tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47191524919541332902024-03-05T09:04:58.954-05:00Talking Yankees with Mike<b>Analyzing moves made by the Yankees in the off-season and game recaps during the season.</b>
<small><small>Banner/Layout courtesy of Zach Lasky.</small></small>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.comBlogger787125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-29263752859334383142015-10-07T09:22:00.003-04:002015-10-07T09:27:24.604-04:00Where the Yankees Could Go From HereAfter the Yankees season ended last night with a whimper, the off-season begins earlier than the club would have wanted it to after exceeding expectations for much of the 2015 contest. The New York Yankees on 2015 were projected to win 81 regular season games by Vegas odds, and most prognosticators predicted they would finish at the bottom of the division-- well, they didn't. The Yankees played very well through the beginning of August, when they held an eight game lead over the second place ORIOLES! (Yeah, go figure.) Toronto, after the acquisitions of David Price and Troy Tulowitzki, began putting up video game numbers and ran away with the division that the Yankees had a comfortable lead in seemingly weeks ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSAPJPUf8Ie5qfeYBpc3YWUMebVTSAP_Xb8Nh36T7BcUfJLc9d5Heva6wPYMhU9mn6gXf_0Y7lHCnva2eSRtzms37Llg5UWyUq2ueRuArBbmwes6EhswqtnYCZzMJGCCem-xy69Hqc7A/s1600/Jordan-Zimmermann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSAPJPUf8Ie5qfeYBpc3YWUMebVTSAP_Xb8Nh36T7BcUfJLc9d5Heva6wPYMhU9mn6gXf_0Y7lHCnva2eSRtzms37Llg5UWyUq2ueRuArBbmwes6EhswqtnYCZzMJGCCem-xy69Hqc7A/s320/Jordan-Zimmermann.jpg" width="320" /></a>And so it goes... the Yankees likely have developed a plan for their off-season that should address their weaknesses. First, they need to find a number one pitcher who can be relied upon to end losing streaks and who can give innings, as Yankee starters did not go deep into games this season, resulting in the over-use of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller with the former showing signs of weakness as evidenced by his incredibly high walk rate (4.3BB/9IP). Options include Zach Grienke, who will likely win the NL Cy Young award and David Price, who has an outside chance of garnering Cy Young honors in the American League. Cheaper options include Marco Estrada, who gave the Blue Jays a great season, John Lackey, Jeff Samardzija, among others. The most likely player to sign with the Yankees is Jordan Zimmermann, who finished the season in Washington with a 3.66 ERA in 33 starts, over 200 innings pitched and 22 quality starts. Also, he will be 29 when the 2016 season begins, meaning that he will likely demand a seven year contract to get him signed and I believe the Yankees will be willing to go that far for a pitcher who is still in his prime.<br />
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I can see the Yankees being aggressive on the starting pitching front given their weaknesses in the rotation throughout the 2015 season. At one point, all of their starters were on the disabled list and none of them could be counted on for a consistently dominant effort, although there were flashes of brilliances sprinkled throughout some starts by Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka. Severino is the only bright spot in the rotation, as he is a key to the Yankees future success. He exceeded expectations since he arrived from Scranton and only had one blip against the Blue Jays where he gave up six runs in two innings earlier in September. CC Sabathia has his issues, and cannot be counted upon to be a reliable pitcher in 2016 given his age and wear, and Ivan Nova will likely be flipped this offseason for a decent right-handed bat if the Yankees could include him in a package.<br />
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This brings me to the most pressing issue the Yankees face: right handed power. The Yankees have historically had a great left-handed lineup, but the lineup is also very vulnerable against southpaws as was ever so evident in the second half following Teixeira's injury and A-Rod's bad August and September. Their lefty table-setters did not do the job, as Gardner had the league's third lowest batting average since the All-Star Game and Ellsbury was a shell of himself following an injury that sidelined him for all of June. In addition Brian McCann struggled mightily down the stretch, finishing the season with a .232 average after being as high as .275 in early July. However, McCann is a catcher and catchers wear down as the season progresses given the strenuous toll it takes on their bodies. Together, along with Gardner and Ellsbury (the $153 million man who sat in the wildcard game), these three offensive players were in large part the reason for the Yankees struggles in August and September.<br />
