Results tagged ‘ Pirates ’

Cano’s Blast Honors Namesake, Boosts Yankees

GAME 12

YANKEES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2

On a night that the New York Yankees paid tribute to the man who broke the color line in Major League Baseball on April 15, 1952, Jackie Robinson, a player named in his honor won the game on Tuesday with a mammoth three-run home run.

Robinson Cano launched a 3-2 change-up off right-hander Brandon McCarthy in the fourth inning to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead as New York went on defeat Arizona in front of paid crowd of 34,107 at Yankee Stadium.

Lyle Overbay and Chris Stewart opened the fourth with back-to-back singles and, after Brett Gardner struck out swinging, Cano blasted his fourth home run of the season into the second deck of the bleachers in right-center. It took Cano until May 18 to hit his fourth home run last season.

Ivan Nova (1-1) pitched a shaky five innings but got credit for the victory by limiting the Diamondbacks to two runs on seven hits and two walks while he struck six batters.

Arizona scored their runs in the third inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out and Miguel Montero lofted a sacrifice fly to score the first run and Cody Ross followed with an RBI single.

However, McCarthy (0-2) could not keep his pitch count in check enough to hold the lead. He left after four innings having given up three runs on nine hits and two walks while he fanned four. He threw 102 pitches.

The Yankees plated a huge insurance run in the seventh inning off reliever Brad Ziegler when Eduardo Nunez launched a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out to score Kevin Youkilis, who opened the inning with his second single of the game.

The Yankees bullpen of Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera shut out the Diamondbacks over the final four innings on just one hit to preserve the victory.

Rivera, the only major-league player currently wearing Robinson’s No. 42, fittingly ended the tribute to the former Los Angeles Dodgers star by pitching a perfect ninth inning to register his third save in as many tries of the season.

The Yankees have now won six of their past seven games and they improved their season mark to 7-5. The Diamondback fell to 8-5.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Cano was 2-for-4 with a walk in the game and is hitting .327 on the season with a team-leading 11 RBIs. In his past six games, Cano is 13-for-26 (.500) with four home runs and 11 RBIs. Manager Joe Girardi actually set the stage for the at-bat in the fourth by not having Gardner bunt to advance Overbay and Stewart, which forced McCarthy to pitch to Cano without a base open.
  • The so-called “Replacements” continue their fine hitting. Youkilis, Overbay and Travis Hafner were a combined 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles and two runs scored. Youkilis is hitting a team-best .348 while Hafner is defying skeptics who thought he was through after five seasons in which he was only healthy enough to play in 86 games. Hafner is hitting .324 in the cleanup spot.
  • The bullpen looked really awful in the team’s first five games but it is looking much sharper now. They have not given up a run in the last four games in which they have pitched. Logan and Chamberlain looked particularly sharp after they both started off slow in the early going.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Nova is on a really short leash as a starter because of the way David Phelps has pitched in long relief of late. His command is still a big issue and he seems to have lost that swagger he had to challenge hitters. Give him credit for limiting the Diamondbacks to two runs but it was by no means a quality outing.
  • One of the “Replacements,” Vernon Wells, did not exactly have an evening worth remembering. He was 0-for-3 with a walk and left three men on base, two in scoring position. He was the only Yankee starter to not get a hit. But even with the off night, Wells is hitting .300 with three homers and five RBIs.

BOMBER BANTER

In addition to the celebration for Robinson, the Yankees also paid tribute to the victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday. The team conducted a moment of silence before the game and they honored the city by playing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, which the Red Sox play in the eighth inning of every home game.  . . .  Left-hander Andy Pettitte threw about 40 pitches in a bullpen session on Tuesday and pronounced himself ready to pitch on Friday in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Pettitte, who is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA, had his last start skipped because of back spasms he reported last Thursday.  . . .  Though shortstop Derek Jeter has not suffered any further setbacks in rehabbing his fractured left ankle, Girardi told reporters he will not be back in the lineup by May 1. Jeter is working out at the team’s minor-league complex in Tampa, FL, but he has not received clearance to play in any games yet.

ON DECK

The Yankees will continue their three-game inter-league series with the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Left-hander CC Sabathia (2-1, 2.25 ERA) will get the start for the Yankees. Sabathia is coming off two strong outings against the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles in which he gave up just one earned run in his last 15 innings with 13 strikeouts. He is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA lifetime against the Diamondbacks.

He will be opposed by left-hander Wade Miley (2-0, 2.13 ERA). Miley defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start, giving up just two runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. He has never faced the Yankees.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and it will be telecast by MY9.

 

Kuroda Drops Big Goose Egg On Befuddled Birds

GAME 11

YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 0

Some artists work in oils. Some artists work in clay. Other artists work in stone.

On Sunday night, a paid Yankee Stadium crowd of 34.154 and a national television audience watched right-hander Hiroki Kuroda paint the corners of the plate with a baseball to produce nine innings of epic mastery over the Orioles.

Kuroda (2-1) pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up only five hits and no walks while striking out five as New York won the rubber game of its three-game series against division-rival Baltimore.

For those who might have any lingering doubts that Kuroda, 38, was still bothered by a bruised right middle finger he sustained in his first start of the season, he quelled them by not allowing a single Oriole to reach second base until the ninth inning.

Though the Yankee offense had some similar trouble early against Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (0-2), they did manage to break through for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Brennan Boesch, inserted into the lineup to spell a struggling Ichiro Suzuki, led off the inning with his second single of the game and Francisco Cervelli followed a single of his own.

Lyle Overbay advanced Boesch to third with a line drive that was caught just short of the warning track in right and Jayson Nix followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Boesch with the game’s first run.

Brett Gardner then added to Kuroda’s run support with a towering drive above the second deck in right-field that clanked off the foul pole for his second home run of the season.

Kuroda pretty much took it from there by keeping the Orioles’ powerful sluggers off-balance with his assortment of sliders, split-finger fastballs and sinkers. He threw 79 of his 113 pitches for strikes (70 percent) and he only reached a three-ball count on three hitters.

