Thursday, May 2, 2013
Highbridge News: Yanks Edge Astros, 5-4
Highbridge News: Yanks Edge Astros, 5-4: By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, May 2- Astute base running by Lyle Overbay in the sixth inning led to a 5-4 victory by the Yankees o...
Yanks Edge Astros, 5-4
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, May 2- Astute base running by Lyle Overbay in the sixth inning led to a 5-4 victory by the Yankees on Wednesday night. The win gave the Yankees the three-game series win over the new American League entry, the Houston Astros. The victory was the sixth for the New Yorkers in their last seven contests.
Both starting pitchers, David Phelps of the Yanks and Eric Bedard gave up four earned runs in their relatively brief stints on the mound. Neither pitcher was involved in the decision.
The Astros were held scoreless in eight of the nine frames. They erupted for four tallies in the fourth inning. Four hits and two hit batsmen accounted for Houston’s run output.
The Yanks scored their runs in four separate installments. Ichiro Suzuki led off the first with a triple. He scored the first run of the contest after Jayson Nix singled to left.
In the second, three bases on balls followed by a sacrifice fly by catcher Chris Stewart scored the second Yankees run.
Two four baggers by the Yankees in the third gave New York a 4-0 advantage. Robinson Cano led off the inning with a solo homer to right. The long ball was his 185th, tying him with Paul O’Neill for 17th place on the Yankees. The run batted in was his 733rd as a Yankee, giving him 20th place in the history of the club.
With two out in the same inning, Ben Francisco’s home run was his first homer and first run batted in as a Yankee. Manager Joe Girardi said, “A walk and a home run. I hope that sets him off.”
The deciding run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and men on first and second, Ichiro hit an infield ground ball. Although it resulted in a double play, Eduardo Nunez scored thanks to wise base running by Lyle Overbay. His intelligence in delaying the rundown allowed the winning run to score.
After the contest concluded, Girardi commented on Overbay’s performance, “It takes a heads-up player, very smart. I give Lyle a lot of credit.”
Yankee relievers Boone Logan, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera pitched 3.1 scoreless innings. Rivera earned his 11th save of the season in 11 opportunities. His raised his MLB career mark to 619 saves.
Infielder Chris Nelson was acquired by the Yanks from Colorado in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
On Friday, Oakland will come to the Bronx for a three game weekend series. CC Sabathia (4-2) will start for the Yanks on Friday versus A.J.Griffin (2-2) for Oakland.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Highbridge News: Yuke Down
Highbridge News: Yuke Down: Yankees put Youkilis on disabled list and beat Astros By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, May 1- Earlier in the day, Kevin Youkilis becam...
Yuke Down
Yankees put Youkilis on disabled list and beat Astros
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, May 1- Earlier in the day, Kevin Youkilis became the latest casualty to be placed on a never ending New York Yankees disabled list. The injury toll grows, but the wins keep coming, the latest Tuesday night in the Bronx as New York defeated the Houston Astros 7-4.
Youkilis, signed to a one-year contract, filling a void at third base for the disabled Alex Rodriguez, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lumbar spine strain. He has been experiencing lower back pain the past week and sat out the weekend four-game Yankees series sweep over Toronto.
After banging out 17-hits against Yankees pitching in their opening series game win Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Houston had opportunities against starter Hiroki Kuroda (4-1). But, the young Astros struck out 12-times and left numerous runners on base.
Despite struggling early, Kuroda won his team-high fourth game of the season. The slider and off speed pitch were on target after throwing 67 pitches and putting a runner on in the first three innings, recording shutout ball for seven innings and eight of the strikeouts.
“You have to be pretty good to stick around to make it through those first three innings and then be good enough to give your team seven innings,” said manager Joe Girardi about his starter
The Yankees, after a 1-4 start, finished the month of April, 16-10. Girardi is more than pleased, especially with the veteran players that have stepped up to the plate.
“The offense has been spread around,” commented Girardi. “I am pleased the way these guys have been playing. They have done a very good job for us. It hasn’t always been pretty but our guys have come up with clutch hits when we needed them,”
One in particular is Travis Hafner. He stepped up big again in the cleanup spot, 3-for-4, and has driven in at least one run in eight of the Yankees’ nine series this season. Hafner drove in the final run in a three-run eighth.
