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New York Yankees News: 6/29/12

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Cano for All-Star game

- Mike Axisa at RAB looks at how the schedule shakes out without CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in the rotation for the immediate future. Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia would be lined up to pitch the doubleheader in Boston on July 7th.

- Curious about the signing status of the Yankees' first round draft pick Ty Hensley? Mike Ashmore, Trenton beat writer, interviewed Hensley and asked how the talks between player and team were going. There is still a chance that he goes to Ole Miss instead, but it at least seems like he and the Yankees will work something out before the deadline.

- Brad Vietrogoski of An A-Blog for A-Rod/TYA tries to find the silver lining in the injuries to Sabathia and Pettitte. The main point is the added rest for both guys while they are healing up, which probably can't hurt. CC pitches a lot of innings and Andy is old. But seriously, I'm about done with all the injuries this year.

- Stop me if you've heard this before: Russell Martin's back is acting up, but he doesn't think it's a DL situation. Of course. Martin hasn't been great at the plate this season, but Chris Stewart's bat can make anyone look good. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a repeat performance of last year, where Russ missed nearly two weeks but didn't think he needed a full 15 days. Sigh.

- Adam Warren will make his big league debut against the White Sox tonight after improving on a rough start to the season. It's always exciting to see one of the kids finally get a chance to play in the majors in front of their friends and family. Predictions for how you think he'll do?


Transactions: McAllister Up; Another Waiver Wire Claim

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Recalled RHP Zach McAllister from Columbus (AAA)

Optioned LHP Scott Barnes to Columbus (AAA)

Barnes was only up to give the Indians a bigger bullpen before McAllister was needed; he made just one appearance in this stint with the Indians, but it was a good one (2.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 SO). I'm not sure if the Indians are going to keep Barnes in the bullpen, or if they'll put him back in the Columbus rotation. With Rafael Perez still out and Sipp and Hagadone both struggling, they may need Barnes to play a big role in the major-league bullpen down the stretch. But I hope that that would be temporary, and that the Indians still view Barnes as a future major league starter.

The Indians have sure gotten good mileage out of a couple deadline deals made two seasons ago. Both McAllister (Austin Kearns) and Corey Kluber (Jake Westbrook) are legtimate starter depth at this point, and obviously Zach's track record at the major league level has gotten to the point where he's much more than that now. McAllister has pitched at the AAA level for three straight seasons, but he's only 24 years old. He was drafted out of high school in the third round of the 2006 draft, made it to AAA in 2010 on schedule, but really struggled that season. Perhaps if he hadn't been struggling he would have been pitching for the Yankees by then instead of being dealt to Cleveland for a reserve outfielder.

McAllister threw 171 innings between Columbus and Cleveland last season, so I don't think he'll be on any sort of innings limit this season. He's reduced his hits/inning each of the last two seasons, and has shown the ability to get strikeouts on both his fastball and his slider, a very good sign.

Claimed OF Vinny Rottino off Waivers from the New York Mets

Designated RHP Chris Schwinden for Assignment

The Indians are obviously looking for right-handed outfielders, so when Rottino, a pernnial AAA All-Star, was available after a short stint with the Mets, the Indians couldn't resist pulling the trigger. Rottino is 32 years old but only has 78 major league plate appearances under his belt. Rottino has played all over the diamond, including some at catcher, but he's mostly a corner guy (RF, LF, 1B. 3B). He was hitting .307/.361/.479 with Buffalo before spending a couple months on the Mets bench.

The 40-man spot that Rottino is taking was also a waiver claim from the Mets Schwinden hadn't shown much in three starts for the Clippers, allowing 16 hits (including 4 home runs) in 15.1 innings, only striking out 5 batters.

Yankees Acquire Chris Schwinden; DFA Danny Farquhar

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The New York Yankees have acquired right-hander Chris Schwinden off waivers from the Cleveland Indians, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

In a corresponding roster move, the Yankees designated right-hander Danny Farquhar for assignment.

The Yankees represent Schwinden’s fourth club of the season. After starting the year with the New York Mets, the 25-year-old was designated for assignment and claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays. After one appearance with the Jays' Triple-A affiliate, Schwinden was DFA’d once again, landing with the Cleveland Indians. This time the right-hander lasted three appearances, but the end result was the same, another DFA.

Over his 13 starts this season for the Mets, Blue Jays and Indians Triple-A squads, Schwinden has maintained an ERA and WHIP of 4.16 and 1.313 with 6.4 SO/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

New York claimed Farquhar off waivers from the Oakland Athletics earlier this week. The 25-year-old did not make an appearance for any of the Yankees minor league affiliates, though he did maintain an ERA and WHIP of 4.46 and 1.409 over his 25 games with the Blue Jays (Double-A) and A’s (Triple-A).

