Gm 22. Costly victory for Yanks, 6-4.

The Yanks won 6-4 tonight, but it was a costly victory.

On the very first batter of the game, Francisco Cervelli took a foul off his hand. X-rays revealed a broken hand and he’ll be out six weeks. Figure on (with rehab) 8 weeks, meaning the end of June. Austin Romine was called up from SWB to replace Cervelli.

Cervelli has to be heartbroken. He was off to a good start, seemed to finally be the #1 catcher, and had 3 HR already. I expected 3 HR all year from him, not 3 in the first 21 games of the season.

Not only that, Ivan Nova had to leave after just 2+ innings due to an elbow injury. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow. The Yanks can 1) move Phelps (more on him in a bit) into the rotation and bring up someone or 2) leave Phelps where he is in long relief and bring up Wang or Vidal Nuno. Me, I’d leave Phelps where he is and bring up Nuno, who was great in S.T., won the best rookie in camp award and who has started out 2-0, 1.54 in 4 starts this year at AAA (23 1/3 IP, 26 K, just 2 walks. Besides, having three lefties in the rotation [CC, Andy and Nuno] doesn’t seem too bad).

Juan Encarnacion hit two HR off the Yanks tonight, one in the 2nd off Nova. The Yanks tied it in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded forceout by Nunez, who is down to .164.

Nova gave up a HBP and a single to start the third, then was pulled because of his injury. Phelps (W, 1-1, 5.29) replaced Nova and gave up a single for a run, but he was great tonight.

Nova 2+ IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 walks and 2 K, ERA to (ugh) 6.48. You don’t want anyone to get hurt, but, and I hate to say this, maybe this can be a blessing in disguise. I mean, 6.48 is 6.48.

Phelps went 4, 1 R, 2 H, 2 walks and NINE strikeouts. His only blemishes were the single that let in Nova’s run (inherited) and giving up Encarnacion’s 2nd HR of the game to cut the Yanks lead to 4-3.

Meanwhile, after the single that Phelps gave up made it 2-1, the Yanks tied it in the bottom of the third on a Vernon Wells SF.

The Yanks went up 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI triple by Lyle Overbay, then Overbay scored on a WP. Toronto is killing itself defensively so far this season. Consider this. The Yanks won 6-4 tonight. One Yankees run scored on a WP. Another on a PB.

Encarnacion’s 2nd HR of the game made it 4-3 in the sixth, but Toronto gave the Yanks a gift run in the 7th. Cano doubled, was moved to third by Wells and scored on that PB I mentioned. Give Wells credit for going the other way to advance Cano to third. 5-3 Yanks.

Joe went formula for the last 3 innings. Joba D-Rob and Mo.

Joba pitched a scoreless 7th.  1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K.  4.32.

Juan Batista homered off  D-Rob (1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K, 3.12)  in the 8th to cut it to 5-4, but Brett Gardner HR’d (3) in the bottom of the 8th to put the Yanks up 6-4.

Can you believe Brett the Jet has 3 HR? (or that Cervelli has 3?)

Save #8 on the season and #616 of his career wasn’t easy. Toronto loaded the bases on Mo before he got a K for the final out.  1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.00.

Gm 21. 3 HRs lead Yanks’ comeback, 5-3.

It didn’t look good early on, as Hiroki Kuroda gave up a 2-run HR in the first and a solo HR in the 2nd. Down 3-0 after 1 1/2.

Then the Yanks came back with 3 HR of their own to win 5-3.

Down 3-0 in the 2nd, Wells hit a solo HR (6) to put the Yanks on the board. Cano (7) hit a 3-run HR in the third, and Cervelli (3) hit a solo HR in the fourth.

I’m shocked that the Cisco Kid has 3 HR already. I’d have predicted that for the whole year.

Give Kuroda credit. After that shaky start, he settled down and gave up no more runs. 6 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 W, 3 K when it looked like he’d be knocked out early. He’s now 3-1, 2.79.

