Prospect breaks wrist

Prospect Adonis Garcia broke the hamate bone in his wrist during batting practice on Sunday. He’ll have surgery tomorrow.

Yanks split squad, but lose both games

The Yanks split the squad today, but lost both games, dropping their spring record to 1-6. It’s worth noting that we haven’t seen CC, Kuroda, Hughes, Nova, Pettitte, Jeter or Rivera yet.

In the road game, the Yanks lost to Houston 7-6. Some good points about the game came from a couple of minor leaguers eager to win the Granderson job while he is out. Zoilo Almonte went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Melky Mesa was 2 for 3 with a 3-run HR. Top prospect Tyler Austin had a triple and scored a run. Matt Diaz went 1 for 3 and drove in a run. In this, and the other game, every candidate for that LF job that Granderson vacated with his injury did well. Even Adonis Garcia had a hit and an RBI in this game.

Brett Marshall started this game. He is probably AAA bound but did a good job, impressing if he needs to be a mid-season call-up. The 22 year old righty was 13-7, 3.52 in AA last year. He pitched 3 scoreless innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out 3. Dellin Betances, the former top prospect who slipped badly last year, had a scoreless inning and K’d 2, but also showed the wildness that has set him back, walking two. Mikey O’Brien gave up 3 R in 1 1/3 and Shane Greene gave up 4 in only 1/3 IP which led to the loss. Shaeffer Hall and Kelvin Perez each pitched a scoreless inning.

In the home part of the split squad, the Yanks lost 1-0 to Toronto. Dave Phelps, bidding for a starter’s job (esp. since Hughes may not be ready come Opening Day), pitched 3 scoreless innings. David Aardsma pitched a scoreless inning. The Yanks are counting on him, as well as Joba, to fill the 6/7 inning role. Branden Pinder pitched a scoreless inning as did Clay Rapada. Chase Whitley gave up the game’s only run in his inning and a third. Juan Cedeno 2/3 scoreless. Jim Miller a scoreless inning.

The Yanks didn’t score in this game, but Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki continued their hot springs so far by each going 1 for 3. Ronnier Mustelier, in the battle for Granderson’s position, went 1 for 1. Juan Rivera, also fighting for an OF spot, was 2 for 2.

Overall, today was a better day than yesterday, which featured sloppy play. There was some impressive pitching, and the OF candidates all did well.

Now (1-6) to start winning some of these games.

Thinking pitching

Michael Pineda, who the Yanks traded Jesus Montero for and who showed up overweight last year, hurt his shoulder, needed surgery, and who missed all of 2012, so far looks ok in spring training, according to reports.

For one thing, Pineda, 6’7″, showed up at camp at 260 lbs.—-20 pounds less than last year. He’s been doing well as far as his workouts go and so far, the staff is happy with his progress.

Shoulder injuries are difficult to judge. The Yanks don’t expect any help from Pineda until at least June. He’s still just 24 years old with just one season of major league ball under his belt. In that season, Pineda was 9-10, 3.74, ERA+ 101 at the age of 22. He made the All-Star team, finished 5th in ROY voting and struck out 173 in 171 IP.

He had two different seasons that year. After games of the 4th of July, he was 8-5, 2.58. He went 2-5, 5.35 from that point to the end of the year. Whether it was batters adjusting, the 22 yr. old running out of gas or a combination of both, it’s not surprising.

But if he can join the Yanks in mid-season and be anything like his early 2011 self, he’d give the Yanks a big jolt. Of course, where they slot him could be problematic, being that the Yanks have CC, Kuroda, Pettitte, Hughes and Nova or Phelps at the #5 with the other as a long man in the bullpen.

But things work themselves out. You never know about injuries, and as the saying goes, “You never have enough pitching.”

Speaking of not having enough pitching, guess who threw for Billy Connors and in Connors words, looked good? None other than 2006/2007 ace Chien Ming Wang. Now as for the Yanks actually signing Wang, bringing him back to NY and him actually succeeding, well, I’ll believe that when I see it. From the time he made his MLB debut with the Yanks to the time he got hurt in Houston while scoring a run, Wang was 54-20, 3.79, ERA+ 117 in 95 starts and two relief appearances—in other words, divide by three. You’d have 32 starts a year (the average for a full year) and 18-7, 3.79. He led the majors in wins in 2006 with 19 and was the CYA runner-up. He won 19 again in 2007.

