Bryce Harper during bp

Thursday was a big day for the Washington Nationals. They introduced the 2010 number one pick in the draft, Bryce Harper, to their fans. The press conference was broadcast on the video scoreboard at the ballpark. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman presented Harper with his jersey and Harper is expected to begin his playing days with the Nationals during instructional league (and maybe the Arizona Fall League). Harper will wear #34 in honor of his idol Mickey Mantle (#7 was unavailable when he was in high school and just stuck with #34).

Prior to the news conference, Harper took batting practice on the field and he hit around 12 homeruns, once of which landed in the third deck (which is Adam Dunn territory). The Nationals signed Harper to a record deal for a position player, breaking the record set by Mark Teixeira in 2001 (Harper signed for $9.9 million with a $6.25 million signing bonus). Harper was termed the “Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated and baseball’s version of Lebron James. He is just 17 years old as he earned his GED prior to his junior year of high school and attended the College of Southern Nevada this past year. Harper will move from behind the plate to right field with the Nationals, where they feel he will move quicker through the system.

Many expect him to reach the major in two years but Harper wasn’t thinking about it. “I don’t know right now. I just know that Mike Rizzo and [manager] Jim Riggleman and all of them will take care all of that. I’ll just go out and play and let them make those decisions.”

Albert Pujols hits 400th hr

The night continued with Jordan Zimmerman returning to the majors to start for the first time since Tommy John surgery. Zimmerman went just four innings while allowing five runs on seven hits. In that 4th inning, he allowed homerun number 400 to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. Pujols became the third youngest player to reach 400 homeruns.

The game was a wild back-and-forth affair, as the Cardinals came back against Nationals relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen for five runs (four coming in the 9th inning to take a 10-8 lead). The Cardinals lead was short-lived as Roger Bernadina hit a two-run homerun off Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin to tie the game at 10-10. The game would stay tied until the 13th inning when the Nationals’ Ian Desmond ripped an RBI infield single to score Nyjer Morgan for the 11-10 victory. Desmond went 4-for-7 with three RBIs in the game. The loss for the Cardinals continued their tailspin against subpar teams.

The excitement in Washington quickly turned to horror this morning as news of rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg’s MRI results were announced. Doctors were concerned with the results of the first MRI this weekend on Strasburg’s right forearm after being removed from Saturday’s start in Philadelphia with pain in that forearm, so he was sent for an arthrogram after swelling went down on Thursday night.

The results were announced this morning and it is not good news for the 2009 number one pick with the golden arm. Strasburg has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and will likely require Tommy John surgery. He will receive a second opinion before the Nationals make the final decision on surgery. If he requires surgery, he most likely will not pitch again until 2012.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Jim Riggleman, LeBron James, Mark Teixeira, Mike Rizzo, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg

Jake Arrieta reacts to his final out

This must be the week for the rookie debuts. On Thursday, the Baltimore Orioles called up right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta from Triple-A Norfolk to make his debut against the visiting NY Yankees. The Orioles were throwing Arrieta, a fifth round draft pick in 2007 out of Texas Christian University, into the fire facing the defending World Series champion.

Arrieta has been on the radar for some time, especially with the Orioles starters struggling and him having success in Triple-A (6-2 with a 1.85 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 11 starts). He leads the International League in ERA though he also leads the league in walks, though the Orioles are hoping for better control.

Arrieta believes he is throwing his best baseball right now and the Orioles needed it as the Yankees had won ten straight against them.
Well, Arrieta came out throwing strikes as he needed 16 pitches to get through the first inning. He allowed an RBI triple to Curtis Granderson in the second inning, but the Orioles held a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees scored a pair of runs in the third inning but he struck out Mark Teixeira and got Ramiro Pena out to end the inning. He then retired nine out of the next ten. In the sixth inning (his final inning), Arrieta dealt with a bases loaded jam, but he got Marcus Thames to strike out on just four pitches. Arrieta allowed just three runs on four hits and four walks (though two were intentional) in six innings.

He also struck out six. Not bad for your debut against the Yankees. And the youth movement in Baltimore continued as former starter Dave Hernandez came in for the save. He walked one in the ninth to record his first ever save as the Orioles held on for the 4-3 victory.

In Cleveland, the Indians gave Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester his worst start since April. He allowed six runs on nine hits in six innings, though he struck out eight. This was all after the Red Sox gave him a 5-0 lead after two innings (though three runs were unearned due to the Indians third baseman Andy Marte’s three errors in the first inning). Indians rookie starter Mitch Talbot lasted just four innings, but the bullpen combination of Jensen Lewis, Frank Herrmann, and Chris Perez limited the Red Sox to just three hits in four innings.

The Indians held a 6-5 lead but closer Kerry Wood could not close out the game. He allowed an Adrian Beltre two-run homerun in the ninth to give the Red Sox a 7-6 lead. In came Daniel Bard, who has been closing games with Jonathon Papelbon on the bereavement list. Bard walked Trevor Crowe and then Shin-Soo Choo delivered a double to put runners at second and third.

Russell Branyan's game-winning hit

He then walked Austin Kearns to load the bases with no one out. Bard battled back to get Travis Hafner to strike out and Jhonny Peralta to pop up. With two out and the bases still loaded it seemed like another night that the Indians would suffer because they could not hit with men on base. However Russell Branyan delivered the walk-off two-run single on a 2-1 pitch as the Indians won 8-7.

Brett Cecil of the Toronto Blue Jays was again dominant, this time against the Tampa Bay Rays. In 6.2 innings, he allowed just one run on three hits, with the lone run coming on a Carlos Pena homerun. Alex Gonzalez of the Blue Jays hit his 13th homerun of the season against Rays starter Wade Davis, as Davis allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings. Despite giving up a homerun to Sean Rodriguez in the ninth inning, closer Kevin Gregg finished off the Rays to win 3-2.

