What's more likely: one of the best players in baseball hitting .400 playing half his games in Coors Field, or a career .280 hitter winning the AL batting title?

The batting title races in both leagues have been intriguing so far, for entirely different reasons. Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, through Friday, was hitting .402 and his White Sox counterpart Alexei Ramirez was leading the American League with a .342 batting average. But can either keep it up, and who has a better chance of making history?

Is it more likely that Tulowitzki, who is one of the best all-around players in baseball when healthy, breaks the .400 barrier while playing half his games in Coors Field, or that Ramirez keeps hitting well enough to lead his league despite a career batting average of just .280?

Of course, it's important to note that neither are probable, and not just because neither has ever been a great contact hitter throughout their careers. It's that both players' batting average on ball in play -- a decent measure of how lucky or unlucky players are as their BABIP gets farther from the league norm of .290-.300 in either direction -- have been out of this world. And not necessarily in a good way.

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Tulowitzki has hit an insane .394 BABIP, which will almost assuredly come down to at least the .334 he hit last year -- his line drive rate has increased this season, hence the relatively high BABIP. Fangraphs predicts it to finish somewhere in the .320-.340 range. But it's Alexei who has been getting the luckiest so far, despite having a significantly lower BABIP of .364. While still remarkable, it's also less a function of things like increased line drives rates, and is therefore seen as significantly less likely to stay anywhere near where it is right now. In fact, one projection has it dropping as much as 74 points by the end of the season.

And all of that comes even before looking at the history they'll have to overcome.

Before Ted Williams last achieved the feat in 1941, 28 separate times a player has hit .400 in a single season. While there have been a number of players who have come close in the ensuing eight decades, none has reached the brass ring. Even Tony Gwynn -- the most recent and most notable -- was still short before unforeseen circumstances stopped his pursuit dead in its tracks. The Hall of Fame Padre was hitting .394 and just three hits shy of the mythical .400 when the 1994 strike cancelled the rest of the season.

There are a few things in Tulo's favor, however. While Gwynn was a significantly better contact hitter than Tulowitzki is, he never played in a stadium which helped its hitters nearly as much as Coors Field has this season, with a park factor of 117, or 17% above average offensively.

It also wouldn't be Coors' first flirtation with a historical season, either. Larry Walker and Todd Helton both led the league while batting over .370 as members of the Rockies, in 1999 and 2000. So has Andres Galarraga, who did so in 1993. And while they were all very talented, borderline Hall of Fame players, they were likely never as hot as the often-injured Tulowitzki is now. The potential MVP candidate's hot zones were described by Jonah Keri of Grantland as "a nuclear blast," and Tulowitzki is hitting balls from every part of the strikezone into pretty much every part of the park.

However, based on his career stats -- Tulo is a .295 career hitter -- publications like the Washington Post have projected his chances of finishing the season .400 as 1 in 889,710. While that's obviously not something you'd bet on, is it more or less likely than Alexei Ramirez making it all the way through the season as the best hitter in the American League?

Since 1941, there have been two hitters who have had lower career batting averages than Ramirez's .280 who have won the AL batting title. The first, Snuff Stirnweiss, was a bit of an outlier. Stirnweiss led the AL in 1945 as a member of the New York Yankees. This was during the last year that saw most prominent players fighting in World War II, and his .309 average is the second lowest to lead the league behind Carl Yastremski's .301 average in 1968 in that time frame.

The other was Norm Cash, who led the AL as a member of the Detroit Tigers with a .361 batting average in 1961. This was a full 90 points better than his career average, his only season hitting .300 and only one of five seasons where he managed to hit above .270 at all.

And unlike Tulowitzki, there have been players close to Alexei who have won the title, like Fred Lynn and the aforementioned Yaz. In fact, while it's a different league, as recently as last year, the batting champion in the National League had a career average below that of Alexei and managed to hit .331 to win the title.

That player? Michael Cuddyer of, you guessed it, the Colorado Rockies. And what were the chances of that?

David Phelps takes the mound in this rubber match against the Brewers. This game will end their road trip. Let's come home with another series victory. Let's also find out if we have a PSA DP winner today.

CC Sabathia needs help. We need help when CC pitches. Hopefully CC gets help so that we won't need to get help. Our help costs more than his does. Plus, he gets paid for his help while we do not.

5/10/14 Daily Prediction Answers

After two times seeing CC Sabathia pitch, Pamela and Paula Platypus are starting to understand why the Aardvarks have gone off the grid. Needless to say, they are heading back to the West Coast after the game today. However, they are pleased to announce that we have a winner. Elcruzter55 has emerged victorious with 3,000 points. Congratulations. After today, the Daily Prediction questions change, so go for the gold..en brew, much like the Platypi plan to.

5/11/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Questions

What is your ethnicity/ethnicities?

Imagination: Have you ever had an imaginary friend or created your own character?

Did you get your Mom anything for Mother's Day? If so, what? If you're a mom, what did you get?

Besides baseball games, what are your favorite events to attend live? (Shows/concerts/conventions/etc)

David Phelps will take the mound for the Yankees today, as they try to head back to the Bronx with a series win over the Brewers. Hopefully, he has his good stuff tonight as the Brew Crew have shown they're a team to be reckoned with this year.

Let's Go Yankees.

The Yankees will try to make up for last night's loss with a start from David Phelps on Mother's Day.

Today's lineup: Gardner 7 Jeter 6 Ellsbury 8 Teixeira 3 Johnson 5 Solarte 4 Ichiro 9 Murphy 2 Phelps 1

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) May 11, 2014

Brett Gardner will leadoff with Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury making up the top of the lineup. Mark Teixeira will hit cleanup, Kelly Johnson is at third base, and Yangervis Solarte will play second base. Ichiro Suzuki is in right, John Ryan Murphy is behind the plate, and Phelps will swing the bat ninth. Thankfully, this is the last day of interleague play for awhile.

Rumor has it that the Yankees could still make a run at free agent Stephen Drew at some point after the MLB Draft in June. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "a major league source indicated the Yankees may change their thinking on whether to sign Stephen Drew (owner Hal Steinbrenner had said the Yankees didn’t need Drew) if they find Jeter can’t endure a full season at shortstop." According to this source, the Yankees did not want to give the Red Sox another draft pick this offseason from signing Drew, since they already gave up a pick to one of the top systems in baseball for signing Ellsbury.

While the Yankees might have needed Drew at one point, it seems like they have the situation under control at the moment. Of course, this could change; Yangervis Solarte could come crashing down to Earth, Brian Roberts could get injured, and Derek Jeter could continue to struggle at the plate and in the field. Luckily, they don't need to make any decisions at the moment and will have another month to evaluate what they have before making any contract offers.

The Yankees have placed left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia on the 15-day disabled list with fluid in his knee after an MRI revealed no tear in the meniscus. Matt Daley has been called up to replace Sabathia on the roster, and Chase Whitley was scratched from his Triple-A start today, possibly signaling that he could be another option heading to the Bronx.

Joe Girardi says that they are all hopeful Sabathia will only need the minimum 15 days to get back onto the field. After only a little more than a month of the season, the Yankees have already lost three of their starting pitchers to injury. Ivan Nova is out for the rest of the season and Girardi said today that he expects it to take more than the originally-stated four weeks for Michael Pineda to return. That means that Vidal Nuno, David Phelps, and Alfredo Aceves (presumably) will all need to succeed in meaningful starter innings.

Sabathia's next start is scheduled for Thursday against the Mets. Whether the team goes with the veteran Aceves or rolls the dice with Whitley, who has been quite good for the RailRiders this season, the decision will have to be figured out before then. This season was supposed to be a departure of all the seemingly constant injuries that plagued the team in 2013, but so far it hasn't really been that. At least it has been mostly confined to the rotation, if there is a silver lining in all that.

Is it too soon to put Masahiro Tanaka in some bubble wrap?

Despite being an excellent manager of the bullpen, Joe Girardi might be misusing David Robertson.

In his tenure as Yankees manager, Joe Girardi has been pretty adept when it comes to optimizing his bullpen. A lot of relief arms have come and gone over the years, as they tend to do, but he always seems to get the most out of the hand he's dealt. When you have freaks like Mariano Rivera and David Robertson at your disposal it makes things easier, but Girardi's bullpen tactics should not be overlooked as a reason for its success.

Unlike his predecessor Joe Torre, Girardi doesn't tend to become overly dependent on one or two guys as the season wears on, neglecting the rest of the staff. For the most part, he's an equal opportunist when doling out innings, even in tight situations. He'll choose the next guy up out of the 'pen based on what's best for the situation rather than blindly trusting the same tired pitcher time and again. This keeps the opposition on its toes and, more importantly, keeps the arms fresh throughout the season. Just ask Paul Quantrill and Scott Proctor, among others.

There are situations where Girardi's democratic bullpen style can hurt the team though, and that situation arose this past Tuesday in Anaheim. Alfonso Soriano had just given the Yankees a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning in support of Hiroki Kuroda, who picked a good night to get himself back on track. Kuroda cruised past the first two batters of the inning but was more than 100 pitches deep, and Mike Trout was coming to the plate. Nobody would have faulted Girardi if he went to the 'pen but he stuck with the cruising Kuroda. Fair enough. Cue a triple from Trout and the winning run was at the plate in the form of a rejuvenated Albert Pujols, who is once again taking the league by storm.

This is the definition of a high leverage situation. If ever there was a time to bring in your best reliever to get an extra out before the ninth inning, this was absolutely it. David Robertson was even working on three days' rest, so it seemed like a golden opportunity. However, Girardi stuck to his unwritten rule that he won't use Robertson for more than one inning, so in came Shawn Kelley--the same Shawn Kelley who had imploded the night before by loading the bases with walks and eventually walking in the go-ahead run for the Angels. Predictably, Pujols singled in the tying run and put the Yanks in a dire situation, a situation that might have been avoided if the right man for the job entered the game.

In the top of the ninth, Girardi was bailed out by an unlikely source, as Brian Roberts homered and Robertson finally came in to seal the win against a softer part of the lineup. Most fans will see this as no harm, no foul and that this is just the way managers handle their closers nowadays. The insanity has to stop some time though. There's no reason that your best available pitcher shouldn't be pitching against one of the league's best hitters when the game is at its tipping point. Even if he's limited to just three outs, let him get one of those outs in that situation, saves be damned. If Kelley had to come in to get the last out of the game against the bottom of the Angels order then so be it. It's fair to say that's a better course of action than hoping Brian Roberts hits ninth inning home runs.

