Tagged: Phil Coke
The Philthies…I Miss Them
Phil Hughes and Phil Coke
Both of the Philthies were essential in the Yankees quest, and the completion of the quest, for #27. The righty and the lefty, both young, cute, dominant Yankee relievers who should be here a long time, are who I miss most today.
Phil Hughes was arguably the reason the Yankees made it to the postseason. He began the year as a starter, and his numbers were less than flattering. Into the bullpen he went, and he transformed into a different pitcher. Hughes became more confident on the mound, and trusted his stuff. He pounded the strike zone, throwing 96 mph fastballs right by the everyone. Hughes finished the season with a 3.03 ERA and 96 K’s in 86 innings. He was a real beast.
Phil Coke was a huge reason why the Yankees even made it to the postseason. A huge responsibility was thrust upon him this year. Damaso Marte went down with an injury, an injury that was going to take the majority of the year to recover from. So little Phil Coke now had to be the only lefty of the bullpen. He had a huge job. He was the guy that came out of the pen to get out those big lefties, like steroid-monster Ortiz of the Red Sox. Cokey did his job well.
One thing I will never forget about Phil Hughes was that hair. Hughes began the year with a normal crew cut. But as the year went on, his hair grew. And he didn’t do anything about it. It just kept getting longer, and poofier, and it stuck out of his hat in a funny way. It was kind of distracting, and he looked silly. But he was pitching well. So I was like, “Phil, your hair looks funny, but if you keep pitching this well, I’ll grow to love it.”
Phil Coke never did anything weird with his hair. But he does look like somebody…
Coke looks a little like….
…that wrestler! AJ Styles!
Haha. That made me feel a little better. This Yankee withdrawl is slowly killing me. Philthies: Huggies and Cokey, I miss you guys. Both of you were beasts out of the bullpen. I hope to see you as the bridge to Mo for a long time. Enjoy the offseason, and Happy Thanksgiving!
WHY! Why, Why, Why, Why, WHY???
TELL ME WHY!!!!!!!!!
Okay, the word “why” is starting to look and sound really weird. I must have pondered that decision for hours. Girardi is an idiot. Seriously. I am really mad at him right now. My anger didn’t subside yet. It won’t until they win tonight. My God. How can anyone be that stupid? Watching them lose to the butt-ugly-non-cutie Angel team made me sick. I managed to avoid throwing my shoe this time, but I did go on a cursing rampage. Ask A.J. over at “Yankee Yapping.” He’ll tell you how infuriated I was. I also punched my thigh and it still hurts a bit. When the Yankees lose like this, I get angry. It is not healthy. If they care about me even just 1% as much as I care for them, then they would win tonight so I don’t kill myself. My Yankees lost game 3 of the ALCS 5-4.
Pitching Analysis: Andy Pettitte was great yesterday. It’s really a shame that they lost. He allowed 3 runs over 6 & 1/3 innings. Andy did his job very well. Joba came in with 1 out in the 7th, and was totally ineffective. He let the go-ahead run score. Coke and Hughes pitched the 8th, and Hughes also pitched the 9th, and gave up a leadoff double to Mathis in the 10th. He was pulled for Mo, who gave a gutsy performance and escaped a bases loaded jam without allowing a run.
David Robertson got two EASY outs in the 11th. And, for some unknown reason, Girardi pulls him for Aceves. WHY? I-friggin-DK. Ace gave up a run in game 2, but thanks to Arod that was erased. Taking out a dominant guy and replacing him with a not-as-dominant guy who allowed a run the other day is an absolutely inane, brainless move. And sure enough, Aceves eff-ed things up for the Yankees, and for me. I don’t even want to think about it. Do you have any idea what seeing THIS sh!t does to me?:
GET THIS CRAP OUT OF MY BLOG!!!
GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE!!!
I don’t wanna see this. EVER AGAIN. The YANKEES are the walkoff guys. Not the Angels. STOP CELEBRATING!!! YOU SUCK! YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE GIRARDI IS A MORON!!! IT WASN’T BECAUSE OF YOUR SKILL! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CELEBRATE!
Okay, on to offense.
Offensive Analysis: The Yankees’ 4 runs came on the strength of 4 solo homers. By Jeet, Arod, Johnny, and Jorge. That was it. Just homers. Now I love the longball, but they need to score in other ways. The Yankees were horrible with runners in scoring position yesterday. They had a ton of chanced to break the game open, and they couldn’t do it.
Okay, so I was miserable after this loss. But hey. At least we have a 2-1 lead in the series. And at least we are in the postseason. C “Cy” tonight, I think he’s the perfect guy ot have on the mound for tonight. GO YANKEES! I STILL LOVE YOU! AND I ALWAYS WILL!!!
An Odd, Exciting, AWESOME WIN!!!
These Yankees Amaze Me
This entire postseason has been so much fun. And last night? Just another crazy “walkoff” win from the Drama Club. I was so tired when it ended. The time on my clock as I climbed into bed was 1:37 am. I was beyond exhausted. I had the PSAT, and then that game. It was insane. The Yankees beat the Angels last night/this morning 4-3.
