"Now, what is this site about, how Joe Torre ruined pitchers' arms? Is that it?"
-Michael Kay, August 18, 2009

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Some news and notes

The Yankees will begin the Division Series on Thursday at Jacobs Field, after Boston picked the eight-day Division Series 'B.' Chien-Ming Wang will start game one against C.C. Sabathia. (MLB.com)

Hideki Matsui had his right knee drained yesterday. He will be the designated hitter throughout the playoffs, with Johnny Damon playing left field. (MLB.com)

You can buy some sweet Wild Card gear on MLB Shop. Personally, I'd never buy anything involving winning the Wild Card, AL East or the American League. It's World Series or nothing when it comes to "winning" apparel.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wang in position to start Game 1

From Peter Abraham:

Torre said Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte would be the starters for Games 1 and 2. No order has been set. But Pettitte will start and throw 50-60 pitches on Saturday, so it seems evident that Wang will start Game 1 and Pettitte Game 2. (Source)
If things stay the way they are (the Yankees being the Wild Card champions), they would travel to Cleveland for games one and two. Wang has a 4.62 career ERA on the road, as opposed to a 3.04 career ERA at home.

Also, in one career start at Jacobs Field, Wang's ERA stands at a healthy 8.44 (five runs in 5 1-3 innings).

Wang needs to step up and be the ace that he is.

Game preview: Yankees at Rays 9/27/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon CF
Wilson Betemit 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jason Giambi DH
Shelley Duncan 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jose Molina C
Bronson Sardinha RF
Alberto Gonzalez SS

Phil Hughes (4-3, 4.80 ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir (13-9, 3.54 ERA)

Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Nice lineup.

Time to relax

The stress of the 2007 season can be put on hold for a couple of more days.

Tonight's lineup hasn't been released, but I expect to see a few of the September call-ups starting tonight.

These Yankees have deserved these next few "off days."

The only thing they have to worry about is getting the bullpen straightened out. Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney have their work cut out for them if the want to re-enter Joe Torre's circle of trust.

Where's George?

There's George. This photo was taken at tonight's game and was not released via Howard Rubenstein.

This statement, however, was:

I'm elated we have clinched the playoff spot.

After a tough first half of the season when everyone seemed to lose faith except for our players and our fans, the team has really stepped up and shown themselves to be the champions that they are. With hard work and determination, we were able to clinch a playoff position and are now heading into our 13th consecutive postseason.

I congratulate our players, Joe Torre, and Brian Cashman. I really like the mix of veterans and younger players who have contributed to this comeback. It has been exciting to watch them play, coalesce and pull together. The fans and I look forward to the team accomplishing our ultimate goal -- bringing a world championship back to New York. (Source)
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Game 158 notes: Yankees win 12-4

Time to celebrate! The Yankees clinch a playoff berth with their 12-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Wednesday night.

In a season of ups and downs, the Yankees didn't give up while some of their fans (me) did. I now look pretty foolish saying some of the things I said when I first started the blog, but this team proved me wrong, and for that I am grateful.

This is the 13th consecutive season the Yankees have made the playoffs, which is an extremely remarkable stretch of time.

On to the game:

  • Chien-Ming Wang won his 19th game of the season for the second consecutive season. He gave up two runs and struck out six over six innings.
  • Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano hit home runs. Cano drove in five runs to give him 94 RBIs on the season.
  • Doug Mientkiewicz's four hits tied a career high.
  • Johnny Damon, Jeter, Jorge Posada, Cano and Mientkiewicz all had multi-hit games.
  • The Yankees hit five doubles.
  • Jeter extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
  • Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera pitched scoreless innings. Luis Vizcaino gave up a two-run home run in his inning of work.
On May 27 in my first standings update, the Yankees were 7.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Four months later, the same Tigers are now eliminated.

Congratulations to these Yankees, but the job isn't finished. One month from now, I hope the Yankees are celebrating something else.

Game preview: Yankees at Rays 9/26/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Shelley Duncan DH
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Melky Cabrera CF

Chien-Ming Wang (18-7, 3.72 ERA) vs. J.P. Howell (1-5, 6.80 ERA)

Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Wang is 8-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 13 starts on the road this season. ... Carlos Pena is 2-6 with three RBIs against Wang this season. ... Delmon Young is 2-6 with a double and two RBIs against Wang this season. ... Howell is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three career starts against New York. ... Rodriguez is 2-3 with two RBIs against Howell this season. ... Cano is 2-3 with an RBI against Howell this season.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Play to win tonight

Now that I've had time to digest yesterday's loss, I'll give Joe Torre a pass. He wasn't really expecting Kei Igawa to start, let alone throw five shutout innings. Yes, he allowed Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney to stay in the game too long. Yes, he shouldn't have allowed Jeff Karstens to pitch in the 10th innings. Yes, he shouldn't have held a bullpen tryout while the Wild Card race hasn't been decided.

But I'm over it.

It's not his fault that that's what he has left in the bullpen.

Yankee fans were too quick to think that they could win the division. There is no shame in winning the Wild Card, and that's the path the Yankees are headed down. With five games remaining, Boston has a minuscule magic number of three to clinch the East. Meanwhile, the Yankees' magic number to clinch the Wild Card is at one.

