Home Run Derby Can won with Robinson Cano powers past Adrian Gonzalez

PHOENIX - The Home Run Derby, like seemingly everything in baseball these days, fell to the Red Sox [team stats] vs Yankees. Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez and Robinson Cano Yankees counterpart tried to inject some life into an otherwise bloated affair with a match head to head in the final last night.

The two each jet 20 homers in the first two rounds to advance to the final, Gonzalez dropped a record of the event with 11 bombs.

“That was a lot of fun,” Gonzalez said. “I had a blast with it. You’re tired by the third round. Cano did an unbelievable job to get to 12 home runs, and he still had four outs left. He just swung the bat great.”

Sox slugger David Ortiz [Statistics] showed that knows how to pick a team. His team attacked with 76 home runs, compared to only 19 for the National League team chosen by Prince Fielder of Milwaukee. If Sox manager Terry Francona be worried?  “You saw that?” Ortiz joked. “Tito, look out, man. I’m coming to get your job. I made the right choice. That was an unbelievable show out there by Cano and my teammate, Gonzo. There were a lot of bombs out there. What Cano did was unbelievable. It was enjoyable.”
Added Gonzalez: “We had more than 70, and Cano was still on a roll.”

Cano hit his homer of his father, Joseph, a first big player who threw 23 innings in his career. Gonzalez hit out Indians manager Manny Acta, who came to take the job about 20 minutes before the event after Gonzalez was unable to get either his brother or baseball coach the school to go out and shoot.

Gonzalez led off with nine homers, the highest total of the first round.
Ortiz had a harder time advancing. In the first round, he was struggling with four homers when the event’s emcee, broadcaster Daron Sutton, announced, “Pretend it’s Kevin Gregg on the mound,” in reference to the Orioles closer Ortiz brawled with Friday. Ortiz immediately blasted his fifth homer.
Those five homers left him in a three-way tie with Matt Holliday and Fielder. Ortiz advanced with Fielder in the tiebreaker.
Ortiz was eliminated in the semis with nine total homers, but he did become the event’s all-time leader with 77, three more than Ken Griffey Jr.
And at the end, it came down to New York and Boston.
“I never thought of it as Red Sox vs. Yankees, even though I was going against Gonzalez,” Cano said. “I was focused on winning.”

Derek Jeter Project is 3,000 Hits in the New York Yankees at home

 

Derek Jeter wanted to reach 3,000 hits in the New York Yankees at home. That could have been a little more difficult.

A sore right calf can keep Jeter out of the lineup when the Yankees begin the final series of the homestand Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers home unbeaten Alexi Ogando.

Jeter singled in the first inning of Monday's 1-0 loss to Cleveland for his 2,994 th hit, but limped to first base after hitting a fly ball in the fifth. After the game, the team sent out to shortstop to hospital for an MRI, which showed a mild strain.

"I'm worried about him,''manager Joe Girardi said.''Just keep your fingers crossed and hope it's not too serious.''

Regardless of the results of MRI, Girardi said he did not think Jeter could play Tuesday.

After three games against Texas (36-31), New York heads in interleague road trip to Chicago and Cincinnati, and then returns home for six more at Yankee Stadium against Colorado and Milwaukee.

"It's frustrating,''Girardi said." He is six hits away. I hope you can have here. Obviously, he looked quite sore. "

With or without their captain, the Yankees (36-28) have to deal with Ogando (7-0, 2.10 ERA), who is trying to become the second Rangers starter to win his first eight decisions in a season. Tommy Hunter began last season 8-0.

Ogando seems to be a good opportunity to tie that record and allow a run in his two starts this month. He left his career with Detroit in the first inning of Wednesday, scattered four hits over the next 2-3 frames of June.

"I just wanted to keep my composure. Sometimes you feel depressed, but you have to keep throwing and do the best job possible, "he said through an interpreter.

Ogando, however, had one of their worst performances of the season against New York on 17 April. The right to link from a career-high five runs in 6 1-3 innings - all in three homers - but he avoided a loss in a 6-5 defeat.

Once again, the tone against CC Sabathia (7-4, 3.15), coming off one of his worst starts this season.

