The Yankees went 4-7 on their 11-game AL East gauntlet, nearly sweeping the O's and then getting swept by the Sawx in the final 7 games. That put them in a really deep hole with respect to the Wild Card race, but they've got an opportunity to climb out with their remaining schedule.
The Yanks have 12 games left, 6 home and 6 on the road. They start off tonight in Toronto, against a team they've owned this season, before heading home for 3 against the San Francisco Giants, staying there for 3 against the Rays, and then finishing up on the road against the lowly Astros. 9 of the 12 remaining games are against sub-.500 teams and the other 3 are against the team they're chasing in the playoff race. For as daunting a task as it is for them to come back and make the playoffs, that schedule does make it a bit easier.
89 wins is the number being thrown out as the key number to make the playoffs. The Yankees need to go 10-2 in this last week plus to reach that number. It's hard to see them sweeping the Rays, even at home, so they basically have to go 8-1 in those other 9 games to have a chance. It's not impossible, but it is a longshot. If there's one more run left in this tired, tattered group, it needs to start tonight in Toronto.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Bullpen Battered, Bruised, And Bad
(Courtesy of Getty Images)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
It's been the anchor of the pitching staff for years, but down the stretch of this season the Yankee bullpen has completely fallen apart. After giving up 4 more runs in 4 innings of work last night, the 'pen finds itself with the worst ERA (6.69) and second worst FIP (5.31) in MLB since the start of September. The collective -0.4 fWAR this month is 4th worst and a comparison of the HR-related stats shines a big bright light on the problem. New York's 12 HR allowed by the bullpen this month is 5 more than the second highest total, accounting for almost 20% of the 64 hits they've given up and few key blown late game leads. From steadying roster force to productivity fallout zone, the Yankee 'pen has joined the rotation and lineup as a major problem area at the worst possible time.
What To Think About CC's Future?
(Courtesy of the AP)
It was a weekend of rotation problems on full display for the Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda continued to get killed on misplaced pitches in the strike zone and lack of offspeed bite on Friday. Ivan Nova looked like an absolute mess on the mound last night, both physically and mentally if you subscribe to Orel Hershiser's way of thinking when looking at pitchers' body language. But by far the biggest rotational black eye was the continued ineffectiveness of CC Sabathia on Saturday. The big guy gave up 13 combined baserunners and 5 ER in 6 innings of work, the latest in a string of poor starts that stretches back months and has shown no signs of being corrected.
Sabathia's season ERA is up to 4.90, which ranks him 79th out of 83 MLB starters who've pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. His 4.12 FIP is not quite as bad, although it does place him firmly in the bottom third of qualified starters. By most statistical measurements, Sabathia has been one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball this season, with the worst of his worst coming post-ASB.
There's no way to sugarcoat a 6.58/4.31 second half split, but what does this downtrend in Sabathia's 2013 performance say about his future? Last night, SJK of NoMaas pointed to CC's K and BB rates as reasons to still believe in CC and expect a bounce back from him in 2013. While it's a valid argument that shows he still has the stuff to pitch successfully, addressing the "how" of that bounce back is really the key to determining just how rapidly CC is going to continue to decline.
A-Rod's Legs Starting To Jeter Out On Him
For the second time in less than a week, Alex Rodriguez was removed from a game due to injuries to his legs. Early last week it was the left hamstring that started to nag, forcing Joe to limit Alex to just a DH role for the rest of the week. Last night it was his right calf that reportedly felt sore and caused him pain running the bases. He was pinch hit for and removed from the game in the top of the 5th inning.
If this story sounds familiar, it's because it's almost exactly the same as what went down with Derek Jeter this season. He came back from leg injuries without the proper amount of time to build up his leg strength and it led to further complications and the eventual end of his season. Alex seems to be falling victim to the same fate after returning from his offseason hip surgery. Like Jeter, A-Rod didn't have a lot of time to work his legs back into game shape. Like Jeter, that lack of leg conditioning limited his ability to play the field and play every day. And like Jeter, the compounding issues with his legs as a result of having to play through those ailments seems to be adding up to force A-Rod off the field.
He's been a tremendous and somewhat surprising boost to the lineup since coming off the DL, off-the-field circus aside. Now A-Rod might finish the season and head into his offseason appeal battle on the sidelines instead of playing out what could be the final 12 games of his career.
