WHY I'M NOT UPSET WITH THIS YANKEES LOSS

(Photo: Getty)
Yankee fans, let's admit, this game for the Yankees meant absolutely nothing to us. The Yanks have already clinched the American League East and home field advantage in both rounds of the American League playoffs. So with that in mind, it was OK that the Yankees lost this game to the Tampa Bay Rays. There's very few of these games a year, if any at all, that mean absolutely nothing whether it's a win or loss. So let's recap...Hector Noesi squared off against James Shields for the Rays in this one. Noesi was on a pitch count as he was starting just his second game of the season. He went 2 innings while allowing five hits and three runs on 59 pitches. He allowed all three of his runs in the third inning, so it seemed like he ran out of gas. We very well may have seen Noesi for the final time this season as he finishes the year with a 2-2 record with a 4.47 ERA in 30 games while pitching in quite a variety of roles. It's his rookie season, and we give him kudos for pitching in a number of important games for the Yanks this season. Phil Hughes also made an appearance in relief. He went an 1.2 while allowing two walks on a hit and a strikeout. Andrew Brackman made his second career appearance as he recorded the final two outs in the 8th.

This was a huge game for the Rays. Pretty much a must win for them since they were one game back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race entering play on Monday. He went 8.2 innings for them while allowing six hits on two walks and three K's. Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth finished off his former team by recording the final out in the 9th.The offense for the Yankees pretty much came from one source, and that was Robinson Cano. Cano went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and and RBI single in the first and third innings, respectively. The rest of the team combined to go 4 for 27 (.148 AVG), which includes Jorge Posada's 0 for 4 in what may have been his last start at first base this season. Although he went 0-for he made a couple of nice plays at first.

Final Score: Rays 5 - Yankees 2
I'm not upset with this loss whatsoever. The Red Sox lost, again, so they're now 6-19 during the month of September, which means the Rays and Red Sox are tied in the Wild Card race with identical 89-71 records. Boston's collapse has been very fun to watch all month long and it'd be awesome if they can complete it. Bartolo Colon (8-9, 4.02 ERA) goes for the Yanks against Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.90 ERA) for the Rays on Tuesday.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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YANKEES CLINCH! DIVISION TITLE NEXT!

Today was pretty exciting. The game itself was slow going because James Shields was very very good today. In fact, he was dynamite. Finally, after the 7^th inning, things changed. The Yankees had 1 run until Eduardo Nunez cranked out a homer to tie it up.

Then , in the bottom of the ninth, Robinson Cano knocked a 2 run double to bring the Yankees ahead 4-2. But let me back up. If Brett Gardner didn’t slash that opposite field single to start off that inning and Derek Jeter didn’t work a walk, Robinson Cano's hit means nothing. That’s team work, that’s the Yankees offense, that’s a team hungry for the postseason.

Hector Noesi started the game for the Yankees today. He was a last minute add because Phil Hughes was scratched with back spasms. Noesi pitched 2.2 innings, allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 2. Like I’ve said in WHY THE YANKEES PEN IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL, Noesi is a team player and does what is asked of him. He did it again today, this time starting and you have to tip your hat to this kid, he handled it well. But that’s not all, the pen was incredible and they deserve much of the credit in keeping the Rays held to 2 runs the rest of the game. The combination of Raul Valdes, George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Cory Wade, Boone Logan, Luis Ayala (who earned the win), and Mariano Rivera was brilliant for a day game before this night game. Girardi mixed up the pitchers, righty to lefty and kept the Rays off guard. Terrific job today.

1 heads up base running situation that I wanted to point out which took place today and I loved it because you know I love speed if you read Bleeding yankee Blue. Eduardo Nunez stole second and third in the same inning (I believe the 5th.) No, it didn't give us a run, though it's important because it shows agression and pure grit. Gotta love it.

