Results tagged ‘ Yankee Stadium ’
Mariners roll ’7′ in the first inning
The only good thing the Yankees could say about the top of the first inning Wednesday night is that they still had 27 outs to try and get back into the game. Man, was that one ugly frame.
Many folks were still walking to the seats while the Mariners were running all around the bases on the way to a 7-0 lead that they gave to starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, the former Japanese Olympics and Pacific League star who has gotten off to a great start here in the U.S. (4-1, 1.74 ERA).
Yankees starter Phil Hughes could not get into a rhythm and was gone before the lengthy inning was over. Seven consecutive Seattle batters reached base at one point, four of whom scored on one swing, a familiar swing at that, by Raul Ibanez, who crushed a 0-1 fastball to right-center for his fifth home run of the season and second in this series. In his first five at-bats in his return to Yankee Stadium since last October’s postseason heroics, Ibanez has wounded his former team with two home runs and six RBI.
Hughes had no command of his breaking pitches and was forced to rely on his fastball, which the Seattle hitters knew was coming since nothing else was working for the righthander. A one-out walk to Dustin Ackley got the rally started and was followed by three singles that produced two runs and another walk before Ibanez lowered the boom.
Home runs tend to be rally killers, but not this time. Former Yankees prospect Jesus Montero joined Ibanez in haunting the Yankees with a single. After a fielder’s choice, Michael Saunders chased Hughes with a run-scoring double. Fans were none too kind to Hughes, whose ERA rose to 5.88, as he walked to the dugout. The fans’ attitude improved when reliever Preston Claiborne ended the inning with a strikeout.
This was a stunning development considering that the Mariners rank next to last in the American League in team batting average and runs scored. Seven runs are often the most they can score in a whole series let alone one inning.
It was also a wild start in a major-league debut of David Adams, the starting third baseman who was called up by the Yankees from Scranton. Chris Nelson was optioned to the Triple A affiliate to make room on the 25-man roster for Adams, who turned 26 Wednesday. That’s some birthday present.
Rangers, Islanders, Devils coming to Yankee Stadium
Are you ready for hockey at Yankee Stadium? It will be Hockey Week in the Bronx come next January.
Two outdoor regular-season National Hockey League games will be played at the Stadium during the 2013-14 season as part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. And these are not just any two games. The first game will be Sunday, Jan. 26, between the Rangers and the Devils. The second game will be Wednesday, Jan. 29, between the Rangers and the Islanders.
The two games at Yankee Stadium complete the four-game 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series scheduled for next season. The Anaheim Ducks will play the Los Angeles Kings Jan. 25 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Chicago Blackhawks will play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field in Chicago.
“The innovative nature of the Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three NHL teams in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area play, outdoors, at one of the most-celebrated stadiums in the world,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We’ll be able to create a multi-faceted, multi-day experience for our fans, and we thank the teams, Coors Light, the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium for their support of this memorable NHL event.”
In just five years of its existence, the Stadium already has provided the setting for some of the country’s most popular events as the baseball diamond has been transformed to be the site of games between several of college football’s finest programs – including the annual New Era Pinstripe Bowl – concerts by Grammy Award-winning acts, top-tier soccer talent from around the world and a super welterweight title boxing match. The 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will be the first time the Stadium has been used for hockey.
“We have long thought that Yankee Stadium would be a great venue for outdoor hockey,” Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost said. “In addition to being a first-class baseball facility, Yankee Stadium was designed to house unique and memorable events, such as the NHL Stadium Series. Hosting two of the NHL’s classic rivalries at Yankee Stadium will be a great kickoff for the worldwide sporting events in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area scheduled in early 2014.”
“The New Jersey Devils are proud to have been selected to host the first of two games at Yankee Stadium,” Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “The NHL Stadium Series will be a memorable experience for our organization, our players and, most importantly, our fans. We are thrilled to play our divisional rival, while adding to the legacy of one of the nation’s most recognized sports facilities.”
“The New York Islanders are honored to take part in the National Hockey League’s outdoor stadium series,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. “Our fan-base is one of the most passionate in the NHL. The support we consistently receive from our fans was on display during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and I expect it to be on an even greater scale when we take on the Rangers. This is what makes the games against the Rangers one of the best rivalries in the league. I look forward to seeing a strong contingent of the orange and blue in the stands at Yankee Stadium.”
“The New York Rangers are honored to participate in these two historic games at Yankee Stadium, bringing hockey into the home of another one of New York’s iconic sports franchises,” Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. “Playing hockey outdoors takes the game back to its roots and reminds us all why we laced up our skates as youngsters. We are excited to be able to bring that experience and thrill to our fans and the city of New York.”
The Rangers, Islanders and Devils have combined to win 11 Stanley Cup championships. They are division foes during the regular season and have also have battled each other in memorable postseasons.
The Rangers and Devils have met six times in the playoffs. Perhaps the most memorable of those series was in 1994 when the clubs faced off in the Eastern Conference Final with the Rangers’ Stephane Matteau winning the deciding Game 7 in double-overtime. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup in seven games over the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils countered 12 months later by winning the first of their three Stanley Cup titles over the following nine seasons.
The Rangers and Islanders have met eight times in the postseason, including four straight years from 1981-84. The Devils and Islanders have met once in the postseason, with New Jersey earning a 4-2 series victory in the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinal.
