Yanks In (More Than) A Sentence: Yankees 4, Twins 1 (Yankees win series 3-0)
1. Hey, the Twins made it much closer than I expected, thanks to the way they pitched. That said, in situations where one team has more talent than the other, the more talented team tends to come out on top. Baseball is funny that way.
2. Girardi’s over-managing the bullpen will become a problem before this post-season is over. Last night Pettitte was at 81 pitches and had just navigated the “hard” part of the Twins lineup (Mauer/Cuddyer/Kubel); I’d have stuck with him through the bottom of the order. Why overcomplicate things? At some point, the bullpen will cough up a lead in the 7th/8th and then there won’t be anybody left to summon except Marte, or whoever takes his place on the ALCS roster. That would be less than good.
3. I just had to check the spelling of “Cuddyer.” It’s been a long season.
4. It’s not like we needed this series to tell us this, but the Twins do not “play the game the right way.” Quite often, in fact, they play it stupidly and without the barest trace of instinct, as witnessed by the baserunning gaffes - there is nothing that magical forest sprite Nick Punto and his .647 OPS (.621 in 2009) brings to a team that any other random utility grunt doesn’t - and the hack-y approach of several of the regulars (hello, Delmon Young). Ron Gardenhire manages a bullpen well and the organization does a wonderful job of identifying cut-rate talent, but beyond that they’re just Any Other Team.
5. It’s time to get very, very worried about Johnny Damon. Do you start him against a tough lefty? It’s not like they have any other options, I guess. Hinske? No. Xavier Nady would be useful to have around about now.
6. Somehow you knew that Carl Pavano would eventually transform back into Carl Pavano.
7. My post-tantrum line after the Twins scored in the 6th: “A-Rod is up next inning. He’ll know what to do.” I said this without sarcasm or deadpan. I believe.
8. Other games: Only caught bits and pieces of them both… I don’t know why Papelbon throws a first-pitch fastball to Vlad G. in that situation. The guy comes to the plate looking for an excuse to swing as early and often as possible, so he should’ve been baited with some breaking crap… The Yanks and Angels now get to rest up before the series starts on Friday. I doubt this gives anybody any real advantage… I’m not sure what surprises me more: that the Phillies didn’t pound a marginal righty like Hammel into submission or that they had the confidence to call on Lidge in the ninth. His juggling-grenades act can’t be a lot of fun to watch.
