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As unimpressive as Javy Vazquez was, that's how impressive Joel Pineiro was. It was like watching Ying and Yang on the mound. Consistent control with unpredictable speeds vs inconsistent control and predictable speeds. As one could guess, the former took the W.
The Yanks like sinker ballers about as much as I like people saying, "you're not like a real chick." They just have a real, real problem with them. Which probably was why Pineiro basically baffled them for 7 innings. 7 Ks. 0 BBs. 5 hits. 1 run.
The Mets could have used a guy like him.
But it turns out, there ARE some things money can't buy. The Mets offered him around the same amount, but the Angels nabbed him. Pitchers know better. They know what happens when they enter Queens. Abandon all talent ye who enter here.
On the flip side, our super duper #4 guy was a sloppy mess, and I think it's safe to say Javy is sitting hunched over in his locker right about now, acting all Jack Torrance-y, scribbling on his glove, "All AL and no NL makes Javy a dud boy."
But hey, we can't give up on him now, right? Even if his ERA is after 2 starts dangerously creeping towards double digits.
He didn't start out too bad, but just watching him pitch, you knew it was only a matter of time before the wheels flew off. 6 hits in 5.1 innings isn't terrible. But he pitched a helluva lot worse than the score indicates. If the Angels' offense had been a little tighter and our defense a little worse, we'd be looking at much more of a shitstorm score. (SSS)
The top of Anaheim's lineup killed up. Aybar, Abreu, and Hunter deserve more credit than they get, in terms of the league's 1-2-3 batters. Particularly Abreu, who has been responding quite well since he took a $10 million salary cut in '09.
After the Angels were staked to a 2-0 lead, things were still controllable. Swisher hit the ever-exciting triple that drove in Cano, making it 2-1. Then things began to unravel a bit. In the 6th and 7th innings, the Angels' lineup scraped together another 3 runs, and the Yanks headed into the 8th with a 4-run deficit.
But of course, if there's a comeback to be staged, it's gonna happen in the 8th. Which is what the Yanks tried their damndest to do, and almost did, thanks to the meatball performance from the Angels version of Paul Quantrill...Scot Shields, who hasn't been effective since around the time "Lovefool" was song of the year.
He pitches just about as terrible as he could, gives up 2 runs, and puts Kevin Jepsen in a tough spot when he comes in for relief. I gotta echo Kay's thoughts here:
"Al, do you think a guy like Jepsen, a fastball pitcher like that, just goes into, like, throwing as hard as he possibly can with really absolutely no regard to where the ball goes?"
(Though Al countered that that was a little overboard, Jepsen certainly wasn't doing anything to dismantle this theory. He looked like a pitching machine dropped in a bathtub with the power still on.)
Sadly, I think Teixeira's standard spring slump has been really punching holes in the Yanks production. In a critical spot like #3, he's got a lot riding on his at-bats, and it's really gotten to the point where I don't think fans actually even expect him to get on base, but rather, would see a base hit as a pleasant surprise. He ran the gamut today, striking out, popping up, flying out, grounding out, bringing his BA to an emaciated .097.
But it's Tex. So, moving on. I really just feel bad for him more than anything else.
A-Rod didn't have the best day either, with 3 Ks. Actually the only Yanks who really can be marginally happy about their individual performances are Cano who remains markedly hot, Jeter who's Jeter, and Marte who looked extremely good out of the pen.
I would have liked to see some pie. All in due time, all in due time.
As for now, I gotta hit the batting cages, as I have my first softball game tomorrow and am contact-lens-less.
I have a feeling it's going to be a Daniel-LaRusso-trying-to-snag-flies-with-chopsticks type of situation...
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I don't have a problem with Javy over all ... heck, I find myself rooting FOR the guy just because so many fans have it in for him. I mean, there was a LOT of blame to go around for that, but we won last year so can we put it to rest? Kthxbye!
John C.
My problem isn't with Javy the pitcher per se. It's with the fact that because of Javy I have to see clips of one of the worst days of my life over and over again. It's kinda like holding it against a guy for making you miss an amazing game. It's not 100% his fault, and you should probably overlook it in the grand scheme of things, but the fact of the matter is, you're gonna think about him and have a bad taste in your mouth bc of it, every time you remember how you missed that game.
Like this scene in (gulp) Fever Pitch. I hated that movie for obvious reasons, but I have to admit this scene really hit home for me:
Hey, what's that noise?
Ben, we won! We won! We were losing - in the bottom of the ninth! We scored eight runs! Ten straight hits! It was unbelievable, man! It's the greatest night in the history of Fenway Park! Can you hear this? It's bedlam here, man! Yes! By- By the end, the stands were literally shaking! The fire marshal had to get the-to stop jumping up and down! The one game you missed! You missed the greatest game ever!
This is an historic night, Natalie. And word is these tickets stubs are already getting $ on the street. I have seen at least a dozen women celebrating topless in the streets. Moments ago I witnessed a nun dancing on top of a moving vehicle. I have seen police officers toasting beer with underage children.It is absolute bedlam down here. Right now I think we're witnessing the largest conga line ever. I tell you what. If you are not down here right now, you're missing one heck of a party.
Hi. Would you like an omelet?
They... won.
The Red Sox?
Oh, good! This really is your night.
No. You don't understand. They scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth to win -. It was the best game ever. I- I can't- I- I never miss a game. Ever. This is like a nightmare. No, this is beyond that. This is like a punishment from God or something.
Two minutes ago you said this was the best night of your life.
Yeah. Two minutes ago it was.
Hey. I didn't tell you not to go.
Oh, no. No, no. Of course not. No. You had nothing to do with it. I just suddenly had a whim...after years of never missing an inning, to suddenly not go to a Yankees game.
Hey. Wasn't it you yourself that said just tonight..."It's only a game"?
Oh, that's great. That's great. Pile it on. Yeah. Kick me when I'm down. That's great. It is just a game. Clearly, it's not just a game! If it was, then obviously I wouldn't care about it this much. Twenty-three years. Do you still care about anything you cared about years ago? How about 5? How about five? Name me a single thing that you’ve cared about for 5 years.
Yeah. No, um, there isn't actually anything I've wanted for 23 years...because 23 years ago I was seven...and if I still wanted to marry Scott Baio, I would think that my life went terribly wrong. I- I just thought tonight was so different. You broke my heart, Ben.
I will never forgive the Red Sox for corrupting Drew Barrymore, who I love. "Fever Pitch" is a great movie about what it's like to be a sports fan, but, to me, because of the ending, it will always be a horror movie.
If you get a chance, check out the original version of "Fever Pitch," about the London soccer team (sorry, "football club") Arsenal. Besides, Colin Firth is SUCH a better actor than Jimmy Fallon. The book's author, Nick Hornby, has a cameo as the coach of the team that Firth's team slaughters 9-0.