Game 68. Yanks lose 5th straight, 6-2

In their last eight games, the Yanks have scored just 18 runs.

I don’t know of a team whose pitchers have an ERA of 2.25, do you?

For that is what the Yanks’ offense has been the last eight games. It’s tough for pitchers to know that if they so much as give up three runs, they’ll lose.

David Phelps kept the Yanks in the game for a while. It was 2-2 after 5 1/2 but then he and the Yanks’ bullpen cracked.

Meanwhile the Yanks had five hits all game. That has been their norm lately, two runs on five or six hits.

After Erick Aybar homered in the second, the Yanks got two in the third on a single by Stewart, a triple by Gardner and a single by Nix.

That was the extent of the Yankees’ offense today.

What made things worse was that in the middle of the game, Teixeira hurt his wrist.

A broken-bat single by Pujols tied it in the bottom of the third.

Aybar singled in a run in the sixth and the Angels were up 3-2.

The game was lost in the seventh. Ichiro got a bunt single, and stole second and third and the Yanks still couldn’t get him in. Neal, Brignac and Stewart all struck out.

I’ll have more later in another post but God how I’d like to dump Brignac (he is terrible) and get Romine back in AAA. Both are wastes at the plate. Absolute zeroes. I won’t give up on Romine yet (24 y.o. catcher) but please get me Jeter and/or Nunez back ASAP. Brignac is what, 4 for 36 (.111) since the Yanks picked him up? Awful. Romine so far is overmatched in the majors, hitting .132 or so.   

The Yanks stole four bases today (and should have had five, blown call). No help.

Ichiro had two of the Yanks five hits, two SB and made a great defensive play. He also got CS on a controversial call.

Phelps wasn’t bad but when your lack of offense places so much pressure on you…. 6 IP, 4 R, 9 H, 2 walks and 2 K. He falls to 4-4, 4.08.

Kelley 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 3 walks & 0 K. 4.78.

Joba 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 2 K. 5.74.

I can seriously see Joba and /or Hughes (both free agents and both most likely gone at the end of this year) being shopped around to another contender in order to try and find a bat.

Game 66. Offense reaches new low in 18-inning loss, 3-2

I know I’m one of Mo’s biggest fans. I also know that he came in with a man on, one out, and gave up a hit, int. walk and hit and the Yanks then lost 3-2.

But he isn’t the story of this game. For he didn’t lose it (figuratively and realistically—-the L was put on Claiborne).

The Yankees offense lost it. For they reached a new low today.

In losing 3-2 in EIGHTEEN innings, consider this: Robbie Cano hit a 2-run HR in the first.

I had a 1/2 day of work today since I work a 1/2 day on Saturday. When I pulled into the parking lot at work today to start my shift, Robbie hit his HR. 2-0. 1st inning.

When I got out of work, it was 2-2 in the 15th. I drove to a bar for a few before heading home.

The Yanks lost 3-2 in 18. You aren’t dumb. You can do the math. The Yanks got 2 in the first on Cano’s 16th HR. They lost 3-2 in 18. You can figure out the rest.

The Yanks’ offense put up SEVENTEEN straight goose eggs on the scoreboard.

Mo should not have been in this game. Esp. after his ass picked up splinters off the bench for SEVENTEEN innings.

Kuroda was masterful. I feel most sorry for him and Warren (more on him in a bit). Kuroda 8 IP, 2 R, only 2 H. 2 walks and 3 K. 2.78 ERA but only a 6-5 record to show for it.

Robertson a scoreless 9th. 0 R, 2 hits, 0 walks and struck out the side. 3 K. ERA to 2.30.

Logan 2/3. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 1.45.

Kelley 1/3. 0 R, 0 H 0 walks and 1 K. 4.62.

At this point, it became painful to watch. It was a war of attrition.

God Bless Adam Warren, who with this offense putting up nothing but zeroes, went out every inning knowing that if he gave up a run the game was over.

Warren tossed six shutout innings. 0 R, 4 H, 2 walks and 4 K. ERA to 3.12. He got some help when Wells gunned down a runner at the plate.

Six shutout innings in an extra-inning game. Where you knew in each one of those innings that if you gave up one run the game was over.

Great job.

Claiborne pitched a scoreless inning in the 17th but with one out gave up a hit in the 18th.

Then Mo picked out the splinters from his ass from sitting on the bench so long and gave up a hit, int. walk and a hit. Ballgame over and a 3-2 loss.

