18 replies to this topic

[terrynever]

Today is Friday the 13th. A-Rod wears No. 13. He has a .606 OPS thru six games compared to the .612 mark compiled by Albert Pujols this season. Something's got to give for these sluggers.
Jorge Posada throws out the first ball before today's home opener, then Hiroki Kuroda will face Ervin Santana in what doesn't figure to be a pitcher's duel.
Kuroda allowed 12 baserunners (and 4 runs) in 5.2 innings of work against Tampa last Saturday. Santana got ripped for six runs in five innings by KC. He is 5-5 lifetime against New York with a career 5.55 ERA in 71 innings.
Yanks won the season series 5-4 from LA last year, first time that has happened since 2003.
This will be Pujols's his first appearance in the new Yankee Stadium. He played at the old park for three games in 2003 and again in the 2008 All-Star game. Pujols is off to a slow start, 4-for-18 with two doubles and a .666 OPS. He is 3-for-15 lifetime against Kuroda.
NY Post has a short sidebar today about Jeter. Scouts have clocked him at 4.20 from home to first in Baltimore and 4.16 in Tampa, on turf. League average is 4.3. "He looks great," one scout said. "He has found a natural fountain of youth."
Angels are 2-4 and last in the West. Yanks are 3-3 and thankful the Orioles are still in the league.
Somebody has to win today and someone is going to lose. It's up to the players to figure out the winner, not superstitions.

[jon abbey]

Girardi is switching A-Rod/Cano against RHP today and going forward (Cano will be #3 against LHP still):

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Rodriguez 3B
4. Cano 2B
5. Teixeira 1B
6. Swisher RF
7. Ibanez DH
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

[jon abbey]

Jeter has better numbers against Santana than any other RHP, a .442 BA with 4 HRs in 43 ABs, 1.257 OPS.

Actually the top four in the Yankee lineup today have all hit at least 3 HRs against Santana, a combined 14 in 148 ABs.

[derekson]

Santana's stuff looks good.

[derekson]

If Ianetta's throws are going to be that bad, the Yankees are going to steal at least 5-6 bases in this game. Jesus.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Always seems like Santana should be better than he is.

[derekson]

And Santana quickly made it apparent why he's not dominant despite that good stuff. 2 straight walks, then going 2-0 against Swisher.

[Jed Zeppelin]

So now they get away with faking NOT getting hit?

[derekson]

Gardner was safe.

[jon abbey]

That was a Yankee Stadium special.

Kuroda looks impressive through 5, that walk last inning was a ridiculous call on 3-2 (PitchFX now doesn't work until after games, sadly).

[jon abbey]

So A-Rod seems to like the #3 spot in the lineup, chalk one up for Girardi.

[cromulence]

Kuroda looks great. Quick and enjoyable game so far.

[jon abbey]

Kuroda's high pitch count last year was 117, over 110 seven times. He is at 96 through 7.

[derekson]

At what point do the Angels get the same press the Sox got during their slow start last season? Generally well thought of team makes huge offseason acquisitions, and starts out 2-4, likely about to be 2-5, after playing their first 6 games against KC in Anaheim and the Twins on the road.

[cromulence]

Great outing from Kuroda. Probably could go for the shutout if it was later in the year.

[cromulence]

Am I nuts or did he used to be Kendry Morales?

[ThePrideofShiner]

Am I nuts or did he used to be Kendry Morales?

Meaning how he spells his first name? I thought it always had an 's' on the end?

Anyway, great bounce back from Kuroda. Like to see that.

[derekson]

His name was misspelled without the s for several years until he finally corrected people about it.

[cromulence]

His name was misspelled without the s for several years until he finally corrected people about it.

So it's a Demetress Bell situation then.