Rays Want Some More Heath Bell

Bell back in the good old days in San Diego.

Heath Bell was once "top of the world, Ma" (That's Cagney, not Titanic), but after he signed a free agent deal with the Florida Marlins, the one time NL saves leader came crashing back to Earth. Bell will be with his fourth team in four years this coming Spring Training after the Tampa Bay Rays acquired him Tuesday from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team deal.

In addition to Bell, the Rays will also get catcher Ryan Hanigan and cash from the Reds. Cincinnati will receive left-hander David Holmberg from Arizona, while the Dbacks get right-hander Justin Choate from the Rays and a player to be named later.

Bell saved more than 40 games for three straight seasons (2009-2011) while a member of the San Diego Padres. The 36-year old signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Marlins following the 2011 season, but was part of the mass purge orchestrated by owner/con-man Jeffrey Loria. Bell landed in Arizona in October, 2012 as part of a three team deal that included Oakland.

His one season in Miami was a disaster with a 5+ ERA and 8 blown saves in 27 chances. He eventually lost the closer role to Steve Cishek. Bell started off well in AZ with 13 saves in 15 opportunities, but then blew five of his next seven chances and lost the full-time job.

The Rays are hoping Bell can turn things around just as Fernando Rodney did after he signed with the Rays as a free agent prior to the 2012 season. Once a mediocre set up man and poor closer, Rodney was an All-Star and finished 5th in the 2012 AL Cy Young voting after he saved 48 of 50 games and limited the opposition to a 1.08 ERA. Rodney blew eight of 45 chances in 2013, but is expected to sign a multi-year deal elsewhere. In the meantime, Bell will be among those vying for the vacant closer's role.

Holmberg is a 22-year old that was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft. He made his Major League debut on August 27 in a start against the San Diego Padres and left with no decision after he allowed three earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. The lefty isn't overpowering and relies on a good curveball. Despite being a starter in the minor leagues, he's likely ticketed to become a lefty specialist if he earns his way on to a Major League roster.

Choate signed a free agent deal with the Rays after being undrafted out of Texarkana (TX) College, which won the JUCO title in 2010. Choate pitched with some success for the Hudson Valley Renegades of the NY-Penn League last season. In 40.2 innings thrown, he struck out 35, walked 9, and pitched to a 2.88 ERA.

Time To Go

It is said that there are three little words that every woman wants to hear. It is said that there are three little words that professional athletes never want to hear, but last night Mariano Rivera heard them.

Long time teammates, friends, and brothers in arms, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter came out to the mound in the 9th inning of Thursday night's game with the Tampa Bay Rays to escort Mariano Rivera back to the dugout. It was a stroke of genius that occurred to manager Joe Girardi, a former teammate of all three players involved, in the 8th inning. He consulted with home plate ump Laz Diaz, who checked with crew chief MikeWinters, who in turn gave it the thumbs up. Pettitte and Jeter told Mo before the 9th started of what was to come, but it didn't lessen the impact at all.

Pettitte signaled for a right-hander and then Jeter said those three little words. "Time to go." That's all that Mariano needed to burst into tears, his head resting on Pettitte's shoulder while the tall Texan held him in a warm embrace and consoled him like you would any loved one.  It continued when Rivera held on to Jeter before the three walked to the dugout.

Many of the fans in the stands joined in the tearfest and you can bet there were plenty of people at home doing the same. The crowd roared on endlessly, just as it did when Bob Sheppard's recorded voice announced Mariano's entrance into the game in the 8th. Just as it did when the bullpen door opened and Mariano stepped out and broke into that familiar jog as "Enter Sandman" played for the last time for an active player. The Rays' players stood atop their dugout in applause as well, fully appreciating the moment. (They also would not take the field in the bottom of the 9th until Andy Pettitte came out of the dugout in response to the fans chant of "An-dy Pett-itte".)

The roar didn't stop when Mariano emerged for a curtain call and when the game was over and #42 was the only player left in the dugout. Photographers clicked away as Rivera stared out on to the field with finality written all over his face.  He then walked to the mound and kicked at the rubber one more time before he bent down and collected dirt just as he had when the old Yankee Stadium closed.

The game itself was meaningless; a 4-0 loss to the Rays in which Ivan Nova made his final start of the season. In a post-game press conference, the closer admitted that it wasn't so easy to pitch in the 81st home game of the season. He had left the dugout, something he never does, between innings to warm his arm up in the clubhouse. He sat on the bench for what seemed like an eternity until he went out to the mound to start the 9th inning.

His pitches didn't have quite the accuracy they usually do since his legs felt a bit jelly-like, but he still retired all four batters he faced. In doing so, he became the Major League's all-time leader in career ERA with a 2.209 mark, slightly ahead of Eddie Cicotte's 2.210. (Thanks to the YES Network's research king Jeff Quagliata for that remarkable factoid.)

