No one could call this game pretty, even if the Yankees won 3-1 in the ninth inning like it seemed they were going to. Mariano Rivera was on the mound to end the Tigers' 12-game winning streak when Miguel Cabrera fouled a ball over to the first base side that fell just in front of Lyle Overbay's glove into the dugout. Even though Cabrera was barely able to stand upright after fouling a ball off his knee and shin in the same at-bat he sent one of the second chances granted to him by the foul out that wasn't into Monument Park for a two-run shot that tied the game.

The Yankees had seen this movie before just days ago in Chicago against the White Sox. A Mo blown save that resulted in extra innings heartbreak. It looked very much like this game was shaping up the exact same way. Right-handed hitters for the Yankees were basically futile all night, failing to pick up a single hit among them. Luckily for the team, the lefties showed up and managed to be just successful enough to save the team from another 2013 gut-wrenching loss. With only Joba Chamberlain, Adam Warren, and Preston Claiborne left in the bullpen, the Yankees loaded the bases against Al Albuquerque and Gardner singled with two outs to score Jayson Nix from third and snap the Tigers' streak of wins.

What should not be lost in the mess that followed was that Ivan Nova was absolutely brilliant on the mound once again. He lasted seven innings for the sixth straight start and held the potent Tigers lineup to only one run. He's been such a bright spot in a season full of darkness for the Yankees. If Nova has really turned the corner all cannot really be lost for 2013. David Robertson followed Nova out of the bullpen with a clean inning, pushing his scoreless appearance streak to 21 games. Rivera's second blown save in a week will inevitably start debates from some about whether he is the dominant pitcher we have known him to be, but four blown saves in the season as of August 9 is not really that concerning. He's letting more people on base this year but his BABIP is extraordinarily high. Mo has had blips before and until he proves otherwise, this is likely just another one of those.

Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki each accounted for three hits while Robinson Cano's two-run double accounted for most of the scoring on the Yankees' side. Alex Rodriguez and Chris Stewart were two of the main right-handed hitting failures of the night with each going 0-4 with three strikeouts. Stewart also chipped in a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning when he had a chance to provide some much needed insurance. Everything that can be said about him at this point has been said. The reason he continues to play as the starter is beyond explanation. Why he is allowed to bat in critical situations late in the game is inexplicable.

The Yankees will try to take the series from the Tigers tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 pm. Phil Hughes gets the start for New York and Anibal Sanchez takes the ball for Detroit.

Box score.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Give Austin Romine a shot
• How will Yankee fans react to Alex Rodriguez's return?
• Yankees prospects: Dellin Betances deserves another look
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 18: Boos, booze, and GIFs

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 4, Tigers 3: Gardner saves everyone from heartbreak
• Yankees lineup vs. Tigers; Randy Levine doesn't know if they can make the playoffs
• Give Austin Romine a shot
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation
• How will Yankee fans react to Alex Rodriguez's return?
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 18: Boos, booze, and GIFs
• Yankees prospects: Dellin Betances deserves another look
• Yankees Prospect Interview: Nathan Mikolas
• Baby Bomber Recap 8/8/13: Thunder pitchers strike out 20 in extra innings win

Around the Internet

• New York Post | Ken Davidoff:Alex Rodriguez has brought a distraction from the Yankees brutal season.
• ESPN New York | Matt Ehalt: The return of A-Rod to Yankee Stadium has increased ticket sales by 50%.
• USA Today | Bob Nightengale: A-Rod says that the excitement about returning to Yankee Stadium is the reason why he went through all the rehab work in the first place.
• It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski:Adam Warren has struggled after a solid start to the season as he regresses to the mean.
• SB Nation | Connor Moylan:Evan Longoria thinks that Alex Rodriguez being able to play during a pennant race is unfair to the rest of the division.
• Pinstripe Pundits | Derek Albin: If Alex Rodriguez gets suspended next year, what does that mean for the 2014 Yankees payroll?
• Post-Cresent Media | Dan Kohn: Alex Rodriguez Field in Appleton, Wisconsin has been tripped of its name.
• The Taylor Hooton Foundation, an organization dedicated to eliminating performance enhancing drugs among youth, has terminated its professional relationship with Alex Rodriguez.
• Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan: Take a look at this week's wildest swings as Ivan Nova and Boone Logan made the Padres look silly.
• CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: The Yankees wore their white-brimmed batting practice hats for a good cause.

Quick Hits

• The Yankees only let Derek Jeterthrow on the field before yesterday's game, nothing else.
• Aaron Judge is on the disabled list with a tweaked right quad.

Questions of the Day

• Who should the Yankees give a qualifying offer to?
• Will the Yankees stay above .500 for the rest of the season?
• Do you make your own lunch or do you usually order food?
• What is the first website you go to on a daily basis?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 8/9/13 @ 9 am
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five @ 10 am
• New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers at 1:05 pm (12:30 pm game thread)

Here's the latest out of the American League East, where the Red Sox are reeling (pshaw!) after two losses in Kansas City, the Rays have dropped three in a row, the Orioles have picked up three in a row, the Yankees are barely hanging on to .500 (and we all wait in anticipation to see how the home crowd reacts to A-Rod's return), and the Blue Jays keep on coping with a savagely disappointing season.

Red Sox (70-48)

• Red Sox sign international free agent Rafael Devers for $1.5 million - Over the Monster
  Boston finally makes it official and signs one of the best international names on the market.

• Jackie Bradley Jr. activated from disabled list - Over the Monster
  The elbow inflammation has subsided, returning Bradley to his regular gig in Pawtucket.

• David Ross cleared to begin rehab assignment Friday - Over the Monster
  He's been out with a concussion for nearly two months but he's been cleared to take the field by a specialist.

Rays (66-48)

• Rays designated Farnsworth for assignment - MLB Daily Dish
  The Rays designated the 37-year-old reliever for assignment on Friday.

• Evan Longoria says Alex Rodriguez appeal not 'fair' for AL East - SBNation.com
  Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went on the Hot Clicks podcast with Jimmy Traina and discussed a number of topics with the writer, including his feelings on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

• True Runs Allowed - DRaysBay
  When you take a step back and look at the whole season, the Rays starters have been absolutely incredible, sporting a 4.11 tERA this year (second only to the Tigers in the American League).

Orioles (64-51)

• Orioles trade rumors: "Most aggressive team in waiver claims," says Olney - Camden Chat
  The Orioles are the "most aggressive team" in making waiver claims, possibly just to block other contenders from getting players.

• Three Orioles ranked as having best tools in Baseball America manager's survey - Camden Chat
  Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and Adam Jones were all named in a Baseball America manager's survey as having the best tools in their given area of expertise.

Yankees (58-56)

• Michael Young clears waivers, but is it already too late? - Pinstriped Bible
  Michael Young has cleared waivers, but it might already be too late for the Yankees to improve their team.

• Give Austin Romine a shot - Pinstriped Bible
  It's time to find out if Austin Romine can establish himself as the catcher in 2014. Chris Stewart is finished, and JR Murphy and Gary Sanchez are getting closer to the big leagues. With the season in shambles, there's no better time for evaluation.

Blue Jays (53-62)

• Juan Perez 'likely' to go on DL - Bluebird Banter

• Who's Up, Who's Down On the Blue Jays In the Last Two Weeks, July 25 to August 8: Pitchers - Bluebird Banter
  A look at how the Blue Jays pitchers have done over the last two weeks.

We had blow outs! We had pitching duels! We had extra-inning nail biters!

The Smallest Sample Size -- Game Results for 08/09/2013

Photo credit: David Banks

Twins 7, White Sox 5 (Game One)

Justin Morneau had a breakout game of sorts, hitting two home runs and driving in five, posting a .473 WPA to illustrate just how important his contributions were to the Twins victory. This was his second two-home run game of the season, with the last coming against the New York Yankees on July 4.

Twins 3, White Sox 2 (Game Two)

The best way to sum up how this game went is with a series of tweets from our very own Alex Kienholz.