So it would behoove Joe Girardi to remember that he's got a pit bull in the 'pen that's ready and willing to take down the opposition's big dogs and that he should use him accordingly. It might just save him a few headaches, ulcers and tallies in the loss column.

The Yankees came back to tie it in the ninth but the Brewers got the last laugh.

After being down to their last out, the Yankees somehow came back to tie the game. Down to his last strike, Mark Teixeira managed to tie it up with a home run. But with the game being in Milwaukee, it's the Brewers who got last ups and they made use of them. A ninth-inning single from Mark Reynolds gave the Brewers the 5-4 win and a series win over the Yankees.

The Yankees struck early with a couple first-inning runs off Matt Garza. Brett Gardner led off the game with a double. After a failed Derek Jeter bunt, there was a close call at second after Gardner strayed too far away. He was ruled to have gotten back to the bag safely, but looked out on replays. However, the Brewers, for whatever reason, didn't challenge. Jacoby Ellsbury and Teixeira then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Kelly Johnson. Johnson ripped a ground-rule double to right center, scoring two runs. Next up was Yangervis Solarte, who flew out, but it was deep enough for Teixeira to tag up and score. The Yankees weren't able to add more but after the top of the first, they had a 3-0 lead.

The Brewers cut into the Yankee lead in the bottom of the third inning. Garza, of all people, led off the inning with a double. After Phelps hit Carlos Gomez with a pitch, Logan Schafer laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up a base. Rickie Weeks then hit a grounder to Jeter at short. Jeter fielded the grounder but he double clutched, allowing Garza to score and Weeks to be safe at first. During the next at bat, Phelps was called for a balk, allowing the runners to move to second and third. Lyle Overbay then dropped a single into center field, scoring Gomez. After the single, Phelps also walked another runner. He got out of a bases-loaded jam but the score was now 3-2.

After that, both offenses went to sleep. The Yankees couldn't take advantage of the long first inning they put Garza through. The Brewers couldn't get much else going against Phelps. Until the sixth, that was.

Jean Segura led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Manny Maldonado then also singled, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. That second single would be it for Phelps. He went five innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks. It wasn't a good performance, but it could've been a lot worse.

Matt Thornton was brought into the game and gave up a game-tying single to Jonathan Lucroy. Girardi then went back into the bullpen and brought in Dellin Betances to face Gomez. Gomez attempted a bunt but popped it in the air, allowing John Ryan Murphy to make a catch for the first out. However, Logan Schafer then doubled, scoring Maldonado. Weeks came up next and he hit a grounder to short that Jeter knocked down. Jeter had no play at home, but got Lucroy in a rundown for the second out. Murphy then threw out Weeks at second to escape the jam, but the Brewers now lead 5-3.

The Yankees were able to get one of those runs back in the top of the seventh. Ellsbury led off the inning with a single. After Teixeira grounded into a force out at second, Beltran grounded out to third, moving Teixeira to second. Solarte then singled to center, scoring Teixeira and making the score 5-4.

Betances came back out and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. After the Yankees couldn't do anything in the eighth, Adam Warren came in to pitch the bottom half of the inning. Warren pitched a scoreless inning to keep the Yankees down just a run after eight.

In the top of the ninth, the Yankees were down to their last out when Teixeira homered off Francisco Rodriguez. That tied the game and would send us to the bottom of the ninth.

Warren would stay in to pitch the ninth. After getting the first out, Warren allowed a double down the first base line to Weeks. That brought Overbay to the plate. During Overbay's at bat, a wild pitch allowed Weeks to move to third. Warren would end up getting Overbay for out number two, leaving it up to Reynolds. Warren got an 0-2 count, but Reynolds wound up singling through the left side of the infield. That scored Weeks and gave the Brewers a 6-5 win.

Tomorrow, the Yankees return to New York to begin a series with the Mets. Hiroki Kuroda and Bartolo Colon will be the starters and first pitch will be at 7:05 eastern.

Box score.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Yankees 5, Brewers 6: Yankees lose on walk-off single
• Joe Girardi should loosen the leash on David Robertson
• CC Sabathia placed on the disabled list with fluid in his knee
• Yankees lineup vs. Brewers - Stephen Drew rumors
• MLB Draft 2014: What are the Yankees' chances of finding Top 50-caliber talent
• Daily Yankees Predictions 5/11/14: Last game in "The Good Land" and Happy Mother's Day
• Baby Bomber Recap 5/10/14: Greg Bird clubs first homer of the season in Tampa loss

Yankees News

Newsday | Gus Garcia-Roberts: There is now proof that MLB knew it was purchasing stolen evidence during the Biogenesis investigation to suspend Alex Rodriguez.

Brew Crew Ball | Noah Jarosh: Someone on the internet asked if Derek Jeter ever played for the Milwaukee Brewers.

MLB Trade Rumors | Zach Links: A look back at the trade that sent Dave Winfield to the Angels for Mike Witt.

New york Post | Joel Sherman: With Nolan Arenado's hit streak ending, it's clear that it has become incredibly difficult to collect hits since Joe DiMaggio's streak. 

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: What does CC Sabathia's injury mean for Vidal Nuno, David Phelps, and Alfredo Aceves?

The Times | Barry Federovitch:Yangervis Solarte is the biggest surprise to come out of the Yankees' offseason.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Neither Adam Warren or Dellin Betances are being considered as replacements for CC Sabathia, who will undergo further tests on his knee.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from May 11th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: W 2-1 vs. Durham Bulls

RF Ramon Flores 1-5, K
3B Scott Sizemore 1-5, 2 K
SS Dean Anna 0-4, BB, 2 K - batting .191 with SWB
LF Zoilo Almonte 2-5, RBI
DH Zelous Wheeler 1-3, HR, RBI, K, HBP - second homer of the season
1B Kyle Roller 1-4, K
2B Jose Pirela 1-4, K, CS
C Francisco Arcia 0-4
CF Antoan Richardson 0-3, BB

Eric Ruth 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K - 56 of 92 pitches for strikes
Diego Moreno 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K
Mark Montgomery 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K - 1.53 ERA this season
Branden Pinder 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Double-A Trenton Thunder: L 3-4 (14 innings), W 15-0 vs. Reading Fightin Phils

Suspended game from 5/10:

CF Mason Williams 0-6, BB, K, OF assist, E8 - fielding error, second of the season
DH Ben Gamel 3-6, 2 SB
3B Rob Segedin 0-6, K
C Gary Sanchez 1-6, 2 K, passed ball
1B Tyler Austin 2-4, 2 BB, K - batting .268 this season
RF Peter O'Brien 1-6, HR, 2 RBI, K, E9 - first homer with Trenton, fielding error
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-6
LF Taylor Dugas 1-3, 3 BB
SS Ali Castillo 0-5, RBI, BB

Caleb Cotham 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K - 55 of 77 pitches for strikes
Tyler Webb 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Taylor Garrison 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, hit batsman
Jairo Heredia 3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Dan Fiorito 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Pat Venditte 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB

Regularly scheduled game:

LF Taylor Dugas 4-5, 2 doubles, 2 RBI - batting .318 this season
CF Ben Gamel 2-5, double, HR, 5 RBI - first homer of the season
3B Rob Segedin 1-4, K, HBP
C Peter O'Brien 2-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI - second and third homers since promotion
DH Tyler Austin 1-5, K
2B Rob Refsnyder 3-5, double, triple - batting .281 this season
RF Yeral Sanchez 1-5, 2 RBI
1B Tyson Blaser 3-5, double, K
SS Ali Castillo 0-5, 2 K

Matt Tracy 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K, WP - 59 of 98 pitches for strikes
Cole Kimball 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

High-A Tampa Yankees: Off 

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: W 3-1 vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

SS Tyler Wade 2-3, triple, RBI, BB, K - batting .281 this season
CF Brandon Thomas 0-1
RF Aaron Judge 1-3, BB, OF assist - batting .302 this season
1B Mike Ford 1-4
LF Michael O'Neill 0-4
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4, K, E5 - fielding error, tenth of the season
2B John Murphy 0-4, CS
C Kale Sumner 0-2, BB
DH Gosuke Katoh 0-2, BB, K, SB

Brady Lail 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K - 56 of 80 pitches for strikes
Jordan Cote 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K
Cesar Vargas 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K

Today's Probables:
LHV: Jonathan Pettibone,
REA: Hoby Milner,
CLR: Colin Kleven,
LWD: Drew Anderson

Gwinnett 9, Lehigh Valley 8 (May 9, 2014)

Greg Smith - 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 6 GB, 6 FB
Justin De Fratus - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K
Cesar Jimenez - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K
Ken Giles - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, K
Seth Rosin - 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, HR
Tyler Henson - 2 for 5, 2 R, 2B, 2 K, SB
Maikel Franco - 2 for 5, 2 R, HR
Leandro Castro - 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
Tyson Gillies - 1 for 5, R, 3 K
Sebastian Valle - 2 for 3, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, BB, K

Greg Smith had been fairly lucky through his first 5 starts, not receiving much damage despite all the walks and hits he's given up. That all ended Friday. Cesar Jimenez continues his strong presence in the Iron Pig bullepen and we saw "Good De Fratus" as well. Ken Giles made his AAA debut, but struggled. I'm kind of glad this happened because expectations from the general fanbase needed to be tempered. He gave up a run to cut the Iron Pig lead to 8-7 going into the top of the 9th. Seth Rosin would implode and give up the lead. Tyler Henson continues to impress. Franco collects two hits, one of them being his 3rd homer on the season. Sebastian Valle with his 2nd homer and has 5 RBI's in the game (and even has a walk!). Former Iron Pig Derrick Mitchell has a 3 home run game.

Gwinnett 10, Lehigh Valley 8 (May 10, 2014, 11 innings)

Barry Enright - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 K, HR, 12 GB, 3 FB
Kyle Simon - 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB
Jeremy Horst - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, K
Seth Rosin - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, K
Leandro Castro - 1 for 4, 3 R, 2B, RBI, BB
Freddy Galvis - 1 for 5, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K
Maikel Franco - 1 for 5, 2B, RBI, BB, K
Koyie Hill - 3 for 4, RBI, 2 BB, 2 CS

Barry Enright pitches competently enough for the win, but the bullpen blows it once again, allowing 5 runs to score in the 8th/9th inning to send the game into extras. Kyle Simon remains really bad and Seth Rosin couldn't find the strike-zone. Maikel Franco with another hit and walk! Tyler Henson also collected his 8th stolen base in this game.

