Yankees Offense Comes Alive

The Yankees were able to score seven runs tonight, following last night's performance where they were only able to score one lone run against Astros pitching. Several players had a great offensive night including those who have been struggling this season. Ichiro and Nunez each had three hits and Nunez hit two doubles after getting only one extra base hit through last night's game. Ichiro Suzuki was able to get two infield hits as well as a legitimate hit to right field to raise his season average to .268, which is still not up to Ichiro's standards but an improvement on his first three weeks of the season. Travis Hafner had another night to remember, going 3-4 with three RBI and a walk. Hafner finishes out his April with six home runs and 17 RBI, and remember that this is a player who does not get at bats every day. He is tied for the team lead with Robinson Cano, who collected two hits tonight. Philip Humber hung in the game through six innings and allowed four earned runs to the Yankees. He was able to get out of jams throughout his performance courtesy of a couple of ground balls by Boesch, one of which was a double play ground ball.

Hiroki Kuroda came out of the games badly. Reminiscent of Pettitte's performance last night, Kuroda kept getting into trouble in the early innings of this game but was able to get key outs to hold his shutout performance. After the second inning, Kuroda had thrown over fifty pitches and looked like he would not be long in this game. Kuroda was able to find his pitches after the fourth inning and ended up going seven strong shutout innings to notch his fourth win of the month and a 2.25 ERA to finish out his strong April following his first start where he lasted less than four innings following a finger injury.

The Yankees had a five run lead heading into the ninth inning but Shawn Kelley could not put up a clean inning, allowing two runs to score and forcing Girardi to use Mariano to get a one out save. It's sad that the manager can not trust a reliever to get three outs to close out the game against a team like the Astros. Thank god for Mariano, though.

David Phelps will make the start tomorrow night in place of the injured Ivan Nova as the Yankees try to get a series win against Houston. Toeing the rubber for Houston will be lefty Erik Bedard, who has traveled to several teams over the last few years. Bedard has not pitched well against the Yankees in the past, but will try to do so tomorrow night.

The lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Brennan Boesch RF
Jayson Nix 3B
Lyle Overbay 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. RHP Philip Humber

Youkilis DL'd, Joseph called up

The Yankees announced that 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis is on the DL with a lumbar spine strain retroactive to April 28th (Sunday). The earliest that Youkilis will be able to return from the disabled list will be on Monday, May 13th. Cashman admitted that letting Youkilis play on Saturday against Toronto after sitting him for almost a week was a "mistake". If Youkilis did not play on Saturday he would have been eligible to come off the DL as early as next week. However, the Yankees made the mistake of playing him so they must now pay the consequences.

The Yankees also recalled INF Corban Joseph from AAA. The lefty swinging infielder, who primarily plays second base is someone who Cashman considers to be a 1B/2B. He struggled at third base in spring training, so the Yankees did not put him there at Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Joseph was designated for assignment by the Yankees late in spring training, and was quickly resigned. He is the only minor league infielder currently on the Yankees 40 man roster, which may have factored into the decision to call him up for his first trip to the Major Leagues.

Joseph was hitting .273 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI at AAA.

Mark Feinsand made a sobering point in a tweet this afternoon. It is a must-read tweet that will probably take a few seconds to digest, considering how well the Yankees have played thus far.

Astros Slug the Yankees

You would think that it was 2005 by how the Astros played the Yankees tonight. The 'Stros bombed Andy Pettitte and the Yankees. Pettitte went 4.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs- the most he's allowed in a start since July of 2008. I do not know how the Yankees prepared for the Astros but it sure seemed like they thought it would be an easy victory tonight. The Astros had other plans as they came out of the gate swinging and scoring. They scored nine runs against the Yankees and all the Yankees offense could muster was one run, leaving runners on base and grounding into double plays all night. Austin Romine could not get on the same page with Andy Pettitte tonight. Pettitte, who never shakes catchers off, shook off the young catcher. Either way, Pettitte left balls over the middle of the plate for these young hitters to tee off on and lost the game for the Yankees before it really got a chance to begin. Coming off a sweep of the Blue Jays, the Yankees were favorites to continue their dominance and roll over the Astros. The Astros are making life difficult for the Yankees as they take the first game of the series to make the Yankees play a game of catch-up. Lucas Harrell stunned the Yankees tonight, which accounted for them not showing up offensively tonight.

Hiroki Kuroda will try to get the Yankees back to winning ways tomorrow night as he goes against the 0-5 Philip Humber. The Yankees will have a bad taste left in their mouths from tonight and watch for them to come out of the gates swinging against Humber tomorrow night. It would be unacceptable for the Yankees to lose the series at home to the Astros, so they have some work to do over the next two nights at Yankee Stadium.

Romine makes season debut

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Travis Hafner DH
Brennan Boesch RF
Jayson Nix 3B
Lyle Overbay 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Austin Romine C

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. RHP Lucas Harrell

Yankees Come Back for Sweep

The Yankees have swept the Toronto Blue Jays in a four game set at Yankee Stadium. Behind today's win was Phil Hughes and Lyle Overbay who both came up clutch when they were called upon to do something either at the plate or on the mound. The Yankees have a record of 15-9 this year and have more than a handful of comeback wins in the young season. They say that the best indicator to a winning formula is coming out on top in close games. The Yankees won all four if these games against the Blue Jays bytes runs or less and Mariano Rivera collected three saves in the series with Joba Chamberlain notching the remaining one save when Mo was unavailable. The starters did a great job in this series, aside from Ivan Nova who left his start early in the game. Phil Hughes was in attack mode today and went after the aggressive Toronto hitters. He piled on nine strikeouts and his lone walk came intentionally in the sixth to Adam Lind so he could pitch to Izturis with two outs. If Hughes was more economical with his pitches he could have easily gone eight strong innings.

The hitting on this team has been timely and that counts more than compilers who hit to raise individual statistics. Lyle Overbay came up big today against Dickey with Hafner on first in the seventh inning to give the Yankees a permanent lead. Brennan Boesch also hit a home run early in the game to give the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. These players are coming up big in spots that count and every day it's someone different. Yesterday, Travis Hafner had a big day and today it was Boesch and Overbay. The Yankees now have a 15-9 record and a four game winning streak.

The Houston Astros come into Yankee Stadium for a three game set for their first visit to the Stadium as an American League team. The Astros are a horrid baseball team, coming off a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees will try to do what the Red Sox did to the Astros and hope to have an extended winning streak. Andy Pettitte will get the start against Lucas Harrell tomorrow night.