If they win tonight, they can rest some of their hurting regulars and figure out who will be valuable out of the bullpen in the playoffs during the final four games.

That being said, the Yankees must play to win tonight. Ace Chien-Ming Wang is on the hill. If he has the lead after seven innings, go straight to Joba Chamberlain. If Wang is struggling in the sixth, go to Chamberlain. If Mariano Rivera has to pitch more than one inning, don't hesitate.

There is time to rest everyone after tonight. Just win the game and look to next week.

Clemens out until the playoffs

The next time Roger Clemens will pitch will be in the American League Division Series.

Clemens is "confident" he will be ready for the opening round of the postseason if the Yankees qualify. New York started play Tuesday with a magic number of one to clinch at least the AL wild-card spot.

"I fully expect to be out there," Clemens said. "I still think it's improving. A little swelling, but I ran quite a bit in the deep end of a pool to try and get that motion going. They're really going to try and just let it rest."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Clemens could have pitched Tuesday if it had been a must-win game.

"We're just playing it smart," Cashman said. "We're looking at the big picture, and giving it more time to heal. The point is he'll be better off with more time, and we'll go from there." (Source)

The earliest the Division Series could start is October 3. Clemens hasn't pitched since September 16.

Clemens better be confident he can pitch, because it would not be advantageous for the Yankees to use a spot starter in games that actually matter.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Game 157 notes: Yankees lose 7-6

I feel disgusted. The Yankees manage to blow a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning behind the capable arms of Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney.

Then, the Yankees tie it up in the eighth inning! However, they don't score in the ninth or 10th inning.

Therefore, Joe Torre turns to Jeff Karstens and his 10.43 ERA to pitch the 10th inning. What does he do? Promptly serve up a walkoff home run to Dioner Navarro.

This is with Boston and Detroit both winning, by the way.

Anyway, onto some details.

Kei Igawa started in place of injured Roger Clemens. Igawa didn't give up a run in his five innings of work. However, he also walked five batters.

Alex Rodriguez hit a grand slam in the third inning to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead.

However, in the sixth inning, the Yankees completely melted down. Ramirez and Bruney walked four batters and gave up two hits and six earned runs. The big blast came off the bat of Jorge Velandia, who hit a grand slam.

Some notes from the game:

  • Johnny Damon went 5-5 with five singles.
  • Robinson Cano went 3-5.
  • Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
  • The Yankees walked 11 Devil Rays.
The Yankees can all about cancel their plans of winning the division. They now trail Boston by three games with five to play. Boston's magic number to win the East is three.

The magic number to win the Wild Card remains at one.

Chien-Ming Wang will face J.P. Howell tomorrow night.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

This is ridiculous

Brian Bruney and Edwar Ramirez have no business wearing Major League uniforms.

This dynamic duo managed to blow a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning. Lovely.

Everyone (myself included) wanted to see Ramirez have his chance. He has been given a shot, and he has failed. It's time for someone new - someone like Ross Ohlendorf.

Game preview: Yankees at Rays 9/25/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Melky Cabrera CF

Kei Igawa (2-3, 6.75 ERA) vs. Jason Hammel (2-5, 5.88 ERA)

Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Igawa is 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay this season. ... B.J. Upton is 3-4 with two home runs and two RBIs against Igawa. ... Hammel is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in three career starts (five appearances) against New York. ... Abreu is 3-6 with one RBI against Hammel this season. ... Matsui is 2-5 with one home run and two RBIs against Hammel this season.

The above photo is courtesy from Deadspin.com

Clemens out, Igawa in

Peter Abraham is reporting that Roger Clemens will not make tonight's start due to his left hamstring injury. Kei Igawa will start in Clemens' place.

Well, hopefully Detroit loses so the Yankees can clinch tonight.

Monday, September 24, 2007

And then it was one

Detroit lost to Minnesota tonight. As a result, the magic number is now down to one.

A Yankee victory or a Detroit loss tomorrow will mean that the Yankees clinch the Wild Card.

Game 156 notes: Yankees lose 4-1

Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees weren't interested in playing baseball Monday afternoon, as they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1.

Pettitte (14-9) gave up three earned runs (four runs) over six innings, while throwing 96 pitches and striking out one batter. He wasn't terrible, but the Yankees couldn't hit Jesse Litsch (7-9), who was starting for A.J. Burnett. Burnett went home for personal reasons.

Litsch gave up five hits over 7 2-3 innings in the spot start. Before today's game, Litsch has a 12.71 ERA in 5 2-3 innings against New York this season.

The only Yankee that decided to show up was Hideki Matsui. He went 2-4. However, in the eighth inning, when Bobby Abreu doubled and Alex Rodriguez singled, Matsui flew out on the first pitch when he was representing the tying run.

Some notes from the game:

  • The Yankees bullpen (Kyle Farnsworth, Jose Veras and Ross Ohlendorf) gave up a combined one hit over three innings of work.
  • The Yankees only recorded six hits.
  • Casey Janssen recorded his sixth save of the season in 1 1-3 innings of work.
The Yankees now trail Boston by two full games in the AL East. They are idle this evening.

