Update 3:15
The Cincinnati Reds continued their push for the NL playoffs by acquiring Todd Hollandsworth from the Cleveland Indians this afternoon. The Indians will receive the well worn "player to be named later".
---
The Los Angeles Dodgers stood 7.5 games back of the 1st place San Diego Padres in the NL West after losing to them on July 26. They looked dead in the water. But since that time they acquired Wilson Betemit, Julio Lugo, Greg Maddux, and got Jeff Kent back from the DL. It has all added up to an 11 game winning streak that has the Dodgers just 1/2 game back of the lead.
One prospect down, one up. The Minnesota Twins have lost super rookie Francisco Liriano to the DL with a sore elbow, but have called up another stud prospect Matt Garza to take his place. Garza, who will make his MLB debut on Friday vs. Toronto, was 14-4 at 3 different minor league levels. He recorded 154 strikeouts in just 135 2-3 innings.
Richie Sexson's walk-off home run for the Mariners last night came with the bases loaded. It was his 4th grand slam of the season.
Josh Hamilton has had a rough go since being drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with the #1 pick in the 1999 draft. Hamilton finally was reinstated this season and had played 15 games for the Rays Single-A Hudson Valley team in the NY-Penn league before it was announced yesterday that he would have season ending knee surgery.
One Ray’s prospect is on the fast track. Evan Longaria, not to be confused with the desperate housewife, was the Rays 1st pick in this year's draft. After hitting .424 in 33 games at Hudson Valley, Longoria was moved up to higher 'A' Visalia in the California League. Longoria hit .327-8-28 in 28 games there before being promoted to Double-A Montgomery yesterday. The third baseman could make B.J. Upton expendable.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Windy City Blow Job
Yanks lose tough one, 6-5
Recipe for disaster - take 1 part bad starting pitching, 1 part no clutch hitting, and 1 part rare blown save opportunity and you've the perfect mix for the loss column. The Yankees did just that last night in an 11-inning 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang was far from his best, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings pitched, and the Yankees didn't take advantage of several situations to blow the game open. Then in the 9th, clinging to a 5-4 lead, Mariano Rivera got ahead of Paul Konerko with a 1-2 count, but served up a gopher ball to tie the game. In the 11th Jermaine Dye singled in the game winner off of Scott Proctor to move the White Sox into sole possession in the wildcard race. The Yankees maintained their 2 game lead over Boston in the AL East thanks to the Royals 6-4 win over the Red Sox. A loss like this is made even tougher when you have the over hyped, overrated, obnoxious Ozzie Guillen sitting in the other dugout.
Tadahito Iguchi reached on an infield single after a great stop by Robinson Cano and Jim Thome walked to put Scott Proctor in trouble. Konerko flied out, but Dye lined a single to center to bring home Iguchi who scored easily ahead of Johnny Damon's throw. Dye had popped up the prior pitch in foul territory along the 3rd base stands. Alex Rodriguez chased after it, but unfamiliar with the layout of the field, came up well short. A-Rod admittedly has trouble with pop-ups and one wonders if the ball could have been caught, tough play or not. Dye certainly took advantage of the opportunity.
The game was a seesaw battle right from the get-go as was the Yankees failure to get the big hit. Johnny Damon reached on an error to lead off the ball game, stole second, and scored on Bobby Abreu's single. Abreu stole 2nd and Alex Rodriguez reached on a walk giving Jason Giambi an RBI opportunity with just 1 out. But Giambi bounced into an inning ending 1-6-3 double play.
Craig Wilson's 1st Yankee home run gave the Bombers a 2-0 lead, but Wang struggled from the start. Konerko and Dye stroked back-to-back doubles to start the 2nd, cutting the lead in half. Four batters later Alex Cintron singled in 2 runs to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
White Sox starter Freddie Garcia wasn't have a much better night than Wang as he quickly surrendered the lead. With a man aboard Alex Rodriguez crushed a Garcia pitch into the seats in left for his 23rd home run and his 79 and 80th RBI. The Yankees lead lasted all of one inning until Wang gave up a game tying blast to Joe Crede.
Ron Villone took over for Wang in the 6th and the game remained tied until the 8th. Derek Jeter reached on a 1-out single against reliever Matt Thornton and Abreu reached on a walk. A-Rod lined a single to center off right-hander Mike McDougal to load the bases for Giambi. Guillen countered with left Neil Cotts, but Cotts hit Giambi on the right elbow to force in a run to give the Yankees the 5-4 lead. The Yankees failed again to break the game open when Jorge Posada bounced into an inning ending double play.
Notes
There were some bright spots in the game. Robinson Cano returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his hamstring on June 25. He went 3-5 and looked sharp at 2nd. Although Jorge Posada looked miserable at the plate, he was outstanding behind it, throwing out 3 would-be base stealers.
Philip Hughes had another outstanding start for Double-A Trenton on Tuesday. Hughes allowed a run on 2 hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out 6 in 5 innings. He's now 7-3, 2.62 for Trenton.
As expected, Miguel Cairo was placed on the 15 day DL with an injured hamstring. He's expected to miss at least 3 weeks.
Recipe for disaster - take 1 part bad starting pitching, 1 part no clutch hitting, and 1 part rare blown save opportunity and you've the perfect mix for the loss column. The Yankees did just that last night in an 11-inning 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang was far from his best, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings pitched, and the Yankees didn't take advantage of several situations to blow the game open. Then in the 9th, clinging to a 5-4 lead, Mariano Rivera got ahead of Paul Konerko with a 1-2 count, but served up a gopher ball to tie the game. In the 11th Jermaine Dye singled in the game winner off of Scott Proctor to move the White Sox into sole possession in the wildcard race. The Yankees maintained their 2 game lead over Boston in the AL East thanks to the Royals 6-4 win over the Red Sox. A loss like this is made even tougher when you have the over hyped, overrated, obnoxious Ozzie Guillen sitting in the other dugout.
Tadahito Iguchi reached on an infield single after a great stop by Robinson Cano and Jim Thome walked to put Scott Proctor in trouble. Konerko flied out, but Dye lined a single to center to bring home Iguchi who scored easily ahead of Johnny Damon's throw. Dye had popped up the prior pitch in foul territory along the 3rd base stands. Alex Rodriguez chased after it, but unfamiliar with the layout of the field, came up well short. A-Rod admittedly has trouble with pop-ups and one wonders if the ball could have been caught, tough play or not. Dye certainly took advantage of the opportunity.
The game was a seesaw battle right from the get-go as was the Yankees failure to get the big hit. Johnny Damon reached on an error to lead off the ball game, stole second, and scored on Bobby Abreu's single. Abreu stole 2nd and Alex Rodriguez reached on a walk giving Jason Giambi an RBI opportunity with just 1 out. But Giambi bounced into an inning ending 1-6-3 double play.
