Will the Real Unit Please Stand Up: Yanks-Rays Gamer II

Last time out, against Toronto, Randy Johnson gave up 6 runs in 5 innings. The start before that: 1 run in 8. And before that? We're still trying to forget that 3.1 inning, 7 run debacle. Tonight he faces a less than dominany DRays lineup. We'll see what happens. He may even have Sheff back to help with a little run support. The slugger is feeling a bit better, and should be back in the lineup soon, if not immediately. Okay. We'll be watching. This is your thread for comment.

Comments

[YF]

No Sheff, but at least we get Jorge.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson's season April career averages, are about the same as his whole season career averages, so he's not usually considered a slow starter. The last time his numbers for April resembled his current stats? April 2003 with the D-Backs when he went on the DL for all of May and June. Hmm.

[attackgerbil]

First line should have read “Johnson's career averages for the month April.”

[YF]

That was a total ball to Giambi. Not a good start for the visitors...

[YF]

Gathwright hit. More early trouble for RJ?

[YF]

And following the comic throw dead into Gathwright's back, a bunt from Crawford, and a Gomes double, RJ is once again behind.

[YF]

And the DRays let us off the hook. 1-0 after 1. Sure coulda been worse.

[YF]

Matsui line shot! Onesies!

[bloodyank78]

Slumpbuster

[Spidey]

Jeez, Towers is throwing BP to the Sox. What the hell happened to him?

[YF]

Toby Hall's platinum soul stripe: is there actually some woman in Tampa who finds that attractive? I have a real hard time believing that. Seriously.

[bloodyank78]

I thought that Toby Hall foul ball was gone

[bloodyank78]

Ever been to Tampa YF? Ibor City, white trash Tallahasse girls, you'd be suprised.

[YF]

You've GOT to be kidding. That is not a strike. That thing was at Damon's chin. Eddings is redefining the strike zone tonight by about a foot.

[attackgerbil]

I was in Tampa last year for a trade show at the same time as the Gasparilla Festival, which has been running for over 100 years. It's kind of like a mini-Mardis Gras. It celebrates some pirate that terrorized the Carribean in the 1800s. Anyway, it's one heck of a party town.

[attackgerbil]

Well those last two sliders looked good.

[YF]

Randy Johnson < Doug Waechter

Not good.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson really needs to get Hall and stop the bleeding. HIGH pop to ARod in foul territory to end the inning. Jeter, Giambi, ARod coming up.

[attackgerbil]

Perez robs Jeter of a single, playing the chopper in the hole towards third, throwing off his heels on a one-hopper to get Jeter at first. All-around, a great play. Giambia fouls out to left. Two away.

[attackgerbil]

ARod grounds out to third to end a very quick top 4th.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson walks Hollins (.256 avg this year, 23 BBs in 342 at bats in all of 2005) to start the bottom of the fourth; great.

[attackgerbil]

Hollins to second on indifference, Johnson K's Norton.

[attackgerbil]

Jorge misses a dinger to right by about 8 feet. Just foul.

[attackgerbil]

That's more like it. Posada walks. Butcher visits the mound, and Cano doubles to the right corner, scoring Matsui, Posada to third. Bernie steps in. Cano is looking so good at the plate lately.

[YF]

Bernie!!!!

[attackgerbil]

Bernie! Doubles off the wall in right, clearing the bases. Yankees take the lead, 4 to 3. YF: Johnson > Waechter, since Waechter now is yanked.

[attackgerbil]

Brian Meadows is in for Tampa. That hit by Bernie was a single, not a double.

[attackgerbil]

Tampa is playing in at third looking for the bunt from Crosby, and Meadows pitches out on the 1-0 for ball two. Crosby wasn't going.

[attackgerbil]

Rather Williams wasn't going, though Crosby did feign the bunt.

[attackgerbil]

Norton makes a fine grab at first to prevent an errant throw from meadows on a pick-off attempt.

[attackgerbil]

Crosby chases a ball way down, way in to strike out. Trader Johnny comes up.

[attackgerbil]

Johnny lifts one into left for the second out.

[attackgerbil]

Jeter comes up, 4 for 10 with one HR lifetime against Meadows.

[attackgerbil]

Second pitch is called for a strike. Looked low. I'm wondering about this ump's zone.

[attackgerbil]

Fourth pitch buzzes Jeter at the hands. Three and one pitch; Jeter hits it fairly hard up the third base line; Wiggington fields it and has an easy play to first.

