Tonight's Rainout Notes

By now, you're probably aware that tonight's game has been cancelled due to rain.  The Yanks and Mariners still have to play tomorrow's series finale, but there will be no doubleheader to make up today's game.  The Mariners have a doubleheader scheduled next week as well and didn't want to put the added strain on their starting rotation.  Fair enough.

Instead, the 2 teams will play the makeup on Monday, June 2nd.  Seattle's in the area and both teams have an off-day that matches up.  That spares the Yankees this week.  They would have had to make another move to fill a spot start had they been forced to play 2 tomorrow and they're not exactly flush with starting pitching right now.  The lost off-day will result in them playing 17 straight games for a stretch, but I'll take that over Chris Leroux getting a start in a New York Yankee uniform.

As for the current rotation plans, the Yanks will use the day off today to skip over David Phelps' spot in the rotation and pitch Hiroki Kuroda on regular rest tomorrow in the series finale.  This also works to the Yanks' advantage as 1 less start they have to cover while Pineda's out.  I'll take it.

Why Is Kelly Johnson's Role Shrinking?

(Have you seen this man?  Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Between not finding suitable everyday options for second and third base and finding even fewer for a backup at first base, the general consensus was that Kelly Johnson was going to be an important part of the infield this year.  At the end of Spring Training, he was the starter at third, the backup and perfect world best man for the job at second, and the backup for Teix at first as declared by Joe.  As a guy who'd spent the better part of the last 4 seasons either at second or in left field, that was a lot to handle, and if we're being fair, I think Johnson has done a nice job handling what was asked of him in the first month of the season.  He's played a pretty good third, a decent first, and he's provided the left-handed pop the Yanks were hoping for when they signed him (4 2B, 3 HR in 69 PA).  So why has he seen his playing time decrease so much in the last 2 weeks?

CC And His Battles With The One Bad Inning

(Courtesy of the AP)

CC Sabathia has made 6 starts in the month of April.  He's pitched 37 innings in those starts and given up 21 earned runs in those innings for a pretty bad 5.11 ERA.  As a whole, CC's performance has been subpar this year, but looking start by start it's been the 1 bad inning that's really killed him.

• 4/1- 6 IP, 6 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 1st), 4 ER
• 4/6- 6 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 6th), 3 ER
• 4/11- 7 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning top 6th), 4 ER
• 4/17- 7 IP, 1 ER; no bad innings
• 4/24- 6 IP, 2 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 3rd), 2 ER
• 4/29- 5 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning (top 5th), 4 ER

He's had 1 bad inning in 5 of his 6 starts and he's given up 17 of his 21 ER in those 5 innings (30.60 ERA).  In his other 32 IP, he's given up 4 ER (1.13 ERA).  On the one hand, this split shows that Sabathia's overall performance has not been as bad as his ERA would lead you to believe.  On the other, it shows how much CC is struggling to adjust to life as a finesse pitcher.  His bad innings have been defined by an inability to locate pitches down in the strike zone, an inability to put hitters away with 2 strikes, and an inability to finish off innings with 2 outs.  The Yankees need Carsten to be better with Nova and Pineda both on the shelf for the foreseeable future.  To be better, he needs to find a way to limit damage and eliminate the 1 bad inning every time out.

More On Pineda's Lat Injury

In case you missed it late last night, the diagnosis on Michael Pineda is a Grade I strain of the teres major muscle in his back.  He'll be further evaluated by Dr. Ahmad today, but the early estimate from the team was an expected 3-4 weeks out and then rehab appearances after that to build his pitch count back up.  Given how careful they were in managing his shoulder rehab, I anticipate the team will take the same approach here.  We could be looking at 6-8 weeks when all is said and done.

As for the injury itself, it's less severe than a tear of the muscle, which is considered an uncommon injury by the American Journal of Sports Medicine.  Generally, a tear of the teres major tendon takes 3 months to come back from, so a 3-4 week downtime estimate is encouraging given the potential worst case scenario.  The muscle strain is limited to the back, and has no relation to Pineda's previous shoulder injury, although a strain in that area could and usually does manifest itself in upper arm pain and it would be bad for Pineda to alter his pitching mechanics to compensate for that and risk damage to the shoulder.

