Breaking the MT Curse

It seems that Red Sox owner John Henry created a bit of controversy when he blamed the Yankees' losses against the Red Sox on the "MT Curse" meaning the curse of Mark Teixeira. Well Tex took exception to it before the game, proved during the game that he's not the reason this team is losing games, and then actually won it for the Yankees.

Let's for a second throw out the fact that Castillo should have caught that ball (did it get caught in the famed "wind tunnel"?). Throw out the fact that Girardi made a horrible decision bringing in Mariano Rivera in the 8th inning (Coke had gotten two easy outs and not only is Rivera bad getting 4 outs, he's even worse in tie games).

Let's throw out the fact that Joba allowed one hit but only lasted 4 innings (I'm still a huge supporter of him in the rotation, but I'll make no excuses for him. He refused to go after batters and he paid for it. Bad job by him), that the bullpen is tired, and that they're going to need a complete game from Pettitte tomorrow because the entire pitching staff is now gassed.

Let's forget that the Yankees were again bad with RISP (2-9) and that Robinson Cano, who inexplicably is still batting 5th, is now 0 for his last 13 ABs and 0 for his last 9 games with runners in scoring position (let me repeat that: the #5 batter in the Yankees lineup has not gotten one hit his last 9 games or 13 times up with runners in scoring position).

Let's also, for a second, forget that A-Rod should have lost the Yankees that game (will get back to that).

Let's give Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter credit. They ran their asses off with two outs. They didn't stop running. And that's why the Yankees won. He scored from first base on a pop up. The Yankees aren't losing games because of Tex. He works hard, he plays great defense, he hits homeruns and he always, always runs the ball out. That cannot be understated.

It also cannot be understated that the Mets walked Tex to get to A-Rod and that A-Rod should have failed. Michael Kay idiotically called A-Rod a hero but he was anything but. He struck out in a horrible at-bat against Sean Green, striking out, and he got ahead against K-Rod and then popped up a very hittable ball. A-Rod should have been the goat. He was anything but a hero. The Mets walked Tex to get to him. So he decides to show his pride by popping out.

And for some reason A-Rod also decided it was a good idea to run to second (watch it again...it made no sense...the Yankee first base coach was going beserk). Imagine if he had been tagged out and the run hadn't scored. I have no clue why Castillo threw it to second (I think he was just panicing) but even stupider was A-Rod RUNNING towards second. What a dumbass.

Amazingly, I was about to storm out of the room and the station was about to be changed when I saw the ball pop out. If we were playing at Citi Field, I could see the exact same thing happening to Robinson Cano with how the Yankees have been playing. But the Mets are having just as bad luck and it came back to bite them in the worst way in this one.

Gotta give the rest of the Mets credit, especially David Wright who should have had the game winning hit in a big spot. I still have no clue why Wright and his league-leading OBP is hitting BEHIND Carlos Beltran (you can't make this stupidity up), but he came up huge in that situation for the Mets--a situation that he had failed in the past.

I feel for Mets fans there. Ari wrote to me: "And the Mets announce Luis Castillo has been traded to the Yankees whom it was determined he was playing for all along". While I laughed at that, I have to feel bad. I know what it's like to be there. These are two teams who don't want to seem to want to make it easy for themselves or their fans.

But I also feel good for Mark Teixeira who showed John Henry that the Yankees aren't doomed to fail under the "MT Curse".

Update: forgot to post Dave Pinto of Baseball Musing's recap, but well worth reading. A lot more clear a concise just in case you aren't by a TV