New York Yankees get blown out in Chicago in first game of series

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Chicago White Sox on Monday afternoon.  The game took place at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois and the final score was 8-2.  CC Sabathia started for the Yankees and he didn't pitch very well.  Starlin Castro led the offense with four hits. 

Sabathia pitched six innings giving up eight hits and five runs with two walks and nine strikeouts.  He lost his sixth game of the season and Luis Cessa pitched two innings giving up five hits and three runs with two of them being earned.  He did walk a batter. 

James Shields won his fourth game of the season pitching six innings and giving up five hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts.  Matt Albers gave up a hit, Zach Duke pitched an inning with two strikeouts and Nate Jones pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out three.  Dan Jennings pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out two. 

Carlos Beltran had a hit, Brian McCann had a hit and Castro had four hits.  Chase Headley had a hit, two RBI and drew two walks.  Rob Refsnyder had a hit, Castro had two doubles and Refsynder had a double.,  Headley hit a homerun and the Yankees were 0-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.  Gregorius committed three errors. 

Tim Anderson had two hits and two RBI, Adam Eaton had two hits and Jose Abreu had a hit and an RBI.  Todd Frazier had three hits, an RBI and drew two walks, Melky Cabrera had two hits and Brett Lawrie had a hit and two RBI.  Dioner Navarro had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk, Jason Coats had a hit and Frazier hit two doubles.  Eaton hit a double and Anderson and Navarro each hit a homerun.  The White Sox were 5-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.  Lawrie had a stolen base and Navarro, Shields, Lawrie and Jennings each committed an error. 

In the second Headley hit a two run homerun giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.  In the third Anderson hit a two run homerun to tie the game at two.  In the fifth Lawrie hit a sac fly to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.  Navarro hit a two run homerun to increase the lead to 5-2 for the White Sox still in the fifth inning.  In the seventh Lawrie hit an RBI single to push the lead to 6-2 White Sox.  In the eighth Abreu hit an RBI single and Frazier hit an RBI single to make it 8-2 which would be the final score. 

The two teams will play two more games in the series and then the Yankees will head to Cleveland for four to close out the first half before the All Star Break.   

New York Yankees and New York Mets news and rumors

The Super Bowl is over and pitchers and catchers report in about two weeks.  It is time to look at what has been going on with the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.  There really hasn't been much going on especially with the Mets.  They made their big move early in the offseason and that was it.  They still haven't gotten a shortstop which would lead you to believe they think Wilmer Flores is the answer at short for now.  I don't agree with them but if that is what they believe then so be it.  The Yankees are pretty much set in stone, they have made a bunch of minor moves this off-season and they could make a move for the cuban guys now.  Yoan Moncada is the most notable to keep an eye on.  He is a 19 year old switch hitter who is supposed to be five tool and basically a can't miss guy.  If the Yankees sign him he could be their second baseman or 3B of the future.  He would fit perfectly with their team.  Another young talent that they could have on the team in the next couple of years to go with the Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Luis Severino crew. 

The New York Yankees did sign Scott Baker to a minor league contract.  He is a veteran who has battled injuries the last couple of years but pitched pretty decent for the Texas Rangers last year out of the bullpen.  He was a long man/spot starter type of pitcher. 

The Yankees have stayed away from the big fish this off-season but James Shields is still out there.  You have to wonder if he would sign a lesser deal now that it seems he isn't going to get the big money he may have gotten earlier in the off-season.  The Yankees haven't been linked to him but you wonder if they would jump in if they could get him for say 75 million instead of over 100 million. 

The Mets rumors were early in the off-season when you heard the Troy Tulowitski rumors mainly.  He isn't going anywhere right now and definitely not to the Mets.  The Mets appear to be going with Ruben Tejada or Flores at SS.  I think they should get a SS but it doesn't look like they will.  Ian Desmond has been another guy they have been linked to but you haven't heard that in at least a couple of weeks so that may be dead now. 

Johan Santana has been working out for teams and you hear the Yankees name in the mix but if anything that would be another minor league contract.  He was throwing though and then shut it down for a little bit due to shoulder soreness so I would think they would pass on him but we will see what happens. 

