Yankees lose the opener of the Subway Series

The New York Yankees and New York Mets openened up the 2011 version of the Subway Series on Friday night.  It was a packed house and the rain cleared up in time for the game.  The offense for both teams was not good.  The pitching was superb on both sides.  Freddy Garcia gave up two runs in seven innings and R.A. Dickey gave up one run on four hits in six innings.  The knuckler was dancing and had the Yankees all screwed up.  The Yankees offense except for the game on Thursday night when they scored 13 runs has been pretty bad.  They hit a lot of homeruns but don't manufacture runs and don't do much in a lot of these games.  They are now in third place in the AL East.  The Mets are in fourth place in the NL East but with a ragtag bunch have reached 500.  They are playing hard and scrappy and they have been getting great starting pitching over the last few days. 

The Yankees only run came on a Mark Teixeira homerun.  The Mets got a solo homerun from Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner continued to be their best offensive player with an RBI double and a couple of other hits.  The bullpen on both sides looked great, Mike O'Connor, Jason Isringhausen and Krod for the Mets and Joba Chamberlain and Dave Robertson for the Yankees.  The two teams will play game two of their three game series on Saturday night at 7:00PM. 

A.J. Burnett will take on Chris Capuano.  The Yankees have lost six straight at home, it is the first time since 2003 when they lost eight straight at home.  There was one play in the game in the middle innings, I think the sixth where Jose Reyes made a diving stop on Arod and threw him out to end the inning.  The Yankees had first and second no outs and couldn't take advantage, that was the game right there, he saved a run most likely and who knows what could of happened after that.  The Yankees though have been inept in those situations, they don't know how to move runners over, lay down a bunt, hit a sac fly.  They right now barely can do any of that, they play Earl Weaver baseball, sit back and wait for the big homerun.  If they keep it up they won't get anywhere because the pitching has been so good but how long can that last with Garcia and Colon who have been big suprises.  If the pitching goes south eventually the Yankees will be in big trouble unless the offense wakes up.  The offense is not taking advantage of the good pitching and they keep wasting great pitching performances that you don't know if that will be the last good game they get out of Garcia or Colon etc. 

Yanks roll to Game 1 win

The New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of the ALDS by the score of 7-2. CC Sabathia wasn't his sharpest but he was good and able to battle through things, especially with a couple of crossups with Jorge Posada who had a terrible game behind the plate. It didn't look great early but the Yankees stayed patient and didn't panic and then Derek Jeter hit a 2 run homerun to tie it and it seemed to settle them down. The Yankees also got a couple of rbi singles from A-rod which was good for him and Hideki Matsui hit a 2 run homerun. Nick Swisher had a rbi double. The bullpen was good and Joe Girardi used Phil Hughes for 2/3 of an inning, Phil Coke for 1/3 of an inning and Joba Chamberlain for a 1/3 of an inning. Mariano Rivera finished up the game giving up a hit and a walk but no runs. The Yankees have the off day tomorrow so it was good to get everyone in and comfortable and now they can be used again on Friday and will be ready to go in a tight spot. Mark Teixeira didn't have a great game but he did also hit the ball hard twice but just right at people. A.J. Burnett will now take the ball in game 2 with a lot less pressure and I have a feeling he will come up big. Nick Blackburn is a pretty good pitcher but he has never pitched in the postseason. It was a great start for the Yankees and hopefully they will have many more wins to come.

Lineup Changes for today

Chieng-Ming Wang and Jorge Posada were in Tampa and got rained out then headed to Dunedin for a minor league game and got rained out and now they are in Clearwater to face the Phillies with the regular club. Jorge Posada is now leading off and catching and Wang is pitching. Damon, Tex, Nady, Cano, Ransom, Cabrera and Pena will fill out the rest of the lineup in that order. Joe Girardi said today that if the season were to start today Nady would be the RF based on what he did last season, I also think without Arod and Newsday brought this up today that they need that right handed power.

