Soriano Still Hot, Pettitte Pitched Well, Yankees Win 10-3

At first pitch, Alex Rodriguez was the top story surrounding the New York Yankees. By the time the final out was recorded, Alfonso Soriano and Andy Pettitte had stole all the headlines.

With major contributions from those two, as wells as several other Yankees, the Bombers were able to take down their rivals with ease in Friday night's series opener at Fenway Park, 10-3.

"When you get guys hot like some of the guys are right now, you feel good about yourself," said Pettitte. "Obviously winning ballgames makes you feel good about yourself. It's a good thing right now."

Soriano came into the series hitting the ball better than anybody else in Major League Baseball, and he left Friday night's game hitting even hotter.

After Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano reached base to being the ballgame, setting up runners on the corners with one away, Soriano ripped a hard groundball towards the shortstop that was knocked down, leading everybody to be safe, as well as scoring the first run of the ballgame.

The newly acquire Mark Reynolds made his Yankees debut Friday night, and he quickly turned himself into a fellow Bronx Bomber, going deep of Felix Doubront in his first at-bat, a two-strike changeup that he sent flying over the Green Monster for a two-run homerun.

Soriano came up for his second at-bat of the game in the 4th, once again with a pair of runners on after Eduardo Nunez and Cano reached base to open to inning, then Soriano opened the game by launching a three-run blast over the Monster in deep left-center field to put the Yankees up 6-0.

"I'm trying to enjoy my time now here with the Yankees," said Soriano. "I think it's motivation; coming back to the Yankees to try to help the team to win. That's what is most important."

An inning later, Cano made it a 7-0 game on an RBI to right field, following up a two-out triple by Nunez after Jacoby Ellsbury dropped a ball at the wall in center field that would have made for a great catch. Cano's single extended his hitting streak to 12-games.

All this scoring would come to the benefit of Pettitte, who was the second story in the game behind Soriano and the offensive outburst. Pettitte started the game by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced. He was locked in for most of the night, looking better than he's looked in weeks.

The Red Sox didn't get in the board against Pettitte until the 4th when Johnny Gomes lined a single to center field, bringing home Dustin Pedroia. Pettitte was working well until the 7th inning when the wheels started to fall off, giving up a pair of RBI single to David Ortiz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, cutting the lead to 7-3.

After the RBI single by Saltalamacchia, Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided it was time to make that move to the bullpen, where he brought in the always reliable Shawn Kelley, who would punch out Mike Carp to strand runners on first and second to end the inning.

For the first time in nine starts, Pettitte didn't give up a run in the first inning, as he pitched very well throughout the night. Obviously things would have looked much better if he would have finished off the 7th inning, but he still went 6 2/3, giving up three runs on six hits, while walking just one and striking out five.

"It was one of those nights where everything was working and you'd hope you'd be able to get through the game like I did," Pettitte said. "My curve was working, my two-seamer, I was locating that to both sides of the plate. My four-seamer also. [Chris Stewart ] called a great game and we scored a lot of runs."

Following Kelley's big strikeout to end the 7th, David Robertson came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, permitting a pair of hits, but nothing more.

Before handing the ball to Joba Chamberlain in the 9th, the Yanks tacked on three more runs in the top half of the 9th, including an RBI single by Reynolds, who would finish 2-for-5 with three RBIs in his Yankees debut.

Speaking of Joba, Girardi handed him the ball to being the 9th, but as you could imagine, things didn't run too smoothly. After Gomes flew out to center, Stephen Drew singled and Mike Napoli doubled off Joba to put runners on second and third. Saltalamacchia flew out to center for the second out, but Joba walked Brock Holt to load the bases with two-outs.

Girardi had seen enough at that point, bringing in the lefty David Huff, needing only to get a single out, facing Ellsbury. Huff gots Ellsbury to send a slow groundball over to Cano at second to end the game, giving the Yanks a 10-3 victory, their 6th win in their last eight games.

"I don't think anyone has written them off, by any means," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We've got nine more games remaining against them, they've got a completely different look to their lineup than we saw a month ago, and they've got a lot of life right now."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Yanks And Red Sox Begin A Three-Game Set In Boston

Alex Rodriguez may be eating up all the storylines off the field for the ongoing Biogenesis scandal heading into this weekend series against the Boston Red Sox, but on the field, the headlines are all about Yankees-Red Sox rivalry getting ready to crank up again.

The Yankees failed to come away with a sweep of this Angels this past week, falling to Anaheim in the series finale on Thursday, 8-4. Overall, the Yankees have won five of their last seven games, and the offense, lead by the red-hot Alfonso Soriano, is starting to heat up once again.

Entering this series, the Yankees are nine games back of the Red Sox in the American League East, and are six games back of the second wild card berth. No matter what way you look at things, this series in Boston can only break the Yankees season -- losses push them back, wins keep them in the race.

Joining the team today in Boston is newly signed first baseman Mark Reynolds, who the Yankees signed last night after Reynolds was released by the Cleveland Indians on Monday.

Tonight's Lineup, 7:10 EST @ Fenway Park:

Gardner CF
Nunez SS
Cano 2B
Soriano LF
Rodriguez 3B
Wells DH
Suzuki RF
Reynolds 1B
Stewart C
Pettitte LHP

Pitching Preview:

At the age of 41, Andy Pettitte has made 41 career appearances against the Boston Red Sox, and Friday night's opener will be No. 42. With a 19-11 record and a 3.87 ERA in those 41 appearances, tonight's outing is hopeful to be another good outing.

Although his starts against the Red Sox have usually fared well, Pettitte's last few outings against the rest of the league haven't gone his way, with him coming off two straight outings in which he wasn't able to complete five innings.

His last starts was against the Tigers on Sunday, and while he one gave up one run, he was lifted from the game in the 5th inning, having thrown 101 pitches.

Pettitte will be going up against fellow left-hander Felix Doubront, who, like Pettitte, didn't last very long in his last outing, tossing just four innings, while walking four on 98 pitches against the Kansas City Royals.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Yankees Sign 1B/3B Mark Reynolds

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has reported that the Yankees have agreed to terms on a deal with power-hitting infielder Mark Reynolds. The terms of the deal are currently unknown, but it's presumably a one-year deal.

Reynolds was released by the Cleveland Indians on Monday after signing a one-year, $6 million deal earlier this year. In 384 plates appearances for the Indians, he hit .215 with 14 homeruns and 48 RBIs.

Reynolds will add some more much needed power from the right-side of the plate, and will also serve as a right-handed backup to Lyle Overbay, which is something that the Yankees have been looking to acquire for awhile now.

Reynolds, who played for the Baltimore Orioles last year, had four teams to choose from to sign with, and he decided to take his talents to the Bronx to play in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.

A roster move hasn't been announced as to who Reynolds will replace on the Yankees 25-man roster, but if I had to guess, the recent call-up of David Huff might make Adam Warren an expendable piece, with Huff moving into the long-relief role.

Reynolds is expected to join the Yankees tomorrow in Boston for the start of a three-game weekend series against the Red Sox.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Yanks Last Rally Stopped Short, Lose To The Angels

Through the first three games of this series, the Yankees have had the Angels numbers, winning that first three games and putting at a combined 25 runs in the last two game along. But the tables were turned on the Yankees, when Chris Nelson's grand slam in the 8th broke the score open, leading to a 8-4 Angels win.

