Saturday, May 2, 2015

Saturday Night Open Thread


The New York Yankees have already played an afternoon game today with the Boston Red Sox so I decided to go with a Saturday Night Open Thread for you guys. The long awaited Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight is tonight on PPV so there’s that to talk about and plenty of hockey and playoff NBA basketball to discuss along with some MLB games still in progress or yet to get underway. Have at it and enjoy the rest of your evening Yankees family. 

ICYMI: Alex Rodriguez's #660 Home Run

Michael Kay's call


MLB Network's call



Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 5/2


The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are at it again this afternoon after playing well into the night last night inside Fenway Park. Last night we watched as CC Sabathia and Justin Masterson went head to head and this afternoon we will hopefully be entertained by Nathan Eovaldi for the Yankees and Wade Miley for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 1:35 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV and that NESN Channel if you’re sleeping behind enemy lines.

Get your tickets for tomorrow night’s ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game or your Yankees tickets for when the team returns home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium late next week right here on the blog. You know the drill, cheap tickets, no fees, no shipping costs, TicketMonster.com, you get a discount for being a Greedy Pinstripes reader, blah blah blah. No really though, click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog if you’re interested in purchasing some. If not that’s fine too but be sure to at least jump on the comments section of the site or on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) to chat with us during the game. We’re around for basically all 162 plus games every single season and truly do enjoy interacting with you.


Anyway I got the grass cut during the off day on Thursday so I am going to stop babbling now and no go watch and enjoy this game. I hope everyone reading this does as well, go Yankees!

My 2015 All Star Game Ballot


Yesterday afternoon we informed everyone that may not have known that All Star Game voting had begun for the 2015 Mid-Summer Classic set to take place in Cincinnati. Well this morning I took my own advice and voted for my favorite players and New York Yankees to head to the game this summer and I once again reiterate that you should do the same. Head over to Yankees.com to vote as the paper ballots are now a thing of the past, and honestly they probably should be anyway by now. In case you were wondering, and I know that you were, this is my ballot for the 2015 All Star Game that I have submitted my maximum of 15 times. What’s yours? Leave it in the comments section.

1B: Jose Abreu CHW – Paul Goldschmidt ARI
2B: Jose Altuve HOU – Howie Kendrick LAD
SS: Marcus Semien OAK – Adeiny Hechavarria MIA
3B: Josh Donaldson TOR – Matt Carpenter STL
C: Stephen Vogt OAK – Buster Posey SFG
OF: Hanley Ramirez BOS – Giancarlo Stanton MIA
OF: Mike Trout LAA – Justin Upton SD
OF: Adam Jones BAL – Bryce Harper WAS
DH: Nelson Cruz – Mark Trumbo ARI

Write in: Alex Rodriguez. Yes, I went there.

There are more than a few players that I could have voted for and wanted to vote for, especially in the outfield, that I just could not justify including Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain and my homer pick for Jacoby Ellsbury of the Yankees. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 5/2


The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox go at it again this afternoon after playing just last night in Fenway Park. With a  day game after a night game and the Yankees playing 16 more games in the next 16 days including this afternoon you can expect more than a few regulars sitting on the bench today. One man that will not be on the bench this afternoon for the Yankees is Nathan Eovaldi who is making his second start inside the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry this afternoon and will be matched up with Wade Miley for the Red Sox. The last time Red Sox hitters saw Eovaldi on the mound it was inside Yankee Stadium at the beginning of a 19 inning marathon, an occurrence I think neither team wants to any part of this afternoon. The game will be played at 1:35 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

  • Eovaldi was Dr. Jekyll last start out when he faced off with the New York Mets allowing seven hits and four runs in 4.1 innings. The young Yankees right hander has now allowed a total of 31 hits in 21.2 innings in four starts this season for New York. Thank goodness for a strong Yankees bullpen.


  • Miley was not sharp either in his last time out as he gave up seven runs, six of them earned, in just 2.1 innings in a Red Sox loss. Miley has not finished the sixth inning once this season for Boston, a trend that we all hope continues this afternoon inside Fenway Park.



