Game 46. Yanks lose 6-3. Kuroda knocked out early.

It could have been worse. Hiroki Kuroda entered the game as the Yanks’ ace, 6-2, 1.99. After taking a liner off his calf, he left the game after 2+ innings pitched. The fear was the DL.

He probably won’t miss the next start. Losing tonight is one thing (6-3). Losing Kuroda is another.

Kuroda gave up a solo HR to Markasis in the first and then a 2-run HR to Davis in the same inning. When he left in the third, there were no outs and two on. The Yanks did get a run in the 3rd on a Cano single.

Preston Claiborne came in and probably should have used more time to warm up, since with an injury delay he had all the time he needed. 1st batter, 3 R Hr. Like Nuno the night before, the first runs he gives up in the majors is via the home run ball.  But it let the game get out of hand at 6-1.

Granderson HR’d in the 5th to make it 6-2, his first HR of the year, and David Adams got his 2nd MLB career hr in the  9th to make it 6-3.

Kuroda 2+, 5 R, 8 H, 0 walks and 0 K. He falls to 6-3, 2.67. An un-Kuroda-like performance.

Claiborne 2 Ip, 1 R, 1 H, that big 3-run HR. 0 walks, 2 K. ERA to 0.82.

Adam Warren 5 IP. Garbage innings, but what a job he’s done this year after that one terrible outing last year in his MLB debut. 4 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 0 walks and 2 K. His ERA drops to 1.14.

Game 44. Pronk saves Yanks in 9th, they win in 10, 6-4.

The Yanks gave CC leads, but he couldn’t hold them. In the end, Travis Hafner tied the game in the 9th and gave the Yanks an insurance run in the 10th as the Yanks improved to 28-16 with a 6-4, 10-inning win over Baltimore.

Mo got the save as the greatest farewell tour ever continues. 17 for 17 in saves, and just 44 games into the season. Save #625 of his career lowers his ERA under 1.50. All this at age 43. More on Mo in a bit.

Cano hit his league-leading 13th HR in the 1st to put the Yanks up 1-0. David Adams’ first MLB HR made it 2-0 in the second.

The record for HR by a second baseman in a season is 42. Rogers Hornsby and Davey Johnson (Johnson had 43 for the 1973 Braves, but one was as a PH). It looks like Cano could break that record this year.

But CC could not hold leads tonight.

Up 2-0 in the second, CC coughed up a HR. 2-1.

A double and single tied the game for the O’s in the fifth. An overzealous fan may have cost the O’s the game. I’m all for kicking fans out of the ballpark that interfere with the action. Hey, you want a ball, fork over $11 or so at a sporting goods store. Instead, this fan’s interference on a double held the runner at third, and may have cost the Orioles the game. Keep your hands to yourself and don’t interfere on fair balls, will ya? Anyway, it worked out great for the Yanks. Runner held at third due to the ground-rule double. We will see how big that turned out.

In the 7th, Overbay’s HR (7) made it 3-2. But CC couldn’t hold that either, as he left pitches up. Not to be critical, but if you are getting $23MM or so a year to be the ace, you have to hold leads. Instead, CC coughed it up, giving two right back. Really, CC has been decent this year, but NOT the ace. That has been Kuroda.

CC 6 1/3, 4 R, 11 H, 0 walks, 2 K. Not dominant. ERA to 3.43.

To the 9th, and the Yanks were losing 4-3. Hafner, who earlier in the game was out in front just a hair too early in missing a 3-run HR, went the other way and tied the game up with HR #8.

Meanwhile, the Yanks bullpen shut things down after CC left. Shawn Kelley 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and all 3 outs via the K. ERA to 5.40.

Robertson (W 3-0, 2.95) the 9th. 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K.

In the 10th, doubles by Ichiro and Wells put the Yanks up 5-4 and a single by Hafner was insurance.

Enter Sandman. Mo’s 17th save (out of 17) iced it. At 43, he is 17 for 17 in saves, #625 of his career is a 1-2-3 inning. ERA to 1.47.

