Big League Stew - MLB

A few quick news & notes from the Yankees setting the wrong kind of records in a 22-4 loss to the Indians on the first Saturday afternoon in their new home.   

• The Indians scored 14 runs on 13 hits in the top of the second inning. Both set a record for Yankee opponents. Also, Cleveland's side lasted 37 minutes and brought 17 batters to the plate. Each member of the lineup scored at least once during the turn. 

• Led by Mark DeRosa (6) and Asdrubal Cabrera (5), five different Indians had a multi-RBI day. Four other batters drove one run in. Ben Francisco was the only Cleveland starter not to get in on the RBI game (he left six runners on base), but he did go 2-for-5 while scoring three runs. [Box Score]

• In case you need confirmation that scoring that many runs is as fun as it looks, here it is: "No one cared how long the inning was," said Mark DeRosa, who was 4-for-7 with a homer. "When you're getting hits and scoring runs, you'll stay at the park all day." [Plain Dealer]

• Are you a fan of line graphs that dive, sputter and die? Then check out the Yankees'  win probability from the game, inning by inning. [FanGraphs]

• As disappointing as the loss was, Yankees fans should be more concerned with the performance of starter Chien-Ming Wang, who now sports a 34.50 ERA and a 4.83 WHIP after three disastrous starts to begin the year. He has allowed 23 earned runs over a combined six innings against the Orioles, Rays and Indians. He's out of minor league options, so the best the Yankees can do is skip his next start and then hope he pitches well enough upon his return to restore the confidence of his teammates.

"We have six losses on the year right now and [Wang's] got three of them," Johnny Damon said. "And in all three of those games, we've been blown out and we've had to go to our bullpen. So maybe our bullpen's not sharp the following days. So I don't know what more to say, but hopefully he can figure it out because it'd be tough to keep on going like this." [NY Post]

• The NY Post headline this morning reads "STINKEES!" but our own David Brown brings up a good point: Wouldn't "STANKEES!" have made for a better tag? [NY Post]

• The blowout even silenced the pots of Freddy Sez. [New Stadium Insider]

• Finally, what is it about playing the Yankees that brings out the blowout best in the Indians? As I followed Saturday's game via cellphone updates, the only thing I could think about was, "Haven't I seen this before?" Turns out that, yes, I have. On Aug. 31, 2004, the Tribe shut out the Yankees 22-0 for the worst loss in team history. (Check out the scoreboard below for proof.) Then, on July 4, 2006, the Indians beat the Yankees 19-1 in Cleveland. We playing baseball or softball here, gentlemen?

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173 Comments

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  1. Army of Darkness
    1. Posted by Army of Darkness Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:59 pm EDT

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    That's pathetic. Even if you are a Red Sox fan, you have to hate to see these types of loses by the Yankees. Who wants their rival to be this bad? Who do you blame this one? The players? The manager? Steiny and friends? Apparently all-star casts don't work that well together.
  2. senor sick ill nasty youngball jr.
    2. Posted by senor sick ill nasty youngball jr. Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

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    second.hilarious
  3. Bob J
    3. Posted by Bob J Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    Theres not one person to blame. There is incredible pressure to play for the New York Yankees. This may be caused by the huge budget, the gigantic fan base or the expectations for a championship. The bottom line is that if there are high expectations for a pitcher, and he can't handle it he will get crushed.
  4. raythemanf
    4. Posted by raythemanf Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    it's one game. Baseball has no momentum carried from one game to the next. Wang is just terrible right now. Burnett will be fine today and the yanks will have a great chance to win. I love how people like to overblow bad games. Yes it was a terrible game, but thats baseball.
  5. ppppppo
    5. Posted by ppppppo Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Red Sox would have laughed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ma ha ha ha ha
  6. sciotrader
    6. Posted by sciotrader Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:07 pm EDT

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    Torre would've said....If you lose 5-4 it still hurts. I wouldn't get too concerned at this early stage. Moves will be made I assure you. Personally I think Hughes is coming up and Joba will head to the pen. Wang obviously isn't over his foot problems yet OR...something is up with his mechanics. A guy wining 19 games two years running and is 0-3...something is up.
    I bet serious money they're comparing tape of this year to those other years for problems AND the doctors are looking into him for bone issues.
  7. rs_board_monster
    7. Posted by rs_board_monster Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:55 pm EDT

