FIX THE ALL-STAR GAME

What a mess. One of the more fun games of the year for me is the All-Star game. It’s fun because often I don’t get to see big stars actually play. I love fantasy baseball and I love reading stats, so I know the names and I know what they’re good at. But I rarely get to watch Clayton Kershaw pitch or a Paul Goldschmidt at-bat. Watching these players swing the bat, or seeing their pitching motion, and playing against the best players in the game is something special. Not so much this year.

It looks like the starters for the American League All-Star Team is going to be the starting lineup of the Kansas City Royals. This has some folks – myself included – upset. There are some Royals who are simply not the best in the A.L. at their position. In the case of Omar Infante, you can make the argument that he’s the worst starting 2nd baseman in the league. But they have the most votes. There is a lot of speculation about whether or not some KC fan hacked the voting, with one blogger claiming he successfully exceeded 35 votes. Sorry, but MLB eliminates about 20% of the votes due to irregularities, so your extras were probably in that 20%. Still, there is no proof that the votes were hacked, so I’m going to go on the notion that KC fans are voting en masse for their players.

The idea of teams encouraging fans to vote for their players has been around for ages. Every visit to a ballpark I have done around this time of year is filled with reminders to vote for your team’s players. Even the ballot page has a way for you to highlight one team’s players. I suppose that is just in case you couldn’t find them. Note sarcasm. This introduces a fundamental problem with the entire process. It turns an event that is supposed to be about the sport’s best players into a popularity contest. Welcome to the 2015 All-Star voting.

I would like to propose a number of changes to the voting process, in the interest of turning this event back to what it is supposed to be. First, eliminate this 35 votes per person nonsense and make it one person, one vote. I never understood the reason for this, except that it gives MLB.com more clicks and their sponsors and advertisers more exposure. Second, take the pool of eligible players and reduce it to a list of serious All-Star contenders. I mean, why does Ryan Hanigan’s name even appear on my ballot? Take your standard 5x5 scoring categories – AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB, W, K, ERA, SV, and WHIP – and limit eligibility to the players in the top 5 in at least one of those categories. Eliminate write-ins. Statistics do not always tell the whole story, but if you’re not in the top 5 in your league in even one of those categories, you have no business getting All-Star votes.

Finally, I would cap the number of starters per team to some reasonable number, like four. If more than four players from a single team are elected by fans, then the manager and commissioner’s office have the option of moving those extra players from a starting spot to a reserve role on the team, much in the same way they would substitute a player that declines to participate. That stops one team’s fans from hijacking the voting process like Royals fans are doing now.

The Commissioner’s Office has declined to make any changes at this point, though who knows what they’ll do when the opposing voices start to get louder. We have heard a lot about Ford Frick and his intervention in the 1957 All-Star Game. Will Rob Manfred take similar action? There are still a few weeks to go, but it is sure to get interesting.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







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WHY CAN'T THE YANKEES BE MORE LIKE THE ROYALS?

As I sit here almost a month into fall and long for the Yankees to be in the 2014 Postseason, I am lifted by the energy and determination of the Kansas City Royals.  I ask myself this poignant question, "Why can't the Yankees be more like the Royals?"

Let's start with their energy.  "There’s just an amazing energy in the city. Everybody loves an underdog," stated Matt Baldwin, the designer of Baldwin Denim and Collection, sold at Barney's New York and loved by celebrities like Jay Z.  His original KC powder blue hat is the hottest selling item since the team blew passed the Oakland A's and Los Angeles Angels and now are up two games in their first ALCS appearance since 1985.  But what about the energy on the field.

According to ESPN, "The fun thing about Kansas City's outfield defense is that its greatness isn't hidden in defensive metrics that are difficult to understand or process. We can see it -- game after game, play after play."  Guys like Alex Gordon, Norichika Aoki, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, and Josh Willingham have been getting it done.  And what about pitching?  They have that covered too with James Shields, Yordano Ventura and closer Greg Holland lighting it up.  I am also impressed with the hustle and drive of infielders Omar Infante, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.  And not to be out done, but Billy Butler is showing he still has it too.  He even stole a base to get the team this far.

I think the most important part of the team is the chemistry of these guys together.  They exude grit and determination.  They play hard and they play to win.  Perhaps they are modeling some of George Brett's gritty play that got him into the Hall of Fame with over 90% of the vote.  Brett, the team's vice president of baseball operations, exudes polish and prestige and gave the All Star Game an extra lift when the Royals hosted the iconic game a couple of years ago.