The Rapid Rise of Clay Rapada

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This is probably the first time any blog has used two Clay Rapada photos in one day. (Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger via US PRESSWIRE)

This is a small thing, possibly a very small thing given the dubious utility a LOOGY provides, but one of the real pleasures of the 2012 Yankees season has been seeing lefty Clay Rapada establish himself in the bullpen. With 35 appearances, Rapada has already blown away his season high (32, set last year with the Orioles), raising the intriguing possibility that he might make it through an entire season without being demoted.

As a sidearming spot reliever, Rapada's blessing has also been his curse. He's extremely hard on left-handed hitters, holding them to .150/.247/.220 over the course of his major league career, but pitchers with his approach almost always have massive platoon splits-opposite-side hitters tend to get a nice long look at their pitches. Coming into this season, Rapada's splits have been extreme even by that standard, with all right-handed hitters averaging .359/.474/.692 against him coming into this season. Just to get a sense of how bad that is, Babe Ruth was a career .342/.474/.690 hitter.

This season, Rapada has held right-handers to a homerless .238/.407/.333, which is not good, but it's not Babe Ruth, either. Given those rates have been compiled in just 27 plate appearances, one worries that they're going to revert, but for now that success is part of the reason he's been able to stay in the major leagues.

The versus-righties numbers are important because Rapada has been wild, walking five batters per nine. This is a problem with lefty spot relievers in general: they are on the roster to pitch to very specific hitters, but if they're too prone to walks, you can't predict who they will actually pitch to. If, say, you bring in your lefty to pitch to Adam Dunn and he winds up passing him to bring up Paul Konerko, you either have to make a pitching change or take your chances. Both moves have real consequences. It is for this reason that managers and general managers would often be better off stocking their rosters with the right-hander who is the 11th-best pitcher in their organization than the left-hander who is 20th-best; the strategic matchups they are contemplating often fail to materialize.

Even as well as Rapada has done so far, his utility is limited for those reasons-even with his new "improved" numbers against righties, he should always force that pitching change if a right-handed batter comes to the plate. The Yankees might well do better to put another pitcher in his roster spot, regardless of which arm that hurler throws with. (Alternatively, they could go down to 11 pitchers and give Joe Girardi one more player to work with, but that's a radical notion in today's game.) Still, it's a pleasure to see a journeyman make good at 31... last night's error notwithstanding.

Yankees Make Some Roster Moves, Hurt Greg's Brain

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"So...I'm no longer grounded? Thanks Dad. OH BOY, MISTER SOFTEE! CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY?"

Mood Music - You Showed Me by The Lightning Seeds

It's been a busy day in the merry ol' land of pinstripes. In a kind of "just kidding" move, the Yankees call up David Phelps from Class-A Tampa and send Ryota Igarashi back down to Triple-A. One wonders why Phelps was not called up in the first place. One probably doesn't give a flying bunt either because Ryota Igarashi will not be able to come into a close game. I think we're all the better for that fact alone. But wait, that's not all.

In another possible display of Cashman's bullpen forged from the dark arts, the Yankees have signed yet another former Amazin' bullpen addition in RHP Chris Schwinden. The Yankees will be his fourth team of record this year so, um, yeah there's that. I've seen him pitch for the Mets and the only saving grace from this move is that he's being sent down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hopefully he doesn't drive SWB season ticket holder/tweeter Jedi Master A-Rod crazy. With Schwinden schwindling his way into the Yankees organization, recently picked up Danny Farquhar has been quickly DFA'd without ever making an appearance for Double-A Trenton.

Seriously, what's going on here?

Bryce Harper: Washington Nationals Star Says 'I Don't Want To Be A Yankee'

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It seems like every time a young star player comes along in Major League Baseball, some folks start to speculate about how long it will be before the New York Yankees are offering that player mega-millions in free agency. Apparently, Washington Nationals 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper does not want to be one of those 'future Yankees.'

From the Washington Post:

Before the Nationals played the Yankees in mid-June, Harper told his father, "I don't want to be a Yankee. I want to beat them."

Reality is that it will be many years before Harper could test the free-agent waters, and he is likely to get a rich long-term deal from Washington, anyway.

The other reality is that these are no longer the George Steinbrenner Yankees. Hal Steinbrenner, the new boss, has been emphatic about the team reducing payroll. The Yankees have been more conservative on the free-agent market the last couple of offseasons, and have turned down numerous opportunities to make mega-offers to international free agents like Yu Darvish and Jorge Soler.

