Another Winning Weekend in the Bronx

There was much debate in the winter of 2007 of wheter Joe Girardi was the right guy to succeed Joe Torre as Yankees manager. 2 years and 1 championship later I would say he was the right man for the job. On Sunday Girardi earned his 300th win as Yankees manager.

Sunday also saw Mark Teixeria hit his 250th career home run. His 3-run home run in the 7th put the Yankees ahead 5-3 after Mark's error in the top half of the inning led to the Cleveland Indians getting 2 unearned runs off Yanks starter AJ Burnett. It was no issue for Burnett who went 8 innings giving up 1 run and went on to improve to 6-2 on the year.

Saturday the Yankees couldn't hold 9-3 and 10-4 leads. They lost 13-11 in a wild game at the Stadium. Friday night Robinson Cano hit cleanup for the 1st time in his career and boy did he deliver. He hit a Grand Slam in the 7th inning in a sure no-doubter to right field. His 10th home run of the year. Phil Hughes gave the Yanks another solid performance and he improve to 6-1 for 2010.

The Indians are in town for 1 more on Monday afternoon. The Yanks have Andy Pettitte going in the series finale.

Robinson Cano after cooling off in the month of May is starting to heat up again. He is hitting in the .340's and appears to be locked in again. Mark Teixeria and Alex Rodriguez look to gain some momentum off of Cano so they can hit their strides and be the offensive powerhouses we Yankee fans are use to seeing. Could you imagine all 3 of these men playing up to thier potential all at once? Scary thought for the rest of baseball, great thought for the Yankees and their fans!

C800 Asks You: How was Joe Girardi done in his time as Yankees manager? Should he be re-signed after this season? Share your thoughts on The Forum!
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Jeter and Swisher Help Yanks Take 2 in Minny

I guess all the Yankees needed was to get away from New York to get back on track. The Yanks have taken 2 straight against the Minnesota Twins in Minny's new home, Target Field.

The 1st game, Monday was suspended by rain and took about 24 hours to complete. Derek Jeter homered for the Yanks once played was resumed on Tuesday and the Bombers went on to win 1-0. A good sign for Derek who has been struggling as of late, both offensively and defensively. He also made his signature play of back-handing a groundball, jumped, turned and fired a strike to 1st base. We know that as The Jeter Play. Good signs for the Yanks.

Tuesday night Nick Swisher hit his 8th home run of the year to help Andy Pettitte to win their 2nd game of the day! The Yanks only scored 4 runs in both games, which can be cause for concern but it did get them 2 victories.

With the Red Sox starting to heat up, the 2 wins against the Twins loom big. The Blue Jays are also breathing down the neck of the New York in the A.L. East. Also with the 2 wins, the Yanks gain some ground on the Rays who were swept by the Sox down in Tampa.

C800 Asks You: Is there anything wrong with Derek Jeter or this just a slump for the Yankee Captain? How will you spend your Memorial Day weekend? Share your thoughts on The Forum!

One more game at Target Field Thursday and then the Yanks return home to Yankee Stadium. Hopefully this Memorial Day weekend will be a good one!
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Yanks Lose 1st Subway Series of 2010

Not a good weekend for the Yankees out in Queens. The Yanks drop the first Subway Series of 2010 to the Mets.

It can simply explained as the Yankees not getting the pitching they need to win games. They are 5-10 in their last 15 games. The starting pitching isn't as good as it was in the first month and a half of the year and the bullpen has been strugglingm Mariano Rivera included.

Friday night the Yanks took the opener 2-1 thanks in part to rookie Kevin Russo's 2-run RBI single in the 7th. Joba Chamberlain came in the 7th and got important outs. He pitched a scoreless 8th and the 9th went to Rivera. Rivera got the first 2 outs but struggled to get the 3rd out. But after a couple doubles, he was able to escape with a save.

Saturday night went to the Mets. David Wright had 2 RBI and Mike Pelfrey pitched well as he kept the Yankees at bay. The Bombers stranded 13 men on base and when you do that, you can not win games.

Sunday night was all Mets. CC Sabathia did not have his good stuff. He allowed 6 runs in 6 innings. It was his worst outing of the year. The Yankee offense was unable to get anything off of Mets ace Johan Santana. Jason Bay homered twice off CC and appears to be getting hot. A month ago the Yankees were getting all the bounces and breaks but here in late May, that isn't the case. Francisco Cervelli hit a ball down the left field line that he thought was a home run but after an umpire instant replay review, the umps deemed it no home run and Cervelli was left with a long single.

The Yankees are in a funk right now and there's no need for concern. It happens. The Yanks need to get healthy and need to start hitting with runners in scoring position, something that has been missing in the last week or so. Timely hitting wins games just as much as pitching.

