Tanaka Time: Home Sweet Home...

Photo Credit: Instagram (masahiro_tanaka.official)

Strong pitching carries Yanks past Angels…

The Yankees needed a strong effort by Masahiro Tanaka on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and they got it. He gave up his obligatory home run but it didn’t matter as the Yankees used a three-run third inning to cruise past the Halos, 3-1. 

The highlight of the game, not for its meaning to the final outcome but rather the drama of the moment, was Tanaka’s strikeout of fellow Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani to end the first inning. Tanaka fell behind Ohtani on a 3-1 count but two swinging strikes sent Ohtani to the bench, much to the delight of the Yankee Stadium crowd. For the game, Ohtani was 0-for-2 against Tanaka, with a walk and two strikeouts. Mike Trout, who had a career day on Saturday, was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Tanaka. Simple formula: Hold Ohtani and Trout in check and good things happen.

Tanaka’s terrific day was done after the sixth inning and 104 pitches. He held the Angels to only three hits and the isolated run on Andrelton Simmons’ solo homer in the sixth. Tanaka (6-2) walked three and struck out eight. THIS is the Masa we need for the summer’s pennant chase.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Bill Kostroun)

With six strong from Tanaka, Manager Aaron Boone was able to effectively lay out David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman for three innings of scoreless relief. Very nice play by Didi Gregorius to stop a hard hit grounder by Martin Maldonado, throwing the Angels catcher out at first to end the game and hand Chapman his eleventh save.

The Yankees (33-16) ended up taking two of three from the Angels after Saturday night’s debacle when Sonny Gray (Sucks!) and the Yankees bullpen were hammered by Mike Trout and the Angels in an 11-4 loss. Fortunately, the Boston Red Sox finally lost yesterday against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves, 7-1. The Braves victory was especially sweet as they gave Chris Sale an early exit (4 1/3 innings) by scoring six runs off Boston’s prized left-hander. The Red Sox lead over the Yankees in the AL East is back to one game.

The schedule, which has been Boston’s friend so far this season, continues to benefit the Red Sox. The Atlanta Braves were one of the rare winning teams the Red Sox has faced so far this year. They return to playing sub .500 teams today with the arrival of the Toronto Blue Jays (25-28) at Fenway Park. Meanwhile, the Yankees draw the defending World Champions, the Houston Astros, for a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Yes, the Yankees did sweep the Astros in Houston at the beginning of the month, but the team was on a roll at the time. I can’t say I am too confident with today’s matchup (Domingo German, 0-2, 5.59 ERA vs Justin Verlander, 6-2, 1.08 ERA). But if the Yankees can keep it close, I like the Yankees’ chances against the Houston bullpen. Yesterday, with closer Ken Giles on the mound, the Astros blew an 8-3 ninth inning lead in their fourteen-inning loss to the Cleveland Indians.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Jason Miller)

The Yankees need pitching help but it doesn’t look like Chance Adams wants to play. The RailRiders game had barely started yesterday when Adams was pulled. With an inability to find the strike zone, Adams departed in the first inning after recording only two outs. He had given up only one hit, but three walks and a hit batter gave the Syracuse Chiefs an early 3-0 lead. The RailRiders came back to win the game, 7-4, so Adams wasn’t saddled with the loss but it was a pathetic performance. His season ERA is an unsightly 5.93 and he leads the team with 22 walks. It doesn’t sound like Adams wants to join his former RailRiders teammates in the Bronx, at least if he continues to pitch like the second coming of Sonny Gray. Hopefully he figures this thing out and restores the bloom of his potential. I still think his future lies in the bullpen but regardless, he is a guy I hope reaches Pinstriped glory.  

