Tagged: Jacoby Ellsbury

Yankees Sweep Braves Behind 20-Run Avalanche

GAME 129

YANKEES 20, BRAVES 6

The Yankees came into Atlanta having surrendered first place to the Toronto Blue Jays, missing its top home run hitter and run producer in Mark Teixeira and desperately struggling to score runs. They left having swept the Braves by a combined score of 38-11 in three games.

Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run home run and Chase Headley and Stephen Drew added two-run shots off right-hander Julio Teheran while Nathan Eovaldi rolled to his ninth straight victory as New York thrashed Atlanta at Turner Field on Sunday.

Drew, who collected four hits and Headley, who added three, each drove in four runs as the Yankees scored eight runs in 4 1/3 innings against Teheran (9-7).

When the Braves managed to rally for two runs in the third inning and three runs in the sixth against Eovaldi (14-2) to draw to within 8-5 and chase the 25-year-old right-hander from the game, the Yankees put together a nine-run seventh inning against left-hander Ross Detwiler, right-hander Peter Moylan and right-hander Jake Brigham to put the game out of reach.

Pinch-hitter Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann and Headley each drove in two runs in the inning in which the Yankees sent 14 batters to the plate and pounded out nine hits.

The Yankees added three more runs off Brigham in the eighth inning, capped by an RBI double by rookie relief pitcher Branden Pinder.

Teheran, who entered the game with a 7-1 record and a 2.55 ERA at home this season, was charged with season-high tying eight runs on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The rookie right-hander Brigham, who was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, was charged with eight runs on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

Eovaldi yielded five runs on eight hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to run his career-best winning streak to nine games spanning his past 13 starts. The nine-game winning streak is the best in Major League Baseball this season.

However, Eovaldi needed help from right-hander Adam Warren and Chasen Shreve to get out of the sixth inning. Pinder and right-hander Bryan Mitchell pitched the final three innings to preserve the victory.

Including the 1996 and 1999 World Series, the Yankees have now 17 of the 19 games they have played at Turner Field.

With the victory the Yankees improved to 72-57 and they remain 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Braves, who have now lost 12 of their past 13 games, are 54-76.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Drew has been batting under .200 for most of the season after batting .162 last season. But he was 4-for-4 with a homer, three singles, two walks, three runs scored and four RBIs. The four-hit game raised his season average to .201.
  • Headley was 3-for-3 with a homer, a double, a single, two walks, three runs scored and four RBIs. Headley was 6-for-11 with a home run and seven RBIs in the three-game series. He raised his season average to .277. While most of the team has been struggling in August, Headley is batting .297 for the month.
  • After a prolonged slump at the plate, Ellsbury is showing signs of life. He was 2-for-6 with a homer, a single, a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs in the game. Since Aug. 13, Ellsbury is 24-for-69 (.348) with two homers and six RBIs and he has scored 10 runs. That has raised his season average from .260 to .278.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Eovaldi seems to get bogged down when he gets a big lead, which happens often since the Yankees provide him with more than seven runs a game. Even with a 7-0 lead he ended up allowing the Braves back into the game and left after giving up three straight hits to begin the sixth. He has to do better despite the fact he is 14-2.

BOMBER BANTER

With Teixeira still nursing a deep bone bruise on his right leg, manager Joe Girardi is having Rodriguez resume workouts at first base as a potential right-handed option along with rookie Greg Bird, who bats left-handed. Rodriguez has not played in the field since May 23, when he finished a game at first base.

ON DECK

The Yankees will open a three-game series with the last-place Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park starting on Monday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (5-6, 4.50 ERA) will start the series for the Yankees. Nova is coming off two straight losses and gave up seven runs in a loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

The hapless Red Flops will counter with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 4.39 ERA). Rodriguez gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings in a no-decision last Monday against the Kansas City Royals.

Game-time will be 7:10 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by ESPN and locally by the YES Network.

 

Severino Outduels Braves Rookie As Yankees Win

GAME 128

YANKEES 3, BRAVES 1

With veteran left-hander CC Sabathia on the disabled list with recurring pain in his right knee the Yankees have had to place a lot a of trust in 21-year-old rookie right-hander Luis Severino. After seeing the way he pitched on Saturday at Turner Field it looks as if he is going to be just fine.

Severino pitched six innings of shutout baseball and Didi Gregorius and Brian McCann doubled in runs in the seventh and eight innings, respectively, as New York downed Atlanta for the second straight day.

Severino (2-2) held the Braves to four hits and three walks while he struck out five in six innings to earn his second straight victory.

Meanwhile, the Yankees opened the scoring on rookie right-hander Matt Wisler in the first inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double and, two outs later, Wisler issued walks to McCann and Greg Bird. With Chase Headley at the plate behind on a 0-2 count, Wisler uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Ellsbury to score to give the Yankees an early 1-0 lead.

Then Severino and Wisler matched zeroes for the rest of the evening until the seventh inning when Headley led off the frame with his third double of the series  –  a ball that center-fielder Cameron Maybin misjudged.

Gregorius, who drove in a career-high six runs in a 15-4 rout of the Braves on Friday, chased Wisler from the game with an RBI double into right-field to score Headley with what proved to be the game-winning run.

Wisler (5-5) was charged with two runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in six-plus innings.

The Braves managed to halve the lead in the bottom of seventh when Christian Betancourt and Andrelton Simmons opened the inning against left-hander Justin Wilson with a pair of singles.

Pinch-hitter Michael Bourn then hit a ground ball to Bird at first. Bird retired Simmons on a throw to Gregorius at second, but Wilson dropped his relay to first base and Bethancourt scored on the error.

But the Yankees were able to add an insurance run in the eighth inning off right-hander Edwin Jackson when Carlos Beltran was issued a leadoff walk and McCann scored pinch-runner Chris Young with a booming double to the wall in right-center.

Right-hander Dellin Betances pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and left-hander Andrew Miller struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his 28th save in 29 chances this season.

With the victory the Yankees ran their season mark to 71-57 and they remain 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Braves dropped to 54-75.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Severino was far from perfect in his six innings and faced three innings in which the Braves put two men on. However, his poise allowed him to get out of the first by getting Nick Swisher on an inning-ending double play. He ended the fourth by striking out Betancourt swinging and in the sixth he induced Jace Peterson into a groundout. In his five starts, Severino has a dazzling 2.17 ERA and he has 29 strikeouts in his 29 innings.
  • In his past three games, Gregorius is 7-for-13 (.539) with a homer and nine RBIs. The 25-year-old shortstop is simply settling in after perhaps pressing too much early knowing that he was replacing a legend in Derek Jeter.
  • McCann is providing offense at a time that Mark Teixeira is injured and Alex Rodriguez is only available to pinch-hit in the National League ballpark. His RBI double in the eight gives him a team-leading 80 RBIs this season. Teixeira has 79. In his two games back in Atlanta he is 2-for-5 (.400) with a homer, a double, four walks, three runs scored and five RBIs.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • After Severino left, the Braves jumped on Wilson and Betances for an unearned run, four hits and a walk in two innings. Fortunately, Betances was able to wriggle out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the seventh by retiring Freddie Freeman on a ground ball that Betances fielded by sticking his glove behind his back. Betances also ended a two-on, two-out threat in the eighth by striking out Simmons looking. The Braves stranded 10 runners. That is not good relief pitching really.