Final Score: Yankees 4 –Rays 2

Congrats to the Yankees for making the postseason for the 16^th time in 17 years. That is incredible. But no celebration yet. The Yankees have a night game with the Rays and CC Sabathia is on the mound right now. After a win tonight, then let's talk about party time...one game at a time.

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PREDICTING THE MVP & CY YOUNG AWARDS

It’s hard to believe that it is already September, which means we are in the final sprint for post-season play and voting for the best of the best. There are a lot of deserving candidates out there, so there is no sure vote.

It’s no secret that good pitching is the key to winning games, and this is the year of the pitcher. Question is, which pitcher is going to be King of the mound this year?

NL Cy Young candidates

A: Cliff Lee: 16-7, 2.47 ERA, 204 strikeouts, 1.031 WHIP. Lee went 5-0 in August and had at least 10 strikeouts in eight games this year.B: Cole Hamels: 13-7, 2.63 ERA, 169 strikeouts, 0.97 WHIP. Hamels holds the best WHIP stats in the National league, would have more wins if his team gave him better run support.

C: Roy Halladay: 16-5, 2.49 ERA, 195 strikeouts, 1.06 WHIP. Halladay has 7 complete games this season and has walked only 25 batters this season. He also has the best strikeout to walk ration in the big leagues. Is there ever a year when this guy isn’t in the CY Young discussion?
D: Clayton Kershaw: 17-5, 2.45 ERA, 222 strikeouts, 1.02 WHIP. Kershaw trails only Halladay in complete games pitched; he also leads everyone in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. He is second in WHIP and ERA.

Cy Young prediction: Clayton Kershaw
Runner-up: Roy Halladay

AL Cy Young Candidates

A: Josh Beckett: 12-5, 2.49 ERA, 155 strikeouts, 0.98 WHIP. Beckett has bounced back nicely from 2010 but has a lower strikeout total than the other candidates. He has done well keeping runs scored to a minimum allowing no more than five in any game this season.

B: James Shields: 14-10, 2.77 ERA, 205 strikeouts, 1.02 WHIP. Shields has pitched 10 complete games this season for the Rays. He could become a free agent at the end of the season if they don’t pick up his club option, but I doubt this happens.C: CC Sabathia: 19-7, 2.97 ERA, 211 strikeouts, 1.17 WHIP. Sabathia should make 30 starts for the 10th time in his career. His strikeout ratio trails only Kershaw and Verlander and has the second most wins in the majors.

D: Jered Weaver: 16-7, 2.49 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 1.03 WHIP. Weaver is argued to be the second most consistent pitcher after Verlander this year. He also has the best ERA in the league.
E: Justin Verlander: 21-5, 2.34 ERA, 224 strikeouts, 0.91 WHIP. Verlander is first in wins, strikeouts, and WHIP in the league. He has also gone 18-2 since April and has a no-hitter this year.

Cy Young prediction: Justin Verlander
Runner-up: Jered Weaver

Pitching wins games, but you also need a good offense to give you the run support. Question is, who has been the most valuable player?

NL MVP Candidates

A: Joey Votto: .316BA, 26 HR, 90 RBI. Can he repeat? His home run, RBI and OPS totals will most likely fall short from last year. His team does not have a shot at repeating their division title, so this will probably cost him votes.B: Prince Fielder: .292BA, 31 HR, 108 RBI. Fielder is argued to be half of one of the better offensive duos in the majors, but a teammate has been more effective offensively and probably fairs better to win. He is a league leader in RBI’s.

C: Matt Kemp: .319BA, 32 HR, 107 RBI. His average, stolen bases (37), home runs and RBI’s look impressive, but his high strikeouts (137) will probably cost him. He also plays for the Dodgers, who have had a less than impressive season which will cost him some votes.
D: Ryan Braun: .333BA, 27 HR, 95 RBI. Braun has had an impressive year leading the league in OBP (.402) and slugging percentage (.590). He is also among league leaders in runs scored and batting average. He also is second with stolen bases (31).

