High-Flying Yankees Invade Florida...

Photo Credit: AP (Bill Kostroun)

Another Series Win, check...

What a week! After splitting Monday’s quasi-double-header with the Nationals in Washington, D.C., the Yankees swept the resurgent Seattle Mariners in the Bronx.

The games against the Mariners couldn’t have been more exciting. After a fairly easy win on Tuesday night, Wednesday featured the Yankees' rally from a 0-5 deficit with a game tying two-run homer in the 8th inning by Gary Sanchez followed by Giancarlo Stanton’s dramatic two-out, two-strike walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th. Yesterday, the Yankees used two first inning two-run dingers by Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar to hold off the M’s for the series sweep.  

Photo Credit: AP (Bill Kostroun)

Honestly, I did not expect the Yankees to sweep the Seattle series. The Mariners entered the game 20 games above .500, and were hanging with the Houston Astros atop the AL  West. The M’s left NYC yesterday with a four-game losing streak and 3 1/2 games behind the Astros.  Not a fun week for them. Still, the Mariners are playing much better than people expected when their star player, former Yankee Robinson Cano, was injured and then subsequently suspended for 80 games due to suspected PED use. There's no doubt with a play or two here and there, the M's could have easily taken two of the three games.  

I didn’t really get Aaron Boone’s decision to bring in Chasen Shreve to relieve Jonathan Loaisiga during Wednesday’s game. Sure, Loaisiga created the fourth inning mess that had given the Mariners an early 1-0 lead and he departed the game with two outs and runners at first and second, but Shreve did him no favors by allowing a two-run single to Dee Gordon, with both runs charged to Loaisiga. When Shreve entered the game, it felt like it was a great opportunity for the M’s, not the Yankees, and it was. I do not trust the lefty and if there’s a spot in the bullpen that desperately needs an upgrade, it is Shreve. In a bullpen of stars, he is the weakest link.    

Fortunately, after Shreve allowed a couple more runs, Boone made the decision to bring in Jonathan Holder who has been the best reliever not named Dellin Betances in recent weeks. Holder held the M’s scoreless over 2 1/3 innings to set the stage for the late inning heroics by Sanchez and Stanton. For me, Holder’s performance was the key to winning the game. 

I don’t know if it (the dramatic 9th inning game-winning home run) was Giancarlo Stanton’s “signature moment” but it was certainly a huge one for the Yankees and their fans. Stanton benefited from a misplaced pitch but to his credit, he didn’t miss it. Seattle reliever Ryan Cook knew he had made a mistake almost as quickly as the ball had left his hand. Hopefully, for Stanton’s sake, it is a sign of great things to come at Yankee Stadium for the slugger who has been much better on the road than at home ala Sonny Gray.  

On a day when the Yankees used a walk-off home run by #27 to win a game, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders did the same when Zack Zehner, wearing #27, hit a 9th-inning two-run homer to beat the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, 5-3. Very ironic and coincidental.

Yesterday, the Yankees scored four runs on two homers in the first inning against Seattle’s James Paxton, and then had to hold on when Luis Severino did not have his best stuff. Sevy allowed a two-run homer in the second to Kyle Seager and was touched again for a run-scoring single in the sixth inning by former Yankee Ben Gamel to make it a one-run game. The bullpen trio of David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman kept Seattle off the board from there to deliver Sevy his 11th victory of the season and it almost certainly ensures the young right-hander will be part of the AL All-Star team next month.  

Photo Credit: AP (Bill Kostroun)

Thursday’s game also featured the first time that both Seattle’s Andrew Romine and his brother, Austin, started the same game.  It seems like that would have happened while Andrew was playing for the Detroit Tigers but it never did. Andrew started at shortstop for the Mariners and was 1-for-4 (seventh inning single; stranded at second) while Austin was 0-for-4, starting at catcher in place of Gary Sanchez. I loved the punch that Andrew threw at Austin while at the plate.  

