Monday, April 26, 2010

A Streak Comes to an End

With today's 8-4 loss at the hands of the Angels, the Yankees have finally dropped their first series of the season. They opened the year with five consecutive series wins over the Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Rangers and A's, during which time the team has looked nothing short of dominant.

The offense is being led by Robinson Cano who is looking like he can contend for a batting title. His swing is as smooth and quick as ever and his defense has been impressive. He homered today and is now batting .368/.411/.646 with five home runs, 14 RBI, 17 runs and two stolen bases. Batting out of the five hole, Cano could go off for career highs in practically all of his offensive categories. The most promising sign is how he's been hitting with RISP (.333 avg, 1/2 K/BB ratio) and with RISP w/ two outs (.429 avg, 1/1 K/BB ratio).


Also having notably good seasons thus far are Derek Jeter (.316 avg, 3 HR, 3 SB), Jorge Posada (.315 avg, 4 HR) and Alex Rodriguez (.294 avg, 2 HR, 10/11 K/BB ratio). Teixeira is having a typically slow start (.119 avg, 16/11 K/BB ratio) but he's been swinging the bat better over the past couple of games and as the calendar turns over to May, I think he'll break out of the funk. New acquisitions Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson and Marcus Thames have fit in well. Granderson has played stellar defense in center, is looking decent against lefties so far (.250 avg) and has come up with some clutch hits. Johnson hasn't found his swing yet, but is seeing a ton of pitches per plate appearance and already has 18 walks in 16 games played. In limited action, mainly against lefties, Thames has a .462 average with one home run.

The pitching has also been a strong point, with one exception. Javier Vazquez has been terrible and it's no surprise that he was on the mound for the clincher of today's first series loss. He gave up five runs in three and 2/3 innings today to push his ERA to 9.00 in 20 total innings. He has a bad history against the Angels, and Bobby Abreu specifically (10 career homers off of Vazquez), but the team surely wants to begin seing some improvements. He's given up too many hits and home runs (five home runs allowed in four starts) and, after posting an excellent 238/44 K/BB ratio last year, Vazquez is sporting an uncharacteristic 18/11 K/BB ratio. I think he'll eventually bounce back, but he definitely won't be posting numbers like he did in Atlanta. Then again, nobody probably expected that type of dominance in the AL anyway. He'll be an effective fourth starter in due time, but it'll certainly be hard to trust this guy once the  pressure of the games increases, such as in playoff baseball.

Vazquez has been the outsider this year, as the rest of the staff has been fantastic. Andy Pettitte is having a spectacular April, going 3-0 in 28 innings with a 1.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 22/9 K/BB ratio and .216 BAA. He's really looked sharp and healthy and it's great to see. C.C. Sabathia (2-1, 3.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 23/10 K/BB ratio), Phil Hughes (2-0, 2.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 16 K in 12 IP) and A.J. Burnett (2-0, 3.29 ERA, 16/8 K/BB ratio) have all been exceptional. Hughes has really shown some flashes of dominance, especially in his last start. Burnett has been wild at times, but has done an excellent job of limiting the damage and showing poise with runners on base - he's kept the team in every game he's pitched. If Vazquez can turn it around and the Yankees truly do get a break out season from Hughes, the team arguably has the best pitching staff in baseball.


With today's series win streak coming to a close, this year is still full of promise for the defending world champions. Manager Joe Girardi has to be happy with what he's seen so far, but there's always room for improvement (i.e. Vazquez and Teixeira, some members of the bullpen). Hopefully the Bombers begin a new series win streak starting on Tuesday when they travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles for a three-game set.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Phil Hughes Flirts with No-No

Phil Hughes took a no-hitter into the eighth inning tonight in Oakland. It was broken up with no outs when Eric Chavez hit a comebacker right at Hughes that he was able to knock down, but unable to locate on the ground before Chavez reached first. He then struck out the next batter, but walked Gabe Gross after that and was pulled from the game for Joba Chamberlain.

