This won't eliminate either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes from the competition, but at this pace one may have to soon pay closer attention to Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves and Chad Gaudin. We're not at that point (yet), and Joe Girardi said this morning that the real evaluation begins with each of their next starts, but the performances of Chamberlain and Hughes this afternoon in Lakeland are concerning.
Chamberlain was blasted for six runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings with three walks and a strikeout. The big blow was Gerald Laird's grand slam that followed three singles and two walks. In two appearances (one start), Chamberlain's ERA is 27.00.
"I understand fully what's at stake but I also understand there's no panic button. There's a sense of urgency, trust me," Chamberlain told reporters afterwards.
Hughes wasn't much better (2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K). Ryan Rayburn hit one that cleared the Lakeland town border and was bailed out by Curtis Granderson running down to catch a fly ball to center with his back to the plate.
Chamberlain and Hughes remain the thoroughbreds, while the other three are darkhorses. The next two or three starts each will ace more Major League caliber hitters while at the point where they have to be close to regular season ready. In a couple of weeks we'll learn if the thoroughbreds' struggles are legit or aberrations.
Right now based on results and logic, Hughes is leading this competition, but remember how Girardi and Dave Eiland insisted this would not be a two-horse race? Would Girardi actually name Aceves, Gaudin or Mitre fifth starter and send either Chamberlain or Hughes to the bullpen? And would the other have to pitch at Triple-A where they have nothing to prove except logging innings? If you were Yankees manager how do you handle this?
UPDATE 4:51 p.m. There are other things at work in this competition, like Hughes' and Chamberlain's long-term development. Each were given things to work on during this game and both followed instructions, reports Sam Borden.
Yet another star gone way too soon. Corey Haim, a 1980s teen icon, was found dead this morning of an apparent accidental overdose.
"License to Drive," "The Lost Boys," and "Lucas" were released between 1986 and 1988, the peak of Haim's career. Lost Boys was my favorite Haim flick along with one that nobody talks about: "Silver Bullet," a Stephen King film with Haim and Gary Busey in the lead roles.
Here's how prominent '80s pop culture was. Haim's fellow cast members in , Lucas, Lost Boys and License to Drive were the following:
Lucas: Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, Courtney Thorne Smith, Winona Ryder
Lost Boys: Feldman, Jason Patric, Dianne Wiest, Jami Gertz, Kiefer Sutherland
License to Drive: Corey Feldman, Heather Graham, Carol Kane
RIP Lucas, Sam (Lost Boys), Les Anderson (License to Drive) and Marty Coslaw (Silver Bullet). You played a huge part in creating memories from a decade still widely popular to this day.
TODAY IN LAKELAND Remember this man? He gets to reunite with his former teammates before the Yankees take on the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. However, Johnny Damon isn't in the lineup reportedly because of turf toe.
On the subject of reunions, Curtis Granderson, Austin Jackson and Phil Coke are all facing their old clubs.
PREVIOUS GAME CC Sabathia allowed five runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings with a walk and two strikeouts, and blamed location for a bad day. "It was tough. Terrible," Sabathia said. Sabathia's spot on the roster is immovable. Left-handed reliever Boone Logan, however, is in a quandary. Logan was tagged for two runs on two hits in his 1 1/3 innings pitched.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR Joba vs. Phil: Round 2. Joba Chamberlain gets the start and will go three innings or 50 pitches, followed by Phil Hughes. Joe Girardi told reporters this morning that this will be the final "tune-up" start before the judgments truly begins in earnest. “The next start, not including this one, is when you got to start making evaluations,” Girardi said.
QUOTABLE "I always say results don't matter until I give up eight runs in two innings to the Pirates ... it should have been eight." - CC Sabathia
"I'm not big on exceptions and anyone that works here, you can ask." - Hal Steinbrenner on the policy of not extending contracts during a player's or manager's final season.
LINKED UP Rest is overrated, says Jorge Posada ... the fifth-starter candidates are thriving because of the competition, says Joba Chamberlain.
LINEUPS YANKEES Curtis Granderson CF Nick Johnson DH Mark Teixeira 1B Robinson Cano 2B Marcus Thames RF Brett Gardner LF Mike Rivera C Jorge Vazquez 3B Ramiro Pena SS
Pitching: Joba Chamberlain
TIGERS Austin Jackson CF Ryan Raburn RF Ryan Strieby 1B Miguel Cabrera DH Carlos Guillen LF Gerald Laird C Jeff Larish 3B Scott Sizemore 2B Adam Everett SS
If you're Oliver Perez, even though these are exhibition games whose purpose is to experiment and fine tune for the regular season, anytime you're socked for a bevy of runs and your pitch count is north of 50, coaches' and fans' level of worry rises exponentially.
If you're CC Sabathia, a two-time 19-game winner with at least 10 in the 'W' column in each of your nine seasons, and the title of ace hurler on a championship rotation, coaches and fans shrug off a bad day by saying, "It's only Spring Training."
Sabathia was in no mood for mulligans Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. The big lefty was pounded for five runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts during his second Grapefruit start.
"It was tough. Terrible," Sabathia said. "My location was bad. I collapsed my back side and everything was up. I'll keep working to keep the ball down and get my secondary pitches where they need to be."
"Everything was up – belt-high and above. It’s pretty easy to hit when it’s like that."
Last spring Sabathia was clobbered during a start at Lakeland, Fla., (five runs, 1 2/3 IP). It wasn't exactly a presentiment to his regular season and playoff run.
CC Sabathia's line today against the Pirates: 2 1/3 innings pitched, seven hits, five runs (earned), one walk, two strikeouts, one home run, 55 pitches/34 strikes.
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