Results tagged ‘ Royals ’
OFF DAY DOLDRUMS
Pick Your Poison: While Boston faces Kansas City tonight, the Yankees are inactive, still savoring the juices of their series win against the Angels. As the Bombers wait for Boston to roll into town – which I hope comes sometime around the crack of dawn – there is little else to be decided in the playoff picture around baseball. The only division in dispute is the AL Central, with Detroit leading Minnesota by 2.5 games. The Twins have a series left at Comerica Park, which could decide the Central. Who do you guys want to see win that division? As you know, if we hang on to the East, our opponent will be the Central champion the way things stand. Personally, I’m pulling for the Twins for several reasons. For starters, the Bombers lead the season series 7-0. Justin Morneau is out for the year. Perhaps the biggest reason is the difference in starting pitching between the two clubs. Baker, Blackburn and Liriano just doesn’t sound as intimidating as Verlander, Porcello and Jackson (Especially with Verlander taking the ball twice in a five game series).
Weekend Warriors: Will this series live up to the usual expectations of a Yankees-Red Sox clash? With the East locked up (don’t kid yourself, with 9 games left it’s safe), this series seems a mere formality given that both these teams will be in October. Still, there is value in this weekend. For the Yankees, it is important to maintain their confidence against Boston and they also have the chance to clinch the East while their rivals are forced to watch from the visiting dugout. If Boston loses tonight in KC, it only takes a series win to accomplish that. If Boston wins tonight, the Yankees will need to sweep in order to pop the bubbly.
WAKE ME UP, I MUST BE DREAMING!
Magic Number down to 5: A series win in Anaheim? When was the last time that happened? You have to go all the way back to May of 2004. This was a great series for the Yankees. They benefited from winning a couple of squeakers, but those are the types of games you have to win in October: close, low-scoring affairs. Now, they’ve proved to themselves they can do it and – most importantly – do it in Los Angeles.
Momentum: Last night’s game was critical to finishing off the series win today. The Yankees almost let that game slip away, and if they had blown that game, it might have sent them deeper into their despair of playing in Los Angeles. Instead, they did to the Angels what the Angels usually do to the Yankees. I believe last night was huge for their confidence, and we saw instant dividends today when they came out and won another tight ballgame, holding off more of those famous Angel rallies. You can’t underestimate just how important this series win is for the Yankees if they run into Los Angeles in the ALCS (knock on wood). This team absolutely needed to gain confidence at Angels Stadium, and today they may have done just that.
A.J. A-O.K. IN L.A.: It is so nice to see Burnett pitching well again. I was getting pretty concerned – as I’m sure the rest of you were – about A.J. heading into the playoffs while still struggling, but his last two starts have been great. He had a win stolen from him in Seattle and picked up a win today. He has also been striking out a ton of hitters lately, including 11 today. Power pitching is directly correlated with postseason success, and with Sabathia and Burnett, and even Pettitte, the Yankees have that capability. Let’s hope Burnett turns these two good outings into a streak so he can go into the postseason hot. Remember how dominant he was when he went on that streak in July? He was in the zone! You can’t deny that when A.J. has everything working and can locate the fastball, he simply can’t be touched.
Consider This: If Boston loses either tonight or tomorrow against Kansas City, the Yankees could clinch the American League East title at home, this weekend, in front of the Red Sox by taking 2 out of 3 games. What could be sweeter than that?
Conspiracy Theory: Did anyone notice if Kate Hudson was in the house? I’m telling you, when she’s there we seem to win a lot. I don’t have the capabilities to create a stat for this. Somebody get me Bill James on the line.
I BLAME MLB SCHEDULE MAKERS
Is this the Yankees fourth trip to the West Coast? Pretty sure it is. What bad timing for a trip out to the left coast.
Game Summary: Angels never strand runners in scoring position. Ever. On the other hand, Yankees have the ability to come up with untimely horrible at-bats. This would consist of hitting a tailor made double play ball at every possible opportunity.
Bright Side: For his first start in what seems like an eternity, Pettitte knocked the rust off early, and actually has pitched pretty well (and we aren’t using Joba’s definition of a good start), considering it’s a road start, the Yankees are in a funk and the Angels have a great lineup.
BOS 9, KC 12: What a stunner in KC and the Royals stage a furious rally after trailing 6-0. Would be nice to see the Yanks rally, lock up a berth and gain a game. Maybe we can get some of that 9 pm Pacific Standard Time lightnin’.
MEANWHILE, IN KC
However improbable, Kansas City used a 6 run bottom of the 6th to jump ahead of the Red Sox. Let’s hope the Royals bullpen can lock this one down. The way the Yankees are playing, they need as much help as they can get.
Looking elsewhere around the league, Texas has jumped out in front of Oakland early, so the Yankees are probably going to have to clinch a playoff spot on their own, and that’s the way it should be.
At least today’s spanking by the Angels has not taken on the usual script of: jump ahead early, let the Angels chip away, the bullpen implodes in about the 7th or 8th as it yields about 7 two-out hits in a row, the Angels blow it open and we threaten to rally late but fail. After blowing some early chances, it looks like they’ll allow Saunders to settle in. I was hoping the bats would bust out tonight after being embarrassed by Ian Snell yesterday. When are the Yankees going to figure out how to beat these pesky Angels?
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