Like they did the night before, the Yankees fell behind the Orioles 2-0 early and fought their way back to take a 3-2 lead. However, the A.J. Burnett couldn't hold the O's there and the offense couldn't come up with a timely hit as the innings wore on.
It probably didn't help that Alex Rodriguez was pulled from the game before he even had a chance to come to the plate. Eariler, Alex felt a cramp and/or some stiffness in his groin - the same thing that sidelined him last weekend against Toronto - but thought he could work through it in warm ups. During the bottom of the first, Adam Jones hit a two out ground ball that A-Rod said he should have fielded "10 times out of 10", but his groin "locked up" on him and the ball rolled past and into left field, allowing Miguel Tejada to score the O's second run.
Alex had warned Ramiro Pena prior to the start of the game that he wasn't feeling 100% and told him to be ready to come in. Nino got his chance in the top of the second and led off the frame batting clean up.
The Yankees offensive problems extended well beyond Pena batting in the heart of the order, though. The line up already had Chad Moeller and Marcus Thames in it and they were facing a good, young pitcher with whom they were unfamiliar. As I mentioned in yesterday's preview, Jake Arrieta has been all but unhittable in the minors so far this year. He brought that ability with him in his Major League debut, holding the Yanks to just 4 hits over six innings. He did walk four but two of them were distributed intentionally in the crucial sixth inning.
During the bottom of the fifth, the Orioles tied the game on a homer by Scott Moore, but Mark Teixiera brought the Yanks right back by leading off the sixth with a double. Ramiro Pena came to the plate and executed what Ken Singleton (whose birthday it was) pointed out on the broadcast was probably the first sacrifice executed out of the clean up slot all year for the Yanks. Juan Samuel had Arrieta put Cano on base, creating the potential for a double play with Jorge Posada coming up. The O's didn't get the DP they wanted but Jorge flew out to shallow center, not deep enough to bring in the run.
Although he obviously wasn't going to go on the play, Mark Teixeira executed a good enough fake to draw the throw. When Adam Jones unloaded the ball, Robinson Cano took off for second. On his way there, Ty Wigginton made a great play to cut off the throw and fired to second base. It looked like Cano might have been out, but he was ruled safe, making an intentional walk of the lefty Curtis Granderson to bring up the righty Marcus Thames the obvious move. Arrieta struck him out on four pitches, three of which were breaking balls down and away.
In the bottom half of the six, Luke Scott "tripled" on high fly ball that brought Nick Swisher all the way back to the scoreboard in left. Swish tracked it, made a leaping effort and thought he made the catch but didn't and momentarily lost track of the ball when it landed. Adam Jones struck again in the next at bat, slashing a double to right center, adding his second RBI of the game and giving the Orioles the lead.
The Yanks worked three walks in the last three innings, but that was it. Their 10 game winning streak over the Orioles came to an end and A.J. Burnett took the first loss of his career at Camden Yards. The Yanks still won the series, however and head home to face Houston tonight as Andy Pettitte squares off against Brett Meyers.
Good morning Fackers. I'm still getting myself back up to speed here, but I suppose, that like the majority of the Yankees roster at present, I'm day-to-day. Hope you all had a good Memorial Day Weekend. Mine wasn't too bad. In fact, if I were a Yankees minor league prospect and I was assigned to Charleston, I think I might intentionally tank in hopes of repeating the level and spending another year there. Let's get caught up on the past several days with some news, notes, and links:
As we mentioned in last night's preview, Jorge Posada was not activated in time for last night's game, despite being eligible to come off the DL and having run and taken BP without incident over the past few days. Rumor is he'll be activated in time for tonight's contest.
Posada's return likely means the end of Chad Moeller's tenure with the club, at least for the time being. However, Posada has yet to catch, which is likely to be the most strenuous activity as it relates to the fracture in his foot. It's also rumored that Posada may ease his way back into the lineup as a DH. It's not entirely out of the question that the team might keep Moeller around for a few more days, but with just a four man bench I can't see the team carrying three catchers right now.
