A whole lotta talk about the weather in the Bronx, but so far, the sheets of rain have not fallen from the skies. The tarp is not on the field, and while it's still just as cold as it was 24 hours prior during Game 1, it looks like the game will get started on time. Whether it finishes today, is another story entirely because the rain is expected to get heavier into the night.
Some random notes about the ALCS so far. The Yankees won Game 1 by a final score of 4-1.
- Chone Figgins desperately needs to snap out of his 0-for-16 postseason slump, only getting on base once when Jonathan Papelbon walked him on a 3-2 count in Game 3 of the ALDS. If the old cliche for the New York Mets is, "As Jose Reyes goes, so do the Mets," then the same (mostly) holds true for Figgins and the Angels. They beat Boston in spite of his inability to get on base, but that likely won't be enough to beat the Yankees
- The weather conditions tonight are generally the same as they were last night. Whatever blame the Angels may have been able to put on "not used to the cold and rain" can't happen again. You only get the one mulligan in situations like these.
- The Angels' normally stellar defense must return in this must-win game for the Halos. They cannot afford to leave New York without a split of the first two games. The Yankees won Game 1 of the 2002 ALDS and 2005 ALDS against the Angels. Both series were won by the Angels. But they also had to win Game 2 of those 5-gamers.
- Joe Saunders hasn't pitched a real game in 2 weeks. He also gives up a lot of homers. Pitching Saunders instead of Kazmir in Yankee Stadium when Kazmir's history against the Bronx Bombers strongly favor him over Saunders, could prove to be a mistake. But Saunders isn't chopped liver. He posted a 16-7 record with a 4.60 ERA this season, with a very strong 2nd half going 7-2.
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Top of 1st Inning:
4:59pm: Chone Figgins makes it 0-for-17 in the postseason striking out for the 8th time against a filthy AJ Burnett curveball. 1 out.
5:00pm: AJ Burnett gets ahead of Bobby Abreu 0-2. Abreu looked awful against Sabathia last night.
5:01pm: Bobby Abreu hits a weak liner to LF Johnny Damon. 2 away.
5:04pm: Torii Hunter bloops a 2-2 curveball into rightfield and ends up on 2nd base with a double.
5:05pm: Vladimir Guerrero grounds the first pitch to SS Derek Jeter. 6-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 1st Inning:
5:08pm: Derek Jeter swings at the first pitch from Joe Saunders, grounding out to 3B Chone Figgins. 5-3. 1 out.
5:10pm: Johnny Damon lifts one sky high towards the rightfield seats but it falls on the warning track into Bobby Abreu's glove. 2 outs.
5:12pm: Mark Teixeira strikes out swinging. 3 outs.
Top of 2nd Inning:
5:17pm: Kendry Morales strikes out looking at strike 3, and I have no idea what he was looking at, considering it was a fastball right on the plate. 1 out.
5:19pm: Juan Rivera flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 2 outs.
5:20pm: Maicer Izturis hits a comebacker off AJ Burnett's first pitch. Burnett fields it, throws to 1st. Score it 1-3. 3 up, 3 down.
Bottom of 2nd Inning:
5:23pm: A-Rod leads off against Joe Saunders, and is 7-for-14 (.500) against him lifetime with 2 HRs and 7 Ks. Yikes. Good thing no one is on base.
5:24pm: Alex Rodriguez hits a routine liner right at SS Erick Aybar. Aybar is not wearing the ski outfit like he was yesterday. Although 2B Maicer Izturis is. 1 out.
5:26pm: Hideki Matsui hits a 2-2 pitch on the ground to 2B Maicer Izturis. 4-3. 2 outs.
5:27pm: Nick Swisher takes a walk.
5:28pm: As I mentioned earlier, Joe Saunders gives up a lot of homeruns. 29 this season to be exact, tied for 2nd most in the AL with Tampa's James Shields. The man who gave up the most HRs in the AL this season? Jeremy Guthrie of the Baltimore Orioles.
5:29pm: Robinson Cano ropes an 0-2 breaking ball into right-centerfield for a triple that easily scores Nick Swisher. The ball went all the way to the wall and picked up a lot of moisture on its way. The throw into the infield by CF Torii Hunter was mishandled by Maicer Izturis, which prevented any chance of a play at either home or 3rd. No error though. Yankees take the lead 1-0.
5:32pm: Melky Cabrera works a full count against Saunders.
5:33pm: Melky Cabrera tries to check his swing at ball 4 but cannot. The ball isn't handled cleanly by Napoli, so he throws down to Kendry Morales at 1B to complete the strikeout. 3 outs.
Top of 3rd Inning:
5:38pm: Mike Napoli skies a 1-2 pitch but to RF Nick Swisher. 1 out.
