The Yankees and Red Sox continue their series from Yankee Stadium at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Red Sox	Yankees
Dustin Pedroia, 2B	Brett Gardner, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS	Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
David Ortiz, DH	Gary Sanchez, C
Mookie Betts, RF	Brian McCann, DH
Hanley Ramirez, 1B	Starlin Castro, 2B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF	Didi Gregorius, SS
Brock Holt, 3B	Mark Teixeira, 1B
Andrew Benintendi, LF	Chase Headley, 3B
Sandy Leon, C	Mason Williams, RF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-2, 4.50 ERA) -- lost his last start in Toronto, going six innings and allowing three runs (one earned) at Rogers Centre. Threw 4.2 innings against the Red Sox on Sept. 17, getting charged with three earned runs. 

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (8-10, 5.00 ERA) has moved back into the starting rotation this month, going 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA in four starts. Beat the Yankees on Sept. 16 at Fenway Park, where he allowed two runs over six innings. 

Tags: Boston Red Sox

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Yankees closer Dellin Betances maintains his role simply because the team's first two choices were traded at the non-waiver deadline. Betances might not be trusted with the job without similar circumstances next season, but the Yankees cannot figure that out by shutting down the reliever before the season ends.

Betances has failed to maintain control over the closer's job since enjoying a strong beginning (14 games, 15 1/3 innings, nine saves in 10 chances, 0.57 ERA, 25 strikeouts and five walks) after Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman were traded. Betances has faltered in staggering fashion over his last eight appearances. In six innings pitched during those outings, Betances owns a 15.00 ERA, allowing nine hits, walking eight and striking out 11 batters. He has also made three big errors during the span.

Fans' faith in Betances has understandably waned, due mostly in part because his failures have come with a playoff position on the line. Yankees manager Joe Girardi is trying to look at the full body of Betances' work, versus focusing on the recent struggles.

"He'll bounce back," Girardi told NJ.com. "I'm not concerned about Dellin. This guy's really good.

Girardi's contention - which is also Betances' - that the big right-hander is having mechanical issues, is certainly a possibility. We have seen Betances lose it mechanically before; the issues typically blamed on his massive frame and keeping all the moving parts working in time with each other. Each time, Betances eventually got back on track.

When Betances was battling Miller for the closer role before the 2015 season, the former ran into control problems, which thrust the latter into ninth-inning duties. Miller never let go of the job, and Betances settled into the seventh/eighth inning role where he could provide the Yankees with more than three outs when needed. Betances excelled for the second straight season.

Betances and Girardi have scoffed at workload questions, and they might have a point. Betances has appeared in virtually the same number of games this season as the last two, but he has tossed fewer innings each year and has thrown fewer pitches per appearance.

Season	Appearances	Innings	Pitches/Appearance
2014	70	90	19.50
2015	74	84	18.56
2016	72	72	17.13

While the appearances and the quantity of pitches thrown have diminished, Betances has been asked more often to come in with less rest than in 2014 and 2015.

Season	0 Days Rest	1 Day Rest	2 or more days rest
2014	15	22	32
2015	18	26	29
2016	24	20	27

Of the 24 times in which Betances was asked to work on back-to-back days this season, 10 of them have occurred since he took over the closer role in August. The added stress of working in consecutive days - and as the closer - could certainly cause some fatigue that is not noted in the number of appearances or pitches thrown.

Betances' usage in multiple innings and the pressure of the situation he has entered into the game has also changed season to season since he began dominating batters in 2014.

Season	Multiple-inning Appearances	Leverage	Ninth Inning & Beyond
2014	36	1.29	4
2015	29	1.87	10
2016	14	1.78	18

 

Betances has pitched in much fewer multiple-inning appearances this season. This makes sense because he has had to close games in the last two seasons, which in turn amps up the leverage metric (anything over 1.00 is considered "high pressure"). The biggest difference between this year and previous seasons is the increase in the number of times he has been asked to pitch in the ninth inning or beyond. This is not to say that the pressure, in terms of the game situation to which the metric is devised, is new to him (in fact it has dropped slightly this season).

Is Betances having mental issues with the role? Betances and Girardi have intimate this is not the case, however who could blame him if he was feeling some cerebral strain? Across two straight days, Betances completely imploded, once against the Los Angeles Dodgers when a fielding error of his own led to a loss, and then versus the Boston Red Sox when handed a three-run lead and just two outs to nail down, he allowed four runs (plus an inherited runner to score). The losses began a major tailspin for the Yankees, of which they have been unable to recuperate.

Whatever the Yankees do now with Betances will directly impact how they handle next season. The Yankees have not been shy about their willingness to re-sign Chapman, and there are two other elite relievers on the market this offseason (Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon), who could supplant Betances if New York decides their homegrown reliever better serves them in the eighth inning.

There are two options for dealing with Betances over the remainder of the season. One is to shut him down once the team is mathematically eliminated and the other is to run him out there any time a "closer" opportunity arises.

In my view, the Yankees should continue to utilize Betances so he can work on what he believes are mechanical flaws. If he is fortunate enough to figure things out, it could go a long way toward disallowing similar issues next season.

Improved performances over the next few games could also demonstrate that he can get through a rough patch many closers endure, and that the stress of the position is not to blame for his performance. Alternatively, if Betances is shut down, he might carry the bad taste in his mouth and the problems he is having could carry over to the next season.

The closer role is an emotional one, a responsibility that some wonderfully talented relievers have failed to produce in the same fashion they had as setup men. Betances might fall into that mold, but shutting him down now will not help the Yankees decide if he is the right man for the job in 2017.

Note: Statistics come from Baseball-Reference.com

Tags: Christopher Carelli

Gary Sanchez homered again and the Yankees recovered after blowing a late lead as they beat the Red Sox, 6-4, on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

• With the game tied, 4-4, in the seventh inning, Tyler Austin's two-run homer gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
• Tyler Clippard struck out David Ortiz with two on and two out in the ninth inning to seal the win.
• The Red Sox had tied it at 4 in the seventh when Aaron Hill hit a solo homer and Dustin Pedroia hit an RBI single.
• Didi Gregorius hit a solo homer in the sixth to put the Yankees up 4-2.
• The Red Sox had drawn within 3-2 in the sixth inning after getting an RBI single from Dustin Pedroia and an RBI groundout from Mookie Betts.
• Gary Sanchez gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer (his 20th of the season) in the first inning.
• Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single in the fifth inning increased the Yankees' lead to 3-0.
• Luis Cessa allowed two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out two.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees youngsters had a big part to play in tonight's victory.

Though Cessa did not get the win, he did leave with the lead. The 24-year-old right-hander was impressive after digging a hole for himself in the sixth inning, by setting down David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez to end the inning with two runners on base.

Sanchez continues to amaze, hitting his 20th home run in just his 48th game of the season, tying an 86-year-old record for fastest to the mark (51 career games). Sanchez has become must-see at this point, but I hope fans are reasonable where it concerns his production next season.

Gregorius, 26, ripped his 20th home run of the season, something not many would have expected from the shortstop after his trials and tribulations early last season. Gregorius, Starlin Castro and Sanchez create a very good middle of the field combination from both an offensive and defensive perspective.

Finally, Austin, after being pulled from the starting lineup, hit another opposite field home run. It's too bad the Yankees gave up on Austin so quickly, because he has some impressive hitting skills. They need to be able to show some patience with the young players and not overreact to slumps. Yankees manager Joe Girardi will surely be tested with this next season.

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What's next...

The Yankees continue their three-game series with the Red Sox on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Bryan Mitchell (4.50 ERA, 1.72 WHIP) faces Clay Buchholz (5.00 ERA, 1.37 WHIP).

Tags: Didi Gregorius , Gary Sanchez , Jacoby Ellsbury , Luis Cessa , Tyler Clippard , Danny Abriano

Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka -- who is recovering from a right forearm strain -- played catch on Tuesday, plans to long toss on Wednesday, and hopes to start Saturday at Yankee Stadium, reports Chad Green of LoHud.

However, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said the team will not allow Tanaka to start if there's any risk.

"It's a possibility that'll be a discussion that we will be forced to have," Cashman said about allowing Tanaka to start. "We haven't had those. I haven't sat with our doctor, our manager and our trainer. But if there's any risk, there's no reason to do so."

Cashman added that there was no "bad news" after Tanaka was examined by a doctor earlier Tuesday.

Tanaka missed his last start due to the forearm strain.

The 27-year-old Tanaka is 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA this season. He last pitched on Sept. 21, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees' chance of reaching the playoffs sits at zero percent, according to FanGraphs' latest update, even though they are mathematically alive for the second wild card spot. Regardless of Ahmad's recommendation, the Yankees should still consider shutting their ace down for the rest of the season.

The Yankees' elimination number is two entering today's games, so chances are they will not go undefeated over the next six games combined with the Orioles going 1-5 in their final six contests. In addition, the Yankees have three other teams in front of them to leapfrog before getting to the Orioles.

Having Tanaka pitch in a meaningless game makes little sense, and I would venture to guess the Yankees will end up believing the same.

Tags: Masahiro Tanaka

The Yankees begin a three-game series with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Red Sox	Yankees
Dustin Pedroia, 2B	Brett Gardner, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS	Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
David Ortiz, DH	Gary Sanchez, DH
Mookie Betts, RF	Starlin Castro, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, 1B	Chase Headley, 3B
Brock Holt, 3B	Didi Gregorius, SS
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF	Aaron Hicks, RF
Sandy Leon, C	Austin Romine, C
Andrew Benintendi, LF	Tyler Austin, 1B

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Luis Cessa (4-3, 4.30 ERA) looked strong in his most recent outing, lasting six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six. Cessa is going for his first win since Aug. 26. 

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: LHP David Price (17-8, 3.91) was solid in his last outing, pitching seven innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out five. Price has not lost a decision since Aug. 7. 

