While we wait for Kazmir to warm up, I just wanted to share Mariano’s reaction to the “spitball” controversy.

“It’s not true. I don’t do those things. So I don’t worry about it,” Rivera, his mouth full of gum, said before pausing.

“Excuse me,” he said. “I’ve got to spit.”

Stone cold.

The Captain leads off with a single.

… and nailed on an ill advised steal attempt.

I was so happy, then I was so sad. Jeter w/leadoff single, caught stealing on the very next pitch.

Good AB by Mark with a subpar outcome.

Ugly looking out but it’ll do.

Wow. If CC gets that call (strike one on both Torii and Vlad) for the rest of the night, it will be smooth sailing.

I could read a large number of articles about how great Mark Teixiera is.

He barely missed parking it.

“We have C.C. tonight. Is there anyone you’d rather have on the mound, whatever team you root for?”

Yes. In order, I’d rather have Zack Greinke, Tim Lincecum, Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, and Javy Vazquez. Though, given that Vazquez left the AL, where he was somewhere between the 5th and 15th best pitcher, then immediately became a clear top-3 pitcher in the NL, I sort of wonder if the list should just be Greinke-Halladay-Lester.

If Kazmir’s on his game, this’ll be a battle, but my guess is that the Yankees are so patient he’ll walk six guys and end up getting bounced before going 5 innings.

Soscia sneering at the umpire. Classy. (Should not have been a reply.)

Alex walks, steals. Girardi told the boys to be aggressive, I take it.

… or maybe because of Jorge’s hot bat.

Grr. Aybar probably liked that bit of popout redemption.

Apparently, he didn’t feel it was enough. Had to get another.

Swisher is due.

I think, without checking them, that the RISP numbers for both teams are pretty awful.

Things to conclude: No matter how many men we put ISP, we are not closing the deal.

That’s that al-mighty power of that ch-ch-ch-ch-chopper.

The answer to that trivia q is Reggie, right?

Yeah Melk!

WOW! A beautiful bunt by Cabrera.

Does anyone know Kazmir’s pitch count? Seems like he’s been going deep in counts.

Aybar and Melk having some words.

50 pitches, according to Buck.

Teixiera slump continues.

I wonder if those words were “you sure you touched the bag, champ?”

Aybar is such a biter.

I will be pissed if we don’t give CC some run support. He couldn’t be pitching a better game.

It took CC only 29 pitches to get through 3 innings.

Really Anaheim?

I will give them credit for making him field his position.

ARod singles.

Kazmir throws a fastball on 3-1 and gets away with it. If he throws another on 3-2 he won’t.

I would really love it if we could get our leadoff man around the b–and Jorge doubles.

Jorgie doubles! ARod to third.

Another fastball, another hit.

How the hell was A-Rod safe on that??? NYY 1-0

1 for 25 w/RISP now, Mr. Buck.

Bases loaded, 1 out, Melk up.

Damn, Kazmir’s in a tight spot.

The Melk man delivers. 3-0 NYY.

Melk singles! 2RBI!

The Uruk-Hai picked Swisher off. Lucky call.

Loaded again. Here comes Johnny. Will Kazmir face Teixiera?

Damn, Kazmir’s in a tight spot…

And there’s the makeup call.

Johnny flies out, and Swisher scores — No he didn’t! Left too early! Terrible mental error! Inning over!

Does anyone else think the replay showed Swisher tagging up?

Yeah, but Swisher was out at 2nd, so that was out 3 either way.

Sabathia Ks Torii, making him look stupid. Retribution for Swisher.

Yeah, I’d rather have Grienke or Lincecum in this situation…

37 pitches???? God. DAMN.

Carston Charles in charge.

A 38-pitch, four-inning, 1 hit, 0 earned-run performance. So far. On short rest.

Kazmir in the fifth. Wonders never cease.

Teixiera 2/16 now w/leadoff single. A-Rod to the plate.

THAT is what I like to SEE. Knocking Kazmir OUT in the fifth.

An A-BOMB! From A-Rod! 5-0!

Byebye Bulger. Oliver in.

At one point, John Sterling called a Matsui homer using his A-Rod catchphrase. One of the more awkward moments in his career.

DAMNNNN We’re stealing on 0 out, up 5-0, with Jorge running.

Whoah. Posada steals!

phhhh-hhttttt!!!!

Jorge steals a base???? gotta bronze it.

You know you’re in trouble when hip-hip Jorge steals a base.

And then squanders the steal by tagging up.

My dog has decided my liveblogging is interfering with his ability to nap on my lap.

Robi doubles off the wall. Jorgie to third. Still no out — 1 out, Matsui K’d, my fault.

Maybe he was planning to go back to first

one out

That was some serious bullshit.

OHHH Jorge.

And then insanity reins.

ooohhhh Ump.

This is some awful umpiring. Napoli with some heads up defense.

Both Robi and Jorgie look like third graders right now.

They shoulda called Swisher out on the pick-off.

The umpiring in this game is getting out of had.

No. Cano has to take his foot off third because Jorge came back and touched.

While we’re enjoying hilarious miscues, I thought I’d mention that Sterling’s Matsui call was way worse than I remembered.

Awkward.

Didn’t Napoli tag Jorgie first?

It’s on Jorge — he should have just held up and got tagged once he saw RoCo at third.

Nope

CC gives up a homer to Morales. 5-1.

Yeah, Robi takes his foot off the bag when Jorge returns, gets tagged. Jorge takes his foot off the bag when he sees Robi there, gets tagged.

I stand corrected!

