What a difference a day makes

Yank fans go from cheers to jeers about slumping Sluggers

To Fears for Injured Jeter

By Howard  Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 14- After each successfully completing five-game series to win the ALDS, the Yankees and Tigers engaged in the opener of the ALCS on Saturday night. As in the previous post-season play this year, the starting pitchers on both clubs dominated the hitters.  

Veteran Andy Pettitte, one of only six major leaguers in history to play in the post-season when younger than 24 and older than 40, did his usual impressive job. In only one inning did he allow more than one runner to reach base.

The sixth frame was the one in which the first runs of the game were scored. Austin Jackson, a former Yankee prospect, tripled to lead off the inning. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally. The gambit did not work as singles by the next two Detroit batters, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young each knocked in a run.

Pettitte left the game after 6.2 innings having given up those two runs and seven hits.

Two more runs were scored by Detroit in the eighth off reliever Derek Lowe. The first was on a home run by Delmon Young.

Doug Fister, the winner of the final game over the Yankees in the 2011 ALDS, blanked the Yanks in 6.1 innings. He surrendered six hits and walked three batters, but none resulted in a run.

In the first, second and sixth innings, the Yanks threatened, left the bases loaded, but could not score. Fister walked three in the first, but Alex Rodriguez ended the inning with a ground out. Three Yankees, Russell Martin, Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki, singled, but the inning concluded as Robinson Cano grounded out. An error, a double by Raúl Ibañez and a walk to Nick Swisher filled the sacks in the sixth, but Curtis Granderson and Martin fanned to end the frame.

Game #1 was the first post-season game in the lengthy history of the franchise that the Yankees left the bases loaded three times in a single game.

Fister was removed after 6.1 innings having given up six hits and four walks, but most importantly, no runs.

The relief corps did not have the same success as the starters. Detroit closer Jose Valverde failed to close out the contest in the ninth. Two home runs tied the score. Martin singled and was driven in by a homer to right by Suzuki. The veteran from Japan was the batting star of the Yanks with four by hits. With two out, Mark Teixeira drew a walk and scored on a two-run homer by the usual suspect as hero Raúl Ibañez.

The score remained knotted until the twelfth. With David Phelps on the bump, Cabrera walked to begin the frame, but three other Tigers hit successfully to score two runs.

The loss of the game was not the worst loss the Yanks suffered in the game. Jeter fielded a ground ball by Jhonny Peralta, fell, rolled over and could not rise to his feet without assistance.

Manager Joe Girardi told a hushed group of reporters, “His [left] ankle is fractured. He’s out. He will not play for us anymore this year. They’re talking about a three month recovery period. It will not threaten his career. It’s a pretty emotional jolt.”

How much will the loss of the Yankee captain hinder the chances of the Yanks to win four of the next six contests. If they do not obtain those victories, the Yanks will be the losers of the three post-season series played between the two clubs since 2006.

Hiroki Kuroda, on three days of rest, will start the second game for the Yanks and righty Anibal Sanchez will start for Detroit.

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HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Bring on the Tigers

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 13- There is one difference for the New York Yankees when they open the best of seven American League Championship Series tonight in the Bronx- CC Sabathia, who pitched the complete game division series win Friday night against Baltimore, won’t start the opening game.

And for the Yankees, who advanced to their 15^th ALCS, Sabathia is a key if the series should go the full route. Because not having Sabathia pitch game one against Detroit means it’s probable the Yankees ace will get two starts instead of a possible three.

However, this is Sabathia, and these are the Yankees. Anything is possible after a remarkable and low scoring series with the Orioles.

“He’s our ace,” said manager Joe Girardi about the complete game and 8/2-3 innings that won game one of the Baltimore series.  “That’s the bottom line. He’s done an unbelievable job since coming here. But that was vintage CC.”

Girardi said there was no question about Sabathia clinching and completing the deciding game. “He was going. It was his game,” he said. So many times we have heard Girardi refer to his ace that way, even when Sabathia struggled at times during the season.

Ask the Yankees. They know how valuable Sabathia is. After game one in Baltimore there were no signs of fatigue. Friday night it was the same. He became the second Yankee to throw a complete game in a ALDS game, the first being David Wells, and 17/2 innings tossed surpassed David Cone in a division series.

“He usually gets better as the game goes along and he has a way of stepping it up. I have a ton of confidence in CC even when I knew he was going through his struggles. I knew he would get it right. I felt good about sending him out there.”

Girardi was referring to the eighth inning. The Orioles had their opportunity with the bases loaded. It was Sabathia’s fourth straight quality outing, the last two why New York moves on and Baltimore goes away now until April.