Tags: Luis Cessa , Boston Red Sox

In an article published Tuesday in The Players' Tribune, David Ortiz thanked the Yankees and its fans for the many years of intense rivalry that the designated hitter was honored to be a part of. Some of the highlights of the note include:

• "Listen, Yankee fans. I gotta admit something to you. And I'm serious about this. I got love for you."
• "When I came to this country and I was trying to make it to the big leagues, I looked at guys like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and I was almost in awe. When I got to play against the Yankees my first few years, I would watch some of the things Jeter would do in the field like I was just a fan."
• "Our rivalry with the Yankees made me who I am. The intensity of that competition is what I'm gonna miss the most when I'm done."
• "Playing against the Yankees was just different. It was war."
• "But back in the day, everybody in my country dreamed of going to New York. Not even as a ballplayer, I'm talking just for the opportunity to work a regular job. We looked at New York City like the American dream. The Yankees were like a symbol of everything. If you wore a Yankees hat, maybe your cousin or uncle sent it down to you from New York, and it was like that hat was a symbol of everything you were dreaming to be."
• "Some players are born to be Yankees, you know what I'm saying? I was born to play against the Yankees."
• "But that's why I'm gonna miss this rivalry so much. Because we were perfect opposites. Everything we had in Boston, New York had an answer for it."
• "Yankee fans, I got one final thing to tell you. Thank you. For real. You pulled the best out of me. When you boo me, it's one of the best feelings in the world."

To read Ortiz's article in full, visit ThePlayersTribune.com. 

Aaron Hicks and Mark Teixeira homered in a five-run ninth inning and the New York Yankees hung on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-5, Monday at Rogers Centre. >> Read more

• Teixeira hit a one-out home run off Jason Grilli. Didi Gregorius followed with a single and Hicks homered to right field to break the 3-3 tie.
• Jacoby Ellsbury hit an RBI single and Gary Sanchez a sac fly off Danny Barnes that gave the Yankees a 7-3 lead.
• Dellin Betances walked two batters and made an error in the bottom of the ninth inning before he was pulled without recording an out.
• Tommy Layne came in and allowed two runs on a bases-loaded walk and Dioner Navarro single, but got Russell Martin to ground into a fielder's choice and Troy Tulowitzki to foul out to end the game.
• Manager Joe Girardi, starting pitcher Luis Severino, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and bench coach Rob Thomson were all ejected by the second inning.
• Jonathn Holder allowed two runs in the third inning on a Tulowitzki RBI double and Michael Saunders RBI single that gave the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
• Brett Gardner went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and Ellsbury went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Sanchez hit an RBI ground out in the first inning.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees' performance over the 14 games previous to Monday's seemed to demonstrate the club had no fight left in them, which seemed ridiculous considering they were closing in on a playoff spot after a seven-game win streak. But, J.A. Happ provided a spark by "having his teammate's back," to which Severino added gasoline by retaliating in kind.

The ensuing melee showed the club still has some battle left in them. Beyond coming to a teammate's aid in a brawl, the Yankees managed to dig out of a 3-1 deficit, scoring one run in the eighth inning and five runs in the ninth, which also shows some semblance of resiliency.

Unfortunately, wanting to claim a postseason spot and having the ability to do so are two different things. The Yankees grabbed a win tonight, but simply did not have the manpower at their disposal when they needed it most; against the true talents in the division.

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What's next...

The Yankees begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. Luis Cessa (4-3, 4.30 ERA) faces David Price (17-8, 3.91 ERA).

Tags: Aaron Hicks , Brett Gardner , Dellin Betances , Gary Sanchez , Jacoby Ellsbury , Luis Severino , Mark Teixeira , Toronto Blue Jays

New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino was ejected after hitting Toronto's Justin Smoak with a pitch in the second inning Monday night, leading to an angry shoving match between the teams.

Both benches and bullpens emptied and several scrums broke out near home plate after Severino threw inside to Smoak with his first pitch of the inning and then hit him in the leg with his second.

There was plenty of jostling in a large mass of players, but it did not appear any punches were thrown.

The scrap came after Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ threw consecutive inside pitches to Chase Headley in the top of the inning, hitting him with the second. That led to a warning from plate umpire Todd Tichenor.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected for arguing the warning. New York pitching coach Larry Rothschild and bench coach Rob Thomson were ejected along with Severino following the second melee.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, hit on the elbow by a pitch from Severino in the bottom of the first, walked in from his position and exchanged words with the New York dugout after Headley was hit.

Both benches and bullpens cleared that time, too, but no punches were thrown. >> Read more

Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press

Tags: Chase Headley , Luis Severino , Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees look to win the final game of their four-game series with the Blue Jays in Toronto on Monday at 7:07 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Blue Jays
Brett Gardner, LF	Devon Travis, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Josh Donaldson, 3B
Gary Sanchez, C	Edwin Encarnacion, DH
Billy Butler, DH	Jose Bautista, RF
Chase Headley, 3B	Russell Martin, C
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Didi Gregorius, SS	Michael Saunders, LF
Aaron Hicks, RF	Justin Smoak, 1B
Ronald Torreyes, 2B	Kevin Pillar, CF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (3-8, 5.70 ERA) will start for the Yankees for the first time since Aug. 14. Severino has been sensational since moving into the bullpen, allowing only one earned run on seven hits in 15 innings. Prior to his transition to the bullpen, Severino had a 8.58 ERA in his nine starts this season.

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Who's Pitching for the Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.28) has allowed more than three runs just twice in his last 14 starts, and has not allowed more than four runs during that span. In his last outing, Happ allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out eight in five innings. 

Tags: Luis Severino , Toronto Blue Jays

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The New York Yankees made a surprising push to a potential playoff appearance in August and early September, only to fall back with an awful two-week stretch of play.

Meanwhile, the Yankees' farm system also provided some unpredictable results, as the organization's top five affiliates qualified for their league's postseason play, and included one league title.

This week we will recap the postseason results for each of the affiliates and provide the regular season statistics for the organization's Top 30 prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com. Our previous report indicated the final regular season records from each affiliate.

Rookie Short Season - New York Penn League McNamara Division - Staten Island Yankees

Record: 45-33, 2nd place, 2.5 GB, won wild card

Staten Island, in a quest to repeat as New York Penn League champions, was eliminated in the league semifinals to eventual league champion State College.

Class A - South Atlantic League Southern Division - Charleston RiverDogs

First-half Record: 42-27, first place - First-half Champions

Second-half Record: 34-36, 3rd place, 9 GB

The RiverDogs were defeated by Rome in the best-of-three South Atlantic Division Series. Charleston's 76 regular season wins in 2016 was a franchise record.

Advanced A - Florida State League North Division - Tampa Yankees

First-half Record: 41-25, first place - First half champions

Second-half Record: 35-31, 4th place, 8 GB

Tampa defeated Dunedin two games to one in a three-game series to win the Florida State League North Division Championship. In the Florida State League Championships, Tampa lost three games to one to Bradenton.

Double-A - Eastern League Eastern Division - Trenton Thunder

Record: 87-55, 2nd place, 2.5 GB, won wild card

Trenton eliminated regular season division champion Reading, 3-1, in the best-of-five games East Division Championship Series. The results were not as positive for the Thunder in the Eastern League Championship, as they were swept by Akron.

Triple-A - International League North Division - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 91-52, 1st place, Regular Season Division Champions

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre swept Lehigh Valley 3-0 in the League Division Series. The RailRiders went on to win the International League Governor's Cup with a three games to one victory over Gwinnett. It was the RailRiders' first league title since 2008. Outfielder Jake Cave was named the series' most valuable player.

The RailRiders were not finished, as they then went on to defeat the Pacific Coast League Champions, El Paso, in the Gildan Triple-A National Championship by a score of 3-1 behind five innings of one-run ball from Jordan Montgomery and a decisive first-inning, three-run home run by Chris Parmalee. It was the RailRiders' first national championship, and the first time since 2011 that the International League representative walked away with the title.

Yankees Top 30 Prospects

Note: Statistics are for the 2016 minor league regular season (players who played at multiple levels are combined and noted). Prospect rankings via MLBPipeline.com

No. 1 - Clint Frazier, OF - 463 combined PA, .263/.335/.396, 16 HR, 55 RBI

No. 2 - Gleyber Torres, OF - 536 combined PA, .270/.354/.421, 81 R, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 21 SB

No. 3 - Jorge Mateo, 2B/SS - 499 PA, .254/.306/.379, 33 XBH, 65 R, 47 RBI, 36 SB

No. 4 - Aaron Judge, OF - 399 PA, .270/.366/.489, 19 HR, 65 RBI

No. 5 - Blake Rutherford, OF - 127 combined PA, .351/.415/.570, 15 XBH, 3 HR, 12 RBI

No. 6 - Justis Sheffield, SP - 125 1/3 combined IP, 3.09 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 129 K, 53 BB

No. 7 - Miguel Andujar, OF - 551 PA, .273/.332/.410, 42 XBH, 62 R, 12 HR, 83 RBI

No. 8 - Domingo Acevado, SP - 93 combined IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 102 K, 22 BB

No. 9 - James Kaprielian, SP - 18 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 22 K, 3 BB

No 10 - Dillon Tate, SP - 82 1/3 combined IP, 4.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 55 K, 27 BB

No 11 - Wilkerman Garcia, SS - 237 PA, .198/.255/.284, 14 XBH, 21 R, 1 HR, 13 RBI

No 12 - Dustin Fowler, OF - 563 PA, .281/.311/.458 53 XBH, 67 R, 12 HR, 88 RBI

No. 13 - Chance Adams, SP - 127 1/3 combined IP, 2.33 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 144 K, 39 BB

No. 14 - Tyler Wade, 2B/SS - 571 PA, .259/.352/.349, 28 XBH, 90 R, 27 SB

No. 15 - Billy McKinney - 485 combined PA, .246/.342/.338, 27 XBH, 52 R

No. 16 - Luis Torrens, C - 210 combined PA, .250/.350/.337, 12 XBH

No. 17 - Ian Clarkin, SP - 98 IP, 3.31 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 72 K, 30 BB

