Baseball is back, thank goodness

Hi everyone, I am back.  It has been a long few months since the Yankees loss in Houston in game 7

of the ALCS back in October.  I usually don't take the whole offseason off, I usually try to be into the

NFL and NHL with the Jets, Giants and Rangers as much as possible but this season I just needed

the break.  The NFL season wasn't good for the locals in NY where I am coming from and pretty

much the same with the NY Rangers as well.  I am one happy man that baseball is back.  I am

looking forward to another great year for the Yankees and I also do think the Mets will bounce back

for all of you Mets fans out there.  I am going to start with the Yankees though as the reported to

camp today at least pitchers and catchers.  The Yankees were one win away from the World Series

and now they have a new manager in Aaron Boone.  Everyone knows him from his famous homerun

in his brief stint with the Yankees ins 2003 but also from his broadcasting with ESPN over the last

7 or 8 years.

The one thing that stood out to me today in his press conference to open spring training was how laid

back and easy going he was with the media.  He was definitely comfortable in his own skin as well.

He is the direct opposite of his predecessor Joe Girardi.  Girardi especially over the last few seasons

was just not comfortable at all with the media and you can tell everything was wearing on him.

He was a GI joe type anyway and it just got worse, he was a good manager but never a warm and

fuzzy type guy and Boone is that.  I don't know how he will be as manager but he is more of a Joe

Torre type and I think that may be more important right now.  The Yankees team is stacked, they

have a great offense, great bullpen and not so bad starting rotation.  I can see them winning 95 games

and the division.  They of course like any team has to stay healthy but I also think they are more

prepared then most to withstand injuries.  Why am I saying that, well I believe in their farm system

and think there are guys that can be in the majors right now but don't have a spot or are just knocking

on the door.  Clint Frazier could for sure make the team but he also may be in AAA because there are

just too many outfielders.  Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams are on the verge as pitching prospects

and of course Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar may be the starting second and third baseman, we

will see how that plays out this spring.  There is much to be excited about and I am ready to get

going.  It will probably be somewhat slow the next few days but position players report Sunday and

the first exhibition game is next Friday so before we know it we will be off and running, stick with

me all season and we will have some fun.

New York Mets Pitchers and Catchers Report

The crowd on Friday was the largest in Tradition Field history for the Mets.  I guess it would be expected as they were in the World Series last year and everyone wants to get a glimpse of that great starting pitching staff.  David Wright spoke with reporters and said he doesn't have a specific goal for games played but wants to be out there if he is productive.  He said his mindset hasn't changed due to his spinal stenosis but his preperation has changed.   He said the Mets should follow the Royals lead this year about getting back to the World Series and winning it.  He said the Mets have a great team on paper but that doesn't mean anything, it is how the team comes together and that teams will be gunning for them now since they are the NL Champs. 

He said winning in the NL is more important than beating the Yankees and their focus is on winning the NL East.  He said it is incredible to see how many players are showing up early to camp.  I guess winning will do that for you.  He said as for goals for this season confidence is good but cockiness is dangerous.  He said that he will miss Daniel Murphy this season. 

Terry Collins had this to say on Friday.  He said Jenrry Mejia used extremely bad judgement and his permanent suspension was very disappointing.  He will sit down next week with captain Wright and speak about their plan for the season.  He said they will slow down Wright in Spring Training so fatigue doesn't set in.  He said the players were told to take it easy early in spring training to avoid injuries.  The Mets don't know yet how the starting pitching depth will shake out after the five known starters. 

Travis d'Arnaud will mostly play three days in a row before getting a rest.  That will be the case most times he said.  Kevin Plawecki has to work well with the pitchers, that is the biggest thing for him.  On Saturday Michael Cuddyer was talking about Michael Conforto being an impact hitter.  There are definitely high expectations with the kid.  The big story on Sunday was Yoenis Cespedes showing up to camp.  He got his work in, took some batting practice and spoke with the media. 

