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New York Yankees: To start Girardi needs to ban homers and move Tex

Posted by on 18 May 2012, 1:01 pm

Mark Teixeira manning 1st base.

The New York Yankees lost in Toronto for the second night in a row 4-1; and once again it was at the hand of the dead bats who left a total of 16 runners on base in both defeats.

The line-up couldn’t muster up anything to give Phil Hughes‘ a win after solid outing where he only allowed two runs to score in almost six innings of work.

Hughes was the only positive thing out of this mini-sweep at the hand of the Blue Jays, other than the unfailing bullpen.

The Yankees did kindly wake up Blue Jays slugger Joes Bautista who homered in each game and drove in three of the 12 total Toronto runs.

No doubt Yankee fans are pissed, which in New York actually means frustrated with a lot of passion, but can you blame them?

It would be one thing if the Yankee bats were swinging at air, or just getting out-pitched because at least than fans could feel sorry for them.

Problem is the Yankees can hit and get on-base, but scoring runs they cannot.

The Yankees love the home-run, as in their nine May losses they went homer-less in all nine of them.

Since power comes in waves and a team relies on going deep as their only way to score runs, they will be streaky and right now that is the Yankees in a nutshell.

Teams that are feared can beat you in many ways, consistently; but when the Yankees can’t go deep they can’t win. That explains why they are in the midst of their third three game losing streak  this season.

The team has scored 178 runs but they have now allowed 171, which is about right in line for a team who now sits in fourth place in the AL East. And with the Red Sox having won five of their last six, things better change the fast or the Yankees will find themselves living in the cellar of the division by the Sunday. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: To start Girardi needs to ban homers and move Tex’ »

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New York Yankees: Why I hope you lose again tonight in Toronto

Posted by on 17 May 2012, 2:26 am

Watching the New York Yankees lose 8-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays last night has been no different from the other eight losses Yankee fans have had to endure this May.

Russell Martin

Russell Martin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hiroki Kuroda stunk, as he gave up three homers, seven earned runs in five innings pitched but that didn’t really bother me.

Would I have liked to see Kuroda have two good starts in a row?

Yes, but that will come with time as he did post six strikeouts in last night’s game too.

What drove me to almost throw my remote right into my flat screen about 10 different times were the Yankee hitters, if you can even call them, as I was under the impression that hitters actually hit.

This game came served on a silver platter for the Yankee bats.

Toronto had starter Kyle Drabek on the hill, who the Yankees had a .326 average against.

Also, Drabek had lost four of his last five starts, giving up five homers, 20 walks and 14 earned runs.

And if you did your homework, you would have anticipated Kuroda’s crappy start because he has flip-flopped between one bad and one good all season.

Still, it was the Yankees game to lose because the bats had such a big advantage over Drabek, which almost made Kuroda’s woes irrelevant. Or at least this is what I thought.

Instead, I was utterly embarrassed watching the game with two friends, one a Mets fan and the other a Phillies fan; so I cannot even image how the utterly mortified the Yankees must have felt.

Here are what the Yankees are doing very well right now:

-        Playing totally crappy, uninspiring baseball. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Why I hope you lose again tonight in Toronto’ »

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New York Yankees: Oh No Now Robbie Cano Is Day-To-Day

Posted by on 2 May 2011, 3:30 am

Brain Lewis of the New York Post reports that a bruised left-hand was the reason New York Yankees second-baseman Robinson Cano left the game in the eighth inning.

The Yankees had Cano get x-rays and they came back fine.

Cano is listed as day-to-day, which has Yankee fans on high alert, as Cano is one of the best hitters and all-around players in baseball. Losing Cano would be devastating, as he has been the most consistent bat on the team.

Cano is tied for fourth in the majors with eight home-runs, batting a whooping .320 and has 21 RBIs already this season.

Let’s hope that Cano gets a well-deserved night off on Monday night just to be safe, as he has played every game this season.

