Saturday, March 27, 2010

Mets lose in extras to Nats

The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals in 10 innings by the score of 7-5 this afternoon. Hisanora Takahashi got the start and pitched 3 innings giving up 4 hits and 4 runs with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Frankie Rodriguez pitched 2 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits but he had 3 strikeouts. Sean Green pitched a scoreless inning giving up 2 hits and Bobby Parnell did the same. Ryota Igarashi pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits and 1 run, Kiko Calero pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up 1 hit and 2 runs. He also walked 2 and struck out 2. David Wright was 3-3 with 2 rbi to lead the offense. Alex Cora had 2 hits, Ruben Tejada had a hit and Luis Castillo had a hit and 3 rbi. Jeff Francouer and Omir Santos each had a hit. The Mets will host the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM on WPIX. Jose Reyes is hoping to make it back for opening day but is doubtful, I think that is ok as long as he can come back shortly after that, even a couple of weeks wouldn't be bad.

A.J. and Jorge work well together and Joba closes out game

The New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers today by the score of 2-1. The game was played at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida. A.J. Burnett made the start and despite not having a good curveball he had a good outing. He pitched 6 2/3 innings picking up his first win of the spring. He gave up 3 hits and 1 run with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. He worked well with catcher Jorge Posada and said this about him "I was relaxed and confident because my catcher was." This is the second start in a row where Burnett has really praised Jorge Posada. I guess the working together this spring has paid off and they put whatever went on last year behind them. Dave Robertson finised off the seventh inning for Burnett giving up a walk. Chan Ho Park pitched another scoreless inning giving up a hit and Joba Chamberlain closed the game out. Joba gave up 2 hits but had a double play and a strikeout. He was hitting 93-94 on the gun and only threw fastballs and sliders as he said he would. Joba said "You don't want to give up the lead for sure and lose the game. It was a good position to be in for my first one." The offense really didn't do much again but Jorge Posada had a couple of hits and so did Curtis Granderson who is now hitting 297 on the spring. He had a double off of a lefty today which is a good sign. Marcus Thames who is trying to make the team as a bench guy had a solo homerun adn a walk. He has now played 2 days in a row against lefties and looked good. Ramiro Pena and Brandon Laird each had a hit. Here is what Joe Girardi had to say about Burnett and Posada "It's been good, obviously the numbers show it today. They have worked hard and we have worked hard. Sometimes it is just getting comfortable with a guy, seeing them as much as you can." Here is what he said about Joba "I thought he attacked, he was ahead. For him it was positive and we will get him back out there soon." Girardi had this to say about Gardner and Granderson in the same outfield. "A lot of times when you see two center fielders in one outfield, the one that is playing left is used to taking charge and he is going to call balls, but I haven't seen any issues." Andy Pettitte will pitch tomorrow with Javier Vazquez on Monday. CC Sabathia will pitch tuesdays split squad on the road and Sergio Mitre at home. Phil Hughes will pitch on Wednesday.

Grapefruit League Game 24-Nationals at Mets

The New York Mets will host the Washington Nationals at Digital Domain Park this afternoon at 1:00PM on WPIX. Hisanori Takahashi is making the start for the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, Sean Green, Ryota Igarashi and Kiko Calero are also scheduled to pitch today also. I don't have the Mets lineup for today and I am not going to have it up as I have other obligations. Here are some gamenotes though. The Mets have hit 30 homeruns on the spring which is tied with the Cincinatti Reds for first in the NL. The Mets are meeting the Nationals for the 4th time of 6 meetings this spring. The Mets have won 2 of the 3 meetings so far. Fernando Martinez is 3rd in the grapefruit league with a 413 average. David Wright is tied for fifth with 4 homeruns. Remember he hit 10 all of last season so this is a good sign. Angel Pagan is tied for the lead with 4 stolen bases. The game is on WPIX, enjoy the game and I will have a recap and some notes later on this evening.

Grapefruit League Game 23-Yankees at Tigers

Here are some pregame notes for this afternoons game and the lineup. The game is at 1:05PM on the YES network. A.J. Burnett will take on Nate Robertson. There are 8 spring games left after today as we are down to 8 days until Opening Night in Boston. Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, Dave Robertson and Chan Ho Park are scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen. This will be Chamberlains first appearance out of the bullpen again as he goes back to being the setup man. A.J. Burnett is making his 4th start of the spring, he is looking to do better, he was wild his last time out when he allowed 5 runs in 4 innings. He allowed them all in the first inning though and then settled down. Yankees Lineup: Gardner(CF) Johnson(1B) Posada(C) Thames(DH) Granderson(CF) Winn(RF) Pena(SS) Russo(2B) Laird(3B) I will have some more pregame info in a little while. Here are some notes from this mornings session with Joe Girardi via Chad Jennings.

