Game 108 Wrap-Up: SD 7 NYY 2

(This is becoming a way too familiar sight.  Courtesy of the AP)

Late game, long night, late wake up, short recap.  Not that you really need to know all the fine details looking at the final score.

Game Notes:

- It was another bad start for CC Sabathia.  He gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st on a pair of singles and a pair of walks.  Can't even remember the last time the big guy walked in a run.

- The Yanks got their 2 in the top of the 2nd after an Ichiro leadoff single.  He stole second and scored on Eduardo Nunez's double, and Nunez came around to score on a couple of groundouts.

- 3 more hits and 2 more runs allowed for CC in the 4th.  He was getting hit hard and putting guys on in every inning.  He failed to get out of the 6th inning and left with the loss on his hands.

- There would be no late comeback this time.  The offense only put 1 guy on base in the final 4 innings, and Joba Chamberlain and Adam Warren each gave up a solo HR for good measure.

- If you're wondering, Curtis Granderson went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts in his first game back.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 8/2/13

My buddy from work is hosting an all-day pig roast at his friend's bar in Milwaukee tomorrow.  $10 all you can eat.  Not conducive at all to having to write West Coast game recaps.  Consider that my pre-explanation for why there won't be one on Sunday.  Now onto the links!

- On Tuesday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog mused on Bud Selig's history of pursuing baseball's best interests and how that has all led up to his unfair singling out of Alex Rodriguez in the Biogenesis case.

- Mike Axisa of RAB discussed the Yankees putting themselves into the "no man's land" position I touched on earlier in the week thanks to their questionable roster construction/payroll management plan.

- Dan Dechenaux of Yanks Go Yard paid tribute to Hideki Matsui on his retirement day.

- On Wednesday, Rebecca Glass of This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes looked back on one of A-Rod's greatest Yankee moments, one she'll never forget regardless of how his Biogenesis punishment comes out.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud weighed the options the Yankees had with Phil Hughes at the deadline.  We know now that they chose to hold him.

- Vizzini of NoMaas made an impassioned and very practical argument for why the Yankees should have traded Robinson Cano before the deadline.

- SG of RLYW used updated postseason projections to argue against the Yankees taking a buyer's position at the deadline.

- On Thursday, Michael Brown of Pinstriped Bible discussed the role timing played in the Yankees' inactive deadline, and how they might be better off because of it.

- Michael Eder of IIATMS/TYA pointed out the biggest weakness Cash displayed in handling the roster this season, both before and at the deadline.

- Steve Lombardi of Was Watching reviewed David Robertson's previous closing experiences to question whether he was the right fit for Mo's successor.

- On Friday, el duque of It Is High... took a very interesting stance on the whole A-Rod/Yankees/MLB situation and how it should or shouldn't affect our fandom.

- Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes riffed on the "Cash or Steinbrenners" decision debate and argued that not much has really changed when it comes to ownership gets the final say.

- Chris Mitchell of Pinstripe Pundits talked up Ivan Nova's big turnaround in performance since returning to the rotation.

This week's jam is more new stuff, this time from Pearl Jam.  I finally caught "Mind Your Manners" on the radio the other day.  Didn't even realize it was out and as usual it's some pretty good rock and roll.  PJ might be the most consistent rock band of the last 25 years.  Even if they didn't knock it out of the park, you could always count on their stuff to be good.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

AB4AR "Best Of The Month" Awards: July 2013

July 2013 was basically a tale of 2 mini-seasons separated by the All Star break.  The Yankees went 9-5 pre-ASB in a stretch that started off with 6 straight wins, and then just 5-7 after the break in a key stretch of games that left them doing little more than treading water in the playoff race.  Still, 14-12 overall is a better month than June and they aren't completely buried yet.  A trade deadline addition and the return of a few key veterans has the lineup looking better as we move into August.  Here's a look back at the highlights of the last month.

C-Grand Brings Respectability Back To The Lineup

(Courtesy of MiLB.com)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Barring any really unforeseen setbacks in the next few hours, all expectations are that Curtis Granderson will rejoin the Yankees and return to the lineup this weekend.  He wasn't in the Double-A Trenton lineup yesterday and Josh Norris reported that he was off to rejoin the team in Cali.  There was no formal confirmation or announcement by the team - they were basically on media blackout yesterday with the A-Rod stuff still hanging out there - but I can't imagine they would give up a day of rehab ABs for C-Grand if they and he were confident he was ready.  Personally, and I don't think I'm alone here, I'm hoping to see him back tonight.