Whatever it is, the Royals are making more than headlines, they are making fans across the country with their prime time, late inning wins against formidable teams like the A's, Angels and now the Orioles.  And they are doing it with hustle, determination and the will to just win.  Charging outfielders making spectacular plays, hard throwing pitching and an equal combination of small and long ball hitting from everyone on the team make up a team who has a real chance at the top prize of baseball come late October. "Once I got over here, though, these guys embraced me with open arms. The chemistry has been great from my teammates and I'm having a blast right now. To be on this run is a lot of fun," stated Cain in an interview USA Today.

As the Royals get ready to host the Orioles in their house, I sit here shaking my head and say "why can't it be us?"  I am hopeful for the Royals, not just because I want the Orioles to lose, (Sorry @SupermanRob2914) but because I believe in their style of play- the "All-In" nature of the team that I long for in our 2015 Yankees. I hope they are watching because this is what they need to do in order to contend next year.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @suzieprof






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PLAYING THIRD BASE... KELLY JOHNSON ?!?

“Who’s on first? I don’t know – third base!”

Okay, we have all heard that a million times, one of the greatest comic routines of all time. But that line is starting to make you believe in the Oscar Wilde quote, that life really does imitate art more than the other way around, as you look at who is playing third base for the Yankees.

If you look at the playbook, Kelly Johnson is the guy at the top of the list to take over the hot corner. Can he play third base? We don’t know. As that line of reasoning goes through my head, I do the mental equivalent of Lou Costello letting out a high-pitch squeal of frustration, as this does not look like the best plan possible for the Yankees. In many ways, we are repeating some of the same mistakes we made last year.

We knew that Alex Rodriguez’s injury was going to keep him out for at least the first half of last year. Therefore, we signed Kevin Youkilis to take over at third. Then Mark Teixeira was injured, and Youkilis became the first baseman, before Youkilis had a season-ending injury himself. That left third base to the likes of David Adams, Mark Reynolds, and a cast of characters that made third base look like extended spring training for anyone who could fill the void. Does today’s roster sound familiar?

Maybe you are a Kelly Johnson fan, and you are wondering why I am being so hard on this choice. Don’t get me wrong – I do not dislike the guy. I just wonder why the Yankees would sign a 32-year old with a career .253 batting average and put him at third base where he has only played 16 times in his career. That’s right – sixteen career games at third base. To put it in perspective, Mark Teixeira has played more games in his career in right field (18) than Johnson has at third. To add to the comedy, Tex’s fielding percentage in right is higher than Johnson’s fielding percentage at third. So what am I missing?

What nobody is admitting to is that there is no plan for third base. The guy they signed to be the backup at second if the Yankees could not swing an Omar Infante deal, he is the guy who drew the short straw. It makes you wonder why an organization like the Yankees cannot do better. I know we cannot sign All-Stars to every position, and we have certainly put a few in the outfield, behind the plate, and the starting rotation. However, we should be able to do better than this.

We are all die-hards here at BYB, and we pull for our players. Kelly Johnson is no exception. I will be the first to admit to my error if he turns into a superstar. Nevertheless, the numbers do not indicate that.

The hope here is that he can perform decently. If he hits in the .260 range with good coverage on defense, and I think we dodge the bullet. Otherwise, we may see another rookie experiment or mid-year trade to bring some talent in. Let’s hope for the former.

 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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FROM "A GREAT OFF-SEASON" TO "DOUBT"

Thanks again Joel Sherman for starting my week off wrong...

Joel Sherman put a piece together yesterday in the New York Post to state that while the Yankees spent alot of money this off-season bettering their club, they also signed a bunch of guys that have had injury filled pasts.  OK then... thanks for starting my Monday off right. That's sarcasm for anyone that didn't get that.

Sherman writes:

"... They have areas of real fragility and little in the way of strong second-tier options. In 2013, as they used a franchise-record 56 players, that meant fire-drill acquisitions of underwhelming players such as Ben Francisco, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells, and too many at-bats ultimately for lightweights such as David Adams, Reid Brignac and Luis Cruz. 

It was “The Day After Tomorrow” as age, lack of emphasis on the bench and a woeful farm system finally caught up with the Yankees, leading to a playoff-less season.