The week had a great start to it with Marcus Thames hitting a walk-off against the Red Sox but since then, the Bombers have hit a wall. Things will work themselves out, they are the defending World Champs after all! Not everything was smooth for the 2009 Yankees so I'm not concerned with this slump.

Next up, the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Maybe a little time away from New York is what this team needs as they limp out of town. The Mets can take claim to winning this series but the Yankees will be back. The two teams meet again in late June. I wonder what the state of both teams will be by then...for the Yanks, I hope we're healthier and playing like World Champs again.
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Player Profile: Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano is playing in his 6th Major League season, all with the New York Yankees. He made his debut on May 3, 2005 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Cano is from the Dominican Republic. He was named after Jackie Robinson. He lived in Newark New Jersey for 7th, 8th and 9th grades before returning back to DR. In 2001 he was signed as a amateur free agent by the Yankees.

In 2006 Cano finished 3rd in the American League in hitting with a .342 average, his best to date. He also led all second baseman in voting for the All-Star Game but could not start because of an injury.

Currently Cano is considered one of the elite second basemen in all of baseball. He possesses skills both offensively and defensively that leave many people in awe. He has the best arm of any second baseman in baseball. He makes many difficult plays looks effortless..to the point where people mistake it for lack of hustle. He has one of the sweetest left-handed swings in the big leagues. He's been compared to have as sweet and as smooth of a swing as Hall of Famer Rod Carew. He's a constant .300 15-20 HR 80-95 RBI every year. He's as reliable as you can get day in and day out.

In 2010 he looks to take more responsibilty as he bats 5th,behind Yankees cleanup hitter Alex Rodriguez. Robbie's been known to struggle with men in scoring positions the last year or so but so far he has produced with men on. This could very well be Cano's break out season offensively. .320 30 HR 110 RBI looks attainable for the Yankee second baseman.

With a World Series ring already under his belt, a batting title and an MVP would be nice to add to his resume. Robbie is one of the best young players in the game today and he looks to only get better. It'll be nice to see him reach his potential and surpass that, all while wearing the Yankee pinstripes. He's had a nice career to this point and they look like they will get better. One of the most complete players in the game is getting better. The rest of baseball better watch out...for the Yankees and their fans, they already know they have a special player on their hands. He's ready to bring the Bronx some more championships. So am I!
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Good Thames and Bad in the Bronx

Every time the Boston Red Sox come to town, everyone knows it. All eyes are on the Bronx. Facebook and Twitter statuses give everyone an up to the second update. That's how intense this rivalry is.

Monday night saw the first Yankees Classic of the year as the Yanks come back in dramatic fashion. Alex Rodriguez hits a 2-run home run off Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to tie the game 9-9 in the 9th, then moments later Marcus Thames sends everyone happy with a walk-off 2-run home run of his own. Celebrate good times!

Tuesday night saw the Sox get their redemption. As if written from the pages of a Hollywood script, the Yanks were up 5-1 in the 8th when Joba Chamberlain gave up 4 runs to the Sox to allow them to tie it 5-5. Then in the 9th, the hero in Monday night's game, Thames drops a fly ball and allows the Sox to come all the way back and erase any ill effect suffered from Monday's loss.

So in essence the 2 games cancel eachother out. 2 great wins and 2 big losses for both sides. Just another Yankee-Red Sox series. The feel of October baseball was surely in the air both nights and I loved it! Cant ask for more from these 2 teams. They always seem to step up their game against one another and that's what a rivalry is all about. The Yanks still hold a big mental advantage over Boston who is struggling to find their identity this season. Let's see how both teams fare over the next few months and what the rivalry will have in store for us come August.

C800 Asks You: What did you think of this New York-Boston series? Has the rivarly lost its luster? Who gained and who lost from this series? Share your thoughts on The Forum!
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Grand Ol' Weekend in the Bronx

I love going around New York and see signs of "Come Home to Yankee Stadium....The Home of Champions". For the Minnesota Twins, they just can't buy a win at the Stadium. It's become a house of horrors for them. This weekend was no different as the Yanks were able to take 2 of 3 from Minny.

Friday night Alex Rodriguez hit a grand slam to give the Yanks the lead in the 7th, one they were able to preserve. The homerun was Alex's 4th on the year and 587th All-Time, passing Frank Robinson for 7th on the All-Time list.

Saturday Andy Pettitte made his return to the rotation and was brillant yet again. 6.1 innings giving up 2 hits and 0 earned runs. He recorded his 5th win of the season,tying Phil Hughes for the team lead.

Sunday was a different story for the Yanks. With a 3-1 lead in the 8th Manager Joe Girardi called on Mariano Rivera to get the final outs. With the bases loaded, Rivera walked Jim Thome making it 3-2 and then Jason Kubel sent a Rivera fastball into the right field seats for a grand slam. The Twins never looked back. It was Rivera's 1st blown save at home in the new Yankee Stadium, 1st at home since August 13, 2007. Even the immortals can human for the day. The blown save also ended Mo's consecutive home saves streak at 51.

The Twins had lost their previous 10 games in the Bronx before Sunday's win. It was a tough loss for the Yanks because you never see Rivera falter as he did, but hey,that's baseball.

Another series win for the Bombers is what's key, especially with Boston coming into town on Monday. The Yanks send Hughes to the mound on Monday night and he's looking to show everyone that his outing in Fenway was no fluke. He's looking for 6th win on the year against a still sluggish Red Sox team,who come in losers of 2 straight and are just a .500 team.

C800 Asks You: What are your expectations from this Yanks-Sox series? Is A-Rod ready to turn the corner offensively? Share your thoughts on The Forum!
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Wonder-Phil Hughes Wins 5th!

Phil Hughes is making his case to be the Yankees ace as he won his team leading 5th win on Wednesday night. He pitched 7 innings gave up 5 hits, no runs and struck out 8. He is now 5-0 on the season.

Hughes has been a pleasant surprise out of the 5th spot of the rotation this year. A spot he didn't own until the last week of Spring Training. He has been one of the American League's best pitchers thus far and has done so quietly under the rest of the star studded rotation.

The Yankees beat the Tigers 8-0 Wednesday night after dropping the first 2 games of the series. Sergio Mitre took the loss in Game 1 of the series on Monday night thanks in part to former Yankee Johnny Damon, who homered for Detriot and was able to walk away with a 5-4 win.

On Wednesday in Game 1 of the Day-Night Doubleheader Javier Vazquez took the mound and took another loss. He is now 1-4 on the young season but did pitch better this time around. It's progress we want to see from Javy and that's what he gave us. The Yankee bats stood silent as they took a 2-0 loss. It was the Bombers 3rd straight but that losing streak was quickly erased by Hughes' performance in Game 2.

Mark Teixeria continues to hit the ball well in May as he picked up another 3 RBI in the night cap of the doubleheader. Fransciso Cervelli also stayed home as he knocked a few more runs and continues to surprise everyone with his superb play.

Still the knight in shining armor is Phil Hughes. The man seems to finally be coming together. After years of promise and hope of being a front end of the rotation pitcher, he is delivering on all cylinders. He has been the Yanks most reliable starter to this point. Now, whether he holds it down for the remainer of the season is something to keep an eye on as we go forward. But I can surely tell you, I am excited to see him pitch. He has dominant stuff and has the talent to be one of the best young pitchers in the game. At the moment, he is just that. A 5th starter can't win 15 games, can he? Hughes has a very good shot at it. Let's see what the rest of the season has in store for him.

C800 Asks You: Is this Phil Hughes breakout season? Could he make it to the All-Star Game in July? How do you think he finishes out the season? Share your thoughts on The Forum!!
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Yanks Take 2 at Fenway

There aren't many teams hotter these days than the New York Yankees. They were sporting a 6-game winning streak heading into Sunday night's game in Fenway. They ended up losing to the Red Sox 9-3 but still managed to win another series and still remain only half a game out of 1st place and having the best record in baseball.

Friday night Phil Hughes offically arrived to the rotation. He pitched 7 strong innings and outlasted Boston ace Josh Beckett to gain his 4th win of the year. Nick Swisher homered off of Beckett to start the scoring and the Yanks never looked back. The Yanks won 10-3.

Saturday Mark Teixeria and Francisco Cervelli each drove in 5 runs en route to another Yankee laughter 12-3. Teixeria homered 3 times! He became only the 2nd Yankee ever to hit 3 HRs against the Red Sox.

Sunday night the Sox got a bit of revenge and salvaged the last game of the series 9-3. AJ Burnett recorded his 1st loss of the season. The lone bright side is A-Rod's HR in the 4th inning. His 3rd of the season and gets us to update the Chasing800 HR Tracker!

The big picture this weekend was how much better the Yankees are than their divison rivials. Of course this means nothing, as Boston won the 1st 8 meetings between the 2 teams last season then unraveled down the stretch but it's still a good sign for New York. The best thing in my opinion coming out of this weekend was Phil Hughes. He has certainly arrived as a legitament force in the rotation. You aren't taken seriously unless you can win in Boston and face the pressure. Whether it's May or October, pitching in Fenway is a big task and Hughes was up for it and passed. He will be a huge factor for the Yankees, especially if Javy Vazquez can't right himself.

The Yanks win 2 of 3 in Boston, again! Another positive note going forward. Teixeria is getting hot and A-Rod is finding his swing as well. The Yanks continue to get hit by the injury bug with Nick Johnson being placed on the DL on Saturday and Alfredo Aceves tweaking a lower back muscle again,thus leaving him unavailable for a few days. With that being said, the Yanks continue to win. They now travel to Detriot and face old friend Johnny Damon and the Tigers.