If this story sounds familiar, it's because it's almost exactly the same as what went down with Derek Jeter this season. He came back from leg injuries without the proper amount of time to build up his leg strength and it led to further complications and the eventual end of his season. Alex seems to be falling victim to the same fate after returning from his offseason hip surgery. Like Jeter, A-Rod didn't have a lot of time to work his legs back into game shape. Like Jeter, that lack of leg conditioning limited his ability to play the field and play every day. And like Jeter, the compounding issues with his legs as a result of having to play through those ailments seems to be adding up to force A-Rod off the field.
He's been a tremendous and somewhat surprising boost to the lineup since coming off the DL, off-the-field circus aside. Now A-Rod might finish the season and head into his offseason appeal battle on the sidelines instead of playing out what could be the final 12 games of his career.
Game 150 Wrap-Up: BOS 9 NYY 2
(Courtesy of Getty Images)
What a disappointing game to watch. It never had the feel like the Yankees actually had a chance, even with Clay Buchholz struggling mightily with his fastball command. The moment proved to be too big for Ivan Nova again, the lineup was punchless, and the bullpen made things even worse. The full detailed game notes can be found below in the live blog; check out the rest of the game recap after the jump.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Yanks-Sawx Game 150 "Season On The Line" Live Blog
(Courtesy of the AP)
The Yankees enter play tonight 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot. They're 3 games back in the loss column, so even though they wouldn't mathematically be eliminated with a series-sweeping loss at the hands of the Red Sox tonight, to be 4 down in the loss column with 12 to play would be a Herculean task for this team to undertake. The Yankees need a win tonight to keep their postseason hopes alive and they needed something good to happen to get some positive vibes going. Guys are hurt left and right, pitchers are tired, the offense is sputtering, so how about we get a good old fashioned live blog going tonight to start the vibing? Here's the Yankee starting lineup:
1) Curtis Granderson- CF
2) Alex Rodriguez- DH
3) Robinson Cano- 2B
4) Alfonso Soriano- LF
5) Lyle Overbay- 1B
6) Mark Reynolds- 3B
7) Ichiro Suzuki- RF
8) Brendan Ryan- SS
9) Chris Stewart- C
And taking the ball for this critically important game is Ivan Nova. How will his triceps hold up? Will he be able to put Boston's hitters away and give Joe some length? We'll see. ESPN will be showing the pregame ceremony for Mo prior to first pitch, so check back around that time for the start of the live blog.
Marc Hulet's End-Of-Season Yankee MiL Recap
Marc Hulet of FanGraphs is on my favorite prospect evaluators in the baseball blogosphere. He sees a lot of games, gives really detailed scouting reports from his firsthand game accounts, and has a strong statistical knowledge to tie tools and mechanics to future Major League projections. He released his 2013 "Minor Review" report on the Yankee farm system and it's definitely worth checking out if you're a big time prospect hugger.
Highlights include Hulet naming High-A C/3B Peter O'Brien the "riser" of 2013 and Double-A OF Tyler Austin the "tumbler." He praised 2013 2nd round pick 2B Gosuke Katoh for his plate discipline and "advanced bat," and pegged Low-A Charleston 1B Greg Bird the organization's sleeper. That's a label being put on Bird by many despite his outstanding season at the plate, and it's one I agree with. I was a little surprised to see Hulet so down on Austin though. I was willing to give him more of a pass on his down year because of the injury problems and the negative park factor effects of hitting in Trenton's stadium. Check out the whole article and more of Hulet's evaluations here.
Highlights include Hulet naming High-A C/3B Peter O'Brien the "riser" of 2013 and Double-A OF Tyler Austin the "tumbler." He praised 2013 2nd round pick 2B Gosuke Katoh for his plate discipline and "advanced bat," and pegged Low-A Charleston 1B Greg Bird the organization's sleeper. That's a label being put on Bird by many despite his outstanding season at the plate, and it's one I agree with. I was a little surprised to see Hulet so down on Austin though. I was willing to give him more of a pass on his down year because of the injury problems and the negative park factor effects of hitting in Trenton's stadium. Check out the whole article and more of Hulet's evaluations here.
Soriano's Thumb Leaves Lineup Status In Doubt
An already undermanned lineup took another hit just minutes before yesterday's game when Alfonso Soriano was scratched with a sprained thumb. Apparently he hurt it making a defensive play on Thursday night and it didn't swell up on him until he woke up yesterday morning. Soriano himself didn't seem all that concerned about it, and was hopeful he could play tonight if and when the swelling went down. With no word yet on his status for tonight, all we can do for now is wait and hope.