So, Harper and the Yankees may never come together. Unless maybe it's in the World Series one day. And that is not really a bad thing.

Yankees 7, White Sox 14: DeWayne Wise Pitched in This Game

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Alex bets someone will blame him for this.

I think it's safe to say that Adam Warren's major league debut wasn't what he imagined it to be. The offense got out to a four run lead in the bottom of the first, but he allowed a four-run inning in the top of the second. Warren continued to struggle through 2.1 innings on his way to giving up six runs on eight hits, including home runs to A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko. He struck out the first batter of the game but that was pretty much where the good of Warren's outing started and ended.

Warren's pitching misfortune allowed David Phelps to get into a game on his first day back in the majors, but he lasted only 3.1 innings and 64 pitches. I suppose that's what happens when you let a guy rot in your bullpen for the better part of a month and he's only stretched out to approximately 50 pitches. Phelps fared better than Warren did, striking out five and allowing four hits and two runs. Another Pierzynski dinger and an RBI by Alex Rios were the scoring plays against him, but Phelps still did a fine job out there.

Cory Wade is a train wreck right now and no one really seems to know why. In 2.1 innings tonight, he allowed seven hits and six earned runs. Joe Girardi made him take one for the team by leaving him out there for so long and definitively putting the game out of reach. You'd think that the Yankee offense would have convinced him by now that a two or three run lead isn't the ballgame, but I guess not. DeWayne Wise (yes, that one) came on in relief when it was clear Wade couldn't go any further and induced a ground out and fly out to arguably the two best White Sox hitters. You can't predict baseball.

Tonight's loss can't be blamed on the offense. More often than not, seven runs is going to be enough to take the win. Curtis Granderson continued his assault of left-handed pitching with a two-run home run in the first inning to score Derek Jeter, who doubled to pass Cal Ripken Jr. on the all-time hits list. Andruw Jones doubled twice and drove in two runs while Jayson Nix also drove in two runs on a double that tied the game at the time. Each starter had at least one hit, but it just wasn't enough to overcome a terrible job by the pitchers.

Personal Catcher Chris Stewart committed another error behind the plate, throwing a ball into centerfield Cervelli-style. Russell Martin seems to think he'll be back tomorrow after coming into the game tonight after Eric Chavez hit for Stewart. I didn't think it was possible for that to be a welcome event, but here we are.

Comment of the Game: Donut3 for accurately describing the time.

Yankees Bullpen Remains A Surprising Strength

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Even Freddy has been ready for action!

When the word officially came out that Mariano Rivera was out for the 2012 season the general consensus was that the Yankees bullpen would be significantly worse. David Robertson did little to extinguish those beliefs when he struggled as the new closer, then went down with an injury of his own. Rafael Soriano finally got the job as closer and became the Tampa Bay Rafael Soriano, shutting down opposing lineups in his own, frustrating way.

Last season the Yankees picked up a player expected to be no more than a mop, Cory Wade, who has struggled of late, but still has been a very effective relief pitcher for the Yankees. This season Cody Eppley has filled the Cory Wade role, as he was expected to be a mop, but has a 2.89 ERA in 18.2 innings pitched for the Yankees.

Although he has been helped by an abnormally low BABIP, even LOOGY Clay Rapada has gotten the job done for the Yankees. Rapada and Boone Logan have teamed up to shut down left handed hitters, as Logan has had perhaps the best season of his career. Tanya covered Logan's fantastic season here.

With David Phelps returning from the minors and Freddy Garcia pitching like he belongs in the MLB and not in AA, the Yankees long relief is also a strength. One of the two may have to go when David Aardsma is ready, but the team likely won't need two long relief pitchers anyway.

Now that I've covered the majority of the members of the bullpen, let's get to some stats. The Yankees bullpen ranks sixth in the MLB in inherited runners allowed to score, fourth in bullpen ERA, eleventh in batting average against, second in runs allowed, and eighth in walks thrown.

All of those stats show that the Yankees bullpen has pitched above average this season, despite not having the flashy names. Perhaps Mariano Rivera groomed them to be as successful if they are. If he did, chalk it up as another save for Mo.


Orioles 11, Yankees 5: The Ol' Rope-a-Dope

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Thor brings down the hammer.

Longtime readers will remember my affinity for a certain dark and stormy September night, during which Christopher Tillman first caught my eye. Tillman was just a 21 year old top prospect getting his first exposure to the major leagues, and he struck out Nick Swisher on a beauty of a curveball. Such was the joy of this one pitch that not only am I still talking about it as if Tillman didn't lose almost all of his luster in the ensuing years, but Nick Swisher let out an obscenity audible enough to perfectly punctuate the memory for me.

