Yankees postgame: Martin makes the play; Kuroda improving; Chavez delivers; Nunez brings smiles
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on May 01, 2012 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Russell Martin showed off his athleticism again in this 2-1 win over Orioles. He sprung after a Hiroki Kuroda splitter that bounced away with two outs in the seventh. Nick Markakis raced in from third, trying to score the tying run. But Martin flipped to Kuroda and Kuroda tagged out the diving Markakis.
“I didn’t really have time to set myself up to throw overhand,” Martin said. “I kind of just optioned it to him. I never was a quarterback, so that was a first for me.”
Kuroda left after seven, allowing one run and four hits. He has allowed just three earned runs and nine hits in 13 2/3 over his last two starts after struggling in two of his first three starts as an American League.
“It seems like he’s making the adjustment,” Martin said.
“He’s a consistent pitcher and that’s what he’s starting to show,” Girardi said.
Eric Chavez’s lefty bat has gotten more use since Brett Gardner went on the DL. Chavez hit his third homer, a two-run shot. He has just 28 at-bats. He hit only two homers in 160 at-bats last season.
“I kind of do feel like you’re in a good little groove,” Chavez said. “But once he comes back, I know what my role is.”
Eduardo Nunez brought smiles to the Yankees’ faces with a couple of awkward-looking catches in his first career start in left. But he had five chances to catch balls and he made every play.
“He talks funny; he runs funny; he swings funny; he catches the ball funny,” Andruw Jones said. “Everything he does is funny.”
Girardi said: “He was tested with some tough plays and did an outstanding job.”
Mariano Rivera earned his fifth save and moved into sole possession of eighth place on the career appearance list at 1,051.
Derek Jeter finished April with a career-high 37 hits, the top total by a Yankee through April 30 since Alfonso Soriano had 46 in 2003
Curtis Granderson has reached via hit or walk in 21 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.
The Yankees are 17-5 vs. the Orioles since the start of 2011 and 30-10 since the beginning of 2010. They are 4-0 against the Orioles this season.
Tuesday night’s pitching matchup will feature Phil Hughes vs. Brian Matusz.
Against All Odds April 30th, 2012 at 11:44 pm
You guys probably believe that we went to war with Iraq because of 9/11 and not oil still.
———————————–
I have friends that serve and I haven’t heard from them since they deployed. Don’t bring up anything about wars.
Longoria is “a little bit sore behind the knee.” Tests planned for Tuesday.
Pat M. April 30th, 2012 at 11:44 pm
Ghost Town
__
Cashman is killing the blog as well as the team?????????????
“Have you ever seen Sam Cassell and Gollum at the same place?”
– Charles
More seriously, I think this team is boring in a business-like way. It has been said that teams take on the personal of their manager, and maybe that’s what we are seeing.
There is no young phenom to follow. Few flashy players. No one besides Jeter who is having season of note.
George understood that sports is also about entertainment as well as competition.
Maybe that’s what has been lacking.
A 13-9 April, 13-6 since the sweep at the beginning of the season, despite the #4 and #5 starters of the rotation sucking. Nice.
1-0 to start May looks like a good bet with 5.66 ERA Brian Matusz on the mound…unless 9 ERA Phil Hughes is woyse (worse.)
Showalter must be beside himself. His starting pitcher allows just two runs and makes one mistake and the Os lose to go 0-4 vs. the Yanks this season. The Os were 56-0 in games where they allowed a run or two prior to their loss last night.
LOL @ people who say the Os were 56-0 in games where they allowed two runs or less prior to last night as how do you lose a game you allow no runs in?
If Hughes blows tonight, the Yanks should send him to the bullpen, start Mitchell his next turn Sunday vs. the Royals, and send Hughes to AAA when Pettitte joins the team (Mitchell either moves to the bullpen or remains in the rotation if Phelps sucks.)
The Yanks sent a message to Garcia after his last start, they should send a message to Hughes, and what better time to do that than the first day of a new month?
