Return of the Captain: Yanks-Jays Tuesday Gamer

Yanks look to solidify their post-season position and perhaps make-up further ground on Boston tonight in Toronto, where they have won two consecutive series. Phil Hughes on the hill, looking to follow his solid 6-inning, 2-run performance against the M's with another quality start. Derek Jeter, who may or may not be recovering from a sore knee (he says no), returns to the lineup. Alex remains at cleanup, where he's been doing a pretty decent job lately. You may have heard about that. They swing it against Shaun Marcum (12-5, 3.74), who has gotten a W in 7 of his last 9 starts. Comment away.....

Comments

[Lar]

The Tigers already lost one, so Yanks now 4.5 games up.

Marcum's recent ERA is actually higher, though against Hughes.. I expect a shootout.

I have them both on my fantasy baseball league, and this is the one week semifinal playoffs. It's going to be an ugly week for me..

[IronHorse (yf)]

Lar: The Tigers loss brings them to 4 games back (they were 3.5 after their big 9th inning comeback win vs. Toronto last night on a day that the Yanks were idle). But it is 5 in the loss column, which is nice.

[Lar]

Just looked at the matchup, and wow, I hope the Yanks take at least 2 out of 3, since it looks a bit outmatched. But then again, we do have the best offense in baseball..

[Lar]

IH - Thanks for the correction, a Yanks day off is a day off for me, and apparently I didn't do the math. Thanks!

[IronHorse (yf)]

Question to YFs: on the rare occasion that Jeter sits as has happened a couple times in recent weeks, why would you not put A-Rod at SS and Betemit at 3B? I really don't think it would mess him up in any way and I almost feel like it is more out of deference to Jeter. I'm happy to see Alberto Gonzalez get a peek at the big leagues from time to time, but in the thick of a pennant race, I want the best lineup and best defense and I don't think any of the other options come close to A-Rod/Betemit on the left side of the infield

[Paul SF]

I've always had this question, and maybe it makes me an idiot for not knowing, but why the emphasis on the loss column, as opposed to the win column?

[IronHorse (yf)]

Paul: a deficit in the win column with all else being equal - i.e. same number of losses - leaves your destiny (if you're the 2nd placed team) completely in your hands. If you and I have the same number of losses, but you have fewer wins than I do, that means you will eventually play that many games on days that I am idle and, if you win them, you have pulled even.

But if you have two more losses than I do, then no matter what you do, you need me to lose two games or you will never pull even with me.

[AndrewYF]

It's a good question Paul...I assume it's because contending teams are going to win more games than they lose, so a loss, I guess, is more meaningful.

[AndrewYF]

Or what IronHorse said. Yeah.

[Devine]

Great explanation, IronHorse. I guess I understood that in some remote corner of my mind, given that the magic number is 163-1stplaceteamwins-2ndplaceteamlosses, but I don't think I'd connected the concepts properly. Thank you.

[Paul SF]

Likewise, IH. Thanks a lot. That makes it much clearer.

[IronHorse (yf)]

I think I sprained my brain thinking about that periodically over the past many years before it made sense to me. And thinking about it too much still sends me into the rabbit hole sometimes. The real key is realizing that there is no spoon.

[Lar]

That's a good answer! I actually think about that from time to time, and haven't really got to that.

[Lar]

By the way, YF, does the gamer title reference LoTR? Because the lack of "The" is bothering me!

[Paul SF]

The more I think about it, the more it seems that we all COULD look at the win column, since that is the column in which you control your own destiny. It seems it's just taken root that we must look at the "all-important" loss column.

If there are two games left to play for me, and one game left for you, and I'm two games back in the win column and one back in the loss column, I know I need to win two games to have a shot. Looking at the loss column tells me I have to root for you to lose one game.

Either way seems valid to me.

[bloodyank78]

One plus I can see with the pitching matchups for this series is that all 3 Jays pitchers are righties.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Paul, take the blue pill...take the BLUE PILL! You don't want to wake up - trust me!.....aggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I'll play: if you are 12-1 and I am 8-3 and we are in a 15-game season, then I have to go 4-0 and I need you to go 0-2 in your remaining games or I'm done. I can decide to be positive and focus on winning my next 4, but as soon as I see that you have won one, then I can sub AG for Jeter, pitch Kei Igawa, catch an early bus to the beach and wait till next year.

[Lar]

Marcum strikes out the side after letting the first two on. Yuck.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Shelley Duncan hurting from "pain in his lower abdominal wall" - went to NY to see a Dr. Bizarre.

[IronHorse (yf)]

"That is, he went to see a Dr.

