Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees trailed by three runs in the 8th and rallied to tie the game, but a home run by Carlos Pena in the top of the 10th put the Rays ahead for good and the Yankees fell below .500 for the fourth time this season. A win by Toronto over the Angels put the Yankees 5.5 behind the Blue Jays in the A.L. East.
A.J. Burnett was for the most part pretty good through 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out 8. The bullpen was relatively solid, with the only run off of them in 4 innings being the home run by Pena off of Phil Coke in the 10th.
The Yankee offense was pretty dull, as for the second straight game all three runs came on one swing. The Yankees went scoreless for 7 and 2/3 until Mark Teixeira doubled with the bases loaded, scoring all runners to tie the game at 3. The 2-3-4 part of the order (Damon, Tex, Matsui) went 6-14, but the remainder of the team had just three hits total.
It's another frustrating loss, and what's probably most frustrating about it is the fact that the guys who are supposed to be the weak links with all these injuries actually came through in big spots (Pena and Molina both had key hits in the 8th) and the Yankees still came away empty-handed.
The Yanks will try to salvage a game in this two-game series and get back to the .500 mark tonight at 7:05 ET. Andy Pettitte will take the mound and his Rays' counterpart will be Jeff Niemann.
Recap records: Patrick: 8-3, Seamus: 4-8, Andrew: 1-3
A.J. Burnett was for the most part pretty good through 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out 8. The bullpen was relatively solid, with the only run off of them in 4 innings being the home run by Pena off of Phil Coke in the 10th.
The Yankee offense was pretty dull, as for the second straight game all three runs came on one swing. The Yankees went scoreless for 7 and 2/3 until Mark Teixeira doubled with the bases loaded, scoring all runners to tie the game at 3. The 2-3-4 part of the order (Damon, Tex, Matsui) went 6-14, but the remainder of the team had just three hits total.
It's another frustrating loss, and what's probably most frustrating about it is the fact that the guys who are supposed to be the weak links with all these injuries actually came through in big spots (Pena and Molina both had key hits in the 8th) and the Yankees still came away empty-handed.
The Yanks will try to salvage a game in this two-game series and get back to the .500 mark tonight at 7:05 ET. Andy Pettitte will take the mound and his Rays' counterpart will be Jeff Niemann.
Recap records: Patrick: 8-3, Seamus: 4-8, Andrew: 1-3
Posted by: Patrick
In last night's loss to the Red Sox, Joba Chamberlain struck out 12 hitters over 5 and 2/3 innings. Even more crazy, perhaps, is that he didn't strike out one hitter in the first inning, meaning he struck out 12 of the last 14 outs that he was responsible for.
Yahoo! Sports says that, at 23, he is the youngest Yankee to strike out 12 or more batters in a game since Al Downing struck out 13 against the White Sox in 1964, 7 days before he would turn 23.
Tyler Kepner did a little research and found that only four other pitchers since 1954 have struck out 12 or more hitters while pitching 5 and 2/3 or less innings in a game.
They are J.R. Richard in 1978 (5.1 IP, 12 K), Kevin Appier in 1994 (5.2 IP, 13 K), Curt Schilling in 1997 (5.2 IP, 12 K) and Cole Hamels in 2006 (5.1 IP, 12 K).
Yahoo! Sports says that, at 23, he is the youngest Yankee to strike out 12 or more batters in a game since Al Downing struck out 13 against the White Sox in 1964, 7 days before he would turn 23.
Tyler Kepner did a little research and found that only four other pitchers since 1954 have struck out 12 or more hitters while pitching 5 and 2/3 or less innings in a game.
They are J.R. Richard in 1978 (5.1 IP, 12 K), Kevin Appier in 1994 (5.2 IP, 13 K), Curt Schilling in 1997 (5.2 IP, 12 K) and Cole Hamels in 2006 (5.1 IP, 12 K).
Posted by: Patrick
From SI.com's Jon Heyman:
Via Steve Lombardi.
Major League Baseball is expanding its investigation of Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez by adding the pitch-tipping allegation spelled out in Selena Roberts' new book A-Rod to the agenda, people familiar with the inquiry told SI.com. ...
MLB's burden of proof in a case like that would have to be extremely high to take action; they'd need either Rodriguez to admit to the charges, or for someone else intimately involved to swear to it. It would seem futile to go over video of the games and try to match up alleged tips and pitches, especially since ex-Rangers teammates have come forward to say they didn't notice any tipping, and they were there.
