138 replies to this topic

[SMantzas]

fvck you CC, you fat *******. Way to injure Markakis for the rest of the year. I dont see the O's making it unless Reynolds stays in god-mode for the rest of the season

[thefiestygoat]

EDIT: I'm still bitter.

Edited by thefiestygoat, 09 September 2012 - 11:27 AM.

[thefiestygoat]

I truly hope you other Yankees fans got to watch the thriller that just happened! I haven't seen a regular season game with that much drama and craziness since the Yankees victory on July 1, 2004 against the Red Sox (Jeter into stands game)! I went from a near breakdown to being overjoyed. Its going to take awhile for me to unwind from this game!

Check out this rollercoaster of a chart: http://www.fangraphs...h=0&season=2012

[nyrsuck26]

I unfortunately did not watch it live. I hav esince seen the craziness, and it was AWESOME.

Today was quite the disappointment though, at least Baltimore lost. This race is going to come right down to the wire, and I for one am very nervous. I want nothing to do with this one game playoff.

[thefiestygoat]

None of this is new to us fans but getting down to the last 3 games of the season really makes this sink in more and reminds me of how well this team has battled through roadblock after roadblock this year.

http://yankees.lhblo...n-the-way-home/

Hard to believe that since July 24 the Yankees have played exactly one game with Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in the lineup together. If in late March you knew that would be true, and that Michael Pineda wouldn’t throw a single inning, and Brett Gardner would go down in April, and Mariano Rivera would be lost in May, and Andy Pettitte’s comeback would be limited to 12 starts, and CC Sabathia would have two stints on the disabled list — would you have given up on the season right then and there?

[thefiestygoat]

Yankees win the division, avoid an AL East tie breaking game, avoid the WC play in game, and also get the 1st seed and rest until Sunday! Great night! They'll await the winner of Texas-Baltimore.

[nyrsuck26]

That was big to win the division. I know the Yanks technically would have had two shots at the one game playoff (the division playoff vs. BAL and the wild card vs. TEX), but that was only asking for trouble. Even if we won, the rotation would have been all out of whack for the ALDS.

I'm confident in our ability to win a series against either opponent, but if I had a choice, I want the Os. It's kinda weird how the two-time defending AL champs have gone under the radar this year.

[thefiestygoat]

RAUL IBANEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

[NJDevs4978]

The irony is that after all the silly obsessive talk about the lineup the last two days vis-a-vis A-Rod, Girardi wound up making the ballsy move to PH him in the ninth and hitting the jackpot. That made the difference in the game.

[Zubie#8]

I am blown away, coming off the bench cold and coming up huge in the 9th and extras TWICE in the last week and a half. AMAZING.

[thefiestygoat]

I'm still shocked Girardi had the balls to pinch hit for A-Rod in the 9th inning of a 1 run game. I don't care how badly A-Rod is struggling, to make a move like that takes a ton of courage. Way to go Joe!

[thefiestygoat]

This has to be the most frustrating team since some of those mid-00's teams. This entire season has either been a real high or real low, no inbetween. If Gardner doesn't start in place of Granderson tomorrow I'm going to break something.

[NJDevs4978]

I'd urge whoever can go to do so today, prices on StubHub are in the low $20's before fees - I can pull up pairs for below $60 even after fees. For an elimination game on a Friday night, simply astounding. It's a little bit of an early (5 PM) start, but at least you know it's very unlikely this one goes past midnight

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

This has to be the most frustrating team since some of those mid-00's teams. This entire season has either been a real high or real low, no inbetween. If Gardner doesn't start in place of Granderson tomorrow I'm going to break something.

Watch the Mets sometime if you want to feel REAL frustration. You at least get to go to the dance, no matter how much the ticket costs. We can't even get a date.

[Daniel]

It can't be that the Orioles pitching is THAT good. Yankee hitters to a man look completely dead.

[thefiestygoat]

I'd urge whoever can go to do so today, prices on StubHub are in the low $20's before fees - I can pull up pairs for below $60 even after fees. For an elimination game on a Friday night, simply astounding. It's a little bit of an early (5 PM) start, but at least you know it's very unlikely this one goes past midnight

I saw that earlier but unfortunately couldn't get out of work for it. My brother actually took advantage of this and from what I understand is still stuck in traffic. Hopefully he gets into the stadium before the end of the game. The 5 PM start time is absolutely brutal.

Watch the Mets sometime if you want to feel REAL frustration. You at least get to go to the dance, no matter how much the ticket costs. We can't even get a date.

