Saturday, September 20, 2014

Capuano Can't Hold Lead as Yankees Fall to Blue Jays

Brian McCann and Francisco Cervelli turned an early 1-0 defecit into a 2-1 lead with a pair of singles and Chris Capuano looked good for the first five innings, but since the latter ultimately collapsed in the top of the sixth and the bullpen didn't make things any better afterward the Yankees' had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Blue Jays today, 6-3, ruining their chance of a weekend sweep.

Prior to that disastrous sixth frame, after surrendering an RBI hit to Edwin Encarnacion in Toronto's half of the first, Capuano really was dominating for the Yanks, allowing just three total knocks while at one point retiring eight in a row.

Nonetheless, thanks to a couple of walks and a Stephen Drew throwing error the Jays had the bases loaded with no out just after the contest's midpoint, a set-up that soon resulted in a two-run double by Danny Valencia and a sac fly by John Mayberry. 

Then in relief, Chase Whitley was taken deep to right by Jose Bautista and David Phelps let another cross the plate to double the visitors' advantage, bringing the score to 6-2 before a Derek Jeter line-drive in the ninth brought New York a little closer.

BREAKING: Teixeira Leaves Game w/ Sore Right Wrist

Mark Teixeira left the Yankees game in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays with a sore right wrist. Doctors will evaluate Teixeira today and right now he is listed as day to day. The year of the injury part two continues for Teixeira and the Yankees this season. With just eight games left Teixeira may not make it back into the lineup this season and it honestly may not matter at this point.

9/20 Open Game Thread vs. Toronto Blue Jays


Welcome to the Saturday afternoon edition of the open thread for the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees will send Chris Capuano to the mound this afternoon to take on Marcus Stroman for the Jays. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Get your Yankees tickets now as the rumor continues to swirl that Derek Jeter will skip the last series of the season in Fenway Park and play his last career game just five days from today. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and also like our page on Facebook by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.


It’s an open thread so go crazy. Enjoy the game Yankees family. Go Yankees!

9/20 Game Preview vs. Toronto Blue Jays


The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will continue their four game set this weekend as they play this afternoon in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will send veteran left hander Chris Capuano to the bump this afternoon to take on the young fire baller Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Capuano bounced back with a good start last time out after giving up a combined eight runs in his last two starts in less than five innings. In his last start Capuano lasted six innings and shut out the Tampa Bay Rays as he held the team to just two hits. Capuano has faced the Blue Jays a lot this season and has allowed four runs in 12.1 innings as a starter for New York this season against Toronto.

Stroman is coming off a start in which he allowed a career high five earned runs against the Baltimore Orioles last time out. Stroman is 9-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 114.1 innings this season including his time in the Blue Jays bullpen. Stroman sports a career 3.22 ERA against the American League East so something has to give this afternoon in the Bronx.



Go Yankees!!

Kelley Upset By Bautista's Home Run Emotions

Yankees Reliever Shawn Kelley was upset by Jose Bautista's home run emotions Friday night.

The shot to left, which tied the game in the top of the eighth, came with a man on first and two out, and featured a lengthy celebration by Bautista as he circled the bases.

"I didn't understand the extent of that emotion, I guess," Kelley told Newsday yesterday. "I guess I maybe took it a little bit personal, like it was directed at me. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I don't feel like that necessarily is the right thing to do in that situation."

The homer marked the fourth consecutive contest against the Yankees in which Bautista went deep. However, when asked his thoughts on the situation the Blue Jays' OF denied that anything he did was directed at Kelley, citing his passion as the reason for his excitement.

"I can assure you 100 percent that his name, his face were the last things on my mind,'' Bautista said. "It's unfortunate that he feels like any of that was directed towards him. I'm a passionate guy that plays with his emotions on his sleeve."

Fortunetaly for the Yanks, that passion only got Toronto so far on the evening, with the home team still eventually winning the competition in the ninth on an Adam Lind fielding error.

Should Mark Teixeira Stop Switch Hitting?


Watching Mark Teixeira bat right handed this season has been frustrating at times and other times painful to watch. He almost looks awkward batting from the right side these days and has been seemingly drained of all his power from that side. Should the Yankees and Teixeira consider scrapping the right handed swing in 2015 and focus on left handed swings only?

Teixeira has a bad batting average from either side of the plate in the last two seasons but let’s look at the last five seasons to see if the stats back up my theory.

LH BA 2014: .224
RH BA 2014: .215

LH BA 2013: .278
RH BA 2013: .086 (granted in an injury riddled season and small sample size)

LH BA 2012: .269
RH BA 2012: .239

LH BA 2011: .302
RH BA 2011: .223

LH BA 2010: .278

RH BA 2010: .247

In a word, yes. Please stop switch hitting. 

John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman To Return in 2015


John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman are extremely likely to return to the Yankees booth for the 2015 season. The Yankees don't necessarily have hiring and firing power over WFAN employees like the duo although I am sure their influence could effect a thing or two. Sterling and Waldman will be doing their 11th season together in 2015.

Sterling is 76 years old and Waldman is 68 so we aren't likely to have too many more seasons with this duo so we better enjoy them while it lasts. It is high, it is far, it is caught by the second baseman in short right field.

2014 New York Yankees, a Team Defeated


I usually let things stew in my mind for a day so I can collect my thoughts before I put them into words and the Yankees walk off win Thursday night is still fresh on my mind. This victory was frustrating to say the least but a victory is a victory is a victory. It just bothers me a little that the team looked so uninterested and undetermined on that walk off win.

Gone are the days of the team rushing the fielding, jumping up and down, and celebrating after a walk off victory. Gone are the days where Brett Gardner actually tried to sneak attack a guy with a cooler of Gatorade as a congratulations for a big hit. Granted, gone are the days where the games actually meant something and mattered.

I realized this was a walk off error technically and not a walk off hit but still, it’s a win in front of the home crowd in the bottom of the ninth. I can remember, as this was Chase Headley’s third walk off of his Yankee career already, Headley’s first two walk offs came with big smiles, fist pumps in the air, and celebration. This one almost seemed expected and taken for granted.


Maybe I’m too invested in this team but I can’t help it. I refuse to give up hope until the math says I have to. Well, or until Shawn Kelley and Joe Girardi’s bullpen management says I have to anyway. Let’s win another this afternoon and put this memory out of my head for the time being. 

TGP Daily Poll: Derek Jeter WILL Play In Fenway Park Next Week


Rumors are beginning to circulate as you saw on the blog yesterday morning that Derek Jeter will pull a Mariano Rivera and will skip the last series of the season in Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Personally I believe that Jeter loves the game too much to sit himself out an entire series and will play in Boston but what say you?


Vote in our poll. 

Can’t Predict Baseball: The Iron Man Streak Comes To an End


This is not as so much New York Yankees related as it is Major League Baseball related but either way you couldn’t have predicted it. Today was the day in 1998 that Cal Ripken Jr. and his iron man streak of 2,632 consecutive games came to an end.  Ripken had not missed a single game in nearly 16 straight seasons, something that will likely never be replicated ever again.


Ripken finally took himself out of the lineup that Sunday night when the Orioles hosted the New York Yankees in Camden Yards on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Ripken had surpassed Lou Gehrig’s old streak against these same Yankees in Camden Yards as well so for the streak to end here seemed fitting and eerily coincidental. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/20: George Steinbrenner Gets His Monument

If you asked enough people around Major League Baseball, especially non New York Yankees fans, you would probably get more negative comments that positive comments after former owner George Steinbrenner. Say what you will about the Boss but winning was most important to him and as a fan I truly appreciated that. On this day in 2010 the Yankees showed their appreciation for that as well when Mr. Steinbrenner was honored with a 7’ by 5’ 760 bronze monument in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium. The tribute was to honor the recently deceased owner of the Yankees and saw Joe Torre return to Yankee Stadium for the first time after leaving the team after the 2007 season.

Also on this day in 2006 the New York Yankees, with a ton of help from the aforementioned Mr. Steinbrenner and his check book, clinched their ninth consecutive American League East division title. Quite the feat and accomplishment for the Yankees and Mr. Torre.

Speaking of honoring fallen Yankees heroes on this day in 1980 the Yankees honored fallen catcher Thurman Munson with a bronze plaque in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium. The 32 year old team Yankees captain was killed last season while attempting to land his Cessna Citation at Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio.


Finally on this day in 1968 the Yankees legend Mickey Mantle would hit his 536th and final home run of his Hall of Fame career. Mantle played for 18 seasons and hit his final home run in a 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Yankee Stadium off pitcher Jim Longborg.