Yankee Addicts » Jordan Schwartz http://www.yankeeaddicts.com Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:49:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays Battle for Baseball’s Best Record http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/new-york-yankees-tampa-bay-rays-battle-for-baseballs-best-record/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/new-york-yankees-tampa-bay-rays-battle-for-baseballs-best-record/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:49:56 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/427196-yankees-rays-series-preview-battle-for-baseballs-best-record-continues

The Yankees and Rays enter this weekend's three-game series in St. Petersburg in pretty much the same position they've been all season—holding the two best records in baseball.

But this set ends in August, and games become a little bit more important in August.

New York (65-36) currently holds a two-game advantage over Tampa Bay (63-38) in the American League East, but that could all change if the Rays pull off a sweep.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups.

 

Friday, July 30: Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04) vs. Wade Davis (8-9, 4.32)

Hughes has a 6.52 ERA over the five starts that he's made since having his turn skipped in the rotation in late June. That time period also coincides with the point when the right-hander eclipsed his previous high for innings pitched in a season, which was 86.

But we all knew this was inevitable when the Yankees spent all of last year building up Joba Chamberlain's arm strength only to hand the fifth starter's spot to Hughes, who had far fewer innings under his belt.

The 24-year-old has managed to avoid pitching against the Rays this year but is 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA in seven career appearances (two starts) versus them. He has allowed two earned runs in 7.2 frames at Tropicana Field.

The Tampa Bay roster is 8-for-24 (.333) off Hughes. Carlos Pena has been particularly troublesome, smacking two homers and walking three times in six plate appearances.

After losing all five of his starts in June, Davis has rebounded to win three straight starts. But keep in mind, those triumphs were over Cleveland and Baltimore.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this year. He yielded four runs over six innings in a 10-0 home loss on April 10 but gave up just two runs and struck out seven through 5.2 in a 10-6 win at Yankee Stadium on May 19.

Against Davis, Derek Jeter is 4-for-9 (.444), Alex Rodriguez—still searching for that elusive 600th home run—is 4-for-8 (.500) with two homers, and Robinson Cano is 3-for-8 (.375) with a blast. Mark Teixeira, however, is 1-for-7 (.143) with three strikeouts.

 

Saturday, July 31: Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.54) vs. Matt Garza (11-5, 4.06)

Vazquez continued his run of good performances against the National League and bad AL teams during his last outing, when he held the Indians to two runs over seven innings.

But overall, the right-hander has a 5.05 ERA against the AL and a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. The Rays fit into both of those categories.

Vazquez surrendered eight runs and 11 baserunners over 5.2 innings in a 9-3 loss at Tampa Bay on April 9. He is 5-5 with a 4.94 ERA in 13 career starts against the Rays and 3-3 with a 5.36 at Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford is 11-for-29 (.379) with five extra-base hits off Vazquez, but that's nothing compared to B.J. Upton's 8-for-15 (.533). Upton is dealing with an ankle injury but could return on Saturday, just in time to face his whipping boy.

Vazquez, however, has had success against Pena, limiting the slugger to just three hits in 19 at-bats (.158) with 10 strikeouts, but two of those three hits have been homers.

Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Rays history and the fifth in baseball this season during his last outing against the Tigers. The other four pitchers to make history this year are 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in their following starts.

The right-hander has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. Despite a 1-3 record, he has a 3.26 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts).

Curtis Granderson's run of good at-bats will be tested, as he is just 4-for-17 (.235) with four strikeouts facing Garza. The same is true for Teixeira, who is 1-for-13 (.077). A-Rod, however, is 7-for-15 (.467). 

 

Sunday, Aug. 1: CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15) vs. James Shields (9-9, 4.79)

In a difficult series, this will definitely be the Yankees' best chance of picking up a win. A lack of run support and two errors behind him snapped Sabathia's string of nine consecutive victorious decisions in a 4-1 defeat at Cleveland on Tuesday.

He'll look to bounce back against the Rays, a team he shut out on one hit over 7.2 on April 10 and held to three earned runs in a seven-inning no-decision on July 16.

The big lefty is 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 17 starts versus Tampa Bay, but a more pedestrian 3-3 with a 4.27 in St. Petersburg.

Jason Bartlett (13-for-41, .317), Upton (7-for-20, .350, .850 slg), Ben Zobrist (7-for-20, .350), and Evan Longoria (4-for-11, .364, two HR) have all had success against Sabathia. But Pena (4-for-32, .125, 17 K) and Willy Aybar (2-for-11, .182) have not.

Shields has looked better over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA, but he continues to give up too many home runs, including the two he surrendered to the Yankees in a six-inning, three-run no-decision in the Bronx on July 16.

Overall, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.86 in three outings against the Bombers this season, but is 2-7 with a 5.45 mark in 12 lifetime starts.

Jeter is 14-for-40 (.350) off him, and Cano is 14-for-32 (.438) with an astronomical .969 slugging percentage. Teixeira, on the other hand, is just 4-for-25 (.160) with 11 strikeouts, A-Rod is 5-for-23 (.217) with a homer, and Granderson is 2-for-23 (.087).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]>

The Yankees and Rays enter this weekend's three-game series in St. Petersburg in pretty much the same position they've been all season—holding the two best records in baseball.

But this set ends in August, and games become a little bit more important in August.

New York (65-36) currently holds a two-game advantage over Tampa Bay (63-38) in the American League East, but that could all change if the Rays pull off a sweep.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups.

 

Friday, July 30: Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04) vs. Wade Davis (8-9, 4.32)

Hughes has a 6.52 ERA over the five starts that he's made since having his turn skipped in the rotation in late June. That time period also coincides with the point when the right-hander eclipsed his previous high for innings pitched in a season, which was 86.

But we all knew this was inevitable when the Yankees spent all of last year building up Joba Chamberlain's arm strength only to hand the fifth starter's spot to Hughes, who had far fewer innings under his belt.

The 24-year-old has managed to avoid pitching against the Rays this year but is 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA in seven career appearances (two starts) versus them. He has allowed two earned runs in 7.2 frames at Tropicana Field.

The Tampa Bay roster is 8-for-24 (.333) off Hughes. Carlos Pena has been particularly troublesome, smacking two homers and walking three times in six plate appearances.

After losing all five of his starts in June, Davis has rebounded to win three straight starts. But keep in mind, those triumphs were over Cleveland and Baltimore.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this year. He yielded four runs over six innings in a 10-0 home loss on April 10 but gave up just two runs and struck out seven through 5.2 in a 10-6 win at Yankee Stadium on May 19.

Against Davis, Derek Jeter is 4-for-9 (.444), Alex Rodriguez—still searching for that elusive 600th home run—is 4-for-8 (.500) with two homers, and Robinson Cano is 3-for-8 (.375) with a blast. Mark Teixeira, however, is 1-for-7 (.143) with three strikeouts.

 

Saturday, July 31: Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.54) vs. Matt Garza (11-5, 4.06)

Vazquez continued his run of good performances against the National League and bad AL teams during his last outing, when he held the Indians to two runs over seven innings.

But overall, the right-hander has a 5.05 ERA against the AL and a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. The Rays fit into both of those categories.

Vazquez surrendered eight runs and 11 baserunners over 5.2 innings in a 9-3 loss at Tampa Bay on April 9. He is 5-5 with a 4.94 ERA in 13 career starts against the Rays and 3-3 with a 5.36 at Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford is 11-for-29 (.379) with five extra-base hits off Vazquez, but that's nothing compared to B.J. Upton's 8-for-15 (.533). Upton is dealing with an ankle injury but could return on Saturday, just in time to face his whipping boy.

Vazquez, however, has had success against Pena, limiting the slugger to just three hits in 19 at-bats (.158) with 10 strikeouts, but two of those three hits have been homers.

Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Rays history and the fifth in baseball this season during his last outing against the Tigers. The other four pitchers to make history this year are 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in their following starts.

The right-hander has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. Despite a 1-3 record, he has a 3.26 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts).

Curtis Granderson's run of good at-bats will be tested, as he is just 4-for-17 (.235) with four strikeouts facing Garza. The same is true for Teixeira, who is 1-for-13 (.077). A-Rod, however, is 7-for-15 (.467). 

 

Sunday, Aug. 1: CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15) vs. James Shields (9-9, 4.79)

In a difficult series, this will definitely be the Yankees' best chance of picking up a win. A lack of run support and two errors behind him snapped Sabathia's string of nine consecutive victorious decisions in a 4-1 defeat at Cleveland on Tuesday.

He'll look to bounce back against the Rays, a team he shut out on one hit over 7.2 on April 10 and held to three earned runs in a seven-inning no-decision on July 16.

The big lefty is 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 17 starts versus Tampa Bay, but a more pedestrian 3-3 with a 4.27 in St. Petersburg.

Jason Bartlett (13-for-41, .317), Upton (7-for-20, .350, .850 slg), Ben Zobrist (7-for-20, .350), and Evan Longoria (4-for-11, .364, two HR) have all had success against Sabathia. But Pena (4-for-32, .125, 17 K) and Willy Aybar (2-for-11, .182) have not.

Shields has looked better over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA, but he continues to give up too many home runs, including the two he surrendered to the Yankees in a six-inning, three-run no-decision in the Bronx on July 16.

Overall, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.86 in three outings against the Bombers this season, but is 2-7 with a 5.45 mark in 12 lifetime starts.

Jeter is 14-for-40 (.350) off him, and Cano is 14-for-32 (.438) with an astronomical .969 slugging percentage. Teixeira, on the other hand, is just 4-for-25 (.160) with 11 strikeouts, A-Rod is 5-for-23 (.217) with a homer, and Granderson is 2-for-23 (.087).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/new-york-yankees-tampa-bay-rays-battle-for-baseballs-best-record/feed/ 0 Yankees-Angels: New York Holds On Despite Rough Start by Javier Vazquez http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-angels-new-york-holds-on-despite-rough-start-by-javier-vazquez/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-angels-new-york-holds-on-despite-rough-start-by-javier-vazquez/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:09:52 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/423224-yankees-angels-new-york-holds-on-despite-rough-start-by-javier-vazquez The Yankees jumped out to an early 6-0 lead over the Angels on Wednesday, and Javier Vazquez nearly gave it all back.

