BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

The Washington Nationals finished the 2011 season with an 80-81 record (one game was lost due to rain and never replayed), good enough for a third place finish in the increasingly tough NL East. The season certainly finished on a brighter note than it began, thanks in part to a mid season managerial change and the emergence and development of a number of the organization’s bright young talents.

Starting Rotation: B
Statistically speaking, the Nationals’ rotation would fall somewhere in the middle of the pack when viewing the respective rotations across baseball. Of starters to make at least 5 starts with the team during the 2011 season only Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, and Tom Milone finished with winning records. John Lannan was the only pitcher with double digit wins. Yet, there were numerous positive signs to come from the team’s starting corps – the healthy returns of Jordan Zimmermann and Wang, the development of Milone and Brad Peacock, improvements from Lannan, and the late season dominating appearances by Stephen Strasburg.

Bullpen: B+
The backend of the Nationals’ bullpen has developed into a strength – with closer Drew Storen and setup men Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett. The trio combined for 47 saves, a 14-8 record, and 211 strikeouts in 220.1 innings of work. The emergence of other arms around these arms, however, is what really made the 2011 season a positive one. Cole Kimball, Ryan Mattheus, Henry Rodriguez, Ross Detwiler, and Todd Coffey all posted sub-4.00 ERA seasons and proved that they can be contributors moving forward.

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Catchers: A-
When the Nationals flipped Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins at the 2010 July trade deadline they knew there were getting something special in Wilson Ramos. However, I don’t think anyone expected Ramos to develop as quickly as he seemingly has after the 2011 season we’ve just seen. The catcher batted .267/.334/.445 with 15 HR in his first taste of full time at bats and has solidified himself as the team’s catcher of the present and future. Ivan Rodriguez, the man expected to share the at bats with Ramos heading into the season, struggled at the plate and could be allowed to leave via free agency this winter. Meanwhile, Jesus Flores, the team’s former “catcher of the future”, returned from injury and could give the team a valuable asset if he can return to his old form offensively.

Infield: B
The team’s infield looked solid through much of the 2011 season. Ryan Zimmerman (.289/.355/.443) put up respectable, though below career-norm numbers. Michael Morse (.303/.360/.550) had a breakout season while getting most of the at bats at first base but the question of where he plays defensively next year has not yet been answered. Danny Espinosa (.236/.323/.414) and Ian Desmond (.253/.298/.358) had decent years at the plate as well. Morse led the team with 31 HR and Espinosa added 21 of his own, though there isn’t much additional power production from the group.

From a depth standpoint there is some cause for concern, however, which drops the group’s overall grade a little. Beyond rookie Stephen Lombardozzi there isn’t much depth within the organization at any of the infield positions aside from first base (where Adam LaRoche’s 2012 return could push Morse into the outfield). Lombardozzi is known for his glove which could mold well with defensive standouts in Zimmerman and Espinosa.

Outfield: D
Jayson Werth was signed to a big contract prior to the 2011 season and he faltered terribly (.232/.330/.389) in his debut season with the Nationals. The fact that he still had the best showing in 2011 by any of the team’s outfielders is telling to just how disappointing the group was as a whole. Rick Ankiel (.239/.296/.363), Laynce Nix (.250/.299/.451), and Roger Bernadina (.243/.301/.362) all provided more value from a defensive standpoint than an offensive one. Yet, their respective roles with the organization for 2012 and beyond remains in question. .

Once again, depth – or more specifically a lack thereof – is a problem for Washington. Bryce Harper is the only true outfield prospect the organization currently has and he had a solid 2011 season, his first as a professional. While Harper is widely considered the top prospect in the minor leagues, there doesn’t seem to be a urgency by the Nationals to rush him to the Majors. He’ll see Washington during the 2012 season, but don’t expect that to be in April.

Top Offensive Player / Team MVP: Morse
The fact that Morse was the team’s top offensive player and/or Team MVP is really not much of an argument. He led the team in batting average (.303), on base percentage (.360), slugging percentage (.560), runs scored (158), RBI (95), HR (31), hits (158), and doubles (36). Morse had a career year in 2011, which he’ll hope to replicate during a 2012 season that holds a great deal of optimism for numerous Nationals fans. One thing to keep an eye on, however, is where Morse plays defensively. He was a much more effective hitter when playing first base rather than the outfield this past season.

Top Pitcher: Clippard
With no true standout performers among the team’s starting rotation, the pitcher who provided the most value to the club was easily Clippard. In 88.1 innings of work the right-hander posted a 3-0 record and 1.83 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 26 walks. He was vital in getting the ball to closer Drew Storen, which let Storen settle into the role full time in his first full season in the Majors. Perhaps most importantly, Clippard has been consistent over the past two+ seasons giving the Nationals a valuable weapon in the bullpen – a necessity for any potentially playoff bound team.

Aaron Somers
District on Deck
@BlogFTBleachers

First reported by USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale on Jim Bowden’s radio show, Brian Cashman reportedly contacted Twins’ GM Bill Smith about Liriano’s availability. Later reports had a rumored Yankees offer of pitching prospect Ivan Nova and light hitting/good glove infielder Ramiro Pena. Needless to say, rumored or real, the Twins would not ship Liriano for that minor of a package.

Both teams should be wary of how they proceed. Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of 2007 and limited him to 76 innings in 2008. Liriano struggled mightily in 2009 as he tried to regain his form- he pitched to a nearly 6 ERA and allowed 21 home runs. Last season, Liriano finally started to look like the 2006 version of himself. He averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings, recorded a 3.62 ERA, and allowed less than a hit per inning.

But there are some details that should be pointed out. First, Liriano threw a career-high 191-2/3 innings (nearly 55 innings more than his prior top innings count) and seemed to wear out in September. His post-season performance against the Yankees was nothing to write home about either (5.2 IP 4 ER 6 H 3 BB 7 K). And his regular season ERA was more than a full point higher on the road than in his spacious home ballpark (Target Field).

Liriano complained of shoulder soreness and a tired arm shortly after reporting to spring training a few weeks ago and his initial bullpen sessions were cancelled. Manager Ron Gardenhire downplayed it as tendinitis, but the Twins have to be concerned about their pitcher with the nastiest selection of pitches. Part of the reason for the early spring issues was that Liriano did not consistently do his off-season strengthening exercises. As Scott Miller of CBS Sports pointed out, that showed a lack of maturity.

There is talk that Minnesota will wait until the July trade deadline gets closer to have a better gauge of the market (Minnesota has Liriano under control for another season, so they may not be in a rush to do anything as well), but if the Twins do move Liriano, they are better off moving him sooner rather than later.  Shoulder injuries and any necessary surgeries are much trickier and take longer to come back from than elbow injuries. Liriano’s shoulder may not be a serious issue at all, but buyers should beware of what they may be purchasing/giving up prospects for in return for the 27-yr old.

The Washington Nationals should finally get a look at Chien-Ming Wang on a mound. The Taiwanese hero and two-time 19 game winner with the New York Yankees is scheduled to pitch in a minor league intrasquad game on Friday. Not so good news for his teammate Cla Meredith who will have to undergo Tommy John surgery today.

Twins beat writer Joe Christensen tweeted this morning that Justin Morneau is making progress in his recovery from concussion symptoms, but was still not cleared by doctors on Tuesday to participate in any exhibition games.

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett who took a baseball to the head and suffered a mild concussion on Monday has been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Scott Boras has one less big name client- Mark Teixeira. There was no reason given for the dismissal.

Indians GM Chris Antonetti told the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes that he does not expect outfielder Grady Sizemore to be ready for opening day (April 1). “It’s still a possibility,” said Antonetti. “But I’d say it’s less likely than more likely that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. We’re hopeful it will still be near the start of the season. Whether that’s a few days or a few weeks, we just don’t know yet.”