Girardi has said time and again that his relievers have to earn their spot but he basically said that Joba will have a spot. "The assumption is that he will pitch at a high level and earn his spot." As for a role he isn't saying he will be in the 8th inning but did say this "You'd like to see someone lock it down, there are a lot of quality arms down there that could do it."

Joba will pitch one inning today and may get in back to back games before the end of spring but Girardi said it isn't a necessity.

Here is what Girardi said about his teams losing record this spring "If you're getting the pitching, then to me, that hitting is going to come." I would agree with him I don't pay too much attention to the record. If the pitchers are doing well and getting stronger that is all that really matters. The hitters are behind the pitchers and the full lineup isn't really together, this week they should all be playing regular and almost full games, that is when you look at it more, especially the last few games.

Joe Girardi said the decision to start Granderson in Center or left hasn't been made. He said he has just observed and hasn't put a lot of thought into it yet.

Enjoy the game everyone, remember it is televised on the yes network.

Hughes starts but Joba gets the attention

The New York Yankees played the Philadelphia Phillies last night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The final score was 3-0, Phil Hughes made the start on short rest to get lined up as the 5th starter but most of the attention was on Joba Chamberlain. Hughes pitched 3+ innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. He was a little wild but remember was on short rest. Joe Girardi said he was pleased with his outing. He said he was missing just a little bit but he was pleased with his outing. Zach Segovia pitched 2 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and a walk. Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout and so did Damaso Marte. Royce Ring pitched a inning giving up 2 runs and 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. Amaury Sanit pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Now lets get to Joba, he is the big topic as always because he is back to being in the bullpen. Here is what he had to say "I can say I am happy with myself because I gave it everything I've got. Hughes just beat me, that's it, the long and short of it." He said he expects to go back to his fastball slider combo and the Yankees expect his velocity to climb back into the upper 90's. I also expect this to happen and don't think it will take him too long to get back to that bulldog mindset and just start blowing people away. "I can't think about being a starter at this point. For me to help this team right now, it's being in the bullpen and trying to get guys out there. It's unfair to my team to think about something else." Here is what Brian Cashman had to say "I think we finished off his development plan, and we have choices with him now. He can start if we need him to start, he can relieve if we need him to relieve. I don't feel it's a waste at all. I think we completed the mission on him and what will be, will be." The Yankees offense only produced 4 hits in the game and one was by Marcus Thames off of lefty Jaime Moyer which is good, he is going to be used against lefties and needs to show he can hit them like he has in his career. The other hits were by Robinson Cano, Jon Weber and Nick Swisher. The Yankees will take on the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland today at 1:00PM. Francisco Cervelli will be away from the team for a couple of days to attend to a personal matter.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Mets and Marlins Tie

The New York Mets took on the Florida Marlins this afternoon. They tied 8-8, it was called after 11 innings. Nelson Figueroa gave up 8 hits and 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings. Jenrry Mejia faced 6 batters in 1 1/3 innings. He gave up 1 run and 3 hits. Fernando Nieve and Pedro Feliciano each pitched a scoreless inning. David Wright had a big day hitting a solo homerun and a 2 run double. Alex Cora also had a solo homerun, the Mets have really been hitting the longball this spring but I don't think it will carry over at this rate. I do think the Mets will hit more homeruns this year and be fine offensively just by having Reyes and Beltran will be back eventually. Jason Bay will add a bunch of power also. Angel Pagan had 3 hits, a rbi double and a leadoff walk. According to Brian Costa of the Star Leger Jenrry Mejia said he is ok with whatever the Mets decide. He said if they send him to the minor leagues he understands and just has to work hard and get to the majors eventually. The Mets will play the Nationals tomorrow at home tomorrow, the game will be televised on WPIX.