Why did he come back to the Mets?  He said it was a little of everything.  He said he feels at home and relaxed.  He said he isn't worried about all the attention he will be getting. He said that he works hard and isn't too concerned with the salary.  He said one of the reasons for reporting early was to reestablish the bond with his teammates.  He said it was natural last season after the trade to the Mets in July.  The fans, team, coaches, everything is why he came back.  He said such a positive atmosphere.  Is this the Mets he was talking about, what a change in a few months.  Before the run to the World Series last year, you couldn't say anything close to that for many  years.  It really does feel different now, everyone is confident including the fans who are notorius for waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

New York Mets news and notes from the weekend

Terry Collins said there is currently no timetable for Shaun Marcum to pitch again. He was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his neck at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He received trigger point injections in his neck, he will return to Port St. Lucie and rest for 48 hours. He is on the 15 day disabled list with biceps tendonitis. 
The Mets hit five homeruns in their first three games of the season which is the most since 2006. They did not hit their fifth homerun last year until the seventh game.

The Mets optioned Jeurys Familia to AAA-Las Vegas and that they have moved Johan Santana to the 60 day disabled list. The Mets will make a corresponding move on Sunday.

David Wright played his 60^th straight game without an error extending his own franchise record. John Buck has been hitting really well so far this season and that continued on Saturday.

The Mets will go for the series win on Sunday against the Marlins and try to win their first two series of the season.

The Mets starting pitching has been great so far this season but their bullpen has struggled. Their offense is hitting a lot of homeruns which it really hasn’t done in recent seasons.

Terry Collins is still planning on mixing and matching in the outfield. A lot of fans want to see Colin Cowgill playing everyday at least for now. We will have to see if Collins will change his mind, I don’t think he is going too.

Yankees news and notes as a long road trip ends

The Yankees had a rough road trip but they actually gained two games in the standings.  They had a three city, ten game road trip.  They had to go to the West Coast and then back to Toronto.  The Yankees have a five game lead in the loss column over Boston, they have a magic number of five to clinch a playoff spot.  They should be able to clinch that and the division at home this week.  They should also be able to get Mariano Rivera the all-time saves record.  Here are some notes from after yesterday's game.  The Lohud Yankees blog provided a lot of the information.

Ten starts in a row, Freddy Garcia didn’t allow a single home run. When he finally coughed one up on August 29, it was the only run he allowed all game. Since then, Garcia has allowed multiple home runs in three straight starts, including two tonight to Adam Lind.  The Yankees pitching has been good all season but Colon had one good start and one bad on this road trip, CC Sabathia hasn't been himself, Phil Hughes was pushed back with back spasms and Freddy Garcia hasn't been good at all.  The Yankees pitching is a little bit of a mess right now.  The bullpen has been very good though for the most part. 


“I try to make good pitches, and sometimes I’m not able to do it,” Garcia said. “That’s why I’ve been giving home runs… Last three starts, I don’t be doing my job. I’m really frustrated about it, but that’s part of the game. Sometimes you pitch good. Sometimes you pitch bad. You just have to go continue to try to do the best that you can do, and hopefully everything goes well for you.”

“Bart had a good start on this road trip and had one that wasn’t so good,” Joe Girardi said. “Freddy’s kept us in the games. We talked at the beginning of the season how we worried about innings for both these guys. There’s some concern there, but they’ve just got to find a way to get it done.”

Garcia said tonight’s home run was a good pitch, a splitter that Lind put a good swing on. The second was a slider that “didn’t do much.”

“He’s just missing some spots, that’s all,” Girardi said. “That’s going to happen. Freddy’s not going to be a huge strikeout guy and they’re going to put the ball in play. If you miss some spots, that’s the chance you’re going to take.”

The Yankees won only four of 10 on this road trip, but they still managed to gain two games in the standings. After today’s game, the team just seemed relieved to be finally going home. “From now on every game is important,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Every game is meaningful. We’re looking forward to playing at home, playing well, start cleaning up some of the small mistakes that we’ve been making. We understand we’ve got to get better.”

 After Monday’s makeup game against the Twins, the Yankees play their final 10 games against the Red Sox and Rays. With seven games at home against those two teams, the Yankees home stand could either put the division away or make it a race to the finish. “It will be a great opportunity to do that there,” Mariano Rivera said. “We still have to perform good and take care of business at home, get this thing over.”

Obviously Brandon Morrow completely shutdown the Yankees offense today. “He had us baffled all day with his slide,” Rodriguez said. “He probably threw 70 to 75 percent sliders, which is a very high percentage for him. He’s usually the opposite, 70 to 77 percent fastball guy.”

 Of the Yankees five hits, three were by Eduardo Nunez, and Nunez was the only Yankee to advance beyond first base.