No. 18 - Drew Finley, P - 27 1/3 IP, 4.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 20 K, 9 BB

No. 19 - Jordan Montgomery, SP - 139.1 combined IP, 2.13 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 134 K, 45 BB

No. 20 - Chad Green, SP - 94.2 IP, 1.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 100 K, 21 BB

No. 21 - Hoy Jun Park, SS/2B - 502 PA, .225/.336/.329, 29 XBH, 32 SB

No. 22 - Mason Williams, OF - 171 combined PA, .298/.315/.380, 12 XBH, 24 RBI

No. 23 - Jake Cave, OF - 462 combined PA, .268/.330/.427, 43 XBH, 55 RBI

No. 24 - Dietrich Enns, SP - 135 combined IP, 1.73 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 124 K, 56 BB

No. 25 - Kyle Holder, SS/2B - 367 PA, .290/.323/.347, 40 R, 16 XBH

No. 26 - Donny Sands, C - 119 combined PA, .286/.328/.375, 2 HR, 13 RBI

No. 27 - Trey Amburgey, OF - 283 combined PA, .274/.313/.381, 40 R, 22 XBH, 11 SB

No. 28 - Leonardo Molina, OF - 328 combined PA, .226/.290/.382, 9 HR, 36 RBI

No. 29 - Freicer Perez, P - 52 1/3 IP, 4.47 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 49 K, 25 BB

No. 30 - Nolan Martinez, P - 7 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3 K, 4 BB

The Yankees rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead, but Toronto came back with two in the bottom of the inning for a 4-3 win Sunday in Canada. Read the full AP recap on SNY.tv...

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• The Yankees avoided being shut out for the fourth game in a row when Didi Gregorius homered in the top of the seventh to tie the score at 1.
• After Jose Bautista's RBI single in the eighth gave Toronto a 2-1 lead, the Yankees offense came to life in the ninth. Mark Teixeira and Billy Butler led off with singles, and both were replaced by pinch runners. Chase Headley moved the runners up. Mason Williams tied it with a single and Ronald Torreyes hit a sac fly to give the Yanks the lead.
• The Yankees gave it right back in the bottom of the inning. Dellin Betances walked Melvin Upton Jr. to start the inning. Betances was replaced by Tyler Clippard, who gave a single to Kevin Pillar that moved Upton to third. Ezquiel Carrera's squeeze bunt scored Upton as Pillar advanced and then went to third and Carerra to second on Clippard's throwinng error. Josh Donaldson was intentionally walked before Clippard allowed Edwin Encarnacion's game winning single.
• Yankees starter Michael Pineda pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees finally got on the board after 33 straight innings of scoreless ball. The slump was not exactly eradicated, scoring three runs, which was still not to pull out a victory.

Instead of commenting on the poor timing of the worst offensive slumps in over 40 years and the impending elimination from a postseason slot, let's focus on the kind of player regorius has become.

At one point last season, fans were begging the Yankees to trade the now 26-year-old shortstop. He slowly stepped out of Derek Jeter's enormous shadow and began to show signs of becoming more than a glove-first player as last summer wore on.

This season, Gregorius has taken his offensive game to another level. With his 19th home run today, Gregorius sits just one RBI short of the team high, currently owned by injured second basemano. Gregorius' season OPS, now over .750, is about 50 points higher than his previous career high.

Gregorius might not be the youngest of the new core of players to expect in the 2017 lineup, but he is likely to be one of the more reliable players in the upcoming season. That is certainly not something we would have thought in May 2015.

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What's next...

The Yankees and Blue Jays play the final of their four-game series on Monday at 7:07 p.m.in Toronto. The Jays J.A. Hapy (20-4, 3.28 ERA) faces a Yankees starter to be named.

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees look to get back in the win column as they play the third game of their series with the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Blue Jays
Brett Gardner, LF	Devon Travis, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Josh Donaldson, 3B
Gary Sanchez, C	Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Didi Gregorius, SS	Jose Bautista, DH
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Russell Martin, C
Brian McCann, DH	Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Chase Headley, 3B	Michael Saunders, RF
Mason Williams, RF	Kevin Pillar, CF
Ronald Torreyes, 2B	Eziquel Carrera, LF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: LHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.89 ERA)  has not completed five innings in three of his past four starts. He is on an eight-start winless streak that matches his career high. He is 0-1 with a 4.02 ERA during that span, although the Yankee are 4-4 in those starts.

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Who's Pitching for the Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.62). is 1-3 with a 5.49 ERA in four September starts. Estrada is 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season and is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in nine career games, including eight starts, against them/

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays

Locked in a pitchers' duel through seven innings, the Yankees finally gave way in the eighth, as Jose Bautista's three-run home run proved to be the difference in Toronto's 3-0 win over New York. Read the full AP recap on SNY.tv...

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• With the the teams locked in a scoreless tie in the eighth, Tyler Clippard faltered and gave up the game-deciding home run to Bautista. It was just the third home run he's allowed since coming back to the Yankees.
• CC Sabathia pitched seven strong innings, allowing just four hits to Toronto. He struck out two and walked three. 
• Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman was just as good, though, as he gave up just one hit and three walks in his seven innings. 
• The Yankees mustered just three hits and were shut out for the third straight game. 

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees have been shut out three games in a row and have thoroughly collapsed.

The Yankees starters have been solid in two of those games, but the offense has failed time and again throughout the season to back up solid efforts from their rotation members. The entire pitching staff (but Sabathia especially) has had to deal with the slimmest margin of error due to failed offensive production. Even when the Yankees rattled off seven straight wins, they were not blowing anyone out, relying on pitching to get the job done.

The Yankees' season got off to a terrible start, hitting rock bottom at 9-17. The Yanks surprisingly moved themselves into playoff contention, but they hit a wall and now look to be on a path to end the season in the same fashion it began.

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What's next...

The Yankees and Blue Jays play the third game of their four-game series on Sunday at 1:07 p.m. from Toronto. RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.89 ERA) will start for the Yankees and face off against RHP Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.62 ERA). 

Tags: CC Sabathia , Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees look to get back in the win column as they play the second game of their series with the Blue Jays at 4:07 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Blue Jays
Brett Gardner, LF	Devon Travis, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Josh Donaldson, 3B
Gary Sanchez, DH	Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Didi Gregorius, SS	Jose Bautista, RF
Aaron Hicks, RF	Russell Martin, C
Brian McCann, C	Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Ronald Torreyes, 3B	Melvin Upton, LF
Tyler Austin, 1B	Dioner, Navarro, C
Donovan Solano, 2B	Kevin Pillar, CF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.19 ERA) -- pitched just five innings in his last start, giving up four runs against the Red Sox. Has a 3-6 record and 4.68 ERA since the All-Star Break. Was charged with seven runs over six innings during his last outing against Toronto. 

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Who's Pitching for the Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (9-9, 4.50 ERA) -- lost his last start, but pitched well, giving up two runs in six innings against the Angels. Is 0-4 with a 3.91 ERA in September. Allowed two runs in five innings at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 7. 

Tags: CC Sabathia , Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees fell to the Blue Jays, 9-0, on Friday night and are now four games back of a playoff spot. 

Outfielder Brett Gardner said the team is not completely out of the race, but things aren't looking good heading into the last week and half. 

"Things are kind of slipping away at this point," Gardner told reporters. "We're not out of it but we're definitely not in a good position."

With the loss, the Yankees are four games behind the Tigers for the second Wild Card spot and five back of the Blue Jays for the top spot. The Orioles, Astros and Mariners are all ahead of the Yankees in the standings. 

The Yankees have three games left against the Blue Jays, then play six games against the Red Sox and Orioles to close out the season. 

Tags: Brett Gardner

Bryan Mitchell struggled early and the bullpen did not fare much better, as the Yankees fell to the Blue Jays, 9-0, on Friday night in Toronto. Read the full AP recap on SNY.tv...

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• Mitchell had trouble through the first two innings, allowing three runs. Troy Tulowitzki drove in two with a single in the first and Edwin Encarnacion drew a bases-loaded walk in the second.
• Despite the early slog, Mitchell settled down and went six innings, and allowed just three runs (one earned). He gave up six hits and walked four.  
• Francisco Liriano kept the Yankees' lineup at bay, limiting them to just three hits in six innings of work.
• Gary Sanchez had two of the three hits against Liriano. 
• Toronto put the game away for good with a four-run seventh inning. Blake Parker was charged with all four runs. 
• Ben Heller was charged for two runs in the eighth when he gave up a home run to Josh Donaldson. 

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

When the Yankees play like this, it makes me wonder how they got into the playoff picture in the first place.

Once we look back on this season, we will note that there were two consistencies throughout -- the inconsistency of the offense and terrible middle relief. When the two happened at the same time, it lead to a certain loss for the Yankees.

The offense, as a unit, never gelled to the extent that they could dominate for extended periods. There were times when a couple of players got hot and it was enough to allow the Yanks to play and look like contenders. But, for the most part, this was a run-of-the-mill offense.

Mitchell wasn't especially good early on, but settled in, allowing three runs (one earned) through six innings. This was a fairly typical night for a Yankees' starter this season. Nothing especially great, but enough to keep the Yankees close. Enter the particular night's mishmash of middle relievers (Parker and Heller tonight) and the game got out of hand.

Tonight's performance is the epitome of why the Yankees will be on the outside looking in when the regular season comes to an end.

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What's next...

The Yankees and Blue Jays continue their weekend series from Rogers Centre on Saturday at 4:07 p.m. CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.19 ERA) gets the start for the Yankees, while Marcus Stroman (9-9, 4.50) is slated to go for Toronto. 

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees open a four-game series against the Blue Jays on Friday night in Toronto.

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Blue Jays
Brett Gardner, LF	Devon Travis, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Josh Donaldson, 3B
Gary Sanchez, DH	Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Billy Butler, 1B	Jose Bautista, DH
Didi Gregorius, SS	Russell Martin, C
Chase Headley, 3B	Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Aaron Hicks, RF	Michael Saunders, RF
Austin Romine, C	Kevin Pillar, CF
Ronald Torreyes, 2B	Ezequiel Carrera, LF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (6.00 ERA, 1.75 WHIP) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out three in 4 2/3 innings against the Red Sox during his last start. He has allowed 10 runs in seven innings since tossing five shutout innings in his first start of the season. 

