YANKEES (77-46) 1. Jeter SS
2. Damon LF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Matsui DH
6. Swisher RF
7. Cano 2B
8. Cabrera CF
9. Molina C
Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (14-7, 3.58). 6-1 Since the All-Star break.
RED SOX (70-52)
1. Ellsbury CF
2. Pedroia 2B
3. Martinez 1B
4. Youkilis RF
5. Bay LF
6. Lowell DH
7. Baldelli RF
8. Varitek C
9. Gonzalez SS
Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.38). 8-0 at home this season
Notes:
-Derek Jeter has 6 3-hit games this season and is one hit away from 2,700 career hits-According to Peter Gammons on Baseball Tonight, only two hitters have a higher OPS than Victor Martinez from the 3 hole
-From PeteAbe: Sabathia is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in his last four starts. Over 30.2 innings, he has allowed 20 hits and five walks while striking out 31. Sabathia is 1-1, 2.45 against the Red Sox this season
More later...
Update 7:43 PM: Some great stuff from ESPN's Inside Edge on the pitching match-up:
Josh Beckett and CC Sabathia, tied atop the American League with 14 wins apiece, match up for the first time when the Yankees play the Red Sox on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball (8 p.m. ET). Right-hander Beckett features a devastating curveball while lefty Sabathia's arsenal contains two quality off-speed pitches, a slider and a changeup. Although they bring different toolboxes to the mound, both accomplish all the things that create opportunities for wins. Like many pitchers, they do most of their work on the outside part of the plate, where the league batting average is .241 compared to .280 on the inner half. However, Beckett (.209 BAA outside) and Sabathia (.213) are more effective than most. They discourage hitters from leaning across the plate by coming up and in more often and much harder than average pitchers do: By keeping the ball down, Beckett and Sabathia reduce the chances for extra-base hits when they make a mistake on the middle of the plate: Both pitchers capably command the low outside strike: Beckett and Sabathia each use their off-speed stuff on pitchers' counts to make hitters miss or make weak contact: Other things to watch on Sunday night: • The Yankees' power bats have been quiet so far this season against Beckett. Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada have hit a combined .273 (6-for-22) off Beckett in 2009, but with zero extra-base hits. Only two of their 41 swings produced well-hit balls. • Beckett seems to let down after making it through the heart of the Yankees' order, though. Second baseman Robinson Cano has hit Beckett harder than any other Yankees hitter this season, with a .364 well-hit average. Cano has been all over his pitches in the lower half of the zone, going 4-for-9 (.444) against them. Beckett has allowed Cano to escape on pitchers' counts -- Cano is 2-for-3 with a double when behind in the count against Beckett this year. • Dustin Pedroia has battled Sabathia. Boston's second baseman has made him work, averaging 6.3 pitches in his seven plate appearances this year opposite Sabathia, but he has only one walk and no hits to show for it. Pedroia struck out swinging twice on inside pitches, and in another at-bat Sabathia shaved the outside corner with a 3-2 fastball for a called strikeout. • David Ortiz hit a home run off Sabathia in June, one of 17 allowed by Sabathia this season. He grooved a first-pitch fastball in the middle of the zone that Ortiz hammered. Sabathia made a similar mistake in his last outing that the A's Kurt Suzuki clubbed for a homer.Good stuff there.
Update 7:55 PM: It was against the Padres, but John Smoltz had 7 straight Ks today (Cardinals record) and 9 in total. Not exactly what he did for the Sox.
Update 7:58 PM: Via Twitter:
@Fletch788: Fun with batter vs. pitcher: Damon and Cano each have 5 2B, 2 HR and 9 RBI against Josh Beckett.
Nice stat from Scott Proctor's Arm
Update 7:59 PM: John Kruk since that the bench should call pitches for Posada when A.J. Burnett is pitching. If this is the Yankees' biggest problem, so be it.
By the way, it is Molina for "ZZ" (how John Santana pronounces it at least)
Update 8:06 PM: Three links for now:
- Baseball-Reference says that A.J. Burnett is in some rare company with his wildness calling him a wild child
- MLBTradeRumors reports on some more drama on that Wagner claim
- Buster Olney thinks that Jim Rice should apologize to Derek Jeter. I have to agree. Claiming he was misquoted is just ridiculous.
Update 8:08 PM: Jeter is 25 for 49 in his last 12 games. Not bad. Let's see if his heat can continue.
Since May 1st, Josh Beckett has started 19 times and is 12-2 with a 2.56 ERA. Not bad. Since 2006, he's beaten the Yankees 9 times.
