6/9/10 - Camden Yards (Baltimore, MA)
Game 2: Yankees 4, Orioles 2
So remember yesterday where I left off pondering what Chris Tillman would show up for the O's tonight and whether or not the Yanks would have their usual dumbfounded performance against an inexperienced pitcher? I guess the answer to that question is ambiguous at best. Tillman wasn't exactly brilliant and the Yankees weren't exactly confounded at the plate. The second-year starter worked his fastball high and tight and mixed in a slow hook and a change-up with some effectiveness over the first five frames of baseball, allowing just 1 unearned run and evenly distributing 5 singles. He ran into some problems in the second inning after a Robinson Cano opposite field single and a Posada walk (an at-bat in which the youngster got screwed out of two blown strike calls, from my view). But the kid stayed with it, getting the 7, 8, and 9 hitters, Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli, and utility man Kevin Russo, all to fly out. Just more evidence of the weakness of their bench and the back end of that batting order, two areas where they have fallen off significantly from last season.
The aforementioned unearned run came in the fourth when Cano (who got on base with yet another oppo-field single to extend his multi-hit streak against the O's to 9) was batted in by a Granderson sacrifice fly. Cano had advanced to second on an errant pickoff through by Tillman, then moved to third on a grounder to second by Jorge Posada. Shooting yourself in the foot is not exactly a recommended practice at the major league level, especially against the Yankees. Dude, why were you even throwing over in the first place? Cano isn't a base stealer and it's doubtful he's thinking about it with no outs and his team down 2-0. Mental mistakes usually come back to haunt you in this game, my lad.
That run loomed even larger in the sixth inning when the Yanks jumped ahead in what proved to be the deciding rally. After Mark Teixeira singled on a slow-roller that foiled the deep shift at second, Tillman fed Alex Rodriguez not one, not two, but three hittable fastballs in a six pitch at-bat. Not even a struggling A-Rod could miss three times and he scorched the final meatball into left (a sinking liner almost 
shoestrung by Luke Scott) to set 'em up 1st-and-3rd, no outs. Pop quiz, Baltimore: do you walk Cano and chance a bases-loaded, no-out situation against the Yankees erratic bottom four? Well, normal baseball logic tells you 'no' of course, but when you consider how insane Cano's been against the bay birds, one is tempted to nibble the edges and live with the walk at the very least. Tillman actually threw some tricky slow curves and 2-seamers at Robby, but the hottest hitter in baseball fought off pitch after pitch before drilling a Baltimore chopper (cruel, cruel irony) over the glove of first baseman Ty Wigginton to knot the score at 2. Posada, who has looks bothered at the plate ever since returning from the DL, followed up with what should have been a double-play, but Julio Lugo suddenly forgot how to throw and the ball sailed into the stands. This error was moot though, as the go-ahead/game-winning run would have scored anyway, but the fact that the Orioles infield continues to make random, unnecessary errors in important moments is something that has hampered them severely in these close games with New York. I really do feel for them, despite the fact that I rip on them for being terrible. Does that make me doubly terrible? Hmmm...
shoestrung by Luke Scott) to set 'em up 1st-and-3rd, no outs. Pop quiz, Baltimore: do you walk Cano and chance a bases-loaded, no-out situation against the Yankees erratic bottom four? Well, normal baseball logic tells you 'no' of course, but when you consider how insane Cano's been against the bay birds, one is tempted to nibble the edges and live with the walk at the very least. Tillman actually threw some tricky slow curves and 2-seamers at Robby, but the hottest hitter in baseball fought off pitch after pitch before drilling a Baltimore chopper (cruel, cruel irony) over the glove of first baseman Ty Wigginton to knot the score at 2. Posada, who has looks bothered at the plate ever since returning from the DL, followed up with what should have been a double-play, but Julio Lugo suddenly forgot how to throw and the ball sailed into the stands. This error was moot though, as the go-ahead/game-winning run would have scored anyway, but the fact that the Orioles infield continues to make random, unnecessary errors in important moments is something that has hampered them severely in these close games with New York. I really do feel for them, despite the fact that I rip on them for being terrible. Does that make me doubly terrible? Hmmm...On the flip side of the bump, C.C. Sabathia appeared shaky in the early going, and from what I can tell, the issues were once again mechanical in nature. He was mixing up his pitches fairly well, going to his change-up right from the onset and using it in a variety of counts, although still not as much as he would need to against a better team. His curveball also seemed to 
be more consistent than in his more recent starts, both in command and bite, although it burned him a couple of times. The fastball, however, was the most problematic pitch. The southpaw has been missing high and wide in the zone with the heater in the last couple of times I've seen him, an indicator that he is dragging his arm through the throwing zone and not following through with his delivery. I pray that this does not mean he's pitching with pain. Either his back is barking and it's hindering his torso action or his legs/groin are twingey and it's hindering his ability to full extend himself to home plate. Or maybe his motion is out of sync for whatever reason and he just needs to do something different in his bullpen sessions. Whatever the case may be, I am inclined to say that it's more of a physical bugaboo than a mental one, which could be worse in the long run.