 Of course, Nunez also made the second Yankees base-running mistake of the weekend. “He’s just making an aggressive turn,” Girardi said. “In that situation, you’ve got to know the score. You’re not going to get to second unless it really bounces off himn, so you’ve got to be cautious there. He was just overaggressive.”  The Yankees need to clean up the stuff like that, they had a lot of those mistakes on this road trip and they can't continue to play that way.

 Why not pinch hit for Ramiro Pena in the eighth? “Pena’s had some success off him,” Girardi said. “Grandy is 1 for his last 15 with 10 strikeouts. If we had a couple guys on, I might have pinch-hit Grandy and taken a chance.”

 Impressive Yankees debut by Raul Valdes, who retired four of the five batters he faced, including all three left-handers. The Yankees have been giving Aaron Laffey a lot of chances to emerge as a legitimate second lefty candidate, but that Valdes appearance might earn a few more looks. I still don’t think the Yankees will actually carry a second left-hander in the postseason, but I’m sure they’d like to have a backup option in mind.

 Girardi’s assessment of going 4-6 on the road and still gaining two games in the standings: “I think we are fortunate,” he said. “We’ve got to go home and play better, there’s no doubt about it. At times, we didn’t swing the bats on this trip. Is it good pitching? Is it fatigue? I don’t know, but I know our guys are pretty worn down. Now they’ll get to sleep in their own beds and hopefully catch up a little bit.”

The Mets win the finale in San Diego

The New York Mets defeated the San Diego Padres by the score of 7-3 on Wednesday evening. Dillon Gee made the start and pitched well as he has for most of the season. The bullpen pitched very well except for Ryota Igarashi who gave up a couple of runs in mop up duty. Angel Pagan and Willie Harris set the table with good games and David Wright drove in a few runs.
Gee pitched 6 2/3 innings giving up five hits and one run, he walked four and struck out five. Tim Byrdak walked the only batter he faced, Manny Acosta struck out the only batter that he faced and Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless inning striking out one. Igarashi pitched one inning giving up two hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout.

Pagan had two hits and three RBI, Harris had two hits an RBI and a walk and Wright had a hit and three RBI. Lucas Duda had a hit, Jason Bay had a walk and Jason Pridie had a walk. Ruben Tejada had a hit and a walk and Scott Hairston had a walk. Wright had a homerun and the Mets were 3-12 with runners in scoring position. The Mets left eight men on base. Pagan and Tejada had stolen bases.

Wright hit a three run homerun in the third inning to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. In the seventh inning Pagan grounded out scoring a run and making it 4-0 Mets. In the bottom of the seventh inning Aaron Cunningham hit an RBI double making it a 4-1 game. In the seventh Pagan had a two run single and Harris had an RBI single making it 7-1. The Padres scored a couple of runs in the ninth to make it a 7-3 game and that was how it ended.

The Mets took two out of three from the Padres. It was the first series they have ever won at PETCO Park. The Mets had a tough beginning to the road trip by getting swept in Arizona but they finished strong in San Diego. The Mets record is 60-63, the Mets will have the day off on Thursday and then begin a three game series at Citi Field against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Yankees sweep Oakland and some postgame notes

The New York Yankees won 4-2 this afternoon over the Oakland Athletics sweeping the three game series.  The Yankees started off this road trip losing the first two games, they have now won the last four in a row.  They have run into good starting pitching but the offense has done well and the Yankees starters have performed really well which they have for most of the season.  It is really interesting that they don't get talked about a lot right now but they may be soon if this keeps up.  Ivan Nova has the highest ERA of the starters and that is in the high fours.  Every other starter has an ERA below four.  Here are some postgame notes as the Yankees will enjoy a day off on Thursday and head to Anaheim to get ready for a three game series there beginning Friday night.


“Our guys have pitched pretty well too,” Joe Girardi said. “Bartolo got us off to a great start, and Freddy’s been throwing the ball well, and I just felt that our club, we had a chance to win every game on this road trip, and we’ve been playing better. I just felt we had a chance today.”

Following the lead of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett gave the Yankees seven strong innings. He allowed a two-run homer in the first inning, then allowed one more hit the rest of the way. Girardi said Burnett got stronger as the game went along. 

“Once you’re out there you don’t think about it,” Burnett said, “but obviously you don’t want to be the guy that makes the winning come to an end either. I think we’ve done a good job here of late, and to keep it going, it’s up to us to go out and set the tone. Our defense and our hitters see that confidence and see we’re in those games. It helps them out as well.”