BOMBER BANTER

A man who fell from the upper deck of Turner Field in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game was pronounced dead later in the evening. The Braves announced that Gregory Murrey, 60, of Alpharetta, GA, was pronounced dead at Fulton County Medical Center. Murrey, a longtime Braves season-ticket holder, fell from the upper deck to the lower bowl behind home plate as Rodriguez was coming up to the plate with two on and one out in the seventh inning. Braves security personnel ruled out foul play but authorities are waiting an autopsy.

THIS POST WAS DELAYED

 

Gregorius Drives In Six As Yankees Pound Braves

GAME 127

YANKEES 15, BRAVES 4

Former Major-League outfielder and Braves television analyst Joe Simpson said on FOX Sports South before Friday’s game that the New York Yankees had the worst batting average of all Major-League teams in the month of August so maybe the Atlanta Braves were catching their opponents at just the right time.

After Friday’s game at Turner Field it is fairly obvious that he was way off base.

Didi Gregarious hit a three-run home run and drove in a career-high six runs and Brian McCann returned to Atlanta for the first time since he left the team as a free agent after the 2013 season to a hit a three run homer of his own as New York pummeled Atlanta.

Gregorius’s seventh home run of the season capped a five-run first inning against right-hander Williams Perez (4-5) and all five runs scored after Perez had retired the first two batters he faced.

Chase Headley added a bases-loaded two-run double in the first inning for the Yankees, who added another four runs after two were out in the second inning to chase Perez after only 1 2/3 innings.

He left with the bases loaded and left-hander Ross Detwiler came in to face rookie Greg Bird and Headley. He walked both to force in runs and Gregorius followed with a two-run single to left.

Perez retired just five of the 13 batters he faced and he was charged with eight runs on five hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings as his ERA ballooned to 5.56.

“We needed that,” Gregorius told reporters. “Offensively, we’ve struggled the last couple days, but we’ve been working, and trying to get everything going. Today that’s what happened.”

Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (10-6) was the beneficiary of the nine runs in the first two innings as he rolled to victory after yielding three runs on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

McCann, who is a native Georgian and played with the Braves for nine seasons, capped his homecoming with a three-run homer as part of a four-run eighth off right-hander Andrew McKirahan. It was his 23rd home run of the season and he ended the night 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored, a sacrifice fly and four RBIs.

“It was great. I’ve been saying it all day,” McCann told reporters. “I was really excited to come back here and play in front of these fans. It meant a whole lot to me.”

The Braves used reserve outfielder Jonny Gomes to pitch the ninth inning and he was greeted by Chris Young’s 14th home run of the season. McCann added a two-out sacrifice fly that scored Jacoby Ellsbury to cap the scoring.

With the victory the Yankees improved to 70-57 and they remain 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Braves, who are just playing out the string of a miserable season, are now 54-74.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Gregorius was 4-for-5 with a homer, three singles, a run scored and six RBIs. After hitting .206 and .232 in the first two months of season, Gregorius has gotten steadily better at the plate and he is also played spectacular defense after a shaky start. Gregorius has raised his season average to .260 and he has seven homers and 40 RBIs.
  • McCann is certainly comfortable at Turner Field and he showed his former team just what they have been missing the past two seasons. To show how much respect the fans have for him, most of the 35,546 in attendance cheered him when he was announced. McCann is batting .247 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs on the season. The 79 RBIs ties with injured first baseman Mark Teixeira for the team lead.
  • Headley ended his day 2-for-4 with two ground-rule doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs. Since the All-Star break Headley is batting a team-best .329 with two homers and 27 RBIs. He has raised his season average to .277 and he has 10 homers and 57 RBIs.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

With Teixiera hurt and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez unable to play in a National League ballpark it is refreshing for the Yankees to score 15 runs and pound out 16 hits. That takes a lot of pressure of the starting pitchers, who have had to pitch more carefully because the Yankees were not scoring runs. Let’s hope the August slump is finally over.

BOMBER BANTER

Teixeira, 35, is frustrated because the deep bone bruise on his right leg is not improving but he was assured on Friday that the bone is not fractured and it only requires more rest. Teixeira fouled a ball off his right leg on Aug. 17 and he was able to return to the lineup on Tuesday. However, he had to be removed from the game on Wednesday after not being able to run after he had pinch-hit.

THIS POST WAS DELAYED 

Beltran’s Sac Fly Ends Duel With Astros In Ninth

GAME 124

YANKEES 1, ASTROS 0

When two of the top three home run hitting teams in baseball meet at Yankee Stadium with its inviting short right-field porch it only stands to reason that the game will be  . . .  a pitchers’ duel!

Both the Yankees and Astros went against type but it was the Yankees who managed to win the game on Monday with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

Carlos Beltran scored Brett Gardner with the only run of the game with no outs in the ninth as New York edged Houston to reclaim a share of first place in the American League East in front of a paid crowd of 37,125 in the Bronx, NY.

Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and Astros right-hander Scott Feldman matched each other pitch for pitch for eight innings until Astros manager A.J. Hinch elected to use left-hander and former New York Mets headcase Oliver Perez to pitch the ninth.

Gardner was able to work a leadoff walk and, after Perez uncorked a wild pitch to allow Gardner to reach second, the Astros decided to walk Alex Rodriguez intentionally so Perez could face left-handed hitting Brian McCann.

But Perez ended up also walking McCann to load the bases and Hinch called upon right-hander Chad Qualls to pitch to the switch-hitting Beltran.

Beltran jumped on the first pitch and he lofted the ball into deep center-field to score Gardner easily with the game-winning run.

Left-hander Andrew Miller (2-2) struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the victory in relief. Perez (2-2) was saddled with the loss.

Eovaldi, who entered the game undefeated in his past 11 starts and winner of eight straight decisions, held the Astros to just four hits and three walks and he struck seven in eight innings.

He also managed to kept the Astros 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. He was at his best in the seventh inning after Carlos Correa singled to open the frame and Colby Rasmus drew a walk.

Carlos Gomez laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners but Eovaldi got out of the jam on a fielder’s choice off the bat off Evan Gattis that retired Rasmus roaming too far off second and Luis Valbuena flied out to center.

Feldman, 32, held the Yankees to six hits and he struck out six without issuing a walk in eight innings.

The Yankees had an excellent opportunity to score in the second when Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew opened the inning with singles. But Feldman retired Drew on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury, Gardner struck out swinging and Rodriguez flied out.

