Yankees Get Shutdown By Roenis Elias and Mariners

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 1st, 2014

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Mariners 4 Yankees 2

For the second straight day the New York Yankees were unable to defeat the Seattle Mariners and Robinson Cano on Thursday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (15-12) on the season, and now the Baltimore Orioles are closing in on first place in the AL East, as they are just .5 games behind.

Making only his sixth start in the majors, Mariners Starter Roenis Elias looked fantastic against the Yankees in his second win of the season. Elias pitched seven strong innings allowing just two runs, only one of which was earned, while striking out 10 batters on 110 pitches. Due to the rain delay on Tuesday, the Mariners could have gone with Felix Hernandez, but instead stuck to the rotation, and it paid off.

Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda wasn’t all that good again after a horrendous start against the Angels, as he picked up his third loss of the season. In six innings of work Kuroda allowed four runs, three of which were earned on seven hits, and one walk. After the fourth inning Kuroda would settle down a bit, but the damage was already done.

Robinson Cano was once again booed by Yankees fans, and after a 1 for 5 return to face his old team on Wednesday he followed it up with a 1 for 4 two RBI game on Thursday.

After three games off with a sore hand, Jacoby Ellsbury made his return to the Yankees, and made an impact early. Ellsbury was one of the few Yankees to find success against Elias, as he hit a solo-homerun to lead off the game, which was his first homerun as a Yankee.

The bullpen was strong for the Yankees after the tough start from Kuroda, as Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, and Shawn Kelley combined to pitch a scoreless final three innings, where the Mariners only got one hit off of them.

A strong performance from the Yankees bullpen was matched by the Mariners bullpen, as with the lead they went to Yoervis Medina, who pitched the eighth inning, and then was followed by Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning, as he earned his sixth save of the season.

Next up for the Yankees will be a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, as Friday Starters will be Vidal Nuno (0-0, 6.59) going against David Price (3-2, 4.75).

Yankees Bullpen Gets Shelled by Rays

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 18th, 2014

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 5 Rays 11

Coming off a big night on offense in Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, it was the Yankees pitching staff that got shelled on Friday, as in the loss the Rays scored 11 runs. The loss moves the Yankees to (10-7) on the season, and they are still atop the AL East by one game.

The Yankees offense got off to a quick start for the second straight game, as they chased Rays Starter Erik Bedard from the game quickly. Bedard lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk.

Scott Sizemore was the man to do most of the damage off of Bedard, as in the second inning with the bases loaded, Sizemore cleared them with a three-run double. Later in the inning Sizemore would score on a Brett Gardner fielder’s choice.

Yankees Lose To Rays, Making Playoffs More Unlikely

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 24^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 7 Yankees 0

The New York Yankees playoffs hopes took yet another blow, as their loss on Monday to the Tampa Bay Rays basically ended their chances of making the playoffs unless something crazy happens. The loss moves them to (82-75), which is five games behind the Cleveland Indians for the final playoff spot.

Hiroki Kuroda's last two months of the season has been a tough one, and on Tuesday night it was another bad start for Kuroda, as he picked up his 13^th loss of the season. The first inning was a tough one for Kuroda, as lead-off hitter Matt Joyce hit a solo-home run to get the Rays on the board. Later in the inning the Rays would tack on two more runs on a David DeJesus double that score Wil Myers, and then Evan Longoria hit a sac-fly to score DeJesus to make it a three-run first inning. In the sixth inning the Rays would get their final two runs off of Kuroda, as with the bases loaded James Loney hit a double to score Myers and Longoria to make it a 5-0 game. Kuroda finished going 5.2 innings allowing five runs on five hits and two walks.

Yankees Playoff Hopes Dwindle with Loss Against Blue Jays

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 19^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Blue Jays 6

The New York Yankees season may have very well ended in the the great white North against the Toronto Blue Jays, as they loss the series to the last place Blue Jays. The loss moves the Yankees to (80-73) on the season, which is 3.5 games behind the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays for the final two Wild Card spots.

Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda was in trouble all night long, but despite clearly not being on his game again he manged to keep the Yankees close. In the third inning the Blue Jays would finally get to Kuroda, as Jose Reyes hit a RBI double to score Anthony Gose, and then Reyes would score on a RBI ground out by Brett Lawrie. Gose would touch home plate again in the sixth inning, as he hit a solo-home run, which was his second of the season. Kuroda would finish going six innings allowing three runs on eight hits, and four walks, while striking out seven batters.

Yankees Avoid Sweep on Sunday Afternoon

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 8^th, 2013

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Red Sox 3 Yankees 4

The New York Yankees were able to avoid the sweep at home against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, which would’ve been a heart-breaking weekend for the Bronx Bombers. The win moves the Yankees to (76-67), which is 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

Hiroki Kuroda looked like he was back to his form of about a month ago on Sunday, as he gave the Yankees a very good start in a game they desperately needed. The Red Sox would get a couple runs off of Kuroda however though, as in the second inning Mike Carp hit a double to score David Ortiz for the first run of the game. In the sixth inning the Red Sox would get their final run off of Kuroda, as Jarrod Saltalamacchia would hit a sac-fly to score Ortiz. Kuroda would go six innings allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out six batters, and leaving the game in line for a win.

Yankees Rally in 8th Inning to Beat White Sox

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 3rd, 2013

Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: White Sox 4 Yankees 6

The New York Yankees were able to get a big come from behind win against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, in a game and series that the Yankees desperately need to win against a poor White Sox team. The win moves the Yankees to (74-64), which is 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot.

Once again for the Yankees their Starter Hiroki Kuroda didn’t look to good, but with a late rally from the offense, Kuroda got a no decision. The White Sox wasted little time getting to Kuroda, as Adam Dunn had a RBI single to score Gordon Beckham. In the fifth inning the Sox would get to Kuroda for two runs on an Alexi Ramirez RBI triple, which gave them a 3-1 lead at the time. In the seventh inning Alejandro De Aza would take Kuroda deep for his 15th home run of the season, which was a solo-shot, and chased Kuroda from the game. Kuroda finished going 6.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits, and two walks, while striking out seven batters.

Kuroda Struggles Again in Loss to Blue Jays

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 28th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Blue Jays 7

The New York Yankees suffered a bad loss in the rubber game of the series they needed to win against a poor Toronto Blue Jays team, which hurts their playoff hopes. The loss moves them to (70-63), which is now 8.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, and also 5.5 games behind the two Wild Card spots.

For the third straight start Hiroki Kuroda wasn’t very good for the Yankees, who heading towards the home stretch of the season appear to not have an ace anymore due to the recent struggle of Kuroda. The loss was Kuroda’s 10th of the season, and is the third straight start he has lost. The first inning was a tough one for the Yankees, as Brett Lawrie hit a two-run double to get the Blue Jays going early. Later in that inning a weird play allowed two more runs to score after a strikeout of J.P. Arencibia, Chris Stewart had to throw him out at first, but the throw was wild allowing two runs to score. In the second inning Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, which was his 34th home run of the season. The final run off Kuroda for the Blue Jays would come in the third inning, as Jose Reyes hit a sac-fly that scored Arencibia. Kuroda went five innings allowing seven runs, five of which were earned on nine hits and one walk.

Kuroda Gets Rocked in Tampa Bay

sports.yahoo.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 23^rd, 2013

New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Rays 7

The New York Yankees couldn’t keep their momentum from sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays into Tampa Bay against the Rays on Friday, as they were defeated in the opening game of the series. The loss moves the Yankees to 6.5 games behind in the AL East, and four games behind for the two Wild Card spots.

Rays Starter Chris Archer gave his team a great start against a red hot Yankees team, as the strong start earned Archer his seventh win of the season. The Yankees offense did get the lead in the first inning off of Archer however, as Alfonso Soriano was able to single home Brett Gardner. The final run the Yankees would score in this game also came off of Archer in the sixth inning, as Robinson Cano grounded out, which allowed Gardner to score once again. Archer finished going seven innings allowing just two runs on four hits, and two walks, as Archer seems to certainly have the Yankees number this season with three very good starts.

