Thursday, September 8, 2016

Austin Walk-Off Gives Yanks Important Series Opening Victory, 5-4

The New York Yankees made it five in a row as they defeated the Tampa Bay rays in game one of the four games set tonight in the Bronx. While C.C. Sabathia and Alex Cobb got the start for both sides, neither would factor into the decision as this game, dominated by the homerun ball, would go back and forth until an unbelievably special moment took place in the bottom of the ninth.

It didn't take long for Tampa to hit the scoreboard as the second batter of the game Kevin Kiermaier launched a deep blast into the second deck in right for a solo shot that gave the Rays a one run lead.

After the Kiermaier homerun, Brad Miller was hit on his throwing elbow during his at-bat. As a result of the HBP, Miller moved from his original position of shortstop over to first base and switched with the original first baseman Nick Franklin, who in turn moved to short.

The Miller move to first would prove costly as the Yankees came back to take the lead in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner started the inning with back to back soft singles to centerfield. After a Gary Sanchez ground out that advanced both runners up a base, Didi Gregorius smoked a single to right field that scored Gardner and tied the game at one. During the next at bat, Cobb tried to pick off Gregorius at first, and when he did so, Miller dropped the ball at first which allowed Ellsbury to score from third, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. After that inning, Miller was pulled from the game and taken into the clubhouse for further evaluation.

The longball continued to be a major theme of the game as the lead changed hands multiple times in a matter of a few innings. Steven Souza Jr. led off the second with a solo homerun to deep left that tied the game at two. Brian McCann followed suit by leading off the bottom of the second with a Monster solo homerun of his own into the right field suite-level seats that put the Yanks back up by a 3-2 score. Leading off the top of the third, Kiermaier recorded his first major league multi-homerun  game, blasting another solo shot to right that pulled the Rays back even at three apiece. And then in the bottom of the fourth with one out, not to be outdone by the Rays centerfielder, Brian McCann unloaded on a Cobb fastball that ricocheted off the facing of the second deck in right for HIS second homerun of the night, giving the Yankees the lead back at 4-3.

Sabathia just did not have his good stuff tonight as he was pulled in the top of the fifth after giving up  back to back leadoff singles to Logan Forsythe and Kevin Kiermaier. Rookie call up Jonathan Holder came on in relief of the big lefty and immediately got the Yankee killer Evan Longoria to ground into a HUGE double play, and then got the new shortstop Alexi Ramirez to ground out to third to end the threat and the frame.

Steven Souza Jr. joined The multi-homerun  party as he blasted his second homer of the game in the top of the sixth, clearing the restaurant in centerfield to pull the game back even at 4-4.

After the Souza blast, both bullpens kept the game scoreless as they headed into the top of the ninth inning. Kirby Yates got Forsyth to strike out, gave up a single to Kiermaier( his fourth hit of the night) and got Longoria  to pop out before getting pulled for Tommy Layne. Layne proceeded to strike out the pinch-hitter Logan Morrison to end the frame, in line for the win if his offense could put one more run on the board in the bottom of the frame.

And Layne did get the victory as the Baby Bomber Tyler Austin walked off the Rays with a clutch opposite field homerun to right center that not only won the game, but pulled the Yankees to within three games of the AL east league.

The boys from the Bronx will try to make it six in a row tomorrow as they face Tampa Bay in the second game of the four games set, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM/EST.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 9/8


Here we go ladies and gentleman as the New York Yankees once again welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town in the first of a four-game set between the two clubs. The Rays are looking to play spoilers to all their AL East Division mates while the Yankees are still right in the thick of things in both the AL East Division race and the 2nd Wild Card chase in the American League. On paper the Yankees should do well in these games but as we know the Tampa Bay Rays are pesky and even if they came into these games without a win on the season they would still look less like the Bad News Bears and more like a juggernaut against this Yankees squad. It always happens that way, don’t know why. Anyway, in the game tonight the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to square off against Alex Cobb for the Rays. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET tonight inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

There are three games left this weekend in the Bronx between these two clubs and if you want to see any of them, or any game remaining this season including a potential Wild Card game, live click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog. If you can’t make it live or if you’re boycotting the Yankees then you can at least follow along with us by either liking our page on Facebook or by giving our Twitter handle @GreedyStripes a follow.


Big CC vs. Alex Cobb. Need a win. Get a win. Go Yankees!

Press Release: Joey Chestnut & the Trenton Thunder

Joey Chestnut, NJ 101.5's Bill Spadea to Participate in Trenton Thunder World Famous Case's Pork Roll Eating Championship
eaters email


The participants for the second annual World Famous Case's Pork Roll Eating Championship at ARM & HAMMER Park on Saturday, September 24 have been set by Major League Eating, the Thunder announced today.

The field includes the world's top competitive eater and defending champion, Joey Chestnut, leading a field of 13 participants. Three of the top five eaters in Major League Eating will attempt to dethrone Chestnut as the Pork Roll Eating Championship of the world as will local media personality, Bill Spadea.

Bill Spadea, a long time fan of Pork Roll, is the morning show host on New Jersey 101.5 and the lead anchor for Chasing News which airs on Fox television affiliates in New York and Philadelphia.

