Yankees @ Orioles 9/7/12

UPDATE:

It's the third inning and Mark Reynolds does not have a home run yet #progress

Russell has muscles! 3-0 Yankees

Steve Pearce, who?, hits a two run home run to put the Yankees up 5-0

Alex Rodriguez hits his 300th home run as a Yankee to make it 7-0 Yankees!

Jeters 3rd hit of the game makes it 8-4 Yanks

#untuck!!! 8-5

The Yankees and Orioles are in a mathematical tie for first place atop the American League East and still have three more games head to head in Oriole Park at Camden Yards to play yet including tonight's game. The Orioles own the tiebreaker so the Yankees really need to win tonight and the next two games to put a little cushion in between these two teams.

Do not fret Yankees fans, as dismal as the team looks in the win/loss column the offense looked a lot better last night and may be on their way to a turn around. You also, as much as I hate to admit this, cannot blame anyone for last night's loss including Girardi. He brought in his second best reliever and set up man in the 8th inning to hold it at a 6-6 tie and he just simply got beat. When Robertson faltered he brought in his 3rd best reliever and one pitch later he got beat. Binder or no binder that was the right call and it is not always going to go the way we planned it. Now if you want to jump on the #FireGirardi bandwagon for keeping Chavez in against a left hander for three straight important at bats or for his willingness to use Andruw Jones at all and his unwillingness to use Chris Dickerson then I am 100% behind you.

The Yankees will send Phil Hughes to the mound to try and stop the bleeding tonight and will be facing off against Wei-Yin Chen, who has looked good against the Yankees all season long. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones LF
Steve Pearce 1B
Casey McGehee 3B

Go Yankees!!

Nova May Start Sunday For Freddy Garcia

The New York Post is reporting that the Yankees will use Ivan Nova in the rotation instead of Freddy Garcia on Sunday in the finale against the Orioles. This is a far cry from just yesterday when they were not guaranteeing his starting rotation spot. Six home runs and a devastating and embarrassing loss can do that to a manager I guess. If Ivan Nova feels no discomfort and has no set backs after his bullpen session today look for him to be activated off the DL.

David Aardsma Shaky Again In Latest Rehab

David Aardsma pitched again for the Trenton Thunder yesterday and allowed a run in his latest rehab game on the way back from hip and Tommy John surgery. David threw 28 pitches, 16 for strikes, and hit as high as 90 mph while allowing a walk and three hits in his inning of pitching. Any hope of Aardsma coming back this season, not that we should rush him or be disheartened or discouraged if he does not come back, is really starting to dissipate. Thankfully we have a really team friendly 2013 option so all that is important is getting David's work in and getting him healthy.

This Day In Yankees History : 9/7/12

Not really Yankees history but hey it was a slow day on September 7th. In 1998 Mark McGwire, with a line drive to left field in the first inning, hit his 62nd home run to break a tie and pass Yankees Roger Maris for the single season home run record. Roger's family was in attendance to witness the impressive feat and share an embrace with Mark in the stands.

Nova Throws A Bullpen Session & Girardi Looks Dumb

Yesterday before the embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Orioles Ivan Nova threw a 30 pitch bullpen session in wake of him being eligible to come off the DL as soon as tomorrow. Ivan Nova was getting bombed before being put on the DL with shoulder inflammation, granted, but now reports are saying that Nova's spot in the rotation is once again not guaranteed. I am hoping that this is just posturing or trying to light a fire under Nova or seeing if lightning can strike twice and not Joe Girardi really being okay with Freddy Garcia in the starting rotation. We're probably about 20-21 days away from an Andy Pettitte return, setbacks or miracles withstanding, so to even fathom Nova in the pen over Garcia just really makes me wonder why and if Joe Girardi is REALLY becoming Joe Torre version 2.0.

Yankees 2012 Top 50 Prospects

Our friends over at Bronx Baseball Daily, Rob Abruzzese and Greg Corcoran, compiled a Yankees 2012 Top 50 Post Season Edition prospects list that you guys should all check out. I have done these before so I know a ton of work goes into them so check it out, comment and tell them how Manny Banuelos should not be #1 anymore *spoiler alert*, and all that good stuff. Enjoy!

Mark Teixeira MAY Play Today

Call it desperation, call it a veteran wanting to turn the team team around, call it whatever you want to call it just make it happen. Mark Teixeira, despite reported lingering tightness in his calf,  MAY return to the lineup tonight against the Orioles. A Saturday or even a Sunday return is far more likely but Girardi seems willing to let Mark let him know when he is ready. He ran the bases as 80% yesterday and still felt some tightness but still wants to play today. With three straight left handed starters coming up for the O's this weekend Teixeira's bat would really improve our chances.

Yankees @ Orioles 9/6/12

The Yankees start an all important four game series with the second place Baltimore Orioles tonight with only one game separating the two teams in the AL East. The Yankees got a big win yesterday over the Tampa Bay Rays and tend to do extremely well in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where all four games will be played, so the Yankees have to have some confidence going into it. The Yankees will start David Phelps tonight coming off of one of his worst starts in his very young career and will be facing off against Jason Hammel fresh off the DL for the Orioles. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm et on YES and MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF

Go Yankees!!

I Could Not Be A Yankees Fan In The 80's

Thankfully I was born in late 1985 and did not get into baseball religiously until the 1995 season because I would be a totally different person right now if I had to watch the Yankees in the 80's and early 90's. I am usually a very calm and collected person but over the last month to month and a half I have been a very edgy and irritable person. The Yankees, behind only my son and my wife, have become my passion over the last 16+ years and I hate to see them lose. I was visibly upset and downright angry when I went to bed Tuesday night after losing and falling into a tie for first place and I got to thinking, what would I do if I was a little bit older, not spoiled by the Yankees recent success and dynasty, and has to watch the Yankees post Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson.

The Yankees won 103 games in 1980 but it was a year after Thurmon Munson's death and we lost in the ALCS to the Kansas City Royals. We had a strike shortened season, which I have never witnessed first hand because I was 8 years old for most of the year in 1994, in 1981 and lost in the World Series to the Dodgers. Then the revolving door of managers and the chaos around the team started and eventually spilled onto the on field product. Hell George Steinbrenner even got suspended from baseball for misconduct if that puts things into perspective for the younger Yankees fans that are reading.

Losing seasons in 1982, 1989-1992, and 1994 were the toughest of times for Yankees fans in recent memories. The team finished no better then 2nd place from 1982-1993 and would not see a season where they "finished" in first place until 1994, the 1994 season that ended premature and cancelled the World Series. The Yankees loss in the ALDS to the Seattle Mariners cost Buck Schowalter his job which is a shame because he would never get to see first hand the team him and Gene Michaels built which included guys you may have heard of, guys like Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada to name a few.

I think all of the younger Yankees fans are truly spoiled, and not to say that that's a bad thing because it is not, and could not imagine watching the Yankees during that 12+ year stretch from 1982-1994. I know I couldn't if I react the way I did to falling into a TIE FOR FIRST PLACE then I could not imagine watching a losing season. I would probably be on my second or third heart attack. I am just glad everything is good in Yankeeland this morning, at least for one more day.

This Day In Yankees History : 9/6/12

On this day in 1973 the Yankees released not one but two Alou brothers. Felipe Alou was sold to the Montreal Expos and Matty Alou eventually ended up with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Not really Yankees news but on this day in 1995 Cal Ripken broke the iron man streak held by Lou Gherig  playing in his 2,131st straight game with the Baltimore Orioles.