Once Kuroda gave 6, Girardi went formula. Joba 7th (4.91), D-Rob 8th (2.35) and Mo the 9th (2.25). Three scoreless innings. Save #7 for Mo this year is #615 of his career.

Derek Jeter met the media today and ascertained he’d be back this year.

On the down side, Francisco is now 3 for 29. Ugh.

Gm. 15. “Newbies” help Pettitte to career win #248, 9-4.

The replacements aren’t doing badly. Skewer Brian Cashman all you want, but the guy does do a decent job in “dumpster diving.” He picked up Freddy Garcia off the scrap heap and got something out of him for a while.

Now it’s Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and Travis Hafner.

The three of them each hit HRs tonight to lead the Yanks to a 9-4 win over Toronto. Andy Pettitte (what, he retired?) is now 3-0, 2.01. It’s like he never left and is pitching as well as ever—-better, even.

It’s career win #248 for Andy, who gave up 3 R in 7 1/3.

Cano got 3 hits, Hafner’s HR was #5, Overbay’s #2 & Wells #4. Even Francisco Cervelli (2 hits) is at .324 right now.

I won’t post stats for a while. It’s still too early. But the Yanks are 9-6 after a 1-4 start. Pettitte, CC and Kuroda are a combined 8-2. Now for Hughes and Nova to get it going. Hughes pitched well yesterday, hopefully it continues.

Meanwhile, the “replacements” are filling in nicely.

I do wonder about Jeter though, and if this could be the beginning of the end.

Gm. 14. Hughes good, Phelps not as Yanks lose 6-2 in 12.

The Yanks lost in 12 to Arizona tonight, 6-2 to snap their three game winning streak.

After two poor outings, Phil Hughes had a good one, giving up 2 R (2 solo HR, natch) in 7 IP. Hughes is a fly ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium, which is a problem. He’ll give up the HR. But two solo ones tonight…. if only the bats were working. We can only hope that Hughes gives this kind of outing every time out from here on in.

Robbie Cano got a HR in the 6th (5) to cut it to 2-1, but the Yanks missed their chance to win the game in the bottom of the 8th. Down 2-1, they had the bases loaded with one out. Cano and Youk both struck out.

The Yanks lineup against lefty pitching, to me, seems weak. They didn’t get any help today from the news that Derek Jeter has a small crack (fracture) in that ankle of his and won’t be back until after the All-Star break… meaning after he turns 39. I really wonder… can he ever play SS again (look at the age and injury again), or when he does come back (and I think it is safe to wonder if ever) will he strictly be a DH?

Anyway, they blew a golden opportunity in the 8th, only to see Cervelli tie it in the bottom of the 9th with his 2nd HR. But Cervelli got called for catcher’s interference not once, but TWICE in this ballgame.

Boone Logan (2/3) and Joba (1 1/3) kept Arizona at two, and David Robertson (1) pitched a scoreless inning. David Phelps got out of big trouble in the 11th, but blew it in the 12th, giving up 4 R, 3 ER. Ex-Yank Eric Chavez sealed the deal with a 3-run double.

Game 10. HRs plague Hughes as Yanks lose 5-3.

Maybe he needed more spring training. After all, Phil Hughes was plagued by back issues and never did receive the rehab start or two that he may have needed at the end of S.T.

Maybe it was the two rainouts that threw him off his rhythm, or the unexpected start today (one day notice) because of Andy Pettitte’s back spasms. Hughes was too “strong.”

Whatever, it was not a good showing as Hughes went just 3+ innings, gave up 9 hits, three of them HRs (his bugaboo—he gave up 35 of them last year), and 5 runs. He walked two and struck out no one as the Yanks lost 5-3. With the loss, Hughes drops to 0-2, 10.29.

