Game 42. Yanks shut out Toronto, 5-0.

Hiroki Kuroda has been the Yanks’ ace so far this year and he was again tonight. He gave up a leadoff double and then no other hit until the seventh inning as the Yanks shut out Toronto 5-0.

In making predictions, a lot of people had the Blue Jays (what with their winter acquisitions) winning the AL East and the Yanks near the bottom. As we have just passed the quarter pole, check the standings.

Kuroda (W, 6-2, 1.99) went 8, 0 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 5 K. Preston Claiborne pitched the 9th, gave up 2 hits, but his MLB ERA remains at 0.00.

The hitting stars are people you wouldn’t expect. A 3B (David Adams) playing in his third MLB game and a 3rd-string rookie catcher (Austin Romine) who was 4 for 35 in his MLB career entering this game.

In the first, Brett Gardner tripled and scored on a groundout by Cano.

In the fifth, Adams and Romine singled, Gardner walked and Nix got a SF.

The Yanks broke it open in the seventh with three runs.  Adams doubled and Ichiro put down a beauty of a bunt single. Romine doubled home a run, Gardner singled in another and Nix closed out the scoring with another SF.

Nix had a strange line. Two walks and 2 sac flies. 0 for 0 with 2 RBI.

Meanwhile, Ben Francisco batted fifth again tonight. WHY? Please, oh please DFA him. 5 for 44 this season. .114.

The Yanks put Pettitte on the 15-day DL and recalled Vidal Nuno.

Stewart should miss just a few days.

Game 40. Hughes, Yanks, hammered, 12-2.

We hit the quarter pole with the Yanks at a surprising 25-15 considering all the injuries.

The bad news is the loss tonight, a 12-2 pasting by Seattle, and it was led by our old buddy, Raul Ibanez.

Phil Hughes is an enigma. When good, he can be very good. When bad, he can be horrendous. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Tonight he was very, very bad.

He only lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up 7 R (a grand slam to Raul), 6 H, 2 walks and 0 K. He falls to 2-3, 5.88.

His first two starts this year were not good. That could be written off because he missed a lot of spring training due to a bulging disc in his back. He then rattled off four good outings in which his ERA in those outings was 1.93. Now two bad outings.

You don’t know what you’ll get. That is his problem. He must be more consistent. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The last pitcher I used that on was … A.J. Burnett. Hughes is like Burnett right now. You don’t know which one—good or bad—will show up.

From the LOHUD blog:

In his first two and his last two – the starts when he’s struggled — he’s had a combined ERA of 14.17 with seven strikeouts. In his middle four starts, he’s had a combined ERA of 1.93 with 30 strikeouts.

Preston Claiborne continued his impressive beginning of his MLB career with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. His ERA is still 0.00.

Brett Marshall then made his MLB debut, and unfortunately for him, it was a forgettable one. With the Yanks down by a bunch, he kind of “took one for the team.” He went 5 2/3, 5 R, 9 H, 5 walks and 1 K. He gave up 2 dingers.

The last out was recorded by SS Alberto Gonzalez, who faced one batter and got a flyout. He recorded just one less out than Hughes.

I hope Hughes was watching Monday when Phelps and Nuno did well. For if he continues the inconsistency, then he must know there are others ready to step in. I’ve defended Hughes, but there is no defense for tonight. He was awful. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he is disguising an injury. If not, there is no need to panic yet. But eight starts into the season, an ERA of 5.88 isn’t anywhere near good enough.

Before the game, David Adams was activated from AAA, and he played 3B, his first MLB game. Recently acquired 3B Chris Nelson was DFA’d. Adams went 1 for 4.

The Yanks got their runs from HR by Vernon Wells (10) and Chris Stewart (3).

It’s funny. Wells, who the Angels couldn’t wait to dump (salary) after two subpar years for them, has more HR combined than Pujols & Hamilton.

Games 37 & 38. Yanks split a DH behind great pitching.

If I told you that Yankees’ pitchers would give up just one run in a DH, you might think it’d be CC and Kuroda, or Pettitte or Hughes… with Mo and D-Rob in relief.

but would you have thought of Phelps, Nuno and Warren? Probably not.

It’s too bad that the great pitching effort led to just a split of a (rare) traditional DH today rather than a sweep.

Nowadays, you see more of the day/night DHs, two separate admissions, two gates, more $$$$. But with two postponements in April, and both the Yankees and Indians needing to put these two games behind them and get on to their next destinations, it was an old-time 2 for the price of 1 DH.

In game one, David Phelps made just one mistake, and it cost him the game as the Yanks lost 1-0. He gave up a HR to Jason Kipnis in the first inning. Unfortunately, the Yanks only got four hits and three of those were infield singles.

Phelps (L, 1-2, 4.33) 6 2/3, 1 r, 4 H, 5 walks and 7 K.

Logan 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 2.61.

Claiborne 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. ERA still 0.00.

Corban Joseph made his MLB debut in this game.

Game 2: Vidal Nuno made his 1st MLB start (2nd MLB game) & got his 1st MLB win with five scoreless innings. He’s now pitched eight innings this year for the big club, ERA still 0.00. The Yanks won 7-0.

Nuno 1-0, 0.00   5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 walks and 3K.

Adam Warren finished up the last four innings for his first save. D-Rob and Mo had pitched in four of the previous five games, so for Nuno and Warren to team up on a shutout was huge for saving the bullpen (so was Phelps in a losing effort in game one).

Warren 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 4 K. 1st MLB save, ERA 1.45.

In the first, Nix singled, and went to third on a Cano single and an error. Wells forceout made it 1-0 Yanks.

