Game 152 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 TOR 3

(Courtesy of the AP)

It's never a good thing when you hear or read the word "hope" repeatedly from a team struggling to win in professional sports.  After looking like dogshit all last weekend in Boston and dogshit on Tuesday night in Toronto, there was a lot of "hope" being thrown around in the Yankee locker room.  Andy Pettitte "hoped" his teammates were playing with a sense of urgency.  Alfonso Soriano "hoped" they could turn things around and start playing better last night.  When you're saying you're hoping things will happen and not saying that they will or acknowledging that you're going to make things happen, you're in big trouble.  For 7 innings last night, that hope didn't translate to anything on the field to help the team of Hughes & Huff, 5th Starters at Law.  Then the 8th inning happened and the Yankees saved their season for another day.

Game Notes:

- It was another good half-start for Phil Hughes.  He worked around a couple of doubles through 3 scoreless frames, which is all Joe's really looking for these days, and got the hook after giving up a double and a 2-run homer Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the 4th.

- David Huff replaced Hughes and promptly gave up a solo shot to the second batter he faced to make it a 3-0 Toronto lead.  He was money from there, however, working the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings in order and recording 6 of the 9 outs via the strikeout or groundout.

- More wasted early opportunities was the name of the game for the lineup.  They stranded 2 runners in the 1st and 4th innings against J.A. Happ, then went dormant against him through the 7th to extend their scoreless innings streak in the series.

- Happ came out to start the 8th and that might have been his undoing.  He gave up a leadoff double to Brendan Ryan, got pulled, and watched as the bullpen gave up hits to 4 of the next 5 batters to blow the lead.  Vernon Wells' 2-run double was the big go-ahead hit.

- I guess Joe wasn't very hopeful that David Robertson could handle himself in the 8th.  Despite getting the first 2 outs of the inning easily, Joe pulled D-Rob in the middle of an at-bat after a single and stolen base by Rajai Davis.  He really wanted Mo.

- Mo got out of the 8th and made it interesting in the 9th by giving up singles to the first 2 batters.  But he retired the next 3 without much trouble - thanks to some smart infield defense on a bunt attempt - and preserved a big win.


F*ck Yeahs:

- Joe: Another tandem start, another solid starting line.  Joe gets as much as can from Phil and just enough from Huff to get to the heart of his bullpen.  It's fantastic.

- Wells: 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K, 2 LOB.  His chances to make it into this section have been few since May.  Coming up big with the go-ahead hit in the 8th inning is more than enough to be worthy.

- Huff: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.  Made 1 bad pitch and was perfect from then on.  I don't know how to explain it, because he was horrible when I saw him start against Boston, but something clicks for Huff when he's working out of the 'pen.

Oh Nos:

- Alex Rodriguez: 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K, 4 LOB.  Had chances to drive in runs and couldn't do it.  Really seems to have nothing at the plate now that his legs are hurting.

- Joe: What was the deal with the D-Rob quick hook in the 8th?  Why was that even necessary?  That's your closer next year and you're punking him out by yanking him mid-AB.  This is the same guy who retired 25 straight batters with the bases loaded.  I think he can handle a runner on second base with 2 outs.

Next Up:

Series finale is tonight, another win would be nice.  Hiroki Kuroda gets the start against Toronto's Todd Redmond.