N.Y. YANKEES ~ Beantown Showdown

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

NEW YORK YANKEES  vs.  BOSTON RED SOX

From FENWAY PARK

The Battle for the American League East starts now! 

Both teams are tied for first place; go figure.

BOSTON RED SOX.............68-42   *

NEW YORK YANKEES......68-42   *

 

new york YANKEES:  A matter of trust.

I gotta be honest with you; I don't know how the hell Bartolo Colon and Freddie Garcia have gotten the Bombers this far.  I really don't.  I've watched.  But I don't get it.  I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.  But I'm not trying to understand either.  When the post-season kicks in, I'd be terrified going into a short series with this consortium of hurlers.  But then again, I'm not a Yankee fan; am I (?).  However, to my dismay, even the Yankees are capable of capturing lightning in a bottle too.

 

C.C. is a horse.  No worries for Bomber fans there.  Now that Ivan Nova is back in the fold, he's your number two guy whether you like it or not.  Winning his 10th game of the season against the ChiSox Thursday night kinda seals the deal; no?  Then you got Phil of the future Hughes; Bartolo Colon; and steady Freddie Garcia.  Maybe you guys aren't that bad off after all....?  Oh..., that's right....; I forgot A.J.

 

Bwahahaha!

 

OK; but seriously.  The Yankee staff has options and depth.  It's a matter of trust that I'd be struggling with if I was indeed a Yankee fan.  More so for the Yankees than the Red Sox, this series will provide  three very telling appearances for these starters.  It's a very timely test during the Dog Days of Summer.

 

Can the Yankee starting pitchers make this series more about them, and their ability to contain the BoSox line-up, rather than leaving it up to the Yankee line-up to out-hit Boston's line-up and/or outlasting their starters?  Can they dial up shut-down performances on command?  That's what I'd be looking for on August 5th because that's what it will take later in the year.  Can they be the lead in this series?  I'd like to know if they can pitch three shut-down performances over the weekend.  Even a hard-luck loser would suffice.  But, if nothing else than to gain mounds of confidence, go out and stymie Boston's bats this weekend regardless what the offense provides.

 

Losing two out of three this series isn't something that should concern either team.  But for the Yankees, just as a matter of test, wouldn't you like to see them dominate the Sawx just so you know you can?

Alex Rodriguez:  MIAMI VICE Gets His Cover Blown.

I don't care if A-Rod, or if any grown man or woman, plays poker for money.  I'm just not interested in something like that, much less jumping all over A-Rod for it.  And believe me, you know I don't need much of a reason to besmirch him.

 

But time and again, the player formerly known as Alex Rodriguez, is the perpetrator of his own device; chasing after his never ending quest for Vice; Miami style.  Nothing more; nothing less.  He gets himself involved in these situations where there's no victims in a manner of speaking; only satisfying his passions are involved.  You know the word for someone like that.

 

Poker?  C'mon.  I get why Commissioner Selig would want to police something like that and I'm all for it.  But I personally, just can't get on him for poker.  I'll wait till he does something stupid again (he's like clockwork), and let him have it then.

 

Let's Go Red Sox!

 

Mike.BTB

N.Y. YANKEES ~ Big Papi Flips Out The Bombers

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY


NEW YORK YANKEES:  Who's Your PAPI?

So what are they gonna do, throw at him?  After the way the Red Sox have manhandled the Yankees this season, maybe they should.


Pffft.  In the immortal words of Yankees' announcer Michael Kay, "C'mon....  Really?  ....Really!?" 


From the words "Play Ball" and Jacoby Elsbury's lead-off home run last night, the Red Sox had the Yankees right where they wanted them; on the field with only one game separating the two teams.


For years, Big Papi has pounded the Yankees.  And for years he's flipped his bat (if not as dramatically as last night) after bashing a home run against them, yet again.  And for years, fans and said announcer have been begging for Papi to either get backed off the plate, or get plunked in the ribs; (Ribs; His words.  Not mine).  And finally, for years, the Yankees have failed to follow through with any overt, aggressive-type approach towards Big Papi.