This injury is definitely not a good thing.  Between the pine tar suspension and this, the Yankees are losing a key part of their rotation in a time where they can least afford to be without him.  It's not as bad as it could have been though, and Pineda will be able to return to the mound this year.

Game 26 Wrap-Up: SEA 6 NYY 3

(Courtesy of the AP)

I don't know why I expected anything different, but Yankee fans decided not to head my advice and showcased their stupidity and hypocrisy for the whole baseball world to see when they booed Robinson Cano heartily last night the first time he stepped to the plate.  The team not doing a video tribute is fine.  These are all grown men, they don't need special little videos made for them to show how great they are.  But the fans not respecting and being thankful for what Cano did in his time here is shameful and I'm a little embarrassed to be a Yankee fan this morning.  If they would have waited for the game to play out, they would have had plenty more to boo for.

Game Notes:

- Mark Teixeira showed he can still turn on a 95 MPH inside fastball on Sunday night, so Chris Young's mid-80s heat should have been no problem.  It wasn't, and Teix deposited one into the right field seats in the 2nd for his 3rd homer of the year and an early 1-0 Yankee lead.

- CC got off to a strong start, retiring the first 2 innings in order on a solid 4-pitch mix.  His fastball velocity looked a tick higher and he was throwing strike 1.

- That early success quickly dissipated over the next 2 innings though.  CC danced around 2 baserunners each in the 3rd and 4th, but he couldn't repeat the luck in the 5th.  3 straight singles loaded the bases and 2 consecutive 2-out hits resulted in 4 Seattle runs.

- The Yankee bats were mostly silent against Young after Teix's yardjob.  They scored 1 run in the 3rd, stranded 2 runners in the 4th, and only managed 3 more hits after that.  2 of them were Ichiro singles.

- Dellin Betances worked out CC's mess in the 6th, but couldn't finish off the 7th and got 2 runs charged to his ledger when Preston Claiborne couldn't pick him up.  A 4-run deficit might as well by 40 when your lineup isn't hitting and the token run in the 9th was nowhere near enough for a comeback.

More Injuries: Ellsbury And Pineda (UPDATED)

Couple of disconcerting injury-related stories coming out right now.  Jacoby Ellsbury has apparently been bothered by a sore left hand for the last few days and while tests on it came back negative, it's bad enough that he's not in the lineup tonight.

The bigger and potentially worse news is in regards to Michael Pineda.  He reportedly shut himself down after just 1 inning of his simulated start today after feeling tightness in his right lat.  He's going for an MRI and according to Joe, his next scheduled start on May 5th is in jeopardy.

More on these stories as it comes out...

** UPDATE 3:55 PM- Joe told reporters that David Phelps would stay in the rotation if Pineda is unable to make his start on Monday.  Not a good omen for what could come back on this MRI. **

** UPDATE 10:22 PM- Via Erik Boland, Pineda has been diagnosed with a Grade I strain of his teres major muscle.  The team is saying he'll be shut down for 10 days, will be out for 3-4 weeks, and will undergo further evaluation by the team doctor.  This doesn't sound good at all. **

Welcoming Back Robbie Cano

(Dude is rocking some sweet facial hair.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Does it feel like Robinson Cano has been gone for a really long time to anybody else?  In reality, he's been a non-Yankee for less than a month of his career, but it feels like he's been away forever to me.  He'll make his first trip back to The Stadium tonight when the Mariners come to town for a 3-game series, his first appearance back in front of the Yankee faithful since choosing Seattle and their 3 more years of guaranteed money over the Yankees and their 7-year offer.  Most of the beat guys are trying to stir the pot by writing and tweeting about how the fans should react during Cano's first plate appearance tonight, but to me it's a non-issue.  There's really only one acceptable option for how to treat Cano tonight.