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos assured fans that GM Andy MacPhail is “…not going anywhere.”  MacPhail’s contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. “Andy and Buck [Showalter] are a great combination,” Angelos told the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

And what a group of youngsters the Nationals have. Though he’ll sit out this season after last year’s Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg is the number one pitching prospect in all of baseball.  Teenage phenom Bryce Harper signed with the team after skipping out of high school early and playing JUCO ball.  Drew Storen is another top pitching prospect that may be one of the dominant closers of the future.  Catcher Derek Norris could have a big impact in the majors very soon. Speedy infielder Danny Espinosa has some of the best hands in baseball. The Nats also drafted and signed one of the most highly touted high school pitchers in the country, A.J. Cole, this past Summer.

The Nationals have been very active this winter as well looking into every free agent available and talking with a number of other teams about trades. The latest rumors had them communicating with the Cleveland Indians as to the availability of pitcher Fausto Carmona and outfielder Grady Sizemore. In additon to signing Werth the team also acquired steady left-hander Tom Gorzelanny from the Cubs, dealt Josh Willingham for hard throwing prospect Henry Rodriguez and outfielder Corey Brown, signed 1st baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Rick Ankiel and utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. The team also brought back former two time 19-game winner Chien-Ming Wang in the hopes he can return to his pre-shoulder surgery form.

With the powerhouse Phillies well ahead of everyone in the NL East, the Nationals aren’t expected to win a division title any time soon, but they have the talent to compete much quicker than anyone expected.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Mike Napoli didn’t stay with the Toronto Blue Jays for very long. Acquired as part of a deal that sent Vernon Wells to the Los Angeles Angels, Napoli was dealt today to the Texas Rangers for reliever Frank Francisco. With the Blue Jays wanting rookie J.P. Arencibia to see a lot of playing time, I can understand why the team would not want a minus defender like Napoli as his backup. However dealing him for an average reliever, something Toronto seemingly likes to accumulate, doesn’t make a lot of sense. With Yorvit Torrealba starting in Texas and Matt Treanor as his back up, the power hitting Napoli should see time at DH, which means Vladimiar Guerrero won’t be returning to Texas.

ESPN contributor Amanda Rykoff tweeted from a WFAN/Mike Francesa-Brian Cashman breakfast interview that Cashman said he could see Derek Jeter playing centerfield in the future ( ala Robin Yount). Jeter had earlier mentioned that positional change was never discussed during the negotations of his new contract.

Teams continue to add depth in their minor league systems; two of the latest additions- the Rangers signed catcher Robinson Diaz and the Yankees added former Rangers’ pitcher Warren Madrigal.

The Cubs signed pitcher Todd Wellmeyer after he was non-tendered by the Giants.

ESPN’s Jayson Stark spoke with several baseball execs who are confident that the Cards will be able to re-sign Albert Pujols.

Detroit News beat writer Tom Gage reported that the Tigers are willing to bring back Jeremy Bonderman with a minor league deal.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and a contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

And don’t forget, just because teams are saying goodbye to players doesn’t mean those players won’t be back with minor league deals.

Tampa  Bay non-tendered three more players- Dionner Navarro, Willy Aybar, and J.P. Howell. The Rangers did the same with Dustin Nippert, and Pittsburgh has bid adieu to Lastings Milledge, Donald Veal, and Argenis Diaz. The Brewers parted ways with Joe Inglett and Todd Coffey. The Rockies non-tendered Manny DelCarmen, while the Blue Jays did likewise with Jeremy Accardo.  In addition to Rowland-Smith, the Mariners non-tendered Josh Wilson as well.

The Padres did not tender contracts to Matt Antonelli and Luis Perdomo (both players were subsequently signed to minor league deals). The Angels’ Kevin Frandsen had no such luck either.  Classic underachievers Edwin Encarnacion and Travis Buck of the A’s will be looking for new deals too. The Red Sox did not tender contracts to two players they just acquired- Taylor Buchholz and Andrew Miller. The Mets did not offer deals to outfielder Chris Carter, reliever Sean Green and starter John Maine.

Nats teammates Chien-Ming Wang, Jesus Flores, and Joel Peralta (Wang is likely to sign a minor league deal with Washington). The Giants said no thanks to Chris Ray and Eugenio Velez. In addition to Martin, the Dodgers also non-tendered lefty reliever George Sherrill and Trent Oeltjen.

Among the players tendered deals by their teams- Jonathan Papelbon (BOS), Carlos Gomez (MIL), Kevin Kouzmanoff (OAK), and J.J. Hardy (MIN).

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The Yankees have agreed to terms with the closer Mariano Rivera on a new two year, $30M deal.  Jon Heyman of SI reported that the Red Sox and possibly the Angels offered Rivera three year deals. ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Yankees are having some preliminary conversations with Carl Crawford.

The Mariners dealt 3rd baseman Jose Lopez to the Colorado Rockies for right-handed pitcher Chaz Roe. Lopez put together solid years from 2006-2008 and had a breakout 25 HR, 96 RBI season in 2009.  Last season though Lopez moved to 3rd base to accomodate free agent Chone Figgins.  Both had miserable years with Lopez posting career lows in OPS and RBI for a full season. He also struggled at his new position, committing 18 errors.

With prospect Dustin Ackley ready to take over 2nd base, Figgins will move to 3rd base next season. The 24-yr old Roe was selected by the Rockies in the 1st round (32nd overall) of the 2005 draft. He had solid seasons at Double-A Tulsa in 2008-2009, but was hammered at Triple-A Colorado Spring last season, allowing 115 runs and 201 hits in just 158 innings pitched.

The White Sox have cleared some salary by dealing Scott Linebrink to the Braves for minor league right-hander pitcher Kyle Cofield. Linebrink stands to make $5.5M in 2011, but it is unknown at this time if the White Sox are (likely) sending cash in the deal.

Tim Wakefield has told Boston reporters that 2011 will probably be his final year.

The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Carlos Villenueva for a PTBNL.

From the “Who do you believe?” department- FoxSports’ Tracy Ringolsby reports that the Mets have offered a major league contract to free agent pitcher Jeff Francis.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says it’s not the case.

The Dodgers did not offer salary arbitration to Rod Barajas, but are in negotiations to bring the catcher back for 2011.

Zach Duke (AZ), Brayan Pena, Wilson Betemit (KC), Jensen Lewis (CLE), Jeff Karstens (PIT), Jesus Flores, Alberto Gonzalez (WAS), and Ryan Sweeney (OAK)  all avoided arbitration by signing new one year pacts with their teams.

Update 7 p.m.

A.J. Pierzynski finalized a two year deal with the White Sox this afternoon.  Apparently Chicago wasn’t ready to hand over the starting duties to Tyler Flowers.  Pierzynski’s deal is backloaded as is Adam Dunn’s in an attempt to help re-sign Paul Konerko.

Bob Klapisch reports tonight that Derek Jeter and the Yankees are closer to a deal and could get something done as soon as this weekend. The Yankees are also reportedly set to meet with Carl Crawford next week.

ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes reports that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is making progress in a deal to land Padres 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez. In the meantime the Sox signed infielder Drew Sutton and pitcher Jason Bergmann to minor league deals.

The Padres are reportedly close to signing right-hander Aaron Harang to a free agent deal.  Harang’s former teammate with the Reds, Bronson Arroyo, is set to put his John Hancock on a three year, $35M contract extension with Cincinnati.

The Rangers are close to bringing back catcher Matt Treanor to serve as Yorvit Torrealba’s backup.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and a contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Here’s an activity for you:  Close your eyes (figuratively, not literally; I do want you to keep reading) and imagine that it’s late January 2010.  The 90-degree weather quickly drops to near-freezing temperatures, Independence Day sales quickly revert to Presidents’ Day deals, and a plethora of pitchers go back on the free agent market.