In other roster news, Cleveland has claimed pitcher Shane Lindsay off waivers from the Yankees. Lindsay was claimed from Colorado just two weeks ago, but was promptly DFA'd to make room when Chad Gaudin was signed last week. Interestingly enough, Cleveland passed on an opportunity to claim Lindsay when he was waived earlier this month, but thought better of it this time around. The tall Australian spent the entirety of his brief Yankee career in Extended Spring Training, trying to improve upon his career 6.1 BB/9.
Speaking of relievers with control problems, former Yankee Brian Bruney, late of the Nationals, has signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee. Bruney handed out 20 free passes in just 17.2 innings of work this year.
Meanwhile, the Yankees may soon be stocking another arm in their minor league system. On Monday, reliever Kanekoa Texeira was designated for assignment by Seattle. Texeira was a Rule 5 pick from the Yankees system this past off-season. Seattle now has ten days to trade, waive, or release Texeira. Any team that picks him up inherits the Rule 5 requirement of keeping him on the 25 man roster for the remainder of the year. If he happens to clear waivers, Seattle must offer him back to the Yankees for $25k, half of the initial Rule 5 purchase price. The Yankees would not be required to carry him on either the 40 or 25 man rosters. As Mike Axisa at RAB noted, it never hurts to have depth, so I'm sure the club would taken him back if given the chance.
If he were to return, Texeira would likely be assigned to Scranton, who faced the great Stephen Strasburg over the weekend, and handed the phenom his first professional loss. Catcher Rene Rivera hit the first home run surrendered by the top pick in last year's draft. Rivera's job is likely in jeopardy when Posada is activated and Moeller goes back down, but at the very least he has a good story to tell for the rest of his days.
Scranton is getting somewhat healthy again as well, as outfielder/first baseman David Winfree and outfield Colin Curtis both returned over the weekend after missing time with injuries. As we noted last week, Curtis had been playing good ball prior to spraining his ankle and Brian Cashman stated that he would have been under consideration for a promotion had he not been injured. As we approach the one third mark of the season and the club begins to evaluate their roster needs for the remainder of the year, including looking for "versatile outfield bats", don't be surprised to see Curtis get a look before the trade deadline.
We're a few days late on this one, but weekend contributor Steve H, of Mystique and Aura, had a good post at RAB on Saturday, pointing out that handing a Major League job to Kevin Russo right now may hurt his development long term. At some point we may see Colin Curtis replace Russo so he can continue to develop as a supersub at the AAA level.
On Friday, Scranton lost a player, as pitcher Amauri Sanit was suspended for 50 games. The diminutive 30 year old Cuban tested positive for Mephentermine and had posted an 8.69 ERA through 19.2 IP this year.
In AA Trenton, slugger Jorge Vazquez made his 2010 debut last night. The 28 year old corner infielder was part of the Yankees haul out of the Mexican League in recent years, joining Alfredo Aceves and Ramiro Pena as useful pieces plucked from south of the border. He hit 13 home runs in just 225 at bats last year, but had missed the entirety of this season following an appendectomy. Fellow appendix-less prospect Manny Banuelos has yet to return action this year.
Deserved or not, it's a pretty cool nickname, and one that Shields is doing his damndest to grow into. He was the top starter on Tampa Bay's 2008 pennant winning team, got the win in the first post-season game in Tampa Bay history, and threw five shutout innings in Game Two of the 2008 World Series, the first, and thus far only World Series game ever won by the Rays.
Shields took a small step back in 2009, seeing increases in his ERA, FIP, as well as jumps in his BABIP, walk and home run rates. Still it's splitting hairs. Despite a sub-.500 record, he was still worth 4.1 WAR, his xFIP was right in line with what he'd done in previous years, and he led Tampa Bay pitchers in innings for the third consecutive season, finishing in the top ten in the AL for third straight year.
He's off to an outstanding start this year, leading the AL in strikeouts and K:BB. There are a handful is statistical anomalies in his overall line: his HR rate has jumped up, but his walk rate is down, his strand rate is up, but he has an insanely high BABIP. All in all, they balance out as his ERA (3.00), FIP (3.45), and xFIP (2.94) all seem to indicate a pitcher who's quietly become amongst the twenty or so best in the game over the past three plus years. He may not have fully earned his "Big Game James" nickname just yet, but if Shields keeps pitching this way the Rays will be playing in plenty of big stage games in which he can prove his mettle.