Oswaldo Arcia, you are a hero!!!

— Alex Kienholz (@Alex_Kienholz) August 10, 2013

YOU CAN PUT IN ON THE BOOOOOOOOARD! YES! YES!

— Alex Kienholz (@Alex_Kienholz) August 10, 2013

I love you, Oswaldo.

— Alex Kienholz (@Alex_Kienholz) August 10, 2013

Braves 5, Marlins 0

It's not like the Atlanta Braves needed anything other than the home run hit by Justin Upton in the first inning, but the home runs hit by Brian McCann and Chris Johnson certainly didn't hurt. Brandon Beachy shut the Miami Marlins out over eight innings, giving up just three hits, striking out six, and posting a game score of 81.

Athletics 14, Blue Jays 6

This was a much needed win for the A's, who feel the Texas Rangers breathing down their necks, and the star of the game was Josh Reddick. Three hits, three home runs, and five RBI -- does it get any more dominant than that for a hitter? He also managed a 1.800 ISO, 1.256 wOBA, and a 746 wRC+, I believe we call those video game numbers.

Photo credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Nationals 9, Phillies 2

Dan Haren, the man the Washington Nationals signed to a one-year, $13 million-dollar contract this off-season finally resembled what the team was hoping for before the ink even dried on the contract. He went seven innings giving up four hits, two earned runs, and struck out seven. This is the first time all season Haren has strung together three solid outings in a row.

Angels 5, Indians 2

Josh Hamilton single-handedly beat the Cleveland Indians, extending the Tribe's losing streak to five games, by hitting a three-run home run in the first inning. Hamilton's .147 WPA is his most positive contribution to the Angels the entire season.

Reds 7, Padres 2

Bronson Arroyo continues to defy father time, and our regression models, by pitching really well once again. He went seven innings against the San Diego Padres, striking out seven and the only damage done was a solo home run by Logan Forsythe. Arroyo's performance was good, to the tune of a .204 WPA, but it wasn't technically the best because Joey Votto got two hits and drove in two runs on his way to a .241 WPA.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 0

The pitching staff really came through for the Chicago Cubs because their offense wasn't getting much done. The Cubs shutout the Cardinals for the first time since 1997, which is kind of a long time. Even though this win doesn't do much to change the fact that the Cubs are one of the worst teams in the National League they still have something to celebrate. The pitching staff combined for a WPA of .485 and starting pitcher Chris Rusin accounted for .348 of that.

Rockies 10, Pirates 1

Francisco Liriano has been pitching like a legitimate Cy Young candidate all season for the Pittsburgh Pirates but the Colorado Rockies had his number in this one. Liriano was abused for 10 earned runs over just two and one-third innings pitched and ended up with a nifty -.417 WPA (for some reason I love the negative WPA). Every single Rockies position player recorded a hit in this one.

Rangers 9, Astros 4

Recently acquired starting pitcher Matt Garza gave up four earned runs over seven innings of work, though he gave them all up by the fifth inning, but the Texas Rangers offense chipped away at the Houston Astros bullpen after their starter, Erik Bedard, exited after giving up just three earned runs over his usual six and two-thirds innings pitched. Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre combined to score six runs (three each) in the victory.

Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sport

Yankees 4, Tigers 3

The New York Yankees took a three to one lead into the bottom of the ninth inning and sent Mariano Rivera out there to seal the deal. He instead blew his second save in a row with, approximately, 449 feet of assistance from Miguel Cabrera. Fast forward to the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs, the bases loaded, and Brett Gardner at the plate. Gardner hit a single into left field, scoring Jayson Nix, and winning the game for the Yankees. The leverage index in that particular situation was 6.39, if that gives you any indication the type of situation it was.

Royals 9, Red Sox 6

Jake Peavy (-.338 WPA) and Ervin Santana (-.504) were both awful in this game but the Kansas City Royals offense outlasted, and out hit, the Boston Red Sox to guarantee a series split at the very least. The sixth inning was the difference maker as the Royals sent 11 hitters to the plate and six of them came across to score. Justin Maxwell was a big contributor, yet again, for the Royals going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a .203 WPA but it was Eric Hosmer who put his team up for good in the sixth when he hit a two-run single.

Diamondbacks 5, Mets 4

This one was close all throughout but the difference maker was a Paul Goldschmidt game-winning home run, his 27th of the season and second game winner of the season. He accounted for .461 WPA but more importantly he came through in a pressure filled situation to keep his team hanging around in the playoff race.

Orioles 5, Giants 2

Chris Tillman pitched eight innings of one-run ball against the San Francisco Giants, allowing four hits, striking out nine and earning a game score of 78. The Orioles were prepared for victory until Jim Johnson blew his seventh save of the season, allowing the Giants to tie the game at two and send it into extra innings. The Orioles didn't wait long to strike though because Chris Davis (.465 WPA) doubled in two runs, giving his team a four to two lead, and Tommy Hunter came on in the bottom of the 10th to close things out.

Dodgers 7, Rays 6

Skip Schumaker, Mark Ellis, Nick Punto, Adrian Gonzalez, and Jerry Hairston were the heroes of this game for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were the ones that got a rally started in the bottom of the ninth inning, when they were down by three runs. We also can't forget about Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney (-.971 WPA), who apparently wanted to make dreams come true -- just not the dreams of his own team.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of Fangraphs.

Lance Rinker is a writer at Beyond The Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @BSLLanceRinker.

More from Beyond the Box Score:

• Alex Rios traded to the Rangers: Why did each team make this move?
• Dueling southpaws: Patrick Corbin and Wade Miley
• Grading the best tools in the major leagues
• Strikeout pitch sequences, by location
• Chase Utley Extension: Something everyone wants

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: W 7-3 vs. Buffalo Bisons

CF Melky Mesa 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, K - eleventh homer of the season
3B Brent Lillibridge 0-5, K
LF Adonis Garcia 1-5 - batting .275 this season
1B Dan Johnson 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, E3(11) - 21st and 22nd doubles of the season
DH Randy Ruiz 0-3, K, HBP
RF Ronnier Mustelier 0-4
SS Alberto Gonzalez 1-4
C Bobby Wilson 3-4, RBI
2B Brendan Harris 0-2, BB

Brett Marshall 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K - seven groundouts, two flyouts
Cesar Cabral 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, WP
Matt Daley 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A Mesa grand slam in the second inning powered the RailRiders behind a strong effort from Marshall for his sixth win of the season and SWB's 58th victory of 2013.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 5-4 vs. Akron Aeros

LF Ramon Flores 2-4, RBI, K
2B Jose Pirela 0-4, K, E4 - throwing error, 14th of the season
CF Slade Heathcott 0-3, BB, K, SB - batting .278/.395/.500 over his last 10 games
DH Kyle Roller 1-3, BB
SS Carmen Angelini 1-3, BB, K, SB
3B Reegie Corona 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, SB, E5(11) - 11th double of the season
1B Saxon Butler 1-4, RBI, K
C Jose Gil 0-3, BB
RF Cody Grice 1-3, SB, CS

Shane Greene 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HB - ten groundouts, five flyouts
Diego Moreno 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
David Herndon 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

The Thunder got out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before the Aeros tied the game by scoring in three consecutive innings to tie the game in the fourth. An additional Thunder run in the fifth would be all they needed to win the game.