And then it was over; the #42 jersey disappeared into the dugout and then the runway to the clubhouse for the last time. It's not likely you'll see him on the mound again, even if Andy Pettitte has a game to save when he makes his final career start Saturday in Houston. But there is a good chance you will see him in centerfield in one of the three games if Joe Girardi grants his wish.

Sunday's ceremony was fantastic, marvelous, etc., but Mariano's final Yankee Stadium game was transcendental.

The moment

What they were saying:

Rays manager Joe Maddon via Twitter: "For me tonight was not unlike the Ripken moment. Hard to imagine anyone surpassing Mariano. It's like DiMaggio's streak: untouchable."

Rays pitcher David Price via Twitter: "Yes I did grab dirt from the mound tonight...a true role model...unreal what Mariano has done on/off field" #history

Andy Pettitte: "I didn't say anything at first, and I didn't expect for him to be quite so emotional.. He broke down and just gave me a bear hug and I just bear-hugged him back. He was really crying. He was weeping, and I could feel him crying on me."

Chris Stewart on Girardi's idea: "That’s Joe; it shows you the respect he has for the game, and for one of the best players to ever play it. To send those guys out there, that was a special moment. And to hear the crowd roar like that … we haven’t heard it too much this season, but you will never forget it."

Joe Girardi in describing the night: As good as it gets, this is as good as it gets."

Rays starter Alex Cobb: "I stopped thinking about the actual game I was pitching in and just the moment I was in. I never felt those emotions in a baseball stadium. It was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of to this day. I went out there after he pitched and all I was thinking about was that I was on the same mound that Mariano just took after all that happened. I probably should have been thinking about other things than that."

Mo Meets the media


Pettitte meets the media


Jeter discusses Mo's last inning


Girardi's presser

Yankees Really Bobble Things This Time

I asked Bobblehead Mo about the fiasco, but he had no comment.

The game was bad enough Tuesday night - a 7-0 blow out at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays  - but it also brought the Yankees as far out on the edge of the cliff that they could go before they finally drop into the abyss.

Alas, there was also a sideshow to last night's funereal proceedings. It was Mariano Rivera Bobblehead night for the first 18,000 fans in attendance. With such a demand for the "doesn't look anything like the person" figurines, the Yankees had the objects delivered the day of the game. That was the first mistake of the night.

Mistake #2? Well, you probably can't classify it as a mistake since the truck carrying the tiny baubles broke down on its way to Yankee Stadium. People knew something was wrong when the Stadium's gates did open at their normal time. (A word to the wise - don't get bobblehead collectors riled/grouchy.)

Mistake #3 The first 18k through the gates got a voucher for when the Mariano not-look alikes arrived. That wasn't a mistake; the mistake was having 18,000 people wait in line around and under the Stadium to pick up the "preciouses" once they did arrive.

Mistake #4 Some of the bobbleheads didn't show up in one piece. If you're person 17,999 in line and your bobblehead is broken you are not going to be a happy camper.

Mistake #5 Watching the game from home...that mistake I cut off after a couple of innings.

Yankees Win and Lose Nightly

The Yankees had a huge 7-5 win Tuesday night over the Baltimore Orioles after stumbling over themselves in a loss on Monday. This is 2013 though and anything good or bad that the Yankees do seems to come at a price.

Three different Yankees had to leave the game with varying degrees of injury. The one that will have the biggest impact on the pennant race is the sore right triceps of Ivan Nova. The August pitcher of the month was as hot as any pitcher in baseball until he lasted just four innings against Boston nearly a week ago and left after six innings and a low pitch count last night due to the discomfort that visits his right arm now and then.

With a pitching staff already reeling due to a combination of ineffectiveness, injury, and fatigue, the Yankees cannot afford to lose Nova. His next scheduled start is against the Red Sox in Fenway Park Sunday night. He told reporters he wants to pitch, but his status will be unknown for the next two or three days.

The Yankees will most certainly need to add another catcher to the roster after Austin Romine left the game with an apparent concussion. The rookie took a foul ball off his mask and stayed in the game momentarily despite being dazed. Fellow rookie J.R. Murphy took his place in the game since Chris Stewart was removed earlier in the evening.

A logical choice for addition to the roster would be veteran Bobby Wilson, formerly of the Angeles organization, who played in 66 games for the Scranton RailRiders this season. (Scranton also has Jose Gil on their roster, but he has no Major League experience.) The Yankees would have to make room on their 40-man roster for any catcher, which could mean Romine gets put on the 60-day DL. They could also designate one of their lesser relievers for assignment.

Alex Rodriguez, whose been swinging a hot bat, ripped a double in the 8th and scored on Robinson Cano's single, but felt his left hamstring grab as he chugged home. Joe Girardi took him out as a precaution and the third baseman didn't think it was anything major.

With Boone Logan out indefinitely due to an achy elbow, the Yankees added journeyman Mike Zagurski before the game. The 30-year old left-hander had signed with the Yankees back in August, was granted free agency and signed with Oakland, and was granted free agency again on September 2nd. He threw six games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in May and June.

