Tagged: Javier Vazquez
The Power of Positivity
Yanks Lose Heartbreaker to O’s 4-3
I’m blogging from school, and I’m kind of upset. I’m not particularly upset that the Yankees lost to the Orioles. I’m just upset that they lost. The Orioles are as hot a team as anybody lately. I think I jinxed the Yankees and their winning streak, because since I mentioned it, they have lost 2 in a row. And that bothers me. But I must try to remain positive. The season has less than a month left, and we are still in first. It’s just hard to accept a loss when the team shouldn’t have lost. I’m not taking anything away from the Orioles, but I think Joe Girardi let this game get away from my Yanks.
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett toed the rubber for the Yanks yesterday in search of another solid outing. In all honesty, I expected to see the Bad A.J. yesterday. But he wasn’t that bad…in fact, he was pretty solid. 7 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, that’s not too bad at all. What I liked about A.J. yesterday was that he didn’t let the game get away from him. He prevented the Oriole offense from exploding, allowing just 1 run at a time. But this proved to be fatal for A.J….and once again, I just don’t understand Joe Girardi.
Let’s flashback to Friday’s game: Ivan Nova, the cute new rookie sensation, was pitching an okay game. He wasn’t that great. But in the 5th inning, just 1 out away from a win, Girardi gave Nova the hook. The Yankees went on to win the game.
Then on Sunday, it was Javier Vazquez. He was scuffling along. And in the 5th inning, Girardi took him out, and he didn’t get the win. But that was okay, because the team did.
Fast-forward again to yesterday’s game: A.J. Burnett has been struggling, and finally he was having himself a solid start. But he kept letting the lead slip away. In the bottom of the 6th, the Yankees had just tied up the game at 3. A.J. started off the 7th by walking the leadoff man.
Aw, A.J….don’t be so down….turn that frown upside down 🙂
Okay, hold on. Isn’t that right there enough of a RED FLAG to make Girardi make the hook? I don’t get it. He didn’t. And the inning got away from A.J. He wound up allowing that fatal 4th run, when that didn’t have to be. Girardi wanted to end Nova’s outing on a positive note, so he took him out before things got out of hand. Same with Javy. He didn’t let him lose.
Why, then, would he leave A.J., whose confidence is as unstable as anything, in the game? ESPECIALLY after he walked the leadoff man?
I don’t know. It’s just another Joe Girardi blunder.
Offensive Analysis: I have to give credit to that cutie southpaw Mr. Brian Matusz on the Orioles. He really pitched a good game. The Yankees barely could make a scratch in his armor. He was rock solid.
Alex Rodriguez made history with his solo homer in the 4th, becoming the only player in the history of the game to have 100 RBI in 14 seasons in a row. My oh my.
Nice to have you back 😉
A-Rod had another RBI in the 6th with a sac fly, and Robbie Cano drove in a run. But that was it. Offensively, it was a pretty boring game.
I’m annoyed that the Yankees couldn’t find a way to win. Thankfully, the Red Sox beat up on the Rays, so the Rays didn’t gain any ground. With the Red Sox sitting so far behind in the standings, I can actually root for them when they play the Rays! Thank you, Red Sox.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to….of course, A.J. Burnett. A.J., I’m proud of you even though you lost. You didn’t unravel. That’s a good sign, and something to build on. I just wish Joe Girardi took you out. Now you feel like the loss is your fault, but it’s not. You should be positive. I will, too.
It can get you a long way.
A Week of Winning!
But I guess it could be worse. I am not taking science or math this year because my math teacher scarred me for life last year. And this year, I actually like all my teachers. I’ve had them all before. Some of them are very fun to talk baseball with. And, oh yeah: IT’S SENIOR YEAR. I should enjoy this.
Even though I haven’t blogged recently, I have watched all the games. My boys are making me so proud. So far, the heroes for this winning streak are Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames for their hot-hitting, and the bullpen, which has done an absolutely fantastic job.
Yesterday’s 7-5 win over the Blue Jays was the typical win of this winning streak.
Pitching Analysis: After beasting in the bullpen, Javier Vazquez was inserted back into the starting rotation. I had a feeling he would be….suckish. Javy tends to give up the longball. The Blue Jays tend to hit the longball. The wind was making it easier to hit the longball. Add all that up, and it wasn’t going to be a pretty day for Javy.
