THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE PITCHING BOX

The Yankees have made a lot of smaller moves this off season, but the starting rotation has not been one of those areas of improvement. There are still a lot of question marks out there. The lack of of a consistent starting rotation once again makes the Yankees look like the underdog, but it doesn't have to stay this way.

The Yankees have one of the best bullpen's on paper. I would argue to say that the Yankees could have one of the best bullpen's for the season. The problem here is the Yankees need to be able to get to these guys with a lead and not burn them out. Last year, Masahiro Tanaka was not the ace we were expecting and CC Sabathia just isn't healthy anymore and he is the only lefty we have so that means even more pressure. The Yankees could (and should) look at some starters that are still out there that could be good insurance for the Yankees.

There are some guys available that are still looking for a new team that have flown under the radar and are looking for a rebound year.

•  Doug Fister

In 2014, Fister had his best full season of his career posting a 16-6 record and a 2.41 ERA for the Washington Nationals. Last year was not so kind to him as he lost a lot of his mechanics and was eventually demoted to the bullpen for the last 10 games of the season. Everyone goes through a rough patch, and the Yankees could help remold Fister and his mechanics. The fact that he was demoted to the bullpen last year would help the Yankees get him for a cheap price and....let's face it, he is durable which is already a big plus for the Yankees. I really think the Yankees could bring him back to his 2014 form.

•  Mat Latos

Last year Latos bounced around from team to team playing for three different teams. He spent most of his time with the Miami Marlins but also played with the Dodgers and the Angels. He finished the year with a 4-10 record and a 4.95 ERA. On paper that looks ugly, but with so much of that time with the Marlins I don't weigh in on that too much. The Marlins did not score a lot of runs, and finished with a horrible 71-91 record. Not to mention that this was the first year that he has had an ERA over 3.5 since his rookie year, so this year isn't typical for him. He is due for a bounce back year, and he is still a young pitcher so I doubt that he is regressing.

•  Kyle Lohse 

Sure, he is 37 and getting up there in age, but he has been durable the last five years of his career which would be great for the Yankees. Four of the past five seasons he pitched 180 innings or more and had a respectable ERA. Last year was not his best, he finished with a 5-13 record and a 5.85 ERA but maybe this is a sign that he is ready to get out of Milwaukee.

The Yankees could still make a relatively cheap, single year deal here and maybe with one of these pitchers. They may not be lefties, or a big name splash but these guys could still make a difference for the Yankees. It could be worth the gamble....if Hal wants to open up his purse strings. After all you never know what could happen, right?

Will the Yankees make a move? Who knows, but it is always fun to speculate. Is there someone out there that you would like the Yankees to look at? Comment and let us know.


   
--Jeana Bellezza, 
BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ 
 

WOULD DOUG FISTER MAKE SENSE?

I'm not saying the Yankees need Doug Fister.  I'm asking you.  He's a free agent and yes, he had a down year, but now think about what the Yankees need... 1 starting pitcher.  Fister has a nice little career behind him, he's 31 and I assume he'd be relatively cheap.

Buster Olney tweeted this of Fister:

Source: Doug Fister said to have offers of 1 and 2 years from multiple teams.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 4, 2016

Now 1 to 2 years is something the Yankees can get on board with, although, and I'm being honest here... I have no idea if the Yankees have even looked Fister's way. I suspect they have.

Hardball Talk writes this:

"...he’s reportedly been linked to teams like the Marlins, Phillies, and Tigers this winter. After finishing fourth in the NL with a 2.41 ERA during his first season with the Nationals in 2014, Fister had a 4.19 ERA in 15 starts and 10 relief appearances last season. Along with showing diminished velocity, he missed some time with a forearm issue and was eventually demoted to the bullpen in August."

Is it worth it if the money and time is to a minimum? I wouldn't mind rolling the dice on Fister.  It's something Cashman has done in the past.  Look at Chris Capuano.  OK, bad example, but you know what I mean.

