Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Game Thread: Yankees @ Dodgers 7/31


The Yankees and the Dodgers finish their season series tonight on YES and MLB TV at 10:00 pm in Dodgers Stadium. The pitching match up is Hiroki Kuroda facing off with the Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Hiroki Kuroda has been easily the best and most consistent Yankees pitcher this season and faces off with the best and most consistent pitcher for the Dodgers in Kershaw. Go Yankees!!

Here is the Yankees lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Vernon Wells RF
Brent Lillibridge 1B
Jayson Nix 3B
Chris Stewart C
Hiroki Kuroda RHP


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New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Dodgers 7/31


Today is a big day for the New York Yankees as it is the last day for non waiver trading and it is also the last time that we will have to play the Los Angeles Dodgers and former Yankees star Don Mattingly. The Yankees will send former Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to face off with the Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. The game will be televised at 10:05 pm ET on YES and MLB TV.

Alex Rodriguez To Be Banned For Life By MLB


Bob Nightengale from USA Today reports that Major League Baseball is prepared to ban Alex Rodriguez for life either tomorrow or Friday. The suspensions are obviously coming from the Biogenesis fall out  and any suspension that comes from it is expected to be appealed by Alex and his attorney David Cornwell. According to the Biogenesis documentation and evidence against Alex he used steroids from 2010-2012 and has lied to MLB officials about it. Alex has never been punished, nor has he had a failed test, in that time but with this evidence mixed in with him interfering with the investigation may end his baseball playing career. Stay tuned here for the latest in this soap opera.

Curtis Granderson Rehab Assignment Update


Curtis Granderson played an afternoon rehab game with the Trenton Thunder today and ended the day 1-3 with two walks, a single, and his obligatory strike out. Grandy played the entire game as the Thunder's DH in what could be one f his final games down in the minors. Granderson is still expected to come back Friday when the Yankees play the San Diego Padres.

The Yankees Trade Deadline Summed Up In A Gif

Sad But True...

Francisco Cervelli To See Dr. James Andrews Monday


Francisco Cervelli has had a lingering pain in his right throwing elbow, originally diagnosed as a stress reaction, and will see Dr. James Andrews on Monday August 5th. This is not a great sign as it usually means Tommy John surgery for a player that sees Dr. Andrews so we should all be holding our collective breathe. Cervelli is also still feeling pain in the broken finger which is not a good sign when rest and rehab is not taking well. I do not think we are going to see Cervelli this season, with or without the Biogenesis suspension.

The Yankees Do Nothing At The Trading Deadline


The Yankees let the 4:00 pm ET trading deadline come and go without making a single move and I cannot say I am more disappointed. I really do not have words for this situation and this team right now which is really rare for me so bare with me while I write this.

Michael Young announced that he would be willing to waive his no trade clause to play for the New York Yankees and the Yankees and Brian Cashman did not get it done.

The Orioles are ahead of us and they got better by acquiring Francisco Rodriguez for their bullpen and Bud Norris for their starting rotation. The Boston Red Sox acquired Jake Peavy to bolster their starting rotation and their bullpen. The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Jesse Crain for lord knows what, no really the player is still yet to be named and depends on Crain's performance, and the Yankees acquired Alfonso Soriano. The same Alfonso Soriano that the ownership pushed the deal for and not Brian Cashman. If it were up to Brian Cashman we would not have acquired anyone and that does not sit well with me.

I am literally at a loss for words right now. I know that we can still make trades through the waiver wire but that does not make me feel any better today. Speechless, truly speechless.

Defensive Miscues Cost Thunder in 5-3 Loss

   
 
Press Release - July 31, 2013
Defensive Miscues Cost Thunder in 5-3 Loss

TRENTON, NJ – Curtis Granderson was in the lineup for a second consecutive game, but defensive miscues unraveled an otherwise well-pitched game in Trenton’s 5-3 loss to the Harrisburg Senators Wednesday afternoon.

