Just when the Orioles thought they were out, Carlos Beltran pulled them back in.

Pop quiz, hotshot: last inning, you got two quick outs and then walked the bases loaded.  Your bacon was saved only when Mark Teixeira inexplicably swung at the first pitch, bouncing an easy grounder down to first base. In the top half of this inning, your teammates strung together four hits to put you ahead 2-1. For the previous five innings they were no-hit, making it clear that you might be lucky to have this one-run lead at all. Now you’re pitching again and Brian McCann has just singled.

What do you do. WHAT DO YOU DO?

If you’re Ubaldo Jimenez, you walk a batter to put a runner in scoring position, you hold your breath as Manny Machado dives to snare an Ichiro pop bunt, you cheer as Chris Davis gloves a sky-high pop-up near the stands, and then you … walk another batter, your sixth, to load the bases. You then get yanked from the game and watch T.J. McFarland get Brett Gardner to ground into the third out.

You hopefully then use some of your sweet, sweet free agent money to buy McFarland a house on the beach.

Yes indeed Orioles fans, it was another Ubaldo Jimenez walk-a-thon tonight. He looked okay to start the game, although he gave up a run-scoring double to Teixeira in the first inning. Aside from the free passes, he was mostly victimized by the Yankees’ speed demons freely running on him and Nick Hundley. But, yeah. You thought walking five batters was bad? Jimenez said, "I’ll show you", and walked six, twice loading the bases. But he (and later, McFarland) worked out of those jams just enough to squeak through six innings with just the one run allowed.

Squeaking was needed because for five innings, the Orioles couldn’t get a hit off Hiroki Kuroda. They struck out six times and had just two baserunners: Hundley reached on an error in the third, and Nelson Cruz walked in the fifth. That changed in the sixth when Hundley banged a leadoff double to not only end the no-no, but also put a runner in scoring position. He did just that (scored, that is) when Steve Pearce slapped another double to bring him home. The runaround continued when Adam Jones singled home Pearce, and all of a sudden it was 2-1 Orioles.

And then Ubaldo decided to give us all heart attacks and make us to say bad words. Curse you, Ubaldo. But McFarland worked out of the jam and threw another 1 2/3 perfect innings to boot. There was some additional drama in the eighth, when Alfonso Soriano and Brian Roberts singled with two outs against Darren O’Day. O’Day went 3-2 on Yangervis Solarte but got him to fly out easily to left.

Steve Pearce came through again in the top of the ninth. Jonathan Schoop reached on an error by that same Solarte, was sacrificed to second, and then moved to third when Nick Markakis rifled a ball off of pitcher David Huff’s foot. Pearce then dropped a sinking line drive into center field, just in front of a diving Jacoby Ellsbury, for a base hit and it was 3-1 Orioles.

Enter the ninth inning, and Zach Britton came in to get the save. He’s been so excellent this year, but tonight wasn’t his night. First, Brett Gardner singled. Orioles fans tensed up, but Derek Jeter struck out and Jacoby Ellsbury flew out. Things looked good. But then Britton walked Teixeira and Brian McCann singled, bringing Gardner home and making it 3-2. Britton nibbled to Beltran before firing a high sinker that sunk right into the hitting zone, and Beltran slammed a three-run walkoff dinger to put the Yankes over the top 5-3.

Ugh. Well, technically I don’t get to do an MBP poll, but what a job by McFarland. He held the Yankees off the basepaths when it counted the most. By Win Probability Added, he just put in the best Orioles relief appearance of the entire season. And while we’re at it, let’s hear it for Steve Pearce. With a BABIP nearly 100 points higher than his career level, he is punching well above his weight and will begin to slide if used regularly. But tonight he was the team’s catalyst, justifying Buck’s decision to bat him second.

Some words of wisdom from one in attendance:

Happens. Now dust yourself off and bring it again tomorrow #StayHungry

— 10 (@SimplyAJ10) June 21, 2014

Tomorrow, the Orioles and Yankees go at it again when Bud Norris faces Vidal Nuno.

MLB.com | Jesse Sanchez: The Yankees have been connected to 11 of the top 30 international prospects who are eligible to sign on July 2.

NJ.com | Kevin Manahan: While his great season could have gotten him more money on the open market after the season, Brett Gardner does not regret signing an extension.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: The Yankees have released Russ Canzler from Triple-A.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: After the series against the Blue Jays, it looks like the Yankees are starting to put it all together.

It's About the Money | Brad Veitrogoski: The Yankees should consider David Price, John Mayberry, and if they want to trade their catching depth.

Newsday | Jim Baumbach:Alex Rodriguez dropped his malpractice lawsuit against Yankees team doctor Chris Ahmad in his attempt to get back in baseball's good graces.

Rotographs | Eno Sarris: David Robertson, Preston Claiborne, and Matt Thornton have some of the straightest fastballs in baseball.

Sports Illustrated | Cliff Corcoran: The Yankees are getting most of their production from young, cheap players, but it might not last.

The Hardball Times | Max Weinstein:Carlos Beltran and Ichiro Suzuki are among the most/least shiftable players in baseball.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 20th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 2-3 vs. Pawtucket Red Sox

LF Jose Pirela 1-4, HR, RBI, K - fifth homer of the season
C John Ryan Murphy 2-4, double, K
RF Zoilo Almonte 0-4, K
3B Scott Sizemore 0-4, K
1B Kyle Roller 1-4, K
SS Zelous Wheeler 1-3, double, RBI, BB - 18th double of the season
2B Rob Refsnyder 1-3, double, RBI, BB, SB
DH Corban Joseph 0-3
CF Taylor Dugas 0-2, BB, K, SB

Joel De La Cruz 3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K, pickoff - 28 of 47 pitches for strikes
Jim Miller 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Preston Claiborne 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Heath Bell 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K - second blown save
Robert Coello 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 8-5 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

CF Mason Williams 2-4, CS - 10 for his last 37 (.270)
LF Ben Gamel 2-5, triple, 2 RBI
3B Rob Segedin 0-3, 2 BB, K
C Gary Sanchez 2-5, HR, 2 RBI - eighth homer of the season
1B Peter O'Brien 1-4, double, 2 K, HBP
RF Tyler Austin 0-3, BB, K, E9(5th) - batting .249 this season
DH Zach Wilson 2-3, double, RBI
2B Dan Fiorito 0-4
SS Ali Castillo 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, SB