Phil Hughes has been known to pitch very poorly at Yankee Stadium in his career, and this season especially, but Thursday's game in the Bronx fared a little better for Hughes.

"It was obviously better. It was hard to pitch much worse than I had been," Hughes said. "It felt like the results weren't exactly what I wanted, but I felt like I threw the ball OK. But at the end of the day it's a loss, which is not what we set out to accomplish today."

Hughes gave up an early run to the Angels, giving up an RBI single to Josh Hamilton that scored JB Shuck to put Anaheim in the board.

A couple innings later in the 4th, Hank Conger brought homerun the Angels second run on a sac-fly to left field, then a couple batters later, Chris Nelson, yes, the Chris Nelson that once played for the Yankees, hit a solo homerun to right field, his first of two homeruns in the ballgame.

Alfonso Soriano was the hottest hitting player coming into the game with 13 RBIs on his last two contests, coming off a 7 RBI game last night with a pair of homeruns, and he continued to streak, driving in the Yankees only run of the game in the 3rd on an RBI single to left field, to, at the time, tie game.

"Sometimes you have a good week," Soriano said. "I feel good at home plate. I'm seeing the ball good. I hope I continue hitting like this and help the team to win."

Unlike CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, Hughes didn't get much run support to help put the decision in his favor. Overall, he didn't pitch that bat, giving up just the three runs on six hits over six innings, while also walking one and striking out five.

"Overall, it's progress," Hughes said. "It's certainly not the way I'd like to progress; I'd like for it to kind of turn around quick. But it's a battle, and I'm going to keep doing whatever I can to stay on the right track."

The Angels didn't start to break things open until the 8th when Nelson came up against with the bases loaded and launched his second homerun of the game to left field, a grand slam off Boone Logan that put the Angels up 7-1. Shuck added another run a couple batters later on a single off Joba Chamberlain, making it a 8-1 game.

"We're trying to keep the game close, and I let a guy like that hit a grand slam off me," Logan said. "I probably could have hit that slider I threw up to him."

But the Yankees made interesting in the 9th, trying to came back from being down seven runs with three outs left to play. With runners on the corners and one man down, Robinson Cano singled to center to drive in a run.

After Alex Rodriguez struck out with runners on first and second, Vernon Wells, who had come up with big chances earlier in the game, lined a two-run double past a diving Mike Trout in right-center field to pull the Yankees within four runs.

Curtis Granderson followed with a two-out walk to put a pair of runners on for Eduardo Nunez, who would ground out to first base to end the game, handing the Yankees a 8-4 loss, snapping their four-game winning streak.

The Yankees had a ton of chances early in the game to do damage off Angels starter CJ Wilson, but just weren't able to get anything but a single run across the plate off him. Wilson got the win after giving up just one run on 11 hits in 6 2/3 inning, throwing a season-high 124 pitches.

Now the Yankees head off to Boston to start a three-game weekend series against the Red Sox, who lead the Yankees in the AL East by a whopping nine games. Being swept would do a ton of damage to the Yanks playoff hopes, while sweeping Boston could put them back into the AL East race.

"It's playoff baseball for us right now. I think the guys enjoy the challenge, I really do," manager Joe Girardi said. "They understand what we have to do. We have to win a lot of games, we have to win series and we have to play extremely well. I think our guys look forward to that. Baseball is meaningful for us. And it's very meaningful right now. As players, that's what you want."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Huff Called Up, Betances Optioned To Triple-A

As I originally reported to news last night, it has been official this morning, as the Yankees have called up LHP David Huff from Triple-A Scranton and have optioned RHP Dellin Betances to Triple-A, while also moving RHP David Phelps to the 60-day DL.

It's not clear what role Huff will pitch in for the Yankees, as he just started for Scranton three days ago, but he's expected to be another left-handed option out of the bullpen.

It's also possible that he could make a spot start for the Yankees in their double header against the Blue Jays this coming Tuesday.

Betances made his 2013 season debut Tuesday night in the 8th inning against the Angels, striking out the first two batters he faced before falling apart, giving up four runs on five hits and walk in the 9th inning.

Huff was claimed off waivers by the Yankees back in May and made one appearance for the team, giving up one run on one hit against the Rays, before getting sent down.

In 22 game for Triple-A Scranton, Huff has an ERA of 3.90 in 91.2 innings pitched, with 22 walks and 92 strikeouts.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Hughes Takes The Mounds As Yanks Go For The Sweep

Alfonso Soriano is locked in at the plate, and his four homeruns and 13 RBIs in his last two games certainly don't suggest otherwise. His performance over the past two games is one that will go down in Yankees history with some of the greatest 48-hours of all-time.

"I hope it stays for a couple more weeks," Soriano said. "I know it's not going to happen often, those two days. So that's something I want to remember. I have to remember having games like that."

His 13 RBIs have helped led the way to the Yankees being in position to sweep the Angels in this four-game series, before the Yanks hit the road and open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox that starts tomorrow.

Today's Lineup, 1:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Gardner CF
Soriano LF
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Wells RF
Granderson DH
Nunez SS
Overbay 1B
Romine C
Hughes RHP

Pitching Preview:

With all the buzz surrounding Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes has been the complete opposite of those two on the mound, and when he pitches at Yankee Stadium, it never ends well for him or the Yankees.

Hughes has posted a 6.18 ERA and served up 16 home runs in 12 games at the place he calls home, while he is 0-4 with a 6.43 ERA over his last six starts overall. In just his last three starts, he has given up 14 runs on 22 hits in his last 11 innings.

For the moment, Hughes' spot in the rotation is safe, but that's only because there aren't any other starters to replace him, mostly due to some untimely injuries with Michael Pineda and David Phelps.

"Right now, I don't know if we have any options," Girardi said. "So we need him to pitch well. That's the bottom line."

The Yankees managed to tag Jered Weaver with eight runs yesterday, and now they get a chance at one of the Angels other top pitchers, CJ Wilson.

Wilson is 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings over his last eight starts, and he held the Cleveland Indians to two runs on seven hits and four walks 5 1/3 innings last Saturday.

Wilson has faced the Yankees once this season back on June 14th, when he permitted just two runs over seven innings, owns a 2.67 ERA in four career starts at Yankee Stadium, a place he likes to pitch.

"I like pitching day games at Yankee Stadium," Wilson said. "It levels the playing field for me, because I feel like there's no buildup. You just go straight to the game. I think pitching in Yankee Stadium is kind of intimidating in a lot of ways, because you know there are going to be 45,000 or 50,000 fans there.

"You know that the Yankees are always going to give you a good ballgame. They're always going to have tough at-bats, they're always going to have a lot of discipline. This is the hallmark of their club. So a day game, there might be guys who are like, 'Oh, I'm a little sore, I'm not going to play today.' Things like that. Hopefully I get a lineup I can get some whiffs with."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Reports: David Huff Being Called-Up

Following Wednesday night's 11-3 win, the Yankees appear to be making a roster move. According to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune, LHP David Huff is on his way up to the Bronx.

