It was perhaps appropriate for such an emotional day that Jorge Posada dissolved into tears shortly after beginning to read a prepared statement Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. There is crying in baseball, it seems, and that’s OK, especially at a retirement press conference.

But there were also smiles and a stroll down the basepaths as Posada said goodbye after 17 years in pinstripes. With five World Series trophies sitting off to the side, gleaming in lights, with teammates and bigwigs gazing on in a packed room, Posada called playing for the Yankees “an honor.”

“I could never wear another uniform,” he added. “It was just priceless. I will forever be a Yankee.”

JORGE POSADA: A CAREER IN PINSTRIPES

Tuesday likely won’t be the last time we will see Posada. Though he said he has no immediate plans beyond spending time with his family — “I haven’t had a summer with them,” he said — GM Brian Cashman hinted there may be a Stadium celebration during the season, and skipper Joe Girardi said he hoped Posada would visit spring training.

Posada thanked everyone, from his family — his wife, Laura, son Jorge, Jr., and daughter, Paulina, flanked him on the dais — to Yogi Berra. He mentioned Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, who, along with CC Sabathia, were on hand. He said Jeter “helped me stay focused and positive. Thank you, buddy. Hopefully you won’t miss me too much.”

He embraced Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, who spoke at the podium and praised Posada for being “the one who brought me back to baseball” after her husband’s death in 1979. She initially turned to the Cleveland Browns, she joked.

“I think he and Thurman would’ve been best buds,” said Munson, who added that she has loved two Yankee catchers in her lifetime.

There was another nice moment, when Lisa Niederer, who has bonded with the Posadas over both having sons with craniosynostosis, came to the podium and called Posada “a hero, not only for what you have done on the field.” Posada and his wife created the Jorge Posada Foundation to fight the disease.

At one point, the Yanks showed a video of fans praising Posada amid clips from his career, including his first hit, first homer and the first-ever home run at the new ballpark in 2009.

Posada’s three favorite highlights from his career, he said, were sitting in the dugout when he was called up from the minors in 1995, realizing he had reached the big leagues, catching David Wells’ perfect game on May 17, 1998 and hugging Rivera after the team had swept the Braves to win the 1999 World Series.

Jeter chuckled when asked for his favorite memory of the man he said is “like a brother. I’ve been calling him ‘Sado’ for years because when he pinch-ran for the first time in the playoffs, Bob Sheppard called him ‘Jorge Posado,’” Jeter said. “That’s been his nickname ever since. Selfishly, when I got 3,000 hits, he was the first one out there. That means a lot.”………..Read More

“It Ain’t Over ‘Til it’s Over” – Yogi Berra

This quote has never been more accurate and more worthy than this. The St. Louis Cardinals were in 2nd place 10.5 games in the end of August and came back to make the playoffs. If there were ever a perfect example to the phrase, “never give up” this would be it. The Cards deserve it more than any other team because they did it the hard way. They beat the Phillies, Brewers and the Rangers. The Phillies had the best record in baseball, the Brewers won the NL Central and the Rangers clearly and easily beat their American League opponents. And of course, the two game 6 comebacks with one strike away from elimination, was the topper! Congratulations to the Cardinals, they are the 2011 World Champions!

Cardinal Fans, this one’s for you!

MLB.com Recap:

ST. LOUIS — It was so improbable, so unthinkable, that it had to happen. Despite massive deficits in August and September, despite playing for their lives in the first round of the playoffs, despite twice being one strike away from elimination the night before, the St. Louis Cardinals are the World Series champions for 2011 after winning Game 7, 6-2, over the Texas Rangers on Friday.

The Cardinals won the first World Series Game 7 since 2002 and brought home the 11th World Series championship in franchise history. They triumphed behind six-plus impressive innings from ace Chris Carpenter, more big hits by David Freese and Allen Craig, and a return to form by a bullpen that had sprung some leaks lately.

“I was just hoping I could finish it right there,” said Craig, who caught the final out on a fly ball to left field. “When the ball went up, I was like, ‘Just catch it and it’s over.’ And I got it and it was over. It’s unbelievable.”

A journey that started in the spring with an unsuccessful contract negotiation and a star pitcher’s blown elbow ended with an enormous Friday night party in downtown St. Louis. The Cardinals won their second World Series title in six seasons in front of a stadium-record announced crowd of 47,399 and plenty more stationed outside the park — in Ballpark Village, in hotel rooms across the street, and even atop a nearby parking garage.

Oddly, they won it with a minimum of hold-your-breath moments, but maybe those were just all used up one night earlier, when they twice were down to their last strike before winning Game 6 in 11 innings. Or maybe the baseball gods just decided that for once, this team and its fans deserved not to have to sit through heart-attack theater. After all, there was enough of that over the previous weeks and months.

The Cardinals lost their top starting pitcher, Adam Wainwright, before the first Spring Training game was played. They dealt without key players like Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols and Freese for significant stretches of the season. They were 10 1/2 games out of the Wild Card in late August.

It was never easy, never predictable. And yet it ended in a title. Sure, it wasn’t really comfortable until Yadier Molina’s RBI single provided a little breathing room in the seventh, making the score 6-2. But for one night, the Cardinals and their fans got to enjoy the moment.

That was thanks in large part to Carpenter, who did hero’s work. Pitching on three days’ rest for the second time in his career — the first, in the National League Division Series against the Phillies, didn’t go so well — he pitched six-plus excellent innings for his second win of the series.

“He went out there and you couldn’t ask for anything more,” Cardinals closer Jason Motte said. “That was amazing. Carp did a great job. The hitters were able to get some runs on the board. We got the win. This is amazing.”….Read More  

Box Score and Highlights

They actually came back three times but twice with the game on the line. This was the second best World series Game Six I’ve ever seen. The “Buckner game” is the only one that tops it. But then again, the Rangers blew it twice! Texas fans must be freaking out, with one strike away and twice, OUCH!

Note: I do need to add, someone tell Nelson Cruz, “Mr. Overcelebration” , that he needs to learn how to play right field and slam against the wall. He should have caught that, don’t you think? Watch the replay here. He started running towards the wall, saw that he was getting too close and then STOPPED and awkwardly tried to snatch it, as if it were a mosquito he was after.

MLB.com Recap:

ST. LOUIS — Don’t turn out the lights just yet. The 2011 Cardinals live to fight one more day, one last day.

As though it could have been any other way.

Channeling the man for whom he was once traded, David Freese hit an 11th-inning leadoff, walk-off home run to give the Cardinals a jaw-dropping, heart-stopping 10-9 win over the Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series on Thursday night. The win forced an appropriate seventh game in one of the most entertaining and memorable Fall Classics in recent memory.

The Cardinals trailed five times in the game, including by two runs in the ninth and again in the 10th, but an irrepressible club kept coming back. Freese’s homer, to straightaway center, recalled Jim Edmonds’ 12th-inning walk-off in Game 6 of the 2004 National League Championship Series, and sent a packed Busch Stadium into absolute delirium.

“We fought back,” Freese said. “We made some mistakes early on, but the way we’ve all been playing lately, you expect to come back like this. This is just a good feeling, and I’m pumped we’re playing tomorrow.”

The win means that the World Series will go to a seventh game for the first time since 2002. Of the last 13 Major League teams that won Game 6 at home to force a Game 7 in the postseason, 12 went on to win Game 7.

The Cardinals overcame one of their sloppiest games of the year for one of their most improbable wins. They committed three errors plus a costly wild pitch, lost a runner on a critical pickoff and had trouble for much of the night turning baserunners into runs. But after repeatedly getting down to their final turn at bat, they simply would not die.

“What happened today, I just think it’s — you had to be here to believe it,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “We never quit trying. I know that’s kind of corny, but the fact is we never quit trying. The dugout was alive even when we were behind, and sometimes it works.”

Texas didn’t play much more sharply, truth be told. But 15 hits, including three home runs, made up for a number of Rangers mistakes and had the visitors one strike away from the first world title in franchise history — twice.

The Rangers had seemed to salt the game away with a three-run seventh to take a 7-4 lead, and again with two in the top of the 10th. Back-to-back homers by Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz, followed by two singles and a wild pitch, had put Texas in command with nine outs to go. The Cards rallied for a single run in the eighth but left the bases loaded before tying it in the ninth on Freese’s two-out, two-run triple.

In the 10th, Josh Hamilton hit a go-ahead two-run homer, but still the Cardinals would not go away. Daniel Descalso, who had pinch-hit two innings earlier, started the season-saving rally with a leadoff single. Jon Jay blooped a single to left field, bringing up the pitcher’s spot. Kyle Lohse, pinch-hitting for closer Jason Motte, bunted the runners over to bring up Ryan Theriot, whose grounder to third base made it a one-run game. The Rangers walked Albert Pujols intentionally to bring up Lance Berkman, and finally the Cards made Texas pay for the free pass by singling home the tying run.

“I mean it’s just special, it’s hard to describe,” Berkman said. “I’ve played in several pretty good postseason games, but this one takes the cake. I think you had a little bit of everything. I’m just glad to be part of it.”…..Read More  

Box Score and Highlights

The Cards most important proponent and post season savior, Chris Carpenter, pitched a great game but his offense was unresponsive. He hurled 7.0 innings allowing 2 runs on two solo homers. Apparently, it was good enough as the Rangers took a different pitching route to hold the Cards from any more real damage:

But if you see the highlights below, you will see a lot of bases loaded non-productive, non-scoring blanks. Reminding me of game 5 of the Yankee-Tigers series and where the yanks were eliminated. Sorry, but it’s not so easy to forget that game. The Cards are down 3-2 now and heading back to St. Louis (Wednesday, October 26) to hopefully win game 6 and push a deciding game 7.

Recap MLB.com:

ARLINGTON — In a classic World Series that is pushing the outer limits of gripping tension, excitement and suspense, Mike Napoli has pushed the Rangers to within one victory of winning it all and turning their club president into a prophet.

