Phil Jackson has gold band number ten and Kobe Bryant his fourth. The two Lakers legends are loaded with rings and have cemented chairs in the NBA hall. The Los Angeles Head Coach and MVP each earned another NBA championship after the Lakers overcame Orlando 99-86 in Game 5 of the Finals. L.A. stomped the Magic 4-1 in the series to claim their title. It was the 15th franchise championship for L.A.. Los Angeles’ 15 titles are two shy of Boston’s all-time record. Sunday’s trophy raising was Jackson’s fourth with the Lakers and tenth of all time, and places the legend as the winningest coach in NBA history. The Zen Master passed famed Celtics coach, Red Auerbach, on the all-time list. Game 5 marked Jackson’s 300th career playoff game.
Bryant was declared Finals MVP and captured the coveted championship seven years after winning with Shaquille O’Neal and a year from failing against Boston. Sunday, Bryant scored 30 points and averaged 32.4 during the series. Kobe finished with six rebounds, four blocked shots and five assists. The tall Spaniard, Pau Gasol, chipped in 14 points and reeled in 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. Despite falling behind by nine points in the first quarter, L.A. fought back with a leaping surge in the second. The Lakers trailed halfway through the second quarter before taking off. Derek Fisher nailed a three pointer to set the stage for the purple pests. They went on a 16-0 run, capped by forward, Trevor Ariza, scoring 7 of his 15 points and Fisher hauling in five. Ariza excelled and effectively drew fouls while attacking the basket. The Magic went about four and a half minutes without scoring a point during the second quarter Lakers lashing.
The Lakers lapped up a ten point lead, 56-46, as they headed into the locker room following the stellar second quarter. Orlando went on their own brief run after halftime. Their third quarter rally cut a ten point deficit to a five point Lakers lead. The Magic’s errant and inefficient play doomed them down the stretch. Lamar Odom controlled the paint and stepped up for L.A. with two 3-pointers for 6 of his 17 points. Odom also had 10 rebounds for a team that was in front of Orlando by as many as 18 in the second half. Bryant seemingly put the game out of reach with a jumper over Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu with eight ticks remaining in the game. Stan Van Gundy called a timeout but the Magic were prematurely raising the white flag on this Flag Day.
Los Angeles would not need a Game 6 for their most recent title. The Magic were never able to recover, turning the ball over and playing poorly. Orlando committed ten turnovers in the middle periods and were blanketed with little room to shoot. Los Angeles had a healthy advantage on the glass all night as the Magic were unsuccessful in recovering loose balls. Coach Van Gundy’s team shot just 8-of-27 from long range as they fell at home and lost a chance to return to Los Angeles. For a team that relies heavily on the three, this was not the night for the Magic to take off. Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 18 points but was only 3-of-12 from the arch. Dwight Howard grabbed 10 rebounds while scoring 11. Superman was never a factor last night, taking just nine shots and never getting things going to lead his team.
The Lakers were the better basketball team. They were the best all season and so remarkable they didn’t drop three straight games at all. The beat down in Boston a year ago seemed to inspire Bryant most. The All-Star Laker came out with a desire to win and completed his mission. The 30 year old would not come up short in 2009 and his outstanding play earned him the most valuable player. He took control of all possessions and showed grit when the games were on the line. Kobe became the only Laker besides Magic Johnson to record 8 assists in six consecutive postseason games. He also became the first since Michael Jordan to tally at least 25 points and have 8 assists in three straight Finals games. Although Bryant was the main ingredient in the Lakers’ recipe for success, role players mixed in some necessary reinforcements. The team’s nucleus was just as vital to victory as the beloved Bryant. Fisher was a steadying force in capturing his fourth ring. He came back to L.A. after stints in Golden State and Utah to propel the offense behind Bryant. Fisher’s three-point shot to force overtime and then 27 footer to seal the deal in the extra session of Game 4 was an important play. The 34 year old came into Game 5 trailing only two players for most three-pointers in NBA Finals history. Bryant was helped by the entire L.A. roster. In Game 5, four of his teammates scored in double figures to assist his incredulous effort. Gasol played second fiddle and was rewarded with a ring following his voyage from Memphis 16 months ago. The European adequately defended Lewis at the post and held Howard in check throughout Game 5. Players like Jordan Farmar went from works in progress to mature ball handlers. Odom went from a derailment in decline to a developed destructive defender. Odom, Ariza and Andrew Bynum all came through with tenacious toughness, deliberate dribbles, rattling rebounds and jiggling jumpers. Jackson’s in-game strategies were intangible factors throughout the series. The Lakers ridiculously defended their court by forcing focus, confronting Orlando guards with pressure and applying an ardent attitude.
Orlando was not short on chances in at least two of the Finals contests. In Game 2, Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup in the final seconds of regulation that would have given the Magic a victory and tied the series at one. Instead, the Magic settled for a hard-fought loss. Had Howard made his free throws to ice the match with 11 seconds remaining in Game 4, the Lakers might not have been celebrating their 15th championship in Amway Arena last night. Instead, Orlando’s life expectancy in the finals was short-lived and Los Angeles restored their franchise with another terrific title.
Parting points: Happy Birthday to Andy Pettitte.
Band of the day- Days of the New
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
SEC Shining Saturday
Rosenblatt Stadium hosted the opening round of the 2009 College World Series Saturday. Two SEC teams, Arkansas and LSU, waltzed to wins at the prestigious Omaha, Nebraska venue. The Razorbacks transplanted the notion of an impossible task with a surprising 10-6 win over favored Cal State Fullerton. The Tigers knocked down Virginia, 9-5, with an offensive outburst and brilliant bullpen battle.
Arkansas came into the College World Series as a struggling team. They lost 10 of 13 games heading into the tournament. Their road to Omaha was the toughest of the final eight teams. The strong finishers stormed through the Norman Regional as one of the hottest hitting teams. The Razorbacks then defeated Florida State in two games in the Tallahassee Super Regional round to advance to the CWS. The team has played exceptionally well during the post-season and somehow seem to get things done with average pitching. They have challenges ahead because they are in a tough bracket. The Hogs needed an outstanding pitching performances and a first game win in order to keep the momentum and have a chance at being in the championship series.
Arkansas received a strong start from their best pitcher, Dallas Keuchel, in the victory over Cal State. Keuchel allowed four runs on five hits. He threw his true left-handed sinker and laser fastball to tame the Titan bats. Mike Bolsinger added aid with three innings for his second save. He allowed two runs and four hits. Bolsinger has appeared in 27 games for the Hogs and has a 2.83 ERA in 60 1/3 innings. The Razorbacks reached double-digits in runs for the fourth time in six games. Nine runs were scored with two outs and the leader offensively was Andy Wilkins. Wilkins lead the offense during the season with a .329 batting average and 17 homeruns. He clubbed 51 RBIs and drove in five more yesterday. The sophomore first baseman will step to the plate against LSU (the Razorback’s next opponent on Monday) with a .593 average. He has five extra-base hits and four homeruns this NCAA tournament run. The serious 7th year head coach, Dave Van Horn, guided the Hogs to the 2003 and 2004 CWS but failed to win a game in those years. This year the monkey is off his back and he has a fair chance to grasp another game, or more.
The Razorbacks manufactured a pair of runs in the opening frame. Zack Cox, the Arkansas freshman who flashed 12 homeruns during the season flicked another in the third inning for two more Hog runs. Cox plays third base and is a dead-red fastball hitter. The Razorbacks ripped 19 year old, Fullerton freshman, Noe Ramirez. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings for the number two seeded Titans. It was Ramirez’s shortest start in his last 15 appearances. The first freshman pitcher to start a CWS game left after allowing seven runs by the fourth inning. That’s when Arkansas broke the game open, scoring five runs in total during the inning. Wilkins walloped a Tyler Pill offering into the stands for three more runs. It was Wilkins’ team-leading 19th long ball. The Hogs pressured Pill previous to Wilkins pulverizing the pitch. Scott Lyons grounded the first pitch he saw between Cal State shortstop and third baseman for a four run lead. The early scoring proved too much for the Titans.
It was a huge boost for Arkansas to take the early advantage against the five-time defending CWS champions. Fullerton represents to class of college baseball and has an offensive with a wealth of experience. Josh Fellhauer, with his .399 average, scares you the most. Junior, Khris Davis and senior, Joe Scott, also are capable of putting the ball in play and taking pitches. The Titans were one of the favorites to win the national title with their 47-14 regular season record. Cal State benefited from weak regional round opponents. They stomped Utah and Gonzaga and hosted an overmatched Louisville squad in the super regionals. The Titans crushed the Cardinals in two games, outscoring them 23-2. Ramirez was 10-1 for Cal State with a 2.86 ERA in 107 innings. The phenom struck out 18 in just 15 innings in the regional and super regional rounds but was chased out of the game by the fourth inning in Saturday’s defeat. Pill was 11-3 this Spring, but pitching in just his first relief role in the CWS yesterday. The balanced team entered the tournament hitting an outstanding .330 and a staff ERA of 3.36. It’s win, or go home, time for the Titans now. They face Virginia in the loser’s bracket elimination game next. Coach Dave Serrano knows the Titans have a tough road ahead but the team is still and exciting one to watch. They have one of the game’s best hitters in Jared Clark and an All-American candidate in right-hander, Daniel Renken. Renken struck out 98 and walked 32 this year, and opponents are finding it hard to hit more than .200 off the standout sophomore. Before this weekend, Serrano’s team trailed in just one inning in nine games. The Titans cut the Hogs’ lead in half in the third inning, scoring one-third of their six runs. They came away with just one run in the eighth after loading the bases and being down in the box score, 10-6. That would be the game’s final score and the Titan’s closing chance at coming back.
The LSU Tigers got a go-ahead three run bomb from Sean Ochinko and an eighth inning two-run rip from Ryan Schimpf to top UVA in the opening round of the CWS. The Tigers have a number one ranking in the major polls and a number three seed this tournament. They won 51 games in the regular season and returned for their 15th CWS appearance this year. LSU came into Rosenblatt Stadium perfect and untouched this postseason and hoping to continue the terrific, tearing, trend. After cruising past three teams in the Baton Rouge Regional, they took care of business against Rice in two tries during super regional action. The team’s confidence is as high as ever with a .315 hitting offense lead by second baseman, DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu, who batted .340 this year, is one of many over-300 hitting LSU players. Schimpf had 19 homers and a .335 average while driving in 63 for the 2009 Tigers. Blake Dean boasted a .333 clip with 15 dingers. Junior right-fielder, Jared Mitchell, is LSU’s most versatile star. He was recently drafted 24th overall by the White Sox. Mitchell hit .325 and stole 35 bases, while Ochinko clubbed .330 with 50 RBIs. Anthony Ranaudo and Louis Coleman are an excellent pair of pitchers. The one-two punch packed a combined 23-5 record and both have ERAs under 3.00 in over 105 innings each. The Tigers have a fabulous closer in freshman, Matty Ott, but not too many reliable arms in relief. Despite the lack of depth in the pen, LSU has dominated opponents and the greatness continued against the second best lineup in the CWS.
