Javier Vazquez should have and would have been the story of last night's game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners if not for Joba Chamberlain's latest implosion.
Javy somehow managed to ignore all the trade talk that had his days in New York numbered to pitch his best game of the year. He outpitched King Felix Hernandez, who was pretty awesome himself, by taking a no-hitter into the 6th inning and getting out of a major, bases-loaded jam in the 7th inning to preserve a slim 1-0 lead. Vazquez leaped off the mound in complete joy when Ramiro Pena caught the blooper that ended the inning, a rare, but encouraging outburst that says a lot about how far Vazquez has come this year.
“I feel good, just to get all that behind me and move forward,” Vazquez said of his early-season struggles. “That’s something I feel good about.”
The Cliff Lee talks could have been a major distraction for both Phil Hughes and Vazquez, one of who would have lost their spot in the Yankees rotation. Instead, they both responded with phenomenal games, extending the trend of superior starting pitching that carried the Yankees to a seven-game winning streak that would have been eight if Joba didn't completely unravel in the 8th inning. Vazquez was a lot more forgiving and magnanimous than I would have been, expressing disappointment that the team didn’t win, but not about his brilliant effort being wasted. But Joba was blunt about it.
“I definitely let Javy down,” he said.
Vazquez yesterday showed Yankee fans what Brian Cashman, his biggest fan in the organization, sees in him. Javy definitely needs to be more consistent, but he showed just what he can do when his mind is right.
Javy somehow managed to ignore all the trade talk that had his days in New York numbered to pitch his best game of the year. He outpitched King Felix Hernandez, who was pretty awesome himself, by taking a no-hitter into the 6th inning and getting out of a major, bases-loaded jam in the 7th inning to preserve a slim 1-0 lead. Vazquez leaped off the mound in complete joy when Ramiro Pena caught the blooper that ended the inning, a rare, but encouraging outburst that says a lot about how far Vazquez has come this year.
“I feel good, just to get all that behind me and move forward,” Vazquez said of his early-season struggles. “That’s something I feel good about.”
The Cliff Lee talks could have been a major distraction for both Phil Hughes and Vazquez, one of who would have lost their spot in the Yankees rotation. Instead, they both responded with phenomenal games, extending the trend of superior starting pitching that carried the Yankees to a seven-game winning streak that would have been eight if Joba didn't completely unravel in the 8th inning. Vazquez was a lot more forgiving and magnanimous than I would have been, expressing disappointment that the team didn’t win, but not about his brilliant effort being wasted. But Joba was blunt about it.
“I definitely let Javy down,” he said.
Vazquez yesterday showed Yankee fans what Brian Cashman, his biggest fan in the organization, sees in him. Javy definitely needs to be more consistent, but he showed just what he can do when his mind is right.
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