(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

How come the Yankees couldn’t get this Weaver during that fateful trade nine years ago?

was masterful in this one, going eight strong innings, striking out 11 men and yielding only three hits and one run. Though he didn’t get the win, the Angels were able to Angel their way to , dropping the Yankees’ record in one-run games on the season to 18-21.

The Yankees looked totally off balance all night against Weaver; unsurprising considering how poorly the team seems to hit against offspeed-heavy pitchers. I couldn’t quite figure out why Weaver was oh-so-dominant against the Yankees with a fastball that tops out at 89mph, but when you throw six different pitches that are, for the most part, relatively evenly distributed and all coming in at varying speeds, it’s not hard to see why Weaver’s had such a terrific year this season. In a way, given the unpredictability of what pitch you’re going to get, variety of speeds and non-overpowering fastball, Weaver may be the closest thing in MLB to a righthanded Cliff Lee.

Weaver got 16(!) swinging strikes out of his 118 pitches, including an obscene 7 on the 24 changeups he threw. The changeup truly continues to be the death knell of the 2011 Yankees (coming into this game they were -5.2 runs above average against the change; their worst mark of any pitch).

For his part, was almost just as good against a free-swinging Angels offense, going seven innings, giving up one run (which was unearned thanks to a throwing error) on six hits and striking out five.

So the Yankee offense is in a bit of a slump right now — save the solo blast that Jesus Montero absolutely smoked off Weaver to deep left field, his third home run of the season, all three coming against righties — between getting shut down by the Baltimore bullpen of all things two straight days and then managing all of five baserunners against the Angels in this one, but they’ll break out of it soon enough.

12 Responses to Outstanding Weaver outduels excellent Colon as Angels top Yanks 2-1

  1. Matt DiBari says:

    For the second September in a row, I’m finding Yankee baseball brutal. Yes, I know we’re virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. But managing games like that leads to excruciating television. I’m just not enjoying the “hopefully Tampa loses 12 games” philosophy, and I absolutely never ever need to see Aaron Laffey again. It may not be rational but at the end of the day, I do watch baseball for fun, and playing out the stretch for three weeks just isn’t fun

  2. Duh, Innings! says:

    Ayala in the ninth with a well-rested Mo, brilliant move Girardi.

    So what if the Yanks didn’t score in the ninth and Mo had to pitch the tenth/a second inning?

    The Yanks are letting Boston hang around. ‘Guess they don’t care about winning the division and getting homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

    Once again this offense proves it can’t hit a #3 or better starter. Last month I said they missed Weaver, well last night they faced him and he dominated them.

    Another great start by a Yankee starter (and Colon) pissed away.

    I really truly think the Yanks should consider a massive overhaul of the offense after next year if they can’t get it done i.e. win it all this year or next. I’m talking let Swisher and Granderson walk, trade Teixiera and Gardner after next year, and put Jeter and A-Rod on notice in 2013. They should already let go of Posada. Rebuild the offense around Cano who should be the best Yankees hitter going into 2013.

    • roadrider says:

      Agree entirely on Girardi’s bumbling bullpen strategy. How can you lose a game like that without even using your best reliever? It’s the same dumbass, slave-to-the-save mind virus that has seemingly spread through all of baseball. Same story in Baltimore on Thursday which means the Yankees lost two consecutive one-run games in an opponents last at bat without even taking their best weapon out of the holster.

      If he really, really didn’t want to bring in Rivera in a tie game on the road, how about Wade who had only pitched one inning the day before and had thrown only 7 (seven!) pitches the previous two days combined before that?

      But I guess Proctor, Laffey and Ayala are all better choices when the game is on the line.

  3. Professor Longnose says:

    Your headline is inaccurate. It should be “OK Walden outduels crappy Laffey, Ayala.”

  4. Duh, Innings! says:

    What’s darkly comedic and you could say even tragic about Good Weaver (Jered) and Bad Weaver (Jeff) is Bad Weaver sucked so badly with the Angels, he was released midseason and his release afforded him the opportunity to sign somewhere else. Bad Weaver signed with the Cardinals and helped them, an 83-79 team, win the 2006 World Series. Meanwhile his brother pitched so well he was kept and has yet to win a World Series. It’s like the guy has been punished for being good and not moving on.

