Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News
Fresh off their sweep of the usually troublesome Blue Jays, the Yanks begin a four game set against one of their favorite opponents, Buck Showalter’s Baltimore Orioles. On the bump for the Orioles is Brian Matusz, who sports a 9.07 ERA on the season and has actually been worse (9.56 ERA) in 3 starts since coming back from an injury. Garcia is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 3 starts facing the O’s this year.
This season, the Yanks are 11-3 against the O’s and have outscored them 98-49 (+49 Run differential) which leads me to my fact of the day from BR’s blog. The Yanks and Phillies are both on track to have +200 run differentials this year. If you look back over the past 40 years, teams in that category were mostly very memorable and very often World Series winners. The 2007 Red Sox, 2001 Mariners, 1998 Yankees, 1993/97-98 Braves, 1995 Indians, 1986 Mets, 1975-76 Reds, 1969-71 Orioles and the 1961 Yankees all reached this plateau. Of course, with the multi-tiered playoff system we all know that the best teams don’t always make it to the World Series, but suffice to say were watching a very good Yankee team this year. Run Differential is a great way to measure dominance, the two teams with the highest marks in history were the 1927 Yankees (+376) and the 1939 Yankees (+411) both of which are considered untouchable numbers in today’s game.
Here’s your lineup, courtesy of Yankee PR:
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones RF
Russel Martin C
Jesus Montero DH
Brett Gardner-LF
GO YANKS!!!!
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104 Responses to Game Thread: Freddy’s got a job to do on Labor Day
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TIQ IQ
The Yankees should send a split squad to Baltimore on Thursday.
It’s about that time when the also rans start thinking about going home.
Teixeira hits one right-handed. At this point, he may be a bit underrated.
How can Matusz be this bad? An ERA of 9.07 isn’t just a bad year. It’s hard to believe he’s healthy.
Hey, Professor LongishNose, I’m here, but I’ve got dinner almost ready. Not polite to type with your mouth full, so I’ll just listen. Nice answering first inning, eh?
For Guerrero, Freddie must look like a smorgasbord.
Eating something that goes good with baseball?
Garcia not looking crisp.
Crud. Baltimore can be a real pain in the butt.
You’re right, hope he adjusts soon.
A melange of onions, peppers, mushrooms and eggplant – ooch, another run – accompanying a slice of pork tenderloin, washed down with a couple Smithwicks.
That sounds alright, if you don’t have hot dogs handy.
ate all those for breakfast
Bad throw by Teixeira. I take it back about him being underrated.
This is not gonna help my appetite! Jete was covering second, or he woulda had that.
Scott Proctor warming up. Haven’t seen him in a long while. he hasn’t done well lately.
Need a DP here.
It’s been raining up here–about 60 miles north of the Bronx–for a couple of hours.
here in western NJ, too, on and off.
Well this certainly isn’t ideal.
Matusz walks Montero to open the second. Looking like a slugfest developing.
Second and third for Granderson. Get at least one in here.
Double for Granderson. That works very well, too.
Showalter yanks Matusz. I think that’s entirely appropriate.
but I was just getting to like him
Maybe the rest of the staff will continue the game in the same fashion.
Remember in April when Rodriguez was hot and we thought he was going to have a big season?
oh, yeah, he was so energetic, slamming liners everywhere
Cano with the bases loaded is good times.
Yanks are down 5-4, but Gamecast has them with a 58% chance of winning.
…wait a minute
Another grand slam for Cano. Good times, I’m tellin’ ya.
Senor Garcia is doing much better now!
Now if he can just pitch a few scoreless innings.
8 – 5 in the third, more like 58% success rate, against even competition.
Now they’ve got it at 80%.
Boy, the left side of the infield has been porous today.
Ouch! Just like the outfield fence.
Not a good day for a ground ball pitcher, or a line drive pitcher, either. Get ‘em next time, Chief!
Just a bad day. I’m not too worried about Garcia.
yeah, a touch-pitcher is gonna be off, time to time.
Garcia gives up a 2-run homer, now it’s 66%.
Take Garcia out. What’s the point of letting him pitch when he doesn’t have it?
Beckett may have twisted his ankle delivering a pitch.
No score in Toronto.
Yeah, Francona’s taking Beckett out of the game.
I was peeking at Red Sox Nation today: they’re NOT gonna take it well.
He didn’t look hurt. He walked off under his own power and didn’t appear to be limping. But you never know.
Prof, I saw you couldn’t find the time analysis at NYT, and posted a link, just as you logged off yesterday.
I saw it. Thanks. Very interesting. It does seem that the major difference is the number of pitches thrown, not between-pitch dilly-dallying.
well, both
I also heard that Girardi’s sticking with a 6-man rotation. I’m really happy I’m not going to watch Burnett pitch tomorrow, but it bugs me that Girardi still insists he’s playing to win the division. He isn’t, and there really is no way to argue that he is.
