The Yankees broke out of their malaise at Tropicana Field with a burst of actual runs. Thanks to timely hitting by Tex and especially Cano, they beat David Price and the Rays – finally.
Who would have guessed that this one would be a pitcher’s duel between Price and Phelps in the early going? Not me. But Phelps did a great job, as did the relief core.
Strange play with that “umpire interference” call that forced A-Rod to go back to second after he stole third, but it ended up not mattering.
Also strange that I found myself feeling sorry for Kyle Farnsworth even as I was cheering his ineptitude. I’m just glad he’s not a Yankee anymore.
I hope everyone had a fun July 4th!
Tags: Kyle Farnsworth, Rays, Robinson Cano, Yankees
It feels good to steal one away from those guys, doesn’t it? Funny how baseball works. Freddy Garcia has a very good outing but the Rays manage to come back against one of the better relievers in baseball. We lose the early lead again while Nova goes for the all time win percentage in a starter’s first 50 games. Horrible losses. So David Price versus David Phelps? This time we stole a win from Price with Phelps and the bullpen and our closer showing off at the end…
Yay! We *finally* won a game at the [string of expletives deleted] Trop.
Now let’s carry that momentum forward and take game 1 against Boston. They’ve been playing a bit better as of late, so it won’t be easy, but I don’t care how difficult it is as long as the final result is a W [and no one gets hurt!]
It’s like John Sterling says, YankeeCase. You can’t predict baseball. Price versus Phelps? Not such a mismatch after all. A very satisfying win and a happy escape from that dingy gymnasium.
The Sox just got swept by the A’s, Sean, so they can’t be playing that great. But as we know, anything can and does happen at Fenway.
I didn’t see the game because we were at a party but we caught the last 2 innings on YES encore. I LOVED beating Farnsworth — I never liked him or what he did for our team. It was nice to see them finally take one in Tampa – now they can rest tonight and head to Boston. Hoping for a sweep but you never know what will happen between The Yankees and The Sox…GO YANKEES!!!
A sweep? That’s ambitious, Diane. As Sean said, the Sox are playing better than they were at the beginning of the year, albeit not recently. As usual, I’ll be taking it one game at a time. Too superstitious to do otherwise.
Jane, I didn’t feel one shred of sympathy for Farnsworth. I agree with Diane that his performance as a Yankee was so poor. And I always love when a former Yankee comes back as an opponent to help us rather than hurt us. Especially at that hideous Trop Field!
It’s good that the Yanks are heading to Fenway on a winning note. Let’s hope everybody stays keeps hitting and stays healthy (and I hope that’s not a jinx-inducing thing to say.)
Well, Deborah, maybe I overstated my feelings about Farnsworth. When I was writing the She-Fan book and on the road following the team, I remembered how the players liked him and I’d see him around with his young son. So even though he pitched horribly for us, I don’t hate him. Anyhow, yes, let’s hope nobody else gets hurt (no jinx).
Hi Jane and Fellow Baseball Fans,
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. I’m so happy the Yankees finally broke the jinx at the Trop too.
I just thought I’d weigh in on Farnsy. I always felt bad for him…it’s not like he didn’t try. I read that his teammates really liked him and were pulling for him…hoping he would succeed. A little fact …there was a poll taken years ago by the players which asked if they ever were in trouble what player would they want to have their back …over 90% picked Kyle. Just when Girardi had him in the right direction and doing well for the Yankees they traded him. I’ll never forget watching the interview and watching him cry..he didn’t want to leave and was so surprised as it seemed he finally turned the corner for the team. I felt awful watching that post game interview. So yes ..his performance for the most part as a Yankee was poor but like with the majority of players I don’t think it was for the lack of trying. Could have been not being able to handle NY like some other players of the past. Who knows? I wish Farnsy well …just not against the Yanks…naturally.
Another player poll had him as one of the meanest players but what I found strange was that Tex was also on that poll (Alex too). Somehow I just can’t picture Tex in the “mean” category …maybe “intense” but not mean. Of course I don’t know him like the players so again …who knows?
Have a great day all…relax for a day because total intensity will be this weekend with four against the Sox. I always love to see the Yanks win but I REALLY love it when it’s against the Sox. Here’s hoping for a total beatdown in beantown. GOOOOOOOOO YANKEES !!!!!
Go Yankees 2012 !!
“It’s the pride…
That you feel…
It’s the pride
(When you fin’lly break it on down…it’s the pride…”
— Isley Brothers, 1977
Pheww. Glad to escape that Chamber O’ Horrors with at least one win (and their Pride) intact. You already know all about my feelings for Tampa…let’s not return anytime soon, shall we?…
Hope one and all had a Happy 4th. I spent the day at Son #1′s rowhouse, just chillin’ and watching a rare 11am MLB game ‘tween the Nats and Giants. ‘Twas all the fireworks I needed to see (hey, the local shows were all cancelled anyway). Nice to see TV again; picked up Son #2 after his interning with the soccer team (bad enuf to play baseball in 98-degree heat…imagine SOCCER?), and drove home to a quiet nite (still no TV, phones, or internet). So glad that RUTH has her power — we still have a close friend (with TWO DOGS) who’s had no power in 5 days — and it hits 100 again today — so it’s total agony for her…
And now. The Pride; Next Installment. FOUR games up there? Yeeesh. Whenever it’s a 4-game road series, I tell myself that a split will be just alright with me. Of course, it also depends on HOW that is achieved. But anything more is gravy in the boat. Jane, my esteemed fellow pessimist, whaddya think??
We’re on the same page about Farnsy, Peggy. He was well liked by the guys and that crying scene with him was very sad. My feeling is that his ball was just too flat, that he didn’t change speeds enough or have a big enough variety of pitches. I’ve never heard of the Tex being mean thing, so that’s a surprise. But maybe it was mean as in “intense,” as you suggested.
I’m not a pessimist, Dave. I’m just cautious and don’t like to project too far ahead. So one game at a time works for me. As far as the series at Fenway goes, I never predict. I can hope though.
i guess i am not as nice as you all. i was so mad at farnsworth when he was with the yankees. good arm, bad head–like aj, i guess. i felt like he gave games away as a yankee so he should give one to us yesterday and i was quite happy that he did. i actually blame maddon–he shouldn’t have left him in when he obviously couldn’t throw strikes. so i didn’t have an attachment for him as a yankee, just anger/irritation. i didn’t see him cry so perhaps that would have evoked my empathy. i also had been very calm about the two yankee losses but thought a third might set me over the edge with the sox series upcoming. so i was quite happy yesterday.