Alex Rodriguez is the big name for the Yankees and you have heard a lot about him lately.  The main thing is the Yankees trying to avoid his milestone bonuses.  This could get ugly but it doesn't appear Joe Girardi has a part in this or wants to have one.  He spoke over the weekend about him and said they have been talking and considers their relationship good and he just wants to put him and all of his players in the best position to succeed. 

The Mets really haven't had much going on overall and I really don't expect much to happen with them.  Dillon Gee is still on their team and could be traded in the next couple of weeks but not even sure that will happen.  The best news is that pitchers and catchers will be reporting in about two weeks or so and then we can start discussing this more in depth and no more rumors, it will be talking about the players on the field and what is going on with the teams. 

Hot Stove season wrapping up and spring training is drawing near

This has been a very busy off-season for many MLB teams.  There has been free agency as always but there have  been many trades, more then I can ever remember in one offseason.  It is now about a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting which means that for the most part all of the heavy lifting is done.  This year though it is still pretty active.  I take a look at the latest and what may come next. 

Max Scherzer signs a 7 year 210 million dollar deal with the Washington Nationals.  It is actually half deferred which means he gets half of that in seven years and then the other half for the next seven years.  It is actually a 14 year deal where he will only play for the team for seven years though.  This is a crazy deal and I guess we can say Scott Boras does it again.  The Nationals right now look to be loaded with pitching and are an instant favorite for the World Series. 

James Shields is the only big name left out on the open market and who knows where that is going.  We have heard some things here and there but nothing major regarding Shields.  I would expect his situation to be resolved though in the next couple of weeks. 

The Houston Astros signed Colby Rasmus to a one year deal and were close to acquiring Ryan Vogelsong but that appeared to fall apart and now he may be close to rejoining the San Francisco Giants on a one year deal.  Yovani Gallardo was traded to the Texas Rangers for prospects.  The Red Sox signed Dana Eveland to a minor league deal. 

The Braves have signed former Brave Kelly Johnson and also now on Thursday night have agreed to a one year contract with Jhonny Gomes.  The Cincinnati Reds have signed pitcher Jason Marquis to a minor league deal.  Dontrelle Willis is back in baseball signing a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. 

I wouldn't expect anything really major to happen the rest of the way.  Shields will be signed by someone and there may be a couple of more trades.  It is looking more likely now though that the Philadelphia Phillies will hold on to Cole Hamels until the trade deadline and that the Washington Nationals may hold onto all of their pitchers for right now also.  There is a chance that anything can happen at anytime  though as it already has been a crazy off-season. 

New York Yankees and New York Mets news and rumors

The New York Yankees have been busy settling their coaching staffs for their major league team and all of their minor league teams.  The Yankees Hal Steinbrenner was quoted on Wednesday at the owners meetings in Arizona.  He basically said what they have been saying all along that they have a high payroll and he would like to cut it even more but never say never.  He left the door open just slightly for Max Scherzer or James Shields for those that are dreaming but I still wouldn't expect it.  I would expect some lesser pitchers like Johan Santana on a minor league contract or maybe a trade.  The Mets have been involved in rumors for Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals.  The first report the other day said that they balked at giving up Noah Syndergard and now it is coming back up again today with Dan Duquette making some comments about it.  I am not sure if it was close or still close but it does sound like they had substantial talks so we will see what happens there.  If I was the Mets I would trade Syndergard because you have to give up something to get something and having a really good SS could put them over the top. 

The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with pitcher Ivan Nova on Wednesday agreeing to a one year 3.3 million dollar deal that is non guaranteed.  The only other Yankees stuff that is going on is what is not going on.  Alex Rodriguez had posted some pictures of him fielding and hitting the ball to instagram but other than that he remains quiet.  He is still a big mystery and I honestly have no idea what to expect.  There are those that think he will just hang it up in spring training collect his money and the Yankees can collect there money through insurance and then there are some who think he will hit really well and don't count him out and some that think he will play but may not be very good.  It all remains to be seen but in a little over a month the circus will be in town in Tampa, Florida. 