[Sam]

Watch RJ give Tampa the lead right back...

[attackgerbil]

Johnson is still in for NY. Starts off with a ball, then a strike that looked close. Gathright did a quick doubletake. Fouls one off, then a ball way outside. Gathright hits the ball towards ARod, who charges, double clutches the throw but still gets the speedy Gathright. Crawford hits one straight at Jeter for out two.

[attackgerbil]

Gomes comes up, one for one with a double and a BB

[attackgerbil]

Gomes hits a single to left on a fat pitch that RJ left out in the middle, belt-high.

[Sam]

I take no pleasure in being right.

[attackgerbil]

RJ hangs another pitch over the middle, belt-high and Wigginton makes him pay. Two run shot to left. Tampa up 5-4. Randy stays in to try to get the third out. He has had a heck of a lot of trouble with two outs this game.

[attackgerbil]

Sam: You were right. YF: Johnson < the Field. Another bloop single to left.

[Sam]

Yuck. Unit should not come out for the next inning...

[attackgerbil]

Weak comebacker ends the inning but not before the RJ gives the Yankee bats another hole out of which to climb.

[attackgerbil]

Sam: He probably is done, though he has only thrown 79 pitches. Let's just hope the bats can stay alive for NY.

[attackgerbil]

Shift is on as Giambi comes up.

[attackgerbil]

Norton makes a very nice diving grab across his body to get giambi, score it 2 - 1.

[attackgerbil]

3 - 1 rather. Maybe I should see what that "Preview" button does?

[attackgerbil]

ARod pops out to shallow center for out number 2. Gathright is rilly fast.

[SF]

Johnson < the Field

The frequency with which Yankees fans blame externalities (the field! the schedule! the weather!) is astounding.

[attackgerbil]

Matsui lifts a ball to deep left center that the speedy Gathright almost grabbed on the run. Crawford throws it back in as Matsui has a stand-up double. Matsui > slump?

[Sam]

Hey, SF! Less of the generalizations.

Matsui is on fire tonight - about time.

[Sam]

Who do I have to complain to about these 2 minute-long Fox News ads on YES? Bah.

[attackgerbil]

Hehe SF. I wish I could blame something, but instead I am commenting that Johnson's numbers are less than "the field" as the average for pitchers in the AL.

[SF]

Quick question: how concerned are YFs that Randy Johnson is, uh, 43?

[attackgerbil]

Johnson gets a very questionable call for strike two to run the count full. Norton hits it high in the air to Damon, followed by a quick fly-out to right by Green. Two away. Now, will he end this easily or will Tampa make another two-out rally?

[Sam]

Should have kept Vasquez. On the plus side, it seems as if it was the Randy trade that finally made the Yanks front office realize that its strategy of trading for pricey veterans was getting them nowhere. If that's what it took for a better, more stable (and sane) future, so be it.

[attackgerbil]

SF: only a fan with blinders on hasn't voiced their concern about the age of the Yankee "aces." However, if you check my first post in this thread, you will see what really concerns me. It may be related to age, it may be related to just a bad month. But it is concerning since our starting rotation basket is full of fragile eggs.

[attackgerbil]

Cano hits the ball very well again, but Gathright catches it off his shoulder on the warning track, 395 feet in straightaway center.

[YF]

Can we get to one of Michael Kay's fallacies from this past inning: that the Yanks have the advantage in this game, because it's close and they have the stronger bullpen. Um. The team playing with the lead at home most assuredly has the advantage. And the Yankee bullpen advantage is not nearly so advantageous when the team is losing, for it means that its two biggest strengths (Farns, Mo) will probably not pitch with the Yanks behind. Mo ain't even comin' in in a tie. So. Advantage? Not sooo much.

[attackgerbil]

Bernie gets behind early and grounds out to Weathers. SHEFF!! Sheff steps in as a pinch hitter! Woohoo. Welcome back.

[attackgerbil]

I wonder about the timing to have him pinch hit here, though. Two outs, nobody on, facing a righty? Why?

[attackgerbil]

Sheff shows me why (.375 career PH) as he strokes a single to right, going with the pitch.

[NickYF]

Sheff's a talented hitter, isn't he?
that's my one comment of the night.

[attackgerbil]

Weathers is pulled for Orvella, a righty who is 1 and 1 with a 3.24 era.

[SF]

I thought the Yankees always had the advantage, since they're the Yankees. Plus Derek has "intangibles".

[YF]

We have our best rallies with two outs!

[attackgerbil]

NickYF: yes, he is indeed.