Update 8:11 PM: Here's the Yankees hitters vs. Beckett via Play Index:
PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG **OPS** SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Robinson Cano 45 41 14 5 0 2 9 4 4 .341 .400 .610 1.010 0 0 1 0 0
Nick Swisher 21 17 5 0 0 1 2 4 6 .294 .429 .471 .900 0 0 0 0 2
Johnny Damon 48 44 12 5 0 2 9 3 11 .273 .319 .523 .842 1 0 0 0 1
Melky Cabrera 41 36 12 3 0 0 4 3
8 .333 .390 .417 .807 0 1 0 1 1
Alex Rodriguez 44 39 11 3 0 1 7 5 9 .282 .364 .436 .800 0 0 0 0 3
Jorge Posada 33 31 10 1 0 0 3 2 10 .323 .364 .355 .719 0 0 0 0 0
Derek Jeter 50 47 14 1 0 1 3 2 3 .298 .327 .383 .710 1 0 0 0 1
Hideki Matsui 24 23 6 0 1 0 0 1 3 .261 .292 .348 .640 0 0 0 0 1
Eric Hinske 20 20 5 2 0 0 1 0 5 .250 .250 .350 .600 0 0 0 0 0
Jerry Hairston 7 7 2 0 0 0 3 0 1 .286 .286 .286 .572 0 0 0 0 0
Mark Teixeira 21 16 2 0 0 0 0 5 6 .125 .333 .125 .458 0 0 0 0 0
Jose Molina 13 13 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 .154 .154 .154 .308 0 0 0 0 0
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 369 336 96 20 1 7 41 29 70 .286 .343 .414 .757 2 1 1 1 9
Simply Jeterian!
Jeter's second leadoff HR of the season; 21st leadoff homer of his career, tied with Soriano for No. 2 in franchise history.
Some serious audio issues for ESPN. They got the media box's a udio for Derek Jeter's home run call and we can't here Joe Morgan. Not a good start for them.
Update 8:17 PM: The Red Sox vs. CC from Play Index:
PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG **OPS** SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_missUpdate 8:19 PM: Cano is way too casual with his defense and it cost him there. Cannot turn that out into a very dangerous baserunner. Awful
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
David Ortiz 25 23 7 1 0 2 4 2 4 .304 .360 .609 .969 0 0 0 0 1
Kevin Youkilis 13 12 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .333 .385 .333 .718 0 0 0 0 0
Jacoby Ellsbury 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .333 .666 0 0 0 0 0
Rocco Baldelli 24 22 5 2 0 0 1 2 6 .227 .292 .318 .610 0 0 2 0 0
Jason Varitek 15 13 1 0 0 1 3 1 3 .077 .200 .308 .508 0 0 0 1 0
J.D. Drew 10 10 2 1 0 0 1 0 5 .200 .200 .300 .500 0 0 0 0 0
Victor Martinez 7 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .167 .286 .167 .453 0 0 0 0 0
Mike Lowell 13 13 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 .154 .154 .154 .308 0 0 0 0 1
Casey Kotchman 7 7 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 .143 .143 .143 .286 0 0 0 0 0
Nick Green 9 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .125 .125 .125 .250 1 0 0 0 1
Dustin Pedroia 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 .000 .100 .000 .100 0 0 0 0 0
Jason Bay 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Alex Gonzalez 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 1
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 148 138 25 4 0 3 11 8 38 .181 .231 .275 .506 1 0 2 1 4
Update 8:25 PM: CC bailed out Cano there with a really nice pickoff move. Didn't know he had that in his repertoire.
Jeter with a jump throw to end it. Joe Morgan says that he does that better than anyone. Maybe 10 years ago, Joe.
Do you think Yogi Berra watches Sunday Night Baseball and goes "huh?" when Joe Morgan speaks or do you think he understands because it sounds like the same ridiculous comments he makes?
BTW...Joe Morgan is a moron
Update 8:29 PM: Hideki Matsui leads off the 2nd with a blast to the same spot as Jeter. Two leadoff home runs, both on the first pitch.
A Thrilla from Godzilla! 2-0 Yankees.
Update 8:31 PM: Matsui likes hitting in Fenway Park. Career he came into the game .327/.400/.530 with 6 HR and 30 RBI. He also killed them in Fenway in the 2004 playoffs. We will miss him next year.
Update 8:48 PM: 2-2 after the Red Sox continue their two out thunder. The Red Sox lead the league in 2 out runs scored. Pretty amazing how good they are in that situation.
Derek Jeter just singled on the first pitch. 2,701 hits. Lou Gehrig is within sight. Amazing that he's doing so well without walking recently. He's gone over 100 ABs since a BB but he's been crushing the ball.
Next up on the all-time list is Doc Cramer at 2,705 for 53rd place.
Update 8:57 PM: 3-2 Yankees as Tex gets a big base hit to right.
