Tagged: Matt Harrison
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.
‘Okie Dokie’ Hiroki Has Rangers Firing Blanks
GAME 116
YANKEES 3, RANGERS 0
In his last three starts, Hiroki Kuroda was 0-1 with two no-decisions despite recording an ERA of 2.61. Even though he was pitching a no-hitter through six innings on Tuesday it appeared that Kuroda was headed to yet another no-decision or a loss because the Yankees also were held scoreless through six innings.
But Nick Swisher came through for the second straight night with a big home run, a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh, and Mark Teixeira followed him with a solo blast of his own while Kuroda ended up throwing a two-hit, complete-game shutout as New York defeated Texas again in the second game of the clash of the two titans of the American League.
Kuroda (11-8) issued only two walks over the first six innings before Elvis Andrus led off the seventh inning with an infield single to shortstop Jayson Nix. Kuroda was able to get out of the inning, stranding Andrus on third. Michael Young hit a solid single into center to lead off the eighth, but he quickly was erased in a double play off the bat of David Murphy.
Kuroda pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his fourth career complete game and his second of the season.
The Yankees had no trouble getting runners on base against Rangers starter Matt Harrison (13-7). The hard part was getting a timely hit to score one of them.
Harrison kept the Yankees from scoring by stranding seven runners over the first four innings, including three in the third inning when Curtis Granderson flew out to center with the bases loaded.
However, the Yankees finally broke through in the seventh inning when Derek Jeter stroked a one-out single into center. Rangers manager Ron Washington then decided to replace Harrison with right-hander Alexi Ogando.
Swisher battled Ogando for seven pitches into a full count before he tomahawked a high fastball into the second deck of the bleachers in right-field as a crowd of 44,533 fans at Yankee Stadium went delirious.
Before those fans got the chance to settle back into their seats Teixeira smacked a 2-1 fastball about 10 rows deep in the right-field bleachers, marking the ninth time this season the Yankees have hit back-to-back home runs.
Kuroda finished the night having thrown first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 29 batters he faced and he threw 74 of his 109 pitches for strikes (68 percent). Andrus was only the Rangers to reach scoring position as the Yankees backed Kuroda up with a pair of double plays.
It was Kuroda’s first victory since July 23 against the Seattle Mariners.
The victory improved the Yankees’ record to 69-47, two games better than the Rangers for the best record in the American League. The Yankees currently lead both the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles by 6 games in the American League East. The Rangers fell to 67-48.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- Swisher’s home run was his 16th of the season and he is now on a nice little hot streak at the plate. In his last eight games, Swisher is 12-for-34 (.353) with two home runs and 10 RBIs. In his two games against the Rangers, Swisher is 3-for-8 (.375) with two home runs and seven RBIs.
- Teixeira’s home run was 23rd of the season and he still leads the team in RBIs with 77. He now has a eight-game hitting streak in which he is 11-for-32 (.344) with three home runs and five RBIs. He was 2-for-4 on the night and it raised his season average to .260.
- Kuroda has never looked better on the mound for the Yankees. He kept a dangerous Rangers’ attack off-balance all night with his his slider and split-finger fastball. In Kuroda’s 14 starts since May 21, he is 10-2 with a 2.90 ERA. In his two losses he gave up only five runs in 13 1/3 innings, which is a 3.38 ERA. His season ERA is now 3.06, which is eighth best in the A.L.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
I could mention Granderson’s flyout with the bases loaded and his two strikeouts but that would be nitpicking. Kuroda was sensational and Swisher and Teixeira came through to give him the support he deserved. The Yankees have a shot to win the four-game series on Wednesday. Things are looking up!
BOMBER BANTER
X-rays on Alex Rodriguez’s fractured left hand showed positive results and the brace on his hand will be removed. Rodriguez now will be able to do strength exercises and the Yankees are still targeting a return to action for the third baseman some time in September. Rodriguez has been on the disabled list since July 24. . . . Andy Pettitte was given clearance by team’s medical staff to begin long tossing as he continues his recovery from a fractured left ankle. The Yankees have no timeline for Pettitte’s return but they hope he is able to pitch in September in order to be able to be ready for the postseason.
ON DECK
The Yankees hope to clinch the four-game series against the Rangers on Wednesday.
Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia (6-5, 4.85 ERA) will get the start for the Yankees. Garcia allowed just two runs in six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday to win his second consecutive start. Garcia is 8-5 with a 4.10 ERA in his career against Texas.
The Rangers will throw right-hander Scott Feldman (6-7, 4.64 ERA). Feldman gave up four runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings on Friday in a loss against the Detroit Tigers. He is 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA in his career against the Yankees.
Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by ESPN and locally by the YES Network.
