YEAH, YEAH... I SAW BUCHHOLZ PITCH...

It's good to know what' the enemy is up to, right?

Let me first state I've been a Yankees fan for 34 years. I've had a professional baseball team in my back yard for 20 years. There are 2 things that I've never experienced while in attendance of a baseball game. The first is catch a ball (neither foul or home run). The closest was 2 years ago when I almost had a ricochet, but my brother in law, who was sitting behind me and is 4 inches taller, snatched it well above my head. The other was seeing anybody of importance at my local, short-season Class A game. Players like Delmon Young, Josh Hamilton, and Evan Longoria have all played for my local Hudson Valley Renegades. However, back then nobody knew who those guys were.

The Renegades are the NY-Penn League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are the defending league champions and last year they were lights out! Some of these players will probably make the majors in the next few years. Tampa seems to be really good at developing players and this team has been good for the last few years!! I always find it hard to root for them knowing these guys will probably be playing against my Yanks sometime in the near future.

Anyway, last night, the 'Gades took on the Lowell Spinners, the NY-Penn League representatives of the Boston Red Sox. The starting pitcher for the Spinners was none other than Mr Clay Buchholz. Buchholz was making his first rehab start since a neck strain sidelined him back in June. I really can't stand Buchholz, but it was still very cool to see a guy of his stature in my neighborhood and playing in my hometown stadium.

I knew going in Buchholz was supposed to throw 45-50 pitches in this rehab start, so I knew he wouldn't be long for the game. In the top of the first the Spinners quickly jumped out to a 3 run lead. In the bottom of the first the Renegades Julian Ridings hit a fly ball deep to left center. The ball bounced off the left fielders glove who picked it up and while trying to throw Ridings out at third, let it fly into the stands along the third base line allowing Ridings to score. That's 2 errors on 1 play. The next batter walks. The third batter, Ariel Soriano, triples to right center and scores on the another throwing error - Game tied at 3. Buchholz is able to get the next batter to strike out and the fifth batter to pop weakly out to short. He then proceeds to walk the next two batters. This brought out the Spinners manager. 38 pitches into the game and Buchholz's night is over. 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 3 BB. Although he did hit the mid 80s on the radar gun.

For me, I could sit and watch a ballgame on any given night. There is nothing like it. (By the way, the 'Gades won 11-9). I'm not going to lie, I did get a little bit of pleasure watching the mighty Clay Buchholz struggle against a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds. Ok, so this post isn't really Yankee related, but it was a great night out at the ballpark with my wife and 2 daughters.

And after the game they got to run the bases. I'm still trying to wipe the smile off their faces and the dirt off their feet!!

--Lem Allen, BYB Contributor

Email me at: bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

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WHY I MISS THE NEW YORK YANKEES

It happens every November.  It is sort of like a withdrawal from an addiction.  It is kind of like when your best friend goes away or your son or daughter goes away to college.  They are not at an arm’s length.  They are not available.  This quote (HERE), by baseball great, Rogers Hornsby just about sums it up for me, “People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."   

(In Photo: Rogers Hornsby)
I feel this way about the Yankees and it hurts a little bit more this year than in years passed.  As a fan that watches or listens to every game, I feel this void in my life as Thanksgiving approaches and Spring Training feels like a century away.  So why do I miss the Yankees so much?  There are many reasons, but I will narrow them down to three. 

The first reason why I miss the Yankees so much is the thrill of the game.  It is exciting to watch our Bombers battle it out in the field for nine innings.  They always make it interesting.  If it is not the defensive excellence of our first baseman Mark Teixeira, 2012 gold glove winner, it is the hustle of Grandy in center and the professionalism of our other gold glove winner, Robby Cano at second.  They make it look easy and they make the game a thrill to watch.  All three can hit too, usually! 

This brings me to my second reason of why I miss the Yankees so much.  I love the way we win and I love the way we hit our way back into a game.  In an article posted this October (HERE) in the New York Times stated, “The natural rhythms of the baseball season remind us that summer never lasts. In places like New York, the postseason arrives with the cold snap of autumn, the first sign that winter is coming. This is when the Yankees make their mark.”

