New York Yankees notes as they are hammered at home by the Seattle Mariners

David Adams made his major league debut today on his 26^th birthday. He was released in spring training and then resigned with the Yankees thinking he still had a shot at the major leagues. It turned out to be a good decision as he is now on the team, starting at third base in his first game and going to also see time at second and first base. 
The Cliff Lee trade that fell through with the Yankees and Mariners, he was a central piece in that trade. He has had a long crazy road to get here. He lost 2010-11 to injuries and was hurt again last year playing in only 86 games, he had a back issue in spring training. He said he considered leaving, the Yankees said we like you but this is a business move, he said he thought about leaving but thought this was still the best chance at getting to the big leagues. It turns out he was right and it was a smart move by him.

Joe Girardi said he is going to play a lot and likes that he can do different things with him. Chris Nelson was designated for assignment to make room for Adams on the 25 man roster. Travis Hafner is still day-to-day, nothing has changed with that.

Mark Teixeira still thinks he can be back with the team by the end of this month. He is still just taking swings on the field though. He needs to take live BP, do some sim games and then get into rehab games before coming back. The end of this month seems to be a long shot but we will see in the next week if he is right. If he starts progressing we should have a better idea of when he may comeback.

Kevin Youkilis still isn’t doing much, it seems he may be out for a little while also. The Yankees do have Granderson back and it looks like Hafner will be ok. If Youkilis comes back and Adams is there they have much better depth then they had for the first month or so. It is amazing the Yankees have been able to get to first place and now with guys coming back that can only help them.

The Yankees get to King Felix and beat the Mariners

The New York Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners by the score of 6-2 on Friday night. The game took place in the Bronx,NY. Felix Hernandez was 3-0 in the new stadium with a 0.38 ERA coming into this game. The Yankees were able to get to him enough and beat him. Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees and pitched very well and the bullpen was good as usual. Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez continued their hot hitting in the middle of the order. 
Kuroda pitched seven innings giving up two runs on six hits. He earned his third win of the season and is now 3-4. He walked three and struck out two. Clay Rapada and Cory Wade each faced one batter and retired them Boone Logan pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and striking out two and David Robertson pitched 2/3 of an inning retiring both batters that he faced. Felix Hernandez took the loss pitching 6 2/3 innings and giving up 11 hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out seven. Charlie Furbush pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and a run and Steve Delabar pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run with a strikeout.

Derek Jeter had a hit and drew a walk, Curtis Granderson had a hit and Alex Rodriguez had two hits and drew a walk. Cano had four hits and an RBI, Mark Teixeira had two hits and Nick Swisher had a hit. Raul Ibanez had a hit and three RBI, Eric Chavez had a hit and Andruw Jones had a hit and two RBI. Cano had a double and Ibanez had a homerun. The Yankees were 4-9 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Granderson had a stolen base.

Dustin Ackley had a hit, RBI and drew a walk, Jesus Montero in his return to the Bronx had a hit and an RBI. Kyle Seager had a hit, John Jaso drew a walk and Justin Smoak had three hits. Michael Saunders had a hit and drew a walk. Ackley and Montero each hit a homerun. The Mariners were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Saunders had a stolen base and was caught stealing. Suzuki and Carp each had an outfield assist.

Ackley hit a leadoff homerun to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first inning Cano had an RBI single to tie the game at one. Hernandez had the longest current streak of games without giving up a first inning homerun. Montero hit a solo homerun in the sixth to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the inning Ibanez hit a three run homerun to make it a 4-2 game in favor of the Yankees. Jones hit a two run pinch hit homerun in the eighth to make it 6-2 and that was the final score.

The Yankees have now won two games in a row. The two teams will play game two of their three game series on Saturday afternoon. The Yankees saw their record improve to 18-14 and the Mariners saw their record drop to 15-19. The Yankees will try to climb to five games over 500 on Saturday and then get ready for Andy Pettitte to return on Sunday.

Yankees news and notes

The New York Yankees made their big splash of the offseason the other day and it was in a 45 minute span.  Other then that they have been quiet and continue to be quiet.  There have been some rumors the last couple of days because the Yankees appear to have a need for a DH now.  Jesus Montero was expected to fill that role this season but is now out in Seattle.  The Yankees do have Andruw Jones back on the team and may still resign Eric Chavez, could they fill the role along with the veterans on the team the Yankees like to put in that position at times to give them a rest in the field??  I would say they could but the Yankees appear to be shopping for a bat but one they can sign to a very limited one year contract.  I would say something like one year for three million maybe, if even that much.  Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Carlos Pena are all still out there, who would you like the Yankees to get??  How about Jorge Vazquez who has been in AAA and mashed the ball throughout his minor league career.  Could the Yankees trade one of their pitchers like Phil Hughes or A.J. Burnett and get a bat or free up some more money to go and sign someone or jump in on the Prince Fielder sweepstakes. 

I personally think they may just sign someone like Johnny Damon for one year and see what happens.  I think they have enough offense and feel they will be fine there.  The biggest need they have had in the last couple of years was pitching and they have seemed to solve that problem with a trade and a signing.  The Yankees other then that don't have much else to do except get ready for spring training next month. 

The Yankees did officially announce a one year deal with Phil Hughes today to avoid arbitration.  It was one year for 3.2 million.  I wonder if this helps his value in a potential trade, I would think so because he still is the guy that won 18 games a couple of years ago and was a first round pick and major prospect not that long ago.  That contract is very cheap and could be enticing to some team out there looking for young pitching.  The Yankees could still keep him though and put in the bullpen, he would be easier to trade then Burnett though I would assume for obvious reasons. 

Yankees make a big trade and sign Hiroki Kuroda to join the winter party

The New York Yankees in a span of 45 minutes went from a very good team with some pitching questions to a World Series favorite.  How did they do it, what did they get and what did they give up??  I will discuss all of that in this blog post.  I do want to start by saying I like the two moves they did make but I also think there is more to this and something else is going to come up. 

The Yankees first traded away their projected DH and backup catcher Jesus Montero, they also included Hector Noesi who they were high on and he had a good winter ball showing to the Mariners for Michael Pineda who made the All-Star team in his rookie season.  Pineda is 23 years old and throws mainly a fastball and slider but has a changeup that if he can work on that and make it a good pitch, he will be very dangerous.  The Yankees gave up a possible 30-100 type of guy but pitching wins and the Yankees can rotate the DH spot or pick up a veteran such as Carlos Pena or Johnny Damon.  I am interested to see what everyone else thinks about the DH spot. 