I'm not sure what this move would mean, considering that Huff is currently not on the Yankees 40-man roster and the Yanks would need to clear room to do so, assuming there isn't an injury for him to replace, someone is expected to be designated for assignment.

If there isn't an injury and somebody is about to be designated for assignment, I would have to guess that Dellin Betances, who gave up four runs on five hits on his 2013 debut Tuesday night, would be the man getting the boot.

Of all the people the Yankees could bring up, I'm not sure why Huff is the man. Huff was claimed off waivers by the Yankees back in May and made one appearance for the team, giving up one run on one hit against the Rays, before getting sent down.

In 22 game for Triple-A Scranton, Huff has an ERA of 3.90 in 91.2 innings pitched, with 22 walks and 92 strikeouts.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Soriano Drives In Seven Runs, Yanks Win Their Fourth Straight

Alfonso Soriano is a king among men! For some players, 13 RBIs in one week is a very good week, for others, 13 RBIs in one month is also very good, for Soriano, 13 RBIs in a two game span, now that's irregular.

"It's not bad," Soriano joked. "You don't see those days. I have to take those days, because it's not easy sometimes getting one RBI in one game. And I got 13 in two games. So I'm very excited, very happy."

Soriano tied his career-high on Tuesday night with six RBIs and a pair of homeruns in the Yankees 14-7 win, and afterwards, you would figure he would be able to top himself. Wrong.

Soriano didn't just follow up with another good night, he followed up with a great night! He came up in the first inning with the bases loaded, and brought everyone home with his 5th career grand slam, putting the Yanks up 4-0 on Jered Weaver.

He was back at it again in the 2nd inning, after Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson singled home a run apiece, Soriano ripped a two-run double down the left field line, turning the game into a blowout, at 8-0.

Then in the 5th, having already tied his total and career-high from Tuesday night, Soriano set himself a new-career high, leading off the 5th with his second homerun of the game, a no doubt about it blast to left field, for his 7th RBI of the game.

"Here, it's like more motivation," said Soriano. "All the players, they want to win. When you put the Yankees uniform on, you know what it's all about. It's all about wins. That's all I take to the game every night."

Soriano is the first Yankees player since Alex Rodriguez back on October 4th, 2009 in Tampa Bay against the Rays to drive in seven runs in one game.

"We just were laughing," Cano said. "That's unbelievable. You see a guy that had six RBIs yesterday and seven tonight, that's an awesome game. That's every player's dream. Every time you have men on base, you want to be able to at least get a single, and he got a home run. That was really good."

Soriano was the only Yankee who had as good night at the plate, because Cano was also locked in, going 4-for-4, passing Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto (1,588) for sole possession of 15th place on the all-time franchise hits list.

All this run support came to the benefit of Ivan Nova, who taken the loss in two of his last four games because the Yankees were shutout in the game. Nova didn't have his best stuff, he seemed to be a little complacent on the mound, knowing he had such a big lead.

But overall, Nova had another good outing, pitching at least seven inning for the seventh straight outing, going eight strong, to become the first non-CC Sabathia Yankees pitcher to complete seven innings in seven straight starts since David Cone in 1998.

Nova left to a standing ovation with one-out and a runner on first base in the 8th inning. Lost in the Soriano magic, Nova gave up three runs on 10 hits, while striking out six without walking a single batter on 110 pitches.

"I haven't pitched with a lead like that in a long time," Nova said. "It feels really good. If the hitters start getting hot, it's a good sign for us."

Preston Claiborne was brought into to relieve Nova, as well as finish off the game. He easily got the last two outs of the 8th, and would eventually get the final three outs of the game, and after Chris Stewart tacked on two more runs with a single in the 7th, the Yankees would go on to win 11-3.

With one more game left on this homestand, Phil Hughes will take the mound for the Yankees, facing off against Angels left-hander CJ Wilson, as the Yanks look for their 5th straight win before heading off to boston for the weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EST.

"You want to just continue with this momentum," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We know we have our work cut out for us. We're playing a lot of the teams that are in front of us. We're in our division a lot going down the stretch here. You just try to ride this as long as you can."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Nova Goes For His Seventh Straight Quality Start

Before last night, you had to go all the way back to 2008 to see the Yankees score 14 runs in a game at Yankee Stadium -- Xavier Nady was a Yankee and drove in six runs in the game. Alfonso Soriano also drove in six runs last night, hitting a pair of homeruns in the Yankees 14-7 win over Angels.

CC Sabathia grinded through six innings, giving up three runs on three hits, while somehow walking six and striking out seven. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the game that CC should have gone at least eight innings, but a pitch count of 110 held him to only six innings.

Dellin Betances made his 2013 debut with two outs in the 8th inning, throwing one pitch before a 26-minute rain delay. When play resumed, he threw two more pitches to strike out Grant Green. Then opened the 9th with a strikeout, but the wheels fell off, as he would give up four runs on five hits and a walk, including a three runs homerun to Mike Trout.

Tonight's Lineup, 7:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Gardner CF
Suzuki RF
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Granderson DH
Soriano LF
Overbay 1B
Nunez SS
Stewart C
Nova RHP

Pitching Preview:

Next to Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova has been absolutely dominant since the start of July, tossing six consecutive quality starts with a 1.60 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 45 innings during that span.

Although Nova is 3-2 over his last starts starts, he's gone at least seven inning in every outing, tossing seven innings in each of his last four, giving up a combine five runs total.

"I've been pitching really good," Nova said after his last start. "I've been feeling really good with all of my pitches, working both sides of the plate to righties and lefties and getting quick outs."

His last start was a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers last Friday, permitting just one run on eight hits, while walking two and striking out seven. He took home the no-decision because Mariano Rivera blew the save in the 9th, setting up a walk-off single by Brett Gardner in the bottom of the 10th.

Nova will be going up against the Angels ace, Jered Weaver, who's been just as good as Nova has been since the start of July, posting a 1.72 ERA in his last nine starts.

"He's very comfortable in how he's throwing the ball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he's pitching as well as he did at any time last year, which was obviously his best year."

Weaver was very good in his last outing against the Cleveland Indians, tossing seven innings of two-run ball, serving up six hits, no walks with six punchouts.

"He was on an incredible run last year that lasted for most of the season," Scioscia said. "I think right now he's very, very comfortable. He's not just coming off the DL, but he's had time to work his way into his game, and his stuff and that took a little while."

Up now: My story on Alex Rodriguez just not being able to win with Yankees fans.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Soriano Drives In Six, Yankees Win A Blowout

When the Yankees score runs, everybody goes home happy! There's no doubt that everyone went home happy Tuesday night in the Bronx, when the Yanks offense exploded for 14 runs and 19 hits in their blowout win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Alfonso Soriano had his best game since rejoining the Yankees, driving in a career-high six runs, including a pair of homeruns, one in the 5th that gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead, then the second in the 7th, putting them ahead 12-3.

"It felt more like the old days," Soriano said. "We scored 14 runs today, so I hope we can do that more often. I know it can't happen every day because the other team gets paid to get us out, but I hope we continue playing like we played tonight."

