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New York Yankees: Red Sox Are Still Alive

Posted by on 26 September 2011, 2:23 am

The New York Yankees have had a lot to smile about this past week, from winning the AL East division to fortifying home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Knocking the Boston Red Sox out of the top spot in the AL Wild Card would have been the icing on the cake, but after fighting for 14-innings in the second game of a double-header that mission failed.

Now with three games left in the regular season, the Red Sox remain a game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card standings.

Why should any Yankee fan be complaining?

Worried would be the more proper word because back on September 1st, the Red Sox were the team atop the AL East. On September 2nd, the Yankees stole first place and never looked back but with a nine game lead in the Wild Card it seemed inevitable that Boston would still be around in October.

That is until Boston broke a franchise record for the worst September slump by losing 18 of the next 24 games.

Still, the Red Sox fought hard to beat the Yankees last night and that might have been just what the doctor ordered.

If you recall the Red Sox started the season 0-7 until they swept the Yankees in Fenway Park and Boston started beating everyone.

Let’s hope history does not repeat itself in this case; or in the case of Yankees ace CC Sabathia not making a start for two weeks before taking the hill in Game One of the ALDS next Friday night.

Ironically, the Yankees will finish the season down in Tampa Bay for a three game set against the Rays. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Red Sox Are Still Alive’ »

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New York Yankees Were Not Supposed To Win

Posted by on 22 September 2011, 2:57 am

The 2011 New York Yankees are the AL East Division Champions.

According to pretty much every baseball expert on earth, the champagne was supposed to be flowing in Boston at Fenway Park. Don’t you remember??? Let me remind you….

The Yankees own GM Brian Cashman thought the Red Sox were the better team when asked by Boston Globe’s Peter Abrahams back in January.

In ESPN’s predictions for the 2011 MLB season, all 45 analysts chose the Red Sox to win the division and 34 have Boston penciled in to win the World Series as well. Once you see the cover of the 2011 October issue of ESPN The Magazine, the above numbers are not such a surprise because the network has always seemed to belong in Red Sox Nation.

FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal’s prediction became a collective theme among baseball experts about the Yankees:

“Only question is which starting pitcher — or two — they will acquire.”

Even here at Lady Loves Pinstripes, I wrote this about the Yankees in my 2011 Predictions:

“The Yankees have more holes to fill than fans would like.”

Well, these predictions so far have been very wrong. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Were Not Supposed To Win’ »

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New York Yankees: Champagne Super Nova

Posted by on 3 September 2011, 12:53 am

There is nothing else to say about New York Yankee pitcher Ivan Nova except that he is darn good.

This 24 year-old rookie tacked on his 15th win on the season vs. the Toronto Blue Jays last night, as the Yankees won 3-2.

Nova held the hard-hitting Blue Jays to just three hits, two earned runs and while fanning four. Nova did walk two batters, but one of the walks was intentional to keep Jose Bautista’s bat silenced, as he leads the Majors with 38 home-runs and better to be safe than sorry.

Nova pitched seven solid innings, winning his 11th game in a row and that is all manager Joe Girardi could wish for before handing the lead over to the bullpen.

Not only did Nova get another ‘W’ but also he continues to verify his dependability. The rookie is 16-0 when the Yankee bats get him a lead and that number looks to only get better.

For any team rolling into the playoffs Nova’s evenness is precisely what you would want and need to see. Especially considering the first-round of the playoffs consists of that insufferable and killer five game series that hardly permits for mistakes.

In my eyes Nova has rendered himself postseason reliable to follow behind ace CC Sabathia, but that is all contingent on the Yankees earning a playoff berth first.

While Nova appears to have fallen from heaven, the Yankees are still in need of a solid third arm to complete this three-headed monster. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Champagne Super Nova’ »

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New York Yankees: Mariano Rivera’s August Tales

Posted by on 12 August 2011, 12:14 pm
Photo by Googie Man 14:33, 10 May 2006 . . Goo...

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The recent slip-ups by way of home-runs off the famous cutter of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has caused much scare this week.

It masked the fact that Rivera tied closer Trevor Hoffman for saving 30 games for 10 years in a row, which is a huge accomplishment.

Look there is no denying that Rivera is the greatest closer to ever play the game, but at 41-years old mistakes don’t get brushed off as easily anymore.

Who could have foreseen back in 1990 that this skinny, amateur free agent pitcher from Panama would have such a big impact on the Yankees?

Now 17 seasons and five World Series Championships later, reality has inevitably started to bite even harder because lately Mo has not been doing his job.

Mo has made five appearances in the month of August, and is posting a 7.71 ERA, allowing two home-runs, four earned runs, while fanning three in 4.2 innings pitched. He has also tacked on a loss, but managed to earn three saves in four opportunities.

Plain and simple, Mo’s delivery is off on his cutter and that makes it hittable.

Is this cause for major concern?

No, it is not cause for concern because Mo will get his timing and release back on track.

The proof is in the stats and over Mo’s 17-year career he has given up the most runs, earned runs, homers and walks in the month of August. Also if a hitter is going to get Mo, this is the month to do as batting average against that cutter is at a high as well, sitting at .225.

Below is a chart of Mo’s career monthly numbers, courtesy of baseballreference.com:

So, Yankee fans can stop imagining life without hearing Enter Sandman blasting at the Stadium to start the ninth inning; at least for now.

To be honest, life without Mo is so unfathomable already that there is no need to rush.

Trust me, there are still many more Mo-memories to be made and Yankee Universe needs to chill, myself included.

