Hideki Matsui is our MVP in the Series 2009
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Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The New York Yankees win the World Series 2009
The New York Yankees are World Series champions for the 27th time in their illustrious history.
With Mariano Rivera, baseball's all-time master postseason closer, registering the final five outs, the Yankees held on for a 7-3 victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series on Wednesday night, claiming their first title since 2000.
The combination of designated hitter Hideki Matsui's six-RBI performance and lefty Andy Pettitte's strong work on three days' rest put New York in charge. The fans at Yankee Stadium began to sense early that the next chapter in team history was about to be written, and they were itching to hear "Enter Sandman," Rivera's entrance music.
They got their wish with one out in the eighth, after Damaso Marte got Ryan Howard to strike out swinging. Although Rivera gave up a double to Raul Ibanez, he got out of the eighth on a Pedro Feliz popout, before a 1-2-3 ninth.
With that, the Yankees set off a World Series celebration not seen in the Bronx since they swept the Braves in 1999.
What was turning into a blowout got a little tighter when Howard delivered a two-run homer off Pettitte in the sixth to cut the lead to four runs. Pettitte received a standing ovation from the crowd on his way off the field as Joba Chamberlain came in to relieve him with two outs in the sixth.
Chamberlain got Pedro Feliz to ground out to end the threat, and Pettitte's night was officially over, having allowed three earned runs on four hits while walking five. Chamberlain got the first two outs of the seventh but left two baserunners on with Chase Utley coming to the plate, bringing Marte in from the bullpen.
With Phil Hughes warming up in the 'pen, Marte got Utley out on a check swing to end the threat. Girardi said he was willing to use Rivera for two innings in Game 6, and Rivera was warming up in the bottom of the seventh before replacing Marte in the eighth.
Matsui, now 8-for-13 with eight RBIs in the series, put an early charge into the Yankee Stadium crowd by hitting a towering two-run homer inside the pole in right field to give the Yankees the first lead in the bottom of the second. He added a two-run single in the third and a two-run double in the fifth.
Matsui's assault was largely responsible for Pedro Martinez's night ending after four innings, replaced by right-hander Chad Durbin to start the bottom of the fifth.
Martinez threw 77 pitches before giving way to Durbin, finishing with four runs allowed on three hits while striking out five. The Yankees added a run off Durbin in the fifth on a Mark Teixeira single to score Derek Jeter, and J.A. Happ came on in relief with one out recorded, surrendering Matsui's double to put the Yankees ahead by six.
Early on, the stage was set for a duel of veteran pitchers Pettitte and Martinez. Matsui boosted the Yankees early with his homer, but the Phillies responded quickly in the top of the third, with Carlos Ruiz tripling and scoring on a Jimmy Rollins sacrifice fly, cutting the Yankees' lead to one run.
Yankees' lead to one run.
Matsui stretched the lead again with his two-run single with the bases loaded, outdueling Martinez a second time. In an eight-pitch at-bat in the second inning, Matsui's third homer of the series gave some early support to Pettitte, who put up zeroes in the first two innings before Ruiz's triple.
Pettitte, pitching on short rest in the postseason for the first time since 2003, kept the ball in the infield in the top of the first inning and shook off a walk to get through the second before buckling a bit in the third.
Martinez had to battle to get out of the bottom of the third, and didn't emerge unscathed. Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee hit the phone to get lefty J.A. Happ warming up in the bullpen after a one-out walk of Johnny Damon put runners at the corners, and Martinez followed by hitting Mark Teixeira with a pitch to load the bases, bringing Dubee out to the mound.
In the first World Series played to a sixth game since 2003, the Yankees took their first World Series title since a run of three in a row ended in 2000. The Phillies were trying to become the first team since the 1985 Royals to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series, one of only six such comebacks in 104 previous Fall Classics.
The teams split the two games at Yankee Stadium before the series shifted to Philadelphia, where the Yankees won Game 3 and Game 4 before the Phillies took Game 5 on Monday night.
from MLB.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A-Rod and the Yakee's go to the World Series
NEW YORK (AP)—Alex Rodriguez(notes), welcome to the World Series. The New York Yankees are back in baseball’s big event.
The sport’s top spenders finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series behind the savvy pitching of that old October pro, Andy Pettitte.
Next up, New York hosts defending champion Philadelphia in the World Series opener Wednesday night. Cliff Lee(notes) is expected to face Yankees ace CC Sabathia(notes) in an enticing pitching matchup between former Cleveland teammates—and the past two AL Cy Young Award winners.
Ridiculed in the past for his October flops, Rodriguez played a huge role in helping his team advance through the playoffs, batting .438 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. The slugger earned his first trip to the World Series during a 16-year career in which he’s accomplished almost everything else.
Pettitte set a postseason record for wins, Johnny Damon(notes) hit a two-run single and Mariano Rivera(notes) closed it out in familiar fashion with a six-out save as the Yankees won their 40th American League crown by vanquishing the Angels, a longtime nemesis.
Now, the Yankees go for their record 27th title—when manager Joe Girardi was hired two years ago, he took jersey No. 27 with that in mind.
Not a bad way for Derek Jeter(notes) and crew to finish up the first season at the team’s new $1.5 billion ballpark
For manager Mike Scioscia and his sloppy Angels, it was their latest playoff failure during a decade of consistent regular-season success. Since winning their only championship in 2002, the Angels are yet to return to the World Series despite five AL West titles in the past six years.
