Three Yanks News, and 13 Midseason 'Twits'

Photo Carlos Amador

The New York Yankees had a great and a bad weekend. Let's see what happened in the weekend which remembered and honored George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard, who passed away last week.

1. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Two of three games were won, so the lead in the American East Division has a 2.5 advantage.

2. That's the only good news because Andy Pettitte left Sunday's game with a left groin strained (grade 1) and it looks he'll miss four-five weeks. We hope not be regretting not hiring Cliff Lee...

3. The pitcher AJ Burnett is infamous of his struggling, but now he also wants to be a hitter. He cut his hands in the clubhouse kicking some doors following a two run second inning last Saturday. AJ, the doors have no bearing on your performance, just try to smile like in the picture and throw well. He also lied to Joe Girardi saying he hurt when he walked over some stairs in the dugout. Finally, he apologized. This player will make us going nuts...

Midseason 'twits'

1. Isn't great the 2010 season?

2. Joey Votto, Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera fight to win the Triple Crown (.AVG, HR, RBIs).

3. Pitching rules! Four no hitters, two of them were perfect games. Roy Halladay (Phillies) and Dallas Braden (Athletics) threw perfectly. Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) and Edwin Jackson (Diamondbacks) got the 'normal' no-hitters.

4. Don´t forget that it could be a third perfect game: Armando Galarraga (Tigers). The out 27 wasn't called correctly by the umpire Jim Joyce.

5. In the All Star break, there were 17 teams within five games behind the division lead. Amazing run to October!

6. Don't forget when Jason Werth (Philles) circled all the bases thanks to a Chris Young (D'backs) error.

7. Off course, we have got to remember when Brian McCann (Braves) played wrong an infield fly against the Mets.

8. What about the 20 innings game between the Mets and the Cardinals?

9. The surprised teams: Reds, Padres and Rangers. Cardinals, Dodgers and Angels have big contenders.

10. The deception: No doubt about it, the Seattle Mariners. They brought good players to be in the peak, but they are in the last place. They also let Cliff Lee go to Texas. They will stay as the worst American West Division team.

11. Watch out! Rookies: Jason Heyward (Braves) and Stephen Stasburg (Nationals). Heyward is explosive with the bat (.245, but has 11 HR and 45 RBI) and Strasburg just pitches strikes. In his debut struck out 14 batters. Brennan Boesch (Tigers-.329, 12 HR, 50 RBI) also is awesome as Ike Davis (Mets-.261, 13 HR, 45 RBI).

12. Make a reservation in a National League city hotel. The World Series will begin there in October. The All Star Game course changed in Anaheim: 3-1! 1996 was the last time the NL had won a Midsummer Classic.

13. Yankees: keep the solid rotation. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez must finally be the ideal clutch. No more slumps for them. Joba Chamberlain's must give up his irregularity.

MLB results: July 19

Giants 5 - Dodgers 2. Edgar Renteria, one hit as a pinch hitter.

Nationals 2 - Reds 7. Orlando Cabrera hit one single, 1-4.

Red Sox 2 - Athletics 1
Rays 8 - Orioles 1
Phillies 4 - Cardinals 8
Blue Jays 4 - Royals 5 (10)
Indians 10 - Twins 4
Astros 11 - Cubs 5
Rockies 8 - Marlins 9
Rangers 8 - Tigers 6 (14)
Brewers 3 - Pirates 1
White Sox 6 - Mariners 1
Mets 2 - Diamondbacks 13

Let's go Yankees!
¡Por la lucha XXVIII! ¡Todos a portar el 28!

¡Yankees pisan a los Astros y a los Rays!

Foto tomada de jorgeposada.com

Un día después de que Derek Jeter y Jorge Posada empujaron cada uno cuatro carreras pegando cuadrangulares, los Yankees de Nueva York necesitaron también de dos jonrones junto a las bases por bola capitalizadas y los hits oportunos para vencer 9-5 y barrer a los Astros de Houston en Yankee Stadium. Fue un triunfo que dejó a los Yankees con el mismo récord de los Rays (40-23) ¡en lo más alto del Este!

Los Astros le anotaron primero a Phil Hughes abriendo el choque, pero en la cuarta Robinson Canó igualó con un 'bombazo' y el abridor de los Astros, Brian Moehler, enseguida le lanzó cuatro malos pitcheos a Posada, Brett Gardner y el novato Chad Huffman (reemplazo del lesionado Marcus Thames), y dos de ellos anotaron en un imparable muy útil de Ramiro Peña.

En la quinta Boehler (4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO)volvió a otorgar un 'pasaporte' antes de ser reemplazado con un out por Gustavo Chacín, quien 'caminó' a dos Yankees más, por lo que entró Caisey Daigle y Posada por segunda tarde consecutiva logró un grand slam. ¡Quedé en shock al oír que dos 'palos' con la casa llena de un mismo jugador en encuentros seguidos no pasaba en los Yankees desde 1937!

Hughes en la sexta tuvo un no común mal momento y los Astros le anotaron cuatro veces, dos en un sencillo de Tommy Manzella y la otra mitad en un cuadrangular de Kevin Cash. Una lluvia poco usual para Hughes (5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO). A pesar del resbalón del derecho, en la parte baja Nick Swisher y Brett Gardner empujaron cada uno una 'raya' dando un sencillo para volver a alargar la diferencia.