Depending on the day, open up the newspapers and you will find a different pitcher rumored to be chased by the New York Mets.  On Monday, the papers say that Jon Garland is the perfect fit for the team.  On Tuesday, it’s innings-eater and post-season experienced Jason Marquis (he’s from New York, too!).  Or maybe it’s Wednesday and the article focuses on pitchers attempting comebacks from injuries: Chien-Ming Wang or Ben Sheets.  Thursday is the day to convince fans that the Mets have a shot at landing John Lackey (not likely).  Friday through the weekend is a time to reflect on all the many mediocre options.

When the 2009 season ended, Mets starting pitching was one of the first areas identified as needing improvement.  Johan Santana was obviously a mainstay (despite coming off of late-season surgery), but who would come after him?  Nobody knew what to expect from likely starters Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, John Maine or Jonathon Niese (before he turned good enough to drop the “athon”).  Suddenly, those names mentioned above sounded like terrific options for the Mets, even if their career stats suggested otherwise.  When spring training rolled around and the Mets hadn’t signed any of these guys, fans were either incensed or too fed up to admit to being incensed.

Flash forward to today, almost 81 games into the 2010 season.  Let’s take a look at how the “ones that got away” have actually done so far.  Before we begin though it’s important to note a couple things:

A) There’s no guarantee that any of these guys would have played for the Mets.  Some of these pitchers wanted to stay on the West Coast (like Jon Garland), some were pretty intent on going to a likely contender (John Lackey), and some may just not have had interest in coming to New York.

B) There’s no guarantee that these pitchers would have performed the same way had they played for the Mets.  If we’ve learned anything from Dr. Emmett Brown, we should know that once a single detail of the past is altered, the reality of the present would automatically change as well.  I could get into the subject of alternative realities, but I don’t know nearly enough on the subject to cover it intelligently.  Besides, AlternativeRealityDigest.com never discusses baseball, so it wouldn’t be fair.

With that, here are ten pitchers that some thought the Mets should have signed:

1. John Lackey – signed a 5-year/$82.5M contract with the Red Sox.

As of July 2^nd, Lackey is 9-3 with a 4.46 ERA.

Lackey’s been fine, but not much better than that.

2. Jon Garland – signed a 1-year/$5.3M contract with the Padres.

As of July 2^nd, Garland is 8-5 with a 3.24 ERA.

Garland is off to a strong start for a surprisingly effective rotation in San Diego.

3. Joel Pineiro – signed a 2-year/$16M contract with the L.A.A. of A.

As of July 2^nd, Pineiro is 8-6 with a 4.23 ERA.

Pineiro is off to a pretty standard Joel Pineiro season, mixing up some impressive outings with some truly forgettable ones.

4. Ben Sheets – signed a 1-year/$10M contract with the A’s.

As of July 2^nd, Sheets is 3-7 with a 4.98 ERA.

The fact that Sheets is pitching in the majors again after missing all of 2009 with an injury is encouraging and impressive.  The fact that it’s been over a month since he gave up fewer than 4 runs in a start is not.

5. Randy Wolf – signed a 3-year/$29.75M contract with the Brewers.

As of July 2^nd, Wolf is 6-7 with a 4.70 ERA.

Wolf’s high ERA isn’t the worst of it; he has surrendered 19 homeruns in 103.1 innings so far this year, while walking 51.  Citi Field would probably help reduce the HR numbers a little, but only an ump with a hot date could improve his walks total.

6. Doug Davis – signed a 1-year/$4.25M contract with the Brewers.

As of July 2^nd, Davis is 1-4 with a 7.56 ERA.

Davis, who has a history of injuries and illness, hasn’t pitched since mid-May due to a (non-life-threatening) chest condition.  Most reports suggest that he will be returning to the Brewers shortly.

7. Jason Marquis – signed a 2-year/$15M contract with the Nationals.

As of July 2^nd, Marquis is 0-3 with a 20.52 ERA.

Marquis hasn’t pitched since mid-April when he learned he had bone chips in his elbow.  After trying to avoid it, he had surgery in May and has begun his rehab.  He is not expected to return until after the All-Star break.

8. Chien-Ming Wang – signed a 1-year/$2M contract with the Nationals.

Wang has not pitched this season.  In fact, Wang hasn’t pitched in a game since June 2009.  He is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and is expected to make his Nationals debut sometime after the All-Star break.

9. Jarrod Washburn – still a free agent of as July 2^nd.

While Washburn recently told a newspaper that he has likely retired, it is reasonable to figure that he would come back to the majors if the right situation came along.

10. Pedro Martinez – still a free agent of as July 2^nd.

Martinez contends that he does not plan on retiring this year.  There are weekly rumors of multiple teams showing interest, but no deal has been made just yet.  As we saw last year, it probably makes the most sense for any team to hold off with adding Martinez until well into the second-half of the season.

As you can see, while the results have been mixed, not one of these pitchers has performed markedly better than the current Mets starters.  This rotation includes 3 pitchers who will make $1M or less this season (Niese, Hisanori Takahashi & R.A. Dickey).

And while it would probably be smart for the Mets to add a more historically dependent pitcher to their staff before the trade deadline, the fact that they didn’t overspend for mediocrity in the offseason will afford them more options at this point in the season.

During the winter months, when all we have are video replays and our imaginations, it’s understandable that we convince ourselves that average pitchers possess more potential than they’ve ever displayed.  Now that the season is reaching its midway point, and the trade deadline will become a daily diversion from the day-to-day games, it’s important for the Mets use the same scrutiny they did in the winter and not make a move just for the sake of making a move.  Or as any good sentimental TV show would tell you, sometimes when you search so hard for something you want you don’t realize you already have it.

Wang’s agent Alan Nero expects The Wanger to be ready by opening day, but a more realistic return would be between May and June.  The Yankees could still bring Wang back with a minor league contract, but Nero will definitely explore other options (by the way, Sunkia is goodbye in Taiwanese).

Newsday’s Ken Davidoff feels that Joe Torre’s LA Dodgers may be a natural fit.  The drawback there, of course, would be that Wang would have to bat.  He started just 15 games in 2008 due a season ending Lisfranc injury he suffered during interleague play.

Wang helped turn the Yankees season around in 2005, when he went 8-5 in 18 games after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus.  He was then an integral part of pennant contending teams the following two seasons when he went a combined 38-12 and average 208 innings pitched.

The Trenton Thunder host tonight’s Eastern League All-Star game.  Thunder team members, and Yankees prospects, Jesus Montero, Zach McAllister, Mike Dunn, Josh Schmidt, Reegie Corona, Eduardo Nunez, and Jorge Vazquez will represent the Northern squad.   Trenton manager Tony Franklin will be at the helm of the North along with his coaching staff.

The Yankees begin a 10-game homestand beginning Thursday night with Detroit.  After 3 games with the Tigers, the Orioles come to town for 3 before the A’s finish the homestand with a 4-game set.  The Tigers series includes Old-Timer’s Day on Sunday, July 19.

When the Chien-Ming Wang’s spot in the rotation comes up, the Yankees will probably go with Sergio Mitre and move Al Aceves back to the pen.

The Yankees will also look elsewhere for a starting pitcher.  According to the NY Post, Pittsburgh’s Ian Snell is among those who have piqued the Yankees interest.  The Bombers are also looking into Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman.

WP – Albaladejo (3-1)  SV – Aceves (1)  LP – Ryan (1-1)

The holiday weekend saw plenty of fireworks at the new Yankee Stadium as the Yankees pulled off a pair of come from behind wins.  Derek Jeter celebrated his election to his 10th All-Star game with a 2-run home run as the Yankees overcame an 8-4 deficit and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 this afternoon.  The victory came on the heels of Saturday’s 6-5 comeback win against Roy Halladay.

The Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Joba Chamberlain was tagged for three runs, including an Adam Lind home run, in the 3rd inning and four more runs in the 4th.  Cody Ransom, filling in at third base for Alex Rodriguez, committed an error to extend the inning.  The Blue Jays took advantage of the mistake and took the lead  on RBI singles by Raul Chavez and Marco Scutaro, and a 2-run home run by Aaron Hill.

