The Boston Red Sox lost to the Atlanta Braves tonight by a score of 9-4. The Red Sox's lead over the Yankees is now down to eight games (seven in the loss column).
The Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Nationals by a score of 9-8. The Tigers' lead over the Yankees is now at four games.
News is pretty quiet on the Yankees' front.
Jack Curry of The New York Times agrees with me that the Jason Giambi injury was rather beneficial.
When Manager Joe Torre was asked Sunday to pinpoint when he thought the Yankees started turning it around, he mentioned Giambi’s being placed on the disabled list with a torn left plantar fascia on June 1.It appears to me as if they are stalling. I wonder what will happen if and when he comes back this year. Last year, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui came off the disabled list and the end of the year, which took playing time away from Melky Cabrera. I hope they milk the Giambi injury for as long as possible. One can't argue with results.
“You hate to say this,” Torre said. “A big part of it was when Giambi went on the disabled list. At least you knew he wasn’t available.”
Without Giambi, the Yankees are 13-3 and have scored 6.9 runs a game. With Giambi, the Yankees were 22-29 and averaged 5.3 runs. After Giambi went on the disabled list, Torre moved Johnny Damon and his wobbly legs from center field to designated hitter and inserted the energetic Melky Cabrera in center. Also, Bobby Abreu, Robinson Canó and Hideki Matsui, left-handed hitters who were slumping, have contributed more.
The Yankees initially said Giambi would miss at least five weeks. General Manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that there was no new timetable. Giambi said he would have another magnetic resonance imaging test this week, but Cashman said it had not yet been scheduled (source).
3 comments:
I think the only thing that would be helpful when/if Giambi comes back would be to shove Damon at first base. At least until Mientkiewicz (never typing that again) comes back. Then you have Giambi's (overpriced) bat, Damon's lead-off ability, and Melky's center-fielding all in the mix. Hopefully once Giambi's healthy he won't be dead weight mid-line up anymore. And if Melky just gets a little more patient--btw is anyone working with him on that?--he'll be a much better hitter.
To be honest, though, Cairo has impressed me. He's no longer the automatic out I anticpated he'd be. If only Wil Nieves could have a repeat of the game he had a few weeks ago against the Angels. He was 2 for 2 with 2 RBI and a walk. So he CAN hit. He just needs to do it. Which has nothing to do wit your post, so I'll be shutting up now.
There are so many clogs on this roster when everyone comes back. It'll be best for everyone if Giambi doesn't come back.
It's awful to say, but I agree with you. But I've never been the biggest Giambi fan. He tends to be a good hitter, when he's not sick or broken, which hasn't been often since he's been with the Yankees, but I've just never been impressed with him on the whole. He's not a great 1st baseman--I'd actually take Phelps over him--so all you can do with him is having him as a DH.
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