If tonight's game isn't a must win, I don't know what is. The Yankees have dropped 2 games to the Rays already this weekend and really can't afford to go down 5 in the loss column with 12 to play. They need a W to salvage this series and keep their playoff hopes alive and they could use Soriano's bat back in the middle of the lineup to help make that happen.
The problem is where to play him. If the thumb makes it too tough to play the field, Joe can't use Soriano at DH because of A-Rod's hamstring. He's got too many walking wounded and not enough lineup spots to hide them. You know, the usual. Hopefully the swelling goes down enough that Soriano can play tonight. If it doesn't, the Yankee lineup could be in trouble again.
If tonight's game isn't a must win, I don't know what is. The Yankees have dropped 2 games to the Rays already this weekend and really can't afford to go down 5 in the loss column with 12 to play. They need a W to salvage this series and keep their playoff hopes alive and they could use Soriano's bat back in the middle of the lineup to help make that happen.
The problem is where to play him. If the thumb makes it too tough to play the field, Joe can't use Soriano at DH because of A-Rod's hamstring. He's got too many walking wounded and not enough lineup spots to hide them. You know, the usual. Hopefully the swelling goes down enough that Soriano can play tonight. If it doesn't, the Yankee lineup could be in trouble again.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Game 149 Wrap-Up: BOS 5 NYY 1
(The look of a beaten man. Courtesy of the AP)
It's strange thinking about how much the feeling you have when CC Sabathia is starting has changed in just 1 year. Last year there would have been nobody I wanted on the mound today more than CC, history at Fenway Park being what it is. This year? I didn't want him anywhere near the mound with a game of this magnitude hanging in the balance. The Yankees lost a game to the Rays in the race for the second Wild Card spot last night, they couldn't afford to lose another. 4 games to make up in the loss column with 13 to play is a lot to overcome, and that's before you include the last-minute scratching of Alfonso Soriano with a thumb injury, so the Yankees needed Sabathia to not just not suck but pitch well and they needed to get a win to even the series back up.
Game Notes:
- Jon Lester only used 33 pitches to turn the lineup over in order through a perfect 3 innings. His stuff looked good, the Yankee lineup was short again, and that put even more pressure on CC.
- CC pitched a clean 1st, then got burned on a Mark Reynolds throwing error in the bottom of the 2nd and it started to fall apart. He started picking corners and missing for walks, misplacing fastballs in the strike zone for hits, and it led to 3 Boston runs in the next 2 innings to put the Yankees in a hole.
- A Curtis Granderson leadoff triple and a Robinson Cano RBI groundout got CC 1 run back in the 4th, which he promptly gave back to Boston in the bottom half after putting 2 runners on, getting a double play, then giving up a 2-out hit to Shane Victorino on a hanging slider. More of the same from CC: inconsistent fastball location, missing badly in the strike zone, and no good putaway pitches. Didn't help that he had J.R. Murphy making his first career start behind the plate.
- Joe got CC through 6 with another run against and pulled the plug. Lester continued to handle the Yankee lineup with little difficulty through 7, and they were down to their final 6 outs with a 5-1 deficit.
- 1 more hitless inning against Lester and then a final one against lefty Franklin Morales. A painfully quiet day from the lineup hurt the Yankees. Tough to score when your leadoff man and cleanup hitter are both missing.
Phelps Activated, Could Step Right Into High-Leverage Bullpen Role
The Yankees made a key roster move this morning, activating David Phelps from the disabled list and transferring Derek Jeter to the 60-day DL to clear a roster spot. Phelps has been out since July 6th with a right forearm strain that took much longer to return from than expected. Given the current situation in the Yankee bullpen, his return couldn't have come at a better time.
Joe was working with next to nothing out there last night when he finally had to pull Hirok. Mo and D-Rob were unavailable and Boone Logan is still out with elbow problems. No disrespect to Cesar Cabral and Preston Claiborne, but they had no business being brought into a tie game at Fenway with major playoff implications on the line. Had Phelps been around last night, chances are he would have gotten first crack after Kuroda.
Shawn Kelley has been up and down lately in the 7th inning job, Joba is Joba, and the rest of the healthy arms are either unproven or replacement level at best, so Joe could really use another solid 1-inning option ahead of the 8th and 9th. Phelps has experience and has had success working out of the 'pen in his short Major League career, and his rehab from the forearm strain was limited to 1 and 2-inning appearances. He's a perfect fit for a role that desperately needs to be filled and he'll be at the top of Joe's go-to list today if he needs to get some big outs before the 8th inning.