Look, unless the Yankees flip someone like Andrew Miller or Brett Gardner, or both, I'm not sure we're getting a top starter.  Cashman will have to find the right deal for that top starter, and if not, he won't make a deal.  In which case, is a guy like Fister smart, or do we go at it with what we have? We have many question marks in our starting rotation, then Luis Severino, and a long reliever bridge...

We shall see.

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THE FINAL YANKEE TUNE UP WAS GOOD

The Yankees needed a nice win to finish the Spring... and they got it.

Nathan Eovaldi gave up 3 runs in 5 innings.  Not his best performance, but it's the Spring... don't panic. The offense bailed out the Yanks today.

There were 2 home runs today that helped them along.  Stephen Drew was able to crank out a 2 run shot in the 5th.  There was another later on when we really needed it.  I'll let MLB.com take over to explain:

"Doug Fister turned in his best performance of the spring, but the Yankees spoiled it later when Chris Young hit a two-run homer off Drew Storen in the eighth for a 4-3 victory over Washington in the exhibition finale for both teams Saturday."

The hitting looked good today.  Even Didi Gregorius had a double.  Glad he's back and all tuned up.

Well, this is it ladies and gentlemen.  It's Easter Eve.  Easter's next... then Yankees Opening Day.  We made it.  How great is that?

Final: Yankees 4 - Nationals 3

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HEY CASH, GREAT JOB NOT SIGNING SCHERZER!

By a show of hands, who else is relieved that the combination of Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner did not dump over $200 million on Max Scherzer? I for one am ecstatic. I do believe though that the Nationals made a great play and put themselves in a great position to compete for a World Series ring.

Let me start by saying I love Max Scherzer... when he is NOT pitching against the Yankees. He has been a dominant force for the Detroit Tigers over the past few seasons. He’s averaged over 200 innings and 240 strikeouts since 2012. His move to the senior circuit should bolster his numbers and allow him greater success over a longer period of time. He is a perfect fit for the Nationals rotation that is already stacked.

When the Nats can throw out Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann in a three game set…. Forget about it! The following series, you may think the opposing team would catch a break. Think again my friends! Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister round out the four and five slots before you face Max Scherzer as the rotation turns over. That sends Tanner Roark and his sub 3.00 ERA in 2014, likely out to the bullpen. Without Scherzer, the Nationals rotation posted a ML leading 3.04 ERA in 2014. That, my friends, is some serious pitching! The signing could also provide some quality trade bait for the Nats with their surplus of pitching, as several sources have already speculated. Yankees perhaps? Perhaps…

Now, many of you probably are wondering why I’m so ecstatic about the Yankees not signing him. Let me give you three reasons. CC Sabathia’s contract, Alex Rodriguez‘s contract and Mark Teixeira’s contract.

When the Yankees signed these guys and others to long term deals, they won a World Series in 2009. That’s all well and good. I was as happy as anybody.  But four years later, starting in 2013, the Yankees had a bunch of old, injured players on their way down hill and their last two seasons have ended in September. That’s even after spending more than a half a BILLION dollars prior to the 2014 season!

I struggle with these long term big money deals. I struggled with not signing Robinson Cano. I loved Robbie, but he wanted a TON of money over a VERY LONG period of time, at the age of 31, and in the back of my mind, I think about signing these other players. All were right around the age of 30. Guess how old Max is? 30. Do you believe he will be the player worth $30 million dollars a year (or $15 million a year over 14 years as half his contract was deferred) at 35, 36 and 37 years old, the last three years of his contract?

The more conservative direction the Yankees took this off-season is a good sign for some of us Yankee fans. It’s tough for some fans to take, after getting accustomed to the never ending check book the Steinbrenner’s open.

But think about this; Look at how they won the four championships. The Core Four plus Bernie Williams were all home grown talent. Then they added some pieces to fill the puzzle as needed. They need to get back to that trend. Build from within and add pieces when necessary.  That starts with allowing prospects to grow. We need to stop trading them away for aging veterans.

