Philandering: Yanks-Rangers Gamer I

May is upon us, a fresh month, a time for renewal. April was surely a disappointment in Yankeeland. Alex's historic start—while immensely fun to watch—was squandered with the loss of 5 of 6 to Boston and 8 of 9 overall to end the month. Time to grab those bootstraps and pull. For the new month, the still fresh face of Phil Hughes takes the mound tonight in Arlington. He'll face the Rangers, who were manhandled yesterday in Toronto by Roy Halladay and boast a league-worst .303 team OBP. Just about everyone on the team, aside from Ian Kinsler, is underperforming, which is good right up until the moment those numbers start to balance out. We hope it doesn't happen tonight against the kid; if he has his command, he will certainly make it tough. Kameron Loe goes for the Rangers. In his last outting, at Cleveland, he gave up 7 runs in 5.1 innings. Game starts at 8:00 EST. Comment on all the action right here.

Comments

[Lar]

Been dying for some Yankee baseball in May. There's a high chance of rain out though, from what I hear. Huuuuuuuughes!

[Josh SF (D1)]

Very interesting stuff here from The Hardball Times. Seems Phil Franchise's delivery may be a bit different then it was in his dominant 06, which could account for diminished velocity on his fastball. Reccomended reading. (Hat tip Baseball Musings)

[nate]

I always hate facing a team that's just been handed their hats the night before. Hopefully Phil can stay within himself and get the job done.

Lineup via Pete Abraham

YANKEES
Abreu RF
Jeter SS
Giambi DH
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Mientkiewicz 1B
Franchise RHP

Apparently Damon got treatment for his back and is feeling 'much better'. Sure. Come back and hit and I'll believe you. Abreu batting first at least will stop him from bunting all the time. Just get on base! Wonder if Loe will pitch around Alex to get to Matsui. I wonder how many runs that will cost him when Matsui wakes up.

[Brad]

I was just listening to the FAN (don't know why), but they were lamenting over the Yankee schedule after this current trip, and let me tell you, it's a rough one. I guess, and I haven't looked, but it includes 16 of 22 games out of the Bronx, and against some very, very good teams. They better hope to come out of this one at 9-4 or so, because going .500 in that stretch would be an accomplishment for any team.

White Sox and Mets don't really scare me. I still think the Yanks can do well against the Sox if their starting pitching is all in place, but it's the Angels who I hate.

[Brad]

Anon, the Red Sox have seen Pettitte (twice) and Wang. Outide of Moose, who they've beaten a million times, how much more in place does it get? I know they're tattered, but they did lose games in which their "aces" started for them. In fact, their savior only went four last time out.

Good luck.

[Brad]

Nice to see Bobby Murcer in the booth there. Good for him.

[Andrew]

Huh, looks like Sosa's out of this game. Some guy named Victor Diaz is the DH.

[Dionysus]

Your boy Hughes just had a real good inning.

Gameday is insane and clearly misplacing pitches, other wise pitches a foot off the plate were 'called strikes'. As such I'm assuming they were ACTUALLY good pitches right on the outside line. So.. bravo for your kid.

Don't know why you are all so quiet.

[Michael]

Phil looks like a major league hitter. Got ahead of all 3 hitters, and made Texeira look foolish with 3 stra8 changes. It was a bit frustrating start since he jumped out 0-2 on Lofton, but then throw 4 stra8 outside the zone.

He is hitting the corners and has big league stuff. And, yes, I can tell that from one inning. Just like I could tell from one inning that Wright, Igawan, and Karstens don't.

[Dionysus]

Hughes looks like a legit pitcher from Gameday.. and thats a Red Sox fan talkin'

[Lar]

Just got in - how's Hughes looking? Yanks finally gave him a lead, and Matsui just got a productive out. Yay.

[Michael]

Throught the first 9 and haven't hit a ball in the air. He threw one ball that inning.

[Lar]

32 pitches through 3. Just by numbers (no TV at work!) he seems much better than last time out!