“We’ve beaten three pretty darned good pitchers,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Our guys have been terrific. You can’t say enough about the jobs Colon and Garcia have done. Those guys have been Godsends for us, and A.J. was terrific today.”

Said Girardi: “Pitching is the key, obviously. You have to pitch well to win a lot of games. Whenever we pitch well I get excited, but it’s good to see our offense swinging the bats. It’s great.”


The Yankees got their first three-game series sweep of the season. Every other series sweep this year has been a two-game set against the Orioles. With Sunday’s win in Seattle, this is also the Yankees first four-game winning streak of the year.

Girardi pointed out that this game wasn’t necessarily easy for Burnett. The final numbers are outstanding, but he was laboring, especially early. The difference, he said, was an adjustment away from his four-seam fastball, which was finishing too far up in the zone. “I think at times in the past I would stick to it and get beat up,” Burnett said. “I realized that the two-seamer kept me down in the zone today. To righties I used that more and changeups to lefties. Everything was down.”

The Yankees have won 10 straight against the A’s, and they’ve gone 24-4 against them since Girardi became manager in 2008. “That’s hard to believe because they’ve got a really good team,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Billy Beane has done a great job of gathering talent and great pitching.”

 When Swisher was traded to Chicago, Gonzalez was one of the primary pieces coming from the White Sox to the A’s. Swisher said he had no idea until this morning that he was facing a guy he was once traded for. “I just found out about that this morning, that we were in the same trade,” Swisher said. “No one likes getting traded, bro. You don’t really pay attention to who was on the other side of it. He’s a great pitcher, no doubt, and he’s got a lot of potential. I wish him the best of luck.”

 Derek Jeter had a double to move within 16 hits of 3000. “I can’t wait, man,” Swisher said. “I can’t wait to see that. I’ve seen someone hit 500 (home runs), seen Mariano save 500, but I’ve never seen 3,000 hits, man. I’m excited to see that.”


 Jeter has a seven-game hitting streak and has a .512 on-base percentage when leading off the first inning this year. That’s the highest such on-base percentage in the Majors.

 Russell Martin is hitless in his past 16 at-bats. On the positive side Mark Teixeira has a nine-game hitting streak.

 Mariano Rivera picked up his 14th save of the season. He’s now pitched in 1,002 games, tying Goose Gossage for 14th on baseball’s all-time games pitched list.

 Burnett had not won a game on the road since August 10, 2010, an 11-start streak without a victory. He was 0-5 with a 5.64 ERA. No other Major League starter failed to get at least one win on the road over that stretch (minimum 60 innings pitched) and only one had a higher ERA. Carl Pavano was the other pitcher.

Yankees vs. Mets Subway Series Game Two

The New York Yankees and New York Mets will play game two of their three game Subway Series tonight at 7:00PM at Yankee Stadium.  The Mets defeated the Yankees 2-1 last night in a good pitchers duel between Freddy Garcia and R.A. Dickey not who you would expect in a pitchers duel.  The offense of both teams didn't do much at all and the Yankees were 1-10 with runners in scoring position.  Chris Capuano will pitch for the Mets tonight and A.J. Burnett for the Yankees.  Here are some news and notes and the lineups.

Yankees Lineup:Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez(DH), Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, Nick Swisher, Andruw Jones, Eduardo Nunez(3B).  Brett Gardner and Jorge Posada are sitting this one out with the lefty starting. 

New York Mets:Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Fernando Martinez, Justin Turner, Josh Thole, Jason Pridie, Ruben Tejada. 

Gary Carter-former Mets catcher issued a statement today.  He has four small tumors in his brain.  Here is what he had to say.  "Earlier today, I learned that four very small tumors have been found on my brain, following an MRI on Friday at a West Palm Beach facility.  I am scheduled to be examined further Thursday at Duke Medical Center, and we will learn more at that time about my diagnosis.  My wife Sandy, and our children and family thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  We ask that you please respect our privacy  as we learn more about my medical condition." 

Jose Reyes leads the majors in triples with six, is tied for the major league lead in steals with 16, hits(59), multi-hit games(19) and tied for second in the NL in doubles with 13.  He is hitting 315 with one homerun and 15 RBI and has a 365 on base percentage.  He has played extremely well as well as Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez.  All three will be guys that the Mets can definitely look to trade as they unload some salary and try to build for the future. 

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN he heard that first round pick Matt Harvey could move up to AA Binghamton by June 1st.  He is in A Port St. Lucie and is 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA.  He has pitched 41 1/3 innings striking out 46. 

