Liveblog 26: Come On, Javy

I recently realized that the Yankees are 14-5 in the regular season when I liveblog their games, a .739 winning percentage. Their record when I don't blog during that time span is 293-205, a mere .588 clip. They also happen to have won the last five straight games I've blogged, including the playoffs. Javier Vazquez has struggled mightily in his return to the Yankees this season, the only blemish on an otherwise (mostly) sparkling run of success by the rotation so far. Let's see if some of my magic can rub off on him, and get that percentage up to an even .750. I'll be back later.

Top 1 -The game was postponed thanks to rain. How about that? It was pushed to tomorrow, so I may or may not end up blogging about it. In either case, there will be a new post about some dumb science fiction movie before noon.

And we're back! Same starting pitchers as last night, so the only difference is an 18 hour delay before the first pitch. Will anyone see this with the Star Trek: Generations post at the top of the page? Would anyone have seen it anyway? Who knows! Rick Porcello is pitching for the Tigers. He was this close to falling to the Yankees in the 2007 draft, but the Tigers snatched him and he pitched pretty well last year. Not so hot this year, though. Derek Jeter chops a ball into the ground and gets thrown out at first. Brett Gardner basically does the same thing. Mark Teixeira grounds out as well, and Porcello gets out of the inning in just ten pitches. Great job, guys.

Bottom 1 - Austin Jackson hits first for the Tigers. He was a Yankees prospect that they traded for Curtis Granderson. Since he's second in the league in hitting and Granderson is on the Disabled List, that deal doesn't look very good for the Yanks right now. But Jackson is striking out a ton and has been phenomenally lucky with the batting average so far, so I suspect that it will look pretty even by the end of the season. He flies out to left. After the Yanks decided to skip Andy Pettitte's start thanks to his sore elbow this week, they moved Vazquez' start from Monday to yesterday, with the reasoning that it would line him up to start the upcoming series against the Mets in Citi Field. They want to do this, according to Michael Kay, because he has experience hitting. Let's ignore that three of the Yankees other four starters have spent at least half a season pitching in the National League for a second, and just laugh at that. Right, you're starting Vazquez against the Mets because of his hitting, and not because it will be an NL lineup complete with a pitcher in the ninth spot. I totally believe that. Johnny Damon and Magglio Ordonez both struck out while I was typing.

Top 2 - Alex Rodriguez hits into a ground ball out on the first pitch. Seriously, guys. Robinson Cano hits one up the middle for the Yankees' first hit. That's good, but I'd like someone to put the ball in the air some time. Jorge Posada obliges, although it ends up as a harmless fly ball to Jackson. Nick Swisher up. He fouls off a good strike one and watches a questionable strike two. The next ball is fouled directly off catcher Gerald Laird's mask. A couple more fouls, and he hits a single to right field, moving Cano to third. Randy Winn, who's been useless so far besides a home run against Baltimore that decided the game, walks on four pitches. Bases loaded for Ramiro Pena. He hits a fly ball that Jackson gets too easily. It appears Pena's luck in that situation is coming to an end, but Porcello looked vulnerable there.

Bottom 2 - Miguel Cabrera hits a ground ball near Jeter, who makes the play seem more difficult than it should have been but gets the out. Brennan Boesch pops out to Posada, two down. Vazquez' fastball looks a bit better today. At least he's not consistently hitting 87. He started Brandon Inge 0-2 but the count has gone full. Strikes him out on a nice slider though, second inning over.

Top 3 - One pitch, one ground ball for Jeter. His numbers looked fine as recently as the last time I liveblogged, but not a great season so far. Not walking, tons of ground balls. Gardner walks on four pitches. He steals on a 2-0 strike to Teixeira. He's quite fast. Tex grounds out, moving Gardner to third with two down. A-Rod hits a fly ball pretty deep to right, but Boesch catches it. He really hasn't gone on a year yet, but the team is still doing great in general, which is nice.

Bottom 3 - Ramon Santiago pops out to Winn in left. Laird hits one that Jeter makes a valiant effort on, but Tex can't make the scoop and it's a base hit. Adam Everett mimics Santiago. Reliably good shortstop, reliably bad hitter. Jackson strikes out on some high heat as Laird takes off for second, inning over. Kay calls it a pitcher's duel, but I think Porcello looks close to cracking.

Top 4 - Another weak ground out by a Yankee hitter. Cano was unbelievable in April but not so much in May. Inge drops a foul ball by Posada. He tried to make a basket catch but it didn't go so hot. Posada makes them pay with a double to right field. Nice. Swisher looks overmatched as he strikes out on a fastball. Bit worse of an at bat by Winn, as he takes five pitches to draw a walk this time. Pena takes a high slider for a called strike and a foul ball puts him in the hole. Another high fastball and another strikeout. Kay is still complementing Porcello, but I fail to see how six base runners and a ball that was five feet from a home run in the last three innings is particularly impressive.

Bottom 4 - This is about when Vazquez has usually started sucking this year. We'll see if he can buck the trend. Damon hits a soft line drive right at Jeter. Two pitches later and Ordonez grounds out to Teixeira. Cabrera flies out to center, and Vazquez has only needed 47 pitches for four crisp innings.

Top 5 - They just played a new commercial that happens to feature the last song from Nick Drake's final album. It was about cell phones. Okay. Jeter again, and Damon makes a nice running catch on a long fly ball. Gardner quickly grounds out. Another chopper from Teixeira, but the throw beats him to the bag. Damn quick game.

Bottom 5 - Boesch battles Vazquez, but he strikes out on a changeup. Inge fails to atone for his error with a ground ball to Pena at third. Santiago walks, as Javier doesn't seem quite as sharp as he did earlier. Laird walks on four pitches. Uh oh. He comes back with a strikeout on Everett on three pitches though, disaster averted.

Top 6 - A-Rod sees a few pitches but grounds out to short. One pitch is all it takes for Cano to hit one to second. Posada rolls one over too. Woah Vazquez is already pitching again and he

Bottom 6 - allows a single to Jackson. Damon lines one to right, Jackson moves to third. Great. Two former Yankees starting a rally. Ordonez grounds into a fielder's choice, but the run scores. Tigers take a 1-0 lead. Cabrera singles to left. Hoo-boy. Boesch just misses a home run foul. Another single through the infield and another run in. Inge finally hits one that finds an infielder for an easy double play. But I'm afraid the damage is done.

Top 7 - Swisher knocks one off Porcello's shoulder, but it bounces right to a fielder and he's out anyway. Just the kind of luck I expect in this game. Winn reaches base for the third time with a single. Pena fairly promptly grounds into a double play. Is there anything this guy can't not hit?

Bottom 7 - And Vazquez reaches the seventh inning for the first time this season. Let's see if he can get through it. Santiago flies out to center. Gerald Laird works a full count, but lines out to left field. Automatic Everett's second strikeout of the day ends what may or may not be the last inning of Vazquez's best start this year, though unfortunately it will be another loss unless the Yankees can remember what a hit with runners in scoring position is.

Top 8 - Derek Jeter lines out to a diving Santiago. Fantastic. Gardner lines out to center. Oh, by the way, Ryan Perry's been pitching this inning. Teixeira watches strike three on the outside corner, three up, three down.

Bottom 8 - Boone Logan takes over, and gets Jackson to fly out. Damon Strikes out with nary a ball. Ordonez grounds out, nice job by Logan.

Top 9 - Jose Valverde on the mound, last shot for the Yankees. A-Rod grounds out and Cano flies out. Posada draws a gritty walk to give Swisher a chance. Kevin Russo pinch runs for him and takes second on ball one. Swisher strikes out on a slider though. Game over.

Wrap-Up - I think this is the first time the Yankees have been shut out all year. Damn. My magic worked on Vazquez, but not the team, and they drop their third straight game, another bad first this season I think. They'll have a chance to bounce back in game 2 tonight.