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 2-8 vs. Brevard County Mantees

CF Mason Williams 0-3, BB, 2 K
2B Rob Refsnyder 0-2, BB
LF Ben Gamel 1-4, 2B, K - 28th double of the season
DH Peter O'Brien 0-4, 2 K
1B Matt Snyder 0-4
C Tyson Blaser 1-4, SB
RF Taylor Dugas 0-2, 2 BB, SB
3B Dan Fiorito 1-4, RBI
SS Ali Castillo 2-3, E6 - throwing error, fifth of the season

Bryan Mitchell 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, K, 2 WP - eight groundouts, three flyouts
Taylor Garrison 2 IP, 4 H, 6 R/5 ER, 3 BB, K

The game was tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth when Garrison imploded out of the Yankees' pen to give the Manatees the sweep of the series.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 0-5 vs. Rome Braves

CF Jake Cave 2-4, 2 K - batting .281 this season
2B Angelo Gumbs 0-4, 2 K, E4 - fielding error, seventh of the season
1B Greg Bird 0-3, K
LF Ericson Leonora 0-3
SS Cito Culver 0-3
RF Danny Oh 0-3, K
DH Daniel Aldrich 0-3, 2 K
C Wes Wilson 1-3, K
3B Ty Afenir 0-3, K, E5 - throwing error, fifth of the season

Cesar Vargas 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, BB - 12 groundouts, one flyout
Derek Varnadore 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K
James Pazos 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K

Charleston was out-hit 8-3 and never managed to push a run across in the game. They've hit a bit of a rough patch as of late and lost their 54th game of the season.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 5-4 vs. Lowell Spinners

2B Derek Toadvine 0-3, BB, 2 K
CF Michael O'Neill 2-4, RBI, 2 K, CS - batting .249 this season
3B Eric Jagielo 0-3, RBI, BB, 2 K, E5 - fielding error, first of the season
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-4, RBI, K
LF Brandon Thomas 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K - fourth homer of the season
DH Mike Ford 0-4, 2 K
SS Jose Rosario 1-3, 2B, K
1B Bubba Jones 1-3, 2B, E3(9) - thirteenth double of the season
C Isaias Tejeda 0-3

Caleb Smith 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K - one groundout, two flyouts
Philip Walby 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 WP, HB
Andury Acevedo 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, WP, HB
Charles Haslup 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K - five groundouts, one flyout
Andrew Benak 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Each team only scored in one inning but the Yankees' five-run third trumped the Spinners' four-run sixth to give Staten Island their 21st win of the season.

Gulf Coast Yankees 1 Highlights:

1B Renzo Martini 1-3 - batting .285 this season
C Eduardo de Oleo 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI
3B Kevin Cornelius 1-3, RBI
RF Austin Aune 0-3, K

Rony Bautista 4.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Zach Woods 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K

Gulf Coast Yankees 2 Highlights:

SS Abiatal Avelino 1-4 - batting .339 this season
C Luis Torrens 1-3, BB, K
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4, 2B, 2 K
2B Thairo Estrada 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K - first homer of the season

Elvin Perez 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Kenedy Agramonte 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K
Jose Pena 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K

Well, here we are, at the top five mid-season Yankees prospects. First, a recap of the list so far:

Even in the past month, many of these rankings have changed, and will continue to do so through the end of the year. Such is the nature of following prospects. With that said, here are the top five Yankees prospects right now:

5. J.R. Murphy is a catcher drafted in the second round out of high school from Bradenton, FL. It took a $1.25 million signing bonus to get him to pick pro ball over the Miami Hurricanes baseball team. He has spent most of his time at catcher in the minor leagues, playing 297 of 312 career games at that position. He has a minor-league career batting line of .265/.330/.405, with a 8.8 BB%, a 15.4 K%, and a 105 wRC+. Out of high school, he was a bat-first catching prospect, and his defense was a bit rough over the first few years of his pro career. However, according to scouting reports, he has made some nice strides in that department this year, and now projects to be an average defensive catcher in the major leagues.

The great news about his glove has been supplemented by his best season with the bat since being drafted. This year, as a 22-year-old, he has a .268/.349/.420 line between Double-A and Triple-A, which is 14% better than league-average (114 wRC+). He has maintained an very good walk rate (10.7 BB%) with an equally impressive strikeout rate (15.1%). He has cooled down quite a bit since the All-Star break, posting a .212/.297/.333 line over 66 plate appearances, versus his .309/.377/.479 line in his first 94 plate appearances in Scranton. This shows he probably can use more time in Triple-A, especially considering this is his first year playing above A-ball. However, the bat has always had potential, and has produced at an above-average rate in his minor-league career. Combine that with the growth on the defensive side of his game, and he should be able to compete for the starting catcher gig out of spring training next year.

I'd expect him to start the year in Triple-A, and be called up once either he makes it impossible to ignore him, or one of the Stewart/Cervelli/Romine team implodes. Although he will probably not be the long-term answer at catcher for the team, given who the top prospect is, he should be a serviceable starter until 2016, at which point he can be used in a trade.

4. Greg Bird is a first baseman drafted in the fifth round in 2011 by the Yankees out of high school in Aurora, CO. Bird was known for his big-time power and polished bat coming into the draft, and it took $1.1 million to sign him away from the University of Arkansas, the highest bonus given out by the Yankees in 2011. He was a catcher in high school, but the Yankees immediately moved him to first base. He only got 13 PA in 2011, and split 2012 between the GCL Yankees and Staten Island. Over a 109 PA in 2012, he had a .337/.450/.494 line, with a 180 wRC+, striking out in 21.1% of his plate appearances, while walking in 15.6% of them.

He has built on this in 2013, with a .289/.416/.503 line in Charleston over 474 PA, with a 17.5 BB%, a 23.8 K%, and a 144 wRC+. The home runs have not showed up in Charleston, but he has hit 20 doubles. Since 2011, he has a .287/.408/.452 line in his first 392 professional PA, with 7 HR, 26 2B, 64 BB, 93 K, and a 162 wRC+. He has a legit, possibly even elite, bat, which is good since he is a first baseman. In fact, he may be the best first base prospect in baseball right now, especially looking at performance. And he has only gotten better as the season as gone on. He put up a .281/.405/.455 line in 224 pre-ASG plate appearances, and a .288/.430/.569 in the 160 plate appearances since.

In the minor leagues this year, with a minimum of 400 plate appearances, he is 7th in wRC+, with his 62% above league-average production. The six players ahead of him are all at least 25 years old, and three of them are in the Mexican League. Of the five first basemen with 400 plate appearances age 20 or younger, he is first in wRC+, the next closest being Dan Vogelbach at 126 wRC+, 36% lower than Bird. He looks like he could be the eventual replacement for Mark Teixeira in a few years - he could join the club some time in 2016. He is the best first base prospect the Yankees have had since Nick Johnson, and should be a top 100 prospect for them by the end of the year.

3. Rafael De Paula originally signed with the Yankees in 2010 for $500,000, after being blocked the year prior from signing by MLB, due to his shady records. After admitting that he was actually a year older than he originally said he was, the Yankees signed him. However, it took him over two years to finally get a visa to come play ball in the states, due to the same issue. He threw 61.2 innings over 14 starts in the Dominican Summer League in 2012, with a 1.46 ERA, 1.84 FIP, 35.9 K%, 7.6 BB%, and a 4.7 K/BB ratio.

His performance in 2013 has many Yankees fans excited, and led to him making many mid-season top 50 prospect lists. He started the year with Charleston, putting up a 2.94 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 37.5 K%, 9.0 BB%, and a 4.2 K/BB ratio. This lead to a spot on the International Team at the Futures Game. He pitched a scoreless inning, with a strikeout, and hit a batter with a errant slider. After the Futures Game, he was promoted to Tampa. He has not been as effective in High-A ball, seeing a jump in hits and walks, and a drop in strikeouts that has produced a 6.25 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 24.3 K%, 12.8 BB%, and a less -than-stellar 1.9 K/BB ratio. He will probably start 2014 back in Tampa until he proves he can adapt and produce better than he has thus far. Given how little pro experience he has due to the visa issues, we have to go more on his stuff and scouting reports, and take a wait-and-see approach, especially once he reaches AA in late 2014 or 2015.

De Paula has the best stuff of any pitching prospects in the Yankees system right now. His mid-90s fastball has good movement and some late hop. His slider is inconsistent, but when it's on, it is nasty. The change-up is a work in progress. If his slider command and consistency comes along, he probably won't need much of a change-up, even as a starter. If it doesn't, and his change doesn't develop into a plus pitch, he could still be a plus late-inning relief arm. But right now, the team will continue to develop him as a starter until he proves he can't do it, with dreams of a top of the rotation arm dancing in their heads.

