Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

The Yankees lost to the Orioles for the second straight day, this time 7-3 with A.J. Burnett allowing two home runs and six runs in the second inning.  Read all about it at YanksBlog.com.

Gardner, Duncan back

Peter Abraham reports the Yankees’ latest roster moves this morning.

Brett Gardner has been activated off the disabled list.  He hasn’t played since July 25 with a broken left thumb.  Shelley Duncan has also been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees and Rays are playing a doubleheader at the Stadium today.  CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett get the starts.

Yanks hit 5 home runs, win 9-6

Jorge Posada hit two home runs and drove in three runs in the Yankees’ 9-6 victory over Baltimore Tuesday night.  Robinson Cano, Eric Hinske and Nick Swisher joined in on the home run fun as well.

A.J. Burnett did not fare as well, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.  He allowed a two-run home run to Felix Pie and a three-run home run Luke Scott.

Damaso Marte earned his first win of the season after retiring all three batters he faced.  David Robertson, Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera also had scoreless outings, with Rivera earning his 38th save of the season.

The Yankees will go for the sweep tomorrow night with CC Sabathia on the mound.

Pettitte nearly perfect, Yanks win 5-1

Andy Pettitte carried a perfect game into the seventh inning Monday night at Camden Yards.  However, Jerry Hairston Jr. let a ball go through his legs for an error and Nick Markakis then followed with a single to left to end the no-hit bid.  No worries, though, as the Yankees, behind Nick Swisher, won 5-1.

Pettitte allowed two hits and one earned run over eight innings, striking out eight.  He finished the month of August with a 4-0 record in six starts.

Swisher went 3-for-4 with two RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle.  The solo home run he hit in the third inning was his 22nd of the year.  Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 and also  had two RBI.  His two-run double in the eighth gave the Yankees some valuable insurance runs.

Mariano Rivera had to come in for the final two outs because Brian Bruney walked a batter and allowed a hit.  The save was Rivera’s 37th of the season.

The Yankees are now 35 games above .500 and hold a 6.5-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.  A.J. Burnett gets the start tomorrow night in Baltimore.

AP Photo

Walks ruin Burnett’s start, Yanks lose 7-2

A.J. Burnett was cruising well into the fourth inning Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against the Texas Rangers.  In fact, he was perfect through 3 2/3 innings.  However, after two two-out walks, Burnett gave up a three-run home run to Ian Kinsler.  After that, the Rangers were well on their way to a 7-2 victory.

It wasn’t all Burnett’s fault.  The Yankees left 12 runners on base and couldn’t capitalize on starter Dustin Nippert’s seven walks.

Burnett was done after six innings.  He struck out a season-high 12 and only allowed two hits, but the three-run home run he allowed was more than enough to cause the defeat with the lack of run support he received.

Once Burnett was out, Phil Coke allowed a three-run home run to Nelson Cruz and Kinsler added his second home run of the game against David Robertson.

The Yankees will look to rebound tomorrow when they begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.  CC Sabathia gets the start.

Yanks turn 3 double plays behind Pettitte, win 9-2

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

When Andy Pettitte loaded the bases with Texas Rangers with one out in the top of the first, it didn't look like he would be long for Wednesday night's game at Yankee Stadium.  However, he was able to induce a 5-4-3 double play with Ivan Rodriguez at the plate to end the threat.  After a Jorge Posada three-run home run against Texas starter Derek Holland in the bottom half of the frame, the Yankees were on their way to a 9-2 victory.

Jerry Hairston Jr. added a solo home run in the fourth, and his 12-pitch at-bat in the seventh inning helped start the Yankees' five-run rally after Robinson Cano led off with a double.

Pettitte went seven strong, allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking three.  He threw 103 pitches and was aided by three double plays behind him.  The Yankees would turn another with Brian Bruney pitching in relief.

In addition to Posada's three RBI, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira drove in two runs apiece, while Hideki Matsui and Cano were the only Yankees with multi-hit games.