Napoli, facing a pitcher that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa did not want in the game at that point, hit a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning on Monday that lifted the Rangers to a 4-2 victory in Game 5 of the World Series. The Rangers now have a 3-2 Series lead going into Wednesday’s 7:05 p.m. CT first pitch in Game 6 at Busch Stadium. If Texas wins that game, it would fulfill club president Nolan Ryan’s bold prediction of Rangers in six. “It’s not going to be easy,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “It has been difficult all the way through the playoffs, and it’s not easy to win a World Series. We just have to keep coming out with the best we have. It’s been a great Series, just a bunch of great baseball games.” The Rangers, in their final 2011 appearance at Rangers Ballpark, trailed, 2-0, early against Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter. But they were able to tie it on a third-inning home run by Mitch Moreland and a sixth-inning homer by Adrian Beltre. The Rangers went ahead in the eighth against the St. Louis bullpen, with Napoli delivering the big blow that brought 51,459 delirious fans to their feet. “Our last home game, and we went out in style,” Moreland said. “This has been awesome … certainly a lot better than last year,” outfielder David Murphy said. “Last year, we didn’t play up to expectations. This year, it has been a great Series. It was great to reward our fans with a great game like this in our last home game. Now, we’re one win away. We’re not taking anything for granted, but hopefully we can go to St. Louis and get this done.” Napoli — who became the second player to have four multi-RBI games in a World Series, joining Mickey Mantle (1960) — is now hitting .308 with two home runs and nine RBIs in the Series and has emerged as the leading candidate for Most Valuable Player honors if the Rangers can wrap this up in St. Louis. “I’m glad I can help to contribute,” Napoli said. “Anybody in this lineup can do it. You’ve got to give Beltre credit for hitting the homer to tie the game up. If he doesn’t do that, I don’t have a chance to do that in the eighth inning. We all do it together, and there are key things that are overlooked, but we fought hard.” Darren Oliver, on a huge night of redemption for the Rangers’ bullpen, earned the victory as the fourth of five pitchers who turned back one Cardinals threat after another. Neftali Feliz earned his second save of the Series and sixth of the postseason with a scoreless ninth. Rangers relievers, who allowed 11 runs in Game 3, pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings behind starter C.J. Wilson….Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

MLB Recap:

ARLINGTON — In the annals of Rangers pitching, this will rank right up there with Kenny Rogers’ perfect game, Nolan Ryan’s two no-hitters and Cliff Lee’s brilliance in the first two rounds of last year’s playoffs.

This one, though, may exceed them all, considering it came in the World Series and kept the Rangers from being pushed to the brink of elimination. Instead, Derek Holland rose to his finest moment with the Rangers and pulled his team even in the Fall Classic. Holland, pitching before 51,539 at Rangers Ballpark, held the Cardinals to two hits over 8 1/3 innings on Saturday night and the Rangers seized a 4-0 victory in Game 4. Neftali Feliz got the final two hitters, and the World Series is now tied at two games each. “Our pitcher was in complete control of the game … that was the story of the game,” Rangers designated hitter Michael Young said. “Every game in the postseason is huge — every game is massive, and rightfully so — but Derek pitched a great game tonight.” This was a game the Rangers needed badly, especially after their pitchers allowed 16 runs the previous night and overworked their bullpen. Holland, who pitched four shutouts during the regular season, went into the game with a 5.27 ERA and a .316 opponents’ batting average in three starts and one relief appearance this postseason, leaving the Rangers unsure of exactly what they might get from him.

What they got was a brilliant performance.

“I just wanted to make sure I could go out there and execute all of my pitches,” Holland said. “That was the main thing. I wanted to go right after these hitters. I wanted to show that I belong here. … I wanted to make a name for myself, and at the same time get momentum back on our side. “I knew it was a big game and I had to step up.” Holland did just that, allowing just the two hits — both by Lance Berkman — and two walks while striking out seven. Albert Pujols was 0-for-4 after his five-hit, three-homer performance in Game 3 on Saturday. “He just worked us over and shut us down,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “We needed him to go out there and pitch well and he did, and he showed the world what he’s capable of doing,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. This was the longest scoreless effort by an American League pitcher in the World Series since Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Braves in Game 5 back in 1996. Holland’s performance also marked the first time that a pitcher has gone at least 8 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits or fewer in a World Series game since Nelson Briles did so for the Pirates in Game 5 of the 1971 Fall Classic. ….Read More

Box Score and Highlights

Wow! That was a very interesting game and where the Cards proved once and for all, that they can play a slug match with anyone. Any opinion or doubt has been thrown out the window. The Rangers did play an amateur style of defense but were hitting the ball quite hard. The Cards were fortunate and caught a big brake with the miscall by the umpire on 1st base but banged in all their runs cleanly afterwards. Another words, after the big brake, the Ranger pitching failed to stop the Cards relentless offense. It seemed that even a young Nolan Ryan wouldn’t have been effective in this one, St. Louis was that sharp. The Rangers battled back after falling behind 5-0 and later 8-3 but the Cards kept going and never looked back. The rangers had plenty of chances but they left runners on base in very crucial times. Nevertheless, Pujols was on a one-man mission and when he gets hot like this, there’s no stopping him. Cards up 2-1 now. The Rangers must win tonight and solid pitching will be the key.

Game 5: Cards 16 Rangers 7

Recap MLB.com:

ARLINGTON — It would not have been unreasonable to think Albert Pujols had nothing left to accomplish in baseball. It just would have been wrong.

Add one more line to the résumé of the greatest hitter of his generation: Pujols turned in the greatest individual hitting performance in World Series history on Saturday night. The Cardinals superstar pounded three home runs among five hits, driving in six runs and amassing 14 total bases, as St. Louis obliterated the Rangers, 16-7, in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series.

Pujols equaled World Series records for hits, homers and RBIs, set a new record for total bases and became the first person to get anywhere close to combining all of them in the same game. No one had ever had four hits, two homers and five RBIs in a Fall Classic game, never mind five, three and six. Pujols joined Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth as the only players to homer three times in a World Series game (Ruth did it twice).

“Those guys are great players,” Pujols said, “and to do it at that level and on this stage is amazing. But … at the same time, I didn’t walk into the ballpark today thinking that I was going to have a night like this. I walked to the ballpark with the attitude that I have every day — to help this ballclub to win, and I was able to do that, defensively and offensively.”……..Read More

Box Score and Highlights: 

The Cards and the Rangers are playing to their expectations and making the 2011 World Series a memorable one so far. They are knotted at 1-1 and heading to Texas for games three, four and five. Although both games could have gone either way, we’re tied and now it becomes a 5 game series. Preview here.

Game 2: Rangers 2 and Cards 1

Rangers Recap MLB.com:

ST. LOUIS — They were three outs away from being in deep trouble again. Instead, after two singles, two brilliant baserunning plays, two sacrifice flies and one stunning ninth-inning rally, the Rangers have roared back into the World Series.

The Rangers manufactured two runs in the top of the ninth against the Cardinals’ vaunted bullpen and stole a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night. In doing so, Texas crushed the hopes of the vast majority of 47,288 fans at Busch Stadium who were ready to celebrate St. Louis going up 2-0 in the Series. Instead, it’s tied at 1 and headed back to Arlington. “That was amazing,” outfielder Nelson Cruz said. “That’s who we are. That was a great win. It couldn’t have been bigger than that.” “Tonight was one of those great games you will continue to see,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “I’ve got to say to those of you with a bad heart, watch yourself.” The Rangers, in beating Cards closer Jason Motte, became only the third team in World Series history to rally from a 1-0 deficit to win a game with two runs in the ninth inning or later. The others were the 1911 Athletics and the ’85 Royals. “Going back home down, 0-2, we would have been in trouble,” winning pitcher Mike Adams said. “But to get even like that, rally in the ninth inning — especially against their closer … a really good closer — to pull off a victory like that was really big.” Josh Hamilton and Michael Young also made World Series history with a pair of sacrifice flies. This marks the first time in World Series play that both the tying and go-ahead runs were brought home on sacrifice flies……..Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

Game One: Cards 3 Rangers 2

MLB.com St. Louis Recap:

ST. LOUIS — The bashing took a break. The winning didn’t. A Cardinals team that was developing a reputation as some sort of hulking softball team showed off another of the clubs in its rather full bag on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals rode six strong innings from Chris Carpenter, another stifling bullpen effort and a pair of run-scoring singles to a win in Game 1 of the World Series, 3-2, over the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium. If a perception emerged during the National League Championship Series that the Cards would need to bash the ball to win, that perception is mistaken.

You don’t get this far without an ability to win in plenty of different ways. On Wednesday, the home team played strong defense and took advantage of a couple of chances against Texas starter C.J. Wilson and reliever Alexi Ogando to secure the win. St. Louis won for the 31st time in 44 games, dating back to the regular season.

The team winning Game 1 of the Fall Classic has gone on to win the series 66 out of 106 times in the history of the event. The last 10 teams to win Game 1 at home have gone on to be World Series champions.

“When you get in the postseason, you have to win games in so many ways,” said David Freese, who scored the winning run. “Not every game is going to be the same. Teams that win 90, 95, 100 games, they win ballgames different ways the entire year.”…….Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

The one thing I love the most about Major League Baseball is its certainty.  No team makes it to the World Series by luck, that’s for sure and that’s because of all the opportunities they “all” get, to make it to the big stage. They all go through a grueling 5 game and 7 game series to prove they are better than their opponent. There is no luck involved, if a team makes it to the World Series then they definitely deserve to be there. There’s no arguing amongst fanatics when the World Series matchup is presented and because the two teams who make it were able to overcome their opponent and you can’t take that away from them!

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers and the St Louis Cardinals, they will be facing each other in the 2011 World Series and they DESERVE IT! They proved it and I feel Baseball Fans are going to enjoy this one.

As a disappointed Yankee fan, I have nobody but the Yankee Team to blame for not advancing to the second round. But we have seen many Championships in our lifetime and must understand that we can’t win them all. I know, I know, I know, losing is not in our vocabulary and we always seem fight harder than others to win, that’s why we have been so successful. This year was a painful one, I must say because we had the tools but did not execute when we had our chances and boy, oh boy, we sure had plenty! But now it is done and over! And after watching the Rangers play, who knows if we could have even survive their powerful offensive punch? Well, we will never know because we were out before even facing them! They were waiting for us at the dance and we never made it!

The Rangers continued on though, when the Yanks didn’t and with a lot of character! They along with the the Cards have shown much resilience and are pretty well matched up. I think this World Series will be a great one!

I will recap every game as I did for all 162 Yankee games and of course, will provide my thoughts.

MLB.com Texas Preview:

ARLINGTON — All through the regular season, the Rangers made one thing clear. Starting pitching was the No. 1 reason they were in first place and enjoying the success they were having as a team.

Rangers starters were 74-40 during the regular season, with a 3.65 ERA that was the third best in the American League. They were fifth in the league in innings pitched (944 1/3), fourth in complete games (10) and were instrumental in the Rangers setting a new club record for shutouts (19).

That hasn’t carried over to the postseason. Rangers starters have struggled in the playoffs and their ability to turn it around could be crucial against the red-hot Cardinals when the World Series begins on Wednesday at Busch Stadium…….Read More  

MLB.com Cards Preview:

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter, the club’s probable starter for Wednesday’s Game 1 of the World Series on FOX at 7:05 p.m. CT, has dealt with some soreness in his right elbow recently. However, the club says at this point that Carpenter’s condition is not any real cause for concern.

