Capuano Not As Excited As You'd Think After Beating Blue Jays

After last Sunday's victory over the White Sox, Yankees Pitcher Chris Capuano was understandably full of joy. 

No, he hadn't gotten the win in the contest due to David Robertson's blown save, but yes, his team had taken a game they trailed for the majority of, something that seemed to show an "it's about the team" attitude in Capuano.

So, though the veteran did finally get his first W yesterday with a 6-3 shutdown of the Blue Jays, I guess it's not that surprising that he was the same way last night, telling reporters following his nice start that he doesn't worry about getting decisions.

“At this point, we just want to win games as a team,” Capuano said, via The Star Ledger. “I’m not worried about stats or getting wins as a pitcher. You can’t control that.”

Capuano, a 36-year-old lefty who has previously played for five other clubs, came to the Bronx from the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate back on July 24, a trade that's definitely helped out the Yankees.

No, Capuano hasn't dominated during his first month in Pinstripes, but since he has still kept them competing you can't help but like having him in the rotation, where he's also thrown pretty well against the Tigers and Orioles.

Ellsbury Out Today With Ankle Injury

Yankees Center Fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who has 4 home runs and 9 RBIs in the team's last nine games, will miss today's middle contest with an ankle injury, Joe Girardi's starting lineup reveals. 

Ellsbury, who signed a 7-year/$153 million deal with New York this offseason, suffered the wound while sliding into home in last night's ninth inning, a play on which he was called out after both a Blue Jays and a Yankees challenge.

Currently, there is nothing suggesting that the injury is serious, although it is possible that #22 could be out a few days.

If so, like in this afternoon's case, backup Ichiro Suzuki would likely see some more playing time, a happening that'd probably make Ellsbury's absence tolerable. 

8/30 Yankees Game Preview vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Yankees continue their playoff push this afternoon as they look to continue to beat up on the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East division race and second Wild Card. The Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound this afternoon to face off with the Blue Jays Drew Hutchison. The game will be played at 1:07 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Pineda has been impressive since coming off the disabled list throwing three quality starts helping to solidify the Yankees patch work rotation. Pineda is 1-0 in three starts since coming off the DL with a 2.08 ERA to go along with one walk and 12 K's. 

Hutchison is coming off his ninth quality start of the season last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays as he went six innings and allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven in the no decision. Toronto lost the game in extra innings 2-1. 

The Yankees return home next week so get your Yankees tickets RIGHT HERE off the blog to see New York host the Boston Red Sox. Our tickets don’t have any added on fees or shipping costs so what you see is what you get and what you pay for.

Go Yankees!!

Please Don’t Piss On Me & Tell Me It’s Raining

Anyone ever heard the old saying “don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining?” If you haven’t what it basically means in a nutshell is don’t tell me one thing and then do another. For example, what the New York Yankees did when they allowed Matt Thornton to be claimed by the Washington Nationals for just his contract while the team was in the middle of a pennant race. Brian Cashman and company smoothed the transaction over by dropping a few prospects and up and comers names at the fans to get us all excited, and it worked, and has failed to mention another word about it.

Some fans were introduced to the names of Tyler Webb, James Pazos, Matt Tracy, Pat Venditte, Francisco Rondon, and Jacob Lindgren to name a few for the first time when the transaction happened and some were excited to think about the prospects they had been following for so long may finally get a chance in the major leagues. A few days later the Yankees announced the contract purchase of former Boston Red Sox lefty Rich Hill and a subsequent call up. Hill has either given up runs or rotted in the Yankees bullpen and no other mention of the Yankees young left handed pitchers has come out of the mouths of anyone in the Yankees camp.

Are you going to call up Webb, Lindgren, etc. or are you going to continue to marginally upgrade with veterans, see Josh Outman, and continue to Band-Aid the situation? I can take it either way as long as you’re shooting me straight and not BS’ing me. Which is it Cash? Is it raining, Jacob Lindgren, or is it more piss?

Stay tuned…

Quick Hit: In Case You Were Wondering Who Won The Michael Pineda for Jesus Montero Trade

Just in case there was anyone left out there that had any doubt whether the Yankees or the Mariners won the blockbuster Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda trade I believe we may finally have our answer. Pineda has been hurt since coming over to the Yankees but has looked stellar since coming off the disabled list while Montero has also been injured and not looked stellar at any point in his Mariners career. In fact Jesus Montero is on a minor league rehab assignment right now with Seattle's Class-A short season affiliate. 

During the rehab game a Mariners crosschecker, or scout for those who didn't know, sent Montero an ice cream sandwich to the dugout during the game. Montero apparently didn't see the humor or the good nature of the scout and reportedly had to be restrained after going after the crosschecker with a baseball bat. 