But the Yankees came right back against shaky rookie starter Brett Cecil (scheduled starter Scott Richmond was placed on the DL with shoulder tendinits) and the Blue Jays bullpen.  Hideki Matsui’s 3-run shot off Cecil cut the Yankees deficit to one in the bottom of the 4th and an inning later, Jeter took B.J. Ryan deep with a man aboard to put the Bombers back in front. Jorge Posada, who had the game winning hit on July 4th, added some insurance with an RBI double later in the inning.

The Yankees bullpen, which has been much improved of late, got stellar efforts from Jonathan Albaladejo, who earned the win, and Al Aceves.  Aceves picked up his first major league save with four scoreless innings of work.

Game Notes

As expected, Chien-Ming Wang was placed on the 15-Day DL with a shoulder strain and bursitis.  It’s not considered serious and the Yankees believe Wang could be back when he’s eligible to be activated.  Albaladejo took his spot on the active roster.

The Yankees may not like facing Roy Halladay, but Johnny Damon loves too.  The Yankees left-fielder tied Saturday’s game 5-5 with a 2-run shot off the Blue Jays ace.  It gave Damon a .349 (30-86) average against Halladay with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 11 walks.

Robinson Cano had a miserable Saturday, going 0-6 with 10 men left on base.  On top of that he missed a sign in the 9th inning.  With 2 men aboard and a 3-0 count, Cano was supposed to take a pitch. Instead, he bunted into a force out.

In addition to Jeter, Mark Teixeira beat out Kevin Youkilis in the voting as the AL’s All-Star starting 1st baseman and Mariano Rivera was added to the team’s pitching staff.

The Yankees go for a sweep of the 4-game series of Toronto on Monday (1:05 p.m. ET) when Andy Pettitte faces fellow left-hander Ricky Romero.

WP – Hanson (3-0)  LP – Wang (0-6)

The Yankees hitting woes continued tonight, as the punch-less Bombers dropped the opener of their 3-game series with the Atlanta Braves, 4-0.  New York had a number of opportunities in the early innings against Braves rookie starter Tommy Hanson, but couldn’t manage to come up with a clutch hit.  Hanson and the Braves bullpen didn’t allow a hit over the final 3 2-3 innings.

Chien-Ming Wang continued his improvement, but was tagged for three runs in the 3rd inning and the loss.  After a pair of strikeouts to start the frame, Wang gave up a single to Yuniel Escobar and walked Chipper Jones.  Brian McCann followed with an RBI double and Garrett Anderson brought home two more runs with a double of his own.

The Yankees loaded the bases without the aid of a hit in the 2nd inning, but Wang grounded out to end the inning.  Derek Jeter led off the 3rd with a double, but he and Mark Teixeira were stranded when Alex Rodriguez struck out and Robinson Cano flied out.

The Yankees had a huge chance in the third thanks to a Braves error.  Melky Cabrera reached on a 1-out double and mistakenly took off for third base on Brett Gardner’s grounder to the left side.  But Chipper Jones dropped Escobar’s toss for an error and everyone was safe.  The Yankees though had the misfortune of having Wang come up in a key situation.  He successfully sacrificed Gardner to second, but after a walk toJeter loaded the bases, Hanson retired Nick Swisher on a force out to escape trouble.

The Yankees last gasp came in the 6th when they loaded the bases with one out, but reliever Pete Moylan got Jeter to bounce into an inning ending double play.

The Braves tacked on a run in the 9th when McCann took David Robertson deep for his 7th home run of the season.

Game Notes

Phil Hughes retired all six batters he faced in a two inning relief stint.  Hughes has allowed 2 earned runs out of the pen in 10.2 innings.  He’s also struck out 14 batters.

CC Sabathia will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday to determine if he can make his scheduled start against the Mets on Friday.

Alex Rodriguez is in a 4-42 (.095) slump.

The Yankees stole four bases in the game, including Brett Gardner’s 16th in 17 tries, and Mark Teixeira’s first.

Jorge Posada hit, or I should say, “didn’t hit” for the Golden Sombrero. 3 of his 4 strikeouts came against Hanson.

The Yankees-Braves series continues on Wednesday with Joba Chamberlain facing Japanese rookie Kenshin Kawakami.

As expected, the Yankees protest of Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Florida Marlins was denied by the MLB front office.

The Braves scored three of their four runs in the third inning. Brian McCann and Garret Anderson each had RBI doubles, with Anderson’s driving in two. The Braves remained on top by three until the eighth, when McCann added an insurance run in the form of a solo homer.

Tommy Hanson: W (3-0), 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Peter Moylan: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER
Mike Gonzalez: 1 IP, 2 K
Rafael Soriano: 1 IP, BB, K

Hanson struggled with control for much of his outing but did an amazing job of damage control, limiting the Yankees to four hits and not allowing a run. You don’t see this type of damage control in young pitchers very often. It was Hanson’s second consecutive shutout after pitching six shutout innings against the Reds in his last start. Moylan got Hanson out of trouble in the sixth by inducing a double play from Derek Jeter.

Brian McCann: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
Garret Anderson: 2 RBI
Yunel Escobar: 2-4

McCann finished a triple shy of the cycle, driving in two on a double and home run. Anderson continues to hit but still nobody cares. The dynamic duo of Francoeur/Johnson went 0-6 at the bottom of the lineup. You could say it was another disappointing day from the offense since Wang is the worst starter in baseball and the Braves only managed three runs and six hits against him. You could also say that the Braves actually scored four runs in a game, hallelujah.

Notable Yankees:
Chien-Ming Wang: L (0-6), 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K

Notable Stat:
Swisher/Teixeira/A-Rod: 0-12

Why Jeff Francoeur Sucks:
No explanation needed tonight.

Next Game:
6/24: Yankees, 7:00 (Joba Chamberlain vs. Kenshin Kawakami)

By losing two of three to the Red Sox in their most recent series, the Braves made it eight straight of either losing the series or splitting it, unless you want to count the postponed Cubs game they made up yesterday. The Braves did outhit and outpitch the Red Sox at Fenway but two losses are still two losses. Once again, another series loss and the Braves still made up ground in the East, moving to only four games back after the Cubs game they won.

The Yankees are currently four back of the Sox at 38-31. They have been trudging along the past month, being swept by the Sox before starting an interleague stretch in which they have gone 4-5 so far. The Yankees are coming off two straight series losses to the Nationals and Marlins.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
6/23 – 7:00
Chien-Ming Wang (0-5, 12.30…0-0, 2.25 in 1 start)
vs.
Tommy Hanson (2-0, 4.08)

The Braves are in a similar position with Wang as they were with Matsuzaka at Boston. Wang has been downright terrible in nine games, six starts, and the Yankees have put him in focus on a start-to-start basis. His most recent start, five innings of three-run ball against the Nationals, was good enough to keep him in the rotation for tonight. Hanson’s third start was by far his best, pitching six shutout innings over the Reds and earning his second win. Nerves could be a factor against the Yankees lineup.

6/24 – 7:00
Joba Chamberlain (3-2, 3.89)
vs.
Kenshin Kawakami (4-6, 4.42)

Chamberlain has had control problems throughout the season and works too deep into counts, not allowing him to go past six innings in his starts. Sound familiar? His opponent does the same thing. But Joba does a solid job of damage control and has kept his ERA at a good rate. After two straight starts allowing just one walk in each one, Kawakami has given up three walks in each of his last two starts. His ERA is slowly going down but his walk rate isn’t.

6/25 – 7:00
Andy Pettitte (7-3, 4.26…5-1, 3.13)
vs.
Derek Lowe (7-5, 4.09…8-10, 6.07)

A matchup of old-timers goes down on Thursday night. Pettitte has seven wins for the Yankees and is keeping his ERA respectable, though he has walked a good amount. He is coming off seven innings of one-run ball against the Marlins. Lowe bounced back from his bad start in Baltimore to pitch four shutout innings before giving up three runs to the Red Sox. Lowe has a rough past against the Yankees as a pitcher for the Red Sox.