The Yankees also had a chance to score with McCann on third and Beltran on first with no outs in the seventh. However, Greg Bird struck out swinging and Chase Headley hit a fly ball to medium center and Gomez was able to throw out the slow-footed McCann at home plate on a three-hop heave for an inning-ending double play.

With the victory the Yankees improved their season record to 69-55 and they jumped into a tie with the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the division. The first-place Astros dropped to 69-57.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Eovaldi has come a long way in his development as a starter this season. In his past 12 starts, he is 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA. He used his slider to compliment his 100-mile-per-hour fastball, splitter and curveball to keep the Astros guessing all night. The Yankees very quietly are developing a strong, young rotation in 26-year-old Masahiro Tanaka, 26-year-old Michael Pineda (who will be activated form the disabled list on Wednesday), 25-year-old Eovaldi, 27-year-old Ivan Nova and 21-year-old Luis Severino.
  • McCann was 3-for-3 with a walk in the game and he is now 5-for-11 (.455) with his new forward-leaning stance. In addition, McCann also managed to throw out pinch-runner Jake Marisnick attempting to steal on a strike out of Valbuena in the ninth inning. McCann has now caught 22 of 55 base-runners stealing this season, which puts him at a career-best 40 percent. McCann credits bullpen coach Gary Tuck. “We work every single day on it,” McCann told reporters. “I’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on. It’s good to put the ball on the bag there.”
  • Beltran’s night began with him striking out looking in the second and bouncing into a double play in the fourth. But he singled to advance McCann to third before McCann was thrown out to end the seventh. But his at-bat in the ninth was classic Beltran. Though Qualls is noted as a ground-ball pitcher, he was able to get under his first offering and hit it deep enough to get Gardner home with the winning run.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Rodriguez was placed back into the lineup after two days off but he ended up 0-for-3 with a walk. He struck out in the sixth on a pitch that was about two feet outside and it nearly hit the dirt. Since Aug. 7, Rodriguez is 7-for-57 (.123) with two homers and six RBIs. That has dropped his season average from .281 to .259. As long as he slumps he is killing the Yankees offense.
  • Gardner and Ellsbury combined to go 0-for-7 with two strikeouts. If you add Rodriguez batting third they were a combined 0-for-10, which makes you wonder how Perez was able to walk Gardner and Rodriguez to begin the inning. The Yankees need their top three hitters to HIT! If they don’t, the team loses to last-place teams like the Cleveland Indians and surrenders first place in the A.L. East. It’s that simple.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees will not say it but I will: CC Sabathia has thrown his last pitch of the 2015 season and his career in real jeopardy. Sabathia, 35, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with inflammation in his right knee. Sabathia left Sunday’s game against the Indians with two out in the third inning due to pain in the knee, which was drained twice this season and received a cortisone shot last week. After making only eight starts last season, Sabathia underwent debridement surgery on the knee and was told that he would have to follow strict procedures to limit recurring pain. Sabathia, who is 4-9 with a 5.27 ERA in 24 starts this season, will see a specialist on Tuesday. But Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters, “Is it possible that he doesn’t pitch the rest of the year? It’s a possibility.” To replace Sabathia on the roster the Yankees announced that left-hander Chris Capuano had elected free agency and then signed a new Major-League contract with the team of the rest of the season.  . . .  Mark Teixeira, who has been nursing a deep bone bruise on his right leg, said on Tuesday that he was available to pinch-hit in Monday’s game. He was not used and Teixeira has now missed the team’s past six games with the injury. Girardi told reporters that he is hopeful Teixeira will be able to start Tuesday’s game.

ON DECK

The Yankees will continue their three-game home series with the Astros on Tuesday.

Nova (5-5, 3.72 ERA) will pitch for the Yankees. Nova is coming off a loss against the Indians on Thursday in which he was tagged for three runs on six hits and two walks while he struck four in five innings.

The Astros will start left-hander Dallas Keuchel (14-6, 2.37 ERA). Keuchel did not get a decision while giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.

 

 

Severino Quiets Tribe To Collect His First Victory

GAME 122

YANKEES 6, INDIANS 2

In his first three Major-League starts right-hander Luis Severino received a total of two runs of support in the 17 innings he had pitched. Despite giving up a run in the first inning on Saturday, the 21-year-old rookie got five runs of support in the first two innings of the game.

He pretty much took control of things from there.

Severino pitched six solid innings to notch his first Major-League victory and Brett Gardner and Brian McCann both homered in the first inning as New York downed Cleveland on Jorge Posada Day with a paid crowd of 47,031 on hand at Yankee Stadium.

Severino (1-2) held the Indians to one run on just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts in a workmanlike 100-pitch outing.

The only run he gave up was when fellow rookie Francisco Lindor laced his eighth pitch of the game into the right-field porch for his sixth home run of the season to give the Indians an early 1-0 lead.

It did not last long, however, as Gardner lined right-hander Danny Salazar’s seventh pitch off the top of the right-field wall for his 12th home run of the season. It came with Jacoby Ellsbury on first on a single and it gave Severino a 2-1 lead that he never relinquished the rest of the afternoon.

One out later, McCann crushed a 0-1 fastball into the bleachers in right-center for his 22nd home run of the season.

The Yankees added a pair of runs in the second inning after Stephen Drew and John Ryan Murphy opened the frame with singles to put runners at first and third with no outs.

Salazar then botched a potential double-play ball off the bat of Ellsbury by throwing wide of second base for an error. Ellsbury got credit for an RBI and Murphy was safe at second. After Murphy advanced to third on a fly ball by Gardner, Carlos Beltran scored him on a sacrifice fly that made it 5-1.

After entering the game pitching at least seven innings in his previous seven starts with a 1.45 ERA in that span, Salazar (11-7) was charged with five runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Severino got some help in keeping the Indians from mounting a comeback in both the third and sixth innings.

After Jason Kipnis drew a one-out walk and Lindor singled to advance him to third, Michael Brantley hit a hard one-hopper to rookie first baseman Greg Bird. Bird whirled and threw the ball high and wide to shortstop Didi Gregorius at second base.

Second base umpire Dan Iassogna ruled that Gregorius kept his foot on the base to retire Lindor. But, inexplicably, Kipnis elected to stay at third base on the play.

Indians manager Terry Francona asked Iassogna, the crew chief, to review the play using replay but the crew chose only to discuss it amongst themselves. Francona was ejected from the game by Iassogna during an ensuing argument.

In the sixth inning, Severino appeared to be wobbling as he approached the 100-pitch mark by issuing two-out walks to Lonnie Chisenhall and Abraham Almonte, However, he got out of the inning when Gregorius ranged to grab Roberto Perez’s ground ball and he retired Almonte at second base on a throw from the seat of his pants.

