Posted by: Patrick
The National Post reports that the Yankees have traded short stop Alberto Gonzalez to the Nationals for 22 year old pitcher Johnny Nunez. Nunez is 2-8 this year with a 4.85 ERA between Single- and Double-A.
Via Steve.
Via Steve.
07/31: Britton Called Up
Posted by: Patrick
Joel Sherman reports that Chris Britton has been called up to fill in for Kyle Farnsworth. That is all.
Posted by: James
The Red Sox have traded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way trade that also involves the Red Sox getting Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Details to follow.
Update: The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and releiver Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.
Update: The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and releiver Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.
Posted by: Seamus
If you're a Yankee fan, you had to feel good going into this one, with Joba Chamberlain on the mound facing Dennis Sarfate. Joba Chamberlain delivered another good outing and the Yankees' bats pounded on the O's en route to a 13-3 victory that ended their losing streak at 3. The Red Sox lost yet again to the Angels, so the Yankees moved back within a game of Boston for the A.L. wild card lead.
Joba was solid again, this time going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits and striking out six. Chamberlain improved his record to 4-3, and the Yankees are now 8-3 in games that he's started this season.
The Yankees took advantage of the Orioles' bullpen, as they scored four runs in both the 6th and 7th innings to account for eight of the Yankees' 13 runs in the game. Bobby Abreu lead the way with two homers and 3 RBI. Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady also drove in two apiece.
The Yankees will face the MLB-best Angels tonight for the first time this season. The Yanks have ten games remaining with the Angels this season (that's almost 1/5 of the schedule), so let's hope they don't share the same ill fate as their A.L. East rivals, as the Red Sox have lost 9 straight against Los Angeles (of Anaheim?). Andy Pettitte will be on the mound and his counterpart will be the Angels' Jon Garland. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Joba was solid again, this time going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits and striking out six. Chamberlain improved his record to 4-3, and the Yankees are now 8-3 in games that he's started this season.
The Yankees took advantage of the Orioles' bullpen, as they scored four runs in both the 6th and 7th innings to account for eight of the Yankees' 13 runs in the game. Bobby Abreu lead the way with two homers and 3 RBI. Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady also drove in two apiece.
The Yankees will face the MLB-best Angels tonight for the first time this season. The Yanks have ten games remaining with the Angels this season (that's almost 1/5 of the schedule), so let's hope they don't share the same ill fate as their A.L. East rivals, as the Red Sox have lost 9 straight against Los Angeles (of Anaheim?). Andy Pettitte will be on the mound and his counterpart will be the Angels' Jon Garland. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
During yesterday's game against the Orioles, Edwar Ramirez threw a wild pitch that went up and behind Kevin Millar (video on MLB.com) and he was immediately tossed. Peter Abraham has a quote from Millar on the incident:
"One hundred percent [he threw at me intentionally]," Millar said. "I was upset they threw him out of the game because he’s really good hitting. He’s a cute little fellow, he doesn’t throw that hard and he doesn’t have very good stuff. So it’s probably a good idea they threw him out, because it probably would’ve been in Monument Park."
Alrighty then. For his part, Ramirez called Millar a "very good guy," before learning of these remarks. After he heard about them, he said, "I apologize if he thinks that."
Abraham notes that Millar is 1 for 4 against Edwar with three strikeouts.
"One hundred percent [he threw at me intentionally]," Millar said. "I was upset they threw him out of the game because he’s really good hitting. He’s a cute little fellow, he doesn’t throw that hard and he doesn’t have very good stuff. So it’s probably a good idea they threw him out, because it probably would’ve been in Monument Park."
Alrighty then. For his part, Ramirez called Millar a "very good guy," before learning of these remarks. After he heard about them, he said, "I apologize if he thinks that."
Abraham notes that Millar is 1 for 4 against Edwar with three strikeouts.
07/30: Bye Bye Latroy
Posted by: James
He seemed like a great guy...but he didn't exactly light the world on fire coming out of the Yankee pen. Actually, he just added fuel to the fire of most situation he was called on to salvage...