CC Sabathia didn't have a great outing, walking people in tough situations, putting runners on base, and throwing a lot of pitches. Although he had five strikeouts through the first two innings, it was one little mistake in the first that put him into an early hole.

After striking out the first two hitters, CC had Mike Trout into a two-strike count, when he lifted a fly ball into foul territory in right field, Vernon Wells ran it down but missed the ball, giving Trout another life. CC would walk Trout, then immediately gave up a two-run homerun to Mark Trumbo.

Wells made up for his missed play in the first by sending one over the right field wall in the second, putting the Yankees on the board to make it a 2-1 game. It was Wells' first homerun since May 15th.

Sabathia gave up one more run in the third inning when he walked Chris Nelson -- one of the 10 guys that's played third bases for the Yankees this season -- with the bases loaded, forcing in a run to put the Angels up 3-1.

From there, the blowout began and the Yankees didn't look back. Jayson Nix scored Wells from third base on a groundout to the shortstop in the 4th inning. Then in the 5th, Eduardo Nunez singled to center with one-away, leading to Soriano blasting a two-run shot to left field, giving the Yanks their first lead of the game.

Los Angeles had a great chance to tie the game in the 6th inning, with the bases loaded, Tommy Field lined a ball to left field, with Nelson tagging from third base, but the home plate umpire ruled that Nelson left third too early, thus he was called out for the third out of the inning.

The Yankees started to pull away in the bottom half of the 6th, putting up a four-spot after an RBI groundout by Nunez, an RBI single Soriano to bring home Overbay, and a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez, extending the lead to 8-3.

Another four-run inning in the 7th put the game officially out of reach, when Nunez drove in his second run of the game on a fielders choice, setting up Soriano for his second homerun of the game, a three-run longball to make it a 12-3 game.

"He said he was feeling good today and sure enough, he went out there and delivered," Granderson said. "He hit a ball to left and a ball to right. That's a good sign for a hitter that's starting to get hot. Hopefully, it's a good sign of things to come."

Shawn Kelley come into the ballgame to replace Sabathia in the 7th, who finished after permitting three runs on three hits, walking a total of six batters and striking out seven on 110 pitches. Kelley was good once again, giving up just one-hit in 1 2/3 innings.

"I thought CC was excellent," Girardi said. "He probably should've pitched about eight innings with as many outs as he got, but we gave him a lot of extra outs. He kept them in check."

With two outs in the 8th, Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided to bring his young, highly talented prospect, Dellin Betances. After just one pitch, the rain came down, causing a 26-minute rain delay, but Betances came back out and fired two fastballs Grant Green, with the third strike at 97 mph, to end the inning.

Nunez continued his good game in the bottom half of the 8th inning, singling up the middle with the bases load, driving in two more runs, piling on a 14-3 lead. After Betances struck out the first batter of the 9th, the next six Angels reached base, including a three-run homerun by Trout to make it a 14-7 game.

Once Betances walked Nelson, who drew three walks on the night, Girardi was forced to make an unwanted to to the bullpen, bringing in Joba Chamberlain, who would record the final two outs of the game, giving the Yanks a 14-7 victory.

For the first time since July 10th-12th. the Yankees have won three straight games, and four of their last five overall. The Yanks remain 9 1/2 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, but did gain ground, now sitting just 5 1/2 back of the second Wild Card spot.

"That's why I love the Yankees," Soriano said. "The clubhouse and the dugout are always relaxed because everybody has confidence. That's the most important thing. Sometimes we may not play good, but we haven't lost the confidence. Everybody feels comfortable and that's what I like."

Follow @YanksBeatBlog Tweet

Read More

Waiver Wire: Justin Morneau Placed On Waivers

Since Mark Teixeira went down for the season because of wrist surgery, the Yankees have been looking for another bat, preferably a first baseman, to provide a reliable backup for Lyle Overbay. The Yankees have used David Adams and even Vernon Wells at first, but acquiring a real first baseman isn't out of the question.

A first base bat the Yankees have had interest in is now on the open market. According the multiple reports, the Minnesota Twins have place left-handed hitting first baseman Justin Morneau on waivers. The 48-hour waiver period expires Wednesday at 1 pm EST.

The Yankees are in a good position to claim the former all-star, as they are currently ahead of the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland A's, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox, in that order.

The waiver order is based on the American League standings entering the day, from worst to first. Being ahead of other contending teams, the Yanks have a chance to either claim him, or keep the other contenders from grabbing.

Morneau is currently hitting .262 with 14 home runs and 67 RBIs, and he's still owed $3.67 million for the rest of the season as of Tuesday, entering free-agency this offseason.

Any team that might claim him would be getting him at a good time, as he's been hitting the ball well lately, with six homeruns over his last 12 games, with 52 at-bats in that span. Three of those homeruns came over the weekend while the Twins were playing the White Sox in Minnesota.

"I don't think a hot streak or a cold streak will affect that too much," Morneau said of his trade value. "If there's a team that feels like you can contribute, if they feel like it's worth giving up something, that will happen. If not, I'm happy here."

If the Yankees did claim Morneau, the two teams would still have to work out a trade for the slugger, or the Twins could let Morneau go to the Yankees for only the cost of his salary.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Sabathia And Vargas Face-Off On National Left-Handers Day

At this moment, there is no pitcher in the American League that's been more successful since the starts of the July than Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda showed the Angels his greatness last night, firing off eight shutout innings, giving up just three hits, in an effort that lead to his fifth scoreless outing in his last nine starts.

Curtis Granderson was also a big factor in the Yankees 2-1 win last night over the Angels, as Granderson launched his third homerun of the season, taking a fastball right down the middle from Angels starter Garrett Richards, that ended up in the second deck in right field.

The Yankees win last night gave them consecutive wins for the first time since July 10th-11th against the Kansas City Royals, and now they'll go for their first three-game winning streak for the first time since July 10th-12th, when Yankees beat the Royals twice, then took the series opener against the Twins.

Tonight's Lineup, 7:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Nunez SS
Soriano LF
Cano 2B
Rodriguez DH
Wells RF
Granderson CF
Nix 3B
Overbay 1B
Romine C
Sabathia LHP

Pitching Preview:

It's a simple fact, the New York Yankees can not win if CC Sabathia is not pitching well. Obviously, that's been the case for the Yankees lately, as Sabathia has struggled mightily, giving up 30 runs in his last five outings.

The best of those outing was just last week when Sabathia tossed 7 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox, permitting just three runs on five hits, and hit didn't walk a single batter. A lthough the solid effort, the Yanks went on to lose the game after Mariano Rivera blew the first of three straight saves in the 9th.

"Obviously, we want to win the game," Sabathia said after the loss to the White Sox. "It's a tough situation, but, you know, hopefully this [good start] will help me out."

Sabathia will take the mound against the Angels tonight for the second time this season, the last coming June, when CC held the Angels to two runs on five hits in eight solid innings.

Taking the mound for the Angels is left-hander Jason Vargas, who hasn't pitched since mid-June, when a blood clot was discovered in his armpit area and surgery was required. The Angels are happy to have him back.

"It's a big piece to get back, but you need more than just Jason," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "You need the opportunity to win games and have your starters give you a chance to win games on a daily basis. That's the depth that we need. Jason is one piece of that. Hopefully, he can pick up where he left off."