The Indians added a run in the eighth inning off right-hander Dellin Betances on a two-out bloop single by Chisenhall that scored Lindor, who led off the frame with a double.

The Yankees got that run back against right-hander Jeff Manship on a one-out double by Gregorius, a single by Drew and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Murphy.

The victory snapped a slight two-game skid and gave the Yankees a season record of 68-54. They remain a half-game ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Indians, who are in last place in the American League Central, dropped to 57-65.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Severino actually pitched much better in his previous three starts than he did on Saturday. But run support is essential to his success. Fortunately, Severino got it and he still was able to keep the Indians from coming back despite the four walks he issued. He is 1-2 with a 2.74 ERA and manager Joe Girardi announced on Saturday that he will remain in the rotation for now.
  • In only the second game he used it, McCann was able to hit a home run with a new batting stance that puts a lot more weight on his front foot to prevent him from flying open too early with his right shoulder. It also was fitting on Jorge Posada Day that McCann (who was the designated hitter) and Murphy each got a hit and drove in a run.
  • Gardner’s homer was a product of the short porch in right-field, but it still counts and it was a bit overdue. That was Gardner’s first home run since July 28 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. Gardner is batting .274 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs on the season.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • My only issue was the lineup Girardi chose to use against the Indians after they had lost the first two games of the series. With Mark Teixeira still nursing a sore right shin, he elected to bench Alex Rodriguez, which left Beltran hitting third, McCann fourth and the rookie Bird fifth. On Friday, Girardi benched both Ellsbury and Gregorius against a right-handed pitcher and the team lost. The Saturday moves did work but this resting philosophy with the Blue Jays breathing down the Yankees’ necks is just a bit silly.
  • Odd stat of the day: The Indians collected as many hits off Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller in the final two innings than they did against Severino in six. Linder doubled and Chisenhall singled off Betances in the eighth and Miller was touched by a leadoff single by Perez in the ninth. It is rare the “Twin Towers” give up any hits at all much less as many as the starter.

BOMBER BANTER

Right-hander Michael Pineda will come off the 15-day disabled list to start for the Yankees on Wednesday against the Houston Astros to push Masahiro Tanaka’s next start back to Friday, Girardi told reporters on Saturday. Pineda yielded one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings in his second rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. He has been on the DL since July 30 with a right forearm flexor strain. Girardi said he had no plans to remove anyone in the rotation. So it appears the Yankees will use a six-man rotation in the final month.  . . .  Posada was honored before Saturday’s game by having his No. 20 officially retired and a plaque placed in Monument Park. Posada played for the Yankees for 17 seasons and hit .273 with 275 homers and 1,065 RBIs. He was part of five world championship teams and was a five-time All-Star. On Sunday, the Yankees similarly will honor one of his battery-mates, left-hander Andy Pettitte.

ON DECK

The Yankees will have a chance to split the four-game series against the Indians with a victory on Sunday.

Left-hander CC Sabathia (4-9, 5.24 ERA) will go to the mound for the Yankees. Sabathia, 35, gave up four runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in a no-decision that the Yankees won against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

Right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-10, 4.62 ERA) will pitch for the Indians. Bauer, 24, was shelled for five runs on six hits and one walk in just 1 2/3 innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. In his previous start on Aug. 13, he gave up six runs in 3 1/3 innings to the Yankees at Progressive Field.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network.

 

A-Rod’s Slam Delivers Knockout Blow To Twins

GAME 118

YANKEES 8, TWINS 4

Great Major-League players soar to amazing peaks and yet they also can sink to some really deep valleys. The valley Alex Rodriguez was in entering Tuesday’s game was approaching the width of the Grand Canyon, having not gotten a hit in 18 at-bats and riding a 3-for-39 slide until he came to the plate in the seventh inning.

All of that changed with one big swing.

Rodriguez laced a 1-0 fastball into the Yankees bullpen in right-center for his 25th career grand slam to lead New York to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Minnesota in front of 38,007 fans at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez’s 25th home run of the season and his first since his 40th birthday on July 27 came off right-hander T.J. Graham (0-1), who had inherited a bases-loaded, one-out jam from left-hander Ryan O’Rourke.

O’Rourke entered the seventh protecting a 4-1 Twins lead but Chase Headley led off with a pinch-hit single and Brendan Ryan drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. One out later, O’Rourke also walked Brett Gardner on a 3-2 pitch to set the stage for Rodriguez’s heroics.

Rodriguez already had passed former Yankee great Lou Gehrig for the most career grand slams with No. 24 on Sept. 20, 2013 against the San Francisco Giants. No. 25 put the Yankees in the lead for the first time since the fourth inning and received a fevered request for a curtain call from the crowd, which Rodriguez obliged.

The Yankees added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off Graham to pad their lead to four runs. Headley keyed the rally with a two-run double and Jacoby Ellsbury added an RBI single.

Rookie right-hander Nick Rumbelow (1-0), who was just called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the day, allowed an RBI single in the seventh but completed the inning by striking out Aaron Hicks to earn his first Major-League victory.

Left-hander Andrew Miller pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out three to earn his 27th save in 28 chances this season.

The game began as a pitcher’s duel between Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey.

Sabathia opened the game by throwing 4 1/3 innings of perfect baseball and he held a 1-0 lead after a one-out ground-rule double in the fourth off the bat of Carlos Beltran and the first Major-League RBI on a single by Greg Bird, who was in the lineup replacing an injured Mark Teixeira.

However, Sabathia allowed a one-out free pass to Trevor Plouffe in the fifth. One out later, Eduardo Escobar singled to right and Kurt Suzuki followed with a double down the left-field line that scored Plouffe.

However, Escobar was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay from Garder in left to shortstop Didi Gregorius to catcher Brian McCann, who tagged Escobar for the final out of the inning.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when Sabathia issued a leadoff walk to Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano hit his next offering into the first row of the left-field bleachers for his ninth home run of the season and his third against the Yankees.

After Sabathia retired the next two batters, Escobar and Suzuki chased him from the contest with a pair of singles. Shane Robinson then greeted Rumbelow with an RBI single that extended the Twins’ lead to 4-1.

Sabathia, 35, was charged with four runs on five hits and three walks and he struck out five batters in 6 2/3 innings. Sabathia has not won a game since July 8 at home against the Oakland Athletics, a stretch of six starts.