The Yankees quickly then signed Hiroki Kuroda to a one year deal worth 10 million.  The Yankees have been after him for a couple of years.  Kuroda came over from Japan in 2008 and has played all four years in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Kuroda is a control, groundball pitcher.  He should slide right into the #3 slot in the rotation behind Sabathia and Pineda.  It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with the other starters as they now have seven starters for five spots.  I think more moves are coming but some people think Phil Hughes will go back to the bullpen and Freddy Garcia could be used as a longman.  I think the Yankees will continue to look and trade away A.J. Burnett but not so sure they can do that without picking up a significant portion of his salary. 

Here are the career stats on both pitchers the Yankees picked up and then also Monteros stats he picked up in September while with the Yankees. 

Michael Pineda:28 games started, 171 innings, 133 hits allowed, 76 runs allowed and 71 earned runs, 18 homeruns, 55 walks, 173 strikeouts.  His record was 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.  The batting average against him was 211.  To be fair he had a fantastic first half and then dropped off.  He did start to pitch even a little better then he was in September.  Pineda will turn 22 though on Wednesday.  The worry with him is that he could be injury prone because of his mechanics, if he stays healthy and refines his changeup he could be a devastating pitcher for a long time. 

Hiroki Kuroda:In 2008 he was 9-10, 8-7 in 2009, 11-13 in 2010 and 13-16 in 2011.  He has averaged 174 innings pitched a season and has a career ERA of 3.45.  His highest ERA was 3.76 and his lowest was 3.07 this past year.  He averages just over two walks per nine innings and his career and 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings in his career. He gives up less then a homerun per nine innings.  Kuroda is a very solid middle of the rotation type of guy who should slide in nicely behind the big two of Sabathia and Pineda. 

Jesus Montero:In September with the Yankees he finally showed his potential batting 328 with four homeruns and 12 RBI with a 406 on base percentage and a 590 slugging percentage.  In the postseason he was 2-2 with an RBI.   He played in 18 games and had 61 at bats in the regular season.  The Yankees didn't want to part with him but to get what they consider a top of the rotation guy, they had no choice.  The Yankees did also give up Hector Noesi in the deal who they liked but they have so many other pitching prospects he was expendable and they also got in return a 19 year old pitcher Campos who a lot of people project can also be a high end starter. 

Yankees split a doubleheader with the Sox as the Sox win the nightcap in 14 innings

The New York Yankees split two games with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon and night. They won the first game in the afternoon by the score of 6-2 and lost the night game by the score of 7-4 in 14 innings. A.J. Burnett started the day game and pitched very well, Ivan Nova pitched on in the night game but not his best. The Yankees offense in both games was pretty good. The bullpen wasn’t bad either in either of the games. Scott Proctor gave up the runs in the night cap to lose the game but everyone else pitched well.
Burnett pitched 7 2/3 innings in the day game giving up five hits and two runs. He walked two and struck out six. Burnett is 11-11 on the season. Dave Robertson pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up one hit and he struck out three. Nova pitched 6 1/3 innings giving up eight hits and four runs in the night game. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three. Boone Logan faced two batters and retired them both, one with a strikeout, Rafael Soriano pitched an inning giving up a hit and Mariano Rivera pitched an inning giving up a hit and a walk and striking out one. Raul Valdes gave up a hit and retired one batter, Cory Wade pitched two innings without giving up a hit and he struck out two and Aaron Laffey pitched two inning giving up two hits and he struck out one. Proctor took the loss giving up 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and three runs with a walk and a strikeout.

In the first game Brett Gardner had a hit, Derek Jeter had three hits and an RBI and Alex Rodriguez had a hit, RBI and a walk. Jorge Posada had two hits, two RBI and a walk, Andruw Jones had a walk and Russell Martin had two walks. Brandon Laird had a hit and a walk and Ramiro Pena had a walk. Jeter had a double and Posada had a homerun. The Yankees were 3-10 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base. Gardner and Jeter had a stolen base and Martin was caught stealing.

In the first game the Yankees scored two runs in the first inning. Gardner scored on an error by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. A wild pitch by Tim Wakefield scored the second run. In the third Posada hit a two run homerun to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead. Ellsbury hit a solo homerun for the Red Sox to make it 4-1 in the fourth inning. In the fifth Rodriguez hit an RBI single to increase the Yankees lead to 5-1. In the sixth Ellsbury hit another solo homerun to make it a 5-2 game. Jeter hit an RBI double in the sixth to make it 6-2 and complete the scoring in the game.

In the night game Teixeira hit a two run double and he scored on an error in the same play to make it 3-0. That was in the first inning and in the fifth J.D. Drew had an RBI single to make it 3-1. In the sixth Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground out and a run scored making it a 3-2 game. In the seventh the Red Sox took the lead with two runs. Marco Scutaro hit an RBI double and Jason Varitek hit an RBI single to make it 4-3 Red Sox. In the bottom of the seventh Dickerson hit a sac fly to tie the game at four. The game would remain tied until the 14th inning when Ellsbury hit a three run homerun to give the Red Sox a 7-4 lead that they would hold onto.

The Red Sox desperately needed the win as they were only ½ a game ahead of the Rays for the wild card. The two teams would have been tied if the Yankees won. The Red Sox now have a game lead with three to play. The Red Sox will head to Baltimore for three games and the Yankees will play at Tampa for three games. The Yankees have clinched everything so they will probably treat these last three games like spring training games. Hector Noesi will pitch on Monday, Bartolo Colon on Tuesday and TBA on Wednesday. I am sure the regulars will get some at bats but probably not play full games or rotate them where they won’t play all three games. I am not exactly sure how long Noesi could go but he did start the other day in a doubleheader so maybe he can give them four or five innings. James Shields will start for the Rays. It should be an interesting final three days of the regular season. The Yankees know they will play on Friday and Saturday at home and most likely at 8:30PM but the time isn’t set yet and the opponent is yet to be determined. The Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers are the two possible opponents. The Rangers have a one game lead. The Rangers will play at Anaheim and the Tigers will play at home against the Indians.

Yankees news and notes before the doubleheader against Boston

If there were any doubt about Jesus Montero’s roster status, it’s surely gone at this point.


“I can’t envision a scenario where he won’t be on our postseason roster,” Joe Girardi said.  I really can't myself, it is hard to keep him off the roster the way he has played.  He is a very dangerous hitter who won't be affected by the moment.