The full list of participants for the Trenton Thunder World Famous Case's Pork Roll Eating Championship are below (Name, Major League Eating Ranking, Hometown):

1. Joey Chestnut, #1, San Jose, CA
2. Carmen Cincotti, #4, East Windsor, NJ
3. Gideon Oji, #5, Morrow, GA
4. Geoffrey Esper, #7, Oxford, MA
5. Eric Booker, #15, Selden, NY
6. Brian Dudzinsky, #17, Phoenix, AZ
7. Crazy Legs Conti, #26, New York, NY
8. Larell Marie Mele, #31, Long Pond, PA
9. William Myers, #35, Allentown, PA
10. Micah Collins, #37, Drexel Hill, PA
11. Kevin Ambs, NR, Lafayette Hill, NJ
12. Dimitry "The Ukraine Train" Shchupak, NR, Langhorne, PA
13. Bill Spadea, NR, Princeton, NJ

The Trenton Thunder World Famous Case's Pork Roll Eating Championship will take place on Saturday, September 24 from 12-4pm at ARM & HAMMER Park. For tickets and information on the fun and games happening during the festival, visit www.EatPorkRoll.com.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings


Another week of exciting pennant race baseball is in the books and while some teams are beginning to make their moves in their respective divisions and playoff chases some teams are slumping at the worst possible time. The Yankees are one of those teams stuck in the middle as they are winning games, and most of their series to be frank, but they just aren’t making up as much ground as you would like. But as I’ve started saying during game threads and such, they need a win and they have been getting a win. Can’t argue with that logic but has it made a difference in the USA Today’s weekly MLB power rankings list they release every week? Let’s find out.

The Yankees finally got a little bit of respect this week as the team was able to climb two spots to the #14 position on the list. Maybe they are for real after all, huh? To round out the rest of the American League East who also find themselves in a dog fight atop the division and in the Wild Card races in the AL you have the Toronto Blue Jays at #5, the Boston Red Sox at #6, the Baltimore Orioles at #10 and the Tampa Bay Rays at the #24 position.

The biggest rise of the week went to the New York Mets who rose five spots to the #13 position while the biggest fall went to the Seattle Mariners who fell three more spots and finished with the #16 position.

The Top 5 teams according to the rankings are the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers, the Washington Nationals, the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile the five worst teams in the league according to these rankings are the #26 Cincinnati Reds, the #27 Arizona Diamondbacks, the #28 San Diego Padres, the #29 Atlanta Braves and the #30 Minnesota Twins. But I guess you already knew who was 1st although #30 may have shocked you. Or not if you have been watching the games lately.


The season is no longer a marathon or a light jog, it’s a sprint. Start sprinting and make the postseason and or lag behind and be left playing golf in October. You decide. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 9/8


We're back in the Bronx tonight but the opponent will be different as the New York Yankees welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town for the next four games. These Rays have nothing left to play for this season other than playing the role of spoiler for other teams in both the AL East Division race and the respective Wild Card races in the American League. In the first matchup of the series the Yankees will send out CC Sabathia to the mound to square off against Alex Cobb.

Sabathia has pitched well enough to win in each of his last two starts yet he has nothing to show for it in either of them. Sabathia was matched up against Kevin Gausman in both starts with the Baltimore Orioles and in both starts the Yankees scored a combined 0 runs.

Cobb made his first start in almost two years last week against the Toronto Blue Jays and will make his second start of the season tonight in the Bronx. In that start Cobb threw five innings while striking out seven and will look to build up his arm strength and stamina tonight against the Yankees.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The biggest game of the season once again. Need a win. Get a win. Go Yankees!

It's Not What You Want Episode Two Presented by The Greedy Pinstripes


Ladies and gentleman good morning and welcome to episode two of "It's Not What You Want" the podcast brought to you by Matt Bove and Jacob Westendorf presented to you by The Greedy Pinstripes. My apologies for the delay between episodes but real life gets in the way sometimes as I'm sure you know and understand.

In the podcast the guys talk about Tuesday nights exciting playoff-type game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, the Yankees playoff hopes, the Yankees youth movement led by Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge and so much more. Check it out and enjoy!

Weekly Prospects Check In: Clint Frazier


The New York Yankees got their top prospect back off the disabled list just in the nick of time, didn't they? Clint Frazier had been on the MiLB disabled list as he was battling hamstring issues but the Yankees outfielder returned for the final game of the regular season. Frazier came back and laced a home run in his final regular season game which acted as a tune up game for the postseason.

If the RailRiders are going to go anywhere you have to think that they will need anything and everything they can out of the man they call Red Thunder. Here is what Frazier ended his season with statistically speaking:

YearAgeAffGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201621CLE-NYY119520751222716551348122.263.335.447.782

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/8: ARod Hits #50


Before this day in 2007 only three members of the New York Yankees had ever hit 50 home runs in a single season, Babe Ruth (1920-54, 1921-59, 1927-60, 1928-54), Roger Maris (1961-61), and Mickey Mantle (1956-52, 1961-54). Alex Rodriguez on this day in 2007 hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season to become the fourth member of the Yankees to ever reach the milestone. Also the second home run breaks the major league record of 49 home runs hit by a third baseman passing Mike Schmidt of the Phillies in 1980 and Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers in 2004.

Also on this day in 1925 Babe Ruth hit his 300th career home run in the second game of a double header between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Buster Ross gave up the milestone home run in the Yankees 7-4 victory over the Red Sox.