Yankee News For Yankee Fans

[Yankee4Life]

3 hours ago, raidersbball20 said:

Y4L did you write this?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/everything-the-yankees-are-doing-is-awful-170311903.html

No I didn't. I wouldn't have been that nice.

[Yankee4Life]

Electric Chapman is doing something Mariano never could

Adrolis Chapman

Two appearances consisting of two innings is all it took for Aroldis Chapman to become “The Most Exciting Two Minutes’’ in New York.

“I would pay to watch that, it’s great,’’ catcher Brian McCann said of Chapman’s high-octane fastball that sealed a 10-7 win over the slumping World Series champion Royals Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Asked to protect a three-run lead in the ninth after Masahiro Tanaka flushed two leads and Andrew Miller one, Chapman dazzled the crowd of 39,128 with a 102-mph fastball to Cheslor Cuthbert leading off the inning. Cuthbert got wood on the aspirin-like pitch, but it shattered his bat on a grounder to the right side.

When Chapman, who made his Yankees debut Monday night after serving a 30-day suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy, popped up Lorenzo Cain for the final out, the gas-throwing lefty had his first save as a Yankee.

A free agent following the season and a candidate to be dealt if the Yankees fall out of postseason contention, Chapman isn’t going to be in The Bronx long enough to establish a legacy. However, judging from the first two nights, when the crowd bathed in the heat coming from Chapman’s left wing, his outings have already turned into happenings.

“Because of his velocity, it’s been well-advertised how hard he throws,’’ manager Joe Girardi said about the Stadium crowd connecting instantly with Chapman. “I think people are excited about it.’’

Mariano Rivera, the best closer ever, worked here. Goose Gossage is a Hall of Famer and former Yankee John Wetteland was the closer for the 1996 World Series winners. David Robertson succeeded Rivera and did very well. Miller was voted the top AL closer a year ago.

None created a buzz as quickly as Chapman.

“There is a great history here with closers,’’ Chapman said. “I am happy and proud to be here.’’

Monday night Girardi summoned Chapman with a four-run lead in the ninth and no save in the wind. Tuesday it was much different. Tanaka, the staff ace, surrendered two leads and Miller, the closer who went 6-for-6 in save situations while Chapman was suspended, flushed a one-run lead in the eighth by giving up Cain’s third homer of the evening.

Chapman walking Alcides Escobar with two outs in the ninth provided some anxiety because Cain was next. And while a fourth homer wouldn’t have erased a lead, it would have removed some of the bulletproof aura that surrounds Chapman.

“I was concentrating on making pitches and getting an out,’’ said Chapman, who popped up Cain to seal the Yankees’ fourth win in five games.

When the Yankees acquired Chapman from the Reds in late December, it was viewed by some as excess, since Dellin Betances and Miller were considered among the top late-inning relievers in baseball.

Now, it’s clear the move was a good one simply because Wednesday night, Chapman won’t be available after working two straight games. That means Girardi has Betances and Miller to summon if the Yankees are leading in the late frames as Chapman recovers.

With no Chapman, the ninth-inning buzz that engulfed the Stadium on Monday and Tuesday will be missing. But the 100-mph-plus fastball could return Thursday.

“I am glad I am catching it and not facing it,’’ McCann said of Chapman’s heat, which was well publicized as a Red but now part of New York’s baseball landscape after just two servings.

“A lot of fans like to see triple digits,’’ said Chapman, who has been pushing speed guns into that neighborhood for years. “I understand why they get excited when they see me do that.’’

Two games and two innings is all it took for “The Most Exciting Two Minutes’’ in New York.

 

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees’ Chase Headley spending time with Reggie Jackson to work through slump 

Chase Headley is in an early season slump, failing to get an extra-base hit until Thursday's game.

 

 

The month of May was not Reggie Jackson's specialty during his career, but Chase Headley is hoping Mr. October can help turn his season around.

Jackson has been spending time with Headley over the past few days, trying to help the third baseman work through his early-season funk at the plate.

"He's been here for the last few days and we've been talking about things," Headley said. "Not a whole lot of mechanical stuff, because I'm covering that in a lot of depth. Just some thoughts that he had in watching me hit, things he's seeing. It's good."

Headley said he has gotten to know Jackson during his first two seasons with the Yankees, though the two spent more time talking during this year's spring training.

"He's an intense personality," Headley said. "He'll watch you take 10 swings, and if you miss one, he's going to want to stop and talk about it. Why did this happen? He doesn't just chalk it up to, 'I just missed it.' I assume he played with that same intensity. Every time he missed a ball in BP, it probably pissed him off."

Through his first 28 games, Headley is hitting .178/.265/.178 with four RBI, failing to collect an extra-base hit in his 102 plate appearances. To put that in perspective, Austin Romine has three extra-base hits, Ronald Torreyes has two and Bartolo Colon has one this season.

Jackson averaged 52 extra-base hits per year during his career, belting 563 home runs en route to the Hall of Fame. But even Mr. October went through his slumps, posting five separate streaks of at least 18 games in which he failed to get an extra-base hit.

Reggie Jackson is spending time analyzing Headley's at-bats and approach at the plate.

 

"Any time it comes from somebody who has done the things that he's done, it means something," Headley said. "He's told me, 'Man, I've been there, too. It happens to everybody. You go through tough stretches, but don't think that everybody in here hasn't felt what you're feeling.' We've been bouncing things off each other and talking through it. It's been good."

