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.

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.

Shields Shuts Down Yankees To Tie Wild Card

The Boston Red Sox had a nine game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays on September 4. After the Rays beat the Yankees and the Red Sox lost to the Orioles Monday night the two teams were in a perfect tie in the wild card race at 89-71.

James Shields came within one out of a complete game in a 5-2 win over the Yankees. He scattered six hits and a pair of Robinson Cano RBI, including the second baseman's 28th home run of the year. The Rays offense took advantage of inexperienced Hector Noesi, who made just his second big league start. Just like his first start, Noesi didn't make it out of the 3rd inning.

B.J. Upton's 2-run double in the 3rd tied the game at 2-2 and Johnny Damon put Tampa ahead for good with an RBI single. The Rays added tack on runs in the 4th, on a Kelly Shoppach home run off lefty Raul Valdes, and a Damon sac fly in the 7th.

The Yankees had a mild chance in the 9th when Alex Rodriguez reached on an Evan Longoria error, but Jorge Posada bounced into a double play. When Shields walked Eric Chavez, manager Joe Maddon went to closer Kyle Farnsworth, who retired pinch-hitter Jesus Montero on a game ending ground out.

Meanwhile up in Baltimore, the Orioles and Red Sox were tied 2-2 in the 6th as Baltimore's Tommy Hunter kept pace with the much more heralded Josh Beckett. Chris Davis then put Baltimore ahread with an RBI double and set the stage for Robert Andino.

Last week Andino killed the Red Sox when he cleared the loaded bases with a double of Jonathan Papelbon to send Boston to another loss. Andino struck again tonight when he drove a deep fly to center field with two aboard. Jacoby Ellbsury leaped, had the ball, but lost the ball when he crashed into the wall. Both base runners scored easily and Andino raced aroud the bases for an inside-the-park-home-run and a 6-2 Orioles lead.

Boston cut it to 6-3 in the 9th and had the tying run at the plate in the person of Adrian Gonzalez. Closer Jim Johnson got Gonzalez to fly out and then struck out Jed Lowrie swinging to end the game and erase the Red Sox wild card lead.

Notes

Russell Martin was ejected from the Yankees game after a pitch from Hector Noesi was called a ball. Martin made a wisecrack to home plate ump Paul Schrieber who tossed him.

Courtesy of Dellin Betances - the Yankees rookies took their annual hazing Monday night. That's Andrew Brackman and Betances as Milli Vanilli, George Kontos as one half of WHAM, Hector Noesi as Prince, Austin Romine as Madonna, Jesus Montero as MC Hammer (looks more like the Indian from the Village People), and Brandon Laird as Slash. (Thanks to Marc Carig for filling in some of the blanks)

Cano Pulls Up The Sox

It has to be painful for Boston Red Sox fans right now. Not only has their team been in a tremendous slump for weeks, but now they have to root for the Yankees as well. And so far, the Yankees have done right by their rivals to the north. Robinson Cano delivered the game winning 2-run double this afternoon as the Yankees rallied late to top the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in the first of a day-night doubleheader. The win assured the Yankees of a post-season appearance for the 16th time in 17 years.

The victory came on the heels of last night's excellent performance by Ivan Nova (16-4) in a 5-0 white washing of the Rays and dropped Tampa Bay 2.5 games behind Boston in the AL Wild Card. The Yankees,can thank their bullpen for giving them a chance to win this afternoon.

Starter Phil Hughes was scratched due to back spasms and was replaced by Hector Noesi. The rookie last just two plus innings and allowed a 2-run home run to fellow newbie Desmond Jennings to put the Yankees in a 2-1 hole. But as Rays starter James Shields was putting up goose eggs on the scoreboard, the Yankees pen was matching him. Raul Valdes, George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Cory Wade, Boone Logan, Luis Ayala (2-2), and Mariano Rivera scattered five hits and one walk over the final 6.1 innings.

Meanwhile Shields dominated a Yankees lineup that had no Curtis Granderson or Mark Teixeira in it. Held to just four hits through seven innings, New York tied it up when Eduardo Nunez led off the 8th with his 5th home run of the season. When Brett Gardner followed with a single and Derek Jeter walked, Rays manager Joe Maddon went to lefty J.P. Howell to face Cano. But Cano, who entered the game hitting .318 against southpaws, smashed a pitch to the base of the wall in center to score both runners. Mariano Rivera then picked up save #603 with a 1-2-3 9th inning.

