08/30: Yanks Cap off Sweep of White Sox
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees continued to feast off of the fading White Sox today as blasts by Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira helped the Yanks secure an 8–3 victory to finish off a sweep of Chicago and end their 6-game homestand at 4–2. The win guarantees the Yankees their 17th consecutive winning season, including the strike-shortened season of 1994.
Johnny Damon put the Yankees ahead with a two-run homer in the third inning, and a 5-run seventh highlighted by a 3-run bomb from Mark Teixeira turned a close game into a comfortable 8–2 lead for the Yankees. Teixeira had 4 RBI on the day and in the process became the first American League player to reach and surpass the 100 RBI mark this season. A home run by the Sox' Jermaine Dye in the ninth brought Chicago to within 8–3, which would prove to be the final score.
The Yankees implemented their new "Joba Rules" today, as they allowed Chamberlain to pitch only 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits as Alfredo Aceves entered the game in the 4th (he picked up his 9th win) with the Yankees leading 2–1. From here on out, the plan is for Joba to continue to pitch every 5th day but his starts are going to be shortened so he doesn't go over the innings limit the Yankees have decided to impose on him. With the win, Aceves actually surpassed Joba for fourth on the team in victories.
As far as Joba goes, it's really hard for me to pass judgment on the Yankees here because I've never pitched an inning of organized ball in my life. I couldn't tell you first hand about the wear and tear of a 200-inning season vs. a 150-inning season and how far a pitcher who's never gone more than 133 innings can go into a season without putting his arm in danger. But I really don't see how it benefits Joba or the Yankees to start him for 3 innings and then ask for 6 innings out of the bullpen. What we saw today really wasn't much different from what you see when teams use a reliever as a spot starter. I'd have to think that if the Yankees were only a game or two up or down in the division and not 9.5 games ahead of the closest wild card contender, the team would be approaching this a bit differently.
The Yankees will be in Baltimore tomorrow night to kick off a three-game set with the Orioles. Andy Pettitte, who we should expect to see more than three innings from, is scheduled to go up against Jeremy Guthrie and the O's. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Seamus: 37–22, Patrick: 35–16, Andrew: 10–10
Johnny Damon put the Yankees ahead with a two-run homer in the third inning, and a 5-run seventh highlighted by a 3-run bomb from Mark Teixeira turned a close game into a comfortable 8–2 lead for the Yankees. Teixeira had 4 RBI on the day and in the process became the first American League player to reach and surpass the 100 RBI mark this season. A home run by the Sox' Jermaine Dye in the ninth brought Chicago to within 8–3, which would prove to be the final score.
The Yankees implemented their new "Joba Rules" today, as they allowed Chamberlain to pitch only 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits as Alfredo Aceves entered the game in the 4th (he picked up his 9th win) with the Yankees leading 2–1. From here on out, the plan is for Joba to continue to pitch every 5th day but his starts are going to be shortened so he doesn't go over the innings limit the Yankees have decided to impose on him. With the win, Aceves actually surpassed Joba for fourth on the team in victories.
As far as Joba goes, it's really hard for me to pass judgment on the Yankees here because I've never pitched an inning of organized ball in my life. I couldn't tell you first hand about the wear and tear of a 200-inning season vs. a 150-inning season and how far a pitcher who's never gone more than 133 innings can go into a season without putting his arm in danger. But I really don't see how it benefits Joba or the Yankees to start him for 3 innings and then ask for 6 innings out of the bullpen. What we saw today really wasn't much different from what you see when teams use a reliever as a spot starter. I'd have to think that if the Yankees were only a game or two up or down in the division and not 9.5 games ahead of the closest wild card contender, the team would be approaching this a bit differently.
The Yankees will be in Baltimore tomorrow night to kick off a three-game set with the Orioles. Andy Pettitte, who we should expect to see more than three innings from, is scheduled to go up against Jeremy Guthrie and the O's. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Seamus: 37–22, Patrick: 35–16, Andrew: 10–10
