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Yankees-Rays On The Mound Game One: Ivan Nova Or Matt Garza?

Posted by on 20 September 2010, 1:33 pm
Pitcher Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays durin...
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Tonight marks the first of four games, between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx.

Rookie pitcher Ivan Nova takes the mound for the pinstripes, as the Rays counter with Matt Garza in a rematch from last week’s slug-fest.

Nova is only making his sixth big-league start, but second in two weeks against the Rays. In their last meeting, Nova kept the Rays at bay for four innings, before imploding in the fifth allowing six runs.

Before that, Nova had only given up three earned runs total in his first four starts. He is 1-0 after five starts, with a 4.30 ERA, giving up 14 earned runs, nine walks and four homeruns over a total of 29.1 innings pitched. Nova has struck-out a season total of 19 which is a solid showing.

Nova needs to keep control on the mound and trust his stuff more. Nova can get the strikeouts when confident, especially if his fastball is on target. Nova is not afraid of the Rays or any other team, which he needs to show when he throws.

Rays Matt Garza is a workhorse, who thrives in hostile environments and Yankee stadium promises to be just that.

Garza can throw hard but as a right-handed pitcher, Garza struggles with lefty bats. So expect the Yankees to be stacked from the left side of the plate.

Garza is known to fall apart mentally and usually no turning back after that happens. He has hit seven batters on the season.

When Garza is in total concentration-mode he has an arsenal of pitches, throws very hard and can shutdown opposing teams bats completely.

In 2010 Garza is 14-8, with a 3.88 ERA and already pitched 185.2 innings on the season. He has allowed 80 earned runs to score, walked 58, with 27 homeruns against him and has struck-out 138.

MY PREDICTION:

Garza’s last two starts he couldn’t get passed the fifth inning, giving up 12 earned runs, walking 4 and allowing six balls go yard. It left him with a 12.00 ERA, with only five strikeouts in the two losses.

Nova blew a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning, but looked better the first four innings than Garza by far.

With the tribute to George Steinbrenner before this game, the Yankees owe the Boss a win because that is what he would want more than anything.

YANKEES WIN 7-3.

NOVA VS. GARZA GET A NO DECISION.

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New York Yankees Have To Face Rangers Cliff Lee On Wednesday

Posted by on 10 August 2010, 1:53 pm

I have witnessed Cliff Lee torment my New York Yankees at the Stadium while he was a Cleveland Indian, a Philadelphia Phillie in the 2009 World Series, and recently a Seattle Mariner.

Now Lee is a Texas Ranger, but his uniform is irrelevant because most Yankees fans have no problem identifying Lee on the mound. I still remember our first encounter, like it was yesterday.

It was May 7, 2008 and I was bringing one of my best friends to her first Yankees game at the Old Stadium. Bringing a virgin is always a treat because the Yankees usually impress newbies.

Not that day, as the Yankees went hit-less. More precisely, the bats made contact with the ball about three times, just grazing the wood.

My mouth dropped and the Yankees looked just as shocked.

To make a long story short, my virgin-fan-friend was bored and she hadn’t been back to another game with me until two days ago.

Cliff Lee is a pitcher that teams fear because he can dominate batting lineups and makes it look almost too easy at times.

A perfect example is Game One of the 2009 World Series, when he caught a pop-up by just holding his glove out, not moving more than his wrist. The Yankee hitters’ career numbers against Lee look a lot better because a majority of the players did better while on other teams.

Lee has brutalized the Bombers in his last three seasons, regardless of where Lee was playing. Lee in pinstripes seems like a pipe dream, as Yankee Universe has drooled over this possibility for some time now. Lee seems to just go play on teams that the Yankees could face in October.

The Rangers are no different, as they are almost a lock to win the AL West, with no real competition, and they did get Lee at the trade deadline. Lee won the Cy Young in 2008, when he played with Yankees’ ace C.C. Sabathia in Cleveland and won a whooping 22 games. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Have To Face Rangers Cliff Lee On Wednesday’ »

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New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers: Pitching Prediction for A.J. Burnett

Posted by on 10 August 2010, 2:42 am

After splitting a series 2-2 with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees head down south, deep in the heart of Texas, to face the Rangers.

The Rangers have been at the mercy of the Yankees for over a decade, and this season has been no different, as the Bombers swept the Rangers in their last meeting back in April.

The Yankees have enjoyed playing in Texas, posting a 15-4 record since 2005.