Prospect Stock Watch: April 2014

(Courtesy of Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It's been a tough start to the year for the farm system.  With a handful of top prospects missing the start of the season as they recovered from offseason health problems (Slade Heathcott, Greg Bird, Ty Hensley), the Yankees have watched more injuries strike down a significant portion of other recognizable names.  From Nik Turley and Jose Ramirez in Spring Training, to Tyler Austin last week, to the announcement of Jose Campos' season-ending TJS over the weekend, there's seemingly been a top guy going on the DL every few days.  That's created opportunities for other players to step up, but so far nobody has created a bigger name for himself than he already had.  With April 2 days away from ending and the sample sizes growing to an almost meaningful size, here are the guys who've helped and hurt their prospect stock the most in the first month.

Ryan Starts Rehab Assignment

Out since mid-March with a pinched nerve in his upper back, Brendan Ryan took a big step towards his return from the DL this past Sunday when he began his MiL rehab assignment with the High-A Tampa Yankees.  Ryan has started at shortstop in each of the last 2 games for Tampa, going 3-8 with 1 BB and 2 RBI.  I haven't read any specifics on how many innings he played in the 2 games, but I have to think it would have been reported if it was less than 9.

Ryan missed most of Spring Training, so his rehab assignment will not be as brief as Teix's or D-Rob's were.  Joe said he wanted to get Ryan a full compliment of ST plate appearances before calling him up, so 40-50 should do the trick.  That would put Ryan on track for another 8-10 rehab games and a return to the Major League roster in about 2 weeks.  The Yankees are playing without a true backup shortstop for Derek Jeter right now and they've already had to sit him for a few games to rest a tight quad.  Ryan was always meant to be the man for that job, and the sooner he can get back to do it the better.

Off-Day Comes At The Right Time Again

The early April schedule wasn't especially kind to the Yankees from a scheduling standpoint, but since that first 13-game stretch they've actually had one of the more favorable deals in MLB with scheduled off-days on each of the last 3 Mondays.  The timing of those off-days has been a huge benefit in each of the last 2 weeks, as they gave the Yanks an extra day to deal with the losses of Francisco Cervelli and Ivan Nova and extra time off for some older players who needed it to rest some sprains and strains.  They have a few more bumps and bruises after this weekend series and once again the off-day comes up at the absolute perfect time.

- Brett Gardner was held out of last night's game after getting hit by a pitch on the foot on Saturday.  He could have been used in a pinch last night, but this extra day off should have him ready for tomorrow.

- Ditto Yangervis Solarte, who Joe scratched with a sore shoulder before last night's game.  It doesn't sound too serious and right now Solarte is expected to be ready to go tomorrow as well.

- He isn't hurt, but Derek Jeter went without a day off all weekend despite a Friday night/Saturday afternoon schedule in the first 2 games.  He had the quad issue a few weeks back that the day off on the 14th really helped.  A day off his feet today should do his body good.

- Also not injured, but D-Rob has pitched in 3 of the last 4 days and threw 24+ pitches on Saturday and Sunday.  If the Yanks were playing tonight, he probably wouldn't be available.

New York's next scheduled off-day is Thursday, May 8th, when they'll travel from LA to Milwaukee.  The day off today should be enough to prepare them for the next 9-game stretch.

Mixed Results From Teix In His First Week Back

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The defining image of last night's game was not Masahiro Tanaka walking off the mound after 1 of his 11 strikeouts.  As well as he battled to keep his team in the game against Garrett Richards, the most memorable moment last night was Mark Teixeira turning on a 94 MPH Richards fastball that was belt high and on the inner half of the plate, hitting it high and deep into right field, and pausing for a second to watch it land in the second deck.  I'm talking that "no doubt about it" split second of pimpage that Teix does when he really knows he got one.  I'm talking about this:

(Courtesy of ESPN/MLB.com)

Carlos Beltran, Professional Hitter

When you've been around for as long as Carlos Beltran has (15 full seasons plus partials in 1998 and this season), you're going to learn a lot about what it takes to be a successful hitter.  With a .365 career wOBA and values of .355, .359, and .362 in the last 3 seasons as he's moved into his late 30s, it's fair to say Beltran has picked up his fair share of important lessons and personal tips.  He spoke to David Laurila of FanGraphs for a post that went up on Friday about some of those tips and his general hitting strategy.  It was a very interesting look inside the mind of one of the best all-around hitters of the last 20 years.

