Game 23: Yankees vs White Sox

YANKEES (15-7)
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Thames DH
Granderson CF
Gardner LF

RHP Javier Vazquez (1-3, 9.00)

WHITE SOX (9-14)
Vizquel SS
Beckham 3B
Jones CF
Konerko 1B
Teahan 3B
Quentin DH
Pierzynski C
Kotsay RF
Pierre LF

LHP John Danks (3-0, 1.55)


Just win, baby: Javy Vazquez hasn't gotten off to the good start he would have liked in his second stint with the Yanks, but he can take a step forward with a win today against one of his former teams.

MVP?: It's only the first day of May, but Robinson Cano is making a lot of noise around the league. Cano is leads the league with a .400 batting average, is 2nd to Paul Konerko in homers with 8, and 2nd in the league in runs, hits, and slugging percentage. I don't care what month it is, but I will be at the Stadium tomorrow, and will be starting the M-V-P! chants.

Absolutely Jeterian: We didn't get a post-game post up, but El Capitan had 4 RBI's to lead the Yanks to a victory. Pettitte struggled a little bit for the first time this season, but Alfredo Aceves picked up the win in relief.

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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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A few Yankees battling injuries

One of the most important things heading into Spring Training is to keep everyone healthy. But, inevitably, there are some injuries.

Image via Wikipedia

Alfredo Aceves is day-to-day with a back injury. It is apparently a flare-up from injury that was bothering him last September, so this may be cause for concern. And the Yankees have not ruled out starting Aceves on the DL.

Mark Teixeira was hit on the right elbow with a pitch in a Spring Training game against the Orioles yesterday. He left the game and experienced soreness, but should be in the lineup on Thursday.

Check back tomorrow for my predictions on the Yankees infielders and catchers.

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Park to pitch at Stadium this year

The Yankees have signed 36-year old right-hander Chan Ho Park to a 1 year $1.2 million deal. Brian Cashman could not confirm the deal, as it had not been officially completed but Park held a press conference in Seoul, South Korea just after 1 AM Eastern time. Park will join the bullpen mix, instead of joining the competition for the fifth starter spot that is already pretty packed with Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre, and Alfredo Aceves.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

With the NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies last year, Park went 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA. That ERA is bloated as he made 7 starts to the tune of a 7.29 ERA. But, after moving to the bullpen, Park recorded a 2.52 ERA and a WHIP of 1.18.

While being most widely known as the first South Korean Major League, Park made some headlines in December when it became public that he was suing his former Dodger battery mate Chad Kreuter for failing to pay off a loan. So, don't go asking for him to loan you any money, Jorge.

Good move by Cashman, bringing in another quality arm to help David Robertson, Damaso Marte, and the rest bridge the gap to Mariano in the 9th because, as Cashman himself states, "The more the merrier. You can never have enough."

The Yanks 40-man roster is currently full, so there will be a corresponding move to free a spot when Park's contract becomes official.

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Say It Aint So (Joe)

Yankees 4 8 0
Angels 5 13 0

WP: Bulger
LP: Aceves (really should go to Girardi)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Howie Kendrick. He was 3-5 with 3 runs, including the game winner. He killed the Yankees today.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Jeff Mathis's game winning double off Aceves. No reason any other play should go up here.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Here it is. The reason you probably came to this site, to see us vent about this decision. Joe Girardi taking David Robertson out of the game for Alfredo Aceves. I was questioning it the minute he did it, and Girardi should take all the blame in this loss. Robertson easily got the first two batters out, but for some reason Girardi wants to take him out for Aceves to face Kendrick. Both pitchers are righties, and Kendrick is a righty so there is no matchup there. I don't know why Girardi would rather have a pitcher who relies on contact to get the final out of the inning than a power pitcher like Robertson. This move baffles me.

It was also not the only move that baffled me. Replacing Damaso Marte with Phil Coke seemed like a waste of a move. I had been saying it to myself for a while, that Girardi's overmanaging is going to cost us a game, and today it did. His overmanaging had been driving me crazy this whole postseason, but they kept winning, so you couldn't complain. But it's ok, everyone calm down. We play tommorow, we have CC going, we're up 2-1. No reason to panic.


