WHY THE YANKEES NEED THE HUNGER AGAIN

It’s the off-season early for the New York Yankees and all of us Yankee fans are walking around aimlessly with nothing to do. Yes, we could watch the postseason without the Yankees, and yes, I’ve told you numerous times that if baseball is on, I watch, no matter who’s playing.

But let’s face it, this is October and the Yankees aren’t playing, and I don't want to watch. I want to scream like Mark Wahlberg in the Other Guys, I cannot take it. Sometimes I feel like the more we try to do things right, the more we screw them up. The Yankees need that hunger back and the fans are craving it.

The Yankees looked like scrubs out there as I reflect on the ALDS, with the exception of Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner and even Derek Jeter to some extent. Where was the hunger? Where were the bats? I firmly believe that hot teams move forward and it all has to do with momentum. I don't necessarily believe great teams win it all. I think great teams need to be hot to win it all. The Yankees were great with 97 wins going into the ALDS, but they weren't great and hot, plain and simple. Now all we’re doing is sitting in front of our computers, looking at Twitter and bitching at each other.

I long for the days when Steinbrenner would put out a press release, thanking the Yankee fans for their support and apologizing for failing to win it all. Then, weeks later, we’d go out and find the top free agent out there and all would be well in Yankeeland again, we would forget, just for the moment, that we blew it.

Time is running out for some of our icons. Yes, Jorge Posada was close to possibly getting a 5^th ring, but we fell short. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are close to retirement; wouldn’t it be nice to get one for championship before they sail into the sunset? It would, for all of us.The pitching rotation will be a priority again this year, just like it is every year and while Cashman preached patience and picked up Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia and had lightening in a bottle, that charade won’t work this winter; fans get impatient, Yankee Brass gets impatient and I expect a big splash. Yes, Cashman needs to agree to a deal, but once that is done, CC Sabathia is next and then after what, who? I'm a fan of Mark Buehrle and I would love to get him, but who else? CJ Wilson? Matt Cain? Yu Darvish? Felix Hernandez?

Look, Felix is my top name after CC Sabathia. I’m not too big on “Pretty Boy” Wilson because I hate his pompous attitude. I’m also not sold on him. Matt Cain, yeah, he good, but we need him to be great. Yu Darvish…we’ve been through that Japanese pitching thing before. Felix Hernandez is the guy and if that means waiting until he’s a free agent, so be it; If it means being creative with you we unload for him, so be it. I have no desire to trade off someone like Jesus Montero for the King. After seeing him hit, it reminded me a hell of a lot like Miguel Cabrera. I can’t part with the guy.

Something needs to be done about Nick Swisher, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Look, no doubt they are pissed that they didn’t deliver and they looked foolish in the ALDS, but let’s face it, they always do. 2009 is long gone, these guys get paid a fortune to perform, bottom line and October is the biggest show on earth, and they need to show up. They didn’t and it’s pathetic. If I’m the Yankees, I pick up Swisher’s option and I’m bringing in a bright young outfielder this spring and have him compete for Swisher’s job. Light a fire under Nick’s ass and let him know, no job is safe.

Alex is Alex and he’s owed a ton of money. You can’t eat his contract and you can’t trade him and the Yankees won’t, they want him to hit 700 and they want him the break the home run record in pinstripes... he’s not going anywhere. I also believe ARod wasn’t healthy and while nerves were a factor in the ALDS, he’s not better yet because of injury. Hopefully a long winter’s nap will heal this guy and in Spring 2012, he’ll be back.

Mark Teixeira seems to shrivel up at the wrong time...October. Not sure what happened to this guy. He’s a great hitter…when he hits, and I would never suggest we cut Tex lose for someone better, because; let’s face it, who’s better? Tex is one of the best defensive first basemen we’ve ever had; he just needs to get his swing tweaked by the King of Swing…Kevin Long. Maybe the pressure gets to Tex, who knows, but something‘s got to happen.

The Yankees hunger is gone while the hunger by the fans grows. We need something drastic, a shakeup… so we can stand up and say, “The Yankees put the best on the field and we will return to win it all.” Because, let’s face it, 1 championship in 11 years is not a dynasty, it’s average.

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WHY THE YANKEES WILL RISE AGAIN

I woke up early today. I went to be around 2am this morning but I couldn’t sleep and woke up at 5. I decided to go into work early this morning. While I traveled, I kept thinking about everything that could have been done differently in Game 5. The reality is, everything was done right, except of course the timely hit that would have propelled us into the ALCS.

