Game 98: Yankees at Indians- Game 5 of the A-Rod watch

YANKEES (62-35)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner LF

RHP Javy Vazquez (8-7, 4.68)

INDIANS (41-57)
Michael Brantley CF
Asdrubal Cabrera SS
Shin-Soo Choo RF
Carlos Santana C
Travis Hafner DH
Jhonny Peralta 3B
Matt LaPorta 1B
Trevor Crowe LF
Jason Donald 2B

RHP Jake Westbrook (6-6, 4.74)


History in the Making?: A-Rod has had past success against Jake Westbrook, so there's a good chance he could hit #600 tonight. Too bad only like 300 people will be in the stands to watch at Jacobs Field (I know it's not called that anymore, but I don't really care). Remember when the Indians used to sell out every game for years and years?

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Game 54: Yankees vs. Orioles

YANKEES (33-20)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner LF

LHP CC Sabathia (4-3, 4.16)

ORIOLES (15-37)
Julio Lugo 2B
Miguel Tejada 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton DH
Luke Scott LF
Garrett Atkins 1B
Adam Jones CF
Craig Tatum C
Cesar Izturis SS

RHP Kevin Millwood (0-5, 3.89)

It's 2-1 Yankees in the bottom of the third as I post this, and Robinson Cano is ON FIRE with an RBI double today to extend his hitting streak.

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Game 44: Yankees at Mets

Yankees
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Kevin Russo LF
CC Sabathia P

Mets
Jose Reyes SS
Luis Castillo 2B Alex Cora 2B
Jason Bay LF
Ike Davis 1B
David Wright 3B
Angel Pagan CF
Rod Barajas C
Jeff Francoeur RF
Johan Santana P

Rubber Game:Maybe it's just me, but it seems like every 3-game series the Yankees play, they split the first two games and go in needing to win the last game to win the series.

Ducks on the pond: The Yankees left 13 runners on base yesterday, and despite the fact they had 11 hits, the offense didn't really get going.

Stopper: This is why they pay CC the big bucks, to pitch against the other team's best pitcher and stop losing streaks. He only has one decision in a game following a Yankee loss this season, and it was his 7.2 inning, one hit, performance against the Rays in the first week of the season. Let's hope for a repeat of that.

UPDATE 8:10: Luis Castillo was scratched from the lineup. Alex Cora is in his place at 2nd and in the 2-hole in the lineup.

On the Twitters: @jgeant and @jphealy

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Game 42: Yankees at Mets

YANKEES (25-16)
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Kevin Russo LF
Javier Vazquez P

RHP Javier Vazquez (2-4, 8.01 ERA)

METS (20-22)
Jose Reyes SS
Alex Cora 2B
Jason Bay LF
Ike Davis 1B
David Wright 3B
Angel Pagan CF
Rod Barajas C
Jeff Francoeur RF
Hisanori Takahashi P

LHP Hisanori Takahashi (3-1, 3.12)

Game is in progress, Javy pitching well right now.

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A-Rod's Grand Slam Powers Yanks Over Twins

MIN 4 9 0

NYY 8 14 1

WP: Marte (1-0) (even though he had the worst performance of the day)

LP: Baker (4-3)

Player/Play/Turning Point of the Game: I think it's safe to say A-Rod earned all these honors today with his seventh inning grand slam to give the Yankees a 7-4 lead and the eventual victory. Gardenhire decided to intentionally walk Mark Teixeira thinking a slumping A-Rod could hit into a double play. Not happening. A-Rod took Matt Guerrier (who he has great numbers against) deep into the left field seats for a grand slam. He also went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Notes

• I know he got some big outs in the 2009 postseason, but it's 2010 and I hate Damaso Marte. His job is to get lefties out, instead he almost blew the game (thank you, A-Rod). You can also target Girardi for taking Burnett out. I know Burnett gave up a home run to Mauer, but Mauer hit a good pitch by Burnett, and honestly I trust Burnett over Marte to get that out. Heck, I trust Boone Logan over Marte to get that out.


• Twins fans must be really skeptical of Ron Gardenhire after this game. Walking Tex to face A-Rod who he is 4-for-6 with three home runs lifetime against him? I don't understand that, but I'm happy he did it because it paid off for the Yankees.


