Yanks finish off sweep of Jays in rain-shortened shutout

July 18, 2012 by Mike Axisa 64 Comments

Mother Nature did the Yankees a solid on Wednesday afternoon, sparing their bullpen with some late-inning rain and lightning. The Yankees and Blue Jays played just six and a half innings, long enough for the Bombers to finish off the three-game sweep and the 5-1 homestand.

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees — (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Hirok ‘n Roll

Hiroki Kuroda has now made five starts during the day this season, and he’s yet to allow a run in 30 innings. Wednesday’s effort featured seven shutout innings and virtually zero stress; he was never in any kind of danger at any point. Kuroda struck out five, allowed four hits (just one for extra bases), and recorded all but one of his 21 outs on the infield. He retired 12 of the first 14 men he faced with the two exceptions coming on an Alex Rodriguez throwing error and an infield single.

Kuroda technically threw a complete-game shutout, the third of his MLB career. These rain-shortened ones don’t really count as a true shutouts in my opinion, but that shouldn’t take away from his performance. It was a pretty great start … awesome to see Hiroki shake off those last two duds and get back to being the guy he was in May and June.

Toronto Blue Jays Ricky Romero and New York Yankees Mark Teixeira watch two-run home run in MLB game in New York — (REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)

Early Runs

It took all of three batters for the Yankees to extend their streak of consecutive games with three or more runs to 42. Derek Jeter doubled off the right field wall to leadoff the first, Nick Swisher followed up with a single to right, and Mark Teixeira make it three-zip with a homer. Just like that, the Yankees had a nice little lead and the second longest single-season streak of scoring 3+ runs in baseball history. They’re six away from tying the record and seven from setting a new one.

That wasn’t all the offense though. Left-hander Ricky Romero looks nothing like the guy he was just last year, getting hit hard and leaving way too many pitches out over the plate. Andruw Jones singled off the wall to drive in Robinson Cano three batters after Teixeira’s homer and Dewayne Wise plated a run with a ground-rule double in the fourth and then another with a single in the sixth. Dunno if you heard, but his bunt turned the season around. New York had baserunners in every inning but the fifth.

Blue Jays Yankees Baseball — (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Leftovers

Cano extended his hitting streak to 21 games and his on-base streak to 24 games — both career bests — with a double off Rajai Davis’ glove in the first inning. Davis should have caught it, not for nothing. This is the longest hitting streak by a Yankee since A-Rod hit in 23 straight back in April 2007. Four more games and it’ll be the second longest hit streak by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio’s 56-gamer back in 1941 if you can believe that.

Jayson Nix had himself a nice little series, going a combined 5-for-7 with a double in two spot starts against the left-handers. Then again, he did get picked off first in the first inning on Wednesday after getting throwing out trying to steal third (with no outs!) on Tuesday, so maybe it wasn’t so great after all. Eh, whatever. It seems like whoever Joe Girardi pencils into the lineup these days does something productive. Everyone’s contributing, even the bench guys.

As for the rest of the offense … Jeter had a double and single, Swisher a single, Teixeira a homer and a single, Cano a double, Andruw a single, Nix a single and double, Russell Martin a single, and Wise a double and single. Twelve hits (and two walks) off Romero in just six innings. They worked him over pretty well.

The 3+ run streak is getting all the attention, but the Yankees have now scored at least five runs in ten straight games. That’s the longest streak in baseball since the Mets did it in 12 straight back in August 2007. It’s the longest such streak by the Yankees since they ran off ten straight the same month the Amazin’s had their 12-gamer. The all-time record is 18 straight by the 1950 Red Sox.

One last note: The Yankees have already swept eight series this year. They swept nine all of 2011. Now that’s a fun stat.

Box Score, WPA Graph & Standings

MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs the nerd score, and ESPN the updated standings. Spoiler Alert: The Yankees have a really big lead in the AL East.