I’m mad at the Yankees right now. I’m not sure why, I understand baseball. John Sterling says it all the time, “It’s baseball Suzyn, you can’t predict it.” Bottom line, last night’s game was ours for the taking and we didn’t take it. But, like a real Yankee fan, I did what I was supposed to do this morning; I threw on my Yankee jacket and walked out the door to go to work. After all, I’m a Yankee fan, I’m a true Yankee fan and I’m not going to NOT wear my jacket because they lost. I’m not ashamed, I’m just disappointed. My family was asleep when I left and I knew that when my son found out this morning, he'd be crushed. I put his 2011 Topps Yankee set back on his nightstand with a note "It didn't work this time, we'll try again next April," I wrote. He gave it to me to put next to the television last night for as he put it "Good luck for the Yankees." Man, I'm superstitious, but it must be rubbing off. He’ll be disappointed and I get that.

I received a text from a good buddy of mine this morning. He’s a huge Tigers fan. He wrote “Tough one.” Yeah, it was. The dude wasn’t rubbing it in. We have a mutual respect for each other’s teams. He could have razzed me, he could have told me the Tigers were much better. He didn’t. He understands defeat, so while he was just texting me as one baseball guy to another, it stung, but with win comes loss. I get it. That’s not even a baseball thing, it’s a life thing.

My iPod this morning had a song called Goodnight, Goodnight by Maroon 5. While the song itself has nothing to do with the New York Yankees, I just found it ironic and the first set of lyrics I heard hit home to how I was feeling:

“I licked my wounds but I can’t see them getting better. Something's got to change... it cannot stay the same.”

Change is needed and we'll be hearing about it soon enough. We can try and blast Joe Girardi but personally, I don't think you can. You definitely can’t blame AJ Burnett this time Ladies and Gentlemen, he was the best pitcher for the Yankees ironically… 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in this ALDS. You can’t blame Granderson, Cano, Jeter, Gardner… and you can't blame the bullpen, no. What about our hero this ALDS... Jorge Posada? Nope, they were all terrific.

I know... when we lose, we’re always looking to blame someone. You want to blame Ivan Nova for being hurt? You can’t. How about CC Sabathia for giving up the 3^rd run? Personally, I wouldn't.

Blame the Yankees for not having the timely hit. That’s it. Blast Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher for being the heart of the lineup and giving us absolutely nothing, but then, may I suggest, you don't blame them either... instead, let's just move on. Bitching about those guys won’t change anything. Season’s over. Steinbrenner said it best: "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing."

Take a minute and applaud Brian Cashman. After all, every move he made this season turned to gold. We fell in love with Russell Martin... the Freddy Garcia & Bartolo Colon combination was amazing. How about Nova, huh? Remember when he almost went to the Mariners last season? We had 97 wins… the best record in the American League, that’s a great run.

We have nothing to be ashamed of... being disappointed is another story, but one thing you can't do is hide the interlocking N-Y. Don't NOT wear the Yankee cap like you're punishing the Yankees. Instead, embrace it. I wore my gear proud today. I was looking for someone to say something. I wanted to engage. I wanted to get it off my chest and move on. Yes, we're the Yankees and we blew it, but we rise above it. Bottom line... we lost, we didn't die. It could be worse... we could be Red Sox fans.

So yeah, as I was writing this, ironically another close pal just sent me a a text. He knows I’m a gigantic Yankees fan. He wrote “Sorry about your Yankees. You’re the biggest fan I know and I know you’ll rise above it. They’ll be back.”

Damn. It is crazy how things happen. I believe in my New York Yankees, no matter what and he’s right, we will be back, it’s the Yankee way. So, take a day or 2 and forget about the loss, but don't be ashamed of our New York Yankees...EVER. After all, we had a great run... all of us... together in Yankeeland.