The lingering question has more to do with playing time rather than a spot in the clubhouse. Montero seems to have locked up regular against bats against left-handed starters, Girardi wouldn’t commit to using Montero as his regular designated hitter against right-handers.

If the Yankees play the Tigers in the first round, they won’t see an left-handed starter the entire series.

“It very well could (affect his playing time,” Girardi said. “But every team does have left-handed relievers.”

Montero seemed happy to hear the news. He said he won’t fully believe it until Girardi makes it official — “I don’t want to say, ‘Yes!’” he said — but it’s clear that Montero’s hit enough to feel confident.

“I’ve been doing a good job, thank God,” he said. “Just trying to do my best. I’m helping and doing whatever they want me to do to help the team to win. I don’t decide anything else.”

 CC Sabathia threw four simulated innings this morning, a total of 65 pitches. “Able to work on some things and not be as intense, but get my work in,” he said.

Sabathia faced Ramiro Pena, Greg Golson and — after an inning — Chris Dickerson. He said he’ll throw a bullpen on Tuesday and be ready for Friday’s postseason opener. He hasn’t started studying scouting reports for either possible opponent. “I faced both teams a bunch of times, so we just have to wait and see,” he said.

Sabathia on the possibility of pitching Game 4 on short rest: “That’s up to them. I’ve done it before.”  The great thing about Sabathia is he will do whatever the team wants and he is big and strong and could handle that.

Girardi said he had not yet talked to Phil Hughes about how he feels a day after yesterday’s bullpen. The Yankees are still hoping to have him pitch in some capacity during these last three games, but they don’t have a game picked for him.

All of the regulars not in the Game 1 lineup will be in the Game 2 lineup. No one is sitting out hurt. “There might be one guy that I use in both games today,” Girardi said. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t bring in someone late, but I think you have to be smart about it at this point.”

On using Jorge Posada as the cleanup hitter: “He has a lot of experience against Wakefield,” Girardi said.  That is true they have faced each other many times over the last 15 years or so.  The Yankees are also playing a doubleheader and don't have a lot of the regulars in there for game one so why not.

The Yankees have locked up home field advantage because Detroit lost last night, so these last five games are all about getting ready for the playoffs. “It’s something that we worked very hard for during the course of the season,” Girardi said. “And it’s nice because I’ve always said that our club is built around our ballpark. We’ll still going to go out and play hard. It’s not going to change my approach, in a sense, but we’ll be smart with guys these last four days.”

Yankees postgame notes after a blowout victory over Boston

Even before Freddy Garcia walked out to the mound and stepped on the rubber, the Yankees had already wrapped up a spot the postseason. But Garcia hadn’t secured a spot in the postseason rotation. He might have done that this afternoon.  We will see which way the Yankees go but he looks like a good bet to get the ball in Game three of the divisional series.


“What he did today is what he’s been doing most of the year for us,” Joe Girardi said. “… Freddy’s a guy that’s been there and done all that. As we move forward we’ll continue to look at all those things, but today he pitched great.”

Garcia struggled in his first two games this month, and a couple of bad pitches really hurt him last weekend in Toronto, but today was the way Garcia has pitched for most of the year. He gave up five hits, but all were singles. He struck out only three, but also walked just one. He gave the Yankees six innings, and he beat the Red Sox, and none of the other third-start candidates has been especially impressive lately.

“I needed to pitch good today because my last three starts I was a little bit struggling,” Garcia said. “I did it. I’m really happy about it, and now I’m looking forward to my next start. I don’t know when, but hopefully I’ll be in the playoffs.”

Girardi said he likes that Garcia mixes his pitches. He likes that Garcia gives a different look than the other Yankees starters. And he likes that Garcia’s been to the playoffs before. Garcia has a 3.11 ERA in 55 postseason innings.  I would think right now he will get the ball in Game Three but I also think if A.J. Burnett pitches well they could go with him since he has done it before with the Yankees and they seem to have a unflinching loyalty to him.

“I’ve been there before and I’ve been successful,” Garcia said. “Hopefully they give me the ball and I’ll be there to pitch. That’s what I do… I always like to prove people wrong. I like that. I like a challenge. If they give me a chance to start the game, I’ll be there.”

Jesus Montero’s first big league at-bat came with the bases loaded against Jon Lester, and he struck out. Montero’s first at-bat this afternoon was in the same situation, and Montero singled in the first run of the game. It was the start of a 3-for-4 day that included four RBI and Montero’s fourth home run of the season.

Girardi: “I actually thought he had a pretty good at-bat that day (in his debut). I thought he fouled off some pitches and just missed some pitches. He had the one swing that he swung at over his head, his first pitch. I can completely understand that. First day in the big leagues. At Fenway. Bases loaded. Against Jon Lester. I wouldn’t have thought anything if he swung at three balls over his head, I just wouldn’t have. As that day went on, I thought his at-bats were pretty good. We have seen consistent at-bats against left-handers, there’s no doubt about it.”

Montero: “I was remembering the first time, he was on the mound in Boston. I was like, wow, this is a movie again, or something like that? I have him again with three men on base? You get kind of nervous, I get a little nervous in that moment, but I got the base-hit, thank God.”  Montero has shown an ability to adjust to pitchers, he seems to have a very high hitting IQ and doesn't get rattled by situations.

This was the first time the Yankees had beaten the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium this season. They are 5-11 against Boston this season.  This season it didn't mean all that much as the Yankees will finish with the best record in the league and homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

 After scoring eight runs in the first three innings, the Yankees had just one hit — Montero’s home run — from the fourth inning to the end of the game.  That isn't good but when you score so many early sometimes you just run out of gas or eventually you are going to be stopped from scoring.

 Today was Garcia’s first scoreless start since July 20. It was his fourth scoreless start of the season, and he’s allowed four earned runs or less in 22 of his 25 starts. He’s 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA in day games.

 Girardi said he’s not sure what Garcia will do next, but he could throw a sim game to keep himself on his routine and sharp for a playoff appearance.

 Girardi still has no next step for Phil Hughes, but Girardi is confident that Hughes came through today’s bullpen just fine. Girardi said it’s “possible” Hughes will start one of the games in Tampa. Earlier, it seemed like Hughes would definitely get one of those starts. Could be that the Yankees want him to work out of the bullpen if that’s going to be his postseason role, but Girardi didn’t commit one way or the other.

Derek Jeter has a hit in 18 of his past 20 games. He homered on a fastball and has now driven in a run in five of his past nine games against Boston. He’s hitting .332 since coming off the disabled list, and he’s hitting .400 against lefties since coming off the DL.

