The Captain's Blog

The Yankees wrapped up an abysmal Sunday-to-Sunday period with an embarrassing Subway Series loss to what had been a struggling Mets team. By going 2-6 since last Sunday’s melt down against the Twins, the Yankees have gone into a free fall and dropped out of the AL East division race and into a wild card morass.

The Yankees had no answer for Jason Bay, who went 6-6 with two HRs over the final two games of the Subway Series (Photo: AP).

The Yankees were hoping C.C. Sabathia would help salvage the series and the week, but the ace lefty was in trouble from the first inning, mostly because of poor fastball command. In the second inning, a two-out, two-run hit by Alex Cora and a two-run homer by Jason Bay essentially salted the game away. While Sabathia struggled over his five innings, giving up six runs in the process, Mets’ ace lefty Johan Santana kept the Yankees bats quiet until the top of seventh inning. In that inning, Francisco Cervelli plated a run with a single that just missed hitting off the left field foul pole, but no further damage was done. The Yankees finally mounted a more sustained threat in the eighth inning, when they knocked Santana from the game with the bases loaded and two outs, but Pedro Feliciano put out that fire by getting Robinson Cano to pop out to second base.

Much like in the Tampa Bay series, the Yankees roused themselves in the ninth after trailing for most of the night. The rally forced Jerry Manuel to call on closer Francisco Rodriguez one night after he recorded a five out save. With the score now 6-2, Krod entered the game with runners on a first and third and one out. The first batter he faced was Derek Jeter, who doubled home a run on a hanging curveball. Rodriquez then retired Gardneron a ground ball to third, although the call could have gone either way. Mark Teixeira extended the game by reaching on a Baltimore chop base hit, setting the stage for a classic Arod vs. Krod battle. Heading into the AB, Arod had only been 2 for 16 with nine strikeouts against Krod, but the Mets closer still pitched carefully to the Yankee slugger. After falling behind 3-1, however, Arod just missed a fastball down the middle and a changeup on the outside corner, fouling both off instead of driving them into the gap or, even better, into the seats. Then, Krod spun a curve on 3-2, but the change of speeds fooled Arod, who swung through the pitch to end the ballgame.

For the Mets, the Subway Series victory not only provided two much needed victories, but also offered several positive signs for the team’s future. In Hisanori Takahashi, who pitched an excellent ballgame on Friday, the Mets may have discovered another reliable starter to complement Santana and Mike Pelfrey. On offense, Jason Bay, David Wright and Jose Reyes all contributed to the final two victories; if that trio can get hot at the same time, the Mets should be able to score their fair share of runs. In particular, Jason Bay had a monster final two games, going 6-6 with two HRs, five runs scored and three RBIs. If Bay can really get hot, his bat could help carry the Mets over a long stretch, which would further take pressure off Wright and Reyes.

Meanwhile, the Yankees leave Citi Field as the more beleaguered team in New York. In addition to being exposed because of numerous injuries, both Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira have continued to struggle mightily, particularly with runners in scoring position. Over the last week alone, both hitters’ failures to come through in the clutch contributed at least four of the team’s six losses. In addition, the pitching staff has also been ineffective. Ironically, over the last 10 games, only Javier Vazquez has pitched consistently well (although a poor consolation, the poor performances by Hughes and Sabathia against the Mets actually give more credibility to Vazquez’ excellent outing on Friday).

Undoubtedly, the Yankees have started to succumb to the pressure of being shorthanded. At 5-10 in the last 15 games, however, it is time to stop saying the Yankees have played well despite injuries. Instead, the truth is they have failed to step up despite having several big names to pick up the slack. Most of the blame goes on the players, like Jeter and Teixeira whose struggles have limited the offense, but some is also reserved for the manager. Over the Yankees’ 15 game slump, several of the losses have been abetted by very poor lineup construction and game strategy. Without a manager to help guide them through a difficult period, the players will either have to step up their performance in Minnesota, or the team will take a further step back in the division.

The second game of the Subway Series features a match-up of each team’s best young starter. The more heralded Phil Hughes has finally begun to show the promise that led him to be considered one of the best prospects in the game, while the more established Mike Pelfrey has bounced back from a disappointing 2009 season to more resemble the pitcher who proved doubters wrong in 2008.

Both pitchers come into the game with five victories, but Hughes has been the more impressive of the two, posting an ERA three-quarters lower despite pitching in the American League East. Still, the Mets have to be excited about Pelfrey’s re-emergence. Like Hughes, Pelfrey’s improvement as a starter has stemmed from increased confidence in and command of the four seamer.