Red Sox Get Revenge Against Yankees

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 17^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 1 Red Sox 6

The Boston Red Sox were able to get revenge against the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon after being handed a bad loss the night before they bounced back with an impressive win. The loss moves the Yankees to (63-59) on the season, which is 8.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, and still six games back of the two Wild Card spots.

Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda came back down to earth a bit against the Red Sox after a spectacular month and a half of pitching, as he was handed his eighth loss of the season. In the fourth inning a throwing error by Lyle Overbay led to the Red Sox getting the lead in the game, as a fielder's choice and two singles by Boston gave them a three-run fourth inning against Kuroda. In the sixth inning the Red Sox would tack on two more runs, as Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a base-hit that score Daniel Nava, and then Jacoby Ellsbury hit a double to score him, and run Kuroda from the game. Kuroda finished going 5.2 innings allowing five runs, three of which were earned on 11 hits.

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 16-18^th

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees will be heading into Boston to face their arch rivals the Red Sox in what is an important series for both teams, as the Yankees look to gain ground in the Wild Card and AL East, and the Red Sox will look to improve on their two game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays for first place. The Yankees are now (62-58), which is 8.5 games behind the Red Sox in the division, and six games behind the two Wild Card spots.

- Pitching Match-Ups

On Friday night to kick off the series the Yankees will be sending Andy Pettitte (7-9, 4.62) to the mound, who will be making his 40^th career start against the Red Sox, and he will be looking for his 20^th win against Boston, as he faces Felix Doubront (8-5, 3.66). In Game 2 the Yankees will have their ace Hiroki Kuroda (11-7, 2.33) on the mound facing John Lackey (7-10, 3.32), who is having a nice bounce back season. Game 3 will be on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, as C.C Sabathia (10-10, 4.66) will be facing Ryan Dempster (6-8, 4.50).

Kuroda Dominates in Yankees Victory

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 12^th, 2013

Los Angeles Angels vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Angels 1 Yankees 2

The New York Yankees were able to keep up their momentum from winning a crucial series against the Detroit Tigers, as on Monday night they were able to defeat the Los Angeles Angels to start off their four-game series. The win moves the Yankees to (60-57) on the season, and they are now 6.5 games behind the Rays and Athletics for the two Wild Card spots.

Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda was once again sensational in his start, as he picked up his 11^th win of the season, and saw his ERA go down to 2.33 on the season. Kuroda went eight shutout innings allowing just three hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters. Kuroda's name should be starting to get some serious consideration for the American League Cy Young award, as in the last five games hes gone 48 innings allowing just five runs, and he now has the second best ERA in the American League behind only Felix Hernandez.

W2W4: Los Angeles Angels vs New York Yankees

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

W2W4: Los Angeles Angels vs New York Yankees

August 12-15^th

The New York Yankees will be continuing their home-stand after an impressive series win against the then red hot Detroit Tigers, and now after taking two out of three games against them, the Yankees will be hosting the Los Angeles Angels, who will be coming into the Bronx 10 games under .500.

- Pitching Match-Ups

The four-game series will kick off with the pitching match-up of Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 2.45) will be facing Garrett Richards (3-4, 4.20), which on paper looks to be a great chance for the Yankees to win. In Game 2 it is undecided right now who will be getting the ball for the Angels, but for the Yankees it will be C.C. Sabathia (9-10, 4.73), who looked better in his last start against the Chicago White Sox. Game 3 is probably the best match-up of the series, as Ivan Nova (5-4, 2.93) will be facing Jered Weaver (7-5, 2.87). In the finale of the series the Angels will send C.J. Wilson (12-6, 3.49) to the mound against the struggling Phil Hughes (4-11, 4.99).

Yankees Fall To 0-2 With Alex Rodriguez

Nydailynews.com

A rough road trip for the Yankees continues as they fall to the White Sox 3-2 last night in Chicago. Another solid start by the ace of this team Hiroki Kuroda was wasted as the Yankee lineup failed to give him run support. Kuroda went 7.0 innings allowing three runs on nine hits and struck out four. He now falls to 10-7 on the season mainly due to poor run support. But in some cases he has been the Yankees ace since the struggles of C.C. Sabathia and the rest of the Starting Pitchers on the team.

