Regular Season Game 5-Nationals at Mets

The New York Mets take on the Washington Nationals in Game 2 of their 3 game series. The game is at Citi Field and starts at 1:10PM. Here are the lineups and notes for this game. Mets Lineup: Reyes(SS) Cora(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Francoeur(RF) Matthews Jr.(CF) Tatis(1B) Blanco(C) Perez(P) Nationals Lineup: Morgan(CF) Guzman(2B) Zimmerman(3B) Dunn(1B) Willingham(LF) Desmond(SS) Rodriguez(C) Taveras(RF) Lannan(P) Jose Reyes returns from the DL today and the Mets optioned Ruben Tejada to Buffalo which is the AAA club of the Mets. Jeff Francoeur recorded his 7th multi HR game of his career. His last one came on April 12, 2008. Oliver Perez is making his first start of the year. He struggled in spring training and got booed on opening day. It will be interesting to see how he reacts in his first start. He has a 9.20 k per 9 inning rate which ranks 3rd among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.

Regular Season Game 2-Yankees at Red Sox

Tonight will be all about A.J. Burnett and Jorge Posada working together again. Last year they had trouble and it ended up at the end of the year that Jose Molina caught A.J. Burnett including through the playoffs. A.J. Burnett said he never had a problem and they worked together all spring and have appeared to get over whatever happened between them. Tonight will be the first official start together in a long time. I know everyone will be curious to see how they work together and that will be the big story. Here are the game notes and tonights lineup. I would love to here from you guys under this post as to how your feeling, what you think of the lineup?? What do you think of A.J. and Jorge?? Whatever else you want to discuss lets get it going here. This is game 2 of the 3 game opening series in Boston, it will be A.J. Burnett and Jon Lester on the mound. After this series the Yankees will be off on Thursday and head to Tampa for a weekend series before returning home next tuesday. Curtis Granderson homered in his first at bat and plate appearance as a Yankee. This was the first Yankees to accomplish that feat since Cody Ransom did so on 8/17/08 vs Kansas City. It was the first time a Yankee did it in his first plate appearance on Opening Day since Jim Wynn on 4/7/77 vs Milwaukee. The only players to homer in their first Yankees at bat at Fenway Park other then Granderson were Andy Phillips(2004), Graig Nettles(1973) and John Miller(1966). The season opening telecast on the YES network marked the second highest rated and second most watched regular season live sporting event ever on a NY regional sports network. It was second only to the YES networks 4/3/05 Yankees-Red Sox game. Chan Ho Park became the first Korean born Yankee in franchise history with his appearance on Sunday night. The Yankees fell to 14-19 on Easter with their loss on Sunday. The opening loss dropped them to 18-11-1 in 30 previous all time opening day games vs Boston. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Swisher(RF) Thames(LF) Granderson(CF)

Opening NIght 2010-Yankees at Red Sox

The New York Yankees will begin defense of their title at 8:05PM when they take on the Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park. What a way to begin the season on Easter against your hated rivals. Happy Easter to everyone, hope you are enjoying the day with friends and family and good food. I don't have too many notes but here is your game post. CC Sabathia will go up against Josh Beckett, they are the two aces of their respective staffs. This is the 108th season for the Yankees and second season in a row to start on the road. They lost to the Baltimore Orioles 10-5 last year. The teams will have an off day tomorrow then play Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:05PM. The games will be on the yes network in NY. A.J. Burnett will face John Lackey and then Andy Pettitte will face Jon Lester. The Yankees are 14-18 on Easter over the last 50 years. This is just the second time the Yankees are playing Boston on Easter over the last 50 years. The Yankees are 18-10-1 in 29 previous opening days against Boston. They are 6-4 in openers at Fenway Park. The Yankees and Red Sox last played on Opening Day in 2005. The Yankees won that game 9-2. The Yankees have been champs 26 times and went back to the World Series 16 times and repeated 12 times. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Granderson(CF) Swisher(RF) Gardner(LF)

Grapefruit League Game 31-Mets at Orioles

The New York Mets will play their final exhibition game this afternoon in Sarasota against the Orioles. The game is at 1:05PM and will be on WFAN radio in New York. The Mets will head home and have a workout tomorrow at Citi Field in advance of Mondays Opener against the Florida Marlins. Jon Niese will get the start today and also expected to pitch are Oliver Perez, Ryota Igarashi and Sean Green. The Mets have one more cut to make before Mondays opener. According to the New York Daily News Francisco Rodriguez will rejoin the team tomorrow. He has been in Venezuela attending to a family matter. The New York Mets have announced that former Met Darryl Strawberry will throw out the first pitch on Monday. This is a good move by the Mets and it is about time they recognize their past.