• The Yankees have the Twins number. It's gotten to the point where it feels like the Yankees are thinking, "okay we can comeback" and the Twins are thinking "don't blow this." Nonetheless, these two teams play exciting, close games against each other every time out and it's great baseball.


• Francisco Cervelli continues to impress. Two-for-4 with an RBI triple. He's 10-for-13 with RISP.

Tomorrow

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

Liriano vs Pettitte

See Ya!

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Hughes is HUUUGE

Yankees 8 10 0
Tigers 0 6 1

WP: Hughes (5-0)
LP: Bonderman (1-2)

Player of the Game: Once again, it's Phil Hughes. He went 6.2 IP, allowing no runs on 4 hits and one walk. Hughes is turning into the ace the Yankees project him to be.

Play of the Game: Completely forgot about this before, but I'm adding it now: Joba Chamberlain's under flip and flop. Very impressive play by the big man.

Turning Point of the Game: Brett Gardner's stolen base in the first inning. It put him in scoring position to score on A-Rod's single and give Hughes all the run support he would need.

Game notes:

• Yanks were able to pick up the split of the doubleheader, and at least give them a chance to split the series with a win tomorrow.
• Hughes has been absolutely amazing so far this season. He hasn't given up more than 2 runs in a start all year. If he keeps pitching like this, the rest of the league better watch out.
  
• Francisco Cervelli continues to step up when called upon. A 2-4 game tonight bumps his average up to .408. It's gonna be tough for Joe Girardi to not give him more playing time, especially with Johnson on the DL, which would open the DH spot for Posada.
  
• Mariano Rivera pitched for the first time since April 30, despite the fact that it was not a save situation.
  
• I started working on this post when the game was 3-0, and this game got out of hand very quickly.
  

Tomorrow:
Yankees at Tigers, 1:05 PM


SEE YA!

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Yankees Farm System Making an Impact

“Brett Gardner’s perception around the league is changing.” That’s what was said on Saturday’s FOX broadcast. The same thing has been said a few times on the YES broadcasts. There’s even speculation that the Yankees won’t go after free-agent to be Carl Crawford because of the success Gardner is having this year. Gardner isn’t the only Yankee farmhand making an impact this year though. Many, many more are too.

Robinson Cano has made the biggest impact. Cano is coming off a month where he hit .400/.436/.765 had 8 home runs and 18 RBI, and was named AL April Player of the Month. He is beginning to show that he may be the best all-around hitter on the team.

Then there’s Phil Hughes. Hughes is off to a remarkable start, going 4-0 in his first 5 games, has an ERA of 1.69, and came within four outs of a no-hitter.

Then there’s Joba Chamberlain. Yes the highly debated Joba is having a quiet season because he is excelling in his role as a setup man. Even when called upon to get a couple saves last week, Joba was able to get the job done.

There’s also Francisco Cervelli. Who made everyone’s worries about Posada’s bat in the lineup disappear this past week, especially after his 5 RBI game against the Red Sox on Saturday.

But the Yankees farm system is making an impact further than just the Yankees system. You can start by looking at a player who was highly touted during his time as a Yankee minor leaguer—Austin Jackson. Jackson leads the league with a .370 batting average and has scored 24 runs and hit 3 triples. He has provided a spark to a fairly old team, as they are just 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins.

Move over down to Washington and you’ll also see a familiar name in Tyler Clippard. The reliever was traded for Jonathan Albaladejo, and it looks like the Nationals are getting the best out of that trade. Clippard has been stellar out of relief, going 6-0 with a 0.76 ERA and has 29 strikeouts to 12 walks. The Yankees could probably use that efficiency out of their bullpen.

Even Ian Kennedy is doing a fairly good job out in Arizona. He’s 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 35 strikeouts. Imagine if he was in the rotation over Vazquez?

You can look at the success of these youngsters from the Yankees system in a number of ways. The more cynical fan would say the Yankees should have held on to the ones that got away and the team would be that much better. Or you can look at it as the players currently on the team could make for good trading chips should the Yankees need to acquire a starting pitcher or big time bat.