After winning four straight games, the lefty allowed six runs in the seventh inning in the 8-3 defeat to Boston on Thursday. Allowed six runs in his previous defeat, also to the Red Sox.

"I did not make the pitches to stop the damage, when necessary," said Sabathia.

From May 7 Sabathia is 5-0 with an ERA of 2. 04 against any other team that stretch and opened with a win in Texas despite allowing five runs in six innings. It is 4-1 in his last eight starts against the Rangers despite a 4.11 ERA and 9-3 with a 4. 39 ERA in 16 career duels with Texas, which is designed to avoid the third three-game skid this season.

The leaders of the Western Division has an ERA of 5.93 on a stretch of 5.2 and its owners have posted a mark of 6.63. They were outscored 14-2 in consecutive losses in Minnesota, but five of those runs were unearned in 1.6 Sunday's loss.

Texas has posted an ERA of 6.28, while dropping four of five in New York and an ERA of 6.34 during the match of the season 12 all-time regular in the new Yankee Stadium, going 4-8 there.

Yankees continue to smack cleveland Again

The Yankees continue to reinforce the notion that they are good but not great, better than the class to the league of Central America and the West, but are not yet in the same league as the Red Sox AL East- Boston Red Leader.
By midweek, the Yankees were blown out of the water to Boston, three consecutive defeats in a contest for first place. Then, the Cleveland Indians turned to the city staff it with a better record than New York or Boston a week ago.
And through three games, the Yankees have made us look like a team of players from lower leagues, the role of leaders of the Centre are IN.
The Yankees beat the Indians on Sunday 09/01, with the victory coming on the heels of a clear 4-0 victory Saturday and a rash Friday, 07/11.
"[Boston] made us look bad," said Brett Gardner. "Cleveland has played well all year, but it does not matter who you play. It is important to return to the right page, and we got there."
Sunday with New York Freddy Garcia turned his full arsenal of splitters, sliders and changeups, balls up against the Indians on the ground or flyball hit low, never really threatened the Yankees.
Whenever they did, Garcia earned a game ball or double strikethrough to escape danger, receiving a standing ovation when he left after 6 2 / 3 innings giving up one run.
"When you have a good performance, and you're in New York, they always do," Garcia said. "You field bad, they boo him. I think that's the way it is."
Crime in New York defeated Cleveland pitching for 18 hits including two doubles and a triple by Brett Gardner, two hits and-2, 992 and 2993, Derek Jeter.
September Yankees had at least two hits, and Curtis Granderson was 4-for-4 (without Homer, for once) to increase his average to 0279.
In fact, the Yankees have won without two of their specialties. They did not hit a home run and not be hit by a pitch. They had done so much over the last five games.
Sunday, they won with single and double-edged rent.
"We were swinging the bats well," said Jeter. '''Along the lineup, guys have been getting on base, make things happen.
They play again this series Cleveland before receiving AL West Texas the other team beat the Yankees so far this year, a 4-2 record against the Rangers.
All this puts in stark relief a team can take a lower division of the American League and still be in a separate class of New York and Boston.
The Yankees are 11-9 against the AL Central, 10-5 against the AL West, 12.4 and against all teams not named the AL East Boston Red Sox.
They do not pick up a pattern against Boston, who spent his days beating Toronto remains two games ahead of New York.
Unfortunately, there will be two months before the Yankees headed to Boston again and can prove that they belong to the same class of Boston. Until then, they are forced to confront the powers of the central bank called Al and the West.
"I thought we had a very good series against the [Boston], and we left empty," said Jorge Posada. "But we can not look back. We must keep an eye on what we face every day, and I think we do a good job at it."

Yankees, killed the Red Sox?

NEW YORK - The Red Sox waited three hours and 27 minutes for the game against the Yankees to start last night as storms pass wet in the Bronx.

But at a time when even the city that never sleeps has to sleep, the Sox found the energy to sweep its rivals.

A ride of seven seventh inning propelled the Red Sox to a 8-3 win against the Yankees. There are six consecutive victories for the Sox and a lead of two games in the American League East.

