I don’t know about you, but these old school west coast trips almost feel like the off season to me. I can barely stay up to watch any of the night games (I have to get up early for work) and by the time these afternoon weekend games come around, I feel like I’ve completely lost touch with the team. For those of us who need an update, here’s a run down of who’s hot and who’s not on this road trip. Russel Martin has just 1 hit in his last 22 ABs, though he has drawn 3 BB. Derek has had a nice trip, collecting 9 hits and 7 BB and raising his OBP from .308 to .329. Brett Gardner has done nothing this trip, collecting just 3 hits and 1 BB in 24 PAs. Nick Swisher has really started to come around, collecting a hit in 6 of his past 7 games with an additional 8 BBs. The rest of the lineup has pretty much maintained their season averages except for Jorge Posada, who must be on borrowed time at this point.
In this afternoon’s contest, Bartolo Colon returns to his old Cy Young winning stomping grounds for just the second time since he left in 2007. Let’s hope he repeats that last performance, which was outstanding (6.2 IP 1R). Facing the Yanks is Joel Pineiro, who has had mixed results (3-5 4.04 ERA 1.382 WHIP) in his career facing the Yanks.
In other Yankee news, the rotation has been shuffled as expected. With the off day on Monday, CC will face the Red Sox on Thursday with an extra day of rest and Nova has been bumped back to Friday facing Cleveland. Had they stayed on turn, CC would have faced CLE.
Here’s your lineup, courtesy of Chad Jennings over at LoHud:
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Brett Gardner LF
Francisco Cervelli C
With the day game after a night game, Cervelli gets the start over Martin. GO YANKS!!!!
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45 Responses to Game 56-The end of a long and winding road trip
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TIQ IQ
Why is Posada batting sixth when he should be batting eighth?
I changed my mind about him. Release him now. If the Tigers can release Gary Sheffield and eat the entire $14M they owed him, the Yankees can release Posada and eat the entire $13.1M – X they’ve paid him so far.
Posada can’t hit, play the field, or run. He’s a bad $13.1M pinch hitter masquerading as a bad full-time DH.
I’d love the Yankees to bat Posada eighth and Jeter ninth to send them a message: you’re being paid like stars, but you’re not producing like stars. Start producing like stars again.
Seventh. Swish is sixth. He sure didn’t take the news kindly the last time they said he was batting ninth, did he.
You see it as a negative message, as he obviously does. If he is smart, as in realizing that someone has to bat ninth, and it’s a slap to Brett to say it’s beneath him, he should accept it and bat like the blazes of hell motivate him.
I meant seventh. I assumed he was sixth cuz he’s so damn slow why would Girardi bat him in a slot where you’re the leadoff hitter for the bottom of the order? Oh wait, it’s Girardi, the guy I can’t make rhyme or reason with his moves half the time.
Too bad if Posada doesn’t like batting eighth. No more inmates running the asylum.
Gardner
Swisher
Teixiera
Rodriguez
Cano
Granderson
Martin
Posada
Jeter
I would differ on the order, currently. Gardner didn’t react well to leadoff earlier this year, may feel too much pressure due to Jeter’s status. Jete has recently been performing much better, getting leadoff hits and walks to start games.
Your other big move, to switch Grandy and Swish: both seem to react well to the second spot. Hate to mess with Grandy; might see trying lefty/righty swap, but Grandy’s doing well against lefties and he’s the better baserunner, so it would be tentative.
I’d Gardner first because he’s faster with a slightly higher OBP than Jeter and steals way more bases than Jeter.
I’d bat Swisher second because he’s done a solid job there in the past. While his BA is low, I like that his OBP is over 100 points higher. ‘Problem I have with Swisher seventh is then you’d have the three worst Yankee hitters making up the bottom of the order
Amendment to my lineup: Martin sixth, Granderson seventh so there aren’t back to back lefthanded hitters in Cano and Granderson for a lefty reliever to come in for.
I’d be happy if it were fluid, adjusted to player’s streaks and developing abilities.
I certainly agree that it should always be the manager’s call. Nobody owns a spot.
Somebody just lit a fire under the Angels.
They figured something out to help them make contact. Didn’t see any change in Bartolo. Great play by Cano to stop the bleeding.
Posada on the bases…sigh
Look at The Idiot (my new nickname for Posada) thinking he’s 25 going for 3B.
Great job Posada. You still can’t run the bases intelligently after all these years.