Lehigh Valley 5, Gwinnett 2 (May 11, 2014)

Sean O'Sullivan - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR, 8 GB, 7 FB
Cesar Jimenez - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Justin De Fratus - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K
Tyson Gillies - 2 for 3, R, BB, K, HBP, SB
Maikel Franco - 2 for 3, R, RBI, HBP
Sebastian Valle - 0 for 3, R, BB, K

The Iron Pigs are just STACKED with AAA starters guys, I'm just so excited! O'Sullivan pitches a good game and Jimenez comes on in relief to earn the win. Aside from Cesar's 4-run gaff back on April 26, he has been pretty darn good (hitters are batting .164 against). Scary moment in this one as Freddy Galvis collides with Maikel Franco on a play. Galvis injures his should and will require surgery, effectively ending his season most likely (perhaps even mercifully. Franco meanwhile picked up another 2 hits and has raised his average to .231. This is quite impressive given his struggles in April.

Trenton 8, Reading 2 (May 9, 2014)

Jesse Biddle - 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 5 GB, 4 FB, 3 WP
Austin Wright -1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K
Cesar Hernandez - 1 for 3, RBI, BB, CS
Cam Perkins - 1 for 4, K (outfield assist, home)
Aaron Altherr - 1 for 4, R, K (fielding error)
Tommy Joseph - 1 for 3, K
Zach Collier - 0 for 4, K

The walking bug has bit Jesse Biddle already and it's getting bad. Biddle struggles overall in this one, despite the unearned runs and 3 wild pitches. Reliever Jay Johnson gave up 3 runs (2 earned), 3 walks and a hit in his 1 inning of work. The offense didn't have much going for it either. And yes, Cesar Hernandez is still for some reason playing third base.

Reading 4, Trenton 3 (May 10, 2014, 14 innings)

Mike Nesseth - 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR, 7 GB, 2 FB
Colton Murray - 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB
Hector Neris - 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, K
Nefi Ogando - 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Tyler Knigge - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, BB, K
Carlos Alonso - 3 for 7
Cesar Hernandez - 2 for 6, BB, K
Cam Perkins - 0 for 6, 2 K
Aaron Altherr - 1 for 6, K
Zach Collier - 2 for 6, R, 2B, 2 K, CS

Mike Nesseth is apparently a starter now; think of that what you will. The Fightin's win the game via a run scored on a passed ball by Yankees top prospect, Gary Sanchez. Reading had 14 hits, but could only plate 4 runs. Reading hitters also struck out 14 times! They win this one largely because of an excellent showing from the bullpen.

Trenton 15, Reading 0 (May 11, 2014)

Severino Gonzalez - 3.2 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 K, 2 HR
Austin Wright - 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, K, HR
Brock Stassi - 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R
Cesar Hernandez - 2 for 4, 2B (fielding error)
Cam Perkins - 1 for 3, HBP, K
Aaron Altherr - 0 for 4, K

Severino got absolutely demolished and has been really struggling through his last few starts. Austin Wright fared no better. Fightin's 1st baseman, Brock Stassi, got to throw an inning, probably because the bullpen was taxed from Saturday night's 14 inning marathon.

Clearwater 2, Dunedin 1 (May 9, 2014)

Luis Paulino - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 6 GB, 3 FB
Ethan Martin - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB
KC Serna - 1 for 4, 2 R, HR, BB, K
Peter Lavin - 3 for 4, K, CS (outfield assist, 3B)
Darin Ruf - 2 for 4, RBI, K
Harold Martinez - 0 for 4
Andrew Knapp - 0 for 4
Gabriel Lino - 1 for 4, K

Luis Paulino with a weird path this season thus far. He pitches well as a starter with Reading, gets demoted to Clearwater and relieves a few games, then is thrown in again as a starter (and does well). A rehabbing Darin Ruf hit an RBI single to tie the game, while KC Serna hits a solo shot in the 7th, in what would be the winning run. Knapp continues to struggle with Clearwater and wouldn't be out of the question if he gets sent down to Lakewood as roster space becomes available. Ethan Martin still isn't 100% and couldn't even get through 1 inning.

Dunedin 11, Clearwater 3 (May 10, 2014)

Ethan Stewart - 5 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR, 3 GB, 6 FB
Peter Lavin - 4 for 5, HR, 2 SB
Darin Ruf - 1 for 5, RBI, K
Harold Martinez - 0 for 3, K
KC Serna - 1 for 4
Andrew Knapp - 0 for 3, BB
Gabriel Lino - 1 for 4, HR, 2 K

Ethan Stewart is bad. 27 walks and 44 hits in 44 IP. I'm starting to feel bad for Peter Lavin. The guy is clearly too old for the league. He had home run #5 and stolen bases #4 and 5. Lavin is hitting .320/.455/.690 through 125 at bats. Lino hit his 2nd in Clearwater (and 3rd overall).

Lakewood, Kannapolis (May 9, 2014, postponed due to rain)

Delmarva 8, Lakewood 1 (May 10, 2014)

Alejandro Arteaga - 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 K, 8 GB, 1 FB
Carlos Tocci - 0 for 3, HBP (outfield assist, home)
Andrew Pullin - 0 for 4 (two errors, fielding and throwing)
JP Crawford - 3 for 3, 2B, BB (throwing error)
Willians Astudillo - 0 for 4
Dylan Cozens - 1 for 4, R, 2B, K
Mitch Walding - 1 for 3, RBI, BB, K
Jan Hernandez - 1 for 4, 2 K
Deivi Grullon - 0 for 4, K (catcher interference error, passed ball)

Alejandro Arteaga pitches well by Arteaga standards, but loses anyway. The bullpen (Ulises Joaquin & Jesen Therrien) combined for 3 innings and 6 runs (3 earned). JP Crawford continues his dominance at the plate, but does pick up another error (8th on the season).

Lakewood 6, Delmarva 5 (May 11, 2014)

Mark Leiter - 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 6 K, 6 GB, 3 FB
JP Crawford - 1 for 4, R, RBI, BB, SB
Carlos Tocci - 1 for 4, RBI, K, CS, picked off
Dylan Cozens - 0 for 3, BB, 2 K
Willians Astudillo - 2 for 4, R, RBI (passed ball)
Mitch Walding - 2 for 4, R
Andrew Pullin - 1 for 3, RBI, SB
Samuel Hiciano - 1 for 4, R, 2B, RBI, SB
Wilmer Oberto - 1 for 4, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K
Jan Hernandez - 2 for 4, R, 2B, K

Mark Leiter continues his uneven season, but grinds out a win. He seems to be missing more bats this season (he should be at his age), but is giving up too many hits. Will need to start figuring out if he is ever going to succeed at the higher levels. JP Crawford collects another walk and stolen base (his 8th). Willians Astudillo gets behind the plate for the first time this season (to my recollection anyway). He becomes a legit prospect if he can stay behind the plate with his contact rates. Sure he could walk a few more times, but the fact that he never strikes out either balances it out somewhat. Lakewood went up ahead 6-4 in the top of the 8th with a sac-fly RBI from Pullin and an RBI double from Hiciano. Delmarva would rally for another run in the bottom of the 9th before Cody Forsythe would get it all together and close out the game.

The Yankees don't have a first-round pick this year thanks to last winter's free agent spending spree, but that doesn't mean there aren't talented players to be had in the second round.

In the off-season leading up to 2013, the Yankees chose not to sign any free agents that were given a qualifying offer. As a result, the Yankees netted two compensation picks, to go along with their original first-round pick, in the 2013 draft. With those picks, the Yankees replenished their thin farm system by selecting Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge, and Ian Clarkin. The refusal to add any free agents that were given qualifying offers (minus the re-signing of Hiroki Kuroda) last off-season certainly took its toll on the big league club, but, at the very least, it helped replenish the farm.

This past off-season, however, the Yankees made a full effort to improve the big league team by signing three players (Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran) who received qualifying offers. As a result, the team will have no first round picks in the upcoming draft and will make their first pick at 55^th overall. Just because they don't have a first rounder this year, though, doesn't mean there isn't talent to be had in the second round.

Looking at the Yankees' recent draft trends, PSA's Chris Mitchell found that the Yankees have, in recent years, leaned more towards high school players than they have with college players. Chris notes that this is especially true with pitchers, including guys like Ty Hensley and Ian Clarkin in the first round, as well as guys like Rookie Davis, Brady Lail, Daniel Camarena, and others in the middle/later rounds. With that in mind, here are some notable prep pitchers that could be on the board when the Yankees make their first pick:

Bryce Montes de Oca: RHP; 6' 7", 265 lbs.; Committed to Missouri
Rank: MLB.com, 65; Keith Law, 43; Scout.com, 104
Scouting report: Montes de Oca was once a highly touted prospect, but his stock fell quite a bit due to him undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2013. He has come back in a big way here in 2014, though, as his fastball has gotten up to 97 mph with plenty of arm-side movement and sink. On the flip side, Montes de Oca's secondary pitches aren't as crisp, as his curve is a little more slurvy and his change-up is still very much a work-in-progress. The Yankees love their big, prep pitchers, and if teams are still scared off by his previous TJS, Montes de Oca could very well wind up in the Yankees' laps in the second round.

Dylan Cease: RHP; 6' 2", 175 lbs.; Committed to Vanderbilt 
Rank: MLB.com, 68; K-Law, 44; Scout.com, 61
Scouting report: An elbow injury has sidelined Cease since March and there is word that the right-hander may be a tough sign given his commitment to Vanderbilt. When healthy, Cease sits in the 91-95 mph range with the fastball and can top 97. He also has the makings of a plus curve and change, with the former being ahead of the latter at the moment, but they're obviously not on that level just yet.