Cinco relevistas tuvieron que usar los Astros. Además de Chacín y Daigle , jugaron adicionalmente Wesley Wright, Wilton López y Jeff Fulchino. La cuenta del teléfono que llama al bullpen le llegará un poco menos cara a los Yankees que usaron a Damaso Marte, Chan Ho Park, Joba Chamberlain y Mariano Rivera.

Lunes, a descansar. Martes, miércoles y jueves los Phillies aterrizan en Nueva York. Por favor no lo consideren la revancha de la Serie Mundial. Eso pasará si se vuelven a medir en el 'Clásico de otoño'. La coincidencia es que lanzará el trío CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett y Andy Pettitte, como en el pasado octubre.

Resultados de las Grandes Ligas: Junio 13

Astros 5 - Yankees 9

Atléticos 2 - Gigantes 6. Édgar Rentería, en Triple A para seguir con su recuperación.

Reales 7 - Rojos 3. Orlando Cabrera, una carrera anotada y un hit en cuatro oportunidades al bate.

Nacionales 9 - Indios 4. Si estaban asustados por Stephen Strasburgo tranquilos que solo ponchó a ocho en 5.1 entradas.

Marlins 6 - Rays 1
Phillies 5 - Medias Rojas 3
Angelinos 6 - Dodgers 5
Medias Blancas 0 - Cachorros 1
Mets 11 - Orioles 4
Piratas 3 - Tigres 4
Bravos 7 - Mellizos 3
Rangers 7 - Cerveceros 2
Marineros 4 - Padres 2
Azulejos 3 - Rockies 10
Cardenales 5 - Diamondbacks 7

Tablas de posiciones.

Yankees win!



Let's go Yankees!
¡Por la lucha XXVIII! ¡Todos a portar el 28!

Strasburg, 14! ... Yankees Gave 12!

Photo: sdnn.com

Stratospheric Debut!

Magic in Washington! Nationals Park was crowded to see the first real great moment of the Nationals since their arrival to the Capital in 2005. The 2009 first draft pick Stephen Strasburg was ready for his debut in the Majors.

Last year he wasn't just a first pick. He was also called a phenomenon and the baseball world talked and wrote about him as if he were an UFO.

He really is from another planet! If he is going to pitch like this Tuesday against the Pirates, ¡striking out 14!, he'll be a magic pitcher! It's awesome to watch his pitches reaching 97-98 miles per hour and his killer breaking throws. He is going to hurt all the batters' hearts.

Before Tuesday's superb gem, the right handed pitcher played in the minors for 11 games, winning 7, losing 2 and getting a little 1.30 ERA. Microscopic!

The Nationals beat the Pirates 5-2, but the true scoreboard is Strasburg 14 - Pirates 0. You must watch his 14 strike outs. Watch it! Click here!

Not 14... 12!

The New York Yankees jumped over the Orioles 12-7 to correctly begin the series at Oriole Park. Offense plus Phil Hughes was the formula to win this Tuesday in Baltimore.

Deep balls were the strategy for the Yankees to attack the Orioles and the unrecognizable starter Kevin Millwood (0-7, 5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO) early. Nick Swisher batted a two-run homerun in the first inning and Curtis Granderson ripped a grand slam in the third.

The Yankees waited to score again until the seventh, when they reached home six times! First, Brett Gardner singled when the bases were loaded, then Swisher drove in his third, fourth, and fifth runs of his big night clearing the bases with a double. Following Swisher, Mark Teixeira, whose last homerun was on May 30 against the Cleveland Indians, blasted a two-run homer which the Yankees fans hope finally ends the big first baseman's slump. 'Tex' hit three times on four at bats, scored twice, including the two RBIs.

Pitching a three-run game, four strike outs and none walks outing over six innings, Phil Hughes now has eight victories in the 2010 season. Despite the Orioles who scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth, Hughes shouldn't be called as the fifth starter. He'll continue as the last man of the rotation, but imagine he is playing in a top vacancy.

The Yankees got fifteen hits, the same number as the Orioles that batted nine off Hughes. The majority of the other ones, five, were allowed by Chad Gaudin who had troubles as a result of four runs in two innings.

MLB results: June 8

Yankees 12 - Orioles 7

Giants 3 - Reds 0. Orlando Cabrera, 0-3, one walk. Edgar Renteria isn't playing due to an injury.

Red Sox 3 - Indians 2
Blue Jays 0 - Rays 9
Pirates 2 - Nationals 5
Marlins 8 - Phillies 10
Mariners 1 - Rangers 7
Astros 4 - Rockies 3
Royals 3 - Twins 7
Tigers 7 - White Sox 2
Cubs 2 - Brewers 3
Padres 1 - Mets 2 (11)
Cardinals 0 - Dodgers 1
Angels 1 - Athletics 10
Braves 7 - Diamondbacks 5

Standings.

Yankees win!



Let's go Yankees!
¡Por la lucha XXVIII! ¡Todos a portar el 28!