No Sweep!

The Good

There was no sweep yesterday, after a Mariano and Robertson-less bullpen managed to keep a 1 run lead provided by homeruns from Cano and Granderson. 

The Bad

Nova got the win, but it wasn't because of his pitching performance.  Nova went 6.1 innings and allowed 5 runs, but Nova can't lose on the road so the fates protected him.

The Ugly

Russell Martin and home plate umpire Laz Diaz got into an argument early on in the game, and Diaz would not let Martin throw new balls back to Nova.  "Early on in the game, I was arguing about strikes.  But Diaz misunderstood.  I wasn't talking about strikes in the game, I was talking about union strikes in the world at large.  I was just saying that with all this labor peace in baseball I've never been able to strike before, and I feel like I'm missing out on a fundamental life experience.  Diaz wasn't playing that."

Don't Cry, Dry Your Eyes

The little ones can sleep easy with 4 more dollars going to their health on behalf of Cano and Granderson.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 8hr = $64
Andruw Jones 5hr = $10
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 16hr = $32
Alex Rodriguez 7hr = $14
Robinson Cano 8hr = $16
Mark Teixeira 9hr = $18
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4
 
Total 76hr = $152

Yankees Play and the Kids Have Nothing to Show for It

The Good

The Yankees are playing in Anaheim, so the weather's probably nice.

The Bad

The Yankees are playing baseball in Anaheim, and that's probably going to go bad as of late. Maybe if the Yankees were playing poker, or horseshoes, or something like that, maybe then they'd play well. As it is, they continue to play bad. Bases loaded a couple of times and no hits. The Yanks will say Haren pitched well, but if you load the bases you can't be pitching that well.

The Ugly

Andy Pettitte gave up 5 runs in 7 innings. Last week I called him the stopper and this week he gives up 5 runs. I jinxed Andy Pettitte. That's ugly.

I Hope the Kids Didn't Invest in Facebook Stock

Because no replacement income is coming their way. No home runs last night, which means the children go to bed hungry.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 8hr = $64
Andruw Jones 5hr = $10
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 15hr = $30
Alex Rodriguez 7hr = $14
Robinson Cano 7hr = $14
Mark Teixeira 9hr = $18
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4

Total 74hr = $148

Weekend Recap: At Least We Can Still Kick the Crap Out of Oakland

The Good

The Yankees swept the Oakland Athletics, and was punctuated by a massive offensive outbreak on Saturday worst than the 28 Days Later outbreak that turned England into Zombieland.  Teixeira hit 2 homeruns that day, delivering 5 RBI's as part of a 4-5 night.  Cano went 3-5 with a homerun of his own, and Sabathia gave his usual: 7 innings, and a chance to win the game.  Teixeira continued hitting all through Memorial weekend.  He went 2-4 on Sunday, and 2-2 with 3 walks and a solo homerun on Monday.  Kuroda pitched 8 masterful shutout innings, or at least it looked masterful until we remember that it was against Oakland.

The Bad

Its fine when you're beating up on Oakland, but when Oakland's big brother Anaheim comes to town, suddenly you don't look so good.  And that's what happened on Monday.  Despite the fact that Jered Weaver was out with an injury in the first inning, the Yankees still couldn't manage to get a win.  It was close, and though lots of opportunities were missed, it certainly wasn't a problem with the offense (8 runs scored).  Hughes gave up 7 runs in 5.1 innings, and that was largely part of the problem. 

The Ugly

Martin went 2-5 on Monday, his first multi-hit week all season. 

Weekend Homers

There were 6 homeruns this weekend which means $12 for the Children's Health fund.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 8hr = $64
Andruw Jones 5hr = $10
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 15hr = $30
Alex Rodriguez 7hr = $14
Robinson Cano 7hr = $14
Mark Teixeira 9hr = $18
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4 

Total 74hr = $148

Y's Beat A's

The Good

A solid pitching performance from Ivan Nova, and a 12 hit offensive outburst drove the Yankees past the Oakland Athletics.  Nova went 7 innings, allowing 3 runs, and the Yankee offense combined for 6 runs, including 3 homeruns, one each from Swisher, Cano, and Teixiera.

The Bad

Jeter's 0-5 night didn't look so great.  Especially when 3 of the outs were strikeouts.  Today he has the opportunity to turn that around.