Photo Credit: NY Post (Charles Wenzelberg)

With the Yankees  (50-22) in St Petersburg, Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays for a weekend series, they enter play today with a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox (50-26) in the AL East. The Red Sox averted a series sweep by the home team at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN yesterday when they beat the Twins, 9-2, but the two-game lead for the Yankees is the largest they’ve held this month. It’s incredible that both the Yankees and Red Sox are on a path for more than 100 wins and the Yankees have yet to play their best baseball. Yesterday was the first day of summer but it should be a very fun summer for the Yankees and their fans. Somewhere in other Major League cities, there are several talented players and/or pitchers that will soon find themselves on the roster of the greatest team in baseball. No offense to the All-Star Game, but the MLB trading deadline is THE event of July. We're buyers this year, boys...

The Brandon Drury Watch continues to yield fruit. On Thursday, Drury’s two-run single keyed a series win by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders over the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Drury played first base (second time this season) in the 3-1 win and made some good defensive plays.

A.J. Cole finally got to pitch Tuesday after 22 days as a spectator with a good seat for Yankees games, holding Seattle scoreless over the final two innings in the Yankees’ 7-2 win and now he’s on the 10-day DL. Bummer. Cole apparently suffered a neck strain prior to Wednesday’s game while playing catch. I guess that's better than landing on the DL after injuring yourself while pulling on your pants like Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow. Luis Cessa, on a rehab assignment with the Double-A Trenton Thunder, was recalled to take Cole’s place. Pardon me if I am feeling a little underwhelmed.

Given the Yankees are back in Florida to play the Rays, it means more starts against "openers". Ryne Stanek opens tonight. He opened for the Rays last Saturday in New York when the Rays lost to the Yankees, 4-1. Stanek pitched an inning and a third before making way for a more extended stint by Ryan Yarbrough. I expect the same 1-2 formula tonight. Yarbrough hasn't pitched since Saturday's game, while Stanek pitched an inning of relief for Blake Snell on Tuesday night when the Rays snapped Houston's 12-game consecutive win streak. CC Sabathia will open, okay start, for the Yankees. The Rays (34-40) are currently tied for third place in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays, 17 games behind your favorite Pinstripers.

The Rays go with another opener on Saturday (Wilmer Font) against Sonny Gray. As a road game, I am looking for much better things from Gray. Sunday will feature the first legitimate starter for Tampa when the talented Blake Snell takes the hill. He'll face the ever-improving Domingo German in what should be a great pitcher's duel.  

A great time to be a Yankees fan. A great day for a Yankees win.

Go Yankees!

Dancing Among The Legends...

Credit:  Getty Images

Yankees 2, Blue Jays 1...

It may not have resulted in the AL East championship, but CC Sabathia gave the Yankees what they needed to propel the team to the narrow victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. Give credit to the Yankees for making the Boston Red Sox earn the division title and not handing it to them. This was a game for the ages, raising the names of Whitey Ford and Babe Ruth...

Sabathia locked into a pitching battle with Toronto's Marcus Stroman for the first few innings. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 4th when Aaron Judge belted a monster blast over the left field seats (484 feet) for his 52nd home run of the year.  All Rise!

Credit:  Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

But the Yankees weren't finished. Didi Gregorius hit a one-out single to left, a ball that nearly grazed the top of the glove of Blue Jays shortstop Ryan Goins. While Starlin Castro was taking his hacks at Stroman, a wild pitch got away from catcher Russell Martin (a bouncer through his legs) allowing Didi to advance to second. With the count full, Castro singled to center, past a diving Ryan Goins who barely got a piece of his glove on the ball, to score Gregorius. The Yankees were up, 2-0.

The Blue Jays changed pitchers for the bottom of the 5th with reliever Aaron Loup replacing Stroman. Loup walked two of the first three batters he faced (the two Aarons) to put Hicks in scoring position, but the Blue Jays pulled Loup and inserted Carlos Ramirez who shut down Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius on a strikeout and fly out, respectively.  

The top of the 6th brought a little drama and memories of the Jeffrey Maier incident years ago the then 12-year-old reached out to catch Derek Jeter's fly in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS and Jeter was awarded a home run. With one out, Ryan Goins got a hold of a Sabathia pitch and sent it high to right. Momentarily, it appeared to be a home run but replayed showed a young fan reaching out to catch the ball. The play was reviewed but the call on the field (ground-rule double due to fan interference) was upheld. Goins took second and the fan was shown the exit. Sabathia struck out Teoscar Hernandez for the second out but with Josh Donaldson on deck, CC's day was done. Chad Green came into the game and got Donaldson to hit a fly to left for the final out. The shutout remained intact much to the delight of Sabathia. Sabathia finished with 5 2/3 innings pitched, and giving up only four hits with no runs or walks. He struck out six in what may have been his final Yankees regular season start.    