In any case, LaTroy Hawkins was traded to the Astros for minor league 2B Matt Cusick and cash. The kid is hitting .284 /.357/.454/.811 where the league OPS is .700 so clearly, he can hit (at this level). He was drafted by the 'stros in the 10th round of the 2007 draft after spending 3 years with the USC Trojans (played with IPK). Seems like aChris Malec, #2 professional hitter type...but I'll leave the analysis to the pros. On further reflection, he seems like more of a Justin Synder type with a little more pop and a little less versatility in where he can play. We'll see where he goes, though I expect it will be Charleston...unless Malec moves to AAA and they move him up to AA (though I doubt that will happen).
Update: Here was the draft profile of Cusick.
Man, I'm amazed that the Astros gave up anything decent for someone who was just designated...way to go Cash.
In any case, LaTroy Hawkins was traded to the Astros for minor league 2B Matt Cusick and cash. The kid is hitting .284 /.357/.454/.811 where the league OPS is .700 so clearly, he can hit (at this level). He was drafted by the 'stros in the 10th round of the 2007 draft after spending 3 years with the USC Trojans (played with IPK). Seems like a
Update: Here was the draft profile of Cusick.
With his bat control and outstanding makeup, Cusick should get plenty of attention and could be a nice No. 2 hitter in the future. His ability to hit for average and get on base should appeal to the stats-hungry crowd.
Man, I'm amazed that the Astros gave up anything decent for someone who was just designated...way to go Cash.
07/30: Another Plus to the Trade
Posted by: James
Tigers Thoughts had put a post about Pudge a couple days ago that has a lot of implications for the Yankees this coming offseason.
Now, I don't know if the Yankees would offer Pudge arbitration (with his age, he just might take it if he gets no other offers, right?) but I do know that the Farns definitely wasn't a Type-A free agent. So, if this all works out perfectly, the Yankees could have just traded Kyle Farnsworth for Pudge and a couple of very high picks. Not too shabby.
Applying my formula to this upcoming class, here is how I am projecting the Elias Sports Bureau would rank the American League Catchers if the season ended yesterday.The top 7 would qualify as Type A players, while the next 7 are Type B. Martinez and Posada are in the midst of injury plagued seasons, while guys trailing Rodriguez such as Jason Varitek and Kenji Johjima are struggling this year. As a result, I am fairly confident in saying that Ivan Rodriguez will be a class A player this offseason. This means the Tigers would get a sandwich pick and a first/second round pick if he signs with another team after being offered arbitration.
Now, I don't know if the Yankees would offer Pudge arbitration (with his age, he just might take it if he gets no other offers, right?) but I do know that the Farns definitely wasn't a Type-A free agent. So, if this all works out perfectly, the Yankees could have just traded Kyle Farnsworth for Pudge and a couple of very high picks. Not too shabby.
Posted by: Seamus
I'm not joking. Really, I'm not. The deal is complete and was announced on YES during the Yankees' pregame show. Joe Girardi said during the postgame interview that he had made Farnsworth aware of the deal and that it was "very tough."
Man, as much as I've killed the guy over the last three years, I've started to take a bit of a liking to Professor Farnsworth. I guess he became more expendable after the deal for Damaso Marte, however.
Pudge still has a little bit left in the tank, as he's put up a line of .295/.338/.417 and is still very solid defensively.
Man, as much as I've killed the guy over the last three years, I've started to take a bit of a liking to Professor Farnsworth. I guess he became more expendable after the deal for Damaso Marte, however.
Pudge still has a little bit left in the tank, as he's put up a line of .295/.338/.417 and is still very solid defensively.
Posted by: Patrick
My friend Jared W. Smith attended tonight's game between the Yankees' Single-A affiliate, the Charleston RiverDogs, and the Asheville Tourists, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The game was noteworthy for marking rehab appearances by both Carl Pavano and Phil Hughes. Jared agreed to write an exclusive guest post to YanksBlog.com, sharing some pictures and detailing what he saw.
Philip Hughes and Carl Pavano each made rehabilitation appearances for the low-A Charleston RiverDogs in their 4-2 win against the Asheville Tourists Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Park in Charleston, SC. The rehab assignments were the first for the South Atlantic League team as a member of the Yankees' farm system.
