Game 70 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 NYM 3

(Betcha Jesus Montero wouldn't have hit that.  Courtesy of MLB.com)

Things were sloppy early in the game.  The starting pitching was inconsistent, the defense was shoddy, and the offense was nowhere to be found again.  The Yankees didn't resemble chickens so much as they did dumb dodo birds; too clumsy and dopey to get out of their own ways.  But a quick offensive strike in the 7th inning was enough to give them a lead, a lead that the bullpen made sure held up, and we will head into tonight's marquee primetime matchup with the series on the line.

Game Notes:

- Ivan Nova wasn't horrible by any stretch of the imagination last night.  He did a pretty good job of mixing pitches and keeping the ball down in the zone, and did strike out 7 in 5.2 innings.  But he was a little inconsistent with his fastball command, and it got him into trouble a couple times.

- The first time was against Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the bottom of the 3rd, when he fell behind 3-1 and let a fastball get just enough of the plate that Nieuwenhuis was able to hit it the other way for a HR and a 1-0 Mets lead.

- The second was in the next inning, when he gave up a double to Omar Quintanilla that eventually led to a run on a Josh Thole groundout.  In fairness to Nova, that run may not have scored if A-Rod doesn't bobble a Scott Hairston grounder to start the inning.

- Through 5 innings the offense wasn't doing much to help Nova.  They managed just 2 singles and 2 walks against Chris Young, and despite Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson's best efforts to create opportunities with stolen bases on the basepaths, the scoreboard was filled with 0s.

- The bottom of the 6th was a combination of bad pitching by Nova and questionable strategy by Joe.  After giving up a leadoff double, Nova retired the next 2 batters before being ordered to intentionally walk Thole to get to Young.  Nova threw a first-pitch fastball down the middle and Young hit it for an RBI single to make it a 3-0 Mets lead and the end of Nova's night.

- Something must have clicked the third time through the order, because the Yankees punished Young in the 7th inning and they did it quickly.  He walked Mark Teixeira to lead off the inning, then gave up a double to Nick Swisher and a game-tying 3-run HR to Raul Ibanez on consecutive pitches.  The lead was gone and Young was finished just like that.

- It would get no better after Jon Rauch replaced Young.  He struck out Russell Martin, then watched as pinch hitter Eric Chavez smacked an 0-2 fastball over the left field wall for a solo HR and a 4-3 Yankee lead.

- There was certainly nothing chicken-like about the way the bullpen handled the game once they got the lead.  Cody Eppley, Boone Logan, David Robertson, and Rafael Soriano combined for 3 scoreless innings, just 2 hits, and 7 strikeouts to lock up the win.  Logan was really big, striking out Lucas Dude and Daniel Murphy to end the 7th, and D-Rob worked around 2 walks to K the side in the 8th.

Mid-Season Minor League Thoughts And Afterthoughts

(Yes, this kid is the future. Screen cap courtesy of MLB.com)

Tonight's game is still 4 hours away, and I'm probably going to get screwed on the regional FOX coverage again because the lameass Brewers are on the schedule as well.  So that being the situation it is, and us being right around the mid-way point of the Minor League season, why not have us some good old-fashioned free-flowing commentary on the Yankee MiL system?  Good?  Good.

Game 69 Wrap-Up: NYM 6 NYY 4

(Swag.  Courtesy of The AP)

The losing streak is official now, so that's a bummer.  Andy Pettitte was on the mound to face Jonathon Niese again last night, and like his last appearance against the Mets, this one was marred by one bad inning.  That "one bad inning" theme has really come back to haunt the Yankee starters this week, as has the offense's inability to drive in runs when they put runners on base.  Both of those problems were the direct causes of last night's loss, and something the Yanks need to clean up to start getting back on the right side of these close games.

Game Notes:

- You wouldn't have known it at the time, but the game was basically over after the 1st inning.  Andy gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in the bottom of the 1st, the big blow a 3-run HR by Ike Davis on a hanging slider that Nick Swisher almost (and probably should have) brought back.