Hughes looked downright dominant. His fastball was clocked at 93 MPH repeatedly, even into the late innings. His curve and cutter were as sharp as I've ever seen. He was locating his pitches perfectly, putting them right on the mitt, and changing the eye level of the hitters and keeping them off balance all night long. Hughes looked confident and poised on the mound and seemed in control of the entire game. He accumulated a career high 10 strikeouts. It was special to watch a 23-year-old fulfill all of that potential and promise over seven innings.

His final line: W - 7.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K.


You may recall in his first season in the majors, in 2007, Hughes was working on a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers when he injured his hamstring in the seventh inning. Back then he was a kid who you've heard about in the organization as being among the best pitching prospects in baseball. The kid they wouldn't deal for Johan Santana. Since then, during his time in the majors as a starter, he hasn't really been able to put it together on a consistent basis. But last year, in the bullpen, he looked fantastic and gained some confidence. Then he won the hyped fifth starter competition with a solid spring. Let's hope this gem is the start of that elusive breakout campaign. If he does put it all together, the Yankees will have an ace as their fifth starter.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Game Day - Yankees vs. Red Sox

The final game of the Yankees three-game series at Fenway kicks off at 7:10 p.m. and will air on YES and ESPN2. It's a gorgeous clear day in Boston, with temperatures in the high 80s and a slight breeze. The tie breaking match up features an interesting pitching duel as Andy Pettitte takes the mound against newly acquired John Lackey.

Yankees (1-1)
Jeter - SS
Johnson - DH
Teixeira - 1B
Rodriguez - 3B
Cano - 2B
Posada - C
Granderson - CF
Swisher - RF
Gardner - LF

LHP Andy Pettitte

Red Sox (1-1)
Ellsbury - LF
Pedroia - 2B
Martinez - C
Youkilis - 1B
Ortiz - DH
Beltre - 3B
Drew - RF
Cameron - CF
Scutaro - SS

RHP John Lackey

Things to Watch: The Yankees claimed 1B/OF Chad Huffman off waivers from the Padres today. A second round draft pick, Huffman has a lot of talent and is still only 24 years old. He is a patient hitter with a lot of power - he won the 2009 Triple-A Home Run Derby. A very nice pick up, the team will send him to Triple-A.

Game Notes: The Yankees topped the Red Sox 3-1 in 10 innings to open up the season with a series win over their AL East rivals. Andy Pettitte gave the team six strong innings and allowed only one run on six hits and three walks. He struck out four and threw 94 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. John Lackey was equally good and the Yanks didn't get on the board until Nick Swisher's RBI single in the top of the seventh, after Lackey had been removed from the game. Chan Ho Park redeemed himself from Sunday's debacle with three solid innings. He earned the win and seemed to get stronger the more pitches he threw, he was touching 94 on the gun in his final inning, a great sign. He did give up some scary long fly balls, but no harm done. Park's final line: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. He threw 36 pitches, 24 strikes. Granderson led off the 10th inning with a solo home run off of Jonathan Papelbon to break the tie, it was good to see him come through in the clutch like that, he's all business. Teixeira added another run on a RBI ground out with the bases loaded. Mo then closed it out with a perfect inning to earn his second save of the season.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Game Day - Yankees vs. Red Sox

It's a cool, clear day at Fenway Park as the Yankees (0-1) prepare for game two of the season against the rival Red Sox (1-0). Temperatures are in the high 50s and there's a chance of light rain tonight, but nothing threatening. A.J. Burnett is starting and it'll be interesting to see how he fares with Jorge Posada as his catcher. Those two didn't enjoy working together last season, but are eager to prove that they can be successful as battery mates. The game will air on YES at 7:10 p.m.

Yankees
Jeter - SS
Johnson - DH
Teixeira - 1B
Rodriguez - 3B
Cano - 2B
Posada - C
Swisher - RF
Thames - LF
Granderson - CF

RHP A.J. Burnett

Red Sox
Ellsbury - LF
Pedroia - 2B
Martinez - C
Youkilis - 1B
Ortiz - DH
Beltre - 3B
Drew - RF
Cameron - CF
Scutaro - SS

LHP Jon Lester

Things to Watch: Marcus Thames has replaced Brett Gardner as the starting left fielder against a tough lefty in Jon Lester. I'm a little surprised at this considering how good Gardner looked in the opener and I hope this doesn't become a straight platoon, but I doubt that will happen. In his career, Thames is 1-for-2 against Lester with a home run and two RBI. Further fallout, Granderson slides down to ninth in the lineup. He really struggled against lefties last season to the tune of a .183 average, but has performed better than that in the past and worked extensively on this part of his game during the offseason.

