HEY CLAY, COME HOME TO THE BRONX, MAN!

No one is a bigger fan of Clay Rapada than me. Besides his talent, he's just a good dude.  I just wanted to point out that when news broke that the Orioles had released Clay Rapada, to make room for Joe Saunders, I felt bad.

The Tides, his club announced the move here:

Transactions: LHP Joe Saunders signed to Norfolk contract. LHP Clay Rapada has been released. #Orioles
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 5, 2014

The reality is, the guy is a fighter and he needs a shot.

Alittle background... when Clay came to the Yankees, I was psyched. The guy has a unique delivery and is literally "underrated", plus a lefty. But sometimes when teams "take a chance" on you, they sign you, they start you in the minors, and you don't always get that shot, unless you WOW them instantly.  Baseball's a fast moving sport.  They are constantly looking for the quick fix. I almost feel like they concentrate too much on the numbers, and not enough on what can be. I know, a 7.23 ERA doesn't cut it. All I'm saying is I guess I'm just a "go by feel" kind of guy... anyway, I'm rambling...

Whatever the case, wish Clay well, and let him know he needs to keep going!  There is no question Rapada will latch on somewhere... I just hope he does soon.  He's a helpful, talented pitcher and a team just needs to give him that shot to shine again.

 You know what? I wish the Yanks would bring him back... I know he'll succeed again in the Bronx.

Come on home Clay... get your agent to make a call, or maybe BYB will on your behalf!

Besides... Hello Kitty misses you...

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WATCH... THE YANKEES WILL SIGN JOE SAUNDERS

It appears that the Texas Rangers have released lefty starter Joe Saunders.  Read HERE. Saunders was Designated for Assignment just the other day. According to News & Observer, "The Rangers... announced Friday that the team has released pitcher Joe Saunders, three days after the club designated the veteran lefty for assignment.

Saunders struggled mightily in eight starts this season, going 0-5 with a 6.13 ERA and permitting a .356 batting average against." 

So what does it mean? It means, and this is pure speculation, that the Yankees who will most likely lose CC Sabathia this season to injury, and will try to sign Saunders, another lefty, in hopes to get lightning in a bottle and not pay a fortune. 

Now, if I'm the Yankees, I walk right by Saunders... but let's see what happens.

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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/04/3985192/rangers-promote-former-closer.html#storylink=cpy

SEASON OVER: PUNCHLESS YANKEES DONE IN DETROIT

Well, that was depressing. Following three losses through the first three games of the ALCS in which the Yankees had chances to win in each; the Bombers went down without a fight in Game 4. Nothing went right in this 8-1 loss for the Yankees, and they head into the off-season searching for answers.

Just like every other game this postseason, the Yankees had trouble scoring. Whether they were facing Joe Saunders or Justin Verlander, the Yankees had trouble generating offense of any kind, no matter who they faced.

 

This time they got shutdown by Max Scherzer. He held New York hitless through the first five, with first hit he allowed coming on an Eduardo Nunez triple to lead off the sixth. Nick Swisher, playing in most likely his final game as a Yankee, drove Nunez in with a double two batters later. That was the only offense by the Yankees; one run on two hits. What a joke.

Though the offense was bad in the ALDS against the Orioles, they managed to fare worse in the LCS against the Tigers. They scored a total of six runs in the four game series. Two of those six came in the final three games played. In the 39 total innings played, the Yankees scored in just four of them. There are so many culprits, unsurprisingly, in this offensive disaster. Robinson Cano, who deserves the most blame, goes along with Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin, Eric Chavez, Mark Teixeira, and Brett Gardner as guys who you can all point to. Hell, I’m probably forgetting someone. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Offensively, this ALCS was an unmitigated disaster for the Yankees. In total, they hit the second lowest LCS AVG in history,  .157,  in the four game sweep. It was a collective effort of offensive futility, aside from a few players. I can’t help but wonder if hitting coach Kevin Long’s job is on the line. After Game 2, Joe Girardi mentioned that the offense hasn’t been making adjustments, and they needed to do so. Based on what they did in the two games that followed, it sure looked like the offense didn’t respond to the skipper’s claim. At this point, I would not be surprised if Long was on the chopping block, but that’s speculation, at least for now.

CC Sabathia started, and he didn’t have it. He lasted just 3.2 innings, allowed 11 hits and six runs (five earned). Even if he did pitch well (say, 7 innings, two runs), do you really think the offense would have backed him up? Me neither. Anyhow, though CC struggled in the biggest game of the year, we can’t forget how awesome he was for the last three weeks. After people suggested he “wasn’t an ace,” it was great that he proved the doubters wrong. One bad start does not change that.

Tigers eliminate the Yankees, 8-1.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m rooting for the National League winner to beat the Tigers. This is the second straight year the Tigers have eliminated the Yankees from the postseason, and it absolutely kills me. I hope they get destroyed in the World Series, but I don’t think the Yankees care about that. I don’t know how many changes will be made in the off-season, but I know at least a few will have to be made. You can’t sweep this disaster under the rug, you have to fix it. Here’s to hoping Brian Cashman and Co. put together a team that will win Number 28 in 2013.

