Big Puma Tops Big Surprises | Baseball Digest

Big Puma Tops Big Surprises | Baseball Digest

Every year it seems a light-hitting shortstop powers up in April, a team that isn’t expected to compete comes out like lightning out of the gate, and a journeyman pitcher dominates. But, the biggest surprise this season has been the resurgence of one-time All-Star Lance Berkman, aka “Big Puma”.

Berkman’s numbers had dropped drastically the last couple of years, especially when the switch-hitting first baseman was facing a left-handed pitcher. But Berkman, who has moved back to the outfield with the St. Louis Cardinals, came out swinging this season. He hit .393/.455/.753 in March/April with eight home runs and 22 RBI. Though his numbers are still pedestrian in limited exposure to left-handed pitching, Berkman has absolutely destroyed right-handers to the tune of a 1.352. Berkman kept the pace through the first two games in May with a home run, five RBI and four hits in eight at-bats.

The American League Central division standings are upside down. Favorites Minnesota and Chicago are at the bottom of the division while the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals are 1-2 in the standings. The Tribe rolled out to a 20-8 start, thanks in large part to outstanding starting pitching and effective relief work. One-time Boston prospect Justin Masterson has started 5-0, 2.25, thanks to outstanding control, which has been a major issue for Masterson in the past. Though he walked five batters in one of his wins, he’s allowed just eight walks in his five other starts. Masterson has also allowed less than a hit per inning. The right-hander’s only no-decision came in his last start when he limited the Tigers to two earned runs over seven innings in a game the Indians eventually won.

Masterson’s teammate Josh Tomlin also entered his start Wednesday night with an unbeaten mark (4-0, 2.45). Like Masterson, Tomlin has limited the number of opposing men on base and has a better than 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio. The 26-yr old had shown promise since being selected in the 2006 amateur draft, including a 12 game stint with Cleveland last season. The Indians bullpen, which has allowed 27 earned runs in 79.1 innings pitched, has seen superb seasons from closer Chris Perez (1-1, 2.77, 8 SV), Vinnie Pestano (0.82 ERA) and left-handers Rafael Perez (2-1, 0.00) and Tony Sipp (1-0, 2.08).

Maybe the biggest surprise has been the Indians offense, which has averaged 5.36 runs per game, good for second-best in the American League. The Indians’ lineup has produced a balanced attack and received a boost when Grady Sizemore returned with force after missing the start of the season while recovering from microfracture knee surgery. The centerfielder has busted out a 1.058 OPS with four home runs and nine RBI in 13 games.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the power-packed Chicago White Sox lineup looks more like a bunch of Punch-and-Judy hitters. It’s the overwhelming reason the White Sox are off to an 11-21 start. Just when things seemed like they were at rock bottom, Chicago was no-hit by Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano this past Tuesday night. Liriano entered the game with a 9.13 ERA and had allowed over 10 hits per nine innings pitched.

Chief among the lack-of-offensive offenders is free agent DH Adam Dunn. The first year AL player is adjusting to a new league and being a full-time DH, but that being said, he entered Wednesday’s play hitting just .157 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and an anemic .582 OPS. He’s not alone though; outside of Paul Konerko (.298-8-24) and Carlos Quentin (.283-6-17), none of the White Sox regulars are hitting. The team is averaging less than four runs per game while the pitching staff has put up a decent 4.37 ERA.

Houston Astros first baseman Brett Wallace has heard the murmurs, “He’s a bust”, and things of that nature. The still just 24-yr old was drafted by the Cardinals with the 13th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was then dealt to Oakland in July, 2009 as part of the deal that brought Matt Holliday to St. Louis. Eight months later, the A’s dealt Wallace to the Toronto Blue Jays for fellow prospect Michael Taylor, who was part of the Roy Halladay deal. Finally, in July, 2010, Toronto sent Wallace packing to Houston for a “project” minor leaguer in part of a three-way deal that landed Roy Oswalt in Philly.

Wallace showed 20-HR power in the minors and had a career .863 OPS in three minor league seasons. He got a cup of coffee with the Astros last season, but his splits (.222/.296/.319) were nothing to write home about. This season, Wallace was given the chance to prove himself at the Major League level, and so far he’s got everyone taking notice. He has an NL third-best .383 average with a pair of home runs, nine doubles, 10 RBI, 10 walks, and a .990 OPS. The Astros, who are surprisingly fourth in the NL in scoring, have even moved Wallace into the clean up spot. Only time will tell of course if Wallace can do it over the long haul.

BD Spring Training Report: Twins “Liri” To Deal Francisco | Baseball Digest

BD Spring Training Report: Twins “Liri” To Deal Francisco | Baseball Digest

Trade rumors concerning Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano began at the trade deadline last season, continued throughout the hot stove season, and are still being bandied about during spring training. The latest chatter has the New York Yankees inquiring about the left-handed starter with big time potential and a surgically repaired elbow.

First reported by USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale on Jim Bowden’s radio show, Brian Cashman reportedly contacted Twins’ GM Bill Smith about Liriano’s availability. Later reports had a rumored Yankees offer of pitching prospect Ivan Nova and light hitting/good glove infielder Ramiro Pena. Needless to say, rumored or real, the Twins would not ship Liriano for that minor of a package.

Both teams should be wary of how they proceed. Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of 2007 and limited him to 76 innings in 2008. Liriano struggled mightily in 2009 as he tried to regain his form- he pitched to a nearly 6 ERA and allowed 21 home runs. Last season, Liriano finally started to look like the 2006 version of himself. He averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings, recorded a 3.62 ERA, and allowed less than a hit per inning.