The Cavaliers sent Danny Hultzen to the mound against Ranaudo in what was pegged as a pitcher’s dual from the onset. Hultzen never got into a rhythm for Virginia. He allowed three LSU runs and seven hits in three innings. The Tigers won their opening round game for the first time in four appearances since 2000 by banging out 14 hits against a pitching staff allowing only ten runs in the past six games. LSU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on three consecutive hits but left two men stranded on base. LSU plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning on smashes by LeMahieu and Schimpf. Dean followed with a sacrifice fly and Micah Gibbs capped off the frame with his second base hit.
Hultzen wasn’t the only ace having a tough time toeing the rubber. UVA succeeded in unsettling Ranaudo. Ranaudo was lifted after 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Anthony laid down the Cavaliers in order in the first and escaped the second when Mikie Mahtook made a tremendous diving catch. He’s a dynamic outfielder and the big freshman will be one to contend with for some time at LSU with his surprisingly blazing speed and great dumps on balls. Virginia solidified, coming through with a run in the third inning on a double. They sent into a tizzy and roughed up Ranaudo in the fourth. LSU coach Paul Mainieri removed his starter when he couldn’t find the strike zone and replaced him with Paul Bertuccini. LSU clung to a 3-2 lead after the reliever polished off UVA in the fourth.
Virginia bested the Bayou Bengals’ bullpen in the fifth inning backed by a solo homerun, to take a one-run lead. Reliever Austin Ross finished the fifth to keep the game within reach for the home team. With LSU trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Gibbs lead off the inning with a single. Mahtook reached base on a one-out single and both were driven in on Ochinko’s drilling off Matt Packer. The ball was driven into the leftfield bleacher seats for a 6-4 Tigers advantage. Franco Valdes, the Virginia backstop, laced an opposite-field homerun to left off Ross to trim the Tigers lead to one in the seventh. Tyler Wilson, UVA’s top bullpen arm, tossed an easy 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. Ross and three relievers combined to hold Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers scoreless the rest of the way. But, LSU would cross the plate three more times in the 3 hour, 40 minute emotion-filled slugfest.
In the eighth, the Tigers extended their lead on a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. Schimpf stroked his 20th homer of the season off Wilson to provide Ott with a four-run cushion. Ott struck out one of college baseball’s best and exciting offensive players, centerfielder Jarrett Parker, to end the game. Nine pitchers were used during the heated happening. LSU, with an eleven game wining streak on the line, will have an SEC showdown with a bout against Arkansas on Monday. The Tigers will give the nod to Coleman, who last took the mound against the Razorbacks in May. The senior right-hander shut them out, allowing just two hits that game. Coleman was one of the relievers Mainieri used to down the Cavaliers yesterday. He maintained the LSU lead in the eighth by getting three outs on about 15 throws. Coleman will be ready to start tomorrow to bestow LSU a solid outing in a superior SEC billing.
Parting points: Andy Pettitte sure was cooked in an insipid effort on Saturday. I am hoping the Yankees can somehow show chivalry with Johan Santana on the hill for the Mets in the finale of the Subway Series. I guess you have to be living on another continent to expect A.J. Burnett to be the better pitcher this afternoon.
Is it closing time for Hollywood tonight in the NBA Finals?
Arkansas came into the College World Series as a struggling team. They lost 10 of 13 games heading into the tournament. Their road to Omaha was the toughest of the final eight teams. The strong finishers stormed through the Norman Regional as one of the hottest hitting teams. The Razorbacks then defeated Florida State in two games in the Tallahassee Super Regional round to advance to the CWS. The team has played exceptionally well during the post-season and somehow seem to get things done with average pitching. They have challenges ahead because they are in a tough bracket. The Hogs needed an outstanding pitching performances and a first game win in order to keep the momentum and have a chance at being in the championship series.
Arkansas received a strong start from their best pitcher, Dallas Keuchel, in the victory over Cal State. Keuchel allowed four runs on five hits. He threw his true left-handed sinker and laser fastball to tame the Titan bats. Mike Bolsinger added aid with three innings for his second save. He allowed two runs and four hits. Bolsinger has appeared in 27 games for the Hogs and has a 2.83 ERA in 60 1/3 innings. The Razorbacks reached double-digits in runs for the fourth time in six games. Nine runs were scored with two outs and the leader offensively was Andy Wilkins. Wilkins lead the offense during the season with a .329 batting average and 17 homeruns. He clubbed 51 RBIs and drove in five more yesterday. The sophomore first baseman will step to the plate against LSU (the Razorback’s next opponent on Monday) with a .593 average. He has five extra-base hits and four homeruns this NCAA tournament run. The serious 7th year head coach, Dave Van Horn, guided the Hogs to the 2003 and 2004 CWS but failed to win a game in those years. This year the monkey is off his back and he has a fair chance to grasp another game, or more.
The Razorbacks manufactured a pair of runs in the opening frame. Zack Cox, the Arkansas freshman who flashed 12 homeruns during the season flicked another in the third inning for two more Hog runs. Cox plays third base and is a dead-red fastball hitter. The Razorbacks ripped 19 year old, Fullerton freshman, Noe Ramirez. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings for the number two seeded Titans. It was Ramirez’s shortest start in his last 15 appearances. The first freshman pitcher to start a CWS game left after allowing seven runs by the fourth inning. That’s when Arkansas broke the game open, scoring five runs in total during the inning. Wilkins walloped a Tyler Pill offering into the stands for three more runs. It was Wilkins’ team-leading 19th long ball. The Hogs pressured Pill previous to Wilkins pulverizing the pitch. Scott Lyons grounded the first pitch he saw between Cal State shortstop and third baseman for a four run lead. The early scoring proved too much for the Titans.
It was a huge boost for Arkansas to take the early advantage against the five-time defending CWS champions. Fullerton represents to class of college baseball and has an offensive with a wealth of experience. Josh Fellhauer, with his .399 average, scares you the most. Junior, Khris Davis and senior, Joe Scott, also are capable of putting the ball in play and taking pitches. The Titans were one of the favorites to win the national title with their 47-14 regular season record. Cal State benefited from weak regional round opponents. They stomped Utah and Gonzaga and hosted an overmatched Louisville squad in the super regionals. The Titans crushed the Cardinals in two games, outscoring them 23-2. Ramirez was 10-1 for Cal State with a 2.86 ERA in 107 innings. The phenom struck out 18 in just 15 innings in the regional and super regional rounds but was chased out of the game by the fourth inning in Saturday’s defeat. Pill was 11-3 this Spring, but pitching in just his first relief role in the CWS yesterday. The balanced team entered the tournament hitting an outstanding .330 and a staff ERA of 3.36. It’s win, or go home, time for the Titans now. They face Virginia in the loser’s bracket elimination game next. Coach Dave Serrano knows the Titans have a tough road ahead but the team is still and exciting one to watch. They have one of the game’s best hitters in Jared Clark and an All-American candidate in right-hander, Daniel Renken. Renken struck out 98 and walked 32 this year, and opponents are finding it hard to hit more than .200 off the standout sophomore. Before this weekend, Serrano’s team trailed in just one inning in nine games. The Titans cut the Hogs’ lead in half in the third inning, scoring one-third of their six runs. They came away with just one run in the eighth after loading the bases and being down in the box score, 10-6. That would be the game’s final score and the Titan’s closing chance at coming back.
The LSU Tigers got a go-ahead three run bomb from Sean Ochinko and an eighth inning two-run rip from Ryan Schimpf to top UVA in the opening round of the CWS. The Tigers have a number one ranking in the major polls and a number three seed this tournament. They won 51 games in the regular season and returned for their 15th CWS appearance this year. LSU came into Rosenblatt Stadium perfect and untouched this postseason and hoping to continue the terrific, tearing, trend. After cruising past three teams in the Baton Rouge Regional, they took care of business against Rice in two tries during super regional action. The team’s confidence is as high as ever with a .315 hitting offense lead by second baseman, DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu, who batted .340 this year, is one of many over-300 hitting LSU players. Schimpf had 19 homers and a .335 average while driving in 63 for the 2009 Tigers. Blake Dean boasted a .333 clip with 15 dingers. Junior right-fielder, Jared Mitchell, is LSU’s most versatile star. He was recently drafted 24th overall by the White Sox. Mitchell hit .325 and stole 35 bases, while Ochinko clubbed .330 with 50 RBIs. Anthony Ranaudo and Louis Coleman are an excellent pair of pitchers. The one-two punch packed a combined 23-5 record and both have ERAs under 3.00 in over 105 innings each. The Tigers have a fabulous closer in freshman, Matty Ott, but not too many reliable arms in relief. Despite the lack of depth in the pen, LSU has dominated opponents and the greatness continued against the second best lineup in the CWS.
The Cavaliers sent Danny Hultzen to the mound against Ranaudo in what was pegged as a pitcher’s dual from the onset. Hultzen never got into a rhythm for Virginia. He allowed three LSU runs and seven hits in three innings. The Tigers won their opening round game for the first time in four appearances since 2000 by banging out 14 hits against a pitching staff allowing only ten runs in the past six games. LSU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on three consecutive hits but left two men stranded on base. LSU plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning on smashes by LeMahieu and Schimpf. Dean followed with a sacrifice fly and Micah Gibbs capped off the frame with his second base hit.
Hultzen wasn’t the only ace having a tough time toeing the rubber. UVA succeeded in unsettling Ranaudo. Ranaudo was lifted after 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Anthony laid down the Cavaliers in order in the first and escaped the second when Mikie Mahtook made a tremendous diving catch. He’s a dynamic outfielder and the big freshman will be one to contend with for some time at LSU with his surprisingly blazing speed and great dumps on balls. Virginia solidified, coming through with a run in the third inning on a double. They sent into a tizzy and roughed up Ranaudo in the fourth. LSU coach Paul Mainieri removed his starter when he couldn’t find the strike zone and replaced him with Paul Bertuccini. LSU clung to a 3-2 lead after the reliever polished off UVA in the fourth.
Virginia bested the Bayou Bengals’ bullpen in the fifth inning backed by a solo homerun, to take a one-run lead. Reliever Austin Ross finished the fifth to keep the game within reach for the home team. With LSU trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Gibbs lead off the inning with a single. Mahtook reached base on a one-out single and both were driven in on Ochinko’s drilling off Matt Packer. The ball was driven into the leftfield bleacher seats for a 6-4 Tigers advantage. Franco Valdes, the Virginia backstop, laced an opposite-field homerun to left off Ross to trim the Tigers lead to one in the seventh. Tyler Wilson, UVA’s top bullpen arm, tossed an easy 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. Ross and three relievers combined to hold Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers scoreless the rest of the way. But, LSU would cross the plate three more times in the 3 hour, 40 minute emotion-filled slugfest.
In the eighth, the Tigers extended their lead on a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. Schimpf stroked his 20th homer of the season off Wilson to provide Ott with a four-run cushion. Ott struck out one of college baseball’s best and exciting offensive players, centerfielder Jarrett Parker, to end the game. Nine pitchers were used during the heated happening. LSU, with an eleven game wining streak on the line, will have an SEC showdown with a bout against Arkansas on Monday. The Tigers will give the nod to Coleman, who last took the mound against the Razorbacks in May. The senior right-hander shut them out, allowing just two hits that game. Coleman was one of the relievers Mainieri used to down the Cavaliers yesterday. He maintained the LSU lead in the eighth by getting three outs on about 15 throws. Coleman will be ready to start tomorrow to bestow LSU a solid outing in a superior SEC billing.
