I hate the Orioles. Not as much as I hate the Red Sox, but I definitely harbor no love for the O’s. Why expend any energy disliking a last place team? Because they’re always a nuisance to the Yanks. That, and they seemingly lay down for the Sox. It’s quite frustrating when the Yanks drop two of three to the birds, but the Sox steamroll them. That hasn’t been the case, at least in regards to the Yanks, since the first series of this year, but they’re pests nonetheless.
Jeremy Guthrie, taking the hill for the O’s tonight, has not been his old self this season. Well, maybe he has been his old self, which would be the problem. A 2002 draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, Guthrie spent four full seasons in the Indians system, disappointing most of the way. He did pitch well at AAA in 2006, but got lit up at the major league level, when he pitched mostly in relief.
Fed up with his lack of results, the Indians designated Guthrie for assignment in January of 2007 to make room for…Trotsky Nixon. The Orioles plucked him, and he’s been a staple in their rotation ever since. He stormed onto the scene in 2007, pitching 175.1 innings to a 3.70 ERA, and followed that up with 190.2 innings of 3.63 ERA ball. This year hasn’t been kind to him, though.
Guthrie has pitched 154 innings to date, and leads the league in two categories: home runs and earned runs allowed. Not exactly the most sterling distinctions. The home runs are the particular killer, though his strikeout has steadily decreased over the past three seasons, and sits at just 5.1 per nine innings this season. According to FanGraphs he’s lost about a half mile per hour on his fastball and slider this year. Tough to say if it’s a cause and effect situation, but Guthrie has been going to his fastball a bit less this season than in the past, while going to the changeup more (that’s been a three-year trend for him).
Fortunately for Guthrie, he missed the Yanks the past time around, but he did get the Sox twice. Neither of which was a good start. He’s faced the Yanks three times this season. The first, on Opening Day, he allowed three runs in six innings. He also put up that line on May 8, surrendering all three runs in the first inning, on A-Rod’s return homer. His final start against the Yanks came just a few weeks later, and it was ug-ly: 7 IP, 5 ER, 2 K, 3 BB, 3 HR. Guthrie’s ERA after that game, 5.37, is just about where he sits now (5.26).
The Yanks well send Andy Pettitte, second half powerhouse, to the hill this evening. Other than a tough ending to his start against the Red Sox last week, Pettite has been nothing but stellar this August. He’ll look to cap the month with another notch in the win column. It’s a shame he doesn’t have two more of those, as he pitched superbly in two no-decisions against the Red Sox and Mariners. Pettitte has five no decisions since the start of June, and he’s allowed three runs or fewer in each of them. Times have been good for A.P.
Just a couple of notes before the game. Gritt Girtner is going to take BP tomorrow, and could hit Scranton for a mini rehab assignment on Thursday. Here’s to hoping for his speedy return. Also, Girardi mentioned that the Yanks will recall a few players when rosters expand tomorrow: “more than two pitchers” and “a couple” of position players, according to PeteAbe. That’ll be Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Pena on the position player end for sure. As for the pitchers, the two will be Melancon and Albaladejo. The “more than”? Anthony Claggett, Edwar Ramirez, and Mike Dunn are on the 40-man roster. The first two sound like the most likely options, but I’d love to see Dunn up in the Bronx.
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Hideki Matsui, DH
5. Jorge Posada, C
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Nick Swisher, RF
8. Jerry Hairston, 3B
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
And on the mound, number forty-six, Andy Pettitte