Friday, June 29, 2018

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox 6/29



And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Rivalry renewed, let’s get to it. In the first of a three-game weekend set the Yankees will send out CC Sabathia to square off with Eduardo Rodriguez for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally, NESN behind enemy lines, and on MLB Network if you are out of the regional market like I am. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, step on a crack and break David Price’s back, and go Yankees!!



Meet a Prospect: Mickey Gasper



With their 27th round pick, 817th overall, in the 2018 MLB First Year Players Draft the New York Yankees selected Mickey Gasper, a first baseman out of Bryant University in Rhode Island. Surprisingly, Gasper was the first, first baseman to be drafted by the Yankees in the 2018 Draft, so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Mickey Gasper Edition.

Gasper stands 5’10” and weighs in at 190 lbs. as he throws right-handed and bats from both sides of the plate. Gasper was originally listed as a catcher at the time of him being drafted, but the Yankees requested that he be listed as a first baseman going forward. Gasper is a four-year college senior that slashed .344/.469/.524 with 119 RBI while playing at Bryant University. As a senior Gasper slashed .340/.468/.539 with just 20 strikeouts in over 200 at-bats.


Gasper is a power hitter and the Yankees are hoping that some of his doubles turn into home runs as he matures and fills into his body going forward. Gasper has played in the Cape Cod League in 2016 and 2017 meaning he knows his way around a wooden bat, an important aspect as he begins his professional career with the Yankees.

Mickey has already decided to sign with the club so let’s welcome him not only to the organization, but to the Yankees family as well. You can follow Mickey on Twitter by giving @_Mick_the_Kid_ a follow.


Yankees Statistical Leaders Through 78 Games



The Yankees Offense






At Bats:

Giancarlo Stanton – 302




Games:

Giancarlo Stanton – 77





Hits:

Giancarlo Stanton - 80



Doubles:

Miguel Andujar - 23






Home Runs:

Aaron Judge - 20





RBI:

Aaron Judge - 52




Batting Average:


Gleyber Torres - .284
Aaron Judge - .277











The Yankees Pitching








Wins:

Luis Severino – 12




Losses:

Sonny Gray – 5 






ERA:

Starters:  Luis Severino - 2.10 ERA
Bullpen:  Aroldis Chapman - 1.29 ERA






Strikeouts:

Starters: Luis Severino – 132 K’s
Bullpen: Dellin Betances – 62 K’s





Saves:

Aroldis Chapman – 23





Shutouts:

Luis Severino – 1



All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference



The Yankees and Red Sox Head-to-Head Comparison for 2018… Thus Far!


As we learned in our game preview this morning the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will renew their rivalry and write the next chapter in their storied franchise’s history head-to-head with a three-game set inside Yankee Stadium over the weekend. What have the Yankees and Red Sox done against each other thus far, and can that maybe tell us what is to come for this latest three-game set?


Team Game-by-Game Schedule
Gm# Date Tm Opp W/L R RA Win Loss Save Attendance
11Tuesday, Apr 10boxscoreNYY@BOSL114SaleSeverino32,357
12Wednesday, Apr 11boxscoreNYY@BOSW107TanakaPrice32,400
13Thursday, Apr 12boxscoreNYY@BOSL36PorcelloGrayKimbrel36,341
35Tuesday, May 8boxscoreNYYBOSW32RobertsonHembreeChapman45,773
36Wednesday, May 9boxscoreNYYBOSW96HolderBarnesChapman47,088
37Thursday, May 10boxscoreNYYBOSL45KellyBetancesKimbrel46,899
79Friday, Jun 29previewNYYBOS7:057:057:05GameGameGameGame
80Saturday, Jun 30previewNYYBOS7:157:157:15GameGameGameGame
81Sunday, Jul 1previewNYYBOS8:058:058:05GameGameGameGame
Stat set thanks to Baseball Reference.


So, what did we learn? We didn’t exactly learn anything to be completely honest. Both teams are great this season and both teams have played each other tough head-to-head. I expect nothing less tonight and into the weekend as well. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox, even when one or both are struggling, tend to bring their “A” games when they face one another, so it should be another fun weekend in the Bronx. It will be even more fun if David Price can’t find his pitching glove or hurts his back getting out of the shower between now and Sunday, but that is another post for another day.