The right-hander held Los Angeles scoreless over the first four innings, but you knew the Halos were going to break through at some point because they kept hitting the ball hard, and Vazquez was getting saved by good luck and good defense.

That changed in the fifth and sixth frames, when the Angels touched him up for five runs. New York's starter finished the day allowing five runs on nine hits (including two homers) and exited without recording an out in the sixth.

But this is nothing new for Vazquez against good American League teams. The righty's numbers have improved recently, but that's only because he's coming off a six-start stretch during which he faced only National League clubs or two of the three lowest-scoring teams in the AL, Seattle and Oakland.

Against the Angels, a team the Yanks could possibly face once again in the postseason, Vazquez is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three outings this year. In fact, the 34-year-old is 5-6 with a 5.30 against all AL teams and 6-6 with a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. Is this a man you want pitching in October?

Here are the grades from the Bombers' 10-6 win over the Angels on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

 

Javier Vazquez, SP: (D)

 

Joe Girardi, Manager: (C) I don't understand batting Juan Miranda, who entered the game with a .226 average, behind an MVP candidate. It was no surprise that the Angels intentionally walked Robinson Cano twice to get to the sixth hitter. What was surprising was that Joel Pineiro, who's been tortured by Cano over the years, gave the second baseman something to hit in the third when he launched a two-run homer.

The lineup didn't hurt the Yankees in this one, as Miranda actually came through with a big homer off reliever Scot Shields in the seventh, but wouldn't you rather have Jorge Posada batting behind Cano?

I did like, however, how Girardi didn't manage to the save rule for a change and got Mariano Rivera in there in the ninth with a four-run lead to close things out.

Derek Jeter, SS: (A+) The captain had a much-needed three-hit day, to raise his average to .272, and scored each time he reached base.

Nick Swisher, RF: (A) Swisher continues to impress, going 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. He's now batting .302.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (A+) Here's another red-hot Yankees hitter. Teixeira went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs to increase his average to a season-high .256.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (D+) A-Rod didn't get invited to the party. He went 0-for-5, but drove in a run with a grounder in the first and made a great diving stop on Howard Kendrick in the top of that inning to prevent a rally from starting.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A) Cano now has 18 homers and 63 RBIs.

Juan Miranda, DH: (B+) Miranda went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, but came up with a big solo shot to shift the momentum back into the Yankees' corner once and for all.

Curtis Granderson, CF: (A) Granderson had his first two-hit game in 11 days. Not surprisingly, it came against a righty.

Francisco Cervelli, C: (A) Cervelli went 2-for-4 with a run scored and despite his struggles at the plate since Memorial Day, he continues to be a viable option to split time with Posada.

Brett Gardner, LF: (F) Gardner was not only not invited to the party with his 0-for-3 day, but he got bounced at the door for arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Paul Emmel in the seventh. But that turned out to be a good thing.

Colin Curtis, PH-LF: (A+) Curtis replaced Gardner and wound up connecting for his first Major League homer, a three-run shot that sealed the win.

David Robertson, RP: (B-) The right-hander pitched a scoreless sixth, but not before yielding two hits and a walk.

Boone Logan, RP: (B) The lefty got two outs in the seventh.

Joba Chamberlain, RP: (D) On July 29, 2009, Chamberlain was 7-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 starts. On July 21, 2010, Vazquez is 7-7 with a 4.70 ERA in 17 starts.

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A) Rivera struck out one in a perfect ninth.

Yankees Overall Grade: (C+) Vazquez fell apart in the middle innings, but the Yankees' bats provided plenty of support to get the win. A two-game sweep by the Angels would've been bad, so New York has to feel good getting a split with eight games coming up versus AL Central bottom-feeders Kansas City and Cleveland.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> The Yankees jumped out to an early 6-0 lead over the Angels on Wednesday, and Javier Vazquez nearly gave it all back.

The right-hander held Los Angeles scoreless over the first four innings, but you knew the Halos were going to break through at some point because they kept hitting the ball hard, and Vazquez was getting saved by good luck and good defense.

That changed in the fifth and sixth frames, when the Angels touched him up for five runs. New York's starter finished the day allowing five runs on nine hits (including two homers) and exited without recording an out in the sixth.

But this is nothing new for Vazquez against good American League teams. The righty's numbers have improved recently, but that's only because he's coming off a six-start stretch during which he faced only National League clubs or two of the three lowest-scoring teams in the AL, Seattle and Oakland.

Against the Angels, a team the Yanks could possibly face once again in the postseason, Vazquez is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three outings this year. In fact, the 34-year-old is 5-6 with a 5.30 against all AL teams and 6-6 with a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. Is this a man you want pitching in October?

Here are the grades from the Bombers' 10-6 win over the Angels on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

 

Javier Vazquez, SP: (D)

 

Joe Girardi, Manager: (C) I don't understand batting Juan Miranda, who entered the game with a .226 average, behind an MVP candidate. It was no surprise that the Angels intentionally walked Robinson Cano twice to get to the sixth hitter. What was surprising was that Joel Pineiro, who's been tortured by Cano over the years, gave the second baseman something to hit in the third when he launched a two-run homer.

The lineup didn't hurt the Yankees in this one, as Miranda actually came through with a big homer off reliever Scot Shields in the seventh, but wouldn't you rather have Jorge Posada batting behind Cano?

I did like, however, how Girardi didn't manage to the save rule for a change and got Mariano Rivera in there in the ninth with a four-run lead to close things out.

Derek Jeter, SS: (A+) The captain had a much-needed three-hit day, to raise his average to .272, and scored each time he reached base.

Nick Swisher, RF: (A) Swisher continues to impress, going 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. He's now batting .302.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (A+) Here's another red-hot Yankees hitter. Teixeira went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs to increase his average to a season-high .256.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (D+) A-Rod didn't get invited to the party. He went 0-for-5, but drove in a run with a grounder in the first and made a great diving stop on Howard Kendrick in the top of that inning to prevent a rally from starting.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A) Cano now has 18 homers and 63 RBIs.

Juan Miranda, DH: (B+) Miranda went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, but came up with a big solo shot to shift the momentum back into the Yankees' corner once and for all.

Curtis Granderson, CF: (A) Granderson had his first two-hit game in 11 days. Not surprisingly, it came against a righty.

Francisco Cervelli, C: (A) Cervelli went 2-for-4 with a run scored and despite his struggles at the plate since Memorial Day, he continues to be a viable option to split time with Posada.

Brett Gardner, LF: (F) Gardner was not only not invited to the party with his 0-for-3 day, but he got bounced at the door for arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Paul Emmel in the seventh. But that turned out to be a good thing.

Colin Curtis, PH-LF: (A+) Curtis replaced Gardner and wound up connecting for his first Major League homer, a three-run shot that sealed the win.

David Robertson, RP: (B-) The right-hander pitched a scoreless sixth, but not before yielding two hits and a walk.

Boone Logan, RP: (B) The lefty got two outs in the seventh.

Joba Chamberlain, RP: (D) On July 29, 2009, Chamberlain was 7-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 starts. On July 21, 2010, Vazquez is 7-7 with a 4.70 ERA in 17 starts.

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A) Rivera struck out one in a perfect ninth.

Yankees Overall Grade: (C+) Vazquez fell apart in the middle innings, but the Yankees' bats provided plenty of support to get the win. A two-game sweep by the Angels would've been bad, so New York has to feel good getting a split with eight games coming up versus AL Central bottom-feeders Kansas City and Cleveland.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-angels-new-york-holds-on-despite-rough-start-by-javier-vazquez/feed/ 0 The New York Yankees Should Sit Curtis Granderson Against All Lefties http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/the-new-york-yankees-should-sit-curtis-granderson-against-all-lefties/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/the-new-york-yankees-should-sit-curtis-granderson-against-all-lefties/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:12:57 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/422088-the-yankees-should-sit-curtis-granderson-against-all-lefties It's not working.

When the Yankees acquired center fielder Curtis Granderson this past winter in a trade with the Tigers for top prospect Austin Jackson, New York knew that Granderson struggled against left-handed pitching.

Last year, Granderson, who only hit .249 overall, batted a measly .183 versus southpaws. But the Bombers thought they could turn him around with the help of hitting coach Kevin Long.

As of July 19, the 29-year-old is batting .216 with a horrid .295 slugging percentage against lefties.

He's not much better facing right-handers, putting up a .237 average overall with just seven homers and 24 RBIs. Granderson has been perfect on the basepaths, stealing seven bases in seven attempts, but it's hard to get the total much higher than that when you only reach base only 30 percent of the time.

Remember when all those people said Granderson, who clubbed 30 homers at the larger Comerica Park in '09, would connect for 40 this season thanks to the much shorter porch in right field at Yankee Stadium? He has only three blasts in 32 games there.

I'm not advising to release Granderson, but he certainly shouldn't be starting against lefties right now. Right-handed-hitting Marcus Thames should be in the lineup versus all southpaws because he has a .314 average facing them this year.

By the way, Jackson is hitting .304 with 16 steals for Detroit.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> It's not working.

When the Yankees acquired center fielder Curtis Granderson this past winter in a trade with the Tigers for top prospect Austin Jackson, New York knew that Granderson struggled against left-handed pitching.

Last year, Granderson, who only hit .249 overall, batted a measly .183 versus southpaws. But the Bombers thought they could turn him around with the help of hitting coach Kevin Long.

As of July 19, the 29-year-old is batting .216 with a horrid .295 slugging percentage against lefties.

He's not much better facing right-handers, putting up a .237 average overall with just seven homers and 24 RBIs. Granderson has been perfect on the basepaths, stealing seven bases in seven attempts, but it's hard to get the total much higher than that when you only reach base only 30 percent of the time.

Remember when all those people said Granderson, who clubbed 30 homers at the larger Comerica Park in '09, would connect for 40 this season thanks to the much shorter porch in right field at Yankee Stadium? He has only three blasts in 32 games there.

I'm not advising to release Granderson, but he certainly shouldn't be starting against lefties right now. Right-handed-hitting Marcus Thames should be in the lineup versus all southpaws because he has a .314 average facing them this year.

