by Tom Schecter
Some notes and observations from the opening series of the 2009
OPENING DAY: Orioles 10, Yankees 5
Well...C.C. Sabathia was a disaster this afternoon. His breaking ball looked spectacular, but if he can't locate his fastball, he's as good as useless on any given day. His velocity on the pitch was down around 90-91, and he couldn't throw the first-pitch strikes he's used to. In short, he looked nervous, like at the beginning of last year when he was pitching for a contract.
The rest of the team wasn't particularly impressive; a four-run eighth inning given up by the bullpen, a couple of runners failing to advance in big spots. Teixeira and Ransom, in particular, looked like they were trying to do too much with every pitch they swung at.
Bright spots? Posada looks healthy; he threw out Roberts trying to steal (no small feat) and looked comfortable and hungry at the plate. Cano was locked in. Nick Swisher had a great at bat pinch-hitting late in the game.
The Yankee plate approach looks intact: See a lot of pitches and make the bullpen kill itself for four innings instead of having an easy two. I liked that everyone was trying to hit the ball to the opposite field. I won't miss Giambi's compulsion to pull everything he sees.
April 8: Orioles 7, Yankees 5
Wang looked like he didn't know the 2007 ALDS was over...I think he was wondering where Torre was when Girardi came to get him in the fourth.
The bullpen was awesome. Hands down, this is the best collection of arms we've had since the Stanton-Lloyd-Mendoza crew in the late 90s. The Orioles will absolutely live to regret turning Tex around to hit right-handed against Sherrill in the ninth. Maybe as soon as tomorrow.
Matsui looked pretty bad. Cano looks awesome. Gardner could stand to work a couple more walks. Ransom is hitting the ball hard, right at people. Jeter is (sigh) not as fast as he was two or three years ago. Where's that Rodriguez guy?
April 9: Yankees 11, Orioles 2
As soon as Burnett got Huff to swing over that 3-2 slider to get out of a bases-loaded jam, I knew the Yankees would win this game. His stuff is filthy. I can't wait to see him face off against Beckett or Penny in a few weeks. He looks like he's relaxed, and he looks like he loves being a Yankee. The fist pump when he walked off the mound was Joba-esque.
Speaking of fist pumps...Swisher is my new favorite Yankee. Three big RBIs and a hilarious post-game press conference will do that real quick. Nice to have a big, goofy personality in the clubhouse who's more talented than "El Sid" Ponson.
Tex hit a home run to the opposite field. Cano hit a home run to the opposite field. Jose Molina drove in a run on a single to the opposite field. Watch for this pattern to continue revealing itself in most of the Yankees' wins this season.
Another strong performance by the bullpen. Since the eighth inning of Opening Night, eight hitless, scoreless innings. I'm a happy boy. Things are looking up. Rivera ended the game by striking a dude out looking on a back-door cut fastball. Consistently 91 mph at 40 years old. He's so good.
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The rest of the team wasn't particularly impressive; a four-run eighth inning given up by the bullpen, a couple of runners failing to advance in big spots. Teixeira and Ransom, in particular, looked like they were trying to do too much with every pitch they swung at.
Bright spots? Posada looks healthy; he threw out Roberts trying to steal (no small feat) and looked comfortable and hungry at the plate. Cano was locked in. Nick Swisher had a great at bat pinch-hitting late in the game.
The Yankee plate approach looks intact: See a lot of pitches and make the bullpen kill itself for four innings instead of having an easy two. I liked that everyone was trying to hit the ball to the opposite field. I won't miss Giambi's compulsion to pull everything he sees.
April 8: Orioles 7, Yankees 5
Wang looked like he didn't know the 2007 ALDS was over...I think he was wondering where Torre was when Girardi came to get him in the fourth.
The bullpen was awesome. Hands down, this is the best collection of arms we've had since the Stanton-Lloyd-Mendoza crew in the late 90s. The Orioles will absolutely live to regret turning Tex around to hit right-handed against Sherrill in the ninth. Maybe as soon as tomorrow.
Matsui looked pretty bad. Cano looks awesome. Gardner could stand to work a couple more walks. Ransom is hitting the ball hard, right at people. Jeter is (sigh) not as fast as he was two or three years ago. Where's that Rodriguez guy?
April 9: Yankees 11, Orioles 2
As soon as Burnett got Huff to swing over that 3-2 slider to get out of a bases-loaded jam, I knew the Yankees would win this game. His stuff is filthy. I can't wait to see him face off against Beckett or Penny in a few weeks. He looks like he's relaxed, and he looks like he loves being a Yankee. The fist pump when he walked off the mound was Joba-esque.
Speaking of fist pumps...Swisher is my new favorite Yankee. Three big RBIs and a hilarious post-game press conference will do that real quick. Nice to have a big, goofy personality in the clubhouse who's more talented than "El Sid" Ponson.
Tex hit a home run to the opposite field. Cano hit a home run to the opposite field. Jose Molina drove in a run on a single to the opposite field. Watch for this pattern to continue revealing itself in most of the Yankees' wins this season.
Another strong performance by the bullpen. Since the eighth inning of Opening Night, eight hitless, scoreless innings. I'm a happy boy. Things are looking up. Rivera ended the game by striking a dude out looking on a back-door cut fastball. Consistently 91 mph at 40 years old. He's so good.
Read Full Story
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