Zagurski threw 45 of his 88 big league games as a member of the Diamondbacks last season and has averaged a strikeout per inning. However, his career WHIP is in excess of 1.7.

After the game, the Yankees bolstered the shortstop position by picking up Brendan Ryan from Seattle for a player to be named later. Outfielder Zoilo Almonte was activated from the DL on Monday.

The current roster shows the Yankees carrying 18 pitchers, though the status of Nova, Logan, and David Robertson are currently up in the air. There are three catchers with Romine's status on hold, and eight infielders with Derek Jeter and A-Rod banged up.

Somehow the Yankees enter Wednesday's play two games behind Tampa Bay in the AL wild card race.

Soriano is Back, Back in a New York Groove

You can clap for yourself when you win the game.

Alfonso Soriano said he felt like he was back home and the Yankees fans greeted him that way when he came to bat in the 2nd inning of Friday night's series opener with the Tampa Bay Rays. Unfortunately, he went 0-5 with an RBI ground out as the Yankees and CC Sabathia got pummeled by the Tampa Bay Rays 10-6. Things were no better on Saturday when the Yankees got shut out on two hits by rookie Chris Archer.

But on Sunday those little town blues melted away. It was like old times in the Bronx. Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and even Hideki Matsui were wearing pinstripes. Jeter, playing in just his second game of the season, swung at the first pitch he saw from Rays starter Matt Moore and deposited it in the first row in right-center field for a solo home run. Soriano went 4-5 on the day, with the final hit a single up the middle that scored Brett Gardner in the bottom of the 9th to win it, 6-5.

Soriano arrived despite the protestations of GM Brian Cashman, who was against dealing a young pitcher (Corey Black) for the 37-year old. Soriano had begun to establish a legacy in the Bronx when he was dealt for Alex Rodriguez prior to the 2004 season.  Had it not been for a rare meltdown by Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Soriano would have had a toehold in Yankees history forever.

It was Soriano's 7th inning home run off of Curt Schilling that gave the Yankees a 2-1, but the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied against Rivera to win the World Series.  Soriano also had the game winning single in the 12th inning of Game 5 after Scott Brosius had tied the game with a home run in the 9th.

Sunday's series finale with the Rays was a battle- twice Phil Hughes, the home run pitching machine, had Wil Myers go deep off of him to blow leads. Soriano was there to save the day though. He belted a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning( yes, Yankees right-handed hitters actually hit home runs), singled twice, earned a Gatorade shower from Brett Gardner for his 9th inning heroics.

One of the first to greet Soriano was his old double play partner Jeter. According to @YestoResearch (YES' Jeff Quagliata) it was the first time since July 17, 2003 that pair homered in the same game together as teammates.

Even though Soriano was never a Yankee in the new Yankee Stadium, he said Friday that he felt he was home again and YS was his home. Slated to wear #22, he even got Vernon Wells to give him #12 in an undisclosed transaction. Wells will wear 22 from now on.

Ichiro Suzuki also had four hits in the game to become the 6th player in MLB history with at least 50 4-hit games.

The Kid is Hot Tonight

..Whoa so hot tonight, but where will he be tomorrow? - Loverboy

Comings and going in the Yankees clubhouse is nothing out of the ordinary these days. Given the chance to play, some have played well for short or long stretches, some have been up and down from the minors like a yo-yo, and some are just getting their chance to make their mark. Such is the case with Zoilo Almonte.

Making his first Major League start after two pinch-hit appearances, Almonte had three hits, including his first Major League home run to spark the Yankees to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He also got a big cheer from the crowd when his throw from left field to home plate smacked into the catcher Austin Romine's mitt like a 95-mph fastball and froze a  Rays base runner at third base in the process.

Almonte is just the latest player given a shot to contribute to a struggling lineup. The recently turned 24-year old had impressed Joe Girardi in the last two Spring Trainings, so it was no surprise that he was recalled earlier in the week and given a chance to contribute.

The native of the Dominican Republic hit 21 HR, drove in 70 runs, stole 15 bases, and had an .808 OPS at Double-A Trenton last year. This season, his first at the Triple-A, his batting average is up (.297) from last year, but his power numbers have dipped. However, his 30 walks and 47 strikeouts in 293 plate appearances are respectable.

Almonte wasn't alone in snapping the Yankees two game losing streak. David Phelps fought his way through five-plus innings to improve to 5-4 and Boone Logan, Shawn Kelley, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera shut the Rays down the rest of the way.  Jayson Nix was the only player in the starting lineup without ast least one hit.

Pitchers Must be Protected

Scenes like this need to be prevented.

If you didn't watch the live telecast of the Toronto Blue Jays - Tampa Bay Rays game, you may not want to watch the replay of Blue Jays' pitcher J.A. Happ take a line drive off his head.

The sound itself was horrible - Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey described the impact as sounding like the ball had been hit by two bats; the actual swing by Desmond Jennings and then the collision with Happ's head. I was grateful the camera shot was from behind Happ rather than from behind home plate.