Eric Wooten 6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, hit batsman - 50 of 81 pitches for strikes
Taylor Garrison 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K, WP
James Pazos 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 1-7 vs. Lakeland Flying Tigers

CF Jake Cave 2-5, RBI, K
SS Cito Culver 0-5, 3 K - batting .233 this season
1B Greg Bird 1-2, 2 BB - .415 OBP in his last 10 games
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-3, BB
RF Aaron Judge 0-3, BB, 2 K
LF Yeicok Calderon 0-4, 4 K
2B Jose Rosario 2-4, K
DH Matt Snyder 0-4, K - batting .240 this season
C Wes Wilson 0-4, 2 K

Luis Severino 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K - 5 GO/0 AO
Ramon Benjamin 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Alex Smith 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, WP, hit batsman
Nick Rumbelow 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, hit batsman

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 1-6 vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

RF Michael O'Neill 2-3, double, HBP - batting .248 this season
SS Tyler Wade 0-2, 2 BB, K
3B Miguel Andujar 0-4
1B Reymond Nunez 0-4, K
CF Dustin Fowler 2-4, double, SB - batting .276 this season
C Jackson Valera 1-4, K, passed ball
2B John Murphy 1-4, double
LF Brandon Thomas 0-4, RBI, K
DH Gosuke Katoh 0-4, 2 K

Chaz Hebert 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K - 50 of 81 pitches for strikes
Angel Rincon 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K
Eric Ruth 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Cale Coshow 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 0-3 vs. Hudson Valley Renegades

CF Collin Slaybaugh 0-4, 3 K
RF Austin Aune 1-4, K, E9 - fielding error, first of the season
1B Chris Breen 1-4, 2 K - batting .364
2B Ty McFarland 0-4, K
3B Brady Steiger 0-3, K, E5 - throwing error, first of the season
LF Nathan Mikolas 0-3, K
SS Thairo Estrada 1-3, K
DH Bubba Jones 0-3, 3 K
C Radley Haddad 0-2, BB, E2 - throwing error, first of the season

Sam Agnew-Wieland 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K - 9 GO/1 AO
Ethan Carnes 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Tim Giel 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Gulf Coast Yankees 1:W 4-3 vs. GCL Pirates (13 innings)

SS Jorge Mateo 2-6, K, SB
3B Drew Bridges 1-6, RBI, K
2B Angelo Gumbs 2-3, double, 2 RBI, CS
C Luis Torrens 0-2
RF Alexander Palma 1-5
CF Leonardo Molina 0-5, K
DH Bryan Cuevas 1-5, double, SB
1B Alvaro Noriega 1-5
LF Kendall Coleman 1-2, RBI, BB, E7 - fielding error, first of the season

Simon De la Rosa 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, hit batsman
Orby Tavares 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K
Dayton Dawe 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Reynaldo Polanco 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, K
Gean Batista 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Gulf Coast Yankees 2:W 5-4 vs. GCL Tigers

2B Junior Valera 4-5, double
C Jesus Aparicio 0-3, K, pickoff
SS Angel Aguilar 0-5, RBI, K, E6 - fielding error, first of the season
1B RJ Johnson 1-5, RBI, 2 K
3B Allen Valerio 3-4, double, K, E5 - fielding error, first of the season
DH Jake Hernandez 0-4, 2 K
LF Anderson Feliz 0-2, BB, K
RF Wilmer Romero 1-4, double, K
CF Jose Augusto Figueroa 1-2, HR, 2 RBI

Domingo Acevedo 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, WP, hit batsman
David Rodriguez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, K
Jonathan Padilla 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R/0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Abel Mora 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Betances should be on the AL All-Star team.

The All-Star Game is officially less than a month away, which means that the selection process is well underway. Derek Jeter, Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury are the only position players who currently seem to have a chance of making the team. What about the pitchers? The players, coaches and managers are responsible for voting in five starters and three relievers (plus a backup at each position) for each league. At this point, of all the Yankee relievers, Dellin Betances is most deserving of a spot on the All-Star team.

Through 42 innings, Betances has a 1.50 ERA, with an impressive 70 strikeouts, 11 walks, and 7 earned runs. Opponents are batting just .133 against him, and he has a WHIP of 0.71. Among the entire American League, he has the second highest K/9 (15.12). David Robertson's 16.05 is the highest. Betances has pitched in 31 games, and has only allowed a run to score in six of those games. He also happens to lead the majors in fWAR with 1.7.

Some of the other AL relievers who could be in the mix include Koji Uehara, Sean Doolittle and Greg Holland. Uehara has pitched 32.2 innings with 11.85 K/9, 1.10 BB/9, 0.83 HR/9, 0.67 WHIP and a 0.83 ERA. He also has a LOB% of 100 because all three of the runs that he's allowed came off of home runs. Weird. Doolittle has been great since taking over the role of closer in Oakland. Over 34 IP, Doolittle has 12.71 K/9, 0.26 BB/9, 0.53 HR/9, 0.62 WHIP and a 2.12 ERA. Holland is also having a great season for the Royals with 13.34 K/9, 2.28 BB/9, 0.33 HR/9, 0.98 WHIP and a 1.30 ERA through 27.2 IP. Dave Cameron over at FanGraphs thinks that the three of them plus Betances can all fit on the AL roster. That would be ideal.

After the fans and the players vote, the manager gets to fill the remaining eight spots on the roster. This year's manager is the Red Sox's John Farrell, of course. Part of his job is to make sure that every team in the AL has a player on the roster. If Betances isn't voted onto the roster by the players, he might be in trouble. It's hard to think that Farrell would choose a Yankee over one of his own players, if it came down to one spot for Uehara or whoever is left. It will be interesting to see how that factor plays out.

Voting for the position players ends July 3rd, and the final vote will open soon after that. If Betances isn't voted in by the players, then he could make it onto the ballot for the final five vote by the fans. Although, David Robertson was on the final vote ballot last year, and lost to Steve Delabar, so the size of the Yankees' fan base doesn't guarantee that Betances would win. Either way, he should at least be strongly considered to make the team, unless he's just terrible over the next few weeks.

Who do you think the AL relievers will be? Do you think Farrell will add as many Red Sox as he can?