Pelfrey, 31, was charged with one run on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The Yankees have rebounded from a five-game losing streak to have posted five victories in their past six games. They are now 66-52 on the season and they have maintained their one-game lead in the American League East over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The Twins have fallen under .500 to 59-60.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Sabathia did pitch well but the Yankees never seem to score runs until after he leaves the game. It happened again on Tuesday. Though Sabathia is 4-9 with a 5.23 ERA, he has a 3.38 ERA in his past three starts. He also pitched deep into the seventh inning on a night the Yankees needed length from their starter after rookie right-hander Bryan Mitchell left Monday’s game with a nasal fracture in the second inning.
  • Rodriguez has always seemed to thrive on the big stage in the Bronx, NY, and he did again on Tuesday. It is not clear of his prolonged slump is over but he came up with a huge game-winning hit just when it was needed. With Teixeira nursing a bruised right shin the Yankees need Rodriguez to provide power and drive in runs. Though his season average has fallen to .261, he is second on the team in homers (25) and third in RBIs (67).
  • Headley came off the bench in the seventh and provided a single that began the four-run uprising in the inning and then he added a two-run double in the eighth to extend the lead to 7-4. Since the All-Star break, Headley os batting .327 with one home run and 20 RBIs. His clutch hitting has been overshadowed by McCann, Teixeira, Rodriguez and Beltran but he has been producing a lot under the radar.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Just as they did last night with right-hander Kyle Gibson, the Yankees allowed Pelfrey to lull their bats to sleep with a steady diet of breaking pitches. Fortunately for the Yankees, the Twins eventually have to use their bullpen and it is a powder keg just awaiting a spark. In the past two nights, the Yankees are 12-for-32 (.375) against Twins relievers and they scored 10 runs on them in seven innings.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees placed Mitchell, 24, on the seven-day concussion disabled list after he sustained a small nasal fracture on a line drive off the bat of Eduardo Nunez in the second inning of Monday’s 8-7 victory in 10 innings. In addition the Yankees also optioned right-hander Caleb Cotham, 27, to Scranton and recalled Rumbelow and selected the contract of left-hander Chris Capuano from the same club. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters on Tuesday that it is possible that Mitchell could pitch in seven days depending how his recovery goes.  . . .  Teixeira, 35, was held out the lineup on Tuesday with a sore right leg after he fouled a pitch off himself in the sixth inning on Monday. Both X-rays and a CT scan indicate Teixeira has a deep shin bone bruise. But Girardi said it is unlikely to result in Teixeira being placed on the disabled list. Bird, 22, started in his place on Tuesday and was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

ON DECK

The Yankees can sweep the Twins in their three-game home series with a victory on Wednesday.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (12-2, 4.26 ERA) will start for the Yankees riding an eight-game winning streak. Eovaldi yielded four runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in a victory against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.

The Twins will counter with veteran right-hander Ervin Santana (2-3, 5.66 ERA). Santana, 32, was rocked for five runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings in a no-decision against the Texas Rangers on Friday.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.

 

Yankees Down Twins In 10th On Nunez’s Misplay

GAME 117

YANKEES 8, TWINS 7 (10 INNINGS)

On a night where the team was literally battered, bruised and besieged leave it to a former New York Yankees shortstop to provide the Yankees with the mistake that handed them a hard-fought 10-inning walk-off victory at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

Chase Headley’s hard-hit bases-loaded grounder clanked off Eduardo Nunez’s glove just enough to allow Greg Bird to score the winning run as New York came back from a 7-5 deficit to beat Minnesota on what was Frank Sinatra Night.

And in true Sinatra-like fashion, the Yankees did their way.

Facing Twins closer Glen Perkins, Bird opened the inning with a line-drive double in the gap in right-center. The only reason Bird was in the game is starting first baseman Mark Teixeira was forced to leave the game in the sixth with a bruised right leg.

Brian McCann, who had driven in five runs on the night with a two-out three-run homer and a two-out two-run single earlier, delivered a double off the glove of left-fielder Eddie Rosario, which should have scored Bird easily with the winning run.

However, Bird went back to tag up at second base and was unable to score because Rosario got the ball in quickly.

With Bird at third and McCann on second, the Twins intentionally walked Carlos Beltran, who had tied the game up with one out in the sixth inning with a two-run home run. Twins manager Paul Molitor then replaced right-fielder Torii Hunter with infielder Eduardo Escobar and positioned him to give the Twins five infielders.

Headley then slapped a 1-2 pitch on two hops to Nunez at shortstop. But Nunez  –  who basically punched his ticket out of New York because of chronic fielding issues  –  allowed the ball to carom off his glove.

Nunez inexplicably threw to first base to retire Headley after Bird already had scored the decisive run.

I want to wake up in a city
That doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill
Top of the heap

The Yankees’ walk-off victory allowed them to extend their lead in the American League East over the idle Toronto Blue Jays to a full game.

But getting from Point A (the game) to Point B (the victory) proved extremely difficult despite the fact that McCann provided rookie right-hander Bryan Mitchell an early 3-0 lead on a night that CC Sabathia was scheduled to pitch but didn’t because Yankees manager Joe Girardi wanted to give all his starters an extra day of rest.

So the Yankees opened the first with Jacoby Ellsbury reaching on a single and Alex Rodriguez drew a one-out walk. One out later, McCann launched a 0-2 fastball off right-hander Kyle Gibson deep into the right-field bleachers for his 21st home run of the season.

The Twins got one of the runs back in the second inning when Rosario and Kurt Suzuki hit a pair of two-out singles and Nunez capped it by lining a wicked line drive that struck Mitchell in the face and the ball caromed into center-field to score Rosario.

Mitchell immediately fell to the ground with blood pouring profusely from his nose. Mitchell was able to walk off the mound with a towel covering his face with what later was diagnosed as a nasal fracture.

Girardi called upon rookie right-hander Caleb Cotham to replace Mitchell and Cotham was able to strike out Aaron Hicks to end the inning with Suzuki on third and Nunez on second after a stolen base.

But the Twins took advantage of the inexperienced Cotham in the third inning. Brian Dozier led off with a single and, one out later, Miguel Sano stroked his eighth home run of the season into the left-field bleachers.

Forced to leave Cotham in because the Yankees were a man short in the bullpen with Mitchell starting, Trevor Plouffe exploited it by singling to right and Hunter reached on a fielder’s choice in which shortstop Didi Gregorius mishandled his ground ball for an error and it allowed Plouffe to reach third.

Rosario followed with an RBI single to center and the Twins took a 4-3 lead.

But the Yankees reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame after Ellsbury singled, Brett Gardner walked and Rodriguez hit a hard-hit grounder that caromed past Plouffe into left-field for an error. Ellsbury, however, was thrown out at home plate on a throw from Rosario. It was his 11th outfield assist of the season.

Because the Twins were running the bases every chance they got in the game, Rodriguez decided to steal a base on a befuddled Gibson. That proved to be a very smart move.

One out later, McCann dumped a bloop single to right that allowed both Gardner and Rodriguez to score. The Yankees reclaimed the lead 5-4.

But it did not last for even one hitter in the fourth. The Twins again exploited Cotham when Hicks led off with his eighth home run of the season into the Yankees bullpen in right-field.

Two batters later Cotham left in favor of left-hander Chasen Shreve after being charged with four runs on six hits in just two innings.

