Escape from Scranton: Yanks-Tribe Gamer II

Joe Girardi is going with a righty-heavy line-up this afternoon against Cleveland lefty Jeremy Sowers, who was called up to take Jake Westbrook's spot in the rotation.  The Bombers' line-up doesn't include Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada or Hideki Matsui. Instead we'll have a chance to see the always excited Shelley Duncan return from Scranton. The slugging spark-plug responded well to his demotion to the Scranton team, hitting a lot of homers and breaking many of his teammates' arms during his post homerun celebrations. Speaking of Scranton, Darrell Rasner is starting today for the Yanks' farm Triple A affiliate. He has added a pitch to his repertoir and has been lights-out this season. On the other hand, Ian Kennedy, today's starter, has  struggled mightily in the early going. Duncan escaped from Scranton, and depending on Kennedy's performance today, Rasner might follow suit. So this is an important game for Mr. Kennedy, and the future of the Yanks' rotation (at least this season). Enjoy the game, which will be televised on Fox. That means plenty of high-tech graphics, unhelpful pre-game analysis, Buck and McCarver, and mute button usage. Enjoy.

From Pete Abe:

Damon LF
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Rodriguez DH
Giambi 1B
Duncan RF
Ensberg 3B
Molina C
Gonzalez 2B
Kennedy RHP

Comments

[attackgerbil]

If I get to watch much of the game, I'm keeping the volume on just so I can see if McCarver can top this gem of his.

[attackgerbil]

see hear

[Nick -YF]

nice little play by Giambi to get Sizemore for the first out. Kennedy was ahead of him for that at bat. Maybe a good sign?

[Nick -YF]

Kennedy quickly k's Dellucci. Pronk is up. 2-1 count

[Nick -YF]

Hafner proving to be a tough out 3-2

[Nick -YF]

Kennedy walks him.

[Nick -YF]

1-2 to Martinez.

[Nick -YF]

crap. Martinez is jammed, but it falls in center. A good pitch, an unlucky result.

[Nick -YF]

phew, Garko is first swinging and he pulls a slow curve from Kennedy to Ensberg who throws out the runner at 2nd.

[Nick -YF]

The resurgent Giambi to bat.

[Nick -YF]

he gets on after Sowers blows the play at first. That's as good as a free triple with Giambi's speed!

[Nick -YF]

Shelley Duncan has yet to swing at a pitch 2-2 count. Then he flies out left.

[walein]

love the gamecast

[attackgerbil]

Morgan Ensberg has the name and visage of an investment banker. Now he pops out in foul territory. Short-term CD's, he advises Victor Martinez as he walks back to the dugout.

[walein]

don't love the Ensberg fouling out to the catcher

[Nick -YF]

Ensberg pops a moonshot behind the plate.

Molina swings and Giambi's off

(3 minutes elapse (many babies are born))

he's thrown out.

[walein]

Giambi caught stealing?

[attackgerbil]

Busted hit and run, Giambi thrown out at second. Martinez' throw was late and to the wrong side of the bag. But Giambi runs like cold bacon grease, which he coincidentally uses in his hair.

[Nick -YF]

another cheap hit for the Indians. Peralta on first, Adsrubal up.

[walein]

let's go GIDP!

[attackgerbil]

Peralta with an infield single off a full-count as he hits it to Jeter's right side off the apron; Jeter comes up with it but there's no way he could get Jhonny.

Asdrubal up. As-dru-bal. Fun to say, not fun to watch as he singles to right.

[attackgerbil]

Gutierrez executes an excellent sacrifice to push the runners to second and third.

[Nick -YF]

that's not a cheap hit, as Cabrera lines one past Gonzales and the Indians have something going. Guttierez sacrifices the runners over. @nd and 3rd, 1 out.

[walein]

hmmmm...

[Nick -YF]

Oddly enough, Blake's profile matches a junior high schooler's MySpace profile.

[Nick -YF]

Blake doesn't like impolite people. I do. Friendship is not in our future.

[attackgerbil]

and even more oddly, Casey Blake's profile looks like the profile on the heads side of a penny.

[Nick -YF]

3-2 count. Kennedy thinks for the first time of the long summer nights in Scranton.

Now the bases are loaded for Grady Sizemore.

[attackgerbil]

Ian Kennedy craaftily walks Blake to set up the bases loaded double play, so I am telling myself.

[Nick -YF]

0-1 to Grady Sizemore, and Kennedy throws one in the dirt that Molina blocks. Not a good situation.

[attackgerbil]

Looks like Sizemore went there. C'mon, Blue!

[Nick -YF]

Now 3-1 to Sizemore. Ugh.

[Nick -YF]

3-2. What is going to happen?

[attackgerbil]

Full count, loaded. Yanks need a break here.

Hey, is that Joe Walsh on the drums?

[Nick -YF]

walked him

[attackgerbil]

IPwalK happens.

[attackgerbil]

So Rasner's doing pretty good, huh?

[Nick -YF]

Dave Eiland visits the mound, says

"Scranton"

Next pitch, sac fly. another run in. 2-0 Indians.

[attackgerbil]

Sac fly to center, no play at home.

[attackgerbil]

Surprised/pleased Hafner missed that meatball.

[Nick -YF]

it doesn't look like Kennedy has a strike out pitch.

[attackgerbil]

51 pitches so far? Oof.

[attackgerbil]

Hafner with a quail to shallow left. 3-0 Tribe.

[Nick -YF]

F*ck. Hafner with a jam shot that falls in.

[Brad]

This is like watching Lester. Both guys need to speed up and develop a rythm out there. It's almost unwatchable when pitchers do this crap. It's like watching grass grow.

