Last night was rough for the best Yankee prospect in the AFL.
It was their version of the All-Star game (can they really have All-Star when the season is only a month long?).
The West Rising Stars (the good guys) held a 2-1 lead going to the top of the 9th. The bullpen gates swing open and Ross Ohlendorf trots out.
He immediately fell behind Pirates' prospect Andrew McCutchen 3-0. After a gimme strike, McCutchen tapped a grounder to first baseman Jeff Larish. It must have pulled Larish out of position just enough for the speedy McCutchen to reach base.
He stole second despite four separate pick-off attempts during Matt LaPorta's (Brewers) at bat. LaPorta worked the count full before lofting a fly into left field.
With runners on the corners, Jeff Baisley (Oakland) grounded into a double play on the second pitch. Mike Carp (Mets) followed by grounding out on the first pitch.
Three groundballs and a flair- 14 pitches- three outs, but Ohlendorf blew the save. Put those ABs in any other order (or even prevent the SB) and the run doesn't score.
Gardner got into the game as a defensive sub in the top of the 6th. In the bottom of the 7th he walked, as the West loaded the bases but couldn't score. In the 8th, he flew out to center to end the inning.
The West would go on to lose in the next inning, but no Yankees would play a further role.
Only Juan Miranda played tonight. 1-5, 1K. The more he plays, the more sure I become that he is not an option for next season.
Update [2007-10-28 1:59:57 by jscape2000]:
Apparently I can't read a box score- Steven Jackson pitched the 4th and 5th innings of tonight's games. He threw first pitch strikes to each of the 10 batters he faced, and still managed to give up 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out five(!).
Jackson managed to avoid giving up any runs by alternating the walks and hits with outs. It brings his ERA down to 5.00.