It was unsettling to watch the fear on the faces of players on both teams as Happ fell to the ground, bloodied on the left side of his head, and stayed there until the he was stabilized and carted off the field. Happ was taken to the hospital for precautions and kept overnight. He was released earlier today and said he was in "good spirits".

How long Happ remains out remains to be seen. He appears to be luckier than Brandon McCarthy was last season when he was hit by a comebacker while pitching for the Oakland A's. It resulted in a skull fracture that required surgery and a six day hospital stay. McCarthy missed the last month of the season and playoffs, but he's back this season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As a Yankees fan, I automatically think of the Yankees-Red Sox game back in 2000 when the Yankees Ryan Thompson hit a line drive into the face of Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie. It was a horribly bloody injury that compromised Florie's vision. He got back to the Red Sox the following season, but was released after seven big league appearances and then bounced around the minor leagues until he called it quits in 2007.

So what do you do? Pitchers can't wear helmets. Do you put some kind of insert in the cap similar to those used by batters as a pre-cursor to batting helmets? (McCarthy pointed out that neither Happ nor he would have been protected by an insert).

ESPN's Buster Olney was on Michael Kay's radio show Wednesday afternoon and mentioned that Major League Baseball is looking at some kind of insert, perhaps kevlar, for the caps. He emphasized that the league has to look into the impact on a pitcher's mechanics and comfort level.  Any kind of head gear would probably need to be tested in the minors first and with the generation of players that will arrive in the Majors soon. Just like the NHL did when helmets became mandatory, the current players would probably be grandfathered in to the old rules giving them the choice to wear some kind of protective head gear.

Whatever the league comes up with, something needs to be done soon. The number of incidents of pitchers being seriously injured has increased and it would be sad if nothing was done until, God forbid, someone suffered a fatal injury.

Rays Continue to Churn Out Pitchers: Cobb Chews Up Yankees

The Rays key to pitching success

While the Yankees have been waiting for their pitching prospects to pan out, the LA Dodgers, Oakland A's, and Tampa Bay Rays seem to crank out Major League ready pitchers as if they were put together in a factory.

While the Dodgers youngsters, outside of Clayton Kershaw, haven't produced quite as well as they have in the past, the A's and Rays have dominated the last decade with good, live arms. Due to budget constraints, both teams deal away their pitchers once their on the brink of earning big money, and they always bring back a nice booty of prospects in the process.

Facing the Rays 19 times a year, the Yankees have had the misfortune of going up against Tampa Bay's plethora of pitching talent. After averaging nearly 5.5 runs per game this season, the Yankees were held to five runs total in the three game series with the Rays that concluded Wednesday night. It was no surprise then that the Rays took two of the three games, with the Yankees defeat of ace David Price their lone victory.

The Rays dealt Matt Garza to the Cubs following the 2010 season for a package of players, including prospects Chris Archer (another pitcher, #36 in Baseball America's top 100) and shortstop Hak-Ju Lee (ranked the #56 prospect by mlb.com).

This past off-season it was James Shields' turn to move on. He was dealt with another former pitching prospect, Wade Davis, to the Royals for one of the top ranked hitters in the minor leagues (Wil Myers),one time highly ranked pitching prospect Mike Montgomery,and the #45 prospect in MLB.com's top 100 (Jake Odorizzi).

The Rays tabbed Matt Moore to replace Garza and Alex Cobb to supplant Shields. In his second full season, Moore is 4-0, 1.04 and has averaged better than 10 strikeouts per 9 innings. His performance has come on the heels of an 11-11, 3.81 campaign last year that saw him strikeout 175 hitters in 177.1 innings pitched. The left-hander won't be 24-years old until June and isn't arbitration eligible until 2017.

Cobb showed promise in a nine game call up in 2011 and got 23 starts last season. His 11-9 record with 4.03 ERA and 1.247 WHIP had to bolster Rays GM/Exec VP Andrew Friedman's confidence that he could deal Shields.

So far it has paid off. Cobb beat out Jeff Niemann for the final spot in the rotation and has gone 3-1, 1.82 in his first four starts. He came within two outs of his third career complete game in Wednesday's 3-0 win against the Yankees. It was a game in which Cobb out pitched veteran Andy Pettitte.

The rumor mill has already begun that David Price will be the next Rays pitcher to go. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner is making more than $10MM this year and is arbitration eligible in 2014. Something tells me the Rays front office isn't concerned though.  They've got an Archer, a Montgomery, an Odorizzi, a Taylor Guerrieri (#44 MLB.com), and an Enny Romero waiting in the wings.

Notes

Cobb was masterful in the rubber game of the series; he allowed a pair of hits through 8.1 innings pitched before Brett Gardner's single sent him to the showers. Fernando Rodney, who blew up in Tuesday night's loss, allowed another base hit to Tuesday's hero, Ichiro Suzuki, before he retired Robinson Cano and Travis Hafner to preserve the victory.

