(J. Meric/Getty Images)
Yesterday may have been a tough loss for the Yankees, but at least we watched some good baseball. Today, Hiroki Kuroda takes the mound for his first time as a Yankee, against Derek Jeter‘s favorite opposing pitcher, David Price. The new Yankee pitcher gave the Dodger’s a 3.07 ERA last year, with a 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. This Spring, Kuroda was arguably the most impressive starter in camp, posting a 2.92 ERA, a 6.2 K/9, and a 1.5 BB/9.
Joe Girardi has made a few moves with today’s lineup against the left hander Price. Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher have been flipped, Granderson will bat 6th (the guy who hit lefties .272/.347/.597 in 2011 will bat 6th!?) and Swisher will bat 2nd (hit lefties at .327/.442/.516 in 2011). Eduardo Nunez will get the start at short stop, with Derek Jeter playing as the DH today. Andruw Jones gets a start in left field with the platoon advantage, and Brett Gardner will get his first start on the bench. Here is today’s lineup.
| Yankees | Rays |
| Derek Jeter DH | Desmond Jennings CF |
| Nick Swisher RF | Carlos Pena 1B |
| Robinson Cano 2B | Evan Longoria 3B |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B | Matt Joyce LF |
| Mark Teixeira 1B | Ben Zobrist RF |
| Curtis Granderson CF | Luke Scott DH |
| Andruw Jones LF | Jeff Keppinger 2B |
| Russell Martin C | Jose Lobaton C |
| Eduardo Nunez SS | Reid Brignac SS |
Go Evil Empire!
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110 Responses to Game Two: The Empire Strikes Back
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TIQ IQ
Good start, Beckett just got shelled and gave up 5 homeruns, 2 to Fielder, 2 to Cabrera, and 1 Avila. 10-0 Red Sox loss.
Yankees are at least running up the pitch count.
Which is huge considering how far they got into the Rays bullpen yesterday.
Of course, they couldn’t score off the bullpen yesterday. Last year they had those weird problems scoring after the 6th inning. I hope they’re not gong to do the same thing this year.
I’d rather get runs off of the starter than make a living feasting off bullpens. Come postseason time the bullpen really shrinks, you really have to score off of starters to win.
Nunez drops the first ball hit to him. Somethings never change. Welcome to New York Kuroda.
I’m rooting for him but he doesn’t make it easy.
Hopefully his bat makes up for it this year.
Pena stepped out on strike 3.
I was thinking, he tried to step into it, but then I realized you meant the late time call. I blame the ump. And it was already to be strike 4.
Whatever happens here, Kuroda looks like nails to me.
Alex is looking great at 3rd. I hope that is a sign of how good he’s feeling, his hips really seem to be fluid on those long strides in the field.
Agreed. He looks 5 years younger. As much I dislike Nunez’ defense, he’s a necessary evil to keep the left side of the infield healthy.
yeah, he’s playing great. Keep fingers crossed.
Howdy do, to you all.
Welcome to actual real satisfactory baseball smurfy.
thanks. But… are you sure? The mojo seems to flow slow, mayhaps giving the opposition a running start.
But I am for running the table from now! Hitters smack wood! Heyah!
Hey, smurphy. How goes?
hey – I’m fine but don’t blow my cover!
How’s you, Professor?
You have a cover?
I’m pessimistic as always. Everything’s going to hell in a handbasket.
aw, shucks, willy nilly! It’s only the start. Complain when we’re 0 – 6, like the Ruddy Sox, last year.
Pssst – it ain’t gonnahappen.
and, sure, a good smurfy has to be clever, so people don’t see him, being blue and 6 inches tall.
The scoreboard might say 2-0, but Kuroda has already gotten 4 outs this inning. You can’t blame Kuroda for that hit by Scott, the pitch was almost in the dirt.
Can I blame Nunez?
I held my breath on that last play. Thought he was gonna throw it over Cano’s head.