Key Yankees Relievers:
CL – Mariano Rivera (27.2 IP, 3.25 ERA, 15 SV, 1 BS…9.1 IP, 3.86 ERA, 6 SV, 1 BS)
SU – Phil Coke (29.2 IP, 3.64 ERA, 3 HLD)
MR – Brian Bruney (10.1 IP, 2.61 ERA, 5 HLD…5.1 IP, 10.13 ERA)

Key Yankees Hitters:
3B – Alex Rodriguez (.213, 9 HR, 28 RBI….289, HR, 3 RBI in 9 games)
1B – Mark Teixeira (.286, 20 HR, 56 RBI….200, 2 HR, 3 RBI in 6 games)
2B – Robinson Cano (.305, 12 HR, 42 RBI)

Yankees Injuries:
C – Jose Molina (15-day, strained quad)
RP – Damaso Marte (15-day, shoulder tendinitis)
INF – Cody Ransom (60-day, strained quad)
RF – Xavier Nady (15-day, sore elbow)

Links:
MLB.com Gameday
STATS Preview

WP – Wakefield (8-3)  SV – Papelbon (15)  LP – Wang (0-4)

Another game in Fenway Park, another loss for the New York Yankees.  The Bombers dropped to 0-7 against the Red Sox this season, with five of the losses coming on the road in Boston.  Wednesday night the Yankees belted three home runs, but couldn’t overcome another horrendous start by Chien-Ming Wang, and fell 6-5.  The victory gave the Red Sox sole possession of first place in the AL East.

In Wang’s start against Texas last Thursday he showed a glimmer of his old self, shutting down the Rangers the first time through the lineup. That would not be the case tonight.  Wang retired Dustin Pedroia to start the game, but then issued a pair of walks prior to a Jason Bay RBI single.  The Yankees tied things up immediately on Jorge Posada’s home run off Tim Wakefield in the 2nd, but the Red Sox tagged Wang for a pair of runs in their half of the inning. George Kottaras doubled in one run and Nick Swisher gave Pedroia a gift when he turned a catchable ball into a run scoring ground-rule double.  Wang lasted just 2.2 innings, the second straight night the Yankees starter did not make it out of the 3rd inning, and was charged with 4 earned runs.

Phil Hughes did a great job out of the pen with 3.2 innings of relief.  He allowed a 2-run home run to Kevin Youkilis in the 4th, but otherwise kept his team in the game.  Down 6-3 in the 6th, Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira hit back to back home runs off Ramon Ramirez to cut the deficit to a single run.  The Yankees had the tying run on second base with one out in each of the final two innings, but couldn’t deliver the big hit.

Hideki Okajima struck out Derek Jeter and Damon to escape the 8th and Jonathan Papelbon struck out Robinson Cano and retired Jorge Posada on a ground out to preserve the lead in the 9th.

Game Notes

Mark Teixiera was 4-5 with two doubles and a single in addition to his league leading 19th home run.  He’s hitting a season high .296 and is batting .343 since May 1st.

Nick Swisher made a tremendous diving catch in right field to take away an extra base hit and had a pretty push bunt for a base hit, but it’s a game he’ll want to forget.  Besides completely missing Pedroia’s fly ball in right, he was also doubled off of a first on a soft line out to shortstop by Melky Cabrera.  The Yankees had runners on the corners with no one out at the time, so it completely killed a potential rally.

The Yankees were 2-15 with runners in scoring position.

CC Sabathia will try to salvage the finale of the series Thursday night when he faces veteran Brad Penny.

Player of the Month

Mark Teixeira - As bad as his April was, that’s how good Mark Teixeira’s May was.  He led all of baseball with 13 home runs and 34 RBI.  His split were tremendous – .330/.413/.748.  His defensive play at first base was a major reason the Yankees broke the record for consecutive scoreless games.  Johnny Damon gets an honorable mention for carrying the team for the first half of the month.

Highlights
3-run HR, game tying single in 11 inning win vs. Twins
2 HR, 4 RBI in 7-6 win vs. Twins
13-game hitting streak
Home run, 4 RBI in 5-4 loss at Indians
Game Tying 3-run double in extra loss vs. Rays

Worst Player of the Month

Nick Swisher was the polar opposite of Teixeira.  He won the coveted Sarver “Player of the Month” award for April only to fall into a dismal May slump that had many praying Xavier Nady would soon return.  Swisher hit just .150 in May with 29 strikeouts in 80 at-bats, and a paltry .586 OPS.  He didn’t lose his spirit though.

Pitcher of the Month

CC Sabathia – Sabathia was everything in May that the Yankees hoped for when they signed him this past off-season.  He went 4-1, 2.56 in 6 starts, limiting opposing hitters to a .204 batting average.  He allowed just 34 hits, walked 10, and struck 37 in 45.2 innings pitched.

Highlights
CG Shutout at O’s
8 IP, 5 H 2 ER in win at Blue Jays
7 IP, 3 H 1 ER in win vs. O’s

Worst Pitcher of the Month

How much longer will the Yankees continue to hope that Jose Veras turns things around?  He’s been nothing short of putrid.  His mild success last season has to be the only reason the Yankees keep him on the roster this season.  He was fortunate to pick up 2 wins in May, but allowed 9 earned runs in 9.2 IP (8.38 ERA) and walked 8 batters.  Veras needs to return to the minors.

Biggest Win of the Month

I can’t go with just one win for May – I have to go with three of them.  The three walk off wins against the Minnesota Twins, May 15-17. Honorable Mention to the first game of the month when the Yankees rallied in the last two innings from a 9-4 deficit to beat the Angels in the bottom of the 9th.

May 15

The Yankees had just concluded a 4-2 road trip with two straight wins in Toronto.  It put them a game over .500 with the Twins in town. The Yankees trailed game 1, 4-1 in the 7th inning.  Brett Gardner, who had replaced the ejected Johnny Damon, cut the lead in half with an inside-the-park-home run.  Gardner led off the bottom of the 9th with a stand up triple against closer Joe Nathan and scored the Yankees third run on Mark Teixeira’s RBI single.  Nathan walked Alex Rodriguez, but struck out Hideki Matsui and retired Nick Swisher on a ground out.  With runners on second and third and two outs, the Twins elected to walk Robinson Cano and pitch to Melky Cabrera.  The Melkman made them pay with a game winning 2-run single.

May 16

Teixeira’s RBI single in the 8th inning tied the game at 4-apiece.  Mariano Rivera escaped a 2-on, no out jam in the 10th to set things up for 11th inning heroics.  A-Rod’s first hit in the new Stadium was a loud one.  He followed Teixeira’s lead off walk with a long home run to left off Craig Breslow for a 6-4 Yankees win.

May 17

A.J. Burnett and Kevin Slowey were locked in a scoreless pitcher’s duel when the Twins put two on the board in the top of the 7th inning.  The Yankees answered right back in their half of the inning on an A-Rod home run and a Melky Cabrera sac fly to tie the game at 2-2.  The Yankees stranded two runners in the 7th, another in the 8th, and Gardner was cut down at home plate by Joe Mauer when he tried to score all the way from second base on an infield hit.  Al Aceves picked up the win in game 2 and was the winner again when Johnny Damon hit a 1-out pitch from Jesse Crain into the right field seats for a 3-2 Yankees triumph.

Worst Loss of the Month

May 7 vs. Tampa Bay – The Yankees had lost four in a row, all at home, and were playing the finale of a brief 2-game series with the reigning AL champion Rays.  With the game tied 6-6 in the 9th, Mariano Rivera surrendered home runs to Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria for an 8-6 loss. The defeat ended the homestand with a 5-game slide, showed Rivera’s vulnerability, and kept them 4.5 games behind the first place Blue Jays.

Most Devastating Injury

The worst injury May is the same injury that occurred in April.  Brian Bruney appeared in just one game in May before continued elbow pain put him back on the DL and left a hole in the Yankees late inning bullpen scenario.