The Rivalry Resumes Tonight in the Bronx...


Baseball’s Greatest Rivalry, sorry Dodgers-Giants, is back…

Yankees-Red Sox.  It doesn’t get any better than this. The two teams open tonight for a three-game set at Yankee Stadium in the continuing battles for the AL East. The season series is currently tied at three games apiece. The Sox took two of three at Fenway Park in April, and the Yanks countered with two of three in the Bronx during May. After this series, the teams will meet ten more times with the next series a four-game set in Boston which starts on the 39th anniversary of the death of legendary Yankees catcher Thurman Munson (August 2nd). I still miss Munson’s intensity in these Yankees-Red Sox games. 



I am disappointed in former Yankees Assistant General Manager Billy Eppler. The Los Angeles Angels GM has arguably the best baseball player in the World on his team and he can’t put other guys talented enough around Mike Trout to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox enter tonight’s series in the Bronx with a one-game advantage on the Yankees in the AL East. Boston swept their six-game season series with the Halos, thanks to a 4-2 win at Fenway Park yesterday. If the Angels could have taken just one of those games, the Yankees and Red Sox would be tied atop the AL East. I know, it’s still June. Don’t get worked up about the Standings. But, hey Billy, thanks for nothing. That’s literally what you gave us.



I don’t know what I was more disappointed about. The lack of effort by the Angels against the Red Sox or the “throwaway game” that Aaron Boone served up on Wednesday when he started the underwhelming Luis Cessa against the Philadelphia and inserted the legendary hitless bat of Kyle Higashioka in place of the much better Austin Romine and also sat Aaron Judge even though the Yankees had Thursday off with a very short commute from Philly back to New York. I know that Cessa only let one hitter beat him but the three-run homer by Rhys Hoskins was all the Phillies needed to take down the Yankees on a night the offense was a no-show. In my opinion, Cessa is better used in limited relief appearances. I really wish the Yankees would quit giving him spot start assignments. He is no Domingo German or Jonathan Loaisiga and never will be.

I get wanting to push CC Sabathia back so that he could open the Boston series tonight but with Cessa’s loss, it didn’t really seem worth it. Sabathia draws a tough opposing pitcher this evening in the form of Eduardo Rodriguez who brings a 9-2 record into the game with a 3.86 ERA. It doesn’t get any easier for the Yankees tomorrow when they’ll throw out Sonny Gray (Sucks!) against Boston ace Chris Sale. The only pitching match-up that favors the Yankees this weekend is Sunday when Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10 ERA) takes on David Price (9-5, 3.66 ERA).

After Wednesday’s game, the Yankees optioned Cessa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will be recalling Brandon Drury today. Yay! I am very excited to see the Triple-A All-Star back in the Bronx. I like the options to use both Drury and Miguel Andujar at third and move Drury around the infield bags. I hope Drury is here to stay but I think he has at least one more trip to Scranton before he finishes his minor league career. If it was up to me, I’d pat Neil Walker on the back, thank him for his efforts, and send him on his way with bags in hand. Drury has greater long-term value for the Yankees and can easily meet or exceed current production.

The Boston Red Sox have baseball’s highest payroll and a decimated farm system thanks to Dave Dombrowski trades but it didn’t stop the Sox from trying to get better yesterday. They made a deal to acquire 35-year-old infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays for an infield prospect (Santiago Espinal) and cash considerations.  Toronto is apparently contributing $1.66 million toward Pearce's contract to keep the Red Sox from entering the top tier of tax penalties. Pearce is effective when healthy, but health has been the issue. He has only played 26 games for the Blue Jays this season.  He had a memorable 2017 season when he blasted two walk-off grand slams within a week. He also provided the Jays with a walk-off homer against the Angels earlier this season. When Pearce puts on the Red Sox uniform, he will have worn the uniform for every AL East team  (he appeared in a dozen games for the Yankees early in the 2012 season). Everyone keeps saying the Yankees have the advantage over the Red Sox with a much deeper farm system to deal from, but it doesn’t seem to be holding back the Red Sox. Brian Cashman, your move.

