The Yankees are vulnerable.

Welcome to the second half!  Well, not the real second half.  That actually started on June 30th.  But anyway...

The Reds kick off the second half in style, heading to the Bronx to take on the Yankees.  I know that most teams are a little bit banged up, but it seemed like the Reds needed the rest more than most would.  Their opening stretch was a six-game road trip that has them traveling to Milwaukee after they finish up in New York.  They begin just 1.5 games behind the Brewers, so if the Reds play well they could legitimately overtake the Brewers on this trip!

Fortunately, while they are still a team capable of giving the Reds some trouble, the Yankees aren't quite as tough of a match as they used to be.  Their once uber-powerful offense has been much diminished from what it used to be, and they've actually posted a lower wRC+ than the Reds!  That's no small feat; we know how much the Reds offense has struggled at times this season...and it's especially surprising given that the Reds' number includes pitchers as batters and the Yankees get to have a DH.

Their pitching has been good this season, but is currently in a state of shambles.  Rookie of the year contender Masahiro Tanaka went on the DL with an elbow ligament injury.  He joined fellow rotation members CC Sabathia (knee), Michael Pineda (back), and Ivan Nova (elbow) on the DL.  The Yankees did pick up Brandon McCarthy, who the Reds will see, and still have the dependable Hiroki Kuroda (who the Reds also see).  But the rest of their rotation is Shane Greene, Chase Whitley, and David Phelps.

Yankee Stadium

Runs Park Factor: 104

HR Park Factor (LHB/RHB): 114/106

The new Yankee stadium is a bandbox, ranking 5th in the major leagues in its regressed 3-year park factor (behind Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays).  As you can see in the comparison to GABP below, that's particularly pronounced in right field, where the fence is extremely shallow.  As a result, left-handed batters have very elevated home run rates, which drives a lot of the effect.  Hopefully this will be a good chance for Jay Bruce to start rolling!

Position Players

The losses of Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips have this Reds offense looking awfully mediocre right now.  Frazier and Mesoraco have been beats thus far, and each have already produced WAR equivalent to what we'd project for them for an entire season.  I don't think we can expect their performance to continue on this level, but I'd expect that they will continue to hit.  Jay Bruce has looked better, mostly, since he went through that horrible stretch, and I'm hoping to see a strong second half from him.  Billy Hamilton has been everything we could ever hope for, especially in terms of his power production.

But I don't have a lot of hope for the Rest of the lineup.  It would sure help if Ryan Ludwick could go on a tear and (if Price opts to play him there, which I think he should) more or less takes over the first base position until Votto comes back.  That would get him out of the outfield, where Heisey has a much better glove...and keep Bruce from having to play out of position, allowing him to continue to excel in the outfield.

The Yankees have offensive problems of their own.  Some of that can be linked to injuries, suspensions, and the like.  Carlos Beltran, for example, is currently out with a concussion.  And Alex Rodriguez, though not the player he once was, is suspended for the season (hence Yangervis Solarte).  But they also have a pretty old lineup.  Brian Roberts, Derek Jeter, and Ichiro Suzuki were all once outstanding players, but now are below-average hitters.  Alfonso Soriano was recently released for being terrible.

Their main offseason signees, Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, have been pretty solid, but certainly not what they'd hoped.  McCann, in particular, while he's lighting up the catcher framing reports, has turned in below-average production thus far at the plate.  Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira are still both above-average players.  But McCann aside, there aren't a lot of guys here that you would look to and hope for a breakout in the second half.

Probable Starters

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Reds don't get to benefit as much as we might hope from the Yankees' injury-riddled rotation.  David Phelps is listed on mlbdepthcharts as their #5 starter, but he will be their first starter out of the gate.  He's a bit of a fly ball guy, which won't translate well in Yankee Stadium.

Brandon McCarthy is interesting.  His projection is pretty lousy, as is his ERA on the season.  But this year, however, now several years removed from his severe head injury, he entered spring training with more muscle and suddenly has gone from throwing 88-91 to averaging 93 mph on his fastball.  His strikeouts are way up, while he's retained his excellent walk rates and ground ball rates.  So which thing will happen first?  Will his peripherals regress to his career norms, or will his ERA trend back to his xFIP?  He's a neat case study, and the fact that he will have a separate line with the Yankees will make it easy to evaluate later on.

Hiroki Kuroda just keeps on keepin' on.  Now 39 years old, he's showing a slight drop in his strikeout rate.  But his other numbers remain very good, and he's continue to produce right around where you'd project him to.  He's a solid mid-rotation guy.

Bullpens

Jumbo Diaz has arrived, and he's been pretty good so far!  He's been a little homer-prone, but the velocity and strikeout rate have been there, and he hasn't seemed to be an extreme fly ball guy.  His projection is terrible, but his projection doesn't know about his weight loss.  I'm hoping the Reds can get a solid season or two from him.  Also: I giggle every time I look at Aroldis Chapman's line.  But then I think of him in the rotation, and get sad again.  #deadhorse

If there's one bright spot on the Yankees, it's been their late inning relief.  David Robertson has been outstanding as their closer, as you'd expect him to be.  Adam Warren and Dellin Betances have been superb in middle relief.  With Betances, we're finally seeing that potential we expected to see when he was a starting pitching prospect.  But it looks like he's found himself a home in the bullpen.

Final Thoughts

The Reds have played their way back into contention.  Now, the question is where they will go from here.  While any given series can go any number of directions in baseball, they have a solid shot of winning this series against the Yankees.  If they can do that, and then play well against Milwaukee, happy times could be coming.  It would seem to largely come down on whether the offense can do anything for the time being.  I really think the Reds need to work a trade of some sort to get a bat.  I'm not sure what is available, and I'm not sure what it would take to get those who are available.  But if the Reds are going to be serious about contention this year--and they are right in the thick of it, so why not be serious?--they need more offense.  Let's hope Walt can work something this month!

The Yankees' first opponent of the second half will be the Cincinnati Reds, who will visit New York for three games this weekend. At 51-44, the Reds are currently in third place in the NL Central division, 1.5 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Dropping a rain-shortened Sunday Night Baseball match up against the AL East leaders, the Orioles, the Yankees sit at an even .500 at 47-47. Their rotation is comprised of players that no one would have penciled into the lineup at the beginning of the year and Hiroki Kuroda. CC Sabathia will not return this season and Masahiro Tanaka may yet end up needing Tommy John surgery. How the team responds to kick off the first half could determine a lot about whether they should buy at the deadline to try and make a playoff push, or just play with an eye more toward next season.

Tonight's game features Mike Leake against David Phelps. Leake is at an even 7-7 so far this season with 3.54 ERA. He had a solid April and a very impressive May before falling on slightly harder times in June and July. Opponents are batting .367 off Leake in his 18.2 innings so far this month. Lefties have fared much better than righties against Leake so far in 2014. Southpaws have tagged him to the tune of a 4.70 ERA vs. a 2.75 ERA vs. right-handers. That's good news for the likes of Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, and company.

Saturday's matinee is a match up of Alfredo Simon and one of the newest Yankees, Brandon McCarthy. Simon has an impressive 12-3 record this season, which was good enough to earn him a trip to the All-Star Game in Minnesota this week. He has a 2.89 ERA over his last 10 starts and has allowed no more than three runs in any of his starts dating back to June 1st. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Simon is better on the road than he is at home (2.37 ERA vs. 3.12 ERA) and better during the day than he is at night (2.11 ERA vs. 3.23 ERA), so it could be a long day if those splits hold up.

The series finale will feature Johnny Cueto and Hiroki Kuroda. Likely a match up of the best (healthy) pitchers on either team, Cueto comes into the series with a 2.44 ERA over his last ten starts. He hasn't failed to turn in a quality start since a five-inning, four-run performance against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 6th. He held the Dodgers scoreless for six innings while striking out 12 his next time out. Cueto has fared a little worse away from Great American Ballpark with a 2.38 road ERA to his 1.93 ERA at home, and lefties and righties have hit him pretty evenly this season, which happens to be barely any at all with an ERA just over two against both sides.

Tonight's game begins at 7:05 pm at Yankee Stadium.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Jump in now. Here's the FanDuel link.

This is the most Yankees thing ever

By now you know all about Rob Refsnyder, likely the best second base prospect the Yankees have in their system. At the age of 23 he's hit .333/.403/.547 with 12 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season. The caveat is that this is only his second year as a full-time second baseman and he might need more seasoning on the defensive side of things before he's a major league option. Given their current needs in right field, the Yankees have had him playing in right field to give him another way of making the team this season, however it seems that even that is a long shot because Brian Cashman doesn't want to call him up this year.

"My preference would be to let him play the year in Triple-A...We're looking toward him more for 2015, but that doesn't mean he can't get here in 2014. But I wouldn't bet on it," said the Yankees GM. Because clearly a team looking to upgrade their roster for a playoff run would rather have Brian Roberts' .241/.306/.376 below-average batting line and the seven extra-base hits Ichiro Suzuki has collected all season. It's like they're ignoring their offensive woes and pretending like getting a league-average pitcher will just fix everything. Refsnyder could not possibly be any worse than either of them and there's a chance, yes a chance, that he's actually better than at least one of them right now.

What's even worse is that Refsnyder doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this winter, so they have nothing pressuring them to make a move. Obviously, they'd prefer to add players to the 40 who can be taken from them, like they did with Jose Campos and Slade Heathcott. That worked out well. With Manny Banuelos also on the 40, the Yankees essentially have a 37-man roster because adding any of them to the 60-day disabled list would start their service clock. Preferring to use roster spots for more players that have no use to the team any time soon is not the right move to make. Refsnyder is actually capable of helping the team right now and next year. There's obviously a strategy at work here, but that doesn't mean it makes sense.They need to adapt because they're just continuing to sink the strength of their roster with players who likely won't be able to help them in 2015.

They've obviously been impressed with what Refsnyder has accomplished this year, but if you've been hoping that he's due up any day now, Cashman put that hope to rest saying "right now I don't have any plans to call him up. That doesn't mean it can't happen." It sounds like the only way he's getting a call-up is if there's an injury. If Carlos Beltran needs elbow surgery and is lost for the year or Brian Roberts finally breaks down. If neither happen, don't expect to see Refsnyder any time soon. It's great to hear that they actually view him as a legitimate solution next year, but if they're not confident he can be better than Roberts right now, how can they be confident in his ability to outperform whatever veteran second baseman they bring in to compete with him in spring training. If they honestly believe there's a chance he could be worse than what they can bring in then they should trade him right now while his value is at its highest.

It might not be the best idea to call up a prospect and waste service time during a lost season, but if they're already hoping on him in 2015, shouldn't they give him a test run at some point just to help him get his feet wet? I would like to imagine that they're keeping him down until after the trade deadline, just in case they can get a really good deal, but who knows at this point. Maybe he gets a September call-up, maybe not. If they're honestly not interested in calling him up this year then they need to let him play second base every day and stop putting him in right field. Either way they're wasting one of their best assets right now while pretending they're just one solid pitcher away from being legitimate contenders.

A new #1 emerges.

As we return to regularly scheduled baseball tonight after the All-Star break, we decided that it might be a good time to check in on the Yankees prospects at the mid-point of the season. We put together a Top 30 list before the season began, but decided to shorten that to a Top 10 for these purposes. Andrew, Jason, and I submitted our individual lists, which you can see at the bottom of the page, and I combined them for the purposes of one master list. Keep in mind that some of us weigh things like future potential, ceiling, and current results differently. It's amazing to see how close we were on some while being so far apart on others. With that being said, on to the list.

1. RHP Luis Severino - Double-A Trenton

Andrew: I felt optimistic about Severino before the season, including him at the bottom of my top 10, but the 20-year-old has rocketed up the list by thoroughly dominating both levels of A-ball. Scouts say his is the real deal, and if so, the Yankees could have a real gem on their hands.

Jason: The righty has taken the system by storm this year and has generated enough excitement to push his way to the top of the list. While his delivery is violent, he's getting the results you want to see and could have three plus pitches very soon.

Tanya: The right-hander has shot up through the Yankees' system this season with fantastic results, and represented the organization well in his outing at the Futures Game. A promotion to Trenton already means that the Yankees aren't afraid to hand him a challenge, and he's been able to meet all of those they've thrown his way so far this year. And he's only 20 years old.

2. C Gary Sanchez - Double-A Trenton

Andrew: Although the five-game benching and middling performance have led to some serious questions about Sanchez's prospect status, he still certainly has enough potential to remain highly regarded.

Jason: Despite his status as a top prospect, Sanchez hasn't generated the excitement that Severino has recently. He's been solid, but his value has been floundering for awhile now.

Tanya: Sanchez is currently putting up a similar season to what he did a year ago between Tampa and Trenton. Between his lengthy benching and so-so performance, he's not the most exciting prospect in the Yankees' system anymore.

3. OF Aaron Judge - High-A Tampa

Andrew: Like Severino, Judge has flown up the Yankees' top prospects list with full force, as A-ball pitching has badly struggled against him all year long. Could Judge be the position player prospect who finally breaks through for the Yankees?

Jason: The Yankees' monstrous draft pick is already pushing his way toward the top of the list, not just for his power-potential, but for his actual in-game ability to to get on base.

Tanya: Judge has emerged as the top outfielder in the system after the disappointments of Mason Williams, Tyler Austin, and Slade Heathcott. He crushed Low-A pitching to start the season and has kept right on hitting since his promotion to Tampa. No reason he can't continue to rise quickly through the system and on prospect lists.

4. 3B Eric Jagielo - High-A Tampa

Andrew: Although a ribcage injury oddly sustained during a home run at-bat has limited Jagielo to 43 games so far, the bat has remained hot since his initial success with Charleston last year.

Jason: He was really starting to do well before he went down with an oblique injury. Jagielo's position gives him added value, though his defense has come under scrutiny recently.

Tanya: The home run power is enticing, as is the fact that he was able to meet the challenge of starting this season at High-A. An injury cost him some time this year and there are questions about his future at third base, but the bat will likely be what carries him anyway.

5. LHP Ian Clarkin - Low-A Charleston

Andrew: Just 19 years old, the Yankees challenged Clarkin somewhat by having him skip Staten Island, and he hasn't missed a beat, as the lefty has pitched to a 3.49 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, both figures that are easily better than league average.

Jason: He's definitely the top lefty in the system and he's been more impressive than his ERA shows he's been.

Tanya: Clarkin's stuff has been as advertised so far this season, even after starting out in Charleston instead of Short Season ball. His ability to dazzle when he takes the mound already makes him the best left-handed prospect in the Yankees' system.

6. 1B Greg Bird - High-A Tampa

Andrew: Now in Tampa, Bird has understandably regressed somewhat from his otherworldly 2013 season, especially in the power department, but a 116 wRC+ is nothing to completely dismiss.

Jason: While he hasn't been as amazing as he was last season, he's still been fairly solid. As a first baseman he needs to keep hitting and so far that hasn't been a problem.

Tanya: Bird's numbers aren't as eye-popping as last year and the power just hasn't been there yet in 2014. However, he's still hitting extremely well and working walks, which helped him get to a 100-walk season a year ago.

7. 2B Rob Refsnyder - Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Andrew: The third prospect on this top 10 to make a huge jump up the list, Refsnyder's ceiling isn't as high as Severino or Judge, but his unstoppable bat at Trenton and now Scranton cannot be ignored. He should really be in the majors already.

Jason: Yes, he's been given a lot of hype, but seeing as how many of the Yankees' prospects are crashing to earth and his star continues to rise, it makes sense for him to show up.

Tanya: I am all in on the Refsnyder hype train. His bat has impressed at every level, including the ones that aren't especially friendly to hitters. He's shown power recently and knows how to get on base. Seems like it's just a matter of when he gets the call. Obviously I weighed his success this season much more aggressively than Jason or Andrew.

8. SS Abiatal Avelino - Low-A Charleston

Andrew: Did not rank

Jason: Another prospect whose season was interrupted by injury, the top shortstop in the system has shown the ability to hit after his breakout 2013 season.

Tanya: The hopes for a homegrown shortstop of the future likely fall to 19-year-old Avelino. Injuries have restricted him to 33 games this season, but he has a .786 OPS in that span of games.

9. C Luis Torrens - Short Season-A Staten Island

Andrew: Did not rank

Jason: While he struggled with his initial assignment to Low-A Charleston, Torrens continues to show that he has a legitimate bat and can learn the position.

Tanya: The 18-year-old started the season struggling a bit in the Sally League, but after returning from injury and suiting up for the Staten Island Yankees all Torrens is doing is hitting. He has plenty of time to master the next level.

10. RHP Rafael De Paula - High-A Tampa

Andrew: The control problems that tarnished de Paula's stint in Tampa last year have subsided, and it's easy to salivate at his wicked 10.4 K/9 and 3.36 FIP in 19 games thus far.

Jason: Did not rank

Tanya: Did not rank

Who would you consider the Yankees' top prospect as of the halfway point this season? Are you looking for ceiling more than performance or vice versa?

CC Sabathia will undergo season-ending surgery to clean up his knee, according to GM Brian Cashman. The surgery will take place on July 23rd and the Yankees are hopeful that the left-hander can return next spring. This seemed like the inevitable outcome, so no one should be surprised. Sabathia's knee condition is degenerative, so all the clean up procedures in the world aren't going to reverse the damage completely. It's likely more about buying him more time.

This leaves the team with two of the original five starters out for the season with another pitcher's season in great jeopardy. Then there is Michael Pineda, who seems to have the worst luck at avoiding setbacks after injuring himself while throwing during his pine tar suspension. Sabathia was not pitching well before he went on the DL, so it's hard to think of him as a great loss in that department, but the fact that the rotation is held together with glue and paper clips at this point doesn't inspire any confidence either.

With the trade deadline approaching, Sabathia's season-ending surgery could sway Cashman one way or another toward bringing in a pitcher for the stretch run or sort of giving up on this season. Only time will tell. The question going forward from here will be how much the Yankees can rely on Sabathia to give them innings if he is going to require regular work on his knee that will only get worse.

The bad news for the Yankees rotation continues.

Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia will require surgery to "clean up" his knee and will miss the remainder of the season, New York GM Brian Cashman told reporters on Friday afternoon. Cashman is hopeful the 33-year-old left-hander will be ready in time for next season, telling reporters, "Hopefully, next year will be a different story." Andrew Marchand of ESPN NY also reports that while Sabathia has avoided microfracture surgery for now, but "if the initial surgery does not work, then a microfracture procedure could be in play." Such a procedure could be career-threatening.

Sabathia, who hasn't pitched in a major league game since May 10, had a 3-4 record and 5.28 ERA in 46 innings of work in 2014, following up on a season in which he allowed a career-high 112 runs for a 4.78 ERA. Dr. James Andrews in May said Sabathia may need the knee "cleaned out" due to the breakdown of cartilage and warned of degenerative changes. Following a cortisone injection, Sabathia pitched in two games on a rehab assignment during an attempt to avoid surgery, most recently on July 2 with the Double-A Trenton Thunder, before being shut down.

Rookie right-hander Chase Whitley replaced Sabathia in the Yankees rotation and has compiled a 4-3 record and 5.10 ERA in the 12 games he's pitched since that time. The Yankees enter play Friday with a 47-47 record, five games out of the lead in the AL East and 3½ games behind Seattle for the second wild card slot. Their rotation will continue to be tested, after losing ace Masahiro Tanaka for at least six weeks to a partial tear to his ulnar collateral ligament.

Phelps, Ellsbury lead Yankees over Reds to get the second half of the season started off right

After a short break that saw Derek Jeter honored at the MLB All Star Game, baseball's second half began on Friday night with David Phelps and the Yankees taking on young righty Mike Leake and the Cincinnati Reds in the Bronx.  Phelps pitched into the seventh inning, and other than a couple mistakes to Brayan Pena (filling in at first for the injured Joey Votto), Phelps pitched quite well, striking out seven and only walking one.  Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two run shot in the bottom of the fifth that proved to be the difference maker, breaking a 2-2 tie and giving Phelps and the bullpen just enough support to squeak out the win.

The Yankees wasted no time getting on the board, tacking on a run in the bottom of the first.  Brett Gardner took a pitch off his back foot to get on base, Mark Teixeira worked a walk, and Brian McCann, trying to keep up the momentum he built at the plate before the All Star break, ripped a two-out double to center to plate Gardner.

The Reds tied the game in the top of the third, as Pena led off the inning with a solo shot to the short porch in right.  The Yankees immediately responded: Phelps escaped the third without any more damage, and Jeter and Ellsbury opened up the bottom half of the inning with a pair of singles.  After Teixeira then struck out and McCann just missed a three-run homer to left, Carlos Beltran came to the plate and singled to center, scoring Jeter and giving the Yankees back the lead.

In the fourth, the ugly state of the Yankee infield became painfully obvious.  Brian Roberts bobbled a grounder just to the right of second base that surely would've been an easy double play, giving the Reds two on with no one out.  After a Jay Bruce groundout advanced the runners, the Reds tied the game when Jeter couldn't handle a Devin Mesoraco grounder.  While Phelps pitched well enough to keep the Reds from going ahead, it was a pretty sad showing by the middle infielders, all in all.

In the bottom of the fifth, Ellsbury broke the tie with a two run homer to right, scoring Jeter and making it 4-2 Yankees.  The Reds closed the gap in the seventh as Pena hit another solo shot to right (to almost the identical part of the park his first homer landed), but that was as close as they would get.  After a single by Chris Heisey, Phelps struck out the number nine hitter before being pulled from the game in favor of Dellin Betances.  Betances did his thing, striking out three in just under two innings of work, and Robertson came in and slammed the door shut in the ninth.

Tomorrow, former Diamondback Brandon McCarthy will take on All Star Alfredo Simon.  Game time is 1:10 EST.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: There really aren't a whole lot of options available–Cliff Lee, Ian Kennedy–who could significantly help the team.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: The surgery CC Sabathia will undergo should solve his knee troubles, but it doesn't take microfracture surgery off the table.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Rob Refsnyder, Jake Cave, Dante Bichette and Luis Severino are having just some of the best seasons in the organization.

Hardball Talk | Craig Calcaterra: Derek Jeter is having a worse final season than Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Don Mattingly had.

It's About the Money | Katie Sharp: The Yankees have not fared well in Yankee Stadium this season.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Are the Yankees trying to win one for Derek Jeter? Brian Cashman comments.

New York Post | George A. King III: With the Orioles in first place, here's a look at what the Yankees have to do the rest of the way to beat them.

Newsday | David Lennon: The Yankees have no way of replacing the injured Masahiro Tanaka in a trade.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Brian Cashman is still determined to improve the team's pitching staff this season.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: One sentence for each player in the organization, from Brett Gardner, to Shane Greene, to Jacoby Ellsbury and more.

The Cauldron | Joe Flynn: Mark Teixeira's sense of humor has made him one of the more interesting Yankees on the team.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from July 18th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 4-8 vs. Charlotte Knights

RF Jose Pirela 1-5, K
2B Rob Refsnyder 1-5, K - hitting .250 over last 10 games
LF Zoilo Almonte 2-4, 2B, BB, K
3B Adonis Garcia 1-4, RBI
1B Kyle Roller 1-3, BB, 2 K
C John Ryan Murphy 1-4, RBI, PB
DH Corban Joseph 1-3, RBI, BB
SS Carmen Angelini 2-4, 2B, RBI - hitting .333 over last 10 games
CF Taylor Dugas 0-4, K - hitting .300 since call up to Triple-A

Chris Leroux 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 WP - 44 of 86 pitches for strikes, 3 GO/1 AO
Jeremy Bleich 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB - 16 of 24 pitches for strikes, 2 GO/2 AO
Tyler Webb 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K, HR - 23 of 37 pitches for strikes
Edgmer Escalona 1.1 IP, H, K - 18 of 27 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/2 AO

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 6-5 vs. Binghamton Mets

CF Jake Cave 1-3, 2 BB, CS
LF Ben Gamel 1-4, 2B, BB
3B Rob Segedin 3-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI - hitting .400 over last 10 games
C Peter O`Brien 0-4, BB, 2 K, PB
DH Tyler Austin 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K - hitting .293 over last 10 games
RF Mason Williams 0-4
1B Dan Fiorito 0-4, K
2B Casey Stevenson 1-3
SS Ali Castillo 1-4, SB

Zach Nuding 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K - 62 of 97 pitches for strikes, 6 GO/4 AO
Mark Montgomery 1.0 IP, H, 1 R/0 ER, BB, K - 11 of 20 pitches for strikes, 0 GO/2 AO
Diego Moreno 2.0 IP, BB, 2 K 18 of 25 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/3 AO

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 4-5 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals

CF Danny Oh 0-3, BB, K
SS Cito Culver 1-4, 2 K
1B Greg Bird 2-4, 2B, RBI, K
DH Dante Bichette Jr. 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, K - hitting .368 over last 10 games
3B Eric Jagielo 1-4, fielding error (10)
RF Aaron Judge 1-4, RBI, 2 K
2B Angelo Gumbs 1-4
LF Yeicok Calderon 0-3, RBI
C Trent Garrison 0-4

Brady Lail 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 K - 6 GO/4 AO
Kyle Haynes 2.0 IP, BB, K - 3 GO/2 AO
Ramon Benjamin 1.0 IP, H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB - 4 GO/0 AO

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 5-3 vs. Lexington Legends

CF Mark Payton 0-2, 2 BB - hitting .406 over last 10 games
SS Tyler Wade 2-4 - hitting .342 over last 10 games
RF Dustin Fowler 0-4, K
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4 - hitting .314 over last 10 games
DH Jackson Valera 0-2, 2 BB, K
LF Michael O'Neill 1-4, K - hitting .342 over last 10 games
C Eduardo de Oleo 0-4, K, threw out runner
2B Gosuke Katoh 1-3, BB
1B Reymond Nunez 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 K

Andy Beresford 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, K - 38 of 61 pitches for strikes, 7 GO/2 AO
Eric Ruth 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 K - 29 of 39 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/2 AO
Philip Walby 1.0 IP, ER, 3 BB - 10 of 24 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/ 1 AO

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 6-3 vs. Williamsport Crosscutters

CF Devyn Bolasky 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS Vince Conde 2-4, BB, SB
DH Ty McFarland 2-5, 2B, RBI
LF Chris Breen 1-4, BB, K, outfield assist
RF Austin Aune 0-4, BB
1B Connor Spencer 1-4, BB, SB
2B Jose Javier 1-5
3B Brady Steiger 1-4, BB, 3 K, throwing error (3)
C Collin Slaybaugh 1-4, BB, 2 K, 2 SB

David Palladino 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K, HR - 4 GO/5 AO
Sam Agnew-Wieland 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K - 3 GO/2 AO
Joe Harvey 1.0 IP, H - 1 GO/2 AO

Gulf Coast Yankees 1: vs. W 8-4 GCL Astros

SS Abiatal Avelino 2-5, RBI, 2 K
CF Leonardo Molina 1-4, BB, 2 K, SB
3B Drew Bridges 0-5, 3 K
2B Jose Rosario 1-4, 3B, BB, K, SB, error (2)
SS Bryan Cuevas 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
1B Dalton Smith 1-2, RBI, BB, K, HBP
LF Griffin Gordon 1-3, BB
C Roybell Herrera 2-3, RBI, K, PB
RF Dominic Jose 1-4, RBI, CS

Ty Hensley 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER, 7 K, 2 HBP - 1 GO/1 AO
Deshorn Lake 2.1 IP, ER, 2 BB, 3 HBP - 6 GO/0 AO
Reynaldo Polanco 1.2 IP, H, ER, BB, K - 2 GO/2 AO
Travis Hissong 1.0 IP, H, 2 K - 1 GO/0 AO
Christopher Cabrera 1.0 IP, 1 R/0 ER, BB, 2 K, balk - 1 GO/1 AO

Gulf Coast Yankees 2: vs. GCL Blue Jays

Game 1: W 5-1

2B Junior Valera 2-4, RBI
LF Jose Figueroa 1-4, RBI, K
DH Bo Thompson 1-1, RBI, 2 HBP
1B Jake Hernandez 0-2, BB, HBP
3B Allen Valerio 2-4, 2B, fielding error (7)
SS Tyler Palmer 0-1, RBI, BB
RF Wilmer Rosario 0-3, 2 K
C Rainiero Coa 0-2, BB
CF Jordan Barnes 2-3, 2B

Jonathan Padilla 4.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, K - 8 GO/1 AO
David Rodriguez 3.0 IP, K - 5 GO/3 AO

Game 2: L 1-3

2B Junior Valera 1-2, BB, CS
DH Ericson Leonora 2-3, 2B, K
SS Angel Aguillar 0-3, SB
1B Bo Thompson 1-3, 2 K
3B Allen Valerio 0-3, 2 K
C Jesus Aparicio 0-2, BB, K, PB
LF Frank Frias 2-3, fielding error, outfield assist
RF Wilmer Rosario 0-3
Cf Jordan Barnes 0-2, 2 K

Elvin Perez 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R/1 ER, 6 K - 7 GO/2 AO
Abel Mora 1.0 IP, 3 H, ER, BB - 0 GO/1 AO
Jose Pena 1.1 IP, 3 K - 1 GO/0 AO

Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing

Yesterday the Braves finally released Dan Uggla from their roster, likely making Braves fans very happy. As soon as the word got out, there seemed to be this almost unanimous realization that the Yankees would be interested in adding such a washed up, overpaid veteran. No seriously, go take a look for yourself. Some people were actually interested, others were being a little facetious, and still others were just being classic Yankee-bashing jerks. In the end you should know two things: Dan Uggla would not be an upgrade over Brian Roberts and Brian Cashman has no interest in giving it a try, believing he doesn't fit anywhere on the roster. Thankfully, mercifully, we don't have to worry about Dan Uggla in an already feeble lineup.

Sure, Dan Uggla used to be good, but that ship sailed long, long ago. There was a time that Uggla was considered one of the best second basemen in baseball, certainly the one with the most power, capable of hitting 30+ home runs in a season to make up for his massive amounts of strikeouts. It almost seemed like his career came undone the moment he was traded to Atlanta, having one league-average season and then quickly falling further in each consecutive year. It got so bad that the Braves actually just stopped playing him this season. He hadn't been in a game since July 8, they suspended him one game for showing up late to the stadium, and now they've simply released him. What took them so long?

In 2014 Uggla is hitting .162/.241/.231, which amounts to a .472 OPS, a 33 OPS+, and a 35 wRC+. For those of you who think he's an upgrade over Brian Roberts, I don't know what to tell you, but you must be living in some alternate reality. As much as none of us want Brian Roberts on the team, he's an All-Star by comparison with a .238/.303/.371 batting line, a .673 OPS, 87 OPS+, and an 85 wRC+. Even if you want to use the power threat excuse, Roberts has five home runs against Uggla's two and only one of these men has a sub-.300 slugging percentage and it isn't Roberts.

There are some who believe Uggla could fit into a platoon role with Roberts, though Cashman doesn't, and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the Yankees), neither are hitting lefties well. Of course, Brian Roberts has a 74 wRC+ against them while the right-handed Uggla has an almost laughable, if it wasn't so sad, 9 wRC+. Yes, 9. Adding Uggla would be like having Alfonso Soriano back again, but this time he's blindfolded. It just doesn't make sense to even try it out, not even at the league minimum.

If you think Brian Cashman is a bad general manager, just think of the deals he didn't make. The Braves traded Omar Infante to get Uggla and then they signed him to a five-year, $62 million contract which they're still on the hook for in 2015, along with another $1 million in deferred signing bonus dispersed through 2019. That sounds like a fun time. Thankfully, the Yankees only have to deal with Roberts for one year and then he's gone. Kind of makes you appreciate Brian Roberts a little bit and that the Yankees weren't paying Soriano anything close to what the Braves are paying Uggla. Baseball is hard, and Brian Cashman knows that, so why take on a big risk, no matter who it is or used to be, when you don't have to? Thanks, Cash.

Let's take a look at the the top performances by Tribe pitchers this season...

The last couple days I ran through the Tribe's top hitting performances of the first half. You can find Part I of that countdown here, and Part 2 of it here. Today I wanted to look at the top pitching performances of the season so far.
The thing is, there's an easy #1, and there are a bunch of Kluber games you could place somewhere on the list, but in trying to rank them all, it felt like splitting hairs (again, this would be ranking them after the #1 choice, which is easy and fairly indisputable, I think).

So, instead of ranking a top five or top ten, I'm going to single out one game from each guy who's started for the Indians in 2014, working my way towards that top game I keep referencing:

Carlos Carrasco (April 25 vs. Giants) - 6 strikeouts in 6 innings, with 4 runs allowed on 5 hits (including a home run) and a walk. This was not a good game, but it's the best of Carrasco's four starts this season.

T.J. House (May 28 vs. White Sox) - 8 strikeouts in 6.1 innings, with 1 run allowed on 5 singles and a walk

Danny Salazar (April 27 vs. Giants) - 8 strikeouts in 7 innings, with 1 run allowed on 5 hits and only 1 walk. He didn't even allow any home runs!

Trevor Bauer (July 13 vs. White Sox) - 10 strikeouts in 6.2 shutout innings, with 8 hits and 3 walks

Justin Masterson (June 2 vs. Red Sox) - 10 strikeouts in 7 shutout innings, with 3 singles and 4 walks

Zach McAllister (April 9 vs. Padres) - 7 strikeouts in 7.2 shutout innings, with 5 hits and 0 walks

Corey Kluber (April 24 vs. Royals) - A lot of good ones to choose from, but I think the Klubot's best was this one, in which he struck out 11 in a complete game win, allowing only 4 singles and an unearned run

Josh Tomlin (June 28 vs. Mariners) - Tomlin struck out 11, didn't walk anyone, and allowed only one hit all game. Kyle Seager led off the 5th inning with a single, and that was the only thing keeping Tomlin from a no-hitter and a perfect game

Okay, so that's easily the best game by a Tribe pitcher this season (it's the best game by any American League pitcher this season). What do we have to do to find some competition for it? How far back do we have to go?

Best Tribe pitching performances since Barker:

There have been 14 no-hitters in franchise history, including two perfect games. The most recent of those no-hitters was also the second of those perfect games, and it thrown by Len Barker on May 15, 1981. Barker struck out 11 in that game, and I'm comfortable calling it the best game by a Tribe pitcher in my lifetime. That was 33 years ago now though. Since then, who's Tomlin's competition?

Different people will be drawn to different things when picking out what they find to be the best games, so I've tried to choose games for a variety of tastes. Here they are, in chronological order:

Ken Schrom (May 10, 1986)

In a 4-0 win at home against the White Sox, Schrom didn't allow any runs; he struck out 7 while allowing 6 hits and 0 walks. That line is good, but maybe doesn't seem especially impressive. What makes this one stand out though, is that Schrom pitched 10 innings. Game Score: 87

Tom Candiotti (August 3, 1987)

In a 2-0 win at home against the Yankees, Candiotti pitched a complete game shutout while striking out 5 and allowing only a single and a walk. Neither base runner got as far as second base. You may recall that 1987 was a monster season for offense, and New York had a solid lineup, which adds to the quality of the performance. Game Score: 89

Charles Nagy (June 12, 1992)

In a 3-0 win at home against the Yankees, Nagy pitched a complete game shutout. He struck out 5 while allowing 5 hits, all singles, and he didn't walk anyone. What lands it on this list is the fact that he needed only 90 pitches to do it (making it a Maddux), which is the fewest ever in a shutout by an Indians pitcher. Game Score: 82

Bartolo Colon (September 18, 2000)

In a 2-0 win against the Yankees in New York, Colon pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 13 while allowing only a single and a walk. That's the most strikeouts by a Tribe pitcher in shutout during the 33 years included here. Given that those Yankees scored 5.4 runs a game and were a few weeks away from winning their third World Series in a row, Colon's performance is especially impressive. Game Score: 97

Billy Traber (July 8, 2003)

In a 4-0 win at home against the Yankees, Traber came as close to pitching a perfect game as any Indian since Barker did it, giving up only a single that led off the 3rd inning, and then retiring the final 20 batters he faced, finishing with 5 strikeouts. Those Yankees scored 5.4 runs a game, so this is another one where the opponent really adds to thing.

Conclusion:

It really wasn't my intention to choose four wins against the Yankees, but it turns out a lot of the Tribe's best games have come against them (22-0!). I think Colon's game edges out Tomlin's for the best by an Indians pitcher since Barker's perfect game in 1981, because while he did issue that one free pass, he also recorded two additional strikeouts and did it in a much tougher environment for a pitcher. Tomlin's game would be next though, which still makes it the best performance by any pitcher on the team in 14 years, and the second best in 33.

Five day naps sometimes turn into seven day naps, right?

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

The Cincinnati Reds scored one run.

Chris Heisey hit one solo dinger.

Chris Heisey gets today's JNMHSotG.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Todd Frazier, who smacked a pair of singles, stole a base, got a chance to shake hands with Derek Jeter and hop in some pictures with him, and made a nifty grab on a foul ball at the wall; Jumbo Diaz, who continues to flash the kind of stuff that makes me think he could be quite the value find; Donald Lutz, for providing a proof of life by way of his 2nd MLB double of the season; and Billy Hamilton, who doubled and continued being my favorite baseball player.

Key Plays

• Carlos Beltran added to his lofty career totals against the Reds with a solo dinger in the Bottom of the 2nd, a blast over the RF wall, his 17th career dinger against Cincinnati.  Reds trailed, 1-0.
• A flub from RF Jay Bruce on a fly ball allowed Brian Roberts to reach 2B to lead off the Bottom of the 3rd, and a productive grounder and Brett Gardner single later the Yankees had plated another.  Reds trailed, 2-0.
• Chris Heisey Ecto-dingered with 1-out in the Top of the 5th to get the Reds on the board, but a string of singles, a passed ball, a sac fly, and a Hall of Fame single from Derek Jeter led to another pair of runs for the Yankees in the Bottom of the 5th, and that ended Alfredo Simon's day.  Reds trailed, 4-1.
• J.J. Hoover was summoned to pitch the Bottom of the 6th and, well, he looked pretty 2014 Hoover-y thanks to a bushel of dinky-dunkers that found holes like a GIS with safe-search turned off.  Brian McCann, Beltran, Brian Roberts, and Kelly Johnson combined for 140 years of age and 4 soft singles, and that coupled with a Gardner sac fly put three more on the board for the Pinstripes.  The Reds could muster nothing more than a Hamilton leadoff double (that didn't result in a run), and that was that.  Reds lose, 7-1.

FanGraph That Will Make You Fall Asleep at a Yankees Game, Get Noticed By Cameras, Get Made Fun of, and Make You File a Silly Lawsuit for $10 Million

Source: FanGraphs

Other Notes

• I was kind of worried about this series when I began looking at the schedule for the 2nd half primer a few days ago, as it really couldn't have come at a worse time.  The Yankees - the team with the oldest core of position players in baseball - had stumbled to an 8-14 record over their final 22 games before the All-Star break, and the Reds were going to roll in to face them in Yankees Stadium after a 5 day freshen-up.  It didn't make them invincible, but it sure wasn't opportune.
• The Yankees are now 10-5 against the NL Central this season.
• Prior to today's start, Brandon McCarthy had allowed 17 hits and 12 earned runs in his 7.1 career innings vs. the Reds (2 starts and a relief apperance).  He allowed just a single earned run and 6 hits in his 6 innings against them today, fueled largely by his 9 strikeouts and nary a walk.
• The Reds have struck out 23 times and walked just once through the first two games of this series.
• I miss Joey Votto.
• Johnny Cueto will take the hill for the Reds tomorrow at 1:05 PM Eastern in an attempt to salvage one game from the series.  Hiroki Kuroda will toe the rubber for the Yankees, who has a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings across 5 career starts vs. the Reds (though he has not faced them since the 2011 season).
• Coney Island tunes.

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Two whole wins in a row!

The Yankees could not have started the second half much better than they have. The offense struck early and fairly often, putting up seven runs against All-Star Alfredo Simon and the Reds' bullpen. Meanwhile, Brandon McCarthy had a very good outing in his home debut for the Yankees. He allowed just one run and struck out nine. Throw in a couple nice innings from the bullpen and that added up to a 7-1 Yankees' win over the Reds.

The Yankees got on the board first in the bottom of the second when Carlos Beltran hit a two-out, solo home run. An inning later, the Yankees added more. Brian Roberts reached second when Jay Bruce dropped a fly ball. Kelly Johnson then grounded out, moving Roberts to third. Brett Gardner punched through a single, scoring Roberts. That gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

McCarthy allowed just two hits through the first four innings, but the Reds got some offense going in the fifth. With one out in the inning, Chris Heisey hit a solo home run, making it 2-1. Donald Lutz followed that with a double. McCarthy would come back with a strikeout and a ground out to get out of the inning with the Yankees still in front.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Yankees got that run back and more. Roberts and Johnson led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Gardner came up next. After a passed ball allowed both runners to move up, Gardner hit one towards the warning track in right. Bruce made the catch, but Roberts was able to tag up and score and Johnson moved to third. Derek Jeter then singled, scoring Johnson. That made it 4-1 Yankees.

An inning later, the Yankees picked up a couple more runs. Brian McCann and Beltran led off the sixth with two straight singles. After Ichiro Suzuki struck out, Roberts added another single, loading the bases. Johnson then hit a single that just bounced over the first base bag and stayed fair. That scored two runs and moved Roberts to third. Gardner then hit a sac fly that scored Roberts. The score was now 7-1 Yankees.

After the sixth inning offensive outburst, the Yankees would turn to the bullpen to start the seventh. It was a really nice home debut for McCarthy. He went six innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out nine.

Adam Warren came in and worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning. After the Yankees couldn't add more in the bottom of the seventh, Shawn Kelley came in for the eighth. He allowed a lead-off double to Billy Hamilton, but got the next three hitters out to strand Hamilton and keep it at 7-1.

The Yankees couldn't score against the aptly named Jumbo Diaz in the bottom of the eighth. Kelley remained in the game and got the first out in the bottom of the ninth before Matt Thornton came in. Thornton got the last two outs without much trouble and the Yankees won 7-1. Seven runs in one game? Don't spend them all in one place, Yankees.

The Yankees and Reds will wrap up their series tomorrow at 1:05 eastern. Hiroki Kuroda will get the start for the Yankees, while Johnny Cueto will go for Cincinnati.

Box score.

The Yankees 2014 season has been full of surprises, pleasant or otherwise. Which ones have been the biggest?

At the All-Star break the Yankees were a boring .500 team on the surface, but the way they got there was far from bland. It was a first half full of surprises, both good and bad, so let's dig into the major ones.

Solarte's rapid rise and fall

After bouncing around the minor leagues for eight years without even a cup of coffee in the bigs, it was a miracle that Yangervis Solarte even made the Yankees roster out of spring training. It was even more miraculous that less than a week into the season he was the biggest reason for the Yankees' modest success. His Cinderella season quickly went south by the time June rolled around and he was sent back to the minors. Just a week later he was recalled to the Bronx, so it would be nice if he could recapture some of that early magic in the second half.

Gardner's power surge

Last year the typically slap-happy Brett Gardner turned a new leaf and set career highs in doubles, triples and home runs. He was rewarded with a four-year contract extension over the winter that has paid immediate dividends. This season he's on pace to pass last year's triples mark and has already surpassed last year's home run total with nine. As Chris pointed out earlier in the week, this boost in power is the result in a change in approach by Gardner. He should continue to hit the ball with authority.

Tanaka's red hot start

Despite making a big splash by signing a mega-deal to join the Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka was expected to be their third starter and ease his way into the major leagues. Apparently everybody got the memo except him. From his first start he's not only been the Yankees' ace but also one of the best pitchers in baseball. His elbow injury has put a damper on things, but let's hold our breath and hope we see him pitch again this year.

Ineffectiveness of McCann and Beltran

Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran each signed hefty contracts with the Yankees to inject life into their weak offense. If anything, they've made the offense weaker. McCann has been among the worst producers in the league at catcher while Beltran, when he's not missing time due to injury, has been even worse. If the Yankees expect to make any noise in the second half, it will have to start with these two turning their seasons around.

Betances' dominance

Once a top prospect in the Yankees' minor league system, Dellin Betances simply stopped throwing strikes in 2012. Out of desperation, he was converted to a reliever and impressed in his audition for a setup role this spring. He's grabbed his opportunity with two hands and never looked back. The video game numbers he's put up thus far earned him a spot on the AL All-Star team. He and David Robertson should continue to be one of the best 1-2 bullpen punches in baseball.

Starting rotation's injury plague

Of the five starters that the Yankees broke camp with, four of them have spent, or are expected to spend, significant time on the disabled list. The last man standing is Hiroki Kuroda, a 39-year-old in the middle of the worst season of his career. Through all of this the Yankees have maintained league-average production from their starters thanks to David Phelps and a bunch of spare parts. Even if some of the injured arms return, though, it won't mean much if they continue to get little to no run support.

What do you think has been the biggest surprise for the Yankees this year? Cast your vote in the poll below.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Injury updates on Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, and others.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: The Diamondbacks had Brandon McCarthy abandon his cutter, but the Yankees have allowed him to bring it back.

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: John Ryan Murphy and Gary Sanchez are two top prospects who could end up getting traded in the next few days.

New York Post | Joel Sherman: Derek Jeter's most important attribute, and often most overlooked, is his toughness.

The Star-Ledger | Jose Castillo: Despite being ruled out for the rest of the season, CC Sabathia is happy that he won't have career-threatening knee surgery.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Joe Girardi was disappointed that Dellin Betances didn't get to pitch in the All-Star Game.

Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan:David Phelps had one of the balliest called strikes of the first half of the season.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: The Yankees were the ones who decided they didn't want to sign Mariano Rivera's son.

Hiroki Kuroda takes to the mound to try and keep the Yankees' winning streak alive.

Today's lineup: Gardner 7 Jeter 6 Ellsbury 8 Teixeira 3 McCann 2 Beltran DH Ichiro 9 Roberts 4 Johnson 5 Kuroda 1

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) July 20, 2014

Joe Girardi may have finally settled on an everyday lineup with Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, and Jacoby Ellsbury. Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran are in the middle of the order, and Ichiro Suzuki, Brian Roberts, and Kelly Johnson round it all out.

In their quest to find a new general manager after firing Josh Byrnes, the Padres have seemingly interviewed all of baseball in order to find the perfect candidate to lead their organization going forward. San Diego interviewed Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler and it seems like he, along with Rangers AGM A.J. Preller, are the leading candidates to take over the job. They plan to hire someone in the next few weeks, so we should be hearing the final decision fairly soon.

The Reds will try to avoid being swept away in the Bronx this afternoon like a subway rat during a thunderstorm, as they take on the Yankees this afternoon. Meanwhile, Don Long is desperately searching for the bats that may have been lost at the luggage claim in LaGuardia. If they do not act quickly, the Reds run the risk of starting their ceremonial second half a lot like they started the first.

Ace and "stopper" Johnny Cueto will go for the Reds this afternoon. Cueto will look to improve upon his already stupid low ERA of 2.13 and WHIP of 0.89. While Cueto hasn't faced many of the Yankees in today's lineup, he is well acquainted with Carlos Beltran, possibly to his chagrin. Beltran is 6 for 14 in his career against Cueto with 2 of those hits coming as home runs.

Starting for the Yankees will be the 39 year-old veteran Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda, in his seventh season in Major League Baseball is one of the rare breeds of pitchers that can perform well not only in pitcher friendly Dodger Stadium, but also in the AL East in Yankee Stadium. This season, Kuroda is 6-6 with an ERA of 4.10. In case anyone thinks this is him slowing down, it should be noted that, per Grace Raynor, he  is 4-3 with a 3.65 ERA in his last 13 starts. In 2014, Hiroki is sporting a WHIP of 1.212 while striking out 6.2 batters every 9 innings. Kuroda has limited history with Reds batters, but Ryan Ludwick is 2 for 14 lifetime while Jay Bruce is 2 for 11 lifetime against the right hander.

The Reds need to save face this afternoon and avoid a sweep against a Yankees team that has suffered from beleaguering injuries this season to their rotation. As Kuroda remains the only starter left from the beginning of the season, irony suggests that he be the one player the Reds record a win off of this series. If not, the Reds can at least get some solid Italian food after the game.

Go Reds!

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Jump in now. Here's the FanDuel link.

Ugh.

The Joe Nuxhall Honorary Memorial Star of the Game

Oh, boy.  Todd Frazier hit a late inning game tying home run...but he played a crucial role in allowing the Yankees' walk off win.  Skip Schumaker doubled to drive in the first run of the game...but later TOOTBLAN'd himself off the bases just in time to prevent Frazier's game tying home run from being a go-ahead home run.  The Reds spent the entirety of this game shooting themselves in the collective foot.  Nobody gets the JNHMSotG, because nobody deserves it.

Key Plays

• The game was shaping up to be a pitcher's duel early, with Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda held the Reds in check while Johnny Cueto worked himself into and out of trouble, including a bases loaded situation in the third inning.
• The Reds got on the board in the top of the fifth inning when Zach Cozart reached base on a Brian Roberts error and advanced to second on a Ramon Santiago sacrifice.  Skip Schumaker ground rule doubled Cozart home to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
• The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Cueto walked the first two batters he faced, then allowed back to back RBI singles to Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury.  Yankees lead 2-1.
• In the top of the eight, Schumaker led off with a single off Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, but was promptly erased after being caught in a rundown between first and second with Todd Frazier batting.  This proved all the more costly when Frazier then homered to left, tying the game at 2-2.
• In the bottom of the ninth inning, with Aroldis Chapman pitching in a non-save situation, Ellsbury led off with a single, then stole second base.  Ellsbury then advanced to third on a wild pitch.  With one out, Brian McCann blooped one to shallow right field and the ball inexplicably fell in between Jay Bruce, Frazier and Schumaker.  It was difficult to tell exactly what happened, because the ball was catchable by any of them, but either way, McCann is credited with a walk off infield single and the game ended with a 3-2 Yankees victory.

