The Yanks will face the Red Sox tonight in the rubber match of the series. The Red Sox won by one run in the bottom of the ninth in the first game, and the Yankees won by one run in the second. This series is no different than most Yankee-Red Sox series..exciting, suspenseful games. This game is so crucial for the Yanks. They are currently tied for first place with the Orioles, with Tampa Bay two games behind. The Orioles swept the Rays in a 3-2 win today. They are currently .5 games ahead of the Yankees. That is why it is so crucial for the Yanks to win this rubber game against the Red Sox. With a win, the Bombers will be tied again with the O's.
The Yankee offense has picked up since their road trip to Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Granderson who was in a nasty slump has certainly shown signs of life again, hitting two home runs in last night's game against the Sox. He went yard in the 4th inning, scoring their first run, and then he hit a two run shot in the 7th. Robinson Cano homered in the 4th inning as well. Even though the Yankees are hitting home runs, they are getting more run support with the guys on base. Jeter got on base, as did A-Rod, which Cano and Granderson followed up with homers. The Yanks cannot rely just on home runs. They need to get guys on base, and keep up with their RBI's.
Derek Jeter left the game after he hurt his ankle after running down the line to get to first base. Jeter exited the game, against his wishes. Talk about a captain! Jeter is that positive face of this team. He is such a role model for his teammates and is the epitome of class. Jeter is in the lineup tonight as the DH. He has had an unbelievable season. The captain has 194 hits, 15 home runs, 52 RBI's, and a .324 average (3rd highest in the AL). Jeter's 1,845th hit against the White Sox in late August placed him ahead of Craig Biggio in 23th place on baseball's all-time runs list. In the same game, he hit his fourth hit of the night and 3,255th of his career, which tied him with Eddie Murray for 11th on the all-time hits list.
Phil Hughes (14-12, 4.13 ERA) is up for the Yankees against F. Doubront (10-8, 5.21 ERA) with Boston tonight. Doubront has been struggling as of late. He has given up at least four earned runs in his last five outings and has failed to pitch more than five innings or throw 100 pitches in any of them. Hughes has had his highs and lows. He has been very inconsistent for the Yanks. When he does perform well, he really performs well. Against the Red Sox in 2012, Hughes is 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA, last facing them on August 17, when he gave up for runs (all unearned) over seven innings in a 6-4 Yankees win.
Both the Yankees and the Orioles have very challenging schedules ahead. The Yanks face Tampa Bay in a three game series starting on Friday, while the Orioles are going up against the A's. The Yanks then face the Blue Jays, and Oakland. Hopefully the Bombers can stay strong, keep up their steady offense, and have success on the mound. As always, go Yanks!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
New York State of Mind
So the Yankees split their series with the Orioles, now it's on to Boston. The Yanks are back in first place the AL East, but still, a very close race. Baltimore is one game behind and Tampa Bay is two behind. The Rays and Orioles are going head to head in a three game set starting tonight. It is CRUCIAL that the Yanks win this series against the Sox. This is their chance to take advantage of a struggling team and have a secure lead in the AL East.
In their last game against the Orioles, the Yanks won 13-3, with their offense exploding. Not only did the Yanks escape Baltimore with their lead intact, Curtis Granderson worked his way out of a frustrating slump. Granderson came off the bench to hit his 35th home run and drive in five runs. The Bronx Bombers dominated this game, only allowing the Orioles to score three runs in the fourth inning. Robinson Cano started it off in the first with a single, scoring Jeter. The Yanks scored 4 innings in the fourth and continued the outstanding offense scoring 9 more runs, with 2 home runs, 1 from Granderson and 1 from Jeter. Overall, it was a great series for the Bombers. They did win 2 games out of 4 but the third game was a tight race. Mark Teixeira was called out at first, after hustling down the line and sliding in for their last chance at scoring a run to tie, and possibly win the game. Teixeira was indeed safe at first, yet the umpires insisted he was out. The game was over. Days later, umpires agreed that it was a bad call, but nothing was pursued. The Yanks rallied in that game, showing their offensive ability, despite their latest troubles.
Before this series with Baltimore several players were struggling, and in some cases were still struggling through that series. Nick Swisher, as well as Curtis Granderson are in frustrating slumps. Like mentioned above, in the last game against the Orioles, Grandy showed signs of life.
Derek Jeter has been the all star of this team. What a captain he has been!
