Things just keep getting worse for the woeful Nats. The day after they scored 11 runs and still lost to the Phillies in their bandbox stadium, supposed Ace John Lannan led the team to yet another victory on the season.
In that 13-11 loss on Monday, the Nats hit five home runs, two by Ryan Zimmerman, who is having an unusually hot start to the season. Last season, the Nats major malfunction was their inability to score runs and hit home runs. Now, with the addition of Adam Dunn and, the health of Nick Johnson, the maturation of Elijah Dukes and the comfort that a new contract has apparently given Zimmerman the team is hitting home runs at a seemingly much higher rate.
Still, as it is often said with teams, such as the Detroit Lions who hold the top picks in the NFL draft, will fixing one problem solve the team's overall issues. In the case of the Nats, obviously not.
The team needs a lead off hitter, three more starters, a closer, a set-up man, the rest of a bullpen. The laundry list is long.
It really should come as no surprise to fans and pundits, however. Everyone knew that this team lost 102 games last year. Do the additions of Dunn, Daniel Cabrera, Josh Wllingham and Scott Olsen really add a significant number of wins to the team? Obviously not.
Perhaps it is the fault of the team and its management, not in the way that people think though. The team seemingly worked overtime to hype their spring training optimism this year. Yeah, they have to sell tickets, but even with the hype they barely sold out opening day after pimping out Nationals Park to Phillies fans. Because of the team's start on the road, they were found out to be awful before home fans even got to see them play in person.
So, the team, its manager, the majority of players, and even the equipment managers seem to be over matched this season. Still, I am completely sick of hearing people make jokes at the Nats expense. Particularly fans of teams like the Orioles, who have not been good for 13 years. Just because you finally have a team to make fun of doesn't mean you should do it. The majority of fans can still make fun of you too.
Showing posts with label Baltimore Orioles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Orioles. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Adenhart's Death a Shocker
I just heard during the O's/Yankees game that Nick Adenhart, a rookie starter for the Los Angeles Angels has been killed in a car crash. The story is up on ESPN.com. What a horrible, horrible story.
The kid was one of the finest pitching prospects in baseball. I was excited to see what he was going to do in the Angels' rotation this year. But this story is way more important than the baseball side. It hurts to see someone my age (I was also born in 1986) rise so high and see them get it all senselessly torn away because some jerk in a hurry couldn't be bothered to drive safely.
This type of thing happens every day. People are so selfish, so caught up in their own personal zone, that they never think of the consequences. The other day, I was on my way out of the Metro on a long escalator. I was on crutches with a broken ankle, and some idiot businessman almost knocked me down face first so that he could get to the top 10 seconds quicker. He wasn't even running to catch a train. He just couldn't wait five extra seconds or maybe even slow down when he was trying to pass the guy on crutches, perched precariously on a step. Are people really that egotistical? Why do we allow others to have that kind of attitude and be self righteous about it?
There are tens of thousands of deaths on the roads every year. A good portion of them may be unavoidable. Machines fail. Vehicles have blind spots. Lighting isn't always perfect. And sometimes the roads are very chaotic and too many people move at the same time in a tightly-packed area. But another large portion is made up of people behaving selfishly who endanger others' lives for the hope of getting to the movie theater five seconds earlier. Drive safely, for the sake of society. This is real life. A wonderful 22-year-old talent just got stolen from baseball, and a 22-year-old man with his priorities straight just got taken from a family. Let's at least examine the part of this story that our culture is responsible for and address it.
The kid was one of the finest pitching prospects in baseball. I was excited to see what he was going to do in the Angels' rotation this year. But this story is way more important than the baseball side. It hurts to see someone my age (I was also born in 1986) rise so high and see them get it all senselessly torn away because some jerk in a hurry couldn't be bothered to drive safely.
This type of thing happens every day. People are so selfish, so caught up in their own personal zone, that they never think of the consequences. The other day, I was on my way out of the Metro on a long escalator. I was on crutches with a broken ankle, and some idiot businessman almost knocked me down face first so that he could get to the top 10 seconds quicker. He wasn't even running to catch a train. He just couldn't wait five extra seconds or maybe even slow down when he was trying to pass the guy on crutches, perched precariously on a step. Are people really that egotistical? Why do we allow others to have that kind of attitude and be self righteous about it?
There are tens of thousands of deaths on the roads every year. A good portion of them may be unavoidable. Machines fail. Vehicles have blind spots. Lighting isn't always perfect. And sometimes the roads are very chaotic and too many people move at the same time in a tightly-packed area. But another large portion is made up of people behaving selfishly who endanger others' lives for the hope of getting to the movie theater five seconds earlier. Drive safely, for the sake of society. This is real life. A wonderful 22-year-old talent just got stolen from baseball, and a 22-year-old man with his priorities straight just got taken from a family. Let's at least examine the part of this story that our culture is responsible for and address it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Around the AL East 4/8/09
All five AL East teams were active for the first time today. Here is a look around the league at the results.