Weather-wise, it was a beautiful day…but not for Javy.
Javy did give up the longball. Homers by Overbay and McDonald gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. Vazquez didn’t even get through 5 innings, and he allowed 5 runs.
The bullpen again had a lot of outs to get, and they did another amazing job. The combo of Dustin Moseley, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera shut the door on the Blue Jay batters’s faces. They allowed 0 runs on 3 hits, and struckout 5. THEY ARE BEASTS!!!
Offensive Analysis: Despite being down 3-0, the Yankee bats weren’t ready to give up. They had that rally in them. And the rally all started thanks to my sweet Francisco Cervelli ♥ In the 3rd with 1 out, Cervelli hit a ball in the left-center gap. And he hustled. And because he hustled, Francisco Cervelli had himself a double. That ball never made it to the wall. Many guys would have just settled for a single. But not my Cervelli. And that’s why I love him.
Then Brett Gardner walked (the 9th straight game he did that!), and Derek Jeter ripped a double, scoring Cervelli. Inching closer, it was now a 3-1 game.
After Mark Teixeira walked to load the bases, a struggling Robinson Cano stepped up to the plate. He hit a ball back up the middle, and it found grass! 2 runs scored on Robbie’s game-tying single.
The Yankees went ahead in the 4th. Cervelli doubled with a man on and 1 out, then Gardner drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI groundout. A wild pitch let another score, making it 5-3.
And finally, in the 7th, the Yankees had their share of the longball. With 2 outs, Cano singled, bringing up Hank Aaron Marcus Thames. He had a few good swings earlier in the game, but didn’t have a hit to show for it. Until this:
I love my Marcus Thames!!!!!
That made it 7-5 Yankees. And that’s the final 🙂
Another win, another series win, and another game gained on those Pesky Rays. The heroes for this victory, the 8th in a row, are the bullpen, for cleanly eating up all those innings. And Marcus Thames, for turning into the Home Run King. Hank Aaron who? Hahaa…The other hero is my Francisco Cervelli, because he started the rally. And just cuz I love him ♥
Oh, Francisco….too cute for words.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to Javier Vazquez. Javy, your confidence has taken a rollercoaster ride throughout the entire season. I don’t want you to lose it after 1 icky start. You were great out of the bullpen, and that was no fluke. Believe in yourself!
Yankees, the season is winding down. And you are still leading the AL East! Congrats on everything you have done so far. Please just keep it up. Go as far as you can this season, because I need to keep seeing you.
I love you! GO YANKEES!!!
The Best Yet!
Yanks Win Series Opener
Last night’s 11-5 win over the A’s was a HUGE win for the Yankees this season. Why? It brought them to a new high-water mark of 31 games over .500 for the year! They are 81-50, still tied for first with those Pesky Rays. The Yankees hovered at around 30 games over .500 for so long – and finally, they broke through! The Yankees played a great game last night, and I see signs of an even brighter future for 2010. No more .500 baseball this month!
Pitching Analysis: Dustin Moseley toed the rubber for the Yanks, coming off two very good starts in a row. At first I was optimistic, thinking, “Well maybe he could string three good ones together!” But after seeing him allow three runs in the first inning alone, my hopes were seemingly gone. I thought there was no way the Yankees or Moseley would win after those three runs – especially because the Yankee bats were going up against one of the toughest pitchers in the league, Mr. Trevor Cahil.
Moseley’s outing wasn’t too long, and he wasn’t horribly awful either. In 4.1 innings, Dustin allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, and 4 walks (that’s bad). But Moseley gave the team a chance to win the game. And thanks to a certain someone who shut the door on the A’s batters’s faces, the Yankees did win.
Aw, Javy ♥
I felt bad when Javy Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen. I knew his confidence was shot, and I thought his demotion was the last straw. But no. Javy, unlike me, didn’t melt. He embraced his new role. And last night, Javy really made me proud. Oh, he was brilliant. The best I’ve seen him in a long time. Javy shut down the opposition, and for his efforts, picked up the win. In 4.2 innings, Javy allowed 1 little run on just 2 hits, stirking out 6 along the way. Javy was the only reliever the Yankees used last night. His command was back, and he survived with that 89 mph fastball. I hope he can keep this confidence, because if he does, he’ll keep getting these results. Oh, Javy…maybe you can go back into the rotation now?