Parting points: Andy Pettitte sure was cooked in an insipid effort on Saturday. I am hoping the Yankees can somehow show chivalry with Johan Santana on the hill for the Mets in the finale of the Subway Series. I guess you have to be living on another continent to expect A.J. Burnett to be the better pitcher this afternoon.
Is it closing time for Hollywood tonight in the NBA Finals?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Eerie End
June 12, 2009. 11:00 p.m. That was the time of the disastrous definitive drop.
Game 1 of the 2009 Subway Series will be remembered forever. It was perhaps the worst regular season loss the Mets have ever had. I am still in stunned disbelief after the way the Yankees topped the Mets 9-8 last night. In a wild-scoring contest, I was half-expecting a crazy conclusion. It was the Yankees who played giveaway the entire game, but the Mets who suffered the galling defeat with one eerie ending error.
The Bombers took an early one run lead in the bottom of the second on Robinson Cano’s full count blast off Amazin’ starter, Livan Hernandez. Joba Chamberlain momentarily gave up the Yankees lead in the top of the third. Chamberlain walked Carlos Beltran on a full count. Luis Castillo scored, making the Mets’ first impression, and fittingly so. It would be Castillo in the bottom of the ninth leaving a lasting impression as he bobbled and dropped an Alex Rodriguez popup. The Subway Series is surely intensified with this most recent remorse.
Chamberlain struck out David Wright in the third but unintentionally hit Ryan Church with a pitch with the bases loaded. The second run was a gift from the Yankees, as Alex Cora reached home for New York’s National League team. Joba’s defense did not help him during the third inning. Cano picked up an error at second base. The Bombers answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. Mark Teixeira hit a towering ball to center field for a two-run homer. Teixeira connected for the ninth time in his last 15 home games. He has 13 bombs in his last 25 overall games and continues to tear the cover off the ball and play a fabulous first base. Mark’s RBI total stands at 54 on the season.
The Mets feasted off the Yankees bullpen in the top of the fifth. The Yankees were able to milk five innings out of their relief core. Chamberlain lasted just four innings, throwing 100 pitches to 20 batters. He also walked five of the nine Yankee pitchers allowed. Chamberlain was done in by two hit batters, the five free passes and fact the Mets could not stay off the bases. Ryan Church doubled to right, scoring Beltran and Wright. Gary Sheffield slammed a shot over the left field seats on a 2-2 offering for the two-run tater and 6-3 Mets lead. The long balls piled up from there. Derek Jeter racked a round-tripper in the bottom of the fifth and Hideki Matsui landed one in the right field stands the next inning. Yesterday was Matsui’s birthday, so I figured he would have a great game. He has a tendency to perform well and rise to the occasion in celebratory situations. On his 34th birthday, he hit a grand slam off Oakland’s, Joe Blanton.
The Yankees scored three runs total in the sixth, highlighted by Matsui’s ninth of the year off Jon Switzer. Hernandez was removed after issuing a full count walk to Jorge Posada. I had no idea Switzer was even on the Mets’ roster prior to Friday. The former Tampa Bay Ray has four major league years experience. He faced two batters last night as a New York Met reliever. Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano split time in relief too. Green threw a scoreless inning and a half, walking two and striking out one batter. Feliciano held the Bombers hitless in an effective bullpen stint of four pitches, all for strikes. The Mets hitters would not go down easily nor give up the fight in this back-and-forth fluctuating scoring session. The lead changed hands six times. Beltran, Church and Castillo all stole bases during the game. It was Jeter snagging a bag in the ninth that would be an important play later.
But, before we recount that incredible, dumbfounding ninth inning, let’s trace back to the seventh. The Mets tied the score at seven in the top half of the inning. They scored one run on two hits. Fernando Tatis pinch-hit for Brian Schneider. He grounded into a double play to second. Sheffield scored on the two-out grounder. In the eighth, the Mets took the lead 8-7 with Mariano Rivera on the mound. Rivera was making a rare eighth inning appearance, going against the protocol. Wright got the best of Mo’s cut fastball with a double to right field. The All-star third baseman is on fire, hitting .633 in his last eight games. The potential game winning hit allowed Beltran to score. Rivera walked Beltran prior to serving up the Wright extra base hit. It was just the third time in 26 plus innings Rivera has been walked on. The Yankees did not score in the bottom of the eighth. The team left five runners on base throughout the entire game.
Francisco Rodriguez, arguably the best closer in baseball this season, was summoned to close the game for the Mets in the ninth. Jeter singled with one out. Krod slowly struck out a pinch-hitting, Johnny Damon on nine pitches. Jeter scrambled to second with a steal on the strikeout. Mets manager, Jerry Manuel, opted to intentionally walk Teixeira to create the force out situation. Rodriguez got ahead on the count, 3-0, before taking a strike from Krod. Francisco appeared to escape the ninth inning jam when the three-time AL MVP promptly popped up and pounded his bat into the ground. The Yankee third baseman was only 1 for 17 lifetime against Krod. His ball arched towards a drifting and backpedaling Castillo in midfield. In a weird twist of events, Castillo simply dropped a ball he was under and able to catch. He was only using one hand on the attempt, and suffered for it. The Gold Glove second baseman’s excruciating error allowed two more Yankee runs. Jeter and Teixeira were both able to score on the slip-up. I still can‘t fathom how Castillo dropped the ball, but more amazing is the fact Teixeira was speedy enough to score from first base. Teixeira easily beat Alex Cora’s relay from Castillo by sprinting hard all the way. It was utterly amazing how his hankering hunch happened to handily help by heaping the heroic run.
The Mets continue to find unique ways to lose. Krod came into the game without a blown save. He would not pick up his 17th save but instead endure his first loss and blown save of the year. The Mets are now 31-28 and the Bombers boast a 35-26 record. The Yankees snapped a three game losing skid and look to take the series by winning today. I can’t wait for this afternoon’s game, although I doubt anything can top the drama of last night. The ghosts of Yankee Stadium haunted the New York Mets in their first appearance at the new park. The improbable and unlikely game-ending error lifted the Bombers in sprit and in the Subway Series win column. The Mets’ fortunes turned in an eerie instant. Lucky number 13, Alex Rodriguez, lobbed a pop fly to hand the Mets a win, but Castillo chucked it away. The Amazins annunciated awfully an anomalous allowance. The gift-wrapped dropped and infamous popup adds a new development to the cross-town rivals. As eerie as the ending was, I felt in my gut something was going to happen when Arod was at-bat. I listen to the games on the radio instead of watching them on television most of the time. Times like last night are the very reason I do. It’s so surreal to capture sports by listening to the game calls. My indirect involvement and personal connection with the New York Yankees has no basis in reality of course. As sports fans, we like to believe we are active participants in our teams’ fortunes. I know just because I felt something would happen didn’t mean I was influential in their weird win. I think I was just looking for a remedy from Thursday night. I found my cure in Castillo’s cursed catch.
Parting points: Congratulations to the 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. If not for the outrageous Yankees win, The Pens Game 7 win would have been the bigger surprise.
We’ve heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. How about Castillo the Empire Slayer?
Game 1 of the 2009 Subway Series will be remembered forever. It was perhaps the worst regular season loss the Mets have ever had. I am still in stunned disbelief after the way the Yankees topped the Mets 9-8 last night. In a wild-scoring contest, I was half-expecting a crazy conclusion. It was the Yankees who played giveaway the entire game, but the Mets who suffered the galling defeat with one eerie ending error.
The Bombers took an early one run lead in the bottom of the second on Robinson Cano’s full count blast off Amazin’ starter, Livan Hernandez. Joba Chamberlain momentarily gave up the Yankees lead in the top of the third. Chamberlain walked Carlos Beltran on a full count. Luis Castillo scored, making the Mets’ first impression, and fittingly so. It would be Castillo in the bottom of the ninth leaving a lasting impression as he bobbled and dropped an Alex Rodriguez popup. The Subway Series is surely intensified with this most recent remorse.
Chamberlain struck out David Wright in the third but unintentionally hit Ryan Church with a pitch with the bases loaded. The second run was a gift from the Yankees, as Alex Cora reached home for New York’s National League team. Joba’s defense did not help him during the third inning. Cano picked up an error at second base. The Bombers answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. Mark Teixeira hit a towering ball to center field for a two-run homer. Teixeira connected for the ninth time in his last 15 home games. He has 13 bombs in his last 25 overall games and continues to tear the cover off the ball and play a fabulous first base. Mark’s RBI total stands at 54 on the season.
The Mets feasted off the Yankees bullpen in the top of the fifth. The Yankees were able to milk five innings out of their relief core. Chamberlain lasted just four innings, throwing 100 pitches to 20 batters. He also walked five of the nine Yankee pitchers allowed. Chamberlain was done in by two hit batters, the five free passes and fact the Mets could not stay off the bases. Ryan Church doubled to right, scoring Beltran and Wright. Gary Sheffield slammed a shot over the left field seats on a 2-2 offering for the two-run tater and 6-3 Mets lead. The long balls piled up from there. Derek Jeter racked a round-tripper in the bottom of the fifth and Hideki Matsui landed one in the right field stands the next inning. Yesterday was Matsui’s birthday, so I figured he would have a great game. He has a tendency to perform well and rise to the occasion in celebratory situations. On his 34th birthday, he hit a grand slam off Oakland’s, Joe Blanton.
The Yankees scored three runs total in the sixth, highlighted by Matsui’s ninth of the year off Jon Switzer. Hernandez was removed after issuing a full count walk to Jorge Posada. I had no idea Switzer was even on the Mets’ roster prior to Friday. The former Tampa Bay Ray has four major league years experience. He faced two batters last night as a New York Met reliever. Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano split time in relief too. Green threw a scoreless inning and a half, walking two and striking out one batter. Feliciano held the Bombers hitless in an effective bullpen stint of four pitches, all for strikes. The Mets hitters would not go down easily nor give up the fight in this back-and-forth fluctuating scoring session. The lead changed hands six times. Beltran, Church and Castillo all stole bases during the game. It was Jeter snagging a bag in the ninth that would be an important play later.
But, before we recount that incredible, dumbfounding ninth inning, let’s trace back to the seventh. The Mets tied the score at seven in the top half of the inning. They scored one run on two hits. Fernando Tatis pinch-hit for Brian Schneider. He grounded into a double play to second. Sheffield scored on the two-out grounder. In the eighth, the Mets took the lead 8-7 with Mariano Rivera on the mound. Rivera was making a rare eighth inning appearance, going against the protocol. Wright got the best of Mo’s cut fastball with a double to right field. The All-star third baseman is on fire, hitting .633 in his last eight games. The potential game winning hit allowed Beltran to score. Rivera walked Beltran prior to serving up the Wright extra base hit. It was just the third time in 26 plus innings Rivera has been walked on. The Yankees did not score in the bottom of the eighth. The team left five runners on base throughout the entire game.