The Yankees only managed to get one runner to second base against Cobb, who retired the side in order in five separate innings and faced the minium in another thanks to a double play. 72 of his 106 pitches were for strikes, very similar to the 105/68 Pettitte threw in two and one-third less innings.

The game was scoreless until the 5th inning when Pettitte hit light-hitting catcher Jose Molina on the foot. Kelly Johnson followed with a single to right that went through Brennan Boesch, getting a rare start in the outfield. Molina's lack of foot speed was the only thing that prevented a run from scoring on the play.

With second and third and no one out, Pettitte looked like he might get out of the jam when he struck out Desmond Jennings and Ryan Roberts. But Ben Zobrist slapped a hanging curveball to right for a two-run double.  Sean Rodriguez added insurance an inning later with a solo home run.

Eduardo Nunez looked like a different player in the field last night, with a couple of spectacular plays at shortstop. He stopped a hard shot up the middle, did a 360 degree turn and threw the batter out. Later he made a stop deep in the hole between short and third and made a hard, one bounce throw for the out at first base.

The Price Was Right For Small Ball

The master of small ball

There are plenty of people out there, their own fans included, waiting for the Yankees to completely collapse. An 11-8 start and 10 wins in the past 14 games seems to be an aberration. How could a team with so many past their prime players being doing so well and how are they staying healthy?

Outside of Kevin Youkilis, who has had a bad back flare up, it's really too early in the season to be concerned with wear and tear. The Yankees are finding ways to win, and that's what good ball clubs do.  Tuesday night they went up against the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner in David Price.

First and foremost that meant the Yankees starter, Phil Hughes, had to pitch well enough to keep his team in the ball game. He did just that with two runs allowed in seven solid innings of work and as a bonus he did not allow a home run, which has been one of his biggest problems. Next, the Yankees needed to score some runs; that did not come so easily.

Though Price entered the game with a 6.26 ERA, he had thrown a pair of good games and was knocked around in another two, so his ERA was misleading. He also dominated the Yankees last year when they still had a lineup of big bangers.

Down 1-0 in the 4th inning, Eduardo Nunez reached when he struck out on a wild pitch and raced safely to first base. Robinson Cano and Vernon Wells followed with singles to tie the game. One of the most watched reclamation projects, Wells has posted a nifty .975 OPS against left-handers.

The Rays took the lead back on an RBI single by former Yankee Jose Molina, but right fielder Ichiro Suzuki stopped the inning from being bigger when he threw out James Loney trying to reach third base. The Yankees got the run right back on back to back one out singles by Ichiro and Jayson Nix and a ground out to the right side by Brett Gardner.

David Robertson kept the Rays in check to set up the heart of the Yankees order against Price to start the 9th. Cano entered the game just 11-47 (.234) against the 6'6" left-hander, but led off the final frame with his second base hit of the game.

Rays manager Joe Maddon brought in his closer Fernando Rodney to face Vernon Wells. Rodney dominated AL hitters last year en route to 48 saves and struck out Wells, but Cano swiped second base in the process.  Pinch-hitter Travis Hafner was intentionally walked and Lyle Overbay got an unintentional free pass when a 3-2 pitch just missed the strike zone. The Yankees then got extremely lucky.

Joe Girardi let Chris Stewart hit for himself with the bases loaded instead of going to a pinch-hitter such as Brennan Boesch. Stewart fouled out, with the ball only going what seemed like about 10 feet in the air and 10 feet from home plate. It was better than a double play though and gave Ichiro, the master of small ball, a chance to do some damage. With just two multi-hit games thus far, Ichiro added a third when he popped a 99-mph fastball in front of center fielder Desmond Jennings to plate a pair of runs.

Evan Longoria crushed his fifth home run of the season to start the bottom of the 9th inning against Mariano Rivera, but the Yankees' closer picked up his sixth save when he retired the next three hitters.

Notes

Remarkably, the Rays are 0-5 in Price's 5 starts.

The Yankees expect a visit from Derek Jeter tonight, with his left foot back in a boot.

Mark Teixeira has eliminated May 1 as a target date for his return after his wrist stiffened up from taking dry swings.

Yankees Battery Powers Past Tampa Bay

The Yankees best pitcher of the second half picked up his 14th win of the season and his catcher continued his mini-resurgence with his 17th home run of the year in the Yankees 6-4 defeat of the Tampa Bay Rays.  The loss dropped the Rays five games back in the AL East and four games behind Baltimore for the second wild card spot.

Hiroki Kuroda (14-10) was outstanding through the first five innings before he ran into trouble in the 6th inning, and the Yankees bullpen blanked the Rays over the final three innings.  Kuroda faced seven batters in the first two innings and struck out six of them. The only batter to make contact and put a ball in play was Ben Zobrist who doubled with one out in the 1st inning.

Kuroda ended his day with 10 K's, second only to his 11-strikeout performance against the Chicago White Sox on June 30. Kuroda's battery mate, Russell Martin, gave his partner a big boost when the Yankees got on the board with a five-run 3rd inning against Rays starter Matt Moore.

