Written by William Gerena Rochet
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Article appeared in www.latinosports.com
El Bronx, Yankee Stadium: It was as if the facing of LHP Cliff Lee had created such a specter of doom and gloom, and if this is was an exaggeration; let’s just label it a sense of mucho urgency that many pundits felt the Yankees needed to come home from Texas up 2-0. After a tremendous come from behind in the first game there was the probability that Phil Hughes would continue excelling in Texas but, in the second game of the series that he was chosen to start, the Yankees lost to the Texas Rangers 7-2; Phil Hughes was smacked around silly and the ominous specter of the worst to come with (1) Lee throwing the Yankees over a cliff (smiley here) was compounded with (2) with Joe Giraldi’s decision to start A.J. Burnett the following day in game four.
So in the pre-game news conference, Joe Giraldi answered 9 questions of which 4 mentioned A.J. Burnett directly and 2 others basically were related to the beleaguered pitcher taking the mound in a critical game – particularly one preceding facing Cliff Lee. One writer compared game 3 in its magnitude to a Game 7 of the World Series. Joe Girardi refuted such an analogy by saying, “I mean, obviously, the team that wins this game is going to have a lead, but it’s not Game 7.” He added, “I think it plays a much bigger role if it’s a two-game deficit, as opposed to 1-1.
ALCS GAME 2 ALCS WINNERS IN A MAJORITY TREND TO GO TO THE WORLD SERIES: LATINO SPORTS SUPPORTS THE MINORITY.
But for history buffs, consider this trend in recent ALCS history, since the best - of-seven format was adopted in 1985m the team that has won Game 2 in the ALCS has advanced to the World Series 18 times in 24 series (75%), including nine of the lasts 11. In games when the ALCS was played with a best-of-five format, the team winning Game 2 advanced to the Fall Classic 78% of the time (31 of 40 series). So there is a majority percent and there is a minority percent. We here at Latino Sports are upbeat about being in, ah, a minority.
Another question was on getting to score first “What is the importance of getting out of the gate quickly…” something the Yankees have not been able to do in the first two games. Then there was a non-A.J. questions, one on Josh Hamilton having homered in his first at bat in Game 1 and with 4 walks (two intentionally) in Game 2: “Are you going to be pitching to him carefully, or is it just the situation?”
REAL TIME: YANKEES FALL BEHIND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST ON A TWO RUN HOME RUN BY JOSH HAMILTON. RANGERS HAVE SCORED IN THE FIRST INNING OF EACH OF THE 3 GAMES.
But baseball being a 3-seasons LONG sport allowing for ups and downs, trends and streaks as well as turnarounds – even if encapsulated within the confines of a short series: the possibility of Mr. Lee having his post season winning streak come to an end was within the realm of possibility.
Besides Cliff Lee, the other pitcher who has such an impact is Roy Halladay – one that practically strikes fear in the hearts of fans and others, but one who after a pitching a no-hitter in the NLDS, lost to the Giants in the first game of the National League Championship Series at Philadelphia, Game 1.
An example of streaks and turnarounds is the fact that the Yankees have won all three games when opposed by a left-handed starter this postseason. Yet, they had lost the final nine regular season games against a Left-hander starter.
For Texas, on the other hand, with their win in Game 2 they snapped a 10-game postseason losing streak to the Yankees (and first postseason home win at that).
Cliff Lee had won his first 6 postseason starts between last year’s as a Philly and this year with Texas, he was undefeated. Andy Pettitte in the last two postseasons was also undefeated (5-0).
REAL TIME: LEE ALLOWS FIRST WALK OF THIS POSTSEASON IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 4TH TO MARK TEIXEIRA (0 FOR 9 SO FAR) BUT STILL NO YANKEE HITS.
After 4 full innings the Yankees were looking for a first hit of the game. Cliff Lee had 7 strikeouts.
LATINOS IN THE GAME:
The Texas Rangers starting lineup consisted of Nelson Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero and Bengie Molina. Cruz was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic (DR), Guerrero, Nizao, Peravia, DR and Bengie in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico (P.R.). It is of the opinion of Latino Sports President Julio Pabón that any player with any amount of Latino blood would be considered Latino. In his way Ted Williams would have been one as is the case with Michael Young (born in Covina, California).
The New York Yankees starting lineup consisted of Robinson Cano (San Pedro Macoris, DR), Jorge Posada, Santurce, P.R. and Alex Rodriguez, (New York, NY)
REAL TIME: LEE ALLOWS FIRST HIT TO JORGE POSADA IN THE BOTTOM THE 5TH. AND 2ND HIT TO BRETT GARDNER IN THE 6TH. THIRD CONSECUTIVE POSTSEASON GAMES LEE HAS 10 Ks.
After 5 full innings Yankees are looking for their first run of the game. Lee’s total strikeout reaches 9. Lee allows second hit in the bottom of the 6th and even though Gardner steals second he is left stranded there. Lee reaches 10 strikeouts for third consecutive postseason game.
REAL TIME: LEE COMPLETES 8TH: 0 RUNS, 2 HITS, ONE WALK AND 11 STRIKEOUTS; PETTITTE QUALITY START:
Lee finished his night with 13 strikeouts and tied a career high. According to Texas skipper Ron Washington after the game, Lee would have come out to pitch the 9th if the score remained at 2-0. “No, we was going to ride him (Is his cowboy Texas talk?). We had some people up ready to go in case something happened, but were going to ride him,” he said. Later he added, “… but this guy, when he comes out of the gate, he finishes what he starts. And we was going to allow him the opportunity to do that.”
Andy Pettitte with no run support ends his night of 7 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 5 strikeouts. Kerry Wood pitched a scoreless 8th. On the pitch that Hamilton hit for a 2-run home run, Andy after the game said, “It was just a bad pitch by me. I hung a cutter, left it on the inner half.”
TEXAS UNLEASHES RUN OUTBURT IN THE TOP OF 9TH. PUTS GAME OUT OF REACH.
Boone Logan came in to get Josh Hamilton out but failed. Hamilton doubled to center. David Robertson replaced Boon and gives up five hits, striked out one batter, gives up one intentional walk, and before reliever Sergio Mitre got the final out, 6 runs had scored; one charged to Boone, 5 to Robertson. (Vladimir Guerrero, Nelson Cruz, and Bengie Molina were each got a hit this inning). A positive outcome of this run outburst was that the Yankees definitely did not have to face Cliff Lee in the bottom of the 9th. Well, not that it made a difference. Neftali Felix closed the game and struck out 2. A total of 15 Yankees struck out.
POST – GAME CONCERN: IS A.J. STILL PITCHING TOMORROW?
In the shortest answer of the night Yankees skipper Joe Girardi said, “Yes.” But there is another element that seems to get put out of the radar and with a pitcher like Cliff Lee: the Yankees offense. “We haven’t swung the bats great. But we have seen some pretty good pitching, and we are not the only lineup that they have shut down,” said the skipper.
True dat. After the first two games it became a 5-game series. Now it is down to 4. The Yankees starting pitching has to be as good or better than Andy Pettitte was tonight and the bats have to come alive. Otherwise, it would sadden the Boss in heaven if the Yankees do not turn this series to their ultimate satisfaction.
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