Kuroda must be thrilled with all the run support he’s been getting as a Yankee.
Nick — that will change. But man, he’s a good pitcher.
Can the Knicks void the remainder of Amare Stoudemaire’s contract for Stoudemaire punching a fire extinguisher and I’m guessing breaking his hand doing that because he left the arena with his arm in a sling?
I think the Knicks should try to void it. Stoudemaire caused physical harm to himself which prevented him from doing his job.
What’s to stop the next NBA player from signing for the max then breaking his hand from punching out a journalist outside the press conference for the signing?
‘So many ridiculous people slamming Ian O’Connor from ESPN over his SPOT-ON article lambasting Stoudemaire. NBA players can do no wrong in the eyes of some fans. And lemme get this straight: Amare refused to talk to the media but tweeted? I hope he typed with his free hand. What a thoughtless, selfish moron.
Pretend you have never done anything stupid out of frustration.
” Nunez brings smiles” the clown is gonna turn sad real quick when he costs another game.
“Yanks 4-0 against Os” …1-3, right?
Team isn’t real flashy, but gets it done so far.
I miss dominance!!
there’s a lot of anger in this blog………..I thought it was to talk baseball……specifically the Yankees…..hmmmm
Greg, it’s always personal here, you just have to ignore most of it
Nice game last night, you need to win the games you should win and for the most part that is exactly what it happening.
On the negative side Darvish was again lights out yesterday, 4-0 and ERA now at 2.1. He is everything that was advertized.
Sometimes I just need a really good cry, ya know ? Win, lose or otherwise………sniff……sniff
Good morning.
True stories of April
May 1, 2012 by Brien Jackson
Apropos of nothing other than the non-stunning observations my brain makes before I start on my second pot of coffee every morning, the Yankees just finished up an unusually tough April schedule with a 13-9 record. That puts them just 1.5 games out of first place in the American League East, with a better record than the Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Phillies, Marlins, Reds, Brewers, Giants, and Diamondbacks. If the season ended today, they’d own one of the A.L.’s two wild card spots, even though just seven of their 22 games have been against teams currently below .500. All of this despite GOODNESS GRACIOUS JOHN WAHT ABOUT TEH STAHRTING ROTATION?!?!?!?
Yeah, okay, gonna go have that coffee now
—————
One has to feel better about the starting pitching. Sabathia and Kuroda have been better their last two outings. The crafty lefty will return soon. Nova will improve.
Hughes start tonight might determine whether he goes back to the minors and remains a starter, or goes to the pen, and his starting days as a Yankee are then probably over.
GregD May 1st, 2012 at 7:17 am
Good cupcake and cookie recipes on occasion though ! !
Go Phil ! ! ! Beat those O’s tonight ! ! I love you with a warm heart ! !
“On the negative side Darvish was again lights out yesterday, 4-0 and ERA now at 2.1. He is everything that was advertized.”
Yea…he has been really good so far….especially the last two starts….but Japanese guys have come over and had immediate success before (Nomo, DiceK )…..the issue is sustaining it longterm. I think Darvish has the goods to do it….but let’s see him go around the league a couple times first…..
I still would have preferred signing him over trading Montero easily.
Good Morning YT.
Blake-
It will be nice when the tight budget era is finally over in 2016.
Today is S-day for Pineda.
Hope it goes exceptionally well.
Stoudemire hurting his hand was the final nail, no doubt, but did anybody really believe they had any chance at all of upsetting the Heat?
“It will be nice when the tight budget era is finally over in 2016.”
Morning MTU…..I think the budget era might be around as long as Hal is….
Blake-
I hope not but I know that’s your position.
Mine is that it ends when the Cap is reset.
I don’t ever expect it to be like the GMS era though.
“Tuesday night’s pitching matchup will feature Phil Hughes vs. Brian Matusz.”
uh-oh
would be nice to see a good outing from Mr. Philbert.