Josh Johnson

In Philadelphia was the rematch of Phillies ace Roy Halladay and Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson, the game in which Halladay pitched a perfect game (and Johnson allowed just an unearned run). This time the game went to Johnson and the Marlins. Halladay allowed just one run on a Jorge Cantu sacrifice fly in the first inning.

He struck out eight in eight innings. Johnson pitched eight scoreless innings as he allowed just three hits while striking out five. In the ninth inning, the Marlins received some insurance as Dan Uggla hit a solo homerun off Phillies reliever Danys Baez to increase the lead to 2-0. With Placido Polanco standing on third base with two outs, Marlins closer Leo Nunez threw slugger Ryan Howard a steady diet of changeups and struck him out to end the game.

Tags:

Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Curtis Granderson, Frank Herrmann, Jake Arrieta, Jensen Lewis, Jon Lester, Jonathon Papelbon, Josh Johnson, Marcus Thames, Mark Teixeira, Russell Branyan

Yankees 7, Phillies 4: Game 4 was a game with a full rage of emotions. For the Phillies, the fans were fired up at the start, but were quickly quieted by the Yankees early offense. Late in the game, the Yankees were shocked by the homeruns hit by the Phillies to tie the game. Phillies fans and players who were back into the game were thrown for a loop when the game quickly slipped from their fingertips.

Things didn’t start out well for the Phillies Joe Blanton. He gave up a leadoff infield hit to Derek Jeter and a double to Johnny Damon. Mark Teixeira then ripped a ground ball down the first base line, but Ryan Howard gloved it to get Teixeira out at first. However, Jeter scored on the play. Blanton then hit Alex Rodriguez, in which umpires issued warnings to both teams. Jorge Posada followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. The Phillies got to CC Sabathia in the bottom of the first. A bloop hustle double by Shane Victorino followed by a wall-banger double for Chase Utley, cut the Yankees lead to 2-1. Yet Sabathia limited the damage by striking out both Howard and Raul Ibanez. Sabathia never seemed comfortable all night, constantly shaking off pitches and stepping off the mound. Howard singled to lead off the fourth inning and then stole second. With two outs, Howard was still standing on second base with Pedro Feliz up to bat (who was hitting under .100 against left-handed pitching since the end of August. Feliz singled to left and Damon came up throwing to the plate (which was actually a strong throw) to try and get Howard. Howard crashed into Posada, jarring the ball loose, and was ruled safe to tie the game at 2-2, though replays showed he never touched the plate. This score didn’t last long, as Blanton gave the run back in the top of the fifth, when Jeter softly singled through shortstop, scoring Nick Swisher (who walked to leadoff the inning) from second base. The Yankees scored another run on a base hit by Damon when Melky Cabrera ran through his third base coach’s stop sign.

Utley homered off of Sabathia in the bottom of the seventh, his third homerun of the World Series and third off of Sabathia. This ended Sabathia’s evening and brought on the Yankees bullpen. With a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees went to Joba Chamberlain to setup for closer Mariano Rivera. After blowing away both Jayson Werth and Ibanez on 96 mph fastballs, Joba tried to throw a 95 mph fastball by the now hot-hitting Feliz, who quickly deposited the pitch into the left field seats to tie the game at 4-4. Feliz ended the inning with 3 hits, after only having six hits in 42 postseason at-bats this year. The jubilation and expectations of another comeback victory at Citizens Bank Park quickly came to an end in the top of the ninth as the Phillies pitching yet again couldn’t keep the Yankees scoreless after the offense tied the game. This time it was Brad Lidge, who hadn’t pitched yet in the World Series and hadn’t pitched in a game since Game 5 of the NLCS. After getting two quick outs, Damon got another hit, stole second, and then third because no one went to cover the third base bag as Ruiz threw to second and Feliz was shifted to second base with Teixeira at the plate. This play proved to be costly (and will forever be remembered) as Lidge hit Teixeira and A-Rod followed with a RBI double to retake the lead. Posada followed with a 2-run single to give the Yankees a commanding 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Chamberlain was seen in the dugout hugging Posada and A-Rod, thanking them for saving him and giving the Yankees the lead back.

The electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park turned to moans and groans as the inning was disastrous. Lidge got fastball happy after getting the two quick outs in the ninth, going away from his signature pitch (the slider) which had worked against Hideki Matsui and Jeter. When all was said and done, it took 30 pitches for Lidge to hobble through the 9th. Now the Phillies were down with Rivera coming in to close out the game instead of the game being tied and facing Phil Coke. Rivera quickly dispatched the Phillies hitters, throwing just 8 pitched to finish them off.

The Yankees need one more win to celebrate their 27th World Series title. The Phillies, who were so good the last 2 years in the postseason at home (11-1), have now lost 2 straight at home. To stave off elimination and send the series back to NY, the Phillies will send ace Cliff Lee to the mound to hopefully dominate the Yankees lineup as he did in Game 1. The Phillies will also need to hit Yankees starter AJ Burnett or a great performance by Lee may be negated.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, CC Sabathia, Chase Utley, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Blanton, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Pedro Feliz, Phillies, World Series Game 4, Yankees

Yankees 3, Phillies 1: The game began with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performing their hit song (and Derek Jeter’s entrance song) and most felt this was an omen that the Yankees would win. This was a game many felt would be high scoring with the bullpens battling it out, myself included. However both starting pitchers pitched gems like their Game 1 counterparts. The veteran for the Phillies, Pedro Martinez, entered the field to the expected “Who’s your daddy?” chants. He fed off the hostile crowd to, for the most part, dominate the potent Yankee lineup, a lineup most expected would kill the Phillies pitching. So far, that hasn’t happened. The Yankees are hitting .222, with the red-hot Alex Rodriguez going completely cold, 0-for-8 with six strikeouts. Pedro made just two mistakes, two sole homeruns by Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui, before being taken out in the seventh. Watching Pedro take the mound in the seventh, it reminded me of the 2003 playoffs when he was with Boston and manager Grady Little left him in the game too long (and got fired soon following). With double-barreled action in the Phillies bullpen, manager Charlie Manuel decided to stay with Pedro to start the seventh and it backfired as he gave up back-to-back hits, leading to another run.