Pronk Proves to be Key

For someone who isn't supposed to start against left handed pitchers, Travis Hafner sure looked like he was playing today with something to prove. The power hitter is Girardi's go-to guy against right handed pitchers, but he notched a key homer against a lefty starter in today's game. Ben Francisco has been horrid and Girardi finally had some guts and took him out of the starting lineup after giving him countless chances to prove that he could hit lefties. Vernon Wells continued to hit today after driving in the tying run in the seventh inning before Hafner hit an RBI triple to right-center field.

CC Sabathia battled tonight, going eight innings and allowing four runs (three earned). CC gave the Yankees a chance to win, despite the Yankees being in a 3-0 hole early. This team is different from Yankees teams in years past. They are gritty and gutty, and take each at-bat seriously. That's how this team of replacements has done so well this year. Eventually the injuries will catch up and the team will level off but it's nice to see they are playing so well. I give a lot of credit to Girardi and the front office for assembling this team that people were laughing at after the first two games of the season against the Red Sox.

The Yankees will try for a four game sweep tomorrow afternoon when Phil Hughes takes the mound to face RA Dickey who has fared better in his last couple of starts. Dickey lost his last start against the Orioles but pitched well after a crooked inning.

Youkilis finally back

The Yankees put Ivan Nova and Francisco Cervelli on the 15 day DL and moved Jeter to the 60 day DL. They have called up LHP Vidal Nuno to pitch in long relief and Phelps is going into the rotation.

Brett Gardner CF
Jayson Nix 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Travis Hafner DH
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Chris Stewart C

SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. LHP JA Happ

Yankees Prevail Despite Injuries

The game began as a sluggish one, when five pitches into the game Cervelli left with what turned out to be a fractured right hand after taking a foul tip off the hand. The injury is a big blow to the Yankees who have been getting productive games from Francisco on both ends of the baseball. Two innings after the Cervelli injury, Ivan Nova would exit the game with pain in his pitching elbow. He felt the pain after the second inning however was pulled in the third following a HBP and a base hit. Nova's MRI results on his elbow have yet to be released. His progress will have to be out on hold as the Yankees await the results of his MRI. Francisco Cervelli will miss at least six weeks with his fractured hand, and his surgery will take place on Saturday. David Phelps pitched following Nova and got the win, setting a career high in strikeouts with nine K's in four innings of relief.

To counter with the Nova and Cervelli moves, the Yankees have confirmed that they have called up catcher Austin Romine from AAA. Also, if Nova goes in the DL then Phelps will likely take his spot with long relief going to Adam Warren and Cody Eppley getting called up from the minors.

The Yankees offense was lucky tonight because of shaky Toronto pitching staff. The Jays pitchers walked Yankee batters ten times and only a couple of those runners scored. Responsible for the Yankee runs were Lyle Overbay with an RBI triple. Overbay would come around to score. Capping off the Yankees scoring was Brett Gardner who lined one into the short porch seats to give Mariano Rivera a cushion of a two run lead. Things got dicey in the ninth with Rivera loaded the bases with two outs but got Rasmus to strike out to end the game.

The Yankees will face JA Happ tomorrow night and will throw CC Sabathia on the mound to face the Blue Jays.

Lineup; on my way to the game!

I'll be at tonight's game that features two pitchers who are prone to giving up a lot of runs. Hopefully the Yankees are on the winning end of it.

Brett Gardner CF
Jayson Nix 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Ben Francisco DH

SP: RHP Ivan Nova vs. LHP Aaron Laffey

Kuroda Wins the Battle

The Yankee starter, Hiroki Kuroda did not have it early; serving up two home runs in the first two innings. He gave one up to Encarnacion after walking Bautista in the first, and promptly yielded another long ball to Brett Lawrie to lead off the second inning. However, after the Lawrie home run Kuroda really settled into a groove. He didn't surrender another hit after the second inning when Kawasaki hit a double following Lawrie's homer. Kuroda was able to locate all of his pitches after initially struggling to throw effectively for strikes. He returned to looking like the Kuroda who pitched a shutout against the Orioles and who made the Jays look foolish in Toronto earlier in the week. Hiroki Kuroda has answered any questions people may have had regarding his ability to repeat the year he had in 2012, then new to the American League East. He looks stronger out of the gates this year after his first two starts were sub-par because of a finger bruise. The Yankee starters have pitched to an ERA of 3.09 over their last fifteen games, and that is what wins games.

Mark Buehrle is still looking for a win against the Yankees, who he has not beaten since April of 2004 while he was still with the White Sox. The southpaw dominated in the early going but the Yankees got to him when Vernon Wells hit a solo shot into Monument Park off Buehrle followed by a Cano three-run shot and capped off with a Cervelli solo home run. Vernon Wells has owned Buehrle in his career with video game like numbers off the lefty pitcher. Cano blasted his team leading seventh home run tonight, and off a lefty nonetheless. Cano is really a stabilizing force in the Yankees lineup with all of their stars out, and after an off year for him last year in the RISP category, he has looked like his old self in the early part of the season. Francisco Cervelli is a pleasant surprise for the Yankees. In addition to being a great clubhouse presence, Cervy knows how to handle the pitchers and has shown some power this year, hitting three home runs so far, and it's only April 25th.

The Yankees will try to create a winning streak tomorrow night as Ivan Nova takes the mound for the Yankees. This is a huge start for Nova, who will likely not be given many more shots to prove himself with Vidal Nuno waiting in the wings to take his spot. Josh Johnson will pitch for the Blue Jays. He was erratic in his last start against the Yankees, but was able to get his team a win after Nova and the Yankees bullpen imploded late in the game.

Youkilis still out

Brett Gardner CF
Ben Francisco DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP Mark Buehrle

Cobb Shuts Down Yankees Offense

Alex Cobb was in cruise control tonight against the Yankees, tossing 8.1 scoreless innings and allowing only three hits in the process. The Yankee batters looked lost at the plate and were swinging at pitches that were out of the strike zone. I didn't expect Cobb to beat the Yankees, especially since the Yankees had him somewhat figured out in previous starts he made against them. The only time the Yankees were able to muster any kind of offense was in the ninth against Fernando Rodney, who gave up another hit to Ichiro, making Hafner the tying run with two outs. Hafner popped out to the third baseman and the Yankees were dead ducks. They were dominated tonight, and I don't blame them for not winning because they couldn't get men on base against Cobb in the first place.

