HALO OF A NIGHT
The Boss said GM Brian Cashman is “on a big hook,” and appartently Tyler Clippard is on quick hook.
After George Steinbrenner declared Cashman is responsible for the Bombers’ crummy predicament, manager Joe Torre aggressively pulled Clippard after only four innings last night.
Clippard allowed three runs on six hits over the first four frames, but the Yankees only trailed by a run heading into the fifth. Instead, Torre (mis)placed his faith in his relievers, and Matt DeSalvo and Luis Vizcaino were torched during a depressing 10-6 pasting by the Angels.
“To pitch the way we did tonight, you certainly can’t say, ‘Hang in there,’ or we were unlucky,” Torre said. “Because we certainly caused our own problems.”
Down 10-3 in the eighth, the Yanks partially painted over the ugliness with Robinson Cano’s three-run double. They still came up a grand slam short.
DeSalvo put all four hitters he faced on base in the fifth, allowing three runs. And Vizcaino was as horrible in the sixth, allowing four runs while flushing all good feelings from a series victory over Boston.
Incidentally, Steinbrenner gave Torre a vote of confidence before the game while directing his verbal fire at Cashman instead. “We are not considering a change,” Steinbrenner said about Torre during an interview with the Associated Press.
Torre isn’t to blame for the slew of pitching injuries that have helped put the Yankees (21-25) miles behind Boston, but the manager made the wrong move – one that Clippard admitted he disagreed with.
“I had to battle out there,” Clippard said. “And I’ve had situations like that before where I’ve had to battle. Obviously tonight they felt like I didn’t have enough in me…
“When they told me I was out, I was very surpriseda I want the ball. When you’re sitting at (76) pitches and you’re a starter and your team’s still in the game, you want the ball.
“Whether I disagree or not doesn’t make a difference. It’s what they think.”
The Yankee skipper said the rookie righty had no control of his fastball and struggled with his release point while allowing runs in three of the four innings.
“He has big-league stuff; he just didn’t locate near as well as he did last week (in his debut victory versus the Mets),” Torre said. “He’s still a youngster. He still has a ways to go.
“No question, if you have someone that’s been down that road before, you feel a little more comfortable with them.”
DeSalvo walked the first two men in the fifth, only throwing strikes on 3-and-0 counts. He also threw a wild pitch. Vladimir Guerrero then ripped an RBI single to right-center, and Gary Matthews Jr. ripped an RBI double to right to chase him.
DeSalvo had made only four career relief appearances in the minors before this season and was making his major-league relief debut. He wasn’t devastated by the disastrous stint, saying it was tough to only get 30 warm-ups and head out into a new role.
“I’m not down in the dumps because of this,” DeSalvo said. “This isn’t my everyday job.
“The concept of pitching is, but reliever thus far hasn’t been.”
Vizcaino walked in a run in the fifth but escaped further damage due to a niftily executed 5-4-3 double play. In the sixth he allowed Chone Figgins’ two-run blast and was charged with two more runs as his ERA escalated to 7.66. Ron Villone restored some sanity with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Alex Rodriguez’s 19th homer and Derek Jeter’s extension of his hit streak to 19 games were footnotes to another unhappy night.
