PIRELA HEADED BACK & MAYBE JUST IN TIME

Just a quick update on Jose Pirela. He's slowly making his way back from the DL.

 Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record has the story:

"Pirela arrived Tuesday at Rogers Centre from a rehab assignment but he was not activated from the disabled list.

'The plan is to reinstate him [today],' said manager Joe Girardi.

Pirela’s activation might come at the expense of Gregorio Petit, who started at third base Tuesday and singled and scored on Jacoby Ellsbury’s second-inning single. Petit, who is hitting .200, was hit by a pitch to the right hand while striking out in the eighth inning.

 An initial imaging exam was negative, but Petit might require an X-ray. In the meantime, Pirela could inject some added offense to the bottom of the order while cutting into the playing time of Stephen Drew (.167) and Didi Gregorius (.215)."

Many want to see Pirela replace Drew, although, Cashman LOVES Stephen Drew and has no "want" to move him.  There has been speculation that the Yankees could bench Didi, try to work with him and get him hitting, but I just don't see that happening either.  I would prefer though, to have Pirela at second base, and not at short and definitely not in the outfield where he got hurt in the first place.

Whatever the case, I just wanted to update you. This is a good thing, trust me.

 


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MUSTACHE RIDE!

It has to be the mustaches, right?  Or, maybe the Yankees are actually good this year?  Last night, once again they proved that they have what it takes to win games.  Mark Teixeira and his mustache "starter set" hit a home run.  Michael Pineda pitched terrific once again.  Things are happening ladies and gentlemen... strap in.

Pineda went 8 innings, giving up just 5 hits, no runs.  He was quickly followed by David Carpenter, who gave up 3.  By then, the Yankees had their 6... but just in case, they brought in Andrew Miller to close the door, his 11th save and just like that they locked it up.  Many are asking if Andrew Miller is the best closer in baseball right now.  Look, if a team wins and a guy can come in and close the door in any situation... he kind of is.  Let's hope this routine continues.

The Yankee run scoring went like this:

The Yanks scored 2 in the first. Alex Rodriguez hit a 2 run double.  That was followed by a run in the second when Jacoby Ellsbury singled knocking in Gregorio Petit.

In the 5th it was that Mark Teixeira 2 run homer.  By then it was a mustache ride. In the 8th, Didi Gregoirus singled, knocking in 1 more.

Then, like I said, the Jays scored 3 in the ninth and were threatening, but Miller stopped it and just like that, we were on our way.

Nice win Yanks. Keep going... don't shave.

(Original photo via USA TODAY Sports; Photo illustration by Rubie Edmondson)

Final: Yankees 6 - Blue Jays 3




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SOMETHING BIG JUST HAPPENED TO CHASE WHITLEY

Quick note about our friend Chase Whitley. He was just promoted to the Yankees.

According to the YES Network, "Yankees made it 100 percent official Tuesday, recalling RHP Chase Whitley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make a spot start against the Rays.

To make room for Whitley on the 25-man roster, the team optioned infielder Gregorio Petit to Triple-A."

We heard this might happen over the weekend.  I am happy to report is HAS happened.

Carry on.

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THE BEAST WITHIN

The Yankees made a statement tonight and it was this:  The Mets are just another team.  That's it.  There is no superior team over there in Queens. Nope! They were knocked back to reality tonight.  Mets fans everywhere, I'm not a hater, but I will say this... stop the idiotic superior nose to the air bullshit. On April 26th, there really isn't a reason to be gloating, and losing 2 out of 3 to us, just proves that.  Teams need to keep playing ball right now.  Come September... we'll talk. For now, it's just baseball, that's it.

The Yankees won tonight, winning 2 out of 3 from the Mets.  Nathan Eovaldi started for the Yanks going only 4.1 innings and giving up 4 runs on 7 hits.  Not his greatest start since becoming a Yankee, but the Yankee pen did something nice... they held the Mets long enough where we could chip away.  In the end, the win tonight went to Chasen Shreve and the save, of course, went to Andrew Miller.

The run scoring went like this:

In the 1st inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a solo homer. At that point the game was 2-1 Mets.

Then, in the second, Gregorio Petit doubled home John Ryan Murphy. Then Gardy doubled home Petit.  After that, Chris Young singled knocking in Gardy.  Then ARod doubled, and another run scored.

In the 5th, ARod grounded out, but in the process, a run scored.  Those are your 6 Yankee runs and that's the end of the Subway Series.  Mets fans are quiet again.