I have this debate all the time with my cousins and friends who are Mets fans. There 2 different types of frustration in my opinion. While the Yankees pretty much always make it, there is still a ton of pressure to win the WS year in and year out from all angles. Being so close and falling short definitely hurts. I see where you are coming from though.

[nyrsuck26]

What a game pitched by CC!

Bring on Detroit!

[thefiestygoat]

Fangraphs had a couple of thoughts on the upcoming series. A couple of random tidbits that stood out to me:

Rodriguez, pre-DL: 76% contact
Rodriguez, post-DL: 67% contact

The samples are nearly 700 swings and nearly 300 swings, respectively. And on top of diminished contact frequency, Rodriguez has shown diminished contact quality, with less power since coming back to the team. Rodriguez might not be fully recovered, which makes sitting him even more sensible. An Alex Rodriguez who isn’t 100 percent is an Alex Rodriguez you don’t regress back to the mean.

Since 2009, Verlander has faced Ichiro 33 times. Ichiro’s come away with nine hits, zero walks, and a dozen strikeouts. Those strikeouts stood out to me because Ichiro does not strike out very often. Over those 33 plate appearances, Ichiro has swung 65 times at a Verlander pitch, and whiffed 14 times, for a 78-percent contact rate. That’s well below Ichiro’s average, and roughly even with Verlander’s average.

With Detroit throwing 4 RHSP it will be interesting to see how Girardi continues to manage a slumping/injured A-Rod, a difficult job indeed. A-Rod's and Chavez's splits against RHP:

2012
A-Rod: .256/.326/.391/.717 .136 ISO .315 wOBA 95 wRC+ (356 PA)
Chavez: .299/.366/.545/.911 .246 ISO .387 wOBA 144 wRC+ (244 PA)

I'm sure Chavez will get playing time, but I'll be shocked if A-Rod isn't starting at 3B.

It makes sense that Nunez was left off the roster for Eppley, he has a huge R/L split and gets killed by RHP. It sucks that they can't use his speed as a pinch runner but they need the extra arm with the rotation in a jumble and Joba's injury as well as the fact that Nix is a superior defender.

Mike at River Ave Blues noted that the Yankees best chance to beat Detroit is to get to their bullpen. Benoit is a HR machine (1.77 HR/9 18.2% HR/FB) and Valverde is no sure thing to close the game out.

Due to the crazy schedule this year, its hard to figure out what the Yankees can do with their rotation. My guess is something like this:
Saturday Pettitte (Normal rest)
Sunday Phelps (About 80 pitch limit)
Monday Off
Tuesday Sabathia (3 days)
Wednesday Kuroda (6 days)
Thursday Hughes (6 days)
Friday Off
Saturday Pettitte (6 days)
Sunday Sabathia (Normal rest)

It sucks to limiti Kuroda to one start but I doubt he can pitch on short rest, especially the way his workload seemed to catch up to him down the stretch. I think its a must to pitch CC on short rest for game 3, this way you get him twice in the series and on normal rest if it goes the full length. Obviously this would be subject to change depending on potential elimination games.

[thefiestygoat]

I was wrong with my prediction. This is what Girardi is going with and I trust that he made the right decision.

Saturday Pettitte
Sunday Kuroda (3 Days)
Monday Off
Tuesday Hughes
Wednesday Sabathia
Thursday Pettitte
Friday Off
Saturday Kuroda (5 Days)
Sunday Sabathia (3 Days)

Its great to get Kuroda in twice this series but he's never pitched on short rest before and has logged more innings this year than in any of his previous seasons. Hopefully it doesn't affect him too much.

I also was checking out some splits and I'm expecting a huge series out of Cano: .359/.423/.685/1.108 .326 ISO .461 wOBA 196 wRC+ in 428 PA vs. RHP

[thefiestygoat]

I have to be up for work in a few hours so I'm just going to ramble......The Yankees didn't deserve to win that game. Easily one of the most heartbreaking losses of the past few years with Jeter going down and being done for the year. Its frustrating to watch the pitching doing so much to carry the team and yet it seems like only Ibanez can provide any offense. I'm still going to be cheering for them and watching till the bitter end as I always do, but I feel like this team is dead in the water if they don't start creating chances and coming through. A-Rod, Swisher, Cano, Granderson, etc. gotta start carrying the team. I honestly wouldn't mind having Gardner start in CF over Granderson at this point. I also have to say I feel bad for Phelps, dude is going to get criticized by fans nonstop, but to be a rookie and have to come into an extra innings CS game and face the triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Delmon Young....he tried his best. Given the way they had to blow through the bullpen hopefully a short rested Kuroda and the offense can find a way to win tomorrow. I also have to say I am really tired of all of these tight games, especially extra innings lately.