 Montero is the first Yankees rookie to have four RBI in a game against Boston since Brett Gardner drove in four runs on September 26, 2008 at Fenway.

 According to ESPN Stats and Info: Montero is the fifth Yankee with four or more home runs in his first 15 Major League games. The rest of the list: Shelley Duncan, Oscar Azocar, Kevin Maas and Steve Whitaker.

Montero on driving the ball to right field: “All the time my approach is to right field, trying to hit the ball to right field all the time. Sometimes it’s not going to happen, but I’m thinking that way because that’s the way I learned to hit in the Yankees (organization). That’s the way they pitch me. Every time I go to bat, that’s the way I think.”

Maybe Russell Martin shouldn’t hate the Red Sox so much. He has 10 RBI in 11 games against Boston this season, his highest RBI total against any team in 2011. His three home runs against Boston are also his most against any team.

 The Yankees announced an attendance of 49,556, the highest for any regular-season game at the current Yankee Stadium. Today’s number broke the previous record by exactly one person.

Yankees pound the Red Sox to hurt their wildcard chances

The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox by the score of 9-1 on Saturday evening. Freddy Garcia made the start for the Yankees and pitched great, he may have secured himself a spot in the postseason rotation. The Yankees bullpen did a good job and the offense really hammered Jon Lester. Jesus Montero had a big day at the plate.
Garcia pitched six innings giving up six hits and no runs. He walked one and struck out three. Garcia improved to 12-8 on the season. Raul Valdes pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and one run, Cory Wade gave up a hit without recording an out and Boon Logan faced two batters and retired both of them, one on a strikeout. Luis Ayala faced two batters and retired them both and George Kontos pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

Derek Jeter had a hit and three RBI, Robinson Cano had a hit and Nick Swisher had a hit and two walks. Andruw Jones had two hits, Montero had three hits and four RBI and Russell Martin had a hit and two RBI. Montero had a double, Jeter and Montero each had a homerun. The Yankees were 5-6 with runners in scoring position and they left two men on base. Rodriguez made a throwing error.

In the second Montero had an RBI single to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Martin had a two run single to make it 3-0 and Jeter had a three run homerun to make it 6-0 Yankees. In the third Montero had a two run double and it was 8-0 Yankees. Montero hit a solo homerun in the sixth to push the lead to 9-0, the Red Sox would get their only run of the game in the seventh inning. It was the last run of the game as the game finished 9-1. Carl Crawford had an RBI double.

The Yankees with their win had a magic number of one to clinch home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Tigers were taking on the Orioles this evening and lost so the Yankees have clinched home field advantage. The Yankees also with the victory put the pressure on the Red Sox who came into the day with a 2 ½ game lead over the Rays for the wild card. The Rays won so the lead is down to 1 ½. The Red Sox will be pitching John Lackey and Tim Wakefield in the doubleheader tomorrow. These are two pitchers that have really struggled for an extended period of time. There was a crowd of 49, 556 which was the largest in the new stadiums history. Garcia said “I needed to pitch good today. I did it, I’m really happy about it, and now I’m looking forward to my next start. I don’t know when, but hopefully it will be in the playoffs.” The Yankees had their regular lineup in there against the Red Sox. I would assume in one of the games tomorrow they will and then in the other it will be a lot of backups since it is a doubleheader. The key though is pitching and that is why the Red Sox are struggling so much, the pitching for them has been awful. A.J. Burnett will star the first game for the Yankees on Sunday and Ivan Nova will pitch the night cap of the doubleheader. The Yankees will really try to hurt the Red Sox chances by beating them in both games of the doubleheader.

The Yankees get routed in loss to the Rays

Bronx,NY(September 22)-The New York Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 15-8 on Thursday night. The Yankees clinched a playoff spot and the division title on Wednesday and they looked like a team that was partying the night before. The Yankees had most of their regulars sitting out and even got some pitchers in there to make their major league debuts. Bartolo Colon started and was horrible, he was a guy that was though of as the number two or three starter in the postseason but I don’t think that is the case anymore. The Yankees used a bunch of relievers who had varying levels of success. The offense was shut down by Matt Moore who made his major league debut but were able to get to the Rays bullpen a little bit.


Colon pitched three innings giving up seven hits and seven runs with five of them being earned. He walked one and struck out one. Colon took the loss and is 8-10 on the season. He looks like a pitcher who is just tired. He pitched so well in the first half of the season but has just lost it after the all star break. Scott Proctor pitched an inning giving up four hits and five runs with three of them being earned. He walked two batters, Aaron Laffey pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up four hits and one run and struck out one and Andrew Brackman in his major league debut pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up one hit and one walk. Dellin Betances also made his major league debut and pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two runs and four walks with a hit batter and George Kontos pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up one hit and he struck out one.

Chris Dickerson had a hit, Eduardo Nunez had two hits and a walk and Austin Romine had a hit and a walk. Nick Swisher had a hit, Ramiro Pena had two hits and two RBI and Andruw Jones had two hits and three RBI. Jesus Montero had a big game with three hits, two RBI and two walks. Jorge Posada and Brandon Laird each had a hit. Montero had a double and Jones had a homerun. The Yankees were 4-14 with runners in scoring position and they left 11 men on base. Swisher made an error, Jeter made two errors and Dickerson made an error.

The Rays jumped all over the Yankees in this game. Matt Joyce had a two run single in the first and Johnny Damon had a sacrifice fly togive the Rays a 3-0 lead. B.J. Upton had an RBI triple and Evan Longoria an RBI double in the second to give them a 5-0 lead. In the third inning Ben Zobrist hit a two run homerun to give the Rays a 7-0 lead and the rout was on. Upton hit a two run homerun in the fourth, Damon hit a two run homerun and Reid Brignac hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 12-0. IN the fifth inning Zobrist hit a sacrifice fly to make it 13-0. Jones hit a two run homerun in the sixth inning to get the Yankees on the board. In the seventh Pena and Jones had RBI singles to make it 13-4 and Montero had a two run double. It was 13-6 Rays. In the eighth Matt Joyce was hit by a pitch to score a run and Russ Canzler hit a sacrifice fly to make it 15-6 Rays. In the eighth Pena reached on a throwing error to score two runs and make it 15-8. That would be all the scoring in the game.