The Yankees conclude their season at home. They will travel to Tampa Bay to play three games there beginning tomorrow night. Roger Clemens will oppose Jason Hammel.

Game preview: Blue Jays at Yankees 9/24/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon DH
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mienkiewicz 1B
Melky Cabrera CF

Jesse Litsch (6-9, 4.16 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (14-8, 3.79 ERA)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: A.J. Burnett was originally scheduled to pitch for Toronto, but he went home for personal reasons. ... Pettitte is 16-8 with a 4.10 ERA against Toronto in 32 career appearances. ... Frank Thomas is 5-9 with three RBIs against Pettitte this season. ... Alex Rios is 3-10 against Pettitte this season. ... Litsch is 0-1 with a 12.71 ERA against New York this season. ... Damon is 3-4 with one home run and two RBIs against Litsch this season. ... Rodriguez is 2-2 with two walks against Litsch this season.

A Yankee win and a Detroit loss will clinch the American League Wild Card.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

A look at the standings

I delve into the standings after all of the relevant Sunday games have been completed to track the Yankees' progress over the week that just ended.

Here is an updated look at the American League East standings and the American League Wild Card standings:

AL East

Boston Red Sox
92-64
--
New York Yankees
90-65
1.5
Toronto Blue Jays
78-77
13.5
Baltimore Orioles
66-89
25.5
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
64-92
28.0

Wild Card
New York Yankees
90-65
--
Detroit Tigers
85-71
5.5
Seattle Mariners
83-72
7.0

Since the last look at the standings, the Yankees went 5-1 and gained 3.0 games in the AL East. The Red Sox went 2-4 over that same period.

In the Wild Card standings, the Yankees increased their lead by 3.0 games.

The Red Sox magic number to win the AL East is six (down three from last week).

The Yankees magic number to win the Wild Card is two (down nine from last week).

Is this really that shocking?

With seven games to go, the Yankees have tied the AL record of 454 pitching changes set by the 2003 Texas Rangers.

That works out to 3.18 relievers used per game (helped along by the 16 pitching changes combined in Friday and Saturday's marathons). (Source)

Joe Torre - the master of the bullpen.

Game 155 notes: Yankees win 7-5

Mike Mussina (11-10) stabilized the depleted Yankees' pitching staff this afternoon. Mussina gave up three runs over seven much-needed innings as the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 Sunday afternoon.

After using 10 pitchers yesterday and playing a 14-inning game Friday night, the Yankees needed a starter to go deep into the game.

The day didn't start off well, as Mussina gave up three runs in the second inning. Adam Lind hit a two-run double and Curtis Thigpen drove him in on a single.

The Yankees responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Jose Molina, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter all had RBI singles.

The Yankees broke the 3-3 tie in the fifth inning. Once again, they did it on RBI singles - this time from Robinson Cano, Doug Mientkiewicz and Molina.

In the bottom of the seventh, Molina recorded his third hit and RBI of the day with a double that scored Hideki Matsui.

The Yankees deviated from the "Joba rules" this afternoon. After Luis Vizcaino gave up a two-run home run to Matt Stairs, Joe Torre brought in Joba Chamberlain. He pitched two innings Friday night, so he was not scheduled to pitch today. Also, according to the rules, he can't come into the game in the middle of an inning. This section of the rules was actually broken on Wednesday when he recorded one out.

Chamberlain stayed in the game for the ninth inning to record his first Major League save. He struck out the side.

Some notes from the game:

  • The win was Mussina's 250th of his career.
  • Cano and Molina each had three hits each.
  • Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu had two hits. Jeter extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
  • Mussina struck out five batters and lowered his ERA to 4.96.
  • Toronto starter Dustin McGowan (11-10) threw 112 pitches in 4 1-3 innings. He gave up six hits and six earned runs, while walking six and striking out five.
  • The Yankees honored the late Phil Rizzuto before the game.
Boston lost to Tampa Bay this afternoon. Their magic number to win the East remains at six. Their lead over the Yankees is down to 1.5 games. The half-game will go away tomorrow afternoon when the Yankees complete a makeup game.

Detroit won this afternoon. With the Yankees' victory, the magic number to win the Wild Card is down to two.

Andy Pettitte will face A.J. Burnett tomorrow afternoon. Roger Clemens was originally scheduled to start, but he will be pushed back until at least Tuesday.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Magic number

With the Yankees' 7-5 victory over Toronto this afternoon, they lower their magic number to win the Wild Card to two.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Out of town scoreboard

Boston scored three runs in the ninth to win 8-6. They lead the Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East and their magic number is down to six.

Detroit lost to Kansas City. The Yankees' magic number to win the Wild Card is three.

With Detroit's loss, Boston clinches a playoff spot.

Revisiting the Scott Proctor trade

I hated the Scott Proctor for Wilson Betemit trade when it was made and I still hate it today. At The Bronx Block, I take a look at how Proctor could have been used the last two days instead of some of the other options Joe Torre has out there.

