Yankees baseball blog

Yanks trade for versatile Hinske

The Yankees added an insurance policy to their roster Tuesday, acquiring Eric Hinske in a trade with the Pirates.

Pittsburgh will receive minor league righthander Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer. Hinske, who turns 32 in August, can play first base, third base and both corner outfield spots, giving them another versatile player to use in a variety of ways. Continue

Yanks sweep Bad News Mets at Citi Field

Mariano Rivera's historic night only added to the Replace-Mets' shame.

Rivera not only became just the second player ever to record 500 saves, but the Yankees' closer also notched his first career RBI in a 4-2 win that completed a three-game Subway Series sweep at Citi Field and extended the Mets' swoon.

Mets closer Frankie Rodriguez made his team a punch line in the ninth inning when he walked Rivera on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run as the remaining pro-Yankees crowd erupted in laughter and cheers. Continue

C.C. and bats dominate Mets

No matter how many times CC Sabathia said he felt fine and no matter that he threw a clean bullpen session earlier in the week, Joe Girardi wasn't going to be convinced his ace's arm was sound until he had more proof. Early in Friday night's game against the Mets, the Yankee manager got it when he peered up at the Citi Field scoreboard and saw the velocity readings as Sabathia throttled the Mets.

Sabathia consistently threw 95 miles per hour - he even hit 98 at least once - and quickly squashed any worry about the tender biceps that knocked him out of his last start in the second inning and caused debate whether he should even take the ball Friday night. Continue

A-Rod heating up, Yanks lay 11 on Braves

After watching A-Rod swing the bat Thursday night, Joe Girardi may never rest him again.

A-Rod had his best game in a month, helping the Yankees to an 11-7 win over the Braves to send them home for the Subway Series feeling pretty good about themselves. Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a home run, a walk and four RBI in his first multi-hit game since he went 5-for-5 against the Rangers on May 25 - also the last time he drove in four runs in a game.

"He's had some good swings and hasn't gotten a lot out of it," Girardi said. "Tonight, he got something out of it. He was locked in tonight. It was the Alex of old." Continue

A-Rod shows up Yanks win

Maybe Joe Girardi is the problem.

As soon as he was tossed from last night's game with one out in the top of the sixth inning, a point where the Yankees had yet to even tally a hit against the Braves, the bats that Girardi has been awaiting for almost two weeks started cranking.

And Girardi? He was in the clubhouse, not stationed in the dugout.

The Yankees scored three runs in the sixth inning from different but equally unexpected sources - a home run by backup catcher Francisco Cervelli and a two-run single with two outs from the slump-mired A-Rod to help snap their three-game losing streak and post an 8-4 win over the Braves. Continue

Yanks offense fails to show again

Chien-Ming Wang pitched his best game of the season Tuesday night. Too bad he couldn't hit, too.

The Yankees wasted one opportunity after another against rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson, failing to get the big hit all night in a 4-0 loss to the Braves.

Alex Rodriguez continues to look like a shell of his former self, taking another 0-for-4 to extend his latest slump to 1-for-23 and drop his average to .207. A-Rod is hitting .143 (9-for-63) in June, struggling as he works his way back from his March hip surgery. Continue

CC early exit in Yank's loss

What's worse: losing four of six to the Nationals and Marlins or losing your ace to an arm injury?

Unfortunately for the Yankees, they don't have to choose.

The Bombers dropped their second straight series to a weak NL East squad, losing the rubber match to the Marlins, 6-5, Sunday. They also lost CC Sabathia, though it appears the big lefthander won't require any time on the disabled list.

Sabathia was pulled with one out in the second inning, experiencing tightness in his left biceps. The Yankees said no tests were planned on the pitcher's arm, as he was listed as day-to-day. Continue

Yanks bats stay flat in loss vs Marlins

A.J. Burnett's return to Florida wasn't nearly as contentious as his first start back in Toronto earlier this year, but the result was the same - a loss.

Burnett gave the Yankees a solid effort, but Florida ace Josh Johnson outpitched him over seven innings, leading the Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Yankees Saturday night.

Burnett pitched for the Marlins from 1999-2005, ranking second on the team's all-time lists in wins (49), losses (50), strikeouts (753), innings (853-2/3), ERA (3.73), games started (131) and complete games (14). Continue

Andy Pettitte rights ship, Yanks win

Maybe the Yankees discovered the answer in the warm South Beach air where some of them headed after last night's victory over the Marlins.

After all, the trendy stretch of beautiful people and freaks was as good as any other place to try and figure out how the Yankees' lineup came alive when Alex Rodriguez was deleted and Andy Pettitte inserted.

That's right. Take the cleanup hitter out and let a pitcher hit. Even if Rodriguez's bat was dead and his body exhausted it's not exactly the way to jump-start a lineup that had scored a two runs in the previous two games.

Yet with Rodriguez sitting out the first of a two-game rest and Pettitte forced to hit in an interleague game played in an NL park where the designated hitter is not employed, the Yankees halted a two-game slide with a 5-1 win over the Marlins in front of 35,027 at Land Shark Stadium. Continue

Yanks O quiet in loss to Nats

The newest father among the Yankees pitched just well enough last night to keep his job -- but just badly enough to get handed a loss against the woeful Nationals.

"It appears that he threw the ball better," manager Joe Girardi said after the Yankees' 3-2 loss at the Stadium. "We lost the game because we didn't hit tonight."

The manager, who had placed Wang on double, secret probation heading into last night, said it's safe to assume the right-hander will make his next scheduled start. Nevertheless, Girardi wants to review the tape before making it official. Continue