The Yankees won three out of four in the series against the Rays. The Rays with the victory are two games back of the Red Sox for the wild card with six games to go. The Yankees begin a three game series with the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. The Yankees will have Freddy Garcia on the mound against Jon Lester. The Yankees have a magic number of two to clinch home field advantage through the AL playoffs. The Yankees can get that this weekend and really rest up next week against the Rays for the final three games. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees play the Red Sox who are their arch rivals and I am sure they would love to knock out of the postseason. The Yankees just want to get guys healthy and tuned up for the postseason which will begin next Friday night at the Stadium.

Yankees end their skid and Rivera gets save 599

The New York Yankees defeated the Anaheim Angels on Sunday afternoon by the score of 6-5. Freddy Garcia made the start and didn’t pitch very well but he battled. The bullpen did a good job and the offense rallied. The offense came into the game not scoring a run for 16 innings. Jesus Montero started his first game in the major leagues as a catcher and Austin Romine made his major league debut.
Garcia pitched five innings giving up seven hits and five runs. He walked three and struck out three. Cory Wade who earned his fifth win and went to 5-0 pitched one perfect inning, Rafael Soriano pitched one inning giving up two hits and he struck out a batter and Dave Robertson pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Rivera earned his 599th save of his career and 40th of the season pitching one inning giving up a hit.

Derek Jeter had two hits, Curtis Granderson had a hit and two RBI and Mark Teixeira had a walk and an RBI. Robinson Cano had two hits and an RBI, Jesus Montero was intentionally walked and Eric Chavez had two hits and an RBI. Andruw Jones had two walks, Eduardo Nunez had a walk and Brett Gardner had a hit and a walk. Chavez had a double, Cano and Granderson each hit a homerun. The Yankees were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base. Gardner was caught stealing.

The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Howie Kendrick hit a two run homerun. In the second inning Chavez had an RBI single to cut the lead in half. In the third Garcia threw a wild pitch to allow a run to score and give the Angels a 3-1 lead. In the fourth Cano hit a solo homerun to make it 3-2 Angels. Peter Bourjos hit a two run homerun in the fourth inning to give the Angels a 5-2 lead. In the fifth Granderson hit a two run homerun to make it 5-4. In the seventh Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly but the ball was dropped and two runs scored to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead and that would be the final runs in the game. The Yankees would give up a infield hit in the ninth but it would be erased by a double play to end the game.

The Yankees salvaged the final game of the three game series. The Yankees increased their lead in the AL East to 3 ½ games over the Boston Red Sox. The AL wild card is suddenly a race as the Tampa Bay Rays swept the Red Sox and are only 3 ½ behind them. The Yankees will head to Seattle to begin a three game series on Monday night. Phil Hughes will be on the mound against Felix Hernandez. The 3 ½ game lead the Yankees have is their largest of the season. The Yankees offense had been struggling and in this game they showed signs of life and maybe now they will come out of their slump. They have been battling fatigue and guys being injured. The Yankees have used five catchers this past week alone, that shows how beat up they have been but they found a way in this game and now they hope they can relax a little and win a few more games. The Yankees have 17 games remaining so they are in pretty good shape to wrap up a postseason spot and even the division title.

Yankees lost their fourth straight as Posada is pressed into duty as a catcher

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Anaheim Angels by the score of 6-0 on Saturday night. CC Sabathia started and although he struggled especially early on he did battle his way through and gave the Yankees a chance to win. The bullpen was a different story as they let the game get out of hand. The offense continues to struggle as they couldn’t muster anything against Dan Haren. Jorge Posada who hasn’t caught a game since last October was pressed into duty because of an injury to Russell Martin. Francisco Cervelli the backup catcher is having concussion symptoms and Jesus Montero was the DH, they didn’t want to lose the DH so Posada had to catch.
Sabathia pitched six innings giving up one run on eight hits. He walked four and struck out five. Sabathia failed to record his 20th win of the season. Hector Noesi pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up three hits and four runs with a walk and a strikeout and George Kontos made his major league debut giving up two hits and one run in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two batters.

Derek Jeter, Eric Chavez, Montero and Posada each had a hit. Jeter had a double, the Yankees were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and they left two men on base. The Yankees offense was non existant. Jeter led off the game with a double and Montero had a single in the second and then the Yankees didn’t have a base runner until the eighth inning. Dan Haren pitched a complete game shutout.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the second inning Maicer Izturis RBI double. Mike Trout had an RBI single in the seventh to make it 2-0. Erick Aybar hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 and Jeff Mathis hit a two run homerun making it 5-0 Angels. The Angels would complete the scoring with a solo homerun from Torii Hunter in the eighth inning.

The Yankees have lost four games in a row. They have dropped the first two games of this three game series in Anaheim. The Yankees remain 2 ½ games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox also keep losing. The Tampa Bay Rays are suddenly only four games back of the Red Sox for the wild card. The Angels are only 1 ½ back of the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West. The Angels are right in the wild card race as well and so is Texas. It should be an interesting finish with the Yankees and Red Sox playing three more times and the Rays playing the Red Sox five more times and the Yankees seven more times. The Yankees and Angels will complete their three games series with a Sunday afternoon game and then the Yankees will head to Seattle for a three game series.

Jesus Montero hits his first two homeruns as the Yankees defeat the Orioles

The New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 11-10 on Monday afternoon. It was certainly a hitters day as both starting pitchers really struggled. Freddy Garcia started and for only the second time all year he failed to pitch at least five innings. The Yankees offense bailed him out though as they scorched the ball off of the Baltimore pitching. Jesus Montero had the big game with his first two major league homeruns. They were both impressive shots to the right field bleachers. Robinson Cano hit his third grand slam of the season.
Garcia pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up nine hits and seven runs. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out one. Scott Proctor who was making his first Yankees appearance since 2007 pitched two innings giving up three hits and one run with a walk and two strikeouts, Aaron Laffey got the win pitching 2/3 of an inning and walking one and Luis Ayala pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up one walk and he struck out one. Laffey is 2-1 on the season. Boone Logan pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and one run, Cory Wade pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up one hit and Mariano Rivera picked up his 38th save of the season and 597th of his career. Rivera pitched an inning giving up two hits and a run, hitting a batter and striking out one. It was just not a good day for the pitchers although the bullpen did pretty well for the most part.