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THE DAY THE LAUGHTER DIED

We were in the Bronx. We were with our family, in pinstripes, bleeding blue, ready for the Yankees to beat the Tigers and advance to the ALCS. It's the Yankee way, it's destiny. I never like to climb back in games to win, but that's exactly what the Yankees have done so many times before in the playoffs, maybe tonight would be along the same lines. I tell you what though, I was kicked in the gut as soon as the game started.
The first inning was horrible for Ivan Nova and it made me mad nervous. Yes, Austin Jackson got a quick K as did Miguel Cabrera but Don Kelly and Delmon Young both cranked solo shots.
Now it's 2-0. Fister looked good, but hittable. The Yankees usually go through the order before they start hammering, so, I'm not getting crazy yet. Luckily Mark Teixeira cranked a double. To bad they couldn't get him around to score.
The 3rd inning Phil Hughes came in to relieve Ivan Nova. Apparently Nova had tightness in his arm. I was surprised actually, I was expecting another inning. Hughes struck out to first 2 batters he faced. Delmon Young got a single and then he got Miguel Cabrera to ground out.The bottom of the third, Brett Gardner singled. Jeter struck out and Curtis Granderson worked a walk. Robinson Cano came up and I had hope. Cano popped out to center field. Inning over.One thing I need to point out. The strike zone again was horrible. There were pitches that game in too low or off the plate that were called strikes and strikes that were definitely balls. There were many questions by the Yankees tonight and with good reason. Bad calls. Alex Rodriguez had a very very bad night.

The 4th inning gave me another surprise, after the first out and a single, Girardi made yet another pitching change. I'm thinking... man I hope it's not going to be one of those nights. I prayed at that point that Yankees offense would turn it around and the Girardi binder doesn't insert itself all night, otherwise, there's no way to win this damn thing. Boone Logan came in. I groaned. Yes, Boone struck out the side the last time out in the ALDS, but you never know what your going to get with this guy. I started to get pissed, what the hell is Girardi doing? Logan pitched to lefty Alex Aliva, and of course, the guy gets his first hit of the ALDS. Now we're in trouble, men on first and second. Peralta flied out which was great. Luckily with 2 men on Boone Logan got a strikeout.

The top of the 5th brought Alex Rodriguez to the box. I noticed ARod had a quicker swing in the last game. I'm hoping I'm right and he cranks it out. I told someone on my train expect hits by ARod tonight. Yeah right... who am I kidding? Luckily ARod walked this time. Nick Swisher then singled to right. 1 out. Jorge Posada came to the plate. A huge single and now the bases were loaded with 1 out. After a Martin pop up, Brett Gardner was up, our hottest hitter and the whole stadium was into it, Gardner popped out. I was crushed.
CC Sabathia came in to start the 5th. So strange to see him in relief. He allowed a run to score and at this point it's 3-0. I am shocked and I know the Yankees are running out of time.

The bottom of the 5th there were 2 quick outs in Jeter and Granderson. Wimpy outs. Then Robinson Cano came up. He buried the ball into the right field seats and suddenly it was 3-1. I realized right then that this was Yankee Stadium, the best place you want to be in a playoff game. I realized, we can do this, but our pitching needs to be solid and keep the Tigers from scoring. Luckily our pitching was great, the hitting was crap.

Rafael Soriano came into relieve CC in the 6th inning. He immediately got the double play. Good job RaSo.

Looking at the bottom of the 6th, Max Scherzer came in. Mark Teixeira was the first Yankee batter and flew out to Austin Jackson. Nick Swisher continues to disappoint and ground out and then Jorge Posada had a single. Russell Martin came to the plate with Jorge at first. He struck out. Way to kill a rally.

Rafael Soriano had a good second inning in relief. The Tigers looked off balance at the plate, I placed my Bucky Dent / Mike Torrez autographed bat on the floor in front of the television. I was desperate.In the bottom of the 7th, Delmon Young came out of the game. I felt the ghosts of Yankee Stadium coming out. I prayed this game would be in our favor. Gardner came to the plate and struck out. Jeter came up and fought hard waiting for his pitch, then, he beat out an infield single and at that point I saw a glimmer of hope. Say what you will about old man Jeter, he can easily set the tone. At this point Scherzer came out and Granderson came to the plate against Joaquin Benoit who had an enormous band-aid on his face and Girardi strategized and asked to have it removed, hopefully it rattled Benoit. Granderson rips one for a single. Now, men on first and second and Robinson Cano comes to the plate. An easy dribbler next to Benoit and he missed it. Bases loaded for ARod. Alex struck out. Unbelievable! Something's got to be wrong with this guy. How could that happen? Teixeira then came to the plate. He walked. 3-2 at this point and the bases are still loaded for Nick Swisher. If anyone needs to deliver tonight, it needs to be Swisher. Swisher struck out. The biggest opportunity of his career and he blew it. Based on this post season alone, I would not pick up Nick Swisher's option. You can't be all flash and show no bash in the playoffs. Pathetic.

