Baseball

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Giants finally won a postseason series opener as El Panda reminds Justin Verlander of All Star Game


El Barrio, New York – Justin Verlander whose start and loss in the mid-Summer All Star Game determined that the Fall Classic be played in a National League Park, got roughed up by Pablo Sandovar who would end up matching a postseason record of being just the fourth player to hit three homers in any World Series game. Of the Panda’s three blasts, two came off Justin Verlander who in four innings of work gave up 5 earned runs on six hits. And the Giants finally won a postseason series opener.

The Giants starter Barry Zito, left off the roster in the Giant’s 2010 World Series win over the Texas Rangers, has won 2 post season games so far. He went 5.2 innings allowing only one run on six hits. He even got a fourth-inning RBI single to left field off Verlandar. This win extended the Giants' winning streak in Zito's starts to 14, dating back to the regular season.

Another interesting note on this game’s heroes is that Pablo Sandovar, also in the 2010 World Series played only one game and had 3 at-bats with no hits while striking out once. He may have looked like Babe Ruth, but was not hitting like him. Even though he still has that pudgy look, he seems to be in better form despite only hitting 12 home runs during the regular season with just 63 RBI. In this post season, however, Sandoval is hitting .370 in the postseason, with six homers and 13 RBIs in 54 at-bats.

The New York Yankees, who led the Majors with 245 home runs during the regular season before totally collapsing in the ALCS, can learn a lesson from the Giants anemic over the fence heroics.  While the Tigers were 16th, with 163, the Giants were 30th, dead last, with just 103 home runs. Go figure.

The Giants hit 31 regular-season home runs at AT&T Park, by far the fewest in the Majors and the lowest total since 1992.  Sandoval, it seems, made a mockery of that statistical blemish. Go figure.

 Written for: www.latinosports.com

Monday, October 15, 2012

Game Tidbits: In a Jeter-less game, slumping Yankees manage 4 hits in ALCS Game 2 blanking: 3-0


El Bronx, Yankee Stadium –   Raúl Ibañez, given it was only the bottom of the fourth, thought of something other than hitting late innings come from behind home runs: he attempted to steal a base after getting a single up the middle; he would be thrown out. Alex Rodriguez who batted two batters later (6th), on the other hand, was still doing the same thing with the same results, not hitting and striking out for a second time.

Eventually Alex would line out to Left and sharply hit a grounder in the bottom of the ninth through the right side to get a single, but the offense, as highlighted by Robinson Cano’s slump – hitless streak at 26 at-bats in the postseason is endemic of a lineup that has failed to come up with a big hit with men on base (and in scoring position in particular). The net result was a 4-hit, 3-0 blanking at the hands of Anibal Sanchez and reliever Phil Coke who combined to strike out 10 Yankees.

Hiroko Kuroda held the Tigers hitless through five until Tiger short stop Jhonny Antonio Peralta singled up the middle on the top sixth. Removing the tension of a no-no, the focus for Koruda was then to match Tiger’s starter, Venezuelan Anibal Sanchez’s scoreless pitching. With Peralta moving to second on a ground out by the next batter, Koruda would keep his shut out intact by getting out of the inning.

RAUL GETS RESPECT

Raúl Ibañez was intentionally walked in the Yankees half of the sixth after Ichiro Suzuki got on an error by Sanchez. Suzuki got as far as third, but the Yankees are somewhat not doing anything different in leaving man in scoring position by producing a hit with men on base other than a home run – it seems.

TIGERS BREAK SCORELESS DUEL

The following inning, top of the seventh, Tiger left fielder Quintin Berry opened the frame with a ground rule double to dead center and advanced to third on a single by third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Prince Fielder struck out, and thorn on the side of the Yankees, Delmon Young, almost hit into a double play, but Robinson Cano could not get a handle the pivot-throw to first after getting the ball from Derek Jeter’s replacement, Jason Nix. Berry scored the Tiger’s first and only run of the inning.

YANKS DON’T KEEP UP WITH THE SANCHEZ’S

In the bottom of the seventh, Alex Rodriguez did not strike out; in fact, hit it pretty well to the Left Fielder.  It was followed by a Curtis Granderson walk, who then he dared put himself in scoring position by stealing second base, but the next two batters, Nick Swisher and Jayson Nix struck out. Business as usual, one may think. The game was characterized by the lack of run support Koruda had seen many times during the regular season.

KURODA 11K’S BUT UMPIRE BAD CALL ENDS HIS NIGHT AS TIGERS BREAK GAME OPEN WITH 2 RUNS, REALLY!

Kuroda began the top of the eight striking out the first two batters and skipper Joe Giraldi paid  him a visit and after a brief consultation decides to go with him.  Tiger’s Omar Infante then singles to center. The next batter, Austin Jackson singles to right and Nick Swisher throws to Robinson Cano covering second who clearly puts the tag on Infante scrambling to get back to the base.

But the second base Umpire, Jeff Nelson, and much to the surprise of Infante, called the play safe. After the game and viewing an instant replay, the umpire would admit he was wrong: “The hand (Infante’s on getting back to the bag) did not get in before the tag, the call was incorrect,” said Jeff Nelson.

INSTANT REPLAY POR FAVOR

But that instant replay viewing was after the game when it would not count. Joe Giraldi thinks it should be part of the game, he said, “I just think it’s – yeah, let’s have instant replay. And not just, not just home run, fair, foul. Let’s have instant replay.”

Joe Torre, who would have once been in Giraldi’s place, now Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations explained the process of more instant replay was being studied, but “… but right now we haven’t really com to any conclusion on what’s the best way to go about it and not make the game drag and go longer then they are going already,” he said.

Boon Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI hit to pinch hitter Avasail Garcia, scoring Infante. Joba Chamberlain replaced Logan and does what seems to be a regular season trait since he got back from the DL; he allowed an inherited run to score with Miguel Cabrera’s RBI hit to right.

With that hit, Cabrera has reached base safely in all 18 career postseason games with the Tigers tying Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg’s own 18-game streak with Detroit.

In the meantime skipper Joe Giraldi gets ejected from the game by 2B Umpire Jeff Nelson, yes, the one who botched up the play accounting for the eventual two Tiger runs. Clay Rapada came in and issued a walk to load the bases, but his successor on the mound, Cody Eppley stops the bleeding – Ok, only 2 runs would score, but the way the Yankees have been swinging, it must have looked like 10 runs instead – by striking out Delmon Young to end the top of the eight.

Kuroda’s line: 7.2 IP, 5H, 3R (earned), 0BB, 11K and no Hr’s allowed. His counterpart, Anibal Sanchez: 7IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB and 7K.

THE MEEK WILL NOT INHERIT THE WOLRD. NO COMEBACK ATTEMPT

Ex-Yankee Phil Coke put down the meekly Yankee bats in order (Suzuki, Cano and Teixeira) in the bottom of the eighth. Coke would get a save with two scoreless innings on just one hit, striking out 3.

José Velvarde is not going to see action as a closer after anytime soon after the debacle the night before (and an ALDS blown game) so instead, in a save situation, Tiger skipper Jim Leyland left Coke to face Raúl Ibañez, Russell Martin and Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth.  The first two strike out. Then to a little fan delight, Alex Rodriguez’ sharply hit grounder to right for a single gives them a short reason to cheer, but Granderson strikes out ending the game.

The Yankees, who led the mayors in comeback wins during the regular season, for the second night, fail to do so to win the first two games of this ALCS. In a pivotal game, they fail to go to Detroit even at one game apiece and in the first post season Jetel-ess game in 17 years, Justin Verlander awaits a meek Yankee offense to possibly give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage with one more win to go and secure the AL Championship.

Post-Game Extra:

Joe Giraldi will travel to Chicago for his dad’s funeral. He expressed his desire not to have any players there as he told those who asked to be present to “enjoy their off-day and come ready to play on Tuesday…rest, rest,” he said.

The Yankees will get a needed day off after playing 5 straight postseason games.
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Photo Bill Menzel/Latino Sports