In order to win this series against the Red Sox the Yankees must be able to hit, drive in runs, have solid pitching, and not commit defensive errors. One of the ways the Yanks succeeded in the 4th game with the O's was the amount of RBI's. Granderson had 5 RBI's alone. The Yanks can deliver home runs but they have to be able to drive in runs and not only rely on the big hits.
Tonight's pitching matchup is Hiroki Kuroda (13-10, 3.14 ERA) for the Yankees against John Lester (9-11, 4.99 ERA) for the Red Sox.
Baltimore is taking on the Rays in a 3 game series. This is a crucial set for the Yanks as both the Orioles and the Rays are within two games of them. Who do you want to see win that series?
As always, Let's go Yanks!
In their last game against the Orioles, the Yanks won 13-3, with their offense exploding. Not only did the Yanks escape Baltimore with their lead intact, Curtis Granderson worked his way out of a frustrating slump. Granderson came off the bench to hit his 35th home run and drive in five runs. The Bronx Bombers dominated this game, only allowing the Orioles to score three runs in the fourth inning. Robinson Cano started it off in the first with a single, scoring Jeter. The Yanks scored 4 innings in the fourth and continued the outstanding offense scoring 9 more runs, with 2 home runs, 1 from Granderson and 1 from Jeter. Overall, it was a great series for the Bombers. They did win 2 games out of 4 but the third game was a tight race. Mark Teixeira was called out at first, after hustling down the line and sliding in for their last chance at scoring a run to tie, and possibly win the game. Teixeira was indeed safe at first, yet the umpires insisted he was out. The game was over. Days later, umpires agreed that it was a bad call, but nothing was pursued. The Yanks rallied in that game, showing their offensive ability, despite their latest troubles.
Before this series with Baltimore several players were struggling, and in some cases were still struggling through that series. Nick Swisher, as well as Curtis Granderson are in frustrating slumps. Like mentioned above, in the last game against the Orioles, Grandy showed signs of life.
Derek Jeter has been the all star of this team. What a captain he has been!
In order to win this series against the Red Sox the Yankees must be able to hit, drive in runs, have solid pitching, and not commit defensive errors. One of the ways the Yanks succeeded in the 4th game with the O's was the amount of RBI's. Granderson had 5 RBI's alone. The Yanks can deliver home runs but they have to be able to drive in runs and not only rely on the big hits.
Tonight's pitching matchup is Hiroki Kuroda (13-10, 3.14 ERA) for the Yankees against John Lester (9-11, 4.99 ERA) for the Red Sox.
Baltimore is taking on the Rays in a 3 game series. This is a crucial set for the Yanks as both the Orioles and the Rays are within two games of them. Who do you want to see win that series?
As always, Let's go Yanks!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Pinstripes Destiny
I can't believe the Yankees, who were once ten games ahead in the AL East are now tied for first place. The Yanks were unstoppable at one point, in such a good position, but as the weeks went on they slipped and are currently in a slump that can cost them a playoff spot. In my previous post I mentioned that I truly believe they are in a small slump that they will overcome in the series with the Rays, but so far it's not happening. Last night the Yanks offense started them off and gave Freddy Garcia a 2-0 lead to work with but it wasn't big enough. Garcia allowed five runs in five innings. The Yankees could not produce any offense after Cano's home run in the first inning. It is obvious that their offense is suffering, as well as their pitching. When they do have great pitching, like with CC Sabathia on Monday night, they couldn't deliver offensively, and when they start off with some offense to take the lead, the pitching can't keep up. It's a lose-lose situation. On top of the Yanks struggling, the Orioles are soaring, beating Toronto 10-0 last night. Tampa Bay is only 1.5 games behind both the Yankees and the Orioles. It is crucial that the Yankees win tonight. They are 10-14 right now.
Up until last night, no one saw any frustration or panic in the clubhouse, especially from Joe Girardi. He has remained calm, which would have the most positive effect on his players. Last night, Girardi was ejected by umpire Tony Randazzo over a third strike call. How can players not feel the pressure? After leading the AL east by ten games and now being tied for first place? The Yankees seem to be in a better place, both offensively and defensively when they relax and don't try too hard. As long as they see patience and get good vibes from the staff and Girardi, they should all calm down and work collectively together to play better.
"Since the divisional format was introduced in 1969, the Yankees have made the playoffs all 15 times they entered September with a division lead. They have essentially a month’s worth of games remaining to make sure this is not the season when a September swoon costs them a playoff spot." (NY Times)
Tonight's pitching matchup is Hiroki Kuroda (12-10, 3.04 ERA) vs. M. Moore (10-8, 3.58 ERA). Kuroda has been struggling for the Yankees. Last week Kuroda lost to the Orioles 6-1, following a loss to the Indians the week before. Hopefully he will get his confidence back up and start pitching like he is capable of to help give the Yankees a win in Tampa Bay. As always, go Yankees!
