Results tagged ‘ Toronto ’
Win Some, Lose Some…
I hate it when I am right…
I knew that the Toronto Blue Jays series was going to be tough, and I had predicted a split at the start. After the Yankees had taken 2 out of 3, I was hopeful of another win today but it was not meant to be.
Sergio Mitre reverted to the pitcher that I fully expected him to be and why I felt that Brian Cashman should have been more aggressive at the trading deadline to secure a proven, reliable #5 starter. If the Los Angeles Angels can rummage through the bargin bin to find a Scott Kazmir, why couldn’t the Yankees find someone?
Here is Mitre’s line for Sunday’s 14-8 loss to the Blue Jays:
4 1/3 innings, 11 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), 2 walks, and 5 K’s.
I agree that the Yankee defense did absolutely nothing to help Mitre’s cause. The Yankees had four errors in the game. A throwing error by Jerry Hairston, Jr., and fielding errors by Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Ramiro Pena. A lost ball in the sun and other poor fielding decisions added to the follies. But I wasn’t a fan of Mitre’s before, and I am certainly not one now…
Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press/AP
Nevertheless, the Yankees are still 7 ½ games up on the Boston Red Sox so they are in good shape. But I hope the decision to stay with Mitre/Gaudin doesn’t come back to haunt the team. The Los Angeles Angels did win today (7-2 over the Kansas City Royals), so they’ve cut the deficit to 5 games for best record in the AL.
Charlie Riedel/AP
The Yankees will face a challenge on Monday with a day/night double-header against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. CC Sabathia will pitch the first game, while A.J. Burnett, with Jorge Posada on the bench, will pitch the nightcap. Posada won’t play the second game because of the double header, not because of Burnett, but I am sure that A.J. will be glad to see Jose Molina behind the plate.
Derek Jeter went 3-for-3 in today’s game, and now stands just three hits away from Lou Gehrig for the franchise’s career hits record. It will be special to, hopefully, see the record fall at the new Yankee Stadium.
Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press/AP
I was glad to see the Jays’ Randy Ruiz is okay after getting hit in the face by Yankees reliever Josh Towers. It was a scary moment, but Ruiz was able to walk off the field. After the game, Ruiz said he had a bruised left cheek and some bleeding in his mouth. He is very fortunate that he was not more seriously hurt.
Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press/AP
Monday should mark the return of Brett Gardner. He has finished his rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues and appears ready to go.
Simmons, NY Daily News
Mariano Rivera, who has been suffering from a groin injury, is also ready to return. He was available today, but was obviously was not needed…
William Perlman, The Star Ledger
The Minnesota Vikings did what I had hoped would not happen. They cut former USC QB John David Booty. There are many who believe that Booty will never be more than a #3 QB, but I felt he showed talent and potential. This leaves Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson as the back-ups for starter Brett Favre. Favre initially cost Booty his number and ultimately his roster spot. Hopefully, this is not a move that will come back to haunt the Vikings, but it very well could. Just ask Shaun Hill or Tyler Thigpen…
–Scott
Take 2 Aspirin & Call Me In The Morning…
It was one of those nights…
I knew the Yanks were in trouble with Doc Halladay scheduled to be on the mound Friday night. Doc hadn’t pitched well during preceding weeks, but you knew that it was only a matter of time before you’d see vintage Halladay. Given the Yanks’ struggles with him over the years, you also knew that there was a better than average chance that it would be against the Yankees. Alas, it was…
Darren Calabrese, AP/The Canadian Press
I was appreciative of Jorge Posada’s walk in the 5th to end the perfect game for Halladay and Ramiro Pena’s 6th inning double to break up the no-hitter, although it was the only hit of the night for the AL East Leaders.
Darren Calabrese, AP/The Canadian Press
At this point, I am not sure what to think of Joba Chamberlain. I know that Joba Rules 2.0 are in effect, but Joba just hasn’t looked good. Last night’s line was another disappointment…3 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 2 K’s, and he hit Vernon Wells with a pitch. No wonder he was striking the “Defeated Sabathia” pose on the mound…
Darren Calabrese, AP/The Canadian Press
AP
I have not been optimistic about this series with the Toronto Blue Jays. I knew going in that the four game set would be a challenge. Winning the first game, despite the pitching of Chad Gaudin, was a plus. But with Sergio Mitre scheduled for Sunday, and Joba’s recent struggles, the only optimistic start is today with Andy Pettitte. However, as great as Andy has pitched in recent weeks, I keep waiting for the bubble to burst. So, I guess I am a ‘glass is half empty’ kind of guy today…
On the bright side, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Chicago White Sox, 12-2, so the Yankees retained their 7 ½ game lead. However, the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, to cut the overall lead for best league record to 6 games.