But there are some details that should be pointed out. First, Liriano threw a career-high 191-2/3 innings (nearly 55 innings more than his prior top innings count) and seemed to wear out in September. His post-season performance against the Yankees was nothing to write home about either (5.2 IP 4 ER 6 H 3 BB 7 K). And his regular season ERA was more than a full point higher on the road than in his spacious home ballpark (Target Field).

Liriano complained of shoulder soreness and a tired arm shortly after reporting to spring training a few weeks ago and his initial bullpen sessions were cancelled. Manager Ron Gardenhire downplayed it as tendinitis, but the Twins have to be concerned about their pitcher with the nastiest selection of pitches. Part of the reason for the early spring issues was that Liriano did not consistently do his off-season strengthening exercises. As Scott Miller of CBS Sports pointed out, that showed a lack of maturity.

There is talk that Minnesota will wait until the July trade deadline gets closer to have a better gauge of the market (Minnesota has Liriano under control for another season, so they may not be in a rush to do anything as well), but if the Twins do move Liriano, they are better off moving him sooner rather than later. Shoulder injuries and any necessary surgeries are much trickier and take longer to come back from than elbow injuries. Liriano’s shoulder may not be a serious issue at all, but buyers should beware of what they may be purchasing/giving up prospects for in return for the 27-yr old.

The Washington Nationals should finally get a look at Chien-Ming Wang on a mound. The Taiwanese hero and two-time 19 game winner with the New York Yankees is scheduled to pitch in a minor league intrasquad game on Friday. Not so good news for his teammate Cla Meredith who will have to undergo Tommy John surgery today.

Twins beat writer Joe Christensen tweeted this morning that Justin Morneau is making progress in his recovery from concussion symptoms, but was still not cleared by doctors on Tuesday to participate in any exhibition games.

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett who took a baseball to the head and suffered a mild concussion on Monday has been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Scott Boras has one less big name client- Mark Teixeira. There was no reason given for the dismissal.

Indians GM Chris Antonetti told the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes that he does not expect outfielder Grady Sizemore to be ready for opening day (April 1). “It’s still a possibility,” said Antonetti. “But I’d say it’s less likely than more likely that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. We’re hopeful it will still be near the start of the season. Whether that’s a few days or a few weeks, we just don’t know yet.”

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos assured fans that GM Andy MacPhail is “…not going anywhere.” MacPhail’s contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. “Andy and Buck [Showalter] are a great combination,” Angelos told the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck.

BD Hot Stove: AL East Prospects | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: AL East Prospects | Baseball Digest

The Hot Stove turns to the the beasts of the east today with a look at the AL East prospects. The division produced three Rookie of the Year winners in the last decade – Eric Hinske (2002), Dustin Pedroia (2007), and Evan Longoria (2008).

Yankees: From the moment George Steinbrenner and company signed Jesus Montero out of Venezuela at age 16, Yankees fans have been drooling at the prospect of seeing Montero reach the majors. The $2M bonus baby is a presence behind the plate at 6’4″, 225 lbs, a factor that has many scouts wondering if that’s where his future lies. Early in this off-season Montero was nearly guaranteed a chance to prove himself at the majors in 2011, but then the Yankees signed Russell Martin and told the former Dodger that he would be the starting catcher. That left Jorge Posada as the full-time DH/part-time catcher and Montero wondering what the immediate future holds for him. GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office must decide whether to let Montero be mentored at the major league level by Martin, Posada, and coach Tony Pena or have him start the season at Triple-A Scranton. Montero’s spring training performance will certainly have an impact on that decision.

The Yankees aren’t too concerned with the hard hitting catcher’s bat, but know he needs to prove himself defensively. In his four seasons in the minors Montero has a .314 career batting average and .882 OPS. He has also averaged 19 home runs over the past two seasons. The now 21-yr old was nearly dealt at last season’s trade deadline for Cliff Lee, but instead remained in the organization and caught fire at the plate. His hitting coach Butch Wynegar told the NY Times, “Initially it bothered him. He didn’t come out and say it exactly, but I could tell it in his demeanor. He wants to be a Yankee, and I think that did motivate him a little bit, knowing that nobody’s untouchable around here. It kind of shook him up a little bit, like, ‘I’ll show them.’ ”

“Monty was a joy to be around, and he’s still raw and growing,” said Wynegar. “That’s why I call him a beast. That’s why I think he can be a monster.” Ranked the ninth best prospect by MLB.com, the Yankees hope 2011 is the arrival of the monster.

Red Sox: When Casy Kelly and a package of prospects were sent to San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez, shortstop Jose Iglesias became Boston’s number one prospect. The Red Sox have had stalwarts at all infield positions, but shortstop since the team traded Nomar Garciaparra during the 2004 season. Marco Scutaro, in his second season in Boston, holds down the position for now. Jed Lowrie has also seen time there, but the long term plans for him in the organization are unknown. GM Theo Epstein is hoping that Iglesias, a native of Cuba that signed in 2009, will be the shortstop for many years to come. The 21-yr old played the majority of his first season at Double-A Portland, but missed a substantial amount of time after being hit on the right hand with a pitch. His return from injury included a 13 game stint in the New York-Penn league (rookie ball).

Iglesias’ time in Portland showed that his bat still needs work. Though he hit .285, he posted just a .695 OPS- nearly 80% of hits were singles and he lived up to his reputation as a free swinger by drawing just eight walks. Iglesias’ glove work is well ahead of his bat though. He’s got very good range, an excellent arm, and soft hands. Despite the missed time, Iglesias was still ranked the #42 prospect for 2011 by MLB.com. Spring Training will determine whether Iglesias starts the season in Portland or Pawtucket (Triple-A).