GAME NOTES:

• All the Yankees runs came on solo home runs. They need to start hitting with RISP so they can just put away the teams they're facing.
• Mike Scioscia learned his lesson from Game 2 by intentionally walking A-Rod in the top of the 9th with Fuentes pitching. The move paid off as Hairston struck out next.
• Girardi pulled Pettitte after 95 pitches. Could he have kept going? Maybe. Expect a lot of criticism of Girardi's bullpen use by the media tommorow.
• Pettitte went 6.1 innings giving up 3 runs. That has been the worst start by a Yankee this postseason. Not bad, if they keep it up, they'll be in a good situation.

Tommorow

CC Sabathia goes up against Scott Kazmir tommorow. Sabathia is pitching on 3-days rest for the first time this year and first time in the playoffs. Kazmir has usually faired well against the Yankees. Should be a good one. The game starts at 7:57 ET on FOX.

See Ya!

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It's a Long Way to the Top

Well, Alfredo Aceves pitched 3 innings without surrendering a hit. Jorge Posada hit a pinch-hit three-run home run. The Yankees had their 45th come-from-behind win.

But none of it matters because it was not their night.

Jeter" style="border: medium none ; display: block;" height="352" width="307">Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

This night belonged to Derek Jeter.

The Yankees shortstop picked up his 2,721st hit, tying Lou Gehrig for first on the All-Time Yankee hit list. With the inside-out swing we've all come to know and love, he drove the first pitch of the at-bat down the first base line. The ball went passed the diving Chris Richard, and the crowd went crazy.

After both dugouts stood to applaud the Captain, Jeter paused to tip his cap to the fans, who continued to shower him with applause.

With his parents watching from a luxury box, Jeter seemed to follow the advice of his father and enjoy the moment.

He's still going to be Derek Jeter, doing whatever it takes to win; diving into the stands, running across the field to flip the ball home, coming up with clutch hits. But if he enjoys some of those special moments a little bit more as he moves on with his career, it's going to be fun to watch as he passes more of these milestones.

So, from Michael Kay's Successors, here's to you Derek Jeter. Let you pick up another 2,721 hits before you're done. Thank you for the memories over the past 2,118 games and for all the memories yet to come.

SEE YA!

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Yanks Streak Ends At 8

Athletics 6 9 0
Yankees 4 6 0

WP: Gonzalez (2-2)
LP: Pettitte (8-6)
S: Bailey (11)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gio Gonzalez. The guy got shelled by the Twins his last start, but comes out today and didn't give up a hit for 4.2 innings. Overall he gave up 1 run on 2 hits over 6.2 innings pitched and struck out 6.

PLAY(s) OF THE GAME: There was lots of excellent defense by the Yankees. Any Pettitte's slide to field a ground ball and backhand flip to first to get an out is one. Then Brett Gardner making two consecutive catches as he was diving forward to make the catch in shallow center field.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Landon Powell's single off Alfredo Aceves in the top of the 7th inning. The hit broke a 1-1 tie and kept the inning going for the A's who scored 6 runs that inning.

GAME NOTES:

• Next time Girardi goes to take out a pitcher, no more Grady Little BS. Take him out if he doesn't look good. That proved to be costly.
• Andy Pettitte pitched very well and effective for 6 innings today. That 7th inning was tough but of the 4 runs charged to him, 3 of those were due to Aceves not being able to escape the bases loaded jam Pettitte left him. If there is any positive you take from this, it is Andy Pettitte has looked a lot better his last 2 starts out, and they are going to need him to pitch well down the road.
• Jeter and Teixeira both homered today, but it was not enough to pull off the comeback. Jeter's single in the fifth inning passed Ted Williams on the all-time list. Teixeira's HR was his 25th for the season, which leads the AL.

Tomorrow:

Yankees vs A's 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Mitre vs Braden

See Ya!

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Game 85: Yankees at Twins

YANKEES (50-34)
Jeter SS,
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Ransom 3B
Gardner CF

Pitching: RHP Alfredo Aceves (5-1, 2.02).

TWINS (43-42)
Span CF
Tolbert 2B
Mauer DH
Morneau 1B
Kubel LF
Cuddyer RF
Buscher 3B
Redmond C
Punto SS

Pitching: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.49).

TIME/TV: 1:10 p.m., YES

So Long: This will be the Yankees final game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, as it is closing next year. You'd know this if you watch the YES Network, because they have showed the "Countdown to Starry Nights" at least 3 times a game.

Ace in the hole: Aceves fills in for Chien-Mien Wang today as he makes his first start of the season.

