J.P. Out At The Ballgame

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Wednesday, September 4, 2008

This is Jason Pafundi reporting for Baseball Digest Daily live at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Please be sure to visit www.baseballdigestdaily.com for all your baseball news.

Starting Pitchers

TB: Edwin Jackson (11-8, 3.81)

NYY: Carl Pavano (2-0, 3.27)

Pre-Game Notes

• Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez tied Mike Schmidt for 12th place on baseball’s all-time list with home run number 548 in Tuesday’s win

• The Rays, at 84-52, have the best record in baseball, and are 29-13 since the All-Star break

• Rays first baseman Carlos Pena and Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon are their team’s nominee for the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the player who combines outstanding skills on the field with devoted work in the community

• Carl Pavano is making his fifth start for the Yankees since the end of 2005

 

Top of the 1st

Tonight’s game is being televised nationally by ESPN, which must be keeping people away.  The Trop should be filled for a game against the Yankees in September with the Rays in a battle to hold onto first place in the AL East.  The crowd isn’t bad, but it should be sold out.  Johnny Damon leads off with a pop to shortstop Jason Bartlett.  The Yankees roster is amazing, but more amazing is that they have played this poorly.  Derek Jeter strikes out looking for the second out.  Bobby Abreu hit a laser that Jason Bartlett couldn’t handle (E-6).  Abreu steals his 17th base of the season on what looked like a hit-and-run.  Alex Rodriguez gets called out on strikes to end the inning.  Edwin Jackson threw 15 pitches.  0-0

Bottom of the 1st   

“American Idle” Carl Pavano is making his third start for the Yankees, and considering how much time off he had, he has pitched well so far, winning both games he has started.  The official scorer changed the error on Bartlett to a hit.  Akinori Iwamura strikes out to lead off for the Rays.  BJ Upton reached second with a double on a ball that a diving Damon couldn’t come up with.  Carlos Pena hit one a mile high that was caught in shallow center by Jeter for the second out.  Cliff Floyd ropes a double to right-center to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.  Willy Aybar breaks his bat and grounds out to first to end the inning.  Pavano threw 18 pitches.  1-0 Rays

Top of the 2nd

Jason Giambi, whose mustache is even more amazing in person, grounds out to short to lead off the second.  Xavier Nady walks with one out.  Hideki Matsui skies one to Aybar for the second out.  Robinson Cano doubles to left as Eric Hinske dives but can’t hang on. Nady scores to tie the game.  Ivan Rodriguez doubles on a bloop down the right field line, and the Yankees take the lead.  Damon lines out to right to end the inning.  Jackson has thrown 31 pitches through two innings.  2-1 Yankees

Bottom of the 2nd

Hinske pops to Jeter down the left field line for the first out of the inning.  Dioner Navarro grounds out to second.  Gabe Gross pokes a single the opposite way to left with two outs.  Gross steals second to get into scoring position.  Bartlett grounds back to Pavano to end the inning.  Pavano has thrown 35 pitches through two innings.  2-1 Yankees

Top of the 3rd

Jeter leads off with a lineout to Iwamura.  Abreu doubles to left center with one out.  A-Rod doubles to almost the exact same spot, and the Yankees now lead 3-1.  The Giambino smacks a shot off the top of the wall in left center, the third straight double for the Yankees, who now have a 4-1 lead. 

Nady grounds out to first, allowing Giambi to advance to third with two outs.  Jackson is getting hit pretty hard here, and the Rays need him to not let this game get out of hand.  Matsui shatters his bat on a single to center, scoring Giambi.  It’s not Jackson’s night tonight.  Cano hits an infield single that Aybar couldn’t handle, so it’s first and second with two outs.  Nobody is warming up in the Rays bullpen.  Pudge hits into a force play to short as Bartlett makes a fine play above second and flips backhanded to Iwamura to end the inning.  Jackson has thrown 60 pitches through three innings.  5-1 Yankees

Bottom of the 3rd

Iwamura and Upton are both retired to start the second.  Upton’s ball was caught against the wall by Abreu.  Pena walks with two outs.  Floyd grounds back to Pavano to end the inning.  Pavano is really in control so far tonight.  He has thrown 48 pitches through three innings.  5-1 Yankees

Top of the 4th  

Damon leads off by beating out a grounder in the hole at short.  Not a good start for Jackson, as Damon steals second on the first pitch to Jeter.  It is Damon’s 26th steal of the season.  Chad Bradford is warming up for the Rays.  Jeter reaches on an infield single to short.  Bartlett looked at third, but had no play, and he had no play at first.  The Yanks have runners at the corners with nobody out.  Abreu pops high to Bartlett for the first out.  Can A-Rod pass Schmidt with a homer tonight?  Rays manager Joe Maddon has seen enough of Jackson.  Bradford now in for the Rays.  Jackson threw 70 mostly-ineffective pitches.  A-Rod singles on the first pitch to give the Yankees a 6-1 lead.  Giambi reaches on a fielder’s choice, putting runners at the corners with two outs.  Nady grounds back to Bradford to end the inning.  That could have been much worse for the Rays.  6-1 Yankees