When Vargas left, he was sporting a 6-4 record with a 3.65 ERA. Along with, Vargas had fired off six quality starts in his last seven outings, and the Angels are 7-2 in his last nine starts.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Kuroda Dominates Again, Yankees Win 2-1

Let's get this straight, Hiroki Kuroda is a top three candidate for the American League Cy Young award. The Yankees most dominating and consistent pitcher in 2013 was at it again Monday night, tossing eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels in the Yankees 1-0 win.

Kuroda was just as dominant as any other outing for him this season. The only three hits he gave up on the night were a double to Josh Hamilton to open the 2nd, an infield single by the speedy Mike Trout, and a double by Chris Iannetta with two outs in the 8th.

He worked very economical all night, need just 16 pitches to get through the 6th and 7th innings combine, with a total of 107 pitches for the game.

"His offspeed stuff is very difficult to pick up," Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said. "The rotation on it, you couldn't really pick it up. You had to wait a long time, which made you late on the fastball. If you're trying to hit the fastball, you're ahead on the offspeed. He kept guys off balance -- very deceptive, very good location."

Although Kuroda has pitched well all season, his low win total has been the product of very poor run support from the Yankees offense. That wasn't much of an issue Monday night, as Kuroda kept Anaheim off the board, the Yanks were able to put a pair of runs on the board to back Kuroda.

The Yanks first run came in the third inning after Eduardo Nunez single to center field with one out, then a well timed hit and run put on by Yankees manager Joe Girardi move Nunez over to second on a groundball out by Chris Stewart.

A couple pitches later, Brett Gardner, Sunday's hero with his walk-off homerun in the 9th inning, lined a single into left-center field that brought home Nunez, giving the Yanks a 1-0 lead.

Angels starter Garrett Richards battled with Kuroda all night, virtually matching his line, apart from a couple mistake here and there. His biggest mistake of the game was a fastball to Curtis Granderson in the 7th inning that he left right over the plate, that Granderson would put into the second deck in right field, extending the Yankees lead to 2-0.

"[Granderson] knows when he's starting to get right," Girardi said. "It's a feeling you feel when you're seeing the ball better. [Richards] has good stuff."

Like Kuroda, Richards pitched into the 8th inning, giving the Angels an equally impressive performance, permitting just the two runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out three in eight very solid innings, with just the couple of mistakes to his credit.

With Mariano Rivera not available to pitch, Boone Logan was the man to come into the game for Kuroda, who finished with a line of no runs on three hits, while walking one and striking out seven in eight innings.

"I told Larry I will pitch no matter what, but I would take the day off if it's OK," Rivera said.

J.B. Shuck opened the inning with a single to right field off the first base bag, then Logan came back to strike out Kole Calhoun. Girardi then pulled the plug on Logan, bringing in David Robertson to get the final two outs.

Robertson walked Trout to put runners on 1st and 2nd, then Hamilton blooped a shallow fly ball over A-Rod at third that brought home Shuck, moved Trout to third and put Hamilton on second. Robertson intentionally walked Erick Aybar with first base open to load the bases.

Robertson struck out Mark Trumbo for a big second out, then he Chris Nelson to a full-count and struck him out on what would have been ball four to end the ball, and give the Yankees consecutive wins for the first time since July 11th-12th.

"It was a little different, but we've got a pretty good bullpen down there," Stewart said. "We've got guys that can do the job. They made it a little interesting toward the end. They didn't get hit hard, but balls fell in. They kept their cool and finished the game out."

Monday's start was just another in the impressive run by Kuroda, as he's now 4-1 since the start of July, with a stellar ERA of 0.94. It was also the 5th scoreless outing in his last nine starts, and the 9th scoreless start this season, a major league best for Kuroda.

"We saw last year, coming into the [American League] East is not an easy task," catcher Chris Stewart said. "For him to come in and do what he did last year is really special. He's topping that -- even better this year. It just goes to show you, he's a veteran guy, he doesn't get fazed out there. With runners on base or in scoring position, he goes into shutdown mode and eliminates runs. He gets extremely focused."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

Read More

Kuroda Faces The Angels In Series Opener

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 Tweet

These days, it's going to take a lot to overshadow anything Alex Rodriguez does on the field. In the 9th inning yesterday, Mariano Rivera and Brett Gardner found a way to do that.

Rivera gave up a pair of homeruns in the 9th to Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez to tie the game, marking the third consecutive blown save by Rivera, just the first time in this legendary career that he's blown a save in three straight chances.

Then in the bottom half of the 9th, Gardner ended the game with one swing of the bat, taking Jose Veras deep to right field, sending the Yanks home with a 5-4 win, and their first series win since July 5th-7th against the Baltimore Orioles.

Now the struggling Los Angeles Angels come to town, having lost five of their last seven games, and were swept by the Texas Rangers last week on walk-off homeruns in all three games of the series.

The Yankees and Angels have already met once this year, back in Anaheim, when Los Angeles took two of the three games against a Yankees team that had been struggling badly at the time.

Tonight's Lineup, 7:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Gardner CF
Suzuki DH
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Overbay 1B
Soriano LF
Granderson RF
Nunez SS
Stewart C
Kuroda RHP

Pitching Preview:

The Yankees bullpen was forced to put in a heavy workload over the weekend, with Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes lasting only 4 1/3 in each of their starts on Saturday and Sunday. The bullpen will get a chance to have an easy night with workhorse ace Hiroki Kuroda taking the mound.

Kuroda has been dominant on the mound over the past five weeks, going 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA and with 28 strikeouts in six starts over that span.

"He has pitched extremely well and he should have a lot more than 10 wins," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after Kuroda's last start.

Kuroda didn't have his best stuff in his last outing, tossing seven innings of three-run ball against the Chicago White Sox, but was tagged with the loss after the Yankees failed to provide him with any run support, as usual in most of his starts.

"I wasn't really sharp out there, but I think I was able to get the big outs," Kuroda said.

Garrett Richards gets the ball for the Los Angeles Angels, making just his fourth starts for LA since taking over for Joe Blanton in the Angels in the rotation. In those three starts, Richards has an ERA of 2.50.

Richards came away with the no-decision in his last start after tossing giving up three runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out five in six innings of work, despite not having his best stuff.

Yankee Notes:

* Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before the game that Derek Jeter, who's currently on the DL with a Grade 1 calf strain, is scheduled to go through "tee and toss" drills today. "Then tomorrow I'm going to do some dry swings," he said. "In the pool."

When the Yankees leave for Boston on Friday, Jeter is expected to head south and continue his rehab at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa, Florida. Girardi was asked if Jeter would return to the lineup when he becomes eligible August 17th, and he said, "I'm not sure."

* Travis Hafner was eligible to return to the Yankees today after being on the DL since July 27th, but he's not ready yet, says Girardi. "He feels better and he's continuing his rehab," Girardi said. "But he's not ready to do baseball activities yet." Hafner might not return until September 1st, when rosters expand to 40-men.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.