Craig Wilson's 1st Yankee home run gave the Bombers a 2-0 lead, but Wang struggled from the start. Konerko and Dye stroked back-to-back doubles to start the 2nd, cutting the lead in half. Four batters later Alex Cintron singled in 2 runs to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
White Sox starter Freddie Garcia wasn't have a much better night than Wang as he quickly surrendered the lead. With a man aboard Alex Rodriguez crushed a Garcia pitch into the seats in left for his 23rd home run and his 79 and 80th RBI. The Yankees lead lasted all of one inning until Wang gave up a game tying blast to Joe Crede.
Ron Villone took over for Wang in the 6th and the game remained tied until the 8th. Derek Jeter reached on a 1-out single against reliever Matt Thornton and Abreu reached on a walk. A-Rod lined a single to center off right-hander Mike McDougal to load the bases for Giambi. Guillen countered with left Neil Cotts, but Cotts hit Giambi on the right elbow to force in a run to give the Yankees the 5-4 lead. The Yankees failed again to break the game open when Jorge Posada bounced into an inning ending double play.
Notes
There were some bright spots in the game. Robinson Cano returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his hamstring on June 25. He went 3-5 and looked sharp at 2nd. Although Jorge Posada looked miserable at the plate, he was outstanding behind it, throwing out 3 would-be base stealers.
Philip Hughes had another outstanding start for Double-A Trenton on Tuesday. Hughes allowed a run on 2 hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out 6 in 5 innings. He's now 7-3, 2.62 for Trenton.
As expected, Miguel Cairo was placed on the 15 day DL with an injured hamstring. He's expected to miss at least 3 weeks.
Monday, August 7, 2006
Around the Horn - 8/7
Update 3:30 pm
David Ortiz belted his 40th home run on Sunday to become the 1st Boston Red Sox player to hit 40 HRs in 3 consecutive seasons.
Mark Mulder threw a 5 inning rehab stint over the weekend and is expected to throw 1 more game in the minors before being activated by St. Louis.
Livan Hernandez was claimed on waivers by an unknown team, but a trade couldn't be worked out with the Washington Nationals. Correction - it was previously reported that Hernandez was pulled off waivers, but this afternoon he was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nationals received two 23-year-old prospects, right-hander Garrett Mock and left-hander Matt Chico.
David Wright got a nice present from the NY Mets, a 6-year, $55 million contract. The Mets had tied up Jose Reyes earlier in the week.
Former Yankee Ruben Sierra is expected to sign a contract with the Mets for the remainder of the season. Sierra has been tending to his ailing mother and would join the team when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
David Ortiz belted his 40th home run on Sunday to become the 1st Boston Red Sox player to hit 40 HRs in 3 consecutive seasons.
Mark Mulder threw a 5 inning rehab stint over the weekend and is expected to throw 1 more game in the minors before being activated by St. Louis.
Livan Hernandez was claimed on waivers by an unknown team, but a trade couldn't be worked out with the Washington Nationals. Correction - it was previously reported that Hernandez was pulled off waivers, but this afternoon he was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nationals received two 23-year-old prospects, right-hander Garrett Mock and left-hander Matt Chico.
David Wright got a nice present from the NY Mets, a 6-year, $55 million contract. The Mets had tied up Jose Reyes earlier in the week.
Former Yankee Ruben Sierra is expected to sign a contract with the Mets for the remainder of the season. Sierra has been tending to his ailing mother and would join the team when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
Bombers Over Baltimore
4 Solo HRs top O's 6-1
With the growing onset of injuries this season the Yankees have become accustomed to play small ball to win. Yesterday they returned to their legacy slugging 4 solo home runs in a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Combined with the Boston Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays the Yankees now hold a 2 game advantage in the AL East. After being blanked with just 1 hit on Saturday, it took the Yankees only 2 batters to turn that all around.
Derek Jeter hit a Rodrigo Lopez pitch into the seats in right-center with one out in the top of the 1st to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The last time Lopez and Jeter faced off in Camden Yards Lopez (8-12) hit Jeter with a pitch on the hand, causing the captain to miss 3 games. Yesterday was sweet revenge as Jeter smacked back with his 9th home run.
Johnny Damon led off the 3rd with his 15 home run of the season for a 2-0 advantage. Two batters later, Bobby Abreu picked up his 1st of 3 hits on the day, a single to left, and stole his 1st of two bases of the game as well. Jason Giambi brought him home with a double to right.
Jaret Wright struggled, but escaped jams in the first 3 innings. The Orioles left a man on third in both of the 1st two innings and left 2 men in scoring position in the 3rd. As Wright performed his Houdini act the Yankees tacked on more runs. Melky Cabrera belted his 5th home run in the 4th inning for a 4-0 lead.
The Orioles finally got to Wright in the bottom of the 4th on a Nick Markakis RBI single. But again the Orioles stranded a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs. Jason Giambi got the run right back in the 5th when he long a home run into the centerfield bleachers. It was Giambi's 32nd HR of the season, matching last year's total.
Wright (8-6) threw 95 pitches in a 6 innings stint before turning the game over to Proctor. When Proctor got into a two-out, two-on jam in the 8th, manager Joe Torre went to his closer Mariano Rivera for a 4 out save. Rivera retired all 4 men he faced for his 28th save of the season and the 407th of his career.
Notes
Robinson Cano finished up his rehab assignment at Double-A Trenton Sunday and is expected to be activated for the 3 game series with the Chicago White Sox that starts tomorrow night.
Cano's activation comes just in time as Miguel Cairo is expected to miss 3 weeks after straining his left hamstring on Saturday. Nick Green will serve as the utility infielder for now.
17-year old hot prospect Jose Tabata return from the disabled list for Single-A Charleston on Friday, but had to be quickly removed from Saturday's game as he felt pain in his bruised thumb. Tabata had been DL'ed after being hit with a pitch.
Carl Pavano will throw a bullpen session today and if all goes well will start a rehab assignment for Single-A Tampa.
With the growing onset of injuries this season the Yankees have become accustomed to play small ball to win. Yesterday they returned to their legacy slugging 4 solo home runs in a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Combined with the Boston Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays the Yankees now hold a 2 game advantage in the AL East. After being blanked with just 1 hit on Saturday, it took the Yankees only 2 batters to turn that all around.
Derek Jeter hit a Rodrigo Lopez pitch into the seats in right-center with one out in the top of the 1st to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The last time Lopez and Jeter faced off in Camden Yards Lopez (8-12) hit Jeter with a pitch on the hand, causing the captain to miss 3 games. Yesterday was sweet revenge as Jeter smacked back with his 9th home run.
Johnny Damon led off the 3rd with his 15 home run of the season for a 2-0 advantage. Two batters later, Bobby Abreu picked up his 1st of 3 hits on the day, a single to left, and stole his 1st of two bases of the game as well. Jason Giambi brought him home with a double to right.
