The matchup of the year (revised title, I hate Restovich)

Yep, I'm gonna do it. Despite having my heart ripped out last night, I'm gonna keep a running journal through the game because games like tonight simply don't come around often. I'll update this post every half inning with my thoughts for as long as the game holds my interest. If anyone wants to comment, I'll try and keep my eye on the comments too. Stay tuned...

Pregame (lineups and such)- I can live with the lineup tonight, except Restovich, that guy is a waste of life. Three lefties against Johnson would be a little risky though. Maybe Restovich will finally be worth something, but I doubt it.

Top 1- FSP has a new little score graphic at the top, it's a bit sleeker than the old one. I like it. Three pitches and Freddy's gone. Three more, Lawton's gone. That's right, six pitches, six strikes (four swinging). Bay ends the streak with an 0-1 single and is 11 for his last 20. The Yankees look like they got a call on Doumit's check swing strike three. Johnson's line after one inning: 12 pitches, all strikes, 3 Ks, 1 hit. I didn't see pitch speeds, but I'm not sure I'd trust em tonight anyways because the gun is gonna be hot for Ollie and Randy.

Bottom 1- Restovich sucks. He falls over on the warning track on Jeter's would be fly out, turning it into a book rule double. They show a close up, he is definitely an ex-roid abuser, he just doesn't look natural. I hate Restovich, see earlier "waste of life" comment. Matsui crushes pitch #3 on the night into the stands in right center. 2-0 Yankees after three pitches, I have a bad feeling about this. Sheffield pops up to Cota, an out! Hey, I remember those. Ollie K's A-Rod and Sierra for a nice recovery. Eighteen pitches through one, not a good start. 2-0 Yankees.

Top 2- They're showing the quote of the night, Lloyd thinks we aren't good enough to beat the Yankees twice. He should be fired for that comment. If Lloyd doesn't believe we can win every game I don't know what he's here for. Not his strategy, that's for sure. As proof of Lloyd's terrible strategy, Restovich opens the inning with a K (I typed that before he actually struck out, I hate Restovich). Daryle Ward assures that Randy Johnson won't get 27 Ks tonight by popping out to second. Castillo grounds out to Johnson, who through two innings has 4 Ks and has thrown only 24 pitches, 21 strikes.

Bottom 2- Ollie walks Bernie Williams. We're afraid of him like it's 1998 or something, we've been walking him all series. Ollie is missing his spots badly, and some of his fastballs are coming across at 89, that's not good. Giambi drives the ball into the Adidas gap in right center, Williams hobbles around the bases and scores from first. That probably shouldn't happen. Lloyd comes out of the dugout, presumably to tell Ollie he just isn't good enough to win tonight, oh well, not like Ollie understands him anyways. Somehow a little flare by Flaherty falls foul between Castillo, Ward, and Lawton. Inexcusable. He then hits a laser that Freddy snares with cat-like reflexes. Robinson Cano sneaks a single out into center, Giambi scores from second. Our outfield is pathetic that we can't keep Williams from scoring from first on a double or Giambi from scoring from second on a single. Jeter fouls off about 100 pitches before striking out. Ollie is clearly afraid of Matsui and walks him. Sheffield pops out. 4-0 Yankees, with the way Johnson looks tonight, that should be enough.

Top 3- Cota grounds out, Jack sneaks on with a bunt single. With the top of the order up, maybe it's time to get something going. Sanchez disagrees and flies out. Lawton is with Freddy on this one, and pops out to end the inning.

Bottom 3- A-Rod grounds out, Sierra grounds out, Bernie Williams flies out, no more damage done. Ollie seems to have settled down, so let's get him some runs.

Top 4- Bay, flyout. Doumit, groundout. Restovich, home run. Wait, is that a typo? Restovich takes the run off the board that he put there in the first inning by misplaying Jeter's hit. Guess what? I still hate Restovich. Ward strikes out on three pitches, flailing at strike three nowhere near the strike zone. Yankees 4 Pirates 1.

Bottom 4- Ollie beans Giambi to lead off the inning, but it wasn't even a good one (it barely nipped his jersey). Ollie, if you're gonna go after someone like Giambi make sure you get him between the numbers or right in the noggin. Ollie K's Flaherty, which is what you expect him to do. Robinson Cano singles over Jack's glove. Bob Walk is impressed by Cano's six hits in the series. I say that doesn't mean he doesn't have a funny name (Can-o, not Cane-o like you'd expect, then throw in the first name Robinson and you have yourself a funny name, but he's still killing us this series). Jeter walks and the bases are loaded. If we get out of this without giving up runs, it's a miracle. Bob Walk observes that Ollie has no idea where the ball is going when it leaves his hand. Matsui pops up, halfway to a miracle. Restovich then can't get to Sheffield's bloop down the line and has misplayed another ball into a book rule double. He's given them 3 runs tonight (and counting) while accounting for one for us. This is why I still hate Restovich after that homer. A-Rod is walked intentionally. Vogelsong is up in the pen, poor guy (he pitches like once every two weeks and it's always in mop-up duty, no wonder his ERA is so high, he hasn't pitched a meaningful game in weeks, hard to get excited). Sierra pops up to Cota, but the damage is done (by Restovich). Yankees 6 Pirates 1