Or, you can just look at it and realize that the Yankees scouting department and the coaching development is doing a terrific job in making major league ready players. Many have criticized the lack of farm system depth with the Yankees over the years, but you can no longer argue that. In addition to the players in the majors, they have prospects such as Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Ivan Nova, and Slade Heathcock who have high potential.

Many teams overrate their prospects, but the Yankees now have a proven track record that they are doing a good job scouting and developing their players. And if the Yankees need to make a trade, or need to call somebody up, there will be little doubt about whether that prospect can fulfill their role at the next level.

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Game 30: Yankees at Red Sox

I still hate Dallas Braden

Lineups via Chad Jennings:

Yankees
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Marcus Thames LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner CF
RHP A.J. Burnett

Red Sox
Scutaro SS
Pedroia 2B
Martinez C
Youkilis 1B
Drew RF
Ortiz DH
Beltre 3B
Hermida LF
McDonald CF

Sweep: Yankees go for the sweep and attempt to start the season 5-1 against the Red Sox. A very different start from last years 0-8.
The Italian Stallion: Francisco Cervelli has had a heckuva a week, and even though Posada is back in the lineup, he's DHing which means Cervelli will be behind the plate still getting a chance to play.
Happy Mother's Day: As you may have noticed, the team's around the MLB will be using pink bats to recognize Mother's Day and raise awareness for breast cancer.

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Yankees Annihilate Sox...Again

NYY 14 17 0

BOS 3 8 1


WP: Aceves (3-0)
LP: Buchholz (3-3)

Players of theGame: Francisco Cervelli. Cervelli has been tremendous while Posada has been sidelined. He had 3 hits and 5 RBI today, the most RBI against the Red Sox by a Yankee catcher since Lawrence Yogi Berra had 7 on July 3, 1957.


As I type this Mark Teixeira just hit his third home run of the game. So I'll add him too. His three home runs are the first by a Yankee since A-Rod against the Angels in 2005, and the first by a Yankee against the Red Sox since Lou Gehrig, who was the only Yankee to do it against them until today.


Play of the Game: CC Sabathia hitting Pedroia in the butt. Despite giving up a go-ahead home run right after he hit him, everyone knew it was in response to Josh Beckett's wild night. Don't get me started with Dumb and Dumber in the FOX booth today, but Sabathia is protecting his players. Beckett blatantly threw at Cervelli, almost injured Cano, and Jeter, well, that was out of frustration. Bottom line, you can't be throwing as hard as you can and praying it's a strike. That's how players get hurt, and if you're going to do that, watch out cause one of yours is going to get hit too.
Turning Point of the Game: Mark Teixeira's first home run. Tex's homer gave the Yankees a 4-3 lead and that was all they needed today as they manhandled the Red Sox.


Notes:

The Yankees have outscored Boston 24-6 in these first two games.

Alfredo Aceves is the latest to catch the injury bug. He left the game with a leg or back issue in the sixth. These injuries are getting absurd, but this is their sixth win in a row, so it ain't all that bad.

The game went into a rain dealy with 2 outs in the bottom of the fifth and CC Sabathia had a 2-2 count on Martinez. Now I know it was raining cats and dogs, but Sabathia could have gotten one more pitch in to try and make it an official game. Because of the delay Sabathia was shortchanged a win since he only went 4 2/3 innings.

Tomorrow

Yankees @ Red Sox 8:05 p.m. Fenway Park

Burnett (4-0) vs Lester (2-2)

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Hughes Continues to Impress in Win

NYY 10 11 0
BOS 3 9 0

WP: Hughes (4-0)
LP: Beckett (1-1)


Player of the Game: Phil Hughes. Man has Hughes put together a good start or what. Seven innings, seven hits, two earned runs, and seven strikeouts while only walking one. Seventy of his 101 pitches were strikes.

Play of the Game: Nick Swisher's 3-run home run. It was the only home run of the game and it put the Yankees up 3-0 early, and Beckett began to get rattled.

Turning Point of the Game: Francisco Cervelli's bases loaded walk. The walk made it 4-1 and signaled that Beckett had lost control of the ball and couldn't find the plate if he had a GPS.