Kuroda induced 18 ground-ball outs and only two of the last 23 batters he faced reached base on singles in what was the fifth shutout of his career.

“He was throwing all of his pitches for strikes,” said the Orioles’ Chris Davis, who struck out three times.

The Yankees have now won five of their last six games and they improved their season record t0 6-5. The Orioles fell to 6-6.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Because of the status of ace left-hander CC Sabathia and the adulation Yankee fans show left-hander Andy Pettitte, Kuroda sometimes get overlooked. Kuroda simply is one of the best No. 2 starters in baseball and this game proves the point. Kuroda looked like he was teasing a cat with a bird on a string as he pitched to the Orioles. Kuroda simply epitomizes the effectiveness of pitching with craft and smarts. He was just outstanding on Sunday.
  • Everybody keeps saying the Yankees lack power but Gardner has two home runs! The Yankees actually entered the game second in the major leagues in home runs and with guys like Nix, Cervelli, Boesch and Gardner hitting them they all add up. Long-term the Yankees do need Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira back. But they are keeping afloat with what they have.
  • Manager Joe Girardi rested Suzuki and his .176 batting average on Sunday and Boesch plays and collects two of the team’s seven hits and scores the game’s first run. Boesch, 27, was picked up off the scrap heap after the Detroit Tigers cut him loose in late March. But Boesch is hitting .313 in limited play and he has real value as a bench player.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

Nothing to complain about here. There were two Yankee errors by Nix and Kevin Youkilis but neither resulted in anything because Kuroda was brilliant. I have seen Kuroda pitch great games but this one may be the best I have seen.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees have decided to push Pettitte’s next start back to Friday against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Pettitte was scheduled to start in Sunday’s game but was scratched because he suffered back spasms on Thursday. The Yankees had originally planned to allow Pettitte to pitch either Tuesday or Wednesday but pushed it back to Friday as a precaution.  . . .  It appears that Granderson will not be able to return by the May 1 date the Yankees had hoped. Granderson suffered a fractured right forearm on Feb. 24 and he has been rehabbing at the team’s minor-league complex in Tampa, FL. However, Girardi said Granderson has not begun swinging a bat yet so it is too soon to predict when he will be able to come back.  . . .  Eduardo Nunez, who has missed the past two games with a bruised right wrist, will try throwing on Monday and hopes to be able to start in Tuesday’s game against Arizona.

ON DECK

The Yankees will get a well-deserved day off on Monday and open a home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (0-1, 7.71) will toe the rubber for the Yankees. Nova had his last start against Cleveland rained out on Wednesday. That was a blessing for the Yankees because Nova was not effective in his first start of the season against the Tigers. Nova has never faced the Diamondbacks.

Arizona will start right-hander Brandon McCarthy (0-1, 7.71 ERA). After getting blasted for six runs in five innings in his first start, McCarthy gave up just four runs in 6 2/3 innings in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is 2-0 with a 5.79 ERA in his career against the Yankees.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.

 

Kuroda Gets No Run Support As Bucs Edge Yanks

GAME 32

PIRATES 2, YANKEES 1

TAMPA  -  It is only fitting that on the final day of spring training in Florida that the Yankees would lose to the Pirates because of a lack of run support for a great outing by a starting pitcher.

Despite the fact that Hiroki Kuroda pitched six scoreless innings, striking out five batters, walking none and surrendering only an infield single, the Pirates scored two runs in the seventh inning as Pittsburgh went on to edge New York on Thursday in front of a paid crowd of 11,028 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The Yankees made Pirates rookie left-hander Jeff Locke look like Cliff Lee in his prime. Locke (3-1) shut out the Yankees for six innings, giving up four hits and no walks while striking out three.

Despite allowing an RBI double to Lyle Overbay in the ninth inning, Ethan Hollingsworth was credited with a save.

Boone Logan (0-1) was charged with the loss.

Logan walked pinch-hitter Travis Snider to open the seventh inning and Jose Tabata then lined a hard come-backer that struck Logan in the left hip and he reached base on the single.

Logan left the game as a precautionary measure and right-hander David Aardsma entered the game and uncorked a wild pitch and Francisco Cervelli threw the ball past Robinson Cano attempting to nab Tabata advancing to second. That allowed Snider to score.

One out later, pinch-hitter Jeff Larish singled in Tabata.

The Yankees completed Grapefruit League play with a 13-18 record. The Pirates ended up with the same record.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Kuroda ended spring training with his sharpest effort of the spring. He kept the Pirates off-balance all day mixing his 92-mile-per-hour fastball with his slider and split-finger fastball. The only hitter to reach base on him was Garrett Jones, who reached on a two-out infield single that Kuroda knocked down but could not pick up in time to throw out Jones. Kuroda threw an amazing 52 of his 69 pitches for strikes  -  a 75 percent strike rate.
  • Overbay cemented his position on the 25-man roster with his RBI double in the ninth inning. Overbay, 36, was given three days to make the team and he did it by going 5-for-11 (.455) in the three games he played. Overbay will open the season at first base and he will remain there until Mark Teixeira returns, which could be as soon as mid-May.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • The Yankees were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Thursday. The Yankees’ biggest failure came when Cervelli blasted a one-out triple off the left-field wall. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a weak infield popup and Vernon Wells ended the threat with a routine flyout. Yankee fans complained last season when the team did not deliver hits with runners in scoring position and relied so much on the home run to win games. Well, now the team still does not hit with runners in scoring position and now doesn’t hit home runs either.
  • Aardsma appears to have blown his shot to win a bullpen spot with a weak showing on Thursday. He threw a wild pitch to set up one run and another scored on a RBI single. After he issued a two-walk to pinch-hitter Josh Harrison he was removed from the game by manager Joe Girardi. Aarsdma has a spring ERA of 3.52.
  • Wells finished the day 0-for-3 but he still hit .310 for the spring and he will begin the season as the Yankees’ starting left-fielder until Curtis Granderson returns to the team in mid-May. Granderson will play center and Brett Gardner will shift to left-field. Granderson’s broken right forearm prevented the Yankees from their experiment of flip-flopping Gardner and Granderson.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees reportedly have released Juan Rivera from his minor-league contract and the team has decided to keep Overbay and outfielders Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch. Overbay likely will be in a platoon with reserve infielder Jayson Nix. Overbay will start at first against right-handers and against left-handers Kevin Youkilis could shift to first base and Nix can play third. With Wells starting in left and Travis Hafner as the designated hitter, Francisco and Boesch will mostly be bench players, although the Yankees could use Francisco as a right-handed DH against some left-handers.  . . .  Logan said after the game that his left hip was fine and he expects to be able to pitch again on Friday. That is one bullet the Yankees dodged.  . . .  It was no surprise that left-hander Vidal Nuno, 25, was named before the game on Thursday the recipient of the James P. Dawson Award as the Yankees’ top rookie of the spring. Nuno was 1-1 with 0.61 ERA in seven appearances. Nuno still has an outside chance to make the team as a second bullpen lefty behind Logan while Clay Rapada recovers from bursitis in his left shoulder. Nuno pitched at both Class-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton and was 10-6 with an organization-leading 2.54 ERA.

