Game 55: New York at Minnesota
Posted by ubelmann on Saturday, May 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Chien-Ming Wang vs. Boof Bonser
Wang's GB% is lower than it was last year, but is still very good at 56%. His strikeouts have been rising a bit as his ground balls have been going away, though.
The Yankees have been more or less the third-best-hitting team against right-handed pitching so far this year. The next three games could get fairly ugly.
Go Boof, go!
NY Yankees
J. Damon lf
D. Jeter ss
B. Abreu rf
A. Rodriguez 3b
H. Matsui dh
J. Giambi 1b
R. Cano 2b
J. Molina c
M. Cabrera cf
Minnesota
C. Gomez cf
A. Casilla 2b
J. Mauer c
J. Morneau 1b
M. Cuddyer rf
J. Kubel dh
D. Young lf
M. Lamb 3b
N. Punto ss
NY Yankees
C. Wang
Minnesota
B. Bonser
I think a key tonights game is keeping Bobby Abreu off the basepaths
Good job with a scoreless first, Boof.
striking out Abreu too!
Justin puts us on the board
If Boof dominates a team that really hits righties well, it will be interesting to see what the decision is when Baker comes back. The biggest key for Boof is throwing strikes.
Gordo screams that the game is tied only to find out it was a double for Matsui. Good job der
Kenji Johjima stole home today against the Tigers. It was a messed up squeeze, but it goes as a straight steal of home in the box score. I wonder when was the last time a catcher had a straight steal of home.
Nice placement RonDelmon
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Im having trouble with the site tonight. Is it my computer, or are you folks having troubles too?
It's acting normally for me.
I had trouble logging in for a while.
Three good pitches to three good hitters and Boof still can't get the third out.
yeah, the defense was not good to Boof that inning
Was that supposed to be a sac attempt? Are we playing for the tie in the 3rd inning with our most consistent hitter at the plate?
I think he was bunting for a hit. It's tough for me to tell since FSN is never very interested in giving us a shot of the whole field, but teams often will play a bit of an infield shift against Mauer, so if A-Rod was either shifted off the line, back behind third base, or both, then it gives Mauer a pretty good chance to make first base.
Against a fly ball pitcher that would be more annoying, but with a ground ball hitter and a ground ball pitcher, Mauer probably wasn't going to get a HR and the bunt attempt potentially gave him a better than the ~33% chance he would have to get a hit anyway.
I wouldn't want him to do it all the time, but mixing it in occasionally isn't a bad idea.
According to the radio, it was definitely not a sac attempt.
It didn't look like a sac attempt to me, either, but with this team I am hesitant to rule out the possibility.
Not all sac attempts are even called by the bench, but I agree that wasn't what Mauer was going for, but that might have been part of the thinking that even if he gets thrown out, he at least puts the tying run in scoring position.
No, that was a hit attempt all the way. The infield defense tends to play Joe to pull, so he occasionally will bunt down the third-base line to take advantage.
Also, Mauer has decent speed and is left-handed, which are both assets for trying to bunt for a hit.
I think Mauer has his way when it comes to bunting. If he wants to, he will do it. I don't think that bunt came from the bench
We will, we will bunt you.
Whew. Good thing Morneau was playing the line.
Coulda been a DP with a better throw from Lamb. Rrrgh. Nice stretch by Casila, though.
Surprisingly, so far it seems like it's Casilla shoring up the infield defense, kind of like Bartlett in 2006.
It always seemed like Casilla had the range to play pretty good defense, but I've never seen someone make so many silly mistakes as he has in the past. Hopefully that's in the past.
Casilla in his batting stance seems barely taller than Jose Molina in his crouch.
Casilla trying to make the Twins competive in the walk department.
It's pretty easy to appreciate Casilla's patience given some of the hackers in the lineup now and hackers that we've had on the team in the past.
Need a beard-buster right here.
DOH!
Ugh sounds like more terrible storms going through Hugo.
Boof not getting any short at bats from the men in stripes. I, for one, am happy with his performance thus far though.
it seems like Joe Mauer hasn't nabbed anyone in a while.
I feel like there have been some good jumps lately, but Joe's throws haven't been as on-target as possible lately, too.
Joe has also caught 40 innings in the 4 days leading up to today. He want from being a pussy to being Robert Downey, Jr. in the blink of an eye.
Apparently by not shaving, he becomes tougher.
And is Boof that susceptible to the SB?
Including today's results, he's had 24 SB and 10 CS against, which seems pretty bad since both Mauer and Redmond have had pretty good numbers in the recent past.
Grant Balfour trying to get the save against the Sox.
Cliff Floyd hit another HR for the Rays in that game
I was pretty disappointed when he first got injured with the Twins. He seemed like a good arm to have around.
Yeah, lost in Rincon's meltdown in the second playoff series against the Yankees was Balfour's dominant two innings after Johan had to leave after five inning, if my memory is correct.
Well, I was hoping for better, but I guess now I just have to hope that Perkins pitches better than I expected and that Boof pitches well out of the bullpen.
the Yanks seem to be really grinding against the Twins this series. They haven't hit a HR. Stealing bases, Sac Flys. a different Yankee team from what I remember
'base hit past Lamb'
Once again, Boof gets tremendous help from the bullpen. Oh well. I'm out of here for now. The game is still within reach...well, hopefully still within reach.
hey, a double steal! and it worked!
That's one of those "What are you doing!!??? ... Way to go!!" moments. It's great if it works, but absolutely horrible if it doesn't.
I heard those words from my coach a lot in Little League
Mine kept telling me to "unhook the plow"...whatever that means.
sort of back in the game. The bullpen has got to toss some Firestones on the scoreboard
Breslow with 2 strikeouts
Apparently, it's supposed to be Kraig Breslow.
CUDDY!!!!
Give that man a shave!
For Cuddles:
well, Cuddy won't look like Homer here. lol
Grand Slam for Three-vas!
Luis Rivas hit a grand slam tonight
what the heck is going on!
Luis Rivas hit a grand slam tonight against the Cardinals.
Late to the party again, I see
better late than never
great catch Cuddy!
that was a quick at bat in the 8th
Have I missed anything?
Cuddy hit a HR
Breslow had 3 K's and retired all 5 men he faced
Nathan pitching out of save sitch -- is Ullger managing?
Nathan gets the obligatory baserunner in with minimal effort.
*crickets*
They've been playin' all night.
That'll be the day, smalls.
A dark day.
that's a song title I don't recall
*ribbits*
w00t.
well, that all worked out
why the hell would you try to steal third with 1 out and Matsui at the plate, ARod? That's dumb.
Two huge outs on the basepaths tonight by A-Rod.
dudes....sbg, twayn, e-6 and banjo sitting in back of home plate.
ah, so the boys are giving the Boss some free baseball. Now I get it.
can you see them on TV?
I can't see them on radio.
A-rod with no respect tonight!
KUUUUUUUUUUUBELLLLLLLL!
I think that ump last night really messed up Kubel. He's looked horrible tonight.
WALK OFF!
DAMN YOU GORDO!
THATS TWICE!
where's the cap....
Cripes! Gordon's gonna give me a heart attack
Heh. It's humorous to listen to him.
BWHAHA walking punto
Lamb-tastic.
uh. and Nick Punto up next???
Intentionally walking Punto....don't see that everyday!
Who's up next?
I'm mad at Gardy for not PH for Punto and then the Yankees go and walk him!!
go....goooooo