Tagged: Josh Spence
Yankees Repel Rays With Walk-Off Homer In 10th
YANKEES 7, TAMPA BAY 6 (10 Innings)
TAMPA – There are times when things may look its bleakest but a proud team decides it needs to make a statement. On Sunday the Yankees made a bold statement that they they will not go down without a pretty fierce fight.
Kevin Youkilis launched a pair of long-distance two-run home runs and Ronnier Mustelier cracked a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning as New York defeated Tampa Bay in a see-saw affair in front of a paid crowd of 10,894 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Youkilis reclaimed the lead for the Yankees in the bottom of the eighth inning with his second home run of the game his fifth of the spring. However, the Rays rallied for a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6 on an RBI double by Jake Hager off David Aardsma.
That set the stage for Mustelier's fly-ball home run off a 3-2 offering from Josh Lueke (2-1) that just cleared in the wall in left-field.
Preston Claiborne (1-0) retired the only two batters he faced in the top of the 10th to gain credit for the victory.
The Yankees improved to 12-17 this spring. The Rays fell to 14-14.
It appears that signing the Youkilis to replace Alex Rodriguez at third base while he recovers from hip surgery was about the smartest thing that general manager Brian Cashman accomplished this winter. With batting coach Kevin Long's help, Youkilis has lowered his hands a bit and he's making solid contact again. With his 2-for-4 day and two home runs, Youkilis now leads the team with five homers and 12 RBIs this spring and he is hitting .262.
Mustelier, 28, could not have picked a better time to hit his second home run of the spring. Though it appears his chances of making the team out of spring training are near zero, he is making a big impression on the front office with his .324 batting average.
Other than Aardsma, the Yankees bullpen was near flawless in the 5 1/3 innings they pitched. Vidal Nuno, Cody Eppley, Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, Josh Spence and Claiborne combined to give up no runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six batters.
Though Youkilis drove in four runs it ended up being a wash because his error on a ground ball off the bat of Jose Molina with a runner on third and two out in the fourth inning opened the floodgates for four unearned runs to score that inning. Youkilis won a Gold Glove with the Boston Red Sox as a first baseman in 2007. However, he is not as accomplished as a fielder at third.
Aardsma, 31, simply did not get the job done in the bottom of ninth inning. He issued a leadoff single by Ben Zobrist, Jason Bourgeois bunted him to second and Hager scored him with his double. Aardsma's spring ERA is now to 3.86 and it is unclear if he will make the bullpen coming out spring training.
There was some bad base-running that cost the Yankees in the fifth inning. After one out, Eduardo Nunez singled but was thrown out attempting to steal by Molina because he got a bad jump off first. Than Ichiro Suzuki rolled a ball down the line in left and was thrown out because he rounded first too far allowing Matt Joyce to gun him down.
Derek Jeter reported that he was experiencing soreness again in his surgically repaired left ankle and the team has ordered him to rest for at least two days. Cashman said it is looking extremely unlikely that the 38-year-old shortstop will be available on Opening Day. The team likely will place him on the 15-day disabled retroactively so that he could be activated as soon as April 6. . . . Reports indicate that the Yankees and Angels are trying to work out a trade that would send outfielder Vernon Wells to the Yankees. Wells, 34, is a fifth outfielder with the Angels but he was hitting . 361 (13 for 36) with four homers and 11 RBis this spring. Wells has a no-trade clause in his contract but he reportedly would be willing to waive it to get more playing time. The big stumbling block is how much the Angels will pay of the $42 million left on Wells' contract.
The Yankees will take their third day off of the spring on Monday. On Tuesday they will play host to the Houston Astros.
CC Sabathia will make his final spring tuneup before pitching for the Yankees on Opening Day on April 1. The Astros have not named a starter.
Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast live by the YES Network and by the MLB Network.
Written by mlblogsruthianclout Leave a comment Posted in Baseball, Dailies, Uncategorized, Yankees	Tagged with Alex Rodriguez, Angels, Astros, Ben Zobrist, Boone Logan, Brian Cashman, CC Sabathia, Cody Eppley, David Aardsma, Derek Jeter, Eduardo Nunez, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Gold Glove, Ichiro Suzuki, Jake Hager, Jason Bourgeois, Joba Chamberlain, Jose Molina, Josh Lueke, Josh Spence, Kevin Long, Kevin Youkilis, Mariano Rivera, Matt Joyce, MLB Network, Opening Day, Preston Claiborne, Rays, Red Sox, Ronnier Mustelier, Vernon Wells, Vidal nuno, Yankees, YES Network
Yankees Suffer Through Hit Drought Against Phils
PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 1
CLEARWATER – One thing the Yankees are finding out this spring is it is pretty hard to score runs when you don't get many hits. On Tuesday, they ended up with just two of them and they found that one run just was not enough to win.
Kyle Kendrick (1-2) gave up one unearned run on two hits and struck out three and Domonic Brown continued his own personal assault against Yankee pitching with a solo home run in the fourth inning as Philadelphia downed New York at Bright House Field.
Adam Warren (0-2) carried a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning but was tagged by Brown's sixth home run of the spring (three of them have come against the Yankees) and a RBI double by Steven Lerud to score Laynce Nix.
The Phillies added single runs in the sixth on a RBI single by Michael Young off reliever Shawn Kelley and in the seventh on a solo home run off the bat of Ryan Howard against left-hander Josh Spence.
Warren ended up giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk and struck out two batters.
Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless ninth to earn a save.
With the loss the Yankees' Grapefruit League record dropped to 9-15. The Phiilies improved to 11-12.
Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki teamed up to set up the Yankees' only score of the day. Gardner led off the fourth with a bunt single and he reached second on Kendrick's throwing error attempting to throw him out at first. One out later Suzuki doubled to the gap in left-center to plate Gardner. Suzuki is hitting .382 this spring.
Left-hander Boone Logan, 28, looked sharp in his first outing of the spring. Logan has been sidelined up to this point with soreness in his left elbow. Logan gave up a leadoff single to Chase Utley but then retired the side, including fanning lefty hitters Brown and Nix swinging to end the inning.
David Aardsma also looked good in his one inning of work. He gave up no hits and struck out two. Aarsdma is making a strong case to make the Yankees' bullpen this spring. After being hit early he has his spring ERA down to 3.60. Aardsma, 31, is a former Seattle Mariners closer who is returning to action after missing all of 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Granted that Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are injured. Plus Robinson Cano is busy in the final of the World Baseball Classic and Derek Jeter was scratched from the lineup as a precaution. But it is pretty sad when players like Gardner, Suzuki, Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner and Brennan Boesch can muster just two hits. That is just plain unacceptable.
Warren was much better on Tuesday than he was in his last appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 14 in Dunedin, FL. In that game Warren gave up eight runs on four hits and five walks in just 1 1/3 innings. But Warren still has trouble putting away hitters on two-strike counts and he gives up way too many hits.
After looking sharp in his early appearances this spring, Kelley is beginning to struggle a bit. In his last two outings – both against the Phillies – he has given up four runs on seven hits and two walks in two innings of work. His spring ERA has ballooned to 5.40.
Jeter is trying to tamp down any panic that might be brewing over his decision not play shortstop on Tuesday after feeling stiffness in his surgically repaired left ankle. Jeter told reporters that he was told by his doctors that he would feel occasional stiffness and he just sat out as a precaution. An MRI and X-rays of the ankle were taken after the game and the MRI showed just mild inflammation around the ankle. Jeter is listed as day-to-day. . . . Right-hander Phil Hughes, who is recovering from a bulging disk in his upper back, pitched in a simulated game on Monday at the team's camp in Tampa and his next action should come Saturday in a minor-league game. Hughes is hoping to be able to be ready to pitch in the first week of the season but he also could be forced to miss at least one start.
SPECIAL NOTE: I would like to thank my fellow Section 205 pal, Tim, for providing my son and me with tickets to Tuesday's game at Bright House Field. Being able to see as many games live is essential for providing my readers with the information they desire about the Yankees. Thanks so much for the tickets and the support to my blog. It means a lot.
On Wednesday, the Yankees have a date with their arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox, at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Yankees will start left-hander Vidal Nuno, 25, who is 0-1 with a 1.08 ERA in his four appearances this spring. He will be opposed by Red Sox left-hander Felix Doubront.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast nationally by ESPN and on tape-delay by the MLB Network.