MVP prediction: Ryan Braun
runner-up: Matt Kemp

AL MVP Candidates

A: Adrian Gonzalez: .342BA, 23 HR, 105 RBI. Gonzalez has the best batting average, and amongst leaders in OBP and SLG percentage; however….he is sure to split some votes between himself and another Red Sox candidate.

B: Jacoby Ellsbury: .312BA, 24 HR, 85 RBI. He has the second best batting average, and the most stolen bases; however he is sure to split some votes with Gonzalez .C: Jose Bautista: .304BA, 40 HR, 92 RBI. He’s having another great year, and can still come close to the same number of home runs as last year. The fact that his team is not in contention in a much more competitive AL East division than last year is sure to cost him votes.

D: Justin Verlander: Yes, the wins and ERA are impressive; however pitchers have their own award. He is worth a mention though.

E: Robinson Cano: .305BA, 24 HR, 105 RBI. Cano is quietly making a case for MVP again with his consistent hitting and offensive and defensive skills but will he split votes with another Yankee?
F: Curtis Granderson: .269BA, 38 HR, 109 RBI. His batting average is lower, however his consistency this year is amazing compared to last year. The changes he has made have helped the Yankees win, and the power numbers and RBI’s don’t hurt either. He also has more extra base hits.

MVP prediction: Curtis Granderson
runner-up: Adrian Gonzalez

Clearly we're Yankee fans, clearly we root. But as far as this post is concerned, I’m glad I get to predict who will win, rather than give the news when the voting is done. It will be interesting to see how far off these predictions are. But like they say, you can’t predict baseball…



--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor



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WHY JORGE'S HEART BEATS STRONG

(Photo: NY Daily News)

One at bat does not define a season. Nor does one game for that matter. But the soon-to-be-40-year-old Jorge Posada (his birthday's Wednesday) came pretty damn close to making a case that his performance today is enough to keep him on the post season roster. Let's hope Joe Girardi and the rest of the Yankees see it the same way!



Behind the solid starting pitching of Phil Hughes, Jorge led the Yankees to the "W" column today with a 5th inning grand slam that had Yankee stadium rocking and broke the game open for the Bronx Bombers. Heading into the 5th the Yankees were holding onto a two run lead. When the 5th inning was over the Yankee lead was 7. In fact, 6 of the Yankees first 7 runs were by way of Mr. Jorge Posada! The Yankee DH finished with 6 RBI's today on three hits. Last time Jorge Posada had 6 RBI's in a game = September 2006. Also, surprisingly, 6 RBI's are not a career high for Jorge. He once had 7!

(Photo: AP)

Despite the sick day at the plate for Jorge, the other big story today has to be the performance of Phil Hughes. I mean the guy has now put together 3 solid outings in a row and really shut down the homer-happy Rays today, not an easy task. Hughes gave the Yanks five outstanding innings earning his 3rd win of the year and, more importantly, made his case to remain in the starting rotation. Girardi and the Yankees have to seriously consider Hughes over Burnett.

So the final line on Phil Hughes today was 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.



Although Posada was really the only story on the offensive side today, a few other Yankees were able to pad up their stats. Granderson's MVP season continued when he hammered his 33rd HR and knocked in his 94th RBI of the year.



Grandy, Cano, Tex, and the Captain each had 2 hits and Swish used his good eye at the plate to earn 3 BB's. The Yankees banged out a total of 16 hits and also walked six times.

(Photo: NY Daily News)

Overall just one of those fun games to watch today. Yankee fans love Jorge, make no mistake about that. The standing ovation and curtain call he received proved that. Despite Posada-gate earlier this season, Yankee fans are in Jorge's corner and it's days like today that make me smile from ear to ear. I just love Posada and how do you ignore Hughes progressing while AJ regresses? Let's hope the Yankees do not base their decision on who stays in the starting rotation vs. the bullpen on $82.5 million. Let's hope Yankee brass care about the "W"'s over the $$$'s!