No other team can do that as consistently as the Yankees can.  And we have been doing this for decades.  In 1923 Babe Ruth clobbered three home runs to beat the Giants in the series.  In 1927, we did it with Murderers’ Row.  That year the Bombers became the first team to sweep the World Series.  They did that again in 1928 and again in 1932, when Babe Ruth hit his famous “called shot.”


We beat up on the Dodgers, the Giants, the Cardinals, the Braves, the Mets and the Phillies.  We did it with hits and when we are unstoppable, we are truly unstoppable.   I am a Yankee fan and I always believe we can win. 

The final reason why I miss the Yankees is I miss Derek Jeter.  I miss his passion and I miss his poise.  I love his confidence.  He is not being cocky when he says we will win, he’s being Derek Jeter, our leader, our captain.  He told us that the ghosts would show up in Boston back in 2009 and they did.  Jeter is a straight shooter, who goes out every day and does his job.  It is not just Yankees fans like you and me who love to watch Jeter, but his fierce competitors love to have him in the game they are playing against the Yankees.

“We all grew up, backyard baseball, wanting to win the World Series either against the Yankees or getting through the Yankees to get to the World Series, especially with Derek Jeter as the catalyst. Unfortunately, it happened. We’d love to see him out playing with us and playing against him, because it is really fun playing the Yankees, especially when Derek Jeter is healthy,” said Detroit Tigers Delmon Young following Jeter’s injury in the postseason. 

So, as the frosts of November hit us in the Northeast and we batten down the hatches for a long winter’s nap, I dream of our Boys of Summer and think about the thrill of the games yet to be played on the green grass of Yankee Stadium in 2013. 

What are you missing this off season? Comment.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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WITHOUT HITTING, THE YANKEES NEED A MIRACLE

I don’t even know where to start, there’s just too much to critique here. I don’t know what happened to this team, but now we are talking about digging ourselves out of a HISTORIC hole. Do you remember the last team that came back to win a 0-3 series? I’m sure you remember, but just in case it was the 2004 Boston Red Sox. I can’t believe I am even associating these two teams in the same context, it makes me sick!

There is only one thing I can compare the Yankees to right now….and that is The Walking Dead. Once again, we benched ARod and Nick Swisher because they aren’t hitting. This is the postseason, we NEED these guys to play and be productive. Some may say I am being a little dramatic here, but look at the facts. Every single game of this series we have wasted every opportunity to score until the 9^th inning. 

Last night was no different, this time Eduardo Nunez blasts a solo homerun into left field. Sure, it got us on the scoreboard finally….but that is just too little too late. These signs of life need to show up before the 9^th inning, the Yankees cannot expect to win ballgames in the postseason like this. EVERYONE at this stage is good.

I hate to ruffle feathers here, but I saw something in last night’s game that I really just did not like. I took one look at my screen right before Nunez hit the homerun and I see Robbie Cano…..playing with his gum. Was it an unfortunate catch in front of the camera? Maybe. Am I being overly critical here? Maybe I am, but I don’t think so. Fact is, Cano in in the middle of an 0 for 29 hitless streak so gum should be the last thing on his mind right now. This team looks lost, and when I look on the field and see a professional ballplayer stretching out his gum and playing with it like a child it upsets me. The Yankees were in the middle of a lack luster game, trying to pull off another miracle while I was sitting on the edge of my couch….and Robbie is playing with gum like it is a toy? This is do or die time, the fans want to see your head in the game. It isn’t "time to check out" right now. We are one game away from taking a very long winter vacation. We know it will come eventually, but we want another ring before that happens!

While the Yankees are imitating the Walking Dead out on the field, there is one guy on the Tigers that is just the opposite, in fact I would compare him to the Energizer Bunny because he keeps going, and going, and going….and I WISH the Yankees were doing this. 

Delmon Young is tearing the cover off of the ball and has had two key home runs in this series. We mentioned that neutralizing his bat would be key when we previewed this series HERE. The Yankees can do this too, and they should be doing this.

I love my team, but I do not love what they are doing out there. This is the postseason, and the expectations are high. Today is win or go home empty handed again. I can’t stomach losing to the Tigers for the second year in a row. Our pitchers are doing their job, now we need to find a way to make the bats do their part. It’s not over yet. We have CC on the mound today, and then Andy. I like the odds with those guys out there…..so it’s time to go big or go home, boys. We know you can do it…..

