Results tagged ‘ Curtis Granderson ’
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
Granderson “perplexed” by scheduling issues
Yankees player representative Curtis Granderson just released the following statement:
“Given the advance notice and the fact that other teams have adjusted their schedules ahead of time, we are perplexed at the current options we are being presented with in regards to making up any games postponed due to Hurricane Irene.
“The proposition to take away our only full off day in the final month of the season is not an option, even though the Orioles’ front office and the Commissioner’s office think this is an adequate solution. It’s a shame that the decision has now come down to possibly having to play four games in two days or having to come back to Baltimore for another makeup game.”
Game 96: Yankees at Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — Interesting read on the front page of the St. Petersburg Times this morning, on the criticism of Tropicana Field and how it affects attendance.
With CC Sabathia starting on his 31st birthday today, I filed a column on his recent stretch, his chances of winning 300 and the possibility that he’s only reaching his prime right now.
CC (pictured right by The Associated Press) said he hasn’t made a decision yet on whether or not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract (though the popular belief is that there’s no way he wouldn’t, considering how well he’s pitching, how important he is to the Yankees and how slim the free-agent crop of starters will be this offseason).
Asked if he can see himself finishing his career in New York, he said: “Of course. This is definitely one of the storied franchises in baseball, and to be able to be a part of it and win a championship two years ago was great. Hopefully I can continue to be here.”
Asked if he feels the Yankees need to make a rotation addition before the non-waiver Trade Deadline, CC said: “We’re good. Of course, you can always try to do something, but with the way we pitched this year, I think we can be good enough to make the playoffs.”
Interesting lineup prior to the rematch of CC and James Shields. Curtis Granderson is out, as expected, after getting banged up on Wednesday. And Brett Gardner is leading off, with Derek Jeter batting second, as Joe Girardi hinted at prior to Wednesday’s game. The fact Granderson and Alex Rodriguez are both out made that a pretty easy decision.
Only time will tell if Gardner continues to lead off on a consistent basis moving forward, but Girardi did say he has no problem leading him off against a lefty starter now …
YANKEES (57-38)
Gardner, LF
Jeter, SS
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Russell Martin, C
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Chris Dickerson, LF
Pitching: LH Sabathia (14-4, 2.64 ERA)
RAYS (51-45)
Ben Zobrist, DH
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Evan Longoria, 3B
B.J. Upton, CF
Justin Ruggiano, RF
Kelly Shoppach, C
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Elliot Johnson, SS
Sam Fuld, LF
Pitching: RH Shields (8-8, 2.60 ERA)
Some other links from last night …
* Yanks-Rays game story on redemption
* Yankees Notebook, on Granderson, Nova, lineups and roofs
* Preview for Shields and CC
– Alden
Game 95: Yankees at Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — So, on Sunday, Sean Rodriguez shattered a light bulb. On Monday, there was a power outage. And on Tuesday, Curtis Granderson lost a ball in the roof. What’s the next strange occurrence at this quirky Tropicana Field?
We’ll find out soon.
Joe Girardi called an audible with his lineup just before batting practice, opting to put Nick Swisher in as the designated hitter and start Andruw Jones in right field. Girardi said it wasn’t physical — “Just changed my mind.” — so he probably just wanted to give Swisher a break from the turf, since he hasn’t had one yet in this second half.
Derek Jeter is back leading off, which is no surprise but is interesting considering how much he has struggled (5-for-26 since that magical 3,000th-hit day) and how well Wednesday’s No. 9 hitter, Brett Gardner (.591 batting average in the second half), is hitting. Girardi talked pregame about the possibility of a top three of Gardner, Jeter and Granderson while Alex Rodriguez is out. As for Jeter dropping to the bottom third of the lineup? I’d think something really drastic would have to take place for that to happen.
The lineup’s below, but I’m curious as to how y’all would order things while A-Rod is out …
YANKEES (56-38)
Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Swisher, DH
Russell Martin, C
Jones, RF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Gardner, LF
Pitching: RH Freddy Garcia (7-7, 3.43 ERA)
RAYS (51-44)
Johnny Damon, DH
Robinson Chirinos, C
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Evan Longoria, 3B
Matt Joyce, RF
B.J. Upton, CF
Sam Fuld, LF
Rodriguez, 2B
Reid Brignac, SS
Pitching: LH David Price (9-7, 3.73 ERA)
Some goodies from the game notes …
* The Yankees have had 17 players on the disabled list, the most of any Major League team in 2011 . Their current total of 11 players on the DL matches their total from all of last season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
* The Yanks are 19-9 with a Major League-high 39 homers vs. lefty starters this season.