Hey, things could always be worse. Maintain your newly found optimism!

It's pretty rare for a team to not have a starting pitcher that their fans don't fear taking the mound. Even teams with legendary pitching staffs were likely to have a member that would make their supporters wonder if they should just go run errands that day. I'd wager fans of the 1995 Atlanta Braves were wondering if they should mow the lawn when Steve Avery and his 4.67 ERA was taking the mound. The Yankees don't have a corps of starters at quite that level, but they've got four guys of quality ranging from pitching deity (Masahiro Tanaka) to mostly competent (David Phelps). But then our eyes turn to Vidal Nuno, who has been fifty shades of awful this year.

Yes, Nuno is doing the pitching today. And he's a below average lefty facing the likes of Nelson Cruz and his Herculean 232 wRC+ against southpaws. Among pitchers with at least fifty innings pitched in 2014, Nuno's ERA is the fifth worst (Clay Buchholz is first if you wanted to have a hearty chuckle). Even at his best, Nuno was probably the eighth-best starter the Yankees had in their stable, and in spite of that less than lofty standing he's clearly fallen short of expectations. Obviously I've said nothing to convince you that you would be better off watching the game than building a birdhouse or going grocery shopping, but hang on, I'm going to persuade you that the good times for the Yankees are going to continue today.

Do not fret, fellow Yankees fan. After last night's amazing walk-off victory capping off the team's four-game winning streak against division rivals, we are living in a happy baseball landscape filled with nothing but good times and shiny victories. There is no pain now, only joy. I can assure you that Nuno is going to not be terrible today. He is going to be powered by the mystical and most assuredly nonexistent energies of team momentum and winning atmosphere and not give up four homers. Cruz is not going to smack a ball that enters the moon's orbit and Nuno will make it through at least five innings while not making your eyes bleed with his performance. He will pick up the victory thanks to being aided by a Yankees offense that doesn't hit like a T-Ball team with runners in scoring position. No, we are now in a brave new world of the Yankees being good again, and Nuno will follow suit.

Did I write this multiple-paragraph and seemingly aimless screed simply because I'm (possibly literally) high off of the wonderful vibes of last night's phenomenal victory? Is there really no legitimate statistical evidence to support my thinking that Nuno will actually be an okay pitcher today? Yes, there is the possibility that those statements are both true. But hey, sometimes you just want to write something that enhances your good mood. Vidal Nuno is going to pitch well today: callin' it.

After an amazing win last night, the Yankees will have to figure out how to win again with Vidal Nuno on the mound.

#Yankees lineup vs. BAL: Gardner LF Jeter SS Ellsbury CF Teixeira 1B Beltran DH Johnson 3B Roberts 2B Ichiro RF Cervelli C Nuno P

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 21, 2014

Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, and Jacoby Ellsbury remain at the top of the lineup. Mark Texieira bats cleanup with last night's hero Carlos Beltran continuing to DH. Kelly Johnson plays third base with Yangervis Solarte out of the lineup again, though Brian Roberts stays in at second. Ichiro Suzuki is in right field and Francisco Cervelli is behind the plate, giving Brian McCann a day off after a night game.

CC Sabathia will soon begin his rehab assignment:

CC Sabathia threw a 36-pitch bullpen today. Travel to Tampa tomorrow, live BP on Tuesday, said plan is for him to be in a game Saturday.

— Lohud Yankees Blog (@LoHudYankees) June 21, 2014

By Saturday, I'm assuming next Saturday. If it takes him five starts/appearances to complete his rehab, that will take him right to the end of July/beginning of August, as it was initially reported. CC hopes it will take less than five, but let's not get too carried away just yet. Since he is due back around the trade deadline, it might make things a little difficult for the Yankees–do they make a move, do they wait for CC?–but can they afford to let Vidal Nuno make another five-to-six starts? And does CC actually offer an upgrade at this point?

Thanks to a walk-off dinger by Carlon Beltran, the Yankees were victorious yesterday against the Orioles, extending their winning streak to four game. Vidal Nuno takes the mound today, hoping to make it five games. Here's to hope. Also, here's to the PSA DP thread!

You know the story by now.. Hiroki Kuroda pitched a pretty good game. The Yankees offense was not a fan of it, clearly, as they did not score for him. Again. Thanks to a perfectly timed dinger by Carlos Beltran, who fights for the users, the Yankees still emerged victorious.

6/20/14 Daily Prediction Answers

It was a close match, both in the Yankees game and in the PSA DP. Yesterday's winner, selftitled95, almost pulled a NoMahbles and went back to back with victories. However, he was 1,000 points shy of tying yesterday's winner, Elcruzter55. He won with 4,000 points. The Aarons have prepared a feast in his honor. That feast consists of a single Slim Jim, a bag of Sunflower Seeds, and a shot glass full of tears.

6/21/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Questions

If you could be any type of fish or aquatic mammal, what would you be?

Do you put a lot of other crap on your key chain, or is it strictly keys?

Favorite Game Show?

What are you planning on eating for lunch or dinner tonight?

Vidal Nuno takes the mound against the Orioles. You have been warned.

Let's Go Yankees!

Vidal Nuno was bad but so was the Yankees' lineup.

Vidal Nuno struggled mightily in his start against the Orioles. He gave up three home runs in the 6.1 innings he pitched. But as bad as he was, the offense wasn't doing anything to keep it close. The pitching and the lineup struggled almost equally as the Orioles beat the Yankees 6-1.

The Orioles struck first in the top of the first inning. After getting two quick outs, Nuno got two strikes on Adam Jones before Jones hit a home run to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. A couple innings later, the Orioles added to that lead. After the teams traded scoreless innings, Jones led off the fourth by drawing a walk. Nelson Cruz then hit a two-run home run over the right field wall. That made it 3-0 Orioles.

In the bottom half of the fourth, the Yankees finally got on the board. With one out in the inning, Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run to make the score 3-1.

However, the very next inning, the Orioles extended their lead once again. Caleb Joseph reached after Teixeira couldn't pick Kelly Johnson's throw to first. Nick Markakis then grounded into a force out at second. Steve Pearce came up next and he took Nuno deep for another two-run home run, making it 5-1.

Nuno remained in the game until retiring the first hitter in the seventh. He went 6.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks. He was bad.

