Thursday, May 17, 2012
THT: More sliders, more success for Logan
So far this season, Logan is striking out batters in 35 percent of their plate appearances against him, placing him ninth among big league relievers and well above his career norms in that category. The reasonable next question is: what’s up? How has Boone Logan become so good? The answer, it appears, has mostly to do with his low-80s slider, his breaking pitch of choice.
Maybe we can finally put to rest the silly notion that Boone Logan stinks?
THT: 10th anniversary: Giambi’s walk-off slam
So far, Giambi had been a complete non-factor. He had an early double and an extra-inning single, but neither safety led to any runs. After 13 frames, he was 2-for-5 on the day. Not bad, but nothing memorable.
The 14th would be very memorable. First, Minnesota broke the deadlock in the top of the inning. Behind four singles, a walk, and an error, Minnesota scored thrice to seemingly ice the game with a 12-9 lead.
However, the Yankees weren’t about to give up. In the bottom of the frame, three of the first four Yankees reached base, loading them up with just one out.
With the bases loaded, Giambi strode to the plate with the game on the line. He didn’t make anyone wait, bashing the first pitch out of the park for a game-winning, walk-off grand slam.
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since this game, one of the best Yankee games in my memory.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Yankees.com: Onslaught helps Drabek drop Yankees
TORONTO—The Blue Jays broke out of their recent slump at the plate, slugging four home runs to snap a three-game losing streak with an 8-1 victory over the Yankees on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.
J.P. Arencibia started the offensive attack in the bottom of the second inning off New York starter Hiroki Kuroda. Arencibia, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, sent a 3-1 slider over the wall in left-center field for his fourth home run of the season, giving Toronto an early 2-0 lead.
I was watching a special about the Yellowstone super volcano the other day. The magma chamber is three times the size of New York City and the fallout from an eruption would probably cover three-fourths of the United States. According to a study commissioned by the BBC ash from such an eruption would eventually reach Europe. If the Yellowstone caldera were to go off it would almost certainly be the biggest disaster in human history, surpassing the 2012 Yankees.
Yankees (20-16) @ Blue Jays (19-18), Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:07pm **Game Chatter**
NYY:Hiroki Kuroda (37, RHP, 3-4, 3.56) vs. TOR:Kyle Drabek (24, RHP, 2-4, 3.66)
Lineups
WOE
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Teixeira 1B
Ibanez LF
Chavez DH
Martin C
Nix SS
Toronto
Johnson 2B
Thames LF
Bautista RF
Encarnacion 1B
Lawrie 3B
Rasmus CF
Arencibia C
Lind DH
Vizquel SS
When I saw VIzquel’s name in the lineup I asked myself when the last time Derek Jeter was the younger of the two starting shortstops in a game. Then I saw that Jeter is not in the lineup tonight and it was moot.
We’ll see if Toronto still has the worst record in the AL East vs. the other AL East teams after this series is over.
Yahoo: Yankees-Blue Jays Preview
Already without Mariano Rivera (torn ACL), New York placed fill-in closer David Robertson on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained muscle in his left ribcage.
“We lost Mariano first. The bullpen will do whatever we have to do,” said Rafael Soriano, who is expected to take over for Robertson. “Now with two guys down, it’s not easy for us.”The Yankees have dropped 12 of 19 at Toronto.
I thought the Yankees had done pretty poorly in Toronto recently, but had no idea it was that bad. Needless to say I’m not expecting a great series this week given the current state of the team. Luckily it’s only a two-gamer. Then it’s back home to begin the inanity of interleague play.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Yankees.com: Without much help, CC handed first defeat
BALTIMORE—The Yankees’ offense lagged against Wei-Yin Chen and the Orioles handed CC Sabathia his first loss of the season, posting a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday at Camden Yards.
Chen, a 26-year-old product of Taiwan, enjoyed some success against the Yankees in his first Major League start, on April 10, and was able to improve upon that, blanking New York through the first six innings.
I’m not sure what looked worse. The Yankee offense or CC. Either way, it was a well-deserved loss, but at least the Yankees didn’t need to use their closer.
