Despite my overwhelming desire to discuss anything but last night’s Yankee game, it has to be addressed. I’m sure many Yankee fans switched over to draft coverage rather than watch AJ Burnett’s inability to throw strikes and a red-hot Josh Beckett at the top of his game mowing down Yankee hitters. If you did switch to the draft after the first few innings, you didn’t miss much. You missed some decent low leverage bullpen work by the Yankee relievers and a base hit by Brett Gardner. That’s it.
After last night’s performance, AJ Burnett might consider throwing a pie in his own face. He was dreadful from the outset, unable to locate his fastball and having a curveball that was non-existent. He threw 84 pitches, but only 40 for strikes (48%). You can’t win in the big leagues pitching like that, and certainly not against a patient team like the Red Sox.
Beckett on the other hand was masterful, challenging hitters with n outstanding fastball and putting them away with a nasty curveball. He’s on a hot stretch, picking up where he left off in May (3-0 2.91 ERA) after getting off to a slow start in April (2-2 7.22 ERA). The Yanks did a good job of running up Beckett’s pitch count and getting him out of the game by the 6th, but that only meant they had to face Baseball’s best bullpen in Fenway.
The Yanks are now 0-6 against the Red Sox, with a still unsteady Chien Ming Wang facing Tim Wakefield tonight. I’m sure many Yankee fans are starting to wonder if we simply can’t play with this team. I’m not. As much as we’d like to beat the Red Sox, its just one game in the standings and means little come October. If this was the playoffs, Burnett would never be facing Beckett unless CC was injured. Our bullpen would likely have Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, and possibly other reinforcements from the trade market. The Red Sox are looking to make a deal or two themselves. Either us or the Red Sox could have key injuries or players who are banged up and underperforming by then, as Josh Beckett was last year. So much can change in a week, so 3 months ahead isn’t even worth getting into.
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I’d like to end on a positive note, so here’s the best thing that happened last night. Brian Bruney threw a bullpen side session and says he feels strong enough to return to the active roster. I’m still hoping to get a few more looks at Phil Hughes working out of the bullpen before Bruney returns. With Sergio Mitre pitching well in AAA, we don’t really need Phil to be our 6th starter. However, our bullpen needs all the help it can get.
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0 Responses to Burnett, Yanks fall to Beckett
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Personally, I’m a lot more interested in how the Yankees do against the Red Sox in September than I am now, not that beating the Sox isn’t enjoyable always.Teams often dominate one another in June only to have it 100% reversed come playoff time.
Healthcott would have gotten a hit against Beckett and pitched a perfect 8th inning.
/let the hype machine begin!
He’s obviously the next Grady Sizemore, haven’t you heard?
Beckett was a god last night. It felt like 10/03. Sometimes there’s not much you can do.
I’ll play the role today of the emotional irrational fan just to get it all out. I’m pissed and frustrated that the Yankees have been unable to win a single game from the Red Sox so far this year. As each loss mounts, it feels to me like the pressure mounts to get off the shnide. In my 30+ years of being a Yankee fan, I can’t recall getting this far into a season without having won a single game from the Red Sox. On top of that, I’m pissed that David Ortiz hit a home run against the Yankees. The last thing they need is to provide the catalyst to wake Ortiz up from his slumber. That would be worse than watching Carl Pavano pitch well start after start for the Indians (what the hell is up with that anyway????). Yeah yeah yeah, it’s just a game blah blah blah. I’m just not that kind of fan. I get all riled up during baseball season and when they play the Red Sox a little more so. OK, I feel a little better for the moment, but that is just temporary. Need to see the Yankees put it to the Red Sox tonight.
It is certainly alright to be frustrated, as long as we dont import deeper meaning into one game in June. That being said, I hope we stick it to them tonight.
Also think of it this way Dan. Would you rather be 0-7 vs. Boston and be tied for first place, or be 7-0 against them and be hovering around .500. This is something we will straighten out eventually. Beckett was just amazing last night and AJ wasn’t.
I’m also pissed that we lost yesterday. AJ has nasty stuff, but he tends to have mental lapses in games, which annoys the crap outta me.
Steve, you mentioned Sergio Mitre. What can you (or anyone else) tell me about him?
Yanks signed him in the off season to a minor league deal. He missed all of 08 with Tommy John surgery.
Control guy, doesn’t strike out a ton of batters or have overpowering stuff. But can be used as a starter or out of the bullpen. Having an excellent season so far in the minors, in very limited action.