Tag: CC Sabathia

Severino Overpowers Indians — 2 Down, 1 To Go

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

severino

We learned a lot about Luis Severino Monday night. After a pitching performance to forget in the AL Wild Card Game, Severino put his best foot forward in Game 4 of the ALDS. Game 4 was the 2nd elimination game for the Yankees in as many days. Win, and force a Game 5. Lose, and go home.

“Why don’t you just go home? That’s your home! Are you too good for your home?!”

Severino: 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts

Severino’s fastball was live, touching 100 mph a handful of times. His changeup regularly registered at or above 90 mph (which is insane). And his slider was sharp and consistent. Severino’s two blemishes came in the form of the long ball. Carlos Santana, who is giving everyone fits, tagged him for a 2-run home run in the 4th inning, and Roberto Perez hit a solo home run in the 5th inning. The other two hits were harmless singles by Jay Bruce and Michael Brantley.

On the other hand, the Yankees’ lineup did what they couldn’t do in Game 1. They got to Trevor Bauer, forcing him from the game after just 2 and 2/3 innings. Bauer was pitching on 3 days rest, and it showed. The Yankees put up 4 runs in the 2nd inning. What started with an error by the 3rd baseman, Giovany Urshela, ended with a 4-run, 2-out rally.

ALERT THE AUTHORITIES!! There was an Aaron Judge sighting during this rally. Judge recorded his 1st hit of the series, cracking a 2-run double to left field. Believe it or not, the key to Judge’s at-bat in the 2nd inning was being fed a steady diet of curveballs. I know Judge has been struck out 174,000 times on curveballs, but hear me out. Bauer, who has gone to his masterful curveball 36% of the time in this series, threw Judge 4 curveballs in a row. While the first 2 dropped in for strikes, the next 2 were in the dirt. This allowed Judge to adjust his eye level and drive a ball later in the at-bat.

While Girardi and his bullpen have been a topic of conversation throughout this series, he pushed the right buttons Monday night. Girardi brought in Dellin Betances in the 8th inning, but promptly yanked him after Betances walked the first 2 batters. Without the 103-mph services of Aroldis Chapman, Tommy Kahnle came in. Kahnle was lights out!! 2 innings, 0 hits, 5 strikeouts, on just 22 pitches. 7-3 lead protected. WOW!! Talk about slamming a door.

When 1 door closes, another opens (or something like that). The Yankees will walk through that door, in Cleveland. It all comes down to Wednesday. Game 5. All-or-nothing. The dangerous, Houston Astros await the victor in the ALCS.

Catch all the action on FS1, Wednesday night, @ 7:00 P.M. EST.

Projected Starters: Corey Kluber vs. CC Sabathia

The Yankees lineup tagged Kluber for 6 runs in Game 2. That won’t happen again. The same way Yankees’ fans knew Severino wasn’t going to get shelled in consecutive outings, Indians’ fans know their ace. As for the Yankees, I trust CC, but it’s all hands on deck.

While my heart is rooting for the Yankees 100%, my mind doesn’t love their chances in Game 5.

Prediction: Indians 4, Yankees 3 (10 innings)

I’d pay good money to be wrong on this one….

Who do you think will win Game 5?? Post your prediction in the comment section below.

 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:10 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

 

 

 

You Couldn’t Manage A Worse Game If You Tried!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

girardi idiot

The ALDS between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians has not been for the faint of heart. For Yankees’ fans, the past 72 hours have been an emotional roller coaster. Roller coasters usually make me throw up. We’ll start our ride on Friday night, in Cleveland, for Game 2 of the ALDS.

Game 2 – The Most Poorly Managed Game I’ve Ever Seen!!

“Hi Yankees lineup.”

“Hi Kluber Mountain.”

“Good luck!”

The Yankees faced the unenviable task of stepping into the batter’s box against Corey Kluber. Mr. Kluber is the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past 4 years. On the hill for the Yankees, 37 year old CC Sabathia. The Yankees surprisingly got to Kluber early and often. Gary Sanchez kicked things off with a 2-run home run in the 1st inning, and Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird followed suit with home runs of their own, blowing the lead open to 8-3 in the 5th inning.

