Sunday, April 19, 2015

Recap: Yankees 5, Rays 3

Chase Headley went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Michael Pineda helped him out with 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball Sunday as the Yankees beat the Rays, 5-3, to complete a rare sweep of their divisional foe in St. Petersburg.

Headley's Clutch Hits: With a runner on third and two out in the top of the third, Headley lined a single to center to put the Yankees up 3-2 -- reclaiming the advantage they had previously lost in the first. The knock was one of two run-scoring hits on the afternoon for Headley, who also laced a hard RBI double down the right-field line in the fifth. 

Pineda Solid: Pineda surrendered a two-run home run to the Rays' Steven Souza in the first, but was otherwise good during his shortest start of the season. He lasted two outs into the sixth before being removed for Chris Martin, finishing the performance with one walk and five strikeouts. 

Teixeira Drives in Two: Mark Teixeira didn't get a hit in three at-bats in this one, but that doesn't mean he wasn't at all productive. The Yankees first baseman plated a pair with a sac fly in the first and a groundout in the third, his seventh and eighth runs batted in of the year.  

Jones Triples: Leading off the fourth against Tampa Bay's Matt Andriese, Garrett Jones hit a sinking fly ball to center in front of Desmond Jennings -- resulting in a unusual triple after Jennings dove and missed it. Jones would later score on another sac fly from John Ryan Murphy, one of the highlights of his 3-for-4 day at the dish. 

Bullpen Dominates: The Yankees' relief core had little issue with the Rays following Pineda's removal, tossing 3 1/3 shutout innings to close out the club's third straight win. Dellin Betances had one of the Yankees' more impressive outings with a scoreless five outs in the seventh and eighth, setting Andrew Miller up nicely for a quick three-strikeout save in the ninth.

Next Up: The Yankees will head to Detroit Monday when they take on the Tigers in the first of four at Comerica Park -- beginning at 7:08 p.m. ET and airing live on YES. CC Sabathia will get the nod for the Yankees in his third start of 2015, matching up with the Tigers' Alfredo Simon in New York's first non-AL East game of the month.

Weekly Check in on Robert Refsnyder



We skipped a few of these unfortunately as we waited for the minor league seasons to get under way and as we waited for a true sample size to judge. Stephen Drew has hit three home runs in 10 games for the Yankees, the same amount he hit in the entire second half of the season in 2014, and unfortunately the chants for Robert Refsnyder have subsided by some. Is Refsnyder making it hard to stay in Triple-A like he did in 2014? Let's find out.


AgeTmLevGABRH2BHRRBIBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
24Scranton/Wilkes-BarreAAA8324710225.219.265.250.515

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 4/19:


It's game time as the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays finish off their three game set inside Tropicana Field this afternoon. The Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound to face off with the Rays starter Matt Andriese. The game will be played at 1:10 pm ET and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets for New York's next series in Detroit against the Detroit Tigers or get you a set of tickets for when the team returns home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. Just for being a Greedy Pinstripes reader we can offer you a slight discount on top of already some of the cheapest Yankees tickets on the web thanks to the lack of shipping fees or any fees whatsoever. If your staying home and watching on TV like I am then jump on the blog and check out our comments section or give us a follow on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) to chat with us during the game.

That's enough from me, now it's time for Mr. Pineda to do all the talking. Go Yankees!!

Sunday Morning Yankees Injury Update: 4/19


The New York Yankees have had their fair share of injuries already this season so it will probably become a weekly thing that we check in on our injured players. Brett Gardner made his return to the Yankees lineup last night against the Tampa Bay Rays after taking a pitch to his wrist that caused a deep bone bruise. How are the rest of the wounded Yankees doing? Let's check in:

Ivan Nova threw threw his second live batting practice session since his Tommy John surgery this week throwing 20 pitches to Yankees minor leaguers. Nova is expected to throw two more batting practice sessions this week before getting into rehab games. May 1st may be Nova's first rehab start so that likely puts him back at a June return to the club.

Chris Capuano also threw live batting practice this week as he attempts to return from a strained quad in his leg. Capuano is expected to throw batting practice again today and is expected to be back a week or two at least before Nova.

Jose Pirela was added to the 15 day DL when he was transferred from the 7 day concussion DL because the healing process is taking a little longer then expected. Pirela actually hit against Capuano on Thursday and will play in an extended spring training game on Monday. No word on whether Pirela will go to Triple-A when he is deemed healthy or if that spells the end of Gregorio Petit.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 4/19


The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays played late last night and are right back at it again in a getaway game for the Bronx Bombers. This afternoon the Yankees finish their three game set against the Rays before traveling to Detroit for a big four game set against a set of faces in Shane Greene and David Price. This afternoon the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the found looking for another victory for New York while the Rays will send Matt Andriese to the mound looking to stop Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees offense. The game will be played at 1:10 pm ET and can be seen on WPIX 11 Channel 11 and MLB TV.


  • Pineda picked up his first victory of the season last time out when he lasted 6.1 IP against the Baltimore Orioles. Pineda's control contiues to be great as he has only walked one batter while striking out 15 batters this season in 12.1 IP. Last time out Pineda game up five runs on nine hits raising his ERA but I expect Pineda to be much better this afternoon against a weaker Tampa Bay Rays lineup. 