For me, the highlight of the post was Beltran talking about knowing the feeling in his legs from pitch to pitch and knowing if he has them under him for his swing based on whether or not he feels like the wind is blowing him off-balance.  That's some next-level veteran stuff right there.  I also liked Beltran's self-described approach of always going up there looking for the 1 pitch he wants and being willing to wait for it.  The guy has seen everything at this point in his career and he knows the value of going up to the plate with a plan and sticking with that plan.  Based on his early .538 SLG and team-leading 5 homers, I'd say that plan is working out well.  The average and OBP will come up in time.  When it does, Beltran could really put up some big numbers hitting in YS3.

Game 25 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 LAA 2

(Courtesy of the AP)

You've read this intro from me enough already.  Masahiro Tanaka's pitching, it's a big game, it's a test for him, blah, blah blah.  I just wanted to see him come out and own again like he has in every start he's made.  And for the first time this season, I had the chance to sit and actually watch him pitch.

Game Notes:

- He had to battle early.  His command on the corners wasn't there, especially with his fastball, he walked 3 in the first 3 innings, and he hung a few sliders.  He also struck out 5 and kept the Angels off the scoreboard.

- Garrett Richards burned through the Yankee lineup with his array of fastballs the first time through the order, with only a Kelly Johnson single through the shift against him.  He was definitely the better of the 2 pitchers early.

- Richards started to lose his fastball command a bit in the bottom of the 5th and the Yankees used that to scratch a run of their own across on a walk, a Brian Roberts double down the left field line, and an Ichiro RBI groundout.

- The Angels scratched a run across on a fielder's choice after loading the bases in the 4th, but Tanaka held it at that and then worked a quick 5th.  He looked like he was settling in.  Then he left a fastball up to David Freese to start the 6th and the Angels went back out front 2-1.

- Mark Teixeira was one of the few hitters who looked good against Richards, and he never looked better than when he demolished a hanger for a solo HR to tie the game back up at 2 in the 7th.  Very encouraging sign.

- Tanaka gave way to Adam Warren in the 7th and Warren got 5 big outs to set himself up as the winner to be when a pair of walks, a passed ball, and a wild pitch allowed Ellsbury to come around and score the go-ahead run.

- For the 4th time in 4 tries, D-Rob was cash money in the 9th.  The Yanks came back to steal the series after losing by 12 on Friday night.

Kids Contributing When They Get Their Chances

John Ryan Murphy: 2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI yesterday.  .308/.308/.538 (.369 wOBA) in 13 PA this season.

Dellin Betances: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K yesterday.  0.77 ERA/1.63 FIP, 19 K in 11.2 IP this season.

How long have we been hearing that the Yankees need to "give the kids a shot"?  It's an annual cry from the fanbase.  Well, they're giving kids shots this year and those kids are coming up big.  J.R. Murphy has looked good behind and at the plate in his limited PA since coming up to replace Cervelli, and Betances has been electric in his middle relief work, showing what many believed he was always capable of doing if he harnessed his command.  Add in the positive contributions of 20-somethings like Tanaka, Pineda, Adam Warren, and Yangervis Solarte, and it's been a deep and balanced contribution from the younger Yankee contingent.

Game 24 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 LAA 3

(Courtesy of the AP)

Friday night was not what anybody had in mind for a series-opening game against a West Coast opponent.  The Angels came into town and slapped the Yankees around their own ballpark for all 9 innings, and once again the bullpen was left in need of fresh arms.  They got another one for this afternoon's game in the form of Chris Leroux and they were hoping they wouldn't have to go there too early or very often with Vidal Nuno back on the mound.

