Update – 4:35 p.m.: Apparently Girardi said Gardner not running has been addressed, meaning Gardner did something wrong (h/t RAB’s Twitter page).
Why didn’t Joe Girardi have Brett Gardner steal with the extremely slow Jorge Posada up at bat?
Why couldn’t Posada hit a fly ball?
Why was Chien-Ming Wang taken out? Why were Phil Coke and David Robertson brought in?
Eric Wedge looked like a fool for taking out the surging Carl Pavano when he did. But by the end of the ninth inning, Girardi made Wedge look like a genius.
By the way, I’ve seen just about enough of Coke. Walking someone batting .184 in the ninth inning is just inexcusable.
Bad, frustrating loss, folks.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
This one’s on Girardi (with a side of Posada)
Game 50: Yankees at Indians
| New York Yankees (29-20) | Cleveland Indians (21-30) |
| Derek Jeter SS | Asdrubal Cabrera SS |
| Johnny Damon LF | Ben Francisco LF |
| Mark Teixeira 1B | Jhonny Peralta 3B |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B | Shin-Soo Choo RF |
| Robinson Cano 2B | Mark DeRosa DH |
| Hideki Matsui DH | Ryan Garko 1B |
| Nick Swisher RF | Kelly Shoppach C |
| Brett Gardner CF | Luis Valbuena 2B |
| Francisco Cervelli C | Trevor Crowe CF |
Phil Hughes RHP (3-2, 5.16 ERA) vs. Carl Pavano RHP (5-4, 5.50 ERA)
Time: 12:40 p.m.
TV: YES/TBS
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Yankees vs. Pavano
- Jeter: 2-6, 2B
- Damon: 4-9, 2 2B, RBI
- Teixeira: 1-3, 3 RBI
- Cano: 0-2
- Matsui: 0-2
- Swisher: 0-3
- Gardner: 1-3
Indians vs. Hughes
- Peralta: 1-3, 2B
- Garko: 0-2
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday YanksBlog.com recap
The Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians 10-5 Saturday night. They are now 1.5 games ahead in the AL East, as Toronto defeated Boston earlier today. Read all about tonight’s game on YanksBlog.com.
Aceves stars in relief, propels Yanks to first place
Andy Pettitte left with lower back stiffness in the sixth inning with runners on first and second, no outs and a 2-0 count. Alfredo Aceves came in to protect the Yankees’ 3-0 lead. He walked the batter, struck out Kelly Shoppach on a nasty curveball, induced a sacrifice fly and got Asdrubal Cabrera to ground out to end the Indians’ threat.
Aceves would go on to pitch two more innings, allowing only one hit in the process to save the Yankees from using any other relievers.
Pettitte walked five in his five innings and didn’t have his best stuff at all. But he only gave up one earned run, and the three runs the Yankees scored over the first three innings were enough. Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher had the RBI for the Yankees.
Mariano Rivera recorded his 10th save of the season. This was the 58th time that Rivera saved a win for Pettitte, setting a new major league record.
With the Red Sox’s loss, the Yankees have sole possession of first place by a half-game.
CC Sabathia makes his return to Cleveland tonight at 7:05. Fausto Carmona will oppose him on the mound.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Meet the Mets’ newest pitcher
Game 48: Yankees at Indians
Update – 8:15 p.m.: First pitch is scheduled for 8:30. Enjoy the game.
Update – 7:05 p.m.: The tarp is on the field. The rain hasn’t started yet, so this is a preemptive measure.
| New York Yankees (27-20) | Cleveland Indians (21-28) |
| Derek Jeter SS | Asdrubal Cabrera SS |
| Johnny Damon LF | Grady Sizemore DH |
| Mark Teixeira 1B | Victor Martinez 1B |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B | Jhonny Peralta 3B |
| Robinson Cano 2B | Mark DeRosa LF |
| Jorge Posada C | Ben Francisco RF |
| Hideki Matsui DH | Jamey Carroll 2B |
| Nick Swisher RF | Kelly Shoppach C |
| Brett Gardner CF | Trevor Crowe CF |
Andy Pettitte LHP (4-1, 4.30 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee LHP (2-5, 3.04 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Yankees vs. Lee
- Jeter: 9-23, 3 2B, 4 RBI
- Damon: 1-18
- Teixeira: 8-20, 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI
- Rodriguez: 5-13, 2 HR, 6 RBI
- Cano: 3-15, RBI
- Posada: 4-18, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
- Matsui: 5-14, 2 2B
- Swisher: 5-17, 2 2B
- Gardner: 1-3
Indians vs. Pettitte
- Cabrera: 1-3
- Sizemore: 1-9
- Martinez: 3-8
- Peralta: 5-11, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI
- DeRosa: 1-7
- Francisco: 1-3
- Carroll: 2-13
- Shoppach: 1-4
Kevin Cash was optioned out to make room for Posada on the 25-man roster.
Connect with Scott Proctor’s Arm
I haven’t done a post like this in a while and the idea always creeps back into my head whenever I see Peter Abraham do posts like these.
Anywho, as some of you know, there are many ways to connect with me, Andrew Fletcher, and this blog.
First, you can e-mail me at ScottProctorsArm@gmail.com. I didn’t make it clickable because I don’t want spam!
My RSS feed can be used to subscribe to various RSS readers, such as my favorite, Google Reader. The posts are delivered to you instead of you finding the posts yourself. It’s very convenient, especially if you read many sites during the day.
The blog is also on Facebook in two different places. You can become a fan and you can join the blog network.
My favorite site of late has been Twitter. My account is @ProctorsArm, so if you have a Twitter, please follow me! I’m extremely active during most of the games, as evidenced by my 4,200+ tweets. I have connected with some great Yankees fans over there and I’m always looking for more to converse with!
I am also an administrator of a Yankees message board called “The Yankee Zone.” This group of die-hard Yankees fans has been posting together for years and we’re as close as people who have never met each other in real life can be, but we are always looking for more additions to our family!
Of course, you can leave comments on any post. I love receiving comments.
Thank you very much for continuing to support Scott Proctor’s Arm!