* New York has gone seven straight games without allowing a homer, which marks its longest stretch since ’08.
* With one more stolen base, Gardner will become the first Yankees player with back-to-back 30-stolen-base seasons since Alfonso Soriano did it in three straight years from 2001-03.
* Opposing batters have hit just .182 with runners in scoring position off Garcia this year.
Some links from last night …
* Yanks lose, but Colon looks good
* Yankees Notebook, on Soriano, Nova, Mo and Garrison
* Yanks expect bounceback effort from Garcia
* HBO special on Jeter to air July 28
(picture above courtesy of The Associated Press)
– Alden
Game 91: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
TORONTO — Joe Girardi didn’t expect his bullpen to log so many innings so quickly into the second half. But two games removed from the All-Star break, the Yankees’ skipper already finds himself needing a long, bullpen-saving start from ace CC Sabathia. The Yankees’ relief corps logged 7 1/3 innings on Thursday, then three more on Friday. In that span, five different relievers were used, with Sergio Mitre going twice. Because of that, Mitre won’t be available today, and there’s a good chance neither will Hector Noesi, who’s two days removed from pitching 3 1/3 frames.
“It happens during the course of the season and you just have to prepare for it,” Girardi said. “You need some distance out of your ace today, and that’s the bottom line. And I think we’re covered. But if something were to happen to CC in the first inning, then it’d be a little tough today.”
Lucky for Joe, Sabathia is one of the best second-half pitchers in baseball.
Or perhaps the best.
In terms of second-half performance from 2006-10, Sabathia leads all Major League starters who qualify in ERA (2.64), wins (41) and strikeouts (490). For his career, the burly left-hander has a 3.67 first-half ERA and a 3.31 second-half ERA. Now, he’ll be looking to get the Yankees back on track after they dropped back-to-back games, and look to snap the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak.
A lot of the talk pregame, once again, centered on signs. Russell Martin claimed the Blue Jays were picking up his signs on Thursday. Then last night, Girardi opted to go with multiple signs even with nobody on base, which led to a lot of mound trips and some confusion that may have taken Freddy Garcia out of rhythm (though nobody really used that as an excuse). Pregame today, Girardi vaguely addressed the issue of teams taking other measures besides their own baserunners to pick up signs, saying: “Sometimes we have inclinations that things might be happening in certain ballparks. We’re aware of it, and we try to protect our signs.” Blue Jays skipper John Farrell then denied that any of that is going on at Rogers Centre.
More on that soon.
For now, here are the lineups, with Jose Bautista still out for the Blue Jays and day-to-day with a sore ankle. It’s looking like he won’t play on Sunday, either. Curtis Granderson has the day off from the turf, and Martin gets a blow behind the plate with the quick turnaround …
YANKEES (53-37)
Derek Jeter, SS
Granderson, DH
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Andruw Jones, LF
Brett Gardner, CF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Pitching: LH Sabathia (13-4, 2.72 ERA)
BLUE JAYS (47-47)
Rajai Davis, CF
Eric Thames, RF
Yunel Escobar, SS
Adam Lind, 1B
Edwin Encarnacion, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Travis Snider, LF
J.P. Arencibia, C
John McDonald, 3B
Pitching: LH Ricky Romero (7-8, 3.09 ERA)
Some links from last night …
* Garcia bested on night to forget for Yanks
* Yankees Notebook, with stuff on Nunez’s learning curve, Jeter’s popularity and Colon’s health
* Martin blames himself if Blue Jays knew signs
– Alden
Yankees wrap up All-Star Game, prepare for second half
With the National League’s 5-1 victory over the American League in the books, the four Yankees who participated in this year’s All-Star Game festivities here in Phoenix will get set to fly on to Toronto, where the Bombers open the second half on Thursday against the Blue Jays.
No one was more jazzed from the Yankees than David Robertson, who fired a scoreless second inning as an emergency fill-in for Josh Beckett, pitching around a Lance Berkman single and striking out Matt Holliday looking on a strike-out, throw-out double play.
“It seems like everything has been really quick, really fast,” Robertson said. “I’m glad I got to pitch in an All-Star Game. It’s something that if it never happens again, I still got to throw in an All-Star Game.”
Here’s some other Yankees reaction from the All-Star festivities as we depart the desert and head back to the regular business:
Dave Robertson, on his initial impressions of the All-Star experience
“Everything’s been great. It’s nice just to talk to thee guys, meeting new people. Even seeing your arch-enemies from the Red Sox and talking to them; they’re all friendly. At least, now we are. Things can change.
