YOU WANT ENERGY? SIGN PEDRO CIRIACO

I've always appreciated Pedro Ciriaco.  When he was with the Boston Red Sox, I was jealous.  Every time he came up to the plate against us last year, he killed us.  He was energetic, lively, and talented... plus, it was clear he loved the game and respected it. 

In June, the Red Sox designated him for assignment and shortly after that, he was picked up by the San Diego Padres.  That, in turn gave him only 68 at bats and a .238 average with San Diego.  The news today is that the Padres have now designated him for assignment, read HERE.

Now if I'm the Yankees and I remember what he did to us with the Red Sox, I find a way to get this kid in pinstripes, be it temporarily or for longer. He can play shortstop and he's a pest on the basepaths as well.  In fact, I wrote about it in THE SPOILER from September.  I wrote "Pedro Ciriaco is one of the most talented underrated young athletes in baseball right now.... There is an energy in Pedro Ciriaco that I have not seen on my New York Yankees in weeks.  The Yankees continue to leave men on base, or can't hit them in and when I watch the Red Sox play, this Ciriacio kid is in every single play" 

Make the deal Yanks! Get him here and ignite a fire on the Yankees' asses... We need a run for the ages... let's do this.

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THE MAGIC OF RAUL IBANEZ

With the Yankees' magic number at two and the AL East Division championship on the line, many New York fans decided not make an emotional investment in their team on Tuesday night.  While some fans may not want to admit as much, the magnitude of the game against the Red Sox did not produce the playoff atmosphere that we have all seen in Yankee Stadium in years past in this type of situation.  There were many empty seats, as fans decided not to brave the soggy conditions in the Bronx for this huge game.  On September 27th, Michael Kay speculated that the dreary atmosphere in the Rogers Centre in Toronto was a contributing factor to the Yankees' poor performance and 6-0 loss to the Blue Jays.  Astoundingly, it seemed as if the same thing could occur at the Stadium on Tuesday night as fan interest and enthusiasm seemed much lower than usual! 

 

Although Yankee starting pitcher, David Phelps, pitched credibly, he yielded two runs in the first inning on an opening single by Jacoby Ellsbury, a double by Dustin Pedroia that drove home Ellsbury, and a sacrifice fly RBI by Cody Ross.  The Red Sox led 2-0, and for much of the game, it looked as if that would be enough to produce a Boston victory and a devastating Yankee loss.  The Yankees did manage a single run in the bottom of the second on an infield single by Curtis Granderson who was able to continue to second base thanks to a throwing error by Pedro Ciriaco.  

 

Granderson stole third and was driven home on an infield single by Eduardo Nunez.  Boston held that lead until a lead-off HR by James Loney off Rafael Soriano in the ninth gave the Sox a little breathing room and a 3-1 lead going to the bottom of the ninth.

 

The Yankees entered the bottom of the ninth without a single comeback victory when trailing after eight innings.  New York was the only MLB team without a victory in that situation during the 2012 season.  For a brief moment, it looked like the Yankees would end that ignominious situation in the bottom of the ninth.  They scored two quick runs on a lead-off single by Granderson that was immediately followed by a clutch line-shot, pinch-hit HR by Raul Ibanez.  Game tied 3-3.  Following an Ichiro ground-out, Derek Jeter doubled to left, Nick Swisher was intentionally passed, and Alex Rodriguez worked another walk to load the bases for Mark Teixeira.  Teixeira flied out weakly to center on a broken bat pop-up that was so shallow, Jeter was forced to remain at third.  Robinson Cano ended the inning with a ground ball to second for the third out.

 

Mark Teixeira was very nearly the Yankee "goat" for the game.  He was 0 for 6 on the night, but that does not tell the entire story.  In innings one and three, he batted with one out and runners at first and third.  Both times he responded with ground ball double plays (6-4-3) to kill the rally and the inning.  In the fifth, Tex batted with Swisher at first and two out, and produced yet another ground ball to short to end the inning.  He also fouled out to first in the 8th inning, and grounded out to third in the 12th, to go along with his weak fly out in the ninth that left Jeter stranded at third with the winning run.  Teixeira may have been happy about the relative sparse and unenthusiastic crowd at Yankee Stadium, because he was treated to a scattering of "boos" following his last two plate appearances. 