Clutch Performer

Team Defense – Pitching and defense wins championships.  The Yankees tied the Major League Record for consecutive errorless games (17) and then broke the record as the calendar turned to June.

Most Dramatic Moment
After missing the first 28 games of the season, Alex Rodriguez homers on the very first pitch of his season off Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie.

Report Card

CC Sabathia A+
Mark Teixeira A+
Al Aceves A

Melky Cabrera A
Johnny Damon A

Derek Jeter A

Mariano Rivera B+
Francisco Cervelli B
Brett Gardner B
David Robertson B
Robinson Cano B-
Alex Rodriguez B-
A.J. Burnett C
Phil Coke C
Andy Pettitte C
Ramiro Pena C
Brett Tomko C

Joba Chamberlain C-
Phil Hughes C-
Hideki Matsui C-

Kevin Cash D
Jonathan Albaladejo D
Edwar Ramirez D

Nick Swisher F
Jose Veras F
Angel Berroa F

Incomplete

Brian Bruney
Damaso Marte
Jose Molina
Jorge Posada
Chien-Ming Wang

WP – Robertson (1-0)  SV – Rivera (12)   LP – Wilson (3-3)

Melky Cabrera had a miserable 2008 season.  He barely hit his weight, had no power, was out of shape, and arguably, didn’t have the best attitude.  He hit rock bottom when he was sent to the minors in August.  He heard his name mentioned in various off-season trade rumors and came to spring training this year knowing he would have to compete for a job with rookie Brett Gardner.  Despite hitting over .300 in the exhibition season, Cabrera lost out to Gardner and was relegated to the bench.  But the stars aligned for Cabrera; the youngster struggled and the veterans started getting hurt.  The Melkman jumped at his chance and took full advantage of it.  Yesterday was another day for Cabrera to play hero, this time providing a game winning 2-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning.

The Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 8-6 after being down  5-1 and blowing a 6-5 lead of their own.  Chien-Ming Wang pitched a seamless two innings, racking up three strikeouts, but then the Rangers jumped all over him the second time around the lineup.  The Yankees bullpen held Rangers to one run the rest of the way though to enable the Yankees to enjoy another come from behind victory.

Except for a Johnny Damon solo home run to start the home team’s first at-bat, the Yankees couldn’t muster anything against Rangers starter Brandon McCarthy until the 5th inning.  The youngsters started it off, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter had the day off, with Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Pena stroking back to back singles.  Damon walked to loaded the bases and Nick Swisher drew a free pass on a 3-2 pitch to force in the Yankees second run.  Mark Teixeira, back in the lineup after sitting out Wednesday with a bruised ankle, hit what seemed like a harmless squibber down the third baseline.

But the ball eluded the glove of Michael Young and trickled towards the left field corner.  It allowed all three base runners to score to tie the game at 5-5 and Teixeira cruised into second with a gift double.  Alex Rodriguez put the Yankees back on top with a long single off reliever Jason Jennings and Robinson Cano followed with a single of his own. But Jennings got out of the no-out jam when A-Rod was doubled off of second base on Hideki Matsui’s line out and Cabrera grounded out.

Ian Kinsler quickly tied the game back up in the 6th, with a solo home run off of Al Aceves, to set up Melky’s heroics.  C.J. Wilson walked Cano to start the 8th and one batter later, Cabrera lofted a fly ball that barely cleared the wall in left field.

Mariano Rivera got into his own trouble as he tried to lock down the game in the 9th, putting runners on the corners with just one out.  But Rivera struck out slugger Nelson Cruz and retired David Murphy on pop up to A-Rod to end the game.

Game Notes

Chien-Ming Wang was charged with 5 runs in 4.2 innings pitched, but still lowered his ERA to 14.46.  You have to question the wisdom of throwing Wang after he pitched 3 innings on Sunday in Cleveland.  Joe Girardi could have stuck with today’s scheduled starter, CC Sabathia, yesterday and thrown Wang today.  It’s possible Girardi went with the philosophy that a sinkerballer is more effective when he’s a little tired.

Nelson Cruz’s home run ended Wang’s streak of 267 right-handed batters faced without allowing a home run.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, David Robertson became the first pitcher in three years to win a ball game after throwing just one pitch.

The Yankees open a 3-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays tonight at the Stadium.  CC Sabathia (5-3, 3.46) faces hard throwing phenom David Price (1-0, 3.00).

The Yankees were shut down by Carl Pavano, yes, that Carl Pavano, through the first five innings, before Teixeira continued his May home run tear.  The outcome of the game may have been different had Derek Jeter not been called out on a play at a first base that replays showed he was clearly safe on. ( First base coach Mick Kelleher and manager Joe Girardi argued to no avail with umpire Mark Carlson.)  The play became important, because the next batter, Johnny Damon, reached on a broken bat single and Teixeira sent his 16th home run of the season into the right-center field bleachers.  It was Teixeira’s 13th home run in May after hitting just three in April.  Instead of a one run game, Teixeira’s home run only cut the lead in half.

Indians fans had to be second guessing manager Eric Wedge when he pulled Pavano in the 8th after his starter allowed a one out single to Jeter.  Pavano had thrown just 89 pitches and handled the Yankees potent offense all day.  The move quickly backfired when lefty Rafael Perez gave up a double to Damon to put the tying runs in scoring position.

Wedge went to right-hander Rafael Betancourt to face Teixeira, but he was forced to make another move when Betancourt strained his groin and had to leave the game.  Teixeira tattooed Matt Herges‘ pitch off the wall in left-center for a 2-run double and suddenly the game was tied 4-4.  Herges bounced back though, retiring Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano on ground outs to preserve the tie.

Chien-Ming Wang provided three stellar innings in relief of Phil Hughes and the Yankees were set up to take control of the game in the 9th.  Indians closer Kerry Wood walked Hideki Matsui to start the inning and Nick Swisher sacrificed pinch-runner Ramiro Pena to second base.  Brett Gardner reached on a high chopper to short for an infield single that put runners on the corners with just one out.  And that’s where things started to fall apart.

Gardner got the steal sign from Girardi…and didn’t go.  Gardner said after the game that he was afraid of being picked off.  Odd talk from a base runner as aggressive as Gardner is.  Even if he had not stolen second base, had Gardner gone on the pitch, the inevitable might have been avoided-  Jorge Posada bounced into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.

Wedge wasn’t the only manager whose pitching decisions were second guessed on Sunday.  The Yankees didn’t want to “stretch out” Wang too far in case he had to start for Andy Pettitte on Wednesday.  But Girardi could have opted to start Al Aceves, if necessary, for Pettitte.  That would have allowed Wang to continue into the 9th inning yesterday in what was easily his best appearance of the season.

Instead, Phil Coke came on and walked Crowe to start the 9th, and Cabrera did a great job of getting down a 2-strike sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position.  Girardi sent for the right-hander throwing Robertson to face the right-handed hitting Ben Francisco, but Robertson walked him.  Peralta then provided the heroics with a ball down the left field line that was just out of the reach of an outstretched A-Rod.

Hughes started out like a house afire.  He threw two over powering innings, and retired seven of the first eight batters he faced, four of them by strikeout.  But two hits and a walk loaded the bases in the 3rd inning and Peralta showed a precursor of what was yet to come- a 2-run single to put the Indians on the board first.  Two batters later, Mark DeRosa brought home the Indians third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Hughes had an easy 4th inning, but Gardner misplayed Cabrera’s fly ball into a double to start the 5th inning.  The play proved costly when Francisco’s infield single moved Cabrera to third base and Shin-Soo Choo brought him home with a sacrifice fly.

Pavano has looked tremendous in two starts against the Yankees this season, having allowed four earned runs in 13.1 innings.  He left both games with the lead only to see the bullpen blow it each time.  After starting off the season 0-3, 9.50 in four starts,Pavano has gone 5-1, 3.60 in the seven starts since then.

Game Notes

The Yankees tied the 2006 Boston Red Sox by playing in their 17th straight errorless game.