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The Yankees would do anything to get out from under Ellsbury's putrid contract, to which he is still committed to for five seasons (through 2020). They would like a right handed bat in the outfield to take Beltran's place after his contract ends following the 2016 season, which will likely mean that star prospect Aaron Judge will be ready to take over the right field spot, with better defense and a promising bat. If the Yankees want to package Ellsbury and eat most of his contract (which will be very tough to do), they would likely go after a Yoenis Cespedes type of player who can put fear into the opposing pitcher's eyes. However, I see this as a very unlikely scenario unless they can offload the contract of Jacoby Ellsbury. <br />
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Whatever the Yankees do this year, they will address the issues. They do not necessarily need to make a splash in the free agent market, but instead may be able to pull off some trades that are unexpected, similar to last year when they traded for RHP Nathan Eovaldi and SS Didi Gregorius who turned out to be big players for the Yankees.<br />
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You just never know what the Yankees will do, but you do know they will not sit on their hands while issues need to be addressed . This is why they are the Yankees; they will do whatever it takes to put a competitive team on the field and give their fan base something to cheer for. YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-12014071063317105162014-05-15T16:17:00.002-04:002014-05-15T16:17:33.014-04:00Subway Series finale lineupBrett Gardner LF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Jacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano RF<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Chase Whitley RHP- SPYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-48595348401939969032014-05-13T15:26:00.001-04:002014-05-13T15:26:23.080-04:00No Beltran in lineupBrett Gardner LF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Jacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Mark Teixeira DH<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano RF<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Kelly Johnson 1B<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
SP: LHP Vidal Nuno vs. RHP Zach WheelerYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-17877004548562204612014-05-11T10:59:00.001-04:002014-05-11T10:59:47.727-04:00Lineup for Milwaukee finale<div>Brett Gardner LF</div><div>Derek Jeter SS </div>Jacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Kelly Johnson 3B</div><div>Yangervis Solarte 2B</div><div>Ichiro Suzuki RF</div><div>John Ryan Murphy C</div><div>David Phelps- RHP</div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-37817133164633018812014-05-07T18:42:00.001-04:002014-05-07T18:42:22.513-04:00Rubber game lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Derek Jeter SS</div><div>Carlos Beltran RF</div><div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Alfonso Soriano DH</div><div>Yangervis Solarte 3B</div><div>Brett Gardner LF</div><div>Brian Roberts 2B</div><div>John Ryan Murphy C</div><div><br></div><div>SP: LHP Vidal Nuno vs. Hector Santiago </div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-38406813618495800842014-05-06T18:50:00.001-04:002014-05-06T18:50:20.114-04:00Lineup vs AngelsJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran RF<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
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SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP CJ WilsonYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-56588114956148731292014-05-03T10:53:00.000-04:002014-05-03T10:53:10.221-04:00Afternoon lineupAlfredo Aceves has been called up from Triple A after the Yankees bullpen threw 182 pitches in last night's loss. <br />
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Jacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Kelly Johnson 3B<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Ichiro Suzuki RF<br />
Yangervis Solarte SS<br />
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SP: RHP Masahiro Tanaka vs. RHP Jake OdorizziYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-62486721660759151152014-05-02T15:26:00.001-04:002014-05-02T15:26:07.111-04:00Tonight's lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran RF<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Alfonso Soriano LF<br />
Brian McCann DH<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
John Ryan Murphy C<br />
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SP: LHP Vidal Nuno vs. LHP David PriceYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-72119748094136793702014-05-01T16:16:00.001-04:002014-05-01T16:16:41.955-04:00LineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Derek Jeter SS</div><div>Carlos Beltran RF</div><div>Alfonso Soriano DH</div><div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Brian McCann C</div><div>Yangervis Solarte 3B</div><div>Brett Gardner LF</div><div>Brian Roberts 2B</div><div><br></div><div>SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP Roenis Elias</div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-58436032593078096012014-04-29T15:26:00.000-04:002014-04-29T15:26:47.543-04:00Lineup behind SabathiaBrett Gardner CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran RF<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Ichiro Suzuki LF<br />Brian Roberts 2B<br />