- - -

Getting back to Nova's game last night. No other Yankees starter, besides CC Sabathia, would have been given the opportunity to escape the 7th inning, bases loaded no out jam in last night's ball game. It showed the tremendous trust that manager Joe Girardi has in his rookie starter. Nova retired Desmond Jennings on a fly to shallow left-center and got B.J. Upton to hit into an inning ending double play.

Nova, who leads all rookies in wins, has won his last 12 decisions. He's the 5th Yankees pitcher to go 12-0 over a 15 game span, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others are Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Ron Guidry, and Roger Clemens.

The Yankees stranded 18 runners on Tuesday night; the most since they left 20 on base in 1956.

Yankees Walk To Win

Mark Teixeira snared the last out from the stands.

A.J. Burnett was going through one of those frustrating nights last night that has become the hallmark of his 2 1/2 years as a Yankee. He wasn't putting hitters away, he put his team in a 4-1 hole, and he got into a verbal disagreement with a Yankees fan sitting behind the visitors' dugout. But the Tampa Bay Rays had a bigger issue. They had used nine pitchers the night before- actually the same day, since the game ended after 1 a.m., in a 16-inning loss to the Red Sox. The result was a kid making his Major League pitching debut and a come-from-behind 5-4 win for the Yankees.

23-yr old Alex Torres was one out away from getting out of a 9th inning jam, but it was not meant to be. He gave up a lead off single to Curtis Granderson, but struck out Mark Teixeira for the first out. (Teixeira, like players and managers on both sides, had trouble with home plate umpire Ed Hickox' balls and strikes calls and it affected his final two at-bats, both of which were strikeouts.) Granderson swiped second with Robinson Cano up and moved to third when Cano grounded out to second.

Rays' manager Joe Maddon decided to intentionally walk Nick Swisher to set up a matchup with the less productive Andruw Jones. The move backfired though, when Torres unintentionally gave Jones a free pass to load the bases. Then, everything exploded in Maddon's face when Torres missed with a 3-2 pitch to Russell Martin to force in the go-ahead run. Mariano Rivera then pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning for his 24th save.

Trailing 1-0, the Rays came right back with a three spot in the bottom of the 1st inning. Burnett got off on the wrong foot by walking Johnny Damon and then allowed a single to Ben Zobrist. Evan Longoria brought both runners home with a double to left-center for a 2-1 Rays lead. Casey Kotchman singled to move Longoria up a base, but Teixeira's Gold Glove defense temporarily saved Burnett from further trouble.

Teixeira gloved B.J. Upton's grounder, froze Longoria at third and started a 3-6-3 double play. (It helped that Upton, as usual, didn't run hard to first). Burnett didn't take advantage of his good fortune though, when he fielded Sean Rodriguez' chopper and threw wildly to first for a run-scoring error.

Rookie starter Alex Cobb held the Yankees to three hits over six innings, but the Yankees chipped away at the lead in the 8th against Cesar Ramos and former Yankee reliever Kyle Farnsworth. Cano singled to start the frame and Swisher followed with a walk. Farnsworth retired Jones, but gave up back-to-back singles to Brett Gardner and Martin to produce a run, and another scored on Eduardo Nunez' fielder's choice.

David Robertson struck out two of the three batters he faced in the 8th inning to raise his record to 3-0. He now has 59 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.

FullCountPitch - GMs, Man Your Phones!

It’s less than two weeks until the annual MLB trade deadline, the time when buyers and sellers manipulate their rosters to make a run at the playoffs in the current season or re-tool their teams for the future.

These next two weeks will determine whether the teams become buyers or sellers. There are so many teams still in play in the divisional and wild card races that the demand currently outweighs the supply. Teams currently on the bubble could fall off with a bad stretch or they could become more aggressive with a winning streak.

As for the players available, there aren’t a lot of sexy names out there and I would expect this season’s deadline trading to be a fairly boring one. Of course, one major deal could change all of that. Here’s a look at the teams that are buying/selling and some of the players that could be switching uniforms by the time August rolls around.