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-AP

Tommy Kahnle took over for Green in the top of the 8th and unfortunately gave his best impersonation of Dellin Betances (the bad version). The first batter he faced, Ezequiel Carrera, hit a soft dribbler on the third base side and beat the throw from Kahnle to first. Miguel Montero, pinch-hitting for Rob Refsnyder, drew a walk so the Blue Jays had the tying run on base. Kahnle was pulled and replaced with David Robertson. Ryan Goins struck out but D-Rob missed with a full count fastball to walk Teoscar Hernandez. The bases were loaded with only one out. Josh Donaldson hit a fly to left for the second out, with Carrera coming home to score on the sacrifice. Brett Gardner had to run to make the catch as the wind pulled it back, and his throw to the plate almost nailed Carrera but Gary Sanchez couldn't hold on to the ball. 

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-AP

Robertson came through big when he struck out Justin Smoak swinging to preserve the Yankee lead by the slim one-run margin.

Aroldis Chapman on the for the 9th inning and it was 1-2-3 game over with Starlin Castro running to his left to catch Darwin Barney's line drive for the final out. The Yankees win!

Credit:  Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees (91-70) saw their hopes for the AL East title dashed in the clubhouse when the Boston Red Sox completed their 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros. David Price got the Sox out of a bases-loaded jam in the 7th inning. Former Yankee Brian McCann did his part with a homer in the 9th inning but it wasn't enough. The Yankees will host the AL Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. The winner will advance to play the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. The Red Sox will continue their current series with the Houston Astros in their ALDS matchup, moving from Boston to Houston for Game 1.

Congratulations to CC Sabathia (14-5) for his successful season. I know that I had given up hope for the aging pitcher, like many fans, but he showed that he is capable of reinventing himself ala Andy Pettitte. The win was Sabathia's 237th of his career, passing the legendary Whitey Ford. 

Credit:  Reuters

The troublesome knee is still a concern but CC Sabathia earned his right to be part of the 2018 Yankees. Hopefully, the team and the player can come together for a mutually rewarding contract in the off-season.  

Credit:  Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge will most likely not play today so if that's the case, he finishes with a .284 batting average, 52 home runs and 114 RBI's. His homer was the 33rd of the year at home, breaking the franchise record set by none other than the immortal George Herman "Babe" Ruth in 1921. It's been an incredible season for the highly talented young slugger. First full season and he's rubbing shoulders with the greatest  of the greats in franchise history.

Odds & Ends...

Andrew Romine of the Detroit Tigers became the fifth player to play all nine positions in a Major League game. To play catcher, he used a 'hand me down' glove courtesy of his brother Austin. Romine pitched in the bottom of the 8th inning with the Tigers nursing a 3-2 lead over the Minnesota Twins. He retired the only batter he faced, Miguel Sano, on a ground out to third. He handled all of his defensive chances cleanly. A very nice accomplishment for Austin's older brother.  

Credit:  Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

There was a nice Twitter exchange between Aaron Judge and Marcus Stroman after yesterday's game.  

Stroman:  @TheJudge44 is creating history. He hits baseballs extremely far too. Lol looking forward to competing against him the rest of my career!

Judge:  Much respect @MStrooo6!! Love your fire and passion for this game!! Keep that chip on your shoulder!! 👊👊

Stroman:  Always my man. The future battles will be legendary. Good luck in the playoffs young king!

Personally, I would rather see these two become Yankee teammates...

Have a great Sunday! The final game of the regular season. Let's bring home a victory in preparation for Tuesday. Go Yankees!

Austin Romine Throws Dirt on Tigers Player Saturday

GIF: Austin Romine throws dirt on brother Andrew during at-bat http://t.co/xvtYGkir6b pic.twitter.com/iR4J3uZgxK
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) March 14, 2015

Austin Romine was caught on camera throwing dirt on a Tigers play during the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers Grapefruit League game. Too bad it was his brother Andrew Romine. Sibling rivalry and baseball, gotta love it. Happy Sunday Yankees family.

The Daily Dozen - August 6, 2014

The Daily Dozen - August 6th, 2014 Edition
(Twelve Takeaways from Last Night's Game)

I am late on this again...so sue me!

