2009 New York Yankees/Game 21/@ Detroit
By Matthew Storey
New York Yankees - 8 (11-10)
Detroit Tigers - 6 (10-11)
Winning Pitcher: Chamberlain (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Porcello (1-3)
HR: Swisher 2(6,7)
Granderson (7)
In the aftermath of Phil Hughes sterling effort as a starter the night before, the bizarre life of Joba Chamberlain - in which every person in the World has an opinion about his job that conflicts with the one that he AND his employer have - blew up once again. Manager Joe Girardi was, once again, forced to deal with questions about moving Joba back into the bullpen.
Blah...Blah...Blah...
Never mind the roster of terrific young arms who HAVE those jobs in the Yankee bullpen, recent damage, circumstantial rather than serious, notwithstanding...
Joba has been training to be a STARTER since the Winter, was an effective starter last season and would have to go through a transition to accommodate the return to the pen.
But, more importantly...in now SIXTEEN MLB Starts, the guy has surrendered more than 3 Earned Runs...
T-W-I-C-E.
23 year old Starters who can turn into quality starts 88% if the time, and pitch deep into games on low pitch counts (88) with only one run surrendered, as he did last night - are FAR more valuable than any set-up man in the HISTORY of Baseball.
Let's let that one drop, OK? It may be sexier to see Joba throwing 101 mph and pumping his fist on a 15 second ESPN highlight, but having him for 7-8 innings per start is infinitely more valuable. Throw in the fact he is homegrown and under team determination for years, balancing out the high-ticket Free Agents at the top of the rotation...his ability as a starter, one who is nearly unbeatable when 'on' and who is able, even when he has little (as he did in Boston last start) to manage the Game and limit damage. Try and learn to enjoy the idea of the Yankees with four homegrown starters of different ages, all capable and effective (Pettitte, Joba, Hughes, Wang) to mix and match with the brilliant acquisitions (CC, AJ).
Joba nibbled early and got himself into some trouble in the Bottom of the 3rd, walking the bases full by being too shy about the plate and getting into a pissing contest with Ed Runge, the 187 year old Umpire who seemed to delight in tweaking the kid. Joba fought back and struck out the dangerous Miguel Cabrera on a BEAUTIFUL slow curve to end the threat and then sat through a 7 Run outburst from his Offense in the Top of the 4th. Thus freed from restraint by the rare (for him) run support, he abandoned the nibbling and went into the strike-throwing, attack-mode Yankee fans have been waiting to see all season and dominated casually from that point forward.
Final tally, 7 IP, 3H, 1R, the 3 BB and 6 K's.
Phil Coke threw an effortless 8th, but Jonathan Albaladejo, ran into trouble in the 9th Inning of an 8-1 game, and was unable to right himself - forcing an unprepared Mariano Rivera to unpack his overnight bag, minutes from a plane ride and walk in to face the dangerous Curtis Granderson, cold.
That had predictable results in the form of a 3 run bomb, pissing off Mo, but only putting 1 run on his ERA and, shortly thereafter, the team was able to pack for the return to the East Coast with a series win in Motown.
Offensively, the Yankees took one turn through the lineup to see the stuff of impressive 20 year old Detroit Starter, Rick Porcello, and then took him to task in the 4th, with the decisive blow being the first of Nick Swisher's two HR's (this one, a 3 run shot RH, later a solo shot LH). Swisher, for his part, has now come close in 75 April at-bats to matching the production of the guy who was traded for him (Wilson Betemit) who produced 10 HR in TWO HUNDRED NINETY Yankee at-bats. Nice job, Brian.
Hideki Matsui, extended his hitting streak to 9 games with a 3 run 2B, Derek Jeter's 8 game streak went by the board with an 0-5 and Robinson Cano, extended his streak to 16 games and has now gone hitless in a total of TWO games since his benching last September and made several sterling plays at 2B.
Yankees come home today and Guru and Mal Volio will be there TOGETHER! Can't wait to share our impressions of the new Palace and the ballgame tomorrow.