ON DECK

The Yankees are already in Washington D.C., and they will play an exhibition game against the Nationals on Friday.

Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte (1-0, 4.82 ERA) will pitch for the Yankees. The Nationals will counter with right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (0-1, 5.40 ERA).

Game-time will be 2:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be televised locally by the YES Network and nationally by the MLB Network.

 

 

Phelps Strikes Out 9 As Yankees Outslug Orioles

GAME 31

YANKEES 11, ORIOLES 8

On a chilly evening in Sarasota, FL, Yankee right-hander David Phelps came out of the gates guns blazing and the offense caught fire late to back him.

Bobby Wilson broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Jayson Nix and Phelps struck out nine Orioles in 5 1/3 innings of work as New York outslugged Baltimore in front of a paid crowd of 8,660 at Ed Smith Stadium.

Phelps (3-3) gave up three runs on four hits and two walks to earn the victory. Journeyman left-hander Mark Hendrickson (0-1) took the loss for the O’s. Preston Claiborne pitched a perfect ninth to earn a save.

The Yankees believed they had put the game away with a six-run seventh inning off Orioles reliever Chris Petrini, keyed by a two-run single by top outfield prospect Mason Williams, a two-run homer off the bat of Brennan Boesch and solo shot by Ben Francisco.

The Orioles did draw to within 10-8 with a five-run seventh inning off Yankees reliever Branden Pinder. Taylor Teagarden keyed the inning with a three-run home run.

The victory gave the Yankees a 13-17 record in Grapefruit League play. The Orioles are now 18-9.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Despite a shaky fifth inning in which he was touched for a two-run home run off the bat of Nate McLouth, Phelps was outstanding. Five of his nine strikeouts were called and he only gave up one hit with no walks in his other 4 1/3 innings of work. Phelps will open the season as a starter until Phil Hughes is activated off the disabled list.
  • A day after the Yankees completed a trade for outfielder Vernon Wells, the two outfield candidates most affected by the deal hit home runs. Boesch drove a blast to left-center on a 1-0 pitch in the seventh for his first homer of the spring. Francisco then followed him by launching a 2-1 pitch just to the right of where Boesch’s landed for his third home run of the spring. Neither Francisco or Boesch want to be cut or sent to the minors, However, it does appear there is no room on the roster for both of them.
  • Very quietly Eduardo Nunez is beginning to get hot with the bat. Nunez was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored in Wednesday’s game. Since March 14, Nunez is 13-for-29 (.448) and he has raised his spring average to .293. Nunez will begin the season replacing Derek Jeter at shortstop.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

I have no real reason to complain. Oh, Pinder giving up five runs in the bottom of the seventh did let the O’s back in the game. But Pinder is not going to make the Yankees’ 25-man roster. You can’t really complain when every Yankee in the starting lineup got at least one hit in the game.

BOMBER BANTER

Nix played second base on Wednesday because Robinson Cano had to be scratched with a stomach virus, manager Joe Girardi told reporters. In addition, Addison Maruszak was inserted at third base in place Ronnier Mustelier. The reason for Mustelier being removed was not disclosed.  . . .  Jeter will not play in a minor-league game until at least next week, general manager Brian Cashman reported on Wednesday.  . . .  Ivan Nova gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk in five-plus innings against the Toronto Blue Jays’ Class-A Dunedin club on Wednesday.  . . .  The Yankees on Wednesday claimed right-hander Sam Demel off waivers from the Houston Astros. Demel, 27, is 4-4 with two saves and a 4.95 ERA in 72 appearances with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2010 to 2012. To make room for Demel the Yankees released right-hander Daniel Otero, who they claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

ON DECK

The Yankees will wrap up their Grapefruit League season on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (1-2, 2.31 ERA) will make his last tuneup start for the Yankees. Left-hander Jeff Locke will pitch for the Pirates.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will not be telecast.

 

 

Yankees Rally For 4 Runs To Earn Tie With Astros

GAME 30

YANKEES 4, ASTROS 4 (10 Innings)

TAMPA  -  Chris Stewart’s two-out RBI single scored Travis Hafner to key a three-run rally in the sixth that drew the Yankees into a 4-4 tie as New York and Houston played 10 innings to a draw on Tuesday in front of a paid crowd of 10,631 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The Yankees trailed 4-0 after the Astros scored three runs in the first inning and a single tally in the fourth off a less-than-sharp CC Sabathia. The ace left-hander was touched for four runs on six hits and three walks in five innings of work.

Meanwhile, Astros right-hander Brad Peacock held the Yankees scoreless until Brett Gardner delivered a two-out, three-run triple to score Eduardo Nunez in the fifth inning. Peacock only surrendered the one run on two hits and two walks in his five innings of work.

The Yankees rallied for the tie against Astros left-hander Wesley Wright and right-hander C.J. Fick in the sixth. Kevin Youkilis followed a leadoff single by Robinson Cano with an RBI double that halved the Astros’ lead to 4-2.

