I'm all kinds of disgusted right now. When the hell is someone in the media going to wake up and start calling for Joe's head on a platter?
Yankees lose. Thank you Clueless. Hopefully RJ dominates tomorrow, so Torre doesn't have the opportunity to fuck us over again.
When the Yankees haven't just gained 9 games on the first place team in their division over the past month?
Why? We're a better team than the Tigers, we've proven that all season. When the post-season comes around, Rivera will pitch in the 9th every save situation. We're 4-2 against the Tigers this season, and both losses have been due to someone OTHER than Rivera closing the game out.
I would love to play Detroit in this postseason. Proctors been this years version of (last seasons) Tanyon Sturtze. The workhorse. (Let's hope Proctor doesn't go down for any reason). It's a shame he gave up this HR. I don't see why Farnsworth wasn't warming up, I mean he hasn't pitched since Sunday....and Dotel? C'mon, let's make him worth our time..
Because the Tigers have hitters who can get big hits in big situations, and they seem to be constantly coming back in the 25th hour. I don't worry about the Yankees losing on another 2 out 9th inning homerun, but I sure as hell worry about the 7th and 8th innings of those games.
They haven't constantly been coming back against the Yankees. They've done it twice in six games when someone other than Rivera has closed the game out. They're a good team, but there is something seriously wrong if the Yankees can't beat them in the playoffs.
Coming back dramatically 33% of the time is pretty impressive, but your point is valid. They have, on the other hand, been coming back against every other team in baseball all season long and I suppose that there is "something seriously wrong" with every team in baseball considering that Detroit has the best record in the MLB right now.
The point was, everytime Rivera has been unavailable is when they've been to come back. Rivera will be available in every post-season game (and if he's not, it's likely that it's because the Yankees have a 2-0, 3-1 lead or something like that.) There's not something seriously wrong with every other team in baseball. The Tigers are better than they are, they are expected to beat those teams. This Tigers team is not built to beat a team like the Yankees. They're a combined 7-15 against the White Sox and Yankees, two teams that have a team built to beat the Tigers. They won't make it in the playoffs if they have to face us or Chicago.
This was only their fourth win in their last 11 games (I think they said they have only won 3 of their last 12 early in the game tonight.) They have the best record because they won so many early. The second half has been very bad for the Tigers.
If you'll read above, I agreed with you that there's nothing to fear in the 9th inning. The problem is that the Tigers score runs in innings other than the 9th, and could very easily cause huge trouble for Proctor/Farnsworth/Villone in the 7th and 8th, precluding Rivera from ever getting into the game. Plus, keep in mind that in this double header the Yankees faced Ledezma and Robertson. I have no faith in Kenny Rogers to go 6 in a playoff game, but Verlander and Bonderman are one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. Games won in April are worth as much as games won in August. All teams go through hot and cold stretches--hopefully tonight's collapse doesn't send the Yankees and Tigers in oppisite directions.
Neither of those guys pitched well in their starts vs the Yankees this year, and the Yankees have had success against hard throwing pitchers. I also know I have Mussina and Wang ready to face them. And I wouldn't be surprised if Leyland went with Rogers in one of the first two games. I'd be absolutely shocked if the Tigers beat the Yankees in a playoff series, even if they keep homefield advantage (although with the way they've played recently, you never know.) The White Sox are the only team I would worry about, and their pitching is definitely not as good as ours, and our hitting is slightly better IMO. The two teams that have given the Yankees fits in the past, Boston and LA Angels, aren't going to be in the playoffs this year. We have the best team we've had in a few years, and the playoff competition won't be as good as in recent years. This is the Yankees best chance to return to the WS since 2003.
You know, there's a possibility that the Tigers comeback had to do not just only with Scott Proctor, but with the Tigers offense. And there's also a slight possibility that Proctor will pitch meaningful innings in the postseason (though he hopefully won't be in the game in save situations.) So tell me why it was a dumb post? Which available or soon to be available manager would you hire to replace Torre?
The reason that makes the most sense is that the day Proctor (who has been lights out for almost two months now) gives up a big hit, it's the day he pitches in both games of the double header. You can say he only threw one pitch in the first game, but you have to remember that he threw his regular number of warmup pitches in the pen and on the mound TWICE in one day. He was tired. A guy who has been overused more than any pitcher in all of baseball should not, under any circumstance, be pitching in both games of a doubleheader. Hell, he shouldn't even be warming up in both games.