AL East

Buyers – Boston, New York

The Red Sox and Yankees would both like to add a starting pitcher as well as add depth to their bullpens. (as would every other contender in baseball.) There are no big names out there, unless you believe the “Ubaldo Jimenez is on the market” rumors. The media should know by now that just because a team is scouting another team’s minor leaguers that doesn’t mean trade talks are going on. It’s just the nature of the business. A more likely scenario would have both teams discussing Huston Street or Rafael Betancourt with Colorado.

As for a starting pitcher a deal for someone like the Astros’ Brett Myers would make more sense. A’s GM Billy Beane will most certainly receive calls for one of his young pitchers, but Beane is not likely to deal Trevor Cahill or Gio Gonzalez at this point unless he gets a large haul in return.

Moderate Buyer – Tampa Bay

The Rays aren’t going to make a big splash at the deadline. They simply won’t deal any of their top prospects – Desmond Jennings, Jake McGee, etc., – especially since there aren’t many available players worth a top notch prospect. The Rays do need another bat though if they are to stay in the divisional and wild card races. Perhaps a Michael Cuddyer? The Rays reportedly covet St. Louis’ Colby Rasmus, who doesn’t see eye to eye with his manager, Tony LaRussa.

If things go south for the Rays in the next two weeks, they could also find themselves as sellers. With Johnny Damon’s semi-resurrection, the Rays could certainly get back something of value for him should they decide to deal him. There are constant rumors about outfielder B.J. Upton, but teams are leery about Upton’s lack of steady performance and, at times, hustle.

Seller – Baltimore, Toronto

The Orioles have pitching, not necessarily great pitching, but pitching nonetheless that could be moved. Unlike last season when the Orioles could find no takers for Kevin Millwood (possibly asking for too much), the Orioles should be able to move Jeremy Guthrie. The 32-yr old right hander has one of those strange oddities about his numbers over the last four seasons- thumbs up in the even number years, not so much in the odd numbered years. The Rangers are reportedly showing interest as they hope to add some depth to their rotation.

The Orioles also have inconsistent closer Kevin Gregg and the more dependable set up man Koji Uehara who could bring back some low level prospects. Lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez would basically have to be given away. Offensively, the Orioles might find a taker for 1st baseman Derrek Lee, but again they won’t get much in return since Lee has had only one month in which his OPS has eclipsed .700. Any chance of dealing Vlad Guerrero prior to the waiver deadline ended when Guerrero suffered a fracture in his right hand, courtesy of a pitch from Boston’s Kyle Weiland.

The Blue Jays are building for the future and have a number of good, talented players on the way, some of which have been up this season already (Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart), or are about to be (Brett Lawrie). The Blue Jays will find takers for Jon Rauch and/or Frank Francisco. Both have bounced back and forth between set up and closer, with Rauch now in the 9th inning role.

With Lawrie due to arrive in early August, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion is expendable, but his .299 OBP suits him for a reserve role (his .412 SLG Pct could make him a useful pinch-hitter). Outfielder Corey Patterson, who turns 32 in August, could also serve in a reserve outfield role for a number of teams.

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CC Tops

CC, how do I love thee,
Let me count the wins,
Thirteen at the All-Star break!

CC Sabathia knew he had to be at his best on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays own ace, James Shields, was toeing the rubber for the visiting team. All Sabathia did was go out and throw a complete game shutout in the Yankees 1-0 win.

Sabathia, who was named to the All-Star team on Sunday though he won't pitch in the game, was superb. He rared back in the 9th inning and blew a 98-mph fastball by Elliot Johnson to end the game. His 9th strikeout of the game improved Sabathia's record to 13-4 and lowered his ERA To 2.72. In his last four starts (31.2 IP), Sabathia is 4-0 with a 0.28 ERA (one earned run allowed), 42 strikeouts, and a 7:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Overall, the big man has won his last six starts and 10 of the last 11 times he's been on the mound.

Sabathia faced just two batters over the minimum as he got some help from his defense. Catcher Russell Martin threw out B.J. Upton and Sean Rodriguez on steal attempts and Andruw Jones doubled Upton off of first base on a fly out to right field.

