Yankee News For Yankee Fans

[Yankee4Life]

Alex Rodriguez comes off the bench to hit a blast over the Green Monster.

Alex Rodriguez is greeted by Joe Girardi and teammates after hitting Willie Mays-matching blast.

*Note the crying Red Sox fans directly behind the Yankee dugout.

 

Alex Rodriguez hits a line-drive home run into the Green Monster seats Friday night in Boston.

[Yankee4Life]

Nathan Eovaldi pitches Yankees to 4-2 win over Red Sox 

Nathan Eovaldi goes 6.2 innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits.

 

BOSTON - With Masahiro Tanaka out for a month, the rest of the Yankees' rotation needs to step up if the team hopes to remain atop the AL East.

Nathan Eovaldi did his part on Saturday.

Eovaldi led the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Red Sox Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park, giving the Bombers wins in each of the first two games of the weekend series.

The righthander allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings, his second-best start of the young season. Dellin Betances earned his first save of the season, recording the final four outs.

Brett Gardner drove in the first three Yankees runs, belting an RBI double in the third and a two-out, two-run single in the fifth.

Chris Young added a solo homer in the ninth as the Yankees won for the 12th time in the last 15 games.

Adam Warren will try to pitch the Yankees to a sweep Sunday night, taking on Joe Kelly.

Brett Gardner drives in three of the Yankees' four runs on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.

 

                                  

Eovaldi entered the game 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA, getting through the sixth inning only once in his first four starts. He had allowed three runs over 5.1 innings against the Red Sox on April 10 in the Bronx, taking a no-decision in his pinstriped debut.

Since then, he allowed two runs over five innings in Baltimore, held the Tigers to one run over seven frames and gave up four runs in 4.1 innings last week against the Mets.

"It comes down to quality pitches and being able to put hitters away when you have an opportunity," Joe Girardi said before Saturday's game. "When you get in long counts and they foul pitches off, it puts your pitch count up pretty quickly. And this is a team that does that, so he'll have to work at it."

Eovaldi got off to a solid start Saturday, retiring nine of the first 10 Red Sox hitters, the lone blemish a David Ortiz pop up that Chase Headley appeared to lose in the sun.

The Yankees got on the board in the third against Wade Miley, whose Red Sox career has gotten off to a dreadful start (1-2, 8.62 ERA in his first four starts).

Didi Gregorius led off with a single, moving to second on a wild pitch. Gardner followed with a double to left field, scoring Gregorius for the game's first run.

Dustin Pedroia tied the game with a leadoff homer in the fourth, launching a 1-0 pitch over the Green Monster. Eovaldi allowed two more hits in the frame, but got Mike Napoli to ground into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

 

Chris Young adds an insurance run for the Yankees with a solo shot in the top of the ninth. 

 

                                  

Miley couldn't hold the momentum, however, allowing a double by Headley and a single by Gregorio Petit to open the Yankees' fifth. Gregorius bunted the runners over, then after Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to first, Gardner delivered another big hit, lining a two-run single to left for a 3-1 lead.

Boston put the tying runs on base in the sixth as Eovaldi continued to walk the tightrope. Once again, the righthander made the pitch he needed to against Napoli, who flied out to shallow right field, stranding two more men on base.

The Red Sox finished the day 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, leaving six men on base.

Eovaldi retired the first two hitters in the seventh, but after a two-out walk of Blake Swihart, Girardi yanked his starter for Chris Martin.

Mookie Betts launched a double high off the Monster wall, missing a game-tying home run by five or six feet. Swihart scored on the hit, pulling the Sox within a run, but Martin retired Pedroia on a ground ball, holding the lead.

Betances entered the game with two out and a runner on first in the eighth inning, blowing Napoli away with a 98 mph fastball. Although Girardi has used Miller in save situations this season, he sent Betances back for the ninth, likely trying to keep Miller available for Sunday's game.

Betances struck out the side in the ninth, fanning all four batters he faced.

 

[sabugo]

A Budding Bromance in the Yankee Outfield

Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner have proved to be a potent combination at the top of the order

Jacoby Ellsbury grew up as a five-sport star in Madras, Ore., and when he wants to make a particularly salient point, he’ll often find himself hearkening back to other fields of play.

