Bombs away in Scranton
By · CommentsNice little article by Baseball America regarding the River Dogs’ catching tandem. Sorry, subscription required.
Triple-A Scranton (11-5 loss to Pawtucket) how many homers did the pitching staff allow today? let’s count…
Brett Gardner & Greg Porter: both 0 for 4 – Gardner walked, scored a run & K’ed … Porter K’ed twice
Justin Christian, Jason Lane Cody Ranson & Chris Stewart: all 1 for 4 1 R – Christian, Lane & Stewart all doubled … Christian was hit by a pitch … Lane also drove in a run & walked
Eric Duncan: 0 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 K
Bernie Castro: 1 for 3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1BB
Jeff Karstens: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1-4 GB/FB – allowed 2 homers
Billy Traber: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HB – he’s been terrible this year, regardless of level, he should be the first to go when they need a 40-man spot … allowed 2 homers
Steven White: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K – 25 of 51 pitches were strikes (49%) … allowed 2 homers as well
JB Cox: 1.1 IP, zeroes, 2-2 GB/FB – stopped the bleeding
Game 51: Something’s cooking
By · CommentsWith 19 of their next 28 games coming against teams with losing records, don’t you get the sense that this team is about to go on a major roll? Something good is cooking in Yankee land, and I’m not talking out the BBQ’s in everyone’s back yard today.
The Yanks face a lefty starter for the upteenth time this season, with Garrett Olsen taking the hill for the O’s in Camden. This is the same Garrett Olsen that the Yanks bludgeoned last week, and Girardi was kind enough to fill out the same lineup responsible for that massacre.
My stupid lineup trick worked yesterday, so let’s keep it going.
1. J-Dam, LF
2. D-Jet, SS
3. B-Ab, RF
4. Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, 3B
5. H-Mat, DH
6. S-Dunc, 1B
7. R-Can, 2B
8. C-Moel, C
9. M-Cab, CF
And on the bump, the molten hot D-Ras.
Notes: Wilson Betemit is back with the team, the Former Attorney General was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton to make room on the roster. There’s nothing wrong with the move, Alberto was rotting away on the bench for the most part, and he should be getting regular at-bats, something he’ll be able to do in SWB.
ByAs the Yankees are finally starting to look like the competitive team we knew they could be, one more missing piece of the puzzle could rejoin the Bombers on the next home stand. Jorge Posada will head down to extended spring training to play in a few games this week. He’ll test his in-game throwing for a few days, and if all goes well, he could be back in the lineup during the first week of June. Teams will run on him until he throws out a few guys, and I hope the Yanks don’t aggravate Posada’s arm further. It will no doubt be a relief to have his bat in the lineup. · (8) ·
Montero MIA
By · CommentsTriple-A Scranton (6-4 loss to Indianapolis)
Wilson Betemit & Justin Christian: both 1 for 4, 1 BB – Betemit drove in a run, K’ed twice & committed an error when he missed a catch while playing short … Christian scored a run & K’ed
Brett Gardner: 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
Jason Lane: 2 for 5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
Eric Duncan: 0 for 5, 1 K
Cody Ransom: 0 for 2, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
JD Closser: 2 for 4
Jeff Marquez: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 14-2 GB/FB, 1 E (pickoff) – not the greatest outing, but it’s progress
Heath Phillips: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Chris Britton: 1 IP, zeroes – 10 pitches, 8 strikes … behold the power of Britton
ByKeith Law has a new post up at the Worldwide Leader with the latest draft goings-on (sorry, this one falls behind the Insider wall). Amongst other things, Law notes how much worse prep shortstop Harold Martinez looks this year compared to last, as well as the the skepticism surrounding the stress fracture in Fresno State RHP Tanner Scheppers’ shoulder (the only other player I can remember suffering a stress fracture from supposedly doing nothing other than pitching is Bobby Jenks, who had one in his elbow back in his days with the Halos). I know plenty of Yankee fans are hoping that Eric Hosmer falls into their lap at #28 overall, but the Marlins are said to love guy. Thankfully ownership hasn’t given the FO the green light to go over slot … yet. · (11) ·
Game 50: The Quest for .500, Part too many to count
By · CommentsIs it really the 50th game of the season already? Wow.
Nothing quite like a visit from the ol’ Seattle Nine to jump start a scuffling offense, eh? The 25 run the Yanks have scored in the first two games of the series equals their offensive output over the previous 10 games combined.
On the pitching side, Chien-Ming Wang is looking for his first win since he manhandled these same Mariners 23 days ago. With Kyle Farnsworth throwing 25 pitches yesterday combined with Joba being unavailable, looks like Rock ‘n Rohlendorf and Edwar serve as your bridge to the Sandman today.
The lineup that’ll face the 367th southpaw the Yanks have seen this season:
1. J-Dam, LF
2. D-Jet, SS
3. B-Ab, RF
4. Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, 3B
5. J-Giam, DH
6. S-Dunc, 1B
7. R-Can, 2B
8. J-Mol, C
9. M-Cab, CF
ByI don’t particularly have warm and fuzzy feelings for the Red Sox. I find their fans to be annoying beyond belief, and some of their players – Curt, I’m lookin’ at you – are insufferable. But this whole David Ortiz Home Run Derby flap is fairly absurd. The Yanks don’t want Ortiz to call his shot because it somehow desecrates the sacredness of a stadium the team plans to unceremoniously tear down in five months.
The team officials in Jack Curry’s article come off as whiny, and it won’t kill anyone to allow this promotion to happen as much as we dislike the Sox. A supposed cursed jersey is one thing; bemoaning a gimick during MLB’s week of All Star unity is another. · (5) ·
Danimal debuts for Scranton
By · CommentsTriple-A Scranton (6-3 loss to Indianapolis)
Wilson Betemit: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI – played second, so it looks like the Former Attorney General will be send down when he comes off he DL
Matt Carson & Brett Gardner: both 0 for 3 – Carson was hit by a pitch, picked off first & threw a runner out at second from LF… Gardner walked & K’ed
Jason Lane, Eric Duncan, Cody Ransom: all 1 for 4, 1 2B – Lane K’ed & played first … Duncan scored a run & K’ed … Ransom drove a run in
Nick Green & JD Closser: both 0 for 4, 1 K
Greg Porter: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B
Dan McCutchen: 6.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 6-8 GB/FB – 63 of 97 pitches were strikes (64.9%) … he said he’s better than that
David Robertson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2-1 GB/FB
Scott Patterson: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – first runs allowed since April 28th
