6/24 - Yankees at Braves
YANKEES (38-32)Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Gardner CF
Cervelli C
Joba Chamberlain RHP (3-2, 3.89)
BRAVES (34-36)McLouth CF
Escobar SS
Jones 3B
McCann C
Anderson LF
Kotchman 1B
Francoeur RF
Johnson 2B
Kenshin Kawakami RHP (4-6, 4.42)
FROM THE CLUBHOUSE
Very busy day here at Turner Field as GM Brian Cashman dropped in on the club, scrapping his scheduled visit to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The slumbering Yankees bats were more important than checking up on Sergio Mitre and Xavier Nady. Cashman offered votes of confidence in both manager Joe Girardi and hitting coach Kevin Long.
"I think Joe has done an exceptional job, I do," said Cashman, who noted the players are behind Girardi. "We're scuffling right now for three weeks, but he's not slumped over, down-and-out, woe-is-me, or depressed or on edge or tight. He's keeping his guys up, he's keeping them positive, and I hear his messages sent to them. He's doing everything he needs to do."
Girardi said that he could not be concerned about his status or any evaluations by Cashman. The manager is in the second year of a three-year contract and, after missing the playoffs in '08, has widely accepted the idea that the Yankees cannot have dark Octobers in two straight years.
"I know the drill here - you win or you go home," Girardi said. "I understand that. I know what we have to do. For me to spend time worrying about that doesn't make a lot of sense. I worry about what we're doing on the field."
So far tonight, it's not much. The Yankees have been silenced for five perfect innings by Atlanta pitchers, three by Kenshin Kawakami and two by Kris Medlen. Long held a hitters meeting (rare for the second game of a series) before this game but, once again, the Yankees are being stifled by pitchers they don't recognize.
Roster move pregame - Cody Ransom in, Angel Berroa out. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia threw 27 pitches in the bullpen and appears on line to pitch Friday against the Mets at Citi Field.
FROM THE GAME NOTES
Tonight the Yankees will play the second game of a three-game series at Atlanta after dropping the opening game of the series on Tuesday, 4-0...have lost three straight games and are 1-3 on their current nine-game road trip (lost two-of-three from 6/19-21 at Florida)...will conclude the road trip with their first ever visit to the Mets' Citi Field from Friday-Sunday...is the 11th of 15 straight Interleague games for the Yankees (are 4-6 thus far)...concluded a 3-3 Interleague homestand last Thursday, going 2-1 vs. the Mets (6/12-14), and 1-2 vs. Washington (6/16-18)...the Yankees trail the Red Sox by 5.0 games for first place in the American League East...have the third-best record in the AL (Boston, 43-27; Detroit, 39-31)...the Yankees have won 23 of their last 38 games, including a season-high nine-game winning streak (5/13-21) to start the stretch...are 12-10 in their last 22 road games (since 4/28).
RUNDOWN: The Yankees have scored 13 runs in their current 1-5 stretch, matching their lowest output over a six-game period since 5/13-20/08 when they also scored 13 runs and went 1-5...have not hit a home run in their last three games, marking the club's longest homerless stretch since 8/13-16/08 (also three games).
THEY TAKE AND THEY TAKE: The Yankees' four stolen bases in Tuesday's loss at Atlanta were stolen by four different Yankees (Teixeira, Cano, Gardner, Jeter), marking the first time four-or-more Yankees each stole a base in a single game since 6/9/07 (five players: Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez, Cabrera).
PITCH MEN: Over their last eight games (since 6/14), Yankees pitchers own a 2.61 ERA (69.0IP, 20ER) and .202 (51-for-253) opponents average against, despite going 3-5...have allowed more than three runs in a game only twice (Tuesday at Atlanta and Sunday at Florida)...over the stretch, Yankees starters are 3-4 with a 2.98 ERA (45.1IP, 15ER) and .234 (40-for-171) OBA, and Yankees relievers are 0-1 with a 1.90 ERA and .134 (11-for-82) OBA, striking out 30 while walking just four.
RUNDOWN: The Yankees have scored 13 runs in their current 1-5 stretch, matching their lowest output over a six-game period since 5/13-20/08 when they also scored 13 runs and went 1-5...have not hit a home run in their last three games, marking the club's longest homerless stretch since 8/13-16/08 (also three games).
YEA ALL UNDER FRIGGIN GIRARDI!!
Come ON Girardi Fans ADMIT IT THIS GUY SUKS!!!
HE MUST BE FIRED NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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There goes the perfect game as Medlen walks Gardner leading off the 6th
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Girardi HAD to be thrown out there.
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YUP Maybe Just Maybe it will FIRE SOMEONE UP IN THE DUG OUT!!!
HOPEFULLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Looks like Joe's master plan worked. First MLB homer for Francisco Cervelli.
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I think Cervelli HAS TO PLAY MORE!!! Time to let him play more than Posada,,,
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Yea and Even Jeter gets a HIT!!!!
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i agree, Posada seems to be bringing the team down as of late
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I definitely agree that Cervelli has to play more. I'm liking what I see from him...but I don't get why pitchers prefer to pitch to him or Molina than Posada?
BTW, two hits in a row already with two outs, hope Tex gets the job done!
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OK lets see what A-ROD does here!!??
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[sarcasm] the Yankees scored!!! THHHHAAAAA YANKEES scored!!!!! [/sarcasm]
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Girardi should get thrown out more!!!!!
See I told Ya they would play BETTER without him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SuperStrategy1, it seems like Posada is a my-way-or-the-highway type and the new guys--and recently, Joba--aren't too crazy about his approach. Plus, if I'm not mistaken, Yankee pitchers have a better win-loss record and better ERA with Cervelli behind the plate. He's faster than Posada and Molina, and a better hitter than the latter. Also, he's only 23. I'd like to see him as the next Yankee catcher.
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HOLY CRAP there GOES that lead!!!
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Absolutely STUPIDITY by Joba on the sacrifice. ALWAYS take the sure out at 1st. FUNDAMENTALS, DAMN IT!!!!
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One of the many reasons why this team needs another batting coach. Bases loaded, no one out, yeah they scored 2 runs but NO ONE hit the damn ball out of the infield. That STINKS at this level.
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Guys be thankful that the YES announcers are so much more better than the Braves announcers. I get the Braves games up here on TV from time to time and the announcers are just awful.
First - they said Robbie was way inside the baseline and the umpires screwed the Braves over when you can clearly see that he was on the baseline. They then showed a camera angle that showed the homeplate umpire not looking at the play, it was the first base umpires call.
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Second - they said the Mo struck out Kelly Johnson with a slider......need I say more?
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Obviously, the reason Cervelli doesn't start is because he has next to ML experience and is still an inferior hitter to Posada. posada will has far more offense and power. cervelli is nothing more than a backup catcher and not a starter especially with Romine and Montero in the Minors who also happen to be far more talented than Cervelli.
Cervelli as a starter= losses!!
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Mo is hitting!!!!!
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Braves announcers - turning point of the game is that blown call on Cano......
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mattys
Cervelli as a starter= losses!!
Hey they CAN'T DO ANY WORSE RIGHT NOW!!!!!
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1.2.3 K's. Game over Thank you Mr. Rivera.
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Good win BUT not as good as that Team USA's win today over Spain in soccer.
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Nice to see Mo strike out the side, don't remember when he did it last time. I'll take this win since we need it badly.
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They played like the Yankees today, after the 6th inn anyway. Mo: 4 batters, 4 Ks.
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mattys
Cervelli as a starter= losses!!
Hey they CAN'T DO ANY WORSE RIGHT NOW!!!!!
By Todd E. on June 24, 2009 10:30 PM
It's better to have a vet catcher with a track record of success if this than a rookie who will prone to making rookie mistakes if this team is to turn things around. Don't even know if Cervelli can hold up until the end of the season.
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mattys
Cervelli as a starter= losses!!
Hey they CAN'T DO ANY WORSE RIGHT NOW!!!!!
By Todd E. on June 24, 2009 10:30 PM
It's better to have a vet catcher with a track record of success if this than a rookie who will prone to making rookie mistakes if this team is to turn things around. Don't even know if Cervelli can hold up until the end of the season.
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Up to June 15th, "with Posada behind the plate, the Yankees’ pitchers have a 6.31 E.R.A. The combined E.R.A. with Francisco Cervelli, Jose Molina and Kevin Cash is 3.81." Also, "in AJ Burnett's first four starts pitching to Posada, opponents have batted .330. In nine starts with the other catchers, the average is .223."
So, "Cervelli as a starter = losses" is off the mark.
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No it's not, not even close. Regardless of who is catching and who handles the ptiching staff better it still comes down to the pitchers doing their job and executing like they should. Again it's absolutely ridiculous to blame the catcher for a pitcher's failures like walking more batters at home than on the road or the fact that those numbers are skewed by the fact that his numbers are skewed by Wang's poor starts (yeah, let's blame him for that as well) a fact that you guys "conveniently" ignore, plus these pitcers' OPS is higher with Cervelli than they are with Posada. Most anyone knows that you can't determine a catcher's effectiveness at handling a pitching staff by his CERA alone. That stats is far too inconsistent and impacted by too many factors and it's based more on the quality of the pitching staff and not on the catcher himself. This team would be in more trouble than it is now when you consider Posada's OPS .869, .510 SLG, and OBP .359 compared to Cervelli's .683 OPS, .313 OBP and .371 SLG. Yeah, you obviously can't compare the two right now, but it just highlights the reason Cervelli isn't an everyday start and not the future starter of this team. He simply is nothing more than an average hitter who won't hit for much of an average. Besides, there isn't much of a difference between either's defense both their FP are relatively the same and they have thron out close to the same percentage of base stealers as well.
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