As for the Mets they really haven't done much of anything this offseason.  They did sign Michael Cuddyer but that was pretty much it.  They are now involved in rumors of Dillon Gee being traded but that hasn't happened yet and also for a SS with the focus now on Ian Desmond.  I think they should go out and get him if they can.  I don't buy into Wilmer Flores being an option at SS right now.  I think the Mets are close enough that they need to go for it by acquiring a legit SS.  They have a good young pitching staff with plenty of guys other then Syndergard as well.  I personally would trade him knowing you already have Harvey, Wheeler and DeGrom with Niese, Gee, Colon etc.  We will see what happens but I think if they really want to contend this year go get a SS. 

There are still big names out there on the free agent market such as Scherzer and Shields but ultimately I

don't see either NY team getting involved and getting them.  I would say it is more likely for the Yankees of

course but I really don't see them getting involved either

The Kansas City Royals win a wild Wild Card game

The Kansas City Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 9-8 in 12 innings.  It was the American League wild card game with the winner advancing to take on the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series.  James Shields started for the Royals against Jon Lester for the Athletics and at the end neither was a factor.  The offenses played well with the Athletics using power and the Royals using their speed. 

Shields pitched five innings giving up five hits and four runs with two walks and six strikeouts.  Yordano Ventura pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up two hits and two runs, Kelvin Herrera pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up four hits and a run with three strikeouts and Wade Davis pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout.  Greg Holland pitched an inning with three walks and a strikeout, Brandon Finnegan pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a run with a walk and three strikeouts and Jason Frasor pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and he struck out one. 

Lester pitched 7 1/3 innings giving up eight hits and six runs with two walks and five strikeouts.  Luke Gregerson pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts, Sean Doolittle pitched two innings giving up two hits and a run and he blew the save.  Dan Otero took the loss pitching 1 1/3 innings giving up three hits and two runs with a strikeout, Fernando Abad pitched to one batter and retired him and Jason Hammel gave up a hit without retiring a batter. 

Alcides Escobar had two hits, Nori Aoki had an RBI and Lorenzo Cain had two hits and two RBI.  Eric Hosmer had three hits, an RBI and drew two walks, Billy Butler had two hits and two RBI and Colon had a hit and an RBI.  Alex Gordon drew a walk, Salvador Perez had a hit and an RBI and Omar Infante had two hits.  Mike Moustakas had a hit, Josh Willingham had a hit and Cain hit a double.  Hosmer hit a triple and the Royals were 7-15 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.  Aoki, Escobar, Cain, Gore, Gordon, Dyson and Colon each had a stolen base.  Hosmer was caught stealing and Perez had a passed ball. 

Coco Crisp had two hits and an RBI, Sam Fuld had two hits and drew a walk and Josh Donaldson had two hits and drew a walk.  Brandon Moss had two hits, five RBI and drew a walk, Josh Reddick had two hits and drew two walks and Stephen Vogt drew a walk.  Alberto Callaspo had a hit and an RBI, Derek Norris had a hit and an RBI and Eric Sogard had a hit.  Moss hit two homeruns and the Athletics were 4-9 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. 

Moss hit a two run homerun in the first to give the Athletics a 2-0 lead.  Butler hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first to make it a 2-1 game.  In the third Cain hit an RBI double and Hosmer hit an RBI single giving the Royals a 3-2 lead.  In the sixth Moss hit a three run homerun, Norris hit an RBI single, Crisp hit an RBI single to give the Athletics a 7-3 lead.  In the eighth Cain hit an RBI single, Butler hit an RBI single and a wild pitch scored another run to make it 7-6.  In the ninth Aoki hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at seven.  In the 12th Callaspo hit an RBI single to give the A's a 8-7 lead and then Colon hit an RBI single in the 12th to tie the game and Perez hit an RBI walk-off single to give the Royals a 9-8 win.  The Royals advance to the ALDS to play the Anaheim Angels in Anaheim beginning on Thursday night. 

 

The New York Yankees are shutout by the Kansas City Royals

The New York Yankees were defeated on Friday night by the Kansas City Royals.  The game took place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York and the final score was 1-0.  James Shields and Michael Pineda hooked up in a great pitching matchup.  The Yankees couldn't do much of anything and the only run scored by the Royals was unearned. 