 

It should be noted that Rafael Soriano received similar treatment when he yielded the extra Red Sox run in the ninth inning.  Yankee fans were not in a happy mood for much of the evening!

 

With Andrew Miller on as the eighth Boston pitcher of the game in the twelfth inning, something finally broke for the Yankees.  New York could not clinch the division due to the fact that the Orioles had already defeated Tampa Bay 1-0.  Nevertheless, the Yankees could cut the magic number to one, and they did just that with two walks (Francisco Cervelli & Granderson), followed by another clutch hit from Ibanez.  

 

Raul grounded a ball to the left side that just made it into left field over a leaping Francisco Cervelli who rounded third and beat the throw home for the winning run.  Yankee fans who braved the wet conditions and who stayed for the duration were rewarded with a 4-3 victory, made all the more sweet by fan-favorite Cervelli scoring the winning run!  The Yankees retain control of their own destiny and can win the AL East title tomorrow with another victory over Boston or an Oriole loss in Tampa!

 

Tuesday's final:  New York 4  Boston 3 in 12 innings.  

 

 

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

Twitter: @yankeefrank23

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THE YANKEES' EYE ON THE PRIZE

The Division.  The Yankees want to be American League Division champions.  They don’t want to win the Wild Card.  Sure, we want to get in, but not that way.  For the fan, there is something very wrong walking around with a AL Wild Card 2012 Champions hat.  It’s wrong on so many levels. George Steinbrenner would have thrown up on himself.  It shouldn’t and it can’t happen that way.  The Yankees know this.

Thanks for Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record, here’s Derek Jeter’s quote on that “You celebrate for winning a division, referring to a champagne party for being champions, not the wild card."  I like that, that’s the Yankee way. 

I mentioned the Red Sox and their new mission, to destroy the Yankees season. I may have been wrong if you saw last night's game and you saw who Valentine put on the field, but that being said, I have never underestimated the Red Sox.  They always have that ability to play well when we least expect it.  Sure, they aren’t the team they used to be, but they have that ability to reach back and destroy other teams when we put our guard down.  Nick Swisher spoke of this saying: “Nothing could make their season more than to spoil ours.” Nailed it. And that's was I was thinking last night. Is Bobby Valentine playing games? Did he purposely put that team out there so we can pound them and then put our guard down to lose 2 in a row? I wouldn't put it past him. I also, don't believe the Yankees can lose again this season. Yet, it sits there in the back of my mind.

Look, I wrote extensively about the Red Sox this season.  I wrote THE SPOILER and how Pedro Ciriaco while a young superstar in Boston right now, doesn’t slow down for anyone. He just continues to kill the Yankees like each game against them is an ALDS. You need to be weary of that, it’s scary when that happens.  But it’s refreshing to know that 1 Red Sock can’t change fate.  The others are “all in” too, trust me.  I wrote  THE YANKEES SHOULDN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE RED SOX and I meant it, writing: "The Red Sox seem to turn it on when they play the Yankees and have for years.  That’s what makes this rivalry so damn special.  When we face each other, it really doesn’t matter what happened before we met up. What matters is that series.  The players come out of no where and just dominate!"  Think about that tonight.

So yeah, the Red Sox want to hurt us, so what do we do as Yankees? We win, like last night. We too have the ability to hit, to pitch and to win in our house of the Bronx.  The fans will be behind them, the adrenaline will be flowing and we need to keep our eye on the prize now.  Forget about what those pesky Orioles are doing.  Forget about what the Red Sox are doing.  We need to wake up, play hard and don’t stop believing in ourselves as a team.  The Yankees are the Yankees for a reason…we’re winners and this season should be no different.  Read THE CAPTAIN LEADS US for motivation.  Derek Jeter’s been our leader all year long and has done it through 5 championships too.  I have no doubt he will be there again, playing alittle harder, yelling alittle louder and leading alittle stronger as we make our final push.

We can do this guys.  Put on your Yankee hats proud tonight.  Root for our team…the New York Yankees are coming ladies and gentlemen…LET’S GO YANKEES!

