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Monthly Archives: August 2013
LOSS DROPS YANKEES 5 1/2 OUT OF WILD CARD
Rapid Reaction: Blue Jays 7, Yankees 2
August, 28, 2013
Aug 28
10:07
PM ET
By Wallace Matthews | ESPNNewYork.com
TORONTO — OK, losing two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays at their dome is understandable.
But losing two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays? Not acceptable, anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances.
And especially when wins are as important as they are to the Yankees right now.
But losing two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays? Not acceptable, anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances.
And especially when wins are as important as they are to the Yankees right now.
With their 7-2 loss to the Jays tonight — a game that was over practically before it started — the Yankees drop to 5½ games out in the AL wild-card race with just 29 left to play. And, needless to say, the games against teams like the Blue Jays are the ones they absolutely, positively have to win if they are ever going to close that gap.
Worst of all? With the season-long mediocrity of CC Sabathia and the recent deterioration of Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees are now officially playing without a full deck.
A deck without an ace.
Hiroki Corroding?: After allowing seven runs in his last outing, Kuroda was nicked for four in the first inning tonight, and seven overall, though only five were earned. Through his first 24 starts of the season, Kuroda’s ERA was 2.33. Over his past three, it is 8.09 (15 ER in 16⅔ IP).
Two-run strikeout: Here’s something you don’t see every day — a strikeout that results in two runs scored and no one retired. With runners on first and second and one out, Kuroda threw a third strike past both catchers on the same pitch — Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia at the plate, and his own, Chris Stewart, behind it. The passed ball allowed Brett Lawrie (double) to score from second, and Stewart’s throw to first went awry, allowing Rajai Davis (walk) to score from first.
HRoki is back: Kuroda gave up a career-high four home runs in his last outing against the Rays and gave up another one, a bomb by Edwin Encarnacion, in the second inning with a man on to increase the Jays’ lead to 6-0.
A-Clutch: Alex Rodriguez delivered an RBI single, just the Yankees’ second hit of the game, in the fourth inning to put the Yankees on the board 7-1.
A-Plod: One batter later, A-Rod inexplicably tried to score from first on Mark Reynolds‘ double and was thrown out easily at the plate, shortening what could have been a big inning for the Yankees.
Robbie Who?: Filling in at second base, a position he had not played regularly for more than seven years, Reynolds did quite well, especially on a diving stop on Jose Reyes‘ grounder in the sixth. He also had three hits, including the RBI double on which A-Rod got thrown out at the plate.
Fan dance: The Yankees struck out 13 times tonight, led by Alfonso Soriano and A-Rod with three each. Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter whiffed twice each.
What’s next: A flight home, followed by a day off before the Yankees plunge into a stretch of 17 straight games — the next nine of which are at home — starting with three against the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. The Incomparable One, Andrew Marchand, will have you covered on the off day. I’ll see you all next week.
Kuroda, Yankees Shelled by Blue Jays
Kuroda, Yankees Shelled by Blue Jays
- By
- DANIEL BARBARISI
It’s Officially Time to Worry About Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees’ best pitcher this season, is imploding when his team needs him most. Kuroda was demolished by the Blue Jays in Toronto on Wednesday by a score of 7-2. His ERA sat at 2.33 on August 12, and is now up to 2.89.
Kuroda gave up all seven runs over the first three innings, five from hard-hit balls and two as a result of a chaotic, botched play which featured a passed ball, an errant throw into right field, and a play at the plate.
Meanwhile, the Yankee lineup could do little against starter Todd Redmond, a longtime minor league journeyman who nonetheless managed to flummox the Yankee lineup over 5.2 innings.
Encarnacion Homers, Blue Jays Beat Yankees
Encarnacion Homers, Blue Jays Beat Yankees
TORONTO August 29, 2013 (AP)
By IAN HARRISON Associated Press
Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, rookie Todd Redmond snapped a seven-start winless streak and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 7-2 on Wednesday night.
The Blue Jays took two out of three from the Yankees after losing 12 of their first 13 meetings this season. They’re 3-3 against New York at home and 0-10 on the road.
Redmond (2-2) left to a standing ovation after striking out Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rodriguez to begin the sixth inning. He allowed two runs and three hits, walked four and struck out seven for his first victory since beating Minnesota on July 7.
Aaron Loup worked 1 1-3 innings, Sergio Santos pitched the eighth and Darren Oliver finished for the Blue Jays.
New York’s Hiroki Kuroda (11-10) lost for the fourth time in five starts and gave up seven runs for the second straight outing, matching his career high for the seventh time. Five of the seven runs off Kuroda were earned. He allowed nine hits, walked one and struck out four.
