6/30 Minor League Report

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(Triple-A) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (44-35) lost to Pawtucket (36-43) 6-5: Box Score - Recap

Batting:
Justin Christian LF: 1-for-3, RBI (3), 2 BB, R
Marcus Thames DH: 1-for-4, RBI (1)
Jeff Natale PH-DH: 1-for-1, 2 RBI (6), R
Eduardo Nunez SS: 0-for-4, BB
Jesus Montero C: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI (32) - now batting .250
Jorge Vazquez 3B: 1-for-5, 2B
Reid Gorecki RF: 1-for-4, R, SB (9)
Reegie Corona 2B: 2-for-4, RR, SB (11)
P.J. Pilittere 1B: 0-for-3, BB
Greg Golson CF: 2-for-4, 2B, R

Pitching:
Romulo Sanchez (L, 4-7): 5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, WP (4.65 ERA)
Jason Hirsh: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (4.23 ERA)

Pitches-strikes: Sanchez, Ro 90-52, Hirsh 44-30.
Groundouts-flyouts: Sanchez, Ro 6-3, Hirsh 4-2.


(Double-A) Trenton (47-31) lost to New Britain (22-57) 3-1: Box Score - Recap

Batting:
Daniel Brewer LF: 0-for-5
Austin Krum CF: 2-for-4, R
Austin Romine C: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI (42), BB
Brandon Laird 3B: 0-for-4
Matthew Cusick DH: 3-for-4, 2B
Edwar Gonzalez RF: 0-for-2, BB
Kevin Smith 1B: 0-for-3, BB
Luis Nunez SS: 1-for-4
Justin Snyder 2B: 2-for-3, 2 2B, BB

Pitching:
Andrew Brackman (L, 0-2): 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R , 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HBP (4.50 ERA)
Wilkins Arias: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2.87 ERA)
Tim Norton: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (1.13 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: Brackman 5-4, Arias 1-2, Norton 2-1

(High-A) Tampa (Overall: 40-33; Second Half: 4-1) and Lakeland (Overall: 38-37; Second Half: 1-4) had their doubleheader rained out.

(Low-A) Charleston (Overall: 32-43; Second Half: 1-5) vs. Augusta (Overall: 45-31; Second Half: 4-2) was also rained out.


(Single-A Short-Season) Staten Island (6-6) beat Aberdeen (5-8) 4-2: Box Score - Recap

Batting:
Eduardo Sosa CF: 2-for-5, 2 2B, R
Shane Brown LF: 1-for-3, RBI (3), 2 BB, R
Isaiah Brown CF: 1-for-5
Kyle Roller 1B: 2-for-5, RB (4), RR
Kelvin De Leon RF: 1-for-3, 2 BB, R
Kevin Mahoney 3B: 1-for-4
Jose Mojica SS: 2-for-4, 2 RBI (6)
Casey Stevenson 2B: 1-for-4, 2B
Jeffrey Farnham C: 0-for-4

Pitching:
Michael O'Brien (W, 3-0): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (0.98 ERA)
Matthew Jernstad: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (1.50 ERA)
Nathan Forer (H, 2) :1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (0.00 ERA)
Preston Claiborne (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2.08 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: O'Brien 2-6, Jernstad 1-1, Forer 2-1, Claiborne 2-0.


(Rookie) GCL Yankees (4-5) lost to the GCL Braves (5-4) 6-2: Box Score - Recap

Batting:
Kelvin Duran CF: 1-for-4, R
Cito Culver SS: 0-for-3, BB, R
Gary Sanchez DH: 1-for-4
Ramon Flores RF: 1-for-3, RBI (7), HBP
Reymond Nunez 1B: 2-for-4, RBI (12)
Fu-Lin Kuo 3B: 1-for-4
Damian Taveras DH: 0-for-4
Nathan Aron LF: 0-for-4
Jose Toussen 2B: 0-for-3

Pitching:
John Van Benschoten: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (0.00 ERA)
Brett Gerritse (L, 1-1): 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K WP (5.00 ERA)
Mariel Checo: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (4.76 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: Van Benschoten 2-1, Gerritse 4-5, Checo 1-5.
Groundouts-flyouts: Mitchell, B 3-8, Quintana, J 6-0, Mullee, C 1-2.