Yankees starter AJ Burnett avoided the big wild inning, throwing first pitch strikes to 22 of the 26 batters he faced. Burnett’s curveball was working throughout the night, making the Phillies hitters look silly. He gave manager Joe Girardi seven solid innings, allowing him to go to closer Mariano Rivera for another six out save. Rivera looked hittable in Game 2, especially in the eighth inning when the Phillies had two men on and only one out. Manuel decided not to send the speedy runners (Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino) on a 3-2 count and the batter, Chase Utley, grounded into a double-play to end the inning. Utley meanwhile, extended his consecutive on-base streak in postseason games to 27 with a walk in the 3rd inning, continuing to add on to his Major League Baseball record.

Has Girardi completely lost faith in his entire bullpen? I’m not sure Girardi can continue to go to Rivera for six out saves, especially if he continues to throw close to 40 pitches an outing. We will see as the World Series continues.

Neither team is tearing the cover off of the baseball and both teams RBI machines have cooled off. I mentioned A-Rod earlier, but Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts last night against the combination of Burnett and Rivera and never looked comfortable at the plate. Unlike in Game 1, Burnett only showed the fastball on the first pitch to most of the hitters and they were taking it for a strike, trying to be patient and run up Burnett’s pitch-count. That approach never really worked. The Phillies struck out 15 times in Game 2, yet only lost 3-1.

The Phillies left Yankee Stadium with a split, something they did last year in the World Series against Tampa Bay and something they just did in this year’s NLCS. They left smiling, with all of the confidence that they have retaken home-field advantage and can win three straight to celebrate in Philadelphia behind their wild and raucous fans. The Phillies have lost just one postseason game at home in the past two years (11-1).

Tags:

AJ Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, NY Yankees, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard, World Series Game 2

The 2009 World Series is truly a matchup of the two best teams in baseball. There is trash-talking, with each city’s media taking things to the extreme and trying to get the players involved. One NY newspaper depicted Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino in a cheerleading skirt and called the Phillies the “Frillies”. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins predicted the Phillies would win in 5 games. Both teams expect hostile crowds while on the road and Rollins loves to silence opposing teams’ home crowds. Plus he used to being hated in NY.

Both team’s ballparks are susceptible to the homerun as they were ranked in the top two in homeruns in Major League Baseball. Both team’s lineups are the two most-prolific homerun-hitting clubs in MLB. And as Nike stated in a 90’s ad, “chicks dig the long ball”. It’s not surprising that both teams sometimes live and die by the long ball. Both teams looked beatable in their respective league championship series, but both overcame their bullpen obstacles to win and advance. Both teams are led by their RBI machines: Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees and Ryan Howard of the Phillies. A-Rod has stripped the label of “postseason choke artist” and become the Yankees best postseason offensive threat. This will be A-Rod’s first World Series appearance. Howard has continued his usual late season hot streak into the postseason, earning NLCS MVP. Both tied the MLB postseason record for consecutive games with an RBI. It will be interesting to see how the managers elect to pitch to these two sluggers.

Both teams have a few questions marks in their lineups. The Phillies Chase Utley has a 25 straight postseason games of reaching base streak, which ties a ML record. Though he has been on base, he really has not been hitting (.211 against the Dodgers). The Phillies need more than just Victorino, Howard, and catcher Carlos Ruiz to produce. Rollins will need to be the fire-starter and put pressure on the pitchers and Jorge Posada behind the plate for the Phillies to be successful. Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher of the Yankees have been struggling throughout this postseason and some have talked about benching Swisher. The Yankees are relying on Swisher becoming the clutch hitter he has been all season long and Tex to be the power-hitting, RBI machine he was all season.

Both teams have question marks in the bullpen. Ryan Madson, the setup man for the Phillies has been inconsistent all season and has mostly struggled this postseason. Closer Brad Lidge seems to have found his 2008 self. Chad Durbin has been lights-out coming in to get out of jams and if his sinker is working, double-play balls will be common. Everyone else is either hurting or coming back from an injury (Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, and Brett Myers) or inexperienced (Antonio Bastardo, Happ). Yes the Yankees have postseason sensation Mariano Rivera as their closer, but he has been far from dominant in the last year or so. Getting to Mo has been a challenge and manager Joe Girardi has been using him for more than an inning lately. I think that the young bullpen pitchers have struggled lately mainly due to overuse throughout the regular season. Look at box scores and some pitched almost every day (like Phil Coke and his 72 games). Alfredo Aceves ended up with 10 wins, mainly out of the bullpen. Dave Robertson was in the top 5 in the AL in strikeouts per nine innings (12.98) and has been dominant. Phil Hughes has been struggling though he has been the 8th inning setup man for most of the second-half. Since Girardi seems to have lost some confidence in his bullpen, Brian Bruney has been added to the roster and could regain his role of setup man if he dominates.

The pitching staffs are evenly matched. Both have seasoned playoff veterans in Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez. Both managers have decisions to make regarding their Game 4 starters.

