Yankees Go Deep, Rout Halladay
[picappgallerysingle id="8668622"]
Roy Halladay’s return back to the AL East was not a pleasant one. The Phillies’ ace was lit up by the Yankees, and the defending world champions beat the defending NL champions, 8-3.
The game was highly anticipated as is featured a World Series rematch, and a battle of two of baseball’s best pitchers, CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay.
Sabathia pitched seven innings, while surrendering three runs and just five hits, and earning his seventh win of the year. Halladay, who threw a perfect game back on May 29th, pitched his worst outing of the season. Halladay surrendered six earned runs, including three home runs, before being yanked after six innings.
The Yankees started the barrage on Halladay early. Brett Gardner hit a two run triple to centerfield, and gave his team their lead for the night.
After that, the Yanks played long ball. In the third, Curtis Granderson hit a solo homer to right, and gave his team a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Nick Swisher knocked in two more runs, with his 11th homer of the season.
The Phillies would score three runs in the fourth inning, to put the first chink in the armor of Sabathia, but he would settle in after that.
In the fifth inning, Mark Teixeira hit a “Tex message” to right field, and the Yankees would extend their lead to 6-3.
In the seventh, the Yankees would knock in two more runs, as catcher Francisco Cervelli hit a two run single. That would make the score 8-3, and things would hold up after that.
David Robertson and Chan Ho Park would each work a scoreless inning in relief, and that would finish off the Phillies.
The Yankees currently stand one half game in front of the Rays for the top spot of the division, but the Rays currently lead in their game.
Game 2 of the series is set for 7:05 ET. from Yankee Stadium, as A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.86) will take on 47-year old Jamie Moyer (6-6, 5.03).
You can follow us on Twitter: @RSBronxBombers and @ChrisEmma51
Posada Slams Yankees Into First Place
[picappgallerysingle id="8834249"][picappgallerysingle id="8834249"]
For the first time this season, the New York Yankees are in first place. The Yankees beat the Astros, 9-5, which earned them a sweep, and a tie for the top spot in the AL East.
Phil Hughes earned his ninth win of the season, while Jorge Posada gave the Yankees a big déjà vu.
Posada lifted the Yankees with a grand slam in the fifth inning, his second grand slam in as many days. That grand slam put Posada in elite company as only one of three Yankees to hit grand slams on back-to-back days. Another member of that group is Babe Ruth.
The Astros jumped to an early lead, but that would soon be forgotten. Robinson Cano tied the game in the third inning with a home run, and then Ramiro Pena would drive in a pair of runs with an RBI-single.
Posada’s slam extended the Yankee lead to 7-1, which seemed insurmountable at the time.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Astros would earn four runs back. Tommy Manzella singled to left field, which scored a pair of runs. After that, catcher Kevin Cash hit a two-run homer, and the Yankee lead was cut to five. That would end Hughes’s day.
The Yankee starter pitched 5 2/3 innings, while allowing five runs, and earning his AL leading ninth win of the season (tied with Tampa Bay’s David Price).
In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees would earn a pair of runs back, as Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner each hit an RBI-single. Those would extend the Yankee lead to 9-5.
The bullpen shut down the weak Astros lineup after Hughes was yanked. Damaso Marte finished the sixth inning for Hughes, then Chan Ho Park, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera each pitched one inning of work. The four relievers combined for 3 1/3 innings of work, while only allowing one hit.
The Yankees finished the week with a 5-1 record, and with the Rays going 3-3 including losing two of three to Florida, the Yankees have tied the Rays at the top of the division with a 40-23 record.
Heading into an off day on Monday, the Yankees will prepare for a World Series rematch. Game 1 of the three game set with Philadelphia features a battle of titans on the mound.
Roy Halladay (8-4, 1.96) will challenge Yankee starter CC Sabathia (6-3, 4.01). That game is set for 7:05 ET. at Yankee Stadium.
You can follow us on Twitter: @RSBronxBombers and @ChrisEmma51
Easy Week Provides Big Opportunity
[picappgallerysingle id="8923957"]
It’s no longer an early season phase, the AL East division is darn good. Going into June 7th, four teams in the AL East have the potential to win the division.
Tampa Bay leads the division with a 37-20 record, behind them in second place are the Yankees with a 35-22 record. In third place, the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are locked up in a draw with a 33-25 record. For what it’s worth, Baltimore is trying their best, but they currently hold a 16-41 record, putting them 21 games behind the pace.
It’s hard to consider any portion of the baseball season as “easy,” but this week provides a great opportunity for the Yankees.
Despite losing two out of three to the Blue Jays, the Yankees have won seven of their last ten games. The next week provides a great chance to make some hay in the division race.
The week starts on Tuesday, when the Bronx Bombers travel to Baltimore to take on the Baltimore Orioles, a team who has won 16 games and holds a .281 winning percentage.
After that series, the Yankees welcome the Houston Astros to the Bronx for a three game interleague series.