Spring Game 19: Twins at Yankees

Peter Abraham has the lineups with some notes. There were some more cuts today as the Yankees get closer and closer to opening day. Today is a very important day for the Yankees as Jorge Posada will catch 3 innings and then we will see how he feels. If all goes well he will catch a couple of games next week and start catching more innings. He is leading off so he can get a couple of at bats. Matsui is also in the lineup for the second consecutive day and if all is well with him he will play tomorrow again making it 3 days in a row for the first time. The Yankees walking wounded seem to be progressing well and this is a great sign but they still got to be careful with them before they are out of the woods. The game is not on TV but listen to John and Suzyn on the radio WCBS 880 AM. It will be nice to see more of the starting lineup now, there will still be changes towards the end of the game but as we move along now there are less minor leaguers with the team and the starters have to start getting used to playing full games. Cano and of course Arod are still not in the lineup and Jeter, but once Jeter gets back the Yanks will resemble the lineup they will have on opening day. Andy gets the start followed by Phil Coke today, if Marte injury is serious Coke will become that late inning lefty and he has looked good so far. Spring Game 19: Twins at Yankees Posted using ShareThis

Split Squad recap

The New York Yankees defeated the Houston Astros at home in Tampa today 3-1 behind 4 perfect innings from AJ Burnett. He threw 40 pitches 32 of them for strikes, he was so good he had to go to the bullpen and throw 10 more pitches out of the stretch. His stuff is just electric and hopefully for the Yankees he is just coming into his own after last year. Dan Giese came in relief for him and gave up a solo hr and 2 hits in 2 innings with 3 strikeouts. Edwar Ramirez made his first appearance of the spring after having some shoulder discomfort and pitched a scoreless inning with 1 hit and 1k. Brian Bruney looked really impressive pitching a perfect inning with 2k's. Jason Johnson finished it off with a couple of hits but got out of it. It was also his first appearance of the spring and he is a good story after having retinal cancer and also being the first guy to wear a diabetic device on his hip. The offense did just enough with Johnny Damon hitting a solo hr, Cody Ransom continued his impressive spring with 2 hits, Berroa had a hit and Matsui also had a hit and looks good working the pitcher. Brett Gardner also had a hit but struck out twice. The story of the day was definitely AJ Burnett who was just filthy, it was good to see him on TV and look that good dreaming about a super summer. In the other game at Bradenton against Pittsburgh Phil Hughes got the start and in the first inning gave up 2 solo hrs and then settled down. He finished with just those 2 hits in 3 innings but 3 walks and 2k's. Albaladejo pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, Ian Kennedy pitched better today going 3 innings with 3 hits 1 run, 1 walk and 5 k's. Mark Melancon had his first bad game pitching 2/3 of an inning giving up 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk and 1k. He gave up 2hr. On the offensive side the top prospects had a good day with Jesus Montero hitting a grandslam and also drawing a walk and Austin Jackson going 2-4 with 2rbi. Melky Cabrera went 1-4 with a rbi. Nick Swisher went 0-2 with a walk, Big Tex had a bad day striking out 3 times. Shelly Duncan went 1-2 with a rbi. If you check out Peter Abrahams site at http://yankees.lhblogs.com he has audio of AJ Burnett after the game, definitely worth listening too. Mo is ready to go for Tuesday and Jorge for tomorrow behind the plate. Wang went home today with a cold. Phil Hughes said he feels strong and good he was just a little off trying to work on some of his other pitches, the cutter and changeup. Joe Girardi talked to Arod today and he is off crutches feeling good and about to move his rehab into the pool. Colin Curtis and Austin Romine were reassigned to minor league camp and Mike Dunn was optioned out. The closer it gets to opening day the more and more guys we will see going back down or over to minor league camp.

Spring Game 16: Yankees at Red Sox

The first game of the season between the Sox and Yanks but don't get all worked up, for all the media and people that like to hype it, there is NO Teixera, Cano, Jeter, Arod, Matsui, Posada. The Red Sox don't have Pedroia or Youkilis. Damaso Marte and Robinson Cano came back from the WBC a little sore and will be checked out by the Drs tomorrow. I don't think its a big deal and hopefully Cano will be in there in a couple of days. I would hold Marte out until next week just to be safe. The game is being broadcast on MLB network through the NESN feed but will be blacked out in NY thanks to the Yankees who have the right to black it out, they aren't showing it on YES so I don't know why they have to black it out other then being scared of what the NESN announcers might say but who cares, they are going to say it anyway and Yankees fans aren't going to be swayed by it. Wang gets his third start and will probably go 4 innings or maybe 5 if his pitch count is low. Spring Game 16: Yankees at Red Sox Posted using ShareThis

