2010 MLB Season

[Brad]

This team can hit but bullpen is suspect and tonight they showed it. Just because they have Lee going in game 3, that doesn't mean he's going to automatically win. He ain't Koufax man. They only won 90 or so games (not sure of the exact number) so let's not go crazy. They probably should have been up by 5 after the first but you can argue that either way I suppose. I'll give them a game but that's it. When you're up 5-0, you've got to seal the deal and this a game they had to have.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Brad

[MartyJazz]

With all the heat the umps have been taking during these playoffs, I'd just like to point out two bang-bang calls they got right during the Yanks' thrilling win last night.

1) Sabathia's wild pitch with the bases loaded that hit the wall and then caromed back to Posada enabling him to flip the ball to CC just in time to tag Cruz on the left shoulder just as his feet were about to slide across the plate.

2) Gardner's hustle play where his slide into first just beat Wilson's foot to the bag.

The umps mess either one of those up and the Yanks are most likely down a game. And unfortunately, they have erred on easier calls than those two during these playoffs.

[Dan Gould]

Can't blame Ron Washington, did everything possible...G

You absolutely can blame the coke-head. He never got the memo that for the most important outs of the game you use your best relief pitcher. At minimum he goes to his closer when they loaded the bases with no outs (and I shut off the fucking thing).

Yeah, yeah, "but if you do that, who pitches the ninth?" If they keep a three run lead going into the ninth, chances are anyone could have pitched the ninth for the save. Rick Fucking Aguilera made a career out of doing it.

[vajerzy]

With all the heat the umps have been taking during these playoffs, I'd just like to point out two bang-bang calls they got right during the Yanks' thrilling win last night.

1) Sabathia's wild pitch with the bases loaded that hit the wall and then caromed back to Posada enabling him to flip the ball to CC just in time to tag Cruz on the left shoulder just as his feet were about to slide across the plate.

2) Gardner's hustle play where his slide into first just beat Wilson's foot to the bag.

The umps mess either one of those up and the Yanks are most likely down a game. And unfortunately, they have erred on easier calls than those two during these playoffs.

They were good calls- and great positioning as well...they were "textbook". I had to slo-mo them on my DVR to watch them again- goes to show how fast the game is on the MLB level.

Go Phils!!

[Matthew]

What a crap performance by the Texas bullpen. Geesh, that was pathetic. I hate seeing the Yankees handed a game like that.

Edit: spelling. Hard to see off my BlackBerry

Edited October 16, 2010 by Matthew

[Brad]

For J.H. and other Philly fans:

Article in today's Times about how the Phillies are getting the hang of this postseason thing , Setting a new standard for a long beleaugered franchise

[ghost of miles]

This team can hit but bullpen is suspect and tonight they showed it. Just because they have Lee going in game 3, that doesn't mean he's going to automatically win. He ain't Koufax man. They only won 90 or so games (not sure of the exact number) so let's not go crazy. They probably should have been up by 5 after the first but you can argue that either way I suppose. I'll give them a game but that's it. When you're up 5-0, you've got to seal the deal and this a game they had to have.

Agree that it was a tough one for Texas to drop, and yes, their bullpen is a vulnerability (though we haven't yet seen Feliz, their ace closer, as Dan noted). But if I'm the Rangers, I'm thinking that a win today would put a 3-1 advantage within striking distance. As I commented up the thread, the Yankees can indeed sometimes hit Lee, but you have to think the odds are in Texas' favor for winning his Game 3 start. And then you have A.J. taking the mound in Game 4--a total crapshoot, or is it? In the sense that he has pitched badly so much more often than not this year (worst ERA in Yankee history for a single-season starter with 180 IP or more)--he's been predictably awful. Joe G seems to have this magical faith in A.J., that somehow he'll turn in another World Series '09 Game 2 (but look up his stats for the postseason overall last year, and he wasn't so hot then either), but any game he pitches is a challenge for the Yankees...they were 13-20 this year in games that he started! Plus the Rangers have already proven that they can win on the road in the playoffs, having knocked off the Rays in all three games at Tampa Bay in the ALDS.