Cameron Varga: RHP; 6'3", 205 lbs; Committed to North Carolina
Rank: MLB.com, 47; K-Law, 47; Scout.com, 52
Scouting report: Committed to UNC, Varga's stock has risen to the point where him heading off to college seems less and less likely. He features a fastball that sits in the 90-95 mph range and his easy delivery makes his fastball seem harder than it is. Varga also has the potential for a plus curveball and his change-up has also made strides. The 6'3" right-hander will be one of the oldest high school players in the draft (20) and he did suffer through a biceps problem last summer, however, but those issues shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Trey Supak: RHP; 6'5", 210 lbs; Committed to Houston
Rank: MLB.com, 79; K-Law, 68; Scout.com, N/A
Scouting report: When Supak gets drafted, he will be the first player out of LaGrange High School (Texas) since Homer Bailey in 2004. Supak throws in the 89-92 mph range, and, not even turned 18, he still has room to fill out his 6'5" frame. He has the makings of a solid curveball, but he needs to add more power to the pitch. Supak's change-up shows some good fade, but he needs to improve his arm speed with the pitch.

Keaton McKinney: RHP; 6'5", 220 lbs; Committed to Arkansas
Rank: MLB.com, 81; K-Law, 79; Scout.com, 49
Scouting report: McKinney's two best offerings are clearly his fastball and change-up. The fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range with some arm-side sink. McKinney uses deceptive arm-speed on his change that sits in the low-80's and the pitch features good arm-side fade. McKinney's third pitch, a curveball, is a little slurvy and he needs to do a better job at showing more power and depth with the pitch.

Cody Reed: LHP; 6'1", 260 lbs; Committed to Vanderbilt 
Rank: MLB.com, 61; K-Law, 82; Scout.com 86
Scouting report: Reed has seen a pretty nice spike in velocity from his junior year of high school where he sat 88-90 mph to now more in the 92-95 mph range. His main secondary offering is a slider that has plus potential thanks to its depth, but it can get a little slurvy at times. A change-up is Reed's third pitch and it does show some nice fade when he chooses to throw it.

Alex Verdugo: LHP; 6'1", 190 lbs; Committed to Arizona State
Rank: MLB.com, 54; K-Law, 69; Scout.com, 35
Scouting report: A two-way prospect, scouts think Verdugo's best bet to make the majors is as a pitcher. Verdugo's three-quarters delivery gives him good movement on his 89-91 mph fastball that can touch 94. The fastball is expected to gain an extra bump in velocity if in fact Verdugo sticks to pitching full-time. His curve and change show promise, but they both fall behind his fastball. He does have some makeup issues, however, and the Yankees are known to like high-makeup players. We'll see if that affects his draft stock.

Michael Kopech: RHP; 6'4", 195 lbs; Committed to Arizona
Rank: MLB.com, 45; K-Law, 36; Scout.com, 46
Scouting report: The lanky Kopech uses his leverage to get fastball up to 97 mph, but sits mostly in the low-90's. Still having room to fill out, Kopech projects to get a few more ticks on his fastball. His main off-speed pitch features curveball break with slider velocity. There is excessive twisting and turning in Kopech's delivery, however, which is something that will need to be corrected. His change-up and his overall command of his pitches do need some refining, though he does do a good job throwing strikes.

Garrett Fulenchek: RHP; 6'4", 185 lbs; Committed to Dallas Baptist
Rank: MLB.com, 43; K-Law, 77; Scout.com, 100
Scouting report: Fulenchek has front-line potential thanks to his improving mechanics, command, and consistency. He uses a sinker that currently sits 90-94 mph as his go-to pitch and it could see some more velocity as he continues to fill out. His slider is his primary secondary pitch, which features late bite, but it can be a bit of an inconsistent pitch for him. Fulenchek has a decent change-up, be he doesn't use it very often.

Since the start of the 2009 draft, the Yankees have chosen one college arm (Sam Stafford in 2011) in the first two rounds. Before then, they chose Jeremy Bleich and Scott Bittle in 2008; Andrew Brackman in 2007; Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain in 2006; J.B. Cox in 2005; and Brett Smith in 2004. Clearly, they've changed course. But, here are a few college arms that could be available with the 55th overall selection, if they choose to go back to selecting college pitchers in the early rounds:

Zech Lemond: RHP; 6'3", 175 lbs; Rice University
Rank: MLB.com, 44; K-Law, 50; Scout.com, 57
Scouting report: Lemond was originally a reliever for Rice (and a very good one at that), but thanks to injuries in its starting rotation, the team shifted him to the rotation where he continued to succeed. His fastball, while even in the rotation, sat in the 92-96 mph range and had some good movement on it. His best secondary is a hard knuckle-curve that is said to have reached 85 mph. He has a change-up, but it's a bit of a newer pitch for him. A caveat for Lemond, however, is that because the team was pretty aggressive with his workload once placed into the starting rotation, the right-hander has been sidelined with elbow inflammation after five starts, which could hurt his draft stock.

Spencer Turnbull: RHP; 6'3", 195 lbs; Alabama
Rank: MLB.com, 62; K-Law, 49; Scout.com, 58
Scouting report: Thanks to an improved delivery, which has helped him with his control and velocity, Turnbull has made big strides for the Crimson Tide these last two seasons. His fastball, which he does a good job of getting downward plane on, sits in the 92-94 mph range but can get up to as high as 98 mph. His slider has improved, too, to the point where it might become a plus secondary pitch. Turnbull could find himself in the bullpen because his third pitch, a change-up, falls behind his two other offerings, and his command in the strike zone has room to grow as well.

Brett Graves: RHP; 6'1", 190 lbs; Missouri
Rank: MLB.com, 74; K-Law, 55; Scout.com, 71
Scouting report: It was because of his size that Graves didn't get drafted until the 26th round coming out of high school, but scouts still loved his arm-strength and athleticism. Graves' stock has shot up considerably since going to college, to the point where he could land in the second round. He can get both swings-and-misses and grounders from his heater, which sits at 92-94 mph. Graves' two secondary pitches, a slider and a change, are still works in progress, but the former has shown the potential to be a plus pitch.

Now, onto the bats. Despite the Jagielo and Judge picks from last year, the Yankees like to pick high school position players in the early rounds. Here are a few prep bats they could pick in the second round:

Milton Ramos: SS, RHB; 6'2", 165 lbs; Committed to Florida Atlantic
Rank: MLB.com, 46; K-Law, 84; Scout.com, 56
Scouting report: Ramos may just be the best defender in the entire draft class. Because he has smooth actions at short, a strong arm, above-average range thanks to his speed, and soft hands, Ramos shouldn't have much trouble at all sticking at the shortstop position. What drops him down the draft rankings, though, is his bat, where he has shown to be overaggressive at the plate. He doesn't have much power right now, but he does hit line drives to all fields and could gain some power as he grows more into his body.

Forrest Wall: 2B, LHB; 6'1", 180 lbs; Committed to North Carolina
Rank: MLB.com, 53; K-Law, 73; Scout.com, 16
Scouting report: Wall actually has the makings to be a shortstop, but it was because of labrum surgery three years ago that has moved him to second base; his arm strength hasn't fully recovered since surgery. Wall does have a quick, line-drive swing on the offensive side with surprising power for someone his size. His speed, like it does on defense, should help him on the base paths in terms of stealing bases.

Cole Tucker: SS, switch-hitter; 6'3", 165 lbs; Committed to Arizona
Rank: MLB.com, 70; K-Law, 62; Scout.com, N/A
Scouting report: Defense is Cole's calling card, as his soft hands, instincts, and range at the position should help him stick there long-term. Cole doesn't offer much in the way of power with the bat, but that's to be expected given his light frame. He is projected to hit for some more power as he continues to fill out, and his speed should help him in the meantime and down the road.

College bats are little thin in this draft, most notably those who can play a non-first base infield position. At least those who could be picked in the second round of the draft, anyway. Here are some more polished college bats the Yankees could choose when they make their first pick in the second round:

Alex Blandino: 3B, LHB; 6'0", 190 lbs; Stanford
Rank: MLB.com, 78; K-Law, 42; Scout.com, 18
Scouting report: Blandino has shown a good approach at the plate, including good plate discipline, and is able to hit the ball to all fields. Currently a third baseman, there is a possibility that Blandino could be moved over to second base given his lack of power, but he does, defensively, handle third base well for the Cardinal. Blandino has played in the Cape Cod League before, and the Yankees have always liked players who play in the Cape.

Greg Allen: CF, switch-hitter; 6'4", 170 lbs; San Diego State
Rank: MLB.com, 76; K-Law, N/A; Scout.com, 78
Scouting report: Allen is your classic slash-and-dash type of center fielder. The senior from SDSU can spray the ball to all fields thanks to a short swing, and he has good plate discipline to boot. There really isn't much power there, but if there were, he'd be projected to go quite a bit higher than where he currently sits. Once on base, Allen is a major threat to run. Allen can also go get it in center, too, as he shows good instincts in the field with a good arm.

It'll be interesting to see who the Yankees will take in this draft, considering that some of the best talent (in theory) will be gone by the time they make a pick. But there are always guys who sneak through the cracks and fall later in the draft. The Yankees will be making their first pick in the 50's (55th, to be exact), and they've only done that once since 2003 (they did it in 2011 and picked Dante Bichette Jr.), so they're sort of in uncharted waters in that regard.

Personally, I'd like to see the Yankees take a college arm in the second round, even though they've kind of shied away from that in recent years. The Red Sox have taken college arms in the early rounds (Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Barnes, Brandon Workman, and Brian Johnson come to mind), and have had good success doing so. Perhaps the Yankees could take a page out of Boston's playbook, considering the latter has done a better job at drafting (and developing) talent than the former.

At the same time, there may not be many college arms that are worthy picks for the Yankees in the second round, though there are some guys who should still be there in the third round or later. In that case, I feel like a prep pitcher is the way they'll go, if in fact they choose to go with an arm in the second round. The Yankees drafting someone like Bryce Montes de Oca would not be a surprise; they love their big, projectable pitchers. It'd just be nice if they could get a college player with their first pick, since they're more polished than high school players and can move up in the farm system more quickly

The Yankees come back to the Bronx to face the Mets from Queens. The much heralded and vaunted Subway Series of Interleague Play returns to the city of New York. Two games at Yankee Stadium. Two games at Citi Field. Also, PSA DP questions and answers.

The Grand Central to Triboro to Deegan Series, or the Subway Series if you're not driving, is once again upon the city of New York. Yankees vs. Mets. The Bronx vs. Queens. Obnoxious WFAN caller vs. obnoxious WFAN caller. I'm sure we'll get the usual forced beat writer diatribe. There's only one thing we should care about in this series, besides long time listener's favorite PSA meme. That, of course, is winning.  Speaking of winners, let's check in with the math!

