The Yanks turn to their ace, Masahiro Tanaka tonight in Queens.

Never mind the hype:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Dellin Betances doesn’t have the fine control he had last year. He’s still tough though. Dude came in the game in the 7th inning with nobody on and two out and walked the bases loaded. Gasp. Then, he struck James Loney out on 3 perfect pitches–breaking ball, fastball (pea at the knees, inside corner), breaking ball in the dirt (swinging). Tuesday’s hero, Nick Franklin couldn’t get a bunt down against Betances with a man on and nobody out in the 8th. He popped the pitch up–it was caught and the runner nailed off first. And that was the last moment of tension for the visitors. Greg Bird hit a moon shot in the 9th to push the Yankees’ lead to 3-1 and Andrew Miller struck out the side to end the game.

Yanks have the day off and then visit Citifield this weekend, followed by 3 in Toronto.

Onward. 

[Photo Credit: Daniel Shea via MPD]

Chris Archer pitches well against the Yanks. Last time, they got the better of him, late in the game. I’m sure he’ll be on point tonight. Let’s hope Luis Severino matches him.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Dustin Ackley 2B

Never mind the dome:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Yeah, the Rays can’t hit but they’ve got a pair of tough pitchers the next couple of nights.

Adam Warren goes for the Yanks.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the nonsense:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture via the Always Awesome This Isn’t Happiness]

Yanks are in Tampa for 3 vs. the Rays. The Trop has not been kind to our boys in recent years. Let’s hope that changes starting now.

It’s ol’ CC on the bump.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind the catwalks:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Ian Hughes via This Isn’t Happiness]

Mostly sunny today, and hot.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Chase Headley 3B
Dustin Ackley 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

It’s Tanaka Time. Will a Yankee starter finally show up?

Never mind the bruises:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Big Mike’s on the hill for Game 1.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Time for our boys to get even.

Never mind the Gashouse Gorillas:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Tex is done for the year.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Severino, Price.

Never mind the hype:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Go away and come back tomorrow.

Severino vs. Price will have to wait for Friday night.

They’ll play a double header on Saturday.

And now, a word from our sponsors:

[Photo Via: Mangin Photography Archive]

CC’s back. Gardner’s still out. Ackley gets a start.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chase Headley 3B
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Greg Bird 1B
Dustin Ackley LF
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Another big game. Rooting hard for The Big Fella.

Never mind the boids:

Let’s Go Yankees

Picture by Philipp Banken.

Chad Jennings has the latest on the Yankees’ injuries.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Greg Bird 1B
Chris Young LF
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B
Brendan Ryan 3B

Big start for Masahiro on a hot evening in the Bronx.

Never mind the M*A*S*H unit:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Big Mike and the Yanks look to play well against the reeling Baltimore Orioles.

No time for regression now, fellas.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chase Headley 3B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Carlos Beltran RF
Chris Young LF
Greg Bird 1B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Jose Pirela 2B

Never mind the end of summer:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos, via vintage everyday]

Every loss hurts now, some more than others. Yesterday’s loss was painful because the breaks didn’t go the Yankees’ way. They put men on base, they hit the ball hard, they hit into outs. 3-2 was the final.

The Jays won, their lead back to a game-and-a-half.

Nova’s gonna have to bring his A-game today cause the Rays have the formidable Chris Archer on the bump.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the end of summer:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Big Nathan Eovaldi, let’s see what you’ve got fer us todayski.

Brett Gardner CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind prosperity:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Cats sometimes Town walk]

Good pitching match-up tonight at the Stadium as the Rays are in town for the weekend.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the scoreboard:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Odd 4:00 p.m. start today as the Yanks finish their business in Boston.

Brett Gardner CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Our man Masahiro’s on the bump.

Never mind the goldbrickers:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Joan Lifton via MPD]

Hey Big Mike, how ’bout a decent start, huh? I know the Sox are garbage but they are playing well these days.

Time to show up, Hoss.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alex Rodriguez DH
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the Hub:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

The next 16 games for the Yanks are against AL East opponents: 3 in Boston, then 3 vs. the Rays, 3 vs. the O’s and 4 against the Jays, all at home, capped off by 3 in Tampa.

The Sox played a spirited series against the Mets this past weekend in Queens. Got to figure they’ll have plenty of upstart left in them.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Chase Headley 3B
Greg Bird 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind those damn Jays:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Three-quarters of the way through his first season in New York Nathan Eovaldi has shown more than promise, he’s shown progress. And it’s been fun to watch because I naturally find it easy to be extra critical of him. Initially, he was easy to root against. Every time I saw Eovaldi out there I expected him to implode. He’s a big, hulking guy and bears a physical resemblance to Carl Pavano. That’s probably it. But then you hear him in interviews and he’s a quiet, soft-spoken guy. Hard to get any sense of him but he doesn’t come across as a big jerk that’s for sure.

Unlike Pavano, he’s not a clod. Eovaldi is adept at pick-off throws, excellent at keeping baserunners from stealing–the announcers say he’s got good feet. His fastball–which touches 100+–his newly-developed splitter, his stuff, is tantalizing. Reminds me of AJ Burnett, the proverbial million-dollar-arm-ten-cent-head, the guy who never fully realizes his great promise (though, of course, Burnett has been a terrific older pitcher). And yet there is something passive about Eovaldi. He doesn’t have that thing that Matt Harvey has, the poise and aggression of a great pitcher.

So you have to wonder–is Eovaldi just a great arm or is he going to be a stud?

Well, he doesn’t often pitch deep into games and for all his stuff doesn’t strike a lot of guys out, but since getting bombed in Miami back in the middle of June, he’s been decent. Better than decent, he’s been good. Last two starts, against two potent offenses (Twins, Astros), he’s been especially good. Let’s hope for more of the same today.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Greg Bird 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B
Nathan Eovaldi P

Never mind the chanting:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Life was good from the get go last night as the Yanks scored 9 times in the first 2 innings on their way to a 15-4 win over the hapless Braves. I love Tanaka. Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s tough, he competes.

Sure am happy for Didi and McCann, too. Maybe the road is good for this act.

Let’s hope there’s more of the same tonight. Maybe lil’ Luis Severino pitches his best game yet. Imagine that.

Never mind the Crunk:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Image Credit: Diebs via Bo Fransson]