A club source said that Carpenter experienced some soreness coming out of his last start, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee on Wednesday, but that “all is well now.” General manager John Mozeliak referred to the soreness as a “non-issue” when reached by MLB.com on Monday afternoon.

According to another club source, the discomfort was located in the area of Carpenter’s triceps muscle.

Carpenter has not officially been announced as the Cardinals’ Game 1 starter, but he would certainly be the choice, assuming his health. He was the scheduled starter for Game 7 of the NLCS, had that game been necessary. Instead, the Cards finished the series in six games, allowing extra rest time for the former Cy Young winner……Read More

MLB.com Recap:

ARLINGTON — The Rangers still need to take three more in this American League Championship Series. As second baseman Ian Kinsler said, this one only gets them one win closer to their goal of returning to the World Series.

But it was still a big step, coming against the Tigers’ 24-game winner on a night when two rain delays forced the Rangers to improvise their own pitching plans as the game pushed past midnight CT. The Rangers scored three runs early off of Tigers starter Justin Verlander and five relievers made it stand up for a 3-2 victory in Game 1 at the Ballpark in Arlington. It was 12:03 a.m. on Sunday morning when Neftali Feliz finished the game by striking out three straight hitters to put the Rangers up 1-0 against the Tigers. “It’s a huge win,” outfielder David Murphy said. “We know how good of a pitcher Verlander is. We know how good his stuff is. It says a lot about our offense. We knew who we were facing, but we grinded out the at-bats, made him work and scored some runs.” Murphy, after a leadoff single by Mike Napoli, drove home the Rangers’ first run with an RBI triple in the second and scored on a two-out single by Kinsler. Nelson Cruz added a fourth-inning home run off Verlander, who did not return for the fifth inning because of all the rain. “We were just trying to have good at-bats against him and stick to our approach,” Kinsler said. “We don’t try to make the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches. We’re an aggressive team. But we were able to have some good long at-bats and put some pressure on him. We were able to foul off some tough pitches and make him work.” Verlander threw 49 pitches in the first two innings and 82 for the night. “I thought tonight his control wasn’t good,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “He didn’t really have his curveball going for strikes. He had a tough time with it … I think probably trying to overthrow it a little bit.” The home run by Cruz was his first of the postseason. He was hitless in his last 10 at-bats, including a flyout to left off Verlander in the second inning, before crushing a 2-0 fastball in the fourth. “I feel like I have been close the past few games, but I haven’t been lucky enough to hit it where there was nobody,” Cruz said. “Today I was able to hit it where there was nobody.” The Rangers’ bullpen made those runs stand up after the two rain delays derailed starter C.J. Wilson just when he was starting to take control of the game. But five relievers combined to allow one hit and one walk while striking out eight in 4 1/3 innings. Alexi Ogando, with two scoreless innings, was given the victory although Michael Gonzalez may have delivered the biggest out, getting Alex Avila to ground out with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth when play resumed after the second delay of 69 minutes. “The bullpen was awesome, but we expect those guy to do that,” Napoli said. “We have a great back end of the bullpen and they came in and did their job.” The Rangers are now up 1-0 with Derek Holland pitching against Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer on Sunday. In 41 previous ALCS, the team that won Game 1 went on to win the series 24 times. But the Rangers lost Game 1 to the Yankees last season and went on to win the series in six games. The Rangers might not have needed the bullpen so much if not for the rain. Wilson was able to get out of a couple early jams because of a couple double plays started by third baseman Adrian Beltre and was beginning to get on a roll. He struck out the side in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead into the fifth, looking much sharper than he did in a 9-0 loss to the Rays in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. “C.J. was much better,” manager Ron Washington said. “I was just hoping Mother Nature wouldn’t have stopped him there because he was on his way to at least giving us six or seven. He was throwing the ball extremely well.” But the rain started coming down as Wilson went out to pitch the fifth and gave up a leadoff double to Ramon Santiago. Wilson then threw one pitch to Brandon Inge before it really started pouring and forced home-plate umpire Tim Welke to call time. That rain delay lasted 41 minutes. “It’s something I can’t control,” Wilson said. “I can’t look up at the sky and say, ‘Please stop raining.’ You have to adjust. Obviously I didn’t have my best stuff when I went back out there. But even if you have a two-hour delay, the competitor in you still wants to go back out there.” When play resumed, Wilson retired Inge on a grounder to third before Austin Jackson doubled to right-center to drive home the Tigers’ first run. Wilson then walked Ryan Raburn and Miguel Cabrera. A wild pitch on an 0-2 pitch to Victor Martinez scored a second run. Wilson got Martinez on a grounder back to the mound, holding Raburn at third, and was in the process of intentionally walking Magglio Ordonez when the heavy rain returned. This delay lasted 69 minutes, and this time Gonzalez replaced Wilson to face Avila, the Tigers’ All-Star catcher. In a lefty vs. lefty matchup, Gonzalez got the Rangers out of the jam by getting Avila on a grounder to second…….Read More

The Show must go on and it will without the two top favorites, the Yanks and the Phillies. Arizona was eliminated in extra innings and the Brewers are in also.

Recap of three games:

Game 5: Cardinals 1 Phillies 0

PHILADELPHIA — No longer are the Cardinals just on a late run. Put away those “playing with house money” and “nothing to lose” notions. Hopes have turned to expectations. St. Louis is playing for a pennant.

The Cardinals secured their first postseason series win since the 2006 World Series with a sensational 1-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. The win gave them a 3-2 National League Division Series triumph over the league’s best regular-season team, and moved them into the NL Championship Series for a delicious matchup with their Central Division rivals, the Brewers.

Rafael Furcal and Skip Schumaker teamed up to get a single run for the Redbirds before the game’s first out, and a magnificent Chris Carpenter tossed a three-hit shutout to make it stand up. Carpenter, with some help from an airtight defense, outdueled his old friend and former teammate Roy Halladay en route to his sixth postseason win in 11 career starts.

Five days earlier, Carpenter had labored through three innings on short rest. On full rest, in one of the biggest games of his life, there was no getting to the 36-year-old.

The win was the Cardinals’ 26th in 37 games since late August, when they began a run from 10 1/2 games back to the NL Wild Card. They trailed in the series, 1-0 and 2-1, before winning the last two games against old nemesis Roy Oswalt and two-time Cy Young winner Halladay. The common narrative has been about how whatever the Cardinals achieve from here on out, it’s gravy, a bonus on top of a fun season.

The common narrative no longer really holds. Four wins from the World Series, the Cardinals are thinking big.

“I understand we had some struggles during parts of the regular season, but you look at this team and, my goodness, we’ve got as good an everyday lineup as you can run out there,” said Lance Berkman. “We’ve got several starters that are capable of shutting people down, and sort of a revamped and solid bullpen. And we’re playing good. That’s a good combination.”

St. Louis advances to the NLCS for the first time since 2006 and the 10th time in franchise history. The Cardinals will be aiming for the 18th NL title in franchise history, playing a rematch of the 1982 World Series, which St. Louis won in seven games.

The Phils’ ace of aces was brilliant on Friday and surely deserved better. But against Carpenter, long the Cards’ No. 1 horse, Halladay simply had no room for error.

“Any time you have Roy or any of those guys on the other side, it’s like ‘Carp’ and [Adam] Wainwright for us,” said Albert Pujols. “You know those guys are going to keep you in the game. They might have one inning that they have a tough inning, but besides that, they don’t make too many mistakes. And, obviously, Carp didn’t make too many today.”

Furcal led off the game with a triple to center field. Halladay got ahead of Schumaker, the next batter, 0-2, but couldn’t finish him off. Schumaker got the count full and ground out a 10-pitch at-bat that culminated with a go-ahead double to right field…….Read More

Highlights:

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Game 5: Brewers 3 D-Backs 2

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers’ task was crystal-clear from the first day of Spring Training, when Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum were getting comfortable with a team that finally had a contender-quality pitching staff:

Win the National League Central, but don’t stop there. “If we would have lost today,” Ryan Braun said amid a shower of champagne on Friday night, “I think everything we accomplished all year would have been meaningless. We needed a win today to have our own legacy.” And now they do, though it took longer and forced a few more heart palpitations than any of the Brewers had hoped. A hysteria-inducing 3-2 win over the D-backs in Game 5 clinched the NL Division Series in front of 44,028 fans, sending the Brewers to a League Championship Series for the first time since 1982. They played the California Angels then, and Milwaukee was an American League town. They faced the Cardinals in that World Series, fitting considering those teams will meet again in the NLCS. The Brewers won a win-or-go-home NLDS Game 5 on Friday that was decided in the bottom of the 10th inning on Nyjer Morgan’s single after John Axford’s first blown save since mid-April. Cecil Cooper, meet Tony Clutch. Morgan, a.k.a. Tony Plush and a plethora of other personalities, gave the Brewers their first postseason series win in 29 years, and gave the franchise an iconic hit to celebrate alongside Cooper’s go-ahead single in the decisive Game 5 of the ’82 AL Championship Series to send the Brewers to their only World Series. General manager Doug Melvin, the man who acquired Morgan four days before Opening Day when the Nationals were looking to dump a player they viewed as a problem, grabbed both sides of Morgan’s head amid the clubhouse chaos and screamed Morgan’s signature sendoff: “Ahhhhhhhhh!” “One man’s trash is another’s treasure!” Morgan bellowed. He danced around wearing the same S.W.A.T. Team helmet he donned when the club clinched the NL Central last month. “Of course, [his series] started slow, but Plush is always going to finish strong.” How slow? Morgan was 2-for-15 in the series before his big moment, had snapped his bat over his knee after a fifth-inning popout and then misplayed a line drive in the sixth. But his winning hit to center field off Arizona’s outstanding closer, J.J. Putz, turned Morgan’s first career postseason series into a resounding success, fittingly scoring center-field platoon mate Carlos Gomez, who was at second base after a single and a steal. Gomez raced home, and the beer started flowing. “It’s a blue-collar town; we’re blue-collar kids getting after it,” Morgan said. The NLCS opponent still awaited as the Brewers celebrated with their deliriously towel-waving fans, but this much was clear: Milwaukee was four NLCS wins away from its first trip to the World Series since ’82……Read More

Highlights:

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Game 5: Tigers 3 Yanks 2

NEW YORK — The Yankees wield the same lofty expectations for each season, which makes it easy to figure out what the objective is at the beginning. It makes closing nights like Thursday even more difficult.

