Tue 18 Sep 2007
-The Yanks got off on the right foot against the Orioles beating them 8-5 Monday night. Despite a shaky beginning for rookie Phil Hughes, he settled down to go five and two thirds permitting just a first inning Nick Markakis two-run double. The former 2004 first round selection improved to 4-3.
A two-run Doug Mientkiewicz single in the second tied it. An inning later, Hideki Matsui blasted a Daniel Cabrera offering to right center for his 24th home run giving his team the lead for good. It was Godzilla’s first dinger since Aug. 8 snapping a 33- game drought.
Robinson Cano had a runscoring double and Bobby Abreu knocked in a couple including an RBI single which brought home Derek Jeter for some insurance in the eighth. The right fielder is just two RBI’s shy of 100.
A shaky Kyle Farn$worth forced Joe Torre to use Mariano Rivera a night after he struggled to close out Boston the night before partially due to accidentally taking a wild Eric Gagne throw off his pinky. Though he allowed a first pitch Aubrey Huff RBI single which sliced the deficit to three and brought up the tying run, he got Melvin Mora swinging to notch his 29th save showing no wildness like the previous night.
Rivera needs one more save for a fifth straight season of 30-or-more. During his illustrious 11-year career as the Yankee closer, Mo has saved at least 30 in nine.
Mike Mussina will get another start later tonight in Game 2 against Jon Leicester.
-The Yanks got some good news as well with Detroit blowing a three-run lead at Cleveland falling 5-4 in 11 when Casey Blake walked off.
Protecting a two-run lead in the eighth, Joel Zumaya allowed a tying two-run shot to Cleveland shortstop Jhonny Peralta. It was his second dinger of the night.
Zach Miner served up the game-winner to Blake who went down and golfed one out to left center for his second walkoff home run of the Indians’ homestand. He later got the pie treatment from teammates during an interview. Fun stuff.
The costly loss for the Tigers snapped a five-game winning streak and put them three and a half behind the Yanks. They trail by four in the loss column with 11 to go.
-Meanwhile up in Toronto, the Red Sox were victimized by Frank Thomas’ second career three home run game in a 6-1 loss which cut their AL East lead to three and a half (four in loss).
The Big Hurt slugged his first two homers off Tim Wakefield in the first and sixth. Ironically, his first career three homer game came against the knuckleballer in a Sahhhxxx uniform 11 years prior. He then completed his big night by taking Kyle Snyder deep in the eighth.
It was career home run No.512 which tied him for 18th on the all-time HR list with Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Eddie Matthews. That’s where Thomas belongs as well. Not bad company for the two-time AL MVP.
On the pitching side, Thomas’ Jay teammate Dustin McGowan went all the way allowing just a fourth inning Mike Lowell RBI double while fanning nine to pickup his 11th victory.
One year, the pitching strong Jays are going to challenge the Yanks and Sox for a division. With former Cy winner Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, McGowan, Shaun Marcum and rookie Jesse Litsch, this team boasts a very deep staff. If Gustavo Chacin returns from a strained left shoulder next year, they could be even stronger.
Don’t forget about closer B.J. Ryan either who will try to comeback from season-ending elbow surgery. In the meantime, they’ve discovered a good backup plan in Jeremy Accaro who’s saved 27 while posting a respectable 2.32 ERA. Scott Downs is also an effective setup man who’s K’d almost a batter an inning (54 in 54.2 IP). Hard thrower Jason Frasor also has K’d an identical amount in 54.1.
If they’re able to keep their nucleus together and get a bounceback 2008 from underachiever Vernon Wells, figure the Jays to be in the mix next season.
-Stat of the night comes from another sloppy Mets’ loss. In a game they once led 4-0, the first place Amazin’s butchered the ball around for an ugly 12-4 defeat to the Nats in the nation’s capital.
| Fielding |
| E - D Wright (19, ground ball); S Schoeneweis (1, throw); R Castro (4, throw); J Reyes (11, ground ball). |
How bad was it? If you saw a couple of them in the highlights, pretty brutal. Jorge Sosa also should’ve gotten charged with an error for his indecisiveness on whether he should go to first or come home. The mental error cost him as Nick Logan came into score on what was generously ruled a fielder’s choice. If he comes home right away, he gets him.
