Yankees on best behavior in front of the Boss, swatting away Rays in 6-2 win

by CrazyYankeeChick on Jul 29, 2009 11:08 PM EDT in Game Recap

I just don't understand it. I will later chew off my own tongue for saying this, but off the top of my head I can't think of a better analogy: Joba Chamberlain's ability to incense and polarize fans, his almost characteristic plunges and ascents, and above all, the complex mystery of his future, has made him baseball's answer to (I'm sorry) Britney Spears.

The Yankees won the rubber match tonight in a 6-2 victory against the Rays. And while the offense certainly was sparky, Joba was otherwordly. He didn't ween his way back to old form. He just came back from Nebraska after the ASB and just decided to stop sucking. Sure, why not. And not like, "Well, well, Joba's showing some signs of life." In his last 3 starts, you can count the number of HITS he's let up on 1 hand.

And this bizarrely coincides with some vague murmurings about maybe, possibly, sort of putting him in the bullpen again. The Joba saga is harder to follow than that Spanish soap opera I had to watch in high school.

Going up against a pitcher who's arguably in lockstep with Joba with respect to young talent, Joba threw the best innings he's thrown all season. Maybe he didn't have the 12K game like the one against Boston. Or finish the game. (Way to keep things interesting, Bruney.) But unlike his standard display, tonight was marked by pitches dancing all over the plate. (Electric slider vs the gunning man!... Sorry. I'm not proud.)

In 8 scoreless innings, Joba threw a varitable kaleidascope of pitches that left most of the Rays' lineup dumbfounded and completely off-center, amounting to 5Ks, 2BBs, and only 1 runner even getting to sniff around 2nd base.

To drive the point home how awestruck I was: this was the first time in my entire life that I ever texted in my vote to anything. (The Chevy Player of the Game.) I always wondered what weirdos subscribed to this practice. Now I know.

Maybe it was the Boss's glaring presence in the stands. Or maybe it was making up for last night. But there isn't a team in baseball that looks better than the visiting team at the Trop. Mark Teixeira's defense could probably bring me to tears, depending on when you catch me, notably his 87 ft leap to rob Ben Zobrist of his scorching line drive. His offense was alright, too-- 2 for 3. Homerun. 2 RBIs. The best Christmas present I've ever gotten.

Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, Nick Swisher.. (am I missing anyone?) all contributed to the near flawless performance. It looked like someone hooked up a Game Genie to their Nintendo Baseball All Stars game. Cano and Melky chipped in a couple of dings. Jeter looks more and more like the league MVP every day, and Hideki continues to quietly yet significantly leave his mark in the box score.

It kind of makes me not even care they went 2-10 with RISP.

And the other dugout? The lineup that was taking batting practice off one of the league's most powerful pitchers last night, was made to look like a National League cellar dweller. Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford were the only Rays who could choke out a few hits, and Evan Longoria managed a HR off Brian Bruney, which shouldn't count because it's Bruney. If it wasn't for the Yanks' bullpen black sheep's quasi-unnerving 9th, the Rays would have been rendered more ineffective than a wrapping paper tube sword in a fencing match.

Tomorrow the Yanks head to Chicago's south side, where Sergio Mitre faces Clayton Richard. (Who?) NYY has now won 11 of their last 13 to steal the division lead from the Red Sox. I don't know what's worse, Boston's timid play of late, or the fact Mariano Rivera had to be woken up from his bullpen nap to relieve Bruney in non-save situation tonight.

But whether it was the Boss auditing the classroom, or the pressure to rebound from yesterday, or Joba's bullet train to restoration, tonight's game was a potent reaffirmation that the 2009 Yankees are leaving their critics and opponents sublimely silenced.

PS: Three and half up on the Sox now. I'd like them to keep cushioning this, just in case they haven't yet divorced themselves from the never-winning-against-them concept.

PPS: The Red Sox lost to Oakland. Again. It bears repeating.