So, if you're looking for A.J. Burnett to carry over a grudge, forget it.  He ain't going after Papi or anyone.  Number one; it's too late.  That should have been thought about last night.  Number two; He has enough trouble keeping his own game in check, much less curbing another player's appetite for show-boating.  If he does wind up plunking Papi or anyone else, I'm sure it will be because he's struggling and will therefore happen by accident. 


And if Joe Girardi didn't like it, I'd suggest he get a pitcher on the mound who can get him out.  Period.  The play of the game was made by Kevin Youkilis in the first inning when with two outs, the Yanks had the bases loaded.  Nick Swisher smashed one to the Hot Corner where Youk went to his left and made a fine play to retire the Yankees.  Failure to capitalize in that moment, when a base hit could have tied the game, is what did-in the Yanks last night; Not Papi.  Papi was just a punctuation mark on a season long statement the Red Sox are making.


The Yankees entered the game with a one game lead.  Today they are tied for first place.  And if my Spidey-sense serves me correctly, by tomorrow morning, the Yankees will be in second place.


So Flip This.  Who's your Papi?!

TONIGHT

(Red Sox Lead Series 1-0)

GAME TWO

BOSTON RED SOX

vs.

new york Yankees

From

the House Across The Street From The Place Where

Sparky Used To Spit

161st Street and River Avenue

Bronx

Mike.BTB

the AJB ~ MeltDown in the Desert

BTB  H.Q. ~ It's 10:50pm and AJ Burnette has allowed 6 runs against the D-Backs out in the desert in only two innings of work.  Yea...I know; - it's all Jorge's fault right?  A(pple) J(acks) gave up 3 Fruity Pebbles in the first inning alone!  The Diamond Backs have 6 runs on 8 hits to go along with their 6 recorded outs against AJ so far.  AJ is coming out for the third inning!...WoooHooo.  SKY Rockets in the NIGHT!!

He's such a mental case.  No! Not quite the magnitude of Ollie Perez but the resemblance of futility sometimes is uncanny.  AJ...what an enigma.   His stuff and his career numbers tell two very different stories.
This is probably something I would have TWEETED(?) ...if I had said account; So here I am.  When good AJ shows up, it's usually with a different catcher (eh-hem!! Cervelli, Molina,  eH-HeM!  etc).  When bad AJ shows up more often than not Jorge is behind the plate...with of course the occasional exception.

There just is no denying this phenomenon!  No one will come out and openly speak the truth on this matter as if a VooDoo spell will LiveKill their existence.

No...it's not OK to put this on Jorge; not one bit.  Sure he's got his issues as a catcher and receiver.  But the over-riding factor here is that AJ is just a Block-Head.

"Why did I throw that pitch?!!!"  I don't know AJ.  Try this.  Pick a pitch and execute it.  Easier said than done right?

He's his own worst enemy.

END

Mike  BTB



11:49 PM


Start Dinner Honey...I'm Coming Home!!  

The Yankees are left to clean up the mess A(pple)J(acks) Block Head left behind while he hits the showers.

The AJB gave up 9 hits; 7 runs all earned; he walked 2 and gave up 3 Fruity Pebbles of equal opportunity as the AJB allowed the D-Backs to deposit an offering in center field, right field, then one in left field respectively.

As reward for the AJB's pleasing performance the Diamond Backs offered 12 outs in return to express their gratitude.  What a classy bunch...huh?

The Yanks are trying to peck their way back into this game.  It is now 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning with Chad Gaudin pitching (who just popped a 92mph fastball by the way...AND just hit Justin Upton on the elbow with a 93mph fastball!  OUCH!).

... and it's now 12:04 BTB time.

END

Mike


1:23am

So much for the come-back.  10-4 Final.  The D-Backs win.  That mushroom cloud rising over the desert tonight was the bottom of the first inning in Arizona courtesy; the AJB who surrendered 5 runs while getting three pitches lost over the wall for home runs.  Justin Upton had one of those.  He added another for good measure later in the game.

That's a wrap.

BTB