It was a 4-2 start to the homestand for New York took two of three from the inferior teams on the west coast. Unfortunately, the Yanks couldn't sweep the Mariners and hand them their 18th consecutive loss. Seattle, who was at .500 before their streak started, is now 14.5 games back of Texas. Let's break down the games.
vs. Athletics (Friday, July 22nd; Cahill vs. Hughes) Yankees Win 17-7
Offense: A+ Umm...is an explanation even necessary? Between 17 hits, 10 walks, going 9-17 w/RISP and hitting 2 home runs, New York broke out of their offensive slumber.
Starting Pitching: C- It was 100 degrees at game time so both starting pitchers didn't have ideal conditions for pitching. Fortunately for Hughes, he got more than enough run support because he allowed 7 runs in 4.1 innings. He also didn't pick up the win since he didn't make it through the 5th.
Bullpen: A+ What a surprise, another outstanding bullpen outing. Noesi went 3.2 and Ayala went 1...all scoreless.
vs. Athletics (Saturday, July 23rd; Harden vs. Burnett) Athletics Win 4-3
Offense: C+ Despite 9 hits and 7 walks the Yanks could only put 3 runs on the board due to going 2-11 w/RISP.
Starting Pitching: B Burnett was serviceable, going 5.2 with 3 runs allowed. It's a shame that Burnett was saddled with the loss because Logan was technically the pitcher who allowed the go ahead run .
Bullpen: C Not an awful performance but Logan couldn't hold the A's at 3 runs.
vs. Athletics (Sunday, July 24th; Gonzalez vs. Colon) Yankees Win 7-5
Offense: A A solid performance with nice contributions from the bottom of the line up. Martin, Jones, and Nunez had 2 hits each and Jeter had 2 walks. New York was 4-10 w/RISP.
Starting Pitching: A Bartolo Colon found his great stuff again lasting 7 innings and throwing just 99 pitches while allowing 2 runs on 8 hits.
Bullpen: D+ Robertson and Rivera both had uncharacteristically poor outings. Houdini couldn't escape his jam in the 8th, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Mo came in to relieve Robertson and ended up giving up 4 hits and 1 run in 1.1 innings of work. Luckily the Yanks had a comfortable lead.
vs. Mariners (Monday, July 25th; Vargas vs. Garcia) Yankees Win 10-3
Offense: A The top of the line up generated 5 hits and 8 of the 10 RBI. Tex and Jeter both contributed with home runs.
Starting Pitching: A- Garcia had another great outing. He lasted 7.2 innings while giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. He improved his record to 9-7.
Bullpen: A+ Only 1.1 innings pitched but Logan and Garrison were perfect.
vs. Mariners (Tuesday, July 26th; ) Yankees Win 4-1
Offense: B A decent outing by the offense. A home run by Grandy and Tex. Chavez had a key RBI single...good to see him back. He should be quite valuable down the stretch.
Starting Pitching: A+ Considering CC nearly was perfect, this grade is well-deserved. His best outing of the season. The only run he allowed came after the 2nd rain delay when he walked the bases loaded. Sabathia had a career high 14 Ks and no walks until the 7th.
Bullpen: A+ Robertson yet again was Houdini-like in the 8th, allowing just 1 run after inheriting a bases loaded, no one out, jam. Mo nailed down his 26th save.
vs. Mariners (Wednesday, July 27th; ) Mariners Win 9-2
Offense: D+ Having 6 hits and 4 walks but only scoring 1 run is not a good day. Especially when you go 1-10 w/RISP.
Starting Pitching: B+ Hughes deserved a better fate. He only allowed 2 runs over 6 innings...his best start of the season.
Bullpen: D+ In fairness to the bullpen, 4 of the 6 runs were unearned but Logan and Wade didn't have great outings. Ayala provided decent relief to end the game.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Yanks Split Rays Series but Bats Fall Silent at Trop
@ Rays (Monday, July 18th; Burnett vs. Cobb) Yankees Win 5-4
Offense: B- Despite the victory, the New York offense was asleep throughout most of the game and only one it due to Tampa's ineffective bullpen pitching which had been taxed the previous night in the 16 inning loss to Boston. New York finished 3-15 w/RISP and left 7 men on base with 2 outs. They did however walk 9 times which saves them from getting a lower grade. The Yanks were lucky to win this one.
