ALCS G6: Angels @ Yankees
October 25, 2009, 7:30 pm by iYankees · 193 Comments
Lineups via LoHud:
YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CFPitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-0, 2.84 ERA in postseason)
ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SSPitching: LHP Joe Saunders (0-0, 2.57 ERA in postseason)
TIME/TV: 8:20 p.m., FOX
Here are the Angels’ numbers against Pettitte (postseason included).
Here are the Yankees’ numbers against Saunders (postseason included).
I’m expecting a big game out of Alex Rodriguez, who is 7-for-17 against Saunders, with 2 home runs and 2 doubles. Also, Andy is searching for his 16th postseason win, which would make him the all-time leader. If he struggles or if the game remains close upon his exit, the Yankees could use A.J. Burnett as a reliever tonight. According to Andy McCullough (Star-Ledger), Burnett skipped his bullpen session on Friday in preparation for a relief appearance over the weekend. Girardi says that he could use him for one out or more—it depends on the situation—so that’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Let’s go, boys. A win tonight would prevent us all from having heart attacks tomorrow.
I have Alex hitting a HR tonight, Tex getting at least two hits and getting that monkey off his back and Andy pitches 7 beautiful innings for the Yankees win.
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As long as the Yankee offense can send a few fly balls over the right field porch, I think we’ll be fine.
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Well Saunders has faced us twice this year and has had a good sinker both times, odds are he won’t have as good a one tonight so we should get a chance to hammer a few. The guy gave up more HRs during the season than AJ did (24-29).
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Saunders could be excellent tonight. I have a feeling the offense is going to get it moving early, though.
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God I hate the pre game show! Why do they only chose people who hate the Yankees to talk about the Yankees?
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Come on boys lets wrap this up! I can’t take a game 7…!
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Seriously. A Game 7 would be the death of me.
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Pettitte looking VERY sharp, at least in the first inning.
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Looks like both pitcher are doing well but I saw some of Saunders pitches rise so good things to come…?
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Tex can’t stay on the bag everytime you gotta at least get close to the bag area with the throw Jeter… Decent enough job ranging this left to get the ball in the first place though.
Oh God! Double play by Swisher throwing behind Vlad and getting the out to Tex in time!!! What a terrible play by Vlad and a very heady play by Swish!
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Vlad is not aging well, ha.
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Yeah he really has had a drop off, I have no idea who wants to take that risk on as a DH in this economy next year…
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Impressive, he got the first two strikes on every batter and he had a good straight fastball and a good curve if his cutter is on tonight he could dominate!
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Posada looks like he pressed a little bit there but Saunders was decent enough to get out of the inning, he had some of his sinkers rise up back into the middle of the zone so that is something to look for later when it comes to HRs. Alex did a good job of taking the elevating sinker and pulling it for a hit and Tex looked better than he has all series, he was aggressive getting a single on a 3-1 pitch and it looks like he is a lot more relaxed than he has been.
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Yea, Posada didn’t look too good up there.
Awesome play by Swisher.
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Even with that said I like Jorge hitting 5th and Matsui dropping to 6…
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Especially against Saunders.
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Posada trying to act like he is going to throw someone out…
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Andy looks pretty good tonight the extra rest must have done him some good! you see him throwing in the rain yesterday after the game was called? He had a lot of energy to work off if he was willing to do that!
Offense needs to get on the board in this inning to stop Saunders from locking into a rhythm and smother them with sinkers.
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Frank Piliere thinks Andy’s arm slot was a little out of whack in the 2nd inning, but he quickly recovered it. Good outing for him, thus far.
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If Cano starts hitting the Phillies and Angels need to look out!
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The Swish hawk is back!
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He works yet another full count, he is clearly following the same game plan as he has been.
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… and he swings as ball 4 and pops up to shallow left.
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That is the problem with having a small third baseman right there…
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Let’s go, Damon!
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Well that sucks!
Do you feel like Damon kind of owes us a post season HR after game 7 in 2004?
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Post season grand slam i mean… Owes us a post season grand slam.
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Definitely. WTF was that weak hack?
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Lefty on lefty with a sinker…
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Bases loaded and 2 outs for Damon and Saunders is at 36 pitches in 1.2 IP… Yankees need a run here to give the line up confidence!
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Yankees 10-for-58 with RISP this series.
Awful.