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was dominant. His stuff was naaaaaaasty. Molina caught him again, and mixed his pitches very well. Once again, the usually-explosive Angel lineup could barely amount to anything. They scored 2 runs off A.J. Acutally, if you think about it, A.J. beat himself last night. He’s just too good! In the 5th, things got a little messy. A.J. just could not control that curveball. There were hit batsmen and wild pitches. The Angels only got 2 hits that inning, but those hits plus A.J.’s wildness added up to 2 runs, and a 2-2 game.
The bullpen did a magnificant job last night. They went over 6 innings, and allowed just 1 run. Coke, Joba, Hughes, Mo, Ace, Marte, and Robertson all pitched last night. Only Aceves gave up a run; an RBI single by Figgins in the 11th inning. The bullpen guys were the heroes last night. and A.J., too. He really pitched a great ballgame. He received a lovely ovation when he was taken out. He deserved it.
A.J. heading back to the dugout…but he will emerge later with a pie…
Defensive Analysis: The defense was uncharacteristically sloppy last night. Jeet made an error and Cano made 2. But unlike the Angels the night before, the Yankees were able to win despite the bad “d.” Oh, and Johnny Damon made another fine play last night in the 9th.
The bad “d.”
The good “d.”
Offensive Anlaysis: The Yankees had a little trouble with runners in scoring postition last night; in fact they were 0-8 in those situations. But they managed to get the BIG hits when they really needed them. In the 2nd, Swish drew a 2-out walk, and Cano tripled him in, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, Jeter hit an opposite field solo homer to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead.
In the 11th, the Yankees were trailing 3-2 , and the Angels sent out Fuentes to pitch. Arod was to lead off the inning, but there was no way I was going to expect him to be clutch again. How ignorant of me. With an 0-2 count, Alex got a high fastball, and he smashed it into the right field seats for a GAME TIEING HOME RUN!!!!! GOD do I love that man?!!!!!!
I FRIGGIN’ LOVE YOU, ALEX!!!!
It seemed like the game would never end. The Yankees kept getting runners on, and they kept stranding them. So in the 13th when Jerry Hairston led off with a pinch-hit single, I didn’t think much of it. Gardner then bunted him over, and Cano was intentionally walked to get to my man Melky, the Yankee who has received 3 pies this year. “Stupid move,” I thought. But Melky hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Izturis’s left, and I was like, ‘Oh, no! Melky, no!” But Izturis, the same guy the stupid FOX annoncers were praising the whole game, threw to Aybar at second, and threw it wild! The ball was heading into foul territory. Jerry hustled around third, headed for home, and SAFE! JERRY SCORES! THE ANGELS DEFENSE SCREWED UP! AND THE YANKEES WIN!!!!!!!!!!
JERRY SCORES THE WINNING RUN!
VICTORY!!!!!
Jerry gets tackled by his teammates.
AND GETS THE TASTE OF VICTORY PIE!!!
It was cute seeing Jerry get pied. Even though Melky hit the ball, Jerry deserved it. It was great. Burnett used the direct approach this time. Usually, he sneaks around behind the player as they are getting interviewed. But this time, he approached Jerry head-on. He paused and showed Jerry the pie, and then smushed it in his face. Taste good, huh Jerry?
I loved this game! The heroes are Arod, for keeping the Yankees alive, the Yankee pitchers, for also keeping the Yankees alive, and Jerry Hairston, for running hard and winning it for us. The Yankees head to California up 2 games to none, and they have to be feeling pretty good about things. I know I do. These Yankees never give up. They have that mentality. And they have that Yankee Stadium Magic, and the best fans. They are lucky to have all that. And I’m so lucky to have them. GO YANKEES! I LOVE YOU!
The Greatest Game I Have Ever Seen
O to the M to the G
Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS between the Yankees and the Twins was the best game I have ever seen in my young life. It is an instant Yankees Classic. This game was an emotional roller coaster. There were times when I hid my eyes behind my hands, times when I fist-pumped, a time when I cried (literally) and a time where I jumped for joy, and almost cried again. There was the time where I was laying in bed exhausted, but unable to sleep because I was too excited. There was Yankee Stadium Magic, clutch pitching and offense, and that Drama Club mentality to never give up. This game summed up my Yankees. My Yankees won this game 4-3 in 11 innings.
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett made his first career postseason start last night, and was caught by Jose Molina. That was a smart, SMART decision. A.J. went 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits, walked 5 and hit 2, and struckout 6 along the way. This was the A.J. I love. His stuff was electric, and his wildness proved to be affective. He really pitched a great ballgame, and the thoughts of whether A.J. would succeed in the postseason are gone.
The bullpen guys were the quiet heroes of the game last night. Joba, Coke, Hughes, Mo, Ace, Marte, and Robertson pitched last night. Hughes had a little trouble. In the 8th, a 2 out walk to Gomez started a rally for the Twins. Hughes allowed a run to give the Twins a 2-1 lead. He was pulled for Mo, who served up an RBI single to Span, giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. That run was charged to Hughes. It didn’t look too good for my Yankees right about now. I was beginning to worry. How silly of me.
