Rivera Says Goodbye to Yankees Stadium

sbnation.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 26^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 4 Yankees 0

The New York Yankees lost their final home game of the season to the Tampa Bay Rays, as the Rays were able to sweep the Yankees. The loss moves the Yankees to (82-77) on the season, with three games left to play.

Rays Starter Alex Cobb gave his team a great start, as they inch closer to a playoff berth, and Cobb picked up his 11^th win of the season. Cobb would go seven innings allowing zero runs, and only allowing three hits and two walks. The Yankees would finally get something going against Cobb in the eighth inning with a Curtis Granderson double, followed by a base-hit from Lyle Overbay, but Joel Peralta came on and struckout the next two batters, and then got J.R. Murphy to fly out to end the Yankees threat.

Yankees Rally in 8th to Defeat Blue Jays

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 18^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 4 Blue Jays 3

The New York Yankees were able to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday in Toronto with a victory over the Blue Jays. The win moves the Yankees to (80-72), which keeps their Wild Card hopes alive, as they are now 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the final Wild Card spot.

Phil Hughes got the start for the Yankees in this crucial game, and like last time Joe Girardi did a Hughes/David Huff combo to get through this game. Hughes went three scoreless innings before giving up a 451ft two-run home run to Colby Rasmus. Hughes went 3.1 innings allowing two runs on four hits, and was pulled for Huff in the fourth inning.

The first batter Huff would face was Ryan Goins, and he promptly hit his first home run of the season. Huff would settle down after that however, as he finished going 3.2 innings allowing just the home run to Goins, and he earned his third win of the season.

Yankees Win Big Series Against Orioles

espn.go.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 12^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 6 Orioles 5

The New York Yankees were able to take the four-game series on the road in Baltimore against the Orioles, which is huge for the Yankees, as they are closing in on the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot. The win moves the Yankees to (79-68) on the season, and now sit just one game behind the Rays.

Orioles Starter Wei-Yin Chen had a rough night in a big game, as the Yankees offense had no problem hitting the lefty. In the second inning Mark Reynolds got the Yankees on the board with a two-run home run, which was his 19^th of the season. In the third inning with the bases loaded Vernon Wells came thru with a two-run single that scored Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano, which made it a 4-0 Yankees lead at the time. The final Yankees run off Chen would come from the bat of Curtis Granderson, who smacked a solo-home run off of him, which was Granderson's sixth of the season. Chen finished going 6.1 innings allowing five runs on seven hits, and two walks, but Chen however did strikeout nine batters.

Soriano Blasts Yankees Past Orioles

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 10^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 7 Orioles 5

The New York Yankees were able to bounce back from a loss on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles with a come from behind win on Tuesday night. The win moves the Yankees to (77-68) on the season, which is two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

Miguel Gonzalez got the start for the Orioles in Game 2 of the four-game series, and although despite pitching much better than his previous start against the Yankees he didn’t factor in the decision of this game. Alex Rodriguez got to Gonzalez first breaking a scoreless game up in the third inning with a RBI double that scored Chris Stewart. In the sixth inning the Yankees would show off their power, as Alfonso Soriano hit a solo-home run, which was his 14^th home run since joining the Yankees. Mark Reynolds would follow in Soriano's footsteps a few batters later with a solo-home run of his own, which was his 18^th of the year. Gonzalez finished going six innings allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out six batters, and leaving the game in position to earn the win.

Yankees Avoid Sweep on Sunday Afternoon

espn.go.com

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 Unable to Complete Come From Behind Victory

cbssports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 5^th, 2013

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Red Sox 9 Yankees 8

The New York Yankees were unable to start their series off against the Boston Red Sox on a good note, as they lost in extra-innings. The loss moves the Yankees to (75-65), but with the Tampa Bay Rays losing as well, the Yankees stayed 2.5 games behind them in the Wild Card standings.

Ivan Nova, who was coming off a complete game shutout,but wasn’t very sharp in this game. In the third inning the Red Sox would piece together a few hits, as Jacoby Ellsbury hit a double that scored Ryan Lavarnway, and then Shane Victorino had a RBI ground out that scored Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks in the fourth inning would hit a solo-home run off Nova, which was his 13^th home run of the season. Nova went just four innings allowing three runs on five hits, and two walks on 96 pitches.

Yankees Complete Sweep of White Sox

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 4^th, 2013

Chicago White Sox vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: White Sox 5 Yankees 6

The New York Yankees were able to complete the sweep at home of the Chicago White Sox, despite almost blowing their lead in the late innings. The win moves the Yankees to (75-64), which is 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.

C.C Sabathia was able to put together a pretty good start together on Wednesday night, as he picked up his 13^th win of the season. The first inning was to good for Sabathia, but he kept the damage at a minimum, as only one run scored on Avisail Garcia double that scored Gordon Beckham. Sabathia went into the eighth inning, but after two singles allowed he was pulled for David Robertson, who allowed both of Sabathia's runners to score, which hurt his final line. Sabathia finished going 7.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits and four walks.