[Michael]

Throught the first 9 batters and they haven't hit a ball in the air. He threw one ball in that inning.

[Michael]

I am watching it on mlb.tv at work Lar. He is dealing. He hasn't really thrown a curveball for a strike but is spotting the fasball well enough and keeping them off balance with the change. Really getting some ugly hacks from good hitters and missing some bats.

Let the Phil Hughes era begin!

[attackgerbil]

Can't blog much tonight but have been watching this game since go. This is a treat of a game from Hughes.

[m.g. yanks fan]

i'm not going to go into it, or outright say it...but look at the Ranger's box score. through 4..

[YF]

Not able to do much blogging right now, but i'm watching this game, and watching phil hughes do, well, you know, through 4. Yeah, he's looking pretty good.

[YF]

doubles for alex and matsui and it's 7-0 here.

[YF]

and another double, this one from posada exploiting lofton's arm. 8-0.

[TJ]

would it be bad to say Hughes has a no hitter? If so Kool!

[Michael]

Rangers haven't hit a ball in the air yet. And more swings and misses through 4 innings than I have seen from ankees starters in the past week. I love this kid.

[LocklandSF]

Hey look, Philly Boy has a NOT HITTER going here, WOW, a NO HITTER through FIVE!!!!

Impressive kid, with his NO HITTER through five.

Really, just amazing stuff.

(brought to you by bloodyank in the RS game thread)

:-)

[bloodyank78]

He's nasty.

[bloodyank78]

That high heat had Laird good.

[YF]

holy crap. through 6!!!

[bloodyank78]

Wow. Lofton down on the high heat.

[m.g. yanks fan]

do you pull him? or let him try for it?

[attackgerbil]

Finally get to watch the game undistracted for a bit. Missed the last two innings.

[dc]

reverse jinx=it won't be a no-no, but the kid has done himself proud...anyone still think they brought him up too early?...

[Lar]

77 through 6. We'll see how efficient he is - Texas is understandably getting slightly more patient the last two innings.

[TJ]

come on Mikey Young

[bloodyank78]

HE JUST GRABBED HIS F'ING HAMMY!

[Lar]

No No No. Hamstring something something. Had 0-2 on Teix. Sucks, but at least the Yanks will (knock on wood) win..

[attackgerbil]

It's the bottom of the seventh. Hughes starts Young off with a curve away. Then high. The 2-0 is lifted to shallow right center; Melky waves off Abreu for the first out.

Texeira up; he's behind quickly 0-2. Tex rips a change on the ground to the right of first foul. Hughes looked like he strained his legt (!!!DAMN!!!) Posada, Guidry, the trainer, and then everyone comes out to talk about it. Hughes night is over. CRAP.

[Lar]

Well, No CG No No anyhow.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Wait...is Hughes hurt?

[YF]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing to say. Gotta feel for the kid. Great outting. Hope he's okay. Anyone out there still think the Yanks rushed him?

[bloodyank78]

It's got to be minor, he walked off. No limping, treat this kid like the Faberge Egg, fuck the no-no.

[yankeesnj]

Alright, it is now OK to panic. The Franchise is down?

[bloodyank78]

It's his hammy for sure.

[attackgerbil]

Yeah, BY, you're right, the no-no isn't important in the scheme of things but FUCK ALL. What a lift this game was becoming, and now this.

[Lar]

It doesn't look so bad, but hammy injuries don't usually look so bad.. we'll see.

[Nick-YF]

Fuck

I really hope it's minor. Girardi seemed to think it was a high calf muscle thing.

He looked great.

[bloodyank78]

I feel your frustration AG. But look at it this way, better to be precautious, maybe at worst Phil skips a start, and we've now seen what kind of greatness we can possibly get out of our young gem this season.

