The Yankees go for the sweep against The A’s in Oakland today, and they’ll do it with this lineup:
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones LF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
I’m a little disappointed that Brett Gardner isn’t playing, since I think he’s earned the right to play each day, but whatever. I guess giving A-Rod the half-day off is more important.
They’ll go up against Oakland lefty Gio Gonzalez. He’s having a fine year, putting up an ERA/FIP/xFIP line of 2.17/3.29/3.40. The walks are a little high at 4.04 per nine, but he’s striking out 9.10 per nine and giving up just 0.58 HR/9, while getting a 50.6% ground ball rate. Lots of strikeouts and grounders and keeping the ball in the park usually means success. The Yankees haven’t hit all that well against Gonzalez (.214 average, 1 HR, .161 IsoP), but they’ve walked a lot (.380 OBP) against him. Hopefully, they can get some hits to land. Fun fact: Gonzalez was traded to the A’s for Nick Swisher, so he’s, in theory, partially responsible for bringing Swisher to the Yankees. Thanks, Gio!
Anyway, hang out here as you watch the Yanks on a Wednesday afternoon. Go get ‘em, Bombers.
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30 Responses to Game 54: SWEEP THE LEG
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TIQ IQ
“I’m a little disappointed that Brett Gardner isn’t playing”
I don’t know how excited I would get over the fact that a guy with a lower OBP than Nick Swisher and a BA 14 points lower than Derek Jeter is not in the lineup.
He is a big defensive upgrade over Jones – I’ll give you that.
But he’s got a better OBP than Jeter and a better BA than Swisher. He also had a fabulous May: .301 BA and .379 OBP.
His OBP is only marginally better than Jeter’s (note: I’m not making a case for Jeter who is is not having that good a season or Swisher who, despite the bomb today, is having an even worse one).
Gardner had a “fabulous” early May but after climbing to around .270/.360/.400 (not exact figures) has dropped about 20 points in BA, 30 in OBP and even more in SLG Pct.
I like Gardner and I think he should have seen some time at the top of the order when he was hot but I don’t see him as anything more than a serviceable option for a year or two until a legitimate corner OF guy can be found. I can’t get excited about him sitting out against a LHP.
Wow–Rodriguez’s first extra base hit since May 21.
I love the poll question, saber is going ti crash and burn, but at least they are tring to promote newer statistics.
Yes, and I liked Cone demanding time to explain BABIP.
Where you been?
I decided to watch the last two games without the internet, so I just kicked back and watched two wins. Colon was a beast!
They’ve been making Gio work: 42 pitches in 2 innings.
Have you guys seen who’s leading the All-Star voting right now? The entire starting infield are yankees! Martin, Alex, Jeter, Cano, and Teixeira. In the outfield Curtis Granderson is leading the way, with Hamilton, and Bautista.
That’s funny. Granderson deserves it. Not sure of any of the others. Maybe Martin.
Martin leads all catchers in wOBA, so yeah I think he does deserve to go. Also for no other reason than he has done really well after almost being pushed aside, because of injuries.
I normally wouldn’t do it, but since they are all leading I gotta put in the vote. Seriously how awesome would that All-Star introduction be?
The howling from Red Sox Nation would be pitiful.
Hosiery update: egg shell over crimson by 3 in the 9th.
Kim Jones is nothing without a pork chop.
Important at bat for Burnett–two on, two out,. Winningham up, and his control not looking good at all.
Got him!
Good time for Swisher to connect.
And he did!
Swisher has been strong from the right side all year, now if he can just shift a little of that mojo to the left side of the plate we’d be good. If he strengthens up to what he should be, that takes away one of the two holes in the lineup.
Man the White Sox got screwed coming and going with Swisher! Gio Gonzalez traded for, traded him away for Wilson Betemit and Jhonny Nunez.
That’s some bad trading. Wilson Betemit?!
That’s one of Cashman’s biggest steals of all time! Swisher coming off the worst season of his career, for nuts and bolts. Followed by the best two years of Swisher’s career haha.
Ozzie Guillen wanted to get rid of him evidently.
Yeah Swisher and Ozzie have a bad relationship haha, Swisher hated the way he was used by Ozzie. In fact Swisher was used quite a bit as a leadoff man that year, and Swisher didn’t care for it much. Then when he left and Ozzie started running his mouth about him, it really went sour.
Quote of the month from Ken Singleton: “Bunt this!”
Gonzalez looks determined to throw 100 pitches in 5 innings.
Gio is a very good pitcher, but he isn’t at the level he is going to reach yet, and I don’t think he is going to become a number 1 starter. He hits me as a very good number 2 on any staff, but he isn’t a number 1 pitcher on a W. Series winning team. That’s what makes thinking of trading for him hard, I don’t think he’s worth Montero, and Banuelos probably has just as much or more upside.
You may be right about Gonzalez. I know prospects often don’t pan out, but I kind of like to watch them come along, which we don’t always get the chance to do as Yankee fans, at least we didn’t before Cashman.
Weird game for AJ. Usualy he starts strong and then weakens, today he started weak, and strengthened as he went along.
Yankees still not hitting in the late innings. I don’t like it.