Yankees Take Opener Against Orioles

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 30th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 5 Yankees 8

The New York Yankees were able to start their series at home against the Baltimore Orioles on a positive not with a victory on Friday night after two straight losing series against division opponents. The win moves the Yankees to (71-63) on the seasons, which are four games behind the second Wild Card spot.

C.C. Sabathia was looking good for the first three innings of this game, but after that it was a tough go of it for Sabathia, who once again got hit hard after the third inning. Sabathia was still able to get his 12th win thanks to a lot of offense, and some great pitching from the Yankees bullpen. In the fourth inning Chris Davis broke up the scoreless game with a single that scored Manny Machado. In the fifth inning after being given a lead by the offense, Sabathia gave it right back to the Orioles, as Danny Valencia hit a two-run homerun, and then later in that inning Machado singled home Alexi Casilla to cap off the three-run inning. In the sixth inning the Orioles would get their final run off Sabathia on a Nick Markakis single that scored Adam Jones, and led to Sabathia getting pulled. Sabathia went just 5.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk.

Yankees Avoid Being Swept in Tampa Bay

stamfordadvocate.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 25th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 3 Rays 2

The New York Yankees were able to avoid the sweep on Sunday, by beating the Tampa Bay Rays in extra-innings. The win moves the Yankees to (69-61) on the season, which is seven games behind the AL East leading Red Sox, and 3.5 games behind the two Wild Card spots.

Ivan Nova wasn’t at his best, but was able to battle and get a few big double plays to avoid any real damage, and turn in a good start for the Yankees. Evan Longoria had Nova’s number in this game, as he was responsible for both Rays runs. In the first inning Longoria had a RBI single that scored David DeJesus, and then in the sixth inning Longoria hit a solo-home run, which was his 28th of the season, and it was his third home run of the weekend series. Nova finished going 6.2 innings allowing just two runs on six hits and six walks in the no decision.

Yankees Complete Double-Header Sweep Against Blue Jays

nypost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 20^th, 2013

Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap Game 2

Final Score: Blue Jays 2 Yankees 3

The New York Yankees were able to complete the double-header sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off win on Tuesday night. The win moves the Yankees to (66-59), which is 6.5 games behind the Rays and Red Sox in the AL East, and now just 5.5 games behind the second Wild Card spot.

A very rare occurrence happen for Phil Hughes on Tuesday night, and that was him pitching well in Yankees stadium, but despite the good start Hughes only got a no decision for his efforts. In the first inning the Blue Jays go one of their two runs off of Hughes on a wild pitch that allowed Rajai Davis to score, and then in the fifth inning Davis hit a sac-fly to score Munenori Kawasaki. Hughes ended up going six innings allowing just the two runs on seven hits, two walk, while striking out six batters, and he also didn’t allow a home run in a home start, which is a rare thing. Any improvement from Hughes will help the Yankees, as they continue their push towards a playoff spot.

Blue Jays Starter Mark Buehrle also gave his team a very good start, but like Hughes only earned a no decision for his efforts. The Yankees only got two runs off Buehrle, as in the third inning Robinson Cano singled home Austin Romine. Cano had quite the day at the plate going six for eight, which certainly helps the batting average. Jayson Nix would get the best of Buehrle in the seventh inning, as Nix hit his third home run of the season to tie the game up at two runs a piece at the time. Buehrle finished up going 6.2 innings allowing just the two runs on six hits, and one walk.

This game came down to a battle of the bullpens after both teams Starters gave them a good performance, and for the Yankees their 26^th man for the double-header Preston Claiborne gave them two solid innings allowing just one hit. Mariano Rivera had to work double duty on Tuesday pitching in both games, and in the second game he allowed two hits, but no runs, and earned his fourth win of the season.

In the ninth inning the Yankees got to Darren Oliver, as after a lead-off walk by Mark Reynolds, he was pinch-ran for by Ichiro Suzuki. A sac-bunt and then a steal of Third Base set up Jayson Nix to be the hero and that’s exactly what he was, as he singled home Ichiro for the walk-off win.

Next up the Yankees will look to take the four-game series against the Blue Jays, as Adam Warren(1-2, 3.57) will be making the start for the Yankees against R.A. Dickey (9-11, 4.49).

Rodriguez Getting Hit Sparks Yankees to Victory

yankees.lhblogs.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 18^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Post Game Recap

Final Score Yankees 9 Red Sox 6

The New York Yankees were able to pull of possibly their best win of the season on Sunday night, as they took the rubber game in their series with the Boston Red Sox. The win moves the Yankees to (64-59), which is 7.5 games behind the Red Sox for the AL East and still six games behind the two Wild Card spots.