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SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. RHP Chris YoungYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-32337910378290796652014-04-27T17:29:00.001-04:002014-04-27T17:29:38.646-04:00Sunday night lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Derek Jeter SS</div><div>Carlos Beltran RF</div><div>Brian McCann C</div><div>Alfonso Soriano DH</div><div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Kelly Johnson 3B</div><div>Yangervis Solarte 2B</div><div>Ichiro Suzuki LF</div><div><br></div><div>SP: RHP Masahiro Tanaka vs. LHP Garrett Richards </div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-50965978004001727122014-04-26T16:24:00.001-04:002014-04-26T16:24:43.602-04:00Murphy Rides Yanks to Victory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back up catcher John Ryan Murphy came through not once, but twice in today's afternoon matinee against the offensively abled Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as he collected two big hits. First, a two run single in the second inning with two outs to get his first two RBI of the season. In his next at bat against lefty Hector Santiago, Murphy drilled a ball into the left field seats for his first big league homer to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead which would be the final score of the game. Without Murphy, the Yankees would have likely lost this game so it goes to prove that one player can make the difference, even the 25th man on the roster. Murphy has looked a lot better behind the plate and at the plate this season. He struggled in 2013, coming up to the Major Leagues for the first time and making mental errors on the field several times. Other than Murphy today, the only Yankee run came on a balk with the bases loaded in the second inning. The offense was largely quiet this afternoon, much like the Stadium throughout the game. <br />
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Yankee starter Vidal Nuno surrendered a first inning homer to Mike Trout and gave up a couple of more runs in the fourth inning, so he did not factor into the decision today. Dellin Betances won his first Major League game today after pitching two scoreless innings in which he struck out three batters. Shawn Kelley also pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings before handing over the ball to Matt Thornton in the eighth to get out Raul Ibanez. Ultimately, David Robertson notched his third save of the year and first since before he went on the disabled list. It took Robertson 26 pitches, but he got the job done, leaving Trout on second base after walking the young star with one out for Albert Pujols, who flied out to left field. Robertson struck out Howie Kendrick to end the game and with this save, Robertson has passed another test. He saved a one-run game and did so against the heart of the Angels lineup.<br />
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In tomorrow afternoon's night game, star rookie Masahiro Tanaka will face off against Garrett Richards (another lefty) as the Yankees look to take two of three from the Angels to open this homestand. YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-54879751782550791382014-04-26T12:04:00.001-04:002014-04-26T12:04:42.865-04:00The lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Derek Jeter SS</div><div>Carlos Beltran DH</div><div>Alfonso Soriano RF</div><div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Brett Gardner LF</div><div>Brian Roberts 2B</div><div>Kelly Johnson 3B</div><div>John Ryan Murphy C</div><div><br></div><div>SP: LHP Vidal Nuno vs. LHP Hector Santiago</div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-43733925994466209232014-04-25T15:27:00.003-04:002014-04-25T15:27:45.394-04:00LineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran RF<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br /><br />SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP CJ WilsonYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-53694691286115297392014-04-24T23:28:00.001-04:002014-04-25T14:36:01.639-04:00Yankees Blow out Sox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdTdUbPpIm5QQS-EOdivfZS4NuiWII2HTWxIPUXGReO9s0qa06Vz8EUHFwjn4RhKI2fJoAp4OggZRIpmlUK7VfJ2_NJjOxd7t_CePGcFBTt_smIiX-3eh8SbHz8K9LranQ-UBeRIU5Hs/s1600/jeter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdTdUbPpIm5QQS-EOdivfZS4NuiWII2HTWxIPUXGReO9s0qa06Vz8EUHFwjn4RhKI2fJoAp4OggZRIpmlUK7VfJ2_NJjOxd7t_CePGcFBTt_smIiX-3eh8SbHz8K9LranQ-UBeRIU5Hs/s1600/jeter2.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a></div>
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The Yankees came into the game with the cloud that was the pine tar game and the offense quickly reminded everyone that despite Pineda's wrong last night, their offense is capable of putting up double digit runs. Felix Doubront was all over the place tonight, allowing seven runs in under three innings. However, only three of the runs were earned. The Red Sox defense committed five errors tonight as the Yankees took advantage of Boston's sloppiness. In addition, the pitching allowed twelve walks to Yankee batters and it came down to infielder/outfielder Mike Carp pitching an inning for Boston. He walked five batters in the inning but got out of the inning because of a double play in between everything, walking in only one run. Not like it mattered, because the Yankees were bound to win the game anyway as they were only three outs away with a nine run lead.<br />
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As mentioned before, the Yankees scored enough runs to win them five games depending on the day, of course. But CC Sabathia pitched six innings and labored but allowed only two runs. Shawn Greene allowed the other two Boston runs as he couldn't get an out and forced Girardi to use Adam Warren for 1.2 innings before having Robertson close the game out, just to get some pitches in after not throwing since coming off the DL. Sabathia wins his third game against two losses and the Yankees remain in first place in the AL East. </div>
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Overall, this was a successful road trip as the Yankees took two of four against the Rays and two of three games against the Red Sox for a 4-3 road trip before coming back to Yankee Stadium to welcome in Mike Trout and the Angels. Hiroki Kuroda will pitch for the Yankees and the Yankees will see three straight lefty starters this weekend beginning with CJ Wilson tomorrow night. </div>
YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-2196628934651570512014-04-24T15:51:00.001-04:002014-04-24T15:51:52.978-04:00Post-Tar lineupMichael Pineda is reportedly accepting a 10 game suspension for his use of pine tar in last night's game. In roster notes, Dean Anna and Preston Claiborne have been optioned while pitchers Shawn Greene and Bruce Billings are now on the roster.<br />
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Jacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran RF<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
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SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. LHP Felix DoubrontYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-64179877667634512982014-04-24T00:33:00.001-04:002014-04-24T00:33:10.676-04:00PINE-da<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The main story of tonight's game will always be remembered as the game where Michael Pineda put pine tar on his neck before coming out to pitch the second inning. Pineda using pine tar is a big deal, as it gives him an edge in colder weather on the grip of the baseball. Pitchers have been doctoring the baseball for years, but none have gone out of their way to make it so obvious. Michael Pineda already used pine tar against the Red Sox once at Yankee Stadium earlier this month, but nothing was made of it. Girardi and Rothschild likely confronted Pineda of this after the start but the conversation must not have registered for Pineda, who looks to be too immature to take the game of baseball seriously. He knows that using pine tar as a pitcher is not allowed, yet did so anyway behind the backs of his bosses. He started the game off awfully, taking 30 pitches to get out of the first inning with no pine tar. Between innings however, he loaded up a glob of pine tar smack on the side of his neck and with two outs in the second John Farrell was out of the dugout to have the umpires examine the substance. The home plate umpire confirmed that the substance on Pineda's neck was pine tar and immediately ejected him from the game. Pineda will also most definitely face a suspension. My guess is that it will be between five and ten games. In addition, the Yankees may impose a penalty on Pineda separate from what the league decides to do. He has to realize that using pine tar or any illegal substance is not acceptable and doing so will cost him even more in the future. <br />
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On a side note, John Lackey pitched like an ace against the Yankees tonight, going eight dominant innings allowing just one run on seven hits and striking out eleven batters. Tonight's start was a major difference from his last two starts where he couldn't get past the fifth inning without allowing a ton of runs. In his last start against the Yankees, he gave up a career high four home runs in under five innings of work as the Yankees romped Lackey. Tonight, he made them pay by pitching dominantly in the cold Boston night that largely surrounded the Pineda situation. Lackey won't even be remembered for his ace-like performance because of the Pineda story.<br />
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In tomorrow's rubber game, CC Sabathia will take on Felix Doubront as the Yankees try to take a second straight series from the Red Sox. Doubront was in trouble in his first start against the Yankees, but ended up having a decent pitching line. Nova was the winner in that game, which also featured a plethora of injuries and corky plays. YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-65261347229820771962014-04-23T16:00:00.002-04:002014-04-23T16:00:33.420-04:00Lineup- Gardner playing rightJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />
Carlos Beltran DH<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano LF<br />Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Brett Gardner RF<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Kelly Johnson 3B<br />
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SP: RHP Michael Pineda vs. RHP John LackeyYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-13044140145209995012014-04-22T22:28:00.001-04:002014-04-22T22:28:42.953-04:00Ellsbury, Yankees rout Lester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Yankees offense was alive tonight, scoring eight runs off Boston starter Jon Lester in 4 2/3 innings. Only three of the eight runs scored off the Red Sox ace lefty were earned. In the fifth inning with two outs first baseman Mike Napoli didn't catch a line drive off the bat of Teixeira and it opened the floodgates where the Yankees would go on to score four runs in the inning. However, it all began in the first inning when Jacoby Ellsbury, in his first at bat in Fenway since returning as a Yankee, hit the ball hard to center field and it was initially ruled an inside-the-park home run however there was fan interference and Ellsbury was placed at third base. He would score on the very next batter's base hit. Jeter, who singled in Ellsbury would also come around to score after the catcher made an error in his throw to second base which allowed Jeter to go all the way to third. Beltran, who also homered in the game, drove Jeter in and the Yankees were already all over Lester, who threw 118 pitches in his outing. Lester allowed ELEVEN hits and walked four batters but did strike out seven hitters in his short outing. Every single Yankee in the starting lineup except Solarte had at least a hit, with six players having multi-hit games. Ellsbury did make outs twice with runners in scoring position, but he also hit a two-run double in the Yankees four run fifth inning. Jeter and Beltran also had two RBI a piece. <br />
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There was much hype surrounding Tanaka's first career start at Fenway Park against the likes of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz. Right out of the gates, the Yankees scored Tanaka enough for him to feel comfortable before even throwing his first pitch. Tanaka strives for perfection so for him, tonight's performance was not up to his standards. For anyone else, it would be a pleasure to toss 7 1/3 innings, allowing only two runs on two solo home runs to David Ortiz and Mike Napoli. I believe that the fact that Tanaka pitched this well against an explosive lineup that is defending their World Series title says a lot about his ability, not just that the league has not seen much of the Japanese righty. <br />
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The Yankees have taken four of the first five games from the Red Sox, and take game one of three at Fenway Park against a team that was dominant at home last season. Tomorrow, the Yankees will once again face John Lackey who they have already knocked around once this season, in search for their third straight win and thirteenth of the season. Michael Pineda will make another start against Boston, having won his first against the Red Sox in the infamous "pine tar" game at Yankee Stadium.YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-56341797430544599532014-04-22T16:22:00.001-04:002014-04-22T16:22:18.877-04:00Lineup @ FenwayJacoby Ellsbury CF<div>Derek Jeter SS</div><div>Carlos Beltran DH</div><div>Alfonso Soriano LF</div><div>Mark Teixeira 1B</div><div>Brian McCann C</div><div>Yangervis Solarte 3B</div><div>Ichiro Suzuki RF</div><div>Brian Roberts 2B</div><div><br></div><div>SP: RHP Masahiro Tanaka vs. LHP Jon Lester</div>YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-61326836911918393692014-04-20T18:13:00.000-04:002014-04-20T18:13:12.172-04:00Yankees Win in Extras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was a tight game through and through, as the score was tied from the seventh inning on with each team scoring one run. For the Yankees, until the twelfth inning their only run came on an RBI double by Brett Gardner that was inches away from being a two-run home run. Nevertheless, Gardner was responsible for even having the Yankees win this game in the first place by putting them on the board on an otherwise offense-less day. The Rays tied the score at 1 in the seventh which started on a ground ball that was a sure double play that would have ended the inning but Brian Roberts bobbled the ball at second base and was not able to get any outs, eventually leading to a Matt Joyce sac fly that tied the game until the 12th inning. Both teams had their chances throughout, but the big blow came from a no-contact play as Rays manager Joe Maddon intentionally loaded the bases in the 12th inning for Dean Anna with two outs. Anna fought off pitch after pitch and ended up walking on a 3-2 count, forcing in the go-ahead run. The Yankees would continue to pour it on with two outs as Beltran collected a two-run single up the middle and Alfonso Soriano singled in a run as well on a bloop hit into shallow right field. Newly called up Preston Claiborne got the win after pitching two scoreless innings for the Yankees. However, the most important reliever for the Yankees was Shawn Kelley who pitched the ninth and tenth innings and struck out four batters in a row to close out the tenth. <br />