OTHER GAME NOTES FROM TODAY:

(Photo: AP)

Before today's game Derek Jeter was honored for his 3,000th career hit. He donated his batting gloves and batting helmet from that July 9th game to the Hall of Fame.



Also, Yankees signed former Yankees RHP Scott Proctor to a minor league contract. Hmmmm....



FINAL SCORE: New York Yankees 9 - Tampa Bay Rays 2



Rubber match of the series tomorrow at 1:05pm. Freddy Garcia will face RHP James Shields who has six complete games this year.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com

Twitter: @MikeyBlu23



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WHY YANKEES HAVE OPTIONS, BUT WHAT WORKS?

What will the Yankee Brass do, if anything to help improve the Yankees. They signed Marcus Thames to a minor league deal today, but in my opinion, that was just a cheap yet, possibly affective bat just in case. There are some ideas, both bats and starters that I have my eye on. Again, I'm not saying we need these guys, I'm saying they should be on the radar, just in case.
Brandon Inge: The Tigers just send veteran Brandon Inge for assignment after he’s only batting .177 this year. He’s accepted a minor league assignment to Toledo. Read HERE. To me, I would think trying to scoop up this guy and seeing how he does in a few minor league games can't hurt. Inge has been a part of the Tigers for so long, maybe he just needs a change of scenery to get recharged and get going again. I’ve never been a huge Inge fan, but the way I see this is, if the Yankees were to trade for someone like Inge, it's an inexpensive veteran that may be able to contribute. You may not like Inge, you may think my idea is stupid, but Inge has been with the Tigers and he has always been apart of their lineup for a long time, plus, he can play third. All I’m suggesting is it’s an idea.

Mike Adams: This is why I love trade rumors, because no one knows what the hell is really going on. It goes down like this. A sports writer knows someone in a team clubhouse and overhears a conversation and they mention that someone "may" be available. Suddenly, the writer connects the dots “Well, he MAY be available and the Yankees are looking for relief. Looks like as match to me.” Next thing you know, Mike Adams is connected to the Yankees because to us, the bloggers and writers, it makes sense. But the reality of this deal is, according to Jeff Moorad, the Padres owner; the Padres aren’t interested in moving Mike Adams. Read HERE. That being said, never say die.

Heath Bell: I love this guy, but if Moorad is unwilling to part with Adams, what makes you think he will with Bell? Yes, the Yankees have a decent relationship with the Padres and yes, Cashman is smart and may be able to get Bell to the Bronx, but I feel like this just won’t happen. I hope I’m wrong.

James Shields: The Yankees would probably love an extra starter and after Shields beat them last night, they may even like James Shields more, but it is highly unlikely and don’t give it another thought. It’s the Rays Ladies and Gentlemen...Why would the Rays ever trade a guy in their own division? Shields is decent, and it is possible they could make a run in the AL east, it's still early, so to me, it doesn’t make sense. I didn’t put Shields in this post to give you hope, just reality, and I am not going to waste your time with it, I’m just trying to keep you informed with my own opinions. Read HERE.

Gio Gonzalez: I like this kid and the Yankees were attached to him at one point. To me, this kid is the future and if Cashman was smart and I know he is, he’s trying to figure out a way to get Gonzalez to the Bronx. This is a smart move in my mind. You could probably unload a minor leaguer or 2 and probably someone like Ivan Nova and suddenly you’d have a reliable lefty in your rotation that would be, in my opinion, a smarter move than Ubaldo Jimenez who’s current employers, the Rockies, want every minor leaguer the Yankees have. That Jimenez rumor is ridiculous if you think about it, the Yankees want to win this year and in the future, they’re not going to unload the farm. To me, Gonzalez makes sense. Read HERE.

Andy Pettitte: Yes, I went there. Why not? The Clemens case is over for now and I tell you what, I’m not the first person to think Andy Pettitte would come back. Now, it’s doubtful but you know the guy has been working out all spring and summer and you know he wants 1 more ring. The question is, will he come back? I say no, but in the back of my mind, I’m hoping he just shows up one day ready to go.

