Sunday, June 22, 2008

Bronx babes deliver

The matchup didn't jump off the sports page prior to the game, but Daryl Thompson vs. Dan Giese provided us a little baseball history on Saturday. They became the first pair of first-time starters at Yankee Stadium in over 80 years. The last time it happened was April 22, 1926. The ballpark had just turned three.

Today, each debutant delivered a remarkable performance. As the fill-in for injured Yankee Chien-Ming Wang, Giese's results remind us of Wang.

His stat line against the Reds: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER

Giese picked up the loss, and those three unearned runs were due to his own error.

The more fortunate pitcher in this game was the Reds' rookie, Thompson, who is yet another heralded prospect in the Cincinnati system. Thompson worked five innings and allowed eight base runners, but nobody scored. He threw 59 of his 96 pitchers for strikes, walking four in a no decision. Pretty decent when your first time out is in "The House that Ruth built."

Fantasy Impact: Not sure how long either of these guys lasts. Thompson got knocked around in the minors recently, but the Reds tried him after sending down Homer Bailey. The first moment Giese struggles, the Yankees will likely pull him for someone else. They're rumored to be in the pitcher market, especially with Wang out.

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