Sunday, June 17, 2012

Super Nova Does It Again

Ivan Nova's stat line for the month of June after today's start:

- 22.2 IP, 16 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 15 K, 33 GB Outs, 3-0

Ivan The Great indeed.

Outfield Options: External

(Would you trade for this guy?  Courtesy of The AP)

I snapped to attention yesterday after finding out Nick Swisher left the game with a quad injury and looked at what internal moves the Yankees could make to cover themselves if Swish had to miss some time.  He's out of the lineup today, but the bone bruise to the quad doesn't seem like something that's going to keep him out for very long at all.  Still, it can't hurt to finish this exploration into potential OF replacements out, what with Brett Gardner still out for another month and the possibility of more injuries always looming.  If the Yankees do end up needing to look to the trade market to plug an outfield gap, here are some names that could draw their interest.

Game 64 Wrap-Up: NYY 5 WAS 3

(That's a game-winning swing if I've ever seen one.  Courtesy of The AP)

Another game, another win for the Yankees on a day where they didn't bring their A-game.  When things are going well they're going well, and they're going really well for the boys in pinstripes right now.

Game Notes:

- It was another solid outing for Andy Pettitte. He had his one bad inning, and didn't have the greatest command again, but he also got burned by a couple of broken bat hits and still managed to pitch 7 innings of 2-run ball.  His team had the lead when he left the game and he was in line for the win.

- The offense slowly clawed its way back into the game against Washington starter Jordan Zimmerman.  They scratched a run across on an error by Ian Demons in the 4th, and then 2 more in the 6th on an RBI groundout by Raul Ibanez and an RBI double by Eric Chavez to take a 3-2 lead.

- Between the 2 runs scoring in the 6th, Nick Swisher was thrown out at home trying to score on a groundball and had to leave the game with a bone bruise to his left quad.  Chances are he's going to have to miss a few days, but at least it wasn't something more serious.

- Cory Wade reliever Pettitte in the 8th, and after getting the first 2 outs and getting ahead of Desmond 0-2 he hung a 2-2 fastball that Desmond hit for a HR to tie the game and redeem himself for the earlier error.

- Wade left for Boone Logan after a walk, and a decision to move Dewayne Wise from left field to right worked perfectly as Wise gunned down Tyler Moore at the plate to end the inning.  Replays showed that Moore might have been safe, but sometimes the calls go your way.

- The rest of the bullpen combined to throw 6.1 scoreless innings after Wade came out, and it was a good thing too because the offense didn't record a hit from the 7th inning on into the 14th.  When they finally did, they made them count.  Jayson Nix led off the 14th with a single, stole second and moved to third on Derek Jeter's single, and then both came home when Mark Teixeira lined a double to right for the game-winning runs.

- Give a call to Freddy Garcia, who pitched 2 perfect innings with 2 Ks in just his second appearance since May 21st to pick up the win.

- Tough day for Bryce Harper at the plate.  He got fed a steady diet of cutters from Pettitte early and never managed to find his stroke after that.  Harper ended up 0-7 with 5 Ks.