Tonight, Tillman showed more of that luster-lacking mediocrity, getting banged around in the first and showing almost nothing worth mentioning stuff-wise. He also recovered and, indeed, ended up getting Swisher to strike out swinging on a nifty change-up. Swisher once again did not seem to care much for his performance in this plate appearance.

Anyway, much can and should be written about how Chris Tillman is basically walking proof of both "There is no such thing as a pitching prospect" and "pitchers develop non-linearly", but you guys all know all of that stuff. No sense dwelling on the bad after a night that feels, all in all, pretty good.

Three Oriole hitters saw six total pitches in the top of the first inning. Nine Yankee batters saw 36 pitches and scored 5 runs in the bottom of the first. I'm not sure I can come up with a more depressing way for this game to begin. But, as Michael Lewis once wrote, "The pleasure of rooting for Goliath is that you can expect to win. The pleasure of rooting for David is that, while you don’t know what to expect, you stand at least a chance of being inspired." The Orioles big comeback in the second inning included Chris Davis' first career grand slam, deep into the bullpens. That easy power, yeah, it's inspiring.

0-5 became 7-5 and then 11-5. Many empty seats could be seen in Yankee Stadium, and many Bronx Cheers could be heard from the remaining fans. The Orioles - improbably and obstinately - are two games out of a playoff spot.

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Yankees 5, Orioles 11: Nova Implodes for Career High in Runs

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One of those nights.

When Ivan Nova started the game with a six pitch first inning and the offense put up a five spot on Chris Tillman in the bottom of the frame, this game looked like it might have promise for ending the slump that the Yankees seem to find themselves in. Hope didn't last long once Nova allowed seven runs including a grand slam to Chris Davis in the second inning to put the Orioles on top by two, and it only got worse from there.

The five-run first was the last anyone would hear of the offense for the night and the Orioles kept tacking on without really needing to. Clay Rapada, LOOGY extraordinaire, served up a home run to Nick Markakis to add insult to Nova's five inning, nine earned runs injury. The two lefty specialists have had a rough go of it lately.

Derek Jeter doubled and singled twice to lead the offense as the only batter to record more than one hit. A slumping Robinson Cano got back to being himself with a two-run homer in the first inning before the entire offense decided to head home early, and Ichiro Suzuki's single extended his hit streak to eight games with the Yankees. Even Ramiro Pena had a hit. The person responsible for that should consider a career change.

What else is there to say? The Yankees are playing frustrating baseball right now, and that's probably to be expected when they're missing two of their biggest bats in the lineup. Jayson Nix and Ramiro Pena aren't going to make up for the temporary loss of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Maybe Phil Hughes can play the stopper, right? Right?

Get well soon, everyone.

Trade Deadline Round Up: AL East

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In what has been one of the busiest trade deadlines in recent years, it's easy to get lost in all the trades being completed. With that being said, let's round up all the trades that did go down in the month of July division-by-division...

Every team in the AL East made at least one trade, but it wasn't the usual flashy deals we are accustomed to seeing from teams in the AL East. Between the five teams, a total of 12 trades were completed with outfielder Ichiro Suzuki headlining the players joining the AL East.

New York Yankees

Baltimore Orioles

Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox

Toronto Blue Jays

Wednesday Bird Droppings

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July 31, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Chris Davis (19) is congratulated by teammates as he returns to the dugout after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE



No fancy pickups for the O's at the trade deadline. This club is gonna dance with who brung it to this point thus far. Might be a rather motley crew, but if they keep stompin' mudholes in them boys from the Bronx then I think we can learn to love them all the more for their 'character' and 'personality'. Britton vs. Hughes in a matinee today at 1 p.m. Then a much deserved off day before trekking south to the land where the Frog Protects Home.

Baltimore Orioles rally for 11-5 victory over New York Yankees - The Washington Post
Chris Davis’s first career grand slam sparks a seven-run second inning as the Orioles beat the Yankees again in New York. Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllo, Kitty!

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees - Preview - July 30, 2012 - ESPN New York
Playing great on the road. If only the O's could right the ship when at home.

School of Roch: Duquette: "There will be other opportunities to add to the team"

This club may well still end up with Joe Blanton donning an O's jersey.

Camden Depot: What "Going for it" would mean...

Quite the bold stroke laid out here

Baseball Prospectus | 108 Stitches: Pulling Back the Curtain on the Trade Deadline

Free article from BP looking at the trade deadline from a former GMs perspective.

AFL announces 2012 organization | MiLB.com News | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball
Who will the O's be sharing space with in the AFL?

Green catches on with Baltimore Orioles - Maryville, MO - Maryville Daily Forum
No idea who this is, but best of luck to him in his professional endeavors with the O's!