Read More

Gardner's Walkoff Homer In The 9th Win It For The Yanks

NEW YORK -- Yankees fans are cheering for Alex Rodriguez once again -- for now. After getting Saturday's game off, A-Rod was back in the Yanks lineup and launched his first homerun of the year off Justin Verlander in the 2nd, one of his two hits on the day to help the Yanks defeat the Tigers, 5-4.

Coming up to the plate to face Verlander in the 2nd, A-Rod was greeted by the fans with a mixture of cheers and boos, that would quickly turn to cheers after A-Rod took a fastball and turned on it, sending over the wall in left field to tie the game, 1-1.

"I think the fans have been incredible. I said that yesterday," Rodriguez said. "You want to turn boos into cheers, you want to go out and make them proud. All you want is really an opportunity and a chance. I think New York always gives you that. I certainly feel that way walking around the city. The support has never been stronger in my 10 years. I'm very thankful."

The Yankees would go on to take the lead later in the inning after Lyle Overbay singled following the homerun by A-Rod, then Curtis Granderson singled after Alfonso Soriano struck out, moving Overbay to third with one away.

Eduardo Nunez came up with runners on the corners and lifted a fly-ball to center field that would be deep enough for Overbay to tag and score, giving the Yanks a 2-1.

After Robinson Cano ripped a ground-rule double left field with two away, A-Rod came up again with a chance to drive in another run. A-Rod took a 2-2 pitch from Verlander and lined it down the right field line, bringing home Cano for the Yanks third run.

"Our hope was that he is in midseason form when he gets here, but you're never sure when a guy comes off the DL, and he's been there for a long time," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Today was a great day for [A-Rod]."

Soriano said after yesterday's game that the thought of getting his 2,000th with certainly on his mind, making it hard for him to focus during at-bats. Well, he can finally stop thinking about it. The first pitch he saw from Verlander in the 4th, Soriano blasted out to left field his career hit No. 2,000.

All this run support came to the benefit of Andy Pettitte, who didn't have his best stuff on this day. Detroit was all over Pettitte early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Prince Fielder -- the eighth straight start in which Pettitte has given up a run in the first inning.

Although the Tigers were putting runners on base, they weren't able to do much against Pettitte, or any of the other Yankee pitchers in the game. Girardi decided to pulled the plug on Pettitte's day with one out in the 5th, taking him out after loading the bases. He gave up only one run on eight hits, walking three and striking out three in just 4 1/3.

"It's taxing on my body to throw that many pitches early in the game," said Pettitte. "I'm out there battling and grinding as hard as I can, but we've got to win ballgames right now."

Shawn Kelley took over for Pettitte, holding the Tigers to just one hit over an inning and a third. Boone Logan also tossed a scoreless inning and a third. David Robertson pitched the 8th, giving up a long homerun to Brian Pena, the first earned run given up Robertson since June 16th.

Perhaps the play of the game took place in the 8th inning. Austin Jackson was on first base with one out when Torii Hunter lifted a fly-ball that carried to deep center, and as Brett Gardner went back, he made the catch while slamming into the wall.

Shaken up by the play, he rolled the ball over the Soriano. Jackson thought the ball had been dropped, so he stayed at second, and when the ball made it's way back into the infield, Cano applied the tag,  completing the double play to end the inning.

Miguel Cabrera was on deck when the 8th inning ended, and was forced to face Mariano Rivera to open the 9th. Down two-strikes, Cabrera recreated Friday's magic, taking Rivera deep to pull the Tigers within one run, making it a 4-3 game.

A couple batters later, Victor Martinez tied the game with a no doubter into the second deck in right field, knotting the score at 4-4. It was the third consecutive blown save by Rivera, the first time in his Hall of Fame career that he's blown three straight saves.

"At least it's only the first time," Rivera said. "I don't pay attention to that stuff. I just try to go out there and do my job. The last three opportunities, I haven't done it. You have to continue battling and get better."

But with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, Gardner, who won the game for the Yankees on Friday with a walk-off single in the 10th, blastes a long, walk-off homerun to right field, giving the Yankees a 5-4 win.

"I think Mo has bailed us out quite a few times. Things like that happen," Gardner said. "That's the first time I've ever hit a walk-off homer. It might be the last. It didn't matter if it was me or someone else, we just needed to get a win today."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.

Read More

Live Blog: Tampa Yankees vs Daytona Cubs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fl -- Hey! I'm currently blogging live from the legendary Jackie Robinson Ballpark in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida, for a Florida State League matchup between your Single-A Tampa Yankees and the Daytona Cubs.

Follow along here throughout the night as I keep you updated on everything that happens to the Baby Bombers.

Top of the 1st: Cubs starting pitcher C.J. Edwards -- recently acquired from the Rangers in the deal for Matt Garza -- retired Mason Williams, Robert Refsnyder and Ben Gamble in order to begin the ballgame.

Bottom of the 1st: Yankees No. 4 prospect Rafael De Paula is on the mound for the Yanks and he got himself into trouble early. An error and a single set up 1st and 3rd with one away, the a sac-fly brought home the game's first run. Another single set up runners on the corners once again, this time with two away. De Paula hit Dustin Geiger in the helmet, the got himself a flyout to left field to end the inning.

Top of the 2nd: Peter O'brien struck out to open the inning, the Matt Snyder drew a walk. After another strikeout by Tyson Blaser, Ali Castillo hammered his second homerun of the year over the left field wall to put the Yanks up 2-1.

Bottom of the 2nd: Much better inning from De Paula in the 2nd inning, getting a flyout to left field, but then followed by walking the No. 9 hitter. The runner wouldn't matter as DePaula would get the next two hitters to flyout.

Top of the 3rd: Yanks made a big threat, but didn't come away with much.Mikeson Oliberto doubled to open the frame, then a single by Williams and a walk by Refsnyder loaded the bases. Ben Gamble grounded out to bring home the Yanks third run of the game, then two of the next three Yanks struck out to end the inning.

Bottom of the 3rd: De Paula is starting to settle in nicely, striking out the first two hitters of the inning. Cubs outfielder dropped down a nice bunt over to third base, with the third baseman playing back, he beat it out. But no worry, the next hitter popped out to shallow right field for the third out.

Top of the 4th: Quiet inning for the Yankees, as Castillo hit a swinging bunt out in from of the plate, then Toussen walked. Oliberto and Williams followed with back to back punchouts, ending the inning, standing the runner on first.

Bottom of the 4th: Rough inning for De Paula in the 4th, as he showed off some control issues to open the inning, walking the first two batters. The No. 9 hitter laid down a sac-bunt to move the two runners over, the Zeke DeVoss ripped a two-run double over the head of the right field, tying the game, 3-3. Da Paula quickly rebounded, striking out the next two hitters, stranding the runner at 2nd.

Top of the 5th: Not much brewing for the Yanks in the 5th inning. Refsnyder grounded out the first base, then Gamel singled to right field for the Yanks third hit of the game, but O'brien and Snyder each grounded out to end the inning, still tied 3-3.

Bottom of the 5th: Yankees brought in their switch pitcher, yes, switch pitcher, Pat Venditte to begin the 5th. He walked the first two batters, then a got himself a strikeout for the first out. After a wild pitch put let the runner on 2nd moves to 3rd, the Cubs took a 4-3 lead on a sac-fly to right field. Ben Carhart flew out to right to end the inning.