Grapefruit League Game 30-Mets at Rays

The New York Mets are playing the Rays at Tropicana Field this evening. Mike Pelfrey will make the start. Also available to pitch tonight are Ryota Igarashi, Jenrry Mejia and Pedro Feliciano. Here is the starting lineup for the game: Cora(SS) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Jacobs(DH) Bay(LF) Matthews Jr.(CF) Francoeur(RF) Tatis(1B) Barajas(C) Jerry Manuel said on WFAN today that the Mets will be making some decisions on the roster tonight after the game. He wants Jenrry Mejia on the team, said he could eventually be the 8th inning guy. He also said he believes they have enough talent in the bullpen to get the job done. Alex Cora will be the starting SS on Opening Day. He will play both Gary Matthews Jr. and Angel Pagan based on matchups. He is leaning towards breaking up his right handers. Mike Jacobs will probably be the cleanup hitter since he will now be the first baseman.

Grapefruit League Game 28-Yankees at Blue Jays

Here are some quick notes from Joe Girardis session with the press this morning and then I have the lineup for today. Curtis Granderson will be the CF, they would of been fine with either Granderson or Gardner but the Yankees view Granderson as a everyday player. Gardner still has to earn his playing time, he will play CF the days Granderson does not. Francisco Cervelli has a Grade 1 strain of the hamstring and won't play in anymore exhibition games. Girardi thinks he won't go on the DL and will start the season with the team. Just in case they wanted to get Mike Rivera in these last few games. Girardi didn't committ to a full time platoon with Marcus Thames but it looks like he will get a lot of playing time against lefties. Girardi said he has swung the bat well against lefties and has played well enough in the field. His career numbers against lefties are very good. A.J. Burnett, Royce Ring, Chan Ho Park, Joba Chamberlain,Dave Robertson, Pat Venditte, Craig Heyer and Lance Pendleton are pitchers available today. Yankees Lineup: Granderson(CF) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Posada(C) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Thames(LF) Pena(SS) Laird(3B)

Yankees News and Game Recap

The New York Yankees lost to the Minnesota Twins this afternoon by the score of 4-2. Phil Hughes got the start and started out rocky but then was good the rest of the way. He pitched 4 2/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 runs. He walked 1 and struckout 5. Boone Logan faced one batter and struck him out. Joba Chamberlain pitched a perfect inning, Dave Robertson pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits and 1 run. Chan Ho Park pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts. Park has been really impressive this spring not allowing a run. Royce Ring pitched a inning with a walk. Derek Jeter was 1-3 today, Alex Rodriguez hit a solo homerun and Ramiro Pena was 1-3. Juan Miranda had a great day going 3-3 with a rbi. That was all the offense the Yankees were able to produce. A-rod looks really explosive and ready to go, Jeter has been getting hot which is a good sign also. I think it is the time when everyone is just ready to go including me. I am ready to write about some real games. Here are some notes from today: Francisco Cervelli felt something in his hamstring. The Yankees are being cautious and don't want him to run so he won't play in a game until Saturday. Phil Hughes pitched better then his line would indicate today. The first inning he had 2 outs and then 4 straight batters reached base. He said it was his curveball which he couldn't bury in the dirt. He was pretty pleased with his outing though, he threw 88 pitches and 61 were strikes. Teixeira is ok, he will play tomorrow according to Joe Girardi. He said he saw him after his cage work and he felt ok. Joe Girardi said that Alfredo Aceves is on target for friday but they will check on him tomorrow to make sure he is ok. Girardi will announce who his CF is tomorrow, he said "You can make an assumption." This is when he was asked if todays lineup was an indication? Girardi said yesterday that Joba was unlikely to pitch back-to-back days but he is on the traveling roster for tomorrow along with Chan Ho Park and Dave Robertson. Girardi said that "If the situation arises I will do it. I would like to see it." Here is what Girardi had to say about Joba "Throwing a lot of strikes, His slider has been better." The Yankees want to make sure that Alfredo Aceves is healthy before they settle on their opening day bullpen. Girardi said they want to watch a couple of more days, that they are leaning one way but in fairness to the guys they all have pitched pretty well and you want to see everything. Derek Jeter, Francisco Cervelli and Alex Rodriguez wont make the trip tomorrow to Dunedin to face the Blue Jays. The game is at 1:05PM.