Today is the 27th Birthday of Dr. Jones! Hopefully he wakes up the best way a man can. Other O's related birthdays include former P Travis Driskill, 1B/OF Tony Muser, and P George Bamberger.

On this day in 1982 Frank Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Hank Aaron. In 1994, Cal played in his 2000th consecutive game. In 2000, Mike Mussina K'd 15 Twins en route to hurling the 3rd 1-hitter of his career. In 2003 Sir Sid was sent packing to the Giants. In 2005 Raffy was suspended for use of PEDs.

Chart II.

A Little Optimism: On Pitching and the Road Ahead

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With last night's weather and umpire assisted win over the Verlander-led Tigers, the Red Sox have now won four straight and taken five out of seven from the division leading Yankees and Tigers. That's no small accomplishment, though one that would surely be heightened had the team not imploded against Toronto and Texas. But I digress.

The point is, the team is making strides. There are reasons to be optimistic, should one choose to look for such things. Boston is back above .500, two games above in fact, and is two games from passing both Baltimore and Tampa in the Wild Card race. The Yankees are seven and a half back, which is a lot. But! Just four days ago their lead was 11 1/2. Yes, the Red Sox have made up four games on New York in four days.

With the trade deadline (mostly) behind us, we can stop bickering about the roster and focus on the task at hand: winning games. In that vein, here's something you may not know: the Red Sox have scored more runs than any team in baseball. That's with meteors falling from the heavens and hitting All Star center fielders in the shoulder. It's with players who were expected to contribute unable to do so. Impressive, right?

But there's something you should know about that piece of information. Here are the top ten Red Sox in batter WARP (BP's offense-only stat):

1. David Ortiz ... 3.0
2. Adrian Gonzalez ... 1.6
3. Cody Ross ... 1.5
4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia ... 1.4)
5. Mike Aviles ... 1.3
6. Will Middlebrooks ... 1.3
7. Daniel Nava ... 0.8
8. Kelly Shoppach ... 0.6
9. Scott Podsednik ... 0.5
10. Dustin Pedoia ... 0.4

More than half the players on that list were either back-ups on opening day or have joined the roster since. In other words, the team's offensive production has come from a bunch of players who weren't expected to provide it. It all makes me think of this tweet from old friend Patrick Sullivan:

Like usual, Sully nails it. The stars haven't performed, David Ortiz exempted of course. But the funny thing is that, relative to the league, the results have been there. With Crawford, Ellsbury, a healthy Pedroia, and a productive (if oddly so) Gonzalez, this is an imposing lineup. Add the presumably healthy Ortiz to that mix and the Sox can hit with anyone if they can't out-hit them.

You may have noticed that something is conspicuously absent from the above discussion. Pitching. The Red Sox have the highest scoring team in all of baseball and yet are only two games over .500 on the year. Why? Because their pitching has been, charitably, bad. Boston's 4.25 team ERA is 22nd in all of baseball, sandwiched between the Mets and the Cubs. Boston's starters have been particularly atrocious, ranking 26th out of the 30 teams with a 4.84 ERA. That's worse than the Cubs, Astros, Blue Jays, and Orioles. It's bad.

Recent splits haven't been too kind either giving the unfortunate implosions from Jon Lester who's ERA since the start of July is above 9.00. Josh Beckett hasn't helped with a 6.00+ ERA in the same time frame.

But here's the thing. I think this can happen. Oh, sure, I'm not putting actual money on it (I'm a blogger, I don't have actual money), but I think this team can go on a run and grab one of those extra lame play-in Wild Card spots. Heck, maybe they can even catch the Yankees.

What gives me this confidence? Well, three things.

1. Beer.

2. The starting pitching just can't be this bad. Jon Lester isn't an 11 run ERA guy. He's may not be a 2.50 ERA guy either, but his natural talent level is much closer to 4.00 than he is to 11.00. It's easy to look at a guy when he's failing and think that he'll continue to fail. I fall into that trap time and again. "How can he possibly succeed? Did you see that pitch he just threw?!" But things change, and often quickly. Lester's last start looked like he had maybe moved beyond the shell-shocked phase and into the "Caution: Pitcher under Construction" phase.

Josh Beckett, say what you will of him, but he's a good pitcher. You may not want him at your kid's fifth birthday party, but he can get major league batters out, even with a 91 mph fastball. He did it yesterday to a good hitting Tigers team before his back started acting up on him. He can and likely will be an asset going forward.

Felix Doubront had hit a rough patch, no question, but since July began the man has a sub-4.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 28 innings. Sure, he has 17 walks in there as well, but if he can keep minimizing damage he can win a lot of games pitching in front of this offense. Remember, we don't need good. We need decent.