Well, “The Day After Tomorrow 2” is in pre-production."

Why the Yankees let this guy into their facility is beyond me.  I mean, yes, Sherman's doing his job and he has the right to criticize all he wants. I mean, even us fans know that the idea of some of these guys on our payroll is "rolling the dice", like a Jacoby Ellsbury for instance, but what Sherman is failing to understand is "What happens if we didn't do anything?" or better yet, "Who else is out there?"  I don't mind criticism if you write about the Yanks and their "bad moves" as he's suggesting, but here's an idea, if you criticize, have a suggestion on what you would have done better. I mean, there is never a good suggestion box when it comes to Sherman. He just spews out annoying columns to get Yankee fans riled up... and for what? To sell papers? Stop already.

(In Photo: Zoilo Almonte)
We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have offered our own backup plans, like slowly sprinkle the kids in. Slowly bring up guys like Tyler Austin or Zoilo Almonte and get them prepped for the Bigs.  But Sherman even slams the Yankees minor league system writing:

"... the farm system still isn’t ready to help much, the depth remains iffy and the frontline is brittle enough to suggest the Yankees are going to need way more than 15 really good players, even if the plague doesn’t hit again to cause the need for 56."

You know what Joel? That's what the minors leagues is for... let the kids develop and you know what, every once in a while you throw a kid a bone.   Look at the Core Four. Look at Bernie Williams, All started out slow and all developed into superstars over time.  But that's what we need... time, not criticism every time we open your column bro.

And in the future, make a solid suggestion. What's your plan... these guys that you wrote about?

"...they were outbid on Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante, and tried hard to acquire Logan Forsythe from the Padres, who was instead dealt to Tampa."

Hmm. It seems like those suggestions are like 2013 all over again. It also seems like you're contradicting yourself.  Plus, are we really gonna give a guy like Peralta a shot? He's dabbled in PEDs just like Alex Rodriguez. You know, the guy you rip for being a liar?  What's the difference between Jhonny and Alex? 

Sure Omar makes sense, but it was clear the Yankees wanted cheaper and so they went Brian Roberts.  After all, they were saving what they could to get Masahiro Tanaka at that point. Look, what's to say Omar doesn't get hurt this season? What's to say Brian Roberts doesn't have a great season? We don't know. The Yanks made moves based on what they thought was right.

Here's a good idea for your next column... Write about what you would have done if you were the Yankees and don't give me guys that have already been signed... really think!  It appears that what the Yankees did was pretty significant this off-season, many of us believe that. And while the future doesn't look bright in the minor leagues as you suggest... don't tell those kids that, because they don't believe it for 1 second.   I know them... they want it more than anyone, they just want a chance.

Dear Yankees... ignore the haters... go win in 2014!

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THE YANKEES MAY BE GOING AFTER BARNEY...

Because Omar Infante was signed by the Kansas City Royals the other day, (read WHO'S ON SECOND? INFANTE? I DON'T KNOW... THIRD BASE), There was an interesting Tweet that came from Bruce Levine of MLB.  He wrote:

Yankees interest in Cubs Darwin Barney may pick up . (Royals sign Omar Infante) teams talked earlier.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 14, 2013

That's right Darwin Barney. Not Barney Miller, not Barney Rubble or Barney the Dinosaur... Darwin Barney.  Many of you don't know who Darwin Barney is, which is why I made that immature joke. 

(In Photo: Darwin Barney)
Darwin Barney is a 28 year old Cub who's been with the team since 2010.  He's a second baseman and shortstop.  He's a career .246 hitter, with 16 homers and 130 RBIs.  In 2013, he hit .208.  Defensively, he's good though.  Then again, Brendan Ryan is great defensively, why are we even considering Barney? Maybe Barney Miller IS a better option. 

(In Photo: Mark Ellis)
And aren't there other options out there, maybe even free agent options like Mark Ellis that are available to play second? I mean, we spent a ton on McCann and Ellsbury and then we just stopped, even refusing to give Infante a fourth year. All I'm saying is, Levine can speculate all he wants, but the last thing I want is another infielder that can't hit. 

 

(In Photo: Darwin Barney)

Look, no one said Robinson Cano would be easy to replace, but the options aren't exactly extraordinary, you know what I mean?

Go have breakfast... we'll give you an update later.