Joe was working with next to nothing out there last night when he finally had to pull Hirok. Mo and D-Rob were unavailable and Boone Logan is still out with elbow problems. No disrespect to Cesar Cabral and Preston Claiborne, but they had no business being brought into a tie game at Fenway with major playoff implications on the line. Had Phelps been around last night, chances are he would have gotten first crack after Kuroda.
Shawn Kelley has been up and down lately in the 7th inning job, Joba is Joba, and the rest of the healthy arms are either unproven or replacement level at best, so Joe could really use another solid 1-inning option ahead of the 8th and 9th. Phelps has experience and has had success working out of the 'pen in his short Major League career, and his rehab from the forearm strain was limited to 1 and 2-inning appearances. He's a perfect fit for a role that desperately needs to be filled and he'll be at the top of Joe's go-to list today if he needs to get some big outs before the 8th inning.
Game 148 Wrap-Up: BOS 8 NYY 4
(Courtesy of the AP)
The last time Hiroki Kuroda pitched against the Red Sox, the Yankees got their only win of the series last weekend. He started off slow, then found his offspeed command and gave the team 6 solid innings of 2-run ball. They were going to need at least another repeat performance of that to have a fighting chance last night, what with the bullpen reduced to nothing and a very weak Gardner-less lineup supporting him offensively. As it was, Kuroda's start was even slower this time, and a valiant comeback by the undermanned lineup was wasted by an equally pathetic meltdown from the undermanned bullpen.
Game Notes:
- Kuroda didn't look like he was going to last long after a 4-run 1st inning. He gave up a 2-strike double to David Ortiz to put runners in scoring position, and a 2-out, 2-strike, 2-run double to Stephen Drew that was the big blow in the inning.
- The Yankees started to claw their way back in the top of the 3rd with, what else, a Brendan Ryan leadoff home run. They didn't get another run until the 6th when a Robinson Cano 1-out double came around to score on Lyle Overbay's sac fly.
- Give Kuroda credit, he bounced back nicely from that awful 1st inning and held the Boston lineup at bay into the 7th. He did load the bases in the 7th, but once again he found his stuff in the later innings and allowed just 1 hit while recording 6 GB outs from the 4th through the 6th.
- A pair of 1-out singles chased John Lackey from the game in the top of the 7th, and with 2 outs and the bases loaded Cano came through with a big 2-run double - his 4th hit of the game - to tie it up at 4.
- Kuroda left after giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the 7th and it all went to shit. Cesar Cabral hit Ortiz and Preston Claiborne walked Jonny Gomes to load the bases. He struck out Daniel Nava but left a fastball up to Jarrod Saltalamacchia and watched it turn into the game-losing grand slam.
- There wasn't another comeback in the lineup after that letdown, not that anybody should have expected one. Koji Uehara kept his consecutive batters retired streak going with a perfect 9th.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Do People Really Still Think Eduardo Nunez Is A Thing?
When the Yankees traded for Brendan Ryan earlier this week, the reaction was decidedly positive and it should have been. Ryan gave the Yankees what they most lacked at the shortstop position and his weak offensive makeup was more easily covered by the rejuvenated middle of the order than it would have been months back. But I still saw some people who thought Eduardo Nunez should still be the starter, as always citing his tools and "good hitting" as reasons to keep him as the primary shortstop while Jeter was out. I don't want to make a big thing of this, so to those people I just to have to ask, what Eduardo Nunez are you watching?
Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 9/13/13
Big series this weekend. HYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGE series. Don't need any lead in other than that. Now onto the links!
- On Monday, el duque of It Is High... pointed out something else Dellin Betances was left out of besides the bullpen pecking order.
- On Tuesday, SJK of NoMaas turned everyone's attention back to the numbers to show how terrible an all-around baseball player Eduardo Nunez is and has been this and every season. You know, in case you were still bummed that he lost his job to Brendan Ryan.
- Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily released his end-of-season Top 50 Prospects list. Props to Greg for going through the effort of ranking 50. I have a hard enough time doing 30.
- On Wednesday, Hunter Farman of Yanks Go Yard campaigned for the Yankees to get active in the Japanese FA agent market again now that their rotation is looking light for 2014 and Masahiro Tanaka appears to be heading stateside.