Game 77: Yankees vs. Mariners

Regular Season Game 77

Yankees vs. Mariners

Yankee Stadium - Bronx, NY
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES | Radio: WCBS | XM: 176

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES (47-29)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Colin Curtis LF
Francisco Cervelli C

Pitching: RHP Javier Vazquez (6-6, 5.16 ERA)

MARINERS (32-44)
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Chone Figgins 2B
Russell Branyan 1B
Milton Bradley DH
Jose Lopez 3B
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Jack Wilson SS
Rob Johnson C
Michael Saunders LF

Pitching: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.28 ERA)

Yankees vs. King Felix

	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
M. Teixeira	36	11	3	0	3	6	3	8	.306	.350	.639	.989
C. Granderson	25	9	1	0	1	1	0	10	.360	.360	.520	.880
N. Swisher	23	6	1	0	3	4	5	4	.261	.393	.696	1.089
D. Jeter	15	5	1	0	0	1	2	2	.333	.412	.400	.812
R. Cano	13	5	0	0	1	3	2	2	.385	.467	.615	1.082
A. Rodriguez	8	2	0	0	0	2	1	2	.250	.300	.250	.550
J. Posada	5	3	0	0	0	1	1	1	.600	.667	.600	1.267
Totals	125	41	6	0	8	18	14	29	.328	.390	.568	.958

Mariners vs. Vazquez

	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
J. Wilson	30	8	1	0	0	1	1	6	.267	.290	.300	.590
I. Suzuki	21	6	1	1	0	1	1	5	.286	.318	.429	.747
M. Bradley	18	3	0	0	0	0	0	4	.167	.211	.167	.377
J. Lopez	14	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	.143	.133	.143	.276
F. Gutierrez	12	4	2	0	1	2	2	5	.333	.467	.750	1.217
C. Kotchman	8	3	1	0	0	1	0	0	.375	.444	.500	.944
C. Figgins	7	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	.286	.286	.429	.714
R. Branyan	6	3	0	0	3	4	0	1	.500	.500	2.000	2.500
R. Langerhans	4	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	.250	.400	1.000	1.400
J. Bard	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	.333	.333	1.333	1.667
Totals	123	33	6	1	6	12	5	26	.268	.311	.480	.790

Data provided by Elias Sports Bureau via ESPN

News & Notes

- Javier Vazquez is 4-2, with a 4.35 ERA in six career starts against the Mariners. He last faced them in 2008, when he went 1-0, with a 6.35 ERA in one start. Here are some more of Javy's 2010 stats: FIP: 5.07, xFIP: 4.62, BABIP: .263, K/9: 7.56, BB/9: 3.84, HR/9: 1.56, GB rate: 34.9%, WAR: .3.

- In five starts against the Yankees, Felix Hernandez is 2-3, with a 4.59 ERA. He faced and shut down the Yankees one time last year. In 9 innings he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in a win. Here are some more of King Felix's 2010 stats: FIP: 3.38, xFIP: 3.49, BABIP: .297, K/9: 8.39, BB/9: 2.88, HR/9: 0.72, GB rate: 54.9%, WAR: 2.5.

- Click on the team name for the Yankees or Mariners 2010 batting stats.

- If you can spare a few minutes don't forget to come sign up for the forums. And like always, the chat room in the forums is open.

Stick around and discuss the game

as it happens in the comments section.

Tonight's Lineup vs. King Felix

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Colin Curtis LF
Francisco Cervelli C

Game thread coming later...

Three SWB Yanks Make Triple-A All-Star Game

Catcher Jesus Montero, short stop Eduardo Nunez, and relief pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo have been named to the International League all-star team.

- Montero is hitting .251/.315/.414 with 6 HR, 17 doubles and 31 RBI. He's also 9 for his last 21 with 3 HR and 6 RBI.

- Nunez is hitting .313/.357/.419 with 3 HR, 38 RBI, 18 doubles and 15 stolen bases.

- Albaladejo has been SWB's closer, and is 2-1, with 33 saves, and an ERA of 1.17. In 38.1 innings, he's allowed 5 earned runs on 22 hits, walked 12, and struck out 51.

Thames Close To Returning

According to Chad Jennings, Marcus Thames did running drills yesterday, and if he reports no problems today he's scheduled to begin a rehab assignment in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight. Guys like Colin Curtis and Chad Huffman have filled in nicely, but with Thames hitting .302/.412/.442 against lefties this year, the Yankees could certainly use his bat.

More info later in the minor league report.

Gardner Says Wrist is Getting Better

From MLB.com:

"It feels a lot better today," Gardner said on Tuesday. "It's still a little swollen, a little bit stiff. Hopefully, I can swing a bat tomorrow."

X-rays taken on Monday came back negative, and Gardner spent Tuesday receiving treatment on that wrist. The speedy outfielder was expected to be available as both a pinch-runner and a defensive replacement for the Yankees' series opener with the Mariners, and he's cautiously optimistic about starting on Wednesday.