Up until last night, no one saw any frustration or panic in the clubhouse, especially from Joe Girardi. He has remained calm, which would have the most positive effect on his players. Last night, Girardi was ejected by umpire Tony Randazzo over a third strike call. How can players not feel the pressure? After leading the AL east by ten games and now being tied for first place? The Yankees seem to be in a better place, both offensively and defensively when they relax and don't try too hard. As long as they see patience and get good vibes from the staff and Girardi, they should all calm down and work collectively together to play better.
"Since the divisional format was introduced in 1969, the Yankees have made the playoffs all 15 times they entered September with a division lead. They have essentially a month’s worth of games remaining to make sure this is not the season when a September swoon costs them a playoff spot." (NY Times)
Tonight's pitching matchup is Hiroki Kuroda (12-10, 3.04 ERA) vs. M. Moore (10-8, 3.58 ERA). Kuroda has been struggling for the Yankees. Last week Kuroda lost to the Orioles 6-1, following a loss to the Indians the week before. Hopefully he will get his confidence back up and start pitching like he is capable of to help give the Yankees a win in Tampa Bay. As always, go Yankees!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Time to Step it Up
It's going to be a tough week for the Yankees. They are currently in the middle of a series with the Rays in Tampa, have a four game set with the Orioles in Baltimore, and then go to Boston to face the Red Sox. With the Orioles now 1 game behind them, and the Rays 2.5 games behind, the Yankees NEED to play their "A" game to shut both teams out. Injuries are definitely going to play a huge factor in these series. While Alex Rodriguez returned to the team in game one of the Yankees-Rays series yesterday and looked good, Mark Teixeira and Granderson have been out for small injuries. Andy Pettitte is making slight improvements and the team hopes he will throw off the mound in a bullpen session in Baltimore this weekend. Granderson pinch hit in yesterday's game against the Rays in the ninth inning to try to get the win, but couldn't deliver. Granderson is in the lineup tonight. Mark Teixeira (strained calf) is expected to return at the end of this week or early next week.
The Yankees seem to be in a slump offensively. While CC Sabathia dealt last night and struck out four, and only allowed eight hits, the offense could not deliver to overpower the Rays. A-Rod had his first hit during his first game back, while the rest of the offense came from Eric Chavez, Russell Martin, and Raul Ibanez. In order for the Yankees to score and to start winning games again, they need to be able to score runners. They are leaving too many men on base, while other teams like Tampa Bay are taking advantage of that. Good pitching can only get a team so far. While Sabathia did his job (the game was tied at 3 when he exited), David Robertson gave up a hit to Gimenez, and Roberts scored, giving the Rays a 4-3 lead. The Yanks could not deliver.
The return of Granderson and Teixeira might be their answer. Once they come back, Nova and Pettitte will still be on the DL, with a very strong possibility that they might return within a few weeks. On the Joe Girardi show, Michael Kay asked the status of Brett Gardner and whether or not he would be activated this season if the team needs him. Girardi said right now they are not planning on activating him but that might change if they really do decide that they need him for the remaining of the season. Andruw Jones, who was a strong force for the Yanks a couple of weeks ago has been struggling of late. Nick Swisher also is struggling after having a great month in July and early August. The Yankees really miss Teixeira at first base. It is very difficult to fill his shoes defensively, even though Nick Swisher (who has played first most of the time Teixeira has been out) is good.
Tonight's pitching matchup is Freddy Garcia (7-5, 4.90 ERA) vs. A. Cobb (8-8, 4.39 ERA). While steady, Garcia has not continually been successful on the mound but with the injury to Nova and Pettitte he has gotten many more starts. He has gotten the job done lately, but now the Yankees offense has to help him and score runs. As always, go Yanks!
The Yankees seem to be in a slump offensively. While CC Sabathia dealt last night and struck out four, and only allowed eight hits, the offense could not deliver to overpower the Rays. A-Rod had his first hit during his first game back, while the rest of the offense came from Eric Chavez, Russell Martin, and Raul Ibanez. In order for the Yankees to score and to start winning games again, they need to be able to score runners. They are leaving too many men on base, while other teams like Tampa Bay are taking advantage of that. Good pitching can only get a team so far. While Sabathia did his job (the game was tied at 3 when he exited), David Robertson gave up a hit to Gimenez, and Roberts scored, giving the Rays a 4-3 lead. The Yanks could not deliver.