Starting Pitching: C+ It didn't start out well, but Burnett's outing improved after the 3 run 1st inning. He allowed just one more run in 5.1 innings. He struggled all night though, issuing 6 walks. He kept the team in the game but more is expected of AJ.
Bullpen: A+ Noesi gave up the only base runners in a total of 3.2 innings by the bullpen in what was another masterful performance. Robertson and Mo nailed down the last two innings.
@ Rays (Tuesday, July 19th; Colon vs. Hellickson) Rays Win 3-2
Offense: C- New York wasn't presented with many opportunities due to an outstanding performance by Rays starter Hellickson. The only runs came on a 2-run shot by Cano in the 3rd inning. This looked like it would hold up to give the Yanks the win but it didn't turn out to be.
Starting Pitching: B+ Colon deserved a better fate who pitched exceptionally well through 6 innings. In the 7th, Colon got Upton to strike out, then induced a ground ball to Jeter in the hole. He unfortunately couldn't throw out Chirinos. Sean Rodriquez then had a hard single. Boone Logan relieved Colon and would have had the second out of the inning if Curtis Granderson hadn't lost the fly ball by Ruggiano in the lights. A fielding error later, the Rays had tied the score and went ahead of Damon's sac fly. Bad luck and a loss for Bartolo.
Bullpen: A- The relief pitching gets an A- because although Logan technically allowed the winning runs, he was not helped by his defense.
@ Rays (Wednesday, July 20th; Garcia vs. Price) Yankees Win 4-0
Offense: B Despite doing nothing offensively in innings 2-8, the Yanks book ended the game with 2 runs in the 1st and 9th. Granderson got the scoring going with a 2-run HR against Price and Nunez had the other 2 RBI in the 9th. Swisher contributed with 2 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Garcia tossed his best performance of the year. He struck out 7 and walked none in 6.2 while only throwing 92 pitches.
Bullpen: A+ Boone Logan continued his rebirth, striking out the only batter he faced. Mo and Houdini (Robertson) struck out 2 batters each in the 8th and 9th.
@ Rays (Thursday, July 21st; Sabathia vs. Shields) Rays Win 2-1
Offense: D Nothing to write home about in this game offensively. James Shields kept the Yanks off the board through 7 innings and only allowed a run in the 8th on a RBI by Cano.
Starting Pitching: A- CC deserved better in an outstanding outing. He allowed 2 runs in a complete game but did walk 4 batters. The offense couldn't bail him out.
Bullpen: NA
Offense: B- Despite the victory, the New York offense was asleep throughout most of the game and only one it due to Tampa's ineffective bullpen pitching which had been taxed the previous night in the 16 inning loss to Boston. New York finished 3-15 w/RISP and left 7 men on base with 2 outs. They did however walk 9 times which saves them from getting a lower grade. The Yanks were lucky to win this one.
Starting Pitching: C+ It didn't start out well, but Burnett's outing improved after the 3 run 1st inning. He allowed just one more run in 5.1 innings. He struggled all night though, issuing 6 walks. He kept the team in the game but more is expected of AJ.
Bullpen: A+ Noesi gave up the only base runners in a total of 3.2 innings by the bullpen in what was another masterful performance. Robertson and Mo nailed down the last two innings.
@ Rays (Tuesday, July 19th; Colon vs. Hellickson) Rays Win 3-2
Offense: C- New York wasn't presented with many opportunities due to an outstanding performance by Rays starter Hellickson. The only runs came on a 2-run shot by Cano in the 3rd inning. This looked like it would hold up to give the Yanks the win but it didn't turn out to be.
Starting Pitching: B+ Colon deserved a better fate who pitched exceptionally well through 6 innings. In the 7th, Colon got Upton to strike out, then induced a ground ball to Jeter in the hole. He unfortunately couldn't throw out Chirinos. Sean Rodriquez then had a hard single. Boone Logan relieved Colon and would have had the second out of the inning if Curtis Granderson hadn't lost the fly ball by Ruggiano in the lights. A fielding error later, the Rays had tied the score and went ahead of Damon's sac fly. Bad luck and a loss for Bartolo.
Bullpen: A- The relief pitching gets an A- because although Logan technically allowed the winning runs, he was not helped by his defense.
