Tagged: Justin Wilson

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

A-Rod Turns 40 In Style As Yankees Blast Rangers

GAME 98

YANKEES 6, RANGERS 2

The entire 2015 season has been a celebration for Alex Rodriguez because he did not play at all in 2014. On Monday, he celebrated his 40th birthday in fine style at Globe Life Park, a venue he knows very well form his days with the Rangers.

Rodriguez cranked out a home run and Didi Gregorius also homered and drove in a career-high four runs as New York continued its hot run in the heat of July by defeating Texas in front of national TV audience on ESPN.

With the Yankees leading 3-2 with one out in the sixth, Rodriguez sent a 3-1 offering from left-hander Matt Harrison (1-2) just over the wall in right-field for his 24th home run of the season and the 678th of his career.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodriguez joined Ty Cobb, Rusty Staub and Gary Sheffield as the only players in baseball history who homered before turning 20 and also homered after turning 40. Rodriguez also has the distinction of hitting six home runs on his birthday  –  four of them in Arlington, TX  –  which leads all Major League players.

The run support benefitted right-hander Ivan Nova (3-3), who pitched five solid innings to win his second consecutive start after losing three consecutive starts for the first time in his career.

The Rangers actually struck first with two out in the bottom of the second inning

Josh Hamilton blooped a single in left and Elvis Andrus followed with lined RBI double off the left-field wall to plate Hamilton. Leonys Martin then rolled an RBI single to center to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

But the Yankees responded in the top of the third on a leadoff single by Chase Headley, one of his three hits in the game, and Gregorius followed by lining his fifth home run of the season into the right-field stands.

Brendan Ryan extended the rally by lacing a triple off the left-field wall. After Brett Gardner drew a walk, Chris Young scored Ryan on a sacrifice fly to left to give the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game.

Nova, 28, gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings. The bullpen comprised of Chasen Shreve, Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances did not yield a hit and struck out six batters over the final four innings to preserve the victory for Nova.

The Yankees chased Harrison in the seventh after Carlos Beltran drew a leadoff walk and Headley stroked a double to right-field.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister replaced Harrison with left-hander Sam Freeman but Gregorius greeted him with a two-run single to right to extend the Yankees’ lead to 6-2.

Harrison, making only his third start of the season after recovering from back surgery, was charged with six runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in six-plus innings.

The Yankees have now won 12 of their past 15 games and they are 15-5 since July 1.

The team’s season record improved to 56-42 and they increased their lead over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles to seven games in the American League East. The Rangers fell to 47-51.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • On May 15, Gregorius was batting .202 and he was making a lot of mistakes in the field and on the bases. But very quietly Gregorius has cleaned up his play in the field and he is 20-for-68 (.294) in July with a homer and nine RBIs. That has raised his season average to . 248. Though Gregorius, 25, will never replace Derek Jeter it appears he is growing into a worthy successor.
  • Headley continued his red-hot hitting by going 3-for-4 with a double, two singles and two runs scored. Headley is 24-for-69 (.389) with a homer and 11 RBIs since July 1. That has raised his season average to .268. With Headley and Gregorius hot at the bottom part of the order it has lengthened the lineup and made it tougher for pitchers to navigate through it.
  • Rodriguez’s 24th homer of the season ties him with former Rangers teammate Mark Teixeira with the team lead. Though Rodriguez is batting only .251 this month, he has cranked out nine homers and he has four in his past two games.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

All is well. The team is getting solid starting pitching, they are scoring runs and the bullpen is shutting down opponents cold in the late innings. You add that all up and there is simply nothing wrong with this team. They are playing like they are going to coast to the division title. No complaints.

BOMBER BANTER

Manager Joe Girardi said he removed Nova after only 75 pitches in five innings because Nova complained of arm fatigue. The 28-year-old right-hander was making only sixth start of the season after returning from Tommy John surgery. Girardi said Nova said he was not experiencing any pain but just thought it was better not to try to risk going out for the sixth inning.  . . .  Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was not in the starting lineup a day after crashing into the wall making a great catch at Target Field but he was deployed as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning on Monday. Ellsbury jammed his right shoulder on the play but he said that Monday was a scheduled day off and the injury is not serious.  . . . Teixeira was angry with third-base coach Joe Espada on Monday after Teixeira was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on Headley’s single with two out in the eighth inning. Espada apparently said “Easy, easy” as Teixeira rounded third but Martin threw Teixeira out at the plate. The 34-year-old first baseman threw up his arms and screamed at Espada after the play. Later Teixeira was shown throwing a cooler in the dugout.