MLB's burden of proof in a case like that would have to be extremely high to take action; they'd need either Rodriguez to admit to the charges, or for someone else intimately involved to swear to it. It would seem futile to go over video of the games and try to match up alleged tips and pitches, especially since ex-Rangers teammates have come forward to say they didn't notice any tipping, and they were there.
Via Steve Lombardi.
Posted by: Patrick
Tuesday night's game against the Red Sox was pretty frustrating. To start, Joba got out of the box very poorly. Single, runner steals second, single, RBI single, 3 run HR, single. It was 4-0 Yankees, real fast. He got out of the inning, striking nobody out.
The funny thing about that is that Joba was on fire from this point forward, allowing just one more hit and striking out 12 (yes, twelve) in the next four and 2/3. So, he retired 14 more batters and struck out 12 of them. Averaged out over a whole game, that's 19 K's. Not saying he would have kept up that pace, but still.
Johnny Damon brought the Yankees to within a run, with a three run shot in the third, scoring Derek Jeter and Jose Molina. Unfortunately, that was the closest they would get.
Every relief pitcher not named Alfredo or Mariano pitched in this one. Jose Veras and Phil Coke each pitched 2/3 scoreless. Jonathan Albaladejo came out to pitch the eighth and, to lead off the inning, Ramiro Pena misplayed what should have been a routine play, allowing Jason Bay to reach on an error. And then Bay stole second.
Mike Lowell grounded out, moving back to third and the Yankees elected to intentionally walk J.D. Drew. Albaladejo then hit Jeff Bailey to load the bases. Jason Varitek hit a sac fly that allowed Bay to score. If Pena had made the play, the inning would have been over with no runs scored. But, it wasn't. Former Yankee Nick Green took full advantage of the extra out, driving Drew in with an RBI single.
Letting Green go could prove to be a bigger mistake than when the Red Sox traded Ruth to the Yankees. Or, at least, when the Yankees released Clay Bellinger. Edwar Ramirez got the final out of the eighth.
Mark Melancon was called out to the 9th and could not throw strikes. He walked Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Bay to start the inning and then threw 2 straight balls to Mike Lowell. That was it for him, as David Robertson came in and turned that 2-0 count into a strikeout against Lowell. After a J.D. Drew fly out, however, Robertson walked Bailey, bringing home a run. And that's where the game would end. Red Sox win, 7-4.
Melky Cabrera had a good day, going 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and moving his average up to .344. Jeter and Damon each had 2 hits.
The Yankees begin a two game set with the Rays tomorrow at 7:05 PM ET. A.J. Burnett (2-0, 5.40) will face Andy Sonnanstine (1-3, 6.75).
Recap records: Patrick: 8–3, Seamus: 4–7, Andrew: 1–3.
Additional reporting by Seamus Molloy.
The funny thing about that is that Joba was on fire from this point forward, allowing just one more hit and striking out 12 (yes, twelve) in the next four and 2/3. So, he retired 14 more batters and struck out 12 of them. Averaged out over a whole game, that's 19 K's. Not saying he would have kept up that pace, but still.
Johnny Damon brought the Yankees to within a run, with a three run shot in the third, scoring Derek Jeter and Jose Molina. Unfortunately, that was the closest they would get.
Every relief pitcher not named Alfredo or Mariano pitched in this one. Jose Veras and Phil Coke each pitched 2/3 scoreless. Jonathan Albaladejo came out to pitch the eighth and, to lead off the inning, Ramiro Pena misplayed what should have been a routine play, allowing Jason Bay to reach on an error. And then Bay stole second.
Mike Lowell grounded out, moving back to third and the Yankees elected to intentionally walk J.D. Drew. Albaladejo then hit Jeff Bailey to load the bases. Jason Varitek hit a sac fly that allowed Bay to score. If Pena had made the play, the inning would have been over with no runs scored. But, it wasn't. Former Yankee Nick Green took full advantage of the extra out, driving Drew in with an RBI single.
Letting Green go could prove to be a bigger mistake than when the Red Sox traded Ruth to the Yankees. Or, at least, when the Yankees released Clay Bellinger. Edwar Ramirez got the final out of the eighth.