The Yankees’ dreams of a 28th World Series championship were dashed and packed into winter hibernation, as the Tigers defeated New York, 3-2, in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Alex Rodriguez struck out against closer Jose Valverde for the final out of New York’s 167th and final game of the season, marking the second time in as many years that the game’s highest-paid player has been the club’s final out of the postseason.

“It’s devastating,” Rodriguez said. “This is going to hurt for a long time. This one stings, especially at home.”

Detroit became the first visiting club to celebrate clinching a postseason series on the field at the new Yankee Stadium, moving on to face the Texas Rangers in the AL Championship Series opening on Saturday.

For the Yankees, the winter has already begun. They face an offseason headlined by the likely opt-out of ace CC Sabathia and the chance that Key Three member Jorge Posada has played his final game in pinstripes.

“It’s terrible,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s an empty feeling for everyone in that room, and it hurts. You’ve just got to remember this feeling, and we’ll be determined next year.”

New York’s only runs scored on a fifth-inning Robinson Cano home run off starter Doug Fister and a seventh-inning bases loaded walk that Mark Teixeira worked against Joaquin Benoit.

“It’s very disappointing,” Teixeira said. “Anything less than a championship is a lost year here. I’m proud of the way we fought all year long, but at the end of the day, we just didn’t get the job done.”

That it was Valverde gyrating on the field and leading the party in a wild clubhouse celebration rubbed salt in the wound for the Yankees, who heard him pronounce the series “over” loud and clear after Game 2.

“We had the guy that we wanted to beat,” Nick Swisher said. “All that talking he’s been doing, man — as much as I don’t want to say it, I do have to say, ‘Congratulations.’ Those guys pitched extremely well this series, especially against a potent lineup like ours.”……Read More

Highlights:

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

If I were a member of the New York Yankees, I would consider hibernation for the upcoming winter. I would not be caught walking the streets of New York. I would consider moving to the outskirts of Boston and live that emptiness of life along with the Red Sox fans. Why not? All the Yankees did was play 5 more games than them and lost 3 of them. Same difference!!!

I am very disgusted with the Yankee performance and will continue with more details on my next post.

Here’s are some post season batting averages to understand why:

Batting Order and Batting Average: 4. Arod .111 and 5.Teixeira .167, 6. Swisher .211 and 8. Martin .117.

MLB Recap:

NEW YORK — From the first morning the Yankees unzip their bags and begin preparing for the regular season, there is one common goal they can all agree upon. For the second time in as many years, they have fallen short of it.

The Yankees’ dreams of a 28th World Series championship were packed into winter hibernation on Thursday, as the Tigers defeated New York, 3-2, in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Detroit became the first visiting club to celebrate clinching a postseason series on the field at the new Yankee Stadium, moving on to face the Texas Rangers in the AL Championship Series opening on Saturday.

“It’s terrible,” manager Joe Girardi said. “As I said, we only accomplished one goal when the season ended. We had to fight like crazy to get there. It’s a really empty feeling. It’s an empty feeling for everyone in that room, and it hurts. You’ve just got to remember this feeling, and we’ll be determined next year.”

Girardi’s bullpen usage raised eyebrows after starter Ivan Nova was pulled after two innings with right forearm tightness. But the Yankees managed only two runs against four Detroit pitchers, including Doug Fister, who pitched five good innings for the win.

“After the second inning, [Nova] was stiff kind of down here,” Girardi said. “Whenever you start pointing to that area, I don’t think it’s the ligament or that area — it was lower. And we didn’t like the way the ball was coming out of his hand. I think it was directly related to that.

“Some of his fastballs were cutting, and we never saw that, so I had to make a change. And I had to, you know, try to get our bullpen through it. They did a tremendous job — one run through seven innings.”

Nova surrendered two first-inning solo homers to put his club down early. Don Kelly poked the first into the right-field seats and Delmon Young followed on the next pitch with a rocket to left field, marking the first back-to-back homers in Tigers postseason history.

Nova vanished when the third inning began, gone after 31 pitches and replaced by Phil Hughes, who pitched 1 1/3 innings around two hits before Boone Logan got the last two outs of the fourth.

That brought on CC Sabathia for his first professional relief appearance, and the ace’s availability was not being kept a secret after he threw 106 pitches in Monday’s Game 3 start.

But Sabathia served up a run to put the Tigers up by three, as Austin Jackson stroked a leadoff double and Victor Martinez responded to an intentional walk issued to Miguel Cabrera with a clean RBI single to center.

Sabathia struck out four in 1 1/3 innings before giving way to Rafael Soriano, who induced a big double play from Ramon Santiago in the sixth. David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth.

“Our pitchers threw as well as they could this year,” Girardi said. “I really believe that. Going into Spring Training, with all of the question marks — they pitched their hearts out. Those guys have nothing to be ashamed of. There’s nothing you can really say that’s going to make them feel any better. But they played their hearts out all year long.”

Fister permitted only a Robinson Cano solo home run over five innings, scattering five hits while walking two and striking out four in a 92-pitch outing.

For Cano, the fifth-inning blast into the second deck in right field marked the slugger’s eighth career postseason home run, fourth in the Division Series…….Read More

Box Score and Highlights.

The 11-1 final score by no means reflects the closeness of Game 4. Granderson’s two clutch catches would have accounted for at least 4 more Detroit runs and would have changed the entire complexion of this game. The first catch was in the bottom of the first with the Tigers threatening (bases loaded-two outs) and a 0-0 score:

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

A critical catch and one that would have scored 3 runs and also would have kept the inning alive for the Tigers. A true game changer and great recovery with no time to spare.

Burnett did settle down afterwards and kept the Tigers in check but again, kept the Yankee fans on the edge of their seats. There’s something about Burnett that is unsure and very risky because of his imploding past performances. This game was not one of those and he was effective. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and one earned run. Here are the pitching numbers:

Not bad and let’s hope we keep them numbers down for the last game at Yankee Stadium. Box Score and Highlights

MLB.Recap:

DETROIT — The Yankees needed A.J. Burnett to save their season, and now the American League Division Series is going to be decided in New York.

Burnett stepped up to author his own story of pinstriped redemption and the Yankees staved off elimination, pounding out a 10-1 victory over the Tigers in Game 4 on Tuesday at Comerica Park.

“He pitched huge when we needed him the most,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “A.J. deserves all the credit. He shut down a tough team over there. He’s the reason we get an opportunity to play on Thursday.”

Yankee Stadium will host the decisive Game 5 on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on TBS. Detroit plans to start right-hander Doug Fister, with the Yankees handing the ball to right-hander Ivan Nova.

“We have an opportunity to win a series,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We fought all year long to have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Hopefully, we can get it done on Thursday.”

Originally slated to be in New York’s bullpen, Burnett was pressed back into starting duty and rose to the challenge, delivering 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to prolong the Yankees’ season.

“It’s big, but we don’t win tonight without defense,” Burnett said. “As well as we swung the bat and as well as we made pitches tonight, I think our defense was huge.”

Two terrific catches by Curtis Granderson in center field stood tall, as the former Tigers star patrolled his old stomping grounds with aplomb.

Granderson backtracked and made a leaping grab of a Don Kelly liner to help Burnett escape a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, then made a sensational diving play on Jhonny Peralta’s drive toward left-center to end the sixth.

“On both plays, to get them out of the situation and get runners off the field, getting us another chance to hit definitely ends up being big,” Granderson said.

Slow to get up after the sixth-inning catch, the more difficult of the two, Granderson said he had the wind knocked out of him. The first play probably saved three runs and took the air out of a Detroit rally.

“He may have saved the season, not once, but twice,” Alex Rodriguez said.

Before a six-run eighth inning blew the game open, New York pounced on right-hander Rick Porcello for four runs in six frames, sticking a two-run lead into Burnett’s back pocket for the third inning.

Jeter connected for a two-run double over Austin Jackson’s head in center field, driving in Jorge Posada and Russell Martin, with Martin scoring around a tag from catcher Alex Avila on a nifty slide.

“I thought he’d caught it and it was a double play,” Jeter said. “Austin has run down a few of my fly balls over the years. But fortunately for us, that one fell in.”

Victor Martinez’s long homer off Burnett in the fourth inning cut Detroit’s deficit to one run. But Burnett kept the damage there, and the Yankees answered with another pair of runs in the fifth.

Granderson doubled home Brett Gardner and, after an intentional walk to Robinson Cano, A-Rod knocked in Jeter with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep center.

That was enough for Burnett, who accomplished plenty in one evening to reverse the negative vibes he accrued over the course of an admittedly inconsistent season.

“People can have whatever perception they want of A.J., but he wants the ball,” Martin said. “He wants to go out there and he wants to perform. His last few starts have been great.”

Burnett’s improved September followed an awful August, promoting Girardi’s optimism that he’d provide a good start in the playoffs. Now, there’s a teaser for more October work……Read More

Let’s take a look at the 2nd catch and one that saved at least one:

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

LET’S GO YANKS!!!!!

Tonight’s matchup was as advertized but on the Tiger’s side. Verlander was great, except for the bad 1st inning and where the Yanks were able to score two precious runs. CC Sabathia was not pitching his A game and walked 6 batters. He was only good for 5.1 innings, as he gave up 7 hits, struck out only 3 and allowed 4 earned runs. Not good enough when facing Verlander, who pitched 8.0 innings, giving up 6 hits, striking out 12 batters and allowing 4 earned runs. But although there was that obvious difference in the stats, the Yankees offense still manage to keep it even at 4-4.

In the top of the 1st inning Verlander, who seemed too pumped up, gave up a single to Jeter and a triple to Granderson. Two batters after Arod grounded out another run as Granderson scored and made it 2-0.

Detroit tied it in the bottom of the 3rd on an Inge double, a Santiago single and a double play ground out by Cabrera.

The Tigers chips away and scored a run in the bottom of the 5th and 6th to make 4-2.

The Yankee luckily tied it in the top of the 7th on a Gardner single, 4-4.

Then Soriano gave up a solo shot to Young to make it 5-4. Yanks Lose!

Box Score and Highlights.

MLB.com Recap:

DETROIT — No one needs to leave a note to tell the Yankees what must happen next. Their season will officially depend on the next nine innings of play, pushed to the brink of elimination in the American League Division Series.

Touching up Justin Verlander wasn’t enough to keep the Yankees out of the corner they feared most, as Delmon Young’s eighth-inning homer off Rafael Soriano lifted the Tigers to a 5-4 win in Game 3 on Monday at Comerica Park.

“It’s definitely one game at a time now,” the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira said. “We can’t be looking forward to anything else because if we don’t win, we go home. It’s a big game for us, obviously.”