Source: FanGraphs

Up Next

The Yankees are going going, back back, to Cali Cali. They’re off to the West Coast for a seven-game trip starting with four against the Athletics in Oakland. Freddy Garcia gets the ball against rookie right-hander A.J. Griffin in the opener Thursday night. Griffin will be making his fifth career start, Garcia his 335th.

Dela G

The yanks are Rollin. Love it
- http://twitter.com/nebkreb Nebkreb
  
  Every game is like a Halladay for them.
https://twitter.com/Mattpat11 Matt DiBari

I’ll be in Oakland this weekend. CC vs Colon on Sunday. Very excited.
- Brian S.
  
  Make sure to get some authentic Bay Area dank while you are in town.
- Dale Mohorcic
  
  Heavy matchup
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  It’s like a deal with the devil.you get to spend time inthe Bay Area and watch the Yankees…….but it’s at the Oakland Alameda Colliseum.
boogie down

“When ya have great coaches, then afteh ya have great coaches, ya get great playas, you have a great organization, and you tell ’em one thing… Just win, baby!”
- vicki
  
  great reference. and fitting!
forensic

I can’t stand Brett Lawrie. He’s one of those guys you think is an absolute ass in real life and are probably right about (based on pics and videos).

But, I gotta give him props for his effort today. A last place team, just trying to get out of town, already down 4-0 again, and he does what he did in the third. Gotta respect that…

briefly at least…
- Ralph
  
  There’s something about him that strikes me as strange but I can’t pinpoint it. Maybe it’s like you said, I subconsciously think that he’s an ass.
  - vicki
    
    canadian.
- YanksFanInBeantown
  
  I like Lawrie. Yeah he’s a a bit of a prick, but I’m a sucker for immensely talented guys who make David Eckstein look like a slacker.
  
  (I’m also a bit of a Harper fan)
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    Harper’s awesome.
    - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
      
      He is. Idk who the better player is going to be between him and Trout, but Harper hustles every instant he is on the field, and is so naturally talented to boot I’d probably take him over Trout. Not saying at all that Trout isn’t incredibly talented and he doesn’t hustle. That statement would be completely false. I’m just saying Trout could steal 30 bags in his sleep, Harper on the other hand is probably about a 20 steal guy on talent alone, but would get about 30 with the way he plays.
      - newguy
        
        I hate when people comment on how much Harper hustles. I’m a Yankee fan living in the washington area and go to a lot of Nationals games, so I hear it A LOT. Seriously, though, think about it. He’s a 19 year old player who just got called up. He better freakin hustle every play. If Jeter can bust ass down the line eery AB at 38, Harper can do it at 19. And to say he does it every instant is on the field isn’ true. I don’t think its ebcause he’s lazy, but sometimes he just seems dumb and forgets to charge balls hard or sprint them down at the wall. I actually like Harper, the way he handles a bat at his young age is amazing. But can we stop with the hustle thing? Every rookie should be leaving at all out on the field, or they shouldn’t be up in the majors.
        
        Robinson Tilapia
        
        Get him to the Red Sox NOW.
        
        RI$P FTW
        
        Yeah, he’s a bad person for hustling. You’re right.
        
        Ana
        
        I see nowhere in the above comment where he implied that Harper was a bad person for hustling.
        
        newguy
        
        Thanks Ana. I think its good he hustles, but at the same time that what he should be doing.
        
        http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
        
        ” Every rookie should be leaving at all out on the field, or they shouldn’t be up in the majors.” Damn right, the problem is they don’t all do, so those that do should be rewarded for it in some sense.
Brett Pedroia

Do the Yankees ever do a father-son road trip? Inquiring minds want to know. ;)
forensic

My comment in last night’s recap:

Hopefully kuroda thinks its June again tomorrow as he’s gotten smacked around in his 2 July starts.

Hopefully the jays do realize its romero starting tomorrow as they haven’t scored in his last two starts, 3 runs in 3 starts, and 7 runs in 4 starts.

Very glad to see both happened. Kuroda was great and the Jays offense had no intention of scoring for Romero. Just how I drew it up. :-)
- Anthony
  
  Haha, I remember seeing this. Nice job.
  - forensic
    
    I love it when a plan comes together!
    