It wasn't all good news for New York.  Posada left the game in the top of the eighth after taking a foul tip off his glove hand.  X-rays were negative, and the team's report is that he aggravated his ring finger.  The Boston Red Sox also won on David Ortiz's walk-off home run.

The Yankees will look to take this three-game series tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch slated for 1:05.  A.J. Burnett will get the start.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

‘E:60’ reports on 11-year-old Yankee fan with cerebral palsy

“HOPE Week” was a major success for the Yankees earlier this season.  Rich Reilly wrote a fantastic piece about A.J. Burnett’s involvement with the kids from Camp Sundown and we all remember Polly Tompkins’ story.

ESPN’s newsmagazine show, E:60, will feature “HOPE Week” once again, this time telling the story of 11-year-old Tom Ellenson.  Here is the description, via a release ESPN sent me.:

The story of 11-year-old Tom Ellenson is an extraordinary one. Growing up with cerebral palsy, Ellenson could not walk or speak. But his father created a device that allowed him to communicate as a kid his age would, and his “voice” inspired a little league baseball team in New York City to excel.

Ellenson’s magic touch with the team got the attention of the New York Yankees, and Andy Pettite, Joba Chamberlain and Alex Rodriguez visited Ellenson and his teammates. Then, the Yankees gave Ellenson and his teammates a day at Yankee Stadium they will never forget. ESPN’s E:60 was given exclusive access to document Ellenson’s day spent with the Yankees, including a ceremonial first pitch different than any other first pitch in Major League Baseball history. Rachel Nichols reports.

The episode will air on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.  Below is a preview clip the network provided.

Much ado about Posada/Burnett

Anyone who watched yesterday’s disaster of a game could tell that A.J. Burnett and Jorge Posada were not on the same page.  This was evidenced by Burnett talking to himself on the mound, by two missed return throws to Burnett and by numerous mound visits.

Peter Abraham relays quotes from both characters, with Burnett putting the blame squarely on himself.

“There were a couple of heaters (when) I felt that I should have thrown a hook. I step off and re-gather and that’s when the non-executed pitch came. (Posada) calls fine back there. It’s just a matter of me throwing what I want to throw.

“There’s no pattern there. I’ve had a great run now with Jorge. So there’s no fingers to point but at me.”

Posada basically said, according to Abraham, that he just makes suggestions and the pitcher is the one who is ultimately in charge.

Abraham called Burnett stubborn, which he is, but Posada also appears to be extremely stubborn as well.

The team’s ultimate success is bigger than any one man.  Burnett and Posada need to get over the problems they have with each other – if any – because both players are important now and will be even more important come October.  Burnett will be the No. 2 starter in the playoffs, and Joe Girardi will obviously not want to use Jose Molina.

There is a little more than a month left in the season.  Sit these two down in one room and let them figure out what’s wrong.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

A.J. Burnett can’t pitch in Fenway.  That is all.  Here is my YanksBlog.com game recap.

Picture of the night

The best part about winning games in blowout fashion at Fenway Park is seeing a picture of the Green Monster scoreboard with the final score in the background.

No, this game wasn’t pretty at all, but seeing the Yankees put up a 20-spot in Boston with what was a 6.5-game lead certainly puts a smile on Yankees fans’ faces.

Hopefully A.J. Burnett can restore order in terms of pitching today.  I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but Burnett’s worst start of the season came at Fenway on April 25 when he imploded, blowing a 6-0 third-inning lead, eventually giving up eight runs over five innings.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Matsui drives in 7 in 20-11 victory

Hideki Matsui hit a pair of three-run home runs and every Yankee who played the majority of the game drove in at least one run in the Yankees’ 20-11 victory over the Boston Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park.

As the score suggests, there was a lot of hitting and very little pitching.  Andy Pettitte only went 5+ innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits.  Brian Bruney, while not charged with any runs, walked three and hit a batter while the Yankees had a large lead.

Alex Rodriguez added four hits and an RBI while Derek Jeter (3-for-6, two RBI) recorded his sixth straight multi-hit game.  Over that span, he has also had four games of three hits.  Mark Teixeira also had a three-hit game with three RBI.