The return of Granderson and Teixeira might be their answer. Once they come back, Nova and Pettitte will still be on the DL, with a very strong possibility that they might return within a few weeks. On the Joe Girardi show, Michael Kay asked the status of Brett Gardner and whether or not he would be activated this season if the team needs him. Girardi said right now they are not planning on activating him but that might change if they really do decide that they need him for the remaining of the season. Andruw Jones, who was a strong force for the Yanks a couple of weeks ago has been struggling of late. Nick Swisher also is struggling after having a great month in July and early August. The Yankees really miss Teixeira at first base. It is very difficult to fill his shoes defensively, even though Nick Swisher (who has played first most of the time Teixeira has been out) is good.
Tonight's pitching matchup is Freddy Garcia (7-5, 4.90 ERA) vs. A. Cobb (8-8, 4.39 ERA). While steady, Garcia has not continually been successful on the mound but with the injury to Nova and Pettitte he has gotten many more starts. He has gotten the job done lately, but now the Yankees offense has to help him and score runs. As always, go Yanks!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Yankees - Blue Jays Preview
The Yankees are going into this series against the Blue Jays pretty confident. The Yanks have won eight straight home games against Toronto. The Blue Jays are struggling, to say the least. They have lost seven straight and are in last place in the AL East.
New York (74-53) has outscored Toronto 48-20 with a 13-4 edge in homers during this run at home in the series. The Blue Jays (56-70) are losers of seven straight for the first time since a nine-game skid from May 19-27, 2009, and 14 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 25, 2009.
The pitching matchup for Monday's game is Phelps (3-4, 2.69 ERA) against Alvarez (7-11,4.84 ERA). Phelps is starting in place of Ivan Nova, who was placed on the 15 day DL list due to shoulder inflammation. Alvarez is 0-0 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. It will be interesting to see the matchup between Alvarez and Curtis Granderson who is for 3 for 5 against him. Tomorrow's probable starters are Hughes vs. Happ.
Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher have been sparking the Yankee offense recently. Swisher capped a strong weekend with three hits in a 4-2 victory Sunday at Cleveland. He went 7 for 11 as the Yankees took two out of three games. Swisher is hitting .378 over his last 19 games.
The Blue Jays are still without Jose Bautista, who re-injured the wrist that he was originally placed on the DL for. Adam Lind, who was not scheduled to return until next week due to a back injury, will be back in the lineup since July 25th.
The Yankees are going in as the favorite due to the record they have against the Blue Jays and how they have been performing but they do need to do certain things to win this home stand. First, Phelps needs to have a good game. He needs to deliver and keep the threatening Blue Jays offense to a minimum. Second, the Yanks need to continue to hit and run the bases as well as they have been doing. They have been producing more hits and RBI's and not only relying on home runs. Of course, home runs don't hurt! With both of those things, their defense also has to be on target. A game with good offense and pitching, but no defense and a lot of errors can certainly hurt them, and any other team. As always, go Yanks!
New York (74-53) has outscored Toronto 48-20 with a 13-4 edge in homers during this run at home in the series. The Blue Jays (56-70) are losers of seven straight for the first time since a nine-game skid from May 19-27, 2009, and 14 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 25, 2009.
The pitching matchup for Monday's game is Phelps (3-4, 2.69 ERA) against Alvarez (7-11,4.84 ERA). Phelps is starting in place of Ivan Nova, who was placed on the 15 day DL list due to shoulder inflammation. Alvarez is 0-0 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. It will be interesting to see the matchup between Alvarez and Curtis Granderson who is for 3 for 5 against him. Tomorrow's probable starters are Hughes vs. Happ.
Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher have been sparking the Yankee offense recently. Swisher capped a strong weekend with three hits in a 4-2 victory Sunday at Cleveland. He went 7 for 11 as the Yankees took two out of three games. Swisher is hitting .378 over his last 19 games.
The Blue Jays are still without Jose Bautista, who re-injured the wrist that he was originally placed on the DL for. Adam Lind, who was not scheduled to return until next week due to a back injury, will be back in the lineup since July 25th.