New York Yankees (0-1) at Baltimore Orioles (1-0)
Final: Orioles 7, Yankees 5
BALTIMORE:
Looking Sharp
Nick Markakis, OF. He is very hot starting off the year. He followed up a solid performance on opening day with a 3-for-3 to improve his batting average to .714 through two games. He hit his first home run of the season off Chien-Ming Wang and knocked in three to increase his season total to five RBIs. He will play the entire season at age 25, and still has a couple of years before he hits the typical peak seasons. He is going to be very, very scary for a long time. This year, expect him to take a step forward after a slight step back last year.
Adam Jones, OF. Jones didn't manage to draw any walks today after a surprisingly patient effort yesterday, but he did go 1-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. He also knocked in his third run and scored for the fourth time so far. At age 23, it's hard to say what he is going to do this season, but the kid is a 5-tool talent. If Felix Pie is able to channel some of his skill, the Orioles will have one of the best outfields in baseball for the better part of a decade. Thank Erik Bedard for his one dominant season if you're an O's fan. Seattle gave up a lot for what Bedard has produced so far.
Koji Uehara, SP. I didn't know what to expect from Uehara this season. It's always hard to project out players from Japan, but Uehara pitched solidly today. He went five innings, allowing five hits, one walk and a run on the way to his first Major League victory. I see one scary thing in his line though: Uehara got three outs on ground balls, none on strikeouts and 12 on fly balls. According to NPB Tracker, the Japanese baseball blog of record for Americans seeking scouting, the biggest thorn in Uehara's side has been the home run ball throughout his career. If his fly ball rate stays close to what it was tonight, the bandbox that is Camden Yards could exacerbate these problems and give him major headaches as hitters adjust to him.
Also of note: Danys Baez, RP. Baez pitched two perfect innings, striking out one, in relief. Baez threw only 20 pitches over the two frames, 14 of them for strikes. He has always had good stuff, but has yet to really put it together and dominate. This is a good sign for Baltimore.
Off the Mark
Dennis Sarfate, RP. After helping shut down the Yankees' comeback attempt on Opening day, Sarfate imploded in the ninth with the Birds up 7-2. He allowed two runs on a Derek Jeter home run and another on Mark Teixeira's first hit with the Bombers, an RBI double that finished the team's scoring with two outs.
NEW YORK:
Looking Sharp
Derek Jeter, SS. Jeter followed up a three-hit Opening Day effort with another strong performance. Jeter went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base and two RBIs. The Yankees have to be happy to see Jeter off to such a strong start after his struggles last year. Seeing him get on base and swipe bases bodes well for the lineup now that Jeter is the leadoff hitter. The Yanks are clearly trying to avoid station-to-station play.
Robinson Cano, 2B. A day after drawing what could be his only walk of the season, Cano went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a steal. If he can use his speed to swipe some bags, this team will really move with Alex Rodriguez, Jeter, Johnny Damon and Brett Gardner all in possession of some serious wheels. Joe Girardi seems to be sending the runners more, too, as Johnny Damon also picked up a steal today. This goes a long, long way in helping the Yankees rely less on the home run now that steroids aren't an option...
Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo, Jose Veras, RPs. These three stepped in and were very strong in relieving Chien-Ming Wang after only 3.2 innings. They combined for 4.1 hitless innings, but allowed three walks. Ramirez went 1.1 innings, walking two and striking out one. His control was poor, throwing only 12 of his 26 pitches for strikes, but he managed to get people out. He has one of the better changeups in the game. Albaladejo pitched two, walking one on only 21 pitches. He has allowed three baserunners over 3.1 scoreless innings so far. He can make a good Yankees bullpen even better. Veras pitched a perfect eighth, striking out one batter while throwing eight of 11 pitches for strikes. I have a strong feeling that Veras will replace Brian Bruney in the eighth inning role at some point this season.
Also of Note: Jorge Posada, C. Posada went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored today, continuing to show extra base power in his surgically repaired shoulder. More importantly, he threw out Brian Roberts stealing for the second consecutive game. The Yankees win at least five more games this season with a healthy Posada.
Off the Mark
Chien-Ming Wang, SP. I didn't think it was possible, but Wang managed to outstink C.C. Sabathia's start today. He lasted only 3.2 innings, but allowed nine hits [including five for extra bases], seven runs and three walks while striking out nobody. He got six groundouts and only three flyouts, which is good, but you expect better results from a guy with such a dominant sinker. The extra base hits are very perplexing, and have to make you wonder how he is feeling on the mound coming off of his injury last season. I expect the Yankees pitchers will be very happy to leave Camden Yards this weekend. It hasn't treated them well so far.
Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at Boston Red Sox (1-0)
Final: Rays 7, Red Sox 2
TAMPA BAY:
Looking Sharp
Evan Longoria, 3B. Longoria went 2-for-5 with a solo home run off of Takashi Saito and a double off Jon Lester. Seeing the kid mash against a quality lefty like Lester has to make Rays' fans feel confident that there won't be a sophomore slump. He is a very important piece of the offense because he is the righty complement to their two best hitters, lefties Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. Pat Burrell eases the load against lefties somewhat, but there is no question that despite Burrell's formidable pop, this kid is their premier right-handed hitter.