For the first time since 1913, the Red Sox have swept two series of three games of the New York Yankees.

The Sox are 8-1 against the Yankees this season, dominating 60-37. Going back to last season, the Red Sox have won 15 of last 20 games between the teams.

Josh Beckett (5-2) improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season with a 0.86 earned run average. He allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings and struck six.

Every game the Red Sox had at least one hit and eight players each scored one point. Now that is balance.

"It is gratifying to come back and win a game like this,''said Beckett, who has faced CC Sabathia, in all three games against the Yankees." To see the short score, especially against a pitcher, it was incredible. ""

Sabathia (7-4) took a hit in two shutout seventh inning. Then came knocking punch by Sox

David Ortiz grounded a single into right field. Jed Lowrie followed with a line drive down the first base line that deflected right fielder Nick Swisher, who crashed while chasing the ball.

Ortiz scored all the way from the first and Lowrie had a triple.

Mike Cameron in the list for his ability to hit lefties, lined a ball to left field for a double that tied the game. Cameron is 9 for 22 against Sabathia in his career with hits extra-base six.

"CC had a good ball and the slider all night,''said Cameron. " Then he started to leave the ball and we had some good hitters against him.''

Jason Varitek followed with a single to right, moving Cameron to third base. Sabathia issued two oscillating bars after a Jacoby Ellsbury, but failed to stop it. Ellsbury hung up and called in another slider to right field to give the Red Sox head.

Marco Scutaro lined a ball to the gap in left, which was designed by Brett Gardner in the second. But Adrian Gonzalez's RBI machine, hit a single center that made it 4-2 and knocked Sabathia out of the game

The Sox pounded reliever David Robertson as Youkilis RBI single line left to Ortiz and a two-run double to center. The Sox sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs and eight hits.

We kept the line moving and spread a little,''Sox manager Terry Francona said. '''It ended up being a very good win for us.

Beckett had played 14 times against the Yankees shutout in two games this season. This series lasted all of seven pitches.

Beckett Derek Jeter hit a ball that drifted inside. He then fell and Curtis Granderson-3-1 and left a fastball right over the plate. Granderson walked to the banks in right field for his 18th home run.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first round of the first two games of the series, the Yankees had a 2-0 lead.

Beckett recovered and retired seven batters in a row. With a shift in the third, Jeter hit a ball in the field captured Cameron, stuck in his glove and fell to transfer it to another hand to play.

Brian Knight, a judge of the first year, no credit Cameron and Jeter took to capture the first time in error. He then stole second. Beckett struck again Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira then hit with a fastball to load the bases.

The dangerous Robinson Cano has a chance to extend their lead, but hit a popup error that kept Youkilis shallow a.

With Beckett hit two batters in three shifts, and Sabathia had no choice but to retaliate. What happened early in the fourth round.

With one out, Youkilis drew a walk. Sabathia first step was a 97 mph fastball, which reached Ortiz directly on the hip. Referee Hunter Wendelstedt immediately warned both teams that the Yankees fans screaming bloodthirsty joy.

Ortiz was the logical choice for the Yankees, as manager Joe Girardi was offended by throwing the bat after hitting a home run on Tuesday.

With two in a single output, Sabathia has been with the company to successfully launch and returned to the fans chanted "CC, CC.''Jed Lowrie He was in a popup to center field and Carl Crawford on a pop because the receiver to end the round.

Beckett has released a few more problems in the sixth inning. With two outs, Cano hit a ball down the left field line that bounced into the stands for a double. He then looked around Nick Swisher, who accompany him on four pitches to get to Jorge Posada.

Posada hit a weak groundball first kissed the line. Thinking it was bad, he got up and looked. The ball stayed fair and the tour was over.

Teams do not play again until August 5.

Joba's injury dark over Yankees

NEW YORK - The look on the face of the New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi called out disaster on Thursday, he sat down, took a deep breath and said with the solemnity of the announcement of a death in the family "I have bad news."

source of bad news in the form of a dye that has been inserted into the elbow of his unusually harsh relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain (notes). Once the dye went through his arm, Chamberlain was slipped into an MRI scanner where the images were made and given to team doctors, who saw them and came back with an obvious conclusion. There was a tear in a ligament.

