One Sweepy Afternoon: Twins-Yanks Gamer VII

Mike Mussina can tie Cliff Lee for the league-lead with 13 wins and the Yanks can win 10 straight home games for the first time since 1998 (they won a few games that year).  But most importantly, the Yankees can extend a post-all-star-game mojo that has filtered through every part of the team - starting rotation, bullpen, and offense (let's not talk about the bottom third of the lineup) - before heading north to face-off against Boston.

Pitching for the Twinkies is southpaw Glen Perkins, who has won 5 straight decisions since the last game he lost on May 30 against...a Mike Mussina-led Yankee team.  Hopefully the Yanks will stay focused on who is in front of them and not what awaits in Boston.  Keep those bats warm fellas and let's all try to acknowledge roll-call in between plays and not during them today!

Work productivity about to go in the toilet for the next 3-4 hours...comment away!!!!

Comments

[Atheose]

Rays already down 2-0 to the A's. [Borat voice] Very nice! [/borat voice]

[Lar]

I was just going to say that! Also, with those two HRs, Shields' ERA is actually higher than Greg Smith's.

[Lar]

I was just going to say that! Also, with those two HRs, Shields' ERA is actually higher than Greg Smith's.

[Lar]

Before the current 9 straight at home, the Yanks were only 1 game over .500 at home. Now they are 10 games over .500 at home, and 10 games over .500 overall, which means they're .500 away.

[A YF]

I can see where you get your mastery of numbers, Lar ;)

[Lar]

Moose starts off with an out.

[Lar]

;P

[Lar]

Casilla K's.

[Lar]

Moose with a quick 1-2-3, and here's JD leading off for the Yanks!

[Lar]

Moose with 11 pitches, 9 for strikes thus far.

[Atheose]

Hehe gameday keeps confusing Moose's fastball with his changeup!

[Lar]

JD grounds out easily. One out.

[Lar]

There's supposed to be a huge storm coming later today. Didn't bring my umbella to work. D'oh.

But let's hope the Yanks score some quick runs, end the game quickly before we have to contemplate it..

[Lar]

Jeter runs the count full before lining out to Casilla.

[Lar]

Perkins didn't work harder than Moose - 11 pitches after 1. No score.

[Lar]

Moose cruising (knock on wood) so far - 20 pitches over 2 1-2-3 innings.

[Lar]

Oh ya, Sexson batting 5th this game, and Christian batting last.

[Lar]

ARod pops out, and here's Sexson.

[Lar]

Sexson lines out on one pitch. Way to work that one..

[Atheose]

Sexson batting ahead of Cano is a joke.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Would be very very bummed is another Moose start got rained out, but supposedly it will be spotty t-storms and nothing really sustained...we'll see.

[Atheose]

Cano singles, and then Melky is out on one pitch too. 20 pitches for Perkins.

[IronHorse (yf)]

I never ever ever understand why Cano throughout his still brief career hardly ever cracks the #6 spot in the order. The lefty-righty thing goes out the window for me when Cano is in one of his .500+ BA stretches.

[SF]

I haven't tried this tactic in a while, but the Twins really don't deserve to be considered a Major League ballclub. Talk about overachievers so far this season - they'll be lucky to score a run today and I give them about a 1/100 chance of winning this game.

[Lar]

Cano singles, but that's all the Yankees got. 19 pitches for Perkins.

[Lar]

Harris breaks up the perfect game.

[Lar]

Moose got out of that one quickly again - 33 pitches through 3.

[Atheose]

27 pitches through 3 for Perkins. This is going to be a quick game if this pace continues.

[Lar]

The Yanks not hitting yet, and not driving up the pitch count either.. 27 pitches through 3 for Perkins.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Bloop single with one out and Morneau coming up...

[IronHorse (yf)]

Moose pumping strikes.

[Lar]

Moose up to 50 pitches after 4. Still a good game, if the Yanks can start hitting..

[Atheose]

Shit, Rays take the lead.

[Lar]

Jeter with a lead off singles, but a fielder's choice, a caught stealing, and a ground out later, Perkins at 37 pitches through 4. What the? At least get to their bullpen!

[Lar]

Lamb with a lead off single as well.

[Lar]

Lunch time for me - let's hope I get back to a Yanks lead!