The much-maligned Pavano, who has been under constant fire for his lengthy stays on the disabled list spanning a majority of his four-year, $39.95 million dollar contract, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Pavano got the start for the RiverDogs and threw two shutout innings, giving up one walk and one hit while striking out four. His velocity was down - his fastball touched 90 about three times with his typical fastball coming in at 86 to 88 - but it was enough against the Tourists' hitters. Pavano gradually mixed in some breaking and off-speed pitches, and was effective with them, striking out the side in the second. Despite the drop in velocity, Pavano was sharp and had good command of most of his pitches, which should be incredibly encouraging considering the layoff.
Philip Hughes came on in the 3rd inning, also starting primarily with fastballs and sinkers. He hit 93 consistently on the stadium's gun through the third, working around a hit to retire the side with two ground ball outs and a flyout. In the 4th inning, Hughes began to throw his breaking pitches, which were a bit rusty at first, as he walked the leadoff man. Hughes found a groove with the next batter and got a double play ball to end that threat. In the fifth, he struck out one and got another ground ball out before surrendering a triple to Tourists catcher Lars Davis; Hughes was able to induce the next batter to fly out, ending that threat and his evening. Hughes threw three shutout innings, scattering two hits and walking one, with one strikeout. It was an efficient outing for Hughes; so efficient, in fact, he had to pitch the fifth inning because he did not reach his prescribed pitch count (roughly around 25-30) in the third and fourth.
The game was delayed by a half hour to a 7:30 start as showers and thunderstorms lingered around Charleston for much of the afternoon, as if Carl Pavano needed another impediment to getting back on a mound! Luckily for Pavano and the RiverDogs, the weather abated itself by the first pitch. Rain resumed in the fifth inning, sending fans (including yours truly!) scurrying to more covered locations, but that also abated and the game went on to a full nine innings.
The appearances are encouraging, though it's still too early to tell when they'll be back to the Yankee rotation. A healthy Hughes and perhaps even Pavano could only help the Yankee pitching staff as it bears down for what promises to be an intense dash to the AL East pennant.
Philip Hughes and Carl Pavano each made rehabilitation appearances for the low-A Charleston RiverDogs in their 4-2 win against the Asheville Tourists Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Park in Charleston, SC. The rehab assignments were the first for the South Atlantic League team as a member of the Yankees' farm system.
The much-maligned Pavano, who has been under constant fire for his lengthy stays on the disabled list spanning a majority of his four-year, $39.95 million dollar contract, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Pavano got the start for the RiverDogs and threw two shutout innings, giving up one walk and one hit while striking out four. His velocity was down - his fastball touched 90 about three times with his typical fastball coming in at 86 to 88 - but it was enough against the Tourists' hitters. Pavano gradually mixed in some breaking and off-speed pitches, and was effective with them, striking out the side in the second. Despite the drop in velocity, Pavano was sharp and had good command of most of his pitches, which should be incredibly encouraging considering the layoff.
Philip Hughes came on in the 3rd inning, also starting primarily with fastballs and sinkers. He hit 93 consistently on the stadium's gun through the third, working around a hit to retire the side with two ground ball outs and a flyout. In the 4th inning, Hughes began to throw his breaking pitches, which were a bit rusty at first, as he walked the leadoff man. Hughes found a groove with the next batter and got a double play ball to end that threat. In the fifth, he struck out one and got another ground ball out before surrendering a triple to Tourists catcher Lars Davis; Hughes was able to induce the next batter to fly out, ending that threat and his evening. Hughes threw three shutout innings, scattering two hits and walking one, with one strikeout. It was an efficient outing for Hughes; so efficient, in fact, he had to pitch the fifth inning because he did not reach his prescribed pitch count (roughly around 25-30) in the third and fourth.
The game was delayed by a half hour to a 7:30 start as showers and thunderstorms lingered around Charleston for much of the afternoon, as if Carl Pavano needed another impediment to getting back on a mound! Luckily for Pavano and the RiverDogs, the weather abated itself by the first pitch. Rain resumed in the fifth inning, sending fans (including yours truly!) scurrying to more covered locations, but that also abated and the game went on to a full nine innings.