2. Mason Williams was drafted in the fourth round in 2010 out of high school in Winter Garden, FL. He was ranked in the top 150 draft prospects by Baseball America, as a small, toolsy prospect who had questions about his bat but with elite speed and defense in center field. It took $1.45 million to sign him away from South Carolina, the largest signing bonus the Yankees gave out in 2010. He quickly climbed up the rankings for the Yankees, and was seen as one of their top three prospects at the end of the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The tools he showed in high school were quick to translate to pro-ball, and he produced at an above-average rate in every stop after his first summer in the minors.

Over 1147 plate appearances so far, he has been 19% better than league-average offensively, with a 119 wRC+. This has translated to a .298/.352/.426 line, with a 7.4 BB% and a 12.9 K%, and 62 stolen bases in 98 attempts. In 2013, he has struggled offensively, although he has turned it around of late. On the year, he has a .265/.331/.360 line for Tampa, but a .303/.340/.414 line since the All-Star break, with a 8.5 BB%, 12.9 K%, and a 98 wRC+.

He has been compared to another toolsy outfield prospect the Yankees once had, Austin Jackson. A-Jax was traded away for Curtis Granderson, and has turned himself into one of the better players in baseball, putting up 14.1 fWAR since his debut in 2010. However, Jackson had a career .763 OPS in the minors, with a 112 wRC+, versus Mason's .796 OPS and 119 wRC+. Plus, Jackson struck out almost twice as often as Mason (23.8 K% vs. 12.9 K%).That is not to say that he will be as good as Jackson, only that so far he has performed better in the minors than Jackson did.

He has plus speed, but he still needs to work on to turn into a productive tool on the basepaths, as he only has been successful stealing bases 63.3% of the time. Combine that with potentially elite defense, and there is a reason why he is the most exciting outfield prospect the team has had since Ruben Rivera. He has had some maturity issues, not always listening to his coaches (according to reports), and being arrested for a DUI If he can get the maturity level up (and he is only 21), he should be an average starter in the majors, with the potential to be an all-star.

1. Gary Sanchez was signed by the Yankees in 2009 as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican for $3 million, which is the 4th-highest signing bonus the Yankees have ever given to a player. Seen as one of the better international bats that year, the Yankees decided to develop him at catcher, drastically increasing his value if the position stuck. So far, so good. Each year, he has had modest improvements defensively, but like Murphy, he has taken a big step forward in this facet of his game in 2013. Looking at traditional stats, he has posted the highest fielding percentage of his career (.988), the highest caught-stealing rate (45%), and the lowest rate of passed balls (13.75 per 100 games).

Over his minor-league career, he has a .277/.341/.475 line, with a 22.0 K%, a 7.8 BB%, and a 126 wRC+. That would be outstanding production for any position, and doing it as a catcher makes him a premium prospect. He has legit power, and although he could afford to walk some more, his strikeout rate has dropped by more than a third, from 27% to 17%, in the past two years, which is a great sign. His plus bat speed is now being complemented by better contact rates, which will lead to better power and production.

In 2013, he began the season with Tampa, looking to build on the 117 wRC+ in 185 plate appearances he had there in 2012. He actually did worse in Tampa this year over 399 plate appearances, only producing a 105 wRC+. However, he also had the lowest BABIP in his career by far, 31 points below his next-lowest rate (Charleston in 2011), and 64 points below his second-lowest rate (Tampa last year). The Yankees decided he was ready for a promotion, and promoted him to Double-A Trenton this past week, at the ripe old age of 20. He has a .944 OPS, 169 wRC+ in his first 18 plate appearances in Trenton. At this point, he will probably return to Trenton to start 2014, with a mid-season promotion to Scranton if all goes well. If not, he will still be 21, and a full season in Double-A next year will not set him back much. By 2016, he should be battling Murphy to be the starting catcher in the Bronx, and could turn JR into trade bait. Either way, he is a very exciting prospect, and should be on most top-30 prospect list this offseason.

So there you have it, the top 30 Yankees prospects at the mid-season break. Some things have changed since this list started, and some more will change by the time the offseason gets here. The Yankees system should have at least two players on top-100 lists, and could have as many as four by the end of the season. After this year's draft, the future is looking brighter for the Yankees system than it has since the heyday of Brackman, Betances, Banuelos, and Montero.

And just for fun, here is an All-Yankee Prospect Starting lineup (have to be healthy):

1. Mason Williams, CF
2. Slade Heathcott, LF
3. Gary Sanchez, C
4. Greg Bird, 1B
5. Peter O'Brien, DH
6. Eric Jagielo, 3B
7. Tyler Austin, RF
8. Angelo Gumbs, 2B
9. Cito Culver, SS

SP #1 - Rafi De Paula
SP #2 - Jose Vicente Campos
SP #3 - Jose Ramirez
SP #4 - Nik Turley
SP #5 - Dietrich Enns
LHRP - Bruce Rondon
RHRP - Mark Montgomery

So, who is your #1 Yankees prospect right now? Vote below.

After last night's dramatic win against the Tigers that covered for Mariano Rivera's second consecutive blown save, the Yankees try to keep it up this afternoon. They ended their losing streak and Detroit's winning streak, so both a set back to an even playing field. Alex Rodriguez gets today off, unfortunately, so no circus today. The lineup they do throw out with Phil Hughes on the mound is as follows:

Today's lineup: Gardner 8 Suzuki 9 Cano 4 Soriano dh Granderson 7 Nunez 6 Overbay 3 Nix 5 Romine 2 Hughes RHP

— wallace matthews (@ESPNNYYankees) August 10, 2013

Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki top the lineup again, with Robinson Cano, Alfonso Soriano, the DH, and Curtis Granderson representing the heart of the order. Eduardo Nunez moves up and is followed by Lyle Overbay, and Jayson Nix at third. Austin Romine gets in today's game as it seems the Yankee catchers are going back into the back and forth platoon Girardi had Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli in at the beginning of the year. Stewart lost the last battle, so hopefully he loses this one too and Romine, as unlikely as it was just a few months ago, can be the starting catcher. The season is on the verge of being lost and Romine is still an unknown quantity, so it would behoove the Yankees to evaluate what exactly he can bring to the table next year. He could even give the offense a boost no, who knows.

Alex Rodriguez was handed a letter prior to yesterday's game telling him that he was going to be disciplined for getting a second opinion without informing the organization first. According to the collective bargaining agreement, players have to tell their team, in writing, that they are getting a second opinion on any injury and A-Rod broke that rule when he had Dr. Michael Gross of Hackensack University Medical Center examine his MRI and go on the radio to challenge the Yankees medical staff. Sources have said that A-Rod believed the team misdiagnosed his injury and that he did not trust the organization's medical team. The exact punishment is unknown, but it would probably amount to an undisclosed fine when everything is all said and done.

The Yankees also informed Francisco Cervelli that he would be also disciplined for failing to report to work just prior to his suspension. Cervelli had probably agreed to a settlement and neglected to report to his rehab assignment before the suspension has officially been put in place. The punishment will most likely amount to a fine as well.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five
• Give Austin Romine a shot
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation
• How will Yankee fans react to Alex Rodriguez's return?
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 18: Boos, booze, and GIFs

UPDATE: Alex Rodriguez is disputing claims that he will be punished by the Yankees for receiving a second opinion on his injury, reports MLB.com. Rodriguez says that he did not personally receive a letter saying he is facing discipline from the team. The New York slugger said, "Maybe they sent it to my lawyers. But I'm not really going to talk about that."

The New York Yankees have informed Alex Rodriguez -- by a hand-delivered letter no less -- that he will be disciplined by the team for seeking a second opinion on his injury without first gaining consent from management, reports ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.

The exact nature of the discipline has not been disclosed. It is likely to come in the form of a fine rather than a suspension, however.

The incident in question occurred in late July when Rodriguez had been expected to be activated after missing all of 2013 to that point following offseason hip surgery. However, after Rodriguez experienced tightness during a rehab appearance, the Yankees had him undergo another MRI in New York that revealed a strained quadriceps.

Rodriguez, believing the Yankees were misrepresenting his injury in an effort to collect insurance money, then asked orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael L. Gross to look at the third baseman's injury. Gross told media that he believed Rodriguez to be healthy.

The events spurred a very public exchange of words between team officials, including General Manager Brian Cashman, and Rodriguez. The two sides had already clashed earlier in July when Rodriguez tweeted against the club's wishes that he was cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

According to the ESPN New York report, the Yankees will cite a line from the Collective Bargaining Agreement saying a player "shall inform a team in writing" before seeking a second opinion, which Rodriguez failed to do.

This is just the latest in a series of events that have mired Rodriguez's season in controversy. He and the team appear to be on shaky ground and Rodriguez is in the midst of an appeal against a 211-game suspension levied upon him by Major League Baseball for his relation to the Biogenesis clinic.

Rodriguez returned to the Yankees' lineup on Aug. 5 and played his first home game on Friday, receiving a mixed reaction from the New York crowd.

More from SB Nation:

• Jack Clark rips Pujols, Verlander, etc.

• Clark, Verlander and beloved juicers from yesteryear

• Phillies wise up, DFA Delmon Young

• Rangers trade for Alex Rios

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

The Yankees have finedAlex Rodriguez $153,846 for missing a meeting with Major League Baseball to discuss his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal and for seeking a second opinion with Dr. Michael Gross without first notifying the team. The final dollar amount equates to one day of pay in a year where he makes $28 million.

The team also fined Francisco Cervelli after he failed to appear for treatment for his injured hand and elbow. According to a source, Cervelli said he felt "too stressed out" to report to the Yankees' facility in Tampa after he learned of his suspension. He was fined $2,831, a day's pay out of the $515,350 he currently makes.

According to the collective bargaining agreement, both players can appeal their fines.

Apparently there has been more back and forth about whether or not the Yankees are trying to alienate Alex Rodriguez, but it would be nice if this could all go away. His return to the Yankees and to New York has been enough of a media circus for a lifetime, but if this A-Rod vs. Yankees drama continues on after this it's going to be more annoyances than any of us want to hear about.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five
• Give Austin Romine a shot
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation
• Yankees prospects: Dellin Betances deserves another look
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 18: Boos, booze, and GIFs

Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz and Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta are "highly unlikely" to appear in the postseason, reports Pedro Gomez of ESPN.

Peralta unlikely to return

Tigers blog Bless You Boys on the Gomez report

All of the suspended players have the option to work out with their teams, but would need to leave the ballpark when the gates open, according to Gomez. None of the suspended players are currently working out with their teams.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski was non-committal about Peralta's chances of returning to the team, telling John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press, "That's not something we're going to tackle at this point. We don't have to make that decision. That's way down the road."

Detroit and Texas have both found replacements for their suspended players through trades. The Tigers added Jose Iglesias before the non-waiver deadline, while the Rangers completed a waiver trade for Alex Rios.

The San Francisco Giants faced a similar situation last year with Melky Cabrera; the Giants chose not to bring Cabrera back during the playoffs after he served his suspension.

More from SB Nation:

• Jack Clark rips Pujols, Verlander, etc.

• Jack Clark fired after Albert Pujols steroid comments

• Have the Yankees punished A-Rod for second opinion?

• Might David Wright miss the rest of 2013?

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

The Boston Red Sox recalled Will Middlebrooks from Triple-A, placing Brandon Snyder on the 15-day disabled list, the team announced Saturday.

Middlebrooks opened the season as the Red Sox starting third baseman, but struggled offensively, hitting .192/.228/.398 in 216 plate appearances. Jose Iglesias replaced Middlebrooks as the everyday third baseman, and Boston optioned Middlebrooks to Triple-A.

The Red Sox traded Iglesias to the Tigers in the deal that netted them Jake Peavy, creating an opening at third. The team tried a platoon with Brock Holt and Snyder, but the duo disappointed.

Boston manager John Farrell discussed the decision to bring Middlebrooks back with Maureen Mullen of CSN New England, telling the reporter:

"We feel like we have the potential to add a power bat to the lineup He's put himself in a better position to hit over the last 7-10 days, getting a little bit more squared up with his stance in the box."

Middlebrooks looked better in Triple-A, but did not dominate, batting .268/.327/.464 in 196 plate appearances.

Snyder, hitting .209/.227/.419, is battling a right elbow injury. The Red Sox made the move retroactive to Aug. 8.

More from SB Nation:

• Jack Clark rips Pujols, Verlander, etc.

• Jack Clark fired after Albert Pujols steroid comments

• Have the Yankees punished A-Rod for second opinion?

• Might David Wright miss the rest of 2013?

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out the Fresno Grizzlies (Giants), 3-0. It was Iowa's fourth straight win.

Brooks Raley dominated the Grizzlies for eight innings, allowing only two hits. He walked two and struck out three as he improved his record to 7-8.

After Chang-Yong Lim walked two batters in the ninth, he was relieved by Marcos Mateo, who retired the next two batters for his first save of the season. Mateo did not strike anyone out.

Right fielder Ty Wright was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Second baseman Edgar Gonzalez was 2 for 4

Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha doubled home Raley in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies couldn't put the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) in the basket, 10-2.

Nick Struck made his first start for Tennessee after being demoted from Iowa and allowed four runs on four hits over four innings. He walked four and struck out two.

The Smokies had five hits. Jonathan Mota had a pinch-hit RBI triple in the bottom of the ninth.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs trumped the Tampa Yankees, 6-3.

Starter C.J. Edwards allowed his first ever home run as a professional when he allowed a two-run home run in the second inning. Edwards pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight.

Zach Cates relieved Edwards and got the win when the Cubs took the lead in the fifth inning. Cates pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. He walked two and struck out two.

Frank Del Valle relieved Cates and went the rest of the way for a 3.1 inning save. He also allowed only one hit. Del Valle walked three and struck out four. It was his eighth save.

Right fielder Bijan Rademacher was a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk. He scored once and had one RBI.

Second baseman Wes Darvill was 2 for 5.

Center fielder Zeke DeVoss had a two-run double that tied the score at three in the fourth inning. He was 1 for 5.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were harvested by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 6-0.

Starter Felix Pena allowed six runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings. Four of the six runs were unearned, however. Pena walked three and struck out three.

First baseman Daniel Vogelbach and right fielder Jose Dore were both 1 for 3. Those were the Cougars only two hits.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks won their fourth straight game, 9-2 over the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays).

Dillon Maples pitched the first five innings and improved his record in Boise to 4-0. He allowed one run on five hits. Maples struck out five and walked only one, which is the most important thing for Maples.

Corbin Hoffner pitched the final four innings for his first professional save. Hoffner gave up one run on four hits. He struck out two and did not walk anyone.

Shortstop Carlos Penalver's first home run of the season was a big one, a grand slam in the second inning. Penalver also doubled in a 3 for 4 night. He scored twice and "just" had the four RBI.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game. He scored two runs.

Center fielder Kevin Encarnacion was 2 for 5 with a double. He scored one run and had one batted in.

Left fielder Rony Rodriguez, catcher Lance Rymel and DH Trevor Gretzky were each 2 for 4 with one RBI and one run scored.

Third baseman Kris Bryant doubled in the fourth inning to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. He's expected to be promoted in the next couple of days, probably to Daytona but possibly to Kane County.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Rangers, 5-4.

Brian Bogusevic went 0 for 2 with a walk in a rehab appearance.

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 3, Tigers 9: Tigers tee off against Hughes
• Yankees lineup vs. Tigers; Alex Rodriguez and Francisco Cervelli to be disciplined by organization
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five
• Baby Bomber Recap 8/9/13: Melky Mesa grand slam powers RailRiders

Around the Internet

• Grantland | Gabe Feldman: A breakdown of the arguments Alex Rodriguez might use during his suspension appeal.
• New York Post | Joel Sherman: As the season gets away from the Yankees, Mariano Rivera, the most loved player, and Alex Rodriguez, the most hated player, take center stage.
• NotGraphs | Dayn Perry: Apparently Mariano Rivera's retirement ceremony could involve oregano in a ziplock bag.
• The Hardball Times | Greg Simons: A look back through all the events that have occurred throughout Alex Rodriguez's career that have led him to be the most criticized player in baseball.
• NoMaas | SJK: A survey on Twitter asking what the fans would do if they ran the Yankees.

Quick Hits

• Alex Rodriguez says that his reception at Yankee Stadium was so much better than he expected.
• Alfonso Soriano says he feels a little lost at the plate right now and that it's hard to ignore 2,000 hits.

Questions of the Day

• Out of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and Andy Pettitte, who do you think is the most likely to turn it around for the rest of the season?
• What positions should the Yankees look to fill on the free agent market in the offseason?
• What is a movie that you used to like, but are now sick of?
• What is your current obsession?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 8/10/13 @ 9 am
• Yankees prospects: Brett Marshall continues to make strides with Scranton @ 10 am
• New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers at 1:05 pm (12:30 pm game thread)
• Back to the Yankees future @ 5 pm

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 2-6 vs. Buffalo Bisons

CF Melky Mesa 2-3, 2B, K, HBP - 13th double of the season
C JR Murphy 1-4, 2B, RBI, E2(4) - 16th double with SWB
RF Adonis Garcia 2-4, 2B - sixth double of the season
1B Dan Johnson 0-3, BB
DH Randy Ruiz 0-3, BB, 3 K
LF Ronnier Mustelier 0-3, RBI, BB, K - 6 for his last 39 (.154)
2B Brent Lillibridge 0-4, 3 K
SS Alberto Gonzalez 1-4, K, E6 - fielding error, fifth of the season
3B Addison Maruszak 0-4, K

Jim Miller 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K - three groundouts, one flyout
Mark Montgomery 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K
Yoshinori Tateyama 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Sam Demel 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, BB, 4 K
Cesar Cabral 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, BB, K

Buffalo got out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a three-run shot by Moises Sierra off Montgomery. The closest the RailRiders ever got was 3-1 after four innings, but the deficit grew from there.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 3-2 (13 innings) vs. Akron Aeros

LF Ramon Flores 1-5, K, OF assist
2B Reegie Corona 0-6, 3 K
CF Slade Heathcott 2-5, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, K - eighth homer of the season
C Gary Sanchez 2-6, 2B, 2 K - fourth double since his promotion
DH Kyle Roller 1-4, BB, 2 K
SS Carmen Angelini 1-5, K
1B Saxon Butler 0-2, RBI, BB, K, HBP
3B Casey Stevenson 2-5
RF Cody Grice 0-3, K, CS, HBP

Fred Lewis 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, WP - six groundouts, zero flyouts
Graham Stoneburner 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K
Aaron Dott 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K
Zach Nuding 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K - three groundouts, zero flyouts
Danny Burawa 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Saxon Butler's walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the game at 2-2 and the Thunder pitchers held the Aeros scoreless after the third inning until they pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 13th.

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 3-6 vs. Daytona Cubs

CF Mason Williams 0-4, BB
2B Rob Refsnyder 0-4, BB, K, E4 - throwing error, 19th of the season
LF Ben Gamel 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB, CS, put out
3B Peter O'Brien 0-4, BB, 2 K
1B Matt Snyder 1-2, 2 BB
C Tyson Blaser 0-4, 4 K
SS Ali Castillo 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, E6 - second homer of the season
DH Jose Toussen 0-2, 2 BB, K
RF Mikeson Oliberto 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 K - third double with Tampa

Rafael De Paula 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R/2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HB, E1 - four groundouts, four flyouts
Pat Venditte 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, K, WP
Charley Short 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K
Alex Smith 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Only one Yankees pitcher managed to keep the Cubs off the board in the game and three defensive errors didn't help matters any. Tampa led 3-1 in the fourth inning but would surrender that lead in the bottom of the frame for good.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: L 5-8 vs. Rome Braves

CF Jake Cave 1-5, 2 K - batting .280 this season
2B Angelo Gumbs 0-5, K - batting .119/.140/.190 over his last 10 games
1B Greg Bird 2-4, 2 2B - 28th and 29th doubles of the season
LF Ericson Leonora 1-4, 2B, RBI
SS Cito Culver 1-4, 2 K
DH Reymond Nunez 3-4, HR, 3 RBI - 12th homer of the season
RF Danny Oh 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Jackson Valera 2-4, 2B
3B Francisco Rosario 0-3, RBI, K

Evan Rutckyj 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HB, pickoff - seven groundouts, three flyouts
Adam Smith 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Ben Paullus 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, K

The RiverDogs trailed 0-5 by the time they ever got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, despite racking up 10 hits in the game. Charleston pulled within one run with two runs in the bottom of the eighth before surrendering two more runs to the Braves in the top of the ninth.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 1-0 vs. Lowell Spinners

2B Derek Toadvine 0-4, 2 K
CF Michael O'Neill 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K - 13th double of the season
3B Eric Jagielo 0-3, BB, K
RF Yeicok Calderon 0-4, K
LF Brandon Thomas 1-2, 3B, BB, K, SB
1B Mike Ford 0-2, BB, K - batting .200 this season
SS Jose Rosario 0-3, K
DH Bubba Jones 1-3, 2 K
C Trent Garrison 1-3, K

Dillon McNamara 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K - five groundouts, one flyout
Sam Agnew-Wieland 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Stefan Lopez 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - two groundouts, zero flyouts

The lone run of the game was scored by the Yankees in the bottom of the third inning. Lowell and Staten Island combined for six hits total in the game.

Gulf Coast Yankees 1 Highlights:

SS Tyler Wade 1-4, 2B, K - batting .293/.383/.341 over his last 10 games
2B Gosuke Katoh 0-4, K
1B Renzo Martini 1-4, 2B, K - 12th double of the season
LF Dustin Fowler 3-4, 2 2B, 3B, RBI
RF Austin Aune 2-4, 2B, RBI, CS

Erick Canela 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP - eight groundouts, two flyouts
Tim Flight 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Gulf Coast Yankees 2 Highlights:

SS Abiatal Avelino 2-4, BB, SB - 22nd stolen base, batting .345 this season
DH Luis Torrens 1-3, RBI, 2 K
2B Jose Javier 3-4, 2B, SB
3B Drew Bridges 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, K, SB, E5 - throwing error

Omar Luis 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Ethan Carnes 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB
Yoely Bello 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Tim Giel 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HB

The main problem, aside from injuries, for the Yankees this season has been their lackluster offense. However, over recent weeks, it has been their lack of pitching depth that has continued to make life difficult. Aside from Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova, the Yankees really don't have a starting pitcher right now that inspires a whole lot of confidence. CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes have all struggled for a while now and injuries to David Phelps, Michael Pineda, and Vidal Nuno certainly haven't helped matters. At the same time, the team does have an arm in Triple-A who might be deserving a look if needed, and that's Brett Marshall.

Marshall's first couple months in 2013 couldn't have been more of a nightmare. The 6' 1" right-hander started off with a 7.40 ERA and 6.60 FIP in his first 11 appearances (10 with Scranton, one with the Yankees) and 54.0 innings pitched. Opposing batters even tagged Marshall for a .318/.418/.565 batting line. It was that bad of a train wreck for Marshall early on.

To his credit, Marshall has turned his year around. Since June 13, the 23-year-old has posted a solid 3.58 ERA and 3.99 FIP in 12 starts and 73 innings pitched. The most encouraging thing about his turnaround is that he has limited the home runs in a big way. In his first 11 appearances he allowed 12 home runs in 54.0 IP (2.0 HR/9), but in his recent run of success he has surrendered just six dingers in 73.0 IP (0.7 HR/9). The strikeouts have been identical before and after his turnaround (7.1 K/9, first 11 appearances, 7.1 K/9 last 12 appearances), but he has cut back on the walks during this stretch as well (6.3 BB/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).