The Yankees have lost six games in a row at home which is the longest streak since they lost eight in a row at home in 2003.  They have played 25 home games so far this season which is the second most in the AL behind K.C. who have played 28 and tying for third most in the majors behind them, Cincinnati and the Dodgers. 

This current streak and the eight game losing streak in 2003 are the only two six game losing streaks or more at home for the Yankees since 1990.  They have lost each of their last two home series which is just the second time in the New Stadium that has happened.  The Yankees have had seven single season losing streaks of seven or more games since 1919 including one over the last 25 seasons. 

The Yankees are just 1-12 when losing after five innings this season and 1-14 when losing after six.  They are 1-16 after seven and 1-17 when losing after eight.  They are obviously a team that hasn't come back well, they need the lead and then hold on to it.  It shows how poor the offense has performed because they have been a team that comes back a lot especially once they get into the other bullpens but this season they have gotten worse as the game goes on and they rely too much on the homerun. 

Derek Jeter owns a lifetime batting average of 389 against the Mets.  It is the second best all-time among players with at least 150 plate appearances.  He has an active home hitting streak of 23 games which dates back to 6/28/2003.  Mariano Rivera needs one more appearance to reach 1,000 for his career.  He would be just the 15th pitcher all-time to reach that mark.  He will be the first to reach that total with one team. 

Regular Season Game 14-Cubs at Mets

The New York Mets will try and win 2 games in a row for the first time this season when they host the Chicago Cubs this evening at 7:10PM. Mike Pelfrey is making the start against Carlos Zambrano. Here are some of the notes and the lineup for tonights game. Mike Pelfrey recorded his first save of his career on April 17th in the 20th inning when he recorded a scoreless inning. The Mets pitching staff has the 3rd lowest era in the NL and 7th in the majors at 3.50. They have a 1.19 era over their last 31 innings pitched. Jason Bay will e presented with the 2009 Tip O'Neill Award handed out by the Canadien Baseball Hall Of Fame and Museum before tonights game. He had a good day yesterday and will look to continue that and end his rough start. Mets Lineup: Reyes(SS) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Francoeur(RF) Davis(1B) Pagan(CF) Blanco(C) Pelfrey(P)

Mets L"IKE" what they see

The Mets got the boost they were hoping for with Ike Davis making his debut this evening. They defeated the Chicago Cubs by the score of 6-1. Rookie Jon Niese got the start and pitched well going 5 2/3 innings giving up 8 hits and 1 unearned run. He did walk 3 batters but struck out 7. Fernando Nieve got the win pitching 1 1/3 innings and giving up 1 hit. Jenrry Mejia pitched 2 hitless and scoreless innings giving up 2 walks, he did strike out 2 batters. Ike Davis had 2 hits including a rbi single. Angel Pagan had the big blow a 2 run homerun in the7th inning to break the tie and give the Mets the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Jason Bay had a couple of hits including a rbi double. David Wright had a hit and another walk to add to his major league lead in that category. The Mets will send Mike Pelfrey to the hill tomorrow against Carlos Zambrano in game 2 of the series. Ike Davis got a face full of shaving cream in the dugout. He said it is easier to blend in with the team since he knows them from spring training and that it is a good group of guys and they all welcome him.

Yankees win rain shortened Game

The New York Yankees won a rain shortened 6 inning game tonight. The final score was 5-1 and CC Sabathia was great again. He pitched 6 innings giving up 1 run on 3 hits, 0 walks and 9 strikeouts. Joe Girardi and Francisco Cervelli who caught him again tonight thought he was even better this time out. Here is what Girardi had to say "That's about as good as we have seen him. 73 pitches and 58 strikes? It seemed like his first 10 or 12 pitches were all strike tonight. He was outstanding." He had a couple of hits given up in the first inning but other then that he breezed right through a powerful Texas lineup. He retired 11 straight at one point and struck out 6 straight at one point. Here is what Cervelli said "I think he pitched better today, he was throwing nasty pitches." Cervelli and him really have a good chemistry going together, CC says it is because they are constantly talking even when neither of them are playing in the game. Cervelli says that CC doesn't treat him like a rookie, more like a veteran catcher, he tells Cervelli just call your game and I will follow you. It really is great for a young rookie catcher to be catching outstanding games from the ace of the team, his confidence will only grow. He also contributed offensively with a rbi single and infield single. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano became the first set of Yankees teammates to start off a season with 10 game hitting streaks, congratulations to them. Mark Teixeira continues to struggle but that is his track record in April and then by the end of the year his numbers are there. Marcus Thames continues to hit lefties and I think we have a platoon situation going on in left field. The two teams will meet in Game 2 of the 3 game series tomorrow afternoon with A.J. Burnett on the mound.

