Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
The New York Yankees started the season 0-8 against their despised rival Boston Red Sox. After a 5-0 win Saturday, the Yankees have now won three straight against Boston and six straight overall. They have built a commanding 5-1/2 game lead in the vaunted AL East. As much as the games count, the mental gain made this series for the Bronx Bombers has to be immense.
As for the Red Sox, talk about a role reversal. They went from owning the Yanks to not being able to score a run. In fact, they've now gone 24 innings without crossing the plate.
From the Trainer's Room ...
Oakland A's starting pitcher Dallas Braden has been placed on the disabled list with a ... rash? Braden, a 25-year-old left-hander who is 8-9 with a 3.89 ERA for the A's in 22 starts, is suffering from a rash on his left foot. The uninspiring Chad Reineke will keep his rotation spot warm for the time being, not that it matters. Oakland is well out of playoff contention for 2009.
Numbers Game ...
Mark Reynolds went deep again Saturday night. He now has 35 home runs, trailing Albert Pujols by just one for the major league lead. No one else even has 30. He even seems to be picking up steam. He had five homers through April, and then hit eight in each month thereafter until August. So far this month, Reynolds has left the yard six times in just seven games. Keep watching, because the 26-year-old is on pace to hit 50 this season. Only 11 times in baseball history has a player 26 or younger hit 50 or more home runs. The last time it happened was just two years ago, though, when 23-year-old Prince Fielder accomplished the feat.
In Their Own Words ...
"I thought the ball was a little higher than I'd like, but I was able to make some adjustments ... I kind of pride myself on my command. I want to control both sides of the plate and go from there." - Carl Pavano, being his own harshest critic after summarily shutting down the Tigers. Pavano, in his Minnesota Twins debut, worked seven scoreless frames and only allowed five hits. He struck out five and didn't walk anyone. Considering he lowered his ERA to a still-hefty 5.09, it's a bit odd he'd be dissatisfied with anything.
Advance Scouting ...
Big game for both the Cubs and the Rockies in Denver (3:10 PM ET). The Cubs trail division-leading St. Louis by a game, and the Cardinals are playing the hapless Pirates. The Rockies trail the Giants by a game in the Wild Card race, and the San Francisco is sending Matt Cain to the hill against the hapless Reds. Randy Wells takes the ball for the Cubs, and he's been as good as they have in the rotation this season (8-4, 2.73). He's 8-1 with a 2.85 ERA in his last nine starts and has never faced the Rockies (which means advantage pitcher). Opposite Wells is Jason Hammel (6-6, 4.62). Hammel had a brilliant June but struggled in July. He is coming off a victory in which he worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed just three runs against the Phillies' stacked offense, and the Cubs have never seen him.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-09-2009 @ 6:38AM
scorpio02645 said...
YANKEES RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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8-09-2009 @ 8:19AM
DICK JENSEN said...
BOSTON HAS THE WORSE MANAGER IN BASEBALL. HE IS ASLEEP HALF THE TIME. GIVE HIS PITCHING STAFF AND PLAYERS TO ANY OTHER MANAGER AND THEY WOULD BE 10 GAMES AHEAD. LEAVES STARTERS IN TOO LONG, USES THE WRONG RELIEVER AT THE WRONG TIME. CHANGES LINE UP WHEN THE WIN, STAYS WITH BAD LINE UP WHEN THEY ARE LOSING. 2 ON NO OUTS NEVER SACRIFICES. 9 OUT OF TEN TIME BOSTON HITS INTO DOUBLE PLAY. FRANCONA IS A LOSER.
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8-09-2009 @ 8:24AM
chrisgiddyup06 said...
Yes, I have often wondered why a sac bunt is considered so verboten with the sox. But the cycle has just swung the other way. You can't be great every year. As a life long Mets fan (my heritage is from Brooklyn) we know all too well what it is like to be on the short end of a bad manager.
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8-09-2009 @ 11:23AM
jeanne0513 said...
Did Red Sox Nation really think they would beat us every time? Wake Up People!!! The brooms are out ready for the sweep and it's upward from there. GO YANKS!!!
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8-09-2009 @ 11:50AM
tonytiger18 said...
Both of these teams are very different from May / June.
The Yankee pitching has come together. The bullpen is lot different with several improvements, such as Hughes being dominant, Mariano the usual excellent closer, and Aceves being so reliably consistent. The starters are pitching to their capabilities.
Their defense, especially the infield, has been consistently good. Texeira is better that anyone could have imagined.He must have saved between 60 to 70 runs with his defense, vast range, throwing arm, and overall smarts, not to mention his bat production.
He is the biggest reason that the Yankees are so much better --- their MVP.
The Yankee weakness--- outfield defense could be better, they make most of the routine plays, but, very few of the spectacular plays, and they have weak throwing arms. Posada behind the plate is a liablity, can't throw any Angels runners out, sloooooow on the bases besides being a terrible baserunner. I loved the kid Cervelli when Posada was on the DL.