Yankees (20-15) @ Orioles (22-14), Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 7:05 pm
NYY:CC Sabathia (31, LHP, 5-0, 3.51) vs. BAL:Wei-Yin Chen (26, LHP, 3-0, 2.43)
Lineups
New York Yankees
D. Jeter, SS: .367/.411/.527
N. Swisher, RF: .277/.341/.562
R. Cano, 2B: .303/.346/.451
A. Rodriguez, 3B: .292/.391/.431
M. Teixeira, 1B: .231/.286/.403
C. Granderson, CF: .257/.353/.566
A. Jones, DH: .240/.316/.500
J. Nix, LF: .100/.100/.400
C. Stewart, C: .240/.269/.280
Baltimore Orioles
R. Andino, 2B: .285/.333/.407
J. Hardy, SS: .245/.294/.483
N. Markakis, RF: .252/.342/.446
A. Jones, CF: .295/.340/.568
M. Wieters, C: .275/.360/.542
W. Betemit, 1B: .236/.296/.449
B. Hall, DH: .333/.500/1.333
S. Tolleson, 3B: .286/.286/.429
X. Avery, LF: .222/.222/.556
With the Yankees down to their third string closer, I’m guessing Girardi will be looking for ‘length’ from CC tonight. Former Yankee Bill Hall would sure look nice in the Yankee lineup with that .333/.500/1.333 line, wouldn’t he? Then again, Jayson Nix as starting LF is evidence that the Yankees have no issues on offense.
Yankees.com: Yanks place new closer Robertson on DL
Yankees reliever David Robertson has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain.
The Yankees have recalled right-hander Cody Eppley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Oh boy!
Well, best case scenario is that Soriano is great as the closer and Robertson does not get the job back when he returns (but continues to dominate as an 8th inning guy), leading to Soriano opting out after this season.
Beyond the Box Score: A PITCHf/x Look At Eight Rookie Starters
Phelps had a reputation for being mostly a fastball guy who lacked a put-away offspeed pitch, and that seems to largely be true. He does have a curveball, a cutter, and a changeup, and these pitches significantly lessen the pressure on Phelps’ solid-average, but not excellent, fastball—Phelps has gone offspeed 43.3% of the time this year. None of the three offerings, however, has a whiff rate higher than the curve’s 11.4%, so he doesn’t have a bigtime “out pitch.” The curve is a surprisingly hard (78-82 mph) breaker, and Phelps pounds the zone with the cutter (72.1% strikes), so he’s been able to coax some value out of those two offerings. Like Smyly, the changeup is a distant fourth pitch that is used exclusively to opposite-side batters.
It all adds up to a guy who is more than the sum of his parts; none of Phelps’ pitches wow you, but he’s got three solid pitches and a fourth usable one, and he commands all of them and doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses. The Yankees have high standards, but for almost any other team, Phelps would be a great guy to plug into the back of the rotation.
Here’s an interesting look at some rookie pitchers and their Pitch F/X, including David Phelps.
Sporting News: Yankees closer David Robertson to have MRI exam on sore oblique
New York Yankees closer David Robertson is expected to have an MRI exam Tuesday because of continued soreness in his left oblique, the New York Daily News reports.
Robertson, who took over as closer when all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera suffered a season-ending knee injury May 3, has been battling discomfort since Friday.
Dear Lord…
Player A vs. Player B
Player A: Age 32, 147 PA, .231/.286/.403, signed through 2016.
Player B: Age 32, 149 PA, .197/.235/.275, signed through 2021! <== Ha ha.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Yankees.com: Snapping late tie, Teixeira finishes O’s
BALTIMORE—The Yankees have come to accept Mark Teixeira’s slow starts as par for the course, but the slumping switch-hitter delivered a big blow at a most opportune time.
Teixeira blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to put his club ahead and the Yankees made it hold up, posting an 8-5 victory over the Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards.
What a bizarre night. The Yankees 3-4-5 hitters combined for 7 hits and Rafael Soriano almost pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the year, sabotaged by an Eric Chavez error.
Ivan Nova left the game in the sixth with a bruised right foot and sprained right ankle which sounds like a crappy night for his lower right leg. He’ll probably miss a start or two, but hopefully not much more than that.
Since I complain about Joe Girardi a lot, I’ll commend him for how he managed the bullpen tonight. I much prefer choosing pitchers based on match-ups to choosing pitchers based on the inning, and Clay Rapada, David Phelps Boone Logan and Cory Wade made it work. Losing Mo is a big blow, but since Girardi became Yankee manager they’ve had the best relief ERA in the majors so I think he’ll be able to handle it about as well as anyone could.
Yankees (19-15) @ Orioles (22-12), Monday, May 14, 2012, 7:05pm
NYY:Ivan Nova (25, RHP, 4-1, 5.02) vs. BAL:Jason Hammel (29, RHP, 4-1, 2.09)
Lineups
New York Yankees
D. Jeter, SS: .372/.418/.538
C. Granderson, CF: .258/.351/.553
A. Rodriguez, DH: .280/.384/.424
R. Cano, 2B: .299/.345/.445
M. Teixeira, 1B: .223/.275/.369
N. Swisher, RF: .275/.331/.560
R. Ibanez, LF: .273/.330/.568
E. Chavez, 3B: .316/.325/.579
R. Martin, C: .182/.314/.318
Baltimore Orioles
X. Avery, LF: .000/.000/.000
J. Hardy, SS: .239/.290/.465
N. Markakis, RF: .254/.346/.455
A. Jones, CF: .291/.338/.567
M. Wieters, C: .274/.356/.547
W. Betemit, 3B: .235/.298/.459
C. Davis, 1B: .283/.328/.478
N. Johnson, DH: .174/.269/.370
R. Andino, 2B: .283/.328/.408
It’d be nice if the Orioles remembered that they’re not supposed to be this good.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Yankees.com: Pettitte celebrated, but falls to Mariners
Pettitte, making his first start in nearly 600 days, turned back the clock to 2010 Sunday, when he controlled Seattle early but fell to a 6-2 loss on a pair of two-run home runs. The left-hander said he didn’t feel any rust from his layover and that his velocity and location were good enough to win.
I didn’t get to see the game so I’d be interested to hear how people thought Pettitte looked. My first impression is that giving up four runs to a putrid Seattle team isn’t necessarily a good start, but it’s only one game.
As for the rest of the team, it’s pretty annoying to see them light up James Shields, David Price and Felix Hernandez then get stifled by Kevin Freaking Millwood, but I think taking four of six on this home stand is pretty good.
Mariners (15-20) @ Yankees (19-14), Sunday, May 13, 2012, 1:05pm
SEA:Kevin Millwood (37, RHP, 0-4, 5.88) vs. NYY:Andy Pettitte (40, LHP, 0-0, undef)
Lineups
Mariners
Ackley 2B
Wells LF
Suzuki RF
Montero C
Smoak 1B
Liddi 3B
Carp DH
Saunders CF
Ryan SS
Yankees
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Teixeira 1B
Swisher RF
Ibanez LF
Chavez DH
Martin SS
Some prospect named Pettitte makes his first MLB start of the season today. A Mariners team that’s hit .229/.278/.361 vs. LHP seems like a good matchup for him.
And from basements all across the nation, happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who let us dwell underground.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Yankees.com: Hughes extends Yanks’ run of rotation excellence
As they prepare to welcome back a fixture to their rotation, the Yankees may be discovering that their current starters can hold their own quite well.
Phil Hughes became the latest Yankees starter to impress on the team’s homestand, pitching 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 6-2 win over Seattle on Saturday. When Andy Pettitte takes the mound Sunday in his first start since 2010, he will be in position to finish off a sweep of the Mariners.
With just one turn of the rotation, what was a major sore spot for the Yankees now looks like it could be a strength. Hughes was great today, even with the caveat that it was against the Mariners. The Yankees got help from names that have not been helping them lately (Teix, Martin and newcomer Jayson Nix) and one that has been really hot recently (Raul Ibanez, who might actually be a Yankee come August).
As the recap notes, Pettitte returns tomorrow as the Yankees look for the sweep. Let’s hope Pettitte’s velocity is no longer an issue (or at least let him be such a crafty veteran that 85 MPH fastballs won’t hurt him).
