Yankees Make a Different Difference vs. Pesky Blue Jays

The Yankees opened a 3-game series away to those pesky Toronto Blue Jays last night, and if they'd played most of the games between them last season the way they played this one, it would have been the Yanks, not the Jays, winning the American League Eastern Division. Alas, the Yanks went 6-13 against the Jays, and that made the difference.

Last night, the Yankees made a different difference.

A baseball team shouldn't need 5 separate pitchers to hold the opposition to 2 runs on 3 hits over 9 innings. But when Joe Girardi is the manager, it can happen.

Masahiro Tanaka started for the Yankees, and Girardi hit the panic button by removing him after 5 innings, in which he threw 92 pitches, allowing said 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 4, striking out 6. Any manager who isn't a scaredy-cat would have let Tanaka continue.

Girardi didn't. He used Johnny Barbato, Chasen Shreve, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Between them, they allowed only 2 baserunners: A walk each by Barbato and Shreve.

The Yankees got a run on a Starling Castro groundout in the 2nd, Brian McCann's 2nd home run of the season in the 6th, and a Jacoby Ellsbury single in the 7th.

Perhaps the biggest moment in the game came in the bottom half of that inning. With 2 out and the tying run on 2nd base, Jose Bautista, who had earlier doubled home Toronto's runs off Tanaka in the 3rd, batted against Betances. Betances has struggled in big moments since the start of last season, and Bautista has been trying to succeed David Ortiz as the big Yankee Killer of the age.

But, last night, in the big moment, Betances struck Bautista out looking. Now that is making a different difference. The Jays didn't get another baserunner, as Betances pitched a perfect 8th, and Miller a perfect 9th.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2. WP: Barbato (1-0 -- his 1st major league win). SV: Miller (2). LP: Brett Cecil (0-2).

The Yankees got a bit of a scare when McCann took a foul tip off his foot and had to leave the game. X-rays showed a bruised toe. He'll be out for at least a couple of games, but it looks like he won't have to go on the Disabled List. It looks like Austin Romine will be the catcher in the interim.

The series continues tonight. Michael Pineda starts against J.A. Happ.

*

Meanwhile, the Mets fell to 2-5, losing to the Miami Marlins 2-1. The New York Daily News, which slobbered over the Mets so much last year their writers needed a bib at time, ripped them this morning.

The Yankees are 4-2, the Mets are 2-5. At this rate, the Yankees will finish 108-54, and the Mets will finish 48-116.

"But, Uncle Mike," you say, "it's still early. It's a long season. Anything can happen."

True. But, last season, the Mets won 90 games. To match that this season, they'd have to win 88 of their last 155 -- a 92-win pace. Hardly impossible for a team that won 90 games last season, but, right now, they're hitting as badly as they did in last year's World Series, which is worse than the Yankees hit from September 1 onward.

As they say on medical dramas, "I'm not going to lie to you: It doesn't look good."

Yanks Drop Toronto Finale But Remain In 1st Place

Having taken the 1st 2 games of their big series away to the Toronto Blue Jays, and reclaimed 1st place, the Yankees went back to their ways of the preceding week: Backing up their fine pitching with next to nothing.

Luis Severino made his 3rd major league start, and went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 9. He's already a better pitcher than Met "ace" Matt Harvey (who also pitched 6 good innings yesterday, and also didn't get the win, also because his team's hitters hardly showed up).

The game was decided in the bottom of the 3rd. Severino got the 1st 2 outs without much trouble. But Troy Tulowitzki launched a drive to right field, and Carlos Beltran, who'd been a hero the 1st 2 games of the series, totally botched it. Tulo got credit for a double, since Beltran never actually touched the ball. But that's an unofficial error. Josh Donaldson singled him home, and then Jose "No, No, Really, I Don't Use Steroids" Bautista hit a home run.

Believe it or not, Bautista only has 274 home runs in his career. You'd think he'd have more, with all the fuss made over him, more than Toronto has ever had for a slugger -- more than George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Joe Carter, anybody.

Believe it or not, only 29 of those home runs have come against the Yankees. He's actually hit more, 34, against the Boston Red Sox. (Maybe they should demand he be tested for steroids. They'd probably be taken seriously. Oh, the irony.)

Anyway, that was the game, because the Yankee bats just didn't get the job done again:

* 1st inning: Jacoby Ellsbury leads off the game with a single. He isn't advanced, so he figures, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself" -- and he gets caught trying to steal 2nd base.