Rays: Tampa Bay lost many players via free agency this winter and dealt others, but this is an organization stocked with very good prospects. One of them is outfielder Desmond Jennings, who is the heir apparent to Carl Crawford. But the name on everyone’s lips after his brief 2010 stint in the majors is right-handed pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. The fourth round pick in the 2005 amateur draft (Hoover HS- Des Moines, IA) has got the goods. Only Mike Trout is rated as a higher prospect in Major League Baseball.

Hellickson throws a steady fastball that hits the mid-90s and can throw both his curve and changeup for strikes. He has excellent composure on the mound and is aggressive in his approach towards hitters. The Iowa native averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings at Triple-A Durham last season while posting a 1.173 WHIP. He made his Major League debut on August 2, holding the Twins to two runs and three hits over seven innings to earn his first win in the bigs. Hellickson allowed just three earned runs in his first three starts, all of which he won. The Rays monitored his innings, however, and of his seven additional appearances, just one was as a starter.

With nothing left to prove in the minors, Hellickson will go to spring training trying to win the final spot in the rotation. If he doesn’t, the Rays will then have to decide whether to use him out of the pen or send him back down to Triple-A.

Blue Jays: Another right-handed pitcher with tremendous potential is in the #1 spot for the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Drabek, acquired in the Roy Halladay deal, is on the precipus of what many feel should be a long and illustrious career. Drabek’s big pitch is his nasty curveball. Padres pitcher Mat Latos had the chance to play with Drabek earlier in his career and had this to say, “It’s (Drabek’s curveball) pretty filthy. I’ve seen a lot of curveballs and some nasty sliders, but not a curveball like that. All I could think was, ‘I’m glad I’m not a hitter.”’

Drabek’s four seam fastball is in the low 90′s, while his two-seamer is is around 88-90 mph and has plenty of movement. Like Hellickson, Drabek has receivEd High mark for his mound composure. He’ll need it since he should be in the Blue Jays starting rotation opening day and facing the best the AL East has to offer.

Orioles: The Orioles have developed some fine young talent of late- catcher Matt Wieters and pitcher Brian Matuz immediately come to mind. Shortstop Manny Machado was rated the best pure hitter and defensive infielder in the O’s organization by Baseball America and the 24th best prospect by MLB.com. He’s the highest pick by the Orioles since they draft pitcher Ben McDonald out of LSU in 1989.

Just 18 years old, Machado was the 3rd overall selection in last June’s amateur draft from Brito Miami (FL) High School. He didn’t sign until mid-August though, so the Orioles got to see him play just nine games, seven of which were for Aberdeen of the NY-Penn League. In that short stretch, Machado impressed with 10 hits in 29 AB (.345) and an .855 OPS. Being from Miami and having a 6’3″ frame, Machado has already drawn comparisons to fellow Miami native Alex Rodriguez. There are some in the organization who feel Machado, like A-Rod, will eventually move to 3rd base once his body matures.

The comparisons to A-Rod end there though. Machado is expected to hit for average with some power. He gets high marks for his fielding ability and for his hard work. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has known Machado since he was 10. “He’s hungry. (Machado) wants to be good. … I’ve see this kid prove himself day by day, week by week, year by year, to get better. I never thought he would be this good.” Machado will start the season in ‘A’ or Advanced ‘A’ ball.

Rumors, News, Transactions

MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and Fox’s Ken Rosenthal have reported that the Cleveland Indians and infielder Orlando Cabrera have agreed to a deal. Rosenthal expects Cabrera to compete for the 2nd base job.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told reports that 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez is ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery.

The Texas Rangers and centerfielder Josh Hamilton have agreed to a new two year, $24M deal.

The Angels Jered Weaver lost his arbitration hearing and will “only” make $7.37M this season. He had been asking for $8.8M.

Rumors are spreading that the Twins are thinking of dealing lefty Francisco Liriano, though they have him under control through 2012.

BD Hot Stove: NL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

Dee Gordon hopes to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Tom "Flash" Gordon, and become a big leaguer in 2012.

BD Hot Stove: NL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

Last Friday the Hot Stove began looking at the top prospect on each team in Major League Baseball by showcasing the NL Central. Today let’s take a look at the highly competitive NL West.

Giants: San Francisco got to celebrate their first championship in 56 years thanks to the young pitching they had developed. Starting pitchers Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner were drafted (all but Sanchez were first round picks) and developed by the Giants farm system. Now the Giants can turn their attention to developing some offense- 1st baseman Brandon Belt is the top prospect in the organization. Belt was actually a three time draftee. He passed on the Red Sox (11th round) in 2006 and the Braves (11th round) in 2007. It took a 5th round selection by the Giants in 2009 for Belt to leave the University of Texas and sign a major league contract. Last season he played at three different levels of the minors, including 13 games at Triple-A. Combined he posted a 1.056 OPS, belted 23 home runs and drove in 112 runs. He also stole 22 bases and drew 93 walks. He will need to keep his strikeouts under control, though 99 whiffs isn’t bad considering the numbers he put up.

Baseball analyst John Sickels had this to say about Belt, ranked as the 26th prospect in baseball by MLB.com, “One of Belt’s advantages is that he has an uncanny way of keeping his bat in the zone for pitches, making him able to turn on fastballs but do a good job of hitting the other way. His speed is not going to be a big part of his game. He himself said that when pitchers start getting wise, the stolen bases will stop.”