Four of the five runs that the Senators notched in their win were unearned as three errors proved costly for the Thunder. The first run of the game scored on a throwing error by Casey Stevenson with two outs on a grounder to third base in the 3rd inning. An inning later, Harrisburg scored again with a runner on second base and two outs. Ricky Hague struck out for Harrisburg on a ball in the dirt that got away momentarily from the catcher Farnham. The throw by Farnham got away from the first baseman Kyle Roller and allowed Hague- who was off on the pitch in the dirt- to score without a play to the plate.

After having a bases-loaded walk produce a run in the top of the 7thinning, Harrisburg plated two more on a fielding error on the next batter that glanced off Stevenson’s glove and into left field. It was 5-1 at the time, and though Trenton added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th to trim the deficit to 5-3, that would be as close as Trenton would get the rest of the way.

Nik Turley collected the loss despite not allowing an earned run. He exited after six full innings with the Thunder trailing 2-1. The lefty allowed two unearned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six. While his record on the season drops to 8-6, his ERA drops from 4.23 to 3.99.

Granderson finished 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and a single. He also scored Trenton’s second run of the game when he came home on Slade Heathcott’s opposite field double with two outs in the 7thinning. He played the entire game as the Designated Hitter and was 2-for-6 with two walks in two games with the Thunder..

The Thunder and Senators battle in the rubber game of the three-game series Thursday night at ARM & HAMMER Park. The ballgame begins at 7:05 p.m. and features LHP Jeremy Bleich (1-1, 2.92) for the Thunder facing Harrisburg Senators LHP Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.81). Limited tickets still available at www.trentonthunder.com/tickets or by calling the Thunder Ticket Office at (609)394-3300. Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and streaming online begins at 6:45 p.m.

--THUNDER--

Being posted with permission from the Trenton Thunder Organization. The original post can be seen HERE

Charleston Floats Past Crawdads


Charleston Floats Past Crawdads
RiverDogs pitching shuts out Hickory

CHARLESTON, SC – Charleston RiverDogs starting pitcher Vicente Campos tossed five shutout innings and scattered just four hits to pick up his first win since mid-May in Charleston's 2-0 victory over Hickory on Wednesday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in front of 4,435 fans.

With the win, the RiverDogs improve to 22-15 in the second half and 61-44 overall and remain in second place behind the Lexington Legends. With the loss, Hickory falls to 21-18 in the second half and 60-49 overall.
Campos (2-2) needed just 67 pitches, 52 of which were strikes. He struck out two batters and scattered four hits during his five shutout frames to lower his ERA to 3.27.

Eric Wooten relieved Campos to start the sixth and pitched the final four innings to earn his first save of the year. Wooten allowed just three hits and struck out two.

Offensively for Charleston, they struck for a run in the second inning and added an insurance run in the eighth. Daniel Aldrich singled in Ericson Leonora in the bottom of the second on a slow roller on the infield to second base. Aldrich finished his night 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The second and final run came across in the eighth when Jake Cave scored on a fielding error by Hickory third basemen Ryan Rua.

Cito Culver also broke out of his mini-slump with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate.

Hickory starter Frank Lopez (2-6) took the loss going five innings with just one run allowed on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Hickory first basemen Jorge Alfaro led the Crawdads offense going 3-for-4 at the plate with two singles and a double. Alfaro had three of Hickory’s seven hits on the afternoon.
BALLPARK FUN: It was a wet day at The Joe as the RiverDogs hosted their annual Splash Day! Children's summer camps from around the Lowcountry filled the seats with water balloons and water guns for a splash filled fun day at the ballpark.
COMING UP: The RiverDogs now hit the road for nine games in seven days against the Augusta GreenJackets and the Savannah Sand Gnats. Thursday the RiverDogs and GreenJackets will play a doubleheader starting at 5:35pm with the second game to follow at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, GA. The starting pitchers for game one have yet to be announced for either squad. Fans can listen to the game live locally on ESPN Radio 910AM or online at www.riverdogs.com.

