Yankees Lose in Robinson Cano's Return

nypost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 29th, 2014

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Mariners 6 Yankees 3

In Robinson Cano’s return to Yankees Stadium, the New York Yankees were unable to defeat their former star and his new team the Seattle Mariners, as they lost 6-3. The loss moves the Yankees to (15-11) on the season, which is two games in front of the field in the AL East.

Yankees Starter C.C. Sabathia had a rough outing on Tuesday, as after receiving a two-run lead to work with, and Sabathia let it all up. Sabathia, in his third loss of the season gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings. The fifth inning was where all the damage was given up by Sabathia, as the Mariners ripped off a four-run inning.

For the most part the Yankees did a good job holding their former player Cano in check, as he went 1 for 5 with an RBI, run scored, and struck out twice. Cano was greeted by a lot of boo’s and a chant of “You Sold Out” by Yankees fans.

Seattle got a good start from veteran Chris Young, who earned his first victory of the season. Young gave up two-runs, only one of which was earned on three hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.

Dellin Betances and Preston Claiborne had a tough time in the seventh inning in a manageable two-run game, but Betances let up two hits and then Claiborne allowed two more hits to charge the final run to Betances before he could get the final out of the inning.

For the most part the Yankees offense was pretty quiet, but Mark Teixeira did hit his third homerun of the season in the second inning off of Young.

The heart of the Yankees order had a very disappointing day at the plate, as Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Alfonso Soriano went a combined 0 for 12 with five strikeouts. Hitting with runners in scoring position wasn’t much better, as the team went 1 for 10.

Yankees Split 4-Game Series with Rays

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Series Recap

April 17th: Yankees 10 Rays 2; Click here for Game 1 Recap

April 18th: Yankees 5 Rays 11; Click here for Game 2 Recap

April 19th: Yankees 1 Rays 16

April 20th: Yankees 5 Rays 1

The New York Yankees were able to head down to Tampa Bay in a four-game series against the Rays, and leave with a split despite giving up double-digit runs in two of the games. They will are now (11-8) on the season, which is good enough to be on top of the AL East.

Positives:

 In two of the four games the Yankees got really good starts from their Starting Pitchers, as C.C Sabathia and Vidal Nuno both turned in good outings. In Sabathia’s start the Yankees were able to grab the victory for him, which was his second of the season after seven strong innings allowing just two runs, only one of which was earned. Nuno didn’t have the same luck, as he left the game after five shutout innings, but had the bullpen blow the one-run lead he left with in the seventh inning.

Alfonso Soriano was the Yankees best hitter in the four games against the Rays, as he went seven for 16 at plate with one homerun, three RBIs, four runs scored, and two runs scored.

On Sunday the Yankees got to see the return of Mark Teixeira, who has missed most of the season, but was able to rejoin the team and have a pretty good first game back, which is important for a weak Yankees infield. Teixeira went two for six in the 12 inning game on Sunday.

Negatives:

bleacherreport.com

In the Yankees rough loss on Saturday against the Rays they may have suffered a major blow to the starting rotation, as Ivan Nova left the game in the fifth inning with pain in the elbow, and placed on the disabled list very quickly after. The MRI after the game showed that Nova had a partially torn UCL, which usually requires Tommy John surgery. The typical recover time for such a procedure is 12-18 months. Nova will be looked at again in New York, but it certainly doesn’t look good for the Yankees young Starter.

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 Crush David Price in Tampa Bay

zimbio.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 17th, 2014

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 10 Rays 2

The New York Yankees were able to head down to Tampa Bay and start off their four-game series with the Rays on a positive note, notching a 10-2 victory. The victory moves the Yankees to (10-6) on the season, which keeps them atop the AL East by two games.

C.C Sabathia was able to avoid his woes in Tropicana Field on Thursday night, as a place that has been a nightmare for him the past few seasons was friendly to him this time around. While earning his second win of the season, Sabathia went seven innings allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks, and was able to strikeout six batters.

For the Rays their ace and former Cy Young award winner David Price just wasn’t on against the Yankees, as a rare bad outing for Price led to his first loss of the young season. Price finished going just five innings allowing six runs on 10 hits, and one walk.