Top of the 6th: Another quiet inning for the Yankees' bats. Blaser grounded out to get things going, then Castillo flew out on a weak flyball to right field. Toussen drew his second walk of the game, then the No. 9 hitter Oliberto followed right behind with a walk of his own. After the Cubs brought in a new pitcher, Williams grounded out to the second baseman.

Bottom of the 6th: As this game come barreling home at a snails pace, Venditte walked the leadoff hitter in the 6th, then got DeVoss to flyout. After a single from the Cubs' No. 2 hitter, Daytona grounded out, then a new Yankees pitcher, Charlie Short struck out the first hitter he faced to end the inning.

Top of the 7th: Gamel drew himself a one-out walk off Cubs pitcher Frank Del Valle, but was then picked off on the bases by the lefties move. O'brien then followed up with a walk, then Snyder singled to left-center field to set up runners on 1st and 2nd with two-away, but Blaser struck out to strand the runners.

Bottom of the 7th: Daytona tacked on two more runs on the bottom of the inning. The first two hitters singled to get on, then a walk loaded the bases. A 4-6-3 double play brought home a run, while also putting two outs on the board. The No. 9 hitter continued to be productive, singling on a line drive to left center, scoring the second run, extending the Cubs lead to 6-3. A questionable strike three call ended the inning.

Top of the 8th: Yankees didn't do anything to answer Daytona's two-runs inning in the 7th.Castillo struck out swinging, the Toussen flew out on a fly-ball to deep center, the Oliberto struck out the end the inning, going down in order.

Bottom of the 8th: Tampa pitcher Alex Smith opened the inning wit a strikeout, then the Cubs' No. 3 hitter reached base on a throwing error by the Yanks shortstop, airmailing the throw over first base. The runner on second was caught stealing third, then a flyout ti right field ended the inning.

Top of the 9th: Williams opened the inning with a flyout to center. The Yanks No. 2 prospect finished 1-for-5 with a single. Refsnyder stuck out swinging for out number two. Gamel walked to keep the game alive, but O'brien flew out to center field to end the game.

Final: Daytona Cubs 6, Tampa Yankees 3.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.

Read More

Hughes Flops Again, Yanks Lose 9-3

NEW YORK -- The Detroit Tigers are one of the best teams in the American League and the New York Yankees are not, and that statement held true Saturday as the Tigers' offense burst out for nine runs off Phil Hughes and company, keeping the Yanks from winning consecutive game for the first time in almost a month.

Hughes didn't get off to a good start, giving up a triple to Austin Jackson to open the game. He would come in to score as the next batter, Torii Hunter, brought him in on a sac-fly to center.

A couple innings later, Miguel Cabrera continued to do what he does best, launching his 35th homerun of the season off Hughes in the 3rd inning, his second homerun in three at-bats -- his two-run homerun off Mariano Rivera tied the game in the 9th last night.

After a quiet 4th inning, the Tigers struck for most of their damage in the 5th. Jackson took Hughes deep for a solo blast, then Hunter singled to knock Hughes out of the game, allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out six in only 4 1/3 innings. It was the sixth straight outing in which Hughes failed to pitch at least five innings.

The usually solid Preston Claiborne took over for Hughes but things didn't go over much smoother for him. Claiborne was welcomed to the game by giving up a single to Cabrera, then followed up with striking out Prince Fielder. Victor Martinez then lashed out with an RBI double to left field, then Don Kelley made it a 6-0 game with a two-run single to center.

The Yankees scored their only runs in the game on a long two-run homerun off the bat of Lyle Overbay in the 5th inning, putting the Yankees on the board against Anibal Sanchez, who had retired the first nine Yankees hitters to open the game.

Sanchez gave the Tigers a great effort and a good outing, giving up just the two runs on four hits, walking only one and striking out eight on 107 pitches in seven innings of work.

Claiborne induced a groundout to open the 6th, but then permitted a single to Jose Iglesias and walked Jackson. Yankees manager Joe Girardi had seen enough, making the move to bring in Joba Chamberlain to clean things up. That didn't work out too well as Joba gave up a three-run homerun to Hunter, extending the lead to 9-2.

Following Overbay's homerun in the 5th, only two more Yankees even reached base, with Overbay drawing a walk in the 7th and Ichiro songling in the 8th, putting him just seven hits shy of 4,000 career hits in the Majors and in Japan.

Adam Warren came into the game for the first time since blowing the lead in the 12th inning of the Yankees loss to the White Sox on Wednesday. He gave up just three hits in two shutout innings for the Yanks.

Though it didn't matter much, Overbay put another run on the board with a two-out RBI single, he drove in all three of the Yanks runs on the day, as the Yanks went on the lose 9-3.

Tonight: I'll be in Daytona Beach, Florida, checking out the Single-A Tampa Yankees as they take on the Daytona Cubs (Chicago Cubs Single-A team). Check be here as I'll have posts and update on anything I see from the Baby Bombers.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.

Read More

Yanks Go For Second Straight Win With Hughes On The Mound

NEW YORK -- There's nothing more rare than a blown save by mariano Rivera, but a back to back blown saves by Mariano Rivera is almost unheard of. Last night, Miguel Cabrera took advantage of a cutter from Rivera, sending it into Monument Park to tie the game in the 9th inning.

Then, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, Brett Gardner slapped a fastball past a diving Cabrera into left field, scoring Jayson Nix to send the Yankees fans home happy with a 4-3 win, snapping the Bombers four-game losing skid.

Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his game game at Yankee Stadium since his atrocious postseason. After receiving an almost even mixture of boos and cheers in his first at-bat, the boos grew louder as the night went on and the strikeouts piled up.

Today's Lineup, 1:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Gardner CF
Ichiro RF
Cano 2B
Soriano DH
Granderson LF
Nunez SS
Overbay 1B
Nix 3B
Romine C
Hughes RHP

Pitching Preview:

It's been over a month since Phil hughes last won a game for the Yankees. This past month has been a struggle for Hughes, and in his last outing against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, he gave up five runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings.

"It's been really tough. It's been like a nightmare I can't wake up from," Hughes said after that game. "It's like a battle every time, even if I have a good start. It's not easy. On a day like this, it's really disappointing."

Hughes has been on and off in his career against the Tigers, going 5-5 with an ERA of 4.67 in the 11 times, nine starts, he's faced Detroit.

On the other hand, Hughes' counterpart, Anibal Sanchez, has been tossing the ball pretty well over the past couple of weeks. In four starts since the All-Star break, he's 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA. In his last starts against the Indians, he allowed two runs on four hits in, while striking out 11 in 7 2/3 innings.

"I pitched good and I feel good, but my first pitch [for strikes] hasn't been there, and I need it," Sanchez said after a recent outing. "I need to work on that, and I need to work on the out pitch, especially late in the count that I used to do right before I went on the DL [in June]."

Yankee Notes:

* According to reports from Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York, prior to A-Rod's home debut Friday night, the Yankees sent him a letter, officially informing him he will be disciplined for seeking a second opinion on an injury without club approval.

Francisco Cervelli was also given a letter by the Yankees, telling him he will be disciplined for failing to report to work prior to the announcement of his 50-game suspension.