Francisco Rodriguez, arguably the best closer in baseball this season, was summoned to close the game for the Mets in the ninth. Jeter singled with one out. Krod slowly struck out a pinch-hitting, Johnny Damon on nine pitches. Jeter scrambled to second with a steal on the strikeout. Mets manager, Jerry Manuel, opted to intentionally walk Teixeira to create the force out situation. Rodriguez got ahead on the count, 3-0, before taking a strike from Krod. Francisco appeared to escape the ninth inning jam when the three-time AL MVP promptly popped up and pounded his bat into the ground. The Yankee third baseman was only 1 for 17 lifetime against Krod. His ball arched towards a drifting and backpedaling Castillo in midfield. In a weird twist of events, Castillo simply dropped a ball he was under and able to catch. He was only using one hand on the attempt, and suffered for it. The Gold Glove second baseman’s excruciating error allowed two more Yankee runs. Jeter and Teixeira were both able to score on the slip-up. I still can‘t fathom how Castillo dropped the ball, but more amazing is the fact Teixeira was speedy enough to score from first base. Teixeira easily beat Alex Cora’s relay from Castillo by sprinting hard all the way. It was utterly amazing how his hankering hunch happened to handily help by heaping the heroic run.
The Mets continue to find unique ways to lose. Krod came into the game without a blown save. He would not pick up his 17th save but instead endure his first loss and blown save of the year. The Mets are now 31-28 and the Bombers boast a 35-26 record. The Yankees snapped a three game losing skid and look to take the series by winning today. I can’t wait for this afternoon’s game, although I doubt anything can top the drama of last night. The ghosts of Yankee Stadium haunted the New York Mets in their first appearance at the new park. The improbable and unlikely game-ending error lifted the Bombers in sprit and in the Subway Series win column. The Mets’ fortunes turned in an eerie instant. Lucky number 13, Alex Rodriguez, lobbed a pop fly to hand the Mets a win, but Castillo chucked it away. The Amazins annunciated awfully an anomalous allowance. The gift-wrapped dropped and infamous popup adds a new development to the cross-town rivals. As eerie as the ending was, I felt in my gut something was going to happen when Arod was at-bat. I listen to the games on the radio instead of watching them on television most of the time. Times like last night are the very reason I do. It’s so surreal to capture sports by listening to the game calls. My indirect involvement and personal connection with the New York Yankees has no basis in reality of course. As sports fans, we like to believe we are active participants in our teams’ fortunes. I know just because I felt something would happen didn’t mean I was influential in their weird win. I think I was just looking for a remedy from Thursday night. I found my cure in Castillo’s cursed catch.
Parting points: Congratulations to the 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. If not for the outrageous Yankees win, The Pens Game 7 win would have been the bigger surprise.
We’ve heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. How about Castillo the Empire Slayer?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Sickening Sweep
I was sick to my stomach yesterday, and I attribute the Yankees to my queasiness. The diagnosis: pathetic pinstripeitis. The Bombers’ futility against the Boston Red Sox continued Thursday. They trail their AL East rivals by two games in the standing and have now lost eight in a row to Boston in 2009. The Red Sox currently hold a nine game winning streak against New York, dating back to last season. The teams don’t meet again until August. I know my stomach will appreciate that. I was bothered by the brooms Boston brandished in this latest sweep. Here are a dozen reasons the Yankees made me sick last night:
1) Boston is 8-0 against the Yankees this year. Please tell me how that is possible. Even the Mets rudely wrecked the Red Sox. It is the first time the Red Sox have won that many games to open a season since 1912. The Yankees have never been UNABLE to beat the Red Sox. Boston sure has their number this year. The players and radio announcers can say whatever they want about having 102 more games on the schedule. The Yankees are still only two games back. But, if they can’t get over this Boston snide soon, I can’t expect them to be contenders in September and October. Boston is the class of the division, and that makes me ill.
2) Jason Bay. He’s the new Yankee-killer. The Red Sox do not miss Manny Ramirez with his ex-Pirate coming through with clutch hit after clutch hit. Bay had a key RBI single to tie the score in the bottom of the eighth last night. Jason comes up like a view from a big bay window, large, in major moments. He derides and disparages the Yankees pitchers by ridiculing them with rockets.
3) The Red Sox bullpen makes me sick because they are sickeningly good. They are far better than what the Yankees throw out there, besides Mariano Rivera. Jonathan Papelbon threw nine pitches and picked up his 16th save by preserving the 4-3 lead in the ninth on Thursday. Takashi Soto earned his first AL victory by throwing a scoreless four out effort of relief. Manny Delcarmen has been stable but the Yankees touched him up for three runs in the seventh inning. It was the first time in the last 16 appearances Delcarmen has allowed the Yankees to score a run.
4) Joe Girardi hasn’t beat the Red Sox yet. He had a chance to bring in Rivera for a six out relief role but chose to use Alfredo Aceves. To his credit, Aceves has been good and effective in marred mop-up and long relief responsibilities for Girardi this year. But Rivera was the better choice. Mariano hadn’t pitched in two days and needed the work. In a must-win game for New York, Rivera has to be in there for the late-inning duties. The Red Sox don’t fear Rivera as much as they used to, but he is still a dominant reliever. Aceves came into a tough and impossible situation with two runners on base. He gave up a single to Kevin Youkilis to load the bags, and another to Bay to tie it. Mike Lowell then hit a shallow sacrifice fly to Melky Cabrera in centerfield, scoring JD Drew for the go-ahead run. I’d rather lose a game with my best reliever on the mound than any band of bullpen boys Girardi parades out there.
5) C.C. Sabathia suffers the loss after tossing a season-high 123 pitches and showing some fight on the mound. He gave up one run through seven innings. The lefty is now 5-4 and was pitted against Brad Penny, a mediocre counterpart at best. Penny went six shutout innings before Delcarmen was summoned in relief. Sabathia lost a game he should have one after running into trouble in the eighth. New York’s former farmhand, Nick Green, singled off C.C. and Dustin Pedroia drew a walk on ten pitches. When the Red Sox needed to, they made things happen. Of course Boston took advantage of their runners in scoring position by driving them in at the first opportunity. I felt the Yankees had their best chance to finally win a game against Boston with their ace on the hill. Instead, Sabathia comes out of Fenway with the loss and the Bombers drop their eighth straight.
6) David Ortiz doesn’t seem to have problems hitting against the Yankees. He socked two homeruns during the series, including a bomb to the Green Monster in left off the first pitch he saw in the second inning. It was Big Papi’s third homer in five games and he might be coming out of his season-long slump. Still, it is stomach-turning how he suddenly is cured when he sees the pinstripes.
7) The New York offense is frustrating. They finally have their opening day lineup in tact yet they waste at-bats and fail to hit well with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 3 for 26 with runners in scoring position in the two one-run losses this series. The Bombers play for the big inning and wait for the long ball too often against the Red Sox. I miss the scrappy small ball and come from behind rallies this team seemed to be relying on just a month ago.
8) Base running and defense. I love Nick Swisher, but his second frame base running blunder last night did not do much to settle my stomach. Johnny Damon’s defense was dismal too. He dropped what should have been the final out of the fourth inning on an easy fly ball. It didn’t do any damage, but why is the defense suddenly dispensable? The errors seem to be doubling now that the Yankees’ aren’t riding that consecutive game errorless streak.
9) The Yankees did not envision being swept off the road in the three-game trip. They expected to at least win a game after coming into Fenway park with a one game division lead. The Bombers were reeling off wins as the hottest team in the league before the were ghastly greeted by the Green Monster. I don’t know what it is about this Boston team, but the Yankees just can’t win close games. They had their chance by actually taking the lead last night. Alex Rodriguez and Francisco Cervelli gave New York the 3-1 edge in the seventh. The team was six outs from ending the drought. But again, the magic that is the Red Sox prevailed. The 2009 rivalry is now a one-sided, uneventful event.
10) A.J. Burnett did not even start last night but seeing him in the dugout induces nausea. All anyone could talk about was how great Burnett was pitching in Boston last year. He baffled as a Bluejay in Boston. In pinstripes, he went two hapless innings Tuesday for a perturbed and pitiful pounding.
11) Plunkings. Can we go a game without a feud between these two teams? I realize fighting and umpire warnings are what makes this rivalry so heated and intense. But, it gets sickening and tiring after a while. Penny hit Rodriguez in the back in the middle of the first inning. Both benches had to be warned. There were no further problems because the Red Sox answered by winning yet again. They really do not need to show the Yankees up because they already do enough by playing better baseball.
12) Josh Beckett is a big-game pitcher. He has bounced back this year to come up in key situations as a Boston starter. The Yankees could do nothing at the plate against the ace in the opener of the series. Chien Ming-Wang is not a big game pitcher anymore. Why Girardi chose to start Wang in Boston after only his second game since rehabbing is beyond me. Of course the Red Sox smacked him around.
I am disheartened by the series sweep. There are not many positive things to take from this series. The one thing I did take was an aspirin. It didn’t do much to relieve me but quelled the quandary for some time.
Maybe the Subway Series will embolden my thoughts about the Yankees.
Parting points: A little Beck never hurt anyone, even the song “Nausea”.
1) Boston is 8-0 against the Yankees this year. Please tell me how that is possible. Even the Mets rudely wrecked the Red Sox. It is the first time the Red Sox have won that many games to open a season since 1912. The Yankees have never been UNABLE to beat the Red Sox. Boston sure has their number this year. The players and radio announcers can say whatever they want about having 102 more games on the schedule. The Yankees are still only two games back. But, if they can’t get over this Boston snide soon, I can’t expect them to be contenders in September and October. Boston is the class of the division, and that makes me ill.
2) Jason Bay. He’s the new Yankee-killer. The Red Sox do not miss Manny Ramirez with his ex-Pirate coming through with clutch hit after clutch hit. Bay had a key RBI single to tie the score in the bottom of the eighth last night. Jason comes up like a view from a big bay window, large, in major moments. He derides and disparages the Yankees pitchers by ridiculing them with rockets.
3) The Red Sox bullpen makes me sick because they are sickeningly good. They are far better than what the Yankees throw out there, besides Mariano Rivera. Jonathan Papelbon threw nine pitches and picked up his 16th save by preserving the 4-3 lead in the ninth on Thursday. Takashi Soto earned his first AL victory by throwing a scoreless four out effort of relief. Manny Delcarmen has been stable but the Yankees touched him up for three runs in the seventh inning. It was the first time in the last 16 appearances Delcarmen has allowed the Yankees to score a run.
4) Joe Girardi hasn’t beat the Red Sox yet. He had a chance to bring in Rivera for a six out relief role but chose to use Alfredo Aceves. To his credit, Aceves has been good and effective in marred mop-up and long relief responsibilities for Girardi this year. But Rivera was the better choice. Mariano hadn’t pitched in two days and needed the work. In a must-win game for New York, Rivera has to be in there for the late-inning duties. The Red Sox don’t fear Rivera as much as they used to, but he is still a dominant reliever. Aceves came into a tough and impossible situation with two runners on base. He gave up a single to Kevin Youkilis to load the bags, and another to Bay to tie it. Mike Lowell then hit a shallow sacrifice fly to Melky Cabrera in centerfield, scoring JD Drew for the go-ahead run. I’d rather lose a game with my best reliever on the mound than any band of bullpen boys Girardi parades out there.
5) C.C. Sabathia suffers the loss after tossing a season-high 123 pitches and showing some fight on the mound. He gave up one run through seven innings. The lefty is now 5-4 and was pitted against Brad Penny, a mediocre counterpart at best. Penny went six shutout innings before Delcarmen was summoned in relief. Sabathia lost a game he should have one after running into trouble in the eighth. New York’s former farmhand, Nick Green, singled off C.C. and Dustin Pedroia drew a walk on ten pitches. When the Red Sox needed to, they made things happen. Of course Boston took advantage of their runners in scoring position by driving them in at the first opportunity. I felt the Yankees had their best chance to finally win a game against Boston with their ace on the hill. Instead, Sabathia comes out of Fenway with the loss and the Bombers drop their eighth straight.