Finally we get to Clay Buchholz. The other day, someone on twitter said Buchholz was the Red Sox ace and was immediately rebuked. Look again, rebukers, because ol' Clay has a 2.45 ERA since July 1st and only seven walks in 29 1/3 innings. The man is dealing. In his last 15 innings against Texas and Detroit, two strong hitting teams, he's given up three runs.

Those are the guys who, as Sully noted, are going have to step up for this team to go anywhere. And look, they're kinda stepping up. Buchholz is leading the way, Lester is taking baby sized but positive steps nonetheless, if he can stay healthy (and as long as it really is only a back spasm he should be fine) Beckett can be a better than league average pitcher, and Doubront seems to be over his dead period. Morales and/or Cook will fine in a fifth starter role and if they aren't there is always Tazawa and Mortensen to pick up where they left off.

League average is a 4.20 ERA. The Red Sox have scored a shade under five runs a game. This team could go on a run if they can get some consistently league average pitching, and don't look now, but they just may be getting it.

3. 2004. I know it's corny. I'm sorry. Stick with me, we're almost done.

I know every time anyone does anything that is remotely like an improbable comeback the '04 Red Sox are cited. But corny be damned. Flash back with me, if you will. October, 16, 2004. Down two games to none to the Yankees, the Red Sox returned home to Boston to endure one of the great butt-kickings of this modern era. The Yankees won 19-8, effectively ending the series with a three games to none lead. I watched every second of that interminable game, rooting just as hard (if far more angrily) in the eighth with Boston down 17-8 as I did in the first.

After they lost, I rollerbladed 40 blocks west and eight blocks south to my girlfriend's apartment. It hurt so bad, as badly as I know it did for most of you. But that pain was founded in the very same disappointment we are all feeling now, if a much more muted version of it. It was that pain that helped elevate that year to epic levels. If the Sox rolled through the Yankees it would have been wonderful, granted, but it wouldn't have quite meant as much. The way it happened mattered. The same can be true of this season.

I'm not saying this team is going to win the World Series. I am saying that just like in 2004, there is a chance. There is a chance to turn things around and make something of this season. It might not happen. Just like in 2004, the odds are decidedly against us. But I'm not giving up. The Red Sox have talent and now they've got health and they can pull it out one more time.

Baby Bomber Recap 7/31/12: Big Nights For Tyler Austin and Ramon Flores

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AAA Empire State Yankees: L 2-4 vs. Pawtucket Red Sox

Chris Dickerson 2-5, 2B, 3 K - 16 for his last 42

Corban Joseph 0-5

Eduardo Nunez 1-4, 2B, 3 K, E6 - 4th error

Jack Cust 0-4, 4 K

Ronnier Mustelier 2-3

Brandon Laird 1-3, K - 13 for his last 42

Francisco Cervelli 1-3, 2B, K - batting .248 this season

Ramon Ortiz 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R/3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K - first loss since May 4

AA Trenton Thunder: W 2-1 vs. Altoona Curve

Jose Pirela 0-4, K

Addison Maruszak 0-4, K

David Adams 1-3 - batting .310 this season

Zoilo Almonte 1-3, HR, K

Melky Mesa 1-3

JR Murphy 0-2, RBI, K

Rob Segedin 1-2, 2B, BB - batting .208 since promotion

Brett Marshall 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K - ERA 2.83 on the year, 48 of 72 pitches for strikes

Kelvin Perez 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

High A Tampa Yankees: W 6-4 vs. Charlotte Stone Crabs

Ramon Flores 4-6, 3B, SB - 11 for his last 26

Adonis Garcia 0-5, BB

Slade Heathcott 1-3

Tyler Austin 4-5, 3 RBI, IBB - 10 for 28 since returning from the DL

Kyle Roller 2-5, 2B, RBI, E3, HBP

Kyle Higashioka 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K

Shane Greene 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R/2 ER, 7 K - 5 ground outs, 2 air outs

Aaron Dott 2 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 3 K

Low A Charleston RiverDogs: W 10-5 vs. Greenville Drive

Cito Culver 1-4, 2 BB

Ben Gamel 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI - batting .307 this season

Robert Refsnyder 3-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, CS - 2nd straight game with three hits

Ali Castillo 1-3, 2B, BB

Francisco Arcia 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K - batting .287 with Charleston

Reymond Nunez 4-5, RBI, K

Bryan Mitchell 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R/1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K

Charlie Short 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K - Charleston debut

Nick Goody 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER

Short Season Staten Island Yankees: Off

Rookie Gulf Coast Yankees: Game suspended after one batter


Yankees Option Ramiro Pena to Triple-A

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The New York Yankees have optioned infielder Ramiro Pena to Triple-A to make room on their roster for recently-acquired infielder Casey McGehee, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:

The Yankees acquired McGehee from the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday in exchange for reliever Chad Qualls. Over 92 games and 265 at-bats with the Pirates, McGehee hit at a clip of .230/.297/.377 with 22 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs. The 29-year-old owns a career OPS of .735.