Thanks for letting me write for you this season!



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse



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YANKEES DON'T CLINCH; ORIOLES FORCE A GAME 5

It started as a somber night, as manager Joe Girardi announced the passing of his father Jerry Girardi this past Saturday. We at BYB offer our condolences to the Girardi family, and we admire Joe's resiliency in continuing to manage during this difficult time. His leadership was needed and appreciated this night.

Phil Hughes came out for a big game. Not only was he looking at completing the series win for the Yankees, but also he had the opportunity to let the Yankees start the ALCS with Sabathia starting Game 1. Hughes looked masterful at getting into and out of trouble. He retired the side in order in the second and the sixth innings. He allowed runners to reach scoring position in every other inning.

Hughes started the game by allowing Nate Mclouth and JJ Hardy to reach base before retiring the next three batters on fly balls. He walked MannyMachado and gave up a double to Mclouth before inducing bouncer back to Hughes, which resulted in an out at the plate. Hughes then retired the next two batters to end the third. In the fourth, Hughes allowed men on first and third as the result of a Matt Wieters walk and a Ryan Flaherty base hit, before striking out Manny Machado to end the inning. In the fifth, the Orioles finally got to Hughes as he left a fastball out over the plate to Nate Mclouth. Mclouth put it in the right field seats. Nevertheless, that was all Hughes would allow, as he finished having pitched 6 2/3 innings and recording eight strikeouts.

Joe Saunders held the Yankee batters to just one run over the first six innings. He did not allow more than one base runner in any inning until the sixth inning. Derek Jeter led the sixth off with a double to right field and Ichiro Suzuki sacrificed him over to third. Mark Teixeira worked a walk when Robinson Cano hit a bouncer to second. Instead of going for the inning-ending double play, second baseman Ryan Flaherty chose to throw to first, allowing Jeter to score. Ryan Flaherty would make another blunder in the field in the bottom of the seventh, when a routine pop up by Russell Martin bounced out of his glove.

We cannot say enough about the failures to bring in runners in scoring position, and it was the story of the night. The only one we brought in was on a weak grounder. In total, they were 0 for 9, ending an inning with runners in scoring position four times, including three of the final four innings of the game. This is not going to be a successful campaign without an improvement in this category. It was just a painful set of extra innings during the Yankees turns at bat, watching one opportunity after another evaporate. The Yankees only got one base hit and one walk after the 8th inning.

Joba Chamberlain came in to relieve Rafael Soriano in the top of the 11th, and retired the side in order. The first batter in the top of the 12th, Matt Wieters got a broken-bat single. Unfortunately, the broken bat landed on Joba's pitching elbow, ending his night. David Phelps came in to replace Joba, but there is great concern for Joba's health and ability to continue in the postseason. Phelps did his part, retiring each batter he faced that inning. Ultimately, he gave up the double to JJ Hardy that would become the go-ahead run in the 13th.

Honorable mentions go to Boone Logan, David Robertson, Rafael Soriano. They came in and provided excellent relief, keeping all Baltimore batters but one from reaching base. That one that reached was erased by an awesome pick off of Lew Ford at first by Soriano. Another honorable mention goes to Alex Rodriguez, who maintained a good attitude despite the famous pinch-hit for the night before. He reached base twice on a walk and a base hit.

The bottom line is that getting hits when the runners are in scoring position will win you games. Each failure to score with a runner in scoring position is an opportunity for the opposition to stay in the game. The Yankees kept giving the Orioles opportunities until they finally scored in the 13th. So, on to a winner-take-all Game 5. We look to CC Sabathia to get us to the next round of postseason play.

Final Score: Orioles 2, Yankees 1

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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IBANEZ HOMERS TWICE IN ANOTHER MAGICAL POSTSEASON WIN!

Momentum and major advantage in the 2012 ALDS were hanging in the balance as the Orioles and Yankees squared off in game three of this playoff series that was tied at 1-1 after two games in Baltimore.  If Charles Dickens was still around to recap the early innings of this game, he might have titled his story "A Tale of Two Pitchers."

 

Oriole rookie starter Miguel Gonzalez was dominant through seven innings and Hiroki Kuroda was almost as strong for the Yankees, but he teetered on the brink in innings three through five of his eight innings of work. 

The Orioles produced a run in the third on a HR off the bat of Ryan Flaherty.  They followed with a major threat in the fourth by sending six batters to the plate.  A hit, a walk, and hit batsman loaded the bases with Orioles, but Kuroda was able to retire Flaherty this time on a come-backer to the mound.  That was a significant moment in the game that could have been disastrous for the Yankees.  Kuroda yielded a second HR leading off the fifth.  This time Oriole youngster Manny Machado ripped a Kuroda pitch to left field for the Birds' second run of the game and a 2-1 Baltimore lead.