The appearances are encouraging, though it's still too early to tell when they'll be back to the Yankee rotation. A healthy Hughes and perhaps even Pavano could only help the Yankee pitching staff as it bears down for what promises to be an intense dash to the AL East pennant.
Posted by: Patrick
On Tuesday night, after 6 innings, Darrell Rasner had a nice line and the Yankees were only down by a run, 2-1, with the lone run coming on an A-Rod homer. But, to start the seventh, he went right into trouble, allowing a single and hitting a batter. Damaso Marte was brought in to stop the bleeding, but was ineffective, allowing a single, double and double, before making an out and going on to retire the Orioles. After all was said and done? 6-1, Orioles.
Veras threw a 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts in the top of the 8th and the Yankees chipped away at the Orioles lead with a 2 spot in the bottom half of the inning. Cano drove in both runs, scoring A-Rod and Abreu on an RBI single. Unfortunately, with Jason Giambi on second, Wilson Betemit, Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady went down in order, leaving the 'Stache stranded. That would come back to bite them.
Mariano pitched the ninth and yet again, in a non save situation, he allowed a run. He gave up a lead off homer to Aubrey Huff in the 9th. This run would also come back to bite the Yanks.
Heading into the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees were down, 7-6. They got off to a quick start with a Johnny Damon single, Derek Jeter walk and Bobby Abreu RBI double scoring Damon. A-Rod made the first out with a strike out.
Jason Giambi came through with a single, scoring both Jeter and Abreu and putting the Yankees down a run with a man on first and 1 out. Justin Christian pinch ran for Giambi and stole second. The tying run was at second base with Cano and Betemit due up. Both of them struck out and the game was over.
Joba Chamberlain (3-3, 2.30) will pitch against Dennis Sarfate (4-1, 3.78 ERA) tomorrow at 1:05 PM ET in the final game of the 3 game set with the O's.
Veras threw a 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts in the top of the 8th and the Yankees chipped away at the Orioles lead with a 2 spot in the bottom half of the inning. Cano drove in both runs, scoring A-Rod and Abreu on an RBI single. Unfortunately, with Jason Giambi on second, Wilson Betemit, Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady went down in order, leaving the 'Stache stranded. That would come back to bite them.
Mariano pitched the ninth and yet again, in a non save situation, he allowed a run. He gave up a lead off homer to Aubrey Huff in the 9th. This run would also come back to bite the Yanks.
Heading into the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees were down, 7-6. They got off to a quick start with a Johnny Damon single, Derek Jeter walk and Bobby Abreu RBI double scoring Damon. A-Rod made the first out with a strike out.
Jason Giambi came through with a single, scoring both Jeter and Abreu and putting the Yankees down a run with a man on first and 1 out. Justin Christian pinch ran for Giambi and stole second. The tying run was at second base with Cano and Betemit due up. Both of them struck out and the game was over.
Joba Chamberlain (3-3, 2.30) will pitch against Dennis Sarfate (4-1, 3.78 ERA) tomorrow at 1:05 PM ET in the final game of the 3 game set with the O's.
Posted by: Seamus
Monday night was not a fun night at the Bronx if you are a Yankee fan, as Mike Mussina was knocked around by the Orioles in a game reminiscent of their brutal loss on May 20. After winning eight in a row, the Yankees have now been outscored by a total of 16 runs in their last two games. The Red Sox and Rays both lost, however, so the Yankees didn't lose any ground on either of the division or wild card races.
Mussina had another forgettable outing against his former team, as he was tattooed early and often. Moose went only five innings, allowing 8 runs on 6 hits. His E.R.A. jumped 30 points from 3.26 to 3.56.
The one bright spot of the game came in the 7th inning, when Xavier Nady broke an 0-9 slump since becoming a Yankee with his first home run in pinstripes. Johnny Damon also homered in the inning. It was Damon's first home run since May 27.
Well, I guess it's no harm done since both Boston and Tampa Bay lost. Time to get out there tonight and hopefully make last night a distant memory. Darrell Rasner will be taking the mound tonight and his counterpart will be the Orioles' Daniel Cabrera. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Mussina had another forgettable outing against his former team, as he was tattooed early and often. Moose went only five innings, allowing 8 runs on 6 hits. His E.R.A. jumped 30 points from 3.26 to 3.56.