Marte started off the 11th. Mauer hit a ball down the left field line that fell just out of the reach of Melky, and bounced into the seats. It looked like a double. But umpire Phil Cuzzi sayed it was foul. Fine with me! But the replay showed that it was clearly a fair ball. He really screwed up that call. Why? I think it was the ghosts. I think Babe Ruth blew at the umpire, forcing his arms to point foul instead of fair. Whatever the reason, the Yankees had gotten a break. They had a bunch of bad calls before, so I guess it evened out. Mauer reached with a single anyway. Then Kubel singled. Girardi called upon rookie David Robertson to get out of the jam.
Phil Cuzzi is my favorite umpire 🙂
Robertson gave up a hit to make it bases loaded with none out. I was freaking out. I was hiding behind my hands here. I was thinking, “How can they get out of this?” With Cervelli catching and Robertson pitching, I was thinking these guys were too young to get out of it. Well, on 2 pitches, Robertson got 2 outs, and was 1 away from getting out of this big-time jam unscathed. Cervelli punched his glove, obviously sensing how close they were. Brendan Harris, who earlier tripled in a run, came up. I was shaking, sweating, and close to dying. I heard the crack of the bat and was brave enough to look. I saw Garder under the ball, and he caught it! They did it! They got out of a bases loaded, 0 out jam and kept the game tied! I was in awe. It was the best relief performance I have ever seen. I was so psyched.
Defensive Analysis: The Yankee defense was great last night. They made all the plays. In the 4th, Nick Swisher made a great play. He threw behind Gomez at 2nd, and Jeet tagged him out before Delmon Young scored! The inning was over, and the score remained knotted at 0. Nick Swisher also made a sparkling play in the 9th. I was upset in the 9th because we were losing, but I still marveled over the catch.
Swish making a Swisher-ish play.
Offensive Analysis: In the 6th, trailing 1-0, Jeter looked to start a rally. He doubled with 1 out. Johnny walked, and Tex popped out, making it 2 outs for Arod. Arod stayed calm, and got a pitch to hit, which he did. Arod’s RBI single tied the game at 1. His clutch-ness continues!
In the 9th, the Yankees were trailing 3-1 and had to face Joe Nathan. Tex led off with a single. I was excited, but I didn’t want to show it. I didn’t even want to move because I was afraid to jinx them. Arod came up. I was thinking, “Him again? How many times can he come through?” My Dad was sitting on the chair next to me. He doesn’t like Arod too much. He said he wouldn’t like him until he did something dramatic in the postseason to help the Yankees. My Dad never gives Arod credit for anything. So I was even more nervous last night in the 9th for Alex, because I knew that if he failed, my Dad would go on another tirade about how Alex is worthless. His other RBI wouldn’t matter if he didn’t come through again.
My living room was quite. I could sense my Dad there, watching Arod’s every move. I was jamming my pen into my knee as I sat there. It hurt, but there was no way I was going to stop doing it. The Yankees looked to be rallying. It would have been selfish of me to put the pen down and stop the pain. Then the Yankee rally would have ended, and it would have been all my fault. Well, I wound up flinging the pen across the room. Arod got a pitch, and he hit it…….and……and…….Gomez was looking up…..the ball….it kept going….Gomez climbed the wall……but the ball….it was….GONE!!!!!!! IT WAS A MONSTER SHOT! A 2-RUN, GAME-TYING HOMER OF JOE NATHAN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ! My Dad jumped up, and said, “That was it! That was his Yankee moment!” I can’t describe what I was feeling there. I hugged my Dad, I saw my Mom coming out into the living room cheering, and I went over and hugged her. We were all screaming. I was so happy, it was really confusing. I just started crying hysterically. As I hugged my Mom, the tears just kept coming. It was uncontrollable. I was crying after Alex hit that home run. It was all just too emotional. Arod did it, he came through, and my Dad admitted it. The Yankees were back in the game, and it was amazing. I couldn’t stop crying. After the screams died down, the sounds of my crying finally became noticed. My brothers were making fun of me for crying. Well, sorry! It’s not my fault! How could I control my emotions? I eventually stopped. It was the most confusing thing ever. But I loved it. The Yankees were alive, and the game was tied 3-3.
…..wow…
……….here come the tears again……
After Robertson’s fabulous performance in the 11th, the momentum was back on the Yankees’ side. Texy-wexy led off the inning. And it couldn’t have been led off in a better way. Tex hit a line-drive to left, and it got out in a hurry. WALKOFF HOME RUN!!!!!! MARK TEIXEIRA!!!! MVP!!!! It was his first walkoff as a Yankee,…..
….and got his first taste of victory pie.
I cheered loud after that homer. I almost cried again, but I managed to control it. I can honestly say that this was the greatest game I have ever EVER seen. Just, wow. The heroes for this great victory, well, there are quite a few. A.J., for his great start, Swisher, for his defensive success, Robertson, for the gutsiest pitching performance I have ever seen, Arod, for making me cry, and Mark Teixeira, for making this game one to remember because it was a win. Once again, I have to say it: I love this team. They complete my life. And when they are this good, this dominant, this special, I can’t help but to love them more. Just 1 more win in the next 3 games, and we move on to the ALCS. And I believe that if we get past the ALDS, we are going all the way. The Yankees are ready for these final steps in the journey to #27, and I’m ready, too.
I Can Breathe, And I Can Smile
Yanks Won Game 1!!!