6) David Ortiz doesn’t seem to have problems hitting against the Yankees. He socked two homeruns during the series, including a bomb to the Green Monster in left off the first pitch he saw in the second inning. It was Big Papi’s third homer in five games and he might be coming out of his season-long slump. Still, it is stomach-turning how he suddenly is cured when he sees the pinstripes.
7) The New York offense is frustrating. They finally have their opening day lineup in tact yet they waste at-bats and fail to hit well with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 3 for 26 with runners in scoring position in the two one-run losses this series. The Bombers play for the big inning and wait for the long ball too often against the Red Sox. I miss the scrappy small ball and come from behind rallies this team seemed to be relying on just a month ago.
8) Base running and defense. I love Nick Swisher, but his second frame base running blunder last night did not do much to settle my stomach. Johnny Damon’s defense was dismal too. He dropped what should have been the final out of the fourth inning on an easy fly ball. It didn’t do any damage, but why is the defense suddenly dispensable? The errors seem to be doubling now that the Yankees’ aren’t riding that consecutive game errorless streak.
9) The Yankees did not envision being swept off the road in the three-game trip. They expected to at least win a game after coming into Fenway park with a one game division lead. The Bombers were reeling off wins as the hottest team in the league before the were ghastly greeted by the Green Monster. I don’t know what it is about this Boston team, but the Yankees just can’t win close games. They had their chance by actually taking the lead last night. Alex Rodriguez and Francisco Cervelli gave New York the 3-1 edge in the seventh. The team was six outs from ending the drought. But again, the magic that is the Red Sox prevailed. The 2009 rivalry is now a one-sided, uneventful event.
10) A.J. Burnett did not even start last night but seeing him in the dugout induces nausea. All anyone could talk about was how great Burnett was pitching in Boston last year. He baffled as a Bluejay in Boston. In pinstripes, he went two hapless innings Tuesday for a perturbed and pitiful pounding.
11) Plunkings. Can we go a game without a feud between these two teams? I realize fighting and umpire warnings are what makes this rivalry so heated and intense. But, it gets sickening and tiring after a while. Penny hit Rodriguez in the back in the middle of the first inning. Both benches had to be warned. There were no further problems because the Red Sox answered by winning yet again. They really do not need to show the Yankees up because they already do enough by playing better baseball.
12) Josh Beckett is a big-game pitcher. He has bounced back this year to come up in key situations as a Boston starter. The Yankees could do nothing at the plate against the ace in the opener of the series. Chien Ming-Wang is not a big game pitcher anymore. Why Girardi chose to start Wang in Boston after only his second game since rehabbing is beyond me. Of course the Red Sox smacked him around.
I am disheartened by the series sweep. There are not many positive things to take from this series. The one thing I did take was an aspirin. It didn’t do much to relieve me but quelled the quandary for some time.
Maybe the Subway Series will embolden my thoughts about the Yankees.
Parting points: A little Beck never hurt anyone, even the song “Nausea”.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Headed Home
The Detroit Red Wings have outscored the Pittsburgh Penguins 11-2 at home during the Stanley Cup Finals. The puck drops for the deciding Game 7 on Friday when Detroit squares off at the Joe against the Pens. Pittsburgh evened the series to force another game with a 2-1 win at the Igloo last night in a 60 minute toe-to-toe slugfest. The Penguins played with quaint physicality compared to Detroit‘s distasteful, distraught, fretful fashion. The Red Wings can’t be happy they missed a chance to close out Pittsburgh, but surely will find comfort when they return to home ice for all the marbles.
Goaltender, Marc Andre-Fleury was stout, Rob Scuderi and the defense were stern in holding a small lead and the Pens’ offense played well to summarize a tense Game 6. Last night’s game was a perfect example of Pittsburgh’s persistent and durable resistance. Scuderi was the cool clutch in support of a strapping Fleury and scrapy systemized scoring stream. Detroit’s Dan Cleary had 6 shots on goal but did not score in his 17 minutes of ice time. He had a late chance in the third period with his team trailing by one goal. Cleary jammed the puck into the pads of Fleury on a breakaway instead of tying the game, however and Pittsburgh prevailed to preserve the win. I don’t know how Game 7 will turn out, but I do know I’ve enjoyed this series.
The Pens were coming off a 5-0 Game 5 shellacking in Detroit. The team did not make excused but came out firing in the next game. A little home cooking was all they needed in sending the Stanley Cup Finals to a seventh game. Pittsburgh applied extreme intensity in the first period and were recipients of two power plays. They were unable to score as Detroit escaped unscathed by killing off all attempts. Jordan Staal scored in the second period and Tyler Kennedy added a goal in the third for the Pens. Kris Draper chipped in, poking one home for the only Detroit goal during the final period. The Wings too often gave up the puck in the neutral zone and found themselves defending their side of the ice more than they would have liked. Scuderi was stellar on defense and playing net minder during the frantic third period. He made a couple kick saves in front of Fleury with 13 seconds remaining in the contest. The game could easily have gone into overtime had Scuderi not stepped up beautifully at that moment. The two third line teammates Staal and Kennedy were both brilliant. An skater with excellent ability and size, Staal broke the scoreless game with his first minute goal of the second period. Staal clocked a little under 20 minutes, playing the shut-down defender late in the game. Kennedy somehow found the net while mooching around in the offensive zone in the third period. Tyler took advantage of a rare Nicklas Lidstrom miscue to sneak a shot by Osgood. The game winner came after his assist on Staal’s earlier shot. It was Kennedy’s fifth goal of the post-season and his second in the Pens’ last two home games. Staal carried Pittsburgh with the key short-handed goal in Game 4 and initiated the attack on Tuesday.
Fleury was yanked during the blowout Game 5 after allow four Red Wings goals in one period alone. He regrouped Tuesday with a 25 save effort, including the all-important Cleary flick in the third period. Fleury was outshined by Detroit goalie, Chris Osgood. He kept his team in the game but the Detroit offense showed up too late. Osgood stopped 23 of 24 shots in the opening 40 minutes. Staal’s deflected shot off Osgood’s chest was gathered for the rebounding goal and Kennedy pushed the puck through the net too. But Osgood was otherwise, fantastic. The Red Wings were not, despite out-shooting Pittsburgh 14-7 in the final period.
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of Pittsburgh drafting Hall-of-Famer, Mario Lemieux. Perhaps the team was inspired enough by the moment to deny the Red Wings another silver trophy. Or, at least delay it. Detroit is still in the driver’s seat as they have home ice advantage for Game 7. Teams down 3-2 while hosting Game 6 have won 10 times out of 24. Only two teams have gone no to win it all. Although it was nice to see the Penguins win a game without a point from stars, Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it will take more than two goals from third-line players to beat the defending champions in Detroit. Fleury was exceptional in bouncing back from a poor performance. Known as “Flower” he has been a very good goaltender for Pittsburgh during the post-season, and will have to bloom Friday. He did not allow the Wings a second goal last night even though they had their chances to score. Fleury’s given up 35 goals in 12 games on the road in the postseason and 27 goals in 11 games at home. Pittsburgh played with determination and discipline with a two goal lead. The defense neutralized Fleury’s deficiencies. They kept the Red Wings to the outside. Ruslan Fedotenko and Max Talbot pressured to keep the puck in the Detroit zone. They were credited with assists on Kennedy’s goal.
The Red Wings were out hustled and squeezed on offense. An undefended Draper grabbed Jonathan Ericsson’s rebound in the left circle for Detroit’s only pass of Fleury. Henrik Zetterberg was called for goaltender interference in the first period, for one of two Red Wings penalties. Pittsburgh also had a pair during the overall clean and crisp hockey affair. Zetterberg had a chance similar to his accidental goal in last year’s final during the second period. This time, Fleury covered up the puck instead after it bounced off the left post. Detroit’s best chances were on power plays but Scuderi whacked whatever puck landed near the crease out of the way during the waning seconds. Marion Hossa was a non-factor for Detroit and seems to be pressing. He took just one shot last night. Hossa has no goals and three assists through the first six games. He has spent most of his time on the perimeter and has not been the dangerous or lethal player he is known as. Marion dumped the Penguins for the hotter team a year ago. If he intends on proving his decision correct, Hossa better start becoming a bothersome scorer for his new team.
It’s vital the pure Penguins draw first blood in Detroit. The Pens have done so in nearly all of the games during this series. They cannot allow the Red Wings to gain the momentum by scoring too many goals too soon. Pittsburgh needs to come out flying, leave breathing room for their goalie and give the defense a chance to show they can hold leads on the road. The Red Wings effectively blocked passes and shots in the first period to keep the Pens at bay. Pittsburgh was not overpowering offensively because Osgood was outstanding. The Detroit goalie’s efforts held the Pens to just two goals and they will probably need more if they are to win the last game of the NHL season.
Pavel Datsyuk returned for the Wings in Game 5 and his presence was immediately felt. Last night he was a hard-charging skater, but his team seemed overwhelmed by the swarming Penguins. The fore checking paid dividends. Datsyuk, the gifted puck handler, sprung the pass to Cleary that could have changed the game’s outcome. Fleury was chief of Pittsburgh as he made the biggest save of the series with the stopper. He endured a rash and flurry of firing Red Wings, kicking aside shots to blank the opponents through two periods. You have to also credit the Pens’ defense for holding on by their fingertips to a one-goal lead. The defense bailed out the Penguins with board-rattling checks. Veteran right-winder, Petr Sykora interceded a slap midway through the second period by Brett Lebda. The block helped Pittsburgh fend off yet another Red Wings standing surge. It was the first time Sykora was in the Pittsburgh lineup since May 4th. He replaced Miroslav Satan. Brooks Orpik had six blocks and four hits, and Mark Eaton made big advances on competitive plays. The penalty killers Talbot and Hall Gill aided the Pens in surviving the power plays. The Pens reinforced the idea they are a legitimate threat despite their underdog status.
When the Red Wings are roaring, they play their best hockey. Detroit quickly re-established themselves in the third period with more passion. Much remained the same on the scoreboard despite the increased intensity. Mike Babcock’s Wings kept it a close contest but did not seem in control of the game at any time. Pittsburgh played with nothing to lose, knowing if they did, there would not be a tomorrow. They gave it all they had in Game 6 and it did not even require Lemieux-like efforts. Special teams, great goaltending and abrasive defense was most responsible. The Penguins enter enemy territory and a hostile environment where they have yet to win a game in the 2009 playoffs. Detroit and Pittsburgh both play well in front of their fans. I can’t see the Wings falling asleep in Game 7 the way they did last night. If they play smartly, they will fittingly win the Stanley Cup again. Pittsburgh will require a mega effort all around from their precious Penguin players.
Parting points:
Random thought: I love the smell of new tennis balls.
Random tune: Nsync’s “God Must Have Spent (A Little More Time On You)”
In local hockey news, Brent Sutter resigned after two years of coaching the NJ Devils. It’s too bad. The Devils won a franchise record 51 games with Sutter.
