*New York Yankees-Team Stats-Leaders*

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~Just thought I’d update you on the Yankee players and their stats as they approach they second half of the season. (Top 3 for each category)


Hitting Stats (Top 3)

     Runs                                                Hits                                         2B
1.Damon (62)                               1. Cano/Jeter (110)                    1. Cano     (24)
2.Cano    (61)                               2. Teixeira     (91)                      2. Teixeira (23)
3.Jeter    (56)                               3. Damon       (86)                     3. Damon   (19)


                   3B                                  HR                                     RBI
1. Gardner                    (5)      1. Teixeira       (21)          1. Teixeira              (63)
2. Damon                     (3)      2. A Rodriguez (17)          2. Rodriguez/Damon(50)
3. Cano/Matsui/Swisher (1)      3. Damon        (16)          3. Swisher              (47)


           TB                                                   BB                                    SO
1. Teixeira  (177)                           1. Swisher    (53)                     1. Swisher (70)
2. Cano      (175)                           2. Teixeira    (49)                     2. Damon  (61)
3. Damon   (159)                           3. Rodriguez (48)                     3. Teixeira (58)


       OBP                                                SLG                                     AVG
1. Rodriguez (.411)                        1. Rodriguez (.548)                        1. Jeter    (.321)
2. Jeter        (.396)                        2. Teixeira    (.535)                        2. Cano    (.308)
3. Teixeira    (.378)                       3. Matsui      (.517)                        3. Cabrera (.285)


Fielding Stats (Top 3)

                                  PO                                                   Errors
                        1. Teixeira (675)                         1. Rodriguez                             (5)
                        2. Posada  (313)                        2. Damon/Jeter/Posada/Swisher (4)
                        3. Cano     (173)                         3. Cano                                    (3)

Pitching Stats (Top 3)
              
                 Wins                                          ERA                              IP
1. Sabathia/Burnett/Pettitte (8)            1. Rivera      (2.43)            1. Sabathia (128.1)
2. Aceves                          (5)            2. Aceves    (2.49)            2. Pettitte   (107.2)
3. Albaladejo/Chamberlain   (4)           3. Robertson (3.57)            3. Burnett   (107.1)


          Hits                                      ER                                   SO
1. Pettitte        (121)                  1. Pettitte   (58)                  1. Burnett       (101)
2. Sabathia      (110)                 2. Sabathia (55)                  2. Sabathia     (95)
3. Chamberlain (97)                  3. Burnett    (45)                 3. Chamberlain (78)

Yankee Game (7/12/09)

The Yankees followed their sweep of the Twins, with another sweep…but this time, it was the Angels doing the sweeping. The Yankees lost their 3rd game in a row yesterday, resulting in a sweep by the Angels. New York had plenty of opportunities to score against the Halos by loading the bases twice, but couldn’t capitalize, losing 5-4.


CC Sabathia had a bad fourth inning surrendering 4 runs. But he remained in the game for 6.2 innings, until he was pulled out in the seventh. Through those 6.2 innings Sabathia allowed 5 runs on 9 hits. It wasn’t a performance to remember for the Yankees ace.

The Yankees offense almost had another come from behind victory, but fell just one run short of tying the game. They were able to load the bases twice (in the seventh and eighth innings) but helped the Angels get out of it by hitting into two inning ending double plays. The offense left 9 men on base throughout the entire gam and were 3 for 9 with RISP. Overall, it wasn’t a good game played for the Yanks pitching and offense.

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Hopefully the All-Star Break can help the Yankees recharge and get on another winning streak. On Friday, the Bombers will return back to the Bronx, starting a 10 game home series with a 3 game set with the Tigers. I might be going to a game some time next week when the Yankees take on the Orioles, so I’ll keep you guys posted. Just want to wish everyone good luck towards the second half of the season, and want to encourage you to watch tonight’s Homerun Derby showdown and tomorrow’s All-Star Game. I will post my thoughts and opinions for each, so make sure to check back now and then for an update. Thanks!