[Lar]

Moose has been mostly efficient thus far, but with little margin of error to work with - Perkins is even more economical.

[Lar]

Punto grounds into double play, and Moose is at 59 pitches after 5. Okay, I really need to get lunch.

Still no score.

[Atheose]

Moose looking really good out there, will go 7.0 easily barring a destructive inning.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Cano - another AB another H. It woudl be something if this kid could even out his performance just a little bit. I mean everyone is streaky at times, but he is either sub-zero or blazing hot.

Melky singles - men on 1st and 2nd with one out and.....Molina and Christian coming up. Yikes.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Molina "beats out" the DP - sort of - and Justin Christian with the biggest AB of his life - 1st and 3rd in scoreless game...

[rootbeerfloat]

Way to capitalize on Casilla's brain cramp

[IronHorse (yf)]

2-RBI triple (double plus advance on throw) for Christian! Holy Christian! Totally didn't see that coming. And as soon as I heard "they're gonna send Molina, and here's the throw..." I thought, just count the out, but the throw was wide. Woo-hoo!!!! Come on Johnny - tack on that extra run and then let's get another Moose 1/2-inning to make this official before the rains come!

[Devine]

Y'know, I have the stereotypical opponent attitude about Moose (he's kinda whiny), but boy howdy, I looooove how he's reinvented himself. Everybody had written him off and he becomes a control artist (a better one than Schilling was, as a counter-example).

That game where he beaned Manny twice...the last at-bat between them where he struck him out was perfectly representative of what I think of the guy. He thought he had Manny on a pitch low and away, but the ump called it a ball. He rolled his eyes, asked the ump where the pitch was. Next pitch was the same, about four inches closer to Manny, and wham he K's him. Put the ball right where he wanted to. That was a great moment, even though I was pissed.

[IronHorse (yf)]

I respect your ability to appreciate it even if he is wearing pinstripes. He has never been a favorite of mine but yeah - watching a freaky control artist is really fun, especially when you're rooting for him. His ball movement and placement this year makes it seem like he's tossing a wiffleball at times. It really is amazing.

[IronHorse (yf)]

DP ball after a leadoff single - nice. Let's go Moose...

[Atheose]

Fucking Justin Christian!

[IronHorse (yf)]

Nice play by Sexson after letting one slip by him for a cingle and a wild pick-off by Moose put the runner on 2nd. Inning over.

Sexson's range is 35 feet without taking any steps - he just reaches out his glove and falls from side to side and he covers dugout to second base.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Jeter slams double off the wall. Meat of the order coming up with no outs...

[IronHorse (yf)]

Ball 4. Abreu on 1st, Jeter on 2nd. A-Rod, inexplicably Sexson, and then Cano...

[IronHorse (yf)]

F*$king Sterling with the premature HR call, but it nevertheless scores Jeter and Abreu and A-Rod advances to 3rd on the throw.

Me likey!!!!!! Smithers, release the hounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IronHorse (yf)]

Sexson sac flies - 5-0 Yanks.

Drooling with crazed look in my eye.

Cano - working on his 14-25 hitting streak since the all-star break - up...grounds out. Oh well.

[Atheose]

ARod doubles in a few more runs. I'm REALLY pissed my fantasy league fucked up and never took him off the DL back in May.

[krueg]

Winning is fun.

[Lar]

You guys should pay me to go to lunch! ;)

[krueg]

It's simply amazing what Moose is doing this season...hard to imagine where we would be without him at the top of his game???

[Lar]

In the meanwhile, the Rays are trying to hold a 4-2 against the A's in the 8th inning.

[krueg]

Comeback player of the year?

[Lar]

Lamb, the .225 hitter, is 2-3 today after a double.

[krueg]

Did fat bobby have a play on that ball for those not stuck at work?

[krueg]

should read, "for those of us stuck at work".

[krueg]

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!!! 7 strong.

[Lar]

Moose at 90 pitches after 7. Give the pen work? Or out for another?

[IronHorse (yf)]

I'm one of those at work so don't know about Abreu...I do know that Moose just racked up yet another K. He's a finicky corner-painting pouty pitching master and I love him!