Over the next few years, the Bombers will have some contract turn-over and some young talent primed to jump in at the big league level as well as new young pieces they've compiled. I like that approach. It’s giving me some confidence for the future of this organization. Following the last two years, my confidence level was dwindling big time!

Anyway, best of luck to Max Scherzer and the Nationals as they should be a force to be reckoned with.

Good thing they’re in the NL!


 
Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia


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YANKEES LEFT DAZED & CONFUSED IN MOTOWN

(In Photo: Shawn Kelley)
The Yankees stink, what else can I really say about it?  I know the Tigers are good, but there is no reason why the Yankees can't hit Doug Fister. 

Our pitching was flat today, the hitting was flat and we look off balance and other than Kevin Youkilis hitting a 2 run homer and Brennan Boesch smashing into the wall to make a terrific catch in front of his old club... There wasn't a decent highlight to speak of in Yankeeland.

Eduardo Nunez got hurt today and while not serious (a bicep bruise, read HERE), it's still a blow. I like Jayson Nix but he's third string at this point and we just can't depend on having this group of misfits in our field. We need our stars, we're the Yankees and this scotch taped lineup just ain't cutting it. We don't look like the Yankees. We're not playing like the Yankees. There's no offense, the Yanks need to start playing together. They need to get in sync... Bottom line... they need to start winning.

 

 Ivan Nova didn't pitch well (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 K). Boone Logan (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R) and Shawn Kelley didn't pitch well (2 IP, 3 H, 3 R). What do you make of that? To me, I think we need to seriously figure out what to do with Nova... He ain't super... He's fair. I'm tired of fair and so are you.

Boone Logan? Come on. He's a lefty specialist who can't get out lefties. Disgraceful.  Joe Girardi looked like he was nervous all day. Sweaty, thinking too hard and most of all embarrassed. We didn't look good at all.

Final Score today: Tigers 8 - Yankees 3.

Yanks need to get it together... We don't look like a franchise team... We look like amateurs. When the hell did this happen?

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EDUARDO NUNEZ, JAYSON NIX & I'M PSYCHIC

 UPDATE: Nunez has a bruised right bicep. X-Rays were negative. He is day to day.

Eduardo Nunez left today's game after being pegged on the chest or shoulder area by Doug Fister. He was in pain, or, that's what he appeared to be as he was walked off the field by Joe Girardi and the Yankees trainer.  The replacement is Jayson Nix and I wonder if he will be for a few weeks now, depending on how bad the pegging of Nunez actually is.  Now, if you would have told me that Jayson Nix would most likely be the Yankees regular shortstop in April... I would have told you that you were on crack.

Now, in a strange turn of events and probably a coincidence... just 20 minutes before Nunez was clocked, I was playing Akinator the Genie on my Kindle and good ol' Aki guessed that I was thinking Eduardo Nunez.  Hmmm. It got me thinking... Do I have secret powers? Should I try this with the entire American League East and spare the Yankees so we can actually win this year? Am I defeated and just don't know what to say about all the Yankee injuries right now? How about all of the above.

When we know what happens with Nunez and his injury, we will let you know. Hopefully it won't be serious.

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PATHETIC AT THE PLATE

sac ri fice [sak ruh fahys] noun, verb: the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

I'm not sure if certain Yankees' egos are just so big that they just think they can homer every single time they come up to the plate, or they're just stupid and they don't realize that sometimes hitting a sacrifice when a man's on third base actually helps momentum for a ball club and... helps your club win.  The New York Yankees are horrendous offensively, there I've said it and now I'm aggravated! They have officially been exposed. I'm not even sure how the hell they won the division playing like this.  Too many times are runners left in scoring position and as fans, these runners are staring at us fans in the face from third base screaming "I can score on a sac fly!"  But no.  Guys like Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson come to the plate with the fence on their mind.  In the end, they strike out almost every time they show up to the plate and not to mention, the Yanks continue to pile up a RISP fail made for the record books. It's a freaking embarrassment.