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WHO'S ON SECOND? INFANTE? I DON'T KNOW... THIRD BASE

I wanted to tell you all that the Yankees, who were very interested in signing Omar Infante to replace Robinson Cano at second base, have lost out to the Kansas City Royals.

I'm not kidding.

Buster Olney of ESPN says:

Infante and the Royals have agreed to terms on that four-year deal mentioned before.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 13, 2013

That's right. It's a 4 year deal worth about $30 million. The Yankees didn't want to go 4 years. So now what?

Hold on, my phones ringing... it's the Yankees... I'm getting my glove out of the closet...while I'm negotiating my contract... watch this classic.



Later BYB freaks!

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE GAP BETWEEN THE YANKEES & CANO...

Let's just say it's "substantial."

Above is a picture of Evel Knievel's son Robbie jumping the Grand Canyon.  I was always a fan of Evel Knievel as a kid. I had all the Knievel toys and the toys never did the tricks the way the commercials made them look.


It didn't matter, he was a dare devil, and after a while you just threw the plastic thing with spokets away and rolled the motorcycle off the side of the hill and into traffic just to see if it still landed on the wheels.  It was Evel freaking Knievel dammit.

But enough about my demented childhood.  I read about the Yankees and their meeting with Robinson Cano today and how the seperation between too parties is quite signficant. There is a major gap between with what Cano wants and what the Yankees are willing to give. AND, there is no question that Cano is running out of time in New York.  As soon as I read about the "gap", my mind brought me to Evel Knievel... I'm weird.

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News writes this on Twitter today:

Yankees met Tuesday with Cano's agents, according to a source. Official familiar with talks said: "The gap is still very substantial."
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) November 26, 2013

Now, what does it mean? Well, it goes back to the 10 year, $310 million that Jay-Z and his group keep whispering in Robbie's ear and the $168 million, 7 year deal that the Yankees are willing to pay. Randy Levine made it clear. Robinson Cano won't budge.  Interesting, but it's business.

What makes this more baffling is that if you think about it, this could be simple. If Cano just signs, that's it, we move on.  If he waits, the Yankees will continue to sign other players, be it Carlos Beltran, Masahiro Tanaka, Hiroki Kuroda and who knows who else.  You want to light a fire under Cano's ass? We should sign Omar Infante. That would not only make Robinson Cano a non-issue, it would send a signal, "You had your chance... and you blew it." Another pop culture reference... Robert DeNiro in Copland...



Where else are you going to get Yankee news and laugh alittle... I ask you, WHERE?

I could do this all day...

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FIRST INFANTE, NOW BRANDON PHILLIPS

I never take these stories too seriously, especially when it comes from Heyman.  Now, don't get me wrong, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com gets alot right, but when it comes to the mild chaos of whether or not Robinson Cano will re-sign in Yankeeland, any story involving a player the Yankees are looking at at second base makes it seem like there's about to be a change in that position. Bottom line, we don't know, and we shouldn't panic.  I did find the idea interesting though...

Heyman writes: "The Yankees, looking to set themselves up in case star second baseman Robinson Cano signs elsewhere, have checked in with the Reds regarding Brandon Phillips and also asked about free-agent second baseman Omar Infante.

Phillips is said to be available in the right trade, but word is, the initial price is way too steep."

And that's the key to the whole piece that makes it a non-story.  The "price is way too steep."  Sure, the idea that the Yanks asked about Phillips is interesting... but there's nothing more to it in my opinion.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share... that is all.

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INFANTE TO THE YANKEES?

Free agency is setting in, and now is the time to worry about free-agent gem, Robinson Cano. As of Monday afternoon, the Yankees have extended a qualifying offer to Cano. It is no secret that the Yankees want him back in pinstripes. It is also no secret that Cano made an outlandish request for a10-year contract worth $300 million. And nobody, absolutely no one, is above the team.

A qualifying offer is a 1-year deal for $14.1 million. Cano has until November 11th to decide if he will take the offer. It seems logical, however that he will turn it down. He can easily earn more than that on the open market. Cano will than be free to either work a contract out with the Yankees or sign elsewhere. Ideally, he would sign with the Yankees, but what happens if he doesn't? The Yankees really don't have anyone else to take the star second baseman's place. Our farm system is pretty good, but not yet ready for the majors. Brian Cashman will have to look outside to get some talent to fill the void. Enter Omar Infante.

