Smooth Criminal: Damon's steals spark Yanks to win

Yankees 7 9 1
Phillies 4 8 1

WP: Chamberlain
LP: Lidge
S: Rivea

Googie Man 11:59, 4 May 2006 . . Goog..." style="border: medium none ; display: block;" height="560" width="300">Image via Wikipedia

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Johnny Damon went 3-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. One of those runs was the winning run off of a A-Rod double.

PLAY OF THE GAME: A-Rod's go-ahead double in the ninth inning off of Brad Lidge. Just another clutch postseason hit for A-Rod.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Damon's at-bat, and stolen base(s). With 2 outs, Damon got on and then stole second and third because of the shift on Teixeira.

GAME NOTES:

• Well, I don't have to tell you, but I love saying it: The Yankees are one win away from winning the World Series.. They have 3 games to win 1 game. Their first chance will be tomorrow against Cliff Lee.
• I loved the Damon steal for several reasons. One, simply stealing second was a good play because it puts him in scoring position. Then, obviously taking third the way he did, in my opinion, took something away from Lidge's focus. He plunked Tex, gave up the double to A-Rod, then gave up the 2-run single and a half to Posada.
• A-Rod got plunked for the third time in two games in the first inning. Alex was heard telling the umpire, "That's the third time, it's kind of obvious." In contrast to Tim McCarver's opinion (which he felt the need to tells us many, many, many times), I believe it was intentional. I don't think Blanton was trying to injure him, but using it as an intentional walk, and saving three pitches. And then warning the dugouts is just bogus, especially if you aren't going to throw people out when the hit people (like Lidge with Tex in the 9th, but lucky for us they didn't toss him).
• AJ Burnett will go in Game 5 on three-day's rest against Cliff Lee. Lee will be trying to save the Phillies season and AJ will be looking to clinch a World Series title.
  

SEE YA!

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Game 4 ALCS: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (2-0, 1.23 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Kendry Morales 1B
Mike Napoli C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: LHP Scott Kazmir (0-0, 7.50 ERA)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Get one out of the way: Even the most optimistic of Yankee fans couldn't have believed that the Yanks would go undefeated in the postseason, so a loss isn't entirely unexpected. I only wish that the Angels had actually won the game, instead of the Yankees losing it.

If the spit doesn't fit, you must acquit: An Angels fan blog posted a video that made it appear that Mariano Rivera spit on the baseball during last night's game. MLB actually took the claim seriously before deciding that it was an optical illusion, and there was no evidence that he spit on the ball. Expect a lot of signs and talk from Buck and McCarver when Mo enters the game.

Girardi using up bullpen phone minutes: After using all but one of his relievers on Saturday, Girardi went to the 'pen repeatedly yesterday. There is the decision that has been dissected all day, by everyone, including us, where Girardi took David Robertson after getting 2 outs on 11 pitches to bring in Alfredo Aceves. As we all know, Aceves lost the game after giving up a hit to Kendrick and a double to Jeff Mathis.

CC on 3: I'm going to give you the numbers that you will hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will beat to death all night long. CC Sabathia pitched on three-days rest 4 times last season going 2-1 with a 0.83 ERA, before running out of gas and getting hit hard in the playoffs. Since 1995, a starter has started on three-days rest 85 times going 20-34 with a 4.65 ERA in 458 1/3 innings.

Get 1 in LA: If you look at the rest of the series, I believe that the Yankees only really need to win one game in Los Angeles/Anaheim. While I would obviously love for them to finish this in 5 games, if the Yankees can come home up 3-2, they'll be in great shape. With Games 6 and 7 at Yankee Stadium and CC going in Game 7, on normal rest, I would feel comfortable as a Yankee fan.

I'm setting the over/under for the amount of times the fact that Sabathia is going on three-days rest is mentioned on the FOX telecast at 25, and I'm still going to go with an over.

You know the drill by now, follow at Twitter @jgeant and @KaysSuccessors.

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Yanks may use 3-man rotation for ALCS

As reported by Sam Borden from the LoHud Yankees Blog, Joe Girardi and the Yankees are "definitely considering" using only three starters for the ALCS against the Angles.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

If they do, the rotation would set up like this:

Game 1 (Friday, Oct 16 in NY): Sabathia
Game 2 (Saturday, Oct 17 in NY): Burnett
Game 3 (Monday, Oct 19 in LA): Pettitte
Game 4 (Tuesday, Oct 20 in LA: Sabathia (on short rest)
Game 5*: (Thursday, Oct 22 in LA): Burnett
Game 6*: (Saturday, Oct 24 in NY): Pettitte
Game 7*: (Sunday, Oct 25 in NY): Sabathia
*If necessary

Sabathia would be able to pitch 3 times in the event of a seven-game series. This would allow the Yankees to keep Joba in the bullpen, and not have to use Chad Gaudin in a pressure-packed situation. Joba hasn't started since September 30 when he gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 innings against the Royals. Gaudin hasn't pitched at all since October 3rd when he came in in relief against the Rays for 1.1 scoreless innings.

I think if you can get Sabathia three starts, and he feels comfortable with it, you have to do it. He hasn't had to go on short rest all season and he had a light workload in September, so he's well-rested.You already have Joba in bullpen mode, so leave him there, and they can fix all the problems with him in the off-season and Spring Training. I will put up with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver talking about him pitching on short rest a million times (assuming I haven't already muted the TV permanently by Game 4) to watch Sabathia get the ball again.