* 4th inning: Alex Rodriguez draws a 2-out walk, and is stranded on 1st.

* 5th inning: Brian McCann leads off, is hit with a pitch, and is subsequently erased via a double play.

* 6th inning: Ellsbury hits a home run, his 6th of the season.

* 7th inning: McCann hits a 2-out double. Aside from Ellsbury's homer, this is the only time all game a Yankee reached 2nd. He is stranded.

* 9th inning: Brett Gardner singles with 1 out, but gets no closer to scoring.

That's it: 9 innings, 6 baserunners (if the homering Ellsbury counts as a "baserunner"), no more than 1 in any inning.

Blue Jays 3, Yankees 1. WP: Drew Hutchinson (12-2). SV: Roberto Osuna (13). LP: Luis Severino (0-2).

So, for the 3rd time, Severino has pitched in the major leagues, and, each time, has come up with a good start -- but hasn't won.

*

So, 20 weeks into a 27-week season (not the traditional 26), and 116 out 162 games being played (71.6 percent), here's how things stand:

The Yankees lead the American League Eastern Division by half a game over the Blue Jays, 2 in the loss column. The Baltimore Orioles trail by 4, the Tampa Bay Rays by 6 1/2 (7 in the loss column), the Red Sox by 12 1/2 (13 in the loss column). Theoretically, the Rays are still in the race, if you presume that a team that gains 1 game per week remaining still has a decent shot of winning. But it's probably going to come down to Yanks, Jays and O's -- and the Yanks visit the O's in the last series of the regular season.

Elimination numbers, the total number of wins by the Yankees plus losses by the team in question to eliminate them from winning the AL East: Sox 34, Rays 40, O's 43, Jays 44. The Yankees' Magic Number to clinch the AL East is 44.

The Kansas City Royals have all but wrapped up the AL Central, leading the Minnesota Twins by 12 games.

The AL West is tight, with the Houston Astros leading the Whatever They're Calling Themselves This Season Angels of Anaheim by 3 1/2 and the Texas Rangers by 4 -- in each case, by 3 in the loss column.

If the current standings hold, the Jays and O's would be the AL's Wild Card winners. Trailing the O's for the 2nd slot are the Angels by half a game, the Rangers by 1, the Twins by 1 1/2, the Rays by 2, the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox each by 4 1/2, the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians by 6, and the Red Sox 8 1/2.

As bad as the Red Sox have been -- right down to their manager John Farrell having to step aside to fight a diagnosis of lymphoma -- if they gain 1 game per week on the O's, they'd still have to find only 2 more games to gain between now and October 4 to sneak into the Playoffs.

The only team really out of the AL Playoff race at this point is the Oakland Athletics, 10 1/2 out -- so explain to me, again, how Billy Beane is a "genius."

The Mets have begun to struggle, but have benefited from the Washington Nationals struggling more, to lead the Nats in the National League East by 4 1/2 games, 4 in the loss column.

The St. Louis Cardinals lead the NL Central by 5 (4 in the loss column) over the Pittsburgh Pirates and 7 1/2 (7) over the Chicago Cubs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the NL West by 2 1/2 (2) over the San Francisco Giants.

The NL's Wild Card slots are currently held by the Pirates and Cubs. The Giants trail the Cubs by 4 games. The Nats trail by 9 1/2, so it looks like whoever wins the NL East out of the Mets and Nats, the loser is out of the Playoffs entirely. The Arizona Diamondbacks are 10 games out of the Wild Card race. The Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are out of the Playoff hunt.

So with 7 weeks left, out of MLB's 30 teams, 22 teams still have a shot at the Playoffs, and 18 still have a reasonable shot. 10, of course, will make it.

*

The Yankees have come home to begin a series with the struggling Twins. Here are the projected pitching matchups:

* Tonight, 7:05: Bryan Mitchell vs. Kyle Gibson.

* Tomorrow, 7:05: CC Sabathia vs. former Met Mike Pelfrey.

* Wednesday, 1:05: Ivan Nova vs. Ervin Santana. He was born Johan Ramon Santana, but changed his name, saying, "I just came up with Ervin... 'Ervin Santana,' that sounds good." It was so that he wouldn't be confused with Johan Santana the Twins pitcher who "pitched a no-hitter" for the Mets -- and now, Johan-turned-Ervin is on the Twins, and actually pitched a no-hitter a year before Johan "pitched a no-hitter."