MTU,
Hope you’re right bud.
Darvish is doing it all and pitching from the stretch, no less. Tim Kurkjian told a story last night. Darvish came to the states a month early to hone his English. Mike Napoli told him that it was a custom that the new pitcher was to buy his catchers new suits. Darvish told him that no way was he buying them a new suit.
I think they will firs,t without a doubt, at all costs make sure the lux tax rate is reset, then I think they will try to stay under the soft cap, possibly every other year stick their toe over if necessary, but then the next year make sure they are under to reset it again.
Sunny-
I’m sure most everyone is pulling for Hughes.
He’s on the last train to gun hill.
He knows how important it is.
Trouble is that his 2ndary stuff is just not all that good right now.
I thought I heard him quoted as saying that he’s gonna try his old BP approach and just let it fly.
Be aggressive.
That’s fine for the pen but it’s not gonna work well in a 9 inning game IMO.
He must have a quality start tonight or else.
“That’s fine for the pen but it’s not gonna work well in a 9 inning game IMO.”
Yea I don’t think so either…..id love to see a nice outing from Hughes….his Era is better than Buchholt’s so there is that.
Blake-
That’s another one.
What the hell has happened to him ?
Unlike Hughes he has excellent 2ndary stuff to go with a decent fb.
How on Earth does a guy fall apart like he has ?
MTU – couldn’t agree more.
I think Phil might be able to work through a game pretty well with just his fastball and a handful of changeups if he has good command. I would like to see him try that approach.
I thought extensions for players to lower the AAV would not be acceptable per the new CBA.
Here’s a Joel Sherman article from the NY Post 3/11//12
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....uTfEvFlI/1
My guess would be the injuries Bucholtz sustained last season. Back and neck would probably alter his mechanics. Probably flattened out his fastball a bit.
“What the hell has happened to him ?”
One….he was never as good as his era two years ago…..his peripherals were more like that of a 4 era guy in 2010…..he’s very homer prone because he pitches up in the zone….doesn’t k many guys……he’s not this bad….I think he’ll be better…..but I think maybe he was always more of a 3 or 4 than the frontline guy everyone thinks he is.
Sunny-
His 2ndary stuff is so good he could easily pitch backwards and be successful.
Really don’t get it with him.
Haven’t really seen him this season though so I don’t know what’s actually changed to result in the extremely poor performance.
Some friends I have who root for them blame Salty. Why – I couldn’t tell you… but with the entire rotation kind of stinking, it’s hard not to dismiss it out of hand.
Blake-
I do know about a frontline guy but his curve and cu are both + to ++.
His FB may be straight but he can touch 95.
That’s more than enough to be very successful as long as the control is decent.
Perhaps that’s the issue ? Maybe he just isn’t locating.
meant to say “don’t know”. sorry.
I don’t care about having flashy players – I’m not a teenager who has no attention span. Mo, Jeter, Curtis – I love following them and if the aren’t what passes for flashy, so be it. It’s a baseball team, not a video game.
I’m looking forward to seeing Nova on ESPN on Weds.
Hope he brings his A game.
One problem with Hughes is that he doesn’t use his CU, which currently is his second best pitch. I read that prior to his last start, where the count was 0-2 he used the CU only 3 times in I believe it was, 89 chances. Batters know what’s coming.
He comes to camp in great shape, has a terrific ST, and now is on the verge of being replaced in the rotation in a week. I’m beginning to believe that a major problem with Phil exists, and it’s not physical-it’s between the ears!
“I do know about a frontline guy but his curve and cu are both + to ++.”
I think those pitches are ok….they aren’t knock out though and location is a big issue for hin especially in that ballpark….you can’t pitch up in the zone there if you can’t miss lots of bats and he really doesn’t. I wouldn’t trade Nova for him…..
“I don’t care about having flashy players –”
I don’t care about flashy players…but I do like having interesting players and the Yankee fanbase in general is different from a lot of us that post here……and they do care about the entertainment factor…..that’s somethingto that (as Rich mentioned) big Steinbrenner really understood….