Ahhh…..sweet relief….they did it. My Yankees won game 1 against the Twins. And they did it like they have been doing it all year: domination on the mound, clutch hitting, and the will to come back. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to see the game. It was so windy here in New York. At school during math class, an announcement came on that gave us a wind advisory and said to be careful if going out for lunch. I immediately started to panic. I figured it would be just my luck if I got a blackout and was unable to watch the game. Luckily, that did not happen. I witnessed the victory, and I loved it. The Yankees beat the Twins last night 7-2.
Pitching Anlysis: C “Cy” was a beast, and again he proved why he is worth every penny. I have to admit, I was a little unsure of how he would pitch. He was known to struggle in the postseason, and coming off of that bad start, I couldn’t help but to feel nervous. But once the game began, my nerves were gone. CC did a fan-tabulous job. He went 6 & 2/3 innings of 2-run ball, and only 1 was earned. He struckout 8, and I fell in love with him again. That happens to me a lot. I love all my Yankees, but I fall in love with them again when they perform extra-well. I guess I fell in love with all the Yanks again last night.
The bullpen did a great job last night as well. Hughes inherited a mini-jam from CC. There were runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out. But he got out of it just fine. Coke, or as Girardi says, “Cokey” did a nice job, getting his 1 batter out. I don’t understand the nicknames Girardi gives his players. “Cokey?” Seriously, that is retarded. The nickname is longer than the name! And it sounds ridiculous! Whatever. My nicknames are no better, hahaha. “Texy-wexy” for Teixeira, “Swish Nicker” for Nick Swisher,” “Leche” I didn’t make up, but I use it a lot. It is even my password on the computers at school. Sometimes I call Melky, “Lechemente” or “Leche-licious.” There are more, but don’t get me started. I’m not even sharing Mitre’s…..;)….anyway, back to the pitching. Joba got his 1 out, and Mo pitched the 9th, even though the Yanks had a 5 run lead. Whatever. We won.
Joba is awesome from the ‘pen.
Defensive Analysis: Jorge had issues last night. He screwed up 3 plays behind the plate. Now, normally I would go on a rant about how much I love Cervelli because he can catch the ball and looks damn good doing it, but I’m not gonna do that. I’m going to give Jorge a break. We won, so it didn’t matter too much. I hope he is better in game 3, since he probably won’t be catching A.J. in game 2.
Offensive Analysis: The offense was just the way I liked it last night. It was clutch and fun to watch. Trailing 2-0 in the 3rd, Jeet equalized the score with a 2-run homer. That Jeter is amazing. Speaking of amazing, Arod got 2 RBI’s last night! Maybe it was because his girlfriend was in the audience. They win when she is there. I heard a rumor that Kate Hudson is pregnant….I wonder who did that to her. (ahem…Alex) Arod, this is no time to be knockin’ up your girl. FOCUS!!! Hmm…actually, if you keep hitting well, I couldn’t care less about that part of your life. As long as you perform on the diamond, you can perform anywhere you want. Just try and stay off the back pages 🙂
Alex CAN do it!!!
Alright. Back to baseball. Matsui had a 2-run homer last night. And Swish had the double that gave the Yankees the lead. The Yankees got contributions from guys up and down the lineup. That’s what I like to see, boys.
GODZILLA!
It was a fun game for me to watch. I’m happy they won. I can breathe now. On my last entry, I was upset that the regular season was over, because it is close to the end now. But my friend Buz had a great point: this is only the beginning. I see what he means. #27 is close, closer than it has seemed in years. The heroes for the victory are CC Sabathia, for showing that he has what it takes to win in the postseason, and Derek Jeter, for reminding us that he is the best.
My loves. My Cy Young winner and my MVP. You make me happy 🙂
I Don’t Want It To End!!!!!!!
I JUST LOVE MY YANKEES!!!!
I really never thought it would be over. There is always another game, right? No? The season ends? Oh….Well, at least we are in the postseason. The last game of the regular season was amazing, definitely fitting for the Drama club. The Yankees won 10-2.
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was a beast, probably because Molina was catching. That’s fine with me! As long as we succeed, I don’t care who is behind the plate, although I would have liked to see my Cervelli a little more. Anyway, A.J. pitched a nice ballgame. He went 5 innings and allowed just 2 runs. Then the bullpen guys pitched, to get in their final work before the postseason! Aahh! Postseason!
He’s a BEAST!!!!!!!
Robertson, Chamberlain, Coke, Hughes, and Mo all pitched yesterday. Yes, Joba did relieve. And he did an exemplary job. His 1-2-3, 7 pitch 7th gave me some confidence in him. Way to go, Joba! And yes, even though we had a 10-2 lead in the 9th, Mariano pitched. So it wasn’t a save situation, big deal. He needed some work, and we all know that Mo is more than happy to take the ball.
See? He is happy. Mo loves his job.
Offensive Analysis: The Yankee bats were quiet through the first 5 innings, but they were ear-splittingly loud in the 6th. They put up a 10 spot! Arod provided some drama. He was 2 homers away from 30 and 7 RBI away from 100. It didn’t look like he would get there. BUT….these 2009 Yankees have a way of surprising us! Arod hit a 3-run homer to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead!