Infante had a .318 avg over 118 games. He was out for some time due to an ankle injury. He is by no means the player that Cano is. So why is Cashman looking into him? Well there are a few reasons. He is considered to be the second best free agent second baseman on the market. The Tigers did not make him a qualifying offer, so he is free to explore the market. He also wouldn't cost the Yankees anywhere near what Cano will. As I already mentioned, Cano asked for an obscene amount of money. Everyone involved with the Yankees brass, and even a great number of fans can agree that no one, not even Cano, is worth that kind of contract. It is too big a risk.

The hope is that the Yankees can talk Cano, and his agents into a contract that would be mutually beneficial to both parties. I would even risk it to say a 7 or 8-year contract. I absolutely want Cano to get paid his worth, but I do not want the Yankees stuck with other ridiculous contract. If they cannot come to common ground, then we are left with no one to man the position.

It's smart of Cashman to be looking for talent. Even if it is just touching base with agents, and making a few inquiries about players here and there. Too many off seasons the Yankees have spent chasing one player, in hopes that he would be our savor, only to be left with scraps because that player went elsewhere. Remember how Cliff Lee jilted us? Placing all of our proverbial eggs in a single basket, has never worked out well for us. Who knows? Maybe we will go after Infante, maybe we won't. But it is always better well prepared, than left in the dust.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804




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REFLECTING ON BAD CALLS & MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

I started thinking... I do that. I reflect on stuff that doesn't matter.  Why doesn't it matter? Well, because it doesn't change a thing.  All I do is think about it and it drives me nuts, because it's amplified when the Yankees are absolutely lifeless at the plate.  I am hating every minute of this ALCS.  Derek Jeter going down killed my passion for this game and while I loved the Ichiro Suzuki, Raul Ibanez comeback in Game 1, you have to realize that this team of 25 is just plain flat and it's killing me softly.   But again... that got me thinking about bad calls and missed opportunities. The Yankees got robbed this past weekend in the Bronx.  There were 2 plays, both involved Robinson Cano and both could have given the Yankees and extra shot in the ALCS if either one went New York's way.

The first one is world famous. Cano tagged Omar Infante out, yet the umpires called him safe. Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you the Yankees would have won the first 2 games in the ALCS if that call was different.  I will tell you 2 things though; That play at second base with called correctly could have definitely changed momentum. What it does is bring confidence to a sluggish Yankee team and maybe, just maybe the Tigers don't score Infante then with the next hit.  Baseball's a crazy game sometimes.  Sometimes the slightest call makes things happen...after all it sure did for the Tigers after that.

That second play involving Robinson Cano was when he was called out beating out a single. He was safe, even the TBS guys said so, but the umps called him out.  My only thinking was, if Cano got on, does he come around to score? Does Cano feel alittle better about himself? Does the team start to pick it up? Who really knows, but I'll tell you this; Cano may have felt better about his ridiculous slump and maybe that's the turning point for him.

Look, I hate looking back trying to change the course of history in my mind, I feel like Biff in Back to the Future, because the reality is, it doesn't matter.  The Umps drives me nuts though, this season especially.  I remember that stupid call against the Orioles in September involving Mark Teixeira.

The point is they're all frustrating, but in the playoffs, it eats away at me because it's a short season.  Sometimes if it wasn't for those meddling umpires trying so hard to get the call right, maybe instead having instant replay would help. Sure, it may take a few extra minutes to check to see if the calls right or wrong, but consider this; If they used instant replay and got the call right, the same amount of time screening the play would be used more wisely than having Joe Girardi running out and arguing the call anyway! See what I mean?  If the world knows Omar Infante was out, he was out. After all, this is 2012, technology is all around, this isn't the 1960's, unless you're Craig Sager.... Come on!

Yeah, now I'm just rambling and the bottom line, if the Yankees lose the ALCS, it's not because of those 2 bad calls, it will be because the Yankees can't hit on the biggest stage all year... that's the biggest problem right now. I mean look at them with Justin Verlander last night.  All I'm asking is Could the right call changed the momentum for this Yankees team?  Hey, I guess we'll never really know, but it's damn interesting to think about.