On a personal note: Ervin Santana, then with the Atlanta Braves, was the 1st MLB player to follow me on Twitter. I don't know why. Maybe he just likes what I write.

Well, he won't like what I write on Wednesday afternoon, because I'll be rooting for the Yankees and against him. It's personal, but it's personal for the Yankees. He just happens to be the scheduled opposing pitcher. Come on you Pinstripes!

Top 5 Reasons the All-Star Home Run Derby Needs to Stop

5. It's tainted. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. The steroid revelations have put a cloud over the home run that the meanest of protests from John McGraw and Ty Cobb against Babe Ruth could ever do.

It has been won 9 times by a player a steroid user either caught (Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz -- in his case after he was revealed to have been caught), confessed (Wally Joyner, Mark McGwire), or seriously suspected (Juan Gonzalez, Sammy Sosa, Luis Gonzalez).

How many times, Ed Rooney? "Nine times!"

4. The winners often get hurt. From a Yankee perspective, this happened to Jason Giambi after he won it in 2002. It also happened to not-yet-Yankee Bobby Abreu when he won it in 2005.

3. It's a one-dimensional competition. The NHL doesn't get much right in its All-Star Weekend, but it has a skills competition that involves hardest shot, most accurate shot, and fastest skater. Does baseball have a hitting to all fields competition? A fielding skills competition? A running competition? A pitching for speed or accuracy competition? No.

2. Where are the stars? I understand putting in guys who are having great home-run seasons this season, like Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez.

But... Robinson Cano? I love the guy, but he's a well-rounded player who's not known for either the number or the distance of his home runs. Prince Fielder is in it, but neither of the Phillies' big boomers, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, is. I understand that Josh Hamilton has a good reason not to participate this time, and that Alex Rodriguez is hurt and Albert Pujols is still working his way back in from injury.

But the biggest name other than those who's in it is... David Ortiz? And he's the American League's Captain in this contest? So MLB is rewarding him for hitting a lot of home runs, for long distance, and in big moments -- which we now know he did by cheating, and getting caught, and lying about it, thus getting exposed as a liar and a cheater.

If this were my childhood, it would be like Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench and Mike Schmidt not appearing, while Graig Nettles, who led the AL with 32 in 1976 and finished 2nd to Jim Rice the next year with 37, but had already been caught "corking" his bat with Super Balls, being allowed in. Along with the rather surly Dave Kingman, who at least qualified on length and frequency.

Or, if this were 50 years ago, having Roger Maris, but Mickey Mantle being hurt, Willie Mays not bothering to show up, Hank Aaron not being invited (at that point in his career, he was considered more likely to bat .400 than to hit 500 home runs, let alone 715), and being left with... (consults the list of players on the 1960 TV show titled Home Run Derby)... Bob Cerv, Gus Triandos and Wally Post. Good players, but hardly among the first few names you'd think of. Come to think of it, Post would have been an improvement on some of the 2011 participants.

In essence, the Home Run Derby has become MLB's answer to the NBA All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest. Which was played out long before the NBA's best dunkers started dropping out of it.

1. It lends it self to flukes. I can't say it's ever been won by a bad hitter, or a guy who "didn't hit home runs." But of the 25 times it's been held, the average number of career home runs by the winner has been 409. Not 500, and not that much over 400. Taking out Ryan Howard, who at age 31 has 268 and will almost certainly be a threat to reach 500; Prince Fielder, who at 27 has 213 and will also probably make a serious run at 500; the average becomes 424. But this still includes such winners as:

* Justin Morneau, 2008, who has 185 at age 30, which gives him a shot at 400, but not 500.

* Wally Joyner, 1986, who, to be fair, probably looked like a threat for 500 at the time, but ended up with just 204.

* Bobby Abreu, 2005, who, while a very good hitter for average, currently has 277, and at age 37 has to worry about topping 300, let alone 400.

* Eric Davis, 1989, a very good all-around player, but not really renowned as a slugger even then, and saw his career ended too soon with injuries, and finished with 282.

* Ryne Sandberg, 1990, except for the injuries fits the same description as Davis -- right down to the exact number, 282.

* Garret Anderson, 2003, another pretty good player, but hardly a Hall-of-Famer like Sandberg, or a guy who might have made it if not for injuries like Davis, who finished with 287.

* Miguel Tejada, 2004, who got caught using steroids, and still has 302, and at 37 is unlikely to add a lot more.

* Luis Gonzalez, 2001, who retired with 354 homers -- 57 of them that season, and his best total other than that was 31. He has publicly denied using steroids, but who's kidding who? He wasn't the only '01 Diamondback to be suspected, and a couple have confessed. The Yankees would like that 2001 title back.

* David Ortiz, 2010, who, in spite of his proven blatant cheating, has (for the moment) just 368 home runs -- less than Red Sox icons Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, even Dwight Evans.

So what is winning the Home Run Derby really worth? Heck, when Morneau won it in 2008, the guy they were really talking about is the one he beat out for the title, Josh Hamilton. He's 30, but has only 104 -- and I'll be shocked if he reaches 400, and he may not even get to 300.

The Home Run Derby is like fireworks on the 4th of July: It's flashy, but it's not what the celebrations are all about, and can come back to burn you. And, unlike said fireworks, really adds noting the the festivities.

As Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, of the Washington Post and ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, would say, the Home Run Derby is in a gots to go situation.

Peskiness Is a Virtue

The Pesky Blue Jays of Toronto came into Yankee Stadium II last night, to start a 3-gamer before the Yankees' 1st West Coast trip of the season. And, just as the Yankees rode a single big inning to wipe out 8 not-so-good ones against The Other Team the day before, the Jays rode a 5-run 6th to wipe out what could have been a good Yankee win.

(Is there any such thing as a bad win? Well, somebody could get hurt during it.)

Jays 7, Yanks 3. WP: Carlos Villanueva (2-0). LP: Bartolo Colon (2-3).

Jose Bautista hit his League-leading 19th homer off Colon. That's 19 homers before Memorial Day, a pace for over 60. I think it's time to test him for steroids.

Not much good to take from this game. Hector Noesi pitched 3 innings of 1-run relief of Colon, his 2nd big-league appearance, giving him a career ERA of 1.29 and keeping his won-lost record at 1-0. Okay, that won't last, but strictly in terms of "Was he good?" his career record is 2-0. Alex Rodriguez got 2 hits, though neither was a home run, leaving him on 622. Brett Gardner also got 2 hits.

The Yankees remain tied for first with the Tampa Bay Rays, one game ahead in the loss column. The Red Sox are half a game back, one in the loss; the Jays now a game and a half back, two; the Baltimore Orioles 3 1/2 back, 3. The AL East race is as tight Mickey & Billy halfway through a night out on the town.

Jeter 2975 25
Rivera 572 29
A-Rod 622 141
Magic Number 116 (to eliminate Scum, 115 for the other 3 teams)

Those Pesky Blue Jays

Well, the Pesky Blue Jays struck again. You can usually trust the Devils to beat the Maple Leafs, the Knicks and Nets are usually 50-50 to beat the Raptors, the Red Bulls have swept the home-and-home series with Toronto FC (breaking TFC's 14-month home winning streak last Saturday), and, of course, the Argonauts have never beaten either the Giants or the Jets. (Never played 'em, although in 1960 they did play a preseason exhibition against an NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and got clobbered.)

But the Pesky Blue Jays, who ruined the first live game I ever saw and have beaten the Yankees in 4 of the 6 games I've seen between them, including the 2 I've seen in Toronto, beat the Yanks again last night, 3-2.

Or, rather, Jose Baustista beat the Yankees, hitting his 39th and 40th home runs of the season to drive in all the Toronto runs, and also to lead the majors.

This is a guy who debuted in the majors at age 24, and in 4 full seasons has hit 16, 16, 15 and 13 home runs, respectively. Now, suddenly, at age 29 (he'll be 30 in October), he's hit 40 with 6 weeks to go.

His batting averages haven't gone up all that much: .235, .254, .238, .235... .254. No big deal there. But his OPS+'s: 94, 96, 91, 101... 162.

Test him! Nobody develops like that all of a sudden!

So much for the Yankees being undefeated this season when Alex Rodriguez doesn't start: They're now 13-1. Though it should be mentioned that Derek Jeter got the night off until a late pinch-hitting appearance. And also that the much-maligned bat of Ramiro Pena was not a liability, as he went 2-for-3, and didn't strand any runners.

Ivan Nova started for the Yankees, a 23-year-old Dominican making his 3rd and longest big-league appearance, and his 1st start. He pitched into the 6th, and gave up the 1st of Baustista's homers (ah-test-him-choo). He pitched 5 1/3rd innings, 6 hits, no walks. Not bad, definitely earned another chance. Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain both pitched without allowing a run. It was David Robertson, who'd been great for a while, who gave up the 2nd of Baustista's homers (cough-test-him-cough), and was charged with the loss.

John Sterling did it again: Robinson Cano led off the 9th with a walk, and Jorge Posada came up, and here's what Sterling said:

"Theeee... pitch, it's swung on, AND THERE IT GOES! DEEP TO RIGHT-CENTER! But... "

It was caught.

In explaining it, Sterling said, "But it dropped... " And I shouted at the radio, "No shit, Sherlock!" (I love that expression.)

For a moment, Sterling allowed his listeners to believe that "Jorgie juiced one." Again, he broke Red Barber's Rule: Watch the outfielder, not the ball, so you'll know whether the outfielder thinks he can catch it.

Again: John Sterling, good guy, not a good broadcaster.

Tonight, Dustin Moseley goes for the Yanks, and Marc Rzepczynski (I think it's "Rep-CHIN-ski," with that first Z being silent) going for the Pesky Blue Jays.

*

The Mets open a 3-game series against their "pesky" team, the Florida Marlins, at Pity Field. Later today, or maybe tomorrow, I'll post the all-time team for the Miami region. I've got the players picked out, I just need to write the text.

The Red Sox claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. If they want to bring him back, that's fine. They probably did it to keep him away from the Yankees (who might already regret letting him go) and the Rays (and if they don't get him, great).

Albert Pujols hit his 399th career home run. That's how many home runs Al Kaline hit in his career. Pujols is 30.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, these are Pujols' 10 Most Statistically Similar Batters through age 30: Jimmie Foxx (Hall of Fame, 534 homers), Hank Aaron (Hall of Fame, All-Century Team, 755 homers), Lou Gehrig (Hall of Fame, All-Century Team, 493 homers, greatest first baseman ever), Ken Griffey Jr. (All-Century Team, eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2016, 630 homers), Frank Robinson (Hall of Fame, 586 homers), Mickey Mantle (Hall of Fame, All-Century Team, 536 homers), Juan Gonzalez (434 homers, eligible for the Hall next year but won't get in due to steroid suspicions), Mel Ott (Hall of Fame, 511 homers), Hank Greenberg (Hall of Fame, 331 homers in what amounted to just 10 full seasons), and Orlando Cepeda (Hall of Fame, 379 homers in what amounted to 14 full seasons).

Albert is going to put up some sicko numbers for his career. As long as he doesn't do what O.J. Simpson, Kobe Bryant, Pete Rose or Barry Bonds did. And, hell, people seem to have forgive Kobe, and a lot have forgive Pete.

*

Days until Rutgers plays football again: 9. A little over a week.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 18. Under 3 weeks.

Days until the first regular-season Giants game at the new Meadowlands Stadium: 19.

Days until the first regular-season Jets game at the new Meadowlands Stadium: 20.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 31, Friday, September 24, at Yankee Stadium II. One month.

Days until the Devils play hockey again: 45, on Friday, October 8, at home at the Prudential Center in Newark, against the Dallas Stars. A little over 6 weeks.

Days until Rutgers and Army play the first college football game at the new Meadowlands Stadium: 53.

Days until the Devils play another local rival: 61, on Sunday, October 24, at Madison Square Garden against The Scum. Just 2 months. Then the Rags come to the Prudential on Friday, November 5. The first game of the season against the Islanders is on Friday, November 26, the day after Thanksgiving, at the Nassau Coliseum, followed the next day by the first game of the season against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Philadelphia Flyers, at The Rock.

Days until the next North London Derby: 89, Sunday, November 21, at New Highbury. Under 3 months.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving clash: 93.

Days until Derek Jeter collects his 3,000th career hit: 269 (estimated). 9 months.

Days until the Rutgers-Army football game at Yankee Stadium: 445.

Days until the last Nets game in New Jersey: 600 (estimated).

Days until the 2012 Olympics begin in London: 703. Now under 2 years.

Days until Alex Rodriguez collects his 3,000th career hit: 786 (estimated).

Days until Alex Rodriguez hits his 700th career home run: 1,056 (estimated, and moved back a little because of his injuries).

Days until Super Bowl XLVIII at the Meadowlands: 1,255. Now under 3 1/2 years.

Days until Alex Rodriguez hits his 756th career home run to surpass all-time leader Hank Aaron: 1,719 (estimated).

Days until Alex Rodriguez hits his 763rd career home run to become as close to a "real" all-time leader as we are likely to have: 1,743 (estimated). 58 months, so, less than 5 years.