Grapefruit League Game 26-Blue Jays at Yankees

The New York Yankees are taking on the Toronto Blue Jays at home this evening. The game is at 7:05PM on the yes network. Here are the lineups for tonights game. There aren't really any notes, I will have some later on tonight or tomorrow after this game. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Thames(LF) Rodriguez(3B) Winn(RF) Pena(2B) Weber(DH) Cervelli(C) Golson(CF) Sergio Mitre is making the start. Blue Jays Lineup: Jose Bautista(RF) Aaron Hill(2B) Adam Lind(DH) Vernon Wells(CF) Lyle Overbay(1B) Edwin Encarnacion(3B) Travis Snider(LF) Alex Gonzalez(SS) Raul Chavez(C) Mark Rzepczynski is the starting pitcher for the Blue Jays.

Grapefruit League Game 25-Yankees at Braves

The New York Yankees will take on the Atlanta Braves this afternoon in Lake Buena Vista. CC Sabathia will be on the mound. The Yankees also have a home game this evening against the Toronto Blue Jays. Here is the lineup and some notes, mostly left over from last night. Yankees Lineup: Gardner(LF) Swisher(RF) Posada(C) Cano(2B) Granderson(CF) Miranda(1B) Russo(SS) Laird(3B) It is a rainy, dreary day in the Northeast but lets remember that baseball is right around the corner. The Yankees will open the season on Sunday Night in Boston, gametime is 8:05PM. CC Sabathia will go up against Josh Beckett. The Yankees and Atlanta will play their first and only meeting of the spring as they had a game postponed due to rain earlier in March. Chan Ho Park hasn't allowed a run in 4 outings. He has pitched 5 innings giving up 4 hits and has 5 strikeouts. Mark Teixeira is going to be ok, he has a nasty bruise and will take a couple of days off, he expects to play on Thursday though. Joba Chamberlain was hitting 93 on the gun last night. Javier Vazquez will make his final start of the spring on Saturday. He said he was only building arm strength last night, it was a tough night for him because it was so windy. He couldn't use his breaking pitches.

Grapefruit League Game 24-New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

The New York Yankees are taking on the Baltimore Orioles this evening from Sarasota. I don't know why I said the Cincinatti Reds yesterday but I did and that was clearly wrong. Here is the lineup for tonights game which won't be on TV or radio. I will then have some notes after the lineup. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Thames(LF) Winn(RF) Cervelli(C) Golson(CF) Javier Vazquez is making the start. The big news of the day is that Alfredo Aceves has a balky back. He will skip tomorrows relief appearance. Joe Girardi said he has been tight and "a little out of line" for a few days, the Yankees have decided to give him a few days off. Girardi said he believes that Aceves will pitch later this week and be ready for the opener on Sunday. Girardi said "It is something we're going to have to manage." Joe Girardi said the team will likely wait until Thursday or Friday before they finalize their roster. It is still a possibility that Phil Hughes starts in the minor leagues and is called up when the Yankees need the 5th starter. Girardi said him and Brian Cashman have not had a chance to talk about it yet, how they are going to do it. Girardi said "I am not quite ready to make that decision, but I am definitely leaning one way." That is what he said when asked about who his CF will be. Joel Sherman of the NY Post has reported a team source told him it would be Granderson and that is what I believe also. Pat Vendite the switch pitcher is on the travel roster for tomorrows game and Girardi is excited. He said "I have wanted to see it all spring, I would like to put him in against a left, right ,left." Joba, Dave Robertson, Grant Duff and Royce Ring are available out of the bullpen today. Alan Horne is injured again, he was the Eastern League pitcher of the year a couple of years ago. He just can't stay healthy. He has more then a 80 percent tear in his rotator cuff.

Some Yankee notes from Today

Here are some notes from today via Chad Jennings of the Journal News and Lohud Yankees Blog. Chad Gaudin has reportedly signed with the Oakland A's. Sergio Mitre is starting the home game of the split squad games on Tuesday and the Yankees plan on him pitching more then 3 innings. They want to keep him stretched out in case of an injury, he will be the guy they go to early in the season. It could also be Alfredo Aceves but most likely it would be Mitre. CC Sabathia will pitch the road split squad game on Tuesday. Girardi said "That is where CC asked to go. I said great that works out good." Joe Girardi said that all of these missed games for Andy Pettitte may actually keep him stronger through the year. I guess you can always find a positive in any negative. The Pitchers scheduled for tomorrow night are Javier Vazquez, Joba Chamberlain, Chan Ho Park, Dave Robertson and Royce Ring. The whole regular infield will make the trip tomorrow. Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher will not along with Jorge Posada.