Whether it's tonight or tomorrow, the return of Granderson to an already upgraded lineup should bring that lineup up out of the "upgraded" category and back to a level more befitting of a competitive Major League team.  While "good" would still be a bit of a stretch, these boys should now be at least respectable against both righty and lefty pitchers.

Last Time On "As The Quads Strain"...

Alex returned to the field yesterday, in a simulated game somewhere near the team's Tampa complex.  Shielded from the media, he got 6 at-bats in and also played the field and ran the bases.  The team announced plans for his next rehab assignment, which he is scheduled to start today in Double-A.

Meanwhile, things off the field were getting just as hot (and even heavier) than the action on the field.  After early reports came out that A-Rod and his team of lawyers were working with MLB on a plea deal, Joel Sherman reported last night that those talks were off and his team was back on the plan to appeal any suspension handed down.  T.J. Quinn of ESPN reported later last night that the settlement talks had stalled between A-Rod and MLB based on the amount of games he was willing to accept and his desire to recoup at least some of his remaining contract.  Obvious sticking points for both sides, so it doesn't sound like there's a deal to be made there.

Is A-Rod making a deal?  Is he not?  Will the suspension be announced today?  Will he appeal?  Will we ever see him in a Yankee uniform again?  And how much champagne is ownership putting on ice for the celebration of not having to pay him next year?  Find out next time on "As The Quads Strain."

Robertson Sitting Out Last Night- Problem?

After declaring him not an injury risk and talking down concern when a heavy short-term workload left him unavailable for a night early last month, it was more than a tad disconcerting to read that David Robertson was not available last night due to arm fatigue.  That makes his 9-pitch, 1-and-done appearance on Tuesday night more understandable and should be looked at as somewhat of a concern based on Joe saying that D-Rob came to him to tell him he wasn't feeling it.

D-Rob was lights out in July, allowing 0 runs in 13 appearances and striking out 18 batters to just 1 walk.  In fact, he hasn't given up a run since June 16th.  He also had his heaviest workload of the season in July, 13.0 IP in all.  That's a pretty decent toll considering a few off-days and the ASB are included.  Robertson had pitched in 3 of the last 4 nights before last night, but only 3 times in the preceding 2 weeks because of the break.  It's not like Joe has been riding him into the ground lately, so why the arm fatigue now?

Chances are it was just a one-time thing and D-Rob will be good to go.  He'll have a second straight day off tomorrow and it wouldn't shock me to see Joe hold him out a third day tomorrow if the lead or deficit is big enough.  As long as we see Robertson back out on the mound fanning guys this weekend, I think he's fine.

Granderson To Return Vs. Padres

Even though they got nothing at the deadline, the Yankees could still be getting an upgrade to their lineup as soon as tomorrow.  Via Josh Norris, Curtis Granderson was not listed on the Double-A Trenton roster today and is traveling to California to meet up with the Yankees for their weekend series against the San Diego Padres.  Norris did not specify which day, and there has been no follow-up on the report by anybody else, but as someone who covers Trenton intimately, Norris would have a better idea of what's going on than anybody at ESPN NY.

For C-Grand, this will mark the second return to the lineup for him this season.  Hopefully this one is more than 8 games.  In 6 MiL rehab games, Granderson was 4-19 with 4 BB, 5 K, and 3 R scored.  He's not the right-handed power bat the Yankees need, but he is another power bat and he's a better everyday lineup option than Wells and Ichiro.  For the Yankees, this is a greatly needed lengthening of the middle of the batting order and through association a deepening of the bench.

Slurping Hiroki Kuroda

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The title of the post tells you the whole story.  No underlying storylines here, no projections or predictions, or trying to figure out what it may mean for the future.  This is just some straight up, good old-fashioned appreciation of what Hiroki Kuroda has done this season and recognition of how badass he is.

Kuroda has been the unquestioned best starting pitcher on the staff this year.  After last night, he now leads all Yankee starters (with 10 starts or more) in ERA (2.38), FIP (3.38), BB rate (4.9%), K/BB (3.67), WHIP (1.03), strand rate (83.7%), wins (10), and fWAR (3.0).  He's second in IP (139.2) and strikeouts (99) and the innings count is really only because Joe doesn't seem to have it in him to take CC out early when he's pitching like crap.  Kuroda has officially become the ace of this staff.