By the way, Jackson is hitting .304 with 16 steals for Detroit.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/the-new-york-yankees-should-sit-curtis-granderson-against-all-lefties/feed/ 0 Yankees-Blue Jays: Joe Girardi Manages New York To Frustrating Loss http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-blue-jays-joe-girardi-manages-new-york-to-frustrating-loss/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-blue-jays-joe-girardi-manages-new-york-to-frustrating-loss/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:49:38 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/414842-yankees-blue-jays-joe-girardi-manages-to-lead-new-york-to-loss Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasted no time pulling starter A.J. Burnett after 6 2/3 scoreless innings once Burnett surrendered a two-out single. But the skipper was nowhere to be found as reliever Joba Chamberlain struggled through the eighth inning, eventually yielding the tying run.

Such is baseball in the 21st century.

So is this: With runners on first and second and no one out in the bottom of the sixth, Francisco Cervelli stepped to the plate with a chance to help the Yankees add to their slim 1-0 lead.

So with New York struggling offensively all week, and entering the at-bat hitless in their last 17 tries with runners in scoring position, did Girardi have the catcher bunt?

Of course not. Cervelli swung away and grounded into a rally-killing double play.

Facing the same situation in the top of the 11th, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston had Jarrett Hoffpauir lay down a successful sacrifice, which led to a game-winning five-run rally.

But Girardi wasn't entirely to blame for the 6-1 loss. The Yankees' lineup, which has now mustered just five runs in the past three games, collected only five hits on Friday and stranded eight baserunners, including three with nobody out in the third.

Here are the grades from the Bombers' defeat in the series opener.

 

Joe Girardi, Manager: (D-) I'll give Girardi credit for the double steal he put on in the third, but that's about the only thing he did right in this game.

 

A.J. Burnett, SP: (A-) With pitching coach Dave Eiland back in the Yankees' dugout, Burnett rebounded from a horrific June to toss 6 2/3 scoreless innings in his first start of July. The right-hander gave up only four hits with six strikeouts, but he was wild at times, walking three, delivering two wild pitches, and hitting his league-leading 10th batter.

 

Derek Jeter, SS: (B) The captain was 1-for-4 with a walk, run scored, and stolen base.

 

Nick Swisher, RF: (A-) Swisher was 1-for-3 with two walks and a steal, but he struck out twice.

 

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (C) Teixeira walked twice, but his 12-game hitting streak came to an end with an 0-for-3 performance. However, he did do his job by advancing runners to second and third with less than two outs via a grounder to first in the first, which led to the team's only run.

 

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (D) A-Rod had a productive plate appearance in the first, driving in the Yanks' only run with a sacrifice fly, but he was retired in his following four at-bats, including a strikeout with the bases loaded and nobody out in the third.

 

Robinson Cano, 2B: (D-) Cano had a rare bad day, going 0-for-5 at the plate and striking out with the bases loaded and one out in the third. He also should've been charged with an error on Lyle Overbay's rally-starting single in the 11th. I'll give the second baseman a little bit of credit, though, for his nice snare earlier in the game.

 

Jorge Posada, DH: (D) Posada was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

 

Curtis Granderson, CF: (C-) After making a poor read on Overbay's deep drive to center in the fourth, Granderson recovered in time to make an outstanding catch near the warning track. But at the plate, the outfielder was once again useless versus left-handed pitching. He walked once, but he went 0-for-3 to fall to .232 on the season and 14-for-73 (.192) against lefties. In unrelated news, Austin Jackson is hitting .308.

 

Franciso Cervelli, C: (B) To use Cervelli's two hits in his first two at-bats as a reason why Girardi didn't bunt with him in the sixth is ridiculous because the catcher also entered the game hitless in his last 13 tries and 14 for his last 79 (.177). Cervelli also had a passed ball on Friday and should've been charged with a second that was ruled a wild pitch.

 

Brett Gardner, LF: (D+) Gardner went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, but he made an incredible leaping grab against the left-field wall to rob Alex Gonzalez of an extra-base hit.

 

Damaso Marte, RP: (B) Marte went to a full count before retiring the only batter he faced in the seventh inning.

 

Joba Chamberlain, RP: (F)

 

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A-) The "greatest reliever ever" is too fragile to pitch more than one inning on a consistent basis anymore.

 

David Robertson, RP: (F) The right-hander has worked just three perfect outings in his 28 appearances this season. That's good for a guy who throws only one inning at a time, right?

 

Chan Ho Park, RP: (F) Garbage.

 

Yankees Overall: (D) It's nice to see Burnett back on track, but the offense and bullpen were once again miserable, and Girardi didn't give his team the best chance to win.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasted no time pulling starter A.J. Burnett after 6 2/3 scoreless innings once Burnett surrendered a two-out single. But the skipper was nowhere to be found as reliever Joba Chamberlain struggled through the eighth inning, eventually yielding the tying run.

Such is baseball in the 21st century.

So is this: With runners on first and second and no one out in the bottom of the sixth, Francisco Cervelli stepped to the plate with a chance to help the Yankees add to their slim 1-0 lead.

So with New York struggling offensively all week, and entering the at-bat hitless in their last 17 tries with runners in scoring position, did Girardi have the catcher bunt?

Of course not. Cervelli swung away and grounded into a rally-killing double play.

Facing the same situation in the top of the 11th, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston had Jarrett Hoffpauir lay down a successful sacrifice, which led to a game-winning five-run rally.

But Girardi wasn't entirely to blame for the 6-1 loss. The Yankees' lineup, which has now mustered just five runs in the past three games, collected only five hits on Friday and stranded eight baserunners, including three with nobody out in the third.

Here are the grades from the Bombers' defeat in the series opener.

 

Joe Girardi, Manager: (D-) I'll give Girardi credit for the double steal he put on in the third, but that's about the only thing he did right in this game.

 

A.J. Burnett, SP: (A-) With pitching coach Dave Eiland back in the Yankees' dugout, Burnett rebounded from a horrific June to toss 6 2/3 scoreless innings in his first start of July. The right-hander gave up only four hits with six strikeouts, but he was wild at times, walking three, delivering two wild pitches, and hitting his league-leading 10th batter.

 

Derek Jeter, SS: (B) The captain was 1-for-4 with a walk, run scored, and stolen base.

 

Nick Swisher, RF: (A-) Swisher was 1-for-3 with two walks and a steal, but he struck out twice.

 

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (C) Teixeira walked twice, but his 12-game hitting streak came to an end with an 0-for-3 performance. However, he did do his job by advancing runners to second and third with less than two outs via a grounder to first in the first, which led to the team's only run.

 

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (D) A-Rod had a productive plate appearance in the first, driving in the Yanks' only run with a sacrifice fly, but he was retired in his following four at-bats, including a strikeout with the bases loaded and nobody out in the third.

 

Robinson Cano, 2B: (D-) Cano had a rare bad day, going 0-for-5 at the plate and striking out with the bases loaded and one out in the third. He also should've been charged with an error on Lyle Overbay's rally-starting single in the 11th. I'll give the second baseman a little bit of credit, though, for his nice snare earlier in the game.

 

Jorge Posada, DH: (D) Posada was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

 

Curtis Granderson, CF: (C-) After making a poor read on Overbay's deep drive to center in the fourth, Granderson recovered in time to make an outstanding catch near the warning track. But at the plate, the outfielder was once again useless versus left-handed pitching. He walked once, but he went 0-for-3 to fall to .232 on the season and 14-for-73 (.192) against lefties. In unrelated news, Austin Jackson is hitting .308.

 

Franciso Cervelli, C: (B) To use Cervelli's two hits in his first two at-bats as a reason why Girardi didn't bunt with him in the sixth is ridiculous because the catcher also entered the game hitless in his last 13 tries and 14 for his last 79 (.177). Cervelli also had a passed ball on Friday and should've been charged with a second that was ruled a wild pitch.

 

Brett Gardner, LF: (D+) Gardner went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, but he made an incredible leaping grab against the left-field wall to rob Alex Gonzalez of an extra-base hit.

 

Damaso Marte, RP: (B) Marte went to a full count before retiring the only batter he faced in the seventh inning.

 

Joba Chamberlain, RP: (F)

 

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A-) The "greatest reliever ever" is too fragile to pitch more than one inning on a consistent basis anymore.

 

David Robertson, RP: (F) The right-hander has worked just three perfect outings in his 28 appearances this season. That's good for a guy who throws only one inning at a time, right?

 

Chan Ho Park, RP: (F) Garbage.

 

Yankees Overall: (D) It's nice to see Burnett back on track, but the offense and bullpen were once again miserable, and Girardi didn't give his team the best chance to win.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-blue-jays-joe-girardi-manages-new-york-to-frustrating-loss/feed/ 0 A-Rod Bails Out Posada; Gets CC Sabathia His 10th Win http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/a-rod-bails-out-posada-gets-cc-sabathia-his-10th-win/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/a-rod-bails-out-posada-gets-cc-sabathia-his-10th-win/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:27:41 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/414285-yankees-mariners-a-rod-bails-out-posada-gets-cc-sabathia-his-win Alex Rodriguez's eighth-inning two-run homer off Mariners closer David Aardsma helped the Yankees salvage the finale of a three-game series and avoid a possibly crushing defeat thanks to Jorge Posada.

The catcher, who is one of the worst defensive backstops in the American League, was charged with a passed ball in the top of the eighth when he whiffed on CC Sabathia's 2-1 offering to Russell Branyan.

The blunder allowed Josh Bard to move to third and the speedy Ichiro Suzuki to advance into scoring position as the tying run.

On the next pitch, Branyan laced a two-run single into right to tie the game at 2 and put Sabathia's great outing into jeopardy of resulting in a no-decision.

A-Rod dashed those worries, however, with his 595th career blast in the bottom of the inning, propelling the Yanks to a 4-2 victory on Thursday afternoon in the Bronx.

Let's take a look at the grades from this game.