@ Rays (Wednesday, July 20th; Garcia vs. Price) Yankees Win 4-0
Offense: B Despite doing nothing offensively in innings 2-8, the Yanks book ended the game with 2 runs in the 1st and 9th. Granderson got the scoring going with a 2-run HR against Price and Nunez had the other 2 RBI in the 9th. Swisher contributed with 2 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Garcia tossed his best performance of the year. He struck out 7 and walked none in 6.2 while only throwing 92 pitches.
Bullpen: A+ Boone Logan continued his rebirth, striking out the only batter he faced. Mo and Houdini (Robertson) struck out 2 batters each in the 8th and 9th.
@ Rays (Thursday, July 21st; Sabathia vs. Shields) Rays Win 2-1
Offense: D Nothing to write home about in this game offensively. James Shields kept the Yanks off the board through 7 innings and only allowed a run in the 8th on a RBI by Cano.
Starting Pitching: A- CC deserved better in an outstanding outing. He allowed 2 runs in a complete game but did walk 4 batters. The offense couldn't bail him out.
Bullpen: NA
Monday, July 18, 2011
Upcoming Posts
By the end of the week I hope to have a Yankees mid season report online as well as a June summary. In addition, I'll have the Rays series grades up by the weekend.
Thanks again for bearing with the lateness of my posts. With any luck I'll be able to pick up the frequency soon.
Thanks again for bearing with the lateness of my posts. With any luck I'll be able to pick up the frequency soon.
Rays and Jays Grades (July 7-July 17)
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been busy starting a full time job at AccuWeather. Therefore, I should probably be posting more about the weather...but it's always nice to take a break from the daily grind and talk sports. So here are the grades for the Rays series before the All Star break and the Jays series that just ended.
vs. Rays (Thursday, July 7th; Niemann vs. Colon) Rays Win 5-1
Offense: D+ Going 0-8 w/RISP and leaving 9 on base won't win many games and the Yanks managed only 6 hits and 3 walks.
Starting Pitching: C- A poor outing from Colon who gave up 5 runs in 5.2 innings, giving up 10 hits and 4 walks! It wasn't pretty and it looks like Colon may be favoring his hamstring since returning from the injury.
Bullpen: A Noesi did the job and was the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable game for New York.
vs. Rays (Saturday, July 8th; Price vs. Burnett) Yankees Win 5-4
Offense: B+ A solid performance by New York who made Derek Jeter's historic day that much sweeter with a win. Jeter went a phenomenal 5-5 and the Yanks amassed 10 hits and 5 walks while going 3-10 w/RISP
Starting Pitching: B Can't complain about Burnett's start other than the lack of length. He went 5.2 IP and allowed only 3 hits but 3 runs. If he had steered away from the long ball, Burnett's line would have been brilliant.
Bullpen: A- Another great performance with the exception of Robertson who allowed 2 hits and a run in the 8th and almost allowed the game to slip away. Mo nailed down his 22nd save.
vs. Rays (Sunday, July 9th; Shields vs. Sabathia) Yankees Win 1-0
Offense: D Due to the nature of the grading system, the grade for 1 run on 4 hits must be low but we must give credit to both starting pitchers who were phenomenal. The only run of the game was unearned on an error by Shields.
Starting Pitching: A+ Can't get much better than a complete game with 4 hits and no runs.
Bullpen: NA
@ Blue Jays (Thursday, July 14th; Colon vs. Reyes) Blue Jays Win 16-7
Offense: A- It was a good day for the offense, amassing 14 hits and 7 runs.
Starting Pitching: D- The only reason Colon does not get an F is because he 5 of the 8 runs he gave up were unearned. Yes he couldn't get out of the first inning but 2 infield singles and an error led to an awful frame. Nevertheless, another poor outing from Colon following a return from injury has to be concerning.
Bullpen: F The Yankees couldn't contain the damage with the bullpen which gave up 8 more runs, 4 by Mitre, who for some reason continues to pitch at the big league level...although only two were earned.
@ Blue Jays (Friday, July 15th; Garcia vs. Morrow) Blue Jays Win 7-1
Offense: D+ Nunez provided the lone RBI and the top of the order went hitless.
Starting Pitching: C- Another poor starting pitching performance from a New York pitcher. Garcia did make it through the 5th but couldn't keep the Jays' bats at bay. Toronto scored 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks off of Garcia.
Bullpen: A- 3 innings worked by the 'pen, allowing 4 hits but only 1 run. Wade struck out 4 in 2 innings of work. He continues to be a dominant force out of the bullpen with a 1.54 ERA.