There are no days off in between series, and no pitching rotation has been set by Girardi for the Tigers. Just Andy Pettitte for game one and the game two start Sunday night in the Bronx will be announced by Girardi Friday afternoon. Confidence with Pettitte who has won more post season games for a pitcher, coming out of retirement to be where the Yankees are now

Sabathia will probably get a start in game four, with the travel and off day Monday. But the way Sabathia threw the ball in the two games against Baltimore, the feeling is he could go sooner.

“I was trying to back up a little bit and tried to be aggressive with fastballs and that didn’t work,” commented Sabathia about the only inning where tension was evident in the Bronx at the Stadium.

He said about the deciding game on the mound, “Right now this ranks at the top. Pitching a game like, this having a chance to win a championship every year, the organization puts together, that’s, all you can ask for with a team.”

“It’s what I came here for. It’s what I play the game for. Getting the ball for saving the season whether its game one or game 15. I feel I have to win every game. I go out, put pressure on myself to perform well. I expect it.”

The Orioles never went away. Girardi, still feeling the effects on the passing of his father did not field many questions about what is next. The Tigers have their ace also, Justin Verlander, who also won’t be available for game one.

“It seems like when you manage the New York Yankees every series is like managing the World Series,” he said. But he has Sabathia, a difference whether it is the first game, the middle one, or the last.

Sabathia said, there is a long way to go, and he looks for three or four more starts this post season. There could be one more, pending how far this Yankees team will advance with the World Series one step away.

They have CC Sabathia, and to them getting to and winning the World Series is what it is about.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring 786@aol.com

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Do or Die

Yanks need to Beat Birds After Yesterday’s Marathon Loss

 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 11- The close competition between the Orioles and the Yankees continued on Thursday night. In a 13-inning encounter that lasted four hours and 31, minutes, the pitching of the Birds held the Yanks in check. Each club now has two victories. The winner of Friday night’s contest will move to the ALCS and the season of the loser will end.

The pitchers of each team, especially the relief corps, were in command throughout the game. Zeroes were posted on the scoreboard in 23 of the 26 half-innings. Each squad only managed to obtain multiple hits, 2, once during the lengthy game,

Both starters, lefty Joe Saunders for the O’s and righty Phil Hughes for the Yanks, only gave up one run during their stints on the mound. As has been the weakness for Hughes all year, he gave up a four bagger that scored the only run off him. On a 1-2 pitch, left fielder Nate McLouth hit a hanging slider into right field to lead off the fifth. After the homer, Hughes struck out the side to end the frame. Hughes gave up four hits and three walks in 6.2 innings, but the home run put up the only score off Hughes.

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi complimented his starter, “With the exception of a few [2] lead-off walks, he threw an outstanding game.”

Despite only being 2-2 after four games, Yankees starters have been effective. The four starters have compiled an excellent 2.35 ERA.

Girardi spoke of the outstanding pitchers of both teams during the first four games, “You’re seeing some real good pitching in these four games with the exception of one inning. It’s really been difficult to come up with hits.”

Saunders, also, gave up a single run. The Yankees scored a run in the top of the sixth on a ground ball out by Robinson Cano. Derek Jeter led off the inning with a double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ichiro Suzuki. Mark Teixeira waked before Cano’s run scoring ground out to second.

The Yanks had another opportunity in the eight as Suzuki and Teixeira led off the inning with singles. They remained stranded on base as the next three batters were retired. The Yanks failed to hit successfully with runners in scoring position in nine attempts during the contest.

The final run of the game, in the Baltimore 13^th, came on two doubles off rookie David Phelps. Another rookie, Manny Machado, doubled to lead-off. With one out, J. J. Hardy doubled over Suzuki’s head in left to score Machado. Hardy commented, “We had a lot of opportunities. It was nice to come through.”

The 2012 percentages came through again for the Orioles. The have won 17 of 20 extra-inning games and 31 of 41 one-run contests.

The Yankees ace, C.C. Sabathia, will start in the final game of the ALDS. Jadon hammel will strat for Baltimore. They were the starters in game one.

 

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BOMBS AWAY!

Ibañez Homers Inch Yanks Closer to WS

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 11- Game 3 of the ALDS was a classic. The definition of the word for this story is taken from the 2012 book written by managerial great Tony La Russa, “The game has to have serious stakes. The competition between the two teams has to be both fierce and equal. The performances of individual players have to be of extremely high caliber. The outcome should be in jeopardy until the final moments. The action has to arrest your attention because of the brilliant, the surprising, or the unique nature of the performances or the personalities.”

The closeness in the competition between the Yanks and Orioles continued at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night when the ALDS shifted from Baltimore to the Bronx. The two clubs split 18 contests during the regular 2012 season. The teams also split the first two games of the ALDS.