The one bright spot of the game came in the 7th inning, when Xavier Nady broke an 0-9 slump since becoming a Yankee with his first home run in pinstripes. Johnny Damon also homered in the inning. It was Damon's first home run since May 27.
Well, I guess it's no harm done since both Boston and Tampa Bay lost. Time to get out there tonight and hopefully make last night a distant memory. Darrell Rasner will be taking the mound tonight and his counterpart will be the Orioles' Daniel Cabrera. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Tonight, Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano (!) will both be making rehab appearances tonight for Single-A Charleston. I have a friend who will be attending the game and he'll be making a special guest post here afterwards. So, check back late tonight or early tomorrow for that.
Posted by: Patrick
The unfortunate likelihood has become a reality: Jorge Posada will have season ending surgery to fix his his right shoulder.
“As difficult as it is, I can focus on coming back 100 percent for next season instead of coming back at less than that now,” Posada said in a statement. “Until then, I still plan on being a teammate and friend to the guys I share this room with. I may not be playing, but I want to be a part of this team and the run that we’re on.”
07/28: Yankees @ Red Sox; 7/28/08
Posted by: James
I really didn't want to put together a write-up for this game. Suffice it to say that this game proved everyone's thoughts on Sidney Ponson. He is doing it with smoke and mirrors and it was only a matter of time before his luck ran out. Sir Sidney gave up runs in the first, second, third, and fourth (3,1,1,2)...notice a pattern? Dan Geise came in and did a good job, going 4 innings and giving up 2 runs while saving the rest of the pen.
It's not like the Yankees didn't hit Lester though...they just didn't capitalize on the opportunities they had. In the third, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Derek Jeter grounded into a double play. In the fourth, A-Rod doubled to start off the inning but didn't score. Continuing the futility of the offense...in the fifth, the Yankees loaded the bases with none out and after scoring two (Jeter single and Abreu walk to load em up again), scored nothing else. A-Rod lined out, Nady flew out and Cano grounded back to the pitcher.
In any case, the Yankees had to lose sometime, no? It still felt like a bad loss...and Ponson's BAA (over 5 starts) is .322/.378/.469/.847. Umm, yeah, that's not good. Honestly, I wanted Darrell Rasner to be better...I really did, but yeah, not so much. .338/.400/.517/.917 over 9 starts. Help can't come soon enough...and speaking of help, anyone have any idea what happened to Washburn between May 10th and May 21st? Was he hurt or something? Because those two starts HAMMERED his ERA...but he has been lights out since then (2.82 ERA over 71 IP).
It's not like the Yankees didn't hit Lester though...they just didn't capitalize on the opportunities they had. In the third, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Derek Jeter grounded into a double play. In the fourth, A-Rod doubled to start off the inning but didn't score. Continuing the futility of the offense...in the fifth, the Yankees loaded the bases with none out and after scoring two (Jeter single and Abreu walk to load em up again), scored nothing else. A-Rod lined out, Nady flew out and Cano grounded back to the pitcher.
In any case, the Yankees had to lose sometime, no? It still felt like a bad loss...and Ponson's BAA (over 5 starts) is .322/.378/.469/.847. Umm, yeah, that's not good. Honestly, I wanted Darrell Rasner to be better...I really did, but yeah, not so much. .338/.400/.517/.917 over 9 starts. Help can't come soon enough...and speaking of help, anyone have any idea what happened to Washburn between May 10th and May 21st? Was he hurt or something? Because those two starts HAMMERED his ERA...but he has been lights out since then (2.82 ERA over 71 IP).
Posted by: Patrick
Dan Angell of The Trentonian spoke with Phil Coke and George Kontos in relation to reports that one of them had labrum damage.
Coke says that he hasn't had a physical since spring training. While Kontos simple says that his labrum is fine.
Thanks Joe for the tip.
Coke says that he hasn't had a physical since spring training. While Kontos simple says that his labrum is fine.
Thanks Joe for the tip.
Posted by: Patrick
Will Carroll reported on Saturday that Phil Coke failed a physical, leading to the Nady/Marte deal leading to the deal being adjusted.
