Yankees - Mets@ Citi Field
(3 Game Series)
The Rays came into the Bronx and put the beat down on a nicked up Yankee team. However if the games were not against a division rival, as well as a team that we are chasing it would not have been as bad. Let's chalk this one up to two poor starting pitching performances from guys who had been pitching very well. They were bound to have a bad outing eventually. It's just a shame it was against the AL East leading Rays. So let's put that one behind us because there were a few good things to come out of that series. David Robertson seems to be back on track. Joba and Mariano are well rested. The offense continues to be adequate with limited talent at the bottom of the order. The team continues to show fight, and what separated these past couple of games from what the 2009 Yankees would have done was the bullpen allowed tack on runs to let the games out of hand, and out of "pie" range. Hopefully the team can put the losses behind them and get ready for another rivalry series against the Mets.
The Mets are struggling. They have been a very streaky team all season long, and are currently in a downward trend. They have lost 3 of their last 10 and sit 2 games under .500 which is good for last place in the NL East. However bad the Mets seem to be, they have an exceptional record at home (14-8) for a team that has played so poorly. The Mets like the Yankees have been hit with the injury bug, but mostly to their pitching staff. However the Yankees will see the top 2 pitchers in the Mets rotation this weekend. As well the Yankees will face Hisanori Takahashi who for those of you do not remember pitched against the Yankees in 2004 during an exhibition game in Japan. The only Yankees who have faced him and will be in the line up are Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez who went a combined 0 for 4.
The Subway Series' are always ones you look forward to during the course of the year, but this may end up being a battle of the inept. Both teams come into this series playing very poorly, so the most you can say is one team is bound to break out. With the Yankees lineup being slightly depleted playing the series in the NL park may actually help their cause, because the lineups are naturally weaker. It will also be interesting to see how Joe Girardi Manages his bench and bullpen in the NL. On the other side it has been rumored that depending on the out-come of this series it may be the end of the line for Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya. If so it would be a blessing in disguise for their organization. They need a complete overhaul which I suggested to my Met friends over the winter.
This series is going to be fun, it always is. No matter what has been happening to either team ahead of time you can never predict how the games are going to play out. In the spacious Citi Field the Yankees may start to miss Curtis Granderson's defensive abilities. While Gardner has done a superb job in center it is a huge upgrade to have them both out there running down fly balls. Enjoy the games trash talk to your Met fan friends if we win, and either hide or pull out the ultimate trump card if we lose. You know what I am talking about.
Matchups
Game 1: Tonight @ 7:10 p.m. | TV: YES & SNY | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
RHP Javier Vazquez (2-4, 8.01) vs. LHP Hisanori Takahashi (3-1, 3.12)
Game 2: Saturday @ 7:10 p.m. | TV: FOX | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
LHP Phil Hughes (5-0, 2.25) vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-1, 3.02)
Game 3: Sunday @ 8:05 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
LHP CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.31) vs. LHP Johan Santana (3-2, 3.72)
YANKEES:
- C Jorge Posada was placed on the 15-day DL with a hairline fracture in his foot. He will be out 3-4 weeks.
- CF Curtis Granderson is on the 15-day DL with a grade 2 strain of his left groin and is expected to be out 2 more weeks.
- OF Nick Swisher felt a strain in his bicep. He was back in the line up, but it is something to keep an eye on.
- DH/1B Nick Johnson is on the 60-day DL with an inflamed tendon in the wrist. Had Surgery on Tuesday out until Late July.
- RHP Alfredo Aceves is on the 15-day DL with lower back discomfort.
- OF Marcus Thames is day-to-day with a sprained ankle
METS:
- CF Carlos Beltran is on the 15-day DL he had knee surgery during the off season and is not expected back until at the earliest mid season.
- RHP Kelvim Escobar is out indefinitely. Shoulder surgery.
- RHP Sean Green is on the 15-day DL he has a stress fracture in his right side.
- RHP Ryota Igarashi is on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring.
- RHP John Maine is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury to his throwing arm.