So that's what I'd be telling myself if I were the Rangers. Just focus on winning this game today, and then it's a tied series with good odds for the next two games.

EDIT: Frank Francisco is the Rangers' set-up guy, correct? And he's out of commission--we would have undoubtedly seen him last night if he were healthy. That issue definitely adds to their bullpen issues.

Edited October 16, 2010 by ghost of miles

[papsrus]

Dropping Game 1 the way they did dealt a near fatal blow to the Rangers' chances, IMO. Essentially gave CC a pass for what you have to think will likely be his only shaky (no, bad) start the rest of the way.

You're never out of a 7-game series after just one game, but you just can't blow that lead, at home, in Game 1, in the late innings (in ONE late inning), when you've yet to win a single home playoff game in the history of your club, and then recover.

Makes Game 2 an almost must-win for them. And any time Game 2 is a near must-win, you're in trouble.

They go to NY down 0-2 and their chances of emerging from this series plummet. 1-1, not so bad.

... and the look on Nolan Ryan's face -- poor bastard -- as the whole enchilada unraveled was priceless.

[ghost of miles]

Papsrus, I have to hope that CC fares much better the next time out--he'll be pitching at home (Game 5 in NY) where he's been nearly unbeatable, and he'll also be going on normal rest.*

It'll be really interesting to see if Ryan is able to convince Cliff Lee to sign/stay with Texas after this season ends. Given how obviously invested (personally, as well as financially) he is in the Rangers, could be quite an era for Ranger baseball, whatever the ultimate outcome of this series.

In addition to being keyed up for Game 2 of NY-TX, I'm also really looking forward to the Lincecum-Halladay matchup that follows.

*Speaking of long rests, another note about A.J. Burnett--by the time we get to Game 4, it will have been 17 days since his last start. And his simulated game the other day doesn't sound as if it went too smoothly. I think he's going to get shelled.

[JSngry]

After we beat the Rays and got that monkey off our back, I - and many others - were saying that whatever happened against the Yankees would be ok, that just getting to this level was a major milestone for the franchise, and even if we got swept by the Yankees again, that it would be ok. Not as in "oh well!", but as in "let's build from this and keep growing".

But to blow that lead the way we did, to just have a complete meltdown comparable to every other mentally dysfunctional Metroplex sports franchise, was painful to watch. These guys, I was hoping, were not the head cases that everybody else was. But there it was. For 1/18 of a game, they were the old Rangers, the Cowboys, and the Mavericks all rolled into one. And 1/18 of a game was all it took.

Hopefully the guys will remember how this felt, and hopefully they will resolve to never feel that way again. If they lose the series, they lose it. I was expecting them to, to be honest. But dammit, lose it honestly, don't just give shit away. Lose with pride, not shame.

Time will tell.

[ghost of miles]

Here we go again--an absolutely crappy start by a Yankee pitcher. What happened to that beautiful, shiny record Hughes had pitching on the road here against the Rangers? Gawd almighty, I don't think you can count on Texas to blow another lead at home again... pathetic. Hughes' pitch count is at 56 after just two innings. If Texas clean's NY clock today, last night is just a bad blip and you've got an even series with Cliff Lee pitching two of the next five for the Rangers and A.J. Burnett pitching one for the Yankees.

Edited October 16, 2010 by ghost of miles

[JETman]

Can't blame Ron Washington, did everything possible...G

Rick Fucking Aguilera made a career out of doing it.

Are you EVER gonna get over '86?

[Tim McG]

What a crap performance by the Texas bullpen. Geesh, that was pathetic. I hate seeing the Yankees handed a game like that.

Exactly.

A Rangers version of The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Halladay vs. Lincecum in three hours.

Let the Torture begin.

Edited October 16, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[ghost of miles]

Halladay vs. Lincecum in three hours.

Let the Torture begin.

Mine's already going on. It'll be nice to see some great starting pitching for a change, instead of the joke performances I've witnessed in the past 24 hours from my favorite team. We are not going to come back from a 5-0 deficit two games in a row. Book it...no reverse-jinx nonsense or what have you. Great way to let Texas get back up off the mat, NY. The whole narrative changes now... "they survived horrific meltdown and go to NY w/Cliff Lee yada yada yada." I don't know if it's the long rest or what, but this is one of the worst outings from Hughes I've ever seen--right on the heels of one of the worst outings I've ever seen from C.C. What is going on with these guys? Kudos to the Rangers for hitting them so hard--the Twins sure didn't.