Regular Season Game 9-Angels at Yankees

The New York Yankees take on the Anaheim Angels from Yankee Stadium tonight at 7:00PM. This game is the rubber game of their 3 game series. The Yankees won the first one by the score of 7-5 and the Angels won yesterdays game by the score of 5-3. Phil Hughes is making his season debut opposite Scott Kazmir who is also making his season debut. Here are some pregame notes and the lineup. The Yankees have scored 3 or more runs in all of their games this season. Today is Jackie Robinson day across baseball. His family will be at the game for a pregame ceremony. Mariano Rivera is the last player wearing the number as it was retired across baseball in 1997. The Yankees have not comitted a error in their last 6 games. I think their defense is improved from last year, their infield is arguably the best in baseball and now their outfield is solid as well. Jorge Posada needs 2 more hits to reach 15oo on his career. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Swisher(RF) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Thames(DH) Granderson(CF) Winn(LF) This is a new look lineup as Winn gets his first start and Swisher is batting second for the first time. Marcus Thames will face a lefty again which is interesting.

Regular Season Game 9-Mets at Rockies

The New York Mets will try and salvage a game in Colorado this afternoon. Mike Pelfrey will be making the start. Here is the Mets lineup for todays game. Mets Lineup: Reyes(SS) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Francoeur(RF) Tatis(1B) Blanco(C) Pagan(CF) Pelfrey(P) Jorge De La Rosa is the starting pitcher for the Rockies. Today is the 63rd anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and making his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In honor everyone in baseball today will wear #42. The Mets lost their 3rd straight series which was the first time since 1997. Jeff Francoeur has collected at least one hit in the first 8 games. The Mets are 4th in the NL with 36 walks. They have also given up 36 walks which is 4th most in the NL. The Mets bullpen has been a bright spot so far with the 2nd best era in the majors. They have a 2.08 era. Their starters though have a 6.91 era which is 28th out of the 30 teams. They need starting pitching and that will be their downfall all year if they don't find pitching or someone they haven't doesn't step it up. David Wright is 6 hits away from tying Howard Johnson for 8th on the Mets all time hits list. He is 2 doubles shy of tying Edward Kranepool for the team record with 225.

Regular Season Game 8-Yankees vs Angels Part 2

I decided to break up the game posts since the notes section was long. Here are both teams lineups for todays game. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Granderson(CF) Swisher(RF) Gardner(LF) Angels Lineup: Aybar(SS) Abreu(RF) Hunter(CF) Matsui(DH) Morales(1B) Rivera(LF) Izturis(2B) Mathis(C) Wood(3B) Javier Vazquez makes the start against Joel Piniero.

Mets Win/Yankees Lose

The New York Mets had a good night last night in defeating the Washington Nationals by the score of 8-2. Mike Pelfrey turned in a strong pitching performance and the Mets hit 4 homeruns in a game at Citi Field for the first time. Rod Barajas and Jeff Francoeur each hit 2 homeruns. Mike Pelfrey pitched 6 innings giving up 4 hits and 2 runs with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. Hisanori Takahashi, Fernando Nieve and Jenrry Mejia each pithced a scoreless inning. Angel Pagan and Alex Cora each had a hit and a walk and Alex Cora had a rbi. David Wright had 2 hits a walk and a rbi. Jason Bay had a hit and a walk. It was a good game all the way around for the Mets who now will get Jose Reyes back today and that should provide them with a boost. The best thing about this game for the Mets though was the effective pitching from Mike Pelfrey. If the Mets are going to go anywhere they need good pitching from someone other then Johan Santana. They will play game 2 of the 3 game series this afternoon at 1:00PM. The Yankees on the other hand had a very bad night. Javier Vazquez did not have a good return back to the Yankees and the AL. He pitched 5 2/3 innings giving up 8 hits and 8 runs with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. Sergio Mitre did a good job in relief pitching 2 1/3 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run with 1 strikeout. Alex Rodriguez had a rbi triple and Derek Jeter and Nick Johnson each had 2 hits. Robinson Cano, Marcus Thames and Nick Swisher each had a hit. The Yankees will attempt to bounce back this afternoon at 3:10PM with CC Sabathia on the mound.