This is the part where riders must keep all arms and legs inside the roller coaster and should hold on to their hats….

CC Sabathia gave the Yankees exactly what the doctor ordered, a gritty, road-start. After giving up 3 early runs, CC settled in, retiring 12 of 13 batters before being pulled by Joe Girardi in the 6th inning. This was the 1st of a multitude of mistakes by Girardi. CC Sabathia was dealing, and had only thrown 77 pitches. Yanking CC was down right STUPID (knowing your bullpen is already taxed)!!

If that was Girardi’s only mistake, the Yankees may have escaped from Cleveland with a victory. Silly me. Girardi brought in Chad Green. Despite retiring the 1st batter, anyone with eyeballs could see Green didn’t have his usual command (he threw 41 pitches on Tuesday). He promptly gave up a double to Yan Gomes, bringing runners to 2nd and 3rd. Then, with a 2-strike count, Lonnie Chisenhall was awarded 1st base after allegedly being hit by a pitch. All replays available, clearly showed the ball glanced off the knob of Chisenhall’s bat, and landed in Gary Sanchez’s glove. Joe Girardi inexplicably DID NOT challenge this call!!

This is the part where I lose my mind….

There is no valid excuse in the world for Girardi to not challenge this play. Forget that every replay known to man showed Chisenhall wasn’t hit. Forget that Chisenhall showed ZERO reaction as if he’d been hit. Forget that Gary Sanchez, your catcher, is adamantly pleading with you to challenge the play. Forget that you “didn’t get” your preferred super slo-mo replay. Forget tha….you got the picture??

The point is, this was the biggest moment, of the most important game, of the year. I don’t care if Girardi was on the toilet and didn’t see the play, there was NO RISK, and he should have challenged the play sight unseen.

And the worst part, was Girardi’s post-game pile of horse manure. I don’t have the heart, or stomach, to go through Girardi lying to my face again, so click here to see the worst post-game press conference in the history of sports.

Anyway, back to the bases loaded jam we go. Girardi wrongly left Green in, who promptly served up a grand slam to Francisco Lindor. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Just like that, 8-3 became 8-7. Girardi then handed the ball to David Robertson, who threw 52 pitches on Tuesday. After getting 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings from Robertson, Girardi greedily sent Robertson out to the mound in the 8th inning. Enter Jay Bruce….A lead-off, solo shot tied the game at 8. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

You know what else didn’t help?? The Yankees stranded runners in scoring position in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings, while going scoreless for a span of 8 innings. You know what else REALLY didn’t help?!?! Ronald Torreyes getting picked off on 2nd base, by the catcher, with 0 outs in the 11th inning. How’d that happen you ask….

Todd Frazier reached 2nd base on a throwing error. Torreyes came in to pinch-run for Frazier. And to the shock and dismay of Yankees’ fans everywhere, Torreyes (who had 1 job), was caught drifting off 2nd base by Yan Gomes. Gomes made a spectacular throw, from home, on his knees to get Torreyes, but WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?!?! Unbelievable!!

And lastly, Girardi’s final mistake of the evening, leaving Betances in for a 3rd inning (11th, 12th, and 13th). Joe, stop asking players to do things they’ve never done before. In as close to a must-win situation as possible, everyone not scheduled to pitch in Game 3 should have been available. A fresh Luis Severino, Jaime Garcia, or Jordan Montgomery would have been better options than Betances in a 3rd consecutive inning. It wasn’t Betances’ fault, but who doesn’t love a 9-8 loss in 13 innings?!?!

THIS WAS THE MOST POORLY MANAGED GAME I’VE EVER SEEN — EVER!!!!

Now, rather then being tied 1-1, heading back to New York, the Yankees found themselves down 2-0 heading into Sunday Night’s Game 3.

Stay tuned for a recap of Sunday Night’s Game 3 and a preview of Monday Night’s Game 4.

Have you ever seen a more poorly managed baseball game in your life?? If so, please enlighten me in the comment section below.

 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:10 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yankees Forget Their Bats In New York, Shutout By Indians

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

jay bruce home run

Well that didn’t go as planned.

The New York Yankees fell to the Cleveland Indians 4-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program, to bring you the inner monologue of a Yankees’ fan:

“3?? 3 GODDAMN HITS?! That’s all you could come up with?? WHAT THE HELL?! Man, I stayed up past 10 o’ clock for this, the least you could have done was score A run. They didn’t even have their best pitcher on the mound!! Now we’re really screwed!!”

Thursday night’s pitching matchup, Sonny Gray vs. Trevor Bauer, was the topic of conversation heading into Game 1. Indians Manager, Terry Francona, opted to start Bauer rather than Corey Kluber, against conventional wisdom. Boy does he look like a genius today. Bauer was lights out!! He made a potent Yankees’ lineup look pedestrian.

Bauer’s Performance: 6 and 2/3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 8 strikeouts, and 1 walk

What you may not realize, is Bauer has been one of the best pitchers in the league following the All-Star Break. Since July 21st, Bauer is 10-1 and brought his era down from 5.59 to 4.19. He has 2 primary pitches, fastball and curveball. His masterful curveball was on full display Thursday night. It starts high, looks like a fastball out of his hand, and drops off the table at the last second. He had the entire Yankees’ lineup befuddled, especially Aaron Judge. Mr. Judge earned himself a ‘Golden Sombrero’ last night (4 strikeouts in 1 game).

As for Sonny Gray, he wasn’t good. He was wild, walking 4 batters in 3 and 1/3 innings. And he didn’t have an answer for former Mets’ slugger, Jay Bruce. Bruce had himself a day, going 2 for 3 with 3 rbi’s. I’ve always said, the best career move you’ll ever make is leaving the Mets….

There’s never a bad time to take a cheap shot at the Mets is there?

Anyway, the Yankees don’t have time to make fun of the Mets. With Game 2 less than 12 hours away, they need to get focused. Devising a plan to score a run against Corey Kluber wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Facing Kluber, the AL Cy Young Award favorite, is no walk in the park. He is a strikeout machine, who averaged 7 innings per start this season. Check out his amazing stats here.

The Yankees’ countermeasure is CC Sabathia. CC had a great year, considering he’s 97, but I’m not sure he’s the answer here. At this point in his career he’s clearly outmatched by the Indians’ lineup, Corey Kluber, and virtually everyone in the ballpark, but the hope is his age and experience can counteract the countless obstacles staring him in the face.

Maybe this is the optimistic Yankees’ fan in me talking, but sometimes things happen in sports that make no sense. CC Sabathia outdueling Corey Kluber and mowing down a solid Indians’ lineup would be one of those things.

Crazier things have happened.

Sorry heart. Today, brain has prevailed.

Indians 5, Yankees 3   

You can catch the action at the odd time of 5:00 P.M. EST on MLB Network.

 

Who do you think will win Game 2?? Post your prediction in the comment section below.

 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:10 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

Pick A Sport, Any Sport

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

yankees-at-indians

This is the best time of the year in sports. Football, Baseball, Hockey, and Basketball. It’s like Christmas in October….

NL Wild Card Game

Another Wild Card Game, another 3-run lead in the 1st inning. Thanks to Paul Goldschmidt’s 3-run home run, the Arizona Diamondbacks jumped out to an early lead Wednesday night.

Paul Goldschmidt is the 2nd best baseball player in the world.

They led by as many as 6 runs, before the Colorado Rockies came storming back with a 4-run 4th inning. The Rockies ‘kept hanging around’, as they trailed just 6-5 in the 7th inning. And then, Diamondbacks’ relief pitcher Archie Bradley did something unexpected. He hit a 2-run triple, providing insurance, with his bat. The Diamondbacks would go on to win 11-8, advancing to the NL Division Series. Now, they have the great pleasure of taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB Best Record). Yay!

The Dodgers had a phenomenal season, but don’t sleep on the Diamondbacks. They CAN win this series, and they will….

Diamondbacks in 5

You heard it here first.

WNBA Finals

In case you didn’t notice, there was a decisive Game 5 played last night in the WNBA Finals. The Los Angeles Sparks took on the Minnesota Lynx. The Minnesota Lynx may be the quietest dynasty in the history of sports. New England who?? Alabama who?? The Lynx have now won 4 championships in the last 7 years. They were led by Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore. Fowles became the 1st player in WNBA history to win the MVP in the regular season and finals.

NHL Drops The Puck

Speaking of things you didn’t notice, the NHL season started last night, with 8 teams in action. The Toronto Maple Leafs stormed out of the gate, dominating the Winnipeg Jets to the tune of 7-2. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs and Arizona Diamondbacks simultaneously took 6-0 leads.

There was 1 overtime thriller last night, between the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blues nearly blew this one, as the Penguins came back from a 4-2 deficit in the 3rd period. The Blues would ultimately take down Sidney Crosby and the defending champs 5-4 (F/OT).

The New York Rangers open their season at home, tonight, against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Islanders open their season Friday night at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Let’s Go Islanders!!

Thursday Night Football 

And then, there was football. Those who stay up to watch horrid matchup after horrid matchup on Thursday Night Football, are finally being rewarded. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the New England Patriots tonight. Expect New England, who I hate, to bounce back after last week’s home-loss to the Carolina Panthers. I’d say they’re going to blowout the Bucs, but a defense this bad doesn’t do blowouts. Expect Jameis Winston and the Bucs to put up impressive offensive numbers, but fall short of victory.

Patriots 31, Buccaneers 24

AL Division Series

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians. That’s what I’ll be watching tonight. The Yankees have announced that Sonny Gray will get the ball in Game 1 against Trevor Bauer, and CC Sabathia will pitch Game 2. In a surprise move, the Indians will opt to hold their ace, Corey Kluber, until Game 2. Indians’ manager, Terry Francona, said he wants Kluber to pitch on normal rest. If this series goes the distance, Kluber will be available to start Game 5.

Game 1 is the game for the Yankees to steal. While Bauer had a nice year, the Yankees’ lineup will be pleased not to see Kluber on the bump. The Yankees will carry the momentum from a fantastic Wild Card Game into tonight….

Yankees 5, Indians 4

 

What will you be watching tonight?? Will the Yankees win Game 1 of the ALDS?? Post your prediction in the comment section below.

 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:10 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

Yankees Continue Their Winning Ways

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

aaron judge 2

A lot can change in 30 games. Doubters can become believers. Casual fans can become die-hard fans. And kids can become adults. That is exactly What has transpired With the 2017 New York Yankees. The ‘baby bombers’ have lost their diapers, skipped past the pull-ups stage, and jumped right into boxer briefs. They are shattering expectations one home-run at a time.

After Monday night’s 10-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, the Yankees now hold Major League Baseball’s best record (21-9). This is following a 1-4 start to the season, so the Yankees have actually gone on a 20-5 run in their last 25 games. That’s insane! Anyway….

They continue to Win decisively, as 13 of their 21 victories have been decided by 3 runs or more. The Yankees, led by a powerful offense, have become no stranger to the long ball. No team has hit more home runs per game than the Yankees. They currently average 1.66 home runs per game, having hit 50 in their first 30 games. Yup, you guessed it. Aaron Judge leads the team with 13 home runs.

Prior to the season their starting pitching staff was riddled with question marks. These questions have all been answered with the affirmative, so far. The Yankees pitching staff ranks 4th in e.r.a (earned run average – 3.52) and 1st in b.a.a. (opponents batting average – .227). We knew their bullpen would be stellar, and it has been, but many expected their starters to falter. Well outside of C.C. Sabathia’s last two starts, the Yankees’ starting pitchers have been very good. But hey, pssst….guess what the Yankees did in C.C.’s last two starts?? That’s right..they Won.

