Dallas Braden is disappointed in Yankee fans. The Oakland hurler joked earlier this week that the Bronx faithful "had a while to come up with some good stuff," and he expected to be derided by creative chants and boos during Thursday's start. Instead, he heard little from the home crowd.
"I was expecting more," said Braden, who verbally sparred with Alex Rodriguez early this season before throwing a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9. "They get an 'F' in my book."
With no heckling - and no A-Rod, who is on the disabled list - Braden graded higher than that in holding the Yanks to one run - on a home run by Jorge Posada - over five-plus innings before leaving with cramps.
Braden felt the cramps in the fourth, stretched out and tried to remain in the game, but he exited after plunking Derek Jeter in the sixth and throwing one strike to Curtis Granderson.
"I didn't know what the hell was going on," Braden said. "It felt like my leg was going to fall off."
Asked if the toughest part of the afternoon was not being able to stick it to the Yankees and their fans, Braden replied, "Absolutely, I wanted to shove it, period. I've said it all year, these are the types of teams and types of players that you play against that serve as your measuring stick
"I was expecting more," said Braden, who verbally sparred with Alex Rodriguez early this season before throwing a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9. "They get an 'F' in my book."
With no heckling - and no A-Rod, who is on the disabled list - Braden graded higher than that in holding the Yanks to one run - on a home run by Jorge Posada - over five-plus innings before leaving with cramps.
Braden felt the cramps in the fourth, stretched out and tried to remain in the game, but he exited after plunking Derek Jeter in the sixth and throwing one strike to Curtis Granderson.
"I didn't know what the hell was going on," Braden said. "It felt like my leg was going to fall off."
Asked if the toughest part of the afternoon was not being able to stick it to the Yankees and their fans, Braden replied, "Absolutely, I wanted to shove it, period. I've said it all year, these are the types of teams and types of players that you play against that serve as your measuring stick