Written by mlblogsruthianclout Leave a comment Posted in Baseball, Dailies, Uncategorized, Yankees	Tagged with Adam Warren, Alex Rodriguez, Blue Jays, Boone Logan, Brennan Boesch, Brett Gardner, Bright House Field, Chad Durbin, Chase Utley, Curtis Granderson, David Aarsdma, Derek Jeter, Domonic Brown, ESPN, Felix Doubront, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Grapefruit League, Ichiro Suzuki, Josh Spence, Kevin Youkilis, Kyle Kendrick, Laynce Nix, Mariners, Mark Teixeira, Michale Young, MLB Network, Phil Hughes, Phillies, Red Sox, Robinson Cano, Ryan Howard, Shawn Kelley, Steven Lerud, Tommy John surgery, Travis Hafner, Vidal nuno, Yankees
Yankees Have Totally Forgettable Day In Dunedin
BLUE JAYS 17, YANKEES 5
Jose Bautista ran for two touchdowns and Melky Cabrera kicked a long field goals as . . . Oops! Right score but wrong sport.
Cabrera was 3-for-3 and drove in four runs and Maicer Izturis was 2-for-3 with five RBIs as Toronto took advantage of 10 walks and three errors to crush New York on Thursday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, FL.
Josh Johnson (3-0) threw three shutout inning, giving up two hits – one of them a solo home run to Kevin Youkilis in the first inning – and striking out five to earn the victory.
Right-handers Jose Ramirez (1-1) and Adam Warren were tagged for a combined 14 runs on six hits and nine walks in just 1 2/3 innings.
The Yankees' four game spring winning streak was snapped and they are now 7-12. The Blue Jays are 8-10.
Without a doubt the Yankees allowing to Blue Jays to run so much around the bases on Thursday will certainly tire them out for their scheduled exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland on Friday.
Youkilis is starting to come around with the bat in a big way. He was 2-for-3 with his second spring homer and a triple. He scored two runs and drove in another. In his last four games, Youkilis is 5-for-10 with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and three RBIs. He has raised his spring to .263. It appears the work with hitting coach Kevin Long has paid off because Youkilis has dropped his hands to allow himself to get to the ball quicker.
With Clay Rapada sidelined with a sore shoulder, Josh Spence is showing he is pretty capable as a lefty reliever. Spence 25, gave up just one hit and struck out three and is still unscored upon this spring.
It is real easy to get down on Ramirez for his poor start but, in truth, the 23-year-old has not pitched above High-A Tampa. Entering the game he had pitched nine scoreless innings this spring so the Yankees are a long way from giving up on him.
The same can't be said for Warren, 26. In his last two outings, Warren has given up 12 runs on 10 hits and and six walks in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander had no shot to make the team this spring but was being looked upon as a potential call-up as a emergency starter during the season. Let's hope the Yankees do not need him because he is never going to be a good major-league starter.
The Yankees committed three errors but that mostly was attributable to the windy conditions on the field and the fact the Yankees were already down 9-1 after two innings.
Phil Hughes, 26, threw a 26-pitch bullpen session on Thursday and said that he believes he still can be ready to pitch when the regular season begins. Hughes has been sidelined all spring with a bulging disk in his upper back. Hughes will pitch in a simulated game on Monday but it unclear if he will be able to be able to get up the 90 to 100 pitches necessary to make his first start.
The Yankees return home to George M. Steinbrenner Field to play host to the Miami Marlins.
Yankee ace left-hander CC Sabathia, 32, will make his spring training debut. He has been rehabbing from minor elbow surgery this offseason. Sabathia will be opposed by former New York Mets right-hander John Maine.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast on tape delay by the MLB Network.
Written by mlblogsruthianclout Leave a comment Posted in Baseball, Dailies, Uncategorized, Yankees	Tagged with Adam Warren, Blue Jays, CC Sabathia, Clay Rapada, Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, George M. Steinbrenner Field, High-A Tampa, John Maine, Jose Bautista, Jose Ramirez, Josh Johnson, Josh Spence, Kevin Long, Kevin Youkilis, Maicer Izturis, Marlins, Melky Cabrera, MLB Network, Phil Hughes, Tigers, Yankees
2 Yankee Errors Hand Cardinals Walk-Off Victory
CARDINALS 7, YANKEES 6
I am fully aware that the players the Yankees are playing this spring are not the players who who will be playing for the team on April 1. But these players seem to have a great knack for snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.