Jaret Wright struggled, but escaped jams in the first 3 innings. The Orioles left a man on third in both of the 1st two innings and left 2 men in scoring position in the 3rd. As Wright performed his Houdini act the Yankees tacked on more runs. Melky Cabrera belted his 5th home run in the 4th inning for a 4-0 lead.
The Orioles finally got to Wright in the bottom of the 4th on a Nick Markakis RBI single. But again the Orioles stranded a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs. Jason Giambi got the run right back in the 5th when he long a home run into the centerfield bleachers. It was Giambi's 32nd HR of the season, matching last year's total.
Wright (8-6) threw 95 pitches in a 6 innings stint before turning the game over to Proctor. When Proctor got into a two-out, two-on jam in the 8th, manager Joe Torre went to his closer Mariano Rivera for a 4 out save. Rivera retired all 4 men he faced for his 28th save of the season and the 407th of his career.
Notes
Robinson Cano finished up his rehab assignment at Double-A Trenton Sunday and is expected to be activated for the 3 game series with the Chicago White Sox that starts tomorrow night.
Cano's activation comes just in time as Miguel Cairo is expected to miss 3 weeks after straining his left hamstring on Saturday. Nick Green will serve as the utility infielder for now.
17-year old hot prospect Jose Tabata return from the disabled list for Single-A Charleston on Friday, but had to be quickly removed from Saturday's game as he felt pain in his bruised thumb. Tabata had been DL'ed after being hit with a pitch.
Carl Pavano will throw a bullpen session today and if all goes well will start a rehab assignment for Single-A Tampa.
Saturday, August 5, 2006
Around the Horn - 8-5
Chase Utley's hitting streak ended at 35 consecutive games last night. Utley went 0-5 against the Mets at Shea Stadium. He falls 3 games short of the team record set earlier this year by teammate Jimmy Rollins. Rollins' 38 game streak carried over from last season.
Reports had Andruw Jones claimed by several team on waivers and the Braves trying to work out a deal with one of them. The Braves have steadfastly denied they are dealing Jones who becomes a 10 and 5 player this month.
Javy Lopez was behind the plate a little earlier than expected for the Boston Red Sox. Starting catcher Doug Mirabelli turned his ankle in last night's game and had to leave. He's listed as day-to-day and will be re-evaluated to see if a DL stint in necessary. Corky Miller is expected to be called up today as Lopez's backup.
Reports had Andruw Jones claimed by several team on waivers and the Braves trying to work out a deal with one of them. The Braves have steadfastly denied they are dealing Jones who becomes a 10 and 5 player this month.
Javy Lopez was behind the plate a little earlier than expected for the Boston Red Sox. Starting catcher Doug Mirabelli turned his ankle in last night's game and had to leave. He's listed as day-to-day and will be re-evaluated to see if a DL stint in necessary. Corky Miller is expected to be called up today as Lopez's backup.
Posada HR Salvages Night
During this past off-season the Yankees explored the idea of signing free agent Bengi Molina to split the team's catching duties with Jorge Posada, and possibly circumvent Posada's $12 million option for 2007 from kicking in. The front office decided against it, feeling that it would affect Posada's performance. It was a wise choice. Molina has lost playing time with the Toronto Blue Jays while Posada has had one of his most consistent seasons. That $12 million option will kick in when he starts against Baltimore today. Last night he celebrated early with a game winning 9th inning home run against the Orioles.
The Yankees had squandered a 3-0 lead and trailed 4-3 as they entered the 8th. But new arrival Craig Wilson doubled in the tying run and Posada's 14th home run pushed the Yankees ahead 5-4. Mariano Rivera pitched the 9th, getting Ramon Hernandez to bounce into a game ending 4-6-3 double play to preserve the victory. Posada's home run bailed out a mediocre performance by Randy Johnson and a lack of timely hits by his teammates, who left 13 men on base.
Johnson was handed a 3-0 lead after the first two innings, but struggled with his control, his mechanics, and probably his psyche as the Orioles came back. In the 3rd, the Orioles produced 2 runs on consecutive singles by Chris Gomez, Brian Roberts, and Fernando Tatis, and an RBI ground out by Melvin Mora. Two innings later the Orioles took the lead when Tatis hit his first major league home run since 2003 and Mora and Miguel Tejada hit consecutive drives off the scoreboard in right field. The score may have been worse than 5-3, but rightfielder Bobby Abreu threw out Tejada trying to reach 2nd.
Johnson finally had a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th and Ron Villone and Scott Proctor combined for a pair of scoreless frames to enable the Yankees to come back. Jason Giambi reached on a one-out walk in the 8th and Posada followed with a single to left. Craig Wilson then a hit deep drive to right that resulted in an RBI double to tie the score 4-4. After Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked, the Orioles escaped with the lead as Bernie Williams popped out and Johnny Damon lined out.
The Yankees jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st when Damon led off the ball game with his 14th home run of the season. The Yankees added 2 more in the second when Wilson doubled and Cabrera followed with a single to put runners on the corners with on one out. Miguel Cairo brought them both home with a double to the gap in left-center.
Notes
Robinson Cano had three hits in his rehab stint at Double-A Trenton and is still expected to be activated on Tuesday in Chicago. Nick Green will probably be designated for assignment to make room on the roster.
Bubba Crosby has been up and down from the minor leagues in his 3 year stint with the Yankees, but he was shaken yesterday when the team designated him for assignment to recall another arm. Right-handerJose Veras was recalled from Columbus to take his place. There's a good chance that Crosby will catch on with a team, especially the Floria Marlins since Crosby is a favorite of manager Joe Girardi.
The Yankees had squandered a 3-0 lead and trailed 4-3 as they entered the 8th. But new arrival Craig Wilson doubled in the tying run and Posada's 14th home run pushed the Yankees ahead 5-4. Mariano Rivera pitched the 9th, getting Ramon Hernandez to bounce into a game ending 4-6-3 double play to preserve the victory. Posada's home run bailed out a mediocre performance by Randy Johnson and a lack of timely hits by his teammates, who left 13 men on base.
Johnson was handed a 3-0 lead after the first two innings, but struggled with his control, his mechanics, and probably his psyche as the Orioles came back. In the 3rd, the Orioles produced 2 runs on consecutive singles by Chris Gomez, Brian Roberts, and Fernando Tatis, and an RBI ground out by Melvin Mora. Two innings later the Orioles took the lead when Tatis hit his first major league home run since 2003 and Mora and Miguel Tejada hit consecutive drives off the scoreboard in right field. The score may have been worse than 5-3, but rightfielder Bobby Abreu threw out Tejada trying to reach 2nd.
Johnson finally had a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th and Ron Villone and Scott Proctor combined for a pair of scoreless frames to enable the Yankees to come back. Jason Giambi reached on a one-out walk in the 8th and Posada followed with a single to left. Craig Wilson then a hit deep drive to right that resulted in an RBI double to tie the score 4-4. After Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked, the Orioles escaped with the lead as Bernie Williams popped out and Johnny Damon lined out.