After a Hafner single and an error by Astros right-fielder Brandon Barnes that allowed Hafner to take second, newly acquired outfielder Vernon Wells scored Youkilis on an infield groundout. Stewart then followed three batters later with his RBI single that scored Hafner, however, Astros left-fielder Chris Carter threw out Wells at home plate attempting to score the tie-breaking run.

The Yankees remain 12-17 this spring. The Astros are 13-14.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • After a bit of slump in the middle of spring training, Gardner lately has been much better at the plate. He was 2-for-3 in the game and he is now hitting a solid .310 on the spring. As long as Derek Jeter is recovering from his fractured left ankle, Gardner likely will remain the team’s leadoff hitter.
  • Youkilis is proving to be a valuable run producer in the cleanup spot. His RBI single on Tuesday gives him a team-leading 13 RBIs this spring. Discounting his 0-for-9 start, Youkilis is hitting .333 (12-for-36) with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Though Yankee fans were loathe to cheer him earlier there have been a lot of “Youk” cheers being heard around the stadium these past few weeks.
  • Five relievers, including Marino Rivera, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan and Vidal Nuno, held Houston scoreless on four hits and one walk in the final five innings. Although the Yankees have struggled to score runs this spring, the core the bullpen has been excellent and looks to be ready for the regular season.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • It would seem alarming that Sabathia would be knocked around by a team made up of mostly Triple-A players. But temperatures at game-time were in the mid-50s with a 15 mile-per-hour breeze that made it seem much cooler. Most Yankee fans realize that Sabathia is a warm-weather pitcher and I would not be too concerned about this poor tuneup for his Opening Day start on April 1 against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
  • Though he is still hitting .306 on the spring, Ichiro Suzuki was 0-for-4 on Tuesday and he has not been as productive at the plate lately. Pitchers are feeding him a steady diet of breaking pitches and Suzuki has been popping up and rolling out weakly on them. I would not be too concerned about the 39-year-old former Most Valuable Player either.
  • Hafner must have read the tea leaves about the Yankees’ latest signings and decided he better get busy with the bat. He was 3-for-4 on Tuesday but his batting average is at .195. The Yankees might very well release him early in the regular season if he fails to produce some power and run production.

BOMBER BANTER

The Wells trade rumors proved to be true and he played in his first game on Tuesday, going 0-for-3 with an RBI. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for low-level prospects Exicardo Cayones and Kramer Sneed and cash considerations. Wells, 34, is now expected to be the team’s starting left-fielder to begin the season. The Yankees agreed to paid $13 million of his $42 million contract, all of it coming this season. Wells hit .230 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in only 77 games last season with the Angels. He is a career .273 hitter with 259 major-league home runs and he won three Gold Glove awards as a center-fielder with the Toronto Blue Jays.  . . .  The Yankees also signed veteran first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor-league contract on Tuesday and they plan to give him a three-day audition to win the first base job. Overbay was released by the Boston Red Sox earlier on Tuesday. Overbay, 36, hit .214 with the Bosox with no home runs and seven RBIs this spring. With starting first baseman Mark Teixeira expected to miss at least a month and a half with a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, the Yankees have looked at outfielder Juan Rivera and corner infielder Dan Johnson as possible replacements. However, Johnson is hitting .063 (2-for-32).  . . .  Jeter said Tuesday he is disappointed that he will not open the season as the team’s starting shortstop for the first time since the 2001 season. Jeter will be placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactively so that he could return as early as April 6. However, he has been idle since encountering recurring soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle. He will receive more treatment at the team’s spring complex in Tampa, FL, but it is unclear when he will be able to resume workouts.  . . .  Manager Joe Girardi confirmed on Wednesday that right-hander Phil Hughes will open the season on the 15-day disabled list. Hughes, 26, has not pitched in a single Grapefruit League because of a bulging disk in his upper back. Hughes could be activated as soon as April 6, however, a more realistic date for his return would be April 11. Hughes did pitch three innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class-A West Virginia team last week and the Yankees will keep him in Tampa until he builds up his arm in order to be able to make a start.

ON DECK

The Yankees travel to Sarasota, FL, to face the Baltimore Orioles in their final road game of the Grapefruit League season.

Right-hander David Phelps (2-3, 3.97 ERA) will be making his seventh start of the spring. Right-hander Jair Jurrjens will start for the Orioles.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. and the game will be telecast live by the MLB Network.

 

Tigers Claw Past Yankees On Cabrera’s Home Run

GAME 28

TIGERS 10, YANKEES 6

Miguel Cabrera broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh with a two-run home run that sparked a five-run inning as Detroit overcame what was once a 4-1 deficit to down New York on Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL.

Cabrera’s fourth homer of the spring came off Cody Eppley (0-2), who failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in the frame and he was charged with all five runs.

Right-hander Darin Downs (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh to get credit for the victory.

Andy Pettitte started the game for the Yankees and he pitched well until he was tagged for three runs in the fifth inning. He ended up giving up four runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings.

The Yankees broke out on top on the strength of an RBI single by Eduardo Nunez in the third inning, a solo home run from Ben Francisco – one of two home runs he hit on the day – and a two-run double in the fifth inning off the bat of Kevin Youkilis.

With the loss the Yankees dropped to 11-17 this spring. The Tigers improved to 16-11.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Francisco’s solo shot in the fourth and two-run blast in the eighth were his first two home runs of the spring. Francisco, 31, may be a non-roster player but he is very quickly pushing his way into the outfield picture as part of a potential platoon with the lefty swinging Brennan Boesch. Francisco is hitting a sizzling .350 on the spring.
  • Pettitte pitched much better than his final line indicated. He was in command and looking like he was in midseason form in the first four innings. Discounting the bad inning, Pettitte gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five. Pettitte, 40, said after the game he felt good about the outing and that he just got too many pitches up in that three-run third.
  • Youkilis snapped a small slump over the past week to drive in two big runs with his double with two out in the fifth inning off Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez. Youkilis now has eight RBIs this spring, which is second on the team behind outfielder Melky Mesa, who has 10.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Eppley had one of those days he would like to forget. The sidewinding right-hander came into the game for Pettitte with one out in the sixth and proceeded to give up a single to Torii Hunter, the homer to Cabrera, a single to Quintin Berry, an RBI double to Victor Martinez and a RBI single to Matt Tuiasosopo before being removed from the game by manager Joe Girardi. Eppley is 0-2 with a 14.29 this spring. However, he likely still will make the 25-man roster.
  • On a day when the Yankees scored six runs on 14 hits, designated hitter Travis Hafner  -  once again  -  contributed nothing to the attack. Hafner, 35, was 0-for-3 and did not get a ball out of the infield. He is hitting .118 on the spring and may end up being a huge bust. Perhaps signing free agent Jim Thome would have made more sense.