CC Sabathia, SP: (A+) The big lefty won his sixth straight start—his 10th victory of the year—by allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks, while striking out four. Following two poor outings by Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez, Sabathia once again played the role of stopper.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (A) On a different day, Girardi may have pulled Sabathia when he appeared to lose the strike zone in the seventh or again in the eighth when the southpaw got into trouble. But the skipper let CC work through the jams and toss a season-high 117 pitches, which was wise because bringing in the bullpen probably would've gotten the Yankees into a deeper hole.

Derek Jeter, SS: (C) After a poor June, during which he hit .243, the captain started July with a slightly better day at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Nick Swisher, RF: (C) Swisher doubled in four at-bats.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (A) Teixeira extended his hitting streak to 12 games and is now batting a season-high .234.

Alex Rodriguez, DH: (A+) A-Rod is tied for fourth in the American League with 56 RBIs.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A) Just another MVP-type day for Cano. He picked up his 16th homer and a walk, but because he only went 1-for-3, his average dropped to .353.

Jorge Posada, C: (C-) Posada is tied for the second-most passed balls in the AL with four and those have come in just 30 starts behind the plate.

Curtis Granderson, CF: (F) Granderson left the bases loaded in the sixth and went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .235. He's hitting .209 versus lefties. By the way, Austin Jackson is batting .308.

Brett Gardner, LF: (F) Gardner was 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

Ramiro Pena, 3B: (F) Pena found his way into the lineup again. His 0-for-3 drops him to .176. Maybe it's time to send him down?

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A) Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save.

Yankees Overall Grade: (B+) Getting shut down by Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez is understandable, but scoring just two runs in six innings off Ryan Rowland-Smith, who entered the game 1-7 with a 6.18 ERA, is a little scarly. The Yanks need to hope their bats wake up this weekend and A.J. Burnett turns things around this weekend against Toronto.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Alex Rodriguez's eighth-inning two-run homer off Mariners closer David Aardsma helped the Yankees salvage the finale of a three-game series and avoid a possibly crushing defeat thanks to Jorge Posada.

The catcher, who is one of the worst defensive backstops in the American League, was charged with a passed ball in the top of the eighth when he whiffed on CC Sabathia's 2-1 offering to Russell Branyan.

The blunder allowed Josh Bard to move to third and the speedy Ichiro Suzuki to advance into scoring position as the tying run.

On the next pitch, Branyan laced a two-run single into right to tie the game at 2 and put Sabathia's great outing into jeopardy of resulting in a no-decision.

A-Rod dashed those worries, however, with his 595th career blast in the bottom of the inning, propelling the Yanks to a 4-2 victory on Thursday afternoon in the Bronx.

Let's take a look at the grades from this game.

CC Sabathia, SP: (A+) The big lefty won his sixth straight start—his 10th victory of the year—by allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks, while striking out four. Following two poor outings by Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez, Sabathia once again played the role of stopper.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (A) On a different day, Girardi may have pulled Sabathia when he appeared to lose the strike zone in the seventh or again in the eighth when the southpaw got into trouble. But the skipper let CC work through the jams and toss a season-high 117 pitches, which was wise because bringing in the bullpen probably would've gotten the Yankees into a deeper hole.

Derek Jeter, SS: (C) After a poor June, during which he hit .243, the captain started July with a slightly better day at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Nick Swisher, RF: (C) Swisher doubled in four at-bats.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (A) Teixeira extended his hitting streak to 12 games and is now batting a season-high .234.

Alex Rodriguez, DH: (A+) A-Rod is tied for fourth in the American League with 56 RBIs.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A) Just another MVP-type day for Cano. He picked up his 16th homer and a walk, but because he only went 1-for-3, his average dropped to .353.

Jorge Posada, C: (C-) Posada is tied for the second-most passed balls in the AL with four and those have come in just 30 starts behind the plate.

Curtis Granderson, CF: (F) Granderson left the bases loaded in the sixth and went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .235. He's hitting .209 versus lefties. By the way, Austin Jackson is batting .308.

Brett Gardner, LF: (F) Gardner was 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

Ramiro Pena, 3B: (F) Pena found his way into the lineup again. His 0-for-3 drops him to .176. Maybe it's time to send him down?

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A) Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save.

Yankees Overall Grade: (B+) Getting shut down by Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez is understandable, but scoring just two runs in six innings off Ryan Rowland-Smith, who entered the game 1-7 with a 6.18 ERA, is a little scarly. The Yanks need to hope their bats wake up this weekend and A.J. Burnett turns things around this weekend against Toronto.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/a-rod-bails-out-posada-gets-cc-sabathia-his-10th-win/feed/ 0 Yankees-Mariners Series Preview: Seattle Aims To Strong Arm New York http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-mariners-series-preview-seattle-aims-to-strong-arm-new-york/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-mariners-series-preview-seattle-aims-to-strong-arm-new-york/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:48:02 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/413058-yankees-mariners-series-preview-seattle-aims-to-strong-arm-new-york The Yankees closed out the Interleague slate with their best victory of the year, mounting a dramatic four-run comeback in the ninth against the Dodgers on Sunday, before winning the game on MVP candidate Robinson Cano's two-run homer in the 10th.

New York took two out of three from Los Angeles to finish 11-7 versus the National League. The first-place Bombers (47-28) now welcome in the last-place Mariners (31-44) for a three-game set this week at Yankee Stadium.

The problem for Seattle this year has been hitting. It ranks last in baseball in home runs and hits, while placing 27th with a .239 batting average. On the other hand, pitching has been a strength. The Mariners rank eighth with a 3.90 ERA and send two of their best to the hill in the first two games against the Yankees.

 

Tuesday, June 29 —Phil Hughes (10-1, 3.17) vs. Cliff Lee (6-3, 2.39)

When Hughes was skipped in his last turn in the rotation, it set up quite a pitching matchup for the series opener. The right-hander has won his last five starts, but was held out last week in an effort to keep his innings down during his first full season in the rotation.

The 24-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four appearances (one start) against the Mariners. Seattle's roster hits just .182 (4-for-22) off him, led by Josh Wilson, who is 2-for-4. Russell Branyan, who was recently reacquired by the M's, has homered off Hughes, but Casey Kotchman, Jose Lopez, and Chone Figgins are a combined 0-for-11.

Lee is being considered a hot commodity as the Trade Deadline approaches and the Yankees were once rumored to be a possible suitor, although I'm not sure why New York, who already has three probable All-Stars in its rotation, would need another hurler.

But someone is going to land a Cy Young candidate if the left-hander gets moved. He has thrown three complete games in his last four starts to position himself atop the American League standings in that category (4), along with ERA and WHIP (0.91).

Lee is 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA in nine regular-season starts against the Bombers, but went 2-0 versus them in the World Series last year, including a masterful Game One performance, during which he allowed only one unearned run and struck out 10.

Derek Jeter hits Lee well (11-for-27, .407), as does Mark Teixeira (9-for-23, .391), while lefty Cano (4-for-18, .222) is about the only Yankee who does not.

 

Wednesday, June 30 —Javier Vazquez (6-6, 5.16) vs. Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.28)

Vazquez turned in his worst outing in a month against the D-backs last Wednesday, surrendering four runs over five innings. I wouldn't be surprised if this trend continued now that the Interleague part of the year has finished. The right-hander, who dominated the National League in 2009, went 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA against the NL this season, but is just 4-5 with a 6.30 versus the superior AL. Then again, he may get a reprieve against the light-hitting Mariners.

Vazquez is 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA in six starts against the M's. Franklin Gutierrez is 4-for-12 (.333) with a homer off him, while Kotchman is 3-for-8 (.375) and Branyan is 3-for-6 (.500) with a remarkable three homers.

Milton Bradley, however, is just 3-for-18 (.167) and Lopez is 2-for-14 (.143).

King Felix tossed his second consecutive complete game his last time out and now leads the league with 112.2 innings pitched, while ranking fourth in strikeouts (105).

Hernandez is 2-3 with a 4.59 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, including 1-1 with a 4.97 in the Bronx.

Five Bombers hit better than .300 off the right-hander. Teixeira is 11-for-36 (.306) with three blasts, Curtis Granderson is 9-for-25 (.360), but has 10 strikeouts, Jeter is 5-for-15 (.333), Cano is 5-for-13 (.385) and Jorge Posada is 3-for-5 (.600).

 

Thursday, July 1 —CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.49) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith (1-7, 6.18)

If there's going to be one blowout in this series, this figures to be it. Sabathia probably wishes there were 31 days in June because after a rocky May, he was outstanding last month, going 5-0 with a 2.19 ERA.

The big lefty is 6-4 with a 2.97 in 14 starts versus Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki has battered him around, however, collecting 19 hits in 48 at-bats (.396). Figgins is 5-for-16 (.313), Bradley is 4-for-11 (.364) and Gutierrez is 4-for-9 (.444).

But Lopez (.125), Jack Wilson (.123), and Josh Wilson (.167) each just have two hits in double-digit at-bats against Sabathia.

Rowland-Smith is just holding a spot for the injured Erik Bedard at this point. He allowed five runs and two homers in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers on Friday.

The left-hander has no record and a 5.29 ERA in six appearances (two starts) versus the Yanks and has allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief in the Bronx.

But maybe all of the guys Rowland-Smith has had trouble with are gone. New York's roster hits just .189 off him and Teixeira is 2-for-11 (.182).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> The Yankees closed out the Interleague slate with their best victory of the year, mounting a dramatic four-run comeback in the ninth against the Dodgers on Sunday, before winning the game on MVP candidate Robinson Cano's two-run homer in the 10th.

New York took two out of three from Los Angeles to finish 11-7 versus the National League. The first-place Bombers (47-28) now welcome in the last-place Mariners (31-44) for a three-game set this week at Yankee Stadium.

The problem for Seattle this year has been hitting. It ranks last in baseball in home runs and hits, while placing 27th with a .239 batting average. On the other hand, pitching has been a strength. The Mariners rank eighth with a 3.90 ERA and send two of their best to the hill in the first two games against the Yankees.

 

Tuesday, June 29 —Phil Hughes (10-1, 3.17) vs. Cliff Lee (6-3, 2.39)

When Hughes was skipped in his last turn in the rotation, it set up quite a pitching matchup for the series opener. The right-hander has won his last five starts, but was held out last week in an effort to keep his innings down during his first full season in the rotation.