ArodFan13
http://arodfan13.mlblogs.com

*UPDATE-Carlos Pena added to All Star Roster, HomeRun Derby*

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It was just announced today that Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays was added to the AL All Star Roster, filling in for Boston’s Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia is going to miss the Mid-Summer Classic and choose to stay home with his wife Kelli, who is due to give birth to their first child. I’m actually glad to see that Pena was added to the roster because how can you lead the league and homeruns(24) and not make it? Pena will also be the 8th player, that was unknown until today, to participate in the HomeRun Derby. I guess I have to update my most recent post about my predictions for the HomeRun Derby…

*The New York Yankees Get Graded*

Well, its that time in the season where the first half seemed to have flown by. Many teams have shown that they are contenders, early, and are winning their way to the top of their division. Unfortunately, the Yankees are second in their division, but are 1st in the Wild Card. Anyways, before I start grading the Yankees on their performance during the first half of the season, I would like to update you on the standings.

American League

East W L PCT GB
 Boston 53 34 .609 -
 New York 51 36 .586 2.0
 Tampa Bay 48 40 .545 5.5
 Toronto 44 45 .494 10.0
 Baltimore 39 48 .448 14.0


Central W L PCT GB
 Detroit 47 39 .547 -
 Chicago 45 42 .517 2.5
 Minnesota 44 44 .500 4.0
 Kansas City 37 50 .425 10.5
 Cleveland 35 53 .398 13.0


West W L PCT GB
 Los Angeles 48 37 .565 -
 Texas 48 38 .558 0.5
Seattle 45 42 .517 4.0
 Oakland 36 49 .424 12.0


National League

East W L PCT GB
 Philadelphia 47 38 .553 -
 Florida 45 44 .506 4.0
 Atlanta 43 44 .494 5.0
 New York 41 45 .477 6.5
 Washington 26 60 .302 21.5


Central W L PCT GB
 St. Louis 48 41 .539 -
 Milwaukee 45 42 .517 2.0
 Chicago 42 42 .500 3.5
 Houston 43 44 .494 4.0
 Cincinnati 42 44 .488 4.5
 Pittsburgh 38 49 .437 9.0


West W L PCT GB
 Los Angeles 55 32 .632 -
 San Francisco 49 38 .563 6.0
 Colorado 46 41 .529 9.0
 Arizona 38 50 .432 17.5
 San Diego 35 52 .402 20.0



Now for the grading… I’ll start by grading the Yankees everyday position players, starting rotation, and bullpen. If there is anyone that I leave out that you would like to see graded, just let me know by commenting. Thanks

Player……………………Grade

Mark Teixeira               A  

Teixeira yankees.jpg

Teixeira was a great pickup for the Yankees over the 2008 off season. Through the first half of the season, Teixeira’s glove has really helped the Yankee’s infield gain confidence. They know that all they have to do is throw the ball in his direction and 99.99% of the time, Teixeira will scoop it, pick it, or stretch for it. Through 81 games played at first base, Teixeira has only made 1error! But not only is Tex a tremendous defensive player, but his bat also sparks the Yanks lineup. Teixeira is leading the Yankees in homeruns (21) , RBIs (63), and total bases (176), batting in the number 3 slot. Teixeira will be making his second appearance in the All Star Game and representing the Yankees for the first time.

Robinson Cano            B

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Cano had a great first half to the season. He is batting a high .309 and is leading the team in hits (109) and doubles (24). He has fielded 48 double plays, and in 86 games at second base has only made 3 errors.


Derek Jeter                  B 

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Jeter’s bat has really come alive this season. He leads the Yankees in batting AVG (.320), is second  in hits, behind Cano (108), and second in stolen bases behind Gardner (17). Jeter has only made 4 errors in 80 games at shortstop and has turned 39 double plays. Jeter will be making his 10th consecutive appearance in the All Star Game as the starting shortstop.


Alex Rodriguez           B-

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Even though Alex is my all-time favorite player, I have to give him a B-. Even though Arod was out for more than a month, he is only batting .267. He has also committed 5 errors in 52 games this year at third base. I guess I have to cut him some slack since throwing from third base to first base isn’t as easy as he makes it look. But he has made up for lost time power wise hitting 17 bombs (2nd on Yankees) and driving in 50 runs in 57 games. He leads the team in OBP (.419) and slugging percentage (.562) Arod has also walked 48 times as well.


Jorge Posada            C+

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Posada, like Arod, was out for a while too. He has played 49 games behind the plate and 5 games as a DH. He is hitting .281 with ll homeruns and 38 RBI. He has called some great games behind the plate, and has thrown out 20 runners trying to steal. All he needs to do is stay healthy for the remainder of the season and get his swing going again.

