04/10: Hobbled Yankees Lose Odd Game; Fall Under .500 Again
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees lost their second straight game against the Royals, this time falling by a score of 4-0 in a game that was just, well, a bit different. Ian Kennedy was the scheduled starter Wednesday night, but because of an expected rain delay, Joe Girardi started Brian Bruney instead in an unorthodox move which gave us four shutout innings with three different pitchers.
The rain was coming down in buckets last night and there was no letup in the forecast, so Girardi figured it would be best not to use Kennedy for let's say two innings, and then have to go to his bullpen after a long delay, or just waste his start completely in a game that doesn't count. In the end, they did get all nine innings in without a delay, so Kennedy entered the game in the 6th and finished the game.
The Yankees' "bullpen" was great. Bruney pitched two scoreless innings, striking out the side in the second after giving up a leadoff double. Billy Traber pitched a scoreless third, and just so we could get some of the "same old" in a very weird game, Kyle Farnsworth put the Royals on the board by allowing a leadoff homer to John Buck in the 5th. The Royals would score again in the 5th on an RBI single by Jose Guillen, and Ian Kennedy would come into the game in teh 6th, inheriting a 2-0 defecit.
Kennedy struggled in the 6th, but settled down in the 7th and 8th, and finished with a line of two runs off two hits in three innings. (the Royals didn't bat in the 9th).
If you've read up to this point, you're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned the Yankees' offense at all yet. Well, that's because there really was none. The Yankees failed to have a runner reach third base in what was likely a combination of the Yankees' struggling, hobbling, banged up lineup and a lights out performance by Zack Greinke, who's allowed just one run so far in 15 innings (0.60 E.R.A.)
Well, in the end Girardi is going to be second guessed a bit for starting his bullpen because the Yankees lost, but I think it was a pretty brilliant move on his part. They only used four pitchers which is not at all a far cry from the norm, and it's not like his maneuvering with his pitching staff cost them the game. After all, you can't win a game when you score 0. Personally, I can't for the life of me figure out why the tarp was never put on the field, as you could see puddles forming on the infield during play. And as I mentioned, if Kennedy were to pitch just two or three innings and have to come out of the game, we probably would have seen four or five different pitchers used anyway.
The two former rivals MIGHT go back at it again tonight, as there is more rain in the forecast (turns out the game wasn't called because this is the Yanks' only trip to Kansas City and today's forecast is not much better). If it does happen, we'll see Andy Pettitte make his second start of the season while the Royals will be sending out John Bale. Scheduled start is 8:10 ET.
The rain was coming down in buckets last night and there was no letup in the forecast, so Girardi figured it would be best not to use Kennedy for let's say two innings, and then have to go to his bullpen after a long delay, or just waste his start completely in a game that doesn't count. In the end, they did get all nine innings in without a delay, so Kennedy entered the game in the 6th and finished the game.
The Yankees' "bullpen" was great. Bruney pitched two scoreless innings, striking out the side in the second after giving up a leadoff double. Billy Traber pitched a scoreless third, and just so we could get some of the "same old" in a very weird game, Kyle Farnsworth put the Royals on the board by allowing a leadoff homer to John Buck in the 5th. The Royals would score again in the 5th on an RBI single by Jose Guillen, and Ian Kennedy would come into the game in teh 6th, inheriting a 2-0 defecit.
Kennedy struggled in the 6th, but settled down in the 7th and 8th, and finished with a line of two runs off two hits in three innings. (the Royals didn't bat in the 9th).
If you've read up to this point, you're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned the Yankees' offense at all yet. Well, that's because there really was none. The Yankees failed to have a runner reach third base in what was likely a combination of the Yankees' struggling, hobbling, banged up lineup and a lights out performance by Zack Greinke, who's allowed just one run so far in 15 innings (0.60 E.R.A.)
Well, in the end Girardi is going to be second guessed a bit for starting his bullpen because the Yankees lost, but I think it was a pretty brilliant move on his part. They only used four pitchers which is not at all a far cry from the norm, and it's not like his maneuvering with his pitching staff cost them the game. After all, you can't win a game when you score 0. Personally, I can't for the life of me figure out why the tarp was never put on the field, as you could see puddles forming on the infield during play. And as I mentioned, if Kennedy were to pitch just two or three innings and have to come out of the game, we probably would have seen four or five different pitchers used anyway.
The two former rivals MIGHT go back at it again tonight, as there is more rain in the forecast (turns out the game wasn't called because this is the Yanks' only trip to Kansas City and today's forecast is not much better). If it does happen, we'll see Andy Pettitte make his second start of the season while the Royals will be sending out John Bale. Scheduled start is 8:10 ET.
