Sunday, July 11, 2010

Mariners 4, Yankees 1

Oh, my. Oh, Joba.

Backpage headline on nypost.com: "LOST AT SEA"

Never mind the grand slam. The game was over when Joba's wild pitch stopped rolling at the backstop.

Runners advance. Now Joba has to be fine around the plate with Branyard, who had been mystified against Vazquez.

Joba misses his spots, count goes to 3-1. Now he has to walk Branyard. Bases loaded.

And then . . .

The eighth, biggest shame of all, absolutely tore up and burned Vazquez's best start of the season, a no-hitter until Ichiro's comebacker/Vazquez's body-block/rushed throw/infield hit/error--it wasn't anyone thing. Maybe three players I know--Ichiro, Brett Garnder, Michael Bourn--cause Vazquez to rush the throw like that. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred Tex digs out even such an in-between throw. And a scorekeeper in the Bronx scores the play as an error.

Any one of five things goes differently, no hit.

So Vazquez keeps the no-hitter alive. So Girardi has to sent Javy out for the eighth. Where he at least does a better than Joba.

1 comment:

SundevilJoe said...

The kindest thing you can call Joba's performance is ---meltdown. It was truly a classic one. I have a feeling that Cashman is looking around for someone. Also, not to make excuses but the missed call on Cano's foul tip in the eighth inning with two men on really hurt. This was followed by the questionable strikes called on both Curtis and Posada in the ninth. I know, sour grapes, calls always even out etc. etc.