It was funny. I said that if the Yankees didn’t score after the 5th, then I would have to go write my essay for history. They didn’t score, so I grudgingly kept to my word and made my way into the computer room to write a history DBQ essay. It was hard for me to break away from the Yankees to do the essay, but somehow I did. Right when I was getting started, Arod hit that homer in the 6th. “Are you kidding?” I thought. “They do good when I go away? Fine, then. I had the other TV on behind me now. I had to have it on in the background. It was the last game, and I needed them. Moral support for the essay! That was my excuse 🙂
So the Yankees batted around, and Texy-wexy was intentionally walked to load the bases for Arod. They only did that because they didn’t want Tex to break Pena’s league-leading home run total. So they decided to pitch to Arod with the bases loaded. (Chuckle) Smart move, Rays. Arod was now 1 homer away from 30 and 4 RBI away from 100. I was thinking grand slam. AND HE DID IT! Alex Rodriguez hit a no-doubter for a grand slam, and a 10-2 Yankee lead! And he got his season totals where they are supposed to be! I would say it was Yankee Stadium Magic, but the game was in Tampa! It was just the Drama Club.
Alex, I LOVE YOU! I’m so proud of you! CONGRATS!
The Yankees went on to win it 10-2, ending the regular season. I almost cried during that video they showed after the game. All those Yankee players, the moments, the walkoffs, the pies, it was so touching. I cried a bit afterword, my vision becoming blurry as I was attempting to explain that “JOIN or DIE” image from the American Revolution for my essay. I just did not want this season to end, for so many reasons:
1) It has been a thrill ride. I have enjoyed this season so much, and I really feel like the team is pary of my family. I just love them so much and don’t want it to end. 2) Will I ever see Mitre again? God, I don’t want to even think about that. You all know how I feel about that man; you can imagine what I’d do if they got rid of him. 3) Melky’s contract is up, and I want to know that I will see him next year. 4) What about Cervelli? What’s going to happen to that kid? Will I see him again? 5) All that remains is the postseason. If we don’t win, it’s over.
Aahh, who am I kidding, we will win.
The heroes for the victory are Alex Rodriguez, A.J. Burnett, and everyone else. I love them all so much right now, how can I exclude anyone?
I’d just like to take a minute to thank my Yankees: Yankees, thank you. I have had more fun watching you guys this season than I have ever had before. I have truly become addicted to you, but that’s okay. I wouldn’t want it any other way. During the nights you were not playing, I felt lost, lonely, confused. What was I going to do with myself? Actually go out and hang with friends like normal high-school girls do? That pales next to watching you. I need you guys. I don’t just watch the games, I live them with you. I hang on every pitch, I laugh, I scream, I cry, I throw an occasional shoe, (hahaha, none of that recently, you guys have been playing awesome!) I act as if the world will end if you lose. And when you win, I feel that I am on top of the world. I want you to win the World Series because I think it is time, but the main reason is because I want to see you for as long as possible. I want you to go all the way, so the offseason is shorter, and so my countdown to February when pitchers and catchers report is not as long. Yankees, I just want you to know that I love you, I LOVE you, and I love you ♥ I love you more than anyone else. I think it is safe to say that is a fact 🙂
**Note** My job started! I am writing for a website called Fan Huddle. I am part of the writing team for the Yankees! This is the perfect job for me. Anyway, I just wanted to get the word out about Fan Huddle. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could check out that site, especially my stuff. Fan Huddle is a site for all sports, not just baseball. I hope you visit it often, because the more popular Fan Huddle is, the better for me and the rest of the writers. Feel free to mention it to any sports-lover you know. The link doesn’t work yet, I don’t think. But please check it out if you get the chance. To see my stuff, you have to go on MLB and then Yankees.
www.fanhuddle.com If that doesn’t work, you can get to Fan Huddle via google. Thank you!
I Officially Hate The Rays
CC Fails To Get #20 As Yanks Lose Miserably
Who in the world do the Rays think they are? What is there problem? I have lost all respect for them. What they did to Tex was uncalled for. And that ruined the atmosphere of the whole game. Poor CC. I am so mad at the Rays. I used to have a lot of respect for them, but now I hate them. The Yankees lost 13-4 last night, but that’s not why I hate them.
Pitching Analysis: Oh, CC! What happened?! The poor thing! This was the worst performance I’ve seen from CC. And he didn’t get his win. It’s so sad. CC really struggled last night. He failed to get out of the 3rd inning. CC allowed 9 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits and 5 walks. CC got into bases loaded jams in all 3 innings. He threw 82 stressful pitches. His command was way off, and he just looked uncomfortable. After what happened to Tex, I think CC’s mind changed gears and he just couldn’t execute on his pitches. Whatever the reason, CC was dreadful last night. Usually when a Yankee pitcher stinks, I get angry. But last night, I became pitiful. I felt so bad for CC. It was hard for me to watch such a good pitcher struggle like that. I was relieved when Girardi pulled him. CC was furious with his performance. After being taken out, he violently threw his glove at the water bottles in the dugout. Poor CC.
Oh, CC! I still love you. Don’t be too hard on yourself!
