Saturday, July 9, 2016

Yanks Pull Out Dramatic 11 Inning Win Over Tribe, 7-6

 With the series tied at a game apiece, the New York Yankees and the Cleaveland Indians squared off in game three of the four games set. On the mound for New York this afternoon was former Indian C.C. Sabathia, sporting a 5-6 record with a 3.48 ERA. The Indians countered with their best starter of 2016, All-Star right-hander Danny Salazar. Salazar has been incredible this season, going 10-3 with a glistening 2.36 ERA this season. But, neither starter would factor into the final decision in this extremely entertaining back and forth contest.

After Salazar held the Yankees scoreless in the top of the first, the Indians manufactured a run to break open the scoring this afternoon. Rajai Davis was hit by a pitch to lead off the first and advanced to second on a bunt by the next batter Jason Kipnis. Davis then stole third, Napoli walked and Carlos Santana smacked a single into right field that scored Davis and gave the Indians a one run advantage.

The Yankees waited a couple of innings but came back in a big way against Salazar. In the top of the third, Brett Gardner doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third when the next batter Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out. The 2016 All-Star Carlos Beltran then lined a single into right that scored Gardner, tying the game at one. The All-Star snub Didi Gregorius then took a Danny Salazar first-pitch fastball into the right field seats, scoring Beltran and giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

The Cleveland Indians would not be leading the AL Central without the ability to hit in the clutch, and that's exactly what they did in the bottom of the third to retake the lead. With one out, Jason Kipnis walked and advanced to third on a single by the next batter Francisco Lindor. Mike Napoli pulled the Indians to within one when he knocked a single into left that scored Kipnis. The next batter Carlos Santana launched a double over the glove of Aaron Hicks that scored Kipnis and advanced Napoli to third, tying the game at three. Jose Ramirez then gave the Indians the lead when he hit a single to right that scored Napoli, 4-3.

And it was Jose Ramirez again who added some much-needed insurance for Cleveland, coming in the bottom of the fifth. Francisco Lindor led off the frame with a ringing double to left, advancing to third on a ground out by Mike Napoli.  With two outs, Jose Ramirez hit an infield single that scored Lindor and extended the Indian lead to 5-3.

A huge two-out rally by the Yankees in the top of the sixth led to the departure of Danny Salazar as the Bombers came back to retake the lead. Chase Headley and Rob Refsnyder hit back to back singles to start the rally. Pinch-hitter Alex Rodriguez then walked to load the bases, forcing Salazar from the game while being responsible for all three baserunners.  Dan Otero came on in relief of the righty and instantly served up a bases clearing triple to Brett Gardner that put the Yankees back on top by a 6-5 score.

Delin Betances came on in relief of Sabathia to record the final out of the sixth before allowing the Indians to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Jason Kipnis led off the seventh with a double, advancing to third when the next batter Francisco Lindor grounded out. After Mike Napoli walked and Carlos Santana struck out, the big Yankee killer of the day Jose Ramirez struck again, dumping a two-out two-strike curveball into right field that scored Kipnis and tied the game at six. The big Yankee hero of the day Didi Gregorius made an unbelievable diving play to force Ramirez at second to end the frame, keeping the game tied at six.

All three members of No Runs DMC were asked to throw more than an inning today as the game headed into extra frames, but not without some controversy. After Miller pitched a scoreless eighth, Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli had two exceptional at-bats off the All-Star lefty that resulted in a Lindor single and a Napoli walk. The next batter Carlos Santana hit a slow ground ball between third and short that saw Lindor run into Chase Headley as he attempted to field the ball. Much to the chagrin of Terry Francona and Indians fans everywhere, Lindor was called out on runner's interference as the first out of the ninth. Miller got Ramirez to strike out and was then lifted for the closer Aroldis Chapman. The Cuban Missile got Juan Uribe to strike out in a dramatic six pitch at-bat, sending the game into the tenth.

