Results tagged ‘ Bartolo Colon ’
Game 151: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
TORONTO — Will Canada see history? Well, there’s at least a chance. Joe Girardi was asked pregame today if there was any way he’d put somebody else in if there’s a save situation so that Mariano Rivera can get the saves record at Yankee Stadium (where the Yanks begin an eight-game homestand Monday). The answer was what you’d expect: Not a chance.
Girardi did nail down his rotation for early next week: Ivan Nova will pitch on Tuesday, CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes will start Wednesday’s doubleheader (not sure what order yet) and Bartolo Colon will go on Thursday. As for the lineup? Joe wants to give some guys a little rest.
“The guys have been going so hard, I figured we have an important 10 days coming up, try to give them a little bit of a blow,” Girardi said. “[Curtis Granderson] and [Derek Jeter] have really struggled against [Brandon] Morrow in their career, and I just thought today would be the day.”
Without further ado …
YANKEES (91-59)
Brett Gardner, LF
Eduardo Nunez, 2B
Robinson Cano, DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher, RF
Eric Chavez, 1B
Russell Martin, C
Chris Dickerson, LF
Ramiro Pena, SS
Pitching: RH Freddy Garcia (11-7, 3.71 ERA)
BLUE JAYS (76-75)
Mike McCoy, SS
Eric Thames, LF
Jose Bautista, RF
Adam Lind, DH
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Kelly Johnson, 2B
Brett Lawrie, 3B
Colby Rasmus, CF
J.P. Arencibia, C
Pitching: Morrow (9-11, 5.23 ERA)
Some links from Saturday …
* Yanks win, Mo ties the save record, A-Rod goes deep, Grandy gets to 40
* Rivera one away from saves record
* Yankees Notebook, on A-Rod, Hughes, CC, Posada, etc.
* Mo can set record as Yanks try to lower number
– Alden
With 6-man staff, rotation questions loom for Yanks
TORONTO — The decision to go to a six-man rotation isn’t as cut-and-dry as “it gives those veteran arms an extra day of rest.” Just ask Freddy Garcia, Sunday’s starter and a guy you’d think would be perfectly suited to get extra time in between starts. Talking to him Saturday, he sounded rather peeved at the idea that he has to wait so long to make his outings. Sure, he’s 34 and has probably already thrown more innings (136) than the Yankees expected to get from him all season.
But he doesn’t feel pitching on five- or six-days’ rest is in any way ideal.
“You want to pitch every five days, man,” Garcia (pictured left by The Associated Press) said. “You get used to pitching every five days. It’s too long. Seven days, it’s a long time. But, you know, that’s the way it is right now. You have to deal with that.”
Garcia and 38-year-old Bartolo Colon — who has thrown 156 innings so far — each have higher career ERAs on five days’ rest than they do with the standard four. But the bigest problem may be ace CC Sabathia, who has a 4.56 ERA in his last eight starts, with seven of those coming on extended rest.
“We have a six-man rotation, so what are you going to do?” Garcia said. “That’s what we got.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has kept his staff at six games for almost two months now, and he’ll keep it that way at least through Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Rays. After that, it’s time for some tough choices. Who will be sent to the bullpen? Who will make up the postseason rotation? And, perhaps most importantly, how is he going to make it so that CC starts Game 1 of the American League Division Series?
Girardi is dodging any postseason questions right now because he just wants to clinch first. But tough decisions are on the horizon.
If you had to pare the rotation down to four for the playoffs right now, who would it be? …
– Alden
Game 143: Yankees at Angels
September 9, 2011 – Angel Stadium — 10:05 p.m. ET (YES, WCBS 880 AM)
YANKEES (87-55)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones RF
Jesus Montero DH
Brett Gardner LF
RHP Bartolo Colon (8-9, 3.72)
ANGELS (78-65)
Erick Aybar SS
Howie Kendrick 2B
Bobby Abreu DH
Torii Hunter RF
Mark Trumbo 1B
Alberto Callaspo 3B
Vernon Wells LF
Peter Bourjos CF
Jeff Mathis C
RHP Jered Weaver (16-7, 2.49)
Game 107: Yankees vs. White Sox
CHICAGO — Greetings from U.S. Cellular Field, the first of a whopping 21 road games this month, and the first of a week that will finish at Fenway Park.
Derek Jeter is out of the Yankees’ lineup after being hit by a pitch in his right middle finger on Sunday, and the competition between Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova is seemingly on. The Yankees announced they were going with a six-man rotation this week, with Nova — who gave up two runs in seven innings during his big league return on Saturday — starting Thursday, Bartolo Colon sliding back to Friday, CC Sabathia pitching on normal rest Saturday and Freddy Garcia getting the nod on six days’ rest Sunday.
More on that later, but just know this: Hughes’ Tuesday start is a big one. He knows it, and they know it.
In other news, Alex Rodriguez (knee surgery) is slated to be in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday and plans to resume workouts by Thursday. How long would it take for him to get back once he starts those workouts? Joe Girardi wouldn’t say, but mid-August is at least looking good.