Andy Pettitte pitched well enough to get the win, and on most nights he would have been the winning pitcher with a performance like the one he had tonight. Unfortunately, a key error by Boesch caused the runners to each move up a base in the fifth inning on a Kelly Johnson single. Zobrist would drive the first two Rays runs home on a double, followed by a solo home run by Sean Rodriguez in the following inning. I'm not worrying about Pettitte, because he was just on the wrong end of a fantastic pitching performance by the opposition.

The Yankees will welcome in the hot swinging Blue Jays into Yankee Stadium for a four game set beginning tomorrow evening as Hiroki Kuroda will take the ball for the Yankees coming off his great performance against the same Jays lineup in Toronto. Mark Buehrle will make his second start against the Yankees in less than a week.

Finale lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Francisco Cervelli C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Brennan Boesch RF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. RHP Alex Cobb

Ichiro's Clutch Hit Gives Yankees the Win

Thanks to the Rays issuing an intentional walk to Travis Hafner in the top of the ninth with Cano on second base, Hafner and Cano were able to score on a clutch two-out base hit by Ichiro to give the Yankees a two run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Mariano Rivera came into the game and promptly served up a solo homer on the first pitch to Evan Longoria but allowed no further damage, retiring the next three hitters in order. Ichiro's single in the ninth was hit first hit of the season in a big spot, as he has been struggling badly at the plate to find his stride. the right fielder collected two hits tonight and hopefully this is the game where Ichiro becomes the Ichiro of the second half of 2012. All four Yankees runs tonight were manufactured; the Yankees did not hit a home run, which was their bugga-boo last season. It took the Yankees until June to win a game in which a home run was not hit. Their small ball tonight featured key stolen bases, running aggressively and getting good pitches to hit off Price. David Price has struggled in the early going of the 2013 season but he showed signs of improvement by allowing three runs to the Yankees in 8+ innings of work. The third run charged to the lefty came in the ninth inning after Price exited the game.

The even bigger story, and one that will get lost in the shuffle, was how Phil Hughes was able to battle tonight. His first inning could have gotten out of hand but the right hander allowed only one run in the inning, stranding another run on third base while throwing over thirty pitches in the inning. Hughes would settle down and gave up only one more run through seven innings of work, with the final run coming in the seventh on a Jose Molina single to right field that scored the runner from second base. Hughes struck out six hitters and allowed six hits and two walks in his performance, which puts him on the right track, as he has now pitched two straight games of allowing only two earned runs. He needs to build on tonight, despite not earning the win.  Hughes is an important factor in the Yankees older rotation and they need him to pitch like he did tonight in order to win big games.

The Yankees will try to take the series in Tampa tomorrow night, which is something they have not done in quite some time in Florida. Andy Pettitte will try for his fourth win against this light hitting Tampa Bay lineup. Alex Cobb will get the ball for the Rays. Cobb has pitched well in 2013, going 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA. The Yankees have respectable numbers versus Cobb, but this is a very different team than those of 2011 and 2012.

Nunez batting second

Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Ben Francisco DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
Chris Stewart C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Phil Hughes vs. LHP David Price

Too Many Long Balls Cost Sabathia, Yankees

This loss has to be pinned on CC Sabathia. The lefty allowed two first inning home runs and four runs allowed before his offense even had a chance to get warmed up to Matt Moore, which was no picnic either. Sabathia would settle down after the first, going seven innings and allowing just one more run on another home run. Ryan Roberts hit two of the Rays three homers and he drove in two with the blasts. Yunel Escobar also homered against CC in the first inning, a two-run shot that screwed the nails into the coffin for the Yankees. Matt Moore was dealing from the first inning. The young lefty baffled the Yankees lineup with changeup after curveball after changeup to pile up nine strikeouts against the Yankee hitters. Robinson Cano had the only two hits of the night for the Yankees, going 2-4 with a single and a solo home run which accounted for all the Yankees scoring, otherwise Matt Moore was no-hitting the Yankees tonight.

CC Sabathia has realized that he is no longer a power pitcher, but he must find other ways to get hitters out, because giving up so many first inning runs can put your team in a hole, which happened tonight when CC gave up a 4 spot in the bottom of the fourth inning. CC's fastball now sits at about 90 MPH and reaches 91 on the gun occasionally. The drop in velocity has to be substituted with another pitch that CC can get over for a strike while he is still getting a feel for his pitches early in a game.

The Yankees continue to play awful baseball at Tropicana Field, and with Hughes going against Cy Young winner David Price, I do not see the Yankees bucking that trend anytime soon. The Yankees need to start hitting lefties, and many will come their way if they do not start to prove they can hit them.

Youkilis back in the lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Ben Francisco DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Vernon Wells LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brennan Boesch RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. Matt Moore

Yankees Fail to Sweep

In a sloppy game all around, the Yankees fail to sweep the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, however still win two out of three games. In this game Ivan Nova was yet again, ineffective and the bullpen was unable to do the job, which has been a common occurrence lately. Boone Logan has been as unreliable as possible in this short span of a season. Whenever he is called on, Logan is unable to get the key lefty out essentially three out of five times. The only sure thing this season has been Mariano Rivera. I cannot trust this pitching staff other than when Sabathia, Pettitte or Mariano are pitching, and those players happen to be among the oldest playing baseball.

The offense was able to put men on base today but other than achieving a couple of bases loaded walks put up goose eggs. Nunez has looked awful in this series at the plate, and in the field and taking over for the injured Jeter has looked like a constant struggle for the twenty-six year old. He is hitting less than .200 and has committed two errors in the series. Ichiro still looks foolish at the plate, while Vernon Wells taunted his former team all weekend, at the plate and by making a sparkling defensive play in today's game to take away extra bases from Encarnacion.

It's important to point out the Yankees took the series and will try to stay hot this week at Tropicana Field against the Rays, where the Yankees have struggled in recent years. Tomorrow night, Matt Moore and CC Sabathia will square off in the first of three games in St. Petersburg.