David Robertson came in the top of the 8th and showed me why we love him. The inning went quick. The bottom of the 8th needed to be big for the Yankees, they needed 1 run. I took out my 1956 autographed Mickey Mantle Sports illustrated. I was clearly desperate at this point.
Jorge Posada came up in what could be his last at bat as a New York Yankee. Posada has been one of the hottest Yankees all playoffs. He needed a hit right now. We all did. He grounded out. Martin came up and he was overdue. I was sure he'd deliver here with a base hit. Martin struck out. Are you freaking kidding me? 2 outs and we look like crap. Shortly later, with Gardner on base, Jeter cranked one high to the wall, but caught by Don Kelly. So close...but not close enough.
Mariano Rivera came in in the 9th inning. The score is still 3-2 by the way, I'm not getting this, but whatever, this is what Girardi does, he either doesn't pull the pitcher quick enough, or the binder tells him all about match-ups and changes pitchers like Kool-aid. Mo was brilliant, a 1,2,3 inning.

This is it, 3-2 game. The Yankees are down in the Bronx. I have been at games and seen games on TV that have blown me away, always with the ghosts coming out and always with the Yankees winning. I've prayed, I have all my favorite collectibles out. We need alittle hitting now to win this God damn ball game. I do not want to see this clown Valverde dance in the Bronx, we must beat him.

Granderson came up and popped up. Robinson Cano had a broken bat hit that was caught all the way in center field by Austin Jackson. Then, once again it was up to Alex Rodriguez...and with a strikeout, the Tigers won.
Just like last year, Alex Rodriguez strikes out for the last out. Remember when he struck out and Bengie Molina jumped up and ran out to the mound to celebrate? I'm so crushed right now.
(Photo: 2010)
I cannot tell you how disappointed I am. The Yankees season is over. Jorge Posada's career is probably over in pinstripes. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 4 days or so, you start hearing whispers of CC Sabathia wanting to opt-out and questions about whether or not Nick Swisher should come back. After having the best record in the American League, the Yankees lost to the Tigers. The Tigers didn't beat the Yankees, the Yankees beat the Yankees tonight. The pitching was good, the timely hitting was not.

Tip your hat to Jim Leyland, I love that man. He's a true baseball guy and he managed a good team.

If Bleeding Yankee Blue takes a day off, I know you'll understand.

Final Score: Tigers 3 - Yankees 2

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MARK TEIXEIRA: REVIEWING OUR PROJECTIONS

MARK TEIXEIRA

• Projected: .283 Avg, 37 Hrs, 116 RBI
• 2011: .248 Avg, 39 Hrs, 111 RBI
  

Well, we were off on the average part, but we're right on the money with the power numbers. Over the last two seasons Teixeira has a .252 average after hitting .290 the previous seven seasons. It seems as though Teixeira has become very short porch happy since joining the Yankees, you can call it "Jason Giambi Syndrome". It seems like he's just trying to just pull the ball from the left side of the plate, sure he's always been a pull hitter, but he's taking this to the extreme. His power numbers are the same, but I'd like to see him hit for a better average. Also, one of the reasons why Teixeira is now hitting in the number five spot in the Yankees lineup is probably because of that low batting average and that he's pull happy.

Read more about Texieira on BYB. Just click and enjoy.

WHY TEIXEIRA IS A MONSTER

WHY WE DON'T NEED PUJOLS

WHY WE LOVE TEX




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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2011 ALDS YANKEES VS. TIGERS GAME 4 PREVIEW

I said last night wasn't a must win. You know why? Because if the Yankees lost, which they did, there's still a tomorrow, which is today. Well ladies and gentlemen, after last night's grueling, gut-wrenching 5-4 loss, tonight is literally a must win game. AJ Burnett is on the mound for the Yankees. Yes, I know it's not the ideal guy we want on the mound, but let's be honest, it's all we've got right now. But, A.J isn't the only guy on the team who needs to step up. The offense needs to step it up too. You know who you are Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Rodriguez and Teixeira have combined to go 1 for 21, an ugly .047 average while combining for no homers and just two RBI thus far in the ALDS.But all in all the spotlight will be on AJ Burnett. I mean, he is the starting pitcher and he's the guy who the Yankees need to pitch well to win this game. Burnett has struggled in his career against the Tigers going 4-2 with a 6.33 ERA. But look at the bright side, he made two starts against the Tigers this season, one on April 2 at the Stadium in which he picked up his first win by going 5 innings and allowing three runs while striking out six. His second start against Detroit came in Comerica Park on May 5 in which he went 7 innings, allowing five runs--two earned--while striking out five. So at least there's recent success for Burnett against the Tigers. If he can pitch like he did in those first two games against the Tigers, there's a good chance the Yankees win.