Game 1: Cliff Lee @ CC Sabathia
This may be the best pitching matchup that the World Series has had in a long time. They are the last two American League CY Young award winners. They were teammates with the Cleveland Indians up until last July. Lee and his Indians opened up new Yankee Stadium this year against Sabathia and his Yankees, winning 10-2. Sabathia has pitched better than ever in this year’s postseason, rather than in year’s past and is earning every penny the Yankees are paying him. Lee has made other teams look silly for not pulling the trigger and adding him to their pitching staff. Lee has been dominant in his first experience in the postseason.

Game 2: Pedro Martinez @ AJ Burnett
Pedro is sure to hear “who’s your daddy?” throughout this game at Yankee Stadium. He was not well-liked in his Red Sox/Mets days when playing at Yankee Stadium, so it should be no different being with the Phillies. Pedro dominated the Dodgers in his lone playoff game this season for the Phillies (though the bullpen blew his win), and manager Charlie Manuel is hoping for Pedro’s continued playoff success. Burnett is known to be wild but can keep the damage to a minimum if he keeps his emotions in check. Burnett got lit up by the Phillies in back in May, but that was a long time ago. Manager Joe Girardi is hoping for an ALCS Game 2 type outing (6.1 IP, 2 R, 2BB, 1 HBP) from Burnett rather than ALCS Game 5 types outing (6+ IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP).

Game 3: Cole Hamels vs. Andy Pettitte

Pettitte is the seasoned playoff veteran and he continued his playoff dominance against the LA Angels in the ALCS, winning the deciding Game 6. That win was Pettitte’s 16th career postseason victory. Hamels was last year’s NLCS & World Series MVP. He has not been close to the same pitcher so far this year. The Phillies will need the 2009 version of Hamels to regain his 2008 form.

Game 4: Joe Blanton/JA Happ vs. Sabathia/Chad Gaudin/Joba Chamberlain
This is where the debate begins. Happ made his first start of 2009 at new Yankee Stadium back in May and dominated (though Brad Lidge blew the game). Blanton has been the most consistent starter for the Phillies and the backbone of the rotation. Both will be available out of the bullpen for the first two games and whoever pitched the least will probably get the Game 4 nod. Girardi has used the 3 –man rotation throughout this year’s playoffs, though Sabathia has been the only one to pitch on short rest. With only one guaranteed off-day (2 total) and inclement weather looming, can Girardi afford a 3-man rotation? Can all 3 pitch on 3 days rest? Gaudin only made one playoff appearance so far this postseason (1 inning) and Chamberlain has struggled out of the bullpen lately. Neither is stretched out for a long starting stint. Depending on the first three games of the series may dictate how Girardi chooses the Game 4 & 5 starters.

The Phillies won the season series in NY 2-1, though Lidge was not lights-out (2 blown saves and a loss). The Yankees are trying for their 27th World Series title (these reason Girardi wears number 27 on his jersey) and the Phillies are trying for their 2nd consecutive. Both teams have played loose throughout the postseason. On paper, the Yankees would be the choice to win, but the Dodgers on paper looked like the team to be in the World Series. It’s time to throw out all the stats and watch the two teams play ball. It should be exciting.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Brad Lidge, Brian Bruney, CC Sabathia, Chad Durbin, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Dave Robertson, JA Happ, Jimmy Rollins, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Blanton, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, NY Yankees, Pedro Martinez, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, Shane Victorino, World Series

Every postseason, there are disappointing players and teams and thus those teams usually end up losing. Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays were the talk of the baseball world. They hit 16 homeruns against the Red Sox in the ALCS. However in the World Series, the power was zapped from the players and many struggled to just hit the ball. Thus the Rays lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies. For 14 seasons, the Atlanta Braves won their division, yet only once did the team come away with a World Championship.

This season, like every other postseason, there have been disappointments. First have been the first two opponents of the NY Yankees: the Minnesota Twins and the LA Angels. Both teams were lacking the fundamentals and is the main reason they are home and the Yankees are in the World Series. Both teams were victimized by fielding errors, baserunning blunders, and too many walks by the pitching staffs. The Twins made 2 errors in the Yankees three-game sweep. Poor baserunning plagued the Twins in the three games, like Nick Punto’s base running gaffe of trailing too far away from third base (and getting thrown out). The Twins combined to walk 9 batters in the ALDS. The Angels made 5 errors combined in Games 1 and 2, costing them both games in NY. They also had 2 errors in the 8^th inning of Game 6. In the two games the Angels won, they committed zero errors. The Angels also had a few baserunning blunders, including Vladimir Guerrero getting picked off of first on a shallow pop fly to right field and Bobby Abreu rounding second base too far. The Angels pitchers also walked too many, including the nine in the deciding Game 6. The Angels pitchers combined to walk 38 batters in the ALCS. The St. Louis Cardinals also had their problems: Matt Holliday’s error (dropping a fly ball to left) in Game 2 of the NLDS, which led to the Dodgers comeback win; 11 walks by Cardinals pitchers in 3 games; and the Cardinals inability to come up with a clutch hit.

Second, the Angels offense in the ALCS against the Yankees was meager. Except for Guerrero, Jeff Mathis (who didn’t play in every game), Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick (who also didn’t play in every game), and Torii Hunter, the offense was nonexistent. The top of the order (Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu) combined to hit around .146 with just 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. They also struck out 11 times. If the top of the order is not getting on base, the middle of the order (Guerrero and Hunter) will not have anyone to drive in. When the Angels did get men on base, like in Game 2 of the ALCS, they could not drive them in, stranding 16 runners in Game 2 alone.