Dave Phelps was great in relief, pitching 4 scoreless and keeping the Yanks in the game. He struck out six in those 4 IP, gave up just one hit, and if Hughes and/or Nova continue to struggle, Phelps could replace them in the rotation. Joba and Robertson each pitched a scoreless inning.

Hughes gave up a run in the first, and another in the second. The Yanks tied it in the second on a HR by Hafner (3) and a single by Overbay. But Hughes gave up two runs in the third and another in the fourth.

Vernon Wells closed out the scoring with a HR (3) in the sixth.

With Nunez unavailable due to a bruised wrist, the Yanks had a strange defensive alignment for the 9th inning after Boesch PH for Nix in the bottom of the 8th. Cervelli moved from C to 2B, Cano slid over from 2B to SS and Stewart went in to catch.

With the loss, the Yanks drop to 5-5. Sunday’s game is the ESPN night game.

Game 6. Yanks shut out Tigers, 7-0

CC pitched 7 scoreless, and D-Rob and Mo finished the job as the Yanks shut out Detroit 7-0 to improve to 2-4 for the season.

Francisco Cervelli, Jayson Nix (HR) and Kevin Youkilis drove in two runs apiece.

The Yanks touched Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander for 3 in the 2d. Vernon Wells walked, and after a forceout by Ichiro, Cervelli doubled Ichiro home. After an out, Nix got his first hit of the season, a 2-run HR.

The Yanks added two in the 8th when with one out, Hafner walked and Wells doubled PR Nunez to 3rd. Ichiro got a SF and Cervelli singled in a run.

Youkilis 2-run single in the 9th wrapped up the scoring.

Youkilis and Cervelli each had 2 hits with their 2 RBI, and Nix had 3 hits to go with his 2 RBI.

Gm 3. Leave it to “Old Reliable,” Andy. Yankees win 4-2.

No other combination of wins/saves in baseball history is more prolific than that of Andy Pettitte getting the W with Mo picking up the save.

That combo got it done again tonight, even though Mo wasn’t vintage Mo. Not bad for a 40 (41 in June) starter and a 43 yr. old closer.

Andy went 8 brilliant innings, and the majors oldest starter showed that he still knows how to get it done. Watching him pitch, it’s hard to believe he took all of 2011 off.

He gave up just 1 run in those 8 IP. 8 H, 1 walk and 3 K. Win #246 of his career enabled him to pass Dennis Martinez and Jack Powell on the all-time list and tie him with Amos Rusie and “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity.

Mo gave up a run in the 9th (not a vintage 1-2-3 Mo performance) but that was to be expected. After all, Mo didn’t give up a run in spring training and you knew he would soon. Better to do it in a game where he came in with a 3-run lead than a 1-run lead. Anyway, career #609 for Mo.

The Yanks got two in the second when Travis Hafner (Pronk) singled and with two out, Eduardo Nunez doubled and Lyle Overbay singled in both of them.

Power came from unexpected sources tonight. In the third, Brett Gardner homered to make it 3-0.

It was a bit of a funky lineup tonight. Gardner led off, Cano batted 2d. After that, it was R/L for the rest of the way. Youk 3d. Hafner, then Wells, then Ichiro, Nunez, Overbay and Cervelli. It was probably the 1st time ever that Cano batted #2 and Ichiro #6.

Boston touched Andy for a run in the 7th, but the Yanks came right back when Cervelli crushed a HR in the bottom of the 7th to make it 4-1.

Mo uncharacteristically gave up a run in the 9th, but closed it out.

On to Detroit, Nova on the mound, for a Friday afternoon game.

G. 1. Yanks lose opener 8-2.

CC gave up 4 in the 2d, and what with the lineup this year (until some injured people come back) that was enough as the Yanks lost their opener 8-2 to Boston.

The Yanks got 2 R on 6 h, both runs coming when they were down 4-0 on a bases-loaded, on a 2-out hit by Cervelli.

