2009 New York Yankees/Game 14/A's
By Matthew Storey
New York Yankees - 5 (8-6)
Oakland A's - 3 (5-8)
Winning Pitcher: Andy Pettitte (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: Dana Eveland (0-1)
HR: Damon (2)
Coming into the season, the Yankee rotation featured four guys who there really weren't any questions about, and one guy who they figured would be 'good enough'. After fourteen games, AJ Burnett has been as advertised, CC Sabathia has been erratic, but showed brilliance in one of three starts, Joba Chamberlain has not settled into a regular turn or regular feel, but his velocity does not appear to be at mid-season levels and his control is not his accustomed level either. Chien-Ming Wang, erstwhile Ace, is lost somewhere in a fog - not prepared for the season and searching for answers, with half the Yankee losses attributable to him.
Andy Pettitte, meanwhile, has been much more than 'good enough'.
Last night, in his first start in the New Yankee Stadium, that was the biggest reason for his return, Andy shut down meaningless chatter about 'wind tunnels' that has arisen from a SINGLE FOUR GAME SERIES! with a crisp, unchallenged 7 Innings - no K's, no BB's, 2 Runs. He got beautiful Defensive plays from Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Cody Ransom and Mark Teixeira and looked effortless and in sync for the third successive, impressive start to his 2009 season, the sort of antidote a rotation NEEDS when one of its spokes goes off form.
Yankees opened things Offensively, with a 4-spot in the 2nd Inning, highlighted by slap-hitter, Brett Gardner, happily encountering a drawn-in infield with men on 2B and 3B. In this formation, a slap is just what you need and his 1B resulted in 2 RBI.
Andy cruised from there until the A's plated 2, utilizing one of Kurt Suzuki's 4 hits for the first run and then being thwarted by some terrific defense and a call that wiped out a chance for a run on an comeback squibber to Pettitte on which Chavez ventured inside the baseline and was plunked by the throw for an automatic out.
The replay made it obvious that Chavez's foot was completely on the infield grass, later on, ESPN's Baseball Tonight - center of the Yankee-Hating Universe, reported that although the replay they SHOWED made it look like Chavez was on the grass, they had heard reliably that ANOTHER replay (from the A's?) showed he was 'clearly inside the line, they blew the call!', to which, John Kruk, hero to all slobs with lazy minds chimed in 'that's huge there, they're ready to change that game!'. No evidence, no interest in what happened, no research to back up claims - they just RUN WITH IT if it has a slant that will please a large segment of the audience. Like FOX covering the Clintons.
That's journalism in America, 2009.
After that inning, Johnny Damon took Andrew Bailey off the facing in RF for a 5-2 lead. Bailey has a Joba-like arm, scintillating 98 mph Heat and table-splashing curveballs, he has a big future. The Damon run was his first surrendered in 10.1 Innings, and only his 2nd HIT to go against 13 K's. Don't be surprised to see Mr. Bailey making his way towards the 9th Inning soon, be aware those Fantasy GM's needing save options. Mr. Bailey is legit, and no Mariano blocks him by the Bay.
Brian Bruney, came on for the 8th, the Yankee RH has been lights out of late, and he extended his consecutive outs streak to 23 by getting two quick outs, before surrendering a run on two consecutive A's 2B's to close the scoring at 5-3.
Mariano came in. Light's out. 4th Save.
