The Twin Towers Do It Again!

Another one run game with Betances and Miller closing out the game with 0 runs against their ledger.  The Twin Towers ™ have now pitched 33.1 innings and allowed 11 hits and struck out 54 batters while having a 0.00 ERA (they have allowed others runners to score).  Their combined OPS against is about .345.  For perspective, the MVP and CY Young award winner last year, Kershaw, had an OPS against of .521).  In what I believe was Rivera’s best year OPS against wise (2008) the Genius Maker held his batters to an OPS against of a phenomenal .423.  The Twin Towers ™ are almost half the innings there and while it is extraordinarily unlikely they keep this pace up, it underscores how awesome what they are doing is.  They are the main reason why we are 19-11.

The game itself was a good one.  In the top of the first Gardner showed off his great defense by charging fast on a single and throwing a 2 hop strike to McCann to nail Machado at the plate.  What I loved about the throw was Gardner didn’t take 3 or 4 steps after he touched the ball before he threw it; I hate when OF’s do that as every step is another for the runner. 

I was relieved when I saw Ellsbury being held at 3^rd base with nobody out after a double by Gardner (who is still peppering the ball line to line).  If Thompson were still our 3^rd base coach we would have had a man on 2^nd with one out and ARod would not get the sac fly in his AB.  Of course we would have heard that “if I am not getting guys thrown out, I am not doing my job.”   That was a good off season move.

Still up in the bottom of the first with 2 outs, there was a 3-0 count on McCann and he got the green light and just had enough to reach the stands for a 2 run HR and a 3 run lead.

Yanks added 2 on a rare Beltran hit where he got a fastball on 3-2 and drove it to the RC wall.  In that AB he had a 2-0 count and swung at an outside and low slider to make it 2-1.  That is a classic pressing swing.  However, he did battle back and I think we were fortunate they threw him a fastball because I don’t think he could have held up on another similar slider.  Either way, good job by Beltran.

We then sat on the lead and relied on our pitching (actually, I thought their lefty McFarland, who was just called up, pitched an excellent game.  He hot spots and moved the ball over the place).

Warren got me aggravated as well as Girardi because with a 5-0 lead he walked a guy ion the 4^th but got out of it and then walked two guys to lead off the 5^th.  I was tempted to pull him there just because it showed how poor his command was as he walked the 8^th and 9^th hitters.  After Machado singled, I would have pulled him, but Girardi stuck with him and it paid off as he struck out Paredes.  Jones then singled knocking in a run and then a 2^nd run scored on a FC before Girardi pulled Warren (who getting some outs but missing a lot of spots).  Good job by Girardi to not worry about whether Warren gets the win and focus on the Yankees getting the win (I was getting worried he was managing with getting warren the win until he correctly pulled him for Wilson – which was the no doubt move at that point).  Wilson struck out Davis to end the inning

Martin didn’t pitch well for the 2^nd time in a row he is not hitting his spots like he was early on, but he has a good cutter, breaking ball and plus fastball.  Hopefully he can get his command back.

Betances came in and couldn’t throw his breaking ball for a strike, but was able to get a big K on Snider by getting him to chase a breaking ball in the dirt after a few fastballs.

Only other thought on the game was Pirella will need to make an adjustment on outside breaking pitches; he doesn’t seem to have the plate coverage for them and in the majors the teams will feed him there until he makes an adjustment!