Final: Yankees 6 - Mets 4


Go Yanks!



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MOWING DOWN THE MOTOWN CATS!

The Yankees are getting hot right now.  It was nice to see them tag David Price for 6 runs in the first inning.  Sure, Adam Warren gave back 4 pretty quickly, but ultimately he did pretty good in alittle over 5 innings of work.

The Yankees blew the game wide open on what many believe is the beginning of a nice run from the Yanks.  My take is this; if they can consistently beat a tough team like the Tigers, there is zero reason why they can't beat every team out there all day long.  I've said it so many times... they have the tools, they just need to execute.  Hopefully this is the start of something big.  After all, we're about to play the Mets, and while the Mets scare me with their early run... we're a better team.

The Yankee runs went like this:

In the first, we jumped out early. Brian McCann singled knocking in 1. Then Chase Headley singled and knocked in another.

Gregorio Petit then doubled and knocked in 3. Ellsbury then singled and yet another run came in. 6 runs.

In the 2nd there were back to back triples... Carlos Beltran knocked in McCann and then Headley hit in Beltran.

In the 4th, Didi Gregorius doubled and knocked in 2.   Then in the 7th, with the Yankees already dominating, Mark Teixeira homered... it was a 3 run shot and all was right in the world.

It's worth noting, after Warren gave back 4 runs in the first, he and the pen did not give up another run all night.  Bravo to the Yankee pitching.  Everything worked last night... let's ride this wave.

Final: Yankees 13 - Tigers 4



 
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TANAKA & YANKS STEAMROLL RAYS

Yesterday was a whirlwind.  There was baseball "officially" everywhere as Opening Day happened in several towns for Little League and the Yankees had Tanaka on the mound.  I personally was on a baseball field at 9am, Then 2pm... then 7pm, helping out other teams and coaching my own.  There were wins... there were losses... there were no ties, because this is baseball.  There were also blowouts. 

The Yankees piled on the Rays yesterday and Masahiro Tanaka went 7 shutout innings in the process.  Good for him! Good for the Yanks.

Tanaka went 7 and struck out 8.  David Carpenter and Branden Pinder followed, just to make sure the Rays couldn't score, and they did their job.  

Brian McCann said it best about Tanaka: "I feel like this is what he's been doing since he got over here. ... I really do... There's no questions in here about it. The guys that are in this clubhouse, that watch him prepare on a daily basis, that see him go about his business, he's ready to go."

But it wasn't just Tanaka last night.  It was helpful that the Yankees put on a clinic.

It started for them in the 6th.  Brian McCann tripled and with that he knocked in 2, Brett Gardner and Alex Rodriguez.  Then, in the 7th, Gregorio Petit sacrificed home Headley.  Shortly after that Gardy singled home Stephen Drew.  Then Mark Teixeira sacrificed home 1.

Then came the big moment... a Grand Slam, by Chris Young... and just like that, the bats woke up... and we looked like we broke it wide open.

Baseball was played all over the country yesterday.  On major leagues fields... on 46/60 fields... on 50/70 fields. The players were kids and adults.  There were wins, there were losses... and there were blowouts.  I'm proud to say, the Yankee won and my kid's team did too.  That always makes baseball alittle sweeter, doesn't it?

Final: Yankees 9 - Rays 0
Final: My kid's team 5 - the other guys 2

 

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THE YANKEES & STATING WHAT'S PAINFULLY OBVIOUS

The Yankees are stinking up the field. Yup, that is an understatement I know. I can sit here and bitch about it and I know it doesn't change the games we have already played but it still needs to be said. This team should be doing better than they are. It may only be April but games in April still matter and we are not keeping pace. Something has to change....and fast.

We have all waited all winter for the Yankees to come back and quite frankly this is not what I have waited for. The defense is sloppy and the offensive struggles continue. It may be a new season, but the theme is still the same. I got really angry watching last night's game. Partly because my MLB extra innings package only gives me broadcasts for the home team so I had to listen to Orioles announcers all night. But the worst part for me....was realizing that this loss meant we lost another series. "So what..." you may be saying. The Yankees have not lost the first three opening series since 1991 so it is a big deal. It's not a good note to start out on.

I can't keep sitting here throwing objects at my television. I am not a rich woman and I do not need to raise my blood pressure but this team is bringing out the worst in me. Last night there were some stupid mistakes were made.

