July 12, 2009

Schadenfreude 90 (A Continuing Series)

Sunday
Mark Feinsand, Daily News:
The way things have been going for the Angels, Mike Scioscia could probably come out of retirement today and go 3-for-3 against the Yankees.

The Angels' manager watched his depleted team [Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera were out] stage its second straight comeback victory, overcoming an early four-run lead to lay a 14-8 beating on the Yankees Saturday. A seven-run fifth inning put the Angels ahead for good ...

Pettitte was charged with six runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.1 innings, the third time in his last four starts he has allowed a six-spot. The southpaw is 1-2 with a 10.38 ERA in those four games ...
George A. King III, Post:
If, as the Yankees want you to believe, Joba Chamberlain is young and learning to be a starter, does that mean age has wrapped a blanket around Andy Pettitte?

One game after Chamberlain's third straight subpar outing, the Yankees asked Pettitte to go deep against the Angels yesterday. Yet, like Chamberlain, Pettitte was rocked ...

Chamberlain is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts. In 13.1 innings the 23-year-old has allowed 27 hits. Now Pettitte is on a bender. ... In the 37-year-old's last four outings, he is 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA.
No, 5.94 was his ERA in the three previous starts leading up to Saturday. As seen above, 10.38 is the correct answer.

Mark Feinsand, Daily News:
After sitting through another unwatchable performance on Friday night, we all had to listen to Joba tell us how his stuff the last two times out has been as good as it's been all year. If that's true, the Yankees are in serious trouble. He sounded like Ian Kennedy, who said the exact same things last August after he was knocked out after two innings in this very ballpark.

With a night to sleep on the game, Girardi recited his standard lines - yes, Joe, we know he's only 23-years-old - and said he believes Joba is due for a good second half.

My question is, why? ...

[M]ore often than not, he's been a guy that throws 100 pitches in five innings or less, not hanging around long enough to get the decision in the game. In fact, no pitcher in history has ever had more no-decisions in his first 29 starts than Joba, who has 19.
Joba = Dice Jr.?

Saturday

Mark Feinsand, Daily News:
Before Friday night's game, Joe Girardi expressed his frustration with the constant criticism aimed at Joba Chamberlain. The manager may have said all the right things after the pitcher labored through yet another unwatchable outing, but it's hard to believe Girardi isn't a little concerned.

In his last two starts, Chamberlain has given up 13 runs - though only seven were earned - on 18 hits and two walks in eight innings ...

Since his brilliant eight-inning outing in Cleveland on June 1, Chamberlain has pitched into the seventh inning only once in his last seven starts, averaging just a shade over five innings per outing in those games while posting a 5.05 ERA.