Results tagged ‘ AL East ’
Poppin’ Champagne!
Massive, massive win in the Bronx today.
Let’s just run through all the goodness that came with said win:
1. 100th win, making our boys 100-56 on the season thus far.
2. They swept this 3-game series against the Red Sox.
3. Aforementioned sweep puts the season series against the Sox at 9-9, while previously going 0-8.
4. They clinched Home Field Advantage throughout the playoffs with the best record in the American League.
and last, but certainly not least…
5. THE YANKEES ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST.
HELL MO-EFFIN’ YES.
This was one of those games that just got your blood pumping. When you know what’s at stake and who you’re facing to get there, the win is all the sweeter. Honestly, what Yankee fan can say this game wasn’t a big flip-of-the-bird to the Red Sox? Exactly – none.
See where The Power of Positive Thinking
™ gets you?! I knew I wasn’t crazy. After all the headaches, heart attacks, anxiety, and all that jazz, we fans can now let out a bit of a sigh of relief. Sure, there’s still a long way to go to get to that elusive #27, but you’ve got to be feeling good about our chances.
So, back to the game itself. Andy picked up his 14th win of the season, going 6 innings while giving up the only 2 Boston runs. He struck out 4 and walked 3. Sure, not his best start of the season, but it was still decent and it was still what they needed to secure the win. Bruney followed him, and while giving Yankees Universe a collective near-heart attack, he pitched 2 scoreless innings… two scoreless innings? Seriously, this is Twilight Zone week to the max. Coke came in and got a batter out, and Mo, of course, came in to close the deal. In doing so, he picked up his 44th save of the season. Excuse me while I put my shocked face on.
There wasn’t too much offense to be seen today, but we still got what was needed. The MelkMan delivered a bomb in the 3rd inning off Byrd, making the score 2-1. In the 6th inning, however, the designated-DH [not a typo] Hit-deki hit a 2-out, 2-run single in the 6th. Since then, the lead was never relinquished. Tex decided to add on a little insurance in the 8th, belting his 38th shot of the season.
How sweet it truly is to be in this position at this point. Clinching the playoffs against the Angels… clinching the division against the Sox… it’s like something out of a storybook – one of which that eventually finishes with a happy ending. 
Speaking of happy endings, here are some of the super-funny celebratory photos that took place after the game, including how I think some conversations went down. Enjoy! =)
Though it was a fantastic day for these guys, we must remember: tomorrow is another day!
Peace out blog scouts!
The Good Enigmas
Before I frighten anybody, I just want to clarify that I’ll actually be saying GOOD things about Joba Chamberlain today. Yeah, that’s right. POSITIVE, HAPPY, NICE things. I swear, this whole week has been enigmatic at best: two wins against the Angels in Anaheim… and now Joba goes six innings and gets the win?! Where are the four horsemen and the hail and the fire and all that other Book-of-Revelation-type stuff?! Sheesh.
Joba, Joba, Joba… WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU HIBERNATING!? We’ve been looking for these type of starts from you since… well, forever! I mean, at least it’s finally coming to light [now that you're not gonna be in the rotation [rolls eyes]] but why not sooner? You could’ve saved us fans a lot of agita and headaches… Ah, well, at least this goodness came against the Sox at home in the home stretch for clinching the division. You are forgiven… for now.
As I’m sure we all saw yesterday, Joba had some really good stuff going. He kept his pitch count down throughout most of the game (86 pitches in all), and held the Sox back relatively well. He went 6, striking out 5, only walking 1 and only allowing 3 runs. That’s a big step up from allowing 7 runs in 3 innings, if you ask me. I’ve gotta say, whatever Girardi/Eiland/Posada/etc. said to this kid before the game yesterday clearly worked. More, more, more!
On the offensive side, disappointment was naturally nowhere to be found. A-Rod basically beat the Sox on his own, going 3-4 with 4 RBI – 2 of which coming from a ridiculously massive shot into the second deck in left field. Jeet went 2-4 and had a RBI, surprise, surprise. Melkster had a hit and an RBI. Tex had 2 hits and an RBI. And last, but not least, JoPo had 2 hits and 2 RBI. There were seven bases stolen – thievery at its finest. All of this lovely offense amounted to a 9-5 win in the Bronx. Sweeeeet life.