In the top of the eighth, J.J. Hardy led off the inning with a home run off Jose Ramirez, who had relieved Nuno. That made it 6-1 Orioles.

The Yankees threatened to cut into the Orioles' lead in the eighth, but would up stranding two runners. Ramirez would up finishing the game. He went 2.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. He gave up the home run and also hit a batter. In the ninth inning, the Yankees couldn't get anything going and the Orioles closed out a 6-1 win. Not a fun game.

The Yankees and Orioles will finish up their series in the Bronx tomorrow at 2 eastern. Thankfully for the Yankees, it will be Tanaka Time as Masahiro Tanaka will get the start. Chris Tillman will pitch for the Orioles.

Box score.

It finally happened. J.J. Hardy homered. His first of the year was the fourth of the day for the Orioles, who scored all of their runs via the homer in a 6-1 victory over the Yankees on Saturday.

J.J. Hardy's nightmare is finally over. In the eighth inning of the game, the home run drought came to an end when he blasted a pitch into the left field seats at Yankee Stadium. The run was meaningless insurance in a 6-1 victory over the Yankees on Saturday afternoon, but it meant everything to Hardy.

In true Orioles tradition, his teammates gave him the silent treatment as he came into the dugout. Where teammate Chris Davis pantomimed giving high fives and elbow bumps into mid-air, Hardy showered himself with sunflower seeds to celebrate the occasion.

The Hardy home run was the fourth that the Orioles hit on Saturday. All six of their runs came via the home run. It is at once the team's strength and weakness. When the power is there, they will destroy you. When the power is not there - whether through a skillfully-executed game plan on the part of the other team, or simply luck - they will be destroyed. Worry about that tomorrow when they face Masahiro Tanaka. For today, bask in the victory as the Orioles gained a game on the team immediately ahead of them in the standings.

Even the Yankees got into the act, with their lone run scoring on a home run by Mark Teixeira in the fourth inning. O's starter Bud Norris pulled his favorite move of pointing at the popup, but it turned out that it was actually a home run. Oops.

That home run notwithstanding, it was a good outing for Norris, who allowed only three hits and two walks in five innings before departing the game due to what the Orioles described as right groin tightness. That seems to be an ongoing problem for the Orioles pitching staff this season. With 82 pitches thrown, Norris wasn't exactly on pace to throw a complete game. He did at least look to be going six innings, sparing the bullpen a bit of work.

Since Norris went at least five innings, he was given the win. That puts his record at 7-5 on the season. He now has a 3.62 ERA. For an Orioles starter, anything under 4 feels pretty good, given all the other things we've seen.

The injury to Norris pressed Ryan Webb into service for two innings. Webb gave up a hit and a walk but allowed no runs. It's nice when a free agent reliever signing actually works out.

Webb was followed by Brian Matusz, who came into the eighth inning of a 6-1 game, faced three batters, and only retired one of them, because he's Matusz and that's what happens. Actually, though the box score says two hits, one of them should have been an error as Manny Machado misplayed a routine Derek Jeter grounder. It was scored a hit because Jeter's home scorer seems to like him more than the Fenway Park scorer likes David Ortiz. I'm so sad for Ortiz, really.

One night after a vintage Yankee Stadium meltdown, there was good reason to fear Tommy Hunter coming on in relief of Matusz with two men on base. Turns out you didn't need to worry that much. Hunter finished off the last five outs without allowing a run. Keeping a safe lead safe. What a concept.

This was a game that the Orioles needed to win to salvage something from this series. After Friday's blown game and the matchup of Tanaka against Chris Tillman for Sunday, they needed to be able to take at least one win this weekend. They took advantage of a soft Yankees starter, Vidal Nuno, to do so. Before today, Nuno had allowed 12 home runs in 61 innings. He allowed three more in 6.1 innings today. The Orioles beat the guy they were supposed to beat.

Adam Jones lit the keg of dynamite in the first inning, with a shot to left field to put the Orioles on the board 1-0. That was his 13th home run of the season. Nelson Cruz followed in the fourth inning with a man on base, muscling a home run the other way to the short porch in right - bringing him back into a tie for the MLB lead in home runs. Cruz and Edwin Encarnacion both have 23.

Steve Pearce was the other Oriole to get in on the home run party today, because of course he was. He added a home run in the fifth inning, his sixth of the year, and had two hits and a walk on the day. He is now batting .333/.387/.579. Do yourself a favor and don't look at his BABIP.

The Yankees brought in reliever Jose Ramirez for mop-up duty. In giving up the home run to Hardy, he showed why he is the mop-up duty reliever. Ramirez also showed his potential, though, throwing hard and striking out four Orioles in 2.2 innings.

Neither team had a hit with runners in scoring position on Saturday. The Orioles went 0-5 in those situations, while the Yankees went 0-9. When you have home run hitters on your team, everyone is in scoring position all of the time, even the man at the plate, really.

One other play that's worth mentioning came from Caleb Joseph, who helped to snuff out a potential first inning Yankees rally. Norris walked Brett Gardner to lead off the game. The fast Gardner was 15 for 16 in stolen base attempts heading into today. Joseph doesn't care about all of that. Gardner ran; Joseph made a fantastic throw and cut him down, erasing the leadoff runner.

That was the ninth runner Joseph has thrown out in 19 attempts. The league average caught stealing percentage for a catcher is 27%. Joseph has thrown out 47%. He is making the most of his big league chance. It's fun to see.

Sunday is Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium, which means a later start time of 2 o'clock while they do whatever it is they do as part of those festivities.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: Could Cliff Lee be the perfect target for the Yankees this season?

LoHud | Chad Jennings: CC Sabathia still feels he has to test his knee to see if he can make it back this year.

It Is High, It Is Far | El Duque: Could Brett Gardner be the next Yankees captain after Derek Jeter retires?

New York Daily News | Anthony McCarron: If Masahiro Tanaka continues pitching like this it could be the best single pitching season by a New York pitcher.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: How are ex-Yankees like Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, and Curtis Granderson doing in their first season away from the Bronx.

The Star-Ledger | Dave Hutchinson: Tino Martinez talks about his plaque in Monument Park.

Vidal Nuno predictably did not pitch well against the hard hitting Orioles. However, today is a new day. Today is Old Timers' Day. Today is Tanaka Time. So let's forget about yesterday and focus on all the awesomeness of today!

Vidal Nuno does not pitch very well. The Yankees lost. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

6/21/14 Daily Prediction Answers

Another close match in the DP thread. Both Caitlin and selftitled85 tied with 4,000 points each. However, the big winner was Q-TDSK who scored a whopping 6,000 points for his victory. Guessing Mark Teixeira definitely paid off for everyone who did so.

6/22/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Questions

Who are you looking forward to seeing play during the Old Timers' Day game?

Do you have a favorite Old Timers' Day game and/or moment? If so, please describe.

What do you do to unwind right before going to bed?

Apple Battle: Candy Coated Apples or Caramel Coated Apples?

Today, one of the most time honored traditions takes place at Yankee Stadium. Of course, I'm talking about Old Timers' Day. I could have been talking about Masahiro Tanaka pitching for the Yankees though, as that is pretty exciting as well. Before the Yankees' newest star takes the mound, the Yankees' older stars will take the field in a celebration of the past generations of our beloved franchise. Days like today are a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to have grown up rooting for the Yankees.

Let's Go Yankees, both young and old.

An MRI revealed lingering inflammation near Pineda's right shoulder muscle.

After going on the disabled list on May 6th with a right shoulder muscle injury, it has seemed like Michael Pineda's experienced setback after setback. Now he's had another one. Pineda was originally scheduled to play catch yesterday, but an MRI revealed lingering inflammation near his right shoulder muscle. According to Joe Girardi, Pineda will now get another week off and they'll try to have him play catch on Saturday.

Prior to this setback, Pineda wasn't expected to return until August, and it's unclear whether this news would impact that at all. It probably depends on if he still has inflammation when they re-evaluate him next week, and if he experiences any pain whenever he ends up playing catch. If you're looking for a positive, then it would have to be that such a late return would eliminate the need for an innings cap. Considering the Vidal Nuno situation, and that we don't know how CC Sabathia's knee will hold up (or how he'll pitch after he returns), the Yankees could really use Pineda.

This news is also somewhat alarming, coming after last week's tweet (of questionable validity) saying that the Yankees might only give Pineda one more shot at rehab then shut him down and walk away. He was easily the second best pitcher in the rotation before the injury, so it seems like that would be a silly decision. Girardi didn't elaborate on what the game plan would be if Pineda still has inflammation next week, but here's hoping that this is the last setback news that we have to report.

Ray offers some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Monday, including Nathan Eovaldi and Chase Whitley.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Monday's Streamers

Nathan Eovaldi, Marlins vs Phillies

Chase Whitley, Yankees vs Blue Jays

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week.

I think this was the best weekly performance for the Streamer Report since I started it last year.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy advice, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown for all your fantasy baseball and football needs.

Brett Lawrie was hit by a pitch on his right hand, in the second inning of today's game and had to come out of the game. And, the next inning, Jose Bautista left with a leg injury.

Bautista's injury forced Gibby to put the already hurting Jose Reyes into the game.

It hasn't been a fun few days to be a Jays fan.

UPDATE (Minor Leaguer)

Brett Lawrie will be out some time after the X-rays revealed that his right index finger had a fracture, as reported by TSN's Scott MacArthur. Jose Bautista will be going for an MRI tomorrow (I assume in Toronto) with tightness in his left leg.

Lawrie will have to be placed on the 15-day disabled list, and a callup from the Bisons is likely. With Bautista questionable for Monday's game against the Yankees, an outfielder--Kevin Pillar or Anthony Gose--will likely be recalled.

We still love you, Tanak. The rest of you? Ehhhh.

For much of this game, Masahiro Tanaka was rolling along having a Masahiro Tanaka-like outing. He gave up three runs in his seven innings and again looked good. Only, the offense wasn't helping him and when Tanaka got taken out, everything exploded. The last couple innings turned what was a bad offensive performance into a awful game that the Yankees lost 8-0 to the Orioles.

In the top of the second, the Orioles struck first when Jonathan Schoop hit a solo home run to put Baltimore up 1-0.

Tanaka threw a lot of pitches in the first two innings, but calmed down after that. But while Tanaka was back to being Tanaka. The Yankee offense was also back to being the Yankee offense. Brett Gardner led off the game for the Yankees with a triple. Or at least it should've been a triple. Gardner safely made it to third but overslid the bag and was tagged out before he got back on. For a long time, that was the closest the Yankees came to a run.

After several innings of neither team doing anything on offense, the Orioles tacked on some runs in the seventh. J.J. Hardy led off the inning with a single, which was followed by a double by Manny Machado. Tanaka then got a ground out and fly out for the first two outs of the inning. But unfortunately, both were good enough to score runs. After six and a half innings, the Orioles led 3-0.

After the Yankees, again, failed to score runs in the seventh, Tanaka would not come back out for the eighth. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six. The last inning made the start look a little worse overall, but it was still a pretty normal Tanak start from Tanak.

Adam Warren came in to pitch the eighth inning and that's when things got stupid. Steve Pearce and Adam Jones led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Nelson Cruz then grounded one to Kelly Johnson at third. Johnson stepped on third and went to first for a double play. However, his throw to first was airmailed due to Pearce taking out Johnson on a slide into third. Despite Pearce being nowhere near the bag, interference was not called, but Jones was sent back to third. The Yankees then opted to intentionally walk Chris Davis to load the bases. Because of course, Hardy then hit a bases-clearing double, moving to third on the throw home. Machado then hit a ball that took a big bounce over Johnson, allowing another run to score. By the time the inning was over, the Orioles led 7-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, Mark Teixeira had to be removed from the game when he was hit on the foot with a pitch.

In the ninth, the Orioles tacked on another run when Caleb Joseph hit a home run off David Huff. The Yankees went down in order in the ninth and the Orioles completed an 8-0 win. Blah.

The Yankees will now head up to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays. Tomorrow's game will start at 7 eastern. Chase Whitley and Marcus Stroman will be the starting pitchers.

Box score.

If someone told you that there would be a shutout in Sunday's Orioles game, you would have probably figured Masahiro Tanaka blanked the O's. Instead, the O's got three runs in seven innings against Tanaka and piled on the bullpen for a 8-0.