Wednesday night’s contest featured an old fashioned pitchers’ duel between Miguel Gonxzalez of Baltimore and Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The rookie hurler for the O’s pitched with confidence and poise for seven innings. Only five batters reached base, all with base hits. His control was outstanding. Seventy percent of his pitches were strikes. No Yankee batter drew a walk, but Gonzalez fanned eight. The only Yankee run off him came in the third frame. Russell Martin doubled and scored on a triple by Derek Jeter.

Although his first appearance in the majors was May 29, Wednesday was his third start at Yankee Stadium. He earned a win in each of his previous outings in the Bronx on July 30 and August 31. He pitched a total of 13.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs for an ERA of 2.63.

Before the game, O’s manager Buck Showalter said of the 28 year old, “The guy does so many things that give himself a chance to be successful…We’re real proud of him.”

Kuroda accomplished what would normally result in a win. He pitched 8.1 innings, a mark he reached only twice in 33 previous starts this season. He also only gave up five hits, but two were crucial, a first pitch solo homer by Ryan Flaherty in the third and a solo first pitch home run by Mario Machado in the fifth. The two rookies showed no fear of playing in the postseason in Yankee Stadium.

In the pre-game press conference, Joe Girardi commented on the native of Japan, “I feel good about him on the mound because I’ve seen what he’s done all year for us.”

The Yanks tied the contest at two with one out in the ninth. Girardi removed the designated hitter, Alex Rodriguez, for pinch hitter Raúl Ibañez. The New York native parked the baseball in the right field seats to electrify the sell-out crowd of 50,497.

After the game, Girardi explained the decision that reporters called a genius move, “It’s a tough move. I just had a gut feeling about a left-hander who’s a low ball hitter. Raúl came up with some clutch hits; he’s been doing it all year. Sometimes you have to do what your gut tells you.”

The game ended in a most spectacular fashion as Ibañez led off the 12th with a walk-off home run. The unbelievable event prompted Yankee starter Kuroda to say, “It seemed like it was something out of cartoon.”

Ibañez whose wife gave birth earlier in the month remarked humbly, “I’m a very blessed man. I have a healthy baby boy; my wife is healthy.” Of the two home runs, he explained, “I was just trying to get a good pitch. I was not trying to do too much. Fortunately, it worked out.”

In game 4, Phil Hughes will start for New York against lefthander Joe Saunders, who was announced as the starter by Showalter in a post-game press conference. If the Yanks win on Thursday they will advance to the ALCS.

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Bring on the Rings?

At the end the Yankees seem to have it all together as they await the next step

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 5- The Texas Rangers or the Baltimore Orioles are awaiting the New York Yankees Sunday night as the new wild card format this season has the lower seed teams hosting the higher seed in the divisional series. But, the Yankees don’t care where they go, or who they play.

Momentum has become a major player the last month or weeks of the baseball season. The Yankees have that right now, so similar to what the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals had in 2010, and last year. Their late season surges continued right to a World Series championship.

And, as every baseball or sports fan knows, a New York Yankees season is not complete, or a success, unless they bring a World Series trophy back to the Bronx. They finished with the best record in the American League, decided when they clinched their second straight division title Wednesday night with a sweep over the Boston Red Sox.

Home field advantage for the first two rounds of the post season goes to the Yankees with a 95-67 finish, second best in baseball to the Washington Nationals. Though sweeping the lowly Boston Red Sox to finish off, and scoring 14-runs in their final game, don’t make that a barometer that they will dominate from here on in.

This was the Red Sox. Not the Rangers, Athletics, Tigers, or the Orioles where pitching, with perhaps the exception of the Rangers collapse, won them games this time of year. The Yankees inconsistency of their pitching staff could be their obstacle as to getting a 28^th championship.

“Now the real season starts,” commented Derek Jeter, the Yankees captain who knows something about the meaning of October baseball with five World Series rings.

So, with a September that was one to remember, the Yankees had to fight to the end with Baltimore. The 27-time world champions are confident. Yes, momentum is on their side as the pitching and hitting have come together, as well as a healthy compliment of players off the disabled list.

The season of adversity, one key pitcher or starting player hindered by injuries hurt the Yankees as they struggled and surrendered a 10-game AL east divisional lead to the Orioles.

“This year we had to fight, scratch and claw,” said Nick Swisher who had his struggles and finished with a strong September.

The Yankees at one time or another this season, and Girardi utilized what he could from the roster, saw different players at third, first, in the outfield, at DH, and on the mound.

The losses of pitchers CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, and other role players, for a short or extended period of time had an impact but they overcame the adversity.