Game Notes:

- Nuno put himself in an early 1-0 hole when he gave up a solo homer to Mike Trout in the top of the 1st.  He wasn't the first to suffer that fate and he certainly won't be the last.

- LA starter Hector Santiago wasn't on top of his game early and the Yanks capitalized on that in the bottom of the 2nd.  A hit batsman, single, and walk loaded the bases with 1 out, a balk got them on the board, and a big 2-out, 2-run single by John Ryan Murphy gave them the 3-1 lead.

- A combination of bad defense (Brian Roberts throwing error on a possible double play turn) and bad pitching by Nuno (put the first 2 runners on, double on a hanging slider) led to 2 runs for the Angels in the 4th.  After giving up hits to Albert Pujols in each of his first 2 PA, Joe elected not to let Nuno face him again in the 5th and the game went to the bullpen.

- Murphy's first career MLB home run gave the Yanks the lead back in the 5th, but they failed to put another run across after 2 more hits.  They wouldn't need one thanks to the work of their bullpen.  It got a little hairy, but Betances, Kelley, Thornton, and D-Rob did the job.

Minor League Injury Update

(Later, guy.  See you in 2016.  Maybe.  Courtesy of the AP)

I don't know what it is about the Yankee farm system that has it so susceptible to injuries, but the body count is already starting to rise this season.  A handful of big names have hit the DL this week and more than a handful of smaller ones are dealing with smaller physical issues of their own.  After the jump, a quick recap of all the new injuries in case you missed any of the news.

Another Day Of Firsts For Nuno Today

Vidal Nuno will make his second start in place of the injured Ivan Nova this afternoon against the Angels.  It will be his second start at Yankee Stadium in his short Major League career and his first afternoon start.  It will also be the first time he's faced the Angels and their big hitters like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, a frightening thought for a young pitcher, but keep this in mind.  On the other side of the matchup, it's the first time for them and the rest of the LA lineup against Nuno.

The Angels no doubt have their scouting reports and video on Nuno to prepare themselves for today's game, but Nuno may have a slight advantage in this first time matchup.  As a pitcher who throws a lot of different pitches and a lot of offspeed stuff, he gives opposing hitters plenty to think about up there.  They don't know his tendencies and they don't know what the ball looks like coming out of his hand.  He played that to his advantage very well last Sunday when he tossed 5 shutout innings against the Rays.  If he's commanding his stuff, maybe he can do it again.

Expect a healthy helping of sliders, 4-seamers, curveballs, and sinkers today, and maybe a changeup or 2 for good measure.  Don't expect to see high velocity, but hopefully the mixing of pitches and lack of familiarity will help Nuno help his team even up this series.

Game 23 Wrap-Up: LAA 13 NYY 1

This one wasn't pretty.  Getting destroyed by a dozen at home is not the way to open a weekend series.

Game Notes:

- Hirok was horrendous last night.  Couldn't locate anything and the Angels tuned him up for 8 runs on 10 hits in 4.2 IP.

- No offense to help him against C.J. Wilson.  Brett Garder was the only player with multiple hits, Carlos Beltran had the only XBH, and the only run scored on a sac fly in the 6th.

- Bruce Billings took one for the team with 4 innings of long relief.  He gave up 4 more runs.

- Yanks need a better showing this afternoon when Vidal Nuno and Hector Santiago get the start.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 4/25/14

I got nothing this week.  Just looking forward to a Sunday sports day of Rangers, Blackhawks, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Yanks-Halos.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Caitlin Rogers of Pinstripe Alley pondered what the Yankees could do with Brian Roberts if he continues to not perform offensively.

- Mike Axisa of RAB looked to the early pitch type percentage breakdowns to see what major changes CC Sabathia was making to his pitching approach.

- On Wednesday, Chris Mitchell of Pinstripe Pundits examined the shift in Brett Gardner's BB rate and the resulting shift in his overall offensive performance.

- SJK of NoMaas stressed the importance of Derek Jeter maintaining a strong BB rate if his power is going to stay as low as it is early on.

- On Thursday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog commented on the problems with MLB's rule book and inconsistencies in the enforcement of those rules that the Michael Pineda situation exposed.