Charlie Riedel/AP
It is amazing that the Yankees have 7 players with 20 home runs and at least 70′s RBI’s. As great of a season Derek Jeter is having, he is not one of them but he can join the club by the end of reason as he currently has 17 home runs and 61 RBI’s. DJ did not play last night and remains 9 hits from breaking Lou Gehrig’s club record for career hits (2,721). Hopefully, the off night for Jeter will help him break out of his recent slump (3 for his last 17 at-bat’s). Good luck to Derek as he continues to the drive for the hits record…
Darren Calabrese, AP/The Canadian Press
Mariano Rivera, still recovering from his groin injury, hopes to pitch Sunday.
Led by Shelley Duncan, the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees captured their fourth consecutive International League North Division title last night. Duncan hit the decisive home run in the 8th inning off former Yankee Sean Henn as the Yankees defeated the Rochester Red Wings, 7-3. I am all in favor of the Yankees beating anything with “Red” in their name! J Of course, the IL play-offs, which begin September 9th, will be missing the Pawtucket Red Sox who are 21 games behind the Yankees at 58-81. Hoping that losing feeling will catch on with their big league club too! Sorry Julia, but one can hope!
Off-Topic Stuff…
Maybe the Minnesota Vikings shouldn’t trade Tavaris Jackson after all. His stats weren’t great but he played error-free ball in the Vikings’ 35-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But he had the team ahead of the Cowboys until the other two QB’s, Sage Rosenfels and John David Booty, made costly mistakes to prevent the team from finishing the preseason with a perfect mark. Brett Favre didn’t play, and was on the sidelines in a hat and t-shirt. I saw an interview with him, and my only thought was how old he looked…
Maybe Julia knows better than I, but the New England Patriots must be betting that they’ll get a solid backup QB in the next couple of days. Or they must feel that Brian Hoyer is the next coming of, well, Matt Cassel. After releasing Kevin O’Connell last week, the Pats cut Andrew Walter yesterday. There has to be a master plan because guys from Boston are smart…right Julia? Seriously, it would be foolish to think that the Pats didn’t have a plan in place or several possibilities in mind. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made the cuts they did. But until their final moves play out, it does look curious…
What’s up with all the offensive coordinators losing their jobs before the first regular season snap is taken? Chan Gailey, Turk Schonert, and Jeff Jagodzinski have all been given pink slips in the past couple of weeks. I wonder how many times Jagodzinski has wished that he had kept his mouth shut and stayed at Boston College. Oh well, don’t feel bad for him, he just pocketed a $1 million for a few weeks work…
AP
Hey Mark Kotsay, congrats on the big game last night! The Texas Rangers, now only 2 games behind your former teammates, appreciate it! J
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Did Jonathan Papelbon really get fined $5,000 for working too slow? Whoa, I know a few too many people who should get that fine!
Finally, thanks for my friend Julia for her grace and professionalism in accepting the penalty for the recent loss in our last Yankees-Red Sox wager. Her blog with the photos and Top 11 post of all things good about the Yankees was first class. An excellent job! I look forward to her next defeat!
Courtesy Julia’s Rants
Home Sweet Home…
This has been a long road trip…
Today was the start of a two-game series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. On paper, it looked like the struggles from Chicago would continue north of the border. Roy Halladay was the scheduled starter for the first game, and the Yankees counter with Sergio Mitre on Wednesday night. So, it looked to be advantage Jays in both games. Fortunately, Andy Pettitte continued to pitch very effectively as the Yankees downed the Jays 5-3 in the first game. Halladay went the distance, but he gave up 10 hits and 5 runs (4 earned) as he absorbed just his 5th loss of the season (11-5). No offense to Andy, but I didn’t expect him to go toe-to-toe to Doc. Taking the ‘glass is half empty’ approach, I would have expected Andy to tire in the later innings. He did, however, he only gave up 4 hits and 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. He had 6 strikeouts, and 4 walks as he picked up his 9th win of the season (9-6).