The Yankees couldn't do much better off of Shields, who lowered his ERA to 2.33 despite the loss. The Rays gifted the Yankees a run in the 7th to break the scoreless tie. Robinson Cano led off the inning with a single and was nearly doubled off first when Jorge Posada flew out to shallow center. But Upton's throw sailed into the seats for a two base error. Rays manager Joe Maddon is never afraid to throw caution to the wind, but a two out decision in the inning cost the Rays the game.

Shields tried to pick Cano off of third base, but Sean Rodriguez was late to cover and Shield's throw sailed wide to allow Cano to score the game's lone run. The run proved to be enough for a Yankees team that had neither Alex Rodriguez or Nick Swisher in the lineup and managed just four hits on the day.

Notes

A-Rod will undergo knee surgery today on his slightly torn meniscus and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He visited with specialist Dr. Lee Kaplan in Miami on Sunday and will follow Kaplan's recommendation to have the procedure done. Eduardo Nunez will get the majority of playing time while A-Rod is out. No word on who the Yankees will add to the roster in A-Rod's place, but that decision does not have to be made immediately with the the league at the All-Star break.

Speaking of All-Stars, reliever David Robertson has been added to the squad as a replacement. "Houdini" has had quite a year; he moved into the 8th inning set up role when Joba Chamberlain had Tommy John surgery and has struck out a remarkable 56 batters in 35.1 innings pitched (14.3 per nine innings).

Nick Swisher sat out his second straight game on Sunday with a strained quad, but hopes to be back in the lineup when play resumes on Thursday.

FullCountPitch - Band of Brothers

There have been many brother tandems that have played in the Major Leagues over the years, but there have been few that have jointly found success. Generally, one brother stands out, (the all-time combined brothers home run leader for instance, Hank Aaron – 755, Tommie Aaron – 13), or neither member of a set of brothers have a memorable career.

Among the brothers currently playing Major League Baseball today, some of the more notable pairs include:

B.J. and Justin Upton
Eric and Corey Patterson
J.D. and Stephen Drew (another brother, Tim, played parts of five seasons)
Bengie, Yadier, and Jose Molina; the “first family” of catching
Scott and Jerry (Jr.) Hairston
Andy and Adam LaRoche
Laynce and Jason Nix
Erick and Willy Aybar
Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez

Each of the aforementioned sets of brothers could fall into one of the categories previously mentioned. The top brother combo right now is the Uptons, who are still a work in progress. B.J. has had the better career to date, though he has backslid from his 2008 season. Meanwhile, Justin appears to still be on the rise to stardom.

So who are the Top 10 best brother combinations since the beginning of baseball time?

Honorable Mention – George and Ken Brett, Orlando and Livan Hernandez, Trevor and Glen Hoffman, Carlos and Lee May, and Bob and Ken Forsch.

#10 - Aaron and Bret Boone are not only two of the better brother combos in baseball history, but they are members of a baseball legacy. Their father (Bob) and grandfather (Ray) played in the majors as well. 2nd baseman Bret had a 14-year career spent primarily in Seattle and Cincinnati. The four-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner hit 252 career home runs and drove in 1,021 runs. He finished third in the AL MVP voting in 2001 when he hit .331-37-141 and won one of his two Silver Slugger Awards.

Aaron played for six teams in 12 years, seven of which were spent with the Cincinnati Reds. He was primarily a 3rd baseman, but saw some time at 2nd base, shortstop, and 1st base. He was acquired by the New York Yankees at the 2003 trade deadline and hit one of the most famous home runs in playoff history when his extra-inning blast defeated the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the ’03 ALCS. He injured his knee playing basketball during the ensuing off-season, which fortuitously led to a mega-deal (including Alfonso Soriano) that enabled the Yankees to acquire Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers.

Aaron underwent heart surgery during Spring Training in 2009 and made it back for 10 games with the Houston Astros. He retired at the conclusion of that season.

#9 – Our first trio of brothers – Cloyd, Ken, and Clete Boyer. The eldest of the three, Cloyd, played in the Major Leagues for just five seasons, winning a total of 20 games before moving on to coaching. But from 1955-1964 Ken Boyer was one of the best all around 3rd baseman in the game. During that stretch he averaged 24 HR and 92 RBI, was a seven-time All-Star, won five Gold Glove Awards and was the 1964 NL MVP. His seventh inning home run in Game 7 of the 1964 World Series proved to be the difference as the Cardinals beat the Yankees four games to three. He concluded his 15-year career after the 1969 season with 282 career home runs, 1,141 RBI and 2,143 hits. Ken has borderline Hall of Fame numbers that should be considered by the veteran’s committee.