After the two runs scored, they put the camera on Nuney, to place silent blame. Whenever there is an error, they also show the committer, so the audience can cuss him, or for him to show remorse, self disgust.
Whew! That was a breath-holding flyball. Surprised it cleared the catwalks, took so long to come down.
Jeter always makes the throw to first because he has Teixeira on the other end.
I’m really starting to hate Carlos Pena.
aw, lighten up. Remember the home run race he lost to Tex because of a September injury, a couple year back. He’s a good guy.
Is it negative that the first thing I thought of was when Maddon ordered they hit Texeira in his final at bat of the season so that he wouldn’t beat Pena.
That did lead to a 7 RBI 2 homerun inning for Arod though.
wowsers, you do remember. Maybe better than I. That sounds wonderful, wish I could relive it. And I remember that got Alex to 10 years of 30 and 100, right?
Yea, Arod did it all within one inning. He doesn’t fool around.
Time to redeem yourself Nunez.
Right on, Jeter! Nice hit.
Price can not get Jeter out for anything.
Man, Swish creamed that.
BABIP is not Swishalicious.
he keeps hitting like that, it will be.
So far in Charleston, Bichette is 2 for 2, Gary Sanchez is 2 for 2 with a double, and Tyler Austin is 1 for 2 with a triple… against Tim Hudson!
I’ve always thought it was funny that Robby just bails out of pitches when he wants to take a strike. It’s like if he doesn’t have a chance for a hit he doesn’t care.
I’ll watch, butmaybe he makes th decision, the he doesn’t want to feel bad about it.
Matt Joyce crushed that.
He’s almost casting the ball, he’s not driving the ball down hill.
Last pitch was much better.
I think he’s excited. The balls down in the zone are overthrown and hitting the dirt, while the balls up in the zone are overthrown and straight. He’s probably just amped.
Yeah, their shifts have been right on. Well played.
Yup, they’ve robbed Swisher, Cano, and Arod of hits in the last 2 innings alone.
did you notice when jeter(?) and Arod were on first and second, they had a shift on Tex, batting righty, and Arod could have got a running start half way to 2cd? Only Lobaton throwing to third held them back from double-stealing?
And now, Lobaton throws it away! Nice.
all right, Curtis! way to break the ice. Rip it.
Nice hit by Jones. Changeup down in the zone.
Lot of Yankee fans in the stands.
It is Tampa after all, they usually have a pretty split crowds, for our games at least.
They sold out today too. I bet there are more Yankee fans than Rays fans.
Carlos Pena giveth, and Carlos Pena taketh away.
I still can’t believe how many people wanted Jones gone early last year. The guy fits his role on our team perfectly, and in a pinch could hold us over in case of injury to an outfielder.
The Jonesy run is abig one for mo’s sake. Come on, Nuney!
Well done, boyo! That’ll buy you some forgiveness.
Eduardo Nunez taketh away, and Eduardo Nunez giveth!
Price just needs to go 2 more scoreless innings and then the Rays bullpen can explode and give up 20 runs… I hate having a fantasy starter going against the Yankees!
Do you agree with Lou that 70′s pitchers threw harder?
Nope, nor was I alive in the 70′s. I think baseball players now are the best they’ve ever been. Teams can scout the entire world at a much more efficient rate. Conditioning and medical procedures are also the best they’ve ever been.
Now I won’t say a 70′s pitcher couldn’t do as well, but baseball is a much bigger business now, and thus the competition and methodology is more mature.
This is undeniable but everyone from back in the day talks like velocity was every bit what it is now, which I just can’t believe. Hell Feller is suppose to be throwing 105, Walter Johnson is always talked about with stupid velocity (but I’ve read it may have been closer to 91), the Astros had both Nolan Ryan and JR Richard throwing as hard or harder than every starter in the league now. There’s no way to know, but it would be interesting to be able to see a chart of average and max velocity throughout the decades. I would bet sometime in the last 10 years would be the fastest average velocity, with odd spikes here and there.
there should be data on this. Radar guns were used in baseball in the 70s.