The series ahead
The New York Yankees (27-20) begin a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians (21-28) at Progressive Field tonight. The pitching matchups are:
Tonight – 7:05 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte – LHP (4-1, 4.30 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee – LHP (2-5, 3.04 ERA)
Tomorrow – 7:05 p.m., YES
CC Sabathia – LHP (4-3, 3.42 ERA) vs. Fausto Carmona – RHP (2-4, 6.42 ERA)
Sunday – 12:40 p.m., YES/TBS
Phil Hughes – RHP (3-2, 5.16 ERA) vs. Carl Pavano – RHP (5-4, 5.50 ERA)
Monday – 7:05 p.m., YES/ESPN
Joba Chamberlain – RHP (2-1, 3.97 ERA) vs. Jeremy Sowers – LHP (1-2, 7.71 ERA)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Posada to be activated tomorrow; Melky update
Brian Cashman (via Peter Abraham) said Jorge Posada will be activated tomorrow. Posada was placed on the disabled list on May 5 with a right hamstring strain. He was hitting .312 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 77 at-bats.
Melky Cabrera will not be placed on the disabled list, but he won’t play in the Cleveland series either. This means that the Yankees will only have three outfielders on the roster.
Also included in Abraham’s update was that Xavier Nady went 2-for-5 with a home run against Blue Jays’ prospects. It will be nice to get him back.
That was fun while it lasted
The idle Yankees are back in second place after the Twins fell to the Red Sox this afternoon.
The Twins and Red Sox split the four-game series in the Metrodome. Boston heads to Toronto tomorrow to begin a three-game series.
Checking up on old friends
Jason Giambi (OAK) – 31-146 (.212/.346/.356), 5 HR (hit 400th career home run on May 23), 22 RBI, 6 2B, 25 R, 27 BB, 32 K
Bobby Abreu (LAA) – 47-152 (.309/.414/.408), HR (hit first of the season on May 26), 19 RBI, 8 2B, 2 3B, 20 R, 28 BB, 18 K
Wilson Betemit (CWS) – 9-42 (.214/.283/.333), 3 RBI, 5 2B, 2 R, 4 BB, 13 K
Ivan Rodriguez (HOU) – 35-135 (.259/.303/.452), 5 HR, 21 RBI, 7 2B, 2 3B, 15 R, 8 BB, 33 K
Carl Pavano (CLE) – 5-4, 5.50 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 66 H, 34 R, 34 ER, 6 HR, 13 BB, 46 K
Kyle Farnsworth (KC) – 1-3, 1 BSV, 3.71 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 17 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 17 K
AP Photo
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Yankees win, move into first place
A.J. Burnett won for the first time since mid-April and the Yankees moved into a tie for first place with the Boston Red Sox after defeating the Texas Rangers 9-2 tonight. The Yankees won two out of the three against the Rangers, recording 47 hits in the process.
The Yankees hit four home runs (two from the struggling Hideki Matsui and one each from Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano). Kevin Cash went 2-for-4 with two RBI and was one of six Yankees with multiple hits. Derek Jeter was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two walks.
Burnett went six shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing only three hits. However, he gave up four walks. Jose Veras couldn’t get out of his own way in the seventh inning, so David Robertson had to come in, followed by Chien-Ming Wang for two innings to close out the game.
Wang faced six batters and retired them all in what had to be a confidence boost for the right-hander. His velocity is still down somewhat, but this is obviously a step in the right direction.
The Yankees have tomorrow off before beginning a four-game series in Cleveland on Friday.
Game 47: Yankees at Rangers
| New York Yankees (26-20) | Texas Rangers (27-18) |
| Derek Jeter SS | Ian Kinsler 2B |
| Johnny Damon LF | Michael Young 3B |
| Mark Teixeira 1B | Josh Hamilton CF |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B | Andruw Jones DH |
| Robinson Cano 2B | Nelson Cruz RF |
| Hideki Matsui DH | David Murphy LF |
| Nick Swisher RF | Chris Davis 1B |
| Brett Gardner CF | Jarrod Saltalamacchia C |
| Kevin Cash C | Elvis Andrus SS |
A.J. Burnett RHP (2-2, 5.28 ERA) vs. Derek Holland LHP (1-1, 4.82 ERA)
Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: YES, ESPN2
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Yankees vs. Holland
- No Yankees have any experience against Holland
Rangers vs. Burnett
- Kinsler: 2-9, RBI
- Young: 1-3
- Hamilton: 4-6, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI
- Jones: 9-32, 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI
- Murphy: 2-8
- Davis: 0-1
Notes: Burnett hasn’t won since April 14. … From Bryan Hoch’s Twitter feed: “Melky Cabrera is heading back to New York for tests. Initial diagnosis from Gene Monahan is strained/bruised right shoulder, 5-7 days. … Brian Bruney gets good news from Dr. James Andrews. No structural damage in ligament. Yankees will map out throwing program within 24 hours.:”
Jeter leads AL shortstops in All-Star voting
Major League Baseball released the American League leaders in All-Star voting for the first time this season today, and Derek Jeter (664,630) has a commanding lead among shortstops.
Jeter doesn’t have much competition in the “name” category, as Marco Scutaro (273,589) is in second.
In their respective positions, Mark Teixeira is third, Robinson Cano is fourth, Alex Rodriguez is third, Jorge Posada is fourth and Johnny Damon was the only Yankee in the top 15 of outfielders, coming in 11th.
I honestly don’t care about All-Star voting at all, but the fact that Justin Morneau is in fourth among first basemen is an absolute shame. And I’m not just saying that because I despise Kevin Youkilis, who just so happens to be leading for that position.
Stat of the day
Carry on.
Swisher is making me look bad, really bad
Was this a knee-jerk reaction or what? After six at-bats back in April, I started my “Draft Nick Swisher for starting RF” campaign.
Yes, Swisher had a great April, belting seven home runs and hitting to a tune of a 1.144 OPS. As great as his April was, his May has been impossibly awful.
He’s batting .119/.291/.224 in May compared to his April numbers of .312/.430/.714. Yes, his slugging percentage is down .490 points! What??
To say he’s been exposed would be a severe understatement. It’s unfortunate because for a long while it looked like the Yankees stole him away from the Chicago White Sox for just the incompetent Wilson Betemit.
As quick as I was to anoint Swisher as the savior, I won’t be as quick to bury him. There is talent there. He has just proven he’s not an everyday player. Xavier Nady needs to come back soon, and Brian Cashman looks pretty good right now in deciding not to trade either of them last offseason.
Offense, pitching don’t show up
This game was the exact opposite of yesterday’s game.
Despite recording 12 hits, the Yankees could only score three times. They also left 12 runners on base. Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain only lasted four innings, throwing 84 pitches in the process. I can’t wait to hear what Mike Francesa has to say tomorrow.
I’m not sure why Alfredo Aceves was brought in in the fifth inning. It could’ve been a nice opportunity to give Chien-Ming Wang some work. Oh well.