Defensive Analysis: Jeter hasn’t been doing much (anything) with the bat lately, but that hasn’t affected him in the field at all. He proved this in the 5th inning last night, with his patendted Jetarian jump-and-throw to nail Kouzmanoff at 1st. Good job, Derek. Oh, and Jorge and Moseley’s strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play was nice, too.
Offensive Analysis: The Bronx Bombers showed up last night, and the offense exploded multiple times. The Yankees pounded out 11 runs on 13 hits. So many guys had great nights at the plate, especially those in the middle of the order. Tex, Cano, Swish, and Thames were almost impossible to get out. Three Yankees went deep last night.
Tex was first.
And Robbie went back-to-back with him.
Thames’s 3-run blast gave the Yanks an 11-4 lead.
Last night’s game had so many positives, and it had the desired result. The heroes for the victory are the homer boys Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Marcus Thames, as well as Javy Vazquez for pitching over 4 stellar innings of relief. I think the Yankees should keep playing Marcus Thames – even when Berkman comes back. Don’t mess with success, right? And Javy…I hope and pray that he keeps this up. We need another guy to trust.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to Derek Jeter. The poor guy was 0-4 once again last night, and his average has dipped to an un-Jeter like .268. He’s still trying so hard, maybe too hard. Jeet, we love you no matter what. But still, you need to fix yourself, because we need you. The Yankees need their Captain 🙂
GO YANKEEEES!!!!!!!!
“It Ain’t Fittin’…It Just Ain’t Fittin’….”
I enjoyed this weekend’s series win against the Mariners. Except for the first game. Just looking at the pitching matchup, I knew we would lose that one: A.J. Burnett vs Felix Hernandez. Yeah…so instead of wasting my time watching that loss, I decided to watch my all-time favorite movie, and in my opinion, the best movie ever made: Gone With the Wind.
My parents say I sometimes remind them of Scarlett O’Hara, and I take that as a compliment. Scarlett is a beast. She was strong, and survived the Civil War. Not to mention, she married the HOTTEST guy around, Mr. Rhett Butler…
So if I am at all like Scarlett, then I’m proud of myself. Anyway, every time I watch this movie, I can’t stop thinking about it for like the next week of my life. It’s that amazing.
I enjoyed the game 2 win when the team picked up Javier Vazquez after another bad start. And I really enjoed game 3, where Cano kept on beasting and CC pitched another vintage C “Cy” game. That 10-0 win was fabulous. But now, that seems so trivial. Because today, I heard news that broke my heart. Kind of like when Scarlett was at the barbeque at Twelve Oaks and she had every guy around her…but then she saw Ashley with Melanie, and her day was ruined (Yes I am assuming you know this movie).
Today, I heard that Johnny Damon might go to the Red Sox.
“It ain’t fittin’….it just ain’t fittin,” as Mammy says. How could Damon do that?
The Tigers put him on waivers. Rumor has it, the Red Sox made a claim on him – just to prevent him from going to the Rays or Yankees.
But Johnny has a no-trade clause or something, so maybe he will reject this. I hope so. What will I do if my beloved Johhny goes to the Red Sox?
I have no clue what I’d do. I know I would feel bad for Johnny. He doesn’t want to be there. Why would he? It’s not like the Red Sox are much better than the Tigers – both teams aren’t going anywhere. (Sorry Red Sox…you can have all the “pride” you want. But you ain’t going nowhere this year.) Boston was so cruel to him after he left, I don’t think they will want him back. He’s going to be miserable there.
I wish my Yankees never got Nick Johnson….what a waste. If they didn’t get him, then maybe Johnny Damon would have stayed where he belongs – with the Yanks. Oh, how I hate Nick Johnson for this…he looks like that crazy fat guy who kills himself in “Full Metal Jacket.”
It’s just disgusting. Johnny, I hope you don’t go to the Red Sox OR the Rays. I already feel awful that you didn’t come back to New York, and if you switch teams now and still don’t come back to New York, I’m going to feel even worse.
“Oh Rhett Johnny, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?”
“I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Winning Without Me
Drama Club Steals the Show from Lee and the Rangers
I want to kill my TV. It sucks. Seriously, I’ve had enough with it. It just doesn’t work anymore. Maybe it’s because I always throw my shoes at it….