Grapefruit League Game 22-Phillies at Yankees

Here is the lineup for tonights game followed by some pregame notes. Jeter(SS) Thames(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Granderson(LF) Gardner(CF) Cervelli(C) Phil Hughes is starting tonights game. Rivera and Marte are also scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen tonight. Hughes is scheduled for about 75 pitches, remember he is on short rest. I know you are wondering is that A-rod in the lineup, yes it is. He was supposed to be in Buffalo meeting with the FEDS but we are not sure if that happened. Here is what he had to say today. "There was no meeting, no meeting today." He said "What I can tell you is that nothing has changed. We're going to continue to work together. We're going to cooperate and we're going to talk to the feds and major league baseball shortly." He said he is meeting with MLB because the league wants to hear what he has to say. He said he doesn't know where or when that meeting will take place. He said they are still working on it. He said "Whether I talk to them today or next week it will get done and hopefully it will be done before Opening Day and we can move on." The reports were that he was to meet in Buffalo today with the Feds, Rodriguez never said he wasn't in Buffalo just that he was in Tampa last night. This is still all fuzzy as usual with A-rod but I really don't believe he has done anything wrong in this case. The Yankees may be mad because they didn't give him permission to even meet with Dr. Galea but I am sure they will get past this. Marcus Thames is hitting second to get more at bats against the lefty Jaime Moyer. He will also start tomorrow against lefty Nate Robertson. Joba is scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen tomorrow. He said he will continue to use a changeup and curveball in his bullpen sessions but plans on going primarily back to a fastball-slider combo as a reliever. Joe Girardi said "I think Joba can do both, I really do." He was talking about starting or relieving and I do also but right now he is best used as a reliever. Joe Girardi said the same thing that right now they need him as a reliever. I think also if MO gets injured knock on wood then they have Joba who can step right in. The game is not on TV but is on WCBS radio in NY. It is 880AM on the dial. I will be out and about tonight so I won't be able to get to a game recap but I will have that tomorrow. Here is the Phillies Lineup: Rollins(SS) Polanco(3B) Utley(2B) Howard(1B) Werth(RF) Ibanez(LF) Victorino(CF) Gload(DH) Ruiz(C)

Grapefruit League Game 21-Mets at Marlins

Here is the Mets lineup for this afternoons game. Pagan(CF) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Murphy(1B) Francouer(RF) Cora(SS) Barajas(C) Figueroa(P) Pedro Feliciano, Fernando Nieve, Jenrry Mejia and Pat Misch are also scheduled to pitch. I will have the game recap and maybe some notes later on today or this evening.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Some notes from today

Here are some notes today from Chad Jennings of the Journal News and Lohud Yankees Blog. Marcus Thames was 0-4 today and his spring average is now down to .094. That is terrible but he does have experience and he is basically the last guy standing. Here is what Joe Girardi said "The one thing we talk about Marcus is playing against a lot of left-handers possibly. He hasn't seen a lot of left-handers this spring." The Yankees are scheduled to play Jaime Moyer tomorrow and Joe Girardi said he will be in the lineup. They will see lefty Nate Robertson on Saturday. He does have very good career numbers against lefties. Here is what Phil Hughes said about winning the 5th starter competition: "It was what I set out in the spring to do. I grew up a starter in high school, minor leagues, even my first couple partial seasons in the big leagues. It was something that I really wanted and I feel like im ready for the challenge and ready for the season that lies ahead. Im just looking to go out and put together as many quality starts as I can and give our guys a chance to win everyday. That's really all I can ask for myself. Girardi says he sees Sergio Mitre as the long man out of the bullpen but he seems open to putting whoever is earning it in key spots late in the game. He said when your pitching well you are going to pitch. This is what I love about Joe Girardi, he rewards guys that deserve to be rewarded, Joe Torre always relied on certain guys and that was it no matter what. Girardi said he isn't sure if A-rod will be available on Saturday, remember he is meeting with the FEDS tomorrow. The beat writers are going out to play some paintball with Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, Jason Zillo and other members of the Yankees PR staff. There probably won't be much news tomorrow morning but I will see if anything gets leaked about A-rods meeting. The game tomorrow is not until 7:00PM.

New York Mets drop close one to Cardinals

The New York Mets lost to the St. Louis Cardinals today in Jupiter by the score of 2-1. The encouraging thing for the Mets about this game was the way John Maine pitched. He started and pitched 5 innings giving up 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and he also had a strikeout. This is the best he has pitched all spring. Fernando Nieve pitched a scoreless inning giving up a hit. Kiko Calero pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts. He hasn't given up a run all spring and may be the 8th inning guy. I know a lot of people want Jenrry Mejia to be that guy but Jerry Manuel has said if he makes the team he wants to break him in slow and I agree with that. I personally wouldn't bring him up just yet but I think the Mets will bring him North. Elmer Dessens pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a walk. Pedro Feliciano faced one batter and got him out. The offense only managed 4 hits with 2 of them by Fernando Tatis. Frank Catalanotto had a hit, rbi and walk and Jordany Valdespin had the other hit. I never heard of him, he must be up from minor league camp. The Mets will be in Jupiter again tomorrow to take on the Florida Marlins. The game is at 1:00PM. If you check out Matthew Cerrones Metsblog.com you can see an exclusive interview Jose Reyes has with SNY. It will be on Sportsnight.