Game 154 notes: Yankees win 12-11

The Yankees were involved in another wacky, long, extra inning game against the Toronto Blue Jays. This time, however, they came up on top, as they won 12-11 Saturday evening.

The 1:00 was delayed for over an hour and a half and didn't finish until after 7:30.

The game was rather quiet until the sixth inning. The Yankees were trailing 3-2 at that point.

Then the fun began.

The Yankees and Blue Jays combined for a total of 18 runs during the next five innings.

In the sixth, the Yankees scored four runs to take a 6-3 lead. Alex Rodriguez doubled in two runs and Hideki Matsui singled in two more.

A combination of Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez gave up five runs in the seventh to give Toronto an 8-6 lead.

The Yankees came back again. They scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead. Melky Cabrera drove in two runs and Alex Rodriguez drove in another.

The Jays weren't done. With Kyle Farnsworth pitching, Toronto was able to push across three runs to take an 11-9 lead. Farnsworth gave up three hits in 1-3 of an inning. Kei Igawa came in after Chris Britton retired a batter. Igawa gave up an RBI single.

New York was able to tie the score in the bottom half of the frame. Cabrera drove in two runs on a ball that was misplayed by second baseman Aaron Hill.

Mariano Rivera added stability in the ninth inning, as the Jays didn't score.

The Yankees were finally able to win the game in the 10th. Jorge Posada led off with a double. Jason Giambi was then intentionally walked. Robinson Cano hit a fly ball which allowed Johnny Damon (running for Posada) and Giambi to advance the third and second, respectively, with one out. Wilson Betemit then struck out when all he needed to do was hit a fly ball. However, Cabrera was able to deliver another clutch single to win the game and record his fifth RBI on the day.

Some notes from the game:

  • Jeff Karstens got the win for pitching a scoreless 10th inning. He is now 1-3. After allowing a leadoff single and inducing two outs, he gave up a double into the gap to Hill. Cabrera fielded the carom and threw to Cano, who threw home. The ball his off of the downslope of the mound and rolled to Posada to tagged out Matt Stairs to keep the game tied.
  • Phil Hughes started. He gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out three, walked one and threw 99 pitches.
  • Rodriguez went 4-5 with three RBIs. He now has 146 on the season, which is the most by a Yankee since Don Mattingly had 145 RBIs in 1985.
  • The Yankees used 10 pitchers in a game for the first time in team history.
  • Hideki Matsui went 3-6 with three RBIs. He is showing more signs that he is coming out of his slump.
Boston is winning 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Detroit is losing 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The magic number to win the Wild Card is now four. If Detroit loses, it will go down to three. Boston's magic number to win the East is seven.

Mike Mussina will face Dustin McGowan tomorrow afternoon.

I'll be back later tonight with the finals from the Boston and Detroit games.

REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky

The Melkman delivers

3-7, five RBIs, 1 great throw to Robinson Cano

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Game 152 notes: Yankees win 2-1

Andy Pettitte lived up to his reputation as a big game pitcher.

Pettitte (14-8) gave up one run in 7 2-3 innings in the Yankees' 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night. The win was also his 200th career win.

With the Yankees closing in on the struggling Boston Red Sox, every win is huge.

The Yankees' runs came on a Hideki Matsui solo home run and on a wild pitch. Pettitte gave up his run in the sixth inning on a Melvin Mora RBI single.

Other than that, it was a pitcher's duel between Pettitte and Brian Burres (6-6). Burres gave up two runs and struck out seven in 7 1-3 innings.

Mariano Rivera recorded his 30th save of the year with his work in the ninth. He loaded the bases but was able to escape unscathed.

Some notes from the game:

  • Joba Chamberlain struck out the only batter he faced for his seventh hold of the season.
  • Matsui's home run was his 25th of the season and his RBI was his 99th of the season.
  • The Yankees only had five hits.
The Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees now trail Boston by only 1.5 games in the AL East (one game in the loss column).

Detroit also lost. The Yankees' magic number to win at least the Wild Card is down to five.

The Yankees swept the Orioles and are now 7-8 against them this season. They will face Toronto at home for four games beginning on Friday.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Keep playing Mientkiewicz

Doug Mientkiewicz has been valuable since coming off of the disabled list earlier this month. Here is what I wrote on The Bronx Block about Mientkiewicz's potential role in the playoffs.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

A look at the standings

I delve into the standings after all of the relevant Sunday games have been completed to track the Yankees' progress over the week that just ended.

Here is an updated look at the American League East standings and the American League Wild Card standings:

AL East

Boston Red Sox
90-60
--
New York Yankees
85-64
4.5
Toronto Blue Jays
74-75
15.5
Baltimore Orioles
64-84
25.0
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
63-87
27.0

Wild Card
New York Yankees
85-64
--
Detroit Tigers
83-67
2.5
Seattle Mariners
78-70
6.5

Since the last look at the standings, the Yankees went 4-2 and gained one game in the AL East. the Red Sox went 3-3 over that same period.

In the Wild Card standings, the Yankees had their lead cut by 1.5 games.

The Red Sox magic number to clinch the AL East is nine (down five from last week).