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    Go rays!!
  8. James B
    8. Posted by James B Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    great to see the yanks go down. Amazing it don't matter how much money you spend if you aint got the horses in the bullpen to stop the bleeding. JedEye and Shoota are morons by the way.
  9. The Fighting 54s
    9. Posted by The Fighting 54s Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:02 pm EDT

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    the yankees bullpen isn't the problem james b, i think damon hit the nail on the head; the bullpen has been pretty damn good... these three losses were all wang. they blew that royals game but you can't chalk wang's catastrophes up to the bullpen. when you need relievers to pitch 7 or 8 innings a game, they're bound to wear down.
  10. Heywood Jablowme
    10. Posted by Heywood Jablowme Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    GOOOOOOO TRIBEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Yankess suck!
  11. eric
    11. Posted by eric Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    I know this was just one game but scores like that are not suppose to happen in baseball the yanks will not win a pennant anytime soon i think there are some hidden issues with the yanks GO TRIBE!!!!!!!!!
  12. Heywood Jablowme
    12. Posted by Heywood Jablowme Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    Im sooooooooo happy to see the Yankees spend all that money every year on NOTHING and NOBODY!!!! Maybe thats why the tickets are sooooooo expensive behind the plate.Hey Yankee fans keep spending and making that front office richer!!!!!!!!!!!!
  13. bigboo's bro
    13. Posted by bigboo's bro Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Edubb, as a recovering Yankee fan, there aren't hidden issues anymore. These guys are gutless and just don't care. This is the product of the "we are all stars, so who cares how we play" culture that took over post-2001 with the acquisitions of the A-Frauds, the Kevin Browns, the Giambis, the Sheffields. Does anyone out there really think the Yankees didn't know about the 'roiders they were signing?
    To borrow an ad jingle, all I can say is "Da-Dah-Da-Da-Dah!!! I'm loving it." Stymied after 2 innings by the Pavano today, and when the Pavano has more desire and intensity than you do, wow!!!
  14. Gregory S
    14. Posted by Gregory S Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    The days of Yankee pride are over. The players they have now are just grabbing whatever millions they can make. This loss couldn't have happened to a more desering group of big shots.
  15. The Unsilent Majority
    15. Posted by The Unsilent Majority Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:01 pm EDT

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    I'd be more worried about Wang's confidence than about how many runs you lost by. As a previous poster said, losing by 1 is no better than losing by 18 when it comes down to it.
  16. barry a
    16. Posted by barry a Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    i think you have to blame babe ruth,the city torn down his stadium,and the babe is mad as hell,and he's not going to take it anymore lol
  17. JessicaT
    17. Posted by JessicaT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    I hate the Yankees and love the Indians, but wtf? How does that even happen? The Indians can't win against Texas and can barely scrape together wins against Kansas City and Toronto (in their own field at that) yet they're putting up those kinds of runs against the Yanks? They pick the weirdest times to be good. But hey, go Tribe!
  18. Justin V
    18. Posted by Justin V Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:37 pm EDT

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    yankees suck, world series? i think not, money does not buy your way in and its showing. no bullpen, no starting pitching outside of burnett (who will get hurt) and pettite and cc is sucking it up as usual to start the season off
  19. soxfan
    19. Posted by soxfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    Girardi and his ego will be gone by Mother's Day. Joe Torre has got to be loving this! If this stadium turns out to be a pitchers nightmare as some are suggesting, and the Y's can't attract top pitchers as a result, this will doom the empire. Go Sox.
  20. teachr188x
    20. Posted by teachr188x Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:59 pm EDT

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    I think the ghosts stayed across the street.
  21. terryann3
    21. Posted by terryann3 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:31 pm EDT

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    LOVE IT!!!!!!! Spending all that money!!!!!!!!1
  22. Jordan F
    22. Posted by Jordan F Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:25 pm EDT

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    #4- really? Have you ever watched the playoffs?
  23. mne1205
    23. Posted by mne1205 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:24 pm EDT

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    Just remember the Yankees are the worst team money can buy.
  24. Anrkist
    24. Posted by Anrkist Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    So they spent all that money on a new stadium and that's the scoreboard they use?
  25. gn
    25. Posted by gn Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    Go Tribe!!! It's going to be a long season in NY. Just wait til the rest of the Prima Donnas start complaining about the pitching and how its harming them (too many innings for the bullpen, tougher on fielders playing 4 hour games, tough to catch that long of a game, etc.) They've hit the curb and the wheels are about to come off.

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