Eduardo Nunez, making another start at shortstop, drew a lead off walk and quickly stole second base. DH Derek Jeter followed with an RBI single to right to snap the scoreless tie. It was Jeter's 199th hit of the season and his only base knock of the day.

Jeter advanced to second base on the play and was sacrificed to third by the slumping Nick Swisher. Alex Rodriguez continued to swing a hot bat with an RBI single of his own for a 2-0 Yankees lead. Robinson Cano then walked and Martin deposited a pitch in the right field seats for a 5-0 advantage. Martin is one home run shy of his total from last season and two behind his career high of 19 that he established as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007.

Zobrist homered off Kuroda in the 4th to get the Rays on the board, but A-Rod quickly got the run back with a sac fly after Nunez reached on an error and stole second and third in the bottom of the inning.  A loss of Kuroda's control and an oblivious Yankees fan nearly cost the Yankees the lead in the 6th.

Kuroda walked Jonathan Lobaton to start the frame and Desmond Jennings followed with a single. Zobrist hit a foul pop on the right side that 1st baseman Steve Pearce had a chance to put away. The ball was about a row deep into the seats, but a leaping Pearce collided with a Yankees fan who was looking for a souvenir and the ball fell free. The fan apologized and Pearce was forgiving (clearly this was not a "Bartman" incident), but Kuroda proceeded to walk Zobrist to load the bases.

Evan Longoria took advantage of the opportunity with a two-run single that cut the Yankees lead in half. The Rays pushed another run across, but the Yankees traded it for the double play Matt Joyce hit into. With the score 6-4, Kuroda k'ed B.J. Upton, who had the Golden Sombrero on the day, to end the inning.

The Rays put two aboard with two out an inning later, but David Phelps struck out Jennings to escape the jam. The last gasp for the Rays came in the 9th when A-Rod made an error that brought the tying run to the plate. But Rafael Soriano picked up his 40th save when Jeff Keppinger bounced into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

The 2011 Nova Model Returns in the Nick of Time

It was just one start, but it was an encouraging one. Ivan Nova made his first start since being activated from the disabled list earlier in the week and spurred the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The win, combined with a Baltimore loss to Oakland, but the Pinstripes back atop the AL East by themselves. The Rays fell four games back in the east and remained three back in the wild card.

The Yankees were counting heavily on Nova this year, especially after Michael Pineda went down before the start of the regular season, based on last season's 16-4 campaign. But Nova was erratic for most of the year before going on the DL August 23 with an inflamed right rotator cuff.

Saturday's game was a reminder of just how good Nova can be when he's healthy and hits his spots. His fastball had good velocity and his pitches darted around the strike zone. It helped that the Yankees gave him an early when Curtis Granderson smacked a 2-run shot off of Rays starter James Shields in the 2nd inning, and Eduardo Nunez followed with his first home run of the season.

Derek Jeter had just one hit on the day, but it produced a run in the 5th as Ichiro Suzuki scored from second base.  Suzuki had singled and put himself in scoring position by swiping second.

The Rays finally got to Nova in the 6th on an Evan Longoria solo home run and Joe Girardi pulled his starter when Jeff Keppinger led off the 7th with a single.(Girardi's move, and he's not alone in doing it, defies logic. If you're going to pull a pitcher if anyone gets on base, why let him start the inning at all? You might as well let the relief pitcher start out of a windup rather than the stretch position.)

The Yankees bullpen decided to make the game close; Boone Logan picked up a force out, but Ryan Roberts double to put two men in scoring position. Joba Chamberlain froze the runners on Sam Fuld's come backer, but pinch-hitter Luke Scott singled to right to cut the Yankees lead to 4-3. Nova's final line showed two earned runs allowed in six innings with two walks and eight strikeout and just 85 pitches throwns (53 strikes. He won his 12th of the season and is 29-13 as a Yankee.

The Yankees got one back in the 8th when Robinson Cano doubled and scored on an Alex Rodriguez single and then it was up to Rafael Soriano to finish off the victory in the 9th. He did just that for his 39th save, but not before creating a little unecessary excitement.

Soriano allowed a one out single to Ben Francisco and walked Stephen Vogt (Vogt entered the game 0-17 on the season) with two down, but blew a high fastball past pinch-hitter Elliot Johnson for the final out.
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Yankees Big Man Comes Up Small Again

"Maybe something is wrong with my elbow."

After Phil Hughes' gem in Boston last (I don't care if the Red Sox had fielded a little league team, shutting out the Red Sox in Fenway is a big accomplishment), the Yankees hoped to get a big boost from their big man, CC Sabathia.

But just like each of his previous starts since his return from the DL, Sabathia looked very ordinary. He blanked the Rays through four innings, but his fastball remained in the low 90's (he topped out at 93) and the Rays got to him their thrid time around in the order.

Steve Pearce's RBI single in the 2nd inning had given the Yankees a 1-0 lead, but Chris Gimenez started off the 5th with a double. The .183 career hitter entered the game 5-13 (.385) against the Yankees. Sabathia wild pitched Gimenez to 3rd base and proceeded to walk Carlos Pena.