First of all, not to continue to rip on Didi Gregorius....but seriously ya made a bonehead mistake last night Didi. At first I was clapping. I was cheering and happy because he made this great stop. The ball was in his glove....and then it wasn't! He goes to grab it with his free hand and drops the ball. Then he haphazardly kicks it. DUDE....you had the ball in your glove. There is no reason to lose control and drop the ball like that. Get your head in the game, Didi. New York is a tough place to play. We are all on your corner but until you stop making dumb errors you are going to keep hearing it. It's how we roll in New York. I can say this unlike anyone else because I know you used to play in Arizona in my backyard. I get it better than anyone....but I also know how stupid these errors are that you are making. Get it together!

We gave up Shane Greene for you....and I really liked him. Don't make me miss him even more. Too late, NJ.com's headline says it all: Former Yankees pitcher traded for shortstop Didi Gregorius is flourishing in Detroit.

The Yankees need to learn how to play small ball. Again, not a new concept. Last night I was SCREAMING when Chase Headley went up to the plate. It was the perfect opportunity to bunt and it could've even been a HIT not just a sacrifice. Manny Machado had shifted so far over he was playing the shortstop position! All Headley had to do was bunt it to third. There is no way Machado would have made it there in time and I bet money that we would have had runners on both first and second. The Orioles were basically GIFTING us a hit and again, since we can't play small ball we just ignore it. That was a bonehead of a move. And speaking of bonehead moves....can we PLEASE take Carlos Beltran out of the three hole? PLEASE?! Switch hitter or not.....

Nathan Eovaldi battled last night, but he kept us in the game. I can't complain with 9 strikeouts, 2 earned runs over five innings. The Orioles made him work, but he kept us in the game. With some work, I think Larry Rothschild can really transform him. The Yankees were winning when he was pulled from the game and David Carpenter replaced him. He gave up three runs and he just wasn't fooling the Orioles last night. His runs were really what caused the momentum to change but Justin Wilson and his earned runs didn't help either.

If I wasn't irritated enough....I see we are chipping away in the 9th inning. Joe Girardi decides to pinch hit and puts in Gregorio Petit for Didi. WHY?! It is the last opportunity the Yankees have. You have nothing to lose here!

Garrett Jones is also on the bench and he has some pop in his bat. I don't understand this move! If the Yankees tie it up and it goes into extra innings then so be it, deal with it then. Petit is not the guy you trust to keep the game going. He can't hit AND he can't field. Maybe that is a little harsh right now....but come on!

I am extremely disappointed in the performance of this team. They are better than this. Starting the season 0-3 in series matchups just is not acceptable, especially not when they are all against division rivals. This could come back to haunt the Yankees later if they don't get their act together. The team needs a Jorge Posada team meeting. Someone needs to stand up and take the reigns here. Who is going to step up? There is no more Derek Jeter....and Yankee management needs to wake up and get their heads out of their asses. They are equally to blame.

Rant over. Thursday is an off day....thank goodness. The players need it and quite frankly so do I.



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




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TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE WITH A NOT-SO-GREAT START

Well, it's only Game 5, and to be honest, I shouldn't be aggravated, but I am.  I don't like this team's energy at all.  Sorry... that's just me.

There were positives today.  Adam Warren battled going 5.1 innings.  He allowed 5 hits and only 2 runs.  He struck out only 1 and walked 2. Ultimately, Warren did his job.  The Yankee offense scored a single run in the 2nd, and didn't score again until the 8th. It was then that they showed life, scoring 3, but... and I've asked this dozens of times over the years... WHY? Why do the Yankees wait until they are literally up against the wall to make their come back?  I don't think I'll ever know.  By the way, you think I'm aggravated at the Yankees? Just look at that picture of Adam Warren above.  It's a Saturday game against the Red Sox... and there are a ton of empty seats.  Horrible.

The run scoring went like this... In that 2nd inning it was Didi Gregoirus that sac flied Alex Rodriguez home. 

Then, finally, in the 8th, a mini rally. Chris Young hit a 3 run homer and knocked in Gregoiro Petit and Brett Gardner.

And remember when Warren only gave up 2 runs in his appearance? The other Red Sox runs came off of Justin Wilson, (0.2 IP, 1 run), Chris Martin, (1 IP, 2 runs) and Matt Tracy (2 IP, 3 runs.)

Meh... not thrilled, but we come back tomorrow and try to scratch a win out.  Meanwhile, just wanted to point something out. I'll place this right here...

Carlos Beltran 0-4 today

Final: Red Sox 8 - Yankees 4

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YANKEE GAMES LIKE THIS WILL LITERALLY KILL YOU

As a fan, and when your team is playing rival... you stay up for every pitch.  When your team wins... it was worth it.  When your team loses... it was the dumbest idea you've ever had.