Jose Valverde struck out Derek Jeter swinging to lock down the save in the ninth, preserving a more-than-serviceable effort from Verlander, who struck out 11 in eight innings of four-run ball.

“Regardless of who we were facing, we knew it was going to be a challenge,” Jeter said. “It was a challenge for us to score. We started good, but you’ve got to play nine innings.”

With CC Sabathia meeting Verlander to reprise the marquee pitching matchup that rain cut short in Game 1, the Yankees saw their ace either turn in a wild performance or battle a restrictive strike zone, depending on your view.

“I actually thought he made a lot of good pitches tonight, and I thought the zone was a small zone tonight,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “No disrespect to anyone, but that’s what I thought. That’s what I saw.”

Sabathia walked six (one intentionally) in a 5 1/3-inning effort, handed a 2-0 lead after the first inning that he gave back to Detroit in the third, then served up a go-ahead RBI double to Ramon Santiago in the fifth.

“I’m not here to make excuses or anything like that,” Sabathia said. “They did a good job of battling and they put some good at-bats together, and they ended up scoring some runs.”

Home-plate umpire Gerry Davis’ zone was a point of loud discussion after the game, and though Sabathia had huddled with Davis at least once to ask where he was missing, Sabathia refused to talk balls and strikes in detail.

“I’m not going to sit here and say it’s the umpire’s fault,” Sabathia said. “I just didn’t make pitches when I needed to.”

Catcher Russell Martin didn’t want to take a strong position with the zone, either, but he went further than Sabathia.

“I thought it was a little bit tight, especially on the outside part of the plate to right-handers,” Martin said. “I felt like a couple times we hit that spot, but he stayed consistent. He kept the zone the same. So if we weren’t getting that pitch that we wanted, there was nothing really we could do. He was staying consistent and that’s what you ask for in an umpire.”

Small or wide zone, with his baggy pants and jersey flapping in a light Motor City breeze, the Yankees wanted to push Sabathia as far as they could. This would be the only remaining chance for him to start in the ALDS.

But Jhonny Peralta’s run-scoring double off Sabathia in the sixth appeared to be a huge blow, especially with Verlander harnessing triple-digit firepower midgame, striking out the side on 10 pitches in the fifth.

“After the first inning, I felt like I found my rhythm,” Verlander said. “I was going pretty good.”

Sabathia couldn’t keep up, walking off the mound while 43,581 witnesses whipped their white towels into a frenzy, smelling the all-important Game 3 victory on the way. But the Yankees had one last gasp left.

Jorge Posada worked a two-out walk in the seventh and Russell Martin was drilled in the ribs with a fastball. Brett Gardner filled a tall order with a huge hit off Verlander, slicing a two-run, game-tying double to center…..Read More

Max Scherzer was selected to pitch in game two and in turn, stop the Yankees from doing any more damage. The Tigers needed a solid game from him to have any chance of winning the series. Heading back to Detroit with a 1-1 tie and having Verlander on the mound would be the ideal scenario. Sherzer came through as he pitched 6.0 innings, giving up 2 hits and Zero earned runs. The Yankees could not figure him out and the Tigers offense managed to score 4 runs by the end of the 6th inning. The Tigers brought in Benoit for the bottom of the 7th and the baffled Yankee offense was shutdown again:

Seven innings and nothing, Scherzer was pitching a no hitter until the bottom of the 6th inning when Cano singled. Freddy Garcia pitched a pretty descent game, he recorded 5.1 innings, gave up 6 hits and 4 earned runs. The tigers added another run in the top of the 9th. Five runs and the Yankee offense could not recover. They did make a case for themselves but came short and lost 5-3. Box Score and Highlights:

Recap Game Two: Tigers 5 Yanks3

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — The Yankees sensed another epic comeback percolating on Sunday, seeing closer Jose Valverde wobble before catcher Alex Avila slipped while chasing a foul pop that would have been the final out of the game.

It had all the right ingredients for an entry in their postseason storybook collection, but there were no new chapters to be written on Sunday.

Robinson Cano squinted through the raindrops and slapped a ground ball for the final out as the Tigers held on for a 5-3 victory, taking Game 2 of the American League Division Series and evening the series at 1.

“You think that something good is going to happen for us,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “But Valverde, it’s hard enough to score a run off him, let alone four. I thought we had some good at-bats and battled there at the end. We just fell short.”

The ALDS is now reduced to a best-of-three series, with the Tigers holding home-field advantage. Comerica Park will set the scene on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET, when aces CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander will reprise the original marquee pitching matchup from Game 1.

“It’s obviously important,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “A lot of people talk about Game 3 being the most important game of a series all the time. It’s real important.”

The Yankees’ seven-game ALDS winning streak, an all-time record, was snapped in the defeat. Max Scherzer ensured New York had its hands full: the right-hander held the Yankees hitless until Cano dunked a sixth-inning single into left field.

Making his first career postseason start, Scherzer permitted just one other hit over six-plus innings. The effort earned him applause from at least one opponent.

“He was really good — the best I’ve ever seen him,” said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira. “Great fastball, his changeup was really, really good and the numbers don’t lie. He just dominated us.”

Making his first postseason start since the clinching Game 4 of the 2005 World Series with the White Sox, Freddy Garcia gave the Yankees pretty much what they would have expected, though it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Scherzer…….Read More

Don’t you know Cano? Well, he will be a household name in the near future and around the world. Yankee fans know already and for a couple of years too. What about the man called “Super” Nova, was he calm and collective in his postseason debut? He pitched 6.1 innings, gave up 4 hits and ONE earn run. Tiger pitcher Fister was tough in his first 4 innings and two outs, only allowing 1 run. Then with the Yanks up 2-1 and again two outs, everything fell apart:

With Posada on 2nd and Teixeira on 3rd, Gardner batting:

Gardner two run single

Score is 4-1 Yanks now. D Jeter singled to right, B Gardner to third.

D Jeter steals second, 2nd and 3rd.

Granderson Walks, bases loaded, Cano batting:

Cano Grand Slam

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — Robinson Cano connected for his team’s first postseason grand slam in nearly 12 years and Ivan Nova fired 6 1/3 sterling innings in his postseason debut, leading the Yankees to a 9-3 victory over the Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday.

Cano’s towering blast to right field off left-hander Al Alburquerque highlighted a six-run New York sixth inning, helping the Yankees pull away after the skies cleared to permit the continuation of the contest. Cano’s final hit of the night, a run-scoring double with two outs in the eighth, gave him six RBIs, which tied Bernie Williams’ Game 1 performance in 1999 for the club record for RBIs in an ALDS game. The Major League record is seven RBIs.

“I wasn’t looking for a home run — I was just looking for a pitch that I could make good contact with and at least get one RBI,” Cano said. “It ended up being a grand slam.”

Normally the Yankees’ No. 5 batter, Cano did his damage on Saturday out of the three-hole, which he occupied only seven times during the regular season.

“They put you at third, and you don’t want to let your manager down and the coaches and the whole team,” Cano said. “I did my job today and hopefully [can] continue doing it.”

“All year long, we see the same thing,” Brett Gardner said of Cano. “He had a great game tonight, but just the balls that he hits, he hits a lot of balls up and hard. He’s a lot of fun to watch.”

Cano’s support would be plenty for Nova, who logged a victory in what was officially a relief appearance after CC Sabathia completed two innings and threw 27 pitches on Friday before rain pushed the game back a night. Nova departed after loading the bases with one out in the ninth inning and finished with five strikeouts against four walks and four hits. He was charged with two runs.

After the game, Nova was asked if his first postseason start had him more nervous than usual.

“No, no,” Nova said. “The first thing — I was so excited. My first postseason start — I could not believe it. I was really excited. After the first inning, I came back normal. I was more confident, and I slowed down everything. So it was good.”…….Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

Recap Game One: Yanks 9 Tigers 3

MLB.com Update:

NEW YORK — Heading into this season, few would’ve expected Doug Fister and Ivan Nova to line up as Game 2 starters in the postseason.

Now, it turns out they’ll pitch Game 1. Well, sort of.

With rain suspending the opener of the American League Division Series between the Yankees and Tigers after a 77-minute delay, Saturday’s Game 1 will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on TBS and will pick up where Friday’s ceased — in a 1-1 tie heading into the bottom of the second at Yankee Stadium.

The only difference is it will be Nova and Fister, not CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander.

“I don’t worry about stuff like that,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “I think when the manager makes a big deal about stuff like that, it affects the players. It is what it is. It rained. So what? It’s three. It’s all about three. Win three, lose three. That’s what this is about. The magic number’s three for both teams. That’s the way it is. There’s no sense getting all excited.”

For the rest of this series, Leyland will start Fister, Max Scherzer, Verlander, Rick Porcello and Fister, in that order. Yankees skipper Joe Girardi said he’ll throw Freddy Garcia on Sunday and hasn’t decided on the rest, though there’s at least a slight chance Sabathia can convince him to pitch on Sunday so he can be set up to pitch twice in this series.

The Yankees and Tigers could now play four games in four days — on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday — and then have a Wednesday off-day before Thursday’s Game 5 (if needed).

But that’s only if Saturday’s game isn’t affected — a tough proposition considering that more rain is on the horizon.

“It’s not what we wanted,” Girardi said. “This club has been resilient all year long and has had to overcome some obstacles, and this just might be another one.”…..Read More

Remember this?

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Game One between the Yanks and Tigers has been suspended and will resume tomorrow Saturday at 8:30 PM Eastern. The Yanks will come up to bat in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Box Score and Highlights.

The Rays pounded on the Rangers, highlights.

I just finished a talk show on Silvio Canto’s Blogtalkradio Station. It was very interesting listen to it here. Don’t miss the song I dedicated to the Boston Red Sox Fans at the very end of the show:

MLB Yankee-Tigers Pregame:

NEW YORK — When the Yankees and Tigers last met five years ago on this particular stage, Justin Verlander was a raw rookie, Curtis Granderson was a Tiger, CC Sabathia was an Indian, Miguel Cabrera was a Marlin and Joe Girardi had just been dismissed as the Florida manager.

But most importantly right now, Verlander is still with the Tigers and Sabathia is a Yankee, creating the marquee matchup baseball fans are focusing on in Game 1 of an American League Division Series that opens on Friday night at 8:30 ET on TBS at the three-year-old newest version of Yankee Stadium.

“They’re two premier pitchers on a big stage,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who managed the Tigers to a four-game win over the Yankees in the 2006 ALDS. “It doesn’t get much better than that. That’s what it’s supposed to be. The one thing that in most cases holds true is that when you get to the postseason, you’re going to see a good pitcher almost every night. And the world is going to see two of the best tomorrow. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”

So much has changed in five years, and that’s the nature of the beast in the business of baseball. Joe Torre managed the Yankees back in 2006 and Girardi is managing the team now. Back then, the Bronx Bombers played across 161st street at the remodeled Yankee Stadium, circa 1923. The old edifice closed after the 2008 season, the only one in the last 17 that the Yankees did not make the playoffs.

