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Verlander, Ordonez Too Much For Yanks
Very disappointing.
CC Sabathia fanned seven through eight, but Justin Verlander pitched seven scoreless frames and Magglio Ordonez drove in two runs as the Tigers topped the Yanks 4-2 in Detroit. This game was a pitchers' duel until the sixth. The Tigers were up 1-0 when Curtis Granderson reached on a bunt single, Placido Polanco followed with an RBI-double and Ordonez somehow muscled a two-run home run off the top of the wall in right field.
The Bombers mounted a rally in the ninth as Robinson Cano doubled and came around to score on Nick Swisher's RBI-single. But pinch-hitter Jorge Posada grounded into a double play to snuff the momentum and Ramiro Pena flied out to end things. The Yanks have dropped four straight and tumbled one game under .500 for the season.
It's been awhile since I rounded things up, but it's time to get back in the saddle again.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. It looks like Cano has put last season's trials and tribulations behind him. Far behind him. Robbie extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games with another multi-hit night. In fact, Cano has hit safely in all but one game this season (he finished 0 for 4 against the Kansas City Royals on April 11). Cano started the Yankees mini-rally in the ninth when he rifled Fernando Rodney's first pitch to center for a double and came around to score the team's first run. Keep on keepin' on, Robbie.
The Bad:
Wasted eighth. The Yankees were helpless against Verlander through the first seven innings, but mounted a rally against the hard-throwing righty in the eighth. Pena and Derek Jeter opened the frame with back-to-back singles to chase Verlander and the Yanks had Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui due up. The Tigers held a 4-0 lead, but the Yanks had a golden opportunity to chip away. Didn't happen. Bobby Seay retired Damon, Teixeira and Matsui in order to squash the threat. Unacceptable.
The Ugly:
A fat toad sighting. You can never have too much pitching and the Yanks could use some fresh arms, but I doubt (doubt!) the team will be looking at an old face for some help. Former Yankee Hideki Irabu has decided to make a comeback and signed a deal with Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League. Irabu, 39, was released by the Hanshin Tigers in the 2004 offseason, but I guess he's not ready to hang 'em up. Hey, good luck to you Irabu, but don't hold your breath waiting for a big league team to pick up the phone.
The Yanks will try and move back up to .500 on Tuesday night and give that assignment to newly called up Phil Hughes (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Detroit will counter with Edwin Jackson (1-1, 2.77 ERA). The 22-year-old right-hander finished 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA last year, but Hughes was 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The young righty is taking Chien-Ming Wang's turn in the rotation -- for now. Hughes is 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. Polanco is 4 for 6 (.667) with a double and an RBI in his career against Hughes. Jackson finished 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA in six starts last season against the Yanks as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter is 10 for 24 (.417) with a double, triple and home run lifetime against Jackson.
Let's see if Hughes 2009 is better than Hughes 2008.
CC Sabathia fanned seven through eight, but Justin Verlander pitched seven scoreless frames and Magglio Ordonez drove in two runs as the Tigers topped the Yanks 4-2 in Detroit. This game was a pitchers' duel until the sixth. The Tigers were up 1-0 when Curtis Granderson reached on a bunt single, Placido Polanco followed with an RBI-double and Ordonez somehow muscled a two-run home run off the top of the wall in right field.
The Bombers mounted a rally in the ninth as Robinson Cano doubled and came around to score on Nick Swisher's RBI-single. But pinch-hitter Jorge Posada grounded into a double play to snuff the momentum and Ramiro Pena flied out to end things. The Yanks have dropped four straight and tumbled one game under .500 for the season.
It's been awhile since I rounded things up, but it's time to get back in the saddle again.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. It looks like Cano has put last season's trials and tribulations behind him. Far behind him. Robbie extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games with another multi-hit night. In fact, Cano has hit safely in all but one game this season (he finished 0 for 4 against the Kansas City Royals on April 11). Cano started the Yankees mini-rally in the ninth when he rifled Fernando Rodney's first pitch to center for a double and came around to score the team's first run. Keep on keepin' on, Robbie.
The Bad:
Wasted eighth. The Yankees were helpless against Verlander through the first seven innings, but mounted a rally against the hard-throwing righty in the eighth. Pena and Derek Jeter opened the frame with back-to-back singles to chase Verlander and the Yanks had Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui due up. The Tigers held a 4-0 lead, but the Yanks had a golden opportunity to chip away. Didn't happen. Bobby Seay retired Damon, Teixeira and Matsui in order to squash the threat. Unacceptable.
The Ugly:
A fat toad sighting. You can never have too much pitching and the Yanks could use some fresh arms, but I doubt (doubt!) the team will be looking at an old face for some help. Former Yankee Hideki Irabu has decided to make a comeback and signed a deal with Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League. Irabu, 39, was released by the Hanshin Tigers in the 2004 offseason, but I guess he's not ready to hang 'em up. Hey, good luck to you Irabu, but don't hold your breath waiting for a big league team to pick up the phone.
The Yanks will try and move back up to .500 on Tuesday night and give that assignment to newly called up Phil Hughes (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Detroit will counter with Edwin Jackson (1-1, 2.77 ERA). The 22-year-old right-hander finished 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA last year, but Hughes was 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The young righty is taking Chien-Ming Wang's turn in the rotation -- for now. Hughes is 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. Polanco is 4 for 6 (.667) with a double and an RBI in his career against Hughes. Jackson finished 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA in six starts last season against the Yanks as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter is 10 for 24 (.417) with a double, triple and home run lifetime against Jackson.
Let's see if Hughes 2009 is better than Hughes 2008.
Imagine where the offense would be without Cano right now, kinda scary to think about...
I know the team will eventually turn it around, but this is getting slightly embarrassing. I know Verlander is good, but the team just seems somewhat apathetic like they're waiting until A-Rod comes back. 0-23 with RISP in the last 4 games....
They are very frustrating to watch right now. When the offense scores runs, the pitching falls apart and vice versa.
That's what happens when you have a joke as a manager. Things go bad, then get worse.