The New York Yankees were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays tonight by a score of 6-5. Even worse than the fact that it was their sixth straight loss, AJ Burnett blew a great start with a bad inning and Kyle Farnsworth got the save for the Rays.
Don't Reach, Ben - AP
The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers by a score of 6-3 tonight. AJ Burnett earned the loss as he pitched well early, but late he turned out to get shelled.
Chavez Leaves Injured - Greg Shamus / Getty Images
The New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers tonight by a score of 5-3. Bartolo Colon went seven strong innings and outdueled Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander as Mariano Rivera picked up the save. With the win, the Yankees move to 17-9 on the year and 2-0 in the month of May.
Brett the Jet is Back? - Greg Shamus / Getty Images
On a night where the Yankees scored 12 runs, it seems a little odd that they didn’t register their first hit until the fifth inning. However, as John Sterling always says ‘Welp, you can’t predict baseball Suzyn!’, you really can’t predict baseball. Brett Gardner’s fifth inning solo home run was the first hit (third run for the Bombers) that essentially opened the flood gates as the Yankees scored ten runs over the last four innings. Nick Swisher was 0 for his last 19 entering tonight, but went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. CC Sabathia got the start and picked up his second win of the season, tossing seven runs of three run ball (all of which were unearned). With the win, the Yankees move to 14-8 on the season and split their four-game set with the White Sox.
The Chicago White Sox shut down the New York Yankees as the Sox were victorious by a score of 2-0. AJ Burnett pitched great but was unable to muster any run support. With the loss, the Yankees move to 12-7 on the season.
AJ Fires One in There (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Did I just get out of a time machine because the ‘Blast From The Past’ signings keep happening for the Yankees. Last night, the Yankees agreed to minor league deals with Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard. Again, these are not-guaranteed roster invites so these two veterans will compete with Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez for two backup infield roles. Pena and Nunez can both play shortstop so they have a slight edge over the vets.
Eric Chavez is no longer the smooth fielding, power-hitting stud from the A’s. The 33-year-old has only played in 64 games over the past three seasons. He has dealt with back, elbow, and shoulder injuries. Chavez’s last big season came all the way back in 2005 when he hit 27 home runs and drove in 101 runs. The Yankees basically assume zero risk by inviting Chavez to camp. Chavez will earn $825,000 if he makes the team as a backup corner infielder.
In addition to Chavez, the Yankees invited Ronnie Belliard to camp. Last season, the 35-year-old infielder posted a line of .216/.295/.327 with two homers in 185 plate appearances. Alike Chavez, if Belliard makes varsity, he’ll earn $825,000. Belliard spent time at first, second, and third base last season for the Dodgers.
The Yankees assume virtually no risk by inviting these players to camp. If they don’t perform well, the team will just cut ties and move forward. Same goes for the pitchers. A little competition never hurt anyone.
If this was 2003, the Yankees would have the most fearsome team in the history of baseball.
This is the very first edition of the NYSOS mailbag. I got a decent amount of e-mails, so make sure you keep sending them every week. (Nysos10@gmail.com). Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see your question. Re-send it and I’ll get to it next week.
Anyway, on to this week’s edition of the mailbag. I selected three questions (all Yankee based) and my Super Bowl prediction, so let’s not waste anymore time…
After losing out on this off-season’s biggest fish (he who shall not be named), the Yankees are left scrambling to add two more starters to their 2011 rotation. Andy Pettitte is nothing more than a question mark at this time and the Yankees really cannot bank on 200+ innings from Ivan Nova (nor should they). What if the Yankees went knocking on Seattle’s door and wanted to work out a trade for the 2010 AL Cy Young award winner, Felix Hernandez? Would selling the farm be worth it for a 24-year-old ace who has 71 career wins and a 3.20 career ERA? Would Seattle even be open to the idea? Let’s explore.
The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 7-3. Although Ivan Nova started the game, Kerry Wood got the win with 1.2 innings of hitless relief. With the win, the Yankees move to 84-5o on the year and now have a two game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Brett Gardner sneaks past former Yankee catcher Jose Molina - AP
The New York Yankees couldn’t figure out Brett Cecil and ran out of innings against the Toronto bullpen and lost the game tonight by a score of 6-3. Phil Hughes lacked command and took his sixth loss of the year. With the loss, the Yankees drop to 78-49 on the season and are still tied for first in the AL East with a Tampa Bay loss.
Only in Boston will you find a player with a glove on his hand that isn't a pitcher getting ejected for arguing balls and strikes. - AP