C800 Asks You: With the Yanks taking 2 of 3 in Boston for the 2nd time this season, should the Sox be seen as a serious threat to the Bombers? How important was Hughes' performance Friday night? Share your thoughts on The Forum!
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Palyer Profile CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia is in his 10th major league season, 2nd with the New York Yankees. He spent his first 7 plus seasons with the Cleveland Indians and half a season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

His current contract with the Yankees is the richest in major league history for a pitcher. CC was the 2007 CY Young Award winner with the Indians.

Sabathia attended Vallejo High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. During his teen years, Sabathia played summer baseball in the Major League Baseball youth program Rebuilding Baseball in Inner cities.

Sabathia has four plus pitches: fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. Sabathia had a career batting average of .300 with three home runs and seven RBIs in 40 ABs, including a 440-foot home run on June 21, 2008 with the Indians. Later that season he hit another home run as a member of the Brewers, thus marking him the 3rd pitcher in history to hit a homerun as a member of both the AL and NL.

In his 1st season in pinstripes, CC went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA, He won the ALCS MVP against the Angels. He went on to win his 1st World Series as he helped the Yanks win their 27th title. In 2010 he looks to repeat his dominant 2009 season and repeat as World Champion. The future is bright for Sabathia..that's a good thing, because New York is where the lights shine the brightest.
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Yanks Sweep O's Out of Town

The Yankees keep on rollin'. Yesterday they completed a 3 game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. The sweep gives New York another series win, their 9th in 10 tries.

With Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera all sidelined due to injury for this series, the Yanks were still able to be victorious. Solid outings by CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettitte gave the Yanks little to worry about while their superstars were out of action.

Pettitte left Wednesday's game against Baltimore after 5 innings with stiffness in his left elbow. We surely hope this is not a major issue as Pettitte has been brillant in each of his outings this season.

The Yanks go and play the Boston Red Sox again and it'll be interesting, as always to see how the series pans out. Boston is reeling these days, their aces Josh Beckett and John Lackey are under-performing and the lineup is lacking the usual luster. The Yanks have issues of their own,mainly with health, but playing the Sox always brings out the best in the Bombers. It'll be interesting to watch.

C800 Asks You: If Andy Pettitte's injury turns out to be serious, what options do the Yankees have to replace him? When is A-Rod's bat going to heat up? How will this weekend's Yankee-Sox showdown play out? Share your thoughts on The Forum!
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Yanks Keep The Heat Up Against Chicago

Another nice weekend for the Yankees, this time at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. They took 2 of 3 from the Chi-Sox and have now won 7 of the first 8 series of the year.

Friday night, Derek Jeter reminded everyone why he's the Captain. He had 3 hits, a HR, single and a triple with 4 RBI. I was in attendance Friday and correctly predicted Jeter's homer just moments before. Mariano Rivera came in for the save,which marked his 51st consecutive home save. That ties him for the most all-time. The Yanks won 6-4.

Saturday, Javy Vazquez' struggles continued. He couldn't get out of the 4th and was booed again upon his exit. The Yanks were able to come back from a 5-1 deficit but after going ahead on Nick Swisher's HR in the 6th, the bullpen gave the lead right back to Chicago who went on to win 7-6.

Sunday's game was classic Bronx Bombers all the way! Robinson Cano continued his hot start and hit his 9th HR of the season. Swisher homered for the second day in a row and Brett Gardner hit one as well. Phil Hughes pitched 7 scoreless innings as he continues to impress. The Yanks won 12-3.

The upside to this weekend was the performance of Hughes who pitched brillant against a tough Chicago offense. Mark Teixeria had 6 hits this weekend, he had 11 in all of April, so certainly his recent turn around has many Yankee fans excited. As for Robbie Cano, what else can you say? He is the biggest threat in the Yankee lineup and is carrying the offense for the most part. Hopefully this is a season long trend and not just a nice month.

With the good, you have to accept the bad. Curtis Granderson injured his groin on Saturday as he was running the bases going from 1st to 3rd. He was placed on the 15-day DL after the game, but it appears he'll be out of action for about a month. He's been a solid presence in the lineup and on the field so we all wish him a speedy recovery.

With Granderson out, that gives Marcus Thames and Randy Winn some face time and hopefully both men can fill in and give the Yanks a solid platoon in Curtis's absence. Thames has been good offensively so far, and he made a nice catch in LF on Sunday. Let's keep that up Marcus,we're going to need you!

C800 Asks You: With Curtis Granderson on the DL, is his presence missed in the lineup or on the field? Mark Teixeria's bat appears to be heating up, is that going to help Alex Rodriguez get out of his recent struggles? Share your thoughts on the Forum.
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