Game Notes: The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 6-4 to earn their first victory of the 2010 season. The bullpen really came through tonight, a very good sign after that group faltered yesterday. Alfredo Aceves earned the win with two innings of perfect baseball, when the team needed them most. He came on in relief of A.J. Burnett in the sixth. Burnett was getting hit, but he kept the team in the game. He served up a two-run home run to Victor Martinez, but really did a good job limiting the damage and only walked one. Burnett's final line: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Marte got the one lefty he faced, David Ortiz, to fly out to right. Joba showed improved velocity and really had his stuff working, reaching 97 on the gun with his fastball. He faced two batters and struck out both. Mo then shut it down with a one hit, one strikeout inning. Take note that Chan Ho Park didn't pitch. Swisher went 2-for-4 and continues to look good at the plate, he lost at least 10 pounds and his hands are definitely quicker. A-Rod had a big RBI double off the Green Monster. Cano is scorching and had another two hits in three at bats with a solo home run and a sac fly.

Side note: The appearance of Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning marked the 16th consecutive season in which Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mo have played together. That is now the major league record for seasons played by a trio of teammates. In fact, it's a record across all the major sports (MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL). The mark was previously held by Robin Yount, Jim Gantner and Paul Molitor who played 15 seasons together on the Brewers.

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Couple of Thoughts on the Day Off

The Yankees bullpen really let the team down yesterday. They couldn't hold any lead the offense gave them, it was worrisome to watch. Would it have helped if Sabathia didn't run out of gas in the sixth inning? Of course, but it's too early in the season to expect him to go much more than 100 pitches. It is only one game, but the fact of the matter is the bullpen let the team down. Let's hope that group bounces back.

I do see one glaring question. What is Chan Ho Park doing on this team? He doesn't fit the mold and he's just not that great. Couple that in with his age, arm mileage, a seeming inability to pitch well with runners on base and the Yankees plethora of talented and capable bullpen arms and I just don't see him as a logical fit. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions, but I already see him as the team's weakness. There are tons of great guys in the minor league bullpens that could offer way more than Park. I'd rather carry Boone Logan as a second lefty (who can get the occasional righty out) and use Aceves in higher leverage situations. I also think Mark Melancon should be with the big club, he has the stuff and makeup to succeed right away and he is coming off a stellar spring. We'll see how this all pans out, but the Yankees have a deep and talented selection of bullpen reserves, so it's not a weakness I'm terribly worried about. I do believe the Yankees will be better off as soon as Chan Ho Park isn't a major factor in the pen.

That double steal was great. Jeter's hesitation, Gardner's blinding speed, Victor Martinez's girl-like arm. It was a thing of beauty. Gardner looked very good all game, I'm very interested to see if Girardi sits him against a tough lefty tomorrow for Marcus Thames.

Phil Hughes struck out 12 and allowed only three hits in eight and 1/3 innings in a simulated game today. He threw 100 pitches, 70 for strikes. His regular season debut will be on April 15th against the Angels.

Did everyone else see that Jayson Heyward home run? The three-run bomb he hit off Carlos Zambrano in his first career big league at-bat? Well, you'll see it on Sportscenter. It was utterly impressive and the kid looked downright scary at the plate in all of his appearances. The Braves really have something special there.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Opening Day - Yankees vs. Red Sox

The excitement is palpable. In less than one hour, the first pitch will be thrown and the Yankees will officially begin to defend their World Series title. The conditions are excellent at Fenway Park with the temperature in the low 70s and clear skies. The wind is supposed to pick up into the night with gusts reaching 20 MPH, so it might be a tough night for the outfielders. The game airs on YES and ESPN2 at 8:05 p.m. Get your cracker jacks ready, baseball is back!