Grapefruit League Game 24-Nationals at Mets

The New York Mets will host the Washington Nationals at Digital Domain Park this afternoon at 1:00PM on WPIX. Hisanori Takahashi is making the start for the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, Sean Green, Ryota Igarashi and Kiko Calero are also scheduled to pitch today also. I don't have the Mets lineup for today and I am not going to have it up as I have other obligations. Here are some gamenotes though. The Mets have hit 30 homeruns on the spring which is tied with the Cincinatti Reds for first in the NL. The Mets are meeting the Nationals for the 4th time of 6 meetings this spring. The Mets have won 2 of the 3 meetings so far. Fernando Martinez is 3rd in the grapefruit league with a 413 average. David Wright is tied for fifth with 4 homeruns. Remember he hit 10 all of last season so this is a good sign. Angel Pagan is tied for the lead with 4 stolen bases. The game is on WPIX, enjoy the game and I will have a recap and some notes later on this evening.

Hughes starts but Joba gets the attention

The New York Yankees played the Philadelphia Phillies last night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The final score was 3-0, Phil Hughes made the start on short rest to get lined up as the 5th starter but most of the attention was on Joba Chamberlain. Hughes pitched 3+ innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. He was a little wild but remember was on short rest. Joe Girardi said he was pleased with his outing. He said he was missing just a little bit but he was pleased with his outing. Zach Segovia pitched 2 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and a walk. Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout and so did Damaso Marte. Royce Ring pitched a inning giving up 2 runs and 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. Amaury Sanit pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Now lets get to Joba, he is the big topic as always because he is back to being in the bullpen. Here is what he had to say "I can say I am happy with myself because I gave it everything I've got. Hughes just beat me, that's it, the long and short of it." He said he expects to go back to his fastball slider combo and the Yankees expect his velocity to climb back into the upper 90's. I also expect this to happen and don't think it will take him too long to get back to that bulldog mindset and just start blowing people away. "I can't think about being a starter at this point. For me to help this team right now, it's being in the bullpen and trying to get guys out there. It's unfair to my team to think about something else." Here is what Brian Cashman had to say "I think we finished off his development plan, and we have choices with him now. He can start if we need him to start, he can relieve if we need him to relieve. I don't feel it's a waste at all. I think we completed the mission on him and what will be, will be." The Yankees offense only produced 4 hits in the game and one was by Marcus Thames off of lefty Jaime Moyer which is good, he is going to be used against lefties and needs to show he can hit them like he has in his career. The other hits were by Robinson Cano, Jon Weber and Nick Swisher. The Yankees will take on the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland today at 1:00PM. Francisco Cervelli will be away from the team for a couple of days to attend to a personal matter.

Grapefruit League Game 21-Mets at Marlins

Here is the Mets lineup for this afternoons game. Pagan(CF) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Murphy(1B) Francouer(RF) Cora(SS) Barajas(C) Figueroa(P) Pedro Feliciano, Fernando Nieve, Jenrry Mejia and Pat Misch are also scheduled to pitch. I will have the game recap and maybe some notes later on today or this evening.

Some notes from today

Here are some notes today from Chad Jennings of the Journal News and Lohud Yankees Blog. Marcus Thames was 0-4 today and his spring average is now down to .094. That is terrible but he does have experience and he is basically the last guy standing. Here is what Joe Girardi said "The one thing we talk about Marcus is playing against a lot of left-handers possibly. He hasn't seen a lot of left-handers this spring." The Yankees are scheduled to play Jaime Moyer tomorrow and Joe Girardi said he will be in the lineup. They will see lefty Nate Robertson on Saturday. He does have very good career numbers against lefties. Here is what Phil Hughes said about winning the 5th starter competition: "It was what I set out in the spring to do. I grew up a starter in high school, minor leagues, even my first couple partial seasons in the big leagues. It was something that I really wanted and I feel like im ready for the challenge and ready for the season that lies ahead. Im just looking to go out and put together as many quality starts as I can and give our guys a chance to win everyday. That's really all I can ask for myself. Girardi says he sees Sergio Mitre as the long man out of the bullpen but he seems open to putting whoever is earning it in key spots late in the game. He said when your pitching well you are going to pitch. This is what I love about Joe Girardi, he rewards guys that deserve to be rewarded, Joe Torre always relied on certain guys and that was it no matter what. Girardi said he isn't sure if A-rod will be available on Saturday, remember he is meeting with the FEDS tomorrow. The beat writers are going out to play some paintball with Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, Jason Zillo and other members of the Yankees PR staff. There probably won't be much news tomorrow morning but I will see if anything gets leaked about A-rods meeting. The game tomorrow is not until 7:00PM.

