The Daily Dozen: April 11th Edition

The Daily Dozen: April 11, 2015 Edition

Twelve Takeaways from Today's Game

1. 19 Inning Hangover.  The Yankees looked like a team that was hungover today.  Boston had the same amount of sleep as New York (likely less in fact), but seemed ready to play.  Their regulars (Pedroia, Napoli, Bogaerts, Sandoval) played while Ellsbury, Beltran, Teixeira, and McCann sat out for the Yankees.  I know it was a 6 hour, 49 minute game last night and this morning, but starting the season 1-4 can't be helpful.  However, coming into the game the Yankees were hitting .199 as a team with only 13 runs scored...and that was with the extra 11 innings.

2. Alex Rodriguez at First Base.  I've heard that the experiment during Spring Training went well and he played the position adequately.  It didn't work out too well for the Yankees today, but I'm not sure the experiment should be stopped.  He wasn't exactly helped by the infielders.  Gregorius sent a nice sinker ball in the 2nd that led to the first Boston run.  A-Rod looked fine fielding the ball as the first play of the game went right to him (as per normal thanks to the baseball Gods).

3. Chase Headley, A-Rod's replacement at Third.  Made a great barehanded play in the 2nd inning that was all for naught as Gardner got Yankee Stadium sunned on what should have been a routine fly ball out.  Watch Headley's play HERE.

4. Harold Reynolds Surprised.  HR was surprised that the Yankees fans reacted positively to Alex Rodriguez in his first game this year and during the 1st at-bat today after his error at 1st.  I don't understand why he is surprised.  The Yankees NEED Alex Rodriguez because they really have no other choice.  What other offense will there be?

5. If the Yankees withhold bonuses from A-Rod, it would be shameful.  As if the Yankees didn't really know what was going on in A-Rod's life and his career leading up to not only one but TWO record contracts...part of that last contract was $6 million bonuses as he reaches each of the next 5 home run milestones...the first being tying Willie Mays at 660 Home Runs.  The Yankees organization claims that because of his 2014 suspension and the Biogenesis Scandal that A-Rod is no longer marketable.  Well, he's surely more marketable than Carlos Beltran or any of the other players currently on the roster.  "Pay the man his money..."

"Check, check, check...."

6. Joe Kelly..the Wild Man.  Kelly was very wild in the 2nd inning and couldn't seem to find home plate.  His wildness allowed the Yankees to strike right back.  However, the Yankees were not very patient the rest of the game frequently swinging early in the count.  Let's see...the Red Sox depleted their bullpen in a 19 inning game, but we'll go ahead and help out the starting pitcher any chance we can....arrrghh.

7.  Boston Red Sox Love Fest.  I had been under the impression that all out love for the SAAAAHX was reserved by ESPN.  This is no longer true as the crew of Joe Buck / Harold Reynolds / Tom Verducci couldn't say more positive things about Boston during their FS1 broadcast.  Interestingly, when Alex Rodriguez steps to the plate, it's all about controversy...when Ortiz comes up, nothing...At least be freaking consistent!

8. NAVA, the Yankee Killer?  Daniel Nava had 2 RBI by the 4th inning, the only ones for the Red Sox.  According to Joe Buck..."Nava is a fighter and just won't take no for an answer..." (See lovefest above).  Jeff Quagliata of YES astutely pointed out that Nava was 6 for 11 against Warren...me thinks maybe they should have walked him??

9. You can't spell Dustin Pedroia without DP.  Peddy grounded into TWO double plays before hitting a 2-run double in the 7th to provide Boston with a convincing lead.  You also can't spell Pedroia without P.E.D....just saying...naaaah...he's clean!

10. What a catch by Allen Craig!  Craig was a great pickup by the Red Sox by trading away John Lackey to the Cardinals.  Defense wins Championships...the Yankees who supposedly have such a great defense are giving away games with their errors, lack of awareness, and positioning (see the defensive alignment of the outfield in today's game for reference).

11. The vaunted 7-8-9 of the Yankees.  Boy...we are in for an offensive show this season if the 7-8-9 used today by the Binder holds...John Ryan Murphy, Didi Gregorius, and Gregorio Petit.  Do you think Didi and Petit are related somehow?  Anywho...they were a combined 1 for 8 today and made some pretty bad defensive mistakes.

