Game Report: July 29-30, 2005

Was at yesterday's game in the flesh, while today's is on the HD:

Last night was a surprise, a freebie from work. I had a hellish couple of days preparing an emergency motion on a divorce case, so this was a needed change of pace. It was my first appearance in main behind the plate in a good while, which was pretty exciting. Still, coming in from Long Island, I arrived late, without my camera, and not in good condition to score the game.

So all that I have for this game is the impressions. I missed Garrett Anderson's two run shot in the 2nd, but caught Bengie Molina's blast to cap the Angel's. After that, Mike Mussina settled way down, allowing only three hits over the next six innings. Unfortunately for the Yanks, Halo rookie Earvin Santana was cookin' with Gas, as my pal Aaron likes to say. Santana was throwing the pill in the mid-90's even after 100 pitches in the seventh inning. The Yanks threatened, but the offense was rather moribund. which makes some sense given the Yanks' bottom four: a slumping Jorge Posada (.182/.247/.348 in July), Tino Martinez, and Tony Womack (out on furlough from the Joe Torre doghouse, and starting in center). The funny thing is I say this in spite of the fact that all three had hits on the night, Woemack and Tino having two of the three balls against Santana that went for extra bases. Tino Martinez provided all the Yankees' scoring with a nice homer.

The Yanks threatened in the first, third, sixth, and seventh, but didn't get anything other than Tino's blast in. It was a poor, lethargic performance, making for a distracted crowd. There was a young lady in our section with a propensity for dancing on her chair who looked like all she needed was a pole to take her dancing to the next level.

But back to the Yanks, it is amazing what Mussina is doing, given what's happened to his stuff. The Stadium radar gun had him at 91 a couple of times, but I don't believe he broke 88 MpH, much less 90, all game long. He's changed his stuff to become a slopballer, which could lead him to a "second career" that isn't available to many pitchers. But I suspect he isn't going to be theMike Mussina we signed ever again.

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Running notes:

Top 1st

Chacon looks better without the moustache. He also looks better without Coors field. Apparently, these are the only things that McCarver and Buck know about him.

Little looper by Erstad is the first hit against Chacon.


Bottom 1st

NOOOO! No Scooter! No!!!

I am sorry. I am frightened of Scooter, the evil talking baseball.

A couple of guys on for Matsui in the 1st, with Matsui DHing because of the HBP he took last night. This leaves Bernie and Woemack in the outfield at the same time. If there's a betting line for inside the park homers, today at Yankee Stadium is as good a bet as you'll get. No runs.

Top 2nd

If the Mets do that Ramirez trade the FOX guys are talking about (METS get Manny Ramirez and Danys Baez; RED SOX get Aubrey Huff and Mike Cameron; DEVIL RAYS get Yusmeiro Petit and Lastings Millege, Kelly Shoppach and Anibal Sanchez) they would be getting revenge for the rape they suffered at the hands of the D-Rays in last year's Zambrano trade.

If you're going to give up the jewels of your farm system, you get a Manny Ramirez, not a Victor Zambrano.

Bot 2nd

Holy moley! An infield single for Giambi, finally, that shift burns the defensive team. Of course, POsada immediately erases him on a DP.

Double by Bernie, and now another infield hit, by Womack. After Womack steals the base, Jetes hits one, to make this game 2-0. The inning would just keep on moving, except that Adam Kennedy made a beautiful play on a grounder up the middle by Cano.

Top 3rd

The Yanks defend the stolen base horribly. Figgins gets a huge lead and then draws no throw from Posada despite a semi-pitchout pitch. A nice play by A-Rod gets Figgins to third, and then Chacon's 2-0 offering to Darin Erstad gets past Posada. Again, Jorge and Chacon share responsibility for that run, since Chacon's throw crossed Posada up (although it was catchable).

After a walk to Erstad, Chacon strikes out Vlad (nice!) to keep the score 2-1 New York.

Bottom 3rd

ESPN has another version of that Ramirez trade going on, the D-Rays getting Heilman but having to substitute another prospect for Millings, and give the Mets Julio Lugo. By this measure, Omar Minaya becomes Boggs in the Shawshank redemption.

Wow, Brian Cashman comes into the booth, and it occurs to me that I may never have actually heard his voice before.

Ouch, Alex Rodriguez takes one off the ulna, and you can hear the groan of "Aaaow!" on the FOX mikes.

Alan Embree is a Yankee. What I wrote the other day for BP looks about right.

Top 4th

Chacon cruises

Bottom 4th

FOX is just idiotic. He's talking about the Yankees having a gap at CF for the "first time since DiMaggio"

So FOX shows a graphic with the Yankee Clipper, Mikey Mantle, Bobby Murcer, Mickey Rivers...and Bernie Williams.

Mickey Rivers' last season in pinstripes: 1979. Bernie Williams' first season with the Yanks: 1991. Roberto Kelly, Claudell Washington, Rickey Henderson, Omar Moreno, Jerry Mumphrey, Bobby Brown and Ruppert Jones played in between.

Top 5th:

A leadoff walk to Adam Kennedy gets Chacon in some trouble, but he strikes out CHone Figgins, and Erstad around a Orlando Cabrera groundout to get himself out.

Bottom 5th:

Oops. Gotta hungry girlfriend, so the blogging ends here. I'll post tonight with a rap-up.