Top 5- I'm upset there's so much more ink under the headings that say "Bottom" at the top (which is why this post went here, instead of under the Bottom of the 4th when I realized it). Castillo flies out to center. Bob Walk is happy we're at least making regular contact off Johnson after his first four outs were all K's. Here's to small victories (in the middle of big losses). Cota made an out. I wasn't really paying attention. I think it was on the ground. Jack strikes out on a nasty slider that breaks in on him. Johnson is really cruising (8 pitches that inning, 58 through 5).

Bottom 5- Bernie Williams flies out to Lawton, confirming that it is indeed 2005 and not 1998, thus making our fear of him (at least three walks I can think of off the top of my head in this series) even more baffling. Giambi walks. The chops don't work for Ollie like they do for Dave Williams, apparently. McClatchy is in the crowd tonight, looking ridiculous with a stupid visor on and smiling for some reason. Lanny makes a good point that will make me stop bitching about the interleague schedule, Major League Baseball did us a huge favor giving us the '06 All-Star Game only 12 years after our last game. Jeff Flaherty lines a single into the outfield. Any regular left fielder would've thrown Giambi out on his attempt to take third, but Restovich forgot how to throw a ball and dropped it. Giambi safe at third, Flaherty into second. I hate Restovich. Castillo throws Giambi out at the plate on Cano's grounder, Cota makes a great tag. Jeter strikes out to avoid us the horror of Restovich costing us more runs. I still hate him. Still 6-1.

Top 6- Jeter makes an error on Sanchez's grounder. That makes me smile because I really dislike Jeter and think he might be the most overrated player in the game. Lawton strikes out looking on some kind of hanging pitch. Bay flies out to Sheffield on the track in right, who looks like Tike Redman in his twisting attempt to catch a routine fly ball. Doumit strikes out looking. I like the way the kid swings the bat, but it strikes me that it is a ton to ask of someone that's been in the majors for only about two weeks to be batting him cleanup as regularly as we have, but especially tonight against Randy Johnson.

Bottom 6- Vogelsong's in and gets Matsui to ground out to Ward. He then gets Sheffield and A-Rod to both hit routine flyballs to left (which are surprisingly caught by Restovich). I like Vogelsong a lot and think he's gotten a raw deal thus far in Pittsburgh, but that's a whole other post.

Top 7- Bob Walk says Johnson was shocked and upset by Restovich's homer. I would've been too. Restovich strikes out. He sucks. I hate Restovich. Ward singles under Giambi's glove. This is a good indication that it would be an out 9 out of 10 times, but we'll take it. Castillo strikes out looking on a nice looking pitch, but that doesn't stop him from being surprised. Cota grounds out to A-Rod. Still 6-1, but hey, at least it's been the same score for a while.

Bottom 7- Grabow is in, get's Sierra to fly out to center. Bernie Williams hits a fly ball to left center and Restovich manages to run, chew gum, AND catch the ball all at once. This is like watching a toddler learn to walk. I feel so proud. Giambi flies out to Lawton, giving one putout each to our outfielders for the inning.

Top 8- Jack Wilson grounds out to second. Bob Walk notes that he's "only" throwing 93 or 94 instead of his usual 96ish, but is doing a much better job of actually pitching than he ever has in the past. Freddy lines out to A-Rod at third, Lawton grounds out to first, inning over.

Bottom 8- Torres is in. Lloyd is making sure that everyone in the bullpen will have pitched over the last two days so that no one is ready tomorrow with Josh Fogg on the mound. Well, except Meadows, so get ready for some Meadows action tomorrow night. Flaherty singles through the hole and now the guy with the funny name is up. He hits into a 4-6-3 DP. Jeter singles up the middle, his second hit. Matsui grounds out. I'm struggling to keep paying attention, but I've made it this far. Must finish...

Top 9- A-Rod robs Bay of a hit. Doumit flies out. I'm emotionally scarred from doing this tonight after that loss last night, but I'm going to make it, dammit! Restovich is probably going to stike out to end things here. Nope, picks up a looping single. My vision is blurred. My words are running together. Randy Johnson balks, he's pissed, people are booing. I honestly don't know why a balk is called with 2 outs and 2 strikes in a 5 run game in the top of the 9th. If we come back and win, I'll reevaluate that statement. Nope, Ward strikes out, game over. Final score Yankees 3 Pirates 0, oh wait, that's without Restovich. Real final (you know, the one that counts) Yankees 6 Pirates 1.