    /Col. Hannibal Smith
smurfy

Yep, something about this winning. This was discernedly one of your better efforts, Mike. 5-run streaks, very good.

Not for nothing, but Robbie is cursed by that bs double. Softheaded scorekeeper was probably influenced by the streak we’re on, or by Robbie’s pure magnificence, or Rajai’s plight. Betcha Joe DiMaggio didn’t get the benefit of a pansie call, times off’n being hard, doncha know? But then came the war, and its perversions.
- Ralph
  
  Actually as the war loomed the opponents knew that DiMaggio’s streak was good for the game and the nation so it is plausible (and theories) that they went easy on him in a few games as during the streak he got more than a few bunt hits with infield suddenly playing back when he was hitless on the day. Obviously Lou Boudreau didn’t do that but there are more than a few guys who were suspected to have “let” DiMaggio get a hit.
  - Ralph
    
    errm that’s suppose to read “so it is plausible (and there are theories)”
- gc
  
  Well, that was five seconds of my life I’ll never get back.
Rich in NJ

Maybe the Yankees will return home with a new OF (or a catcher, but I doubt it).
smurfy

It seemed mythic, that first Bautista then Lawrie fell during the series, trying their utmost. Lawrie needs to get to the point that he can discern between occasions for such bodily disconcern, because I want to see him spend that energy wisely. He should start with Tex on popups, rather than Jete. I haven’t seen videos, but I see clearminded effort and will to succeed, and such should be celebrated.
Rich in NJ

The camera-well is a hazard that should be addressed.
- http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
  
  What can they really do though? In my opinion, once a player reaches out of the field of play, his body is up for grabs.
  - Rich in NJ
    
    Pad the area when there aren’t sufficient media present to fill the entire sunken section?
Adam Parker

Jeter has been quietly raking again. Love it.
- Get Phelps Up
  
  .801 OPS in July.
  - vicki
    
    he did not enjoy his last trip out west, though he’d already begun to underperform earlier in the month. and on the whole he’s got great road numbers.
    
    sample size disclaimers all around, of course.
- eephus_pitch
  
  He likes hitting against lefties, to be sure.
stuart a

Another pitiful 0-3 performance from A-Rod, one big error and another one that should of been an error, I guess he was saving his hits for the 8th and 9th inning. How much longer can Girardi keep writing his name on the card, either he’s hurt or he’s washed up, either way it’s time for a change.
- Need Pitching (and maybe hitting too)
  
  Wilma?
- Bunt Gardner
  
  Always keepin’ it fresh, stewie.
- eephus_pitch
  
  Never a bad time for Debbie Downer to weigh in.
- Get Phelps Up
  
  Hey, you used capitol letters and punctuation this time.
  
  /progress
- eephus_pitch
  
  What would the change be? Give one coherent suggestion.
- Sean C
  
  Bench him. For the rest of the season just to let him figure the whole “baseball” thing out. Hell, bench him for the rest of his contract. You, YOU, sir, should be running the Yankees.
- http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
  
  Who? Chavez will break down if he plays more than twice a week, and I don’t want Nix in the line up the other 4. There are no readily available third baseman, especially ones that could even produce at the level that Alex has this season. Offense is down all around the league, so comparing Alex to the only thing that’s fair to compare him to (his peers) he’s not that bad. So I have some words of advice for you, Man up and learn to deal with the fact that he is our third baseman. Nothing short of an act of god resulting in Alex never being able to pick up a baseball or bat again is going to change that. Quit bitching about something that won’t change. Alex Rodriguez is going to be a Yankee for this year and will be through 2017. There is literally nothing Cashman can do about it, and until he becomes less than league average I personally want him in the line up everyday. If he ever gets to the point were he’s hanging on for the money and he’s less than replacement level, by all means the team should bench him or cut him. However for now, he’s still either the 5th(wOBA) or 6th(wRC+) best offensive third baseman in baseball (I personally think he should be one place higher, because Miguel Cabrera is as much as a 3rd baseman as Adam Dunn was a Left Fielder) so please Shut. the. fuck. up.
  - Jim Is Bored
    
    This was (total words) more than stuart a is going to read.
    - OMG! Bagels!
      