Tell me again why he is retiring? For he is going out on top of his game.

 

Game 43. Cano (2), Hafner HRs lead Yanks, 7-2.

Robbie Cano was slumping, hitting just .204-2-8 since May 5th. He broke out of it today with two two-run HRs and four RBI as the Yanks beat Toronto 7-2.

Travis Hafner had missed a couple of games due to a shoulder issue, but he got a two-run HR as well.

David Phelps (W, 2-2, 3.83) pitched seven innings, 1 R, 6 H, 3 walks and 8 K.

David Robertson the 8th, 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and a K. ERA to 3.12.

Boone Logan the 9th. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.13.

The Yanks got three in the third on an RBI single by Gardner and Robbie’s first two-run dinger. Toronto got one back in the fourth.

Robbie’s second two-run HR in the fifth made it 5-1. Toronto got a HR by Encarnacion in the 8th to cut it to 5-2 but Hafner’s two-run HR in the bottom of the 8th closed the scoring.

Phelps has done well filling in for Nova. I hope Hughes was watching and noticing.

Game 41. No #250 for Andy as he leaves early. Yanks lose, 3-2.

Not only did Andy Pettitte not get his 250th career win tonight, he could not qualify for the win. He was pulled with neck and back trouble and took the loss after going just 4 2/3 in the Yanks 3-2 loss to Seattle.

Before the game, the Yanks optioned Brett Marshall back to SWB and brought up Dellin Betances. Here’s some info from mlb.com on the 6’8″ Betances, who may make it as a reliever, but to be frank, has been a disappointment.

Betances, 25, had been touted as one of the club’s brightest pitching prospects, ranked No. 19 by MLB.com, but the local product has experienced struggles with his control and recently moved to the bullpen full-time at Triple-A, where he was 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA in eight games (six starts).

Marshall gave up 5 R in 5 2/3 in his MLB debut but threw 108 pitches, hence the move.

In the 2nd, Andy gave up an RBI double, and the Yanks got it right back on a double by David Adams for his first career RBI.

Andy gave up a run in the fourth on a bases-loaded, 2-out infield single. He had to leave with the injury after 4 2/3. Hopefully a DL stint isn’t necessary, but after his last outing, it’s good to know that Nuno is available.

Not only that, C Chris Stewart left the game with an issue.

Calling Hawkeye and B.J. The M*A*S*H* unit is getting (can you believe it?) larger.

Pettitte, 4 2/3 (L, 4-3, 3.83), 2 R. 4 H, 3 walks and 5 K.

Shawn Kelley gave up a HR to Mike Morse (code) in the 6th. 3-1 Mariners.

Kelley 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 5 K.  5.71.

Logan 1 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 2.31.

Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 1.37.

The Yanks had their chances. They were 2 for 13 with RISP tonight.

I don’t know when the Yanks last successfully executed a squeeze play. In honor of one of the greatest bunters ever, Phil Rizzuto, I’ll pop open a bottle of champagne the next time they do so.

In the 5th, 1st and 3rd, one out and Gardner K’s, Nix pops up. One thing I’ve harped on FOR YEARS. Why no squeeze with Gardner up? He can beat OUT a bunt. Why no squeeze down 2-1?

They had 1st & 2nd, two out in the sixth and the rookie, Adams, bounced into a forceout.

They did cut it to 3-2 in the 7th (the final score) on a single by Ichiro, walk by Stewart and after two outs, a single by Cano.

They had Granderson on 2nd with one out in the 8th. Adams popped up and the slumping Ichiro struck out.

Gardner singled with one out in the 9th and stole 2nd and 3rd. With two out, Robbie bounced to SS to end the game.

Granderson had 3 hits tonight. Meanwhile, prospect Austin Romine has to start hitting. 1 for 17 so far in the majors this year.

Game 39. Yanks come back to win 4-3.

I only wish I could have watched it. I couldn’t. CC vs. King Felix. A  matchup of aces, and after six innings, it didn’t look good for the Yanks as they were down 3-0.

But they came back to win 4-3.

