Sanchez, Mateo Represent Yankees in Futures Game

The New York Yankees will send two members of their farm system to the MLB All-Stars Futures Game on July 10th inside Petco Park and those two players will be catcher Gary Sanchez and shortstop/second baseman Jorge Mateo. This will be Mateo's first appearance in the game while this will be Sanchez's second consecutive trip to the Futures Game.

Both will represent the World Team.

Live Game Updates: Rangers at Yankees - 6/28

7:29 p.m., End 1st: A lot of stuff happens in the opening frame. After Adrian Beltre gives Texas the lead with a two-run shot to right, Beltran leaves the game with an apparent leg injury, causing him to be replaced by Rob Refsnyder. Definitely not a good start for the Yankees.

8:11 p.m., Mid 4th: CC's starting to look better. He retires the Rangers in order in the fourth, but the Yankees still trail 2-0.

8:48 p.m., End 6th: Still no score change. Nothing really to say other than that the Yanks' bats have no clue how to hit Hamels.

9:23 p.m., Mid 8th: Rangers break out for five runs in the eighth (four off CC) to essentially finish this one. With their offense struggling the way it is, a 7-0 deficit certainly doesn't look good for the Yankees.

9:47 p.m., End 9th: Game over. Yankees lose 7-1.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 6/28

The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers will kick off their second game of this big four game set this week in the Bronx with another tough matchup for the Yankees. Right now the Rangers are a tough draw for anyone truth be told as the team has come out of the gates firing on all cylinders and looks to be the team to be reckoned with in the American League. This is all before they get Yu Darvish back off the disabled list again and throwing consistently and without pain. This team could be scary and that is due in large part to a great offense and tonight’s starter for the Rangers, Mr. Cole Hamels. Opposing Hamels will be another tough lefty for the Yankees in CC Sabathia. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

You have two more chances to see the Rangers here in the Bronx and two more chances to see the home team inside Yankee Stadium so don’t delay, act now and click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to secure your seat now. Also be sure to check out our TGP T-Shirts section so you look good while at the game. I just got my Jacoby Ellsbury milk carton shirt in last night and I have to say I absolutely love it. Totally worth the investment and it’s a unique shirt so you won’t see a million of them at the stadium (unless they are Greedy Pinstripes readers, then that’s okay).

Follow along during this game and interact with us during every game this season by either liking us on Facebook or giving @GreedyStripes a follow on Twitter. We’re social, both on and off social media. Sabathia is ready to get back to what has made him so successful this season and the Yankees offense is ready to scrap a couple runs across the board and get a victory. We hope anyway. Go Yankees!

The Nathan Eovaldi Twitter Poll: My Take

Hello again Yankees family. This morning and for most of the day yesterday we discussed the idea brought forth by a commenter on the blog that suggested moving Nathan Eovaldi to the Yankees bullpen rather than watching him give up home runs like a Little League pitcher in the Yankees starting rotation. I thought the idea and comment was so interesting that I turned it into a Twitter Poll this morning giving you, the fans, your say and your take on the matter. Now it’s my turn. Should the Yankees consider moving Eovaldi to the bullpen giving New York four potential relief pitchers that can throw 100 MPH? Why or why not? 

In a word, no. Not right now anyway so I leave that word with an asterisk. The New York Yankees need starting pitching help much more than they need bullpen help at this particular moment and taking from a weakness to build on a strength doesn’t make sense to a team that states they are in it for the long haul with this team. Sure Eovaldi sucked it up in the month of June, I’m sorry to be so blunt but there’s no better way to say it or sugar coat it, but lest we forget how great he was during the month of May and for much of the second half in 2016. Pitchers go through spells and phases and sometimes they just lose complete control of a pitch and then complete control of their confidence resulting in a snowball effect. We just have to hope Eovaldi is now at the bottom of the hill.  