The Yanks got six in the seventh to break open a close game. Corban Joseph doubled for his first MLB hit. After Alberto Gonzalez popped up a bunt attempt, Austin Romine got his first MLB hit of the season to make it 2-0. Gardner walked and Nix singled to make it 3-0. After Cano struck out, Wells singled to make it 4-0. Overbay then doubled in two, 6-0. Ben Francisco reached on an error, Overbay scoring, for the final of 7-0.

The Yanks now are 24-14 on the season and come home to face Seattle.

The Yanks, between games, brought up Brett Marshall and sent down OF Brennan Boesch. It appears as if the Grandy Man is close to coming back.

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 32. Yanks win 3-2.

The Yanks won a game in which the starting pitcher hit 8th and Vernon Wells had to play the bottom of the 9th at third base.

Such is life with a depleted lineup.

Wells hit a 2-run HR in the first (7), but David Phelps gave up a 2-run HR to Todd Helton (future HOF?) in the second. So it remained until the 9th.

Phelps went 6, 2 R, 3 H, 1 walk and 4 K. ERA to 5.02. Yes, he batted 8th (he never had a MLB AB) and C Austin Romine batted 9th tonight (Romine is now 3 for 25 in his MLB career).

Preston Claiborne had another good outing in his 2nd MLB game with another scoreless inning. (0.00 in 3 IP).

Robertson the 8th, scoreless.  (W. 2-0, 3.55).

In the 9th, Wells singled, stole 2nd and Overbay and Nix walked. With two out and the bases loaded, Boesch got an infield hit for the game-winner.

Because of the various moves made, PH, etc., Wells had to play 3B in the bottom of the 9th and he made a nice play for an out. He never played 3B in the majors before.

Mo got save #12 on the season, #620 of his career to close it out. ERA to 2.03.

Ivan Nova pitched in extended spring training today, could go Monday in the DH vs. Cleveland, but Girardi said Nova was shaky today.

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.

The minors tonight.

AAA: The Yanks will be calling up Preston Claiborne to fill Joba’s place on the team while Joba is on the DL. Claiborne, a 25-yr.-old RHP, was 0-0, 3.48 for SWB so far this year with 3 saves. 10 K in 10 1/3. Last year for AA Trenton and AAA SWB, he was a combined 6-2, 2.96, 6 saves, 78 K in 82 IP.

Luckily nothing was wrong with Mustelier, he just went right to AAA. It was strange how they did it though. Started for A+ last night, pulled after one inning and no at bats. You think he’d have played longer and at least received one AB before switching.

SWB won 4-1 tonight. Brett Marshall 7 scoreless IP. Mustelier 3B, 0 for 3 with a walk in his first game (full game, that is) after coming off the DL. RF Addison Maruszak double and 2 RBI. 2 H, triple, and an RBI for CF Melky Mesa.

AA: 2-1 win for Trenton. Nik Turley 6 IP, 1 R, 2 H and 8 K. LF Ramon Flores 2 H, double, RBI. 2 doubles, RBI for C Nick McCoy.

High A: Tampa lost 8-0, getting just five hits and striking out 11x. Corey Black went 5, 3 R and 11 K.

Low A: Charleston got shut out 6-0. Dan Camarena 6 R, 4 ER in 4 IP. C Pete O’Brien and DH Rey Nunez 2 hits each.

 

Just a note. You are free to comment, but I do delete all spam. Keep it intelligent and keep it (for kid’s sake) CLEAN.

The minors today.

AAA: SWB lost 8-4. Vidal Nuno, who had a great S.T., gave up 2 R in 4 2/3 IP. He struck out six. Sam Demel, just picked up this week, gave up 1 R in 1 1/3.

Demel is 4-4, 4.95 in his MLB career. He pitched in one game for Arizona last year. Most of his MLB experience came in 2010 & 2011. He is a 27 yr. old righty.

Mark Montgomery pitched a scoreless inning, Juan Cedeno 2/3 scoreless and Preston Claiborne a scoreless 1 1/3.

It was tied at 3 going into the top of the 10th, when Jim Miller imploded, giving up 5 runs in the top of the 10th as SWB lost 8-4.

SWB was 3 for 18 with RISP and left 17 on.

Dave Adams and Corban Joseph each had 2 hits.

AA: Trenton won 13-5. Nik Turley gave up 5, 4 earned, in just 2 2/3 but the BP picked him up. Dan Burawa (1 1/3), Shaeffer Hall (2), Kelvin Perez (2) and Branden Pinder combined for 6 1/3 scoreless IP, 12 K, and NO hits.  J.R. Murphy had a 3-run HR, as did Kyle Roller. Rob Segedin and Neil Medchill also HR’d, and Medchill had 4 RBI for the night.

High A:  Tampa won 7-4.  Bryan Mitchell 1 R in 5 IP. Gary Sanchez 2 H, double, 2 RBI.

Low A: Charleston’s game was ppd.

S.T. Game 32. Yanks beat O’s 11-8

The Yanks beat Baltimore 11-8 tonight to run their S.T. record to 13-18-1.

Mason “Classical Gas” Williams was 1 for 2 with 2 RBI. Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3 with an RBI. New 1B Lyle Overbay was 2 for 5. Brennan Boesch had a 2-run HR. He and Francisco went back to back. Addison Maruszak and Bobby Wilson each had 2 rbi.

Dave Phelps went 5 1/3, 3 R, 4 H, 2 walks and 9 K. He was great until the 5th.

1 R in 2/3 for Spence, 4 R in 2/3 for Pinder.

Cedeno 1/3 scoreless. Goody and Claiborne each with a scoreless inning.

Hughes will miss his first start of the season, DL. Jeter will not play in  another spring game— even if Minor league — until next week.

Tim McCarver  (who a lot of us don’t like) is packing it in after this season.

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.