After the Yankees took a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, right-hander Kelvin Perez served up a two-run homer to Kolten Wong. Then Zoilo Almonte and Dan Johnson committed a pair of errors that allowed Adron Chambers to single in the winning run off left-hander Josh Spence as St. Louis came from behind to down New York in walk-off fashion on Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL.
Despite the fact he gave up an RBI single to Ramon Flores and an RBI double to J.R. Murphy in the top of ninth, Edward Mujica (1-0) was credited with a victory. Perez (0-1) was saddled with the loss.
Although he was not as sharp as his first outing, right-hander Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and threw three innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk and striking out two.
The Yankees' Grapefruit League record slipped to 3-9. The Cardinals are now 6-5.
Francisco Cervelli continues to shine this spring. Inserted as the designated hitter and batting fourth – that is not a typo – Cervelli was 1-for- 2 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI single. Cervelli is hitting a respectable .286 this spring and is showing off a fine arm behind the plate having nailed 5 of 6 attempted base-stealers.
Cervelli's catching competition did not let him get too far ahead of them. Chris Stewart stroked a one-out ground-rule double in the sixth and is hitting .308 so far. Rookie backstop Austin Romine entered the game in the seventh and ripped an RBi single that tied the game in the eighth. Romine is also hitting .286.
Matt Tracy, a 24-year-old left-hander, was the only Yankee pitcher not to surrender a run or hit. He pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. It was Tracy's first outing this spring and it came against his hometown team. Tracy was born in St. Louis.
Johnson is in competition with Juan Rivera for taking Mark Teixeira's place at first base while he is out for the next 10 weeks. He is already proving he is not even in Teixeira's league as a fielder. Johnson's botch of a routing grounder followed Almonte's drop of a routine fly ball. Both errors cost the Yankees the game. The question is when will manager Joe Girardi start laying down the law on the rash of errors this spring?
Brett Marshall came in after Nova in the fourth and recorded two shutout innings. Unfortunately he pitched four innings. Marshall was tagged for a solo home run in the fifth by Pete Kozma and a two-run blast in the seventh by Daniel Descaiso. Those two players have combined to hit a total of seven major-league homer runs. Marshall, 22, is still considered one the Yankees' best young minor-league starters.
Brett Gardner took a rare 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk. The leadoff walk in the first inning was erased quickly when Gardner was picked off first base by starting pitcher Joe Kelly. Even with the 0-for-3 day Gardner is still hitting .500 this spring.
The Yankees have scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field where future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is expected to announce his plans to retire at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera, 43, was hinting that he was planning to retire after the 2012 season but he suffered a knee injury in May that required surgery and he missed the rest of the season. Rivera is also scheduled to make his 2013 spring debut the same day when the Yankees play host to the Atlanta Braves. . . . In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Teixeira expressed relief that his injured right wrist will not require surgery and is hopeful that he can come back to play by mid-May or sooner. Teixeira suffered a strained right wrist swinging a weighted bat in Arizona prior to a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox. . . . Shortstop Derek Jeter has been cleared by the Yankees' medical staff to begin full baseball activities. It is unclear when Jeter will be able to play in a spring training game. . . . The Yankees' infirmary is in need of a major expansion. Girardi said Thursday that left-hander Clay Rapada has been shut down indefinitely with bursitis in his left shoulder. He joins Boone Logan (sore left elbow) and David Robertson (sore right shoulder) on the sidelines while starting right-hander Phil Hughes is rehabbing a bulging disk in his upper back.
The Yankees are staying in Jupiter overnight so they can play an exhibition on Friday against the Miami Marlins.
Right-hander Adam Warren will start for the Yankees. He will be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will not be telecast.