@ Blue Jays (Saturday, July 16th; Sabathia vs. Romero) Yankees Win 4-1
Offense: B Despite banging out 10 hits, the Yanks went 2-14 w/RISP and left 6 runs in scoring position with 2 outs. Jeter had 2 hits and an RBI while Gardner had 3 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Sabathia gave the lately beleaguered Yanks pitching staff exactly what they needed. 8 innings of 1 run baseball and 8 strikeouts lifted CC to his 14th win of the season and further lowered his ERA to 2.64
Bullpen: A- Mo allowed 2 hits and made it interesting in the 9th but picked up his 23rd save.
@ Blue Jays (Sunday, July 17th; ) Yankees Win 7-2
Offense: A+ A well balanced Yankee attack allowed New York to split the 4 game series with Toronto. Everyone but Posada had a hit and the team went 5-8 w/RISP, scoring 7 times on 11 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Hughes had a productive outing in his second start back from the DL. Tossing 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 5 on an economical 80 pitches. Hughes could have gone longer but the heat and recent return from the DL prevented that.
Bullpen: A+ 3 perfect innings from the bullpen. Logan struck out the side in the 9th.
vs. Rays (Thursday, July 7th; Niemann vs. Colon) Rays Win 5-1
Offense: D+ Going 0-8 w/RISP and leaving 9 on base won't win many games and the Yanks managed only 6 hits and 3 walks.
Starting Pitching: C- A poor outing from Colon who gave up 5 runs in 5.2 innings, giving up 10 hits and 4 walks! It wasn't pretty and it looks like Colon may be favoring his hamstring since returning from the injury.
Bullpen: A Noesi did the job and was the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable game for New York.
vs. Rays (Saturday, July 8th; Price vs. Burnett) Yankees Win 5-4
Offense: B+ A solid performance by New York who made Derek Jeter's historic day that much sweeter with a win. Jeter went a phenomenal 5-5 and the Yanks amassed 10 hits and 5 walks while going 3-10 w/RISP
Starting Pitching: B Can't complain about Burnett's start other than the lack of length. He went 5.2 IP and allowed only 3 hits but 3 runs. If he had steered away from the long ball, Burnett's line would have been brilliant.
Bullpen: A- Another great performance with the exception of Robertson who allowed 2 hits and a run in the 8th and almost allowed the game to slip away. Mo nailed down his 22nd save.
vs. Rays (Sunday, July 9th; Shields vs. Sabathia) Yankees Win 1-0
Offense: D Due to the nature of the grading system, the grade for 1 run on 4 hits must be low but we must give credit to both starting pitchers who were phenomenal. The only run of the game was unearned on an error by Shields.
Starting Pitching: A+ Can't get much better than a complete game with 4 hits and no runs.
Bullpen: NA
@ Blue Jays (Thursday, July 14th; Colon vs. Reyes) Blue Jays Win 16-7
Offense: A- It was a good day for the offense, amassing 14 hits and 7 runs.
Starting Pitching: D- The only reason Colon does not get an F is because he 5 of the 8 runs he gave up were unearned. Yes he couldn't get out of the first inning but 2 infield singles and an error led to an awful frame. Nevertheless, another poor outing from Colon following a return from injury has to be concerning.
Bullpen: F The Yankees couldn't contain the damage with the bullpen which gave up 8 more runs, 4 by Mitre, who for some reason continues to pitch at the big league level...although only two were earned.
@ Blue Jays (Friday, July 15th; Garcia vs. Morrow) Blue Jays Win 7-1
Offense: D+ Nunez provided the lone RBI and the top of the order went hitless.
Starting Pitching: C- Another poor starting pitching performance from a New York pitcher. Garcia did make it through the 5th but couldn't keep the Jays' bats at bay. Toronto scored 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks off of Garcia.
Bullpen: A- 3 innings worked by the 'pen, allowing 4 hits but only 1 run. Wade struck out 4 in 2 innings of work. He continues to be a dominant force out of the bullpen with a 1.54 ERA.
@ Blue Jays (Saturday, July 16th; Sabathia vs. Romero) Yankees Win 4-1
Offense: B Despite banging out 10 hits, the Yanks went 2-14 w/RISP and left 6 runs in scoring position with 2 outs. Jeter had 2 hits and an RBI while Gardner had 3 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Sabathia gave the lately beleaguered Yanks pitching staff exactly what they needed. 8 innings of 1 run baseball and 8 strikeouts lifted CC to his 14th win of the season and further lowered his ERA to 2.64
Bullpen: A- Mo allowed 2 hits and made it interesting in the 9th but picked up his 23rd save.
