Game 45. 3 Hrs lead Yanks, Nova, 6-3.

The Yanks beat Oakland 6-3 behind homers by Teixeira, Cano and Swisher.

Ivan Nova went 7 and improved to 5-2, but with a still too-high ERA of 5.46. He went the 7, 3 R, 6 h, 1 walk, 4 K and 2 HR given up.

Boone Logan for the 8th, 1 Ip, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K, 2.95.

Soriano got his 4th save. 1 IP. 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.20.

The Yanks got 1st and 2d in the 1st, one out but got nothing.

They got a one-out double by Swisher in the 2nd, but nothing.

In the third, they got a break and capitalized on it. You never want to give a team four outs (or more) in an inning. With two out and Granderson on first, Coco Crisp (the Cereal Boy) misplayed Cano’s drive into a two-run error. 1-0 Yanks. Teix made them pay even further with a 2-run HR (#6, 320 of career). 3-0 Yankees.

The Yanks could have tacked on in the fourth. Chavez walked, Martin doubled. After Jeter made an out, Granderson was intentionally walked to load the bases. A-Rod, still looking for Grand Slam #23 to tie Gehrig’s record, GIDP.

Nova gave up a HR in the bottom of the fourth. 3-1.

The Yanks got three in the fifth. Cano led off with a HR, #6 for the season. Teix doubled but was thrown out going for 3 after the ball got away from the left fielder. Ibanez doubled and Swish hit HR #8 on the year to make it 6-1.

Nova gave one run back in the bottom of the fifth, then gave up a solo HR in the seventh.

That was it for the scoring. 6-3 Yanks, and they go to 24-21.

Game 44. Teix back to 3rd in lineup today

The Yanks try to stay above .500 today. Teixeira is back up at 3rd in the lineup.

22-21, 4th in A.L. East, 5 1/2 back. Even with the Pythagorean mark, OPS+ 108, ERA+ 102.

Jeter SS .341-5-16  3/4  130  Hit count: 3149
Granderson CF .250-13-24  1/3  134  Still want him to RUN!
Teixeira 1B .229-5-20  1/2  78   Needs to get it going. 
Rodriguez 3B .276-5-15  5/5  109   See below
Cano 2B .304-5-17  1/1  127
Swisher RF .239-7-27  0/0  102  See below.
Jones DH .217-4-8  0/0  93    See below.
Martin C .179-4-10  1/1  79   See Below.
Nix LF .263-2-4  0/1  129  5 for 19. 

Pettitte LHP  1-1, 2.51. ERA+ 171.   3rd start of his comeback.

Jeter leads the AL in hits. 3 behind Waner and 5 behind Brett on the all-time list. But since May 4, hitting .231 (15 for 65), with last night’s RBI as his only RBI in that period (16 games). All hits are singles except for one double, and there have been 6 GIDP.

A-Rod has just 1 HR since 4/27. Of his 43 hits, only 10 are XBH. Where’s the power?

Swisher:  .177 since 4/28, 1 HR, 4 RBI.  11 for 62, 17 strikeouts in that span (compare lack of HR to A-Rod; same time period).

I have to wonder if Mustelier, at this point, would be a better option than Jones. Mustelier in 42 games AA/AAA? .337-8-29. 5/9 in SB.

I also have to wonder if a 40 year old Posada could hit better right now than Martin. (Not catch better, mind you…)

Pettitte is looking for career win #242, Yankee win #205.

Game 43. Still problems, but a 3-2 win.

The Yanks went to 22-21 tonight, but the offensive woes continued.

Phil Hughes was strong through six,  2 R, 5 H, 2 walks and 7 K. He goes to 4-5, 4.94. It’s still below average, but from where he once was at, it marks improvement.

On the down side, it also marks the ninth straight start in which he has given up a HR. The guys on My 9 noted that it is one behind “Black” Jack McDowell in 1995 with 10 straight starts.

After a 1-2-3 first, I got ticked off right away. In the bottom of the first, with one out, Granderson walks. He doesn’t even try to steal. Now, the Royals did pitchout with A-Rod up. Ok. But Grandy is still just 1 of 3 this year. You can’t just wait on Cano or A-Rod to do something. MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! I miss Gardner. I miss the times when Rickey Henderson would MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! Grandy doesn’t go. Nothing happens.