The 24-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four appearances (one start) against the Mariners. Seattle's roster hits just .182 (4-for-22) off him, led by Josh Wilson, who is 2-for-4. Russell Branyan, who was recently reacquired by the M's, has homered off Hughes, but Casey Kotchman, Jose Lopez, and Chone Figgins are a combined 0-for-11.

Lee is being considered a hot commodity as the Trade Deadline approaches and the Yankees were once rumored to be a possible suitor, although I'm not sure why New York, who already has three probable All-Stars in its rotation, would need another hurler.

But someone is going to land a Cy Young candidate if the left-hander gets moved. He has thrown three complete games in his last four starts to position himself atop the American League standings in that category (4), along with ERA and WHIP (0.91).

Lee is 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA in nine regular-season starts against the Bombers, but went 2-0 versus them in the World Series last year, including a masterful Game One performance, during which he allowed only one unearned run and struck out 10.

Derek Jeter hits Lee well (11-for-27, .407), as does Mark Teixeira (9-for-23, .391), while lefty Cano (4-for-18, .222) is about the only Yankee who does not.

 

Wednesday, June 30 —Javier Vazquez (6-6, 5.16) vs. Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.28)

Vazquez turned in his worst outing in a month against the D-backs last Wednesday, surrendering four runs over five innings. I wouldn't be surprised if this trend continued now that the Interleague part of the year has finished. The right-hander, who dominated the National League in 2009, went 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA against the NL this season, but is just 4-5 with a 6.30 versus the superior AL. Then again, he may get a reprieve against the light-hitting Mariners.

Vazquez is 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA in six starts against the M's. Franklin Gutierrez is 4-for-12 (.333) with a homer off him, while Kotchman is 3-for-8 (.375) and Branyan is 3-for-6 (.500) with a remarkable three homers.

Milton Bradley, however, is just 3-for-18 (.167) and Lopez is 2-for-14 (.143).

King Felix tossed his second consecutive complete game his last time out and now leads the league with 112.2 innings pitched, while ranking fourth in strikeouts (105).

Hernandez is 2-3 with a 4.59 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, including 1-1 with a 4.97 in the Bronx.

Five Bombers hit better than .300 off the right-hander. Teixeira is 11-for-36 (.306) with three blasts, Curtis Granderson is 9-for-25 (.360), but has 10 strikeouts, Jeter is 5-for-15 (.333), Cano is 5-for-13 (.385) and Jorge Posada is 3-for-5 (.600).

 

Thursday, July 1 —CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.49) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith (1-7, 6.18)

If there's going to be one blowout in this series, this figures to be it. Sabathia probably wishes there were 31 days in June because after a rocky May, he was outstanding last month, going 5-0 with a 2.19 ERA.

The big lefty is 6-4 with a 2.97 in 14 starts versus Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki has battered him around, however, collecting 19 hits in 48 at-bats (.396). Figgins is 5-for-16 (.313), Bradley is 4-for-11 (.364) and Gutierrez is 4-for-9 (.444).

But Lopez (.125), Jack Wilson (.123), and Josh Wilson (.167) each just have two hits in double-digit at-bats against Sabathia.

Rowland-Smith is just holding a spot for the injured Erik Bedard at this point. He allowed five runs and two homers in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers on Friday.

The left-hander has no record and a 5.29 ERA in six appearances (two starts) versus the Yanks and has allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief in the Bronx.

But maybe all of the guys Rowland-Smith has had trouble with are gone. New York's roster hits just .189 off him and Teixeira is 2-for-11 (.182).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-mariners-series-preview-seattle-aims-to-strong-arm-new-york/feed/ 0 Yankees-Dodgers Series Preview: New York Faces Former Manager Joe Torre http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-dodgers-series-preview-new-york-faces-former-manager-joe-torre/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-dodgers-series-preview-new-york-faces-former-manager-joe-torre/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:46:47 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/411331-yankees-dodgers-series-preview-new-york-faces-former-manager-joe-torre The Yankees (45-27) square off against former manager Joe Torre for the first time since he left the team after the 2007 season, as New York travels to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles for a three-game series this weekend.

Torre led the Bombers to four World Series titles between 1996-2000, but lost his touch and overworked the bullpen over his final three years in New York, during which the Yanks failed to advance past the American League Division Series.

Now, Torre manages the Dodgers (39-33), a team that stands in third place in the National League West, three games back of first-place San Diego. Los Angeles is a solid offensive team, ranking eighth in baseball with a .267 average, but it has a mediocre pitching staff. The Dodgers strike out the second most batters, but rank 17th with a 4.14 ERA.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups. 

Friday, June 25 - CC Sabathia (8-3, 3.68) vs. Vicente Padilla (1-1, 6.67)

Sabathia starts the opener after the Yankees chose to skip Phil Hughes' turn in the rotation. Despite the right-hander's excellent first three months, I don't have a big problem with this because he is already within four innings of his career high for a season and the organization wants him to be healthy enough to pitch down the stretch.

We all knew this would happen and I'd rather the team do it this way because of an off-day on Thursday, rather than limit him to a certain number of innings or pitches in August or September starts like they did when they destroyed Joba Chamberlain's career last year. I guess they're learning.

As for Sabathia, he's returned to form after a rough May. The big lefty is 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in June and allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings against the Mets his last time out.

The former Brewer has made one start in his career against Los Angeles, earning a no-decision while surrendering just one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings at Dodger Stadium.

Padilla has yielded at least four runs in four of his five starts this season, including his first outing since returning from the disabled list - a four-run, 5 1/3-inning performance at Fenway Park last Saturday.

The ex-Ranger is 1-2 with a 7.65 ERA in four starts against the Yankees. Robinson Cano (4-for-11, .364, HR) and Derek Jeter (4-for-10, .400) have had success versus the right-hander. Nick Swisher (1-for-15, .067, 5 K's) and Alex Rodriguez (2-for-12, .167) have not.

 

Saturday, June 26 - A.J. Burnett (6-6, 4.83) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 3.06)

Burnett is scheduled to make his next start after leaving the team on Wednesday to be with his ailing grandfather. Who knows if that has been weighing on his mind this month because he is 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA in June.

The former Marlin is 3-2 with a 2.45 in seven starts against the Dodgers, including a 1-2 record and 2.55 ERA in three appearances in Los Angeles.

Rafael Furcal is 9-for-29 (.310) off him, and Garret Anderson is 5-for-14 (.357), but Jamey Carroll is 3-for-13 (.231) with five strikeouts.

Kuroda has been stellar over his past three starts, sporting a 0.95 ERA but just a 1-1 record thanks to very little run support in two of those appearances.

The right-hander has never faced the Yankees, but he has seen Mark Teixeira five times, allowing him two hits and a walk in five at-bats.

 

Sunday, June 27 - Andy Pettitte (9-2, 2.48) vs. Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.24)

It makes sense that the best pitching matchup of the series will be featured on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Pettitte continued his incredible season last outing by giving up two runs or fewer in at least seven innings for the sixth straight time.

He is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA on the road this year and 2-0 with a 4.05 in three career starts at Dodger Stadium. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 3.33 against L.A.

But the Dodgers' roster hits .338 off the southpaw, led by Anderson (33-for-82, .402) and old friend Manny Ramirez (32-for-77, .416, 8 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB).

However, Carroll is just 2-for-15 (.133), Furcal is 1-for-12 (.083), Reed Johnson is 1-for-11 (.091) and Casey Blake is 1-for-7 (.143).

Kershaw had his second-worst outing of the season last time out, surrendering five runs in 6 2/3 innings at the Angels. That was only the second time in 15 starts that he had allowed more than four earned runs. Kershaw doesn't pitch to contact; his 103 strikeouts are fifth in the National League and his 48 walks lead the NL.

The left-hander has never pitched against the Yankes and the only Bomber he's faced is Nick Swisher, who he retired in one at-bat.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> The Yankees (45-27) square off against former manager Joe Torre for the first time since he left the team after the 2007 season, as New York travels to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles for a three-game series this weekend.

Torre led the Bombers to four World Series titles between 1996-2000, but lost his touch and overworked the bullpen over his final three years in New York, during which the Yanks failed to advance past the American League Division Series.

Now, Torre manages the Dodgers (39-33), a team that stands in third place in the National League West, three games back of first-place San Diego. Los Angeles is a solid offensive team, ranking eighth in baseball with a .267 average, but it has a mediocre pitching staff. The Dodgers strike out the second most batters, but rank 17th with a 4.14 ERA.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups. 

Friday, June 25 - CC Sabathia (8-3, 3.68) vs. Vicente Padilla (1-1, 6.67)

Sabathia starts the opener after the Yankees chose to skip Phil Hughes' turn in the rotation. Despite the right-hander's excellent first three months, I don't have a big problem with this because he is already within four innings of his career high for a season and the organization wants him to be healthy enough to pitch down the stretch.

We all knew this would happen and I'd rather the team do it this way because of an off-day on Thursday, rather than limit him to a certain number of innings or pitches in August or September starts like they did when they destroyed Joba Chamberlain's career last year. I guess they're learning.

As for Sabathia, he's returned to form after a rough May. The big lefty is 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in June and allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings against the Mets his last time out.

The former Brewer has made one start in his career against Los Angeles, earning a no-decision while surrendering just one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings at Dodger Stadium.

Padilla has yielded at least four runs in four of his five starts this season, including his first outing since returning from the disabled list - a four-run, 5 1/3-inning performance at Fenway Park last Saturday.

The ex-Ranger is 1-2 with a 7.65 ERA in four starts against the Yankees. Robinson Cano (4-for-11, .364, HR) and Derek Jeter (4-for-10, .400) have had success versus the right-hander. Nick Swisher (1-for-15, .067, 5 K's) and Alex Rodriguez (2-for-12, .167) have not.

 

Saturday, June 26 - A.J. Burnett (6-6, 4.83) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 3.06)

Burnett is scheduled to make his next start after leaving the team on Wednesday to be with his ailing grandfather. Who knows if that has been weighing on his mind this month because he is 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA in June.