@ Blue Jays (Sunday, July 17th; ) Yankees Win 7-2
Offense: A+ A well balanced Yankee attack allowed New York to split the 4 game series with Toronto. Everyone but Posada had a hit and the team went 5-8 w/RISP, scoring 7 times on 11 hits.
Starting Pitching: A Hughes had a productive outing in his second start back from the DL. Tossing 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 5 on an economical 80 pitches. Hughes could have gone longer but the heat and recent return from the DL prevented that.
Bullpen: A+ 3 perfect innings from the bullpen. Logan struck out the side in the 9th.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit: A Moment Bigger Than Baseball
I unfortunately do not remember in what year I started following the New York Yankees religiously but it was probably around 10 years ago. This is not say that I didn't watch games before then because I do vaguely remember the teams of Brosious, Martinez, O'Neill, Cone, Wells, and El Duque. "Back in the day" when I was just a wee-lad, an awkward, lanky, nerdy middle schooler, I loved the Yankees and remember watching games upstairs in our spare bedroom because my brother would have nothing to do with baseball (there is a story there for another time). As a kid, I would watch the fervor, integrity, and reverence, with which Derek Jeter played the game. At that age, I don't think I fully grasped how important Jeter is to America's greatest pasttime but I know that in the 10 years since then, I have come to learn the pivotal role Derek plays in the lives of young little leaguers as well as teammates making more money than he is.
Earlier this afternoon, Derek Jeter added to his Yankee legacy and baseball immortality when he connected on a 3-2 pitch from David Price, launching the ball into the left field seats for his 3rd HR on the season, and obviously more important, his 3,000th career hit, the first Yankee to ever accomplish the feat. Of course personal milestones are never in the forefront for Derek, the consummate team player and the 5-4 win against the Rays was more important he'll say but this day will be remembered for him, not the team.
After a 3 minute ovation from his teammates, the crowd, and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter had cemented his ticked to the Hall of Fame as one of the most likeable players in sports who seems to be able to do no wrong despite the fact he plays for the "Evil Empire." Even Boston Red Sox fans should applaud Derek for his accomplishment and the way he went about his business everyday.
You couldn't have written a better script for Derek on this summer Saturday in the Bronx with the exception of a game winning 3,000th hit. His home run in the 3rd inning tied the game and Derek ended the afternoon going 5-5 in a game where he could do no wrong and all his hit balls found holes.
The 48,103 people who watched today's game at the Stadium witnessed one of the most memorable moments in Yankee history. Many of the fans today at the game today are probably just like I was 10 or 12 years ago, an awkward, lanky, nerdy kid who loves baseball. Hopefully they recognize the significance of this historic day and instill the same admirable traits that Jeter portrays on their kids some day as I know I will.
Derek Jeter's 3000th hit is more than a personal milestone and an historic baseball moment. It is a moment where we recognize a role model for all the good he has done for the game of baseball and for the world.
Earlier this afternoon, Derek Jeter added to his Yankee legacy and baseball immortality when he connected on a 3-2 pitch from David Price, launching the ball into the left field seats for his 3rd HR on the season, and obviously more important, his 3,000th career hit, the first Yankee to ever accomplish the feat. Of course personal milestones are never in the forefront for Derek, the consummate team player and the 5-4 win against the Rays was more important he'll say but this day will be remembered for him, not the team.
After a 3 minute ovation from his teammates, the crowd, and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter had cemented his ticked to the Hall of Fame as one of the most likeable players in sports who seems to be able to do no wrong despite the fact he plays for the "Evil Empire." Even Boston Red Sox fans should applaud Derek for his accomplishment and the way he went about his business everyday.
You couldn't have written a better script for Derek on this summer Saturday in the Bronx with the exception of a game winning 3,000th hit. His home run in the 3rd inning tied the game and Derek ended the afternoon going 5-5 in a game where he could do no wrong and all his hit balls found holes.
The 48,103 people who watched today's game at the Stadium witnessed one of the most memorable moments in Yankee history. Many of the fans today at the game today are probably just like I was 10 or 12 years ago, an awkward, lanky, nerdy kid who loves baseball. Hopefully they recognize the significance of this historic day and instill the same admirable traits that Jeter portrays on their kids some day as I know I will.