Yankees Season Preview

I thought since the Yankees were off today and there was no news, tonight was a good time to do this mini preview. The Yankees are in the toughest division in baseball and it won't be easy but I think they will win the division winning 97 games. The way I look at it is that even without Arod for probably a month, the additions of Posada and Matsui and having Tex plus the pitching makes up for it. The Yankees won 89 games last year with no Matsui or Posada and Pavano, Ponson, Rasner, Giese making a lot of their starts. I don't know how that team won 89 games. That is enough about last year, lets talk about this year. I am going to project what I think will be the opening day roster and here it is: Starting Pitchers 1.CC Sabathia 2. Ching Ming Wang 3. AJ Burnett 4. Andy Pettitte 5. Joba Chamberlain I think this is the best starting pitching the Yankees have had in years. I can see CC and Wang winning 18-20 games each. Burnett I see winning 16 or 17 games, Andy Pettitte 15 and Joba 12. Ok on to the relievers: Relief Pitchers Closer:MO Setup Man: Brian Bruney Setup Man: Damaso Marte Middle Relief:Jose Veras Middle Relief:Edwar Ramirez All purpose Reliever:Phil Coke Long Man: Alfredo Aceves I love this bullpen, the guys are young and what I love is that if anyone fails they can send them down and replace them with other guys like Albaladejo, Melancon, Claggett, Jackson, JB Cox etc. Starting Lineup: 1b-Mark Teixera 2b-Robinson Cano ss-Derek Jeter 3b-Arod/Cody Ransom for the 1st month C-Jorge Posada LF-Johnny Damon CF-Brett Gardner RF-Nick Swisher DH-Hideki Matsui Bench: Xavier Nady Melky Cabrera Angel Berroa-for the 1st month at least until Arod comes back Jose Molina I dont think you can complain about this lineup, yes without Arod it will hurt but I actually think Cody Ransom is going to do better then people think. He plays good defense and I think he will hit 280 or 290. Mark Teixera is a huge addition to this team in many ways, he is going to bring defense to first base that we haven't seen since Tino left and really Don Mattingly, that is how good this guy is with the glove and hitting well he is just a switch hitting power, high OBP and hits for average. I don't think you can ask for much more. I think Cano will have a bounce back year at second all around, Jeter will be Jeter and Arod when he comes back will go on a tear. I think Posada will be healthy and make that position so much better then last year. I think Damon will have a good year and if Gardner can just slap at the ball and get on base 350+ he will be fine in CF. I think between Nady and Swisher they will have 30-40 combined hrs and 100+rbis and better defense out there then Abreu. I think Matsui will be healthy only being the DH and will be back to hitting around 300 with some power and a good clutch hitter. The bench is better then it has been in years with Swish or Nady on the bench, Melky, Jose Molina and Cody Ransom or for the first month Angel Berroa. I think this team is a cohesive group and Girardi will be better in his second year with more to work with and they have a great shot at getting to the World Series.

Yankees Recap

The New York Yankees defeated the Cincinatti Reds 7-1 tonight in Tampa. Joba Chamberlain got the start and was much better giving up 3 hits and 1 run in 3 innings. He did top out at 96 on the gun and his control was much better. This was definitely a good sign and a step in the right direction. The run was given up when Brett Gardner had trouble with a fly ball that he should of caught. Brett did have 2 hits though, Shelly Duncan hit a 3 run homerun showing he can have power at anytime and making the Yankees think about putting him back on the 40 man or at least pay attention to him. Hideki Matsui had a double and a walk and looked pretty good scoring from second. Cody Ransom is trying to make us forget about Arod with 2 more hits. When the starters came out Austin Jackson had a rbi hit and ended the game with a beautiful running catch in the gap. The Yankees other top prospect Jesus Montero looked good behind the plate and had a nice opposite field hit. The pitchers behind Joba were also solid, even Kei Igawa throwing 2 more scoreless innings looking real good not that it matters. Christian Garcia looked impressive with 2 strikeouts, this kid has a ton of potential and Anthony Claggett who the Yankees love looked good in his one inning. CC makes his second start of the spring tomorrow against Detroit in Lakeland. Just a quick side not, how in the world did the Netherlands advance and knockout the Dominicans, this may be the greatest upset in the history of sports.