The Yankees have a day off of sorts after this game as they don’t face off with Boston again until 8:05 pm ET tomorrow so expect a “Rob Manfred Special” this afternoon if there ever was one between these two teams. I’m sure manager Joe Girardi would like to use as few pitchers as possible this afternoon and take as little as time as possible to beat the Red Sox. As long as we beat Boston I’m frankly okay with it though, go Yankees!

TGP Daily Poll: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Eovaldi?



The New York Yankees have an unfinished product in Nathan Eovaldi begging the question will the team get the pitcher that was roughed up to begin the season, Dr. Jekyll, or the pitcher that dominated the Detroit Tigers, Mr. Eovaldi. I’m going with Mr. Eovaldi on Saturday in Fenway Park.


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo


Jorge Mateo is still stealing bases left and right and still within striking distance of catching Billy Hamilton and breaking his minor league record for stolen bases in a single season. If the Yankees could get any sort of offense out of Mateo he could turn out to be something special in the Bronx. Let’s check in on Mateo’s stolen base attack thus far this season:

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015A197910183109184715.257.321.329.649

Recap: Yankees 3, Red Sox 2

Alex Rodriguez tied Giants great Willie Mays on the all-time home run list, drilling a pinch-hit solo shot off Junichi Tazawa in the eighth to lift the Yankees past the Red Sox, 3-2, on Friday night at Fenway Park.

660: After taking over for the 0-for-3 Garrett Jones with one out, Rodriguez lined a 3-0 fastball high into the monster seats -- putting the Yankees up 3-2 in a sudden and dramatic way. The four-bagger, A-Rod's sixth already this season, quickly silenced a booing Boston crowd -- one whose jeers frequently referenced Rodriguez's recent steroid scandal. 

CC Solid: CC Sabathia didn't necessarily bring his sharpest stuff to this one, but when big outs were needed, the veteran came through. He escaped man-on-third jams in the third, fourth and fifth -- ultimately finishing with six innings, two earned runs and a no-decision under his belt.

Rallying Back: Down 2-1 with runners on first and second in the seventh, the Yankees evened the score on a Brian McCann RBI single -- a sinking fly ball Hanley Ramirez played on a hop. It plated Didi Gregorius from second following a late throw home, costing starter Justin Masterson his third win of the year. 

Shutdown Bullpen: It's not exactly news at this point that the Yankees' bullpen is one of the best in baseball, and the group showed why that is yet again in this victory. The Yanks' relief core -- this time represented by Esmil Rogers, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller -- tossed three shutout innings to aid the offense's comeback, with Miller logging his league-leading ninth save in the ninth. 

Early Offense: For the most part, the Yankees' bats were quiet versus Masterson on the evening -- only recording six hits in six frames against a pitcher with an above-five ERA. They did score in the first, however, taking an early advantage on a double from Carlos Beltran.

Next Up: The Yankees and Red Sox continue this weekend series Saturday in the lone matinee of the set -- beginning at 1:35 p.m. ET and airing live on MLB Network. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 4.15 ERA) will get the nod for the Yankees looking to rebound from a rough outing Sunday, opposing struggling Sox lefty Wade Miley (1-2, 8.62 ERA). 

This Day in New York Yankees History 5/2: Iron Man Streak Ends at 2,130


On this day in 2001 Paul O'Neill joined the 2,000 hit club as the 215th member when he hit a single in the ninth inning off of Twins relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins.

Also on this day in 1984 Don Mattingly had the only Yankee hit breaking up a perfect game bid for LaMarr Hoyt. Hoyt faced the minimum of 27 batters in a Chicago White Sox victory 3-0 over the Yankees.

Also on this day in 1958 the New York Yankees threatened to broadcast their games nationwide if the National League went ahead with its plans to broadcast Los Angeles Dodger and San Francisco Giant games in New York City. This was obviously just the beginning.


Finally on this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig told the Yankees manager Joe McCarthy that he was benching himself "for the good of the team" ending his iron man streak. The streak began in 1925 and ended at 2,130 consecutive games.