Game 60. The Good Hughes. Yanks win 6-1.

You never know what Phil Hughes will show up (much like A.J. was). Tonight was the good Phil, which makes the nights we get bad Phil so much more maddening.

Hughes went 7+, 1 R (unearned), 3 H, 2 walks and 7 K.  He improves to 3-4, 4.80.

The Yanks got six in the third. Cano hit a 3-run HR (15) and Teix followed with the back-to-back with a solo shot (3). Wells and Suzuki added RBI singles.

Claiborne 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and no K. 0.54.

Logan 2/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 1.62.

Kelley 1 IP, 0 R 0 h 0 walks and 0 K. 5.01.

As far as A-Rod, I really hope he never plays a game—anywhere—again.

Suspensions for A-Rod, Cervelli, ex-Yanks?

ESPN is reporting that Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch is ready to spill the beans on some players, including A-Rod, in cooperating with MLB’s investigation into his business. It seems like a plea bargain (see below) with MLB in which MLB would help out Bosch against various charges.

As MLB.com reports (bold italics mine):

 MLB agreed to “drop the lawsuit it filed against Bosch in March; indemnify him for any liability arising from his cooperation; provide personal security for him; and even put in a good word with any law enforcement agency that may bring charges against him.”

The two biggest names involved, out of about 20-25, are A-Rod and 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. Now we all know Braun basically got off after 2011 on a technicality. Which is why I have little respect for him. As for A-Rod, if that dumbass was still using after his spring 2009 mea culpa in which he confessed to using in Texas (when his name appeared on a 2003 report that was “supposedly sealed”, as with Sosa, Ortiz and others), then I have no respect for him either.

MLB is seeking not 50-game suspensions for these players, but 100 game suspensions. 50 for going to Bosch for the PED’s, then 50 more for lying about them.

In the cases of Braun and A-Rod, I’d kick them out of the game. For to me, there are THREE strikes. The time before, in which Braun got off on a technicality and A-Rod confessed to, this time & the lying about it.

Other Yanks and ex-Yanks mentioned in the report include Cervelli, Colon (surprised? his comeback was, shall we say, “remarkable”), Melky (nabbed last year) and (a bit of a sad shock), Jesus Montero. Montero was recently demoted to the minors by Seattle and soon after the demotion, tore his meniscus which will put him out 4-6 weeks.

Recent ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz of Texas is implicated also.

At an LVYFC (Lehigh Valley Yankee Fan Club) meeting tonight, before this news came out, I asked the members how many missed A-Rod. Not many did. Is it any wonder? It’s one thing to bring a great bat, glove, speed, etc. to the ballpark. But A-Rod brings a lot of B.S. too.

Now this.

Also from MLB.com:

It remains unclear whether Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano has any connection to Bosch. Sonia Cruz, the spokeswoman for his foundation, was listed in Biogenesis documents, and MLB officials have investigated whether she might have been a conduit for Cano.

There are strong indications that that Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, whose name was also found on documents tied to Biogenesis, will not be further pursued, based on evidence that any substances he received were legal.

As MLB.com reports, the Major League Baseball Players Association almost certainly will file grievances on behalf of any big leaguers who face suspensions.

We can only hope that Cano was NOT involved. What worries me is his friendship with Melky and A-Rod. For as we know, where there is smoke, there is fire.

The Yanks can’t afford to lose Cano. Not with their depleted lineup. But if Robbie is guilty, let the ax fall as it may.

The minors today.

AAA: SWB ppd. Nuno, called up by the Yanks to replace Nova, was supposed to pitch this game.

AA: Zach Nuding 5 R 4 er in 6 IP. Thunder w/ just 3 h all game, 2 by LF Ramon Flores. Trenton lost 6-0.

Hi A: Tampa lost 6-5. 2B Rob Refsnyder 3 h, 2 doubles, rbi. Between Charleston and High A Tampa so far, 22 g., .382-1-16. Righty bat, 22 y/o.

Low A: Charleston won 15-5.  1b Greg Bird, 4 H 2RBI. C Pete O’Brien a HR & 5 RBI.

The minors today.