Belt will begin the season in Triple-A after destroying Single- and Double-A pitching. He won’t join the Giants until 2012 unless injuries should strike or Aubrey Huff struggles, or the Giants perform poorly, which is not likely to happen.

Dodgers: Current LA shortsop Rafael Furcal is always a stolen base threat and has a little bit of pop to boot (though not as much as when he played for the Braves). His eventual replacement looks to be even more of a threat on the bases and still has time to develop some power. But right now Devaris “Dee” Gordon is content to be a table setter and base thief. Since being drafted in the fourth round out of Seminole (FL) Community College in 2008, Gordon has played at one level in each of his three seasons in the minors. He swiped 73 bases in ‘A’ ball in 2009, posting a .362 OPS. His number dropped last season at Double-A Chattanooga, but he still got on base at a .332 clip and stole 53 bags.All told, Gordon has swiped 144 bases in 194 attempts (74%) in his three seasons in the minors. He’s ranked 44th on MLB.com’s Top 50 prospect list.

The son of former big league pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon didn’t start playing baseball until his senior year of high school and at times it shows. But new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had this time say about him. “He reminds me of a young [Omar] Vizquel. You look at him and think you can knock the bat out of his hands, but he just gets better and better. You see the tools, but he has to go out and play and continue to get better so he’ll be ready to play when he gets here.” With the guaranteed portion of Furcal’s deal up after the 2011 season, Mattingly could very well be managing Gordon next year.

Rockies: Colorado set a club record ($3.9M) to sign high schooler Tyler Matzek, their first round pick (11th overall) in the 2009 draft. The two sides didn’t come to term until mid-August so Matzek didn’t make his professional debut untl 2010. Playing for Asheville (SAL), Matzek struck out 88 batters in 89.1 innings while posting a 2.92 ERA. On the downside he walked 62 hitters, walked four more, threw seven wild pitches, and committed three balks. In other words, Matzek’s season was the life of a young pitcher in a nutshell.

Rockies player development director Marc Gustafson had this to stay about his prospect: “He can get up to 97 mph on his fastball, but his comfort zone is 92-93. With the slider, curve and changeup that he has, those can complement his fastball. He doesn’t need all that velocity, but he can go get it if he needs it.” Scouts like Matzek’s mound presence and feel he has the make up to be a legitimate major league starter. MLB.com’s #33 prospect will start the year in Double-A Modesto of the California League.

Padres: San Diego’s top prospect wasn’t even in their system when the 2010 season ended, but Casey Kelly was part of the package sent to the left coast by Boston to acquire 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez in December. Kelly was the 30th overall pick in the 2008 amateur draft, plucked out of Sarasota (FL) High School. This past year was the first full season in the minors as a pitcher for Kelly, who strictly played shortsop in 2008 and split his time between the two positions in 2009. He had previously put up solid pitching numbers between ‘A’ and advanced-’A’ ball, but regressed a bit last year at Double-A Portland as his full focus was on pitching.

Kelly throws his fastball consistently in the low 90′s and he can reach the mid 90′s as well. The command of his fastball and curve is something he needs to work on, but scouts are impressed with his changeup and his composure on the mound. It’s why he’s been projected as a top of the rotation starter. The destination for the #22 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com, will be determined during spring training. The thinking here is that the Padres won’t be as aggressive with Kelly as the Red Sox were and will have him start the season once again in Double-A at their affiliate in San Antonio.

Diamondbacks: Despite missing all of the 2010 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Jarrod Parker finds himself in the #1 position among Arizona’s prospects. Parker made 16 of his 20 starts at Double-A in 2009, putting up very respectable numbers, including 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The former 9th pick in the 2007 amateur draft (Norwell HS in Indiana), had four pitches he could throw for strikes prior to having surgery. Whether he can still hit his targets remains to be seen.

Parker’s surgery and rehab have gone well. He threw in some instructional league games in the fall and began bullpen sessions in late Janaury. Diamondbacks’ GM Jerry DiPoto told Paolo Bovin of the Arizona Republic, “We do want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for his future. We’ll bring him along a little more slowly than would normally be the case, but . . . “. By not finishing his thought, DiPoto intimated that if Parker is healthy the team might be a little more aggressive than originally planned. That being said Parker will most likely pick up where he left off in Double-A Mobile.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

In case you missed it over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles came to terms with Vladimir Guerrero on a one year, $8M deal ($3M of which is deferred). The O’s were hoping to pay about half of that, but Guerrero’s representatives won out in the end. Francisco Liriano and the Twins avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one year, $4.3M contract.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Cardinals and Albert Pujols are at a standstill in discussing a new contract.

Former Pirate pitcher Ian Snell has inked a minor league deal with the Cardinals that includes an invite to the big league camp.

Talks broke down between the Rockies and Rangers regarding Michael Young, but the Rangers still expect to deal the 3rd baseman within the next few weeks. How much of Young’s contract the Rangers are willing to pick up will help determine how quickly a deal gets done. The Rockies wanted Texas to pay out $20M of the $48M owed Young.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo hears the Red Sox are interested in former Yankee reliever/spot starter Alfredo Aceves.

Teixeira Home Run Takes ALDS Opener

Written for BaseballDigest.com.

If you have ever watched a professional wrestling match you know that the guy in the, oh let’s say white, blue striped trunks, pounds away mercilessly on the guy in the, oh let’s say grey trunks. It appears the guy in the grey trunks is done for, but suddenly the tide turns and the guy in grey gets off the mat and delivers his own monumental blows. Then it is anyone’s contest. That was the case tonight in Game 1 of the ALDS series between the white, blue striped clad Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees, wearing their road greys. In the end the Yankees rode a Mark Teixeira 2-run, 7th inning home run to a 6-4 win and a 1-0 advantage in the best of five series.

