WHY THE YANKS WERE "THIS CLOSE" TO A COMEBACK

I know, I know, it’s April, but losing to the Minnesota Twins anytime of the year sucks. The Yankees have flat out owned the Twins the last several years, but this year that hasn’t been the case as the Yanks lost 6-5 in this one.

The Yankees were originally down 6-4 to start the 9th inning and Matt Capps came on to try to nail down the save. After getting ARod to ground out in his only at-bat of the game, Derek Jeter hit an opposite field homer into the Yankee bullpen to make it 6-5. Curtis Granderson then promptly struck out on three pitches after Jeter's jack, so the Yanks had one out to play with and Mark Teixeira was up. When Tex made contact it seemed as though he tied it, but he didn’t. He just missed it, and Clete Thomas caught it a couple steps in front of the track and the Twins win their second of three games at the Stadium. For shame.Hiroki Kuroda started, and he was less than stellar. He allowed four runs right out of the chute in the first inning, while allowing another in the third and another in the fifth before getting pulled with one out in said fifth inning. In total Hiroki went 4.1 innings, allowed 10 hits (two homers), on six runs. He also struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. So, if you’re scoring from home, Kuroda has one great start and two crap starts. Jump to conclusions at your own risk.

Derek Jeter is on fire, folks, it’s as simple as that. Jeter hit his fourth homer of the season in the 9th inning and had two more hits. In total he went 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored. He's now batting .389 with a 1.089 OPS in the early going. Robinson Cano also hit a homer, his first of the year. He had two hits on the evening as well as Raul Ibanez and Mark Teixeira.

The Yanks will try to salvage a split in this series before heading to Fenway for a weekend set. Phil Hughes will try to right the ship as he has struggled so far this season.

Oh, and Brett Gardner was placed on the 15-Day disabled list due to a right elbow issue (Read HERE). The Yanks will call up relief pitcher Cody Eppley to strengthen the bullpen which means either Andruw Jones or Raul Ibanez will man left field for the next 15 days…Gulp.



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

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WHY THE YANKEES ARMS RACE HAS STARTED

The Yankees are looking, no doubt about it but the good news is, some of their relief is on the mend, so just in time for the second half, the New York Yankees may end up with more pitching than they needed. But as you know, you can never have too much pitching.

First off you must know that Mark Prior is close he pitched his first game since nursing that groin injury. Read about it HERE. So, because he's throwing again, I expect to see him back soon. The question is, will he get a shot in the big show before season’s end? Man I hope so, just to see this guy healthy and in action would make me smile. Does Prior still have what it takes? He’s talented, but we’ll have to see.

Rafael Soriano is expected back soon but he still needs to do a few more rehabs before they determine when he's returning. Read it HERE. RaSo, while having a few good moments, and being apart of the Three Headed Monster has had a rough start in the Bronx no doubt and injury to this guy won’t help his reputation. If Soriano comes back and acts like a stuck up disease in the clubhouse, the Yankees will have distractions. But if he comes in willing to help any way he can, including taking a back seat to a now dominant David Robertson, things will be just fine.

Heath Bell: He is such a likable guy and very talented. The Yankees have been linked to Bell for a few weeks now, but other teams are connected to him... the Phillies, Red Sox and Rays. If the Yankees can pick up this arm, it will be a huge help to the already terrific Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Cory Wade and Luis Ayala gang. Plus, we’ll crowd things up with Rafael Soriano and maybe even another lefty to assist Boone Logan. The big question about Bell is "Who will the Yankees will give up for him?" Many are suggesting Jesus Montero. Read about this HERE. Also, Some would suggest trying to snag Heath Bell is just gluttonous. I call it stability. The Yankees didn’t pick up a top starter in the off season don’t forget, but we got damn lucky with the performances of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Extra help in the bullpen is always needed in case these guys fall apart and last night there was an indication of that with Colon. I like this move for Heath Bell, even if they're looking at it as a rental.

JC Romero: Yes, the Nationals released him and the Yankees have signed him to a minor league deal. Read about it HERE. Romero is a lefty and could be affective in the pen with Boone Logan, but as I’ve said all along, I like the idea of someone like Scott Kazmir instead because it could be a diamond in the rough. The only issue with my scenario is Kazmir might want to start somewhere and all I’m saying is you can take a chance with him as a lefty specialist in the pen. At any rate, if the Yankees like what they see from Romero, it could be a good marriage down the stretch.

Scott Kazmir: Yes, I believe his starting days are over right now and I have this ridiculous idea to bring him into our pen to face a few lefties once in a while. Kazmir was recently attached to the Rangers at one point after he was released by the Angels. Read it HERE. The problem with that was, the Rangers are not terribly interested in the left hander, according to MLB Trade Rumors. You know our stance here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we like Kazmir. For 1, it helps the Yankees with an extra lefty and 2, Kazmir may be able to reinvent himself.

Sean Burnett: The lefty Nationals pitcher would be a smarter alternative to someone like Scott Kazmir because for the most part, his performance against lefties is pretty damn good: .235 BA and 1.17 WHIP. Read about it HERE.

Matt Capps: Bolstering the bullpen with someone like Capps may be a good idea, but I don’t necessarily see that happening. This year Capps has 13 saves. Every once in a while there is a “rumor” between the Yankees and Capps, but it never has legs. My guts saying it still doesn’t have legs. Read it HERE.

Good things are happening in Yankeeland when it comes to pitching. We are back to the second half grind and close to the trade deadline so expect the rumors to start heating up and the Yankees to step up as they make a run for another Division championship and beyond. After all, we are the New York Yankees… the best God damn team ever.

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