"They're talking it could be a couple days -- it could be day-to-day," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's progressing. We're just evaluating every day."

That's a relief. The guy's been an All-Star this season, and they really can't afford any key injuries right now.

Rusty Phil No Match For Lee

(AP Photo)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Seattle «	0	1	1	1	1	3	0	0	0	7	12	1
N.Y. Yankees	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	8	2

WP: C. Lee (7-3) LP: P. Hughes (10-2)

One thing I couldn't stop thinking as last night's game went on was how badly I want to see Cliff Lee in the Yankees rotation. This guy is just about as good as it gets in baseball right now and he'd dominate on this team. Too bad they're probably going to have to wait until the offseason to land him. For Yankees fans wondering if Lee would even want to be a Yankee, after the game he did have this to say when asked about pitching for the Yanks in the future:

“Yeah, I like pitching here,” Lee said. “You’re going to have a sellout and it’s going to be a lot of fans. Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed pitching here. They’re knowledgeable fans, they understand the game and get into it. As a player, that’s what you like and respect. Obviously I try to keep them as quiet as possible when I’m facing them on this side.”

Keeping the Yankees fans quiet was exactly what he did last night as he threw yet another complete game (his fifth), allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk, and struck out two.

Another thought that kept popping in my head was how angry Yankees fans are going that Phil Hughes pitched terribly after having his last start skipped. Not because he was bad, but because of the bad memories of the Joba Rules and the fear of that repeating itself with Hughes. Well, rest easy because it's not. Sure, it's likely that he wasn't as sharp as he normally is because of the extra rest--even Joe Girardi admitted that--but it's not something that should happen much if at all during the second half.

Tonight, Hughes had very little. In 5.2 innings, Hughes allowed a season-high seven runs (six earned) on ten hits, also a season high, while walking two and striking out three. He was in trouble for most of his outing and allowed individual runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth, and then a three spot in the sixth before leaving the game.

Hughes' command within the strikezone wasn't good and he had trouble executing pitches with men on and it cost him time and time again.

Offensively, the only Yankee to get to Lee was Nick Swisher, who smacked two solo homers to bring his season total to 13. Besides Swisher, Curtis Granderson was the only other Yankees to have more than one hit. And as for the other two Yankees runs; the third run came in on an error by left fielder Michael Saunders, and Jorge Posada drove in the Yanks fourth with a ground-rule double.

To make matters worse, Boston won again tonight and are now just one game behind the Yanks, injuries and all.

Things don't get much easier for the Yankees tomorrow as Felix Hernandez will take the mound for the Mariners. Javier Vazquez will start for the Yankees. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. and the game will be on YES.

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Derek Jeter, SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	.286
Nick Swisher, RF	4	2	2	2	0	0	1	.292
Mark Teixeira, 1B	4	1	1	0	0	0	1	.230
Alex Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.281
Robinson Cano, 2B	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.358
Jorge Posada, DH	3	0	1	1	1	1	0	.275
Curtis Granderson, CF	4	0	2	0	0	0	1	.243
Chad Huffman, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.200
Francisco Cervelli, C	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.272
Totals	34	4	8	3	1	2
Batting
2B - Mark Teixeira (14, Lee), Jorge Posada (10, Lee)
HR - Nick Swisher 2 (13, Lee, Lee)
RBI - Nick Swisher 2 (47), Jorge Posada (28)
RISP: 2-6 (Curtis Granderson 0-1, Alex Rodriguez 0-1, Chad Huffman 0-2, Jorge Posada 1-1, Robinson Cano 1-1) Team LOB - 4
Fielding
DP - Cano-Jeter-Teixeira, Teixeira
E - Francisco Cervelli (3, Missed catch of throw), Curtis Granderson (1, Misplayed grounder)

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Phil Hughes (L,10-2)	5.2	10	7	6	2	3	1	3.58
Boone Logan	1.1	2	0	0	0	1	0	3.93
Chan Ho Park	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	6.48
IBB - Gutierrez by Phil Hughes
Pitches-Strikes - Phil Hughes 94-63, Boone Logan 19-12, Chan Ho Park 24-19
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Phil Hughes 7-4, Boone Logan 2-1, Chan Ho Park 3-2
First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: Phil Hughes 19/26; Boone Logan 3/6; Chan Ho Park 5/6

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Cliff Lee (W, CG, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) HONORABLE MENTION: Nick Swisher GOAT OF THE GAME: Phil Hughes