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RECOGNIZING LOST "ENERGY" IS THE KEY TO TURNING YANKEES SEASON AROUND

I learned something Tuesday night watching the Yankees sluggish performance against the Red Sox.  Besides 38 year old Derek Jeter, we have a bunch of Yankees in a routine that they can't escape and routine brings robots, guys who show up the same approach to the plate, the same approach in the outfield and don't change a thing, even though they are clearly struggling.  I hate that. I don't care how long you've been in the major leagues, you still play to improve. You still play for longevity.  You still play to win the whole damn thing, but I'm not sensing that from my New York Yankees. Sure, the Yankees win once in a while, but celebrating a 13 to 3 win over Balitmore from way back on Sunday is old news. We need constant wins and it's all because the Yankees have no youthful energy...I believe that. Why you ask?  A perfect example is watching a guy like Sox kid Pedro Ciriaco.

Now let's be honest, the Red Sox and Ciriaco are playing for nothing. They have absolutely no shot at anything, except maybe beating the Blue Jays so they're not be stuck in the cellar come the last day of the season. But this piece is not about last place, it's about first place and how the Yankees may not win the division unless they open their eyes and watch a kid like Ciriaco, a kid who has more passion on a losing team then most of the Yankees combined right now. Derek Jeter is doing his best as the captain of the team, you have to admire his heart, but he can't do it alone.  Maybe all that toughness caught up with him when he tweaked something in his leg last night in Boston, read HERE.  Ichiro Suzuki may be a singles hitter these days, but at least the guys getting on base.  Now the Yanks have to hit him home.  I mean come on! You know what disappointed me? I watched Robinson Cano hit a weak grounder to second on Tuesday night and jog to first. JOG! Not sprint or run... jog. What if Dustin Pedroia bobbled it? You never know. What the hell happened to playing hard on the Yankees?  It's gone, yet Pedro Ciriaco's playing hard for nothing...not even a Wild Card spot. The difference is routine.

I've stated it before, I am so sick of the same exact ritual every night that the Yankees play.  After their "routine", it's topped off with sluggish play, lifeless bats and a games that are just out of reach or we only win by a close margin. I guess that's why that 13-3 blowout in Baltimore was so exciting, we were actually scoring runs for a change.  The trouble with Jeter is, he leads by example. I say "the trouble with" because he plays so damn hard and if the others don't follow, let's just say a tweak in the leg, like tonight, hurts. 

Now I am in not saying we have NO heart, but let's face it, the Yanks aren't playing great baseball.  That's the difference.  Jeter has been making things happen for months now but baseball has never ever been won by just 1 man. So I ask you, what the hell is going on with my New York Yankees?

I've talked to true fans, some bigger than me that have wrapped it up this season.  They have seriously packed it in, substituting football for baseball because they refuse to be heartbroken by the Yankees and the whispers of collapse.  I won't do that, but I also won't  go "all in" either lately, I'm not "in love" with my team right now. Right now, I'm the cautious fan. Bottom line, I hate where my Yankees are right now and I'm not afraid to tell you, as much faith as I have in them, there are serious problems. But let's face it,  it starts with an energy... like the energy  in that Ciriaco kid.  Ciriaco is the little engine that could.  The Yankees? They're a team with the same routine of normalcy and no energy injected in the month of September.

So, this is what it is... they either play better baseball and shake the monkey off their back or they're headed home at the end of September... I'm not willing to accept that, after all, these are my New York Yankees...we ain't quitters.

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THE SPOILER

"Pedro Ciriaco is one of the most talented underrated young athletes in baseball right now." 

-- BYB's THE YANKEES SHOULDN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE RED SOX

 

 

I'm jealous.  There is an energy in Pedro Ciriaco that I have not seen on my New York Yankees in weeks.  The Yankees continue to leave men on base, or can't hit them in and when I watch the Red Sox play, this Ciriacio kid is in every single play. Whether it be in the field, making diving catches at 3rd base, or bunting or running or scoring the winning run, like he did tonight.  The Red Sox may be in last place, but they are best buddies with the Baltimore Orioles right now and they are playing spoilers quite well.