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Who's Pitching for the Blue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (5.08 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out four in six innings against the Angels during his last start. He has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last six starts.

Tags: Bryan Mitchell

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Individual awards are nice, but postseason appearances and sustained success matter more.

When the New York Yankees called up catching prospect Gary Sanchez, rest assured he was not looking to win individual awards. His goals were to prove he belonged and provide some energy to a team that was sleep-walking through the season.

Sanchez, 23, showed he was ready within days and the Yankees agreed by handing him the starting role over $85 million veteran catcher, Brian McCann. Sanchez has since hit 19 home runs faster than any player in MLB history, propelling him into a debate concerning his worthiness in the American League Rookie of the Year race.

I'm not here to argue whether Sanchez should be considered by the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, who are graced with votes. In my view, there is no argument surrounding his consideration.

Sanchez is eligible, he will not get another chance and he has put up impressive numbers. One can argue that others are more deserving because they have toiled through a full(er) season in the majors, but suggesting Sanchez should not be a part of the discussion is silly.

The way I look at things, winning or not winning the award is secondary, maybe even less important than that, when compared to understanding how Sanchez has demonstrated the organization's growth and affected the future.

Sanchez personifies everything the Yankees have been working on for years: the rise of the farm system began well before this season's non-waiver trade deadline. The deadline only made the progress more visible to outsiders and confirmed the Yankees were indeed changing the way they built their roster.

The Yankees had several chances to trade Sanchez, especially after he exhibited some immature characteristics and failed to improve on defense. The talent has always been there, thus the $3 million bonus he received as a 16-year-old. Instead, they stuck with him. Sanchez was not typically listed among the "untouchable prospects," but that does not mean the Yankees didn't substantially value his talent.

Sanchez was provided the opportunity to win the backup catcher role out of spring training, but looked over-matched and still needed some work as a receiver behind the plate. Instead of wallowing in disappointment, Sanchez busted his butt. He hit, he honed his skills as a catcher and demonstrated maturity.

When the Yankees took the next step in the evolving methodology to get younger by trading assets and calling up some of their top prospects, the rest of the baseball community began to recognize the organization might be in better shape than they thought. Sanchez is the reason.

Without Sanchez's home runs and thrown-out base stealers, the Yankees would have remained a boring and less competitive team. Sometimes it only takes one player to rally behind and change the complexion of a club.

Sanchez's performance and demeanor on the field, plus his attitude in the clubhouse, rallied the team, aiding them to a 17-11 record in August. The Yankees got all the way back into the postseason race -- one game back in the Wild Card and three back in the American League East -- after a 9-17 debacle to start the season.

They've sputtered since, but Sanchez continues to shine as he makes an imprint on every game he is involved in. He has demonstrated the capacity to come up with big hits and is now forcing opponents to decide whether to pitch to him. Word is out that Sanchez's arm behind the plate is lethal, and New York's pitchers seem as comfortable with him behind the plate -- as if they've been together for years.

As I watch Sanchez, I understand that the production is beyond reasonable to expect when extrapolated over an entire season. However, I also see a player who battles day in and day out. He is the player others aspire to be, both in production and behavior. Sanchez is more than the Yankees' catcher of the future, he has the chance to become one of the faces of a new core of players.

The Yankees have an impressive list of prospects to complement Sanchez, some of whom might be a part of the 2017 and/or 2018 clubs -- Tyler Austin, Greg Bird, Dietrich Enns, Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo, Jordan Montgomery, Gleyber Torres and Mason Williams. Not all will stick, but the Yankees are no longer in the business of giving up on their farmhands. Instead, they have been investing in them slowly but surely. The fruits of the change are visible in Sanchez's improbable beginning to his career.

Sanchez's amazing statistics are one thing, but more importantly, he now has the look of a leader. No one would have expected just two years ago that Sanchez would be considered the face of the Yankees' future.

If Sanchez helps the Yankees add to their collection of World Series titles, potentially missing out on a Rookie of the Year award will be forgotten, but his production that changed the course of the future will not.

Tags: Gary Sanchez

Following a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, the New York Yankees see their playoff hopes dwindling as they enter a 10-game stretch against division opponents ahead of them in the playoff race.

The Yankees trail the Detroit Tigers by three games for the second American League wild card spot with 10 games remaining. They have a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who currently hold the first Wild Card spot, followed by a three-game set against the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox and a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, who trail the Tigers by a half game in the Wild Card race.

"We need to win 11 out of 10," outfielder Brett Gardner said after the Yankees lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games in Thursday's shutout, according to the Associated Press.

New York would also need to leapfrog the Houston Astros, who trail the wild card race by 1 1/2 games, and the Seattle Mariners, who trail by two games.

The Yankees have a 1.6 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN, and manager Joe Girardi called this weekend's four-game series against Toronto "the biggest series of the year," according to ESPN's Andrew Marchand.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees put themselves in this situation -- twice.

The first time, they stumbled out of the gate with a 9-17 record, which might have sealed their fate. The Yankees inched their way back to the .500 mark and stalled. However, the club went on an unexpected run after converting their roster by selling assets at the non-waiver trade deadline and bringing up farmhands.

An inspired August in which the club went 17-11, and then ran off seven straight wins this month bringing them to within one game of the second wild card spot and three games back in the AL East standings. All of the sudden, the Yankees were in control of their own destiny. The problem is they failed to exhibit any control at all. They have lost eight out of 11 games since, and three of those games were lost when leading by at least three runs.

The circumstances are dire, but the Yankees have no one to blame but themselves for twice playing well under their abilities at exactly the wrong time.

Three Tampa Bay pitchers scattered eight hits as the Rays shut out the Yankees 2-0 Thursday in St. Petersburg. >>Read more at SNY.tv. . . .

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• Rays starter Blake Snell (6-8) went five scoreless innings, giving up five hits with six strikeouts. Chase Headley followed by allowing two hits in 2 2/3 innings and Alex Colome got his 35th save allowing one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
• Yankees starter Luis Cessa went six innings, giving up runs in the first and sixth. He allowed six of the Rays seven hits.
• The Rays parlayed three singles into a run in the first, then Corey Dickerson homered in the sixth.
• Luis Severino gave up a hit and struck out three in two innings after relieving Cessa.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Wins are at a premium and the Yankees are running out of games to get them.

Once again, the Yankees had a hard time wrapping up a sweep - they have earned just one three-game sweep this entire season - and once again a lack of offense was the cause of the loss. One night after dropping 11 runs on Tampa behind Gary Sanchez's two-homer night, the Yankees were stymied by Blake Snell and a duo of relievers.

Now, the Yankees will finish off a tough road trip by heading to Toronto for what looks like a make or break four-game series simply because of the lack of time remaining in the season. Winning series is no longer good enough, only sweeps will allow the Yankees to leap the teams ahead of them and earn a postseason spot.

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What's next...

The Yankees head to Toronto for a key four-game series with the Blue Jays starting Friday at 7:07 p.m. Bryan Mitchell (1-0, 6.00) faces Francisco Liriano (1-2, 3.89).

The Yankees will look to take the third and final game of their series with the Rays on Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. from Tropicana Field. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Rays
Brett Gardner, LF	Logan Forsythe, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Gary Sanchez, C	Evan Longoria, DH
Billy Butler, DH	Brad Miller, SS
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Corey Dickerson, LF
Chase Headley, 3B	Curt Casali, C
Didi Gregorius, SS	Juniel Querecuto, 3B
Aaron Hicks, RF	Richie Shaffer, 1B
Donovan Solano, 2B	Mikie Mahtook, RF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Luis Cessa (4-2, 4.44 ERA) has had a lot of trouble keeping the ball inside the ballpark recently. Cessa has surrendered home runs in each of his last five starts, allowing nine long balls during that span.

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Who's Pitching for the Rays: LHP Blake Snell (5-8, 3.87 ERA) did not look good in his last outing, pitching only 4.1 innings and allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks. Snell has walked seven batters in his last 13 innings.

Tags: Luis Cessa , Tampa Bay Rays

Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka has a slight right forearm strain and will miss his next start on Monday, Joe Girardi told reporters before Thursday's game with the Rays.

Tanaka will not pick up a ball for five days. The team is hoping that after the rest, Tanaka will be able to make one last start this season.

Tanaka has been the stud of the Yankees rotation this season, going 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He has started 31 games in 2016 so far, totaling 199.2 innings. 

The team did not announce who would start in place of Tanaka on Monday.

 

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

This is a certain blow to the Yankees already slim playoff hopes.

Tanaka has been healthy and has pitched quite well all season. Tanaka has been so good that when he took the mound, the Yankees felt comfortable they had a very good chance of winning the game.

While Tanaka believes he'll be fine after the five days of rest, there is no assurance to that theory. Should Tanaka miss two starts, the Yankees postseason chances become even more bleak.

The Yankees can go with a full bullpen approach for the starts Tanaka will miss, or they can turn to Luis Severino. Both options have issues. The bullpen, while deep because of September call-ups, is filled with inexperienced arms. Starting Severino sounds great, but he's been most effective this season coming out of the bullpen.

Tags: Masahiro Tanaka

Yankees RHP prospect James Kaprielian, who has missed the majority of the season due to an elbow injury, has a theory regarding why he got hurt.

Kaprielian's elbow first started bothering him in April and he was diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon in June. And he told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com it may be because he overworked himself.

"That's obviously something -- I need to talk to (pitching coach Larry Rothschild and manager Joe Girardi), the minor league pitching coordinators about," Kaprielian said. "Creating that plan of when I really need to be locked in and ready to go where maybe I came in last year maybe too ready to go in the spring. So I think it's something we need to talk about just for the future. It's all learning. This is my first full year and first spring training. So I learned a lot."