The bullpen actually did a nice job last night, all things considered. Albaladejo, Robertson, Bruney, Coke, Hughes, and Marte pitched. Albaladejo gave up 2 runs, and Robertson and Hughes gave up 1. They knew the game was out of reach, so they just threw strikes. Oh! I just feel awful for CC…..
Defensive Analysis: Tex made a big boo-boo in the 1st. His error forced CC into more of a jam. But you can’t blame the whole thing on Tex. CC obviously didn’t have it last night. And Tex has been superb for us this whole year. I feel bad about what those stupid Rays did to Tex….. Nick Swisher made a Nick Swisher-ish play in the outfield. A sharp liner was hit over Cano’s head and into right field, and as the ball was rolling on the turf, Swish dived for it! But he missed, and Upton wound up with a bases clearing triple. Ahh, Swisher…. Hey that’s another thing I hate about the Rays. Scattered effort. Upton didn’t try all year, and he went 5-5 and hit for the cycle last night? Maybe if he tried this year he would have had a good season.
Offensive Analysis: The offense struggled last night. They only got 4 runs on 6 hits. Melky had an RBI single (Yeah, Leche!), Juan Miranda hit a monster 2-run homer, the 1st of his career, and Ramiro Pena had an RBI single.
I got very mad in the 1st inning. With 2 out and nobody on base, Mark Teixeira came up to the plate. On the first pitch, David Price threw a high hard one that hit Tex in the hand, and he went down. I was terrified. I thought it hit him in the face. It came so close to hitting him there. It hit like off the top of his hand by his jaw, and it bounced away awkwardly as if it hit his face. I was filled with anger. How could they do that to Tex? Why? It was “retaliation” for what happened to Carlos Pena at Yankee Stadium. I think CC was pitching that day. Anyway, Pena tried to check his swing, and the ball happened to hit his hand. Pena’s season was over, but it was not intentional at all. Why would the Yankees want to hit Carlos Pena? The Rays were out of it, and the Yankees wouldn’t want to start random trouble with a respectable man like Pena. Who the f— do the Rays think they are by hitting Tex, such a nice man? That was not good baseball, that was not brushing him off the plate, that was a horrible thing to do. And the Yankees couldn’t retaliate because they can’t afford a suspension or a fight now. It was just the cruelest thing to do. Thank God Tex is okay. I don’t think Girardi is going to let this slide. If he doesn’t do it this weekend, Joe will definitely retaliate next year. I hope he does. Teach those Rays a lesson. I want to see that happen.
It was a very upseting game. CC didn’t get his win and he pitched badly, and that whole little scare with Tex happened. But I did get to see my Cervelli ♥. And the game didn’t mean much because we clinched, unlike the stinky Rays who I now hate. Ha, ha! We are in the postseason and you Rays are not! Maybe if your team actually tried they would make it, but then again the Yankees are so much better so you wouldn’t. It’s kind of weird hating the Rays. I always had respect for them. But now, now there is a rivalry. GO YANKEES!
An Odd Win, And A Not-So-Exciting Loss
Yankees Take 2 of 3 from Royals
That walkoff win was pretty awesome. It was definitely a Drama Club win if I have ever seen one! In last night’s loss, the Yankees looked a bit tired. On Tuesday the Yankees won 4-3, and last night they lost 4-3.
The Win
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett beasted it Tuesday night. He was great!!! He was spotting his fastball, and used that curve to his advantage. I think I am ready to fully trust A.J. again. Whethere he is the #2 or #3 starter in the postseason, I think he will do a fine job. Yeah, A.J.!
I love him!
Phil Coke (he signed my baseball!) pitched well in the 7th, it was his defense that was gross. David Robertson returned on Tuesday. He recorded 2 outs in the 7th, walked Callaspo,and was pulled for Bruney. He looked good, his velocity was there, and I was glad to see him back. Bruney did a nice job as well.
Defensive Analysis: Phil Coke’s horrible defense was the reason the walkoff was needed. He took too long to field the bunt, and it wound up being a single. Then, with first and second and 1 out, he got a comebacker, which he threw into left field! A run scored, and now the Royals had a 2-1 lead. Then another comebacker was hit to him, and instead of throwing home, he threw to first! COKE! What was wrong with you? You pitched great, but your defense! Ugh! At least we won that game.
Offensive Analysis: These Yankees have a LOT of power, and they seem like they can always come back. Tex hit a solo homer in the 6th to tie the game at 1. In the 7th, Swish led off with a solo homer, cutting the deficit to 3-2. the 9th is where the magic happened.
Ex-Yankee Kyle Farnsworth was called upon to nail down the save for the Royals. But a Yankee rally was on its way. My darling-baby Francisco Cervelli got himself a 1-out single to start the rally. Eric Hinske pinch-hit, and he got a single, moving Cervelli to 3rd. Hinske (he signed my baseball!) then surprisingly stole 2nd! The throw went wild, and Hinske went to 3rd as Cervelli scored, knotting the score at 3-3. Johnny Damon was intentionally walked to get to Juan Miranda. I was thinking that Tex was on deck, but he was taken out. It was going to be Miranda. I was thinking, “Miranda? Oh, this kid isn’t gonna do anything. It’s too much pressure. Well, with 1 out, all he has to do is put the ball in play….I hope he doesn’t strike out…” Obviously, Miranda heard me. All he had to do was put the ball in play, and the Yankee Stadium Magic would take care of the rest. And that’s what happened.