5/11/14 Daily Prediction Answers

With the Yankees back on the East Coast, Pamela and Paula Platypus have decided to head back west for  some more drunken beach math. Before their flight, they crunched the numbers and have found another winner. That winner is once again the Mother of Dragons herself, Tanya. Waffles once again sits upon the Iron Throne in the month of May, scoring 4,000 points with the help of her mad predictions skillz (yes, with a z) and Mark Teixeira. He has sent her a Juice Press gift card.

5/12/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Questions

Which train do you root for in the Great Subway Race: B train, D train, or 4 train? (If you've never been to the Stadium, go with your gut)

Name three of your favorite smells?

What is your least favorite musical instrument?

What is your favorite bean? (This one's for you LTL)

Hiroki Kuroda is taking the mound for the Yankees tonight. Kuroda is coming off what can easily be described as his best start of the year. I'm sure we'd all like to see much more of that HIROK than the other one. His opponent will be a familiar face to the Bronx, Bartolo Colon. It's a shame we will not have the pleasure of seeing him bat.

Let's Go Yankees

After a hard-fought series in Milwaukee, the Yankees return home for two in the Bronx and two at Citi Field against the Mets, before welcoming the Pittsburgh Pirates to New York.

This week's schedule and probable starters:

5/12 - vs. New York Mets - Hiroki Kuroda vs. Bartolo Colon

5/13 - vs. New York Mets - Vidal Nuno vs. Zack Wheeler

5/14 - @ New York Mets - Masahiro Tanaka vs. Jenrry Mejia

5/15 - @ New York Mets - ???? vs. Dillon Gee

5/16 - vs. Pittsburgh - David Phelps vs. Edinson Volquez

5/17 - vs. Pittsburgh - Hiroki Kuroda vs. Charlie Morton

5/18 - vs. Pittsburgh - Vidal Nuno vs. Gerrit Cole

The Opponents: The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates

Interleague play continues this week as the Yankees return to New York to take on the Mets and Pirates. Little was expected of the Mets this season, and while they haven't blown anyone away, they're still just 17-19 and only four games out of the NL East lead after about a month and a half of the season.

This series will mark Curtis Granderson's return to the Bronx; Granderson signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Mets in the offseason after spending the last three seasons with the Yankees (during which he posted two 40+ homer seasons). Granderson will no doubt hear a few boos from the Yankee fans, but based on his performance in a Mets uniform, Yankee fans should thank him for taking his talents elsewhere. After missing most of 2013 with a variety of injuries, Granderson has hit just .185/.233/.333 with only three home runs here in 2014.

While Grandy has been a disappointment, the Mets have gotten great production from Daniel Murphy (.317/.367/.455, 133 wRC+) and David Wright (.289/.337/.388 with a 104 wRC+). Without much outside of these two, though, the Mets offense has left something to be desired (23rd in the league in runs scored), and their pitching hasn't been much better (19th best ERA in the majors). As of late, the Mets have been struggling mightily, going 2-8 in their last ten games, so the Yankees will have a good chance to get back on track during this series.

The Pirates snapped a twenty-year playoff drought last season, relying on a terrific pitching staff and the MVP performance of Andrew McCutchen. This year, they've been disappointing so far, managing just a 16-20 record (although they've been playing better as of late, notching a 6-4 record over their past ten games). Their pitching rotation has not been able to replicate the success it found last year, as the loss of A.J. Burnett has proved costly (I can't believe I just wrote that) and the regression of Francisco Liriano after a stellar 2013 (3.71 xFIP this year as compared to 3.12 last year, because his strikeouts are down and walks are up) has been quite costly for Pittsburgh.

McCutchen hasn't had any trouble getting going this year, though, as he has picked up right where he left off and has hit .319/.427/.511 for a 165 wRC+ this year. If Starling Marte (97 wRC+) and Pedro Alverez (96 wRC+) can find a bit more consistency, the Pirates will continue to be dangerous. But without some improvement from the rotation, it could be a long season in Pittsburgh.

Pitching Highlight:  Someone? vs. Gee

CC Sabathia had been scheduled to start Thursday night's game at Citi Field, but with him on the DL now (more on that here), someone else will have to step up. With Nuno and Phelps already in the rotation, and Adam Warren solidified in the bullpen, that very well may be Alfredo Aceves. The right-hander has been quite serviceable so far this season (although he did take the loss on Sunday in Milwaukee), posting a 3.95 xFIP and a 6.00 K/BB ratio, albeit in just two appearances.

Chase Whitley, who was scratched from his Sunday start at Triple-A Scranton, could be an option, as he has been terrific so far this season in the minors pitching to the tune of a 2.49 ERA, a 1.066 WHIP, and 11.45 K/9. Whoever Girardi picks, this Yankee pitching staff that seemed like the team's biggest strength has become more of a liability than anyone could have imagined.

No matter who Girardi taps for Thursday's start, it will not be a favorable matchup for the Yankees, because opposing the Yankees will be Dillon Gee. He has been one of the Mets best pitchers this year, although his 2.73 ERA, when compared to his 4.33 xFIP, shows that he's been a little lucky so far this season en route to a 3-1 record. His 2.20 K/BB ratio and .226 opposing BAPIP further show that he has not been quite as good as his record and ERA may make it appear. Still, Gee is a good pitcher, and with either Aveces or Whitley on the mound opposing him, the Yankees will be hard pressed to win this game.

Who's hot and who's not?

Hot: John Ryan Murphy - The backup catcher has had success ever since finding his way to the Bronx once Francisco Cervelli landed on the 60-day DL. He's only appeared in 10 games so far this season, and while his stats have been inflated due to the small sample size, he still deserves some recognition for just how damn good he's been at the plate all year. Overall, he's hit .407/.407/.556 for a 170 wRC+, capped off by Sunday's three-for-four showing in Milwaukee. Murphy's success at the plate has been one of the best surprises so far this season, and with Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez still in the minors, he should give the Yankees amazing catching depth (and perhaps some trade chips?) in the coming years.

Not: Brian McCann - The man Murphy has been backing up, and the man who was brought in during the offseason to provide some production at a position that provided no punch last year, has certainly struggled in the early goings of 2014. He has hit just .125 with no home runs and no RBI in the past seven days. For the season, McCann has managed just a 58 wRC+ with only four home runs and 12 RBI.  It's still early, and McCann has enough on his hands managing the ever-changing pitching rotation, but the Yankees will need him to step it up to keep pace in the AL East.  Sooner rather than later would be nice.

Final notes and predictions: 4-3 (2-2 against the Mets, 2-1 against the Pirates)

The Yankees have just come off a disappointing series against the Milwaukee Brewers, a series that saw them drop their last two games by one run. While their pitching staff has been decimated by injuries this year, guys like Phelps and Nuno have done relatively well, keeping the Yankees in games and giving the offense a chance to sneak out a win. Sometimes it's happened, and sometimes not. This is about the best we can expect while we wait for Michael Pineda and Sabathia to get healthy again.

While the offense should find some success against Mets pitching, the Mets hitters should be able to take advantage of the Yankees rotation. Look for Kuroda and Tanaka to pick up wins, while Nuno and Aceves/Whitley/whoever might be in for some rough outings. Kuroda should especially have a great chance for a W, since many Yankee hitters historically have hit Colon well: Jeter's hit .385 lifetime against him, Beltran's hit .295 with four home runs in 44 at bats, Tex is hitting .286/.362/.548 in 42, and Ichiro has hit .299 against Colon in 87 ABs.

Against the Pirates, the Yankees should be able to pick up two of three. While the Pirates will avoid Masahiro Tanaka, none of Pittsburgh's starters have been terribly impressive this year (Cole has been pretty solid, however, so look for the Yankees to have trouble with him) and the Yankee lineup is much more consistent than the Pirates, so the Yankees should pick up a couple wins, if not get the sweep. If the Yankees get two good starts out of Nuno, it could be a very good week for New York.

Lots of interesting, funny, idiotic, and insightful things were said by the Mets—and about them—recently. Here are some of our favorites.

Indeed, it does suck.

"Just frustrated. Losing sucks. You just miss a pitch to tie a game up, that sucks." —David Wright [ESPN]

Oh, good, I was getting worried.

"You look at what's happened the last 10 days, we haven't been able to execute on the offensive side the way we want," Collins said. "We are where we are because we haven't hit. We'll start hitting." —Terry Collins [ESPN]

See, nothing to worry about.

"We’ve got 130 games to go — we’re doing all right. We’ll get it going. We came in and played the Rockies who were red hot and these guys are red hot here. We’re going to get hot, too." —Terry Collins [New York Post]

Serious, everyone stop worrying!

"Anytime you have a losing streak, you're not worried — you just have to battle out of it. Each and every day, get ready for that game and apply yourself and not get caught up in thinking that you've got to do more than what you're doing. What ends up festering is that guys take it upon themselves to think that they've got to be the guy that stops the losing." —Terry Collins [NJ.com]

Maybe this mentality is contributing to a career low .103 ISO.

"It’s frustrating when you leave that many people on base for sure. But that would be multiplied if we weren’t getting people out there to drive in. I think sometimes that can work against you, when you have guys that want to be up there, want to get that big hit, and kind of trying too hard or getting caught up in the moment instead of doing your thing, taking your single." —David Wright [New York Post]

Feeling more and more like a couple-of-week thing.

"This is where we’ve gotten ourselves in trouble in the past. We allow these things to kind of stretch out over a couple of weeks instead of a series here and there. Hopefully the difference between this year and the last couple of years is when we go in these little slides we stop it at a series or two series rather than let it carry over and turn it into a couple-of-week thing." —David Wright [New York Post]

Pretty the ‘perfect’ pitch does not mean right down the middle.

"I was trying to be perfect. I just threw strikes right down the middle. [Friday] I was thinking about throwing strikes, move the hitter out and in: That made me better." —Jenrry Mejia [New York Post]

This is a very insightful take on something I never really considerd.

"It definitely hits me mentally, especially because I’ve been a starter my whole career. I know how much effort starters put in preparing for the starts, and as well as [Niese] pitched, it hit me hard." —Daisuke Matsuzaka [New York Post]

This is a very insightful take on how boring the Yankees are; ‘son of a gun,’ what is this Leave it to Beaver?