    Honestly, I don’t think the Bad Weaver trade was so bad because let’s be honest: Was Ted Lily REALLY making a difference in the 2003 World Series or 2004 ALCS? I doubt it. Yeah looking back it was a bad trade because Weaver by and large sucked for the Yanks. He gave up the walkoff hit in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series which shifted the momentum to the Marlins, but in fairness to Weaver, he came in in relief and extra innings, and it would not be so far-fetched to think Lily would’ve done the same thing. Lily was just not a good pitcher for the Yanks. Also Weaver had some decent seasons with the Dodgers at the same time Lily was having decent seasons. The two were about the same back then. Yes, Lily turned out to be the better pitcher/have the better career, but he’s still just a barely above .500 hitter with a 4+ ERA pitching mostly in the league with no DH and a weaker 7-8-9 batting order. He’d have his lunch eaten for him if he returned to the AL.

    The Yanks offense isn’t in a slump, it can’t hit #3 or better starters like Weaver. Look at all their losses last month – almost all #3 or better starters. Then look at all their wins last month – almost all #4s ans #5s. Now they’re not even hitting #4s and #5s (4-4 in their last 8 games vs. the Os who don’t have an ace, a #2, or even a #3 and no, Jeremy Guthrie is not a #3, he’s a #4.)

    The Yankees are more OBP than BA and that will kill them like it killed the 2000-2003 As if they don’t start hitting for better BA.

    When you face #3 or better starters like Weaver, you’re not collecting alot of walks, so you better make up for it with more hits. The Yanks don’t.

    That’s why I think Moneyball is b.s. It only works against the backend of the rotation. It never flies with aces and #2s and more often than not doesn’t fly with #3s. It’s only saving grace is most teams don’t have a true 1-2-3 but not in the postseason where most teams do or have a 2/2/3, 1/3/3/, 2/2/2 etc. front three. It’s a grim reality, but the only way you’re beating Justin Verlander is if you start Sabathia against him, your pitching is better than Detroit’s, and you drive in more runs. You have to collect timely hits. You’re not collecting 5 or 6 walks against the Tigers with Verlander going for them unless the bullpen goes completely south cuz Verlander will barely give you an inch himself.

  5. Dangerous Dean says:

    I really hope that you guys beat the Angels today and tomorrow. It’s the least you can do for Texas fans like me. After all, we crushed the Sox twice for you guys last weekend.

    If you have taken your foot off the gas partially to give the division to LAA instead of Texas, it would be a shrewd move as I think you could beat LAA easier than Texas in the playoffs.

    But if that is the case and the scenario plays out that way, these things tend to backfire more often than work. Though Texas’ offense is far superior to LA’s, I would argue that the Angels’ top 3 pitchers are far more dangerous than anyone else in the league.

    So suck it up and play for some pride. I know the BoSox are terrible at the moment, but they could catch fire and blow past you for the division and that home field advantage.

    • says:

      Yeah, whatever. And thanks for voting for Rick Perry.

    • Duh, Innings! says:

      I wouldn’t say the Angels are easier.

      Weaver or Haren > Wilson or Ugando

      Santana is pretty good and you could do alot worse for a Game 4 starter than Chatwood.

      The Angels don’t hit as well as the Rangers but they don’t have to if they get performances like the one Weaver turned out last night.

      ‘Doubt the Yanks would want to make two West Coast trips if they won the wildcard since the wildcard has to start on the road in every postseason series this year.

      Any team is a dangerous first round opponent to the Yanks. Detroit is the most dangerous of the realistic three (Detroit, Los Angeles, Texas.)

  6. Rich in NJ says:

    As good as Weaver was, the Yankees’ offense is in some combination of a slump/fatigue phase. Fortunately, Montero is showings signs that he can be their best hitter for the next 10 years.

  7. smurfy says:

    That picture of Weaver, Jered, is choice: he’s still talking trash, just like he did with every wicked pitch that fooled a batter to swing wrongly. He was their MAN.

    “working hard for you Los Angeles. … uh,,Orange County… hell… go Long Beach!”

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