The Pinstripers took a page out of the Indians clutch-hitting book as they took the lead in the top of the eleventh inning. With two outs, Carlos Beltran lined a single off of Tommy Hunter that went just beyond the outstretched glove of Jason Kipnis. Ronald Torreyes was called on to pinch run for Beltran and came around to score when the next batter Brian McCann ripped a double over the head of Abraham Almonte, giving the Yankees a late 7-6 lead.

Chapman came back out to close out the game and did so in dramatic fashion. After Jason Kipnis led off the frame with a walk, Chapman got Lindor to fly out to right and then picked off Kipnis trying to steal second base for a HUGE out number two. The lefty fireballer then got Napali to strike out to end the game, pulling New York once again back to within a game of .500.

Masahiro tanaka and the New York Yankees will try to get back to the .500 Mark tomorrow in the final game before the All-Star break. If they fall tomorrow. With a loss, It would be the first time in 21 years that the Yankees would go into the All-Star break under .500. Here's to hoping for a big W, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET.


Reliever Prospects Set to Step Up for Yankees

Description: Red Sox vs. Yankees: 8/5/2015 by apardavila, on Flickr

The New York Yankees might have the second most expensive bullpen in the MLB but their relief pitchers have been singled out for the franchise's hugely disappointing 2016 campaign. In spite of the quality currently in the Yankees bullpen, they currently find themselves middle of the pack in terms of their ERA, with an FIP bettered by all but two other teams in the league.


With relievers Chasen Shreve and Kirby Yates both failing to impress so far this season and with a number of other pitchers taking up space in the medical department, it may be that the franchise look at some prospects already on their books.

Here are three players that could potentially earn surprise call-ups this year as the Yankees look to salvage their 2016 campaign. 

Dietrich Enns: A pitcher who leans very much towards precision over power, Dietrich Enns may well earn himself a call-up based on on the alternate options he brings to the rotation. Drafted in 2012, the left-hander was promoted into the starting line-up in 2013 only to be forced under the knife with Tommy John surgery the following year. Impressive 2015 and 2016 campaigns in Double-A Trenton have now breathed fresh life into Enns' Yankees' career, and a sensational April in which he allowed zero runs, the 25-year-old was named Player of the Month, earning a place as an Eastern League All Star before making the step up to Scranton. 

Matt Wotherspoon: For a Yankees team currently as long as 40/1 with the latest Bet365 MLB odds, it might seem as though placing their hopes on a 20th round pick from the 2014 draft, but Matt Wotherspoon may well surprise a few people this year. Having earned his place on the rotation last season, the pitcher recorded a very respectable 3.84 ERA during his 81 innings of action after moving to Trenton and skipping High-A ball. Currently playing in the Triple-A, where he boasts an eye-catching 1.65 ERA, Wotherspoon is knocking on the door of earning a recall to the Yankees rotation if the team's pitching continues to struggle. There might be a number of more higher profile pitchers ahead of him in the pecking order, but Wotherspoon's impressive stats this season may well be enough to earn him a call-up. 

Giovanny Gallegos: Well, it's been quite a journey for Gallegos. After being snapped up as an international signing from Mexico before the 2012 season, the youngster failed to adapt to life in the big leagues, eventually finding himself farmed out. Last year saw Gallegos rack up an excellent 1.35 ERA and 2.13 FIP. And 2016 has been a similar story for the Mexican in the upper minors, currently boasting a very nice 1.41 ERA. With a real talent for striking out batters, as well as a fast ball climbing into the mid-90's, there is a possibility the Yankees may feel as though it is worth handing the 24-year-old the chance to prove whether or not he can really succeed in the MLB. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians 7/9


Ladies and gentleman it is game time between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. Including this afternoon we just have two more times before the unofficial first half of the 2016 MLB season ends and we have just two more games before the All-Star break, the Home Run Derby and all that fun stuff that is usually associated with the All-Star Game. In today’s contest the New York Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to face off with Danny Salazar for the Indians. The game will be played at 4:10 pm ET inside Progressive Field and can be seen on Fox Sports One and MLB TV.

