Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/14

Here we go one last time Yankees family as the New York Yankees travel to California to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Disney World of Disney Land (because who can remember which is which, am I right?) of Orange County of not San Francisco of Major League Baseball of Elm Street. In the finale of their three-game set this week the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound to square off with Matt Shoemaker. The game will be played at 10:07 pm ET inside Angel Stadium of Anaheim and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into the WFAN broadcast.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and as always enjoy the game. Go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/14

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will finish off their three-game set tonight inside Angels Stadium of Anaheim with the Yankees looking to keep the good times rolling. This team is absolutely crushing the ball right now and have the pitching to boot which could be very scary going forward for the rest of the American League. Sure, the team has holes and flaws including starting pitching, first base and third base but they have the youth to overcome that either with promotions or trades. One step at a time though, finishing this series would be nice before we start printing playoff and World Series tickets, so let’s get to tonight’s contest that will showcase Michael Pineda for the Yankees taking on Matt Shoemaker for the Angels.

Pineda was brilliant in his last start holding the Red Sox to just one unearned run and four hits in seven innings of work. Pineda had eight strikeouts in that start which gave Pineda his sixth quality start in his last seven outings. Let’s make that an even seven out of eight tonight.

Shoemaker on the other and was not so sharp in his last start against the high-powered Houston Astros allowing four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Shoemaker hasn’t had great outing against the Yankees either in just two career starts pitching to a 0-2 record with a 4.05 ERA.

The game will be played at 10:07 pm ET inside Angel Stadium and Anaheim and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with Mr. and Mrs. Baseball, John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game and as always…. Go Yankees!

Yankees Best Win of the First Half

The New York Yankees first half of their 2016 campaign did not exactly go as planned, that is an understatement, but there were a few defining wins to focus on. The Yankees did take three-of-four from the first place Cleveland Indians right before the break including a scrappy win in Game One, an extra innings win in Game Three and a slugfest victory in the finale of the first half but I wouldn’t call any of them the Yankees best or biggest win of the first half. I couldn’t put my finger on just one game though so here are three to choose from. Which one would you choose? And if it’s not one of these three then which one is it? Leave it below in the comments section. 

My obvious pick and initial pick went to that game with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on May 7^th. No one will remember that game by the date but all Yankees fans will know what you’re talking about when you tell them it’s the game that David Ortiz threw a hissy fit in and got ejected in the 9^th inning after being struck out by Andrew Miller. Ortiz was up with the bases loaded down 3-2 to New York when a 3-1 slider crossed up Brian McCann and was called for a strike. Ortiz screamed “no” many times only to take another slider for strike three to end the at bat. Ortiz was seen throwing equipment and barking at the umpire in the dugout after the strikeout and was ultimately tossed. Ortiz then rushed the umpire to get his two cents in but in the end the Yankees won after Hanley Ramirez grounded out to end the contest. Farewell tour gift idea? A pacifier. 

Almost a month later to the day the Yankees were facing off against a tough pitcher in Matt Shoemaker from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Shoemaker held the Yankees scoreless for six innings before Brian McCann and Starlin Castro went back-to-back, belly-to-belly, with two outs in the seventh inning to tie the game at two. In the eight All-Star Carlos Beltran hit a two-out, three-run home run to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead and eventual victory to send the fans home happy in the Bronx. 

The final game I had in mind for the Yankees best win of the first half was a game played on June 29^th against the American League’s best record holders, the Texas Rangers. The Yankees were down 7-4 in the 9^th inning and facing off with the Rangers closer Sam Dyson when Brian McCann connected for a three-run game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth. Starlin Castro would follow McCann and would draw a walk before Didi Gregorius slapped a fastball over the right field wall in right giving the Yankees a walk off victory.

The Yankees probably wanted more than 44 wins at this point in the season but at least some of them give you hope that the Yankees offense is alive and could be formidable if everyone starts clicking at once. What was your favorite moment from the first half?

Prime Examples of Yankees Buying Before the Deadline & Still Rebuilding

Earlier this week I ran a pretty simple Twitter Poll on twitter and on the blog, will the Yankees be buyers or will the Yankees be sellers at the 2016 trading deadline? In the posts I detailed how I wanted a huge fire sale for the ages originally but I have somewhat regressed towards a new strategy, buying and selling but only buying if the buying makes sense. This lead to some telling me I “talk out of both sides of my mouth” and that I can’t pick a side in an argument because I play both sides of the fence but I call it being a fan who was shown a better way. If that’s talking out of both sides of my mouth, that’s fine, but here is a few examples of what I am talking about when I say buying now, and buying low, while still rebuilding for the future. 

Let’s shoot for the stars and give the doubters a reason to hate the article and the thought process right off the bat. No I don’t find this to be realistic for the Yankees, the article post said “examples” not moves the Yankees should absolutely make. Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has been an ace and a Yankees killer for a long time on a team that hasn’t competed for much in a long time. The reason Hernandez may be touchable this season as opposed to any other season is the fact that he’s only made 10 starts due to injury, a calf injury, and the Mariners are out of it in the AL West. His value is at an all-time low this season but he’s signed, albeit to a lucrative deal, through the 2019 season with a team option for the 2020 season. Pitching is expensive and so is Hernandez but it’s only going to get more expensive, not less, so buying him now fits in with the Yankees future plans. 

