Monday, July 28, 2008

Yanks Get Spanked on the Back End

Sidney Ponson reinforced the Yankees need for a back end of the rotation starter when he got his ass kicked by the Boston Red Sox last night. You could see this one coming. The Yankees had taken the first two games of the three game set and Sunday's night game was delayed one hour by rain. By the 4th inning, the game's conclusion was already determined.

The final tally was 9-2. The loss snapped the Yankees 8-game winning streak, and increased the Red Sox Wild Card lead to 2 games. The Yankees didn't lose any ground to 1st place Tampa Bay, which lost to the Royals earlier in the day.

The Yankees had their chances against Sox starter Jon Lester, but he made big pitches when he needed to and the Yankees took small swings. Newcomer Xavier Nady went hitless for the second straight game as the Yankees had 10 hits, but stranded 7 men on base.

The Red Sox jumped on Ponson immediately and never let up, though he could have escaped the 1st inning had the Yankees turned two on a routine double play ball by Kevin Youkilis. They didn't and the Red Sox took advantage. Manny "I'm here for now" Ramirez doubled in a run and Mike Lowell followed with a 2-run single. Just like that the Yankees were in a 3-0 hole.

The Red Sox added single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings and David Ortiz put a punctuation mark on the game in the 4th. With Dustin Pedroia on 2nd base with 2 outs, Big Papi drilled a Ponson pitch for his first home run since May 31.

Trailing 7-0 in the 5th, the Yankees finally broke through, but also came up empty. They loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Melky Cabrera, Jose Molina, and Johnny Damon. A fourth straight single by Derek Jeter got the Yankees on the board and Bobby Abreu drew a bases loaded walk to cut the Red Sox margin to 7-2. But Lester bounced back, retiring Alex Rodriguez on a line out to Lowell, Nady on a fly to shallow center, and Robinson Cano on a comebacker.

Ortiz and Ramirez added RBI against Dan Giese in the 6th to put the final nails in the coffin. Giese did help the bullpen out though by going the final 4 innings.


News and Notes

Robinson Cano went 0-4 to end his 8-game hitting streak, in which he hit .514 (18-35).

Sidney Ponson has allowed 18 runs in his last 20.2 innings pitched (covering 4 starts). Time to kick him to the curb.

July 27, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
NY Yankees
0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
2 10 0
Boston
3 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 X
9 15 0

NY YankeesABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Damon, DH4020010.315
Jeter, SS4011012.285
Betemit, SS0000000.250
Abreu, RF3011111.280
Rodriguez, A, 3B4020004.326
Nady, LF4000015.323
Cano, 2B4000004.268
Sexson, 1B4010021.217
Cabrera, CF4110021.250
Molina, C3120000.228
Moeller, C1000000.229
Totals3521021818

BATTING
2B: Abreu (26, Lester), Rodriguez, A (22, Lester).
TB: Damon 2; Jeter; Abreu 2; Rodriguez, A 3; Sexson; Cabrera; Molina 2.
RBI: Jeter (48), Abreu (67).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Abreu; Sexson; Cano 2.
GIDP: Jeter; Nady.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
Outfield assists: Cabrera (Lowell at 2nd base).

NY YankeesIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Ponson (L, 6-2)4.010771114.59
Giese 4.05221002.86

BostonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Pedroia, 2B4121003.319
Youkilis, 1B5210003.311
Ortiz, DH4223000.261
Ramirez, M, LF5232000.302
Lowell, 3B4012002.284
Lowrie, 3B0000000.286
Drew, RF2000200.285
Varitek, C4011011.216
Cora, SS4120003.292
Ellsbury, CF4130000.265
Totals3691592112

BATTING
2B: Ramirez, M 2 (22, Ponson, Ponson), Ellsbury (12, Ponson), Varitek (15, Ponson), Pedroia (31, Ponson).
HR: Ortiz (14, 4th inning off Ponson, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Pedroia 3; Youkilis; Ortiz 5; Ramirez, M 5; Lowell; Varitek 2; Cora 2; Ellsbury 4.
RBI: Ramirez, M 2 (65), Lowell 2 (63), Pedroia (48), Varitek (31), Ortiz 3 (47).
2-out RBI: Varitek; Ortiz 2; Ramirez, M.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Youkilis; Cora 3; Pedroia.
SF: Pedroia; Ortiz.
Team LOB: 7.

BASERUNNING
SB: Drew (3, 2nd base off Giese/Molina).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Pedroia-Cora-Youkilis, Cora-Pedroia-Youkilis).

BostonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Lester (W, 9-3)7.09221803.17
Delcarmen 1.01000004.36
Timlin 1.00000005.52

IBB: Drew (by Ponson).
Pitches-strikes: Ponson 77-48, Giese 65-37,
Lester 113-75, Delcarmen 14-10, Timlin 10-6.
Ground outs-fly outs: Ponson 6-4, Giese 0-12,
Lester 6-7, Delcarmen 2-1, Timlin 2-1.
Batters faced: Ponson 22, Giese 18, Lester 30,
Delcarmen 3, Timlin 3.
Umpires: HP: Angel Hernandez. 1B: Eric Cooper.
2B: Marty Foster. 3B: Derryl Cousins.
Weather: 66 degrees, overcast.
Wind: 15 mph, Out to CF.
T: 2:50 (:52 delay).
Att: 37,688.

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