Life In The Fast Lane: Yanks-Sox Gamer XI

It has been a busy morning, tracking all the news since last night.

·· Xavier Nady (he's in the lineup) and Damaso Marte flew to Boston to join the Bombers while Dan McCutchen, Jeff Karstens, Jose Tabata and Ross Ohlendorf departed from their locales for various tiers of the Bucs organization.

·· Manny Ramirez' knee feels better and he's back at cleanup. If he didn't play, rumor has it his pockets would have been lighter, and by bearing less weight it would have helped his knee anyway so win-win. Shaughnessy's sure he's a goner, and soon.

·· For some reason, Kevin Youkilis' magical beard causes pitches to "get away" from Joba Chamberlain. I think he keeps candy in there.

·· David Ortiz returned to action and singled in the fourth for his first hit since May 31st.

·· Mike Lowell got ejected by Marty Foster for arguing two strikes called on him -- one on the throw to the plate and one when Molina threw the ball back to Rivera.

Now we're back to Fenway on a Saturday afternoon and thankfully, it's a FOX game so we can all play along. Tim Wakefield starts for the Sox. He's coming off a loss to the Halos but pitched extraordinarily well against the Orioles in his prior start. Andy Pettitte is on the bump for the Yankees. With a loss to Toronto sandwiched in the middle, the other two of his last three starts were his finest outings of the season.

Game time is in one hour. Lineups follow, comment away.

New York Yankees
1. Johnny Damon, DH	.315/.385/.462
2. Derek Jeter, SS	.285/.346/.402
3. Bobby Abreu, RF	.277/.350/.440
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B	.320/.399/.592
5. Jason Giambi, 1B	.255/.397/.529
6. Robinson Cano, 2B	.265/.300/.390
7. Xavier Nady, LF	.330/.383/.535
8. Melky Cabrera, CF	.248/.305/.348
9. Jose Molina, C	.217/.255/.293
SP Andy Pettitte, LHP	11-7, 3.46
Boston Red Sox
1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B	.320/.364/.459
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B	.311/.380/.548
3. David Ortiz, DH	.252/.352/.481
4. Manny Ramirez, LF	.301/.402/.530
5. Mike Lowell, 3B	.288/.352/.481
6. J.D. Drew, RF	.287/.403/.548
7. Jed Lowrie, SS	.294/.338/.397
8. Coco Crisp, CF	.252/.312/.391
9. Kevin Cash, C	.234/.298/.362
SP Tim Wakefield, RHP	6-7, 3.69

Comments

[walein]

Sadly I will be working...and will only have these boards, elbow grease, theinternets, and my wild imagination (see Johnny Damon tripling into right center and walking on his hands from 2nd to 3rd).

[Devine]

Hey, Manny ran it out to avoid the DP! It's nice to score runs. 2-0 Sox.

[Sam-YF]

Pettitte getting squeezed here and having control issues. Not pretty so far for the yanks...

[krueg]

Horrible start with an E on ARod and a walk by pettitte in 5 pitches...this one is going to be a Sox bloodbath.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

TSC does an Edmonds.

[Sam-YF]

TSC?

[Devine]

Each of Drew's strikes came swinging on the same pitch down and away.

[Sam-YF]

Andy limits the damage to two runs. Lets get em back quick...

[Devine]

I agree with you on Pettitte getting squeezed a bit, Sam. Ball 4 there looked pretty close.

[Devine]

I consider pop-ups or strikeouts by Crisp with a man on 1st (and 0 or 1 outs) productive.

[walein]

Pete Abraham is saying that the Yankees are close to a Washburn deal.

[walein]

The Yankees may have traded for Marte just for this game. Pettitte's pitch count is rising fast.

[YF]

Just in from a long road trip up into RS territory.

McCutcheon gone now? Not so in love with this deal, now—kind of a 6 of one/half dozen of the other kinda deal. Meh.

[Devine]

Great movement on that final strike to Pedroia. Pettitte recovering well from 1st inning and leadoff walk in 2nd.

[walein]

I guess Abraham updated that rumor with Cashman saying his "irons are cold"...who knows. Cashman said nothing was happening yesterday as well.

[walein]

How deep was that Jeter hit that Molina was able to take third?

[Devine]

Abreu drives one in on a single to right. Wakefield a bit wild this inning--20 pitches so far.

[YF]

Abreu!!!!

[YF]

Alex!!!!

[walein]

A little clutch Bobby Abreu hitting!

[Devine]

Jeter fly out edge of the track in center/left-center.