Written by mlblogsruthianclout Leave a comment Posted in Baseball, Dailies, Uncategorized, Yankees	Tagged with Adam Warren, Adron Chambers, Austin Romine, Boone Logan, Braves, Brett Gardner, Brett Marshall, Cardinals, Chris Stewart, Clay Rapada, Dan Johnson, Daniel Descaiso, David Robertson, Derek Jeter, Edward Mujica, Francisco Cervelli, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Grapefruit League, Hall of Fame, Ivan Nova, J.R. Murphy, Joe Girardi, Joe Kelly, Josh Spence, Juan Rivera, Kelvin Perez, Kolten Wong, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Marlins, Matt Tracy, Nathan Eovaldi, Pete Kozma, Phil Hughes, Ramon Flores, Roger Dean Stadium, White Sox, World Baseball Classic, Yankees, Zoilo Almonte
Yankees Launch Opening Volley In Red Sox Rivalry
YANKEES 5, RED SOX 2
It hardly can be called a Yankee-Red Sox rivalry without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz playing can it? Well, whatever it was, New York managed to fire the first salvo across the bow in the 2013 season with a victory over Boston in a Grapefruit League game played on Sunday at JetBlue Field in Fort Myers, FL.
Eduardo Nunez keyed a three-run sixth inning with an RBI single and Yankee pitchers only allowed four hits as they came from behind to defeat the Red Sox.
Jose Ramirez (1-0) pitched three shutout innings to earn credit for the victory, Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan (0-1) was the losing pitcher – although two fielding errors by third baseman Drew Sutton led to all three Yankee runs in the sixth being unearned.
The Yankees began the sixth trailing 1-0 on the strength of a leadoff home run by Mike Napoli in the second inning and five dominant shutout innings from starter Ryan Dempster and relievers Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller.
But Corban Joseph started the frame with a one-out, broken-bat single. Bobby Wilson then reached on the first of Sutton's two errors and Hanrahan walked Brett Gardner to load the bases.
Nunez then stroked a single into right-field to tie the game at 1-1. Jayson Nix then scored Wilson on a RBI fielder's choice and Gardner scored when Sutton was unable to glove a shot off the bat of Juan Rivera.
The Yankees added a single run in the eighth on a two-out double by Jose Pirela and an RBI double by J.R. Murphy. They added another run in the ninth on a leadoff home run by Thomas Neal.
With the victory the Yankees are now 3-7 this spring and the Red Sox dropped to 5-5.
Though starter Adam Warren did give up the home run to Napoli, he was extremely sharp otherwise. The 26-year-old right-hander surrendered only the one hit and walked one while striking out two batters. Warren has opened the spring with a sparkling 1.80 ERA. In fact, Warren set the tone for the day because Ramirez followed with his three shutout innings and Chase Whitley, Preston Claiborne and Josh Spence combined to keep the Red Sox off the board until the ninth inning.
Nunez is making a strong bid to make the team with his clutch hitting and improved fielding. Nunez had hit into a double play and ground out in his first two at-bats before slapping a bases-loaded single just past a diving attempt of second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Nunez may only be hitting .176 this spring but he has committed just one throwing error. That deserves kudos because Nunez has been shaky in the field throughout his career.
Murphy continues to impress with his hitting this spring. He was 1-for-2 in the game and he is now hitting .500 with a home run and three RBIs in limited playing time. Murphy, 21, is catcher but he is overlooked because of prospects like Austin Romine and 20-year-old Gary Sanchez.
Melky Mesa had been having a fine spring until Sunday. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and one of the punchouts came with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Mesa is now hitting .222 but he still leads the team with two home runs this spring. Mesa is bidding to make the team as either the replacement for Curtis Granderson while he recovers from a broken right forearm or as a reserve outfielder.
Right-hand reliever Kelvin Perez made it more interesting than it had to be in the ninth inning. Perez entered the inning with a 5-1 lead and gave up two walks and uncorked a wild pitch to allow a run to score before retiring the last three batters to end the game.
Errors have been killing the Yankees all spring and they made two more on Sunday. But the real culprits have been the third baseman. After third baseman Rob Segedin committed an error in the eighth, Yankee third basemen now have combined to make nine of the 17 errors the Yankees have been charged with in their first 10 games. They don't call it the hot corner for nothing.
