Thursday, May 21, 2009

Even Without Joba Yanks Extend Streak To Nine


(REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
R H E
BAL 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0
4 12 0
NYY 4 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 X
7 9 0

Winning pitcher
- Alfredo Aceves (3-0)
Losing pitcher - Adam Eaton (2-5)
SV - Mariano Rivera (9)

The night started off with a scare when Adam Jones' line drive ricocheted off the side of Joba Chamberlain's right knee. He tried to go on, but allowed back-to-back singles to Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff, and Joe Girardi took him out. He wasn't moving around well and it was clear he was in some pain. Luckily for the Yankees the x-rays taken on Joba's came back negative and Joba is listed as day-to-day. After the game he told the media he's “100 percent confident” that he'll make his start on Tuesday.

Joba or no Joba the Yankees would still roll to their ninth straight win.

It wasn't going to be easy, though, as Girardi had to piece together 8.1 innings out of his bullpen. Alfredo Aceves starting things off relieving Chamberlain in the top of the first with runners on first and third and two out. He got of that jam by getting Melvin Mora to pop out and added three more scoreless innings in another effective outing. He allowed three hits and a walk and struck out one. Of his 50 pitches, 32 were strikes.

After Aceves came Jonathan Albaladejo who carried a streak of eight straight games without allowing an earned run into tonight. That would come to an end. He allowed four earned on five hits in 2.1 innings pitched. He was pretty awful, but at least he didn't let things get totally out of hand.

Jose Veras
was next out of the Yankees' pen and held the Orioles scoreless over 1.2 innings pitched. He did allow two hits, and had trouble finding the plate (only 12 of his 22 pitches were strikes), but he still kept the O's off the board.

Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth and got through the Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Aubrey Huff in eleven pitches. It wasn't a perfect night for the Yankees pen, but they did a solid job, and most importantly they held the lead.

The Yankees gave Aceves and the rest of the Yankees relievers all the runs they'd need with four runs in the first and another two in the second. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeira each doubled to start the game and three batters in the Yanks were already up 2-0. Later in the inning Nick Swisher would walk and Melky Cabrera would drive home both Swisher and Teixeira with a two-run double and the Yanks were up 4-0 after one. Cano would add a two-run homer in the second to extend the lead to 6-0. The Yankees added their seventh run on a Hideki Matsui solo homer the bottom of the fifth.

At 24-17 the Yankees are a season high seven games over .50o, and the nine game winning streak is the longest since Joe Girardi became manager. Now the world champion Phillies come to the Bronx for a three-game series against the Bombers. They've also played good baseball lately, and are winners of their last five. A.J. Burnett will start for the Yanks in the opener, and he will face Phillies right-hander Brett Myers.


AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, SS 4 1 1 0 1 1 1 .273
Cano, 2B 4 2 3 3 0 0 0 .317
Teixeira, 1B 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 .250
Rodriguez, A, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 .171
Matsui, DH 4 1 1 1 0 1 1 .252
Swisher, RF 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 .238
Cabrera, M, LF 4 0 1 2 0 0 2 .319
Cervelli, C 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .323
Gardner, CF 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 .235
Totals 32 7 9 7 5 4 10

BATTING
2B: Jeter (9, Eaton), Cano (11, Eaton), Teixeira (9, Eaton), Cabrera, M (6, Eaton).
HR: Cano (8, 2nd inning off Eaton, 1 on, 2 out), Matsui (5, 5th inning off Eaton, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Jeter 2; Cano 7; Teixeira 3; Matsui 4; Swisher; Cabrera, M 2.
RBI: Cano 3 (25), Teixeira (32), Cabrera, M 2 (18), Matsui (14).
2-out RBI: Cabrera, M 2; Cano 2; Matsui.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A 2.
Team RISP: 4-for-7.
Team LOB: 6.


IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Chamberlain 0.2 2 0 0 0 1 0 3.70
Aceves, A (W, 3-0) 3.1 3 0 0 1 1 0 1.32
Albaladejo 2.1 5 4 4 0 2 2 6.00
Veras (H, 3) 1.2 2 0 0 0 0 0 6.00
Rivera (S, 9) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.89

ORIOLES STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R)

HONORABLE MENTION: Alfredo Aceves (Picked up his third win of the year with 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of the injured Joba Chamberlain.)

Tomorrow:

Yankees vs. Phillies
Game Time: 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
A.J. Burnett RHP (2-1, 5.02 ERA) vs. Brett Myers RHP (3-2, 4.50 ERA)

5 Comments:

JC said...

What sucks is that Mo probably won't be available for tomorrow's game against the Phils now. He's pitched over two innings the last two nights, so he might get an off-day.

I think a series win against the Phils would really send a message that this team's for real. Not having Mo will hurt...especially against an offense like the Phils.

Hopefully we score like 12 runs and don't need him!

JC said...

We need Burnett to give us some innings tomorrow. At least six. Then we can use Coke and Tomko to finish it off. (Assuming Mo gets a day of rest.)

Argenys said...

Bruney should be available as well.

JC said...

Ah, right. I got so used to not having Bruney around that I totally forgot about him. Yes, he should be available. That's big!

SteveB said...

I'd also like Burnett to go at least 6 innings, 7 would be better. He's gotta throw strikes tonight. I know Coke & Tomko can give us 2 innings, but you don't know what shape Coke's back is in, plus Bruney was real good Tuesday, but he's still just finding his way, so you don't know what he'll bring with him to the mound.

I'm very glad we're playing the Phils in YS. We need the DH a lot more than they do & it gives us a much better advantage. I think if the Yankees win tonight they get at least 2 of 3, maybe sweep.

You know, it just occurred to me that we have 3 pitchers who can give us 2 solid innings, maybe even 3-- Aceves, Coke & Tomko, and there is always a rested Mo for 2 innings in a pinch.