In looking at this weekend series against the Yankees before it began, if there was one game you were to circle and guess that the Orioles would not win, it would have been the one they played today. Ace starter Masahiro Tanaka would be pitching against the often-shaky Chris Tillman.

If I had told you that one team would shut out the other, even, you would have figured Tanaka pitched a complete game against the Orioles. Instead, it was the other way around, with the Orioles notching an 8-0 victory to take the series.

Tanaka is good, looking to be worth every bit of the $175 million that the Yankees spent to sign him this offseason. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any start, and coming into today, he'd only been the losing pitcher for one game all season. He was non-decisioned in the other game he had pitched against the Orioles this season, giving up three runs in seven innings. That's what he ended up surrendering today as well, only this time his offense did not do him any favors.

The O's started threatening early in the game, with both Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce getting on base with singles before Tanaka had even retired a batter. That turned into nothing after a flyout and a pair of strikeouts. The best that you could say is that they made Tanaka throw 23 pitches in the first inning.

After failing with their first inning opportunity, Tillman took the mound for the bottom half of the inning and gave up a line drive into the right field corner to the very first batter. The speedy Brett Gardner rounded the bases as the Orioles bumbled their way through retrieving and firing the ball in, but as he slid into third base for what looked to be a triple, his hand came off the bag before his foot touched it. Gardner was initially called safe, but after Buck Showalter asked for a replay, the umpires at the central office decided that Gardner was out.

On the whole, momentum does not exist. People believe in it anyway. That was nearly a crucial swing in favor of the Yankees and it ended up working to the benefit of the Orioles.

Jonathan Schoop broke the scoreless tie in the second inning by muscling a home run into the left field seats. He might not be peak Chris Davis for strength, but he is strong. He does not have to put a great swing on a ball to hit a home run either. That was the sixth home run of the year for Schoop, who has now hit two against Tanaka.

Both pitchers settled down past the second inning. No more runs crossed the plate until the seventh. The Yankees were set down in order in the second, fifth, and sixth innings. The Orioles went down 1-2-3 in the fourth and the sixth and had no one in scoring position at all from the third through the sixth. With Tanaka on the mound, you can always expect he'll do his part for a pitchers duel, but for Tillman to participate in one is surprising.

Especially after Friday's blown game, you're never going to be very comfortable with only a one run lead at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles did what it feels like they seldom do and got themselves some insurance runs in the seventh inning, the last that Tanaka pitched. J.J. Hardy led off with a single, which was followed by a double into the right-center gap from Manny Machado. It's the kind of swing he has not often taken this year.

That gave the Orioles second and third with no one out. How would they manage to blow it? Three straight strikeouts or popups? Some kind of TOOTBLAN situation erasing the lead runner, followed by a double play? No, my friends, the Orioles had something known as "productive outs" - Schoop grounded out and allowed Hardy to score and Machado to advance, then Caleb Joseph, after a failed squeeze play, hit a sacrifice fly to bring Machado in from third. My heart went pitter-patter. Who are these guys?

With Tanaka out of the game, the Orioles poured on the runs in the eighth inning against Adam Warren, who's actually been pretty good for New York so far this season. Today was not his day. Pearce and Adam Jones each singled to start the inning off.

That's when things got a little sticky. Nelson Cruz hit a grounder to third. Yankees third baseman Kelly Johnson stepped on the bag and fired to first, but he was taken out by a World Cup-inspired tackle from Pearce. It was the kind of slide that no one probably would have blinked at if he had done it heading into second, but coming in from the side going into third, it looked pretty bad. The third baseman can't defend himself as well from the side.

Pearce was out either way, but he caused Johnson to throw the ball into the seats. Replays showed Pearce never touched third base.

No one was hurt. The Yankees might have had an argument that Cruz should have been out due to runner's interference. That was not granted. So, with an open base, Yankees manager Joe Girardi made the curious decision to intentionally walk .216 hitter Chris Davis. Well, challenging Hardy isn't a bad idea. He made them pay, though, with a double to right-center clear the bases and blow the game wide open.

The ninth inning saw Caleb Joseph hit his first major league home run. The kind and benevolent Yankees fan who caught Joseph's home run tossed the ball back onto the field, asking for nothing in return, in order to allow Joseph to be given the milestone ball. That's a display of generosity and good sportsmanship that makes the world a better place.

Tillman pitched his way through seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits. Some days you ride the BABIP dragon. He walked four and struck out only two - that won't work often. It worked today. T.J. McFarland added a couple of perfect innings of relief.

In a surprise for the often-moribund bottom of the O's lineup, the 6-9 hitters combined to drive in all nine runs.

With the O's win Sunday, they and the Yankees now sport identical 39-35 records. A Toronto loss on Sunday means that these two games are both 1.5 back of the division lead, and they're in a three-way tie with Seattle for the second wild card spot in the American League.

The team heads back to Baltimore, where they'll begin a three-game series against Chicago on Monday. Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Sale are scheduled to start the 7:05pm opener.

Masahiro Tanaka seems like a lock to win the AL rookie of the year award. He might also be the greatest rookie in Yankees history.

As Caitlin pointed out earlier this week, Masahiro Tanaka is the clear front-runner to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. If he indeed wins he will be the eighth Yankee to do so in franchise history and the first since Derek Jeter in 1996. Let's a take a look back at all the past winners. (All data courtesy of Baseball Reference).

Gil McDougald in 1951: .306/.396/.488, 14 HR, 63 RBIs, 142 OPS+, 4.6 WAR

The man most famous for derailing the career of Herb Score was a key contributor as a rookie for the 1951 World Series champs. Splitting his time between second base and third base he posted the second highest WAR on the team and placed ninth in MVP votes. McDougald edged White Sox rookie Minnie Minoso by just two votes despite Minoso outproducing him with a slash line of .326/.422/.500. Still, he went on to have a great career, collecting five World Series rings and making five All-Star appearances as a Yankee.

Bob Grim in 1954: 20-6, 3.26 ERA, 108 K, 107 ERA+, 2.0 WAR

The Yankees won 103 games in 1954 and Grim accounted for 20 of them, working as both a starter and reliever. In the end, they were outdone by the Indians, who set an AL record with 111 wins. Grim beat out Philadelphia A's infielder Jim Finigan and future Hall of Famer Al Kaline for the award. Finigan was probably most deserving, putting up a .302/.381/.421 slash line. After his rookie year, Grim made his hay exclusively out of the bullpen as he led the league in saves in 1957.

