Game 103 Preview: Orioles at Yankees

by Frank Campagnola on Jul 29, 2011 4:30 PM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

After an ugly 2-9 loss at the hands of Felix Hernandez and the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon, A.J. Burnett will take the hill for the Yankees with hopes of ending his current skid. In his last three starts, Burnett has tossed 16 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.86 ERA and a 19:12 K/BB ratio. He has not completed the sixth inning in any of those three starts.

Opposing Burnett will be Jeremy Guthrie, who is also looking to rid himself of a forgettable July. Guthrie is 1-5 with a 5.50 ERA this month, but has been the victim of terrible run support. For his career, Guthris is 3-9 with a 5.46 ERA against the Yankees.

Guthrie throws six pitches, but three of those are variations of his fastball. He throws a four-seamer, a two-seamer, and a cutter, all in the low to mid 90s range. Guthrie also features a slider around 83 mph, a changeup also around 83, and a curveball that sits in the low to mid 70s.

Current Series

4 game series vs Orioles @ Yankee Stadium

Baltimore Orioles Camden Chat @ New York Yankees Pinstripe Alley Friday, Jul 29, 2011, 7:05 PM EDT Yankee Stadium Jeremy Guthrie vs A.J. Burnett Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85. Complete Coverage >
Sat 07/30		1:05 PM EDT
Sat 07/30		7:05 PM EDT
Sun 07/31		1:05 PM EDT

Follow the jump for lineups and matchups.

Yankees Lineup:

GGBG, Jeter, Grandy, Tex, Cano, Swish, Chavez, Posada, Martin.

Orioles Lineup:

Hardy, Markakis, Jones, Guerrero, Lee, Reynolds, Wieters, Reimold, Andino.

Of the current Orioles who have at least nine plate appearances against Burnett, only Nolan Reimold, J.J. Hardy, Robert Andino, and Felix Pie have shown success against him. Vlad, Markakis, Derrek Lee, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters have all been held in check by Burnett. Mark Reynolds has hardly faced Burnett, with just one at bat against him in the last five years.

Of the current Yankees who have at least nine plate appearances against Guthrie, only Cano, Swish, Granderson, and Gardy have shown success against the right-hander. Guthrie has kept Jeter and Tex in check, while Posada and Chavez have shown some success against him. Russell Martin is just 0-1 against Guthrie.

Also of note, Rafael Soriano has rejoined the Yankees, with Steve Garrison heading to Trenton.

For more on tonight's game, check out MLB.com's preview, Baseball-Reference's preview, and Yahoo!'s preview.

Look for the game thread at 6:45.

Tweet Comment 36 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Hope the Yanks get 'em early and often--I'd like a 10-0 laugher, personally...

Just once I'd like someone to call me "Sir," without adding, "You're making a scene."

by YankeeCarp on Jul 29, 2011 4:50 PM EDT reply actions

Welcome back Soriano

He’s not a likable personality, but it’s good to have a guy in the bullpen who isn’t a mop.

Anyone else a fan of DHing Nunez and starting Chavez at third until A-Rod gets back? Never happening, but I’m tired of Posada’s bat in the lineup.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

Yes.

Also, Mitre was moved to the 60 day DL to make room for Soriano. Baby Jesus has smiled upon us.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it a "real" injury to Mitre, or a "necessary" injury? (read: suckiness)

Just once I'd like someone to call me "Sir," without adding, "You're making a scene."

by YankeeCarp on Jul 29, 2011 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

“Yes” is an answer to my question or “yes”, it’s good to have Soriano back?

And thank god, maybe we’ve seen the last of Mitre. Forever.

And one more thing. Baby Jesus will truly smile upon us if he is letting his bat do the smiling. So I will say what has been said so many times before- Call up Jesus Montero!!!

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes is an answer to your question.

I’d rather have Chavez and Nunez bat than one of them and Posada.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe Joe should bat Posada ninth again

It sparked the only decent 3 week period of his entire season.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Is he more deserving of 9th than Martin?

Can we bath them both 9th?

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

As much as Martin has sucked

Jorge has sucked worse. And I hate how they can’t bat him ninth because they’re worried about Jorge throwing a shitfit. He’s not above the team just because he’s been there for a long time.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think that's the reason for them not batting him 9th

And if it is, they all need to be fined/fired.

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 29, 2011 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I really think it might be the reason.

What else could it be that since they told him to bat 9th and he refused that they haven’t asked him to again? Joe wants to be his friend, not his manager. Like always.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it's because they don't want to have someone that slow batting in front of Jeter or Gardner

It could very well be the reason you mentioned, and if it is I say again, fined/fired!

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 29, 2011 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I love Jorge

but I kind of really hope that he retires this offseason. I don’t want to have the issue of bringing him back or not. Stats wise there’s no way he should come back, but they’ll bring him back anyway because he’s Jorge Posada.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions

why do they have to 60 day DL him when they can just release that POS

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Jul 29, 2011 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions

They love him and can't kick him when he's down.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 30, 2011 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Can someone explain to me

the point of cherry-picking stats such as the “in his last 3 starts” statement in the preview?