Mark Teixeira set a personal high with his 13 home runs in May.  That figure along with 34 RBI were tops in baseball for the month.  He also extended his hitting streak to 13 games on Sunday.

Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

The Yankees go for the series win tonight when Joba Chamberlain (2-1, 3.97) faces Jeremy Sowers (1-2, 7.71)

WP – Burnett (3-2)  LP – Holland (1-2)

A.J. Burnett wasn’t happy with his performance last night – he lasted only  six innings – but Joe Girardi was ecstatic that his second highest paid starter did more than deliver a whipped cream facial.  Burnett threw shutout ball and the Yankees moved into a tie for first place with Boston in the AL East after a 9-2 win over the Texas Rangers.

Burnett wasn’t efficient – he threw 118 pitches – but he was effective enough to limit the Rangers to three hits and struck out seven.  The four walks he issued got him into trouble, but he always made the big pitch to get out of a jam.  He struck out Chris Davis with two aboard in the 4th and repeated the feat in the 6th.

The Yankees rolled out the home run machine early, taking a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning on Mark Teixeira’s 15th home run of the season, and 11th this month.  Up 3-0 in the 6th, the Yankees broke the game open.  Hideki Matsui belted a solo home run off of rookie Derek Holland, and Kevin Cash drove home a pair of runs with a double for a 6-0 Yankees’ advantage.  An inning later, Godzilla struck again, hitting a 2-run shot off of Warner Madrigal that barely cleared the right field fence.

Joe Veras lost the shutout in the 7th when he gave up a double – one has to wonder if Veras has something on the organization in order to stay in the majors – to Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a 2-run home run to Ian Kinsler.  On a more positive note, Chien-Ming Wang finally got back into another game and threw two very effective, scoreless innings.  In two appearances, Wang has cut his ERA From 40.50 to 20.45.

Game Notes

Robinson Cano added a solo home run in the 9th inning, his 9th of the year.

Melky Cabrera is expected to be out 5-7 days with a sprained shoulder, but will be re-evaluated by the Yankees team doctor to determine if he might be out longer.

Jorge Posada has caught in back to back extended spring training games and could be activated for Friday’s game in Cleveland.

Dr. James Andrews examined Brian Bruney’s right elbow and found no structural damage.  Bruney will work on strengthening the muscles around the elbow.

The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Brett Gardner became only the second major leaguer in the last 50 years, joining Rich Amaral of the ’98 Seattle Mariners, to get a least 3 hits and 3 stolen bases after coming off the bench in Tuesday night’s game.

WP – Myers (4-2)  LP – Burnett (2-2)

Home Run Derby has begun in the Bronx.  The Philadelphia Phillies slugged four home runs last night and beat the Yankees 7-3 in the first of a three game interleague series.  The Yankees hit three home runs of their own, but the Phillies jumped on starter and loser A.J. Burnett early and often and then abused Chien-Ming Wang as well.  The loss snapped the Yankees’ season-high nine game winning streak.

Jimmy Rollins set the tone literally from the very first pitch, hitting a solo home run to right for a 1-0 lead.  Burnett had command issues all night and it manifested itself immediately when he hit Chase Utley following Rollins’ home run. Raul Ibanez followed with a single, but Burnett struck out Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth before Mark Teixeira robbed Shane Victorino of an RBI single to end the inning.

The Yankees had a chance to tie things right up against Brett Myers in their half of the first.  With Johnny Damon on first base, Alex Rodriguez roped a 2-out double into the left field corner.  Third base coach Rob Thomson waved Damon home, but the Phillies made a perfect relay throw, and Damon was dead at the plate on Rollins’ strike to home.

Carlos Ruiz hit his first home run of the year, with a man aboard, to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning and Werth blasted a long 2-run shot of his own in the 5th to break the game open.

A-Rod finally got the Yankees on the board in the 6th inning with his sixth home run of the year, but Ibanez greeted Wang with his 16th home run of the season in the 7th.  Ibanez didn’t hit his 16th last year until August.

Derek Jeter and Teixeira added solo home runs for the Yankees in the 8th (Teixeira’s was one of the highest and deepest in the new park), but it was way too little too late.

Game Notes

Brett Myers retaliated for Chase Utley by throwing behind Derek Jeter in the bottom of the 1st.  Both teams were warned and there were no further incidents.

Chien-Ming Wang wasn’t consistent with his sinker last night, according to pitching coach Dave Eiland.  But Eiland was happy with the improvement Wang showed.  You could tell, however, that the Yankees would have preferred it if Wang had kept pitching in Scranton until he was fully ready to return to the majors.

Derek Jeter has reached base safely in 45 consecutive interleague games, tying the major league record jointly held by Craig Biggio and Barry Bonds.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last night’s game marked the third time this season that seven or more home runs were hit in a single game at the new Stadium.  It happened only one time (2005) in the old Stadium when it occurred on four separate occasions.

WP – Halladay (7-1)   LP – Burnett (2-1)

Take an already weakened lineup and remove Derek Jeter (strained oblique) and Hideki Matsui (tight hamstring).  Put Roy Halladay on the mound and you don’t stand much of a chance.  That was the case at the Rogers Centre in Toronto last night as Halladay dominated the Yankees in the Blue Jays 5-1 win.

Much was made before the game about Halladay’s positive influence on former teammate, and last night’s Yankees starter, A.J. Burnett.  But just like a master chef, perhaps some ingredients were not passed along to the student.  Halladay allowed a first inning single to Johnny Damon, who was immediately erased trying to stretch it into a double, and then retired 17 batters in a row before Damon doubled with one out in the 7th.

Burnett matched his mentor stride for stride through the first three innings, but then ran into a roadblock in the 4th.  Alex Rios led off the inning with a double and Burnett put himself in a hole when he walked Vernon Wells and Adam Lind to load the bases.  Scott Rolen entered the contest 0-18 lifetime against Burnett, but stroked a 2-run double and had three hits against his former nemesis.

Burnett struck out Lyle Overbay for the first out of the inning, but Rod Barajas delivered a sac fly for a 3-0 Blue Jays lead.  Meanwhile, Halladay induced a dozen ground ball outs through the first six innings and his vast arsenal of pitches had the Yankees off balance all night.  He struck out Mark Teixeira looking, following Damon’s 7th inning double, but Alex Rodriguez singled to bring home the Yankees lone run.  With the tying run at the plate, Halladay froze Nick Swisher looking for a called third strike.  That would be the last chance for the Yankees to get back into the game.

The Blue Jays put the game away in the 8th inning when Joe Girardi left Burnett in too long.  Aaron Hill, the clear front runner for comeback player of the year, led off the 8th inning with his team leading 9th home run of the year for a 4-1 Toronto lead.  Rolen added an RBI single later in the inning before Girardi finally pulled his starter from the game.

But two runs would have been enough for pitching master Roy Halladay.

Game Notes

Derek Jeter said his oblique has bothered him for about a week.  He hopes to return to the lineup tonight.  Hideki Matsui was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 5th inning when his hamstring tightened up.  He’s listed as day-to-day.

Chien-Ming Wang had a successful rehab start for the Scranton Yankees last night. The Wanger went 6 innings, allowed 3 hits, no runs, walked 3 and struck out 6.  His sinker worked well and led to 7 ground ball outs.  The Yankees now must make a decision whether to activate Wang or have him throw another minor league game.

Roy Halladay is now 16-5 lifetime against the Yankees and has won six straight.  That’s the longest streak against the Yankees since Kevin Brown won six straight from ’89 – ’92.

The series continues tonight with Andy Pettitte facing rookie Scott Richmond.

Chien-Ming Wang will start for the Scranton Yankees tonight as he works his way back to the Yankees starting rotation.  He’s expected to be on a 100-pitch count.

The Hal Steinbrenner era is much different than when his father was running the show.  By now George would have had 2 or 3 fits, “leaked” info to the press, and fired someone.  That being said, Dave Eiland could be in trouble if the Yankees’ pitching staff doesn’t turn things around.  Eiland earned a lot of praise for the work he did with the Yankees young pitchers in the minor leagues, but it has not translated into major league success.