The Yankees magic number to clinch the Wild Card is 11 (down five from last week).

Game 149 notes: Yankees win 4-3

Wow, what a game! The Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox by a score of 4-3 Sunday night in one of the wildest games of the season.

Leading 4-2 in the ninth, Mariano Rivera walked Jason Varitek to start things. After two groundouts left Varitek at third, Julio Lugo doubled him home. Rivera then hit Jacoby Ellsbury and walked Dustin Pedroia. He then finally got David Ortiz to pop out to Derek Jeter to end the game for his 28th save of the year.

Roger Clemens started for the Yankees on this night. In his first start since September 3, he gave up two hits and one run in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the eighth, Doug Mientkiewicz hit a one-out single. Jason Giambi then singled off the Green Monster. After a ground out, Jeter stepped up to the plate against Curt Schilling (8-8). Jeter, in a big spot, delivered once again, as he blasted a three-run bomb over the Monster to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead.

Joba Chamberlain pitched two innings of relief for his second career win.

Some notes from the game:

  • Chamberlain gave up a solo home run to Mike Lowell. It was the first earned run he has surrendered this season. He also gave up two hits and struck out three batters.
  • Robinson Cano hit a solo home run in the fifth to tie the game at 1-1.
  • Schilling gave up four runs in 7 2-3 innings.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Game preview: Yankees at Red Sox 9/16/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Jose Molina C

Roger Clemens (6-6, 4.45 ERA) vs. Curt Schilling (8-7, 3.93 ERA)

Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Clemens is starting for the first time in Fenway this season. In his career against Boston, he is 9-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 20 starts. ... David Ortiz homered against Clemens at Yankee Stadium last month. ... Schilling is 0-2 with a 5.76 ERA in four starts against New York this season. He has allowed eight home runs in 25 innings. ... Rodriguez is 3-11 with two home runs and four RBIs against Schilling this season. ... Cano is 5-11 with two home runs and two RBIs against Schilling this season. ... Posada is 4-11 with one home run and four RBIs against Schilling this season. ... Jeter is 7-12 against Schilling this season.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Clemens is apparently OK enough to start

The Rocket will launch tomorrow night.

"It's so remarkable, he's got an urgency to do well all the time," Torre said before Saturday's game.

Clemens threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session on Thursday and said he had "no doubt" he'll be able to pitch at Boston. He is 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA this season. (Source)

That is a terrific quote from Joe Torre, by the way.

Game 148 notes: Yankees lose 10-1

Typical Yankee letdown. After last night's craziness, the Yankees came out as flat as a pancake, scoring only one run and recording only four hits in their 10-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox Saturday afternoon. It always somehow seems that when the Yankees have an amazing game the night before, the mail in the next game.

Chien-Ming Wang (18-7) did not make a great case for himself in the Cy Young race. The right-hander gave up five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. He also only recorded six groundball outs, which is never a good sign for him.

Fenway Park has been a house of horrors for Wang over his career. In five starts prior to this one, he was 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA, while walking 17 and striking out only eight.

On the other hand, Josh Beckett (19-6) made a great case for himself. He allowed only one run and three hits over seven innings, while striking out seven and walking two.

After using five relievers last night, the Yankees used five more tonight. The bullpen gave up five runs on three hits and five walks in 2 1-3 innings.

Some notes from the game:

  • Derek Jeter hit his 10th home run of the season. He now has at least 10 home runs in every full season he's played in.
  • Bronson Sardinha made his Major League debut in the outfield in the eighth inning.
  • David Ortiz went 3-3, contributing to another Yankee defeat. The Yankees can't keep letting Ortiz beat them.
  • Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 13 games. He went 2-2 with three RBIs tonight.
The Yankees fall to 84-64 on the season.

Detroit is beating Minnesota 4-1 in the fourth inning. If the Tigers hang on for the victory, they will be 2.5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card.

Roger Clemens will face Curt Schilling tomorrow night on Sunday Night Baseball.

Crazy game last night

I thought for sure that when Jose Veras relieved Andy Pettitte in the fifth inning of a 5-1 game, the game was over.

Trailing 7-2 in the eighth inning, the Yankees rallied against Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon for six runs to take an 8-7 lead and eventually win by that score.

The Yankees stole a huge game - a game that they needed - with Detroit and Seattle both winning. The magic number in the Wild Card is now down to 12. The tragic number in the East is 12, but each win by the Yankees makes the folks in Boston sweat a little more.