ON DECK

The Yankees will continue their four-game road series with the Rangers on Tuesday.

Left-hander Chris Capuano (0-4, 5.64 ERA) will come out of the bullpen to make a rare start for the Yankees in order to give Masahiro Tanaka an extra day of rest. Capuano, 36, will be making only his fourth start of the season and his first since May 29. He is expected to pitch about five innings and give way to right-hander Adam Warren.

The Rangers will counter with left-hander Martin Perez (0-1, 4.91 ERA). Perez, 24, will be making only his third start of the season after coming off the disabled list. He gave up three runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts six innings of a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

Game-time will be 8:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally by FOX Sports 1.

 

 

Yankees’ 6-Run Sixth Hands Eovaldi 10th Victory

GAME 97

YANKEES 7, TWINS 2

The New York Yankees seem to have a ticking time-bomb offense this season. Sometimes the fuse runs a bit longer than others but on Sunday it finally blew in the sixth inning at Target Field.

The Yankees broke up a 1-1 tie with a six-run sixth inning punctuated by a two-run homer by Stephen Drew and Nathan Eovaldi pitched into the ninth inning to earn his 10th victory as New York pounded Minnesota to go a season-high 13 games over .500.

Eovaldi (10-2) and right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-8) were locked into a 1-1 pitchers’ duel when Brett Gardner led off the sixth inning with a single and Gibson ended up loading the bases by walking both Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann.

One out later, Garrett Jones broke the tie with an RBI single to right and Chase Headley, who had homered to lead off the fifth inning to tie the game, cracked a two-run single to plate Teixeira and McCann and advance Jones to third.

Twins manager Paul Molitor replaced Gibson with left-hander Ryan O’Rourke and Didi Gregorius greeted him with a sacrifice safety-squeeze bunt that scored Jones and advanced Headley to second base.

Drew then capped the inning his two-run home run into right-field bleachers, his 13th of the season.

Gibson was charged with six runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, after Eovaldi yielded a run in the bottom of the third inning he settled down to pitch one of his better games of the season.

Aaron Hicks reached first with one out in the third on an infield single. Brian Dozier followed with a single to left in which Hicks slid into third just ahead of a throw from center-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and Dozier was able to reach second on the play.

Torii Hunter then hit a hard ground ball that caromed off Headley’s glove, but Gregorius was able to pick it up and get Hunter at first. However, Hicks scored on the play.

Miguel Sano opened the ninth with a double and Yankees manager Joe Girardi brought in left-hander Justin Wilson for Eovaldi. But Wilson was tagged for an RBI single up the middle by Trevor Plouffe.

After Eddie Rosario singled to right, right-hander Dellin Betances came on to get the final three outs to preserve the victory for Eovaldi, who has not lost a start since June 16 and is 5-0 with a 2.93 ERA in his past seven starts.

Eovaldi gave up two runs on eight hits and one walk with five strikeouts in eight-plus innings.

After dropping the first game of the series the Yankees were able to recover to win the last two games to run their record at Target Field to 16-5 and they have not lost a series to the Twins there since it opened in 2010.

The Yankees are 55-42 on the season and they have extended their lead over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays to 6 1/2 games in the American League East. The Twins fell to 52-46.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • The development of Eovaldi’s split-finger fastball has been a big reason why he he has been undefeated in more than month. He becomes the first Yankees starter to win 10 games this season and he lowered his season ERA to 4.27. Eovaldi, 25, came into the game averaging just over seven runs a game in support and he ended up getting exactly seven runs in this game.
  • Headley was 2-for-4 with a single, a double, two runs scored and three RBIs in the game. Since July 1, Headley is 21-for-61 (.344) with a homer and 11 RBIs. For the season he is batting .263 with nine homers and 39 RBIs.
  • Eovaldi benefitted also from some great defense behind him. Ellsbury made a spectacular running grab at the wall in center on a ball hit by Plouffe in the second inning and he later robbed Joe Mauer of an RBI single in the third inning with a diving catch. The Yankees also turned three double plays on the Twins including a game-ending lineout off the bat of Kurt Suzuki in which Headley doubled off Rosario at first base.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

Eovaldi is pitching exceptionally well for a No. 4 starter and the Yankees managed to outscore the Twins 14-2 in the final 12 innings of the series after being outscored 15-2 in the first 14 innings. They now lead in the division by 6 1/2 games so I can’t see any negatives at all.