Game 107 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 LAD 0

(Courtesy of the AP)

I half-joked on the Facebook page Tuesday that if I set the betting line at 5 total runs scored in this series, would you take the over or the under?  Most people were taking the under and it was hard to blame them with who the Dodgers were putting out on the mound.  Zack Greinke did the job on Wednesday night against the still sputtering Yankee offense and big lefty and once pipe dream future Yankee Clayton Kershaw looked primed to best that last night.  If we're being honest, he actually did, but he was bested by the best the Yankees have on their staff in Hiroki Kuroda and the Bombers left LA with a much needed split.

Game Notes:

- Kershaw surrendered just 3 hits through 6 innings, 2 of them groundball singles that found holes.  He was on his game and working efficiently to mow down the Yankee batting order.

- Across the diamond, Kuroda was doing the exact same thing to the Dodger lineup.  He allowed just a single walk the first time through the order, and completely torched the 1-4 spots in the lineup between the 3rd and 4th innings with a K, groundout, K, K sequence.

- Hirok could have gotten himself into trouble in the bottom of the 7th, when he gave up 3 base hits in a 4-batter span.  Luckily Adrian Gonzalez got greedy trying to stretch his leadoff hit and got thrown out at second by Vernon Wells.

- Boone Logan replaced Kuroda after Melky Mesa pinch hit for him in the top of the 8th and navigated his way around a leadoff single and an intentional walk of Yasiel Puig to get the Yankees to their last chance in a 0-0 9th.

- Kershaw hit for himself in the bottom of the 8th, but for some reason was removed for the top of the 9th.  Derek Jeter worked a leadoff walk off Ronald Bellisario, who also walked Ichiro after 2 groundouts.  Pinch hitter Lyle Overbay faced lefty Paco Rodriguez, and after getting a VERY generous check swing call with 2 strikes, came through with an RBI single to center to put New York on the board.

- The Yanks would plate 2 more in the next at-bat when Mark Ellis and Puig failed to communicate on a pop up and let it drop in off the bat of Jayson Nix.  Mo went 1-2-3 in the 9th and that was all she wrote.

Market Heating Up For Hughes (Updated)

It's been deathly silent on the Phil Hughes market for at least a week now, but things are finally heating up in the final hours before the deadline.

Bob Nightengale first reported that the Yankees had started receiving offers for Hughes a little while ago.  Chris Cotillo has followed up on that by reporting that 2 offers are in already and the Yankees are working to make a move.  There's only a few hours left before the deadline, so if something happens it'll have to come together very quickly.  More on this story as it develops.

** UPDATE 2:43 PM- Joel Sherman reporting that the Braves talked to the Yankees about Hughes but a deal is unlikely in these final minutes. **

** UPDATE 3:17 PM- That's it.  Nothing.  No moves for Hughes or Michael Young, who was also a hot rumored name in the final few hours.  Yankees will stand pat with Soriano and their returning players.  Cash scheduled to address the media in a few minutes.  **

All Quiet On The Trade Front

We're now just a handful of hours away from the non-waiver trade deadline, and as of the time I started writing this post the Yankees remain largely inactive.  They were loosely connected to most of the top available hitters yesterday but really nothing more than checking in on availability.  Since the Alfonso Soriano trade last week they've been incredibly quiet, both as potential sellers and buyers, which brings up the question of what exactly are they trying to do?

Per the ownership-implemented 2014 payroll plan and the questionable way in which they've gone about making moves to plan for it, the Yankees have straddled the line of contender and rebuild candidate all season long.  They're 8 games out in the loss column in the AL east and 3 out in the Wild Card race with a -9 run differential, and as presently constructed don't look all that capable of making a postseason run this year or next year.  One way or another, more activity at the deadline rather than less would have been a good way to push the team into some direction for the future.

And here they are, approaching the deadline with almost nothing going on.  After selling the fanbase on their commitment to a championship-caliber team, the front office appears content to just stand pat, wait for guys like C-Grand and maybe A-Rod to return, and hold their present course for better or worse.  With the markets for Hughes and Joba drying up, it's hard to hammer them for doing so, but the lack of activity now paired with the earlier addition of 2014 payroll for guys like Soriano, Ichiro, and Vernon Wells puts the club in the same "no man's land" position next year that they're in now.  It's all very confusing and it's adding up to a 2014 season that'll be even more frustrating than this one.