After rain postponed Game 6 for a day, the clear weather and mild, 58-degree temperature at first pitch was a stark change from the first two games of the series, when the Angels froze up in the raw chill in New York.
Pettitte escaped a jam in the sixth, going to 3-0 on Kendry Morales(notes) before knocking down a comebacker with runners at second and third to preserve a 3-1 edge. The left-hander pumped his fist, then headed for the dugout.
Pettitte left to a standing ovation with one on and one out in the seventh and tipped his cap to the sellout crowd of 50,173, the largest at the new Yankee Stadium. He earned his 16th postseason win, breaking a tie with John Smoltz(notes), and his fifth to close out a postseason series—also a major league record.
Joba Chamberlain(notes) got two key outs and Girardi went to a well-rested Rivera in the eighth. He gave up a two-out RBI single to Vladimir Guerrero(notes), making it 3-2, then retired Morales to end the inning.
A diving play by first baseman Mark Teixeira(notes) helped Rivera escape further damage.
It was the first earned run allowed at home by the 39-year-old Rivera in a postseason save situation. But the Yankees added two insurance runs in the eighth on a pair of Angels errors and Teixeira’s sacrifice fly.
Rivera finished up in the ninth for his record 37th postseason save, and the Yankees had their pennant.
Rodriguez reached base all four times up Sunday and drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth that put New York up 3-1. Earlier in the inning, Damon gave the Yankees the lead with a single off 16-game winner Joe Saunders(notes).
Including their unprecedented collapse against Boston in 2004, the Yankees had lost five straight times with a chance to close out an ALCS—and six in a row with an opportunity to end a playoff series.
But this time, New York got it done with help from Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera and Jorge Posada(notes), all part of the late 1990s dynasty under manager Joe Torre.
Normally airtight on defense and fundamentals, the Angels made eight errors in the series and several other uncharacteristic mistakes.
The miscues continued early in the clincher, when 16-game winner Joe Saunders walked five in 3 1-3 shaky innings and Guerrero was doubled off first base on a shallow fly.
With no Rally Monkey bouncing around the video board in the Bronx, Los Angeles failed to pull off one of its signature comebacks. The Angels trailed in all eight of their playoff victories against New York, including a stirring 7-6 triumph in Game 5 on Thursday night that extended the series.
The Angels eliminated New York with division series wins in 2002 and 2005. They are the 73-63 against the Yankees in the regular season since 1996, when Jeter took over at shortstop and New York began a run of four World Series titles in five years.
Looking to lock up the pennant, the Yankees turned to a familiar source of success in Pettitte. The 37-year-old left-hander delivered, allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings for his second closeout win of these playoffs. He also beat Minnesota to complete a first-round sweep.
Always a picture of poise and focus in October, narrowed eyes peering between his cap and glove as he takes his signs on the mound, Pettitte owns postseason records with 38 starts and 237 1-3 innings pitched.
He’s had trouble with the Angels, however, going 0-4 against them over the past two regular seasons. With a chance to put New York up 3-0 in this series, he squandered a 3-0 cushion on the road and took a no-decision in Game 3.
Pettitte was pitching at home for the Yankees in the postseason for the first time since their last World Series game, a 2-0 loss to Josh Beckett(notes) and the Florida Marlins in 2003.
This one was a different story, though.
Los Angeles went ahead in the third when Pettitte hung a couple of curveballs. Unlikely playoff star Jeff Mathis(notes), a part-time catcher who hit .211 during the regular season, led off with his fifth double of the series. He scored on a two-out single by Bobby Abreu(notes), which gave the ex-Yankee four hits in 23 ALCS at-bats.
New York answered in the fourth after a leadoff walk to Robinson Cano(notes). Nick Swisher(notes) was 3 for 30 in the series before his single, and Jeter walked to load the bases with one out.
Damon lined a two-run single over shortstop, and Teixeira’s infield single loaded the bases again.
That was it for Saunders, who walked off as he and Scioscia appearing perturbed by plate umpire Dale Scott’s strike zone.
NOTES: The Phillies won two of three at Yankee Stadium in May. … Former Yankees star Bernie Williams(notes) received a raucous ovation before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. … Rodriguez has hit in 11 straight postseason games. … Pettitte went to 0-2 on his first three batters. … Two of the five playoff games at Yankee Stadium this year did not include a home run. That happened only once in 81 regular-season games.
by the associated press
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Yankees 9-1 victory
NEW YORK (AP) — Clumsy defense cost the Mets in the Subway Series again.
In a matter of minutes, New York made three crucial errors that led to a four-run second inning for the Yankees in their 9-1 victory Friday night at Citi Field.
Third baseman David Wright and shortstop Alex Cora uncorked wild throws before first baseman Nick Evans fumbled away a grounder. All those miscues were too much to overcome against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who was on top of his game against a depleted lineup.
"Where we are now injury-wise, I've said it: We've got to play pretty mistake-free baseball to win," Wright said. "And obviously, we didn't get that tonight. You make those kind of mistakes and CC has the stuff that he had tonight, your chances aren't very good."
The only Mets infielder who didn't make an error during the inning was second baseman Luis Castillo.
Of course, two weeks earlier, it was Castillo who dropped what would have been a game-ending popup by Alex Rodriguez, allowing two runs to score and giving the Yankees a 9-8 win at home.
This time, the mistake-prone Mets made three errors in an inning for the first time since May 20, 2004, when first baseman Mike Piazza, shortstop Kaz Matsui and third baseman Todd Zeile were the culprits in the ninth inning of an 11-4 loss to St. Louis.
