Saturday, August 2, 2008

Yankees Waste Ponson Effort

Sidney Ponson gave the Yankees more than they ever could have expected last night against the Los Angeles Angels. Ponson hadn't thrown 7 shutout innings since 2004, so when the happens against the team with the best record in baseball, you had better win the game. But the Yankees couldn't do anything against Angels starter Ervin Santana and Mariano Rivera once again coughed up a run in a tie game. The outcome was a 1-0 loss, the Yankees fifth in their last six games.

No blame could placed on the large shoulders of Ponson, who allowed just 2 hits over 7 innings, and escaped a number of jams. In the 5th, he loaded the bases with one out by walking Juan Rivera and Jeff Mathis after Garret Anderson had singled to break up the no-hitter. But Chone Figgins helped him out by popping up on a 2-0 pitch and Maecir Itzturis flied out to Johnny Damon in left.

In the 7th, Ponson allowed a lead off single by Mark Teixeira, but it was quickly erased when Vlad Guerrero bounced in a 6-4-3 double play. Meanwhile, Ervin Santana was matching Ponson's zeros.

The Yankees appeared to be off to a good start when Johnny Damon started the bottom of the 1st inning with a walk and Derek Jeter singled through the right side. But Santana struck out Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez, and retired the slumping Jason Giambi on a pop up.

In the 4th, Abreu singled with one out and stole 2nd base, but was eventually stranded at 3rd, when Giambi and Robinson Cano both flied out. In the 6th, Damon singled and stole 2nd base after there were two away, but the Angels intentionally walked A-Rod and Giambi failed again, striking out for the inning's final out.

Second guessers had a field day after Damaso Marte retired the side in order in the 8th, including a pair of strikeouts, but wasn't brought back for a second inning. Doubting Mariano Rivera? It's become the new thing in non-save situations. And unfortunately, Rivera lived up to that new founded attitude.

He walked Mark Teixeira to start the 9th, just the 5th walk he has allowed in 48.1 innings. Guerrero then singled to right, allowing pinch-runner Reggie Willits to easily reached 3rd base. With the infield in, Torii Hunter hit a bullet off the mound and into center field for the game's lone run.

Francisco Rodriguez made easy work of the Yankees in the 9th. He struck out A-Rod looking on a 3-2 pitch, and Giambi and Cano on routine fly outs for his major league leading 45th save.


News and Notes

Brian Bruney was recalled before the game and Chris Britton was sent back down to Scranton.

August 1, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
LA Angels
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 4 0
NY Yankees
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 5 0

LA AngelsABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Figgins, 3B4000024.281
Izturis, SS4000003.263
Teixeira, 1B2010200.284
1-Willits, PR0100000.185
Quinlan, 1B0000000.262
Guerrero, RF4010002.285
Hunter, CF4011001.281
Anderson, DH4010012.284
Kendrick, 2B3000103.331
Rivera, LF2000101.240
Mathis, C2000111.222
Totals291415417


1-Ran for Teixeira in the 9th.

BATTING
TB: Teixeira; Guerrero; Hunter; Anderson.
RBI: Hunter (59).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Izturis 2.
GIDP: Guerrero; Kendrick.
Team LOB: 6.

FIELDING
DP: (Kendrick-Izturis-Teixeira).

LA AngelsIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Santana (W, 12-5)8.05002803.38
Rodriguez, F (S, 45)1.00000102.42


NY YankeesABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Damon, LF3010110.315
Jeter, SS4020011.282
Abreu, RF4010024.286
Rodriguez, A, 3B3000123.323
Giambi, DH4000015.253
Cano, 2B4000001.260
Betemit, 1B3010000.250
Rodriguez, I, C3000011.292
Cabrera, CF3000010.249
Totals310502915

BATTING
TB: Damon; Jeter 2; Abreu; Betemit.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Giambi 2; Cano.
GIDP: Rodriguez, I.
Team LOB: 6.

BASERUNNING
SB: Damon (16, 2nd base off Santana/Mathis), Abreu (14, 2nd base off Santana/Mathis).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Jeter-Cano-Betemit, Jeter-Betemit).

NY YankeesIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Ponson 7.02004104.23
Marte 1.00000203.60
Rivera (L, 4-4)1.02111101.49

WP: Santana.
IBB: Rodriguez, A (by Santana).
Pitches-strikes: Santana 118-73, Rodriguez, F 13-7,
Ponson 96-48, Marte 15-10, Rivera 19-13.
Ground outs-fly outs: Santana 7-9, Rodriguez, F 0-2,
Ponson 5-15, Marte 0-1, Rivera 2-0.
Batters faced: Santana 30, Rodriguez, F 3, Ponson 26,
Marte 3, Rivera 5.
Umpires: HP: CB Bucknor. 1B: Joe West.
2B: Ed Rapuano. 3B: Ed Hickox.
Weather: 81 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 9 mph, L to R.
T: 2:32.
Att: 53,997.

No comments:

Post a Comment