AAA: Austin Romine was called up from SWB to replace Cervelli on the Yanks’ roster when Cervelli broke his hand tonight. He went 0 for 1 in this game before getting the notification to report to NY ASAP. Romine was 14 for 42, .333-1-4 for SWB. The HR was his only XBH.

SWB lost 3-2. Brett Marshall 2 R, 1 ER in 5 1/3. 5 walks, 7 K. SS Addison Maruszak with 2 H, RBI.

AA: Trenton won 6-3. Nik Turley 3 R in 5 IP. Jose Ramirez 4 IP of scoreless relief with 6 K. This was his first outing of the season. C J.R. Murphy 3 h, 2 doubles, RBI (.323). 1B Kyle Roller 2 RBI (.337). 3B Casey Stevenson 2 H, RBI (.289).

High A: Tampa lost 9-4. Some news: CF Mason Williams was hit with a DUI. He was under the limit, (.06, the limit .08) but failed a field sobriety test. 2B Rob Refsnyder HR, 2 RBI (.344).

Low A: Charleston 5-1 winners. 3B Dante Bichette Jr., 2 H, 2 RBI.

Gm 18. Yanks 2-hit in 5-1 loss. Storm clouds brewing.

The Yanks lost 5-1 tonight, but there are more bad stuff brewing underneath that loss.

For one thing, the Yanks only got two hits tonight, both by Robbie Cano, one a HR (6) for their only run.

The lineup tonight was weak. Very weak. Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch due to a tight back. As a result, you had, against a lefty pitcher, a lineup of Gardner (a lefty hitter), Francisco (.091 after tonight), Cano (who, despite being a lefty, got both Yankees hits, one a HR), Wells, Cervelli (no offense to him, but he is NOT a #5 hitter), Boesch, a lefty, subbing for another lefty who is not hitting—Ichiro. Nunez, who isn’t hitting, Overbay a lefty in there only because Youk has a tight back, and Nix.

How do the Yanks miss Jeter? Nunez is now at .167. How do they miss Teix? Against lefty starters, Youk goes to first and Nix plays 3B. Nix is at .194. Replace Jeter and A-Rod with Nunez and Nix and so far, no good. Youk has been ok in replacing Teix. But tonight, no Youk. Overbay instead. Not only that, against a lefty pitcher, it’s Francisco instead of Hafner.

Add Francisco’s .091 and Nunez, .167, Nix .194 and if I were another team, I’d save up my lefties to face the Yankees.

I can only hope that Mustelier gets well soon, hits at AAA and takes Francisco’s place soon.

Not only that, they need the switch-hitting Teix back soon… and esp. vs. lefty pitching.

CC had nothing early on. His 1st inning went: K, HR, K, single, triple, HR, groundout. Down 4-0 after 1.

He did give up another HR later. 7 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 2 w, 8 K. But with the Yanks’ offense tonight, they were dead after CC gave up 4 in the 1st. He falls to 3-2, 3.34.

Adam Warren pitched a scoreless inning, getting some much-needed work.

Besides that problem with lefty starters, the Yanks could have another problem.

From ESPN:

The spokeswoman for Robinson Cano‘s foundation is listed as having been a client of the Biogenesis clinic last summer, although she denies having received anything from the clinic and says Cano “definitely never did.”

Major League Baseball, however, has possession of a Biogenesis client roster that lists the spokeswoman, Sonia Cruz, and is investigating whether Cano had any relationship to the clinic, sources familiar with MLB’s investigation told “Outside the Lines.”

Cano has denied knowing clinic founder Tony Bosch or having ever used performance-enhancing drugs. But as his best friend, Melky Cabrera, his mentor, Alex Rodriguez, and now his spokeswoman have all been connected to clinic documents, MLB wants to know whether any relationship between Cano and the clinic exists.

Of course, I hope Robbie is innocent. But you know what they say… where there is smoke, there is fire…

Gm 9. Triple Play and a huge error help Yanks win 5-2

For only the second time since 1968 (when Mickey Mantle and Bobby Cox were involved), the Yanks turned a triple play, and that, combined with an Orioles error that allowed 3 runs to score, enabled the Yanks to win 5-2.

The Yanks’ 4th straight win upped their record to 5-4 and put them in a tie for first with Boston this early in the season.