Third, most of the closers throughout the postseason have been disappointing. Despite the Holliday miscue in left, Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin still had 2 outs with just one runner on base in Game 2 of the NLDS. He could not get the job done, resulting in a blown save and loss. Joe Nathan of the Twins came in the bottom of the 9^th in Game 2 of the ALDS and imploded, giving up a game-tying 2-run homerun to Alex Rodriguez. The game went into extra innings and the Twins lost a game they seemed to have in the bag going into the 9^th inning. In both Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS, Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street could not finish the game. In Game 3 of a tie game, Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 lead. In Game 4 and handed a 4-2 lead in the 9^th, Street gave up a Howard 2-run double to tie the game and a bloop single to Jayson Werth to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead, sending the Phillies to the NLCS. In Game 3 of the ALCS, Red Sox closer Jonathon Papelbon was handed a 6-4 lead in LA. However, he could not get the third out without giving up the lead, sending the Angels to the ALCS. After the Angels had taken the lead in 11^th inning of Game 2 of the ALCS, Angels closer Brian Fuentes quickly gave up the lead as A-Rod homered off of him to tie the game at 3-3 and sending the game to further extra innings…a game later won by the Yankees.

This leads to the fourth disappointment, the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen versus the Phillies. Yes closer Jonathon Broxton blew another game (Game 4) to the Phillies in the NLCS but he was hardly the only one. Broxton yet again had to face pinch-hitter Matt Stairs but this time walked him, leading to Jimmy Rollins’ walk-off hit in the bottom of the 9^th. Dodgers setup man George Sherrill couldn’t repeatedly get hitters out. In his two innings pitched, Sherrill walked 3 and gave up 2 hits and 3 runs. Ronald Belisario pitched 3.1 innings, giving up 5 hits and four runs. Ramon Troncoso was the only solid member that came out of the bullpen, pitching 3 shutout innings, though he walked 3. Chad Billingsley pitched out of the bullpen and gave Joe Torre a solid 3+ innings, though he gave up 2 runs. Even starter Clayton Kershaw, who pitched poorly in Game 1 of the NLCS, was victimized out of the bullpen in Game 5 (2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP).

The final disappointment so far has been the offense from the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher. Yes the two have been playing great defense at first base and right field, respectively. Teixeira has saved many errors with his stretching for throws at first base and Swisher has made some diving catches, even doubling off the Angels Guerrero at first base. The offense from the two, especially in the ALCS, has been virtually nonexistent. Teixeira was 6-for-27 with 4 RBI, 3 of which came in Game 5 on a 3-run double. Teixeira also struck out 8 times. Swisher had just 3 hits in 20 at-bats and 0 RBI, along with 7 strikeouts. Swisher had been so clutch for the Yankees all season but has not been able to come up with a big hit in the postseason. These two guys will be needed if the Yankees are to win another World Series title.

Tags:

Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Chad Billingsley, Chone Figgins, Clayton Kershaw, George Sherrill, Huston Street, Joe Nathan, Jonathon Broxton, Jonathon Papelbon, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday, Minnesota Twins, Nick Swisher, NY Yankees, Ramon Toncoso, Ronald Belisario, Ryan Frankline, St. Louis Cardinals

Angels 7, Yankees 6: At the start of Game 5 of the ALCS, it looked like the Angels were going to blow away the Yankees. Yankees starter AJ Burnett walked leadoff hitter Chone Figgins and allowed a double to Bobby Abreu. Torii Hunter followed with a 2-run single, Vladimir Guerrero followed with a RBI double, and Kendry Morales followed with a RBI single before Burnett got the first out. The three straight hits by Abreu, Hunter, and Guerrero were on three straight pitches. After the first inning, the Angels led 4-0. After the first, both starting pitchers, Burnett and John Lackey, were cruising along until the Yankees finally got to Lackey in the 7th inning. Lackey gave up a double to Melky Cabrera and walked Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, before getting Johnny Damon for the second out. This would end Lackey’s night, without some argument from him with his manager Mike Scioscia, and began Darren Oliver’s night. On his first pitch to Mark Teixeira, Tex ripped a 3-run double to the left-centerfield gap to close the Angels lead to 4-3. The 3 RBIs were the first for Teixeira in the ALCS. Oliver had been great all season and in the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB in the postseason prior to the 7th inning of Game 5). After an intentional walk to Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui drove in Teixeira to tie the game at 4-4, thus ending Oliver’s night. Kevin Jepsen came in and gave up a 2-run triple to Robinson Cano. A six-run 7th inning for the Yankees gave them a 6-4 lead. The fans at Angel Stadium had become quiet (except for the Yankees fans in attendance) and so did the Thunderstix.

The Angels battled back against the combination of Burnett, and relievers Damaso Marte and Phil Hughes. Morales got a base hit off of Hughes with two outs to give the Angels a 7-6 lead. In the 3-run seventh, Abreu had an RBI groundout, his first RBI of the ALCS. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was again second-guessed for not taking out Burnett sooner (like not sending him out for the 7th inning), though in Game 3 he was second-guessed for having too quick of a hook with the relievers. Scioscia went to Game 3 starter Jered Weaver in the 8th inning, and he threw just 11 pitches, striking out both Cabrera and Jeter. The 9th inning was a bit of an adventure for Angels closer Brian Fuentes and the Angeles  fans, but Fuentes managed to go unscathed with the bases loaded, sending the ALCS back to NY for at least Game 6. The Angels Jeff Mathis yet again provided the offense at the bottom of the order, going 3-for-4, and having a hit in 6 straight postseason at-bats.