Being posted with permission from the Charleston Riverdogs organization. The original post can be seen HERE.

Game 107 Lineup: Yankees @ Dodgers

Here's the final game of the 2 game set with our ace (and former Dodger) Hiroki Kuroda on the mound. Here is the lineup!

Brett Gardner CF
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Vernon Wells RF
Brent Lillibridge 1B
Jayson Nix 3B
Chris Stewart C
Hiroki Kuroda P

Phil Rizzuto Hall Of Fame Induction Speech




In honor of last weekends Hall of Fame weekend around Major League Baseball I want to take this opportunity to share what is probably, in my very biased opinion, the best induction speech ever made by a Hall of Fame member. Watch the entire Phil Rizzuto induction speech here as we wait on the Yankees game tonight, enjoy!

Alex Rodriguez Suspension Could Be Key Next Year

While thinking about what the team could look like next season, and keeping in mind the team's desire to get payroll under the Luxury Tax threshold, I decided to crunch some numbers.


This is a bit dirty, but it should give you a good idea of what we're looking at.

The Yankees already have seven players under contract through the 2014 season. Those players are Alex Rodriguez, Vernon Wells, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, and Ichiro Suzuki.

The team is looking at having seven players that will be arbitration eligible. I'm keeping Brent Lillibridge off of this list, for the simple reason that I don't see a place for him on the team. That gives us Brett Gardner, Jayson Nix, Francisco Cervelli, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, David Robertson, Shawn Kelley.

As for players that I can see making the team, who are not yet eligible for arbitration, I have four guys... Eduardo Nunez, David Phelps, Adam Warren, and Preston Claiborne. 

Three of the remaining spots on the team are in the bullpen, all of which could be taken by players making the league minimum next season. Those guys could be Vidal Nuno, Brett Marshall, and Manny Banuelos.

That leaves us with four more spots to fill. Those spots being second base, left fielder, starting pitcher, and catcher. Initially, my thought was the Yankees would fill those spots with Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Hiroki Kuroda, and newcomer Brian McCann.

The very thought of being a Yankee makes me celebrate.

Just a couple of notes about those four free agents...
  • Robinson Cano will likely get a contract worth around $25 million a season.
  • Curtis Granderson could very well take a qualifying offer, so that he can play a year to get his stock back up for another run at a nice contract after the 2014 season.
  • Hiroki Kuroda could very well leave MLB, but after the season he's having a can see the Yankees offering him another couple of million to return (he's making $15 million in 2013).
  • As for bringing in McCann, I would really like to see that happen. His left-handed power bat would be great at Yankee Stadium. And it's not like his other numbers aren't pretty darn good too.
So here's the active roster we'd be looking at for 2014...

C - Brian McCann $14m
1B - Mark Teixeira $22.5m
2B - Robinson Cano $25m
3B - Alex Rodriguez $27.5m
SS - Derek Jeter $14m (AAV after exercising option for 2014)
LF - Curtis Granderson $15m (qualifying offer)
CF - Brett Gardner $6m (arbitration estimate)
RF - Ichiro Suzuki $6.5m
DH - Alfonso Soriano $17m

BE - Jayson Nix $1.5m (arbitration estimate)
BE - Francisco Cervelli $1.5m (arbitration estimate)
BE - Vernon Wells $18m
BE - Eduardo Nunez $.6m 

SP1 - CC Sabathia $24.4m
SP2 - Hiroki Kuroda $17m
SP3 - Michael Pineda $.75m (arbitration estimate)
SP4 - Ivan Nova $2.5m (arbitration estimate)
SP5 - David Phelps $.5m

CL - David Robertson $5m (arbitration estimate)
RP - Shawn Kelley $1.5m (arbitration estimate)
RP - Adam Warren $.5m 
RP - Preston Claiborne $.5m
RP - Vidal Nuno $.5m
RP - Brett Marshall $.5m
RP - Manny Banuelos $.5m

Before tallying up those numbers we have to remember that the Yankees will be receiving money for Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano, The Blue Jays and Angels will be pitching in $22.243 million for Wells, while the Cubs will pitch in $14 million for Soriano.

