New York Yankees @ Pittsburgh Pirates GameThread, Jul 10, 2008 7:05 PM EDT

Game #92 - New York Yankees @ Pittsburgh Pirates

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 6:45 PM EDT in Game Threads

New York Yankees @ Pittsburgh Pirates

NEW YORK YANKEES

Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jorge Posada, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Melky Cabrera, CF
Jose Molina, C
Justin Christian, LF

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
Mike Mussina	11-6	18	18	0	0	0	0	101.1	107	50	41	12	16	63	3.64	1.21

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Nate McLouth, CF
Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Ryan Doumit, C
Jason Bay, LF
Xavier Nady, RF
Adam LaRoche, 1B
Jose Bautista, 3B
Jack Wilson, SS

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
Paul Maholm	5-5	17	17	1	0	0	0	111.0	114	53	50	15	31	71	4.05	1.31

PREGAME NOTES:

First off, Evan Longoria beat out Jason Giambi and Jermaine Dye for the final spot on the AL All Star team. In my opinion, Longoria was unquestionably the most deserving candidate and is going to be a star in this league for years to come.
Yankee starters have managed four straight quality starts over their 4-game winning streak despite scoring a grand total of 14 runs.
The pen has been phenomenal over their last 12 games with a combined 1.09 ERA and only 23 hits allowed in 41.1 IP.
Mike Mussina is a lifetime 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP in one career start against the Pirates.
Paul Maholm is a lifetime 0-1, 5.06 ERA, 2.06 WHIP in one start against the Yanks. He is 4-1, 3.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP in 9 starts at home this season.
Pirates' hitters vs. Moose can be viewed here. Yanks' hitters vs. Maholm can be viewed here.
And finally, Richie Sexson was released by the Mariners today. Perhaps what is most humiliating about Sexson's season is that he was replaced by Miguel Cairo in the Mariners' lineup. Although his numbers were horrific against right-handers (.178 / .281 / .304) in 191 AB, his numbers were pretty good against left-handers (.344 / .423 / .623) in 61 AB. He'd be a typical low-risk/high reward guy, so you've gotta wonder if Cashman is thinking about rolling the dice on him.

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Not blaming Girardi

what with injuries and interleague, but you’d have to go back to some pretty dark days to find a Yankee starting lineup this weak in a game that counted.

6.Cabrera
7. Molina
8.Christian
9.Mussina

Yikes. If Maholm throws a ball to any of those “hitters” he’s a moron. Watch them score 10 runs tonight. : )

Can’t Giambi replace Ortiz on the All Star roster?

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 6:55 PM EDT 0 recs

Yeah, not pretty

I have a feeling that Cashman is going to roll the dice on Sexson. Not a guy I want starting very much, but he could be useful against lefties.

He’s basically a right-handed Betemit anyways.

I think there is a chance Giambi replaces Ortiz but they may go with Dye because he finished second in the voting to Longoria.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

Giambi

As a Yankee fan, I’d prefer he get three days off and come back charged up for a strong second half.

But if I’m MLB, I go out of my way to get the Giambino onto the team. It’s common sense. The HR derby can get pretty boring. They need a hometown guy involved to charge up the crowd. Do people really want to cheer on Dan Uggla and Grady Sizemore??? Come on.

It also would have been common sense to name Torre as a coach. The Stadium would have gone bananas when he got introduced, and because of all the stories generated by his appearance the game would get twice the coverage it normally does. I’m sure Torre probably wanted no part of it, but his arm should have been twisted, especially once Randolph got canned and a spot opened up again.

MLB doesn’t get it.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think Torre himself refused to be any part of it

I seem to remember him saying a couple of months ago that he wanted no part of it.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

I figured

but

a.) Torre needs to get over it. He got treated like a king for most of his tenure.

b.) MLB should have “politely” told him to get his ass to NY.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Pittsburgh really has a nice looking ball-park.

Nice to have Kay on vacation as well. Heh

by bronxbound on Jul 10, 2008 7:14 PM EDT 0 recs

I'd love to do what Jim Caple did a few years back

He visited every ballpark in one season and rated every one of them. I wished I had an entire year off from my regular gig to watch baseball from every MLB yard.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 7:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

I've said this so many times

but it seems like this all right-handed lineup is really counter-productive.

Would you rather have your lefty starters face a lefty pitcher – or use your weak bench guys simply because their right-handed?

I’d go with the former every time.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:02 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm with you

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on Jul 10, 2008 8:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree

but I have no complaints in this case.

Christian/Gardner is a wash, and if Molina has to catch (seems like he does), I’ll take a right handed Posada over a left handed Giambi.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hmmm...

When you can honestly say “Giambi would have had it”, then it’s time to rethink putting Jorge at first base.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:32 PM EDT 0 recs

It's either 1B or DH

Seems like Girardi doesn’t want him behind the plate with that shoulder. Honestly, I can’t really say I blame him.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah

But Posada is pissed, and now he’s embarrassed. I’m going back on what I said above and saying that Giambi should have played first tonight. Jorge should DH or catch only.

From LoHud:

Girardi said "he hopes" to get Posada back as the full-time catcher. But it’s a day-to-day thing. What does Posada think about that? "I took care of it," Girardi said.

It certainly didn’t seem that way before the game.

"I like to catch, OK?" Posada said tersely. "I’m in the lineup, I’m happy I’m in the lineup but I like to catch. I’m a catcher. I’m not a first baseman. I’m not a DH. I like to catch. … (Girardi) knows that. Everybody in here knows that."

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/07/10/game-92-yankees-at-pirates/

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

Unless

Posada hits a dinger. Then I reserve the right to change my mind again.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree that Giambi should be out there

But Girardi has this thing about “playing the percentages” for some reason. He does it to a fault.

Put Posada behind the plate in the NL yard or sit him.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

This is unrelated but I missed it over a month ago....

From MLB Trade rumors:

Kei Igawa, signed through 2011, asked the Yankees if they could find a way to ship him back to Japan during the winter. They couldn’t find a way to make it work.

This was such a predictably bad signing and I have no idea why Cashman just doesn’t cut all ties with him and be done with it.

Kevin Towers claimed Igawa last season off waivers and Cashman didn’t unload him.

Why? Cashman. Why?

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:33 PM EDT 0 recs

Two runs with this lineup might as well be ten runs

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:34 PM EDT 0 recs

In that case

Abreu just came through with a ten-run single.

Neat trick! ;)

by Jugwine on Jul 10, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Now all we need is another ten.....

by Jugwine on Jul 10, 2008 9:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

Worthy or note....

Moose is the only left hander with a base hit tonight. Sigh. Pathetic.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:47 PM EDT 0 recs

And

he hit the ball harder than any ball Gardner has hit since he’s been here.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on Jul 10, 2008 8:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

Gardner is swinging with all arms and no legs for whatever reason

Singleton said he hit a couple of balls in the upper deck at the Stadium in BP the other day and hit a bunch of liners in the gap.

I know BP doesn’t always translate to the game, but Long really has to work with Gardner on that. With his wheels, he could be a doubles and triples machine with the alleys at the Stadium.

by anaconda on Jul 10, 2008 8:57 PM EDT up 0 recs