Game 6 will pit Joe Saunders of the Angels against Andy Pettitte of the Yankees. In his Game 2 start, Saunders pitched 7 innings, giving up just 2 runs. He was the recipient of 3 double plays, which neutralized the 6 hits he gave up. He received a no-decision as the game went into extra innings, a game the Yankees won. In his Game 3 start, Pettitte went into the 7th inning, giving up 3 runs, but received a no-decision as the game went into extra innings, with the Angels winning 5-4. Game 6’s weather forecast is dreary and the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping for the ALCS to go as long as possible to give them an advantage in terms of the pitching staff.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, ALCS, Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Darren Oliver, Hideki Matsui, Jeff Mathis, Jered Weaver, John Lackey, Kendry Morales, Kevin Jepsen, LA Angels, Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, NY Yankees, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero

Yankees 4, Angels 1: Another dominant pitching performance from Yankees starter CC Sabathia (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 7 K) and some timely hitting, to go along with poor defense and starting pitching from John Lackey, allowed the NY Yankees to come away with the Game 1 victory in the cold, rainy start to the ALCS. Expecting a good outing from Lackey, instead the Angels only received 5.2 innings. Lackey also gave up all four runs and walked three batters. The Yankees went ahead 2-0 in the 1st inning with a sacrifice fly from the hot hitting Alex Rodriguez and an RBI single from Hideki Matsui. However, Matsui’s hit was an infield popup that fell in between third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop Erick Aybar. Matsui made Lackey pay for walking A-Rod in the 5th, ripping an RBI double and increasing the lead to 3-1. In the 6th (the end for Lackey), the defense did in the Angels, after two errors lead to another Yankee run. The two runs in the first were more than enough for Sabathia, who threw just 113 pitches in 8 innings (compared to the 114 thrown by Lackey into the 6th).

Yankees 4, Angels 3 (13 innings): The weather forecast for NY was grim for a second straight night, but for the most part the rain held out until the late innings. It was really a well-played game (for the conditions) and both pitching staffs were excellent. It took 13 innings in a hard fought battle for the Yankees to take a 2-0 series lead, heading out to warm and sunny LA for Games 3-5. The Yankees got to Angels starter Joe Saunders early (2 runs) and it looked like he was going to put together another lackluster performance like Lackey did the night before. However, he settled in to go 7 innings giving up just the 2 runs on 6 hits. He was helped out by the double play ball, as the Yankees hit into 3 of them. AJ Burnett was on early (allowed just one hit through four innings) while also being helped out by great defense at first by Mark Teixeira, repeatedly stretching for full extension to make the catches at first. However, Burnett’s wildness took over in the 5th. He gave up a leadoff double to Maicer Izturis and then an RBI single to Erick Aybar. Aybar stole second and Burnett then hit Chone Figgins. After getting Bobby Abreu out, he walked Torii Hunter to load the bases. Burnett threw a wild pitch, scoring Aybar and tying the game at 2-2. Again in the 6th, the Angels loaded the bases against Burnett, reliever Phil Coke (who also struck out Abreu), and Joba Chamberlain. But Chamberlain struck out Vladimir Guerrero on 3 pitches to get out of the inning without giving up a run. A leadoff walk by the 5th Yankees reliever Alfredo Aceves led to the Angels finally scoring another run and taking the lead in the 11th. Figgins delivered the bloop RBI double into left, giving the Angels a 3-2 lead. Aceves escaped further trouble by inducing an inning ending double play from Hunter. The lead was short-lived for the Angels as closer Brian Fuentes gave up a leadoff homerun to Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 11th, which just cleared the right field fence and just out of the reach of rightfielder Abreu. In the bottom of the 12th, Angels reliever Ervin Santana walked Teixeira to load the bases to face A-Rod. Make sense? Well it paid off, as Santana got A-Rod to pop up to end the inning. Both teams’ defenses weren’t exceptionally sharp as the Yankees committed 3 errors (2 by Cano) and the Angels committed 2. The Angels second error ended up costing the Angels. With runners on first and second in the bottom of the 13th and the clutch-hitting Melky Cabrera at the plate, Santana got Cabrera to hit a grounder towards second. Izturis gloved it and tried to throw the runner out at second (instead of the possible sure out at first). However, he threw it away, allowing Jerry Hairston to score…and the Yankees win.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, ALCS, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Joe Saunders, John Lackey, LA Angels, Maicer Izturis, Mark Teixeira, NY Yankees

The LA Angels and NY Yankees matchup looks to be a hard fought battle that may take the seven games to crown an American League Champion. The two teams split the season series 5-5 and the home team won 7 out of the 10 games. Both teams are evenly matched. Where the Angels use speed and athleticism, the Yankees use power and strength to win games. Both teams have solid starting pitching, with the Angels more confident in using four pitchers than the Yankees. The Angels beefed up their rotation by acquiring Scott Kazmir from the Rays and getting John Lackey and Joe Saunders back from injuries. Jered Weaver has been the ace all season long. The Yankees have the stronger bullpen with the combination of Alfredo Aceves, Dave Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, and Phil Hughes getting the lead to closer Mariano Rivera (who may be the best closer ever) in the ninth inning. All have the ability to strike anyone out (Robertson: 63 K in 42 2/3 innings, Hughes: 65 in 51 1/3 innings). The one weakness to the Yankees bullpen is their youth and inexperience in big games, and their overuse all season long. The Angels have the stronger outfield, with better range and throwing arms, and more offensive firepower. The Angels go first to third better than any team in baseball and will take advantage of the Yankee outfield of Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Nick Swisher. Behind the plate, the Angels sometimes sacrifice defense for offense with Mike Napoli over Jeff Mathis though Napoli has gotten better behind the plate. The Yankees have Jorge Posada and Jose Molina and it’s almost a guarantee the Angels will run, just like they did against the Boston Red Sox. The infields are evenly matched: the Angels (Chone Figgins, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Maicer Izturis, and Kendry Morales) are more athletic and have more range and the Yankees have a gold glover at first base in Mark Teixeira, who saves errors by his teammates. The Yankees infield produces more homeruns though the Angels have more speed. The entire Angels team is patient at the plate (except for Vladimir Guerrero) and the Yankees pitchers tend to walk a few too many. This could be the key to the entire series.
The biggest question mark for the Angels has been their bullpen. Veteran Darren Oliver has been stellar all season long and against the Red Sox he was just the same. Closer Brian Fuentes is not conventional or automatic, but he got he job done against the Red Sox in the ALDS. As I mentioned above, the middle relief for the Yankees is a question mark. It looked strong in the ALDS against the Twins. How will the young guys react to the added pressure of being one series win from the World Series? Will Joe Girardi be able to use the same guys everyday like he did in the ALDS?