That brings the Yankees total team payroll to $187.007 million.

But don't jump up and down in celebration quite yet. That number may be under the $189 million Luxury Tax threshold, but you have to give yourself room for things like pickups during the season, incentives reached, milestones reached (see ARod's contract), and even things like the team paying for hotels for players. So a cushion is really needed. 

That "cushion" is where Alex Rodriguez steps in. If Rodriguez were to be suspended for all of 2014, that would mean you could take his $27.5 million off of the board, and use that to get another third baseman. And another third baseman, such as Michael Young, could cost around half of what Alex would make. And that, there, would be the team's cushion.

"Does anybody want me around?"

Francisco Cervelli & Fernando Martinez To Be Suspended


Lost in all the Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez speculation and suspensions are Yankees players Francisco Cervelli and Fernando Martinez and their links to Bogenesis.  Obviously Martinez was signed to provide depth in AAA with what seems like the entire AAA team up with the Yankees at some point in this season but the Cervelli suspension could really hurt us this season. It is no secret that we have struggled offensively behind the dish this season and it is also no secret that Cervelli was hitting the cover off the ball before his broken right hand. With no obvious upgrades out there on the free agent wire, the waiver wire, or the trade deadline wire this could be a huge blow for the Yankees. The Yankees have been trying to rehab Cervelli and get him back to "save" this offense behind the dish but this suspension may totally derail his 2013 season. The Yankees may have serious problems behind the plate if Cervelli gets a full 50 game suspension because Austin Romine and Chris Stewart is not a competent catching duo on a playoff team in my opinion let alone a World Series contender.

Baseball Cards Don Mattingly


Here is part two of the Don Mattingly baseball card special here on The Greedy Pinstripes. Enjoy!

Biogenesis Suspensions Won't Come Before Thursday

In what I consider to be a very dirty move by Major League Baseball the suspensions for those players linked to Biogenesis will not be announced until Thursday. Thursday, tomorrow, is the day after the trade deadline so I am perplexed by the timing and am also disappointed in Bud Selig and his gang. 

Most players are expected to take the plea deals for lesser suspensions except for Alex Rodriguez of course who plans on fighting the suspension. Bad timing for the MLB reps to announce this as I am sure they have already come to their decisions as of yesterday. I can understand not wanting to take the attention away from the trading deadline but that is why you release the names an suspensions earlier in the week, not tomorrow. 

Now the Yankees have to search for an A Rod replacement for this season and next and are not even 100% sure he will be suspended at all. Bad timing Bud and I am disappointed in you and the game right now.

Offseason decisions coming back to haunt Yanks as deadline looms

image

Well, it’s finally here. It’s July 31st, otherwise known as the non-waiver trading deadline, and in a matter of hours the Yankees will have either added another bat, or decided  to ride out the remainder of the season with the guys they have.

Coming off a stinging loss by way of a walk-off single by Dodgers’ second baseman Mark Ellis, the team now stands at 55-51. Slowly sinking closer to the mediocre .500 mark, the Yanks have now fully embodied the club we all expected them to be when the season opened - a power-less, atrocious offense coupled with good, but not great pitching.

Sitting 8.5 games out of first place in the A.L. East and somehow just 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race, the Yanks are by no means “done”. Brian Cashman Ownership brought back Alfonso Soriano, Jeter has returned, and Curtis Granderson is finishing up his rehab assignment, so the lineup will certainly be given a boost by having those guys back.