The Yankees only managed seven hits through nine innings, one of those hits coming from Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is two for six since returning to the Yankees batting .333 on the season. I expect more from a player who is being linked to PEDs use. It might take Alex a few more games before getting back into the swing of things after going through a second hip surgery and missing four months of action. Last night Joe Girardi had Rodriguez as the Designated Hitter after playing Third Base in his first game. At the plate A-Rod followed up his one for four debut by going one for two with a single, walk and reaching base after being hit by a pitch.

Down 3-1, Yankees tried to rally back in the 9th. With one out, Ichiro Suzuki singled to left and reached Second Base on a fielder's indifference. Austin Romine struck out looking for the second out of the inning. Ichiro then scored on a single to right from Brett Gardner, but White Sox Closer Addison Reed got the save by striking out Alfonso Soriano. A-Rod was on deck when Soriano struck out swinging to end the game with the tying run on first. Sadly this is the Yankees 13th loss in the last 19 games.

Chris Sale was dealing last night going 7.1 Innings and giving up five hits, one run, and struck out six Yankee hitters. The only run he allowed was a passed ball by Josh Phegley, which allowed Soriano to score.

Hoping that Alex Rodriguez can provide a spark and help this Yankee team start winning games to make a playoff run is looking hopeless at this point. They are relying on a player who is coming off hip surgery and has a long suspension hanging over him after MLB and Bud Selig released the suspensions on Monday. With a little less than two months left and being 10.5 games behind Boston, its hard to think the Yankees have enough games to make up that kind of ground. Also they are currently 6 games behind the Wild card leaders Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers. Playing for a Wild Card berth seems to be more realistic for the Yankees, but they will need to start winning games now and start scoring runs.

Next up for the Yankees they will look to avoid the sweep at the hand of the White Sox, as C.C. Sabathia (9-10, 4.78) will look to fix his problems of late against Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.28).

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox

sportsgrid.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox

August 5-7^th

The New York Yankees will be heading into the Windy City after a disappointing series loss against the San Diego Padres, and one Monday night they will be looking to regroup and win their final series against the Chicago White Sox on their road-trip.

- Pitching Match-Ups

On Monday night in Game 1 of the three-game series it will be a match-up of two lefties, as Andy Pettitte (7-8, 4.28) will be facing Jose Quintana (5-3, 3.62). Game 2 will have both teams aces on the mound, as Hiroki Kuroda (10-6, 2.38) will be facing Chris Sale (6-11, 2.92) in what should be a great pitchers duel. In Game 3 the Yankees will be sending the struggling C.C. Sabathia (9-10, 4.78) to the mound, as if he is going to get back on track after three horrendous starts, the White Sox are the team to do that against, and his opposing Pitcher will be Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.28).

Overbay Delivers in the Clutch For Yankees in LA

espn.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 31^st, 2013

New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 3 Dodgers 0

The New York Yankees were able to get the victory on Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers with some late-inning heroics, and a big mistake by the Dodgers. The win for the Yankees gives them a split in the two-game series against the red hot Dodgers, and moves them to (56-51), which is eight games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Coming in to the game there was a lot of hype for the pitching match-up between Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw, and they both brought their “A” games to the table. Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda continued his great season, by pitching seven shutout innings allowing just five hits, one walk, and had eight strikeouts. Unfortunately for Kuroda his win/loss record does not indicate that he has a 2.36 ERA on the season, which is second best in the American League behind only Felix Hernandez.

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 30^th, 2013

W2W4: New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers

The New York Yankees will be on the West Coast starting a eight-game road trip in Los Angles against the NL West leading Dodgers. The Yankees are (55-50) on the season 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East with the trade deadline right around the corner.