Carl Crawford, OF. Check that whole bit about the Rays needing Longoria to hit the tough lefties. Crawford went 3-for-5 with an RBI today, picking up two hits off Lester and one off of fellow lefty Javier Lopez. His awesome speed was a factor, allowing him to pick up two infield hits. He is just such a complete hitter. Even if you manage to overpower him, there is no guarantee you are going to get him out.
Scott Kazmir, SP. Kazmir outdueled one of the better pitchers in baseball today in Lester. His final line: six innings, five hits, one earned run, three walks, four strikeouts. You would like to see Kazmir walk less batters, but he threw 68 of his 111 pitches for strikes. That isn't too bad, and the Red Sox are a tough offensive team. The Rays will take six innings of one run ball against them any day. When David Price finally joins this rotation of Matt Garza, Kazmir and Shields, the sky is the limit.
Also of Note: Carlos Pena, 1B. Speaking of Crawford's job hitting Lester, Pena's first hit of the season was a two-out, two run blast off of the lefty that sealed his fate in the fifth inning. If the big bopper is healthy all year, this team is even better than last season at another position. Where is the ceiling? Jason Bartlett, SS. The light-hitting shortstop added to the Rays' display today with three hits of his own in five at-bats. He scored once, and knocked a man in. If he hits too, this team is flawless [except the bullpen?].
Off the Mark
Pat Burrell, DH. Burrell went 0-for-3 for the Rays with a walk today. He is 0-for-7 so far on the year and is yet to drive in a run or score one for his new team. I will chalk up his struggles to switching leagues and facing Lester and Josh Beckett as a greeting card. He also doesn't need to hit for a high average. The team got him for his power, so as long as he hits his 30 home runs and knocks in somewhere near 100 runs, the Rays will not complain.
Dioner Navarro, C. Navarro went 0-for-4, and while he isn't the Rays' most important hitter, I do see some warning signs here. Navarro's numbers average jumped from .227 in 388 at-bats in 2007 to .295 in 427 in 2008. The big difference seemed to be a decrease in strikeouts for the 25-year-old catcher. Up until last season, Navarro averaged a strikeout every 5.98 official appearances. Last year, that number dropped to every 8.71 trips to the plate, but his patience apparently got slightly worse. He went from walking every 10.04 at-bats in his prior career to every 12.56 times up. That does not strike me as the kind of numbers a typical .295 hitter puts up, so I would expect a decline here. The three strikeouts in eight at-bats may just be the beginning to a frustrating season for a player with a flawed approach at the plate.
BOSTON:
Looking Sharp
Kevin Youkilis, 1B. Youkilis is one of the toughest competitors in the game, and he's a pretty darn good hitter, too. Today he went 3-for-4. As context, the Red Sox only had eight hits as a team. He picked up one of the team's two RBIs, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. This guy is a machine. On the flipside, he made a costly error today in the field, but I am pretty sure that will not become a trend.
Ramon Ramirez, RP. I think that Ramirez is an underrated commodity with a high upside. He is certainly a nice arm to add to an already-good bullpen. Considering how little the piece (Coco Crisp) the Red Sox had to give up to get him fit with the team, a solid season from Ramirez could be a real coup. He looked sharp today, pitching a perfect inning and striking out a batter while putting 10 of 13 pitches in the zone.
Off the Mark
Jon Lester, RP. The line speaks for itself: five innings, five earned runs, eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts. He got beat up a little today, but he will be fine. The five strikeouts show how tough his stuff is, even when he isn't at his best. He threw 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes, and had only allowed one run when he blew up for four in the fifth. This looks to me like a case of a guy running out of gas early out of spring training.
Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Jason Varitek, 3B, SS, C. The bottom third of the Red Sox order went 0-for-10 today with two strikeouts and six left on base. The three are hitting a combined 3-for-22 over the first two games. Add in Jacoby Ellsbury's 1-for-9 and that is a 4-for-31 start for the seven through one hitters. That is too many automatic outs, and the Sox need at least two of these guys to be productive this year to contend in a tough division.
Toronto Blue Jays (2-0) at Detroit Tigers (0-2)
Final: Tigers 5, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO:
Looking Sharp
Marco Scutaro, SS. Scutaro went 2-for-4 today with a double and the Jays' only run scored. He has always been a pretty strong hitter for a middle infield guy. And with the Aaron Hill/Alex Rios/Vernon Wells/Adam Lind crowd forming in line behind him, a decent season would provide a lot of run scoring opportunities. He could be a sparkplug for that offense.
Off the Mark
Jesse Litsch, SP. Litsch got burned by the longball today, simply put. He gave up two home runs to Miguel Cabrera and one to Brandon Inge over six innings. He allowed five earned runs, walking one and allowing seven hits. He did manage to strike out five batters along the way, and 64 of his 106 pitches were strikes, which is a good sign.