Phil 'er up: Phil Hughes has been dominant since moving to the bullpen. He has pitched 15.2 innings over 11 appearances in the bullpen and has only given up 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and recorded 16 strikeouts.

Listless Liriano: Francisco Liriano has not been the same dominant pitcher since he had Tommy John Surgery.

UPDATE 1:31: Good to see A-Rod feels good enough to steal second off the lefty here. And it was a good idea that Girardi DHed him today instead of having play another day on the artificial turf.

UPDATE 2:09: That Yankees on YES computer thing is such a ripoff. So you can't watch games at the beach, ever hear of a radio?

UPDATE 2:22: It seems that every ball is hit hard against Liriano. He's not fooling anyone on the Yankees right now.

UPDATE 2:45: Uh, this isn't looking good.

UPDATE 2:52: There's something you haven't seen in almost a month, as Big Tex lets go a Big Fly.

UPDATE 3:49: The fact that David Cone even knows who the Jonas Brothers are pisses me off.

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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 10 Blue Jays 8

Well, it was a long day at the Stadium and I am exhausted but here is the recap:

Blue Jays 8 12 1
Yankees 10 14 2

WP: Albaladejo (3-1)
LP: B. Ryan (1-1)
S: Aceves (1)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: El Capitan, Derek Jeter. Jeter went 4-5 scoring 3 runs and hit the go-ahead 2 run home-run to put the Yankees ahead 9-8 in the 5th inning.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The aforementioned home run by Derek Jeter. The Yankees were trailing by 4, then cut the lead to 8-7 and the Captain's blast put them ahead and proved to be the game-winner.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui's 3-run home run in the 4th. Joba and Cody Ransom helped make a 4-0 lead turn into an 8-4 deficit, but Godzilla, who has been red-hot lately, closed the game within one run, and put the Yankees right back in the game.

GAME NOTES:

• Joba, Joba, Joba. Thank God there is a day game tommorow so I don't have to listen to Francesa say he should be in the pen. I have been a Joba as a starter person, but the more and more inconsistent, poor starts he makes, the less valid the argument of him being a starter becomes.
• Alfredo Aceves. Maybe he should start? He has been nothing short of terrific out of the pen this season, and today he once again showed how valuable he is. Aceves threw three shutout innings to end the game, keeping the Blue Jays offense quiet and picking up his first career save.
• For those keeping track, Nick Swisher has changed his batting intro music from Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight, back to Soulja Boy's Turn My Swag On. We are 100% sure he only had In the Air Tonight because he saw The Hangover.
• The game was about 4 hours long, so as we exited otu Gate 8 they were giving away free ice cream to the fans. I never saw anything like this before leaving a game at Yankee Stadium, so it's nice to see them treat their fans like this for sticking out a 4-hour marathon in the heat.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs Blue Jays 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Andy Pettitte (8-3, 4.25) vs Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.85)

See Ya!

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Breaking Down the Month of June

On June 1, the Yankees were 30-21 and 1 game up on the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East. Today the Yankees are 44-32, but they fell to 2.5 games behind the Red Sox. They went 15-11 and are 12 games over .500, but they fell out of first place. So was this a successful month for the Yankees? Let's break it down.

The Negatives:

• They were swept by the Red Sox and lost 2 of 3 to the Nationals and Marlins.
• Their record is not as good as it looks. They should have been 13-13 and lost the game to the Rays when Willie Aybar made a costly error in the eigth, and of course, the infamous Luis Castillo game.
• They scored 140 runs, 15 less runs than they did in the month of May.
• The team hit .253/.354/.433, all lower numbers than May and April.

The Positives:

• The Yankee pitchers allowed 102 runs, 25 runs less than May, and 34 runs less than April.
• A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia are earning their paychecks. Despite a 3-2 record, Burnett gave up 7 earned runs in 30 innings pitched (2.10 ERA), and struck out 35 batters. Sabathia was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA, striking out 22 batters, and only gave up 7 walks.
• Coke, Aceves, and Hughes all had ERAs lower than 2 coming out of the bullpen.

Overall, this was a weird month for the team. Basically the pitching was good, the hitting was not. If it were not for ending the month on a 6-game winning streak, it probably would have been a bad month. You would have to think that they won't go into many slumps with this lineup, and they just hit a bump in the road in the middle of the month. As long as they carry the momentum they have gained at the end of June into July this team should be able to hold the wild card spot and start to close in on the Red Sox.

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