05/13: Yankees Can't Solve Garza, Rays
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees struggled offensively due to a good pitching performance by Matt Garza, and Andy Pettitte had a really rough 4th inning as the Rays took the opener of this four-game set by a score of 7-1. A loss by the Red Sox keeps the Yankees back by just 4 games in the A.L. East, but another loss tonight in Tampa Bay could have the Yankees chasing the Rays for first, as they moved to within only a half game of Boston with last night's victory.
Tough to say if the Yankees' offense was just bad or if Matt Garza was just really that good last night. I would say it had more to do with the latter as even guys with hot hands, such as Matsui (0-3, 3 K), couldn't get anything going. Garza pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits. The Yankees' lone run came via an RBI ground out by Johnny Damon against Gary Glover in the 8th.
Andy Pettitte was good through the first three innings, but imploded in the 4th as the Rays batted around and scored 4 runs, knocking him out of the game in the process. The bullpen did a nice job, as Chris Britton, Jose Veras, and Edwar Ramirez allowed a combined two runs in five innings, although Veras did allow four hits in an inning and 2/3.
The sad thing about last night's game is that the whole game from the 5th inning on was just garbage time. The game was over. There's just something about this team where if they get down by four or five runs they just concede the game. It's like they have to be ahead by the 6th inning in order for us to feel like they even have a chance of winning a game. It's very frustrating.
And on a totally unrelated side note, why can't the Yankees get this kind of pitching? Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee BOTH threw 9 shutout innings (Lee's was actually in a losing effort) in back-to-back games of a doubleheader. Yeesh.
Well, anyway, the Yankees and Chien-Ming Wang will try to bounce back tonight as Wang tries to recover from his first loss and the Yankees for the six billionth time try to get back to the .500 mark. Edwin Jackson will be on the mound for the Rays. Game starts at 7:10 E.T.
Tough to say if the Yankees' offense was just bad or if Matt Garza was just really that good last night. I would say it had more to do with the latter as even guys with hot hands, such as Matsui (0-3, 3 K), couldn't get anything going. Garza pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits. The Yankees' lone run came via an RBI ground out by Johnny Damon against Gary Glover in the 8th.
Andy Pettitte was good through the first three innings, but imploded in the 4th as the Rays batted around and scored 4 runs, knocking him out of the game in the process. The bullpen did a nice job, as Chris Britton, Jose Veras, and Edwar Ramirez allowed a combined two runs in five innings, although Veras did allow four hits in an inning and 2/3.
The sad thing about last night's game is that the whole game from the 5th inning on was just garbage time. The game was over. There's just something about this team where if they get down by four or five runs they just concede the game. It's like they have to be ahead by the 6th inning in order for us to feel like they even have a chance of winning a game. It's very frustrating.
And on a totally unrelated side note, why can't the Yankees get this kind of pitching? Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee BOTH threw 9 shutout innings (Lee's was actually in a losing effort) in back-to-back games of a doubleheader. Yeesh.
Well, anyway, the Yankees and Chien-Ming Wang will try to bounce back tonight as Wang tries to recover from his first loss and the Yankees for the six billionth time try to get back to the .500 mark. Edwin Jackson will be on the mound for the Rays. Game starts at 7:10 E.T.