"We've played pretty good baseball lately. It's unfortunate that we choose tonight to have that game, but you're going to have games like that," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "Their big guy was very good."
Melky Cabrera led off the second with a slow bouncer to third that Wright barehanded and threw past first, allowing Cabrera to reach second. It was the 10th error of the year for Wright, a Gold Glove winner each of the past two seasons.
One out later, Ramiro Pena hit an opposite-field double to left, driving in the first run. Sabathia, who hadn't batted in a game since last Sept. 28, singled up the middle on the next pitch for his 14th career RBI.
Brett Gardner looped a single down the left-field line, with Sabathia huffing and puffing his way to second. Johnny Damon then hit a sharp grounder to Cora that could have been an inning-ending double play. But the shortstop threw the ball into right field, allowing Sabathia to score.
Mark Teixeria grounded to first, and Evans booted the ball with both his glove and bare hand, knocking it into foul territory as Gardner scored for a 4-0 lead.
"I caught it and I looked at home, looked at the runner too soon, and just lost control of the ball," Evans said. "I should have worried about catching the ball first."
A walk to Rodriguez loaded the bases, and fans applauded when Robinson Cano hit a soft liner to Castillo for the second out. Cabrera's grounder to second ended the inning.
"There was a point there, I started laughing," Mets starter Mike Pelfrey said. "I think CC probably hit the hardest ball that inning.
"It's crazy when that happens. You want the ball to get hit to those guys. They make great plays all the time. That was just weird."
Castillo received derisive cheers in the seventh when he caught consecutive bases-loaded popups without a problem.
But by then, it was too late for the Mets to salvage another night of sloppy defense.
by the associated press
In a matter of minutes, New York made three crucial errors that led to a four-run second inning for the Yankees in their 9-1 victory Friday night at Citi Field.
Third baseman David Wright and shortstop Alex Cora uncorked wild throws before first baseman Nick Evans fumbled away a grounder. All those miscues were too much to overcome against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who was on top of his game against a depleted lineup.
"Where we are now injury-wise, I've said it: We've got to play pretty mistake-free baseball to win," Wright said. "And obviously, we didn't get that tonight. You make those kind of mistakes and CC has the stuff that he had tonight, your chances aren't very good."
The only Mets infielder who didn't make an error during the inning was second baseman Luis Castillo.
Of course, two weeks earlier, it was Castillo who dropped what would have been a game-ending popup by Alex Rodriguez, allowing two runs to score and giving the Yankees a 9-8 win at home.
This time, the mistake-prone Mets made three errors in an inning for the first time since May 20, 2004, when first baseman Mike Piazza, shortstop Kaz Matsui and third baseman Todd Zeile were the culprits in the ninth inning of an 11-4 loss to St. Louis.
"We've played pretty good baseball lately. It's unfortunate that we choose tonight to have that game, but you're going to have games like that," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "Their big guy was very good."
Melky Cabrera led off the second with a slow bouncer to third that Wright barehanded and threw past first, allowing Cabrera to reach second. It was the 10th error of the year for Wright, a Gold Glove winner each of the past two seasons.
One out later, Ramiro Pena hit an opposite-field double to left, driving in the first run. Sabathia, who hadn't batted in a game since last Sept. 28, singled up the middle on the next pitch for his 14th career RBI.
Brett Gardner looped a single down the left-field line, with Sabathia huffing and puffing his way to second. Johnny Damon then hit a sharp grounder to Cora that could have been an inning-ending double play. But the shortstop threw the ball into right field, allowing Sabathia to score.
Mark Teixeria grounded to first, and Evans booted the ball with both his glove and bare hand, knocking it into foul territory as Gardner scored for a 4-0 lead.
"I caught it and I looked at home, looked at the runner too soon, and just lost control of the ball," Evans said. "I should have worried about catching the ball first."
A walk to Rodriguez loaded the bases, and fans applauded when Robinson Cano hit a soft liner to Castillo for the second out. Cabrera's grounder to second ended the inning.
"There was a point there, I started laughing," Mets starter Mike Pelfrey said. "I think CC probably hit the hardest ball that inning.
"It's crazy when that happens. You want the ball to get hit to those guys. They make great plays all the time. That was just weird."
Castillo received derisive cheers in the seventh when he caught consecutive bases-loaded popups without a problem.
But by then, it was too late for the Mets to salvage another night of sloppy defense.
by the associated press
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Nats kick the crap out of the Yankees
NEW YORK (AP) — Craig Stammen and the Washington Nationals really dampened the New York Yankees' day.
After waiting out a 5 1/2-hour rain delay at the start, Stammen earned his first major league victory, Julian Tavarez provided key relief and the last-place Nationals beat New York 3-0 Thursday night in the first game without a homer at the new Yankee Stadium.
Boosted by Ryan Zimmerman's three hits and a bunch of nifty plays, Washington posted its first two-game winning streak since taking three straight May 7-9. Behind Stammen (1-2), the Nationals became the last team in the majors to pitch a shutout this season.
Maybe it was the damp air, or perhaps it had more to do with Stammen's neat 6 1-3 innings, but nobody managed to clear the fences. There had been a whopping 119 home runs through 34 games at the majors' newest launching pad.
Scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m., the game did not begin until 6:31 p.m. because of the same storm system that put an early stop to the first round of the U.S. Open on Long Island. A postponement here seemed unlikely because the teams shared only one mutual off-day the rest of the season for a possible makeup.
There is no official record of the longest rain delay in big league history, but this certainly ranked high at 5 hours, 26 minutes. The start of a pennant-race game in 1999 between Cincinnati and Milwaukee was delayed 5 hours, 47 minutes.
About 10,000 people were sprinkled around the ballpark for the first pitch. When the Yankees announced fans could move down, there was a stampede toward the $2,625 seats in the front row. By the end, the upper deck and bleachers were virtually empty.
Later, the Yankees said all tickets for the game — used or not — could be redeemed for tickets or merchandise this season or in 2010.
Despite the messy weather, it was an extremely crisp game. No pratfalls, no errors and several sharp plays on both sides.
Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner made one of the best, tracking down Austin Kearns' long drive in the eighth. The back of Gardner's head whiplashed against the plexiglas wall, and he was down on the warning track for several minutes. With help from manager Joe Girardi, a woozy Gardner got onto the back of a golf cart and was driven off.
The Nationals' problematic outfield produced two gems. Left fielder Willie Harris made a diving catch on the warning track to rob Alex Rodriguez, and Kearns unleashed a perfect throw from right to cut down Nick Swisher at second.
Stammen worked around six hits, walked none and struck out two in his sixth big league start. The 25-year-old rookie sent the Yankees to their sixth loss in nine games.
Tavarez relieved with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. He retired pinch-hitter Derek Jeter on a grounder, with shortstop Cristian Guzman skidding to his left to make the stop. Exactly four years ago, Jeter hit the only grand slam of his career.
Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his second save. On Wednesday night, he closed out the Yankees for his first save in the majors since 2006 with Kansas City.
Zimmerman doubled twice and singled off Joba Chamberlain (3-2). He scored twice and drove in a run as the Nationals took a 3-0 lead after five innings.
NOTES: Jeter did not start for the second straight game because of a sore left ankle. ... Washington 2B Ronnie Belliard wasn't feeling well and was scratched from the starting lineup.
by the associated press
After waiting out a 5 1/2-hour rain delay at the start, Stammen earned his first major league victory, Julian Tavarez provided key relief and the last-place Nationals beat New York 3-0 Thursday night in the first game without a homer at the new Yankee Stadium.
Boosted by Ryan Zimmerman's three hits and a bunch of nifty plays, Washington posted its first two-game winning streak since taking three straight May 7-9. Behind Stammen (1-2), the Nationals became the last team in the majors to pitch a shutout this season.
Maybe it was the damp air, or perhaps it had more to do with Stammen's neat 6 1-3 innings, but nobody managed to clear the fences. There had been a whopping 119 home runs through 34 games at the majors' newest launching pad.
Scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m., the game did not begin until 6:31 p.m. because of the same storm system that put an early stop to the first round of the U.S. Open on Long Island. A postponement here seemed unlikely because the teams shared only one mutual off-day the rest of the season for a possible makeup.
There is no official record of the longest rain delay in big league history, but this certainly ranked high at 5 hours, 26 minutes. The start of a pennant-race game in 1999 between Cincinnati and Milwaukee was delayed 5 hours, 47 minutes.
About 10,000 people were sprinkled around the ballpark for the first pitch. When the Yankees announced fans could move down, there was a stampede toward the $2,625 seats in the front row. By the end, the upper deck and bleachers were virtually empty.
Later, the Yankees said all tickets for the game — used or not — could be redeemed for tickets or merchandise this season or in 2010.
Despite the messy weather, it was an extremely crisp game. No pratfalls, no errors and several sharp plays on both sides.
Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner made one of the best, tracking down Austin Kearns' long drive in the eighth. The back of Gardner's head whiplashed against the plexiglas wall, and he was down on the warning track for several minutes. With help from manager Joe Girardi, a woozy Gardner got onto the back of a golf cart and was driven off.
The Nationals' problematic outfield produced two gems. Left fielder Willie Harris made a diving catch on the warning track to rob Alex Rodriguez, and Kearns unleashed a perfect throw from right to cut down Nick Swisher at second.
Stammen worked around six hits, walked none and struck out two in his sixth big league start. The 25-year-old rookie sent the Yankees to their sixth loss in nine games.
Tavarez relieved with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. He retired pinch-hitter Derek Jeter on a grounder, with shortstop Cristian Guzman skidding to his left to make the stop. Exactly four years ago, Jeter hit the only grand slam of his career.
Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his second save. On Wednesday night, he closed out the Yankees for his first save in the majors since 2006 with Kansas City.
Zimmerman doubled twice and singled off Joba Chamberlain (3-2). He scored twice and drove in a run as the Nationals took a 3-0 lead after five innings.
NOTES: Jeter did not start for the second straight game because of a sore left ankle. ... Washington 2B Ronnie Belliard wasn't feeling well and was scratched from the starting lineup.
by the associated press
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Yankees win over Mets in 15-0 rout
NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees hammered Johan Santana in the worst start of his career, routing the Mets 15-0 on Sunday for the biggest blowout in Subway Series history.
Jeter went 4 for 4 and the Yankees got two-run homers from Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano in a nine-run fourth inning, chasing Santana early to take two of three in a testy series at Yankee Stadium.
Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez shouted at Yankees reliever Brian Bruney in left field during batting practice and the two were separated by teammates, one day after they exchanged barbs through the media.
Once the first pitch was thrown, the Yankees provided all the fireworks.