The homestand has actually been quite positive for Headley, who was 5-for-17 (.294) with three runs scored and two RBI in the first five games, driving in a run on both Tuesday and Wednesday after going a career-long 23 games without an RBI. He's raised his average from .151 to .178 in the process, the first step toward getting his numbers back to a respectable level.

"I feel like my swings have been much better from the left side," Headley said. "Even some of the foul balls I've hit, I've gotten the head out and hit them hard down the first-base line. I hadn't really done that at all this year. I feel like I've been getting my A-swing off more often."

Headley averaged 43 extra-base hits during his first eight seasons in the majors, so he's been able to keep some perspective when talking about his historically bad start.

"I've done this long enough to know that eventually I'm going to hit a home run or a double," Headley said. "I'm not going to sit here and deny that I know about it and want to get it out of the way. My first double might be a little spinner over the first baseman's head. It's just weird. It's not all bad luck or bad swings, but a handful of things have come together to make this happen. I'm not making excuses; it starts first and foremost with the fact that I haven't swung the bat the way I need to. But it's still strange."

[Yankee4Life]

Starlin Castro homers to provide Yankees with lone hit in 2-1 win over Rays 

Starlin Castro's two-run shot in the seventh was all the Yankees got, and it turned out to be just enough.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Yankees proved Sunday that quality - not quantity - is what matters most.

Held to a season-low one hit, the Yankees authored one of the season's most memorable victories, getting one big swing to erase six-plus innings of futility.

The Yankees were getting shut out - and no-hit - in the seventh inning, unable to do anything against Rays starter Jake Odorizzi.

Starlin Castro reversed all of the negative vibes, crushing a two-run homer against Odorizzi with one out in the seventh to lift the Yankees to a 2-1 win in the rubber match of the three-game set at Tropicana Field.?

"He's had some really big hits for us," Joe Girardi said after watching his team win for only the second time in 20 games this season when scoring two-or-fewer runs.

Nathan Eovaldi won his fifth straight start, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, striking out seven over six innings. He's now 5-0 with a 2.03 ERA in those five starts, giving him a 6-2 record and 3.71 ERA in 10 starts this season.

Jake Odorizzi brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

"Eovaldi pitched great today," said Brett Gardner, who drew a walk before Castro hit his homer. "You don't want to see a performance like that get wasted because we wasted a couple like that this year."

Odorizzi flirted with history as he retired the first 16 batters he faced as he carried a perfect game into the sixth.

An error by shortstop Brad Miller gave the Yankees their first baserunner of the day, but the righthander took the lead into the seventh before Castro's home run put the Yankees ahead.

"Really fortunate," Girardi said of his team's victory.

Odorizzi took a tough loss, allowing one hit and one walk - which accounted for both runs - over seven superb innings.

The Yankees did not leave a man on base all game or have a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position, the first time this season the team has had either happen.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, it's only the second time in Yankees history that they won a game while collecting only one hit, the other coming in 1914.

Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman (seventh save) made the one-run lead stand up, throwing a scoreless inning apiece to lock down the victory.

"With the way Odorizzi pitched and the way Eovaldi pitched, somebody's going to lose the game and not feel good about it," Gardner said. "Thank goodness Starlin came through in a big spot; big swing right there. Only get one hit, and I don't think we left anybody on base either. That doesn't happen very often. We're really happy to win the series. It's a good way to start the road trip."

 

Having homered and driven in four runs on Saturday, Evan Longoria hurt the Yankees again, delivering a two-out RBI single in the third to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.

Nathan Eovaldi won his fifth straight start.

It looked like the run would be enough for Odorizzi, who retired the first 15 Yankees to remain perfect through five innings.

"He did a good job keeping us off-balance," Gardner said. "He pitches with his fastball up in the zone quite a bit; really does a good job being effective with that. We obviously had trouble getting anything going against him."

With one out in the sixth, Dustin Ackley reached safely on an error by Miller that could have easily been scored a hit. No longer perfect but with the no-hitter intact, Odorizzi induced a Ronald Torreyes double play three pitches later, keeping the no-no alive through six.

Eovaldi allowed two hits to open the bottom of the sixth as the Rays threatened to lengthen their lead. A two-out walk loaded the bases, but Eovaldi got Curt Casali to pop out to first, stranding the bags full to hold the deficit at one run.

"I was happy that Joe left me out there," Eovaldi said. "I needed to bear down and get out of there. I felt like if I could get out of that situation with no runs, then we were going to come back and win that game."

That escape proved to be the difference in the game, as the Yankees finally got to Odorizzi in the seventh thanks to Gardner's walk and Castro's home run, which snapped an 0-for-14 skid for the second baseman.

"I was just looking for one pitch I could drive," Castro said. "That's what happened."

 

[Yankee4Life]

 

Alex Rodriguez

 

Adrolis Chapman

 

Jacoby Ellsbury

 

Didi Gregorius

 

C.C. Sabathia

Mark Teixeira

[Yankee4Life]

If this guy was a horse they'd of shot him already.

 

Mark Teixeira’s brutal honesty: No idea about my health

Mark Teixeira made his long-awaited return to the lineup Saturday in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Twins in The Bronx.

The problem is the first baseman picked up right where he left off after missing three weeks with torn cartilage in his right knee.