Notes:

• The fact that Beckett lost the plate in the sixth was a bit nervewracking and infuriating, to both the fans, and the Yankees. Robbie Cano left the game, although Girardi said he'll play tomorrow, he came close to Cervelli twice, and Jeter got hit. When Jeter got hit it looked like the Yankees bench was a bit fed up and were up on the front step yelling out onto the field. Now, it's tough to determine if he was throwing on purpose being the bases were loaded, but nobody likes to see their players get hit. Beckett was pitching more like Daniel Cabrera or Vicente Padilla today, guys known for not having control and hitting batters. And nobody likes those pitchers.
• Phil Hughes did not retaliate, and we'll see what happens tomorrow, since CC looked very agitated during that sixth inning. But Hughes has been brilliant. He just went into Fenway Park and basically shut down the Red Sox, bringing his ERA down to 1.69 and is a perfect 4-0 on the season.
• Another disheartening outing from David Robertson. In a 10-2 blowout you don't want to walk two batters and give up a run. If he allows a 3-run homer after those two walks, it's 10-5 and suddenly the Red Sox have life.

Tomorrow

Yankees at Red Sox 3:05 p.m. Fenway Park

Sabathia (4-1) vs Buchholz

UPDATE: One more thing I want to add. I was listening to the last inning on the radio and when the final out was made John Sterling just simply said "Yankees win." What's up with that? I know it was a blowout but he always at least half-asses a "Thheee Yankeeees win!" A bit disappointing if you ask me. I wonder what the IT IS HIGH blog will say about this.

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Game 26: Yankees vs. Orioles

YANKEES (17-8)
Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Marcus Thames LF
Brett Gardner CF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ramiro Pena SS

RHP A.J. Burnett (3-0, 2.43)

ORIOLES (7-19)
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Matt Wieters C
Miguel Tejada 3B
Ty Wigginton 2B
Luke Scott LF
Garrett Atkins DH
Rhyne Hughes 1B
Cesar Izturis SS

LHP Brian Matusz (2-1, 4.40)

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Game 18: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES (12-5)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Marcus Thames LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C

RHP Javier Vazquez (1-2, 8.27)

ANGELS (9-10)
Maicer Izturis SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli C
Brandon Wood 3B

LHP Scott Kazmir (1-1, 7.45)


Johnson Out: Nick Johnson has a stiff lower back, but it is minor, so he's expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Nick Swisher slides in to the 2-hole in the lineup.

Cervelli gets the nod: Francisco Cervelli gets his second straight start behind the plate as Jorge Posada DH's today. With an off-day tomorrow, it will give Posada three days off from behind the plate.

Six Straight?: With a win today, the Yankees would win their sixth straight series to start off the season.

First Pitch 3:35 PM

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Perfect Pettitte

Yankees 7 14 0

Image via Wikipedia

Angels 1 7 0

WP: Pettitte (3-0)
LP: Pineiro (2-2)

Player of the Game: Andy Pettitte was brilliant on the mound today. One run and six hits over eight innings will stop any team in any division.

Play/Turning Point of the Game: Francisco Cervelli continues to come up with key hits including today's 2-run single to give Pettitte a 3-0 lead.

• Today's win prevents the Yankees first back-to-back losses of the season, and keeps the hopes of winning a sixth straight series alive.
• After today's win, Pettitte leads the team in wins and ERA. Not bad for a 37-year old who considered retirement in the offseason.
  

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Game 4: Yankees at Rays

Yankees

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Marcus Thames LF
Curtis Granderson CF

RHP Javier Vazquez

Rays

Jason Bartlett SS
Carl Crawford LF
Ben Zobrist RF
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
B.J. Upton CF
Willy Aybar DH
Dioner Navarro C
Sean Rodriguez 2B

LHP David Price

Welcome back, Javy: This is Vazquez's first start in his second stint with the Yankees. While everyone remembers how his Yankee career ended, it did start well in 2004.

The Price is Lefty?: David Price enters his first full season as a member of the Rays rotation, and starts his first game tonight. He went 10-7 with a 4.42 ERA last season, but finished with a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 3.45 in his last 7 starts.

Winn will they play?: While Randy Winn has come in the past two games as a defensive replacement in right field, he still doesn't have an at-bat. Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli have not made it off the bench yet, but Girardi did say that Cervelli will play this weekend.