I will never discout the Red Sox out until they are. Although, it appears that they might not make it this year. With Wakefield and Matsusaka not available, their pitching is vunerable.They don't have the run production of years past.
There is an axiom is sports :you not as bad when you are in the dumps nor as good when in the penthouse. Yeah, the Yanks are on top and looking great, but anything can happen so keep busting it!!!
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8-09-2009 @ 12:06PM
BIG DADDY said...
Even when the Yankees lost to the Red Sux in the beginning of the season, I knew we would get better and get them in the 2nd half. Now they have to worry about making the playoffs ( which they wont) not just the Yankees. LETS GO YANKEES!!!
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8-09-2009 @ 12:18PM
tonytiger18 said...
What bother me the most about Francona is the fact that he likes to throw at the opposing team's star player.
The last time these teams met in June, he had Penny throw behind Alex--he missed.
On the very next pitch, he hit Alex square in the back. Penny was thrown out and the benches warned.
Gerardi couldn't retaliate, smart move, or risk suspensions. Alex just got off the DL for his hip surgery, so it was stupid on Francona's part to throw at Alex. The Yanks were 0 and 8 and were losing this game big. They did nothing to provoke this stupidity on Francona's part.
Francona must have thought that laid back Torre was still managing and not Gerardi, who has a long memory.
This past Thursday, Pedroia was thrown at, first with a high pitch that missed and then he was hit.
I was sorry to see him get it for I respect this guy. It should have been Varitak or Youkilis.
Slate even? NOOOOOOOO.
Last night, in the early innings, He had Bucholzs throw over Alex head and shoulder. It grazed his shoulder and hit his bat. The umps ruled it hit the bat and not him.
Slate even? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, again.
Seventh inning, he throws high and tight to Texeira, would have hit him, but, Tex did a good manuver and did not get hit.
Slate even? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, again.
Next batter, you guessed it -- Alex, and bam, he gets hit in the upper shoulder by a relief pitcher. The pitcher gets thrown out and the benches warned.
Gerardi said at the press conference : we expected something to happen ,and It did.
You can see from his facial expression that he was clearly annoyed. Francona threw at Texeira and then at Alex twice!!!
Francona is an idiot. He has always thrown at Yankees when his teams were getting their butts kicked.
He threw at Jeter, Matsui, Soriano, Giambi and Alex in the third and forth game of the 2004 ALCS when the Sox won. That probably helped turn that series around. Lame Joe Torre didn't retaliate ONCE.
Beware Red Sox players, your manager is going to get you injured with his stupidity.
Gerardi is no soft touch like Torre was; there will be retributions down the road. You can thank the idiot, Francona when it happens!!!!
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8-10-2009 @ 1:44PM
Goldie said...
You don't make any sense Tony. If the Sox are behind in the game why would they risk giving the Yankees a free man on base and the pitcher being thrown out of the game when the bullpen has been stretched so thin? Please explain it to me.
8-09-2009 @ 12:53PM
Sports Fan said...
Maybe their pitchers are just that bad?
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8-09-2009 @ 10:56PM
DAVID said...
Despite how well the Yankees are doing, I am very worried about having Girardi as their manager. He makes terrible decisions. Leaving Coke in to pitch to Martinez in the 8th inning tonight was the latest one. I know that he can get out righties sometimes, but Coke should be used almost exclusively against lefties--especially when the Yanks have Hughes pitching as well as he is. Hughes pitched only 1/3 of an inning the last two nights.
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8-09-2009 @ 11:31PM
RACENDIRT said...
The panel said Ortiz did not have drug violations. That did not stop the New York crowd from booing him. Lord knows they have plenty of their own they could boo at with just cause.
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8-10-2009 @ 1:29PM
tonytiger18 said...
Hey RACENDIRT,
You have a short memory.
Fenway was the loudest,nastiest and most vulgar than any other ballpark when Arod, Giambi & Sheffield came to bat.
They still are when Arod comes to bat!!
Are you that naive? Poopie didn't take any enhancement drugs?
If you can explain how he became superman, Babe Ruth & Ted williams once he joined the Red Sox after being such a mediocre player with the Twins for several years, then maybe just maybe, his nonsense and the futile attempt to appease knowledgeable fans might buy him some measure of crediblity.
Until then, he deserves the same treatment that all those named of ROID or PED users received!!!
There is no doubt that he is a cheater, a liar and a finger pointer.
8-10-2009 @ 2:40PM
Matt Snyder said...
So they don't usually boo Ortiz?
"Just cause?"
Here I thought just cause for Yankees fans booing Red Sox was just because they played for the Red Sox.
8-10-2009 @ 4:26PM
jnzcram said...
Yankee playoff game tickets are now being printed and will be available within 2 weeks. Let's just hope Pal Joey doesn't self destruct. Ground control to Captain Girardi, countdown started engines on.
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