A.J. Burnett and Derek Holland start tomorrow’s rubber game at 8:05 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bruney to see Dr. Andrews
The news just gets worse for Brian Bruney. The relief pitcher is scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, Tyler Kepner reports.
Bruney may have rushed himself back, and Joe Girardi is none too pleased.
“I just think he wasn’t totally forthright in how he was feeling,” Girardi said. “We’ve had many talks with him over the last couple of weeks about how you have to tell us exactly what’s going on. It could be that by rushing himself back, he’s never given himself the amount of time he’s needed.”
The Yankees called up David Robertson after this afternoon’s game and he will be up with the team in time for tonight’s game.
Kepner mentions Huston Street as a potential trade target. Street is 7-for-7 in save opportunities for the last-place Colorado Rockies, allowing seven earned runs in 18 1/3 innings.
I’m not sure it’s time to start looking outside of the organization for help. However, that day will probably end up coming sooner or later.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Hughes, offense dominate Rangers
Don’t be confused by the red hats.
Phil Hughes threw eight shutout innings and the Yankees recorded 11 runs on 19 hits to win the series opener against the Texas Rangers 11-1. Hughes struck out six and only walked one in his 101-pitch effort.
Alex Rodriguez went 5-for-5 with four RBI to raise his batting average to .259. Of the Yankees 19 hits and six extra-base hits, none were home runs, which is great to see.
You know it was the Yankees’ day when Kevin Cash had three hits. Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano also had two hits apiece.
The 11 runs match a season-high and the team’s 19 hits set a season-high.
There’s not much more to add here. Joba Chamberlain gets the start tomorrow night at 8:05 p.m.
AP Photo
Game 45: Yankees at Rangers
Derek Jeter DH
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Nick Swisher RF
Ramiro Pena SS
Kevin Cash C
Phil Hughes RHP (2-2, 7.06 ERA)
Ian Kinsler 2B
Michael Young 3B
Josh Hamilton CF
Nelson Cruz RF
Hank Blalock DH
Marlon Byrd LF
Chris Davis 1B
Taylor Teagarden C
Elvis Andrus SS
Matt Harrison LHP (4-3, 4.71 ERA)
Time: 2:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Yankees vs. Harrison
- Jeter: 0-2
- Damon: 1-2, 3B
- Teixeira: 0-1
- Rodriguez: 0-2
- Cano: 0-1, 2 BB
- Swisher: 0-1
- Cash: 0-2
Rangers vs. Hughes
- Kinsler: 0-1
- Young: 0-3
- Cruz: 0-2
- Blalock: 0-1
Notes: Bryan Hoch is reporting that Brian Bruney was placed on the disabled list.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Bad loss
This was a game the Yankees should have won. However, I’d be crazy not to take an 8-2 homestand.
Mark Teixeira’s double play in the 10th inning is very bothersome, especially after Robinson Cano was mysteriously taken out of the game for a pinch runner in the ninth inning. In a game that close, you can’t take out your No. 5 hitter, especially when the bench is as terrible as it is.
The Yankees used to do this all the time with Jason Giambi. Cano isn’t even that slow.
Oh well. Three games in Texas and then four more in Cleveland are up next. There is a day off in between the two series.
Game 44: Phillies at Yankees
| Philadelphia Phillies (23-18) | New York Yankees (25-18) |
| Jimmy Rollins SS | Derek Jeter SS |
| Shane Victorino CF | Johnny Damon LF |
| Raul Ibanez DH | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Ryan Howard 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Jayson Werth LF | Robinson Cano 2B |
| John Mayberry Jr. RF | Melky Cabrera RF |
| Pedro Feliz 3B | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Eric Bruntlett 2B | Francisco Cervelli C |
| Carlos Ruiz C | Brett Gardner CF |
Cole Hamels LHP (2-2, 4.95 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia LHP (4-3, 3.43 ERA)
Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Phillies vs. Sabathia
- Rollins: 3-7, 2B, 3B
- Victorino: 0-3
- Ibanez: 10-36, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI
- Howard: 1-3, 2B, RBI
- Werth: 0-2
- Feliz: 0-3
Yankees vs. Hamels
- Jeter: 2-4, RBI
- Damon: 2-2
- Teixeira: 3-14, HR, 4 RBI
- Rodriguez: 0-1
- Cabrera: 1-3, 2B
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Papelbon whines, Mets win
But I really want to talk about what Jonathan Papelbon did in the bottom of the ninth inning tonight. Papelbon, of course, gave up the game-winning home run in the top of the ninth.
With a runner at first and no outs, Jason Bay grounded to third. David Wright made a great play just getting to the ball. He then fired a one-hopped to Luis Castillo who somehow kept his foot on the bag to record the force out.
Papelbon came running out of the dugout and started doing the “safe” motion with his arms.
Now, I ask you to imagine the uproar if a Yankee, more specifically, Joba Chamberlain, did something similar. Chamberlain is killed for pumping his fist, but guys like Papelbon take it to the next level. If Chamberlain did the “safe” sign like that, he’d be all over ESPN, Mike Francesa would be calling for his head and columnists would talk about how he’s showing up the opponent.
I want to watch MLB Network or “Baseball Tonight” and see these “analysts” call out Papelbon. If they don’t, something is seriously wrong.
It was nice to hear one of the Mets’ announcers tell Papelbon to “sit down,” but I want to hear more of a reaction tonight.
AP Photo
Saturday YanksBlog.com recap
For the second straight Saturday, the Yankees won in walk-off fashion. This time, Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying home run and Melky Cabrera hit the game-winning RBI single.
Read my recap over at YanksBlog.com.
Game 43: Phillies at Yankees
| Philadelphia Phillies (23-17) | New York Yankees (24-18) |
| Jimmy Rollins SS | Derek Jeter SS |
| Chase Utley 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Jayson Werth LF | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Ryan Howard 1B | Alex Rodriguez DH |
| Raul Ibanez DH | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Shane Victorino CF | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Pedro Feliz 3B | Nick Swisher RF |
| John Mayberry RF | Francisco Cervelli C |
| Chris Coste C | Ramiro Pena 3B |
J.A. Happ LHP (2-0, 2.49 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte LHP (4-1, 4.18 ERA)
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV: FOX
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Phillies vs. Pettitte
- Rollins: 4-15, HR, RBI
- Utley: 0-4
- Werth: 1-10, HR, 2 RBI
- Howard: 1-6
- Ibanez: 5-18, 2B, 2 RBI
- Victorino: 2-3
- Feliz: 2-6, 2 RBI
Yankees vs. Happ
- No Yankees have any experience against Happ
Reminder: Stadium Metro-North service begins today
Ed. Note: I originally posted this on May 15. The Yankees-E. 153rd Street Station will serve Yankees fans for the first time today.