Yanks have Rough Day in Sarasota

The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles today in Sarasota by the score of 8-0. The Yankees starter was Alfredo Aceves who had been pitching so well this spring. He had a very rough day, I wonder if he was affected at all by the news that Hughes won the 5th starter competition and he will compete now for a job in the bullpen. He pitched into the third inning but didn't record an out, he gave up 6 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks. Boone Logan gave up a run in 1 inning but 0 hits, walks or strikeouts. Sergio Mitre pitched well, he went 2 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run with a walk. The run that scored was on a double play ball but second baseman Robinson Cano was going to cover second base and the ball got through for a RBI single. Chan Ho Park continues to impress with 2 scoreless innings. He gave up 2 hits and had 2 strikeouts. David Robertson finished out the pitching with a scoreless inning. He gave up a hit and walk and also had a strikeout. The offense didn't do much of anything, Randy Winn led the charge with 3 hits. Derek Jeter and Ramiro Pena each had a hit and that was it for the offense. Alex Rodriguez had a walk but struck out twice, some wonder if he was distracted by his meeting tommorrow in Buffalo with the Feds. Francisco Cervelli also drew a walk. The Yankees will play the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow night at 7:00PM. The game is at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The game will not be broadcast on TV. Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to make a relief appearance on Saturday, Joe Girardi said today just because they didn't win the 5th starter spot doesn't mean the other guys will head right to the bullpen. He said they still have to earn it and it is not a lock that Joba is the 8th inning guy. I don't see Joba not being that guy and eventual replacement for MO now and I am sure he is going to take the bull by the horns and go out and dominate in his single innings the rest of the spring. I just think he is built best for that job and he should flourish in the setup role like he did when he first came up.

Phil Hughes named 5th Starter

I am sorry that I didn't get to post the lineups or pregame information for today but here is what is going on. Chad Gaudin met with the beat reporters this morning to announce he has been released. Brian Cashman said he tried to trade him but there was no match and if they sent him to AAA they would have had to pay his full salary, right now they only owe him 1/4 of his salary. Phil Hughes was announced as the fifth starter and will start tomorrow on short rest so he can line up behind Javier Vazquez. Joe Girardi said a key to choosing Hughes was the development of his changeup this spring. They expect his innings limit to be slightly higher then Joba Chamberlains were last season, about 170. There was no announcement on when he will actually make his first start of the season but the Yankees don't need a 5th starter until April 17th and they only need one twice in April, they have every Monday off so this is a way to keep his innings down. There is audio of Joe Girardi today on the Lohud Yankees Blog at http://yankees.lhblogs.com Not that it matters but Aceves got knocked around pretty good today, he gave up 4 runs and didn't even get through the 3rd inning, he also gave up 6 hits. I will have a lot more later on this afternoon and evening regarding the days events and also the game recap.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Yankees Postgame Notes

The New York Yankees have made a decision on the 5th starter but Joe Girardi said they are not ready to announce it yet. They also aren't ready to announce the starter for Fridays game against the Phillies. Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre are pitching tomorrow but he said that the teams decision will not change based on how they do. The Yankees made 5 more cuts today and they are: Jonathan Albaladejo, Greg Golson, Kevin Russo, Juan Miranda and Mark Melancon. It looks like the announcement will be tomorrow regarding the 5th starter. Girardi did not say exactly why those 5 guys were cut but Ramiro Pena is now offically the utility guy. Javier Vazquez was happy with all of his pitches except his changeup. He said he has to iron out a minor mechanical issue. "I drift a little bit and my arm stays back." He is scheduled to pitch that last game of the spring against the minor leaguers. Francisco Cervelli made a nice play at third and Girardi said that he wants him to continue taking grounders there because Pena is the only guy on the bench who can play on the left side of the infield. Cervelli said he has gotten used to his new helmet and his teammates have stopped giving him a hard time about it. It's just the fans Gazoo he said. Joe Girardi said he got close to coming in to play third once but never actually did. He said it was a good thing he didn't.