Kaprielian faced hitters on Tuesday without issue and could potentially pitch in the Arizona Fall League.

He was the Yankees' first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2015 MLB Draft. Through his first three starts for the Tampa Yankees (High-A) this season, he had a 1.50 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

I see this and all I ask myself is, why wouldn't a game plan be understood between the club and the pitcher prior to the offseason last year?

In my view, this is the organization making a mistake with a pitcher who is fresh off being a first-round draft pick and one who came with the narrative that he could move quickly through the system. The Yankees are responsible to provide an explicit plan to their pitchers, and they seemingly failed to fully express it here.

Kaprielian and the Yankees are fortunate the injury the 22-year-old pitcher sustained was not more serious. The fact that Kaprielian understands he cannot push himself beyond whatever program is prescribed for him this offseason is good, but now he has to be smart and abide by the plan.

If Kaprielian does pitch in the Arizona Fall League, rest assured he will be closely watched and pulled quickly if there is the slightest of issues with his elbow or any other injury scare.

The Yankees have traded minor league LHP Phil Coke to the Pirates for cash considerations, the team announced Thursday.

Coke, 34, appeared in three games (6.0 innings) for the Yankees earlier this season, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out one.

He has posted a 4.23 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in nine major league seasons.

The Yankees opened an early 7-0 lead and beat the Rays, 11-5, on Wednesday night in Tampa.

• RBI singles from Gary Sanchez, Brian McCann, and Ronald Torreyes in the first inning gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead
• In the second inning, Sanchez hit a three-run homer and Didi Gregorius added a sacrifice fly to extend New York's lead to 7-0.
• The Rays hit four home runs in the third inning off Masahiro Tanaka -- including back-to-back-to-back shots -- to cut the lead to 7-4.
• Sanchez hit a solo homer (his 19th of the season) in the sixth inning to make it 8-4, Yankees.
• Brad Miller's solo homer in the eighth inning cut Tampa's deficit to 8-5.
• An RBI single from Mason Williams and two-run homer from Donovan Solano in the ninth inning upped New York's lead to 11-5

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

As the Yankees try to desperately inch their way back into the playoff race (again), Sanchez continues to elevate his game to meteoric heights.

With the win, the Yankees move to within two games in the loss column for the second wild card spot as the Orioles are feeling the same pain Boston delivered to New York this weekend. A playoff berth is still a longshot, as the Yankees have three other teams to climb, but all the Yanks can do now is worry about getting wins.

As for Sanchez, the historic run he is on is nothing short of amazing and likely won't be replicated. The Yankees would have been excited had Sanchez hit a handful of homers (his season-high in the minors is 18, done twice, in 474 and 400 plate appearances) and showed enough aptitude behind the plate to believe he was going to continue to improve.

At this point, is seems whatever comes from Sanchez next season will feel like a letdown, and crazy enough, that would include a 20-homer year. Imagine that!

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What's next...

The Yankees wrap up their three-game series against the Rays on Thursday at 7:10 p.m.

Luis Cessa (4.44, 1.12) faces Blake Snell (3.87 ERA, 1.65 WHIP).

Tags: Brian McCann , Didi Gregorius , Gary Sanchez , Masahiro Tanaka , Ronald Torreyes

Yankees OF Mason Williams has been impressive since being called up, writes Chad Jennings for LoHud.

Williams, 25, has hit .385 in six games for the Yankees.

He hit .296 with a .313 OBP and .376 SLG in 31 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to being called up.

Williams has been playing over Aaron Hicks, who was recently activated from the disabled list.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Williams is once again trying to make the most of his time in New York.

The road for Williams, once the top prospect in the Yankees organization (he was ranked as high as No. 32 by Baseball America in 2013), was not easy as he toiled through the 2014 season at Double-A Trenton, where he recorded a .593 OPS.

He turned things around in a big way in 2015, moving through Double-A and Triple-A with a combined .795 OPS. Williams reached the big leagues when the club needed someone to fill in for Jacoby Ellsbury last June, but the stay abruptly ended after eight games when he hurt his shoulder diving back into first base.

Williams is back after recuperating from right shoulder surgery he underwent last August. Much like his call-up last season, Williams is getting an extended look and succeeding. His time in New York thus far has come at the expense of someone else's injury, but he could get the chance to crack the 25-man roster in 2017.

There are continuous rumblings surrounding a potential trade of Brett Gardner, and the Yanks would surely entertain dealing Ellsbury if the opportunity arose. That possibility combined with the Yankees receiving uninspiring results from Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge in their respective stints this season, could provide Williams a legitimate shot at a starting job in 2017.

Tags: Aaron Hicks , Brett Gardner , Jacoby Ellsbury , Mason Williams

The Yankees will look to take their second game of their three-game series with the Rays on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. from Tropicana Field. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Rays
Brett Gardner, LF	Logan Forsythe, 2B
Aaron Hicks, RF	Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Gary Sanchez, C	Evan Longoria, 3B
Brian McCann, DH	Brad Miller, 1B
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Corey Dickerson, LF
Didi Gregorius, SS	Alexei Ramirez, SS
Ronald Torreyes, 3B	Jaff Decker, RF
Mason Williams, RF	Richie Shaffer, DH
Donovan Solano, 2B	Bobby Wilson, C

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (13-4, 2.97 ERA) -- coming off a no-decision in Boston in which he gave up just one run over seven innings of work. Has pitched into the seventh inning in each of he three September starts. Beat the Rays on Sept. 10, striking out 10 over 7.1 innings. 

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Who's Pitching for the Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (1-0, 3.06 ERA) -- will be making his fourth start this season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Gave up four runs (three earned) in six innings against the Yankees on Sept. 8 at Yankee Stadium. 

 

Tags: Tampa Bay Rays

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

When New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira announced he would retire at the end of this season, the immediacy was startling, but the reasoning was sound. Teixeira could no longer "grind it out."

Teixeira spoke at length with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal recently; the interview sheds light on Teixeira's thought process regarding retirement and a host of other topics. I'll delve into a few of these and posit a couple of questions of my own.

Pride in personal accomplishments

Teixeira speaks often in the interview of his personal accomplishments and how proud he was of them. Teixeira has seen how hard this game can be, and when he looks at his statistical achievements, he feels satisfied.

Teixeira is one of five switch-hitters in Major League Baseball history to hit over 400 home runs. He owns eight seasons in which he hit 30 home runs and produced 100 RBIs. The number of home runs is impressive on its own, especially when spread over 14 seasons, five of which can be viewed adversely affected by injuries (Teixeira has missed 319 games since 2012).

When Teixeira arrived in New York, he was part of a massive spending spree that was a direct reaction to the Yankees absence from the 2008 playoffs. Teixeira's power bat and deft abilities at first base to the Bronx immediately boosted the Yankees offense. Teixeira's 39 homers and 122 RBIs in 2009 put the then 29-year-old in the America League's Most Valuable Player conversation (he finished second).

The Yankees fulfilled expectations and won the 2009 World Series, the first season in the new Yankee Stadium. Teixeira seemed poised to continue delivering middle of the lineup production, and the thought was he would not be too far removed from his prime seasons when the deal would begin to wind down.

Injuries mount, production wanes

From 2009 to 2011, Teixeira averaged 37 home runs, 114 RBIs and, most importantly, 157 games played. The Yankees reached the postseason in each of those seasons and Teixeira's production at the plate and first base was a big reason why.

The injury bug began in 2012, when he missed 39 games due to wrist and calf injuries. The calf strain cost him time at the end of the regular season. Teixeira still managed a .807 OPS, but this was the beginning of a downward spiral concerning Teixeira's ability to stay on the field and produce to the level expected. This was the beginning of a five-year span (including 2016) in which Teixeira failed to play in more than 123 games.

In 2013, Teixeira was training with Team USA for the World Baseball Classic and injured his right wrist. Teixeira played in 15 games in late May and early June that season, but he re-injured the wrist, forcing surgery in July.

Teixeira noted that the wrist injury was the most devastating of the bunch because it affected his power all the way through the 2014 season. The injuries kept coming for Teixeira - back, hamstring, neck, wrist again, plus a broken bone in his shin - and with them his production waned.

Were injuries the only cause to declining production?

One item that is not addressed in Rosenthal's piece concerns Teixeira's handling of the defensive shift, which was employed each time he came up as a left-handed batter in recent seasons. Teixeira, in his best days, was a batter who could hit for average (his career batting average sat at .290 through 2009). But, the shift began to take away a good deal of hits, and the stubbornness Teixeira possessed regarding it might have cost him, the team and downright confused many.

In my opinion, Teixeira was a good enough hitter to go the other way with balls over the outer edge of the plate, and drive balls through the 5.5 hole as a left-handed batter. Instead, he tried to power through and over defensive shifts. In 2014, when he now admits his wrist was still an issue, he dug in with this approach. It didn't work. Once the wrist was healed in 2015, Teixeira managed to cripple the shift every-so-often with 14 of this 31 home runs going over the right field wall.

However, Teixeira might have been able to aid the club by utilizing the openings in the field presented him. Teixeira has hit .238 from 2010 through Tuesday's game (over 3,300 plate appearances). Those home runs to right field would still have come (because they were on the inner-half of the plate), but so too would have a bunch of hits with runners in scoring position where a hit would have been more productive than what became a typical ground out to the second baseman playing in shallow right field.

Retirement decision

Teixeira made critics chuckle during spring training this season when he mentioned that he felt he could play for five more seasons. This statement invoked some of the shock felt when he announced his retirement. Teixeira described, "grinding it out" often during the interview, but the effort to deal with the day-to-day tribulations as a player finally caught up to him.

As fans, we often perceive players who begin to miss multiple games for various health reasons, as being lazy, brittle and even uncaring. That's especially true for stars that are making $22.5 million each season. Teixeira began to get a bad rap from some fans, but since the retirement announcement, it is apparent to me that the time off from the game due to his various maladies took a toll on him mentally.

