World Series Game 2 Thoughts

Random observations about a somewhat unexpected pitchers duel:

◊  I like AJ Burnett a little bit more today. That's easy to say after the man gave up one run over seven innings in a must win World Series game.  Burnett threw a first pitch strike to 18 of 26 batters last night.  The three batters that made contact on the first pitch all made outs.  All of that combined for 4 hits, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 7 innings.

Or more simply, AJ was filthy in the strike zone. That's pretty tough to hit.

He had a few uh-oh moments but got through them with relative ease.  The double in the second inning was a nicely placed pop fly that Johnny Damon simply couldn't reach.

AJ's boldest move came in challenging left-handed Ryan Howard in the third after pitching around Chase Utley.  Burnett got Howard to flail at a 2-2 pitch and gave up only two hits over the next four innings.

I'll be the first to tell you that I wasn't thrilled with the Burnett signing.  I like him as a pitcher.  I just didn't like him as a pitcher getting a five year deal at $16 million a pop.

We've all seen why throughout this season.  Burnett can go Jekyll and Hyde not only within a ballgame but within an inning.  There seems to be little rhyme or reason as to why.

We saw flashes of Hyde during game two, but in short spurts.  I haven't been a big fan of Molina being behind the plate in this series, but Jose made some stops with runners on base that I seriously doubt Posada would have made, plus a pickoff at first in the fourth inning.

◊  Pedro Martinez was almost as good, mixing a tremendous amount of off-speed pitches to keep the Yankees off-balance.  Pedro threw 34 fastballs and 5 cutters, both in the 88 to 90 MPH range.  It was his change-up that received the most work, a staggering 44 pitches, complimented by 11 sliders and 13 curves.

Pedro is really interesting to watch right now.  While he used to be known as a power pitcher in his hey day, it was his change-up that made him devastating because of his deception and change in speed.  The fastball is gone now, but the deception and ability to change speeds are still there.  He threw 72 of his 107 pitches for strikes and ranged his pitches from an 89 MPH fastball to an 81 MPH change-up and a 71 MPH curveball that buckled a few knees.

Yankee fans will remember the re-imagining of Mike Mussina last year, his fastball depleted and forcing Moose to slow down his curve to keep hitters off balance.  David Cone faced a similar issue and started varying looks on his slider to confuse hitters.

Pedro has found himself in the same boat, only now he's just adjusting what he was already great at: deception, location, and change of speed.  He may still have a few years left in him.

◊  Mark Teixeira woke up last night and the timing couldn't have been better.  Tex only went 1 for 3, but the one was a big home run in the fourth to tie the game and give the Yankees a much needed jolt.  Tex hasn't looked great at the plate, but he certainly isn't alone.

◊  Hideki Matsui was the only Yankee with two hits and reached base three times. One of those hits, a bomb to right field off Pedro in the sixth, got the "Who's Your Daddy?" chants flying once again.

It was good to see Matsui pull a pitch after topping three outside pitches to the right side in game one.  Usually those toppers are a sign of a Godzilla out of sorts but Matsui rebounded nicely.  Too bad he's going to be relegated to pinch hitter status in Philly.

There's a better than good chance that Matsui could be taking his last turns in pinstripes.  Even with his inability to play the outfield this season, it's hard to complain about what he's contributed to this team.  Before the Yankees decide that DH by committee is a good idea for 2010, they might want to consider the production Matsui gave them in that spot.  Losing his bat means that an average to below average hitter will likely be either DHing or in the field almost daily so that Posada, Tex, or ARod can get a rest.  That's a significant downgrade from what Matsui has contributed at the plate and weakens the Yankees lineup.  Posada has been durable this season coming off shoulder surgery and his arm has looked much stronger than the beginning of the season.  There's no reason to coddle him until it's absolutely necessary.

◊  Mariano Rivera came in for two full innings last night, further reaffirming that Joe Girardi has completely lost faith in his bullpen.  Rivera gave up a walk and a single in the eighth before inducing a rare double play to get out of the inning.  Strangely, the runner at first was safe, the second blown call in as many innings.

I understand Girardi's trepidation in using his bullpen but he's painting himself into a corner here.  Rivera is getting over-worked and this series plays three games in a row in Philly.  How many innings does Girardi think Mo can throw in a three day span?  Five?  Six?

The bigger issue is that the rest of the bullpen is simply not throwing because Girardi is afraid to use them.  I can't tell you what is best to get a pitcher out of a funk.  In Hughes case, if he's tired, a little extra rest may be the best help.  But for guys like Robertson and Marte who missed time down the stretch, I would imagine extra rest may not be the best thing.

If Girardi is able to get seven plus innings out of Pettitte on Saturday, you can be sure he'll bring Rivera out again as soon as possible.  I hope he'll show some restraint and let the rest of the pen get a chance in a close game.  He has enough arms to mix and match and at least keep Rivera available for the next day.

◊  The umpiring, as usual, was as arrogant as it was clumsy. First base umpire Brian Gorman screwed up a call against Chase Utley on a double play that ended the top of the eighth.  Only half an inning before, Gorman ruled that Ryan Howard had caught a ball on the fly that was actually a short hop.  Howard threw wide to second base, thinking he needed a force because he didn't actually catch the ball and Posada was tagged out.  Replays showed clearly that the ball was short hopped and the Yankees lost two outs to a bad call in a key situation in the seventh inning.

Gorman refused to consult with the rest of the umpires on the field, despite the fact that he was behind Howard and couldn't see the ball go into the glove. Gorman didn't have the proper view of the play, yet refused to get help and ended the inning on a double play that didn't happen.

Gorman's decision was strange given that a similar play happened in game one where Rollins made a similar play and actually caught the ball and doubled Matsui off of first.  The umps convened to make sure Rollins had indeed caught the ball and not trapped it.  Why last night's play didn't receive similar treatment can only be chalked up to arrogance and stupidity.

For a union that doesn't want accountability, the umps are doing themselves a terrible disservice in their performance this postseason.  They're better off conferring with each other on questionable calls than letting bad calls stand.  All that will do is hasten the outcry for more instant replay.

◊  The chats continue and fun has been had by all. If you haven't yet, stop by and join us on Saturday.  We've even had some Philly and Red Sox fans come in.