Twins starter Francisco Liriano started out Wednesday night’s game like the ace of the Twins staff he has become. But just as he faltered down the stretch of the regular season, Liriano wore out as his pitch count rose in the 6th inning.

The Dominican born left-hander was dominant early, making Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada look silly for three of his seven strikeouts. He had retired nine straight and cruised into the 6th inning up 3-0. After Nick Swisher was Liriano’s 10th straight victim, Teixeira ripped a double into the left field corner and the tide began to turn. Alex Rodriguez fought his way to a full count walk and Robinson Cano showed why he’s a top AL MVP contender when he delivered an RBI single to right to get the Yankees on the board. Liriano bounced back to strike out Marcus Thames for the second out, but Jorge Posada roped a single to right to cut the deficit to one. Curtis Granderson, who had been criticized all season for his at-bats against left-handers, drove a 94-mph fastball off the wall in deep right-center for a 2-run triple that put the Yankees on top for the first time, 4-3. It also ended Liriano’s night.

Minnesota’s offense had given Liriano support early when Michael Cuddyer hit a 2-run bomb off CC Sabathia for a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning. A frame later, aggressive base running by Orlando Hudson helped manufacture a third run. The O-Dog singled through the left side and a batter later advanced all the way to third base when Teixeira had to dive to beat Joe Mauer to first base to record the out on Mauer’s tapper. The O-Dog’s hustle paid off when Posada mishandled a Sabathia sinker for a run producing passed ball.

Sabathia couldn’t maintain the lead in the home half of the 6th after he retired the first two hitters. The Twins loaded the bases and Sabathia, showing a rare lack of control, walked rookie Danny Valencia to force in the tying run.

Teixeira’s mammoth go-ahead blast off of Jesse Crain stayed just inside the right field foul pole and allowed Girardi to begin mixing and matching with his bullpen. Boone Logan, David Robertson, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera shut down the Twins the rest of the way and guaranteed the Yankees at least a split when they head home for Game 3 on Friday in New York. Rivera recorded a four out, four broken bat save, getting Denard Span to ground out with the tying runs on base to end the 8th inning and Jim Thome to pop out as the tying run in the 9th.

From Joe Girardi’s press conference,

On Sabathia: “..it’s odd that he walked that many guys, but I threw the ball decent.”

On Granderson: “Grandy’s been a different guy since August in Texas. He made that little adjustment..he’s a different guy.”

From Ron Gardenhire’s press conference:

On leaving Liriano in to face Granderson: “Granderson was hitting like .188 against him. We wanted to let Liriano try to work his way out of it.”

Pettitte Keeps Twins Killing Going

You could tell that Andy Pettitte hadn't thrown (10 days) in a competitive situation in a while. But the veteran, who missed a start due to mild inflammation in his elbow, was still good enough to pick up a 6-plus inning victory as the Yankees continued their dominance of the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada hit tape measure home runs and the Yankees bullpen walked the tightrope to a 7-1 triumph.

Pettitte's stuff wasn't as crisp as usual, but it wasn't bad either. He threw 95 pitches and used his trademark double play grounder to escape a jam in the 2nd inning. He also had to be holding his breath when, clinging to a 2-0 lead, Joe Mauer crushed a Pettitte delivery with two aboard. But Brett Gardner made the putout in deep left-center field and Pettitte was on his way to a 5-0 record.

The Yankees built a 3-1 lead against Twins starter Francisco Liriano and then blew the game open against the Minnesota bullpen in the 7th. Teixeira absolutely crushed a Jesse Crain pitch into the luxury box/third tier in right field for a 5-1 lead. Posada added two more runs to the scoreboard when he blasted a Ron Mahay pitch to dead center. The ball hit a cement divider behind the center field wall and ricocheted up into the center field seats above Monument Park.

Despite being ineffective all season and having blown the lead on Friday night, Damaso Marte continues to get called upon in tough situations. This time it was to protect a one run lead with two on and two out in the 7th inning. Pinch-hitter Jim Thome swung and missed at a hanging Marte fastball before taking a called third strike to end the inning.

Notes

Sergio Mitre is on the hill for the Yankees today as they go for the sweep of the three game series. Nick Blackburn will toe the rubber for the Twins.

Javier Vazquez will be skipped on Monday/Tuesday so that Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia can start on regular rest. Vazquez will open the interleague series with the Mets on Friday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Andy Pettitte and Hughes became the fourth set of Yankees teammates in the last 50 years to win their first five decisions. The others were Ron Guidry and Tommy John (1980), David Wells and Mike Mussina (2003), and Kevin Brown and El Duque (2004).

A-Rod Revival Sparks Yankees to Game One Win

Alex Rodriguez doesn't need to hear the stats to know how bad his recent post-seasons have been. But in Game 1 of the American League Division Series tonight in the Bronx, A-Rod started to make amends for those post-season failures.

A-Rod had a pair of RBI singles and the New York Yankees spanked the Minnesota Twins, 7-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. A-Rod wasn't alone though in getting off to a good post-season start.

Derek Jeter reached safely in all four at-bats and belted the first playoff home run in the new Yankee Stadium. It tied the game at two apiece in the 3rd inning and fired up the home crowd that had been temporarily silenced when the Twins took a 2-0 lead.