Friday, September 14, 2007

The series ahead

The Yankees begin a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park tonight. The Yankees trail Boston by 5.5 games in the AL East standings. The pitching matchups are:

Friday, 9/14/07, 7:05 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte - LHP (13-8, 3.78 ERA) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka - RHP (14-12, 4.44 ERA)

Saturday, 9/15/07, 3:55 p.m., FOX
Chien-Ming Wang - RHP (18-6, 3.69 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett - RHP (18-6, 3.27 ERA)

Sunday, 9/16/07, 8:05 p.m., ESPN
Roger Clemens - RHP (6-6, 4.45 ERA) vs. Curt Schilling - RHP (8-7, 3.93 ERA)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Blue Jays need to build a bridge and get over it

The Toronto Blue Jays have put up a video showing Alex Rodriguez getting hit intentionally, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Here is what I wrote for The Bronx Block about the subject.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Game preview: Yankees at Blue Jays 9/12/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon DH
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Mike Mussina (8-10, 5.51 ERA) vs. Dustin McGowan (10-8, 3.90 ERA)

Time: 7:07 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Mussina is making his first start since August 27. ... He is 21-11 with a 3.38 ERA in 39 career starts against Toronto but has not started against them this season. ... Vernon Wells is 19-52 with two home runs and eight RBIs against Mussina. ... Frank Thomas is 30-78 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs against Mussina. ... McGowan is 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in seven career appearances against New York. In his last start against them on July 19, he gave up two runs over seven innings. ... Jeter is 5-11 against McGowan. ... Matsui and Damon are the only Yankees with home runs against McGowan.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Game preview: Yankees at Blue Jays 9/11/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Phil Hughes (2-3, 5.33 ERA) vs. Shaun Marcum (12-5, 3.74 ERA)

Time: 7:07 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Jeter is back in the lineup after missing Sunday's game with a knee injury. ... Hughes made his Major League debut against Toronto on April 26. He gave up four earned runs in 4 1-3 innings. ... Vernon Wells went 3-3 with an RBI against Hughes. ... Alex Rios went 2-3 with an RBI against Hughes. ... Marcum is 1-2 with a 5.28 ERA in eight career appearances against New York. ... Posada is 4-11 with three home runs and five RBIs against Marcum. ... Giambi is 4-7 with a home run and three RBIs against Marcum. ... Rodriguez is only 2-13 with one home run and four RBIs against Marcum, but he has seven home runs in his last five games.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Alex the Great conquers again

Alex Rodriguez's last five games:

23 PA, 11-19 (.579), 7 HR, 10 RBI

Last eight games:

35 PA, 16-30 (.533), 8 HR, 15 RBI

Unbelievable. I wish the playoffs started today so the Yankees would have a hot Rodriguez batting fourth in their lineup.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

The series ahead

The Yankees will begin a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday. The pitching matchups are:

Tuesday, 9/11/07, 7:07 p.m., YES
Phil Hughes - RHP (2-3, 5.33 ERA) vs. Shaun Marcum - RHP (12-5, 3.74 ERA)

Wednesday, 9/12/07, 7:07 p.m., YES
Mike Mussina - RHP (8-10, 5.51 ERA) vs. Dustin McGowan - RHP (10-8, 3.90 ERA)

Thursday, 9/13/07, 7:07 p.m., YES
Ian Kennedy - RHP (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett - RHP (8-7, 3.56 ERA)

A look at the standings

I delve into the standings after all of the relevant Sunday games have been completed to track the Yankees' progress over the week that just ended.

Here is an updated look at the American League East standings and the American League Wild Card standings:

AL East

Boston Red Sox
87-57
--
New York Yankees
81-62
5.5
Toronto Blue Jays
72-70
14.0
Baltimore Orioles
61-81
25.0
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
60-83
26.5

Wild Card
New York Yankees
81-62
--
Detroit Tigers
77-66
4.0
Seattle Mariners
75-66
5.0

Since the last look at the standings, the Yankees went 5-1 and gained a half-game in the AL East standings. The Red Sox went 5-2 over that same period.

In the Wild Card standings, the Yankees increased their lead by two games.

The Red Sox magic number to clinch the American League East is 14 (down six from last week).

The Yankees magic number to clinch the Wild Card is 16 (down nine from last week).

Game 143 notes: Yankees win 6-3

Alex Rodriguez hit yet another home run and Chien-Ming Wang got yet another win as the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals by a score of 6-3 Sunday afternoon to finish off the sweep.

Rodriguez's home run was his 52nd of the season. Wang received his 18th victory of the season in his seven-inning, three-run effort.

Jorge Posada drove in two runs on a double to give the Yankees the lead back after Kansas City tied the game at three.

Kyle Farnsworth pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and struck out two batters. Mariano Rivera closed the door in the ninth for his 25th save of the season.

Some notes from the game:

  • Rodriguez has 140 RBIs. His career high in a season is 142. This is the most RBIs by a Yankee since Tino Martinez drove in 141 in 1997. Rodriguez also has seven home runs in his last five games.
  • Wang won 19 games last year. He is one win away from matching that this season. He missed almost a month this season due to injury, by the way. His ERA now stands at 3.69.
  • Rivera seems to have settled down after a rough stretch in August. He has now converted five straight saves.
  • John Bale struck out seven Yankees in 3 2-3 innings of relief. He only gave up two hits and one earned run.
The Yankees are 81-62 after this victory. They have won five straight games and nine of their last 12.

With Seattle beating Detroit this afternoon, the Yankees have a four-game lead of Detroit in the Wild Card. They also lead Seattle by five games.

The Yankees begin a three-game series in Toronto on Tuesday.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Saturday, September 8, 2007

50 for A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez hit his 50th home run in the fourth inning tonight against Kansas City.