Though Marshall hasn't been quite lights out during his recent success with the RailRiders, he's been pretty serviceable nonetheless. The Yankees play a doubleheader against the Blue Jays on the 20th and will surely need a sixth starter and Marshall happens to be in line to start that day. I guess they could have Adam Warren start the game and have Marshall sort of be his caddy, but the former has struggled of late (5.83 ERA in his last 12 appearances), so who really knows what will exactly happen.

Starting pitching, among other areas, will be a focus of this team once the season concludes. Assuming Kuroda, Pettitte, and Hughes all depart (and that's another topic for another day) following 2013, the Yankees will need to find three starters just to fill out the five-man rotation. Essentially, the only two starters you can say are guaranteed spots in the 2014 rotation are Sabathia and Nova while the rest of the arms (Pineda, Phelps, Nuno) will be coming off injury. If Marshall continues to make strides with Scranton, he could find himself starting games for the 2014 Bombers.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees fine Alex Rodriguez over $150,000
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five
• Randy Levine doesn't know if they can make the playoffs
• Give Austin Romine a shot
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 24: The Lost Podcast

Lost podcast, not last podcast. I sat down with Andrew Ball and Daniel Kelley on Thursday night to discuss our recent Midseason Starting Pitcher Rankings, where we discussed Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Kris Medlen, Jose Fernandezand Mike Minor, among others. We also took the opportunity to get into some good ole Zack bashing.

But, due to technical difficulties, some of the podcast was lost, but you can listen to what was recorded in the links below. And here are some of what was lost:

• Jered Weaver│ Both Daniel and Ray think Weaver is being undervalued by the FT staff, citing that he has always outperformed his peripherals and he's finally healthy.
• Francisco Liriano│ Daniel, much like Brian Creagh, has been burned so many times by Liriano that he still can't jump on the bandwagon. Also, Liriano's increased slider usuge this year may make him at risk for an injury.
• Matt Cain and Kris Medlen │ One of the things I really support about Daniel's rankings, even if I don't do it myself, is the fact that he doesn't let a few months of data sway his opinion from the rankings we did in the preseason. Cain and Medlen are both pitchers with track records of success, granted a longer one for Cain, but he is sticking by both of them.
• Mike Minor │ All of us, myself included feel that stripping away Minor's name and simply evaluating the raw numbers makes him an easy top-20 pitcher. Kudos to Ray for the ranking at 13.
• Matt Moore│ Ray thinks Moore is the next Clayton Kershaw, while Daniel is a bit more hesitant citing that Moore is only about a year younger than Kershaw right now. I'm in the middle of the two opinions.
• Zack Smith │ Zack's rankings of David Price at 20, Hiroki Kuroda at 50, and C.C. Sabathia at 16 made all of us say, "huh?"

You can listen to the podcast in two ways:

MP3 LINK
ITUNES LINK (subscribe here)

Minor League Ball: Organization Top 20 Prospects in Review

Minor League Ball's John Sickels is in the middle of reviewing all of his preseason Top 20 Prospects and you can find all of them in the link below:

Organization Top 20 Prospects for 2013

Nathan Eovaldi: Marlins' future ace?

Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi is owned in less than 1% of ESPN leagues, and I had thoughts about including him in my Saturday streamer article, but felt he was a risk pitching on the road in Atlanta against the hottest team in baseball. Well, Eovaldi made that decision look silly. Eovaldi pitched perhaps his best game as a big league starter last night, shutting out the hot Braves lineup on one hit, 3 walks, and a season high 8 strikeouts in 7 innings to earn his second win of the season.

Eovaldi is now 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 41-26 K-BB rate in 60.2 innings of work this season. He has struggled with his command this season, and could stand to strike out a few more batters, as he holds his 95+ mph fastball deep into games, but has limited opposing batters to a .207 batting average in his 10 starts this season.

I took a chance on drafting Eovaldi at $1 in one of my NL only keeper leagues and he is looking like a solid buy at the moment. Right now, a case can be made that he could be the Marlins #2 starter behind Jose Fernandez, and a possible future ace in what could be a very good Marlins rotation a few years down the road with Andrew Heaney and Justin Nicolino pitching well in the minors.

Jose Bautista: Quieting this doubter

I have to admit, I was wrong on Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista. There, I said it. Back in the offseason rankings, I was down on Bautista due to his low batting average, big power ways, and the fact that he was coming off a wrist injury. On Saturday, Bautista went 3-4 with a HR, 2 runs and 2 RBI in the Blue Jays 5-4 win over the A's.

For the season, Bautista is now hitting .269-.364-.519 with 27 HR, 79 runs, 71 RBI and has chipped in with 7 stolen bases for his owners. At this rate, he is on pace for 38 HRs, 100+ runs, 100+ RBI and 10 stolen bases, which will move him up in my rankings this coming offseason.

Round'em Up

On my drive home from running errands with my 88 year old mother yesterday, I was listening to the beginning of the Dodgers-Rays game on XM Radio, and Jim Bowden was the color analyst on the game call. He was pretty insightful in his scouting analysis of Dodgers starter Zack Greinke. He said that a few weeks ago, Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt worked with Greinke on changing the grip on his cut fastball ( I think) to get more movement on it, and his recent performance show that the change in grip has worked. Greinke shut out the Rays for 6.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, walking one and striking out 7 to win his 10th game of the season. Greinke moved his record to 10-3 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 93-33 K-BB rate in 117.2 innings this season. Yes, he is still a top 20 starter.

A's outfielder Josh Reddick appears to like hitting at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. For the second game in a row, Reddick has had multiple home run games, as he went 2-4 with 2 HRs and 3 RBI in the A's loss to the Blue Jays. Like I mentioned in yesterday's Roundup, Reddick has struggled at the plate this season, but owns solid plate discipline and has been unlucky with batted balls in play this season, so he could end the season on a high note, and be a sleeper heading into 2014 drafts.

There isn't much more one can write about Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera. After hitting a game-tying 2 run home run off of HOF closer Mariano Rivera on Friday night, where he fouled two balls off his knee and lower leg/foot, Miggy had a big game on Saturday afternoon. He went 3-4 with a HR and two runs scored, and is now hitting .363-.455-.676 with 35 HRs, 84 runs and 109 RBI. He ranks first or second in the following categories in the American League:

BA

HR

RBI

Runs

Walks

OBP

OPS

Pretty impressive. He is approaching 400 home runs in his career and he is only 30 years old.

The Padres traded for starter Tyson Ross in the offseason, and he has proved to be a pretty good starter for the team. Ross limited the Reds to just one run on 4 hits, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts on Saturday night, in the Padres 3-1 win. Ross is now 3-5 on the season with a 2.75 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 62-31 K-BB rate in 72 innings this season. He has given up two runs or less, and gone at least 6 innings, in each of his last four starts against the Reds, Yankees, Diamondback and Brewers, with just the starts vs the Yankees coming at home. Solid effort from the young starter who could be a sleeper in 2014 drafts.

More from Fake Teams:

• Streamer Report: Sunday's Streamers
• Minor League Review: How Are Some of This Year's Top Draftees Doing So Far? Part 2
• Around the League - AL and NL
• Low Level Prospect Review: Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds
• Roto Roundup: Josh Reddick, Brandon Beachy, Jed Lowrie and Others
• Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%
• Fantasy Fools: You drafted a kicker before the last round? You fool!
• Fake Teams Podcast Episode 24: The Lost Podcast

The New York Yankees recalled pitcher Dellin Betances on Sunday, according to the team's official Twitter page. To make room for him on the active roster, infielder David Adams was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Betances has been named on Baseball America's top-100 prospects list three times, most recently prior to the 2012 season when he was placed as the No. 63 prospect in the nation. He has been in the Yankees' organization since being drafted in the 8th round of the 2006 draft, but is still just 25 years old.

