Wangolicious
by John Amato
on Apr 11, 2008 11:44 PM EDT
Photo credit: Charles Krupa/AP
Quick Notes:
What a game pitched by Chien Ming Wang. If it wasn't for a typical fielding blunder by Bobby Abreu, in the bottom of the fifth that counted as a HR for JD Drew, he would have taken a no hitter into the ninth inning in Fenway. I doubt Coco Crisp would have had the guts to bunt for a base hit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and Wang going for the no-no. But, then again...
How many times have we seen Abreu be afraid to go back on a deep high fly, fumble around like a guy looking to turn on a light switch in a dark room and whiff on a ball he should catch? Don't get me started. All in all Wang was splendid and stifled the Red Sox on 93 pitches for a complete game win which gives the tired bullpen a must needed blow. He's starting to get real comfortable throwing his off speed pitches too and then to top it all off, Wang showed off his power sinker by hitting 95 mph on the gun in the ninth inning. I think Boston might have hit the ball hard five times all game. He's off to the best start of his brief career with a 3-0 record and a 1.23 ERA.
I was cursing Jason Giambi as he came to the plate in the sixth because he's looked as woeful as most of the team has offensively, but then he takes Timlin out of the yard in center field to give the Yanks back the lead at 2-1 in the sixth. I still don't trust him.
Alberto Gonzalez has looked very good filling in for Jeter so far...
Molina has been a huge asset already this season and while not known for his bat...he's been spanking the ball all over the place.
ARod has a gun at third base...
Melky always seems to keep things moving in the right direction...
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I wish I could have seen it,
but being on the West Coast and at work, I couldn't catch it. Bet it was a good game.
by NYinCalifornia on Apr 12, 2008 12:50 AM EDT 0 recs
Game
I really like how Wang is beginning to mix his pitches up. I think it will likely raise his K-rate and ultimately make him a more effective pitcher in the long run. Molina's bat has mad a case for him to stay in the line-up for atleast another week an half, or until he cools off. They can keep DHing Posada for a little while to ride this minor hot streak. Gonzalez doesn't remind me of Derek Jeter at the dish, but then again he doesn't remind of DJ out in the field either. I think things are looking good, because the only part of the team that has been truely anemic (the line-up) isn't going to stay that way and we all know it. No matter how many injuries there are, players are going to start mashing the ball. For team that is notorious for slow starts of late, this is one of the more encouraging starts to the season. (Moose is showing some life, Phil looks more than decent, Wang + Pettitte are fine, Mo is off to a rare good start, now if only IPK could come around...... and the rest of the bullpen.)
"It's great to be young and a Yankee"
by stillmonster on Apr 12, 2008 3:59 AM EDT 0 recs
Re: Game
Wang and Pettitte have been more than fine; they've been great so far, especially Wang. I think Hawkins had a rough start but will come around; Farnsworth will be the only one we truly can't trust. But, overall, our pen is better than it has been in years.
"If you lived in my grandfather's house...and you wanted to eat, you had to be a Yankees fan." --Joe Biden
by SenorSwanky on
Apr 12, 2008 11:56 AM EDT
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I freaking
hate Farnsworth. I hated Hawkins for most of his appearances so far but there is still some good will in the tank. After all I've forgiven Brian Bruney for most of last year.
But Farnsworth is a "point of no return" for me. I listened to Girardi say he thinks he has stuff and he can work with him and tried to believe him and believe in Farnsfookle. Well even Joe G. has to be thinking that he's wrong.
"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel
by bxgrl1 on
Apr 12, 2008 12:08 PM EDT
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agreed
I'd still take a dirty piece of tofu that had rolled off the table, than the Nutty Professor.
"You play the game to win the game, and not to worry about what's on the back of the baseball card at the end of the year." - Paul O'Neill
by yankee come lately on
Apr 12, 2008 12:32 PM EDT
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nice job
I was watching most of the game in a bar in Manhattan and around the 4th inning the place started going nuts like it was a playoff game.
I've heard, in the past few days, that the sizzling rivalry has paled somewhat but it has before when one or both are sucking a bit or one is clearly dominant. People seem to forget that the rivalry has been really hot only for the past few years since the late 70s. It peaks every x number of years and then wanes for a while and then pipes back up again. I wore Yankee regalia when I lived in Boston in the late 90s and no one said a peep to me. They were ignoring the RS for the most part in those years. Then the bandwagon years began in 2004. I don't know if the rivalry is truly paling right now. I expect a pennant race will heat it back up.
Anyway, I digress...I think that people were into the game not because it was the RS but because of the mastery that was Wang. He was great to watch and great to cheer on.
I've always given Bobby the love but last night I wanted to smack him.
"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel
by bxgrl1 on Apr 12, 2008 7:17 AM EDT 0 recs
Good game all around
Bobby is gun shy, but you take the good with the bad. Even though the Yanks are off to a so-so start, I am encouraged with the teams creative play. Bunting and sac, flies, are things that get you WS rings...along with pitching of course. Let us hope for more of the same; good pitching, good hitting, and smart baseball. 27/08.
ranger2708
by ranger2708 on Apr 12, 2008 10:30 AM EDT 0 recs
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