Midseason Bold Predictions Recap

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Earlier in the week I looked back at an article from the midway point of the MLB season and compared the award winners chosen then to the people who actually received the awards. This time I’ll take another article from the summer, my bold predictions from the All-Star break for the second half of the season and compare it to how the season actually ended. They aren’t called bold predictions for nothing as the end results of these are a little more off than the predictions made for the MLB Regular Season Awards.

Alex Rodriguez will hit double-digit homeruns and the New York Yankees will still miss the playoffs, finishing last in the AL East.

Barton Silverman/New York Times

There are two definitive results that happened here; the Yankees did indeed miss the playoffs but they did not finish in last place. The Rodriguez double-digit homeruns is up for debate. If you include his minor league stats he hit 10 on the season but if you count only his time in the majors he knocked only seven out of the park. The Yankees turned it around a little bit once they started getting a little healthier but they just did not have the talent that teams ahead of them like the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians, the two teams who won the AL Wild Card spots. The winter will be an important one for the Yankees as they have a lot of holes to fill on the team including finding a player capable of replacing Derek Jeter and Rodriguez if they are unable to stay in the lineup because of injuries or suspension. For this bold prediction I will split it down the middle and call it half right.

Miguel Cabrera will win a second consecutive Triple Crown after MLB went the previous 45 seasons before last without one.

Yankees Sign Jacoby Ellsbury to Monster Deal

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler 

December 4th, 2013

The New York Yankees have made their second big splash of an off-season that originally was thought to be one of trying to cut payroll, but has been the complete opposite so far. On Tuesday night they signed now former Red Sox Center Fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. After handing a five-year 85 million dollar contract to Catcher Brian McCann, the Yankees have now added a seven-year 153 million dollar contract for Ellsbury to their payroll.

This contract for the Yankees is going to be taking a lot of heat, and deservingly so. Although Jacoby Ellsbury is a very good player he does have trouble staying on the field. Another scary part of the contract for the Yankees is the seven years for a 30 year old player that relies most of his game on his legs, as he is coming off a 52 stolen base season. In his 2012 contract season, Ellsbury batted .298 with 172 hits, 92 runs scored, 31 doubles, eight triples, nine homeruns, 53 RBIs, and the aforementioned 52 stolen bases in 134 games. Power wise Ellsbury had one monster year in 2011, hitting 32 homeruns that season, but excluding that year he only has 33 career homeruns. It will be something to watch in 2014 if Ellsbury can find the short porch a few times.

Yankees Win Final Game of the 2013 Season

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 29^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 5 Astros 1

The New York Yankees were able to finish up their 2013 season in Houston with a win over the horrible Astros, as they completed the sweep in extra innings on Sunday. The win means the Yankees finish the 2013 season with a (85-77), which is pretty good considering all the injuries this season.

David Huff got the start for the Yankees, and despite pitching pretty well didn’t factor in the decision. Huff would only allow one run in the first inning, as Matt Dominguez had a RBI single to score Jonathan Villar. Huff went five innings allowing just the one run on three hits, and had seven strikeouts.

Rivera Says Goodbye to Yankees Stadium

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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 Lose to Rays, Ending Postseason Chances

newsday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 25^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 8 Yankees 3

The New York Yankees lost yet again to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, and with the loss the Yankees are now (82-76) on the season, and have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this season.

Yankees Starter Phil Hughes got the start in this one, and in all likelihood pitched his last game as a Yankee, and earned his 14^th loss of the season. In the first inning Hughes gave up a RBI double to James Loney, which scored Wil Myers. In the third inning Hughes would fall apart and get pulled after a RBI single by David DeJesus, the Rays would load the bases leading to the hook from Joe Girardi. Hughes final start as a Yankee wasn’t good at all, as he went just two innings allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk. Hughes will be entering free agency after a horrible season going (4-14) with a 5.19 ERA for the season.

Yankees Lose To Rays, Making Playoffs More Unlikely

scores.espn.go.com

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 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 Lose 4th Straight Game

postcresent.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 17^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 0 Blue Jays 2

The New York Yankees lost their fourth straight game on Tuesday night, this time at the hands of the last place Toronto Blue Jays. The loss moves the Yankees to (79-72) on the season, which is 3.5 games behind the two Wild Card spots.