This time the Rangers look a little different, with the addition of ace Cliff Lee. Lee is quite familiar to the Yankees, as he has dominated the team as an Indian, Mariner, and Phillie—but as a Ranger, he is yet to be seen.

Let’s look at the first showdown in this two-game trip, Tuesday night’s match-up:

A.J. Burnett (NYY) vs. C.J. Wilson (TEX)

Yankees starter A.J. Burnett can safely add “scratch” to his personal history, as Burnett was slated to start on Sunday night against the Red Sox but did not due to back spasms. Last outing, Burnett allowed a historical five doubles during a seven-run fifth inning against his old team, the Blue Jays. Burnett had just won his last two starts before imploding in the fifth. It was the same old tune for Burnett, as his fastball wasn’t sinking and then he got wild. Burnett is a crucial part of the puzzle for the remaining stretch of the season and this would be a perfect time to start giving the Yankees some solid outings again. In 2010, Burnett is 9-9 with a 4.93 ERA.

C.J. Wilson is also coming off a horrible start, his worst in 2010. The lefty Wilson lasted just three innings, striking out three, walking four and allowing four earned runs against the awful Mariners. Wilson has the most walks in the AL with 66, but has struck out 103 batters over 22 starts. Yankee bats crushed Wilson earlier this season, as he lost the game, 5-1. Wilson will be especially careful with new Yankee Lance Berkman and Nick Swisher, who both have hit Wilson well in the past.

PREDICTION:

Wilson’s major advantage would have been his lack of Yankees face-time, as the Bombers struggle with unfamiliar pitchers. Problem is, they never got scared in the first place and that is not good.

Burnett is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his four starts against the Rangers in pinstripes, so I am predicting Burnett will come through with a solid performance.

Burnett gets the win.

Yankees beat Rangers 6-2.

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New York Yankees Vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Can CC Break The Shields

Posted by on 1 August 2010, 8:06 am

New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia will square off against Tampa Bay Rays James Shields, in the third and final game of this series.

Let’s checkout this match-up:

Tampa Bay Rays: James Shields (9-9)

Rays James Shields is a lights-out pitcher if you are referring to his high strikeout numbers.

In 2010 Shields has posted 122 strikeouts over 135 innings. He maintains a minimal number of walks with 31.

So what explains Shields ERA being 4.79?

It is because Shields has given up 22 home-runs this season, along with 72 earned runs. His weakest pitch is his fastball and it gets hit hard. Shields change-up is his strongest pitch, but without it he is very hittable.

Over his last three starts, Shields is 2-0, pitching 19 innings, allowing nine earned runs, while walking five and striking out 13. Still, he has been better after a horrible June and he has won his last two starts.

If Shields doesn’t shield his pitches and is predictable the Yankees bats will eat him alive. Jeter and Cano have done it in the past, so look for them to go after Shields from the start.

New York Yankees: CC Sabathia (13-4)

Yankees ace CC Sabathia had his first loss since May 23rd, but he actually pitched very well. Lack of run support, along with some sloppy fielding behind him was to blame for the result.

Sabathia has a 3.15 ERA in 151 innings this season. The Yankees ace has two complete games, giving up 53 earned runs, 12 homers and 124 strikeouts. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Can CC Break The Shields’ »

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Rays vs. Yankees Pitching Preview Part One

Posted by on 18 May 2010, 9:09 am

The Tampa Bay Rays have a line-up that can hit the ball, steal bases and score runs.

So do the New York Yankees.

Pitching had the biggest role in the first series against the Rays, which the Yankees won two for three games.

Let’s look at the pitching match-ups for the two games, in this post Wednesday match-up and part two will cover Thursday’s game.

WADE DAVIS (TBR) vs. AJ BURNETT (NYY)

WADE DAVIS:

PROS:

Wade Davis can throw for strikes, and has a 3.38 ERA so far I 2010. He must command the mound and use the Yankees inexperience against him by mixing up his pitches. Davis has surpassed top pitchers already this season, one being 2009 AL CY Young Zach Greinke. Davis needs to keep up that mindset once again. If he can keep his fastball’s velocity up and his curveball is on, Davis can limit the Yankees bats. Continue reading ‘Rays vs. Yankees Pitching Preview Part One’ »

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Baseball Basics: Statistical Basics Part 2

Posted by on 13 May 2010, 7:19 pm

The first part of this basic covered the batters, so here is the second post which gives definitions of the pitching statistics abbreviations.

Baseball Basics Question:

“WHAT STATISTICS DO ALL THE ABBREVIATIONS STAND FOR?” PART 2

For Pitchers:

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