The Sox, I think, were not really in the mood to show up last night. Francona put in his B squad not too soon before the end of the game. I guess they’re not too worried about winning the division anymore… What. A. Shame. [maniacal laugh]
Final note about the game: that DP that Robbie & Jeet pulled off to make the last two outs of the 9th was just sinful. I bet Casey Kotchman wants them indicted for high crimes in “too much talent.”
This brings the Magic Number down to The Great Bambino, which means there is a possibility to clinch while the Sox are in town. That would just be icing on the proverbial cake.
One thing that gets me is how long these games are. I feel like I’ve been playing in them myself, that’s how tired I get. These two teams are exhausting as they are, but together? That’s just crazy. I went to bed at 11:30. I’m eighteen years old, what the hell am I doing going to bed at 11:30?! [sigh] They are great though, no doubt about that.
So, Boss Dawg is on the mound today against Dice-K. Not-so-bold prediction: Yankees, For. The. Win. =) And for the record, I HATE FOX BROADCASTS. K, thanks. Look for a post about this afternoon’s game tomorrow; after the game I am outskies for the night [finally]! Until then, my dudes and dudettes…
Deuces Blogland!
Off Days Are Not As Fun As They Sound
So, since my excursion to the Ballpark in the Bronx, our Yanks have beaten the always-annoying Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Whew! That’s a mouthful), lost to the Blue Jays and came to blows with them, and beaten the Blue Jays in walk-off fashion. That’s certainly a lot of activity to catch up on.
Monday: Joba Chamberlain, your favorite and mine [rolls eyes], took the hill against Jered Weaver, aka the Better Brother. And wouldn’t ya know it, Joba went 4 and only gave up a run. Weaver went 7-and-a-third and allowed 5. The oddities of baseball are astounding.
Tuesday: Oh, Ser-Ser-Sergio, how you suck so! I think someone took over and used him as a human suit when he pitched so well a couple of starts ago. He, for all intents and purposes, fails. The only thing worth watching during this game was that epic fight. It was pretty intense. If there’s one thing you must learn from watching that fight, it is this: DO NOT MESS WITH THE 13-LB. EDWAR RAMIREZ. HE WILL CUT YOU. K, thanks. JoPo is a beast, Tex is an animal, and Shelley Duncan… well, we all know he’s psycho. =)
Wednesday: For what was mostly a boring, yawn-worthy game, a good result ensued. For starters, Chad Gaudin pitched relatively well, going 5-and-two-thirds, having only given up two runs in the 3rd, but when he was taken out, a man was on, so he was charged with that run as well when it came in. Hit-deki had himself a three RBI game – always a plus. But the real story happened in the bottom of the ninth. BG (Big Gunz, not Brett Gardner) hit a single, and stole second base. Jeter got him to third on a FC. Then, Frankie Cervelli, Jose Molina’s late-inning replacement, placed a single perfectly between third base and shortstop to drive Gardner home. The kid was so elated that he ran halfway into right-center field in celebration. He is friggin’ adorable and I just wanna pinch him. He definitely deserved the pie after everything he’s done for this club in the past. Love you, Frankie! You’re pretty much awesome! =)
Now, tonight is an off night, which is sad. Our boys make their way to the west coast yet again (wtf? again?) to take on the Mariners and those ridiculous Halos. I’m sick of them, to be honest. Thankfully we still have a considerable lead on them for HFA… and still a considerable lead over the Sox in the East. I just hope the rest of September is good to this team, ’cause now is certainly not the time for them to cool off, no sirree Bob. Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait ’til tomorrow to find out, right? *Sigh* I hate waiting. Whatever shall I do? I guess I’ll practice my patience. I just love doing that. [rolls eyes with great emphasis] ‘Til we meet again!
Peace out blog scouts!
Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun!
As the illustrious Ernie Banks once said, “Let’s play two!”
Indeed, there were two games played on this lovely Labor Day Monday afternoon/night. Those two games were also won by the ever-persistent, fun-loving, and awesome Yankees.
Naturally following a two-game day, there would be an abundance of information to relay and opinions to establish (I’m in a vocabulous mood tonight), but for fear of going on an endless tangent, I’ll keep it as brief as possible.