Next time Jorge gets on, Girardi should put Molina in to pinch-run. (or occupy two blockers or something)

Joe Buck trying really hard to generate tension with the Angels down four runs. Aybar tries harder, but can’t make contact.

Alternately, if we want to run with the Uruk Hai motif, Aybar trying hard to be this orc.

Uruk Hai singles over Cano’s head. The aftermath of the first full count of the night for CC. 2 on, 1st & 2nd, 1 out.

Almost a double play, but Figgins beats the throw. 2 out, runners at the corners.

You know, I think that CC Sabathia has a future in baseball.

After melky caught that, he should have thrown to third. probably would have gotten Napoli called out.

Tim McClellan is gonna make me put on a mask.

Jeter to 3rd with 2 outs and A-Rod up.

Starting this fall on Fox: Joe Buck, Amateur Psychologist. (Arg. Also not intended to be a reply.)

They’re giving Torii this walk even though he failed to check his swing. The umping tonight is insane.

I believe I had Kazmir getting bounced before the 5th, with 6 walks:

Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA
S Kazmir 4.0 6 4 4 4 3 0 89-48 9.0

Close enough for government work.

You did, you did, good call.

I didn’t see the replay, did he go?

I HATE IT when batters call time so late that the pitcher’s already in the delivery. The umpire should simply refuse to grant time in that situation.

Karmic justice for the late time request.

Double play. Baller. Jorgie with an almost-very-costly mental error.

Pull Posada for a pinch-thinker.

Rivera bounces into a critical DP, continues his rotten LCS.

What happened there? was home plate uncovered? could Hunter have broken for home?

Tex is a highly underrated defensive 1B. discuss.

Mark Teixiera is a goddamn BALLER. Run saved, inning over.

Yes.

If only he were a batter as well.

I feel like such a schmuck for saying that, but I would love it if he’d hit a little more.

Good inning for Santana. Stretch.

I think it’s fair to say that CC does not have his A-Game and he’s still tearing through the Angels.

Sabathia is a goddamn warrior.

Six straight strikes and 2 outs for CC. Anyone know his pitch count?

There’s some sort of law of conservation of greatness in play that prevents Tex from being great on D and at the plate in the same series. I expect that if they make it to the WS, he’ll hit three jacks and pull a Buckner.

91 pitches in the 7th with 2 down is the 1-1 to Uruk Hai. And #92 ends the inning.

espn sez 92 pitches. If he’s on 3 days’ rest, 1 more inning tops. Regular rest he might finish the game.

I think it’s entirely fair to say that Santana should be starting and Kazmir in the BP, or pushed out of a speeding car on the 405.

Swisher aboard on a HBP, but also probably out for some reason.

Gardner nailed. No question.

Gardner safe taking 2B, but called out.

On the replay, looked like his hand was on the base when he was tagged, but umpire and camera were in a bad position to see it.

safe/out calls on stolen bases remain a mystery to me. I’m pretty sure Gardner was safe.

If there is a silver lining in the Yankees winning making the WS this year, it will be the end of the ARod-as-choker meme.

I rag on umpires at 2B but they almost /never/ miss the bang-bang plays at first.

Jeter out by half a step. Uruk Hai — have to give him credit.

Johnny jacks for 2 more. 7-1 NYY.

That looked like a pretty good pitch. Nice job Damon.

Man, didn’t Aybar catch a fly in shallow left earlier? Is he playing every infield position? (And, most importantly, does he smell manflesh?) Some fairly damn decent defense.

(And, most importantly, does he smell manflesh?)

I believe you have won the thread.

KKKKK.

Let the man complete the game.

Carston Charles Sabathia designs, finances, builds and crosses bridge to Mariano.

That A-Rod just does not perform in October.

8-1. Abreu and Chone making it ugly.

The Venerable Jorge flies out, but does it matter at this point?

Never mind all that. Can CC take over for Tynan?

Indeed. The Twins may have had trouble turning their hits into runs, but at least we didn’t get blown out quite this badly. Then again, the Angels did actually win a game.

With a seven run lead, Mariano will be taking the night off.

Ludicrous Cabrera double. 10-1.

good lord…such sloppy baseball! Game over, and I’m calling the series over. This is a game the Halos needed to win.

A-yep. Hell, I don’t see how the Yankees don’t crush the Phillies in four.

Yeah, unlike the Afghanistan runoff, I guess the Freeway World Series won’t be happening.

By the way, ‘Attack….Tim Dog? Woooooww.

You have got to place “Real Hop” at the top of your banner besides “Punk Rock.”

Phoenix Woman, don’t count the Phillies out in the World Series against Yankees, especially if Pedro Martinez pitches like he did in Game 2 against the Dodgers.

And despite the brutal loss yesterday, if the Dodgers win tomorrow, don’t count them out of that series.

Happy Birthday Bob Sheppard!

We bring out the big guns here when necessary.

One. Game. Away.

Game over.

@PW: I wouldn’t count the Phillies out. That lineup is dangerous, and they have a potent 1-2 pitching combo as well, with Hamels & Lee.

As for the Freeway Series, we can hopefully breathe easy that WS games won’t be plagued by horrible cameos featuring every crap series, album & movie known to man.

Hamels has fallen off the barrel, and if he doesn’t pitch well tomorrow, there will be serious concerns with him.

Lee-Martinez are more the one-two combo.

Just two thoughts. 1) There was never a team that could match this one since they figured it out in July-August. (Watch the Phils come out make me eat my words, though). 2) The tag-up call was not nearly as bad as some are saying. Wrong but close. The Posada-Cano play, however…

The Phillies are not a weak team, especially not mentally.

Agreed. The Phillies are deadly. A very worthy WS foe.