Kuroda came in 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA over his previous five starts against the Blue Jays, but couldn’t bring an end to his recent road struggles, falling to 0-4 with a 6.94 ERA in his past four starts away from home.
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano was held out of the lineup, one day after being hit by a pitch on the left hand. Manager Joe Girardi said Cano was still dealing with pain and swelling, but said he hoped to have the five-time All-Star back for Friday night’s game against Baltimore. The Yankees are off Thursday.
New York’s Eduardo Nunez, who left Tuesday’s game with a sore right knee, was scratched from the lineup after he felt sore during batting practice. Mark Reynolds made his first career start at second.
Toronto took advantage of a throwing error by Yankees catcher Chris Stewart in a four-run, two out rally in the first. Brett Lawrie hit a two-run double and Rajai Davis was hit by a pitch before J.P. Arencibia reached on a two-strike passed ball. Lawrie and Davis both scored when Stewart’s errant throw to first rolled into foul territory down the right field line.
The Blue Jays made it 6-0 when Encarnacion clubbed his 34th home run in the second, a towering two-run shot to left. A seventh run scored on Jose Reyes’ sacrifice fly in the third.
New York broke through against Redmond in the fourth, when Rodriguez hit an RBI single. One out later, Reynolds hit an RBI double, but Rodriguez was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first.
Rodriguez finished 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.
NOTES: The Yankees struck out 13 times, one shy of their season high for a nine-inning game. … Girardi said RHP Phil Hughes remains on track to make his next scheduled start Sunday. Hughes is winless in his past nine outings. … Toronto RHP Steve Delabar (shoulder) threw one perfect inning for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays on Wednesday, his first rehab appearance.
Miley Cyrus didn’t invent the Twerk
Miley Cyrus didn’t invent the Twerk
Posted by el duque at 6:27 PM
Who can forget when Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez
bumped and jammed together at the 2002 MTV awards.
Back in the 1950s, TV viewers were
appalled when Yogi “did it” with Don Larson
These days, A-Rod loves to
spontaneously twerk
during Yankee games.
Even the Captain gets into the act!
Ian Desmond signing a baby pre-game.
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If The Jets Are Going Down, They’re Taking The Media With Them
If The Jets Are Going Down, They’re Taking The Media With Them
The New York Jets have graduated from hapless ne’er-do-wells to full-blown snowball rolling down the mountain, taking out everything in its path. Tonight, the Jets jump-started an ugly dustup between national and local media. Maybe, just maybe, some good can come out of this Jets season: total media cannibalization.
We start with Jason La Confora. Earlier today, he wrote an article about the frothing beat that covers the Jets, rightly pointing out, among other things, the cognitive dissonance of the “how do you play Mark Sanchez” outrage. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post took issue and things quickly deteriorated.
Don Mattingly benches Yasiel Puig because Skip Schumaker gives Dodgers ‘a better chance to win’
Don Mattingly benches Yasiel Puig because Skip Schumaker gives Dodgers ‘a better chance to win’
(Getty)
Don Mattingly pulled the Puig again — and the Los Angeles Dodgers won anyway. Again.
Yasiel Puig was benched by his manager Wednesday afternoon, replaced in right field by Skip Schumaker in the fifth inning for reasons unspecified by Mattingly. With Puig grounded, the Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0, with Schumaker getting on base twice and driving in a run.
The move was not made because of an injury, but instead was disciplinary in nature. The only word given by the Dodgers during the game, as relayed by Vin Scully on the Fox Sports TV broadcast, was that it was a “manager’s decision.” After the game, Mattingly wouldn’t specify why Puig was pulled, preferring to keep the matter “in house.” Informed speculation by local writers says the punishment is for Puig not hustling to his position in right field.
No matter, Mattingly uttered what already have become famous words about why Puig was benched:
He probably wasn’t speaking literally, but it’s fun to point out that the Dodgers are 53-23 in Puig’s appearances and 53-50 when Schumaker plays. And let’s not even get into the wins above replacement comparison. Puig sounds like he got the message — whatever it was — after meeting with Mattingly and GM Ned Colletti:
(Getty)
Mattingly also punished Puig for disciplinary reasons Aug. 20 against the Marlins, though this actually was the first time Puig has been benched — if you believe Mattingly. He didn’t start Puig against the Marlins after he was 35 minutes late for pregame activities at Miami. Puig entered that game in the fifth inning and hit a go-ahead home run in another Dodgers victory. He was fined for being tardy, but Mattingly said Puig didn’t start because he was just getting a day off — or a half-day off — because he needed the rest. Mattingly repeated that Wednesday.