I don’t really have any idea if it’s true, but it’s interesting.
not the way I remember. Nolan Ryan, Sudden Sam (?), and lotsa junk and mediocre fastballs.
and Goose.
wow! That was an excitng inning! Great basaball!
Nice inning from Kuroda. Doing well with the pitch count at least.
I spilled grape juice all over the rug. Missed it. whew.
Tomato seed packet night? Getting a little cheap aren’t we Yankees?
appealing to the old Italian communty.
man, Pena makes a wind when he misses.
Tex has to get it going. Gotta say, I was looking forward to Swish, Cano and Arod, just when I spilled the juice.
oh, Mother! Jones nearly had it.
Losing on the shift again. Diddly.
We’re gonna have to learn to do that.
Ho! Nunez, the quick-thinking goat. Who? Not me!
Your’re it, Bringnac.
Why in the hell would Rapada be pitching to Longoria?
Yankee fan interference. If thats Yankee Stadium, he doesn’t make it out alive.
really? I’ll have to be careful.
A Yankee fan caught it, so he’s out.
I like the logic
Fair enough call, I don’t think Swisher catches that, and its definitely not a homerun without the interference.
yeah, but we luckedout on the lead runner, for a few minutes.
Boy, Rapada’s not doing well against righties tonite.
Rapada should never pitch to RHB, Logan should be in if it requires pitching to both sides.
We may be establishing tat for sure, with Boone on the near-dl list.
Brett Gardner catches that. Girardi not doing so well with his platooning.
I don’t think Brett coulda, that was so well placed.
No mojo. No mojo atall.
I hope they surprise me, but we probaly have to wait till tomorrow.
Ball 4 couldn’t have been more of a strike according to Gameday.
Liked that nasty inside curve to Lobaton.
Sweet. Another pitch on his hands for strike three. Nice pitching, Cory Wade.
Smell a rally, anyone?
He doesn’t LUEKE very sharp… get it? get it? I’ll show myself out.
A rally here would make me feel a lot better.
No need, no need. He’s the key, keep him in!
Robbie shoots a rocket!
Oh, shifted again! Ruddy shi.t!
These shifts are ridiculous. Kudos to the Ray’s scouting staff, but god damn is this frustrating.
yeah, it is. Very. And whenever we have semi-shifted, the hitter knocks it thru where we woulda been.
Cory has the right idea: strike ‘em all out.
I smell a rally. We need base runners.
With a six run lead, I don’t think even Lueke’s wildness will help enough.
All we need is 3 bloops and 3 blasts.
Game plan- Don’t swing the bat. Theres no shift for the walk.
Nice hit, Chavez.
Once saw the White Sox rally in the 9th for seven runs without making an out. Deacon Jones got the last, impossible rbi. All singles and doubles.
I’m thinking of a game the Yanks came back from I think 5 runs against the Angels with K rod on the mound.
rings abell. I disliked Krod, and relished it.
SWISHER!!!! Ok now its time for a bloop and a blast.
Dynomite, Swisha!
Howsomever, we gotta get another rally going.
Cano’s no good for a bloop. I say three blasts.
Cano just walked. Thats how you know 2012 will be the end of the world.
lolly! save us!
Waddyno? Robbie walks. Dum-de-dum dumm. A-r-o-d!
Brett Gardner giving Arod advice on hitting. I love it.
Oh well, Phil Hughes will start his comeback player of the year season tomorrow. Return of the Jedi!
Figures, the overshift nets us again.
They got some skullduggery to do tonite, to stick the shift back on them.
Joe G mentioned something about Kuroda’s split. I don’t think he hardly threw one, right? I’m enouraged that we will get a lot of length out of Hiroki. He’s crafty, and his command is a sharp weapon. He’ll get it together, assuredly.