No Youk in the lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Travis Hafner DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix 3B
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Josh Johnson

Yankees on Winning End of Sloppy Game

What started out as a game where Hiroki Kuroda was dominating the Blue Jays lineup ended up being an extra inning nail biter featuring a fair share of Toronto errors and Yankees leaving men on base. Kuroda pitched a fantastic game yet again, going 7.1 innings and allowing only one run to score, which was given up by Robertson in the eighth after Kuroda was pulled following a mistake at first base by Lyle Overbay on a ground ball. Kuroda lasted through 108 pitches and despite allowing a baserunner with one out in the eighth he would have breezed through the eighth without allowing anything else to the Blue Jays. Instead, Robertson allowed three runs to score, which tied the game and the Yankees ultimately ended up winning in eleven innings on a sac bunt by Ichiro which was thrown into left field by Aaron Loup, the Toronto pitcher at the time. He threw the ball to Lawrie, who was still running back to the base, in hopes of nailing the lead runner to get the first out of the inning. Instead, the Yankees played a little small ball and two runs scored because of this horrendous Blue Jays defense. Even though there were only two errors on the board, Toronto made errors all over the place. They can thank their official scorer.

The Yankees offense was largely missing today when the time came to get key hits with men on base. The Yankees had runners in scoring position in essentially every inning against Buehrle, who allowed a solo home run to Wells, but most of the time came up empty. Kevin Youkilis lined a ball over Lawrie's head in the fifth inning which was scored a two-run single. It should have been an error though, as Lawrie had plenty of time to come up with the liner. Cervelli, who got a base hit in the eleventh inning left the based loaded in the fifth inning with a double play ball and stranded Overbay on third with one out in the seventh when he grounded out to short. All is good and well though, as the Yankees come back to win after seemingly having the game wrapped up in the eighth inning. Mariano Rivera did his job and saved the game, his fifth
save of the year. Kuroda's pitching has been phenomenal lately, which is a positive that gets taken from this afternoon's game against the Jays.

The Yankees will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon with Ivan Nova on the mound against former Marlins ace, Josh Johnson going for Toronto. The Yankees failed to sweep their last series against the Diamondbacks by losing the final game of the series. This time they will try to get the job done after winning the first two games above the border.

The Future of Derek Jeter

With the sad news that Jeter has re-injured his surgically repaired ankle Yankees fans (and non-fans) everywhere are writing off the Yankees for the remainder of the season. Sure, Derek Jeter is the heart and soul of the Yankees and sure, Jeter is clutch; we must realize that Derek Jeter is not immortal. The shortstop is going to be 39 years old in June, and the Yankees have an adequate contingency plan. Eduardo Nunez is a serviceable shortstop who has improved his game defensively this year, although we are still waiting for his bat to come alive. Nunez is getting the chance to prove to the Yankees brass that he is the Yankees future starting shortstop. He doesn't need to think that he is "replacing" Derek Jeter, a slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famer, but he needs to do what got him to the Major Leagues on that balmy summer day in 2010.

Derek Jeter's ankle will be a roaming issue for the remainder of the year, as he will rehab the crack in his ankle selfishly. Jeter needs to think more so about his future as the core of the Yankees rather than speeding up his recovery time just to get back to the Yankees by July 19th, the first game after the All-Star Break. If full recovery means coming back on September first, so be it. The Yankees need Derek back at 100% in order for him to feel comfortable and for the Yankees to be confident in their aging star.

Jeter has a player option for next year that stands at $9.5 million, which he is almost certainly going to take after missing most of 2013. A healthy and productive Derek Jeter in 2014 means the Yankees will be able to hand out another contract to their shortstop in future years. However, Jeter must remember that he will be a 40 year old playing a physically demanding position on the field, a position of youngsters. A 40 year old shortstop on the decline with diminished range in the field is not something the Yankees need. So, before getting into any contract talks beyond 2014, let's see how Jeter plays out his remaining deal.

I do know one thing, and that is that Derek Jeter will not end his career the way he did last year against the Tigers in the ALCS. Jeter has something to prove and I have full confidence that he will surprise many people upon his return to the Major Leagues.

Francisco batting second

Brett Gardner CF
Ben Francisco DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Vernon Wells LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP Mark Buehrle

Yankees Back to Winning Ways

The formula is simple: pitching and offense, at least that was applicable to tonight's game. Andy Pettitte turned in another gem, tossing 7.1 innings of three run ball. His only major blemish was courtesy of a Jose Bautista two-rush home run. Otherwise Pettitte was his vintage self, getting key double plays and notching those key strikeouts. Andy Pettitte is pitching like he is 30, not 40 and his consistent performances show why he is a valuable asset to the Yankees, even at an advanced age.

The Yankees offense was able to come alive tonight against Brandon Morrow and Brett Cecil after not being able to bring the winning run home in last night's game. Travis Hafner turned in another great performance by collecting his fifth home run of the season and third double of the year, driving in two in the process. Ichiro is beginning to turn it on, hitting two doubles and putting together good at bats. Vernon Wells reminded the Blue Jays of who they traded when he belted his fourth home run of the season deep into the left field stands. Without Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira this Yankees team is finding ways to win consistently and also doing so without relying on the long ball. The Yankees will always be a power hitting team but it's important that they do not go out of their way to hit a five-run home run every time, which is why they lost yesterday's game in extra innings.

The Yankees continue to rebound from bad losses to put together great wins on nights following a loss. Hiroki Kuroda will try to keep it going tomorrow night against Mark Buehrle.

Lineup vs. Toronto

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Francisco Cervelli C

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. RHP Brandon Morrow

Yankees Lose a Tough One in Extras

For all of the hating that I've done on Phil Hughes this year, he came up big tonight despite not factoring into the decision. Hughes allowed just two runs on two solo home runs in seven innings of work. Phil Hughes struck out six hitters and didn't hand out any walks. I would take this performance from Hughes every time out. A large part in why the Yankees could not score runs early was because of Arizona's starter, Patrick Corbin who was absolutely dealing through seven innings of his own. The only run that the D'backs starter allowed was on a hanging slider to Robinson Cano in the sixth inning when Cano smashed the pitch into the Yankees bullpen.

The Yankees didn't have many opportunities in tonight's game to muster any offense together. They had to settle for Cano's solo home run in the close game against the starter.. The Yankees were able to load the bases in the eighth inning with one out for Robinson Cano and Kevin Youkilis who both struck out swinging. Cano's strikeout was controversial because Cano was hit by the pitch in the foot but made a half-swing through the pitch, which supersedes the hit by pitch. Youkilis left the bases loaded with a swinging K in the eighth before some ninth inning fireworks by Francisco Cervelli when he belted a game tying home run against D'backs closer JJ Putz. Ultimately, the Yankees lost the game in the twelfth inning after loading the bases and allowing consecutive hits to give Arizona a four run lead.

