Saturday, May 24, 2008

Yanks win three straight, Joba to join rotation

After an embarrassing loss to the Orioles Tuesday, the Yankees have won their last three games. In those three games, they have outscored their opponents 23-3 and the recently anemic, enigma of an offense seems to be coming around.

The Yankees have finally announced their plans for setup man Joba Chamberlain this week. According to manger Joe Girardi, Joba will strengthen his arm and stretch it out over the next few weeks and enter the rotation as soon as possible.

Finally someone realized that with a sub-.500 record, Joba wasn't making nearly enough of an impact pitching once a week. Chamberlain will solidify the rotation and make the 5-man rotation strong (If Mussina and Darrell Rasner continue to pitch well and Andy Pettitte comes around).

By the time Joba enters the rotation, Posada will be back from his shoulder injury and the team should finally be 100 percent ready to win games.

At 20-25, I said I would like to see them reach .500 at the 30-30 mark. That would mean they would have to go 10-5 over that stretch. Not unrealistic for a team expected by many to score 1,000 runs. Since that point, they are 3-0, but are still in the AL East cellar at 23-25.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Unreal

The last time the Yankees won a game without the decision going to either Mike Mussina or Darrell Rasner was May 2.

The last time the Yankees won a game without the decision going to either Mussina, Rasner or Wang was April 20, when Andy Pettitte won his start against the Orioles.

Mussina, Rasner, Wang and Pettitte have accounted for all of the winning decisions going to Yankee starting pitchers. Guys like Joba Chamberlain, LaTroy Hawkins and Brian Bruney have also picked up wins in relief. It looks like a good thing, for your big three pitchers to have the bulk of the wins for starting pitching for their team, but one has to take into account the team is four games under .500 and struggling mightily. Mussina, Rasner, Wang and Pettitte are a combined 17-10 with a 3.88 ERA. Not horrible, but also not the record you would wish upon the top three pitchers in your rotation.

Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and Kei Igawa in 2008: 0-8, 9.31 ERA. The Yankees are 2-12 in games started by these three enigmas.

Can't solely blame the pitching staff, the bullpen has been generally good, injuries have been a factor, sending Bruney, Hughes and Jonathan Albaladejo to the DL. The Yankees do not hit. They will not win until they hit, it's as simple as that.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Yanks lose series to Mets, drop three straight

20-24. The Yankees have not exactly followed their preseason script to say the least.

The only bright side to this atrocious record is there is no A-Rod or Posada. The lack of Yankee offense can be saved when those two big bats get back into the lineup. A-Rod is scheduled to return to action tonight against the Orioles, while Posada is slated to return in early June.

Yankee Offense:
179 Runs (12th in AL)
136 BB (10th in AL)
14 SB (13th in AL)
56% SB (Last in AL)
8 Sac Flies (13th in AL)
33.7 AB/HR (11th in AL)

Maybe A-Rod will come back and rake like last year.