Yay for Miranda!
Miranda hit a sharp comebacker to Farsworth, and off the bat I was thinking, “Oh sh!t. This won’t get the job done.” But then the Yankee Stadium Magic took over. The ball hit off Farsworth’s foot, and began heading for foul territory! And it was a fair ball! Farnsworth raced toward the ball, and Miranda hustled toward the bag. Miranda won. The dugout emptied, he got pied, and the Yankees won 4-3. It was odd, but I loved it.
Our 15th pie….and they still taste great, don’t they, Juan? 🙂
The Loss
Pitching Analysis: Joba Chamberlain started last night, and he really disappointed me. He only went 3 & 2/3 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, and he threw 91 pitches. That’s a little ridiculous. I expected better things from Joba last night. He didn’t make me too happy.
Joba, Joba, Joba….what are we gonna do with Joba….
Aceves, Albaladejo (he signed my baseball!), Marte, Mitre (♥I♥love♥this♥guy♥), Hughes and Mo all pitched in relief last night. I had a big history test to study for last night. I set time aside for it, and since nothing spectacular was happening in the game last night, I was going to study for a long time. On my way to my room to study, I heard, “And Mitre will get off the bench, and he will come in to pitch.”
I stopped in my tracks. My thoughts: “Mitre? Tonight? Right now? But the test, it’s my first one and I know it will be hard. But Mitre! He’s hot and I love him and it could be the last time I see him. AAAAHH!!! What do I do? Do I drool over that sexy-thang and wind up flunking tomorrow, or do I study and miss my baby? I only had a short time to decide, the commercials are short between pitching changes. Although I like my history teacher and would love to do well, I like Mitre more. I watched him. I just studied after. I made such a big deal about that decision. I just studied after Mitre pitched. I won both ways!
Defensive Analysis: Now I love Nick Swisher, but when Mitre was pitching in the 7th, what happened on that play? John Buck hit a deep fly ball to right, and Swish looked as if he was going to make the play. But he turned and switched directions, and the ball fell. Then he was lying there on the ground, and tried to roll the ball over to Melky. It was a disaster. Buck wound up with an RBI triple, and Mitre gave up a run. But it was charged to Marte, so I was not as annoyed. That run was the difference in the game. Oh well. You can’t win them all.
Offensive Analysis: The offense was quite dead last night. 3 runs on 5 hits. Jeet had a solo homer and Swish had a 2-run shot, but that was it. They looked tired last night. Whatever.
We won the series. And we clinched awhile ago! I love the way that sounds! The heroes for the victory on Tuesday are A.J. Burnett for his stellar performance, and his pieing, Eric Hinske, for that timely stolen base that set the whole thing up, and Juan Miranda, for putting the ball in play and letting the magic take over. That was the last regular season game in the Bronx. I believe that the new stadium is going to provide the Yankees with a huge homefield advantage. I can’t wait! I’m, getting so excited!!! GO YANKEES!!!!!!
It’s a Beautiful Thing
It Was Perfect!!!
I had to fight the tears yesterday. I truly did. I can’t believe it. It couldn’t have been more storybook. The Yankees beat the Red Sox to complete the 3-game sweep, it was their 100th win, they clinched homefield advantage AND the AL East, and they got to celebrate in the Bronx. What could be better? I am so proud of my Yankees. I love them. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 4-2, and it was a Drama Club game.
Pitching Analysys: Andy Pettitte really pitched well yesterday. A typical Andy outing. He didn’t come out with his best stuff, but he found it and settled down and pitched a very nice game. In the 1st, all with 2 outs, Andy loaded the bases. Lowell hit a comebacker off Andy’s foot, and it wound up being an RBI infield single. In the 3rd, Andy got into another bases loaded jam, this time with 0 outs. He induced a double play, but a run scored. After that, the Andy shut down the Smelly Sox. In total, he went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits while striking out 4. Nice job, Andy.
The bullpen was great yesterday. Brian Bruney was excellent. He got 5 outs without allowing a man to reach base. When Girardi came to take him out, the crowd gave Bruney a standing ovation. Bruney was so touched, that he cried. Aw! That is so cute. I am proud of Bru. I hope he pitches his way onto the postseason roster. He’s a good guy. Coke got the last out of the 8th, and Mo nailed down his 44th save of the year. I almost cried when he got Ellsbury to ground out for that final out. I knew what it meant. 🙂
Defensive Analysis: Brett Gardner made a nice play in the 1st, making a sliding/diving catch on an Ellsbury fly ball. In the 9th, the defense got a bit sloppy. I guess they were excited about the celebration! In the 9th, Gardner lost a ball in the sun, which dropped for a single. Then Robinson Cano booted a grounder, which was ruled an error. He was trying to make the fancy play and get the out at second, and he wound up making no play. But that’s okay. Mo got everyone out, and then the Yankees partied.
Offensive Analysis: It took the Yanks a little while to get on the board. My man Melky hit a solo homer in the 3rd, cutting the deficit in half. It was 2-1 now. YEAH, LECHE!!!