Now, although Burnett has a career ERA over 6.00 against Detroit, there isn't a batter in Detroit's lineup that has handled Burnett regularly. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez have each hit .214 (3 for 14) and .259 (7 for 27) against AJ Martinez has one career homer off Burnett and three RBI. Delmon Young, Magglio Ordonez, and Brandon Inge have combined to hit .384 (10 for 26) in the series, but have combined to hit .227 (10 for 44) in their career's against A.J Burnett.

The Yankees will be facing Rick Porcello in this game. All the naysayers say the Yankees are doomed because AJ Burnett is going for the Yankees. Not so fast, Porcello isn't Cy Young himself either. He's won 14 games, but he has a 4.75 ERA while allowing 210 hits in 182.2 innings in the process. He's gone 2-2 in his four career starts against the Yankees with a 5.56 ERA. He did pitch against the Yanks this year in Comerica Park on May 5. He went 7 innings while allowing just two runs. I mean, the guy isn't a scrub, but he's certainly hittable.There are a number of hitters in the Yankee lineup who have had good success against Porcello, although they're in small sample sizes. Robinson Cano is a .455 hitter (5 for 11) against Porcello. Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada are hitting .300 (3 for 10) and .333 (3 for 9) each against the 22 year old right hander. But the two guys in the Yankee order with the biggest spotlight, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, hit a combined .142 (2 for 14) with no homers or RBI against Porcello.

Like I said, this is a must win. If the Yankees win, they'll send it back to the Bronx for a winner take all Game 5. If not, they go home for the winter wondering what went wrong. Can A.J Burnett step up and pitch well? Sure he can, but it's certainly no guarantee. But, I think he'll have a representative start. But, according to Joe Girardi, he'll have a short leash. Read HERE.

Either way, he'll need his offense and bullpen to back him up. It's going to take a team effort as usual to win this game, but it can most definitely be accomplished.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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THE YANKEES GREAT WHITE HOPE

AJ Burnett gets the ball tonight in what is being called do-or-die for the New York Yankees. It is... it really is do-or-die and the most ironic thing about it is the guy we've slammed all year... the guy we all told Yankees management to dump, to trade, to bench is our great hope. Funny how things take a turn like this.

All of Yankeeland will be focused in on AJ Burnett. HE, my friends is who we all need to depend on. He, a Yankee fans nightmare, a punching bag and now, we are putting our faith in this guy to win a game to tie the series and bring the ALDS back to New York. I have news for you, don't give up yet.
AJ wants the ball. This is the biggest stage of his life and he knows if he fails, well, then it's over for him in pinstripes. The Detroit Tigers are not a great ball club, but their a damn good, feisty ball club and they can get to AJ. So, whatever head games and issues AJ has had in the past, he needs to dig deep, focus and know that the Yankees need him now more than ever. Everything we've said and did with AJ is in the past. Everything he's down lousy is long gone. We have a clean slate tonight and AJ is our leader. So instead of thinking it's the end Ladies and Gentlemen, let's turn the page and suggest it's the beginning.

We tried our best guy in CC Sabathia last night, and with the help of lousy calls of balls and strikes, and a not so grand CC, the Yankees lost last night. Forget it. You have to. Now it's go time, and it's a MUST WIN.

But let's back up for a moment. It's not just AJ that all of Yankeeland should be depending on. What about the Yankee bats? It hasn't only been about pitching, it's been about missing perfect pitches and popping them up. It's about becoming TOO dependant on the walk. There's a formula in the batter's box and you need to have a balance. Something's a miss. Where are my Bombers?

Earlier this weekend, I posted something about Nick Swisher referring to his “over amped” anxiousness at the plate during the playoffs. He even stated that he needed to channel his energy so he’d be able to perform. Yes, in the late innings of Game 2 in the Bronx, he was finally able to relax a bit and crank out a solo shot and I thought hopefully that would start a little run for Nick. But it didn't, Swisher looked stupid in Detroit last night. If he's hoping to stick around in the Bronx after this season, that's no way to do it.

Then I started thinking about Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira. Yes, Girardi pointed out that ARod had 2 RBIs and walked last night, but look, let's face it, even Ramon Santiago is playing bigger than ARod. What the hell is going on with my New York Yankees?