Yankees look ready for opening day

The New York Yankees had their starting lineup in the game today and Javier Vazquez started and went into the 7th inning. The Yankees won the game by the score of 3-1 and appear to be ready for opening day which is less then 2 weeks away. Vazquez went 6 innings giving up 4 hits and 1 run. He didn't walk anyone and struck out 6 batters. Damaso Marte came in to pitch a inning and allowed a hit with a strikeout. Mariano Rivera had another scoreless inning allowing a hit with 2 strikeouts. Mark Melancon got the save with a perfect ninth inning, he had 2 strikeouts. The Yankees didn't score a lot of runs but they did what they needed to do. Nick Johnson had a hit and a walk. A-rod was 2-3 with 2 rbi, I think his hip is good as he had a rbi triple in the game. Robinson Cano was 1-1 with a rbi and Francisco Cervelli was 1-1. Curtis Granderson was 1-2 with a walk and Nick Swisher was 1-3. Brett Gardner was also 1-3. The Yankees will play the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM, the game is not on TV. Here are some of the pregame notes that came out of the media session with Joe Girardi. Chad Jennings had all the information at http://yankees.lhblogs.com

  • Joe Girardi said that they haven't made a decision on the 5th starter yet. He said he isn't sure if they will announce it tomorrow either. He said he is meeting with the staff tonight. He said he thinks that everyone has a feeling but that he wants to listen to their opinions before he formulates a decision. He said it is the right thing to do. I agree with him but I think it will be pretty unanimous for Phil Hughes.

  • He said that he hasn't decided on Granderson in center either although he was there tonight. Joel Sherman tweeted that this decision was made and I believe him but Girardi said this isn't the case. Maybe they didn't tell the players yet and that is why he is saying that. I would guess it will be Granderson though with Gardner in left. It is easier to move him out of left and get someone else if he doesn't perform.

  • Girardi said the only other decisions are should they carry a second lefty in the pen? Who is going to be the right handed bat off of the bench? I don't see who else it would be other then Marcus Thames unless a wild card makes it but I doubt it. I don't think they will carry the second lefty with Mitre, Aceves going to the pen.

  • This is what Girardi said about Doc Goodens arrest "Your heart goes out to him, I don't have any details, that is the first I have heard of it, but your heart goes out to him. He was a great teammate. Doc and I will always be linked because we played on a championship team and had a no-hitter together. If you didn't know it was the 1996 season. I loved playing with Doc, he was great to be around and a great teammate. You hope that everything is ok."

  • Alfredo Aceves will start the game tomorrow with Amaury Sanit, Dave Robertson, Chan Ho Park, Sergio Mitre and Zack Segovia all scheduled to make the trip. Almost all position players are making the trip, the only ones who aren't going are Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada, Mike Rivera and Brett Gardner.

Jose Reyes returns to Camp and Mets win game

I apologize I have been saying Tradition Field, the Mets changed the name the other day. The Mets spring training home is now known as Digital Domain Park. The Mets defeated the Houston Astros there this afternoon by the score of 5-2. Johan Santana made the start and pitched pretty well, he seemed to run out of steam at the end out his outing. He pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs on 8 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Jon Niese and Elmer Dessens combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Francisco Rodriguez struck out the side for the save in the ninth inning. Daniel Murphy who has struggled this spring had a good day. He was 2-4 with a 2 run homerun. Angel Pagan was 1-4 and Fernando Tatis was 1-1 with a rbi. David Wright was 1-3, Rod Barajas was 1-2 and Frank Catalanotto was 1-1. The Mets will travel to Jupiter tomorrow to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Here is the news from today, it is basically about J0se Reyes. According to SNY producer Matt Dunn Jose Reyes said he was told by doctors he had a virus which caused the elevated thyroid levels. He is on diet restrictions now such as no seafood. He said he is taking things one day at a time but will work as hard as he can to be ready as soon as possible. He said he needs to see how his legs respond though. He was asked how it felt to be back and he said that he feels better then he thought he would after spending 20 days laying on the couch watching TV. He said he was disappointed when he heard the news about his thyroid and wanted to be with his teammates but this was about his life. He said he can't wait to get into a game, that he is excited and is going to be like a little kid. He said he expects to be a little sore tomorrow but felt good going through the workouts today. He fielded grounders, ran, hit and threw to first base. Reyes said while home he spent time with his family, watched a lot of TV including the Mets games that were on TV. I think the Mets need to take it slow with him but this is great news. It seems like he will be ready for opening day and if not it won't be too long after that. The Mets just having him back around feel better about themselves and that is a good thing.