The Yankees flew to Detroit after the 5-3 win against the Blue Jays, to play a four game set against the Tigers.

 

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New York Yankees: Mariano Rivera Is Human After All

Posted by on 20 April 2011, 4:46 pm

What baseball fan doesn’t love the extra inning, walk-off win?

Maybe the fans whose team didn’t win and get to witness their favorite players partake in baseball’s version of a mosh-pit of joy.

Well, last night that was my life, but ten times worse, as the New York Yankees lost in the 10th inning to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Why was it 10x’s worse?

It is like a dagger through any Yankees fans heart when Mariano Rivera is the culprit because it so seldom happens.

Understand that Mo allows New York fans to be cocky, without any disagreement from even the biggest Yankee haters. He is our ego.

In comparison it feels like you just got dumped because, speaking for myself, that same pit comes back in my stomach.

Mo is not supposed to have bad days because Yankee fans really believe he is super-human. So when a game ends like yesterday’s it makes Mo seems real, and that is the one thing he is not.

AJ Burnett imploding; Joba loading the bases; or even Boone Logan giving up a homerun are disappointments Yankee fans expect.

Sincerely, acknowledging that the day when Enter Sandman will be no longer play in the ninth inning is coming makes each appearance by Mo that much more extraordinary. Which, in turn makes a loss like last night’s become very personal.

Look, it happens and it will happen to Mo again but that doesn’t make it any easier for Yankee fans to swallow.

See, each of Mariano Rivera’s 566 saves or one of his 978 appearances in relief means special to someone because they get to say that they saw the greatest closer ever.

He defines what rarified air is in sports, but what makes Mo stand out even more is that even his superior talents can’t surpass his individual character.

Toronto battled in the ninth inning to tie the game, and then win it in the 10th with a score of 6-5.

The Blue Jays well deserved the win, as they outplayed the Yankees, even it did break chip away at my soul  just a little.

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New York Yankees: Dustin Moseley Can’t Beat theToronto Blue Jays Alone

Posted by on 24 August 2010, 10:15 am

After losing the first game 2-3, the New York Yankees need to win Tuesday night against the Blue Jays at Rogers Center.

The Tampa Bay Rays have caught up to tie in the standings, and the Boston Red Sox are still very much alive.

Translation…. inter-division games can kill a team’s chances for playoff berth, so the Yankees cannot lose this series for starters.

The Blue Jays are making things difficult against all AL East teams. Toronto is not making the playoffs this season, but in any other division my bet is circumstances would be different.

In all honesty, handing the ball to RHP Dustin Moseley is risky because he brings no stability on the mound.

Moseley has fared better because Yankees bats have backed him by scoring runs. This will be essential once again, as Moseley is no match for the homerun hitting Blue Jays.

Toronto’s Jose Bautista has demolished the Yankees in 2010, hitting six homers and 12 RBIs with a .511 on-base percentage. Against Moseley, the slugger is 0 and 4, striking-out once and walked one time as well.

Still, Moseley in his last start against Toronto he gave up nine hits, five earned runs, two homeruns, walked one, managed two strikeouts and a game ERA of 6.14.

Moseley has made five starts since Andy Pettitte hit the DL, pitched 29 innings, allowing 16 earned runs, seven homeruns, with 14 strikeouts and 10 walks. Problem is Moseley has only had three strikeouts, while allowing four homeruns and eight hits in his latest two outings.

The Blue Jays are countering with LHP Mark Rzepczynski, who is even more inexperienced than Moseley, making his fifth start for Toronto.

Rzepczynski is 1-1 over four starts in 2010. He mirrors Moseley with an ERA 4.76.

On the season, in Rzepczynski 22.2 innings pitched he’s allowed 12 earned runs, two homeruns, but has struck-out 19 batters.

His last start was awful, as Rzepczynski has zero strikeouts, giving up 5 hits, with three runs scoring before getting pulled in the fourth inning.