But the normally reliable Shreve was ambushed in the fifth inning when Plouffe led off by cracking a 1-2 pitch that also landed in the Yankees bullpen for his 18th home run of the season.

Plouffe extended the Twins’ lead to 7-5 with two out in the sixth. After Joe Mauer and Sano reached on two-out singles off left-hander Justin Wilson, Plouffe followed with an RBI single to left.

But the seesaw game swung back again in the sixth inning after Teixeira battled Gibson to draw an 12-pitch walk. Bird pinch-ran for Teixeira after the veteran first baseman fouled a pitch off his right leg earlier in the at-bat.

Molitor replaced Gibson with left-hander Brian Duensing. After Duensing struck out McCann, Beltran tied it 7-7 with his 13th home run of the season and his third homer in his past four games.

Gibson, who entered the contest with an ERA over 10.00 in four career starts against the Yankees, was charged with six runs on four hits and three walks and struck out two in five-plus innings.

The game remained tied despite the fact the Yankees loaded the bases with one out against first left-hander Ryan O’Rourke and then right-hander Casey Fien. The Yankees had McCann and Beltran up with the bases loaded but McCann was retired by Fien on a weak infield popup and Beltran struck out swinging.

But the Yankees bullpen trio of right-hander Adam Warren (seventh), right-hander Dellin Betances (seventh, eighth and ninth) and left-hander Andrew Miller (10th) held the Twins to one hit and one walk and struck out five in the final four innings to set up the walk-off victory in the 10th.

Miller (1-2) was credited with his first victory of the season in relief. Perkins (1-4) took the loss.

The Yankees improved their season record to 65-52. The Twins dropped to 59-59.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • McCann had himself a MVP-like night after going 3-for-5 with a single, double, home run, a run scored and five RBIs. The five RBIs tied a career high, which he has done six times. You think that was good? Well, how about his work behind the plate? McCann threw out three Twins base-runners to become the first Yankees catcher to do that since Jose Molina did it 2011 against the Boston Red Sox. McCann threw out Dozier in the fourth, Hunter in the fifth and Nunez in the seventh.
  • Beltran’s hot streak in August continued in a big way on Monday. He was only 1-for-4 but that one was a game-tying home run. This season eight of Beltran’s 13 home runs have either tied or given the Yankees a lead. Beltran is batting .317 with five homers and nine RBIs halfway through the month. It appears Beltran is tired of being platooned with Chris Young and he now has become a must-start every day.
  • Let’s give a shout out to Brian Cashman for having the foresight to release “Eduardo Scissorhands” (Nunez) on April Fool’s Day of 2014. That seems appropriate since Nunez committed 42 errors in 270 games with the Yankees between 2010 and 2013.  Now he is the Twins’ problem and his shaky fielding handed the Yankees a victory. “It’s all my fault,” Nunez told reporters. “The pitcher did his job. I have to do my job and make the play. It’s all on my back. This game. I think I lost the game.” Well said, Scissorhands!

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • I have no idea what the Yankees see in Cotham, 27. He looked tentative on the mound and he seemed absolutely afraid to throw a pitch in the strike zone. It might get hitters to swing out of the zone at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but not in Major League Baseball. There is a strong possibility that Cotham will be shipped back to Scranton now that he is sporting a 7.36 ERA in just two games.
  • Rodriguez’s struggles continue and they are getting worse. He was 0-for-4 with a walk, which means he is now in a 3-for-37 (.081) skid since Aug. 6. His season average has sunk 19 points from .281 to .262 and he struck out 10 times in those 37 at-bats. He was rested on Saturday so that is not an excuse. Perhaps he needs to be lowered in the order. That is what got him going early in the season.

BOMBER BANTER

X-rays of Mitchell indicated a small nasal fracture but the team is also going to monitor the 24-year-old right-hander for concussion symptoms. He is expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to Tuesday’s game.  . . .  Precautionary X-rays taken on Teixeira’s right leg just above his knee were negative. Teixeira, 35, was unable to put any pressure on the leg after the game and he is listed as day-to-day.  . . .  As part of a salute to the late Frank Sinatra on Monday, his son Frank Jr. sang the national anthem before the game and the first 18,000 fans (21 and over) were given free Frank Sinatra music download cards.

ON DECK

A battered and tired Yankee team will resume its three-game home series with Twins on Tuesday.

Sabathia (4-9, 5.23) will pitch for the Yankees with that extra day of rest. Despite giving up two runs on nine hits and two walks in six innings against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday, the Yankees gave him just one run of support and he took the loss.

Veteran right-hander Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.70 ERA) will pitch for the Twins. He held Texas Rangers to one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in seven innings of a 11-1 victory on Wednesday.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network.

 

Tanaka Goes Route As Yankees Cool Jays Again

GAME 115

YANKEES 4, BLUE JAYS 1

Going into Saturday’s game at Rogers Centre the New York Yankees knew they would be without both right-hander Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller because they had both pitched in the previous two games the team won. So the question was: Who would close for the Yankees?

Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka provided the answer. He would.

Tanaka threw his first complete game of the season and Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira both hit solo home runs as New York knocked off Toronto for the second straight day and extended their American League East lead over the Blue Jays to 1 1/2 games.

Tanaka (9-5) held the powerful Blue Jays to one run on just five hits and three walks while struck out eight batters in a sparkling 112-pitch outing. It was Tanaka’s first victory of the season over the Blue Jays in three starts.

“Up to this point, I think today was one of the most important games that I’ve pitched in,” Tanaka told reporters through an interpreter. “My mindset was, I wanted to go as deep into the game as possible. I was really satisfied that I was able to do that.”

Beltran, who was the big hero in Friday’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Blue Jays with a pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth inning, got the Yankees’ offense rolling right away against right-hander Marco Estrada (10-7).

With two out in the first inning, Beltran lined a 3-2 fastball into the right-field bleachers for his 12th home run of the season.

Meanwhile, Tanaka looked every bit the $155-million ace the Yankees signed as free agent last season through the first four innings until he temporarily lost command of the strike zone in the fifth.

Ryan Goins drew a leadoff four-pitch walk and Ben Revere followed it with a hard-hit single to left. Tanaka then walked Troy Tulowitzki on four pitches to load the bases with no outs.

Josh Donaldson scored Goins with a sacrifice fly to left but Tanaka was able to wriggle out of further trouble by striking out Jose Bautista swinging and retiring Edwin Encarnacion on a infield popup.

He did not allow another hit except a two-out single by Encarnacion in the eighth inning.

Estrada, at the same time, recovered from the first-inning to hold the Yankees to just one hit  –  a one-out triple by Jacoby Ellsbury in the third  –  until there were two outs in the sixth inning.

Teixeira entered the day struggling in August, batting .182 during the month and 2-for-21 (.095) in his past five games. But he was able to connect on a 1-0 fastball and hit it into the second deck down the right-field line for his 31st home run of the season.