The Yankees jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st when Damon led off the ball game with his 14th home run of the season. The Yankees added 2 more in the second when Wilson doubled and Cabrera followed with a single to put runners on the corners with on one out. Miguel Cairo brought them both home with a double to the gap in left-center.
Notes
Robinson Cano had three hits in his rehab stint at Double-A Trenton and is still expected to be activated on Tuesday in Chicago. Nick Green will probably be designated for assignment to make room on the roster.
Bubba Crosby has been up and down from the minor leagues in his 3 year stint with the Yankees, but he was shaken yesterday when the team designated him for assignment to recall another arm. Right-handerJose Veras was recalled from Columbus to take his place. There's a good chance that Crosby will catch on with a team, especially the Floria Marlins since Crosby is a favorite of manager Joe Girardi.
Friday, August 4, 2006
Around the Horn - 8/4
The Boston Red Sox have temporarily made up for the loss of Jason Varitek with Javy Lopez. The much rumored deal took place today as the Baltimore Orioles sent Lopez to the Red Sox for a player to be named later (if he can clear waivers it's most likely going to be Adam Stern). While Lopez's bat is better than Varitek's, his defense ability does not compare. The Orioles quickly inked Chris Widger, who had been released by the White Sox, to replace Lopez.
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 35 games last night with a 3-6 effort against the Cardinals. Fred Clarke, Ty Cobb, and Luis Castillo are the only other major leaguers to hit in 35 straight games.
Greg Maddux made his Los Angeles Dodger debut last night and it was a memorable one. It could have been even more memorable if not for a rain delay. Maddux had thrown 6 innings of no-hit ball, but rain stopped played for 46 minutes and ended Maddux's night. Reliever Joe Beimel gave up a single to the first man he faced, Scott Hatteberg, to end the team no-hit bid.
Roger Clemens turns 44 today - wonder if he'll get yet another hummer as a gift.
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 35 games last night with a 3-6 effort against the Cardinals. Fred Clarke, Ty Cobb, and Luis Castillo are the only other major leaguers to hit in 35 straight games.
Greg Maddux made his Los Angeles Dodger debut last night and it was a memorable one. It could have been even more memorable if not for a rain delay. Maddux had thrown 6 innings of no-hit ball, but rain stopped played for 46 minutes and ended Maddux's night. Reliever Joe Beimel gave up a single to the first man he faced, Scott Hatteberg, to end the team no-hit bid.
Roger Clemens turns 44 today - wonder if he'll get yet another hummer as a gift.
Lidle Takes the Fifth
Newbie sparkles in debut as Yankees sweep Jays
Corey Lidle gave the Yankees exactly what they were looking for out of their 5th starter in yesterday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. A quality start. And more importantly, an 8-1 victory that combined with the Boston Red Sox loss gave the Bombers a full 1 game lead in the AL East. Lidle's victory was the first by a starter other than Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, or Jaret Wright since Shawn Chacon topped Texas on May 6. Ironically, Chacon won his debut start for the Pirates yesterday as well.
Lidle's high school teammate Jason Giambi gave his fellow alumnus a quick lead in the first. Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a one-out single. After Bobby Abreu was retired, Jay's rookie starter Shaun Marcum walked Alex Rodriguez. That brought up Jason Giambi who had to leave Tuesday's game and sat out Wednesday's game with leg cramps caused by the heat. Giambi's legs felt just fine as he mashed a 3-run home run deep into the rightfield seats. The Yankees chased Marcum (1-1) from the game in the 3rd as they threatened again, but Brian Tallet retired Craig Wilson with the bases loaded.
Lidle (9-7) meanwhile ran into little trouble in his 6 inning, quality start. Rookie Ryan Roberts touched up Lidle for the Jays only run with his first major league home run in the 5th. The Yankees got the run back plus another in their half of the 5th. Jeter drew a lead off walk from new pitcher Brandon League and Abreu followed with a single through the right side. A-Rod hit a tapper to the side of the mound that League fielded and threw off-balance, the ball skipping into right field. Jeter scored and Abreu advanced to 3rd on the play. Giambi was intentionally walked to load the bases and League struck out Wilson for the first out of the inning. But Melky Cabrera came through with an RBI single for a 5-1 lead.
The Yankees blew the game open with a 2-out rally in the 6th against lefty Scott Schoeneweis. After Johnny Damon and Jeter grounded out, Abreu doubled to the gap in left-center. The Jays elected to intentionally walk Rodriguez to set up a lefty-lefty match up with Giambi. That was a mistake. Giambi blasted a deep drive to center that one-hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double and a 6-1 lead. Wilson then finally came through with men on a base with a 2-run single to right.
The rest of the game was uneventful except for Kyle Farnsworth taking a comebacker off his bare hand in the 8th. It caused a burst blood vessel which didn't allow him to grip his fastball properly. He's listed as day-to-day.
Notes
Robinson Cano went 2-5 in his final appearance with the GCL Yankees. He'll start the next step in his rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder today.
Octavio Dotel threw one inning in the GCL game, striking out one and walking one. He tossed 17 pitches.
Hideki Matsui didn't receive all good news from his visit with the doctor yesterday. His wrist is healing nicely, but because of tenderness he can't add any extra exercises to his regime. Translation - see you in September.
Corey Lidle gave the Yankees exactly what they were looking for out of their 5th starter in yesterday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. A quality start. And more importantly, an 8-1 victory that combined with the Boston Red Sox loss gave the Bombers a full 1 game lead in the AL East. Lidle's victory was the first by a starter other than Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, or Jaret Wright since Shawn Chacon topped Texas on May 6. Ironically, Chacon won his debut start for the Pirates yesterday as well.
Lidle's high school teammate Jason Giambi gave his fellow alumnus a quick lead in the first. Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a one-out single. After Bobby Abreu was retired, Jay's rookie starter Shaun Marcum walked Alex Rodriguez. That brought up Jason Giambi who had to leave Tuesday's game and sat out Wednesday's game with leg cramps caused by the heat. Giambi's legs felt just fine as he mashed a 3-run home run deep into the rightfield seats. The Yankees chased Marcum (1-1) from the game in the 3rd as they threatened again, but Brian Tallet retired Craig Wilson with the bases loaded.
Lidle (9-7) meanwhile ran into little trouble in his 6 inning, quality start. Rookie Ryan Roberts touched up Lidle for the Jays only run with his first major league home run in the 5th. The Yankees got the run back plus another in their half of the 5th. Jeter drew a lead off walk from new pitcher Brandon League and Abreu followed with a single through the right side. A-Rod hit a tapper to the side of the mound that League fielded and threw off-balance, the ball skipping into right field. Jeter scored and Abreu advanced to 3rd on the play. Giambi was intentionally walked to load the bases and League struck out Wilson for the first out of the inning. But Melky Cabrera came through with an RBI single for a 5-1 lead.
