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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Twins (4-8) @ Yankees (6-6), Thursday, April 19, 7:05pm

MIN: Anthony Swarzak (26, RHP, 0-2, 3.75) vs. NYY: Phil Hughes (26, RHP, 0-2, 9.00)
Lineups
2011 Boston Red Sox*
Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Gonzalez, 1B
Youkilis, 3B
Ortiz, DH
Drew, RF
Lowrie, SS
Crawford, LF
Varitek, C

1899 Cleveland Spiders
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
A-Rod 3B
Cano DH
Teixeira 1B
Swisher RF
Ibanez LF
Martin C
Nunez 2B

Technically, this game is only one of 162, and should probably have a minimal impact on the Yankees’ final record.  Despite that, with the Yankees already having dropped two of three home games to one of the worst teams in the league it really feels like a game they need to win. 

In addition to that, Phil Hughes might be pitching for his job tonight, which has significance beyond this single game.  Even if he pitches well I’ll just assume it was because he was pitching against the Twins, but that didn’t seem to help Freddy Garcia or Hiroki Kuroda or even CC Sabathia all that much, so maybe it would be a good sign after all.  As a flyball pitcher, Hughes should benefit from having Raul Ibanez behind him instead of Brett Gardner.

After this game the Yankees will embark on a six day road trip to play Boston and then Texas, and then return home to face Detroit for three games. A loss tonight puts the Yankees at 6-7.  Would it be surprising to see the Yankees go 0 for 6 against the Red Sox and Rangers?  No, the Red Sox aren’t playing well so far this year, but they weren’t playing well at this time last year and the Yankees went into Fenway and turned their season around for them.  At least until September.

Oh, also, it looks like Justin Verlander would be lined up to pitch the first game of that Tigers series on Friday, April 27. 

Can you say 6-14?

*the Yankees are not actually playing the 2011 Red Sox.  This is a sarcastic reference that the Twins are the best team since the 1927 Yankees given the way they have played against the Yankees so far in this series, with the added benefit of reliving the fact that the 2011 Red Sox turned out to not be the best team since the 1927 Yankees.