Swisher’s Sweet Slam Starts Texas-Sized Swoon
GAME 115
YANKEES 8, RANGERS 2
Ryan Dempster was navigating carefully through the New York Yankees’ lineup and he opted to walk Derek Jeter to load the bases with one out in the third inning. But Nick Swisher and a hanging slider proved to be his undoing on Monday.
Swisher’s sixth career grand slam and the 200th home run of his career was all part of a five-run inning and Swisher ended up driving in five runs as New York pounded Texas in the opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium between the two American League teams with the best records.
Dempster (6-6) began the third with a 2-0 lead, having retired the first six batters he faced. But, Russell Martin led off by lacing a sharp single to right and Raul Ibanez followed with another hard-hit lined single to right.
Ichiro Suzuki then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Martin and Ibanez.
On a 2-2 pitch, Jeter smacked a split-finger fastball down the left-field line that just hooked foul. Dempster then opted to toss two pitches off the plate to walk Jeter as if he wanted to pitch around Jeter to look for a double-play ball off the bat of Swisher.
But Dempster hung a slider on a 1-0 delivery and Swisher blasted a mammoth shot into the second deck of the bleachers in right to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead on one swing. The crowd of 45,676 let out huge roar as a smiling Swisher rounded the bases.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old rookie right-hander David Phelps, pitching in place of the injured CC Sabathia, tossed a solid five innings to win his first major-league game as a starter.
Phelps (3-3) gave up a bloop two-out RBI single to Nelson Cruz in the first inning and a solo home run to David Murphy to lead of the second inning. However, he settled in and retired nine of the last 14 batters he faced. In addition, he picked off two Rangers base-runners.
Phelps gave up two runs on six hits and a walk while he struck out three in five innings in which he threw 51 of his 78 pitches for strikes.
Newly acquired 39-year-old right-hander Derek Lowe pitched four scoreless innings in his Yankees debut to pick up his first major-league save since he was a closer for the Boston Red Sox during the 2001 season.
The Yankees offense made only Dempster’s third A.L. start of his career a living nightmare.
After Swisher’s grand slam, the Yankees reloaded the bases in the third and Curtis Granderson lofted a deep fly ball in center to score another run.
Red-hot Eric Chavez, who entered the game 9-for-16 with two home runs and five RBIs in his last four games, swatted a monstrous solo home run of his own over the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center to lead off the sixth inning.
Jeter added an RBI double in the eighth, which chased Dempster, and Swisher ended his night with an RBI single to center off reliever Michael Kirkman to close out the scoring.
Dempster was tagged for eight runs on nine hits and two walks and he fanned four batters in six-plus innings.
The Rangers have lost nine of their last 13 games against the Yankees and are 23-45 against them during the regular season since 2004. They have lost nine of their last 10 regular-season games at Yankee Stadium.
With the victory, the Yankees have the best record in the American League at 68-47. They lead the second-place Tampa Bay Rays by 5 1/2 games in the American League East. The Rangers are now 67-47.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- Swisher was 2-for-4 with home run and five RBIs on the night. It was his 15th homer of the season as well as the 200th of his career. In his last seven games, Swisher is 11-for-30 (.367) with a home run and seven RBIs. The hot streak has raised Swisher’s season average to .264.
- Phelps faced what is arguably the best hitting team in the league and pitched exceptionally. Despite throwing 26 pitches in the first inning, Phelps was able to pitch the longest outing of his career in his fourth major-league start. The rookie is 3-3 with a 2.53 ERA. He entered play having not been scored upon in his last seven relief appearances covering 10 2/3 innings. He had given up just three hits and a walk while striking out 14 in that span.
- Chavez hit his 13th home run of the season and he was 2-for-4 in the game. So Chavez is 11-for-20 (.550) with three home runs and five RBIs. Chavez did not play at all in the road series against the Blue Jays because the team faced three left-handers and Chavez was also unable to play due to back stiffness.
- Lowe, 39, was released by the Cleveland Indians after a July 31 start in which he was blasted for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Royals in Kansas City. The Yankees officially signed him on Monday and he paid immediate dividends by throwing four innings of two-hit, no-run baseball in his debut. Lowe will slot in as a long reliever while Phelps pitches in place of Sabathia.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
This was a game the Yankees were supposed to lose. Sabathia is on the disabled list and Phelps had not gotten past 4 2/3 innings in any of his previous starts. But the Yankees were able to put up eight runs on the Rangers and they coasted to a huge victory over a sure-fire playoff team. There is nothing negative to say.
BOMBER BANTER
When Lowe was signed and added to the roster the Yankees optioned right-handed reliever Ryota Igarashi back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Igarashi gave up three runs on three hits in two innings in Sunday’s 10-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and he has no record an 18.00 ERA in his four appearances with the Yankees. . . . Mariano Rivera threw off flat ground on Monday at Yankee Stadium with pitching coach Larry Rothschild looking on. But manager Joe Girardi said there is 99.9 percent chance Rivera would not pitch for the Yankees this season. Rivera has been on the disabled list since May 3 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
ON DECK
The Yankees will continue their four-game home series against the Rangers on Tuesday.