When he wants to express just how close a bond he and fellow Yankee outfielder Brett Gardner have developed, for example, the language of baseball—often called an individual game disguised as a team sport—doesn’t always cut it. So he turns to two of his previous loves, basketball and football.
 

“It’s like a point guard, making plays with a power forward—I know he’s going to break and I can give him the ball without having to say anything,” said Ellsbury, who will proudly tout his dunking ability at any opportunity.

The former Madras High wide receiver quickly shifts gears.

“Or it’s like a quarterback and a receiver,” he said.”You can audible without really saying anything. You read this defense, and think, I’m going to run a quick out, and he sees it. You see it without having to say anything, and you’re already making the adjustment.”

In baseball terms? It means that the pair don’t even have to speak to wreak havoc on the bases, at the plate or in the outfield. With similar talents, styles, and now a friendship forged over a year of playing together, their communication has become telekinetic.

“I’ll look at him, and we’re already moving, and I haven’t said anything,” Ellsbury said. “I would have said something, but I didn’t have to, we’re already moving. It’s just those little things.”

Many fans wondered why the Yankees signed Ellsbury to a seven-year $153 million contract before last season when the team already had Gardner in place. Both are speedy, left-handed, 31-year-old centerfielders with moderate power and the ability to draw a walk. But instead of overlapping, in an era when speed and on-base ability are coveted and power is less prevalent, the pair have used their talents to double the pressure on opposing teams.

“Having the two back to back puts constant pressure on the defense,” said manager Joe Girardi. “They know, to try to turn a double play, you’ve got to rush. They might beat the throw to second. Those sort of things. First to third, you have to figure out what you’re going to do. Are they going to steal a run? The pitchers have to be quicker to home. It just creates a lot of problems.”

As the Yankees sped to the top of the American League East this season, Ellsbury and Gardner paced the team. Ellsbury entered Tuesday’s game against Toronto riding a seven-game hitting streak, with a.347 batting average and a .426 on-base percentage. Gardner has always relied on walks more than Ellsbury, and combining his .312 average with his 10 walks gives him a .404 OBP. Despite a slow start on the bases, the pair have combined for 17 steals in only 26 games.

“We push each other,” Gardner said. “We take a lot of pride in getting on base, and that’s our job at the top of the lineup. We feel like we’re two leadoff hitters, and we can get on base for those guys in the middle of the lineup and give them RBI opportunities.”

The similarities have led to a strong friendship, as well. They have developed complicated handshake routines to celebrate wins, and can often be seen in the dugout comparing notes on opposing pitchers.

“We’re both quick learners, you don’t really have to tell us anything twice,” Ellsbury said. “So I’ll bounce stuff off him—take a look at this, what do you see here, vice-versa.”

Gardner, who is known to put as much pride and ferocity into winning a videogame challenge as a stolen base crown, said that having Ellsbury around, and running in front of him, is definitely a motivator.

“We definitely push each other,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun hitting next to him in the lineup. Feels like every time I come up, he’s on base. I feel like he makes me better, and hopefully he feels the same about me.”

[Kccitystar]

Jorge Posada Needs To Get Over Himself

Hearing Posada whine like this makes me sad. I loved watching Posada in his prime. He was always a home run threat, he was a menace from both sides of the plate, and there was no doubting that he was a respected clubhouse leader who seemed to always play hard. The dude could rake. Unfortunately, he has not put himself in a good light the past few years at all, and slamming Girardi for a decision that was in the team's best interests is just silly. Bernie Williams wasn't happy with the way he and the Yankees parted ways, but he never released any tell-all books slamming Cashman. Neither did Don Mattingly when the Yankees strongly encouraged him to retire following the '95 season so that they could improve at first base with a guy like Tino Martinez available.

http://www.pinstripealley.com/yankees-editorials-opinions-analysis/2015/5/11/8585015/jorge-posada-criticizes-joe-girardi-yankees-catcher-manager-2011

In one word, wow.

[sabugo]

I'm an avid reader of the Pinstripe Alley as well. Like they said, Georgie needs to get over himself.
 