The Yankees will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. this morning to give a sneak preview of the items on sale from the old Stadium.  $11.5 million from memorabilia sales will be given to New York City.

Veteran Josh Towers, recently signed to a minor league deal, made his organizational debut Monday night for Scranton.

Yankees-Blue Jays Preview

The Yankees and Blue Jays meet for the first time this season,  beginning a three game series in Toronto this evening.  It’s also the first AL series for the Blue Jays other than playing the Orioles.  Toronto has had a fantastic start, made even more remarkable considering the rash of injuries they have been hit with.  With a 22-12 mark, the Blue Jays lead second place Boston by one game entering Tuesday night’s play.

Toronto lost A.J. Burnett to free agency, and Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan to surgery prior to this season.  Once the season got underway, starters Ricky Romero (stained oblique) and Jesse Litsch (forearm strain) joined the DL group.

But the Blue Jays still have their ace, Roy Halladay (6-1, 3.29) and have patched together a solid makeshift rotation.  30-yr old rookie Scott Richmond has won four games and matched Halladay’s ERA.  Top pitching prospect Brett Cecil (1-0, 0.64) has struck out 12 batters in 14 innings.  32-yr old veteran Brian Tallet, once a top prospect in the Indians‘ organization, has made four quality starts in five tries.

Closer B.J. Ryan went down with a bad back, but Scott Downs has stepped right in to take his place.  And the Blue Jays lineup, which had been lacking in the past, has been firing on all cylinders.  Toronto leads the major leagues in runs scored (204), batting average (.294), and doubles (tied with Tampa Bay with 44)., and they’re third in the AL in home runs with 44 and a .467 slugging percentage.  The Blue Jays trail only Boston and St. Louis for hitting with runners in scoring position (.312), a stat that is severely lacking for the Yankees.

Aaron Hill missed all but 55 games last year with a concussion.  But he’s come back with a vengeance (.943 OPS), leading the team with a .353 average and 8 home runs.  Adam Lind (.966 OPS) has heard all the hype and now he’s living up to it.  His 6 home runs and 31 RBI are already close to his career highs.

The rest of the lineup is balanced and productive.  Mega star Vernon Wells is healthy again and hitting.  Marco Scutaro leads the AL in walks and tops the team in runs scored.  All this and Alex Rios isn’t even hitting yet.

And let’s not forget Toronto’s defense, which has been superb.  1st baseman Lyle Overbay, CF Wells, and SS Scutaro have yet to commit an error this season.  Toronto’s best defender, John McDonald, doesn’t even start.

And let us not gloss over the impact/influence of Cito Gaston’s return as manager in 2008.  Since taking over for John Gibbons after the 74th game last season, the Blue Jays are 24 games over .500.

Series Pitching Probables

Tuesday – A.J. Burnett (2-o) vs. Roy Halladay (6-1)
Wednesday – Andy Pettitte (2-1) vs. Scott Richmond (4-1)
Thursday – CC Sabathia (2-3) vs. Brian Tallet (2-1)

It’s time to review how the Yankees did in their first marking period, better known as the month of April.  It was an up and down month, but a 3-game winning streak enabled the Yankees to finish above .500 at 12-10.  That left them two games behind the first place Red Sox and Blue Jays entering May.

Player of the Month

Nick Swisher

No question, Robinson Cano’s numbers – 17 game hitting streak, .366-5-16, 18 runs – were tremendous, but without Nick Swisher the Yankees wouldn’t have finished the month with a positive record.  Swisher filled the void left first by Alex Rodriguez, and then by fellow outfielder Xavier Nady.  He led the team in home runs (7), RBI (19), runs scored (21), and OPS (1.144).

Highlights
3 Hits, 5 RBI in first win of season, 11-2 at Orioles
3 RBI, 3 runs in 6-1 win at Royals
1 RBI, 3 runs in 11-0 win at Tigers
2 HR, 4 RBI in 8-6 win at Tigers
MLB Player of the Week Award

Worst Player of the Month

With Alex Rodriguez out, not much was expected of Cody Ransom, but the Yankees got even less before a torn quad shut Ransom down for the next several months.  He hit just .180 in April and that was after going 6-20 (.300) in the last 6 games.  Ransom’s OPS was a mere .546 and he drove in just 6 runs,  3  of them in one game.  His defensive game let the Yankees down too (.946 Fielding PCT).

Pitcher of the Month

A.J.Burnett

It may seem odd for a pitcher with a 5.40 ERA, but A.J. Burnett won the award hands down.  Burnett’s ERA, of course, is warped because of the smackdown he took in Boston (5 IP 8 ER).  He stopped a pair of 2-game losing streaks and threw 111 pitches in a no-decision (the Yankees eventually won) against the Indians to rest the Yankees beleaguered bullpen.

Highlights
2-0, 5.40   Yankees are 4-1 in games Burnett starts
8 IP 3 H 2 ER 9 K in 7-2 win at Rays
5.1 IP 2 ER 6 K in 11-2 win at Orioles

Worst Pitcher of the Month

34.50.  That’s all you need to know.  Chien-Ming Wang.

Biggest Win of the Month

April 15 at Tampa Bay – The Yankees were in the finale of the opening 9-game road trip and were clinging to a .500 (4-4) record.  Andy Pettitte pitched a great game, but the Yankees trailed the Rays 3-2 after seven innings. Back to back doubles by Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon to start the eighth tied the game at 3-3.  Then in the top of the 9th, Cody Ransom reached on a one out double, and two batters later, Jeter came through again with the game winning single.

Worst Loss of the Month

Some fans will think it was the 22-4 opening day humiliation or the 16-11 Saturday loss to Boston that started as a 6-0 Yankees’ lead.  Clearly though, the Friday night game (April 24) in Boston takes the cake. A bitter cake.

The Yankees led 4-2 in the ninth with Mariano Rivera on to close things out, but Jason Bay smacked a game tying 2-out, 2-run home run.  Kevin Youkilis homered off Damaso Marte in the 11th inning for a Boston victory that set the tone for the rest of the weekend series.  It also again showed that Rivera is very mortal when facing the Red Sox.

Most Devastating Injury

A-Rod’s hip issues occurred in Spring Training, so he doesn’t qualify. (sorry Selena Roberts, I know you were counting on it.)  Xavier Nady’s elbow strain hurt the offense, but Swisher picked up much of the slack.  Without a doubt, the key injury was to Brian Bruney, the lone effective set up man to Mariano Rivera.  Bruney recorded a pair of wins and had four Holds.

Clutch Performer

Derek Jeter

The Captain, Derek Jeter, got this one.  His 9th inning home run against the Rays on April 14 busted the game open in a 7-2 win.  The next night Jeter singled in the game winning run in the 9th inning, which enabled the Yankees to take 2 of 3 from Tampa Bay.  Two nights after that, he gave the Yankees their 3rd win in 4 games with an eighth inning, game winning home run against the Cleveland Indians.

Report Card

Robinson Cano A+
Nick Swisher A
Brian Bruney A
Johnny Damon A-

Mariano Rivera B+ (that Boston game took a serious hit on his grade)
Derek Jeter B+
A.J. Burnett B+
Jorge Posada B
Jose Molina B
Andy Pettitte B
Melky Cabrera B
Ramiro Pena B
Joba Chamberlain B-

Hideki Matsui C+
Jonathan Albaladejo C
Phil Coke C
CC Sabathia C
David Robertson C

Mark Teixeira D (Walks and Defense saved him a little)
Brett Gardner D (Steals and Defense kept this, barely, from an F)
Edwar Ramirez D

Cody Ransom F
Damaso Marte F
Jose Veras F
Chien-Ming Wang F
Angel Berroa F (was only 4 games, but it showed plenty)

Incomplete
Xavier Nady
Anthony Claggett
Mark Melancon
Phil Hughes