Friday night's Yankees-Red Sox game showed us a lot about the remainder of the 2010 season. If not for a Tampa Bay loss in Toronto, the entire evening would be a total wash. Fortunately, the Yankees remain in first place for another day, but one thing is for certain after the last two series and the opener against Boston: the 2010 Yankees are NOTHING like the 2009 World Champions. Let's take a look based on comparisons between Friday's game and last year's series opener between the Yankees and Red Sox (August 6, 2009).
Back on August 6, 2009, the Yankees got three big home runs to blow the game open against the Red Sox, from Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Jorge Posada. Flash forward to 2010, the Yankees get a big homer from Mark Teixeira, and then the offense completely dies. In 2010, the Yankees do not have Johnny Damon for no apparent reason- they have Brett Gardner, a decent fourth outfielder who reminds me more and more of Bubba Crosby every single day.
They don't have Melky Cabrera either, who was traded for Friday's losing pitcher, Javier Vazquez. And Jorge Posada didn't play Friday. Francisco Cervelli did, and his error on a simple pop up led to three unearned runs, the difference in the game. The 2010 Yankees simply do not have the same look as the 2010 Yankees. They don't work the count, not many come through in the clutch, and you don't get the feeling that the team is ever going to come back and win a game, even at home.
That game back in August of '09 also featured a clutch two run double by Hideki Matsui, who is no longer with the Yankees. Does anyone out there actually think that Lance Berkman is a better DH than Hideki Matsui? Berkman is horrible, and hitting coach Kevin Long has decided that after a 13-year career, it's a good time to change up Lance Berkman's batting stance. Nice job not giving the new guy too much to think about while he's up there putting up 0 for 4 performances every night. He fits right in with the likes of Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli, and Brett Gardner.
Over their last four games, the Yankees have hit a two run homer in the first inning to take a lead, and they have found a way to lose all but one of those games. Why? Pitching, pitching, pitching. They only won the game that Phil Hughes pitched, because AJ Burnett, Dustin Moseley, and Javier Vazquez are simply not very great pitchers. That is why I have chosen to hit the panic button. Right now, out of the three teams fighting for these two playoff spots, the Yankees (without Andy Pettitte) are clearly outmatched by the other teams' rotations.
Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game, in my mind, is the most important game of the season. They have a chance to maintain sole possession of first place, and put the Red Sox back to seven games out in the loss column. Should the Yankees drop another with their ace on the mound, they'll try to salvage a series split with AJ Burnett against Josh Beckett, followed by Dustin Moseley against John Lester. I think that's all you need to know about the importance of Saturday's contest.
I'd hate to have you be the man in charge of pressing the button for the atomic bomb! A few things...
ReplyDelete1) It's far from pressing the panic button. It's been a while since the Yankees have been in a legit slump. It has been magnified because of how well the Rays have been playing at the same time.
2) On PAPER, the Sox rotation looks to have an advantage for the series...but in reality, they are not as good as they were supposed to be. Also, the Yankees have handled each starter in the past.
3) You're right. The 2010 team is NOT the 2009 team. The 2009 team saw a dominant Yankee squad that we haven't seen the likes of in a decade. It's hard to repeat that success. BUT, while the Yanks were winning back in the late 90s and 2000, not every team was shut down dominant.
Saturday's game is super important, and in CC we trust. Our ace should come up big. Regardless of what happens with this series, it's going to be a long August & September. No 20 game divisonal leads this time around.