Los Angeles @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 13, 2010 ) LA Angels 5, NY Yankees 7
Now that the New York Yankees have received their 2009 World Series championship rings, there can be no more looking back on past accomplishments. Now, everything is about 2010 and their quest for championship No. 28.
That means Javier Vazquez, who will start today against Joel Pineiro at Yankee Stadium, needs to begin to prove the Yankees were smart to bring him back for a second tour of duty.
Vazquez, who spent one unsuccessful season with the Yankees in 2004, was terrible in his first start against the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed eight earned runs and didn't make it out of the sixth inning.
Though it is early in the season, Vazquez is already walking a fine line with the fans. Another start like that today could bring out the boo-birds in the Bronx. For a pitcher who hasn't always been the toughest guy mentally, that's something Vazquez needs to avoid.
A struggling pitcher wouldn't ordinarily want to face the Los Angeles Angels, but they are reeling right now and could be the medicine Vazquez needs to get well. Beyond Hideki Matsui (.317), there aren't many live bats in the Angels lineup right now. Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales, while not really lumping, have not really gotten it going yet. Bobby Abreu had only one RBI before his grand slam Tuesday.
Vazquez has pitched well in the past versus the Angels. He's 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four starts against them, but he's also taking the mound at the new Yankees Stadium for the first time.
Vazquez is a fly-ball pitcher who allows a lot of home runs (almost 27 per season), and the Stadium is a haven for power hitters, particularly lefties due to the short right-field porch and the homer- friendly right-center field. Matsui and Abreu, both lefties and former Yankees, know how to hit in the Stadium.
Vazquez was 9-6 with a 4.68 ERA in 18 starts at the old Yankee Stadium. The new park has been tougher on pitchers.
The Yankees' offense should be able to give Vazquez some run support considering how hot the lineup has been. Six Yankees had two or more hits in Tuesday's victory.
New York is batting .287 as a team, is tied for second in the AL with 43 runs scored and is also second in the AL with nine stolen bases. The Bronx Bombers don't just club teams to death, they are showing they can create runs too.
Jorge Posada is raking at a .429 clip. Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Derek Jeter are all above .300 so far.
All of that helps Vazquez. It should be noted that Pineiro, though not a pitcher who will scare anybody, has a solid track record against the Yankees. In 16 appearances (eight starts) he has a 3.43 ERA. He's a wily veteran, and perhaps he'll look to capitalize on any emotional letdown the Yankees might experience the day after receiving their rings.
Regardless of how the Yankees hit, Vazquez needs to pitch well - and not just for his own confidence or to avoid being labeled a New York failure. Phil Hughes is starting on Thursday, and the Yankees would like their bullpen to be rested in case the 23-year-old runs into trouble early.