- Matt Bove of IIATMS/TYA pointed out the downtrend in the production of Kelly Johnson and Yangervis Solarte, another sign that the Yankees should look for more infield depth.

- Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily dished a heaping helping of observations from a few MiL games he's taking in early in the season.

- On Friday, John M of It Is High... put today's offensive numbers into historical perspective to give the appropriate amount of context to all the talk about the game becoming too "pitcher dominated" today.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud looked back at the eventful road trip that was.  When you stop and think about it, there really was a lot that happened in the last week.  Damn.

- SG of RLYW summed up the problem with Mark Teixeira's production in one definitive graph.

New Mastodon is out!  It got leaked early last week, formally released late last week, and I finally caught up to it this week.



It's definitely catchy but I'm hoping the rest of the album isn't as linear as this.  I bet it won't be.  You always have to have one song that will be a good fit for radio play.  This is most likely that song.

Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Nova Elects Surgery For Torn UCL

This was the always the endgame, even after Nova requested a second opinion on his partially torn UCL earlier this week.  Dr. James Andrews was given the second look and he echoed the recommendation of Yankees team doctor Dr. Ahmad that Nova have Tommy John Surgery on the ligament.

Nova will go under the knife for TJS next Tuesday, with Dr. Andrews himself performing the surgery.  It will officially end Nova's 2014 season, and with recovery time still an estimated 12-18 months, Nova will also lose most of his 2015 season.  A tough break for Nova and the Yankees.  Maybe this will help fix some of the minor arm issues he had leading up to the tear, but typically arm injuries mean more arm injuries.

Game 22 Wrap-Up: NYY 14 BOS 5

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

If last night was an example of what baseball is like when nobody's playing with foreign substances on them, I think I'd rather see pitchers slathering their arms up with pine tar before every inning.  Sloppy baseball was an understatement last night.  The Red Sox booted the ball all over the yard, almost every pitcher who got into the game threw a wild pitch, some threw multiple, and their starting pitching was abysmal.  I almost feel bad for you if you watched it, but the Yanks came away with the W and their second series win in 2 tries against the Red Sox this young season.

Game Notes:

- The bats went to sleep against Lackey, but they woke up quickly against Felix Doubront.  Alfonso Soriano doubled in a run with 2 outs in the 1st, Yangervis Solarte sparked a 3-run 2nd with a 2-run double of his own, and Mark Teixeira hit his first home run of the season to lead off a 3-run 3rd.

- CC Sabathia had pretty good stuff against the Boston lineup.  He worked the first 2 innings scoreless, featuring his changeup heavily, and struck out 5 through 5 innings.

- He also battled a few bouts of command inconsistencies.  He walked 2 in the 2nd, hit a few batters, and got into trouble in the 3rd with a leadoff walk and a double.  2 runs scored in the inning, the last on the dreaded 2-out hit by Mike Napoli The Yankee Killer.

- Boston's bullpen held the Yankee lineup at bay for a few innings, but they finally started up again for their insurance runs in the top of the 7th.  Another Sawck error (their 5th of the night!!) helped extend the rally and Solarte and The Captain each knocked in 2 with ribbie singles to make it 12-2 Yanks.

- Sabathia finished 6 strong with only the 2 runs and 8 Ks and handed it over to the 'pen.  Shane Greene was a puddle of nervous adrenaline, but Adam Warren did the job and D-Rob got in his first game action since coming off the DL in a perfect 9th.

Pineda Suspended 10 Games By MLB (UPDATED)

Yankees RHP Michael Pineda suspended 10 games, starting tonight, for possessing a foreign substance during Wednesday’s game at Fenway Park.
— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2014

No surprise there.  We knew this was coming the minute he got tossed last night.  The suspension starts tonight if Pineda chooses not to appeal, and I can't imagine why he would, and he will be eligible to return on May 5th.  He'll miss 2 starts, but because of the scheduled off-day on Monday the Yanks will only need to fill his rotation spot once.  I imagine David Phelps will be the leading candidate to make that spot start.  According to Dan Barbarisi, Shane Greene and Bruce Billings are with the team in Boston.  No word yet on roster moves to add them to the bullpen.