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New York Yankees: Playing Small Works Out Big To Win Subway Series In Bronx

Posted by on 22 May 2011, 10:34 pm
Cap logo of the New York Yankees

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The Subway Series and New York City bragging rights were at stake on Sunday afternoon, as the outcome of the rubber match between the Yankees and Mets got decided in one heck of a 7th inning up in the Bronx:

  • Entering the 7th inning, the Yankees were down 3-1 to the Mets, with no real signs of hope.
  • The one on the scoreboard came off another Curtis Granderson home-run in the 1st inning, but otherwise it was the same old stranding runners-on-base.
  • The Captain came up clutch with a double that drove in the two runs that tied the game 3-3.
  • Curtis Granderson has 16 home-runs, but the guy is just lethal with the bat period. His sacrifice bunt was perfectly knocked down the third-base line, setting up the go-ahead-run.
  • After the Mets walked Mark Teixeira, A-Rod hit a blooper that but ran his heart out and the meager hit was enough for the run to score to put the Yankees on top.
  • 13 Yankees hitters produced five singles, two walks, one double, and a sacrifice in this brilliant inning of small-ball.
  • Not one of the total eight runs scored in 7th came off a home-run.

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reported that was the inning the Yankees have been looking for according to A-Rod who he quoted saying:

“There were a lot of good things that happened in that inning, starting with Gardy, and Dickerson drew a nice walk, a perfect base hit by Jeter and a perfect bunt by Granderson. That sets up the big inning and those are the things we haven’t been doing the last few weeks. We can’t hit a three-run homer every time.”

The Mets only managed to score three runs off the 11 total hits they had off Yankees rookie Ivan Nova.

The Yankees beat the Mets 9-3, taking the rubber game and the series 2-1.

Now Yankee fans can look toward the Empire State Building, as it will be glowing of pinstripes for the next few nights.

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Subway Series: Yankees vs. Mets Back In The New York Groove

Posted by on 20 May 2011, 3:34 am

Branded as the Big Apple and the Capital of the World, New York City is undeniably a very extraordinary place.

As a real New Yorker (born in Manhattan), I can say that when it comes to our city’s pro-sports teams it would be a challenge to find a more prideful and demanding bunch of fans.

New York fans have earned a reputation for a win or get-off the pot attitude, which has made our sports teams less popular everywhere else.

So, when two New York teams face-off, like the Mets and Yankees will in the Subway Series this weekend, it is a fight for the city’s pride.

Here is a little “New York Groove” slideshow of random Yankee pictures, by ladylove pinstripes.com….enjoy!

The victor of this three game set get to gloat because the Empire State Building will adorn the colors of that team for all to see.

For a Mets fan, winning the Subway Series provides the last shred of superiority over the big, bad and successful Yankees.

The Yankees have owned the NYC for over a decade, but that comes with as many haters as it does fans. That doesn’t mean that winning the Subway Series is not a meaningful because it is not just another series.

Someone just said to me that it is another b-l-e-e-p for the Yankees to add to their ever-growing list of successes, but as a New Yorker when your team wins you get to walk with your head a little higher come Monday morning.

As the Yankees return to the Bronx after winning three of four games on the road, they are feeling pretty confident as they prepare to host their cross-town rivals from Queens.

With bragging rights up for grabs, everyone in New York will be busting out their caps, t-shirts and jerseys with their loyalty proudly on full-display.

Even though the Yankees have a much better team on paper, the 2011 Mets are finally heading in the right direction after years of going backwards.

Mets fans know they have a good team; with an inspiriting new skipper and a GM who is determined to get the franchise back to the top.

The Subway Series’ are never short on drama, and if you want to see New York’s spirit at its peak going to the Subway Series is a darn good example of it.

There is a reason the New York Times referred to the Subway Series as “George Steinbrenner’s personal World Series.”

Pitching previews to follow…..

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New York Yankees: CC Sabathia Is Actually Right On Track

Posted by on 19 May 2011, 1:35 pm

Since 2009, the anchor of the New York Yankees starting rotation is CC Sabathia.

Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in the game and known to have a personality to match.

So far, it has seemed that 2011 has not been the best start for the 30-year-old Sabathia, but he has always been a second-half pitcher. This is evident looking at his career splits, as his numbers are lower post-All-Star break almost across the board in hits, earned runs, home-runs, walks and strikeouts.

(chart from BASEBALLREFERENCE.COM)

(click on chart if it is hard to read to go to direct page)

Sabathia has made nine starts this season, posting a 3.47 ERA, while giving up 50 hits, 23 earned runs, three home-runs and has walked 21 batters in 53 inning pitched. He does lead the team in strikeouts with 50.

When you look at Sabathia’s first nine starts from 2009-2011, the similarities are comforting but it also clearly shows a pattern. Look at the chart I made below, from stats courtesy of BASEBALLREFERNCE.COM.

IP=innings pitcher; ER=earned runs; HR=home-runs; SO=strikeouts; BB=base on balls or walks; ERA=earned run average

Sabathia’s 2011 starts seem a lot worse than they read because he took two losses that he could have won, but the Yankees bats or the bullpen stumbled. Also, his last start against the Boston Red Sox was his poorest thus far, pitching just over 6 innings and giving up six earned runs, a home-run and three walks.

My prediction is to expect a big night for Sabathia tonight down in Baltimore against the Orioles.

Let’s just hope this game will go the standard nine innings, as the Yankees host their home team rival New York Mets in the first half of the Subway Series, in the Bronx just 24-hours later.

 

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