Shields will be opposed by a pitcher who lacks the Big Game nickname, but certainly has the Big Game reputation. Through fifteen Major League seasons, Andy Pettitte has appeared in the post-season twelve times. Though his 3.90 ERA through 40 post-season starts doesn't stand out as overwhelmingly ace-like, he's won twice as many as he's lost (18-9), and his big game reputation extends from his 1-0 Game Five masterpiece against Atlanta in his second season, to winning the clincher in all three rounds of the 2009 post-season. Yes, he's tossed a clunker or two along the way, but when the stakes are highest, you'd be hard-pressed to find another pitcher Yankee fans would rather have on the mound.
Tonight's contest isn't exactly a Big Game, but a typically solid Pettitte performance would go a long way towards calming the nerves of a suddenly on edge fan base. The Yankees suffered bullpen meltdowns in three straight games to start the week, then followed that up with their worst overall performance of the season last night. They're a Jonathan Papelbon implosion away from having lost four straight against three teams who figure to have a good a chance to be playing when the Big Games come along in October.
Compounding matters is the seemingly never-ending string of injuries that adds to the-sky-is-falling sentiment that's starting to crop up. Pettitte himself was part of the leading edge of those injuries, exiting his May 5th start after five innings due to tightness in his elbow. He was skipped next time through the rotation, contributing to some of the pitching staff woes from which the club is just now emerging. He returned to the mound last Saturday, tossing 6.1 shutout innings during the last game in which the Yankee bullpen allowed fewer than four runs. Pettitte's strong performance in that game did much to quell concerns about him having lingering elbow issues. A similar performance tonight will go along way towards talking some fans back from the ledge and reminding folks that all is not lost after a rough patch in May.
So we'll see two Big Game pitchers take to the hill tonight. Much like Thunderdome, only one of them can emerge victorious. Will it be the wily veteran or the up-and-comer? Just remember, if the Yanks can't bury Big Game James tonight, a five game deficit with four and a half months to go isn't the end of the world.
So Mr. Big, you'd better watch out Don't you come hanging around Because for you, I will dig A great big hole in the ground
[Song Notes: "Mr. Big" was initially recorded by Free in 1970, but Gov't Mule immediately made it part of their repertoire upon forming in 1994. And while Free is a fine band, I'm not choosing them over the Mule. YouTube has several excellent Mule versions of this tune, including one featuring Chris Robinson and Marc Ford of the Black Crowes during their joint tour in 1996. That tour took place in the fall, and that performance took place in Atlanta. The same time and place that Andy Pettitte established his big game reputation.
The video above is of better quality than the one featuring Robinson and Ford, but is of the same vintage, coming from Martyrs in Chicago on 6/7/96, one day after Andy Pettitte threw a one run complete game gem against the Blue Jays in the Bronx. It features the late, great Allen Woody on bass - the above video that is, not the complete game.
Lastly, the cheesy pop rock band Mr. Big also covered this tune, and presumably took their name from the song as well. I'll be damned if I ever embed a Mr. Big video here, but I bring this up if only to mention that 17 years later I still can't believe that my buddy Arty got the out-of-his-league Becky to slow dance with him to Mr. Big's "To Be With You" at the junior high Halloween Dance. But I digress.]
-Lineups-
Yankees: First, the roster moves. Jorge Posada has been placed on the DL. Kevin Russo has been recalled to take his place. Nick Johnson has been shifted to the 60 day DL, opening a spot on the 40 man roster. Chad Moeller's contract was purchased from Scranton, thereby placing him in that open 40 man spot. Mark Melancon was optioned back to Scranton, and Moeller was recalled to take his place. In terms of roles Moeller is clearly replacing Posada, but because Kevin Russo hasn't been down for ten days yet, he can only be recalled in place of a DL'd player. As such, he is technically taking Posada's spot on the roster, with the Melancon/Moeller move happening independently. Meanwhile, Boone Logan lives another day.
Russo is a bit of interesting choice as he isn't a pure outfielder, but he's seen a lot of action there in Scranton recently, with four appearances in center field and one in both corners. As the nagging injuries heal up though, the need for a strict outfielder will diminish and Russo's versatility will be an asset heading into interleague games in NL parks.
