Orioles vs. Yankees Aug31 - Sept2

[montrealer]

Several years ago someone started Yankees series threads during Sept. where we could critic them more closely. Thought I would give it a shot to see if there's any interest in doing so.

That being said .........this series has all the drama of a real pennant race..........unless of course we sweep..........

[babeloujoeand mick]

A sweep would definitely be nice here.

[montrealer]

It would be devastating to the O's but it gives those pesky Tigers a boost.....

[oneill96]

If we are going to do it, no better time than now!

[JohnnyDamonfan]

I would be just as happy with a two out of three from the O'S. Then we'd be 5 games in front instead of 3. I know very small step but, I would be happy with anything more then the Yankees getting swept or us just winning one game. Anything less then taking 2 out of 3 is Unacceptable.

[Bub]

I would be just as happy with a two out of three from the O'S. Then we'd be 5 games in front instead of 3. I know very small step but, I would be happy with anything more then the Yankees getting swept or us just winning one game. Anything less then taking 2 out of 3 is Unacceptable.

2 of 3 only increases the lead by 1 game, not 2. Still, a 4 game lead on September 3 is pretty good.

[sweet_lou_14]

In a series like this, Job 1 is to make sure you don't get swept. Just one win in each of their two series against Baltimore would guarantee that the Orioles can't win the division without help.

Especially with a depleted lineup, Hiroki Kuroda is going to be the most important guy on the field tonight, if not all weekend. We need him to continue to pitch like an ace ... a nice, clean win that saves the bullpen would set the right tone for the rest of the series.

Go Yankees.

[BRNXBMRS]

I havent been psyched up for a game against Baltimore in a looongg time, Go yanks!!!

[Yankee Tripper]

In a series like this, Job 1 is to make sure you don't get swept. Just one win in each of their two series against Baltimore would guarantee that the Orioles can't win the division without help.

I don't like playing not to lose.

Win the next 3 series and every thing setups just fine.

[BroadwayBomber55]

The pressure is definitely on the Yankees to win this series.

The Orioles come in with nothing to lose just like last season.

Even if the O's don't win this series, they can say down the road, "that one series that we lost really hurt our chances of getting a playoff berth, but it is still a great season for us."

But Buck Showalter and the Birds want to prove that their September run last season was no fluke.

As for the Yankees, we need this series win to build momentum in the month of September. This is where you play your absolute best baseball to get in the playoffs.

[sweet_lou_14]

I don't like playing not to lose.

What does that even mean?

Win the next 3 series and every thing setups just fine.

Well, exactly. Win the next three series and they've probably got a 5-game lead or better over both teams, which will be very difficult for either of them to overcome.

All I'm saying is, Kuroda's start tonight is the most important game. If the Yankees lose tonight, it makes it a hell of a lot harder to win the series.

Win tonight and the Yankees avoid the worst case (sweep), breathe easier, and go out there and take the series, maybe even pull off a sweep themselves.

[montrealer]

Take tonight and worst case scenario is gone......

[ymike673]

If the Yankees can take 2 out of 3 from the O's this weekend and then take 2 out of 3 from the Rays and at least split the 4 games series in Baltimore we should be allright.

[Yankee Tripper]

What does that even mean?

Going in thinking winning 1 out 3 is OK because they didn't get swept is a bad mentality is what I'm saying.

[StingrayJG]

Going in thinking winning 1 out 3 is OK because they didn't get swept is a bad mentality is what I'm saying.

I agree with this.

I would even go a little further to say that going in thinking that "winning 2 out of 3 is ok" is also a bad approach to the weekend. In doing so as a player or manager, I think you're sort of letting the idea creep into your mindset that it's "ok to lose" one of these games (it's not), and that can possibly come out in your on-field play if you're not careful. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't look upon winning a series 2 out of 3 as a positive thing, but if you win the first two games of a series and then come into the locker room for the Sunday game thinking "ehh, if we win we win, if we don't that's ok too, at least we took the series" that's not the right mental mindset to have before a game. I would hope that situation would make them hungry for the sweep rather than starting to think "the job is already done for the weekend, we took the series."
Again, I have no proof that this kind of attitude exists or happens and I hope very much that it doesn't, this is just an example of what I hope doesn't happen.

[sweet_lou_14]

I agree with this.

I would even go a little further to say that going in thinking that "winning 2 out of 3 is ok" is also a bad approach to the weekend. In doing so as a player or manager, I think you're sort of letting the idea creep into your mindset that it's "ok to lose" one of these games (it's not), and that can possibly come out in your on-field play if you're not careful. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't look upon winning a series 2 out of 3 as a positive thing, but if you win the first two games of a series and then come into the locker room for the Sunday game thinking "ehh, if we win we win, if we don't that's ok too, at least we took the series" that's not the right mental mindset to have before a game. I would hope that situation would make them hungry for the sweep rather than starting to think "the job is already done for the weekend, we took the series."
Again, I have no proof that this kind of attitude exists or happens and I hope very much that it doesn't, this is just an example of what I hope doesn't happen.

I'm glad that you're acknowledging that there's no evidence the players or the manager have an attitude that it's OK to lose games. Nobody is suggesting they should.

The only scenario in which I could even conceive a team thinking this way is if they have very low magic number, or a lead in a playoff series, where it is literally true that the team only needs to win one of the next two or three games. There are almost certainly cases in history where a manager made decisions (mostly around the use of pitchers) designed to maximize the team's chances of winning a future game at the expense of the team's chances in the current or next game, though I can't think of one off-hand. I can't imagine a manager admitting to such a strategy, at least not in today's game.