New York Yankees (0-1) at Baltimore Orioles (1-0)
Final: Orioles 7, Yankees 5
BALTIMORE:
Looking Sharp
Nick Markakis, OF. He is very hot starting off the year. He followed up a solid performance on opening day with a 3-for-3 to improve his batting average to .714 through two games. He hit his first home run of the season off Chien-Ming Wang and knocked in three to increase his season total to five RBIs. He will play the entire season at age 25, and still has a couple of years before he hits the typical peak seasons. He is going to be very, very scary for a long time. This year, expect him to take a step forward after a slight step back last year.
Adam Jones, OF. Jones didn't manage to draw any walks today after a surprisingly patient effort yesterday, but he did go 1-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. He also knocked in his third run and scored for the fourth time so far. At age 23, it's hard to say what he is going to do this season, but the kid is a 5-tool talent. If Felix Pie is able to channel some of his skill, the Orioles will have one of the best outfields in baseball for the better part of a decade. Thank Erik Bedard for his one dominant season if you're an O's fan. Seattle gave up a lot for what Bedard has produced so far.
Koji Uehara, SP. I didn't know what to expect from Uehara this season. It's always hard to project out players from Japan, but Uehara pitched solidly today. He went five innings, allowing five hits, one walk and a run on the way to his first Major League victory. I see one scary thing in his line though: Uehara got three outs on ground balls, none on strikeouts and 12 on fly balls. According to NPB Tracker, the Japanese baseball blog of record for Americans seeking scouting, the biggest thorn in Uehara's side has been the home run ball throughout his career. If his fly ball rate stays close to what it was tonight, the bandbox that is Camden Yards could exacerbate these problems and give him major headaches as hitters adjust to him.
Also of note: Danys Baez, RP. Baez pitched two perfect innings, striking out one, in relief. Baez threw only 20 pitches over the two frames, 14 of them for strikes. He has always had good stuff, but has yet to really put it together and dominate. This is a good sign for Baltimore.
Off the Mark
Dennis Sarfate, RP. After helping shut down the Yankees' comeback attempt on Opening day, Sarfate imploded in the ninth with the Birds up 7-2. He allowed two runs on a Derek Jeter home run and another on Mark Teixeira's first hit with the Bombers, an RBI double that finished the team's scoring with two outs.
NEW YORK:
Looking Sharp
Derek Jeter, SS. Jeter followed up a three-hit Opening Day effort with another strong performance. Jeter went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base and two RBIs. The Yankees have to be happy to see Jeter off to such a strong start after his struggles last year. Seeing him get on base and swipe bases bodes well for the lineup now that Jeter is the leadoff hitter. The Yanks are clearly trying to avoid station-to-station play.
Robinson Cano, 2B. A day after drawing what could be his only walk of the season, Cano went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a steal. If he can use his speed to swipe some bags, this team will really move with Alex Rodriguez, Jeter, Johnny Damon and Brett Gardner all in possession of some serious wheels. Joe Girardi seems to be sending the runners more, too, as Johnny Damon also picked up a steal today. This goes a long, long way in helping the Yankees rely less on the home run now that steroids aren't an option...
Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo, Jose Veras, RPs. These three stepped in and were very strong in relieving Chien-Ming Wang after only 3.2 innings. They combined for 4.1 hitless innings, but allowed three walks. Ramirez went 1.1 innings, walking two and striking out one. His control was poor, throwing only 12 of his 26 pitches for strikes, but he managed to get people out. He has one of the better changeups in the game. Albaladejo pitched two, walking one on only 21 pitches. He has allowed three baserunners over 3.1 scoreless innings so far. He can make a good Yankees bullpen even better. Veras pitched a perfect eighth, striking out one batter while throwing eight of 11 pitches for strikes. I have a strong feeling that Veras will replace Brian Bruney in the eighth inning role at some point this season.
Also of Note: Jorge Posada, C. Posada went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored today, continuing to show extra base power in his surgically repaired shoulder. More importantly, he threw out Brian Roberts stealing for the second consecutive game. The Yankees win at least five more games this season with a healthy Posada.
Off the Mark
Chien-Ming Wang, SP. I didn't think it was possible, but Wang managed to outstink C.C. Sabathia's start today. He lasted only 3.2 innings, but allowed nine hits [including five for extra bases], seven runs and three walks while striking out nobody. He got six groundouts and only three flyouts, which is good, but you expect better results from a guy with such a dominant sinker. The extra base hits are very perplexing, and have to make you wonder how he is feeling on the mound coming off of his injury last season. I expect the Yankees pitchers will be very happy to leave Camden Yards this weekend. It hasn't treated them well so far.
Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at Boston Red Sox (1-0)
Final: Rays 7, Red Sox 2
TAMPA BAY:
Looking Sharp
Evan Longoria, 3B. Longoria went 2-for-5 with a solo home run off of Takashi Saito and a double off Jon Lester. Seeing the kid mash against a quality lefty like Lester has to make Rays' fans feel confident that there won't be a sophomore slump. He is a very important piece of the offense because he is the righty complement to their two best hitters, lefties Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. Pat Burrell eases the load against lefties somewhat, but there is no question that despite Burrell's formidable pop, this kid is their premier right-handed hitter.