Derek Jeter had a hit, Curtis Granderson had a hit and two RBI and Mark Teixeira had two hits an RBI and a walk. Alex Rodriguez had a hit, two walks and was hit by a pitch, Cano had two hits and four RBI and Andruw Jones had a hit, RBI and a walk. Russell Martin had two hits and Montero had two hits, three RBI and a walk. Jeter, Granderson and Martin each had a double. Teixeira and Cano each hit a homerun and Montero had two homeruns. The Yankees were 3-6 with runners in scoring position and they left six men on base. Dickerson made an error and Martin had a passed ball.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Nick Markakis solo homerun. The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the first with two runs. Teixeira hit a solo homerun and Jones had an RBI single. In the second inning the Orioles regained the lead with four runs. Robert Andino had an RBI single, Martin had a passed ball allowing another run to score and make it 3-2 Orioles. Kyle Hudson reached on a fielders choice and a run scored and J. Hardy had an RBI single to make it 5-2 Orioles. In the bottom of the second the Yankees came back with six runs to take an 8-5 lead. Granderson hit a two run double and Cano hit a grand slam homerun. In the third inning Mark Reynolds hit a two run homerun to make it 8-7. In the fifth Andino hit a solo homerun to tie the game at eight. In the bottom of the fifth Montero hit his first major league homerun to give the Yankees a 9-8 lead. Montero hit a two run homerun in the seventh inning to give the Yankees a 11-8 lead. Montero also received two curtain calls for his heroics. In the eighth inning Markakis hit an RBI single making it an 11-9 game. In the ninth inning Ryan Adams had an RBI single to make it 11-10. Rivera struck out the last batter with runners on second and third.

The Yankees have won five games in a row. The Yankees won the first game of this three game series although the two teams will play four games in a row. The Yankees and Orioles will complete this series on Wednesday afternoon and then play a day game on Thursday which is a makeup game but it will be in Baltimore. The Yankees extended their first place lead in the AL East to 2 ½ games over the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox lost 1-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees will be calling up a few more players on Tuesday. The call ups will be Ramiro Pena, Hector Noesi, Greg Golson and George Kontos. The Yankees are also debating calling up one of their top pitchers Dellin Betances. Montero looks like he will be making the postseason roster as the Yankees DH but they still view him as a catcher. He will most likely be the backup catcher next year and also DH. A lot of people doubt if he will ever be a good defensive catcher in the majors but if he hit’s the way he has all of his life they will find a spot for him. Montero said this about his homers “The first one I hit it, I was like, that’s a homerun for sure. I know right field is right there. So when I feel the bat, it was like Gone. The other at-bat I hit it kind of the same, it felt the same way, and it was an amazing moment.” Montero said this about the curtain calls “I see everybody doing that. I was dreaming of that before. I was always telling myself before, One day I’m going to be that guy, It was an amazing moment and an amazing feeling.”

Girardi said “I think sometimes you put a ton of pressure on yourself when you have an opportunity to get there. Well now he’s here, he knows he’s going to get at-bats and we’re going to see what this young man can do.” Girardi also said “The one thing is, you don’t get too giddy on one game, and you don’t get too down on another game. We’ll watch him over a period of time. We always thought that this young man can swing the bat.” The Yankees will attempt to win their sixth straight game on Tuesday night with Phil Hughes making the start. Hughes has been up and down since coming back off the disabled list and is looking to try and stay in the rotation and make the postseason roster. The Yankees right now have CC Sabathia and are unsure after that how it will line up. Ivan Nova and Bartolo Colon are most likely going to start in the playoffs but that last spot is between Garcia, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes. There will probably be one of them in the pen and the other left off the roster entirely. The Yankees first have to worry about winning the division and seeing how everyone is then. The season ends on September 28th and the playoffs start a couple of days after that. The Yankees right now have their biggest lead in a while and they would like to finish up strong, win the division and then see what happens from there. The Yankees are always trying to win a World Series and having home field advantage would help.

Yankees complete the sweep of the Blue Jays

The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by the score of 9-3 on Sunday afternoon. CC Sabathia made the start and pitched very well. Rafael Soriano gave up a run but was able to shut it down from there even with the tying run at the plate at that point. Cory Wade closed out the game easily. The offense was led by Derek Jeter who tied a career high with five RBI, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher hit homeruns as well as Jeter. Jesus Montero playing in his third game had two hits. Montero looks to be more comfortable after recording his first major league hit on Saturday.


Sabathia pitched 7 1/3 innings giving up two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out ten. Sabathia picked up his 19th win of the season and is 19-7 with a 2.97 ERA on the season. Soriano pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and one run and Wade pitched one inning giving up one walk and striking out two.

Jeter led the offense with two hits and five RBI, Brett Gardner had three walks and Mark Teixeira had a hit. Rodriguez had a hit and an RBI, Robinson Cano had a hit and Swisher had a hit and two RBI. Russell Martin had a walk, Montero had two singles and Eduardo Nunez had a hit. Montero after starting his career 0-6 is now 3-10. Jeter, Rodriguez and Swisher all hit homeruns for the Yankees. The Yankees were 3-7 with runners in scoring position and they left six men on base. Gardner had a stolen base and an error.game and that was how it would end. Swisher hit a two run homerun and Jeter had a two run single.

The Yankees swept the three game series from the Blue Jays. The Yankees are now 10-5 against them on the season. The Yankees extended their AL East lead to 1 ½ games over the Boston Red Sox who lost to the Texas Rangers. The Yankees moved to a season best 32 games over 500 at 85-53. The Yankees have won seven of their last eight games and appear to be peaking at the right time. Sabathia was taken out before facing Bautista who is 0-18 against him in his career. Sabathia became the first american league pitcher with 19 or more wins in three straight seasons since Dave Stewart did it with Oakland from 1987-1990. The Yankees after the game announced that they will remain with a six man rotation for now. Sabathia doesn’t know when his next start will come but he will go out and do what he can whenever that start is. He said he would prefer a five man rotation but he isn’t going to complain and after throwing a lot of pitches once again a little extra rest isn’t going to hurt him. The Yankees will now open up a three game series against Baltimore at home before going to Baltimore for a makeup game and then to the West Coast to take on the Angels and Mariners.

The Yankees opened up the scoring with a first inning run. Teixeira had an RBI single. In the third inning the Yankees took a 4-0 lead on a Jeter three run homerun. In the fourth the Jays broke through with an RBI double by Mark Teahen and an RBI groundout by Jose Molina. The Yankees now had a 4-2 lead. In the sixth inning Rodriguez hit a solo homerun to make it 5-2 and then after a Jose Bautista monster homerun into the left field bleachers to make it 5-3 the Yankees broke the game open. The Yankees scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning making it a 9-3

Yankees win as Jesus Montero records his first major league hit

Here is my game recap from this afternoons victory over the Blue Jays.