The Astros currently sit in last place in the NL Central division, with a 22-35 record as they enter Monday.
Meanwhile, things begin to get tough for the Rays. Their week starts on Tuesday, when they welcome the Blue Jays to their catwalk filled dome. After that, the Florida Marlins come to Tampa Bay, for the always thrilling battle of the sunshine state.
Boston faces a tough challenge. Lucky for them, they get a four game trip to Cleveland to take on the struggling Indians, but after that, they Red Sox welcome the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies to Beantown.
If things go as they should, the Yankees could end the week on top of the AL East. This week provides a pivotal chance to separate the logjam in the standings, and the Yankees want to take advantage of that opportunity.
Costly error leads Yankees to win
[picappgallerysingle id="8974209"]
W: Vazquez (4-5, 6.06)
L: Matusz (2-6, 5.28)
S: Rivera (11)
The Yankees offensive struggles returned on Tuesday night. Fortunately they were playing the 15 win Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees snuck by the Orioles, 3-1.
Starting pitcher Javier Vazquez earned his fourth win of the season, and pitched what was by far his best game of the season.
Vazquez surrendered just four hits and one run in seven innings of work. With the win, his ERA is down to 6.06, which is much better from where he started the day.
The New York offense didn’t have their best offense on display, but they didn’t need it against the struggling Orioles.
The Yanks struck for their first run and only RBI on Curtis Granderson’s third home run of the season.
Corey Patterson tied the game at one apiece in the 6th inning, which was Vazquez’s only flaw of his outing.
The Yankees stormed to the lead with a pair of runs in the seventh inning, but that wasn’t too pretty.
With two outs, Derek Jeter on third, and Nick Swisher on second, Alex Rodriguez hit a routine ground ball to third base, which appeared would end the inning. Orioles 3B Miguel Tejada fired to first base, but his throw bounced away from 1B Ty Wigginton. Both Yankee base runners scored, and the Yanks took a 3-1 lead.
Setup man Joba Chamberlain worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and closer Mariano Rivera closed it out in the ninth inning.
The win gives the Yankees a three-game winning streak heading into the second game of their series with the last place Orioles.
New York was unable to gain ground on the first place Rays, as they snapped their funk.
Heading into Wednesday, the Yankees are 2 ½ games behind the Rays, with Toronto 4 ½ games behind and Boston five games back. For the record, the Orioles have locked up last place as they are 19 ½ games behind the Rays.
The two teams return to action on Wednesday as Phil Hughes (6-1, 2.70) will take on Brad Bergesen (3-3, 5.96). Game time is set for 7:05 ET. at Yankee Stadium.
A-Rod Slams Indians
[picappgallerysingle id="8967422"]
A-Rod’s bat and Andy Pettitte’s arm was basically all the Yankees needed on Monday, as they routed the Cleveland Indians, 11-2.
Pettitte pitched seven innings, allowed just one run, and earned his seventh win of the season, while Rodriguez belted a grand slam, and finished the game with six RBI’s.
The win helped the Yankees take three of four games from the Indians in the Bronx, and more importantly, helped New York gain ground on the Tampa Bay Rays, who have dropped six of their last ten games. New York currently stands two and a half games back of the Rays.
Alex Rodriguez set the tone for a huge day with a first inning RBI-single to center, which drove in his first run of the day. However, Cleveland responded with a homer from Jhonny Peralta, to tie the game.
The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning when Brett Gardner singled to center field.
Starter Matt Talbot got into trouble in the seventh inning, and he was replaced by reliever Chris Perez. With the bases loaded, and no where to put A-Rod, the Yankee third baseman unloaded the bases. Rodriguez hit his seventh homer of the season, and his 20th career grand slam.
The next batter, 2B Robinson Cano followed Rodriguez with his 11th home run of the season, and it was then a 7-1 game. Later in the 7th, a Francisco Cervelli sac-fly made it an 8-1 lead.
In the 8th, A-Rod would drive in another run on his third hit of the game, a double to center field. That made it a 9-1 game.
After Rodriguez, Cano would drive in another two runs, on an RBI-single off Indians 1B Matt Laporta.
The Indians would strike for one run in the 9th inning off of reliever Chan Ho Park, who pitched the final two innings once Pettitte was replaced.
Pettitte pitched another masterful performance in the win. Pettitte didn’t walk a batter, struck out five, and only surrendered four hits in his seven innings of work. He earned his seventh win of the season, and lowered his ERA to 2.48.
After the four game series, the Yankees open up the month of June with a three game series with the last place Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees follow that with a trip to Toronto and then a three game series in Baltimore.
New York will send struggling starter Javier Vazquez (3-5, 6.86) to the mound. He will face off against Baltimore’s struggling young lefthander, Brian Matusz (2-5, 5.76). The game is set for 7:05 ET. at Yankee Stadium.
You can follow us on Twitter: @RSBronxBombers and @ChrisEmma51