5:39pm: Erick Aybar grounds out to Derek Jeter at SS. 6-3. The throw from Jeter almost takes Mark Teixeira off the bag but he keeps it on the base long enough. 2 outs.
5:40pm: AJ Burnett has thrown 9 out of 10 first-pitches for strikes. And he's making the Angels look silly along the way.
5:41pm: You can see the affects of that wind on the shirt of home plate umpire Laz Diaz.
5:42pm: Chone Figgins reaches base on a walk. HALLEULEUUUUUUJAH!!!!
5:43pm: FOX announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver believe Chone Figgins is definitely going to be stealing 2nd in this AB, but there are 2 out, and Burnett has made 3 pickoff throws to first (and counting) without throwing to Abreu.
5:44pm: Burnett's first pitch to Abreu is a ball outside. Is Figgins scaring Burnett? Not likely. We'll see.
5:45pm: The count goes to 2-2 on Bobby Abreu. Figgins hasn't even made an attempt at 2nd yet.
5:46pm: Chone Figgins runs on the 2-2 pitch, but Bobby Abreu flies out to CF Melky Cabrera to end the inning. 3 outs.
Bottom of 3rd Inning:
5:50pm: As FOX makes a point of it to show Jorge Posada looking on in the Yankee dugout, Jose Molina strikes out swinging. 1 out.
5:51pm: The rain is expected to hit the Bronx within the next 10 minutes. How much of it, heaven knows.
5:52pm: Derek Jeter hits an opposite field shot into the rightfield seats. That one is not stopped by the wind and it's a home run for Derek Fucking Jeter. Joe Saunders left that two-seam fastball pitch to Jeter up in the zone. Big mistake. 2-0 Yankees.
5:53pm: Angels' pitching coach Mike Butcher trots to the mound to figure out what's wrong with Joe Saunders. Tim McCarver talks about Derek Jeter being the worst defensive SS in baseball last year, and somehow ties that stat to his hitting this season. Uhhh, what?
5:54pm: Johnny Damon goes opposite field with a base hit to left.
5:55pm: Mark Teixeira hits a weak grounder at 2B Maicer Izturis. Izturis tosses to Aybar at SS and they try to complete the 4-6-3 double play, but Tex beats it out. 2 outs.
5:57pm: Alex Rodriguez lines out to RF Bobby Abreu. 3 outs.
Top of 4th Inning:
5:59pm: They said the rain was coming. I don't see no stinking rain yet.
6:00pm: Torii Hunter hits a weak grounder at 3B Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod throws to Mark Teixeira at 1B. Tex makes a falling-to-the-ground defensive grab to get Hunter. Mark Teixeira's defense at 1B is the #1 reason why Jeter is a far-improved fielding shortstop. He's been making the whole infield look better all year.
6:02pm: Vladimir Guerrero swings at a ridiculous pitch for strike 3, but the ball gets away from Jose Molina. Vladimir runs relatively hard to 1B, but Molina still makes the the throw to Teixeira for the out. Only problem is, he was clearly safe on replay. But close enough that you can't fault the umpire for the real-time mistake. Plus yeesh, how does Vlad swing at THAT garbage? 2 outs.
6:03pm: I can understand CC Sabathia shutting the Angels down, but AJ Burnett isn't THAT good. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are better pitchers and the Angels were able to beat them.
6:05pm: Kendry Morales gets hit by a pitch on the foot. Any way to get on base at this point, as long as someone can drive in the runs. Juan Rivera, are you the man for the job?
6:06pm: Jose Molina is taking a beating behind the plate tonight from some foul balls. Maybe he's not thrilled being Burnett's personal catcher on a cold night like this.
6:07pm: Juan Rivera hits a weak grounder to SS Derek Jeter, who flips to 2B Robinson Cano for the force. 3 outs.
Bottom of 4th Inning:
6:10pm: Hideki Matsui grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales who takes the ball to the bag himself for the out. 1 away.
6:12pm: Nick Swisher grounds out hard to 3B Chone Figgins who makes a nice fielding play. 5-3. 2 outs.
6:13pm: Mike Napoli takes a mound visit after Saunders falls behind 3-0 to Robinson Cano.
6:15pm: Saunders comes back to get a full count on Robinson Cano before he lifts a shot into centerfield, but Torii Hunter tracks it down on the run. 3 outs.
Top of 5th Inning:
6:17pm: The Angels desperately need to get something going in this inning. And just as I finish typing that sentence, Joe Buck says pretty much the exact same thing.
6:18pm: Maicer Izturis rips a shot into rightfield for a ground-rule double. That definitely counts as "getting something going," eh?
