Flubbed
The Yankees dropped a 7-5 game to the Indians, with all seven runs allowed unearned. Ian Kennedy struggled in the first allowing four runs, including three on a Garko blast, but thereafter settled in fairly well. His final line was not too bad--4 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs none earned, 4 walks and 3 K's. Kennedy certainly kept it close after a shaky first, close enough for the Yankees to come back. The Yankees scored an unearned run in the third, and tied the game in the sixth. Giambi and Cano doubled back-to-back to make it 4-2, Matsui walked, and Betemit then Molina singled to tie it. Cano's second double of the game gave the Yankees the lead in the seventh, but they couldn't hold it. Rasner allowed a three-run homer in the eighth to Andy Marte, giving the Indians the 7-5 lead and eventually the game.
Cano is scalding the ball, going 3-4 with 2 RBIs (a ******** 19 for Spring) and a ridiculous .464 average. Giambi had two hits including a double to raise his average to a stellar .417. Molina had three hits and is batting .353 in ST. Molina also made a terrific snap throw to Giambi at first that had Cabrera picked off by several feet, yet Giambi's swipe tag instead of planting a good firm tag allowed Cabrera to get back to the bag. Lousy play by Giambi, who also showed bad footwork on the play, illustrating why he's a spotty first baseman at best, detrimental at worst.
Rasner's poor performance, combined with Karstens's recent struggles, likely opens the door for Igawa (shudder to think) to be the Yanks' long reliever and spot starter. Igawa's ERA is lower than the others, he's walked fewer than Rasner (who has surrendered 3 homers in 14 1/3 IP) and to be blunt, the Yankees have a propensity of playing and retaining players for whom they've paid a lot of money. They held onto Giambi throughout his enormous contract, and even did the same with Pavano, someone they should have released after he was injured and covered it up, thus lying to the team, in 2006. They paid $46 million for Igawa between his posting fee and fairly sight-unseen contract and, given the team's apparent recent reluctance to continue to absorb former players' salaries in trades, they may decide to keep him around. I'm not enamored with any of the three, though Igawa oddly enough has better and steadier numbers than the other two. Right now, the winner may emerge simply by default--being the least awful option. As painful as it is to hear, it's hard to say that's not Igawa right now.
I'm interested to hear about the long reliever spot--Igawa, Karstens, Rasner, Patterson?
I was impressed with how he came back after giving up the home run and kept the Yankees in the game. Had that been a regular season contest with Joba in the 8th and Mo in the 9th --- I think we win that game.
I think Karstens and Rasner are both both pitching their way out of roster spots (perhaps the former more so than the later).
Karstens allowed the Pirates to score four times in the Yankees spring training game this past Sunday and he was unable to record an out in the fourth inning before he was taken out.
Jeff Karstens got touched for back-to-back doubles in the second inning - which resulted in a 1-0 Pirates lead. Then in the fourth inning Karstens allowed back-to-back-to-back doubles to increase the Pittsburgh lead to three to nothing before Scott Strickland relieved him.
If we're going on spring training stats alone - I'd give both his spot and Rasner's spot on the roster to Billy Traber and Ross Ohlendorf respectively.
I think that both of those guys have had much better springs. I went to Tampa for Spring Training and I was really impressed with what I saw from those two.
I went to 4 Yankees ST games and one Tigers ST game and one Phillies ST game. If anyone is interested - I have several photo albums with photos on my blog ...
http://mointhe9th.mlblogs.com/
Report any abuse or spam
Kennedy sure does have some grit, Mike. He actually wasn't bad yesterday on the whole. That first inning was a killer, and he struggled in two-out situations in the first couple innings--Garko's tater in the first, consecutive two-out walks in the second though neither scored.
I agree about Karstens, he's regressed this Spring. Rasner has been better, but has been shelled lately. I REALLY don't want to see Igawa on the roster, but have this stone-in-the-stomach feeling he will be.
Ohlendorf is an interesting call. He's had a pretty good Spring. I believe Bruney might have the inside track--he worked hard to get into shape, he too has been good, and the Yankees tend to keep the players they pay for. They didn't pay a ton for Bruney ($725K), but he's in the mix too. Those seem the top two, plus Patterson (though I don't know if they envision him as a long reliever).
Report any abuse or spam
and if Melky would have made that play it might have been a totally different ballgame, eh?
Report any abuse or spam
No question about it, and Woodward's error too--seven unearned runs is an amazingly dubious statistical honor.
Report any abuse or spam
I knew it was Andy Hawkins, and knew it was a ridiculous linescore. Thanks to baseball-reference.com, I found what I was looking for. Check this out regarding unearned runs.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA198906050.shtml
Report any abuse or spam
Mike, you are the stat-o-matic. 16 runs for the O's, four earned; Hawkins surrendered 10 runs--none earned, and while the Yanks lost 16-3, they outhit the O's 13-9.
Ah, the "salad days" of the late 1980s. Enough to make a grown man wretch.
Oh yes, to add to the Sunday discussion on YFCR of all-time wretch Yankees teams, Wayne Tolleson belongs in my opinion.
Report any abuse or spam