- After that disastrous 1st, Andy worked the next 5 innings scoreless, giving up only 2 hits and recording 12 outs either on the ground or via strikeout, but the damage was done.

- It was like the tale of 2 Andys.  In the 1st, he didn't seem to have a feel for any of his pitches.  In the 2nd-6th, it was like the Andy we've seen since he came back.  Really strange.

- The offense was homer-happy again (Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones each crushed solo jobs in the 6th and 7th to make it 5-2), but other than that there wasn't much generated against Niese.  They put 2 runners on in the top of the 1st and 2nd innings and turned those opportunities into nothing.

- Cory Wade replaced Andy in the 7th and gave up a big run on an Omar Quintanilla single and David Wright double to make it 6-2 Mets, and that extra run really stood out after Robinson Cano hit a 2-run bomb in the 8th to pull the Yankees within 6-4.

- 2 runs was as close as the Bombers would get, despite Frank Francisco's best efforts to give the game back.  He gave up a deep line drive by Russell Martin to lead off the 9th that Andres Torres made a diving catch on, put the next 2 baserunners on with 1 out, and then got bailed out when Curtis Granderson took strike 3 right down the middle and Mark Teixeira popped a belt-high fastball up to short to end the game.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 6/22

Not having a smart phone kicks ass.  It really does.  I have the most basic, shitty flip phone available through Verizon and I absolutely love it.  It allows me to make and receive the phone calls I want to make and receive and has unlimited messaging so that I can stay in relatively constant text message contact with those I wish to text.  And the best part is, it's my personal phone, so I'm not subjected to all the work BS and don't have my contact information out there on some wireless company network for every Tom, Dick, and Harry from my company or our customer base to find.  I don't need 24/7 access to the internet or my work email and I sure as shit don't want it.  I'm on the internet for pretty much every hour of the day that I'm awake, and that's good enough for me.  If you're out there and you still have a flip phone like me, you know exactly what I'm talking about and you know that I'm right.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog examined the stats for 2012 interleague play to show that the AL (and the Yankees) are still the Drago to the NL's Creed.

- On Tuesday, Dan Pfeiffer of NYY Universe commented on the suddenly crowded Triple-A rotation and who could be getting moved out of it.

- Rob Steingall of Pinstripe Alley profiled Low-A Charleston 2nd baseman Angelo Gumbs and the under-the-radar solid season he's putting together.

- On Wednesday, Donnie Collins of the SWB Blog had the details on the upcoming contest to rename the Triple-A team and remove the "Yankees" title.

- Brian D. of Yankees Fans Unite issued his own reactions and thoughts on the Roger Clemens verdict.

- William Tasker of IIATMS pointed out some troubling trends in A-Rod's numbers that suggest a big power surge might not be coming from him.

- Ben Badler of Baseball America has the most thorough scouting report I've seen so far on new international FA signee Omar Luis Rodriguez.

- On Thursday, SJK of NoMaas continued to point out the major source of the Yankees' RISP Fail.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud looked at what has changed for the Yankees in the past month, both for better and for worse.

- Joe Pawlikowski of RAB ran through the possible explanations for why Phil Hughes struggles to put batters away with 2 strikes.

- On Friday, Matt Imbrogno of TYA followed up on Joe's Hughes piece with his own analysis of Hughes' pitch selection with 2 strikes.

- Mike Eder of TYA, in preparation for Sunday's "CC vs. R.A." showdown, shone his bright PITCHf/x light on R.A. Dickey and his curveball.

I had a song in mind for the Friday Jam on Tuesday, but that was before I watched the old Alice In Chains "MTV Unplugged" concert from 1996 in its entirety on YouTube on Wednesday.  Damn that was a great concert and Alice In Chains was easily the best rock band to come out in the early 90s.  I want to say I've played them once before here, but I don't care.  Alice In Chains is the biz.



One last link, and it's the usual self-promotion one.  If you have the time or the desire, please check out the AB4AR Facebook Page and "Like" it.  I would appreciate it.  Oh, and if you didn't think I was going to do another live blog for the Sunday night game, you are outside of your mind.  So make sure you're around to check that out.

Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Frank Francisco Is Kidding, Right?

From the NY Post:

"'I can’t wait to face those chickens,' Mets closer Frank Francisco told The Post when asked about playing the Yankees in this weekend’s Subway Series at Citi Field.  'I want to strike out the side against them. I’ve done it before.'"

Checking On The Yankees' All Star Game Chances

The 2012 Major League Baseball All Star Game is a little over 3 weeks away, and there's already been a few rounds of ballot updates that have been released showing where players stand in the fan voting.  The Yankees are well represented in the top 5 at almost every position, and in some cases are leading the charge.  But how many Yankees realistically have a chance at making the ASG roster for the American League?  Quickly, and simply, let's take a quick look.

Curtis Granderson: Master Of The 3 True Outcomes

("Base hits?  Groundouts to third?  Sorry.  Fresh outta those.")

I've been having a bit of fun with the Curtis Granderon "not a home run hitter" theme in the past week or so.  I find it amusing that Curtis is still so adamant about NOT being a home run hitter, like it's some kind of pock mark on his statistical profile and reputation.  Being known as a guy who produces the best possible offensive outcome when he steps to the plate with great regularity is easily one of the best compliments that you can be given as an offensive player, so it entertains me every time he smacks one, knowing that the topic will come up postgame and I'll get the chance to read his response and chuckle to myself.

If Curtis doesn't want to be labeled as a home run hitter, more power to him.  But one trend that is undeniable is his movement towards becoming a much higher "Three True Outcomes" hitter since his well-documented hitting therapy session with Kevin Long in 2010.

Musing On The Future Of The 2012 Rotation

2012 has been a season of surprises for the Yankee starting pitching staff.  The mid-January trade for Michael Pineda was a surprise, as was the follow-up signing of Hiroki Kuroda, who did not appear to be on the Yankees' radar anymore at the time.  Andy Pettitte announcing his return was a surprise, and a welcome one after the surprising season-ending labrum tear suffered by Pineda.  Once the season started, the poor collective performance out of the gate was a bit surprising, with guys like Kuroda and Ivan Nova, who were expected to be at least above-average, contributing more poor starts than good ones.  The recent turnaround and red hot streak of the rotation (Phil Hughes' stinker yesterday not included) has been surprising.  And I don't think any of us envisioned Andy's comeback being this successful or a stretch where every start was pitching like a #1 or #2 guy.

This continuing string of surprises from what is almost always the most talked-about part of the Yankee roster should make the next 94 games incredibly exciting for Yankee fans.  Where will they go from here?  Who will continue to pitch well?  Will anybody get hurt?  Will the team trade for another pitcher (hopefully not)?  And not to jump the gun or anything, but assuming they make it, what is the postseason rotation going to look like?  But as I sit here on another off day, with Phil's bad outing very easy to analyze and nothing else really jumping out at me, my thoughts about the current rotation start to drift further into the future. I start to wonder about just where this group is going to be in 2013 and if there's a possibility of all of them being back in pinstripes.

Game 68 Wrap-Up: ATL 10 NYY 5

(Hot towel, anybody?  Hot towel?  Courtesy of The AP)

I don't consider a winning streak official until it reaches 3 games, and the same logic holds for losing streaks.  The Yankee pitching that had been so stellar this month hit another pothole yesterday, Phil Hughes in particular.  The individual HRs he had been allowing ballooned into multiple HRs and the Yankees found themselves in an early hole that they weren't able to dig all the way out of.

Game Notes:

- The theme of Hughes' inability to finish off batters and innings returned in the top of the 1st, when he got 2 outs but then gave up an RBI single to Dan Uggla on a 2-2 pitch and a 2-run HR to Freddie Freeman on a 1st-pitch fastball for a quick 3-0 Braves lead.

- Power from The Captain is always a plus, and Derek Jeter led off the bottom of the 1st with a 1st-pitch homer of his own off Tommy Hanson.