Hiroki Kuroda (10-8, 3.24 ERA) will start for the Yankees. Kuroda gave up three runs on 10 hits and fanned five in 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision the Yankees rallied to win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Kuroda lost in a pitcher’s duel with fellow countryman Yu Darvish on April 24 and he is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA against the Rangers lifetime.
The Rangers will counter with left-hander Matt Harrison (13-6, 3.31 ERA). Harrison gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings against the Red Sox in a no-decision on Wednesday. Harrison was tagged with five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his last start against the Yankees. He is 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA against them in his career.
Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by My9.
‘Road Warrior’ Nova Hurls Yanks Into Tie For First
GAME 60
YANKEES 3, BRAVES 0
In the Mad Max film “The Road Warrior,” Mel Gibson (Max) protects a band of survivors in post-apocalyptic Australia. If they did a current version, they would need to cast Ivan Nova as Max because his pitching on the road has protected a Yankee roster ravaged by injuries.
Nova twirled seven shutout innings en route to 11th career road victory with no defeats in 14 starts as New York stormed into Turner Field and blanked Atlanta for their ninth victory in their last 11 games.
Nova (8-2) gave up just five hits – all of them singles – and one walk and struck out six to tie Matt Harrison of Texas, David Price of Tampa Bay and Chris Sale of Chicago for the American League lead in victories. Nova’s victory also lifted the surging Yankees into a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East.
The Yankees offense, meanwhile, was able to score single runs in the first three innings off Braves right-hander Randall Delgado (4-6).
With two out in the first inning, Alex Rodriguez smacked a line-drive double over the head of left-fielder Martin Prado and to the wall. Robinson Cano followed with a single up the middle to score Rodriguez.
They added a run in the second inning on a leadoff home run into the right-field bleachers off the bat of Raul Ibanez, his 10th of the season.
In the third inning, the Yankees loaded the bases on Delgado with one out on a walk to Rodriguez, a double by Cano and a four-pitch walk to Mark Teixeira. The Yankees have had trouble all season scoring runs with the bases loaded but this time they received some help from Delgado.
With two out and Nick Swisher at the plate, Delgado bounced a change-up into the dirt past Braves catcher Brain McCann and Rodriguez scored from third standing up.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, they were unable to take advantage of the eight hits and seven walks they earned off Braves pitching. They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and they left 11 runners on base.
Instead, Nova leaned on the Yankees’ defense to keep the Braves off the board.
Swisher made a sensational leaping catch at the wall in right-field to rob McCann of a potential two-run home run in the fourth inning. Cano then ended the fourth with a deft stab of a scorched one-hopper off the bat of Freddie Freeman. The Yankees also turned in a pair of double plays, including one by Nova in which he snared a liner off the bat of Andrelton Simmons and doubled up Jason Heyward at first.
The Yankees’ bullpen – minus a resting Rafael Soriano – shut down the Braves the last two innings as manager Joe Girardi played mix-and-match with righties Cody Eppley and Cory Wade and lefties Clay Rapada and Boone Logan. They retired all six batters they faced and they did not allow a ball out of the infield.
With the interleague victory, the Yankees ran their major-league-best record to 162-109 for a .596 winning percentage. The Yankees are also 7-2 at Turner Field.
The Yankees season record improves to 35-25. The Braves drop to 34-27.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- Nova’s seven shutout innings lowered his ERA to 4.64. In his last two starts, Nova is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA having given up one run on nine hits and two walks and fanning 11 over 15 innings of work. His career record is now 24-6. Despite the talk about his early-season ERA, the home runs he has given up and the run support he gets, there can be no denying this 25-year-old right-hander has a brilliant career ahead of him.
- Cano extended his hitting streak to nine games and he is 11-for-33 (.333) in that span with three home runs and seven RBIs. His 2-for-4 night brought his season average back to .300.
- Rodriguez’s base-running was crucial to the Yankees scoring a third run off Delgado. He was on first when Cano laced a ball into left-center. Rodriguez chose to challenge the arm of Braves center-fielder Michael Bourn and he slid into third just ahead of the tag of Chipper Jones. He then scored on Delgado’s wild pitch.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
- I am going to keep harping on the poor performance of Yankee hitters with runners in scoring position because it will cost them dearly in close games against good teams and in the playoffs.
- Russell Martin popped out with the bases loaded in the fourth and he hit into an inning-ending double play in the seventh with the bags full. He ended up leaving a total of eight base-runners in going 0-for-4. Martin was yesterday’s big hero, but on Monday he did not deliver when he had chances to break the game open. Of course, he was not alone.
- Ibanez struck out with one out and runners at second and third in the third inning. Not making contact in that situation is an absolute no-no.