Pineda pitched seven innings giving up three hits and an unearned run.  He didn't walk a batter and struck out four and lost his fourth game of the season.  Dellin Betances pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts and David Robertson pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. 

James Shields won his 13th game of the season pitching 8 1/3 innings giving up three hits and no runs with no walks and six strikeouts.  Wade Davis earned his first save of the season pitching 2/3 of an inning and striking out both batters that he faced. 

Derek Jeter had a hit, Brett Gardner had a hit and Chase Headley had a hit.  Gardner hit a double and the Yankees were 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.  Antoan Richardson had a stolen base and Headley committed an error. 

Nori Aoki had a hit and an RBI, Salvador Perez had two hits and the Royals were 1-1 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base.  Aoki was caught stealing. 

The only run of the game was scored on an RBI single by Aoki in the third inning.  The two teams will play game two of three on Saturday late afternoon.  The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon with Derek Jeter Day. 

The New York Yankees keep rolling with a 8-1 win in Kansas City

The New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 8-1.  Michael Pineda started for the Yankees and pitched great.  Jacoby Ellsbury led the offense with three hits and three RBI. 

Pineda pitched 6 1/3 innings giving up five hits and one run.  He didn't walk a batter and struck out five and he picked up his third win of the season.  David Huff pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up two hits and he struck out one. 

James Shields lost his seventh game of the season pitching 6 2/3 innings and giving up 10 hits and six runs.  He walked three and struck out three.  Francisly Bueno pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and two runs and Bruce Chen pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout. 

Ellsbury had three hits and three RBI, Derek Jeter had a hit and two RBI and Brian McCann had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk.  Carlos Beltran had a hit and drew a walk, Stephen Drew had a hit and an RBI and Martin Prado had two hits and an RBI.  Chase Headley had a hit, Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and Zelous Wheeler had a hit and drew a walk.  Prado hit a double, Drew and Prado each hit a homerun and the Yankees were 2-9 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.  Beltran was caught stealing and Pineda had a pickoff. 

Jarrod Dyson had two hits, Alex Gordon had a hit and Billy Butler had a hit.  Salvador Perez had a hit, Lorenzo Cain had a hit and Mike Moustakas had a hit and an RBI.  Perez hit a double and Moustakas hit a homerun.  The Royals were 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.  Dyson had a stolen base and was picked off.  Shields committed an error. 

In the third Jeter had an RBI groundout to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.  Moustakas hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the third to tie the game at one.  Drew hit a solo homerun in the fourth to give the Yankees back the lead at 2-1.  In the seventh the Yankees broke the game open beginning with a Prado solo homerun.  Ellsbury hit an RBI single to make it 4-1, Jeter hit an RBI single to make it 5-1 and McCann hit a sacrifice fly that was overturned on a replay challenge to make it 6-1.  Ellsbury hit a two run homerun in the ninth and it was 8-1 which was the final score.  The Yankees have won five in a row and this was a makeup game so they head to Detroit to begin a big three game series on Tuesday night. 

The New York Yankees offense fails as they lose in Kansas City

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 2-1.  Hiroki Kuroda started and pitched well and the offense had many chances but didn't get the big hit when they needed it. 

Kuroda pitched seven innings giving up five hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts.  Kuroda lost his fourth game of the season.  Adam Warren pitched a perfect inning. 

James Shields pitched six innings giving up six hits and an unearned run.  He walked two and struck out eight  and won his seventh game of the season.  Aaron Crow pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out one, Wade Davis pitched an inning striking out two and Gred Holland pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out one.  Holland earned his 18th save of the season.    

Brett Gardner had two hits, Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit and Carlos Beltran drew a walk.  Yangervis Solarte had two hits, Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and an RBI and Brian Roberts had a hit and drew a walk.  Ellsbury, Roberts and Solarte each hit a double.  Gardner hit a triple and the Yankees were 1-17 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. 

Nori Aoki drew a walk, Omar Infante had a hit and Alex Gordon drew a walk.  Salvador Perez had a hit, Lorenzo Cain had a hit and an RBI and Mike Moustakas had a hit and an RBI.  Alex Escobar had a hit, Cain hit a double and the Royals were 1-2 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base.  Infante was caught stealing and Perez had a passed ball. 