Teixeira, activated from the disabled list before the game, went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, but manager Joe Girardi was encouraged by what he saw.

“I thought he looked good,” Girardi said. “He grinded out some at-bats.”

He walked in the fourth and struck out to end a 10-pitch at-bat with runners on the corners and no one out in the eighth.

Despite the optimism surrounding Teixeira’s presence in the lineup, there is no telling how long his knee or neck will hold up.

“I don’t really know, honestly,” said Teixeira, who likely will be treated with cortisone and lubricants again over the All-Star break. “We’ll just try to keep [the knee] from locking up.”

Before the game, Girardi said Teixeira’s injury weighs on him “more than I would like, because at any point you worry it could come back. You just have to watch him carefully.”

And even that might not be enough.

“You obviously worry about when they run, but it could be as simple as going after a ground ball,” Girardi said.

To make room for Teixeira, Ike Davis was designated for assignment and will have to clear waivers before the Yankees can option him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rob Refsnyder will stay in a utility role.

“My [batting practice] is better right now than it’s been in four years,” Davis said. “I’m driving the ball like I used to. … The next step, I don’t know where it will be or with who, but hopefully I get out there and show what I can do.”

For now, it’s Refsnyder’s job.

“We really like what [Refsnyder] has done and he provides flexibility,” Girardi said. “He can play right field and second base, and his at-bats have been really good. He’s played well, so we’re gonna stick with it.”

The manager insisted there will be at-bats for Refsnyder even if Teixeira can stay in one piece, especially with the Yankees losing the DH for three games in San Diego beginning Friday.

“[Teixeira] is someone that I don’t see us running him out there four, five days in a row right at the beginning here,” Girardi said.

Especially since his OPS dipped to .530 on Saturday. He also went 1-for-9 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“I feel pretty good,” Teixeira said of his rehab stint. “I accomplished everything I wanted to in Scranton. I played three games without major incidents.”

[Yankee4Life]

3 reasons Yankees' belief in Mark Teixeira could be foolish

Mark Teixeira is coming back.

But the Yankees can't know what that means.

According to manager Joe Girardi, the oft-injured, underperforming first baseman will be in the starting lineup when the Yankees take on the Twins at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Teixeira has been on ice since suffering a tear in the cartilage in his right knee and going on the disabled list June 4.

It was just another dent for Teixeira, who's been terrible all season while also battling neck spasms that have held him out for several games. In 48 games, Teixeira is hitting .180 with three homers and 12 RBI.

Teixeira also went 1-for-9 in three Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rehab games this week.

Yet, despite the unpredictability — and, really, outright concern that should come with reinserting Teixeira in the lineup — Girardi maintained that he believes the 36-year-old will snap out of it.

"Our thought is that he's going to be Mark," Girardi said. "I know he's off to a slow start, but I really don't think that's going to continue. It might take him a few days to get going, I understand that – he hasn't had a lot of at-bats in the last three weeks, but we expect him to be Mark."

But who, exactly, is Teixeira at this point? The Yankees can't know, and Girardi knows that. After all, what else was he going to say? Teixeira was an All-Star last season, and he was expected to shoulder — alongside Alex Rodriguez, who's also underperformed —and Girardi needs to cross his fingers that Teixeira can approach that level for the rest of the season.

Here's why that thinking may be foolish:

1.) Teixeira's still hurt, after all: Cartilage doesn't fix itself. Teixeira's knee will only get better with surgery. He's said that he'll likely have to play through pain to get through the year, and he's also said that there's a chance he could make the injury worse.

That said, Teixeira last week told reporters that a shot of cortisone and lubricant had him feeling much better, and that he planned to continue the shots throughout the year.

Can he hold up, let alone be productive?

2.) He's never found his timing: Teixeira was battling problems with his swing as far back as spring training. Aside from a quick at the start of the year, Teixeira's timing hasn't recovered.

Maybe it will snap back into place. Or maybe he'll continue being exactly what he's been all year, while playing on a bum knee.

3.) The Yankees' leash can't be as long: When Teixeira was struggling earlier in the year, the team was able to quell concerns by talking about how much time it has left.

Now, with nearly half the schedule gone and their playoff chances looking dim, the Yankees can't afford to wait out Teixeira's struggles. If he can't hit right away, the Yankees might need to move him into a platoon role — he's been much better from the right side this season — and who knows how the veteran would take such a move.

So, it would be natural to think Teixeira might return to the lineup and immediately press with so much riding on his bat at this point in the year.

 

 

[sabugo]

3 reasons? Are there only 3 reasons?

[Yankee4Life]

 

3 reasons? Are there only 3 reasons?

I am sure there is more but maybe they were trying to be nice.

[Yankee4Life]

What's the big deal here? Just another inconsistent dickhead who happens to wear the Yankee pinstripes. If you see a pattern in all this it means you are right.

‘I fell apart’: It’s become alarming trend for Nathan Eovaldi

If there was an excuse, it would be more understandable, a reason a brilliant May has somehow morphed into a disastrous June.

But Nathan Eovaldi doesn’t have an explanation for his horrid last five starts. He said he feels fine physically, and his mechanics aren’t the issue. He’s simply not making pitches consistently. And, once again, the hard-throwing right-hander took the mound, and the ball went soaring over the wall, and for the fourth time in five outings, the result was a Yankees defeat.