6:19pm: Mike Napoli swings at the first pitch but flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. No chance for Izturis to advance. 1 out.
6:20pm: FOX shows the ominous doppler radar of the rainstorm just waiting to move over NYC, but it's seemingly stalled in central Jersey. Perhaps it's stuck on the turnpike. Heyoooooo.
6:21pm: Erick Aybar rips a shot up in the middle past AJ Burnett on the mound for an RBI-single that scores Izturis. Angels get up on the board and cut the lead in half. Yankees still up 2-1. Aybar can be dangerous on the basepaths.
6:22pm: Chone Figgins is up with Aybar on first base. Tim McCarver mentions the possibility of a hit-and-run here, except Figgins has not exactly been making any contact. Burnett almost picks off Aybar at first, but he's back safely, barely.
6:23pm: Erick Aybar takes off for 2nd base, Figgins swings through the curveball to even the count 1-1. Molina's throw is late, and Aybar is safe at 2nd with the stolen base.
6:25pm:.Figgins gets hit on his back (left) foot by a Burnett curveball, and the ball bounces away from catcher Jose Molina. Figgins takes 1st base. The Angels still need to make this a meaningful inning, and they can do so with Bobby Abreu hitting with 1 out. I hope.
6:27pm: Buck and McCarver note that Derek Jeter keeps shouting "hey" at AJ Burnett. But they can't decide whether it's to get Burnett's attention about Aybar at 2nd base, or just to fuck with Aybar's head a bit and keep him closer to 2nd base.
6:28pm: Bobby Abreu just swung at a high fastball out of the zone which would've been ball 4. Now it's a full count.
Tim McCarver believes the runners may be going on the pitch.
6:29pm: Tim McCarver is correct. Aybar and Figgins were running on the pitch, but Abreu fouls it off. The AB continues.
6:30pm: See last entry. It occurs again.
6:31pm: The fans are getting very loud in the ballpark. Runners going again on the 3-2 pitch, Abreu fouls the 8th pitch from Burnett off. If I'm Burnett, I should try that high heat again.
6:32pm: Bobby Abreu flies out to Johnny Damon in the LF corner of the ballpark right up against the fence JUST on the foul side of the pole. 2 outs.
6:34pm: Burnett falls behind Hunter 2-0, but I wonder if he's being careful with Torii in order to pitch to Vlad.
6:35pm: Once Burnett got Hunter to go too far on a check swing for strike 1, he's now 2-2 against Torii and the fans are clamoring for the big out.
6:36pm: Fans breaking out with the loud "AJ" chant, like they did for "CC" last night. Andy Pettite is considering using only his initials for future home games.
6:37pm: Ball 4 gets away from Jose Molina and goes into the seats. Aybar alertly tries to score but can't because the ball went out of play. That's a huge break for the Yankees. Torii Hunter moves to 1st, Figgins to 2nd, Aybar to 3rd. Bases loaded. Vlad is up in the big spot but can't swing at garbage this time.
6:38pm: David Robertson is warming up in the Yankees bullpen. Jose Molina has another mound conference with AJ Burnett, the 6th in this inning. Burnett is ahead of Guerrero 1-2. The "AJ" chant rings out again.
6:39pm: Burnett throws the ball in the dirt and it gets away from Jose Molina. All runners move up 90 feet. Erick Aybar scores and ties the game at 2. Figgins moves to 3rd, Hunter to 2nd. 2-2 count to Vlad.
6:40pm: Good thing that wild pitch occurred, because Vladdy hits a shit grounder to Derek Jeter at shortstop. 6-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 5th Inning:
6:44pm: Melky Cabrera hits a leadoff single up the middle past a diving Erick Aybar. With Jose Molina up next, a double play is definitely required.
6:45pm: With Molina bunting, that double play probably won't happen. But Molina fails to execute the bunt and is behind 0-2.
6:46pm: Somehow Joe Saunders can't find the plate now, and it's a full count. Cabrera is likely to be running with the bunt off.
6:47pm: No worries for the Yankees because Jose Molina lines a shot into rightfield for a base hit. Melky Cabrera wasn't running on the pitch, so he stops at 2nd base. Although it was hit fairly hard, so he may not have gotten to 3rd base either way. Derek Jeter is now up in a big spot, as usual.
6:48pm: Jason Bulger gets up in the Angels bullpen. Joe Saunders needs to work a miracle here.
6:49pm: Angels infield corners are playing slightly in on Jeter, expecting a possible bunt. But he has yet to square. 1-1 count to Jeter.
6:50pm: Derek Jeter grounds back to Joe Saunders on the mound. He turns, throws to SS Erick Aybar who takes just enough time to get Jeter at 1B for the double play. Melky Cabrera moves to 3rd on the play. Score that 1-6-3. 2 outs.