Meanwhile on the pitching front, (aside from CC and when Hughes starts at the Stadium) things have been improving. Pettitte is finding his groove again, Nova is pitching even better than in his breakout 2011 season, and Kuroda continues to be a dark horse in the A.L. Cy Young race. The bullpen continues to impress with the likes of Shawn Kelley, Boone Logan, D-Rob, and of course Mo, so there is nothing to really be concerned about there.

This is stating the obvious, but for the first time in years, the lineup is the overwhelming achilles heel to this season. Even with Sabathia’s treacherous season and Hughes’ long-ball woes, this current pitching staff coupled with any Yankees lineup from the past decade would easily win 90+ games.

But that’s the thing - this isn’t any Yankees lineup from the past decade. It’s 2013’s.

There’s no Sheffield, no Bernie, no Giambi, no Abreu, no Matsui, no Posada, no Swisher, no Teixeira, no A-Rod...must I keep going? Even with Sori, Jeet, and Grandy, they would need a Giancarlo Stanton-caliber bat added to the mix to really make them a threatening team. With the way Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Boston are all playing, even if there are signs of improvement from the players currently on the roster, I can’t imagine it being enough in the end.

As mentioned, the Yankees are either going to make a move, or they won’t. Stanton is not on the block, nor does the team have the caliber of prospects needed to make a deal even if he was. The best hitter that could be on the move is Hunter Pence, followed by Michael Young, Nate Schierholtz, and [depending on Schierholtz] David DeJesus. Pence is adamant about staying with San Francisco, Young prefers Boston than the Bronx, and the Yankees have too many outfielders to realistically take on a Schierholtz or DeJesus.

Like I said, even if any of those guys were to be fitted for pinstripes in the next few hours, it wouldn’t make much of a difference when comparing this “Bombers” lineup to that of the Orioles, Red Sox, or even the Rays. Power is not the tell-all, be-all factor of a team, but all three clubs have, and can out-slug the Yanks, even in their own bandbox known as the new Yankee Stadium.

It would be great to see the team rally around Mariano Rivera’s final season and go out and make a valiant playoff push, but I just don’t see it happening. At it’s worse the pitching has been steadily above-average, but at it’s best the lineup is nothing close to deserving of a spot in October.

Maybe I’m being harsh, and perhaps this club as constructed could have been better in another season with less competition. But the fact remains that the Yankees picked the worst year possible to let so many core guys (Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, and Raul Ibanez) leave via free agency, and just hope that the oldest team in baseball would have one last magical run in them.

Clearly they don’t, and no matter what happens by 4 o’clock PM today, the Yanks should begin making plans to go golfing come this fall. It's unfortunate, but we can't act like we didn't see this coming.

Alberto Callaspo Comes Off The Board


Just a quick blurb here but Alberto Callaspo was linked to the New York Yankees yesterday but came off the board in the early morning hours as the Oakland Athletics snatched him up. So much for that not that I am overly disappointed. I just hope that we do SOMETHING today as everyone around us seems to be getting better especially the Boston Red Sox with their acquisition of Jake Peavy. Stop reading the blog and get to work Cash!

Granderson & Phelps Nights Are Done In Trenton


David Phelps and Curtis Granderson both played for the Trenton Thunder in their latest stop for their respected rehab assignments and here are the results. Phelps started the game and finished the night with a pitching line of 4 IP with three hits, two walks, six strike outs, and a home run allowed. Granderson went 1-3 with a triple and a walk in what could be his final series before returning to the Bronx on Friday to face off with the San Diego Padres.

Trenton Thunder Game Recap For 7/30

   
 
Press Release - July 30, 2013
Granderson and Phelps Rehab in 11-3 Win

TRENTON, NJ – Curtis Granderson and David Phelps made a dual MLB rehab appearance for Trenton in the Thunder’s 11-3 win over the Harrisburg Senators Tuesday night.
Granderson finished 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk in four plate appearances and didn’t have a chance to make a play in the field in seven full innings of work. Phelps meanwhile started the game and tossed four innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts for the no-decision.