The Tigers hadn’t been to or won the World Series since 1984 and after defeating the Yankees, swept the A’s in the AL Championship Series, ascending to the Fall Classic for the first time in 22 years. They lost in five games to the Cardinals, the team they beat in seven to win the ’68 World Series.

Once again, the Yankees have home-field advantage. The ’06 series turned when the Tigers came back to win Game 2, earning a split of the first two games on the road before winning the final pair at Comerica Park.

The Tigers snuck up on the Yankees back then, but neither team is lying in the weeds this time around. Both clubs ran away with their respective divisions. The Tigers won 95 and the Central by 15 games. It was Detroit’s first Central title and first division title of any kind since winning the AL East in 1987. The 27-time World Series-winning Yankees won 97 games this season and the East by six.

“This is very gratifying,” said Girardi, who led his team to its last World Series title by beating the Phillies in six games two years ago. “We accomplished the first goal we set out to do: Win our division and have home-field advantage. But that’s only the first goal. You can’t sit on that. There’s a lot of work to be done. We know how tough our opponent is and it’s going to be a tough series.”…….Read More

More Important Playoff links

Yankee Tickets Here

Official MLB Playoffs Link

Today the Yankees along with the rest of the league, played the last game of the year. Unbelievably, there were two playoff spots still opened and four teams with the chance to grab them. Boston, Altlanta, Tampa Bay and St Louis had the pressure on them. The Yankees were enjoying a 7-0 lead throughout and were entering the 6th inning, the Rays had only two hits and were on their way out. I thought it would be a good opportunity to view the two other important games going on and which were airing on ESPN and ESPN2, the Boston-Baltimore game and the Phillies-Braves game. It was about 10:30 P.M. and both games were on their last leg. The Cards had just won on a great pitching performance by Carpenter. Boston was winning 3-2 in the 8th inning in a rain delay. Atlanta was up 3-2 in the top of the 9th.

Then everything changed, starting with the Yankees lost:

MLB Recap:

ST. PETERSBURG — Game 162 might well have been the Rays’ finest hour. You won’t soon see another like it.

Finding some untapped reserve of heart, the Rays erased a seven-run deficit to the Yankees before taking an 8-7 walk-off win in the 12th to claim the American League Wild Card on Wednesday night.

“Baseball is a crazy game, that’s just the way it is,” marveled Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “There are teams that are in it until someone says you are not. The Rays won and won the Wild Card.”

The Rays came back from nine games out on Sept. 4 to win the Wild Card, the most games ever overcome in September to get to the postseason in Major League history.

“I know it’s big,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “But I’m not there yet. I haven’t wrapped my mind around it. We’ve been too busy trying to do this. I haven’t grasped it all yet. I will at some point. I’m totally aware of the circumstances and the place in baseball history. But for right now, I’m not quite there yet.” With one out in the 12th and Evan Longoria at the plate, the score flashed at Tropicana Field that the Orioles had defeated the Red Sox, 4-3, which meant a Rays win would get them to the postseason.

“I knew they had tied the game, and I had to step out because everybody was cheering,” Longoria said. “And there was nothing going on, so I figured at that point the Orioles had won. And then it’s a matter of getting back into that at-bat and re-focusing.”

Longoria didn’t really know how he managed to get back on point.

“I just tried to step out of the box, take a deep breath,” Longoria said. “Try and remember what we’re playing for. Obviously we had an opportunity at that point to win and get into the playoffs. I mean, I’m thinking about getting on base and scoring a run.”

Moments later, Longoria laced a 2-2 pitch from Scott Proctor over the short porch in left to give the Rays the walk-off win.

“When I hit that ball, I knew it was going to stay fair, and that that was the only place it had a chance to go out because it wasn’t high enough,” Longoria said. “When I saw it clear the fence, it didn’t seem real.”

While rounding the bases, Longoria thought to himself how happy he was that the home run had put the team into the playoffs, and not into a one-game playoff with the Red Sox.

“So I’m just thinking about, wow, this has really happened,” Longoria said.

The Rays trailed 5-0 after two innings, prompting the crowd of 29,518 to become scoreboard watchers.

Soon, the Rays’ game moved into the bottom of the eighth with the home team trailing 7-0. But while the fans continued to watch the scoreboard, which showed a rain delay in Baltimore, the Rays got busy.

After loading the bases with no outs in the eighth, pinch-hitter Sam Fuld drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Ayala to drive home the Rays’ first run.

“I’m thinking about that [Aug. 10] Kansas City game [when the Rays scored five in the ninth to win], like there was nobody in the building that thought we had a chance,” said Fuld, who had a game-tying triple in that game, then scored the winning run on a fielding error on the play. “And I’m just thinking, ‘Keep the momentum going.’ I knew what I had behind me with B.J. and Longo. I knew all I had to do was get on base to keep the momentum going.”…..Read More

Box Score and highlights:

Longoria Walk Off HR

Atlanta Blew the lead and lost in the 13th:

Pence Go Ahead Hit

And my favorite highlight of the whole 2011 Season, SPEECHLESS!

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Here’s more on Boston, the recap and more devastating interviews.

BOSTON CHOKES AGAIN!

Note: All videos courtesy of MLB.com

End of Season Standings

American League:

National League:

The Yankees will be facing the Tigers on Friday, the Rangers will be playing the Rays, the Brewers will be hosting the Diamondbacks and the Phillies will go against the Cardinals.

The Yankees continue to help the Rays stay alive in the Wild Card race. The Rays keep in contention with the Red Sox who finally beat the Orioles. One more game to go for both of these teams, who will make the playoffs. If there’s a tie, then they will play against each other on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Yanks are waiting to see who they will play in the 1st round. as of right now, it will be Detroit. Box Score and Highlights.

MLB.com Recap:

ST. PETERSBURG — Serving as playoff spoilers doesn’t seem to be among the Yankees’ strengths, as they have opened the door for a thrilling conclusion to the American League Wild Card race.

As Tampa Bay tries to pull off a comeback that would rank among the game’s most memorable, the Yankees aren’t fretting about their role in the situation, accepting a 5-3 loss on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

It came in dramatic fashion: One inning after the Rays turned the third triple play in franchise history, Matt Joyce crushed a three-run homer off former teammate Rafael Soriano that proved to be the game-changer.

“We’re professionals,” said Martin, who hit into the sixth-inning triple play facing Jeremy Hellickson. “We go out there and try to win every game. It would have been fun to try to get to 100 [wins], and we can’t do that anymore. We want to play these guys tough.”

Several Yankees hung around to see the conclusion of the game between the Red Sox and Orioles in Baltimore. A yelp was heard from the players lounge as Boston recorded the final out, keeping the Wild Card chase knotted into Game No. 162.

Any September excitement is secondary to what the Yankees are really looking forward to — the opening of the American League Division Series, set for 8:37 p.m. ET on Friday at Yankee Stadium against either the Rangers or Tigers.

“Are we excited to get to the postseason? Absolutely,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Friday will be what we play for.”

Joyce’s clutch blast came in the seventh, erasing a one-run deficit just as the Yankees began bringing in their top relievers for playoff tuneups.

The drive into the right-field seats ensured that David Robertson and Mariano Rivera would face their final regular-season batters without leads to protect, even as a frenzied crowd of 22,820 continued to keep one eye on the Baltimore game.

“It’s going to happen,” Martin said. “[Soriano] made a pitch, kind of pulled it across the plate, and a good fastball hitter didn’t miss it.”

Momentum already on their side, the Rays’ fortunes improved in the sixth, as Martin grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play to end a bases-loaded threat, the first Tampa Bay triple play since Sept. 2, 2006, vs. Seattle……Read More

While the Rays pitcher Shields was finishing up against the Yankees, Baltimore was doing the same to the Red Sox. The Yanks lost 5-2 and the Red Sox Sox lost 6-3. The Yankee lost didn’t effect their standing for the playoffs but sure did for Boston. As the standings shows here:

The Rays are tied with Boston, they have the exact record and there are only TWO games left for the season to expire. If the Rays sweep the Yanks then they will play an extra one-game on Thursday. The ideal scenario would be the Yankees taking the next two games from the Rays, the Orioles taking the next two from the Red Sox and the extra game. That will wear them down even further.  Let’s see what happens. Yanks lose this one 5-2. Box Score and Highlights.

MLB Recap:

ST. PETERSBURG — For the Yankees, the last three games of the year constitute a tuneup series to prepare for the American League Division Series, as evidenced by the loud laughs in their clubhouse after the game.

Everyone, it seemed, had something to feel good about on a festive Monday at Tropicana Field. Certainly, the Rays did, posting a 5-2 victory that vaulted Tampa Bay into a tie with the Red Sox for the American League Wild Card.

“I actually saw one of their players look at the scoreboard when there was a loud cheer today,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “That probably wouldn’t happen on a normal day. And they should be excited.”

A Robinson Cano homer and run-scoring single accounted for most of the offense against right-hander James Shields, who finished one out shy of a complete game and picked up his 16th win of the season.

After Shields scattered six hits, former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth polished off the final out for his 24th save.

Many in the crowd of 18,772 hung around to witness the end of Boston’s loss at Baltimore, celebrated with a loud blaring horn that could be heard echoing in New York’s clubhouse.

“This is our playoffs right now,” Shields said. “This is what baseball is all about. We’re right back in the thick of things.”

The Yankees weren’t complaining. In fact, they had other things to get to: The veterans had planned the annual rookie hazing for Sunday, but it was postponed because of the team’s late travels to Florida after a day-night doubleheader.

The theme was pop music of the 1980s, and after making his second spot start of the year, right-hander Hector Noesi was affixing a black wig and donning a frilly purple outfit to be the team’s faux Prince.

Hours before he was posing for photos with “Little Red Corvette” blaring, Noesi permitted three runs on five hits, including two wild pitches, and didn’t record an out in the third inning.

B.J. Upton ripped a two-run double and Johnny Damon followed a pitching change with an RBI single off left-hander Raul Valdes, putting Tampa Bay ahead with his 2,721st career hit to tie Lou Gehrig on baseball’s all-time list.

That was enough, as Shields otherwise gave the Rays everything they needed to even the Wild Card race as the free-falling Red Sox have just two days remaining to kill their September swoon.

“These guys are not mailing anything in at this point,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said of the Yankees. “They deserved to have won 97 games this year. They’re a very good ballclub. And even their J.V. team is pretty good, too.”