[attackgerbil]

Yes, don't get me wrong, BY, and it's way early to read anything into this, but tell me that if you were to write a script for this game, that it would go like this: Yankees number one prospect, called up (too?) early because of injuries, takes his second start in the bigs into seven without allowing a hit and looking stellar, only to be pulled for a throwing motion injury? I mean, COME ON! I thought last year's team was bitten.

And Alex gets another single.

[bloodyank78]

Torre should have Myers just finish this game. It would give the bullpen a two day breather between yesterday and today. Myers has the lowest workload of everyone. What'd you guys think?

[attackgerbil]

I didn't take much stock about all this talk of "blame the trainer", and I still don't (because I don't know a _thing_ about training) but what the f*ck? Wait, I'm sorry, I meant to say WHAT THE F*CKING F*CK? I'm stupefied by this run of "luck".

[bloodyank78]

You gotta figure the injury bandit has to leave the Yankee organization at some point this season? And spread the love... right?

[Lar]

There goes the no hitter. Ah well.

[attackgerbil]

BY: Well, he gives up a leadoff rope double to (lefty-hitting!!) Blalock (bye-bye team NH), but I agree let him throw for awhile.

[bloodyank78]

I don't know about the trainer, but this many hammy injuries points to something other than "bad luck".

[Lar]

There goes the shut out. Ah well, good night everybody! Get well soon, Huuuuughes!

[bloodyank78]

Unless he gives up three more runs leave him out there.

[attackgerbil]

And then a rip to right from Kinsler to score Blalock; Mink cuts off the throw to the plate. Guidry comes out to ask WTFF?

[Michael]

Bloody-

If Meyers finishes this game he might flush the Hughes first ML win. And I am serious.

[bloodyank78]

Nice DP.

[attackgerbil]

ARod takes the hot-shot from Hairston and turns the 643. Nice play.

[bloodyank78]

He's not gonna give up 8 runs dude.

[bloodyank78]

AP going 7 or 8 tomorrow will be great as well.

[attackgerbil]

Cano's a hitter. Double (2 on the night) to lead the ninth.

[attackgerbil]

Melky grounds to short but behind Cano who takes third on the 6-3.

[attackgerbil]

One away, Cano on third. Doug takes one at the ankles in for ball one. Wilson just missed the inside corner for ball two, and then missed badly high-in for ball three. Strike one, then a roller mis-played by Blalock for another error to score Robi.

[attackgerbil]

Bobby lines one hard but it's in the reach of Young who makes a nice gram for the second out, Doug holds at first. Jeter up with two away.

[attackgerbil]

Jeter falls behind 0-2 but then takes way out and high. Wilson comes in high and tight to make it deuces, then misses low-in for a full count. The payoff: Wilson thought he got the inside corner, but Jeter takes the ball inside and takes his base. First and second to Josh Phelps pinch hitting for Giambi. Strike one on the inside corner. Strike two. The next pitch is _truly wild_ and rolls to the backstop to make it second and third with two away, 1-2 is the count. A miss for 2-2, and then a slider that gets Phelps swinging wildly to end the inning. Bottom of the ninth coming up.

[attackgerbil]

Vizcaino comes in to work the bottom of the ninth. Laird leads off.

[bloodyank78]

Ballgame. Have good night AG. I'm going to go say a prayer for Phil.

[Lar]

The Yanks have the best record in May (in AL East anyhow) ;)

[attackgerbil]

Kata comes on to pinch for Lofton and pops out to center for two outs. Young flies out to center to end the game.

It was a joy watching Hughes pitch this game. Let's see what the doctors press release tells us tomorrow regarding his strain.

[attackgerbil]

Good night BY, Lar.

Pettitte tomorrow; looking forward to it.

[Lar]

Suzie said Torre said this is serious - something popped in the upper hamstring. Let's pray he's okay, obviously..

[Lar]

Wow, as I submit it, Suzie finished her statement - they're estimating 6 weeks.

Thanks for the game, Phil. The Yanks don't get a break..

[Lar]

That's _at least_ six weeks. Nothing you can do - could've easily been an injury in the minors.