Spring Game 14: Reds at Yankees

There can't be a big game in spring training especially with the Boss not being the Boss anymore but tonights game for Joba is as big as you can get. You might ask why I am saying that and usually I wouldn't think anything of pitching poorly in the spring but this is the first spring Joba is preparing to be solely a starter and he is coming off of having shoulder issues last year so its important for him to show improvement tonight. Phil Hughes has been as good as you can be so far and wants another chance to prove himself. I am sure no matter what happens the Yankees will keep Joba as the 5th starter for as long as they can but if this continues and Hughes continues to pitch the way everyone thought he could then watch out. Hideki Matsui is back in the lineup tonight as he continues his rehab and Gardner trys to keep up his hot start. Cody Ransom is at third and he will be the third baseman, Arod may only miss the first month and maybe not even that so I think its ok, he plays very good D and whatever he does offensively will be a bonus, you have to root for a guy like Cody Ransom. Angel Berroa will try and win the backup job as he has hit very well this spring but needs to play better defensively. Ramiro Pena can field but doesn't hit enough to be in the majors and Leone and Bernier are in the mix but are career journeyman. I see Kei Igawa on the list after Joba, why is he still around?? It is nice that Moose is on vacation and stopped by to visit the Yanks with his family, he is enjoying retirement and doesn't regret it at all he said. Everyone enjoy the game on YES at 7:00PM tonight, I will be back later with some more. Spring Game 14: Reds at Yankees Posted using ShareThis

Yankees Recap from tampa

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 6-2 today in Tampa. Andy Pettitte got his first start of the spring and was scheduled for one inning but felt so good he convinced the coaches to let him face 3 extra batters. He went 1 2/3 innings giving up 1 hit, 0 runs, 1bb and 2ks. Ian Kennedy didn't fare so well going 2 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits and 5 runs with 1 walk and strikeout. Dan Giese went 2 1/3 innings giving up 1 run on 2 hits with 2k's. Jon Albaladejo went 1 inning giving up 1 hit, 0 runs and 2ks and Dave Robertson went 1 perfect inning. On the offensive side Brett Gardner went 2-3 with a hr and 2 rbi and Melky Cabrera went 1-3. Big Tex also went 2-3 and Angel Berroa went 1-2. There were some guys sent to minor league camp as today was the first day of that. Andrew Brackman was assigned to single A Charleston and J.B. Cox, Kanekoa Texiera and George Kontos were all reassigned to minor league camp. Eric Hacker and Wilken De La Rosa were also reassigned. Andy Pettitte said it felt good to get out there finally. Arod has his surgery and everything went well, he is even aleady riding a stationary bike and starting the rehab process which is a great sign. Mariano Rivera had a great bullpen session this morning and is on track. Everything is looking good for the Yankees hurt players and that is a good sign as they will need everyone, the most important thing is the pitching though and everyone has looked good other then Joba but he will get that straightened out and if not watch out for Phil Hughes who has looked great.

Spring Game 11: Braves at Yankees

The linups are posted below with a lot of other information courtesy of Peter Abraham. CC looked good yesterday, Wang gets his second start today and AJ his first tomorrow followed by Andy Pettittes first start. Hideki Matsui will play today then take the trip to Lakeland to play the tigers which will be his first back to back games, the reason Jorge and Hideki can't be in the same lineup right now is that they both are dhing, look for Posada to start catching in about a week or so. I don't know why Cody Ransom is at short today, i think I would play him at third every game but im not the manager. Melky gets a chance today in CF but I think Gardner pretty much has the job wrapped up. Phil Coke will also pitch today, the game will be on the YES network at 1:00pm and also wcbs 880 radio in NY. I don't understand why the TV and radio are carrying the same games myself but it is only spring training and for anyone complaining just check out this blog as well as others for all the information you need. Everyone enjoy the game, I will be out but will post later on about the game, it will also replay at 7 for anyone who is going to miss it this afternoon. Spring Game 11: Braves at Yankees Posted using ShareThis