The former Marlin is 3-2 with a 2.45 in seven starts against the Dodgers, including a 1-2 record and 2.55 ERA in three appearances in Los Angeles.

Rafael Furcal is 9-for-29 (.310) off him, and Garret Anderson is 5-for-14 (.357), but Jamey Carroll is 3-for-13 (.231) with five strikeouts.

Kuroda has been stellar over his past three starts, sporting a 0.95 ERA but just a 1-1 record thanks to very little run support in two of those appearances.

The right-hander has never faced the Yankees, but he has seen Mark Teixeira five times, allowing him two hits and a walk in five at-bats.

 

Sunday, June 27 - Andy Pettitte (9-2, 2.48) vs. Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.24)

It makes sense that the best pitching matchup of the series will be featured on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Pettitte continued his incredible season last outing by giving up two runs or fewer in at least seven innings for the sixth straight time.

He is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA on the road this year and 2-0 with a 4.05 in three career starts at Dodger Stadium. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 3.33 against L.A.

But the Dodgers' roster hits .338 off the southpaw, led by Anderson (33-for-82, .402) and old friend Manny Ramirez (32-for-77, .416, 8 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB).

However, Carroll is just 2-for-15 (.133), Furcal is 1-for-12 (.083), Reed Johnson is 1-for-11 (.091) and Casey Blake is 1-for-7 (.143).

Kershaw had his second-worst outing of the season last time out, surrendering five runs in 6 2/3 innings at the Angels. That was only the second time in 15 starts that he had allowed more than four earned runs. Kershaw doesn't pitch to contact; his 103 strikeouts are fifth in the National League and his 48 walks lead the NL.

The left-hander has never pitched against the Yankes and the only Bomber he's faced is Nick Swisher, who he retired in one at-bat.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-dodgers-series-preview-new-york-faces-former-manager-joe-torre/feed/ 0 Subway Series Preview: New York Yankees Need To Slow Down Streaking Mets http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/subway-series-preview-new-york-yankees-need-to-slow-down-streaking-mets/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/subway-series-preview-new-york-yankees-need-to-slow-down-streaking-mets/#comments Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:15:55 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/408090-subway-series-preview-yankees-need-to-slow-down-streaking-mets After dropping two of three at home to the Phillies, the Yankees are now just 21-20 against teams with winning records, compared to a staggering 20-5 mark versus losing clubs.

In fact, New York hasn't taken a series from a team with a current above .500 winning percentage, aside from the Twins, since beating the Red Sox on May 7 and 8.

The Bombers have a chance to reverse that trend in the Subway Series this weekend against the Mets, a team that has won seven straight and took two of three from the Yanks at Citi Field last month.

That first inter-league set was a turning point in the Mets' season. Since dropping the opener on May 21, the club has gone 18-5 to pull within a half game of the first-place Braves.

And they've done it with pitching, improving their season ERA to 3.74, the seventh-lowest in baseball. That's not good news for the Bombers, who have scored just four runs over the past two games after lighting up Roy Halladay and Co. for eight on Tuesday.

Let's take a look at this weekend's pitching match-ups, which are the exact same ones as the series in May.

 

Friday, June 18 : Javier Vazquez (6-5, 5.43) vs. Hisanori Takahashi (5-2, 3.48)

I'll be at the stadium for this one, buying all the food and drinks for my girlfriend—a Met fan—after losing our bet in the first Subway Series. And in order to have a shot at winning our wager for Round Two, I'll need Vazquez to continue his recent dominance.

The right-hander has won each of his last three starts while posting a 2.57 ERA. He's 2-0 with a 2.08 against the National League—where he flourished last season—including six scoreless innings at Citi Field on May 21.

Vazquez is 10-8 with a 3.24 mark in 24 career starts versus the Mets, and the current roster hits just .238 off him.

Henry Blanco is 4-for-20 (.200), Rod Barajas is 2-for-17 (.118) with six strikeouts, Jose Reyes is 3-for-16 (.188), and Jason Bay, who is dealing with a quad injury, may be wise to take a day off on Friday, as he is 2-for-14 (.143) with six K's against Vazquez. Alex Cora, however, is 8-for-21 (.381).

Takahashi bounced back from two poor starts by holding the struggling Orioles to one run in seven innings during his last outing.

He went pitch-for-pitch with Vazquez on May 21, tossing six shutout frames, but took a no-decision when the bullpen lost it, 2-1.

That was his first start against the Yankees, and he did well versus Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, and Nick Swisher (combined 0-for-8) but gave up doubles to Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.

 

Saturday, June 19 : Phil Hughes (9-1, 3.11) vs. Mike Pelfrey (9-1, 2.39)

Might have to get Elias on the phone to find out the last time a pair of 9-1 guys squared off.

Hughes surrendered five runs in 5.2 innings against the Astros on Sunday but still won his fourth consecutive start. That streak started after he yielded four runs over 5.2 innings in his only loss of the season, a 5-3 decision versus the Mets on May 22.

The right-hander has now allowed four runs and 14 baserunners in eight career frames against the Mets, who are hoping Bay is healthy enough to play on Saturday because he is 4-for-9 (.444) with a double off Hughes.

David Wright and Angel Pagan are both 2-for-3, but Barajas, Jeff Francoeur, and Jose Reyes are a combined 0-for-12.

Pelfrey's only defeat came way back on May 1 at Philadelphia, but he's turned in seven out of eight quality starts since then, including a one-run, six-inning victory over Hughes and the Yanks on May 22.

The righty is now 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA in three lifetime showdowns versus the Bombers and allowed four runs in five innings, but got the win in his only appearance in the Bronx.

A-Rod is 3-for-7 (.429) with two walks off Pelf, but Cano is 2-for-9 (.222), and Derek Jeter is 1-for-6 (.167).

 

Sunday, June 20: CC Sabathia (7-3, 4.00) vs. Johan Santana (5-3, 3.13)

After going nearly winless in May, Sabathia is undefeated in June, having won all three of his starts with a 3.43 ERA. One of those poor outings last month, however, came at Citi Field on May 23, when he allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings to take a 6-4 loss in the rubber game.

The big lefty is 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against the Mets and is 4-0 with a 3.07 at home this season.

Facing Sabathia, Barajas is 9-for-29 (.409) with three homers and three doubles, and Bay has two dingers in just 11 at-bats (.818 slugging), but Francouer is 2-for-9 (.222) with three strikeouts.

Outside of his 10-run performance in Philly on May 2, Santana has been very good this year, including a victory over Sabathia and the Yanks on May 23, when he yielded just one run in 7.2 innings.

The southpaw is 5-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) against the Pinstripes but was knocked around for nine runs over three frames in his only appearance at the new Yankee Stadium last year. He was 3-0 with a 2.05 at the old ballpark.

Jeter kills Santana, to the tune of 13-for-30 (.433) with four doubles and a homer. Cano is 8-for-20 (.400), but Teixeira is just 7-for-30 (.233) with six strikeouts, Rodriguez is 5-for-26 (.192), Swisher is 3-for-17 (.176) with 5 K's, Jorge Posada is 2-for-15 (.133) with six strikeouts, and Curtis Granderson is hitless in 12 at-bats and has been fanned a half-dozen times.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> After dropping two of three at home to the Phillies, the Yankees are now just 21-20 against teams with winning records, compared to a staggering 20-5 mark versus losing clubs.

In fact, New York hasn't taken a series from a team with a current above .500 winning percentage, aside from the Twins, since beating the Red Sox on May 7 and 8.

The Bombers have a chance to reverse that trend in the Subway Series this weekend against the Mets, a team that has won seven straight and took two of three from the Yanks at Citi Field last month.

That first inter-league set was a turning point in the Mets' season. Since dropping the opener on May 21, the club has gone 18-5 to pull within a half game of the first-place Braves.

And they've done it with pitching, improving their season ERA to 3.74, the seventh-lowest in baseball. That's not good news for the Bombers, who have scored just four runs over the past two games after lighting up Roy Halladay and Co. for eight on Tuesday.

Let's take a look at this weekend's pitching match-ups, which are the exact same ones as the series in May.

 

Friday, June 18 : Javier Vazquez (6-5, 5.43) vs. Hisanori Takahashi (5-2, 3.48)

I'll be at the stadium for this one, buying all the food and drinks for my girlfriend—a Met fan—after losing our bet in the first Subway Series. And in order to have a shot at winning our wager for Round Two, I'll need Vazquez to continue his recent dominance.

The right-hander has won each of his last three starts while posting a 2.57 ERA. He's 2-0 with a 2.08 against the National League—where he flourished last season—including six scoreless innings at Citi Field on May 21.

Vazquez is 10-8 with a 3.24 mark in 24 career starts versus the Mets, and the current roster hits just .238 off him.

Henry Blanco is 4-for-20 (.200), Rod Barajas is 2-for-17 (.118) with six strikeouts, Jose Reyes is 3-for-16 (.188), and Jason Bay, who is dealing with a quad injury, may be wise to take a day off on Friday, as he is 2-for-14 (.143) with six K's against Vazquez. Alex Cora, however, is 8-for-21 (.381).

Takahashi bounced back from two poor starts by holding the struggling Orioles to one run in seven innings during his last outing.

He went pitch-for-pitch with Vazquez on May 21, tossing six shutout frames, but took a no-decision when the bullpen lost it, 2-1.

That was his first start against the Yankees, and he did well versus Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, and Nick Swisher (combined 0-for-8) but gave up doubles to Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.

 

Saturday, June 19 : Phil Hughes (9-1, 3.11) vs. Mike Pelfrey (9-1, 2.39)

Might have to get Elias on the phone to find out the last time a pair of 9-1 guys squared off.

Hughes surrendered five runs in 5.2 innings against the Astros on Sunday but still won his fourth consecutive start. That streak started after he yielded four runs over 5.2 innings in his only loss of the season, a 5-3 decision versus the Mets on May 22.

The right-hander has now allowed four runs and 14 baserunners in eight career frames against the Mets, who are hoping Bay is healthy enough to play on Saturday because he is 4-for-9 (.444) with a double off Hughes.

David Wright and Angel Pagan are both 2-for-3, but Barajas, Jeff Francoeur, and Jose Reyes are a combined 0-for-12.