Melky Cabrera           B

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I know Melky isn’t the greatest hitter in the Yankees lineup,  but he has his clutch game winning hits and he comes through with his glove. Melky is batting a steady .280 with 8 homers and 38 RBIs. He has played 80 games for the Yankees this season (in the outfield) and has only made 2 errors. He has a very strong arm and can play pretty much anywhere in the outfield.

Nick Swisher              B

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Swisher was another great pick up for the Yankees. He has played 84 games for the Yanks (70 in the OF and 10 at 1B) and has made 4 errors. He is batting .238 with 14 homeruns and 47 RBIs. He has also pitched an inning for the Yankees striking out 1 and giving up no runs. (I loved watching that game!!!) He is a great outfielder and has made some tremendous plays through the first half of the season.

Brett Gardner              A

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I get chills whenever I watch Gardner play. He is probably the best rookie I have ever seen perform. He hits for average and runs like a cheetah. He leads the team in stolen bases (18) and triples (5). It seems like every time I turn on the TV Gardner is either on base or gets a nice hit down the line. He deserves to be rookie of the year. He has played 76 games for the Yanks this year (68 in the OF) and has made only 1 error.

Johnny Damon          B+

Damon.jpg

I give Damon a lot of credit.. He has been hitting the ball with a lot of power this year and may be on his way to 100+ RBIs. You can tell that he has been working on his swing. He leads the team in runs scored (62) and is second in triples (3). He is batting .276 with 16 homeruns and 50 RBIs. Pitchers must see him as a power threat when he is up, especially if he is batting at Yankee Stadium. He’s played 81 games for the Yankees and has made 4 errors. if he can stay hot, he might even reach 30+ homeruns, which would be a career high.

Hideki Matsui            C+

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Matsui has been the Yankees DH this year. He is batting .266 with 14 homeruns and 40 RBIs this season and has played 77 games for the Yankees. I give him credit for going out there and still being capable to go yard with all the injuries he has had these past few seasons.

C.C. Sabathia         A-

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Sabathia seems to be settling in nicely with the Yankees. He it tied for first with 8 wins (along with
Burnett and Pettitte) and leads the starting rotation in ERA with 3.70. He has also pitched 2 complete games through the first half of the season, and is the only Yankees pitcher to do so, so far. He has 89 strikeouts while only walking 41. If he can keep up the good work, he could be in line for between 15-20 wins.

AJ Burnett              B

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Burnett was another great pickup for the Yankees. He has a record of 8-4 with a 3.77 ERA. He leads the team in strikeouts (101) but has walked 60 batters. Hopefully he can give the Yankees another 8 wins through the second half and help them win a playoff spot.

Andy Pettitte           B

AndyPettitte.jpg

Pettitte has been a solid starter for the Yankees this season. This is probably going to be his last year in pinstripes but he has shown that he is still capable with an 8-4 record while posting a 4.85 ERA. He has struck out 70 but has allowed 15 homeruns. 

Mariano Rivera      A

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Rivera has been “lights out” this season, tied for first with the most saves throughout the AL (23). He  has struck out 43 batters in 37 innings and has allowed only 30 hits. He has a 2.43 ERA and seems to be the only consistent reliever in the Yankees bullpen this season. He will be representing the Yanks in the All Star Game as well.


So, there you have it. I know I left some guys out, but it was probably better that way (you wouldn’t want to see their grade). Let me know if you think the grading system is fair or unfair or if you’d like to see me grade any other Yankees player. Also, just a reminder, if you have a question about the Yankees, the All Star Game, Homerun Derby, or anything baseball, just comment on one of my posts and i”ll be happy to answer it. Thanks for the support and continue to comment!

ArodFan13

http://arodfan13.mlblogs.com

*Homerun Derby Predictions*

As you may know the 2009 Homerun Derby is tomorrow! I can’t wait, as I watch the Homerun Derby and All Star Game every year! It’s so fun to watch MLB’s biggest sluggers go out there and hit monster shots. You won’t see this in batting practice! Anyways, I just wanted to give you my prediction on who will go the distance and possibly win the 2009 Homerun Derby.