Ichiro Suzuki was able to avoid injury after his sports utility vehicle was totaled in a car crash in Tampa on Saturday. Suzuki was traveling south on Dale Mabry Highway at about 4 p.m. EST when his Land Rover was struck by a vehicle attempting to turn left from West Kennedy Boulevard about three miles from George M. Steinbrenner Field. Suzuki emerged from the vehicle unhurt and the driver of the other car was cited by the Tampa Police Department for failure to yield. Suzuki was not scheduled for the trip to play the Red Sox and he is not expected to miss any Grapefruit League action. . . . Manager Joe Girardi said on Sunday that when Granderson returns to the team he will play centerfield and Gardner will stay in leftfield. Girardi had planned to shift Granderson to leftfield this spring but he was struck in the right forearm by a pitch from J.A. Happ of the Blue Jays in his first at-bat of the spring. He will miss about 10 weeks. Girardi believes it would be too much to ask Granderson to adapt to left during the regular season. Girardi said if Mesa makes the team and starts for the Yankees that he will play center. However, Gardner will play center if the any of the other candidates win the job (Zoilo Almonte, Matt Diaz, Ronnier Mustelier or Juan Rivera). . . . Left-hander Andy Pettitte and closer Mariano Rivera threw simulated games on Sunday at the Yankees' spring complex in Tampa, FL. Rivera threw 21 pitches and Pettitte threw 34. Neither pitcher has appeared in a spring game but both said they are on track to pitch in a game soon. . . . Phil Hughes began throwing again on Sunday as part of his rehab work after discovering a bulging disk in his upper back on Feb. 18. Hughes, 26, threw 25 tosses at about 60 feet and he pronounced it a "positive first step." . . . An MRI on left-hander Boone Logan's left elbow showed minor inflammation and he is expected to be back on the mound sometime within this week.
The Yankees will have a day off from exhibition games on Monday.
They will resume their schedule on Tuesday by playing host to the Atlanta Braves.
David Phelps will make his third start of the spring for the Yankees. Left-hander Paul Maholm will start for the Braves, which will make it a rematch of the opener of the Yankees' spring schedule on Feb. 23 at Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EST – the Yankees' first home night game this spring – and the game will be televised live by the YES Network and on tape delay by the MLB Network.
NOTE: In my previous post I indicated that Sunday's Yankees-Red Sox game would be broadcast by WCBS Radio in New York. This was incorrect information that was listed in the yankees.com web site's 2013 Broadcast Schedule. I apologize for any inconvenience. The game only was broadcast by WEEI in Boston, which also was available on MLB Radio.
Written by mlblogsruthianclout 2 Comments Posted in Baseball, Dailies, Uncategorized, Yankees	Tagged with Adam Warren, Alex Rodriguez, Andrew Miller, Andy Pettitte, Austin Romine, Blue Jays, Boone Logan, Braves, Brett Gardner, Champion Stadium, Chase Whitley, Corban Joseph Bobby Wilson, Curtis Granderson, Dale Mabry Highway, David Ortiz, David Phelps, Derek Jeter, Drew Sutton, Dustin Pedroia, Eduardo Nunez, Gary Sanchez, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Grapefruit League, Ichiro Suzuki, J.A. Happ, J.R. Murphy, Jayson Nix, JetBlue Field, Joe Girardi, Joel Hanrahan, Jose Pirela, Jose Ramirez, Josh Spence, Juan Rivera, Kelvin Perez, Koji Uehara, Lake Buena Vista, Mariano Rivera, Matt Diaz, Melky Mesa, Mike Napoli, MLB Network, MLB Radio, Paul Maholm, Phil Hughes, Preston Claiborne, Rayan Dempster, Red Sox, Rob Segedin, Ronnier Mustelier, Tampa, Tampa Police Department, Thomas Neal, WCBS Radio, WEEI, West Kennedy Boulevard, Yankees, YES Network, Zoilo Almonte
Yankees Suffer Another Afternoon For The Birds
Brian Roberts doubled twice and scored two runs and left-hander Brian Matusz pitched two scoreless innings as Baltimore defeated New York in front of a crowd of 7,335 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL.