Though he never hit like Ken, Clete could flash the leather at 3rd base as well as anyone. He played in the shadow of the Oriol

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Yankees Show Rays Who's Boss

It was an emotional night from start to finish at Yankee Stadium this evening as the Yankees and Rays squared off in the first game since George Steinbrenner's passing. The Yankees rallied from a pair of deficits to produce a dramatic 5-4 walk off win on Nick Swisher's single in the bottm of the 9th.

The evening started with solemn and tender tributes to the man known as "The Boss" and long time PA announcer Bob Sheppard, who passed away last Sunday. Mariano Rivera placed roses on home plate and the crowd stood in a moment of silence. Video tributes played throughout the evening and the PA booth was silent. And Derek Jeter spoke eloquently and emotionally about the man whose voice he revered and the boss that he had struck up a friendship with.

The Yankees seemed flat and the crowd was as quiet as the PA booth for much of the game until Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada connected for back to back home runs off James Shields in the 6th inning to tie the game at three apiece.

Down a run in the 8th, Swisher brought the crowd to their feet again with his 16th home run of the year, off Joaquin Benoit, to tie the game at 4-4. Benoit had allowed just two home runs in his previous 27.2 innings.

CC Sabathia was not at his best, allowing four runs (three earned) and four walks in seven innings. David Robertson struck out the side in the 8th and Mariano Rivera earned the win after tossing a scoreless 9th. Rivera's inning included a pick off of B.J. Upton after he reached with a lead off single.

Curtis Granderson has struggled against left-handers, but has succeeded against Randy Choate and did again tonight with a lead off single to start the home half of the 9th. Pinch-hitter Ramiro Pena sacrificed Granderson to 2nd base before Brett Gardner earned a one out walk.

Rays' skipper Joe Maddon went to right-hander Dan Wheeler to face Derek Jeter and the move paid off when the Captain went down swinging for the second out. But Maddon countered with another right-hander Lance Cormier to face Swisher. The Yankees right fielder had been 0-7 against Cormier, but ripped a line drive to right field to score Granderson ahead of Gable Kapler's throw for the game winner.

An emotional night ended with an emotional celebration and, of course, some pie courtesy of A.J. Burnett.

And You Wanted To Be My Latex Salesman

My pre-season pick for the AL MVP was none other than the Rays' B.J. Upton. I had a hunch this would be a bust out year for him. The one that took his game to another level.

Boy was I wrong.

Upton's splits - .223/.318/.392 stink. He's got just 29 RBI.

Back in 2007 it appeared Upton was ready for stardom. He hit .300, belted 24 HR and drove in 82 runs. His OPS was nearly .900.

But his lack of hustle, and it's not a perceived lack, at times and his attitude have diminished as has his game. Things came to a head on Sunday when Upton loped after a ball hit to the gap in left-center field. When the Rays got back in the dugout Evan Longoria got in his teammates face. Upton's reaction, as you can see in the video, was none too pleasant.

Ironically, the game ended when Chris Young hustled to catch a deep fly ball hit by Upton.

Upton's days in Tampa Bay very well becoming to an end. The Rays have shown their not afraid to move talented, but underachieving players (i.e. Delmon Young).

Perhaps a deal for Carlos Zambrano?





Zambrano's weekend flip out. Is there something in the dugout water?



photo courtesy of onpublicspeaking.com

2010 Individual Award Predictions

Let's see how good or bad I can be this year at picking the top awards in the American and National Leagues.

AL MVP

The pick for the AL is a crapshoot. I don't expect anyone to put up Albert Pujols type numbers. There are plenty to choose from. But the top 3 finishers will be - Kevin Youkilis, B.J. Upton, and Alex Rodriguez.

And the winner is.......B.J. Upton
Upton had an off year in 2009. Bad shoulder, bad attitude, bad karma. Whatever it was, it was down year for Upton, who had a .790 OPS. I expected a big rebound this year. Now if someone could only get him to play deeper in the outfield (not against the Yankees though).