New York worked right-hander Phil Hughes — sidelined since Sept. 12 with back issues — into the game with a 1 2/3-inning relief appearance that included a hit, two walks and one strikeout.

Hughes felt no ill effects as he transitions into a relief role for the postseason, and he’s expected to make another appearance in Wednesday’s regular-season finale.

“It was good,” Hughes said. “Physically, I felt good; the back was a non-issue. I wasn’t locating perfectly, but overall, it felt pretty good.”

Kelly Shoppach belted a long homer off Valdes in the fourth, his 11th, to extend Tampa Bay’s lead, and Damon lifted a sacrifice fly facing Luis Ayala in the seventh……Read More

Well, you can’t win them all but a sweep would have been great and would have placed the Red Sox in a virtual tie with the Rays. Although the Yanks didn’t hit in this game, the second, they had a chance. Only one real chance, in the bottom of the 9th, they failed (Romine Struck Out Swinging) to win the game and send the Red Sox to Baltimore with their heads between their legs. The Red Sox only allowed two hits afterwards and for the next 6 innings. The Yankee relievers did as well but not better and Proctor gave up another blast. Game over in the 14th inning. Yanks are off to Tampa Bay for three night games and the end of the season.

Game Two: Red Sox 7 Yanks 4

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — For the Red Sox, the postseason has essentially begun. For the Yankees, there’s still until the end of next week, but the show that both teams put on late Sunday night was well worthy of an American League Championship Series Game.

A three-run home run from Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury off Scott Proctor in the top of the 14th inning dealt the Yankees a 7-4 loss in the nightcap of a doubleheader, helping the Red Sox stave off a sweep of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Proctor, the eighth Yankees pitcher used, gave up a single to Darnell McDonald and a walk to Marco Scutaro with one out before a flyout put two away. Ellsbury, who homered twice in the first game of the doubleheader, a 6-2 New York win, went deep on a 1-0 fastball.

Felix Doubront, the sixth pitcher Boston used, came on for the save in the bottom of the 14th. Franklin Morales, who struck out Brett Gardner with the winning run 90 feet away for the Yankees in the bottom of the 13th, took the win.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected in the top of that inning arguing a safe call at first base that went Boston’s way.

A game that early on seemed destined to end in a New York sweep — one that would’ve sent the reeling Sox into a tie with Tampa Bay atop the AL Wild Card race — instead allowed Boston to escape with a one-game lead in that race. The Yankees won six of eight games on their final homestand of the regular season and head to St. Petersburg to hold their final playoff roster auditions.

Starter Ivan Nova was staked to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. He wavered in the middle innings, though, and after Boston pulled ahead, 4-3, in the top of the seventh and New York tied it in the bottom of the inning, a battle of September-boosted bullpens broke out.

The Yankees left the bases loaded in the ninth, when Jonathan Papelbon came on for the final out and escaped with a strikeout of Austin Romine. Papelbon was perfect for the next two innings. The Yankees let a leadoff single from Jesus Montero go to waste in the 12th, and Gardner’s strikeout again kept the Yankees’ offense stagnant in the 13th.

The Sox had baserunners in the ninth, 10th, 12th and 13th innings, all with fewer than two outs.

In the top of the ninth, it was Yanks closer Mariano Rivera who stranded the go-ahead run at third base, but unlike the Sox, the Yankees had no need to squeeze all they could out of their best reliever. Papelbon went 2 1/3 innings…….Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

Game One: Yanks 6  Red Sox 2

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — Nearly three years have passed, but A.J. Burnett has finally done what the Yankees envisioned when they chased him so passionately as a free agent: Beat the Boston Red Sox.

The right-hander said he got goosebumps from a standing ovation, having hurled 7 2/3 strong innings on Sunday to defeating the skidding Red Sox, 6-2, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.

“It means a lot, you know,” Burnett said. “They’ve been rough, but I’ve given them reason to be rough. That makes up for everything. Walking off that mound to that ovation is incredible.”

Burnett’s effort ended a string of 10 overall starts against the Red Sox — including nine as a Yankee — dating back to Sept. 19, 2008, dealing another blow to a Boston club that has good reason to fret about their postseason chances.

The Yankees have no such worries, now acting as spoilers, but there are several key decisions waiting ahead — and, as Burnett said, he hopes to be giving manager Joe Girardi a tough decision with his playoff rotation.

“I’ve been giving him headaches all year; why not give him a good headache, you know?” Burnett said.

Burnett is not guaranteed a place in the first-round postseason rotation, where Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia could follow CC Sabathia in the AL Division Series, but now Girardi has new ammunition to consider.

“We’re going to continue to look at it and talk about it,” Girardi said. “Our opponent has something to do with who we’re going to pitch and how we go about this, but we still don’t know that opponent.”

Winning for the second time in three starts, Burnett was touched for a pair of solo homers by Jacoby Ellsbury but little else. The right-hander scattered five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

“You go [chasing] out of the zone, it’s hard,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “He’s throwing 95 and has a breaking ball. We chased a lot of pitches out of the zone. I understand that’s when he’s successful, and he got us today.”…..Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

Recap: Yanks 6 Boston 2

The Yankees whipped the Red Sox 9-1 and kept them in track to a disastrous finish. It was the first game of a three game series, there will be a day/night double header on Sunday. The Rays won and gained another game on Boston. The Angels just won right now 4-2 and gained a game also. Tampa bay is 1.5 games back and the Angels are 3 back.

Garcia pitched a beauty, pitching 6 complete innings without allowing a run. Meanwhile, Lester was horrific, giving up 8 runs on 2.2 innings pitched and on 8 hits. Yanks win!

Recap MLB.com:

NEW YORK — Jesus Montero’s powerful bat has had the Yankees buzzing for quite some time, and now the Red Sox can consider themselves introduced to the young slugger’s potential.

The 21-year-old Montero homered and drove in four runs in a three-hit performance as New York trounced Boston, 9-1, on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

“I’m really happy to win against them and do a good job to help the team win,” Montero said. “I put really good swings today on the ball and had fun today.”

The drubbing dealt another blow to the gasping Sox, who saw left-hander Jon Lester pounded for eight runs and chased in the third inning, with Derek Jeter’s three-run homer highlighting a six-run second.

New York has already locked up home-field advantage for the American League Championship Series, thanks to the win over Boston and Detroit’s 6-5 loss to the Orioles at Comerica Park.

“We’d like to have home-field advantage, but we’re not thinking about it,” Jeter said. “We’re thinking about playing well and staying sharp. That’s what you’ve got to concern yourself with. We’re in a position now where if we play well, the rest will take care of itself.”

As encouraging as the offensive display was for 49,556 witnesses, the largest-paid crowd yet assembled at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees had even more to be thrilled with on the pitching side.

Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia all but locked up a start in the ALDS, limiting the Red Sox to six hits over six scoreless innings.

“I needed to pitch good today,” Garcia said. “I did it. I’m really happy about it, and now I’m looking forward to my next start. I don’t know when, but hopefully it’ll be in the playoffs.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said that it is safe to assume CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova will start in the playoffs, and Garcia’s 102-pitch performance of one-walk, three-hit ball slots him right in that mix.

“He’s definitely one of the guys that you consider,” Girardi said. “Freddy’s a guy that’s been there and done all that.”…..Read More

Box Score and Highlights:

Recap: Yanks 9 Red Sox 1

The Yanks were rained out Friday night, there was no way this game could have been played. So we will have a Day/Night double header on Sunday. Meanwhile other important things happened. The Yankees magic number to clinch home field throughout the playoffs stays the same (3), as Texas and Detroit both won. They also share the same identical record, so we still don’t know who we will be playing in the first round. Both Tampa Bay and the Angels lost, blowing their chance to gain ground on Boston and make the playoffs. I hope we sweep Boston and make it real interesting!

MBL.com:

NEW YORK — The weather has dealt yet another blow to the Yankees’ regular-season schedule, forcing the postponement of Friday’s game against the Red Sox.

The contest will be made up as the second game of a day-night doubleheader, to be played on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, with the first pitch of Game 2 set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Game 1 will start at 1:05 p.m.

“It makes sense — it’s going to rain all night,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I’m not sure that we had a window.”

The pitchers will all be pushed back from their original assignments, so the Yankees will send Freddy Garcia to the mound on Saturday opposite Jon Lester.

Sunday’s twin bill will feature Tim Wakefield and John Lackey pitching for Boston, with A.J. Burnett and Ivan Nova on the hill for New York.

The only tickets valid for Sunday’s night game will be tickets dated Sept. 23.

Girardi noted that expanded rosters would help the Yankees — already owners of the American League East title — get through a grueling day.

“When you don’t have the extra guys, it’s tougher — which we’ve been through already a few times this year,” Girardi said. “It’s very unlikely I’d play guys two games.”

Eyeing the poor forecast, the Yankees met early on Friday afternoon and postponed a ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of Roger Maris’ 61-homer season until Saturday.

The team has asked that fans take their seats by 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, with the ceremonies set to begin at 3:35 p.m. before the 4:10 p.m. first pitch……Read More

Yanks get clobbered in the first 5 innings as they let 13 runs go through. I guess there were a couple of hangover victims in the Yankee side. Colon seems to be declining sharply and looks very questionable for the playoffs:

Proctor was hit hard as well. One of those games but the Yanks came on strong afterwards and had chances to narrow the Rays lead. Let’s hope the Yanks get their pitching together for the playoffs and more importantly, clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their magic number for this to happen is THREE. Box Score and Highlights.

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — On the 22nd day of September, the New York Yankees rested. After clinching the American League East title in their 21st game in as many days, Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano were given the night off Thursday, and the Yankees who did take the field weren’t much more useful.

But while New York’s 15-8 loss to Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium wasn’t cause for concern in and of itself, starter Bartolo Colon’s second consecutive poor outing might give manager Joe Girardi pause before using him as a starter during the playoffs. Colon gave up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in just three innings of work.

Since the All-Star break, Colon is now 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 13 starts. Of equal concern, Colon has lost noticeable velocity on his fastball, perhaps the result of throwing more Major League innings in 2011 than he had from 2008-2010 combined.

Fortunately for the Yankees, both Texas and Detroit lost, as well, maintaining New York’s five-game lead for best record in the AL with six games to play.