The Yankees are going in as the favorite due to the record they have against the Blue Jays and how they have been performing but they do need to do certain things to win this home stand. First, Phelps needs to have a good game. He needs to deliver and keep the threatening Blue Jays offense to a minimum. Second, the Yanks need to continue to hit and run the bases as well as they have been doing. They have been producing more hits and RBI's and not only relying on home runs. Of course, home runs don't hurt! With both of those things, their defense also has to be on target. A game with good offense and pitching, but no defense and a lot of errors can certainly hurt them, and any other team. As always, go Yanks!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
A Lot on the Line
With each game becoming more and more important, each team is striving to win more to ensure a spot in the playoffs. The Yankees are in first place in the AL East with a 73-52 record, but the Rays and Orioles are right behind them. The Rays were on a winning streak but the Oakland A's just beat them, by the skin of their teeth last night in a 5-4 win. Tampa Bay is now 3.5 games behind the Yankees, and the Orioles are 5 games behind. The closest the Rays were was earlier in the week when they were two games behind the Yankees (when they got swept by the White Sox). It is more important now than ever for the Yankees to hold onto their lead, and increase it when they can. CC Sabathia was activated from the DL last night and started against the Indians. He held them to one run and the Yankees won 3-1. In a loss to the White Sox, Ivan Nova injured his shoulder and was placed on the 15 day DL due to inflammation in his rotator cuff. Other than that, the Yanks have not seen any really bad injuries as of late that would prohibit them from performing their best. Considering who the Yankees lost for a long period of time, including the all time great closer, Rivera, they have performed very well. The Yanks have lost four of their great players, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, and most importantly, their closer, Mariano Rivera, but with all the great players down, the Yankees have gotten the job done. Their record is superb, their offense has been great, their pitching has been stable, and the guys that have stepped up in the absence of ARod and Brett Gardner have been awesome. Both Pettitte, who fractured his left fibula, played catch on Friday and had no ill feeling and ARod, who fractured his left fibula, will be evaluated on Monday. An October return is possible, depending on what the doctors say on Monday.
Let's just talk about Jeter the Great for a second! In the past 27 games, since July 25th, his batting average is .381 (45 for 118) with six home runs and 16 RBI's. Three of the home runs have been hit in consecutive games, which is a first for Jeter.
Nick Swisher is also having a very productive season. This season his average is .273 with 19 home runs and 72 RBI's. Nick homered to right center in the seventh inning last night to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead, and the win.
Today's pitching matchup for the second game against the Indians is H. Kuroda (12-8, 2.96 ERA) against J. Masterson (9-11, 4.73 ERA). While both teams were on a losing streak (Yankees - 3, Indians - 9), the Yankees managed to pull through with CC on the mound dealing and great base running, along with Nick Swisher's home run. Let's see if the Yanks can come out with another win. Of course, let's go Yankees!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Tight Race
The race in the AL East is on. It is the most competitive right now with the Yankees (72-50) leading but Tampa Bay (68-54) is right behind them, and Baltimore (66-56) is six games behind. This is such a crucial time for the Yanks to continue to win, because one loss can put them in jeopardy of losing that first place spot. Teams like the Rays and Orioles are too good to slip behind. Tampa Bay has a five game winning streak and they are playing some of their best baseball right now. The Yankees have a tough schedule coming up with two more games against the White Sox, a series with the Indians, who are playing very well, and then they play the Blue Jays, and the Orioles. The White Sox are leading the AL Central with a record of 66-55, and came back last night to beat the Yanks. It was all Yankees until the fifth inning, when Chicago scored five runs. The Yankees and the White Sox battled it out in the fifth when the Yanks tied it and then took the lead to make it 6-5 but then Beckham homered to right and tied the game once again. From then on, it went downhill for the Yankees. Chicago scored three more runs, winning the game 9-6.
The White Sox scored five runs off of Garcia and Joba Chamberlain was booed off the mound when he gave up a leadoff home run to tie the game. "He has to be more consistent, he has to help us." Girardi said of Chamberlain. (nypost.com)
Derek Jeter has been a key to the Yankees success lately. He homered on Monday against the White Sox, and went 4 for 5 to raise his average to .398. "He just continues to have big days for us," Joe Girardi said. "That's what he's doing. It is pretty amazing." (ESPN.com)
Ivan Nova (11-6,, 4.76 ERA) is on the mound for the Yankees tonight against Liriano (4-10, 5.22 ERA). Nova has been inconsistent but he has shown signs of improvement over his last couple of outings. The Yankees need to get more wins on the board in order to stay in first place with a nice lead above Tampa Bay and the Orioles. Hopefully they can deliver. Of course, let's go Yankees!
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