Derek Jeter's 3000th hit is more than a personal milestone and an historic baseball moment. It is a moment where we recognize a role model for all the good he has done for the game of baseball and for the world.
Yanks Falter In Cleveland
For the first time in 8 series, the Yanks lost a set of 3. The Indians took two of three from New York in Cleveland earlier this week with consistent pitching and a lack of timely hitting from the Yanks. Derek Jeter inched closer to hit number 3,000 but that milestone would have to wait until Saturday.
@ Indians (Monday, July 4; Burnett vs. Tomlin) Indians Win 6-3
Offense: C The Yanks were no hit for 6+ innings by Tomlin who improved to 10-4 (3.78). New York could only muster 4 hits all night and 1 walk. Granderson had a 2 run HR and Swisher continued his recent surge with 2 RBI.
Starting Pitching: B Burnett gave the Yanks length and went frame-for-frame with Tomlin before unraveling in the 7th after a series of miscues by the Yanks including a mis judged pop-up that would have ended the inning. 4 runs later, Burnett was on the losing side of the score, dropping to 8-7. He still continues to pitch better than last year though.
Bullpen: D Wade didn't help matters, giving up 2 runs in the 8th inning and shutting the door on the Yanks' chances.
@ Indians (Tuesday, July 5; Sabathia vs. Carrasco) Yankees Win 9-2
Offense: A+ 17 hits, 3 walks, 4-13 w/RISP, one HR by Grandy, and RBI from 6 players made it a successful offensive evening. Jeter climbed closer to 3,000 with 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Starting Pitching: A CC was superb again (despite an All Star snub) lasting 7 innings and striking out 11 while allowing no runs and just 5 hits.
Bullpen: C- Lance Pendleton allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work but it was empty relief due to the Yanks 9-0 lead when he entered.
@ Indians (Wednesday, July 6; Hughes vs. Masterson) Indians Win 5-3
Offense: D+ It was a dull day for the New York offense which could not get anything going against starting pitching Justin Masterson who was masterful through 8 innings, yielding just 3 hits and 2 walks. New York was able to scratch three runs off of Cleveland relief in the 9th inning but couldn't complete the comeback. The 2 runs allowed by Sergio Mitre in the 8th inning clearly loomed very large.
Starting Pitching: C+ Phil Hughes made a successful comeback from the DL, throwing 87 pitches in 5 innings. He did allow two runs in the first inning but seemed to settle into a rhythm moving forward. A good start for Phil who, if nothing else, dropped his ERA to 10.57. The single digits still elude him however.
Bullpen: D+ Not much good can be said about the bullpen on this night as Ayala, Logan, and Mitre combined to toss 3 innings of 3 run baseball. Sergio Mitre had his usual struggles and allowed two key runs in the 8th inning to make the score 5-0. The Yanks scored 3 runs in the 9th and would have had a tie game if it wasn't for Mitre's poor showing.
@ Indians (Monday, July 4; Burnett vs. Tomlin) Indians Win 6-3
Offense: C The Yanks were no hit for 6+ innings by Tomlin who improved to 10-4 (3.78). New York could only muster 4 hits all night and 1 walk. Granderson had a 2 run HR and Swisher continued his recent surge with 2 RBI.
Starting Pitching: B Burnett gave the Yanks length and went frame-for-frame with Tomlin before unraveling in the 7th after a series of miscues by the Yanks including a mis judged pop-up that would have ended the inning. 4 runs later, Burnett was on the losing side of the score, dropping to 8-7. He still continues to pitch better than last year though.
Bullpen: D Wade didn't help matters, giving up 2 runs in the 8th inning and shutting the door on the Yanks' chances.
@ Indians (Tuesday, July 5; Sabathia vs. Carrasco) Yankees Win 9-2
Offense: A+ 17 hits, 3 walks, 4-13 w/RISP, one HR by Grandy, and RBI from 6 players made it a successful offensive evening. Jeter climbed closer to 3,000 with 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Starting Pitching: A CC was superb again (despite an All Star snub) lasting 7 innings and striking out 11 while allowing no runs and just 5 hits.
Bullpen: C- Lance Pendleton allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work but it was empty relief due to the Yanks 9-0 lead when he entered.