Many of the details printed in this “Mileposts” can also be found on the MTA site.
Basically, customers on the Hudson Line receive direct service to this station from Grand Central Terminal, Harlem-125th Street and all of the other stations. Here are the game day schedules for the Hudson Line.
If you don’t want to hop on the Hudson Line from Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street, there is direct service to Yankee Stadium. That schedule is here. However, this service only begins two hours before gametime, while the gates at the Stadium open three hours before gametime. So keep that in mind if you want to get to the game early. Also, shuttles returning to Manhattan after weekday day games do not stop in Harlem, so also keep that in mind.
On the Harlem and New Haven lines, you need to transfer at Grand Central or 125th Street. However, the MTA says direct service will be available for weekend and holiday games and there is some direct return service for weeknight games. Here is the direct weekend schedule for the Harlem Line and here is the New Haven Line schedule.
There is also a parking garage, with the pricing and hours found here. Bear in mind that the garage closes at 10 p.m. on weekends, so if you’re thinking about parking in the garage for an 8:05 ESPN Sunday night game, think again. It closes at midnight Monday-Friday. Parking for the event is $19.
As seen in the above graphic, the station is not up against the Stadium like the subway is. There is a covered pedestrian overpass and the MTA says the walk is under 10 minutes.
When exiting the station for the game, you will need to show the ticket collectors your rail ticket. If you have monthly or weekly tickets for travel into and out of Manhattan (Harlem, Hudson and New Haven), you can take the train to Yankees-E. 153rd Street at no extra charge. This also applies to Port Jervis and Pascack Valley customers who travel to Hoboken and Penn Station-NY.
If something isn’t clear or you need to know more information, please let me know.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Winning streak snapped
And with that 7-3 loss to the Phillies, the Yankees’ nine-game winning streak comes to an end.
Brett Myers was good, but the Yankees did him favors by not working the count. All the Yankees could muster offensively were three solo home runs.
A.J. Burnett gave up three home runs in six innings. He is now winless since April 14 (seven starts). Chien-Ming Wang made his triumphant return back to the big club, and was still terrible. He gave up six hits and two earned runs in three innings. He actually lowered his ERA by 9.50 runs, as it now stands at an even 25.00.
The two teams combined for seven home runs, but a few of them were complete bombs, like the ones off the bats of Mark Teixeira, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth.
Oh well, the Yankees can’t win them all. My only fear is that they will continue to go up and down as they did earlier this year and most of last year. The best thing to do is to put together another mini streak. Nine games is too much to ask for, sure, but three or four in a row is acceptable.
Andy Pettitte gets the ball tomorrow afternoon at 4:10 p.m.
Game 42: Phillies at Yankees
| Philadelphia Phillies (22-17) | New York Yankees (24-17) |
| Jimmy Rollins SS | Derek Jeter SS |
| Chase Utley 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Raul Ibanez LF | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Ryan Howard 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Jayson Werth LF | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Shane Victorino CF | Nick Swisher RF |
| Matt Stairs DH | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Pedro Feliz 3B | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Carlos Ruiz C | Kevin Cash C |
Brett Myers RHP (3-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett – RHP (2-1, 5.02 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Phillies vs. Burnett
- Rollins: 10-40, 3 2B, 3 RBI
- Utley: 6-19, 3B, HR, 5 RBI
- Ibanez: 3-13, 2B, 3 RBI
- Howard: 2-9, 2 HR, 2 RBI
- Werth: 0-4
- Victorino: 0-3
- Stairs: 2-8, 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Feliz: 2-12, 2B
Yankees vs. Myers
- Jeter: 1-3
- Damon: 4-14
- Teixeira: 0-4
- Rodriguez: 1-2, 2B
- Cano: 0-2
- Cabrera: 0-4
Albaladejo optioned, Bruney has MRI
To make room for Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees optioned Jonathan Albaladejo to Triple-A, according to Bryan Hoch. Albaladejo pitched 2 1/3 innings and threw 35 pitches last night, so he most likely wouldn’t be available tonight anyway.
However, the Yankees received bad news today, as Brian Bruney will not be available tonight. He had an MRI on his arm that came back negative.
Meet the Mets
This weekend presents and interesting rooting scenario for the fans of New York’s baseball teams. The Yankees are taking on the Phillies in the Bronx tonight while the Mets are shipping up to Boston to face the hated Red Sox.
The always hilarious New York Sports Jerk has already written his post cheering for the Mets, so I felt it’s my turn. Like the Jerk, I don’t hate the Mets. They aren’t our rivals and they never will be. Under normal circumstances, I really wouldn’t care what the Mets do.
However, that all changes this weekend.
The Yankees are rolling but they are still behind the Red Sox in the division (yes, I know it’s only May). The Mets have a unique opportunity to help the Yankees and do what the falling Blue Jays failed to do this week. Of course, the Yankees have to take care of business themselves.
The Mets come into this series on a four-game losing streak, but they are only 1.5 games behind the Phillies.
We’ll scratch your back if you scratch ours.
So Yankees fans, it’s time to bleed some orange and blue and sing “Meet the Mets” this weekend. Just don’t take it as far as George Costanza did when he tried to get fired from the Yankees to take a job with the Mets.
Everything will return back to normal on Memorial Day.
Wang to be in Yankees’ bullpen tonight
Mark Feinsand reports that the Yankees – and Chien-Ming Wang – have had a change of plans after Joba Chamberlain went down in the first inning last night.
According to Feinsand’s source, Wang, who was headed to Pawtucket, R.I., for a rehab start, was ordered to turn around and head back to New York. He will be in the bullpen tonight as the long reliever.
The Yankees had to pitch 8 1/3 innings out of the bullpen last night, and Alfredo Aceves has thrown 5 1/3 innings the last two games. However, if A.J. Burnett gives the Yankees depth tonight, the staff should be fine, as Brian Bruney didn’t pitch last night.
The series ahead
The New York Yankees (24-17) begin a three-game interleague series against the Philadelphia Phillies (22-17) at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching matchups are:
Tonight – 7:05 p.m., YES
Brett Myers – RHP (3-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett – RHP (2-1, 5.02 ERA)
Tomorrow – 4:10 p.m., FOX
J.A. Happ – LHP (2-0, 2.49 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte – LHP (4-1, 4.18 ERA)
Sunday – 1:05 p.m., YES
Cole Hamels – LHP (2-2, 4.95 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia – LHP (4-3, 3.43 ERA)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Yankees keep on rolling despite Joba’s injury
Joba Chamberlain was struck on the knee by a comebacker and left with two outs in the first inning. The bullpen then had to pitch 8 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (all charged to Jonathan Albaladejo), 10 hits and only one walk.