Eovaldi was tagged for five earned runs — and a career-high four home runs, three in the sixth inning — in a 7 - 1 loss to the Twins Sunday afternoon at the Stadium, a start that perfectly illustrated his struggles.

“It’s just that one inning I fell apart,” said Eovaldi, who became the first Yankees pitcher to allow three consecutive home runs in The Bronx since Doyle Alexander in 1982. “I fell behind and they were able to capitalize on it. I have to make better pitches and [make] better pitch selection.”

In the sixth, Eovaldi (6-5, 5.19 ERA) went from effective to disastrous, allowing back-to-back-to-back home runs with two outs, turning a 1-0 deficit into an unmanageable rout. Eovaldi had retired eight of nine when he walked Joe Mauer, setting the stage for his unraveling. Each homer came on a mistake, an off-speed pitch that didn’t go where Eovaldi intended.

Brian Dozier launched a 1-0 splitter over the wall in left field. Trevor Plouffe followed by crushing a hanging slider to left. And Max Kepler went down and got a curveball, sending it into the seats in right field.

“It was bad location,” manager Joe Girardi said. “If you execute pitches, no matter what pitch you throw, it’s probably not going to be a home run.’

“His stuff was good until that point. He lost his stuff. It’s hard to say [why].’’

Eovaldi’s June numbers are ugly. An 8.65 ERA, 40 hits, 10 home runs allowed and just 17 strikeouts in 26 innings, along with an 0-3 record. His best outing was his previous start against the Twins, when the righty gave up four earned runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings, which hardly qualifies as impressive.

The confusing part is this has followed a dominant May, when the right-hander was 5-0 in six starts, with a 3.25 ERA. There were no excuses or explanations for the dive, other than Eovaldi is missing his spots.

“I got to be able to turn the page and continue to attack,” he said. “I got to do a better job of executing in those situations.”

[sabugo]

The second coming of Phil Hughes...

[raidersbball20]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/93353/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-alex-rodriguez

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees rookie Chad Green showcases potential in first MLB win  

SAN DIEGO — Chad Green was a bundle of nerves during his first major-league start seven weeks ago in Arizona. Sunday was a different story for the 25-year-old.

Green picked up his first major-league win with six innings of one-run ball, holding the Padres to three hits and no walks while striking out eight in a 6-3 win at Petco Park.

“Compared to my last start, it was different,” Green said. “From the first inning on, it just felt like another game. As soon as I got the first pitch out of the way, I felt a lot better after that.”

Green had been hit for six runs (four earned) over four innings in his May 16 debut in Arizona, but he showed much more poise Sunday as he helped the Yankees avoid a sweep at the hands of the last-place Padres.

“That first game for everyone, controlling your emotions is so difficult,” Joe Girardi said. “I thought he actually did a pretty good job in Arizona, but he was much more who we thought he could be today.”

The only blemish against the righthander was Yangervis Solarte’s home run in the second, which tied the game at 1. Green held San Diego to just two hits over the next four innings, both coming in the fourth.

“I’m just trying to make pitches, just trying to throw it to the glove, not trying to do too much,” Green said. “I think that’s the biggest difference compared to last time.”

That fourth inning presented the rookie with a tough situation as he tried to protect a 2-1 lead. Wil Myers led off with a single and Solarte hit a one-out double, putting runners at second and third with one out.

But Green stabbed Alex Dickerson’s line drive to the mound, doubling up Solarte at second base to end the threat with the heads-up play.

“I just happened to throw my glove after it,” Green said. “It kind of happened fast. I looked at third and nobody was there. I was lucky Didi was at second.”

“There’s probably not a lot of pitchers that make that play,” added Girardi. “He’s an athlete.”

Green got the start because the Yankees didn’t want CC Sabathia to hit and run the bases in a National League ballpark. Since getting roughed up by the Diamondbacks, Green went 4-3 with a 1.81 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A.

“We needed a big performance today and Greenie’s got big-league stuff,” said Mark Teixeira, who saw Green pitch on June 22 during his Triple-A rehab assignment. “He showed it today. He showed his poise and I’m just really impressed with what he did.”

Green threw 51 of his 75 pitches for strikes but Girardi said it was an easy call to replace him with Dellin Betances to protect the one-run lead.

The question now is whether Green will get another start, though Girardi was not prepared to make such a decision Sunday. “I always thought I could get out big league hitters, but it’s nice to have the reassurance I guess, especially since I don’t have that many innings up here,” Green said. “It’s nice to get that first one.”

[Yankee4Life]

Didi Gregorius

Ivan Nova

Dellin Betances

Masahiro Tanaka

Chase Headley

Austin Romine

Carlos Beltran

 

[Yankee4Life]

Jacoby Ellsbury

[Yankee4Life]

 

Joe Girardi’s 11th-inning substitution makes difference in Yankees’ 7-6 win over Indians 

 

Didi Gregorius celebrates his two-run home run with  Carlos Beltran in the third inning.

 

CLEVELAND — A seemingly innocuous pinch-running move turned out to be a stroke of genius for Joe Girardi.

The manager's decision to pinch-run Ronald Torreyes for Carlos Beltran with two out in the 11th inning paid off immediately as Brian McCann laced a double to right field, scoring Torreyes from first base to lift the Yankees to a 7-6 win over the Indians Saturday afternoon.

The two-out single was Beltran's third hit of the day, but with the game tied in the 11th and his spot unlikely to come up again, the All-Star was removed for Torreyes, who is not only faster than Beltran, but isn't battling a sore right hamstring.

With the lead in hand and his other two stud relievers already in and out of the game, Girardi left Aroldis Chapman in for the bottom of the 11th — he entered the game with two out in the ninth — to finish off the victory.

The win leaves the 43-44 Yankees with a chance to head into the All-Star break at .500, as Masahiro Tanaka will square off against Carlos Carrasco in the series finale Sunday afternoon.

CC Sabathia gave away an early two-run lead, but he was in line for the victory when he turned a 6-5 lead over to Dellin Betances with two out in the sixth before the All-Star reliever allowed the tying run to score in the seventh.

Prior to the game, Girardi spoke of the importance of taking the final two games of the series to enter the All-Star break at the .500 mark.

"I think it would be a big plus, especially if you could take three out of four from this club that's been playing very well," Girardi said. "You'd feel better about going into the break and making a run."

Facing an All-Star starting pitcher for the second consecutive day, the Yankees had better luck with Danny Salazar than they did against Corey Kluber Friday night.

Carlos Santana's RBI infield single in the first inning gave the Indians a quick lead against Sabathia, who was 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA lifetime against his former club.

Salazar, who entered the day leading the American League with a 2.36 ERA, allowed two hits in the first inning before working out of the jam. He stranded another runner in scoring position in the second, but the Yankees were putting pressure on the hard-throwing righty.

The Yankees broke through in the third as Brett Gardner's leadoff double set up a game-tying single by Beltran. Two batters later, Gregorius drilled an 0-2, 96 mph fastball into the right-field seats as the Yankees took a 3-1 lead on his 11th home run of the season.

Sabathia was unable to make the lead stand up, issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third before four straight Indians rapped hits, slapping a three-spot of their own on the board to regain their one-run edge.

CC Sabathia was charged with five earned runs over 5.2 innings Saturday.

Given a second lead, Salazar appeared primed not to let this one get away. He retired the Yankees in order in the fourth and worked around a leadoff walk and his own throwing error in the fifth, stranding the tying run at second base.

The Tribe added a run in the fifth on Jose Ramirez's infield hit, stretching the lead to 5-3.

Salazar got two quick outs to start the sixth, but Chase Headley singled to center and Rob Refsnyder hit an infield single off the pitcher's glove.

Girardi sent Alex Rodriguez to hit for Aaron Hicks, his first at-bat since Tuesday. A-Rod drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases, driving Salazar from the game in the process.

Gardner then delivered a clutch hit, lining a bases-clearing triple into the left-field corner to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead.

Sabathia got the first two outs in the sixth, but Girardi didn't give his starter a chance to get out of the inning, starting his bullpen carousel by bringing in Betances for the final out of the inning.

Sabathia was charged with five runs on seven hits and two walks in the no-decision, finishing his first half with a 3.77 ERA.

Betances struck out Rajai Davis to end the sixth, but he found himself in a jam of his own in the seventh after putting runners at the corners with one out.

Betances struck out Santana for the second out, but Jose Ramirez hit an 0-2 pitch to right field for a single, scoring Jason Kipnis to square the game at 6-6.

Gregorius made a diving play up the middle and backhand throw on Juan Uribe's two-out grounder, preventing the go-ahead run from scoring.

Beltran nearly gave the Yankees the lead again in the ninth, drilling a ball off the top of the right-field wall. But instead of a go-ahead homer off closer Cody Allen, it was a leadoff single. McCann grounded into a double play four pitches later, ending any hope for a ninth-inning rally.

Andrew Miller, who had danced around a leadoff double in a scoreless eighth, put the first two men on in the ninth. He came back to get the next two Indians out before Chapman struck out Juan Uribe to move the game to extras.

 

 

 

 

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees hold on for 11-7 win over Indians to enter All-Star break at .500 

Jacoby Ellsbury broke the game open with a three-run home run in the second inning. 

CLEVELAND – For a few minutes on Sunday afternoon, it looked like the Yankees would have a stress-free path back to .500.

But as we all know, nothing has been easy for these Yankees.

A double-digit fifth-inning lead turned into a bit of a nail-biter for the Bombers, but Nathan Eovaldi ultimately settled things down to nail down an 11-7 win over the Indians.

After losing two of three in both San Diego and Chicago to start the road trip, the Yankees finished it 5-5, slugging their way back to the .500 mark.

By taking three of four from the first-place Tribe at Progressive Field this weekend, the Yankees head into the All-Star break with a 44-44 record, only the 17th time in 88 games this season they’ve been .500 or better. Their high-water mark remains two games over back on April 12 when they were 4-2.

“I think you could probably say in one word,” Joe Girardi said when asked to assess the first half. “Inconsistent.”

Masahiro Tanaka appeared to be well on his way to a solid start on regular rest Sunday, allowing one run over the first four innings. But he fell apart with a 10-run lead in the fifth, allowing six runs in the inning – two of them unearned thanks to Didi Gregorius’ throwing error – before being pulled with two out.

Eovaldi, banished to the bullpen last week, had been slated to be the Yankees’ closer Sunday with the “big three” unavailable. Girardi had to go to him much earlier than expected and the righthander responded with 4.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Rob Refsnyder slides safely into the third base in the fifth inning Sunday.

“It feels good coming in that situation the way I did and being able to finish the game,” Eovaldi said. “I was getting quick outs with my fastball.”

An error by Carlos Santana led to the Yankees’ first run in the second, then Jacoby Ellsbury thought he had drawn a walk to load the bases.

But home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus called the 3-1 pitch a strike to Ellsbury’s dismay, so he took out his frustrations on the next pitch, crushing Carrasco’s changeup over the wall in right-center, the three-run blast giving the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

“He was able to concentrate, focus and was able to get a good pitch to hit and hit it out of the ballpark,” Carlos Beltran said. “It was a big home run for us.”

Tanaka gave back a run in the bottom of the second, but he got Santana to ground out to first with the bases loaded to leave the bags juiced.

The Yankees added a run in the fourth as Chase Headley led off with a double, later scoring on a fielder’s choice. Carrasco didn’t make it through the inning, charged with five runs (only one earned thanks to Santana’s second-inning error) over 3.2 innings.

The six-run fifth appeared to put Cleveland away as manager Terry Francona needed to use four relievers just to get through the inning. Francisco Lindor’s errant throw to second base with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score, while the Yankees had six hits, two sac flies, a hit batter and a walk during the lopsided frame.

Masahiro Tanaka unraveled in the fifth inning despite having a 10-run lead.

“We felt like we put good at-bats against those guys,” Beltran said. “There’s no doubt that Cleveland has a great pitching staff and we were able to score runs against them.”

Tanaka came out for the fifth with a 10-run lead. Somehow, he failed to make it through the inning.

Four of the first five Indians batters had hits to start the fifth, though the Yankees still held an 11-3 lead. With two out and runners at second and third, Gregorius committed a throwing error to first, extending the inning and allowing two more runs to score.

With the lead whittling away at 11-5, Tanaka served up a two-run home run by Tyler Naquin, pulling Cleveland within four runs and sending the starter to the bench after 4.2 innings. He was charged with seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits and two walks, striking out five.

“I tried to go out there and just shut it down,” Tanaka said through his translator. “Obviously I wasn’t able to do that.”

Eovaldi got the final out to stop the bleeding, then allowed a hit and three walks over 4.1 scoreless innings to send the Yankees into the break on a high note, one Girardi believes was their best series win of the season.

“It’s a positive thing; we beat a very good team three out of four games,” Girardi said. “To end up 5-5 on the road trip where it starts off pretty poorly is good. Hopefully we can carry this momentum over to after the break.” 

 

[Yankee4Life]

Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Nova help bring Yankees back to .500 with 2-1 win over Orioles 

 

Alex Rodriguez sat in the batter’s box for several seconds, staring out at Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman after getting knocked down by a high-and-tight fastball in the sixth inning.

The purpose of that pitch typically was open for interpretation, but it at least had to feel good to know that A-Rod finally might have done something again warranting such treatment. Rodriguez homered for the first time in exactly one month to help propel the sell-or-don't-sell Yanks  back to the .500 mark again with their second straight victory, 2-1 over the East-leading Orioles on Monday night at the Stadium.

“Finally. It was a long time,” Rodriguez said after homering for the first time since June 18 in Minnesota. “It was more surprise. I haven’t hit a ball like that in a long time. It certainly felt good.”

Alex Rodriguez launches a mammoth home run which proves to be the difference in Monday's win over the Orioles.

 

For the second consecutive game, the Yanks also received six strong innings from their starting pitcher and the requisite shutdown efforts from the high-powered trio at the back of their bullpen. Ivan Nova (7-5) allowed just one run on four hits before All-Star setup men Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller and closer Aroldis Chapman – who had the crowd and his teammates buzzing by reaching 105 mph on the radar gun in the ninth, the fastest pitch in MLB this season — completed one scoreless inning apiece to even the Bombers’ record at 46-46 with 70 games to play. The Yanks had used the same formula — Masahiro Tanaka’s quality start and another nine outs from the same trio of relievers – to respond to Joe Girardi’s public plea to avoid a weekend sweep by Boston with a 3 - 1 victory one night earlier.

“Every game is so important right now, we definitely want to keep all the guys around and keep this team together,” Rodriguez said. “We feel like the best baseball is ahead of us, so we have to continue to play well.”

Carlos Beltran (3-for-4) had declared Sunday’s game “a must-win” and cautioned afterward that “this home stand is important overall for us, and I think it will dictate what the future holds for a lot of guys here” ahead of the Aug. 1 non-waivers trade deadline.

“We did talk about, you have to block out the noise, and you just have to go out and play, basically,” Girardi said. “What we’re in control of is wins and losses and how we perform. They’re aware of (the trade deadline). But I don’t want it to be their focus."

Rodriguez entered batting .198 against righthanders this season, prompting Girardi to limit his playing time against them earlier this month. He took early batting practice Monday with hitting coach Alan Cockrell, continuing drills aimed at correcting mechanical flaws in his swing that he termed “a humongous struggle for me all year.”

A-Rod staked Nova to a 1-0 lead by crushing Gausman’s 2-0 fastball into the left-field bleachers for his ninth homer this season and the 696th of his career.

Ivan Nova gives the Yankees six solid innings, allowing just one run.