BOMBER BANTER

Derek Jeter grounded out in each of his four at-bats in a minor-league game played against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate at the Yankees’ spring complex in Tampa. Jeter did not run hard on his surgically repaired left ankle but Jeter remains  confident he will be able to be ready to play on Opening Day.  . . .  It was made official on Saturday: The Yankees announced they have signed right-hander Chien-Ming Wang to minor-league contract. Wang, 32, won 55 games over a four-year span with the Yankees, including two seasons in which he won 19 games. He was 6-6 with a 4.94 in 21 games with Washington Nationals last season.  . . .  Vidal Nuno has opened eyes this spring enough to be in the running for a spot in the bullpen, according to general manager Brian Cashman. With left-handed specialist Clay Rapada recovering from bursitis in his throwing shoulder, Nuno has a shot to make the 25-man roster. The 25-year-old lefty is 1-1 with a 0.68 ERA this spring.  . . .  Boesch was examined by a team doctor on Saturday and his sore left ribcage checked out fine. Girardi said Boesch could return to the lineup on Tuesday or Wednesday.

ON DECK

The Yankees return to George M. Steinbrenner Field to play host to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Right-hander Adam Warren will start for the Yankees and he will be opposed by right-hander Jeremy Hellickson.

Game-time will be 1:05 EDT and the game will be telecast locally by the YES Network and nationally by the MLB Network.

 

Yankees Break Out Of Doldrums To Overtake Twins

GAME 27

YANKEES 9, TWINS 7

As the old saying goes, what a difference a day makes. After managing just one hit at home on Thursday against the Twins the Yankees finally found their way to the bat rack on the road in Fort Myers, FL, and got a measure of payback on Friday.

Robinson Cano drove home two runs and Ben Francisco broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single as New York collected 14 hits to down Minnesota in front of a record paid crowd of 8,366 at Ed Hammond Stadium.

Cano, playing in just his second game back with the Yankees after returning as the Most Valuable Player for the World Baseball Classic champion Dominican Republic team, was the designated hitter and was 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.

Francisco’s RBI single off Tyler Robertson (0-2) in the eighth came as part of a four-run inning that put the game out of reach.

Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and surrendered five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings. Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit hit back-to-back home runs off Nova as part of three-run second inning.

Jim Miller gave up no runs on one hit and a walk in 1 1/3 innings to earn credit for the victory. Despite giving up a solo home run to Dan Rohlfing in the ninth inning, Kelvin Perez was credited with a save.

The Yankees’ Grapefruit League ledger is now at 11-16. The Twins are 12-13.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Having a red-hot and contract-driven Cano back in the lineup is already paying big dividends for the Yankees. With all the losses to free agency and injury, Cano remains the biggest and best threat the Yankees have. Along with winning the MVP in the WBC, Cano is hitting a torrid .318 for the Yankees this spring. This could be the year he breaks out in a big, big way.
  • Very quietly Francisco is having a big spring. He was hitting .333 for the Cleveland Indians when he arrived and he is continuing to hit well for the Yankees. With Juan Rivera seemingly a lock to play first in the absence of Mark Teixeira, Francisco figures to make the team as part of a platoon with the lefty-swinging Brennan Boesch in a corner outfield spot.
  • Ronnier Mustelier is also knocking on the door to make the team as a third baseman and outfielder. Mustelier, 28, was 3-for-4 including a two-run double in the the Yankees’ four-run eighth inning. The Cuban defector is hitting ,313 on the spring after he hit a combined .314 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs at two minor-league stops last season.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • It just seems the Yankees get good pitching when they don’t score runs and when they do score runs they don’t get good pitching. This one of those days they scored and could not shut the other team down. The Yankees relinquished 2-0, 4-3 and 5-4 leads before scoring four runs in the eighth and then later gave up single runs in the eighth and ninth. This is perhaps a byproduct of the fact that Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Cody Eppley and Joba Chamberlain rarely pitch on the road and Boone Logan is just back from a sore elbow. 
  • Nova struggled for the second straight outing. In his last two starts, Nova has given up nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and two walks in 10 1/3 innings. Both David Phelps and Nova have struggled of late and they remain pretty even in their battle for the fifth starter’s spot.
  • Sloppy fielding continues to plague the Yankees this spring. The team committed three errors and they all had some impact on the score. Melky Mesa bobbled a single off the bat of Wilkin Ramirez in the second that led to a run scoring later the inning. In addition, after Nova fielded a ball of the bat of Ray Olmedo in the fourth, he looked back Doumit at third and threw to Rivera at first for the second out. However, Doumit broke for home and Rivera air-mailed the throw over Chris Stewart’s head to allow Doumit to score. In the eighth, Dan Johnson misplayed a routine throw to first that later allowed another unearned run to score.