“The whole All-Star experience – everything we do, everyone’s in a good mood and laid back. It’s fun.”
Cano gives some love to Big Papi
Robinson Cano, on his Home Run Derby showing and the immediate reaction
“These guys are saying to me, ‘Wow, you’ve got power – I didn’t know you’ve got that kind of power.’ In this field the ball flies. You have to hit it but it helps you a lot.
“It was more than what I expected. To see my dad pitching, I felt like I was in my own backyard.”
Curtis Granderson, on Cano’s Home Run Derby shot that pelted a Miller Lite sign in right field
“It was definitely amazing how far it was. The only thing that took away from it was the estimated distance. We thought it was a lot further than [472 feet], based on some that were hit out there. But that’s amazing. That was a good one.”
“He got to show ev that power that he had that I’ve been telling everybody about.”
Russell Martin, on feeling as though he belongs more now than in his previous two All-Star appearances
“I definitely feel more established than before. I was a really young kid the first couple of times [in 2007 and 2008]. I feel like I’ve been around the block a little bit and know the ins and outs, and the guys that are here a little bit. It’s good to be back.
“I was nervous before. Now, I definitely won’t be as nervous. I was in a clubhouse with Barry Bonds and all those guys. It was pretty awesome.”
Granderson greeting fans today in Yankees Museum
Want to meet Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson? This could be your chance.
Granderson will be greeting fans today from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the New York Yankees Museum, located on the 200 level near right field.
Brett Gardner to lead off vs. right-handers
The Yankees have decided how they want to stack the top part of their lineup, planning on having Brett Gardner lead off against right-handed pitchers with Derek Jeter batting second, beginning with tomorrow’s opener against the Tigers’ Justin Verlander.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said that “you can bank on” having Jeter in the leadoff spot against left-handed pitching.
Gardner hit .287 (97-for-338) off righties last year, posting a .387 on-base percentage and .391 slugging percentage. Jeter hit .246 (111-for-451) off righties, with a .316 on-base percentage and .317 slugging percentage.
“It possibly gives him 50-60 more at-bats during the course of the year. Maybe 70,” Girardi said of Gardner. “If he’s on close to 40 percent of the time, he’s going to score more runs. It doesn’t take a lot. Maybe he can steal second and steal third, [and score on a] sac fly. We think he’s going to score more runs, and that’s why we’re doing it. And just how he’s able to disrupt pitchers.”
Off lefties in 2010, Gardner was .252/.373/.353, while Jeter was .321/.391/.481. Jeter’s career numbers against lefties are .335/.408/.498, compared to .307/.377/.437 against righties.
Assuming Curtis Granderson comes through his Minor League game fine in Tampa this afternoon and joins the team in New York tonight, this could be the Yankees’ Opening Day lineup:
Brett Gardner LF, Derek Jeter SS, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Jorge Posada DH, Curtis Granderson CF, Russell Martin C, CC Sabathia LHP
If Granderson needs to be scratched, the Yankees would probably start Andruw Jones in left field, moving Gardner to center field.
- Also, righty Luis Ayala will be the 12th man on the pitching staff, replacing lefty Pedro Feliciano, who is headed for the disabled list. The Yankees announced the Ayala move this afternoon, but Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News got the heads-up hours earlier. How? This one’s a case of right place, right time: Ayala was sitting next to Feinsand on the flight to Newark this morning.
Feliciano questionable for Opening Day, Granderson “50-50″
Left-hander Pedro Feliciano may not be ready for the March 31 opener against the Tigers and could begin the season on the disabled list. Feliciano still feels discomfort behind his left shoulder and is scheduled to try playing catch again on Sunday.
Additionally, Curtis Granderson is continuing treatment on his strained oblique – he swung a bat today, ran the bases and threw – and says he feels like he has a “50-50″ chance of being ready for March 31.
“The way everything felt today was a good sign, another step forward,” he said. “Hopefully everything continues the same way.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman indicated the team may wait as long as the March 30 workout day at Yankee Stadium to determine if Granderson should begin the year on the disabled list. If they retroactively date him, Granderson would be eligible to come off the DL on April 6.
“That would be their call,” Granderson said. “I feel like everything is fine in terms of avoiding the DL.”
Granderson excited for a Jeter rebound
Curtis Granderson arrived at Yankees camp yesterday and said he is looking forward to feeling a bit more at home now that his second season in pinstripes is beginning.
Bryan Hoch
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