The key for Hughes will be using the aggressiveness of the Mets hitters along with the spacious Citi Field outfield to his advantage. Expect a heavy dose of fastballs early and then the gradual introduction of his cutter and curve. In his last start against Boston, Hughes gave up a pair of homers on the cutter, so he’ll have to work extra hard to make sure he gets the pitch in on the hands of the few left handed hitters that the Mets have.

Pelfrey’s biggest challenge will be making sure he keeps his pitch count down by attacking the front and back of the Yankees lineup. The Mets desperately need innings from Pelfrey, so even five runs of shutout ball probably won’t be much help.

The only change to the Mets lineup is the addition of Luis Castillo in the two hole, while the Yankees only adjustment is Randy Winn in left field. With both teams struggling to drive in runners from scoring position over the last few games (and over a longer period for the Mets), the first team to capitalize on a rally could gain a decided edge, especially if both pitchers are on top of their game.

While the Yankees simply need to keep winning because, well, they’re the Yankees, the Mets are teetering on the edge of having their season blow up. Jerry Manuel’s job could very well depend on the talented arms of Pelfrey and Johan Santana tomorrow, so there could be a sense of added urgency. Whether that inspires the struggling Mets, or only tightens the noose around their neck remains to be seen.

For most of the early season, the Yankees had been winning every game except the ones started by Javier Vazquez. Now, Vazquez has recorded the last two Yankee wins. As John Sterling would say (over and over again), you just can’t predict baseball.

Jose Reyes watches Alex Cora's errant toss fly over his head into center field. The seventh inning error helped the Yankees score their only two runs of the game (Photo: AP).

The story of the game for the Yankees was the precision pitching of Vazquez. With the exception of his strange refusal to throw strikes to Alex Cora, whom he walked twice, Vazquez cut through the Mets lineup like a knife through butter. Over one stretch of retiring eight consecutive batters from the first inning until the end of the third, Vazquez only needed to throw 23 pitches. The combination of throwing first pitch strikes and having the aggressive Mets hitters swing early in the count allowed Vazquez to coast through 4 1/3 innings before surrendering his first hit on a blooper into shallow center by Angel Pagan. In total, Vazquez only needed 70 pitches, 46 of which were strikes, to get through six innings.

The reason Vazquez was only able to last six innings in the game was because the Yankees had fallen beneath their injury quota and someone needed to pick up the slack. While bunting in the top of the seventh, Vazquez pinched his finger against the bat and wound up having to leave the game. Before falling victim to that misfortune, the Yankees benefitted from a bit of good luck earlier in the inning when a throwing error by second baseman Cora set the stage for a two run double by Kevin Russo, who was making his first major league start. Russo eventually advanced to third on Vazquez fateful bunt, but was stranded when Derek Jeter grounded out weakly to short and Mark Teixeira flew out to center following a Brett Gardner walk

The Yankees needed a little bit of help from the Mets defense because they were unable to cash in on several scoring opportunities throughout the course of the game. In both the third and fourth innings, the Yankees put runners on second and third with one out, but each time Mets’ starter Hisanori Takahashi responded with a strikeout (Jeter and Swisher being the respective victims) before closing the door on the inning. Aside from those two jams, Takahashi was almost as effective as Vazquez. The more disciplined Yankee lineup forced Takahasi to throw 100 pitches (73 strikes) in his six innings, but the Mets’ lefty, who was making his first major league start, left the game unscathed when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Yankee bullpen was forced into duty because of the injury to Vazquez. Girardi did his usual mixing and matching with David Robertson and Damaso Marte before eventually settling on Joba Chamberlain to pitch out of a first and second jam with only one out. The reason the Mets were able to advance their first runner to second base was because Francisco Cervelli returned Cora’s favor by committing a throwing error of his own on a dribbler in front of the plate by Ike Davis.  Despite pitching behind in the count, Chamberlain pitched out of trouble by freezing David Wright on a 3-2 fastball and then getting Angel Pagan to swing at a 3-2 slider in the dirt. Continue Reading »

Over the past several years, the Subway Series has usually featured two teams on divergent paths. When the Yankees have been riding high, the Mets have usually been down in the dumps, and vice versa. This time, however, both teams come limping into the showdown.

The Subway Series is always important for both teams (although much more for their fans), but this time around, the relative struggles of each team has given it added significance. The Yankees’ main concern is getting back on a winning track so the Rays don’t run and hide. The Mets, however, could be playing for their manager’s job. Should the Yankees sweep, many have speculated that Jerry Manuel could be fired.

