Yankees Win and Lose Nightly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everybody Hurts...All the Time

"Can someone untie my shoes?"

If REM had been singing about the Yankees the lyric would not have been "Everybody hurts sometimes." The Yankees not only lost a game to Seattle last night 3-2, which caused mental anguish from losing two of three to the Mariners, but Andy Pettitte and Chris Stewart both had to leave the game early.

Pettitte felt spasms in his upper back that wouldn't go away no matter how much he stretched between batters and pitches. He left the game after 4.2 innings pitched and saw his record fall to 4-3. He's already missed one start due to a balky back so there is a definite reason for concern.

His battery mate, Stewart, left the game after he felt pain in his groin running the bases. He went for an MRI and could land on the DL, which presents a problem. There are only three catchers on the 40-man roster - Stewart, Francisco Cervelli already on the DL, and Austine Romine, who has served as Stewart's back up.

Scranton has two catchers- veteran Bobby Wilson (decent glove/no bat, 191 games with the Angels) and Jeff Farnham, a 25-year old that has played just seven games at the Triple-A level. If Wilson were added, someone on the 40-man roster would have to be designated for assignment. It likely would be the end of the line for Ben Francisco, who has just five hits in 40 at-bats.

Pettitte is the bigger concern right now. The Yankees need a healthy, consistent Pettitte taking the mound every five days if they are to compete. The Texan has become much more of an injury risk the last few years. He missed chunks of time with a groin injury in 2010 and a broken ankle last season. It would be no surprise if, at the very least, Pettitte missed his next start.  It's possible Ivan Nova will be ready to rejoin the team by then.

The Mariners also had to deal with an injury last night when Pettitte's opponent, Aaron Harang, was scratched from his start due to a stiff back. Former Yankee Hector Noesi, a piece of the puzzle in the Jesus Montero-Michael Pineda deal, stepped in and stepped up. Though he didn't figure in the decision, Noesi limited the Yankees to one unearned run and three hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

Oliver Perez, the former Met, picked up the win after he struck out three batters in 1.1 innings pitched. Mike Morse hit his 10th home run if the season (off of Shawn Kelley) and scored twice. Yankees rookie David Adams picked up his Major League RBI when he doubled home Curtis Granderson in the 2nd inning to tie the game at one apiece.

Robinson Cano singled in a run in the 7th, but couldn't come through in the clutch in the 9th inning against closer Tom Wilhelmsen. Brett Gardner reached first on a single and stole second and third. But with one out and the tying run 90 ft away from home plate, Wilhelmsen struck out Jayson Nix and retired Cano on a game ending ground out.

Yankees Add Bobby Wilson to the Catcher Merry-Go-Round

The Yankees expected Eli Whiteside to possibly play a major part in their catching situation next season. Having already determined to let Russell Martin walk, Whiteside was expected to compete for part of a catching platoon with Austin Romine, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart or whomever else the Yankees might sign in the meantime.

But in that meantime Whiteside got grabbed off waivers by the Blue Jays, and then again on Wednesday by the Rangers. But there's always a non-hitting veteran out there and the Yankees grabbed up another one in Bobby Wilson, formerly of the LA Angels.

Wilson was signed to a minor league deal after hitting .211 last year and has just a .593 career OPS. He is considered a decent defensive catcher.

One good thing Wilson did last year was quit Twitter - a very smart move before possibly playing in NYC for sure.

“I’m done with twitter. Try to be fan friendly and all I get is criticism. I wasn’t blessed with 5 tools. I worked hard to get here.”