1. Remember when a 1-run lead used to be an automatic win for Verlander?  Justin's record now sits at 10-10 with a 4.57 ERA.  This after a very good 7 inning outing in which he only gave up 2 earned runs.  It really stinks that someone had to lose the game as both starters pitched very well.

2. Andrew Romine strikes again!  The guy goes 2 for 4 last night to RAISE his batting average to .219.  He's batting 8th for the Tigers and he got 40% of their hits.  Go figure.

3. Jacoby Ellsbury breaks up the perfect game in the 4th inning.  How often do you see a pitcher go perfect for several innings and then after that first hit, things fall apart?  Verlander didn't fall apart per say, but he did allow a follow up walk to Teixeira.  But of course...no runs out of it.

4. Chris Capuano was dealing last night!  The only run given up was in the first and it was unearned due to a Jeter error, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Miguel Cabrera (more on him later).  If you would have told me that Capuano was going to pitch 6-2/3 innings with 0 earned runs and 8 strikeouts this late in the season, I would have told you to sign him to a free agent deal for 10 million a year in the offseason.

Come at me bro! (Photo Credit: NY Post.com)

5. Errors are absolutely killing the Yankees...well not really, but they should be.  The Yankees made another 3 errors in last night's game but only 1 led to a run.  But I can tell you, it is giving everyone ulcers because seemingly every pitch matters.

6. Derek Jeter sits at 3,429 hits.  Only 1 from tying Honus Wagner for 6th all-time on the career hits list.  He may just break the 3,430 mark today during the game that I won't be able to watch.  Such a shame.  I wonder if he gives out a gift basket for every hit?  That would be epic.

7. If Mark Teixeira were a free agent next year would you sign him for $25 million a year? When does the .230 batting average become worth it?  Is 19 home runs enough to make up for the low average or the frequent injuries.  I'm not buying it, although he came up clutch to provide an insurance run in the 8th inning.

"I will consistently deliver you 30 home runs and a .230 average."

8. YES YOU McCANN! It isn't just a catchy political slogan anymore.  Brian McCann hit his (un)lucky 13th dinger last night to put the Yanks up 2-1 and put a loss on Verlander's record.  He still has a year in my book to live up to expectations after a lofty offseason free agent deal, but he's also in the Teixeira zone with 49 RBI (to Mark's 52) and a .239 batting average.

9. Adam Warren was effectively wild in the 8th inning.  I say effectively wild because he threw 13 balls and 14 strikes total of which many were foul balls.  But when it mattered most he kept the Tigers from scoring with both Cabrera and VMart on base.  This took away any chance for a momentum swing and allowed the Yankees to tack on some insurance later in the inning.

I think I might start calling him Mr. Warren G...

10. There was a ton of speed on the basepaths in the 8th inning last night.  Which is the way we want it...well we got it.  And we've got it for years to come in the tandem of Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury.  How great will it be to have those 2 messing with pitchers while sluggers such as McCann and Beltran try to drive them home?  Not to mention their stellar defense.  Kudos to the front office on those two guys who have an equal shot at being the next Captain in my humble opinion.

Ichiro: "Hey guys...wait up for me...!" (Photo Credit: SportsWorldReport.com)

11. The challenge paid off for the Yankees in the 8th.  Here's my problem with the challenge.  The manager is allowed to saunter out to the umpire delaying the game in order for someone upstairs to look at a replay to say whether they should challenge or not.  In this case it worked in the Yankees favor, but the team shouldn't have access to the replay...they should have to go with their gut just like in the NFL.

12. Day games suck!  Working people can't go to or watch a day game.  It's time to get rid of weekday games before 7 pm.  Seriously...unfortunately I won't be writing a Daily Dozen for August 7th, because I won't know of which I am speaking without "watching" the game.  See you Friday night!

Capuano, McCann Come Through Big in 5-1 Win Over Tigers

Chris Capuano gave up no earned runs in 6 2/3 innings and the Chase Headley/Brian McCann duo hit a pair of solo home runs tonight as the Yankees beat the Tigers, 5-1, in a wild one in the Bronx.

For most of this contest, surprisingly, the Yanks trailed after a Derek Jeter error in the top of the first led to a Miguel Cabrera sac fly, with that misplay keeping the score 1-0 past the halfway point.

Still, due to a solo shot from Headley in the fifth and another one from McCann in the seventh New York did eventually find a way to best Justin Verlander (7 IP, 2 ER), keeping them just one game behind the Blue Jays for the second and final wild card spot.

Yes, in the top of the eighth Stephen Drew bobbled and threw away a Victor Martinez grounder to put men on the corners, but since Adam Warren still found a way to escape that jam and the Yankees rallied for three more in the bottom of the frame (Mark Teixeira - RBI Single, McCann - RBI Fielder's Choice, Andrew Romine - Throwing Error; Teixeira left after scoring with an apparent hand injury) that negative didn't end up proving relevant, a fact Detroit's offense must be pretty disappointed about.

The Daily Dozen - August 5, 2014

The Daily Dozen - August 5th, 2014 Edition
(Twelve Takeaways from LAST Night's Game--since I was tired and wanted to go to bed)

1. Going into this series I predicted Detroit would take 3 of 4 from the Yankees.  If you ever get the chance to check out our Mega Prediction Page...do so...sometimes it can be downright amusing.  I predicted the Yankees would only win the game started by Justin Verlander, which shows just how great their pitching staff really is.  Don't get me wrong, I WANT the Yankees to win every game...but that isn't likely...and if I have to predict them losing every game to have them win, then I will gladly come in last place in the Prediction Game.

I hope this doesn't end up true...

2. Both McCann and Prado hit solo home runs last night.  Man, Martin Prado is already paying dividends isn't he?  He also added his first double as a Yankee in the game.

3. David Price vs. Hiroki Kuroda has the making of a playoff matchup.  Game 7 even.  Both pitchers went deep into the game and did what they were supposed to giving their team a chance to win.  You know, what you would expect during a Playoff Game.  The Yankees are effectively in a playoff situation every night.  Neither got the win, but Price pitched 8-2/3 in his Tiger debut with 10 Ks.

4. Brendan Ryan bobbled a catch in the top of the 5th.  And then he promptly turned it into a barehanded catch.  Good job by Ryan, but then again...I think both Roberts and Drew would have made the play without the bobble.  Kinsler would have made mincemeat of it.

Oops... (Photo Credit: MLB.com and YES Network)

5. Miguel Cabrera has been virtually silent this series.  That doesn't bode well for the last 2 games, because he is the offensive juggernaut to end all juggernauts.  He's 1 for 8 so far with 3 strikeouts and 0 RBI.  Victor Martinez on the other hand is 4 for 8 but has only 1 RBI...and that was in last night's game.

6. I said virtually because Derek Jeter STOLE a hit from Cabrera last night.  Check out this video if you dare! Oh wait...the video I wanted to load isn't available in this country...you'll just have to imagine Jeter jumping up and to his right snagging a sure-fire line drive single or double from Miggy.

7. So the Tigers have a guy named Andrew Romine.  He hit a solo home run last night.  You guessed it, he's the older brother of Yankees prospect Austin Romine.  It would have been cool to see them play against each other, but then McCann wouldn't have had his home run.
 
Andrew....meet Austin (Photo Credits to ESPN.com)

8. Apparently the Yankees are back to not being able to score after the 5th inning.  It's frustrating and downright shameful to be honest.  How can a team with so much talent...a virtual All-Star lineup be void of late game heroics? Oy vey...

9. Dellin Betance continues his dominance.  He added 2 more Ks in the 8th inning and of course didn't pitch in the 9th.  Way to go Binder!  Should have been a 2 inning performance for him to give the Yankees the best chance of winning.

10. Chase Headley's defense in the 9th inning.  He saved the ballgame, at least until they lost it in the 12th.  Does anyone miss A-Rod? No? Honestly...I do, but Mr. Headley has proven that he can be a force to be reckoned with both defensively and offensively.  So he can stay....for now.

11. I had flashbacks to a playoff game in Northeast Ohio when Joba stepped onto the mound.  But this time there were no Mayflies and Joba had a beard.  Oh...and of course he plunked the Captain.  Jerk!  I was at that playoff game versus the Indians...and it sucked!

Shoo fly!

12. The Yankees have now played 16 straight games that were decided by 2 runs or less.  This explains why I have had such persistent heartburn the last few weeks.  No...for real.