Yanks pummel Mets in series finale

After being shut down last night by a no-name pitcher, the Yankees teed off against Johan Santana – one of the top three pitchers in baseball. By the time it was over, the Yankees (36-27) had embarrassed the Mets (32-29) 15-0.

Quick ‘Cap:
The Yanks first got to Santana in the second inning, when three straight singles from Francisco Cervelli, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon scored four runs. But the Yanks blew the game open in the fourth.

Santana didn’t record an out in the inning, and was responsible for five of the nine runs scored. Both Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano hit two-run homers, and Melky Cabrera hit two doubles in the frame.

Meanwhile, A.J. Burnett bounced back from an ugly start against the Red Sox, tossing seven shutout innings. David Robertson and Phil Hughes finished the game with no trouble. Full box score here.

Thoughts:
It was completely unexpected, but it was beautiful to see hits coming from top to bottom. You have to feel a little bad for the Mets. Luis Castillo made one of the worst errors the game has seen in a long time in the first game, their best pitcher was demolished in this one, and the team has been decimated by injuries over the past month.

It was also nice to see Josh Beckett blow a four-run lead over the Phillies. Now the Yankees are just two games back in the East.

Noteworthy Performances:
- Jeter had a perfect day with four singles, two runs and two RBI.
- Cano had eight total bases on the day, adding two doubles to his homer.
- Burnett used a nasty slider at the knees all game in a strong outing. He struck out eight, walked four and allowed four hits.

Up Next:
The Yankees have their work cut out for them in their next series starting on Tuesday. They play the Nationals, who hold the worst record in the bigs by far. The Yanks are showing no mercy by sending out CC Sabathia (5-4, 3.68) to face Shairon Martis (5-1, 5.04).

Yankees back to losing ways

After the Mets handed the Yankees their first win in four days last night, the Mets (32-38) handled the Yankees (35-27)in a 6-2 victory in the Bronx.  It was their fourth loss in their last five games.

Quick ‘Cap:
The early-game struggles continued for Andy Pettitte in the second game of the series.  He allowed a two-run homer to Omir Santos in the second, and didn’t finish the inning until he reached a whopping 54 pitches for the game.  Alex Rodriguez cut the deficit in half with a solo shot in the second, but that was one of four hits for the Yankees against Mets starter Fernando Nieve.

Nieve only allowed two hits through six innings, but then allowed back-to-back singles in the seventh before getting pulled.  One run would score in the inning, but it was the last run for the Yankees and they were already down 6-2.  The Mets rallied for three runs in the fifth, which was Pettitte’s last inning.  The Mets added one more in the seventh when ex-Yank Gary Sheffield charged one to the left-field stands off Alfredo Aceves.  Full box score here.

Thoughts:
This game goes to show what a great performance by a starting pitcher can do for a team.  Nieve looked very sharp in his first start with the Mets, and will most likely remain in their injury-plagued rotation.

The Yankees didn’t get the big hit they needed, and the Mets didn’t drop any fly balls for them either.  The Yankees really need to have a good win on Sunday just for a team confidence builder, because realistically, they should be on a five-game losing streak.

Noteworthy Performances:
- Brett Gardner was the only Yankee with a two hit game, and his second knocked Nieve out of the game.

Up Next:
The rubber match is a Sunday matinee game, and the Yankees are in for a real challenge.  The Mets send out Cy Young Award-hopeful Johan Santana (8-3, 2.39, and the Yanks counter with the inconsistent A.J. Burnett (4-3, 4.89).

My most memorable Yankee Stadium experience

I was in attendance at the Indians-Yankees game on July 17, 2003 with the rest of my family and two close friends to the family. It was by far the most memorable game and fun experience I had at the old Yankee Stadium.

From left to right: Betsey, Louise, me, Scott and Jenny

The annual Neslin-Taylor family Yankees game is always one of the most exciting times of the summer — yes, just one game a year for this blogger. Both Alva (left) and Gail (right) Taylor work at the Tuck School at Dartmouth with my dad. Alva is a Dodgers fan, but he was rooting for the Yanks in this one (probably because the Dodgers were 7.5 games out of first at the time). Gail brought her ‘A’ game and was the most decked out Yankee fan of the whole crew.

I was only 13 years old at the time, but the game is remarkably easy to recall because of how the scoring played out. I will never forget what I told Louise in the sixth inning when Alfonso Soriano walked up to the plate.