“When we went into this year, we weren’t sure how many innings we could get out of him,” Girardi said of the 38-year-old Colon. “There is some concern there, and we’ll just continue to evaluate it moving forward.”….Read More

Now that’s more like it, no pressure, no last game of the season, easy! Yanks take the AL East as they defeat the Rays in the 2nd game of the the day/night double header and Red Sox choke it up again with the Orioles. That’s the 17th Divisional Title the Yanks have won since the American East was formed in 1969. It is also the 12th they won in the last 16 years. They are really playing tough now and particularly at home. As Girardi pointed out yesterday in his post game interview, this team was built for Yankee stadium. I’m feel very proud tonight and glad it’s all over. I’m also very happy for Jorge Posada, who has been a sort of outcast and has not been rewarded accordingly by Yankee management. He came in to pinch hit and knocked in the go-ahead runs:

Game Winner

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees captured their 12th American League East championship in 16 years Wednesday at Yankee Stadium with a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Pinch-hitter Jorge Posada leveled the final blow in the eighth inning, a two-out, bases-loaded single that broke a 2-2 tie and put New York ahead for good.

The win gave the Yankees a sweep of a day-night doubleheader and, combined with Boston’s loss to Baltimore, mathematically eliminated the Red Sox from contention for first place in the division.

The Yankees led for most of the game, but solo homers by Kelly Shoppach and Sean Rodriguez in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, tied the game against Yankees starter CC Sabathia. Aside from the home runs, Sabathia was excellent, allowing two runs with six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. He allowed two walks and seven hits, and his 127 pitchers were the second most he threw all year.

It was fitting that New York’s clinching victory was sparked in the early going by Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano, two hitters manager Joe Girardi said before the game could be “Co-MVPs.”

Cano led off the second with solo homer off Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson to give New York the game’s first run. Two innings later, Granderson led off with a double to right-center field, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a double-play groundout by Jesus Montero……Read More

Box Score and Highlights. Here’s American League Standings (End of Thursday 9/21/2011):

It is becoming ever so interesting. Who will the Yankees play in the 1st round? Here’s a great link to see the possibilities. This shows baseball fans how important it is to win the little games. Let’s go Yanks!!!

The Yanks won 4-2 and entered the playoffs. It is the 50th playoff appearance for them! Facing one of the best pitchers in baseball today, the Yanks hung in, tied the game and won 4-2. Shields pitched 7.1 innings, gave up 6 hits and 4 RBI. Three came in the bottom of the 8th inning. Nunez’ solo home run was the big blow and opened the door for the other two runs. Gardner singled and Jeter walk then Cano smashed a two-run double off the wall.

Girardi used the bullpen for the whole game:

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — The out that punched the Yankees’ 16th ticket to the postseason in 17 years was secured safely in Curtis Granderson’s glove, and the team reacted as though the game was like any other.

There were handshakes and little more from the Yankees after defeating the Rays, 4-2, in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday, preferring to save their celebrations for loftier checkpoints.

“We’re happy to be in the playoffs, but people aren’t running around here jumping up and down because we clinched a postseason berth,” said Yankees captain Derek Jeter. “Our goal is to win the division, and we have not done that.”

Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said the players didn’t acknowledge the clinching even in their reserved discussion on the Yankee Stadium mound, instead looking a few hours ahead to prepare for the nightcap against Tampa Bay.

“It’s crazy,” Swisher said. “I’m sure a lot of other teams would love to be doing that, but we feel we have a great team and we can do a lot of special things. At least we know we’re in. That’s step one.”

Eduardo Nunez and Robinson Cano contributed big hits to spark a three-run eighth inning, dealing a serious blow to Tampa Bay’s dimming hopes of continuing past the regular season.

With the Rays clinging to a one-run lead, Nunez slugged a solo homer, his fifth, off James Shields to tie the game.

“I’m so excited to hit a home run in this moment,” Nunez said. “I’m just waiting for a good pitch, and [I] hit the ball hard.”

Shields permitted a single to Brett Gardner and walked Jeter before Cano greeted reliever J.P. Howell with a booming two-run double to center field, one that still had Cano downplaying the significance of this win.

“You want the home-field advantage, so you want to keep winning until you can have it for sure,” Cano said. “You don’t celebrate until you get it.”

Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to clinch the playoff berth, securing at least the AL Wild Card while adding to his all-time saves record with No. 603.

Thinking back to this spring, when the Red Sox seemed to be the fancy of the Hot Stove League and the Yankees were being billed as likely also-rans, Rivera took a measure of pride in the charge to the head of the pack…..Read More

Sabathia will be going for his 20th win tonight. Box Score

Nova improves his record to 16-4 and more importantly, improves his chances to start the 2nd playoff game in the first round. He seems to have his act together and is confidently not afraid to pitch the big one. The verdict is not in yet but he is showing a lot of promise and becoming more reliable to the semi-worried Yankee fans. Girardi will need to make that critical decision before the playoffs start. Nova was very good tonight, not overpowering but very effective. He pitched 7.2 innings, gave up 6 hits and ZERO earned runs. The offense led by Granderson scored 5 runs. Here’s the recap:

MLB.com Recap:

NEW YORK — A standing ovation greeted Ivan Nova when he walked off the mound Tuesday after 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Rays, but the cheers at Yankee Stadium might have been meant as much for manager Joe Girardi’s ears.

A night after A.J. Burnett further diminished his case for a spot in a Yankees postseason rotation, Nova emboldened the groundswell of public support for his candidacy in a 5-0 win that will allow the Yankees to clinch a playoff berth with a win in either half of their split doubleheader Wednesday. If they win both games and Boston loses to Baltimore, the Yankees will be American League East champs.

Nova scattered six hits on the evening, only one of them for extra bases, to notch his fifth quality start in his past six outings and his 16th win of the season.

“He was outstanding,” Girardi said. “His slider was good, his curveball was good, he used his changeup a little bit, he pitched inside. He did a lot of things right.”

“I thought their pitcher pitched very well tonight,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “You’ve got to give Nova a lot of credit. He was very good tonight. You cannot take anything away from him. He’s good.”

Nova struck out just three hitters, all after the fourth inning, but kept the Rays from hitting the ball hard most of the game. When Tampa Bay did put good swings on the ball, Nova was the beneficiary of strong defense, especially during the early portion of the game.  Right fielder Nick Swisher and shortstop Derek Jeter made nifty grabs in the first.

An inning later, first baseman Mark Teixeira made a diving catch on a line drive by Matt Joyce and tagged Casey Kotchman out at first base for an inning-ending double play. Eric Chavez, playing third base with Alex Rodriguez at DH, made several nice plays on slow rollers hit to third base.

“I just stood there and I watched the whole thing as a spectator,” Chavez said of Teixeira’s unassisted double play. “I was just like, ‘Wow. Wow.’ That’s really all that was going through my mind.”

The Yankees scored all the runs they needed off Rays starter Wade Davis in the second inning. The bottom half of the order strung together four straight hits to start the rally before Curtis Granderson ripped a curveball to right field for a bases-clearing double that put the Yankees up, 4-0……Read More

Box Score and Highlights.

While Nova was pitching his gem the Boston Red Sox were choking again:

So when the day started today, the Yanks magic number was 5. After the Yanks victory and Boston lost, the number is THREE. The Yankees have a day/night double header tomorrow against Tampa Bay. The Red Sox are playing Baltimore again. It is possible the Yanks clinch the American East if everything goes their way, let’s see.

The Hunt for October: This link will help you with the all the teams who have a chance to make the playoffs.

Ask anyone who has faced him and they will all tell you, he’s the best! We all knew he was going to set the record, it was a matter of when. We weren’t too worried either because he’s still pitching his A Game and has at least two more years left in him. And with a 93 MPH fastball he set a record which will never be broken, 602 career saves:

Mariano Records 602nd Save

MLB.com Recap of game:

NEW YORK — Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, the numbers finally confirmed what most already knew.

Long thought the finest closer in the history of the game, the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera shattered any doubt to the contrary by breaking Trevor Hoffman’s all-time save record with the 602nd of his career. Rivera’s perfect ninth inning ended fittingly with a cutter on the outside corner that froze Chris Parmelee and closed out a 6-4 Yankees victory.

The win, coupled with a Boston afternoon loss, reduced New York’s magic number to earn a playoff berth to four and its magic number to clinch the American League East to five.

After Rivera completed his 43rd save in a season for the seventh time in his career, teammates Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada pushed him back onto the mound to stand alone as he received a standing ovation that even someone as humble as Rivera couldn’t help but enjoy.

“For the first time in my career, I am on the mound alone,” Rivera said. “There was nobody behind me, nobody in front of me, and I’m still surrounded by so many people. I can’t describe that feeling. It was priceless. It was a moment I didn’t know could be like that. I was thanking God in that moment.”

Though the postgame focus will rightfully remain on Rivera’s singular achievement, it was Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano who made Rivera’s historical achievement possible on this day. They combined to reach base six times, score three runs and drive in three more to bail out starter A.J. Burnett, who did nothing to help his case for the playoff rotation in another outing that went shorter than planned…….Read More 

Box Score and Highlights:

Recap: Yankees 6 Twins 4

Take a look at Mariano Rivera’s numbers here and try to tell me that he’s not the best closer ever.

Interview with Mo after the game:

Mo Post Game Interview

Blue Jay’s Brandon Morrow pitched 8 strong shutout innings to stop the Yanks cold. He allowed only 4 hits and struck out 8 in the process. Garcia wasn’t so bad either but since the Rays are playing so well, Girardi pulled him out before the 4th inning ended. He gave up 5 hits and 3 earned runs, two of them on solo homers by Adam Lind. The Yankee bullpen was great again but this time there was no offense at all.

We have Minnesota coming in for one game and then 10 games that will determine the 2011 season. Yanks Lose 3-0. Box Score and Highlights.

MLB.com Recap:

TORONTO — Four cities, two coasts, 10 games and six losses later, the Yankees can finally look forward to the prospect of going back home. Those are the thoughts that dominated their minds late Sunday afternoon, after being stifled by Brandon Morrow in a 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The Yanks are hoping an eight-game homestand that includes seven games against the hungry Rays and Red Sox is just what they need to kick-start them for the regular season’s final stretch.

“I think we’re going to be energized getting home, without question, because we’ve been gone for about a month,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez said after the Yankees dropped two of three to the Blue Jays. “We love playing in front of our home fans, and we get a lot of energy from playing in our stadium.”

Energy is an element the Yankees have seemed to lack in recent days. Going from Baltimore to Los Angeles to Seattle to Toronto in 11 days can do that to you. Their latest series saw some poor starting pitching (from CC Sabathia, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, respectively), a few head-scratching baserunning blunders and, most recently, a poor offensive showing against a man who had given up 15 runs in his last two starts.

The Yankees can take two positives from their 10-game road swing, though:

1. With Sunday’s loss, Mariano Rivera now has a very good opportunity to get record save No. 602 in front of his home fans……Read More