Roberts' doubles sparked the Orioles to an early 2-0 lead. He stroked a one-out double in the first, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a two-out RBI single from Adam Jones. Roberts slapped another one-out double in the third and scored on an RBI single by Nick Markakis.
Matusz (1-0) gave up two hits to the first two batters he faced but retired the next five to earn the victory. Left-hander Vidal Nuno (0-1) took the loss despite the fact that five of the six batters he retired struck out looking, including Markakis, Matt Wieters, Chris Davis, Conor Jackson and Manny Machado.
The Yankees' scored their lone run in the ninth inning on a walk and stolen base by Corban Joseph and an RIBI single by Walter Ibarra. The run broke a string of 19 consecutive scoreless innings for the Yankees.
The Yankees fell to 1-2 in Grapefruit League play while the Orioles are 3-0.
Leadoff hitter Brett Gardner was 3-for-3 with three singles and second batter Jayson Nix collected two singles in three at-bats. The rest of the Yankees were 3-for-28 (.107). Gardner, who missed virtually all of the 2012 season with a right elbow injury, is hitting .667 in the early going. Nix is hitting .750 in the two games he has played.
Though Nuno was touched for Roberts' double and Jones' RBI single, he certainly looked impressive in striking out five batters in his two innings of work. Nuno, 24, was signed by the Yankees last winter off the independent Washington Wild roster and he's been dominating minor-league hitters ever since. At Double-A Trenton Nidal was 9-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 114 innings in 20 starts last season. Since he has learned a change-up he being tabbed as an older version of Manny Banuelos, who will miss the 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Josh Spence, a 25-year-old Australian left-hander, was the only Yankee hurler to pitch a perfect 1-2-3 inning and that was in the ninth. The Yankees claimed Spence off waivers from the San Diego Padres in early November after he was 4-2 with a 4.20 ERA 31 games at Triple-A Tucson.
For the second straight day the Yankees' offense was pretty much missing in action. If Ibarra had not driven in Joseph in the final frame the Yankees would have been 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in their last two games.
If Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera are seeking to stake a claim to replace Curtis Granderson as the team's starting left-fielder as he recovers from a broken right forearm they have got to do better than they did on Monday. Diaz was 0-for-3 and stranded six base-runners. He hit into a double play and did not get a ball out the infield. Rivera also was 0-for-3 including a strikeout.
Before you get too angry at the Yankees' pitching staff for giving up five runs just remember that pitchers such as Nuno, Bryan Mitchell, Corey Black, Shane Greene, Ryan Pope, Kelvin Perez and Spence are not battling for roster spots. They are all headed back to the minors. The Orioles, in contrast, threw veterans like Matusz, Tommy Hunter, Pedro Strop and Mark Hendrickson.
With the Yankees looking to replace Granderson, veteran outfielder Johnny Damon told ESPN Radio's Michael Kay that he would be interested in returning to the Yankees if he got a call to come to spring training. Damon, 39, said he is willing to fill in for Granderson for the six weeks he will miss, he would play for the minimum salary and would need about three or four weeks to get in shape. Asked about the possibility of bringing Damon to camp, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, "We will focus on what we have at this time." . . . Mariano Rivera threw 32 pitches in a live batting-practice session on Monday, and CC Sabathia threw batting practice to hitters for the first time this spring as the rehabbing hurlers continue prepare for Opening Day. . . . Manager Joe Girardi said that outfield prospects Tyler Austin and Slade Heathcott will not be considered to open the season in New York. . . . Yankees outfielder Melky Mesa said that even after Granderson's injury, he still plans to leave camp to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Bench coach Tony Pena will be managing the Dominican squad.
The Yankees will travel to Clrawater, FL, on Tuesday to take on the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hot prospect right-hander Jose Ramirez will draw the start for the Yankees. He will be opposed by veteran right-hander Kyle Kendrick.
The Yankees will send Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner to play in the game. Relievers Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson are also scheduled to make the spring debuts.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will be broadcast live on the MLB Network.
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Yanks Sign DH Hafner, Invite 43 Others To Camp
With the announcement of the signing of designated hitter/first baseman Travis Hafner to a one-year contract on Feb. 1, the New York Yankees are basically finished with their roster moves prior to the opening of spring training camp in Tampa, FL.