[Nick -YF]

Dammit. Kennedy is going to Scranton.

[Nick -YF]

good point, Brad. Kennedy is working slow out there. Just hard to watch.

[Brad]

Yeah, Nick. On the next bus out of town. If you dig your own grave, lay in it.

[attackgerbil]

IPK misses twice badly to Martinez. Looks like they will leave IPK in there until the eastbound Amtrak to PA arrives at the station.

[Nick -YF]

Martinez gets jammed again, but this time the ball is caught by Damon. Kennedy curses the heavens as he walks off the mound.

[attackgerbil]

> It's like watching grass grow.

At least the grass has an upside.

[joe]

So, how many days do we have to wait until Rasner can pitch in the majors?

[walein]

Brutal.

[attackgerbil]

Molina flies out to center. Gonzales to the plate.

[Nick -YF]

Molina pushes it to a 3-2 count and then flies out to right center. Nice swing. Gonzales to bat.

[Nick -YF]

Meanwhile, the immortal Jeremy Sowers is coasting.

[Nick -YF]

well, not exactly coasting, as he's been behind everyone this inning, but luckily, for him, the Yanks are making outs.

[Nick -YF]

Johnny Damon with a double. He hustled that one. Nice job.

[attackgerbil]

Damon with a double to right center. Attaway, Johnny.

[Nick -YF]

Melky from the right side looks a lot like an NL pitcher up to bat.

[attackgerbil]

Cabrera with a high chop to .. um .. Cabrera. Melky's not that fast. Inning over.

[Nick -YF]

And he makes the inning-ending out.

[Nick -YF]

Kennedy gets Garko to ground to Jeter for the first out.

[krueg]

I can't even watch this garbage anymore...maybe not until June or July when they start to show some effort and care about winning? Maybe trade for some pitching somehow?

[walein]

And the emergency cord is being pulled on the board.

[walein]

Walked Asdrubel....and then?

[attackgerbil]

Asdrubal walks on a full count with two away, IPK way outside.

I'm trying to think of something positive to say.

Can't think of one.

ARod helps me out by fielding a grounder by the line and gunning down Gutierrez from across the diamond. Gosh, to have an arm like that.

[attackgerbil]

That creepy-eyed e*trade baby creeps me out.

[Nick -YF]

Jeter leads off with a single.

[attackgerbil]

Captain pulls a solid single to left to get things going. ALL RIGHT. Now we're talking. ARod up.

[attackgerbil]

Full count to ARod. Damn, I'm tense right now.

[Nick -YF]

nice! A-Rod grounds it past a diving Peralta.

[attackgerbil]

ARod singles past a diving Peralta to make it first and second to Giambino.

[attackgerbil]

dang it. I owe nick a coke.

[Nick -YF]

Giambi has a worthless, worthless at bat, as he lazily flies to left.

[attackgerbil]

Giambi pops out to left.

When Shelley Duncan spits, it registers on the earthquake sensors in California.

Takes ball one. Monster cut on the next pitch.

[Nick -YF]

Duncan flies out to deep left. Wow, this inning's potential is being flushed down the tube. Ensberg tries to save the day.

[attackgerbil]

Shelley really extended to get the bat on that fly out to deep left.

[attackgerbil]

Ensberg feels it isn't prudent to invest in bat movement as he is sat down looking to end the Yankee fourth.

[Nick -YF]

awful. Ensberg k's. No runs. This team is starting to piss me off.

[walein]

sweet at bats by the lower third of of the lineup.

[attackgerbil]

Okay, enough of this for today. Time to take a walk with the fam on this beautiful sunny Saturday.

Later all.

[Nick -YF]

heading out as well. enjoy the day.

[walein]

I'm at work you "rubber-inners"!!!!!

[attackgerbil]

Okay, one last thing, that was nifty leather by Robi right there...

Enjoy the office, Walein. Ha!

[walein]

Have a good day ya'll.

[J (yf)]

J O R G E !!!!!!! 3 run Triple!!!!! Tie game. Joe better keep Ian in for 1 more.

[J (yf)]

Farnsworthless kicked a bit of butt today.

[krueg]

This team is painful to watch. Even Jeter can't hit with RISP now??? Jesus Christ.

[sam-yf]

this loss stung worse than most others. So many positives that were canceled out by a few massive negatives. The slow start to the bats is getting old at this point, we need more from lots of these guys to take the pressure off our pitching. They are throwing with no room for error and thats no way to be.....

[dc]

ugh...

"...Maybe trade for some pitching somehow?..."

that's right kreug...i'm one of those who has preaching patience with our young pitching, but can someone remind me exactly why we didn't try harder for santana?...

[dc]

my comment makes it sound like i'm picking on the young pitchers...true that 2 of the 3 have struggled mightily, but hawkins and ohlendorf haven't exactly been stars either...kennedy can't seem to find the plate, but he could have weasled out of the 2nd if a dink here and a dunk there hadn't had eyes, but that's the game i suppose, no excuses...i guess i'm saying the 4 walks in 5 innings bother me more than the 4 hits...and let's face it, there's plenty of blame to go around...the yanks again had opportunities to win the game with their bats, and failed to deliver...

[krueg]

DC- the kids could still be alright but...

...we are going to lose our ass in the process. I'm not just picking on the pitchers either, we cannot hit at all. I don't see any urgency in the team to get the ship righted either. It would be a miracle if they went on the kind of run then went on second half of last season to overcome the kind of hole they are starting to dig themselves. They are just painful to watch.

I may skip the game today all together...I don't want to be miserable on my f-ing birthday.