Maybe, but I don’t think that’s the main reason. Our TV is a dinosaur. I’m not kidding, our TV is 24 year old Zenith. It’s big and beautiful – the screen is embedded into the piece, and it’s like a piece of furniture.
Exactly like this one! Only with mine, it’s hard to watch baseball.
So last night, we put the YES Network on around 7:30 and listened to the pregame while we ate dinner. Then around 7:50, the picture and sound were gone. Oh great. And of course, it didn’t come back. The clock said 8:07, and I was itching to see my Yankees. But no. tHe picture was gone.
The cable guy says it’s not because the TV is old, it’s because the cable lines are either filled with water, or get this: the SQUIRRELS are chewing them.
I think we just need a new TV.
Anyway, of course the YES Network was dead last night, but the stupid movie channels worked. And of course, my Dad found the perfect thing to watch on my favorite channel: Encore Westerns. God help me.
All of a sudden, I hear my older brother, who was downstairs on the computer, scream. My Dad asked him what was wrong, and he said, “THEY SUUUCK. Javier gave up a home run.”
Yankees down a run….and facing Cliff Lee…then I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to watch the game, even if the TV would let me.
Eventually, my parents went to bed, leaving me and my little brother with control over the TV. No more westerns!
We tried the YES Network again, and it worked…but I lost my desire to watch. The score was 6-1 Rangers.
So we switched it over to our favorite movie, Tropic Thunder. If you’ve never seen it, I suggest you do. Nonstop laughter, and there’s actually a plot!
Through our intense laughter, we heard clapping from downstairs. After pulling ourselves together, Tommy and I yelled to Bobby, “Hey! What’s going on down there?”
Turns out, the Yankees scored.
Okay, so they scored…but could they really come back from this huge deficit?
Every once in awhile, we would switch back to YES. In the 8th, we saw Marcus Thames rounding the bases. He hit a home run? And then we noticed the score: 6-5???
Are they seriously coming back?
When the game reached the 9th inning, we decided to watch. Luckily, we saw the good stuff: With 2 men on and the infield in, Derek Jeter hit a bouncing ball through for a base hit! That tied the game at 6.
After Nick Swisher struckout again, it was up to Marcus Thames. And again, Thames delivered a solid base hit through the left side, giving the Yankees their first lead of the night: 7-6.
Mariano made things too close for comfort in the bottom of the 9th, surrendering a leadoff triple. But there was no way Mo was going to lose the game 2 nights in a row. So the Great Mariano did his thing, and that runner didn’t move. YANKEES WIN 7-6!
I never in a million years thought they would win it last night. I mean, the team has looked so dead for the past few days. But I guess last night was different. The heroes for this victory are the guys that I saw win it for the Yanks: Jeet, Mo, and Marcus Thames.
When the Yankees got Marcus Thames in the offseason, I didn’t think much of it. I celebrated over getting Granderson and Vazquez. But in reality, little Mr. Marcus Thames has proved to be the best acquisition the Yankees added this year. He doesn’t play much, but when he does, he contributes. I hope they keep him.
With an ever-so-slim 1.5 game lead in the AL East, I’m hoping the Yankees can sweep the Kansas City Royals and gain a little ground. And hopefully, I’ll be able to actually watch them do it.
GO YANKEEEEEEES!!!!!!!
An Unearned Loss?
Okay. Everyone knows how much I love Francisco Cervelli. And everyone is blaming him for last night’s 6-3 Yankee loss. And that doesn’t sit well with me.
With a runner on 2nd and 1 out in the 2nd inning last night, Mike Lowell hit a lazy pop up in front of the left side of the pitcher’s mound. Vazquez came in, and Cervelli went out. Cervelli called it, and Vazquez was right there. Anticipating a collision, Cervelli braced for impact, and closed his eyes while trying to make the catch. And he missed it. The ball hit off his glove, and trickled away. It was an error on Cervelli.
Javier got the next guy out for out #2, but then ran into trouble: he walked a man to load the bases, then walked in a run. Then he served up a fat one right in the heart of the plate, and it was hit for a 2-run double. Technically, those three runs were unearned because of the error.
And the Yankees lost by three runs.