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
The A-Rod homerless streak continued, but the Yankees hit three home runs in the last two innings against Halladay (Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira in the 8th inning, and Hideki Matsui in the 9th). Mariano Rivera, despite giving up a double that scored two runs in the 8th, earned his 31st save. According to Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog, it was Rivera’s 100th save in 103 chances. I continue to be amazed every time Rivera touches the ball. I used to wonder what it would have been like to see Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle play, but now I realize that the fans of the 30′s and 40′s probably would have loved to have seen Rivera (and Derek Jeter) play.
Chris Young, The Canadian Press/AP
Tomorrow will tough with Mitre on the mound, but for a night, the Yanks can enjoy what has been a tough road trip. Fortunately, the opposing guy is named Rumpelstiltskin or something like that so hopefully the Yanks have a chance! J
They are currently 4-4, and have a chance to emerge with a winning record if they can defeat the Jays for a second time.
Steve Russell/Toronto Star
Then, the road leads back to the Bronx as the Yankees begin a four game set against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Okay, I realize that the Yankees are 0-8 against Boston this season, but it is time for a reversal of fortune. Once again, I have accepted a wager from Julia of Julia’s Rants. She doesn’t realize that I am a sandbagger. The Yankees will be back with a vengeance, and I feel good about the team’s prospects in the upcoming series. For one, Sergio Mitre won’t be pitching! LOL!
Here is the terms of the latest wager. The loser must:
1. Attach a Red Sox (Scott) or a Yankees (Julia) flag to his/her car, and take photos of the car in at least three prominent locations near our respective homes. They should be easily recognizable by anyone (to ensure that they are locations which handle high traffic for the applicable flag viewing).
2. Write a Top 11 List with eleven positive statements about the winning team. This was Jimmy‘s suggestion, which I admit was a very good one.
3. I will take it one more. If the Yankees get swept, I will wear a Red Sox t-shirt and a pink Boston cap with the car photos. The t-shirt would be for the player who has the biggest series against the Yankees (to be determined by Julia). But of course, I am not going to lose so this really isn’t an option.
Since it is a four game set, there is the possibility that the team will split. Therefore, we have set two tie-breakers. The first tie-breaker is the most total runs scored. The second tie-breaker is the team with the most home runs for the series.
May the best Yankees fan win! J
Actually, it should be Yankees Universe, but who’s counting…
Okay, perhaps I wasn’t really ready to see the original Yankee Stadium fall. I was a bit startled when I saw some photos today. During my last trip to New York, I walked around the old stadium for old times sake. It didn’t quite feel the same since it was closed, however, it was the place where my idol Lou Gehrig once played and it was magical to think that the field once saw the likes of Babe Ruth, Gehrig, Miller Huggins, Joe DiMaggio, Casey Stengel, Allie Reynolds, Urban Shocker (I have always loved that name!), Thurman Munson, Billy Martin, Roger Maris and many others. Those footsteps can never be re-traced in the new Stadium.
Courtesy George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)
Farewell to an old friend…
Tom Kaminsky/www.demolitionofyankeestadium.com
In other baseball news, the Cleveland Indians released former Yankees pitcher Jose Veras. I am not surprised but hopefully he’ll get another chance to catch on with another big league club.
The Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays tonight, 4-2 in 13 innings. Ah, I’m so sad. Um, not really! J Make that lead in the AL East 1 ½ games! Life is good. Game on, Julia!
Easy Does It…
There might be something to this so-called “rest”…
Of course, we all know how well Alex Rodriguez responded to some rest and relaxation. Mark Teixeira has not had any rest, and of course, we’ve seen the results of that…
Reuters
The latest recipient of rest was catcher Jorge Posada who sat out a couple of games with a bruised thumb. He was back in the lineup on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, and the results were, well, for the lack of a better word, very A-Rod-like. On Sunday, in the 12th inning with the game tied at 5, Mark Teixeira doubled to open the bottom of the inning. With first base open, Alex Rodriguez was intentionally walked. Robinson Cano was up next, but true to form recently with men in scoring position, he failed to advance the runners as Tex was out on a fielder’s choice. Jorge Posada came to the plate, and he ripped the third pitch to center, scoring A-Rod with the winning run.