Double off the top of the ads on the monster.

Manny plays the weird bounce nicely, run doesn't score.

Giambi.

[walein]

ARoD!

[Devine]

Deep fly balls account for all 3 outs here.

[Sam-YF]

Giambi just misses a 3R shot. Drew hauls it in on the warning track

[YF]

Just. Missed.

Darnit.

[walein]

Is it true that Abreu shouldn't have been held up on the A Rod double?

[Sam-YF]

I dunno if i agree with pete abe on that one walein. Abreu was just rounding second as the ball hit the monster. A-Rod absolutely hammered the ball and it got there quickly.

[stuck working]

What a classic Wakefield roller-coaster inning that was. Even with the limited damage, I remain convinced that Lester is Boston's only hope of avoiding a truly embarrassing sweep.

[Devine]

Tough call, walein on my DVR. Throw from Manny hit Pedroia right as Abreu paused at 3rd more or less. If he's running full bore, I say there's at least a play on him.

[Devine]

I dunno, SW. I think the Red Sox offense (today) is the other hope for a non-sweep.

[Sam-YF]

The strike zone is all over the place today on both sides. That pitch on Ortiz for the K hasnt been called all day.

[Devine]

McCarver whining about Manny not running on a line drive he hit straight to the left fielder, saying he never runs.

Manny ran out a grounder to earn an RBI and a "not a double play" in the 1st inning.

[Devine]

Sh*t. Good contact, but no results from both Manny and Drew.

[walein]

Isn't he also at least suppossed to have a gamey knee? MaCarver's just angry with these young guys making all this money that he didn't get to make as a player.

[Sam-YF]

its just "McCarver being McCarver"

[stuck working]

Devine- I guess I could see the Sox winning a slugfest today, but they'd have had to make something happen there to start earning the kind of big lead that could withstand the damage this bullpen is destined to give up.

[YF]

McCarver thinks Francisco Cordero has the biggest play in Atlanta sports history???? I guess he forgot about Hank Aaron. (And Richard Jewel--we kid!!!)

[Devine]

Wow. BIG homer from Cano there.

[Sam-YF]

Red-hot Cano ties it with a shot to deep center...

[doug YF]

That must have been a MONSTER JAM because HE'S ON FIRE!!

[Sam-YF]

Nady 0 for 2 now. What a terrible trade so far!

[doug YF]

Who else thought Melky was going to slide headfirst?

[doug YF]

Plus Nady swung on the first pitch. TIME TO FIRE BRIAN CASHMAN YOU GUYZ

[YF]

McCarver thinks Francisco Cordero had the biggest hit in Atlanta history? I guess he forgot about Hank Aaron. And Richard Jewel! (We kid)

Meanwhile.....Say hello Mr. Robinson! Twosies.

[Devine]

In HD, I think the brunette behind Jeter in the shot of him on the on-deck circle was checking him out...

[Devine]

Oy. Yanks go ahead. I think I'll play videogames for awhile.

[YF]

Damon! 3-2.

[walein]

Awesome! Damon's on my fantasy team daddy-o!

[YF]

Sorry for the 2x posting. Internet trouble out here in the boonies/rsn.

[Sam-YF]

Liking the running on the knuckleballer here. Always felt they should do this more...

[doug YF]

I thought I was going to forget what a 2-out RISP hit looked like.

[sf rod]

hate to say it but....i really can't watch pettitte pitched games. he'll always be a cheater in my mind. even as he stands on the mound today, i can't fully trust he's doing it legitimately. it's akin to giambi's game tying homerun in game 7 of '03. i just don't want to see it.

[doug YF]

Hey! Cano drew a 4 pitch walk.

[walein]

Are you for real?

Better not watch baseball and wipe 2004 out of your mind as well.

[doug YF]

So... don't watch the game then, sf rod. Or just leave the room when the Red Sox are up to bat or something. I don't know what to tell you.

[sf rod]

why '04 walein?

[doug YF]

Damn. that throw by Cash was money.

(did you see what I did there)

[attackgerbil]

Good throw, better tag, but Cano looked safe on super slo-mo.

[attackgerbil]

I listened to the first few innings on XM while doing some chores. Listening to Steve Phillips traded for listening to Tim McCarver. Lose-lose.

[attackgerbil]

Infield single for Ortiz. So weird.

[sf rod]

So... don't watch the game then, sf rod.

i love sox/yanks games and it's a shame that i wouldn't watch them because someone didn't respect the game.