BOMBER BANTER

Derek Jeter tested his inflamed left ankle at a workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday and said that if it were up to him he would playing now. Jeter took ground balls and participated in batting practice with no issues with the ankle other than some mild soreness. The Yankees announced a day earlier that Jeter would not play in any more Grapefruit League games in order to preserve the team’s ability to backdate his stint on the disabled list so he could return as early as April 6, if it were necessary. The Yankees still believe Jeter can open the season with the team on April 1.  . . .  Of course, it is not Yankees camp without another injury. Boesch rode the team bus to Fort Myers but had to be scratched from the game with a sore left ribcage. Manager Joe Girardi said Boesch likely will not play again until Tuesday.  . . .  In more injury news, left-handed relief specialist Clay Rapada likely will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list with bursitis in his left shoulder. Rapada, 32, did throw 15 fastballs from a mound on Friday but he still says he will need to be able to pitch effectively for several days in a row to help the team. Rapada says he is close to being ready but it will not be at the start of the season.  . . . Meanwhile fellow walking wounded right-hander Phil Hughes allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits over three innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class-A West Virginia club on Friday. Hughes was not sharp in his 57-pitch outing but he said he was just glad to be back on the mound after missing most of the spring with a bulging disk in his upper back. It seems likely Hughes will open the season on the disabled list and he will miss at least one start.  . . .  Jon Heyman reported on Friday that the Yankees have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with former Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang. The 32-year-old right-hander, won 55 games in four seasons with the Yankees before a series of foot and shoulder injuries derailed his career. He was 6-6 with a 4.94 ERA in 21 games with the Washington Nationals last season. Wang drew interest from major-league teams after he threw 12 shutout innings in two starts for the Chinese Taipei team in the WBC.

ON DECK

The Yankees will travel to Lakeland, FL, on Saturday to play the Detroit Tigers.

Left-hander Andy Pettitte will make his second start of the spring for the Yankees. The Tigers will counter right-hander Anibal Sanchez.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will not be telecast.

 

Youk, Mesa Turn Up Power To Cast Pirates Adrift

GAME 23

YANKEES 11, PIRATES 9

All the experts seem to agree that the Yankees will have a hard time winning the American League East because they lack power. However, someone should tell the Yankees that.

Kevin Youkilis drove in three runs, two of them coming on a two-run blast in the first inning, and Melky Mesa added a grand slam in the third as New York slugged their way to an 8-0 lead and then held on to defeat Pittsburgh on Sunday at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, FL.

Youkilis, who is hitting .444 with three home runs since March 10, hit a towering shot over the left-field wall off starting pitcher Phil Irwin (0-1).

Irwin left in the third inning with one out after walking the first two batters. Pirates reliever Mike Zagurski then walked Dan Johnson to load the bases and Mesa cleared them with a high-arcing fly ball that cleared the wall in left for Mesa’s third home run of the spring, which ties him with Youkilis for the team lead.

Although, he struggled in his final two innings, Ivan Nova (1-0) got credit for the victory. After throwing three scoreless innings, Nova was tagged in the fourth and fifth innings for four runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batter.

The Pirates scored a two-out run in the seventh off reliever Branden Pinder and then staged a four-run rally in the ninth off Matt Tracy until Chase Whitley recorded the last three outs with the tying run at the plate to get credit for a save.

With the victory the Yankees are now 9-14 on the spring season. The Pirates fell to 9-13.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Youkilis is providing the Yankees with power and production they will need this season in the absence of Alex Rodriguez. During his current hot streak he has three homers, a triple and five doubles and he has driven in six runs. It appears that he and Robinson Cano will have to keep the Yankees afloat offensively until Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are healthy enough to return to the lineup.
  • Mesa’s chances of making the team have been hampered by the signings of Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch but he is not going down without a flight. On the positive side of the ledger, Mesa is tied for the team lead in home runs, he leads in the team in RBIs with nine and is right there with Brett Gardner in terms of defensive skills. On the negative side, Mesa is hitting only . 186 and he leads the team in strikeouts with 13. In a lot of ways Mesa is just a younger version of Granderson.
  • The Yankees decided to test former Yankee catcher Russell Martin’s arm on Sunday. The Yankees attempted six steals (including a double-steal in the first inning) and they were successful on five. The double-steal by Eduardo Nunez and Boesch led to a Martin throwing error that allowed Nunez to score the game’s first run. Martin was only able to nab Jayson Nix attempting to steal second in the fourth.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Nova, 26, looks like he is falling into his old habits from 2012. He was sailing along through three innings with an 8-0 lead and then imploded by giving up a leadoff walk, a one-out RBI double, he hit a batter, then he gave up another RBI double and a sacrifice fly. Clint Barmes led off the fifth with a home run. If Nova wants to remain in the rotation he is going to have concentrate and pitch better when he has a big lead.
  • Tracy, 25, has already been optioned out but his ninth inning meltdown virtually assured we won’t be seeing him in the big leagues any time soon. The lefty was tagged for five consecutive hits and he left with the tying run at the plate. Tracy was a combined 6-7 with a 3.20 ERA as a starter at High-A Tampa and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
  • In a game in which the Yankees pounded out 10 hits and scored 11 runs somehow Juan Rivera was 0-for-4 and he did not get a ball out the infield. Even with the bad day Rivera is hitting .286 on the spring and almost certainly has made the 25-man roster.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees on Sunday released non-roster outfielder Matt Diaz. The Yankees invited Diaz, 35, to spring training to compete for a spare outfield spot or right-handed designated hitter role. But Diaz only hit .200 (6-for-30) with no extra-base hits and two RBIs. Diaz now will be able to try to make another team with two weeks left in spring training.  . . .  Manager Joe Girardi said left-hander Boone Logan should have time to get some work in before the season starts. Logan has been sidelined with soreness in his left elbow. However, lefty specialist Clay Rapada may face the prospect of beginning the season on the disabled list due to bursitis in his left shoulder.  . . .  Although the Yankees estimated that Teixeira would miss eight to 10 weeks recovering from a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, Teixeira said he now may miss the entire month of May in order to allow the wrist to heal properly. Teixeira said he wants to be cautious to avoid having what could result in season-ending surgery to repair the wrist.

ON DECK

The Yankees will enjoy their second off day of spring training on Monday.

On Tuesday, they will travel to Clearwater to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Yankees will send right-hander Adam Warren to start the game. He will be opposed by veteran right-hander Kyle Kendrick.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by ESPN.

 

Yankees Stage Huge Disappearing Act At Disney

GAME 22

BRAVES 4, YANKEES (SS) 0

Paul Maholm held the Yankees to just two hits in six scoreless innings and Juan Francisco homered and drove in two runs as Atlanta blanked a New York split squad on Saturday at Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Maholm (3-1) walked one and struck out four batters to extend his spring scoreless-inning streak to 14 2/3 innings. David Phelps (2-2) was tagged for four runs on seven hits and one walk while he struck out seven in five innings to take the loss.