Game 106 Wrap-Up: LAD 3 NYY 2

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees were back at it on the West Coast last night, taking on the Dodgers in another 2-game series that was unfortunately timed so that they'd get to face both Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw.  Chances were good we'd get to see another example of how weak this lineup still is with Andy Pettitte hitting at the bottom of the order, and if he was still without command of his cutter it could have been an ugly night for him on the mound against a dangerous lineup.  Pettitte had himself a nice little start, but it was another offensive blackout that led to the eventual walk-off loss.

Game Notes:

- The Yankees got a great look at the kind of young talent their lineup is missing immediately in the bottom of the 1st when Yasiel Puig doubled to deep center off Pettitte and came around to score on a Hanley Ramirez ribbie single.

- Lyle Overbay was responsible for the first 2 Yankee runs, in 2 completely different ways.  He led off the top of the 2nd with a solo home run, then plated Alfonso Soriano with a groundout in the 4th.

- Pettitte gave up another run on a Juan Uribe HR in the 2nd and didn't look particularly sharp in the first 3 innings.  It took a nice play by Ichiro to nail Ramirez at the plate for Andy to escape the 3rd inning without giving up another run.

- After that 3rd inning, it was like things clicked for Pettitte.  He found his fastball command and the rest of his pitches followed suit, as Andy retired 9 of the next 10 batters he faced through 6 and gave up no more runs through 7.

- Right on cue, the offense went into hibernation as Greinke found his game.  They put just 1 baserunner on in the final 5 frames, an Ichiro double in the 7th that was stranded.  The last 8 Yankees to come to the plate made an out, and only 1 of them got the ball out of the infield.

- Armed with firsthand knowledge of the offense's nothingness, Joe decided to play for extra innings in the 9th.  He went with Shawn Kelley instead of Mo or a second inning of D-Rob and it backfired when Andre Ethier singled, stole second, and scored on a Mark Ellis bloop single to center to win it for the Dodgers.  I thought you were supposed to play for the win on the road?

Rotation Not Exactly Pulling Its Weight Right Now

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Just a day and change away from the trade deadline, adding a bat is still the Yankees' top priority.  Adding multiple bats would be an even better priority.  The Yankee lineup is still terribly weak after the Alfonso Soriano trade, not nearly good enough to be competitive night in and night out.  With time running out for the internal help to come back and make a real impact, and a bench full of MiL spare parts, the Yankees need to be aggressive in pursuing options to seriously improve their offense.  As unrealistic as it seems given the way they've played the last 2 months, a 2.5 game Wild Card deficit is not insurmountable.  With little developing on the market for Hughes and Joba, the Steinbrenners have no choice but to buy just to keep up appearances that they're trying to contend.

If the Yankees are going to have any chance of fighting for a Wild Card spot, they need a better offense.  No question about that.  But they could also use a turnaround from the starting rotation.  Over the last 4 weeks, it has slowly devolved into the lineup's co-weakness and become just as big a hindrance to winning games as the lineup's inability to score runs.

Middle Of The Order Has Been (Somewhat) Silent Killer This Season

(Courtesy of the AP)

The "the offense sucks" narrative is no longer the big news it was when the turn started in late May.  It's no surprise anymore that the Yankees can't score runs, don't hit for power, and generally boast some of the weakest 7-9 spots in the batting order in all of baseball, NL included.  But if you're looking for a better explanation as to why they've failed to score a run or 2 when they really need it time and time again this year, look no further than the former heart of the order.

Does Travis Hafner's DL Trip Matter?

(Courtesy of the AP)

It got swept under the rug by the related story of Derek Jeter returning, but Travis Hafner hit the DL on Sunday with a right rotator cuff strain.  He had problems with the same shoulder earlier in the year, and it finally got bad enough where the decision was made to DL him, removing a powerful lefty bat from the lineup.  Well, in theory that's what it did.  In actuality, it cleared some dead weight from the middle of the lineup and actually gave Joe a chance to insert a potentially more productive bat.

Bud Out For Blood With A-Rod

The Alex Rodriguez/Biogenesis case gets more cutthroat by the minute.  The latest news, via The NY Daily News, is Bud Selig's reported plan to invoke the rarely-used "power of the commissioner" to ban A-Rod based on the always fun grounds of the game's integrity.  Coming on the heels of last night's report that MLB was now seeking to punish and suspend A-Rod for violating the terms of the CBA and not the drug rules to block his appeal, it's pretty obvious that this whole case has turned into Bud's personal witch hunt against A-Rod.