I hope Hughes figures it out. He’s been trying so many different approaches but he always falls back to routine and becomes predictable. Relying so heavily on his “best pitches” … but it seems more like he’s a thrower and needs to learn how to pitch. He should spend some time at Mussina’s house or study from Halladay… (or better yet, just throw what the catcher calls).
YT-
Whatever any of us believes about Hughes it will be a sad turn of events if he falls out of the rotation after all the time and effort that has been spent.
I don’t want to that happen.
Success is the preferred outcome.
I want to see the goods.
Blake-
I have to disagree on Buttholz Curve and CU.
I WISH Hughes had them.
The curve is a 12 to 6 hammer, and the CU is sick.
He must not be locating but I don’t know for sure since I haven’t been able to actually see him.
I’m not trading Nova for just about anyone.
Did anyone ever sign Soler by the way ?
Blake, I don’t find our players uninteresting……..are you referring to off or on the field? I don’t care one iota about personality off field and on field, it’s all about results. I just don’t agree with Rich at all. I think Yankee fans want to win -period – and don’t care how they go about it.
MTU-
This game tonight will be a good test for him. Maybe Martin should call the entire game and Phil should go along with the pitch selection and let the chips fall where they may.
If Hughes ends up in the bullpen, he might be out of a job when Aardsma and Joba come back.
It’s not often the Yanks are facing the O’s with Matusz on the mound and I am not very confident the Yanks will win the game… Hopefully Hughes can just be decent, is 6IP 4 ER too much to ask?…. Yanks will likely pound Matusz again so that is probably all they would need out of Phil tonight to win.
On a side note… When the hell did the O’s BP get so good?
It’s sad, but I don’t even care what Phil does tonight except that I hope he keeps the team in the game well enough so we have a chance to win.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....hing-.html
Soler is still awaiting to be declared a FA.
YT-
It’s incredible how far PH has fallen.
I do not want to see that final descent into the abyss of lost potential though I fear I might.
As far as MLB teams know, Jorge Soler isn’t officially a free agent yet, Ben Badler of Baseball America tweets. This means teams can’t yet negotiate with the promising young outfielder. Five teams have reported interest: Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Jays, and Phillies.
Let’s send up a Soler flare and get him.
I stay awake at nights wondering what the Yankees rotation would be today had the 24 yo Cuban missile, lefty Aroldis Chapman signed with the Yankees for the 2010 season?:)
Sabathia
Nova
Chapman
Fill in the blanks. Feel free to rearrange.
Shockingly Matusz actually has a 3.67 ERA in Yankee Stadium… I thought for sure he would have a brutal ERA @ the stadium… Most of that must have been compiled before Matusz forgot how to pitch last year though… I would still expect the Yanks to score big tonight.
YT-
Cuban missile crisis instead.
There is no young phenom to follow.
————————-
Unfortunately
Yankee Trader May 1st, 2012 at 8:44 am
I stay awake at nights wondering what the Yankees rotation would be today had the 24 yo Cuban missile, lefty Aroldis Chapman signed with the Yankees for the 2010 season?:)
Sabathia
Nova
Chapman
Fill in the blanks. Feel free to rearrange.
—-
Well according to a sizeable contingent here, the Yankees would have undoubtedly mishandled Chapman and he would currently reside on the DL with a damaged arm.
I don’t care how much the Yankees score tonight.
I want to see Hughes step up.
Don’t care how he goes about it.
Just that he does.
The opposite result is just too sad to contemplate.
Rope is running out PH.
Get ‘er done.
If you like Austin Powers watch this video of Mustafa falling down a cliff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc5-i_UxMAo
MTU-
Scene fro Austin Powers was in respone to the discussion with Maine yesterday about the woman who fell down the cliff and was lost for 4 days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?N.....=endscreen
The full 3 minute video.
YT-
Yeah baby !