What the hell is going on with my Yankees? Why did the Yankees make Doug Fister look like Cy Young last night and why did they yet again blow big opportunities. The Tigers are not the Royals! Doug Fister is in fact not Cy Young... he's not. He's a good pitcher that they allowed to look great.  And Nick Swisher? Let me tell you something about this chump; The smiles in the dugout are now old and tired and if you can't get a hit, you should also be benched because it's becoming more and more evident that Alex Rodriguez is in fact the whipping boy for all ya'll.  Sure, Swish finally got a double tonight, but what about those lousy post season numbers before that? We can't expect Raul Ibanez to just pick us up every time, every guy on this Yankee team has to contribute. Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, Grandy and ARod are clearly lost and now they're clogging up holes for guys that are dying to get out there... Brett Gardner anyone?

The Yankees have problems, major problems. I have preached this RISP fail since May when I made a mockery of the Yankees failing to hit the runner over or sacrifice the runner in. The RISP ghost keeps showing up. The Yankees can't walk to the plate thinking they're going to hit a home run every time so they can be the hero. Nick Swisher swinging for the fences in the 10th? Seriously? Trying to be a hero are you? You can't hit a lick right now, how about you just hit the ball!

How about Russell Martin with 1 out and a man on second in the 10th, swinging for the fences like it was the only way to get the run in. Ridiculous. Sure, we love when the walk off happens, but the reality is, when there are men on 2nd or 3rd base and 1 out, you have to get them home, YOU HAVE TO! I don't care if you need to slap it over 1st base for a single or hit a fly ball the center, you have a job; win the game! I have news for you, you can't win a game if you don't drive in runs. That's it, nothing more than that! If the Yankees continue to play like this,  they played themselves out of the ALCS, because I'll tell you something, each round gets tougher.

Andy Pettitte did everything right last night. The problem was when his offense needed to pick him up, they couldn't.  For the record, Pettitte is allowed to give up a run or 2, but the Yankees are also allowed to knock in runs. In fact, they must! They didn't until the 9th inning and while that's fine, for the fan like you and I, it's agony. The truth is there were 8 innings before that where runs should have been scored.

Am I too hard on my guys? Well, I'm not exactly hammering all 25 of the Yanks, there are 4 guys I'm shocked about, because as professional ballplayers, I understand slumps, but I do not understand a mental block of baseball fundamentals. Why do you ask? Because if my 10 year old son, who I allowed to stay up late with me last night, yells at the TV "all he needs to do is sacrifice the run in", well, that cemented it for me.  He's 10 and he's thinking like a ballplayer. What the hell is Swisher's excuse? 

Grandy, Swisher and Cano are better than they're playing! So I say this, "Hey guys, shake the monkey off your backs, and wake up... this is the ALCS, not game 6 of the 2012 season... you're better than that!

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WHAT THE YANKEES CAN EXPECT FROM THE DETROIT TIGERS

They’re back...and so are our old foes from postseason past. Fans haven’t forgotten what happened last year, and neither have our boys in pinstripes. It’s time for some revenge! It’s time to be the last one standing and make it back to the World Series. 

The Yankees beat the Tigers 6-4 in their match ups this year, but don’t let that fool you…. the Tigers are going to “roar” their way into Yankee stadium and our boys have a fight on their hands. The Tigers are not unstoppable, but they have to execute in a few key areas to neutralize a very powerful team. 

The Tigers are a stacked team, and they have some potent bats. The Tigers built their team around offense,  but even with powerful hitters like Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera the offense hasn’t lived up to all of the expectations. That being said, they can change the course of a game with one swing of the bat and the short porch in Yankee stadium can be very enticing for these two, so switching speeds and locating will be crucial for our pitchers. 

• Miguel Cabrera: He can be especially dangerous because he can hit anything, in any count, and pull the ball in any direction. I guess this is a big reason why he and his .330 AVG, 44 home runs and 139 RBI won him the Triple Crown this year. To keep the Tigers from tacking on extra runs the Yankees need to keep the Tigers who bat in front of him off of the bases. I always feel like Cabrera does the most damage when he has runners on so if the Yankees can keep the first two batters off of the bases they cripple the Tiger offense.   