[ghost of miles]

Another reason, too, why the whole "this game destroyed them, no way they come back" stuff is just utter junk. How many times have you heard that said? Most famously, I remember hearing it ad nauseam after NY came back in Games 4 and 5 against Arizona in the 2001 WS. "No way Arizona wins the WS now... no team can come back from two such demoralizing losses," etc., etc. Well, they DID come back. Boston got slaughtered in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS... "no way they come back from that." I mean, any team that gets to the playoffs generally has enough fight in them to bounce back the very next day. That's at the heart of baseball as a game, the clean slate biz and all that. The Rangers are showing today why they won the AL West.

EDIT: Yankee starters in this series so far--7 IP, 10 ER given up. That's, what, an ERA of 15 or something?

Edited October 16, 2010 by ghost of miles

[BERIGAN]

Halladay vs. Lincecum in three hours.

Let the Torture begin.

Mine's already going on. It'll be nice to see some great starting pitching for a change, instead of the joke performances I've witnessed in the past 24 hours from my favorite team. We are not going to come back from a 5-0 deficit two games in a row. Book it...no reverse-jinx nonsense or what have you. Great way to let Texas get back up off the mat, NY. The whole narrative changes now... "they survived horrific meltdown and go to NY w/Cliff Lee yada yada yada." I don't know if it's the long rest or what, but this is one of the worst outings from Hughes I've ever seen--right on the heels of one of the worst outings I've ever seen from C.C. What is going on with these guys? Kudos to the Rangers for hitting them so hard--the Twins sure didn't.

Well, Hughes has never pitched this many innings before...and was only out of the bullpen last year, so it's not like going from 150 to 180 innings (or whatever his total is this year) but (ok, guess I do have to look it up) but from 86 innings to 176 + stressful postseason innings.

I am sure people will harp on C.C.'s weight, and he should probably lose some(though he was there every start again, right?) but he has pitched a ton of innings the last few years,(Quincy, anyone pitch more innings since 2007?) plus the postseason 4 straight years....

Another reason, too, why the whole "this game destroyed them, no way they come back" stuff is just utter junk. How many times have you heard that said? Most famously, I remember hearing it ad nauseam after NY came back in Games 4 and 5 against Arizona in the 2001 WS. "No way Arizona wins the WS now... no team can come back from two such demoralizing losses," etc., etc. Well, they DID come back. Boston got slaughtered in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS... "no way they come back from that." I mean, any team that gets to the playoffs generally has enough fight in them to bounce back the very next day. That's at the heart of baseball as a game, the clean slate biz and all that. The Rangers are showing today why they won the AL West.

EDIT: Yankee starters in this series so far--7 IP, 10 ER given up. That's, what, an ERA of 15 or something?

Hey, remember when the braves beat the living piss out of the Yankees in 2 games in the W.S in...in, crap, gotta leave now, but you must remember....no way would the Yankees come back after a 15 to 1 game or whatever it was, then they won 3 straight I think....it can happen.

[Matthew]

Yankee starting has been truly terrible. Maybe there's hope for Texas yet.

[Dan Gould]

Can't blame Ron Washington, did everything possible...G

Rick Fucking Aguilera made a career out of doing it.

Are you EVER gonna get over '86?

Are you EVER gonna get your head out of your ass?

What would my comment possibly have to do with 1986?

From 1990 to 1994 Rick Fucking Aguilera made a living retiring three, and only three batters, and never ever coming into a situation with runners ready on base or being asked to get more than three outs. Living proof that on average, a major league pitcher can get three outs before blowing a one, two or three run lead. Living proof that the save is a worthless statistic.

Yankee starting has been truly terrible. Maybe there's hope for Texas yet.

Anyone else laughing over the fact that Joba is the first guy out of the bullpen in both games? This was the guy who was supposed to dominate the eighth inning and instead he's one of the scrubs who comes in when they're losing. And the first one at that.

