Game 125: Yankees at Blue Jays

Monday, August 23, 2010

YANKEES (77-47)
Brett Gardner LF
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Ramiro Pena 3B
Francisco Cervelli C

RHP Ivan Nova (0-0, 0.00)

BLUE JAYS (64-59)
Fred Lewis LF
Yunel Escobar SS
Jose Bautista RF
Vernon Wells CF
Adam Lind DH
Aaron Hill 2B
Lyle Overbay 1B
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
Jose Molina C

RHP Brandon Morrow (9-6, 4.45)

Notes:
  • Former Yankee (and Red Sox) was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox today. The Tigers and Sox have 48 hours to work out a deal, and Damon also has a no-trade clause.
  • Ivan Nova gets his first MLB start. He's pitched 3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen so far this year, but let's see what he's got against a good Blue Jays lineup.
  • Let's hope things go better this time in Toronto.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

Will Joe Girardi be the Yankees manager next season?

So as many of you know by now, Lou Piniella, manager of the Chicago Cubs, stepped down after yesterday's game. The Cubs are pretty much out of the race, so it doesn't affect this season so much as it affects next season. The search for his replacement will begin and the Cubbies might be looking in the Bronx for their next skipper.

Joe Girardi, before, and after, his stint with the Yankees, played for the Cubs. He's actually from Illinois and went to Northwestern University. Girardi is always portrayed as a family man, and if all these factors (plus, of course, the money) combine to pull Girardi to Chicago, the Yankees will be without a manager once again. I'm obviously hoping the Yankees win the World Series again, and resign Girardi, but it is something to be watchful of when the off season comes around.



Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

Grandy and Tex

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

DET 5
NYY 9


WP Moseley (3-2)
LP Bonderman (6-9)

Players of the Game: Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira. Granderson's new and improved swing has been productive so far and he's really been playing good defense. Another diving catch and another home run tonight for the Grandy Man. Teixeira was the only Yankee with a multi-hit game tonight going 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and two RBI.


Play of the Game: Granderson's diving catch in the fourth. He was frozen for a second then had to come in on the ball and made a nice diving catch.


Turning Point of the Game: I'd say Granderson's home run. It broke the game open and it was key because the Yankees bullpen had to work out of a lot of threats in the late innings.


Notes:

  • David Robertson and Mariano Rivera both pitched on back-to-back days in non-save situations. This might affect the way the bullpen is used tomorrow.
  • The Yankees remain tied in first with the Tampa Bay Rays with tonight's win.
  • Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira went back-to-back in the first inning to give the Yankees a quick 3-0 lead.
  • The Yankees bullpen once again did a great job. Joba, Kerry Wood, Chad Gaudin (who actually wasn't effective, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera). Robertson got out of a bases loaded jam that Gaudin got into by only allowing one run.
  • I fell asleep at the beginning and wasn't really watching late so I don't fully understan what was going on with the home plate umpire and hit batsmen tonight. Apparently the benches were warned in the first and I believe it was the eighth when Miguel Cabrera was hit in the back after he hit two home runs already. Jim Leyland thought Chad Gaudin should be ejected but he wasn't. Leyland argued and was thrown out. The following inning the Tigers pitcher threw behind Jeter and was also not thrown out. And Girardi was irritated by this because it was blatantly with intent. So very confusing night for the umpire behind the plate.

Tomorrow:

Yankees vs Tigers 1:05 p.m. Yankee Stadium

Phil Hughes (14-5, 3.94) vs Rick Porcello (5-10, 5.53)

Read more...

Yankees vs Tigers

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Texas Rangers 8-6 today to give them a temporary 1/2 game lead on the Yankees. Here's the lineups that will attempt to keep that lead temporary. Once again, no A-Rod.