ON DECK

The Yankees continue their road trip with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers in Rangers Ballpark beginning on Monday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (2-3, 3.34 ERA) will open the series for the Yankees. Nova, 28, gave up two runs on just three hits and three walks with three strikeouts over six innings in a victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

The Rangers will start left-hander Matt Harrison (1-1, 5.40 ERA). Harrison, 29, won his first game since May 8, 2014, in a 9-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Harrison allowed seven hits, one walk and struck out two in six innings.

Game-time will be 8:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN and locally by the YES Network.

 

Yankees Deliver Blow To Chen On Ryan’s Double

GAME 92

YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 2

Tough luck and injuries shelved Brendan Ryan for most of spring training and he was making only his fourth start of the season on Tuesday. But in the bottom of the sixth inning he delivered a tie-breaking RBI double that gave the Yankees an important victory.

Ryan’s two-out double off scored Didi Gregorius from first base and the Yankees’ vaunted bullpen shut down the Orioles over the final three innings as New York extended their lead in the American League East to five games by edging Baltimore in front of a paid crowd of 37,993 at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees had held an early 2-0 lead on left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and the Orioles after scoring a pair of runs in the first two innings.

Jacoby Ellsbury opened the bottom of the first with a ground-rule double, reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Rodriguez, his 53rd RBI of the season.

Brian McCann led off the second inning with an opposite-field single and Chris Young followed with a single of his own. Chase Headley then scored McCann on an RBI double down the line in left.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was seeking his 10th victory, held the Orioles scoreless over the first five innings, yielding only an infield single to Adam Jones with two out in the fourth and three walks. However, he ran into difficulty in the sixth.

Jimmy Paredes stroked a one-out single and Jones reached on another infield single. One out later, Matt Wieters laced an RBI single to right to score Paredes.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi replaced Eovaldi with left-hander Justin Wilson and J.J. Hardy greeted him with a lined single to right that scored Jones but Wieters was retired in a rundown attempting to advance to third.

Eovaldi, who has not lost a game since June 16, was charged with two runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

The Yankees, however, were able to break through against Chen (4-6) in the sixth when Gregorius slapped an opposite-field single to left with two out. That set the stage for Ryan, who pulled a 0-1 fastball down the left-field line that scored Gregorius easily with the tie-breaking run.

Chen was charged with three runs on 10 hits and no walks with three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of work.

Wilson (3-0) pitched an inning of scoreless relief to earn the victory and the “Twin Towers” of right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller combined to hold the Orioles to just one hit over the final 2 1/3 innings to close out the victory.

Miller threw a nine-pitch 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to notch his 20th save in 20 opportunities this season.

With the victory the Yankees are now 51-41 and they are five games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Orioles, who are in a three-way tie for second place in the division. The Orioles fell to 46-46.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Ryan is fortunate that he has a guaranteed two-year contract because he very well could have lost his roster spot to rookie Rob Refsnyder. But the Yankees chose to keep both the weak-hitting Stephen Drew and Ryan instead and it paid off on Tuesday. “It’s been obviously pretty frustrating. I haven’t really gotten to contribute in the first half at all, with injury after injury,” Ryan told reporters. “Hopefully that’s all behind me. I was excited to get the opportunity today, and obviously glad that I was able to come through.”
  • The bottom three spots in the order have been a black hole most of the season for the Yankees but Headley (hitting seventh), Gregorius (eighth) and Ryan (ninth) combined to go 4-for-12 (.333) with two doubles, two singles, one run scored and two RBIs. Ryan likely will continue to start at second base against left-handers because Drew is batting .215 in 65 at-bats against lefties. Of course, Drew is batting .168 against right-handers so why he is still on the roster at all is a head-scratcher.
  • Betances and Miller continue to dominate hitters out of the bullpen. The pair are a combined 6-3 with 28 saves, a 1.42 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings. It also appears after adding right-hander Adam Warren and getting Miller back off the disabled list, the bullpen has hit its stride again. It is the strength of this club and the major reason why the team is in first place.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • While Gregorius and Ryan came up big in the sixth inning, Chen was using them to escape big innings earlier in the game. In the second inning with Young on third and Headley on second and no outs, Gregorius struck out and Ryan popped up weakly. In the fourth inning with Young on second and Headley on first with one out, Gregorius flew out to center and Ryan grounded into a force out to end the threat. As a result, the Yankees were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and could not give Eovaldi a big enough lead to protect.
  • The Yankees also had a chance to extend their lead in the seventh when right-hander Tommy Hunter entered the game with one out and walked Rodriguez, allowed a double to Teixeira and walked McCann intentionally to load the bases. With the Yankees forced to keep the righty-handed-hitting Young in the game for his defense, he struck out swinging and Headley grounded out to leave the bases loaded. Ouch!

