IT'S ALIVE!

Mark Teixeira hurt again, an umpire working the plate who is likely carrying a bit of a grudge against the Yanks, Girardi and a prominent New York sports reporter yelling at each other, an aging and diminishing starter going for the Yankees, and the club is on the verge of falling out of first place and perhaps even the playoff race!  This is not the ideal scenario that most Yankee fans envisioned as the Yankees march inexorably toward the conclusion of the 2012 season. But in the end, the Yankees are in fact alive!

The Yankees brought a losing record against the Orioles (8-9) into the Sunday matinee and series finale.  If the surging Orioles could hurt CC Sabathia, with his diminishing velocity and command, the way they did on Saturday, Yankee fans were surely shuddering to think about the possibilities today with Freddy Garcia pitching.  Garcia in 2012 is definitely the dictionary definition of declining pitching skills!  A game characterized as a "must win" for the Yankees felt more like an episode of the TV reality show Survivor! 

Of all the issues facing the Yankees, the only one that really mattered today was Freddy Garcia.  The other stuff was either in the past or just media hyperbole.  The Yankees came to play on Sunday in spite of Garcia's continuing problems.  He lasted only 3.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits, a hit batsman, and a walk.  His effort was not what the Yankees hoped for but the bullpen and the Yankee offense bailed him out.

Derek Jeter singled in the first inning and later scored on a Robinson Cano single to left field.  That run was only a harbinger of what was to come.  In the fourth inning, Oriole starter Zach Britton imploded.  He allowed three hits, four walks, and four runs before being removed by Buck Showalter.  In the sixth inning, Oriole reliever Jake Arrieta surrendered a pinch-hit HR to Curtis Granderson.  The Granderson opposite-field blast gave New York a 6-3 lead through six.  The Yankee bullpen, specifically Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan, provided scoreless relief in their 2.2 innings of support for Garcia's poor start.

The Yankees added two more runs in the seventh on a hit batsman, an intentional walk to Cano, and singles from Russell Martin and Granderson.  The Granderson hit drove home the two Yankee runs of the inning.  The Yankee lead had grown to 8-3 thanks to the offensive outburst and the continuing good work from the bullpen.  Cory Wade pitched the seventh for New York and struck out two Bird batters.

In the eighth inning, more Yankee offense produced five runs to lock the game away and give New York a 13-3 lead.  Derek Jeter hit a two-run HR.  Russell Martin drove in a run on a single to left and Granderson, who did not start the game, finished his huge day with a two-RBI double to right.

Kevin Gregg was the Oriole pitching victim in the productive eighth inning.  Cory Wade pitched his second inning of perfect relief in the bottom of the eighth and struck out a third Baltimore hitter in the process. 

Derek Lowe cleaned up the ninth inning and New York salvaged a series split in the four-game series and earned a season series split with Baltimore at 8-8.  Baltimore has not won a season series against the Yankees since 1997.  With a day off tomorrow, the Yankees can relax in Boston and hopefully begin to feel better about their chances down the stretch.

Sunday's final:  New York 13  Baltimore 3. Alive Ladies and Gentlemen... the Yankees are alive as we go to Boston...

And we're doing something fun on this Sunday evening, not only do I have today's recap and perspective, but Jesse Schindler does as well.  Look for his later this evening... and enjoy both of them. Thanks for reading us at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we appreciate it! 

 

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

Twitter: @yankeefrank23

 

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YANKEES WIN BIG BUT FANS EXPECT MORE

The Yankees won today, and Yankeeland has rejoiced... but it's not just about this win today, it's about the beyond.  We need a streak of wins, 5 or 6 or 8 to really get us back in the groove us fans are used too.  It's August... we need to start pulling away. Today may be the beginning of it.

The Yankees avoided a three game sweep in the Bronx at the hands of the Orioles.  They were able to punish two Baltimore pitchers for 10 hits, 2 of which were HRs, 4 walks, and 11 runs.  All of this occurred in the first three innings.  The highlights were a Curtis Granderson home run off Zach Britton, a two run single by Derek Jeter and a grand slam home run by Robinson Cano off reliever Kevin Gregg.

Oriole starter, Zach Britton, entered with a 1-0 record and 5.74 ERA.  Yankee fans may recall Britton as being the Oriole pitcher that once allowed 9 runs in one-third of an inning.  That had never happened before and has not happened since.  The Yankees were not facing a pitcher who could legitimately be characterized as a quality starter.

The Yankees led 11-1 after three innings.  Yankee starter Phil Hughes also did not pitch great, but he survived even though he allowed nine hits and two walks in six innings of work.  He threw 107 pitches, 70 for strikes, in recording his 11th win against 8 losses.  Hughes was aided by Orioles futility with runners in scoring position, as they managed an 0 for 15 day in that circumstance.

Joba Chamberlain also pitched for the first time in a year.  Coming off Tommy John surgery and an injured ankle, Chamberlain was OK...he got the rust off.  He allowed a HR to JJ Hardy in the seventh.  Hardy was the first batter he faced.  Chamberlain allowed three more hits, a walk, and another run on an Endy Chavez double in his 1.2 innings of work.  Yankee PR hype had promoted Chamberlain as throwing a 95-97 mph fastball during rehab.  It never happened.  The Joba fastball hovered around 91-93 in this outing. Interesting.

The Yankees tacked on a run in the eighth inning.  Two walks and a hit batsman were followed by a sacrifice fly RBI off the bat of Yankee newcomer, Casey McGehee, who also walked twice and scored two runs in the game. 

Today's final:  Yankees 12  Orioles 3.  Tomorrow is an off day for the Yankees.    

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

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