The Yankees will play host to the Boston Red Sox inside Yankee Stadium after the break so you have a few days to choose a date, pick your seat and buy your tickets by clicking the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog. With our friends at Ticket Monster you won’t have annoying shipping costs or bulky fees associated with your purchase, what you see is what you get. That is kind of like Jacoby Ellsbury every time he’s at third base this season. He see’s home and he steals it and those two swipes of home are commemorated on our T-shirt seen by clicking the TGP T-Shirts link at the top of the blog as well! Get one now!


Join along with us while we live tweet this game and every game this season by giving us a follow @GreedyStripes. You can also like us on Facebook if you’d like, absolutely pun intended. So Sabathia is looking to turn around a recent skid and the offense is ready to put across some runs. Let’s get to it. Go Yankees!

Meet a Prospect: Christian Herstine

Herstine, right, after pitching a no hitter. Courtesy of NCAA.com

The New York Yankees have added a bit of depth to their minor league system this week that I thought you all would like to meet. His name is Christian Herstine and he had been playing with the Gary SouthShore RailCats, a minor league team in the Independent American Association, as a pitcher. Herstine is a big and powerful relief pitcher that will look to fly through the Yankees system on his way to the Major Leagues. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: Christian Herstine.

Herstine is a 22-year old right-handed pitcher who had his contract purchased by the New York Yankees recently giving him the opportunity to begin his professional career. While with the RailCats Herstine had thrown in five games and 8.2 innings allowing just one earned run while posting 10 strikeouts and an anemic 1.03 ERA. Herstine was scouted by Yankees scouts recently and he was told to report to the Yankees minor league facility in Tampa to begin his career. It’s unsure where he will land but one of the Gulf Coast League teams or the Tampa Yankees seem to be the most obvious choices.

Herstine was a non-drafted free agent before latching on with SouthShore after going 9-4 with a 2.32 ERA at Marietta College in 2016. Herstine, as a starter, led his Pioneers teammates to the regional round of the Division III tournament before his collegiate career ended. Now he will take his power stuff to professional baseball.

It’s unclear whether the Yankees plan to work him as a starter or as a relief pitcher but with an arm like scouting reports say that he has you would have to think he would be given every opportunity to fail as a starter before being shifted to the bullpen. This isn’t a signing that’s going to make LoHud, River Ave Blues or MLB Tonight but it’s these little signings that I like focusing on. The underdog story. The David vs. Goliath. Those are my kind of stories.


Welcome to the family Christian. Hope you enjoy your stay. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians 7/9


The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians continue their four-game set to close out the unofficial first half with the third game of the set. That game takes place this afternoon in Cleveland with the Yankees sending CC Sabathia to the mound looking to turn around a rough patch. Meanwhile the Indians will counter with a tough matchup in Danny Salazar.

Sabathia at one point this season was sporting a 2.20 ERA which was three starts ago. In the three starts since then Sabathia has posted an 8.31 ERA. He’s struggled and needs to turn it around, bottom line. Against his former team the lefty is a career 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA so the Cleveland Indians may be a sight for sore, cranky eyes.

Salazar was the American League’s Pitcher of the Month for the Month of June but July has not been as kind to the Indians righty. In his last start against the Detroit Tigers Salazar lasted just 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on eight hits in a no decision.

The game will be played at 4:10 pm ET inside Progressive Field and can be seen on Fox Sports One and MLB TV.  Just two more games before the All-Star break, you can hear the players quietly counting down the days if you watch the games with headphones. As long as it doesn’t show with the on the field product though who cares, right? Go Yankees!


The Yankees Land Four Players On Baseball America Midseason Top 100 Prospect List

Yesterday, Baseball America released their Midseason Top 100 Prospects list. If you'd like to see the entire list, you can do so by clicking here. However, as if it's a surprise to anyone here, I just wanted to talk about the Yankees on the list.

"He never talks about the Mets."

The Yankees landed three guys on the preseason list, including Aaron Judge (76), Gary Sanchez (36), and Jorge Mateo (26). Not only did none of these guys drop in the rankings, but another Yankees prospect sneaked onto the list.

