A quick review:
If the Yanks can count on one thing, it's the inconstancy of Kyle Farnsworth. At times last year he was pretty darn good and at other times he was wild and got pounded.
Same sh*t, different year. After blowing Sunday's game against Minnesota by giving up four runs in the bottom of the eighth, Torre uncharacteristically (was he demoted?) used him in the seventh and he gave up the game tying HR to Nick Swisher on a 2-0 fast ball with the Yanks holding on to a one run lead. That ruined a very good outing by Igawa and dashed any hopes of him picking up his first Yankee win.
Joe's use of the bullpen can baffle us sometimes and tonight was another one of those games. If he believes Kyle is struggling than leave him on the bench in a close game and stick with your main guns. Let Proctor open the seventh instead of pitching just 2/3 of an inning closing out the sixth. The Yanks had a day off so there was no need to get Farnsworth in tonight's game.
Bruney was tagged with the loss. He was working on his second inning of work and after loading the bases in the bottom of the eleventh and one out. he gave up a ground ball to first that DM couldn't get off a good throw to the plate and the A's scored the winning run. Brian had Kielty 0-2 and Posada called for an off speed pitch instead of his 95 mph heater. I don't understand that-call-at-all. He needed a strike out in that situation, but if you're going to waste one, then it can't be down and in to a lefty.
Doug Mientkiewicz's hitting is starting to wear on me already. He had two chances with the bases loaded tonight and failed miserably. In the sixth he grounded into a double play that scored a run and in the eighth, he hit a bloop back to the pitcher with one out that helped kill another rally...They had the bases jacked in the third and managed only a sac fly by Abreu...They left eleven men on base.
I thought the Yanks were a patient team at the plate. They did do a great job of wearing out Haren, but after he exited the game they got anxious at the plate. With Jeter on first and two outs in the top of the eleventh, Abreu never gave Derek a chance to steal second. He jumped on the first pitch and lifted a fly ball to end the inning. Bobby also dropped a fly to right which resulted in a three base error and an unearned run. Damon had nothing either going 0-5.
It's a tough loss because they have Rasner going tomorrow. The only plus in his favor is that the A's are a weak hitting team...