The lineup is currently on hold thanks to Nick Swisher. He is expected to play tonight, but Joe Girardi wants to watch him take BP before penciling him in officially. Nick Swisher returns to the lineup. I wouldn't call 6 through 9 formidable, but it's far better than what we've seen for the past three games.
Please note tonight's game is on MY9, not YES
Jeter SS Gardner CF Teixeira 1B Rodriguez 3B Cano 2B Swisher RF Miranda DH Cervelli C Winn LF
Good morning Fackers. As we mentioned in last night's recap, Jorge Posada's MRI revealed a hairline fracture on the bottom of his right foot. He's expected to be out three to four weeks, though in typical Posada fashion, he said he'll be back sooner than that.
In some ways, his upcoming DL stint could be a blessing in disguise. While the last thing the Yankees need right now is another injury, the soon to be 39 year old Posada hasn't been healthy in three weeks. Nagging injuries to his knee, calf, and foot, have kept him out of the starting lineup for 11 of the past 20 games. He's only started seven games behind the plate in that time. Placing him on the DL for at least the next two weeks should allow him the time he needs to heal up. But obviously, this will necessitate some additional roster shuffling.
Let me throw some cold water on two of the hotter suggestions that will be bandied about today. As much as we'd like to see either top prospect, neither Jesus Montero nor Austin Romine will be brought up to take Posada's place. Neither is Big League ready. Both need to be playing, and catching, everyday as a critical part of their development right now. It would be a disservice to either to call them up; they aren't ready. Montero has struggled a bit offensively this year, for the first time in his career, and is just now starting to come out of his slump. Romine has been hitting very well at AA, but recently missed several games behind the plate due to a period of dead arm. Patience. We'll see them soon enough.
Who we will see is veteran catcher Chad Moeller. Moeller was released by Baltimore at the end of Spring Training, and the Yankees quickly grabbed him up for this express purpose: to serve as the veteran emergency catcher at AAA. Moeller is currently not on the 40 man roster, which is full, so room will have to be made for him. Nick Johnson will likely be transferred from the 15 day to the 60 day DL to open a spot.
Moeller had a brush with the Yankees in 2008, joining the club when Posada went down with a shoulder injury, then being pulled from team once Ivan Rodriguez was acquired at the trade deadline. Moeller had little impact on the roster during that time; he'll try to take a bite out of the competition this time around and give the team something to chew on. (Ok, that's enough teeth jokes from me. I wouldn't want Rick Reilly to accuse me of stealing his schtick).
The Moeller for Posada swap likely won't be the only move made today. The Yankee bench has been woefully short the past two nights, due to Posada's injury, Nick Swisher's nagging biceps problem, and the 13 man pitching staff. With Marcus Thames adding his name to the list of the walking wounded last night, another outfielder will be needed. Low men on the bullpen totem pole Boone Logan and Mark Melancon soaked up all the necessary relief innings last night, and Sergio Mitre now has had three days rest following his Sunday spot start. As such, the bullpen should be sufficiently fortified and rested moving forward, allowing a return to a more manageable 12 man staff.
With Posada heading to the DL, the Yankees have the option of recalling Greg Golson, who was sent down Tuesday. Since he'd be replacing a DL'd player the ten day demotion requirement would be waived. The same applies to Kevin Russo, who was demoted last Thursday, and has been playing all over the field since heading back to Scranton. And as we mentioned yesterday, it appears that Scranton has been prepping outfielder/first baseman Chad Huffman, hitting .274/.344/.460 on the season and .317/.457/.548 over his last ten games, for a potential recall.
So it appears we'll see a series of roster moves today. Nick Johnson will be transfered to the 60 day DL so that Chad Moeller can be added to the 40 man roster. Jorge Posada will be placed on the 15 day DL, and one of Golson, Russo, or Huffman will be recalled to take his place. And the extra pitcher, either Boone Logan or Mark Melancon, will be optioned back to Scranton allowing for Moeller's recall. We'll update you on the finalized roster moves in today's preview.