Carl Crawford, OF. Check that whole bit about the Rays needing Longoria to hit the tough lefties. Crawford went 3-for-5 with an RBI today, picking up two hits off Lester and one off of fellow lefty Javier Lopez. His awesome speed was a factor, allowing him to pick up two infield hits. He is just such a complete hitter. Even if you manage to overpower him, there is no guarantee you are going to get him out.
Scott Kazmir, SP. Kazmir outdueled one of the better pitchers in baseball today in Lester. His final line: six innings, five hits, one earned run, three walks, four strikeouts. You would like to see Kazmir walk less batters, but he threw 68 of his 111 pitches for strikes. That isn't too bad, and the Red Sox are a tough offensive team. The Rays will take six innings of one run ball against them any day. When David Price finally joins this rotation of Matt Garza, Kazmir and Shields, the sky is the limit.
Also of Note: Carlos Pena, 1B. Speaking of Crawford's job hitting Lester, Pena's first hit of the season was a two-out, two run blast off of the lefty that sealed his fate in the fifth inning. If the big bopper is healthy all year, this team is even better than last season at another position. Where is the ceiling? Jason Bartlett, SS. The light-hitting shortstop added to the Rays' display today with three hits of his own in five at-bats. He scored once, and knocked a man in. If he hits too, this team is flawless [except the bullpen?].
Off the Mark
Pat Burrell, DH. Burrell went 0-for-3 for the Rays with a walk today. He is 0-for-7 so far on the year and is yet to drive in a run or score one for his new team. I will chalk up his struggles to switching leagues and facing Lester and Josh Beckett as a greeting card. He also doesn't need to hit for a high average. The team got him for his power, so as long as he hits his 30 home runs and knocks in somewhere near 100 runs, the Rays will not complain.
Dioner Navarro, C. Navarro went 0-for-4, and while he isn't the Rays' most important hitter, I do see some warning signs here. Navarro's numbers average jumped from .227 in 388 at-bats in 2007 to .295 in 427 in 2008. The big difference seemed to be a decrease in strikeouts for the 25-year-old catcher. Up until last season, Navarro averaged a strikeout every 5.98 official appearances. Last year, that number dropped to every 8.71 trips to the plate, but his patience apparently got slightly worse. He went from walking every 10.04 at-bats in his prior career to every 12.56 times up. That does not strike me as the kind of numbers a typical .295 hitter puts up, so I would expect a decline here. The three strikeouts in eight at-bats may just be the beginning to a frustrating season for a player with a flawed approach at the plate.
BOSTON:
Looking Sharp
Kevin Youkilis, 1B. Youkilis is one of the toughest competitors in the game, and he's a pretty darn good hitter, too. Today he went 3-for-4. As context, the Red Sox only had eight hits as a team. He picked up one of the team's two RBIs, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. This guy is a machine. On the flipside, he made a costly error today in the field, but I am pretty sure that will not become a trend.
Ramon Ramirez, RP. I think that Ramirez is an underrated commodity with a high upside. He is certainly a nice arm to add to an already-good bullpen. Considering how little the piece (Coco Crisp) the Red Sox had to give up to get him fit with the team, a solid season from Ramirez could be a real coup. He looked sharp today, pitching a perfect inning and striking out a batter while putting 10 of 13 pitches in the zone.
Off the Mark
Jon Lester, RP. The line speaks for itself: five innings, five earned runs, eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts. He got beat up a little today, but he will be fine. The five strikeouts show how tough his stuff is, even when he isn't at his best. He threw 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes, and had only allowed one run when he blew up for four in the fifth. This looks to me like a case of a guy running out of gas early out of spring training.
Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Jason Varitek, 3B, SS, C. The bottom third of the Red Sox order went 0-for-10 today with two strikeouts and six left on base. The three are hitting a combined 3-for-22 over the first two games. Add in Jacoby Ellsbury's 1-for-9 and that is a 4-for-31 start for the seven through one hitters. That is too many automatic outs, and the Sox need at least two of these guys to be productive this year to contend in a tough division.
Toronto Blue Jays (2-0) at Detroit Tigers (0-2)
Final: Tigers 5, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO:
Looking Sharp
Marco Scutaro, SS. Scutaro went 2-for-4 today with a double and the Jays' only run scored. He has always been a pretty strong hitter for a middle infield guy. And with the Aaron Hill/Alex Rios/Vernon Wells/Adam Lind crowd forming in line behind him, a decent season would provide a lot of run scoring opportunities. He could be a sparkplug for that offense.
