Bats Finally Come to Life in 6-4 Win Over Red Sox

Derek Jeter hit a bloop two-run double and the bullpen tossed 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball today as the Yankees ended their two-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over the Red Sox.

After this one's first two frames, the Yanks looked to be in for another loss following Shane Greene's (4 2/3 IP, 3 ER) allowing of three trips around the bases in the bottom of the second, but due to the fact that Sox Starter Allen Webster (2 2/3 IP, 4 ER) also struggled in his outing New York was able to rally in the top of the third.

To start things off in the at-bat, Webster walked Martin Prado, Francisco Cervelli, and Brett Gardner to load the bases for the aforementioned Jeter, who connected on a soft double down the right field line to make it 3-2.

Later in the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran would add two more on a groundout and a single, giving the Yanks a lead they'd never lose thanks to a solo homer from Mark Teixeira in the fifth and an RBI Double from Stephen Drew in the seventh.

Yes, after the stretch Boston would cross home on a David Ortiz sac fly, but since Dellin Betances and David Robertson would still get through the last three frames New York did eventually emerge victorious, with Shawn Kelley getting the W after an impressive four-out performance in the fifth and sixth.

Yankees Open Game Thread 8/2 vs. Boston Red Sox

Welcome to the open thread for the afternoon game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Yankees will send Shane Greene to the mound to face off with the Red Sox Allen Webster. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, Fox Sports 1, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Remember to get your Yankees tickets for the home stand next week in Yankee Stadium right here on the blog. Also be sure to follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter and like our page on Facebook by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.

It's an open thread so use the comments section and feel free to bash Mike Napoli's beard, David Ortiz watching long fly balls from home plate like he hit them 500 feet, and the rest of the Boston Red Sox. Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your evening. Go Yankees!

Lester, Lackey, and Gomes Say Adios To Boston

"Hello playoffs, goodbye fried chicken and beer!"

I am almost positive that Jon Lester, John Lackey, and Johnny Gomes didn't really say that but who's keeping score anyway. They have gone to better places and are likely to see the postseason. I truly feel sorry for Yoenis Cespedes. He went from almost a lock of a World Series team to a last place team fresh off a fire sale. I'm sorry Yoenis, you're entitled one David Ortiz Bitch Fit in response. Carry on, Go Yankees!

Long Realizing The Trouble Yanks Are In

Ever since their opening day loss to the Astros, it's been clear to us all that the Yankees' offense isn't the best around.

The seemingly amazing group, led by big names such as Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira, and Brian McCann, has batted just .251 this season, the eleventh best team average in the American League.

Despite that, the 55-53 Yanks are still in the playoff race, something that apparently doesn't impress Hitting Coach Kevin Long, who said earlier today that the reality of New York's situation is that their guys aren't living up to their expectations.

“That’s the reality of it right now,” Long recently told the New York Daily News. “You can keep talking about turning it around, but we’re 100-something games in. That’s the frustrating part. We’re not scoring six, seven runs a game. Are there days where that’s going to happen? Yeah. But for the most part it’s been two, three, four or five. That’s the reality of it right now. I don’t know if we’re capable of getting to five or six runs.”

On Tuesday, for the first time since April 24, the Yankees crossed home 10+ times, installing hope in their fans that the bats were about to pick things up.

However, over the next couple of contests that idea was quickly proven incorrect, with the Yanks scoring just five combined runs in disappointing losses to Texas and Boston. 

8/2 Yankees Game Preview vs. Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will play this afternoon in the second game of a three game set at Fenway Park this weekend. The Yankees will send rookie Shane Greene to the mound to get his first taste of the rivalry and he will face off with Allen Webster for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, Fox Sports 1, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN. 

Greene has given the Yankees some stability in the rotation since joining the starting squad and has put up a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA in four starts. Greene allowed just three runs on eight hits to the Toronto Blue Jays last time out and was given a no decision last time out. 

Webster is coming off his first win of the season last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays where he allowed two runs on three hits and five walks. Webster is the Red Sox 5th best prospect and was called up to replace the traded Jake Peavy in the rotation. 

Get your Yankees tickets to see the game if you're in the Boston area or snag you a pair for next week when the Yankees return home to host the Detroit Tigers in a four game set. We won't charge you fees and we won't charge shipping either making this a great deal. Buy now. 

Go Yankees!!

The Masahiro Tanaka Decision To Come Monday

As we all know Masahiro Tanaka has a slight tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Tanaka saw four doctors and all four doctors, including Dr. James Andrews, suggested rest and rehab over surgery for now. Tanaka received an injection in the elbow and the magic number all along has been three weeks before re-evaluating and making another decision on the elbow. That three week magic number is Monday so the Yankees should soon know the future of their 25 year old right hander.