Finally, I leave you with this; the last 2 teams to bat .200 in the post season were the 1974 Oakland Athletics and the 1986 New York Mets... both went on to win the World Series... yup, that's right, I'm telling you there's a chance!

GAME ON, fellas! Show us what you got!

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


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FANS TURN ON SWISH, SO SWISH TURNS ON FANS

You know things have gotten out of hand when Nick Swisher just about blatantly ignores fans.

If you have never been to a game and sat in right field, then you probably aren’t aware of how much Swisher interacts with the fans. His energy usually pumps up that entire section. Honestly, when I attend games, I do my best to sit out there for that very reason. But that was not Swisher yesterday.

After the misplayed line drive by Delmon Young, Swisher was met with a choir of boos the other night. Not a common thing for Swish. He was even accused of being the primary cause of Derek Jeter’s injury... the injury that happened AFTER Young’s double on a ground ball by Jhonny Peralta. To put it simply, Swish is hurt, (read HERE). And I don’t really blame him.

We all want him to do well. He is hitting .154 this post season and it is tough to watch. I’m almost certain that it’s tough on him too. They have fought long and hard to get here. This is not how the Yankees want to go out. It’s frustrating to watch and we tend to mouth off and sometimes, we say some really rude and outlandish things.

Swish isn’t the only Yankee who is getting this treatment. Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez are all getting rained down on. Their performances this post season leaves a lot to be desired. I mean Cano is hitting .063. What is the heck is up with that?

Swish is a good guy. His energy and charisma are unparalleled. It’s good for baseball and it’s good for the fans. But when fans see him joking around, laughing and carrying on when he should be focused, they assume he doesn’t care. And we’re almost always wrong in that assumption but how are we supposed to know? We only get to see you the way the media allows us to. Just look at how the media portrays Alex.

Swish hinted that the crowd reaction is doing the opposite of helping. He stated “You give me a hug and I run through a wall for you.” I mean, when the team is thinking that getting out of the Bronx and away from their fans will be a breath of fresh air by going to Detroit, maybe we fans have gone too far. Isn’t Yankee stadium supposed to be their sanctuary of sorts? They should not be happy about leaving.

So Swish, if you are reading this, please try your hardest to focus and do better. This will probably be your last season with the team and I want you to destroy every pitcher you face and leave with a bang and another World Series ring. I don’t need moon shots. Just hits that will get you on base and move runners. I know you want it as badly as your fans do.

You're a Yankee Swish.... I guess us fans just want to win...doesn't that make sense?

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804



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LIFELESS IN THE BRONX. TIGERS UP 2-0

It was crunch time for the Yankees coming into this game. The Yankees had lost their Captain, Derek Jeter, to a season-ending injury. Their best hitters cannot hit the ball to save their lives. At the same time, things are starting to crumble in the Detroit clubhouse as well. Anibal Sanchez, who was clocked by the Yankees to the tune of seven runs in 3 innings in August, was starting Game 2. Detroit announced that their closer, Jose Valverde, would not be closing Game 2. This was a golden opportunity for the Yankees to tie the series.

Hiroki Kuroda, starting in 3 days rest because of the schedule for the first time this season, was ready to meet the challenge and pitched as brilliantly as could be expected. He was perfect through the first five innings, and did not surrender a run until the seventh. He held the heart of the order - Yankee Killer and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and "The Other Yankee Killer" Delmon Young to one for nine with five strikeouts. When they did score in the seventh, it was men on first and third and nobody out. He was fantastic as he struck out Fielder and induced a weak grounder from Young to control the damage. By the time he left the game, he had pitched into the eighth and struck out 11.

There is a saying in my house - "It's hard to win when you score zero runs." The Yankee hitting woes continued today, as if there is a "tomorrow" when they can straighten this out. Robinson Cano went 0 for 4, being unable to hit the ball out of the infield. In doing so, Cano set the major league record for the longest hitless streak in the playoffs: 0 for 26. He is not accustomed to it, but the boos from Yankee fans are raining down on him now. Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher each struck out twice. In the bottom of the first, Mark Teixeira doubled and Raul Ibanez walked. It was the only time in the game when back-to-back hitters reached base. It's no wonder they are swinging for the fences - their average with RISP issues are now bleeding into their average with runners on base. 