Mariners (15-19) @ Yankees (18-14), Saturday, May 12, 2012, 4:05pm
SEA:Hector Noesi (25, RHP, 2-3, 6.30) vs. NYY:Phil Hughes (26, RHP, 2-4, 6.67)
Lineups
Mariners
Ackley 2B
Jaso C
Suzuki RF
Montero DH
Seager 3B
Carp LF
Smoak 1B
Saunders CF
Kawasaki SS
Yankees
Jeter DH
Granderson CF
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Whatever 1B
Swisher RF
Ibanez LF
Martin C
Nix SS
Once again Phil Hughes matches up with a pitcher who has an ERA over 6 which is still better than his.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Yankees.com: Ibanez’s blast helps Yankees solve Felix
One night after the Bombers knocked around the Rays’ David Price, Raul Ibanez’s three-run homer helped power an 11-hit assault on Felix Hernandez as the Yankees toppled the Mariners, 6-2, on Friday at Yankee Stadium.
“I think that things are definitely coming around offensively; guys are swinging the bats well,” said Ibanez, whose sixth-inning blast off Hernandez put New York in command. “We’ve been having some good swings together as a group.”
Mariners (15-18) @ Yankees (17-14), Friday, May 11, 2012, 7:05pm
SEA:Felix Hernandez (26, RHP, 3-1, 1.89) vs. NYY:Hiroki Kuroda (37, RHP, 2-4, 3.75)
Lineups
Mariners
Ackley 2B
Ryan SS
Suzuki RF
Babe Ruth C
Seager 3B
Jaso DH
Smoak 1B
Carp LF
Saunders CF
Yankees
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Whatever 1B
Swisher RF
Ibanez LF
Chavez 3B
Martin C
I’m already conceding this game so don’t really care what happens tonight, but I am still very concerned that the Mariners will swindle the Yankees in another trade this weekend.
NJ.com: Carig: Brett Gardner to miss at least two more weeks, Yankees say
NEW YORK — Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner will miss at least two more weeks after an MRI exam yesterday revealed he has reinjured his right elbow.
“We’re going to be without Gardy for a while here,” manager Joe Girardi said after the Yankees beat the Rays, 5-3 Thursday. “It’s very unfortunate. He swung the bat well in Triple-A, but somehow he irritated that muscle again.”
Even if you think Gardner’s defense is overrated, there’s no question the Yankees miss him.
| Player | PA | AB | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | HBP | K | GDP | BA | OBA | Slug% | woba | br |
| Raul Ibanez | 31 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0.286 | 0.355 | 0.464 | .358 | 4 |
| Andruw Jones | 25 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.143 | 0.28 | 0.333 | .279 | 2 |
| Eduardo Nunez | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | .090 | 0 |
| Jayson Nix | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | -1 |
| DeWayne Wise | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 |
| Total | 76 | 69 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 2 | .174 | .250 | .304 | .249 | 5 |
| Gardner | 76 | 65 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 1 | .262 | .352 | .371 | .324 | 9 |
woba: Weighted on-base average
br: linear weights batting runs
That’s what the Yankees have gotten out of LF since Gardner went down on April 17 compared to his baseline CAIRO projection pro-rated to the same # of PA. I’m not even including baserunning or SB in the BR, and this ignores defense as well. Purely in the batter’s box the Yankees have lost close to half a win. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the time he’s back the Yankees will have lost a full win if you factor in everything.
That being said, I’m not sure a trade is imminent or makes much sense. It might make sense if the Yankees are considering a youngish OF who can take over should they let Nick Swisher walk at the end of the year, but the cost for that is likely to be pretty steep and it’s probably not a huge upgrade for 2012.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Yankees.com: CC fans 10 Rays in fifth straight win
NEW YORK—In a battle of top-tier lefties, Yankees ace CC Sabathia outdueled Rays southpaw David Price for the first time in his career and the Yankees took a series victory with a 5-3 win over the visiting Rays on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
It was the sixth time the two All-Stars have gone head-to-head, but just the first time the Yankees have won such a meeting.
I’m surprised by that last sentence. I knew they’d matched up quite a few times, but I didn’t think the Yankees had never won one of them.