Game 63 Wrap-Up: NYY 2 SEA 1

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The Yankees got back on the winning side of things yesterday despite continued struggles by the offense.  Andy Pettitte turned in one of his best starts of the season, allowing just 1 ER in 7 innings, and put his team in the driver's seat to secure a series win today.  It was going to be an uphill battle against Yankee beater Felix Hernandez, but the first 3 games of the series already had been against far inferior pitchers.  Once again, the Yanks are left to just hope they score enough to win.  Today, that hope was fulfilled.

Game Notes:

- The lineup made King Felix work in the first 2 innings, with a Brett Gardner leadoff single and 2 walks in the 1st and 3 base hits in the second.  They only turned that into 1 run, though, on Gardner's second single of the day.

-  Phelps matched King Felix through 5, from the inefficient early pitch count, the run allowed in the 2nd, and then settling down after.  He got out of the 3rd on a double play and then sat down 6 in a row.

- Hernandez got bailed out by a Robinson Cano inning-ending GIDP in the 2nd and really settled down from there.  He gave up just 1 hit in his last 5 innings and struck out 4.

- Phelps finished the 6th in style with a pair of strikeouts and then gave way to the bullpen.  Boone Logan handled the 7th and David Robertson worked around a leadoff double to keep the game tied at 1 heading to the 9th.

- Seattle stuck with Yoervis Medina for the 9th and the Yanks made them pay.  Ichiro led off with a double, moved to second on a Jayson Nix sac bunt, and scored on an RBI single by none other than Chris Stewart.

- The offense did their part and got Mo a lead, and he held it down in the bottom half despite giving up 2 hits and a walk.  It was just barely enough to win, AGAIN, but I'll take it against Felix Hernandez.

Pineda Throws 4.1 Scoreless In His First Rehab Start

Michael Pineda's first MiL rehab start was pushed back to today due to weather and it sounds like it was worth the extra day's wait.  Pineda allowed just 2 hits and 0 runs in 4.1 IP for High-A Tampa today, striking out 4 batters and walking just 1.  He threw 68 pitches, 42 for strikes, and via Anthony Rieber he was regularly sitting 92-93 with his fastball.

Rieber also spoke with a few other scouts who were on hand to take in the start.  One said Pineda "looked like the guy I saw in Tacoma a couple of years ago," which has to be taken as a positive given that Pineda wasn't coming off major surgery then.  There's no word on when his next start will be and for what team he'll pitch (High-A has their ASG next weekend), but the positive momentum continues for Pineda's comeback.

Day 3 MLB Draft Notes

The Yankees got their high impact talent with their 3 1st rounders on day 1.  They got their fill of cheap college seniors and possibly unsignable HS players to control the draft pool on day 2.  Day 3 was the final day to try to find a few more diamonds in the rough, something the Yankees have had great success with in recent drafts (see: Austin, Tyler or Turley, Nik).  How'd they do in rounds 11-40?  Here's a few names that stood out.

- Round 12: Philip Walby, RHP, San Diego St.

Walby is a big right-handed with a lively fastball that sits low 90s and can hit the mid-90s when he dials it up.  It's been reported to have both late life and late movement, but his offspeed stuff needs work.  He profiles as another power reliever type.

- Round 13: Cale Coshow, RHP, Oklahoma Christian

If Walby is big at 6'3"/215, then Coshow is a monster at 6'5"/260.  He started at Oklahoma Christian after spending 2 unproductive years at Oklahoma and features plus stuff (mid-90s fastball, curveball, changeup).  The stuff is enough for him to start in pro ball, but he's going to need to work on his conditioning or also get put into the power reliever category.

More after the jump.