Johnny Damon steps in. Sturtze (!@# ulcers) and Proctor are up in the pen. Damon singles to right, pulling a pitch that was off the opposite side of the plate, bring up Jeter.

[YF]

The Yankees have intangibles. Unfortunately, the DRays, presently, have more runs.

[SF]

I always wondered how you could know that someone has intangibles.

[attackgerbil]

So far this year, I find his batting line quite tangible.

[attackgerbil]

I think you know when someone has intangibles when you can't win an argument based on facts.

[SF]

both game threads are veering dangerously into semiotic/linguistic/philosophical territory. I love it!

[SF]

ha, that's a good one, AG.

[attackgerbil]

Or maybe when facts tear down your illusions. Those rings sure are real, and that walk he just generated is definitely real. Two outs to Jason.

[Sam]

You can't see DJ's intangibles, SF. Only YFs can. They're tangible to us, intangible to the rest of the world.

Until he signs with the Cardinals in 2012. Then he's a useless has-been who was never that good.

[attackgerbil]

Ouch I just did what I promised I would never do: flaunt the rings! Damnit. Sorry. That's like invoking Hitler in a thread. Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry.

Giambi gets walked with bases loaded to tie the game.

[YF]

Giambino. Coulda been k'd a couple times there. Gutsy. Doug Eddings not gonna find any flowers in his locker tonight, that's for sure.

[SF]

I guess those tapes the Yankees sent to the Commish's office worked. Or it might have been the bag of cash.

[YF]

A-Rod! Takin' one for the team!

[attackgerbil]

ARod takes one off the elbow from camp to walk in another run and take the lead. CLUTCH elbow hitting! woot.

[Sam]

Hey YF, Michael Kay is crowing about he was right about the Rays' bullpen. Wadday say to that?

[SF]

So who had the advantage again, YF? The Rays' bullpen or the Yankees' offense? What planet are you from?

[attackgerbil]

I say that Michael Kay likes to crow, except he doesn't need no stupid sunrise to set him off.

[YF]

I'd say Doug Eddings just helped to reinforce some seriously flawed logic.

But the point wasn't that the DRays pen didn't suck. Just that, as a percentage play, you gotta choose the team ahead at home.

Sometimes the house loses.

[attackgerbil]

Michael Kay likes to crow like Joe Morgan needs to remind you about the Big Red Machine and his HOF induction and his MVP and his other MVP and yeah we know, Michael Kay and Joe Morgan forgot more baseball than we will ever learn.

[attackgerbil]

Wow, that was close. Bang-bang. Replay shows Gathright was out by a sliver.

[Sam]

I actually like Kay's commentary. In fact, I really like tonight's team, Kenny and Al included. It's pretty good and unbiased for local sports. (If you disagree, listen to the Nets cheerleaders - I mean, announcers on 9, or the jokers on SNY on ch26)

[attackgerbil]

Joe comes out to pull Johnson. Rough line, but he pitched well this inning.

[attackgerbil]

Sam: I got carried away with myself there. I don't get to listen to the audio on too many Yankees YES games so I really should retract my statement about him. However, Joe Morgan is under my skin.

[Sam]

Fair enough, AG. I agree about Morgan. He is rubbish, and it's unfair of ESPN to pair him with the best baseball announcer on TV - John Miller.

[attackgerbil]

Sturtze offers to Gomes who hits line drive at Jeter to end the inning.

[SF]

I don't know who's doing SNY tonight, Sam, but be careful what you say about Gary Cohen, who sometimes does the games there. He's absolutely fantastic, one of my faves anywhere.

[attackgerbil]

Posada walks on four pitches, the last of which looked pretty close. Camp is coming out I think.. yeah, he's out.

[attackgerbil]

Cano hits a weak roller that Miceli can't pick up. Probably will be scored an E. First and second for NY with no outs to Bernie.

[attackgerbil]

Cano hits a weak roller that Miceli can't pick up. Probably will be scored an E. First and second for NY with no outs to Bernie.

[attackgerbil]

Bernie lays down a very good chop bunt that almost got him to first. He advances the runners with one out.

[Sam]

No idea if he's on tonight, SF. But one of their guys is really one-sided, and don't get me started on Keith Hernandez...

[attackgerbil]

Sheff is in the process of receiving an IBB when the pitcher throwsit over the the catcher's head. There's an argument there for a balk I think.

[attackgerbil]

Damon is up with one out and bases loaded. Second pitch, GRAND SLAM!