Alex and Mark and just a few examples. These guys are some of the top hitters in the league and I know Alex was out for nearly 63 games with injury and surgery, but you have to think something’s coming. Right? Look, sometimes I think I’m being unfair. I reminisce about 2009 and how hot Alex and Teixeira were. Then I get annoyed because I realize expecting too much from these guys is exactly what I’m supposed to do. I’m a fan, these guys need to perform, it’s the playoffs!

The biggest problem we are having right now are “Ducks on the pond.” That’s a baseball expression that has to do with men on base. The Yankees need to get those ducks OFF the pond… and bring them home. It has to do with timely hitting. A perfect example is Game 1 and Game 3… Brett Gardner got a 2 run hit in both games at the right time to put the Yankees ahead or in last night's case, we tied it. He understands... get the Ducks OFF the pond. I hate to sound like an angry fan, but I am. Runs need to score or the Yankees don’t win. Long balls are great, but they need to happen when men are on base.

Jorge Posada, the guy everyone told me was too old for the playoffs has done his job. Yet, Robinson Cano hasn't shown up since Game 1. You know what I mean? Where’s the small ball, better yet, where’s the baseball? You need to move the runners over and I almost feel like the Yankees have forgotten that.

Now, we’re in Detroit, a place I don’t like, plus we're down 2 games to 1. There are feisty fans and when the Tigers are on, they will drown out any potential Yankees rally. So, there are keys to a Yankee victory. We really need to deliver now…we need to take the Detroit crowd out of it. That only happens if there is timely Yankee hitting and AJ, our sweet AJ does his job tonight. If not, it's over.

So pray to the Yankee Gods tonight, rally, put on your lucky jersey, kiss your Jeter poster, whatever you need to do, but most importantly put your support behind the guy who needs us now more than ever. AJ Burnett. It's time to dig deep AJ. This game's for you.

Go Yanks!

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2011 ALDS YANKEES VS. TIGERS GAME 2 PREVIEW

(Photo: AP)
Last night's resumption of Game 1 was awesome. Ivan Nova proved to everyone he can pitch on the big stage against a very good Detroit Tigers team, while Robinson Cano continues to become a great postseason hitter. Did you know, that in Cano's last 10 postseason games--three series--he's hit .375 (15/40) with five homers, and 12 RBI (six in last night's game)? He's been amazing, and he's really one of the best hitters and probably the best second baseman in all of baseball, and because of it the Yankees have a 1-0 lead in the best of five ALDS against the Tigers.

Anyway, the game this afternoon is huge. In a best of five--or seven--series, visiting teams like Detroit really aim to win one of the first two games in the series so they can go back home and win their home games and win the series. With that being said, it's very important that the Yankees get this one. Justin Verlander is going on Monday in Game 3, so the Yanks would love to have a 2-0 lead.The pitching matchup for Game 2 is Freddy Garcia (12-8, 3.62 ERA) for the Yanks, against Max Scherzer (15-9, 4.43 ERA) for the Tigers. Garcia has an 18-8 career record against Detroit with a 3.88 ERA while losing his only start against the Tigers on May 4 in Comerica Park while going 7 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out a season high eight batters. Some guys who've had good success against Garcia in their careers are Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila, and Delmon Young. Ordonez is hitting .327 (17-52) with a homer and six RBI while Cabrera is hitting .391 (9-23) with three homers and six RBI career against Garcia. Some hitters who don't fare quite as well against Garcia include, but aren't limited to, Victor Martinez, Austin Jackson, and Ryan Raburn. Martinez is a .233 hitter (7-30) while Jackson and Raburn each hit .222 (4-18) and .111 (1-9) against Garcia, respectively.(Photo: AP)
Max Scherzer is 3-0 in three starts with a 2.84 career ERA against the Yanks, while going five innings and allowing six runs in his first start of his season on April 3 at the Stadium, and pitching eight shutout innings while striking out eight Yankees at Comerica Park on May 4. It's tough to find too many players who've had good success in a big sample size against Scherzer, but Mark Teixeira is 3 for 10 with a solo homer and Curtis Granderson is 3 for 12 against Scherzer. After last night's 0 for 5 Alex Rodriguez probably won't enjoy seeing Scherzer because he's 0 for 8 in his career against him.
(Photo: Getty)
The other starters that include Russell Martin, Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and Brett Gardner have combined to hit .166 (10-60) against the Tiger right-hander in their career. It should be interesting how this one will turn out.

This would be a huge win for the Yankees if it can happen. Being up 2-0 and putting Detroit on the brink of elimination would be great.

Go YANKEES!!!




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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