“Nobody probably believes that, because of the timing of it, but that was a day off he was getting no matter what time he was getting to the ballpark, ” Mattingly said.
It doesn’t matter what we believe, it only matters what Puig believes. He’s the one Mattingly has to manipulate into playing his best.
The Jets’ Chaotic Quarterback Carousel
The Jets’ Chaotic Quarterback Carousel
Heading into the final preseason game, the Jets quarterback battle took yet another twist—they added another one.
more in New York-Sports | Find New $LINKTEXTFIND$ »
- By
- ALEX RASKIN
It would be difficult to find two other people who share his emotion, but Jets coach Rex Ryan insists that he and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg “feel good” about all four of the team’s quarterbacks— Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms.
In spite of Ryan’s optimism, though, the Jets signed a fifth quarterback, Graham Harrell, on Wednesday. The former journeyman Packers backup will be available to play in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he will be doing so without the benefit of a single practice with the Jets.
Such confusion has become emblematic of the Jets’ chaotic quarterback battle. What’s certain is that Sanchez, the embattled incumbent, will not play after suffering an unspecified shoulder injury in Saturday’s meaningless win over the Giants. Beyond that, Ryan wouldn’t reveal any lineup decisions leading up to the preseason finale—a game typically reserved for backups.
Associated PressThe Jets signed quarterback Graham Harrell on Wednesday.
Rookie Geno Smith could see some action, which wouldn’t be terrible after his three-interception, one-safety performance Saturday against the Giants.
But unless the team feels Sanchez will be healthy enough to start in Week 1, playing Smith would pose another injury risk to a potential opening-day starter.
The competition for the third spot is equally intriguing, largely because the top two spots seem so tenuous. McElroy, a national champion at Alabama, should be the favorite. He led the Jets to a Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals last season. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played since the preseason opener because of his own unspecified ailment.
“It’s a leg injury. Hockey term,” McElroy said, perhaps referring to the team’s increasingly vague injury descriptions.
The shame of McElroy’s “leg injury”—initially referred to as an ankle issue, although multiple reports have suggested it’s his knee—is that he has such a firm grasp of the offense and football in general.
“The thing about Greg is, he thinks he’s the smartest guy in the building because he is,” Ryan said.
If there is a ray of sunshine emanating from the Jets’ quarterback room, it’s been Matt Simms. He completed all five of his passes in the Aug. 17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was equally impressive against the Giants, finishing with 120 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-10 passing.
Despite going undrafted in 2012, Simms has the right pedigree: He’s the son of Phil Simms, the CBS broadcaster and Giants legend, and he played his college ball at Tennessee.
In spite of his credentials, Simms had a more modest explanation for his preseason success.
“I’ve just been fortunate enough to play late in some games,” Simms said, referring to the time when backups usually play during the preseason.
Simms, who should see more reps against Philadelphia, has impressed nearly everyone—even his competition. “I’m happy for Matt,” said McElroy, who could potentially lose his roster spot to Simms. “He’s done a great job when he’s been in there. As a teammate, I’m thrilled to see him out there executing as well as he has.”
Simms entered camp as the perceived fourth option at quarterback, so his silver-lining performance says as much about him as it does about the state of the Jets.
The other three candidates each missed games to injury (Smith missed the loss to the Jaguars because of a sprained ankle), and when they have played, they’ve produced a combined quarterback rating of 78.5—a far cry from Simms’s 137.5.
He may have the statistical advantage, but Simms isn’t quite ready to talk about the starting job yet. “Right now I’m just trying to play the game and please the coaches.”
Former White Sox executive gets two-year sentence for bonus kickback scheme
Former White Sox executive gets two-year sentence for bonus kickback scheme
By Marc Normandin @Marc_Normandin on Aug 28 2013, 3:24p +
<img alt=”” size_name=”large_730″ src=”http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18578823/178007446.0_standard_352.0.jpg” />
Andre Rienzo is one of the prospects Dave Wilder earned a kickback from. – Jonathan Daniel
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The second of three former White Sox employees is punished for their part in stealing money from Chicago.
There is a dark side to the international scouting world, and it’s not always on the players’ end, with lies about ages and the like. Sometimes, it’s on the team side, such as with former White Sox scouting executive, Dave Wilder, who was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison for a bonus-skimming scheme that cost Chicago more than $400,000, according to FOX Chicago’s Larry Yellen.
SD Yankee Report 