Granderson turned on a pitch and ripped a fastball to rightfield leading-off the 5th inning. It was a ball that Harrisburg right fielder Destin Hood dove for and came up several feet short of catching. The ball got past him to the wall, and Granderson would scamper around the bases with a feet-first slide with the triple.  
Offensively, Trenton was paced by Kyle Roller’s 5-RBI night and Jose Pirela’s two hits in his return from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Roller belted his 13th home run of the season that carried deep into the Trenton night, and carried down the Delaware River to pad Trenton’s already-large lead in the 8th inning. The homer made an 8-3 game into the 11-3 final that 6,378 fans enjoyed.

Earlier in the ballgame, Roller dug-in with the bases loaded and Trenton leading 4-1 in the 7th inning. His single through the hole in the right side off lefty Pat McCoy plated a pair of runners and allowed breathing room for the Thunder pitchers the rest of the way. Trenton’s five-run 7th inning turned a 3-1 lead into an 8-1 cushion.
Pirela had two hits in a 2-for-4 performance after playing five games with the RailRiders. His single in the 1st inning spotted Trenton a 1-0 lead, and he would proceed to score a pair of runs and steal a pair of bags the rest of the ballgame. Pirela was one of five Thunder batters to finish the game with a pair of hits in Trenton’s 13-hit outburst.

Shane Greene finished the game in relief of Phelps by allowing two runs in five innings with five strikeouts and five hits allowed. The two runs he allowed came in the top of the 8th inning on Jimmy VanOstrand’s two-run double after Trenton had already staked him to an 8-1 lead. The win moves Greene’s record to 4-3 with a 3.09 ERA this season in Trenton.

The Thunder and Senators battle in the second of three games in Wednesday’s matinee at ARM & HAMMER Park. Wednesday’s ballgame begins at 12:05 p.m. and features LHP Nik Turley (8-5, 4.23) for the Thunder facing the Harrisburg Senators RHP A.J. Cole (1-0, 1.29). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and streaming online begins at 11:45 a.m.
--THUNDER--

Being posted with permission from the Trenton Thunder organization. The original post can be seen HERE

Charleston Riverdogs Game Recap For 7/30


Rutckyj Rips Through Hickory
Charleston pitching allows just two hits against the high powered Crawdads offense

CHARLESTON, SC – Charleston RiverDogs starter Evan Rutckyj baffled the Hickory Crawdads hitters by twirling seven innings of one hit ball with eight strikeouts to lead Charleston to a 3-1 victory over Hickory on Tuesday evening at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in front of 3,046 fans.

With the win, the RiverDogs improve to 21-15 in the second half and 60-44 overall and remain in second place behind the Lexington Legends. With the loss, Hickory falls to 21-17 in the second half and 60-48 overall.

Rutckyj (9-6) needed just 94 pitches to get through seven innings. With the win, Rutckyj now has the team lead with nine victories. He only allowed four baserunners all night, one was a hit, two walks and he also hit a batter.
Reliever Tyler Webb finished things off for Rutckyj pitching the eighth and ninth innings while allowing just a run on a hit and two walks to pick up his second save of the year.

Rutckyj received an offensive backing early. Charleston scored twice in the first inning led by Jake Cave and Reymond Nunez.

Charleston scored once more in the fifth thanks to Jake Cave. Cave was hit by a pitch, got all the way to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by catcher Jorge Alfaro.

Cave finished his night 2-for-3 with two singles, a hit by pitch and two runs scored. Reymond Nunez was the only other RiverDog to record multiple hits finishing 2-for-3 with two singles, a hit by pitch and an RBI.

Hickory’s lone offensive strike came in the ninth when they briefly got to reliever Tyler Webb. Nomar Mazara had a two out RBI triple for the Crawdads scoring Jorge Alfaro who walked earlier in the inning. Jordan Akins was the only other Crawdad to record a hit all night for Hickory and that came in the top of the sixth inning.