That also included losing all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera, with a freak season ending injury in the outfield shagging fly balls prior to a game at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City. Rafael Sorinao stepped in the closer role, and overall with 42 saves but had the tendency to throw the home run ball in the late going.

Gardner is back and could be on the post season roster, but getting on base and speed came when the Yankees acquired the able Ichiro Suzuki in the second half. Robinson Cano struggled, and the final three weeks the all-star second baseman had the highest hitting percentage in baseball.

The last seven years, New York has won the World Series once, so the obvious dynasty in baseball is a thing of the past with parity an obvious part of the game. However, as was the case with the Giants and Cardinals, pitching wins games this time of year.

“To have the best record and not know where you’re going is strange,” says Yankees manager Joe Girardi. They probably would prefer the Orioles. They split the 18-games between them and scored more runs. The Rangers, though struggling, know how to handle this time of year.

And when it comes to the Yankees and Rangers in October, Girardi is aware that Texas has come up short the last two years in failing to win the World Series, but the Yankees have never done well at the ballpark in Arlington in October baseball games.

The tentative starting rotation in the best- of- five opening round will be Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Pettitte, and Phil Hughes. It looks good, though Hughes has been ineffective in his last three starts and gives up the home run ball. Hughes getting the ball in a game three or four could be detrimental.

“The fact we struggled, we overcame the adversity, I am proud we are at this point,” says Girardi. Driving in the timely run has been the inconsistency and striking out to much, and Curtis Granderson had a team high in strike outs when he was not hitting the home run ball.

Just about every position player is liable to hit the ball out of the park. The Yankees finished 2012 with a club record in round trippers. But we saw something the past few weeks that started to develop.

The Yankees played small ball with the bunt, steal, and that produced some run production that helped them win some close games on the road. They finished four games over .500 away from the Bronx.

The team works out at Yankee Stadium early Friday evening and will watch the wild card game between the Orioles and Rangers. From the Bronx they will have the bags packed and ready to begin the next journey.

The new season begin Sunday evening. The quest with momentum is to bring championship number 28 to the Bronx in a few weeks.

E-Mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com/ Facebook.com/Keep it in the Ring

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It Never Gets Old!

Yanks Clinch AL East

Once Again Head into Playoffs

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 4- With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, the giant scoreboard in Yankee Stadium displayed the final score of the 4-1 victory of the Rays over the Orioles. The Baltimore loss gave the A.L. East crown to the New York Yankees. The crowd of 47, 393 erupted in cheers, the standing ovation was followed by the chant of “Let’s Go Yankees”.

The excitement was augmented at 10:34 when Freddy Garcia struck out Ivan de Jesus to end a game in which the Yankees crushed the Boston Red Sox, 14-2 in their final game of the 2012 regular season.

Robinson Cano continued his extra torrid hitting during the final contest of the season. He went 4 for 4 with a walk in five trips to the plate. Cano drove in six runs to lead his team to victory, two on his 32^rd homer of the season on the first pitch he saw in the third, two more on the first pitch to him in the fifth, and an added two on a single in the sixth. The multi-hit game was the ninth straight for the second sacker. During those games, Cano hit safely 24 times in 39 at bats for a phenomenal .615 batting average. 

C.C. Sabathia said of Cano’s recent hitting, “Unbelievable, when he’s riding, he’s the best hitter in baseball.”

The Yankees leading home run hitter also belted two four baggers in the game. In his first trip to the plate in the third, Curtis Granderson hit the first pitch into the right field stands to score three runs. His 43^rd homer of the year came on a full-count pitch to lead-off the five run seventh. Although Grandy set a Yankees strike out record with 195, he led the club in runs batted in with 106. The honest and articulate outfielder said of being called a home run hitter, “Not at all, I just got lucky.” He also remarked, “There’s always room for improvement, no matter what your season was.”

The four home runs gave the Yanks 245 for a franchise record, breaking their previous single season high of 244. The club set a major league mark by hitting homers in 131 games during one season.

Cano and Granderson were not the only contributors to the pennant win. Yankees captain Derek Jeter’s single in the sixth raised to 34 the number of consecutive games in which he has reached base. The Yankee skipper praised his captain, “He’s exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s truly remarkable. It’s one of the greatest seasons I’ve ever seen.”

Starter Hiroki Kuroda also did his part in the Yankees win. He earned his 16^th win of the season by hurling seven innings in which he yielded seven hits and two runs.

The Yanks will begin the ALDS on the road in either Maryland or Texas on Sunday facing the winner of the Wild Card playoff on Friday night between the Orioles and the Rangers. The Yankee brass must now decide on the composition of their postseason roster and starting rotation. They will have home field advantage in all American League games as they finished the season with the best won/loss mark in the league. This was the ninth time since 1998 that New York has had the best record in the A.L.

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