I was surprised as anyone when the Yankees optioned popular utility man Ronald Torreyes to Triple A to make room for the activation of first baseman Greg Bird. I had fully expected either Tyler Austin or a pitcher to go down. Neil Walker has proven his worth to the organization so the team wasn’t go to eliminate his roster spot. I also think the Yankees are intrigued with A.J. Cole and haven’t seen enough to make a decision about him yet. The YES Network’s Michael Kay noted yesterday that Toe’s locker has not been cleaned out. It is expected he’ll be back when his ten days are up or shortly thereafter. An injury to someone (I hope not) will accelerate the timetable. In the grand scheme of things, I fully expect Torreyes to have a longer Yankees career than Tyler Austin. I could see Austin as part of a trade in the days leading up to this year’s trading deadline when the Yankees attempt to seek upgrades for their pitching staff.  

He was only a Yankee for 33 games in 2008 but it is enough to qualify Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez as a member of the Yankees family. I am sure that Pudge is very excited today as the San Francisco Giants have selected the contract of his son, Dereck, from their Triple A affiliate. Dereck started his professional career in 2011 as an outfielder in the Minnesota Twins farm system but was converted to pitching in 2013. He signed with the Giants organization as a minor league free agent during the off-season. A starter in the minor leagues, Rodriguez is expected to provide long relief for the Giants. I hope Rodriguez pitches so well the Giants decide to trade Madison Bumgarner to the Yankees. C’mon, a guy can dream, can’t he?  Seriously, congratulations to Dereck for the realization of his own dream.

Photo Credit: Instagram (drod_31)

Speaking of former Yankees, Phil Hughes has found a new home. The Minnesota Twins had designated the pitcher for assignment earlier in the week. On Sunday, the Twins sent Hughes and a compensatory draft pick (74th overall) to the San Diego Padres for a minor league catcher. The incentive for the Padres is the competitive balance draft pick. The Twins will send money to pay down the contract owed to Hughes to lessen the financial commitment for the Padres. For now, Hughes will be inserted into the Padres bullpen, joining former Yankees Bryan Mitchell and Tyler Webb. I am not sure if this is the eventual end of the line for Hughes, who has undergone multiple surgeries for thoracic outlet syndrome, or if he will be able to resurrect his career in sunny Southern CA, but I wish the veteran 31-year-old righty the very best in his latest comeback attempt.  

It’s Memorial Day so we pay tribute to those who have fallen in defense of our Country. Of course, we think about those individuals every day of the year, not just this day, and are grateful for their service and sacrifice to defend our liberty and freedom. We can never repay them or their families. We carry the memory of the slain men and women who have served this great Nation today and always.  

Go Yankees!

Hello… Memorial Day Weekend

What is Memorial Day? Memorial Day to some means the day off paid, barbecues and hang outs with friends, but to others it means so much more. To some it means the one day that their families and their serviceman and women get the recognition and respect that they so much deserve. This Memorial Day hits home for me especially because one of my very best friends has recently joined the Navy. This is his second Memorial Day away from home, but thankfully he got to come home. It won't always be like this, but I am grateful that it was this year.

So shake a veteran's hand and thank them for everything that they and their family do. Unless you've lived through it you will never truly understand. So, a big thank you to the veterans that are reading this and their families, and a very big thank you to our very own patrick (always with a little p) Walsh and Ken Reed (and anyone else that frequents the site that I was unaware served or that slipped my mind). I appreciate you, have the utmost respect for you and love you all.

Enjoy the day, and enjoy the long weekend, but just remember why we have it. Thank you.

And baby, four more days… and by the time the Memorial Day weekend is over, it will be one more day. How exciting!! I love you with all my heart and all my soul. Always have, and I always will.

Hello… Fridaaaaaay!

Good morning everyone and a Happy Friday to you all. We made it! Pay day, the weekend, or whatever Friday means to you I hope it is great for you regardless. Tonight, the Yankees start a three-game weekend set with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which should be fun so stick around for that. Other than that, this is going to be hopefully a relaxing holiday weekend for me. I have a couple things to do on Saturday, but other than that I am free! I love it. That means more time with my family and more time with my baby!

I hope everyone has a good weekend, but I especially hope that you, my Kari, have a great weekend. I love you. Five more days. 