Derby Participants

Pujols.jpg
Albert Pujols

Prince Fielder.jpg
Prince Fielder
Joe Mauer.jpg
Joe Mauer

Inge.jpg
Brandon Inge

Ryan Howard.jpg
Ryan Howard

Gonzalez.jpg
Adrian Gonzalez
Cruz.jpg
Nelson Cruz

Carlos Pena.jpg
Carlos Pena


Advancing to the second round will be…
Pujols.jpg
Pujols
Joe Mauer.jpg
Mauer
Ryan Howard.jpg
Howard
Carlos Pena.jpg
Pena

Advancing to the finals will be…
Pujols.jpg
Pujols

Joe Mauer.jpg
Mauer


2009 State Farm HomeRun Derby Champion…

Pujols 2.gif
Albert Pujols

Now of course I would want to see Mauer win. I just love watching him bat and he is probably the best all around hitter in baseball. He can hit for power and average and is a great clutch hitter. But I went with Pujols because he has home field advantage and knows where to hit the ball. He also has the most power I’ve ever seen! But I could be wrong. Just like last year, even though Hamilton put on a show, Morneau still came out on top (even though Hamilton deserved it). Who knows? Maybe the M&M boys will win the Derby back-to-back.

Yankee Game (7/11/09)

Well, the Yankees suffered another disappointing loss to the Angels tonight, putting them in a position to drop 2 games back from the Red Sox. The Yankees were able to belt out 5 homeruns, but still loss to the Angels 14-8. Once again, the Yankees pitching struggled today giving up 16 hits and 14 runs.

Andy Pettitte wasn’t his usual self today going 4.1 innings and allowing 6 runs on 7 hits. After he  exited the game, Robertson looked to help the Yankees stay in the game, but allowed 3 more runs on 3 hits through 1.1 innings. Then Tomko came in, but he allowed a run on 3 hits through 1.1 innings as well. And if that wasn’t enough, Phil Coke came in with the Angels up 10-8 and gave up 4 runs in the 8th on 3 hits. Nobody could get an out throughout the entire game. And even if they did, it was either a hard hit or a close play. It was a nightmare!!! And that’s putting it lightly!!!
(there’s always a hesitation when I go to write about the pitching for the Yanks because it’s either flawless, or anything but flawless)
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Okay, now that I got that out of my system lets move to the Yankees offense, which continued to remain on fire!!! As mentioned before, the Yanks were able to crank out 5 homeruns off the Angels today. 2 of them came from Alex Rodriguez (2 run homer and a solo shot) and 2 came from the newly acquired Eric Hinske (solo homer and a 2 run shot). Matsui followed Arod’s second blast with a homer of his own (solo shot). That was the 8th time, this season, the Yankees have hit back to back homers. But, the 5 homers weren’t enough.

NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, SS 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 .320
Damon, LF 4 1 0 0 1 3 1 .276
Teixeira, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .276
Rodriguez, A, 3B 3 3 2 3 1 1 0 .263
Matsui, H, DH 4 1 1 1 0 3 1 .266
Posada, C 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .281
Cano, 2B 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 .309
Hinske, RF 4 2 2 3 0 0 2 .270
Gardner, CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .283
  a-Cabrera, Me, PH-CF 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .280
Totals 35 8 9 8 3 13 8  
a-Struck out for Gardner in the 7th.
BATTING
2B: Jeter (18, Weaver, Jr).
HR: Rodriguez, A 2 (17, 1st inning off Weaver, Jr, 1 on, 2 out; 8th inning off Bulger, 0 on, 1 out), Hinske 2 (4, 2nd inning off Weaver, Jr, 0 on, 2 out; 7th inning off Oliver, 1 on, 0 out), Matsui, H (14, 8th inning off Bulger, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Jeter 2; Rodriguez, A 8; Matsui, H 4; Cano 2; Hinske 8; Cabrera, Me.
RBI: Rodriguez, A 3 (50), Hinske 3 (15), Cano (46), Matsui, H (40).
2-out RBI: Rodriguez, A 2; Hinske; Cano.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Teixeira.
GIDP: Jeter.
Team RISP: 1-for-4.
Team LOB: 3.

FIELDING
E: Coke (1, pickoff).
DP: 2 (Jeter-Cano-Teixeira 2).