Game 1: John Lackey @ CC Sabathia
Lackey was dominant against the Red Sox in the ALDS and he made one start against the Yankees in 2009. Lackey went seven innings giving up six hits and two runs, while striking out six. His one start was in LA. Yankees manager Joe Girardi is hoping to have Sabathia pitch in Games 1, 4, and 7, all on three days rest. Sabathia thrived down the stretch last season with the Brewers when he pitched the entire month of September on three days rest.

Game 2: Joe Saunders @ AJ Burnett
Saunders faced the Yankees twice in LA, pitching 13.1 innings, giving up 16 hits and seven runs. However his second start after the All-Star break was excellent, going into the 9th giving up just two runs without walking a batter. Burnett has had problems with his command throughout his career and his start against the Twins was no different. However, if he can find a way to escape the jams he put himself into, he can be dominant. In his two starts against the Angels this season, Burnett struggled against their left-handed hitters, giving up five runs. In all, Burnett pitched 12.2 innings, giving up 15 hits and six runs, while walking four and striking out 16.

Game 3: Jered Weaver vs. Andy Pettitte
Weaver struggled against the Yankees in three starts this season. Weaver has been better at home (17 GS, 9-3, 2.90 ERA, 27 BB/ 99 K) than on the road this season, so manager Mike Scioscia lined him up to pitch in LA. Pettitte may be the wild card for the Yankees. He has the playoff experience and success. Plus he has one of, if not the best pickoff move in the game. His presence on the mound could keep the Angels running game in check. However, Pettitte has not had success against the Angels this season in three starts (16 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 8 BB, 6 K), two of which came in LA.

Game 4: Scott Kazmir vs. ?
The Angels acquired Kazmir for these situations. Kazmir had success in his career against the Red Sox and though he struggled in his Game 3 start, he kept the Angels in the game long enough for them to come back and win. Kazmir also has had success against the Yankees. In 3 starts this season, Kazmir pitched 19.2 innings, giving up 17 hits and seven runs while striking out 14. He also only allowed one homerun. Yankees manager Joe Girardi is planning on using a 3-man rotation for this seven-game series, though weather permitting. With the extra days off, the Yankees can get away with only using three starters, though the weather forecast for the first two games in NY is rainy and cold. This could force the Yankees to go with Joba Chamberlain or Chad Gaudin to start Game 4.
Key Matchups:
Brian Fuentes vs. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez: This may be Fuentes toughest test. To get to the World Series, Fuentes will need to keep Teixeira and A-Rod in check. Fuentes has pitched better on the road than in LA. Against right-handed hitters in 2009, Fuentes has struggled, giving up 6 homeruns (0 to lefties). Against left-handed pitchers, Teixeira’s power numbers were down (just 9HR and 31 RBI), though his batting average was over .300. A-Rod’s power numbers were also down against left-handed pitchers (just 8 HR, 21 RBI). He also struggled this season in late-inning at-bats.

Mariano Rivera vs. Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Vladimir Guerrero: In four games against the Angels this season, Mo gave up just two hits (0 runs) with 5 strikeouts. In 41 late-inning at-bats, Abreu hit well over .300, with 7 RBIs and the typical 12 walks, getting on base for those behind him to drive him in. Late in the game Hunter has thrived, hitting over .380 in 49 at-bats, with 4 homeruns and eight RBIs. Vlad also thrived late in the game, hitting close to .450 in 31 at-bats, with 2 homeruns and 6 RBIs.

Chone Figgins: In his career, Figgins has owned the Yankees. This year he hit over .330 against them. However, Figgins has struggled throughout his career in the postseason, with a batting average hovering around .180. The Angels will need Figgins to step up and get on base for the Angels to win the league crown.

Tags:

ALCS, Alex Rodriguex, Andy Pettitte, Angels, Brian Fuentes, Chone Figgins, Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, John Lackey, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Scott Kazmir, Yankees

The Minnesota Twins fought hard just to make the playoffs, finishing off the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in 12 innings to win the AL Central crown. It took 163 games for the Twins, only for them to fly out to New York that same night to face the New York Yankees the following day. The Yankees are one of the best hitting and pitching teams in the American League. Oh and they’re all well-rested.

The Yankees have 7 players with at least 20 + homeruns (Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon, and Jorge Posada). The Twins had to use virtually everyone in their bullpen to pull off their win over the Tigers in game 163 and used their top three in the staring rotation in their last three games. Finesse pitchers, which are what the Twins’ rotation is, do not thrive well at new Yankee Stadium. The Twins will send rookie lefthander Brian Duensing to the mound in the ALDS opener against CY Young hopeful C.C. Sabathia.

Game 1: C.C. Sabathia vs. Brian Duensing

Game 2: A.J. Burnett vs. Nick Blackburn

Game 3: Andy Pettitte @ Carl Pavano

A key matchup late in the game will be Twins left-handed power hitter Jason Kubel versus Yankees left-handed reliever Phil Coke. Kubel is 0-for-4 against Coke this year. Coke is Girardi’s most trusted lefty reliever. In 36.1 innings against left-handed hitters, Coke has 32 strikeouts, with just 24 hits allowed.