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Lefty Vidal Nuno gave the Yankees exactly what they needed; five scoreless innings striking out six and allowing only three hits and was able to get out of a jam early in the game. With Ivan Nova's elbow ligament tear, the Yankees will remember what Nuno did today in their decision on who the new fifth starter will be. Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno are certainly frontrunners but David Phelps has been pitching better of late to make Girardi's decision a difficult one. <br />
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The Yankees will have a day off tomorrow after playing a four-and-a-half hour game today in Tampa. They will make their first trip to Fenway Park, Ellsbury's first visit back to Fenway since signing with the Yankees this offseason. Knowing the Boston fans, they will give Ellsbury no mercy which should motivate the center fielder to get some big hits against his old team. Masahiro Tanaka will make the start on Tuesday, which will be highly watched as people want to see if he can shut down one of the most potent offenses in baseball. YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-25080269801475768662014-04-20T10:46:00.001-04:002014-04-20T10:46:44.863-04:00Trying to recover- lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />Carlos Beltran RF<br />Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Mark Teixeira 1B<br />
Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
John Ryan Murphy C<br />
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SP: LHP Vidal Nuno vs. LHP Cesar RamosYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-728756693440668022014-04-19T15:42:00.002-04:002014-04-19T15:42:50.168-04:00Tonight's lineupJacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Brett Gardner LF<br />
Carlos Beltran DH<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Alfonso Soriano RF<br />Yangervis Solarte 3B<br />
Kelly Johnson 1B<br />
Brian Roberts 2B<br />
Dean Anna SS<br />
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SP: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Chris ArcherYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-6766720402826072692014-04-19T02:23:00.001-04:002014-04-19T02:23:35.460-04:00Yankees Bullpen Can't Hold OnAfter a solid outing by Kuroda, the Yankee bullpen came into the game and one by one, gave up hit after hit. Cabral hit three batters with pitches before getting ejected from the game. It was clear that the hit by pitches were unintentional, but it shows how inept he is at getting outs. Following the game, Cabral was designated for assignment by the Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda left the game in the sixth with two outs because of an elevated pitch count, but had he finished the sixth inning, maybe the Yankees would have won, Cabral would not have been DFA'd and David Phelps wouldn't have suffered an injury, which is becoming a common occurrence for Phelps in recent years. If he wants a chance to start for the Yankees in the future he needs to be more durable. <br />
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The offense scored five runs tonight, highlighted by a bases clearing double hit by Scott Sizemore in the second inning off Erik Bedard. However, the big hit would not hold up in the grand scheme of things as the bullpen couldn't hold on and the offense couldn't add on. This was a night to forget for the Yankees, as it looks like Tampa has returned to being a house of horrors for the Bombers. <br />
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On a brighter note, the Yankees have a chance to get back on track tomorrow, as they still have the lead in the division and can bounce back because of the veteran presence on their ball club. Ivan Nova will start tomorrow against the Rays. Pitching for the Rays will be Chris Archer. Archer is a young prospect who pitched last year and beat the Yankees a couple of times. He has an explosive fastball and great breaking pitches, which are often missed by bats.<br />
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YankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719152491954133290.post-54636835581067425452014-04-18T15:57:00.001-04:002014-04-18T15:57:47.098-04:00No Beltran in lineupBrett Gardner LF<br />
Derek Jeter SS<br />Jacoby Ellsbury CF<br />
Alfonso Soriano DH<br />
Brian McCann C<br />
Yangervis Solarte 2B<br />
Kelly Johnson 1B<br />
Scott Sizemore 3B<br />
Ichiro Suzuki RF<br />
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SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP Erik BedardYankeesTalkwithMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965003002814675400noreply@blogger.com0