"That was so cool. I can die and go to heaven. I would’ve given anything to be a Bleacher Creature. I was always very envious of them. I couldn’t sit in the stands because people would hassle me the whole game, but sitting in the booth or the suite isn’t much fun. So my buddy Mitch Modell let us borrow his tickets [a few rows behind the Yankees dugout]. At first, I yelled at him, "Hey, Jet!" I always called him "Jet." He didn’t respond, so I thought, "Is he ignoring me? I’m going to find out." So I started shouting, "Hey Jeter, you suck!" I blew my cover. Derek turns around, sees me and laughs. He says, "Will-o, you son of a gun." Then in typical Jeter fashion, he goes up and hits a line-drive double. I’m one of the only Yankees fans who’s heckled Derek Jeter at Yankee Stadium." —Willie Randolph [New York Post]

Yeah, but probably should have asked if he was hydrated.

"Injuries are caused by guys playing when they're dehydrated but he told me he felt great." —Terry Collins on Duda playing after missing a game with a stomach flu [ESPN]

I agree, the Mets bullpen will drive anyone to drink.

"Oh, I hated the Mets with a passion that kills and still do. [But the Mets -- at least the late ’60s version -- are the] perfect team for Don Draper to root for. They’re brand new. They represent nothing but possibility. Don would never be a Yankee fan. That’s a frontrunner. He’s an underdog guy, if he’s anything." —Jon Hamm [New York Post]

He added, ‘Also, I mean have you seen what starters get paid compared to relievers.’

"I’ve been a starter and that’s what I’m going to be. I’ve had two operations.  I’m worried about my arm. I want to have a long career. I don’t want to get hurt again." —Jenrry Mejia [New York Post]

Got to sell #lolmets somehow…

"I don’t know why people talk about it, because we already had that conversation and [the Mets] know they have a starter and I want to be there. They said they want me to be a starter. They’ve got to know. They’ve got to believe in me that I am going to prove myself." —Jenrry Mejia [New York Post]

…even if it feels like everyone seems to be in agreement

"He’s got three quality pitches. He’s got the ability to start." —Dan Warthen [New York Post]

Notably, Colon and Mejia were omitted.

"I actually do think we have some guys that can swing. I think I can get some hits. [Jon] Niese can normally get some hits. [Zack] Wheeler has a good swing, so I think they will come. We’re just in a bad slump right now for pitchers getting hits." —Dillon Gee [New York Post]

Well, the results are showing.

"I think that’s why I feel more concentrated, because it happened to me last year, and last year I [eventually] put everything together. I think even my defense was affected last year. I try to separate offense and defense and keep my head up and keep working." —Ruben Tejada [New York Post]

And I thought the 90 wins controversy was boring.

"I didn't do my due diligence to read what went out. It’s on me. It’s not on anyone else. I put my name on it. I put my likeness on it. I have to live with it. It seems like everything that comes out from the Mets is looked at poorly. I just think that there has to be a re-evaluation of the disconnect and how to reconnect to how [fans] feel and what [the team] is trying to do." —Ron Darling [New York Post]

AA Quote of the Week

"Right, he’s Tejada without the breaking ball." — MetsCity

You can observe a lot by watching.

Today is Yankees legend Yogi Berra's 89th birthday.  Although I've only been around for about 24 years of Yogi's life, all of which took place after his retirement from the game, it's been tremendously fun seeing him around on Old Timers' Days, playoff opener first pitches, and other such events. Yogi is unique in that, as Joe Posnanski once wrote, he is probably one of the most quoted figures in American history--almost certainly the most quoted in the history of sports. His "Yogi-isms" were amusing, and oh by the way, he remains arguably the greatest catcher in the history of the American League. The three-time AL MVP's only legitimate competition for the title of "Greatest catcher to ever play the game" is Johnny Bench.

Yogi's life has truly been amazing, from growing up in St. Louis to winning a record 10 World Series titles as a player and beyond. The only Yankees Hall of Famer to ever live longer is Phil Rizzuto. Grand epics could be written about the many incredible things that Yogi was witness to over the years, but I thought that it would be fun to chronicle Yogi's life in a timeline of sorts, comparing the events in his long life to everything going on around him. Don't forget--it ain't over 'till it's over, and hopefully, we will be privileged to keep Yogi around for many years more. Few sports figures have ever been beloved the way baseball has cherished this diminutive catcher with the gift of gab.

1925

Lawrence Peter Berra born on May 12th to Italian immigrants Pietro and Paolina Berra in St. Louis.

Scopes Monkey Trial: Tennessee teacher John Scopes arrested for teaching evolution.

F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes The Great Gatsby.

Founded in 1925: New York Giants football team, New Yorker magazine, Chrysler

AL & NL MVPs: Roger Peckinpaugh and Rogers Hornsby

Other notable births: Malcolm X, Johnny Carson, and Robert F. Kennedy

Still living when Yogi was born: Christy Mathewson, Harry Houdini, and William Howard Taft

1941

At age 16 and already an eight-grade dropout, Berra (nicknamed "Yogi" by a friend who said he resembled a Hindu yogi) and his neighbor Joe Garagiola try out for the local St. Louis Cardinals. For $500 in 1942, the Cardinals sign Garagiola, who goes on to have a nine-year MLB career and a Ford C. Frick Award-winning career in broadcasting on NBC, but they only offer Berra half of what Garagiola received; insulted, Yogi declines and decides to sign with the Yankees for $90/month in 1943.

With World War II afoot, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, sparking the United States to end its neutrality and declare war on Japan, Germany, and Italy.

Famous comedian Bob Hope performs his first USO show.

AL & NL MVPs: Joe DiMaggio and Dolph Camilli

Notable births: Bobby Cox, Dick Cheney, and Bob Dylan

Notable deaths: Lou Gehrig, James Joyce, and Kaiser Wilhelm II

1944

While serving in the Navy, Yogi participates in the D-Day invasion of Normandy in France, firing on the German defenses. The D-Day invasion was perhaps the biggest turning point of World War II, as the Axis powers began to greatly decline.

Holocaust concentration camp in Warsaw liberated, but others like Auschwitz continue to torture members of the Jewish population, such as 15-year-old Anne Frank, whose diary detailing the horrors is later published.

Austrian pediatrician Hans Asberger publishes paper on what would later be called "Asberger's syndrome."

AL & NL MVPs: Hal Newhouser and Marty Marion

Notable births: Joe Frazier, Rudy Giuliani, and Barry White

Notable deaths: Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Erwin Rommel, and a tragically high percentage of the approximately six million Jews killed during the Holocaust

1947

After debuting in '46, Yogi plays his first full major league season, batting .280/.310/.464 with 11 homers in 83 games and finishing 15th in AL MVP voting. The Yankees win the AL pennant under manager Bucky Harris, Yogi belts the first pinch-hit homer in World Series history in Game 3, and the Yankees beat the Dodgers in seven to games win their 11th championship. It would be Yogi's first of a record 10 World Series rings.

The United Nations creates the State of Israel, adding yet another controversy to the centuries-old feud between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Truman Doctrine released by the White House, announcing the United States' intention to stem the spread of Communism; House of Un-American Activities (HUAC) begins its ruthless investigation of Communists in show busines.

AL & NL MVPs: Joe DiMaggio and Bob Elliott

Notable births: David Bowie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and David Letterman

Notable deaths: Al Capone, Henry Ford, and Fiorello La Guardia

1951

Yogi hits .294/.350/.492 with 27 homers, starting an amazing 140 games behind the plate, where he throws out 54% of baserunners. (Twice, Yogi started a ridiculous 148 of 154 possible games at catcher.) He wins his first of three AL MVPs and the Yankees win their third of a record five World Series titles in a row. (Yogi's luck began in '49, when Yogi married Carmen Short, his wife of 65 years until her passing in March 2014.) Manager Casey Stengel later remarked that the secret to his success was that "I never played an important game without my man." His man was, of course, Yogi.

The Korean War rages on, reaching a stalemate in July that would not end for two more years, claiming the lives of at least two million people.

Reclusive author J.D. Salinger publishes his seminal work, The Catcher in the Rye

AL & NL MVPs: Yogi Berra and Roy Campanella

Notable births: Dave Winfield, Joey Ramone, and Sally Ride

Notable deaths: William Randolph Hearst, Arnold Schoenberg, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

1956

Yogi ties a career-high with 30 homers, hits .298/.378/.534 in 140 games, finishes runner-up to Triple Crown-winning teammate Mickey Mantle for his fourth AL MVP, and catches the only perfect game in playoff history, Don Larsen's Game 5 perfecto against the Dodgers.

The Yankees win their 17th World Series, Yogi earns his seventh ring, and the Brooklyn Dodgers fall in their last Subway Series appearance before moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

Elvis Presley cracks the United States music charts for the first time with "Heartbreak Hotel."

Bob Barker hosts his first game show, Truth and Consequences

AL & NL MVPs: Mickey Mantle and Don Newcombe

Notable births: Larry Bird, David Copperfield, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Notable deaths: Connie Mack, A.A. Milne, and Jackson Pollock

1964

Two years after winning his last World Series ring as a player, Yogi is offered the Yankees' managerial job with skipped Ralph Houk moving up to the front office. Yogi happily accepts but the Yankees' outlook is bleak after they are swept in Chicago on August 20th, falling to third place. People question Yogi's leadership until the infamous "Harmonica Incident" with infielder Phil Linz. The Yankees get on a hot streak and come from behind to win their fifth straight AL pennant with a 30-13 finish to the season following the Harmonica Incident, though they lose a tough seven-game World Series to the Cardinals. Yogi is harshly fired after the season; he would not return to the organization for 12 years.

New York City announces plans to build the World Trade Center, and the World's Fair is held at newly-constructed Shea Stadium in Queens, home of New York's newest baseball team, the perennial doormat Mets.

A year after his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

AL & NL MVPs: Brooks Robinson and Ken Boyer

Notable births: Barry Bonds, Nicolas Cage, and Keanu Reeves

Notable deaths: Herbert Hoover, Douglas MacArthur, and Jawaharlal Nehru

1972

With career numbers of .285/.348/.482, 321 doubles, 358 homers, 18 All-Star appearances, and of course, three AL MVPs and 10 World Series rings, Yogi Berra is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It takes him until his second ballot to get in because DERP BBWAA. (Yogi is managing the Mets at the time, a tenure that sees him coin the catchphrase "It ain't over 'till it's over" while the Mets come back to win the '73 NL pennant, Yogi's second as a manager.) The Yankees also retire Berra's number 8 in a joint ceremony on July 22nd honoring Berra and his Yankees Hall of Fame catcher predecessor and mentor, Bill Dickey, who wore the same number and "learned him everything." In typical Yogi fashion, he remarks at the Cooperstown ceremony "I'd like to thank everyone who made this day necessary."