While helping the rotation, it also helps the bullpen. With Joba, Hughes, and Mo in the back end, and Coke (hopefully not Choke), Aceves, and Robertson in the middle innings, the bullpen will be solid.

While I don't know, because of superstition, if we will do a series preview, but we might do a scouting report-type post on the Angels. Either way, we will still provide news as it happens throughout the week.

SEE YA!

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Game 62: Yankees vs Mets

YANKEES (35-26, Second Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cabrera RF
Gardner CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (6-2, 4.22).

METS (31-28, Second Place NL East)
Castillo 2B
Cora SS
Beltran CF
Wright 3B
Sheffield DH
Tatis 1B
Church RF
Santos C
Martinez LF
Pitching: RHP Fernando Nieve (0-0, 0.00).
TIME/TV: 4:10 p.m., FOX

What to do with the gift: Last night the Yankees received a gift win courtesy of Luis Castillo. They should have lost. After the absrudity of last nights game it will be interesting how the Yankees respond today. They all know they should be on a 4-game losing streak. Do they continue to struggle, or do they come out and play crisp, clean baseball? On the other side, it will be interesting how the Mets respond after a devastating loss. A loss like last night cannot be good for the psyche of the team.
Who's the New Guy?: The Mets will send out 26-year-old RHP Fernando Nieve. Nieve has major league experience with the Astros in 2006, but has only pitched 2 innings this year for the Mets. He was 3-1 with a 4.29 ERA in AA and AAA before being called up.
Andy needs a Dandy: 3 of the last 4 Yankee pitchers have failed to make it past 4 innings. The bullpen has been overused the last 4 games and the Yankees need Pettitte to give them a solid outing. Here's the problem: Pettitte has pitched 16 innings in his last 3 starts, which is an average of 5.1 IP. That needs to change today.
Swisher Sits: In case you couldn't tell, I am furious with the way Nick Swisher has been playing lately. He missed a fly ball and was doubled off twice in Boston. Yesterday he played a fly ball to right awfully. He is just getting a day off, but I think he should have gotten a day off for disciplinary reasons. If Billy Martin coached Swisher he wouldn't have played that last game in Boston or the game last night.
Injury Update: Brian Bruney threw 1 perfect inning at Trenton today. 12 pitches, 8 strikes, 0 strikeouts. Girardi said he'd consider activating him after one appearance, he better tell the truth on how he feels then.

UPDATE: Wow. Check this out over at the Trenton Thunder Blog. Bruney rips K-Rod. Interesting... http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/brian-bruney-quotes-featuring-a-k-rod-rip/

Pete Abe has K-Rod's response under the 2:34 update on his blog. No history between the two.

UPDATE 4:10: Castillo get an ovation from the Yankee Faithful as he steps in the box. There were some boos in there, but it must have been the Mets fans.

UPDATE 4:36: 2-run home run off the end of the bat of Omir Santos into the first row. Remember Pettitte needs to help the bullpen, adn give them at least 6 innings, 7 may be asking to much from Andy. Rain starting to fall at the Stadium too.

UPDATE 4:47: An A-Bomb from A-Rod. 2-1 Mets. And we get it Joe Buck and Tim Mccarver. The ball carries in Yankee Stadium and you think it is a joke.

UPDATE 4:53: Ok Tim McCarver, you think they should move the walls back 15 feet? It will be 330 to left, 414 to left center, 423 to center, 400 to right center, and 327 to right. That will stop home runs for sure. Geeze, the second inning just ended and I am already thinking about muting these guys.

UPDATE 5:08: A nice shot of Joba, Burnett, and Wang sitting together in the dugout. They were all laughing. I wonder if they all think their last outings were funny, neither one of them getting past 4 innings and all.

UPDATE 5:40: Pettitte approaching 100 pitches in the fifth. It's 4-1 Mets thanks to leadoff hits by Beltran and Wright to set up 2 runs. Can Sabathia pitch everyday?

UPDATE 5:42: Well I ask for Swisher to be benched and this is what I get from Melky. I had flashes of Bobby Abreu on that play. 5-1 Mets.

UPDATE 6:27: Bottom of the 7th, Sheffield just made it 6-1 in the top half of the inning. Nieve is making the Yankees look foolish. They have 2 hits in 6 inngs. Posada, Matsui, Melky. Pray for a rally.

UPDATE 6:37: "Cy" Nieve is out of the game. First and third two outs and Sean Green is in to face Jeter. Meanwhile Pete Abe reported that the Yankees had Veras up in the bullpen at the start of the inning. If they happen to score I do not want to see him anywhere near that mound.

UPDATE 6:39: Infield single for Jeter. Castillo doing everything he can to make up for last night but Jeter beat out the throw. 6-2 Damon up.

UPDATE 6:41: So much for that. Damon has been slumping since the Boston series. Yankees look like they just don't have that fire to come back today. Somebody should tell them they are facing Johan Santana tommorow.

UPDATE 7:02: Yankees go down without a fight in the 8th. Onto the ninth. All I can say is, A.J. better earn his paycheck tomorrow.

UPDATE 7:12: Do the Yankees have a "rally in their bones?" Ok, I just can't write that anymore. I will stop unless I have to use it in a direct quote of Michael Kay.

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