However, in relation to Carroll's report, Mike Ashmore says that he'd be surprised if the Yankees would keep throwing an injured pitcher and noted that neither Trenton Manager Tony Franklin, nor Coke, have any idea as to why Coke was taken out of the deal.
However, in relation to Carroll's report, Mike Ashmore says that he'd be surprised if the Yankees would keep throwing an injured pitcher and noted that neither Trenton Manager Tony Franklin, nor Coke, have any idea as to why Coke was taken out of the deal.
Posted by: Patrick
Yesterday, a Pittsburgh paper had reported that the reason that the recent trade between the Yankees and the Pirates was adjusted, to remove pitchers Phil Coke and George Kontos, was because one of the pitchers had labrum damage.
But, according to Peter Abraham, Coke struck out three batters in one inning of work on Friday and Kontos threw six innings, yesterday. So, they both might be OK.
But, according to Peter Abraham, Coke struck out three batters in one inning of work on Friday and Kontos threw six innings, yesterday. So, they both might be OK.
Posted by: Patrick
Ken Davidoff reports on the Yankees efforts to get Bernie back to the Stadium, before it closes, so that the fans can thank him. He was invited to Old Timers Day, but apparently has a long planned vacation with his family.
Via Steve.
Via Steve.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees just keep rolling, this time clobbering the Red Sox by a score of 10-3 en route to their 8th straight victory against teams who started the break ahead of them in the wild card race. The Yanks closed to within one game of the Sox in the A.L. wild card race, and remained three games behind the Rays, who won in Kansas City.
Andy Pettitte was pretty solid after a rough first inning in which he allowed two runs. Pettitte more or less cruised through the next five innings, as aside from a home run by J.D. Drew in the 6th, he did not allow a runner to reach third base. He finished with a line of three runs off five hits in six innings.
The lineup did a good job against Tim Wakefield and took advantage of a mediocre Red Sox bullpen. Robinson Cano just continues to rake, as he went 3-4, including a game-tying home run in the 4th. He's now got his average up to .270. Alex Rodriguez was on base four times, including a scary moment where he was drilled in the arm by a fastball from Craig Hansen in the 8th. Rodriguez did leave the game, but the Yanks said it was just precautionary and doesn't seem major. Xavier Nady was 0-3 with a walk in his Yankees' debut.
The bullpen pitched yet another three scoreless innings, and this time Damaso Marte was in on the action. Marte was brought in to face one batter, and he got the job done as he struck out David Ortiz swinging in the bottom of the 7th. Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and David Robertson all had scoreless outings as well, and all three have earned run averages under 3.00.
If I told you I wouldn't have been a little surprised if the Yankees would finish out this 9-game stretch after the All-Star break against Oakland, Minnesota and Boston tied for the wild card lead, I'd probably be lying. All three teams were ahead of them when their series with them began, and the Yankees have mowed through all of them so far, and can catch Boston in the standings with a win tonight. There is one problem however: the pitching matchup for tonight is Sidney Ponson against Jon Lester. Ponson will have to cut down on his mistakes and retire some leadoff hitters for once, as he isn't going to get himself out of every jam against this lineup the way he's done it against the Mets, Rays and Twins. It will be a very intriguing game to watch, and could be a major turning point in this season. Game starts at 8:05 ET and will be carried on ESPN.
Andy Pettitte was pretty solid after a rough first inning in which he allowed two runs. Pettitte more or less cruised through the next five innings, as aside from a home run by J.D. Drew in the 6th, he did not allow a runner to reach third base. He finished with a line of three runs off five hits in six innings.
The lineup did a good job against Tim Wakefield and took advantage of a mediocre Red Sox bullpen. Robinson Cano just continues to rake, as he went 3-4, including a game-tying home run in the 4th. He's now got his average up to .270. Alex Rodriguez was on base four times, including a scary moment where he was drilled in the arm by a fastball from Craig Hansen in the 8th. Rodriguez did leave the game, but the Yanks said it was just precautionary and doesn't seem major. Xavier Nady was 0-3 with a walk in his Yankees' debut.