The Yankees are typically most vulnerable against lefty starters, who have dominated them over their last three starts despite the Yankees winning two of those games. Lefty Chen only gave up three runs to the Yankees on Sunday night and Miley was excellent agains
t the Bombers last night until the seventh inning. The offense showed their weaknesses tonight against a left handed starter who over-matched the Yankee bats.

The Yankees have still done well, winning the series by taking two of three games before heading into Toronto for a three game set against the Blue Jays. Andy Pettitte will make his third start of the season after getting pushed back with back spasms. Hard throwing Brandon Morrow will match up against the southpaw. Morrow has had success in his career against the Yankees, and coming off a bad loss the Yankees will be yearning to get back into the win column.

Bad News for Jeter, lineup

Brian Cashman spoke to the media this afternoon and revealed that Derek Jeter will be out until after the All-Star break with a cracked ankle, near the location of his initial injury. Jeter was pushing hard to come back by April 1st, which could have had something to do with the re-injury. Ultimately, Jeter's minor fracture will keep him out until July, when he will again be reassessed. Eduardo Nunez will show us if he is capable of being an every day shortstop in the Major Leagues. This is a major blow to the Yankees, who hoped to have Jeter back in early May along with the rest of their injured players.

Now, for today's lineup:

Brett Gardner CF
Vernon Wells LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Ben Francisco DH
Francisco Cervelli C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Phil Hughes vs. LHP Patrick Corbin

Gardner, Hafner Come Up Big in Comeback Victory

Until the seventh inning, left hander Wade Miley was dealing against the Yankees hitters. The offense looked as weak as it could have possibly looked. Through five innings of work, Miley allowed only three base runners, and escaped one of the innings with a double play ball. In the seventh inning the Yankees were able to get to Miley. The young lefty lost the strike zone after Brennan Boesch doubled in the seventh to put runners on second and third with two outs. After the double, Miley walked two straight batters, one of which drove in the Yankees first run of the inning. Miley was removed with two outs in the seventh after allowing the Yankees first run to score on a bases loaded walk in favor of lefty reliever Tony Sipp. Sipp faced Gardner and Gardner greeted him with a two run single to left field to tie the game. In the next inning Girardi sent Travis Hafner to pinch hit for Ben Francisco with two outs in the eighth and Hafner belted a go-ahead solo blast to give the Yankees a permanent lead. The offense was stagnant for the first two thirds of the game but were able to turn things around with big two out hits in consecutive innings, which is something they were incapable of doing last year. Hafner has been a pleasant surprise for the Yankees, who took a relatively low risk with the injury prone designated hitter. Cashman may get scrutinized in the off-season but his acquisitions usually pan out well during the season, making him look like a genius.

Sabathia struggled early in this one, allowing two runs in the first inning on a Paul Goldschmidt home run and allowed another run in the fifth after a lead-off triple and a sac fly. Sabathia was again able to go deep into the game, pitching eight solid frames and allowing only three runs, which is a deficit the Yankees are usually able to overcome. Sabathia's fastball topped out at 91.17 MPH and his average fastball velocity was at 90 MPH. If Sabathia knows what to do with the reduced velocity on his pitches he should not have trouble even if he throws 85 MPH because it's how you throw your pitches, not how fast your fastball velocity is. Following Sabathia was Mariano Rivera who threw a perfect ninth inning to notch his 612th career save.

The Yankees, who have won seven of their last eight games will go for the series sweep tomorrow with Phil Hughes on the mound, who needs a decent start badly. Opposing Hughes on the mound will be lefty Patrick Corbin who is 2-0 on the young season with a 1.50 ERA.

Lineup against Miley

Brett Gardner CF
Vernon Wells LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Ben Francisco DH
Francisco Cervelli C
Brennan Boesch RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. LHP Wade Miley

Cano's Blast puts Yankees Past D'backs

Robinson Cano was the difference in tonight's game by going deep in the fourth inning off Arizona starter Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy struggled badly tonight, by falling behind on hitters and constantly leaving the bases loaded. Cano finally got to the starter after getting intentionally walked in his previous at bat to load the bases. Cano's blast was important in tonight's game not only because it was the difference in the game but because it shows what he means to the Yankees offense. Robinson Cano is the Yankees future, possessing skills that no other second basemen in Major League Baseball possess. The Yankees were not successful with the bases loaded tonight but were able to get the runs they needed in order to come out on top.

Ivan Nova was ineffective for the majority of his start, giving up seven hits and walking two batters in five innings of work. He threw 94 pitches in five innings, far from economical which was the reason for his early departure from the game. He improved in the fourth inning, but I agreed with Girardi's decision to get him out of the game after five innings. He was a time bomb that was moments away from blowing up. On a lighter side, the Yankees relievers were great tonight in four innings of work. Especially impressive was Boone Logan, who went 1.1 perfect innings for the Yankees. Logan has been highly inconsistent thus far this year and tonight's performance goes a long way for Girardi's trust in Logan. I notice that the manager sometimes lacks confidence in his only lefty in the bullpen, sometimes having the quick hook with him. Joba Chamberlain also showed improvement in getting his two outs in the seventh inning. It was only fitting that Mariano Rivera got to close out a game on a day where the Yankees were honoring Jackie Robinson. Even more fitting was Robinson Cano's blast being the difference in the game after being named after Robinson and wearing #24 in honor of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

CC Sabathia will get the start tomorrow against the Diamondbacks after pitching eight strong innings against the Orioles on Friday night. Pitching against the Yankees will be Wade Miley, who was impressive in his rookie year, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year balloting in 2012 to Bryce Harper.

Nunez back

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Brandon McCarthy

Kuroda Shuts Out Orioles

Hiroki Kuroda went the distance tonight, shutting out a hot Orioles lineup for nine innings of brilliant work. He surrendered only five hits, walking none and punching out five batters. This start is a stark difference from Kuroda's previous two starts where he struggled badly with command after bruising his right middle finger on a come-backer. He was able to work the two-seam fastball over both corners and his splitter was great tonight, as he stumped hitters all night. No Orioles reached second base until the ninth inning when a Jayson Nix eventually allowed Nick Markakis to reach second on a groundout by Adam Jones. Kuroda was not in any jams all night as he continues to show that he is a solid pitcher who can take the Yankees a long way this year. His first two starts were aberrations to the norm, which for Kuroda, means trying his best to get his team a victory every fifth day. Aside from Hughes and Nova, the Yankees front three starters have been great and continue to be the rock on the Yankees roster.