ON DECK

The Yankees will have a chance to win the series and deal another huge blow the Orioles with a victory on Wednesday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (1-3, 3.42 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season for the Yankees. Nova was tagged for four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in a 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 11, marking the first time in his career he has lost three consecutive starts.

The Orioles are expected to call up right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 5.00 ERA) from Triple-A Norfolk to start this game. Gausman was optioned on July 8 in order to keep him on a five-day schedule. He was hammered for eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the Minnesota Twins on July 7.

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

 

Pineda’s Pinpoint Pitching Pushes Yanks Past Sox

GAME 86

YANKEES 5, RED SOX 1

The Boston Red Sox came into Friday’s opener against the New York Yankees riding a four-game winning streak and hoping to elbow their way out of the cellar to get closer that the 5 1/2 games back they were in the American League East.

Instead they ran into right-hander Michael Pineda and they may have lost their ace pitcher to a serious elbow injury.

Pineda used his laser-like control to hold the Red Sox to one run over 6 2/3 innings and the Yankees took advantage of Clay Buchholz leaving the game in the fourth inning as New York downed Boston in front of a national TV audience at Fenway Park.

The Yankees won their third straight game and not only maintained their three-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the division but also dropped the last-place Red Sox to 6 1/2 games back.

Pineda (9-5) only gave up a solo home run to Mookie Betts with one out in the fifth inning to bring the Bosox to within three runs at 4-1. Pineda yielded one run on seven hits and no walks while he fanned six batters to record his first victory since he defeated the Miami Marlins 2-1 at Yankee Stadium on June 17.

Meanwhile, the Yankees took an early lead on Buchholz and the Red Sox with two out in the first inning when Alex Rodriguez blasted his 17th home run of the season over the Green Monster in left and onto Landsdowne Street.

Coming into the contest Rodriguez was 11-for-27 (.407) with two home runs in his career against Buchholz.

The Yankees added to their slim lead in the fourth in an inning that the Red Sox committed two errors while the Yankees batted around and scored three runs by getting only two balls into the outfield.

Brian McCann started the rally with a bloop single to shallow left-center. One out later, Didi Gregorius laced a double off the Green Monster in left to advance McCann to third.

After Buchholz delivered a ball to Stephen Drew to even the count at 1-1, the right-hander called his catcher Sandy Leon and later the team trainer to the mound. Without testing his right elbow, Buchholz left the game in favor of left-hander Robbie Ross Jr.

That is when the Red Sox fielding issues and the speed of both Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner came into play to allow the Yankees to extend their lead.

Drew hit a ball to first baseman Mike Napoli but the ball caromed away from him and Ross was unable to get his foot on the base to retire Drew for an error, which loaded the bases.

One out later, the Red Sox had an opportunity to end the inning but All-Star infielder Brock Holt bobbled a grounder off the bat of Ellsbury and he was unable to beat him with his throw to first.

Gardner then hit another routine ground ball to Napoli. But Gardner was able to slide head first into the bag before Ross could get his foot down for an RBI single. Ross then compounded the Red Sox problems by walking Rodriguez on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run.

Buchholz (7-7) ended up being charged with three runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

He left the game in what was reported later by the team as tightness in his right elbow. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI late Friday to determine the severity of the injury but there was no report on what the results indicated.

The Yankees added a final run in the eighth inning off right-hander Matt Barnes and left-hander Craig Breslow. Barnes walked Chris Young and then hit Gregorius with a pitch. Breslow entered the game and managed to retire Young at third on a botched sacrifice bunt by Drew and Cole Figueroa on a weak popup. However, Ellsbury slapped a single to center to score Gregorius to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Yankees turned to their vaunted bullpen to close out the Red Sox and preserve the victory for Pineda.