Yankees
Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher DH
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Austin Kearns RF
Ramiro Pena 3B

RHP Dustin Moseley

Tigers
Austin Jackson CF
Ramon Santiago 2B
Ryan Raburn RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Johnny Damon DH
Jhonny Peralta SS
Brandon Inge 3B
Alex Avila C
Don Kelly LF
Jeremy Bonderman P

Read more...

Offense finally wakes up as CC earns 16th win

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Finally. After attending last night's game in the awful humidity and watching the Yankees offense look anemic against Max Scherzer the Yankees offense finally woke up tonight against Justin Verlander of all people.

After Sabathia led off the game surrendering a home run by Austin Jackson things looked bleak for the Bronx Bombers in the beginning. But Nick Swisher hit a two-run single in first to give the Yankees the lead and they never looked back.

Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run off his former team and has been hitting the ball much better since Kevin Long worked with him to make some changes with his swing. Granderson is going to be a key piece down the road for the Yanks so the more production out of him the better.

CC Sabathia had a solid outing going seven innings while striking out nine and allowing three runs.

Robinson Cano capitalized in the cleanup spot with his 22nd home run of the season.

So good things all around, right? Well, not so much.

First, the Rays won, so they're still tied in first and the Red Sox won too so they're not separating themselves from them.

Second, Andy Pettitte had an MRI today on his left groin and it revealed that there was still a strain so he won't be back untill September.

Finally, A-Rod had an MRI on his calf today andd it revealed a minor strain and he should remain day-to-day.

All we can do now is hope the Yankees offense is out of this funk and can keep them ahead of the Rays until Pettitte comes back.

Read more...

Hey Yankees, WAKE UP!

Monday, August 16, 2010

On the morning of August 1st, the Yankees were 66-37, and 2 games up and the Rays. Since then, the Yanks have gone 6-9, and are now tied with the Rays for first in the AL East.

Someone may have forgotten to tell the Yanks, but teams in the playoff hunt are supposed to play better in August and September. They haven't won a series since taking 3 of 4 against Cleveland at the end of July. They lost a 3-game series to the Rays before splitting series against the Red Sox and Rangers.

If the Yankees are going to make the playoffs, and repeat as World Series Champions, they're going to need to turn this slump around, and fast.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

Pettitte Not Quite There

Friday, August 13, 2010

Just tuned into the Yankee game and saw a great play by Brett Gardner to throw somebody out. But the news I want to talk about is Andy Pettitte. Pettitte threw a simulated game today and threw 50 pitches. However, Pettitte said it was a 75 percent effort. Girardi has said Pettitte will ahve to throw one more simulated game before making a rehab start, and the date that is set for that game is Wednesday. So it's looking like about another week-and-a-half before Pettitte returns.

So this seems like a semi-setback for Pettitte, but as any Yankee fan will tell you, all we need to do is hold our ground on first place and let Pettitte not rush his way back to the rotation. Pettitte is a vital part of this team's postseason rotation and the Yankees need to make sure he's 100 percent healthy and vintage Pettitte when October comes.

Read more...

Best Win of the Season?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

So I heard on ESPN Radio today refer to last night's game as "the best win of the season for the Yankees." And you know what? I think I agree. Let's look at the drama the game had:

Down 6-1 in the fifth and Cliff Lee is appraoching double-digits in strikeouts you're starting to think, guess not today. Then, Derek Jeter hits a triple and narrows the gap to 6-2 by scoring on a wild pitch. Suddenly Lance Berkman hits a ground-rule double, and the Yankees have runners on second and third and it's a 6-3 game and Cliff Lee seems human.

But the two heroes of the game last night were Marcus Thames and Mariano Rivera. Thames helped inch the Yankees closer, hitting a solo home run in the eighth, making it a 6-5 game. Then in the top of the ninth with the game tied, Thames, who was batting in the third spot with Teixeira out of the lineup, singled in the go-ahead run, capping a five-run comeback and giving the Yankees a 7-6 lead.