They needed only four innings to set a season high for runs in a game, building a huge cushion for A.J. Burnett (5-3). They finished with 17 hits, three by No. 9 batter Francisco Cervelli, and pulled several stars before the seventh.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel wasn't around at the end, either. He was ejected by plate umpire Jim Wolf for arguing after David Wright took exception to a called third strike in the sixth.
Santana (8-4) didn't look right all day. The velocity on his fastball was down, around 89-90 mph, and he was touched up for four two-out runs in the second.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner worked a 1-2-3 third against Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Cano — but failed to get another out.
He walked Nick Swisher leading off the fourth and Matsui followed with his 10th home run. Melky Cabrera lashed a line-drive double, Cervelli singled and Jeter made it 7-0 with an RBI single that chased Santana, who walked slowly off the mound and removed his cap before reaching the dugout.
Johnny Damon greeted Brian Stokes with an RBI double and Jeter scored when Alex Rodriguez grounded into a double play.
That closed the book on Santana, who allowed a career-high nine runs and nine hits in three-plus innings — matching his shortest start. His ERA spiked from 2.39 to 3.29.
After giving up four earned runs in his first seven outings this season, the left-hander has yielded 26 runs in his last six.
The last time Santana went only three innings was Sept. 26, 2007, with Minnesota at Detroit, where he was pulled after a long rain delay.
The last time he was lifted so quickly without a weather problem was May 23, 2004, when he went three-plus innings in a 17-7 loss for the Twins against the Chicago White Sox.
Flashing a sharp slider, Burnett allowed only four singles in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked four to rebound from a rough start Tuesday night at Fenway Park, where he was chased in the third inning as Boston began a three-game sweep of the Yankees.
The right-hander pumped his first after escaping a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the third and cruised from there.
Cano doubled twice and drove in three runs. Damon also had three RBIs for the Yankees, who won the series opener 9-8 when Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez's two-out popup in the ninth inning, allowing two runs to score.
Castillo drew a loud cheer when he caught a first-inning popup.
The injury-riddled Mets have lost four of five.
Swisher, who walked and scored twice in the fourth, knocked the Mets around right from the start.
He ran down Alex Cora's leadoff drive to deep right and banged into the auxiliary scoreboard, dislodging the "Mets" sign next to their linescore and some blue padding at the bottom of the fence.
Swisher replaced the padding with his spikes — a worker reached through from inside the scoreboard and straightened the "Mets" sign.
NOTES: Yankees C Jorge Posada was rested to give him consecutive days off, including Monday's off day. ... Gary Sheffield was the DH for the Mets again. He plans to have an MRI on his sore right knee soon. ... It was Manuel's third ejection this season.
by the associated press
Jeter went 4 for 4 and the Yankees got two-run homers from Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano in a nine-run fourth inning, chasing Santana early to take two of three in a testy series at Yankee Stadium.
Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez shouted at Yankees reliever Brian Bruney in left field during batting practice and the two were separated by teammates, one day after they exchanged barbs through the media.
Once the first pitch was thrown, the Yankees provided all the fireworks.
They needed only four innings to set a season high for runs in a game, building a huge cushion for A.J. Burnett (5-3). They finished with 17 hits, three by No. 9 batter Francisco Cervelli, and pulled several stars before the seventh.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel wasn't around at the end, either. He was ejected by plate umpire Jim Wolf for arguing after David Wright took exception to a called third strike in the sixth.
Santana (8-4) didn't look right all day. The velocity on his fastball was down, around 89-90 mph, and he was touched up for four two-out runs in the second.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner worked a 1-2-3 third against Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Cano — but failed to get another out.
He walked Nick Swisher leading off the fourth and Matsui followed with his 10th home run. Melky Cabrera lashed a line-drive double, Cervelli singled and Jeter made it 7-0 with an RBI single that chased Santana, who walked slowly off the mound and removed his cap before reaching the dugout.
Johnny Damon greeted Brian Stokes with an RBI double and Jeter scored when Alex Rodriguez grounded into a double play.
That closed the book on Santana, who allowed a career-high nine runs and nine hits in three-plus innings — matching his shortest start. His ERA spiked from 2.39 to 3.29.
After giving up four earned runs in his first seven outings this season, the left-hander has yielded 26 runs in his last six.
The last time Santana went only three innings was Sept. 26, 2007, with Minnesota at Detroit, where he was pulled after a long rain delay.
The last time he was lifted so quickly without a weather problem was May 23, 2004, when he went three-plus innings in a 17-7 loss for the Twins against the Chicago White Sox.
Flashing a sharp slider, Burnett allowed only four singles in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked four to rebound from a rough start Tuesday night at Fenway Park, where he was chased in the third inning as Boston began a three-game sweep of the Yankees.
The right-hander pumped his first after escaping a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the third and cruised from there.
Cano doubled twice and drove in three runs. Damon also had three RBIs for the Yankees, who won the series opener 9-8 when Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez's two-out popup in the ninth inning, allowing two runs to score.
Castillo drew a loud cheer when he caught a first-inning popup.
The injury-riddled Mets have lost four of five.
Swisher, who walked and scored twice in the fourth, knocked the Mets around right from the start.
He ran down Alex Cora's leadoff drive to deep right and banged into the auxiliary scoreboard, dislodging the "Mets" sign next to their linescore and some blue padding at the bottom of the fence.
Swisher replaced the padding with his spikes — a worker reached through from inside the scoreboard and straightened the "Mets" sign.