Elliot Johnson and Desmond Jennings followed with RBI singles to give the Rays the lead for good, 2-1. Tampa Bay tacked on another run in the inning after another wild pitch and walk loaded the bases again. Sabathia got Even Longoria to bounce into a double play, but the Rays increased their lead to 3-1.

David Price, who improved to 18-4, gave up a run back in the bottom of the inning when Curtis Granderson belted his 38th home run of the year. The Yankees threatened for more when Eduardo Nunez and Derek Jeter, who DH'ed for the second straight night, reached on back to back singles. But Price got Nick Swisher to hit a weak fly ball  for the second out and Johnson made a diving stop in the hole between first and second to rob Alex Rodriguez of  an RBI single and end the inning.

Sabathia allowed another run in the 7th before he gave way to Cody Eppley.  The lefty's final line was 6.2 IP, 6 H 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K and he is 0-3, 4.67 in his last four starts.

B.J. Upton hit a solo home run off of Eppley in the 8th, but the Yankees didn't roll over. A-Rod hit a long 2-run home run off Joel Peralta in the bottom of the 8th. The Yankees continued to rally, but has been the case for most of the season, they came up short. Robinson Cano reached on a walk, which sent Joe Maddon to the bullpen for Fernando Rodney.

The Rays closer is having a career year and struck out Russell Martin on a pitch two feet out of the strike zone for the second out of the inning. Raul Ibanez worked a walk, but Granderson swung at Rodney's first delivery to squelch the comeback attempt.

Joba Chamberlain gave up an unearned run in the top of the 9th after Nunez let a ball go through his wickets (he had made two marvelous plays earlier in the game) and the Yankees went down in order in the 9th.  They went home not knowing if they still have a share of first place in the AL East as Baltimore and Oakland played late on the west coast.

Elliot Johnson Finally Pays Off Debt, Yankees Back in 1st

Let's go into the way back machine, back to Spring Training, March 8, 2008. Yankees playing the Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa. Elliot Johnson of the Rays races to the plate and barrels over and through Yankees up and coming catcher Francisco Cervelli.

Cervelli's wrist was broken, Joe Girardi was livid, and Joe Maddon and the Rays made a statement that they weren't going to be stepped on any more. The play led to an eventual brawl when Shelley Duncan slid in spikes high on Akinori Iwamura four days later. Cervelli's season was pretty much done- he was limited to just 27 games in the minor leagues in 2008.

It took four years, but Elliot Johnson finally said he was sorry. Well, ok, not really, but his throwing error in the 7th inning gave the Yankees the lead back for good and helped them reclaim sole possession of first place.

Hiroki Kuroda was handed 3-1 and 4-3 leads, but couldn't hold either. But a slumping Andruw Jones singled off Rays' starter Matt Moore to start the top of the 7th. Steve Pearce followed with a single of his own before Jayson Nix sacrificed pinch-runner Ichiro Suzuki and Pearce into scoring position.

Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth got a ground ball from Derek Jeter, but second baseman Johnson's throw sailed wide of catcher Jose Lobaton. Not only did Suzuki score, but Pearce raced home with a second run.

The Rays put two men aboard against Boone Logan and David Robertson in the 8th, but D-Rob got Matt Joyce to pop out to end the inning. The 9th was Rafael Soriano time and the closer untucked his jersey for the first time in days after he retired the Rays in order for his 36th save.

Notes

While the Rays fell back to 2.5 games out, the Orioles dropped back into second place, 1 game out after a 6-4 loss to Toronto. The Yankees and O's begin a four game series in Baltimore on Thursday.

And Then There Was One

Saturday seems so long ago. On Saturday, the Yankees got a gift from the Baltimore Orioles. A victory they never should have had. It was a win that the Yankees and their faithful hoped would kick start them towards better baseball. It wasn't to be.

Sunday's 8-3 loss was like returning a gift for some piece of schlock. A game they could have won had Phil Hughes not given up two mammoth home runs to the Orioles' Mark Reynolds. The second of which he never should have been in the game to give up.  The blast turned a 3-2 Yankees lead into a 5-3 deficit.

Joe Girardi must be in hog heaven right now. With the rosters expanded, the man with the binder can mix and match to his heart's content. But he failed to pull the trigger in time on Saturday and let Hughes face Reynolds. The Orioles first baseman had already hit a ball 9,000 ft earlier in the game (that's not a typo, it really was that far).  And then the bullpen, led by the consistently horrid Joba Chamberlain poured gasoline all over the burning fire. The Yankees lead had shrunk to two games ahead of Baltimore and three and one-half ahead of Tampa Bay.

After the game the Yankees jetted down to west Florida for a big three game series with the Rays before they  head back north for four games in Camden Yards with the Orioles.  Monday's Labor Day match up had CC Sabathia going up against James Shields.