But the drama didn't end there. One night after Mariano Rivera suffered his first loss since May 18, Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a triple. Rivera had to face Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, and Vladimir Guerrero with they tying run on third, on the road, and nobody out. And he got them all out with ease.

If that's not enough drama for you for that to be the best win of the season, I don't know what is. The Yankees needed to win that game. They had already lost a series to potential ALCS foe Tampa Bay Rays, and were staring at a two-game sweep by another potential ALCS opponent in the Texas Rangers. But the Yankees showed why they are the defending champs and scored in the last four innings for what was, the best win of the season.

Read more...

To the Bronx...

Sunday, August 8, 2010

I just realized I haven't posted since July 26th. I've been pretty much drowning in french fries and burgers since then so it's nice to enjoy a day off at the Stadium.

John and I will doing the reverse Benny trip tonight to see AJ Burnett take on Josh Beckett in what is sure to be a four and a half hour game. With Bad AJ showing up most of the time, and Beckett with his 5 plus ERA, this has all the makings of a 10-9 decision.

This is Yankees-Red Sox, so it still has a certain buzz about it. But the team I'm worried about is the Rays. Remember waaaaaaay back at the beginning of the season when I picked the Orioles to finish ahead of the Rays? Yeah, I should have put money on that; it would have been like buying BP stock on April 19. The Yanks are 27 games over .500, have a .624 winning percentage, and the best record in baseball, but are still only 1.5 games up in the standings. That means one bad series and the Yanks are looking up at the Rays. So the sooner the Yanks can get there bullpen going and Andy Pettitte back on the mound, the better.

I know I'll be doing some tweeting during the game, and John might be as well. So follow @jgeant and @jphealy. We'll see how many Boston "fans" get thrown out of the bleachers tonight.


SEE YA!

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

Sabath's the Way I Like It

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Does that headline work? Is it corny? Well, I don't care because CC Sabathia showed us why we are paying him so much money to be our ace. After the Rays lost earlier today, and the Yankees coming off a loss yesterday, Sabathia went eight strong innings striking out four and allowing just two runs to help lead the Yankees to a 5-2 win, and pick up a game on the Rays and Sox.

After a shaky first two innings, which included a home run to Victor Martinez, Sabathia had to settle down to deliver a solid outing. It may not have been dominant CC, but it was efficient CC, and that was good enough to give the Yankees their major league-leading 68th win, and tying David Price for the AL lead in wins.

Curtis Granderson hit an RBI triple and Ramiro Pena, who was not scheduled to start, delivered two RBI's to provide the offensive boost for the team. Cano also added an RBI single.

Pena received the start after Alex Rodriguez was hit in the shin during batting practice by a line drive from Lance Berkman. X-rays were negative, and A-Rod is reportedly day-to-day. Although the Yankees may miss his bat, Pena filled in nicely today, so there is no need to rush him back if he's not ready. They are going to need him for the end stretch of the season and postseason.

Overall, good day for the Yankees (with the exception of the freak A-Rod injury) as they gain a game in the standings on both the teams they are chasing. Jim and I will be at the game tomorrow as we pray for the good A.J. Burnett to show up against Josh Beckett.

See Ya!

Read more...

Time To Put The Sox Away

Friday, August 6, 2010

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the Red Sox just lingering around waiting to jump back into the race for the AL East. The Yankees begin a four-game series tonight with Boston and this series is far more important for the Red Sox than it is the Yankees because, essentially, the Red Sox season is on the line. So if the Yankees can take 3 of 4 that would be huge and basically putting the Red Sox away and not have to worry about them the rest of the way.

Javier Vazquez takes the mound tonight against Clay Buchholz to start the series off. I'll be out this evening so I will be spared the flashbacks of Vazquez's postseason moment against the Red Sox. But Vazquez has been better lately and they can definitely win tonight.

Here's the lineups:


Yankees

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner LF

Red Sox

tba

Read more...

Back On Track

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Alex Rodriguez homered for the 600th time in his career and the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 at Yankee Stadium today.