NOTES: Yankees C Jorge Posada was rested to give him consecutive days off, including Monday's off day. ... Gary Sheffield was the DH for the Mets again. He plans to have an MRI on his sore right knee soon. ... It was Manuel's third ejection this season.
by the associated press
Thursday, June 04, 2009
HR in 8th, Yanks beat Texas
NEW YORK (AP) — Melky Cabrera hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the New York Yankees overcame yet another poor start by Chien-Ming Wang to beat the Texas Rangers 8-6 Thursday.
The Yankees rallied from a 5-1 deficit and took two of three from the AL West leaders.
It was another game of home run derby at the new Yankee Stadium. Johnny Damon started it with a leadoff shot for New York, Nelson Cruz finished Wang in the fifth with a long drive and Ian Kinsler's solo homer for Texas in the sixth made it 6-all.
David Robertson (1-0) threw one pitch and got the win, retiring Elvis Andrus on a fly ball to end the eighth.
Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances. With runners at the corners, he struck out Cruz and retired David Murphy on a popup to end it.
C.J. Wilson (3-3) relieved to begin the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Robinson Cano. One out later, Cabrera launched a drive over Murphy's leap in left field.
Cabrera kept up his run of big hits and helped the Yankees win for the 17th time in 22 games. They did it despite Wang's wobbles.
Wang returned to the rotation and produced his best start of the season. Too bad for him, it was another stinker as his sinkers were either too high or too low.
Texas tagged him for five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Cruz chased him with a long home run — the first by a right-handed hitter off Wang in 22 starts, since Adrian Beltre connected in September 2007.
The former ace lost his first three starts of the season. He went on the disabled list with a 34.50 ERA because of weakness in the muscles in his hips and came back with three solid relief appearances.
Chris Davis doubled in the third and scored when Wang bounced a wild pitch several feet short of the plate. Davis delivered a two-run double in the fourth and Cruz hit his 16th homer — and ninth in 15 games — for a 5-1 lead in the fifth.
After Damon homered, Texas' Brandon McCarthy avoided further trouble until the fifth.
Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Pena opened with soft singles, and walks to Damon and Nick Swisher forced home a run. Mark Teixeira followed with cue shot down the third-base line for a three-run double that made it 5-all, and he laughed at his good fortune while Jason Jennings trotted in from the bullpen.
Alex Rodriguez greeted the reliever with a single that bounced to the right-field wall for a 6-5 lead.
Notes:@ There has been a home run in all 26 games at the new Yankee Stadium. ... New York SS Derek Jeter got a day off to rest. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Phil Hughes is the team's "sixth starter" right now. The righty was sent to the bullpen to make room for Wang, but Girardi expects Hughes to start again sometime this season. ... Rangers radio play-by-play man Eric Nadel had surgery in New York to repair two tears in the retina of his right eye. He called his 3,176th straight game Wednesday night. Nadel returned to Dallas. More surgery might be needed and it's uncertain when he'll return to the booth. He had not missed a game since 1989.
by the associated press
The Yankees rallied from a 5-1 deficit and took two of three from the AL West leaders.
It was another game of home run derby at the new Yankee Stadium. Johnny Damon started it with a leadoff shot for New York, Nelson Cruz finished Wang in the fifth with a long drive and Ian Kinsler's solo homer for Texas in the sixth made it 6-all.
David Robertson (1-0) threw one pitch and got the win, retiring Elvis Andrus on a fly ball to end the eighth.
Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances. With runners at the corners, he struck out Cruz and retired David Murphy on a popup to end it.
C.J. Wilson (3-3) relieved to begin the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Robinson Cano. One out later, Cabrera launched a drive over Murphy's leap in left field.
Cabrera kept up his run of big hits and helped the Yankees win for the 17th time in 22 games. They did it despite Wang's wobbles.
Wang returned to the rotation and produced his best start of the season. Too bad for him, it was another stinker as his sinkers were either too high or too low.
Texas tagged him for five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Cruz chased him with a long home run — the first by a right-handed hitter off Wang in 22 starts, since Adrian Beltre connected in September 2007.
The former ace lost his first three starts of the season. He went on the disabled list with a 34.50 ERA because of weakness in the muscles in his hips and came back with three solid relief appearances.
Chris Davis doubled in the third and scored when Wang bounced a wild pitch several feet short of the plate. Davis delivered a two-run double in the fourth and Cruz hit his 16th homer — and ninth in 15 games — for a 5-1 lead in the fifth.
After Damon homered, Texas' Brandon McCarthy avoided further trouble until the fifth.
Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Pena opened with soft singles, and walks to Damon and Nick Swisher forced home a run. Mark Teixeira followed with cue shot down the third-base line for a three-run double that made it 5-all, and he laughed at his good fortune while Jason Jennings trotted in from the bullpen.
Alex Rodriguez greeted the reliever with a single that bounced to the right-field wall for a 6-5 lead.
Notes:@ There has been a home run in all 26 games at the new Yankee Stadium. ... New York SS Derek Jeter got a day off to rest. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Phil Hughes is the team's "sixth starter" right now. The righty was sent to the bullpen to make room for Wang, but Girardi expects Hughes to start again sometime this season. ... Rangers radio play-by-play man Eric Nadel had surgery in New York to repair two tears in the retina of his right eye. He called his 3,176th straight game Wednesday night. Nadel returned to Dallas. More surgery might be needed and it's uncertain when he'll return to the booth. He had not missed a game since 1989.
by the associated press
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Yanks 12-3 win over Texas
NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Teixeira sparked the Yankees with a takeout slide at second base after being hit with pitches twice, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit three-run homers and New York beat the Texas Rangers 12-3 Tuesday night to take over best record in the American League.