- Hughes got 5 straight outs after the Freeman dinger, but then got in trouble throwing 4 straight fastballs, the last one in a clear fastball count to Martin Prado in the 3rd that Prado hit for a HR.  Hughes missed with another 2-strike fastball to Jason Heyward in the 4th to make it 5-1 Atlanta.

- He mixed it up a little by leaving a curveball up just enough for David Ross to lead off the 5th with a HR, and Hughes had a new career high for HR allowed in a game with 4.  It was just a tough day for Phil.  He didn't locate his fastball or his curveball well, and with those 2 pitches being the bulk of his offerings these days, that wasn't a good combination.

- The offense slowly chipped away with a homer barrage of their own.  Eric Chavez led off the bottom of the 5th with a solo shot, and Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back bombs in the 6th to pull within 2.

- Give a call to Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada, who worked a perfect 2.1 innings after Hughes with 5 Ks to give the offense a chance.  Damn fine middle relief work.

- Curtis Granderson got the Yanks within 1 in the 7th with an RBI single, but the good work Eppley and Rapada did was quickly erased by Cory Wade and Boone Logan, who gave up 3 runs in the 8th to put the game out of reach, the last 2 on Heyward's 2nd HR of the day off a hanging Logan slider.

- Fun fact on a bad day: the 9 combined HRs between the 2 teams tied a Yankee home game record and set the "new" record for the new Yankee Stadium.  Not that that makes the loss any better.

Michael Pineda Resurfaces

("GET TO DA CHOPPAH!!!!"  Used courtesy of NY Daily News)

There was a surprise guest in the Yankee clubhouse before last night's game.  You might remember him as the top-flight young starter for whom the Yankees traded their top prospect, a Mr. Michael Pineda.

Chad Jennings of LoHud had the details on Pineda's return, and they included positive reports on his rehab from his labrum surgery, his apparently improved physical condition, and suggestions that he could be ready to start throwing again by September.  All of this is about as good as any news could be on Pineda, who will undoubtedly enter Spring Training 2013 as an even bigger wild card than he was this year.  I hope the plan is to give him as long as he needs to make a full recovery and be able to return to full pitching form, even if that means him missing part or all of ST or the beginning of the regular season next year.

And because we're keeping this Pineda talk positive, I'm not even going to mention how the team's winning streak was broken on the day that he showed back up in the clubhouse.

Game 67 Wrap-Up: ATL 4 NYY 3

(You're out, dude.  By a fucking mile.  Courtesy of MLB.com)

We all knew that the Yankees weren't going to win every game for the rest of the season.  And the fact that they had this 10-game winning streak against a bunch of above-.500 teams was an impressive feat and a sign of what this team is capable of.  But that doesn't make losing and having that streak broken any easier, especially in a game where the Yankees had multiple chances to get the runs they would have needed to win.

Game Notes:

- Hiroki Kuroda worked briskly through the first 2 innings on 2 strikeouts, 2 groundouts, and 2 flyouts, and it looked like he was lined up to keep the streak of standout starting pitching going.

- The offense followed up with a Teix single, Raul Ibanez double, and Nick Swisher 2-RBI double off of Tim Hudson to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd, and it looked like the winning streak was going to be in good shape to continue as well.

- But it all came to a halt after that half-inning.  Kuroda gave back 1 run in the 3rd after a leadoff triple from Jason Heyward, and then imploded with 2 outs in the 4th, going walk, double, walk, single to allow 2 more runs to score and the Braves to take a 3-2 lead.

- The offense bounced back in the bottom half, scratching an unearned runs across on a pair of errors by Freddie Freeman and Chipper Jones to tie the game, but that was really the last time we would hear from the lineup all night.

- The Braves took the lead in the 6th on a leadoff ground-rule double and a hotshot RBI single by Heyward that went off of Teix.  Kuroda wasn't awful last night, but in situations where he needed to make a pitch, situations that he consistently came through in last time against Atlanta, he couldn't do it.  Sometimes it goes that way.