And, an update on the USC recruiting scandal: Tim Floyd has apparently resigned his duties as head coach.
Goaltender, Marc Andre-Fleury was stout, Rob Scuderi and the defense were stern in holding a small lead and the Pens’ offense played well to summarize a tense Game 6. Last night’s game was a perfect example of Pittsburgh’s persistent and durable resistance. Scuderi was the cool clutch in support of a strapping Fleury and scrapy systemized scoring stream. Detroit’s Dan Cleary had 6 shots on goal but did not score in his 17 minutes of ice time. He had a late chance in the third period with his team trailing by one goal. Cleary jammed the puck into the pads of Fleury on a breakaway instead of tying the game, however and Pittsburgh prevailed to preserve the win. I don’t know how Game 7 will turn out, but I do know I’ve enjoyed this series.
The Pens were coming off a 5-0 Game 5 shellacking in Detroit. The team did not make excused but came out firing in the next game. A little home cooking was all they needed in sending the Stanley Cup Finals to a seventh game. Pittsburgh applied extreme intensity in the first period and were recipients of two power plays. They were unable to score as Detroit escaped unscathed by killing off all attempts. Jordan Staal scored in the second period and Tyler Kennedy added a goal in the third for the Pens. Kris Draper chipped in, poking one home for the only Detroit goal during the final period. The Wings too often gave up the puck in the neutral zone and found themselves defending their side of the ice more than they would have liked. Scuderi was stellar on defense and playing net minder during the frantic third period. He made a couple kick saves in front of Fleury with 13 seconds remaining in the contest. The game could easily have gone into overtime had Scuderi not stepped up beautifully at that moment. The two third line teammates Staal and Kennedy were both brilliant. An skater with excellent ability and size, Staal broke the scoreless game with his first minute goal of the second period. Staal clocked a little under 20 minutes, playing the shut-down defender late in the game. Kennedy somehow found the net while mooching around in the offensive zone in the third period. Tyler took advantage of a rare Nicklas Lidstrom miscue to sneak a shot by Osgood. The game winner came after his assist on Staal’s earlier shot. It was Kennedy’s fifth goal of the post-season and his second in the Pens’ last two home games. Staal carried Pittsburgh with the key short-handed goal in Game 4 and initiated the attack on Tuesday.
Fleury was yanked during the blowout Game 5 after allow four Red Wings goals in one period alone. He regrouped Tuesday with a 25 save effort, including the all-important Cleary flick in the third period. Fleury was outshined by Detroit goalie, Chris Osgood. He kept his team in the game but the Detroit offense showed up too late. Osgood stopped 23 of 24 shots in the opening 40 minutes. Staal’s deflected shot off Osgood’s chest was gathered for the rebounding goal and Kennedy pushed the puck through the net too. But Osgood was otherwise, fantastic. The Red Wings were not, despite out-shooting Pittsburgh 14-7 in the final period.
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of Pittsburgh drafting Hall-of-Famer, Mario Lemieux. Perhaps the team was inspired enough by the moment to deny the Red Wings another silver trophy. Or, at least delay it. Detroit is still in the driver’s seat as they have home ice advantage for Game 7. Teams down 3-2 while hosting Game 6 have won 10 times out of 24. Only two teams have gone no to win it all. Although it was nice to see the Penguins win a game without a point from stars, Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it will take more than two goals from third-line players to beat the defending champions in Detroit. Fleury was exceptional in bouncing back from a poor performance. Known as “Flower” he has been a very good goaltender for Pittsburgh during the post-season, and will have to bloom Friday. He did not allow the Wings a second goal last night even though they had their chances to score. Fleury’s given up 35 goals in 12 games on the road in the postseason and 27 goals in 11 games at home. Pittsburgh played with determination and discipline with a two goal lead. The defense neutralized Fleury’s deficiencies. They kept the Red Wings to the outside. Ruslan Fedotenko and Max Talbot pressured to keep the puck in the Detroit zone. They were credited with assists on Kennedy’s goal.
The Red Wings were out hustled and squeezed on offense. An undefended Draper grabbed Jonathan Ericsson’s rebound in the left circle for Detroit’s only pass of Fleury. Henrik Zetterberg was called for goaltender interference in the first period, for one of two Red Wings penalties. Pittsburgh also had a pair during the overall clean and crisp hockey affair. Zetterberg had a chance similar to his accidental goal in last year’s final during the second period. This time, Fleury covered up the puck instead after it bounced off the left post. Detroit’s best chances were on power plays but Scuderi whacked whatever puck landed near the crease out of the way during the waning seconds. Marion Hossa was a non-factor for Detroit and seems to be pressing. He took just one shot last night. Hossa has no goals and three assists through the first six games. He has spent most of his time on the perimeter and has not been the dangerous or lethal player he is known as. Marion dumped the Penguins for the hotter team a year ago. If he intends on proving his decision correct, Hossa better start becoming a bothersome scorer for his new team.
It’s vital the pure Penguins draw first blood in Detroit. The Pens have done so in nearly all of the games during this series. They cannot allow the Red Wings to gain the momentum by scoring too many goals too soon. Pittsburgh needs to come out flying, leave breathing room for their goalie and give the defense a chance to show they can hold leads on the road. The Red Wings effectively blocked passes and shots in the first period to keep the Pens at bay. Pittsburgh was not overpowering offensively because Osgood was outstanding. The Detroit goalie’s efforts held the Pens to just two goals and they will probably need more if they are to win the last game of the NHL season.
Pavel Datsyuk returned for the Wings in Game 5 and his presence was immediately felt. Last night he was a hard-charging skater, but his team seemed overwhelmed by the swarming Penguins. The fore checking paid dividends. Datsyuk, the gifted puck handler, sprung the pass to Cleary that could have changed the game’s outcome. Fleury was chief of Pittsburgh as he made the biggest save of the series with the stopper. He endured a rash and flurry of firing Red Wings, kicking aside shots to blank the opponents through two periods. You have to also credit the Pens’ defense for holding on by their fingertips to a one-goal lead. The defense bailed out the Penguins with board-rattling checks. Veteran right-winder, Petr Sykora interceded a slap midway through the second period by Brett Lebda. The block helped Pittsburgh fend off yet another Red Wings standing surge. It was the first time Sykora was in the Pittsburgh lineup since May 4th. He replaced Miroslav Satan. Brooks Orpik had six blocks and four hits, and Mark Eaton made big advances on competitive plays. The penalty killers Talbot and Hall Gill aided the Pens in surviving the power plays. The Pens reinforced the idea they are a legitimate threat despite their underdog status.
When the Red Wings are roaring, they play their best hockey. Detroit quickly re-established themselves in the third period with more passion. Much remained the same on the scoreboard despite the increased intensity. Mike Babcock’s Wings kept it a close contest but did not seem in control of the game at any time. Pittsburgh played with nothing to lose, knowing if they did, there would not be a tomorrow. They gave it all they had in Game 6 and it did not even require Lemieux-like efforts. Special teams, great goaltending and abrasive defense was most responsible. The Penguins enter enemy territory and a hostile environment where they have yet to win a game in the 2009 playoffs. Detroit and Pittsburgh both play well in front of their fans. I can’t see the Wings falling asleep in Game 7 the way they did last night. If they play smartly, they will fittingly win the Stanley Cup again. Pittsburgh will require a mega effort all around from their precious Penguin players.
Parting points:
Random thought: I love the smell of new tennis balls.
Random tune: Nsync’s “God Must Have Spent (A Little More Time On You)”
In local hockey news, Brent Sutter resigned after two years of coaching the NJ Devils. It’s too bad. The Devils won a franchise record 51 games with Sutter.
And, an update on the USC recruiting scandal: Tim Floyd has apparently resigned his duties as head coach.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Oakland's Overpowering, Outstanding Outman
Josh Outman won his fourth game and St. Paul native, Jack Hannahan hit a key clutch three-run double to give the Oakland A’s their seventh straight win. The A’s bested the Twins behind another young pitcher and are now a team on the rise after a few good wins. The seductive Outman had a strangle-hold on Minnesota’s top hitters in the 4-3 Monday night shutdown. A’s starters have the longest winning streak since a stretch of eight victories in June of 2006. Their prim pitchers are boasting a 1.55 ERA through seven starts. It’s been a wacky and wonderful week for last place Oakland. Last night, it continued with the pitching of the 25 year old with a 3.17 ERA.
Outman went 1-2 in 25.2 innings for the gold and green last year during only 6 games. This season, he is undefeated in five appearances and has emerged as the most reliable starter on the A’s staff. His 4-0 record comes packaged with 49 strikeouts, 24 walks and 46 hits allowed in 59 innings pitched. Outman held the Twins to three runs over six innings in the A’s 4-3 melting of Minnesota. The St. Louis pitcher smeared seven and outside a hiccup with two outs in the fourth, shut down the Twins. Outman has seven quality starts for Oakland since returning from a bullpen stint. The rookie improved to 3-0 on June 4th by holding the Chicago White Sox to three runs over 6 2/3 innings. He was excellent in diversifying his pitches and scattering seven hits. The young southpaw fanned nine on May 29th against archrival, Texas. He followed a two-run first inning by only allowing one more hit over six innings during the contest. Prior to his Rangers start, Outman outlasted the Diamondbacks. He limited Arizona to two ones, one earned, in an inter-league clash. The hurler tossed 7 2/3 strong inning to record his second win of the year that Sunday. Outman is effective in pitching out of jams despite walking batters. He only had one pass in a no-decision Athletics victory on May 20th over the Rays. Through six innings, Outman blanked Tampa but left the game after a scoreless sixth. The A’s went on to win in extra-innings and Outman finished by whiffing six Rays. Josh held the Royals to one run over six innings for his very first 2009 win in mid-May. Outman gave up three hits, all in the second inning, to Kansas City. The A’s are counting on their young staff to rework the pitching and rejuvenate the club. So far, they have stepped up to right the wrongs in Oakland.
Ok now that I’ve brought you up to date on Mr. Outman, here is how last night played out in Oakland Coliseum. The Twinkies were in town for the first of a four game series against their West Coast foes from the Golden State. The A’s turned back the Twins, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit. The Twins had a lead and gave it right back during this American League inter-divisional affair. The game seemed up for grabs, and it was Oakland snagging the W. Minnesota scored three runs in the top of the fourth off Outman on odd combinations. Two singles were sandwiched around a walk to fill the bases. Carlos Gomez walked with the bases loaded, and slumping slugger, Matt Tolbert, tallied a two run single. Tolbert was 0 for his last 12 and in a funk at the plate. The Minnesota lead was short-lived. The Athletics countered in the bottom half of the fourth with three of their own runs. Matt Holiday and Jason Giambi walked back-to-back. Hannahan hammered a double to centerfield, scoring Giambi, Kurt Suzuki and Aaron Cunningham. One hit, three runs. Very productive and efficient for the Oakland offense.
The Twins pitching wasn’t as effective as the A’s. In his fourth Minnesota audition, Anthony Swarzak was untouchable as he faced the Oakland lineup the first time. Swarzak did not survive after the erratic fourth inning where the A’s squandered Minnesota’s three run lead. He lost his control completely and was throwing the ball all over the place. The left-hander issued three walks and threw nine consecutive balls to open the frame. Next was a plunking pitch. Swarzak unintentionally beaned Cunningham with a fastball off the left side of the helmet. The rookie stayed in the game long enough to score but was removed in the fifth and sent to the hospital. Oakland was dealt a blow when they learned Cunningham suffered a concussion on the 91 mph drilling. The A’s are short on outfielders but used Adam Kennedy to replace Cunningham defensively. Gregorio Petit substituted for him in the Oakland batting order.