Girardi said about Hafner, “You just see that his approach is good. He’s been great in that four-hole for us. With all the people we have out, he’s done a really good job in our lineup.”
And Lyle Overbay, getting the regular start at first, got the lone Yankees home run of the game. His fourth opened the eighth inning scoring. David Robertson and Shawn Kelley came out of the pen and Houston combined to score four runs in the last two innings. The big blow was a two run homer from Chris Carter off Robertson in the eighth.
The sparse crowd remaining from the 34,301, chanted “We want Mo,” and Mariano Rivera got the final out and recorded his 10th save in as many chances.
The Astros, a young team in their inaugural year in the American League, and with the lowest payroll in the game, saw starter and loser Philip Humber (0-6) allow four runs in six innings. He entered the game having given up 18 hits and 15 runs over his last two starts.
“I’m a little bit frustrated but it’s a part of the game,” said Humber who was removed after trailing 4-0, giving up nine hits and walking two.
However, with the exception of injuries there is no reason for Girardi and his Yankees to be frustrated. They ended April better than expected, second to the Boston Red Sox in the American League East, and hope to begin the month of May taking another series with a win over the Astros Wednesday evening.
E-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com
Monday, April 29, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Highbridge News: Bronx Stands with Boston
Highbridge News: Bronx Stands with Boston: Yankees Pay homage Boston (Photos by Gary Quintal) By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, April 17- So many ways Tuesday night at Ya...
Bronx Stands with Boston
Yankees Pay homage Boston
(Photos by Gary Quintal)
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, April 17- So many ways Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium there were reminders of how sports and baseball play a role to heal wounds. This time, a day after the Boston Marathon bombing that took three lives and injured over 180, there were the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jackie Robinson and number 42, plus a Fenway Park tradition, “Sweet Caroline.”
Yes, a tune that has been an eighth inning ritual of Red Sox nation came to the Bronx. Boston was in Cleveland and the Red Sox heard what the Yankees were doing to unite two cities who have shared in pain.
“It was such a tragic day,” said Kevin Youkilis, the former Red Sox player who now wears Yankees pinstripes. He would play in the Patriots league game at Fenway over the years, and venture off to the finish line viewing another conclusion of the annual Boston Marathon.
On a day off in New York City Monday, Youkilis spent numerous hours on the phone to see if friends and family were okay that make it a ritual on Patriots Day and attend the marathon. His wife and sisters have run in the event over the years.
Monday it was friends and a city, Boston, the only baseball organization Youkilis knew prior to wearing pinstripes. The Yankee Stadium electronic board outside displayed, “United We Stand” with Yankees and Red Sox logos and a ribbon on the big scoreboard inside displayed insignias of the teams and a message, “New York stands with Boston….Pray for Boston.”
“It gave me chills and was emotional to me to hear that,” commented Youkilis about the playing of “Sweet Caroline” after the third inning. “Because the fans were into it and it was cool. Thought it was very special and a very great tribute to an organization that is a rivalry.”
A rivalry, New York and Boston that has diminished over the past few years, but when fans at Yankee Stadium are wearing Boston caps and jerseys near the pinstripes, there is a meaning of unity and emotion. It happened in the Bronx Tuesday night.
As was the meaning of wearing number 42 on Jackie Robinson Night as players, the managers, coaches and umpires did. Major League Baseball once again paid tribute to Jackie Robinson. And a player named “Robinson” Cano had the big three-run home run. The final score was 4-2, as in “42” and the lone remaining player who wears the number, Mariano Rivera saved a game for the last time on Robinson’s day.
Yes, it was an emotional and special night in the Bronx. The Diamondbacks made their first trip to the new Yankee Stadium. They were 1-5 at the old ballpark across the street, and Rivera was the pitcher on the mound in that emotional World Series won by Arizona in Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix back in 2001.
That World Series ended in early November because the baseball schedule was pushed back with the events of September 11. It was a series that helped mend the wounds of a nation still mourning the effects of a devastating terrorist attack.
“We’re all behind the people of Boston,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi prior to the start of the game Tuesday night. And for a night Yankee fans united with Red Sox fans.
Because baseball and sports, the world of fun and games has a way of bringing that message of unity in a time of tragedy.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com
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