He expressed as much during the announcement and alludes to it a various times in the Rosenthal interview. Teixeira may well have felt good enough after this past offseason to suggest more years ahead, but once reality set in for him, his decision became easier to make.

Baseball in Teixeira's future?

Teixeira has long been involved in charitable endeavors, he serves as a board member for Harlem RBI, an organization that aids inner-city youth to "recognize their potential and realize their dreams" through playing sports. Teixeira has shown to have some acting ability, even going so far as to create a parody talk show in which he interviewed his teammates, titled "Foul Territory."

Besides spending more time with his family, Teixeira might expand his availability to these types of projects. But what about baseball? Does Teixeira have a role there?

This was not revealed in the interview, so we don't know the answer, but I can speculate to Teixeira's ability to thrive in baseball in a variety of capacities.

When the Yankees sold off assets at the trade deadline, they turned their attention to playing some of their younger players. Teixeira, both due to his immense aches and pains, and poor performance, was among the players who lost playing time.

Of course, Teixeira had announced his retirement, but he still chose to act as a mentor to Tyler Austin and anyone else who needed it. Teixeira embraced the ability to sit back and watch and be there for the young players. Watching him in the dugout during big wins, and speak about the young players in the clubhouse after games was eye opening to me.

I can easily envision Teixeira heading to Tampa in the coming years to lend a hand to Yankees' first basemen (in the majors and minors) who need help at the position. Teixeira might be able to help some with those needing advice concerning power production, but I'm not certain he has a life as a hitting coach in general, or if he would want that anyway.

Finally, Teixeira would be a fine ambassador for the game. Teixeira had strong comments on how violators of MLB performance-enhancing drug rules should be enforced (he insinuated that there should be a zero-tolerance policy) and how important it was for MLB to get young individuals on a baseball diamond and then providing mechanisms necessary to maintain their interest in playing the game.

When all is said and done, Teixeira will likely come up short of the Hall of Fame, but it is not because he wasn't talented enough. His career, like many before him, will be looked at as one in which injuries derailed his potential to be enshrined in Cooperstown. However, if you ask Teixeira, he is proud of what he accomplished because he had to grind it out. He did that until his body - and bat - simply couldn't keep up.

Tags: Mark Teixeira , Christopher Carelli

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

With first base open in a 2-2 game, Sanchez homered off Brad Boxberger for his sixth home run in the past 11 games to give the Yankees the lead.

"He's meant a lot," manager Joe Girardi said, according to the Associated Press. "Offensively and defensively. It's kind of fitting that he got the big hit."

Sanchez's home run put the Yankees within 3 1/2 games of the second wild card spot, however they still trail the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers in the race.

"He's carried us," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "We're not even close to talking about a playoff berth if Gary doesn't come up and do what he does."

The 23-year-old catcher has hit 17 home runs through his first 42 games this season. Since being called up for good in early August, he has a .335/.408/.728 batting line, and the Yankees are 22-19 in that span.

"I'm enjoying it, especially when you win the game," Sanchez said.

Tags: Gary Sanchez , Mark Teixeira , Tampa Bay Rays

What a ride it's been. 2016 Triple-A National Champions! #GoRailRiders pic.twitter.com/ryiFI5jHNh

- SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 21, 2016

Michael Pineda allowed two runs and struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings and Gary Sanchez homered again as the Yankees beat the Rays, 5-3, on Tuesday night in Tampa.

• Trailing 2-1 in the seventh inning, Brett Gardner hit game-tying RBI single and Gary Sanchez launched a three-run homer to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead.
• A passed ball by Gary Sanchez in the eighth inning allowed the Rays to draw within 5-3.
• Brad Miller's two-run triple in the third inning gave the Rays a 2-0 lead.
• The Yankees drew within 2-1 in the fourth when Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer.
• Luis Severino tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief, while Tyler Clippard allowed a run in his inning of work.
• Dellin Betances fired a perfect ninth inning to earn the save.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees' very faint playoff hopes remain alive. The Rays have been playing spoiler this month, and were set to strike again, having the Yankees down 2-1 at the top of the seventh inning, despite an 11-strikeout performance from Michael Pineda. But with the score tied, the Rays decided to pitch to Gary Sanchez with a base open and he unloaded another 400-plus-foot home run.

Pineda was not economical with his pitches (98 in 5 1/3 innings), but that often happens when a pitcher strikes out a lot of batters. At this point, getting anything remotely close to what Pineda offered Tuesday is welcomed by the Yankees, as opposed to much of what he has delivered this season.

As for Sanchez, the Yankees catcher is completely locked in and showing no signs of letting down. Sanchez is averaging a home run every 9.5 at-bats and 10 of his home runs have traveled over 400 feet. The Yankees might not reach the playoffs this season, but they have resolved one question for 2017, and that is Sanchez's spot as the centerpiece of the roster.

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What's next...

The Yankees continue their three-game series against the Rays on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.

Masahiro Tanaka (2.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) faces Alex Cobb (3.06 ERA, 1.08 WHIP).

Tags: Brett Gardner , Gary Sanchez , Luis Severino , Tyler Clippard

Latest Update

5:20 p.m.: The Yankees reinstated OF Aaron Hicks from the 15-day disabled list, the team announced prior to Tuesday's game with the Rays.

Hicks will bat second and play right field in tonight's game.

Previous Updates (Monday Sept. 19)

Aaron Hicks took batting practice at the Yankees' training facility in Tampa on Monday and said he's ready to return from the disabled list, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.

Hicks was placed on the 15-day DL on Sept. 5, retroactive to Sept. 1, due to a right hamstring strain.

He is hitting .213 with a .273 OBP and .330 SLG with 28 RBI in 291 at-bats this season. 

Tags: Aaron Hicks

The Yankees begin a three-game series with the Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Rays
Brett Gardner, LF	Logan Forsythe, 2B
Aaron Hicks, RF	Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Gary Sanchez, C	Evan Longoria, 3B
Billy Butler, DH	Brad Miller, 1B
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Corey Dickerson, LF
Didi Gregorius, SS	Mikie Mahtook, RF
Ronald Torreyes, 2B	Erasmo Ramirez, SS
Donovan Solano, 3B	Richie Shaffer, DH
Mason Williams, CF	Bobby Wilson, C

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.94 ERA) threw four shutout innings against the Dodgers last week, allowing only two hits and striking out five, before a pair of rain delays cut his start short. In his last 12.2 innings, Pineda has allowed four earned runs while striking out 16. 

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Who's Pitching for the Rays: LHP Drew Smyly (7-11, 4.98 ERA) has struggled recently, allowing a total of 11 earned runs on 19 hits in his last three starts, spanning 14.1 innings. Smyly has surrendered at least one home run in each of his last six starts.

Tags: Michael Pineda , Tampa Bay Rays

The Yankees will honor 1B Mark Teixeira in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, October 2, the team announced on Monday. 

Teixeira joined the Yankees prior to the 2009 season, signing an eight-year deal worth $180 million. The first baseman finished second in the AL MVP voting that year, hitting .292 with an AL leading 39 HRs and 122 RBIs. He was awarded both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for the AL first basemen, while helping lead the Yankees to a World Series Championship.

The Yankees and Teixeira announced the first baseman's upcoming retirement at the end of the season in a press conference on August 5. 

In 2016, the 36-year old Teixeira is batting .198 with 12 HRs and 37 RBIs.

Tags: Mark Teixeira

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

In a matter of just over two weeks the New York Yankees thrust themselves into the heart of the playoff picture with a seven-game winning streak and then quickly plummeted from it, by losing seven out of eight games. With 13 games left on the schedule and a four-game deficit to overcome, what do the Yankees do from here?

In my view, the Yankees must return to the place they were on Aug. 1. At that time the club rightfully decided to focus on the future by dealing their best players and proceeded to call-up some of their best prospects over the subsequent days. The idea was to remain competitive, but provide some valuable experience for players the organization felt were a part of the future. What happened on the field was unexpected - a 17-11 month - and might be directly related to the one day at a time mentality the club possessed.

It seemed once the Yankees inched closer and closer to the wild card spot, they failed to stick with the 'play today' mantra and got caught focusing on the end result and worse, the next series. The players visibly began to press and the manager began to overthink each at-bat. The result was poor play, terrible decisions and landing back into virtually the same position they held at the beginning of August.

There were fielding errors by pitchers, which led to runs and subsequently two of their losses. Young starters and veterans in the bullpen failed to lock down leads when handed to them. There was bad base-running, poor coaching and disjointed handling of the pitching staff.

The Yankees must get back to the notion that they have nothing to lose and that the rest of the league expects them to fold. This is not to say that they do not play to win, but they have to get back to the basics of what it takes to win. The team needs to play cleaner, more complete games and focus on the current contest versus what lies ahead.

The Yankees might have won the final game of the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and three out of four games from Boston had New York exhibited this 'play in the moment' mentality and exhibit competence where it relates to the facets of the game.

While the Yankees gave away runs with errors, the team failed to step on the gas when they had the Red Sox down (the Yanks had at least a three-run lead in three of the four games). Knowing full well that the Red Sox possess the most potent offense in the game, coupled with the fact that they were playing in offense-friendly Fenway Park, the Yankees had to stay on the prowl for more runs of their own. The Yankees' bats went cold in each of the games they had leads, failing to move runners into scoring position multiple times, eliminating the chances of padding leads.

Maybe most importantly, Yankees manager Joe Girardi needs to find some balance where it concerns in-game handling of the pitching staff. While Girardi has to chill out a bit, he also has to read the tea leaves of the progression of the game.

In my opinion, the worst thing to give Girardi with a postseason spot on the line in September is too many pitchers. He simply cannot help himself when it comes to making pitching changes with a seven-man bullpen; once he has double the supply, he tries to shorten games that do not need it.

He overthought the game situation in Thursday's loss, yanking Masahiro Tanaka at just 93 pitches while the team's ace was cruising and closer Dellin Betances supposedly unavailable. Instead of sticking to his guns with Betances' availability, Girardi blinked when the Yankees needed just two outs with a two-run lead in the ninth inning and brought in his exhausted closer anyway. Betances uncoiled and the Yankees lost their second heartbreaker in a row.