Pena has only appeared in three games this season with the Yankees, collecting a hit over four at-bats. The 27-year-old has spent much of the season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate, where he’s maintained a line of .249/.302/.316.

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Should the Yankees have done more to replace the injured A-Rod?

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Yankees 12 - Orioles 3

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After dropping the first two games of the series to the Orioles, the Yankees were pretty fed up with their southern neighbors. They took out their frustration on Orioles starting pitcher Zach Britton and his bullpen cavalry mates to the tune of twelve runs on fifteen hits. With the Yankees scoring two runs in the first inning, Britton and the Orioles were fighting an uphill battle all game and were never able to nullify the Yankees' advantage.

The Yankees blew the game open with a seven run bottom of the third. Russell Martin walked, Casey McGehee walked, Jayson Nix doubled, Derek Jeter singled, Curtis Granderson singled, Nick Swisher walked, and Robinson Cano hit a grand slam. Andruw Jones struck out twice in the inning and was not given a freeze pop.

Phil Hughes pitched in and out of trouble for six innings, allowing only one run on nine hits and two walks. He did not give up a home run.

In Joba Chamberlain's first major league action since June 5, 2011, he allowed two runs over 1.2 innings. In Casey McGehee's first game with the Yankees, he walked twice, grounded into two double plays, and hit a sacrifice fly.

After an off day tomorrow, the Yankees will host the Mariners for a three game weekend series. The expected starters will be CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Freddy Garcia.

51-58, Chart

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Source: FanGraphs

Biggest Contribution: King Felix, +89.2%
Biggest Suckfest: Casper Wells, -16.2%
Most Important AB: Carp single, +8.6%
Most Important Pitch: Granderson flyout, +9.6%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): +89.2%
Total Contribution by Lineup: -39.2%
(What is this chart?)

Excerpts From Experts: Deadline Fallout and Waiver Speculation

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Here are a few exerts from some great content produced about the trade deadline and waiver trades from around the Internet:

Former Cincinnati Reds general manager Jim Bowden too a look into trades that should have happened, but didn't on ESPN Insider. One of the five deals he listed was Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers for Mike Olt and Cody Buckel.

"With a revised rotation of Lee, Dempster, Harrison, Darvish and Holland, the Rangers would be poised for a third chance at a World Series championship. This would be a painful deal for the Rangers -- their championship window is open right now and it could mean the difference between being the first world champion Texas Rangers squad rather than remembered as baseball’s version of the Buffalo Bills."

Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reminded his readers that just since the non-waiver trade deadline has past that doesn't mean there won't still be some important trades made. He also threw some names out of players who will likely be placed on waivers.

"What kinds of players are likely to pass through waivers? Players with bloated contracts, such as Heath Bell of the Marlins and Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs are likely to get through unclaimed -- lest a claiming club be stuck with the player and the bill. Jim Thome has been traded in August twice in the past three years -- why not again?

Relievers tend not to get through waivers, but Francisco Rodriguez of Milwaukee might be one because he is an expensive setup arm. The typical August deals involve complementary position players, which could include players such as Jeff Francouer of the Royals (again), Carlos Lee of the Marlins, Jose Lopez of the Indians and Scott Hairston of the Mets."

Joe Sheehan, also of Sports Illustrated, offered up a handful of waiver candidates himself. He put the odds that Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez would be traded at 45 percent.

"A willingness to eat some of the money owed Ramirez could enable Milwaukee to pick up better prospects in a deal, and owner Mark Attanasio has rarely allowed money to be a barrier to his team's performance. It's too much to hope that the Yankees will swoop in to take Ramirez as a short-term hedge against Alex Rodriguez's health, but the Diamondbacks and the A's both have holes at third base and a need to add some power, and both were rumored to be willing to add payroll as July came to a close."

Baseball Nation's Grant Brisbee listed three waiver candidates he found most interesting. While most waiver speculation revolves around players who are preforming under their current contract, Brisbee threw out Minnesota Twins left fielder Josh Willingham as an interesting name that could end up on the waiver wire.

"But between the Royals and Yankees, someone will claim him. And they'll get an exclusive window to see what the Twins' price is. The Twins have said they aren't planning to trade Willingham, but they have to at least listen. They aren't just a plugged hole short of a functional rowboat, and Willingham could bring back two or three nice prospects.