So, starting off with the starters of our matinee and nightcap:
CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. The Initial Kings in the land of Yankees Universe. CC in game 1 went 7, only giving up 1 earned run while fanning 10 – he got the ND. Say it with me now, dom-in-ance. AJ went 6, also only giving up 1 run and striking out 8. He got the win. Lucky for us Dr. Jekyll was in the house today. I mean hey, this was a sh!tload of a lot better than his last few starts, no? Yeah. I think so.
CC was relieved by Hughes and Rivera. Game. Set. Match. AJ was followed by Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo, and newbie Michael Dunn. A bit shakier a repertoire, but no damage was done. Gotta love when the kiddies are gettin’r done too.
Offense, hm, let’s just start with the fact that Deej went 0-8 today. How does that even happen? “Paging: Derek Jeter. Paging: Derek Jeter. Don’t give Jim Rice a reason to inflate his already robust ego. That is all.” That still keeps him at 3 away from tying Gehrig at 2,718. The first game was pretty dead until the 8th, where the Yanks extended their incredible tied-post-7th-inning winning streak to 15-0. That game ended at 4-1. Mark Teixeira and Jose Molina had themselves quite a nightcap, Tex hitting two homers and Panda going 3-3 with 2 BBs. The game was blown open in the third when they scored 8 runs. Final score: 11-1. Good stuff.
Okay. What else… hmmm… Brett Gardner has returned after a 6-week stint on the DL. Welcome back BG! We love you, man! Welcome back also to Shelley Duncan and a belated welcome back to our favorite September callups in Frankie Cervelli and Ramiro Pe
ña, of course! =D Good to have those guys back on the squad, fershure. On a sadder note, the Rays took a huge blow below the belt [metaphorically] when CC hit Carlos Pe
ña in the hand [literally] with a pitch, breaking two of his fingers. Talk about a letdown. I legitimately sympathize with the Rays fans out there. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody… except maybe the Red Sox. Just kidding.
Well, with those two wins, that puts our boys 9 games up in the AL East. Absolutely nuts. And now, courtesy of about 23,805,728,957 people on Twitter, the Magic Number is down to 16. The postseason is so close we can taste it, folks. This season has been quite a trip thus far, and it can only get better if one number is in the future – twenty-seven.
Siyonara kids!
Sox Get Smashed (and Not in the Fun Way)
**Advanced note: I apologize profusely for the length of this entry. Tar and feather/draw and quarter me later.
“Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy [ride].”
Isn’t there a law requiring you’re safely strapped in for these kind of things? This game was more than bumpy; it was like riding through a street full of potholes on a bike without a seat. Thankfully the Yankees were on the winning end of this… uh… er, event for lack of a better word.
Let’s take the box score, shall we?
20 runs, 23 hits, and an error for the Yankees. 11 runs, 12 hits, and an error for the Sox. Clearly the offense was suffering from insomnia and just would not rest. Hey, I’m not complaining, but the Sox came too close a few times to making it interesting. I do not enjoy a bases-loaded-no-outs situation for the opposing side. *cough BRUNEY cough* I guess it’s safe to say that pitching was not quite the pillar of strength in this game.
Oh, pitching. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
1. Oh, wait… you were STINKY!
Andy is Andy. I can’t say anything overly bad about him, but when you get 12 runs of support, I think people [including myself] expect you to hold onto it. It’s not a wet bar of soap. We’ll let you slide this time. You never cop out and say you did well when you obviously didn’t. I’ve still got your back, yo. As for the rest of the Yankees’ illustrious bullpen, the only real bright spot was… Damaso Marte? Did I really just type that? Fresh off the DL he comes in to bail Bruney’s tuckus out, and does so fairly nicely. Thank you for showing up with your head screwed on straight. Sergio Mitre… (again, did I just type this?) came in to finish up the 8th and 9th… and gave up 4 runs, of course. What would a Mitre game be without a little nailbiting? I’ll tell you: THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE.
Well, there’s no use in getting heated about that now. It’s over and done with. Remember folks: THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
™! See where it’s gotten us so far? I must be smarter than I thought. Anyway, Mr. Roboto had a fantabulous night that could’ve been fantabulous-er if not for JD Drew and his fielding skills… 2 3-run homers, plus another RBI. A-Rod stepped up with a 4-4 night after a 3-15 west coast trip. It’s nice to have him do something useful. Legging out that triple was pretty impressive too.