We're still about four hours away from the first pitch of game one of this weekend's series, but New York has already notched is first victory over Boston on the weekend. This morning, the annual media game was held at Fenway, with the New York writers laying a 20-3 beatdown on Boston.
Congrats go out to LoHud's Chad Jennings, the offensive star of the morning with a two run inside-the-park homer. The New York Times' Tyler Kepner hurled the first five innings, then Bryan Hoch of yankees.com/MLB Advanced Media played the role of Mo with a scoreless final frame. Friend of the blog Marc Carig had the hardest hit ball of the day, but flashed only warning track power. I've yet to see any reports on how old friend Peter Abraham did after pulling his reverse-Johnny Damon last year.
Kepner was the Times beat writer through last season, but was promoted to national columnist after shortstop Jack Curry took a buyout and joined the YES Network. No word on whether Boston will protest Kepner's eligibility.
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More links? Why not?
According to this tweet and this grainy photo, David Ortiz was grilling for students at my alma mater earlier today. I'm dubious about the picture, but if anyone should know when something is totally cooked, it's gotta be Big Papi, amIright?
After touching on the same topic twice already today, let's go for three. RAB passes along that AAA Scranton has activated catcher P.J. Pilittere, possibly indicating that Chad Moeller could be on his way up. Or since Posada is out taking earlier BP, maybe he's fine.
AAA Scranton has a game in Norfolk this afternoon, and after a look at the lineups, you can pretty much disregard everything I said this morning. Chad Moeller is behind the plate in that game, so there's virtually no chance he'll be in the Bronx tonight.
Jesus Montero is not in the lineup today, but I wouldn't read too much into it. This likely a routine day off; he's hasn't had one in a week. (Insert joke about Jesus resting on the seventh day). Besides, there's virtually no chance that the organization wants to start Montero's arbitration and free agency at this point, particularly when he's struggled a bit through his first month at AAA.
Also of note is that usual center fielder Greg Golson is not in today's lineup. Perhaps he may be recalled after all. I don't know the specifics of Posada's situation right now, but I'd think having a third catcher around is more important than having a fifth outfielder around over the next few days.
Lastly, with Golson out of the lineup and Colin Curtis on the DL, Kevin Russo gets his first career start in center field. A second baseman by trade, Russo and fellow infielders Reegie Corona and Eduardo Nunez have rotated through the three infield spots this year. Russo made seven outfield appearances in 2008, but this is his first action in center. His presence there today could be nothing at all, or it could be part of turning him into a super utility player. He carries a .290/.371/.419 line on the young season, including a scorching .368/.400/.605 over his last ten games. If he continues swinging the bat well and is capable of playing all over the diamond, Russo could offer a compelling option to give the big club's bench a little more flexibility.
Good morning Fackers. Last night, Jorge Posada's MRI revealed a minor calf strain. (Note: That is not Posada's actual MRI. We don't condone HIPAA violations here) He is day-to-day; just like you and me. Given this latest bump to go with last week's bruise, the Yankees will likely want another catcher around until Jorge is back to one hundred percent.
As such, I would expect the team will continue to go with just four outfielders for the time being. Rather than recalling Greg Golson or Chad Huffman, as had been rumored, the Yankees will likely add a third catcher when they send out their current eighth reliever.
Posada and Francisco Cervelli are the only catchers currently on the 40 man roster, so a series of moves will be required. Here's what to expect:
Mark Melancon will likely be optioned down. Boone Logan, and to a far lesser extent David Robertson, are also candidates.
Initially, Christian Garcia will be recalled. Garcia underwent his second Tommy John surgery last month and is out for the entirety of 2010. He'll immediately be placed on the 60 day disabled list, which will remove him from the currently full 40 man roster.
Chad Moeller, who spent part of 2008 with the Yankees and is currently Jesus Montero's back up in Scranton, will have his contract purchased, adding him to the 40 man. He'll then be recalled to fill the roster spot vacated by Melancon/Garcia.