Last night, the Yankees hit three straight home runs in the second inning. Tonight, they hit three straight doubles to lead off the game (Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira). They would hit a fourth later in the inning to give the team an early 4-0 lead.
Cano drove in two more runs in the second inning with his second home run in as many days. He also went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for the second straight night. Hideki Matsui added a solo home run in the fifth to complete the Yankees scoring.
Alfredo Aceves came out of the bullpen immediately after Chamberlain’s injury and pitched 3 1/3 innings to record his third victory of the season. Albaladejo struggled over his 2 1/3 innings, allowing five hits (including two home runs). Jose Veras and Mariano Rivera pitched scoreless outings to close out the game. Rivera earned his ninth save of the season.
The Yankees are now 24-17 and have won four series in a row. They begin an interleague matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. This is the final series of this 10-game homestand. Brett Myers will face A.J. Burnett.
(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Joba leaves game with knee injury
Joba Chamberlain was removed from tonight’s game in the first inning after being struck on the right knee by a ball off the bat by Adam Jones. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves.
Chamberlain struck out Brian Roberts to start the game. After getting hit by Jones, he was able to recover and throw him out at first. He then gave up consecutive singles and was limping around on the mound.
Game 41: Orioles at Yankees
| Baltimore Orioles (16-24) | New York Yankees (23-17) |
| Brian Roberts 2B | Derek Jeter SS |
| Adam Jones CF | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Nick Markakis RF | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Aubrey Huff 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Melvin Mora 3B | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Nolan Reimold DH | Nick Swisher RF |
| Felix Pie LF | Melky Cabrera LF |
| Gregg Zaun C | Francisco Cervelli C |
| Robert Andino SS | Brett Gardner CF |
Adam Eaton RHP (2-4, 7.93 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (2-1, 3.76 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: MY9
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Orioles vs. Chamberlain
- Roberts: 2-6
- Jones: 2-8
- Markakis: 3-7, RBI
- Huff: 2-10, HR, 4 RBI
- Mora: 2-11
- Pie: 2-3
- Zaun: 0-7
- Andino: 0-3
Yankees vs. Eaton
- Jeter: 2-8
- Cano: 0-2
- Teixeira: 6-10, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
- Rodriguez: 2-5, HR, RBI
- Matsui: 0-4
- Swisher: 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Cabrera: 1-4, 2B
- Cervelli: 0-2
Wang will pitch again in AAA
Joe Girardi told the media that Chien-Ming Wang will start tomorrow night for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
According to Erik Boland, the Yankees feel his stuff isn’t ready for the majors just yet.
Phil Hughes will start in Arlington, Texas, on Monday.
Meanwhile, Johnny Damon is not in tonight’s lineup after running into the wall last night.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Yankees make it eight in a row
Mark Teixeira got the scoring started in the first inning with an RBI double. Then Nick Swisher, Cano and Melky Cabrera hit consecutive solo home runs in the bottom of the second to give starter Phil Hughes a 4-0 lead. Swisher’s home run was his first of the season at Yankee Stadium.
Hughes would give up three earned runs on six hits (two home runs) while striking out nine and walking only one in five innings pitched.
Like last night, it was still a close game (5-3) until the later innings when the Yankees put up a six-spot in the eighth. The big hit was a two-run Derek Jeter double off the right field wall.
Mariano Rivera came into the game with two outs in the eighth inning. He hung around for the ninth inning to record his eighth save of the season. In the process, he allowed a solo home run to Nolan Reimold, the first of his career.
Joba Chamberlain is on the mound tomorrow night as the Yankees look to sweep the Orioles and extend their winning streak.
AP Photo
Game 40: Orioles at Yankees
| Baltimore Orioles (16-23) | New York Yankees (22-17) |
| Brian Roberts 2B | Derek Jeter SS |
| Adam Jones CF | Johnny Damon LF |
| Nick Markakis RF | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Aubrey Huff 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Melvin Mora 3B | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Ty Wigginton DH | Nick Swisher RF |
| Nolan Reimold LF | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Chad Moeller C | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Robert Andino SS | Kevin Cash C |
Jeremy Guthrie RHP (3-3, 5.21 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes RHP (1-2, 7.56 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Orioles vs. Hughes
- Roberts: 1-10, 2B, RBI
- Jones: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI
- Markakis: 5-10, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI
- Huff: 3-6, HR, 3 RBI
- Mora: 1-9
Yankees vs. Guthrie
- Jeter: 8-25, RBI
- Damon: 7-22, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI
- Teixeira: 0-4
- Rodriguez: 4-18, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
- Matsui: 5-20, 2B, HR, RBI
- Swisher: 5-12, 3 2B, 3 RBI
- Cano: 2-22, 2B, RBI
- Cabrera: 7-15, 3 2B, 3B, RBI
- Cash: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Game 39: Orioles at Yankees
| Baltimore Orioles (16-22) | New York Yankees (21-17) |
| Brian Roberts 2B | Derek Jeter SS |
| Adam Jones CF | Johnny Damon LF |
| Nick Markakis RF | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Aubrey Huff 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Melvin Mora 3B | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Nolan Reimold LF | Nick Swisher RF |
| Lou Montanez DH | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Gregg Zaun C | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Robert Andino SS | Francisco Cervelli C |
Brad Bergesen RHP (1-1, 5.27 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia LHP (3-3, 3.70 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: MY9
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Orioles vs. Sabathia
- Roberts: 5-21, 2B, RBI
- Jones: 3-6, 3B, 2 RBI
- Markakis: 2-9, 2 RBI
- Huff: 7-31, 2 2B, RBI
- Mora: 3-26, HR, RBI
- Montanez: 0-3
- Zaun: 1-5
Yankees vs. Bergesen
- No Yankees have any experience against Bergesen
Update – 6:55 p.m.: Edwar Ramirez has been optioned out to make room for Brian Bruney.