* Last night's win snapped the Yankees four-game losing streak coming into play, and the loss for Detroit snapped their-12-game winning streak. The Yanks will now go for their second straight win on Saturday, looking for back to back wins for the first time since July 11th-12th.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter for complete game coverage.

Read More

Gardner's Single In The 10th Win It For The Yanks

NEW YORK -- Friday marked the long awaited return of Alex Rodriguez to the Bronx, but by the end of the night, A-Rod was just a simple footnote on the side of Mariano Rivera's blown save in the 9th, and Brett Gardner's walk-off single in the 10th, snapping the Yanks 5-game losing skid.

"Well, I hope it jump-starts it a lot," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We need to win series. We need to win a lot of games moving forward."

Yankees starter Ivan Nova kept the Tigers hot bats quiet throughout the night, holding down the Tigers for just one-run over seven innings.

Nova lived on the edge all throughout the night, putting himself into in three of the first four innings, escaping a bases loaded jam with two big strikeouts in the first, and got out of the 3rd inning unharmed after the Tigers put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs in the second inning.

In seven inning of work, Nova only gave up one, coming in the 7th inning on an RBI single by Miguel Cabrera of all people, putting the Tigers on the board. The one run came off eight hits and a walk, while also striking out seven on 97 pitches.

"I've been pitching really good," Nova said. "I've been feeling really good with all of my pitches, working both sides of the plate to righties and lefties, and getting quick outs."

The biggest problem that's Nova has been facing over his last few starts was the lack of run support the Yankees have been giving him, but that wouldn't be a problem in this one as the Yanks jumped out to a 3-0 lead early, giving Nova the supports he's been looking for.

Gardner and Ichiro lead off the bottom of the first by reaching first and second, then Robinson Cano moved them over on a groundout to second base. Alfonso Soriano brought home Gardner on a groundout to third base.

Both Gardner and Ichiro single to get on base to open the 3rd inning, but this time, Cano lined a double into the left-center field gap, bringing home Gardner and Ichiro all the way around from first, as Cano advanced to third on the throw home, pushing the Yankees lead to 3-0.

As mentioned, A-Rod took the field at Yankee Stadium for the first time since the 2009 ALCS against the Tigers. Coming to the plate to about 50/50 cheers and boos in his first at-bat, that numbers of boos raised quickly as A-Rod went 0-for-4 with three strikeout's on the night.

Coming into the game with a 3-1 lead in the 8th, David Robertson came entered to hold things down for his usual 8th inning appearance, shutting down the Tigers in order on 12 pitches.

As the rulebook state, when leading by three runs or less, Mariano Rivera will be called upon to record the final three outs of a ballgame, but for the second straight game, Rivera and the Yankees were within a strike away from winning the game, before Rivera blew the save once again.

Mo started the inning by getting Don Kelley to fly out to center, then Austin Jackson doubled into the left field gap. Torii Hunter was the next hitter and he shot a ball back up the middle that was miraculously stopped by Mariano, retiring Hunter for the second out of the inning.

With one out to go, Mariano was pitted into a battle against the games best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, for an at-bat no one will forget. Lyle Overbay came within inches of ending the game, reaching over the railing in the first base dugout, just barely missing that popup that could have ended things.

"It almost cost us the game," Overbay said

But a couple of pitches later, just one strike away, Cabrera, after just fouling a pitch off his knee and the next off his shin, launched  his 34th homerun of the year to deep center field, landing on the netting that cover Monument Park, tying the game, and blowing Mariano's fourth save attempt of the year.

"Cabrera put a tough at-bat on him. Fouled a bunch of pitches off. Fouled it off his knee. Fouled it off his foot. He did a good job of getting two strikes. He just couldn't put him away," Girardi said.

Luckily, though, the Yankees were able to put up a fight in the bottom of the 10th. Jayson Nix walked to open the frame, then Curtis Granderson singled to right field, setting up 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Overbay struck out swinging on a wild pitch that advanced the runners to 2nd and 3rd with one away.

Girardi could have made a move to the bench with Chris Stewart coming up, but he elected to let his catcher hit and strike out looking to end a bad at-bat. Then came Gardner with the bases load and he slapped a groundball single past a diving Cabrera to score Nix and give the Yankees a 4-3 victory.

"It's good to pick [Rivera] up like that," Gardner said. "He probably won't do it again the rest of the season. He'll probably reel off 15, 20 straight until the end of September."

It was a much needed win that snapped a four-game losing skid and also ended the Tigers 12-game winning streak, and overall, the win kept the Yankees from suffering another tough loss.

"We haven't been playing good baseball the past couple of months, and sometimes you've got to keep winning or you'll be out of it," Gardner said. "I think everybody in this room kind of feels the same way. We have to come in every day and work hard and really focus on one thing, and that's grinding out a win."

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.

Read More

A-Rod Makes His Yankee Stadium Return Against The Tigers

NEW YORK -- As much as I like watching the Yankees play road games, traveling to different ballparks, usually parks you don't get to see multiple time a year like other places in the AL East, it's always great to be back at home, enjoying the comforts of the good old Yankee Stadium.

And if there's anyone more happy to be back home at their home ballpark, it's the Yankees. Coming off an awful 2-6 road trip that included being swept by the last place Chicago White Sox. The Yanks are now back in the Bronx to open up a 7-game homestand with a weekend series against one of the hottest teams in baseball -- the Detroit Tigers.

The biggest storyline heading into tonight's game is that Alex Rodriguez will be playing in his first game at Yankee Stadium since being booed off the field for his poor postseason performance. Whether he'll be cheered or booed in his first at-bat is also a big part of the story.

Tonight's Lineup, 7:05 EST @ Yankee Stadium:

Gardner CF
Ichiro RF
Cano 2B
Soriano DH
Rodriguez 3B
Granderson LF
Overbay 1B
Nunez SS
Stewart C
Nova RHP

Pitching Preview:

Ivan Nova will be the man getting the ball in the series opener, taking the mound for the first time since tossing seven shutout innings, striking out eight against the San Diego Padres last Saturday.

"I've been feeling really good," Nova said. "Like I've said in the past, I don't remember the last time I felt the way I feel now. I'm working hard to try to repeat it every time. I'm trying to go out there and do my job, try to help the team to win games."

Nova has been pitching great for over a month, pitching five straight quality starts since the beginning of July. He's been absolutely dominant on the mound, and has arguably been the Yankees best pitch for the past month, alongside Hiroki Kuroda.

Rick Porcello gets the call from his manager, given the task of outdueling Nova, as well as trying to shutdown a Yankee offense that's been anything but a force to be reckoned with for the past few months.

Porcello has tossed six straight quality starts for the Tigers, and in three starts after the All-Star break, he is 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA, and also hasn't walked more than two batters in 20 of his 21 outings this season.

"When you pitch to contact, you have to keep runners off base any way you can, and not give them any walks," Porcello said. "I take pride in not giving up many of them, and get pretty frustrated when I do give up some walks. Trying to keep those at a minimum is definitely big for me being successful out there."

Question: Would you boo A-Rod tonight? Tell me your answer on my twitter feed, @GavinEwbank2013.

Read More