Results tagged ‘ Phil Coke ’
With the Yanks hot, I return to the BLOG
Well, after a hot start, this blog certainly slowed down these past few weeks. So, in honor of Joba Chamberlain’s quality start yesterday, the Joba Joba Joba blog returns.
Another quality start from the namesake, and another win blown by the bullpen. I’m pretty sure that’s three blown wins for Joba this year (His first start in KC, the first game against the Red Sox, and yesterday) however, unlike those other two games, the Yanks bounced back to win this one. And I’m sure Joba is fine with that. It was good to see him get past the first inning struggles he’s had this year, and he continues to make progress as a starter. Now, about that bullpen…
…I know I said in a previous post that the bullpen struggles were being a bit overstated by fans/the media, but yesterday, until Mariano Rivera got in the game, that was an all too familiar, and frusturating, outing from the relievers this season. The home run Phil Coke gave up to Justin Morneau, that’s fine, he’s one of the best hitters in the league and he ended up hitting three home runs over two games, so it’s obvious he’s swinging a hot bat. But to then walk (with two outs!) Michael Cuddyer and give up a double Brian Buscher? Give me a break. I actually like Coke, overall, but that was a bad outing. And Jose Veras, I mean, there’s a guy with great stuff who can’t get the ball over the plate (usually) and Edwar Ramirez is a guy who I’m never confident in. Yes, he gets the job done occassionally, but he drives me nuts.
Now, Friday night, a game I attended, the bullpen was tremendous. But the starting rotation finally looks to be rounding into shape, so the bullpen has to start locking down these leads before Mo gets the call. Thankfully, Brian Bruney should return this week.
As I said, the rotation is starting to look like what was expected coming into the season. Joba keeps improving with every start, CC’s looked like an ace is past two starts, so hopefully he’ll get on a roll, Pettitte has been what I expected, when he avoids the one “INNING OF DOOM” he’s managed to give the team innings and wins, and A.J. Burnett, who started out hot, has struggled a bit. Burnett’s been a bit of an odd scenario. He obviously has great stuff, but has run into a string of not-so-great starts. Hopefully he rights that today against the Twins.
Phil Hughes is still a work-in-progress. He was great against Detroit, so-so against Boston (not that the ump helped), awful in Baltimore, than gave them a solid, if not quality, start on Friday. He does look much more confident than last year, and seems to have bulked up a bit, so hopefully he can keep them in games until Chien-Ming Wang is ready to return from Triple-A Scranton.
And I think that about covers my thoughts on the Yankees these past few weeks…
What?
Oh yeah, the return of “THE A-BOMB…FROMMMM A-ROD!”
Again, it does not surprise me that this team has won six of the eight games since his return. Yes, the pitching has been better but, contrary to some opinions out there, this team is in no way, shape or form better without A-Rod in the lineup. His presence in the lineup, even with him hitting .154, is uncomparable. Mark Teixeira has obviously seemed to relax a bit since his return, and Rodriguez has already provided two of the most memorable moments of the 2009 season, his first at-bat in Baltimore and his walk-off bomb yesterday. I understand people being disappointed/angry with A-Rod because of his steroid use, and I know he comes off as a bit of a flake/phony, but when he’s in the lineup this team is so, so much better than without him.
Finally, special shouts of praise for Johnny Damon, who’s been carrying this team over the first month and a half, Derek Jeter, who not only continues to hit, but has shown this year that he’s not the defensive liability people make him out to be (outside of the occasional hiccup), and Brett Gardner, for hitting the first inside-the-park homer I’ve ever seen in person. I’ve been to five games at the new Stadium so far, two ending in walk-offs, but Friday was easily the best game I’ve seen in the short history of the Yanks’ new home.
Joba Joba Joba
Oh Mo!: Yanks vs. Red Sox, 4/24/2009
Well, that was a helluva game.
Joba Chamberlain, still not showcasing his best stuff yet this season, battles through 5 1/3 innings, somehow allowing just two runs while giving up nine hits and four walks due to the saving grace of the double play. Phil Coke and Jonathan Albaladejo both come up huge out of the bullpen, the Yanks take a two-run lead, fail to add to it after getting bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth, and then Mariano Rivera, after coming in on an 0-1 count to finish the eighth, gets David “You no Big Papi” Ortiz out to start the bottom of the ninth before Kevin Youkilis almost takes off his head, then retires J.D. Drew for the second out, and, finally, Jason Bay crushes a 1-0 cutter to tie the game. Yeeeesh.
Then, after the Yankees squander chances to score in the top of the 10th and 11th, Youkilis ends it with a walk-off homer over the Green Monster.
I’m not going to lie, even for an April game, that loss hurt. If the Yanks go on to win the next two, no problem. But the chance to take the first game of a three-game set in Fenway to only have it ended because the great Rivera blows a save? OUCH!
I know New York fans will say the Yankees gave this game to the Red Sox due to their inability to pad the lead, especially in the ninth, but the Red Sox had plenty of opportunities to add runs themselves throughout the first few innings, only to have rally’s killed by double plays. Plus there was that tremendous diving stop by Mike Lowell which saved two runs from scoring earlier in the game which would have given the Yankees the lead earlier in the game and could have completely changed how the rest of the game played out.
The fact of the matter is, the Yankees had a two-run lead in the ninth inning with Rivera on the mound. I don’t care how many runs were left on base, that’s a game you expect to win. Bay spoiled it. Youkilis won it. Just a tremendous game with a bad ending (If you’re a Yankees fan).
Now, once again, A.J. Burnett is called upon to get the Yankees a big win. It won’t be easy, with his former teammate Josh Beckett on the hill for Boston, but Burnett’s been able to get the job done during his brief career in New York, and hopefully they can get the W and set up the rubber match for Sunday night.
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