For most of the season, Javier Vazquez has been the Yankees sore thumb, but now he is being called upon to be a stopper. After a strong start in Detroit and a relief victory against Boston, Vazquez seeks to make further progress in what so far has been a disappointing season. With the offense depleted by injuries and the rest of the starters suffering their first hiccup of the season, Vazquez’ performance has ceased to be a luxury, so any step back could be a considerable blow.

The Mets, meanwhile, have been teetering on the brink of oblivion. Three-fifths of their rotation has been sidelined by either injury or poor performance, while hitters up and down the lineup have struggled to produce. In particular, the triumvirate of Reyes, Francoeur and Bay has failed to meet expectations, which has caused the offense to stagnate. David Wright has also come under constant criticism despite being the team’s best offensive player. While his 55 strikeouts have been staggering, Wright has essentially become the whipping boy for team-wide failure (ala Arod in the past).

The Yankees have been playing a National League lineup for much of the past 10 games, so tonight’s lineup doesn’t represent the usual drop off that the team has suffered in an NL park. The addition of Kevin Russo in the eighth slot is a new wrinkle, but otherwise the Yankees will rely on their core group of stars to handle Japanese import Hisanori Takahashi, who throws everything but the kitchen sink.

So, with both teams hungry for a win, it will be interesting to see if the extra scrutiny of the series tightens the noose around each team, or helps them shake off their recent doldrums.

Interleague Facts and Figures

• At 133-95, the Yankees have the best record in interleague games.
• Derek Jeter (303) and Alex Rodriguez (253) have the most hits in interleague history.
• Jeter has also scored the most runs (171) in interleague, while Arod has had the most RBIs (163).

The Rays came to the Bronx to deliver a message and did so loudly and clearly. By sweeping two games from the Yankees, the Rays not only outplayed them, but outclassed them as well. It’s only May, but until the Yankees get healthy, if they ever do, the AL East appears to be the Rays division to lose.

A two game sweep at the hands of the Rays left the Yankees flat on their backs.

Like yesterday, the Rays jumped on the Yankees from the get-go, scoring three runs in the first before an out was recorded. This time, however, the Yankees didn’t wait until the end of the game to put up a fight. In the bottom of the second, Juan Miranda’s two run homer deep into the right field stands cut the deficit to 3-2, but the Yankees real opportunity to take control of the game occurred in the third. After Randy Winn led off with a single, Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner both reached on perfectly placed bunt singles, the latter of which created a run when James Shield threw wildly down the first base line. With the game now tied and runners on second and third, the Yankees were poised to take the lead. However, Shields induced a weak groundout from Teixeira and then struck out Arod and Cano to strand both runners. With the state of the Yankees lineup, such a feeble showing by the healthy middle of the order was a disastrous end to the inning.

The two teams traded runs in the fourth inning (the Yankees run was the result of BJ Upton losing a Miranda fly ball in the early evening sky), but then the Rays pulled away in the middle innings. Andy Pettitte tried to keep the Yankees in the game, but he lacked the command that defined his 5-0 start. Although he threw a sufficient amount of strikes (65 of 103 to be exact), Pettitte left too many pitches over the plate and paid the price. Before his night was over, Pettitte wound up surrendering seven runs for easily his worst start of the season.

Perhaps the lone bright spot for the Yankees was a dominant two inning relief performance by David Robertson, who struck out four of the six batters he faced. Unfortunately, Chan Ho Park did little to offer similar encouragement. Park surrendered yet another home run in his brief Yankee career and helped to thwart any chance for a comeback.

As they often do, the Yankees did get off the deck in the ninth. After Derek Jeter doubled home two runs off Rays closer Rafael Soriano, Gardner came to the plate as the tying run, but grounded out meekly to third base, ending the game and sending the Rays home with a rare Yankee Stadium sweep.

As the Rays leave town with a healthy five game lead, the Yankees now find themselves closer to the fourth place Red Sox than to first place. The Subway Series is next up for the Yankees, but one wonders if their embarrassing showing against the Rays will lead to a letdown over the weekend. Regardless, the Yankees need to stop the bleeding fast or they’ll soon find themselves looking up at most of the division.

• Last season, Chan Ho Park did not surrender a single homerun as a reliever. This season he has surrendered five, including at least one in four of his five outings.
• Derek Jeter’s three hit game was his first since April 30.
• Andy Pettitte’s pick-off of Ben Zobrist in the third inning was the 98th of his career, the most by any pitcher since the stat was first maintained.
• During the game, Major League Baseball president and COO Bob DuPuy announced that the Yankees protest of their Tuesday loss against Boston was denied.