Pick any cliché you like to describe the dire circumstances facing the New York Yankees as they head into this one, it’s pretty certain to apply. Down two game to none, on the road, and facing the best pitcher in baseball, the team from the Bronx sure does have its clichés firmly up against the wall.
Oh, and Phil Hughes on the mound, Cano and Granderson struggling mightily, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher benched, and, again, Verlander.
Funnily, though, Jim Luttrell of the New York Times points out that back “on June 3, Hughes pitched a four-hit complete game, and Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez hit home runs against Verlander in a 5-1 Yankees victory. Go figure.”
A-Rod’s dinger in that game was one of three total, among eight hits, that Rodriguez has hit off Verlander in his career.
The flip side of that issue is, of course, as Luttrell explains, that “he is also 0 for 18 with 12 strikeouts against right-handed pitching this postseason.” And, as you may have heard, Raul Ibanez has been rather fantastic so far, almost exclusively against right-handers. Hence A-Rod’s place on the pine– not whatever funny business he was up to last night.
Swisher– a switch hitter– gets a spot on the bench in place of Brett Gardner, who will be much better suited to patrolling Comerica’s spacious environs. What he’s going to be capable of producing with the bat is a giant question mark, considering he’s had so few at-bats this season, but it’s not like replacing Swisher and the four hits he’s managed through 30 playoff plate appearances is some kind of monumental rolling of the dice.
Still, though, you’ve got to hand it to Girardi and his two giant, brass binders.
“It’s never easy. It’s not, because these guys have done a lot during the course of the season. But we did it.” – Girardi on Swisher, A-Rod
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 16, 2012
Via the LoHud Yankees Blog he goes on:
“If I stay the same people say, what are you doing? You’ve got to make some changes. People are going to have their opinions all along on what our lineup is, but we’ve moved our lineup around before. I’ve got Chavy playing today, and I did it in Game 5 [of the division series]. We weren’t panicking then. We’re not panicking, but we’re trying to create some runs and scratch some runs across.”
And hey, maybe Joel Sherman of the New York Post has a point when he reminds us that the 1996 Yankees went down 0-2 at home against an Atlanta Braves club with “three Verlanders” and still managed to come back and win the first of their five Jeter/Rivera-era World Series’.
It’s baseball. Anything can happen.
Here is the ever-shifting lineup for the visitors:
B. Gardner LF
I. Suzuki RF
M. Teixeira 1B
R. Cano 2B
R. Ibanez DH
R. Martin C
E. Chavez 3B
C. Granderson CF
E. Nunez SS
P. Hughes RHP
And here, via Brooks Baseball, the pitch usage chart for Hughes in 2012.
And here’s the familiar-enough looking lineup that the drivers-seat-sitting Tigers will send out:
A. Jackson CF
Q. Berry LF
M. Cabrera 3B
P. Fielder 1B
D. Young DH
A. Dirks RF
J. Peralta SS
A. Avila C
O. Infante 2B
J. Verlander P
And this is what we can expect Verlander to throw by situation (also via Brooks Baseball).
Buckle up!
Image of the view from what was once home plate at Tiger Stadium via Jordan Bastian.
Even if the Yanks come back it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to mount enough offence to take the series.Appreciate Sherman’s optimisim but this years Yanks aren’t the 1996 Yanks.
It’s weird. While hate for the Yankees comes pretty naturally, I still always find them very entertaining to watch. And yet, I feel like I’m watching the Toronto Blue Jays right now. What the fuck?!
It seems different tonight.
With their lineup, you can usually never count them out.
10 guys who had 14 or more homeruns this season. Anybody can hit one out.
And speaking of that , there goes a dinger.
Unreal, I jinxed the Tigers.
Drat.
Can you believe this?Put a stake in their heart for crying out loud.
You’re a sad sad sack of shit my friend. Things were going so swimmingly, until your “you can usually never count them out.” Sad, really.
Screw you SP.
Speaking of voodoo, I’m thinking about peeling some potatoes.
Is your back acting up yet?
Knees are a little wonky as per usual, but your peeler is just giving my back a Brazilian. Smooooooth.
Finally, no more Yankee voodoo.
Interesting about home plate.
Can’t “paint the black” if there ain’t none.
Verlander still looks smooth in the ninth.
It’s more interesting to me that no one (until now) had noticed.
Why didn’t Leyland leave him in there to finish up?
132 pitches, even Verlander’s human.
*sigh*
I’m guessing Leyland wishes he weren’t. Nice work tonight Radar. Solid multitasking!
Thanks.
I can type and do lots of things at the same time.
Like right now , I’m peeling potatoes.
Frickin WordPress says my comment’s too short to publish so I’m typing this.
Very True SP
It says your what’s too short?
My comment , you sick fuck. You have a fixation complex on the male anatomy.
I guess it’s better than having herpes complex 6.
I’m a simple man, Radar.
Tiger Stadium photo :(