[attackgerbil]

Manny up with one out and Ortiz on first.

I have a bad feeling about this.

[walein]

Chances are that something was awry even with your virtuous team, playing the game the right way in rightitude land.
Plus, you CANNOT have it both ways. Pettitte's not legit nor is Giambi..both hitters and pitchers using drugs to enhance their performances, in a league where 90 percent of the people who have been caught are pitchers and all the legitimate rules have been changed to support hitters....there are too many variables for you to say what is and what is not legitimate.
Opening up the idea that you can cherry pick performance moments and attribute those moments with the dirty tricks brush is reckless.

[doug YF]

Ok then... but don't expect any sympathy when you complain about it on the internets.

[attackgerbil]

Well, that wasn't so bad.

[walein]

Also, didn't you guys have a pitcher who pantomimed masterbation as part of his game winning performance?

[attackgerbil]

I forgot to yell at Melky for looking back to watch the bunt.. same thing that got him CS second last night. He makes me feel a bit better by doubling.

[walein]

Cmon Johnny

[attackgerbil]

Molina takes one for team. He could have avoided it but gets bumped on the shoulder and is awarded first. Bases loaded, no outs. No pitching change.

[YF]

4-2!

Come on, Cap!

[sf rod]

i wasn't commenting about the yanks (or sox) in anyway. i was just commenting on how pettitte pitched games takes away from the experience of sox/yanks games for me. sorry.

[walein]

Molina did his off-season workouts at the Don Baylor school of Leaning Statue Mimicry.

[attackgerbil]

Damon grounds to Pedroia; Molina is out at second on the FC, Damon safe at first and Nady scores.

[attackgerbil]

good pull walein - that's dead nuts.

[attackgerbil]

Justin Masterson in relief. Runners on the corners with one away to the Captain.

[doug YF]

The way Masterson's got his head shaved makes me think that he started playing baseball right after swim season ended.

AYE AYE CAP'N! 5-2.

[walein]

SF Rod,

I'm at work and a tad bit ornery to begin with so please don't take my curmudgeonly postings personally. I dislike the steroids PED thing the same as you. It's stupid and gross and obvious. However, as part of my cognitive dissonance on the matter I believe that it is too hard to figure out in what ways (moment to moment) all of the cheating in baseball actually affects anything qualitatively.

[doug YF]

And the floodgates are opened.

[attackgerbil]

Jeter works a long at bat and eventually goes the other way for a single to score Melky.

[walein]

quantitatively. The steroids discussion also hinders my ability to spell, HGH affects my word choice, and greenies destroy any and all facilities I have to act civil.

[attackgerbil]

Abreu takes two balls then doubles off the monster to score another run. Jeter holds at third..

[attackgerbil]

told you to stick to shooting H, walein.

[YF]

Jeets!
Abreu!
Alex!

5, 6, 7!!!!

[doug YF]

Bam! A-Rod with the base hit. 7 to 2. yeahhh

[attackgerbil]

ARod singles to left scoring Jeter.

[stuck working]

God, I expected the Sox to lose this game, but I didn't expect Masterson to suck that much. Oof. That really hurts.

[attackgerbil]

Javier Lopez coming on for Boston.

[YF]

"The way Masterson's got his head shaved makes me think that he started playing baseball right after swim season ended."

Bingo.

[attackgerbil]

Great play by Youk. Just fantastic.

[Devine]

Phew, the extended videogame break has shielded me from agony. Sweet. Now the loss will be merely a dull ache instead of the throbbing misery it was yesterday.

[YF]

Damn, but a pretty good inning there. Close 'em down, now.

[doug YF]

Mike Lowell is very polite, picking up the ball in the dirt like that.

[attackgerbil]

McCarver: "Pretty easy to see talent. It's very difficult to see confidence, and the Yankees playing with a ton of confidence now."

That's the best thing about FOX sports: their announcers all wear special glasses that see in the visible confidence spectrum.

At least Abreu was confident when he just got doubled off third.

[doug YF]

McCarver sees confidence, Joe Morgan sees consistency. Each announcer has their own very special ability.

[attackgerbil]

Drew makes it 7-3 with a towering shot to right.

[attackgerbil]

Actually, more of a line shot than a sky shot. Still, he positively killed it.

[doug YF]

that was as mammoth homer.

[attackgerbil]

Giambi makes a very nice scoop up towards home to save ARod's off-line throw.

[attackgerbil]

Crisp down looking to end the Sox sixth.

[doug YF]

that was as mammoth homer.