CC went 5 IP. 4 R, 8 H 4 walks and 5 k. For this offense to succeed (no offense to Granderson, A-Rod, Teix or Jeter, not to mention those lost to free agency), it won’t do. Phelps gave up 1 R in 1 1/3. Logan none in 2/3 & Kelley none in 1 IP, but Joba 3 R in 2/3 and then Eppley 0 in 1/3. Not good enough considering the bats got 2 R on 6 H.

It was not an encouraging performance as 10 Yanks struck out. With the lineup they now have, the pitching has to be far better.

S.T. Game 30. Yanks walk-off with 7-6, 10 inning win.

Ronnier Mustelier, fighting for a place on the team, hit a walkoff HR leading off the bottom of the 10th as the Yanks won 7-6 over the Rays to increase their S.T. record to 12-18. Mustelier may have trouble sticking despite a good spring because apparently the Yanks are making a deal for Vernon Wells from the Angels (see the next post).

Long-time readers of this blog know I wanted Mustelier up last year and wanted Andruw Jones cut. Jones hit .197-14-34, OPS+ 88 and his D (10 GG) diminished. Mustelier’s D is a “?” but he did hit .314-15-69 in 114 games between AA and AAA.

Kevin Youkilis hit two two-run HRs in the game, but also made an error that led to four unearned runs. Travis Hafner, having a rough spring, also homered.

Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3 with an RBI triple.

Adam Warren started, went 3 2/3, 5 R, 1 ER, 6 hits, 2 walks, 2 K. Vidal Nuno 1/3, 0 R, 2 H a walk, no K (the out was on Cervelli catching a runner trying to steal. Cervelli nabbed two runners today).

Eppley, Mo, Joba and Logan combined for four shutout innings (one each) before Aardsma allowed the Rays to tie it in the top of the 9th (1 IP, 1 R).

Josh Spence (1/3) and Preston Claiborne (2/3, W) combined for a scoreless tenth before Musty’s walkoff.

John Sterling is a bit over-the-top, but his HR call of Play Musty For Me is a good one.

Yuniesky Betancourt has been released by the Phils. You wonder, given Jeter’s problems, if the Yanks may take a flyer. More on Wells and Betancourt in the next post.

 

S.T. Game 21. CC starts for 1st time, goes 5, Yankees win, sign Boesch.

CC Sabathia made his first S.T. start and gave up 2 R in 5 IP as the Yanks beat the Marlins today 7-3.

Francisco Cervelli and Travis Hafner HR’d. Hafner had 2 RBI. Jose Pirela had 2 H and an RBI.

Ronnier Mustelier suffered bruised legs while going for a foul pop-up. He hit the railing rather hard.

Thomas Neal once again contibuted to his strong spring, going 1 for 1 with an RBI, but you wonder if the recent signings of Francisco and Boesch (which I will get to in a moment) will hurt his chances of making the team.

After CC went 5, giving up 2 R, Joba gave up 1 R in his 1 IP. David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning, as did Mark Montgomery and Vidal Nuno.

Nuno, with a 1.08 ERA this spring (after a 2.54 High A/AA last year) is really making a name for himself.

After signing Francisco a few days ago, the Yanks signed Brennan Boesch (just released by the Tigers) today. The lefty-swinging OF will be 28 in April. Over the past three years he has averaged 127 games a year, .259-14-58, OPS+ 96. Slightly below average, but at this stage of S.T. you can’t expect to find much better. Boesch had an awful 2012, hitting .240-12-54, OPS+ 77. He has only played RF/LF in his career. He looks to be a platoon OF (with Francisco) until Granderson is ready. Meanwhile, it looks more and more like Juan Rivera will be at 1B with Youk at 3B (with Mustelier going to AAA, where he would be one of the first callups).

As for catcher, it looks like Cervelli and Stewart. Romine needs to go to AAA for more experience (of course, depending on Sanchez’ progression, Romine could be bypassed by Sanchez soon, or, for that matter, J.R. Murphy). Where Bobby Wilson fits in, who knows.