C.C. Sabathia once again did not pitch well, but with a lot of run support was able to pick up his 11^th win of the season. The Red Sox wasted little time getting to Sabathia. As in the first inning they scored two runs on a Johnny Gomes sac-fly, and a Jarrod Saltalamacchia base-hit. The middle innings wouldn’t be any kinder to Sabathia, as in the third inning a David Ortiz ground-out scored Shane Victorino for the third run off Sabathia. In the fourth inning it two more runs would be allowed on a Stephen Drew sac-fly, and then a Will Middlebrooks solo-home run. In the fifth inning the Red Sox would get their final run off of Sabathia with the bases loaded, as Daniel Nava was able to work a walk. Sabathia would finish going 5.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits, five walks, and he did not retaliate to Alex Rodriguez being hit by a pitch.

W2W4: Los Angeles Angels vs New York Yankees

losangeles.cbslocal.com

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 Bounce Back Behind Strong Start From Nova

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 3^rd, 2013

New York Yankees vs San Diego Padres Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 3 Padres 0

The New York Yankees were able to bounce back in the second game of the series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, with a shutout victory. The win moves the Yankees to (57-52), but they were unable to gain any ground in the AL East, as they still sit 8.5 games behind the first place Boston Red Sox.

After getting a horrible start from C.C. Sabathia on Friday night, Ivan Nova was exceptional on Saturday night, and picked up his fifth win of the season. Nova went seven shutout innings allowing only four hits, one walk, and struckout eight batters. With the good start Nova sees his ERA drop to 3.08, as he is quite possibly pitching better than ever right now.

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.

Alfonso Soriano Traded to Yanks

By John Alvarado (@theeinfamouss)

Early Friday morning it was announced that the Chicago Cubs finalized a trade that would send Alfonso Soriano to the New York Yankees; after a week of rumors the trade finally went through. The Cubs will receive class A pitcher Cory Black from the Yankees and cash considerations. 

Soriano started his major league career with the Yankees back in September 14, 1999, becoming a fan favorite and seeming to come through with a big hit whenever the club needed him to. We all remember the 2001 world series when he took Curt Schilling deep with a solo homer to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning of game 7. 

Soriano is a seven time all star and two time world series champion, winning with the Yankees in 1999 & 2000. 

In 2004 Soriano was traded from the Yankees to the Rangers in exchange for 3B Alex Rodriguez. Since then Soriano has played for the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals & most recently the Chicago Cubs. But now in 2013 his career has gone full circle as he is back where it all began for him; wearing pin stripes. 

Soriano is batting .254 with 17 home runs and 51 RBIs this season and has heated up in July, with eight homers and 16 RBIs. He's 11 hits shy of 2,000 for his career and 11 home runs short of 400.

Since June 28 the Yankees have only hit eight homeruns, while Soriano has hit 10. "We've obviously been trying to improve our offense this season, to no avail," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "By far, he was the best available bat to date."

The Cubs are going to pick up about $17.7 million and the Yankees will cover the remaining $6.8 million of the estimated $24.5 million Soriano is owed through the end of next season. Soriano is scheduled to make $18 million next season, $5 million of which will be paid by the Yankees.

It is reported that Soriano is close friends with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano, so coming back to the Bronx should be like a homecoming. The Yankees have Soriano in Friday's lineup, where he is batting fourth and playing left field. I assume he will get a standing ovation as most Yankee fans are thrilled to have him back on the team. 

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.

Yankees Rally in 9th to Get Victory in Texas

msn.foxsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 23^rd, 2013

New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 5 Rangers 4

The New York Yankees were able to snap their two-game skid on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers, as they had the come from behind win after giving up a nice lead in the sixth inning. The win moves the Yankees to (53-47), which keeps them seven games behind the first place Boston Red Sox.

Rangers Starter Alexi Ogando didn’t have a very good start against a sub-par Yankees offense, but he didn’t factor in the decision of the game. The Yankees got to Ogando in the third inning, as Austin Romine doubled home Melky Mesa for the first run of the game. Romine would come around to the second run of the inning on an Ichiro Suzuki infield single. The final run off Ogando would come in the fourth inning, as Brent Lillibridge grounded into a fielders choice that score Vernon Wells. Ogando ended up going just five innings allowing three runs on six hits.

AL Tops NL In All-Star Game Pitcher's Duel

USATSI

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

On Tuesday night, Citi Field held its largest crowd ever for the 84th MLB All-Star Game where the American League won a pitcher’s duel 3-0. It was nothing like All-Star Games of recent memory as the pitchers dominated the game throughout; the two star-studded lineups managed to combine for only 12 hits in the game. No player had multiple hits and only two walks were issued.

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.

Yankees Get Second Straight Victory in Minnesota

nypost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 2^nd, 2013

New York Yankees vs Minnesota Twins Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 7 Twins 3

The New York Yankees were able to win their second straight game against the Minnesota Twins with a 7-3 victory on Tuesday night. The win moves the Yankees to (44-39), but are still in fourth place in the AL East, six games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place.

The good Phil Hughes showed up in Minnesota, as the trend of him pitching better in the bigger ballparks continues, and he even didn’t allow a homerun in the win on Tuesday night. Hughes got his fourth win of the season, by going seven innings allowing just one run on six hits and two walks. The only blemish for Hughes came in the third inning when Joe Mauer had a RBI single that scored Aaron Hicks.