In the 6th, all with 2 outs, Tex got a hit. Then Arod had a fabulous at-bat, about 10 pitches, and he singled. A wild pitch let the runners advance. With 2nd & 3rd and 2 outs, Matsui delivered. He singled to right, and 2 runs scored, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead! Yay! In the 8th, Tex provided some insurance by sending a Tex message. He hit a solo homer, and gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead. And then they won. And I almost cried. And they celebrated. 🙂 The celebration was beautiful. I loved seeing the boyish nature of the Yankees come out.
Oh boy…they know what’s coming…look how high up Swisher is! He is crazy.
Look how cute and happy they are!
I spy Sergio!
There’s Cervelli! Girardi said there is a chance that he may be on the postseason roster!
Johnny gets CC!
Melky douses Arod!
Jeter douses Arod!
Tex and Swisher. How cute are they?!
There’s Kim Jones. Now you see why I want her job!
So they did it. They clinched the AL East. I guess I don’t have to say how big the lead is in the division anymore (8.5!) because we are in! The heroes for the victory are Andy Pettitte, for a solid start, Brian Bruney, for his dominant performance, and Hideki Matsui, for that clutch single. The Yankees have about a week to rest guys, test guys, and get ready for October baseball! I’m so excited!!!! It’s a beautiful thing, baby! #27, HERE WE COME! GO YANKEES!
One Step Closer!
Yanks Beat Sox, Magic Number Down To 3!
From the beginning I had a feeling the Yankees were going to win last night. It was kind of a “Drama Club” win; any win versus the Red Sox is dramatic. It was a good game. Joba was solid, and the offense exploded. The Yankees beat the Smelly Sox 9-5.
Pitching Analysis: Joba Chamberlain really stepped up last night. He pitched a nice ballgame. Joba was perfect through 3 & 2/3 innings. In total, he went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 5 along the way. It was a quality start for Joba. I think he was very sharp yesterday. He listened to Jane’s advice and didn’t walk around the mound for five hours. He threw the ball, got the ball, and was ready to throw again. He looked mean, intimidating, and dominant as he stared in at the Red Sox hitters. It was a Joba well done!
Nice job, Joba!
Aceves, Albaladejo, Marte, Hughes, and Coke finished out the game. Albaladejo gave up 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning, but the rest of the ‘pen was great.
Defensive Analysis: The defense was soild as usual last night. Johnny Damon made an error, but whatever. I love Johnny. He should definitely come back next year. Nick Swisher made a Nick Swisher-ish play in right field. In the 2nd inning, Swish made a funky sliding catch on an Ortiz liner. I couldn’t really tell if the slide was necessary, but you know Nick Swisher. He loves to show off. Oh, NickySwish…It was a nice play, and it led Joba to a 1-2-3, 10 pitch 2nd inning.
Offensive Analysis: The offense exploded last night. The Yanks scored 9 runs on 14 hits. I love it when they hit well. But what I really enjoyed seeing last night was the running game. The Yankees stole a season-high 7 bases last night. That is my favorite aspect of the game. Stealing bases creates potential run-scoring situations, and it forces the opposing team to make the plays. It is the most exciting part of the game, in my opinion. I wish the Yanks would do it more often. It was fun to watch. Watching the Red Sox captain Jason Varitek fail and fail again and again at throwing out runners, I love it!
In the 3rd, something awful happened. My man Melky hit a line drive right off of Jon Lester’s knee. Lester went down, and did not get up. Melky reached with an RBI infield single, but everyone’s concern was on Lester. I really felt bad. Now I despise the Red Sox, but I didn’t get any thrill in seeing Lester in pain like that. He’s just a kid, and he has battled through a lot to get where he is today. I hope he is okay and not in too much pain.
Poor Lester…I hope he is okay…why couldn’t it have hit Pukilis? Everyone hates him.
Alex Rodriguez had a huge night at the plate. He was 3-3 with 4 RBI’s, including a monster 2-run homer into the second deck in left. Nice to see him contributing so much. He has been very clutch this year. I hope he does something extremely clutch in the postseason, so all the fans will forever love him.
An “A Bomb” from Arod!
Here are the rest of the Yankee offensive stats:
| NY Yankees | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
| Jeter, SS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .330 |
| Damon, LF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | .284 |
| Gardner, CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .279 |
| Teixeira, 1B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .293 |
| Rodriguez, A, 3B | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .288 |
| Matsui, H, DH | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .280 |
| Posada, C | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .286 |
| 1-Guzman, F, PR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Molina, J, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .221 |
| Cano, 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .321 |
| Swisher, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .248 |
| Cabrera, Me, CF-LF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .272 |
| Totals | 36 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 23 |
It was a nice win for the Yanks last night. The magic number is now 3. We are 1 step closer, boys! The heroes for the victory are Alex Rodriguez, for his offensive explosion, and Joba Chamberlain, for proving he CAN pitch well. The Yankees now have a 6.5 game lead over the Smelly Sox who cheat at Fenway. I can’t wait for the postseason! I’m thinkin’ my Yanks have a pretty fair shot at #27 this year. I pray that I am right. GO YANKEES!!!
Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees 