12/21/24
November 02, 2009
Yankees One Win Away After Brad Lidge Collapse: After the Philadelphia Phillies tied the game on an eighth inning home run by Pedro Feliz, closer Brad Lidge gave up three two-out runs to the New York Yankees in the ninth. The 7-4 win in game 4 puts the Yankees one win away from their [placeholder for obscenely large number] World Series crown. Joba Chamberlain, while wallowing in misery in the dugout for blowing the lead on the Feliz home run, got the win.
Joba Chamberlain [...] got the win.
TRUE YANKEE
posted by DrJohnEvans at 09:37 AM on November 02, 2009
I was on another baseball site and as soon as Lidge came to the mound, the Phillies fans (pretty much to a man) were bemoaning this move. Hell, some of them were saying things like "I'd rather see Mitch Williams"
Joba Chamberlain, while wallowing in misery in the dugout for blowing the lead on the Feliz home run, got the win.
Example #45000 why using wins as any sort of judgment of pitcher quality is a farce.
posted by grum@work at 10:01 AM on November 02, 2009
Looks like Manuel made the mistake of taking a results-oriented view of Lidge's post-season performance to date and ignoring the much larger body of work Lidge built up over the season. Too bad, as I (as a neutral) was hoping for a 7 game series. Pretty good chance of it at least getting back to New York with Lee pitching tonight, though.
posted by holden at 10:21 AM on November 02, 2009
That two base steal by Damon was fun!
posted by billsaysthis at 11:38 AM on November 02, 2009
That two base steal by Damon was fun!
I nearly cried I was laughing so hard.
For all the shit the Yankees FO gets (and much of it deservedly so), I have to hand it to them for opening up Yankee Stadium for a couple of the away games this post-season. It was awesome to see several thousand die-hards there last night, many of whom would never have a chance to go to a World Series game.
posted by goddam at 11:58 AM on November 02, 2009
The biggest mistake of Manuel wasn't putting Lidge (who retired the first two with no problem), but to apply the shift on Texeira with Damon on first, which opened the door for the two-base steal. This also made Lidge through just the fastball (not his best pitch) from then on instead of the curve for fear of the wild pitch.
posted by gloglu02 at 01:15 PM on November 02, 2009
Blame Lidge, not for his pitch selection, ability to locate his pitches, or anything else to do with his arm. Simply enough, when a shift pulls the 3rd baseman away from the bag, and the runner on 1st takes off, it is the pitcher's job to cover 3rd. As soon as Damon reached base, the infield, pitcher, and catcher, and Manuel as well, should have been at the mound to go over coverage. Lidge's failure to cover was the bonehead play of the entire postseason. For no other reason do the Phillies deserve to lose this series.
posted by Howard_T at 01:48 PM on November 02, 2009
If it doesn't go 7 at least the games have been interesting. Philly really hasn't performed well since game 2 (Werth's bonehead baserunning). Yankees have made the plays when needed.
Still, ever so close to a completely different discussion here ... Girardi got away with Sabathia on short rest where he's always sucked, and he's got Burnett doing the same thing (same comment).
posted by cixelsyd at 02:36 PM on November 02, 2009
Girardi got away with Sabathia on short rest where he's always sucked, and he's got Burnett doing the same thing (same comment).
Huh?
Burnett never pitched on 3 days rest in 2009 during the regular season. Over his career, he's only done it four times. 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA and a 24/10 K/BB ratio.
He's done it once in these playoffs, and in that case it was literally just one bad inning (the 1st) and one bad reliever (Hughes).
So I don't think it's right to say that Burnett has "always sucked" on short rest.
posted by grum@work at 03:22 PM on November 02, 2009
He's done it once in these playoffs, and in that case it was literally just one bad inning (the 1st) and one bad reliever (Hughes).
Actually AJ was on regular rest for that game due to an off day before game 5.
posted by goddam at 04:01 PM on November 02, 2009
The fault does not lie with Lidge.Using the exaggerated shift with a man on base cost the game.Once there was a man on third, Lidge could not use his out pitch , the slider and the the Yankees and most of America knew it.Any pro batter can hit a fastball when he knows it's coming whether it's 89 mph or 96 mph. Only Nolan Ryan had the kind of fastball that few could hit....Lidge had to hit the dirt so the catcher could get his throw off,no way he could have covered third.Watch the rerun, Lidge was damn near prone when the catchers throw went over his head, by the time he got to his feet, Damon was halfway to third.
posted by Lashlarue at 04:43 PM on November 02, 2009
The Yanks won because they have centaur power!
posted by cletus7777 at 04:56 PM on November 02, 2009
It sure looks like it's the Yankees year. They have the better team, home field, they're playing better, the little breaks seem to be going their way. I can't think of any advantage the phillies have right now.
They have to hope Lee recreates game 1, hope Pedro rises to the occasion and the phillies remember Pettitte is a pitcher they should hit in game 6, and then Cole has the game of his life while hoping sabathia's arm falls off in game 7. In other words, a miracle.
And Lidge has to be able to throw his slider with a runner on third. He's a closer. What good is closer that can't come in with a runner on third. He had 4 wild pitches during the season. So the idea that he can't throw his slider with a runner on 3rd is BS. It doesn't take the pitch away, I don't care what Tim McCarver says.
Joba Chamberlain, while wallowing in misery in the dugout for blowing the lead on the Feliz home run, got the win.
Watching the big lug look like he might break down and sob was at least a small consolation. I'm sure after the game they gave him a lollypop and a yoyo and he quickly forgot the outing.
posted by justgary at 05:58 PM on November 02, 2009
Girardi got away with Sabathia on short rest where he's always sucked. . .
Sabathia's regular season line with 3 days rest:
3-1 in 4 GS, 1.01 ERA, 0.825 WHIP, 26K/6BB in 26.2 IP, .413 OPS against.
So no, not always sucking. In fact, quite the opposite.
In the postseason (can't find an aggregated line and too lazy to do the math), he did poorly last year with Milwaukee against the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS (he had pitched the last day of the regular season) but did not too bad against the Angels in Game 4 of the ALCS this year.
posted by holden at 06:04 PM on November 02, 2009
In the postseason (can't find an aggregated line and too lazy to do the math), he did poorly last year with Milwaukee against the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS (he had pitched the last day of the regular season)
Don't short change him.
He pitched 5 times in 16 days.
(September 16, 20, 24, 28 and October 2)
That's a lot of games (4) in a row on 3 days rest.
The last three games of the regular season were the first times he'd pitched on 3 days rest that season.
posted by grum@work at 09:18 PM on November 02, 2009
Ho Hum.
*searches ebay for nostradamus hat and time machine to redo halloween costume*