Friday, May 14, 2010

Embarrassing 6-0 Loss Concludes Mediocre Road Trip

(AP Photo)

Final123456789RHE
N.Y. Yankees000000000040
Detroit «01020300x6112
WP: J. Verlander (4-2) LP: C. Sabathia (4-2)

I was busy all day and missed today's game, in fact, when I left the house I assumed it would be rained out so I didn't even know what happened till I got home around 6:00 p.m. If they had won I would have watched the replay, but there's nothing about a 6-0 loss that makes me want to see it, so I'm not going to get too much into a game I didn't see.

The obvious problems were CC Sabathia and the lineup. CC allowed six runs on nine hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out four in six innings. He threw just 79 pitches, 55 of them for strikes. After the game, CC had this to say to Chad Jennings: “I felt pretty good, actually, Sabathia said. “Just hung a couple of balls. When my pitches were right they were swinging early in the count, getting ground balls. Just one of those days today where I kind of lost it.”

CC allowed a lone run in the second on a Gerald Laird single. Then he was hurt by the long ball in the fourth when he allowed back-to-back blasts by Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch. He allowed three more runs in the sixth before being removed from the game.

However, the way Justin Verlander shut down the Yankees today all Detroit needed was one. Verlander held the Yankees to just four hits in 6.2 innings pitched. Joel Zumaya and Eddie Bonine pitched the final 2.1 innings to finish off the shutout, the Yankees second of the series.

Obviously, there's not much to talk about offensively. The Yankees picked up just four hits on the day; a single and a double by Jorge Posada, and singles by Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter. They also went 0-for-8 with RISP and left 11 men on base.

Their best chance to get on the board came in the 8th, when they had runners on first and second with one out, but they failed to score after Juan Miranda popped out and Randy Winn flew out. Still, by that point the Tigers were up 6-0 and a run or two wouldn't have made much of a difference.

The Yankees are going through their first rough stretch of the season now, and the injuries aren't helping matters. With Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson on the DL, and Nick Swisher nursing a sore biceps the Yankees are in need for someone at the bottom of that order to step up. Jeter's recent slump, and Alex Rodriguez's lack of power also haven't helped.

Looking for some positives? Well, there wasn't much besides Ivan Nova's debut. Throwing a mix of fastballs, curves and changeups, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings, and threw 17 of his 30 pitches for strikes.

Hopefully a series at home in the Bronx will get their bats going. We'll find out tomorrow when the Yankees come home to open a series with the Minnesota Twins. A.J. Burnett looks to rebound from his awful start in Boston when he takes the mound. Opposing him with be left-hander Francisco Liriano for the Twins. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be on YES.

Derek Jeter, SS4010011.269
Brett Gardner, CF5010001.330
Mark Teixeira, DH3000114.198
Alex Rodriguez, 3B4000002.272
Robinson Cano, 2B3000100.333
Jorge Posada, C4020000.293
Juan Miranda, 1B3000104.000
Randy Winn, LF-RF3000113.200
Greg Golson, RF2000012.250
a- Marcus Thames, PH-LF1000110.341
Totals3204055

a-walked for Golson in the 7th
Batting
2B: Posada (7, Verlander).
TB: Jeter; Gardner; Posada 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Golson; Teixeira 2; Miranda; Winn.
Team RISP: 0-for-8.
Team LOB: 11.
Fielding
DP - Cano-Jeter-Miranda
PB - Jorge Posada (3)

CC Sabathia (L,4-2)69660423.71
Ivan Nova22000100.00
Pitches-Strikes - CC Sabathia 79-55, Ivan Nova 30-17
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - CC Sabathia 8-5, Ivan Nova 3-2
Batters Faced - CC Sabathia 26, Ivan Nova 8

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Justin Verlander (W, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K)
HONORABLE MENTION: Miguel Cabrera (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
GOAT OF THE GAME: CC Sabathia


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