Bottom of the 4th

Aybar leads off and flies out to Damon.  Hinske flies out to right for the second out.  The crowd, much larger than at first pitch, is dead.  I guess a 6-1 score in the Yankees favor tends to make that happen.  The Rays need to “Hulk up”, like Hulk Hogan used to do.  Hogan is in the crowd with his friend Brian “Nasty Boy” Knobbs and was on the field during batting practice.  He was with an attractive blonde who I presume to be his girlfriend.  Navarro hits a double off the wall in center.  The Rays have a runner in scoring position with two outs.  Gross crushes his 12th homer of the season, and the Rays are now within three.  Bartlett is hit by a pitch, bringing Yankee pitching coach Dave Eiland out to talk to Pavano.  The crowd is starting to show signs of life.  Iwamura flies to right to end the inning.  Pavano has thrown 72 pitches through four innings.  6-3 Yankees

Top of the 5th

JP Howell is in the game for the Rays.  Matsui gets punched out to lead off the inning.  Cano hits one back to Howell, who makes a leaping stab and throws to first for the second out.  Pudge goes down looking to end the inning. That was the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for the Rays.  6-3 Yankees

Bottom of the 5th

Upton leads off the inning with a single to left.  Edwar Ramirez is warming up for the Yankees.  Upton steals his 41st base of the year.  He is on second with nobody out.  Pena walks and that’s all for Pavano.  He threw 79 pitches, and Ramirez replaces him with two on and nobody out.  Floyd singles to right to load the bases with nobody out.  The crowd is alive now.  It’s a full count now to Aybar.  Everybody in the Trop is on their feet.  Aybar lines out to Cano, who doubles off Pena at second.  Where Pena was going is anybody’s guess.  Hinske pops to Jeter, who backpedaled into shallow left, to end the inning.  The Rays had the bases loaded with nobody out and didn’t score.  6-3 Yankees

Top of the 6th

Damon leads off with a fly out to Hinske.  Jeter grounds to Iwamura for the second out.  Howell has retired all five batters he’s faced so far.  Abreu gets called out on strikes for the third out of the inning.  He threw down his helmet and both batting gloves, but was not ejected.  6-3 Yankees

Bottom of the 6th  

Lefty Phil Coke is now pitching for the Yanks as they try and hold on to this lead.  The Rays have Grant Balfour warming up.  Navarro leads off with a fly ball to Abreu for the first out.  Gross grounded weakly to Cano for the second out.  Bartlett flies to Damon to end the inning.  6-3 Yankees

Top of the 7th

Balfour is now in for the Rays.  A-Rod walks to lead off the inning.  The Rays get a strike-em out, throw-em-out double play, as Giambi goes down swinging and Rodriguez is nailed at second.  Nady strikes out swinging to end the inning.  The Rays have nine outs before dropping their second straight to the Yanks.  6-3 Yankees

Bottom of the 7th  

The Rays need to get to the Yanks before the best closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera, strolls in for the ninth inning.  The Yankees are actually 64-0 when leading after eight innings.  Iwamura grounds to A-Rod to lead off the inning.  Upton lines to Abreu for the second out.  Pena flies to the deepest part of the park in center, but Damon makes the catch against the wall for the third out.  Yankees 6-3

Top of the 8th  

Matsui slices one down the line in left, and Hinske makes a fine running catch for the first out.  The attendance was announced at 25, 215.  Personally, I thought it looked like more than that.  At least they drew more than last night for the ESPN game.  Cano strikes out swinging for the second out.  Pudge grounds out to Bartlett to end the inning.  The Yankees haven’t had a hit since the fourth inning.  6-3 Yankees

Bottom of the 8th

Brian Bruney is now pitching for the Yankees, and he’ll face pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist to lead the eighth.  Troy Percival is warming up for the Rays.  Zobrist is called out on strikes for the first out.  Aybar shatters hit bat and grounds out for the second out.  Hinske shatters hit bat and grounds to Bruney to end the inning.  6-3 Yankees

Top of the 9th

Percival now pitching for the Rays; it’s his first appearance since August 14 against Oakland.  Rivera is warming up for the Yankees.  Damon flies out to right for the first out of the inning.  Jeter grounds to Iwamura for the second out.  Abreu walked after a 12-pitch at-bat.  Abreu steals his 18th base of the season.  A-Rod absolutely massacred a ball to left field for his 31st homer of the season.  With that home run, he passes Mike Schmidt for 12th on the all-time list.  The ball hit the d-ring catwalk in left field, and the play was the first to be reviewed under the new Major League Baseball replay system.  Juan Salas is now in for the Rays.  Giambi walks with two outs.  Nady lines out to center to end the inning.  The Rays have a lot of work to do.  8-3 Yankees

Bottom of the 9th

Jose Veras is now pitching for the Yankees, and Cody Ransom is at first base.  Navarro grounds out to second to lead off the ninth.  Gross walks with one out.  Bartlett struck out for the second out.  Iwamura is the last hope for the Rays.  Gross takes second base on defensive indifference.  Iwamura doubles down the line in left, scoring Gross, and making it 8-4.  Rivera is now back throwing for the Yankees.  Upton lines to right to end the game.  8-3 Yankees

WP:  Ramirez (5-1)

LP:  Jackson (11-9)

  S:  NONE

Time of Game:  3 hours 31 minutes

Attendance:  25, 215

 

Post-Game Notes

• With his home run in the top of the ninth, Alex Rodriguez passed Mike Schmidt for 12th place on the all-time list with 548

• The replay in the ninth inning was the first since the start of Major League Baseball’s replay system and took two minutes and 15 seconds