Pelfrey's only defeat came way back on May 1 at Philadelphia, but he's turned in seven out of eight quality starts since then, including a one-run, six-inning victory over Hughes and the Yanks on May 22.

The righty is now 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA in three lifetime showdowns versus the Bombers and allowed four runs in five innings, but got the win in his only appearance in the Bronx.

A-Rod is 3-for-7 (.429) with two walks off Pelf, but Cano is 2-for-9 (.222), and Derek Jeter is 1-for-6 (.167).

 

Sunday, June 20: CC Sabathia (7-3, 4.00) vs. Johan Santana (5-3, 3.13)

After going nearly winless in May, Sabathia is undefeated in June, having won all three of his starts with a 3.43 ERA. One of those poor outings last month, however, came at Citi Field on May 23, when he allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings to take a 6-4 loss in the rubber game.

The big lefty is 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against the Mets and is 4-0 with a 3.07 at home this season.

Facing Sabathia, Barajas is 9-for-29 (.409) with three homers and three doubles, and Bay has two dingers in just 11 at-bats (.818 slugging), but Francouer is 2-for-9 (.222) with three strikeouts.

Outside of his 10-run performance in Philly on May 2, Santana has been very good this year, including a victory over Sabathia and the Yanks on May 23, when he yielded just one run in 7.2 innings.

The southpaw is 5-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) against the Pinstripes but was knocked around for nine runs over three frames in his only appearance at the new Yankee Stadium last year. He was 3-0 with a 2.05 at the old ballpark.

Jeter kills Santana, to the tune of 13-for-30 (.433) with four doubles and a homer. Cano is 8-for-20 (.400), but Teixeira is just 7-for-30 (.233) with six strikeouts, Rodriguez is 5-for-26 (.192), Swisher is 3-for-17 (.176) with 5 K's, Jorge Posada is 2-for-15 (.133) with six strikeouts, and Curtis Granderson is hitless in 12 at-bats and has been fanned a half-dozen times.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/subway-series-preview-new-york-yankees-need-to-slow-down-streaking-mets/feed/ 0 Yankees-Phillies Preview: World Series Rematch vs. Struggling Philly http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-phillies-preview-world-series-rematch-vs-struggling-philly/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-phillies-preview-world-series-rematch-vs-struggling-philly/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:32:24 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/406376-yankees-phillies-preview-world-series-rematch-versus-struggling-philly Coming off a sweep of the Astros that propelled the Yankees into a tie with the Rays for the best record in baseball, New York faces a stiffer challenge this week as they play a three-game set with the defending National League champion Phillies.

However, Philly doesn't appear to be the same team the Bombers beat in last year's Fall Classic, as they have lost 14 of their past 20 games. The Phils have averaged just 2.4 runs per contest over that stretch and most of these struggles have come since they were accused of stealing signs by using binoculars in the bullpen.

Charlie Manuel's bunch has been shut out an astounding six times since May 22 while they currently rank 20th in the Majors with a .258 batting average.

Pitching, meanwhile, continues to be a strength, as Philadelphia's 3.94 ERA puts them 10th in baseball. The upcoming series opens with a tremendous matchup on the mound.

 

Tuesday, June 15—CC Sabathia (6-3, 4.01) vs. Roy Halladay (8-4, 1.96)

If Sabathia only had to face the Orioles, he'd have no problem winning a second American League Cy Young Award. This season, the big lefty is 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA against the Birds, including a seven-inning, two-run effort in his last outing on Wednesday. But versus everyone else, Sabathia is a more pedestrian 2-3 with a 4.69 ERA.

The former Brewer is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in three regular-season starts against the Phillies, but allowed just five runs in 13 and 2/3 innings (3.29) over two starts during the '09 World Series.

Placido Polanco has had success against Sabathia, going 14-for-43 (.326) with seven extra-base hits, but Jayson Werth, Chase Utley, and Wilson Valdez are a combined 0-for-12 off him in the regular season. Of course, Utley did smack three homers off the southpaw last fall.

Halladay's transition to the NL has been expectedly easy, with the right-hander leading the league in complete games (5) and innings pitched (101), while ranking second in wins, and fourth in ERA and WHIP (1.02). His perfect game at Florida on May 29 was the icing on the cake.

The Yankees were happy to see the former Blue Jay head to the NL because he is 18-6 with a 2.84 in 37 games (35 starts) against them. He was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA at the old stadium and went 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA in two starts at the new ballpark last year.

Halladay has handled Derek Jeter (22-for-91, .242, 24 K's) and Robinson Cano (10-for-48, .208), as well as Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner, who are each 4-for-17 (.235) off him.

But Alex Rodriguez is 23-for-77 (.299) with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBIs. In addition, Curtis Granderson is 5-for-12 (.417).

 

Wednesday, June 16—A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.86) vs. Jamie Moyer (6-6, 5.03)

Burnett has allowed 10 runs in 12 and 2/3 innings over his last two starts (both losses). His problem has been the long ball as he's surrendered four of them over that span.

The key to Burnett's success this season has been keeping the ball on the ground. He is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA when he induces more ground balls than fly balls, but he is 2-4 with a 6.18 when the opposite occurs.

The right-hander is 5-8 with a 4.75 mark in 17 games (16 starts) versus the Phils and had one excellent start and one terrible start against them in the World Series.

Brian Schneider is 9-for-24 (.375) with three doubles off Burnett, but Ryan Howard (2-for-12, .167, 6 K's), Werth (1-for-7, .143), Ross Gload (1-for-6, .167) and Shane Victorino (1-for-6) have all struggled.

Moyer's ERA jumped more than a run after giving up nine in just one inning of work at Fenway Park on Friday. He is now 3-4 with a 6.69 ERA on the road this season and has only had moderate success in the Bronx, going 6-5 with a 4.84 mark in 19 games (18 starts).

Overall, the 47-year-old is 10-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 36 career games (34 starts) against the Yankees.

Facing Moyer, Jeter is 22-for-68 (.324), A-Rod is 21-for-54 (.389) with six homers and 12 RBIs, Jorge Posada is 15-for-45 (.333) and Teixeira is 11-for-36 (.306). Only Granderson (1-for-7, .143) seems to have a tough time versus the left-hander.

 

Thursday, June 17—Andy Pettitte (8-1, 2.46) vs. Kyle Kendrick (3-2, 4.80)

Pettitte continued his dazzling season during his last outing against the Astros when he yielded just two earned runs in 7 and 1/3 innings to take home the victory.

The veteran currently ranks in the top four among AL pitchers in wins, ERA, WHIP (1.10) and winning percentage.

The left-hander is 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in seven regular-season starts against the Phillies and beat them twice in the '09 Fall Classic.

Werth is just 1-for-13 (.077) with five strikeouts when facing Pettitte, while Howard (1-for-9, .111) and Utley (1-for-6, .167) struggle as well. Polanco, on the other hand, is 3-for-7 (.429) with a homer.

Kendrick pitched two scoreless innings of relief on Friday, but his other 12 appearances this season have been as a starter. He has never faced the Yankees and did not appear in last year's postseason for the Phillies. However, he did dominate Mark Teixeira, during the first baseman's two stints with Atlanta, to the tune of 1-for-12 (.083).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Coming off a sweep of the Astros that propelled the Yankees into a tie with the Rays for the best record in baseball, New York faces a stiffer challenge this week as they play a three-game set with the defending National League champion Phillies.

However, Philly doesn't appear to be the same team the Bombers beat in last year's Fall Classic, as they have lost 14 of their past 20 games. The Phils have averaged just 2.4 runs per contest over that stretch and most of these struggles have come since they were accused of stealing signs by using binoculars in the bullpen.

Charlie Manuel's bunch has been shut out an astounding six times since May 22 while they currently rank 20th in the Majors with a .258 batting average.

Pitching, meanwhile, continues to be a strength, as Philadelphia's 3.94 ERA puts them 10th in baseball. The upcoming series opens with a tremendous matchup on the mound.

 

Tuesday, June 15—CC Sabathia (6-3, 4.01) vs. Roy Halladay (8-4, 1.96)

If Sabathia only had to face the Orioles, he'd have no problem winning a second American League Cy Young Award. This season, the big lefty is 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA against the Birds, including a seven-inning, two-run effort in his last outing on Wednesday. But versus everyone else, Sabathia is a more pedestrian 2-3 with a 4.69 ERA.

The former Brewer is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in three regular-season starts against the Phillies, but allowed just five runs in 13 and 2/3 innings (3.29) over two starts during the '09 World Series.

Placido Polanco has had success against Sabathia, going 14-for-43 (.326) with seven extra-base hits, but Jayson Werth, Chase Utley, and Wilson Valdez are a combined 0-for-12 off him in the regular season. Of course, Utley did smack three homers off the southpaw last fall.

Halladay's transition to the NL has been expectedly easy, with the right-hander leading the league in complete games (5) and innings pitched (101), while ranking second in wins, and fourth in ERA and WHIP (1.02). His perfect game at Florida on May 29 was the icing on the cake.

The Yankees were happy to see the former Blue Jay head to the NL because he is 18-6 with a 2.84 in 37 games (35 starts) against them. He was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA at the old stadium and went 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA in two starts at the new ballpark last year.

Halladay has handled Derek Jeter (22-for-91, .242, 24 K's) and Robinson Cano (10-for-48, .208), as well as Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner, who are each 4-for-17 (.235) off him.

But Alex Rodriguez is 23-for-77 (.299) with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBIs. In addition, Curtis Granderson is 5-for-12 (.417).

 

Wednesday, June 16—A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.86) vs. Jamie Moyer (6-6, 5.03)

Burnett has allowed 10 runs in 12 and 2/3 innings over his last two starts (both losses). His problem has been the long ball as he's surrendered four of them over that span.

The key to Burnett's success this season has been keeping the ball on the ground. He is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA when he induces more ground balls than fly balls, but he is 2-4 with a 6.18 when the opposite occurs.

The right-hander is 5-8 with a 4.75 mark in 17 games (16 starts) versus the Phils and had one excellent start and one terrible start against them in the World Series.

