Monday, October 03, 2011

Shades of '06

I remember back to the '06 ALDS between the Tigers and the Yanks - Yanks roll in game 1, then bats incredibly quiet the rest of the way and sent packing. The 9th inning of game 2 gave me some hope that is not the case . . . but not much.

In my mind game 2's loss rests squarely on the shoulders of Jeter. Who went 0 - 5 (2 for 10 in series) leaving several runners on base. When you're the professional hit man, you have to deliver at some point in the game.

Game 3 has the rematch of the Aces - weather permitting.

2 comments:

Crash said...

Well yesterday's game was a joke. The fact that Scherzer held the Yankees without a hit into the 6th inning was terrible. Jeter makes an error, grounds to short to kill a rally, and strikes out in the ninth when all he really needed to do is put the ball in play. I actually said to myself after the strikeout, well at least he didn't hit into the double play.

Garcia didn't pitch poorly and Scherzer despite the results, was leaving stuff in the zone and the Yankees were flat out missing it.

The other thing I don't get is why the Yankees are pitching to Miguel Cabrera. He is by far the best hitter in the American League and yet they still pitch to him. He was hitting nearly .500 in September coming into the playoffs and they still pitch to him. His lifetime average against Garcia is .423 with 4 HRs (including yesterday's game) and they still pitched to him. He has a .528 lifetime average against CC (who's pitching tonight) and they will still pitch to this guy. It's infuriating. The Yankees did the same thing when David Ortiz was the hottest hitter on the planet and it burned them. Didn't they learn anything from that experience? I don't care if it's the first inning or the ninth inning, if first base is open or the bases are loaded, I am walking Cabrera all game long. I would rather walk home a single run than have him drive in 2, 3, or 4. He shouldn't get another pitch to hit all series.

It absolutely kills me that if the Yankees lose tonight's game, that the team's post-season fate rides on AJ Burnett in Game 4.

A-Rod is 0'fer so far and needs to have a big tonight. They need a clutch performance against the league's best pitcher in their home park. That's what post-season heroes do.

old professor said...

Why should the results so far surprise anyone. The Yankees have failed to put to big offensive games together back to back for most of the season. Oddly enough it was Jeter who indicated he did not believe the team really hit well in game 1 it was a matter of the balls that were hit finding holes through the infield. (Minus Cano's two big blasts).

I maintain that Jeter is not the clutch hitter he once was and he proved it last night. As for A-Rod he is back to his normal post season flop. Eric Chavez might give the team more consistency at the plate right now.

Crash I agree if the Yankees lose game two, it would be a shame to put the results in Burnett's hands - sad though who else do they have. Pray for a rain out.

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