Now look, I’m going to give you my honest opinion. There is no reason why the Yankees should have to score any more than 4 or even 5 runs a game. Look at their pitching rotation and forget the numbers this season. 1) C.C. Sabathia 2) AJ Burnett 3) Andy Pettitte 4) Joba Chamberlain 5) Chien Ming Wang (but now he is hurt so we’ll see who will take his place) Now just take a look at those names and don’t focus on any numbers. Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte should already have 10 wins this season, Chamberlain with maybe 8 or 9 and if Wang was his healthy self, I would say 8 or 9 as well. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be leading the division. Their offense is remaining hot, so all we need are the pitchers to regain their velocity, location, and command for the second half of the season, and we’ll be leading the division in no time! Come on Yankees!!! I have faith in you!!!
As far as tomorrow’s matchup, I have to go with Sabathia (8-5) over Lackey (3-4) since Sabathia loves the hot weather and has had success with the Angels before. Lackey is 4-7 lifetime against the Yankees. Hopefully the Yankees can pick up a win before the All Star Break and carry some momentum into the second half of the season. I’ll also be covering the All Star Game and Homerun Derby so continue to read my posts throughout next week.

Yankee Game (7/10/09)

I figured it would be to good to be true: The Yankees in first place. The Yankees were tied for first for one day, but then fell back to second place Friday night, as they suffered a 10-6 loss to the Angels. Once again, it was the Yankees pitching who faltered last night allowing the Angels to pick up 10 runs on 13 hits. The Yanks were able to out hit the Halos, slugging 14 hits of their own, but it turned out to be not enough to take the first game of this three game set.

Joba Chamberlain had another “awful” night blowing a four run lead for the Yankees in the fifth inning. Joba allowed a fifth inning 3 run blast to the Angels, Morales. Chamberlain left later in the inning, after giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits through 4.1 innings pitched. However, the bullpen was also anything but “spectacular” Friday as Melancon and Bruney allowed 5 runs  (4 earned) on 4 hits through 4 innings of, what I don’t consider, relief. Bruney allowed a 3 run blast of his own to the Angels shortstop, Aybar, in the seventh.
Well, on a good note, I can say that the Yankees offense remained hot slugging 14 hits and scoring 6 runs. Now, in my opinion, I think 6 runs are sufficient enough to win a game. So it wasn’t the Yankees offense with the problem last night. The Yankees almost had every one of their starters collect a hit, but Ransom went 0-3 with 2 k’s. Ransom hasn’t been swinging a hot bat this season, batting a weak .176. Honestly, I would have thrown Ransom down to triple A and kept Pena up to make room for Hinske, but that would be too logical for Girardi and Brian Cashman. Anyways, Jeter had his fourth four-hit game of the season, boosting his AVG to .321. Alex Rodriguez went 3-5 with a double and a solo homerun, finishing the night with 2 RBIs. Swisher also collected a couple of RBIs, going 1-5.

NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, DH-SS 5 1 4 0 0 0 0 .321
Damon, LF 4 0 1 1 1 1 2 .279
Teixeira, 1B 5 2 1 0 0 0 4 .280
5 2 3 2 0 2 3 .257
Swisher, RF 5 0 1 2 0 0 2 .238
Cano, 2B 5 0 2 0 0 0 2 .306
Cabrera, Me, CF 3 0 1 1 2 0 1 .278
Ransom, SS 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .176
  a-Posada, PH-C 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 .287
Molina, J, C 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 .277
  b-Matsui, H, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .266
  Melancon, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Bruney, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 40 6 14 6 4 7 21  
a-Walked for Ransom in the 7th. b-Flied out for Molina, J in the 7th.
BATTING
2B: Rodriguez, A (7, Saunders), Jeter (17, Saunders), Cano (24, Saunders).
HR: Rodriguez, A (15, 5th inning off Saunders, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Jeter 5; Damon; Teixeira; Rodriguez, A 7; Swisher; Cano 3; Cabrera, Me; Molina, J.
RBI: Rodriguez, A 2 (47), Swisher 2 (47), Damon (50), Cabrera, Me (33).
2-out RBI: Cabrera, Me.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Damon; Ransom; Matsui, H 2; Posada.
GIDP: Damon.
Team RISP: 4-for-11.
Team LOB: 11.

FIELDING
E: Rodriguez, A (5, throw), Jeter (4, fielding).
DP: (Rodriguez, A-Cano-Teixeira).

The Yankees will try to work their way back to the top of the division today, as Andy Pettitte (8-4) will face Jered Weaver (9-3) for the second game of the series. Today’s game looks pretty evenly matched with two great pitchers taking the mound for both teams. The offense for both teams are also very similar, with a threat in the lineup every batter. So, its hard for me to say who’s going to win today’s game. Obviously I’m hoping Yankees, but it looks like it’s, once again, anyone’s ballgame.