6:51pm: Replays show Jeter barely beat the throw but the Angels got the call.
6:52pm: Joe Saunders works a miracle (with a little help from the umpire) by striking out Johnny Damon. Crisis averted. 3 outs.
Top of 6th Inning:
6:55pm: The Angels tied it up in the 5th, but they desperately need to go ahead right now off AJ Burnett before the heart of the Yankees bullpen comes in.
6:57pm: Kendry Morales strikes out looking at a backdoor curve that nips the outside corner of the plate. 1 out.
6:59pm: Juan Rivera flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 2 outs.
7:01pm: On a 3-2 fastball, Maicer Izturis flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. And still no sign of rain after 10pm Eastern time. 3 outs.
Bottom of 6th Inning:
7:04pm: Joe Saunders still pitching for the Angels and he'll be facing Teixeira, A-Rod and Matsui to start.
7:05pm: Mark Teixeira rips a shot at 3B Chone Figgins who makes a great play to come up with the ball, spins around, his throw to Kendry Morales takes him off the bag. Morales spins and tags, but the ball flies out of Kendry's glove on the tag so Tex is safe. Error charged to 3B Chone Figgins on the throw.
7:06pm: Alex Rodriguez flies out to Bobby Abreu in shallow RF. 1 out.
7:07pm: FOX shows the doppler radar image. The storm is moving closer to NYC but hasn't hit the Bronx yet.
7:08pm: Holy shnikeys, another double play!!!! Hideki Matsui grounds sharply to Kendry Morales, who throws the ball to SS Erick Aybar at 2nd, Aybar throws to Joe Saunders covering first for the 3-6-1 double play. WOW!
Top of 7th Inning:
7:10pm: Phil Coke and Joba Chamberlain are loosening up in the Yankee bullpen. AJ Burnett's final inning in all likelihood.
7:11pm: Mike Napoli flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 1 out.
7:12pm: Erick Aybar is toying with the idea of a bunt single, but probably won't do that now that the corners are in. Hopefully looking to line a shot down the rightfield line.
7:14pm: Erick Aybar grounds to 2B Robinson Cano but the ball falls out of his glove while trying to field it. Aybar safe at 1st on the error charged to Cano. That's all for AJ Burnett, who certainly pitched well enough to keep the Yankees in the game. Lefty reliever Phil Coke is coming in for the Yankees and he'll be turning Chone Figgins around to his weaker right side. A bunt wouldn't be the worst idea right now considering the speed of both Aybar and Figgy.
7:16pm: AJ Burnett's pitch count went to 114 in this game.
7:18pm: Phil Coke tosses over to first base a couple of times to keep Aybar honest. Joba Chamberlain is still warming in the Yankee bullpen.
7:20pm: Erick Aybar is definitely being held on by Phil Coke. Coke is a lefty with a good move and Aybar can't seem to get a good read on his motion. Still, Coke falls behind Figgins 3-1.
7:21pm: Chone Figgins walks. Erick Aybar moves to 2nd on the play. The speedsters are on with 1 out and Bobby Abreu coming to bat.
7:22pm: FOX is stat-geeking it up, timing Bobby Abreu's AB's by time spent at the plate. His third AB (against Burnett) lasted over 5:30, going 9 pitches.
7:23pm: Yankee fans getting loud and rowdy with Coke having a 2-2 count on Abreu.
7:24pm: Phil Coke has thrown nothing but fastballs so far against Abreu.
7:25pm: Abreu checks his swing against a Phil Coke slider but definitely went around. Very smart pitching by Coke going all fastballs and fooling him with a slider. 2 outs.
7:26pm: With Torii Hunter and Vladdy Guerrero coming up next (both righties), that's it for Phil Coke. Joe Giradi is making the bullpen call for righty Joba Chamberlain.
7:28pm: FOX shows some of Joba's warmup pitches from the mound, and they were way the hell over Molina's head. Should be a fun AB for Torii.
7:29pm: Or not. Torii Hunter watches two wicked sliders go by to fall behind 0-2.
7:30pm: And then Joba falls behind 3-2 trying to paint the corners but missing.
7:31pm: Torii Hunter hits a weak chopper to Derek Jeter which goes for an infield single. Jeter knows there's no play at first, so he hopes to get Aybar snoozing off of 3rd base. Aybar isn't snoozing, but A-Rod isn't there to cover either. Bases loaded for Vlad, which is probably an advantage for Joba. The Angels can't afford to blow opportunities like this though.
7:32pm: Vlad fouls off 2 pitches and falls behind. This ain't good. He fouls off another that is outside. 3 pitches now. Joba should just throw it in the dirt.