Yankees
Jeter - SS
Johnson - DH
Teixeira - 1B
Rodriguez - 3B
Cano - 2B
Posada - C
Granderson - CF
Swisher - RF
Gardner - LF

LHP C.C. Sabathia

Red Sox
Ellsbury - LF
Pedroia - 2B
Martinez - C
Youkilis - 1B
Ortiz - DH
Beltre - 3B
Drew - RF
Cameron - CF
Scutaro - SS

RHP Josh Beckett

Game Notes: The Yankees lost to the Red Sox 9-7 in a game dominated by offense. The pitching on both sides was pretty bad, but Boston's bullpen was able to limit the damage to two runs while the Yankees relievers repeatedly gave up the lead. Beckett looked awful throughout his turns, while Sabathia cruised through four innings and then completely lost his command in the fifth and sixth. He clearly ran out of gas in those later innings. Sabathia's final line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - 104 pitches, 58 for strikes. Posada and Granderson hit back-to-back homers off of Beckett in the second. In the fourth, Jeter and Gardner pulled of a double steal of second and home. The Yanks tied the game up 7-7 in the top of the seventh, but then in the bottom of the frame Chan Ho Park imploded and served up a two-run homer to Pedroia and the Youkilis scored on a passed ball. Chamberlain came on in relief and was attacking the hitters, he looked sharp, but gave up a run on two hits and a walk. It was a roller coaster ride of a game and unfortunately the good guys couldn't pull it out in the end. The team has off tomorrow and then squares off against Jon Lester. It'll be interesting to see if Brett Gardner, who had a good game today (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB), will be in the lineup against the tough lefty or if it will be Marcus Thames.

The YES network inserted a new feature in their on-screen box score that indicates how many pitches each pitcher has thrown. Sabathia ran out of gas around 90 pitches. Beckett threw 31 pitches in the second and 33 in the fourth.

Opening Day Eve

All roster moves have been finalized and the Yankees are on a flight to Boston. Tomorrow at 8:05 p.m. the defending world champions square off against their bitter rivals to open up the 2010 season. Now that's prime time television. The game will air on YES and ESPN2 and baseball will be back, it's a beautiful thing. 

Here are the final spring training statistics. Robinson Cano had a scorching spring and finished with a .393 average in 53 at bats. Other strong finishers in Grapefruit League action include Curtis Granderson (.286 avg, 7/5 K/BB ratio), Nick Swisher (.313 avg, two homers, 10 RBI), Mark Teixeira (.362 avg, three homers), Alex Rodriguez (.333 avg, two homers, 10 RBI) and Jorge Posada (.371 avg, six RBI). I don't really worry about pitcher's numbers in the spring, more just arm strength, velocity, command and pitch movement. That being said, C.C. Sabathia (7.23 ERA), Javier Vazquez (4.19 ERA), A.J. Burnett (5.19 ERA) and Phil Hughes (4.35 ERA) all put up less-than-inspiring numbers. But their strikeout-to-walk numbers have all been good, they all look strong and healthy and have occasionally flashing their good stuff. Hughes now features an effective change up and Vazquez looks like a completely different pitcher from his last stint in pinstripes. Sabathia's mechanics looked fine over his last couple starts and his breaking ball has been getting sharper. Out of this group, I'm most concerned with Burnett. He really hasn't shown good command in any of his turns, but I suspect the veteran will be fine come Tuesday.

The Yankees official roster heading into the season.

Lineup
Derek Jeter - SS
Nick Johnson - DH
Mark Teixeira - 1B
Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Robinson Cano - 2B
Jorge Posada - C
Curtis Granderson - CF
Nick Swisher - RF
Brett Gardner - LF

Rotation:
C.C. Sabathia - LHP
A.J. Burnett - RHP
Andy Pettitte - LHP
Javier Vazquez - RHP
Phil Hughes - RHP

Bullpen:
Mariano Rivera - RHP
Joba Chamberlain - RHP
Dave Robertson - RHP
DeMaso Marte - LHP
Chan Ho Park - RHP
Alfredo Aceves - RHP
Sergio Mitre - RHP

Bench:
Francisco Cervelli - C
Ramiro Pena - INF
Randy Winn - OF
Marcus Thames - OF
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