Whether you believe Rodriguez is deserving of this type of persecution and punishment, and your reasons for those believes, is your opinion and that's fine.  I certainly am not going to sit here and try to defend the guy for repeatedly cheating, repeatedly lying about it, and being dumb enough to get caught multiple times.  But the lengths MLB has gone and is still going to to get A-Rod out of the game, and the swerves they're pulling to avoid the standard procedures for these types of cases that they created are completely ridiculous and based in nothing more than Bud's desire to make a real impact on steroids before his term is up.  After willingly turning his eye to it like everybody else, he's out to make A-Rod his white whale and he's stacking the deck to make sure he nails him.

We'll see where the story goes today, but it doesn't look like it's going anywhere good for Alex.  More and more it looks like the book is being closed on his playing career, one way or the other.

Phelps Gives Yankees Added Deadline Flexibility

(Courtesy of Michael Mancuso/The Times of Trenton)

With the trade deadline just 2 days away, one player who doesn't have a clear role as either a part of the roster or a trade chip is David Phelps.  Earlier today we updated Phelps' rehab status as he works his way back from a forearm strain, and he's scheduled to make his next appearance for Double-A Trenton tomorrow night.  What happens after that outing is anybody's guess.  Neither Cash nor Joe have committed to a role for Phelps once he's ready to be activated from the DL.  They're certainly not guaranteeing that he would return to the starting rotation, nor should they with how well Ivan Nova has pitched.  With what they might still be trying to accomplish on the trade market, perhaps the Yankees are waiting to make a decision on Phelps until after the deadline passes.

So About Those Home Runs Yesterday

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

When Derek Jeter hit his solo HR in the bottom of the 1st yesterday, he didn't just add one more highlight to his career reel.  He did something, or should I say somethings, that hadn't been done by a Yankee hitter in way too long.  That homer yesterday was ...

• The first by a Yankee hitter period since the All Star break, a span of 9+ games dating back to the 7th inning of their game against the Twins on July 14th.
• The first by Jeter since September 9, 2012, when he hit one as the DH against the Baltimore Orioles.
• The first by a Yankee right-handed hitter since June 25th, when Jayson Nix homered off Yu Darvish.  That's a span of 477 PA in 28 games over more than a calendar month between righty HR.

When Alfonso Soriano snuck his 2-run homer off the right field wall in the 3rd, that span stretched back to May 23rd to find the last time the Yankees got 2 right-handed homers.  Think about that.  Prior to yesterday's game, the Yankees had hit just 2 right-handed home runs in over 2 months (and 900+ PA).  Yesterday they did it in less than 3 innings.

Helluva moment for Jeter, helluva game for Soriano, and a helluva win for the team.  But let those numbers serve as a reminder that this offense is still far from out of the woods.  It's going to be better with Jeter and Soriano in it, but there's still a long way to go.

P.S.- Soriano's HR was his first as a Yankee since September 28, 2003.  Wow.

MiL Rehab Roundup: 7/29/13

Another Monday, another round of rehab updates.

Jayson Nix- Was in the clubhouse before yesterday's game and will be activated from the DL to play third base in Tuesday night's series opener against LA.  He played in 4 rehab games, mostly with High-A Tampa, and went 1-14 with 1 BB, 1 HBP, and 2 K in those games.  David Adams has already been optioned back to Triple-A to clear a roster spot.

Michael Pineda- Made another shortened start for Triple-A last night, going 4 innings and giving up 2 ER on 3 H with 0 BB and 3 K.  He threw just 55 pitches in the game, so the team's innings management plans look to be in full effect.

David Phelps- Made a rehab start for Double-A Trenton last Tuesday and came through fine after allowing 2 ER with 3 BB and 6 K in 3.2 innings.  He threw a bullpen for the Yankee coaches on Friday and is scheduled to make another rehab start tomorrow.  His rehab window doesn't expire until August 22nd.

Curtis Granderson- Went 0-4 with 2 K as the DH for High-A Tampa yesterday, his 3rd game back on this latest rehab assignment.  Via Nicholas Flammia, the plan is for C-Grand to work out at the complex today and then join Double-A Trenton on Tuesday.  Joe has hinted that Granderson could be back as early as this coming weekend.