New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers

The Yankees finally got another win tonight in Tampa beating Detroit 7-3. CC Sabathia made his debut and gave up 1 unearned run in 2 innings of work. He gave up 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. Alfredo Aceves vying for the long relief spot pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up 0 runs on 1 hit with 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Jose Veras pitched 1 inning with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts and Dave Robertson pitched a perfect inning striking out the side. On the offensive side Brett Gardner had a hit, he also made a nice catch in CF. Johnny Damon had a hit and rbi, Nick Swisher had a walk and a rbi. Jorge Posada had a hit, Cody Ransom had a hit and two stellar defensive plays at third base. Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero the 2 top rated prospects in the system each had a hit. Brian Cashman stated that as of right now surgery is not scheduled for Arod but that he is staying in Colorado for the forseable future. I am thinking they are keeping him there for a few more days to let him work out and the Dr. can watch him to see how he responds. I am guessing we should know by the middle of next week for sure if he will play or have the surgery. It looks like the Yankees are trying to get as much information as possible about this and not rush into a decision, I think arod will try and play through it but we will see, Cash has not had any contact with other teams about a trade.

New York Yankees Thoughts

The New York Yankees will take on the Detroit Tigers from Steinbrenner Field in Tampa this evening. It will be CC Sabathias first start for the Yankees and now all the starting pitchers are in line as we head towards April 6, opening day in Baltimore. Hideki Matsui got into his first game yesterday as DH and will probably play a lot now. He says he wants to play everyday but they will probably keep him away from long road trips. The bullpen looks pretty good so far and MO threw for the first time yesterday and the plan is to get him into a game around March 17. The Arod stuff will continue but right now it is just wait and see as he rests and rehabs for the time being. I have no idea when he will play a game again and I don't think they even do at this point, the interesting thing is when he plays they may limit him to DH then what do they do with Matsui?? Jorge Posada should be catching by then and hopefully it all goes well with that. I am not overly concerned at this point because I believe the strength of the team is their pitching all around and will continue to be. I will have lineups and updates later on as once again this is a night game, no tv and I dont think its on radio either.

Cashman audio from today

Arod is the big story of the day and below I have the link to the Cashman audio on that. The Yankees are going to try and nurse him through it and I think that is the best move right now since he hasn't been bothered by it and it hasn't affected him. They have to keep a close eye on it and Alex has to be honest with them about it. The Yankees ultimately are going to win or lose by their pitching though even though if they lost Arod for a significant period it would hurt them. Joba did not get out of the first inning today giving up 5 runs on 4 walks, 1 hit and a wild pitch. He said afterwards that he felt fine and no worries but how long can this last before everyone panics?? If this continues would Phil Hughes get a shot and Joba back to the pen?? The good news from today is that Mariano Rivera threw his first bullpen of the season and felt fine and said he will be ready for opening day. It will be interesting to see what the Yanks do with Arod, how long will he be out but at least for now they don't have to worry about the steroids scandal. Cashman audio from today Posted using ShareThis

Spring Game 9: Team Canada vs. Yankees

Joba gets his second start and lets see if its any better then the first, people are freaking out over his first start but no need to worry. Get used to this kind of lineup even more with word that Arod may be out 10 weeks for hip surgery, don't jump off the bridge yet, lets wait for confirmation and remember the yankees have the pitching that should win them most games. I like the idea of playing small ball, pitching and defense that wins championships remember. Hideki Matsui makes his first appearance of the spring today which is good. The other thing to remember is if he is healthy and Posada, Cano bounces back and Tex, the offense is better anyway even without Arod. Spring Game 9: Team Canada vs. Yankees Posted using ShareThis