For many, it’s easy to just put the blame on Francisco Cervelli. After the game, Cervelli was asked about the error, and he just melted my heart. He was such a man about it, saying, “I’m supposed to get the fly balls. I wanted to catch the ball, but I couldn’t.”
Of course he was upset, and I was upset because he was upset. The next thing almost sent me into hysterics: Cervelli flashed that priceless smile, and said, “It was my fault tonight.”
OH, MY HEART!
But was it really his fault? He had to say it was because of the media and everything, and he probably genuinely felt like it was.
But you can’t put the blame all on Francisco Cervelli.
Let’s say Cervelli catches that ball. That would have made it 2 out with a runner on 2nd. In reality, Vazquez struckout the next batter. But due to the fallacy of the predetermined outcome, we cannot assume that Vazquez would have struckout the next guy even if Cervelli caught that pop up. Anything could have happened that inning. We will never know.
I have a question: Who was the reason why the Yankees won the other day, on August 4?
Well, let’s see…
Phil Hughes pitched a great game. But he only pitched 5 innings, so the bullpen had to do a lot of work. They didn’t allow any runs. The Yankees scored 5 runs that day. Tex had 3 RBI, Jeet had 4 hits, and A-Rod had that 600th home run.
I think you get my point.
If you are thick, I’ll keep going. And if you aren’t I’ll keep going anyway:
So who was the reason why the Yankees lost to the Red Sox last night 6-3?
Well, let’s see…
Javy Vazquez’s velocity was down, and his command was off. He could not throw his fastball for strikes, unless he threw one right down the middle. After the 1st inning, the Yankees scored just 1 run. And Cervelli made that error.
Bottom line, baseball is a team sport. When things go right and the Yankees win, it’s never because of one guy: the TEAM wins. They get contributions from multiple guys. And the same goes for when the TEAM loses: when the team loses, a lot of the guys don’t have their best day out there. THEY don’t play well, and they get beaten as a TEAM.
The Yankees lost 6-3 last night – not Cervelli. Put the loss on their record – not Cervelli’s. He did his best, just like the rest of the guys, but unfortunately his best was not good enough last night.
Cervelli has the right to feel terrible about what happened. But I hope he let’s it go, and shows up to the ballpark with a clear mind. All he can do is make the play next time, and keep looking forward.
It wasn’t an unearned loss thanks to some unearned runs thanks to Cervelli’s inability to catch that pop up. The team lost, the team didn’t have their best night out there.
And the team earned this loss.
What the Bombers are All About
Yanks Even Series in Tampa Bay
Last night’s game 2 win insured that the Yankees will leave Tampa Bay in first place where they belong. Ahh…that’s so comforting. I didn’t see game 1 of this series, and I’m glad I didn’t. I would have gotten too angry that they lost 3-2 and got just 1 hit after the first inning. But I don’t have to think about that, because game 2 had the desired results: Yankees win. It was another close game, but this time the Bombers came out on top 5-4.
Pitching Analysis: I’m so happy the trade deadline is over and Javier Vazquez is still on the team. I was afraid he would be dealt for someone like Jayson Werth. Thank GOD that didn’t happen. Javy has had the lowest ERA of all Yankee starters since May 12. I hoped this trend of success would continue last night. Javy battled, but he was good. He gave up a few leads, but managed to limit the damage and keep the Rays from a big inning. Vazquez threw 6.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits.
The bullpen was absolutely FABULOUS last night. The combo of David Robertson and Boone Logan is proving to be very effective. It almost reminds me of the Philthies Coke and Hughes last year. These guys are the new bridge to Mariano – sorry Joba. And Chan Ho, I’m sorry you were DFA’d. I hope someone picks you up, just not the Yankees 🙂
Robertson and Logan did their jobs and got the ball to Mariano, who of course picked up his 22nd save of the season.
Offensive Analysis: The Yankees played catch-up all of last night. Curtis Granderson’s sac fly in the 2nd tied the game at 1. In the 6th, the Yanks were down 3-1. Derek Jeter led off with a double, and Mark Teixeira hit an absolute BOMB for a 2-ruin homer to tie the game at 3.
The Yanks fell behind once again, and once again the home run gave them new life. Nick Swisher crushed a hanging curveball for a solo home run in the 7th, tieing the game at 4. The Yankees kept on fighting back. I didn’t think it was possible for them to lose, but it seemed odd for them to win, because they never had the lead.