@ Indians (Wednesday, July 6; Hughes vs. Masterson) Indians Win 5-3
Offense: D+ It was a dull day for the New York offense which could not get anything going against starting pitching Justin Masterson who was masterful through 8 innings, yielding just 3 hits and 2 walks. New York was able to scratch three runs off of Cleveland relief in the 9th inning but couldn't complete the comeback. The 2 runs allowed by Sergio Mitre in the 8th inning clearly loomed very large.
Starting Pitching: C+ Phil Hughes made a successful comeback from the DL, throwing 87 pitches in 5 innings. He did allow two runs in the first inning but seemed to settle into a rhythm moving forward. A good start for Phil who, if nothing else, dropped his ERA to 10.57. The single digits still elude him however.
Bullpen: D+ Not much good can be said about the bullpen on this night as Ayala, Logan, and Mitre combined to toss 3 innings of 3 run baseball. Sergio Mitre had his usual struggles and allowed two key runs in the 8th inning to make the score 5-0. The Yanks scored 3 runs in the 9th and would have had a tie game if it wasn't for Mitre's poor showing.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
June Yanks Summary Upcoming
The Yanks had a great month of June and I will recap it by the end of the weekend with any luck. I'm in the process of moving back out to State College, PA to begin my full-time job with AccuWeather so I'll be busy but will hopefully find some time to blog about the month of June.
Yanks Meet the Mets (and take 2 of 3)
@ Mets (Friday, July 1st; Nova vs. Neise) Yankees Win 5-1
Offense: B+ 11 hits and 5 runs for New York, led by 2 RBIs from Tex. The middle of the line up had 5 hits and all 5 RBIs.
Starting Pitching: B Nova pitched only 5 innings because of offensive purposed due to a pinch hitter. In those 5 innings, he gave up 1 run on 7 hits. He didn't have his great stuff, but persisted and limited the damage.
Bullpen: A It was a piece-meal job to say the least with 6 relievers for the last 4 innings but no runs were allowed by the pen and only 3 hits.
@ Mets (Saturday, July 2nd; Colon vs. Gee) Yankees Win 5-2
Offense: B Another 5 run outing from the offense with home runs by Grandy and Nunez who went 3-4 but tweaked a hamstring.
Starting Pitching: A- Colon looked sharp in his return from the DL, tossing 6 shut out innings, allowing 5 hits, walking none and striking out 6.
Bullpen: B- Wade gave up 2 hits and Mitre, newly acquired from the Brewers gave up the only two runs of the game for the Mets in the 9th.
@ Mets (Sunday, July 3rd; Garcia vs. Dickey) Mets Win 3-2
Offense: C+ Despite 8 hits and 4 walks, the Yanks went 1-8 w/RISP and left 6 men on base with 2 outs and 11 total.
Starting Pitching: A- Garcia once again pitched well enough to win but failed to gain any run support. He allowed just one run over 7 innings. Freddie continues to pitch consistently and unfortunately doesn't have the record to show for it.
Bullpen: B- It was not a pretty day for the bullpen starting with Mariano who blew the save. Despite the blown save, and later blown game by Hector Noesi, it is important to look at HOW the runs scored and developed. The blown save by Mo was started by a walk and then a bloop single and a grounder. Noesi blew the game by allowing a single to Bay in the 10th inning but wasn't helped by Pena who made an error earlier in the inning.
Offense: B+ 11 hits and 5 runs for New York, led by 2 RBIs from Tex. The middle of the line up had 5 hits and all 5 RBIs.
Starting Pitching: B Nova pitched only 5 innings because of offensive purposed due to a pinch hitter. In those 5 innings, he gave up 1 run on 7 hits. He didn't have his great stuff, but persisted and limited the damage.
Bullpen: A It was a piece-meal job to say the least with 6 relievers for the last 4 innings but no runs were allowed by the pen and only 3 hits.
@ Mets (Saturday, July 2nd; Colon vs. Gee) Yankees Win 5-2
Offense: B Another 5 run outing from the offense with home runs by Grandy and Nunez who went 3-4 but tweaked a hamstring.
Starting Pitching: A- Colon looked sharp in his return from the DL, tossing 6 shut out innings, allowing 5 hits, walking none and striking out 6.
Bullpen: B- Wade gave up 2 hits and Mitre, newly acquired from the Brewers gave up the only two runs of the game for the Mets in the 9th.