Claiborne 1 1/3, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 0-1, 0.86.

Mo’s ERA stays at 1.48. 0 IP, 2 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 

The 4-5-6-7 hitters in today’s lineup, Teix/Hafner/Youk and Wells, went a combined 0 for 28 with 12 strikeouts.

Want to know their batting averages?  Teixeira (0-5, 3 K), just off the DL, is now 8 for 49, .163. Hafner (0 for 8, 3 K) is in a HUGE slump and down to .220. Youk (0 for 7 and 3K) is down to .219 and Wells (0 for 8, 3 K) is down to .229.

Read that last paragraph again. 4-5-6-7. 0 for 28. 12 K.

Averages now .163=.220=.219 and .229.

Need I say more?

On top of that, Brignac came into the game late. He’s now 4 for 30 as a Yankee.

But the Yanks don’t promote OF Thomas Neal, who was at what, .339 for SWB entering tonight? Granted he doesn’t have power (2 HR for he AAA club) but how long will they let Hafner/Youk/Wells struggle? They were ok in April but have coming crashing down to earth and in doing so are showing why their previous clubs let them go.

Today was painful and excruciating to watch. Great pitching performances were wasted by a pathetic offense putting up 17 straight goose eggs.

Today, the phrase “Bronx Bombers” was laughable.

“Bronx Banjo Hitters” was more like it.           

 

 

Game 65. Yanks bats quiet again in 5-2 loss.

On April 8 and 9, the Yanks scored 11 and 14 runs in their games. Since then, there has been only one game in which the Yanks hit double digits in runs scored.

Last night was a night we’ve seen a lot of lately. Two runs on four hits as they lost to Oakland, 5-2.

The team’s adjusted OPS is 89. That means it is 11% below league average. The last time the Yankees finished a season with an OPS+ under 100 was in 1991, the year Stump Merrill managed the team for the whole year. Thank goodness the ERA+ is 111 or things could be ugly.

Phil Hughes started and was well, Phil Hughes. Meaning he gave up a HR (2-run shot in the 2nd) and couldn’t put people away and gave up big hits after getting ahead 0 and 2 (Jaso RBI double in the fifth). He went 4 1/3, 3 R, 4 H, 5 walks and 3 K in falling to 3-5, 4.89. If Nuno were healthy instead of on the DL, Hughes could have been in danger of losing his starting spot. After all, Nova lost his to Phelps.

It’s pretty much a given that Hughes and Joba, both free agents after the season, will be gone after this year. You wonder if either or both could be gone at the trade deadline for a bat.

Shawn Kelley 1 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks and 1 K. 4.68.

Boone Logan 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 1 K. 1.50.

Joba. 1 1/3 IP. 2 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 5.52.

Joba is losing his job to Preston Claiborne.

Claiborne 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 1 K. 0.46.

Travis Hafner is down to .231. Vernon Wells .237. Kevin Youkilis .235.

Teixeira is just 8 for 44 since his return. 16 strikeouts.    

Ichiro had two of the Yanks’ four hits.

Austin Romine is now 7 for 50 for the season. That’s .140.

With the loss, the Yanks (37-28) stay in second, but fall three games behind Boston.

 

Game 57. No 250 for Andy, but Yanks win 7-4.

Andy Pettitte has found it tough picking up career win #250. He couldn’t do it again tonight.

He went 4 2/3, 4 R, 7 H, 3 walks and 3K as his ERA climbed to 4.17.

Shawn Kelley got the win (3-0, 5.24) 1 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 2 K.

Andy gave up a run in the third, but Teix’s first HR of the year in the bottom of the third was a grand slam that barely cleared the wall. 4-1 Yanks after 3.

Pettitte couldn’t hold the lead and left with the game tied in the fifth.

Gardner broke the tie with a two-run single in the sixth, and Hafner’s 9th HR made it 7-4 in the seventh.

The triumvirate of Joba, D-Rob and Mo closed it out.

Lyle Overbay started the game in RF, his first game in the OF in about 12 years as the Yanks sent Brennan Boesch to AAA to clear room for Pettitte.

Two Yanks struggling with the bat, Brignac and Romine, each had two hits tonight.

Joba 1 IP, 0 R 0 H 1 walk and 2 K. 3.09.

D-Rob 1 IP, 0 R. 0 h. 0 walks 0 k. 2.66.

Mariano save #20 on the year, #628 of his career.

1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 1.69.

 

Game 53. Yanks could use Teix/Youk as they get swept by Mets, 3-1.

The Yanks will get Youk and Teix back tomorrow and Pettitte back on Monday.

They sure could have used Youk and Teix THIS week, for they lost their fifth straight game this week and got swept four straight by the “junior varsity”, the Mets, 3-1 tonight.

In three of the four losses to the Mets, the Yankees lost 2-1, 2-1 and 3-1. Think they didn’t miss Jeter, Granderson, Teixeira, Youk, A-Rod and Cervelli?

Now Cervelli isn’t in the class of the others, but consider this. I don’t want to get on rookie Austin Romine, but when will he get a hit? He is 4 for 39 this year and 7 for 58 in his MLB career. He’s WORSE than a lot of pitchers.

Vidal Nuno will be sent down when Pettitte returns. He was a hard luck loser tonight. But he has made an impression. In three starts, he has gone five innings, 0 runs, six and 1 R and six and 2 R. If Hughes continues to struggle, or for that matter Nova or Phelps, they better be looking over their shoulders.

A 2-run HR by Marlon Byrd was the only mistake Nuno made tonight, but he got the loss. 6 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 walks and 2 K. 1-2, 2.25.

Kelley 1 1/3, 1 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 3 K. 5.57.

Logan 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and a K. 1.80.

Joba 1 1/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 3 K. 3.38.

The Yanks’ only run came on a HR by Cano (14).

14 Yanks went down by K tonight, as they only managed four hits.

Here is the problem. Some of the “B” team that has carried the Yanks so far are in deep slumps.

Wells: Last 12 games. 6 for 47. Average .301 to .258.

Hafner: Last 17 games. 10 for his last 54. Average from .291 to .248.

Overbay: Last 13 games. 10 for 50. Average from .264 to .247.

Romine can’t hit at all, as I’ve mentioned. 4 for 39 this year. .103. 7 for 58 in his career. .121.

So far Reid Brignac is 1 for 17 as a Yankee.

David Adams is 3 for his last 21.

Even Cano is 17 for 64 in his last 17 games, dropping him from .311 to .296.

Hopefully Teix and Youk provide a jump start to a dying lineup.

Game 48. Best win of the year? Yanks comeback to win in 11, 4-3.

This may be the best win of the year. Down 3-1 in the 9th, down to their last strike, the Yanks rallied to win 4-3 in 11 innings to raise their record to 30-18.

With all the injuries so far. 30-18.

Vidal Nuno may change his first name to Vital. For he did a great job today in his second major league start. In his first MLB start he tossed five scoreless innings. Today he went 6+, 2 R, 5 H, 1 walk and 2 K. It’s too bad he almost got a loss. A ND, ERA 1.93.

The Yanks broke out with a run in the first on a double by Gardner and a single by Hafner. But that’s all they’d get until the ninth.

A couple of doubles tied it in the fifth for the Rays, then the Yanks bullpen couldn’t help Nuno in the seventh. Nuno gave up a single and was pulled. Shawn Kelley came in and faced one batter and gave up a double. Logan gave up a single for one run, then a grounder to short, and it appeared that the runner was out at the plate but the ump ruled differently. 3-1 Rays.

Kelley 0 IP, 1 batter. 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks or K. 5.49.

Logan 0 IP, 2 batters, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks or K. 1.88.

Preston Claiborne once again did a great job. 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K. ERA to 0.69. It’ll be hard to send Nuno and Claiborne down when Pettitte and Joba return.

The Yanks were down to their last strike in the 9th. Two out, no one on, and that arrow-shooting hot dog Fernando Rodney was on the mound. On a 3-2 count, he walked Lyle Overbay, then Brennan Boesch PH for Romine, who still isn’t hitting. Boesch doubled in one run then Gardner singled home Boesch (who barely made it) to tie the game at 3.

In the bottom of the 9th, with a man on second, Ichiro made a great catch of a liner that if it would have fallen, would have won the game for the Rays.

Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 1 K. ERA to 2.66.

Nova came in for the 10th. I was worried, for like Nuno the other day, he hadn’t pitched in a while and I thought he’d be rusty since he just came off the DL. But Joe, if the game goes extras, wants a long man in case the game goes plenty of extras. My fear was not unfounded as Nova loaded the bases with one out. But he got a K and a groundout to get out of it. As it would turn out, he got the win.

Nova (W, 2-1, 6.11) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 2 K.