This was also his 48th home run as a third baseman which ties Mike Schmidt and Adrian Beltre for most home runs by a third baseman in a season.

Folks, we are watching one of the greatest seasons by a Yankee ever.

Game preview: Yankees at Royals 9/8/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon DH
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Wilson Betemit 1B
Melky Cabrera CF

Andy Pettitte (12-8, 3.82 ERA) vs. Brian Bannister (12-7, 3.16 ERA)

Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Pettitte is 10-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 18 career appearances against Kansas City. ... Bannister is 6-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 11 starts at home this season.

Thanks to Peter Abraham for getting the lineup up very early.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Game 141 notes: Yankees win 3-2

Alex Rodriguez once again powered the Yankees to victory. The Yankees' third baseman went 3-4 with a home run in their 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals Friday night.


Jorge Posasda also homered for New York.

Ian Kennedy made his second career start tonight. He gave up seven hits, two runs and three walks over five innings.

Kyle Farnsworth (2-1) received the win after pitching a (gasp!) 1-2-3 inning. He struck out two batters in the process.

Some notes from the game:
  • Rodriguez's homer was his 49th of the season. That is the most home runs hit by a Yankee in a season since 1961 when Roger Maris hit 61 and Mickey Mantle hit 54.
  • Joba Chamberlain pitched two innings of relief. He gave up two hits and struck out a batter. As a reliever, he has struck out 18 batters and has given up only seven hits in 14 1-3 innings.
  • Mariano Rivera got his 24th save of the season after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Yankees are 79-62 with this victory. Detroit beat Seattle tonight. The Yankees are three games ahead of Detroit and four games ahead of Seattle in the Wild Card. Seattle has now lost 12 of their last 13 games.

The Yankees are 6.5 games behind Boston in the AL East.

Andy Pettitte will face Brian Bannister tomorrow night.

(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Game preview: Yankees at Royals 9/7/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Ian Kennedy (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Gil Meche (7-12, 3.85 ERA)

Time: 8:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Kennedy gave up one earned run over seven innings in his Major League debut last Saturday. ... Meche is 0-2 with an 8.74 ERA against New York this season. ... Abreu is 3-6 with two RBIs against Meche this season. ... Cabrera is 2-5 with one home run and four RBIs against Meche this season. ... Rodriguez is 2-6 with one home run and three RBIs against Meche this season.

The Yankees keep on winning

This time, if the Wild Card race ends in a tie, they will host the tiebreaker.

The Yankees won the coin flip to host any game that could determine the wild card, Major League Baseball announced Friday.

New York (78-62) currently owns a three-game lead in the wild card over both the Seattle Mariners (74-64) and the Detroit Tigers (75-65). If either one of those teams was to force a tie with the Yankees at the end of the regular season, New York would host the tiebreaking contest.

If the Yankees fall out of the top spot, the Tigers would host the Mariners in any tiebreaking situation. (Source)

Thursday, September 6, 2007

The series ahead

The Yankees will begin a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium tomorrow night. The pitching matchups are:

Friday, 9/7/07, 8:10 p.m., YES
Ian Kennedy - RHP (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Gil Meche - RHP (7-12, 3.85 ERA)

Saturday, 9/8/07, 7:10 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte - LHP (12-8, 3.82 ERA) vs. Brian Bannister - RHP (12-7, 3.16 ERA)

Sunday, 9/9/07, 2:10 p.m., YES
Chien-Ming Wang - RHP (17-6, 3.68 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke - RHP (6-5, 3.87 ERA)

More Clemens amazingness

Sorry for posting another Roger Clemens commercial, but this video too amazing.



The towel trick at the end may or may not have resulted in Clemens getting an MRI on his elbow.

Clemens is raising the bar

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

MVP

After rolling an ankle at third base last night and having an MRI done this afternoon, Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs in the same inning (the first one tied the game).

This gives him 48 home runs on the season which ties his Yankee career-high. His 134 RBIs put him nine shy of tying his career-high.

Magglio Ordonez has had a great season, but Rodriguez deserves to win the MVP award. The Yankees would not be where they are at this point in the season without him.

Luis Vizcaino's arm

There was a reason Luis Vizcaino was so ineffective against the Mariners last night, Joe Torre said. His shoulder was bothering him.

So the reliever, who has thrown 68 1/3 innings in 70 outings, will get a couple days off. He did go for an MRI today and that showed no problem. "The MRI was nice," general manager Brian Cashman said, adding that the prescription is just rest. (Source)

Torre does it again.

Game preview: Mariners at Yankees 9/5/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Melky Cabrera CF
Derek Jeter SS
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Shelley Duncan RF
Jason Giambi 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Jose Molina C

Jarrod Washburn (9-12, 4.37 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes (2-3, 5.65 ERA)

Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Washburn is 5-4 with a 2.48 ERA in 10 career starts against New York. ... Rodriguez is 13-43 with five home runs and nine RBIs against Washburn. ... Jeter is 11-31 with three doubles and three RBIs against Washburn. ... Hughes is 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in four starts at home this season.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Mussina to make Clemens' next start

Roger Clemens was sent for an MRI on his elbow after yesterday's start.