I am not one to talk up Larry Rothschild like the second coming of Jesus by any means but he has done a lot of good things since being hired as the Yankees pitching coach under Joe Girardi. Look at just recently this season when Michael Pineda was struggling and posting the highest ERA of any starting pitcher who qualified not only in the American League but in all of baseball. It was Larry that made the suggestion to alter the arm angle and slot a bit and the results have been encouraging. Hell, they have been more then encouraging. They have been great and Pineda is back to being the Pineda that Brian Cashman saw all that potential in all those years ago and the Pineda that we all saw the potential in as recently as this spring training. Why couldn’t or won’t Larry do the same the Eovaldi? 

Could the Yankees move Eovaldi to the bullpen eventually? Sure. Not before this current contract is up though. New York has to fix him and they have to fix him now. They have to in order to compete and potentially keep him and extend him and if they don’t compete they have to fix him in order to trade him for a useful piece or two to plug in at a later time. Now if the Yankees extend him and this continues then the option should be on the board, much like it was with Dellin Betances in a totally unrelated situation, to get something out of Eovaldi rather than nothing but we’re not there yet. Not even close. 

So for now Eovaldi is staying in my rotation for better or worse and I stand behind the decision and the potential repercussions that come along with it. It just makes too much baseball sense not to make the move at this time. Shake your magic 8-ball and ask me again later though and I may be singing an entirely different tune. 

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

The New York Yankees had a week similar to their week last week but would they have another stagnant and similar week in these power rankings? Once again the Yankees week was dominated by a series with the Twins, which they won, and a series with the Colorado Rockies, which they struggled in. Last week the Yankees position did not move despite winning three-of-four from the lowly Twins so what would two-out-of-three (ain’t bad) get them? Keep reading.

The Yankees fell one spot this week from the #17 position to the #18 position. I guess struggling against the Rockies and beating up on the #30 team in the rankings isn’t enough to convince anyone that they are for real. Meanwhile the rest of the American League East went as follows. The Boston Red Sox finished the week 7th while the Baltimore Orioles finished the week with the #4 ranking. The Toronto Blue Jays are climbing a bit in the AL East and they are climbing a bit in these rankings as well finishing with the #9 position while there may be no hope for the Tampa Bay Rays after finishing the week with the #23 position in the rankings.

The Top Five teams according to the USA Today this week are the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers, the San Francisco Giants, the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Indians. The five teams no one wants to be are the #26 Philadelphia Phillies, the #27 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the #28 Cincinnati Reds, the #29 Atlanta Braves and the #30 Minnesota Twins.

The biggest rise of the week went to the Houston Astros who rose seven spots to finish with the #11 while the biggest fall of the week went to the Kansas City Royals who fell four spots to finish 14th overall.

There you have it. Another week of the MLB season in the books and another week of Weekly MLB Power Rankings released by the USA Today. These rankings are now painting a picture. Those outside the Top 15 should probably be thinking about and at least preparing for the possibility to sell at this year’s trading deadline while the Top 15 or so should quietly be looking ahead to the deadline as a way to solidify their teams to make that final push. The Yankees by this logic the team should be ready to sell here in about a month or so. 

But will they? Stay tuned.

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 6/28

The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers continue their four game set this evening in the Bronx with another great, yet tough, pitching matchup. Tonight the Yankees will watch as CC Sabathia tests out his ankles after rolling them not once but twice in his last start while the Texas Rangers counter with their ace and stud Cole Hamels. I’m never confident against Hamels no matter what uniform he’s wearing and I’m especially not betting the house against him when he’s wearing the uniform of the hottest and the best team in the American League this season. This could be a tough matchup for the Yankees tonight and a frustrating night for the fans.

Sabathia left his last start after rolling his ankle on two separate occasions but all signs point to Sabathia being healthy and ready for the start tonight in the Bronx. This is a good sign for New York as Sabathia had posted an anemic 0.82 ERA in his seven starts before the injury-riddled and bad start he had last time out against the Twins.