“Soriano is gonna hit a homer!” I said.

And that’s what he did. As soon as I heard the crack of the bat, I jumped out of my seat. Before I knew it, everyone around me was jumping up and down and I couldn’t hear what my sister said back to me. I might have been able to call the shot because I was wearing my Soriano T-shirt — or because I probably said everyone was going to hit a homer before each at bat. The two-run shot to left field tied the game at two.

The Indians made it 4-2 somehow, but my real hero erased the deficit with one swing of the bat. Derek Jeter hit another two-run homer to tie the game in the eighth inning. This one was hit even harder than Soriano’s, and closer to center field too.

I remember seeing Mariano Rivera jogging out of the bullpen in left to pitch the ninth. He had no difficulties getting through the inning, and it was quickly the Yankees turn to bat.

Hideki Matsui was the first batter up, and I remember turning to Louise and telling her something.

“Matsui’s gonna hit a homer!” I said.

Sure enough, that’s what happened. It caught everyone by surprise. He was the first batter of the inning, and he was a rookie that hadn’t shown much power so far. But he got a hold of the second pitch he saw from David Riske, and deposited it in the right field stands. The crowd went crazy and everyone in our crew shouted, “Yankees win, Yankees win!”

What a game. Both of my favorite Yankees hit game-tying two-run homers, and then I witnessed my one and only walk-off homer. Yes, I was really at this game. You want proof?

Here’s me, wearing my Yomiuri Giants hat and brand new $20 sunglasses, with the scoreboard flashing “GONEZILLA” behind me. I ended up leaving my sunglasses at the stadium, and I lost the Giants cap at a summer camp later that summer. It was tragic; the Japanese hat was really cool.

The last bit of my story doesn’t compare to the excitement that I felt at the game, but it certainly made my day. As a holiday gift, my dad bought me a small box of all-Yankees cards. Some of these cards were these Upper Deck Matsui 2004 Rookie Chronicles — a series that highlights each of Matsui’s rookie accomplishments. One of these accomplishments was a game that he hit a walk-off homer. It was on July 17.

Kobe-Lebron puppet commercials

This has nothing to do with the Yankees, but if you’ve been watching the NBA finals at all, you should know and love these commercials.

Ian over at Sox & Dawgs did a nice job compiling all nine of the videos.  If you are looking for a good laugh, trust me, click on this link.

Yankees minor league prospects update

Here is an update on how some of the best Yankees prospects are doing in the minors.

Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees
Austin Jackson OF: AJax is a a five-tool player has been one of the top Yankees prospects since he joined the team in 2005. He had a moderately good year in Double-A last year, but his potential alone earned him a promotion. He is raking against Triple-A pitchers, batting .341/.413/.452. His power numbers have dropped way down, but the Yankees aren’t worried about that; young hitters tend to gain power over time. It is definitely possibly he makes his MLB debut as a September call-up, or maybe even before then if there is an injury to a current Yankees outfielder.

George Kontos RHP: Kontos was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 2006 first-year player draft. The righty has tremendous upside. He hits low to mid 90s with his fastball, and his best pitch is a nasty slider. His strikeout numbers in the minors have been good, but not great. The real key with Kontos is being consistent. If he can straighten himself out, he will also be expecting a call in September.

Full Triple-A stats here.

Double-A: Trenton Thunder
Jesus Montero C: Montero is the best Yankees prospect right now, and he’s only 19 years old. The Venezuelan native is working his way through the minors at a rapid pace. His bat is his best attribute by far, but has catching needs some work. However, he’s still just 19 and has improved a lot over the past couple seasons. In 48 games with High-A ball this season, he hit .356/.406/.583 with eight homers and 37 RBI. Those numbers earned him a promotion to Trenton. Remember this guy’s name.

Zach McAllister RHP: The 6-foot-6-inch third round selection of the 2006 June draft has pitched lights out in the minors. He’s currently sporting a 1.61 ERA in Trenton, which is only a slight improvement over his numbers in A-ball. McAllister is not a strikeout pitcher, but features excellent control. His go-to pitch is his 2-seam fastball that hits 93 MPH and acts like a sinker. McAllister could be a regular starter in the Bronx within the next two seasons.

Full Double-A stats here.

High-A: Tampa Yankees stats here.

Low-A: Charleston RiverDogs stats here.

(All of the used stats are prior to action on 6/11.)