Overbay hit a HR (8) in the top of the 11th for the game-winner. 4-3 Yanks.

Of course, Mo came in for the bottom of the 11th. 1-2-3. K-GO-K. The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), at the age of 43, and retiring at year’s end, is now 18 for 18 in save opportunites this year. Save #626 of his career lowers this season’s ERA to 1.40.

1.40. 18 saves in 48 games.

Why retire?

He just continues to amaze.

Game 47. Yanks win 9-4, but Grandy breaks a bone… again

Are you kidding me? Curtis Granderson must feel jinxed. On his first at bat of a spring training game, he is hit by a pitch, breaks a bone, and misses the first 38 games of this season.

Now, in Game #47, he gets hit by a pitch again, and this time breaks a finger.

Another 4 weeks or more on the DL.

Like I mentioned, are you kidding me?

The Yanks did win 9-4 as David Phelps was brilliant for five innings before faltering.

Even he almost went on the DL. A liner caught Phelps on the forearm in the eighth inning, but fortunately it was just a bruise.

It looks like Boesch will be back to replace Granderson (they should also bring up Neal to replace Francisco while they are at it).

Meanwhile, Teix could be back in a week (what that does for Overbay is anyone’s guess. It’s hard to have Teix, Overbay AND Hafner all on the same team. One could DH, one could play 1B, but as for #3? And Hafner is NOT going to play the field).

It seems like Youk could be back soon too. Since Youk plays 1B and 3B, you also wonder about Overbay (27 RBI) (and for that matter, David Adams, who has been great since his callup, .323).

Nova has been activated but will be in relief until further notice. Betances (who didn’t get into a MLB game) was sent down.

Also, Nunez and Joba are about ready.

There will be VERY interesting roster decisions to be made in the next two weeks or so.

I do hope Phil Hughes was closely observing Phelps tonight. For often, Hughes, who most likely has better stuff, gets less out of an outing than Phelps does.

Phelps retired the first thirteen men he faced.

He went 7 2/3, 4 R, 6 H, 0 walks, 3 K. (W, 3-2, 3.96).

Logan 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K, 1.88.

Kelley finished up. 1 R, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 5.03.

The Yanks jumped out in front with 3 in the 2nd. Overbay doubled in two and Nix singled in Overbay.

Brett Gardner HR’d (4, surprising) in the 4th to make it 5-0.

In the fifth, Granderson got his injury on the HBP, and Adams and Overbay singled. A walk to Nix forced home a run, Stewart singled in another. Even CANO was plunked, forcing in another run. Thank goodness Robbie was OK.

Phelps struggled after the five and the 8-0 lead, but the Yanks did a run in the 7th on a triple by Nix and a WP.

 

Game 45. Tit for Tat. O’s win in 10, 3-2.

Last night the Yanks beat the Orioles in 10, tonight it was the other way around as the O’s got a walk-off HR from Nate McLouth in the 10th to win 3-2.

Phil Hughes went six and gave up 2 runs. Much better than his last outing of 7 R in 2/3 of an inning. Ex-Yankee Chris Dickerson tormented his former club with 2 solo HR off of Hughes.

The Yanks got a run in the first on a double by Gardner and a single by Hafner. Hafner pretty much was the whole Yanks offense tonight with 2 H and both RBI. The Yanks only had three other hits all night.

Dickerson’s 1st HR of the night tied it at one in the third.

In the fourth, Wells doubled and Hafner singled. 2-1 Yanks, but Dickerson’s second HR off Hughes tied it in the fifth.

In the seventh, a play that could have turned the game around. With two out, David Adams (doing well since his callup) singled. Jayson Nix lined on to the gap that Nick Markasis made a diving catch on. If it gets by him and to the wall, it’s a double, Adams scores, and the Yanks go up 3-2.

Hughes 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 walks and 5 K. The good Phil. We never know what we will good. When good, he’s very good. When bad, he’s very bad. A decent effort tonight, ERA to 5.51 (still way too high).

Logan 2/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 1.93.

Kelley 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 5.30.

Robertson 1 IP. 3 up, 3 down all by K. 2.79.

Claiborne 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. He still hasn’t given up a run since being called up to the majors. 0.00.

Vidal Nuno came in (his 3rd MLB game) and gave up a HR to the first batter he faced. Ballgame over. Nuno 1-1, 1.13.

Curtis Granderson is struggling since coming off the DL. .174.

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 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.