[Yankee4Life]

It's no secret that I am no fan of Posada and that goes way back.

[Kccitystar]

I'm an avid reader of the Pinstripe Alley as well. Like they said, Georgie needs to get over himself.
 

​Well, after the owners of NoMaas decided no mas after the 2014 season, I have nowhere else to get my Yankee fill other than RiverAveBlues

[DeadShot]

​Well, after the owners of NoMaas decided no mas after the 2014 season, I have nowhere else to get my Yankee fill other than RiverAveBlues

​Try this website: http://www.chatsports.com/new-york-yankees Basically it compiles Yankees news from Yankees websites around the Internet. 

[sabugo]

​Try this website: http://www.chatsports.com/new-york-yankees Basically it compiles Yankees news from Yankees websites around the Internet. 

​
Thanks for that

[DeadShot]

​Thanks for that

​No problem. Glad to help a fellow Yankee fan.

[sabugo]

Posada: Cheating A-Rod cost me MVP, doesn’t belong in Hall

Jorge Posada batted .273 and hit 275 home runs during his 17 major league seasons, but the retired Yankees catcher may have saved his best swing for ex-teammate Alex Rodriguez.

In an interview aired Wednesday on “CBS This Morning,” Posada said he doesn’t think Rodriguez, who has admitted to steroid use and who was suspended for all of the 2014 season for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Nor, he said, should anyone else known to have used performance-enhancing drugs. Posada was asked specifically about Rodriguez and Roger Clemens, another former teammate.

Clemens has denied ever using PEDs.

“No, I don’t think it’s fair for the guys that have been in the Hall of Fame … who played the game clean,” said Posada, who is promoting his new book “The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes” which was released Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s fair, I really don’t. I think the guys that need to be in the Hall of Fame need to be a player who played with no controversy.”

Posada, 43, said he hadn’t made his feelings known to Rodriguez, and he expected
Rodriguez would be surprised if he heard them.

Posada, who retired after the 2011 season, didn’t repeat his earlier assertion about Rodriguez’s Cooperstown candidacy in an appearance on Mike Francesa’s WFAN show later in the day. But he didn’t take back anything he said either.

“Alex is my friend. [Roger Clemens] is my friend. It’s tough to talk about people that you love in a negative way,” Posada said.

Rodriguez, in keeping with his new let’s-not-rock-the-boat-because-I’m just-so-darn-happy-to-be-on-board approach, didn’t blink when Posada’s comments were relayed to him before the Yankees played the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday night.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Jorgie,” Rodriguez said. “He was a great player and a great talent and we won a championship. I am not focused on that. Jorgie always wore his heart on his sleeve. What I remember is we won a championship. I consider Jorgie a friend, 2003 was a long time ago, all my energy is focused here.”

Rodriguez’s reference to the 2003 season was in response to Posada’s comment to CBS that he finished third behind Rodriguez, who was aided by his admitted PED use, and Carlos Delgado in voting for the AL’s Most Valuable Player award that year.

“I was close to the MVP. Didn’t happen. Alex won the MVP,” said Posada, who finished 48 points behind Rodriguez and 23 behind Delgado in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. “But you know I was almost there. You know what could have happened if … It’s tough, it’s really tough.”


And he keeps at it...

[Yankee4Life]

“Alex is my friend. [Roger Clemens] is my friend. It’s tough to talk about people that you love in a negative way,” Posada said.

 

But yet you just did you two-faced son of a *&$^%.

[sabugo]

How weird is this so that A-Rod is the one who took the high road here?
I'm paying a compliment to A-Rod. Seriously. Me!!!!

 

[Yankee4Life]

Mark Teixeira hits grand slam off Felix Hernandez as Yankees top Mariners, 7-2 

 

SEATTLE – The King’s court was out in full force Monday night, but the Yankees made Felix Hernandez look like a jester.

Mark Teixeira’s grand slam highlighted a five-run fifth inning against King Felix, lifting the Yankees to a 7-2 win over the Mariners to kick off a three-game set at Safeco Field.

“It doesn’t happen very often against Felix,” Joe Girardi said. “He’s pitched really well against us over the years, so it was really nice.”

In fact, Hernandez was 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last six starts against the Yankees dating back to July 2012.