BOMBER BANTER
Reliever David Robertson will make one more rehab appearance on Tuesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and he could rejoin the team this weekend in Washington when the Yankees face the Nationals. Robertson has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 15 with a left oblique strain. . . . Despite sporting a bruise on his left hand he sustained on Sunday by bare-handing a hard-hit ball, left-hander Andy Pettitte said he will be able to pitch in his next start on Saturday against the Nationals. . . . The Yankees will not know if Brett Gardner’s troublesome right elbow will need surgery until after he is examined by a specialist on Thursday for a second opinion. Dr. James Andrews examined Gardner’s right elbow on Monday but is it unclear if surgery would be necessary until Dr. Timothy Kremchek has a chance to examine Gardner on Thursday. Gardner has played in only nine games this season and on two occasions just before being activated Gardner has felt recurring pain in the elbow.
ON DECK
The Yankees will look to take the series and extend their winning streak to five games against the Braves on Tuesday.
Left-hander CC Sabathia (7-3, 3.69 ERA) gets the call for the Yankees. Sabathia is coming off a loss to the Rays in which he gave up five runs in seven innings. He is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in two career starts against the Braves.
The Braves are throwing a lefty of their own in Mike Minor (3-4, 6.57 ERA). Minor held the Marlins to one run on four hits over five innings to earn his first victory since April 19. Minor has never pitched against the Yankees.
Game-time will be 7:10 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by MY9.
Granderson Hits 2 Homers As Nova Cools Off Rangers
- Nova used his curveball to keep the Rangers from attacking his fastball. Nova also kept his fastball down and away from the middle of the plate. The result was a lot of weak infield grounders. With Phil Hughes on the disabled list, Nova is showing the Yankees that he can not only keep his team in games, he can also dominate them when he is sharp.
- Granderson now has a team-best 10 home runs on the season and he tied Robinson Cano for the team lead in RBIs with 21. Four of his 10 home runs have come off left-handers this season, a testament to his work last August with hitting coach Kevin Long to shorten his swing.
- The Yankees flashed some leather behind Nova on Friday. Though he committed a rare error that led to an unearned run in the eighth inning, Teixeira robbed Chris Davis of a base hit with a diving grab to his right in the third inning. Derek Jeter turned back the clock himself and provided a gem of his own in the seventh inning. He went deep into the hole on a Adrian Beltre grounder, leaped into the air and threw his patented jump toss to first to nip Beltre at first.
- The Yankees’ offense is still struggling and over-dependent on the long ball. They managed only five hits and they allowed Harrison to right himself after he had thrown 45 pitches, given up three runs on three hits and three walks and with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. Teixeira hit a weak foul pop to Davis at first and Alex Rodriguez flied out to center to leave the bases loaded. That began a stretch where Harrison retired 13 of the next 16 batters he faced.
- Teixeira had a particularly rough night at the plate. He was 0-for-4 and he did not manage to get a ball out the infield. His season average has sunk to .243.
- Brett Gardner needs to work to become a lot better bunter. In the second inning, his attempt at sacrifice bunt was turned into an easy out when Beltre threw out Jorge Posada at third base. In the ninth inning, his bunt attempt became an easy popup for Davis charging from first base.
Yankees Hand Rangers Easy Victory With Sloppy Play
- Curtis Granderson was on base in all of his three plate appearances. He reached second on a missed catch in right-field by Nelson Cruz and later scored on a Derek Jeter single. He singled in the fifth and blasted a solo home run to bring the Yankees to within three runs in the eighth inning. All of it came off the left-handed Harrison. Granderson entered the game hitting .194.
- With his pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth, Chavez raised his batting average to an even .500. He is 5-for-10 in limited play.
- Rookie right-hander Lance Pendleton was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the late afternoon and he made his major-league debut on Friday. He pitched to nine batters in the final three innings and retired all of them in order, striking out two.
- Between the walks of Nova and the two wild pitches of David Robertson and the inability of the Yankees’ hitters to do anything but hit into double plays, this game had the stench of a New Jersey landfill all over it. Pendleton’s pitching, perhaps because he was actually into the game and wanted to do well, was the lone real bright spot. There will be no lawsuits against anyone rebroadcasting this game without the expressed written consent of the Yankees because no one would pay anything to see it again.
- After Phil Hughes was chased in the fifth inning on Thursday, the Yankees had hoped Nova would give them some length. But he did not. Nova actually had the honor of actually giving up more walks (five) than he did hits (four). Of the five runs the Rangers scored, two reached base via walk and one was hit with a pitch.
- Robertson came in relieve Nova but he did not provide much in the way of relief. He threw two wild pitches and allowed the Rangers to score their fifth run of the night. The Rangers scored three runs in the fifth on just one hit. Yankee generosity knew no bounds.
Bottom of the Ninth 