7:33pm: Jose Molina has another mound conference with his pitcher, which prompts Joe Girardi to take a quick mound visit. Molina has taken at least 10-12 trips to the mound all game, which might be a record.
7:34pm: Like I said, low ball to Vlad, he swings and misses. 3 outs.
Bottom of 7th Inning:
7:38pm: Phil Hughes is warming up in the Yankee bullpen. Kevin Jepsen warming up in the Angels' bullpen. Joe Saunders still pitching for the Angels. His pitch count is at 91 to begin the 7th. This will almost certainly be his final inning one way or the other.
7:39pm: Nick Swisher ropes a shot into leftfield for a leadoff single.
7:40pm: Brett Gardner is in to pinch-run for Nick Swisher, and will also replace him in RF. Pitching coach Mike Butcher takes a visit to the mound to meet with the infield. Saunders will face Robinson Cano here, who is NORMALLY a double-play machine, but has been pretty good tonight against Saunders with an RBI triple back in the 2nd inning, and a flyout to CF Torii Hunter in the 4th.
7:43pm: Joe Saunders is trying his best to make sure Brett Gardner does not take off.
7:44pm: Robinson Cano hits into that double play he's so well-loved for. Grounder to 2B Maicer Izturis, toss to SS Erick Aybar, throw to 1B Kendry Morales. 4-6-3 motherfuckaaaaa!!!! 2 outs.
7:46pm: Joe Saunders strikes out Melky Cabrera to finish 7 strong innings. If Joe is capable, I'd love to see him pitch the 8th inning too.
Top of 8th Inning:
7:48pm: Joe Saunders' night is done as he got a bunch of high-fives and congrats in the Angels dugout. Defensive changes for the Yankees. Brett Gardner moves to CF, Melky Cabrera moves to RF, Phil Hughes is on in relief for the Yankees.
7:50pm: Kendry Morales skies a ball to CF Brett Gardner. 1 out.
7:51pm: Juan Rivera ropes the first pitch he sees from Phil Hughes into centerfield for a single.
7:52pm: Reggie Willits is in to pinch-run for Juan Rivera. He'll also play LF for him.
7:53pm: With a 2-2 score in the 8th inning, this is now a battle of the bullpens. Remember, the Yankees are supposed to have the huge advantage in this department. I agree that they do with Mariano Rivera over Brian Fuentes, less so with the rest of them, especially since Girardi already burned through Coke and Joba.
7:54pm: Maicer Izturis hits a tailor made double-play ball on the ground right at Derek Jeter, but he boots the ball and can't handle it. Reggie Willits moves to 2nd, Izturis at 1st base. Error charged to Derek Jeter on the play.
7:55pm: Switch-hitting Gary Matthews Jr. is pinch-hitting for Mike Napoli here. Matthews Jr. will be batting from the left side against righty Phil Hughes.
7:56pm: Huge key AB for Matthews here, as he definitely needs to convert these baserunners into go-ahead runs. Mariano Rivera looms in the 9th inning.
7:57pm: Matthews sucks. He strikes out swinging at an 0-2 curveball. 2 outs.
7:58pm: Joe Girardi is making the call to Mariano Rivera to face Erick Aybar. Enter Sandman. Momma, I'm scurred!!!!
8:00pm: Erick Aybar swings first pitch from Mo and grounds meekly to 2B Robinson Cano. 4-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 8th Inning:
8:01pm: And this is where the game becomes scary for Angels fans. Can the bullpen handle things?
8:02pm: A light rain is falling at Yankee Stadium. Scioscia made a slight alteration in the defensive replacements. Matthews Jr. is playing LF instead of Reggie Willits. Jeff Mathis is catching in place of Mike Napoli. Kevin Jepsen is now pitching for the Angels. Jorge Posada pinch-hitting for Jose Molina.
8:03pm: Jorge Posada grounds hard to 2B Maicer Izturis. He drops the ball, picks it up and throws out Posada at first with enough time. 4-3. 1 out.
8:04pm: Yankee Stadium chanting like mad for Derek Jeter.
8:06pm: Kevin Jepsen strikes out Derek Jeter. Mathis drops the ball but tags Jeter for the strikeout. 2 outs.
8:07pm: Johnny Damon grounds out to 2B Maicer Izturis who backs up on the ball and almost mishandles it, but he recovers and throws to first for the out. 3 up, 3 down. Wonder if Jepsen will get another inning since that was pretty quick. Of course, that assumes the Angels cannot score against Mariano Rivera in the top 9, which... I don't think they will.
Top of 9th Inning:
8:09pm: Jorge Posada is behind the plate for the Yankees now. Brian Fuentes is warming up in the Angels bullpen. Chone Figgins leads off against Rivera.