The majority of the Yankees’ runs were scored against starter Brad Penny (eight earned runs on 10 hits over four innings) and Michael Bowden, who allowed seven earned runs and eight hits in only two innings.

Overall, the Yankees recorded 23 hits, including eight doubles.

It wasn’t all fun and games for the Yankees’ offense.  Johnny Damon fouled a ball off his leg and had to leave the game.  He was replaced by Eric Hinske in left field.  The team called it a bruise and he’s day-to-day.

The Yankees’ lead over Boston is now 7.5 games.  They’ll do it again tomorrow afternoon at 4:10 p.m.  A.J. Burnett and Junichi Tazawa each get the ball for their respective teams.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Joba, Aceves falter in Sunday defeat

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

Joba Chamberlain allowed four earned runs over five innings, and was relieved by an equally shaky Alfredo Aceves, who was charged with four runs of his own in 1 2/3 innings.  Doug Fister, on the other hand, pitched well in seven innings, as the Mariners defeated the Yankees 10-3 to avoid a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.

The game started out well for the Yankees, as Derek Jeter recorded two hits in his first two at-bats to pass Luis Aparicio with the most hits as a shortstop, including an RBI double in the third inning.

Chamberlain retired the first seven batters he faced, but ran into trouble after walking Ryan Langerhans with one out in the third.  After a single and another walk, Jose Lopez hit a two-run double to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Nick Swisher and the Yankees responded in the next half-inning, when he hit a two-run home run to center to put the Yankees ahead 3-2.

But Chamberlain was undone in the fifth, with successive two-out RBI singles.

The Mariners wouldn’t look back from there, but they added insurance in the seventh.  Aceves struggled in his second inning of work, but he wasn’t helped by Jerry Hairston Jr. to a step back before having to charge on Ken Griffey Jr.’s leadoff fly ball.  Instead of making the catch, he had to field it on a hop.  Eventually, the Mariners had the bases loaded with one out.  After Langerhans struck out, Aceves hit Josh Wilson with a pitch.  Chad Gaudin was then brought in, and he gave up three straight RBI base hits, extending the Mariners’ lead to 9-3.  Kenji Johjima’s solo home run in the eighth put the M’s ahead 10-3.

The Yankees don’t lose any ground in the American League East, as the Red Sox were defeated in Texas.  The Yankees take their 7.5-game division lead to Oakland for three games starting tomorrow night.  A.J. Burnett will start against Brett Tomko, whom the Yankees designated for assignment earlier this summer.

As Pettitte settles down, Yanks come back

Andy Pettitte’s evening began rather inauspiciously at Safeco Field Saturday night.  Though the Yankees eventually won 4-2, it didn’t look like Pettitte would hang around for a while.  Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single, followed by a Franklin Gutierrez single, a Jose Lopez RBI single and an RBI groundout from Ken Griffey Jr.

After retiring four of his next five batters via the strikeout, he had trouble with the Mariners’ top of the order in the third inning.  Suzuki led off with a single and Gutierrez walked.  But after that, Pettitte closed the door.

When the dust settled, he struck out a season-high 10 batters over six innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs.  For the second straight game in Seattle, the Yankees’ starting pitcher struck out 10.  Pettitte, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett now each have one game of double-digit strikeouts this season.

The Yankees began their comeback in the second when Jorge Posada doubled off the top of the right center field wall.  The play was reviewed, but the call stood.  Jerry Hairston Jr. eventually drove Posada home on a fielder’s choice to halve the Mariners’ lead.

For the next few innings, Seattle’s starter, Ryan Rowland-Smith, held the Yankees in check.  However, in the fifth, he was hit with some bad luck.  Melky Cabrera singled with two outs and took second on a wild pitch.  Derek Jeter followed with a single through the left side of the infield, somehow getting under both Josh Wilson’s and Jack Hannahan’s gloves to score Cabrera and tie the game.

The game remained tied at 2 until Mark Teixeira led off the ninth with a solo home run against Mark Lowe.  The Yankees would add another on Nick Swisher’s RBI single following Robinson Cano’s bloop double.

