sluggo
1841
Well, this has turned ugly for the Yankees in a hurry.
This postseason is going to age me about 20 years. Doug Fister with three base-loaded jams, manages to escape with no damage. Benoit damn near gives up a home run, then Valverde totally blows it. And yet the Tigers manage somehow to hold on and come back to win it. Winning pitcher Drew Smyly and offensive hero Delmon Young, who’d have thought it?
I know Jim Leyland is an old-school guy that wants to stick by his players, but he’s got to do something about Benoit and Valverde. I want to see Dotel in the 8th and the Amazing Al in the 9th from here on out.
It’s too bad about Jeter. We’ll see how bad that injury is. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s lasted this long. He may still be hitting, but he’s getting long in the tooth, and was already beat up after a long season and a minor injury in the division series.
sluggo
1843
Early word on Jeter is that it’s something that would normally take three months to recover from, so unless that report is way off, he’s done for the year. And then they’ll have to see how he recovers for next year.
Random stat: tonight Jeter got his 200th career postseason hit, in his 158th posteason game. He has played 4 games shy of an entire season of playoff games, and has had the equivalent of an all-star season (with a .309 average) against nothing but playoff teams. I’m a little disappointed he won’t get to game 162 this week.
So Yankee haters, party up. :)
Jeter has a fractured ankle. He’s done for the postseason. I don’t care how much folks hate the Yankees–and I certainly do–that just totally sucks. Jeter is simply good for baseball in every conceivable way and having him out of the postseason is awful.
nKoan
1845
Never want to see a player out due to an injury. From a sporting perspective, its wrong and from a human being perspective its wrong.
That’s just terrible for Jeter.
Sarkus
1846
Yeah, I’m no Yankees fan but Jeter is a guy I don’t think anyone hates. And as a fan I want to see a good clean hard fought series, not one decided by an injury.
The left ankle had been bothering him for at least the last month of the season, so something in there wasn’t right. He may have been playing with some sort of stress fracture, and tonight it just gave out.
Yes, I would want to see that as well. But it will be the other way around, I believe. Since we are in the postseason and Dotel has the experience in the role, he’ll probably be the one to get the call in the 9th. If this were May, it might be more likely they would try Al, but not in October.
True enough, and I’ll take anything that doesn’t involve Benoit and Valverde at this point. Jim hinted about a change in his post-game interview, when he talked about “discussing” a change with the staff. So I have to hope he’s thinking seriously about a change.
Heck, after last night, put Drew Smyly in. That was a clutch performance by a youngster on a huge stage.
At this point I’d be very surprised if we see Valverde again in the closer role this series. But I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Benoit continue as set up (not that I want to see that) since he has only dangled his feet off the cliff and not dove head first without a parachute like Jose has.
And I think we may will see more Smyly this series if the starters exit mid-game, given the Yankees lefty-heavy lineup. But I doubt it will be late innings unless/until Coke implodes consistently.
What is Todd Jones doing these days?
sluggo
1851
I’m not sure why they’re doing it, but Joe Buck is currently calling the NYG/49ers game at Candlestick, and when it’s over, will then make a short trip to AT&T Or Whatever It’s Called Now Park to call for game 1 of the NLCS.
Part of me thinks that’s kind of cool, since it’s probably 20 minutes booth-to-booth if you’re getting picked up and dropped off and there’s zero traffic. But it seems like they’re cutting it pretty close. The NLCS telecast is schedule for 8PM EST, and there’s every chance this SF/NYG game could go to 7:30 or later if they ever went to OT.
Meanwhile, the Jeterless Yankees have started game 2, and what they’re facing is pretty simple: win today or face Verlander in Detroit staring 0-3 in the face. Kuroda can make himself a lot of money today.
No worries on Buck. If he doesn’t get there in time, they plan is to have McCarver solo.
Jim Leyland says Valverde won’t close today, but is still the closer. That’s a step in the right direction, at least.
Key quote: “I know that sounds like I’m muglumping…” At least, I think that’s what he said. You never know for sure with Jim.
I believe that’s an old timey baseball word for smoking soggy butts you dug out of the clubhouse ashtray.
sluggo
1855
Kuroda has completed three innings so far. 9 up, 9 down, 7 strikeouts.
sluggo
1856
15 up, 15 down for Kuroda.
To give you some idea how dominant he’s been so far, he has 8 strikeouts, 5 infield groundouts, 1 infield pop and one fly to center. The guy is dealing today.
sluggo
1857
As I feared, Kuroda tends to lose steam around the 7th inning, and he looks like he’s headed there now as well. :(
Umpshow in the Bronx here. Yankees should be in the dugout. No idea how the umpire missed that call.
And of course a flared single makes it 2-0.
Looks like Benoit will be out to close soon.
Think I’ll have to turn the TV off and check the score in the morning.
EDIT: Nope. Thank you Phil. Thank you Jim.