Eduardo Nunez, Matt Diaz and Dan Johnson were the only Yankees to reach via a hit, all of them were singles.

The loss drops the Yankees’ Grapefruit League record to 8-14. The Braves are now 12-11.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Absolutely nothing was positive in this debacle.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • When you lose a lot of your offense to free agency and injury it is inevitable that when you split your squad it is going to be bad day. In this case the Yankees played two games on Saturday and lost them both by a combined score of 11-0 and the offense in both games managed just 10 hits.
  • Phelps had his first hiccup of the spring after some excellent outings up to this point. The 26-year-old right-hander was undone by a three-run fifth inning when Justin Upton singled in Jason Heyward and Francisco followed with a mammoth shot that hit off the scoreboard in centerfield.
  • In addition to the fact that the Yankees have added veteran outfielders Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch, Melky Mesa has fallen into a funk at the plate that may cost him the roster spot he was seeking this spring. Mesa went 0-for-3 on Saturday and now is hitting just .175 . Mesa is excellent defensive outfielder but the Yankees may want him to try to make better contact at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

BOMBER BANTER

Reliever Boone Logan threw a bullpen session at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa, FL, and he hopes that his next assignment will be pitching in an exhibition game. Logan, 28, has been sidelined for a few weeks with tenderness in his left elbow.

ON DECK

The Yankees will travel to Brandenton, FL, on Sunday for a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ivan Nova, who is competing with Phelps for the No. 5 starting rotation spot, will pitch for the Yankees. The Pirates will counter with right-hander Phil Irwin.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will not be telecast.

 

Yankees To Showcase Four Huge Spring Battles

The pitchers and catchers of the New York Yankees have reported to spring training camp in Tampa, FL, and the position players will soon be joining them. The Yankees’ first scheduled exhibition game is a week away. There are very few jobs on the line this spring as it is with most seasons with the Yankees. But there are four battles worth watching this spring and the result may determine how successful the team will be in 2013. Let’s look at them.

4) STARTING CATCHER: FRANCISCO CERVELLI vs. CHRIS STEWART

With the departure of Russell Martin to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent, the Yankees will be looking at replacing him from within their own ranks. The Yankees elected not to sign such free agents as A.J. Pierzynski and Miguel Oilvo. The problem is that Martin not only provided the Yankees with Gold Glove-quality defense behind the plate, he also provided power despite the fact his batting average was stuck below .200 for most of the 2012 season. The two main candidates to replace Martin are Cervelli, 26, who had been the team’s primary backup catcher in 2010 and 2011 but was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on the final day of spring training last season due to the acquisition of Stewart, 30, from the San Francisco Giants. Cervelli arrives as the team’s best hitting option because he owns a career .271 batting average. But he lacks power and, although he calls a good game behind the plate, his throwing can be very erratic. He has a career success rate of throwing out 19.8 percent of base-runners. In contrast, throwing out base-runners is Stewart’s forte. He has nailed 33.7 percent of potential base-stealers and Stewart’s other defensive skills are pretty much on par with Martin’s. The big negative with Stewart is that he is a career .217 hitter and he has no power. In addition to this battle, there are a pair of catchers looking to make an impression in rookie Austin Romine, 24, and non-roster invitee Bobby Wilson, 29. Romine is coming off a season in which he was plagued by a lower-back strain that limited him to just 33 games in the minors last season. Wilson, a former backup catcher with the Los Angels Angels, was released by the Toronto Blue Jays after spending the entire 2012 season at Triple A. Romine’s strong suit is defense and manager Joe Girardi and bench coach Tony Pena, both former catchers, believe Romine is ready to catch at the major-league level now. The issue with Romine is that he has to prove he is healthy and he has to improve as a hitter. Wilson is almost a carbon copy of Stewart. He has nailed 27.1 percent of potential base-stealers but his career major-league batting average is .208.

PREDICTION: Cervelli should win the job, barring injury, which is a legitimate concern. Cervelli has suffered three separate concussions, a broken wrist and a broken bone in his foot over the past five seasons. So his durability is an issue. Stewart, on the basis of his solid season as backup in 2012, seems to be almost assured of retaining his job. But Romine is worth watching this spring. If he is healthy and he shows signs his hitting is improving he might get a promotion to the majors this season. But realistically the Yankees would prefer that he get in a full season at Scranton and he could be promoted in September with a hope he can compete for a starting role in 2014. Wilson will be insurance in case there is an injury to Cervelli or Stewart and he likely will share the catching chores with Romine at Scranton.

3) RESERVE INFIELDER: JAYSON NIX vs. EDUARDO NUNEZ

Although this is, in a sense, a rematch from last spring, it also is not. Confused? Well, Nunez was actually competing for the backup infield spot with Ramiro Pena and Nix, who was signed as a minor-league free agent, was just invited to spring training. Nunez, 25, easily won the role by hitting .372 while Pena hit .240. Nix, 30, was a longshot to make the team and did not. However, he did open some eyes by hitting .323 and flashing some solid defense at second base, third base and shortstop. Nix also proved valuable in that he could play the corner outfield spots. So he was optioned to Scranton and he hit .233 there before he was summoned on May 3. Nunez was hitting a sizzling .294 but his penchant to commit careless fielding errors doomed him. He was optioned to Scranton on May 11 and Nix became the team’s backup infielder. Nunez’s season pretty much fell apart after that. He suffered an injury to his right hand that sidelined him for most of the minor-league season. He was recalled to the Yankees when the rosters expanded on Sept. 1 but the Yankees top brass insisted that Nunez was being groomed as primarily a shortstop and that he would not used as a utility infielder anymore. Nix,meanwhile, flourished in his role, hitting .243 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 174 at-bats in 77 games. Though Nunez is clearly a better athlete, a better hitter and a better base-stealer, Nix was so much steadier in the field that the Yankees were pleased with his work. Nunez committed seven errors in 38 games with the Yankees while Nix was charged with only three. A quick look at the Yankees’ depth chart on yankees.com shows something interesting this spring. Nunez is listed as the primary backup at second, third, shortstop and leftfield. Huh? I guess the Yankees changed their minds about Nunez not being a utility player and he will battle Nix for the role. If anyone believes Nunez is going to shed his nickname of “Eduardo Scissorhands” this spring than I have some prime swampland to sell you. But the Yankees may need his hitting and his base-stealing ability more than they need his fielding this season. The Yankees lost a lot of power from the 2012 club and they may need to score more runs by moving runners around the bases and stealing more bases. That would favor Nunez, who actually embarrassingly was third on the team last season with 11 stolen bases despite playing in only 38 games. Nix is still in the picture because of his fielding and steady play. It is going to be a very close call either way it goes.

