Six Feet Ten Inches of Finally Doing The Business
It's not happened much if at all so far but the Unit finally did what he was brought to New York to do - pitch big in a big game.
Facing the loss of a home series against the front-running Red Sox and badly needing a victory, the Yankees turned to Randy Johnson to do what he is paid for and for a change, Randy Johnson did it, hurling a one-hit no run eight inning performance in leading the Yankees past the Red Sox 1-0, moving them back to three games from the Sox for the AL East lead and keeping them on pace, one and a half games back behind the suddenly-impressive Cleveland Indians.
New York had not beaten the Red Sox 1-0 on a homer since Roy White connected off Jose Santiago on May 11, 1968, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Jason Giambi, still fighting off steroid accusations and living in part, as the laughingstock of baseball, the running joke of Bud Selig's sordid little world, hit a homer off Tim Wakefield in the first inning which proved to be sufficient for the Yankees victory.
The Jason Giambi, Enormous Even Without Steroids, Homers Off Of Wakefield In First
*****
The Indians completed their three game sweep over the Twins last night with a ridiculously easy 12-4 route which kept them ahead of the Yankees and faltering A's in the AL Wildcard chase.
Meanwhile, perhaps even more amazing, the Indians, once double-digits from what everyone assumed was the already-sewn-up AL Central, are the closest they has been to the White Sox since April 20. The Indians have gained 9 1/2 games on the leaders since being 15 back on July 25, going 31-12 during that stretch.
Cliff Lee won his 16th game of the season whilst enjoying an 11-0 lead on Sunday night
Lee (16-4), unbeaten in his last 11 starts, allowed two runs and four hits over six innings. He is 10-1 in 18 starts since June 6 and his .800 overall winning percentage trails only St. Louis' Chris Carpenter (21-4, .840) in the majors.
Indians starters are 7-1 with a 1.81 ERA over the last 11 games
*****NL Race*****
Not much to report.
Pedro defeated the Cardinals to allow the Mets to stay even with the Brewers and Cubs, five and a half games from the NL Wildcard at the bottom of the "remotely realistic" pack.
The Phillies bombed the Marlins 11-1 to move to within one and a half games from the Astros, who lost yet again to the Milwaukee Brewers.
This week the Mets will host the Nationals, the Astros will host the Marlins, the Cubs will host the Reds and the Brewers travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks.
The Marlins are a half game behind the Astros and this series will be even more important than the one they are just leaving in Philadelphia because a two out of three series win in Houston would put them ahead of everyone in the Wild card chase.
*****NFL*****
Big day as the NFL kicked off with it's first full Sunday of games.
There were some big upsets, as there usually are on opening week.
Mark Bolger had a tough day and here he is getting the sack from a high-pressure 49ers defence that made mince meat out of last year's disgusting memories.
The 49ers didn't really hold the St Louis Rams as much as they outlasted them by a 28-25 margin. Bolger was 34-56-352 with a pair of touchdowns and the Rams rolled up 26 first downs and 405 total yards to the 49ers 12 first downs and 217 total yards. The Niners gave up two fumbles whilst the Rams turned the ball over not at all, in fact, statistically, the Rams dominated this game yet somehow, the 49ers managed to win. A shocker indeed but don't expect a pattern, the 49ers are still to be considered one of the worst teams in the league.
*****
Another glaring upset was the Miami Dolphins kicking the Denver Broncos all over Dolphin Stadium to help vindicate the last several years of misery and ring in a new era of success under the always-successful new head coach, Nick Saban. The Dolphins won large, 34-10.
Chris Chambers, who ran for 61 yards on a reverse and woulda had a touchdown had he not stepped on the sideline marker, finished with 5 catches for only 40 yards compard to Booker's 5 catches for 104 yards and a TD but the effort was a team effort, including a highly-ridiculous 11 penalties against them.
Away from home and against a higher quality opponent than the miserable and disppointing Broncos, the Dolphins will have a harder time but make no mistake, Nick Saban will turn this team around.
*****
Another upset of substantial magnitude was the Cowboys 28-24 defeat of the Chargers in San Diego.
Dunkmaster Keyshawn Johnson had two touchdown catches
If you're like me and think the Chargers success last season was largely a fluke based upon a weak schedule, this result doesn't surprise you much, especially since you know that the girdle-wearing fat man Bill Parcells is not going to let a team he coaches play like crap for two seasons in a row.
Drew Bledsoe proved his career ain't over yet and further that he ain't no Vinny Testaverde, by throwing three touchdown passes and becaming the 10th player in NFL history to throw for 40,000 yards.
His counter-Drew, Mr Brees threw two touchdown passes to Keenan McCardell and was intercepted twice. He was 18-of-35 for 209 yards and it won't be long before we prove that he too was a mirage last season, a flash-in-the-pan fluke and Chargers fans can start calling for his expensive back-up to start before the month is over.
San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson , who wants to break Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, was held to 72 yards on 19 carries. He scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter, his 13th straight game with a TD rushing to tie the NFL record held by John Riggins and George Rogers.
But the Cowboys are going to be tough this season and even though the Chargers are patsies, this early road win is a big victory for the Boys, whom I hate and want to see lose every game they play this season so we don't have to watch that disgusting Pig Parcelss waddling around on the sidelines all season.
*****
Another surprising result was the Bucs easy victory over the Minnesota Vikings, who are supposed to be improved by the loss of Randy Moss and gaining several defensive stars in the offseason.
Kleinsasser Koughs It Up
Instead, the Buccaneers forced five turnovers - including two interceptions by Brian Kelly - and pulled out a scrappy season-opening 24-13 victory over the Vikings in Minnesota proving homefield advantage meaningless.
Duante Culpepper was in midseason form as he lost two fumbles and threw three INTs, the second one glancing off Moe Williams ' hands and into Kelly's arms at the Tampa Bay 6-yard line with 1:45 left and Minnesota trailing by four. He finished 22-for-33 for 233 yards, failing to throw a TD pass for the first time in 22 games.
Uselessly, Minnesota's Jermaine Wiggins had a pair of touchdown receptions called back by penalties in the second half.
*****
Like a kidney shot or a kick to the balls, the Jets, for whom we have high expectations this season, baselessly or not, looked like absolute crap in their opener, an embarassing 27-7 loss to the KC Chiefs.
Chad Pennington, making himself useless, walking away from his fumble.
The Chiefs' revamped defense - the product of a busy, wheeling-and-dealing offseason - came within 29 seconds of handing the New York Jets their first shutout in almost 10 years. Backup Jay Fiedler enabled the Jets to avoid their first shutout since Dec. 24, 1995, when he hit Chris Baker on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds to go.
Whilst the defence of KC was coughing up Jets feathers on every possession, on their own first three possessions, the Chiefs had touchdown drives of 75 and 95 yards and a 41-yard field goal. Holmes had a 35-yard run on the first drive, then Johnson, who is challenging him for playing time, finished it off with a 35-yard dash into the end zone.
Amazingly, the Jets outgained the Chiefs by a yard for the game.
Still, where was this new high-powered offence?
Another loss like that and ole Herm Edwards will be packing quickly.
*****
Making matters worse for the Jets, the Giants looked like stars out there yesterday.
Michael Strahan flashes some flesh
Of course, their opponents were only the Arizona Cardinals but still, a 42-19 opening game start is pretty impressive.
Although billed as the rematch between last season's opening day starter Kurt Warner, now labouring for the Cardinals and this season's opening day starter, future star Eli Manning, the game was more about the Giants special teams.
Willie Ponder returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Chad Morton , signed by the Giants a week and a half ago, returned a punt 52 yards for another as New York accomplished both types of returns in the same game for the first time in 50 years.
The last time the Giants scored as many points was Dec. 22, 2002 when they defeated Indianapolis 44-27. The last time they returned a punt and kickoff return in the same game was on Oct. 30, 1955 against Washington.
*****
Sports Amnesia NFL Top Ten,:
1. New England (1-0)remember Oakland?
2. Philadelphia (0-0) play tonight against Falcons
3. Kansas City (1-0) beat Jets by alot
4. Pittsburgh (1-0)- beat Titans 34-7
5. Atlanta (0-0) tonight v Philly
6. Indianapolis (1-0) beat Ravens 24-7
7. Buffalo (1-0) beat Texans 22-7
8. Jacksonville (1-0) beat Seahawks 26-14.
9. Dallas (1-0) beat Chargers 25-22
10. Jets (0-1) lost to KC by alot.
No comments:
Post a Comment