Recap of Todays Yankee Action

The Yankees lost 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves at Disney. Ian Kennedy started for the Yanks and pitched 3 innings giving up 2 runs on 3 hits with 1 walk. Dan Giese also pitched 3 innings for the Yanks giving up 1 run on 2 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Andrew Brackman pitched a perfect inning and Mark Melancon gave up a hit with 0 runs in his 1 inning. The offensive side not much happened Johnny Damon had a triple and a rbi, Nady and Berroa both had hits. The Yankees are still waiting word out of Colorado about Arod who is undergoing an exam as I speak. Mariano will throw a bullpen tomorrow for the first time. Jorge Posada went through his throwing program today and appears to have gotten over that little setback he had the other day. Starting tomorrow the Yankees starters will go in line, Joba up first followed by CC,Wang,AJ,Pettitte. Joe Girardi said that the long man candidates Tomko,Giese and Aceves will continue to get innings. You would think that Hughes and Kennedy will be reassigned to the minor league complex then so they can continue on a regular rotation. Phil Coke will also get work, the Yanks envision him going anywhere from 1 batter to 2 innings. I am calling him the left handed version of Ramiro Mendoza. The Yankees will take on Team Canada tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field. I will be back later when I hear anything on Arod.

Spring Game 8: Yankees at Braves

Ian Kennedy gets another shot at keeping pace with Hughes to try and be that first guy called up if needed. Brackman and Melancon will be pitching today and all eyes are always on these guys, so far Melancon looks to be doing real well and may be in line to come out of spring training with the team. I really like this Damon, Gardner tandom at the top of the order. The lineup is ho-hum again with Jeter,Cano and Arod missing. It is a real chance for one of these guys to stand out for the utility role, i would think Ransom is the frontrunner for that. Tex,Posada,Matsui didn't make the trip, I would expect Matsui in the lineup in the next couple of days. This whole Arod thing is crazy, he was praising Jose Reyes yesterday and that is it and now the media is trying to make it into him dissing Jeter and Damon which he did not do. This guy just can't say anything Spring Game 8: Yankees at Braves Posted using ShareThis

Arod could miss WBC

Jack Curry of the NY times is reporting that Alex Rodriguez has a cyst on his hip and this could prevent him from playing in the WBC. The Yankees apparantly knew about this but he was cleared by the team doctor to keep playing. This is really not a serious thing, im sure though people will say its because of steroids or whatever. He is scheduled to fly to Colorado tomorrow to see a hip specialist and then more information will be available. The New York Yankees statement can be found at http://yankees.lhblogs.com via Peter Abraham.

Arod and Family

Here is Arod holding his daughter Natasha and his ex Cynthia with both daughters today in Jupiter, Florida. Arod caused a stir by being the only player with his family there and other players seemed bewildered. It is funny how he just can't seem to get the attention away from him no matter what, oh well that is the life of Arod. The girls are really cute and the mom isn't bad herself, I don't know why Arod wanted to run to Madonna but thats his business.

Yanks Lose Again

The Yankees lost 13-11 to the Reds today in Sarasota. It was not a day for the pitchers. Brett Gardner continued his quest for the CF job with 2 more hits, Jeter went 3-3, Tex had 2 hits and Arod had a couple of doubles. None of the Yankees pitchers are worth talking about as they all got hit around, Mark Melancon gave up a run in 1 inning but it was on a passed ball and had 2ks so i guess he did the best job. Alfredo Aceves got knocked around as well as Marte,Abaladejo,Bruney,Cox. A couple of notes from the game Jesus Montero left with a strained groin but it doesn't seem to be serious but because he is their #2 prospect and is so young im sure they will bring him along slowly. Abaladejo left when he got hit on the leg by a ball, it is just a bruise and he will be day to day. Arod met with reporters after the game and only took baseball questions then he left with Cano and Tex headed back to Tampa. He will meet with MLB investigators tonight in Tampa and then he will be in Jupiter at some point tonight to join the Dominican team tomorrow, so the Yankees and PR man Jason Zillo will get a break for a little while. A couple other notes via Peter Abraham of the Journal News and http://yankees.lhblogs.com CC simulated game was canceled today because of weather and it will be tomorrow instead. Jorge was feeling better today and could DH tomorrow or if not then Tuesday. Jason Johnson was cleared to start throwing outside and will have a 35 pitch bullpen tomorrow. This is a good story as he comes back from retinal cancer, i hope he hooks on with someone if not the Yankees. Kanekoa Texiera has the flu. The Yankees will play at Houston tomorrow in Kissimee. I am sure we will hear more later on the Arod meeting but that may be all the blogging I do with the Yankees for today.