If the Yankees get bad news I truly think they will try and add something, however marginal, to replace Chris Capuano. If the Yankees get good news and can get Tanaka back sometime in August along with Michael Pineda the pitching staff begins to look pretty good. With a healthy Pineda and Tanaka you are looking at Hiroki Kuroda, Brandon McCarthy, and Shane Greene filling out the rest of the rotation. That is a pretty gritty and tough rotation. It's not the Oakland Athletics or the Detroit Tigers but it's good enough to win the AL East.

Understanding August Waiver Trades

The July 31st trading deadline has come and gone but that does not mean team's are done making traded. Trades can be done for the rest of the season they are just a little trickier and harder to understand. That's why we're here, you're welcome.

Any player that is traded needs to clear revocable waivers first. Either the player is claimed by a team or he clears waivers. Teams want their players to clear waivers because once they clear once they can be traded to any team for the rest of the season. If the player is claimed the team has three options, they can pull their player back, work out a trade with the team who claimed him, or simply give the player and his contract away to the team that claimed him.

The waiver claim period lasts 47 hours and goes by worst record to best record in the players league (American or National) and then record worst to first in the other league. Teams can block other teams from claiming without any repercussions. When a player is claimed the team has two full days to trade the player or pull him back off waivers regardless of what day of the week it is.

A team can place their player on waivers a second time if they pull him back the first time but this time the waivers are not revocable. In terms even a Boston Red Sox fan could understand the second time around whoever claims him gets him. Players on the disabled list cannot be placed on waivers so therefor cannot be traded.

Finally, for all the playoff teams, any player acquired after the 31st of August is not eligible for the postseason. Now you know, carry on.

Rules For A Good GM: Don't Be Like Ruben Amaro Jr.

More than once I have spoken on the blog about how the Yankees general manager Brian Cashman needs to be more like Boston's GM Ben Cherington. One general manager that Cashman should not try to emulate is Ruben Amaro Jr. in Philadelphia. In short, Amaro is an idiot plain and simple. The Phillies had very tradeable pieces at the trading deadline including, but not limited to, Marlon Byrd, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and AJ Burnett. Amaro traded none of them, actually he didn't make a single move on Thursday, and now we find out why.

Amaro asked the Yankees for either Luis Severino or Aaron Judge in return for Byrd. Say what? Byrd and who else? Who the hell does this guy think he is and who the hell does he thinks he is trading? No wonder Philadelphia collapsed the way they did. Geeze. Good luck with that.

Capuano Decent, But Yanks' Offense Struggles Again in Loss to Red Sox

Chris Capuano threw 6 1/3 innings of four-run ball and Carlos Beltran collected two RBI, but since the Red Sox were able to cross home in the bottom of the seventh the Yankees lost to Boston tonight, 4-3, in the series opener at Fenway. 

At times in this evening's contest, as you see by that close final score, New York did appear to gain some momentum, getting a solo homer from Beltran in the fourth that made it 2-1 and another RBI Single from #36 in the sixth that made it 3-2.

Still, after Capuano allowed a man to get to second with one out in Boston's half of the seventh, Dustin Pedroia drove in the insurance run to bring it to 4-2, essentially ending the ballgame.

Yes, in the top of the eighth the Yankees got a home run from Derek Jeter and put men on the corners with two outs, but since Sox CF Mookie Betts still robbed Jacoby Ellsbury of an extra-base hit following Jeter's shot and Chase Headley grounded out to end the frame the Bombers did fall eventually, with Boston rookie Anthony Ranaudo (6 IP, 2 ER) getting the W in his MLB debut.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/2: Teixeira Sets New MLB Record For Teix Messages

Many switch hitters have played this game of baseball but none have had more games in which they hit a home run from both sides of the plate than Mark Teixeira. Teixeira sent a Teix message on this day in 2011 from both sides of the plate for the 12th time in his career. The amazing part was that the two home runs game in a rain shortened victory in Chicago. Teixeira passed Eddie Murray and Chili Davis for the record.

Also on this day in 2007 the Yankees started an inning by giving up eight runs to the Chicago White Sox in a single frame. The Yankees would answer in the bottom of the inning by scoring eight runs of their own to tie the game in an eventual 13-9 loss. This marks only the second time in major league history that eight or more runs were scored in the same inning by each team.

Finally on this day in 1979 the Yankees captain Thurman Munson is killed when the Cessna Citation I/SP jet he is learning to fly crashes near a Canton-Akron airport. The Yankees catcher had been learning to fly for over two years so he could get home to his family in Ohio during off days. Munson was 32.