Willingham has been the best hitter on the Twins this year, and that contract looks like a steal. But he's just one player, he's 33, and he's never been the healthiest player. There are untouchable players. Willingham isn't one of them. It'll be interesting to see if a team claims him and makes a serious play."

Finally, Jack Moore of FanGraphs listed three hitters and three pitchers who could be traded through waivers. One of the potentially available arms he listed was the Oakland Athletics' Brandon McCarthy, who is currently on a rehab assignment.

"McCarthy’s is eligible for free agency after the season. He is clearly good enough to help the A’s win in 2012, but if the A’s can fetch a reasonable shortstop for him, the upgrade could be bigger than the upgrade he presents over Bartolo Colon or A.J. Griffin or recent callup Dan Straily. The shortstop market was so rough prior to the waiver deadline, though, so there just might not be a match out there."

Baby Bomber Recap 8/4/12: Zoilo Almonte Homers In Third Straight Game

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AAA Empire State Yankees: W 9-8 vs. Indianapolis Indians

Chris Dickerson 2-4, RBI, BB, K

Corban Joseph 0-3, BB, K - really slumping, 8 for his last 38

Eduardo Nunez 2-4, IBB, K

Ronnier Mustelier 2-4, 2B, BB - 6 for 17 with 2 doubles since coming off the DL

Brandon Laird 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K, E5 - 19th error this season

Melky Mesa 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI - first hits since being promoted to ESY this week

Darnell McDonald 0-5, K - only 5 hits since joining ESY after being DFA'd by the Yankees

John Maine 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 5 K, HBP - 56 of 92 pitches for strikes

Ryota Igarashi 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB

AA Trenton Thunder: L 7-8 vs. Bowie Baysox

Jose Pirela 0-5, 3 K

Adonis Garcia 1-5, HR, 2 K, E8 - struggled in Tampa but 5 for 10 in his first two games with Trenton

David Adams 0-2, 3 BB

Zoilo Almonte 2-5, HR, 2 K - 3rd straight game with a homer and has a homer in 4 of his last 5

Luke Murton 1-4, HR, K

Addison Maruszak 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB

JR Murphy 0-4, 2 K

Craig Heyer 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER - 39 of 61 pitches for strikes

Mark Montgomery 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K - first runs given up with Trenton

High A Tampa Yankees: L 1-2 vs. Brevard County Manatees

Ramon Flores 1-4, 3 K

Austin Romine 1-3, HR - 7 for 15 during his rehab stint in Tampa

Tyler Austin 3-4, 2B - batting .348 with Tampa in 12 games

Gary Sanchez 0-4

Kelvin De Leon 0-4, K - 2nd game since being promoted from Charleston

Hector Rabago 0-4 - played SS and C in this game. what an odd combination.

Jose Ramirez 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Aaron Dott 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, BB, 2 K

Low A Charleston RiverDogs: W 6-0 vs. Augusta GreenJackets

Ali Castillo 2-5, 2B, RBI, K

Cito Culver 1-4, 3 RBI, K - sixth straight game with one hit, Ichiro style

Ben Gamel 1-5, 3B, RBI, K

Saxon Butler 2-4 - 3 for 6 in his two games since being promoted

Dante Bichette Jr. 1-4

Francisco Arcia 2-4, RBI

Scottie Allen 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 K, HBP

Brett Gerritse 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K

Nick Goody 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER

Short Season Staten Island Yankees: L 3-7 vs. Lowell Spinners

Claudio Custodio 1-5, K

Matt Snyder 1-4, BB - batting .328 with SI

Ravel Santana 1-4, BB, K

Peter O'Brien 1-4, BB, K, E2, PB - 7 for his last 42, not going well for him at all

Matt Duran 2-3, 2B, BB, K

Exicardo Cayones 0-2, RBI, BB

Tim Flight 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R/3 ER BB, K

Derek Varnadore 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K

Rookie Gulf Coast Yankees: L 0-3 vs. GCL Braves

Abe Almonte 1-4, 2B, 2 K - batting .176 on his rehab assignment

Gregory Bird 1-1

Ericson Leonora 0-4, 2 K

Christopher Breen 0-4, 2 K

Yeicok Calderon 0-3, 2 K

Miguel Andujar 0-3, 2 K, E5 - 13th error this year in 35 games

Nathan Mikolas 0-3

Jerison Lopez 2-3, K - batting .333 with GCL Yankees

Ty Hensley 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Hayden Sharp 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R/1 ER, 3 K, 2 WP, HBP

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