Francisco Cervelli- Had been progressing in his throwing and hitting drills before feeling some soreness in his hand late last week.  He's being re-evaluated and could be held out for a while as a precaution.  Starting to look like we might not see Frankie back this year.

Game 105 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 TB 5

(Courtesy of the AP)

Alfonso Soriano back in the mix on Friday, Derek Jeter back in the mix on Sunday, Hideki Matsui back in The Stadium to officially retire as a Yankee.  It was a regular early 2000s Yankee reunion in the Bronx this weekend!  All kidding aside, getting Jeter back and adding another good righty bat to the lineup is a big deal for the Yankees and it could be an even bigger deal if he can stay healthy, be productive, and bring a little life to this ballclub and The Stadium.  The Captain did just that and more today, starting things off with some vintage Jeter fireworks and, along with Soriano, sparking the Yankees to a much needed victory in the finale of this tough 10-game post-ASB stretch.

Game Notes:

- So yeah, about those fireworks.  Jeter stepped in against Tampa starter Matt Moore in the bottom of the 1st and hit the first pitch he saw - a belt-high fastball - just over the fence in right field for a solo HR.  It was another storybook moment in a career full of them and it led to 2 more runs on 3 more hits in the inning.

- Unfortunately, Phil Hughes wasn't up to the task of holding a lead today.  He gave up a run on an RBI double in the top of the 2nd, then a 3-run HR to new Yankee killer in the making Wil Myers in the 3rd to turn the 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit.

- Not to be defeated by Hughes' suckiness, Jeter and Soriano went back out in the bottom half and regained that lead.  Jeter led off with an infield single and with 1 out, Soriano hit a Moore fastball out to right for a 2-run dinger.

- Hughes gave up another HR to Myers to start the 5th, walked the next hitter, and his day was done after 4 innings.   2 straight outings where he got the quick hook.  Same story as it always is with Phil; he just couldn't command his fastball.

- Things quieted down offensively as the game moved to the late innings.  The Yankee 'pen (Preston Claiborne, Boone Logan, David Robertson, Mariano Rivera) was dynamite, allowing just 1 hit and no runs in 5 innings relieving Hughes, and they set the stage for some 9th inning dramatics.

- Brett Gardner worked an 8-pitch walk to lead off the 9th, moved to second on a wild pitch, and after an intentional walk of Jeter and a strike out of Robinson Cano, Soriano came to the plate.  He was looking first-pitch fastball and he hit it back up the middle for the game-winning walk-off single.  Big hit, big moment, big win.

The Captain Returns To The Lineup Today

1) Brett Gardner- CF
2) Derek Jeter- SS
3) Robinson Cano- 2B
4) Alfonso Soriano- LF
5) Vernon Wells- DH
6) Ichiro Suzuki- RF
7) Brent Lillibridge- 3B
8) David Adams- 1B
9) Chris Stewart- C

SP) Phil Hughes

That's the starting lineup for this afternoon's series finale against Tampa.  And while the bottom half of it is still as ugly and most likely as unproductive as ever, there's a familiar name back at the top.  Derek Jeter came through yesterday's sim game without issues, was cleared to play, and is back at his starting shortstop position today.  It's unknown how much he'll contribute, and I'm on the record as being very pessimistic about how the rest of the season is going to play out for him, but with as bad as this team is playing and as quickly as they seem to be going nowhere it's at least something.  He's still my favorite player of all time and he's always going to be.  I hope he can stay healthy and stay on the field for this whole game and the rest of the season.

Game 104 Wrap-Up: TB 1 NYY 0

(Courtesy of the AP)

Alfonso Soriano or no Alfonso Soriano, the lineup supporting Ivan Nova this afternoon didn't look any better than it has in weeks past.  There still wasn't any real support behind Robinson Cano, there wasn't power or patience to be found anywhere, and the bottom third was a fallout zone with Chris Stewart getting the start over a heating up Austin Romine.  The effort by the front office to make this team better isn't there, it hasn't been there since the season started, and that lack of effort was on display again today as the Yankees got completely outclassed by a rookie starting pitcher.

Game Notes:

- Nova could best be described as inconsistently dominant through 5 innings.  He put 2 runners on in the 1st and worked around it by retiring 7 in a row, then did the same to lead off the 4th before striking out the side swinging on curveballs.  He didn't allow any runs either.

- Tampa starter Chris Archer matched him zero for zero, and did it on an unfathomably impressive 49 pitches through 5 innings.  The Yankees were aggressive but didn't manage a single hit off him until a Lyle Overbay single in the 5th.