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Yankees are 19-5 vs. the AL Central

but, it’s hard to feel confident with Mitre on the mound. Yankees need to pad the cushion here, because the schedule does get tougher in September.

by waw on Jul 29, 2009 11:30 PM EDT reply actions

Lol at the Britney Spears analogy

As for the game, Joba is looking like the dominant pitcher we all know he can be. Just wish Bruney could return to the Bruney of last year. Still hopeful on that. Nice to see just about everyone contributing to the offensive output, too.

by Rumplestiltskin02 on Jul 29, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions

This is the Brian Bruney of EVERY year

He has some good outings, he gets hurt, then he sucks.

Yeah, he pitched great in no-pressure spots last September when the Yankees were out of it. He’s totally unreliable, and if he throws a single pitch in a close game this season Girardi should be killed instantly.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 29, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I agree that he shouldn’t be put in any remotely close games. A six run lead wasn’t even enough for him to be allowed to finish the inning. I still think he could contribute though. Yeah the situations he pitched in were little- or no-pressure ones, but he still did pitch lights out, and we could really use one more reliable reliever.

by Rumplestiltskin02 on Jul 30, 2009 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Always enjoy reading your recaps CYC

Die Bruney.

by Hood on Jul 29, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions

LOL

by ReggieARodJeter on Jul 30, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Joba is becoming the man BUT

soon they will banish him back to the bullpen. They need to let him be and they need not touch Hughes until next year. I really don’t remember hearing that managers or coaches worrying about innings with a young pitcher even when Andy was young. I’m thinking back through the years but can’t remember any even back to the days when Rags (Dave Righetti) was a starting pitcher before he became a closer. I think I would have remembered Rizzuto on WPIX saying something like “oh that huckleberry is coming up on his innings limit right White”? “Hey you want a piece of my cannoli”..Cora got it for me at that great little restaurant we go to but I can’t remember the name". Miss Rizzuto!

by Mondoas on Jul 29, 2009 11:53 PM EDT reply actions

unfortunately

if the Yanks do enforce a cap of 150 ip, they’ll have to either put Joba in the pen or skip his spot in the rotation several times.

but i wouldn’t be surprised if they let him pitch to 160-170 if he’s going strong.

by Travis G on Jul 30, 2009 12:07 AM EDT reply actions

They have to consider skipping him a few times

Right now, by my count Joba is due to start 12 more games. He’s at 110 IP now, if the limit is 150 that really only means 6 or 7 more starts before he’d get shut down.

At this point though, they have limited options for who might take starts that Joba misses. They need another starter, it’s that simple.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 30, 2009 12:15 AM EDT reply actions

Is 150 IP an actual number you've heard

or just an educated guess?

by Hood on Jul 30, 2009 2:00 AM EDT up reply actions

i'm pretty sure 140

was the number agreed upon before the season started, but that it’s been revised to be 140-150.

by CrazyYankeeChick on Jul 30, 2009 2:35 AM EDT up reply actions

It probably is 170 altogether

cuz 170 would allow him to pitch 30 innings in the playoffs.

I think that he gets shut down in this season sooner rather than later, probably to the dismay and anger of fans after the way he’s dominated.

1st off the Yanks need another starter. Someone like Washburn would be nice. Not Halladay for all the dumb dumbs that still want him, that would cost Joba. Anyone want to trade Joba? Raise your hand and go play in traffic if you do.

Depending on how many innings he goes, I’d say he actually only has 3 maybe four starts left.

They should shut him down, then bring him back and get 2-3 more starts in September. They are gonna need this guy in the playoffs…hopefully the time off doesn’t mess with him. (tho maybe he’s BETTER with a month off? Is that Possible?)

by FreeBradshaw on Jul 30, 2009 4:52 AM EDT up reply actions

check that...

Mathes mest up on this finals morning….

2 starts at 7 IP per would mean 124 IP. I think he gets shut down right then and there. We’ll know about what will happen if the Yanks acquire another starts tho.

124 would give him 16 innings to play with before the playoffs start. He needs that time in order to build the strength back

by FreeBradshaw on Jul 30, 2009 4:56 AM EDT up reply actions

You can't just give him a month off...

…then he becomes a total crapshoot performance-wise. They have enough off-days though that they could skip him 5 or 6 times so that instead of having a month straight without taking the mound he’d pitch on longer rest several times.

Of course they still need to make that possible by getting another starter.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 30, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions