In Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, Martin Prado, and Stephen Drew, the Yankees added four veterans who have fallen short of expectations in 2014. Their track records suggest they're likely to rebound.
The Yankees didn't make any blockbuster trades at this year's trade deadline, but instead made a series of smaller moves aimed at improving the team on the margins. In four separate moves, Brian Cashman added Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, Martin Prado, and Stephen Drew. All of these players fall into the same general category: A veteran who's struggled in 2014, but was something close to an All-Star caliber player as recently as two years ago. Rather than trading for one or two well-established players this deadline, the Yankees went dumpster-diving, bringing on four players with obvious warts who could be had for little more than a song.
But this quartet isn't as mediocre as their recent performances would suggest. As mentioned, all of these guys were very good players in the not so distant past. Sure, its unlikely that any of them will return to their 2012 forms, but each is a good bet to outperform his current 2014 stat-line. Each of these players have all been trending in the wrong direction, but their Rest-of-season projections anticipate they're in for a rebound.
You might be a little skeptical of these projection systems. After all, they rely solely on past performance, which could make them a little slow to pick up on changes that would be obvious to a well-trained scout. That's certainly true in some cases, but on the aggregate, these systems do a pretty good job of properly weighing the most recent data -- even in the middle of the season. Simply put, a player's overall body of work is more important than recent trends when it comes to forecasting future performance.
That's not to say all of the Yankees' July acquisitions will bounce back. Any one of them could legitimately be as bad as his YTD 2014 performance implies, but the Yankees are playing the numbers game here. And odds are that at least one or two of the four will make a significant impact for the bombers down the stretch, and its already looking like McCarthy and Headley might fit that bill.
McCarthy, Headley, Prado, and Drew have been all over the map in terms of production these past few years, so its hard to say for sure just how much they'll be able to help the Yankees. But each one of these guys is a prime candidate for some upwards regression, and bringing them board undoubtedly makes the Bombers a better team now than they were four weeks ago, even if only by a couple of wins.
Here's another trade that could have been; before the Yankees ultimately acquired Martin Prado, they looked elsewhere for an outfielder who can play anywhere they need. Brian Cashman approached the Mariners about acquiring Dustin Ackley, but talks stalled when Seattle asked for Bryan Mitchell in return. It's not as funny as Ruben Amaro asking for Aaron Judge or Luis Severino for Marlon Byrd, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Ackley isn't that interesting of a player since he's hit just .240/.303/.343 over the last three seasons after an outstanding rookie campaign. He's played second base, first base, and the outfield, is under team control for the next three seasons, and is much cheaper than Prado for two, however the Yankees must have preferred Prado for only Peter O`Brien, considering the only thing Ackley has done this year that is better than Ichiro Suzuki is hit for power.
While Ackley for Mitchell isn't very outlandish, the Yankees likely value Mitchell higher because they need pitching in 2015. Given their rotation troubles in 2014, it's no surprise they want to hold onto someone like him who could end up as a real solution next year. The 23-year-old right-hander has always had great stuff, but was never really able to put it all together over a long period of time. This year in Double-A he maintained a 4.84 ERA and 4.11 FIP with a 8.80 K/9 and 4.26 BB/9, but since moving up to Triple-A he's had a 2.88 ERA with an improved 3.60 walk rate in only five games.
While Mitchell isn't someone to necessarily hold onto, Ackley isn't really someone who I'd consider a must-get. The Yankees would rather hope that Prado can regain form than expect Ackley to play better than he ever has. Ackley would have been a nice get, considering he's cheap and would be here for awhile, but Cashman didn't really do the wrong thing here. They need pitching now and next year and I think they did better by trading O`Brien for Prado.
In the wake of Peter O`Brien being traded to Arizona in exchange for Martin Prado, Greg Bird, the system's top first base prospect, has been promoted to Double-A Trenton. He will fill the void left by O`Brien, who served as the team's primary first baseman since moving out from behind the plate. While Bird hasn't been as impressive as he was last year, a difficult thing to do, he's still had a very good year, despite missing time with a back injury. He has hit .277/.375/.442 with 7 home runs and 45 walks in High-A Tampa at the age of 21 and will be far younger than the league average going forward. While this was a possibility, I assumed the Yankees would continue to give him one year at each level, like they did in 2013. Now that he's getting free reign to move up, Bird is definitely still the word.
Except for one big inning, the Yankees weren't great. Shane Greene got chased from the game early. The offense had a few RIPS fails. Yet, they won, mostly on the strength of a four-run third inning. That put them in the lead for good and allowed the Yankees to pick up a 6-4 win over the Red Sox.
The Red Sox struck first in the bottom of the second. Yoenis Cespedes, making his debut for the Red Sox, led off the inning with a single. Mike Napoli then hit a monster home run off Greene, making it 2-0. Greene then walked Nava, leading to a mound visit. Greene came back and got the next two outs, the second of which came on a nice play by Stephen Drew. However, Christian Vazquez would punch through a single, scoring Nava. Greene allowed another single, but eventually got out of it with the score at 3-0.
In the top of the third, the Yankees came back and took the lead themselves. Martin Prado, Francisco Cervelli and Brett Gardner led off the inning with three-straight walks. Derek Jeter then doubled on a ball that just dunked into no-man's land past first base. That scored two runs. Jacoby Ellsbury then looked to follow that up with a hit, but Dustin Pedroia made a nice diving stop to get the out. However, Jeter went to third and Gardner scored, making it 3-3. After Mark Teixeira grounded out, which failed to score Jeter, Carlos Beltran hit a single that did score Jeter, making it 4-3 Yankees. After Chase Headley and Drew both picked up walks, Red Sox' starter Allan Webster was taken out.
A few innings later, the Yankees added to their lead. Teixeria led off the fifth inning by crushing a home run over the Monster to make it 5-3.
After getting to two outs with two on in the bottom of the fifth, Greene was taken out. He settled down a bit after that second inning, but the number of pitches he threw in the first three innings took a toll on him and shortened his outing. He went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five. Shawn Kelley came in and struck out Napoli to get out of the inning. Kelley would also pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, the Yankees picked up an insurance run. Beltran led off the inning with a double. After Headley lined out, Drew ripped a double to right field. Beltran scored from second and made it 6-3.
Adam Warren came in to pitch the seventh. After getting the first out, he walked Brock Holt and allowed a single to Pedroia that moved Holt to third. That caused the Yankee to go back to the bullpen and bring in Dellin Betances. Dellin got David Ortiz to fly out to left field. It was deep enough to score a run as Gardner's throw took a hop over Cervelli. Betances then got Cespedes to pop one up to end the inning. Betances would remain in in the game and pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth.
The Yankees threatened to add a couple more in the top of the ninth, but they came up empty. That meant it was time for David Robertson to come in and try and finish off a win. Robertson got the first two outs, but Holt managed to keep the game alive with a single. That brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Pedroia. Robertson got Pedroia to ground one to third, where Headley made a nice play to pick it and fire to first for the last out. The Yankees closed out a 6-4 win over the Red Sox.
The Yankees and Red Sox will finish up their series tomorrow at 8 eastern. The starting pitchers will be David Phelps and Clay Buchholz.
MLB.com | Tracy Ringolsby: Jerry Narron, the backup catcher who replaced Thurman Munson, recounts the tragic events and the first game after his death.
ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: Martin Prado was initially a little nervous about the idea of playing in New York, but he has since warmed up to it.
Baseball America | Matt Eddy: The Yankees got the best haul from the trade deadline out of all other AL East teams.
New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: With the ability to play all over the field, Martin Prado provides the Yankees with the defensive flexibility that they have been lacking.
Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from August 2nd.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 13-0 vs. Syracuse Chiefs
LF Jose Pirela 2-4, BB, CS - batting .314 this season 2B Rob Refsnyder 2-5, RBI DH Zoilo Almonte 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K - 17th homer of the season RF Adonis Garcia 3-5, double, RBI, K 1B Kyle Roller 3-4, 2 doubles, RBI, HBP - batting .279 w/ SWB 3B Zelous Wheeler 1-4, HR, 4 RBI, K - 8th homer of the season C John Ryan Murphy 1-5, HR, RBI, K - 4th homer of the season CF Antoan Richardson 3-3, triple, 2 RBI, BB, HBP SS Carmen Angelini 0-4, BB, K
Chris Leroux 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, hit batsman - 55 of 93 pitches for strikes Tyler Webb 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K - 2.25 ERA w/ SWB Rich Hill 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Matt Daley 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 5-2 vs. Portland Sea Dogs
DH Jake Cave 1-5, K - batting .338 w/ Trenton LF Ben Gamel 2-4, double, RBI, K 1B Greg Bird 0-4, K - Double-A debut C Gary Sanchez 1-4, K RF Tyler Austin 1-4, double, K, OF assist - batting .378/.439/.676 over his last 10 games CF Mason Williams 1-4, K 3B Dan Fiorito 2-4, triple, 2 RBI, E5 - fielding error, ninth of the season 2B Casey Stevenson 1-4 SS Ali Castillo 2-4, double, RBI, K
Joel De La Cruz 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, E1 - 47 of 65 pitches for strikes Francisco Rondon 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K, 2 hit batsmen Phil Wetherell 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
High-A Tampa Yankees:L 2-7 vs. Jupiter Hammerheads
CF Danny Oh 2-4, double, 2 RBI, BB SS Cito Culver 0-5, 2 K 3B Eric Jagielo 1-3, BB, K, E5(13th) - batting .294/.432/.441 over his last 10 games DH Dante Bichette Jr. 0-4, K RF Aaron Judge 0-3, BB, 2 K 2B Angelo Gumbs 2-4, K C Trent Garrison 2-3 1B Reymond Nunez 1-4, K LF Anderson Feliz 0-4, 2 K
Jhon Morban 3 IP, 5 H, 7 R/6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, hit batsman, 2 WP - 6 GO/2 AO Ramon Benjamin 2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB Chris Smith 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB Philip Walby 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K
Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 0-1 vs. Hagerstown Suns
SS Abiatal Avelino 0-4 DH Tyler Wade 1-4, K - batting .283 this season CF Dustin Fowler 1-4, K 3B Miguel Andujar 1-4 LF Michael O'Neill 0-3 2B Gosuke Katoh 0-2, BB, 2 K, CS C Eduardo de Oleo 0-3, K RF Yeicok Calderon 1-3, K 1B John Murphy 1-3, K, CS
Ian Clarkin 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K - 32 of 58 pitches for strikes Giovanny Gallegos 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Stefan Lopez 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, pickoff
Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 5-2 vs. Auburn Doubledays
CF Devyn Bolasky 1-4, BB, SB - batting .261 this season C Collin Slaybaugh 1-5, RBI 2B Ty McFarland 0-3, BB, K LF Chris Breen 0-3, BB, K 1B Connor Spencer 2-4, triple, K - batting .324 this season RF Austin Aune 1-4, double, K, E9 - throwing error, fifth of the season SS Vince Conde 2-4, RBI, K DH Nathan Mikolas 1-2, RBI, 2 BB 3B Renzo Martini 3-4, double, RBI
Jonathan Holder 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K - 3 GO/2 AO Jordan Cote 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB, K Joe Harvey 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Conor Mullee 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
SS Billy Fleming 0-4, K, E6 - fielding error, first of the season CF Leonardo Molina 2-4, RBI, K 3B Drew Bridges 0-2, 2 BB RF Alexander Palma 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 SB - batting .262 this season 1B Dalton Smith 1-4, double, K C Alvaro Noriega 1-4, RBI, pickoff DH Kyle Higashioka 1-4, double, K LF Griffin Gordon 1-4, K 2B Derek Toadvine 0-2, K
Luis Cedeno 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP, hit batsman - 6 GO/1 AO Dayton Dawe 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB Deshorn Lake 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP Reynaldo Polanco 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB Jonny Drozd 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
CF Jose Augusto Figueroa 1-4, BB, K LF Ericson Leonora 0-5, K, E7 - fielding error, third of the season SS Angel Aguilar 1-5, HR, 2 RBI - 7th homer of the season DH Jake Hernandez 2-5, double, HR, RBI, K - 5th homer of the season 3B Allen Valerio 1-1, BB, SB 1B Bo Thompson 0-4, BB, 2 K C Jesus Aparicio 0-2, 2 K, passed ball, HBP 2B Tyler Palmer 1-4, HR, 4 RBI, K - 2nd homer of the season RF Wilmer Romero 1-4, K, OF assist
Eduardo Rivera 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, K Jonathan Padilla 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 hit batsmen Hector Martinez 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Lee Casas 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Mike Noteware 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
The Yankees made several moves before the trade deadline. Were they enough to improve the team?
Leading up to the trade deadline, the Yankees needed all the help they could get. The starting rotation was obliterated by injuries, half of the infield was playing atrocious defense, the offense was struggling to get anything going, and the team didn't have a true fourth outfielder. GM Brian Cashman managed to make several trades, but did the team do enough to improve?
In terms of the rotation, Vidal Nuno was traded for Brandon McCarthy. He has made four starts with the Yankees since then, and he's only allowed more than one run to score during one of those starts. While it's too early to tell how he'll pitch for the duration of the season, he has started well and has been a definite improvement over Nuno. With that being said, there was still room to improve the rotation, and I don't think any of us would have said no to acquiring another starting pitcher. Unless it meant giving up all of the prospects. McCarthy was a good addition, but it's hard not to feel like the rotation still needs help. Maybe Michael Pineda will return from the DL and be that person.
The trades for Chase Headley and Stephen Drew should certainly help the infield improve defensively. Headley is a real third baseman, after all, which automatically gives him an advantage over Kelly Johnson/Yangervis Solarte/etc. Drew, on the other hand, has never played second base in his major league career, or even in the minors. It was an interesting decision for the Yankees to DFA Brian Roberts, and trade second baseman Johnson to the Red Sox. The fact that Roberts had already made 10 errors at second base, coupled with the fact that he was batting .237/.300/.360 with 81 wRC+, makes it hard for Drew not to be an upgrade in one way or the other. Drew hasn't gotten off to the best start, after being signed late into the season, but he has shown signs of life over the last few weeks. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll be better than Roberts, and he will be if he is able to hit anywhere near his career averages.
Considering how difficult it has been for the team to score runs for the majority of the season, Martin Prado's bat is a welcome addition. There is also the added bonus that he can be the right fielder, although he's only played left field before. This means more rest for Ichiro Suzuki, who was playing much better before he became the everyday right fielder out of necessity. Headley has also had a better season than Johnson, offensively, so that should help improve the lineup altogether. At the very least, all of the new additions have the potential to be better than the player they replaced, and none should be worse.
On the whole, the Yankees were much more active around the trade deadline than last year. Even if none of the moves work out, at least attempts were made to try and upgrade the offense, infield defense, and the starting rotation. It might have been nice to add another starter to take Shane Greene's spot, but he might be good enough while we wait to see if Pineda does return.
Do you think the team did enough to improve? Let us know in the comments and vote in the poll below.
Now that we've had some time to breathe after the whirlwind of activity at the trade deadline, here's a look at the fallout from a Yankees perspective.
The dust is finally settling after an explosive MLB trade deadline that involved the Yankees as well as some of their closest competitors. Let's take a look at the impact of all these moves to the Yankees, Clint Eastwood-style.
The Good
The Yankees improved their team. In the deals leading up to the deadline and just minutes before the deadline past, they acquired solid players that deserve an everyday starting gig to replace spare parts that weren't getting the job done. Chase Headley, Martin Prado, and Stephen Drew can all hold their own at the plate and with the glove. The Yankees were starved for players that could do that consistently outside of Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury. On top of the lineup help, they also brought in a league average starting pitcher in Brandon McCarthy. Another welcome addition to a starting rotation that can't get healthy.
The trades that brought these guys in also didn't require any major prospects to be shipped out. In fact, some of these trades helped clear some dead weight from the roster. Most Yankee fans probably would have paid good money to never see Vidal Nuno, Brian Roberts, or Kelly Johnson play in pinstripes again and now that's a reality. In the case of Nuno and Johnson, the Yankees even got something of value in return for their departure. Cashman may still wield a ninja sword after all.
The Bad
While Cashman can still swing that sword, it may need a little sharpening. The four players added to the roster are good enough to start on this team, but that's not saying much. The Yankees are lucky to be above .500 right now and need a lot more help than the marginal improvements made in these deals if they want to be a playoff contender. These trades also continue two disturbing trends that the Yankees have become accustomed to over the past few years. First, they are all on the wrong side of 30 and at best will serve as just a band aid for this year and/or next. Secondly, they are asking Drew and Prado to play positions that they have never played at the major league level (unless you count Prado's two innings in right field five years ago). At least there's the comic relief aspect.
While the Yankees made small, short term moves, three other AL East teams either stockpiled some talent to improve the team over the next couple years (Red Sox, Rays) or made a move to improve their immediate chances at success (Orioles). This further marginalizes the Yankees modest improvement. Only the Blue Jays stood pat, but they are arguably the most talented team in the division at the moment.
The presence of Prado on the roster for next year also could make it even more difficult for Rob Refsnyder to break into the big leagues. If Brian Roberts was a more attractive option at second base to Cashman up to this point then Prado will look like Joe Morgan to him next year.
The Ugly
Speaking of Brian Roberts, the Yankees have shown all-around bad form when dealing with him this year. Signing him in the first place was a bad baseball decision. The injury prone 36 year old hadn't played meaningful baseball since 2009 and struggled to produce in the brief moments that he was healthy. Still, the Yankees made it clear that they were going to rely on him and only him to play second base in 2014. Surprisingly, he avoided injury and took his spot at the bottom of the lineup everyday. Unsurprisingly, his mediocre play left a lot to be desired. The Yankees turned a blind eye to this, though, and continued to run him into the ground, even as his play continued to deteriorate.
Just minutes before the deadline, the Yankees then found their replacement for Roberts in Stephen Drew. They fessed up to their mistake three months too late and finally designated Roberts for assignment. The problem is, they did this when Roberts was just two plate appearances away from reaching a $250,000 performance bonus. The timing of the move seems a bit cruel. The franchise curiously trusted him to start everyday, despite his limitations, until it was time for the likely last major payday of his career. This is the same franchise that has paid Ichiro Suzuki $13 million over the past two years to be one of the worst outfielders in major league baseball. Just another soulless move by a franchise that is starting to be defined by them.
The Yankees and Red Sox are pretty well known for playing long games. Add in it being an ESPN Sunday night game and their reputation only gets worse. They did not change that rep tonight. Although, at least this game was interesting. Twice, the Yankees rallied from three run deficits. And there were game-winning contribution from Brett Gardner and Esmil Rogers. You know, the usuals. After a long night, the Yankees finally came away with an 8-7 win over the Red Sox.
The Red Sox got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first. Brock Holt led off with a single and moved to third when Dustin Pedroia singled. David Ortiz flew out for the first out of the inning, but it was deep enough to score Holt. A walk to Yoenis Cespedes and a single by Mike Napoli loaded the bases with still just one out. Daniel Nava then picked up a single that scored two more runs. David Phelps got Xander Bogaerts to ground into an inning-ending double play, but the score was already 3-0.
The Yankees would come back and tie the game in the top of the second. Mark Teixeira led off the inning with a walk. After Carlos Beltran singled, Brian McCann drew a walk to load the bases with no one out. After Chase Headley struck out, Stephen Drew grounded one to the pitcher's mound. Clay Buchholz threw to second to get the first out, but Drew was quick enough to beat the throw to first and avoid the double play. That allowed a run to score and make it 3-1. Martin Prado then kept the inning going with a walk. That brought Gardner to the plate. Gardner poked a double to left, scoring two runs and tying the game.
However, the Red Sox would come right back and retake the lead in the bottom of the second. With one out in the inning, Christian Vazquez singled. After Holt grounded into a force out at second, Pedroia hit a two-run home run to make it 5-3 Red Sox.
Phelps would not come back out for the third inning as Chase Whitley came out to start the inning. Phelps went just two innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks. (We of course later found out it was due to injury, because duh.)
In the top of the fourth, the Yankees offense got going again. McCann led off the inning with a double. After Headley lined out, Drew also doubled. That scored McCann and made it 5-4.
But in the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox extended their lead again. Vazquez led off the inning with a single. After two straight force outs at second, Ortiz hit a two-run home run to make it 7-4.
Rogers would come out to start the fifth inning for the Yankees, ending Whitley's day. Whitley went two innings allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.
However, the Yankees cut back into the deficit again in the fifth. With two outs in the inning, Beltran kept the inning alive with a double off the Monster. McCann then drew a walk, bringing up Headley. Headley dunked a double to right, scoring Beltran. Drew then added a single. That scored both runners and suddenly, we were tied again.
And then, an inning later, the Yankees somehow took the lead. Gardner led off the top of the sixth with a home run to put the Yankees ahead 8-7.
Rodgers wound up pitching three innings, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out three. A pretty nice Yankee debut for him. Dellin Betances came in to pitch the eighth and struck out two as per usual.
After the Yankees couldn't add to their lead in the top of the ninth, David Robertson came in to try and finish off a win. Robertson didn't get the inning off to the best start when he walked Vazquez on four pitches. However, he got Holt to line one straight at Headley. And with pinch-runner Mookie Betts going, they were able to double him off first. That left the game up to Pedroia. After Pedroia narrowly avoided a game-tying home run, Robertson got him to ground out. The Yankees came away with a grueling 8-7 win and a series win over the Red Sox.
The Yankees will now head back home to take on the Tigers in a series starting tomorrow at 7:05 eastern. The starting pitchers will be Brandon McCarthy and Max Scherzer.
The Tigers kick off a four game series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Max Scherzer and Brandon McCarthy are tonight's starting pitchers.
Brandon McCarthy made 18 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season, allowing a 5.01 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in 109 2/3 innings. Based on these numbers, general manager Kevin Towers' decision to trade McCarthy to the Yankees in exchange for lefty Vidal Nuno seems like a good idea, correct? Not if you look deeper. Despite the ugly ERA, McCarthy held opponents to a respectable 3.82 FIP and a 4.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio, his best since the 2011 season. The strikeout rate itself is the highest of McCarthy's career, and his elevated home run rate -- which tends to happen in Arizona -- kept his FIP as high as it was. His 2.91 xFIP with the Diamondbacks (it's 2.96 for the entire season) ranks 10th in all of baseball, and his 3.08 SIERA ranks 13th.
Now in New York, McCarthy's results are finally starting to match his stellar peripherals. He is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his first four starts, all Yankee victories. He has also tallied 20 strikeouts to just four walks in 24 2/3 innings, good enough for a 3.06 FIP. How good is this? Teammate Masahiro Tanaka ranks 20th among qualified pitchers with a 3.07 FIP. Unfortunately for baseball fans everywhere, McCarthy also leads Tanaka in healthy UCLs, 2 to 1.
While he has done a great job of limiting walks throughout his career, McCarthy still allows plenty of baserunners. Even during his short-but-dominant stretch in a Yankees uniform, he has given up 28 hits in 24 2/3 innings. His change in repertoire a few years back -- he relies heavily on a two-seam fastball now -- left him vulnerable to the BABIP gods, and they have gotten their vengeance this season. He allowed a .347 BABIP with the Diamondbacks, and things haven't improved much (.333) in New York. However, his .251 BABIP on ground balls is right around the league average.
Don't look now, but Max Scherzer is leading the American League in wins again. It took him a few more starts to get to the top of the list this season, but his recent performance has led to a swift ascent up the rankings. Scherzer went 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 3.03 FIP in July, leading the Tigers to a 4-1 record in games that he started. It was a huge improvement from June, when he allowed a 4.81 ERA and an opposing batting average of .286. In his last start, he dominated the Chicago White Sox for seven innings, picking up his fourth win of the season at their expense.
Hitter to fear:Jacoby Ellsbury (.462/.611/.769 in 18 plate appearances) Hitter to fail:Brett Gardner (.000/.125/.000 in 16 plate appearances)
With numbers like those, it's safe to say that Jacoby Ellsbury owns Max Scherzer. Ellsbury's 1.380 OPS ranks eighth among players with at least 10 career plate appearances against Scherzer, behind names like Jose Bautista, Shin-Soo Choo, and Yoenis Cespedes (your move, Billy Beane). Ellsbury is also one of two Yankees with an OPS above .700 against Scherzer, the other being Derek Jeter at .701. The rest? Well, it's not pretty. Brett Gardner's .125 OPS is entire thanks to two walks in 16 plate appearances, while the newest Yankee -- shortstop Stephen Drew -- has just three hits in 19 at-bats. Catcher Brian McCann is also hitless in nine plate appearances against Scherzer, but has drawn four walks.
Of note on the other side of the ball: Miguel Cabrera is hitting .417/.493/.967 with 10 home runs in 71 career plate appearances at the new Yankee Stadium.
If you're not following Brandon McCarthy on Twitter...
...you should be.
This city has such great energy and so much to teach me. Heck, as I block a sidewalk to type this, I've already learned three new swears!
With Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list, McCarthy might be the toughest pitching matchup that the Tigers will face in this series. His peripheral numbers have been solid all season long, and he has taken his game to another level since arriving in the Bronx. McCarthy will need to be on top of his game tonight, because this is not the Yankees offense we've become accustomed to over the years. Their .717 home OPS ranks eighth in the American League, and they have a run differential of -36 at Yankee Stadium this season. That said, Scherzer has struggled against the Yankees in his career and sports a career ERA of 5.17 at Yankee Stadium.
Prediction
The Tigers pull out a close win in a pitcher's duel.
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Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from August 3rd.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 3-1 vs. Syracuse Chiefs
DH Jose Pirela 1-4, double, RBI, K - batting .313 this season 2B Rob Refsnyder 1-4 LF Zoilo Almonte 1-4, E7 - fielding error, third of the season RF Adonis Garcia 1-4, K - batting .320 this season 1B Kyle Roller 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K - 12th homer w/ SWB SS Zelous Wheeler 0-3 C Austin Romine 0-3 3B Rob Segedin 1-3 CF Antoan Richardson 1-3
Michael Pineda 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K - 37 of 58 pitches for strikes Tyler Webb 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K Zach Nuding 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP Branden Pinder 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 1-4 vs. Portland Sea Dogs
LF Jake Cave 0-4, 3 K DH Tyson Blaser 0-3, 2 K 1B Greg Bird 0-4, 2 K RF Tyler Austin 1-4, double, K - batting .274 this season CF Mason Williams 1-4, K 3B Dan Fiorito 2-3, HR, RBI, BB, K - fourth homer of the season C Francisco Arcia 0-4, K 2B Jose Toussen 0-4, K SS Ali Castillo 0-2
Jairo Heredia 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K - 23 of 38 pitches for strikes Cesar Cabral 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB Danny Burawa 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 hit batsmen Mark Montgomery 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
High-A Tampa Yankees:L 1-9 vs. Jupiter Hammerheads (7 innings)
CF Mark Payton 1-3 - High-A debut SS Cito Culver 0-2, BB, K 3B Eric Jagielo 0-3, 2 K DH Dante Bichette Jr. 0-3 RF Aaron Judge 1-3, HR, RBI, K - fifth homer w/ Tampa 1B Danny Oh 0-2, BB, 2 K 2B Angelo Gumbs 0-2, K LF Jose Rosario 0-2 C Wes Wilson 0-2, K, passed ball
Caleb Smith 3.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R/7 ER, 2 BB, K, WP - 3 GO/4 AO Cesar Vargas 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Jacob Lindgren 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K - 30 strikeouts in 13.1 IP this season
Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 8-1 vs. Hagerstown Suns
SS Abiatal Avelino 2-3, HBP 2B Tyler Wade 3-4, double, RBI - batting .287 this season CF Dustin Fowler 1-3, BB 3B Miguel Andujar 1-3, RBI, BB, K - batting .310/.326/.476 over his last 10 games 1B Mike Ford 1-3, HR, 4 RBI - 11th homer of the season LF Michael O'Neill 0-3, SB, HBP DH Gosuke Katoh 0-4, 2 K C Eduardo de Oleo 0-4, K RF Brandon Thomas 0-4, K
Rookie Davis 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K - 59 of 85 pitches for strikes Evan Rutckyj 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, hit batsman Eric Ruth 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 4-5 vs. Auburn Doubledays
CF Devyn Bolasky 2-4, BB, SB C Luis Torrens 1-3, double, 2 RBI, BB, passed ball, pickoff - batting .333 w/ SI 2B Ty McFarland 0-4 DH Chris Breen 2-4, double, K 1B Bubba Jones 0-4, K RF Austin Aune 1-4, HR, RBI, K - second homer of the season SS Vince Conde 1-3, BB, SB LF Nathan Mikolas 0-3, BB, K 3B Renzo Martini 1-3
Jordan Montgomery 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB - 2 GO/3 AO Jordan Foley 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, E1 Sam Agnew-Wieland 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 3 BB Andury Acevedo 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB, K, E1, WP Tim Giel 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
After leaving last night's game with right elbow soreness, who can fill in for David Phelps if he needs to miss a start?
David Phelps left last night's game with inflammation near his right elbow, continuing this season's trend of injuries to the rotation. The Yankees have since said that they're "confident it's not a ligament issue" and it sounds as though Phelps has been experiencing the soreness for several weeks, and previously had an MRI on it, which came back clean. In the event that Phelps does need to miss time, there are not a whole lot of options as to who could take his place in the rotation.
One of those options is Bryan Mitchell, who has done a lot of traveling back and forth between the majors and the minors this season, yet hasn't made it into a single game for the Yankees. Mitchell began the season in Double-A, where he pitched 61.1 innings with a 4.84 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 8.80 K/9, and 4.26 BB/9. Since being promoted to Triple-A, he has a 2.88 ERA and 4.98 FIP, with a 1.44 WHIP through 25 IP. He might be the best option to fill in for Phelps of the players already on the 40-man roster.
The Yankees could also have David Huff make a spot start, but if he had to join the rotation, then Esmil Rogers would be the only long reliever in the bullpen. Huff has been good in relief, sporting a 1.93 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 23.1 innings with the Yankees. Opponents are only hitting .227 against him. Although he has experience starting for the Yankees, it might be better to leave him in the bullpen because he has done well there. Plus, they would probably need to call someone up to take his spot in the pen, if he did replace Phelps, in which case it might make more sense for Mitchell to start instead of moving everyone around.
Recent addition Esmil Rogers is another option. He came to the Yankees from the Blue Jays, where most of his appearances came as a starter. It is not difficult to see why he lost that job. Through 20.2 innings, he had a 6.97 ERA, 5.41 FIP, 4.03 xFIP, and a 1.69 WHIP. Whew, that is ugly. While he did have a high number of strikeouts, 9.15 K/9, he also allowed quite a few home runs (2.18 HR/9). Rogers pitched well during three innings of relief last night, allowing no hits, one walk, and recording three strikeouts, but Mitchell and Huff both stand out as better candidates to start for Phelps if it comes to that.
Anyone clamoring for Chase Whitley to rejoin the rotation should be mindful that he has never pitched more than 81 innings in a single season, and he's already reached 88.1 this season. There is very little chance of him moving out of the bullpen now. Hopefully Phelps' arm is okay after a few days, and he only needs to miss one start, if that. Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka, the team misses you, and you cannot return soon enough.
Who would you like to see take Phelps spot, if the elbow injury causes him to miss a start?
You might have already heard the news, or maybe this is the first time you're hearing about it. Apparently the Yankees are being accused of backing out of a verbal agreement to sign international prospect Christopher Torres to a $2.1 million contract. The 16-year-old's trainer would have you believe that the Yankees did something mean, made a teenager cry, and were the evil and shady organization that so many want you to see them as. However, I'm here to tell you that the Yankees did nothing wrong.
While, of course, the industry standard is to uphold any kind of unofficial verbal agreement about an international player, the Yankees can't be expected to stick to the deal when they see something they don't like. See, while teams can't officially sign players until July 2 of each international signing period, most organizations have agreements with the players they like nearly a year before they are eligible to sign. The industry standard is to come to an agreement and then remove the player from the showcase circuit so that other teams don't get a chance to scout the player and possibly steal them away. In the meantime, the player is invited to the team's complex in the Dominican Republic to work on their game and stay in shape under the watchful eyes of the organization who wants him.
Torres' trainer Orlando Mazara seems upset because he tried to game the system and the system won. He claims that instead of playing baseball at the Yankees complex, Torres sat around, did nothing, and ate. Unsurprisingly, his skills didn't look too good because of it.
"The team, they don't want him to work too much there," Mazara said. "They were spending more time doing nothing. I don't know why. The tools and the skills went down because he wasn't working hard. I don't know why. Day after day, the tools were going down. And suddenly, all they said was they don't want this guy because he's not the same tools and not the same skills. I gave them one guy with all the tools and all the skills, so it's not my fault."
Mazara said he also became concerned that Torres' conditioning had deteriorated.
"He made rapid weight gain," Mazara said. "He was up to 189 pounds. He told me he's doing nothing. He said he spends his whole days watching TV. He says I want to play, but I'm just spending all day watching TV and eating. I started to speak to (Latin American crosschecker) Victor Mata here. I said, ‘What happened? Christopher is not practicing.' He said, ‘That's OK, he doesn't need to practice, his signing is sure, just take it easy, everything is OK.'"
Mark Newman, of course, says that his claims are entirely inaccurate, stating that it would make no sense for them to allow this to happen if they were going to invest $2.1 million into the kid.
"There's a limited amount of time he can spend with us, and the time he does spend with us is spent playing games and playing baseball," Newman said. "That's counterintuitive and makes no sense."
Clearly, this is developing into a he said/he said scenario with only one party really telling his side of the story, regardless of how accurate it is. The article states that Torres only spent the weekdays with the team and stayed with a Yankees scout on weekends. There is no indication that the Yankees had control over how he spent his time off.
Even worse, it appears that Torres was actually hurt. Back in June he began to feel pain in his right shoulder to the point where he couldn't even throw the ball while in the field. Whether the injury stemmed from his poor conditioning, regardless of who is at fault, or just simply poor luck, you can't blame the Yankees for not wanting to sign a player who is hurt. Add that to the fact that Torres had gained nearly 20 pounds and his play was diminishing, it's no surprise the Yankees wanted to back out of an unofficial agreement.
But what did Mazara have to say about it?
I said it's not my fault, I gave you a top guy, you can't tell me that. If you fail, it's not my problem. I said you call me one month before the signing now? It's not possible. All the teams have spent their money. After that, they give me the guy with an injury in his shoulder. Nobody called me, nobody told me nothing."
This sounds a lot like Mazara trying to cover his own tracks. Whether he tried to keep the injury secret before the contract could be signed or was honestly surprised, that's not the response anyone is looking for. The Yankees are not out to ruin the careers of young players. Regardless of when the injury occurred, whether it happened just before the signing period or was the reason he wasn't playing that much to begin with, the response is not to sit around and get fat. There are plenty of players at the Yankees complex in Tampa who, despite not playing in organized games, are working out, strengthening themselves and keeping in shape. Not sitting around and waiting until they can sign a contract. Mazara is just upset that, because of the way the system works, no other team had time to scout him or had any money to spare. It sounds like he's angry that he couldn't get his pay check intact through payday.
It's sad to see a situation like this develop, but Torres has to understand why this happened. The Yankees liked what they saw at one point, otherwise they never would have reached an agreement for $2.1 million. What they didn't like seeing was a 16-year-old, already injured, and not staying in shape. That didn't make Torres look very good and the Yankees should have every right to walk away from a situation like that.
Nothing has caused a work stoppage at the Strikeout Factory thus far.
It has been almost two months since the Yankees chose their 2014 MLB Draft class. Statistics at this point can be finicky and suspect of small sample size at this point, but there have been a few players who have done commendable work in meeting draft day expectations in the early goings.
The fastest-rising name in the Yankees' draft class so far has unsurprisingly been lefty reliever Jacob Lindgren, their top pick. When he was drafted out of Mississippi State, MLB.com prospect expert Jim Callis said that he had the potential to be the first player in the entire MLB Draft to reach the majors due to his wipeout slider and low-to-mid 90s fastball. He struck out so many players that the Yankees front office gave him the amazing nickname of "the Strikeout Factory." Remarkably, Lindgren has been sensational, and he does not seem like he will stay in A-ball for very long. In 13 1/3 innings mostly with Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa, Lindgren has fanned 30 while recording a WHIP of 0.750. The K/9 is off the charts at 20.2, and he's pitched to a 0.68 ERA to boot.
Callis mused back in June that he could potentially reach the majors this season; while that would still be a surprise, Lindgren has not been intimidated by anyone so far. Given his incredibly quick All-Star Break promotion from Charleston to Tampa after only five innings, it would not be a stunner to see him earn another promotion up to Double-A Trenton before too long, though the four walks and five wild pitches might be a concern. At the very least, Lindgren is putting himself in the Yankees' mind when considering their 2015 bullpen, quite the feat for a 21-year-old second round pick. MLB.com ranked him ninth in the Yankees' system in the midseason prospect list update.
Update
Well, would you look at that! No stopping the Strikeout Factory.
Lindgren has been the standout pitching prospect, and the top position player was likewise the Yankees' highest-drafted position player. It took them until the seventh round to draft one, but it appears that the wait was worth it, as former Texas center fielder Mark Payton has hit the ground running. The 22-year-old had been drafted twice before, the first time out of high school by the Twins in the 31st round of the 2010 draft, and the second time as a college junior in the 16th round of the 2013 draft by the White Sox. Fortunately for the Yankees, Payton waited, and now he's flourishing in the low minors with his eye on one day patrolling the outfield at Yankee Stadium.
At 5'7", Payton is much smaller than the average MLB player, even two inches shorter than Brett Gardner. Don't let his size fool you though; the lefty surprised scouts with a .357/.443/.500 triple slash and a 166 wRC+ with Charleston. On draft day, Baseball Americanoted that he was more of a "situational hitter" who didn't have much power, but he registered seven extra-base hits in 22 games while he was on the RiverDogs. While again this could be possibly be another example of small sample size anomalies, it's more encouraging that he found success in Low-A rather than Rookie Ball, which has produced countless mirages of talent in the past. The Yankees liked Payton's work in Charleston enough that they just promoted him to Tampa a couple days ago; he made his debut alongside Lindgren last night, when he went 1-for-3. Payton will certainly have several challenges ahead of him, but it's wonderful that he's already catching people's attention around the minors.
Although it will obviously be quite some time before the story of the Yankees' 2014 draft class is written, it is nonetheless promising that there have already been intriguing developments with Payton and Lindgren. They're not the only ones, either. Third round pick Austin DeCarr was bumped up into the Yankees' top 20 prospects when they traded Rafael De Paula. Lefty first baseman and eighth round pick Connor Spencer is mashing to the tune of a .324/.355/.402 triple slash in 27 games with Short-Season Staten Island, the same team that features unheralded 18th round pick Justin Kamplain, a lefty with a 0.43 ERA and 0.524 WHIP in 21 innings so far that have included five starts.
Lindgren and Payton have been the the breakout stars so far though. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they further develop.
Masahiro Tanaka took a big step toward returning from a partially torn UCL on Monday when he threw 25 pitches in a game of catch. It's the first time the Yankees' ace has been able to throw since going on the DL right before last month's All-Star Game. Tanaka received a platelet rich plasma injection to try and repair the tear in his elbow, said to be less than 10% of the ligament, and sat out for three weeks before getting to this point.
Tanaka pleased with session earlier today. 25 throws at 60ft. Was excited to throw again & relieved all feels okay after #Yankees
The original plan was for Tanaka to rest for a minimum of six weeks before trying to fully return to the team. Seeing as he is easily the team's best pitcher, and one that they have a huge financial commitment tied to, it's unlikely that the Yankees do anything to push him along. It's possible that the team plays it extra safe and Tanaka doesn't make it back to the mound this season, but it would be hard to consider that a failure if it means that he can avoid Tommy John surgery.
For today, this is the best news that we could have hoped for. Tanaka had been experiencing pain when throwing even before the MRI revealed a small tear, so the fact that he was able to play catch without pain now is certainly a good sign. He has another three weeks to go before they were hoping to have him back, and it seems like that could still very well happen. Fantastic news all around.
While the Yankees had an up and down week, Brett Gardner has discovered a power stroke and become one of baseball's hottest hitters
Record this week: 3-3 (1-2 against the Rangers, 2-1 against the Red Sox)
The Yankees squandered a great opportunity to bank some wins earlier this week as they lost two of three to the Texas Rangers. New York's offense only showed up in one game against them, and that game - a 12-11 win - was almost given away by the bullpen. After a travel day that allowed the Yankees to shift from Arlington to Boston, the offense, again, looked lost in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, and it appeared the Yankees might waste away a terrific chance to make up some ground in the division race. However, the bats came alive in the second and third games and the Yankees salvaged a series win that culminated in a dramatic 8-7 slugfest on Sunday night.
Quick hits:
Carlos Beltran heating up - Carlos Beltran had a terrific week, as the Yankees slugger, who's had a tough season and has been plagued by injuries, hit .480 over the past six games with two doubles and five RBI. Beltran has been one of the hottest Yankee hitters since the All Star Break - he's got a 192 wRC+ in the second half - and it couldn't come at a better time. If the Yankees are going to make the playoffs, they're going to need Beltran's bat to come alive.
Ninja Cash strikes again - While he's not a player, GM Brian Cashman has certainly had a great week. After already acquiring Brandon McCarthy and Chase Headley, Cash made two more good upgrades this week at the trade deadline, turning the injured Kelly Johnson into Stephen Drew (who at least figures to be a defensive upgrade and has seen his bat come around over the past couple weeks) and minor league slugger Peter O`Brien into Martin Prado. Prado figures to play a lot of right field, but he can also play most infield positions and will give the Yankees more depth in their lineup. It wasn't flashy, but Cashman did enough to improve the Yankees, making them better defensively and getting rid of some of the black holes (cough, Brian Roberts, cough) in their lineup.
GGBG had a terrific week last week, especially in the series against Texas. Gardner hit four homers in three games against the Rangers, including two against Darvish, and he added another in the series finale against Boston on Sunday night. Overall, Gardner hit .478 this week with three doubles, five home runs, and seven RBI. He is having the best season of his career at the plate in 2014 - his 125 wRC+ would be a career-high, and his 15 homers is already the highest mark he's posted in his seven years in the majors. Gardner's one of the hottest hitters in the league right now, and it's been a lot of fun to witness.
Update: Gardner was the American League's Player of the Week as well! Not bad at all.
#NYY Brett Gardner has been named the AL Player of the Week after hitting .478 with three doubles, five homers, seven RBI, 5 walks & 8 runs.
As the only starter to go more than six innings this week, Kuroda gets the nod here. It could've gone to Shawn Kelley or David Robertson, who both had decent weeks out of the bullpen (although D-Rob did almost blow the slugfest against Texas), but Kuroda pitched quite well against the Rangers and shouldn't get any less credit because the offense didn't show up. Kuroda threw seven innings of three-run ball, but once again took the loss due to a lack of run support, which has become a common theme over his past few seasons in New York. As the last remaining starter from from the rotation that began the season, the Yankees will need Kuroda to keep it up down the stretch - hopefully, with their deadline additions, they now have enough offense to get him some wins.
David Phelps heads to the DL with elbow inflammation; Matt Daley rejoins the team to take Phelps' spot; and Ian Clarkin gets a promotion to High-A.
The Yankees face a tough challenge over the next four games against the AL Central leaders, who added to their already impressive pitching rotation by acquiring David Price at the trade deadline. Tonight's series opener will feature Brandon McCarthy opposing Max Scherzer on the mound.
Tonight's lineup (Coverage begins at 6 on YES) Gardner LF Jeter SS Ellsbury CF Teixeira 1B Beltran DH McCann C Headley 3B Drew 2B Prado RF
This lineup looks like the one we have come to expect. Red-hot Brett Gardner leads off with Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury following behind. Steven Drew and Martin Prado, the newest Yankees, round out the lineup at the bottom. Hopefully this lineup that scored eight runs last night can keep it going against the reigning Cy Young award winner tonight.
David Phelps has been placed on the DL due to inflammation in his elbow, as reported after he exited last night's game. Matt Daley has been called up to replace him on the roster.
Girardi says phelps going to DL, wont pick up a baseball for two weeks. Had another mri, still just tendinitis. But needs time off.
In exciting prospect news, left-hander Ian Clarkin has been promoted from Low-A Charleston to High-A Tampa. This puts all three first rounders from 2013 at High-A in their first full professional seasons. This is very exciting news considering how poorly the farm system did a year ago. Aaron Judge, Eric Jagielo, and Clarkin could be big parts of the Yankees' future and it's very heartening to see them doing so well.
Congrats to my dude @iClarkin for getting called up to Tampa! Good luck!!
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.
The Yankees knew that they would face a serious in this four-game homestand against the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers, who would send the last three AL Cy Young Award winners and a resurgent Rick Porcello against them in this series. Yet despite a fine performance from Max Scherzer tonight, Brandon McCarthy and the Yankees' motley crew of relievers outpitched the Tigers' first ace and secured a victory in the series opener.
McCarthy was tested quickly in this game by the dangerous Tigers lineup, which loaded the bases with one man out against him in the top of the second inning. The Yankees had just stranded some runners in the bottom of the first, and it felt like McCarthy might let the game get away from him as labored threw 30 pitches in that frame. Showing some moxie though, McCarthy fanned Alex Avila and Eugenio Suarez consecutively to escape with no Tigers crossing home plate.
Buoyed by McCarthy's perseverance and a smoother third inning, the offense rewarded him with his only run support of the game in the bottom of the third. Ichiro Suzuki, Brett Gardner, and Derek Jeter hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out for the heart of the lineup. Jacoby Ellsbury sent a rocket to deep center field, chasing Ezequiel Carrera way back from where he began the play. It looked like it would go over his head for a bases-clearing triple, and then...
Well then. Ellsbury was robbed on one of the best catches baseball will witness all season long. Baseball gonna baseball. It was a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run, but it felt like the Tigers were going to only surrender the one run when Carlos Beltran lined out to second. It would have been quite deflating to get just one run out of that situation, but Brian McCann saved the rally by smashing an RBI single through the right side to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
That was the last run they would score all night, and they would need it. A chance for another run in the fourth went by the wayside on an embarrassing TOOTBLAN, as Gardner was caught in a rundown between first and second assuming Martin Prado would try to score on his single to right even though Torii Hunter quickly retrieved the ball. McCann also later grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. Alas. Scherzer's defense really helped him out tonight.
The Tigers plated their lone run of the evening in the fifth after Gardner's faux pas (faux paw?) when Prado threw a groundball a bit too high to Chase Headley at first base, allowing Suarez to reach. Suarez stole second and Ian Kinsler singled him home to make it a one-run game. Headley was playing first for just the third time in his career, as Mark Teixeira was a late scratch due to lightheadedness, and his inexperience showed in his uneasiness finding the base after jumping to retrieve the throw. The error was deservedly on Prado though, as he had more time to prepare for his throw than he thought, and his rushed throw caused problems. He did make a couple nice plays earlier in the game though, so it all balances out in a way.
McCarthy recorded a pair of strikeouts with the leadoff man on in the sixth inning, but after Don Kelly singled on his 116th pitch, Joe Girardi elected to go to the bullpen for the last out, and Matt Thornton came through by getting Avila to ground out to first. Although McCarthy only went 5 2/3 innings, he survived to turn in a fine performance on the evening, yielding just five hits, two walks, and an unearned run while also notching eight strikeouts. His ERA in six starts as a Yankee dipped to 2.08. Again, they acquired him for Vidal Nuno and also received $2 million for their troubles. Brian Cashman is a ninja.
Locking down the final three innings against the dangerous Detroit lineup while Dellin Betances received a much-needed day off was another challenge for the pitching staff. Fortunately for the Yankees, they were up to the task. Adam Warren caused some shortness of breath after getting the first two outs in the seventh when he allowed a double to Carrera, bringing two-time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera up as the go-ahead run with the tying run in scoring position, but Warren induced a comebacker to get out of the inning. Shawn Kelley pitched a superior eighth inning, as after Victor Martinez bailed him out of a 3-0 count by hitting a lazy grounder to first, he got Torii Hunter to fly out and struck out J.D. Martinez for a perfect frame.
A weary David Robertson entered the game in the ninth seeking a save on his third straight day of work without rest. The fine work of the previous pitchers though ensured that he would face the bottom of the lineup though, and they were no match for D-Rob. Kelly flew out, Avila struck out again, and pinch-hitter Rajai Davis followed with another strikeout on a ball in the dirt. It was Robertson's 30th save of the season, a commendable feat and a mark of his consistency.
The Yankees will try for a second straight win against a former Cy Young Award winner tomorrow night as David Price takes the mound for his first start in a Tigers uniform. Hiroki Kuroda will get the ball for the Yankees.