All he has to do is hit and run the bases now, he can’t even run the bases properly.
This tie game is all on Posada.
.
Bench him now! Even better, release his ass.
.
Thanks Oakland. 0-5 vs. the Red Sox.
The Red Sox are now 6-2 vs. the Angels, 5-0 vs. the As, 5-1 vs. the Yankees, and 3-1 vs. the Twins for 19-4, 14-22 vs. everyone else.
Thankfully, they’re done with the Angels and have only 3 more vs. the As and the same vs.the Twins.
Another TEIX message sent hahahaha,
Thank some higher force the Yankees signed him!!!
Bartolo, just like CC last night, is very careful with Bobby Abreu. The guy seems to be very quick witted with the bat.
Yay! Jorge didn’t go for two to celebrate!
Robbie’s never met a 3-2 pitch he didn’t like.
Is it my imagination, or is Cano a lot more pull-happy in 2011 than in previous years?
Anecdotally it does feel that way. Will try to do some research when I have a chance — should be able to figure this out via Fangraphs.
He’s had streaks, the last a couple weeks ago, in which he went with the pitch a lot.
One of the things you may be noticing is that he isn’t getting very many hits when he does go the other way:
Pulling the ball: .431 .424 .985
Up the middle: .281 .278 .416
Opposite field: .233 .226 .333
yes he is
Why is Girardi taking out Colon after only 90 pitches and Colon made a nice defensive play? Let the guy finish the inning so Robertson could start the seventh. Colon will have an extra day of rest with the day off tomorrow.
Once again Girardi sticks his nose where he shouldn’t.
One more out D-Rob : )
I’m ok with it. Colon didn’t have his best stuff today, and it’s a 1-run game. Plus, the bullpen’s fresh after last night and there’s an off-day tomorrow.
The day off tomorrow means an extra day’s rest for Colon so I don’t see an extra 2-10 pitches killing him, but I see your thinking. I’m thinking Colon pitched a masterful complete-game shutout last start so what’s getting two more outs? True he wasn’t at his best but he’s shown he can get out of jams if you could call a man on 2B and one out a jam.
No harm no foul. Robertson got out of the bases loaded jam he 2/3rd put himself in haha.
Now I don’t like the move because it set up D-Rob to have a long sixth inning which doesn’t allow him to pitch all of the seventh. Now Joba has to get five outs total (thankfully he’s collected the first two with no runs given up.) I don’t like Joba’s pitch count going into the eighth (20.) Hopefully he can hold the lead, but will this damn offense OUTSIDE OF TEIXIERA score a run or two? Jeez.
Colon 6 / Robertson 1 / Chamberlain 1 / Rivera 1 should’ve been the move.
Surprised me, too. Maybe Joe doesn’t want the rally monkey to get loose again.
One of the things you may be noticing is that he isn’t getting very many hits when he does go the other way:
Pulling the ball: .431 .424 .985
Up the middle: .281 .278 .416
Opposite field: .233 .226 .333
They don’t call it “relief” fer nothin.’
Can Ford please pull the plug on that “Jeter has an edge” commerical that came out in 2007-08 when he was a great player? It’s depressing. The commericial looks dated, too, with the film. Plus the woman at the end probably has 4-7 more lines in her face LOL.
Big yeah! Sure sounds hollow when he’s not doing well.
Seriously, the black construction dude with his “Jeter…you KNOWWW he’s got an edge!!!” makes me cringe.
8th inning runs are the holy grail of the 2011 Yankees.
The Swish found it!
Let’s hope he remembers where he puts it.
It looked like he could have picked the ball up and thrown Gardner out.
Sure could have, except for the risk of the throw getting tangled in the runner.
Aybar’s foot blocking the base indicates it’s time for feet first slides.
I don’t think head-first slides help anyway.
Grandy especially has slid past the bag to get tagged late. Like to see them try the old way some.
Mo’s pitches are smooth and strong today. They’ll have to pull a miracle to beat him. Whoa, Aybar made a good try.
A little more nerve-racking than the usual Mo save, but I’ll take it.
The Angels showed a lot of fight. Made it a very good win.
Mo was setting that double play up. Nice job!
A 6-3 road trip that could’ve been an 8-1 road trip. I’m pumped.
Yeah, they are playing well. Maybe those first two disappointments motivated them.
I think Bartolo’s two seamer wasn’t moving as much this time. Joe mentioned that he wasn’t changing speeds as much either.