One other thing to consider regarding Posada's leg ailments: when he suffered the initial knee bruise last Wednesday, Baseball Prospectus' injury expert, Will Carroll, passed along the following, cautioning that Posada's injury could be a nagging one, and potentially cause subsequent problems:
Ben Wolf, a smart guy you'll be hearing from in the near future in this space, points out something about Posada getting hit by a pitch Wednesday that hadn't occurred to me: "Was reading your latest column and saw that Posada was hit in the fibular head (I had just read knee in the general news). Even if there isn't a fracture, there's a risk of the injury being more of a long-term problem if he ends up with any restriction in the superior tibiofibular joint, especially considering the demands of a catcher squatting on the knee (including that joint specifically I think), not to mention any mechanistic problems he could have running."
Last night's calf problem could just be coincidental, but it bears watching as the next several weeks unfold. The Yankees had to suffer through the majority of a season without Posada the last time Moeller was around. It's not an experience they, or any of us, want to repeat.
Tomorrow may be Easter, but I'm feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve knowing that Opening Day is just one sleep away. Here are some news, notes, and links on the one year anniversary of the first game ever played at the new Yankee Stadium. I had great seats for that game, my father, brothers and I were in the second row on the field level, directly behind the left field foul pole. Cody Ransom rang a dinger off that pole later in the game; sadly that was the high water mark of his 2009 season. Still, I'll never forget walking onto the concourse and getting my first glimpse of the new Stadium.
As we mentioned earlier, the Yankees have essentially finalized their roster, and it's no different than what we thought a week and a half ago. Marcus Thames was officially added the 40 man roster this morning, and Boone Logan was optioned to AAA. All the players who have been nursing injuries: Posada, Cervelli, Aceves, Marte, and Johnson, should be ready to go tomorrow night.
Also, as we mentioned earlier, the Yankees signed Chad Moeller to a minor league deal. Moeller lost out on the back up job in Baltimore and asked for his release rather than go to the minors. He's not as good offensively as Mike Rivera, but he has the reputation of a solid defender. He should be a good mentor to Jesus Montero. I'm hopeful that Moeller's contract does not include the opt out clause that many veteran players get on minor league deals. I think it's important the club have a good mentor for Montero all year, as well as a viable emergency option should Posada or Cervelli get injured.
The Yankees added another player to the Scranton roster today, when they acquired Robby Hammock. Chad Jennings reported it as a free agent signing, but The Times Pat Borzi says Hammock was acquired via a trade with Colorado for a player to be named later. Hammock has 180 games of Major League experience over five seasons, but none since 2008. He's capable of playing behind the plate and at the infield and outfield corners. He's reportedly ticketed for Scranton, where Jorge Vazquez will start the season on the DL.
With the addition of Hammock, Scranton's roster is jam packed with guys who should be playing nearly everyday. Juan Miranda will be the first baseman, but Vazquez will see some time there as well. Kevin Russo, Reegie Corona, and Eduardo Nunez will make up the remainder of the infield, and they should be rotating through the positions to increase their versatility as utility options. But Vazquez and Hammock will also presumably see time at third. In the outfield, Colin Curtis, Jon Weber, Greg Golson, Reid Gorecki, and David Winfree all figure to be on the roster, and Russo may also see time in the corners. Monetro and Moeller will be the catchers, and P.J. Pilittere may also see time behind the plate.
The Yankees have officially lost both their Rule Five picks. Kanekoa Texeira used an impressive spring to win a spot in the Mariners' bullpen. The Diamondbacks waived lefty Zach Kroenke, but he went unclaimed and accepted an assignment to AAA in exchange for keeping his spot on the 40 man roster. By right, the Yankees could have brought him back for $25K once he cleared waivers, but as a two time Rule 5 pick Kroenke had the right to declare free agency if that happened. By going unclaimed on waivers and keeping a 40 man spot with the Dbacks, he likely got the best possible deal for himself.
Jack Curry of the YES Network has a story on Andy Pettitte in which Pettitte drops some more retirement hits. Nothing to see here folks. Firstly, Pettitte says nothing definitive. Secondly, this is no different than anything Pettitte has said each of the last four off-seasons as he's done the Brett Favre dance. Thirdly, there's no reason to believe that it won't continue. The guy can still pitch, and if he didn't want to go out on top after winning each of the three clinching games in the 2009 post-season, there's no reason to believe that this year is any more likely to be his last than 2009 or 2008 or 2007 was. Let's wait until a few pitches are thrown first.
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