You have to feel for the Yankees pitching, which is holding the Tigers down the best they can, as well as guys like Ichiro Suzuki, Ibanez and Mark Teixeira who are contributing and getting on base, but without the help of the others, it's near impossible.  In regards to Anibal Sanchez, the Yanks made an average pitcher look like a Cy Young candidate. It makes you wonder what they are going to do against Justin Verlander.

Unfortunately, once again, the outcome of the game is determined by a bad call by the umpires. On a throw by Nick Swisher to Robinson Cano in the top of the eighth, Omar Infante was called safe on what was clearly an out. The Tigers went on to score two more runs.

Avisail Garcia got an RBI base hit off Boone Logan and Miguel Cabrera got an RBI hit off Joba Chamberlain before Cody Eppley finally struck out Delmon Young. This is another example of the need for instant replay in baseball. When close games in the playoffs are determined incompetent officiating, the game loses its meaning as a competitive sport. That's another post for another day.

So now, the Yanks' backs are against the wall. They are down two games to none, and they face Verlander on Tuesday night. They cannot seem to hit average pitching, so I cannot imagine with the plan is against Verlander. The burden falls to Kevin Long and Joe Girardi. It is their job to make sure their players are prepared and able to execute according to their skill level. Let's hope they pull off a miracle and wake up the Yankee bats. They will have to do it against one of the best pitchers in baseball. Nevertheless, that is the way it works in the playoffs - you have to beat the best with what you have.

Final Score: Tigers 3, Yankees 0

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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THERE'S NO SMILING IN BASEBALL WHEN YOU LOSE

I like hard play.  That's just me.  When the Yankees win on big plays and hard hitting and they're scoring runs, I'm on top of the world.  But lately there is some strange stuff going on. Stuff I don't like to see...I see smiling dammit, yet the Yankees are losing. What's the deal?

I found it incredibly odd that in last night's 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers, a winnable game by the way, Robinson Cano launched one into the outfield only to be caught in the 7th. Then, Octavio Dotel and Robinson Cano shared a tender moment... they laughed about it.

I'm sorry, I love ya Cano, but I have a question...What the hell's going on with my Yankees?  Are you kidding me? Look, I don't care that maybe Cano and Dotel are buddies, or maybe they had a bet and Dotel was collecting right then.  But if I'm Robinson Cano and I'm on a Yankee team that is losing pretty regularly right now, I'm not smiling, I'm aggravated.  And you know what? If you're really NOT aggravated, like Cano clearly wasn't... then fake it.  Fake it for the fans.  Fool the fans then and make us believe you're pissed, because what I saw last night freaking annoyed me.

Which now brings me to my next point and this one is minor, but important.  Nick Swisher is the man, there's no denying it, but the first thing you learn as an outfielder in Little League is to fire the baseball into the infield like a rope. Hard and right to your man, even on a bounce if needed, but you laser it in.

2 times last night Nick Swisher threw the ball in high, like he was throwing over a hill.  I don't know why, and I have no idea what possessed him to do it. I hate to point out fundamentals when it comes to professionals, but that was alittle ridiculous.

Now in fairness, Swisher played a Delmon Young shot off the wall beautifully and threw it into second later on so Young couldn't advance. But the screen shots of the 2 throws earlier in the game (both above) puzzled me. Is he tired? Did he just trust his throw and didn't worry about it? Is it a new habit? I don't get it. The top screen grab is a throw to second. the bottom one is a throw to first to try and pick off the runner. Either way, there is no way you're making a play throwing this high. I remember the "Hawk", Andre Dawson back in the day and he'd throw a laser to first sometimes picking off the runner if they went too far out on a pop fly out.  That's what I want to see...not lobs.

Look, my Yankees are losing right now. Clearly everything I see is amplified 10 times because I'm starting to get frustrated, but I don't know, these types of things are annoying and shouldn't be happening.  Sure, if the Yankees were winning, it wouldn't bother me as much, but they're not... so when they lose, I lose it and look for flaws.  Bottom line, I found some.

