Tagged: Steinbrenner Field

A-Rod, Tex Lead Way As Yankees Drub Braves

GAME 8

YANKEES 8, BRAVES 3

LAKE BUENA VISTA – There is no better game plan then taking advantage of a struggling pitcher, putting up some early runs, adding to it and coasting to victory. That is exactly what the Yankees did to the struggling Braves on Saturday.

Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs and Mark Teixeira added another RBI as New York took advantage of six walks issued by Jair Jurrgens and beat Atlanta easily in a Grapefruit League game played at Champion Stadium.

Although starter Michael Pineda (1-0) struggled with his command also, he was still able to notch the victory by limiting the damage to just one run on four hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.

On the other hand, Jurrjens (0-1) could not command his pitches in the strike zone and gave up three runs on five hits and six walks in 2 1/3 innings.

The Yankees pounded Braves pitching for 15 hits. Jose Gil, Gary Sanchez and Jayson Nix came off the bench to stroke two hits apiece in the late stages of the game as the Yankees pulled out to a 7-1 lead in the eighth inning and cosated the rest of the way.

The Yankees evened their spring record to 4-4 while the Braves are a miserable 1-8.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Rodriguez continues his fine hitting this spring. His slow grounder to short allowed Brett Gardner to score in the first inning with the game’s first run. He then doubled in Doug Bernier in the second inning to make it 3-1. It is still very early but A-Rod is sporting a .500 spring average.
  • Left-hander Cesar Cabral replaced Pineda with two outs in the third inning and retired all four men he faced, striking out two of them. Cabral, 23, is battling three other left-handers (Clay Rapada, Michael O’Connor and Juan Cedeno)  for a potential second lefty spot in the bullpen spot. His spring ERA is 2.08
  • Gardner used his bat and legs to wreak havoc on the Braves. In the first inning, Gardner turned a walk into a “triple” by stealing second and reaching third on a throwing error by catcher J.C. Boscan on the steal attempt, Gardner then scored on Rodriguez’s groundout. In the second inning his bunt single advanced Bernier to second and he later scored on Rodriguez’s double. Even though Gardner is hitting .214, he is beginning to show signs of coming around with the bat lately.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Pineda has to locate his pitches better or he will get hurt badly. He threw 27 pitches in the first inning, 15 in the second and 21 in the third before he was removed. The lack of command was the big culprit. General manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi have been reminding reporters that Pineda is not the team’s No. 2 starter but that he could be a top-end pitcher someday. Pineda is working on adding a change-up to his fastball and slider and he is still a work in progress.
  • Despite the fact the Yankees scored eight runs on 15 hits and seven walks they still managed to leave 13 runners on base. Hitting into three double plays did not help.
  • Ryan Pope was touched for a pair of runs on two hits and two walks in the eighth inning. Pope, 25, was once highly thought of as minor leaguer but a lot of pitchers have passed him in recent years. He has a early spring ERA of 6.75.

BOMBER BANTER

The game drew a sellout, standing-room crowd  of 10,755 to Champions Stadium and the weather was perfect – temperatures in the 80s, a light wind and partly sunny skies.

ON DECK

Th Yankees will play their first split-squad game of the season on Sunday.

Phil Hughes will have Girardi watching hom closely as he starts against the Minnesota Twins in Ft. Myers, FL. The starting outfield will make the trip.

Meanwhile, CC Sabathia will make his second spring start against a  Phildelphia Phiilies split squad at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mariano Rivera is scheduled to make his spring debut. The starting infield will play in this game.

Game-time for both games is 1:)% p.m. EDT and the home game will be telecast by the YES Network. The road game will be telecast by the MLB Network on tape-delay.

 

Yankees To Open Spring Slate Soon And I’m Ready

Now that the pitchers and catchers have reported to the Yankees’ spring home in Tampa, FL, the target date is March 3.

After the Yankees begin the spring with an exhibition against the University of South Florida on March 2 at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees will open their official spring training schedule with the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, FL.

My calendar officially begins the next day when the Yankees return the favor against the Phillies and host them for their home opener. I received my spring season tickets this week and I am chomping at the bit to get the 2012 season started. In addition, I want to make sure my coverage of the Yankees this spring is the best you will read anywhere.

I plan to attend 18 Yankee games this spring, including the Yankees’ two road contests against the Braves at Lake Buena Vista, FL, and a road contest against the Astros in Kissimmee, FL. The rest of the games I will either see on ESPN or  MLB-TV or I will hear on MLB Radio.

So it is clear that I will be able to provide Yankee fans – whether you live in Boise, ID, or the Bronx, NY – with the best on-site coverage I can possibly offer. I want to continue, as I have through the offseason, with the most accurate information about the players, the news, the rumors, the aches and pains and the deals going on behind the scenes.

This is what I pledged to do since I started this blog three years ago and I have tried to improve that coverage each season.

I have a B.A. in Communications and an A.A. in Journalism. I have worked for five news organizations over the course of 13 years as a writer, columnist and editor. So I approach my craft with a journalistic intent to cover the story fairly and accurately. But, as a lifelong Yankee fan, I am not afraid to give you my opinion on the news as it unfolds.

This week I am going to be looking at the Yankees’ competition in the American League East. Despite the fact that the Yankees really made very few moves this winter, I did not notice a lot of activity with the Red Sox, Rays, Orioles or Blue Jays. So just how strong is the division this season? Do the Yankees have clear sailing to repeat as division champs?

Stay tuned to this blog for my analysis, which begins with the Orioles on Monday. Red Sox fans will have to wait until Thursday to see how I see them in 2012.

In addition, I will be looking at the Yankees’ keys to victory in 2012. Some players need to prove they stay healthy (Alex Rodriguez). Others need to step up their games to remain viable starters (Brett Gardner). I will also try to answer the hard questions about how the starting rotation stacks up.

I also will look at the spring battles. There are few spots available on the Yankees’ roster but I will let you know who is leading in those battles. I also will give some detailed analysis on the Yankees prospects who trying to make their way up to the big-league roster. If you want the scoop on top Yankee prospects like Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez, Brandon Laird and David Phelps, I will try to provide insight on how they are progressing and what they need to do to take the big leap forward.

By the end of spring training I will have enough information to forecast the 2012 pennant chase and how the Yankees should fare in that race. Last season, if you were reading, I told you that I thought the “so-called” solid rotation of the Red Sox was not so solid. I actually thought the Yankees’ quintet – even with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia – was better. I rankled a few Red Sox fans but I do not care when I am right.

Let’s see what 2012 holds and if I can rankle a few more Red Sox fans with my predictions.

Thank you for letting be part of your interest in baseball and I hope you love the game even half as much as I do. Let’s have some fun and “Let’s Go Yankees.”