Hickory starter Connor Sadzeck (9-4) took the loss going six innings while allowing three runs, two earned on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
BALLPARK FUN: It was Shag Night at Riley Park featuring a pre-game performance from the Beach Music and Shag Preservation Society and DJ Andy Todd.
COMING UP: The finale of this four game set against the Crawdads is set for 12:05pm with the annual Splash Day taking place Wednesday at The Joe. Charleston sends RHP Vicente Campos (1-2, 3.50 ERA) to the mound while Hickory counters with LHP Frank Lopez (2-5, 6.94 ERA). Fans can listen to the game live locally on ESPN Radio 910AM or online at www.riverdogs.com.

Being posted with permission from the Charleston Riverdogs organization. The original post can be seen HERE.

Yankees offense again don't show up; team loses to Dodgers 3-2

Despite a very nice effort from the entire pitching staff, the Yankees offense again decided that they had better things to do tonight as they fell to the Dodgers, 3-2. This game was definitely the kinda game where you knew it would only be tied until LA scored. They simply are the better team in this series. But I'm sad to say that that's not saying much. 

Tonight's Yankees starter, Andy Pettitte, took a no-decision after giving up 2 earned runs in a nice 7 innings of work. Bombers first basemen Lyle Overbay drove in the team's only two runs of the game, with a solo homer in the second and an RBI Groundout in the fourth. But besides those two lines, this one was very forgettable. So let's forget it. 

RailRiders: Brett Marshall is turning it around in a major way

MOOSIC — I have been one of Brett Marshall’s staunchest critics throughout 2013.

I mean, after trudging through the first three months of the season carrying a 3-6 record alongside a 5.00 ERA, who wouldn’t have felt doomed every time he stepped to the mound?

But in late June, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ right-handed starter told reporters he was working on a new throwing motion.

Personally, I haven’t picked up on any differences, but whatever he tweaked seems to have made a huge difference.

Since talking about changing his physical stance on the mound, Marshall has turned over a new leaf, registering three wins and a 2.88 ERA in his past eight starts.

After putting forward one of the — excuse me if I’m living in the moment too much — best pitching performances in recent franchise history, in which he tallied eight innings pitched, allowing just one run and five hits, he was quite mum.

"I feel like I didn't have much today," Marshall said. "I felt like I was kind of lucky."

According to Donnie Collins, Marshall said he didn't have command of his fastball and his changeup was so inconsistent that he rarely threw it.

So, Brett, that's what it takes?

Then just try to be lucky for every start, especially with the RailRiders within five games of the wild card.

"Marshall doesn't have a sexy profile as a pitching prospect, sitting in the 89-91 range and touching 93 at times," said Baseball Prospect Nation in their latest evaluation of Marshall. "His long-term profile sits in the number four or five starter realm and he could be ready to fulfill that role in 2014."

Marshall has already has his first shot in the bigs, relieving Phil Hughes after a disastrous start in mid-May against the Mariners. Marshall wasn't terrible, but was still outmatched and not ready for the major leagues, tallying 5.2 innings pitched, allowing five runs.

However, I like to think Baseball Prospect Nation struck the nail on its head with Marshall because I see exactly what they're saying ... metaphorically and physically.

He usually sits in the 90-mph zone on his fastball with decent secondary pitches, but control is everything. If he controls his pitches, he is indeed a four or five starter in MLB.

But hey, he did say felt "kind of lucky" for his best performance of 2013. Maybe luck could be his ticket to The Show.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/31


On this day in 1996 the Yankees traded Ruben Sierra to the Detroit Tigers for first basemen Cecil Fielder. This is the first trade in major league history where two players with more than 220 home runs were traded in a single deal.


On this day in 2004 the Yankees traded Jose Contreras to the Chicago White Sox for Esteban Loaiza just one minute before the trading deadline passed.