Game 161 Preview: Yankees at Rays

by Frank Campagnola on Sep 27, 2011 4:58 PM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

Your new number 3 hitter against righties.

Current Series

Rays lead the series 1-0

Mon 09/26	WP: James Shields (16 - 12) SV: Kyle Farnsworth LP: Hector Noesi (2 - 2)	2 - 5 loss
New York Yankees Pinstripe Alley @ Tampa Bay Rays DRaysBay Tuesday, Sep 27, 2011, 7:10 PM EDT Tropicana Field Bartolo Colon vs Jeremy Hellickson Complete Coverage >
Wed 09/28		7:10 PM EDT

Two games left and nothing to play for. Stay healthy, get the starters some at bats, and get them out before something bad happens.

Bartolo might be pitching for a chance at a postseason start, and this is clearly his last opportunity. With the way he has pitched down the stretch, and the likelihood of him being exhausted, my third and fourth starters are probably Garcia and Burnett at this point. Colon needs to throw well to put himself in the conversation.

On the other side of the ball, rookie Jeremy Hellickson is making the biggest start of his career. A bad game from him could result in the Rays missing the playoffs.

As long as the starters stay healthy and get their reps, I could really care less about what happens with this game.

Lineups:

Yankees - Nunez, Granderson, Cano, A-Rod, Tex, Swish, Posada, Martin, Gardner

Rays - Jennings, Upton, Longo, Joyce, Damon, Zobrist, Kotchman, Shoppach, Rodriguez

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Our best hitter is hitting in the 3 hole

FINALLY.

All hype no bite teams of 2010-2011:
2010 Miami Heat
2011 Boston Red Sox
2011 Philadelphia Eagles-It ain't so sunny in Philly anymore.

by Livestrong77nyy on Sep 27, 2011 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

Our best hitter is in the 2 hole, where he should be.

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 Sep 27, 2011 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

The game plan that other teams come up with for each hitter

would suggest something different. I would also never think of the 2009-2010 version of Adam Dunn as a being a better hitter than what Cano is right now. I say Adam Dunn because that is basically the kind of year that Granderson is having offensively right now. Is Granderson more of a power threat? Yes, but I do not think of him as being a better hitter than Cano.

All hype no bite teams of 2010-2011:
2010 Miami Heat
2011 Boston Red Sox
2011 Philadelphia Eagles-It ain't so sunny in Philly anymore.

by Livestrong77nyy on Sep 27, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Cano > Granderson?

by bloppy_ploppy on Sep 27, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes

All hype no bite teams of 2010-2011:
2010 Miami Heat
2011 Boston Red Sox
2011 Philadelphia Eagles-It ain't so sunny in Philly anymore.

by Livestrong77nyy on Sep 27, 2011 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed

love grandy, but pure hitting? cano, no doubt. consistency for average, with a nice side order of pop… cano’s still got a bunch of mvp-possible years in front of him, IMHO…

by sing_or_die_1818 on Sep 27, 2011 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Martin catching

again?

by Travis G on Sep 27, 2011 5:15 PM EDT reply actions

I’m really starting to think the Yankees don’t believe in Montero’s ability to catch. I think they just tried to talk it up as below average-to-average to preserve trade value.

Why else would Martin be catching again, down the stretch, when he should get rest?

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 Sep 27, 2011 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

They are in the middle of a playoff run

Now is not the best time to test/develop a guy. They wan’t Montero to have the best chance to succeed at catching, and having him behind the plate now is not that time. I’ll bet anything he’s the starting catcher next spring.

by Branta on Sep 27, 2011 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

gearing up for a playoff run*

want not wan’t

by Branta on Sep 27, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not buying that

Now would be the perfect time to see if Montero is a viable catching option in the playoffs. And I’m really starting to thing that the team doesn’t like what they see in his catching abilities.

FWIW, the eyeball test (as reliable as that is) tells me that Romine is a better catcher than Montero.

I know where I come from, and when you always have in mind where you come from the rest will be easy. I think the rest will be easy.

-- M. Rivera

by GMan83201 on Sep 27, 2011 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Thank you

The Yankees should only be focusing on what helps the team this year. The only impact the Montero will make this October is with the bat. We do not need him to catch in the playoffs so therefore he should only be focusing on what he will be doing in the coming month. The kid is only 21 and should have as little pressure as possible right now.

All hype no bite teams of 2010-2011:
2010 Miami Heat
2011 Boston Red Sox
2011 Philadelphia Eagles-It ain't so sunny in Philly anymore.

by Livestrong77nyy on Sep 27, 2011 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I'll bet you 2-to-1 that he is not the starting catcher next year

by Scooby Snacks on Sep 27, 2011 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Why would he be?

With Martin still under contract? Taking over as the starting catcher for the defending WS champions is a tall task for a 22-year-old. He will probably just be the BUC/DH.

All hype no bite teams of 2010-2011:
2010 Miami Heat
2011 Boston Red Sox
2011 Philadelphia Eagles-It ain't so sunny in Philly anymore.

by Livestrong77nyy on Sep 27, 2011 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions