They Got to Mo (Travis Played Bo)
This team really, really needed that and I was very happy to witness it. Watching the report on Baseball Tonight made me pause. Eduardo Perez said, re. John McDonald's safety squeeze, "Teams are realizing that this isn't the home run era, that this is about execution." First, the thing with small ball is that it needs to be combined with big ball. Especially since small ball tied it and big ball won it. And for a time that supposedly isn't the home run era, the Yankees have more home runs in April than any other Yankee team has in its history.It was easy to forget who actually started the game. Kyle Drabek was not as sharp as I would've liked, walked Nick Swisher more than anyone ever should and plunking Texeira was followed up with a homer the next at bat. In a roundabout way, it was kind of like Son of Doc vs AJ. Burnett, who was his typical self. Bautista really likes to face him, and his eyes got hilariously huge right before he launched a towering homer to the left field stands. He was also typical in that he had flashes of nastiness, but also botched a pretty standard rundown.
"I threw a dart, like I'd never made the play before," Burnett said. "I got caught up. I should have ran more toward Bautista, but I think I gave it up a little too early before I committed."
It's kind of nice to know he is still a spaz.
I also enjoyed the idea that Russell Martin, with shiny nail polish on this throwing hand, suggested that Burnett try using his change up more often, like it's a revelatory idea, like no pitcher with that big of a fastball should develop a change.
I also enjoyed the idea that Russell Martin, with shiny nail polish on this throwing hand, suggested that Burnett try using his change up more often, like it's a revelatory idea, like no pitcher with that big of a fastball should develop a change.
Travis Snider had an absolutely brutal night at the plate. 0-5 with 3 strikeouts. After the last one, Snider impressively snapped his bat in two on his thigh. Apparently, it's a thing, because here is a video of him doing it in New Hampshire with the Fisher Cats
Something from the comments on that video: "did he do it after a strikeout? I played ball with him in high school. He gets super pissed after he gets out. he used to come in the dugout and hit himself in the head with his helmet. he's nuts."
Encarnacion scored from first on the Snider double in the gap, something that might have been more challenging last year when EE was carrying what Jeff Blair once called his "gooey goodness." Blair, on Twitter, also called the winning hit from Snider about 10 minutes before it happened.
Encarnacion scored from first on the Snider double in the gap, something that might have been more challenging last year when EE was carrying what Jeff Blair once called his "gooey goodness." Blair, on Twitter, also called the winning hit from Snider about 10 minutes before it happened.