What Happened
In what seems to be a recurring theme for this team, the Yankees fell behind twice, clawed back on the strength of Johnny Damon’s bat, and then blew the game due to their bullpen. This time, Andy Pettitte allowed 5 runs in 6 innings, and Jose Veras allowed a run in 2 innings of work. Damon had a two run double and a two run homer, the second coming with two outs in the 8th to tie the game at 6. Mariano Rivera entered the game for the 9th and gave up back to back home runs to Crawford and Longoria, and the Yankees shockingly had their 5th consecutive defeat.
What I Liked
1) Johnny Damon- it seems like I write about Damon every day. He has been the lone bright spot on this homestand, coming through in every big spot that he has been in. If he continues to play this well, it may be difficult for the Yankees to let him go after the season.
2) Melky Cabrera- Melky went 1-2 with two walks. He is clearly having better at bats than he did over the last two seasons, and seems to be driving the ball with more authority than ever before. I have never thought that Melky had the talent to start in CF for the Yankees, but he seems to have taken a major step forward this season. If May goes similarly to April, I will gladly admit I was wrong about the Melk Man.
What I Didn’t Like
1) Andy Pettitte- I love Andy, but the Yankees needed him to be a stopper yesterday, and he did not come through. He allowed 4 home runs, including a solo shot to Ben Zobrist after the Yankees had erased a 4-0 deficit that took the air out of the Stadium. The Yankee starting pitching has been disappointing thus far, and it will depend on that rotation heating up for the Yankees to make a serious run here.
2) Mariano Rivera- It seems like he is going through a dead arm period, something that might be expected of a 39 year old closer coming off of surgery. See Steve’s post below for more on Mo.
3) Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano- Both are struggling lately, and they combined to go 0-9 last night. It is hard to put the blame on the two of them for any of the recent losses, but their slumps highlight how important it is that A-Rod and Tex turn it on now.
4) Mark Teixeira- Tex went 0-5 and left 5 runners on base. It is time for him to get going, and with A-Rod coming back tonight, his excuses are all gone. Hopefully getting away from the Stadium is the remedy for what ails Tex.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
TIQ IQ
Recent Comments