Teixeira’s tie-breaking home run was all Tanaka really would need but Teixeira also added a one-out RBI single in the eighth off right-hander LaTroy Hawkins after Beltran had doubled off the top of the wall in right-center.

Ellsbury closed out the scoring in the ninth with an one-out RBI single off left-hander Aaron Loup.

“Right now, the most important thing is winning,” Beltran told reporters. “It doesn’t matter how we win, we just have to go out there with the mentality of not being able to think of our personal numbers, what we’re doing. We have to think about how we can win this ballgame. Right now, we’re doing good.”

Another sellout crowd of 46,630 saw the Yankees win their third straight game after they had lost the previous five games. Their season record is now 64-51. The Blue Jays dropped to 64-54.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Tanaka, 26, has been somewhat disappointing this season between stretches of inconsistency and a stint on the disabled list. But on Saturday he looked every bit the ace pitcher the Yankees wanted him to be. Despite the three walks, Tanaka kept Toronto’s hitters off-balance by using his slider more than usual and not giving them fastballs in the strike zone. Tulowitzki, Donaldson and Bautista were a combined 1-for-8 with two strikeouts and only two balls reached the outfield.
  • Beltran’s hot month of August continued on Saturday as he was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and one RBI. He now has a hitting streak of 10 games and he is 12-for-32 (.375) with four homers and seven RBIs in that stretch. He is now batting .271 on the season.
  • Teixeira’s home run and two RBIs were his first of each since he homered in the first game of the series against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 7. He ended his day 2-for-4 with a run scored and he drove in the tie-breaking run and added a key insurance run. Despite the slump Teixeira is batting .261 with 31 homers and 79 RBIs this season.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

I would really have to nitpick to find a downside to this game. After losing in 10 innings 2-1 to the Blue Jays on Aug. 7 on a Bautista home run, Bautista said the Blue Jays did more than beat the Yankees. They made a “statement.” Well, after losing the first two games of this series I wonder what has become of Bautista’s “statement?” You may want to put a lot of ketchup on that serving of crow, Jose!

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees bolstered their bullpen on Saturday by recalling right-hander Caleb Catham from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designating left-hander Chris Capuano for assignment for a second time. Cotham, 27, will be beginning his third stint with the Yankees this season. In 31 games between Double-A Trenton and Scranton, Cotham is 6-2 with a 1.89 ERA and two saves. Capuano, 36, had not appeared in a game since the Yankees selected his contract from Scranton on Aug. 12. He was 0-4 with a 6.97 ERA in 16 games (four starts) with the Yankees.  . . .  Rookie Greg Bird started at first base on Saturday to allow Teixeira to serve as the designated hitter and he singled with two out in the eighth inning off Hawkins for his first Major-League hit. In the sixth inning, Bird, 22, hit a mammoth drive into the right-field seats, which would have been a two-run home run. But it was ruled a foul ball and a review of the play confirmed the call.  . . .  Right-hander Ivan Nova will make his next start despite soreness in right ring finger. Nova, 28, thought he had fractured the finger after he attempted to grab a come-backer off the bat of Tulowitzki in the third inning of Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Nova still was able to pitch seven innings and got credit for his fifth victory of the season.

ON DECK

After being swept by the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium last weekend the Yankees will have a chance to return the favor to the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Rookie right-hander Luis Severino (0-1, 2.45 ERA) will make his third career start for the Yankees. Severino, 21, has not yielded more than two runs or pitched less than five innings in his first two starts. However, he is still seeking his first Major-League victory.

The Blue Jays will counter with right-hander Drew Hutchison (11-2, 5.26 ERA). Judging by the ERA you can tell that Hutchison, 24, is living off the run support the Blue Jays are providing him. In five starts in July, Hutchison recorded a 6.93 ERA and yet he was 1-1 in those starts.

Game-time will be 1:07 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network.

 

Yanks Explode To 5-Game End Skid, Down Tribe

GAME 113

YANKEES 8, INDIANS 6

As it has been for most of the season, if the New York Yankees are in a hitting slump all they have to is start right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to break them out it. That is just what happened on Thursday night at Progressive Field.

Brian McCann blasted a three-run homer and Brett Gardner had three hits and drove in three runs to back Eovaldi as New York ended a poorly timed five-game losing streak with a victory over Cleveland.

McCann’s 20th home run of the season came with two out in the first inning off right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-9) and scored Jacoby Ellsbury and Gardner, who have both struggled to get on base throughout the Yankees latest skid.

They added a run on a solo home run by Stephen Drew with one out in the second inning.

Eovaldi (12-2) did not pitch sharply but he was the beneficiary of the same run support he has been getting all season. The Yankees average just over seven runs per start for Eovaldi.

The Yankees finally chased Bauer in the fourth inning on a leadoff single by Didi Gregorius, an RBI double by Drew and a one-out double by Gardner.

Bauer was charged with six runs on seven hits and two walks while he fanned one in 3 1/3 innings.

The Indians managed to hang close by scoring two runs in both the third and six innings off Eovaldi.

Michael Brantley hit a sacrifice fly in the third to score the Indians’ first run and Carlos Santana followed with an RBI single to halve the Yankees’ lead to 4-2.

Former Yankee farmhand Abraham Almonte stroked an RBI double in the sixth and Lonnie Chisenhall ended Eovaldi ‘s night with an RBI single one out later to bring the Indians to within two runs at 6-4.

Eovaldi yielded four runs on seven hits and three walks and struck out four batters in 5 1/3 innings to win his eighth game in a row and he now is undefeated in his past 10 starts.

Right-hander Adam Warren rescued Eovaldi by coming on the sixth inning and inducing an inning-ending double play off the bat of Giovanny Urshela.

The Yankees added solo run in both the sixth and eighth innings and they came on RBI singles by Gardner.

The Indians hung close by scoring a run off left-hander Justin Wilson when right-hander Dellin Betances uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two out in the seventh inning. But Betances got out of the jam by striking out Almonte swinging.

The Indians added a run in the ninth off left-hander Andrew Miller on a two-out RBI single by Yan Gomes. But Miller struck out Chisenhall looking to record his 24th save after blowing his hist first save of the season against the Indians on Tuesday.