Bizarre."

Not, he went to see some guy named "Dr. Bizarre"

[IronHorse (yf)]

Hughes walks the bases loaded with 2 out.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Hill is up. 1-1. This is scary.

[IronHorse (yf)]

1-2 on bombed foul ball. *gulp*

[IronHorse (yf)]

Hughes got out of it wih come-backer to end it with bases loaded...threw around 30 pitches in teh 1st.

But now the Yanks load the bases with no out, all advance on wild pitch (1-0), and it's 2nd and 3rd, no outs

[IronHorse (yf)]

Damon hit, 2 RBIs, 3-0. Inning over on Abreu groundout. Let's go PH, steady the ship...

[DAW]

"Dr. Bizarre"

The same guy that gave Mantle the shot in '61? :)

[IronHorse (yf)]

Hughes gives up leadoff Overbay double on an 0-2 pitch. Hughes is alternating between pitching all around the zone and throwing cookies on 0-2 counts. Not great.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Good to have some company Andrew - am still at office, working while listening to Sterling/Waldman (*shudder*).

[DAW]

Andrews. There are 2 of us...

[IronHorse (yf)]

Melky!!!!!!! Charged the hard hit, had to short-hop it, but was hen able to gun out the runner at 3B. So one out, 1st and 2nd. Love the milk-cannon.

[DAW]

Leche!!! What a cannon!!!

[DAW]

JD!! Beautiful Catch!!

[IronHorse (yf)]

Oops. Sorry. - IronHorses

AND DAMON MAKES A DIVING CATCH! Holy defense tonight fellas! C'mon Phil, start pitching!

[IronHorse (yf)]

Two runs score on a play that Sterling is still trying to explain - Melky slips and throws the ball into the dugout?????????

And on another 0-2 pitch - what the F*&K!?!?!?

[DAW]

Too aggressive, Melk. Would have been spectacular, though.

Ouch

[IronHorse (yf)]

A-Rod on a supposedly very nice short-hop pick-up on a smash to third. OK, done with my work - going home to watch this slugfest firsthand.

Gotta say, I am starting to worry about Hughes. Not in a long-term way but in a "maybe not this year (including October)" way. He seems aggressive when he shouldn't be (on 0-2) and nibbly when he shouldn't be (on 0-0).

[DAW]

Melky didn't slip. Jesus, Sterling calls a pathetic game.

Jeter couldn't get to his throw because it was on the 3rd base side of the runner.

[DAW]

I'm with you about Hughes, IH.

[YF]

Jorge!

Hip Hip!!!

[John - YF (Trisk)]

Great news they are saying Everett has voluntary movement in his arms and legs. That's great news. God bless him.

What an interesting game thus far, Lar I hope you have some other pitchers you can count on this week!

[John - YF (Trisk)]

Error A-Rod.

[Lar]

Wow, 85 pitches from Hughes already through 4. Never an easy day, eh?

I'm checking Gameday for pitch counts, and when did they took out the strike zone?

[John - YF (Trisk)]

Detroit is winning 4-1 in the 5th.

[YF]

Giambi! Boston, here we come......

[Nick-YF]

Jason says "Ha!" to that!

[Lar]

Nice, Yanks up 8-2.

The bad news is I'm probably going to lose this week's ERA/WHIP. Haha.

[John - YF (Trisk)]

Last time I said that YF we went on a slide...Let's come up with code for such sentiments. LOL.

[Lar]

1-2-3 by Hughes, now at 95 pitches after 5.

[YF]

You name it Trisk.

1-2-3 in the 5th for Hughes. He's in line for the win.

[John - YF (Trisk)]

How about this...

Try the Chowda! The Manhattan is hot and fresh. While the New England is getting stale.

Too Easy?

[Lar]

Tampa Bay sucks.

[Lar]

Ohlendorf comes in to garbage time. Interesting.

[YF]

Princeton's own Ross Ohlendorf, welcome to the majors.

Overbay Ks! Nice start to the career.

[YF]

2 down on the grounder to ss, and then another play to ss and it's ovah!

Ohlendorf deals heat. A poor man's Joba?

[Lar]

From the scouting report, he's suppose to be a Webb (or Wang) type of tall sinkerballer. Maybe Wang with more K's. It'll be interesting.

[AndrewYF]

He's not a starter, though. They converted him to a bullpen arm long-term.

[Lar]

Really? I haven't read up on him in awhile. Any particular reason why? (Maybe just not enough pitches?)

[SF]

I love the melodrama of this thread title, after Jeter misses one freakin' game.