*YANKEES TAKE CONTROL OF AL EAST*

After the Boston Red Sox lost last night,
8-6 to the Kansas City Royals (haha), the standings were
updated and showed the Red Sox and New York Yankees tied for
first place in the AL East Division. Both teams are 17 games
over .500 with a 51-34 record (.600%). Today, both teams will
look to hold their place at the top, with the Yankees playing
the Angels in Anaheim and the Red Sox playing the Royals at
Fenway. Now, in my opinion, these match-ups seem
pretty unfair. I mean, the Yankees have to play the Angels
who have a 46-37 record and are a half a game back from the
AL West. The Royals, on the other hand, have basically the
Angels record backwards with a 37-48 record and are 9.5 games
back from the AL Central. There’s a big difference as far as
competition. The Red Sox should be beating up on the Royals,
with their eyes closed! But the Yankees are going to have to
work to keep their spot at the top. So, if the Yankees fall
back a couple of games this weekend, just look at the team
they’re facing and who the Red Sox are facing. I’m not
cutting the Yankees slack because I’m a Yankee fan, but the
numbers don’t lie. Nobody out there can say that the Royals
are as tough as the Angels. Maybe if Zack Greinke is
pitching, but otherwise, they’re not even comparable. Oh and
another note, Zack Greinke is not even pitching against the
Red Sox this series so there’s one less problem for the Sox
to deal with. All I can do is hope that the Yankees offense
continues to remain hot because they are going to have to
score a lot or runs off of the Angels who are another
big offensive club. It seems that Yankee pitching
struggles when they face big offensive clubs, so the Yanks
need to give their pitching run support. As for my advice to
the Red Sox, just sit back, relax, and take a nap. They don’t
need any advice against the Kansas City Royals. I know they
lost last night, but that was their bullpen’s fault. If they
can just get their starter to go 6 or 7 innings, it’s lights
out for the Royals.

Yankee Game (7/9/09)

Deja Vu crept in on the Yankees offense today, as they defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-4. The Yankees swept the Twins for the second time this year, beating the Twins 7 out of 7 times this year. The victory also marked the Yanks 13th win out of their last 15 games. But the main reason for Deja Vu was due to the Yankees offense. Almost for the second time in three games, each of the Yankees starters had at least one hit, except for Nick Swisher who went 0-5.

As for Alfredo Aceves…………Let’s just say I would rather see him in the bullpen for the remainder of his career. Aceves was taken out in the fourth inning, after loading the bases. He ended up surrendering 4 runs (3 of them earned), over 3.1 innings pitched, and allowing 4 hits. He didn’t earn the win, and rightfully so, but I guess he pitched “ok” for a reliever.
As mentioned before, the Yanks almost accomplished another rare-feat having every one of their starters getting at least one hit. But this time, Nick Swisher just couldn’t find his groove at the plate going 0-5 with a strikeout. But otherwise, the Yankees knocked Liriano for 6 runs and 7 hits over 5.1 innings. Gardner and Ransom, 2 of the the Yankees rookies, contributed a hit each and each drove in 2 runs to help the Yankees defeat the Twins. The Captain (Derek Jeter) added his own RBI single while Mark Teixeira blasted a solo homer for the first time in a career-long 95 at bats. The Yankees were spoiled, once again, with their bullpen, which came through and pitched 5 innings of scoreless relief. Mariano came in, in the ninth, to close out the series finale, earning his 23rd save of the season.


NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, SS 4 0 1 1 1 0 2 .314
Swisher, RF 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 .239
Teixeira, 1B 4 1 1 1 0 2 0 .281
Rodriguez, A, DH 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 .247
Posada, C 3 2 1 0 0 2 1 .289
Cano, 2B 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 .304
Cabrera, Me, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 6 .277
Ransom, 3B 3 0 1 2 1 1 1 .185
Gardner, CF 4 0 1 2 0 2 3 .286
Totals 34 6 8 6 3 9 15  
BATTING
2B: Cano (23, Liriano), Cabrera, Me (13, Liriano).
HR: Teixeira (21, 5th inning off Liriano, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Jeter; Teixeira 4; Rodriguez, A; Posada; Cano 2; Cabrera, Me 2; Ransom; Gardner.
RBI: Ransom 2 (10), Gardner 2 (19), Jeter (36), Teixeira (63).
2-out RBI: Jeter.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gardner.
GIDP: Jeter.
Team RISP: 3-for-10.
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING
SB: Rodriguez, A (3, 2nd base off Liriano/Redmond, M).
CS: Gardner (4, home by Liriano/Redmond, M).