But since the injury, Wang has gone 7-12, 6.39, ERA+ just 65 in 25 starts and 8 relief appearances. Roughly one season of work since the summer of 2008. Last year he was 2-3, 6.68, in five starts and five relief appearances, ERA + 60, for Washington. It’s sad how his career has unfolded since that injury.

But he’ll still be just 33 on Opening Day. He probably can come cheap (which, it seems, the Yanks are looking for these days). The Yanks squeezed out a 12-8, 3.62 from Freddy Garcia for $1.5 MM in 2011. They got just 7-6, 5.20 from Freddy (now trying to latch on with SD) in 2012 for $4 MM. Not as cost-effective. But for the money, Freddy was a good bargain in 2011.

Likewise Bartolo Colon. Colon went 8-10, 4.00, ERA+ 107 for the Yanks in 2011, but his success is questioned since he was nabbed using a PED in 2012 and is also implicated in the Biogenesis stuff going on now. He was 10-9, 3.43 for the A’s before the suspension last year. Regardless, 8-10, 4.00 wasn’t bad for just $900K in 2011.

So the Yanks will watch Wang as he pitches for the Taiwanese team in the World Baseball Classic. Maybe they can get a Colon/Garcia bargain out of him for a year. Maybe. It’s worth a look, and “You never have enough pitching.”

Meanwhile, sometimes I see people down on Phil Hughes. Yes, Hughes ERA isn’t the greatest, but how many teams can boast of a #4 starter who hasn’t turned 27 yet (Hughes will in June) but who can still boast of an 18 win season (2010) and a 16 win season (2012)? Granted Hughes’ ERA’s in those years were pedestrian (4.19 and 4.23, ERA+ numbers of 103 and 99—average) but still, 18 and 16 wins are 18 and 16 wins. He tied Kuroda for the team lead in wins last year (while leading the team in losses). Yes, those 35 HR given up drove you nuts, but think of what I wrote. How many teams would like to have a #4 starter who is just entering his prime, not 27 yet and who already has won 16 or more twice?

Jeter working out.

It may take a while to get back to 100%, but now that the boot is off, Derek Jeter has started to work out down in Tampa. Hopefully that broken ankle won’t sap the soon-to-be-39-year-old Jeter of what’s left of his range. He opens the season with 3304 hits.

Meanwhile, another minor signing, and it’s of an old face. In continuing to search for a righty-hitting OF, the Yanks signed Juan Rivera. Rivera will be 35 in July, and he hit .244-9-47 for the Dodgers last year (OPS+ 81). He has mostly played LF, RF and 1B in his career, and started his career with the Yankees, for whom he played 2001-2003. He is a .274 career hitter with 132 HR and a career OPS+ of 102. Rivera was signed to a minor-league deal.

Meanwhile, Nick Johnson has retired and Freddy Garcia signed a minor-league deal with SD.

Game 162. YANKS CLINCH AL EAST and #1 SEED IN AL

If this was Bobby V’s swan song as Red Sox mgr., the Yanks made it one he won’t forget.

The Yanks won the A.L. East tonight, trouncing Boston 14-2 (actually the Orioles loss to Tampa Bay, courtesy of three Evan Longoria homers, happened before the Yanks’ game was over so that clinched it) to win not only the best record in the East, but also sew up the #1 seed for the entire A.L.

They will start the best of five ALDS on the road. The first two games will be on the road, the next three at home as the format has changed. All they know is that they will open up in Baltimore or Texas. The Rangers collapsed in the last week, handing the A.L. West title to Oakland. So it’s Det-A’s and Yanks/Balt. or Texas in the A.L. For the N.L., it is Cincy/SF and Washington/Atlanta or St. Louis.

Hiroki Kuroda gave up a run in the top of the first tonight but after that it was a bloodbath. The Yanks got 3 in the second on Granderson’s 42nd HR of the year.

Cano made it 5-1 in the third with HR #32.

Robbie wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

He made it 7-1 in the 5th with HR #33.

With the bases loaded in the 6th he singled in two. 9-1. He went 4 for 4 with a walk, 2 HR, 6 RBI. He finished the year .313-33-94.