The Yankees & 2017 Special Event Uniforms

Every season Major League Baseball unveils six special event uniforms for the new season and while some love them, like myself, others hate them for whatever reason. I love them because over the past 100 years or so the Yankees have had the same old boring uniforms so it’s nice to see the sport and the team change things up a bit. Who doesn’t enjoy the pink bats and such on Mother’s Day and now the pastel blue for Father’s Day? Anyway here is a sneak peek at the six special uniforms for the 2017 season. Enjoy, or don’t… you traditionalist you.

Father’s Day

Mother’s Day

Home Run Derby

All-Star Game

Memorial Day (couldn't find a Yankees one for whatever reason)

4^th of July 

Memorial Day Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/30

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are spending Memorial Day in the land of our neighbors from the north as they prepare for the first game in their three-game set. In the contest the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to solidify his spot in the starting rotation while the Blue Jays will counter with Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

I'm still hanging with my buddy from the Navy and slamming down hot dogs like my name was Babe Ruth so let's get to the game. Happy Memorial Day everyone and Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/30

It almost seems un-American to have the New York Yankees anywhere but in the Bronx for holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day and it especially seems like a slap in the face to 'Merica to have the greatest and most recognizable MLB team outside of the country, doesn't it? I'm over-exaggerating a bit and I realize that but I just wonder if the MLB schedule makers keep this stuff in mind when they make out the schedule or is this simply another instance where computers have taken over the world thus making us unable to think for ourselves. I digress though as we have a game tonight with the Toronto Blue Jays inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. In the contest the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with a pitcher who shut them down last time out in Marco Estrada.

Nova's job seems safer than ever in the Yankees rotation after another great start last time out. Nova started the season in the Yankees bullpen but since a CC Sabathia injury shot him back into the rotation the right-hander has made the most of his opportunity in a contract year far exceeding both Michael Pineda and Luis Severino this season.

Estrada last faced the Yankees on Wednesday in his last start and allowed just three runs over seven innings of work in a Blue Jays victory. The Yankees will look to turn that around tonight and get a Memorial Day victory against our neighbors from the north. 

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. Let's show these Canadian's how the game of baseball, America's game, is played. Eh? Go Yankees!

Happy Memorial Day from The Greedy Pinstripes

What is Memorial Day? Memorial Day to some means the day off paid, barbecues and hang outs with friends but to others it means so much more. To some it means the one day that their families and their serviceman and women get the recognition and respect that they so much deserve. This Memorial Day hits home for me especially because one of my very best friends has recently joined the Navy. This is his first Memorial Day and thankfully he got to come home, announce that his new wife is pregnant and surprise his family and friends with a visit. It won't always be like this and I am grateful that it was this year.

So shake a veteran's hand and thank them for everything that they and their family do. Unless you've lived through it you will never truly understand. So a big thank you to the veterans that are reading this and their families and a very big thank you to our very own patrick (always with a little p) Walsh and Ken Reed (and anyone else that frequents the site that I was unaware served or that slipped my mind. I appreciate you, have the utmost respect for you and love you all.

Enjoy the day but just remember why we have it. Thank you.

Greedy Pinstripes Saturday Night Open Thread

The Yankees game may or may not still be going on by the time this pre-written blog post goes live but either way I leave you tonight with this open thread for this beautiful Saturday night. Enjoy the night, spend it with friends, family and your pals over here at The Greedy Pinstripes.

Talk about whatever you like. Just enjoy the evening. Thanks all!

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals 5/25

Memorial Day baseball between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals is about to jump off. No one does these ceremonies like the New York Yankees and between the Bernie Williams ceremony of last night and this Memorial Day pre-game ceremony the Yankees have done it once again. Now that the ceremonies are over it's time for the game with Nathan Eovaldi and Jeremy Guthrie facing off this afternoon in the Bronx. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN and MLB TV. 

You only have two more shots to see the Yankees live in the Bronx before the team heads out West to face off with the Oakland Athletics in a four game set inside the Oakland Coliseum. Get your Yankees tickets now while you still can by clicking the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog. If you can't make it out to see the team live then join us on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and/or the comments section of the site to interact with us during the game. 