Right into the fire: The Champs didn't get any breaks with the schedule this year did they? After starting with three games in Boston, they have to play the Rays in Tampa in another three-game set.

John's traveling today and tomorrow, so you're stuck with me: @jgeant

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Can Yanks Avoid Injuries in 2010?

Today I had nothing to do at home so I was watching some of the Yankees spring training game on ESPN. In the first inning Nick Johnson fouled a ball off his knee, and I joked, "That's it for him. 15-day DL." The diagnosis was it was a bruised knee, but there are some lingering questions about the health of some of the players on the team. Last year the Yankees were very fortunate to deal with as little injuries as possible. I think the key to a championship season is the overall health of the team. Let's look at the Yankees spring training "injury report."

Nick Johnson: Bruised right knee; day-to-day.

Damaso Marte: Sore left shoulder; claims he'll be ready in a few days, not expected to go on DL.

Jorge Posada: Stiff neck; should be able to play in final spring training game against organizational minor league All-Stars tomorrow.

Francisco Cervelli: Hamstring; caught some balls in bullpen and took batting practice, should be on Opening Day roster.

Alfredo Aceves: Back; Possibly the most likely candidate for the DL, will throw tomorrow and will determine from there.

Overall, there is nothing too serious right now, but it is always a cause for concern when players don't know if they will be starting the season on the roster or disabled list.

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2010 Projections: Infielders and Catchers

We're continuing our projections for 2010. Yesterday John outlined his predictions for the pitching staff and today I will be looking at the infielders and catchers.

Infielders:
Mark Teixeira: .301, 45 HR, 130 RBI's
Robinson Cano: .327, 30 HR, 97 RBI's
Alex Rodriguez: .305, 42 HR, 140 RBI's
Derek Jeter: .310, 16 HR, 60 RBI's
Ramiro Pena: .275, 1 HR, 11 RBI's
Nick Johnson: .287, 13 HR, 65 RBI's

Catchers:
Jorge Posada:.280, 23 HR, 90 RBI's
Francisco Cervelli: .255, 3 HR, 20 RBI's

Tomorrow we will give you our outfield projections. Then we'll have our playoff predictions and Award picks on Friday and Saturday.

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Fight for the Fifth Spot, Round 1

I wanted to put this up yesterday after Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain pitched, but I didn't get around to it. The big question this spring training is who is the fifth starter for the Yankees? Hughes and Chamberlain are expected to be the front-runners, but after their performances yesterday, and the performances of some others this spring, it can easily be said that it is wide open. Now that the Yankees have played four spring training games, and each has gotten roughly 35 pitches in, let's breakdown how they have looked and the chances each have.

Chad Gaudin:
2 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 0 ER, 34 pitches, 23 strikes.

Sergio Mitre
2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K

Alfredo Aceves
2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K

Phil Hughes
2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 33 pitches, 18 strikes.

Joba Chamberlain
1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 33 pitches, 14 strikes.

Kei Igawa (Yeah, I know. But Girardi has said not to rule him out)
1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K

Analysis: Obviously it's still very early, but, there should be some cause for concern with Chamberlain and Hughes. All candidates had similar lines, with the exception of those two. My theory is that Hughes and Chamberlain could be putting a little more pressure on themselves whereas the others are pitching with no pressure at all. What really bothers me is Chamberlain's performance. Maybe it was because he was coming back from having the flu, but 14 strikes out of 33 pitches? Sounds like the exact same Joba from last year that we know.

On the other hand, the darkhorse of this group is Gaudin. He has the most experience out of anyone in this group, and pitched well for the Yankees at the end of last year. He went 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in 11 games (6 starts). If Gaudin remains consistent and efficient for the rest of the spring, he has a legitimate chance of being the fifth starter. The the question becomes, do you put both Hughes and Chamberlain in the pen? Or one in the pen and the other to the minors to work as a starter?

There is still plenty of time left for decisions to be made, but this gives you a good idea of where the competition is at the first mile of a five mile race (yes I run cross-country I must make a running reference).