CC  (W, 2-1) went 8, giving up 2 R, 1 ER, and Mo (S, 2) nailed down save #610 of his career.

Both teams scored in the third, the Yanks run coming when Gardner walked and both Cano and Youkilis singled.

The Yanks went up in the fifth by playing smallball. Cervelli walked, Gardner bunted him over, and Cano singled him in.

Baltimore tied it in the top of the seventh thanks to a balk by CC after an error by Youkilis.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Yanks got a huge break that enabled them to win the game. With the bases loaded and two out, Vernon Wells hit a ball to deep center that Adam Jones flat out dropped for an error. All three runs scored. All three runners reached via walk or HBP. 3 runs on no hits.

In the top of the eighth, the Orioles had two on and none out. Manny Machado grounded to Cano, who flipped to Nix for the force. Nix then fired to third, and Alexi Casilla was caught in a rundown. After Casilla was tug out for the second out, Machado was thrown out trying to advance to second during the rundown. 4-6-5-6-5-3-4.

TRIPLE PLAY!

Yanks SS Eduardo Nunez had to leave the game after getting HBP. Luckily, x-rays were negative. Bruised wrist.

Speaking of HBP, Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland got an 8-gm. suspension for hitting Youk in Cleveland earlier this week after Cano touched Carrasco for an HR.

… meanwhile, did you see the fracas in the Dodger/Padres game where Carlos Quentin charged the mound and broke Zach Greinke’s collarbone after Quentin was HBP? He should have received more than an 8-game suspension.

Andy Pettitte will be pushed back a few days after experiencing back spasms. It’ll be Hughes on Saturday and Kuroda on Sunday.

Did a stress fracture give way?

What happened to cause Derek Jeter’s broken ankle is the conjecture today. Jeter mentioned that a bone bruise led to a stress fracture that finally split apart. When asked about it, neither GM Brian Cashman or Manager Joe Girardi knew anything about a stress fracture. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jeter did have a stress fracture and continued to play on it until it gave way.

Mariano Rivera dropped hints that if he were able to make it back from his ACL tear to pitch in last year’s postseason that he probably would have ten retired. Is this a precursor to his thinking now? Will 2013 be it for the 43 year old Rivera? Mo is the last player left who was born in the 1960s.

Finally, country singer Mindy McCready committed suicide yesterday. I’m not a big country fan and don’t know her music. But she made headlines years ago by admitting that she had an affair with the married (and still married) Roger Clemens when she was still a teenager. Clemens denies it, but Clemens has been denying lots of things. The thing with Roger is, what do you believe?

Yanks make a deal

The Yanks made a deal today, trading OF Abe Almonte, who played in 78 games at AA last year, to Seattle for righty reliever Shawn Kelley.

Almonte has shown speed in the minors but little power. Kelley does have 120 MLB games under his belt, going 10-9, 3.52, ERA+ 114 and 122 K in 128 IP.

Update: Francisco Cervelli admitted visiting the Biogenesis clinic that is being investigated for PEDs but said he went for consultation and left with nothing. Here’s hoping he is telling the truth. But it brings up the problems athletes face in going and getting advice. How do you know the place you are going to is on the up and up? The best solution is to go only to a place that was thoroughly vetted by and approved by your employer (your team) and MLB itself.

More names

Francisco Cervelli and Jesus Montero’s names came up in that Biogenesis PED situation down in Miami. You hope they are clean, but where there’s smoke, well, you know….

Meanwhile Ryan Braun’s name came up too and you really have to wonder. After all, the 2011 NL MVP & 2012 runnerup basically avoided a 50-game suspension due to a technicality. This now certainly won’t sway those who still think he’s guilty but instead reinforce their belief.

You wonder how deep this investigation gets, how sordid it is and who all is involved.

Ravens win SB 47

Joe Flacco was the SB MVP as the Ravens defeated the 49ers 34-31. It was like two different games. A 108-yd. kickoff return to start the second half gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead, then there was a power outage. It’s like the power outage affected the Ravens, enabling SF to almost pull out a miracle come-from-behind win.

Congrats Ravens (even though I was rooting for SF because I can’t root for Ray Lewis).

… and yes, I really wish the NFL would knock it off with the Roman numerals already.