(AP Photo/Jeff Zelevansky)| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | |
| NYY | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
Winning pitcher - J.P. Howell (1-2)
Losing pitcher - Mariano Rivera (0-2)
SV - Randy Choate (3)
With CC Sabathia going up against David Price it was supposed to be a pitcher's duel at the new stadium today, and after four innings the Yanks were up 2-0 and it seemed like things would turn out that way, but that's when Sabathia started to fall apart. He allowed two runs in the fifth, and three in the sixth on a three-run blast off the bat of Willy Aybar, and the Rays were now up 5-3.
Sabathia eventually settled down and ended up pitching eight innings, allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked three, and struck out five. He threw 101 pitches, 64 for strikes. Like he usually does he gave the Yankees a long outing, which is always good, but it wasn't the performance you were hoping for from your ace.
The score remained 5-3 Rays until the bottom of the eighth when the Yankees mounted another late-inning rally. Mark Teixeira led off the inning with a deep blast into the club level in right field to cut the Rays' lead to one. It was Teixeira's 17th homer of the year, tying him for tops in the AL with Rays' first baseman Carlos Pena. The Yankees would eventually load the bases with one out for Melky Cabrera. He hit a grounder that looked like it would end up being an inning-ending doubleplay, but the combination of a high throw from Ben Zobrist to second baseman Willy Aybar and a hard slide by Nick Swisher allowed Melky to beat out the return throw and the tying run scored.
Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth nad this was when the day really turned sour. A leadoff triple by Zobrist and a single Joe Dillon and the Rays were back ahead 6-5. Mo then got the next two batters - Dioner Navarro on a ground out and Matt Joyce on a fly out - to put a Dillon on third with two out. The Rays then sent Evan Longoria up to pinch hit and Joe Girardi decided to intetionally walk him to face B.J. Upton who ended up hitting an RBI single to give the Rays a 7-5 lead. Longoria has had more success off Mo in the past and because of that I had no problem with this move, but as I posted earlier Mo clearly did. Like it or not, he still had to get Upton and he didn't. That would be it for Mo on the day. Phil Coke then came in and allowed an RBI single to Carl Crawford and then Aybar reached on an error allowing another run to come n and the Rays were up 9-5. The two runs were both charged to Rivera, and he now has a 13.49 ERA against the Rays and Red Sox combined.
The Yanks made it interesting in the ninth, Jeter singled, Johnny Damon doubled, and Teixeira drove in two with another double and the Yanks were now down by just two and the tying run was up with nobody out. But Alex Rodriguez grounded out, and Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano both flew out to deep center and that was the ballgame.
I'm aware that today was only one game, but now the Yankees are just 2-9 against the Rays and Red Sox and have lost their last eight in a row against the two AL East rivals including five at the new stadium. This may not concern you, but it does concern me. Are the Yankees doomed? Do they suck? No and no, but still, these losses concern me. The fact that they have all mostly been close games bothers me even more. The Yankees will play their next five games against these two teams and it's about time they start proving they can beat them.
They have their next chance to do so tomorrow in The Bronx. Joba Chamberlain will start for the Yanks, with Matt Garza going for the Rays. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. and the game can be seen on YES.
Sabathia eventually settled down and ended up pitching eight innings, allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked three, and struck out five. He threw 101 pitches, 64 for strikes. Like he usually does he gave the Yankees a long outing, which is always good, but it wasn't the performance you were hoping for from your ace.
The score remained 5-3 Rays until the bottom of the eighth when the Yankees mounted another late-inning rally. Mark Teixeira led off the inning with a deep blast into the club level in right field to cut the Rays' lead to one. It was Teixeira's 17th homer of the year, tying him for tops in the AL with Rays' first baseman Carlos Pena. The Yankees would eventually load the bases with one out for Melky Cabrera. He hit a grounder that looked like it would end up being an inning-ending doubleplay, but the combination of a high throw from Ben Zobrist to second baseman Willy Aybar and a hard slide by Nick Swisher allowed Melky to beat out the return throw and the tying run scored.
Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth nad this was when the day really turned sour. A leadoff triple by Zobrist and a single Joe Dillon and the Rays were back ahead 6-5. Mo then got the next two batters - Dioner Navarro on a ground out and Matt Joyce on a fly out - to put a Dillon on third with two out. The Rays then sent Evan Longoria up to pinch hit and Joe Girardi decided to intetionally walk him to face B.J. Upton who ended up hitting an RBI single to give the Rays a 7-5 lead. Longoria has had more success off Mo in the past and because of that I had no problem with this move, but as I posted earlier Mo clearly did. Like it or not, he still had to get Upton and he didn't. That would be it for Mo on the day. Phil Coke then came in and allowed an RBI single to Carl Crawford and then Aybar reached on an error allowing another run to come n and the Rays were up 9-5. The two runs were both charged to Rivera, and he now has a 13.49 ERA against the Rays and Red Sox combined.