Hamels heads into his final start of the month not ready for the calendar to change from June to July. In five June starts Hamels has posted a 3-0 record with a 1.82 ERA and has posted a quality start in seven of his last eight outings. Hamels has not pitched exceptionally well in his career against the Yankees though posting a career 0-2 record and 4.50 ERA in three regular season starts against them.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. As we inch closer to the All-Star Game, I believe today is the last day to vote by the way so if you haven’t be sure to get your votes in now, and as we inch closer to the August 1^st trade deadline it’s game like tonight that will define these Yankees. If they come out tough against a tough team and an even tougher pitcher then you can get behind buying a player or two at the trade deadline to push for a Wild Card but if they come out flat or uninterested you almost concede the season and wish for a fire sale. Don’t you? Or maybe it’s just me. Eternal optimist. Go Yankees!

Twitter Poll: Time to Evolve Eovaldi into the Bullpen?

Twitter Poll: is it too early to consider moving Eovaldi to the bullpen for a fourth 100MPH reliever? Is he toast as a starter? Why? Why not

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) June 27, 2016

When I awoke on Monday morning I checked my phone like I do every morning and I found a very interesting comment on the blog. A commenter by the name of Donnie Passmore commented on the game thread from Sunday afternoon that the Yankees needed to move Nathan Eovaldi from the starting rotation to the bullpen to give the Yankees a fourth reliever that can throw 100 MPH on the mound. Now I have my own opinion on the matter which I will share with you later but I found the idea to be an interesting one and one worth discussing with you, our readers, our fans and our friends. In response I put out this Twitter Poll for you to be heard. Should the Yankees move Eovaldi to the bullpen or should they keep him as a starter? Why or why not?

@GreedyStripes Rediculous to take a potential 200 inning guy with upside and put him in the bullpen

— The Reverse Trump (@newkingofmedia) June 27, 2016

@GreedyStripes No to the bullpen and he is not toast as a starter. Back of rotation type who is a bit better than he's shown lately

— David Bruder (@DBYankees1) June 27, 2016

@GreedyStripes interesting idea,especially when you move Chapman for first round pick

— krankyyankee (@krankyyankee1) June 27, 2016

Gotta trade one of those RP arms for a bat! https://t.co/FhDJZL7mf4

— Micheal Robinson ⚾️ (@nyyrobinson) June 27, 2016

To be involved in our next Twitter Poll give us a follow on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and look out for the next Twitter Poll tweet from us. We have been a bit absent of late on Twitter and for that I personally apologize. Between the Yankees losing and the usual hate and “sky is falling” mentality that comes along with that we have also been bombarded with political debate and hate and we decided to take a step back from it all. Twitter was what the Republican debates used to be before Donald Trump won the nomination, it had nothing to do with what was going on and what mattered and all about what you could say to bring the other person down a notch or two. I’m not all about that and that’s not why I got into blogging, Twitter Polls like this is why. So enjoy and if we didn’t catch you on this Twitter Poll we’ll try to catch you on the next one. Enjoy the day and look out for my take later.

Weekly Prospects Check In: Gary Sanchez

The Sanchez, or El Gary Sanchez as he likes to be known as on Twitter, is back from the crack in his thumb that cost him a couple weeks on the disabled list and is back behind the plate as well for the RailRiders. Shortly after cracking his thumb the Yankees started working Sanchez out at first base and in true Minor League Baseball fashion updates on how he has looked and such are hard to come by. Maybe our friends over at Pinstriped Prospects have the update, check them out.

Either way Sanchez is back and healthy and may focus more on catching now that Mark Teixeira is back, Chris Parmelee is on the mend and the first base situation may have plateaued for a while. Sanchez has already used his minor league option for the 2016 season though so at the first sign of trouble the Sanchez could be back in the Bronx, he’s just a phone call away. 

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	23	AAA	47	204	25	53	16	8	31	3	10	28	.279	.324	.500	.824
2016	23	MLB	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Rangers Come Back to Win After Extensive Rain Delay, 9-6

