Wild Pitch Helps Win Series

Another wild finish helps the bombers separate themselves in the wild card chase.

It’s rare enough to win because of a wild pitch once, the yankees have now done it twice in a week.

Down 5-2 in the 8th, the the Orioles woke up and said no, we will not go down quietly.

David huff was relieved by David Robertson, who came in for the second straight day after missing 5 with a sore shoulder. Huff went 3 innings in relief of starter Phil Hughes who lasted just 3 himself after allowing just 1 run.

The yankees setup was tested quick, surrendering what looked like a quick solo shot to Manny Machado. But what turned into a homer saving highlight reel catch by Alfonso Soriano. Not known for his defense, Soriano continues to impress in the bombers. Then Roberson rebounded by getting out the major league leader in homers out swinging. But after that he ran into trouble. Adam jones and Markakis both got on, so with two on for Danny Valencia, who’s hit they yankees hard all year, did it again. A game tying 3 run shot, handing Robertson the blown save. It was 5-5 after 8.

But in the top of the 9th, closer Jim Johnson couldn’t hold the yankees down. Newly acquired Brendan Ryan singled to lead off. Chris Stewart than reached on a throwing error by Johnson. Curtis Granderson laid down a sac bunt. Then a wild pitch with Alex Rodriguez up scored Ryan from 3rd for the go-ahead run. Rodriguez was intentionally walked and Soriano grounded into a double play to end the inning. But the damage was done.

Mariano Rivera shut down the O’s in the bottom half for his 6th win. He wasn’t credited with the save because of a rule that allowed the official scorer to say robertson was to ineffective to earn a win. It was the 43-year-old’s 4th appearance in 5 nights.

Mark Reynolds got the yankees on the board early with a 2-run shot, his second homer of the series. Vernon Wells made the score 4-0 with a 2-run single. Granderson also hit a solo shot for the second night in a row to make the score 5-1.

The win pushed the o’s to 2.5 back in the wild card chase and gives New York a 1.5 game cushion over them. The Indians won so they remain a .5 game behind the yankees. No ground gained on Tampa who won the finally over Boston, keeping their cushion at 1 game, 2 in the loss column.

The Red Sox are up next. And the Yankees might be without their lead off man. Brett Gardner left the game in the first with a strained left oblique, sustained on a check-swing. He’ll have an MRI in New York today. Be prepared for the news of yet another season-ending injury. The yankees do have some depth in the outfield, with Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki able to play center, and Vernon wells can play all 3 positions as well. Zoilo Almonte is also back up, which helps too.

The Yankees haven’t been able to solve the Sox much this year, but they’ve got three guys capable of giving them good starts going. Hiroki Kuroda gets the ball first, with CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova on the weekend. They must do no worse than win the series, and hope for help from Twins who play the Rays.

The Bombers Flex Their Muscles Again

In a must win for both teams on Patriot Day, the Yankees flexed their muscles to take their second straight by the final of 5-4.

One team had 11 hits, the other 6.  Just by that, you’d think the first team won. Well, you’d be wrong.  Both starters gave their teams length with Andy Pettitte throwing a season high 109 pitches, going 6.1 innings of 3 run ball. But he seemingly had someone on every inning, allowing 9 hits.  This while   The O’s Scott Feldman followed up a complete game shutout with 7.2 solid innings of just 3 hit, 3 run ball.

Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez both went deep, with Granderson marking his territory in Eutaw Street on an absolute bomb in the 5th.

David Robertson was back after 5 days off with a sore shoulder.  The Yankees setup man allowed two runners on, but hung up a zero in the 8th, and would pick up the win.  Lefty specialist Boone Logan remains out with a sore left arm.  The pen’s been overworked all year, so it’s no surprised they’re banged up here in mid-September.

Tied 3-3 in the 9th, Robinson Cano picked up his 100th RBI in style, with a go-ahead solo shot to lead off the inning. Granderson then hit his first triple of the season, and was driven in on an infield single by Lyle Overbay, giving them a 2-run lead.

Baltimore made things interesting, but Mariano Rivera held them off in the 9th for his 43rd save of the year.

David Huff was scheduled to start the finale of the 4-game set.  But Joe Girardi announced postgame that Phil Hughes will get the start because of his “experience level.”  Huff made just one start in place of the demoted Hughes, a poor outing against the Red Sox.

The win means another day of gaining on everyone ahead of them in the Wild Card chase, as the Indians, Rangers and Rays all lost again.  What does it mean?  Well, the Yankees have leaped over the O’s and Indians once again, and are just a 1 game back of the Rays for the second Wild Card spot, and 3 back for the top spot held by Texas.

September baseball is fun isn’t it?

Loss to O’s Makes Wild Card Chase Harder

A series opening loss in Baltimore wasnt what the Yankees wanted or needed, but that’s what they got.

CC Sabathia was given a quick 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a solo homer by Alex Rodriguez, who batted 2nd for the first time since 2006. But Sabathia gave it right back in the bottom half on an Adam Jones sac fly. Sabathia was better than he’s been, going 7.1 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, but Orioles starter Chris Tillman was better.