Curtis Granderson was activated off the DL today, played LF and hit cleanup. Travis Hafner will be out a couple of days with a sore shoulder. Vernon Wells Dh’d tonight. To make room for Granderson, Vidal Nuno was sent back to AAA.

Sending Nuno down serves a few purposes. For one, he won’t be able to pitch for a few days anyway. For another, yesterday was the first day he pitched in almost two weeks. Lastly, sending him back enables him to start and stay stretched out in case the Yanks need an emergency starter.

So it is CC vs. King Felix. Seattle scores an unearned run in the second, when with two outs, Kyle Seager doubles home a baserunner who had reached on an Overbay error.

In the sixth, CC gave up a 2-run HR to our old buddy, Raul Ibanez. 3-0 Seattle with King Felix on the mound. It did not look good.

But the Mariners pulled King Felix Hernandez after six. The Yanks then pounced on the M’s bullpen to win the game.

CC went 6 1/3, 3 R, 2 ER, 10 H, 2 walks and 10 K. He gets the ND, ERA to 3.19.

Meanwhile, King Felix struck out 8 in 6 IP.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Yanks started their comeback. Down 3-0, a single by Cano and eventual double by Overbay cut it to 3-1. Hernandez was then pulled after six and the Yanks took advantage, winning the game against the M’s bullpen.

In the seventh, the Yanks scored three to win the game. After Hernandez was pulled after six, Chris Nelson led off the seventh with a single. A WP (Romine K’d) and a walk to Gardner put men on 1st and 2nd, one out, whereupon Robbie Cano (Best Yanks 2B EVER? Better than HOFers Lazzeri and Gordon, not to mention Randolph?) doubled to tie the game. After walks to Wells (intentional) and Granderson, Lyle Overbay got a SF that was the game-winner.

Kelley 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. (W, 2-0, 5.87).

D-Rob the 8th. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 1 K. 2.76.

Then the 9th to the G.O.A.T.  (Greatest of All-Time). Mo is now 16 for 16 in saves this year (only 39 games in!) and it’s his 624th all-time. His ERA drops to 1.56.

Some farewell tour at the age of 43. Really.

The Yanks will have some decisions to make soon. What do you do with Overbay once Teix returns? Who do you send down when Joba returns, Claiborne (who’s done well) or Kelley? What happens when Jeter, Youk or A-rod return? David Adams is due up tomorrow. Who goes? Nelson?

Things will be VERY INTERESTING regarding roster moves.

Game 34. Overbay leads Yanks to 11-6 win.

I’ll defend Phil Hughes, who had four great outings before tonight but even though he got the win tonight, I won’t defend him tonight.

The Yanks did win, though, 11-6.

In the top of the second, the Yanks went up 4-0 on 2-Run HRs by Ichiro  (2) and Overbay (6).

Hughes then pissed me off. 4-0 lead. He gave up a walk and a single. He then struck out the next two batters and had an 0-2 count on the next hitter, the #9 hitter. A fat fastball becomes a 3-run HR.

Phil, I defend you but there is NO DEFENSE FOR THAT. NONE.

Overbay’s double in the 4th made in 5-3 Yanks. Phil gives up two in the bottom of the fifth to tie it up.

The Yanks come back with five in the top of the sixth to make it 10-5 Yanks. Overbay doubled in a run, and Chris Nelson singled in two. After a forceout, Gardner tripled in a run and Cano singled in another. 10-5 Yankees.

Whereupon Hughes gave up a HR to cut it to 10-6. Hey Phil. You blew a 4-0 lead and now you give up a HR when they restored your lead to 10-5. Unacceptable. You must protect leads.

Hughes got an ugly win. 5 2/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 walks and 3 K. 2 HR. He goes to 2-2, 4.43.

Shawn Kelley 2 1/3, 0 R, o H, 0 walks and 6 K. 6 K out of 7 outs and clearly his best outing as a Yankee. ERA to 6.14.

Boone Logan the scoreless 9th with 2 K. ERA to 2.70.

Gardner and Cano each with 2 H, RBI. Ichiro 3 h, 2 RBI.

Overbay with 4 hits, HR, 2 doubles, & 5 RBI tonight.

2 H, 2 RBI for Chris Nelson.

Somehow, this cast of no-names is getting it done.

Game 33. Yanks outlast rain, win 3-1.

Well, the Yanks may have CC to pitch in that DH on Monday at Cleveland. That is, if he can go on three days rest. It isn’t irrational to think that, since because of rain, he only went four innings today.

A two-hour rain delay kept CC to only four innings, but it enabled rookie Adam Warren to pick up his first MLB win as the Yanks won 3-1 over the Rockies this afternoon to go to 20-13 on the season.

The Yanks scored a run in the first on a Vernon Wells single. Nix had walked with one out and had moved up on a groundout.

CC gave the run right back in the bottom of the first on a walk, single and SF.

In the third, Robbie Cano singled for his 1500th hit. 1500 to go, Robbie!

The Yanks went ahead in the fourth on a double by Chris Nelson, a groundout and a SF by Chris Stewart. After the bottom of the fourth, the game was delayed.

CC 4 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 walk and 2 K. ERA to 3.23.

Adam Warren 1 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks and 0 K. ERA to 1.84. First major league win.

Robbie hit a HR in the fifth, his 9th of the season, and that was all the scoring.

Girardi used five relievers after that rain delay knocked CC out of the game. After Warren,

Logan faced one batter. 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 3.00.

Preston Claiborne’s third MLB game. 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 0 K. ERA still 0.00.

David Robertson 1 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 3 K. 3.21.

… and you-know-who for the 9th. Save #13 of the season (13 for 13) and #621 of his career for the great Rivera.

The Yanks had six hits. Wells and Cano 2 H, 1 RBI each.

Game 30. Yanks lose 5-4. Nunez hurt.

Andy Pettitte struggled again in getting a no-decision, and Vernon Wells struck out with two on to end the game as the Yanks lost to Oakland 5-4 to drop their record to 18-12.

Pettitte only lasted five innings, throwing 100 pitches, just 57 for strikes. His line: 5 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 walks, 1 HBP and 2 K. ERA to 4.06.

Preston Claiborne made his MLB debut a good one. 6 up, 6 down.

Boone Logan (2-2, 3.12) took the loss. 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 1 K. Shawn Kelley finished up, 1 IP, 0 R, 0 walks, 2 K, ERA to 7.94.

Andy gave up an unearned run in the third as Cano made a throwing error in trying to turn two. The Yanks got the run back on an RBI single by Cano.

But Luke Montz hit a solo shot in the fourth and Yoenis Cespedes added a 2-run HR in the fifth to put the A’s up 4-1.

The Yanks tied it in the sixth on an RBI double by Ichiro and a 2-run single by Overbay.

But in the 8th, Logan gave up a HR to Josh Donaldson which was the game-winner.

SS Eduardo Nunez was removed during the game with a strained rib cage. There are no plans to put him on the DL as of now. The Yanks had to play the end of the game with no backup infielder. Who’d guess they’d be missing Ramiro Pena (now with the Braves) about now?

I was trying to think, with all the injuries, who they could bring up if Nunez had to go on the DL. My guess would be Addison Maruszak, who is hitting .254-0-8 at AAA SWB and is 26 and a righty bat. He had 16 HR and 59 RBI for AA Trenton last year while hitting .276 and is versatile, 1B/3B/SS also a little OF, C and 2B, but I don’t know if he is on the 40-man roster or not. If not, the Yanks would have to make room and that could be troublesome. The other guy would be 33 year old career minor leaguer (no MLB games at all) Gil Velazquez, who in 63 at bats entering today is .206-0-2 for SWB. Ugh.

For those asking, Corban Joseph, Dave Adams and Ronnier Mustelier aren’t SS. So it looks like Nix at SS and Nelson at 3B for the time being.

Sheesh. The injuries just keep on coming.

Update: Cano was intentionally walked to face Wells in the bottom of the 9th. Putting the winning run on base, scared he might jack one for a GW HR = Respect.