The Yanks are slowly letting their lead in the American League East diminish and I don't like it. Anyone with me?

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CLOSE DOESN'T CUT IT YANKS... TURN IT AROUND

It was a tough night for the Yankees, having come so close to a dramatic come-from-behind win, but it was just short of a win. They dropped their second straight game to the Tigers. They have now lost six of their last nine, and they're trying to dig out of a slide that has their record at 6-12 since their West Coast trip. Clearly, the team is better than this, and they are showing some real signs of coming out of it, but they have to start getting it together before the rest of the division gets any closer.

The night was especially frustrating for Phil Hughes, as he started out looking very strong. However, foul balls in the fourth inning did him in. Yes, foul balls. Some good at-bats by Brennan Boesch, Delmon Young, Jhonny Peralta, and Alex Avila caused Hughes to throw over 40 pitches in that inning alone. He reached his 100th pitch in the fifth for a total of 102 on the night, the last one coughing up a 2-run double to Miguel Cabrera.

Rick Porcello lived up to his billing as a ground-ball pitcher, where only four of his 17 recorded outs were of the fly ball variety. He allowed one home run, Eric Chavez' 11th on the season, which was a line drive that just cleared the line. He was not overpowering by any means, but he was good enough and efficient enough to hold the Yankees to three runs into the seventh. The Detroit bullpen held the Yankees silent until the ninth. The Yankees got to Jose Valverde for a couple of runs, forcing him to throw 33 pitches, which may make him unavailable for tomorrow's game. Still, his performance was enough to earn his 22nd save.

Miguel Cabrera continued to maintain his reputation as a Yankee killer, starting the Tigers' scoring with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth. He accounted for three RBI's in the Tigers' 6-run game, he got them on board with their first run, and he gave them the go-ahead run in the fifth.

Ichiro Suzuki and Russell Martin, who both are notoriously bad with men in scoring positions, came through in the clutch. They came into the game hitting .140 and .167 respectively with two outs and men in scoring position. Ichiro got a 2-out base hit with a runner on third to score the Yankees 3rd run on the night and got another 2-out RBI base hit in the 9th. Russell Martin continued the rally in the ninth with a double that scored the fifth run. May the trend continue - go Ichiro and Russ!

A couple of injury scares tonight:

• In the top of the fourth, Nick Swisher fouled a ball off his foot, which brought a visit from the trainer. Thankfully, he was fine and went on to hit a double in the at-bat. 

•  In a sort-of funny, freaky accident, Eric Chavez threw a warm-up toss prior to the start of the bottom of the sixth that found Cody Eppley's head. A smile and a laugh showed that he was all right.

Honorable mentions: 

•  Joba Chamberlain is starting to show some confidence in his mid-to-high 90s fastball, using one to strike out Austin Jackson to end the eighth. That pitch was critical to his dominance in the recent past.
• Mark Teixeira had a multi-hit game, going two for four, scoring on Chavez' home run.
•  Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, and Eric Chavez combined on a nice play, nailing Andy Dirks out at third to end the 6th inning.

It is now up to CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda to help the Yankees split the series in Detroit. 

Final Score:  Tigers 6, Yankees 5

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer




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WHY RAFAEL SORIANO WILL REBOUND IN 2012

After losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes last winter, Randy Levine stepped in and signed Rafael Soriano to a 3-year, $35 million deal. He was set to be the highest paid setup man in the game of baseball, but unfortunately for him he’s now the highest paid 7th inning man in the game of baseball. It was certainly a rough first year for Soriano, thus the spotlight will certainly be brighter on him in his second year in Pinstripes.