White House operatives later learned to be associated with President Richard Nixon make multiple attempts to break into the Watergate office complex, home of the Democratic National Committee.

Video game company Atari founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, and their video game "Pong" becomes a nationwide phenomenon.

AL & NL MVPs: Dick Allen and Johnny Bench

Notable births: Shaquille O'Neal, Notorious B.I.G., and Ben Affleck

Notable deaths: Roberto Clemente, J. Edgar Hoover, and Harry Truman

1999

Yogi ends a feud with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner stemming from his sudden firing as Yankees manager in April of '84, returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time in 15 years in a wonderful ceremony capped by pitcher David Cone's perfect game. It's an absolutely improbable and amazing homecoming for the Yankees legend.

Two teenagers at Columbine High School kill 12 students, a teacher, and themselves, in one of the most heart-wrenching school shootings in United States history.

The euro is adopted as the official currency of all countries in the European Union.

The country dreads the "Y2K bug" that will supposedly wreak havoc on computers and technology when all the clocks hit midnight on New Year's Eve to start 2000. Nothing happens because duh.

AL & NL MVPs: Ivan Rodriguez and Chipper Jones

Notable births: Some kids who will be relevant some day, I'm sure unless 1999 babies are a vortex of fail.

Notable deaths: Joe DiMaggio, Stanley Kubrick, and John F. Kennedy, Jr.

***

Here's hoping Yogi gets to see many more incredible events in his thrilling life. Happy birthday!

Through the first month and a half of the season, Brian McCann's hitting just .212/.252/.345. Is it time to start worrying?

Brian McCann has gotten off to a terrible start to the 2014 season. Here in mid-May, he's hitting just .214/.252/.342, and his wRC+ of 58 is worse than all but 12 qualified batters. McCann's essentially been a replacement level catcher. That's obviously significantly worse than anyone's expected, and is certainly not what the Yankees signed up for when they agreed to pay him $85 million over the next five seasons.

One of the culprits for McCann's poor performance has been his tendency to reach for pitches outside of the zone. McCann's historically been a relatively patient hitter, good for a walk rate in the 9%-10% range, but his eye hasn't been as discerning of late. His 2014 O-Swing% currently sits at 33.3% -- up from 28.8% in 2013. Unsurprisingly, swinging at all of those bad pitches has led to an unacceptable 4% walk rate.

Another possible explanation for McCann's performance is the infield shift, which has become commonplace this year. Most likely, the shift has already taken a few hits away from McCann. And although its hard to substantiate, its possible that trying to go the other way more often has thrown his entire approach out of whack. McCann's been one of the most shifted against players in baseball this year and he seems to have responded by trying to go the other way more often. For better or for worse, he's pulling the ball less frequently than in the past, especially with balls hit in the infield. In 2013, 70% of his infield batted balls were hit to the right side, but this ratio has fallen to 54% this year. Here's a visual of McCann's batted balls:

Between swinging more often and trying to beat the shift, its clear that McCann's hitting approach is much different than it's been in years past. It's hard to say for sure how these changes have influenced McCann's performance, but they do give us strong reason to believe there's more to his horrid start than just bad luck.

So is it time to start panicking? Not quite yet. After all, it's still only May, and plenty of good players have had a down couple of months only to go right back to being themselves. But given the circumstances, I'm a little more concerned about McCann than your run-of-the-mill under-performer. We'll see how he hits going forward, but it's probably safe to say that McCann isn't quite as good as we thought he was heading into the season. Hopefully his true talent level is closer to his 122 wRC+ from last season than to this year's 58 mark.

Subway Series!

The Yankees and Mets kick off their annual four-game Subway Series tonight at Yankee Stadium with Hiroki Kuroda facing off against Bartolo Colon. Curtis Granderson returns for the first time since switching from the Bronx to Queens and everyone is deprived of getting to see more Colon batting footage for at least one turn through the rotation. We are all worse off for this being true.

Tonight's lineup: Gardner 7 Jeter 6 Ellsbury 8 Beltran DH McCann 2 Soriano Solarte 5 Johnson 3 Roberts 4 Kuroda 1

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) May 12, 2014

After hitting a huge home run yesterday with two outs in the ninth, Mark Teixeira sits tonight in the series opener. It was obvious to anyone watching yesterday that Teixeira seemed like he could barely motor around the bases, which the Yankee first baseman attributed to "tired legs" after the game. It sounds like a non-injury for now, so hopefully it stays that way.

Or maybe it's more...?

"There is a little concern. It's low level."--Joe Girardi revealing Mark Teixeira had tightness in left groin, not in lineup today.

— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) May 12, 2014

Brett Gardner moves into the lead off spot with Jacoby Ellsbury batting third in the Tex-less lineup. Alfonso Soriano will play right field while Carlos Beltran serves as the DH. With the way Beltran has looked in the field, particularly since his over-the-wall tumble in Tampa it's difficult to argue with this move.

With CC Sabathia hitting the DL yesterday, Chase Whitley was suspiciously scratched from his start with the RailRiders. Whitley started Scranton's game today but threw only seven pitches in one inning of work. Seems like more than coincidence. The Yankees might need Whitley to serve as the long man in New York with Alfredo Aceves slotting into Sabathia's spot in the rotation, or even want Whitley to make a spot start himself. It seems as though they are dedicated to not letting him throw a start's worth of pitches until they figure out who will be taking Sabathia's start this Thursday. Whitley has performed well in the RailRiders' rotation this season, pitching to a 2.49 ERA over 25.1 innings while holding opposing batters to a .215 average.

Tonight's game will begin at 7:05 pm on YES.

The Bronx Bombers are in town for what should be a fun-filled week of New York baseball.

What's going on with the Yankees?

After going 4-5 in their last three series (versus Tampa Bay, at Angels, at Milwaukee), the Yankees find themselves in second place in the American League East, one-and-a-half games behind the Orioles. You can call it a good sign or a bad sign that the two teams expected to dominate the division this season -- the Rays and the Red Sox -- are currently behind the Yanks. On one hand, those teams aren't playing as well as analysts expected them too. On the other hand, both sides are deeper than the veteran-laden Yankees and could surpass them as the season wears on.

With a lineup built around so many veterans, the Yankees are depending on steady production and health from guys like Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran. The results so far have been a mixed bag. Soriano, McCann, and Beltran are all struggling to get on base even 30 percent of the time, but they are at least providing the kind of power that has been the Yankees' trademark since they moved into their new building in 2009.

Teixeira, though, has been a revelation. He says he's still feeling the effects of a right wrist injury that limited him to 15 games last season, but on the field, he looks like his old self. Teixeira is hitting .266/.383/.557 with seven home runs, and that's a big boost for a club that was worried about its first baseman's healthy coming into the season.

The Yankee pitching staff has started out pretty well, but it's beginning to crumble under the weight of injuries. High profile winter acquisition Masahiro Tanaka has been nothing short of excellent with 58 strikeouts, just seven walks, and a 2.57 ERA in 49 innings. Michael Pineda was off to a great start as well before he got busted for pine tar and then sprained his back. Also recently landing in the disabled list is CC Sabathia, who was actually pitching pretty well this season when you take into account a ridiculous BABIP and home-run-to-fly-ball rate.

So that's the Yankees in the nutshell. They have a chance to reach the playoffs this season if their veterans stay healthy, if they can continue to get great play from Tanaka and Jacoby Ellsbury, and if they just write Stephen Drew a check to fix that big hole at shortstop.

Who are these guys?

Yangervis Solarte is an international man of mystery who has rescued Yankees fans from having to watch Kelly Johnson play third base every day. Before the 2014 season, Solarte was a 26-year-old career minor league player who had just finished hitting .276/.323/.403 for the Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). The year before that, in another full season of Triple-A, he hit .288/.340/.405 with 11 home runs and three stolen bases. These are numbers that are good enough to stick around with, but they don't scream "major league third baseman" very loudly. Nevertheless, Solarte is batting .315/.394/.463 with the Yankees in 2014 for a 137 wRC+. His strikeout rate is actually down to 11.8 percent from 12 percent last year, and his walk rate is also 11.8 percent: his best since rookie ball in 2009. We don't know yet if Solarte is truly a late bloomer or just a flash in the pan. The Yankees would probably like to ride him for as long as they can.

Previously known as "J.R.," John Ryan Murphy finally realized that two first names are better than none, and now he's the Yankees' backup catcher. Coincidence? Probably. Murphy is only on the roster because Francisco Cervelli suffered a severe hamstring strain, but he's making the most of it. The second round pick in the 2009 draft has 10 hits in his last six games played, including his first MLB home run on April 26 against the Angels. Murphy's minor league track record shows that he'll probably be more of a walks and line drives guy than the power hitting starter McCann. If Murphy's defense holds up, he can be a solid catcher in the league for a long time.

Who's on the mound?

Monday: Bartolo Colon vs. Hiroki Kuroda

Kuroda flies under the radar because he's been such an understated, consistent player since he entered the majors with the Dodgers in 2008. In fact, if Kuroda had pitched anywhere other than New York and Los Angeles, he may have fallen off the cliff entirely. He's sort of like Bronson Arroyo, but without the personality. Since 2008, Kuroda has just one season with less than 30 starts, and his ERA tends to hover around the 3.40 mark while he strikes out around 150 batters per season and walks around a third of that. Although he has struggled with a 4.43 ERA so far in 2014, all of Kuroda's important stats appear right where they should be. Once his incredibly low 58-percent strand rate approaches normal, Kuroda should go back to having another Kuroda season.

Because he's been in the league forever, it's hard to believe that Colon is just a year older than Kuroda, but indeed, tonight's pitching match-up will be a clash of the elderly titans. Like Kuroda, Colon is posting solid strikeout and walk rates this season that betray his putrid ERA. While Colon's strand rate isn't as low as Kuroda's, he has been hurt by a .336 BABIP and a home-run-to-fly-ball rate that is the highest it's been since 2009. Given those weaknesses, the Mets would probably rather Colon start one of the Citi Field games instead of this one.