The Yankees had scored in the bottom of the third on a Russell Martin double and Derek Jeter RBI triple to center.  Oriole outfielder Adam Jones broke in on Jeter's ball and could not recover as the wind seemed to push the Jeter fly ball just out of his reach.  Martin's run produced a 1-1 tie after three innings.  Otherwise, the Yankee offense struggled against Gonzalez.  During his seven innings of work, Martin and Jeter each had two hits.  Unfortunately, the rest of the Yankee lineup went 1 for 20 against the Oriole starter!  Gonzalez really hit his stride in innings six and seven as he struck out five of the last six Yankee hitters he faced.  Gonzalez did not allow a run after the third inning.

Kuroda was almost as good.  He retired the last eleven batters he faced and allowed zero runs after the fifth. 

With one out in the ninth, things looked shaky for the Yankees.  Trailing 2-1 with Oriole relief ace Jim Johnson on the mound, the Birds were two outs away from their second win of the series.  At that juncture, Yankee manager Joe Girardi made a major decision.  He sent Raul Ibanez to the plate to pinch-hit for Alex Rodriguez.  Some of the media mavens acted shocked by Girardi's move in the post-game interviews, but it was an imminently logical move.  Girardi got the left-handed Ibanez up to bat for the struggling Rodriguez and got the lefty-righty match-up that Joe loves to see in the Stadium.

Girardi's move paid off in spades!  Ina very dramatic moment, Ibanez homered to tie the game at 2-2!  Both bullpens were strong in innings ten and eleven and David Robertson remained strong for the Yankees in inning twelve.  The Orioles were not so lucky.  Raul Ibanez led off the twelfth for New York and was facing lefty Brian Matusz who was beginning his second inning of work.

Ibanez produced a result that forever more labeled this Yankee win as the Raul Ibanez game.  In an even more dramatic moment than the ninth, Raul Ibanez slammed a second HR to right, this one into the second deck, that secured the Yankees second win in this ALDS series and staked the Yankees to a 2-1 lead heading into game four tomorrow.

In an odd twist, the Yankees finished the game without both Rodriguez and Jeter.  Jeter departed after the eighth inning with a foot injury that was evidently sustained on a foul ball off his foot early in the game.  Jeter assured Yankee fans that he would be available tomorrow but he was hobbled by a noticeable limp when he departed in the eighth.  Regardless, the Yankees have a chance to close out the series tomorrow as Phil Hughes takes the mound against the Orioles and Joe Saunders.

Wednesday's happy final:  New York 3  Baltimore 2.  New York leads the ALDS by two games to one.    

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

Twitter: @yankeefrank23

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YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 30

AJ Burnett: According to Andrew Marchand who spoke with a Major League baseball "exec", it's unlikely that the Yankees will trade Burnett because there are too many problems with the Yanks unloading him right now. He outlines them HERE, but in the nutshell:

"1. He is viewed as an erratic, back of the rotation type guy, who has a reputation for accountability-issues

2. Even if the Yankees picked up $22M of the $33M, there may not be any takers

3. If a team wanted to spend that type of dough, they could've signed a guy like Joe Saunders (1-year, $6M)

4. Most teams have already spent their money for the year so they don't have $8-to-$10M laying around"

Well then... now that that's out of the way... can we play ball already?Yoennis Cespedes: According to ESPN, Cespedes is excepted to meet with interested teams within 7 to 10 days according to Cespedes' agent. Read about that HERE. Jim Bowden tweets that 6 teams are interested in Cespedes. If I had to predict, I'm going with the Cubs or Marlins. I wish the Yankees were in on this guy, but I would think at this point it's doubtful, although, we did trade for Alex Rodriguez in February... remember? Oh right, that's when we didn't care about spending money. Stay tuned to this story, it will get interesting soon enough.

Jim Hendry: Hendry is the Chicago Cubs former General Manager. He is now the Yankees special assistant to Brian Cashman according to ESPNChicago.com...read HERE. It's amazing how deep the Chicago connection goes with the Yankees. Joe Girardi, Larry Rothschild, Lou Piniella, Jim Hendry...is Ferris Bueller next?Scott Kazmir: If you had a shot to pick up Scott Kazmir cheap, would you? I used to think that it would be a good idea. I had this silly fantasy, that when he was cut loose by the Angels, the Yankees would sign the lefty cheap, re-invent him as a lefty specialist to pitch to 1 or 2 batters and then send him to the showers. Well, Kazmir is available and wants to pitch in 2012, but a few reports indicate that his fast ball is only clocked in the mid 80's which makes me wonder... what the hell happened to this poor guy? Anyway, you can read about my theory on what I would have done with Kazmir back in July 2011 when I wrote WHY THE YANKEES ARMS RACE HAS STARTED. If anything, you'll chuckle.

If there are any updates on Raul Ibanez, AJ Burnett, Bill Hall or anyone else, we'll bring it to you here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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