Soriano’s first season as a Yankee got off on the wrong foot from the get-go, with Brian Cashman admitting at Soriano’s introductory press conference that he didn’t want to sign him. At that point, I knew it’d be a rocky season for him. Then, in his third career outing as a Yankee on April 5 at the Stadium against the Twins, Soriano promptly blew a four run lead, allowing the Twins to tie it and eventually win it in extra innings. Finally, in the middle of May, Soriano suffered an elbow injury that sidelined him until July 30. During that time he may have learned something. He may have learned to check his ego at the door, and to set aside his personal goals for the benefit of the team. Fortunately, that may have helped because he came back strong. Take a look…

July 30-Sept 27: 26 games, 24.1 IP, 3.33 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 26/7 K/BB

Not too bad for the much maligned reliever. He was able to successfully pitch through some high leverage situations in that span too. He pitched very well overall in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, allowing just one run in 4.2 innings pitched. Unfortunately, that one run allowed was a homer to Delmon Young in Game 3 of the ALDS which ended up being the winning run for the Tigers.

There’s no doubt that Soriano will need to step up big in 2012. But, if he can continue his nice run he started from the end of July, he should be in great shape. He’s 32 years old, so it’s likely he’s getting towards the end of his prime years, but I believe he’s got enough in the tank. The guy has the ability, and we’ve seen positive results. Unlike AJ Burnett, I have full faith in this guy. Here’s to Soriano having a bounce back 2012.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer



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THE DAY THE LAUGHTER DIED

We were in the Bronx. We were with our family, in pinstripes, bleeding blue, ready for the Yankees to beat the Tigers and advance to the ALCS. It's the Yankee way, it's destiny. I never like to climb back in games to win, but that's exactly what the Yankees have done so many times before in the playoffs, maybe tonight would be along the same lines. I tell you what though, I was kicked in the gut as soon as the game started.
The first inning was horrible for Ivan Nova and it made me mad nervous. Yes, Austin Jackson got a quick K as did Miguel Cabrera but Don Kelly and Delmon Young both cranked solo shots.
Now it's 2-0. Fister looked good, but hittable. The Yankees usually go through the order before they start hammering, so, I'm not getting crazy yet. Luckily Mark Teixeira cranked a double. To bad they couldn't get him around to score.
The 3rd inning Phil Hughes came in to relieve Ivan Nova. Apparently Nova had tightness in his arm. I was surprised actually, I was expecting another inning. Hughes struck out to first 2 batters he faced. Delmon Young got a single and then he got Miguel Cabrera to ground out.The bottom of the third, Brett Gardner singled. Jeter struck out and Curtis Granderson worked a walk. Robinson Cano came up and I had hope. Cano popped out to center field. Inning over.One thing I need to point out. The strike zone again was horrible. There were pitches that game in too low or off the plate that were called strikes and strikes that were definitely balls. There were many questions by the Yankees tonight and with good reason. Bad calls. Alex Rodriguez had a very very bad night.

The 4th inning gave me another surprise, after the first out and a single, Girardi made yet another pitching change. I'm thinking... man I hope it's not going to be one of those nights. I prayed at that point that Yankees offense would turn it around and the Girardi binder doesn't insert itself all night, otherwise, there's no way to win this damn thing. Boone Logan came in. I groaned. Yes, Boone struck out the side the last time out in the ALDS, but you never know what your going to get with this guy. I started to get pissed, what the hell is Girardi doing? Logan pitched to lefty Alex Aliva, and of course, the guy gets his first hit of the ALDS. Now we're in trouble, men on first and second. Peralta flied out which was great. Luckily with 2 men on Boone Logan got a strikeout.

The top of the 5th brought Alex Rodriguez to the box. I noticed ARod had a quicker swing in the last game. I'm hoping I'm right and he cranks it out. I told someone on my train expect hits by ARod tonight. Yeah right... who am I kidding? Luckily ARod walked this time. Nick Swisher then singled to right. 1 out. Jorge Posada came to the plate. A huge single and now the bases were loaded with 1 out. After a Martin pop up, Brett Gardner was up, our hottest hitter and the whole stadium was into it, Gardner popped out. I was crushed.
CC Sabathia came in to start the 5th. So strange to see him in relief. He allowed a run to score and at this point it's 3-0. I am shocked and I know the Yankees are running out of time.

The bottom of the 5th there were 2 quick outs in Jeter and Granderson. Wimpy outs. Then Robinson Cano came up. He buried the ball into the right field seats and suddenly it was 3-1. I realized right then that this was Yankee Stadium, the best place you want to be in a playoff game. I realized, we can do this, but our pitching needs to be solid and keep the Tigers from scoring. Luckily our pitching was great, the hitting was crap.

