The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.
The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-4 last night, coming out of the gates strong with a Jacoby Ellsbury home run to lead off the game and a three run first inning. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia looked horrible, and was hit hard literally from the first pitch of the game until he was pulled after an inning and 2/3. Garcia was throwing fastballs up in the zone at 87 mph, and simply looked like he didn’t care at all. I haven’t watched Garcia pitch a whole lot so I don’t know if this is his typical style, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever been as taken aback by a pitcher’s mannerisms. The camera showed Garcia rolling his eyes several times after letting up hits, and he nonchalantly strolled around the mound gazing off into the outfield between almost every pitch. John Lester also struggled in the first inning, the only inning this season in which he’s thrown more than 30 pitches. He managed to keep the damage to a single run, and settled down for a pretty decent start and his 8th win of the season.
My favorite part of the game was David Ortiz’s reaction to the home run he hit, which he clearly knew was out of the park as soon as the ball left his bat. Joe Girardi took exception to Ortiz’s bat flip after the game, saying that he was simply “protecting his rookie pitcher” while noting that he’s never had a problem with Ortiz who has been a clutch player for a long time. I’m not sure how this is protecting your pitcher – he’s a big 24 year old boy Joe, he can handle letting up a home run, but I suppose I understand the sentiment. That said, I’ve got to agree with Ortiz in this situation – as he put it, “That’s just Papi style.” In my eyes if you crush it and you know it, more power to you.
Another takeaway from the game was Jonathan Papelbon became the fastest reliever in baseball history to reach 200 saves, doing so in his 359th appearance of his career. This feat took the Yankees Mariano Rivera 382 appearances, for comparison’s sake. Papelbon acknowledged Rivera after the game, referring to him as “The Godfather” of his position. All I know, and I’m guilty of it as well, is that Papelbon has had way too much criticism in his career for being the fastest in history to 200 saves. I guess that’s simply part of playing in Boston, but he’s an extreme case for sure.
Game two tonight should be a crap shoot with Tim Wakefield going against AJ Burnett.
Freddy Garcia looked horrible? That sounds familiar. Lets see how many Yankee homers tell us how good Freddy Garcia is this time around.
Tonight’s game is a crap shoot – completely – which is a joke considering the stuff that Burnett has. He is a complete waste of talent.
He’s been betterish as of late.
The game was a good time minus the out come. Had a beer or three at billys which has the most unnecessarily loud music in the tri state area and arrived just in time to see freddy garcia implode. The game felt like a blow out even if the score didn’t show it. Papelbon could not throw strikes yesterday and I feel like the yankees bailed him out a little, a rod’s strike three was one of the weakest swings I’ve ever seen him take.
In your defense Jimmy, the game, atleast to me, never felt safe. Lester left like a billion men on through 5 innings. I thought for sure Crapelbon was going to blow it. Tonight should be more of the same
Crapelbon got himself 200 saves faster than anybody ever has brotha.
two words – daniel bard
Who has shown less potential early in his career than Papelbon did early in his…
4 words – The Yankees own him
If AJ Burnett wasn’t as flakey as a girl who you met at a frat party, who won’t call you back, I would say that the Yanks could dispatch a pitcher who is almost 50 years old and only throws one pitch. But unfortunately I have zero faith in AJ in any given game, so that way, when he throws a gem, which he occasionally does, I am delighted. Yanks probably lose due to AJ Burnett flipping out and punching the mound because someone made fun of his hillbilly tats.
Sweep
Hiyaaaaaaaaa!