Now here’s a realistic trade option for you, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starter Matt Shoemaker. At the time of this writing the Angels are almost 20 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West and are one of the worst teams in all of the American League so you know, 100%, that they will be sellers. Shoemaker is not having a great year but you’re not buying him for this year, you’re buying him for the future. Just two years ago Shoemaker was a 16-game winner so the talent is there and so is the experience at just age 29. Shoemaker in a down year is still better than what the team is getting out of Ivan Nova, Nathan Eovaldi or CC Sabathia over the past month or so. Shoemaker is not arbitration eligible until the 2017 season and is under team control through 2021 at a steep discount to place at the back end of the rotation. 

The back end of the rotation means nothing without an ace and while King Felix may be a pipe dream you can never count out anyone when it comes to a player on the Oakland Athletics. Sonny Gray. Gray, again having a down year by his standards, but has an absolute ton of upside and has been a proven commodity as recently as the 2015 season. Gray finished third in last season’s AL Cy Young Award vote and the Yankees have taken notice, they’ve at least inquired about him for two straight seasons now in trade reportedly. This is someone you steal low, catch lightning in a bottle with or hope that a change of scenery helps with and ride the 26-year old all the way through the 2020 season before he becomes a free agent in 2021.

Let the Brian Cashman bashing begin. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/6

Home Sweet Home. The New York Yankees have finally made their way back home to the Bronx and New York to play host to Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking to get this series off on the right foot with a victory while the Angels will counter with a very productive pitcher of their own in Matt Shoemaker. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

No flash gimmicks to get you to buy Yankees tickets and no plugging our Twitter handle, @GreedyStripes if you please, just a declaration of victory. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/6

The New York Yankees have finally returned to the Bronx and back to the great state of New York to play host to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim inside Yankee Stadium. Today is the official kick star of HOPE Week where the Yankees showcase individuals or charities that are in need and deserve the showcase from the organization for their charitable actions. In the game tonight the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to kick off the series and the home stand while the Angels counter with Matt Shoemaker.

Tanaka has been absolutely lights out in his last three starts for the Yankees and will look to make it four in a row tonight in the Bronx. In Tanaka's last three starts the right-hander has posted a 2-1 record with a 0.90 ERA with 10 K's. 

Shoemaker has been dominant as of late allowing just a total of four runs in his last three starts combined. In that time period Shoemaker has struck out 31 batters in 22.2 innings and it has been 33 strikeouts since Shoemakers last walk. This is going to be a tough one for the Yankees tonight.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. HOPE Week, the Yankees ace on the mound and the first time being back in the Bronx for quite some time. It sounds like the stars are aligning for a Yankees victory, now go get us all one.

Go Yankees!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7/1

Welcome to July baseball Yankees fans and welcome to a game being played on the west coast that us on the east coast can actually watch and not pay for in the morning. Tonight the Yankees remain in Angels Stadium for one more contest against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before leaving on a jet plan after the game. The Yankees will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound to face off against the Angels starter Matt Shoemaker. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees return home Friday fresh off the off day tomorrow to play host to their American League East rivals in the Tampa Bay Rays. To see this game live in the Bronx and inside Yankee Stadium click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to get your tickets without all the bulky shipping costs and the annoying fees in general through our friends at Ticket Monster. If you can’t make it to the Bronx live then that’s not a problem, simply jump on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and/or the comments section of the blog to interact with us during each and every Yankees game this season.

Brett Gardner is stepping into the box and Eovaldi is in from the dugout so it looks like it’s game time in Angels Stadium, let’s do it. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7/1

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim face off tonight in the finale of their three game set in Angels Stadium. The Yankees will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound tonight to face off against Matt Shoemaker for the Angels. It’s probably not a coincidence that Adam Warren was supposed to start in this game and won’t, I doubt the Yankees wanted Eovaldi to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. Anyway the game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Eovaldi is looking for his third straight strong start this season after looking impressive against the Houston Astros in his last start. In front of Nolan Ryan the fellow Texan allowed just two runs on five hits in six innings against the Astros in a victory for the Yankees leaving many ton wonder if Eovaldi finally has it figured out this season.

• Shoemaker is fresh off a strong start against the Seattle Mariners last time out where he allowed just two runs in six innings of work for the Angels. Shoemaker had an extra two days of rest before the start as he worked on getting his timing in sync and will not have that luxury this time out for Anaheim. With that said maybe the Yankees can take advantage of that and clobber the cobbler.

The Yankees have one more game tonight in California before getting a much needed off day tomorrow. The Yankees will use the off day to travel and prepare for a big three game weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the team that currently sits atop the American League East Division and one of the teams the Yankees are chasing in the playoff race. This has all the makings of your typical trap game for New York so hopefully Girardi has his troops ready for battle tonight in Anaheim.