The Yanks made it interesting in the ninth, Jeter singled, Johnny Damon doubled, and Teixeira drove in two with another double and the Yanks were now down by just two and the tying run was up with nobody out. But Alex Rodriguez grounded out, and Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano both flew out to deep center and that was the ballgame.
I'm aware that today was only one game, but now the Yankees are just 2-9 against the Rays and Red Sox and have lost their last eight in a row against the two AL East rivals including five at the new stadium. This may not concern you, but it does concern me. Are the Yankees doomed? Do they suck? No and no, but still, these losses concern me. The fact that they have all mostly been close games bothers me even more. The Yankees will play their next five games against these two teams and it's about time they start proving they can beat them.
They have their next chance to do so tomorrow in The Bronx. Joba Chamberlain will start for the Yanks, with Matt Garza going for the Rays. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. and the game can be seen on YES.
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG | |
| Jeter, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .312 |
| Damon, LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .296 |
| Teixeira, 1B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .286 |
| Rodriguez, A, 3B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .253 |
| Posada, DH-C | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .308 |
| Cano, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .304 |
| Swisher, RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .247 |
| Cabrera, M, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .309 |
| Cervelli, C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .271 |
| a-Matsui, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .255 |
| Rivera, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Coke, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 34 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 15 | |
a-Struck out for Cervelli in the 8th. | ||||||||
BATTING 2B: Cabrera, M (7, Price), Damon (13, Wheeler), Teixeira (15, Wheeler). HR: Rodriguez, A (8, 2nd inning off Price, 0 on, 0 out), Teixeira (17, 8th inning off Balfour, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Jeter; Damon 2; Teixeira 6; Rodriguez, A 4; Cano; Cabrera, M 2. RBI: Rodriguez, A (23), Cano (33), Teixeira 3 (50), Cabrera, M (23). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Teixeira; Swisher; Matsui; Cano. S: Cervelli. Team RISP: 1-for-9. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Jeter (11, 2nd base off Price/Navarro), Rodriguez, A (1, 2nd base off Price/Navarro). FIELDING E: Damon (2, throw), Rodriguez, A (2, fielding). DP: (Cano-Jeter-Teixeira). Pickoffs: Sabathia (Upton at 1st base). | ||||||||
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |
| Sabathia | 8.0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3.56 |
| Rivera (L, 0-2) | 0.2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.47 |
| Coke | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.43 |
RAYS STATS
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist (2-for-3, HR, 3B, RBI, BB, 2 R)
HONORABLE MENTION: Mark Teixeira (2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R)
GOAT OF THE GAME: Mariano Rivera
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist (2-for-3, HR, 3B, RBI, BB, 2 R)
HONORABLE MENTION: Mark Teixeira (2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R)
GOAT OF THE GAME: Mariano Rivera
Tomorrow's Game
Yankees vs. Rays
Game Time: 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
RHP Joba Chamberlain (3-1, 3.71 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Garza (4-4, 3.67 ERA)
Game Time: 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
RHP Joba Chamberlain (3-1, 3.71 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Garza (4-4, 3.67 ERA)
9 Comments:
Yankees need to make Chamberlain the closer and Mariano needs to be the setup man.
I am smashed right now so it's all good
lol ... Nice, good for you dude. Wish I was.
Usually Mo would never make a comment like that. He's probably frustrated with himself, give him a break.
What do you mean give him a break? I'm not saying the guy is done or should be benched. I just don't think he should have said anything. It doesn't help anything and Mo knows it. He's better than that.
Mariano needs to break out that changeup of his.
Mariano cost us the first game at fenway and now this game with the rays.
If games like this don't convince the brain trust that Joba needs to be in the bullpen being groomed to become the closer I don't know what will. It's time to wake up people.
Mariano hasn't sucked all year, but he did stink yesterday.
Maybe it's just the Rays? The last time he really stunk was when he gave up those 2 HRs to Pena and Longoria back on May 9th.
Also, since last season, he has really struggled in tie games. This one was 5-5 and when he left it was 8-5. I don't know what it is, maybe it's a different atmosphere, maybe he's thinking differently out there, etc.
Anyway, I still think Mo is, and will always be the greatest closer in the game.
I also can't belive there's not a sign at Yankee Stadium or something for Mo. He's only 6 saves away from #500! did you know that?
Big start for Joba today. Dont wanna lose another game to that minor league team from St. Pete, especially after yesterday. That was annoying
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