In addition to A-Rod's home run, Derek Jeter went 4-for-4 with three runs and Mark Teixeira went 2-for-3 with three RBI to anchor the Yankees offense. Meanwhile, Phil Hughes did a good job, lowering his ERA under 4.00 and picking up his 13th win of the season by going 5 1/3 innings allowing one run and striking out five.

While the Yankees pick up a half game in the standings as they wait for the Tampa Bay Rays to play tonight, the story was Rodriguez and his milestone.

On a 2-0 pitch in the bottom of the first, A-Rod bombed a pitch off Shaun Marcum to straight-away center field and the ball landed in Monument Park to give the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.

In fact, this game started the same as the last two games. Yankees get off to an early 2-0 lead, but crumble in the middle innings. However, Hughes knew the Yankees needed to win, and although it was not his best performance, he worked himself out of trouble, limiting the damage to just one run.

An overlooked aspect of the game may be the Yankees bullpen. Boone Logan finished off the sixth after inheriting a runner with just one out. And Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera all pitched scoreless innings to seal the deal.

Today's game was a step in the right direction. Jeter had a good day, Tex continued his hot streak, A-Rod got the 600 monkey off his back, and the Yankees got back on track and can now rest up and get ready for Yankees-Red Sox this weekend as they try and get back into first place in the AL East.

Read more...

A-Rod Hits 600...Finally



Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run in the first inning, a two-run shot to Monument Park to give the Yankees a 2-0. Of course I had I Love You Man on TV and was looking at possibilities of switching classes for this upcoming semester, so I completely missed it and only realized it when I went on twitter. So, finally A-Rod hit his 600th, hopefully this means everyone can focus on what's really important, and that's taking back control of the AL East.




That's a file photo we have of A-Rod in what I believe was Game 3 of the ALCS.

Read more...

Must Win Games Start Now

Yankees enter the day in second place since June 13 today. It's only August 4, but these games are starting to become must win so they aren't staring down a second-half collapse. It's a matinee game today and Phil Hughes is on the mound. Here's the lineups:

Blue Jays
Travis Snider LF
Aaron Hill 2B
Jose Bautista RF
Vernon Wells CF
Adam Lind DH
John Buck C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
John McDonald SS
Shaun Marcum P

Yankees
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Lance Berkman DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF

Read more...

Uh-Oh...

Monday, August 2, 2010

AL East Standings
NY Yankees
66-39 .629
Tampa Bay
66-39 .629
Boston
60-46 .566 6.5

After losing two of three to the Rays, A.J. Burnett melted down in the fifth inning and the Yankees lost 8-6 to the Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the red-hot Twins and the American Idle himself (Carl Pavano) couldn't take care of the Rays, and both teams are in a dead tie for first place. The Red Sox lost 6-5 to the Indians, but still loom just 6.5 games back.

For the first time all season, I'm a little nervous about the Yankees. Burnett cannot, and I mean CANNOT, keep pitching like this. A-Rod needs to hit his 600th home run so he can just move on and stop worrying about it, and the Yankees desperately need Andy Pettitte back from the DL. The Rays are hot right now, the Red Sox are getting healthy, and even if the Yankees fall back and land the wild card, do you want them to face Cliff Lee and the Rangers in a five game series?

Tomorrow is the beginning of the race for the AL East. There are 57 games remaining. Out of the Rays and Yankees, whoever finishes with the best record over the next 57 games, wins the AL East and avoids Cliff Lee. Every game will be under the microscope until a playoff birth is clinched. It's time for the Yankees to find their identity this season and show us who they really are.

Read more...

Legal Disclaimer

The owners, operators, and writers of the Michael Kay's Successors blog are in no way sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with the New York Yankees or the aforementioned Michael Kay. Because if they were, we'd be on World Series championship #39 by now.

Also, anything written about broadcaster/on-air personalities is all in good fun and meant to be taken as a joke.


  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP