Sox-Yanks Game 2 Postgame: 9

by 0157H7 on Apr 25, 2009 11:37 PM EDT

It's an axiom that good pitching beats good hitting. Today's game showed us that great hitting hurts mediocre pitching (the starters) and crushes terrible pitching (the Yankee bullpen). Okajima vultured a win out of this mess, but the real credit for victory should go to the Red Sox batters, who clubbed 16 runs, including 8 off an AJ Burnett who looked dominant early on (three scoreless innings to start).

This game was all about numbers. The two offenses combined for 8 Doubles, 6 homers, 28 hits, 15 walks, and 2 HBP (both by New York). 27 runs were scored, and the whole affair took 4 hours 21 minutes to resolve. But the most important number is this: 9. The Red Sox have won their 9th straight game. Keep it coming, guys.

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Greek tragedy, anyone?

It always seems that every time these two teams get together, high drama—-and often trauma—-must ensue.

Today’s game went from blowout to close game to barnburner to comedy. It also lasted an hour longer than Round 1 of the NFL draft. It’s sheer and utter insanity.

In wondering why Beckett was left in the game for the 6th inning, I think it had more to do with keeping the bullpen fresh. The intentions were good, but the results were not.

As a result of the last two games, Masterson’s mission tomorrow night is simple: emulate Wakefield’s April 15 start as closely as possible. We really need him to be able to go a long, long distance, or else we might have some bullpen problems, too.

by lone1c on Apr 25, 2009 11:48 PM EDT reply actions

Pass on the Greek Tragedy.

I HATE Greek tragedy. They’re all the same.

1) Gods encourage a guy to do something terrible.
2) Guy does something terrible.
3) Guy gets brutally tortured / murdered / stripped of everything he values.
4) Guy dies.
5) Gods decide to punish the guy’s entire family and progeny for the original offense.
…
Sox-Yankees can be fun, also burns you out. After a season of baseball, I’d be pumped to watch a four and half-hour slugfest in the playoffs. But with the season just beginning, and after the emotional roller coaster yesterday, today was just too much.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 25, 2009 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions

But how do you fix that?

There seems to be no way to avoid long games in this rivalry. I think Thomas Boswell at the Washington Post had it right: every game these two teams play seem to carry the same weight as an entire series.

I know it’s only been two games, but it feels like we’re already been at it for two months already.

by lone1c on Apr 26, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions

It's easy enough to fix.

Rather than play 18 games, play 6 and have each one count for 3 games. That way, the added intensity is justified, and you can break it up into one 3-game series in Fenway, and one in Yankee Stadium 2.0.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 26, 2009 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Can I borrow that?

We are reading and will have to perform Antigone in English.

WBULTV - BDale TV Prod

by bdalebs on Apr 26, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions

You're a peach, ecoli.

"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"

by Allen Chace on Apr 25, 2009 11:55 PM EDT reply actions

And

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 26, 2009 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions

White flannel is not a good look on anybody.

by lone1c on Apr 26, 2009 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Keeps me awake!

I like these games because I stay fully engaged and awake, especially later games.

by NG on Apr 26, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions

19 more wins like that an Oki will get a Cy Young

:-)

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Apr 26, 2009 10:33 AM EDT reply actions

despite some worries

(OKI?) the bullpen has been great. Look at the numbers during this streak. I also think RamRam and MDC have yet to allow an earned run.

by Buzzy on Apr 26, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Okajima

has never been particularly good against the Yankees. His career ERA is highest against them, at 6.75 in 17.1 innings (27 ERA vs. Reds doesn’t count, as it was only .1 inning).

I think he’ll put up good numbers again this year.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 26, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't worry about him

good or bad, this is and will be an excellent pen

by Buzzy on Apr 26, 2009 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Okajima's weakness

if he doesn’t disguise his change up better or keep it lower, he might as well set up a t-ball stand at homeplate.

However Okajima deserves some credit for picking off Damon, and he would had gotten out of the seventh with two less runs if Pedroia didn’t blew a routine put out. the score would had been 12-8 after the bottom of the seventh, and Cano’s solo homer would had made the score 12-9.

by superferret on Apr 26, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Pedroia's ball was hit hard

I’m not sure how routine making that play would’ve been.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 26, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions

He just needed to drop his knee when got in front.

But it was a difficult play.

WBULTV - BDale TV Prod

by bdalebs on Apr 26, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

this series show the best of baseball and some bad things of baseball...

The good: incredible line ups, it is not the hitting per se, it is how difficult it is to strike out the Yankees and wear out starting pitching early, look how the Yankees were fouling off pitches with two strikes. The Yankees line up was terrifying, and they don’t even have their best player with them right now!!! It is sort of like dealing with the Soviet Union’s hockey team, a bunch of professional killer players.

I think what is even stronger, is the Sox not giving up. I think the best thing they did on Saturday, was make one of the top pitchers of the game, AJ Burnett lose confidence and feel desperate on the mound. When for three innings, he was controlling the tiempo.

The Bad: For the Yankees: Joe Girardi. He started to panicked with his bullpen, As much I have critical of Joe Torre wearing certain members of the Yankees bullpen, Girardi is not managing a weak bullpen well to start with.

As much the Sox bullpen wasn’t much fun to watch on Saturday, they only gave up one earned run.. They bled, but it was one Okajima change up that did the bleeding.

The bad for the Sox, Beckett wasn’t looking that hot, he was behind in the pitch count, he seemed shaky, his pitching motion seems different from years past. Pedroia could had been the goat for the game if it wasn’t for his knight in shining armour coming in to save the day, Mikey Lowell.