If anything comes out of tonight's game it's this;  Energy rules, especially when a kid like Ciriaco is handed the reigns and asked to play his heart out.  The difference is he is, and the Yankees aren't.  The Yankees need to start winning against the last place teams, like the Red Sox and the second to last place teams like the Blue Jays. Those teams my friends are automatics, they must win them all or at least win their respective series.  The Rays are tough and so are the Athletics.  Bottom line, every game really counts and if guys like Pedro Ciriaco keep showing up, I have to tell you, we don't have a chance in hell.  Treat game like it's your last chance, it doesn't matter if they are in first place or last, they still play tough and so should you!

I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow is a new day.  I need my Yankees to wake up fresh and ready to roll... we have games to win Dammit, let's do it already! No one wants to crawl to the playoffs, we want to roll to them!

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A GAME THE YANKEES SHOULD HAVE WON... BUT LOST

It is the greatest rivalry in sports today. I don't care if the Red Sox are in last place and the Yankees are in first, they both still come out to play as if their lives are on the line. Okay, I actually do care, and I love it, but you get the point.

The start of the game looked promising, as starter Jon Lester did not come out of the gate on fire. Derek Jeter led off with a walk and then Nick Swisher ended his hitting drought with a double. A fielder's choice ground out by Robinson Cano scored the first run. Steve Pearce loaded the bases. However, they failed to bring in any additional runs, as Curtis Granderson popped out.

Hiroki Kuroda, who had his moments in this game, kept giving up leads. In the third inning, he gave up the 1-0 lead. Pedro Ciriaco led off with a double, and Jacoby Ellsbury singled him in to tie the game. After Ellsbury stole second, Dustin Pedroia's singled in the go-ahead run for a 2-1 lead at the time. In the end, he would strike out six and get a no-decision.

The Yankees took the lead back in the top of the sixth. Curtis Granderson got a lead off walk, Andruw Jones singled, and Jayson Nix sacrificed them over. Then Derek Jeter bounced a ball into the right field seats for a ground-rule double, bringing in both runners and giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. That would be all for Lester's night.

Not to be outdone, the Red Sox came back in the bottom half of the sixth, as Dustin Pedroia went yard on Kuroda, tying the game at 3. This has been the bane of Yankees baseball of late - the inability of the pitching staff to hold a lead. To his credit, though, he was able to get out of the inning without allowing another run.

In one of the weirdest plays we have ever seen, the Red Sox led off the bottom of the seventh with Ryan Kalish bunting over the head of Kuroda, landing in the Bermuda Triangle between Kuroda, Jeter, and Nix. Then a bunt by Pedro Ciriaco that was mishandled by Russell Martin allowed him to reach first. Facing his final batter of the night, Kuroda struck out Mike Aviles. Kuroda seemed a little upset at giving up the ball after just 94 pitches, but Boone Logan took over to face Jacoby Ellsbury. In what should have been a routine ground ball, Swisher left his position and Logan did not cover first, allowing the runner to reach.

With the bases now loaded, Joba Chamberlain came in and all of Yankees Universe held its breath. He got a grounder from Daniel Nava to Swisher who made a nice play forcing the runner at home, and then got the hot-hitting Dustin Pedroia to pop out to Derek Jeter. It was a huge moment for Joba, getting the Yankees out of a critical jam.

David Robertson came in for the eighth and shut the Sox down. The man named Houdini usually makes things too interesting for comfort before getting out of the inning. Not tonight. Robertson displayed some serious stuff as he struck out the side in the eighth. The game being tied, he came out for the ninth. Too bad that the carriage turned back into a pumpkin. After getting the lead off batter to pop out to second, he did not record a single out. Back-to-back-to-back singles brought in the winning run.

This back and forth with the Orioles is not healthy for the team. The fact that the Yankees were 1 for 12 with RISP means that this game should have been won. If they had even been 2 for 12, Rafael Soriano would have been in and he would have untucked his shirt. They need to beat last place teams and give us much of a cushion to the team as possible. There is a principle that says that in a short series, an inferior team has a better chance to win than in a long series. This applies in a pennant race too. The more chances we give the Orioles to catch us, the higher the likelihood that they will actually pass us and win the division. Even if they do not win the division, the harder we play in the last week of September the less gas we have in the tank for the playoffs. This was a tough loss.