Tex takes second on some nice baserunning. If I had a dime for every time an announcer has said "a heads up baserunning play by Mark Teixeira"...well, I'd have a few dollars by now
"If you're not first, you're last" - Ricky Bobby and Yankees fans according to the ESPN broadcast
Update 8:59 PM: And A-Rod gets an RBI 4-2 Yanks. I feel like we're in for a long one. I don't think it's staying 4-2 as a final.
Update 9:29 PM: Cano goes deep and it's 5-2 Yankees.
A Ribby from Robby!
Cano has such a nice, sweet, quick swing when he's on.
Great stat: @jaysonst: Beckett had allowed 0 HR in 47 2/3 IP before Carlos Guillen's HR in the 5th inning Aug. 12. He's given up 8 HR since -- in 11 innings!
By the way, I understand that they're paying Joe Morgan so they should let him speak once in a while, but why do they let Joe Morgan conduct interviews? Joe Morgan wanted to know if Jorge Posada is sitting because there's some sort of controversy. Seriously? Oy
Update 9:41 PM: Johnny Damon doing his best Spiderman impression to the right.
Horrible job by Cano there calling of Teixeira and dropping the ball. Cano has been better at bat but looks lost in the field. Two errors today and an unearned run for the Red Sox.
Doing his best Luis Castillo impression.
Not only the run, but now ZZ has to throw more pitches.
Update 9:45 PM: ZZ gets out of it, but the damage was done with the unearned run. Sabathia has thrown a lot of pitches. I think tonight we're definitely getting Hughes and Rivera if things stay the same.
Update 9:56 PM: A bomb there for A-Rod. I mean that ball was rocketed out of there. Way to get off the schnide.
An A-Bomb, from A-Rod!
The Yankees are smashing the ball off of Beckett. Wonder if he's injured how he's been pitching
his last two outings.
Update 10:02 PM: Wow, just wow:
@PeteAbe: Beckett has allowed at least one run in 10 consecutive innings, 14 runs at all.
Larry Vanover is getting jawed at by the Red Sox players. I think it's only a matter of time before Francona gets run.
Update 10:22 PM: Awful defense for the Yankees has cost CC another inning in this game and two runs. The Yankees defense has been much better this season, but they have had lapses and tonight has been one, big defensive lapse.
Update 10:36 PM: I think CC pitched great. He got killed by two Cano errors and a dropped ball in the outfield. He come out of the game after 6 2/3 and Phil Hughes comes out of the bullpen.
No lefties coming up so I think it's just Hughes and then Rivera for the Yankees (hopefully)
Update 10:52 PM: Another Matsui homerun!
A Thrilla from Godzilla!
I don't know whether he just likes the dimensions or the porn is good in the hotel, but Matsui LOVES to hit in Boston
Ben: wow...they r gonna miss him next year
Yes they are. Someone will sign him. He's far from done.
Update 11:04: Great job-a by Phil Hughes
There's a thought out there, which Steve Phillips sort of eluded to, that the Red Sox would get Billy Wagner this year and bring him back next year as their closer so that they can trade Papelbon (who is about to get pretty expensive) and bridge the gap for a year until Daniel Bard is ready to take the reins.
Ken Rosenthal says that the Red Sox chances of getting Wagner is seriously in doubt. One of those reasons, as The New York Times writes is the dialogue between Wagner and Papelbon. Wagner has a no-trade clause and I doubt he'll waive it to set up for two years and go to a team where the closer talks shit about him before he even gets there.
Yes they are. Someone will sign him. He's far from done.
Update 11:04: Great job-a by Phil Hughes
There's a thought out there, which Steve Phillips sort of eluded to, that the Red Sox would get Billy Wagner this year and bring him back next year as their closer so that they can trade Papelbon (who is about to get pretty expensive) and bridge the gap for a year until Daniel Bard is ready to take the reins.
Ken Rosenthal says that the Red Sox chances of getting Wagner is seriously in doubt. One of those reasons, as The New York Times writes is the dialogue between Wagner and Papelbon. Wagner has a no-trade clause and I doubt he'll waive it to set up for two years and go to a team where the closer talks shit about him before he even gets there.
Update 11:15 PM: Just call him Luke Hughes:
@PeteAbe: The force is strong in young Hughes. Last 35.1 innings: 5 ER, 22 H, 45 K.
The Great Mariano Rivera in for the 9th in a non-save opportunity. Hope that isn't a problem
Update 11:16 PM: And he walks J.D. Drew on 4 pitches. Oy. Now it's a "save situation"
Update 11:26 PM: Mo just needed to get it to be a save situation. Nice finish for him with a couple of classic Mariano Ks
Yankees win. Nice way to finish their 7-3 road trip. 7.5 games up.
I think the division may/should be over. Thanks for following along to those who did tonight.
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