Tony Kubek in 1957: .297/.335/.381, 3 HR, 39 RBIs, 97 OPS+, 2.5 WAR

Kubek was a plug-and-play utility man typical of the Casey Stengel era. He helped the Yankees out at five different positions in 1957 on their way to another AL pennant. Kubek won the award nearly unanimously over Red Sox third baseman Frank Malzone, despite Malzone's superior power numbers and 103 RBI. Ever the slick fielder, Kubek went on to have a fine but brief career, making three All-Star appearances and winning three rings with the Yankees. He eventually was enshrined in Cooperstown as a broadcaster and spent five seasons calling games for the Yankees in the early 90's.

Tom Tresh in 1962: .286/.359/.441, 20 HR, 93 RBIs, 116 OPS+, 4.3 WAR

As a switch-hitting shortstop with power, Tresh stormed onto the scene in 1962 and helped the Yankees win their 20th World Series championship. The following year he switched to the outfield and had an even better year with the bat. After that performance, the comparisons to his legendary teammate Mickey Mantle were inevitable, but he never lived up to the hype. For the rest of the decade his play steadily declined while the Yankees themselves were sinking to the bottom of the AL. During the 1969 season the Yankees shipped him to Detroit where he retired at just 30 years old.

Stan Bahnsen in 1968: 17-12, 2.05 ERA, 162 K, 140 ERA+, 6.4 WAR

In 1968 the "Bahnsen Burner" teamed with Mel Stottlemyre to make a great one-two punch on an otherwise mediocre Yankee team. Bahnsen's stellar year earned him a near-unanimous decision for the Rookie of the Year and he probably would have gotten some Cy Young consideration if Denny McLain hadn't won 31 games. Unfortunately, he was never able to duplicate this success and he spent three more years in pinstripes before embarking on a journey that took him to five other teams for the balance of his 16 year career.

Thurman Munson in 1970: .302/.386/.415, 6 HR, 53 RBIs, 126 OPS+, 5.5 WAR

The Walrus and his young teammates Roy White and Bobby Murcer sparked the Yankees to a 93-win season in 1970. Munson established himself as a solid backstop that could do damage with the bat and ran away with the Rookie of the Year award. Over the next few years he helped sew the championship seeds that would bear fruit at the end of the decade. In all, he made seven All-Star appearances and won two rings and an MVP award with the Yankees. He was also the first player to serve as team captain since Lou Gehrig. If his life hadn't been tragically cut short, he would probably be in the Baseball Hall of Fame today.

Dave Righetti in 1981: 8-4, 2.05 ERA, 89 K, 174 ERA+, 3.4 WAR

In a strike-shortened year, the fresh-faced Righetti made the most of his 15 starts and helped push the Yankees to another AL pennant. He was head and shoulders above his rookie class and probably deserved some Cy Young consideration as well. Rags remained a starter for the next couple years and even became the first Yankee since Don Larsen to throw a no-hitter when he twirled one against the Red Sox on Independence Day in 1983. He then moved to the bullpen where he became one of the best closers in the league during the late 80's and early 90's.

Derek Jeter in 1996: .314/.370/.430, 10 HR, 78 RBIs, 101 OPS+, 3.3 WAR

Jeter set the pace for the 1996 Yankees by hitting a home run on Opening Day and they never looked back. The young shortstop lived up to lofty expectations as the franchise ended an 18 year championship drought. He was the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year and continued to produce at a high level well into his late thirties. Jeter, with his five World Series rings and 13 All-Star appearances, is on the short list for greatest player in franchise history.

So that's the company that Masahiro Tanaka could be joining this fall. He has already been worth 4.0 WAR this year and we're not even at the halfway point, so he might also be considered the greatest rookie in franchise history. Don't forget the Cy Young possibilities as well. TANAKA TIME!

The Star-Ledger | Dave Hutchinson: The Yankees have decided not to move Adam Warren into the rotation.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: Kevin Long and Jaron Long have been sharing the game of baseball for years now.

The Star-Ledger | Dave D`Alessandro: Joe Torre looks back on Derek Jeter's career and looks toward his future.

New York Times | Tyler Kepner: With all the plaques the Yankees plan to hand out, it would be a good idea if they came up with a system to make it all last for years to come.

Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins:Bryan Mitchell has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton, but can he harness his stuff to help the big league team?

New York Post | Joel Sherman: With so many new contenders from the second wild card, less teams are going to be willing to sell at the deadline.

The Star-Ledger | Dave Hutchinson: Goose Gossage can't believe he'll be in Monument Park.

Newsday | David Lennon: As of right now, Masahiro Tanaka is the frontrunner to win the Cy Young Award.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 22nd.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 5-4 vs. Pawtucket Red Sox

1B Jose Pirela 0-3, BB, SB
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-3, HR, RBI, BB, K - batting .318 w/ SWB
CF Zoilo Almonte 1-4, RBI
3B Scott Sizemore 2-3, BB, K, 2 E5(5th,6th) - batting .342/.390/.553 over his last 10 games
DH Kyle Roller 0-4, K
RF Zelous Wheeler 2-4, K
C Austin Romine 1-3, double, 2 RBI, passed ball, E2 - throwing error, third of the season
LF Taylor Dugas 0-3
SS Carmen Angelini 0-4, K

Shane Greene 6 H, 4 R/3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K - 63 of 97 pitches for strikes
Pat Venditte 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Danny Burawa 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 2-7 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

CF Mason Williams 0-4, K
LF Ben Gamel 0-4
DH Gary Sanchez 3-4, K - batting .256 over his last 10 games
C Peter O'Brien 1-4, double, RBI, K, passed ball, E2 - throwing error, fourth w/ Trenton
RF Tyler Austin 1-4, double, K
3B Rob Segedin 1-4, HR, RBI, K - sixth homer of the season
1B Zach Wilson 1-4, 2 K
2B Jose Toussen 0-3, 3 K
SS Ali Castillo 0-3

Matt Tracy 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K - 52 of 89 pitches for strikes
Manny Barreda 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Phil Wetherell 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R/0 ER, 0 BB, K
Aaron Dott 1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, WP