Grapefruit League Game 20-Nationals at Yankees

The New York Yankees will take on the Washington Nationals tonight at 7:05PM at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Here is todays lineup via Chad Jennings of the Journal News, this is a second look at what most likely will be the Opening Day Lineup. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(DH) Teixeira(1B) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Posada(C) Granderson(CF) Swisher(RF) Gardner(LF) Javier Vazquez is making his fourth start of the spring. Mariano Rivera, Mark Melancon, Zack Segovia, Boone Logan and Damaso Marte are also available to pitch. Here are some of the pregame notes. Scheduled to come off the bench tonight are: P.J. Pilittere(C), Juan Miranda(1B), Kevin Russo(2B), Ramiro Pena(SS), Francisco Cervelli(3B), Jon Weber(LF), Greg Golson(CF), David Winfree(RF). Yes Cervelli is playing third, I know its strange. Cervelli played first base way back in 2003. He has never played third base before, not even in the minor leagues. He does take ground balls there routinely though as the Yankees like to have all of their catchers get reps at the corners. The Yankees brought up minor leaguers Luis Nunez(Infielder) and Ryan Baker(C) for the game as backups. Here is the Nationals lineup tonight and on the traveling roster are former Yankees Alberto Gonzalez(SS), Brian Bruney(P), Tyler Clippard(P), and Wil Nieves(C). Nationals Lineup: Roger Bernadina(LF) Christian Guzman(SS) Willie Harris(3B) Josh Whitesell(1B) Justin Maxwell(CF) Adam Kennedy(2B) Ian Desmond(DH) Wil Nieves(C) Willy Taveras(RF) Starting pitcher is Livan Hernandez. This is a pretty no name lineup, there are some names you should know but not much firepower. The game is not on radio or TV tonight so check back later tonight or tomorrow morning if you don't stay up late for the recap and postgame notes.

Grapefruit League Game 20- Astros at Mets

The New York Mets take on the Houston Astros at 1:10PM today from Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. Here is todays lineup and scheduled pitchers. Mets Lineup: Pagan(CF) Castillo(2B) Wright(3B) Bay(LF) Murphy(1B) Francoeur(RF) Cora(SS) Barajas(C) Santana(P) Jon Niese, Francisco Rodriguez, Pat Misch, Sean Green and Elmer Dessens are scheduled to pitch behind Santana. Jose Reyes was back this morning, he was working out with the team, taking grounders etc. Doc Gooden was arrested yesterday for DUI, this is a sad thing. He just can never seem to get his life together. He was such a promising prospect so long ago with the Mets and never kept up his status because of his substance abuse problems. He later was with the Yankees and had some good moments and then after baseball continues to get himself in trouble. I will have more on Jose Reyes later on today. According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post he believes that the Mets are shopping Gary Matthews Jr., the Reds may be a possibility.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Jose Reyes is Back

The New York Mets received good news today when they found out that Jose Reyes will be rejoining them in Florida. His thyroid levels have gone down and he is able to resume baseball activities starting tomorrow. It is not known right now when he will be able to get into a game and if he will be ready for opening day but for the Mets this is a good day. The fact that he is back is a good sign because I know when I heard 2-8 weeks I figured it would be the latter and who knows with the Mets. If Reyes doesn't start the season with the team he should be ready not too long after. The Mets did play a game today and defeated the Atlanta Braves by the score of 7-6. Oliver Perez made the start for the Mets and was his typical wild self. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 3. Jenrry Mejia was working on back to back days and looked good. He pitched a scoreless inning, Ryota Igarashi also pitched a scoreless inning. Bobby Parnell pitched a inning giving up 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Sean Green pitched 1 inning giving up 1 hit, 2 runs and 1 walk. Alex Cora was 1-4 and Luis Castillo was 1-2 with 2 walks. Mike Jacobs was 1-1 with 2 rbi, David Wright drew a walk and Jason Bay was 1-4 with a rbi. Jeff Francoeur was 1-2 with a rbi and 2 walks, Gary Matthews Jr. was 2-4 with a rbi. The Mets will take on the Houston Astros tomorrow at Tradition Field at 1:10PM. Here are some notes and quotes from todays postgame. Jerry Manuel had this to say about Jose Reyes "I couldn't give you a timetable, but it sure is good to have him back." Here is what he said about a question of Reyes batting third. "We need Jose for the majority of the baseball season. We can't get caught up in opening day lineups." He talked about Jenrry Mejia and said he wouldn't start out as the 8th inning guy if he makes the team. Here is what he said "I'm comfortable with him and his adrenaline. It was good that he was able to pitch the way he did today, very impressive."

Phil Hughes 5th Starter,Joba to the Pen???