AJ is pitching more to the tune of 2009 and far away from his 2010 performance. Not to mention, the Yankees won 2 of Burnett’s last 3 starts as well as the fact that AJ (prior to being removed from the game) received a whopping 5 runs of support from the offense in those 3 games. His xFIP is a respectable 3.98 (better than his season ERA of 4.21) .

I don’t like to judge players just on their last few games (or their last week) because baseball is a marathon and almost all players don’t play at the same level for the whole season. It’s one thing if the player’s performance is truly terrible (like Hughes at the beginning of the year) or there’s an extended period of time (last 3 months), but looking at a snapshot of only one week or 3-5 starts is so limiting in telling the whole story of a player.

by phonty on Jul 29, 2011 6:14 PM EDT reply actions

I think it's to show how he's done recently

And it’s true, he’s on a little slump right now. But nowhere in there does it say that his season has been bad or that he won’t pick it back up. I don’t think he’s judging him at all. He’s just saying that he’s been struggling a little bit over his past three starts.

Look for him to break out of that today.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Thank you, and exactly.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.

I believe in the Church of Baseball.
- Annie Savoy

You go through The Sporting News for the last 100 years, and you will find two things are always true. You never have enough pitching, and nobody ever made money.
- Donald Fehr

by Frank Campagnola on Jul 29, 2011 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions

nyyrocks covered exactly what I would have said. But even then, saying “last three starts” isn’t cherry picking. Cherry picking would be something like, “take out his three best starts (which could be one from April, May and June), and his ERA balloons.” etc.

All I did was give the readers a snap shot of how he has pitched over the last two weeks.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.

I believe in the Church of Baseball.
- Annie Savoy

You go through The Sporting News for the last 100 years, and you will find two things are always true. You never have enough pitching, and nobody ever made money.
- Donald Fehr

by Frank Campagnola on Jul 29, 2011 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions

To be fair

I understand what you’re saying, and can see that for an educated reader, it provides his latest efforts (and provides something of a story…will he improve or not…etc.).

However, stating wins for pitchers (especially wins and especially for AJ in some of these outings), really doesn’t reflect the pitching as much as the team as a whole (yes, put me in the “Wins are not a pitching stat” group).

Rosebud shows below how the wins stat without proper context (as you eloquently provided in the recap) is abused and misrepresents a pitcher’s efforts.

by phonty on Jul 30, 2011 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions

You’re looking too far into this. I just used his last three starts stats from MLB.com’s preview. That’s all.

I agree that wins do not reflect a pitcher’s performance. I’m with you, it was just a snap shot.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.

I believe in the Church of Baseball.
- Annie Savoy

You go through The Sporting News for the last 100 years, and you will find two things are always true. You never have enough pitching, and nobody ever made money.
- Donald Fehr

by Frank Campagnola on Jul 30, 2011 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Let me pick this cherry for ya

AJ sucks.

- He’s got a losing record on a team 20 games over .500. THAT sounds alot like last year.
- You “never know” what you’re gonna get with him — which is another way of saying “you always know” what you’re gonna get from him — a real good chance of losing the game – despite pitching on one of the best teams in baseball.
- He’s the guy you want on the hill when (yet again) the time is ripe to pick up a game in a tight race because your division leader has already lost. Whoops, there goes that one (yet again).
- He’s the master of the meaningless – like tonight – where AJ lovers will say “Look! He pitched well and he went 8 innings! That’s a step forward! We just didn’t hit!”

At the end of the day it will come to this. Another loss. Another missed opportunity.

As always? Noooo (that would make it easy). Just… as usual. It’d be too easy to say he’s this year’s Javy Vasquez — because he was last year’s Javy Vasquez.

by rosebud on Jul 29, 2011 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions

So

how do you really feel about AJ Burnett?

by phonty on Jul 30, 2011 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Just tellin it like it is

by rosebud on Jul 30, 2011 3:36 AM EDT up reply actions

LOL

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Jul 30, 2011 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Just to let everyone know

It’s pouring in the Bronx right now. I highly doubt this game starts on time.

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 29, 2011 6:32 PM EDT reply actions

Why do you guys have rain in July? Stop that.

by Briceratops on Jul 29, 2011 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

It rains all year...

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

yup

really one of the inconvenient things about living in New York.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Heh, I actually like rain

Just not during Baseball games.

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 29, 2011 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

It rains all year here too.

I’ve never really heard of having months where it doesn’t rain or snow, depending on the month.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions

where are you talking about?

The two places I’ve lived in my life are Rochester and NYC, and both are places where it never stops raining.

It had better not rain tomorrow, because I’m seeing Baby Jesus play against the Red Wings.

CALL UP JESUS MONTERO!

by nyyrocks29 on Jul 29, 2011 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Well Brian asked why you guys have rain in July.

Assuming he wasn’t being ironic, I’ve never heard of a place where it doesn’t rain during specific months. At least not on the East Coast. Maybe he was being sarcastic and I missed it.

"Now I've had everything except the thrill of watching Babe Ruth play."

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Jul 29, 2011 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions