Game 87 Recap

[WE data via FG]

Highlights:

• Ichiro makes a great catch on Cano's sac fly
  
  
• Posada drives in a run with a single to center
  
  
• Franklin Gutierrez robs Derek Jeter of an extra base with with an incredible, ranging catch up against the wall in the second.
  
  
• A two run, fourth inning double by Jeter
  
  
• Teix with another two bagger in the 4th, driving in the Captain
  
  
• Marcus Thames' dinger off the foul pole
  

Not In The Highlights:

• The Mariners, who are typically play excellent defense, committed two errors in the first inning and had a lot of trouble tracking down balls in the sun.
  
  
• There was a lot of putting the ball in play today, as the Yankees worked only two walks and struck out four times, while the M's worked just one walk and K'd twice
  
  
• John Flaherty caught a foul ball in the booth during the seventh inning
  
  
• CC Sabathia induced 15 groundballs during his seven innings of one run ball. He's now won eight starts in a row, the longest such streak of his career.
  
  
• Mark Teixeira was 4-5 with two doubles one of which only missed being a home run by a couple of feet.
  
  
• Dustin Moseley pitched the ninth inning and allowed a homer to Casey Kotchman

Up Next:

• The All-Star break. The home run derby, which Nick Swisher will be participating in, will take place on Monday night at 8pm and the game itself will be on Tuesday.

Game 88: Mostly Tha Voice

We knew it was coming. Most of the obituaries that finally got published on the internet today and will be printed in the newspapers tomorrow had been written months, if not years ago. That's what happens when you are one of the most successful and identifiable people in your profession and very nearly make it to the century mark.

As he gradually stepped away from the team and his health deteriorated to the point that he was no longer able to make it to Yankee Stadium, no matter how grand the occasion - not even the opening of the new one - it became increasinly clear that Bob Sheppard's number was about to be called, just like he had called out so many numbers in the past (twice).

But no matter how long the gradual decline lasted or how incredible a life was, there is still a forlorn finality to someone's passing. The Voice of God was excruciatingly dignified and proper, but not pretentious. His style was understated ("clear, concise, correct"), the opposite of many of his contemporaries, but he gained worldwide recognition for it.

The Yankees still have to wrap up the final game of this series against the Mariners and wait out the All-Star break, but on Friday night, when Derek Jeter leads off the bottom of the first inning, we'll hear The Voice again. And when people look up reflexively upon hearing it, it really will be coming from above the clouds. Rest in peace, Mr. Sheppard.

It's mostly tha voice, that gets you up
It's mostly tha voice, that makes you buck
A lot of rappers got flavor, and some got skills
But if your voice ain't dope then you need to [chill... chill... ]

-Lineups-

Yankees:

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Marcus Thames DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF

CC Sabathia LHP

Mariners:

Ichiro Suzuki RF
Chone Figgins 2B
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Jose Lopez 3B
Casey Kotchman 1B
Justin Smoak DH
Josh Bard C
Jack Wilson SS
Michael Saunders LF

Ryan Rowland-Smith LHP