“If he's not the best in the game, he's right there with the best in the game,” said Chase Headley. “Those things don't happen very often with that type of pitcher.”

Mark Teixeira smashes a grand slam in the fifth inning to give the Yankees a 7-0 lead on Mariners ace Felix Hernandez.

Michael Pineda was the beneficiary of the run support, beating the team that traded him to the Yankees more than three years ago. Pineda allowed two runs over six-plus innings to pick up the victory in his first-ever meeting with the Mariners.

“It’s a great game for me today,” Pineda said. “My first year in the majors, I stayed around Felix and learned a lot from him. Tonight, pitching versus him, it’s a really good game.”

It was Pineda’s first trip back to Seattle since the Mariners traded him to the Yankees in January 2012, leading some to wonder how he would handle the emotion of the night.

“I always worry about those type of things when guys come back to face their old team for the first time,” Girardi said. “I think he handled it really well. I’m sure there was a little bit more meaning.”

If there were any nerves or extra excitement on Pineda’s part, it was difficult to tell. He blanked the Mariners on four hits and one walk over the first six innings, striking out nine. Things fell apart for him in the seventh as he allowed two runs and left with two runners on base, but the bullpen finished off Seattle to preserve the starter’s seventh win.

“I had really good focus today and tried to do the best on the mound,” Pineda said. “Tonight, everything was working good."

Hernandez watches as Teixeira rounds the bases during his worst start of the season.

King Felix looked unhittable early, retiring the Yankees in order in each of the first three innings on a total of 21 pitches. His movement was so severe, the Yankees were swinging at balls well outside the strike zone. 

So they stopped.

“The first few innings, we were probably a little over-aggressive,” Teixeira said. “Then we made the adjustment.”

The Yankees had more success the second time around, starting with Brett Gardner’s leadoff single to left. Chase Headley saw seven pitches before singling to center, putting runners at the corners.

A wild pitch scored Gardner for the game’s first run, then Hernandez walked both Alex Rodriguez and Teixeira, loading the bases with nobody out. Brian McCann grounded into a double play, though it still scored a run to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Michael Pineda shows the Mariners what they’re missing in his first start against his former team at Safeco Field, striking out nine batters over six innings.

“His stuff moves so much, I think that’s what got him into trouble a little bit,” Teixeira said. “It was tough to control and he walked a few guys. Give our hitters credit; they didn’t swing at the bad pitches when he threw them.”

Pineda struck out three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the fourth, getting his offense back into the dugout.

He would stay there for a while, enjoying every moment of the next inning.

The Yankees went back to work against Hernandez, but this time it was the bottom of the lineup starting the rally. Stephen Drew led off with a walk, then Ramon Flores singled and Gardner walked, loading the bases.

“The stuff looked good,” Headley said. “I thought the ball was moving. Honestly, I thought we just did a good job of laying off some tough pitches. That was the difference.”

Headley lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0, then A-Rod singled to load the bases. Teixeira – who had five career home runs against Hernandez – drilled a 2-0 sinker over the wall in right-center, blowing the game open with his ninth career grand slam.

“Felix is really good, but so is Mark,” Girardi said. “Mark is a really good player. It’s quite a battle when they match up.”

“It felt big,” Teixeira said. “The way Michael was pitching, we didn’t know how many we needed. Any time you can score seven runs off Felix Hernandez, you take it. It doesn’t happen very much.”

Hernandez remained in the game for two more batters before Carlos Beltran doubled with two out, bringing Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon out of the dugout to lift the Cy Young winner. 

“I don’t know what happened,” Hernandez said. “I just lost my command and fell behind a lot of times. A lot of walks killed me. I made a lot of mistakes.”

The 7-0 lead was more than enough for Pineda, who struck out two more batters during a perfect fifth, then repeated the feat in the sixth, fanning both Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. 

Seattle put together a single, triple and double to start the seventh against Pineda, who then issued a walk to end his night after two runs had scored. But Justin Wilson got a strikeout and a double play to escape without any more damage, then Dellin Betances and Chasen Shreve finished off the final two innings. 

“We did not swing the bats particularly well in Oakland,” Girardi said. “To be able to do that tonight, I think that’s big. Tomorrow’s a new day, and you have to go out and try to do the same thing.” 

[Yankee4Life]

Another Yankees twist comes with two unlikely heroes

Garrett Jones blasts a three-run homer in the 11th inning to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night in Seattle.

SEATTLE — You know what the Yankees’ season looks like?

An EKG monitor with green characters dancing through a backlit screen.

They stink. They are good. They are real bad, then take three from the best team in the American League. Follow that by losing three of four to the worst team on the circuit.

Spank Felix Hernandez Monday night, get handcuffed by Mike Montgomery, who made his big league debut Tuesday evening.

Get down to your last out and the worst hitter delivers a game-tying hit. Then watch as a part-time player crushes a three-run homer that carries the Yankees to a 5-3 win in 11 innings over the Mariners in front of 27,442 at Safeco Field.

“It felt very good,’’ the left-handed-hitting Garrett Jones said of the three-run blast off lefty Joe Beimel with two outs in the 11th. “He is always tough. I wanted to get a good pitch to hit and make it hard on the defense. I got a 2-0 pitch in the heart of the plate.’’

“It’s one day, it’s a long season,’’ said Drew, who singled with two outs in the 11th and went to third on Brett Gardner’s second double of the game. “And to see Jonesey hit it out is a good feeling.’’

Stephen Drew belts a game-tying RBI single in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 5-3, 11-inning win on Tuesday night.

The Yankees’ second straight victory puts them in position for a sweep of the hapless Mariners Wednesday when Masahiro Tanaka steps off the disabled list to start for the first time since April 23. It also allowed the Yankees to stay one game ahead of the second-place Rays in the AL East. A sweep would send the Yankees home with a 4-3 West Coast trip record after losing three of four to the putrid A’s in Oakland.

CC Sabathia allowed two runs and nine hits in 5²/₃ innings and apologized to Kyle Seager for waving his arm at Seager after he failed to bunt his way on in the fifth with runners at first and third and two outs.

“I got fired up,’’ said Sabathia, who fielded the bunt and threw Seager out at first. “I was wrong. I was fired up and took it out on the wrong person.’’

When David Carpenter allowed one of the two runners he inherited from Sabathia to score in the sixth, Sabathia was on the hook for his eighth loss. But Drew bailed him out in the ninth with the clutch double.

From there it was Dellin Betances working around a one-out walk in the ninth and in the 10th, Justin Wilson making a diving catch on Rickie Weeks’ bunt and turning it into a double play, thanks to a nice scoop by Drew.

“It went numb but I was able to throw a pitch,’’ Wilson said of his left hand that crashed into the ground.

Didi Gregorius’ feet cost the Yankees a chance for a run in the seventh. Gregorius, who didn’t start, delivered a pinch-hit single leading off and would have easily gone first to third on John Ryan Murphy’s soft single to center. But Gregorius tripped over his feet around second and was an easy out.

His leadoff single in the 11th was quickly followed by Brian McCann banging into a 6-3 double play but Drew singled, Gardner doubled and Jones was the hero.

“It was awesome for us to come back and get the win,’’ Sabathia said. “We got to keep going and hopefully get the sweep.’’

Andrew Miller allowed a run and had two on with two out in the 11th when he fanned Nelson Cruz to end it, picking up his 16th save and allowing the Yankees to exhale.

[Yankee4Life]

Masahiro Tanaka dazzles in return from DL as Yankees sweep Mariners with 3-1 win 

SEATTLE — If there were any questions about Masahiro Tanaka’s ability to dominate, he answered them Wednesday.

Tanaka fired seven brilliant innings against the Mariners, leading the Yankees to a 3-1 victory and a three-game sweep at Safeco Field.

“That’s probably as good stuff as he’s had all year,” Joe Girardi said.

Tanaka allowed one run on three hits, striking out nine without issuing a walk. He threw only 78 pitches, showing great efficiency, tremendous command — and a fastball that got as high as 96 mph — in his first start since April 23.

“I would have to agree, I think it was the best outing I’ve had this year so far,” Tanaka said through a translator. “I think all my pitches’ command was good.”