In the second Cain hit an RBI double and Moustakas an RBI single to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.  The Yankees scored their only run in the sixth on a Suzuki groundout.  The Yankees had plenty of chances including in the ninth inning but just couldn't cash in.  The Royals have taken two out of the first three and they are scheduled to play the fourth and final game of the series on Monday night. 

Yankees Saturday night postgame notes

Here are the Yankees postgame notes courtesy of the Lohud Yankees blog after a huge Saturday evening win over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Yankees and Rays will play the rubber match of the three game series on Sunday afternoon.  I also add my own thoughts in to the notes. 

With Ivan Nova having not seen any real game action since August 21, no one knew what to expect going into his first start since coming off of the disabled list with an injured right shoulder. Nova had struggled mightily in the second half — he was 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA since the All-Star break before today — so it seemed like a giant leap of faith to expect immediate success.  He has been good for a while but struggled before landing on the DL so of course you didn't know what to expect but maybe the rest was good for mind and body.  If he keeps pitching like that the Yankees will be in good shape. 

But with his six-plus innings of three-hit ball in their 5-3 win over a Tampa Bay Rays team that continues to nip at their heels, Nova suddenly has the Yankees feeling pretty good about themselves.

“Everything,” Joe Girardi said bluntly when asked what he liked about Nova’s outing. “His fastball was outstanding, his curveball was really good today, his location, the quick outs that he got. You think about it, he was on about an 80 pitch count and he got into the seventh inning. It seems like before this little layoff, he was struggling with command, and (what he did today) was tough to do.”

It was clear from the get-go that Nova had his stuff working. His fastball was hitting 95 mph on the gun, and his breaking ball was generating swings-and-misses. He allowed just two runs (one of which was plated after he left the game) while striking out eight in an extremely encouraging performance.

After the game, you couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face.

“It felt really good,” Nova said. “I was going crazy the last few days because I couldn’t pitch.”  He does usually smile and he has won a lot in his young career.  The losing and then the DL may have grounded him a little and he needs to gain the confidence back, this helps for sure. 

After the game, Nova dismissed the notion that he had anything to prove, but the truth is, he was probably fifth in the rotation pecking order entering today’s start. CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda are the clear-cut top two, Phil Hughes is coming off of a tremendous start, and Andy Pettitte is set to return on Tuesday. Suddenly, the Yankees rotation looks like it could be the strength it was earlier in the season with all of its horses in place. (It’s crazy to think that CC is probably the biggest concern at the moment.) “I don’t feel like I need to prove anything,” Nova said. “I was struggling and I wanted to pitch better. That’s what I was thinking.”  I agree Nova and Pettitte could be the boost the Yankees needed, pitching is what wins. 

Nova was asked about how much the shoulder had really been bothering him during that rough patch that he had before going on the DL. The rest certainly looked like it benefited him today. “That day when they put me on the DL, it was really bad,” he said.  You have to wonder if he was hurt before that and didn't say anything. 

After pretty much cruising through the first five innings, Nova finally gave up a run on Evan Longoria’s solo shot with two outs in the top of the sixth. Girardi came out to talk to him, which led you to believe that Nova was done, but it was just a rare mound visit from the skipper. He left Nova in, and he got B.J. Upton to strikeout to end the inning. “Just to tell him, ‘Let’s get the next guy,’ ” Girardi said when asked what he told Nova. ” ‘Forget (the home run). Turn the page; let’s go.’ ”  It was a good pep talk that worked. 

Here’s catcher Chris Stewart on what he saw from Nova: “Just the confidence level was there. He was back. That’s the guy you want out there.”  I think with him it is confidence, he borders on cocky sometimes but he needs that. 

Nova’s performance somewhat overshadowed another huge homer from Curtis Granderson. Granderson connected for a two-run shot in the second to get the scoring started, hitting his fifth long ball in the last six games and 39th overall. “The big thing is just trying to get something up in the zone that you can hit,” Granderson said of his at-bat against James Shields, who he came into the game hitting just .107 against in his career. “You know he has a good changeup, and he was also using his curve a lot, so you can’t sit on one pitch.”