- Ugly finish to the game by the offense.  Teix got thrown out at home in the 5th by about 100 feet, and Curtis Granderson also got thrown out at home in the 7th, the 2-55 spots in the lineup went a combined 2-16 with 0 RBI, and they only recorded 1 hit as a team in the final 4 innings.

- When you draw 5 walks against somebody like Hudson and get him out of the game after 5 innings, you should win.  The Yankees' inability to capitalize and get those timely hits that they've been getting (2-11 w/ RISP as a team) were why they didn't last night.

Josh Norris' "State Of The System"

I'm a day late on this, but if you're looking for some good afternoon/evening reading, look no further than Josh Norris' 4-part "State of The System" series that he posted over on his blog on Sunday.  Norris covers the Trenton Thunder full time, but he's also one of the foremost authorities on the Yankee farm system in general, and the insight he provides and direct quotes from scouts that he posts here is further proof. 

I'm always fascinated by the drastically different opinions that one scout and another can have on one prospect, and there are more than a few of those cases in Josh's report.  Definitely a must-read if you like following the Minors or fancy yourself an amateur prospect expert.

- Triple-A Empire State

- Double-A Trenton

- High-A Tampa

- Low-A Charleston

A Quick Word On Roger Clemens

Everybody knows by now that the verdict came back in the Roger Clemens perjury trial yesterday, and unsurprisingly it came back not guilty on all counts.  Seeing the way the Barry Bonds trial played out, I knew this was coming, and I don't feel bad saying that you're a complete idiot if you expected anything otherwise.  I didn't give this incredible waste of media air time and US taxpayer money one second of thought while it was going on, and I didn't give it one more second when the verdict was announced yesterday.

I don't need a guilty verdict to know that Roger Clemens used steroids.  I know he did, and I've known for a while now.  And it really doesn't change my opinion of him because I was never a big Roger Clemens fan anyway.  I always thought he was an asshole; I always thought he was a money-grubbing mercenary who was too caught up in the smell of his own farts and the sound of the local and national media fellating him to care about any of his teammates or fans.  My greatest memory of Clemens is him pitching like shit and probably faking an injury to get removed from Game 3 of the 2007 ALDS, so that should tell you everything you need to know about where I stand on him.

That being said, when I saw the video of his post-verdict press conference yesterday, I did have one thought and one thought only that went through my head.

Singing The Songs Of The Unsung Bullpen Heroes

(Cody Who??? Courtesy of Getty Images)

Say what you will about the Yankees' organizational ability to successfully manage their young pitching prospects and build them into something useful, or their ability to scout and sign the right external free agent pitchers to strengthen their rotation.  Both of those track records are filled with their fair share of flops and failures, and any kind of reasonable criticism directed at them comes with some truth attached.  But if there's one thing the Yankees have done consistently well in recent years, it's find and implement good relief pitching from unexpected sources.  Internally, externally, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere.  The Yankees know how to get value from undervalued relief assets and the Cody Eppley-Clay Rapada tag team this season is just the latest example.

Game 66 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 ATL 2

(Fastball command is funny.  Courtesy of The AP)

After a long day at the office, I just didn't have another live blog in me for last night's game.  And with CC Sabathia back on the mound, I wanted to spend more time watching the game and really pay attention to his fastball to see if he had made any improvements with it.  Swish was still out of commish, and Raul got the night off with the lefty Mike Minor on the mound for Atlanta, so the lineup was a little short.  But Carsten was on his game, and Minor couldn't repeat the success that he had the last time out.

Game Notes:

- The Braves came into the game scoreless in their last 20 innings, and it took all of 4 pitches from CC to end that streak.  A leadoff triple to left-center for Michael Bourn and a groundout by Martin Prado and Atlanta led 1-0.

- That was all Atlanta would get, though, as CC worked out of the inning without further issue and needed just 26 more pitches to get through the first 3 frames.  The Braves helped by swinging early (4 1-pitch outs), but give CC credit for that too by being around the plate.

- Minor brought his pitching shoes to The Stadium last night, and matched CC out for out early.  He no-hit the Yanks the first time through the lineup, and through 4 innings had only allowed 1 baserunner.

