Pinstripe Alley

Blue Jays 8, Yankees 1: Kuroda, Bats Struggle

2012-05-17T02:20:34Z

"You can only tip your cap so many times to the other guy." Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that Alex Rodriguez quote in the morning news.

The Yankees fell to the Jays 8-1 on Wednesday night in Toronto behind poor pitching and a serious lack of hitting. In five innings of work, Hiroki Kuroda got knocked around for seven runs on eight hits, three of which landed beyond the fences. He also walked two while striking out six Jays.

Six of the seven runs scored off of Kuroda came via the long ball. In the second inning, J.P. Arencibia took Kuroda deep to give the Jays an early 2-0 lead. In the third, Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run shot to increase the Jays' lead to 5-0, and in the fifth, Jose Bautista launched a homer that reportedly left his bat at 117 mph according to the YES broadcast. The only other run Kuroda allowed came on an RBI single by Kelly Johnson.

In relief of Kuroda, Clay Rapada tossed 1 1/3 innings, striking out one while walking one. He also allowed a solo homer to Kelly Johnson to begin the bottom of the seventh. Later in that inning, Cody Eppley entered and completed the game painlessly, allowing just two hits and striking out one.

On the offensive side, only Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez had hits. The lineup also worked six walks on the day, as Kyle Drabek had some command issues (four walks) in an otherwise fantastic seven innings of work. Teixeira's hit resulted in the only run of the game for the Yankees, as it hit a lip in the turf, bouncing over Edwin Encarnacion's head and into right field.

It's hard to win games with only three hits, and even harder when the pitching fails to perform as well. It's only one loss though, and there's always tomorrow.

Box Score.

Comments of the Game: The string of music linking, since nothing during the game was worth talking about.

Game 37: Yankees at Blue Jays

2012-05-16T23:27:26Z

New York heads north of the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for the first time in 2012.

Hiroki Kuroda

#18 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 10, 1975

vs.

Kyle Drabek

#4 / Pitcher / Toronto Blue Jays

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Dec 08, 1987

It's a Chart!

2012-05-16T17:21:36Z

Catching up on Yankees Links

2012-05-16T15:15:06Z

Beyond The Boxscore profiled David Phelps via Pitch F/X.

- Check out YFU's interview with rising Charleston prospect, OF/3B/1B Tyler Austin.

- The same man who buried a David Ortiz jersey in Yankee Stadium also helped build Derek Jeter's apartment, and left some "surprises" there.

- The Yankees signed Cuban outfielder, Adonis Garcia. He's "26" and listed at 5'7", 180 lbs., so you might wonder why. He's been a consistently good hitter in Cuba's top league and should reach Double- or Triple-A quickly.

- Dan Grunfeld suffered an ACL injury (like Mariano Rivera), so he knows all about the pain and rehab that comes with it.

- After Mo suffered his torn ACL, SBN NY reviewed the five most embarrassing accidental injuries in New York sports history. Several Yankees made the list.

- Mo and his possible successor, David Robertson, have a lot in common.

- Life magazine unearthed some photos from Babe Ruth Day in 1947.

- Ever heard of Willie Mays Aikens, Kansas City's first baseman during the early 1980s? He says he used drugs before every game.

- Sign up for the Damon Runyon 5K walk/run for cancer research at Yankee Stadium (on August 12th) here.

The New York Yankees and the Injury Bug

2012-05-16T15:02:30Z

Before each season, my family and friends often ask me how I think our beloved New York Yankees will fare over the grueling 162 game gauntlet and proceeding playoff run, assuming they get there (which they have every year other than 2008 since 1995). I've often felt fairly confident heading into each season, and why wouldn't I? The Yankees have had baseball's top payroll every year since 1996 (excluding 1998) and, for the most part, managed to spend that money wisely. My answer generally consists of the following: "If they can stay healthy, I think they've got a great shot at the World Series". That's a big "if".

Make no mistake, 162 games without any major injuries and a few minor 15-day disabled list stints is nothing short of a miracle. But 2012 has been unique for all the wrong reasons.