AL CY Young

Zack Greinke's numbers were phenomenal last year. He should be good again this year, though it would be difficult to match a 2.16 ERA in the AL. Felix Hernandez is beginning to reach his potential. Justin Verlander is back on top of his game, and CC Sabathia is always a front-runner.

But this year's CY winner? Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox. It's been difficult to root against this particular Red Sox player since he battled back from cancer. He's got a no-hitter and soon he'll have a CY Young to add to his resume.

AL Manager of the Year

You got to win it to be in it. Or at least turn things around for a woeful team. Mike Scioscia is a perennial favorite. Ron Gardenhire will be up there too for the Twins. Terry Francona and Joe Madden will be among the top vote getters. But the recipient of the 2009 award will be...

Joe Girardi. You saw it here first (perhaps). Girardi will snag the award as the Yankees beat out very strong Red Sox and Rays teams to win the AL East.

AL Rookie of the Year

The Carlos Santana era should begin soon in Cleveland. Wade Davis has made the starting rotation in Tampa Bay. Desmond Jennings could get the call to the Rays if Carl Crawford is dealt or injuries beset the team. Brian Matusz will get a chance to prove himself in Baltimore.

But the top rookie in the AL this year will be someone who made their debut last August. That would be the Texas Rangers' Neftali Feliz. The hard throwing right-hander should stock up on strikeouts and could move to the closer role if Frank Francisco falters. Then again, he may end up in the Rangers rotation too.

Comeback Player of the Year

Grady Sizemore tried to play through the pain of an injured elbow and strained ab, but the results were poor. This year we expect a return to 30-30 form for Sizemore, though his team will fall short of the playoffs.


NL MVP

We're not going to waste your time here. Albert. Pujols. Again. Pujols had another tremendous year in 2009 and is now in a contract year. Look out NL pitchers.

NL CY Young

Johan Santana is back for the Mets. Josh Johnson will continue to shine in Florida. The Card's due of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Clayton Kershaw is emerging in LA. And of course the top gunslinger right now is the Giants Tim Lincecum.

But the NL award goes to a former AL winner and newly minted NLer - Roy Halladay. He's in a hitter's ball park, but he's in the NL and that will put this stud over the top.

NL Manager of the Year

Charlie Manuel will have his Phillies on top again, Jim Tracy will continue his good job in Colorado, and Tony LaRussa's Cards will make the playoffs again.

But, and it's a sentimental pick, Bobby Cox will win it for the Atlanta Braves.

NL Rookie of the Year

Buster Posey should bust a move for the Giants. Stephen Strasburg should be all he's cracked up to be. And Mike Stanton will cut an imposing figure in Florida.

But the winner, probably picked by a lot of people, will be the young star to be in Atlanta. Jason Heyward.

There you have it..Right? Wrong? Check back with me in November or December.

Mo Gets Back on the Horse

Rivera Redeems Himself in Baseball Cathedral

June 8th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: al aceves • Evan Longoria • Gabe Gross • grant balfour • J.P. Howell • joba chamberlain • mariano rivera • Mark Teixeira • Matt Garza • nick swisher • Yankees 6/7 recap • Yankees vs. Rays

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Tampa Bay	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0		3	6	1
NY Yankees	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	X		4	6	1

WP - Aceves (4-1) SV - Rivera (13) LP - Balfour (2-1)

All the buzz before yesterday’s game between the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays centered on Saturday’s controversial intentional walk to Rays’ slugger Evan Longoria. It was part of Mariano Rivera’s failure in a tie game that later had him angry, though he claimed otherwise, at his manager. So it wasn’t only fitting that with Rivera in to protect a one run lead in the 9th, the game came down to Longoria for the final out. Rivera retired him on a ground out to Robinson Cano to preserve the Yankees 4-3 victory and got Joe Girardi to admit, albeit jokingly, that “…maybe Mo was right”. YES sideline/clubhouse reporter Kim Jones also prodded Rivera with her first post-game question, asking if the Yankees closer felt some vindication for the Longoria situation. Rivera downplayed the situation and was much happier to redeem himself for losing Saturday’s game.