Off the Mark
Jesse Litsch, SP. Litsch got burned by the longball today, simply put. He gave up two home runs to Miguel Cabrera and one to Brandon Inge over six innings. He allowed five earned runs, walking one and allowing seven hits. He did manage to strike out five batters along the way, and 64 of his 106 pitches were strikes, which is a good sign.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Finding the Silver Lining in Yanks' Opening Day Loss
The Baltimore Orioles hammered the New York Yankees and C.C. Sabathia on Opening Day to the tune of a 10-5 defeat. Not much needs to be said about the game as a whole from the Yankees side. It was a sloppy performance from nearly every pitcher who hit the mound. But some good things happened for both ballclubs on the field that could prove interesting for both teams' chances this season. Some other scary developments appeared for both sides, as well. Let's start with the Orioles.
Baltimore Orioles
GOOD SIGNS:
1) Adam Jones, OF. Jones is an incredible talent. He is a true five-tool prototype outfielder, but he is very young and people still question his ability to be patient at the plate. Yesterday he drew two walks in the process of reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. That may not sound like a big deal, but the kid only walked 23 times while logging 477 official at-bats last season. His selectiveness clearly paid off as he picked up three hits and knocked home two runs.
2) Nick Markakis, OF. Markakis is establishing himself as one of the premier outfielders in Major League Baseball. Not too much needs to be fixed about this guy's game, but he still is probably reaching his potential. A 2-for-4 performance with a couple of RBIs in the opener doesn't hurt.
3) Dennis Sarfate, Jim Johnson, George Sherrill, RPs. These three guys really put out the fire when the Yankees were making a comeback. The Yanks were down 6-1 after the fifth, but they struck back for two runs in each of the next two innings to make it a one-run game. Once Sarfate entered the game with one out in the seventh, it was lights out for the New York offense. They combined for 2.2 innings, one hit, two walks, one strikeout and most importantly, no runs to close the game out.
4) Cesar Izturis, SS. Izturis is a defensive whiz at the 6 position. He made a play in this game that changed the momentum. With the Orioles up 6-1 in the sixth, Jorge Posada homered, Robinson Cano walked, and Xavier Nady hit an RBI double. After two outs were recorded, Derek Jeter hit a ground ball up the middle that seemed destined for the outfield and an RBI. Izturis managed to stop the ball, and gun down Nady who had rounded third base too hard, assuming the ball would go through. Izturis proceeded to hit a two-run home run off of lefty Phil Coke to expand the lead to 8-5 in the four-run Baltimore eighth. Not bad for a guy who hit one home run last year. He also had a single in the third and scored a run.
5) Brian Roberts, 2B. Roberts is heading toward the end of his peak years, but Baltimore decided to keep him in the offseason. There was one moment in the offseason when a rumored Roberts-for-Gavin Floyd deal popped up, and I vociferously called for the O's to make the trade. Roberts went 3-for-4 with two runs, a walk and a double. If he has some superstar gas left in the tank, this group of kids that Baltimore is assembling could turn out to be impressive.
BAD SIGNS:
1) Jeremy Guthrie, SP. Though Guthrie cruised through the first five innings, he clearly ran out of gas in the sixth, when he gave up two runs before recording an out, and was saved from another by the aforementioned Izturis play. I wouldn't worry too much if I were a Baltimore fan, but they really need innings out of him this season if the bullpen is going to have a chance to gel and rest. I'd probably chalk it up to an early season adjustment that needs to be made.
2) Chris Ray, RP. Ray could turn the O's bullpen from a midlevel group to a plus group if he exhibits the kind of stuff he had as the team's closer. Yesterday, he gave up a two-run bomb to Hideki Matsui that pulled the Bombers within one. Not what the O's are hoping for from him in a close game.
3) Team performance. The Orioles basically blew a 6-1 lead, and could have easily lost last night's game despite a bad start from the opposing pitcher and a pretty good one from their own. Teams have to intimidate their opponents when they have a large lead. The Yankees clearly never felt out of the ballgame until Izturis' bomb. Holding leads is a big key for this team, especially considering the state of the pitching staff.
New York Yankees
GOOD SIGNS:
1) Brett Gardner, OF. Gardner went 1-for-3 yesterday, which isn't overwhelming, but his speed had an impact. He nearly beat out a bunt, something I anticipate him doing a lot this year. He also succesfully sacrificed over some baserunners, executed a hit-and-run with Derek Jeter and threw out a runner at home plate. The Yankees could definitely use an intangibles guy, and the speedy little rookie looked the part yesterday.
2) Johnny Damon, OF. Damon went 2-for-3 yesterday with a triple. His slugging in that 2-hole could prove a real strength. With Jeter and Gardner ahead of him, he could be a serious X-factor in this lineup's production.
3) Derek Jeter, SS. If there is any need for an indicator of this player's importance to this team, just look at last season. Jeter slumps, the Yankees miss the postseason for the first time since he was called up late in 1995. The new leadoff hitter went 3-for-5 yesterday, and looked comfortable at the top of the order. The aforementioned hit-and-run with Gardner highlights a new solution for Jeter's propensity to hit into double plays. This section of the offense strikes me as potentially really good. Teixeira and A-Roid should have a lot of good chances.