Tuesday: Zack Wheeler vs. Vidal Nuno

Who is Vidal Nuno? I seem to ask myself that question every time I see him on the mound for the Yankees, and yet I never seem to remember to look up the answer. Turns out he's a left-handed swingman who has been moving up the Yankees system since he was released by the Indians in 2011. It's been hard to judge Nuno because he only has seven big-league starts under his belt, and they're spread over this season and last. In 2013, he was very contact-oriented and held a 2.25 ERA that was based on a very low BABIP and a very high strand rate. This season, he's missing more bats, but also giving up more walks, and the normalization of his batted ball stats has led to a 5.47 ERA. If Nuno can just get his walks down, his fly ball game should be able to find some success in front of a Yankees outfield that isn't bad defensively.

Wheeler is a pitcher with a much higher upside that Nuno, but he might not realize it soon if he doesn't get his walks under control. Even as he was mastering the Marlins last week with seven strikeouts in six innings, Wheeler's five walks drove up his pitch count and prevented him from working deeper into the game. With the Mets' bullpen in its current state, Wheeler has got to find a way to pitch into the seventh inning more often. He's only done that once this season.

Wednesday: Rafael Montero vs. Masahiro Tanaka

News broke on Monday afternoon that Rafael Montero is being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to make his major league debut on Wednesday. That's surprising, but not too much of shock considering that there have been rumblings that the Mets' front office was considering bringing Montero into the rotation and sending Jenrry Mejia, who was originally penciled into this spot, to the bullpen. While Mejia's performance has been troubling recently, there's no guarantee that Montero will be better. While Mejia might have been destined for the bullpen in the long run either way, some will argue that the 24-year-old needed more starts to determine if he's worthy of a starting job or not.

In 41.2 innings spread over eight starts in Las Vegas this season, Montero has 41 strikeouts, 18 walks, a 3.67 ERA, and a 1.15 WHIP.

Montero will have an uphill battle to climb on Wednesday because of the opponent. Tanaka has been consistently great this season with at least six-and-one-third innings pitched and less than four runs allowed in each of his seven starts. His splitter has been just as devastating as advertised, as he uses to to strike out more than one batter per inning, and he's got considerable control as well. Tanaka's only weakness right now is the home run ball. He's allowed seven so far despite a 49-percent ground ball rate.

Thursday: Alfredo Aceves vs. Dillon Gee

For a player who has spent time in the majors only with the Red Sox and Yankees, you'd think Aceves would command a higher salary. Instead, he's just an affordable swigman who had one really nice season in 2011, but really just sticks around because of his versatility. Aceves was in camp with the Orioles this spring after spending 2011 to 2013 with Boston, but Baltimore cut him loose right before the start of the regular season. The Yankees were quick to snatch him up, and it's a good thing they did, because they now find themselves with three starters on the DL. Aceves was surprisingly effective as a spot starter for the Red Sox last season, but he hasn't started an MLB game yet in 2014. However, he did shutout the Rays for five-and-one-third innings on May 4 after Sabathia left the game.

For a guy who wasn't supposed to be the Mets' Opening Day starter this season, Gee sure has pitched like one. On Saturday night, he ran into a bit of a speed bump when he gave up three quick runs to the Phillies, but Gee managed to hang in there and get through six innings to give the team a chance to pull through. The Mets lost that game, but it doesn't change the confidence that the team has in its unlikely ace right now.

Prediction: The Mets get a split thanks to an inconsistent Yankees rotation.

Montero is the latest addition to an increasingly young Mets rotation.

The New York Mets have decided to call up highly regarded pitching prospect Rafael Montero, per a team announcement. The recent struggles of Mets' right-hander Jenrry Mejia prompted the promotion of Montero, who will be immediately slotted into the team's rotation.

Montero is currently scheduled to make his big league debut Wednesday in what will certainly be a highly publicized matchup against the cross-town Yankees. Assuming Montero starts, he will become the first starting pitcher in Mets' history to debut in a Subway Series.

Yankees' ace Masahiro Tanaka will be starting opposite Montero, adding more fuel to what is shaping up to be a must-watch game.

Montero, 23, was signed by the Mets out of the Dominican Republic as a 20-year-old in 2011 for a mere $80,000, but has bolted up prospect rankings in the last couple years. Entering the season, he was ranked as the 68th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America, and 60th by ESPN's Keith Law. Montero is generally seen as lacking the upside of a typical highly rated prospect (with most seeing him as no more than a number three starter), but his advanced approach and the relatively low risk that accompanies him have pushed him into high esteem. Montero has a 3.67 ERA and 2.28 K/BB in eight starts at Triple-A Las Vegas (a notoriously hitter-friendly environment) this season.

As Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors noted, if Montero sticks in the majors for the rest of the season, he will most likely qualify for Super Two status.

The Mets, who are currently 17-19, have built up quite an impressive stockpile of young arms. Along with Montero, the team's current rotation features Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, and Zach Wheeler, all of whom have yet to turn 29 (Wheeler is 24, while Gee and Niese are 28 and 27, respectively) and have performed quite well so far this season. In addition to that quartet, the team also has Matt Harvey currently on the DL and top prospect Noah Syndergaard lurking in the upper minors.

Montero will replace the 24-year-old Mejia in New York's rotation. Mejia will move to the bullpen, where his electric stuff should play up. As a starter, he struggled in seven starts this season, posting a 5.06 ERA, though his 4.56 FIP and 9.2 K/9 (he admittedly does have an atrocious 4.8 BB/9) indicate that he has probably been better than the raw numbers suggest.

The Mets have also apparently put 25-year-old Triple-A starter Jacob deGrom on standby in case the club needs another arm in their bullpen.

ESPN New York's Adam Rubin and Danny Knobler were the first to report the possibility of Montero's promotion.

The Yankees' pitchers weren't able to make seven runs hold up against one of the weaker offenses in baseball.

Your yearly mandated dose of the Subway Series kicked off with former Yankee Bartolo Colon taking the mound for the New York Mets to oppose one of the Yankees' last two initial rotation members still standing, Hiroki Kuroda. It would not be a night that either pitching staff should be particularly proud of.

It didn't take long for the Mets to get to Kuroda. They were able to manufacture a run after Eric Young Jr. let off with a single and predictably stole second base. A groundout from Daniel Murphy advanced him to third and another grounder from David Wright got him in to make it 1-0 Mets.The Yankees went out in front in a big way in the bottom of the second. The inning started with three consecutive singles by Brian McCann, Alfonso Soriano and Yangervis Solarte to load the bases. Two consecutive outs did not advance the runners as it looked like the Yankees were about to stumble into a massive RISP-fail. Fortunately Brett Gardner was there to save our collective sanity by yanking a Colon offering over the right field fence for a gritty gutty Grand Slam.

But it was live by the dinger, die by the dinger as Kuroda just could not hold the lead. In the fifth Travis d'Arnaud just got one over the fence for a solo shot to make the score 4-2. Then in the sixth former Yankee Curtis Granderson did what he did so often in Yankee Stadium, driving one into the short porch in right for a two-run homer that knotted the score up at four apiece. The tie would not hold for long as the Yankees put up three in the bottom of the sixth. Soriano hit a ground rule double and was sent home with a Solarte single. The noted speedster Kelly Johnson tripled home Solarte, though the ball was badly misplayed. Johnson was then promptly erased at home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Brian Roberts. A Gardner single and an epic overthrow by d'Arnaud on Gardner's steal of second allowed Roberts to score making it 7-4 Yankees.

That Mets gaffe would prove unimportant as Alfredo Aceves came in to relieve Kuroda and allowed a two-run homer to the mighty Young Jr., his first of the season and just his eighth in 437 career games. The lead was down to one run. The run would be relinquished in the eighth by normal LOOGY Matt Thornton, who was promoted to set-up duties this evening. Pinch-hitter Eric Campbell doubled and a bloop single into center by Lucas Duda got Campbell in just ahead of Jacoby Ellsbury's throw. Then, because the Mets are known for their slugging ways, Preston Claiborne came in and coughed up another homer, this time to Chris Young to make the score 9-7 Mets.

The Yankees were able to get the winning run up to the plate in the ninth. Against another former Yankee in Kyle Farnsworth, Derek Jeter worked a leadoff walk. After an Ellsbury flyout Mark Teixeira had a long pinch-hit single, setting the stage for McCann to be the hero. In a completely not surprising turn of events, McCann grounded into a game-ending double play, thus continuing his stellar play for the Yankees so far this year.

With the starting staff in tatters, Kuroda's going to have to be a lot better than he was tonight. Four runs over six innings against one of the poorer offenses in the league really isn't going to cut it. And as for the bullpen, well, the less said about that group and their implosion the better. Seven runs should be enough to beat the Mets, so get it together guys.

The Yankee Stadium portion of the Subway Series wraps up starting at 7:05 tomorrow. Zach Wheeler and Vidal Nuno are your probables.

Box Score

The Yankees are hitting an incredible amount of injuries at the same exact time. Most of it popped up today during tonight's game against the Mets. We know that CC Sabathia is out with a knee problem and Michael Pineda will take a little longer getting back from his injury. Mark Teixeira sat out of today's game with a tight groin/legs, but that's not all.

John Ryan Murphy hit for Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning of tonight's game. As the DH for the night, the move didn't make a lot of sense. It turns out the veteran outfielder hyperextended his elbow while taking batting practice in the cages under the stadium in between at-bats. This sounds an awful lot like the Humbler's doing, if you ask me.

If you were one of the many who asked where Shawn Kelley was in the eighth inning when Preston Claiborne came in and gave away the game, it turns out he's still hurt. The righty said that he was good to go after undergoing an MRI on his back, but Joe Girard disagreed:

Girardi said Kelley is "still not right. He does not have the flexibility to finish his pitches."

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) May 13, 2014

So thanks for completely lying, Kelley?

Finally! If you were also wondering why Brendan Ryan pinch ran for Mark Teixeira in the ninth instead of Ichiro Suzuki, it turns out that he's hurt too. He's apparently suffering from back pain after making a diving catch during Sunday's game.

All of this is happening at once because this is what happens when you rely on old players.

Right now it's not clear who will need to go on the DL, if any of them, but we're going to see someone new up here eventually. It's looking likely that Chase Whitley will be called up in the next few days and could take CC's next start. If Tex needs to go on the DL, expect the likes of Dean Anna or Scott Sizemore to be recalled. If Beltran or Ichiro go down, then it could be Zoilo Almonte or possibly Ramon Flores who get a chance in the majors.