With the victory the Yankees improved their season record to 62-51. They are a half-game behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Indians fell to 53-60.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • America may run on Dunkin’ but the Yankees run on Ellsbury and Gardner. After the both of them stinking it up for a week, the pair reached base in a combined 7 times in 10 plate appearances. Gardner was 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs. Ellsbury was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.
  • McCann’s 20th home run puts him in rare company. He becomes only the fifth catcher since 1900 to hit 20 or more home runs in nine straight seasons. The other four are Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter and Johnny Bench. The home run was McCann’s eighth on the road this season. He is now batting .242 with 20 homers and 69 RBIs on the season.
  • Drew entered the game batting .190 but managed to go 2-for-3 with a homer, four runs scored and two RBIs. Drew’s home run was his second of the series against the Indians and his 15th of the season, which leads all second baseman in the American League.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Eovaldi once again got hurt by his high pitch count. Between inconsistency in throwing strikes and the Indians putting 10 base-runners on against him in 5 1/3 innings, he was not able to either allow the bullpen to rest or to keep the Indians from getting back into the game. It does not matter now but it could hurt a lot in a potential playoff game.
  • Alex Rodriguez is swinging at a lot of pitches out of the strike zone and it shows that he is pressing. Rodriguez was 0-for-4 with a walk and he struck once and hit into a double play in another at-bat. In his past six games, Rodriguez is 2-for-25 (.080) with six strikeouts. His season average has dipped to .268.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees on Thursday optioned right-hander Nick Goody to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and selected the contract of first baseman Greg Bird. Bird, 22, was batting a combined .277 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs between Double-A Trenton and Scranton. Bird made his Major-League debut on Thursday starting at first base in place of a resting Mark Teixeira and he was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.  . . .  Right-hander Michael Pineda is scheduled to make his first rehab start on Sunday for Trenton and he hopes to make it back into the rotation before Sept. 1. Pineda was placed on the disabled list since July 30 with a right flexor forearm muscle strain. He is 9-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 19 starts this season.

ON DECK

Because of their home meltdown against the Blue Jays last weekend the Yankees open a very important three-game weekend road series at Rogers Centre starting on Friday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (4-4, 3.42 ERA) will start the opener for the Yankees. Nova won three games in a row and stymied the Blue Jays for five innings before surrendering a grand slam to Justin Smoak in the sixth on Saturday.

Left-hander David Price (11-4, 2.35 ERA) will pitch for the Blue Jays. Price shut out the Yankees on three hits and three walks while striking out seven in a victory against the Saturday.

Game-time will be 7:07 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.

 

Ellsbury’s Blast Propels Yanks Over Former Team

GAME 106

YANKEES 2, RED SOX 1

With the series between the Yankees and Red Sox on the line in the seventh inning on Thursday it would stand to reason that the deciding hit would come from a former Red Sox star  –  and one that was coming into the series struggling at the plate.

Jacoby Ellsbury launched a 2-1 pitch from left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez into the second deck of the right-field stands to break a 1-1 tie and give New York a decisive series victory over rival Boston in front of a paid crowd of 48,608 at Yankee Stadium.

Ellsbury’s fifth home run of the season broke up a spirited and emotional pitcher’s duel between 35-year-old veteran left-hander CC Sabathia and the 22-year-old rookie Rodriguez.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a two-out single by Brett Gardner and an RBI double off the bat of Alex Rodriguez.

But the Red Sox broke through against Sabathia in the fifth on a one-out single by Ryan Hanigan, a costly two-out walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. and an RBI single by Rusney Castillo that just eluded shortstop Didi Gregorius enough to allow Hanigan to score.

The Red Sox extended the inning when Xander Bogaerts drew a four-pitch walk to reload the bases. But Sabathia bowed his neck and struck out David Ortiz swinging on a 1-2 fastball to leave the bases loaded. Sabathia punctuated the moment by shaking his fist and screaming as he left the mound.

Unfortunately, on a night where Sabathia displayed his best stuff in what has been a frustrating season for him, he was not able to get the victory. But he did hold the Red Sox to one run on just three hits with three walks and a season-high eight strikeouts in six innings.

“Hopefully, I can just keep building on this and take this into my next start, and give us a chance to win,” Sabathia told reporters.

Left-hander Justin Wilson (4-0) gave up a two-out single but struck out the side in the seventh to earn the victory in relief. The Yankees vaunted “Twin Towers,” right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller, threw a scoreless frame each to preserve the victory. Miller was credited with his 24th save in 24 chances this season.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez held the Yankees to one run until Ellsbury came to the plate with one out in the seventh and launched a massive blast into the bleachers to bite the team that had drafted him and for which he played seven seasons.

“It’s nice to put some good swings on balls and get results. Tonight for sure was a big hit, contributing to a win,” Ellsbury said.

Rodriguez was charged with two runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.

Sabathia’s emotion spilled over with one out in the fourth inning when home-plate umpire Rob Drake called a 2-2 pitch to Hanley Ramirez  –  Sabathia’s seventh pitch of the at-bat  –  a ball. Sabathia turned away from home plate visibly upset with the call.

Drake walked out to the mound and said something to Sabathia that angered him even more. After Sabathia retired both Ramirez and Mike Napoli on groundouts he shouted at Drake again as he walked to the dugout.

“I didn’t complain about one pitch all night, so for him to come out and tell me not to walk around the mound, it pissed me off,” Sabathia told reporters.

For the Red Sox it was another game and series loss that has been the story of their dismal season. Their offense is dreadful and their bullpen leaks more a bamboo roof. That is why they are playing out the string and the Yankees are planning to make a huge playoff run.

The Yankees ran their season record to 61-46 and they are 4 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Red Sox are 48-61 and in last place in the division 14 games behind the Yankees.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Ellsbury’s average was .324 when he was injured on May 19. Going into this game he was 19-for-94 (.202) since then to lower his average to .277. But on Thursday, Ellsbury was 2-for-4, including his game-winning blast. If the Yankees are to succeed they need Ellsbury to get on base and create havoc with his speed.
  • Sabathia’s effort was just special to see unfold. Coming into the contest he was 4-8 with 5.54 ERA in his 20 starts. But his velocity and his slider were big reasons why he looked like his former ace self. “CC pitched great,” Ellsbury told reporters. “I thought his velocity was up, his location, showing emotion out there.”
  • I can never give too much credit to the Yankees’ bullpen. It has been the foundation of this team and they are deadly when the Yankees take a late lead as they did on Thursday. Wilson, Betances and Miller combined to strike out five of the last nine outs they recorded. They just give a team no hope to come back.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • After struggling to hit off a gimmick pitch like a knuckleball on Wednesday the Yankees struggled to get anything going again tonight. It may not be a sign of anything. But with a big series coming up it is a concern.

BOMBER BANTER

Brian McCann sat out a second straight game due to a strained right knee. McCann, according to manager Joe Girardi, is available to pinch-hit and he could catch in an emergency. But Girardi said McCann needs a few days to allow the injury to heal and he is still day-to-day. John Ryan Murphy started in McCann’s place and he was 0-for-3.

ON DECK

The Yankees will begin a huge three-game series with the hot Blue Jays on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30 ERA) will open the series for the Yankees. Eovaldi has been just as hot as the Blue Jays, having won eight straight decisions including a 13-6 thrashing of the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Eovaldi, 25, gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

The Yankees will face a knuckleball pitcher again. The Blue Jays will use right-hander R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.06 ERA). Dickey, 40, shut out the Kansas City Royals on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in seven innings on Sunday.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network.