Down 1-0 in the third, I really got ticked off. Martin walks to lead off the inning and Wise is up. Wise strikes out. For most of the at bat, Wise, 2 for 20, does NOT try to bunt. Are you kidding me? You are having trouble scoring runs, and a 2 for 20 AAAA player isn’t bunting? He makes out. Jeter GIDP. Aaaaaargh.

Hughes gives up a HR in the fourth. 2-0 KC. In the bottom of the inning, Cano hits #5. 2-1. A-Rod singles and steals second. 5 for 5 in steals. Do you know A-Rod is second on the team in that? Behind Nunez’ 6 for 7? Why isn’t Jeter or Grandy going?

So he is on second, one out. Ibanez and Swish can’t get him in.

To the fifth, and the biggest play of the game may be on something the Yankees have NOT been doing—-bunting.

Teix singles. Martin HBP. Two on, none out. Wise bunts, as he (2 for 21) should. It actually goes for a HIT!

Bases loaded, none out.

Jeter singles, hit #3149, to tie the game. Bases still loaded, and the Yanks still don’t take advantage.

Granderson grounds out, which leads to the game-winning run. But no one knew it at the time, and the Yanks don’t pad their lead.

Cano is walked intentionally. Bases loaded & one out. Do the Yanks tack on? Are you kidding me? A-Rod & Ibanez both strike out.

It could have been fatal.

Girardi worked the pen. Wade 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 2.18.

Logan 1/3, 0 R, 1 h, 0 walk, 1 K. 3.12.

Eppley 1/3, 0 R, 0 h, 0 walk, 0 K. 3.24.

Rapada 2/3, 0 r, 0 h, 0 walks, 0 K. 3.95.

Soriano 1 IP and gave us a scare. For with one out he gave up a double. He got a groundout. Runner to third. A grounder to A-Rod. The throw. Teix made a GREAT play in stretching for the throw and keeping his toe on the bag. Just got him. Yanks win 3-2.

Soriano 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and K. Save #3, ERA 2.35.

Swisher is slumping so badly, he is down to .239.

…and to think. Wise’s bunt may be the play of the game…

Game 34. Andy ok, bats not in loss to M’s

Andy Pettitte was okay in his return to the majors, but the Yanks bats were shut down by the other old guy on the mound, Kevin Millwood, and the Yanks lost to Seattle 6-2 today.

Pettitte went 6 1/3, 4 R, 7 H, 3 walks and 2 K. 2 HR, 1 WP. He gave up no hits until the fourth, when the first hit he gave up was a two-run HR. Even after five, he had given up just two runs on two hits.

In the sixth, he gave up a 2-run HR off the foul screen, and got out of a bases-loaded jam.

For his first time out after being away since October, 2010, he wasn’t that bad.

The Yanks’ bats against the aging and fading Millwood? That was bad.

The Yanks got 1st and 2nd in the third. One out. Jeter GIDP.

In the fifth, the Yanks got a bases-loaded walk to Martin to cut it to 2-1, but with the bases loaded and one out, Jeter GIDP again.

Jeter did get hit #3142 in the 8th, tying Robin Yount on the all-time list.

Ripken 3184, Brett 3154, Waner 3152, JETER 3142, Yount 3142, Gwynn 3141.

Down 4-1 in the 8th, a bases-loaded two out walk to Cano cut the lead to 4-2. Teixeira then struck out. The Yanks were 0 for 5 with RISP.

Wade replaced Pettitte, 1 2/3, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 3 K. ERA 1.62

Rapada came in and got a couple of outs, but why did Girardi stick with him? Rapada is a LOOGY. You don’t let the guy face righties.

After getting two outs (both lefties) with a man on second, Rapada walks a righty batter, then a lefty batter. Bases loaded. He stays in to face a righty batter. A hit and an error by Rapada bring in two runs. 6-2.  Rapada has great splits vs. lefty batters. Terrible ones against righties. Leaving him in against the righties cost the Yanks a chance at a comeback. Righties hit .349 off Rapada. Lefties .164. You cannot let Rapada face righties if you can help it. After Rapada got the two lefties, Girardi should have brought someone else in to face the righty (Garcia?) for the last out. By not doing so, he gave up two runs. In the end, it didn’t matter, but…

Rapada 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 h, 2 walks, 1 K. 3.72.

In the bottom of the ninth, big mistake by Swish. He doubles to lead off the inning, but is thrown out going for three. Down by four runs? That is inexcusable.

The Yanks only got six hits, two by Chavez, two by Swisher.

Eppley was sent down when Pettitte was activated.

Game 28. Cano, Hughes right selves in Yankees win.

Robbie Cano came into the game with just 4 RBI. With one swing of the bat, he doubled his RBI total.

A third inning grand slam sparked the Yankees to a 10-4 win. It was HR #2 for Cano for the season. Nick Swisher, just off the DL, added a solo shot (HR #7) in the third, and A-Rod hit his fifth of the year, career #634* in the eighth.

Getting Cano on track is vital. Just as vital was seeing a decent outing from Phil Hughes, who went 6 2/3, 3 R, 6 H, 1 walk and 7 K. Hughes improved to 2-4, 6.67. Even in the seventh, Hughes was hitting 93.

Hughes’ outing was important in another way: Andy Pettitte (see the minor league post coming up later tonight) wasn’t that impressive today. Granted Pettitte’s D didn’t help, but Andy may need another AAA outing.

Derek Jeter got two hits to up his career total to 3136, five behind Tony Gwynn on the all-time list. Jeter 3136, Gwynn 3141, Yount 3142, Waner 3152, Brett 3154 and Ripken 3184.

Logan went 1/3, 0 R, 1 h, 0 walks, 0 K. ERA 2.31
Soraino 1 IP, 0 R, 0 h, 1 walks, 0 K. 1.80
Wade 1 IP, 1 R, 2 h, 0 walks, 1 K. 2.02

Game 28. Today’s lineup. Many ramifications today.

Today has a lot of ramifications. For one thing, the 14-13, 4th place Yankees (4 1/2 out) trot out Phil Hughes to the mound. Hughes, 1-4, 7.48, is running out of chances. Yanks OPS+ 113, ERA+ 99. Their record is even with the Pythagorean record (Pythagorean is what your record should be related to runs scored vs. runs against).

It may just be because of his testimony at the Roger Clemens’ trial, but guess who pitches today for AAA Empire State (SWB)? None other than Andy Pettitte. Both games start at the same time. Should Andy be ready and Hughes lay another egg, it would be no problem for Andy to just take Hughes next start, dump Hughes to the bullpen, and someone like Eppley would be sent down (no offense to Eppley).

Swisher is back, and the Yanks could use him. They aren’t putting rallies together. Let’s backtrack. Beat the O’s 2-1. Only runs of that game? 2-run HR by Chavez. The next night just one run, Granderson’s HR, in a loss. The next night? Shutout. Friday a win, four of the six runs on a two-run HR by Jeter and a 2-run HR by Teixeira. Last night a loss. The only run via a Martin HR. No rallies. You can’t just rely on the HR. Because of the leg problem, Swish comes back slowly, DH-ing today. Nothing against Paulino, but he’s a guy the Yanks should pound. Instead, Jeter made out with the bases loaded. Opportunity lost. Then, the next inning, to show how bad things are going, Granderson gets a leadoff double, then is thrown out at third tagging up after Teixeira flyout to RF.

Girardi insists nothing is wrong with A-Rod, who has started at DH in 9 of the Yanks’ 28 games. Jeter & Ibanez have started at DH 5x each.

From Lohud:

Also, Girardi said, the number of DH days will begin to dwindle after Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner come off the disabled list. For now, Raul Ibanez has been playing the field against right-handed starters, which opens some chance for other players to DH. That won’t be the case much longer, and Girardi is trying to take advantage while he can.

Jeter SS .390-5-15  1 sb/2 att.  OPS+ 169  Hit count: 3134; see below
Granderson CF  .279-9-17  0/2  160  AL HR leader.
A-Rod 3B .260-4-11  2/2  108
Cano 2B  .255-1-4  1/1  77
Teixeira 1B .229-4-16  1/2  74  Middle of lineup woes. 
Swisher DH .284-6-23  0/0  156
Ibanez LF .239-3-12  2/2  88   Looking like 2011 Posada.
Martin C .206-3-7  1/1  94
Wise RF     1 for 4, a double.

100 is average. What you see above is a lot of below average, and three guys carrying the lineup.

Hughes RHP   1-4, 7.48, ERA+ 58. 
See above. Andy is looming. Once again, 100 is average. 58? Horrible.

Jeter still leads the majors in hits, the AL in BA & TB

Also from LoHud: Gardner may be begin a rehab assignment tomorrow and be back sometime this week. Chavez is feeling better and should be back when his 7-day concussion DL stint is over.

The game is on TBS.

Game 21. CC steps up in Yankees 6-2 win.

The Yanks needed a good outing from their ace. They needed innings. They needed CC to be ace-like, just to save the overtaxed bullpen.

The Yankee starters coming into this game were terrible. Only Kuroda had an ERA less than 5.00. Even CC was at a 5.27.

CC came through. 8 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 walks and 8 K. The only mistakes were a HR to his ex-teammate, Prince Fielder, and an RBI double by Miguel Cabrera. He goes to 3-0, but his ERA is still high at 4.58.

For much of the game, it appeared like the Yankees would squander CC’s great game. For the game, the Yanks stranded 15.

A gift call (was it strike three?) on Jeter helped the Yanks to two in the second—an inning which saw two infield hits. Granderson walked with the bases loaded, and A-Rod’s infield hit (Jeter had the other one) accounted for the other run.

Granderson hit HR #8 in the fourth, a drive that Austin Jackson almost snared.

With the score 3-2 Yanks in the seventh, they broke it open. Alex got an RBI groundout, RBI #1904 of his career, enabling him to pass Willie Mays on the all-time list. Cano finally got his fourth RBI of the season (enabling him to pass, of all people, Chris Stewart) to make it 5-2.

In the eighth, Andruw Jones, who replaced Swisher (tight hammy), hit HR #3, #423 of his career. 6-2.

Robertson pitched the ninth. 1-2-3 with 2 K and his ERA remains at 0.00.

The Yanks go to 12-9. Jeter’s 2 infield hits put him now at 3124 career hits.

Swisher will have an MRI. I’ll have word on that, a possible DL stint, and a possible callup when the info comes in.

Update per Meredith Marakovits, Twitter (YES network): Low grade strain for Swish. Will be out a few days but no DL as of yet.

Update II from MM: Phelps to take Garcia’s start and stay in the rotation. If he does well, he could stay there. As for Hughes, watch your back. Andy’s coming.

The rotation soon could be CC, Kuroda, Nova, Pettitte and Phelps.

Game 20. Garcia miserable in loss. Out of rotation?

Freddy Garcia can’t start again, can he?

In his fourth start of the year, Garcia was knocked out in the second inning, and the now 0-2. Garcia saw his ERA go from 9.75 to 12.51. It’s going up higher than gas prices.

How bad is it? He makes you yearn for A.J. Burnett. Yes, it’s THAT bad.

1 2/3 IP, 6 R, 5 h, 2 walks and 3 K.

An early hole that the Yanks couldn’t climb out of. Down 6-0 in the second, they lost 7-5.

You just can’t put your team in a hole like that every time out. Games like last Saturday’s 15-9 win after being down 0-9 are few and far between.

Garcia must be removed from the rotation. NOW. The best thing is to release him. Phelps (who I’ll get to soon) can’t be worse than 12.51. He deserves a spot start over Freddy, with maybe a AAA pitcher coming up to replace Phelps in the bullpen. (Juan Cedeno? D.J. Mitchell? Chase Whitley? Manny Delcarmen?). You’ll have to start Phelps at five innings and slowly increase the innings.

But 0-2, 12.51. Garcia’s start is as bad as Hughes’ start was last year (and Hughes’ beginnings THIS year aren’t much better).

Lost in all of this was the Yankees offense not doing much until the ninth inning. Swisher hit HRs 5 and 6, #6 in the 9th, and increased his RBI count to 23 in the loss.

They got only two hits in six innings off of 22 year old Drew Smyly, who picked up his first MLB win in his fourth MLB start. Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Yanks had only three hits.

They did mount a 9th-inning rally, scoring three runs, but too late.

Jeter can’t hit .400 all year. He’s great, but Ted Williams has nothing to worry about. In fact Jeter’s 0 for 3 (with a walk) dropped him to .386.

Robbie Cano continues to disappoint and kill the Yanks. The #3 hitter of today has just the one HR which landed six feet in front of me, and 3 RBI. Think about that. 20 games, 1/8 of the season. 1 HR and 3 RBI from someone who hits #3 or #4. Cano is at .253, about sixty points less than we expected. 1 HR after hitting in the high 20s the last two years. 3 RBI after about 110 the last two years. Let me repeat: 20 games. 1 HR 3 RBI.