The series ahead
The New York Yankees (21-17) begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (16-22) at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching matchups are:
Tonight – 7:05 p.m., MY9
Brad Bergesen – RHP (1-1, 5.27 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia – LHP (3-3, 3.70 ERA)
Tomorrow – 7:05 p.m., YES
Jeremy Guthrie – RHP (3-3, 5.21 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes – RHP (1-2, 7.56 ERA)
Thursday – 7:05 p.m., YES
Adam Eaton – RHP (2-4, 7.93 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain – RHP (2-1, 3.76 ERA)
Torre speaks out about Proctor’s injury
Via Jim Baumbach on The Final Score blog comes this article from the South Florida Sun-Sentinal in which Joe Torre blames Scott Proctor for his elbow injury.
"He wasn't afraid of anything," Torre said. "Very aggressive. Ability aside, the fact he was a good teammate was very important."
However, Torre said Proctor did himself no favors with his willingness to pitch when less than 100 percent.
"There's playing hurt, and then there's playing stupid," Torre said. "It doesn't have anything to do with someone's intelligence. If you can endure pain and still are able to do what you do, that's one thing."
..."He doesn't know what hurt is," Torre said. "The dumbest question I could ask him was: 'Are you OK?' Because I knew what the answer was going to be."
Well then.
It’s still Torre’s decision to bring in and eventually take out the reliever. If you think the pitcher has had enough, you take him out.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tex, big first inning lead Yanks to sweep
With Andy Pettitte on the mound, the Yankees fell behind 2-0 after the top of the first inning. However, they forced Twins starter Glen Perkins out of the game after retiring only two batters.
Teixeira started the scoring with a three-run home run after both Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon reached with singles. Alex Rodriguez followed with a solo home run and Melky Cabrera and Francisco Cervelli added RBI singles as well.
Pettitte wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, but he essentially pitched to the scoreboard. Up 6-2, he gave up 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings. The Twins would score runs in the fourth and sixth innings off Pettitte before he was relieved by Jose Veras. Veras walked a batter in the seventh to load the bases but got Carlos Gomez to fly out.
Up 6-4, Teixeira hit a solo home run in the seventh to extend the lead to three. That would end up being huge.
Edwar Ramirez began the eighth inning and gave up a one-out home run to Denard Span. After a two-out walk, Phil Coke was brought in. Because Mariano Rivera had pitched three innings in two days, Coke stayed on for the ninth inning.
Coke walked two batters and gave up a run on a groundout, but because of Teixeira’s home run, the Yankees were up by two going into the inning. Coke got Mike Redmond to ground out to second to end the threat and the game.
The Yankees are now on a six-game winning streak and will begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow night with CC Sabathia on the mound. The Yankees have won eight of their last 10 games.
Game 38: Twins at Yankees
| Minnesota Twins (18-20) | New York Yankees (20-17) |
| Denard Span LF | Derek Jeter SS |
| Brendan Harris 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Joe Mauer C | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Justin Morneau 1B | Alex Rodriguez DH |
| Joe Crede 3B | Nick Swisher RF |
| Jason Kubel DH | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Michael Cuddyer RF | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Carlos Gomez CF | Ramiro Pena 3B |
| Nick Punto SS | Francisco Cervelli C |
Glen Perkins LHP (1-2, 4.27 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte LHP (3-1, 4.00 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES, ESPN
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Twins vs. Pettitte
- Harris: 6-13, 2B
- Mauer: 3-6, HR, RBI
- Morneau: 0-6
- Crede: 2-3, 2 2B, RBI
- Cuddyer: 4-11, 2B
- Gomez: 1-7
- Punto: 1-3
Yankees vs. Perkins
- Jeter: 2-10, 2B
- Damon: 0-3
- Teixeira: 0-2
- Rodriguez: 4-8, 2 2B, 4 RBI
- Swisher: 1-1, HR, RBI
- Cano: 4-7
- Cabrera: 4-8, 2 RBI
Notes: Via Sam Borden: Brian Bruney will most likely be activated tomorrow, unless he feels pain tomorrow. … Chien-Ming Wang will throw a side session in the Bronx tomorrow. … Brett Gardner is day-to-day with a contusion of his right rotator cuff.
More seat removal photos
Yikes.
Postseason games to start earlier
Major League Baseball and Fox announced today that playoff games will have earlier start times this season.
Weeknight games will start at 7:57 p.m., Saturday games could start even earlier than that and Sunday games will start after Fox’s NFL coverage concludes.
"Postseason games on Fox the last couple years have been running longer. This will move the conclusions of the games back to between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, which we think is optimum," Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said.
Recently, games began past 8:30, so this change is somewhat significant. And according to this AP report, this will be the first time in more than 30 years that a World Series game will begin before 8 p.m.
These changes only affect Fox ALCS and World Series games at the moment. Bud Selig said it is undetermined whether TBS, who has the NLCS this year, will also start earlier.
Of course, this means nothing to us should the Yankees miss the playoffs again.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cashman talks Wang, Bruney
Chien-Ming Wang and Brian Bruney both pitched in Scranton today, as discussed below. Brian Cashman was on hand and spoke to Chad Jennings after.
First, on Wang:
“Performance-wise he was terrific," Cashman said. "This was a much better hitting club. Columbus is a much better offensive club than the team he was facing last time, but his stuff was better last time, to be honest, although he performed great in both outings. He didn’t have the slider that he had last time. His changeup was better today than last time. His fastball velocity was a little bit lower this time than it was last time.
At the same time, he handled the lineup and got a lot of groundballs. Facing guys like Hafner kind of tells you a little something you want to know. I think he had some groundouts and that broken-bat single to center. I know Hafner is on a rehab assignment and he’s a guy who can really do some damage if you’re making mistakes, not making some pitches, and (Wang) made his pitches. That tells you a lot.”
And Bruney:
“He looked healthy, which is the biggest thing for him,” Cashman said. “Unlike Wang, he’s coming off of an elbow injury, so you want to see health. And I saw health.”
Wang, Bruney pitch in Scranton
Chien-Ming Wang and Brian Bruney each pitched for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this afternoon. Wang started Game 1 of the doubleheader, while Bruney started Game 2.
Wang pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout, throwing 75 pitches, striking out one and walking none. He allowed four hits and 12 of the 21 outs he recorded were on the ground. He hasn’t allowed a run in 13 innings for the Triple-A club.
Bruney pitched the first inning in Game 2, allowing a run on two hits (one of which was an infield hit). Chad Jennings said Bruney reached 94 mph three times. Yesterday, we learned Bruney could return as early as Tuesday if all went well during this outing.
With Phil Hughes not exactly pitching well, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Wang gets the ball in his place.
Another day, another walk-off
Today was Johnny Damon’s turn. He hit a walk-off home run to right field in the 10th inning. This was the Yankees’ third straight win in such fashion and fifth straight overall, as they improve to 20-17.