New York is now 30 games over .500 and remain 6.5 games ahead of Boston following a dramatic comeback of its own in Texas (they scored six runs in the ninth to win by four).  Sergio Mitre gets the ball tomorrow night.

Teixeira: Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Pettitte: AP Photo

More back-to-back magic leads Yanks to victory

Joba Chamberlain was bad last night, but he and the rest of the team were bailed out by back-to-back home runs by Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada last night, as the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 7-5.

Chamberlain blew a 3-0 lead in the third inning when he allowed a three-run double to Lyle Overbay. He then served up a solo shot to Randy Ruiz, a 31-year-old who played in his 23rd career game.

After three great starts following the All-Star break, Chamberlain has been average, at best. You can't expect him to be perfect all the time, but he has reverted back to what the majority of his starts this season have been like.

But for the third time in as many games, the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs. They are now 70-43 and have a 5.5-game lead over the Red Sox in the East.

They're playing a day game today, with A.J. Burnett getting the start. First pitch is a little after 1.

What a game, and thoughts on Ortiz

Five-and-a-half hours later, the Yankees were able to extend their lead over the Red Sox to 4.5 games when Alex Rodriguez broke a scoreless tie with a two-run shot in the 15th inning.

But for me, the story was A.J. Burnett.  Yes, he walked six, but he one-hit the Red Sox over 7 2/3 innings.

After a game the saw 19 runs the night before, this game was refreshing.  You just can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.

And this brings me to David Ortiz’s press conference from this afternoon.  What a joke that was.  Ortiz said nothing, and the Players Association made it more about itself and the list than it did about Ortiz.  Then I hear Eduardo Perez on ESPN saying he was honest and genuine.  How disgusting.

Where was this support for Rodriguez?  Many know I’m not his biggest fan, but he was seemingly more honest and genuine.  I’m disgusted.

It's about time

Calling John Smoltz a shell of his former self would be an insult to shells.

I figured it was a good signing because He Knows How To Win® and He Hasn't Forgotten How To Pitch®, but with each successive start, it's looking like he doesn't and he has.

The Yankees were able to power their way to victory last night, despite Joba Chamberlain's career-high seven walks, to extend their lead over the Red Sox in the division to 3.5 games. At only 1-8 against their archrivals, that's remarkable.

A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett get the nods at the Stadium tonight. Step on their throats, Yankees.

Behind Burnett, Yankees defeat Twins 4-3

A.J. Burnett pitched just well enough to get the win.  He was wild, but he didn’t let it cost his team, as the Yankees defeated the Twins 4-3 to clinch their fifth straight series win.  Read all about it on Baseball Digest.

Burnett rolls over former team

7 IP, 2 ER, 7 K for A.J. Burnett.  Over his last nine starts, he is 5-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 55 2/3 innings.  He has also struck out 63 while walking 30 over that span.

Meanwhile, Phil Coke, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera shut down the Jays after Burnett left, sealing the Yankees eighth win in their last night games to reach 12 games over .500 again.

Robinson Cano added his 13th home run of the season and Alex Rodriguez’s 14th home run gave the Yankees a little more breathing room.

Chien-Ming Wang faces Roy Halladay tomorrow afternoon.  Yikes.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

A.J. Burnett carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, as the Yankees eventually went on to one-hit the Mets in their 5-0 victory.  Here is the recap I wrote for YanksBlog.com.

The Phils provide sturdy bridge as Yankees power way to victory

How about watching Phil Hughes dominate in relief like Joba Chamberlain did?  Hmmm…

Phil Coke also pitched capably in the eighth inning, providing a sturdy bridge for Mariano Rivera who recorded his 14th save of the season in the Yankees’ 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.  They are now 34-23 and have the best record in the AL, pending the outcome of the Rangers/Blue Jays game.

The Yankees hit four home runs (Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter), Andy Pettitte struck out seven in six innings for his sixth victory of the season and the Yankees have won their fourth series in a row.

The Yankees travel to Boston for a three-game series that begins tomorrow.  As you may recall, the Yankees are 0-5 against the Red Sox this season.  A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett start the opener.