Minnesota’s bullpen faired better than starter Swarzak. They held the A’s to only two more hits. One of those blasts was a towering and explosive crush by Jack Cust. Cust’s 10th homerun of the season came off right-handed reliever, Luis Ayala. The bottom of the fifth bullet was off the first pitch Ayala threw to Cust. It seems like Cust just keeps hitting go-ahead homeruns for about-face scores. The three all tie was retracted with the solo shot and Outman sustained the one run lead the rest of the way. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on. After the blip in the fourth inning, Outman set down the final seven Twins who stepped to the plate. Delmon Young was punched out in the sixth as Outman’s last victim.
The lefty maintained his approach and set the pace to keep the A’s clicking in the wins department. Outman had Oakland swimming above water with devastating deliveries. He was a splash after a slight sinking. The sweeping slider tumbled away from left-handers, who are batting just .128 against the rookie. Justin Morneau, one of the Twins leading hitters, struck out three times. No single pitcher has done that to Morneau since 2004. Joe Mauer was able to get to Oakland pitching. He singled twice for Minnesota to raise his batting average to a startling .413.
The Athletics used four relievers after Outman left the game. Combined, they threw three scoreless innings to deny the Twins any more scoring opportunities. Michael Wuertz struck out two Twins to bring his total to 27 on the year. The 28 year old former Twin, Craig Breslow, allowed the only hit. Brad Ziegler, the second year reliever, faced two batters, throwing five of his seven pitches for strikes. Andrew Bailey drew his fifth save in eight chances after pitching the ninth for Oakland. The A’s seven game streak is the longest current run in the majors and the team has outscored opponents 42-11 during the span.
I am not sure whether the A’s can recuperate in time to capture a division title. They may just be playing for next season by July. But, I am smitten with their starters and hope they hassle the competition into the All-star break and second half of the season. You might remember I predicted the A’s to make it to the World Series. They have a very, very high hill to climb before they even sniff the playoffs, let alone the Fall Classic. But I am encouraged by the pitching and the way they were able to lift themselves over the Twins last night. The starters that currently occupy the rotation are resilient at worst. The low-key bullpen with Wuertz, Breslow, Ziegler and Bailey is brilliant too. Even Kennedy made a sliding game-ending grab as a fill-in for the injured rookie Cunningham. The A’s pinched out a win during a game they were down.
The best part about Outman’s outing is he wasn’t even as sharp as his colleagues were in the past week. Vin Mazzaro, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill are pitching more like formidable starters than inexperienced amateurs. They are attacking the strike zone and putting hitters away. Mazzaro was money on the mound again for the A’s against the Orioles on Sunday. The 22 year old righty made his major league debut last week. He earned the win against the White Sox, leaving with a standing ovation in the eighth inning. The results are revealing for these rookies. During a four-game streak, Oakland starters had not walked a batter. Outman’s passes changed that last night and one of them resulted in a run. But, he overcame the mishap to maneuver and exercise an excellent excursion. Pitching produces the plot for ball clubs, and the Athletics’ aces are acknowledged anecdotes.
Parting points: It’s a great sports night. NBA Finals Game 3, NHL Finals Game 6, Yankees-Red Sox, and Mets-Phillies. Brad Lidge to the DL, Scottie Reynolds to return to Villanova, Tiger tuning up, the MLB draft toning up and Favre doing who knows what next.
I’m already excited about the upcoming college football season. Check out this cool Ohio State player database: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/database/index.html
Outman went 1-2 in 25.2 innings for the gold and green last year during only 6 games. This season, he is undefeated in five appearances and has emerged as the most reliable starter on the A’s staff. His 4-0 record comes packaged with 49 strikeouts, 24 walks and 46 hits allowed in 59 innings pitched. Outman held the Twins to three runs over six innings in the A’s 4-3 melting of Minnesota. The St. Louis pitcher smeared seven and outside a hiccup with two outs in the fourth, shut down the Twins. Outman has seven quality starts for Oakland since returning from a bullpen stint. The rookie improved to 3-0 on June 4th by holding the Chicago White Sox to three runs over 6 2/3 innings. He was excellent in diversifying his pitches and scattering seven hits. The young southpaw fanned nine on May 29th against archrival, Texas. He followed a two-run first inning by only allowing one more hit over six innings during the contest. Prior to his Rangers start, Outman outlasted the Diamondbacks. He limited Arizona to two ones, one earned, in an inter-league clash. The hurler tossed 7 2/3 strong inning to record his second win of the year that Sunday. Outman is effective in pitching out of jams despite walking batters. He only had one pass in a no-decision Athletics victory on May 20th over the Rays. Through six innings, Outman blanked Tampa but left the game after a scoreless sixth. The A’s went on to win in extra-innings and Outman finished by whiffing six Rays. Josh held the Royals to one run over six innings for his very first 2009 win in mid-May. Outman gave up three hits, all in the second inning, to Kansas City. The A’s are counting on their young staff to rework the pitching and rejuvenate the club. So far, they have stepped up to right the wrongs in Oakland.
Ok now that I’ve brought you up to date on Mr. Outman, here is how last night played out in Oakland Coliseum. The Twinkies were in town for the first of a four game series against their West Coast foes from the Golden State. The A’s turned back the Twins, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit. The Twins had a lead and gave it right back during this American League inter-divisional affair. The game seemed up for grabs, and it was Oakland snagging the W. Minnesota scored three runs in the top of the fourth off Outman on odd combinations. Two singles were sandwiched around a walk to fill the bases. Carlos Gomez walked with the bases loaded, and slumping slugger, Matt Tolbert, tallied a two run single. Tolbert was 0 for his last 12 and in a funk at the plate. The Minnesota lead was short-lived. The Athletics countered in the bottom half of the fourth with three of their own runs. Matt Holiday and Jason Giambi walked back-to-back. Hannahan hammered a double to centerfield, scoring Giambi, Kurt Suzuki and Aaron Cunningham. One hit, three runs. Very productive and efficient for the Oakland offense.
The Twins pitching wasn’t as effective as the A’s. In his fourth Minnesota audition, Anthony Swarzak was untouchable as he faced the Oakland lineup the first time. Swarzak did not survive after the erratic fourth inning where the A’s squandered Minnesota’s three run lead. He lost his control completely and was throwing the ball all over the place. The left-hander issued three walks and threw nine consecutive balls to open the frame. Next was a plunking pitch. Swarzak unintentionally beaned Cunningham with a fastball off the left side of the helmet. The rookie stayed in the game long enough to score but was removed in the fifth and sent to the hospital. Oakland was dealt a blow when they learned Cunningham suffered a concussion on the 91 mph drilling. The A’s are short on outfielders but used Adam Kennedy to replace Cunningham defensively. Gregorio Petit substituted for him in the Oakland batting order.
Minnesota’s bullpen faired better than starter Swarzak. They held the A’s to only two more hits. One of those blasts was a towering and explosive crush by Jack Cust. Cust’s 10th homerun of the season came off right-handed reliever, Luis Ayala. The bottom of the fifth bullet was off the first pitch Ayala threw to Cust. It seems like Cust just keeps hitting go-ahead homeruns for about-face scores. The three all tie was retracted with the solo shot and Outman sustained the one run lead the rest of the way. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on. After the blip in the fourth inning, Outman set down the final seven Twins who stepped to the plate. Delmon Young was punched out in the sixth as Outman’s last victim.
The lefty maintained his approach and set the pace to keep the A’s clicking in the wins department. Outman had Oakland swimming above water with devastating deliveries. He was a splash after a slight sinking. The sweeping slider tumbled away from left-handers, who are batting just .128 against the rookie. Justin Morneau, one of the Twins leading hitters, struck out three times. No single pitcher has done that to Morneau since 2004. Joe Mauer was able to get to Oakland pitching. He singled twice for Minnesota to raise his batting average to a startling .413.
The Athletics used four relievers after Outman left the game. Combined, they threw three scoreless innings to deny the Twins any more scoring opportunities. Michael Wuertz struck out two Twins to bring his total to 27 on the year. The 28 year old former Twin, Craig Breslow, allowed the only hit. Brad Ziegler, the second year reliever, faced two batters, throwing five of his seven pitches for strikes. Andrew Bailey drew his fifth save in eight chances after pitching the ninth for Oakland. The A’s seven game streak is the longest current run in the majors and the team has outscored opponents 42-11 during the span.
I am not sure whether the A’s can recuperate in time to capture a division title. They may just be playing for next season by July. But, I am smitten with their starters and hope they hassle the competition into the All-star break and second half of the season. You might remember I predicted the A’s to make it to the World Series. They have a very, very high hill to climb before they even sniff the playoffs, let alone the Fall Classic. But I am encouraged by the pitching and the way they were able to lift themselves over the Twins last night. The starters that currently occupy the rotation are resilient at worst. The low-key bullpen with Wuertz, Breslow, Ziegler and Bailey is brilliant too. Even Kennedy made a sliding game-ending grab as a fill-in for the injured rookie Cunningham. The A’s pinched out a win during a game they were down.
The best part about Outman’s outing is he wasn’t even as sharp as his colleagues were in the past week. Vin Mazzaro, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill are pitching more like formidable starters than inexperienced amateurs. They are attacking the strike zone and putting hitters away. Mazzaro was money on the mound again for the A’s against the Orioles on Sunday. The 22 year old righty made his major league debut last week. He earned the win against the White Sox, leaving with a standing ovation in the eighth inning. The results are revealing for these rookies. During a four-game streak, Oakland starters had not walked a batter. Outman’s passes changed that last night and one of them resulted in a run. But, he overcame the mishap to maneuver and exercise an excellent excursion. Pitching produces the plot for ball clubs, and the Athletics’ aces are acknowledged anecdotes.
Parting points: It’s a great sports night. NBA Finals Game 3, NHL Finals Game 6, Yankees-Red Sox, and Mets-Phillies. Brad Lidge to the DL, Scottie Reynolds to return to Villanova, Tiger tuning up, the MLB draft toning up and Favre doing who knows what next.
I’m already excited about the upcoming college football season. Check out this cool Ohio State player database: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/database/index.html
Monday, June 8, 2009
Rivera's Ray Revenge
The defending American League champions arrived in New York Friday. The Tampa Bay Rays were expecting to begin another series at the new Yankee Stadium, but after a washout, the opener was pushed back to Saturday afternoon. Tampa hardly seemed intimidated by the Yankee lights-out closer, Mariano Rivera the first time the teams played in early May. Rivera served up back-to-back homers for the first time in his career a month from yesterday in an 8-6 home loss to the Rays. Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria feasted off Mo in that game. Saturday it was Joe Dillon connecting on a cut fastball for the tie breaking single in the top of the ninth. The Rays surged back by touching up Rivera again. Tampa’s 9-7 topping was of the comeback sort. The team battled back with a four run rally and Rivera suddenly looked all too vulnerable.