Granderson wasn’t done either. The Yanks got 5 in the 7th (Boston got a run in the top of the 7th) to make it 14-2, which was the final score.

Granderson started the inning by hitting HR #43, which put him just 1 HR behind Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera (Cabrera’s Triple Crown was the first in MLB since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967 [and how many people remember that Killebrew tied Yaz that year with 44 HR?] ). It made it 10-2. The Grandy Man wound up .232-43-106. I hate the batting average, and the strikeouts (over 190, a new Yankee record), and wish he had more SB (just 9 for a guy with speed) but you can’t argue too much with 43/106. Still, .232-43-106 looks too much like an Adam Dunn line.

That second Granderson HR of the night was the Yanks’ 245th of the year, a new team record (of course, had the 1961 Yanks (240) had a DH…)…

Anyway, Ichiro doubled in two to make it 12-2. A bases-loaded single by Swish (.272-24-93) made it 13-2 and a SF by Teix (.251-24-84) capped the scoring.

Kuroda went 7, 2 R, 7 H, 2 walks and 4 K. He finishes at 16-11, 3.32. He and Phil Hughes (16-13, 4.23) tied for the most wins on the team.

2/3 for Eppley. 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 3.33.

Rapada 1/3. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 2.82.

Garcia finished up. I don’t know where he’ll be next year. 1 IP, o R, 0 H, 0 walks, 3 K. 1-2-3, all by K. 5.20.

Jeter ends the season at 3304 career hits. In 2013 he should pass Eddie Collins (3315) and Paul Molitor (3319) in April.

A-Rod got hit #2900 tonight. He finishes 2012 with 2901 hits. Next year he needs 99 hits for 3000. He needs 14 HR to pass Willie Mays and 50 RBI for 2000.

Game 151. Slumping Ibanez awakens to fuel miracle comeback. Keeps Yanks up by 1.

Raul Ibanez was something like .191-5-22 since June 11th. He didn’t start today’s game, but hit two HR to fuel a miracle comeback that kept the Yanks up by one in the A.L. East with 11 games to play.

Ivan Nova started and was awful, lasting just 2 1/3 IP. He gave up 3 R, 5 H, 2 walks and 2 K. ERA to 4.94. He gave up two in the top of the first. Three batters and three doubles in, it was 2-0 Oakland.

The Yanks got 3 in the bottom of the first as the red-hot Ichiro homered (#9) to cut it to 2-1. A-Rod walked, was balked to second and Cano tied it up with a single. A walk to Swish, and error (those killed the A’s today) and a walk to Jones made it 3-2 Yanks.

Seriously, how a pitcher could walk Jones right now is pathetic. Jones since 7/18 is .130-1-7.

An error and WP in the second led to a Yankees’ run. Thanks A’s. Another later helped the Yanks win the game.

Stephen Drew cut it to 4-3 with a HR in the 3rd. Clay Rapada replaced Nova with one out and the bases loaded. He got a DP.

But Rapada had trouble in the fourth. The A’s tied it up.

Rapada 1 1/3, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 2K. 2.92.

It stood that way until the 5th, when Ibanez PH and hit a HR, #16. 5-4 Yanks.

Derek Lowe replaced Rapada. He did ok but Oakland tied it in the 7th.

2 2/3,  1 R, 1 H, 1 walk and 2 K. Combined ERA 5.29.

So it stayed until the 13th.

Logan 1 1/3, 0 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 1 K. 3.78.

Eppley got out of a bases loaded jam in the 8th. 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 3.56.

Joba had a great 9th. 1 IP, 0 R 0 H. 0 walks and 2 K. 5.19.

Freddy Garcia then came in as the Yanks needed some length. Who knew how long his would go? D-Rob and Soriano were both unavailable.

In the 11th, bases loaded and two out, Steve Pearce made a great lunging stab of a liner to save the Yanks two runs.

With two out and the bases loaded in the 12th, Jeter flied out. Derek had one hit today, #3292.

In the 13th, Garcia lost it. He’s good one time through the order, but that second time…  a single and back-to-back HR made it 8-5 A’s. Justin Thomas came in and made it 9-5 by giving up another HR. The Yanks looked dead.

Garcia 3 IP, 3 R 4 H 2 walks and 1 K. 5.30.

Thomas 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 6.43.

Three straight singles loaded the bases for the Yanks in the bottom of the 13th with no out. A WP made it 9-6 and a SF by Nunez made it 9-7.

Ibanez then tied it up with his second HR of the game. #17 made it 9-9.

Cory Wade had a 1-2-3 top of the 14th.

In the bottom half, Chavez singled and PR Melky Mesa was sac’d to second by Jeter. Had the game gone into the 15th, I wonder who would have played 1B. You would have had Martin C, Nunez 3B, Jeter SS, Cano 2B, Mesa ???, Suzuki LF, Granderson CF and Ibanez RF.

My guess is that Ibanez would have gone to 1B and Mesa to RF. Ibanez has played 136 games at 1B in his career.

After Ichiro was walked to get to A-Rod (Yes, Ichiro is that hot lately), A-Rod singled… but Mesa, making his MLB debut, missed the bag at third and instead of scoring, had to be held up.

A force at the plate followed. Mesa had the goat horns on.

But Nunez sliced one towards the line. 1B Brandon Moss booted it and the Yanks wound up with a 10-9, 14-inning win that kept them a game in front.

Wade, 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H 0 walks and 0 K got the win. 1-1, 6.34.

Ichiro and A-Rod each with 3 hits today. 3 H, 2 HR, and 3 RBI for Ibanez.

Game 140. Yanks go 1 up by routing O’s 13-3.

Joe Girardi had a short leash on Freddy Garcia today, and non-starter Curtis Granderson drove in 5 runs as the Yanks clobbered Baltimore 13-3 today. The Yanks are now 1 up on the Orioles and 2 up on the Rays with 22 games to go.

A Cano RBI single gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead in the first.

They got four in the fourth to go up 5-0. A single and two walks loaded the bases with no out. Pearce walked to force in a run. After Jones struck out, Nix and Ichiro each singled in a run. Jeter walked to force in a run.

But Freddy gave three runs back in the bottom of the fourth and Girardi yanked him.

Garcia 3 1/3, 3 R, 3 H, 1 walk and 1 K. ERA to 5.19.

With Nova back and Andy on his way back, it could be Freddy’s last start ever as a Yankee.

The Yanks’ bullpen then pitched 5 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball.

Joba had his best outing since he returned. He got the win (1-0, 7.50) with 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 4 K.

The Yanks got one in the sixth when Granderson PH for Jones and hit HR #35, a solo shot. It was his #100th as a Yankee.

Logan 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 2 K. ERA 3.70.

Granderson singled in two runs in the seventh to put the Yanks up 8-3.

Cory Wade pitched 2 innings. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 3 K. A good outing for Wade, just recalled from AAA where he was sent after being brutal earlier this season. ERA 5.84.

The Yanks broke it open in the eighth with five runs. Jeter hit a 2-run HR, his 15th HR of the season. It was HR #255 of his career, and hit #3279, putting him four behind Willie Mays on the all-time hit list.

Russell Martin singled in a run, and Granderson’s 2-run double capped his 3 for 3, 5 RBI day.

Jeter, at .324, is making a run for the batting title at age 38. He’s only a handful of points back.

Swisher took an 0 for 4 and is something like 2 for his last 42 in dropping to .255.

Russell Martin’s two hits put him further off the interstate at .208. Andruw Jones’ 0 for 2 puts him closer to the interstate at .202.

Derek Lowe finished up. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. Combined (CLE/NYY) ERA 5.46.

The Yanks are off tomorrow. They are in Boston Tue-Thurs.

Game 140. The lineup. The blown call hurts in more ways than one.

Not only did the ump blow the call in the game-ending play last night, but Mark Teixeira reinjured himself on the play. He will be out today against Baltimore and for all the Boston series, Tue-Thurs. He’s going for an MRI.

Sweeny Murti‏@YankeesWFAN

Teixeira going for MRI Monday. Girardi acknowledged that if calf injury is back to square one it might mean Tex out rest of season.

The slumping Granderson and Ibanez sit against the lefty. Once again the Yanks’ lineup against a lefty starter looks quite pathetic. You may share the concerns I do, especially with Garcia on the mound.

Someone takes over first with this game today. The Yankees and Orioles are tied for first, each 78-61. The Rays are just 2 back.