8:11pm: Chone Figgins bloops a ball into short leftfield, but LF Johnny Damon was playing in to begin with and makes a spectacular diving catch for the first out.
8:13pm: Bobby Abreu falls behind 1-2 to Rivera. Can't say I'm surprised this time.
8:14pm: Bobby Abreu watches strike 3 go by. 2 outs. Ugh.
8:15pm: Rivera falls behind Torii Hunter 2-0 before getting him to swing at 2 strikes. The fans want Torii's blood, and they're gonna get it.
8:16pm: Torii Hunter watches strike 3 go by, and he damn well knew it. 3 outs.
Bottom of 9th Inning:
8:18pm: Team Walkoff is primed and ready to go. AJ Burnett is probably prepping the creampies just in case. No one is warming up for the Yankees in the bullpen. Kevin Jepsen is still pitching for the Angels, as expected. Can't go to Fuentes until you have the lead. The rain is beginning to fall, even though it looks like light snow. So it's not falling heavily enough to cause any problems.
8:20pm: Mark Teixeira grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales who walks to the bag for the out. 1 away.
8:21pm: Alex Rodriguez comes to the plate. He's 0-for-3 tonight, all 3 ABs against Joe Saunders. The fans want the walkoff bomb. I sure don't. And Jepsen better make sure it doesn't happen.
8:22pm: A-Rod grounds out to 3B Chone Figgins. 5-3. 2 outs.
8:23pm: Joe Buck points out that the Yankees have only had 1 hit since the 5th inning. That hit belonged to Melky Cabrera.
8:24pm: Kevin Jepsen falls behind Hideki Matsui 3-1. Matsui is still a very dangerous candidate for the walk-off bomb, so I don't blame Jepsen for being super careful against the lefty.
8:25pm: Sure enough, Hideki Matsui ropes a single into rightfield. Freddy Guzman is in to pinch-run for Matsui here. Lefty Brett Gardner in to face Jepsen.
8:27pm: With Guzman running on the 0-1 pitch, Gardner chops a ball on the left side of the infield hole for a base hit. Guzman to 3rd on the hit. Runners on 1st and 3rd. Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher has an infield conference with Robinson Cano coming to the plate. McCarver suggests the intentional pass to lefty Cano in order to pitch to righty Cabrera. I wholeheartedly agree.
8:28pm: Looks like they're pitching to Cano after all. Brett Gardner takes 2nd base on defensive indifference. First pitch to Cano is a strike. This is that time in the game where I have a fucking heart attack.
8:29pm: Heart attack averted! Cano makes contact with a swinging bunt that goes towards the pitcher but catcher Jeff Mathis fields it cleanly and throws to Kendry Morales at 1B to get the nailbiting 3rd out. Holy shit, we're going extra innings.
Top of 10th Inning:
8:31pm: Mariano Rivera is still in the game for the Yankees, pitching to Vlad, Morales, Mathis.
8:32pm: Darren Oliver is warming up in the Angels bullpen.
8:33pm: Vladimir Guerrero leads off the inning with a bloop single to right-center. The outfield was playing deep for Vlad, so that worked out.
8:34pm: Kendry Morales swings at the first pitch from Mo, grounding into a 4-6 forceout. Cano to Jeter. The throw to Teixeira is late and Morales is safe at 1st. 1 out.
8:35pm: Jeff Mathis can't bunt properly as he pops up a bunt on the third base side of the mound. The ball is caught by Mariano Rivera and we get a slight collision between A-Rod and Rivera, but the ball remains in Mo's glove. 2 outs.
8:37pm: Maicer Izturis flies out to 2B Robinson Cano running away from the plate in short centerfield. 3 outs. Good news, that's probably all from Rivera. Bad news, Yankees are coming up and I'm always nervous. At least it's not the heart of the order?
Bottom of 10th Inning:
8:40pm: FOX is showing us a bunch of Melky Cabrera walkoff hits. I don't like that. Lefty Darren Oliver is pitching in relief for the Angels. He is NOT a power pitcher, but is pretty good with the finesse. He better be here.
8:41pm: Mariano Rivera is still walking around the Yankee dugout. Could he pitch the 11th if necessary? I fucking hope not.
8:42pm: On a 3-2 count, Melky Cabrera bloops a ball in short rightfield but it goes foul. Whew. That would've been a leadoff double or worse if it landed fair.
8:43pm: Melky Cabrera hits a ball into centerfield for a leadoff single. Torii Hunter didn't take any chances on that ball, letting it drop in front. Oliver will have to face Posada here and hopefully induce a double play. Posada might be bunting though. Angels' infield is in.