It's something we were not expecting. Typically, a ligamentous injury is evident, the immense pain. But Chamberlain was not feeling pain in his arm. There was a slight uneasiness that the gunman described as feeling more sensitive than the excruciating pain.

Girardi said that when the pitchers have a ligament injury, there are certain things that are not able to do so. They can not open the bottle without tearing their faces in agony. They can not make a fist and put it against his head. Chamberlain could do both. He could do them without a hint of boredom.

Thus, MRI was essentially a precautionary measure, the kind of thing only teams to make sure that the hardness and stiffness is not simply something much bigger.

But it was bigger. Much bigger. Now Chamberlain is almost certainly the year that in most stations in New York would be a sad story, but hardly cataclysmic. If a franchise has never been historically constructed to manage a relief pitcher for the post season ending Tommy John surgery, is the Yankees.

These are the Yankees, however, different. The Yankees in recent years do not need great relief pitchers to be able to buy yourself a higher starting speed that everyone and empower it with Mariano Rivera (notes) to the other side.

But you still can not buy everything. Suddenly, the Yankees are unable to take their problems away. They tried to Cliff Lee (notes) in New York in hopes that he could stand next to CC Sabathia (notes) to form a top of a rotation as good as anyone. They prayed Andy Pettitte (notes) would be back. They trusted AJ Burnett (notes) could be better and they thought that Phil Hughes (notes) would be even more.

Instead of Lee went to Philadelphia, Pettitte retired Burnett has improved, but also inefficiency and Hughes mysteriously lost the speed of his fastball and is currently waiting to start a game in the low minor leagues. His salvation is the miracle of rebirth Bartolo Colon (notes) and Freddy Garcia (notes). But how long can it last?

It's not like the Yankees do not prepare for disasters. They spent $ 35 million over Rafael Soriano (notes), through the eighth inning, but Soriano has traveled more batters than he was removed and is currently on the injury list. They hoped the signing of Pedro Feliciano (notes) and pairing with Chamberlain would be a bridge between a rotation potentially in trouble and Rivera. But Feliciano has shoulder problems and has not started a race this year. Now Chamberlain is probably gone for the rest of the season.

So before the game Thursday was like a wake. Girardi sat behind a desk in the press room at Yankee Stadium and tried to rationalize how a pitcher who does not feel pain is suddenly lost for the season.

"One thing I have is why Joba should have a high pain threshold," Girardi said. He kept nodding and saying things like "the body is an interesting thing."

Outside, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sat on the bench and asked the same thing. Above him, dark clouds concentrated anger and a heat wave was about to break into a burst of storms that eventually prompted the beginning of the series finale against the Red Sox return of 3 ½ hours.

"Just shuffle the cards," said Cashman, the look on his face seemed to say that he knew would not be as simple as that. His sentence is now largely a collection of unknowns Article 5 microphones and get out of junk. This is not an office that controls or hold Boston to Tampa Bay

Middle-AL has become the most competitive division of play again in Toronto and Baltimore up. Suddenly, the nightmare scenario where the Yankees fall to last place, rather than surge to a division title is not so implausible.

Almost as if to prove that the Yankees are actually still the Yankees, Cashman sought shelter by the Red Sox - a team that had beaten his club seven of eight times this year - and said: "We certainly can beat the guys that is right. "

It would not be possible on Thursday. Long after the rain has changed and the clock above the left field is shifted to one hour, Sabathia faltered. Six times, he held Boston to two hits, but the seventh, he was working. The pitch count increased in the 90s, his curveball has lost its sharpness. He needed help, but the Yankees bullpen was empty. There was no saving it. When the dust settled, he was on the hook for six runs and eight hits, a delay of 2-0 spoiled.

Less than an hour after leaving the game, the Yankees won their canoe and fell out of the club. It's just a long season in June and still waiting, but as the Red Sox celebrated their second sweep Yankee Stadium this year, it became evident that the gap between these two teams is much higher than the torn ligaments in his right arm Joba Chamberlain.

"We'll be back," promised Girardi after the game.