But getting back to this weekend, when I say Kuroda's pitching tonight is very important and the Yankees should be very motivated to win Game 1, I don't see how that goes against the idea of winning every night. Nobody's saying they should try to lose tomorrow if they win tonight.

And besides, whatever might be said or felt by fans on a message board is entirely irrelevant to what goes on in the clubhouse. If we win tonight, we as fans can breath a small sigh of relief, but that doesn't mean the team can act like it's mission accomplished.

[BroadwayBomber55]

I agree with this.

I would even go a little further to say that going in thinking that "winning 2 out of 3 is ok" is also a bad approach to the weekend. In doing so as a player or manager, I think you're sort of letting the idea creep into your mindset that it's "ok to lose" one of these games (it's not), and that can possibly come out in your on-field play if you're not careful. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't look upon winning a series 2 out of 3 as a positive thing, but if you win the first two games of a series and then come into the locker room for the Sunday game thinking "ehh, if we win we win, if we don't that's ok too, at least we took the series" that's not the right mental mindset to have before a game. I would hope that situation would make them hungry for the sweep rather than starting to think "the job is already done for the weekend, we took the series."
Again, I have no proof that this kind of attitude exists or happens and I hope very much that it doesn't, this is just an example of what I hope doesn't happen.

Yanks are overdue for another series winning sweep. They haven't had it since July 16-18 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

[Yankee Tripper]

But getting back to this weekend, when I say Kuroda's pitching tonight is very important and the Yankees should be very motivated to win Game 1, I don't see how that goes against the idea of winning every night. Nobody's saying they should try to lose tomorrow if they win tonight.

This is very diffrent from you're opening post that I first responded to.
I would agree Kuroda winning (or going deep with low run total) is key.

I was just responding that "winning one game in each series" would be enough that Balitmore wouldn't control their own desitny is a bad attitude. For players or fans. Just my opinion.

[sweet_lou_14]

This is very diffrent from you're opening post that I first responded to.
I would agree Kuroda winning (or going deep with low run total) is key.

I was just responding that "winning one game in each series" would be enough that Balitmore wouldn't control their own desitny is a bad attitude. For players or fans. Just my opinion.

Your characterization of my statement as an "attitude" might be where the problem lies. It's not an attitude, just a statement of mathematical fact. If the Yankees go 2-4 against Baltimore the rest of the way, they lose 2 games in the standings and cling to a 1-game lead. So two wins is the mathematical floor for the Yankees to still control their own destiny.

I never said the Yankees (or the fans) should be satisfied with that, much less that they should (if such a thing were even possible) actually aim for that.

[Yankee Tripper]

So two wins is the mathematical floor for the Yankees to still control their own destiny.

Only with respect to Baltimore though.

We're all Yankee fans here so cheers. Sorry if I implied you had a bad attitude, not my intention at all. I'm a big fan of most of your posts. I must just be a grumpy mood ahead of the 3 day weekend. 5 oclock can't come fast enough it seems.

[sweet_lou_14]

Only with respect to Baltimore though.

Then you're going to love this ... against Tampa, over whom they have a five-game lead in the loss column, they only have to go 1-5 to control their destiny!

But seriously, they can't go 1-5 against Tampa AND 2-4 against Baltimore and still control their destiny over both teams. I'm just sayin', 5 games (or even 3 games) is actually a lot to make up, even with 6 games remaining head-to-head. And if the Yankees do what they should -- namely, take 4 of 6 from Baltimore and even 3 of 6 from Tampa -- they will be in very good shape.

We're all Yankee fans here so cheers. Sorry if I implied you had a bad attitude, not my intention at all. I'm a big fan of most of your posts. I must just be a grumpy mood ahead of the 3 day weekend. 5 oclock can't come fast enough it seems.

Not a problem at all!

[sweet_lou_14]

So like I was saying, just don't get swept.

[-tz]

The Yankees have officially brought up six players now that they have the ability to expand their roster for the month of September. C Francisco Cervelli, SS Eduardo Nunez, OF Chris Dickerson, RHP Adam Warren, RHP Cory Wade and LHP Justin Thomas were all in the Yankees clubhouse this morning. Ramiro Pena was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Dickerson.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2012/09/0...mber-call-ups/

Will these moves help us against the Birds?

Nunez is starting at DH today, by the way.

[JfromJersey]

Last night i was at the game. I've been to more games than i can count but not since the moribund late 60s and early 70s, have we ever left a game down by 4 runs after the 8th inning.
Call me a bogus fan if you will, but there was absolutely zero confidence in this team staging a ninth inning rally, and judging by the mass exodus that accompanied me, this feeling must have been rampant. Maybe it's my naturally pessimistic nature kicking in, but it's getting depressing watching this team right now.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Last night i was at the game. I've been to more games than i can count but not since the moribund late 60s and early 70s, have we ever left a game down by 4 runs after the 8th inning.
Call me a bogus fan if you will, but there was absolutely zero confidence in this team staging a ninth inning rally, and judging by the mass exodus that accompanied me, this feeling must have been rampant. Maybe it's my naturally pessimistic nature kicking in, but it's getting depressing watching this team right now.

Hey, it's never too late in the season to see the Yankees staging a ninth inning rally and win the ballgame.

Watch every pitch or you'll miss everything.