Other Yankees news:

• The Yankees lost 9-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays today. A.J. Burnett pitched, working out of a first inning bases loaded jam, but couldn't get out of the second, giving up 2 doubles and a single, surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits . His main concern was developing a changeup since he is only a two-pitch pitcher. He said that it's "only going to help."
• Francisco Cervelli was hit in the head today by a pitch and suffered a concussion. It was his second concussion in four months, so you know they will be careful with him. Girardi said that Mike Rivera is the third string catcher, not Jesus Montero, should Cervelli not be on the team come April.
• Gaudin and Mitre will pitch tomorrow against the Twins in Fort Myers, Florida. Andy Pettitte will pitch a two-inning simulated game.
• Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, and Chan Ho Park are the only pitchers who have not faced live hitting and will throw a batting practice session Monday.

That's it for today...See Ya!

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Game 83: Yankees at Twins

YANKEES (48-34, 2nd place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH,
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Gardner CF
Cervelli C

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (7-5, 3.85).

TWINS (43-40, 2nd place AL Central)
Span LF
Harris SS
Mayer C
Morneau 1B
Cuddyer RF
Crede 3B
Young DH
Gomez CF
Punto 2B

Pitching: RHP Scott Baker (6-6, 4.99).

TIME/TV: 8:10, MY9.

On the road again: The Yankees head back on the road for a 6-game trip before the All-Star Break after a 5-2 homestand.

Weak link: Bruney has allowed 8 hits, 7 walks, and 4 ER in his last 5 innings. The entire bullpen combined has only surrendered 24 hits, 11 walks, and 8 ER in the last 32 innings pitched.

Ace gets his chance: Alfredo Aceves will start Thursday's game against the Twins in place of the injured Chien-Mien Wang.

Three's company: Francisco Cervelli will be sent down to the minors when Jose Molina comes off the DL, as the Yankees decided they will not carry three catchers.

UPDATE 8:54: The Yankees are getting are catching a lot of breaks here with bloopers and infield hits. Good to see they can score without hitting using the home run.

UPDATE 9:33: This is one of those situations where the Yanks need to just jump out and make the lead too much to overcome. Tex doesn't do his job there, up to A-Rod.

UPDATE 9:37: Well, A-Rod did his job, Carlos Gomez just did his better.

UPDATE 10:16: Carlos Gomez is doing his best Tori Hunter impression today.

UPDATE 10:22: About time Cano got a hit with someone on base.

UPDATE 10:24: Big insurance runs here by the Yankees.

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YANKEES ACQUIRE HINSKE FROM PIRATES

Image via Wikipedia

The Yankees picked up Eric Hinske today in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hinske is no newcomer to the AL East as he has played for Toronto Blue Jay, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox. Brian Cashman gave up two young prospects, right-handed starting pitcher Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer, in the deal. This move is good because it gives us a veteran not named Angel Berroa off the bench. With Hinske coming in and Jose Molina close to coming back, Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli may be headed back down to the minors to play everyday, but that remains to be seen.

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Yankees 8 Braves 4...FINALLY!

Yankees 8 10 1
Braves 4 8 2

WP: Chamberlain (4-2)
LP: Medlin(2-3)
S: Rivera (16)...remember him?

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joba Chamberlain. He did what he was supposed to do and kept the Yankees in the game. He looked like the future ace he is supposed to be and he had control, good velocity (93-94) and his breaking pitches were working.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Frankie Cervelli's home-run. It officially resurected the Yankees bats from the dead and it broke up a perfect-game, which would have been devastating.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Girardi's ejection. Way to get the team fired up. After Gardner was picked off (which he was safe on) Girardi got ejected farguing the call and the team responed well. The Yankees went on to score 4 runs that inning immediately following it, starting with Cervelli's homer.

GAME NOTES:

• Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami left the game after the third when he was struck by a line drive in the neck off the bat of Joba Chamberlain. he is listed day-to-day.
• The Michael Kay jinx prevails again, as he killed both a perfect game, no-hitter, and the Yankees hitless streak all in one inning.
• Mariano Rivera's appearance was his first since June 16. Yikes.
• If you want to see a sick action movie, go see Transformers 2. It was a tad bit too long, but it was awesome nonetheless. I'd advise watching the first one beforehand, so you see the characters develop, and to see if you would want to see the second.

That's it for tonight...See Ya!

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