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Yeah but they have fallen in slumps like this with RISP all year and they maintain with the Hr long enough to get back on a hot streak but unfortunately this is the post season and you can’t survive on HRs and the Yankees have taken a long time to snap out of a collective “bright lights funk”… Thank god for Arod, Jeter and Posada because without them this series may be over the wrong way…
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WTF is Mathis smoking because I need some! This dude is a .211 guy in the regular season and is just smoking hot against the Yankees!
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Yankees need to throw him cutters in. Not this weak, loopy stuff up and away (the up was a mistake, I’m sure).
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You would also think the last pitch you would throw him is a high fastball…
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Yea, just jam him with cutters. If Andy locates, he’ll be out.
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Looks like Cano has finally woken up! That is the defensive Cano we have seen all year, he got lazy for a while in the beginning (maybe the cold?) but he looks like he could be on the turn around.
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Bad pitch from Andy. Failing to do anything with RISP an inning ago is here to haunt the Yankees.
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As you have to figure it always will! Tex and Alex are up in the bottom half so if Andy keeps it 0-1 then we can answer back in the bottom of the third.
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Damn it! Bobby Abreu looks like he is turning the tide as well… Well that was a terrible curve but Andy needs to snap back and get an out so Tex and Arod can get this game tied up!
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Alright… Now lets tie this game up! I’ll call an Alex HR to RFC…
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Looks like they are to scared of him to give something to hit…
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Yup. Which means the rest of the order needs to deliver with runners on.
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Cano, Swish and Melky will lead off the bottom of the 4th, let’s hope Andy keeps it a 1 run game for those guys to get back in and get started quickly.
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… and he does it!
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They are scared to let him hit if they let the pitch count go 3-1 on Rodriguez with the bases loaded…
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After 83 pitches in 3.1 IP Saunders leaves the mound with the Angels losing 3-1 and the bases loaded with his runs and still only 1 out… Jorge is due up and will be hitting from the right side still as Darren Oliver is being called in to replace Saunders.
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Bobby you bum! Now he can crash into a wall!
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Seriously. I hate him.
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Nice work by Andy. Maybe Girardi should get himself thrown out. Perhaps that will spark the offense (and maybe it’ll prevent him from making a strange bullpen move later on).
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Swish sauce has a hit and now runners on first and 2nd…
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I think I may have let Melky hit but 2nd and 3d with 1 out is a good play with the team hitting so badly with RISP because it gives you a sac situation… or another Damon Slam chance if they walk Jeter.
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I would have let him hit. The play worked out for us, though.
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Girardi is pretty consistent with that call when the team isn’t hitting as a whole, it’s nice to have an NL like call every once in a while as long as that’s as often as it is.
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Great work by the Yankees there. They need to tack on at least 2 more, though. Give Andy more breathing room.
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Yeah they need to add on more but it’s a good start! Let’s see how Andy does after sitting and watching the bottom of the 4th… If he can come out strong he is only at 56 pitches so he could ideally go 7 innings, maybe 8…?
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LETS GOOOO JOHNNY!!!
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He did it… took 4 chances with the bases loaded but he finally did it!
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Saunders is the most erratic he has been in his 3 starts against the Tankees this year…
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70 pitches thrown by Saunders thus far in the 4th inning with 1 out and the bases loaded for Johnny Damon!
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78 pitches and the bases loaded again with 1 out and Alex is up!
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He barley missed the slam on that one!
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Don’t know how Saunders didn’t get that strike, but I’ll take it!
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You can’t expect that strike against Arod in a 3-1 count when you have 83 pitches in 3.1 IP and 42 are balls… He worked himself into that situation going 3-1 on Arod with the bags juiced.
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WOW! Alex took out Aybar!! Didn’t help because Jorge was running down the line but still he really went in hard on that one… The Yankees are fired up tonight, they don’t want a game 7!
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I like how into the game Alex is when he isn’t actually in the game, cheering for teammates, talking about at bats, planning his at bats and just generally being invested in the outcome and every play of the game!
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… and 7-2 in the line up gets in done for the Yankees finally!!!!! 2-1 Yankees!
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Need more!
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3-1 on the “ball 4 call”
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Jorge looks like TRASH tonight. DP, really?
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Him and Matsui combined 0-5 with 7 LOB… 7!
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Finally went with cutters in on Mathis!
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They finally made Jeff Mathis look like Jeff Mathis.
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That is the only way to double play Aybar there and it was great timing as I was just about to write how hard it would be to double off Aybar…
65 pitches through 5 innings for Andy!