In the Mets’ 10-6 loss Sunday, they made six errors. The 10 miscues in two straight games were the most in franchise history. Not exactly the kind you want to be part of.
They do still lead the Phillies by two and a half (three in loss column) because Philly just held on to beat the Cardinals 13-11 in a game they once led 11-0 and 12-3.
The Phils got two dingers each from Ryan Howard (39, 40) and Aaron Rowand (25, 26) plus a homer from Jimmy Rollins (28th). It was barely enough because their pen really is that bad unless it’s pitching against the Mets.
St. Louis got three in the sixth, six in the seventh and two more in the eighth to cut the Philadelphia lead down to one. As a matter of fact, the Cards had the tying and go-ahead runs on base but Kane Davis got Ryan Ludwick to fly out to deep right center before a scrambling Rowand hauled it in.
The center fielder then ledoff the ninth with a solo blast off Jason Isringhausen to give his ballclub some insurance before Fabio Castro and Francisco Rosario closed it out.
The Phillies will get ace Cole Hamels back tonight as the southpaw returns off the DL from a mild left elbow strain which has kept him out a month.
-In the exciting NL Central race, both the Brewers and Cubs won which means Chicago still leads the division by a game.
But while Milwaukee got eight strong innings from rookie Yovani Gallardo in a 6-0 shutout at Houston, the Cubs rallied for three in their final at bat to beat the Reds 7-6.
Aramis Ramirez’ two-run triple off Cincinnati closer David Weathers tied it. The hero was second baseman Mark DeRosa who delivered the clutch game-winning hit which plated Ramirez sending excited teammates on the field to greet him.
It completed a perfect night for the free agent pickup who finished 5-for-5 with his 10th home run and two RBI’s.
With a couple of weeks to go, neither team will face each other to decide it. Instead, it will come down to which plays better ball down the stretch.
The Cubs have 11 games left with the next five at Wrigley against the Reds and Pirates before finishing the season on a six-game trip at Florida and Cincinnati.
As for Milwaukee, they still got 13 remaining with a couple of more at Houston before heading to Atlanta for four. They conclude with a seven-game homestand with three against St. Louis and four against San Diego.
If you based it on schedules alone, you’d have to say the Cubs are the favorite. We’ll see how it plays out.
-The Padres shutout the Pirates 3-0. Mike Cameron doubled home a run in the first and Khalil Greene hit his 23rd in support of rookie Jack Cassel who picked up his first major league victory tossing six scoreless before the pen worked the final three with Trevor Hoffman picking up his 38th save.
Combined with the Giants’ come from behind 8-5 win at NL West leader Arizona, the Padres are only a game out.
Randy Winn and Pedro Feliz hit eighth inning home runs off D-Backs setup man Tony Pena.
The Padres lead the NL wildcard by a game and a half over the Phillies.
-I’m no expert but somehow, I don’t believe anyone had the Eagles and Saints 0-2 to start the football season. And I know no one had the Lions, Texans and Redskins all 2-0 so far. Just maybe this is going to be a different NFL season.
-With the Chargers getting hammered by the Patriots Sunday night on national TV, what are the chances the Pats had a video camera in the San Diego locker room? Just saying.
-Did you ever think you’d see the day when former coach and pupil in studio analyzing games like Bill Parcells and Keyshawn Johnson were doing quite well actually on ESPN breaking down some of the early NFL surprises?
-If you haven’t read Sunday’s special feature Daily News article by Christian Red on a new spinal cord treatment for serious injuries such as the one Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered, we suggest you go read it.
It details how hypothermia treatment has been around for a couple of decades and was used on the former Hurricane with some succession. A player once believed to be paralyzed has made good progress so far able to bend his elbows, move three fingertips and bend his knee.
This treatment could gain more steam due to the results.
For once, a positive story in sports with maybe a happy ending.
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