I'll bet you Joba is wondering where the hell is mojo went.

And that 2007 was a long time ago.

[ghost of miles]

Joba's pitched a hell of a lot better than either CC or Hughes in this series. I didn't think anybody would be able to top CC's abysmal outing last night, but Phil Hughes sure did:

4 IP

10 H

7 ER

3 BB

3 K

15.75 ERA

Welcome to the ALCS, kid.

So we'll get a slew of "Texas made sure lightning didn't strike twice in the same place," "Rangers did it right this time," etc., along with their finally winning a playoff game at home, finally ending NY's winning streak against them, etc., etc. Momentum will definitely be with them going up to NY. I'll tell you this--the Yankees need to get Cliff Lee out of their heads and defeat him. If they can't beat Lee at least once in this series, they don't deserve to win the ALCS, let alone the World Series. (If they can't beat Lee, how on earth will they deal with the Philly rotation? Or the SF one, for that matter?) But there's no way in hell they can beat Cliff Lee if their starting pitching gives up 5, 7 or 8 runs in the first five innings. Andy Pettitte will have to come through with an incredible game to keep them in the mix.

[Matthew]

Yeah, I was also thinking how far Joba has fallen. That Yankee publicity machine really pumped him up. Strangely though, I still think he can be a quality pitcher, not with the Yankees though, Garadi messed Joba up big time. Game not nearly over yet. What is scary about the Yankees is the fact they can put up a five-spot in any inning, it's the starting pitching that might kill them after all.

[ghost of miles]

BTW, hats off to the Rangers starters in these first two games--they've made the highest-scoring team in baseball look pretty lame. With all of the buzz about Lee, Wilson and Lewis have both given Texas high-quality starts. Maybe one of these days NY will get one too in this series.

[vajerzy]

I've been enjoying TBS's broadcasts......such a welcome relief from Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

Shoot- they have the Phillies-Giants....I'll listen to the Phillies radio broadcast on XM and sync (sp?) it with the TV broadcast....DVR is a wonderful invention..

Edited October 16, 2010 by vajerzy

[papsrus]

I've been enjoying TBS's broadcasts......such a welcome relief from Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

yeah, talk about torture.

[ghost of miles]

After we beat the Rays and got that monkey off our back, I - and many others - were saying that whatever happened against the Yankees would be ok, that just getting to this level was a major milestone for the franchise, and even if we got swept by the Yankees again, that it would be ok. Not as in "oh well!", but as in "let's build from this and keep growing".

But to blow that lead the way we did, to just have a complete meltdown comparable to every other mentally dysfunctional Metroplex sports franchise, was painful to watch. These guys, I was hoping, were not the head cases that everybody else was. But there it was. For 1/18 of a game, they were the old Rangers, the Cowboys, and the Mavericks all rolled into one. And 1/18 of a game was all it took.

Hopefully the guys will remember how this felt, and hopefully they will resolve to never feel that way again. If they lose the series, they lose it. I was expecting them to, to be honest. But dammit, lose it honestly, don't just give shit away. Lose with pride, not shame.

Time will tell.

Jim, I understand the troubled-Texas-legacy issue, but still, I’d rather lose the way they did last night than the way the Yankees did today. Last night Texas lost because of one abysmal half-inning. NY lost today because they were dominated inning after inning…pretty much the way they were last night, with the exception of that 8th inning. Texas has outhit and outpitched us, and we’re extremely lucky to be leaving town tied 1-1. I don’t like losing close games, but I hate like hell just getting beat up for several hours straight. The only thing the Yankees can be proud of is their bullpen performance--and they got their workout because NY's starters were so awful.

Gutcheck time for NY on Monday night the way it was for Texas today. Pettitte on the mound, at Yankee Stadium—they have got to beat Cliff Lee. Screw this “win four around Lee’s starts” notion (and anyway, by those lights we’ve now given away our one non-Lee loss). And congratulations again to the Rangers for showing up in a big way today.

Well, at least it’ll be a pleasure to watch Lincecum-Halladay, after two such embarrassing outings from the Yankee starters.

[Brad]

Well, let the second guessing begin. Pettite should have been on the mound tonight.