Final Score: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

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THE YANKEES SHOULDN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE RED SOX

There is nothing better than watching the Red Sox sit in last place in the American League East. To me, that’s glorious, but I also understand that when my own team is struggling, anything and I mean ANYTHING can happen. After all, it’s baseball Suzyn, it’s baseball.

The Red Sox seem to turn it on when they play the Yankees and have for years.  That’s what makes this rivalry so damn special.  When we face each other, it really doesn’t matter what happened before we met up. What matters is that series.  The players come out of no where and just dominate!  Plus, there is always that seesaw between teams, that tug-o-war that goes late into the night.  That’s the Yankees and Red Sox, to me, that’s some of the best baseball of the season. 

The Yankees are starting to come out of their hitting slumber, courtesy of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson.  Russell Martin has showed some signs of life and for a brief moment, Mark Teixeira came back, only to get hurt again the other night in Baltimore.  There was a report that suggests Tex will miss 10 to 14 days, read HERE. I guess that's a good problem because if he was out the rest of the season, that would be a heartbreaker, but the Yankees made a smart move, resigning Steve Pearce and they’ll platoon he and Nick Swisher at first base. Is it perfect? No, but it's stable for 14 days.

Hopefully Nick Swisher’s bat wakes up.  He was on such a tear this year but lately the dude's been streaky.  We obviously want him streaking at the positive, not the negative. But back to my point…the Yankees and hitting. It’s happening ladies and gentlemen and I believe that’s a major factor over the next few weeks.  We’re only a success though if our pitching holds down the fort and gives our bats a chance to tack on runs and not play catch-up like we’ve been doing for the past 3 weeks.  We need to play like champions, bottom line.

Do I think the Yankees can win the next 3 games? No doubt in my mind, but only if we don't walk in cocky, meaning, instead of walking in thinking this is a last place Red Sox team we’re playing and “we got this”, we should instead walk in like it's the World Series, like it's a challenge, a hurdle that we must get over. To me, winning every game is important right now. Winning the series is the second part of the puzzle.  We do those things and we are in the playoffs, but we can’t just stroll in thinking the next 3 days will be a breeze, they aren’t, they’re the Red Sox… no doubt it’s a blood bath and it should be played that way.

Guys like Dustin Pedroia still lead that team of misfits.  Guys like Pedro Ciriaco is one of the most talented underrated young athletes in baseball right now.  They make things happen, we need to counter that.  We need to score early and stomp the guys that try to bring life to that team. That’s the bottom line.

So here we go. We’ve just come off an enormous win against Baltimore 13-3 and now we enter Fenway park ready to tack on more wins in what is the closing of the season…20+ more games and every game needs to be played hard.  Can we do this? Yes, I don’t think so, I know so.

#28 is coming ladies and gentlemen… I feel it, I really do.

Let's Go Yanks! The time is now!

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JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE. YANKS BEAT SOX

Despite the fact that the Red Sox are falling apart, coming in three games under .500, this was an important game to the Yankees. It felt like the home run derby in the first two innings of the game, as Franklin "Yankee Home Runs" Morales gave up three solo home runs. Nick Swisher got his first of two in the first inning, followed by Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin with back-to-back home runs to right field in the second inning. 

Later in the fifth inning, he gave up the fourth solo home run, this one to Derek Jeter. Those four brought his season total to eight home runs allowed to the Yankees.  He has only given up three to all other teams combined.

Phil Hughes had a great night, though the box score may lead you to believe otherwise. He retired the first six batters he faced before allowing the first two batters in the second to reach in the third. It was the third inning where he gave up all his runs. After a lead off base hit to Mike Aviles, he got an easy double-play grounder back to the box from Scott Podsednik. However, unable to get a good grip due to the wet conditions, Hughes threw it away and the Red Sox had men on first and third. A ground ball by Pedro Ciriaco scored from third for the Red Sox first run.  Then the real damage - a three-run home run by Dustin Pedroia - put the Red Sox on top for the time being. However, Hughes was able to settle himself down and retire 15 of the next 17 batters. He finished his outing retiring the last eight consecutive Red Sox hitters.