Derek Jeter became the fourth active player with 1,500 runs — and just the fourth in Yankees history — when Teixeira sent rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus tumbling on Alex Rodriguez's fourth-inning grounder. A-Rod beat out the relay to avoid an inning-ending double play as Jeter scored for a 4-3 lead, keeping alive what would turn into a seven-run inning.
Robinson Cano chased Vicente Padilla (3-3), making his first start after a stint on the disabled list, with an RBI single and Posada followed with another run-scoring single off Derek Holland.
Matsui then homered over the fence in right-center for a 9-3 lead — he also homered off Holland last week in Texas.
Posada homered against Warner Madrigal in the sixth as the Yankees (31-21) defeated Texas (30-21) for the third time in four meetings this season and set a season high for runs. New York has won 16 of 20 to reach 10 games over .500, a mark the Yankees didn't achieve until their 100th game last year.
A.J. Burnett (4-2) beat Texas for the second time in a week, allowing three runs and eight hits in seven innings and striking out eight. He threw a pitch over the head of Nelson Cruz in the fifth that sent the cleanup hitter sprawling, prompting plate umpire Doug Eddings to warn both dugouts. Cruz had put the Rangers ahead 3-2 with a three-run homer in the third.
Sidelined since May 16 with a strained right shoulder, Padilla hit Teixeira on an arm in the second and on the buttocks in the fourth, just after Johnny Damon's RBI single had tied the score at 3-3. The forceout by Rodriguez, who had stranded five runners in his first two at-bats, allowed Jeter to join Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees with 1,500 runs. The only other active players to reach the mark are Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Gary Sheffield.
In a matchup between the top two home-run-hitting teams in the majors, the Yankees hit two to raise their total to 82, two behind the Rangers. There has been at least one homer in all 24 games at the Yankee Stadium, two more than San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium for the longest streak at the start of a big league ballpark. The 90 homers are one shy of the record for most in the first 24 games at a major league park, set at Houston's Enron Field in 2000, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
New York's record-setting errorless streak ended at 18 games when catcher Jorge Posada threw the ball into center field on Andrus' fourth-inning steal of second base. Posada's error, which allowed Andrus to take third, was the Yankees' first since shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a grounder by the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista at Toronto on May 13.
New York broke the previous major league mark of 17 games, set by the Boston Red Sox from June 11-30, 2006.
Padilla gave up seven runs, seven hits and four walks in 3 2-3 innings, his ERA rising to 5.57. Before the game, Texas put All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, an injury that will sideline him from two weeks to two months.
Notes:@ The Yankees' May 3 rainout at home against the Los Angeles Angels has been rescheduled for Sept. 14 at 7:05 p.m. ... New York OF Xavier Nady (elbow) made 40 throws in the outfield in his second day of his throwing program, and felt pain on just two, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "It's much better today," said Nady, who is scheduled to take a day off before resuming Thursday. Infielder Cody Ransom (right quadriceps) is to start at rehab assignment Thursday with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LHP Damaso Marte (left shoulder tendinitis) is to throw a bullpen session Friday.
by the associated press
Derek Jeter became the fourth active player with 1,500 runs — and just the fourth in Yankees history — when Teixeira sent rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus tumbling on Alex Rodriguez's fourth-inning grounder. A-Rod beat out the relay to avoid an inning-ending double play as Jeter scored for a 4-3 lead, keeping alive what would turn into a seven-run inning.
Robinson Cano chased Vicente Padilla (3-3), making his first start after a stint on the disabled list, with an RBI single and Posada followed with another run-scoring single off Derek Holland.
Matsui then homered over the fence in right-center for a 9-3 lead — he also homered off Holland last week in Texas.
Posada homered against Warner Madrigal in the sixth as the Yankees (31-21) defeated Texas (30-21) for the third time in four meetings this season and set a season high for runs. New York has won 16 of 20 to reach 10 games over .500, a mark the Yankees didn't achieve until their 100th game last year.
A.J. Burnett (4-2) beat Texas for the second time in a week, allowing three runs and eight hits in seven innings and striking out eight. He threw a pitch over the head of Nelson Cruz in the fifth that sent the cleanup hitter sprawling, prompting plate umpire Doug Eddings to warn both dugouts. Cruz had put the Rangers ahead 3-2 with a three-run homer in the third.
Sidelined since May 16 with a strained right shoulder, Padilla hit Teixeira on an arm in the second and on the buttocks in the fourth, just after Johnny Damon's RBI single had tied the score at 3-3. The forceout by Rodriguez, who had stranded five runners in his first two at-bats, allowed Jeter to join Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees with 1,500 runs. The only other active players to reach the mark are Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Gary Sheffield.
In a matchup between the top two home-run-hitting teams in the majors, the Yankees hit two to raise their total to 82, two behind the Rangers. There has been at least one homer in all 24 games at the Yankee Stadium, two more than San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium for the longest streak at the start of a big league ballpark. The 90 homers are one shy of the record for most in the first 24 games at a major league park, set at Houston's Enron Field in 2000, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
New York's record-setting errorless streak ended at 18 games when catcher Jorge Posada threw the ball into center field on Andrus' fourth-inning steal of second base. Posada's error, which allowed Andrus to take third, was the Yankees' first since shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a grounder by the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista at Toronto on May 13.