The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon by the score of 6-4. Bartolo Colon made the start and pitched pretty well but not great. He got a no decision in this game. The bullpen was outstanding as usual and they were shorthanded with Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera not being available due to being used a lot lately. The offense saw Montero pick up his first major league hit and Robinson Cano deliver the big blow in the game.

Colon pitched 6 1/3 innings giving up four runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Boone Logan picked up his fifth win of the season pitching 2/3 of an inning and striking out one. Dave Robertson picked up his first save of the season pitching two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and struck out three.

Brett Gardner had two hits and a walk, Derek Jeter had the day off and Mark Teixeira was still out of the lineup with a sore knee. Alex Rodriguez was back and had a hit and a walk, Cano had a hit and two RBI and Nick Swisher had a hit, RBI and a walk. Andruw Jones had a hit, Montero had his first major league hit and Eduardo Nunez had a hit, RBI and a walk. Francisco Cervelli had two hits and two RBI, Jones and Cano had a double each. Cervelli hit a homerun and the Yankees were 4-7 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees left six men on base. Gardner had two stolen bases and Cervelli was caught stealing and picked off.

In the second inning the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead on a Adam Lind solo homerun and a J.P. Arencibia sacrifice fly. The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the second with three runs to take the lead. Nunez had an RBI single and Cervelli hit a two run homerun. In the third inning the Blue Jays tied the game at three on a Jose Bautista RBI single. In the fifth inning Dewayne Wise who had a great game hit a solo homerun, his first of the season to give the Jays a 4-3 lead. Cano had the big blow in the game, a two run double in the seventh to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Swisher added an RBI single in the seventh to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead which wouldn’t change.

The Yankees will be going for the three game sweep on Sunday afternoon. CC Sabathia will be on the mound. The Yankees remained ½ a game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox also won on Saturday evening to keep pace. The Yankees are hoping that Teixiera will return to the lineup on Sunday and Jeter will be back in there after the day off on Saturday. The Yankees will be looking for Sabathia to pitch deep into the game to give their bullpen a break. Robertson won’t be available on Sunday but Soriano and Rivera should be. Montero should be making his second straight start at DH, after getting his first hit out of the way he will probably relax more now and his natural instincts should take over. It is amazing to watch Posada being fazed out and if Montero hits he will be on the postseason roster and make the team next year if everything goes right. The Yankees of course are trying to win a division title and that is the most important thing to them right now but the future is also important and they have seen a lot out of the so called young guns this season. Nova has a chance at rookie of the year, Nunez has done a lot of good things especially offensively and now Montero is getting his chance. Hector Noesi has also done a nice job this season in long relief.

Yankees Post Game Notes after another victory

Here are some of today's postgame notes after the Yankees won their third straight game and second straight against the Blue Jays. 



Girardi talking about Colon: “(Colon) was able to give us some distance. They got some runs off him. He got the unfortunate break of the ball hitting the bag, the third run he gave up. I thought he used his fastball pretty well today and I thought he had pretty good movement. He got some groundballs.”  I personally thought he was pretty good but he wasn't great.  The Yankees offense is good enough though that you don't have to be great and they have a strong bullpen.

“The real rough inning was the one when he gave up the two runs. They hit him pretty good that inning, but he seemed to settle down.”

“I knew that I didn’t have Soriano or Mo, either, today. I didn’t even ask. I wasn’t going to pitch them no matter what. I was going to (Robertson) even if was still 4-3 and we were losing. Where they were in the order, I was going to try and keep it close. My thought was, ‘I’ll worry about the ninth when we get there. Let’s just try and control the eighth.’ Then he had a pretty quick eighth inning which allowed us to send him out in the ninth.”  I don't think he had much of a choice really but the pitch count started climbing in the second inning for Robertson.  “He probably had one more hitter after the final out. Our thought was somewhere between 35 and 40 pitches that we would let him go. But that was going to be it.”

Girardi was asked about Arod and he said he took a deep breath when A-Rod dove for the ball in the second. Said he didn’t hear anything negative from Rodriguez about how the thump survived the game.

Cano “just never chased. He made Janssen throw strikes. And Robbie’s dangerous at any point in the count, whether he’s down or not. Throw him a strike and he can get the head to it. And we got to see Alex run, so that was good too. Then you get a big hit by Swish. “But to see Robbie Cano drive in the go-ahead run yesterday and then the go-ahea run today, it’s big for us.”  Cano may be the face of the franchise moving forward so it is important for him to do things like that.  He is the best pure hitter on the team.

“We saw him really step up last year. I thought that was really kind of his breakout year. Which I thought he had as good a chance as anybody to win the MVP because of what he does offensively and defensively. The expectation is he’s going to do that every year. He had to slide into the fourth hole a number of times last year and was very successful. I don’t think it matters where you hit Robbie. He’s going to hit. And he’s not going to mind the stage. This kid loves the stage. Loves the pressure moments. It’s one of the reasons why he’s so successful.”

“I wouldn’t write him off in that MVP race, that’s what I wouldn’t do. Because we know what he’s capable of doing, and carrying a club, and putting up a big month. God knows where his numbers might end up at the end of the year. So, Robbie Cano is a staple of our lineup. It’s a pleasure to pencil his name in there every day. It’s real easy. The hard part is when to pick a day to give him a day off. That’s the hardest part of my job when it comes to Robbie Cano.”

Girardi said he’s leaning toward giving Robertson a day off Sunday. “He was upset that we shut him down (Friday). He said it was normal soreness you have after you pitch.”

“I told him, i said, ‘Robbie (Robertson) I could use you anywhere from the eighth to the ninth inning. Just be prepared.”

“We have 82 RBI from out catchers this year. That’s pretty good.”  Cervelli has improved offensively and done a pretty good job back there.  His defense has declined but it has been better then earlier in the year.  The Yankees will go for the sweep of the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon with their ace on the mound.  Teixeira should be back tomorrow.  It was a big day for Jesus Montero who recorded his first major league hit.  He said he was really excited and the ball will be going to his father who is in Minnesota but he was watching.  Montero will probably get another start tomorrow and mostly all against the lefties especially if he keeps producing.