- CC put the first 2 runners on in the 4th and got out of it, but he wasn't so lucky in the 5th.  Leadoff single by Jason Heyward, infield single off a deflection by Andrelton Simmons, and a 1-out RBI single from Bourn on a pretty good pitch and it was 2-0 Atlanta.

- Minor lost the no-hit bid in the 5th after giving up a leadoff single to A-Rod, and lost the shutout soon after.  Robinson Cano walked, and on a 3-0 pitch Russell Martin got the green light and lined a 1-out ground-rule double to left to score A-Rod and cut the lead in half.  Derek Jeter followed with a 2-out 2-run single to center after a great at-bat and the Yankees took a 3-2 lead.

- If Fredi Gonzalez wasn't regretting sending Minor out to start the bottom of the 6th when the inning started, he definitely was after Mark Teixeira took a hanging change from Minor and parked it in the left field bleachers to lead off the inning.

- You expect your ace to give you shutdown innings after you take a lead, and CC gave the Yankees 3 after they put runs on the board in the 5th, 6th, and 7th.  The 6th-8th innings were easily CC's best of the night; he threw a lot of strikes and got 4 Ks, plus 2 slick plays by Jeter and Cano to end the 7th and 8th innings and preserve a 5-2 Yankee lead.

- Another Robbie Cano HR for more insurance?  Why the hell not?

A Little Love For Sour Puss

By now it should be crystal clear to everybody that I am not, nor have I ever been a Rafael Soriano fan.  He hasn't pitched that great overall since joining the Yankees last season, at least not as well as his monstrosity of a contract would suggest he should be.  Because of that contract, and the fact that nobody in their right mind would give him that much on the open market, he's basically guaranteed to be back on the team as a big financial burden next year.  And he's just really not a very likable guy, definitely not the easiest to root for.

But I'll be damned if old Sour Puss hasn't stepped up the plate and done a bang-up job filling in as the team's closer since Mo and D-Rob went down.  Since becoming the "official" closer on May 10th, here's Soriano's line:

15 App., 13.1 IP, 13 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Game 65 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 WAS 1

(Winnah!  Courtesy of The AP)

I scoffed when Ivan Nova said he wanted to get away from his new strategy that had made him a big strikeout pitcher and also a big XBH pitcher this season.  I thought he just needed to tighten up the command of his stuff in the zone and he could be a dominant pitcher.  Well what the hell do I know?  Since then, Nova has looked more like the version of himself he was in the second half of last season and he's been silly good in the process.  Yesterday, he put together another great start and got the Yankees their 2nd straight road sweep and 9th straight win in the process.

Game Notes:

- As they've done a lot during this recent hot streak, the offense got off to a fast start and got Nova an early lead.  Derek Jeter led off the game with a single, Curtis Granderson followed with a double, and the Yanks were in business with no outs in the 1st.  They only managed to score 1 run on a Mark Teixeira sac fly, but a 1st-inning lead is still a great thing to have.

- Nova made one mistake in the bottom of the 2nd, a fastball up to Adam LaRoche that he hit for a HR, but otherwise he was on his game early.  He got into trouble in the 3rd with runners on the corners and 1 out, but induced an inning-ending DP ball from Danny Espinosa to end the threat.

- The lineup put pressure on Edwin Jackson, but couldn't convert on their opportunities through 4 innings.  It wasn't until non-home run hitter Curtis Granderson led off the 5th with a HR that they regained the lead.

- As they did with Gonzalez and Zimmerman, the lineup worked Jackson out after 6, and once he left they struck.  Robinson Cano hit a 1-out HR off of reliever Tom Gorzelanny in the 7th, and Mark Teixeira doubled and came around to score on a passed ball to make it 4-1.

- Those 4 runs would be all Nova needed.  He was efficient, he got ahead in the count, and he did a good job of locating the ball down in the zone to get those GBs he loves.  He had the curveball working and really tried to use that as his out pitch, and was brilliant through 7.2 innings before giving way to Boone Logan in the 8th.