The blast also marked Rodriguez’s third in his first 12 career at-bats against Gausman, who later whizzed a 98-mph fastball up and in to send the Yanks’ DH sprawling to the dirt before striking him out in the sixth. “I don’t know,” Rodriguez responded when asked if he believed it was a purpose pitch. “Boy, I’ll tell you – 99 coming right at your head is not a good feeling. But we’re on to tomorrow.”

Like Nathan Eovaldi, who will rejoin the rotation Tuesday following three scoreless appearances in the bullpen, Nova entered Monday’s start with an ERA above 5.00 for the season (now 4.92). The righty permitted little more than a leadoff blast by Jonathan Schoop in the third, the MLB-leading 142nd homer of the year for Buck Showalter’s first-place Orioles (53-38). “It took Nova about three innings really to find his command, and then he was really good after that,” Girardi said.

Andrew Miller and the rest of the Yankees bullpen does its job to help bring the team back to .500.

The Yanks had retaken a one-run lead in the previous inning on singles by Brett Gardner and Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Brian McCann for a 2-1 game.

“We need to win. Win tomorrow. That’s kind of the mindset,” McCann said. “We just need to come in and try to win the day. Try to keep going. It’s reality. It’s where we’re at. There’s a little over two months of baseball left. We’ve got to start winning.” 

[sabugo]

Ivan Nova pitched well. How often do we get to say that?!

[Yankee4Life]

 

Ivan Nova pitched well. How often do we get to say that?!

The next time will probably be at the end of next month.

 

[Yankee4Life]

This guy is proving to be an albatross for the Yankees until they get rid of him at the end of the season. Read on. It's just another reason for me to hate this guy.

 

Mark Teixeira shoots down trade possibility: ‘I’m staying put’

Mark Teixeira

The Yankees have made it clear Tyler Austin will continue to get a chance to prove himself at first base, but that doesn’t mean Mark Teixeira is going anywhere.

With the Marlins potentially in the market for a first baseman, Teixeira was asked if he would waive his no-trade clause to head south.

“No,” Teixeira told The Post. “You know [general manager Brian Cashman] and I have talked about it and it’s not something that I think would benefit me or the Yankees. So no, I’m staying put.”

Teixeira was back in the lineup Monday night against Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey after two days off as the Yankees used Austin while Teixeira rested his balky knee.

While the Yankees weren’t actively trying to move the first baseman, Cashman said the two talked briefly about the possibility and decided both sides would benefit from having Teixeira around the rest of the season — not only to contribute in whatever playoff push the Yankees might make, but also to play a part in providing leadership for the recently remade roster.

Teixeira has been ravaged by injuries the past few years and is one of the veteran players remaining from the trade-deadline purge that sent Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran packing — followed shortly by the release of Alex Rodriguez on Saturday.

“[Teixeira] has been swinging the bat better and his knee felt better,” manager Joe Girardi said. “A couple days off helped him and that’s something I know we’re gonna have to deal with the next 50 or so games, managing that knee.”

Aaron Hicks

With Brett Gardner out of the starting lineup again on Monday thanks to the ball he took off his ankle on Friday, Aaron Hicks got another start in left field.

“I think he’s swung the bat much, much better,” Girardi said. “He was asked to learn a different role than he’s ever been through. It couldn’t have been easy because every time he didn’t get a hit, he was probably over-evaluated [about] why he was playing and some other people weren’t playing.”

Girardi said he believed that took a toll on the struggling outfielder.

“He had to play with pressure because he heard the questions,’’ Girardi said. “He’s probably on Twitter. I’d recommend if you’re a player, you’re never on it. But circumstances have changed and he’s played better.”

But with Aaron Judge playing every day in right and Gardner soon to return, Hicks will likely soon return to his part-time job, so he’ll have to get used to not getting as many at-bats again.

---

The Yankees were still waiting Monday night on Nathan Eovaldi’s second opinion for his elbow injury. … Recently demoted Luis Severino is scheduled to start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

 

 

[Yankee4Life]

Aaron Judge, Chad Green help Yankees edge Blue Jays, 1-0 

Aaron Judge provides the lone run of the game with an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Aaron Judge has gotten plenty of attention the past three days, and with good reason.

But Chad Green reminded everybody that the Yankees' youth movement is about more than the hulking slugger.

Green pitched six brilliant innings Monday night against the first-place Blue Jays, leading the Yankees to a 1-0 win over Toronto to continue the team's recent hot streak.

Green gave up only two hits, didn't issue a walk and struck out 11 batters, becoming only the second rookie in franchise history to record 11 or more Ks in a game while allowing no runs or walks.

The Yankees' lone run came, naturally, from Judge, as the rookie laced an RBI double against R.A. Dickey in the fourth, part of a 2-for-3 night. Judge is 5-for-10 (.500) with two homers and three RBI in his first three games.

"I just try to go up there and do a job; be a consistent part of this lineup and just make contact," Judge said before the game. "If I can just stick to my approach and just try to get the barrel on the ball, good things will happen."

The win - the Yankees' fifth in the past six games - left Joe Girardi and his club 4.5 games behind the Red Sox for the second AL wild card spot. It also moved the Bombers within 5.5 games of the first-place Jays, giving something bigger to think about over these final seven weeks.

Chad Green tosses six shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 11.

  Green had not fared particularly well as a starter this season, posting a 1-2 record and 7.50 ERA in his four starts with the Yankees while allowing eight homers in only 18 innings.