- Andrew Mearns of Pinstriped Bible analyzed the Overbay/Reynolds first base platoon and how well that's worked out since the acquisition of Reynolds.
- Matt Warden of RAB broke down the Yankees' pursuit of Japanese FA to be Masahiro Tanaka and how he would fit into next year's plans.
- On Thursday, Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes looked ahead to 2014 and the free agents available to fill the gap expected to be left open at third base.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud had the video and highlights of Derek Jeter's press conference announcing his season-ending DL stint.
- Jason Rosenberg of IIATMS/TYA used a recent Jayson Stark article to show how the thinking is still ass backwards when it comes to PEDs and DUIs in baseball.
- On Friday, Tom Ley of Deadspin chimed in with another dose of proper perspective on the A-Rod situation. Anybody still trying to argue that they don't want him on the field is an idiot.
Going back to another standby for this week's jam, "Street Carp" by Deftones. Haven't had them in the mix since the new album last fall. Today feels like a good day to dust off something from their peak years.
Enjoy your weekends, everybody. Be on the lookout for a live blog this Sunday. I think Yanks-Sawx is the ESPN Sunday night game.
- On Monday, el duque of It Is High... pointed out something else Dellin Betances was left out of besides the bullpen pecking order.
- On Tuesday, SJK of NoMaas turned everyone's attention back to the numbers to show how terrible an all-around baseball player Eduardo Nunez is and has been this and every season. You know, in case you were still bummed that he lost his job to Brendan Ryan.
- Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily released his end-of-season Top 50 Prospects list. Props to Greg for going through the effort of ranking 50. I have a hard enough time doing 30.
- On Wednesday, Hunter Farman of Yanks Go Yard campaigned for the Yankees to get active in the Japanese FA agent market again now that their rotation is looking light for 2014 and Masahiro Tanaka appears to be heading stateside.
- Andrew Mearns of Pinstriped Bible analyzed the Overbay/Reynolds first base platoon and how well that's worked out since the acquisition of Reynolds.
- Matt Warden of RAB broke down the Yankees' pursuit of Japanese FA to be Masahiro Tanaka and how he would fit into next year's plans.
- On Thursday, Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes looked ahead to 2014 and the free agents available to fill the gap expected to be left open at third base.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud had the video and highlights of Derek Jeter's press conference announcing his season-ending DL stint.
- Jason Rosenberg of IIATMS/TYA used a recent Jayson Stark article to show how the thinking is still ass backwards when it comes to PEDs and DUIs in baseball.
- On Friday, Tom Ley of Deadspin chimed in with another dose of proper perspective on the A-Rod situation. Anybody still trying to argue that they don't want him on the field is an idiot.
Going back to another standby for this week's jam, "Street Carp" by Deftones. Haven't had them in the mix since the new album last fall. Today feels like a good day to dust off something from their peak years.
Enjoy your weekends, everybody. Be on the lookout for a live blog this Sunday. I think Yanks-Sawx is the ESPN Sunday night game.
Gut Check Time For Sabathia & Nova This Weekend
(Can't have this again, Ivan. Courtesy of the AP)
The Yankees have fought their way back to 4-4 on this 11-game meat grinder and they're heading back to Boston this weekend to finish it up. They took a pretty bad beating in the 4 games at The Stadium last weekend, and need much better starting pitching to make this weekend's results different. Hiroki Kuroda gets the ball tonight and he was pretty good last Sunday against the Red Sox. The bigger concerns are with the two guys following him, CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova.
Gardner Out With A Strained Oblique
While the game was recorded as a win in the standings, the Yankees suffered yet ANOTHER big injury loss last night. Brett Gardner left after his at-bat in the top of the 1st inning and was diagnosed by team doctors with a strained left oblique. He apparently did it on a check swing during the at-bat and he is traveling back to New York today to get an MRI. Regardless of the results, chances are good that Gardner's 2013 season is over.
Gardner has been the second most important position player after Robinson Cano this season. His absence leaves a huge hole at the top of the lineup and weakens the outfield defensively. The Yankees are ill-equipped to replace him in the leadoff spot, the most likely candidates being Ichiro (hell no) and Curtis Granderson (yes, please), and the replacement of Gardner in center field likely means more playing time for Vernon Wells (sweet Jesus, no) or Zoilo Almonote (meh) when the pitching matchups are favorable.