@ Mets (Sunday, July 3rd; Garcia vs. Dickey) Mets Win 3-2
Offense: C+ Despite 8 hits and 4 walks, the Yanks went 1-8 w/RISP and left 6 men on base with 2 outs and 11 total.
Starting Pitching: A- Garcia once again pitched well enough to win but failed to gain any run support. He allowed just one run over 7 innings. Freddie continues to pitch consistently and unfortunately doesn't have the record to show for it.
Bullpen: B- It was not a pretty day for the bullpen starting with Mariano who blew the save. Despite the blown save, and later blown game by Hector Noesi, it is important to look at HOW the runs scored and developed. The blown save by Mo was started by a walk and then a bloop single and a grounder. Noesi blew the game by allowing a single to Bay in the 10th inning but wasn't helped by Pena who made an error earlier in the inning.
Friday, July 1, 2011
New York Dismantles Inferior Brewers
We knew the Yankees were a very good team. We thought the Brewers were a good team as well due to their record in the NL Central and leading the division. We now know that the Brewers (at least for 3 games in New York) are not as good as they look on paper. Of course it's not good to judge a team over only 3 games, but the Yankees looked stronger in every aspect of the series. You'll notice every grade below is in the "A" range for the Bombers and it is well deserved. The offense capitalized on key opportunities despite not putting up spectacular RISP numbers and the pitching was lights out, allowing just 4 runs over the three games.
vs. Brewers (Tuesday, June 28th; Greinke vs. Garcia) Yankees Win 12-2
Offense: A Despite amassing 10 hits and 12 runs, the Yanks were only 3-16 w/RISP. They were extremely productive but their lack of hitting with RISP denies the offense an A+ rating.
Starting Pitching: A- 6 serviceable innings by Garcia who allowed runs on 8 hits. More of the usual from Freddie who continued to let hitters put the ball in play but beared down in the clutch.. Milwaukee went 2-11w/RISP.
Bullpen: A 3 innings by Noesi and Wade combined, blanking the Brewers and allowing 3 hits.
vs. Brewers (Wednesday, June 29th; Marcum vs. Burnett) Yankees Win 5-2
Offense: A- New York scored 5 runs on 6 hits with home runs from Martin and Posada.
Starting Pitching: A Burnett pitched a great game, walking just 2 and striking out 4 over 7 innings. Allowed 2 runs on 7 hits.
Bullpen: A+ Another great performance.
vs. Brewers (Thursday, June 30th; Wolf vs. Sabathia) Yankees Win 5-0
Offense: A A very good performance with 5 runs and 8 hits. Teixiera hit his 300th career home run and Cano and Cervelli also contributed with 2 RBIs each.
Starting Pitching: A+ CC was brilliant serving up just 6 hits and no runs over 7.2 innings while striking out a career high 13.
Bullpen: A+ Can't find any fault with Logan and Ayala over 1.1 innings.
vs. Brewers (Tuesday, June 28th; Greinke vs. Garcia) Yankees Win 12-2
Offense: A Despite amassing 10 hits and 12 runs, the Yanks were only 3-16 w/RISP. They were extremely productive but their lack of hitting with RISP denies the offense an A+ rating.
Starting Pitching: A- 6 serviceable innings by Garcia who allowed runs on 8 hits. More of the usual from Freddie who continued to let hitters put the ball in play but beared down in the clutch.. Milwaukee went 2-11w/RISP.
Bullpen: A 3 innings by Noesi and Wade combined, blanking the Brewers and allowing 3 hits.
vs. Brewers (Wednesday, June 29th; Marcum vs. Burnett) Yankees Win 5-2
Offense: A- New York scored 5 runs on 6 hits with home runs from Martin and Posada.
Starting Pitching: A Burnett pitched a great game, walking just 2 and striking out 4 over 7 innings. Allowed 2 runs on 7 hits.
Bullpen: A+ Another great performance.
vs. Brewers (Thursday, June 30th; Wolf vs. Sabathia) Yankees Win 5-0
Offense: A A very good performance with 5 runs and 8 hits. Teixiera hit his 300th career home run and Cano and Cervelli also contributed with 2 RBIs each.
Starting Pitching: A+ CC was brilliant serving up just 6 hits and no runs over 7.2 innings while striking out a career high 13.
Bullpen: A+ Can't find any fault with Logan and Ayala over 1.1 innings.
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