Left-hander Justin Wilson, right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller held the Red Sox hitless over the final 2 1/3 innings to seal it.

With the victory the Yankees are now 47-39. The Red Sox fell to 41-46.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Pineda managed to follow up an excellent pitching performance by Masahiro Tanaka against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. The Yankees’ right-handed duo combined to give up just three runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. That is a 1.26 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. If Pineda and Tanaka pitch like this on a consistent basis there is no team in the division that stay with the Yankees in the second half.
  • Rodriguez added to his totals against Buchholz with the home run and a single he hit in the third inning. He is now 13-for-29 (.448) with three home runs in his career against the right-hander. Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs on the night. He is now batting .279 with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs on the season.
  • Ellsbury came back to haunt his former team by going 1-for-5 with an RBI. But it was his and Gardner’s speed that set the stage for the three-run inning that sunk the Red Sox. Running out the error allowed the Yankees to load the bases and Gardner’s infield RBI single started the scoring. This is the toughest 1-2 hitting tandem in baseball, period.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

Pineda was great. A-Rod got two big RBIs and the Yankees’ speed helped force some shoddy defense. If the Red Sox lose Buchholz for any length of time, which looks very likely at this point, they will have a very difficult time climbing out of the division cellar. How could things be any better for the Yankees?

BOMBER BANTER

Although third baseman Chase Headley ran in the outfield before the game Friday, the Yankees did not use him in the game. Manager Joe Girardi said it is possible that the Yankees could elect to rest Headley until after the All-Star break. Headley, 31, has missed the past three games with inflammation in his right calf. Figueroa started in his place on Friday and was 0-for-4.  . . .  Outfielder Carlos Beltran, 38, is scheduled to play a few minor league rehab games in Tampa, FL, during the All-Star break and he hopes to be able to return to the team on July 17 when the Yankees play host to the Seattle Mariners. Beltran was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 1 with a left oblique strain. Beltran is hitting .260 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 66 games.  . . .  With the Red Sox scheduled to throw two left-handers this weekend, the Yankees are planning to recall rookie second baseman Rob Refsnyder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Refsnyder, 24, is batting .290 with seven homers and 37 RBIs in 81 games with the RailRiders. Refsnyder bats right-handed and Drew, who bats left-handed, is hitting .182 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 78 games.

ON DECK

The Yankees will have a chance to win the three-game series against the Red Sox on Saturday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (1-2, 2.65 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season for the Yankees. Nova, 28, surrendered three runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in five innings in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

The Red Sox will send left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 3.69 ERA) to the mound. Rodriguez gave up one run on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in five innings in a no-decision against the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Game-time will be 7:15 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by FOX Sports.

 

Tex Liking Houston Now After Bailing Out Yankees

GAME 75

YANKEES 9, ASTROS 6

Since he arrived in Houston on Thursday, Mark Teixeira had not been feeling real comfortable at Minute Maid Park. He entered the day 0-for-7 in the series and he stood at the plate in the eighth inning 0-for-4  in Saturday’s game.

But Teixeira is not feeling so bad about Houston now.

His one-out, two-run double in the eighth inning broke a 6-6 tie and allowed New York to defeat the Astros despite blowing a 6-0 lead earlier in the game.

Brett Gardner opened the eighth by drawing a walk from right-hander Pat Neshek (3-1). Chris Young followed by hitting a ground ball to third baseman Luis Valbuena, who threw to second baseman Jose Altuve in an effort to force Gardner.

However, second-base umpire Joe West ruled that Altuve never touched the base. after he caught the ball. Gardner was ruled safe and Altuve was charged with a what ended up being a very crucial error. Astros manager A.J. Hinch challenged the call but it was confirmed by replay.

One out later, Teixeira ended his 0-for-11 slump in Houston by driving a 3-2 pitch high off the wall in left-center for a double that scored both Gardner and Young with the go-ahead runs.

Chase Headley padded the lead to three runs by hitting his eighth home run of the season  –  a solo shot off left-hander Tony Sipp in the ninth.

Left-hander Chasen Shreve (5-1) pitched two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief in the bottom of the seventh inning to get credit for the victory.