Swish, running with his head down after his home run…just like a good little Yankee 😉
In the 9th with the score tied, the Rays brought out their big All-Star closer, Rafael Soriano. Robinson Cano, who already had two doubles, stepped up to the plate with 1 out. He is SUCH a beast. Is there anyone this guy can’t hit? He proved to me once again last night that he is a magical player. Robbie’s home run off Soriano gave the Yankees their first lead of the night, 5-4. That was all they needed.
Thank you, Robbie ♥
What really annoyed me was in 6th inning when Matt Joyce hit a homer to give the Rays a 4-3 lead. He was SO obnoxous. He did the “drop” with his bat, and just stared at it before finally performing his home-run trot. He was really showing off, and it was uncalled for. He should have just put his head down and ran, because that homer meant nothing: they LOST. I mean, who does he think he is? He has 5 homers this year. And he’s really tearing it up with a .230 batting average. Wow, he’s good. He and the Rays are ridiculous. They think who they are. But who are they? They need to show some class out there on the field. They really are the opposite of the Yankees. The Bombers had 3 home runs last night, and you didn’t see them showing off – even though Tex, Swish, and Cano are legit good players. No. They don’t do that because it isn’t right. The Yankees just drop the bat, put their heads down, and run. When they get back to the dugout, THEN they celebrate.
That’s what the Yankees are all about: class. They are the best team, and they don’t act obnoxious about it. Those pesky Rays aren’t the best, so why do they act like that? The need to stop being so cocky, because they haven’t proven anything yet. They didn’t win anything.
The heroes for last night’s Drama Club win are the new and IMPROVED bridge to Mariano, Mr. David Robertson and Mr. Boone Logan. You two are adorable, and you really make me proud. The other heroes are the 3 homer-boys from last night, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Robinson Cano. I’d like to thank you guys for your performance and behavior on the field. You make me proud in both respects.
I’d just like to welcome Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns, and Kerry Wood to the Yankees. Guys, you will love it here. The Yankees know how to win. Sorry that you have to shave your beards and cut your hair, but I don’t think that’s a big price to pay. You guys are Yankees!
Hello, Mr. Big Puma. You will love the Bronx Zoo 🙂
Starting the 2nd Half
It’s funny how things change so fast in baseball. One minute, the Yankees had the best starting rotation in the Majors. Then all of a sudden, there are issues. Issues that may loom very large. The team managed to win the series against the pesky Rays. But they have dropped the first one to the Angels. They are 2-2 so far in the second half.
I don’t want to talk about Game 2 against the Rays. A.J. was cranky and cost the game. He had to smash his hand? Really? It’s no wonder these guys are athletes – they aren’t too bright.
Try using your brain? Please…no more violence to your pitching hand.
The only thing about that game that made me smile was seeing Francisco Cervelli steal a base. It was the first time I ever saw him steal and be SAFE! Oh, Francisco….you never fail to make me happy ♥
Old Timer’s Day was before that dreadful game 2, and that was fun. I got a kick out of seeing their 2 inning game:
– I LOL-ed when I saw David Cone playing third base. Then he threw the ball all weird. Haha, why was he playing third base? He was an amazing pitcher!
-Ron Guidry shading his eyes from the sun when he caught the popup. I don’t know why, but that was just funny.
-Rick Cerone purposely letting the ball hit him so he’d be safe at first base! I can’t say I’ve ever seen that before.
-Al Downing can actually still throw the ball! He’s 69 years old, and he looks like he can still pitch.
-Mickey Rivers. He misplayed about 7 balls in the outfield. But he got the walkoff hit for his team! Seeing him run the bases and kick it into “high gear” was pretty cool. I was waiting for A.J. Burnett to pie him, but he never did….
Speaking of A.J. and pie and his hand, Tim McCarver is a moron, which I’m sure you already know. He was “speculating” how A.J. hurt his hand. He was like:
“Maybe he hurt himself when he pied Swisher on Friday night. Maybe he cut his hand on the pie plate! That must be it!”
WHAT AN IDIOT! The pie isn’t on a plate, it’s not some decadent dessert. It’s whip cream on a towel.