OPS+ 109, ERA+ 107.  100 is average.

Even with the Pythagorean record.

BA/HR/RBI   SB/Total attempts   OPS+

Jeter DH .323-14-47  9/13  118    Career hits: Mays 3283, Jeter 3277
Swisher RF .258-20-78  2/5  114      2 for his last 38  
Rodriguez 3B .277-17-50  11/12  119   Career HR: Mays 660, Alex 646*
Cano 2B .301-29-73  3/5   141   8 for his last 42
Martin C .205-16-43  5/5  85
Pearce 1B .253-4-16  0/1  106  (83 ab, combined Balt/Hou/NYY)
Jones LF .204-13-31  0/0  87   433 career HR. See below.
Nix SS  .250-4-16  5/8  90   152 at bats.
Suzuki CF .270-7-45  20/25  87  (comb. Sea/NYY; See below).

Garcia RHP 7-6, 5.09  ERA+ 82
Pearce as a Yankee is 3 for 12, 1 HR, 2 RBI. Who would have thought he would be starting a key September game and batting sixth for the Yankees?

As for Jones, I want him gone. I should (and probably will) write a post soon about what Yankees I do NOT want back next year. Jones is one.  He is 3 for his last 25.

Ichiro as a Yankee: .294-3-17  5/8  97

Game 135. The lead is gone. Yanks fall into a tie for first.

They are sinking like the Titanic. The Yanks’ 5-2 loss to Tampa, coupled with the Orioles win tonight, dropped the Yankees into a first place tie with the Orioles with the Rays just 1 1/2 games back.

The Yanks, with the loss, are just 1-7 at the Trop this year.

The Yanks got 2 in the top of the first on Robbie Cano’s 29th HR of the year, matching his career high.

They got nothing after that. They got just six hits in the game. Since 8/20, the Yankees have scored more than five runs in a game just once, and they LOST that game.

Derek Jeter had two of the Yanks’ six hits, taking him to 3267 for his career.

Freddy Garcia gave up a run in the first on a walk, SB (we don’t do that… A-Rod still leads the team with 11. By contrast, this SB was #25 for Desmond Jennings) and a double by B.J. Upton.

Garcia gave up a 2-run HR to Evan Longoria in the third. Lead gone, never to return.

In the fifth, Freddy gave up back-to-back HRs to Jennings and Upon. 5-2. That was the final.

Garcia (L, 7-6, 5.09) 5 1/3 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 4 walks, 5 K. Three of the five hits were HR. The Rays only got five hits in the game, but they made them count.

Rapada one batter, a walk. 2.88.

Eppley 1 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 3.20.

Joba actually had a good inning for a change. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K. ERA down to (ugh) 9.35.

The Yanks were 0 for 5 with RISP. Granderson is down to .233, under .210 since 6/15. Ibanez is down to .230. Jones didn’t play tonight but he is 5 for his last 45. Martin didn’t play tonight. He’s under the Mendoza line. Nix and Dickerson had two of the Yanks’ six hits.

Swisher has even hit a wall. 0 for 3 tonight, 3 strikeouts.

They are sinking like the Titanic.

From YES’ Jack Curry:

  That’s the 5th straight game in which the Yankees have had 6 or fewer hits. 1st time thats happened since 6 straight in 1990.

Um… bad news. In 1990 the Yanks had the worst record in the entire league.

One thing that is unacceptable. This stadium is a joke, and the attendance was even more of a joke. The Rays are 1 1/2 games out of first, playing the division leader, and the crowd was just 17,652. Poor ballpark, poor attendance, good team which Tampa Bay doesn’t deserve.

The minors today. A-Rod’s rehab.

AAA: SWB lost 2-0 today, getting just four hits in the process. Chase Whitley, 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H.

AA: 3-2 win for Trenton. Craig Heyer 1 R, 5 IP. CF Adonis Garcia 4 for 4, 1 rbi, 3 doubles.

High A: Tampa lost 8-1. A-Rod’s rehab: 0 for 4, 2 K. So far, 0 for 7, 4 K. Guess he needs his timing back. Tampa got just 3 hits.

Low A: 8-2 win for Charleston. Casey McGehee, sent here for a short time until rosters expand, 2 doubles, 3 RBI.