All the offense the Yankees needed tonight came in the fifth inning when Jayson Nix provided the lead with a sac fly followed by Gardner totally mashing a baseball off the top of the right field foul pole for his second home run of the year. The lefty outfielder is not a power hitter, but he can run into one once in a while, and today did so against a lefty. This was his Gardner's first home run against a left handed pitcher since he hit one off Jays lefty Ricky Romero in 2010. The fifth inning in tonight's game was something the Yankees could not do last year. They were not able to manufacture runs in 2012. The part of the lineup that provided the Yankees offense tonight was able to move runners on outs and eventually score on a sac fly. The Yankees are adapting seemingly well to their new style of play, but are still in the top five in MLB's top home run hitting teams with 17 long balls.

The Yankees will enjoy a day off tomorrow coming off a series win at home against Baltimore and will play on Tuesday at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D'Backs will be making a visit to Yankee Stadium in April as part of MLB's new style of interleague play. Arizona will send Brandon McCarthy to face the Bombers while the Yankees will have Ivan Nova try and pitch his way out of a funk.

Wells batting second, Ichiro sits

Brett Gardner CF
Vernon Wells LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Ben Francisco DH
Brennan Boesch RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix SS

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen

Hughes Struggles, Yankees lose

This loss can be pinned solely on a Mr. Philip Hughes, who went three innings and allowed three home runs to Orioles players who would be minor leaguers on any other team. I had a gut feeling that Hughes would pitch the Yankees into a hole, and my predictions were correct. Hughes is about as unreliable as they come. He has turned out to be a five inning pitcher, who gives up a ton of home runs and can never be counted on in a big spot. Today was a prime example of Hughes' inability to pitch well when he is needed. If he is looking for an Anibal Sanchez-esque contract this winter, he will be looking for a while because what he has shown thus far in three starts has been painful to watch. It's come to a point where I know that he will be out after the fifth inning after throwing over 20 pitches in each inning of work. Ivan Nova is more reliable than Hughes, and that is not saying much. Joe Girardi needs to evaluate the back end of his rotation and insert David Phelps into the place of either Hughes or Nova. Phelps is more reliable than the aforementioned pitchers combined. I have confidence when Phelps is in a game, and he has a wicked pick-off move, which is a pleasure to watch.

The offense could only do so much today. After Hughes gave up two runs in the second, the Yankees went to work and scored two runs to tie the game. However, Hughes gave up more runs and the offense was left stranded. Wells hit another home run today, his third of the season. Cano continues to be hot, while Ichiro Suzuki still looks lost at the plate. The way Hughes pitched made a 5-2 game look like a 10-2 game, so the offense struggled the rest of the way. They were able to put men on base but lacked a big hit. Overall, the offense has been good with picking each other up this season thus far, so I will not get on them for today's effort.

Tomorrow night, ESPN will broadcast their game of the week featuring the Yankees and Orioles. Hiroki Kuroda will try to put the Yankees back on winning ways against O's left hander Wei-Yin Chen.

Nunez sits

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix SS

SP: RHP Phil Hughes vs. RHP Jason Hammel

O's Gift-wrap a Win for Yankees

This was quite a bizarre game, beginning with the Eduardo Nunez hit by pitch (again) and ending with a wacky triple play in the eighth inning. The Yankees caught several breaks tonight including scoring three unearned runs in the seventh inning on a deep fly ball hit by Vernon Wells. Adam Jones caught it in his glove as he neared the warning track and the ball fell right out of his glove to allow three Yankee runs to score, which would end up being the difference in the game. The first two runs the Yankees scored were on legitimate hits, first by Youkilis then by Cano in the fifth inning following a Cervelli walk and a Gardner sac bunt. The Yankees were able to manufacture their first two runs of the game, followed by a lucky break given to them by a sloppy Orioles defense, which is among the best in baseball on any other night.

CC Sabathia was an ace tonight. He went eight strong innings, allowing only one earned run while striking out nine Orioles batters. In the eighth however, he wod record all three of his outs on a crazy triple play. All of the infielders got involved and Sabathia was out of a jam which was originally a first and second, nobody out situation. Once again, this was a win the Yankees were given by the baseball gods, probably because he felt bad about their two straight rainouts in Cleveland.

The Yankees will send Phil Hughes to the mound tomorrow in place of Andy Pettitte who felt stiffness in his back, accompanied by spasms earlier in the week. The Yankees are over the .500 mark for the first time this season and will try to keep their winning streak going tomorrow.

Lineup (Weather permitting)

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Francisco Cervelli C

SP: RHP Phil Hughes vs. RHP Zach McAllister

Yankees Slug Their Way Past Tribe

John Sterling must have had a blast tonight *no pun intended* after introducing a couple of new home runs calls. The Yankees slugged five home runs, with long balls by Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki, Kevin Youkilis, Lyle Overbay and Brennan Boesch. This game was a laugher just about from the beginning, and the Yankees keep their hitting shoes on fire for a third straight game. The offense has scored seven runs or more in three consecutive games, something they did not do all of last year. After only two games in Cleveland the Yankees have scored 25 runs, which is amazing when you think about it. This offense has a perfect balance of power and speed, which provides for a lethal combination in games like tonight. Robinson Cano has just been on fire in these two games, raising his average to .303 and collecting  two more extra base hits, one of which was another home run to the opposite field. Cano drove in five runs tonight and deserves player of the game honors without a doubt. Another pleasing sight is watching Gardner and Ichiro come out of their slumps. Gardner collected four hits (two doubles) and Ichiro hit a line drive home run to right field. Travis Hafner was the only Yankees starter to not record a hit after collecting 4 RBI in yesterday's game.

Let's not forget about the performance of Andy Pettitte tonight. The 40 year old southpaw tossed seven innings of one run baseball. He did not have his best stuff with him tonight, but he is a horse and works hard to give the Yankees a chance to win. The young home plate umpire was not generous tonight, making Pettitte throw more pitches than he should have thrown after some questionable non-calls for strike three. Andy Pettitte is showing that age is only a number after throwing two consecutive gems to begin the regular season. If he performs this way for the entire season it could be something special for Pettitte, as well as for the Yankees.

The Yankees have won three straight games to put them at the .500 mark for the first time in this young season. They will try to extend their streak to four straight tomorrow night as Ivan Nova looks for a bounce-back start after not pitching well in Detroit. Brett Myers pitched in relief of Carlos Carrasco after Carrasco was tossed from the game after plunking Youkilis, so tomorrow's starter for the Indians is currently unknown.