The Ugly

After going 1-3 with a double, Martin's average has reached a robust .177.  And just one year ago, the Yankees were minimizing Posada's role because he couldn't hit.  Was Posada anywhere close to hitting this poorly?

So Much Money for the Babies!

2, no 4, no 6, Baker's Dozen!  Wait scratch that, go back to 6, that's how many dollars will be donated to the Children's Health fund after last night's efforts from Swisher, Cano and Teixeira.  Heroes all of them.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 8hr = $64
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 14hr = $28
Alex Rodriguez 7hr = $14
Robinson Cano 6hr = $12
Mark Teixeira 6hr = $12
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4 

Total 68hr = $136

Maybe Pettitte is the Answer

The Good

Pettitte continues to be our stopper.  Right when the Yankees are extending their slide, Pettitte steps in, pitches 7 innings of 2 run ball, and strikes out 8 in the process.  And in this rallying effort, the offense came alive too.  A-Rod hit two homeruns, Granderson hit another one, and Jeter went 3-5 looking like he did in April.  Teixeira didn't have any hits, but he did walk 3 times and drove in a run.  Not a bad day for someone who went hitless.

The Bad

Martin's batting average.  After an 0-4 night the catcher is setting at .173 for the season.  However, Kevin Long believes he's found a mechanical flaw that has caused it.  "Martin does a lot of unconventional training in the off-season, and he also watches a lot of movies.  Over the off season he was watching Star Wars, and there's that scene in Episode 4 when Luke is making his Death Star run, and he turns off his targetting system in order to use the force.  Martin got really excited about that, and stopped using his eyes to bat, so he could rely solely on the force.  However, the force is not strong in him, and now he's batting .173.  I think if he starts batting with his eyes open, he'll hit better."

The Ugly

There is a rumor swirling about that the Steinbrenner's may be looking to sell the Yankees.  According to the article, since the Dodgers sold for $2.175 billion, the Yankees could be valued upwards of $3 billion, and that's a lot of money not to consider selling the team.  I suggest Jeter pull a team of investors together and buy the team.  I would suggest Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, the RJG blog can provide muffins at the board meetings, and lets throw in Jorge Posada.  I don't know how much money he has, but It'd be great to see him firing up the board of directors.  Are there any rules against someone like Jeter being a player owner?

Does A-Rod Care?

Yesterday he showed he does.  So does Granderson who is tied for second in the league for total homeruns.  2 from A-Rod and 1 from Granderson equals $6 for babies.  I personally worry that the babies may just go spend the money on booze.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 14hr = $28
Alex Rodriguez 7hr = $14
Robinson Cano 5hr = $10
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4

Total 65hr = $130

Yankees Bloom?

The Good

We won a game that we played in.  That's always good.  Hughes put up 6 innings of 2 run ball with 7 strikeouts, which for him is like pitching a complete game shutout.  Cano knocked one out of the park and for a moment, it looked like the Yankees could hit again.  A-Rod stole a base, which I think is a good sign for his hip and knee problems.

The Bad

Soriano closed the game, and did a good job at it, but it reminded me of the Soriano signing, which filled me with rage essentially ruining my day. 

The Ugly

Yes, we won the game, but the symptoms of this teams inabilities are still there.  I don't take anything away from Luke Hochevar, but he came into yesterday's start with a 7.02 ERA, and throughout his career he has never been a strikeout pitcher.  Last year alone he had 128 strikeouts in 198 innings, not exactly a mow-them-down ace.  He's definitely a pitch-to-contact type guy.  Yet this Yankees offense could only muster 3 runs across 6.2 innings against him, and struck out 8 times.  I feel like this team is playing in the deadball era, only the rest of baseball is still here in modern times.

Cano Cares

Cano is the Children's Health Fund's homerun captain afterall.  One homerun equals $2 for the kids.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 13hr = $26
Alex Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Robinson Cano 5hr = $10
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4

Total 62hr = $124

Blanked By Kansas

The Good

Despite being in the top 1%, not a single Yankees player stole your pension last night.  I double-checked.

The Bad

We could look at the numbers: 21 men left on base, 11 strikeouts, 0 runs scored, 6 runs allowed, 1 giant loss against a team that will likely earn a top draft pick due to their inability to win games, but looking at the numbers just tells part of the story...