Andy Pettitte came through with a yet another good start for the Yankees, but with zero run support, he picked up his 10^th loss of the season. Pettitte would make only one mistake in this game, that coming in the fourth inning, as Colby Rasmus hit a solo-home run, which broke the scoreless game up, and was his 21^st home run of the season. Pettitte would finish going 6.2 innings allowing just the one run on six hits and two walks.

Yankees Get Swept in Boston

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 15^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Red Sox 9

The New York Yankees suffered a very bad sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball, as they got blown out in the final game of the season against Boston. The loss moves the Yankees to (79-71) on the season, and are now three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

Red Sox Starter Clay Buchholz having his best season of his career, kept that going against the Yankees on Sunday night, as he earned his 11^th win of the season. The Yankees only got one run off of Buchholz, as in the first inning a error by Buchholz allowed Granderson to Third Base, and then he was knocked in with an RBI ground out by Rodriguez. Buchholz finished going six innings allowing just the one unearned run on two hits and four walks.

Yankees Lose Series in Boston

stamfordadvocate.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 14^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 1 Red Sox 5

The New York Yankees suffered their second straight loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday afternoon. The loss moves the Yankees to (79-70) on the season, and they now sit 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot, as the series in Boston is hurting the Yankees badly.

Once again for the Yankees on Saturday was another poor start from C.C. Sabathia which has become something all to common for them this year, as Sabathia got his 13^th loss of the season, a career-high for Sabathia. After breezing thru the first inning, Sabathia would struggle after that, as in the second inning the Red Sox got on the board with a RBI ground out from Will Middlebrooks. In the third inning the Red Sox would get two more runs across started with a RBI double from David Ortiz, and then later in the inning a RBI base-hit from Johnny Gomes. In the fourth inning it was a two-out single that hurt Sabathia, as Shane Victorino knocked in David Ross. The fifth inning would end up being the last time the Red Sox would score in the game, as Daniel Nava hit a sac-fly to score Mike Napoli making it a 5-1 game. Sabathia would finish going six innings allowing five runs on nine hits and four walks.

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 Lose in Series Opener to Orioles

allfanpage.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 9th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles

Final Score: Yankees 2 Orioles 4

The New York Yankees were unable to start their important four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on a good note, as they suffered a 4-2 loss on Monday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (76-68) on the season, which is three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

In a big game for both teams, Orioles Starter Chris Tillman came up big with a great start, as he earned his 16th win of the season. Tillman only made two bad pitches in this game, but was otherwise sensational. In the first inning Alex Rodriguez hit a solo-home run off of Tillman to give the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead, and it was the fifth home run of the season for Rodriguez. It wouldn’t be until the eighth inning when Tillman would make another mistake, as Lyle Overbay hit a solo-home run, which was his 14th of the season. Tillman went seven innings allowing just the two runs on four hits, while striking out nine batters.

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 Yet Again Can't Beat Red Sox

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 7^th, 2013

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Red Sox 13 Yankees 9

The New York Yankees suffered yet another loss to the Boston Red Sox at home on Saturday afternoon. The loss moves the Yankees to (75-67), which is three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

David Huff was brought in to the rotation to take the spot of the struggling Phil Hughes, but on Saturday afternoon it was Huff who got shelled, as he picked up his first loss as a Yankee. Mike Napoli who was the hero of Friday nights game wasted little time putting his mark on Saturday's game, as he hit a two-run home run in the second inning to get the Red Sox the early lead. In the third inning the long ball would hurt Huff again, as this time it was a three-run home run by Johnny Gomes. The fourth inning would be the last for Huff, as the Red Sox really broke it open starting with a Ryan Lavarnway double. A RBI ground out by Xander Bogaerts, which was followed by a double by Shane Victorino would make it a 8-2 game, and it would kick Huff from the ball game. Huff would go just 3.1 innings allowing nine runs on eight hits, as Jim Miller would give up a base-hit to Johnny Gomes, which scored Victorino, finishing off Huff's line.