8:44pm: WTF JUST HAPPENED? Jorge Posada grounds to 2B Maicer Izturis, who tosses the ball to SS Erick Aybar at 2nd, throwing the ball to Kendry Morales at 1st. However, 2B umpire says that Aybar didn't touch the base. He's technically correct, but that's a "neighborhood" call always made by the 2B umpire if you're that close to the base. Scioscia flies out of the dugout to argue but to no avail. So Cabrera is safe at 2nd, Posada out at 1st.
8:46pm: Righty Derek Jeter gets the intentional pass to 1st base so Oliver can face Johnny Damon here.
8:48pm: Tim McCarver points out that on every double play this game, Aybar did indeed tag 2nd base. Still, there needs to be global consistency throughout MLB on that "neighborhood call," especially when Aybar was SO close to 2nd base. Yes, technically he didn't touch the base, but that call has been an "out" a billion times in the past. Very frustrating.
8:49pm: On a 3-2 pitch, Johnny Damon foul pops out to 3B Chone Figgins just shy of the TV camera's well.
8:50pm: The rain is starting to pour now. Mark Teixeira has a chance to be a hero with a base hit.
8:51pm: EAT SHIT YANKEES! Mark Teixeira grounds to SS Erick Aybar who goes to 2B Maicer Izturi for the 6-4 forceout. 3 outs. Wow. The Angels overcame HUGE adversity there, but that rope is burning short.
Top of 11th Inning:
8:54pm: No more Rivera. PRAISE DA LORD! Alfredo Aceves is pitching in relief for the Yankees.
8:55pm: The rain has picked up even more, as fans scatter for cover.
8:57pm: Gary Matthews Jr. takes a leadoff walk thanks to Aceves. Matthews Jr. CAN run, but isn't a threat in the vein of Figgins, Aybar, Izturis, etc.
8:58pm: Erick Aybar lays down a textbook sac bunt fielded by Aceves. He throws to Cano covering 1st for the out. 1-4. 1 out. Damaso Marte is warming up in the Yankees bullpen.
8:59pm: Brian Fuentes is warming up in the Angels bullpen again, in hopes the Angels can score Matthews. The rain continues to fall, but not at a 2008 World Series Game 5 pace...
9:01pm: CHONE FIGGINS COMES THROUGH!!!! A bloop shot into leftfield scores Gary Matthews Jr. from 2nd base. Johnny Damon clearly has zero arm because almost anyone else would've nailed Matthews Jr. at the plate, but he scores to give the Halos the 3-2 lead. Figgins takes 2nd base on the throw home.
9:02pm: Bobby Abreu gets the intentional walk from Aceves. Brian Fuentes is almost certainly getting warm in the pen again in hopes of closing out the Skanks in the bottom of the 11th.
9;04pm: Torii Hunter can't add to the damage as he grounds hard to 3B Alex Rodriguez who turns the 5-4-3 double play. A-Rod to Cano to Tex. 3 outs. Fuentes time.
Bottom of 11th Inning:
9:07pm: Brian Fuentes is in to close (?) out the game. He'll pitch to A-Rod and then, we'll see. Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner are pencilled in. Fuentes always pitches far better to lefty hitters than righties. The Yankee Stadium grounds crew is putting down a bunch of dry dirt on the pitching mound.
9:08pm: I'm glad A-Rod is batting now instead of with someone potentially on base. The Yankee fans are going nuts for A-Rod right now. Fuentes has to go nuts ON him.
9:10pm: You... have to be kidding me. Alex Rodriguez hits an opposite field shot down 0-2 in the count that just clears the rightfield fence. Abreu can't make the leaping catch. Yankees tie it 3-3. Unfuckingbelievable. This sucks donkey nuts.
9:13pm: Freddy Guzman strikes out swinging. 1 out.
9:15pm: Brett Gardner hits a comebacker to Fuentes on the pitcher's mound. He throws to Kendry Morales at 1B for the 2nd out.
9:17pm: Robinson Cano grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales, and the game continues on. 3 outs.
Top of 12th Innning:
9;20pm: Alfredo Aceves still pitching for the Yankees. Vladimir Guerrero pops up to SS Derek Jeter who has a very tough time tracking down the ball in the pouring rain, but he's able to make the catch. 1 out.
9:21pm: No more for Aceves, as the Yankees need to turn Kendry Morales around to his right side, so they're trotting out lefty Damaso Marte.
9:24pm: Kendry Morales grounds out to 3B Alex Rodriguez. 5-3. 2 outs.
9:25pm: And that one batter was all Marte was in there to face. Now it's David Robertson out of the bullpen. I know you have to manage to win NOW, but who is even left in the Yankee pen? Chad Gaudin?
9:28pm: Can Jeff Mathis be an unlikely hero? Highly doubtful.
