El Bronx – NY: Joel Piñero and Javier Vazquez have played in the same team before – Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Both had a rough 2010 early goings as they faced each other at Yankees Stadium for the second time this year. The first one was on April 14 and Piñero went 7 innings allowing just one run and got the win over Vazquez with the final score 5-3. It was the beginning of a Vazquez tough return to The Bronx, posting a 1-4 record and an 8.10 ERA in his first six starts (He would lose to the L.A. Angels again on April 25th but to a different Angels’ pitcher). But in 10 starts since, he’s been 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA, 53 strikeouts, and 21 walks over 65 innings. In his last start he pitched 7 scoreless innings against the Mariners in Seattle leading 1-0, but Joba Chamberlain in his role as a bridge to Mariano, coughed up a grand slam home run to deny Vazuez his 8th victory. Joel Piñero, on the other hand, after dropping four of his first six starts has cruised through the past few months, winning seven consecutive decisions.
On a very hot afternoon game Vazquez pitched 4 scoreless innings while Piñero had given up 6 runs in and it seemed as – well, Vazquez would have the upper hand over Piñero by mid-game. But baseball being what it is, would see Vazquez exit the game before Piñero. On the top of the 5th Vazquez gave up 3 runs as it seemed he could not get the first out of the inning. “I thought he started to make mistakes with his fastball and his off speed pitches were not on mark,” said skipper Joe Girardi after the game. Javier Vazquez admitted that much, “I did not have good stuff and good location; later my off speed pitches were not getting it done,” admitted Vazquez. Latino Sports asked him if his lack of strikeouts were an indication of his not having “good stuff,” and he said that at times having good stuff not necessarily mean strike outs. “But when I am striking out batters I feel my good stuff is working,” he added.
Then in the top of the 6th he just faced two batters who would score an additional 2 runs featuring Hideki Matsui’s 12rh home run, a two run blast. The Angels left the bases loaded of right hander Yankees reliever Dave Robertson and the Yankees still led 6-5. Javier had an opportunity to win his 8th.
Joel Piñero completed 6 innings allowing 6 runs on 11 hits. He walked only two batters, struck out 5 and gave up a 3-run home run to Robinson Cano.
Left hander Boone Logan started the top of the 7th for the Yanks, and got 2 outs, one on a hard hit ball by Bobby Abreu to center, followed by base hit to Tori Hunter and a punch out of Hideki Matsui.
Joba Chamberlain entered the game and made it interesting as he would remind Yankee fans of the last time he came in to a game to hold a Javier Vazquez one run lead – again by one run, but not as pretty as the night in Seattle: would Joba give it up again? Joba walked the first batter he faced, Angels’ first baseman Mike Napoli. During that at bat Tori Hunter got himself in scoring position by stealing second base before Joba’s first pitch. Juan Rivera got an infield single that Alex Rodriguez had no play on. The bases were loaded – now prime time for Joba to give up a grand slam- no thank you madam, or get out of the inning which he did by getting 3B Kevin Frandsen to hit into a force out at third.
Joba pitched the 8th and did give up a run that would have tied the game at 6 had the Yankees not put good distance between them and the Angels by scoring 4 runs of Angels’ reliever Scott Shields. This inning featured a home run by Cuban Juan Miranda (his 3rd) and an unusual at bat that led to a 3-run home run. With 2 Yankees on base, Brett Gardner argued a call while batting for which he was thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Paul Emmel. Pinch hitter Colin Curtis went up to finished the Gardner at-bat with a 0-2 count; Curtis got his first career home run driving in runs. The Yankees were now up 10-6 and this would be the final score. In a non-save situation, Mariano Rivers pitched a scoreless 9th.
With the win Javier Vazquez beat the Los Angeles Angels for the first time in his career. With this victory he becomes the third active Major Leaguer to defeat all 30 teams, joining San Francisco’s Barry Zito and Philadelphia’s Jamie Moyer (Elias Sports Bureau). Joel Piñero would see his 7-game consecutive win come to an end. His last start against the Yankees was on April 24th at Los Angeles, a game he lost – again giving up 11 hits and 6 runs as he did in this one on a steamy hot July 21 afternoon in the Bronx.
No comments:
Post a Comment