(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)So, the Yankees hammer Roy Halladay in game one and then get shut down by Jamie Moyer in game two and Kyle Kendrick last night in the finale. Sometimes, trying to make sense of this game will lead to nothing but a migraine.
Anyway, I'm tired and don't have too much to say about this game, so I'll make it short. Andy Pettitte was solid, over seven innings. He allowed three runs--two earned--on six hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Philly's first run came in the third. Shane Victorino led off with a single. Placido Polanco then reached on an error by Ramiro Pena, which allowed Ryan Howard to drive in a run with a single in the next at-bat.
In the next inning Pettitte would make his biggest mistake of the game. With two out Shane Victorino struck again and launched a two-run homer to extend the Philly lead to 3-0.
The Yankees would score a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Robinson Cano single, but that would be all they'd score against Kendrick. In seven innings he held the Yanks to just that one run on four hits, two walks, and struck out three.
Pettitte got into a couple jams over the middle innings--1st and 2nd with one out in the 6th and the bases loaded with one out in the 7th--but thanks to three big strikeouts he was able to get out of each without allowing a run.
The score would remain 3-1 as David Robertson and Jose Contreras held each opposing team scoreless in the eighth.
This set things up for the second-guess of the night, when Joe Girardi called on Joba Chamberlain instead of a rested Mariano Rivera for the ninth. It proved to be the wrong move. Joba allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Ruiz and then an RBI single to Wilson Valdez. He then walked Victorino before leaving the game without recording an out. Damaso Marte then came in and was equally terrible. He walked Chase Utley before allowed back-to-back sac flies to Polanco and Ryan Howard. Marte walked Jayson Werth to finish his night and was replaced by Chan Ho Park. Park would eventually get out of the inning, but not before Raul Ibanez doubled in Utley to make it 7-1. The Yanks then went quietly in the bottom half.
After the game Girardi had this to say about Mo: “I’m not going to bring him in in that situation when we’re down by two runs. I’m just not going to do it, but of course he was available. Tie ball game, he was coming in.”
I'm not going to pretend I know more than Girardi does, but to me keeping the lead at two was a pretty big deal. If it were up to me I would have called on Mo. I see no reason to avoid going with your best, especially when he's rested and when you're at home.
But that's all over with now as the Yankees get set for round two of the Subway Series against the Mets. They're some of their best baseball right now and come into the Bronx on a seven game winning streak. Javier Vazquez will take on Hisanori Takahashi in the opener. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be on YES.
BOX SCORE