FIELDING
E: Aceves, A (1, pickoff), Ransom (4, throw).

Players of the Game

cody ransom.jpg

Cody Ransom: 1-4 with 2 RBIs

brettgardner.jpg

Brett Gardner: 1-4 with 2 RBIs
Overall the Yankees played one of their better games this season offense and pitching wise, but not defensively as Aceves and Ransom each committed an error. Tomorrow, they will look to extend their winning streak (13 out of 15 games) against the Angels. Chamberlain (4-2) will be getting the start for the Yanks, while Joe Saunders (8-5) starts for the Angels. Once again, it’s hard to decide who will win tomorrow’s game because Saunders seems to be a more consisitent pitcher than Chamberlain this year. However, with the Yankees offense heating up on this road trip, it seems to me that tomorrow is anyone’s game.

Yankee Game (7/8/09)

The Yankees continued to pound the ball Wednesday night, and remain undefeated against the Twins this season, capping off a 4-3 victory. A.J Burnett wasn’t his sharp self last night, throwing a couple of wild pitches (curveballs) into the dirt, but the Yankees bullpen and offense were able to hold off the Twins, winning 12 of their last 14 games.

AJ Burnett gave up 2 runs on 7 hits through 6.1 innings pitched last night. However, his command wasn’t there resulting in 4 walks issued by the right hander. He also didn’t have his curveball working with him early, as he gave up a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third. But later in the game, Burnett was able to re-locate his curveball to get himself out of a few jams, which could have resulted in a loss for the Yanks. But the Yankees bullpen and offense, once again, came through to help Burnett earn his 8th win of the season.
The Yankees offense continued to remain hot, scoring 4 runs on 8 hits off the Twins Anthony Swarzak, knocking him out in the fifth inning. Gardner went 1-4 with a 2 run single in the 2nd giving the Yanks a 3-0 lead over the Twins. Later in the game, Alex Rodriguez, who went 1-4, added an RBI single of his own in the fifth inning. From that point on, the Yankees were able to hold a 4-3 lead with bullpen relief from Hughes and Rivera, who earned his 22nd save of the season.


NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, SS 5 1 2 0 0 0 1 .315
Damon, LF 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 .280
  Cabrera, Me, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .278
Teixeira, 1B 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .281
Rodriguez, A, 3B 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 .246
Matsui, H, DH 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 .268
Posada, C 3 1 2 0 1 0 0 .288
Cano, 2B 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 .305
Swisher, RF 4 0 1 1 0 0 4 .243
Gardner, CF 4 0 1 2 0 0 3 .287
Totals 35 4 10 4 2 0 17  
BATTING
2B: Posada (10, Swarzak, A), Jeter (16, Swarzak, A).
TB: Jeter 3; Teixeira; Rodriguez, A; Matsui, H; Posada 3; Cano; Swisher; Gardner.
RBI: Swisher (45), Gardner 2 (17), Rodriguez, A (45).
2-out RBI: Gardner 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter; Gardner; Cano 2.
GIDP: Damon.
Team RISP: 3-for-10.
Team LOB: 7.

BASERUNNING
SB: Gardner (18, 2nd base off Swarzak, A/Mauer).
CS: Gardner (3, 2nd base by Keppel/Mauer).

FIELDING
Pickoffs: Burnett, A (Span at 2nd base).

Other than that, the Yankees played an average ball game. Not too many outstanding plays defensively and as mentioned before, Burnett pitched an average game as well. The Yanks offense proved to be the deciding factor in yesterday’s game staying undefeated against the Twins this season.
Player of the Game

brettgardner.jpg

Brett Gardner: 1-4 with a 2 run single


Today, the Yankees we’ll look to sweep the Twins with Alfredo Aceves (5-1) getting the start for the Yankees, taking the place of the injured Chien-Ming Wang. Francisco Liriano (4-8) will start for the Twins, looking to help the Twins salvage a win in the final game that these two teams will play this season. (Except for the possibility of the post-season) As mentioned before, the Yankees have won 12 of their last 14 games and have beat the Twins 6 out of 6 times this season, so they’ll look to officially sweep the Twins for the entire regular season. I honestly don’t have a prediction for this game because I’ve never seen Aceves start and am not sure how well he’ll do. Liriano is also having problems this year, and is sporting a 5.49 ERA coming into today’s game. So, it looks to me that today’s game will be an offensive battle for both teams.

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