Here's what injuries have haunted the Yankees so far this season:

RHP Joba Chamberlain - Currently sitting on the 60-day DL due to a torn MCL and dislocated ankle from playing on a trampoline with his young son. His return date is still TBD.

RHP Michael Pineda - Out for the entire season with a right anterior labral tear. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on May 1 and is expected back to start 2013. This one obviously looms as the most daunting injury considering the Yankees traded famed catching prospect Jesus Montero as well as RHP Hector Noesi (Mr. Bullpen in 2011).

More after the jump...

RHP Mariano Rivera - The undisputed greatest 9th inning pitcher of all-time tore his ACL shagging fly balls during batting practice at Kauffman Stadium. He's out for 2012. According to Yankees.com, he'll have surgery when the swelling around his knee subsides.

LF Brett Gardner - GGBG hit the 15-day DL in late April after aggravating his right elbow and was renewed on the 15-day DL on May 11 after experiencing further pain swinging a bat. He'll hopefully be back sometime in late May or early June so that we don't have to watch Jayson Nix or Raul Ibanez in the outfield anymore.

RHP David Robertson - The most recent victim of the injury bug, Robertson strained his left oblique and was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to his last appearance on May 12. It'd be great to have him back later in May, but we'll see what his timetable looks like as we progress toward the end of the month.

C Austin Romine - In case you haven't heard, Romine was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 12 due to back problems. For those less familiar with the minor league system, Romine is a catching prospect who took the backseat to Montero over the past few years.

Here are a few more injuries that aren't so serious, whether they be players that don't contribute as much or they're simply day-to-day.

DH/OF Raul Ibanez - Day-to-day with a right elbow bruise.

RHP Ivan Nova - Day-to-day with a bruised right foot/ankle. Could potentially miss his next start or moved back a bit if the injury persists.

LHP Pedro Feliciano - Underwent shoulder surgery in September to repair a torn left rotator cuff. Could be back in August, but don't hold your breath.

LHP Clay Rapada - Day-to-day with a viral infection. Seriously, don't be a hero, Rapada. We certainly don't need the rest of the team becoming ill.

RHP David Aardsma - Coming back from Tommy John surgery, he might return in July.

LHP Cesar Cabral - On the 15-day DL with a stress fracture in his left elbow. Honestly, who knows when he'll be back.

Obviously, the main injuries that hurt here are namely Rivera and Pineda because both were being counted on as huge parts of the Yankees this year. But, the Yankees have managed to go 20-16 through the first 36 games of the season and should be able to maneuver their way toward the postseason without them.

Thoughts and Observations on Alex Rodriguez

2012-05-16T13:00:48Z

Baseball is an amazing game. One day, a player can be on top of the world, enjoying a successful season on the way to helping his team to a 103-win season and a division championship. That player might even elevate his performance come October and help lead his team to the ultimate goal, a World Series Championship. That performance may have even finally lifted the weight of New York and the baseball community off of his shoulders, shedding the label of a playoff choke artist.

Baseball is also a very cruel game. One day, a player can be on top of the world, but in the blink of an eye, he's finding out that he has a torn labrum in his hip that could potentially end his career. He would need extensive rehab, and even if he did return from the surgery, he may never be the player he once was. Not even two full calendar years later, and he would need another surgery, this time to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Alex Rodriguez has been an amazing baseball player for a long time. He has done things within the sport of baseball that his contemporaries could only dream of: batting titles, home run crowns, Gold Gloves, three MVPs, a World Series ring. If you name it, Alex Rodriguez has probably accomplished it, and frankly, he's probably done it in a way that made you shake your head and say, wow, that was unbelievable.

It must be difficult to go from one of the greatest players of a generation to questioning if your career will continue. To dealing with major surgeries and rehabs. To gradually lose an ability that at one point separated you from some of the greatest athletes in the world. To go from being the savior of baseball to the man that may never reach Barry Bonds' record of 762 career home runs.