The Ugly

The other part of the story is just how sad this team looks.  The collective team is not hitting, and when they do hit, it's when no one is on base.  The pitching staff is allowing a lot of runs, and Sabathia and Pettitte cannot be expected to carry this team.  I don't know what it is, but since last year this team has struggled with men in scoring position.  Its like the team collectively wets themselves when there's someone standing at third.  Its embarrasing to watch.  We have the tools, but until Granderson, A-Rod and Teixeira start hitting like their capable, we won't be seeing a lot of progress.  I mean our best hitter right now is Raul Ibanez, and he was supposed to be a supplementary player.  Our offense can't be built off of him.

When it Rains it Pours

A loss is a loss, but its an even greater loss when there's no homeruns hit to benefit the children.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 13hr = $26
Alex Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Robinson Cano 4hr = $8
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4

Total 61hr = $122

Yankees Lose to the Reds, Change Their Names to the New York Comrades

The Good

We hit three home runs in the last two games, and our pitching wasn't completely awful. No one was placed on the DL, not even a reliever. That has to count for something.

The Bad

The almost come back on Saturday was tough to watch, as was CC's 7th inning on Sunday. The Yankees, at this point, are a team that can make it interesting, but that doesn't quite have enough to win on anything resembling a consistent basis.

The Ugly

CC was clearly frustrated. Only a short while earlier, he had blown his team's chance to win. Three batters walked. In a row. A pitcher that had given his team six scoreless frames suddenly couldn't find the strike zone.

"I was distracted," explained a solemn Sabathia. "When I got to the dugout after the sixth inning, I went into the clubhouse. Episode III was on, so I started watching it for a bit. Anakin kills a bunch of babies in one scene, and I can only imagine what sorts of other atrocities he was responsible for in the intervening years between Episodes III and IV. He clearly doesn't care about killing women and children, and he's probably killing rebels left and right for 17 years, right? He even blew up a planet at one point! So I gets to thinking, how come in Jedi, or any of the originals, there's never any talk of trying Darth Vader for war crimes? I mean, he dies in Luke's arms, and we're supposed to be like, 'Oh yay, he's good now!' That doesn't make any sense! What about the families of all the victims?! Is that all the justice they get?! Oh, sorry Darth Vader killed your babies and an entire planet, but he's good now so it's cool. That's #$&@%*$@ bull$#!%."

The Donations

There were three home runs hit over the past two games, one each from Martin, Nix, and Ibanez. That's $6 more for the babies.

Raul Ibanez 9hr = $18
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 13hr = $26
Alex Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Robinson Cano 4hr = $8
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 4hr = $8
Jayson Nix 2hr = $4

Total 61hr = $122

Pettitte Still The Stopper

The Good

After a year and a half off, Pettitte is still our stopper. When our pitching staff (or, this year, our offense) is bleeding losses, Pettitte restores order. He threw eight scoreless innings and struck out nine batters. Cano had a solo shot, and Ibanez chipped in with a two-run shot in support of Pettitte's start.

The Bad

Our offense still can't hit with RISP. So unless our pitchers are going to consistently produce shut-out performances, we're in a bad place.

The Ugly

Why are we playing the Reds?

Run Manufacturing

Let's face it, if we don't hit home runs, we don't score. Luckily, we hit two last night (one each from Cano and Ibanez).

Raul Ibanez 8hr = $16
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 13hr = $26
Alex Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Robinson Cano 4hr = $8
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 3hr = $6
Jayson Nix 1hr = $2

Total 58hr = $116

Toronto Blue Jays Sweep Yankees

The Good

There was this puppy at the park, and it was chasing a squirrel, and it was really cute.

The Bad

The squirrel was not having that. What that squirrel did to that poor puppy was bad.

The Ugly

Hughes struggles but pitches well, and we still can't manage anything offensively. Remember 2010, when Hughes could give up 7 runs a game and still walk away with the win? What happened? We need Posada back. He wouldn't hit any better, but he would probably have fought someone who could by now.

Maybe We Should Go Ahead and Write the Check Now

No home runs again. Maybe when Houston moves to the AL we can switch to the NL where they'll appreciate our small ball. In the AL it just plays like no balls.

Raul Ibanez 7hr = $14
Nick Swisher 7hr = $14
Andruw Jones 4hr = $8
Derek Jeter 5hr = $10
Curtis Granderson 13hr = $26
Alex Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Robinson Cano 3hr = $6
Mark Teixeira 5hr = $10
Eric Chavez 3hr = $6
Russell Martin 3hr = $6
Jayson Nix 1hr = $2

Total 56hr = $112