Brian Schneider is 9-for-24 (.375) with three doubles off Burnett, but Ryan Howard (2-for-12, .167, 6 K's), Werth (1-for-7, .143), Ross Gload (1-for-6, .167) and Shane Victorino (1-for-6) have all struggled.

Moyer's ERA jumped more than a run after giving up nine in just one inning of work at Fenway Park on Friday. He is now 3-4 with a 6.69 ERA on the road this season and has only had moderate success in the Bronx, going 6-5 with a 4.84 mark in 19 games (18 starts).

Overall, the 47-year-old is 10-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 36 career games (34 starts) against the Yankees.

Facing Moyer, Jeter is 22-for-68 (.324), A-Rod is 21-for-54 (.389) with six homers and 12 RBIs, Jorge Posada is 15-for-45 (.333) and Teixeira is 11-for-36 (.306). Only Granderson (1-for-7, .143) seems to have a tough time versus the left-hander.

 

Thursday, June 17—Andy Pettitte (8-1, 2.46) vs. Kyle Kendrick (3-2, 4.80)

Pettitte continued his dazzling season during his last outing against the Astros when he yielded just two earned runs in 7 and 1/3 innings to take home the victory.

The veteran currently ranks in the top four among AL pitchers in wins, ERA, WHIP (1.10) and winning percentage.

The left-hander is 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in seven regular-season starts against the Phillies and beat them twice in the '09 Fall Classic.

Werth is just 1-for-13 (.077) with five strikeouts when facing Pettitte, while Howard (1-for-9, .111) and Utley (1-for-6, .167) struggle as well. Polanco, on the other hand, is 3-for-7 (.429) with a homer.

Kendrick pitched two scoreless innings of relief on Friday, but his other 12 appearances this season have been as a starter. He has never faced the Yankees and did not appear in last year's postseason for the Phillies. However, he did dominate Mark Teixeira, during the first baseman's two stints with Atlanta, to the tune of 1-for-12 (.083).

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-phillies-preview-world-series-rematch-vs-struggling-philly/feed/ 0 Yankees-Astros Series Preview: New York Completes Easy Stretch http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-astros-series-preview-new-york-completes-easy-stretch/ http://www.yankeeaddicts.com/news/fan-news/yankees-astros-series-preview-new-york-completes-easy-stretch/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:33:06 +0000 Jordan Schwartz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/404599-yankees-astros-series-preview-new-york-completes-easy-stretch The Yankees have gone 9-4 since opening a stretch of 16 games against mostly sub-.500 teams on May 28. Now, they have come to the end of Easy Street with three contests versus the Astros.

With tougher Interleague matchups coming up against the Phillies, Mets and Dodgers this month, New York will look to capitalize on its final easy series before it travels to Arizona from June 21-23.

But the Bombers may have to do it without the services of Alex Rodriguez, who suffered a groin injury in the first inning versus Baltimore on Thursday. The slugger is day-to-day and chances are overprotective manager Joe Girardi will keep him out for most of this series to rest him up for the big showdowns next week.

Houston (25-36) has been playing better baseball since opening the season 0-8. The Astros have won eight of 10, and three in a row to climb out of the cellar in the National League Central.

But Houston still has one of the worst offenses in the Majors, ranking dead last with a .237 batting average, 29th with just 36 homers, 28th in RBIs and 27th in hits.

The first Yankees pitcher who will look to keep those numbers down is a familiar face in Texas.

Friday, June 11 - Andy Pettitte (7-1, 2.47) vs. Brett Myers (4-3, 3.01)

Pettitte struck out a season-high 10 batters in his last outing, en route to his third consecutive quality start. The veteran ranks third in the league in ERA and winning percentage and is firmly entrenched in the Cy Young race.

Pettitte faces his former team for the first time, but seven Astros have faced him, including Carlos Lee, who is 9-for-36 (.250), and Jason Michaels, who is 4-for-10 (.400).

Myers will be the toughest pitcher the Yankees see this weekend. The right-hander has allowed just five earned runs over his last four starts and hasn't lost since May 16 at San Francisco.

The former Phillie is 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA in two starts against New York, and surrendered three runs over eight innings to beat the Yanks last year in the Bronx.

Derek Jeter is 3-for-7 (.429) off him and Rodriguez is 3-for-6 (.500) with two doubles, a homer and two walks. However, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada are a combined 0-for-10.

Saturday, June 12 - Javier Vazquez (5-5, 5.63) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (3-8, 4.95)

Vazquez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning versus the Blue Jays in his last start, which turned out to be his fourth win in his last five appearances. The right-hander is steadily improving after his horrid 1-4, 8.10 beginning to the year, and he should continue to excel as he once again gets a chance to pitch against the lighter-hitting National League, where he dominated last season.

Vazquez is 3-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 13 starts versus Houston. Michaels hits him well at 6-for-18 (.333) with five RBIs and four walks, but Pedro Feliz (6-for-25, .240) and Lance Berkman (5-for-24, .208, 6 K's) do not.

Rodriguez gave up three runs on nine hits over seven innings at Coors Field on Monday to drop to 1-5 with a 5.49 ERA on the road and second overall in the NL in losses.

The left-hander, who won 14 games last season, yielded five runs in a five-inning loss during his only start against the Yankees. He has never pitched in the Bronx.

Mark Teixeira is just 1-for-10 (.100) with five strikeouts against Rodriguez, while A-Rod is 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk.

Sunday, June 13 - Phil Hughes (8-1, 2.71) vs. Brian Moehler (0-2, 6.12)

Hughes' win over the Orioles on Tuesday was his third in a row, and he is now second in the league in victories and winning percentage, while holding onto the fourth best WHIP at 1.09, thanks to just 20 walks in 69 2/3 innings.

The right-hander has never faced the Astros and so Michaels, who used to play for the Indians, is the only man on Houston to have faced him (0-for-2).

Moehler has made just three starts in place of Bud Norris, who is out with a biceps injury, and the right-handers last two appearances were a lot better than his first, when he surrendered eight runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings at Cincinnati on May 29.

The former Tiger is 3-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 11 career starts against the Bombers, including a 1-5 record and a 5.95 ERA in seven appearances at the old Yankee Stadium.

A-Rod is 11-for-31 (.355) versus Moehler so hopefully he'll at least play this game, and Posada is 5-for-12 (.417) with seven RBIs.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

]]> The Yankees have gone 9-4 since opening a stretch of 16 games against mostly sub-.500 teams on May 28. Now, they have come to the end of Easy Street with three contests versus the Astros.

With tougher Interleague matchups coming up against the Phillies, Mets and Dodgers this month, New York will look to capitalize on its final easy series before it travels to Arizona from June 21-23.

But the Bombers may have to do it without the services of Alex Rodriguez, who suffered a groin injury in the first inning versus Baltimore on Thursday. The slugger is day-to-day and chances are overprotective manager Joe Girardi will keep him out for most of this series to rest him up for the big showdowns next week.

Houston (25-36) has been playing better baseball since opening the season 0-8. The Astros have won eight of 10, and three in a row to climb out of the cellar in the National League Central.

But Houston still has one of the worst offenses in the Majors, ranking dead last with a .237 batting average, 29th with just 36 homers, 28th in RBIs and 27th in hits.

The first Yankees pitcher who will look to keep those numbers down is a familiar face in Texas.

Friday, June 11 - Andy Pettitte (7-1, 2.47) vs. Brett Myers (4-3, 3.01)

Pettitte struck out a season-high 10 batters in his last outing, en route to his third consecutive quality start. The veteran ranks third in the league in ERA and winning percentage and is firmly entrenched in the Cy Young race.

Pettitte faces his former team for the first time, but seven Astros have faced him, including Carlos Lee, who is 9-for-36 (.250), and Jason Michaels, who is 4-for-10 (.400).

Myers will be the toughest pitcher the Yankees see this weekend. The right-hander has allowed just five earned runs over his last four starts and hasn't lost since May 16 at San Francisco.

The former Phillie is 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA in two starts against New York, and surrendered three runs over eight innings to beat the Yanks last year in the Bronx.

Derek Jeter is 3-for-7 (.429) off him and Rodriguez is 3-for-6 (.500) with two doubles, a homer and two walks. However, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada are a combined 0-for-10.

Saturday, June 12 - Javier Vazquez (5-5, 5.63) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (3-8, 4.95)

Vazquez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning versus the Blue Jays in his last start, which turned out to be his fourth win in his last five appearances. The right-hander is steadily improving after his horrid 1-4, 8.10 beginning to the year, and he should continue to excel as he once again gets a chance to pitch against the lighter-hitting National League, where he dominated last season.

Vazquez is 3-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 13 starts versus Houston. Michaels hits him well at 6-for-18 (.333) with five RBIs and four walks, but Pedro Feliz (6-for-25, .240) and Lance Berkman (5-for-24, .208, 6 K's) do not.

Rodriguez gave up three runs on nine hits over seven innings at Coors Field on Monday to drop to 1-5 with a 5.49 ERA on the road and second overall in the NL in losses.

The left-hander, who won 14 games last season, yielded five runs in a five-inning loss during his only start against the Yankees. He has never pitched in the Bronx.

Mark Teixeira is just 1-for-10 (.100) with five strikeouts against Rodriguez, while A-Rod is 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk.

Sunday, June 13 - Phil Hughes (8-1, 2.71) vs. Brian Moehler (0-2, 6.12)

Hughes' win over the Orioles on Tuesday was his third in a row, and he is now second in the league in victories and winning percentage, while holding onto the fourth best WHIP at 1.09, thanks to just 20 walks in 69 2/3 innings.

The right-hander has never faced the Astros and so Michaels, who used to play for the Indians, is the only man on Houston to have faced him (0-for-2).

Moehler has made just three starts in place of Bud Norris, who is out with a biceps injury, and the right-handers last two appearances were a lot better than his first, when he surrendered eight runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings at Cincinnati on May 29.

The former Tiger is 3-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 11 career starts against the Bombers, including a 1-5 record and a 5.95 ERA in seven appearances at the old Yankee Stadium.

A-Rod is 11-for-31 (.355) versus Moehler so hopefully he'll at least play this game, and Posada is 5-for-12 (.417) with seven RBIs.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com

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