Nick Swisher doubled in the 4th scored Robinson Cano all the way from first base to give the Yankees their first lead of the night. A-Rod's RBI single off of rookie starter Brian Duensing an inning later put the Bombers ahead by two and the next hitter, Hideki Matsui, hit a long home run to straight away center field off lefty Francisco Liriano for a 6-2 Yankees lead.

CC Sabathia wasn't spectacular, but was very good. He threw 113 pitches in 6 2-3 innings and allowed one earned run. The Twins put two runs on the board against him with two outs in the 3rd. Orlando Cabrera singled and Joe Mauer followed with a double to the gap in left-center. Michael Cuddyer's single to right brought home one run and Mauer scored when Jorge Posada couldn't handle Sabathia's delivery for a passed ball.

Sabathia passed an immediate test in the 1st inning when Denard Span reached 3rd base with less than two outs. But the Yankees ace struck out Mauer and retired Cuddyer on a fly out to center. He exited with two on and two out in the 7th, but Phil Hughes stranded the runners when he struck out Cabrera.

Game Notes

Even with Hideki Matsui on deck, odd decision by Ron Gardnehire to pitch to Alex Rodriguez with Derek Jeter on 3rd base in the 7th. A-Rod delivered his second RBI single, this time off of Jon Rauch.

Admiral Eric Olson threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Derek Jeter's home run was the 18th of his post-season career.

Mariano Rivera pitched the 9th inning, allowing a 2-out walk and a single before retiring Cabrera to end the game.

Jorge Posada had the dubious distinction of committing two passed balls.

Scoring recap

Top 1st: Minnesota

- D. Span doubled to left center

- O. Cabrera struck out swinging

- D. Span to third on passed ball

- J. Mauer struck out swinging

- M. Cuddyer flied out to center

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 0, NY Yankees 0

Bottom 1st: NY Yankees

- D. Jeter singled to shallow left

- J. Damon popped out to right center

- M. Teixeira grounded out to shortstop, D. Jeter to second

- A. Rodriguez flied out to right

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 0, NY Yankees 0

Top 2nd: Minnesota

- J. Kubel struck out swinging

- D. Young struck out swinging

- B. Harris singled to shallow center

- M. Tolbert grounded into fielder's choice, B. Harris out at second

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 0, NY Yankees 0

Bottom 2nd: NY Yankees

- H. Matsui grounded out to second

- J. Posada flied out to right

- R. Cano struck out looking

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 0, NY Yankees 0

Top 3rd: Minnesota

- N. Punto singled to shallow center

- D. Span grounded into double play third to second to first, N. Punto out at second

- O. Cabrera singled to shallow right center

- J. Mauer doubled to left center, O. Cabrera to third

- M. Cuddyer singled to shallow right, O. Cabrera scored, J. Mauer to third

- J. Mauer scored, M. Cuddyer to second on passed ball

- J. Kubel struck out swinging

2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 0

Bottom 3rd: NY Yankees

- N. Swisher lined out to left

- M. Cabrera singled to left

- M. Cabrera to second on wild pitch

- D. Jeter homered to deep left, M. Cabrera scored

- J. Damon singled to left

- M. Teixeira grounded into fielder's choice, J. Damon out at second

- A. Rodriguez struck out swinging

2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 2

Top 4th: Minnesota

- D. Young struck out swinging

- B. Harris flied out to center

- M. Tolbert grounded out to second

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 2

Bottom 4th: NY Yankees

- H. Matsui grounded out to first

- J. Posada singled to shallow right

- R. Cano grounded into fielder's choice, J. Posada out at second

- N. Swisher doubled to shallow left, R. Cano scored

- M. Cabrera struck out swinging

1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 3

Top 5th: Minnesota

- N. Punto lined out to second

- D. Span struck out swinging

- O. Cabrera singled to shallow left

- O. Cabrera stole second

- J. Mauer grounded out to second

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 3

Bottom 5th: NY Yankees

- D. Jeter walked

- J. Damon grounded out to first, D. Jeter to second

- M. Teixeira popped out to right

- A. Rodriguez singled to left center, D. Jeter scored

- F. Liriano relieved B. Duensing

- H. Matsui homered to deep center, A. Rodriguez scored

- J. Posada struck out looking

3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 6

Top 6th: Minnesota

- M. Cuddyer lined out to shortstop

- J. Kubel fouled out to third

- D. Young flied out to left center

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 6

Bottom 6th: NY Yankees

- R. Cano grounded out to second

- N. Swisher flied out to shallow center

- M. Cabrera flied out to center

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 6

Top 7th: Minnesota

- B. Harris struck out looking

- M. Tolbert hit by pitch

- N. Punto singled to pitcher, M. Tolbert to second

- M. Tolbert to third, N. Punto to second on wild pitch

- D. Span flied out to right

- P. Hughes relieved C. Sabathia

- O. Cabrera struck out swinging

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 6

Bottom 7th: NY Yankees

- D. Jeter walked

- J. Damon safe at first on first baseman M. Cuddyer's fielding error, D. Jeter to second