This will be Betances' second stint in the major leagues. His first came in 2011 when he pitched in two games for the Yankees, one as a starting pitcher and one in relief.

Betances, who has primarily worked out of the bullpen for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2013, will continue in that role for the Yankees. New York wanted help in the bullpen after three relievers combined to throw 88 pitches over 4⅔ innings in the team's loss to the Tigers on Saturday. In 33 minor league games in 2013, Betances has a 2.97 ERA.

Adams was demoted a day after being passed over in favor of Jayson Nix at third base with Alex Rodriguez receiving the day off. Adams has hit just .194 with a .528 OPS over 39 games this season.

More from SB Nation:

• Rays get Juan Uribe with the hidden ball trick.

• Jack Clark fired after Albert Pujols steroid comments

• Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta unlikely to participate in postseason

• Grant Brisbee: The MVP debate that isn’t going to happen

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

While the Angels remain thirteen games behind in the American League Wild Card race, the New York Yankees have also fallen in the standings. The Bronx Bombers were able to stay close throughout the season while being doubted; however, the polluted cloud over Yankee Stadium known as Alex Rodriguez seems to be irking everyone in the clubhouse. Rodriguez has appealed his massive suspension and will continue to play this season. So as you are watching this series, notice a twenty-two year old Mike Trout campaigning yet again for the MVP Award and a thirty-eight year old Alex Rodriguez that refuses to walk away from the game and his massive paycheck. They differ only slightly.

Always my favorite series of the season because I live right in a Yankees hotbed (in my home, too). Don't disappoint Halos, I have bragging rights to take! Even if they're not too valuable! Sound off in the comments about series expectations or predictions.

August 12 4:05pm - FOX Sports West, YES Network, ESPN Monday Night Baseball

Garrett Richards (3-4, 4.20 ERA / Last: ND, 3 ER, 6.0 IP)

#43 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 2.45 ERA / Last: L, 3 ER, 7.0 IP)

#18 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

August 13 4:05pm - FOX Sports West, YES Network

ANGELS STARTER "TO BE DETERMINED"

CC Sabathia (9-10, 4.73 ERA / Last: ND, 3 ER, 7.1 IP)

#52 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-7

Weight: 290

Bats: L

Throws: L

August 14 4:05pm - FOX Sports West, YES Network

Jered Weaver (7-5, 2.67 ERA / Last: W, 2 ER, 7.0 IP)

#36 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-7

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Ivan Nova (5-4, 2.93 ERA / Last: ND, 1 ER, 7.0 IP)

#47 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

August 15 10:05am - FOX Sports West, YES Network, MLB Network

C.J. Wilson (12-6, 3.49 ERA / Last: W, 2 ER, 5.1 IP)

#33 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Phil Hughes (4-11, 4.99 ERA / Last: L, 4 ER, 4.1 IP)

#65 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-5

Weight: 240

Bats: R

Throws: R

Tigers links:

Think the Tigers are dangerous now? Well just wait until Prince Fielder starts hitting
The Detroit News, John Niyo

Fielder has just one homer in his last 25 games, and now five in his last 59 after Saturday's game in the Bronx.

When position players pitch, we experience true magic.
Roar of the Tigers, Samara Pearlstein

I don’t even have time to scan this in, let alone color it properly, but I cannot let this pass by without a cartoon. So here it is, cruddy phone image and all.

The A.L. MVP and the Mike Trout/Miguel Cabrera debate that wasn't
Baseball Nation, Grant Brisbee

It would have been a good sequel. But Mike Trout's team isn't good, and Miguel Cabrera's team isn't.

Michigan baseball fan to visit all 30 MLB stadiums in 30 days for charity
Big League Stew , Mark Townsend

It's the trip every baseball fan has dreamed of making at one time or another during their life, and for Eric Mueller of Hartford, MI the time to live his dream has arrived as he approaches his milestone 50th birthday.

Verlander answers former big-leaguer Jack Clark's PED allegations: 'Clearly, he doesn't know what he's talking about'
Out of Left Field, Matthew B. Mowery

Verlander told reporters Friday, including the Detroit News' Lynn Henning, saying of Clark "clearly, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

Around the AL Central:

MLB Final Score/Recap: Cleveland Indians 6, LA Angels 5
Let's Go Tribe

The Indians aren't quite dead yet.

Alex Gordon shines in Royals 4-3 victory
Royals Review, Connor Moylan

Kansas City - where AL East contenders fear to tread.

Twins 5, White Sox 2: Dozier, Mauer Back Corriea
Twinkie Town

The Twins polish off a strong weekend in Chicago by taking Sunday's contest for a three-win trip to the Windy City.

Twins 5, White Sox 2: Outhomered at home
South Side Sox, Jim Margalus

Minnesota knocks Jose Quintana out after five innings with two homers, which was a recurring theme all series.

Royals enjoying rare opportunity to win
SweetSpot Blog, Jerry Crasnick

The baseball season is a lot more interesting in Kansas City than it was two weeks ago, when general manager Dayton Moore assessed the limited options at his disposal and turned Kauffman Stadium into a news-free zone at the trade deadline.

Elsewhere in baseball:

Should the Phillies fire Charlie Manuel now?
HardballTalk, Bill Baer

Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests that the Phillies should do right by Charlie Manuel and remove the uncertainty about his future by letting him go before the season is over.

Mariano Rivera’s unprecedented struggle overshadows Yankees’ dramatic win
The Strike Zone, Jay Jaffe

Such is the greatness of Mariano Rivera that his rare failures only further underscore his superlative career.

More Roars

•Tigers GIFS | On Twitter:@TigersGIFS

•Tigers minor league scores and coverage

•Follow us on Facebook!

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 5, Tigers 4: Gardner gives Yankees another walk-off win
• Yankee fans' hope for success lies in the future
• Yankees lineup vs. Tigers; Dellin Betances called up, David Adams demoted
• Yankees prospects: Brett Marshall continues to make strides with Scranton
• Baby Bomber Recap 8/10/13: Greg Bird doubles twice in Charleston loss

Around the Internet

• New York Daily News | Teri Thompson:Alex Rodriguez approached ex-BALCO kingpin Victor Conte in 2012 about legal products he could take to give him an edge.
• LoHud | Chad Jennings: The Yankees called up Dellin Betances because Joe Girardi felt like the bullpen was being overworked and they needed someone who could help fill in.
• CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: The Yankees won the Eye On Baseball Heavyweight Championship against the Detroit Tigers yesterday.
• SB Nation | Connor Moylan: Not only did Mariano Rivera blow three straight saves for the first time in his career, but Miguel Cabrera became the first hitter to hit a home run off him in consecutive at-bats. That's how good he's been.
• An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Alex Rodriguez looked good against the White Sox when he was faced three lefty starters, but he struggled when he faced the right-handed Rick Porcello.
• The Boston Globe: Nick Cafardo: The Yankees might be the best fit for Alexei Ramirez because Derek Jeter is going to need more DH time and the their weak farm system hasn't produced anything at shortstop.

Quick Hits

• Kevin Youkilisstill hopesto make it back this season, but his injury will take 12 weeks of recovery and he hasn't even started swinging yet after seven.
• The many faces of Alex Rodriguez over the years.
• Vernon Wells was taking ground balls at second base.
• David Herndon has been promoted to Triple-A as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.

Questions of the Day

• Now that Dellin Betances has been called up, how do you want him to be used?
• Who will be the most impressive September call up?
• How would you rank all the New York sports teams?
• What is your favorite decade from the 20th century?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 8/11/13 @ 9 am
• Cody Ross' injury reminds me why I'm glad the Yankees have Robinson Cano @ 10 am
• Not such a perfect ending @ 11 am
• The officially unofficial 2013 Yankees drinking game @ 2 pm
• New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels at 7:05 pm (6:30 pm game thread)