12. Adam Warren finished with a career best 98 pitches.  He actually had a quality start with a final line of 5-1/3 innings, 1 ER, 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout.  More impressive was his 60 strikes out of the 98 pitches.  Warren probably feels a bit like Pineda right about now.  Kelly on the other hand, aided by the previously mentioned lack of patience by Yankee hitters, pitched 7 innings with 1 ER, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts and got the coveted win in Yankee Stadium.

"How about a little offensive support guys?"

Tanaka Struggles as Yankees Lose Jeter's Second-to-Last Game

Derek Jeter went 1-for-2 before being pinch-hit for and Bryan Mitchell tossed four innings of one-run ball, but since Masahiro Tanaka had his worst start of the season and the offense struggled mightily against Joe Kelly the Yankees dropped the now-DH's second-to-last game today, 10-4, to the arch-rival Red Sox.

Throughout his five-out performance this afternoon, surprisingly, Tanaka really did labor, surrendering seven hits and five earned runs as Boston crossed home nine times in their first two at-bats.

So, as is usual when that sort of thing happens, he and the Yanks couldn't find a way to win, not even circling the bases until the seventh when Brendan Ryan connected on a sac fly.

Indeed, this contest wasn't a fun one for them, but since they still rallied for a top-of-the-eighth trio when Chris Young singled with the bases loaded and Stephen Drew knocked in two with a ground-rule double the aforementioned Kelly wasn't able to record a quality start, the only positive you can take from this blowout in which Tanaka's ERA rose to 2.77 and the Daniel Nava/Yoenis Cespedes duo dominantly drove in five.

Greene Struggles Mightily as Yankees Drop Third Straight to Red Sox

Shane Greene gave up 6 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings and Brett Gardner got ejected in the fifth for arguing the strikezone tonight as the Yankees continue to labor with a 9-4 loss to the Red Sox.

For the Yanks, dissapointingly, the defeat was their third consecutive, dropping them to just 70-66 on the season despite the fact they won seven of their previous nine before Saturday.

And yes, this evening's contest was as bad as its score suggests. 

After the Yoenis Cespedes-led Sox put up a pair in their half of the first, Daniel Nava drove a three-run shot into the right-field seats in the third, making it 5-0 before Xander Boegarts tacked on another blast of his own.

At that point, down 6-0 early, it was clear things weren't going New York's way, a fact that seemed to force Joe Girardi to take Greene out.

No, the excitement didn't necessarily end there, but since a duo of homers by Martin Prado and Brian McCann as well as a walk by Francisco Cervelli and a single by Derek Jeter were all New York's offense could muster against Joe Kelly (6 2/3 IP, 3 ER) on the night the Yankees did obviously fall in the end, an annoyance that has unfortunately become common lately. 

Whitley, Bullpen Hit Hard in Another Rubber Game Loss

While he was undeniably good in his first 7 starts, it's become more and more obvious that Yankees Pitcher Chase Whitley's beginning to run out of gas. 

The 25-year-old rookie, who went 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA before falling to the Blue Jays last Monday, didn't look sharp at all tonight, surrendering 5 earned runs in 4+ innings.

After his departure, the Yanks' bats did come back a little, but in the end, couldn't make up for the youngster's struggles, as they fell in ugly fashion to the Red Sox 8-5.

For the first two frames, the argument could be made that Whitley wasn't terrible, although a top of the third, three-run home run by David Ortiz definitely changed that idea, as the Sox took an early 4-0 lead off the right-hander.

In their following at-bats, the Bombers would pull to within one thanks to a single by Derek Jeter and a pair of solo shots from Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran, but that trio of positives would eventually prove irrelevant, as Whitley and Shawn Kelley would hand that progress right back to Boston in its half of the fifth.

In that inning, the Sox would make it 7-3 on a two-run single from Dustin Pedroia and an unusual steal of home by Daniel Nava, pretty much making the Pinstripes look done.

Yes, they did sort of come back in their next turn when Brett Gardner doubled in Ichiro and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded another home, but due to the bullpen's lack of reliability they would end up being defeated, the sixth time that's happened in their last nine games.

As you probably already know, tonight's loss also cost them this seemingly winnable series, keeping them 2 games out of both the AL East lead and the final Wild Card spot.

In other words, this evening's failure is a deflating blow to the already scuffling Yankees, who will begin a trio of home contests with the last-place Rays tomorrow.