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Bill Kostroun)

There’s talk that the Texas Rangers could move Cole Hamels before the All-Star Game which will be held on Tuesday, July 17th, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The Yankees continue to be mentioned as a possible destination, along with Hamels’ old team, the Philadelphia Phillies. I think I still prefer J.A. Happ but I certainly would not complain if Cashman drops Hamels into the Yankees rotation. I know the Yankees have long been connected to Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers but despite the youth and controllable years for the former Rookie of the Year, Fulmer just does not excite me. The Yankees had a scout present for his last start yesterday in Detroit against the Oakland A’s. Fulmer took the loss, pitching eight innings, giving up nine hits and four runs, in the A’s 4-2 victory. For the season, Fulmer is 3-7 with a 4.20 ERA for the 36-46 Tigers. Detroit is apparently asking for the moon and the stars in any trade for Fulmer. I do not feel that he is worth the price of Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu and others. I am okay with short-term options to buy time for the young arms in the system to mature. I’d make an exception for Jacob deGrom but despite the noise that the Yankees and Mets are talking, I don’t think they’ll make a deal. It would be very hard for the Mets to watch their ace excel in the Bronx without getting top flight, Major League-ready talent in return.

Okay, Yankees. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to win at least two of the next three games this weekend, and start next week in a dead heat with the Red Sox. If you want to sweep the Sox, please, by all means, go ahead. Good pitching and good hitting (plus some solid D). Let’s bring it. All I want to hear this weekend is Michael Kay yelling, “There it goes…see ya!” and to watch Aroldis Chapman shake hands with Austin Romine at the end of the games.     

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Elsa)

Go Yankees! 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox 6/29



Good morning and welcome back to the Bronx where the rivalry is about to be renewed one more time between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. In the first of this three-game weekend set between the top two teams in the American League East Division the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to face off with Eduardo Rodriguez for the Red Sox. Let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Sabathia has been the loser of his last two starts, both at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, despite pitching well enough to win in both of his starts. In the two starts combined Sabathia allowed just five runs total, four of them earned, with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings of work. Sabathia will look to limit the damage against Boston tonight and hopefully will hand the bullpen a lead.


Rodriguez has been solid as of late with just one blip on the radar, a tough start against the Seattle Mariners last time out where the Red Sox lefty allowed five runs in four innings of work. Rodriguez has pitched to a 2.97 ERA in his past seven starts and will look to build on a strong outing against the Yankees last time out on May 10th where he hurled five shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally, NESN behind enemy lines, and on MLB Network if you are out of the regional market like I am. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.


Enjoy the game, rivalry renewed, and go Yankees!!

Hello… Enough is Enough w/ Neil Walker



Good morning Yankees family and a Happy Friday to you all, now let’s rant. Raise your hand if you are sick and tired of seeing the New York Yankees trot out Neil Walker every day when Brandon Drury continues to sit down in Triple-A and rot. I’ll wait.

Undoubtedly there were a few of you and to you, I agree. The team doesn’t want to designate him for assignment because they ultimately feel like he will end up with the Boston Red Sox or another rival team like the Seattle Mariners, my speculation only, but does the team not know that they can control their own destiny with a little thing called a trade?

The Los Angeles Dodgers need a second baseman, and the Yankees have a natural second baseman in Walker. This sounds like a deal just waiting to be made, so make it already. Rant over.

Oh, and hi baby! I love you. You are my best friend, my rock, my super hero, and my everything.

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/29: David Justice the Yankee

On this day in 2000 the New York Yankees tried multiple times to bolster their offense in trades and failed to get Juan Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa before settling for David Justice from the Cleveland Indians for Ricky Ledee and two players to be named later. That trade kind of worked, no?


Also on this day in 1941 Joe DiMaggio and the Yankees played in a double header with the Washington Senators. The wins and losses didn't matter as much as the fact that DiMaggio tied and then broke the American League record for consecutive games with a hit, previously held by George Sisler with 41 straight games with a hit. DiMaggio had a seventh inning single off Walt Masteron to break the tie with Sisler.