- M. Teixeira grounded out to third

- J. Rauch relieved F. Liriano

- A. Rodriguez singled to right, D. Jeter scored

- H. Matsui walked, A. Rodriguez to second

- J. Posada grounded out to second

1 runs, 1 hits, 1 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 7

Top 8th: Minnesota

- J. Mauer singled to shallow center

- M. Cuddyer struck out swinging

- P. Coke relieved P. Hughes

- J. Kubel lined out to first

- J. Chamberlain relieved P. Coke

- D. Young grounded into fielder's choice, J. Mauer out at second

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 7

Bottom 8th: NY Yankees

- R. Mahay relieved J. Rauch

- R. Cano grounded out to pitcher

- N. Swisher flied out to left

- M. Cabrera struck out looking

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 7

Top 9th: Minnesota

- B. Gardner in center field

- M. Cabrera in right field

- M. Rivera relieved J. Chamberlain

- B. Harris struck out swinging

- M. Tolbert struck out looking

- N. Punto walked

- D. Span singled to shallow center, N. Punto to third

- O. Cabrera grounded out to second

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors

Minnesota 2, NY Yankees 7

Yankees Sweep Twins Under the Carpet

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

WP - Albaladejo (4-1) SV - Rivera (23) LP - Liriano (4-9)

The Yankees didn’t get what they had hoped for out of spot starter Al Aceves, but the bullpen stepped up and the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 to complete a 3-game sweep in their final regular season trip to the Metrodome. The Yankees also completed the season sweep, having beaten the Twins in all seven meetings.

While Aceves struggled in his first start of the year, his Twins’ counterpart, Francisco Liriano, had harder a time of it. The Yankees jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning with just one base hit.

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

The Flash and Melkman Save the Day

Flash Gardner Sparks Yankees Win

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: brett gardner • Francisco Liriano • Joe Mauer • Johnny Damon • Justin Morneau • melky cabrera • Phil Hughes • Yankees 5/15 recap • Yankees vs. Twins

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Minnesota	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	0		4	9	0
NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3		5	10	0

WP - Jose Veras (2-1) LP - Joe Nathan (1-1)

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: brett gardner • Francisco Liriano • Joe Mauer • Johnny Damon • Justin Morneau • melky cabrera • Phil Hughes • Yankees 5/15 recap • Yankees vs. Twins

Melky Cabrera’s 2-out, 2-run single in the 9th inning last night capped an improbable comeback in the Yankees 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. At first it appeared the Yankees were going to get off on the wrong foot to start the nine game homestand. But after wasting a number of opportunities throughout the game against Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano, the Yankees broke through against one of the best closers in baseball in Joe Nathan.

The game-winning rally was actually set up by an incident that occured in the 3rd inning. That’s when Johnny Damon was called out on a strikes for the second straight at-bat and was subsequently ejected after he pointed out to home plate ump Wally Bell just how bad his calls were. Cabrera slid over to left field and Brett Gardner entered the game in center field.

With the Yankees trailing 4-1 in the 7th inning, Gardner lofted what seemed like a harmless fly to left, but the ball dropped and quickly ricocheted past an on-coming Denard Span and rolled towards the corner. Gardner raced around the bases, sliding home ahead of the relay for the first Yankees’ inside-the-park-home run since Ricky Ledee did the deed on August 29, 1999 against Seattle.

Gardner started things off in the 9th too, with a drive up the alley in right-center field. Despite slipping across the first base bag and falling, Gardner still managed to leg out a stand up triple. Mark Teixeira followed with an RBI single past a diving Matt Tolbert to cut the Twins’ lead to 4-3. Alex Rodriguez drew his fourth walk of the night and the Yankees were in business.

But Nathan, who was working for the fourth straight day, struck out Hideki Matsui and 1st baseman Justin Morneau robbed Nick Swisher of a potential RBI single. Suddenly the Yankees had the tying and winning runs in scoring position, but with two outs. Ron Gardenhire elected to intentionally walk Robinson Cano to leave things up to Cabrera. But Cabrera, who had a walk-off home run against the A’s on April 22, lined a fastball into the gap in left-center field to set off a wild celebration with his teammates. It concluded with a facial of shaving cream, courtesy of A.J. Burnett.

The Twins had built a 3-0 lead against Yankees’ starter Phil Hughes, who was far from stellar. Hughes worked his way out of a number of jams, but gave up a pair of solo home runs to Morneau before exiting after five innings. The Yankees got a run back in the fifth on Derek Jeter’s 5th home run of the year, but the Twins increased the lead back to three runs when Joe Mauer crushed a Phil Coke pitch into Monument Park in the 7th. But it wouldn’t be enough, as the Yankees earned their 12th come-from-behind victory this season.

Game Notes

There was a near bench-clearing incident in the 8th inning when Mark Teixeira took exception to Carlos Gomez running inside the runner’s box for the second time in the game. Gomez collided with Teixeira’s glove, causing the 1st baseman’s wrist to bend back. A clearly agitated Teixeira began yelling at Gomez saying “that’s the second time”. Ron Gardenhire came out and started yelling at Teixeira, which caused Joe Girardi to exchange words with Gardenhire. The game resumed without further incident.

Alex Rodriguez made his new Yankee Stadium debut and was greeted with polite applause.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Brett Gardner became just the fourth rookie since division play began in 1969 to hit an inside-the-park home run. Deion Sanders (1990), Derek Jeter (1996), and Ricky Ledee (1999) are the others. Ironically, all four play or have played for the Yankees.

Gardner also became just the fourth player in the last 20 years to have an inside-the-park home run and a triple in the game.

Melky Cabrera’s walk-off hit was his 4th since 2006, the most of any Yankee player during that time.

It was a rare blown save - a lead of 2 or more runs - for Joe Nathan… just the 6th time in 140 save chances.

The series continues today with Nick Blackburn facing Joba Chamberlain.

Joba and Yankees Take on Twins

The Yankees and Twins are playing the back end of a home and home exhibition series in Tampa today. Two of the most promising young pitchers are facing off- Joba Chamberlain for the Bombers and the Twins' Francisco Liriano.