Rafael Soriano came into relieve CC in the 6th inning. He immediately got the double play. Good job RaSo.

Looking at the bottom of the 6th, Max Scherzer came in. Mark Teixeira was the first Yankee batter and flew out to Austin Jackson. Nick Swisher continues to disappoint and ground out and then Jorge Posada had a single. Russell Martin came to the plate with Jorge at first. He struck out. Way to kill a rally.

Rafael Soriano had a good second inning in relief. The Tigers looked off balance at the plate, I placed my Bucky Dent / Mike Torrez autographed bat on the floor in front of the television. I was desperate.In the bottom of the 7th, Delmon Young came out of the game. I felt the ghosts of Yankee Stadium coming out. I prayed this game would be in our favor. Gardner came to the plate and struck out. Jeter came up and fought hard waiting for his pitch, then, he beat out an infield single and at that point I saw a glimmer of hope. Say what you will about old man Jeter, he can easily set the tone. At this point Scherzer came out and Granderson came to the plate against Joaquin Benoit who had an enormous band-aid on his face and Girardi strategized and asked to have it removed, hopefully it rattled Benoit. Granderson rips one for a single. Now, men on first and second and Robinson Cano comes to the plate. An easy dribbler next to Benoit and he missed it. Bases loaded for ARod. Alex struck out. Unbelievable! Something's got to be wrong with this guy. How could that happen? Teixeira then came to the plate. He walked. 3-2 at this point and the bases are still loaded for Nick Swisher. If anyone needs to deliver tonight, it needs to be Swisher. Swisher struck out. The biggest opportunity of his career and he blew it. Based on this post season alone, I would not pick up Nick Swisher's option. You can't be all flash and show no bash in the playoffs. Pathetic.

David Robertson came in the top of the 8th and showed me why we love him. The inning went quick. The bottom of the 8th needed to be big for the Yankees, they needed 1 run. I took out my 1956 autographed Mickey Mantle Sports illustrated. I was clearly desperate at this point.
Jorge Posada came up in what could be his last at bat as a New York Yankee. Posada has been one of the hottest Yankees all playoffs. He needed a hit right now. We all did. He grounded out. Martin came up and he was overdue. I was sure he'd deliver here with a base hit. Martin struck out. Are you freaking kidding me? 2 outs and we look like crap. Shortly later, with Gardner on base, Jeter cranked one high to the wall, but caught by Don Kelly. So close...but not close enough.
Mariano Rivera came in in the 9th inning. The score is still 3-2 by the way, I'm not getting this, but whatever, this is what Girardi does, he either doesn't pull the pitcher quick enough, or the binder tells him all about match-ups and changes pitchers like Kool-aid. Mo was brilliant, a 1,2,3 inning.

This is it, 3-2 game. The Yankees are down in the Bronx. I have been at games and seen games on TV that have blown me away, always with the ghosts coming out and always with the Yankees winning. I've prayed, I have all my favorite collectibles out. We need alittle hitting now to win this God damn ball game. I do not want to see this clown Valverde dance in the Bronx, we must beat him.

Granderson came up and popped up. Robinson Cano had a broken bat hit that was caught all the way in center field by Austin Jackson. Then, once again it was up to Alex Rodriguez...and with a strikeout, the Tigers won.
Just like last year, Alex Rodriguez strikes out for the last out. Remember when he struck out and Bengie Molina jumped up and ran out to the mound to celebrate? I'm so crushed right now.
(Photo: 2010)
I cannot tell you how disappointed I am. The Yankees season is over. Jorge Posada's career is probably over in pinstripes. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 4 days or so, you start hearing whispers of CC Sabathia wanting to opt-out and questions about whether or not Nick Swisher should come back. After having the best record in the American League, the Yankees lost to the Tigers. The Tigers didn't beat the Yankees, the Yankees beat the Yankees tonight. The pitching was good, the timely hitting was not.

Tip your hat to Jim Leyland, I love that man. He's a true baseball guy and he managed a good team.

If Bleeding Yankee Blue takes a day off, I know you'll understand.

Final Score: Tigers 3 - Yankees 2

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