That's what makes it so difficult to watch him now. Though he has remained productive through singles and walks, Alex Rodriguez is no longer playing like the hitter that has placed him among the greatest ever. Through 155 plate appearances, Rodriguez has just eight extra base hits, five homers and three doubles. Rodriguez has been known to have inconsistent power production, with his homers coming in bunches. However, his lack of extra-base power is alarming. Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues noticed this as well, stating, "if there is any concern about A-Rod it is his lack of doubles. He has just three on the season, which could indicate that he's just not driving the ball as he should."

These observations are supported by A-Rod's single-digit extra base hit production and an ever-declining ISO. Since his epic 2007 in which he posted an ISO of .331, A-Rod has watched his ISO decline in each of the following seasons. In 2012, his ISO sits at .135, below the American League average of .154 and far lower than his career low of .185 last season. Right now, Alex Rodriguez is a below average power hitter.

It is well documented around here that I expected Alex Rodriguez to continue to watch his power decline. The combination of his age, surgeries, recent history, and research stating that power has a tendency to drop off a cliff seemed insurmountable to me. However, even I am shocked by how much it has fallen this season.

I want nothing more than for him to begin hitting like the player he once was, or at least regain a fraction of his old form. Hopefully, the homers will come in bunches like they have in the past and we'll see some of his power numbers start to look more like Alex Rodriguez's than Rafael Furcal's. Until then, I won't hold my breath, but I'll be cautiously optimistic that he eventually finds a way to start hitting for more power.

New York Yankees News and Notes

2012-05-16T10:00:24Z

Good morning, Pinstripe Alley readers. Here is your usual morning news for Wednesday, May 16th.

In case you missed last night's action, the Yankees lost to the Orioles, 5-2. Wei-Yin Chen pitched for the O's and stifled the lineup until Curtis Granderson broke the shutout with an opposite field homer, his 13th of the season. At one point, Chen had retired ten Yankees in a row. On a related note, Alex Rodriguez said last week that you can only tip your cap to the other pitcher so many times. Though Chen pitched well, I'm growing tired of hearing the expression.
According to Marc Craig, Ivan Nova is hoping to make is regularly scheduled start against the Reds on Saturday. He may skip his bullpen session scheduled for today in order to rest.
As reported yesterday, David Robertson hit the disabled list with an oblique strain. The Yankees do not expect him to pick up a baseball for about seven-to-ten days, so we'll learn more about his potential return when he begins to throw again.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com writes that Rafael Soriano is confident and thrilled to be assigned to the closer's role. With Soriano now pitching the ninth inning for the time being, it'll be interesting to see how Joe Girardi manages the rest of the bullpen.
Over at the Yankee Analysts, Eric Schultz writes that Angelo Gumbs is turning his tools into production. He is currently having an outstanding May.
Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues has a run-down of yesterday's Minor League games.

Chen Dazzles, Orioles Down Yankees 5-2

2012-05-16T02:04:48Z

Wei-Yin Chen and the Baltimore Orioles got the best of the New York Yankees tonight 5-2 at the Yankees' home away from home.

Chen pitched a fantastic game tonight for the O's, going seven strong allowing only a two-run home run to Curtis Granderson in the seventh inning. The Yankees managed four hits off the southpaw, two of which came in the seventh inning, and worked two walks, one that came in the seventh inning.

CC Sabathia, on the other hand, was not ace-like. Earning his first official "L" of the year, Sabathia managed to pitch six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits while walking four batters as well. He did, however, strikeout six. The start was disappointing mostly because Sabathia's last four consecutive starts were exactly eight innings long. Sabathia hasn't pitched exactly six innings since his April 11 start, ironically, in Baltimore.

Granderson's home run was the only bright spot for the Yankees, and if not for jubilant fan in left-centerfield extending his glove to catch the ball and steal it away from Xavier Avery, the Bombers would have been shutout. New York was 1-9 with runners in scoring position this evening. Not a formula for for victory.

Comment of the game: Bango31 sums up the game.