      And most have more than one syllable and don’t call for the beheading of Arod. So, no, he’s not going to read it.
- OMG! Bagels!
  
  Another pitiful comment by stuart.
  
  1. It’s “should have” not “should of.”
  2. First sentence should HAVE ended with the word “error.” “I guess” starts the next sentence.
  3. When you start a sentence with How it should end in a question mark. The inclusion of “how” indicates a question. However, since this is a run-on sentence, a question mark after “change” would have been confusing. To fix this conundrum, the sentence should HAVE ended with “card?”
  4. For the next sentence, there is no need for two instances of either. You could HAVE written it one of two ways: Either he’s hurt or washed up, and it’s time for a change. OR He’s hurt or washed up; either way, it’s time for a change.
  5. We agree that when something does not work, it’s time for a change. How much longer can you keep writing grammatically incorrect posts that focus solely on one player? There is no variety, no diversity and lots of errors. An entire team, not just one guy, plays the game. Are you saving your criticism of others for the playoffs? What are you saving them for?
  6. How can you keep writing your name in the “Name (required)” field?
  7. Do you know that names are supposed to be capitalized? Is it really stuart or is it Stuart?
  7. You are either hurt or washed up. Either way, it’s time for a change.
  - OMG! Bagels!
    
    *8.
  - Cris Pengiucci
    
    Well written. (Unfortunately, stuart a isn’t the only one that needs this lesson. I’d guess more than half of the US adult population could at least use a grammar refresher course! Not excluding myself here, as I make mistakes from time to time as well. Fortunately these are mostly due to rushing and not proof reading as well as I should as opposed to just not knowing proper grammar or not caring enough to write grammatically correct sentences.)
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  You’re no Obama, Stewie.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  I guess you were just busy when he was raking for the last week and a half.
Kiko Jones

I could be wrong—and if I am, I’m sure someone will point it out soon enough—but this seems like the most productive Yankee bench since ’96. Right?
- Rick in Philly
  
  The ’98 bench was pretty darn good (Raines/Chili Davis/Ledee/Sojo). Homer Bush had some speed off the bench (6 steals), and obviously, Shane Spencer in September.
The Scheister of Doom

Love the BIG quote at the end. It didn’t work out well when he went back to Cali but the Bombers will extend all kinda streaks while on the left coast.
- jjyank
  
  Revenge!
Jose M. Vazquez

I would like to repeat what I said a few weeks ago. That is that the Yankees should trade for Chris Coghlan. He has proven that he can hit in the majors. He is only 27 and is relatively not expensive at 500k a year. He has played all three outfield positions as well as second and third at the major league level. He has run into some problems the last two years and the Marlins have given up on him. Hoever, under the tutelage of Prof Long he can recoup and be the second coming of Paul O’Neill. Being a left-handed hitter, he could be good for 20+ homers at YS. He is currently at AAA so he should not cost that much in a trade.
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  Other than the O’ Neill comp, I’m game.
  - jjyank
    
    Same. I wouldn’t mind any trade that offers some upside and doesn’t cost a legit prospect, but calling him the second coming of Paul O’Neil isn’t really fair for expectations.
- Knoxvillain
  
  He’s in AAA on the Marlins for a reason. Coghlan is nothing of value at all.
  - Robinson Tilapia
    
    Let’s just shoot him, then.
    - Knoxvillain
      
      Are we getting paid?
      - Robinson Tilapia
        
        You said he wasn’t of value, so no.
Eddard

It just amazes me how people want to trade the farm for a short term rental in the outfield. The platoon of Wise, Ibanez, and Jones has done wonders for us. We still have to wait to hear about Gardner, but even if he doesn’t come back we’re just fine with what we have.