Left-hander Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless eighth and right-hander Dellin Betances finished the ninth to earn his sixth save in seven opportunities this season.

The Yankees opened the game as if it would be an easy victory for them when they loaded the bases against left-hander Brett Oberholtzer in the first inning.

Gardner led off with a double while Young and Alex Rodriguez both drew walks. After Teixeira flied out, Brian McCann blasted a 1-0 change-up well into the right-field bleachers for his 12th homer of the season and 11th career grand slam to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

With one-out in the second inning, Gardner stroked another double and Young, a Houston native who entered the game with a .410 career average and 10 homers at Minute Maid Park including a three-run game-winning home run on Friday, hit a two-run blast to left to give the Yankees a 6-0 lead.

Oberholtzer then threw a pitch so far inside to Rodriguez that it nearly hit him. Home-plate umpire Rob Drake immediately ejected Oberholtzer from the game for, in his judgment, deliberately trying to hit Rodriguez with a pitch.

Oberholtzer was charged with six runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career. He entered the game 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

However, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was unable to hold the big lead and suffered through his second bad outing in a row.

With one out in the second inning, Domingo Santana doubled to left and Chris Carter followed with an RBI double off the wall in center to score Santana. One out later, George Springer scored Carter with an RBI single to left.

With two in the fourth, Carter got to Tanaka again with a long blast into the left-field bleachers for his 13th home run of the season.

The Astros then opened the third with Springer drawing a walk and rookie Carlos Correa shooting an opposite-field home run to right for his fifth home run of the season. Altuve then followed by lacing a shot into the left-field stands for his sixth home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6.

Tanaka left having yielded six runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings. The three home runs matched the three home runs he surrendered to the Tigers and the six runs allowed were a career high.

Fortunately for Tanaka, Teixeira was finally able to break out of his minor hitting slump in time to hand the Yankees their second victory in a row in the three-game series with the Astros.

With the victory the Yankees are now 41-34 on the season and they remain a half game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The Astros fell to 43-34.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Gardner continues to sparkle on offense. He was 3-for-6 with two doubles, a single, a walk and he scored three runs. On May 8, Gardner was hitting .326. But a prolonged slump saw his average drop all the way to .271 on June 3. Since June 3, Gardner is 31-for-86 (.360) with five home runs and 17 RBIs. That has raised his season average back to an even .300.
  • Teixeira’s two RBIs now give him 53 on the season and that leads the team. It also puts him in a three-way tie with Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and Stephen Vogt of the Oakland Athletics for first place in the American League. Teixeira is now hitting .263 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs against right-handers this season.
  • One of the best-kept secrets on this team has been 24-year-old Shreve, who has won five games in relief and is sporting an excellent 1.72 ERA in 27 games. When the Yankees dealt left-hander Manny Banuelos to the Atlanta Braves they were expecting big things out of right-hander David Carpenter and they were hopeful Shreve would develop. Well, Carpenter has been released and Shreve has not given up an earned run since May 22, a stretch of 14 appearances and 14 2/3 innings. He has been very valuable since closer Andrew Miller has been on the disabled list.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • The elbow naysayers are already barking because Tanaka has been shelled for 13 runs (11 earned) on 17 hits and four walks in 10 innings in his past two starts. That includes six home runs and his ERA has climbed to 3.88. However, his fastball was clocked up to 94 and averaged 92. So the elbow is fine. The problem is Tanaka is throwing the cutter way too much and he is falling behind in the count too often. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild told reporters that he will be working with Tanaka on tightening his mechanics on his delivery and that he should be better next time out.

BOMBER BANTER

Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury ran the bases and hit on the field at Minute Maid Park on Saturday and, if he does well doing the same on Sunday, he could be sent out to Tampa, FL, on a rehab assignment. Ellsbury has not played since May 19 due to a strained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Manager Joe Girardi said he does not think Ellsbury will need many at-bats in the minor leagues to get ready but he refused to place a set number of at-bats on his return.

ON DECK

The Yankees could claim three of the four games in the road series with the Astros with a victory on Sunday.

Right-hander Michael Pineda (8-4, 4.25 ERA) will pitch for the Yankees. Pineda is coming off a horrible outing against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday when he was charged with a season high eight runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Collin McHugh (8-3, 4.80 ERA) will start for the Astros. McHugh held the Los Angeles Angels to two runs on nine hits and one walk with six strikeouts in eight innings on Tuesday.