PREDICTION: Nunez not only has hitting and base-stealing advantages this spring. He also may benefit from the slow recovery of Derek Jeter from surgery on his fractured left ankle and the presence of camp invitee Dan Johnson. If Jeter can’t start the season at shortstop, Nunez will man the position in his place. The reason Johnson is important is that he is a left-handed power hitter who can play both first and third base. If Johnson can make the team and show he field third base adequately enough, Nunez would only need to back up at shortstop and second base. That would lessen the chances Nix would have to making the 25-man roster. Johnson would, in effect, replace Eric Chavez, who opted to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. That would allow Nunez to remain as a backup middle infielder and potentially a right-handed platoon designated hitter. If I was a betting man, I would wager that this is the scenario that likely will play out. Nix could accept a demotion to Scranton as insurance. It also is possible that Nunez could be packaged in a trade before the season starts. But that won’t happen until Jeter shows he will be ready to play by Opening Day.

2) BACKUP OUTFIELDER: MATT DIAZ vs. JUAN RIVERA

One of the reasons Nunez is listed as a backup in leftfield is because both Diaz and Rivera are non-roster invitees to spring training. But, rest assured, one of them make the team as a right-handed hitting backup outfielder. Diaz, 34, was released by the Atlanta Braves after suffering through a season cut short in August by season-ending surgery on his right thumb. Diaz hit .222 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. He is a career .291 hitter and he has been an exceptional hitter against left-handed pitching. Rivera, 34, originally came up through the Yankees’ minor-league system and played with the Yankees in parts of the 2002 and 2003 seasons before being traded to the then Montreal Expos before the 2004 season. Rivera was reserve outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and hit .244 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs. He is a career .274 hitter and h also has been a much better hitter against left-handers. When the Yankees chose to allow Andruw Jones sign with a team in Japan, the Yankees opened up a spot on the roster for a right-handed hitting corner outfielder who could also serve as a right-handed platoon designated hitter. Neither player is considered as accomplished fielders though Diaz has a bit more range. As hitters, Diaz is a better hitter for average though Rivera boasts considerably more power. Because the Yankees starting outfield is an all left-handed-hitting group consisting of Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki it is important that the Yankees have a right-handed-hitting option on the bench. So these two players will be fighting it out.

PREDICTION: Because of Rivera’s former ties to the club and the fact he hits with more power, he has a big edge over Diaz. Neither Gardner or Suzuki have much power so it will be important to have a hitter on the bench who can provide it from the right side. Should Girardi also need a right-handed DH, Rivera fits the Jones mold better than Diaz does. Diaz also has slipped significantly since the 2009 season when he hit .313 and he also is coming off surgery. Rivera, on the other hand, also has slipped from his 2009 season when he hit .287 with 25 home runs and 88 RBIs with the Los Angeles Angels. But last season was the first season in which he has failed to connect for double-digit home runs since the 2007 season in which he played in only 14 games. Rivera will likely win the job easily barring injury or something else unforeseen.

1) NO. 5 STARTING PITCHER: IVAN NOVA vs. DAVID PHELPS

Those other position battles are the undercard but this one is the Main Event. It is also odd that there is even a competition involving Nova considering how good he was in his rookie season in 2011. But Nova, 26, struggled from the minute spring exhibitions started in 2012 and it got so bad that he was taken out of the rotation in favor of Phelps by Girardi in September. Nova’s record in 2011 was 16-4 and he was 12-8 last season. However, his ERA jumped from 3.70 to 5.02 and, though he recorded a 1.26 ERA in June last season, his ERA in the other months was: 5.18 in April, 5.87 in May, 5.97 in July, 7.03 in August and 6.23 in September. Ouch! So that is the reason Phelps is challenging him for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Phelps, 25, arrived in camp last spring voted as the organization’s best minor-league pitcher in 2011. Though scouts have always doubted him, Phelps rose through the minors and carries a record of 40-15 with a 2.51 ERA in 90 starts. In spring training, Phelps was 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA in seven appearances and was named the Yankees’ top rookie of the spring. He also earned a spot in the bullpen. Phelps then turned in some sparkling performances as a long reliever and spot starter with the Yankees. He ended the season 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 33 appearances (11 starts). This competition is hard to handicap because Nova – truth be told – has the nastiest stuff of any of the Yankees’ starters. Last season he just could not harness it and he got hit hard when he fell behind and had to throw fastballs. Phelps is pit-bull on the mound who has supreme confidence in himself and his stuff.

PREDICTION: I really have no idea on how this will turn out but I still believe that Nova has a bit of an edge on the basis of his rookie season. But Phelps has been doubted at every step of the way since he starred at Notre Dame. You can never measure desire and he has it. I can tell you the loser of this battle will not necessarily be heading to the bullpen. For one thing, Nova has little or no bullpen experience. Another reason is that the Yankees probably will want to make sure that the starter they do not select for the rotation remains “stretched out” as a starter at the minor-league level so they can step in case of an injury. I can also say it is refreshing to see that with homegrown starters like Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes already in the rotation and two homegrown starters like Nova and Phelps battling for the last rotation spot, that the Yankees’ minor-league system is beginning to churn out talent at a time when the payroll needs to be reduced.  It sure beats shelling out money to guys like Sergio Mitre and Freddy Garcia. That is progress.

 

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