The Yankees won the finale of the Rays series, but it wasn’t a very happy victory. Our most consistent starter, who to many is the MVP of the first half, got hurt and is on the DL. Poor Andy….my dandy Andy. He may be out with his groin issue for 4 or 5 weeks, but he’s hoping to return in 3.
😦
Andy will be replaced by Sergio Mitre, who is on the top of my list of hot Yankees. Of course, Mitre is no Pettitte. No one is a Pettitte. But honestly, I’m worried about Mitre taking over that spot in the rotation. Sergio has been on the DL since mid June with some oblique injury he got during batting practice. He hasn’t pitched in so long. Mitre, being a sinkerball pitcher, is more successful when he is a little fatigued because then his pitches sink more. I’m worried that he is too well rested and may be a little rusty. I hope I’m wrong.
Please be good, baby….we are counting on you ♥
Game 1 against the Angels worried me, too. Phil Hughes was just…awful. Truthfully, Phil hasn’t been his Philthy self in a long time. His record is very misleading, because the Yankees usually score for him (this was not the case in game 1). He got off to a great start, tossing to a 2.00 ERA in April. He was solid in May as well, posting a 3.03 ERA that month. June was rocky as Hughes had a 5.17 ERA. And so far in July, things have only gotten worse. His ERA this month is an ugly 6.00. He has gotten progressively worse as the season went on. How can I not be worried? It’s time for him to step up. The team is depending on him, especially with their starting situation. He can’t keep giving up 6 runs and hoping the offense will pick him up. The offense can’t do that every night.
Where is the Phil Hughes that I know and love? It’s not this guy….
Starting pitching is what won the World Series for the Yankees last year. And starting pitching is the reason why the Yankees have the best record in baseball. I’m not too thrilled about the starting pitching situation we have here.
-CC, I hope you continue your dominance. And Happy Birthday ♥
-A.J., PLEEEASE…don’t hurt your hand again. We need you.
-Andy, recover quickly, but don’t rush back. We need you strong and healthy for the 2nd half.
-Javy, just keep on doing what you are doing. Keep making me proud 😉
-Phil, pull yourself together! I want you to be Philthy good, not Philthy bad.
-Sergio! As long as you give us a few good innings, I’ll be happy.
Jeez…I’m wishing we had Cliff Lee a little more now……..
And That Concludes the 1st Half!
Yanks Take 3 of 4 in Seattle
Winning this series before the All-Star break is incredibly comforting. If anything else, it shows that my Yankees aren’t getting lazy – they stay focused no matter what time of year.
Here are my quick thoughts about each game:
Game 1 – Yankees win 3-1
Andy Pettitte continued to amaze me, but I wondered: Why can’t he field a bunt? Alex Rodriguez continued to be clutch. 3rd in the league in RBI? Pretty beast.
CLUTCH…
Game 2 – Yanekes win 6-1
Mark Teixeira’s hot-streak was not a fluke? 2 HR in one game is good Mark, but sadly not good enough to get you onto that All-Star roster. You’re a little late. And Phil Hughes! Bouncing back from some not-so-good starts…way to get back to your Philthy self!
I was praying that he’d be good. God, thanks for listening 🙂
Game 3 – Yankees lose 4-1
Javier Vazquez silenced all those idiots who wanted to trade him for Jayson Werth by tossing 5.2 no-hit innings before Ichiro got the first “hit,” a ball hit off Javy that he threw wildly (should’ve been an error.) Nick Swisher continued his hot-hitting with a big fly of King Felix. AND WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH JOBA CHAMBERLAIN???? He single-handidly destroyed the game for Javy and the Yanks.
Aw, Javy…it was an error! You pitched great. Thank Joba for spoiling your “W.”
Game 4 – Yankees win 8-2
A pitching rematch from the game I saw on July 1st. CC Sabathia dominated just like he did when I saw him. And I love when everyone is hitting! The entire lineup, including guys like Marcus Thames, contributed to this win. And when you add to this the Mariners’s sloppy defense and the bright shining sun, it gets even more fun.
Mark Teixeira’s “sun double.” Poot Saunders…that must be a helpless feeling.
The Yankees concluded te first half with a sparkling record of 56-32, 2 games ahead of the pesky Rays. Looking ahead to the 2nd half, these are a few things I’d like to see:
-Curtis Granderson heating up. He’s hitting around .350 over his last 6 games. Hopefully he can keep this up after the break.