The New York Yankees haven't officially announced anything but it appears that Phil Hughes will be the 5th starter. If this is the case then Joba becomes the main setup man. Jon Heyman of si.com tweeted earlier today that the competition is down to Hughes and Mitre which basically means Hughes has the job. I don't know if this is true but he must of talked to someone within the Yankees who knows their plans. Chad Guadin was placed on waivers today. If no team claims him then he could accept a assignment to the minor leagues or be released outright. Joba and Mo will be in the backend of the bullpen, David Robertson will be the other setup man. Damaso Marte will be the lefty with Alfredo Aceves serving the same role as he did last season. Sergio Mitre will be the longman and Chan Ho Park will also be in the bullpen. Here is the rotation: CC Sabathia A.J. Burnett Andy Pettitte Javier Vazquez Phil Hughes The rest of the team is pretty much set also with Jaime Hoffman going back to the Ddogers. Marcus Thames and Randy Winn will be the extra outfielders and it looks like Ramiro Pena will be the utility man. I would keep an eye on Kevin Russo as he has played well and if he continues to do so at AAA who knows what could happen. I do think that the Yankees best team right now is with Hughes in the rotation and Joba in the pen. A lot of people will say well Hughes is on a innings limit but they don't need a 5th starter until the end of April and Mitre can be the extra guy if he needs to skip starts. I think we may have a official announcement tomorrow or Thursday but it appears to be Hughes.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Mets lose to Nats

The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals this afternoon by the score of 7-5. Mike Pelfrey started for the Mets and wasn't too good. He pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up 7 hits, 6 runs, 5 of them were earned. He also had 1 walk and 3 strikeouts, he gave up 4 homeruns. Jenrry Mejia pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up 1 hit, 0 runs and 1 walk. Ryota Igarashi pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits, 1 run and 2 walks. Bobby Parnell pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits, 0 runs and 0 walks or strikeouts. Chris Carter led the offense again going 3-5, Ruben Tejada and Jeff Francouer each had a hit. Russ Adams had a hit and Henry Blanco had 2 hits and a rbi. The Mets will take on the Braves at Tradition Field tomorrow at 1:10PM, the game is on SNY and ESPN. The buzz today on talk radio here in NY was that Daniel Murphy has won the job at first base and Mike Jacobs feels he is the better player. Jacobs has better numbers in the spring and more experience but the Mets appear committed to having Murphy start.

Looks can be deceiving

The New York Yankees lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater by the score of 9-7. A.J. Burnett got the start and had a horrible first inning, he recovered after that. He ended up throwing 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. He gave up all of his runs in the first inning and then threw 3 scoreless after that. This is typical A.J., he can be soo good yet so bad at times and sometimes it is just one inning. Royce Ring faced one batter a lefty and got him out. Phil Hughes who probably could have locked up the 5th starter spot appeared to get roughed up. His line was 4 1/3 innings 5 hits, 4 runs, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. He gave up a 2 run homerun that was legitimate but he also gave up 2 other solo homeruns that were wind aided. The good thing was 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. Mark Teixeira led the offense going 4-4 with a 2 run homerun. Brett Gardner had a rbi and Curtis Granderson was 2-3 with a walk and rbi. Nick Swisher had a hit and rbi and Ramiro Pena had 2 hits. Kevin Russo and Eduardo Nunez each had a hit and rbi. The Yankees are off tomorrow. Here are some notes from today via Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Joe Girardi said that they will be having serious discussions about the 5th starter on Wednesday and then see what their next move is and who will get more innings. Girardi said he isn't ruling anything out at this point. "We have five guys, we have in a sense one spot in the rotation and three in the bullpen. I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen, we have two weeks to go." There is a couple of audio of Girardi today on the Lohud Yankees Blog. A.J. Burnett said he threw some good changeups today, he said some got hit but but you keep throwing them. He said it is different, in the season you probably wouldn't keep throwing it but in the spring you can. Joba Chamberlain said his changeup is getting better and better. He said this is the best changeup he ever had today. He threw 5 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 runs in the intrasquad game today. He had 1 walk and 1 strikeout, he threw 75 pitches, 48 for strikes. Mariano Rivera got three outs, one of them a strikeout in the intrasquad game. He said "feeling good fellas, feeling good." He is scheduled to pitch again on Wednesday. Chan Ho Park was brilliant in the intrasquad game. He got 7 outs, 5 of them by strikeout. He only gave up one hit and threw 21 out of 29 pitches for strikes. Joe Girardi said "He did everything we wanted him to do." Damaso Marte got 4 outs, he got a double play and had 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Dave Robertson also got 4 outs. He struck out 3 and had 1 walk.

Grapefruit League Game 19-Mets at Nationals

The New York Mets are taking on the Washington Nationals this afternoon at 1:00PM in Viera. Here are the pitchers for today and the starting lineup: Mets Lineup: Angel Pagan(CF) Ruben Tejada(SS) Chris Carter(1B) Jeff Francoeur(RF) Frank Catalanotto(LF) Fernando Tatis(3B) Russ Adams(2B) Henry Blanco(C) Mike Pelfrey(P) The starting pitcher today is Mike Pelfrey. The other pitchers who are scheduled today are Bobby Parnell, Sean Green, Ryota Igarashi and Jenrry Mejia.