Hafner, 35, is a potential replacement for the loss of Raul Ibanez, who opted to sign with the Seattle Mariners this offseason.
Hafner hit .228 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs in 64 games with the Cleveland Indians last season.
Though Hafner has played first base in his career, he has not played in the field since the 2007 season. So it appears he primarily will be the team's left-hand DH and will play first sparingly, if at all.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated fellow former Indians first baseman/outfielder Russ Canzler for assignment. If Canzler is not picked up by another team he could be reclaimed and invited to spring training with the Yankees.
In addition to Hafner, the Yankees added to their spring roster by inviting a total of 43 players to spring training.
Among those is left-hand hitting first baseman Dan Johnson, who most recently played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox, and outfielders Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera.
Diaz, 34, hit .222 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 51 games for the Atlanta Braves last season. The right-hand hitting Diaz had his season cut short by a right thumb injury that required surgery in August.
Diaz is a career .291 hitter and he has an excellent chance to make the team as a backup corner outfielder and designated hitter.
Rivera, also 34, originally came out of the Yankees minor-league system and played for the team in portions of the 2002 and 2003 seasons before being dealt to the Montreal Expos in 2004.
Rivera hit .244 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs in 109 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He is a career .274 hitter.
Rivera is also a corner outfielder and he likely will compete with Diaz for a roster spot.
Johnson, 33, has an excellent chance to make the roster as a replacement for Eric Chavez, who signed in the offseason with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Johnson is a left-handed hitter who can play first and third base and as a corner outfielder.
He hit .364 with three home runs and six RBIs in late season call-up with the White Sox. But at Triple-A Charlotte, Johnson hit .267 with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs in 137 games before being recalled in September.
With Hafner and Johnson both having good shots at making the team and Diaz and Rivera competing for a backup outfield and right-hand DH spot, the other battles for bench spots will come down to backup catcher and a utility infield spot.
The Yankees lost starting catcher Russell Martin to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent so the starting catcher spot will come down to a battle between Francisco Cervelli, 26, and Chris Stewart, 30. The loser of the battle likely will be the team's backup.
The Yankees also invited former Los Angeles Angels catcher Bobby Wilson, 29, to camp as a non-roster invitee. However, Wilson likely will be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just in case Cervelli or Stewart are injured and he will back up rookie Austin Romine, 24, who is coming off a lower-back injury.
The backup infield spot will be a rematch of last season's battle between speedy Eduardo Nunez, 25, and steady Jayson Nix, 30.
Nunez is a career .272 hitter with 38 steals in 46 attempts. He is the team's second-best base-stealer behind Brett Gardner and is perhaps the best athlete on the team.
However, his glovework the past two seasons has been so bad the Yankees want him to primarily play shortstop and second base, which gives Nix a huge edge despite the fact he arrives in camp as a non-roster player.
Nix hit .243 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 74 games with the Yankees last season. He is able to play second, third, shortstop and the corner outfield spots.
Nunez possibly could make the team as a right-hand DH and he could play a lot of shortstop this season in place of 38-year-old Derek Jeter, who is recovering from a fractured left ankle he sustained in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
Another option for Nunez is that he could be traded this spring if general manager Brian Cashman feels the need to add a player before the season begins.
Along with Johnson, Wilson, Nix, Diaz and Rivera, the Yankees invited the following players to camp:
CATCHERS: Francisco Arcia, Kyle Higashioka, J.R. Murphy, Gary Sanchez.
INFIELDERS: Gregory Bird, Cito Culver, Walter Ibarra, Addison Maruszak, Luke Murton, Jose Pirela, Kyle Roller, Gil Velazquez.
OUTFIELDERS: Abraham Almonte, Tyler Austin, Adonis Garcia, Slade Heathcott, Ronnier Musteller, Thomas Neal, Rob Segedin.
PITCHERS: Corey Black, Juan Cedeno, Preston Claiborne, Matt Daley, Nick Goody, Shane Greene, David Herndon, Tom Kahnle, Jim Miller, Bryan Mitchell, Mark Montgomery, Zach Nuding, Mikey O'Brien, Kelvin Perez, Brandon Pinder, Ryan Pope, Josh Spence, Matt Tracy, Chase Whitley.
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