Twins Strengths:

*The bullpen: The bullpen proved great in Game 163, pitching 6 innings and allowing just two runs on six hits. Closer Joe Nathan has been just as solid as Mariano Rivera, though he doesn’t get much press coverage. The additions of lefty Ron Mahay and righty Jon Rauch has been welcome to a bullpen that had struggled early in the year.

*The middle of the order: With the loss of Justin Morneau for the season, many (including myself) thought that the Twins season was over. However, the middle of the order has stepped up around MVP candidate Joe Mauer. Jason Kubel and Delmon Young were co-players of the week for this past week, carrying the Twins into the postseason. Michael Cuddyer has had his best season yet, especially in terms of the power (32 HR, 94 RBI), while also playing adequate defense at first base.

*The Metrodome: If the Twins can split the first two games in NY, their home crowd will be loud and will be trying to carry the Twins into the League Championship Series. As Harold Reynolds of MLB Tonight always states, the Metrodome is the greatest home-field advantage in sports.

Twins Weaknesses:

*The rotation: This is especially true after having to fight to make the playoffs and using their top three just to get in. Nick Blackburn has been great as of late, as has ace Scott Baker. Carl Pavano has revived his career since joining the Indians/Twins this season after leaving NY. Rookie Brian Duensing has often been overlooked but won’t be in Game one. The rotation has been inconsistent, with one great game followed by a bad game. They need to step it up to beat the mighty Yankees lineup. With the offense mainly being a scratch and claw type, there will be pressure for the young starters to go deep and put up zeros.

*The season series: When the playoffs start, everyone says to throw out the numbers and everything that happened in the regular season. It is hard to overlook the fact that the Yankees beat the Twins 7-0 in the season series, with the Twins only scoring more than 5 runs in a game once. The Yankees, on the other hand, only scored less than 5 runs twice.

*The energy factor: The White Sox played the play-in game last year, only to be swept by the Rays in the divisional series. Did the Twins use up all of their energy just to get into the playoffs? Or are they more like the 2007 Rockies, who carried the play-in game momentum into the World Series?

Twins Key Players:

*Carlos Gomez: Gomez is a late inning replacement for Jason Kubel, bringing speed and great defense to the outfield. He also brings an added dimension late in the game-pressure on the base paths on opposing pitchers and catchers.

*Ron Mahay from the left side and Jon Rauch from the right side: These two relievers were the big acquisitions late in the season for the Twins. Both can pitch everyday and can get any team’s biggest lefty/righty threats out. Mahay, in 15 games versus left-handed hitters, had a 1.42 ERA, holding them to a .208 average. Rauch is 5-1, with a 2.61 ERA against right-handed hitters. They will most likely bridge the gap to closer Joe Nathan.

Yankees Strengths:

*The offense (1-9): The Yankees have one of the most prolific offenses in baseball, and it starts with leadoff hitter Derek Jeter, an MVP candidate, and goes all the way down to number 9 hitter Melky Cabrera, who has been their most clutch hitter. The Yankees are first in runs scored in the American League, and they also hit a ton of homeruns as their ballpark is a bandbox.

*Clutch hitting: Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Melky Cabrera don’t get all the limelight that the rest of the Yankees offense receives, but these four have been the most clutch hitters on the team. They also have fun doing it.

*Mariano Rivera: How many teams in the playoffs have a closer as consistent as Rivera? None, and all of the teams wish they did. Rivera hasn’t been as lights out as in the past, but come playoff time, he is dangerous.

*Days off: By choosing the Wednesday start for Game one, the Yankees allowed for a possibility of three days off in the first round. This allows for manager Joe Girardi to only have to use three starting pitchers (Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte) and be able to use the same pitchers out of the bullpen in three straight games (like Phil Hughes and Rivera), without worrying about overuse.

Yankees Weaknesses:

*Starting pitching: With choosing the extra day off format, the Yankees chose not to use Joba Chamberlain in the rotation. So, what was the point of the “Joba Rules” at the end of the season to limit his innings if he’s barely going to pitch in the first week of the playoffs? Sabathia has not had success in the playoffs. Last year’s failure could be because of his overuse down the stretch for the Brewers before reaching the playoffs. However, he did not have good numbers while with the Indians. In 5 postseason starts, Sabathia has an ERA of 7.92. That needs to change if the Yankees intend on getting past the Twins. Burnett has been inconsistent throughout the season and Girardi is hoping that having backup Jose Molina catching him will help. Burnett also has no playoff experience (he missed the Marlins run to the World Series title in 2003 due to injury). Pettitte has had health issues late in this season, though he is known as a big game pitcher.

*The bridge to Mo: Phil Hughes has become that bridge in the 8th inning, after taking over for Brian Bruney. However, Hughes is new to the bullpen and the late innings. How will he adapt to the pressures of pitching in the playoffs and getting the lead to Rivera?

*Pressure: The Yankees feel the pressure of playing in NY everyday. The playoffs are different, especially when they weren’t there last year and haven’t won a World Series since 2000 and haven’t been in the World Series since 2003.

Yankees Key Players:

*Phil Hughes: Hughes has been great since moving to the bullpen and gaining manager Joe Girardi’s confidence to use him in the 8th inning to be the bridge to closer Mariano Rivera. As a reliever, Hughes is 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 65 Ks. He has only pitched 2.1 innings of relief against the Twins in 2009, allowing just one hit, while striking out two.

*Brett Gardner: The Yankees have their own speed and defense guy off of the bench. Gardner could be a defensive replacement for Swisher late in the game or pinch-run for Matsui.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, American League, Carlos Gomez, Delmon Young, Detroit Tigers, Hideki Matsui, Jason Kubel, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Justin Morneau, Mark Teixeira, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano