S.T. Game 20. The Kraken gets Cracking. 5 RBI as Yanks win 9-5.

After yesterday’s bad game, Chance Adams was sent down.

If the Yanks get an AL MVP this year, don’t be surprised if it isn’t Judge or Stanton. Sanchez has been great this spring and don’t count him out.

Sanchez had a 3-run HR and 2-run double today and that helped the Yanks to a 9-5 win over Pittsburgh. It put the Yanks’ spring training record at 12-7-1.

Both Sonny Gray and Dellin Betances were off, both giving up 2-run HRs.

In the top of the first, Sonny Gray gave up a two-run HR to Ex-Yank, Francisco Cervelli.

Aaron Judge doubled in a run in the bottom of the first to cut it to 2-1.

The Pirates got a run in the top of the third to make it 3-1, but in the bottom of that inning, Gary Sanchez hit a 3-run HR, to make it 4-3 Yankees.

The Yanks got four in the fourth to stretch it to 8-3. Bird walked and with one out, Wade walked. Gardner reached on a error to load the bases and Judge walked to force in a run. Stanton grounded out to place a run and then Sanchez doubled in two.

Jose Osuna hit a 2-run HR in the sixth for Pittsburgh to make it 8-5, but in the eighth, Tyler Austin hit a solo HR for the final tally of 9-5.

If I were to guess the 25 man roster on Opening Day right now, it would be:

Sanchez, Romine, Stanton, Bird, Walker, Torreyes, Didi, Wade, Drury, Gardner, Hicks, Judge, and Austin. That is 13.

12  pitchers, which are: Severino, Tanaka, Gray, CC, Montgomery, Warren, Green, Kahnle, Shreve, Robertson, Chapman, and Betances.

I believe that Ellsbury, now with only two weeks until Opening Day, won’t be ready and the Yanks will put him on the DL to start the season. Clint Frazier could be headed to the 60 day DL because he is not coming along from his concussion.

So, I believe:

C: Sanchez and Romine
INF: Bird, Wade, Walker , Didi, Drury, Torreyes, and Austin (as backup to Bird)
OF: Stanton, Gardner, Hicks, Judge

Once Ellsbury is ready, the Yanks have to decide between Wade and Austin. Since Wade is more versatile, and Walker is being groomed to not only play 2B but 3b and 1B,  I think then Austin would be the one sent down.

Wade made a couple good defensive plays today. Even if he is the Opening Day starter at 2B, Torres may be ready in a few months. The Yanks envision Wade as a “Ben Zobrist” type. Capable of filling in at any of five positions based on need. Good speed, great range and as long as he can hit .260, steal 20 bases and flash that defensive speed, valuable.

Sonny Gray and Dellin Betances had tough days today.

Gray 3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 Walks, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Warren (H) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Kahnle (H), 1 1/3  IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Betances 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Shreve (H) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H,  1 W, 2 K.
Heller (S) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.

Judge 2 for 2, scored 2. Drove in 2. Walked 2x.
Sanchez double, HR, 5 RBI
Austin solo HR.

Yanks trade Cervelli; CYA winners announced

The Yanks traded backup C Francisco Cervelli to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for LH reliever Justin Wilson. Wilson, 27, was 3-4, 4.20 for the Pirates in 2014. He has a 2.99 career ERA.

Cervelli, 28, hit .301-2-13 with the Yanks in 2014, OPS+ 126 in 49 games. He is a .278 career hitter, OPS+ 97 for his career. His 162 g. average is .278-6-60. You wonder if, after the Biogenesis suspension, the Yanks were looking for just the right deal to dump him.

As for A-Rod, no dumping him. Too much $$$$. Not so with Cervelli.

The funny thing is that Pirates starting catcher, Russell Martin, is a free agent and now the Pirates have Chris Stewart and Cervelli, all three going from the Bronx to the “Burgh.”

This clears up a bit of a logjam that the Yanks had at catcher. Brian McCann remains the starter, but it appears as if John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine will compete for the backup job, with the loser of the competition going to AAA to play there along with prospect Gary Sanchez.

The Yanks also signed a minor league lefty, 26 yr. old Jose De Paula, yesterday. De Paula is 33-27, 3.86 in his minor league career.

MLB announced the CYA winners yesterday. The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw won the NL CYA unanimously. It’s his second straight Cy Young award and third in four years. He finished second in 2012. The AL CYA winner was Corey Kluber of Cleveland.

 

Game 160. “B Squad” Beats Boston, 3-2.

Using a lineup that looked like something out of one of those spring training games where you recognize no one because they are all minor leaguers wearing numbers in the seventies, the Yanks beat Boston Friday night, 3-2.

No Jeter, McCann, Teix, Beltran, Gardner, Headley, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Prado, etc.

Instead, you had Jose Pirela in his fourth MLB game. Eury Perez. John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine. Zelous Wheeler and Antoan Richardson. Your #3 hitter was Cervelli.

But the Yanks did win, 3-2, to go to 83-77 on the season. With the win, the Yanks stayed one game ahead of Toronto for 2nd place in the AL East with two games to go.

Chris Capuano started and pitched great, although it must be pointed out that Boston’s lineup had some of their main people out as well (Pedroia, Ortiz, Napoli).

Capuano (W, 3-4) 6 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 walks, 5 K. Overall ERA 4.35.
Kelley 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 4.53.
Warren 1 Ip, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 3.03.
Robertson (39th save) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 3.08.

Boston got an unearned run in the second but the Yanks came back with two in the third. A passed ball on a strikeout and another passed ball put Eury Perez on second. Cervelli singled in Perez and after Chris Young singled, Cervelli scored when John Ryan Murphy hit into a force but there was an error on the play.

The Yanks went up 3-1 in the sixth on a Zelous Wheeler SF.

Boston cut it to 3-2 in the seventh when Kelley gave up a HR but that was it.

 

Game 154. Banged-up Bronx Bombers beaten, 6-3.

At this stage, you wonder who’ll be left for Game 162 besides Derek Jeter.

Mark Teixeira was removed in the middle of the game due to a sore wrist, Carlos Beltran wasn’t available due to his elbow issues (which will require surgery after the season) and Jacoby Ellsbury wasn’t available due to a strained hammy which may finish him for the season. Of course, Martin Prado is out for the year after his emergency appendectomy.

Chris Capuano pitched well for five innings on Saturday, but the wheels fell off in the sixth and the Yanks lost 6-3.

The loss dropped the Yanks to 79-75 with eight games to go. They have a one-game lead over Toronto for second place in the AL East. As for that last playoff spot, they are 4 1/2 out with 8 to go.

Toronto scored first on a first-inning double by Eduardo Encarnacion. The Yanks tied it in the third on a Jeter single (hit #3456), WP and RBI single by McCann.

The Yanks went up 2-1 an inning later on an RBI single by Cervelli.

Toronto, however, got three in the sixth, one in the seventh and another in the ninth.

A Derek Jeter RBI double in the ninth (hit #3457) made it 6-3. Jeter’s RBI put him #100 on the all-time list. The run scored by Jeter in the third put him temporarily into the top 10 all-time in runs scored (he passed A-Rod, who will most likely return the favor next year).

Today,  Sunday, Masahiro Tanaka returns and tests out that elbow. He has been out the last ten weeks.

Besides Jeter most likely playing his last home game on Thursday, two other players may be in their final week. The next start for Hiroki Kuroda could be his last. It could be Wednesday, or…. if the Yanks stay in rotation after Tanaka today, and go Pineda, McCarthy, Greene, Kuroda’s last game of his career could be Thursday—in Jeter’s final home game.

Not only that, Ichiro most likely won’t be back with the Yanks next year. It would remain to be seen who might pick up the soon-to-be 41-year-old.

The pitching line:
Capuano (L, 2-4, overall ERA 4.67) 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 4 walks and 2 K.
Whitley 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 5.23
Rogers 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 3 K. Overall ERA 5.11.
Huff 1 Ip, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. Overall ERA 3.47
Phelps 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 k. 4.39.

 

 

Game 119. Yanks lose 4th straight, 5-3.

This was a killer. The Yanks’ offense didn’t do much, but they still had a 2-1 lead entering the bottom of the 8th down in Baltimore. Dellin Betances was on the mound, and he’s been great all year.

But it was Betances’ third inning of work, a move that may have deeper complications, such as lost confidence in Warren or Whitley, both of whom have been struggling mightily lately, overwork of some members of the bullpen (especially because, with the lack of offense, there have been so many close games) or desperation.

Betances gave up a game-tying HR, then Shawn Kelley blew the game by giving up a 3-run HR in the same inning as the Yanks lost 5-3.

Forget the division. The loss puts the Yanks 8 behind Baltimore with 43 games to go. Only a drastic change and torrid hot streak by the Yanks and collapse by Baltimore will enable the Yanks to catch the Orioles. It looks like Baltimore will be the AL East champs. Getting tougher for the Yankees is trying to gain that second wild-card spot. At 61-58, the Yanks are 3 1/2 behind co-leaders Detroit and Seattle for that final playoff spot. Toronto is just ahead of the Yanks, 3 back. So the Yanks need to get hot and do some leap-frogging.

Francisco Cervelli gave the Yanks a 2-0 lead with his 2nd HR of the season in the third inning.

Michael Pineda, making his first appearance in almost four months after the pine-tar incident and injury, pitched very well, giving up just one run in the fifth inning. 5 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 4 K. In his five starts this year, his ERA is 1.82, but his record remains at 2-2, a sign of the Yanks’ lack of support. It also shows Pineda’s talent if he is ever healthy and his head is screwed on straight (no pine-tar stupidity).L

In the bottom of the 8th, Jonathan Schoop proved to be a Yankee-killer again. His 11th HR of the season tied the game. It’s his 4th against the Yankees this year, one against Betances, and two against Tanaka. Go figure.

The Yanks got a run in the top of the 9th on an RBI groundout and got the tying run to the plate, but to no avail.

Betances 2 1/3, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 4 K. 1.52.

Later in that same inning Shawn Kelley gave up a three-run HR to Adam Jones. That was the game.

Kelley (L, 2-4, 4.74) 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 walk, 0 K.

To make room for Pineda, the Yanks let Chris LeRoux go. You could see that coming when LeRoux was brought up a couple of days ago and Bryan Mitchell was sent down.

Brian McCann should be back on Saturday. Hiroki Kuroda will pitch Sunday.

The Yanks are off today (Thursday).

Earlier in the day, Hal Steinbrenner commented on the disappointing offense (after all, he shelled out big bucks to bring in Ellsbury, McCann and Beltran) and refused to comment on GM Brian Cashman, who is a free agent after the season. Personally, I don’t blame Cashman. He brought in players with track records. Although Ellsbury has done OK (and truthfully, he shouldn’t be batting third, but…) McCann and Beltran have been disappointing and others who are gone didn’t play to former potential (Soriano, Roberts). Hal also said he expects A-Rod to rejoin the Yanks in 2015. That is something I’m not looking forward to. Alex’ talents have gone down in the last few years, he will be 40 in July 2015 and after a year off, who knows what he’ll have left. Not to mention the circus and baggage there will be…

Game 104. Yanks lose in 9th, 5-4.

Dellin Betances and David Robertson have been a formidable 1-2 punch this year but both made errors (physical and mental) to cost the Yanks on Sunday. Toronto beat the Yanks 5-4 to drop the Yanks into 3rd place in the AL East, four back of Baltimore. The Yanks (54-50) are a game behind Toronto for the final wild card spot.

Shane Greene went 5 1/3, giving up 3 R, 8 H, 2 walks and 2 K. 3.28. He gave up a run in the first and then a solo HR in the fifth.

The Yanks tied it in the fifth on back-to-back HRs by Headley and Cervelli. Both teams scored in the sixth, the Yanks getting their run on a McCann Rbi single.

Then, mistakes. In the eighth, Betances walked the leadoff batter, then tried to pick him off. His throw was wild and the runner raced all the way to third and scored on a SF.

Carlos Beltran tied the game in the bottom of the 8th with an RBI single but in the top of the 9th, David Robertson lost the game. With one out, Melky Cabrera singled. Chase Headley made a great play to get a force on Cabrera, but then it seemed like Robertson fell asleep. Jose Bautista stole second, uncontested. He got such a great jump on Robertson it was like D-Rob, after Headley’s great play, just forgot to hold him on. Letting the potential winning run steal second so easily was a mistake that cost the Yanks the ballgame when Dioner Navarro singled in Bautista.

After Greene exited, David Huff went 2/3, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 0 K. Overall ERA 4.04.

Betances 1 2/3, 1 R (unearned because of his error), 0 H, 2 walks, 1 K. 1.43.

Warren 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 2.75.

Robertson (L, 1-3) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 0 K, 2.50.

Derek Jeter got one hit to go to 3417 for his career, two behind Carl Yastrzemski for 7th on the all-time list.

Game 102. Surprise power source carries red-hot Yanks to 6-4 win.

Ichiro Suzuki’s first HR of the season, a 3-run shot, lifted the red-hot Yankees to a 6-4 win on Friday night.

The Yanks have won 7 of 8 since the All-Star Break. The win puts them at 54-48, in sole possession of second place in the AL East, and they currently have sole possession (by one game) of the second wild card spot as of now.

Hiroki Kuroda struggled early, thanks to Jose Bautista, but did provide 5 2/3 innings and got the win. Kuroda gave up all four runs to Toronto on two homers by Bautista, a 3-run shot in the first and a solo shot in the third. When Bautista hit his second HR off Kuroda, he was at that time 4 for 4 off him, with all 4 hits being HRs.

Down 3-0, the Yanks got two back in the second. McCann and the red-hot Headley singled, and Ichiro walked. An infield single by Roberts brought in one run, and a SF by Gardner plated another.

After Bautista’s second HR put Toronto up 4-2, the Yanks came back with four in the bottom of the third and there was no further scoring for the rest of the ballgame.

Carlos Beltran homered to make it 4-3. It was Beltran’s 11th HR of the season and 369th of his career, tying him with Ralph Kiner and Todd Helton on the all-time HR list, one behind Gil Hodges.

After Beltran’s HR, McCann and Headley singled, and Ichiro’s 3-run homer put the Yanks up 6-4 and that is how the game wound up.

It was Ichiro’s first HR of the season. Not only that, out of Ichiro’s 63 hits this season, only 8 have been for extra bases, making the HR that much more of a pleasant surprise for Yankees’ fans.

If you didn’t see Jeter’s reaction when Ichiro came back to the dugout after Ichiro’s HR, you should check it out. Jeter gave Ichiro a teasing “are you kidding me” look before breaking into a big smile and laugh. Priceless.

Kuroda (W, 7-6, 3.99) 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 1 walk and 3 K.
Huff 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. Overall ERA (SF/NYY) 4.10.
Kelley 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.45.
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 w, 1 K. 1.47.
Robertson his 26th save. 1 Ip, 0 R, 1 H, 0 w, 2 K. 2.33.

Robertson is 26 of 28 in saves this year. He has alleviated any doubts of replacing Mo.

Jeter got hit #3414 in the victory. He is now five behind Carl Yastrzemski for seventh on the all-time hits list and 16 behind Honus Wagner for sixth. Jeter won’t catch the top five, since he is 101 hits behind fifth-place Tris Speaker.

McCann had two hits and raised his average to .243. This is one thing the Yanks need. For much of the season, McCann has been in the .220s.

Chase Headley had three hits and is 6 for 14 since becoming a Yankee.

Francisco Cervelli had two hits and is at a surprising, but welcome, .311.

It was the 17th straight time the Yankees beat Toronto at Yankee Stadium. Not only that, the Yanks continued their success against Mark Buehrle, who continues to struggle vs. the Yanks (1-12 career).

I see that Bill Renna, a backup OF for the 1953 Yanks, passed away recently.

Game 101. Yanks win 4-2.

A change of scenery has done Brandon McCarthy some good so far. When the Yanks traded for McCarthy, he was 3-10, 5.01 for Arizona. In three starts as a Yankee, he is 2-0, 1.45.

Thursday afternoon McCarthy pitched six innings, 1 R, 4 h, 2 walks and 5 K as he improved to an overall record of 5-10, 4.49.

Adam Warren 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walk and 0 K. 2.77.

Matt Thornton 1/3 ip, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walk and 0 K. 2.91.

Dellin Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 1.49.

David Robertson with his 25th save. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 2 K. 2.39.

After Texas got a run in the third, the Yanks tied it in the fourth when Gardner doubled and two outs later scored on a single by another newly-acquired Yankee, Chase Headley.

The Yanks went ahead for good in the fifth. Ichiro walked and Cervelli doubled him home. After a sac bunt and a walk, Gardner’s SF made it 3-1.

Warren gave up a solo HR in the seventh, but the Yanks got an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Beltran singled and McCann doubled him in.

The win puts the Yanks at 53-48, three behind Baltimore in the AL East. However the win also puts the Yanks in a virtual 3-way tie for the second wild card spot with Toronto, with Seattle a 1/2 game back. The Yanks play Toronto at the Stadium this weekend.

Also, the Yanks picked up lefty Chris Capuano for cash considerations yesterday from the Rockies. Capuano will be 36 soon. He has been used solely in relief this year, going 1-1, 4.55, ERA+ 87 for Boston. Boston released him July first, and Capuano was picked up by Colorado on the 4th of July, but he didn’t pitch for the Rockies. Last year he was 4-7, 4.26 in 24 games for the Dodgers, with 20 starts. For is career, Capuano is 74-84, 4.28, ERA+ 96. His best year was in 2005 for Milwaukee, when he won 18 games. He was an All-Star in 2006. Although he has mostly been a starter in his career, he has only pitched in 31 2/3 innings this year in 28 games.

One note I saw. SS Tom Veryzer, who played mostly for the Tigers and Indians in the 1970s, passed away at the age of 61 on July 8th. He was a .241 hitter with an OPS+ of 61.

Game 100. Yanks win rain-shortened game, 2-1.

On July 13, the Yanks lost a rain-shortened game 3-1 in 4 1/2 innings down in Baltimore.

Mother Nature decided to even up the score as the Yanks won a rain-shortened game Wednesday night, 2-1 in 4 1/2 innings.

David Phelps went five innings for the win. He goes to 5-4 and has quietly lowered his ERA to 3.77.

1 R, 5 H, 0 walks and 3 k.

After Texas got a run in the top of the third on a couple of singles and a DP ball, the Yanks came back with two in the bottom of the third. Cervelli doubled, went to third on a groundout and scored on a balk. Gardner then homered, his 10th of the season. Can you believe Gardner is tied for second on the team in HR?

In the bottom of the fifth, the rains came so hard and fast that the grounds crew had trouble putting the tarp on. Even after the rain subsided, the field was a mess and the game was called.

The Yanks improve to 52-48, three behind the Orioles in the AL East. They are just 1/2 back of the final wild card spot. Before the game, the Yanks put Kelly Johnson on the DL due to a groin strain, called up P Chris LeRoux and DFA’d P Bruce Billings.

Game 99. Yanks make a deal, and the new guy wins the game, 2-1 in 14.

–The Yanks traded Yangervis Solarte and minor league pitcher Rafael De Paula to San Diego today for 3B Chase Headley.

Headley got on a plane to NY and wound up getting the game winning hit in a 2-1, 14-inning Yankees win.

Solarte, a rookie, hit great for the Yanks for the first six weeks of the season. He cooled off after that and at the time of the trade was at .254-6-31, OPS+ 100. De Paula was 6-5, 4.15 at High A Tampa this year. De Paula is 23 and is projected by most to be an MLB reliever. He has struck out 335 in 264 minor league innings.

As for Headley, you only wonder if he can get back to where he was a couple of years ago. Headley, 30, is a switch-hitting 3b who in 2012 had an excellent season, hitting .286-31-115, OPS+ 145, finishing 5th in MVP voting, and winning the Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He led the NL in RBI that year. Heck, I’d take 2/3 of that. This year he was at .229-7-32, OPS+ 88 before the trade. Nothing to write home about, but Petco in SD is a bad place for hitters. Hopefully Yankee Stadium helps him. His 162 g. average is .266-16-72, OPS+ 113 and 13 steals. If he can just do that… but he does strike out a lot. 151 times is his 162 game average.

For much of this game, this was like Chinese water torture. Worse than soccer (sorry, soccer fans). Neither team could score.

Chase Whitley (we have Chase Whitley and Chase Headley… could Chase Utley be next in a deal?) went 7 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 0 walks and 6 K. ERA to 4.60.

Thornton 1 batter, 1 out on a K. Strikeout. Foul ball trying to bunt with two out. 2.95.

Warren. 2/3 IP. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 2.63.

Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 2 K. 1.52.

Robertson 2 IP, 0 r, 0 h, 0 walks and 3 K. 2.45.

Kelley 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 3.48.

In the bottom of the 9th, with one out and the game still scoreless, Jeter doubled. Hit #3413 (6 behind Yaz on the all-time list for 7th) was double #535 of Jeter’s career, making him the all-time Yankees’ doubles leader, passing Gehrig.

Ellsbury was walked, but Beltran GIDP.

Even though the Yankees won, if I were the manager, I’d fine Francisco Cervelli $250 for what happened in the bottom of the 12th, for he almost cost the Yankees the ballgame. If Girardi didn’t put on a take sign, then Girardi should fine himself.

Beltran singled, then there was a WP. McCann popped a single, similar to what happened Sunday, but Beltran couldn’t advance. Ichiro bunted the runners over. Roberts was intentionally walked to bring up Cervelli.

Scoreless game. Bases loaded. One out. A walk wins the game. Cervelli has a 3-0 count on him. He (correctly) takes a strike.

But instead of taking a SECOND strike, Cervelli swung at the 3-1 pitch. I fine his ass for that. You take the SECOND strike as well there. The pitch after that could be ball four which wins the game. With two strikes, you might foul off a couple pitches. Make him throw strike three. Instead, Cervelli swung at the 3-1 pitch and lined out. To me, that is just stupidity. You must make the pitcher throw strikes there. You take BOTH the 3-0 and 3-1 pitches. You make him throw a strike and not ball four which would win the game. Why help the pitcher there?

In the top of the 13th, Arencibia homered off of Huff and it looked like Cervelli would be the goat.

Huff 2 Ip, 1 R, 3 H, 0 walks, 1 K. Overall ERA 4.20.

The Yanks tied it up in the bottom of the 13th. Gardner doubled, Jeter bunted him over and Ellsbury singled him in to tie the game.

Jeff Francis, just acquired, made HIS Yankees debut in the 14th and got the win.

1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 0 K. Overall, 1-2, 5.59.

With one out in the bottom of the 14th, Roberts doubled. Cervelli redeemed himself somewhat with a single, sending Roberts to third. The new guy, Headley, singled in the game-winning run.

The win puts the Yanks at 51-48.

Deals may not be done. Word is that the Yanks are in on White Sox lefty John Danks.