His work as a reliever had been stellar, however, throwing 9.1 scoreless innings over four appearances. At least that's how it looked on the surface, but Girardi said Monday the team hadn't seen the fastball command they saw in his July 3 start against the Padres, even during his scoreless relief work.

"His key is going to be his command," Girardi said before the game. "His command of his cutter, the command of his fastball and his breaking ball. If he has those, he's going to do fine."

Green certainly looked fine in the early innings on Monday, retiring the first-place Blue Jays in order in each of the first three innings.

Having seen the entire lineup once, Green went back to work in the fourth, handling the top of the batting order with ease as he extended his streak to 12 straight outs to start the game.

Dickey had kept the Yankees off the board to that point, though it had been a little more of a struggle. The Yankees put the first two men on base in both the first and second, but the ex-Met clamped down both times, getting the next three outs to keep the game scoreless.

A pair of one-out walks by Brian McCann and Gary Sanchez had Dickey in trouble again in the fourth. This time, Judge made him pay, lashing a double into the right-center field gap to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Dickey came back and struck out Aaron Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury to limit the damage, keeping the pressure on the rookie Green.

Green fanned Michael Saunders to start the fifth, but Troy Tulowitzki broke up the no-hitter with a single to left, then Darrell Cecilliani doubled to right field, putting the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second.

The rookie didn't buckle under the pressure, striking out Justin Smoak with a slider before freezing Melvin Upton Jr. with a 94 mph two-seamer, stranding the runners.

Green went on to strike out the side in the sixth, giving him five straight strikeouts and 11 overall in his six innings.

Dickey departed after five innings of one-run ball, but the Yankees threatened to break the game open in the sixth against Joe Biagini, who loaded the bases with one out. Ellsbury hit one back to the mound for an easy force play at the plate, then Chase Headley swung through a 95 mph heater to end the rally with the score still 1-0.

Green's night was finished after six innings and 104 pitches, but Tyler Clippard breezed through the seventh and Adam Warren pitched a scoreless eighth, setting up Dellin Betances for his fifth save.

[Yankee4Life]

The minor league mantra that kickstarted Yankees youth movement

Gary Sanchez

This is not just about drafting and developing talent, it’s about developing a winning mindset, and that is what sticks out most about these Baby Bombers in their first days on the job.

Results, not a player’s résumé, now matter to the Yankees.

Keep the youth movement going, don’t stop here because besides talent, these Young Yanks have a winning pedigree.

This is a blank canvas for Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi, with so many veterans sent away, including Alex Rodriguez.

The energy level is raised and the first-place team looked like the fourth-place team Monday night at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees came away with a 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays.

Young starter Chad Green was magnificent, striking out 11 over six shutout innings to get the win. Green is 25. Right fielder Aaron Judge, all of 24, had another big night and is the first player in Yankees history to record an extra-base hit in each of his first three career games. Catcher Gary Sanchez, 23, also picked up two hits and was on base three times.

Judge saved the Yankees from a runners-in-scoring-position nightmare as his double in the fourth drove in the only run of the game. The Yankees were 2-for-18 with RISP, leaving 14 men on base.

Here is the key: The Yankees stayed together and won the game, their fifth in six games. Winning is something that has been the calling card of these young players since they entered the organization.

This is part of their DNA. This is more than just talent. Listen to Judge.

“Ever since I was drafted, and a lot of these guys have been drafted, and picked up, that’s the first thing they just kind of inbred in you, that we’re a winning organization and we are going to go out there and win,’’ Judge told The Post.

“It doesn’t matter about your stats, your friend’s stats,’’ Judge said, “whether you struck out your last at-bat or if you got a home run, it’s about winning the ballgame no matter what. So that’s what we’ve kind of all been doing the last couple of years in the minor leagues, winning together, getting ready for this opportunity.’’

You have to have that winning mentality from within your organization. That commitment to winning must come from within where the players are all in for each other. You could see that every time Sanchez marched to the mound to talk to Green and help pull him through.

“This is what I saw in AAA,’’ Sanchez said through an interpreter of Green’s magnificent performance. “It’s about winning.’’

The Yankees are letting the youngsters run.

“I think that they understand that we believe in them, and we have to show them that,’’ Girardi said. “That doesn’t mean that a young man is not going to go down [to the minors], but we really believe in these guys.’’

Part of it is also having success rewarded.

Girardi said Didi Gregorius, who is only 26, and moved up to third in the order, has “earned the right to come up in the lineup and you gotta see how he does. Didi is a young player, too, and we are trying to give him more and more. We loved what we have seen from him.’’

Is Girardi managing from a point of view of results and not just résumé now?

“Yeah, you’ll go over a period of time,’’ Girardi said. “Didi has been doing this for four months now, really you can say seven, eight months. Now you look at it. When you have résumés, you expect they are going to follow those résumés, but sometimes time dictates that where they don’t and you have to make adjustments.’’

The energy is different around the Yankees, too.

“There’s a little more energy,’’ Girardi admitted. “That happens when you have young players.”

And when you have young players with a common commitment to winning, that makes a difference, too.

 

[Yankee4Life]

Gary Sanchez

Masahiro Tanaka

 

[Yankee4Life]

Jacoby Ellsbury

Jacoby Ellsbury

Aaron Judge

C.C. Sabathia

Luis Severino

Chase Headley

Gary Sanchez