Almost identical lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Francisco Cervelli C

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco

Yankees "Pronk" the Indians

Travis Hafner certainly had quite a homecoming, hitting a long first inning three-run home run to put the Yankees on the board. Hafner would follow the home run with a RBI single followed by two consecutive walks before finally making an out in the ninth inning. Hafner, nicknamed "Pronk" during his tenure with the Indians is a very well-liked guy because of his professionalism and likable personality. His hits certainly proved that he still has what it takes and he did it against his old team which makes it even sweeter for Pronk. Seven of the nine players in the starting lineup amassed hits, with Cano breaking out of his early season slump to hit a double and two home runs, which were his first three extra base hits of the season. It it vital for Cano to produce in order for this Yankee team to succeed. For two straight games the Yankees have blown out their opponent, which is significant after starting the season with five straight games in which they scored four runs or less.

Hiroki Kuroda made his first start since bruising his right middle finger. Kuroda admitted that he was not 100% but was able to pitch. His first inning was brutal; Kuroda was unable to throw a strike. He was walking hitters left and right and surrendered three runs in the process. He settled down shortly thereafter, going 5.1 innings and allowing only the three runs in the first inning. The Yankees bullpen took over following Kuroda and delivered a commendable performance. I throw this start away, despite Kuroda getting the win because he was still searching for his pitches in the beginning of this start. He was able to locate, but in the end his high pitch count was the culprit for his short outing.

The Yankees will try to extend their winning streak to three games tomorrow night as Andy Pettitte will make a start, coming off a stellar eight inning performance at Yankee Stadium. Opposing this hot Yankees lineup will be Carlos Carrasco.

Nunez is back

Although he won't know for sure whether he can play until after he takes batting practice, Nunez is confident that he will remain in the lineup.

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez

Yankees Salvage One in Detroit

CC Sabathia and the Yankees offense did what they needed to do today against Justin Verlander. The Yankees managed to get to Verlander early, who did not look sharp throughout the entire game. Kevin Youkilis owned Verlander, by hitting a double and working a walk against the former Cy Young and MVP winner. However, the big hit in this game was courtesy

of Jayson Nix who started at shortstop as a replacement for the still sore Eduardo Nunez. Nix crushed a two-run shot off Verlander in the second inning to give Sabathia some breathing room which made the score 3-0 at the time. Cervelli's hot hitting continued as he collected another two hits and two more RBI on an RBI double in his first career at bat against Verlander and another RBI hit in the eighth to give the Yankees more of a cushion with a 5-0 lead.

Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner continue to struggle despite both players collecting a hit each. Gardner is hitting too many fly balls and hit timing is way off. Cano is just swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and looks like a beaten man when trying to catch up to fastballs. Those hitters need to start hitting to give the Yankees an additional edge down the stretch. The Yankees need Gardner's speed on the bases and they really need Cano's power with so many power hitters missing from the lineup.

CC Sabathia did not look sharp at all today, but managed to blank the Tigers potent offense through seven innings. Today, Sabathia defined what an ace is while not having ace-like stuff. He was able to get through the game without giving up any big hits to the middle of the Tigers lineup. He struggled with the hitters down in the order but no harm, no foul. Sabathia was effective and got the Yankees through the seventh inning and avoided making Girardi go to Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan, who have been awful thus far in a small sample. David Robertson got himself into trouble in the bottom of the eighth but was able to wiggle out of trouble, with his usual Houdini act.

This was a pivotal victory for the Yankees, both morally and statistically. You don't want to start off a season by going 1-5 and winning against a top flight pitcher like Justin Verlander really gives your club a boost mentally. The victory should be able to be a launching point for the Yankees, who will enter Cleveland tomorrow for four games to pay a visit to their old pal Nick Swisher. Hiroki Kuroda will get the start tomorrow against the erratic Ubaldo Jimenez.

Lineup vs. Verlander

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix SS

SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. RHP Justin Verlander

Yankees Drop Another

In what should have been a win for the Yankees, their pitching came up short yet again. Phil Hughes, making his first start of the year surrendered four runs and eight hits in only four innings of work. This is Phil's free agent season and if he wants a healthy paycheck, he needs to step his game up and pitch like he is capable of pitching. Throwing 100 pitches in four or five innings is not the way Hughes or the Yankees drew up his first start of the season. After Hughes though, the bull pen was awful and the Tigers strong lineup made them pay with big hit after big hit.

The Yankees offense was actually on the brink of coming back in the game but some unlucky plays by the Tigers defense caused them to lose outs on the bases on big spots. The acquisitions of the off-season are paying off for the Yankees while their regulars are not hitting well. Everyone needs to wake their bats up if this is how the pitching is going to perform. 1-4 is not the end of the world but if all the other teams in the division are winning it will set the Yankees back on the standings. It is too early to be digging holes in the division standings. A strong start is essential if you want your team to be a contender, as proven by the Phillies last year. They dug themselves a hole that was difficult to get out of despite playing better down the stretch.

The Yankees will once again try to salvage the final game in the series, and the opponent will not be any easier. Justin Verlander will pitch opposite CC Sabathia in an afternoon game before the Yankees head to Cleveland for a 3 game set.

Lineup in Hughes' return

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Brennan Boesch RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix SS

SP: RHP Phil Hughes vs. RHP Max Scherzer

Nunez said that his arm feels better than yesterday.  He is listed on the BP groups, so he may be able to pinch hit if needed. Nunez may return to the lineup tomorrow against Justin Verlander.

Tigers Pound Yankees in Detroit Opener

The Detroit Tigers and Prince Fielder certainly found their power stroke today after getting off to a sluggish start in Minnesota earlier this week. Ivan Nova struggled from the start, with most of the counts going 3-2 and ending in either a walk or a base hit. Nova left after 4 2/3 innings after plunking Miguel Cabrera and it didn't take long for Boone Logan to serve up a three run bomb to Fielder. Ivan Nova had to get off to a better start in 2013 in order for the questions regarding his ineffectiveness in 2012 to subside. He did nothing to help his cause, and posted more question marks for Joe Girardi and the Yankees than they were already facing. Nova has the potential to be a lights out pitcher, proving that in 2011 when he won sixteen games for the Yankees.

The bullpen wasn't much better with Boone Logan giving up a bomb to Fieder followed by Shawn Kelley serving up two more Tiger home runs, one of which was hit by Prince Fielder for his second home run of the game.