The Yankees generally don't play well in the Warehouse that Ugliness Built, and CC Sabathia had won just three games (five losses, five no-decisions) in his 13 starts at the Trop entering today's contest. Shields entered play just 6-13, 4.58 in 24 career starts against the Yankees. But considering the Yankees have been unable to hit unproven rookies, over the hill veterans, and everything in between, you knew that they would probably would have a tough time with a quality starter like Shields.

The theory proved out as Shields allowed just five hits over eight innings and the Rays scored in the bottom of the 8th for a 4-3 victory to move with in 2.5 of the Yankees. In doing so, they also helped out the Orioles, who are now just one game back of the Yankees for the AL East lead after a win over Toronto.

The once reliable, fairly rested Yankees bullpen is now the overworked and an inconsistent horror show. David Robertson, who has not been quite right since returning from the DL on June 14, took the loss after he gave up three hits in one inning of work.

The Rays like to run and usually steal at will when facing New York. Jeff Keppinger led of the home half of the 8th with a single, but pinch-runner Rich Thompson was thrown out trying to steal second base by Russell Martin.  After Roberterson retired Ben Francisco for the second out, Ryan Roberts safely reached first base with a single and promptly stole the Rays' third base in four attempts on the day.

Light-hitting Chris Giminez entered the game with a .203 batting average, but singled home Roberts with the go ahead run. The Yankees had a chance in the 9th when Eric Chavez reached on a one out error and pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez stole second. But Raul Ibanez grounded out and closer Fernando Rodney (41 saves) struck out pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson with the tying run stranded 90 ft. from home plate.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup for the first time since he broke his wrist on July 25. He DH'ed and went 1-4 with a bloop single and a run scored.

Giminez had singled in a run earlier in the day against Sabathia, who also allowed a solo home run to B.J. Upton that gave the Rays an early 2-0 lead. The Yankees scored three times in the 4th inning and took the lead when Russell Martin slid head first into first base to beat the throw. It was an up and down day for the Yankees catcher, who was 2-3 with an RBI and stole a base, but was able to just throw out one would-be base stealer (of course much of that was the fault of Sabathia and Robertson).

Yanks Stop the Slop at the Trop

photo courtesy of Yahoo sports

Tropicana Field, aka "The Trop" is a hideous excuse of a ballpark. It's a disgrace; arguably the ugliest ball yard in baseball history. A warehouse with low hanging cat walks, recycled rubber turf, and a ceiling that's easy to lose the baseball in.

Maybe it's no wonder that the Yankees play like total garbage every time down there. After two embarrassing losses in a row, the Yankees shook off the doldrums and emerged with a 4-3 victory  over the Tampa Bay Rays to salvage the finale of the three game series.

The Yankees losing streak at the Trop reached nine in a row after Monday and Tuesday defeats. One more loss would have been the Yankees longest losing streak in one opponent's facility since the Yankees dropped 15 straight at Texas from 1989-1991.

Starters David Phelps and David Price matched zeros for a while, but Phelps was forced to leave the game in the 5th inning trailing 1-0 (and after 81 pitches). The Yankees didn't manage a hit off Price until the top of the 5th and finally broke through on the scoreboard when Mark Teixeira hit his 14th home run of the season in the 7th.

The tie was short lived, however, when Carlos Pena turned on a Boone Logan delivery in the home half of the 7th for a go ahead 2-run home run. Pena is pretty much a one dimensional hitter, but he continues to destroy the Yankees, especially in Tampa. Pena has four home runs and 11 RBI against the Yankees in 2012 alone. And for some reason, the Yankees keep pitching to him.

It appeared a sweep was at hand, but the Yankees had some comeback magic thanks to their old pal Kyle Farnsworth. The righty reliever was Tampa's closer last season, but was on the DL for most of this year and was making just his second appearance of the season.

Farnsworth faced five hitters and not one put the ball in play. Eric Chavez led off the 8th with a pinch-hit walk before Farnsworth struck out Derek Jeter looking. It would be the last time Farnsworth could find the strike zone. He proceeded to walk Curtis Granderson, Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez in order to force in a run and cut the Rays' lead to 3-2.

Lefty Jake McGee was brought in to face Robinson Cano, but the red hot hitting second baseman lashed a a 2-run single to give the Yankees the lead for good. Rafael Soriano continued his great season in place of Mariano Rivera and retired the side in order in the 9th for his 19th save. The final out? A pop out by Pena.

Notes

No one had more of a miserable series than Russell Martin. The Yankees starting catcher was 0-8 to drop his batting average to an anemic .179 (he weighs 210) and made two costly errors in Tuesday's 7-4 loss. If Martin's back is the reason for his latest round of hitting woes, he should either be DL'ed or rested through next week's All-Star break to see if it makes a difference.

A Mark Teixeira error was the difference in Monday's 4-3 loss, but it was David Robertson inability to pitch effectively when called upon in the middle of an inning that made the difference. With his fastball still inconsistent, Joe Girardi would be better off keeping D-Rob out of crucial situations for a bit.