Even if the Yankees keep Cabrera from slugging home runs if he gets on base they still have to deal with cleanup hitter Prince Fielder. Then Tigers have a dangerous 3-4 hitting combination, some say it could be one of the best in baseball. If the Yankees fool Cabrera but don’t get to Fielder he can also do some damage. Also worth noting, Delmon Young hit three solo home runs in last years ALDS, and he also has good numbers against Andy Pettitte going 13-for-24 against him. If the Yankees can eliminate big rallies from these key batters they will be in good shape. 

The Tiger pitching is the strength of this team. The Yankees will face all right-handed pitchers this series starting off with Doug Fister, the same pitcher who was on the field for Game 5 of the ALDS last year.  Sanchez, Scherzer, and of course the always dangerous Justin Verlander will test the Yankees. Considering that the Yankees will face all righties, as long as the Yankees execute at the plate the lineup will be matched up better when compared to all of the lefty pitching we saw at the end of the regular season.

• Justin Verlander: He's slated to pitch in games 3 and 7, so the Yankees have their hands full. The key to success against him is to get to him early. Usually as pitchers go deeper into the game they lose a little of their edge; but it is the complete opposite in Verlander’s case. Often times, he gains velocity on his pitches as the game progresses and hitters have less success off of him during the second and third turns though the lineup. 

As dangerous as the Tiger starting rotation is if the Yankees can get into the bullpen they can do some damage. He bullpen has not been as dependable lately. Set-up man Joaquin Benoit has really struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark and has allowed too many home runs lately. Another concern, Jose Valverde really struggled against the Oakland A’s during the ALDS and actually gave the Tigers their loss in Game 4. If the Yankees can shake these guys up a little on the field it could be key to a close game.

The ability to play small ball is going to be key in this series. I know I am not about to introduce a new concept here, it’s the same theme from the rest of the season but considering how both teams can do damage with the long ball, the Yankees HAVE to manufacture some runs when needed. While our offense is struggling lately, so are the Tigers and with the depth we have on the bench they can really make a difference in the game. If we can get our guys into scoring position and bring them home with a base hit, the Yankees CAN win this series, but we need to score more than one or two runs to do it. 

There are too many people out there who seem to think that the Yankees are underdogs in this series, and I’m not so sure about that! Sure, 2006 and 2011 didn’t give us the outcome we were looking for. Now it’s time to look ahead and be strategic. If people want to call us the underdog then so be it! After beating the Orioles our energy is renewed and we are up for the challenge, so let’s get it started. 

GO YANKEES!!!

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


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THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE ALDS CHAMPS!

It's fate. If you win or if you lose, there's a reason why... really. If you played hard and lose, the other team played harder. If you win, most likely you played better than your opponent. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat are 2 feelings to the extreme, because when you win, it's the greatest feeling at that moment. Losing never feels good, that's why it's called the agony of defeat. It hurts like hell.

The New York Yankees won today. But they didn't only win, they won their fans back...who, even though were loyal, we were very worried about how things would unfold.  CC Sabathia had a few setbacks this season and while he was clearly on his way back to being great, sometimes you just don't know how that big body is gonna bounce back.  Let's just say CC Monster was the greatest pitcher ever today!  He dominated the pesky Baltimore Orioles and only got into trouble 1 time, that coming in the 8th, but with the bases loaded, he locked and loaded and only ended up giving up only 1 run, an RBI single to Jim Thome.  Sabathia also went out for the 9th, got the complete game, the win and a huge applause by Yankee fans all over the world.  Sabathia went 9 innings, allowed 4 hits and 1 run, striking out 9.  CC improved to 4-0 in post season starts. He truly is a beast!

