The Good
A big round of applause to Hiroki Kuroda, who looked like he was in for a rough night. He had given up 3 runs through the first two innings, including 2 homeruns, and he was laboring to get outs. His pitch count was climbing, and he looked particularly hittable. Then he came in for the third and pulled it together. He finished the game with 6 innings of 3 run ball, and recorded the win. He just kept his head in the game and kept the Yankees lead once they took it.
The offense came alive with Vernon Wells, Cano and Cervelli all hitting homeruns to help put the Yankees ahead, but the best performance of the night went to Jayson Nix who was like a circus acrobat ninja. Like the kind of circuses that ninja's visit and are impressed. He turned in some great plays at third, and hit a couple singles as well. Nix is making the most of this opportunity with Youkilis down. Ichiro also had a pair of hits, bringing his average up, and stole a base. I think he's starting to warm up.
The bullpen was also good. Chamberlain, Robertson and Rivera came in to pitch 3 scoreless innings, giving up just 1 hit in the process. Rivera was lights out. He recorded his 7th save of the season with 2 strikeouts in the process.
The Bad
Ben Francisco finally got his average above .100 but it took some work.
He was running out an infield hit, and got to first base but was called
out. It was a very close play, and he looked like he beat out the
throw. The umpires met and ended up reversing the call for the first
time that I've ever seen. Apparently, Encarnacion bobbled the ball, and
never had full control of it, and that was what they were overturning.
Francisco was called safe at first, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was
ejected, and it left the rest of the baseball world wondering why they
would reverse this low stakes call, and so adamantly oppose reversing
the botched call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game in the 9th
inning with 2 outs.
The Ugly
Francisco Cervelli hit his 3rd homerun of the season, which is great, but you know what I don't like?
After his name came up in that clinic that A-Rod was involved with, it
casts doubt on his performance. We're talking about a guy who hit 4
homeruns as a career high in the big leagues. Last year he struggled to
hit .246 with 2 homeruns in triple A. I'm not saying that he used
anything, because I could never know that, but I hate the fact that we
live in an era where we have to be suspicious of any sudden increase in
performance. It makes me skeptical of guys like Jose Bautista, who has never been linked with PED's but went from hitting 13-16 homeruns a season to 54. Maybe he put it all together himself, but I hate that we have to ask these questions.
The Money
3 homeruns from 3 different Yankees, including one from the Homerun Club captain, Robinson Cano. That's $6 for the kids over at the Children's Health Fund.
Travis Hafner 5hr = $10
Vernon Wells 6hr = $12
Brett Gardner 2hr = $4
Kevin Youkilis 2hr = $4
Jayson Nix 1hr = $2
Robinson Cano 7hr = $14
Ichiro Suzuki 1hr = $2
Lyle Overbay 2hr = $4
Brennan Boesch 1hr = $2
Francisco Cervelli 3hr = $6
Chris Stewart 1hr = $2
Total 31 hrs = $62
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3 comments:
I've always wondered whether Cervelli is on drugs. Now I just wonder whether they are performance enhancing.
I vociferously criticized the failure to retain Martin on the view that while he isn't great, Cervelli is much worse. But Martin hasn't done much this year and Cervelli has been excellent. Also, I detested the Vernon Wells trade, but he has torn the cover off the ball. It makes me wonder whether the Yankees might know what they're doing. I'm still pretty sure they don't, but there's a chance.
I agree 100%! I'm still holding Carl Pavano against them.
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