Fangraph

Source: FanGraphs

Other Notes:

• Todd Frazier now has 20 home runs on the season.  That is a new career high for him.  Congratulations, Todd.
• With his strikeout of Mark Tiexiera in the ninth inning, Aroldis Chapman extended his streak of appearances recording at least one strikeout to 41.  It was the only out he recorded in the game.
• Frazier's home run was only the second allowed by the Yankees' Dellin Betances all season.  That's even more impressive considering his home ballpark.
• Manny Parra hasn't allowed a run in 18 games.  He last allowed a run - two, actually - on May 25 against the Cardinals.
• It was scored as a hit, but Billy Hamilton dropped what seemed to be a routine fly ball in the seventh inning.  It appeared he lost it in the sun.  
  
• Johnny Cueto wasn't at his sharpest, throwing 112 pitches in only five innings before being removed from the game.  Based on his body language, he seemed to be very frustrated with the strike zone set by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez.
  
• Tune:  Gil Scott-Heron said it best:  New York is Killing Me.

Get your brooms, friends.

The second half of the season continues to go pretty well for the Yankees. The Yankees didn't quite get the offensive outburst that they got yesterday. But like yesterday, they got a good starting pitching effort. Hiroki Kuroda was solid over his 6.2 innings. Unfortunately for him, the Yankees' bullpen couldn't quite hold on to the slim lead the offense gave him. The Reds came back to tie the game late, meaning the Yankees would need a walk-off win. Which they would get. Jacoby Ellsbury, Ellsbury's speed, Brian McCann and some Reds defensive miscues combined to give the Yankees a 3-2 walk-off win.

Early on, both teams struggled at bringing home baserunners. They both had chances early, but neither team could cash in until the Reds did in the fifth. Zack Cosart reached to start the top of the fifth when Brian Roberts booted a grounder. Kuroda then nearly got out of it. He got one out on a bunt by Ramon Santiago and another when he got Billy Hamilton to pop out. But Skip Schumaker hit a ground-rule double that scored a run and made it 1-0 Reds.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Yankees finally got some offense going themselves. With one out in the inning, Kelly Johnson and Brett Gardner drew back-to-back walks. Derek Jeter then singled to right. That scored Johnson and tied the game at one. Ellsbury then picked up a single himself. Gardner scored, Jeter moved to third and the Yankees had the lead.

Kuroda continued through the sixth and started the seventh. After he got the first two outs in the seventh, Girardi elected to go to the bullpen. Hirok went 6.2 innings, allowing one run (an unearned one, thanks Roberts) on three hits and two walks while striking out six. Dellin Betances came in to finish off the inning for Kuroda. Betances allowed a single to Santiago but struck out Hamilton to end the inning.

After the Yankees had a RISP fail in the seventh, Betances came back out to pitch the top of the eighth. He allowed a single to Schumaker, but picked him off for the first out. Todd Frazier was up next. On one pitch, Frazier made contact with a ball and looked to have popped it up in the outfield, but it kept floating and floating and went over the left field wall for a game-tying home run. Although Betances got the last two outs, they were now tied at two. David Robertson came in and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning after the Yankees couldn't take a lead in the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch for the Reds. The first Yankee batter he faced was Ellsbury. After a really good nine-pitch at bat, Ellsbury punched a lead-off single through the left side. Mark Teixeira came up next. During Teixeria's at bat, Ellsbury stole second, and then a couple pitches later, Ellsbury made it to third on a wild pitch. Teixeira wound up striking out for the first out. McCann came up next. On the second pitch of the at bat, McCann popped one up towards first. The longer it floated, the more it looked like no one was going to catch it. And then: no one did catch it. It dropped in and Ellsbury scampered home for the winning run. It wasn't quite Luis Castillo, but then again what is? The Yankees came away with a 3-2 win. Weird game, weird way to win, weird sweep.

The Rangers will now come to the Bronx for a series starting tomorrow. The starters for the first game will be Shane Greene and Miles Mikolas and first pitch will be at 7:05 eastern.

Box score.

Some moments in sports transcend the game. Rachel Ulfers was at the All-Star game this last week, and she has more about Jeter's reception in Minnesota.

Rachel Ulfers is a born and raised Twins fan, avid Twinkie Town reader, wrote for her high school paper, and now writes about various topics including her love of dogs. This is her take on a unique and special moment during Tuesday's All-Star Game at Target Field.

As a hardcore, born and raised Twins fan who attends close to 20 games a year, I've seen a lot of baseball. And by baseball I don't mean just nine innings, I mean the experience that is baseball, including tenth innings stuff - special moments for fans and for the game itself. As that hardcore Twins fan, I am here to say that Derek Jeter's tenth inning moment during the All-Star Game may have just been my favorite.

While Target Field and Minneapolis had been buzzing all week with Fan Fest, tourists, and Minnesota nice, the media outlets were buzzing about Derek Jeter. If you didn't know, he's kind of a big deal, and that big deal was coming to Target Field.

One could argue that the media gave too much attention to the situation, but the Twins and Major League Baseball gave just the right amount during the big event. In face, Minnesota was the perfect place for this experience. While Jeter is recognized as the Yankee most people are "pretty okay" with, Yankees don't usually fare well away from home. It still seemed a fairly safe bet that Jeter would get respect, but Minnesota gave it to him in spades, making Minneapolis and its people look like the Minnesota Nice everyone thinks we are.

On the day of the actually game, leading up to the non-starting lineups, there was the usual fanfare to get the fans sufficiently excited. (Although I think the beer machines already did that.) Then the non-starters were announced, lined up neatly, and awaited their captains. Everyone else was awaiting The Captain.

In a turn of events that could only happen on this one day, in this one moment, everyone in Twins Territory got on their feet and clapped for Derek Jeter. They clapped so long he tipped his cap, and actually looked kind of embarrassed, like a child who begs a parent to "Just stop taking so many pictures, Mom!" The fact that he had a look that seemed to say "Thank you, now please announce everyone else," made it all that much better.

Jeter had two at-bats, a double for his first and a single for his second. Both at-bats received standing ovations - in face the entire stadium at one point was chanting his name. Previous to that moment the odds of that happening anywhere other than Yankee Stadium were approximately as high as hearing Joe Mauer use a curse word (oh gosh, heck no!) or drink skim milk (it's just too watery). There were no fans of the Yankees or the Twins or anyone else, there were only baseball fans. And they wanted to see The Captain do what he did for the last time.

In the fourth inning, Derek Jeter stepped out of his last All-Star Game. As he came off the field, "New York, New York" began to play over the sound system while everyone in the stadium, and probably the skyways, stopped to stand and applaud one more time. Upon arriving in the dugout, Derek Jeter, 20-year Yankee player, hugged every single person in the dugout. When he got to the Red Sox, one of them could be heard saying "I love you, man." When he reached the end of the dugout, Jeter came out one more time to tip his cap. And then the game went on.

It was the perfect sendoff to a classy player, much like Mariano Rivera closing out last year's game. There were no flashy ceremonies or car giveaways, that wasn't the point. his wasn't supposed to be a Jeterfest, nor should it have been. This was allowing fans to pay respect to a player who spent an entire career in one place, always showed class, and made the game fun to watch. I felt good cheering for him and that's the reason he deserved it.

It's not often that one player, especially those of the Yankee variety, will elicit this reaction from anyone other than their own fans, much less in an away stadium. This guy is one of those people.