Your level of success is often measured by expectations. Every year, the machine at ESPN asks 35 of their baseball experts to predict the playoffs for the upcoming season (click here to check it out). As you can see, only 1 expert (Steve Wulf) picked the Yankees to Win the American League East Division. And I think these expectations, While appropriate, are exactly what the Yankees needed. The young core of the new look Yankees didn’t need the pressure of trying to live up to the 1998 Yankees. Who could anyway right?? This Yankees regime may have gone from sellers to buyers in just one year. But, as the season flips the calendar from June to October, and the Yankees continue their Winning Ways, pressure will mount naturally. The question is, how Will Aaron Judge and his young brethren handle the pressure?

As a life long Yankees fan, nothing Would make me happier than a historical World Series run, but I am one of the few realistic Yankees’ fans that has ever existed. As fun as this team has been to watch, and as good as I think they will be for years to come, I expect the other shoe to drop at some point during the season. While I don’t expect them to implode, I do expect them to come back to reality, slightly. Between the pressure that inherently joins us in August and September and the inevitable peaks and valleys of a marathon baseball season, I see the Yankees finishing as the 1st Wild-Card Playoff Team. Don’t jump me yet! Just keep Watching Yankees games, keep reading DaveTalksSports.com, and check back in September so I can say ‘I told ya so!’

What do you think? Will the Yankees continue to win at this rapid rate, or will they cool off as the summer heats up? Tell me in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my Writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as Well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

 

Opening Day Should Be A National Holiday

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

You’ve waited and waited and it finally arrived. No I’m not talking about your clothes that you ordered online, I’m talking about Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. Monday, April 1st marked the start to another marathon that is the baseball season. Some will say, but what about the first game on Sunday night doesn’t that count? Umm no, no it does not. This years Opening Day brought about a couple of firsts and also brought you more of what you’re used to. For the first time in the history of New York’s baseball franchises, the Yankees and the Mets opened their season at home at the same time. I feel bad for the people stuck in that post game traffic. Now you might need to read this next part twice, but the Yankees lost and the Mets won. The Mets looked good with Jonathon Niese on the hill, and a grand slam by Collin Cowgill didn’t hurt either. They won their game 11-2 over the San Diego Padres. The Yankees on the other hand did not look as good. We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you an important message: Do Not, I repeat Do Not overreact to the first game of the year!! This game meant absolutely nothing as to how the baseball season is going to pan out. MLB’s regular season is 162 games that span from April through 2027. If you are one of those people that thinks you can predict the future based on the first game of the year, than you my friend are crazy. Anyway, the Yankees still looked pretty awful out there yesterday. CC was his usual April self (for those of who don’t know, CC Sabathia notoriously pitches poorly in the month of April). The bats still think it’s March because they only scored two runs, and by the 9th inning it was difficult to find fans in the seats (the Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox 8-2). However, let me repeat it is only game 1 of 162. Now, if the Yankees are 10 games out of the wild card when their entire roster is back healthy in August, then we can all panic and run around pulling random fire alarms.

All around the rest of the league (where there were 12 total games played Monday), we saw more dominance by the pitchers we’ve gotten to know over the past couple of years. Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez were their usual lights out selves. While at the same time we saw, who I believe are the two best pitchers in baseball; Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw dominate. Stephen Strasburg pitched 7 brilliant innings in just 80 pitches. He also at one point retired 19 straight batters. That is uh how do you say it; INSANE. At the same time, no one had a better Opening Day than Clayton Kershaw. He picked up right where he left off last season by throwing a complete game shutout against his rival San Francisco Giants. And as if that wasn’t enough, Kershaw hit his first career home run. It wasn’t a bad day to be Clayton Kershaw. The regular season action continues today where there are 7 teams in play. Enjoy the games everybody!!

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!