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Awesome half inning. Yankees need to get a few more runs, though.
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Matsui, Cano and Swisher are leading off the bottom half and it would be a huge boost if the bottom part of the line up could come through again!
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Really Matsui? 2 at bats and 2 pitches for 2 outs?
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Matsui…ground out Cano… strike out… Swisher… strike out…
Well that was a pathetic bottom half hopefully Pettitte keeps going strong because I don’t know how much more support he is going to get.
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Seriously. We need more runs. Andy is shouldering the majority of the load right now. The Yankees have the richest offense in baseball. It’s time to make it look that way, via the scoreboard.
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Gotta give Oliver credit though he has been to the Angels in the postseason what Aceves was to the Yankees in the regular season!
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The Yankees have made Chone Figgins a non factor in this series! He has been completely shutdown and the Yankees pitcher are paying him a lot of attention making sure he doesn’t get on.
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Who the hell calls them the “core four”?
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Come on, Andy, one more out.
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One of the core four just got the last out in the 6th with 91 pitches on the night setting him up to face Kendrick with at least a 2 run lead to start the 7th… Does Girardi leave him in or go to the pen?
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He swung!!!!!!
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Because of that BS we now have 1 on and Vlad up instead of heading to Melky in the bottom of the 6th!
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If he throws a cutter he’s a dead man!
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Well he threw the right pitch a curveball almost in the dirt and he somehow still the ball!
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Vlad still has it.
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The man is a beast with the bat for sure.
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What a start by pettitte against a battling Angles team!!
Now when is Mariano Rivera in play? the 8th inning? The 7th inning?
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I think you go to Hughes in the 8th, if he doesn’t look good, Mo should already be in the bullpen, warming up.
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Hughes in the 7th, I mean.
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That’s different then… I would go with Pettitte to Kendrick and if he gets on have Hughes coming in for the 7th and Mo for a 2 inning save.
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I might think about having Mo just pitch 2 innings… Why even chance Hughes messing things up if you have Mo warmed anyway, just bring in Mo and close the game. He gets it done and he has 6 days until the world series.
I don’t trust Joba in the 7th so I would ride Andy as long as I could, he will be facing the bottom of the line up after all.
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I agree. I’m fine with either of the options, outside of Joba (especially Joba versus Kendrick).
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Yeah a middle of the plate 95 MPH fastball with little movement against Kendrick… HAHA!
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Kendrick tripled off him last time, too, I believe.
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Nice AB by Jeter to try and get something going in front of the two big bats with 1 out… extended it Johnny!
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Need another run right here. Nice hit by Damon.
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Tex gets the worst double play in the book!
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Andy out for the 7th
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Both those balls could have been strikes..
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First out in the 7th with an assist from Swisher!
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I think I’ll do a chatroom for future games. It’d be a lot easier, ha.
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Oliver is at 100 pitches with that hit by Damon… Scioscia should get him out of the game for Jepsen if he wants to have a chance!
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I mean 30 pitches… 100 would be amazing though!
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Rivera singles and Mathis is at the plate… No Joe don’t do it! Joba is the worst option against Mathis right now!
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Prove me wrong Joba!
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What kind of slider is that BS?
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WOW! Cano saved what would have been a terrible error by Jeter!
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93 MPH and no location?
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Thankfully, he got out of that. Wow, I almost broke my TV when Jeter bobbled that ball.
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Well he got out of it, it wasn’t impressive but he got out of it… His velocity is dropping though so that is something to be worried about and his slider is still nothing.
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Chone Figgins leads off the 8th inning there is no way anyone but Mariano should be allowed to pitch in the 8th inning!
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Mo is warming… Thank god Griardi got it right! That’ll do pig that’ll do!
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Alex is 2-2 with 2 BBs and the very important 3rd RBI, he is in a groove he isn’t getting out of for the duration of the playoffs!
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Alex can do no wrong, it seems. Jorge needs to have a good AB here, move the runner over.
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Why does Ervin care so much about Alex stealing with Mathis behind the plate?
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Jorge looking like SHIT tonight (I had to curse there).
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Andy should get most of the credit tonight along with Alex and Damon if we win because besides those two the offense didn’t really do much to actually score.
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I guess Napoli is out there I forgot haha…
Well Posada delivers another DP! 0-3 with 6 LOB by himself!
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Yup, Napoli behind the plate.
Posada has turned every Angel pitcher into Chien-Ming Wang.
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Yeah he has had a tough night… I would think about putting in Molina or Frankie to catch the 8th and 9th just to upgrade the defense against the Angel running game.
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Good move bringing in Mo.
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Yeah it really is the only move with the very top of the order due up… this is the most critical inning, if he gets this the 9th should be a breeze for him.
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Figgins gets the bloop of all bloops!
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With his glove alone Tex has made up for his lack of a bat because he has taken away at least 7 hits in this series alone!
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Good positioning by Cano to prevent what would have scored Figgins from second!
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Two strikes on the big boy!
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…and once again Vlad gets and RBI in a huge situation and the Yankees lead is down to 1 with 2 outs in the 8th and Morales is up to bat…
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0-2 to Morales!
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He got him but Mo only has a 1 run lead for the 9th as is and Cano, Swisher and Cabrera are due up in the bottom half of the 8th.
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Praise be to Mo!
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Tough inning for Mo. Bloop single and Vlad is locked in on that outside corner.
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So it finally happens to a Yankee opponent this year!!
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Cano leads off with a 4 pitch walk and Kazmir will face Swisher…
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PR for Cano? I would.
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I don’t think I would, Cano is the best defensive 2B we have and Hairston doesn’t come close to his range or arm strength. Besides Cano isn’t terribly slow he can score on a double.
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He’s pretty slow, I think. I guess it’s due to defense.
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He triples!
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…occasionally
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Is Girardi thinking bunt here with Swisher? Put Cano in coring position and prevent the double play ball and try to get Mo another run to cushion for the 9th.
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I think I bunt on the first pitch at least…
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At 2-0 I take the bunt off and let him take the at bat.
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bunting 2-0 locks you into 2-1 bunt
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Angels have been god awful defensively all series!
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Seriously. It’s amazing how bad they’ve been.
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HAHAHA! Wow, Scioscia is not happy.
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Can you blame him? His team just threw away two bunt outs at first to let a run score!
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And it happens again!
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Awesome.
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What a smash by Tex for a moment I thought it might be gone…
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Me too. Great development for the Yankees. He looks like he’s hot again and the WS is right around the corner. Couldn’t have happened at a better time.
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I called the 2 hits tonight! Thought Andy would finish 7 though…
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Comon Posada…
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Ugh
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He’s looked awful all night.
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Bad night… He was doing good all series long for the most part.
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2 AWAY!
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1-2 to Rivera!
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1 out away!
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Let’s get it, boys.
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Can’t hardly wait!!!
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Bring on the Phillies!
Cliff Lee and Sabathia game 1!
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Alex is ALCS MVP based off nothing more than fear…!
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Definitely. CC has been great but I think you have to give it to A-Rod, especially if you factor in his postseason reputation prior to 2009.
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CC will get it.
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I think Arod’s impact is so great they can’t over look him!
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Yea, either way, I’d be happy.
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Also I think Alex’s was less expected and therefore will get more attention…
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Me too.
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How nasty is Mo.
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at 40 years old even!
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1 strike away!
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First rounds on me guys.
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Yankees win the pennant!
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What a team!
ALCS prediction Yankees in 6! Check!
World series predictions Yankees in 5!
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So damn consistent. Have you guys read this piece on Rivera?:
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com/2009/10/legend-of-mariano-rivera.html
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Yea, great read. She’s spot on. Mo is an MLB treasure.
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40th PENNANT! WS BOUND, INDEED!
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It’s going to be a great series against the Phillies… Yankees in 6
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Yea, I like the Phillies, too. Should be a lot of fun. Two great offensive teams, too (though we have a significantly better 3B and catcher).
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Our pen crushes theirs even with Joba and Hughes having the fits!
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True story.
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As someone who lives in Houston and did for Brad Lidges career, no save he gets against us is safe! Pujols crushed his spirit with the Astros and he had to leave town!
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Is the Yes Network having a post-game show?
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They should for every post season game…
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They always do, don’t they?
Either way, CONGRATS BOYS!
WE MADE IT!
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Yessir!!
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They have Bernie’s band playing on it.
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Can you believe it boys first world series since 2003! No Beckett to face either and Cole Hamels is struggling so AJ should have an advantage in game 2… Maybe even Pedro game 2?
Sabathia Vs Lee- Advantage Sabathia
Burnett Vs Pedro Advantage Burnett
Pettitte Vs Hamel Advantage Pettitte
Sabathia Vs Blanton Advantage Sabathia
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