After Jeter tied the game with his homer in the fifth, the Yankees were able to take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After back-to-back hits by Casey McGehee and Curtis Granderson, the Red Sox went to the bullpen and Clayton Mortensen came in. Jayson Nix brought in McGehee for the go-ahead run with a short single to right field.  The Yankees were able to tack on another insurance run, when Nick Swisher got his second home run of the night. The first was from the right side, the second from the left. It was the 12th time of his career when Swisher hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.

Honorable mentions:

 

• Rafael Soriano recorded his 30th save of the season, retiring the side in order.

• Russell Martin made a fantastic catch in the second inning, fighting off the glare of the lights and the rain, catching a pop up that was lost in the sky for a few seconds.
• Mother Nature, for allowing this game to be played. Okay, you might not think this one's big, but the Yankees getting a win against their arch rivals, and avoiding a double-header make-up game in a crowded schedule is important.

So, every win against the Red Sox is important. I mean, it's the Red Sox! Also, they are in the middle of a grueling stretch of their schedule, playing against some of the best hitting in baseball. These wins mean a lot. It was also a night when the Baltimore Orioles lost to the Detroit Tigers, allowing the Yankees to extend their division lead.

Final Score: Yankees 6 - Red Sox 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon



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YANKS LOSE SERIES TO BOSTON; CIRIACO IS A PEST

It was a tough loss to the archrival Boston Red Sox, in spite of the fact that Hiroki Kuroda pitched brilliantly. He pitched into the eighth, giving up only two runs, walking one, and striking out four. His control was excellent, not throwing his 100th pitch until the eighth. Despite what you see in the box score, he pitched better than Felix Doubront did. Nevertheless, the hitting support was not there until late in the game for the Yankees.

Felix Doubront, who has been hot and cold all season, had a hot and cold night for the Red Sox. As is typical for him, he struggled with his control as he gave up five walks over 6 1/3 innings. At times, he looked strong, getting ahead in the count early and making Yankee hitters chase pitches out of the strike zone. At other times, he just could not throw a strike. Still, he kept the Yankees scoreless until the seventh.

Russell Martin showed some real clutch hitting, hitting a homer in the bottom of the seventh, and bringing the team and the crowd to life. Ichiro Suzuki followed with an infield single and a stolen base to get to second. Derek Jeter (aka Mr. Clutch) came through for a base hit to move Ichiro to third. However, that was as far as they could get in the seventh. Later in the 8th, following an Andruw Jones 2-out double, Martin hit a hard grounder up the middle for a base hit to tie the game.

After Rafael Soriano held down the Red Sox in the ninth, David Robertson put the first two men on base in the top of the 10th. Pedro Ciriaco's flair into right field brought Jarrod Saltalamacchia in for the go-ahead third run. That third run would be all the Red Sox needed. In the process, Bobby Valentine and Josh Beckett were ejected for arguing what was correctly called a strike, after Will Middlebrooks was hit by a pitch on a bunt attempt, failing to bring his bat back.

(In Photo: Pedro Ciriaco)

Andruw Jones is showing his lack of fielding range. Admittedly, I have noticed in games lately that he is not running down the line hard on grounders and fly balls. However, we really saw it in this game. Most observers agree that Ryan Sweeney's hit could have been held to a single, but for Andruw Jones' inability to get in front of it. Later in the 7th inning, a ball dropped for a hit that should have been caught, except that Jones could not get there in time. This is where the Ichiro Suzuki acquisition is going to start paying dividends.

• The Yankee infield showed a lot of skill tonight, turning four double plays, each of them taking away scoring opportunities from the Red Sox. An honorable mention goes to Jayson Nix, who started two of those double plays, and looked defensively solid at the hot corner.

• Another honorable mention goes to Raul Ibanez, who battled Boston closer Alfredo Aceves for a 9-pitch at-bat that included some very hard hit balls, but ultimately ended in a strikeout and the end of the game.

Final Score: Red Sox 3, Yankees 2 (10)

Tonight the Yanks play the Orioles. Let's turn it around guys!

 

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer




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