Masahiro Tanaka throws a gem for the Yankees in his first start since returning from the DL.

 

Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones hit home runs to provide the run support for Tanaka, who took care of the rest.

Chris Capuano and Andrew Miller put a scare into the Yankees in the eighth, but Miller worked out of a bases-loaded jam before pitching the ninth for his 17th save.

After losing three of four to Oakland, the Yankees now head home with a winning record on their West Coast swing, returning to the Bronx with sole possession of first place in the AL East.

“It didn’t start the way we wanted, but Oakland played well; they just beat us (three out of four),” Teixeira said. “We came here, facing some pretty good pitchers, and did our jobs and scored some runs.”

The questions about Tanaka’s ability to stay healthy will persist as long as he’s pitching with a small tear in his elbow ligament, but the righthander — who missed the past five weeks with wrist tendinitis and a mild forearm strain --proved Wednesday that he can still control an opposing team with the best of them.

“He was incredible; everything was for strikes,” said John Ryan Murphy, who replaced Brian McCann behind the plate in the second inning after McCann exited with foot pain.  “He threw all of his pitches. The thing that he does so well is on both sides of the plate, the ball can go sideways both ways and go straight down. Everything was working today.”

Garrett Jones rounds third base after hitting the second of the Yankees' two HRs on the day.

                                   

Knowing he had only 80-85 pitches to work with, Tanaka didn’t fool around. He retired Seattle in order in six of his seven frames, never needing more than 11 pitches in any of them. His one hiccup came in the third after Teixiera had given him a 1-0 lead with a solo shot off Taijuan Walker in the top of the inning.

Brad Miller tripled and Dustin Ackley doubled, tying the game. Ramon Flores saved a run by throwing Ackley out at the plate on Logan Morrison’s single, but Tanaka took it from there, retiring the next 13 batters he faced.

Jones, whose three-run home run in the 11th inning lifted the Yankees to a win on Tuesday night, broke the tie in the fourth with a towering two-run homer off Walker.

“I’m just trying to contribute,” Jones said. “I’ve been feeling good at the plate, so I’m just trying to stay relaxed and let it fly.”

Ramon Flores throws out Seattle's Dustin Ackley at the plate to bail out the Yankees in the third.

                                  Tanaka carried the two-run lead through seven, but things got interesting once he departed. Capuano, demoted to the bullpen

to open a rotation spot for Tanaka, started the eighth as Dellin Betances was unavailable. Capuano gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano, then struck out Miller.

After Seattle sent up Rickie Weeks to hit for Ackley, Girardi brought Andrew Miller in for a five-out save. The lefty hit Weeks with a 1-2 pitch, then walked Mike Zunino on four pitches to load the bases.

Miller fell behind Morrison, 3-0, but fought back to strike him out before getting Austin Jackson on a routine grounder, stranding the bases loaded before pitching a scoreless ninth to seal the win.

“To get Morrison after a 3-0 count was huge,” Miller said. “I think they certainly thought they had a chance, and to squash it there was important.”

 

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees taking huge risk by relying on farm system

The first-place Yankees need a starting pitcher and they had the trade chips to acquire David Price. Or Cole Hamels. That they didn’t cash those chips tells you how much times have changed in the Bronx.

Bad call? It all depends where this team goes from here, but certainly it’s the riskier call.

Yes, whether the direction was dictated by Hal Steinbrenner’s desire to lower the payroll or GM Brian Cashman’s firm belief in his top prospects, Yankee brass is taking a huge gamble by turning to its farm system rather than proven All-Stars for help.

Cashman knows it, too. Over the phone after Friday’s trade deadline passed, he laughed and said he was sure that when “everybody does their ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ lists, I’ll be on all the ‘losers’ lists. But that’s OK.

“I think I did the right thing. There’s risk, but I’ve got guys knocking on the door, performing at a very high level. We would have loved to have done business, but I wasn’t willing to give up certain guys. And those are the guys that everybody wanted.”

The unproven Luis Severino, not David Price or Cole Hamels, will be called on to help the Yankees down the stretch.

Primarily he was talking about pitcher Luis Severino, who is being called up from Triple-A to take Michael Pineda’s place in the rotation, and outfielder Aaron Judge.