- RISP Fail will continue to be a talking point for the offense, and justifiably so after the team went 0-12 yesterday in that situation, but when you get the kind of outing they got from Nova, that masks a lot of problems.

- Sour Puss picked up his 4th straight save since the BS against the Mets last Sunday, and 2nd in as many days, in a clean 9th.

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.

Outfield Options: Internal

(The cause for concern.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Multiple reporters were quick to confirm that the Yankees were not in the market for an outfielder after Thursday's official re-diagnosis of Brett Gardner's elbow injury.  With Gardner only expected to be out for another 3-4 weeks, and Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones doing a good job of holding down the fort in left for the time being, there really wasn't much of a need for the Yankees to be thinking trade.  But with Nick Swisher leaving today's game after suffering what's being called a "left quad contusion" on a play at the plate in the 6th inning, and his status being up in the air right now, the outfield situation might have to be revisited.  Before we all jump on FanGraphs and try to figure out which trade target best suits the Yankees, let's first examine what they could in-house to try to cover for the loss of Gardner and Swish, if it turns out he has to miss some time.

Game 63 Wrap-Up: NYY 7 WAS 2

(Curtis doesn't get to do this a lot because he's not a home run hitter, you see.  Courtesy of The AP)

Yankees and Nationals, 2 first-place teams going at it.  I don't think the Yankees have ever played the Nationals, and no, I'm not basing that on anything and I'm too lazy to look it up, but it was definitely not a clown series, bro.  The resurgent Phil Hughes was on the mound for the Bombers, facing off against the AL-to-NL transplanted and probable All Star Gio Gonzalez, so a pitcher's duel was in the cards.

Game Notes:

- Gonzalez started off hot, striking out 5 of the first 6 batters to make an out in the game.  Hughes got 3 Ks in the first 2 innings, but also allowed 3 baserunners.

- The Yankees were the first to put a crooked number on the scoreboard, and they did it all with 2 outs in the top of the 3rd.  With Derek Jeter on second after a 1-out double, Teix walked and A-Rod and Swish hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it 2-0.  A-Rod stifled the rally a bit by getting thrown out trying to go first to third, but it was still a lead.

- Hughes almost gave it all back in the next inning, loading the bases with only 1 out and giving up an RBI base hit to Michael Morse, but got Ian Desmond to ground into an inning-ending double play on a first-pitch curveball.  Hughes getting groundball outs is always a nice bonus and there were none bigger last night than those 2.

- Both pitchers settled in after the 3rd, with Gonzalez working the next 3 innings in order and Hughes retiring the next 8 he faced after the DP in order.  Gio struck out 8 and Phil struck out 9, but Gonzalez was left in to face a batter to lead off the 7th and that was the difference in their final lines.

- Andruw Jones walked to start the inning, pinch runner Dewayne Wise stole second, was sacrificed to third, and scored on an infield single by Jeter.  Russell Martin also scored on a throwing error on the play, but the bigger blow came in the next at-bat, when Curtis Granderson lined a double to the opposite field that scored Robinson Cano and Jeter and made it 6-1 Yankees.

- Cody Eppley got 3 outs in the 7th, Clay Rapada worked a clean 8th (including Ks of Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche), and Curtis Granderson: Non-HR Hitter hit a solo shot in the top of the 9th to put the game away.

- It was good to see D-Rob back out on the mound, even if he did give up a cheap run.  He got 2 groundball outs and finished with a K, though, and had his fastball sitting in its usual 92-93 range, so I would call it a good first appearance back.

- It's worth mentioning that last night was Joe's 500th career managerial win.  Congrats to him for that.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 6/15

My apartment is gross.  I came to that conclusion the other night while watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals.  Between the back-to-back weekends traveling back to CT to see family and friends, and the creative hot streak I've been on with the blog, I have gotten way away from my normal cleaning/apartment maintenance schedule, and the place is suffering because of it.  It's not like I have anybody to bring over or impress, but it's never a great feeling when you feel like you're living in squalor.  I'm passing on my company's annual golf outing tomorrow and that's probably for the best.  I need the next 48 hours to whip my place back into shape.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Nick Fleder of Bronx Baseball Daily profiled 5 pitchers the Yankees could target at the trade deadline.  Not a lot of need for starting pitching right now, but you never know when the injury bug could bite again.