Here is the link from MiLB.com where Montero went after scout Butch Baccala. 

Potential Roster Moves To Accommodate September Call Ups

Rosters expand just two days from today as we turn the calendar to September and the New York Yankees are allowed 40 active roster players, not just 25. While we have all heard the names of Kyle Roller, Jacob Lindgren, Robert Refsnyder, Jose Pirela, Tyler Webb, and others we haven't discussed much who could potentially be coming off the roster to accommodate these players.

Just looking at the Yankees 40 man roster more than a few players are injured and lost for the season and a simple 60 day DL transfer away from clearing a roster spot. Players like Jose Campos, who is out with Tommy John surgery, and Slade Heathcott, who had another season ending surgery, Masahiro Tanaka, who just had a setback while rehabbing a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, and Jose Ramirez, who knows what is wrong with him this time, could easily be transferred to make room on the active roster.

Players who could potentially be cut since they are taking away valuable innings and development time from the prospects in the farm include Matt Daley and Brendan Ryan if you want to stretch a little.

The great part about the way the Yankees have been constructing their roster is that so many players are extremely flexible and versatile allowing Brian Cashman and company a plethora of options including the ones we discussed above.

Two more days, stay tuned.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/30: A Rod Hits 40 Home Runs

The New York Yankees are also well known as the Bronx Bombers but in their long storied history they have only had two right handed batters that have ever hit 40 home runs in a single season, Joe DiMaggio and Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez joined DiMaggio, who hit 46 home runs in 1937, on this day in 2005.

Also on this day in 1961 a computer named Casey was used to predict the chances that Yankees outfielder Roger Maris would surpass Babe Ruth's single season home run record of 60 within 154 games. The IBM 1481 predicted that Maris had a 55% chance of hitting 61 home runs in 154 games to establish the new mark for home runs but ultimately Maris hit his 61st home run in the Yankees 161st game of the season.

Finally on this day in 1939 the Yankees Atley Donald throws a recorded 94.7 MPH pitch to establish a new record for the fastest fastball in Major League Baseball history. Donald would also win 12 straight games that year to set an AL record for most consecutive victories by a rookie starting pitcher.

Yankees Rally in Seventh to Beat Blue Jays in Opener

Chris Capuano cruised through 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball and Brett Gardner got the offense started with a top of the seventh double tonight as the Yankees excitingly beat the Blue Jays, 6-3, in the series opener at Rogers Centre. 

For the majority of this contest, strangely, the Yanks' bats couldn't do anything against Mark Buehrle, never scoring or threatening in frames 1-6. 

Nonetheless, in the aforementioned seventh their inconsistent offense randomly caught fire, crossing home five times in an unconventional way.

How unconventional, exactly? Well, after Brian McCann doubled and Carlos Beltran walked to start the at-bat Brett Gardner lined said double off the right field wall, driving in McCann and getting Beltran to third. 

However, surprisingly Beltran actually wouldn't have to stop 90 feet short on that play, jogging home easily following an into-the-crowd throw by Steve Tolleson, an error that also moved Gardner to third.

Then after the infield was brought in, Ichiro reached on an infield single and Dioner Navarro let Gardner score by putting a snap throw into left field, setting up a line-drive two-run home run by Jacoby Ellsbury to make it 5-1.

No, the game wasn't over at that point, but once Adam Warren got out of a jam in Toronto's next chance the circumstances were definitely in the visitors' favor, with another homer by Chase Headley in the ninth only making things better.

8/29 Yankees Open Game Thread vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Welcome to the weekend edition of the open thread for the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. Both teams are in the hunt for the second Wild Card and last playoff spot in the American League so these three games should be very interesting to watch. The Yankees will send Chris Capuano to the mound to face off with the Blue Jays Mark Buehrle. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Grab some Yankees tickets and get ready because the Yankeescome back to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium next week for Derek Jeter’s final regularseason month of his career. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and like our Facebook page by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.

It’s an open thread, it’s Friday, you ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got anything to do. You need to comment today (“Friday” reference there for whoever is thoroughly confused and/or questioning my writing and grammar abilities). Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the weekend. Go Yankees!

Masahiro Tanaka Sent Back To New York w/ Arm Soreness

Masahiro Tanaka is being sent back to New York after reporting some general arm soreness after his 45 pitch simulated game yesterday. Even after the game Tanaka reported some general soreness, not pain, since he has not thrown much in so long and today the team sent him back to New York. Tanaka says that he will not see a doctor when he gets back to New York, which I flat out don't believe, and will work out in the team's facilities.

Tanaka is expected to do some strength building exercises after experiencing the soreness in his arm. Tanaka reports no pain in his elbow or forearm and says the soreness is through his whole arm, not secluded to one problem area. I guess that's good news if you can take any good news out of this setback for Tanaka.