Welcome Back Mr. Jeter

Welcome back Derek!  First pitch homer helped get the team going but Hughes could not hit any consistent spots and was bad.  Great win though and it was really good to see smiles from the team at the end of the game.

Soriano and Ichiro had great offensive days getting 8 combined hits.  I wonder why teams throw Ichiro so many fastballs?  I don’t have the numbers, but he seems much better at hitting fastballs than breaking balls.

Getting Jeter back and Soriano gives us more depth now.  Stewart still batted for himself in the 8^th inning with the go ahead run on 2^nd base, but it is good we have at least some option.  The other night with the game on the line in the 9^th inning (1 run game) it is absolutely absurd and embarrassing that Stewart was our best option at the plate.  Seriously, that is just pathetic.

Other notes:

I hope Mark Texiera watched the game last night as the Yanks put the shift on for matt Joyce, winning 3-0 with a guy on 1^st base and one out…so what did his manager make him do?  Just bunt the ball anywhere down the 3^rd base line for an easy single.  He even tried it on the pitch before showing the Yanks what he would do…that led to a run.  When Tex said that isn’t my game, I was pretty mad; if the defense gives you that you should take it or at least attempt it a reasonable amount of time.  Anyone’s game should be to get on base without making an out.

Was good to see the Yanks getting some fundamentals done in the 1^st 1inning with Wells getting the sac fly, Soriano went to 2^nd on a wild pitch and then on a single by Ichiro Soriano scored and Ichiro went to 2^nd on the throw.  He didn’t score, but he played it right.

Tampa’s defense didn’t help them as Jeter got a little of a gift as the 2^nd baseman misjudged his blooper and on Soriano’s HR, the RF Myers, should have gotten closer to the wall and I think he would have caught the HR that just cleared the wall (hit on top of the wall on the cement)

Adams seems like he has a quick bat on the lower pitches but struggles on the up and in pitches (fastballs).

Lillibridge made a bad play in the field the other night but has been steady since including a real nice diving stop to his left.  He has not been able to hit though.

Cano had a terrible jump on a ball to his left where he took a step to his right first and then dived late at the ball.  I think that should have been a play where you make that moving toward 1^st base.  Not good.  He did make a nice diving play where he had an average jump.  Cano also had a terrible AB in the 9^th with 2 men on and nobody out.  Took a strike that was hittable, then swing through a pitch right down the middle and then took strike 3 which caught a lot of the plate…sometimes this enormously talented guy is just asleep mentally.

Great AB by Gardner in the 9^th to work the walk; that setup the win for us.  Gardner has also been playing such excellent defense.  Veterans of the blog know that I have always defended Gardner and I am a fan of what he brings to the team.  While not an elite superstar, he is an excellent player to have on the team.  He has always been far more valuable than people realize (I used to get a lot of notes from people saying he isn’t good enough and the Yanks need to upgrade).

Very nice win for Rivera and the Yanks!