Though Cashman wouldn’t comment on specific trade targets, he indicated that he would have had to give up one or both of those prospects to deal for Price, Hamels, reliever Craig Kimbrel or even Reds starter Mike Leake.

I was skeptical of that regarding Leake, who seemingly would have been an ideal middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Yankees, but an NL scout agreed, saying the Giants gave up a bundle in pitching prospect Keury Mella and power-hitting minor-leaguer Adam Duvall.

“Mella was their No. 1 prospect,’’ the scout said. “They gave up a lot.’’

Likewise, Cashman noted that many teams were in more of a buy mode than usual at the deadline, willing to give up their best prospects in trying to win now.

“It was like shopping at Neiman Marcus,” Cashman said.

Usually the Yankees are the most willing spenders, but the GM wasn’t apologizing for holding on tightly to his prospects, especially after years of having a mostly dormant farm system.

“We’ve told our fan base what we’re trying to do,” Cashman said. “We committed to a plan and we’re sticking to it. We’ve been very vocal about getting younger and getting our payroll down, and some of our young guys are right on the verge.”

With Severino, Judge, Greg Bird, Class A shortstop Jorge Mateo and perhaps even second baseman Rob Refsnyder, the Yankees believe they have the makings of another Core Four-type of nucleus around which to build for the future, as the big contracts of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran come off the books over the next couple of years.

On the other hand, it’s fair to argue that even Cashman probably didn’t expect his team to be holding a commanding lead in the AL East, and with a need for better starting pitching, adding Hamels or Price would have practically assured the Yankees of holding off the newly fortified Blue Jays — and then increased their chances of going deep in October.

“I’d rather go this route, with the kids,” Cashman said. “Severino has earned the opportunity, and now we’ll see if he and some of the others can help us.”

Times have changed, all right. And it’s what at least a sizeable segment of Yankees fans has been screaming for in recent years, the homegrown element that made Derek Jeter & Co. so popular.

Of course, winning championships is what ultimately made them beloved, and that will always be the standard in the Bronx, starting with this year.

Rather unexpectedly, the Yankees are playing well enough to be considered championship contenders, but they’ll almost certainly need pitching help to get over the top. On Friday, Cashman bet heavily that the likes of Severino, Bryan Mitchell and possibly Adam Warren will provide it.

If he’s wrong, he’ll be on those “losers” lists come October as well.

 

[Fiebre]

Hi Y4L, one of the most Yankees succesful generations came from the farms or they were young talent, (Bernie, Posada, Mariano, Jeter) so this idea seems as a logical option and mostly that with the current squad,  people wasn't expecting too much this season, so he can take the risk of a bad year.

[Yankee4Life]

Stephen Drew goes 3-for-5 with four RBIs as he leads a Yankees hit parade against the White Sox on Sunday.

Jacoby Ellsbury

I am seeing it but I still don't believe it. Mark Teixeira on fire.

 

[Yankee4Life]

Yanks look to phenom after whiffing on Price, Cueto, Hamels

Luis Severino

CHICAGO — Debuting in the big leagues is enough to deal with, yet when Luis Severino starts Wednesday against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, the pressure will be more than the usual attached to a young pitcher in his first game.

Severino has been considered the Yankees’ top pitching prospect for two years and reached untouchable status this season when the Yankees refused to trade him for David Price, Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels.

So without an upgrade to the rotation, it will be Severino who the Yankees will look to bolster the unit in the middle of a pennant race.

“I don’t think he will get intimidated, it’s just a matter of location pitches and sometimes that takes time,’’ pitching coach Larry Rothschild said of Severino, who went a combined 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA for Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 19 starts.

“He has done everything at Triple-A to get here,’’ Rothschild said of Severino, who went 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 11 SWB starts.

With 99¹/₃ innings this season, Severino is 3²/₃ innings away from matching his career high of 113 in 2014.

Since length from the starters has been a problem lately and put the bullpen in jeopardy of being over-used, it’s not reasonable to expect Severino to go real deep into the game. However, he won’t be limited to five and fly status.

“He has had three seven-inning starts,’’ Rothschild said. “Obviously we will monitor pitches to a certain extent.’’