New York broke the previous major league mark of 17 games, set by the Boston Red Sox from June 11-30, 2006.
Padilla gave up seven runs, seven hits and four walks in 3 2-3 innings, his ERA rising to 5.57. Before the game, Texas put All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, an injury that will sideline him from two weeks to two months.
Notes:@ The Yankees' May 3 rainout at home against the Los Angeles Angels has been rescheduled for Sept. 14 at 7:05 p.m. ... New York OF Xavier Nady (elbow) made 40 throws in the outfield in his second day of his throwing program, and felt pain on just two, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "It's much better today," said Nady, who is scheduled to take a day off before resuming Thursday. Infielder Cody Ransom (right quadriceps) is to start at rehab assignment Thursday with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LHP Damaso Marte (left shoulder tendinitis) is to throw a bullpen session Friday.
by the associated press
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Yankees past Rangers 9-2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A.J. Burnett pitched six shutout innings to win for the first time in six weeks, Hideki Matsui homered twice and the New York Yankees gained a share of the AL East lead by beating the Texas Rangers 9-2 Wednesday night.
The Yankees, who have won 12 of 15, are tied atop the division with Boston. It is the first time this season New York has been in first place in the AL East.
Derek Jeter was 3 for 4 and reached base five times, and Mark Teixeira added his 12th homer in May. The Yankees had 15 hits.
Alex Rodriguez was 7 for 13 with four RBIs in his first series in Texas since admitting earlier this year that he used steroids while playing for the Rangers. For the third straight game, he was greeted with loud boos every time he came to the plate.
Burnett (3-2) won for the first time since April 14. The right-hander allowed three hits, walked four and struck out seven to snap his longest winless drought since the end of the 2005 season.
Derek Holland (1-2) lost in his second career start, allowing 10 hits and six runs in five innings.
Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer off Jose Veras in the Texas seventh, his 13th of the season.
Matsui, who was in a 3 for 23 funk coming into the series, homered on the first pitch of the sixth inning from Holland. He added a two-run shot in the seventh off Warner Madrigal.
It was Matsui's third career multihomer game, and first since July 31, 2007, against the Chicago White Sox.
Robinson Cano homered in the ninth, giving the Yankees 77 this season to tie the Rangers for the top total in baseball.
Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract in the offseason, had not won in seven starts. He was 0-6 over his last seven starts with Florida in 2005.
In the sixth, Johnny Damon gave Burnett a hand when he crashed into the wall in left and made a bobbling catch of Josh Hamilton's line drive.
Jeter singled to lead off the game. After Damon struck out, Teixeira homered over the fence in left. Teixeira's 12 homers in May are the most for a New York player in a month since Rodriguez hit 14 in April 2007.
New York extended its lead to 3-0 when Cash and Jeter hit consecutive two-out doubles in the second.
Matsui's homer in the sixth gave the Yankees a 4-0 advantage, and the Yankees tacked on two more in the sixth after that.
Notes:@ The three-game series drew 120,720 people, the most for a series in Arlington since the Red Sox came to town April 6-8, 2007. ... The Yankees extended a franchise record by playing their 14th straight errorless game. ... Chien-Ming Wang pitched two hitless innings and struck out two in his second appearance since coming off the disabled list. The Yankees' righty lowered his ERA from 25.00 to 20.45.
by the associated press
The Yankees, who have won 12 of 15, are tied atop the division with Boston. It is the first time this season New York has been in first place in the AL East.
Derek Jeter was 3 for 4 and reached base five times, and Mark Teixeira added his 12th homer in May. The Yankees had 15 hits.
Alex Rodriguez was 7 for 13 with four RBIs in his first series in Texas since admitting earlier this year that he used steroids while playing for the Rangers. For the third straight game, he was greeted with loud boos every time he came to the plate.
Burnett (3-2) won for the first time since April 14. The right-hander allowed three hits, walked four and struck out seven to snap his longest winless drought since the end of the 2005 season.
Derek Holland (1-2) lost in his second career start, allowing 10 hits and six runs in five innings.
Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer off Jose Veras in the Texas seventh, his 13th of the season.
Matsui, who was in a 3 for 23 funk coming into the series, homered on the first pitch of the sixth inning from Holland. He added a two-run shot in the seventh off Warner Madrigal.
It was Matsui's third career multihomer game, and first since July 31, 2007, against the Chicago White Sox.
Robinson Cano homered in the ninth, giving the Yankees 77 this season to tie the Rangers for the top total in baseball.
Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract in the offseason, had not won in seven starts. He was 0-6 over his last seven starts with Florida in 2005.
In the sixth, Johnny Damon gave Burnett a hand when he crashed into the wall in left and made a bobbling catch of Josh Hamilton's line drive.
Jeter singled to lead off the game. After Damon struck out, Teixeira homered over the fence in left. Teixeira's 12 homers in May are the most for a New York player in a month since Rodriguez hit 14 in April 2007.
New York extended its lead to 3-0 when Cash and Jeter hit consecutive two-out doubles in the second.
Matsui's homer in the sixth gave the Yankees a 4-0 advantage, and the Yankees tacked on two more in the sixth after that.
Notes:@ The three-game series drew 120,720 people, the most for a series in Arlington since the Red Sox came to town April 6-8, 2007. ... The Yankees extended a franchise record by playing their 14th straight errorless game. ... Chien-Ming Wang pitched two hitless innings and struck out two in his second appearance since coming off the disabled list. The Yankees' righty lowered his ERA from 25.00 to 20.45.
by the associated press
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