4) Jorge Posada, C. Posada went 1-for-3 with a walk and a mammoth home run off of Jeremy Guthrie last night. With his injured shoulder last season he displayed almost no power. Seeing him comfortably cream a pitch off of a good pitcher yesterday made my little heart pitter-patter. Posada also gunned down the speedy Brian Roberts on a steal attempt yesterday, eliciting similar feelings of elation throughout New York. He also apparently made a good throw on Cesar Izturis' stolen base, despite C.C. Sabathia's notoriously slow time to home plate. What I said about Jeter's importance to the Yankees applies doubly to Posada because of the weak position that he plays and the fire he brings to the team.
5) Hideki Matsui, OF. Matsui only went 1-for-5 yesterday, which is not good. But he also hit a home run off of Chris Ray. Now that he is unfit to play the field, a lot relies on his ability to drive the ball and back up the two big boppers in the Yankees' lineup. He is a huge question mark because of the knee injuries he has sustained over the last couple of seasons, so seeing him hit a ball out is a very good sign for the Bombers.
Honorable Mention: Robinson Cano, 2B. Cano went 1-for-3 yesterday, but drew a walk. His batting average has dipped precipitously over the last 2 seasons, and the obvious reason is his lack of patience. If he can work the count, he could play a huge role on this team, because he sure can hit when he doesn't get himself out.
BAD SIGNS:
1) C.C. Sabathia, P. I have almost nothing to say about his performance. He struggled to throw strikes with his fastball and his breaking ball. He walked five batters, including one with the bases loaded, in 4.1 innings while allowing eight hits. He didn't strike anyone out. He looked uncomfortable in his mechanics and failed to bend his back on his release. It was just ugly. He has a reputation of blowing up in the playoffs, and I am officially concerned about his mental toughness. He can shut me up by dominating over his next several starts.
2) Mark Teixeira, 1B. 0-for-4 with a walk. The patience is nice, but without Alex Rodriguez for a month, the Yanks need Teixeira to not leave five runners on base. He needs to carry the load, and he looked uncomfortable yesterday. I am nowhere near as concerned about him, however, because I like his mentality and Atlanta and the Los Angeles Angels both relied on him down pennant runs before.
3) Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, RP. These two blew up in the eighth inning to squash a Yankee comeback. Coke was dominant last September and this spring. It was his second inning of work when Cesar Izturis took him deep, but that home run is simply unacceptable. The guy has no power, and it was a tight situation. Such things happen though, and I think the kid has a high ceiling. Final line: 1.2 innings, two runs, one walk, two hits, two strikeouts. Bruney, on the other hand, gave up two runs in .1 innings. He looked lost, walking two and giving up a hit. He is supposed to pitch for the Yanks in the eighth inning this year, and he did not look good yesterday. Jose Veras better be ready to step into his role if this continues.
Baltimore Orioles
GOOD SIGNS:
1) Adam Jones, OF. Jones is an incredible talent. He is a true five-tool prototype outfielder, but he is very young and people still question his ability to be patient at the plate. Yesterday he drew two walks in the process of reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. That may not sound like a big deal, but the kid only walked 23 times while logging 477 official at-bats last season. His selectiveness clearly paid off as he picked up three hits and knocked home two runs.
2) Nick Markakis, OF. Markakis is establishing himself as one of the premier outfielders in Major League Baseball. Not too much needs to be fixed about this guy's game, but he still is probably reaching his potential. A 2-for-4 performance with a couple of RBIs in the opener doesn't hurt.
3) Dennis Sarfate, Jim Johnson, George Sherrill, RPs. These three guys really put out the fire when the Yankees were making a comeback. The Yanks were down 6-1 after the fifth, but they struck back for two runs in each of the next two innings to make it a one-run game. Once Sarfate entered the game with one out in the seventh, it was lights out for the New York offense. They combined for 2.2 innings, one hit, two walks, one strikeout and most importantly, no runs to close the game out.
4) Cesar Izturis, SS. Izturis is a defensive whiz at the 6 position. He made a play in this game that changed the momentum. With the Orioles up 6-1 in the sixth, Jorge Posada homered, Robinson Cano walked, and Xavier Nady hit an RBI double. After two outs were recorded, Derek Jeter hit a ground ball up the middle that seemed destined for the outfield and an RBI. Izturis managed to stop the ball, and gun down Nady who had rounded third base too hard, assuming the ball would go through. Izturis proceeded to hit a two-run home run off of lefty Phil Coke to expand the lead to 8-5 in the four-run Baltimore eighth. Not bad for a guy who hit one home run last year. He also had a single in the third and scored a run.
5) Brian Roberts, 2B. Roberts is heading toward the end of his peak years, but Baltimore decided to keep him in the offseason. There was one moment in the offseason when a rumored Roberts-for-Gavin Floyd deal popped up, and I vociferously called for the O's to make the trade. Roberts went 3-for-4 with two runs, a walk and a double. If he has some superstar gas left in the tank, this group of kids that Baltimore is assembling could turn out to be impressive.