Alex Rodriguez also added a solo home run to first get the Yankees on the board after falling behind 2-0.
A.J. Burnett struck out seven and walked six in 6 2/3 innings in the no decision. Jonathan Albaladejo got out of a jam Burnett created, and Brett Tomko got out of a jam Albaladejo created.
And how about that play by Joe Mauer? That was unbelievable. With Brett Gardner at second with one out in the ninth inning, Francisco Cervelli hit a ball off the pitcher that Mauer fielder in front of the plate. He then pump-faked a throw to first and tagged out the running Gardner at home.
But the day belonged to Damon and the Yankees. Melky Cabrera won the game Friday night and Rodriguez won it yesterday. If this doesn’t set the Yankees off, nothing will.
Andy Pettitte goes for the four-game sweep tomorrow night.
Game 37: Twins at Yankees
| Minnesota Twins (18-19) | New York Yankees (19-17) |
| Denard Span LF | Derek Jeter SS |
| Matt Tolbert 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Joe Mauer C | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Justin Morneau 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Jason Kubel DH | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Michael Cuddyer RF | Nick Swisher RF |
| Brian Buscher 3B | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Carlos Gomez CF | Ramiro Pena 2B |
| Nick Punto SS | Kevin Cash C |
Kevin Slowey RHP (5-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett RHP (2-1, 5.36 ERA)
Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Twins vs. Burnett
- Span: 1-4
- Tolbert: 1-2, 3B
- Mauer: 2-7
- Morneau: 3-10, HR, 3 RBI
- Kubel: 2-11, 2B
- Cuddyer: 2-7, 2B, RBI
- Buscher: 0-3
- Gomez: 0-2
- Punto: 1-7
Yankees vs. Slowey
- Jeter: 1-5
- Damon: 2-7
- Teixeira: 2-3, HR, RBI
- Rodriguez: 3-6, 2 2B
- Matsui: 0-2
- Swisher: 2-9, HR, 3 RBI
- Cabrera: 2-7, HR, 3 RBI
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Maybe he’s learning?
Peter Abraham relays this rather encouraging postgame quote from Alex Rodriguez:
“I gave you guys something to talk about and write about in the 11th inning and I didn’t have to open my mouth. That’s the way I want things, to stay out of my own way,” Rodriguez said.
Is Mr. “Young and Stupid” not so stupid anymore? Only time will tell, but if he’s rehabbing his image as much as he rehabbed his hip this spring, then we should be rather pleased.
AP Photo
Saturday YanksBlog.com recap
Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run walk-off home run this afternoon, his first home run in the new place. The Yankees are now on a four-game winning streak and have won two walk-off games in a row. Here is my Saturday YanksBlog.com recap. They finally won a game for me on a Saturday.
Game 36: Twins at Yankees
| Minnesota Twins (18-18) | New York Yankees (18-17) |
| Denard Span CF | Derek Jeter SS |
| Brendan Harris 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Joe Mauer DH | Mark Teixeira DH |
| Justin Morneau 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Jason Kubel LF | Nick Swisher 1B |
| Michael Cuddyer RF | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Brian Buscher 3B | Melky Cabrera RF |
| Mike Redmond C | Brett Gardner CF |
| Nick Punto SS | Francisco Cervelli C |
Nick Blackburn RHP (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (2-1, 3.89 ERA)
Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880
Twins vs. Chamberlain
- No Twins in the starting lineup have experience against Chamberlain
Yankees vs. Blackburn
- Jeter: 3-6, HR, 3 RBI
- Damon: 2-8, 2B, HR, RBI
- Teixeira: 2-2, RBI
- Rodriguez: 3-6, HR, 3 RBI
- Swisher: 3-9, 2B, 2 RBI
- Cano: 0-5
- Cabrera: 1-3
- Gardner: 1-1
Notes: Brian Bruney is set to pitch an inning tomorrow for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to Marc Carig. He could be back with the Yankees on Tuesday if everything goes well.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Late-inning magic leads Yanks to victory
Heading into the bottom of the ninth tonight, the Yankees were down 4-2 with star closer Joe Nathan on the hill.
However, Brett Gardner quickly put a scare into him, tripling to lead off the inning. It could have been worse, however, as he tripped over first base. He actually had a chance for a second inside-the-park home run on the night, as he ran around the bases in the seventh inning for one.
Following the triple, Mark Teixeira singled to cut the Twins’ lead to 4-3. Alex Rodriguez then walked (he had four walks in his first game in the new Yankee Stadium), advancing Teixeira to second. However, Hideki Matsui struck out swinging and Nick Swisher was robbed of a hit by first baseman Justin Morneau. With runners on second and third, Robinson Cano was intentionally walked to load the bases for Melky Cabrera. On the first pitch, Cabrera hit a fly ball that dunked in in between Denard Span and Carlos Gomez to drive in the game-tying and the game-winning run.
Gardner, who went 3-for-3 and was a double shy of the cycle, wasn’t even in the starting lineup. He entered the game in the fourth inning when Johnny Damon was ejected for arguing a call. Home plate umpire Wally Bell had a rather inconsistent strike zone.
Phil Hughes started for the Yankees and only lasted five innings. He walked four, struck out only two and allowed two home runs to Morneau. Phil Coke also allowed a home run in his first game back from back stiffness.
Jose Veras retired the final batter in the top of the ninth inning and was rewarded with his second victory of the season despite his 6.89 ERA. Relievers Jonathan Albaladejo, Brett Tomko and Edwar Ramirez also had scoreless outings.
The Yankees have won five out of their last seven and will look to take the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon with Joba Chamberlain on the mound.
Game 35: Twins at Yankees
| Minnesota Twins (18-17) | New York Yankees (17-17) |
| Denard Span LF | Derek Jeter SS |
| Matt Tolbert 2B | Johnny Damon LF |
| Joe Mauer C | Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Justin Morneau 1B | Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Jason Kubel DH | Hideki Matsui DH |
| Michael Cuddyer RF | Nick Swisher RF |
| Joe Crede 3B | Robinson Cano 2B |
| Carlos Gomez CF | Melky Cabrera CF |
| Nick Punto SS | Kevin Cash C |
Francisco Liriano LHP (2-4, 5.75 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes RHP (1-2, 8.49 ERA)
Twins vs. Hughes
- No Twins in the starting lineup have experience against Hughes
Yankees vs. Liriano
- Damon: 0-0, BB
- Teixeira: 0-4, 4 K
- Rodriguez: 0-0, SB
- Matsui: 0-1
- Swisher: 2-4, 2B
- Cano: 0-1
The series ahead
The New York Yankees (17-17) begin a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins (18-17) at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching matchups are:
Tonight – 7:05 p.m., YES
Francisco Liriano – LHP (2-4, 5.75 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes – RHP (1-2, 8.49 ERA)
Tomorrow – 1:05 p.m., YES
Nick Blackburn – RHP (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain – RHP (2-1, 3.89 ERA)
Sunday – 1:05 p.m., YES/TBS
Kevin Slowey – RHP (5-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett – RHP (2-1, 5.36 ERA)
Monday – 7:05 p.m., YES/ESPN
Glen Perkins – LHP (1-2, 4.27 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte – LHP (3-1, 4.00 ERA)
You and a friend can win a date with Francesa!