     After a short 20 minute rain delay before first pitch, the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers squared off in game one of their four-game set. Ivan Nova took the ball for New York tonight, sporting a 5-5 record with a 5.15 ERA in 15 appearances. Making his 2016 debut for Texas was young right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez. Gonzalez got called up from Triple-A Round Rock in hopes to fill the void left by Yu Darvish, who was once again placed on the DL. Along with the rain, the story of the night was offense, offense and more offense.
     The Rangers got the scoring going early on in the top of the first inning. With one out, Nova served up a solo shot to the Rangers' most important signing of the off-season, super utility-man Ian Desmond, giving Texas an early one run lead. New York, however, would be quick to respond as they came back to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Mark Teixeira led off the frame with an opposite field single and advanced to second base on Didi Gregorius' one out single. Chase Headley then tied the game as he lined a single down the left-field line that scored Teixeira and advanced Gregorius to third. Aaron Hicks then gave the Yankees a temporary lead when he grounded out, driving in Gregorius, 2-1 New York.
     Ivan Nova would allow the Rangers to come back and tie the game in the top of the third inning. He led off the frame by walking Robinson Chirinos, who came around to score on a double by Shin-Soo Choo. But, the Bombers would again take the lead back in the bottom of the third. A single by Beltran, a McCann walk and a Teixeira bloop single loaded the bases with one out. Starlin Castro then hit a soft line drive to center for a single that scored Beltran from third and gave the Yankees a one run advantage.
    When you're playing a team that's tied for the best record in all of baseball, you cannot afford to give up two leads in one game, and, that's exactly what Nova did in the top of the fourth. After filling up the bases with Rangers, Choo got to Nova yet again, this time for a two-run single that put Texas back up by one at 4-3.  Although his fastball was touching 96 mph tonight, by far the fastest he has thrown all season, he struggled mightily to locate his pitches and gave up four runs in four innings as a result.
     Despite the laboring start for Nova, the resilient Yankee offense would put the righty in a position to get the win in the bottom of the fifth inning. As YES Network's Michael Kaye said, "It must be single's night", as it took four Yankee singles to retake the lead. Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran led off the inning with singles, and Gardner tied the game on the third consecutive single by McCann. After Teixeira and Castro failed to drive in the go-ahead run, Didi Gregorius picked both of his teammates up by lining the fourth single into left field that scored Beltran and gave the Pinstripers a 5-4 lead. Teixeira would provide a very important insurance run for New York when he smoked a line drive solo shot to right in the bottom of the seventh that made it a 6-4 game.      
    Andrew Miller ended up giving up an eighth inning solo homerun to Rougned Odor that made it a 6-5 contest. In the top of the ninth inning, amidst sheets of rain, Cjapman walked Chirinos, which prompted manager Joe Girardi to plea to the umpires to throw the tarp on the field, and they did so at 10:40 PM. At around 2 AM, The game resumed and Kirby Yates replaced Chapman and struck out Choo after inhereting a 3-1 count. But, the righty would load the bases after hitting two Rangers, and would give the lead back to Texas by serving up a two RBI single to Adrian Beltre, 7-6. Elvis Andrus drove into more when he singled to right with two outs, extending the Ranger lead to three. And, I have to say that I was as mad as John Sterling sounded on the radio call to have stuck around to witness this garbage.
     Let's hope the boys in pinstripes can get some rest tonight, as they face the Ranger's ace Cole Hamels tomorrow night(technically tonight) in game two. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM ET,  but we'll see what Mother Nature has to say about that.
   

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/28: Mariano Rivera's 500th Save

On this day in 2009 the great Mariano Rivera joined Trevor Hoffman in the 500 career saves club. The Yankees would beat the New York Mets 4-2 in Citi Field while Rivera got the save and his first and only RBI of his career with a bases loaded walk.

Also on this day in 1949 Joe DiMaggio finally came off the disabled list for the Yankees after missing the first 69 games of the season with a heel injury. Joe D would hit four home runs in a three game sweep of the Boston Red Sox fresh out of the box.

Also on this day in 1939 the New York Yankees established the major league record for most home runs hit in a game in a doubleheader with a total of 13. The Yankees would sweep the Philadelphia Athletics on this day by beating the A's 23-2 in game one with eight home runs and 10-0 off five home runs in game two.

Finally on this day in 1907 the Yankees had a catcher that gave up 13 stolen bases in one game, none other than Branch Rickey. While he was not a great catcher he was the man that brought Jackie Robinson to the game so he gets a pass in my book.