BAD SIGNS:
1) Jeremy Guthrie, SP. Though Guthrie cruised through the first five innings, he clearly ran out of gas in the sixth, when he gave up two runs before recording an out, and was saved from another by the aforementioned Izturis play. I wouldn't worry too much if I were a Baltimore fan, but they really need innings out of him this season if the bullpen is going to have a chance to gel and rest. I'd probably chalk it up to an early season adjustment that needs to be made.
2) Chris Ray, RP. Ray could turn the O's bullpen from a midlevel group to a plus group if he exhibits the kind of stuff he had as the team's closer. Yesterday, he gave up a two-run bomb to Hideki Matsui that pulled the Bombers within one. Not what the O's are hoping for from him in a close game.
3) Team performance. The Orioles basically blew a 6-1 lead, and could have easily lost last night's game despite a bad start from the opposing pitcher and a pretty good one from their own. Teams have to intimidate their opponents when they have a large lead. The Yankees clearly never felt out of the ballgame until Izturis' bomb. Holding leads is a big key for this team, especially considering the state of the pitching staff.
New York Yankees
GOOD SIGNS:
1) Brett Gardner, OF. Gardner went 1-for-3 yesterday, which isn't overwhelming, but his speed had an impact. He nearly beat out a bunt, something I anticipate him doing a lot this year. He also succesfully sacrificed over some baserunners, executed a hit-and-run with Derek Jeter and threw out a runner at home plate. The Yankees could definitely use an intangibles guy, and the speedy little rookie looked the part yesterday.
2) Johnny Damon, OF. Damon went 2-for-3 yesterday with a triple. His slugging in that 2-hole could prove a real strength. With Jeter and Gardner ahead of him, he could be a serious X-factor in this lineup's production.
3) Derek Jeter, SS. If there is any need for an indicator of this player's importance to this team, just look at last season. Jeter slumps, the Yankees miss the postseason for the first time since he was called up late in 1995. The new leadoff hitter went 3-for-5 yesterday, and looked comfortable at the top of the order. The aforementioned hit-and-run with Gardner highlights a new solution for Jeter's propensity to hit into double plays. This section of the offense strikes me as potentially really good. Teixeira and A-Roid should have a lot of good chances.
4) Jorge Posada, C. Posada went 1-for-3 with a walk and a mammoth home run off of Jeremy Guthrie last night. With his injured shoulder last season he displayed almost no power. Seeing him comfortably cream a pitch off of a good pitcher yesterday made my little heart pitter-patter. Posada also gunned down the speedy Brian Roberts on a steal attempt yesterday, eliciting similar feelings of elation throughout New York. He also apparently made a good throw on Cesar Izturis' stolen base, despite C.C. Sabathia's notoriously slow time to home plate. What I said about Jeter's importance to the Yankees applies doubly to Posada because of the weak position that he plays and the fire he brings to the team.
5) Hideki Matsui, OF. Matsui only went 1-for-5 yesterday, which is not good. But he also hit a home run off of Chris Ray. Now that he is unfit to play the field, a lot relies on his ability to drive the ball and back up the two big boppers in the Yankees' lineup. He is a huge question mark because of the knee injuries he has sustained over the last couple of seasons, so seeing him hit a ball out is a very good sign for the Bombers.
Honorable Mention: Robinson Cano, 2B. Cano went 1-for-3 yesterday, but drew a walk. His batting average has dipped precipitously over the last 2 seasons, and the obvious reason is his lack of patience. If he can work the count, he could play a huge role on this team, because he sure can hit when he doesn't get himself out.
BAD SIGNS:
1) C.C. Sabathia, P. I have almost nothing to say about his performance. He struggled to throw strikes with his fastball and his breaking ball. He walked five batters, including one with the bases loaded, in 4.1 innings while allowing eight hits. He didn't strike anyone out. He looked uncomfortable in his mechanics and failed to bend his back on his release. It was just ugly. He has a reputation of blowing up in the playoffs, and I am officially concerned about his mental toughness. He can shut me up by dominating over his next several starts.
2) Mark Teixeira, 1B. 0-for-4 with a walk. The patience is nice, but without Alex Rodriguez for a month, the Yanks need Teixeira to not leave five runners on base. He needs to carry the load, and he looked uncomfortable yesterday. I am nowhere near as concerned about him, however, because I like his mentality and Atlanta and the Los Angeles Angels both relied on him down pennant runs before.
3) Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, RP. These two blew up in the eighth inning to squash a Yankee comeback. Coke was dominant last September and this spring. It was his second inning of work when Cesar Izturis took him deep, but that home run is simply unacceptable. The guy has no power, and it was a tight situation. Such things happen though, and I think the kid has a high ceiling. Final line: 1.2 innings, two runs, one walk, two hits, two strikeouts. Bruney, on the other hand, gave up two runs in .1 innings. He looked lost, walking two and giving up a hit. He is supposed to pitch for the Yanks in the eighth inning this year, and he did not look good yesterday. Jose Veras better be ready to step into his role if this continues.
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