án had another three-hit night. [shocked face] Everybody in the lineup (sans J-Dames & J-Hairs ['cause he walked]) joined both the hit and RBI parades. J-Dames fouled a ball off his knee in his first at-bat of the game. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that you use the bat to hit, Johnny? No body parts necessary, goofball! I kid, I kid. I hope he’s okay and it’s not serious. I’d like to see him in this series.
Overall, it was sloppy, but it’s a win, and our boys are back to 7.5 up in the East. Texas and Tampa are duking it out this weekend hoping to gain ground on the Sox in the WC standings. As of now, Texas is back 1 game, Tampa, 3. I hope the Sox are feeling those teams breathing down the back of their jerseys. [maniacal laugh]
Tomorrow = AJ Burnett against Junichi Tazawa. Advantage: Yankees, in a landslide [please]. That’ll be all. =)
Bye, bye, bye (bye-bye)!
Break Out the Brooms! [crosses fingers]
As we all know, Sergio Mitre is not the greatest pitcher. As a matter of fact, we are all well aware of the fact that with him, no lead is safe, and run support is a necessity – just as much of a necessity as oxygen in our brains. Last night? He got some run support courtesy of Swish & El Capitano, and he actually stood up for a while on his own without any help.
My two favorite guys sharing a moment after Deej’s 15th homer of the season. It’s a beautiful thing!
Mitre only allowed 2 runs to the Mariners in his five-and-a-third. He did leave quite a jam behind him though, but David Robertson came in and wiggled out of it quite nicely (with half-as$ed help from CB Bucknor, probably the worst home plate umpire ever >=l). And thankfully,Coke & Mo wrapped it up (Mo with some difficulty, which worries me a bit…). Nonetheless, the Yankees came away with their 74th win of the season.
The consistency of this team is ridiculous – in a good way – and they never let you have a doubt about them coming out with a win… they spoil us rotten, and we love every minute of it!
As I said in yesterday’s post, the possibilities are endless if you think about who could be the hero for the next game. I made a few guesses, and wouldn’t ya know, I got 2 outta 3 of ‘em. That ain’t bad.
That smile is contagious, but then again, who isn’t smiling of their own accord these days? We certainly have a lot to smile about!
Sure, yesterday’s game was sloppy on the pitchers’ end, but we got the W, and at this point, that’s all that matters. They’ve got 7.5 games up on Boston in the East, and a chance for a sweep this afternoon (which means I won’t be yawning uncontrollably for once!).
2 and a half hours-ish ’til first pitch! I got my broom out! Time for a Seattle Sweep!
Peace out blog scouts!
In a World of Pure Imagination
At this point, I don’t mind being there, either. Just take a second, use your imaginations, fellow MLBlogosphere Yankee fans… Think of all the possibilities that surround this 2009 team.
The postseason: After last year’s disappointment, it would sure be nice to get back on the track we know and love. This team has without a doubt made a 180
° since this time last season. This time last year we were all tearing our hair out.
I mean, c’mon now. This time last season we were only 6 games over .500. This season, we’re thirty games over. Thur-tee. If that’s not a complete turnaround I don’t know what is. Knowing they’ve come that far since then allows us as fans to explore a crap load of options come the end of September, that is, if they keep this pace up (which I have no doubt in my mind about).
A WS Title: Sure, there’s over a month of baseball to go – nearly 50 games – but a fan can dream, can’t she? Logically speaking, if the Yankees stay as hot as they are now throughout September, a 27th title is definitely not out of the question. Yes, I’m merely speculating since there is that much baseball left in this season, but it’s a perfectly attainable goal. It doesn’t have to get done through major blowouts and beatdowns, but the way the Yankees are playing right now – with a mixture of those nice massacres and some small-ball clutchiness – it’s not out of the question at all.
Restoration of confidence: I think this is the most important thing. Of course a World Series title is the most desirable thing, but this is bigger than even that. With all the new additions to the clubhouse this past offseason – Burnett, Swisher, Sabathia, etc. – the mood is lighter and less stuffy. This has obviously helped this team lighten up and have more fun playing the game. When you have fun, you feel good, and when you feel good, you play better. Whenever I played, I always thought that was the idea. Optimism is contagious, and when you get W’s, you gain more optimism. It’s a cycle. A lovely, lovely cycle.
