Game 162 Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/4

Game 162, here we go. We won't waste much time being colorful, creative or dramatic. The New York Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound this afternoon to face off with Chris Tillman for the Baltimore Orioles. The game will be played at 3:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees return to the postseason on Tuesday so click the Yankees Tickets link to see that game live and in person. If you can't make it live then at least jump on Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow to interact with us and root like hell for the Yankees in the Wild Card Game.

Game 162. Go Yankees!

YES Video: Andrew Bailey's Return to MLB

This was a great piece I thought I would share before this afternoon's Game 162. Andrew Bailey has been rehabbing a shoulder injury for two seasons with the New York Yankees and has finally made his way all the way back to Major League Baseball

Game 162 Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/4

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, Game 162. One last time. The New York Yankees are playing on Tuesday and the Orioles are not, the lineups and pitching moves will probably reflect that this afternoon. In the final start of the season the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound lining him up for a potential Game Two start in the ALDS while the Orioles counter with Chris Tillman. The game will be played at 3:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV (for free).

• Pineda did not have a great start last time out against the Boston Red Sox giving up six runs in the first inning and seven runs total in a Yankees loss. Pineda needs a good start this afternoon against the Orioles in his final regular season tune up. 

• Tillman was the Orioles prestigious Opening Day starter and is now the pitcher who will star game 162 for the ball club. Tillman last faced the Toronto Blue Jays where he allowed just two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings against the best offense in Major League Baseball this season.

Game 162. Have fun, stay healthy, clinch home field advantage and get the work in. Go Yankees!

The Yankees & a Potential ALDS Matchup

I know what you’re thinking, damn Daniel you’re getting a little bit ahead of yourself aren’t you? To be frank, yes I am. It’s a slow news day, the Yankees have little to nothing to play for and when I have time on my hands I think and overanalyze almost everything in my life. It’s a fault and I can’t see me changing that, it’s just something I have learned to deal with. Anyway the Yankees have a plan for if the team gets past the AL Wild Card round so why shouldn’t I, right?

Luis Severino took his regular turn on Friday in the first game of the three game set with the Baltimore Orioles and that is not a coincidence that he did. Masahiro Tanaka is perfectly lined up to pitch the Wild Card Game on October, 6 on five days rest where the Yankees feel he pitches his best baseball and Luis Severino is perfectly lined up to pitch on October, 8 in Game One of the ALDS on five days of rest as well. Following Severino in a hypothetical ALDS would be Michael Pineda would could pitch Game Two of the series on October, 9 after last pitching in Game 162 on October, 4. Giving Pineda regular rest, and not regular rest like CC Sabathia, Tanaka and Severino benefit from, is uber-important to the success of the Yankees this postseason. 

Tanaka, assuming he would pitch on just four days rest this time around, would be available again on October, 11 for Game Three of the series. CC Sabathia would have a ton of rest heading into Game Four, 11 days rest to be exact, while Severino would be available for a do-or-die Game Five.

Looking at it this way and assuming the bats show up and the pitching pitches the way they are capable of pitching you have to think the Yankees at least have a shot to reach the ALCS. In a five game series anything can happen, a team can get hot, lucky or a combination of both and win three games. While the better team usually tends to win a best-of-seven series you face a lot of uncertainty in a five-game series. The Toronto Blue Jays, or the Kansas City Royals if they make a move, would have much more to lose in a potential ALDS than the Yankees giving them more of a relaxed atmosphere and vibe heading into the series. I’m not saying the Yankees are going to win the ALDS, and I am far from guaranteeing a victory in the AL Wild Card playoff game, I’m just saying I am more confident than most and I am hoping this post makes you more confident too. 

Quick Hit: The USA Today Explains the Yankees Offensive Woes in One Picture

Photo: USA Today Yankees Page

If a picture is worth a thousand words what will the picture above be worth if the team doesn’t change their offensive ways in 2016 and beyond? When I say change their offensive ways I mean if the team doesn’t get away from the #TooManyDamnHrs mantra and move towards situational hitting, bunting, fundamental baseball and THEN sitting back and waiting for the three run home run. Here is the Yankees offensive problem in a nutshell.

The team’s batting average is well below league average. The team simply does not hit the ball for a base hit three times out of every ten at bats, a lot of the team struggles to even hit the ball in play for a base hit 2.5 times out of every ten at bats. The team is far below average in the average department but the team can knock the ball over the fence like there is no tomorrow. The team lost a step or three to the Toronto Blue Jays after losing Mark Teixeira in the home run department but has still lived and died by the long ball, a recipe that has historically not worked when the calendar changed to October.

The Yankees can score runs at an above average clip but it is how those runs come across the board that may once again haunt this team when they face above average pitching on any given night in the playoffs. 

Scoreboard Watching: Game 162 Frenzy

We made it Yankees fans, Game 162. New Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred came up with a great idea prior to the season starting all 15 games to be played this afternoon at the same exact time to optimize scoreboard watching. While many of the teams have not cooperated with Mr. Manfred's plan making most of these games 100% meaningless but it should still be fun nonetheless.

Sunday, October 4

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays

Houston Astros @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Texas Rangers

Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/4:The Beginning of #TooManyDamnHRs

The 2009 New York Yankees squad could beat you just about any way they wanted. They had great defense, timely hitting, pitching, and the power to simply outslug you. The power was on full display on this day in 2009 on the last day of the season when Alex Rodriguez hit a three run home run to cap off a ten run sixth inning. Alex’s home run was the teams 243rd of the season, a new Yankees franchise record. A Rod went deep later in the inning as well with the bases loaded to finish the season with exactly 30 home runs and 100 RBI.


Also less notable marks for this day include Dave Righetti extending his major league record saves total for one season to 46 in a doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox in 1986, Hank Bauer extended his World Series hitting streak to 17 games on this day in 1958, and Mickey Mantle became only the fourth Yankee to ever hit a World Series grand slam on this day in 1953.