I think he learned that from Joe Torre: nothing matters if your players aren’t healthy. But they were complaining about the same thing in Boston. I’m hoping their funk continues.
There’s an argument that it’s the right thing to do. But there’s no argument that he’s playing to win the division, and it bugs me that he thinks we’re stupid enough to believe that he is.
I totally disagree. I think his usage of CC and the bullpen against Boston, and his general usage of the bullpen over the last week, suggest that he is trying to win the division.
When you put a guy with an ERA over 5 into the rotation for weeks when you don’t have to, you’re not putting winning the division first. When you start Sabathia every 6 days instead of every 5 when you don’t have to, you’re not putting winning the division first. I don’t think there’s any argument about that.
What moves do you think show he’s doing something extra to win the division? I don’t recall anything unusual about the use of the bullpen, but not saying it didn’t happen.
To clarify: There may be ways he’s trying to win–I mean, everyone wants to win, and I’m not arguing that Girardi doesn’t. But as far as the rotation goes, he’s putting winning the division second to (I don’t know what to call it–”fix”? “develop”? Let’s go with “deal with”–dealing with Burnett and Hughes.
And Burnett and Hughes not only give them less of a chance to win the division, but aren’t even likely to be of much use in the playoffs.
That’s fair. I think they want to win the division and will manage a such, but if they see something that could help more in the longterm, they wont be afraid to take that risk.
That’s fair, too.
At this point, I’d be willing to pass on any possible long term benefit of Burnett. Hughes I’ve still got some hope for.
yeah, I agree with Moshe. He will risk a sub, but he does want to win. Boston was almost a special matter, since the competitive balance is at stake, but he’s trying to be wise, but win. If the wild card were at stake, that would be higher pressure, tho.
See my response to MM.
Fixing those pitchers is the highest priority, both long term and, ideally, for the playoffs. Burnett showed some real efficacy against talented, motivated hitters. Having him right would be a huge added strength. No small chips there, to cast away.
I didn’t say there wasn’t a reason to do it. I said, it’s putting winning the division second, and he ought to admit that.
It’s complicated, with priorities that are only semi-exclusive. Were he to express them too simply, many would take him wrong.
agree 100%
Hey, the O’s didn’t score in the 4th. First time all game.
You should be allowed to bring dogs to Yankee Stadium.
You could probably sneak a hot dog in your pockets.
But not a German Shepherd mix.
they’d probably find that in the frisk
Disappointed, I like to see them further back in the rear view mirror.
Garcia loses his chance to win the game. What injustice!
How does Gamecast have the odds now?
60% Yankees. I guess from the home field advantage.
Monty!
If he had waited until tomorrow, I’d have been there.
maybe he’ll do two!
The porch looked awful short. Easy do.
Robinson and Soriano are not available, right?
Robertson may be not available, Soriano pitched only one (poor) inning, so he could be.
No score in the 8th in Toronto.
Good to see Tex get good wood lefty. And left of center.
For someone having a bad year, he’s having a great year.
boy, you got that right! Third in the league in homers! Nearly 100 rbi’s.
I think he passed 100. They listed RBI leaders and Yankees had 3 over 100.
On Girardi:
If it’s so complicated that I can only pick a black-and-white yes or no, I vote “string him up by the ‘nads!”
I was shocked to read a Bostonian say, Epstein should go to Chicago, and take the fool Francona with him.Period!
What do they say they did wrong? Those Boston fans are nuts.
Sorry, I just stuck my toe in the waters. I may go back, it was a wicked pleasure.
One out, one on, bottom 8th in Toronto.
maybe he’ll hit three?
Maybe he’ll hit 500 for his career.
Wow! Two homers for Montero!
Two on, one out for Bautista in the bottom of the 8th. Still 0-0. Bard coming in.
Bautista popped out on the first pitch. Bum.
Garcia gave up 7 runs, so the bullpen’s done a nice job.
I remember Shane Spencer. But then, I remember Kevin Maas.
yeah, even I noticed Shane. He played another season for the Yanks, maybe two. Did they trade him?
According to baseball-reference.com, he left as a free agent. He played 5 years with them, all the way through 2002. After an OPS+ of 236 in ’98, he never had an OPS+ of greater than 99 for the Yanks.
just on fire that first big time in the big time.
Boston-Toronto going into extra innings.
smurfy, you get credit for calling that second home run by Montero. Pat yourself on the back.
well, thanks, but I was thinking of tomorrow.
You don’t realize your own powers.
so much for defensive indifference.
This game ain’t over. Damn.
the tension mounts. No whammies!
Diddly damn, Mo! Don’t make it so exciting.
Now it’s over!
I think Mariano was channeling Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams.
Have big fun @ the game! No rain!
I will. Thanks.
Have fun on YA.
Toronto has a runner on second with one out in the bottom of the tenth. Still no score.
big pressure …big players come out to play….and a big boy named montero.. wrist shots to the right field stands..