Yankees Postgame Notes

The New York Yankees have made a decision on the 5th starter but Joe Girardi said they are not ready to announce it yet. They also aren't ready to announce the starter for Fridays game against the Phillies. Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre are pitching tomorrow but he said that the teams decision will not change based on how they do. The Yankees made 5 more cuts today and they are: Jonathan Albaladejo, Greg Golson, Kevin Russo, Juan Miranda and Mark Melancon. It looks like the announcement will be tomorrow regarding the 5th starter. Girardi did not say exactly why those 5 guys were cut but Ramiro Pena is now offically the utility guy. Javier Vazquez was happy with all of his pitches except his changeup. He said he has to iron out a minor mechanical issue. "I drift a little bit and my arm stays back." He is scheduled to pitch that last game of the spring against the minor leaguers. Francisco Cervelli made a nice play at third and Girardi said that he wants him to continue taking grounders there because Pena is the only guy on the bench who can play on the left side of the infield. Cervelli said he has gotten used to his new helmet and his teammates have stopped giving him a hard time about it. It's just the fans Gazoo he said. Joe Girardi said he got close to coming in to play third once but never actually did. He said it was a good thing he didn't.

Yankees look ready for opening day

The New York Yankees had their starting lineup in the game today and Javier Vazquez started and went into the 7th inning. The Yankees won the game by the score of 3-1 and appear to be ready for opening day which is less then 2 weeks away. Vazquez went 6 innings giving up 4 hits and 1 run. He didn't walk anyone and struck out 6 batters. Damaso Marte came in to pitch a inning and allowed a hit with a strikeout. Mariano Rivera had another scoreless inning allowing a hit with 2 strikeouts. Mark Melancon got the save with a perfect ninth inning, he had 2 strikeouts. The Yankees didn't score a lot of runs but they did what they needed to do. Nick Johnson had a hit and a walk. A-rod was 2-3 with 2 rbi, I think his hip is good as he had a rbi triple in the game. Robinson Cano was 1-1 with a rbi and Francisco Cervelli was 1-1. Curtis Granderson was 1-2 with a walk and Nick Swisher was 1-3. Brett Gardner was also 1-3. The Yankees will play the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM, the game is not on TV. Here are some of the pregame notes that came out of the media session with Joe Girardi. Chad Jennings had all the information at http://yankees.lhblogs.com

• Joe Girardi said that they haven't made a decision on the 5th starter yet. He said he isn't sure if they will announce it tomorrow either. He said he is meeting with the staff tonight. He said he thinks that everyone has a feeling but that he wants to listen to their opinions before he formulates a decision. He said it is the right thing to do. I agree with him but I think it will be pretty unanimous for Phil Hughes.

• He said that he hasn't decided on Granderson in center either although he was there tonight. Joel Sherman tweeted that this decision was made and I believe him but Girardi said this isn't the case. Maybe they didn't tell the players yet and that is why he is saying that. I would guess it will be Granderson though with Gardner in left. It is easier to move him out of left and get someone else if he doesn't perform.

• Girardi said the only other decisions are should they carry a second lefty in the pen? Who is going to be the right handed bat off of the bench? I don't see who else it would be other then Marcus Thames unless a wild card makes it but I doubt it. I don't think they will carry the second lefty with Mitre, Aceves going to the pen.

• This is what Girardi said about Doc Goodens arrest "Your heart goes out to him, I don't have any details, that is the first I have heard of it, but your heart goes out to him. He was a great teammate. Doc and I will always be linked because we played on a championship team and had a no-hitter together. If you didn't know it was the 1996 season. I loved playing with Doc, he was great to be around and a great teammate. You hope that everything is ok."

• Alfredo Aceves will start the game tomorrow with Amaury Sanit, Dave Robertson, Chan Ho Park, Sergio Mitre and Zack Segovia all scheduled to make the trip. Almost all position players are making the trip, the only ones who aren't going are Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada, Mike Rivera and Brett Gardner.