- Brandon C. of Pinstripe Alley scored an interview with Ty Hensley, the Yankees' 1st-Round pick and hopefully soon-to-be prospect.  Seems like a good kid.

- On Tuesday, Brien Jackson of IIATMS mused on the Yankees' current RISP struggles and put a brighter spin on it than most.

- On Wednesday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog looked at A-Rod's career numbers and projected where he could end up in the all-time rankings of some major categories when he finally hangs 'em up.

- SJK of NoMaas updated Joe Girardi's team nickname list. I started laughing when I got to Teix and didn't stop until I closed the page.

- Kate Conroy of Lady Loves Pinstripes argued for the idea of trading for Carlos Quentin as a LF plug-in for Brett Gardner.  Like the offense, but Quentin's horrific defensive numbers would have me passing on him for other options.

- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports caught up with Francisco Cervelli and spoke with him about his demotion and extended stay in Triple-A this season. Cervelli still seems plenty salty to me.

- On Thursday, friend of the blog Jamie Insalaco of Bomber Banter expressed his desire to see Garcia go and Eppley stay when D-Rob was activated.  That's a desire that I shared; too bad it was Phelps that got the boot.

- On the other side of that coin, Jesse Schindler of Bleeding Yankee Blue stated that it should have been David Phelps who went down and Garcia that stayed.  I can appreciate the logic there as well, and commend on Jesse on the wise choice.

- And to bring the Phelps discussion full circle, fishjam25 of Yankees Fans Unite wondered out loud if Phelps should have been the man to go.

- Dan Pfeiffer of NYY Universe looked at 5 MiL guys who should be due for a promotion in the near future.

- Chris Carelli of Yanks Go Yard put together a real good profile of 2nd-Round pick Austin Aune, even getting some feedback from his HS athletic director.

- Mike Axisa of RAB looked at the 40-man roster and pointed out some Rule 5-eligible guys not on it who could be affected by the upcoming trade deadline.

- On Friday, Mike Eder of TYA put CC's fastball under the PITCHf/x microscope to try to dig deeper into the problems surrounding it.  I had a hunch Mike was going to do something like this after myself and others touched on it earlier in the week, and he didn't disappoint.

For the Friday Jam, I'm coming with the heater and hitting you with some Carly Rae Jepsen.  It's real simple, folks. "Call Me Maybe" is the hottest song out there right now, and if you don't like it then you don't like America.  "I threw a wish in the well/Don't ask me, I'll never tell" is a straight fire line, and if Kelly Clarkson had thought of it maybe her career would still be relevant.



You're welcome.  Enjoy your weekends, everybody. If you're in the DC area, the RAB guys and some of my fellow TYA bros will be in town for the series.  Find 'em and buy them a beer.

Gardner's Arm Better Come Back Looking Like This

He's had rest.  He's had rehab outings.  He's had more rest.  He's had "treatment."  He's had MRIs.  Now he's had PRP therapy and a cortisone shot.  If Brett Gardner doesn't come back in 3-4 weeks looking and functioning like the T-1000 with this injured elbow, everybody involved on the Yankee medical staff should have their end-of-the-year bonus taken away.

(Swanny Duckson Productions.  Back and better than ever!)

Nick Swisher Is Not Coming Back

(Smiling all the way to the bank.  Courtesy of Herb Swanson/EPA)

Nick Swisher's future as a Yankee after the 2012 season has been a constant point of conversation this year, as he is the first big internal free agent candidate who could be affected by the future payroll plans.  The conversation heated up this week after the Dodgers announced their new deal with Andre Ethier, with everybody chiming in on how they think the Ethier deal will affect Swish and his value on the open market.  I'm one of the last chimers, so I'll just try to make my point short and sweet.