More names to comes, stay tuned right here on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY IT WAS A TOUGH NEW YORK LOSS

(Photo: Getty)
Kyle Farnsworth got the save tonight and I wanted to choke on my popcorn. This guy couldn't do a thing when he was in New York and suddenly he's getting a save against the Mighty Yankees. That's baseball, you can't predict it.
(Photo: AP)
The Yankees lost tonight but in the world of pitching duels, this was one that you needed to watch. I just wish it was the Yankees on top. CC Sabathia went 8 innings tonight, gave up 5 hits and 2 runs and struck out 8. It was a great effort by "CC Monster" as my 2 year old would say, but he didn't have run support, so there you go.

James Shields was dominant, more dominant than I've ever seen him. Now I'm starting to think that the talk from Buster Olney about the Rays and their willingness to unload him for the right price may in fact be an interesting rumor. Shields allowed 6 hits and 1 run over 7.2 innings. It sucks to lose to a rival, but tip your cap, it was a battle till the end.
(Photo: Getty)
The 1 highlight tonight was Robinson Cano doubling to right and knocking in Derek Jeter. That's the run, that's the game.

I'm disturbed by Mark Teixeria right now. He's not doing a blessed thing and it's one thing to be slow in April and hot in May, but it's another thing to be cold in the second half of the season when your team really needs you. Tex needs to snap out of it.

Final Score: Rays 2 - Yankees 1

The Yankee split against the Rays in a 4 game series. While I would have wanted a 3-1 series, I'll take it, there will be more match ups and we can improve. The Oakland Athletics are next. Get ready, here comes Hideki Matsui.

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WHY CC MONSTER RULES THE EARTH

(Photo: Getty)
CC rules the Earth, or at least the American League East. He has 13 wins. The man is unstoppable and just demonstrated it today pitching a complete game, allowing just 4 hits and no runs. He also struck out 9. What can you say about this guy except he led the Yankees into the All-Star break on a high note and now they can get a few days off to re-group and come back swinging next week after the elite players play the mid-summer classic in Phoenix. Ain't nothing better than that.

The Yankees are rolling and it's almost a shame that there is a break coming up because I believe the momentum Derek Jeter gave the Yankees yesterday translated to today and who knows what kind of streak would continue if there was no break. I guess we'll just have to continue after the All-Star game... So be it.

James Shields was no slouch today with 8 innings of work, allowed 4 hits and only 1 run. He also walked 1 and struck out 5.(Photo: Getty)
The only run today came on 2 errors from the Rays. After Cano got on base in the 7th inning, BJ Upton caught a ball and threw away the throw intended to pick off Cano. Then, with Cano on third, Shields tried to pick off Cano, but failed miserably throwing the ball away. Cano scored and the game was technically over.

So on a day like yesterday where there was plenty of offense, this game had barely any. The only thing it had was dominant pitching and a win for the Yankees. That, my friends is baseball.

Final Score: Yankees 1 - Rays o.Good ending on the last game before the break Gentlemen... rest now.

We will see you at the All- Star game where the Yankees are representing. Turns out great news just broke; Ron Washington must read Bleeding Yankee Blue because both David Robertson and CC Sabathia have been chosen to go to the All-Star game and right now, because of that decision, all is well in Yankeeland.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll tell you. We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue were aggravated that David Robertson and CC were not chosen. Read

• WHY ROBERTSON DESERVES AN ALL-STAR BID

• WHY RON WASHINGTON HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO

Now, don't get excited about CC in the All-Star game. He's not going. Because he just pitched and notched his 13th win, he passed and is replaced now by Alexi Ogando. That's what was supposed to happen. My opinion this, Ron Washington redeemed himself. He put out the invite, CC declined and now they move on. All I said was make the offer, that's all.

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