The Yankees pulled out another come from behind victory on Sunday, scoring three times in the 8th inning to overcome a 3-1 lead. They did it with some major help from the Rays themselves. Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira reached on one out singles (Teixeira seems to be in the middle of every rally these days) and Grant Balfour walked Alex Rodriguez to load the bases. J.P. Howell walked Cano to force in a run and Willy Aybar butchered Jorge Posada’s potential double play grounder to tie the game.

The Yankees got another break when Hideki Matsui’s chopper up the middle was hit slowly enough to allow him to beat the relay throw to first as the Rays tried to turn two. Though Girardi praised Posada for breaking up the double play by running through second baseman Ben Zobrist, Posada actually would have been smarter to stop running and force Zobrist to either chase him or just throw to first to get Matsui.

Melky Cabrera had a chance to bust the game open after Nick Swisher walked to put two aboard, but struck out swinging. Soon, “Enter Sandman” blared over the PA system as Rivera jogged in from the bullpen. He made quick work of the Rays, getting Matt Joyce on a ground out to Teixeira and then struck out Gabe Gross with a nasty cutter before setting up the final showdown with Longoria.

Joba Chamberlain threw a fairly effective six innings before turning things over to Al Aceves, who improved to 4-1 with the win. He gave up an RBI double in the 3rd inning to Joyce, but took a 1-1 game into the 6th, where he ran into trouble. Though his fastball increased in MPH, Chamberlain lost his command of it. He struck out Carl Crawford to start the inning, but then gave up singles to Aybar and Carlos Pena and issued a 2-out walk to Joyce. With the bases loaded, Chamberlain hung one to Gross, who ripped it to center for a 2-run single and a 3-1 Rays lead.

The Yankees only managed one run, a solo home run by Swisher, against Rays’ starter Matt Garza despite having at least one man on base in every inning but the first. Aceves continued his excellent relief work. He tossed two scoreless innings and struck out the last four men he faced, including the side in the 8th.

Game Notes

The rubber game of the match is this evening at 7:05 p.m. ET. Andy Pettitte faces Andy Sonnanstine. One would think Phil Hughes would be at the ready in case Pettitte’s back acts up. If not, why is Hughes still up with the ball club?

How about this obscure stat from the Elias Sports Bureau - “Mariano Rivera induced a ground out from pinch-hitter Evan Longoria to cap a one-two-three ninth inning and notch his 13th save of the season. It was only the second save of Rivera’s career in which he recorded the final out by retiring the major-leagues’ outright RBI leader. He did it previously on July 16, 2005 at Fenway Park when David Ortiz popped out to end the game.”

Rivera's Tie Game Woes Continue

Mo is in Knots Over Tie games

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Alex Rodriguez • B.J. Upton • cc sabathia • David Price • Evan Longoria • mariano rivera • Mark Teixeira • Willy Aybart • Yankees 6/6 recap • Yankees vs. Rays

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Tampa Bay	0	0	0	0	2	3	0	0	4		9	9	4
NY Yankees	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	2	2		7	7	2

WP - Howell (1-2) SV - Choate (3) LP - Rivera (0-2)

When it comes to saving ball games, there haven’t been many closers that have been as reliable as Mariano Rivera. But over the last couple of years, Rivera has been anything but reliable when entering a tie game. The trend continued yesterday when the Yankees rallied from a 5-3 deficit to tie the game, only to see Rivera be tagged for four runs in a 9-5 Tampa Bay Rays victory.

Ben Zobrist opened the top of the 9th with a triple to the gap in left-center field and scored the game’s go ahead run on a single by Joe Dillon. Rivera recorded the next two outs, but with Dillon on third base, Joe Girardi elected to intentionally walk pinch-hitter Evan Longoria and face B.J. Upton instead. Upton was just 1-7, with 6 strikeouts, lifetime against Rivera so the move made sense. But Upton ripped a line drive back up the middle for an RBI single and a 7-5 Rays lead. Rivera was still upset about the decision to walkLongoria after the game had ended.

“That’s the manager’s decision, if it was me I would pitch to him,” Rivera said when asked about the decision to walk Longoria. “That’s what I do. I’m not going to go there to intentionally walk guys. I think I have good stuff to get people out. But that’s the manager’s decision. That’s why I’m not the manager.”