  • Andriese heads into the game this afternoon after making his first start of the season last time out against the Toronto Blue Jays. Andriese has also pitched once out of the Rays bullpen and has made the jump to the rotation after showcasing an incredible ability to induce a ton of ground balls. Andriese allowed two runs on five hits in 3.2 IP in his first start of the season and is likely stretched out enough to go around 5 IP this afternoon if he's on. 



Check out the game on this lazy Sunday afternoon and hopefully the Yankees can repay you with a victory. Go Yankees!!

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Win 3/4 from Detroit


I may be looking ahead a bit but I feel good about what the Yankees are doing right now. With a big four game set coming inside Comerica Park I can see the Yankees winning at least three of the four games this week.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

RiverDogs to Host 12th Annual “Run Forrest Run” 5K Race on May 16


Race Benefits MUSC’s Storm Eye Institute


CHARLESTON, SC - Fans of the Charleston RiverDogs can lace up their running shoes and head to Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park for the 12thAnnual “Run Forrest Run” 5K Race presented by Fleet Feet Sports on Saturday, May 16 at 4 pm before the RiverDogs game against the Greenville Drive.

The race features split times at each mile marker with chip timing for quick and accurate results.

The rain-or-shine race benefits the MUSC Storm Eye Institute and their fight to cure Retinitis Pigmentosa and other blinding diseases.

“This race is fun for all ages and caters to every type of participant,” said RiverDogs Vice President of Special Events Melissa Azevedo. "Our 5K race begins in front of The Joe and finishes at home plate where runners are greeted by RiverDogs players and coaches."

Pre-registration by May 14 cost for the race is $30, and includes a race packet, T-shirt, one ticket to that evening’s RiverDogs game against the Greenville Drive (6:05 pm first pitch), an awards ceremony and a post-race party with dinner. Late registration and walk-up after May 14 is $35. T-shirts will be available while supplies last.

Additional game tickets are $8 each and can be purchased online with your race registration or at packet pick-up.

Race packets may be picked up on Friday, May 15 at Fleet Feet Sports in Mt. Pleasant from 12-noon until 6 pm. On-site registration and packet pick-up on race day will open at 2 pm at The Joe and closes at 3:45 pm prior to the 4 pm start.

Recap: Yankees 9, Rays 0

Masahiro Tanaka recorded his first quality start of the year, yielding just two hits in seven shutout innings as the Yankees trounced the Rays, 9-0, on Saturday night at Tropicana Field. 

Tanaka Terrific: Tanaka retired 15 consecutive after surrendering a single in the bottom of the first, ultimately finishing with eight strikeouts on the evening. He worked around a Brandon Guyer double to put up a zero in the sixth, throwing just 85 pitches in the outing for his second straight win.

A Slow Offensive Start: The Yankees' bats, however, didn't hold up their end of the bargain for much of the contest -- mustering just three hits over the first five innings against Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi. The Yanks' only real threat early on came in the top of the first, when Mark Teixeira stranded a man at second with a routine grounder to third. 

McCann Breaks the Tie: Thanks to the dominance of Tanaka, though, the Yankees were able to still keep the game even going into the sixth -- a turn in which Odorizzi suddenly walked a pair to bring up Brian McCann. McCann, already 2-for-2 at the time, capitalized on the rare opportunity with a sharp two-run triple to right -- plating both runners easily as the ball rolled away from Steven Souza. 

Building the Advantage: The Yankees then scored seven more in the seventh to establish a comfortable cushion -- sending 12 hitters to the dish while logging five hits. A deep grand slam by Chris Young highlighted the onslaught, preceded by a Brett Gardner RBI single and a couple of sac flies from Teixeira and Gregorio Petit to make the once-close matchup a blowout.

Closing it Out: Needless to say, the Yankees didn't have much to worry about from that point on -- bringing in righties David Carpenter and Brandon Pinder to get the last six outs. Carpenter and Pinder entered following an unexpected removal of Tanaka, whose performance ended sooner than presumed due to New York's sizable lead.

Next Up: Michael Pineda will look to complete a sweep for the Yankees Sunday when they and the Rays battle it out in the series finale -- beginning at 1:10 p.m. ET and airing live on Pix11. Pineda will be hoping to rebound from a rough visit to Baltimore on Monday when he faces off with the recently weak-hitting Rays -- a team who has crossed home in just one inning so far this weekend. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 4/19: Gossage Hurt in Fight w/ Teammate


On this day in 1979 Goose Gossage sprained a ligament in his thumb while fighting with teammate Cliff Johnson. The closer would be out until mid July and Johnson was traded to the Indians for Don Hood due to the brawl in the clubhouse.

Also on this day in 1960 Roger Maris made his New York Yankees debut going 4-5 while batting leadoff on Opening Day. Maris racked up 11 bases, including two home runs and a double, and saw the Yankees win 8-4 over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Also on this day in 1949 Babe Ruth joined Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins in receiving a center field monument from the Yankees after their deaths. Ruth died eight months prior before joining Monument Park in Yankee Stadium.

Also on this day in 1948 Yankees pitcher Allie Reynolds refused to leave second base after hitting his first and only home run of his career. Allie thought the Washington Senators were trying to trick him as he did not see the ball clear the left field fence. Obviously Reynolds, in front of President Truman, eventually was convinced enough to run the bases.

Finally on this day in 1939 Joe DiMaggio learned the news that he was engaged and planned to marry that summer to actress Dorthy Arnold. DiMaggio quickly shot down the rumors saying that no ceremony would take place during the baseball season and the two wed in November of that year.