Grapefruit League Game 20-Nationals at Yankees

The New York Yankees will take on the Washington Nationals tonight at 7:05PM at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Here is todays lineup via Chad Jennings of the Journal News, this is a second look at what most likely will be the Opening Day Lineup. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Granderson(CF) Swisher(RF) Gardner(LF) Javier Vazquez is making his fourth start of the spring. Mariano Rivera, Mark Melancon, Zack Segovia, Boone Logan and Damaso Marte are also available to pitch. Here are some of the pregame notes. Scheduled to come off the bench tonight are: P.J. Pilittere(C), Juan Miranda(1B), Kevin Russo(2B), Ramiro Pena(SS), Francisco Cervelli(3B), Jon Weber(LF), Greg Golson(CF), David Winfree(RF). Yes Cervelli is playing third, I know its strange. Cervelli played first base way back in 2003. He has never played third base before, not even in the minor leagues. He does take ground balls there routinely though as the Yankees like to have all of their catchers get reps at the corners. The Yankees brought up minor leaguers Luis Nunez(Infielder) and Ryan Baker(C) for the game as backups. Here is the Nationals lineup tonight and on the traveling roster are former Yankees Alberto Gonzalez(SS), Brian Bruney(P), Tyler Clippard(P), and Wil Nieves(C). Nationals Lineup: Roger Bernadina(LF) Christian Guzman(SS) Willie Harris(3B) Josh Whitesell(1B) Justin Maxwell(CF) Adam Kennedy(2B) Ian Desmond(DH) Wil Nieves(C) Willy Taveras(RF) Starting pitcher is Livan Hernandez. This is a pretty no name lineup, there are some names you should know but not much firepower. The game is not on radio or TV tonight so check back later tonight or tomorrow morning if you don't stay up late for the recap and postgame notes.

Looks can be deceiving

The New York Yankees lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater by the score of 9-7. A.J. Burnett got the start and had a horrible first inning, he recovered after that. He ended up throwing 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. He gave up all of his runs in the first inning and then threw 3 scoreless after that. This is typical A.J., he can be soo good yet so bad at times and sometimes it is just one inning. Royce Ring faced one batter a lefty and got him out. Phil Hughes who probably could have locked up the 5th starter spot appeared to get roughed up. His line was 4 1/3 innings 5 hits, 4 runs, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. He gave up a 2 run homerun that was legitimate but he also gave up 2 other solo homeruns that were wind aided. The good thing was 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. Mark Teixeira led the offense going 4-4 with a 2 run homerun. Brett Gardner had a rbi and Curtis Granderson was 2-3 with a walk and rbi. Nick Swisher had a hit and rbi and Ramiro Pena had 2 hits. Kevin Russo and Eduardo Nunez each had a hit and rbi. The Yankees are off tomorrow. Here are some notes from today via Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Joe Girardi said that they will be having serious discussions about the 5th starter on Wednesday and then see what their next move is and who will get more innings. Girardi said he isn't ruling anything out at this point. "We have five guys, we have in a sense one spot in the rotation and three in the bullpen. I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen, we have two weeks to go." There is a couple of audio of Girardi today on the Lohud Yankees Blog. A.J. Burnett said he threw some good changeups today, he said some got hit but but you keep throwing them. He said it is different, in the season you probably wouldn't keep throwing it but in the spring you can. Joba Chamberlain said his changeup is getting better and better. He said this is the best changeup he ever had today. He threw 5 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 runs in the intrasquad game today. He had 1 walk and 1 strikeout, he threw 75 pitches, 48 for strikes. Mariano Rivera got three outs, one of them a strikeout in the intrasquad game. He said "feeling good fellas, feeling good." He is scheduled to pitch again on Wednesday. Chan Ho Park was brilliant in the intrasquad game. He got 7 outs, 5 of them by strikeout. He only gave up one hit and threw 21 out of 29 pitches for strikes. Joe Girardi said "He did everything we wanted him to do." Damaso Marte got 4 outs, he got a double play and had 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Dave Robertson also got 4 outs. He struck out 3 and had 1 walk.

Grapefruit League Game 19-Mets at Nationals

The New York Mets are taking on the Washington Nationals this afternoon at 1:00PM in Viera. Here are the pitchers for today and the starting lineup: Mets Lineup: Angel Pagan(CF) Ruben Tejada(SS) Chris Carter(1B) Jeff Francoeur(RF) Frank Catalanotto(LF) Fernando Tatis(3B) Russ Adams(2B) Henry Blanco(C) Mike Pelfrey(P) The starting pitcher today is Mike Pelfrey. The other pitchers who are scheduled today are Bobby Parnell, Sean Green, Ryota Igarashi and Jenrry Mejia.