be more consistent than in his more recent starts, both in command and bite, although it burned him a couple of times. The fastball, however, was the most problematic pitch. The southpaw has been missing high and wide in the zone with the heater in the last couple of times I've seen him, an indicator that he is dragging his arm through the throwing zone and not following through with his delivery. I pray that this does not mean he's pitching with pain. Either his back is barking and it's hindering his torso action or his legs/groin are twingey and it's hindering his ability to full extend himself to home plate. Or maybe his motion is out of sync for whatever reason and he just needs to do something different in his bullpen sessions. Whatever the case may be, I am inclined to say that it's more of a physical bugaboo than a mental one, which could be worse in the long run.On a positive note, C.C. bounced back from a rocky three innings to finish with four strong scoreless frames. After allowing a run in the second and third innings on 5 hits, a walk, and a costly wild pitch, the big man allowed just 1 baserunner over next three stanzas. It was if as soon as the rain started falling, he got in a groove. By the time it cleared up totally in the seventh, he was in a jam again, but a diving stopped by Cano on a Nick Markakis grounder prevented the tying run from scoring (was he touched by God this year or something?), and allowed Sabathia to wriggle out of a bases loaded bind. It'll be interesting to see if he can carry this momentum into his next start which is slated to be against Philadelphia right now. His last three outings have come against poor clubs (O's twice and Indians), and while the Phillies have certainly had some offensive droughts of their own this season, it should prove to be more of a challenge than anything he's had to deal with since his sparkling May 18th no-decision at Fenway.
Francisco Cervelli, who has been in a woeful 2-for-20 slump in June entering tonight, added some much-needed breathing room for Joba and Mo in the top of the eighth, slapping a solid shot up the middle with 2-outs to score Brett Gardener, who had been given the day off by Girardi but entered to pinch run. As my colleague "The Cody" astutely pointed out yesterday, Cervelli is showing serious signs of catcher's fatigue at the plate, which is understandable for a guy who has never had to handle an everyday role until this season. His bat has looked sluggish, and it has been screwing up his timing completely. I expect that Moeller will get a start in this upcoming Houston series, and frankly, I'm surprised that Joe is expecting as much as he is from the kid. Let him catch his breath, skip! The kid's never had to work this hard before. Girardi should no that of all people, seeing as he too was a catcher who struggled to produce in the batter's box. Speaking of kids, props to Kevin Russo for dropping a bunt single AND for saving Joba's ass with a stupendous diving catch to lead off the eighth inning. This dude is probably not going to light the world on fire with his hitting, but I like that he's hustling, that he's thinking, and that he's trying to make the little contributions to help the squad however he is able. Joba was his usual 'look-like-crap-in-one-AB-then-look-untouchable-in-the-next' self, but he pitched around a Matt Wieters double and built the bridge successfully. Mo was on the other end to finish the operation in the way that only he can.
Tomorrow A.J. Burnett will look to have a comeback effort after pooping himself in Toronto. Luckily, these birds don't bite, squawk, or do much of anything other than commit foolish errors in key situations. Sorry, Baltimore, but when it's that easy...
GAME MVP: Robinson Cano. Even when he doesn't hit it perfectly, the ball finds away to get a hit for him. Talk about a year. Leads the league in hits and average. Don't overlook the great defensive plays either.
Honorable Mention: C.C. Sabathia, for soaking in the rain droplets and finding himself in the second half of a solid outing
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