June 27, 2006: Atlanta 5, N.Y. Yankees 2
At least that's my theory. The Yanks were flat, flat, flat last night. Except Melky Cabrera, who had a banner night, including a ninth-inning homer. The only one not invited to Derek Jeter's birthday party Monday night?
Yet another no-name pitcher shuts the Yanks down. What really drove me nuts was the impatience. Everyone was swinging like Soriano. Maybe they were in a hurry to go home and sleep it off.
Bubba wasn't even brought in as a LIDR. Perhaps because Bernie was due up in the 9th, and Torre trusted Bernie's bat over Bubba's.
If so, it was the wrong move. Bernie popped up weakly on an 2-0 count. He was 0-for-4 for the night. Not even a walk, which Bubba got the night before. Even hitting from the right, usually Bernie's stronger side, he sucked.
And his defense may have cost us at least two runs. In the 8th, Francoeur golfed a very good pitch by Beam into shallow right field. It dropped in among Damon, Cairo, and Bernie. I think Bubba could have gotten that one. Cano probably could have, too (unfortunately, he's on the DL, so Cairo was in).
Then in the 9th, Chipper Jones hit a line drive to right center for an RBI. Damon fielded it right in front of the 385' sign. Bubba might have gotten that one; Damon almost did, and Bubba's faster. Bernie wasn't even in the picture. Seriously. Usually, when the ball goes toward that section of the field, you see both fielders going for it. Bernie didn't even get close. He wasn't even in the camera view. It looked like Damon was playing both CF and RF by himself.
Righty Smoltz on the mound today for the Braves. It'll be interesting to see if Torre goes with Bubba or Bernie in RF. With groundballer Wang pitching, he may go with Bernie. When Wang is pitching well, few balls get to the OF, so Bernie's terrible D won't matter as much.
I'd still go with Bubba. Wang is an extreme groundballer, but he does get hit for a few fly balls.