Tonight... was dumb... really freaking dumb.  But I don't have a crystal ball... so I rolled the dice.

Let's start with the pitching. Nathan Eovaldi started and was not exactly what we saw in Spring Training, but it's nothing I'd be overly worried about.  Nathan went 5.1 innings, gave up 8 hits and 3 runs.  Maybe it was nerves, who knows, but he did what he could in his first start in Yankee Stadium.  After that, it was all Yankee pen as we watched the Yankees creep back and I loved what I saw from the pen. We looked amazing in that department.

As far as offense, in the 6th inning, with the Sox up 3 - zip,  Alex Rodriguez singled home Gregorio Petit and Brian McCann sacrificed home Gardy.

In the 9th, Chase Headley homered. It was tied like that for most of the night.  Then the lights went out literally, and with alittle wine in my system... Tweets got nutty:

Ump 1: what do u want to do Farrell: I don't know. Should we walk off? Girardi: Pussies
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Did @realmichaelkay just really say "real epicasy"? Did I even spell that right?
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Lights are on. In other news, that was the dumbest thing I've ever witnessed.
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Can one of the other blogs please do a post on how funny my posts are? I'm killing it. #BYB
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Kung Fu Panda is fatter as a Red Sock Must be the colors. #Fact #BYB
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

I love a good game against the Red Sox, but truth be told, I didn't like the start of the season and went into it being cautious. Tonight was slow and steady.  Almost too slow with the come from behind run scoring and lights going out.

But, let me state for the record that I loved what I saw from Chasen Shreve.  He has really good stuff and while I was joking about him resembling Barry Pepper in some way, the fact of the matter is, who cares, he was dealing tonight.

This is Barry Pepper as Roger Maris.

 Anyway, one big moment came when, with the game at 4-3, Mark Teixeira homered to tie it 4-4. There was a stall after that, and so, Tweets happened again:

come on Didi. Hit. in other news... his name is Didi
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

90 feet away and 2 outs. For the LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLLLLLYYYYYYYY
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

things i never thought id do in my life: Stay up with Ken Singleton until 1:15 in the morning
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

when Chasen Shreve is trending you realize nothing else is happening in America.
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

JONES WANTS THIS SO BAD! Unleash it bro! @CassieJones08
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

In the 17th, after a bunch of ridiculous tweets, Garrett Jones cranked a nice single to right, his first hit as a Yankee. Then... nothing.

In the top of the 18th, Pablo Sandoval knocked in a run to make it 5-4.  At that point, I was fading really bad.  But I stayed here... dying a slow death. I love baseball, but not like this.

In the bottom of the 18th Carlos Beltran had a nice hit to right field to tie the game 5-5. At this point... tired, exhausted actually, I simply tweeted:

they got fight. Jesus.
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Now we moved on. Oh My God.

In the top of the 19th, after a passed ball and sac fly to center, the Red Sox re-gained the lead 6-5. At this point, I was thinking about my Saturday and everything this game was ruining for me.  I knew I needed to go to bed... but die-hards stay till the end.  After all, I couldn't give up on Esmil Rogers, because he wasn't giving up on us.

In the bottom of the 19th, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a single. Then... Jones hits into a double play... and just like that... this tweet below was no longer funny:

It could be worse, I could be watching the Yankee game with super creepy @RobLowe
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 11, 2015

Final: Red Sox 6 -  Yankees 5

Note to Yankee fans. There is no Feature today. This is it. Good Morning.

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BYB HAS THE OPENING DAY ROSTER

Here's the Opening Day roster. Here come our 2015 New York Yankees.

Catchers: 

Brian McCann 
John Ryan Murphy

First Base:  

Mark Teixeira
Garrett Jones

Second Base: 

Stephen Drew 
Gregorio Petit

Shortstop: 

Didi Gregorius

Third Base:  

Chase Headley

Outfield: 

Brett Gardner 
Jacoby Ellsbury 
Carlos Beltran
Chris Young

Designated Hitter:  

Alex Rodriguez

Starting Rotation: 

1. Masahiro Tanaka 
2. Michael Pineda 
3. CC Sabathia 
4. Nathan Eovaldi 
5. Adam Warren

Bullpen: 

Dellin Betances
Andrew Miller 
David Carpenter
Justin Wilson
Chris Martin
Esmil Rogers
Chasen Shreve

Let the games begin.

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