The Yankees blew the game open with a 2-out rally in the 6th against lefty Scott Schoeneweis. After Johnny Damon and Jeter grounded out, Abreu doubled to the gap in left-center. The Jays elected to intentionally walk Rodriguez to set up a lefty-lefty match up with Giambi. That was a mistake. Giambi blasted a deep drive to center that one-hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double and a 6-1 lead. Wilson then finally came through with men on a base with a 2-run single to right.
The rest of the game was uneventful except for Kyle Farnsworth taking a comebacker off his bare hand in the 8th. It caused a burst blood vessel which didn't allow him to grip his fastball properly. He's listed as day-to-day.
Notes
Robinson Cano went 2-5 in his final appearance with the GCL Yankees. He'll start the next step in his rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder today.
Octavio Dotel threw one inning in the GCL game, striking out one and walking one. He tossed 17 pitches.
Hideki Matsui didn't receive all good news from his visit with the doctor yesterday. His wrist is healing nicely, but because of tenderness he can't add any extra exercises to his regime. Translation - see you in September.
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Around the Horn - 8/3
5:00 Update
The NY Daily News is reporting that the New York Mets and Jose Reyes have agreed to terms on a four-year, $23.25 million contract extension with an option for 2011.
Fausto Carmona won't be getting Christmas presents from the Yankees any time soon. Carmona took over as the Cleveland Indian's closer after Bob Wickman was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Carmona faced the Boston Red Sox yesterday and Monday in save situations and imploded in both situations.
On Monday Carmona entered the 9th to protect an 8-6 lead. He gave up a single to Alex Cora and walked Kevin Youkilis. Carmona got Mark Loretta to pop up for the 1st out. It would be the only out. Big Papi was next and the game was quickly over as Ortiz smashed a 3-run home run to deep center. Yesterday was even worse.
Protecting a 5-4 lead, Carmona started out great, striking out Wily Mo Pena and Coco Crisp to start the 9th. Then he hit Doug Mirabelli with a 3-2 pitch. Carmona followed that up by hitting Alex Gonzalez and walking Youkilis on a 3-2 pitch. Loretta then ended the game with a double off the Green Monster.
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 34 games. It's the longest streak since Benito Santiago hit in 34 straight games in 1987. Dom DiMaggio also hit in 34 games. Utley's streak was extended due to some hot hitting by his teammates late in the game. The Phillies scored 8 runs over the 8th and 9th innings to allow Utley to extend his streak after going 0-4. In the 8th Utley hit a slow chopper that pitcher Randy Flores fielded, checked the runner at third, and then made a throw to first that pulled 1st baseman Ryan Howard off the bag. The play was originally ruled as a fielder's choice, but was later changed to a hit since Utley had already beaten the throw. It didn't matter anyway as Utley picked up another hit in the 9th.
Greg Maddux makes his Dodger debut tonight as LA faces the Cincinnati Reds. Shawn Chacon of the Pirates and Corey Lidle of the Yankees are also starting for their new teams today.
Kerry Wood has opted against surgery on his injured right shoulder. The Cubbie has a partially torn rotator cuff, but has decided against having it repaired. Wood's plan is to work as a reliever next year whether it is in Chicago or elsewhere.
The NY Daily News is reporting that the New York Mets and Jose Reyes have agreed to terms on a four-year, $23.25 million contract extension with an option for 2011.
Fausto Carmona won't be getting Christmas presents from the Yankees any time soon. Carmona took over as the Cleveland Indian's closer after Bob Wickman was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Carmona faced the Boston Red Sox yesterday and Monday in save situations and imploded in both situations.
On Monday Carmona entered the 9th to protect an 8-6 lead. He gave up a single to Alex Cora and walked Kevin Youkilis. Carmona got Mark Loretta to pop up for the 1st out. It would be the only out. Big Papi was next and the game was quickly over as Ortiz smashed a 3-run home run to deep center. Yesterday was even worse.
Protecting a 5-4 lead, Carmona started out great, striking out Wily Mo Pena and Coco Crisp to start the 9th. Then he hit Doug Mirabelli with a 3-2 pitch. Carmona followed that up by hitting Alex Gonzalez and walking Youkilis on a 3-2 pitch. Loretta then ended the game with a double off the Green Monster.
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 34 games. It's the longest streak since Benito Santiago hit in 34 straight games in 1987. Dom DiMaggio also hit in 34 games. Utley's streak was extended due to some hot hitting by his teammates late in the game. The Phillies scored 8 runs over the 8th and 9th innings to allow Utley to extend his streak after going 0-4. In the 8th Utley hit a slow chopper that pitcher Randy Flores fielded, checked the runner at third, and then made a throw to first that pulled 1st baseman Ryan Howard off the bag. The play was originally ruled as a fielder's choice, but was later changed to a hit since Utley had already beaten the throw. It didn't matter anyway as Utley picked up another hit in the 9th.
Greg Maddux makes his Dodger debut tonight as LA faces the Cincinnati Reds. Shawn Chacon of the Pirates and Corey Lidle of the Yankees are also starting for their new teams today.
Kerry Wood has opted against surgery on his injured right shoulder. The Cubbie has a partially torn rotator cuff, but has decided against having it repaired. Wood's plan is to work as a reliever next year whether it is in Chicago or elsewhere.
Wang Grounds Jays to a Pulp
Extends coreless streak to 17 innings in 7-2 win
When the Yankees acquired Randy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks they thought they had picked up a pitcher who could go out every 5 days and dominate. That hasn't been the case, but someone else right under their noses has done exactly that. Chien-Ming Wang threw his 2nd consecutive dominant start, blanking the Blue Jays for 8 innings in a 7-2 Yankees victory. Wang threw 94 pitches in oppressive heat so manager Joe Torre decided to go to the bullpen for the 9th. Troy Glaus broke up the shutout with a long 2-run home run off Ron Villone, his 28th, into the blackened section in centerfield. By then the game had already been decided.
Derek Jeter jumped on a Ted Lilly pitch in the 3rd and drove it into the bleacher in right-center for his 8th HR of the season. The score stayed that way until the 6th when the Yankees busted it open. The rally almost didn't get off the ground though. Alex Rodriguez led off the inning with a base hit towards the left field foul line. Seeing that the left fielder Frank Catalanotto had a long way to get to the ball, A-Rod jetted towards second. The only thing was Catalanotto's throw was already waiting in the glove of 2nd baseman Aaron Hill. A-Rod pulled up short on his head first slide to move his body away from Hill's glove. He then reached around with his right hand to touch the base ahead of Hill's tag. The play generated laughter in the Yankees dugout and ignited the Yankees bats.