Grapefruit League Game 19-Yankees at Phillies

The New York Yankees are playing the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater this afternoon. The game is starting at 1:00PM. The starting pitcher for the Yankees is A.J. Burnett followed by Phil Hughes. Here is the lineup for the game. Yankees Lineup: Brett Gardner(LF) Curtis Granderson(CF) Mark Teixiera(1B) Nick Swisher(RF) Francisco Cervelli(C) Ramiro Pena(SS) Kevin Russo(3B) Eduardo Nunez(2B) A.J. Burnett(P) I don't have any game notes from the media notes today because I didn't have time to get to it, but I will have some pre and postgame notes later on today.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Mets play and defeat University Of Michigan

There isn't too much information but according to the NY Post the Mets defeated Michigan by the score of 8-1 this morning at Tradition Field. Nelson Figueroa started for the Mets and threw 3 strong innings. He gave up a run on 2 hits and had 3 strikeouts. Henry Blanco had a couple of rbi and Chris Carter was 3-3. If I get any more information on this game I will post it but that is all I have for now.

Yanks make a few cuts and try to figure out their pitching schedule

The New York Yankees are in a little bit of a mess. The reason they are in a mess is because of the rainout today. The Yankees have 7 pitchers who need to pitch and only 9 innings against a major league team tomorrow. They have been calling around to see if they could find another team to play a split squad tomorrow. Another option they may have is to play against one of the minor league teams. They may also play a B game at home tomorrow. Joe Girardi had this to say "It's a mess kinda, we don't have it completely ironed out. Right now, it's a little pain in the rear." A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Chan Ho Park and Damaso Marte all need to throw. The Yankees have a scheduled off day on Tuesday but Girardi said that wouldn't solve the problem because they are trying to keep everyone on schedule or as close to it as possible. My guess is they find a team who will play a split squad tomorrow and everyone will get their work in, if no one will cooperate then they will probably play a B game at home and they will still get their work in. I think it is less of a problem with a veteran team. The cuts that took place today were Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Colin Curtis and Reid Gorecki. They are all headed to the minor league complex. I am not sure if I will be able to get more information later about what is going on with the schedule but if I do I will post it on here, if not I will have something tomorrow. Enjoy this beautiful day everyone and pretty soon we will have baseball again. UPDATE: 3:45PM-The Yankees will play a intrasquad game at home tomorrow. Here is how the pitching will work. One of the teams will have Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Damaso Marte and they will go against the other team who will have Joba Chamberlain, Chan Ho Park and Dave Robertson. The rest of the team will head to Clearwater to face the Phillies, A.J. Burnett will start that game with Phil Hughes coming on in relief.

Yanks Game Rained Out

The New York Yankees game scheduled for this afternoon has been rained out. I will be back later with more information regarding the pitchers and what they will do with them. This is the 3rd game this spring rained out for the Yankees.

Grapefruit League Game 19-Astros at Mets

The New York Mets will host the Houston Astros this afternoon, they are also playing a morning game against the University Of Michigan. The game against the Michegan Wolverines doesn't count in the standings so I am just going to focus on the regular game. Jonathan Niese will take on Roy Oswalt this afternoon. I am still waiting to get a lineup for this game. The Mets game was rained out this afternoon, I don't have any other information regarding them right now. If there is any news or notes I will be sure to post it later.

Grapefruit League Game 19-Tigers at Yankees

The New York Yankees will take on the Detroit Tigers this afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. A.J. Burnett will get the start and be followed by Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera is also scheduled to pitch. Here are the game notes and lineups for todays game. Johnny Damon will be making his first trip back to Tampa to see his old teammates. This is the 4th of 6 meetings this spring between the two teams. The Yankees are 2-1 against the Tigers so far. Zach Segovia Amaury Sanit and Josh Schmidt are also available to pitch for the Yankees. Schmidt is up from the minor league complex. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Johnson(1B) Posada(C) Rodriguez(3B) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Granderson(CF) Winn(LF) Cervelli(DH) Cervelli will start at DH then move to catcher later in the game. The other players scheduled to come off of the bench are Juan Miranda(1B), Ramiro Pena(2B), Reegie Corona(SS), Brandon Laird(3B), Jon Weber(LF), Greg Golson(CF), David Winfree(RF) and Austin Romine at DH. Justin Verlander is making the start for the Tigers and also pitching for them is Joel Zumaya, Jose Valverde, Phil Dumatrait, Phil Coke and Josh Rainwater. Detroits Lineup: Inge(3B) Damon(LF) Ordonez(RF) Cabrera(1B) Guillen(DH) Kelly(CF) Laird(C) Sizemore(2B) Everett(SS)
 

Resistance Bands is a Free Blogger Template