Mike Mussina, who pitched 3 2-3 innings of relief yesterday, will make Clemens' next start. In those 3 2-3 innings, Mussina gave up seven hits and two earned runs.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Seattle has lost nine straight games

I guess the Yankees and Roger Clemens didn't get the memo.

6-1 Mariners in the top of the sixth.

Game preview: Mariners at Yankees 9/3/07

Yankees lineup

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Felix Hernandez (10-7, 4.08 ERA) vs. Roger Clemens (6-5, 4.15 ERA)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Andy Phillips has a fractured wrist after getting hit by a pitch yesterday. ... Clemens is 23-14 with a 3.20 ERA in 43 career starts against Seattle. ... Jose Guillen is 4-9 with a home run and one RBI against Clemens. ... Ichiro is 2-20 against Clemens. ... Hernandez is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in two career starts against New York. ... Cano is 3-4 with one home run and three RBIs against Hernandez. ... Damon is 2-3 with two RBIs against Hernandez.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

A look at the standings

I delve into the standings after all of the Sunday games have been completed to track the Yankees' progress over the week that just ended.

Here is an updated look at the American League East standings and the American League Wild Card standings:

AL East

Boston Red Sox
82-55
--
New York Yankees
76-61
6.0
Toronto Blue Jays
70-66
11.5
Baltimore Orioles
59-7622.0
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
56-81
26.0

Wild Card
New York Yankees
76-61
--
Seattle Mariners
73-62
2.0
Detroit Tigers
73-64
3.0

Since the last look at the standings, the Yankees went 4-3 and gained 1.5 games in the AL East. The Red Sox went 2-4 over that same period.

In the Wild Card standings, the Yankees gained four games to take a two-game lead. The Mariners went 0-7 over that same period.

The Red Sox magic number to eliminate the Yankees is 20 (down five from last week).

The Yankees magic number to eliminate the Mariners is 25.

The series ahead

The Yankees will begin a huge, huge thee-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium tomorrow afternoon. The pitching matchups are:

Monday, 9/3/07, 1:05 p.m., YES
Felix Hernandez - RHP (10-7, 4.08 ERA) vs. Roger Clemens - RHP (6-5, 4.15 ERA)

Tuesday, 9/4/07, 7:05 p.m., YES
Horacio Ramirez - RHP (8-4, 6.55 ERA) vs. Chien-Ming Wang - RHP (16-6, 3.79 ERA)

Wednesday, 9/5/07, 7:05 p.m., YES
Jarrod Washburn - LHP (9-12, 4.37 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes - RHP (2-3, 5.65 ERA)

The Mariners come into this series on a nine-game losing streak. The Yankees lead the Mariners by two games in the Wild Card.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Game 136 notes: Yankees win 9-6

Ian Kennedy (1-0) was stellar in his Major League debut. The rookie from USC allowed three runs (one earned) and five hits over seven innings. He also allowed a solo home run and two walks. He threw 96 pitches for 66 strikes.

Alex Rodriguez gave the rookie an early lead by hitting a two-run home run in the first inning. The Yankees would go on to score two runs in the third inning and three runs in the fourth inning to give Kennedy even more support. Rodriguez ended the day with four RBIs and was a triple shy of the cycle.

With the Yankees leading 7-3 in the eighth, Luis Vizcaino came in and allowed three runs to turn an easy game into a save situation. Mariano Rivera had to record four outs to earn his 23rd save of the season. He struck out the side in the ninth inning as well.

Some notes from the game:

  • Rodriguez's home run was his 45th of the season. He also has 129 RBIs. The most runs he has driven in as a Yankee is 130 and the most runs he's driven in in his career is 142. He has a very good chance at passing those numbers.
  • Akinori Iwamura's bat was confiscated by the umpires for inspection, at the request of Joe Torre, because the bat had a flat top. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon returned the favor by having the umpires take Rodriguez's bat away.
  • Minor League utility infielder Alberto Gonzalez made his Major League debut for the Yankees this afternoon. The rosters expanded to 40 today.
Seattle lost to Toronto this afternoon, so the Yankees now have a two-game lead in the American League Wild Card standings. Boston is playing Baltimore tonight. If Baltimore wins, the Yankees would be trailing Boston by four games in the American League East standings.

Andy Pettitte will oppose Jason Hammel tomorrow afternoon.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Game preview: Devil Rays at Yankees 9/1/07

Yankees lineup

Melky Cabrera CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jason Giambi DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Andy Phillips 1B
Jose Molina C

Edwin Jackson (4-12, 5.51 ERA) vs. Ian Kennedy (NR)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Pregame concerns: Kennedy is making his Major League debut. He is 12-3 in the Minors overall this season. ... Jackson is 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA in two starts and six overall appearances against New York in his career. ... Jeter is 3-6 with one home run and three RBIs against Jackson. ... Phillips is 3-8 against Jackson. ... Matsui is 3-8 against Jackson. ... Cabrera is 2-4 with one RBI against Jackson.

Kennedy pitching for USC against Long Beach State in 2005 (AP Photo/The Press-Telegram, Stephen Carr)