Coming into tonight's game, despite my love for Pedro Martinez, I knew that a win was going to be all on the offense. They weren't ever going to win a 2-1 game in New York, not against this offense, and not with this bullpen.
There was hope that they could slug their way to a win, of course; the Yankee starters weren't used to working on three days rest, and the bullpen wasn't airtight.
It's still a disconcerting way to start a game.
I tuned in a little late, as part of my continuing effort to avoid Fox's pregame programming, and wound up only seeing the Utley double play to end the first. Not an auspicious start to what felt like a coronation anyway.
At no point was I seeing how Pedro Martinez's last meaningful start against the Yankees would end in happiness. Anyhoo, eight pitches. Way to make Old Man Pettite extend himself on short rest, guys.
After one pitch, Pedro needed a conference and a new ball. Considering how often Jorge Posada has been out there this series, I'd like to see that happen after every pitch. Let's just go all the way towards killing the sport with delays.
On a 2-2 count to Damon, Pedro turned, spit violently, then threw a 77 mph change-up to strike the man out; when you are hacking up stuff between pitches, you are officially getting them out with guile.
Fox later informed us that Martinez didn't break 85 on the gun in the second inning. The man doesn't look well; HD is doing him no favors.
I'm pretty sure he's not over the illness he had in Game Two. Either that, or he's fantastically old, which is what we were sure of before the year started.
Pedro got a little squeezed to start the A-Rod at bat, and it went to 2-0 on a near HBP. The 3-0 pitch was low and away, and McCarver was all over Martinez's lack of velocity; one had to wonder how fast Charlie Manuel's hook would come.
A four-pitch walk ended A-Rod's at bat. Here we go...Matsui up, Pedro not paying any attention to Rodriguez, who used to be a threat to run before the hip problem. He got ahead of Matsui on a loud foul off of an 86 mph fastball, then got it up to 88 on a high fastball.
After ripping a 2-2 pitch just foul, Matsui took ball three inside.
Suddenly watching this game is like waiting for the guillotine.
Matsui fouled off a 3-2 change-up, then served up a home run to right, down the line, for the 2-0 lead. Yeah, that was unexpected.
Just a batting practice fastball there, and if I were Charlie Manuel, I'd be warming-up pitchers. Pedro's got nothing, and that's two straight at bats where Matsui has gone deep against him.
Pedro recovered with a sad little strikeout of Posada, a high 80 mph fastball that the catcher looked disgusted to have missed.
A moment of Not Happiness for Yankee Fans: Posada will make a ridiculous amount of money over the next two years to be the second coming of Jason Varitek.
Anyway, back to the game...Cano followed with a first pitch line drive at Utley, and the inning ended with a five-pitch fly ball to Francisco in left. After two innings, it's 2-0 Yankees, and if the offense doesn't answer fast, this will get out of hand.
Francisco started the third with a fast ground out, and Pettite worked with very few pitches to that point. Chooch Ruiz then did what he's been doing his entire postseason, which is hit balls hard into the left field gap, slamming one off the wall. Brett Gardner misjudged the hit, which gave Ruiz the opportunity for his fourth career triple.
Huge.
Rollins' at bat quickly went to a 2-0 count, and the shortstop flied out to right, scoring Ruiz. The inning ended on a first-pitch pop up from Victorino, and that's really not helpful on the pitch count, but at least they are on the board. The score was 2-1 Yankees after 2.5 innings.
Martinez started Gardner with pitches on the corners for an 0-2 count, and finished him off with an up-and-away 86 mph fastball.
Jeter then used his Jedi skills to get Victorino to take a bad route to a sinking liner for a single, and that's just a big damn deal. Really. Especially with Jeter a threat to steal.
Damon worked the count to 3-2 as part of Pedro's game-long problem of not being able to finish off hitters, then drew a walk.
That was Pedro's 51st pitch.
The Phillies called to the bullpen to get J.A. Happ warm.
With the kill shot opportunity on the first pitch, Pedro drilled Teixeira square on the leg, near the knee.
Good grief. Bases loaded for A-Rod, and, while you can't bring in anyone but Happ here, he's not ready. Considering the importance of the hitter and situation, you could argue for Chan Ho Park or Ryan Madson, but that's not how baseball works.
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