Courtesy of NY Daily News

Rivera was lifted for one of the rare times in the 9th inning, giving way to Phil Coke. But Coke allowed an RBI single to Carl Crawford and Alex Rodriguez booted Willie Aybar’s grounder for a 9-5 Rays lead. The Yankees had one more rally in them in the bottom of the 9th, cutting the lead to 9-7 on Mark Teixeira’s 2-run double. (Teixeira had earlier hit a tremendous home run off the facing of the third deck to tie Carlos Pena for the AL lead with 17 round trippers.) But Dan Wheeler retired A-Rod on a ground out to third and Jorge Posada on a fly to deep center. Former Yankee Randy Choate came on to face Robinson Cano and got him a deep fly to center that Upton caught up to for the final out.

CC Sabathia went eight innings with mixed results. He was cruising along with a 2-0 lead in the 5th inning when Zobrist hit a solo shot to left field and Dioner Navarro added a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2. The Yankees went back ahead in their half of the inning, against starter David Price, on one of Navarro’s three throwing errors. But Aybar crushed a long 3-run home run to the bullpen in left-center to put the Rays back up 5-3.

Game Notes

Joba Chamberlain faces Matt Garza in the second game of the series this afternoon (1:05 p.m. ET).

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mark Teixeira became the fourth player with at least 17 home runs in his first 200 at-bats (198 in his case) of the season. Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Kevin Maas were the others.

From Bad to Worse

When Nick Swisher is called upon to pitch, you know your team is in trouble. That's how poorly things went for the Yankees tonight in St. Petersburg.

You thought Chien-Ming Wang's start against Baltimore was bad? His showing against Tampa Bay this evening was even worse. Wang didn't retire a batter in the second inning and the Rays humiliated the Yankees 15-5.

Swisher provided the comic relief in the eighth inning, but he was the only Yankees pitcher to escape unscathed. Wang was awful right from the start. He walked B.J. Upton, who was playing his first game of the season, to start the first and then hit Carl Crawford.

Wang struck out Evan Longoria, but the Rays pulled off a double steal, with Upton swiping his second base of the inning. Carlos Pena doubled home both runners and scored on a Pat Burrell double for a 3-0 Rays lead. Back to back singles by Dioner Navarro and Gabe Gross produced another run, with Gross helping Wang out by getting thrown out trying to advance to second on the play. Wang then retired Aki Iwamura to get out of the first inning down 4-0.

Things didn't get any better in the second for Wang. Jason Bartlett singled and promptly stole second. Upton's bunt single and a walk to Crawford loaded the bases and Wang followed with another walk to Longoria to force in a run. Joe Girardi called on Jonathan Albaladejo, but before the Yankees manager knew what him, or Albaladejo in this case, Pena blasted a grand slam into the right field seats for a back breaking 9-0 Rays lead.

After that it was all about getting the game over with. The Yankees scored three runs off of Scott Kazmir in 6.2 innings, with Swisher hitting his third home run of the season. Edwar Ramirez and Phil Coke gave up four more runs before Girardi, in desperation, turned things over to Swisher to save the bullpen.

After giving up a walk and a single to start the eighth, Swisher struck out Gabe Kapler, retired Pena on a pop up to Robinson Cano, and ended the inning by getting Burrell to fly out to left field. It was the only time the Yankees got to smile all night.


Game Notes

Incredibly, Wang's ERA stands at 23.98 after two starts (4.2 IP 17 ER).

With a tired bullpen, it would not be surprising to see the Yankees call a pitcher up from Scranton in time for Tuesday's game.

Upton made a terrific return to the lineup after missing the first six games due to off-season shoulder surgery. He was 1-3 with three walks, two runs scored, two stolen bases and made a spectacular, back to the infield, running catch in center field on a ball hit by Xavier Nady.

Swisher was the first position player to pitch for the Yankees since Wade Boggs did it on August 18, 1997. The future Hall of Fame inductee tossed a scoreless inning against the Anaheim Angels in a 12-4 Yankees loss.

	Final		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		R		H		E
	NY Yankees	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	2	0	5	9	1
	Tampa Bay	4	5	1	0	1	1	3	0	X	15	17	0
WP: S. Kazmir (2-0) LP: C. Wang (0-2)