Joe Girardi said he understands the commotion Severino’s promotion has created and the manager is among those looking forward to seeing him in a Yankees uniform.

“I am excited to see Severino, there has been a lot of talk about him,’’ Girardi said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on. I am not going to make too much of one start, two starts or three starts. I know the kid is talented and at some point he is really going to help us. I think we are all interested to see how he manages it. He rose through the ranks pretty quickly, he is fairly young so people are pretty excited.’’

[Yankee4Life]

Cashman’s spot-on prediction of Didi Gregorius’ evolution

Didi Gregorius

Two months into replacing Derek Jeter, it wouldn’t have shocked many if the Yankees sent Didi Gregorius to Triple-A.

Two games into August, the 25-year-old shortstop has developed into a slick fielding shortstop who is providing production from the bottom of the order.

“When we got him I spoke about his ability but that he was not a finished product,” GM Brian Cashman said of Gregorius, who played 57 Triple-A games last year and 80 with the Diamondbacks. “There were going to be growing pains, and we were forced to be patient. You hope your patience pays dividends. We are seeing that.’’

At the end of May, Gregorius was batting .222, had six errors and lacked crisp baseball instincts.

When the Yankees open a three-game series against the Red Sox Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, Gregorius is hitting .260, has committed three errors — one since June 7 — and lately has turned into a clutch hitter.

He is 4-for-9 with 10 RBIs in the past nine games with runners in scoring position. Overall, he finished the recent 10-game road trip 14-for-32 (.438) with 10 RBIs. Sunday, he turned a sure single by Adam LaRoche into an out with a sprawling stop and strong throw.

“He has settled in nicely. It’s a credit to himself, [infield coach] Joe Espada, the hitting coaches [Jeff Pentland and Alan Cockrell] and the players in our clubhouse who have helped,’’ Cashman said.

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It’s not a secret the Yankees have muscled their way to the top of the AL East hitting home runs and on the arms of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller.

Lately, a very large contribution is coming from the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-place hitters.

In the past 11 games, the lower third of the Yankees’ lineup is batting .414 (53-for-128) with three homers and 33 RBIs.

The production comes at a time when Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, the first two hitters in the lineup, have taken a dip.

Since July 23, Ellsbury is batting . 205 (8-for-39) and Gardner is at .184 (7-for-38).

Ivan Nova

Prior to Sunday’s 12-3 win over the White Sox in Chicago, Joe Girardi was talking about how important it was for his starters to pitch deeper in games than they have been.

“We could really use it,’’ Girardi said of Ivan Nova providing length. “Our bullpen is fried right now.’’

Nova, who was pitching for the first time since experiencing arm fatigue in his previous outing, gave Girardi six innings and cruised to the victory.

However, in the past 15 games, Yankees starters are averaging fewer than six innings per start. And that could be the reason important bullpen pieces Justin Wilson and Chasen Shreve recently have dipped a bit.

In his last six outings, Wilson has worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits. Shreve has allowed five runs [three homers] and eight hits in 8 1/3 innings across his last nine outings.

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While the Yankees are introducing top pitching prospect Luis Severino into the AL East pennant race by starting him Wednesday night against the going-nowhere Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, the visitors will do the same with Henry Owens, their best pitching prospect.

Owens, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound lefty, was 3-8 with a 3.16 ERA in 21 games for Triple-A Pawtucket this season, when he whiffed 103 and walked 56 in 122 1/3 innings. The Red Sox’s first pick in the 2011 draft went 17-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 2014, when he was with Double-A Portland and Pawtucket.

[raidersbball20]

I am clean shaved and ready to bat .212

[Yankee4Life]

Michael Pineda has a strong outing in Boston to improve to 10-8 on the season.

Brett Gardner

 

[Yankee4Life]

Chase Headley

Alex Rodriguez

Masahiro Tanaka

Brian McCann

[Slydude3129]

Yankee4life have you ever considered doing a History of the Yankees for Yankees fans? Even I would be interested in that and you seem to be very knowledgeable on the ball club. Would be nice to see some of the baseball history the team has made that perhaps the younger fans don't know about or don't know enough about.