- Walking the tighrope finally came back to bite Nova in the 6th, when a 2-out walk put 2 runners on.  Kelly Johnson singled home a run to put Tampa up 1 before Nova got another K to end the inning.

- Brett Gardner hit a 2-out ground rule double to left for a spark of offensive life in the bottom of the 6th, but Ichiro waved at a 2-strike fastball to strand him.  It's really getting pathetic at this point.

- Joe squeezed another inning out of Nova in the 7th then turned it over to the bullpen to keep the game at 1 run.  David Robertson and Shawn Kelley (next year's closer-setup man tandem??) did just that with 2 scoreless frames and 4 strikeouts.

- Didn't matter.  Archer finished things off himself in the bottom of the 9th - in 1-2-3 order - to secure the complete game 2-hit shutout and do it under 100 pitches.

Cash Says Soriano Trade Was Ownership's Call

("We're paying him HOW MUCH in 2014?"  Courtesy of USATSI)

In a story earlier today for The Post, Joel Sherman reported that the decision to trade for Alfonso Soriano was ultimately ownership's decision and one that GM Brian Cashman did not endorse.  Sherman cites 2 non-Yankee executives who said Cash believed the Yankees' cash and prospect assets could be better spent than on Soriano.  While not directly confirming the report, Cash's lengthy statement to The Post in response was telling:

“I would say we are in a desperate time. Ownership wants to go for it. I didn’t want to give up a young arm. But I understand the desperate need we have for offense. And Soriano will help us. The bottom line is this guy makes us better. Did ownership want him? Absolutely, yes. Does he make us better? Absolutely, yes. This is what Hal wants, and this is why we are doing it.”

It's cleverly stated so that he's not saying anything negative about Soriano or being dishonest about the Yankees' position, and kudos for that.  But that last statement tells the whole story and it's one that continues to be told about the Yankee front office this year.

No Jeter Today, But Maybe Tomorrow

Derek Jeter is eligible to come off the DL today, but won't do so.  Joe informed the media of that decision after last night's game, even though Jeter told reporters Friday that he felt ready to play and reported no problems with his quad (or ankle) after running the bases on Friday.

Instead, the plan, according to Jon Heyman, is for Jeter to play in a simulated game somewhere today and then be activated for tomorrow's game if he comes through the sim game healthy.  That would be a pretty big plus for Jeter and the Yankees after a slow start to his comeback from the quad strain.  Initially the July 27th date didn't even look close to the time he'd be ready to go again.  To only miss by 1 day would be a pleasant surprise, assuming Jeter can stay on the field for more than 1 game this time.

Game 103 Wrap-Up: TB 10 NYY 6

(Courtesy of the AP)

The excitement over Alfonso Soriano's return to New York last night, misplaced as it may have been, didn't last very long.  In fact, by the time he came up for his first at-bat to lead off the top of the 2nd inning, the game was already over thanks to CC Sabathia.  It was another miserable night on the mound for CC, whose lack of command led to 6 runs in the top of the 2nd and a cushion of more than enough runs for Tampa to coast to the finish line.

Game Notes:

- The strangest part about the 2nd inning meltdown was that it came after a sharp 1-2-3 1st for Sabathia, including strikeouts of Evan Longoria and Wil Myers.

- Once the 2nd started, however, it was a completely different story.  Just a constant barrage of fastballs and sliders left up in the zone and then deposited to various parts of the outfield.  3 doubles, 3 singles, a walk for good measure, and 6 runs.  The only reason the inning ended when it did was because Myers got greedy trying to stretch a single.

- The Yanks got a single run in 3rd on an Austin Romine RBI single.  They actually put 4 guys on base in the inning, but couldn't push any more across playing station-to-station baseball.

- CC gave up another run in the 5th and left with 7 earned on his scoring line.  Adam Warren came in to handle the mop-up duty and reserve the rest of the 'pen and gave up 3 runs (all on a 3-run HR in the 7th) in 4 innings of work.

- Give the Yankees credit for trying to make it respectable.  They tacked on 2 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th after Tampa starter Jeremy Hellickson left.  David Adams had an RBI single in each inning.

- If you're wondering about Soriano, he went 0-5 with a R scored and an RBI on a groundout in the 9th.  He left 6 men on base hitting from the cleanup spot, so clearly he's already got right back into doing things the Yankee Way.