Yankees baseball blog

Yankees back to the big show

When it comes to possessing a thirst for winning World Series, the apple didn't fall far from the Steinbrenner tree. Instead, it hugged the bark on the way down.

Not long after Derek Jeter poured a river of Chandon champagne over him and his sister, Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal, Hal Steinbrenner showed while he might not have the bluster his pop had, the son has similar needs.

"We expect to win a championship," Hal, the Yankees' managing general partner, said after the Yankees punched their ticket to the World Series against the Phillies that opens Wednesday in The Bronx by handing the bumbling Angels a 5-2 loss in Game 6 of the ALCS last night at Yankee Stadium.

So, with their eyes stinging and their heads on the way to a monster hangover,the Yankees were presented with the final challenge of what so far has been a magical 2009 season. Continue

Yanks rally but can't shut door, back to NY

Twenty cases of champagne sat outside the clubhouse waiting to be opened Thursday night. But as the Yankees headed for their charter flight back to New York, the corks remained tightly sealed.

That's because after staging an improbable six-run seventh inning to erase a four-run Angels lead, the Yankees watched as their bullpen melted down in a 7-6 loss in Game 5 that sent the ALCS back to the Bronx.

Many Yankees players had scheduled flights to their homes around the country, not planning on returning to New York until Sunday, when they figured the preparation for the World Series would begin. Instead, they boarded the cross-country flight Thursday night hoping they hadn't let their best shot at the Fall Classic slip away. Continue

Yanks just a win away from return to the World Series

 If Joe Girardi was dumb Monday, he was a genius Tuesday.

Heavily criticized for the way he used the bullpen in an ALCS loss to the Angels on Monday, Girardi’s decision to start CC Sabathia on three days’ rest in Game 4 turned out brilliant.

Faced with pitching Chad Gaudin, Joba Chamberlain or Sabathia on short rest, Girardi wisely went with the staff ace and Sabathia responded with eight brilliant innings, hurling the Yankees to an 10-1 victory in front of 45,160 at Angel Stadium.

The win gave the Yankees a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and moved them within a victory of advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2003. Game 5 is Thursday night when A.J. Burnett faces John Lackey. If Games 6 and 7 are necessary they will be played at Yankee Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. Continue

Yanks finally lose close one in extra innings

- At least the Yankees don't have to worry about blowing another 3-0 lead in the ALCS.

Jeff Mathis' walkoff RBI double scored Howie Kendrick all the way from first base, as the Angels pulled themselves back in the series with an 11-inning, 5-4 win over the Yankees at Angel Stadium.

Joe Girardi's decision to pull Dave Robertson for Alfredo Aceves with two outs in the 11th came back to haunt him, as Aceves gave up a single by Kendrick, setting up Mathis' game-winning double to left.

The Angels cut the Yankees' lead in the best-of-seven series to 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight. CC Sabathia will come back on three days rest to start for the Yankees, while Scott Kazmir makes his first start of the series for the Angels. Continue

A-Rod comes up big, Yanks refuse to lose, go up 2-0 in series

It was fitting that Yogi Berra was in attendance at Saturday night's game, as the Yankees experienced deja vu all over again.

Eight days after A-Rod and Mark Teixeira combined for a memorable, extra-inning playoff win, A-Rod and Melky Cabrera treated Yankee stadium to another dramatic comeback victory in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Two innings after A-Rod's leadoff homer off Brian Fuentes tied the game, the Yankees walked off with a 4-3 win over the Angels in the 13th when Maicer Izturis threw away Cabrera's ground ball as the Angels tried to force out Robinson Cano at second base. The game lasted five hours and 10 minutes. Continue

Yanks sweep Twins

Goodbye Metrodome, hello rally monkey.

The Yankees polished off their sweep of the Twins in the final game ever to be played inside the dome, getting clutch home runs by A-Rod - who else? - and Jorge Posada to give the Bombers a 4-1 victory and their first playoff series win in five years.

"This is what we set out to do," Joe Girardi said, champagne bottle in hand after winning his first postseason series as a manager. "I told the guys, 'This is goal No.2, and we'll attack goal No.3 at the end of next week.'"

Actually, it's this week.

The three-game sweep puts the Yankees in the ALCS for the first time since 2004, as they'll begin a best-of-seven set against the Angels Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Continue

Another walk-off for Yanks, lead series 2-0

Mystique, aura and the ghosts have taken up residence in the latest Yankee Stadium.

How else can you explain last night's 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS?

First, A-Rod tied the score, 3-3, with a two-run homer in the ninth off closer Joe Nathan, then,Mark Teixeira won it by tucking a searing line drive inside the left-field foul pole leading off the 11th.

And those two events were mainstream compared with David Robertson escaping a bases loaded, no-out jam in the 11th and left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi incorrectly calling Joe Mauer's leadoff fly ball to left in the inning foul.

"That was crazy. Are you kidding me?" CC Sabathia said after the Yankees grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series and headed for Minneapolis, where Game 3 will be played tomorrow night. Continue

Yankeees too much for Twins

Ron Gardenhire manages Joe Mauer, so he recognizes studs when he sees them.

Last night in Game 1 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium the Twins manager saw them almost everywhere he looked in the Yankees’ lineup.

“Everyone is a stinking All-Star,” the Twins’ manager said of the Yankees hitters.

The Steinbrenner Family All-Stars were no match for the physically shot and emotionally spent Twins, who lost the opener of the best-of-five series, 7-2, in front of a sold-out gathering of 49,464 in the first playoff opener at the new Stadium.

Asked if his AL Central champs, who needed 12 innings Tuesday to beat the Tigers 6-5 in a tiebreaker game at home, were fatigued, Gardenhire said there were other forces working against the Twins. Continue

A-Rod goes off in Yanks last regular season win of 09

Joba Chamberlain was perfect in one inning of relief,A-Rod homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs to help the playoff-bound NY Yankees finish the regular season with a 10-2 victory over the Rays today.

Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis, giving the AL East champions a 3-2 lead. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning after Andy Sonnanstine issued an intentional walk to league co-home run champion Mark Teixiera to load the bases.

New York, preparing to open the playoffs at home against Detroit or Minnesota on Wednesday or Thursday, finished with a 103-59 record, its best since 103-58 in 2002. Continue

Pettitte flat in final start before playoffs

Just because he has bigger game to bag this week in the Division Series, that didn't reduce the sting Andy Pettitte felt after pitching poorly last night.

"I had no command of my curveball or fastball and my cutter was flat," Pettitte said after absorbing a 5-3 loss to the Rays in front of an announced Tropicana Field crowd of 30,084. "I wanted to pitch good. Any time the team loses it's tough. You still have pride, and you want to pitch a good game. I didn't do that. Now I will prepare for the next game."

Pettitte, who allowed five runs (three earned), six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings and finished the season 14-8, will start Game 2 or 3 of the ALDS against the Tigers or Twins, who start today's action tied for the AL Central lead. Continue