With the Yankees' offense the way it has been, every lead is important. The Yankees squandered a lead after scoring three runs in the fifth inning on a wild pitch followed by a two-run blast by Kevin Youkilis. Other than in the fifth inning the Yankees offense never posed as a legitimate threat to the Tigers pitching. Drew Smyly earned the save by pitching four strong innings. A startling development occurred during the game when Nunez was hit by a pitch in the arm, which looked like a DL stint waiting to happen as Nunez hobbled off the field. The diagnosis returned as a bruised right bicep and X=rays coming back negative, making Eduardo Nunez day-to-day.

The Yankees will try to come back tomorrow with a win, sending David Phelps to the mound to face this lethal Detroit lineup. The Yankees need to show up in tomorrow's game in all areas. The bats need to wake up and Phelps need to give the Yankees distance.

Lineup vs. Detroit

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Brennan Boesch RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Doug Fister

Pitching and Power

You certainly would not think that this Yankees team would win with power, but tonight two unlikely sources in Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli powered the Yankees to their first victory of the 2013 season. It was important for the Yankees to come away with a win before going out to Detroit to play the Tigers because it will not get easier for them to win against the pitchers that Jim Leyland is trotting out there this weekend. The offense coming from unlikely sources is a reason why the Yankees should not be counted out. The Yankees are beginning to prove that they can win games without hitting bombs all over the field. For example, Lyle Overbay got the key hit to put the Yankees ahead 2-0 early in the game to give them their first lead of the year. The home runs by Gardner and Cervelli were just icing on the proverbial cake. If the offense can contribute from 1-9 all season and men just get timely hits, the Yankees will have no problems down the road.

Perhaps an even bigger factor that went into tonight's victory was Andy Pettitte pitching like it was 2001. The forty year old lefty dominated the Red Sox lineup all night, fooling them on off-speed pitches and getting three key double plays, including one in the eighth inning to get him out of a jam. A strong and healthy Andy Pettitte will be a major key in the Yankees' success in 2013. If he can give the Yankees anything resembling what they got from him tonight twenty times this year, they will be in good shape, assuming the offense is able to score runs when needed.

Oh, and the great Mariano Rivera earned his first save since tearing his ACL last May. Mariano started out by walking Dustin Pedroia and giving up a double to Gomes, but ultimately got the job done to fill the save column for 2013. There is another man the Yankees will count on in 2013, as he rides off into the sunset after this year.

Ivan Nova gets his first start of the year tomorrow afternoon as the Yankees head to Detroit to face the Tigers for a three game set. Opposite Nova will be Doug Fister, who is also making his season debut for the Tigers.

Lineup Tinkering

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Lyle Overbay 1B
Francisco Cervelli C

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. RHP Ryan Dempster

Showing Signs of Life

Although the Yankees lost their second consecutive game to the Boston Red Sox, the offense began showing signs of life today. First, new Yankee Travis Hafner belted a long solo home run into the Yankees bullpen, followed by new acquired Vernon Wells lining one out to the left field stands in the eighth inning. I understand that these runs mean nothing when the pitching surrenders seven runs, however you need to take small bites. This offense is certainly not news worthy by any stretch but when you have a group of new guys playing together for the first time, meshing takes some getting used to. Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner are the only players who played in last year's Opening Day and this year's Opening Day, meaning there were a lot of new faces in the lineup.

The pitching in tonight's game is something that needs to be discussed as Hiroki Kuroda left the game with a contusion in his right hand's middle finger after a Shane Victorino line drive hit the finger en route to center field. If Kuroda misses any amount of time, the Yankees are in trouble. With a struggling offense, the starting pitching was considered a strength before breaking camp. With Sabathia's dip in velocity and Kuroda's injury the Yankees have to pray that Kuroda's injury is insignificant, otherwise they need to scramble to find a formidable starting pitching to insert into the rotation. The age in the rotation is a red flag that adds to the worry of the state of the Yankees.

This will be a long season for the New York Yankees if they games like they played tonight are commonplace. The team is in desperate need of a spark, and I think that the loss of Swisher and the absence of Derek Jeter takes away from the team's character. I don't feel like I am watching the New York Yankees when I watch these first two games of the season.

Andy Pettitte will try to stop the Yankees' skid tomorrow night as the lefty will face Ryan Dempster in his Red Sox debut. Yankee Stadium has not been kind to Dempster who has awful career numbers at the Stadium. Hopefully, the trend continues tomorrow night.

The Lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda vs. RHP Clay Buchholz

An Ugly Opening Day

The Yankees certainly did not prove any of their haters wrong today, as the offense was anemic and the pitching was all over the place. However, the biggest culprit of the day was CC Sabathia who only lasted five innings and handed out four walks and gave up four runs, all earned. Sabathia is notoriously a slow starter, with his walk rates higher in March and April than in any other month. At any rate, CC is paid to lead the staff, he is the horse, the ace. Today, Sabathia looked like a run of the mill number give starter on a lifeless team. After exiting from the game after the fifth inning, the Yankees bullpen was lousy, with Joba Chamberlain leading the pack by surrendering three runs in two thirds of an inning in the ninth. The Yankees were only down by three runs beforehand, and Joba threw the game away with his lackluster effort; certainly not making a case for a big free agent payday.

Note that this is only the first game of the season. The Yankees have 161 games remaining, 161 more chances to win. (Note: the Yankees were swept out of Tampa to open the season last year).

Returning to this game, the offense looked like it did in October of last year. The Yankees squandered countless opportunities with runners in scoring position. Perhaps the most glaring opportunity came in the seventh when Andrew Miller walked the first two batters of the inning. Nunez, Cano and Youkilis all struck out to follow the walks. This is reminiscent of the 2012 season and it is something the Yankees need to get figured out. Hitting home runs is nice, but as Cervelli displayed today, a two-run single is just as satisfying.

After an off-day tomorrow, the Yankees will go back at it on Wednesday at 7:05 as Hiroki Kuroda will make his season debut against Clay Buccholtz and the Red Sox for game two of the season.

Opening Day Lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Vernon Wells LF
Ben Francisco DH
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix 3B
Francisco Cervelli C

SP: LHP CC Sabathia vs. LHP Jon Lester

I can't say that there are many surprises in the lineup. The only thing that remotely shocked me was having Ichiro bat seventh. The reasoning for that is Joe Girardi wanting to split up the lefties, which there were a lot of in the top of the order before Ichiro was moved down. I'm pretty pleased with the balance of the lineup. Now let's see if they can win with it.