Despite getting injured in April, James Kaprielian was included in the list at number 99. The write-up on him says that he was looking like the steal of the 2015 Amateur Draft before the injury, which tells me that if it weren't for his bum elbow he'd be much higher. Kaprielian has started six games between the Gulf Coast Yankees, Stanton Island, and Tampa, throwing to an ERA of just 1.55, while carrying a strikeout rate of 11.2/9 innings pitched, and a walk rate of just 1.6/9. Unfortunately, updates on how James is doing are few and far between. The best I can tell is that he should avoid Tommy John surgery, as there is no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, but it's the flexor tendon which most times simply needs time and rest to repair.

Aaron Judge actually made a nice jump in the rankings, moving from #76 to #42. Baseball America notes that they are still concerned about his huge strike zone, and his ability to control it. However, Aaron has shown improvement in that area by lowering his strikeout and raising his contact rates. Judge's overall slash line in AAA is not impressive (.245/.337/.429), but after a slow start to this year he's now slashing .261/.357/.469 to go along with a league-leading 16 home runs (tied with Chris Marrero of the Pawtucket Red Sox).

Gary Sanchez is ranked #36 in the midseason list, which is exactly where he landed in the preseason list. This is where my comment about none of the Yankees players dropping in the list is actually a little off. See, six players from the Preseason list graduated to the Majors, meaning Sanchez was jumped by six players who started the season behind him. But I'm not too worried about that, as Gary is still the top ranked catcher. He actually lost a few weeks earlier this season to a broken thumb, however he's returned and is hitting .286/.328/.489 at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"Who's ready for me in Major League Baseball? Because I'm coming."

Jorge Mateo is the final Yankee on Baseball America's Midseason Top 100 Prospect list, landing at #19. The write-up mentions his versatility, speed, and offensive upside. A couple days ago Jorge was suspended for two weeks for violating team rules. We don't know exactly what he did to get suspended, but I'm sure the Yankees weren't pleased with him voicing his displeasure at not getting promoted. But I don't see that as any sort of problem, and apparently neither does Baseball America. Mateo's batting line of .266/.323/.396 is not great, but his nine doubles, eight triples, and 26 stolen bases are sure to open eyes. And his power has even improved, as he has 5 home runs, which is much better than the two he hit in 41 more games last season.

While this year's Yankees have been pretty frustrating, I don't understand how anybody can't see how bright their future looks. Within the next two years the Yankees will shed four of their largest contracts, and clear up nearly $86 million a season in payroll. Combine that with a good foundation of young players like Didi Gregorious, Greg Bird, Starlin Castro, Rob Refsnyder, Dellin Betances, Luis Severino, and the aforementioned four prospects, and I think better things are coming.

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. 

Weekly Prospects Check In: Tyler Austin


Christopher Tyler Austin may not be representing the New York Yankees at the Futures Game tomorrow afternoon inside Petco Park but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a potential future with the organization. Ever since receiving his call up to Triple-A to play first base beside Nick Swisher the Yankees right-hander has been absolutely on a tear at the plate. Tyler Austin is on fire. Swisher is out of the picture now as he takes the remainder of the summer off to spend time with his family and his newly born daughter, congrats to Nick, JoAnna and family by the way, leaving one less obstacle in the way for Austin to reach the Bronx.


Here is what Austin has been doing this week and this season with the RailRiders: 

YearAgeLevGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201624AA-AAA80339458025125844577.276.372.493.865
201624AA5021022461042913046.260.367.395.762
201624AAA3012923341582931531.301.380.6461.026

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/9: DJ3K


The New York Yankees have not had their fair share of 3,000 hit members, actually they only have one in Derek Jeter, but they got their first in the franchise's storied history on this day in 2011. Jeter would step up to the plate in the third inning at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays and their ace David Price and would belt a home run to the left field stands. Jeter would become the 28th player to ever collect 3,000 hits. Jeter had a 5-5 day including a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.



The New York Yankees have also had their fair share of cycles in their history and on this day in 1937 Joe DiMaggio would hit for the first of his two career cycles as he hit two home runs, the triple, double, and single helping the Yankees beat the Washington Senators 16-2. Joe D would accomplish the feat again in 1948 for the Yankees.