Jorge Posada followed with a long home run into the left field seats for a 3-0 lead. It was Posada's 13th home run of the season. A single by Craig Wilson and a ground rule double by Melky Cabrera gave the Yankees 2 runners in scoring position with one out and knocked Lilly (9-10) out of the ball game. Dustin McGowan entered the game and immediately walked Miguel Cairo to load the bases. Johnny Damon followed with an RBI single and Jeter walked to force in a run to push the score to 5-0. Reliever Scott Downs came on to strike out Bobby Abreu, but A-Rod picked up his 2nd hit of the inning, a single off the glove of shortstop John McDonald, that plated Damon and Cairo and blew the game open.
Wang (13-4) started out shaky, partly because of the tight strike zone being called by home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman. Wang rarely shows emotion on the mound, but stared in at Dreckman several times as he issued 3 walks in the 2nd inning. After that Wang had the Jays pounding his hard sinker into the ground to the tune of 16 ground ball outs. He also did not walk another batter after the 2nd and struck out 3.
Notes
Chien-Ming Wang's 13th victory tied him for the team lead in victories with Mike Mussina. Wang also extended his winning streak to 5 games. In those 5 games he has thrown 43.2 innings (8 per start), has a 2.47 ERA and a 1.19 ratio.
Carl Pavano threw a simulated game off the Yankee Stadium mound yesterday and still hopes to return before the season is over.
Craig Wilson made his Yankees debut and went 2-4 while making several good plays at 1st. Bobby Abreu, who had gone hitless in his 1st game in pinstripes, was 2-5.
Corey Lidle makes his Yankees debut this afternoon in the finale of the 3 game series at 1:05. Rookie Shaun Marcum goes for the Jays. Thankfully the Yankees don't face the Phillies the rest of the year. Lidle's parting remarks questioned the Phillies player’s hearts. Most of the Phillies were upset by his words, especially Arthur Rhodes who reminded everyone that Lidle was a scab back in 1995.
Robinson Cano is expected to play one more game for the GCL Yankees today before continuing his rehab stint with the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Yankees #1 prospectPhilip Hughes threw 5 scoreless innings in Trenton's 5-1 loss to the Reading Phillies last night. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 8, and didn't figure in the decision.
When the Yankees acquired Randy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks they thought they had picked up a pitcher who could go out every 5 days and dominate. That hasn't been the case, but someone else right under their noses has done exactly that. Chien-Ming Wang threw his 2nd consecutive dominant start, blanking the Blue Jays for 8 innings in a 7-2 Yankees victory. Wang threw 94 pitches in oppressive heat so manager Joe Torre decided to go to the bullpen for the 9th. Troy Glaus broke up the shutout with a long 2-run home run off Ron Villone, his 28th, into the blackened section in centerfield. By then the game had already been decided.
Derek Jeter jumped on a Ted Lilly pitch in the 3rd and drove it into the bleacher in right-center for his 8th HR of the season. The score stayed that way until the 6th when the Yankees busted it open. The rally almost didn't get off the ground though. Alex Rodriguez led off the inning with a base hit towards the left field foul line. Seeing that the left fielder Frank Catalanotto had a long way to get to the ball, A-Rod jetted towards second. The only thing was Catalanotto's throw was already waiting in the glove of 2nd baseman Aaron Hill. A-Rod pulled up short on his head first slide to move his body away from Hill's glove. He then reached around with his right hand to touch the base ahead of Hill's tag. The play generated laughter in the Yankees dugout and ignited the Yankees bats.
Jorge Posada followed with a long home run into the left field seats for a 3-0 lead. It was Posada's 13th home run of the season. A single by Craig Wilson and a ground rule double by Melky Cabrera gave the Yankees 2 runners in scoring position with one out and knocked Lilly (9-10) out of the ball game. Dustin McGowan entered the game and immediately walked Miguel Cairo to load the bases. Johnny Damon followed with an RBI single and Jeter walked to force in a run to push the score to 5-0. Reliever Scott Downs came on to strike out Bobby Abreu, but A-Rod picked up his 2nd hit of the inning, a single off the glove of shortstop John McDonald, that plated Damon and Cairo and blew the game open.
Wang (13-4) started out shaky, partly because of the tight strike zone being called by home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman. Wang rarely shows emotion on the mound, but stared in at Dreckman several times as he issued 3 walks in the 2nd inning. After that Wang had the Jays pounding his hard sinker into the ground to the tune of 16 ground ball outs. He also did not walk another batter after the 2nd and struck out 3.
Notes
Chien-Ming Wang's 13th victory tied him for the team lead in victories with Mike Mussina. Wang also extended his winning streak to 5 games. In those 5 games he has thrown 43.2 innings (8 per start), has a 2.47 ERA and a 1.19 ratio.
Carl Pavano threw a simulated game off the Yankee Stadium mound yesterday and still hopes to return before the season is over.
Craig Wilson made his Yankees debut and went 2-4 while making several good plays at 1st. Bobby Abreu, who had gone hitless in his 1st game in pinstripes, was 2-5.
Corey Lidle makes his Yankees debut this afternoon in the finale of the 3 game series at 1:05. Rookie Shaun Marcum goes for the Jays. Thankfully the Yankees don't face the Phillies the rest of the year. Lidle's parting remarks questioned the Phillies player’s hearts. Most of the Phillies were upset by his words, especially Arthur Rhodes who reminded everyone that Lidle was a scab back in 1995.
Robinson Cano is expected to play one more game for the GCL Yankees today before continuing his rehab stint with the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Yankees #1 prospectPhilip Hughes threw 5 scoreless innings in Trenton's 5-1 loss to the Reading Phillies last night. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 8, and didn't figure in the decision.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Around the Horn - 8/2
MLB News Updated: 4:00
Today marks the 27th anniversary of one of the saddest memories in NY Yankees history. Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash on this date in 1979, breaking the hearts of many Yankees fans and stunning the nation. It's still shocking to this day.
The Boston Red Sox received a big blow when it was learned that catcher and team captain Jason Varitek would have to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Varitek is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.
The Red Sox also placed RF Trot Nixon on the DL Monday with a strained bicep tendon.
Rookie sensation Francisco Liriano will miss his Thursday start for the Twins with a sore forearm. It was originally reported that Liriano was suffering from elbow problems, but the Twins dismissed that report.
300 game winner Greg Maddux will make his LA Dodger debut on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Home runs continue to fly off the bats of the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez and the Mets' Carlos Beltran. Ramirez has 9 home runs in the last 13 games while Beltran has 5 in his last 3 games. He also has 12 RBI in those 3 games.
---
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 33 games yesterday. It's the 7th longest streak of all time.
The Mets have sent rookie Mike Pelfrey back to the minors after allowing 9 runs in 10.1 innings over his last 2 starts. Royce Ring has been recalled.
Cuban 2b baseman Yuliesky Gourriel had reportedly defected last week in Columbia. The rumors proved to be false when Gourriel met with reporters in Cuba today and laughed off the situation.