The bullpen pitched yet another three scoreless innings, and this time Damaso Marte was in on the action. Marte was brought in to face one batter, and he got the job done as he struck out David Ortiz swinging in the bottom of the 7th. Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and David Robertson all had scoreless outings as well, and all three have earned run averages under 3.00.
If I told you I wouldn't have been a little surprised if the Yankees would finish out this 9-game stretch after the All-Star break against Oakland, Minnesota and Boston tied for the wild card lead, I'd probably be lying. All three teams were ahead of them when their series with them began, and the Yankees have mowed through all of them so far, and can catch Boston in the standings with a win tonight. There is one problem however: the pitching matchup for tonight is Sidney Ponson against Jon Lester. Ponson will have to cut down on his mistakes and retire some leadoff hitters for once, as he isn't going to get himself out of every jam against this lineup the way he's done it against the Mets, Rays and Twins. It will be a very intriguing game to watch, and could be a major turning point in this season. Game starts at 8:05 ET and will be carried on ESPN.
No, not Roger Bannister. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that the Yankees are looking at Royals starter Brian Bannister as an alternative to Jarrod Washburn, if that deal falls through. He mentions Melky as the prime chip on the Yankees side in such a deal.
Bannister is 27 years old and had his rookie season in 2007. It was an impressive campaign where he went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and .249 BAA in 165 innings over 27 starts (a little over 6 innings a start).
However, much has gone wrong for Bannister in '08. In 21 starts, he is 7-9 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .284 BAA. July has been the worst month of all, as he is 0-2 with an 8.10/1.65/.321 line in 4 starts. Of course, it's not like Melky's smoking the ball, either. Could a change of scenery give Bannister a boost?
As an aside, the article also has this:
Via Peter Abraham.
Bannister is 27 years old and had his rookie season in 2007. It was an impressive campaign where he went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and .249 BAA in 165 innings over 27 starts (a little over 6 innings a start).
However, much has gone wrong for Bannister in '08. In 21 starts, he is 7-9 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .284 BAA. July has been the worst month of all, as he is 0-2 with an 8.10/1.65/.321 line in 4 starts. Of course, it's not like Melky's smoking the ball, either. Could a change of scenery give Bannister a boost?
As an aside, the article also has this:
The Yankees, like several teams, previously contacted the Royals regarding pitcher Zack Greinke. One major-league source said New York had offered Cabrera and second baseman Robinson Cano in exchange for Greinke and a position player thought to be outfielder Mark Teahen.
Via Peter Abraham.
07/27: Congrats Goose!
Posted by: Patrick
Goose Gossage will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the 35th Yankees player to do so. Congrats Goose!
07/27: Here Comes Washburn...
Posted by: James
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is starting to pass around the AP story that Mariners left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn is coming to the Yankees in exchange for "several prospects".
If they're expecting a great haul for Washburn, they really should reconsider. For the luxury of picking up over $10MM of this guy's salary, which Seattle is begging to be rid of, I'll give 'em Igawa and Cody Ransom (that'll clear up a spot for my boy Chris Malec...).
The New York Post reported late Saturday that Yanks general manager Brian Cashman was given the financial green light by the Steinbrenner family to trade for Washburn, who makes $9.85 million this season and $10.35 million next season. The 33-year old lefty is 4-9 with a 4.75 earned run average in 20 games (19 starts) for Seattle this season.
...
While the Yankees reportedly won't include any of their top-level minor league prospects in the trade, the Post reported that struggling Japanese import Kei Igawa likely will be included. Igawa, who is the in second year of a five- year, $20 million contract, was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton on Saturday.
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While the Yankees reportedly won't include any of their top-level minor league prospects in the trade, the Post reported that struggling Japanese import Kei Igawa likely will be included. Igawa, who is the in second year of a five- year, $20 million contract, was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton on Saturday.
If they're expecting a great haul for Washburn, they really should reconsider. For the luxury of picking up over $10MM of this guy's salary, which Seattle is begging to be rid of, I'll give 'em Igawa and Cody Ransom (that'll clear up a spot for my boy Chris Malec...).
The Yankees trade for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte has been adjusted. Peter Abraham reports that, instead of receiving Phil Coke and George Kontos, the Pirates will receive righty pitchers Dan McCutchen and Jeff Karstens.
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