- Pitching Match-Ups

Both games in the series have pretty good pitching match-ups, as in Game 1 Andy Pettitte (7-8, 4.39) will be on the hill for the Yankees facing Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.49). In Game 2 both teams will have their aces on the mound in what should definitely be a pitchers duel between Hiroki Kuroda (10-6, 2.51) and NL CY Young frontrunner Clayton Kershaw (10-6, 1.96). For the Yankees they are probably getting the Dodgers best two pitchers, which could lead to their road-trip starting off on a sour note.

Kuroda Dominates in Yankees Win

yankees.lhblogs.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 25^th, 2013

New York Yankees Texas Rangers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Rangers 0

The New York Yankees were able to a big win on Thursday afternoon in Texas against the Rangers behind a strong pitching performance by Hiroki Kuroda, which allowed the Yankees to split the four-game series. The win moves the Yankees to (54-48), and are now 6.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Offensively the Yankees weren’t very good, but the two runs they scored were enough to get the win in this game against Derek Holland. It took until the sixth inning for the first run of the game, but a Brent Lillibridge double scored Austin Romine for the first run of the game. The second and final run for the Yankees came in the eighth inning giving the bullpen a nice insurance run to work with, as Eduardo Nunez grounded into a fielders choice which scored Robinson Cano. For Holland he picked up his six loss of the season, but he did pitch well enough to earn the win, as he went 7.1 innings allowing just two runs on eight hits and one walk.

Orioles Snap Yankees Winning Streak

oriolespost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 7^th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 2 Yankees 1

The New York Yankees had their six game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, as they were unable to sweep the Orioles at home. The loss moves the Yankees to (48-40) on the season, which is fourth in the AL East.

Orioles Starter Jason Hammel gave up the first run of the game in the second inning, as Eduardo Nunez knocked in his third run in his last two games since coming off the DL, with his sac-fly that scored Zoilo Almonte. Hammel would end up going just five innings, allowing the one run on six hits and two walks.

The Yankees got a great start from Hiroki Kuroda, but sadly for Kuroda he only got a no decision for his efforts. Kuroda would go seven shutout innings allowing just three hits and a walk on 88 pitches, leaving the game in the hands of David Robertson and Mariano Rivera.

Orioles Complete Sweep of Yankees

sports.yahoo.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 30^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Orioles 4

The Baltimore Orioles completed the sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball, by beating the Yankees 4-2. The loss makes it five straight for the Yankees, and they are now (42-39) on the season, which is just 1.5 games out of last place in the AL East.

Manny Machado wasted little time getting to Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda, as in the first inning Machado hit a solo-home run off him for his sixth of the season. The home runs would really hurt Kuroda in this one, as he picked up his sixth loss of the season. Chris Davis was the second Oriole to take Kuroda deep in the second inning for his 31^st home run of the year. In the third inning it was yet another home run off Kuroda this one another solo-shot from Nat McLouth for his sixth of the year. In the seventh inning a Matt Wieters single and a J.J. Hardy double forced Kuroda from the game. Boone Logan did a good job considering he came in with no outs and runners on second and third. Brian Roberts got the fourth a final run although with a sac-fly, scoring Wieters. Kuroda's day finished with him going six innings allowing four runs on seven hits, but Kuroda did strikeout seven batters.

Yankees Get Walk-Off Victory Against Rangers

sportingnews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 25^th, 2013

Texas Rangers vs New York Yankees

Final Score: Rangers 3 Yankees 4

The New York Yankees were able to get a walk-off victory against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night thanks to Ichiro Suzuki. The 4-3 Yankees win moves them to (42-34) on the season, and are back in second place in the AL East 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox.

Hiroki Kuroda was pretty solid against a talented Rangers lineup, but despite pitching well didn’t earn himself a decision. The Rangers struck first in this game in the third inning, as Leonys Martin hit a solo-home run in the third inning, which was his first of the season. In the fourth inning the Rangers would get one more run, on a Mitch Moreland RBI ground out with the bases loaded that scored Adrian Beltre. Martin would get the best of Kuroda again in the fifth inning with another solo-home run, which was the final run Kuroda would give up. Kuroda finished going 6.2 innings allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits, one walk, and struck out six batters.