Alternatively, the Girardi continuously pitched to Hanley Ramirez despite the fact that he was destroying Yankees' pitching. In Sunday's game, once CC Sabathia allowed a three-run homer to Ramirez and languishing through five innings at 101 pitches, Girardi went back to Sabathia for the sixth inning, trying to play a lefty-lefty matchup at the plate. This was a circumstance that Girardi has to see that Sabathia was already up against the wall, and starting the inning with a fresh arm was necessary. Sabathia quickly allowed three singles and the lead was gone.

Not only has Girardi's use of the bullpen this season, especially in recent days, displayed anxiety on his part, it tells his players it is time to press. There is enough pressure to win, but when the manager puts his fingerprints on the game to the extent that Girardi often does, it adds to the stress felt by the players. Instead of the players going about their business, Girardi has indicated in his actions that the situation is bigger than the reality.

The Yankees, of their own-doing, might have eliminated themselves from the wild card race in this eight-game stretch, versus getting outplayed by their opponents. If the Yankees want to produce a meaningful finish, they have to take back the notion that they own their destiny and cannot look past the game in front of them. The Yankees still face the three teams ahead of them in the standings and worrying about the scoreboard or tomorrow does them no good.

As Mark Teixeira said, the team needs a miracle, but in reality they just need to play a quality game from start to finish without adding undue stress. The players should take Monday's off-day to reflect on how they got hot by focusing on the daily test and playing with a nothing to lose mindset.

That is how the Yankees handled August and early September; with a blueprint of playing without anxiety and taking things day by day. If the Yankees get back to that, good things can still happen.

Tags: CC Sabathia , Dellin Betances , Mark Teixeira , Masahiro Tanaka , Christopher Carelli

CC Sabathia gave up a three-run home run to Hanley Ramirez in the fifth inning and Tyler Clippard gave up a go-ahead solo homer to Ramirez in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees got swept by the Boston Red Sox in a 5-4 loss on Sunday at Fenway Park. >> Read more

• Ramirez went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. His solo homer off Clippard broke a 4-4 tie.
• Sabathia made a throwing error on a Mookie Betts lineout that prolonged the fifth inning. With two on and two out, Ramirez hit a three-run home run to cut the Yankees' lead to 4-3.
• Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single in the sixth inning off Sabathia to tie the game at 4.
• Sabathia gave up four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.
• Gary Sanchez went 3 for 5 with a solo home run.
• Didi Gregorius hit an RBI single in the first inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Sanchez's home run in the third inning made it 2-0.
• Brett Gardner and Ronald Torreyes grounded into run-scoring fielder's choices in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.
• Drew Pomeranz allowed four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees' inability to put away the Red Sox with tack on runs, coupled with Yankees' manager Joe Girardi's ill-advised moves (and non-moves) with his relievers contributed to a devastating series sweep.

Entering the series with the Red Sox, it was apparent the Yankees needed to keep up with Boston's offense, which averages over six runs per game. The Yankees managed to generate leads of at least three runs in three of the four games, but never tacked on runs late. Instead, the Red Sox chipped away and then came through with major blows using timely hitting.

The offense was partially to blame, but Girardi's bullpen management has to be called into question. Girardi thoroughly botched Thursday's affair, pulling Masahiro Tanaka at just 93 pitches through seven innings and then going to an exhausted Dellin Betances to try an close out the game. Sunday, Girardi left Sabathia to pitch the sixth inning after he allowed a laser-beam home run to Ramirez the previous inning. Sabathia coughed up three straight singles and yet another lead.

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What's next...

The Yankees are off Monday and begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.94 ERA) faces Drew Smyly (7-11, 4.98 ERA) in the opener.

Tags: Brett Gardner , CC Sabathia , Didi Gregorius , Gary Sanchez , Boston Red Sox , Ronald Torreyes , Tyler Clippard

New York Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro could miss the rest of the season with a strained hamstring and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is day-to-day with a bruised knee, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller.

Both Castro and Ellsbury left Saturday's game with injuries.

An MRI revealed a Grade 1 hamstring strain to Castro after he "felt a pop" while running the bases after hitting a double in the fifth inning. Manager Joe Gitardi said Castro's return depends on how quickly he heals.

"Hopefully it's not too long," he said. "Hopefully it's not more than a week, but I still think that's probably pushing it. But you're hoping that he heals quick."

Ellsbury bruised his knee diving for a ball in the seventh inning.

"Being a center fielder, you've got to be able to run," Girardi said about Ellsbury's return. "That's the bottom line."

Tags: Jacoby Ellsbury , Starlin Castro

BOSTON -- CC Sabathia is just 12-13 with a 4.54 ERA against the Boston Red Sox in his career. But you wouldn't know it from the stats posted by the current Boston players as the left-hander heads into Sunday night's start for the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Sabathia will try to help his team avoid a sweep of the four-game series that has essentially ended its postseason hopes.

The current Red Sox are hitting a combined .232 with five homers and 20 RBIs against Sabathia, who brings a 5-5 record and 5.15 Fenway ERA into the rain-threatened game.

Hanley Ramirez comes in 0-for-10 against Sabathia, and David Ortiz is at .219 with two homers in 73 at-bats, Aaron Hill is 4-for-31, Xander Bogaerts is 2-for-15 and Jackie Bradley Jr. is 3-for-14 with seven strikeouts.

"Obviously, with CC on the mound, we'll see some different guys on the field just based on the left-right situation," Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Saturday's game, noting Ortiz, who is 16-for-73 against Sabathia, might get the night off. Farrell later decided to rest Ortiz.

Sabathia, who faces fellow left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the final Fenway game of the season between the rivals, has been pitching well, with four quality starts in his last five outings. He has faced the Red Sox just once this season, yielding nine hits and five runs (four earned) in a July 16 loss at Yankee Stadium. >>Read more at SNY.tv. . .. 

The skidding Yankees wrap up their four-game series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday at 8:08 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Red Sox
Brett Gardner, LF	Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Ronald Torreyes, 3B	Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gary Sanchez, DH	Mookie Betts, RF
Billy Butler, 1B	Hanley Ramirez, DH
Didi Gregorius, SS	Chris Young, LF
Brian McCann, C	Travis Shaw, 1B
Donovan Solano, 2B	Aaron Hill, 3B
Mason Williams, CF	Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Rob Refsnyder, RF	Bryan Holaday, C

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.10 ERA) has held the current Red Sox to a combined .232 average with five homers and 20 RBIs. Sabathia brings a 5-5 record and 5.15 Fenway ERA into the game.

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz is 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 11 starts with the Red Sox and 10-12 with a 3.25 ERA overall.  He was acquired by the Red Sox from San Diego Padres in exchange for pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in what has become a controversial deal (Padres general manager A.J. Prella suspended for 30 days for withholding medical information), 

Tags: Boston Red Sox

The Yankees got out to an early three-run lead, but the Red Sox battled back, beating the Yankees for the third game in row, 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park. Read the full AP recap at SNY.tv...

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• With the game tied a five in the seventh, Adam Warren uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Mookie Betts to score the winning run.
• Betts had tied the game earlier in the inning with an RBI single. 
• Brett Gardner put the Yankees up early with an RBI triple, and Gary Sanchez followed with a two-run home run, his 15th of the season. 
• Starter Bryan Mitchell allowed four runs (three earned) in 4.2 innings pitched. 
• Luis Severino escaped a bases-loaded jam, but did allow a run, two hits and three walks in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. 
• Austin Romine and Didi Gregorius both had multi-hit games. 
• Starlin Castro and Jacoby Ellsbury both exited the game with apparent injuries. 

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

This is not exactly how the Yankees envisioned this series panning out.

While the Yankees are still mathematically in the Wild Card race, their focus for the rest of the season mainly rests with the performance of their young players. There will be ups and downs along the way -- today's game being a perfect example -- but the experience cannot be understated.

Gary Sanchez has established himself as the future face of the club. It is unfair for fans to expect this kind of production over a whole season, but I believe it is safe to say Sanchez is going to be an integral component to the Yankees' future.

On the rubber, two of the Yankees potential starting pitchers for 2017 were on display. Bryan Mitchell is still under 35 innings of total work for the season, so seeing some rust is not surprising. Luis Severino has shown the ability to lock down opponents, however, he too is still fine-tuning his repertoire as displayed today.

That's what the rest of this season boils down to, fine tuning for a bright future.

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What's next...

The Yankees will look to salvage a win in the final game of their four-game series with the Red Sox on Sunday night at 8:08 p.m. CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Yankees and face off against LHP Drew Pomeranz (2-5, 4.60 ERA). 

Tags: Bryan Mitchell

The Yankees continue their four-game series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Red Sox
Brett Gardner, LF	Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gary Sanchez, DH	David Ortiz, DH
Starlin Castro, 2B	Mookie Betts, RF
Billy Butler, 1B	Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Didi Gregorius, SS	Travis Shaw, 3B
Chase Headley, 3B	Sandy Leon, C
Austin Romine, C	Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Rob Refsnyder, RF	Andrew Benintendi, LF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (6.14 ERA, 2.05 WHIP) allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits while walking none and striking out two in 2 2/3 innings against the Dodgers during his last start. During his prior start, which was his first start of the year since coming back from a toe injury, he tossed five scoreless innings against the Blue Jays.

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: LHP David Price (3.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) allowed two runs on two hits while walking none and striking out nine against the Orioles during his last start. Has struck out 210 batters in 205 2/3 innings (31 starts) this season.

Tags: Bryan Mitchell , Boston Red Sox

The Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Gwinnett Braves on Friday night, 3-0, taking the Governors' Cup as the International League Champions. 

The Railriders, who finished the regular season with the best record in the International league at 91-52, closed out the best-of-five series in four games. 

Starter Daniel Camarena went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and no runs. Top prospect Clint Frazier, acquired from the Indians in the Andrew Miller trade, finished the game 2-for-3. 

It is Scranton's first International League title since 2008. 

