NOVA! F-ing love it!!

So now the question becomes, will Soriano blow it in the 8th or the 9th?

If the choice is Nova cleaning up his own mess with the wheels coming off or Sorikneelo, I am fine with Nova.

Need some serious insurance here.

Ibanez!

I still don’t think he sees the ASB as a Yankee.

I still don’t think he sees the ASB as a Yankee.

Traded to a contender, right?

[106] does a DL stint count as “not being a Yankee?”

[106] If he were to get hurt and play for their flat ground WS team in August, does that count as being on the Yankees? I thought the flat ground team still plays under the Highlanders banner.

I still don’t think Soriano doesn’t blow this game.

Badenhop’s stuff reminds me of Jeff Nelson.

He’ll be batting fourth by the ASB.

Traded to a contender, right?

Right.  He’ll be traded to Toronto for the stretch run.

Did one of the Rays sleep with Iganez’ mother or something?

Edit - half his RBI against them.

Yay Jeter.

It’s about time that washed up bum Jeter got a hit.

.392

[111] I detected some Sergio Romo in his slider

Robertson better be warming.

Anyone seeing what Hamilton is doing today?

Hurry back Joba.

I hate Soriano

[120] An 8 ball and a bottle of Jim Beam? I stand corrected. Wow.

Anyone seeing what Hamilton is doing today?

Amazing.  Looks like he won’t get another PA though.

Not sure why you pull Nova at 93 pitches.

4 homers and a double for Hamilton. WOW

Not sure why you pull Nova at 93 pitches.

IF (INNING = 8) THEN GOTO 8th inning guy

Actually, I think it was the right move.  Nova was visibly shaky last inning and you’d be asking him to go through the order for the fourth time.

Great slider from Rafa.

thurm - hilarious

I would like Robertson here against Scott

126—against first place Orioles pitching, that’s what really makes it impressive!

I was following for my fantasy team on stattracker, kept thinking it was a replay, hamilton homers, andrus scores 4 times.

Damn.

Wow, Hambone has tied the record. IIRC he’s a single short of tying the record for most bases in a game.

[125] this is great. We were just complaining about Girardi leaving Nova in for the 7th, now he should not have pulled him for the 8th. We are truly reaching great heights of complaining.

[134] To be fair to my complaint, I missed the 7th inning complaining.

Hasn’t Jim Joyce done enough to usher in Robot umps already?

Love the whatever shrug by Rothchild. Rewind.

I miss Roberston. I miss Mo. I hate Soriano

I don’t like that fastball in call.  Not in this bandbox.

I miss Sparky and Mendoza.

[138] If Mo, then Soriano in the 7th.

I miss 2009 Phil Hughes and regular season Flash Gordon.

It would be fitting if Robertson’s first appearance as the Closer™ were to feature the kind of situation for which Closers™ were invented.

OTOH, four or five insurance runs here would, all in all, be preferable….

I don’t miss Felix Heredia, Gabe White or Wayne Franklin.

I miss lots of runs.

4 contract year homers and a contract year double for Hamilton. WOW

FTFY

McGee is throwing gas.

Nice AB by A-Rod, especially considering what McGee was throwing up there.

Looked like Nuney out there

Well played BJ. That my friends is how Dave Winfield scorched the ball BITD.

Can’t wait to see how Cano and Teix farns this up.

Please, like McGee wouldn’t fan Teix on three pitches.

Free pass to the dangerous Mark Teixeira?

Nice to see Danny Duffy backing up his good start against the Yankees with a shit show vs. Boston.

I assume they are just flipping Teix around to the left side, putting on the shift, and awaiting the inevitable grounder into the teeth of it?

I call a grounder to the right side.

Leiter - Madden is unconventional for wanting Teix to bat LH.

I think Leiter is high.

WTFarns just happened?

I think that’s a grounder.

Defying the skeptics and h8rs Tex cranks—oh—that says “shallow” right…..anybody wanna paint me a picture?

It snuck over the first baseman’s head.

The nice thing for the Rays fan is that even though the correct strategy backfired, Madden won’t over-react and completely give up on it.

Last Yankee I hated was Mondesi.  Not fond of Woemack or Curtis.

Tex introduces himself to the third base coach

This game has become…enjoyable.

anybody wanna paint me a picture?

Looked like a breaking pitch that Teixeira lined sharply that hit pretty close to the line halfway between Pena and the RF.  It was hit well, shockingly.

Wow - all night Kay and Leiter have been all over Madden. Making jokes about the shift (“What do we count as a shift?” “Would he be able to be a mad scientist in a larger market?”)

I would trade Binder for Madden (assuming the Yankees forced him to get non-hipster glasses) in a heartbeat.

Well guys, looks like the missus is pregnant with twins.

I announced my engagement on this very site 5 years ago. I wonder if I can find that thread.

You suck Nick. I hate you.

[167] Maddon was wearing those glasses before they were cool, man.

Would it be worth it at all in a situation like that just to send Swisher up the RH so they can’t do that shift?

Congratulations WJ. I remember the announcement. It will make it very hard for you to worry about Mo in the following months, but it is worthy.

[168] Congrats! Please keep us posted on any “These diapers are NOT clean!” emails that result.

It will make it very hard for you to worry about Mo in the following months

Nothing will be able to stop my worrying about Mo.

Wow, congrats WJ! Guess you have a lot of chores ahead of you.

[168] Congrats!

If D-Rob strikes out the side he will be my 2nd favorite player

edit: Playing hard to get, I see

Great ceremonial first pitch there. Similar to Soriano’s in the 8th.

I wonder if I can find that thread.

Congrats.  Check the old site (replacementlevel.com).

I miss Mariano from the season where he pitched two innings every game behind Wetteland.
That was the best.  No getting better than that.
Well, there was that one season by… wasn’t it Jim Kern?..

168 double your pleasure, double your fun.  Congrats!

[168] - Congrats!  And get sleep now while you can…

so this Rhymes guy is, like, 29, white, little guy, career minor leaguer—gotta figure they call him “Busta” in the clubhouse….

whoa! congratulations!

WJ, congratulations!
Does your wife come post for you when you have baby duty?

180-Mike Marshall. 74 I think.
WJ may Mo bless all of yiz. ( he will ) He does it for all of us.

Robertson has them just where he wants them.

One more D-Rob.

Robertson is so very, very cool.

Jim Kern in 1979, it seems.

All by design. Robertson wanted Pena.

Squeeze? What sayeth GD about those calls?

No likey

Congrats WJ.  Twins means they’ll always have someone to pitch BP.

OK, this sitch is making me fraidy-scared.

[189] That season must have been ridiculous. Almost a starter’s worth of presumably high leverage innings.

Pena is a terrible off-speed hitter.  Just pepper him with junk, DRob.

Phew.  Great job D-Rob.

Fun game.

Aaaaaand, exhale.

I fucking love this kid

[194]
Zero predictive power, but utterly awe-inspiring.

High Socks for Pena eff Yous.