He wasn't as hot this week as he was the week before, but Gardner is still head and shoulders better than those other guys and there's no way to overstate how big of a hit the team will take on both sides of the ball without him. Maybe he gets lucky and today's MRI shows that it's not too and he can return in a few days. The history and nature of oblique strains makes that very unlikely though, and now the Yankees have one more obstacle to overcome in a season filled to the brim with them.
Gardner has been the second most important position player after Robinson Cano this season. His absence leaves a huge hole at the top of the lineup and weakens the outfield defensively. The Yankees are ill-equipped to replace him in the leadoff spot, the most likely candidates being Ichiro (hell no) and Curtis Granderson (yes, please), and the replacement of Gardner in center field likely means more playing time for Vernon Wells (sweet Jesus, no) or Zoilo Almonote (meh) when the pitching matchups are favorable.
He wasn't as hot this week as he was the week before, but Gardner is still head and shoulders better than those other guys and there's no way to overstate how big of a hit the team will take on both sides of the ball without him. Maybe he gets lucky and today's MRI shows that it's not too and he can return in a few days. The history and nature of oblique strains makes that very unlikely though, and now the Yankees have one more obstacle to overcome in a season filled to the brim with them.
Game 147 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 BAL 5
(Brendan Ryan, rally starter. Courtesy of the AP)
I don't know how they keep doing it, but they keep doing it. With 2 crummy starters pitching 3 innings each, a blown lead in the 8th by one of the most reliable relievers in the business, and a 9th inning rally created by the worst hitter in the lineup, the Yankees took their third straight from the rival Orioles to stay just 1 game back in the race for the second Wild Card spot.
Game Notes:
- The Yankees couldn't make anything out of 2 2-out hits in the 1st inning, so they decided to follow up with 2 hits to start the 2nd. The second one of those was a Mark Reynolds HR and Phil Hughes had a 2-0 lead with which to work.
- That lead doubled in the top of the 3rd when they decided to slow play Wei-Yin Chen. A pair of walks sandwiched around an Alfonso Soriano double loaded the bases with nobody out, and a Vernon Wells single brought 2 home to make it 4-0.
- Hughes actually did a decent job holding that lead through 3 innings. He worked around a few hits, gave up a run in the bottom of the 3rd, and ended that inning by striking out Chris Davis. That wasn't enough to stop Joe from yanking him after a leadoff error in the 4th to play matchups with David Huff. That's not a short leash, that's a gimp suit.
- And when it works out the way it did, Joe looks like a genius. Huff finished the 4th without further hazard and tossed in 2 more 1-run innings to boot. Joe split the start up between his 2 half-starters and got 6 innings of 2-run ball. That'll work.
- Curtis Granderson tacked on an insurance homer in the 7th and it was a good thing too because the bullpen broke down. Huff's run came on a homer to Nick Markakis (can't happen), and David Robertson gave up 2 singles and a 3-run dagger to Danny Valencia in the 8th (definitely can't happen) to tie the game heading into the final inning.
- Despite the strange decision to sac bunt with C-Grand, the Yankees got the go-ahead run from an improbable Brendan Ryan leadoff hit thanks to another fortunate wild pitch in the top half of the 9th. Mo went 1-2-3 in the bottom and the Yankees had a HYOOOOOOGE win.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Joe Goes Back To The Hughes Well For Tonight's Start
(Hope Joe's ready to make this walk again. Courtesy of Getty Images)
Guess that bullpen demotion was just a temporary thing. After only 1 missed start in the rotation - against the Red Sox this past Saturday - and a pair of meaningless relief appearances, Phil Hughes will re-replace David Huff in the rotation and make the start in tonight's series finale against the O's.
Joe' motivation for making the swap again is questionable at best. This is the same Phil Hughes who was deemed no longer worthy of his rotation spot after a crappy appearance against the slap-hitting Toronto lineup and the same Phil Hughes who has given up 7 ER on 14 hits (5 of them home runs) in 9 total IP over 2 starts against Baltimore this season. His weaknesses as a pitcher are what the Baltimore lineup thrives against and if he wasn't getting the job done against inferior competition why would be worthy of essentially getting a promotion against better competition?
What About Andy?
(Courtesy of Getty Images)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
We know Mariano Rivera is retiring after this season. We assume Derek Jeter is not after the announcement yesterday that his season is over, even if it might be the best idea. But what about the third remaining active member of the Core Four? What about Andy Pettitte? What's his deal? The 41-year-old lefty pitched another solid game last night, good enough to win against a stout opposing lineup. It was the latest in what's been an underappreciated good month of starts from Andy, something this rotation desperately needed with its struggles at the top. This late season rebound from Pettitte makes the question of whether he will retire for good after this season a little more difficult to answer than it may have been a few months ago.