Mark Melancon was called out to the 9th and could not throw strikes. He walked Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Bay to start the inning and then threw 2 straight balls to Mike Lowell. That was it for him, as David Robertson came in and turned that 2-0 count into a strikeout against Lowell. After a J.D. Drew fly out, however, Robertson walked Bailey, bringing home a run. And that's where the game would end. Red Sox win, 7-4.
Melky Cabrera had a good day, going 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and moving his average up to .344. Jeter and Damon each had 2 hits.
The Yankees begin a two game set with the Rays tomorrow at 7:05 PM ET. A.J. Burnett (2-0, 5.40) will face Andy Sonnanstine (1-3, 6.75).
Recap records: Patrick: 8–3, Seamus: 4–7, Andrew: 1–3.
Additional reporting by Seamus Molloy.
Posted by: Patrick
Chad Jennings reports that the recently released Humberto Sanchez signed back on with the Yankees on May 1.
Sanchez had been let go in order to make room for Angel Berroa. He has been assigned to the disabled list of Double-A Trenton.
Sanchez had been let go in order to make room for Angel Berroa. He has been assigned to the disabled list of Double-A Trenton.
Posted by: Patrick
From Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN The Magazine:
Via Peter Abraham.
The former Dominican scouting director for the New York Yankees says he has filed a $3 million wrongful termination lawsuit against the team with a court hearing scheduled on Friday in the Dominican Republic.
Ramon Valdivia, one of two Dominican Republic-based scouts fired by the Yankees last year during a bonus-skimming investigation by Major League Baseball, is seeking damages against the team after he was alleged to have taken bonus money from 18-year-old Yankees prospect Kelvin De Leon.
Valdivia received a potential boost to his case against the Yankees when on April 22, a Santo Domingo court ruled that De Leon must pay Valdivia $55,000 in damages as a result of what the court found to be De Leon's libelous comments, according to documents obtained by ESPN The Magazine. De Leon had told several media outlets that Valdivia and Carlos Rios, the other former Yankees scout, had received $100,000 of the player's signing bonus. Additionally, the court also ruled De Leon must perform 64 hours of community service.
Ramon Valdivia, one of two Dominican Republic-based scouts fired by the Yankees last year during a bonus-skimming investigation by Major League Baseball, is seeking damages against the team after he was alleged to have taken bonus money from 18-year-old Yankees prospect Kelvin De Leon.
Valdivia received a potential boost to his case against the Yankees when on April 22, a Santo Domingo court ruled that De Leon must pay Valdivia $55,000 in damages as a result of what the court found to be De Leon's libelous comments, according to documents obtained by ESPN The Magazine. De Leon had told several media outlets that Valdivia and Carlos Rios, the other former Yankees scout, had received $100,000 of the player's signing bonus. Additionally, the court also ruled De Leon must perform 64 hours of community service.
Via Peter Abraham.
Posted by: Patrick
Peter Abraham reports that catcher Francisco Cervelli has been called up from Double-A Trenton to take the spot of the DLed Jorge Posada. He also has this:
The Yankees are saying officially that Posada will be out 2-3 weeks. But within the clubhouse, the fear us that it could be more like 3-5 weeks.
05/05: Four Years of YanksBlog.com!
Posted by: Patrick
Today marks four years of YanksBlog.com. We launched on May 5, 2005 (05/05/05) and, over 3,500 posts later, here we are.
In light of this accomplishment, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has visited and supported the site. From our readers and commenters to our fellow bloggers and members of the media. We appreciate all of the support.
In addition, I'd like to thank Seamus for all of his work and support from day one, as well as others that have blogged with us in the past.
Thank you!
In light of this accomplishment, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has visited and supported the site. From our readers and commenters to our fellow bloggers and members of the media. We appreciate all of the support.
In addition, I'd like to thank Seamus for all of his work and support from day one, as well as others that have blogged with us in the past.
Thank you!
Posted by: Patrick
VoteSwisher.com is a fan based effort to get Nick Swisher into the All-Star lineup. It'll be quite the challenge as he's not even on the ballot. But, they have instructions on their site to help people write him in. The site received a mention on Nick Swisher's official site, as well. We wish them luck.
Posted by: Patrick
Andrew Fletcher of Scott Proctor's Arm reports that Jorge Posada has been placed on the DL, after hurting his hamstring in yesterday's game. This is according to Sweeny Murti at WFAN. It's unclear how bad the injury is and the Yankees have not announced a corresponding roster move.