Game-time will be 2:10 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.

 

Two Houston Natives Help Yankees Edge Astros

GAME 74

YANKEES 3, ASTROS 2

Sometimes it takes a couple of Lone Star State boys to take care of some Texas-sized problems. On Friday both right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and outfielder Chris Young did just that for the Yankees at Minute Maid Park.

Houston-born Eovaldi threw six innings of two-run baseball and Houston-born Young’s three-run home run with one out in the seventh gave New York a hard-fought comeback victory over the Astros in front of a paid crowd of 37,748.

Though Eovaldi (7-2) pitched well, the Astros were still able to touch him for single runs in the third and sixth innings.

Hank Conger laced a one-out double to left-center in the third inning and one out later Carlos Correa scored him on a single to center.

The Astros added a run in the sixth on a one-out infield single by Jose Altuve and a stolen base, which set up a two-out bloop RBI single to center by Evan Gattis.

Meanwhile, right-hander Vincent Velasquez held the Yankees scoreless for six innings on just three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

But the Yankees got a one-out opposite-field single from Carlos Beltran in the seventh and Garrett Jones followed with a bloop single to right.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch replaced Velasquez with right-hander Will Harris, who entered the game with a 0.78 ERA.

Young, who attended nearby Bellaire High School and entered the at-bat 41-for-103 (.398) with eight home runs at Minute Maid Park in his career, blasted a 1-1 fastball well into the left-field bleachers to give the Yankees their first lead in the four-game series.

Left-handers Chasen Shreve and Justin Wilson and right-hander Dellin Betances held the Astros hitless the rest of the way to preserve the victory for Eovaldi, who attended nearby Alvin High School just as Hall of Fame right-hander Nolan Ryan did.

In fact, Ryan (who was in attendance at the game) and Eovaldi are the only two products of that high school to play Major League Baseball.

Betances threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball to earn his fifth save six chances this season.

Velasquez was charged with two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings but Harris (4-1) was charged with the loss.

Eovaldi held the Astros to five hits and two walks while he struck six to record his second consecutive quality start.

With the victory the Yankees improved they season record to 40-34 and they climbed to with a half game of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The Astros dropped  to 43-33.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Young added a single the eighth inning to end his evening 3-for-4 with two singles, a homer, a run scored and three RBIs. He now is 43-for-105 (.410) at Minute Maid Park. He also extended his hitting streak to nine games. In that span, Young is 17-for-34 (.500) with two homers and eight RBIs. Though Young’s role is primarily to hit against left-handers, injuries to outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Mason Williams have forced the Yankees to use him in an everyday role and Young is responding.
  • Eovaldi surpassed his career high in victories with the decision and in his past two outings he has yielded four runs on eight hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts in 12 innings. That has lowered his season ERA to 4.81. It also has saved his job because right-hander Adam Warren has been shifted back to the bullpen.
  • Betances came in the eighth with two out and pinch-runner Marwin Gonzalez on first after Wilson walked Luis Valbuena. Though Gonzalez stole second, Betances fanned Gattis to end the threat and then pitched a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save in place of injured left-hander Andrew Miller. Betances is 4-1 with a 1.21 ERA and has 61 strikeouts in just 37 1/3 innings.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • The rookie right-hander Velasquez had never made it past the fifth inning in any of his three previous starts. But once again the Yankees were unable to solve a pitcher they had not faced before and made him look better than he really was. The Yankees could not lay off his fastball up and out of the strike zone and subsequently they popped up and flied out 11 times in the first six innings.
  • Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann combined to go 0-for-8 in the game. With Alex Rodriguez out the lineup resting, the two just could do nothing right at the plate. Among Teixeira’s outs was a strikeout and a crucial double play he hit into with Brett Gardner at first in the sixth inning. The twin-killing came on a 3-1 pitch.

ON DECK

The Yankees will continue their four-game road series with the Astros on Saturday.

Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (4-3, 3.17 ERA) will start for the Yankees. Tanaka is coming off his worst outing of the season last Saturday when he gave up seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings against the Detroit Tigers. Tanaka has never faced the Astros.

The Astros will send out left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (2-1, 2.81 ERA). Oberholtzer had a no-decision on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. He yielded two runs on four hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Oberholtzer is 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA against the Yankees.

Game-time will be 4:10 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.