Yankees Moving To WFAN In 2014
The first news of a potential deal came out on Tuesday and yesterday it was made official. Starting next year, the Yankees radio broadcasts will move from 880 AM to the Fan, WFAN-AM 660 and WFAN-FM 101.9. The Yankees and CBS Radio announced a 10-year deal worth anywhere from $15-20 million.
The deal makes sense for both sides. The Yankees get the benefit of using the greater signal strength of WFAN to broadcast games to a wider audience at a higher quality. WFAN gets the benefit of having the top baseball team in town on their station, the top sports talk radio station in town. The Yankees were already affiliated with CBS radio and have been for some time. It's only right that the 2 number 1s in their field team up.
As for what it means for everybody's favorite broadcast duo, that's not quite so clear. While early indications are that John Sterling will absolutely be back as the play-by-play guy, Suzyn Waldman isn't a slam dunk to join him. She's the obvious leader in the clubhouse based on her history with the team and current position, but C.J. Nitkowski got good reviews subbing for her last week and there are a couple guys in the YES stable who would be great as radio color commentators. All those details will be worked out as things transition from 2013 to 2014.
The deal makes sense for both sides. The Yankees get the benefit of using the greater signal strength of WFAN to broadcast games to a wider audience at a higher quality. WFAN gets the benefit of having the top baseball team in town on their station, the top sports talk radio station in town. The Yankees were already affiliated with CBS radio and have been for some time. It's only right that the 2 number 1s in their field team up.
As for what it means for everybody's favorite broadcast duo, that's not quite so clear. While early indications are that John Sterling will absolutely be back as the play-by-play guy, Suzyn Waldman isn't a slam dunk to join him. She's the obvious leader in the clubhouse based on her history with the team and current position, but C.J. Nitkowski got good reviews subbing for her last week and there are a couple guys in the YES stable who would be great as radio color commentators. All those details will be worked out as things transition from 2013 to 2014.
Heel A-Rod Strikes Again
He didn't hit the loudest or most important home run last night, but Alex Rodriguez did club another one to the opposite field off righty pitcher Scott Feldman in the top of the 6th. And as he's done before since returning, he celebrated it in style.
Goddamn do I love Heel A-Rod. Such a great character. If his hips hold up, he should definitely consider a run in pro wrestling after he retires/gets suspended/whatever. And while he's still playing he should seriously consider changing to this for his AB music.
After ARod touched home, he turned to 2 guys behind home plate who were heckling him as well & did the "zip your lips" pose and blew a kiss.
— Kris Jones (@RavenManiac) September 12, 2013
Goddamn do I love Heel A-Rod. Such a great character. If his hips hold up, he should definitely consider a run in pro wrestling after he retires/gets suspended/whatever. And while he's still playing he should seriously consider changing to this for his AB music.
Game 146 Wrap-Up: NYY 5 BAL 4
(Ka-ching! Courtesy of the AP)
Even though it wasn't the least surprising, the announcement that Derek Jeter was out for the rest of the season was a bummer. His up-and-down season with injuries was really a microcosm for how the team's season has played out- fighting so hard to reach an unattainable goal and suffering heartbreaking setbacks just when it seems like things are getting back to normal. I know I didn't have the pep in my step for the rest of the night after I heard the news, so another win with the still-gettin'-it-done Andy Pettitte on the mound would have been a good way to get it back.
Game Notes:
- The Yankees had the fun advantage of leading after 2 innings despite not having a hit. Brett Gardner walked to lead off the game, stole second, and scored on 2 sacrifice hits to make it 1-0, and Scott Feldman held the lineup at bay through the 4th.
- Andy was up to the task of matching him through almost 3 innings, albeit while allowing a few hits. He got in trouble with 2 outs after giving up 2 straight singles, and a Chris Davis double to right made it 2-1 Baltimore. A few more doubles the next inning stretched the lead.
- The Yankees didn't hit much early but when they started to, watch out. Curtis Granderson led off the top of the 5th with a HR to make it 3-2. Alex Rodriguez hit one with 2 outs in the 6th to tie things up.
- Pettitte settled down to work through the next few innings cleanly, and left with 1 out and a runner on in the 7th. Shawn Kelley handled that, a returning Dave Robertson worked around 2 hits in the 8th, and we went to the 9th still tied.