The Ugly: The Yankees bullpen. I have news for the Yankees, having the Texas Rangers as your model to play major league baseball is a failed model. Texas score something like 900 or so runs last year, the most in majors, they also gave up more runs than they scored.

The Yankees are in this situation, because they neglected the patience and training of nurturing young pitching. If they had Johan Santana in their organization when he started out, he would be wash out now, given the Twins didn’t give up on him, and he had control issues for years. Their problem is much deeper than this season, it has been going on since 2003. Middle relief has been a problem for years, and they covered it up by slugging their way to give Mariano the ball in the ninth for years. The wheels started to fall off in 2008.

The Yankees can’t win games against good teams if their bullpen is bleeding runs. They are also having problems against weak teams, like what appears to be with the Oakland A’s in the previous series. If any team I would like the Yankees play as an acid test of their playoff potential, the cockroaches of Major League Baseball: the Twins.

For the Sox, the ugly is one word: Papi.

by superferret on Apr 26, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

Bad bullpen == Negative reinforcement loop

A bad bullpen feeds on its suckiness until it either gets a break via several straight strong starting performances plus sufficient slugging to keep it out of action for a while or it implodes. Right now, the Yankees need to have the former happen in order to save it from the latter.

by lone1c on Apr 26, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions

The Astros actually did give up on Santana, leaving him available for the Rule V draft.

But I agree with the Yanks bullpen. They are going to have a lot of trouble this year. What if Mo gets hurt? I mean, the guy is getting old. That would be fun to watch.

by BTLove on Apr 26, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't be surprise that the Sox give this Sunday night game to the Yankees

They are playing the Indians on Monday, but Wake, the innings eater is pitching, so they need one or two relievers for Monday. However, I can’t see both teams destroying their bullpens if Sunday night’s game goes to extra innings.

by superferret on Apr 26, 2009 4:06 PM EDT reply actions

the only thing for near certain is that paps wont be pitching tonight. And hopefully we get a gem from masterson.

by spinz on Apr 26, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Masterson is lucky if he survives five even six innings..

I wish him luck, and he will need it, because the Yankee line up has shown they are not to be trifle with. I think Masterson has the edge at this moment over Petite because Fenway is not a southpaw friendly confine.

Masterson can only last 5-6 innings, no matter what team he is pitching against. If he can’t keep his pitches down, it is going to be torture for Sox fans.

I am curious if Tito will keep Drew in the line up tonight.

by superferret on Apr 26, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Drew

could use the day off anyway, but Pettitte is traditionally harder on RHB than LHB as a lefty since his featured pitch is a cutter.

by Buzzy on Apr 26, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Drew hits Pettitte well

In fact, the current Red Sox hitters are a combined .341 AVG/.401 OBP/.517 SLG (.919 OPS) in 261 total AB against Pettitte. Here’s how the probable Sox line-up hits Pettitte:

Ellsbury (8 AB) 0 HR 4 RBI .500 AVG/.500 OBP/.625 SLG
Pedroia (26 AB) 0 HR 1 RBI .240 AVG/.310 OBP/.320 SLG
Ortiz (44 AB) 1 HR 7 RBI .364 AVG/.408 OBP/.545 SLG
Youkilis (20 AB) 1 HR 3 RBI .450 AVG/.593 OBP/.750 SLG
Drew (26 AB) 3 HR 3 RBI .346 AVG/.370 OBP/.769 SLG
Bay (22 AB) 1 HR 3 RBI 455 AVG/.520 OBP/.682 SLG
Lowell (20 AB) 0 HR 5 RBI .350 AVG/.417 OBP/.400 SLG
Varitek (50 AB) 2 HR 7 RBI .340 AVG/.414 OBP/.520 SLG
Green (0 AB)

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Apr 26, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow.

Thats incredibly good against Pettite.

by BTLove on Apr 26, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions

While that is logical, you just never know with some of these young guys. They may plan to keep his pitch count low but if hes dealing its going to be a hard case to pull him at 70 pitches.

by spinz on Apr 26, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Masterson will have a longer leash than normal because the bullpen is hurting. Normally, I think they would pull him early to stretch him out slowly into the starter type innings, but with all the use the pen has seen the last 2 days, we should hopefully get at least 6 out of Masterson, and 7 innings if he has given up less than 5 runs.

by BTLove on Apr 26, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Pettitte hasn't been very good against Boston the last two years

In 49.2 IP, Pettitte has a 5.80 ERA. The Sox have hit .338 AVG against him. Pettitte has been slightly better at Fenway: 4.99 ERA .319 BAA in 21.2 IP.

Pettitte has pitched well so far this year (3 starts). I don’t think that will last. So far, he has a 0.94 WHIP. In each of the last three seasons his WHIP was over 1.40. His K-rate is low this year: 4.2 per 9 innings. His career K-rate is 6.6/9. His walks and hits are are down too: 7.6 H/9 (9.4 career; 10.3 last year); 0.8 BB/9 (2.8 career).

Pettitte is pitching to contact even more than usual. Sooner or later, he’ll get hit hard.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Apr 26, 2009 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Bowden up

The Sox promoted Michael Bowden today to give them another arm in the bullpen. I like this move: with the recent wear on the pen, the Yankees’ hot bats, and Masterson’s proclivity to walk batters, we can use all the arms we can get.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Apr 26, 2009 6:21 PM EDT reply actions