Raul Ibanez had an RBI single in the 5th scoring Mark Teixeira from second base.  Ibanez was the DH today and Eric Chavez played third leaving Alex Rodriguez to the bench.   Was it a tough call by Joe Girardi? Perhaps. Look, ARod is one of the greatest baseball players of the modern era.  It ain't easy to bench a star, but it's easier to bench them if even they can admit things aren't working out.  Now, do I think we'll see Alex in the ALCS? I do and not only  that, I believe they'll figure him out and he'll start hitting again.  How can I be so sure you ask? Well, I noticed something interesting when he took batting practice today.  He was loose and he was cranking them all over the place.  But if you look at him in the last 4 games he played, he looked tight in the batter's box. He looks like he's locked up. Therefore, when he swings, he was almost too late and sluggish coming to the ball, hence allowing him to strike out 9 times in the ALDS. Terrible.  That fortunately can be fixed and Kevin Long has some work to do...I believe he'll take care of business.

And speaking of taking care of business...Ichiro Suzuki knocked in Derek Jeter from first base in the game today too.  Suzuki had a double on that brought the game to 2-0 Yanks at that point. Also and who can forget Grandy... Curtis Granderson who also struck out 9 times in the ALDS before today's game finally came through and homered today.  He needed that and so did we. It was good to see.

And now, the Yankees move on. The road was long and sometimes painful to us Yankee fans but in the end, we played the Orioles, a team run by Buck Showalter. A team of young nobodies that believed. They believed they could run through a brick wall and they sure as hell believed they could win it all. For Buck though, the stage was set. Because sure, he wanted his young team to win a championship, but for Buck, it was about beating the Yankees, the team he felt like he got a raw deal from years back. He wanted revenge.

I understand revenge. People tell me to lighten up or "forget" about someone who treats me with disrespect. I say karma's a bitch and when disrespect comes my way, I write it on a mental post-it and when the time is right, I revisit it. Trust me, what comes around goes around and for Buck, it came around. He didn't like the way he was treated by the Yankees and he was in our house to settle the score. Don't be fooled by Buck's calm demeanor, he's loved every minute of this, getting under the Yankees skin, but time ran out and good for us Yankee fans, because I have to say, his Orioles were great competitors, they made me nervous.

In the end though, it's not about the Orioles or Buck Showalter. It's about our Yankees knowing they needed to win and we did.  Thank the good Lord.

Final Score: Yankees 3 - Orioles 1

 So now, I am filled with joy again, but there is no doubt the road just got tougher.

The Detroit Tigers are our new Angels, the team we always have trouble beating in the playoffs, and hopefully this year they'll be like the Angels of 2009 and we'll take the series from them!  Believe me, the Tigers are tough as nails, but if the Yankees do what they did tonight, we can do it.  If they don't and if they decide to play without scoring runs like we've been doing all season long, trust me, we're not winning this ALCS. If we decide to actually show up and knock in runs, we have a very good chance. It's not Justin Verlander I'm afraid of. He's great, but for the Yankees, he's beatable. I worry about the others, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer. I worry about their bats; Miguel Cabrera is a beast and Prince Fielder is a freaking over-sized superstar. They're lethal.

But I also worry about us. Our Yankees need a hero, we need a team of 25 heroes actually, playing like their life depended on it. If we don't, we don't have a shot because the Tigers will take advantage of mistakes.  So we need to be our best, that's the bottom line.

So farewell to the ALDS and hello ALCS! The Yankees have done it and life is good when that happens, but let's not think about the World Series just yet. Let's instead think about the next 4 games we need to win. Hell, after beating the Orioles, a weight has been lifted, but there is still going to be a tough hill to climb.  Truth be told though... I can't wait for tomorrow night.

Go Yankees!

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2011 ALDS YANKEES VS. TIGERS GAME 5 PREVIEW

It’s one win down and one win to go. The Yankees won their first must win game on Wednesday in Detroit behind AJ Burnett, some spectacular defense by Curtis Granderson, and hot bats up and down the lineup to the tune of a 10-1 final. But tonight is another night, and another must win game for the Yankees. But, it's the same for the Tigers who had their chance to close it out at home. Almost everyone counted AJ Burnett out and thought he'd pitch poorly, while Rick Porcello would pitch well. We all know what happened, thankfully. But it's time to move onto the next game. It's a winner take all (Or at least advance to the ALCS.) It’s Game 5 in the Bronx tonight...where’s your big mouth now Valverde?

