriardi: “He’s (Alex is) a hard guy to replace. We have to find a way to get it done.” In an unrelated development, Chipper and Joe Mauer are now traveling with personal security details.
Jeremy Bonderman is on the mound tonight and is winless in his last three starts though the Tigers did win two of those games. Andy Pettitte looks to bounce back from a rough outing in Cleveland. Here’s hoping for a safe, efficient game. And safe. Lineups follow. Safen up and comment away.
| Detroit | |
| I. Rodriguez c | .269 |
| P. Polanco 2b | .216 |
| G. Sheffield dh | .164 |
| M. Ordonez rf | .300 |
| M. Cabrera 1b | .271 |
| C. Guillen 3b | .321 |
| E. Renteria ss | .311 |
| M. Thames lf | .182 |
| B. Inge cf | .268 |
| J. Bonderman | 4.28 |
| NY Yankees | |
| J. Damon lf | .274 |
| D. Jeter ss | .278 |
| B. Abreu rf | .276 |
| H. Matsui dh | .326 |
| J. Giambi 1b | .171 |
| M. Cabrera cf | .289 |
| R. Cano 2b | .155 |
| J. Molina c | .245 |
| A. Gonzalez 3b | .316 |
| A. Pettitte | 3.23 |
I like seeing Gonzalez in there. Nothing against Ensberg, but neither of them brings much to the plate and Gonzalez’s leather is far superior. Plus he brings some energy to the team.
Also very happy to see Molina and not Stewart.
Giambi’s and Cano’s averages would be funny if they played for the Red Sox.
Yet another gut-check for Pettitte. The guy always seems to be pitching after a loss in which the entire bullpen pitched.
Yanks get Bonderman who has been pretty bad this year, walkinga ton of people.
Damon witht the double past the third baseman. At least Johnny D has been decent so far.
Jeter with sac bunt attempt that flies (yes it did) foul.
Bonderman is low with almost all of his pitches so far.
Jeter singles to left, and we have a rally here! First and third with no outs.
There we go. Jeter’s grounder has eyes. First and third, nobody on.
A ball with eyes. We need those.
Bonderman just doesn’t look like the guy who facedthe Yanks in the play-offs. He’s nibbling.
Bobby walks on four pitches to load ’em.
He has no command as he walks Abreu on four pitches. It’s a bad sign when you can’t get one over to a guy obviously taking.
And shockingly the Yanks fail at their first try to get a run in with no outs and the bases loaded.
Now Giambi’s turn. I predict a walk.
Jim Leyland out to the mound with words for Bonderman. I sure wouldn’t want to have that focus directed at me. I’m guessing it was something understated like, “throw a g*dd*amn strike, you stupid moth********.”
Now Matsui pops out to shallow left. Bah.
Giambi gets a run across with a sac fly to left.
Giambi drives in a run to deep left center. He had a good swing there. At least a run comes in.
Bonderman can’t throw a striek to save his life.
Melky drives in a run. Jeter slides in for the second run of the game.
Wow… close play at the plate on a single to left by Melky going the other way. Really good throw, just in ahead of the tag.
Yanks get another run, beating the play at the plate.
Christ Bonderman is sucking. Tigers aint gonna go far unless that rotation picks it up
Jim Leyland bears an uncanny resemblance to The Man.
Ordonez walks, then a freak bounce off the third base bag that probably saved a base if it had cleared the bag fair. Now Guillen pushes the runners over with a sacrifice. Second and third to Renteria.
God awful bunt play. Stupid mnove. Did no one in the Tigers dogout read Baseball Propsectus’ Between the numbers?
Grounder to Cano pushes a run across and advances Cabrera to third. 2-1 Yanks, Thames up.
Thames grounds out 6-3 to end the inning.
Screw this ump.
The wrong tab virus strikes me again!
Matsui! Single to right with two away in the bottom of the third to bring up Giambi.
Jason grounds out to first. Heading to the fourth.
Sheff down swinging chasing a great slider down in.
meanwhile, Kay and company are engaged in a pretty illogical discussion about hall-of-fame futures.
And Pettite k’s Cabrera. Nice inning.
Why did Melky hint bunt on the 1-0?
Who are they discussing, Nick?
Melky pulls a drive to right to lead off the Yankee 4th.
Awkward moment when Bonderman throws to first and Melky almost stumbles off the bag.
Cano grounds to second but it’s a slow enough roller that the Tigers only can get Melky on the FC.
Cano is out by a mile on the busted hit and run. Now Molina does make contact but grounds out 5-3. Ugh.
Guillen down swinging. Renteria grounds through the 5-6 hole.
Now Marcus Thames takes it over the left field wall to make it 3-2 Tigers. Damon jumped for it, but he would have had to Spidey the wall to pull it back in.
Pudge grounds back to Pettitte to end the inning. Let’s get it back, boys. Gotta go for a bit.
Atheose, sorry about that. I’m eating and just jumping in here and there, but they were talking about Sheffield, then Thome and then Frank Thomas.
and the Yanks do nothing that inning. This is Bonderman’s best start of the season. That’s because he’s facing the Yanks.
YES just doesnt understand WHY Beane was upset abotu choosing Bonderman. Damn morons (not just YES< but so many people) not understanding the POINT.
Wait what are you talking about Dio?
“This is Bonderman’s best start of the season. That’s because he’s facing the Yanks. ”
Ha. You think thats bad, you should see what freaking McGowan is doing to us.
Wait what Dio? What do you mean choosing Bonderman?
This team is getting painful to watch, er listen to.
Ahhhh gotcha.
The YES guys talked about how Billy threw a chair when the As scouting director picked Bonderman in the draft (mentioned in Moneyball). They talked about it as if Beane didnt think Bonderman was talented and that Bonderman was driven to prove himself as a result.
It was never about talent. It was about risk (high school pitchers tend to be higher risk drafts as they are so raw). Abotu economics. About NOT going for that live high school arm and isntead tryign to play the game differently from everyone else… by the numbers.
This just in.. Placido Polanco, who just went yard on Pettitte, was cast as an extra in the part of an Oompa Loompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which also starred
Jack AlbertsonJim Leyland.Phil Hughes just placed on 15 day DL with strained oblique
How obtuse.
Hey IH, I think Farnsworth heard you defending him today. Don’t worry, he’s back to his normal Farnsworthiness. Homerun to Polanco.