- That didn't last long. Robinson Cano hit the second pitch he saw from Tommy Hunter, a hanging change, for a solo shot to lead off the top of the 9th and the Yankees had the lead. Lyle Overbay's insurance single later in the inning proved to be big.
- And that's because once again Mo was shaky in the 9th. Joe's ridden him hard lately, so it's forgivable, but a pair of 2 out hits to plate a run and pull Baltimore within 1 made things a little uncomfortable.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Jeter Done For The Year
The Yankees held a press conference for Cash and Derek Jeter to address the media about an hour ago, and it didn't take a genius to see what was coming when it was announced. At the press conference, it was confirmed that the team will put Jeter on the 15-day DL and Cash said there are no plans to activate him when he's available to come off. Jeter's 2013 season is over.
This is hardly surprising considering the latest leg injury being to the surgically repaired ankle and that the Yankees made a move to trade for Brendan Ryan last night. This last setback was the last straw and in what is surely an attempt to get him started on rehabbing and conditioning for 2014, the call was made to shut Jeter down. Cash and Jeter both referred to The Captain coming back next season, with Cash stating that "no one" has seen Jeter's last game. He only played 17 in 2013. Now we're left to wonder what 2014 will be like.
This is hardly surprising considering the latest leg injury being to the surgically repaired ankle and that the Yankees made a move to trade for Brendan Ryan last night. This last setback was the last straw and in what is surely an attempt to get him started on rehabbing and conditioning for 2014, the call was made to shut Jeter down. Cash and Jeter both referred to The Captain coming back next season, with Cash stating that "no one" has seen Jeter's last game. He only played 17 in 2013. Now we're left to wonder what 2014 will be like.
The Incredible Righty-Mashing A-Rod
(Courtesy of Getty Images)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
After he left last night's game in the bottom of the 8th inning, the story was Alex Rodriguez's hamstring and how much, if at all, it would prevent him from playing in the next game. He's been one of the most consistent and productive bats in the Yankee lineup since coming back last month, and that was once again the story before the bottom of the 8th. A-Rod went 2-4 last night with a pair of doubles, 1 R scored, and 1 RBI. He started the Yankee scoring in the top of the 3rd and the big rally to take the lead in the 8th, and he looked pretty damn good doing it. For the season his batting line is up to .301/.388/.496 with a 10.9% BB Rate in 129 plate appearances, good for a .387 wOBA and 144 wRC+. Even more shocking is the fact that it's a dramatic turnaround against right-handed pitching and a serious reverse platoon split that's fueling those numbers.
Why Randy Levine Should Never Talk
Via ESPN NY:
"Robinson Cano is a great player. We will sit down and talk to him. Hopefully he's a Yankee. Nobody is a re-sign at all costs, but we want him back and we feel good about negotiating something with him. But nobody is a re-sign at any cost."
"Yeah, nobody. Except for A-Rod in '07, Jeter when his last contract came up, Rafael Soriano, CC when we gave him an extension. After all those guys, nobody is a re-sign at any cost. Hell, look at Russell Martin. Sometimes players aren't even a re-sign at a reasonable cost. We've got luxury tax money to save and Ichiro t-shirts to sell here, people."
"Robinson Cano is a great player. We will sit down and talk to him. Hopefully he's a Yankee. Nobody is a re-sign at all costs, but we want him back and we feel good about negotiating something with him. But nobody is a re-sign at any cost."
"Yeah, nobody. Except for A-Rod in '07, Jeter when his last contract came up, Rafael Soriano, CC when we gave him an extension. After all those guys, nobody is a re-sign at any cost. Hell, look at Russell Martin. Sometimes players aren't even a re-sign at a reasonable cost. We've got luxury tax money to save and Ichiro t-shirts to sell here, people."
Yanks Cover Their Shortstop Bases By Acquiring Brendan Ryan
(Courtesy of the AP)
In a move that doesn't speak positively to Derek Jeter's physical status or Eduardo Nunez's general status as a quality Major League shortstop, the Yankees traded a PTBNL to Seattle for utility infielder Brendan Ryan last night. Jeter has been in a "holding pattern" since leaving Saturday's game with pain in his surgically-repaired ankle and Nunez still can't figure out how to be an even remotely serviceable backup shortstop defensively, so once again the Yankees found themselves without a replacement option for The Captain. The decision was made to find a defensive upgrade over Nunez and that's exactly what they're getting in Ryan.
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