Ivan Nova will make his second appearance in the series (his first came in relief because of the crappy weather). He went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five. Yesterday Nova said he won't be nervous. Read that story HERE.

I'm not sure I buy that, he's pitching the most important game of his life in Yankee Stadium, but I like his thinking.

Doug Fister will make his second appearance in this ALDS. Like Ivan Nova, Fister also pitched the resumption of Game 1. He pitched well for awhile, but ran into serious trouble in the sixth inning. He allowed six runs in the sixth, with three of those runs scoring on Robinson Cano's grand slam served up by Tiger reliever Al Alburquerque, who hadn't allowed a homer all season up to that point. Anyway, Doug Fister finished with a line of 4.2 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out six.

Let's face it, although Game 4 was a huge win, it won't mean jack if the Yankees don't win tonight. I hate to burst that bubble, but that's the reality of it. As Alex Rodriguez said in Entourage “We’re trying to win a ring around here.” It’s true.

And anything short of that would be a failure. That's just how it is in New York, and the next step to accomplish that goal is to win tonight. Like Game 4, tonight's Game 5 will be a team effort by the pitching staff, the offense, and the defense and no one is rooting hard tonight than Bleeding Yankee Blue… and that’s just not us, it’s all of us, true Yankee fans!!!

Let's Go Yankees!!!

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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2011 ALDS YANKEES VS. TIGERS GAME 1 PREVIEW

Mother Nature has been a pain to the Yankees all season long. With the postponement of yesterday's Game 1 due to rain--the Yankees 22nd game this season affected by rain by the way, the Yankees and Tigers will go at it again. The game will resume tonight at 8:37 PM Eastern Time with the Yankees batting in the home half of the second inning and the game tied at 1-1.

The starters for Game 1 were originally CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander. But now that Mother Nature is playing a role, both starters won't pitch again until Game 3 in Detroit on Monday. So, Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.70 ERA) will oppose Doug Fister (11-13, 2.83 ERA) later tonight.Ivan Nova doesn't have much experience against the Tigers. He didn't pitch against Detroit at all this season, and has only pitched against them once in his career, which in fact was his first career major league appearance. He pitched in relief on May 13, 2010 in Detroit against the Tigers while going 2 innings, allowing two hits, no walks or runs with one strikeout. The only two hitters in the Tigers' starting lineup that have a hit against Nova are Delmon Young and Magglio Ordonez who are a combined 2 for 4. Wilson Betemit has one hit in one AB against Nova, while Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Austin Jackson are all 0 for 1 against Nova. Obviously, those are all extremely small sample sizes against Nova, so you can't make any conclusions.
(Photo: Getty)
Doug Fister, on the other hand, has faced the Yanks in a bigger sample size compared to Nova against the Tigers. Fister has faced the Yankees three times in his career going 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA while allowing 24 hits in 18 innings pitched. He faced the Yankees once this season while he was still with the Seattle Mariners. He went 7 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and five strikeouts on July 26 at Yankee Stadium. There are some hitters in the Yankees lineup who have had good success against him in his career. Derek Jeter has gone 4 for 10 with two RBIs against Fister. Mark Teixeira has gone 3 for 9 with a homer and four RBIs.

Also, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher have each hit a homer against Fister while combining for 3 hits in 10 AB's with three RBI. As a team the Yankees are hitting .302 in 63 AB's against the Tiger right-hander.

Although the weather forecast doesn't look to promising, (it's actually worse than it was last night) hopefully we can get this one in. The Yankees and Tigers have lost their travel day on Sunday because of last night's rain out and another rain out tonight may force them to lose their Wednesday travel day--if necessary--to New York for a possible Game 5. This game will be a big test for both Nova and Fister as the two are making their first career playoff appearances. Hopefully Nova and the Yanks can come out on top.

Go Yankees!!!

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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