The Yankees tied the game at five in the bottom of the eighth Saturday. Mark Teixiera vaulted a pitch off Tampa’s bullpen into the stadium seats. With last licks, the Bombers tried to grab the lead again after Rivera coughed it up in the ninth. Rays reliever, Dan Wheeler, with plenty of cushion room, gave up three straight hits to start the inning. Teixiera thwacked a double for two runs to trim the Tampa lead by two. Wheeler worked out of the jam retiring Alex Rodriguez and setting down Jorge Posada. Randy Choate, the ex-Yankee, got Cano to fly out on a deep diving drive to center-fielder, B.J. Upton, for the save. Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist hit long balls for the Rays, and Rodriguez homered for New York in the game. Tampa won the first game despite a number of errors, including three wild throws by All-star catcher and another former Bomber, Dinoer Navarro.
Rivera hadn’t allowed four runs in a game since April, 2007. He was knocked around by the Rays on Saturday for three earned runs. The 39 year old took the loss and declared his out pitch ineffective. He did not adjust to the Rays hitters and wasn’t his steady self. Marino’s famed cutter did not have as much break on it, and the hitters took advantage of the ball finding too much of the plate. Rivera was even asked by manager, Joe Girardi, to intentionally walk All-star third baseman, Evan Longoria. Longoria has a nice right-handed stick but is currently nursing a gimpy and ailing hamstring. Rivera seemed insulted by the demand but complied nonetheless. Instead of facing Longoria, Rivera pitched to the .218-hitting Upton. The center-fielder clocked a single for one of the ninth-inning runs that would beat New York. Rivera was yanked after getting just two outs. His ERA is the its been since 1995 when he appeared in just 19 games. The closer does not have a win yet this season. It’s hard to believe Rivera will go winless in 2009, but he is allowing more hits than he has historically in his career. Still, walks remain low and strikeouts high. I am not overly concerned about him performing. He proved why on Sunday. Yesterday, Rivera was back on the mound in the ninth to preserve a Yankee comeback and his 13th save. He went head-to-head with Longoria this time, and the Yankees came away with the win after their closer got revenge relieving a perfect ninth inning. Rivera was reliable and brilliant.
Joba Chamberlain was out-pitched by Matt Garza in a hard-throwing mound match-up. The Yankees haven’t had success against Garza in the past but were able to reap his shortest outing in 12 starts this season. The hitters were patient in each count and made the Tampa starter work for every pitch. He lasted just five frames after escaping a tense fifth inning. Garza gave up a Nick Swisher smack in the bottom of the third. It was Swisher’s 100th career blast. Crafty Chamberlain allowed two hits and a run in the top of the inning, highlighted by Upton’s RBI double-bagger. Joba went six innings but issued just one walk. The 25 year old right-handed Garza walked the first two batters he faced in the fifth. Teixeria popped up with the bases loaded to get Garza off the hook. Chamberlain was not so fortunate with the bases juiced and two outs in the sixth after his sole pass to Matt Joyce. Gabe Gross made it a 3-1 game with a center-field grounder. Navarro struck out to end the inning. Joba surrender three runs on five hits Sunday in a quality start. He wasn’t dominating like he was against Cleveland, but Joba was not tripped up either.
It wasn’t pretty in the eighth, but the Yankees took a 4-3 lead. Johnny Damon’s liner off Grant Balfour was followed by Teixeria’s timely single. Alex Rodriguez walked with runners at the corners to load the bases. J.P. Howell relieved Balfour with no wiggle room and nowhere to put Robinson Cano. The semi-flammable bullpen pitcher made it a one-run game by issuing the pass to Cano. Jorge Posada bounced a Howell pitch to third. Aybar, subbing for Longoria, turned a two-run eighth inning lead into a tie ball game. The third baseman gave Posada an RBI when he was charged with an error on a booted ball. Hideki Matsui chopped a soft grounder with the tie scored at three. Matsui beat the throw to prevent being doubled up, and extended the inning on the fielder‘s choice. I was pleased to see Matsui able to run that surely with all the knee problems he’s had. It was substantial for Matsui to reach base in that situation, and he avoided the inning-ending double play. Alfredo Aceves threw two innings of relief and yielded one hit to pick up the win. He fanned four. The Yankees rallied to scrape out the 4-3 win in their 20th come-from-behind beating. The Bombers resume staging these late-game comebacks. Not all is rosy and cozy for New York. Despite the win, the Yankees were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They stranded eight men on base and have now made an error in five straight games.
The dependable Rivera buzz-sawed Joyce, Gross and Longoria on 10 pitched in the top of the ninth. Joyce leaf off with a grounder and Gross went down swinging. Pinch-hitting Longoria grounded out as Tampa’s final batter. Sunday, Rivera protected the one run lead with a 92 mph cutter in a familiar ending. Mo’s hissing hot fastball was like something frying in a skillet as the ambitious closer steamrolled the Tampa trio. The command and composure returned for the loose Panamanian, and the Yankees edged a half game ahead of Boston in the standings. There were no hanging fastballs in the ninth 24 hours after Rivera cracked. Mariano notched his 495th career save and helped Girardi earn his 200th managerial win. The Yankees put a lot of trust in Rivera. There is a reason he is hands-down, the best closer of all time. He can shut down explosive lineups and is problematical to pulsate and pound. On the rare occasion he disbands, re-usable Rivera retaliates the only way he knows how. He marches to the mound again the next day to pick up the pieces of a disheartening loss. Remarkable Rivera has a will to win, welcomes work and wields wryness.
Parting points: A new song and an oldie for today- “A Dustland Fairlytale” by The Killers and “Everything Zen” by Bush
How about Roger Federer winning the French Final? Not bad…but I still consider Pete Sampras the best of all time even sans a Roland Garros title.
“Hey you, you’re constant companion”- 311
The Yankees tied the game at five in the bottom of the eighth Saturday. Mark Teixiera vaulted a pitch off Tampa’s bullpen into the stadium seats. With last licks, the Bombers tried to grab the lead again after Rivera coughed it up in the ninth. Rays reliever, Dan Wheeler, with plenty of cushion room, gave up three straight hits to start the inning. Teixiera thwacked a double for two runs to trim the Tampa lead by two. Wheeler worked out of the jam retiring Alex Rodriguez and setting down Jorge Posada. Randy Choate, the ex-Yankee, got Cano to fly out on a deep diving drive to center-fielder, B.J. Upton, for the save. Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist hit long balls for the Rays, and Rodriguez homered for New York in the game. Tampa won the first game despite a number of errors, including three wild throws by All-star catcher and another former Bomber, Dinoer Navarro.
Rivera hadn’t allowed four runs in a game since April, 2007. He was knocked around by the Rays on Saturday for three earned runs. The 39 year old took the loss and declared his out pitch ineffective. He did not adjust to the Rays hitters and wasn’t his steady self. Marino’s famed cutter did not have as much break on it, and the hitters took advantage of the ball finding too much of the plate. Rivera was even asked by manager, Joe Girardi, to intentionally walk All-star third baseman, Evan Longoria. Longoria has a nice right-handed stick but is currently nursing a gimpy and ailing hamstring. Rivera seemed insulted by the demand but complied nonetheless. Instead of facing Longoria, Rivera pitched to the .218-hitting Upton. The center-fielder clocked a single for one of the ninth-inning runs that would beat New York. Rivera was yanked after getting just two outs. His ERA is the its been since 1995 when he appeared in just 19 games. The closer does not have a win yet this season. It’s hard to believe Rivera will go winless in 2009, but he is allowing more hits than he has historically in his career. Still, walks remain low and strikeouts high. I am not overly concerned about him performing. He proved why on Sunday. Yesterday, Rivera was back on the mound in the ninth to preserve a Yankee comeback and his 13th save. He went head-to-head with Longoria this time, and the Yankees came away with the win after their closer got revenge relieving a perfect ninth inning. Rivera was reliable and brilliant.
Joba Chamberlain was out-pitched by Matt Garza in a hard-throwing mound match-up. The Yankees haven’t had success against Garza in the past but were able to reap his shortest outing in 12 starts this season. The hitters were patient in each count and made the Tampa starter work for every pitch. He lasted just five frames after escaping a tense fifth inning. Garza gave up a Nick Swisher smack in the bottom of the third. It was Swisher’s 100th career blast. Crafty Chamberlain allowed two hits and a run in the top of the inning, highlighted by Upton’s RBI double-bagger. Joba went six innings but issued just one walk. The 25 year old right-handed Garza walked the first two batters he faced in the fifth. Teixeria popped up with the bases loaded to get Garza off the hook. Chamberlain was not so fortunate with the bases juiced and two outs in the sixth after his sole pass to Matt Joyce. Gabe Gross made it a 3-1 game with a center-field grounder. Navarro struck out to end the inning. Joba surrender three runs on five hits Sunday in a quality start. He wasn’t dominating like he was against Cleveland, but Joba was not tripped up either.
It wasn’t pretty in the eighth, but the Yankees took a 4-3 lead. Johnny Damon’s liner off Grant Balfour was followed by Teixeria’s timely single. Alex Rodriguez walked with runners at the corners to load the bases. J.P. Howell relieved Balfour with no wiggle room and nowhere to put Robinson Cano. The semi-flammable bullpen pitcher made it a one-run game by issuing the pass to Cano. Jorge Posada bounced a Howell pitch to third. Aybar, subbing for Longoria, turned a two-run eighth inning lead into a tie ball game. The third baseman gave Posada an RBI when he was charged with an error on a booted ball. Hideki Matsui chopped a soft grounder with the tie scored at three. Matsui beat the throw to prevent being doubled up, and extended the inning on the fielder‘s choice. I was pleased to see Matsui able to run that surely with all the knee problems he’s had. It was substantial for Matsui to reach base in that situation, and he avoided the inning-ending double play. Alfredo Aceves threw two innings of relief and yielded one hit to pick up the win. He fanned four. The Yankees rallied to scrape out the 4-3 win in their 20th come-from-behind beating. The Bombers resume staging these late-game comebacks. Not all is rosy and cozy for New York. Despite the win, the Yankees were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They stranded eight men on base and have now made an error in five straight games.
The dependable Rivera buzz-sawed Joyce, Gross and Longoria on 10 pitched in the top of the ninth. Joyce leaf off with a grounder and Gross went down swinging. Pinch-hitting Longoria grounded out as Tampa’s final batter. Sunday, Rivera protected the one run lead with a 92 mph cutter in a familiar ending. Mo’s hissing hot fastball was like something frying in a skillet as the ambitious closer steamrolled the Tampa trio. The command and composure returned for the loose Panamanian, and the Yankees edged a half game ahead of Boston in the standings. There were no hanging fastballs in the ninth 24 hours after Rivera cracked. Mariano notched his 495th career save and helped Girardi earn his 200th managerial win. The Yankees put a lot of trust in Rivera. There is a reason he is hands-down, the best closer of all time. He can shut down explosive lineups and is problematical to pulsate and pound. On the rare occasion he disbands, re-usable Rivera retaliates the only way he knows how. He marches to the mound again the next day to pick up the pieces of a disheartening loss. Remarkable Rivera has a will to win, welcomes work and wields wryness.
Parting points: A new song and an oldie for today- “A Dustland Fairlytale” by The Killers and “Everything Zen” by Bush
How about Roger Federer winning the French Final? Not bad…but I still consider Pete Sampras the best of all time even sans a Roland Garros title.
“Hey you, you’re constant companion”- 311
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