Heck, A-Rod, who alternates with Cano at 3/4, is just at .253 himself. Teixeira .244. Lost in the pathetic starting pitching is a disappointing middle of the order. It makes you wonder how they are 11-9. (Jeter and Swisher).

And it isn’t just the middle of the order. Jones is at .143. Martin .176.

Curtis Granderson got HR #7 and an RBI single. Ibanez got a late rbi double.

The bullpen, the one strength of the team, did great.

Rapada 1 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. ERA to 3.86.

Phelps, who as I said deserves a start (probably have to limit him to five innings and build him up), went 3 scoreless, 0 h, 1 walk, 2 K and lowered his ERA to 3.57. Um, 3.57 compared to Freddy’s 12.51. Any questions about who should start next?

Eppley went 3, and gave up a HR to Miggy Cabrera, but nothing else. 1 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 3 K. ERA to 1.69.

So the bullpen went 7 1/3, giving up just one run on two hits.

But the starter, once again, was awful.

Game 15. What a comeback! Yanks 15-9 after 0-9

Good times never seemed so good (so good, so good, so good) … for YANKEE fans today.

What a comeback. Down 9-0 after five innings, the Yanks got one in the sixth, but then back to back 7-run innings led to a 15-9 Yankees win. Wow.

…and the boos for Bobby V get louder.

Freddy Garcia started and was horrible. Don’t look back, Freddy, Andy Pettitte is coming for your job.

1 2/3 IP for Garcia. 5 R, 7 H, 0 walks, 0 K. ERA up to 9.75. Rapada came in, 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 0 K.

Then Phelps ate up four innings. Welcome to the majors and Fenway, kid. 3 R, 6 h, 1 walk and 2 K.

Down 9-0 entering the top of the sixth. Teix hit a solo HR. #316 tied Aramis Ramirez and Ron Cey on the all-time list.

Then all hell broke loose. While FOX cut to the White Sox/Mariners game to show the final outs of Phil Humber’s perfect game, Nick Swisher—who entered the game with 14 RBI, the A.L. lead—hit a grand slam to make it 9-5. A few batters later, Teix hit a 3-run shot. His 2nd HR of the game, #317, tied George Brett on the all-time list. All of a sudden, it was 9-8 and Bobby V was sweating. For good reason.

And Bobby V was getting booed, in what would turn out to be many trips to the mound. Those boos really got loud in the 8th, when the Yanks tacked on seven more. Swisher gave the Yanks the lead with a 2-run double. Six RBI on the day for him. Teix got a 2-run double. 6 rbi on the day for him. Martin a 2-run double. Jeter (.382, 3 hits, 3114 now) got an infield RBI hit. 15-9. Wow. From 9-0 down, to a 15-9 win.

Soriano got the win with a scoreless IP. 1 h, 0 walks, 1 K.  (2-0, 1.50)

Logan an inning. 0 R, 1 h, 0 walks, 1 K.

Eppley finished. 1 IP,  0 R, 1 h, 0 walks, 1 K.

Lastly, Nunez’ glove drives us nuts. But… did you know he is now hitting .455?

Game 14. Yanks ruin Boston’s party, 6-2

The Red Sox threw a big party for the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, but in the end, it was the Yankees who were celebrating, with 5 HR and a 6-2 win.

Ivan Nova won for the 15th straight time in regular season decisions, while the HRs came from Swisher, Chavez (2), A-Rod (more on that in a minute) and Martin.

A-Rod’s HR was #631* of his career, and it passed Ken Griffey, Jr. for fifth place on the all-time list (unfortunately, A-Rod’s steroid admission enables the need for the “*”). Next up is Willie Mays at 660.

Derek Jeter got one hit today, and that hit (#3111) enabled him to pass Dave Winfield on the all-time list. Next up is Tony Gwynn at 3141.

Nova went 6, 2 R, 7 H, 0 walks and 5 K. He is now 3-0, 3.79 while the Yanks go to 8-6. He won his last twelve regular season decisions last year, and has started out 3-0 this year.

Cory Wade 1 IP, 0 R, 1 h, 0 walks, 1 K.

David Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 2 K.

Cody Eppley Yankee debut. 1 batter, a single.

Then, no messing around. Mo. Not a save situation, but Rivera 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K.