Today marks the 27th anniversary of one of the saddest memories in NY Yankees history. Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash on this date in 1979, breaking the hearts of many Yankees fans and stunning the nation. It's still shocking to this day.
The Boston Red Sox received a big blow when it was learned that catcher and team captain Jason Varitek would have to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Varitek is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.
The Red Sox also placed RF Trot Nixon on the DL Monday with a strained bicep tendon.
Rookie sensation Francisco Liriano will miss his Thursday start for the Twins with a sore forearm. It was originally reported that Liriano was suffering from elbow problems, but the Twins dismissed that report.
300 game winner Greg Maddux will make his LA Dodger debut on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Home runs continue to fly off the bats of the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez and the Mets' Carlos Beltran. Ramirez has 9 home runs in the last 13 games while Beltran has 5 in his last 3 games. He also has 12 RBI in those 3 games.
---
Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 33 games yesterday. It's the 7th longest streak of all time.
The Mets have sent rookie Mike Pelfrey back to the minors after allowing 9 runs in 10.1 innings over his last 2 starts. Royce Ring has been recalled.
Cuban 2b baseman Yuliesky Gourriel had reportedly defected last week in Columbia. The rumors proved to be false when Gourriel met with reporters in Cuba today and laughed off the situation.
Bernie Steals the Spotlight
Delivers key hit in 5-1 victory
New arrival Bobby Abreu had Yankee Stadium buzzing last night, but it was old veteran that took the spotlight. Bernie Williams, a Yankee since 1991, doubled with the bases loaded in the 4th inning to snap a 1-1 tie and propel the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The victory, combined with the Boston Red Sox loss to the Cleveland Indians, moved the Yankees into a share of 1st place in the AL East.
Abreu received a loud ovation as he ran out to play RF in the 1st inning and was greeted by the Bleacher Creatures with changes of "Bob-by Abre-u". Abreu quickly warmed to the pinstripes. It appeared it could be a long night though as Yankees starter Jaret Wright struggled through 5 innings in blistering heat and humidity. After the game manager Joe Torre referred to it as "battling" through 5. Nice spin there Joe. The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd when Wright walked Lyle Overbay and hit Aaron Hill. John McDonald took a high fastball to right for an RBI double. Wright retired Reed Johnson on a deep fly to right to escape further trouble.
Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett breezed through the first 3 innings before encountering trouble in the 4th. Derek Jeter led off with a walk and quickly swiped his second base. It was his first of two steals on the night. Jason Giambi's single put runners on the corners for Alex Rodriguez who lined a shot to the gap in right-center for an RBI double to tie the game at 1 apiece. Abreu then quickly fell behind in the count 0-2 and barely checked his swing to avoid a 3rd strike. Jay’s manager John Gibbons didn't agree and barked out at home plate ump Gary Darling and 3rd base ump Ed Hickox. Abreu ended up drawing a walk to load the bases. That's when the Yankee with the longest tenure took over. Williams hit a liner to the gap in left-center just out of the reach of a diving Reed Johnson. The ball rolled to the wall and cleared the bases for a 4-1 Yankees lead. The double was also the 442nd of Bernie's career, tying him with Don Mattingly for 2nd place on the all-time Yankees list. Lou Gehrig sits in the top spot with 534.
Burnett was pulled from the game after the 4th and vented his frustration on one of the dugout water coolers. The rest of the night was up to Wright and the Yankees bullpen. Wright worked many full count at-bats and threw 103 pitches in his 5 inning effort. He managed to scatter 5 hits and walk just 1 though while striking out 5. Ron Villone, Scott Proctor, and Kyle Farnsworth worked the final 4 innings to close out the win.
Notes
Derek Jeter was 1-3 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. During the streak, Jeter is 20-40 (.500) during the streak, raising his average to .354. He's not just 13 points behind league leader Joe Mauer.
Alex Rodriguez stole his 10th base. It's the 10th time in his career he's reached double figures in steals.
Octavio Dotel threw 10 pitches in a 1 inning rehab stint for the Gulf Coast Yankees. Dotel struck out two and reached 94 mph on the radar gun.
Robinson Cano will make his 1st rehab appearance tomorrow in Tampa as a designated hitter. The goal is to have Cano back with the Yankees on August 8.
Craig Wilson gets his first start as a Yankee tonight as Chien-Ming Wang faces left-hander Ted Lilly. Wilson will play 1st base.
New arrival Bobby Abreu had Yankee Stadium buzzing last night, but it was old veteran that took the spotlight. Bernie Williams, a Yankee since 1991, doubled with the bases loaded in the 4th inning to snap a 1-1 tie and propel the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The victory, combined with the Boston Red Sox loss to the Cleveland Indians, moved the Yankees into a share of 1st place in the AL East.
Abreu received a loud ovation as he ran out to play RF in the 1st inning and was greeted by the Bleacher Creatures with changes of "Bob-by Abre-u". Abreu quickly warmed to the pinstripes. It appeared it could be a long night though as Yankees starter Jaret Wright struggled through 5 innings in blistering heat and humidity. After the game manager Joe Torre referred to it as "battling" through 5. Nice spin there Joe. The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd when Wright walked Lyle Overbay and hit Aaron Hill. John McDonald took a high fastball to right for an RBI double. Wright retired Reed Johnson on a deep fly to right to escape further trouble.
Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett breezed through the first 3 innings before encountering trouble in the 4th. Derek Jeter led off with a walk and quickly swiped his second base. It was his first of two steals on the night. Jason Giambi's single put runners on the corners for Alex Rodriguez who lined a shot to the gap in right-center for an RBI double to tie the game at 1 apiece. Abreu then quickly fell behind in the count 0-2 and barely checked his swing to avoid a 3rd strike. Jay’s manager John Gibbons didn't agree and barked out at home plate ump Gary Darling and 3rd base ump Ed Hickox. Abreu ended up drawing a walk to load the bases. That's when the Yankee with the longest tenure took over. Williams hit a liner to the gap in left-center just out of the reach of a diving Reed Johnson. The ball rolled to the wall and cleared the bases for a 4-1 Yankees lead. The double was also the 442nd of Bernie's career, tying him with Don Mattingly for 2nd place on the all-time Yankees list. Lou Gehrig sits in the top spot with 534.
Burnett was pulled from the game after the 4th and vented his frustration on one of the dugout water coolers. The rest of the night was up to Wright and the Yankees bullpen. Wright worked many full count at-bats and threw 103 pitches in his 5 inning effort. He managed to scatter 5 hits and walk just 1 though while striking out 5. Ron Villone, Scott Proctor, and Kyle Farnsworth worked the final 4 innings to close out the win.
Notes
Derek Jeter was 1-3 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. During the streak, Jeter is 20-40 (.500) during the streak, raising his average to .354. He's not just 13 points behind league leader Joe Mauer.
Alex Rodriguez stole his 10th base. It's the 10th time in his career he's reached double figures in steals.
