Game 31 Wrap-Up: LAA 4 NYY 1

(Kelley is not amused.  Courtesy of the AP)

What would you rather have, CC getting shelled early in the game or the bullpen regulars shitting the bed and walking the yard late in the game?  If you prefer the latter, then last night's game was for you.  It featured no hitting (again), a pretty damn fine start by David Phelps, and a bottom of the 8th inning that must have been painful to watch.

Game Notes:

- It was quite the start for Phelps, as he retired the first 6 in order and struck out the side in the bottom of the 2nd.  He had his curveball really working and he was throwing it early and late in the count.

- The change in scenery and time zone didn't do much to help the Yankee bats early.  They had only 1 walk and 1 hit to show for their first 4 innings against Weaver and weren't making him work very hard (47 pitches).

- The game looked like it was going to get away from Phelps in the 4th when he walked Trout and gave up a hit to Pujols, but he managed to get out of the jam with a double play.  He wasn't so lucky in the 5th, when Howie Kendrick led off with a triple and scored on an Ian Stewart groundout.

- After 6 innings of nothing, the Yankees finally came through to square the game at 1 in the 7th.  Derek Jeter led off with a double down the left field line, moved to third on an Ellsbury groundout, and scored on a Mark Teixeira ribbie single to right.

- They had a golden chance to take the lead in the 8th with 3 straight singles to start the inning.  They would get nothing thanks to a Brett Gardner strikeout and a Jeter GIDP.

- With the game tied at 1 in the bottom of the 8th, Shawn Kelley decided to melt down.  He walked 4 straight batters to force in the go-ahead run, got pulled for Matt Thornton to walk in another one, then he got pulled for Preston Claiborne to walk in ANOTHER one.  3 runs, 6 walks, 0 hits.  Oh, and Joe and Kelley got run for arguing balls and strikes with Laz Diaz, who really hammed it up for the cameras.  Classic Laz.

F*ck Yeahs: 

- Phelps: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.  Probably would have made it through 6 if Teix hadn't bobbled a ball to start the 5th.  I didn't have high hopes based on his early relief appearances, but Phelps was very good.  He threw strikes, and it sounds simple but that's always been his biggest problem at this level.  Definitely a start to build on.

Oh Nos:

- Kelley: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K.  Sometimes you have an off night, I get it.  But 4 straight walks?  That's putrid.

- Gardner: 0-4, 3 K, 3 LOB.  Not what you want to see from a hot hitter when he gets a chance to lead off.

Next Up:

The Yanks will try to wake up tonight with Hiroki Kuroda back on the mound against C.J. Wilson.  It needs to happen soon.  They're really going to ruin my weekend if they show up in Milwaukee playing like this.