Game 8 Wrap-Up: BAL 14 NYY 5

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I'm not even going to waste my time or yours with an intro to this recap.  This game was ugly.  U-G-L-Y and not an alibi to be found anywhere.  The first true stinker of the season.

Game Notes:

- Ivan Nova was on the hill again and he was even worse than he was in his first start.  He gave up 3 runs in the top of the 1st on 2 singles, 1 of which came on a potential double play ball that turned into a base hit thanks to Derek Jeter's horrible range, and a 2-run bomb by Adam Jones and the O's were off and running.

- A Carlos Beltran RBI double in the bottom of the 1st was negated by a Jonathan Schoop RBI double in the 2nd, and Nova really put the game away in the 4th when he gave up 4 singles in 5 batters and got charged with 3 more runs without finishing the inning.

- The good news from this game is that Alfonso Soriano seems to be coming around.  He led off the bottom of the 4th with a solo home run to make it a 7-2 deficit.  He also doubled in the 9th.

- The rest of the Yankee scoring came in the 4th on another ribbie double for Yangervis Solarte and a groundout by Brett Gardner, and in the 8th on a garbage time solo shot by Kelly Johnson.

- Cesar Cabral came in after Nova, but it was Vidal Nuno who really took one for the team in relief.  He got touched up for 7 more runs on 8 hits and 2 BB in 3.1 innings of work.  At least it gave all the guys from last night a day of rest.


F*ck Yeahs:

- Ellsbury: 3-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 SB.  Dude is doing work from the 3-spot in the lineup.  With the guys behind him still not collectively figuring it out, I say keep him there until Teix comes back.

- Soriano: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 LOB.  Hey there, Medonza Line!  I see you.

Oh Nos:

- Nova: 3.2 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.  He sucked.  Jeter's shitty range let him down in the 1st inning, but that doesn't change the fact that Nova flat out sucked.  It was a vintage Nova performance, good enough stuff to get 2 strikes on guys but bad enough command to let them smack him around the yard with 2 strikes.  He really lost his fastball command in the 4th and that was when it all fell apart.  It's still only 2 starts into the season, but this has not at all been what I expected to see from Ivan after his finish to 2013 and his ST.

- Nuno: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.  The Yanks still had life after pulling within 3 in the 4th.  Nuno shoveled the rest of the dirt on them when he blew up in the 6th.

Next Up:

Rubber match tomorrow before the Sawx come to town this weekend and it's back to a night game.  Masahiro Tanaka makes his Yankee Stadium debut against Miguel Gonzalez.