Thursday, June 2, 2016

Yanks Win Rainout Makeup,5-4

      Before heading to Baltimore, the Yankees stopped off in Detroit to play a rainout makeup game against the Tigers. New York sent Michael Pineda to the mound to face Detroit. Normally, I would give you the pitcher's season stats right here, but I have run out of ways to describe how bad Michael Pineda is this season, so I am not going to bother. The Tigers countered with 25-year-old left-hander Matt Boyd, making just his second start of the season. Boyd was one of the return pieces in the David Price trade made by Detroit at the trade deadline last season. By the start of tomorrow nights game in Baltimore, the Yankees will have played in three cities and two countries in three nights. And if they wanted to put an end to their losing streak, they would need their offense to wake up, and a quality outing from the struggling Pineda. And that is exactly what they got.
     For the first time since baseball was invented, Michael Pineda worked a scoreless first three  innings. The Tigers scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth inning where Miguel Cabrera led off the inning with an opposite field double, eventually scoring when Justin Upton hit a two out broken bat single to right. As for the Yankees, they didn't put a runner on base against Boyd until the top of the fifth when Chase Headley drew a walk, breaking up Boyd's bid for a perfect game. The no-hitter and shut out were spoiled in the top of the sixth inning when Austin Romine led off the frame with a double, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury that tied the game at one.
     Articulating his desire to win tonight, Girardi pulled Pineda in the bottom of the sixth, despite the rare but much needed quality outting by Big Mike. Pineda left with a strong final line of 5.2 innings pitched, allowing just the one run on seven hits, punching out seven. Delin Betances came on in relief and got out of the inning by getting Justin Upton to pop out to centerfield.
    The rookie Matt Boyd's night would come to an end in the top of the seventh inning. After allowing back to back hits by Rodriguez and Headley to lead off the frame, Auston Romine reached base on a fielder's choice. The recent call-up Rob Refsnyder then smacked a single to left, scoring Headley, advancing Romine to second and giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Bobby Parnell, who replaced Boyd, immediately allowed a single that ricocheted off the shortstop Jose Iglesias's glove, scoring Romine and advanced Refsnyder to second, 3-1 Yankees. Then, after Kyle Ryan replaced Parnell, Jacoby Ellsbury lined a triple to right field that scored both runners and extended the Yankee lead to four, 5-1.
      No-run DMC would uncharacteristically struggle tonight as the Yankees tried to hold on to their losing streak ending lead. Betances would give one of those runs back to Detroit in the bottom of the seventh inning. The 6'8" right hander led off the inning by walking Jared Saltalamacchia, who advanced to second on a wild pitch to the next batter Mike Aviles. Betances then served up a double to the afore mentioned Aviles that scored Saltalamacchia, inching the Tigers closer, 5-2. Betances would get out of the inning without any further damage when he struck out the next three batters. Andrew Miller, too, allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth when Ian Kinsler doubled in Miguel Cabrera, 5-3. Then, Aroldis Chapman, after giving up a run himself, got Miguel Cabrera to ground out to second to end the game and put the Yankees back into the win column.
     The New York Yankees head to Baltimore tomorrow to begin a three-game series with their division rival, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM ET.



Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 6/2


Let’s makeup this game and let’s get on to Baltimore before it gets too late in the evening. The Yankees were scheduled to be off tonight before a rained out game in April led to these two teams matching up tonight inside Comerica Park. In the matchup the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to be more like “Big Mike” than “Big Problem” while the Tigers send Matt Boyd to the mound for his second consecutive spot start. The game will be played at 7:40 pm ET and can be seen locally on the YES Network and everywhere on MLB TV.


One and done. Hopefully that done is a victory. Go Yankees!

Yankees Pitching vs. Detroit Hitting and Vice Versa


The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers are set to make up their postponed game from April 10th giving us just a few more hours to get ready. Not too awful much is going on so I decided we could take a look at what the Yankees pitching, Michael Pineda in particular, has done against the Tigers offense in his career and vice versa with the Yankees offense and Matt Boyd.





All photos and stats courtesy of ESPN.com

Riverdogs Press Release: SAL All-Star Game Voting OPEN NOW

SAL All-Star Game Fan Voting Now Open
Vote for your favorite RiverDogs and send Charleston’s best to Lexington



CHARLESTON, SC - Voting has begun for the 57th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Lexington, and the RiverDogs are looking to the fans to help select the roster and make sure their favorite players make the Southern Division squad.

Fans can fill out a SAL All-Star ballot and submit it back to the RiverDogs. The club will then take the players with the most total fan votes and submit an official composite fan ballot to the league.

To qualify for the All-Star vote, fans must submit a fully completed ballot by Tuesday, June 2. Ballots may be submitted via email (pr1@riverdogs.com), fax (843/723-2641), Facebook, Twitter or at the Guest Services booth at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The SAL All-Star Fan Ballot can be downloaded HERE or secured in person at the Guest Services booth during a home RiverDogs game.

The mid-summer classic will be held at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, home of the Lexington Legends, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Asheville Tourists. The festivities will feature a bevy of future stars competing from the 14 teams around the league, a Home Run Derby and a number of family-friendly events including autograph sessions with all of the players.

For more information regarding the SAL All-Star Game Fan Vote, please call the RiverDogs front office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647). Follow the RiverDogs pitch by pitch all season long on 1250-AM WTMA "The Big Talker", WTMA.com, and riverdogs.com.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 6/2


The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers will play in a makeup game tonight inside Comerica Park after their game on April 10th was postponed due to inclement weather. This was a scheduled off day for the Yankees which hurts to lose but Mother Nature is going to do what Mother Nature is going to do I guess. Tonight in the contest the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound despite his struggles this season and his 6.92 ERA to face off with the Tigers starter Matt Boyd.  

Pineda has the highest ERA of any qualified starter in the Major Leagues as we touched on in the previous paragraph but the Yankees want to give the right-hander a chance to figure it out in the Bronx rather than use him last remaining minor league option sending him down. Pineda has struggled with locating and command so maybe Larry Rothschild and company have it figured out before tonight’s start in Detroit. If not it may be a long, long night for the Bombers.

Boyd will be making his second spot start of the season for the Tigers tonight as Detroit looks to juggle their rotation around this makeup game. Boyd made a spot start last Saturday in Oakland against the Athletics and will be making his first start against a Yankees offense that has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching this season thus far.


The game will be played at 7:40 pm ET inside Comerica Park and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. Good news for Detroit residents and fans alike as all paid tickets for the April 10th game that was postponed will be honored tonight in Detroit. One game in the standings but this game means so much more than just one game for the Yankees and for Pineda.  Pineda needs a win in the worst way. Go Yankees!

Dustin Ackley Gone for 2016, Now What?


The term “screwed the pooch” has been mentioned in our comments section but it’s hard to argue with the truth, the Yankees lack of planning and specifically Brian Cashman’s inability to bring anyone to the club to serve as insurance at first base really screwed the pooch on this one. Dustin Ackley is now gone for the year after tearing his labrum in his shoulder on a dive back to first base on a pickoff attempt leaving the already incredibly thing first base depth the team has even thinner. Now what?

The Yankees short-term plan has been to call up Robert Refsnyder giving them another right-handed bat that can play the infield and the outfield but he cannot play first base. Well, let me rephrase, he has yet to play first base leading me to believe that he is not a long-term option for New York. So who is?

The Yankees made a pair of not-so-notable free agent signings this offseason to serve as minor league depth for Mark Teixeira yet despite Teixeira missing games two separate times with neck injuries neither have made their MLB debut’s this season. One of those men you likely know, Nick Swisher, but the seemingly forgotten first base option has been Chris Parmelee who is playing the position down in Scranton. Parmelee has been forgotten by the fans and has seemingly been forgotten by GM Brian Cashman as well.

Neither are necessarily hitting the cover off the ball by any means but both options had more experience at the position than Dustin Ackley and have more experience than the options the Yankees currently have to throw out there. Chase Headley and Brian McCann have played first base for the Yankees in recent years, albeit limited experience, and Austin Romine is now working out at the position just in case. You can’t really rely on these three options though if Teixeira goes down a third time this season with an injury, can you? I wouldn’t want to.

So what do the Yankees need to do? They need to get realistic about their chances this season. If their chances are low to make a true run into the postseason then they need to basically stand pat and let the chips fall where they may but if they think they have a shot this season, and they shouldn’t, they need to make a trade and need to make a trade sooner rather than later.


Which direction do you think the Yankees should go? Leave it below in the comments section. 

Weekly Check In: Aaron Judge


It’s too bad that Aaron Judge can’t play first base because I hear the Yankees may or may not be in the market for one this season. More on that later though. Judge may not be able to play first base, or he hasn’t thus far in his professional career anyway, but he can play the outfield and he can mash the absolute hell out of a baseball so that has to count for something.

As Carlos Beltran presumably makes his final laps around the Yankee Stadium outfield this season Judge has to be chomping at the bits to get the call up and the right field job. Judge has hit much better against Triple-A pitching than he did in 2015 and is merely biding his time until he gets the call as he puts in the work to get that much better.


The fact that Judge is not on the 40 man roster, and doesn’t have to be on the 40 man roster yet, is the only thing keeping Judge from the Major Leagues in my opinion. If Judge had been on the 40 man roster I don’t believe we would have seen Ben Gamel this season. Damn the 40 man roster crunch!

YearAgeLevGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201624AAA482122044972511655.230.292.387.680

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/2: RIP Lou Gehrig


Just a quick reminder to everyone that today was the day the New York Yankees All Star slugger Lou Gehrig lost his battle with ALS. ALS would soon be renamed Lou Gehrig's disease after the Iron Horse lost his battle with the deadly disease. The Yankees arrived in Detroit on this sad day in 1941 and learned of their captain passing away seventeen days prior to his 38th birthday.

Gehrig died in his sleep in his Riverdale home due to complications with ALS. It was also on this day exactly 16 years ago that Gehrig broke into the Yankees lineup for the first time.

Rest in peace Lou.





Also on this day in 1935 the Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth finally announces his retirement from Major League Baseball. The 40 year old former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees slugger wanted to retire three weeks prior to this announcement but was persuaded to stick it out by Braves owner Emil Fuchs. His reasoning was that Boston hadn't played in every National League park yet, whatever that had to do with anything.