Thanks to Vazzano, one of the items up for bid caught my attention: watching a Yankees/Red Sox game with radio host extraordinaire Mike Francesa.
You and a friend will sit with Francesa in the front row behind the plate for Thursday, Aug. 6’s game against Boston. Also, you and three of your friends can watch Francesa do his show live from studio at a date that’s convenient for the big man.
The auction closes on May 18 at 7 p.m. $4,001.00 is currently the leading bid. For comparison’s sake, a date with Brooklyn Decker only stands at $1,000.
Yankee Stadium Metro-North service to begin next Saturday
Many of the details printed in this “Mileposts” can also be found on the MTA site.
Basically, customers on the Hudson Line receive direct service to this station from Grand Central Terminal, Harlem-125th Street and all of the other stations. Here are the game day schedules for the Hudson Line.
If you don’t want to hop on the Hudson Line from Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street, there is direct service to Yankee Stadium. That schedule is here. However, this service only begins two hours before gametime, while the gates at the Stadium open three hours before gametime. So keep that in mind if you want to get to the game early. Also, shuttles returning to Manhattan after weekday day games do not stop in Harlem, so also keep that in mind.
On the Harlem and New Haven lines, you need to transfer at Grand Central or 125th Street. However, the MTA says direct service will be available for weekend and holiday games and there is some direct return service for weeknight games. Here is the direct weekend schedule for the Harlem Line and here is the New Haven Line schedule.
There is also a parking garage, with the pricing and hours found here. Bear in mind that the garage closes at 10 p.m. on weekends, so if you’re thinking about parking in the garage for an 8:05 ESPN Sunday night game, think again. It closes at midnight Monday-Friday. Parking for the event is $19.
As seen in the above graphic, the station is not up against the Stadium like the subway is. There is a covered pedestrian overpass and the MTA says the walk is under 10 minutes.
When exiting the station for the game, you will need to show the ticket collectors your rail ticket. If you have monthly or weekly tickets for travel into and out of Manhattan (Harlem, Hudson and New Haven), you can take the train to Yankees-E. 153rd Street at no extra charge. This also applies to Port Jervis and Pascack Valley customers who travel to Hoboken and Penn Station-NY.
If something isn’t clear or you need to know more information, please let me know.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Sabathia, Matsui lead Yankees to victory
Hideki Matsui rewarded Sabathia with a leadoff solo home run in the top of the eighth to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Sabathia improves to 3-3 on the season and Mariano Rivera recorded his seventh save.
Sabathia struck out five and walked four, but he gave the Yankees eight innings when he didn’t exactly have his best stuff. He threw 111 pitches.
The Yankees struck first when Nick Swisher walked with the bases loaded in the top of the first inning. The Yankees held that lead until the bottom of the fourth when Alex Rios hit a solo home run off Sabathia. They would score again in the next inning on a Rod Barajas double to take a 2-1 lead.
The bottom of the fifth inning could have been worse for Sabathia and the Yankees. After Barajas’ RBI double, McDonald singled to center. However, Brett Gardner fired a one-hopper home that nabbed Barajas. Sabathia was then able to record the third and final out to escape further trouble.
The young players on the Yankees started the team’s rally in the top of the seventh. Gardner led off with a single and advanced to third on Francisco Cervelli’s single. That ended Jays’ starter Brian Tallet’s night. Jason Frasor entered and promptly gave up a game-tying single to Derek Jeter. Matsui homered in the next inning.
The Yankees are now 17-17 and have won two series in a row after the five-game losing streak. They will begin a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium tomorrow night. This begins a 10-game homestand.
AP Photo
Yankees relax batting practice rules
From the Yankee Stadium A-To-Z Guide:
Remember fans, on game days, arrive early. Yankee Stadium Gates on Babe Ruth Plaza and Gates 2 and 8, open three hours prior to the start of every home game. All fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from select areas of the Field Level and the Bleachers; specifically, all fans may watch batting practice and infield workouts from Field Level Sections 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136 and from all Bleachers Sections. Please note, on certain game days the Yankees may elect not to take batting practice, infield workouts or both. Those fans who take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from the Field Level and/or the Bleachers may remain until the players leave the field following the conclusion of the Yankees batting practice or 1 hour and 45 minutes after the Gates open. At that time, all fans will be asked to return their respective seats.
Fans are still not allowed in the Legends section, but at least the security guards won’t hound you for going into a section that you don’t belong in.
Game 34: Yankees at Blue Jays
| New York Yankees (16-17) | Toronto Blue Jays (23-13) |
| Derek Jeter SS | Marco Scutaro SS |
| Johnny Damon LF | Aaron Hill DH |
| Mark Teixeira 1B | Alex Rios RF |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B | Vernon Wells CF |
| Hideki Matsui DH | Jose Bautista LF |
| Nick Swisher RF | Scott Rolen 3B |
| Robinson Cano 2B | Kevin Millar 1B |
| Brett Gardner CF | Rod Barajas C |
| Francisco Cervelli C | John McDonald 2B |
CC Sabathia LHP (2-3, 3.94 ERA) vs. Brian Tallet LHP (2-1, 4.95 ERA)
Time: 7:07 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176
Yankees vs. Tallet
- Jeter: 3-8, 2 RBI
- Damon: 4-13, 2B
- Teixeira: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI
- Rodriguez: 1-9, HR, RBI
- Matsui: 6-9, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI
- Swisher: 2-4, 2B
- Cano: 3-12, 2 2B, RBI
- Gardner: 1-1
Blue Jays vs. Sabathia
- Scutaro: 6-14, 3 RBI
- Hill: 3-15, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
- Rios: 5-20, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Wells: 6-27, 2 HR, 6 RBI
- Bautista: 0-4
- Rolen: 1-9
- Millar: 4-16
- Barajas: 7-17, 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI
- McDonald: 2-12, RBI
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