 

 

The Yankees fell behind early and failed to come all the way back, falling to the Red Sox for the second straight day, this time 7-4 on Friday night. Read the full AP recap on SNY.tv...

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• Starter Luis Cessa lasted five innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out just one but walked none.
• The Red Sox got off to a quick start against Cessa, with David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez driving in runs with singles in the first inning. 
• Ramirez added a solo home run in the fourth inning, his second long ball of the series. 
• Gary Sanchez got the Yankees back into the game with a two-run double off the Green Monster. 
• Bostson added two runs in the sixth off relievers James Pazos and Jonathan Holder.
• Billy Butler blasted a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the ninth inning to pull the Yankees within three. 
• Mason Williams went 2-for-3, the only Yankee to produce a multi-hit game.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees put together a nice and unexpected run after trading away their best players and calling up a handful of rookies to gain some valuable experience over the season's final two months. Their recent performance (losing three in a row and five of their last six games) directly following a seven-game winning streak is more indicative of what many expected once the calendar turned to August.

The Yankees might rebound and stay close in the Wild Card race, but the focus for the organization should be to provide game action for anyone they feel will stick with the club into the 2017 season. Players not in the future plans should not see the field and if the Yankees manage to win games, it is a bonus. In doing this, the front office will have a better understanding of what holes they'll need to plug this offseason.

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What's next...

The Yankees look to get back on track at Fenway Park tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 6.14 ERA) gets the start for the Yankees and will oppose LHP David Price (16-8, 3.81 ERA). 

Tags: Luis Cessa , Boston Red Sox

Pitcher Dellin Betances will not be available to pitch Friday night, and possibly Saturday, so RHP Tyler Clippard will fill in as the team's closer, reports ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. 

Betances had thrown in three consecutive games (57 pitches) and blew Thursday night's save against the Red Sox, allowing four runs, including the game-winning home run to Hanley Ramirez. 

He also allowed two unearned runs against the Dodgers in an inning of work on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. 

Clippard has a 0.47 ERA in 21 appearances (19 innings) since rejoining the Yankees at the non-waiver trade deadline. 

Tags: Dellin Betances , Boston Red Sox , Tyler Clippard

The Yankees continue their pivotal four-game series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday at 7:10 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Red Sox
Brett Gardner, LF	Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gary Sanchez, C	David Ortiz, DH
Starlin Castro, 2B	Mookie Betts, RF
Didi Gregorius, SS	Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Chase Headley, 3B	Travis Shaw, 3B
Brian McCann, DH	Chris Young, LF
Mark Teixeira, 1B	Sandy Leon, C
Mason Williams, RF	Jackie Bradley Jr., CF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Luis Cessa (4.34 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) allowed four runs on five hits (including three home runs) while walking none and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings against the Rays during his last start. Has struck out just 31 batters in 47 2/3 innings (five starts, eight relief appearances) this season.

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (5.31 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) allowed six runs on four hits while walking four and striking out three in three innings against the Blue Jays during his last start. He had allowed just one earned run during each of his prior three starts.

Tags: Luis Cessa

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

After a devastating loss to Boston on Thursday night, the Yankees have two rookies toeing the rubber, Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell, before CC Sabathia takes the mound in the series finale. The pitching, obviously important, is not where the Yankees have their best chance to return the favor to the Red Sox.

The Yankees entered the series needing to win three out of four to make a statement in the postseason race. Masahiro Tanaka's gritty effort should have resulted in one of the victories, but questionable bullpen management and Dellin Betances' performance created a hard to swallow two-game swing in the standings.

Thursday night's loss marks the Yankees' fourth in their last five games, but somehow they have to put the toughest loss of the season behind them. The best way for the Yankees to boost morale is with a convincing victory Friday and to ride that to a better finish than how the series opener concluded.

In the next three games, the Yanks face a trio of starters very susceptible to allowing runs.

Clay Buchholz enters Friday's game with a 5.31 ERA and he's only in the Red Sox rotation due to the injury to Steven Wright. David Price is 16-8, but owns a 3.81 ERA, benefitting from the Red Sox offense. The Yankees are very familiar with Price and have had success against him this season (.356/.405/.521 slash line in three starts) Finally, Drew Pomeranz's time in Boston has not gone as smoothly as it had in San Diego (4.60 ERA in 58 2/3 innings).

The Yankees offense had several opportunities to blow Thursday's game wide-open but failed to capitalize. Expecting to keep the Red Sox offense down is unreasonable, but outhitting them, however difficult, might be their only option to win the series.

If there is a time for the Yankees offense to find some rhythm and take advantage of the hurlers stacked against them it is now.

Tags: Bryan Mitchell , CC Sabathia , Luis Cessa

New York Yankees RHP Dellin Betances suffered his second loss in as many days when he allowed four runs, including Hanley Ramirez's walk-off three-run home run, with two outs in the ninth inning in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Betances (3-6) blew his fifth save of the season, second since Aug. 30, as the Yankees squandered an opportunity to climb within three games of the division and remain two games back in the wild card race.

"This one hurts," manager Joe Girardi said, according to the Associated Press. "We've got to bounce back tomorrow. We were in a pretty good position going into the ninth inning and we weren't able to close the deal."

Betances, who took over the closer role after the Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller at the trade deadline, has allowed six runs (four earned) over his past two outings. Prior to that, he allowed six runs over his last 35 appearances.

He struggled down the stretch last season, too. Carrying a 1.12 ERA in mid-August, he then allowed six runs over his next 20 innings. By contrast, he had allowed 11 runs total (eight earned) from April to mid-August.

But this season, Girardi used Betances for the third day in a row for the second time this month. He threw 16 pitches in 1 1/3 innings in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 20 pitches and two unearned runs in Wednesday's 2-0 loss, and 21 pitches in Thursday's loss.

The Yankees led 5-1 in the eighth inning before David Ortiz hit a solo home run to cut it to 5-2. With one on and one out in the ninth, Girardi brought in Betances, who walked Dustin Pedroia and got Xander Bogaerts to ground into a fielder's choice to cut down a runner trying to score.

He then allowed back-to-back RBI singles to Ortiz and Mookie Betts, and a passed ball allowed pinch runner Marco Hernandez and Betts to put the winning run in scoring position. On the next pitch, Ramirez then hit a 98 mph to dead center field for the walk-off.

"It's frustrating," Betances said. "We had that game. You don't want to do that this late. Obviously, we're trying to win games. When that happens, you're not helping."

Tags: Andrew Miller , Aroldis Chapman , Dellin Betances , Boston Red Sox

Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Dellin Betances in the bottom of the ninth as the Red Sox rallied for five runs in the inning and stunned the Yankees 7-5 in the first game of a four-game series Thursday at Fenway Park. >>Read more at SNY.tv.....

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• The Yankees collapse ruined another strong outing by Mashairo Tanaka. He allowed one run and four hits in seven innings and didn't have any strikeouts as he lowered his ERA to 2.37.
• The Yankees struggled after Tanaka left with a 5-1 lead. Adam Warren gave up a solo homer to David Ortiz in the eighth. It was Ortiz's 537th career homer as he surpassed Mickey Mantle on the all-time liss.
• The ninth inning was a nightmare for the Yankees, who have lost four of five. With one out, Chris Young was hit by Blake Parker's pitch and Dustin Pedroia walked and both advanced on defensive indifference. The Yankees got the second out when they caught Young off third trying to advance on Xander Bogaerts' weak bouncer to the mound. But Ortiz singled to score Pedroia, Mookie Betts singled to score Bogaerts and two batters later Ramirez homered.
• Yankees manager Joe Girardi tried to avoid using Betances in the ninth, starting with Tommy Layne for one out and then turning to Parker, who grazed Young on top of the helmet. Betances, the loser in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, walked Pedroia but got the second out when Young tried to score from third on a short grounder and was cut down at home. Ortiz singled to make it 5-3. Mookie Betts singled to make it 5-4, and Gary Sanchez's passed ball put runners on second and third before Ramirez ended it
• New Yankees acquisition Billy Butler had an RBI single in the first and RBI sac fly in the third as the Yankees knocked out Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez with four runs in 2 1/3 innings.

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Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Tanaka turned in a nifty seven-inning outing considering he did not have great stuff (zero strikeouts), but he generated a slew of ground ball outs (15) and kept the high-powered Red Sox in check. Tanaka now holds the American League ERA lead with a 2.97 mark and is beginning to garner AL Cy Young Award consideration.

Any talk of Tanaka's worth and whether he is an ace pitcher should finally be put to bed. Unfortunately, Tanaka's effort was completely wasted as Dellin Betances tanked his second straight game, this time allowing four runs when he needed just two outs to close out the contest.

Betances looks completely gassed. He has allowed nine runs (seven earned) in four of his last five games. He will likely get a day and maybe two off at a time when each game is crucial to the Yankees waning playoff chances.

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What's next…

The Yankees play the second game of the four-game set against the Red Sox on Friday at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.  Luis Cessa  (4-1, 4.34 ERA) faces Clay Buchholz (6-10, 5.31)

The Yankees begin a pivotal four-game series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. 

Follow the game live on SNY.tv...

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Yankees	Red Sox
Brett Gardner, LF	Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gary Sanchez, C	David Ortiz, DH
Starlin Castro, 2B	Mookie Betts, RF
Billy Butler, DH	Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Didi Gregorius, SS	Travis Shaw, 3B
Chase Headley, 3B	Sandy Leon, C
Rob Refsnyder, RF	Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Tyler Austin, 1B	Andrew Benintendi, LF

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Who's Pitching for the Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (13-4, 3.04 ERA) has been amazing for the Yankees lately, surrendering two earned runs or less in each of his last five outings. In his most recent start, Tanaka pitched 7.1 innings against the Rays, and allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out 10. 

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Who's Pitching for the Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.70 ERA) has looked strong in his last two outings, pitching a total of 14 innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out 10. Rodriguez has struggled with control, walking at least two batters in each of his last four outings.

Tags: Masahiro Tanaka , Boston Red Sox