Before his recent hot streak, Granderson had been slumping, which led to him being dropped from the two-hole. His batting average is still down, but he’s on pace for career highs in homers and RBI. “I never go into (a season) thinking what my average should be,” he said. “I’ve never looked at average as an important stat. It’s about scoring runs and driving in runs.”  I would say though that he is too homerun or nothing, him and Swisher have really been hurting the team but Granderson is heating up now. 

Granderson’s homer was immediately followed by a solo shot from Eduardo Nunez, who has had his way with Shields. When asked how he explains his success against him, Nunez had no answer. “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “He’s a great pitcher.”

Before the game, Girardi talked about how important he felt it was to get Nunez right back in the field after last night’s error. Prior to the game, Girardi said he had a chat with Nunez. “I said, ‘You know, you made a lot of good plays,’ ” Girardi recalled. ” ‘You can’t focus on the one that you didn’t make. Learn from it, and move on. Turn the page.’ ”  I would agree you can't always focus on the negative and turn it into a self fullfilling prophecy. 

 It sounded like the pep talk meant a lot to Nunez. “It’s always a good feeling when the manager gives you comforting,” he said.

 It was important that the Yankees not get complacent with a 3-0 lead, and they added a big run in the fifth with two outs. Ichiro singled and stole second to get himself into scoring position, and Derek Jeter singled up the middle to drive him in and extend the lead to 4-0. “It’s a great at-bat,” Girardi said. “You’re talking about a really good pitcher, and Ich to get the base-hit and get to second, Jeet put together a long at-bat to give him a chance to steal… That’s the thing about Derek – he’s not going to try to do too much in that situation, and that’s why he’s successful so often.”  I like those two at the top of the order, similar type players to me, they will grind it out and find ways to get it done. 

Nova was pulled after giving up a leadoff single Jeff Keppinger in the top of the seventh, coming out to a loud ovation from the crowd. He was replaced by Boone Logan, who gave up a double to Ryan Roberts to put runners on second and third. Joba came into replace him, getting Sam Fuld to ground out for the second out, but that was followed by a two-run single from Luke Scott to cut the lead to 4-3. Joba didn’t let it spiral out of control, though, and struck out Desmond Jennings to end the inning and preserve the lead.

A-Rod came through with a big RBI single in eighth to give the Yankees an insurance run. Of course, he was helped out by Upton, who completely misplayed a ball off the bat of Robinson Cano in center field (yet, somehow it was ruled a double).

 The win gives the Yankees a four-game lead over the Rays in the division, and for the moment, a half-game lead over the Orioles. Baltimore plays the A’s tonight at 9 p.m. “This is where you want to be,” Girardi said. “You want an opportunity to play in the postseason. Let’s go back to day one in spring training, we talked about how tough our division was going to be. It hasn’t disappointed

The Yankee lose a close one in Tampa

The Yankees were trying for the series win tonigth in Tampa but they came up just short losing 2-1.  CC Sabathia pitched well but James Shields was even better for the Rays.  Sabathia pitched a complete game giving up two runs on five hits.  He walked four and struck out eight.  Shields pitched 7 2/3 innings giving up one run on six hits.  He walked three and struck out six.  Sabathia saw his record fall to 14-5 on the season.  It was his 31st birthday and he couldn't get a win on it to celebrate. 

The offense was stuck in neutral once again, this was the second time since July 10th that they weren't able to hit Shields.  Sabathia got the best of him in their last meeting winning the game 1-0.  The only offense came in the eighth inning on a Robinson Cano RBI double.  Derek Jeter also had a double in the game tying him with Wade Boggs on the all-time hits list with 3010. 

The Yankees are now two games back of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.  They are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays for the wild card.  The Rays will play the Yankees and Red Sox 19 more times this season.  There was a chance that they could of been buried this week by those two teams but they are hanging in there and with all those games have a chance to do some serious damage. 

The Yankees will begin a ten game homestand on Friday night.  They will take on the Oakland Athletics, they will also face the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles on the homestand.  There will be a doubleheader on July 30th.  Ivan Nova could be recalled to make the start in one of those games.  The Yankees need to win a majority of these games and try to make up ground or at least seperate themselves from the Rays and the rest of the pack.