Yankees need to watch for Rzepczynski’s change-up, as that is his strongest pitch but only if he can execute it.

PREDICTION:

Yankees need to run on base-pads against Blue Jays catcher Jose Molina. This is not easy, but the Yankees know Molina and the Blue Jays don’t focus on runners as much as they should.

With Derek Jeter back in line-up, the Yankees will win 6-1.

Moseley will get the win over Rzepczynski, but this is a close call.

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Inter-league Games Between Two Unequal Leagues

Posted by on 11 June 2010, 5:08 pm

The Yankees are back home, not much has changed in regards to catching the Tampa Bay Rays who have held onto first place in the AL East all season. The Yankees are still two games behind, but continue to keep themselves the wild card team.

As I predicted, the Toronto Blue Jays have fallen to behind the Red Sox to fourth place, and this is a trend that will continue for Toronto.

The Blue Jays don’t play small ball at all, which is what comes in handy when team is slumping. Hitting home runs alone isn’t enough, but the Blue Jays pitching have allowed them to look more dominant.

This weekend begins inter-league play for all teams. Many feel it is unfair, as the American League has bullied the National League since these games were incorporated in 1997.

Why is the AL always better?

The AL is much more competitive because the designated hitter is a power bat, compared to having the pitchers bat.

NL pitchers almost get a break with every ninth batter being a pitcher, instead of facing the likes of a David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero or Hideki Matsui.

Matsui was the World Series MVP as the Yankees DH last season, which clearly proving it a significant position. Continue reading ‘Inter-league Games Between Two Unequal Leagues’ »

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The AL East: It Would Be Best To Bring You’re A-Game

Posted by on 4 August 2009, 4:50 am

How many teams are in this race?

For right now three teams; Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Why is this week so important in the American League East?

The teams are playing within their own division so the wins and losses have more importance. The third place Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox for a two game set. Boston is only a half a game behind the first place New York Yankees. The Yanks are up in Toronto for two nights at the Rogers Centre playing two against the Blue Jays.

With the Blue Jays lagging 12 games behind the Yanks there not really competing. Technically there is always a possibility to not be 100% completely out. I guess miracles do exist but for Toronto it does not look very hopeful or likely of the trio above all collapsing literally on their faces.

Toronto does know that beating the Yankees could potentially take their lead in the AL East right from under the boys from the Bronx. It is doubtful that Boston is going to win two at the Trop; as the best bet would be a spilt series.

Why? The answer is because Tampa decisively needs these wins. If Toronto wins just one and the Rays lose both it will put Tampa a half game behind Toronto. These two night games may very well predict where, last years AL Champs’ season’s future will be heading. The duel in Tropicana Field will both be games of tough baseball.

Let’s not forget that the second place Red Sox haven’t been behind their rivals for a few seasons now and it would be nice to head to the Bronx on Thursday in first place. It has been some time since the Red Sox have been in the lead and trust me they want it back. The Red Sox are going into to a four game series in NY and the rivalry is back to the good old days. Boston has the mentality of knowing that the Yanks haven’t beaten them yet this season. Their advantage lies in knowing how badly that fact kills the Yankee players and the Yankee fans probably hate it more. Boston would like nothing better than to fly back up north in first place and show up the Yanks in their own house again.

Tampa will put out all the stops to not let this happen but it sure ain’t for the Yanks sake. Joe Madden and his Rays are too good to be out of the race so “win, win, win” is mandatory theme.

This will bring the heat index up in Canada, as this has got to give the Yankees the hunger. In all truth, the time has come to one-up Boston. The Bombers know this entails coming home still in first. It is vital not to lose momentum.

Here is the perfect quote for the Yankees to live by:

“Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible.” – George Orwell

What does each of the competing team need and want to do? Continue reading ‘The AL East: It Would Be Best To Bring You’re A-Game’ »

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