Will we see Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Eovaldi this afternoon? I'm hoping for Mr. Eovaldi, Go Yankees!!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone! While many people simply think this is just a paid day off from work that gives you an excuse to grill out hamburgers and hot dogs on your grill many others know the true meaning of the holiday. There are so many out there giving the ultimate sacrifice for this country both on the battlefield abroad and here at home worrying about those brave ladies and gentleman. For this, I thank each and every one of you personally. You and your sacrifices are appreciated more than you could ever know.

If you see a veteran shake his or her hand and thank her. It's because of them you can be in your shorts reading this right now and it's because of them I can express myself freely on this blog every single day. So with all that rambling behind us enjoy the day and once again, thank you.

TGP Daily Poll: Tired of Being Optimistic

I have been the optimistic one all season long ans I have been let down a lot more than I haven't been lately. I'm tired of being optimistic, the Yankees are going to lose on Memorial Day when they host the Kansas City Royals.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Cardinals 5/26

The New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals will play on Memorial Day this afternoon at Busch Stadium in the first of a three game set. The Yankees will send Chase Whitley to the mound to face off with Michael Wacha for the Cardinals. The game will be played at 4:15 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Get your Yankees tickets HERE for this historic series or any New York Yankees game home or away right here on The Greedy Pinstripes. You can follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, to chat during the game or you can always leave us a comment in our comments section.

Have a great Memorial Day everybody and enjoy the game Yankees family, it's back to work tomorrow.

Injury Updates: Beltran, Teixeira, Pineda, Kelley

Just a few injury updates in between eating grilled food and the Yankees game:

Carlos Beltran took batting practice with a fungo bat today, about 15 swings, and everything came back fine with no pain or problems. Beltran will swing with a real bat tomorrow and go from there. He is not out of the woods just yet but many didn't expect him to get past this point so that's encouraging.

Mark Teixeira was scratched from today's game with some wrist stiffness. Teix said this would be a normal occurrence after the surgery and him and the Yankees consider it to be minor. No tests or anything or scheduled so maybe Teix will be back tomorrow in the field and on Wednesday.

Michael Pineda will throw two innings or 35 pitches, whichever comes first, tomorrow in extended spring training while rehabbing his teres major shoulder/back injury.

Shawn Kelley played catch at 75 feet and felt no issues with his back. This is not the first time Kelley has played catch and came through it fine only to wake up the next morning stiff again. He will play catch again over the next couple of days and looks to be back sometime in June.

Preview: New York Yankees @ St. Louis Cardinals 5/26

Happy Memorial Day everyone and what better way to spend it than to watch two historic baseball teams going head to head. In today's matchup the New York Yankees will travel to Busch Stadium for a three game set with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees will send Chase Whitley to the mound to face off with 2013 phenom Michael Wacha. The game will be played at 4:15 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN, MLB TV, and WFAN.

Whitley is filling in admirably for the injured CC Sabathia and will look to keep his impressive start going in his third career start. Whitley had an early hook in his last start only throwing 71 pitches against the Chicago Cubs while holding them to one run and six hits in 4.1 innings. Whitley is expected to throw anywhere from 80-85 pitches today against the Cardinals.

Wacha's last start ended when a foul ball struck him in the right throwing elbow while sitting in the dugout. Wacha had only allowed two hits in six shutout innings last time out before being lifted from the game. Obviously there were no lasting effects from the injury because he will be back on the mound this afternoon against the Yankees.

Go Yankees!!

Quick Hit: Happy Memorial Day Yankees Family

We here at The Greedy Pinstripes wanted to take the time to wish everyone out there a Happy Memorial Day. While you are out spending time with family, drinking beer, cooking out on the grill, etc just please take a second to remember what this day is for. If it were not for the men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom now and in the past we wouldn't have this day and we wouldn't have anything we probably take for granted daily.

If you see a veteran, thank him. Enjoy the day Yankees family and remember why we're all here celebrating it.