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 2-4 vs. Daytona Cubs

CF Jake Cave 2-5, double - batting .297 this season
3B Jose Rosario 1-5, RBI, K
RF Aaron Judge 1-4, double, RBI, BB
DH Dante Bichette Jr. 2-4, BB - batting .282/.349/.308 over his last 10 games
SS Cito Culver 1-3, BB, K
1B Matt Snyder 1-2, 2 BB, E3 - throwing error, first of the season
2B Claudio Custodio 0-4, 3 K, SB
C Wes Wilson 0-2, BB, K, HBP
LF Cody Grice 0-2, E7 - fielding error, fourth of the season

Miguel Sulbaran 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, hit batsman - 9 GO/5 AO
Kyle Haynes 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R/2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Ramon Benjamin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 5-6 vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

SS Tyler Wade 1-5
LF Michael O'Neill 1-5, 2 RBI
DH Dustin Fowler 2-5, HR, 2 RBI - fourth homer of the season
1B Mike Ford 0-4, BB
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4 - batting .210 this season
C Kale Sumner 1-2, BB, K, HBP
RF Mikeson Oliberto 0-4, K
CF Brandon Thomas 1-4, K
2B Gosuke Katoh 3-4, double, RBI, K, E4 - throwing error, ninth of the season

Brady Lail 7 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K - 56 of 86 pitches for strikes
Cale Coshow 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP
Eric Ruth 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, hit batsman

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 3-4 vs. Hudson Valley Renegades (11 innings)

CF Devyn Bolasky 1-5, RBI, SB
3B Brady Steiger 0-5, K
LF Chris Breen 1-5, triple, 2 K - batting .367
2B Ty McFarland 1-4, BB, K, E4 - throwing error, first of the season
RF Austin Aune 2-5, double, K
1B Bo Thompson 1-2, BB, HBP, E3 - throwing error, first of the season
DH Nathan Mikolas 2-4, RBI, K
C Isaias Tejeda 1-4, double, passed ball
SS Jose Javier 0-3, K

Dillon McNamara 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R/2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, hit batsman, E1 - 7 GO/2 AO
Travis Hissong 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Justin Kamplain 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Francis Joseph 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Jose Pena 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Manolo Reyes 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

The rotation needs serious help.

The regular season is almost halfway over, and the trade deadline is roughly six weeks away. Yankees' GM Brian Cashman recently stated that he expected the team to "make moves" prior to the deadline, which begs the question of what exactly he's looking for. The obvious answer is starting pitching.

Although he was in the starter competition during spring training, Vidal Nuno did not win that job. He wasn't really supposed to be in the rotation. It's only because of the plethora of injuries to Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda that Nuno found his way into the rotation. Now it seems like he has to stay because the Yankees have so few choices to replace him. After Nuno's abysmal start on Saturday, Joe Girardi had this to say: "This is what we have. It's not like there's just starting pitchers lying around out there...he'll continue to go out there and compete and we'll do the best we can." Well, it's a good thing that there's this cool part of baseball where you can trade some of the players on your team for players on another team. If the Yankees don't trade for a starting pitcher, we might just be stuck with Nuno for the rest of the season.

CC Sabathia should be back in the next few weeks, but prior to his DL-stint, he was not pitching so well. 46 IP 9.39 K/9 1.96 BB/9 1.96 HR/9 .350 BABIP 5.28 ERA 1.48 WHIP 4.73 FIP 0.2 fWAR. If CC had been experiencing knee pain all season, and his comments have made it sound like that might have been the case, that certainly could have contributed to his numbers, though sadly not to his down velocity. One positive is that Sabathia's numbers this season are almost all better than Nuno's, although Nuno's BABIP is lower and he has the lower WHIP by .02. Nuno has also been worth negative fWAR (-0.2). There has been some grumbling about CC and whether he'll be able to help the team, and it's impossible to say how he'll pitch when he returns, but even injured CC was pitching slightly better than Nuno. We at least know that CC has the potential to pitch well.

Until CC is ready to return, it looks like we'll be seeing Nuno every five days. The only other real option (excluding a trade) would be to have Adam Warren replace Nuno in the rotation, but Warren isn't stretched out, and that would take time. Furthermore, adding Warren to the rotation would eliminate one of the Yankees' strengths in the bullpen. It makes the most sense to trade for a starting pitcher. That way, the Yankees could DFA Nuno without waiting for CC to come off of the DL. Then when CC returns, David Phelps could rejoin the bullpen as a long reliever.

This article says that the Yankees should even be in the market for two starting pitchers. Joel Sherman thinks that the team could build a trade around John Ryan Murphy or Gary Sanchez for the likes of pitchers such as Andrew Cashner, Mat Latos (who's recently returned from elbow, knee and forearm injuries), John Danks, Jason Hammel or Ian Kennedy.

Cashner: 76.1 IP 6.96 K/9 2.59 BB/9 0.24 HR/9 .284 BABIP 2.36 ERA 2.78 FIP 1.19 WHIP 1.5 fWAR

Latos (2013): 210.2 IP 7.99 K/9 2.48 BB/9 0.60 HR/9 .299 BABIP 3.16 ERA 3.10 FIP 1.21 WHIP 4.4 fWAR

Danks: 88.1 IP 6.32 K/9 3.57 BB/9 1.02 HR/9 .265 BABIP 3.97 ERA 4.54 FIP 1.31 WHIP 0.7 fWAR

Hammel: 89.1 IP 8.56 K/9 1.91 BB/9 0.71 HR/9 .273 BABIP 3.02 ERA 3.00 FIP 1.02 WHIP 2.0 fWAR

Kennedy: 97 IP 9.56 K/9 2.41 BB/9 0.84 HR/9 .314 BABIP 3.90 ERA 3.03 FIP 1.21 WHIP 1.7 fWAR

At least with additional starters, the Yankees could have some insurance to protect against any injuries that might pop up. Seriously, there are no good replacement options if anyone in the rotation was injured today.

If the Yankees hope to remain competitive for the remainder of the season, it's pretty critical that they get at least one starting pitcher. Maybe even two. CC has said that his knee is feeling a lot better, but who knows how it will hold up. There's also no telling if Michael Pineda will be ready to return this season. Better to have too many starters than too few.

Which starting pitcher do you think is the most realistic trade target, and what kind of prospect package would it take to get them? Comment with your ideas below.