Well, now that I’ve looked into the distance, it’s time I look right in front of me. Tonight, Sergio Mitre is on the mound in Seattle, and as optimistic as I want to be about his start, I’m still nervous. He’s shaky at best, and needs all the run support he can get. Maybe the bats will be booming tonight like they did in the first game of the series. I wonder who the hero will be this time around… Melky? Swish? El Capitano? Like I alluded to before, the possibilities are endless.
There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination; living there, you’ll be free, if you truly wish to be…
Until next time!
Optimism Out the Wazoo
Well, I’ve certainly had a busy past few days, and so have the Yanks. They went into the last three games of their homestand with high hopes and good feelings. Fortunately, they ended the same way. They took two out of three from Toronto and now head out West on a 10-game road trip.
As far as the Toronto series goes, two out of three ain’t bad. Sure, the starting pitching was lackluster (sorry, AJ & Joba, you know you’re my dudes… and not-so-sorry to Serg – GET WITH IT, MAN.) and some clutch hits were called for, but it still ain’t bad. Thankfully we have some offensive Wonder Boys like Mr. Roboto (with the monsterrrrr shot), JoPo (thanks Jane), and RobbieCanoDon’tchaKnow. I love clutchiness. It’s a beautiful thing.
Speaking of Robbie, he was the big hero today with the walk off single in the 11th. So clutch. I really love that word. It makes you feel good about your team if you use it a lot. You use/see/hear the word “clutch” and doubts seem to sail out the window because you have a feeling someone will at some point come through. [sits back & puts feet up]
Granted there’s still a good bit of baseball left, but there’s no denying what’s going on in the present. It’s the Yankees’ Universe and I’m just living the high life in it… No qualms about it. =)
Tic-Tac-Toe, Three in a Row
It’s hard to follow up a game like the one last night, but CC Sabathia did his darndest. He pitched an absolute gem, going seven and two-thirds with 9 strikeouts and only giving up two hits. It’s the first time since 2002 that the Yankees shut out the Red Sox two games straight. I am loving life in Yankees Universe right now.
There’s nothing bad to say about today’s game. Buchholz may have only given up two runs, but they were enough. He got the L, and we gained another game in the East [5.5 baby!]. I feel like I should be sitting in a hammock on a beach with a maitai.
El Capitano provided some insurance in the 8th, making it 5-zip. Oh, how I love insurance!
Here’s to hoping I live through tomorrow night, and here’s to hoping for a four-game sweep of the Sawx! [clink]
Toodles!
Will the Real New York Yankees Please Stand Up?
…’cause the ones in Chicago are just imitating.
In all seriousness, what the hell goes on? What happened to the “11-2 since the All-Star break” Yankees team that flew into Chicago with high hopes? Well, they have certainly evacuated the area. Thankfully I’ve been too distracted the past couple of days to really get angry about this.
This is Anaheim all over again. Murphy’s Law has the Yankees in a full nelson. What I really don’t understand is how it went so sour so fast.
And what was this I heard about Ransom playing first? I like the guy a lot, I really do, but for real? What the hell was Shelley Duncan called up for? To make the team better looking? Why on earth did you trade for Jerry Hairston, then? And does the name “Hinske” ring any bells? You have 18964103245 utility men and you chose him? This certainly boggled my mind, as you can tell.
And AJ… oh brother. I can’t say anything bad about him despite the game. He was doing so well lately, a bump had to come and screw him up. HAD TO. I feel bad for the guy. Ugh. I’m so impatient when it comes to situations like this. I want to know what the hell is going on and why, darnit!
Lastly, our nice semi-comfortable lead in a AL East has gone poof. I’m not even going to get into how perturbed that makes me.
Another lastly, Mark Buerhle tomorrow? Really now? I think it’s all Michael Kay’s fault. If he didn’t screw up that friggin’ song, then we wouldn’t be in this situation. And here I always figured Jim Croce to be the forgiving kind… =/
I’m ending this entry before I rip someone’s face off. Happy trails.
Perennial Pinstriper
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