Mets lose rubber game to Marlins

The New York Mets lost their rubber game of their 3 game series with the Marlins by the score of 3-1. The offense was just lifeless as the Mets pitching was good especially the bullpen. Jon Niese game them 6 pretty good innings. He gave up 3 runs on 8 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Hisanori Takahashi and Ryota Igarashi each pitched scoreless innings giving up a walk. Fernando Nieve retired the only batter he faced and Pedro Feliciano pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up 1 hit. Angel Pagan and Jeff Francoeur each had 2 hits with Francoeur picking up a rbi. The only other guys to have hits were Luis Castillo, Jason Bay and Rod Barajas who each had 1 hit. The Mets were 0-4 with runners in scoring position so they didn't even threaten to score too much. It was a very poor offensive game for the Mets and there was no energy at all at the ballpark. The attendance was only 25,000+ which is not good at all for a team trying to erase all the negativity from last season. The Mets will now take on the Washington Nationals in a 3 game weekend series before hitting the road. I guess the positive the Mets can take out of this game is that they got a good pitching performance from someone not named Santana. They did get good news after the game when Jerry Maneul announced that Jose Reyes will rejoin the team tomorrow and play on Saturday. Luis Castillo though has sore calves and will be replaced by Alex Cora for tomorrows game.

Regular Season Game 3-Marlins at Mets

Here are the pregame notes and lineups for tonights rubber game. The Mets won on Opening Day and the Marlins came back and won the second game last night. Jon Niese and Nate Robertson are the starting pitchers for the game. Mets Lineup: Pagan(CF) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Francoeur(RF) Tatis(1B) Barajas(C) Tejada(SS) Niese(P) Marlins Lineup: Coughlin(LF) Maybin(CF) Ramirez(SS) Cantu(3B) Uggla(2B) Paulino(C) Ross(RF) Sanchez(1B) Robertson(P)

Yankees at Rays Pitching Matchups

Here are the pitching matchups for the 3 game series at Tampa that will take place starting tomorrow. Friday-Javier Vazquez vs David Price Saturday-CC Sabathia vs Wade Davis Sunday-A.J. Burnett vs James Shields It will be another series vs a divisional foe, a lot of people are picking the Rays this year and the Yankees will get an early look at them.

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)

Mets lose To Nationals

The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals this afternoon by the score of 9-3. John Maine got the start for the Mets and was up and down. He gave up 4 runs on 6 hits with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Ryota Igarashi pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up 1 hit and 2 runs with a walk. Sean Green looked really good today striking out the side in his one inning of work. Bobby Parnell pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up 3 hits and 2 runs. Hisanori Takahashi got out the only 2 guys he faced. The Mets offense was led by Frank Catalonatto and Ruben Tejada who each had 2 hits. Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews Jr. each had a hit and Matthews also drew a walk. Mike Jacobs hit a 2 run homerun, he will now be the first baseman and have a real chance to not let go of the position. Fernando Tatis had a hit for the Mets. The Mets will play the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow night at Tropicana Field, the game is at 6:10PM.

Mets lose in more then one way

The New York Mets were defeated by the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon by the score of 9-4. Oliver Perez got the start and was dreadful again. He pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 7 runs with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. He allowed 3 homeruns in the game. Elmer Dessens pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits. Sean Green pitched 2 scoreless innings giving up a hit and he had a strikeout. Kiko Calero pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits and a run, he did have 2 strikeouts. Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning giving up a hit and he had a strikeout. Daniel Murphy was 2-2 with a walk. He left the game with a knee injury suffered during a rundown. Jason Bay hit his 3rd homerun of the spring although he played bad in the field. Rod Barajas, Omir Santos and Frank Catalanotto each had a hit. Alex Cora left the game after getting hit by a pitch. I don't have any injury updates yet. According to SNY the Mets have told Pat Misch that he will not be on the roster. Mike Jacobs will play in Murphys spot tomorrow against the Marlins. The Mets have claimed Manny Acosta from the Braves this afternoon. He is 5-7 in his career with a 3.55 era. I am guessing they will be looking at him for the 8th inning. Carlos Beltran took indoor batting today in Port St. Lucie. The Mets are still hopeful he will be back by mid may but there hasn't bee a definitive timetable yet.