Game 131 Wrap-Up: BAL 6 NYY 1

(Courtesy of The AP)

No need to write an intro for this game.  Shit was pretty self-explanatory.

Game Notes:

- Bad Starting Pitching- Hiroki Kuroda pitched 8.1 innings, but he wasn't all that great in those innings.  He gave up 3 runs in the 2nd, which was all the Orioles needed, and 1 in the 6th.  2 HR allowed was Kuroda's undoing.

- Bad Relief Pitching- Derek Lowe managed to give up 4 hits and 2 more earned runs with 2 outs in the 9th to really put the game out of reach.

- Bad Hitting- The lineup went 5-32 as a team, with just 1 walk and 12 strikeouts.  Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher were a combined 0-8 with 6 Ks, and the team went 0-4 with RISP.

- Bad Managing- Joe decided to remove Kuroda with 1 out in the 9th to go to his awful middle relief corps even though Kuroda was at 99 pitches, and then didn't pinch hit for lefties Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez against lefty Brian Matusz in the bottom of the inning.

- Yankee baseball!  Heroes remembered.  Legends born.

F*ck Yeahs:

- C-Grand: 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 LOB.  He hit a home run.  Whatever.

Oh Nos:

- Swish: 0-4, 4 K, 3 LOB.  Nothing like a golden sombrero from your hottest hitter to remind you just how bad your team is playing.

- Cano: 0-4, 2 K, 3 LOB.  Guh.

- Lowe: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 HR.  Might be time to send this guy packing again.  He's been absolute ass since that first 4-inning save appearance.

Next Up:

David Phelps takes the mound this afternoon to try to stop the bleeding.  He should have a little more help with rosters expanding, and this team needs all the help it can get right now.