Game 6: New York Yankees VS Minnesota Twins
The Starter: Much, much, much better. Pavano went 7 innings and gave up 2 runs, 6 hits, and no walks. And really, if he felt like it, Torre could have left him in another inning. He only threw 79 pitches. A very encouraging start especially based on the fact that Pavano pitched well until he tired out in the 5th inning in his first start. Hopefully this is the Pavano we'll see more often than not.
The Bullpen: Perhaps the best part of Pavano's start was that the bullpen actually got a little rest. Brian Bruney threw an easy inning. He looks absolutely nasty right now, with 7 strikeouts in 3 and 2/3rd innings pitched (while allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and no runs). Farnsworth walked a batter but otherwise pitched a good 9th inning. The bullpen continues its dominance.
The Offense: Good job by the offense today. Abreu had 4 RBIs and an excellent at bat against Ponson that resulted in a 2 run home run. A-Rod picked up his 5th home run of the season (the fastest any Yankee has ever hit five). Damon saw his batting average plummet today as he went 2 for 4. Jeter picked up 3 hits as well, and Posada contributed with a two run ground rule double. The bottom of the lineup struggled, however, but when the top scores 8 runs, I think all Yankee fans can live with that.
The Defense: Much better. Melky got a late jump on a ball that he probably could have caught (which resulted in an RBI double), but the infield defense looked great today. Jeter, Mientkiewicz, and Cano all made excellent plays.
Player of the Game: Although Abreu's 4 RBIs make a strong case, it really has to go to Carl Pavano. I commented at one point before the game that after the first five games, if Pavano went 6 innings and have up 4 runs, he'd be a hero in New York. He went above and beyond, pitching 7 innings (and really, he could have given more, but Torre is being cautious) and only giving up two runs (and both long after the Yankees had scored plenty of runs). The Twins don't exactly have the best offense all around, but they do have some solid hitters (such as the AL Batting champion and the AL MVP). Pavano shut Morneau down completely. He's the easy choice for player of the game.
Overall Thoughts: A good game for the Yanks today. The bullpen got some rest, Pavano had a good start, the offense got it done, and A-Rod continued his hot streak. Plus, the strong defense was a nice touch.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment