Game Thread: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 8/17

One last time this season the New York Yankees and the New York Mets will face off head-to-head as a part of the Subway Series. Let’s do it. In the finale of the four-game interleague set tonight the Yankees will send their ace and best pitcher to the mound in Luis Severino while the Mets will counter with the struggling Steven Matz. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Citi Field in Flushing, New York and can be seen on the YES Network, WPIX Channel 11, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into WFAN for the Yankees feed and ESPN Deportes for the Mets feed.

Follow us on Twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow and enjoy the game. One last time, I promise, I will say “to hell with the Mets” and Go Yankees!

Remembering Game Five of the 2000 Subway World Series

The 2000 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the New York Mets facing off in the World Series for the first time in their history. This was the first Subway Series since 1956 when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees faced off. Let's take the time to remember Game 5 of the 2000 World Series.

In a rematch of the Game 1 pitchers duel Andy Pettitte took the mound for the Yankees and faced off against the Mets ace Al Leiter. Bernie Williams would get the scoring going with a solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The Mets would respond by getting two unearned runs across the board in the bottom of the 2nd and would keep that lead until the 6th inning when Derek Jeter hit a game tying home run. Heading into the 9th inning the game was tied a 2-2 each when Luis Sojo hit an RBI single off of Al Leiter to give the Yankees the lead and an errant throw that ended up in the Yankees dugout allowed a 4th run to score giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead going to the bottom of the 9th. Mike Piazza would come up in the 9th as the tying run in the 9th and hit a deep fly ball to center field that would find Bernie Williams glove and that would get the Yankees their third consecutive World Series victory. Mike Stanton would get the victory and Al Leiter would take the loss while Mariano Rivera notched his second save of the World Series in the clinching game.


This would be the Yankees 26th World Series victory overall and fourth in five years cementing the dynasty.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 8/17

With a heavy heart I regret to inform you that after tonight the New York Yankees can no longer beat up on the New York Mets in 2017. Well unless both teams make the playoffs and reach the World Series, but lol. In the finale of the four-game annual Subway Series the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound looking to start a new string of impressive starts while the Mets will counter with Steven Matz, unless he gets injured or traded by then too. Enjoy the game.

Severino was not impressive in his last start against the Boston Red Sox allowing 10 runs, eight of them earned, in just 4.1 innings pitched. Severino was undefeated in his previous four starts allowing no more than one run in any of the starts before the clunker in the Bronx.

Matz has also struggled over his last seven starts posting a 0-5 record with a 9.51 ERA and facing Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and company is usually not the best recipe to fix that. Matz will be pitching at home tonight which helps but a struggling pitcher may be just what the Yankees offense needs to start clicking on all cylinders again.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Citi Field in Queens and can be seen on the YES Network, WPIX Channel 11, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game, to hell with the Mets and Go Yankees!!!

My Big Day

Part of me would like to go back about five years ago. Back then I had a lot of free time on my hands. I worked, hung out with friends fairly often, I visited my family in New York a few times a year (I live in Ohio), and I also wrote here a heck of a lot more.

But I bigger part of me... much bigger part, in fact... is thrilled to be in my current position.

No, I don't hang out with my friends that often. No, I don't visit my family in New York nearly as much as I'd like. No, I don't write very much around here. However, about five years ago I started dating an incredible woman, and in 18 days we will be married.

Anyone that's gotten married, be it a large or small ceremony/reception (ours is on the smaller side), knows all the time and effort that needs to be put into it. Not a day has gone by in the past three months in which the wedding wasn't mentioned.

Hopefully the few articles I have written around here are enjoyed by at least some of you. For those "some", I can't say how much I'll be writing in the future, so I'm sorry. But I can say that I'm not going anywhere. Even if it's a comment within another article, I will peak around here from time to time.

I haven't been this excited about a Yankees team for a long time, and I want nothing more than to share that excitement with you all. And not just the 2017 Yankees, but the 2018, 2019, and beyond teams.

Perhaps I should have filled you guys in earlier than this, but I didn't really know what I was getting into until recently. Whatever the future holds for us, though, I can't wait.

Thanks, and one last thing...

I love you, Heather!

The Judgian Blast...

Credit:  Elsa-Getty Images

Yankees 5, Mets 3...

...Ya gotta love John Sterling and his home run calls.  Aaron Judge hits a home run and it's almost bigger news than the game itself.  His blast, which traveled into the third deck of the left center stands, traveled 457 feet at a velocity of 117 mph to help power the Yankees to the win over the New York Mets.  It was funny to watch the Mets outfielders stand without moving as they watched the ball fly over.  

I didn't like the first inning when the Yankees failed to take advantage of a scoring opportunity and the Mets did not.  Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single lined to right.  He stole second (the throw bouncing off Ellsbury as he slid), and later advanced to third on Aaron Judge's ground out back to the pitcher.  Robert Gsellman looked at Ellsbury but didn't hold him long enough before throwing Judge out.  Unfortunately, the Yankees could not bring Ells home.  In the bottom of the inning, the Mets didn't waste their opportunity. Juan Lagares opened with a double down the third base line all the way to the corner off Yankees starter Jaime Garcia.  After moving to third on a ground out, he scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Yoenis Cespedes.  The Mets had the early 1-0 lead.

The second inning was weird but the Yankees came away with the game-tying run.  With the Mets rotating third baseman Travis d'Arnaud and second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera in frequent positional switches, Chase Headley drew a one-out walk against Mets starter Robert Gsellman.  A wild pitch by Gsellman into the dirt through catcher Rene Rivera's legs allowed Headley to move to second, followed by a passed ball on Rivera that advanced him to third. Rivera's look back at Gsellman was a classic "WTF?". Garrett Cooper grounded out to third on a diving stop by Asdrubal Cabrera but Headley scored on the play.  The Yankees had tied the game.

Aaron Judge led off the 4th inning with his towering blast. It was one of those "wow" moments.  The home run was Judge's 37th of the year.  The Yankees had taken their first lead of the game, 2-1.

Credit:  Frank Franklin II-Associated Press

In the bottom of the 5th, Rene Rivera hit a two-out solo homer over the wall in left center to tie the game.  It seemed so wrong that his homer counted as much as Judge's did.  

The Yankees took their second lead of the game in the 6th inning.  Aaron Judge singled on a liner to left with one out.  Successive walks to Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez loaded the bases and ended the day for Robert Gsellman.  Reliever Paul Sewald was brought into the game and Chase Headley greeted him with a sacrifice fly to center which scored Judge.  3-2, Yankees.

In the bottom of the inning, the Mets came right back to tie the game again.  Asdrubal Cabrera opened the inning with a single to left.  He subsequently  tried to steal second on a ball that got away from Gary Sanchez, but it was a bad idea to test El Gary's arm.  Out at second.  Yoenis Cespedes drew a walk from Jaime Garcia and Michael Conforto doubled to left...a roller to the wall, advancing Cespedes to third.  Manager Joe Girardi pulled Garcia and brought Tommy Kahnle into the game.  Travis d'Arnaud lofted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Cespedes but Kahnle was able to limit the damage to only the one run. Game was tied again at 3.

Ronald Torreyes led off the 7th inning with a double to the left field corner.  What can you say about Toe? He is constantly coming up with key, unsung hits in critical moments. A sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner, pinch-hitting for Kahnle, pushed Toe to third. Successive walks of Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks by Paul Sewald loaded the bases. Admittedly, the fourth ball to Hicks looked like the third strike but oh well, I'll take it. Aaron Judge had first crack at the potential scoring opportunity but he popped out to the catcher.  Didi Gregorius was next and he didn't miss his opportunity.  He rapped a double with authority to the right field corner, scoring both Toe and Ellsbury.  

Credit:  Frank Franklin II-Associated Press

From there, the Yankees rode the bullpen arms of Adam Warren and David Robertson to victory.  The Mets were given four outs in the bottom of the 9th when a third strike on Amed Rosario rolled under Gary Sanchez's glove to the backstop, allowing Rosario to reach first.  Robertson was charged with the wild pitch, but Sanchez should have had his glove down.  Robertson shook it off and did what he does best.  He closed the game out for his 14th save on a called strikeout of Rene Rivera who had represented the potential tying run.  I continue to be thankful every day that DRob is a Yankee again.

Credit:  Frank Franklin II-Associated Press

The Yankees (64-55) were unable to pick up any ground on the Boston Red Sox.  The Sox were trailing the St Louis Cardinals, 4-2, in the bottom of the 9th at Fenway Park, but Xander Bogaerts homered and Mookie Betts hit a two-run double to give the Red Sox the 5-4 walk-off win.  So, the Yankees remain 4 1/2 games behind the Sox.  The Sox are off today so the Yankees will either gain or lose a 1/2 game depending upon the outcome  of the Yankees-Mets series finale.  Both the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles lost.  The Rays dropped a 3-2 contest to the Toronto Blue Jays and the O's were beaten 7-6 by Yonder Alonso and the Seattle Mariners.  So, they trail the Yankees by 5 1/2 and 6 games, respectively.  

Despite the monster home run, Aaron Judge set the MLB record for consecutive games with a strikeout for non-pitchers with a swinging strikeout in the top of the 9th.  He has now struck out in 32 successive games.  

Although he was on the mound when the Mets tied the game in the 6th, Tommy Kahnle (2-3) was the beneficiary of the two-run double by Didi Gregorius in the 7th to take the win. Excellent job by Adam Warren who pitched two innings of scoreless one-hit ball with 3 strikeouts.  I am sure that the Chicago Cubs look at Warren and wonder where that guy was at the start of last season.

Mets starting catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who hadn't played third since high school, was forced to play the position when both Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes were scratched before the game due to ribcage injuries.  d'Arnaud and Cabrera, the second baseman, made a total of 22 positional switches during the course of the game.  Cabrera would frequently move to third for right-handed hitters.  It was a smart play by Mets manager Terry Collins as he limited the fielding chances for d'Arnaud.  Cabrera took all of the grounders to third and d'Arnaud only had to deal with a popup.  

Credit:  Elsa-Getty Images

Odds & Ends...

Credit to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com for the words of Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner at the MLB Owners Meeting in Chicago: 

• If we don't make the play-offs, it's a failure.  Any year, any year.  That's just the mindset for us.
• It was a great first two and a half months.  It's been tough the last two months for the most part.  But I think they're coming out of it and the pitching additions we made at the Deadline are already helping, and we're going to have a strong last five, six weeks. 
• The changes we did at the last Trade Deadline a year ago clearly [were] a difficult decision. But I made it, it was mine, and we got a lot of good players from it and we still stayed in contention until the last couple weeks. But we've been fortunate. The young guys we kept talking about for three, four years finally got to the point where they could contribute at the big league level. Other guys -- [international] signings like Estevan Florial -- have been good. So we've got a very good player development system right now, and we're competing. That's always a very good sign. And it's always tough to give up some of the top [prospects], but I wasn't going to do it for a rental. If you do it, you do it for a young guy that's under control for a year or two.
• We can still go into the free-agent market. We'll just have to see who's ready [in the Minor League system] and who's not and how the team looks at X [payroll] number.

Credit:  Nam Y Huh-Associated Press

Greg Bird began his rehab assignment last night with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.  After the RailRiders completed the rain suspended game from the night before (which they lost 9-4 to the Gwinnett Braves), Bird was penciled into the lineup at first base for the regularly scheduled Wednesday game.  He was 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the first four innings of the RailRiders' 4-1 loss to the Braves.  Chance Adams, 9-4, was the losing pitcher.

CC Sabathia will be activated off the DL on Saturday according to Sweeny Murti of WFAN. He's scheduled to make the start against the Boston Red Sox.  I wish I felt more optimistic about this news than I do.

Have a great Thursday!  Let's sweep the Subway Series with a win!  Go Yankees!

Remembering Game Four of the 2000 Subway World Series

The 2000 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the New York Mets facing off in the World Series for the first time in their history. This was the first Subway Series since 1956 when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees faced off. Let's take the time to remember Game 4 of the 2000 World Series.

The New York Yankees sent Denny Neagle to the mound to face off with the Mets Bobby Jones in Game 4 of the Subway World Series. Derek Jeter led off the game and blasted a home run over the left field fence giving the Yankees a lead that they would never relinquish in this game. This would extend Derek Jeter's World Series hitting streak to 13 games and would be only the 16th lead off home run in World Series history. The Yankees would win the game 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Subway World Series. Jeff Nelson would take the victory and Bobby Jones would take the loss with Mariano Rivera notching the save for the pinstripers.

So it Seems the Yankees Need a Closer

What the hell happened to Aroldis Chapman? I’m sorry but if you’re throwing 172 MPH you should be able to get MLB players out consistently, period. Chapman just can’t do that right now yet Joe Girardi keeps on running him out there in the 9^th inning like he can. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it and I likely never will. It makes me so mad I’m infuriated watching these Yankees games and highlights lately. So it seems the Yankees need a closer. Whether that close is Dellin Betances, Chad Green who has been a monster out of the bullpen, David Robertson or someone from outside the organization and team I don’t know but something needs to be done. Well, if the team wants to make the postseason in 2017 anyway.

Oh and HEY YOU. HEY YOU. You get two today because in just two more days I am all yours. I love you. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/17: Sori Goes 30/30

For the better part of a decade Alfonso Soriano was one of the premier hitters, stolen base threats, and home run hitters in all of Major League Baseball. Soriano entered the 30 home run and 30 stolen base club on this day in 2002 after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of the Seattle Mariners James Baldwin. Soriano was the first ever second baseman to join the 30/30 club joining Bobby Bonds as the only other Yankee to accomplish the feat. Bonds went 30/30 in 1975.

Also on this day in 1948 Tommy Henrich hits his fourth grand slam of the season tying one of Babe Ruth's major league records. This came just a day after the great Babe Ruth passed away. This came after an estimated 100,000 fans passed the body of the Bambino at Yankee Stadium while showing their respect for the great.

Finally on this day in 1933 Lou Gehrig quietly passed Everett Scott for the most consecutive games played by playing in his 1,309th consecutive game. Gehrig would end up playing in 2,130 consecutive games before benching himself and ending the iron man streak.




Also on this day in 2015 CC Sabathia had to be restrained from a Toronto street fight outside a club and Bryan Mitchell took a fastball to the face. Yeah I didn't want to remember those either. Sorry.