Here are your lineups …
YANKEES (64-42)
Brett Gardner, LF
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Eric Chavez, 3B
Jorge Posada, DH
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Francisco Cervelli, C
Pitching: LH Sabathia (15-5, 2.56 ERA)
WHITE SOX (52-54)
Juan Pierre, LF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Carlos Quentin, DH
Adam Dunn, 1B
Alex Rios, CF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Gordon Beckham, 2B
Brent Lillibridge, RF
Brent Morel, 3B
Pitching: RH Jake Peavy (4-4, 5.27 ERA)
– Alden
Game 94: Yankees vs. Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — It’s possible (though not likely) that two Yankees could make their Major League debut at Tropicana Field tonight.
Brandon Laird, called up yesterday after Ramiro Pena‘s appendectomy, is finally active after a flight delay forced him to arrive late yesterday. On Tuesday, it was lefty Steve Garrison who was called up from Double-A Trenton to take the place of righty Sergio Mitre, who’s battling a bacterial infection but was placed on the DL because of shoulder tendinitis.
More on all that soon, but here are the lineups prior to what most will agree is a very important start for Bartolo Colon …
YANKEES (56-37)
Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Russell Martin, C
Brett Gardner, LF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Pitching: RH Colon (6-5, 3.47 ERA)
RAYS (50-44)
Johnny Damon, DH
Ben Zobrist, RF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
B.J. Upton, CF
Robinson Chirinos, C
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Sam Fuld, LF
Reid Brignac, SS
Pitching: RH Jeremy Hellickson (8-7, 3.21 ERA)
Some links from last night …
* Patience a virtue as Yanks edge Rays
* Jeter passes Kaline on career hits list
* Hurt corner: Pena to DL thins Yanks at 3B
* Yankees Notebook on Chavez and the Trade Deadline
* Yanks hope Colon has tossed aside concerns
(Sorry there was no blog yesterday — technical difficulties.)
– Alden
If Phil is right, do the Yankees need Ubaldo?
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — That’s the question I’m pondering from St. Pete, just a few hours before the start of a four-game series against the Rays and just a few hours removed from a very convincing start by Phil Hughes.
Hughes looked awfully close to that 18-game winner from 2010 against the Blue Jays on Sunday, when he notched his first win and first quality start, retired eight of his final nine hitters he faced and registered just 80 pitches through six innings. He could’ve gone longer, but Hughes (pictured left by The Associated Press) went deep enough to make a very important point — he looks like an effective starting pitcher again.
Over the All-Star break, the right-hander worked with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on better aligning his stride towards the plate and adjusting his curveball grip. That grip gave him a much sharper breaking ball he was able to use as a reliable No. 2 pitch to offset his four-seamer (one that consistently sat in the 92- to 93-mph range and got better as the game wore on).
Now, the question: If Hughes truly is back, and he’s the 2010 version again, do the Yankees need Ubaldo Jimenez?
Here’s the thing about Jimenez: Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd doesn’t really have to move him. It reminds me a lot of the situation with Padres closer Heath Bell in recent years. Jimenez is under club control for a while (signed through 2012 with two additional club options thereafter), he’s awfully affordable (making no more than $8 million through 2014) and his stock is rather low (Jimenez is 5-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 18 starts this year — though he does have a 2.56 ERA since the start of June).
Since the Rockies are 9 1/2 games out of first place and the starting-pitching market is weak, it’s not surprising they would shop him. But considering all the above-mentioned factors, it’s no wonder Colorado seeks the sun and the moon for the services of Ubaldo (pictured right by the AP).
MLB.com colleague Thomas Harding says the Rockies are at least listening to offers for Jimenez, but a deal remains unlikely. Peter Gammons, meanwhile, put the chances of a deal at 10 percent. We all know how quickly things can change as the non-waiver Trade Deadline draws closer, though.
With regards to the Yankees, the names that have surfaced as potential pieces to a deal are the likes of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Ivan Nova and Jesus Montero (though SI.com is reporting today that Montero wouldn’t be the centerpiece of the potential trade, since the Rockies don’t view him as a catcher).
Now, if Hughes is right, then the Yankees would have an in-house rotation of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Hughes at the top, with the final spots going to any two between Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Nova.
Would they still need Jimenez to make a return trip to the playoffs? And would it be worth it to give up what the Rockies would want in return?
Curious to hear your thoughts.
Some links from the series finale in Toronto …
* Efficient Hughes looks strong in first win
* Yankees Notebook, on Gardner, Dickerson, Teixeira and A-Rod
* Yankees intend to push Rays down standings
– Alden
Game 90: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
TORONTO — Well, that answers that.
Joe Girardi got the expected response when he spoke to Bartolo Colon — that he’s perfectly healthy — and didn’t see any signs that the veteran righty was hurt or when he looked at and compared tape frame-by-frame. Girardi said Colon’s stuff was actually pretty good on Thursday night — though he admitted his velocity may have been down a tad — and said the 38-year-old will make his next scheduled start, which is Tuesday against the Rays.
Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is out of the lineup today, likely won’t play tomorrow and could miss the rest of the series after twisting his ankle sliding into third base in the fourth inning on Thursday night.
Here are your lineups …
YANKEES (53-36)
Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Russell Martin, C
Brett Gardner, LF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Pitching: RH Freddy Garcia (7-6, 3.13 ERA)
BLUE JAYS (46-47)
Rajai Davis, CF
Eric Thames, DH
Yunel Escobar, SS
Adam Lind, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Travis Snider, LF
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
Corey Patterson, RF
Jose Molina, C
Pitching: RH Brandon Morrow (5-4, 4.60 ERA)
– Alden
Does Colon deserve another start?
TORONTO — Today, Joe Girardi will call Bartolo Colon into his office to ask him if his strained left hamstring is healthy enough for him to pitch and, most importantly, be effective. And Colon, in typical Colon fashion, will likely tell him he’s perfectly healthy and it’s just a mental block he has to overcome.
But is that entirely true?
He did hurl six shutout innings against the Mets in his first start back from the disabled list. But he was hit around against the Rays after that, then couldn’t get through a nightmarish first inning against the Blue Jays last night. Girardi says the Yankees simply didn’t play good defense behind Colon (which is true, considering Brett Gardner‘s bad read on an eventual double and Eduardo Nunez‘s error on an inning-ending chopper). Russell Martin says the Blue Jays were stealing signs from the get-go (which, if true, would definitely give opposing hitters a big advantage). And Colon (pictured left by The Associated Press) says he’s pitching scared with his left leg; meaning he’s not landing firm enough in order to get enough life on his pitches.
That’s a whole lot of explanations (some would call them excuses), but the reality is quite simple: Colon hasn’t been as good lately as he was throughout the year. And when you consider he’s 38, only made 19 big league starts from 2008-10 and (let’s face it) isn’t in top-tier physical condition, it’s concerning, even if the sample size is quite small.
The Yankees at least know they have options if they decide Colon can’t start for them, with Ivan Nova in Triple-A and having the experience of pitching in the big leagues this year. (Nova gave up three runs in seven innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last night, by the way.)
The question is: Should the Yankees give Colon another shot and allow him to make his next turn in the rotation? Or do you recall up Nova and put Colon in the ‘pen?
We may know more about Colon’s situation pregame, and we’ll definitely have some lineups then.
For now, here are some links from last night you might’ve missed …
* Colon, Yankees endure tough night in Toronto
* Martin accuses Blue Jays of sign stealing
* Yanks ink lefty Romero to Minors deal
* Yankees Notebook, on Jeter’s reaction to All-Star Game criticism, Colon’s surgery documents, Golson’s call-up, Soriano’s future and the record Jeter and Posada now share
– Alden
Postgame notes: Colon didn’t skip a beat
That was pretty much what the Yankees expected out of Bartolo Colon, all right — six innings and 80 pitches, keeping the Mets off the scoreboard in a five-hit effort.
By the time Colon’s work was done, his strained left hamstring and any concern the Yankees might have had about it were far off in the rear-view mirror.
“In the beginning when I was warming up in the bullpen I was thinking about it a little bit,” Colon said. “But when the game started I forgot about it.”
Alex Rodriguez gushed praise, saying that Colon is “a dream to have for our staff. He eats up innings, he strikes people out, he gets a lot of ground ball double plays. Any guy that’s 0-2 all the time and throws with that kind of pace is great.”
The Mets lost Jose Reyes to a left hamstring injury, but it’s been a terrific weekend for the other New York shortstop (not Derek Jeter): Eduardo Nunez would be 8-for-8 if not for Justin Turner’s leaping grab in the sixth inning, adding on a Citi Field home run off Tim Byrdak in the ninth inning.
“I feel better when I play every day, because when you play every day, you can say OK tomorrow is a new day,” Nunez said. “It’s my job right now, when Jeter comes back I’ll have to make adjustments.”
As for Jeter, who is currently on the field for the Trenton Thunder and has already made one sharp play in the field, the starting shortstop’s job will be his as soon as Monday. Girardi confirmed as much, sidestepping a reporter’s question if the Yankees were better with Jeter or Nunez at shortstop.
“Nuney has played well, but Derek is our shortstop,” Girardi said. “He’s been our shortstop for a long time, and has been a great player, and he’s still a great player. We’re looking forward to getting him back. My hope is these next two days go well and we get him back and get him going like he can. Derek is the guy that has always been there for us and he’ll continue to be there for us.”
THIS AND THAT: Tonight’s attendance of 42,042 was the largest ever at Citi Field. That’s 22 more than last night … The Yankees are 4-1 vs. the Mets this year … Colon has won four straight starts, pitching to a 1.00 ERA (3 ER/27 IP) since May 30 at Oakland … The Yankees are a MLB-best 24-4 in day games this year … Nick Swisher’s eight-game hitting streak ended today. … Sergio Mitre made his 2011 Yankees debut, allowing two earned runs in the ninth inning.
Bryan Hoch
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