Octavio Dotel threw 10 pitches in a 1 inning rehab stint for the Gulf Coast Yankees. Dotel struck out two and reached 94 mph on the radar gun.
Robinson Cano will make his 1st rehab appearance tomorrow in Tampa as a designated hitter. The goal is to have Cano back with the Yankees on August 8.
Craig Wilson gets his first start as a Yankee tonight as Chien-Ming Wang faces left-hander Ted Lilly. Wilson will play 1st base.
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Computer Glitches Away
Due to some recent computer problems, server problems, and general problems, we were offline for a bit. Game recaps as well as other articles will return with tonight's Yankees-Jays games.
MM
MM
MLB Trade Round Up
It's clear that the Yankees got what they wanted without giving up more than they wanted. Bobby Abreu fills the corner outfield spot they needed and Craig Wilson will play first base as well as some outfield. In addition the Yankees hope pitcher Corey Lidle continues the prowess he has shown during the 2nd half in years past.
The Yankees also got some help by what was not done by other teams. The Red Sox clearly came out losers at the deadline as they were unable to add a starting pitcher. They picked up reliever Mark Corey from the Rangers, but that's not going to shift the balance of power in the AL. The Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays also failed in their attempts to get Julio Lugo from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Lugo would have played 2nd for the Sox and SS for the Jays. Instead he'll playing 2B and eventually 3B for the Dodgers.
The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins also couldn't make any moves though the Sox may not really need any. The Twins were hoping to add a bat, possibly Alfonso Soriano, but it looks like their best move was getting Torii hunter back.
Speaking of Alfonso Soriano, the Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden did horribly at the deadline. He not only didn't move Soriano, who will most certainly walk at the end of the season, but he also failed to deal Livan Hernandez, Tony Armas Jr., or Ramon Ortiz. The biggest failing was not moving Soriano who could have brought back immediate impact players. Tom Boswell of the Washington Post must have been smoking something when he said that Bowden did the right thing by the fans in not moving Soriano. Now if Soriano leaves the team will get a pair of draft picks. Well what does that do for the foreseeable future? Bowden proves time and time again that he is a rotten GM.
Another GM who did poorly was the Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Littlefield. Littlefield dealt Craig Wilson to the Yankees and Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez to the Mets. In return he got back Shawn Chacon, Xavier Nady. Littlefield blew his chance to deal Wilson when his trade value was higher and while Nady is a serviceable player, he's not exactly a guy who is going to get the fans excited.
I'm surprised, well actually I'm not, listening to the Met fans who have been calling local radio stations complaining about trading Nady. Nady as had several big hits for the Mets this year, but he's not David Ortiz. GM Omar Minaya had to fill a need after reliever Duaner Sanchez separated his shoulder in a car accident. Prospect Lastings Milledge can certainly fill the spot and there's always the bat of Victor Diaz sitting at Triple-A.
The Detroit Tigers made a nice acquisition when they picked up 1st Baseman Sean Casey from the Pirates for middling prospect Brian Rogers. GM Dave Dombrowski really wanted to add another bat, but became hamstrung when prospect Humberto Sanchez injured his elbow, thereby shortening the list of players Dombrowski was willing to part with. The key here was the Tigers did not have to give up any of their bullpen in order to add a bat. A little bit of a surprise was seeing 1B Chris Shelton sent to the minors. Shelton was torrid in April, hitting .326 with 10 HR and 20 RBI. But as the weather got warmer, Shelton got cooler. He hit just .260-6-25 since then. His poor defense didn't help any either.
The Devil Rays got good return for Lugo, especially that of shortstop prospect Joel Guzman. The highly touted 20-yr old could find himself in the majors very quickly. Hopefully his attitude is a lot better than the Rays current minor league stars.
What exactly is the Texas Rangers idea of talent? Yes, they got Carlos Lee who upgraded their offense, but as usual they didn't upgrade their pitching. No,Kip Wells does NOT upgrade your pitching. That was the Rangers move yesterday.
The Yankees also got some help by what was not done by other teams. The Red Sox clearly came out losers at the deadline as they were unable to add a starting pitcher. They picked up reliever Mark Corey from the Rangers, but that's not going to shift the balance of power in the AL. The Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays also failed in their attempts to get Julio Lugo from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Lugo would have played 2nd for the Sox and SS for the Jays. Instead he'll playing 2B and eventually 3B for the Dodgers.
The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins also couldn't make any moves though the Sox may not really need any. The Twins were hoping to add a bat, possibly Alfonso Soriano, but it looks like their best move was getting Torii hunter back.
Speaking of Alfonso Soriano, the Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden did horribly at the deadline. He not only didn't move Soriano, who will most certainly walk at the end of the season, but he also failed to deal Livan Hernandez, Tony Armas Jr., or Ramon Ortiz. The biggest failing was not moving Soriano who could have brought back immediate impact players. Tom Boswell of the Washington Post must have been smoking something when he said that Bowden did the right thing by the fans in not moving Soriano. Now if Soriano leaves the team will get a pair of draft picks. Well what does that do for the foreseeable future? Bowden proves time and time again that he is a rotten GM.
Another GM who did poorly was the Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Littlefield. Littlefield dealt Craig Wilson to the Yankees and Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez to the Mets. In return he got back Shawn Chacon, Xavier Nady. Littlefield blew his chance to deal Wilson when his trade value was higher and while Nady is a serviceable player, he's not exactly a guy who is going to get the fans excited.
I'm surprised, well actually I'm not, listening to the Met fans who have been calling local radio stations complaining about trading Nady. Nady as had several big hits for the Mets this year, but he's not David Ortiz. GM Omar Minaya had to fill a need after reliever Duaner Sanchez separated his shoulder in a car accident. Prospect Lastings Milledge can certainly fill the spot and there's always the bat of Victor Diaz sitting at Triple-A.
The Detroit Tigers made a nice acquisition when they picked up 1st Baseman Sean Casey from the Pirates for middling prospect Brian Rogers. GM Dave Dombrowski really wanted to add another bat, but became hamstrung when prospect Humberto Sanchez injured his elbow, thereby shortening the list of players Dombrowski was willing to part with. The key here was the Tigers did not have to give up any of their bullpen in order to add a bat. A little bit of a surprise was seeing 1B Chris Shelton sent to the minors. Shelton was torrid in April, hitting .326 with 10 HR and 20 RBI. But as the weather got warmer, Shelton got cooler. He hit just .260-6-25 since then. His poor defense didn't help any either.
The Devil Rays got good return for Lugo, especially that of shortstop prospect Joel Guzman. The highly touted 20-yr old could find himself in the majors very quickly. Hopefully his attitude is a lot better than the Rays current minor league stars.
What exactly is the Texas Rangers idea of talent? Yes, they got Carlos Lee who upgraded their offense, but as usual they didn't upgrade their pitching. No,Kip Wells does NOT upgrade your pitching. That was the Rangers move yesterday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