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YANKEES MUST PUSH ON; JETER UPDATE

The Yankees will have to do their best without Derek Jeter today in the Bronx.  Official word from the Yankees is that Jeter is not with the team and will travel to North Carolina to a specialist, Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte to see if in fact there is something further going on with that fractured ankle and whether or not surgery is needed, read HERE. He will not travel to Detroit with the Yankees. That being said, it's clear that Jeter will not be playing the rest of this season, that we know and it sucks. 

The Yankees need to push forward without him and believe me, they have it in them, but they need to start hitting like their life depended on it.  Just to keep you in the loop... in their first at bats today,  Robinson Cano grounded out, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson both struck out and Nick Swisher hit a liner to second that was bobbled by Omar Infante.  The worst part of that? Swisher stopped running and then had to "giddy up" to beat the throw. 

He did, but the inning ended shortly after.  Bottom line, no hustle. Nothing but going through the motions and it's disgusting. These 4 guys need to pick it up or they'll be blasted out of the Bronx this off season.  Trust me, they're on the radar. This video still is of Nick Swisher after he made it to first...

Hey Swish, stop the freaking smiling and start working... we're running out of time.

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THE YANKEES BITE IT IN DETROIT

The Yankees faced a daunting task in the series opener against the Detroit Tigers.  The Tigers came in red hot, having won their last eight games at Comerica Park, plus Detroit was 22-11 in their last 33 games overall.  To compound the problem for New York, they were facing Tiger ace, Justin Verlander.  Verlander came into the game with some impressive numbers of his own.  His ERA stood at 2.63 and his WHIP was a meager 0.98.  Equally impressive, Verlander had yielded an opponents batting average of only .201 on the season.

Verlander started the game with a strong effort, yielding only three Yankee hits in the first four innings.  He seemed comfortable throwing 92-95 mph on his fastball.  Evidently Joe Girardi thought Verlander was also getting some help from home plate umpire Tony Randazzo.  In the middle of the third inning, Girardi went jaw to jaw with Randazzo after Raul Ibanez and Russell Martin had questioned the umpire's strike calling during their respective at bats.  Meanwhile, Yankee starter Ivan Nova was a bit shaky through four, having allowed two solo home runs, the first to Prince Fielder in the 3rd inning and then a 454-foot monster shot off the bat of Miguel Cabrera in the fourth.

 

Trailing 2-0 entering the fifth inning, the Yankees mounted a rally against Verlander.  Eric Chavez led off the inning with a double to left field.  Following strikeouts by Ichiro Suzuki and Russell Martin, Curtis Granderson reached first courtesy of a Verlander error.  The Yankees made Verlander pay for his transgression with back to back RBI singles from Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano to tie the game at 2-2.  Verlander rallied to strike out  Mark Teixeira to end the inning.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Nova allowed five consecutive Detroit hits to start the inning.  The Tigers put up three runs as Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta scored on hits by Omar Infante and Austin Jackson.  The third run scored on a sacrifice fly by Andy Dirks.  The inning could have been even worse but lead-off hitter Delmon Young who singled to start the inning was erased by Martin and Jeter on a caught stealing.  The Tigers still led 5-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, but Nova imploded again by allowing three more hits in succession to Brennan Boesch, Delmon Young and Alex Avila.  Boesch scored on Avila's hit and Nova was out of the game with the Yankees down 6-2.

 

 

Joba Chamberlain relieved Nova, immediately yielded a hit to Peralta, and the Yankees were down 7-2 and appeared to be finished going to the seventh.  All seven runs were charged to Nova who lasted only 68 pitches into the game.  By the seventh inning, Verlander had upped the velocity on his fastball, throwing 98 mph on his 107th pitch of the game.

 

Justin Verlander made sure the Yankees were done by pitching eight strong innings, throwing 132 pitches (96 for strikes), and striking out 14 Yankee hitters. Verlander's fastball topped out at 100 mph on his 130th pitch of the evening.  He struck out Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and Ichiro Suzuki three times each for nine of his 14 strikeouts.  Ichiro was also held hitless in the game and his Yankee hitting streak ends on a night that was totally dominated by Verlander's performance. 

 

Jose Valverde closed the night for Detroit by retiring the Yanks in order in the ninth inning.  Otherwise, Verlander's effort allowed the tired Detroit bullpen a night of rest.  The only Yankee bright spot was Eric Chavez who had two doubles and single off Verlander.

 

The sad final on Monday night was Detroit 7 - New York 2.     

 

 

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

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