-Maybe I should call this “things I WOULDN’T like to see.” I wouldn’t like to see Chan Ho Park anymore. Just get rid of him. Designate him for assignment, and bring up someone who can actually help this team, maybe Boone Logan.
-Continued dominance from our starters (duh).
-A healthy Mariano. He’s a little worn out, which is why he’s not going to be at the All-Star Game even though he’s an All-Star. Hopefully, he can rest-up over the break and be back to his regular robotic self for the 2nd half.
-#600. A-Rod is getting closer every day to that magic number. I remember his 500th home run against the Royals. It was an unforgettable moment. I can’t wait for this next milestone!
-Nick Swisher in the Home Run Derby! THAT’S TODAY! I spent a pretty nice chunk of my week voting for Swish in the Final Vote Campaign, and it paid off! I must have voted around 3000 times, give or take.
I honestly don’t think Nick is going to win the Home Run Derby, but hey – you never know. Nick has really surprised me with his outstanding first-half this year. I’m starting to believe that he can do almost anything. But no matter what happens tonight, I’ll be happy. Just seeing Nick at this event is going to make me smile.
I’ll have a big smile too, Nick ♥
I can’t believe the season is halfway over. That’s kind of sad. It’s been so much fun so far.
But I know that the best has yet to come.
Yankees, congrats on a great first half! Enjoy the break, enjoy the All-Star festivities, and I’ll see you again Friday 🙂
“Jav” A Day
Vazquez Fabulous in Yankee Win
Last season in the West Coast Trip before the All-Star Break, the Yankees got swept and lost all three games to the Angels. When I noticed te schedule for this year had a West Coast trip right before the All-Star Break, I couldn’t help but to panic. But after last night/this morning’s game, I no longer have to worry about a sweep. The Yankees beat the Athletics 3-1, and start off the road trip with a “W.”
Pitching Analysis: Javier Vazquez recorded his first win of the season against the A’s back in April, so I hoped that maybe he’d have similar luck last night. Eh. I was wrong. JAVY WAS EVEN BETTER! Oh, he was fabulous. In 7 innings, Javy allowed just 1 run (a sac fly) on 3 hits. He really pitched an amazing game. That’s my boy! And to think in the beginning of the year, everyone was ready to give up on him. His ERA is back to respectability at 4.81. Since mid May, Javy has the BEST ERA out of every Yankee starter. And I believed in him ♥
Oh Javy! Way to have a day, my little cutie 😉
The bullpen was actually good! Joba Chamberlain, with help of Francisco Cervelli, threw a perfect 8th. The Great Mariano is back to his normal self as he saved the game last night.
Defensive Analysis: The Yankees have the best defense in the Bigs. They’ve made the least amount of errors. But last night, their gloves really shined. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Colin Curtis all made amazing web-gem-worthy plays to save Javy the stress of baserunners. GO D!!!
Offensive Analysis: When you have good pitching, you don’t need a boatload of runs. Javier Vazquez has had bad luck with offensive support, having the least run support of all Yankee starters. But this time, 3 runs were enough.
In the 2nd inning after 2 quick outs, I didn’t expect the Yankees to score any runs. Why do I always do things like that? Nick Swisher, who really needs our help to be an All-Star, (SEND SWISH!!!!) got himself aboard with a 2-out double.
GO TO YANKEES.COM AND VOTE NICK SWISHER! BE SURE TO SPREAD THE WORD!
Curtis Granderson then followed with a triple down the line to score NickySwish. Then, my sweet Franciso Cervelli, just looked to put the bat on the ball. He’s got the BEST hitting approach I’ve ever seen. Cervelli hit the ball on the ground right back up the middle, for an RBI single. 2-0 Yankees!
Mark Teixeria must feel left out. The rest of the Yankee infield (execpt catcher) is headed to California for the All-Star Game, but Mark is not. He must think he still has a chance, because he has really turned it on these past few days. Last night in the 6th, Tex hit a monster solo homer to centerfield to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. And that was the final score.
TEX!
Last night’s win was very comforting for me. The heroes for the victory are Javy Vazquez and Mark Teixeira for proving they can do it, and that all we needed was to be patient and believe!
Have a day, Yankees! Keep up the good baseball 🙂
Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees 