Cano’s slam off Alburquerque a reminder that the playoffs are a whole new season
Posted by John Autin on October 2, 2011
[And that's why superstitious folks hate to carry a long streak into the postseason....]
If you've been to this blog a few times, you likely know that Detroit's rookie RHP Al Alburquerque did not allow a home run all year (43 IP), and had been touched for just one extra-base hit, a double back on May 11, yielding just 16 singles in his last 30 IP. He had also stranded 28 of 31 inherited runners this year; he had entered twice with the bases loaded and emerged with a clean slate each time.
But when Alburquerque was called in with the bases full in the 6th to retire Robinson Cano and quell New York's 2-out rally, he threw an 0-1 slider -- his signature pitch -- without its usual bite, and Cano slammed it into the RF seats for an 8-1 cushion.
It was the 4th grand slam this year for Cano, whose 2-out double in the 5th had provided the night's first run and given the Yankees a 2-1 lead in this suspended contest. That big fly landed on the very top of the fence in left-center, but bounced back into play, and a video review confirmed the initial ruling. Cano tacked on a run in the 8th with a double to CF on a nasty 0-1 slider from lefty Daniel Schlereth, giving him 6 RBI for the game and showing yet again that there's no pitch he can't square up when he's locked in. Schlereth held LHBs to a .174 average and 3 extra-base hits in 86 ABs this season.
The relief matchup of #2 starters went decisively to the Yankee rookie, Ivan Nova, who was 16-4 and went undefeated in his last 16 starts. Nova calmly retired the first 7 men and surrendered just 2 hits over his first 6 IP, before tiring in the 9th. Mariano Rivera made a cameo appearance in the 9th, with a 9-3 lead, and made quick work of Wilson Betemit, who swung through 3 cutters and left the stage to the traditional Sinatra serenade.
Doug Fister had terrific movement, both lateral and sinking, and his location was sharp at times, getting several called strikes at the bottom of the zone while notching 6 Ks (5 swinging) in his 4.2 IP. But he was undone by a high curveball with 2 out in the 6th, as Brett Gardner's 0-2 bouncer found a hole and brought home 2 runs for a 4-1 Yankee lead. Gardner has a career BA of .222 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, but good things can happen when you put the ball in play.
The Yanks blew a chance to take an early lead. In the opening frame -- that is, the bottom of the 2nd -- Russell Martin doubled Jorge Posada to 3rd with no outs. Gardner slapped a grounder to 3rd, the only infielder playing in; the ball was well off the bag, and Posada decided to play cat-and-mouse with Brandon Inge, creeping down the line in the hope of scampering home when Inge threw to 1st. But his movement caught the eye of Inge, who chased down the 40-year-old DH and tagged him out, with the other runners holding. A balk put 2 into scoring position again, but Fister escaped by fanning Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson.
The Tiger bats finally stirred in the 5th, but wound up making only foam. Alex Avila was the first baserunner against Nova when he worked a 1-out walk after falling behind 1-2, and took 2nd when Ryan Raburn lined a single to right. Jhonny Peralta's hard liner then fell in front of the careful Granderson; Avila hesitated leaving 2nd but still tried to score, and though Jeter's relay tailed up the line a bit, Martin stood firm and caught it with an outstretched glove just as his counterpart ran into the tag, and held on despite the contact. Instead of bases full and 1 out, there were 2 on and 2 out when Wilson Betemit, pinch-hitting for Inge, flied to CF.
One angle on the suspended game was Jim Leyland's presumed dilemma over platoon RHBs Inge and Magglio Ordonez, who had started against Sabathia and stayed in for the resumption against Nova. Inge didn't hit either side this year, but was truly dismal against RHPs (.170 BA, no HRs), and he fouled out in his only AB of the night before Leyland pulled the trigger with Betemit in the 5th. Ordonez had been reduced to a platoon role in September by the acquisition of Delmon Young; he struck out last night against Sabathia, slotted 2nd in Leyland's confounding "save-the-best-for-last" batting order, then stayed in the whole game and grounded out in his next 3 ABs, including a DP in the 6th. But any criticism of Leyland's decisions must be tempered by the fact that Nova had a reverse split, holding lefties to a .240 BA/.681 OPS, while RHBs hit .275/.730.
Game 2 is Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, with Max Scherzer going against Freddy Garcia. Several Tigers have good numbers against Garcia, led by Miguel Cabrera's 9-23 with 3 HRs and 6 walks. Scherzer has held current Yanks to a .202 BA/.635 OPS in 89 ABs, with 27 Ks and just 7 walks -- but no one should be foolish enough to expect an easy day against the best long-ball lineup around.
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:03 am
There may have not been a reminder if Leyland had made the easy, common-sense move of bringing in Coke instead of Alburquerque.
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:23 am
JA, have you noticed that there is a definite "jinxing" of players in baseball? This is related to your last post, where you attempted to get ahead of the pack in pointing out Halladay's awful start. Of course, he went on to dominate for several innings, all thanks to you. I noticed how the announcers during the Yankee / Tiger game were talking up how Nova would join the record books for tying the longest outing by a relief pitcher in the playoffs with a 7 inning appearance, before, predictably, Girardi yanked him in the 9th. There's also the "reverse jinx" where someone mentions something that a player has never done, or does a lot, whichever, and right after the player does that exact thing? Like in the NY/ DT game tonight as well, right before Cano hit the salami, the announcers were talking about all the grand slame he and the Yanks had hit all season. Of course he crushed the next pitch. Is there some way of researching this topic? If so, then I'm convinced you'd be the one to do it.
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:45 am
Any truth to the rumor that JA wrote a raving review of the Broadway play No, No, Nanette?
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:10 am
Good times!
Wowbagger, of course I'm aware of the jinxing factors! -- both negative and positive. But I still need to master the neutral jinx; then I'll really be in control of things.
Gonzo, we love that title and would never want to discourage reference to it. Sadly, though, it's a myth that Frazee sold Ruth to finance No, No, Nanette.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No,_No,_Nanette
Let this be a reminder that the playoffs are a whole new season. 🙂
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:26 am
Even by lefty standards, Cano's swing is so smooth and effortless, it really is beautiful. I get the impression he can do anything he wants with the bat. His swing is so smooth and he makes the game look so easy I think it hurts him when it comes time for MVP voting and I mean that in all seriousness. Granderson's approach at the plate looks like a struggle because of the way he gets out of the box, like a cornerback chasing a receiver. Even his name is smooth, Cano, Robinson Cano. And he even talks smooth, I heard him speak for the first time tonight during the post game interviews.
October 2nd, 2011 at 4:06 am
@1 It would have been the safe media move to bring in the lefty Coke. Leyland instead decided to bring in the better pitcher. Go figure.
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:24 am
Jinxed have been said to be an illustration of the principle of regression to the mean. And I agree that they are just that.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:14 am
The playoffs are a whole new season, has anyone said that?
Another great example of this is what the Dodgers did to the Mets in the 1988 NLCS after the Mets beat LA 10 of 11 games during the season.
And another great example of the jinx factor is the story of my expeience attending Game 4, 10/9/88, at Shea:
I was sitting in mezzanine reserved, wondering why Randy Myers wasn't warming up in the top of the ninth...Gooden walked John T-Bone Shelby, and up came Mike F. Scioscia, when a guy behind me comments, "If this guy hits a homer, it's tied up!"
Of course, I respond, "Yeah, but he doesn't have much power; he only hit about 4 homers all year!"
Me and my big mouth! Scioscia promptly launches his dinger into the Mets bullpen...DOH!
Absolutely true story!
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:30 am
@8, and of course there's the fact that the TV broadcaster, I forget which clown it was, said "(Tito) Landrum doesn't have home-run power" just about one second before he, Landrum, hit his game-winning (and therefore series-winning) homer in the top of the 10th of Game 4 between the Orioles and White Sox in 1983.
Him and his big mouth!
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:42 am
If Alburquerque keeps it up, he might get a town named for him in New Mexico, lol!
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:59 am
So after the whole Leo Nunez thing, would it suprise anyone if Al Alburquerque is faking his documents too. Thats all I thought of as they were bringing him into this game. The name just sounds fake. I mean, it might be his real name, but if a report came out a month from now saying it wasn't would anyone be suprised?
Also, right after the announcer says that Cano is hitting 500 the last two years with the bases loaded, he smashes one into the second level.
October 2nd, 2011 at 11:08 am
Watching Fister last night, I was reminded of Jeff Weaver at the time he was traded from the Tigers to the Yankees (before he just lost it completely). Great, late movement on the ball and just enough wildness (inside, of course) to really unsettle hitters. I think the Yankees lucked out-Fister actually has very good control, and it's hard to just sit there and grind it out. I can't imagine why Seattle would have traded him.
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Fister's a much better pitcher than Jeff Weaver ever was.
October 2nd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Maybe this doesn't qualify as a reverse jinx, but I'm posting it anyway, because it's awesome. http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=374&sid=218287
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:16 pm
The watch is on for the next post: "Cabrera's 2-run shot off Garcia a reminder that the playoffs are a whole new season." LMAO!
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:33 pm
@15, Stu -- Hey, I like that line!
But I'm thinking that Miggy's shot -- his 10th hit and 4th HR off Freddy in 24 ABs -- is more like "deja vu all over again." Ditto Teix's popout on a 3-1 pitch with 2 on. 🙂
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
FWIW ... "Al-Al" isn't the first player in organized ball with the last name Alburquerque:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=alburq001cla
Also, the city Albuquerque was named for a Spanish duke, the 10th Duke of Alburquerque -- note the "r" before the first "q" in the duke's name, which matches the ballplayers but is absent in the city name.
http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Albuquerque-History.html
Thus, on the off chance that Senor Alburquerque did adopt a phony name, it seems likely that he's referencing the duke, not the city.
Too bad his first name isn't Earl instead of Al -- then I could call him The Duke of Earl of Alburquerque.
October 2nd, 2011 at 4:56 pm
"Jeter's error, Tigers' hits with RISP reminders that the playoffs are a whole new season."
This theme can be continued ad nauseum, lol.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:03 am
OK John, let me be the first to write, "Cards Game 2 win a reminder that the playoffs are a whole new season." ROFLMAO!
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:21 am
Every day's a whole new season, Stuey.
Pretty impressive comeback by the Cards. Somehow LaRussa will spin it into a justification of starting Carpenter on 3 days' rest.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Regardless, Al Alburquerque is a really cool name.