- Util Daniel Murphy is on the 15-day DL with a sprained right MCL
- LHP Jonathan Niese is on the 15-day DL with a mild strain of the left Hamstring
(3 Game Series)
The Rays came into the Bronx and put the beat down on a nicked up Yankee team. However if the games were not against a division rival, as well as a team that we are chasing it would not have been as bad. Let's chalk this one up to two poor starting pitching performances from guys who had been pitching very well. They were bound to have a bad outing eventually. It's just a shame it was against the AL East leading Rays. So let's put that one behind us because there were a few good things to come out of that series. David Robertson seems to be back on track. Joba and Mariano are well rested. The offense continues to be adequate with limited talent at the bottom of the order. The team continues to show fight, and what separated these past couple of games from what the 2009 Yankees would have done was the bullpen allowed tack on runs to let the games out of hand, and out of "pie" range. Hopefully the team can put the losses behind them and get ready for another rivalry series against the Mets.
The Mets are struggling. They have been a very streaky team all season long, and are currently in a downward trend. They have lost 3 of their last 10 and sit 2 games under .500 which is good for last place in the NL East. However bad the Mets seem to be, they have an exceptional record at home (14-8) for a team that has played so poorly. The Mets like the Yankees have been hit with the injury bug, but mostly to their pitching staff. However the Yankees will see the top 2 pitchers in the Mets rotation this weekend. As well the Yankees will face Hisanori Takahashi who for those of you do not remember pitched against the Yankees in 2004 during an exhibition game in Japan. The only Yankees who have faced him and will be in the line up are Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez who went a combined 0 for 4.
The Subway Series' are always ones you look forward to during the course of the year, but this may end up being a battle of the inept. Both teams come into this series playing very poorly, so the most you can say is one team is bound to break out. With the Yankees lineup being slightly depleted playing the series in the NL park may actually help their cause, because the lineups are naturally weaker. It will also be interesting to see how Joe Girardi Manages his bench and bullpen in the NL. On the other side it has been rumored that depending on the out-come of this series it may be the end of the line for Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya. If so it would be a blessing in disguise for their organization. They need a complete overhaul which I suggested to my Met friends over the winter.
This series is going to be fun, it always is. No matter what has been happening to either team ahead of time you can never predict how the games are going to play out. In the spacious Citi Field the Yankees may start to miss Curtis Granderson's defensive abilities. While Gardner has done a superb job in center it is a huge upgrade to have them both out there running down fly balls. Enjoy the games trash talk to your Met fan friends if we win, and either hide or pull out the ultimate trump card if we lose. You know what I am talking about.
Matchups
Game 1: Tonight @ 7:10 p.m. | TV: YES & SNY | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
RHP Javier Vazquez (2-4, 8.01) vs. LHP Hisanori Takahashi (3-1, 3.12)
Game 2: Saturday @ 7:10 p.m. | TV: FOX | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
LHP Phil Hughes (5-0, 2.25) vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-1, 3.02)
Game 3: Sunday @ 8:05 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Radio: WCBS & WFAN
LHP CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.31) vs. LHP Johan Santana (3-2, 3.72)
Three Questions
- Can Javier Vazquez play the role of stopper and get this rotation back on track?
- Can the Yankees manufacture some runs in the home run shy Citi Field?
- Will the bullpen sure itself up and return to lock down form?
Injury Report
YANKEES:
- C Jorge Posada was placed on the 15-day DL with a hairline fracture in his foot. He will be out 3-4 weeks.
- CF Curtis Granderson is on the 15-day DL with a grade 2 strain of his left groin and is expected to be out 2 more weeks.
- OF Nick Swisher felt a strain in his bicep. He was back in the line up, but it is something to keep an eye on.
- DH/1B Nick Johnson is on the 60-day DL with an inflamed tendon in the wrist. Had Surgery on Tuesday out until Late July.
- RHP Alfredo Aceves is on the 15-day DL with lower back discomfort.
- OF Marcus Thames is day-to-day with a sprained ankle
METS:
- CF Carlos Beltran is on the 15-day DL he had knee surgery during the off season and is not expected back until at the earliest mid season.
- RHP Kelvim Escobar is out indefinitely. Shoulder surgery.
- RHP Sean Green is on the 15-day DL he has a stress fracture in his right side.
- RHP Ryota Igarashi is on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring.
- RHP John Maine is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury to his throwing arm.
- Util Daniel Murphy is on the 15-day DL with a sprained right MCL
- LHP Jonathan Niese is on the 15-day DL with a mild strain of the left Hamstring