This is great:
“He talks funny; he runs funny; he swings funny; he catches the ball funny,” Andruw Jones said. “Everything he does is funny.”
Buchholz has good velocity on his FB but it’s very straight. It’s always been his main problem.
Also, for the fans that still hang on to wins as an important stat: he’s 3 – 1 with a 8.69 ERA. 8.69. He’s won his past 2 games while giving up 11 runs in 12 innings.
come on peeps – you know what Hughes is gonna do tonite – Markakis goes 2-5 with 2 doubles, Wieters hits 2 HRs and Andino goes 3-4. Yanks win 8-6
Adonis Garcia is also a Yankee possibility. Article comparing Jorge Soler to Adonis Garcia:
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....nkees-sign
Betsy May 1st, 2012 at 8:32 am
Blake, I don’t find our players uninteresting……..are you referring to off or on the field? I don’t care one iota about personality off field and on field, it’s all about results. I just don’t agree with Rich at all. I think Yankee fans want to win -period – and don’t care how they go about it.
///
I have to disagree with your original take on Rich’s post. And I also have to disagree somewhat with Blake.
I think, actually, rather than the “entertainment” (obviously meant pejoratively) oriented fan needs to be differentiated from the fan who “just wants to win”, and the fan who is interested in interesting players (per Blake).
My take is, the more nuanced baseball fan is actually the fan who most mourns the loss of a Montero, rather than the “entertainment” fan, because the former has more aptitude to appreciate the difference between that kind of hitter and Raul Ibanez (in the DH spot, for instance), more interest to watch that hitter evolve, and also interest in watching a rough catcher try to develop his skills behind the plate.
My objection to the term “entertainment” in this regard is that it really evokes the taste of the fan who does not appreciate subtlety, nor even how to recognize it, as that fan is more interested in results than process or how the player achieved success (like Montero hitting a HR, rather than how Montero’s power manifests itself, for example, which may be unknowable at a certain level for the “entertainment’ fan).
By my definition, the “entertainment” fan has much more in common with the fan who “just wants to win,” because the two are focused on end result much more than process or how success was achieved.
Not to presume, but I think Rich is talking about a third kind of fan – clearly a fanbase that is vocal but a minority – who cares about winning, of course, but who is riveted by process. That’s what is interesting; watching the young player evolve, and I think maybe Rich’s “flashy” player reference is taken the wrong way.
“Flash” I take to mean youth, potentially transcendent or exceptional skill that hasn’t reached its apogee but that is potent while still developing. That is always exciting. It’s exciting, for example, to watch Nova pitch, because Nova has demonstrated that he can be a dominant force in the rotation but he is also not complete, yet. There is excitement in witnessing his genesis.
It was exciting yesterday, to watch Nunez play left. The fan considers his athleticism, tools, and youth, and then wants to watch to see how those elements serve him in an unfamiliar spot: playing left field. He never had to chase one down into the LCF gap, but that would have been interesting. Would he have gotten off the ball quickly enough to use his speed? Would his speed preclude that need? (I would say not, but just hypothetically speaking). It’s not simply that one hopes he makes the play!
Losing Montero is crushing practically (for reasons enumerated here often enough to not repeat them), but it’s also crushing to the fan who understands the team’s history of OPS catchers (invoke Randy’s Yankee “DNA” term), the legacy of great bats in Yankee stadium, the constant opposite field threat he posed, etc.
Again, it is the less thoughtful fan who “doesn’t care” what the team’s composition is, as long as it “wins”, IMO. Having said that, though, the thoughtful fan will always find baseball and the Yankees interesting, any way, because it’s baseball and it’s the Yankees. Even the idea that the Yankees are somewhat rote is interesting to this fan.
Ruby Wednesday May 1st, 2012 at 7:37 am
GregD May 1st, 2012 at 7:17 am
Good cupcake and cookie recipes on occasion though ! !
—————————————-
now you’re talking!!!!