9:29pm: Well, not a solo blast, but Mathis hits a shot into right-centerfield for a 2-out double. Still gotta get him home somehow.
9:30pm: Maicer Izturis is up from the left side. They're giving him the intentional pass in order to face the free-swinging switch-hitting (still from the left side here) Gary Matthews Jr. The Angels HAVE to score a run here or I'm pretty sure they're losing in the bottom of the 12th.
9:33pm: Matthews Jr. fails. Strikes out swinging. 3 outs. We're going to the bottom of the 12th, and I think this game is finally ending... Ugh.
Bottom of 12th Inning:
9:36pm: Ervin Santana is in to pitch for the Angels. He's gotta pitch lights out as long as possible. The Angels at least have arms in the pen left, but they need to score runs and KEEP the lead, fer fuck's sake.
9:39pm: Ervin Santana gets Melky Cabrera to strike out swinging. 1 out.
9:40pm: Jorge Posada hits a pop fly to the Bermuda Triangle in right-center where Izturis, Abreu and Hunter cannot grab it. Single.
9:42pm: Derek Jeter hits a hard shot up the middle that Erick Aybar tracks down, drops, but then shuttles the ball to Izturis at 2B for the force on Posada. Jeter on 1st. 2 outs.
9:43pm: Johnny Damon ropes a shot into rightfield for a base hit single. Bobby Abreu gets the ball into the infield early enough to stop Derek Jeter from scoring. He stops at 3rd base. Infield conference at the mound with pitching coach Mike Butcher. Mark Teixeira with another chance to be a hero.
9:44pm: Johnny Damon takes 2nd on defensive indifference. Santana isn't giving Tex anything to swing at. 4 straight outside balls loads the bases. An intentional unintentional walk. A-Rod at the plate. At least Ervin Santana is a righty?
9:47pm: Alex Rodriguez skies out to CF Torii Hunter and the Halos get another reprieve. I'm seriously shocked that they got out of that jam. Unfuckingreal.
Top of 13th Inning:
9:50pm: Erick Aybar ropes a first pitch right at 2B Robinson Cano, but Cano was expecting a slight hop to the ball. The ball goes underneath his glove and into RF. That's gotta be another E for Cano. It is. 3rd error of the night for the Yankees. Two on Cano, one on Jeter. Aybar is on 1st.
9:51pm: Chad Gaudin is warming up in the Yankees bullpen. There's no one left after him unless they somehow trot CC back out.
9:52pm: Chone Figgins lays down the sac bunt in front of the plate to move Erick Aybar to 2nd base. Posada fields it easily and throws to 1B Mark Teixeira to get the out. 1 away.
9:53pm: Bobby Abreu is getting the intentional pass from David Robertson. And Joe Girardi is making a mound visit to make sure Robertson knows how to pitch to Hunter and perhaps Vlad Guerrero.
9:56pm: Ahead 0-2 to Torii Hunter, David Robertson throws two awful pitches in the dirt, short of the plate to Posada. Now he falls behind 3-2.
9:58pm: With the runners on the move, Torii Hunter grounds out to SS Derek Jeter. 6-3. 2 outs. Aybar to 3rd, Abreu to 2nd. Vlad up in the biggest spot of his life now.
10:00pm: Vlad hits a groundball that glances off of Robertson's glove but is fielded by 2B Robinson Cano. 1-4-3. 3 outs. Angels just can't make it happen anymore. Ervin Santana has gotta keep the Yankees off the bases.
Bottom of 13th Inning:
10:04pm: Eric Hinske is wearing a rally cap in the Yankee dugout. Jerry Hairston is pinch-hitting for Freddy Guzman.
10:05pm: He ropes a shot into center for a leadoff single. Here we goes again...
10:06pm: Brett Gardner bunts on first pitch, and it's a nice one down the 1B line. Kendry Morales fields it, throws to 2B Maicer Izturis covering first for the out. 1 away.
10:07pm: FOX just flashed a graphic of the Yankees on the bench. The only one left is 3rd catcher Francisco Cervelli.
Ervin Santana almost throws wild on the first pitch of an intentional walk to Robinson Cano. That's the 5th IBB of the game.
10:08pm: Melky Cabrera, are you going to be a hero? Well, kinda... He grounds a ball on the 2B side which is fielded by Maicer Izturis. He tries to throw to Aybar at 2nd base but the ball sails wide of Aybar. Chone Figgins scatters to back up the shitty throw but drops it. Hairston is able to score, and probably would have either way. Izturis' throw shoulda been to first, but my god... What the fuck Angels... How do you blow it like THAT especially when you survived so many improbable circumstances throughout?
Yankees win 4-3 in 13 innings. Kill me.
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