** UPDATE 4:40 PM- Greene and Billings have officially been called up, Dean Anna and Preston Claiborne have been sent down, and Ivan Nova was moved to the 60-day DL.  There's your daily dose of roster moves. **

On Pineda, Pine Tar, And General Human Stupidity

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Nobody likes a cheater.  We're all raised to follow the rules and play fair.  But in the sports world, especially the baseball world, the blurring of the line of right and wrong is an unspoken understanding between all players and coaches and there are plenty of familiar phrases that speak to that mindset.  "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying".  "It ain't cheating if you don't get caught".  And so on.

Michael Pineda was trying last night.  He was very obviously struggling with his grip and command of the baseball in the bottom of the 1st inning due to the colder temperatures and wind blowing through Fenway Park.  The guys on the ESPN broadcast pointed it out no more than 10-12 pitches into the inning.  He labored through it, went to the dugout, and came back out for the 2nd with a little substance aid to help solve his grip problem.  His method of using this substance was so blatant and flagrant that it forced John Farrell to point it out to home plate umpire Gerry Davis, who very easily identified the pine tar smudge on Pineda's neck and ejected him from the game.  Pineda was already toeing the line of baseball rules again by going to the pine tar.  He got caught doing it and so he was cheating.

McCann Heating Up As He Adjusts To The Shift

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

It isn't drawing the attention of Yangervis Solarte's hot start or Carlos Beltran's splendid all-around hitting performance, but Brian McCann has been coming around lately and his stat line is starting to creep up above the line of respectability.  After last night, he's now sitting at .261/.292/.420 with 3 HR, 10 R, and 9 RBI, good for a .314 wOBA.  His early bout with selectivity issues appears to over, his swing rates are trending down, and he's starting to settle into his new AL surroundings.

Another thing he's settling into is being a constant target of the defensive shift.  McCann has been one of, if not the most shifted against hitter in the Yankee lineup and it's fair to suggest that he's lost out on a hit or 2 as a result of it.  Seeing how opposing defenses are approaching him, McCann appears to be adapting his hitting approach in response.

Game 21 Wrap-Up: BOS 5 NYY 1

(Courtesy of the AP)

I don't give a shit what month it is or how many games are left, I really wanted a win last night.  I would have loved nothing more than for Michael Pineda to come out and put on a repeat performance of what Tanaka did to the Red Sox on Tuesday and for the lineup to slap around John Lackey's fat idiot face for 5 innings like they did to Lester.  I despise John Lackey.  Maybe more than I despise Ortiz nowadays.  Another beatdown victory against that shitheel would have been supreme.  Instead we got bad cheating, an early exit for Big Mike, and one of those games you want to forget as soon as it ends.

Game Notes:

- Pineda had command issues early, possibly due to the cold weather.  He labored through a 2-run 1st inning on 30 pitches, struggling to locate his fastball or slider with any kind of consistency.

- He returned to the hill for the bottom of the 2nd with a noticeable pine tar mark on his neck, comically noticeable.  With 2 outs and 2 strikes, John Farrell asked the home plate ump to check him and check him he did.  Gerry Davis saw it, felt it, decided it was enough to warrant an ejection, and tossed Pineda on the spot.

- Lackey didn't have any command problems and he breezed through 4 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts.  He was pounding the strike zone with fastballs and keeping the Yankee lineup off balance.  They didn't do themselves any favors by swinging early and keeping his pitch count down.

- The Yanks squandered runners at second and third with 1 out in the 5th, but finally got on the board in the 6th when Carlos Beltran led off with a double and advanced home on 2 outs.  It was that kind of night.

- Give a call to the bullpen for keeping them in it, but this game was over when David Phelps gave up 2 runs in the 3rd to make it 4-0 Boston.  The lineup was overmatched by Lackey and never did anything with the chances they did create and the defense was horrific.