Nick Laham/Getty Images
Posada had also homered earlier in the game, a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the 4th inning.
Sabo/NY Daily News
Chien-Ming Wang had pitched well through five innings. When the 6th inning started, Wang was nursing a 3-2 lead over Yankee killer Roy Halladay and the Jays. He had retired 10 of 11 Toronto batters at that point. With Halladay, it’s like what it used to be with Pedro Martinez when he pitched in Boston, you just want to keep it close until you can get into the other team’s bullpen and then take your chances. Unfortunately, disaster struck Wang in the 6th. Marco Scutaro led off with a double. After Aaron Hill had grounded out, Adam Lind homered to give the Jays a 4-3 lead. He threw one pitch to the next batter, Scott Rolen, but Posada knew that something was wrong. Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donahue came out to the mound, and Wang departed the game. He was later diagnosed with a shoulder strain with bursitis, and had a MRI at a local hospital.
Mitsu Yasukawa/The Star Ledger
Wang was relieved by David Robertson. Robertson ended up walking Rolen, and subsequently walked the next batter (Lyle Overbay) too. After striking out Vernon Wells, Alex Rios singled to score Rolen. David Dellucci flied out to end the inning, but Doc Halladay and the Rays had a two-run lead.
Luc Leclerc/US Presswire
Brian Bruney, currently out as the 8th inning bridge to Mariano Rivera until he begins pitching more effectively, opened the 7th inning. The results were mixed but at least he held the Jays scoreless. The first two batters singled. A sacrifice moved the runners to second and third, and Adam Lind was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Fortunately, Bruney retired Rolen and Overbay to end the threat.
In the bottom of the 7th, Derek Jeter singled and scored when Johnny Damon homered to tie the game. That was definitely a huge hit at a very critical time. I think I forgot to thank Julia for failing to re-sign Johnny…
Nick Laham/Getty Images
Phil Hughes pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning, and further cemented his status as the set up guy in place of Bruney. I would have liked to have seen Hughes pitch the 9th with the game still tied, but Girardi went with Mariano Rivera. The bullpen continued its stellar performance of late with two scoreless innings in the 10th and 11th by Phil ‘Coke, and then Brett Tomko put the team in position to win by retiring the three batters he faced in the 12th. Clearly, the Yankees won because of their bullpen. Back in April, games were routinely lost because of the pen. The reversal has been very dramatic and clearly the two Phils share the credit, along with the continued domination of ageless closer Mariano Rivera. It doesn’t mean that I now trust Brett Tomko, but at least there is no longer any reason to dread the arrival of a Yankees reliever into a game.
John Munson/The Star Ledger
A quick note on Robinson Cano…I am not quite sure what is wrong, but he was 0-for-6 and failed in several key spots. For some reason, he has developed an aversion to hitting with men on base. In the 12th inning, he missed a sign and bunted on a 3-0 pitch. He caught everyone off guard, including Mark Teixeira who was standing on second. He was thrown out at third by 20 feet. “Let’s just say somebody missed something,” Girardi said. “A better way to explain is he misunderstood something.” Cano left 10 men on base, 5 of whom were in scoring position. In his first 5 at-bat’s, he ended the innings, including the 9th with runners at first and second. I am starting to think that Julia swiped Robby and dropped Julio Lugo into his uniform! 
The initial word is that Chien-Ming Wang is headed for the DL, and will be gone for about a month. At this point, I do not think there’s any way that Phil Hughes would be re-inserted into the starting rotation. Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog speculated that Sergio Mitre of AAA-Scranton/Wilkes Barre might be the choice, and I agree. Mitre served a 50-game suspension earlier this season after testing positive for Androstendione (it was allegedly the result of an over the counter supplement purchased at GNC which contained an unlisted amount of the steroid). Since his return, Mitre has pitched 30.1 innings and has compiled a 2-1 record in 5 starts with 3.26 ERA. I’d definitely rather see him than Kei Igawa.
Backup catcher Jose Molina feels that he will be ready to rejoin the team on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Wikimedia Commons
Sunday’s match up features Joba Chamberlain (4-2) versus Brett Cecil (2-1). Cecil is a replacement for Scott Richmond, who was bumped because of a sore shoulder. To me, it’s time for Joba Chamberlain to make a statement with a solid performance.