Just one inning of work for Chamberlain today and it was a rough one. After getting the lead off man, Chamberlain gave up a single and back to back doubles for a 2-0 Twins lead. He did get out of further trouble with a pair of bounce out. 2-0 Twins with the Yankees up in the bottom of the 1st.

1:32 PM - Yankees get on the board. Single by Derek Jeter, a double by Mark Teixeira, and a long sac fly by Alex Rodriguez.

1:34 PM - Yankees tie it up on a throwing error by Luke Hughes, allowing Nick Swisher to reach first base safely.

1:38 PM - Robinson Cano drew an actual spring training walk! But Jose Molina grounded out to end the inning. 2-2 after 1.

1:42 PM - Dan Giese in to pitch. Be sure to check out our Q & A with Dan in case you missed it. Joba threw 21 pitches in his one inning of work.

Between innings, Twins radio had an ad for the new Target Field the Twins are moving to next season and the ceremonies that will take place this season at the Metrodome. They'll be doing the countdown, honoring teams and players. Let's get right to the point here. The Twins had some great players in the Metrodome - i.e. Kirby Puckett - but the Metrdome is a piece of shit and we look forward to seeing it imploded.

1:44 PM - Carlos Gomez just crushed an inside pitch from Giese for a solo home run and a 3-2 Twins lead.

1:50 PM - A line drive single by Shelley Duncan, an infield single by Melky Cabrera, and a sac bunt by Johnny Damon puts runners in scoring position with one out.

1:51 PM - Fly to right by Jeter brings home Duncan with the tying run. Cabrera holds at second.

1:54 PM - Big Tex grounds out for the final out. 3-3 after 2.

2:01 PM - Rough inning for Dan Giese. A single, walk, and a 2-run double by Brian Buscher have given the Twins a 5-3 lead.

2:05 PM - Luke Hughes rips a single through the left side for a 6-3 Twins lead.

2:09 PM - Giese finally escapes on a strike him out-throw him out double play.

2:11 PM - Former Yankees prospect Jason Jones is on to pitch for the Twins. Jones was a Rule V selection and must remain on the Twins major league roster all season. If not, they have to offer him back to the Yankees.

2:16 PM - A lead off walk by A-Rod was erased when Nick Swisher hit into a double play. Too bad since Robinson Cano just singled.

2:19 PM - Molina taps out as the Yankees are held scoreless for the first time. Jorgie, please stay healthy. We love Jose behind the plate, but not at it. 6-3, Twins after 3.

2:21 PM - Jose Veras pitching for the Yankees.

2:28 PM - Nice 1-2-3 inning for Veras.

2:35 PM - Another hit for Duncan, but the Yankees put up a goose egg.

6-3 Twins after 4 and that's it for our "play by play". We'll be back later with a recap.

The Pennant Race - 8/21

You just get the feeling that for the second straight year, the Mets and Phillies will come down to the final weekend to determine the NL East winner. The Mets are playing good baseball, but they haven't been able to put much cushion between themselves and the Phillies since moving into first place.

Mike Pelfrey has really stepped up this season and did again last night, limiting the Braves to three hits in a complete game, 6-3 Mets victory. David Wright continued his run at the NL MVP with his 24th home run and 97th RBI. Rookie Dan Murphy's two RBI gave him 11 in 18 games and he's batting .404 in 47 at-bats.

The Phillies got a complete game of their own from Brett Myers, who scattered nine hits in shutting down the Nationals 4-0. Washington has lost 12 straight. After a brief stint in the minors, Myers has returned to form and is 3-1, 1.47 in his last five starts.

The Marlins' hopes are fading away. They dropped a 6-5 game to the Giants last night that put them 5 games behind the Mets and 7.5 behind the wildcard-leading Brewers. Florida rallied for 3 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but Bengie Molina's sac fly won it for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of the Brewers, they got themselves back to within 5 games of the Cubs with a 5-2 win over the Astros. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-run home run to help Manny Parra win his 10th game. Ryan Braun sat out for the 9th time in 11 games due to lower back soreness.

The Reds edged the Cubs 2-1 despite starter Ted Lilly allowing just two hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals remained 2.5 behind the Brewers in the wildcard with an 11-2 thumping of the Pirates. Todd Wellemeyer won his career-high 11th game and reached the century mark in strikeouts for the first time.

The Diamondbacks moved two games ahead of the Dodgers with an 8-6 win over the Padres. Neither starter Dan Haren nor Jake Peavy was good, but after allowing four runs in the first inning, Haren settled down to get the win. Adam Dunn belted a 3-run home run, his 34th of the season.

The Rockies played spoilers, beating the Dodgers 4-3. The Dodgers lead 3-0 early, but Brad Hawpe almost single-handedly beat LA. He reached on an error that cut the lead to 3-2, singled in the game-tying run in the seventh, and singled again in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run.


There was no movement in the AL Central standings as both the White Sox and Twins were daytime winners. Chicago got four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy CheaterSosa with his 609th career home run, and his first in Chicago. Gavin Floyd earned his 13th win.

Francisco Lirano and four pitchers pitched the Twins to a 3-1 win over the A's. Little-used reserve Mike Redmond drove in two runs.

The AL East's top two teams remained 4.5 apart as they both lost last night. The Angels beat the Rays 5-4, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, and then winning after blowing a 4-3 lead. Garret Anderson's ninth inning single was the game winner. K-Rod notched his 48th save.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Baltimore after that as the Orioles won it 11-6. Melvin Mora, who had four RBI, and Ramon Hernandez each hit 3-run home runs. Clay Buchholz was hammered for five runs in 2.1 IP and is reportedly headed back to Pawtucket.