Game 51 Recap

Sometimes it's good to be wrong. Really, really wrong.

I devoted pretty much all of tonight's preview to how poorly I assumed that Javy Vazquez was going to pitch, but the actual results couldn't have been further from the truth. Vazquez gave up just one run through seven innings, got nine grounders and seven strikeouts as opposed to three fly balls and five line drives, and gave up only four hits and a walk. In short, it was almost the polar opposite of his last outing in Minnesota.

Javy had faced just one over the minimum in the sixth inning when he grooved a belt-high 1-2 fastball to Corey Patterson that got sent into the mezzanine level in right field. That shot tied the game at one and the Yankees and O's took turns blowing great scoring opportunities in the next two half innings.

A double by A-Rod and a single by Robinson Cano gave the Yanks runners on first and third with no one out in the bottom of the sixth. However, Marcus Thames and Francisco Cervelli both popped out and Curtis Granderson struck out on a 2-2 curveball that replays showed was clearly off the plate.

In the top of the seventh, Vazquez got into his first real jam of the night. The O's strung together a single and a double, putting runners on second and third with one out. Vazquez intentionally walked Matt Wieters to get to Adam "Not Pacman" Jones, who struck out looking in part because of a called strike on a 1-1 pitch that was well below his knees. Javy got Julio Lugo to ground out to short to end the inning and his night was complete.

In the home half of the seventh, the Yanks had runners on second and third with two outs when A-Rod rolled over on the first pitch he saw and bounced it to Miguel Tejada at third base. Tejada fielded it cleanly but bounced the throw to first and Ty Wigginton couldn't hold onto the throw as both runners scored. The error went against Tejada but I'd venture to guess that Wigginton would take responsibility for it because it was in his glove and bounced out.

Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera combined to record the final six outs while allowing just one baserunner - Luke Scott, who singled off of Mo in the ninth. Final score: Yankees 3, Orioles 1.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• I guess the bruise on Javy's finger is feeling better? That or the Orioles just really suck. Or both.
  
  
• Mark Teixeira fouled a ball off of his foot in the first inning and was taken out of the game in the top of the fourth. He bruised his foot, X-Rays are negative and he's day-to-day.
  
  
• If there was a movie made about the Yanks this season, wouldn't it have to be called Day-To-Day?
  
  
• Curtis Granderson ripped a homer off of the left handed Brian Matusz in the fifth inning, his fourth hit off of a lefty since emerging from the DL on Friday.
  
  
• That was the only run Matusz really gave up because the other two scored on Tejada's throwing error. He deserved better.
  
  
• 2007 Joba is BACK! For realz this time, yo!

Same time, same place tomorrow night as Phil Hughes faces Brad Bergesen.

Murphy's Game

Here are a few things some moron wrote on the internet in the past 24 hours:

• "Teixeria's glove probably helps, but Jeter has never made many throwing errors. He is on pace for 5 this year and has averaged 6.5 per season since 2001. His arm isn't the issue."
  
  
• About Scott Kazmir: "I would be surprised if he went more than 6 innings though, because he's only done it three times this year and the Yanks tend to work the count."
  
  
• About CC Sabathia: "Historically a second half pitcher, now is the time of year that the big fella tends to find his stride. He's thrown 14 innings since the All-Star Break, allowed 3 runs and accumulated two wins. He was just getting warmed up before.

If only Derek Jeter hadn't made a throwing error, Scott Kazmir didn't make it into the 8th inning and CC Sabathia didn't get bounced in the 5th after giving up 5 runs, I would have been right about all of those!

You can't get all the breaks in baseball and I guess if you could control it, you'd have an 11 game stretch were more everything goes right and then load all your bad luck into one game when every single event subject to chance blows up in your face.

The Yanks didn't help their cause either by making two errors that went in the scorebook, and a few more they slipped under the table.

In addition to Jeter's throwing error, A-Rod launched one into the stands in the 3rd inning which allowed Carl Crawford score and left Evan Longoria standing on second with no one out. Incredibly, Joe Maddon had his clean up hitter, Ben Zobrist bunt Longoria over to third only to be stranded there by a Pat Burrell strikeout and a Carlos Pena grounder. Seeing this amazingly weak managerial move by Joe Maddon backfire on him was pretty much the only bright spot of this game for me.

Hideki Matsui had a baserunning gaffe in the fourth after the he drove in a run with a double. He took a wide turn thinking he could advance to second base, but Dioner Navarro read the play perfectly and picked him off.

Nick Swisher attempted a catch barreling into foul territory in the 5th but dropped it, and since his foot was in fair territory when he touched the ball, it was ruled a fair ball. Zobrist advanced to third on the play and it wasn't scored an error. An inning later he let a ball roll past him down the rightfield line allowing Jason Bartlett to score. No "E" on that one, either.

The Rays' defense was the polar opposite. Carl Crawford seemingly covered almost every inch of left field, B.J. Upton nabbed a deep liner and Jason Barlett looked slick at shortstop. The Yanks hit into double plays in both the 8th and 9th innings. It just wasn't their day.

As noted above, it wasn't really my day either. This is one of those games where you take your lumps and move on. You hope you used up all your bad juju at once and get back at it in the morning.