[krueg]

I guess if I can come back to loving Moose, I could give bobby another chance...but he HAS TO MAKE A PLAY IN RF! Dive or hit the wall, I don't care which...

[Lar]

Perkins is done after 6. Wouldn't have thought that before lunch! Was hoping though, haha.

This game is probably official, by the way, so it doesn't matter much if it rains, probably.

[Lar]

Christian works out a single..

[Lar]

Christian is saying "You don't need Gardner!" and steals second. Though they're up "only" by 5, so what's the book on that again?

Top of the order up. Another insurance run never hurts..

[krueg]

Derek Jeter...clap, clap, clap clap clap!!!

[krueg]

The book Lar is score until they stop you...

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Seventh-innign stretch question:

Is Bob Sheppard back, was that a tape of Bob or a guy who sounds a lot like Bob?

[krueg]

It so different to see them steal bases...

[Lar]

Shields is going for the complete game.

[Lar]

JD and Jeets not driving that run in. Bobby is up there now.

[krueg]

They are probably deleting them on you A!!! Walk booby so ARod gets some more RBI's!!!

[krueg]

Edwar in the 8th or Moose?

[krueg]

that a boy fat bobby...

[Lar]

Abreu strikes out, so they wasted a leadoff "double" by Christian.

[IronHorse (yf)]

IBM, if it was on Jeter's AB that you heard Sheppard then yes, that is a recording. Jeter has said he never wants to be introduced by another voice, even after Sheppard retires, so he is alwasy introduced with a Sheppard recording.

[krueg]

Moose it is...

[Lar]

Moose out there, 99 pitches, 70 for strikes.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Moose with another K, trying to close out the 8th. Superb performance. Again.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Lar, thanks for the breakdown - that's amazing. 70% strikes is - well, yeah - amazing.

And he ends it with a K. Hoo-wahh!

[Lar]

As script would have it, Moose out of the 8th with 105 pitches. Should he go back out there? Or if the Yanks lose, it's his fault?

[Lar]

105 pitches, 73 for strikes. 6 hits, 7 K's, 0 ER in 8 IP for Moose. That's a pretty solid outing.

[Lar]

A - I don't think you were censored - I have random trouble with the posts too (sometimes I double post because of this..)

[IronHorse (yf)]

No way Lar - at least not in my view. Our bullpen has been lights-out and a 5-run lead is huge. We are I think 37-1 when leading after 6 innings and most of those have required the pen to get much more than 3 outs. Moose left to a nice ovation and Eiland had checked in with him before the final batter so I think he is really done.

[Lar]

Joe Nathan comes in to get some work.

[Lar]

Sorry, I was trying to draw some parallel to Santana.. ;)

[Lar]

Who, by the way, pitched 8 IP, 105 pitches yesterday - which was the "as script would have it" part of the comment..

[Lar]

.. and all over the NY newspapers for not finishing the game. I don't know why it took me three posts to explain it. Ah well.

[Lar]

Nathan grounds ARod out.

[Lar]

Percival comes in to save it out for the Rays - they won 4-3.

[Atheose]

Damnit, Rays win!

[Lar]

Nathan pitches 1-2-3 for the Twins and someone will try to close the game out. Mo getting in work?

[rootbeerfloat]

what ad hominem are you talking about A? This seems like a rather average game thread.

[SF]

Lar:

We have Terms of Service. This site has some standards that we try to hew to, sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of some regulars and they lash out, these instances we try to discourage. Certain posters have brazenly and repeatedly flaunted the Terms of Service and in insulting fashion, despite polite requests to cease this activity. We have, as moderators, a responsibility to do our best to make sure that people are held accountable for their actions. If posters refuse to contact us as requested in confidence and in private to discuss our concerns so that we can avoid any actions like unpublishing comments, then we have to take action. We can't allow commenters to post insults targeting anyone incessantly and in nasty fashion. We do our best to iron out all these issues offline and in confidence in the interest of as free a debate as is possible, but sometimes these efforts are unilaterally rejected. We are not interested in this as a regular practice, but sometimes things get a little out of control and we need to do something about it.

[krueg]

hawkins SUCKS!!!! i'm having a hard time getting on the website and seeing the threads today...

[Lar]

Hawkins it is.

[Lar]

Casilla singles, and then to second on a wild pitch. Ack.