Gunn/AP
Today, in stadiums across the country, the words of Lou Gehrig filled the air in a day of remembrance. 70 years ago today, it was Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium and the Iron Horse gave his immortal farewell speech:
“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
“Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I’m lucky.
“When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift – that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies – that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter – that’s something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body – it’s a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed – that’s the finest I know.
“So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.”
This video is very fitting on a day when we remember Henry Louis Gehrig…
Posted on YouTube by kylethompson4
As the celebrity deaths continue, I was saddened to hear about the death of former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. I remember when Air McNair was being drafted from college, and I had been so hopeful that the Vikings would draft him. I can still remember the disappointment when he was drafted by the Titans. I vividly remember that it was a cloudy day as I listened to the draft. Hopefully, Steve’s killer will be found and brought to justice.
Damian Strohmeyer, SI/AP
In more uplifting news, congratulations to Serena Williams for her victory at Wimbledon over her sister, Venus. I was pulling for Serena so it was enjoyable to see her win in two sets.
Hamish Blair/Getty Images
Now, if Roger Federer can beat Andy Roddick, it will be a GREAT tennis weekend at Wimbledon!
Tennis.com
I am in the process of relocating back to my home in Northern California so my posts in the coming days may be more sporadic than usual. But rest assured that I will be back and at full strength by August when the Yankees face the Boston Red Sox. Julia has been lulled into a false sense of security. The Red Sox dominance over the Yankees will end, and we are now just one game behind her beloved boys from Beantown. All things considered, life is good…
–Scott
It’s A Wonderful Day!…
Happy 4th of July!
The Yankees were victorious on Friday, thanks in large part to the generosity of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees won the game, 4-2.
Without a ball leaving the infield, the Yankees broke a 1-1 tie with the Jays in the 5th inning. The first two batters (Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter) walked, and Johnny Damon hit a bunt single to load the bases. Mark Teixeira was the beneficiary of the third walk of the inning, which scored Gardner. After Alex Rodriguez hit into a fielder’s choice that took out Jeter at home, a passed ball by Jays catcher Raul Chavez allowed Damon to race home with their 2nd run of the inning.
The Jays’ Vernon Wells homered in the 6th to close the gap to 3-2, but that’s as close as they would get. A.J. Burnett fared much better in his second start against his former team, going seven innings and allowing only six hits and two runs. He walked only two batters, while striking out seven. He also hit David Dellucci with a pitch, but the walks and hit batter did not come back to haunt him. He was able to work out of difficult situations in the early innings without any damage.
Simmons/NY Daily News
By the late innings, it was over. The Phil’s took over in the 8th. Phil Coke induced the only batter he faced, Adam Lind, to fly out to left. Phil Hughes came in and, after allowing a single to Scott Rolen, got the next two batters, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells, to ground out. Manager Joe Girardi still insists that Brian Bruney is his 8th inning guy, but for the last couple of games, he’s gone with the hotter hands.
I am very impressed with the job that Phil Hughes has done since his conversion to the bullpen. I am still hopeful that he’ll take a starting role in 2010, but for now, it’s nice to have a reliever that can be depended upon in late innings. I personally think he should become the bridge to Mariano Rivera unless his performance dictates otherwise. Hughes’ emergence definitely relieves pressure for the Yanks to seek outside help for the pen, although I agree that it would still be an upgrade to add Houston Street or Chad Qualls (depending upon the cost).
Simmons/NY Daily News
A home run by Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 8th allowed him to tie Don Mattingly for ninth place on the Yankees All-Time HR List with 222. He also now stands on the Major League All-Time HR List with 567 HR’s (two behind Rafael Palmeiro).
Mariano Rivera quietly finished the Jays in the 9th. He faced only three batters, and struck out two including Raul Chavez to end the game.
Artist – John Michael Santora
The Yankees closed the gap behind the Boston Red Sox to two games. The Sox fell to the Seattle Mariners, 7-6, in eleven innings.
John Tlumacki/Boston Globe
It was an enjoyable day in baseball, but today, win or lose, promises to a very magical and special day for all baseball fans. Enjoy the day!
Murray Becker/AP
–Scott
Fid
Recent Comments