Yankees at Boston Red Sox-The Rubber Match

The New York Yankees will take on the Boston Red Sox tonight at Fenway Park.  It is the finale of the three game series.  The Yankees won the first game on Friday night 3-2  and the Red Sox won the second game yesterday evening 10-4.  The Yankees are 2-9 against the Red Sox this season including 0-6 at home.  CC Sabathia who started yesterday and tied for the most runs given up as a Yankee is 0-4 against the Sox this season.  The pitching matchup tonight is Josh Beckett who has been great against Freddy Garcia who has been good but not against the Red Sox.  Here is the Yankees lineup for tonight.

Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez(DH), Russell Martin, Eduardo Nunez. 

According to Joel Sherman it looks like the Yankees will be giving Chavez regular time at DH and if that doesn't work they will call up Jesus Montero but that isn't immenent.  They would of called him up if they were going with a five man rotation but for right now they aren't taking anyone out of the rotation.  Hughes is scheduled to go Tuesday but if needed out of the bullpen tonight then Nova will take his turn. 

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers-Lineup and Notes

The New York Yankees will begin a three game series with the Texas Rangers tonight weather permitting.  It has been raining off an on and right now it is raining.  The tarp is on the field at Yankee Stadium.  It will be C.C. Sabathia vs. Alexi Ogando if the game is played.  The Yankees have some things going on and here is the news and notes and also their lineup for the game. 

The Yankees will decide at 6:00PM if Derek Jeter will go to the disabled list or not.  He is trying to talk his way out of it and the Yankees are leaning that way.  The Yankees don't want to be shorthanded going to the National League parks starting this weekend.  The pitchers have to bat so there are more bench players used in the games.  Jeter feels he may only miss five or six days but the best bet is probably for him to go on the 15 day disabled list where he hasn't been since 2003.  The Yankees either way will be calling up Ramiro Pena, Eduardo Nunez will start at short and Pena will be the backup for now. 

The Yankees also have to make a decision on Russell Martin.  If he isn't able to play a couple of games in a row or he just can't play they may want to DL him also and call up Jesus Montero from the minor leagues.  It looks like though for whatever reason they don't want to do that.  Francisco Cervelli is the starter right now with Posada as the backup although Posada will not catch unless it is an emergency.  There is talk that they may even call up Gustavo Molina if they have too.  I don't see why they can't call up Montero and see what he has, he will only be the backup anyway and maybe he hits and you get to showcase him a little for a possible trade if the Yankees aren't going to keep him. 

The Yankees still need a starter for Thursday.  It looks like it will be Hector Noesi if he isn't needed in the next couple of days.  If he does pitch in the next couple of days then it will be David Phelps from AAA Scranton. 

Yankees Lineup:Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira(DH), Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada(1B), Nick Swisher, Eduardo Nunez(SS), Francisco Cervelli. 

The Yankees will announce something shortly after 6:00PM with Jeter, I would expect him to go to the DL and be eligible to be activated on the next homestand which will give him three home games to get to 3000 before they go to Citi Field. 

Yankees Updates

Marcus Thames has made the team. He said "That was a weight lifted off of my shoulders". He will be a reserve outfielder and get at bats against lefties who he has very good career numbers against. This hasn't been confirmed but according to a source and this is coming from Chad Jennings of the Lohud Yankees Blog the Yankees have signed Chad Moeller to a minor league contract. He will backup Jesus Montero at AAA Scranton. This same source is saying the Yankees have signed utility man Robby Hammock who can catch and play the corners. Damaso Marte, Francisco Cervelli and Jorge Posada all reported progress this morning. Posada is playing in the game today, Marte will play catch and Cervelli will play catch in the bullpen, hit in the cage and ride a stationary bike. They are all expected to be on the roster for tomorrows opener.

New York Yankees Reserves for Todays Games

The Yankees home game will be televised by the YES network at 1:00PM. Here are some of the guys to watch coming off of the bench in the home game. Jesus Montero-The Yankees top prospect, this kid can really hit. Reegie Corona-He is a natural SS but will play 2B today. Colin Curtis-He has been having a good spring. He will be in the AAA Scranton outfield this season. The Pitchers that are available out of the pen are Royce Ring, Kei Igawa,Alfredo Aceves,Dave Robertson,Wilkens Arias and Jeremy Bleich. Here are the guys coming off the bench in the road game. Austin Romine-He is the other top catcher behind Jesus Montero, he is a very good hitter also but a little better defensively. He isn't as good of a hitter and doesn't have as much power as Montero. Kevin Russo-I mentioned him in my other post as a possible utility guy,he has been having a good spring also. The Pitchers out of the bullpen are Sergio Mitre, Boone Logan,Grant Duff,Amaury Sanit and Zach Segovia. Enjoy the game everyone as it is a horrible day here in the NY area, it is a good day to sit on the couch and watch some Yankees baseball. I have gotten my notes from the press notes, same goes with the lineups. If you want more in detail information please checkout the great Lohud Yankees Blog. Chad Jennings does a great job with it and it can be accessed at http://yankees.lhblogs.com.

Grapefruit Leauge Game 3-Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

The New York Yankees will take on the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at 1:00PM on the YES network. The game is at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. This will be the Yankees 3rd exhibition game and their record is 1-1. Here are the lineups and then some pregame notes from the great Lohud Yankees Blog, if you don't check it out or never have you can at http://yankees.lhblogs.com/ Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Granderson(CF) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Posada(DH) Thames(LF) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Cervelli(C) Rays Lineup: Bartlett(SS) Rodriguez(LF) Longoria(3B) Zobrist(2B) Upton(CF) Navarro(C) Johnson(DH) Rugiano(RF) Richard(1B) The 5th starter competition will be in full swing with Phil Hughes starting and Joba to directly follow him. Nick Johnson is not expected to play today after experiencing back stiffness yesterday. Brett Gardner, Jaime Hoffman and Ramiro Pena were the only Yankees who started the first 2 games. They started in different positions each time. Nick Johnson said he did some exercises this morning and his back loosened up pretty good. Kevin Russo is ready to go today after missing the last couple of days with a illness. Elliot Johnson is part of the roster today, he is the guy that ran over Francisco Cervelli a couple of years ago in a spring training game. He did also break his wrist in that play. I guess this is something to watch for although I don't think it will be a problem now. The players schedule to come off of the bench for the Yankees today are Jesus Montero(C), Juan Miranda(1B), Reegie Corona(2B), Eduardo Nunez(SS), Kevin Russo(3B), Reid Gorecki(LF), Greg Golson(CF), Jon Weber(RF) and Jorge Vazquez(DH). Enjoy the game everyone and for those working it will be on replay later tonight, I have it on DVR to watch later on tonight, like I am doing for all the daytime games this spring.