Tillman went 7-plus innings allowing 2 runs (Lyle Overbay added a solo homer in the 8th) for his 16th win. Rodriguez had two of the yankees five hits, and the lineup struck out 12 times against orioles pitching.

Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and Manny Machado all drove in runs for the O’s. And Jim Johnson came in and recorded his 43rd save of the year to preserve the 4-2 victory.

The loss pushed the yankees to a game and a half back of Baltimore and 3 full out of the wild card. To make matters worse, the Indians won again, and New York has no games left against Cleveland.

Game 2 pits Ivan Nova who looks to rebound from his worst outing in months against the Red Sox, against Miguel Gonzalez who the yanks finally knocked around last time around.

Five Run 5th Inning Saves CC, Yankees

CC Sabathia has his offense and the pen to thank for his 12th win of the season.

The veteran lefty was cruising along and had a 2-1 lead thanks to Alfonso Soriano’s 12th homer of August. In the 5th, the wheels came off. With one swing, the light hitting Danny Valencia sent one over the wall and put the Baltimore Orioles up 3-2. They’d tack on another to take a 4-2 lead.

In he past, a lead for Sabathia meant good things. But this year, not so much. But this isn’t the first half Yankees offense anymore. 4 straight extra base hits to open the inning, including a two-run shot by Ichiro Suzuki, gave them back the lead for good. The offensive outburst is nothing new of late, but to get it off notorious Yankee killer Miguel Gonzalez right after CC blew the lead, was huge.

Sabathia was sent back out for the 6th, but was pulled after allowing a 5th run.

Robinson Cano was back in the lineup after missing Wednesdays finale in Toronto with a left hand contusion. The lefty second baseman showed no ill-effects, going 2-3 with 2RBIs and 2 runs scored.

David Robertson and Mariano Rivera did what they do best, and the Yankees picked up a pivotal 8-5 win, to move within a .5 game of Baltimore in the wildcard hunt.

Adding to the good feelings, Cleveland fell to Detroit, pulling them even record wise with the Indians. It actually puts them ahead in the standings because the yanks owning the season series. Oakland and Tampa, who each hold a wild card spot, are facing off on this weekend. This means that the bombers ensure themselves of gaining on one of them with the win (in this case it was Tampa, as the A’s picked up the win and took over the top wildcard spot).

Ivan Nova gets the ball in game two, looking to continue his recent hot stretch. The 26-year-old hasn’t loss since late July. Scott Feldman toes the rubber for Baltimore.

Make or Break Homestand Awaits the Yankees

A 2-4 road-trip was the last thing the Yankees needed as they make a late season playoff push.  But that’s exactly what they got this past week from stops in Tampa Bay and Toronto.  New York entered the series 12-1 on the year against the Blue Jays, but floundered as teams ahead of them continued to win.

The series loss to Toronto was particularly hard, as the bombers saw a 3rd straight rough outing from Hiroki Kuroda.  Kuroda, who has been the Yankees most consistent starter all year, is now just 1-4, with an 8.10 ERA in the month of August.   This after a dominant July (3-0, 0.55 ERA).

After being as close as 3.5 games in the Wildcard, the 2-4 trip put them 5.5 back heading into a crucial 10-game homestand against the Orioles, White Sox and 4 against the Red Sox.  The O’s and Boston are teams they’re chasing in the division and Wildcard, while the White Sox swept the Yanks last month in Chicago.

New York got some help on their off-day, with losses by Boston, Oakland and Cleveland.  Baltimore is the closest foe in the standings that they play (none left with the Indians, though the Yankees hold the tiebreaker should it come to that), so a big series for the bombers would leapfrog them past the birds.  And by big series, I mean sweep.   2 out of 3 obviously helps but as the calendar flips to September, games are at a premium.  If you’re the Yankees, a 9-1, 8-2 record would go a long way to keeping them in the hunt.  Going anything less than 7-3 might just put a nail in the injury plagued, inconsistent 2013 season.

So the Yankees turn to CC Sabathia in the first game of the series.  The lefty has been anything but ace-like this season (11-11, 4.81 ERA), and the bombers desperately need him to get back to his former self this weekend against the Orioles.  Especially with Yankee killer Miguel Gonzalez on the hill for game one.  Gonzalez is 0-1 against New York this season but he has posted a 2.25 ERA in two starts at Yankee Stadium.

Probables for Saturday: BAL Scott Feldman (4-3, 4.56 ERA) vs NYY Ivan Nova (7-4, 3.14 ERA)

Probables for Sunday: BAL TBA vs NYY Andy Pettitte (10-9, 4.05 ERA)

Baltimore is of course fighting for a place in October, and hold a 7-5 edge in the season series.

*** Injury Notes:

Eduardo Nunez, who suffered a knee sprain in Tuesdays win, had an MRI, and they came back negative.

Robinson Cano, who also suffered a left hand contusion Tuesday is expected to play Friday night after missing Wednesdays finale in Toronto.