Game 29. Hughes gets his first win of the season, 4-2.

Phil Hughes pitched eight shutout innings and notched his first win of the year as the Yanks beat Oakland 4-2.

After two tough starts to open the season, one of which was supposed to be a minor league rehab start, Hughes has pitched four good games, with his ERA being 1.93 in those four games.

And to think, some people wanted to ditch Hughes after his second start of this year. Hughes won 16 (tying for the team lead) last year and 18 in 2010. There aren’t too many pitchers out there that could say that they won 16 or more in two of the last three seasons. Yes, he gives up homers and his ERA isn’t the greatest, but he did win 16 last year, 18 in 2010 and still hasn’t turned 27.

For the season, Hughes is now 1-2, 3.60. We hope this roll continues.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the third when Chris Stewart homered off of Bartolo Colon. Stewart’s HR (2) was only the sixth of his career.

Lyle Overbay made it 2-0 in the fifth with his fifth HR of the season. A double by Cano and single by Hafner, who prior to the single was 0 for 17 off of Colon, made it 3-0 in the sixth.

A triple by Nunez and single by Gardner made it 4-0 in the seventh.

Shawn Kelley started the ninth, gave up a hit and was pulled for Mo. Mo wasn’t his best, but got the outs to end the game. It wasn’t a save situation.

Kelley 0 IP, 1 batter, 1 R, 1 H, no walks or K. ERA to 8.71. Ugh.

Mariano 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K.    ERA to 2.19.

 

Gm 27. Save #11 (season) 619 (career) for Mo as Yanks win 5-4.

He’s going out in style. Mariano Rivera led the majors with ten saves entering today’s action.

Make that eleven saves now and 619 for his career. 27 games into the season, eleven saves for the 43-year-old legend who is retiring after this season. You wonder, why retire? (Family, fatigue, other issues…) but really, if this is the way he is leaving, he is going out on top.

The Yanks got off to a 4-0 lead early. Ichiro led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored when Nix singled. Ichiro had two hits tonight. Not that long ago, he was at .200 and now he is at .279.

In the second, Hafner, Francisco and Nunez all walked. Bases loaded, no one out and all they got was one run on a Stewart SF.

In the third, Cano HR’d (8) and so did Ben Francisco, who entered the game 3 for 29. It was not only Francisco’s first HR of the season, but also his first RBI.

But David Phelps, who pitched great for the first three innings, couldn’t hold the lead in the fourth and gave up four runs as the Astros tied the game at four.

Phelps, filling in for Ivan Nova while he’s on the DL, went 5 2/3, 4 R, 8 H, 1 walk & 5K. ERA to 5.56.

Boone Logan (W, 2-1, 2.35) went 1 1/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K.

The Yanks got the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Nunez doubled, went to third on a WP and Overbay walked. After Stewart struck out, Ichiro hit into a DP, but Overbay stopped in the basepath. It was a 4-3-6 DP (they went for Ichiro at first after Overbay stopped in the basepath, then threw to second where they had to tag Overbay). Meanwhile, it’s a timing play and the speedy Nunez crossed the plate before the tag was made on Overbay. Hence the run (in this case the winning run) counts. Good base running by Overbay.

D-Rob the 8th. 1-2-3 with 2 K. ERA to 3.86.

Enter Sandman. Single, DP and K. Mo’s 11th save of the year already and #619 adds to the all-time record that he holds. ERA to 1.59.

The Yanks improve to 17-10. They are off tomorrow and host Oakland this weekend.

Update: The Yankees acquired 2B/3B Chris Nelson from the Rockies for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He has played 139 games at 3B in his career and 54 at 2B (and 3 at SS). Last year for Colorado he hit .301-9-53, OPS+ 104. This year he was at .242-0-4, OPS+ 55 in this early going. For his career, .279-13-73 in 616 AB, OPS+ 87. 162 g. ave .279-10-56. He’s 27 and a righty bat. Not great, but he provides some depth and insurance while Youk is out and has a better bat than Nix.