The Rangers first played the Islanders in a regular-season game Oct. 21, 1972, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island – a 2-1 Rangers victory. The Rangers first faced the Devils in a regular-season game (after the team moved to New Jersey) Oct. 8, 1982, at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. – a 3-2 Devils victory.
Further details on this special NHL event, including national broadcast information and specifics on ticket opportunities for the season-ticket holders of each team, will be released shortly. Fans interested in receiving more information on ticketing, news and special offers around the event should register at http://www.NHL.com/2014NewYork.
The NHL recently announced that the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 1, when the Detroit Red Wings will play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. Since the facility holds a capacity of 101,000, it is anticipated that the game will set a world record for attendance at a hockey match.
The first-ever NHL regular-season game contested outdoors was in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alta. Since then, the NHL has played six additional regular-season games outdoors.
Yanks’ bullpen has final say in Cy Young duel
It is not entirely true that the marquee matchup Tuesday night of the Yankees’ CC Sabathia and the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez, a couple of former American League Cy Young Award winners, did not materialize. Each had impact in the game. It is just that the outcome occurred after they had departed.
Neither starter was involved in the decision, although for a time it seemed that Hernandez would be the winner and Sabathia the loser. This was a game that ended up decided by the bullpens. In that case, it is no contest against the Yankees these days.
Shawn Kelley took over for Sabathia in the seventh with the score 3-1 Mariners, runners on first and third with one out and retired Kelly Shoppach on a strikeout and Raul Ibanez on a fly to left. After a botched attempt for a force on a sacrifice bunt gave Seattle runners on first and second with none out in the eighth, David Robertson worked another of his Houdini tricks by striking out Michael Saunders and getting pinch hitter Justin Smoak to line into a double play. Mariano Rivera provided a spotless ninth to make it 16-for-16 in save opportunities this season.
The relievers’ 2 2/3 combined innings extended the pen’s current scoreless streak to nine games covering 23 2/3 innings. The relief corps has pitched to a 0.77 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .161 batting average with seven walks and 36 strikeouts over that stretch.
One of the three runs off Sabathia, who pitched 6 1/3 innings, was not earned due to an error by first baseman Lyle Overbay that led to a run in the third. Overbay would atone for that bobble in the seventh with a sacrifice fly that unlocked a 3-3 score. Overbay had doubled in a run to get the Yankees on the board in the sixth against Hernandez, who came out after that inning because of back spasms. That was the opening the Yankees needed.
Seattle’s bullpen was not the support system for King Felix that the Yankees’ was for CC. Yoervis Molina gave up a leadoff single in the seventh to Chris Nelson and wild-pitched him to second base. One out later, lefthander Charlie Furbush walked left-handed batting Brett Gardner and yielded a two-run, game-tying double to right-center by lefty-swinging Robinson Cano, the Yankees’ only hit in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Furbush walked Vernon Wells intentionally to get at another left-handed batter, back from the disabled list Curtis Granderson, and walked him quite unintentionally. Overbay, also swinging from the left side, put a charge into a 3-2 fastball for a drive to deep enough center to score Cano with the go-ahead run. The Yanks’ pen handled matters from there.
The other two runs off Sabathia, who walked two batters and struck out 10, came on a home run in the sixth by Ibanez, who returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since he was a 2012 postseason hero for the Yankees. CC enjoyed when Ibanez poked homers to right field last October against the Orioles and Tigers but not at all when he found his favorite area for homer No. 4 this season.
No one at the Stadium was expected to cheer Ibanez when he homered against the Yankees, but the reaction from the crowd of 41,267 to Ibanez when he first came to the plate, in the second inning, was curious to say the least.
Considering the dramatic impact of his heroics seven months ago, it was somewhat surprising that Ibanez received such a tepid response from the fans, who applauded politely but with few of them standing. There were even some sounds of boos, although that might have been chants of “Ra-oool.” You can never tell when guys have names that rhyme with “boo.” Think of Moose Skowron or Lou Piniella or Goose Gossage, for example.
Rivera could see Ibanez in the dugout in the ninth and was determined to keep him there. Ibanez was in the hole two batters away when Mo ended the game.
Pre-On-Sale to Spain vs. Ireland for YU members
Reigning World Cup and European champion Spain will play the Republic of Ireland June 11 at Yankee Stadium. Spain is ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA, having won the most recent World Cup in 2010 and each of the last two European Championships in 2008 and 2012. Ireland, led by manager Giovanni Trapattoni, participated in Euro 2012 and narrowly missed qualification for the 2010 World Cup.
Yankees Universe members will have special opportunity to participate in a Pre-On-Sale for the soccer match from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 15. This Pre-On-Sale opportunity will provide YU members with a chance to purchase tickets for this match before they go on sale to the general public, subject to availability.
When purchasing tickets you will be required to enter a predetermined password. Please make certain that you enter your password as it appears, as the password is case sensitive. The password can only be used beginning at your designated Pre-On-Sale time. If you have any questions regarding your predetermined password, please call (212) YANKEES. Click the “Buy Tickets” link and enter the password you received in the e-mail.
TICKET LIMITATIONS: Only a limited number of tickets as determined by the Yankees will be made available during the Pre-On-Sale. All purchases will be further limited to a maximum of eight tickets. Pre-On-Sale purchases exceeding the ticket purchase limits will be canceled without contact from Ticketmaster or the Yankees.
As part of your Pre-On-Sale opportunity, we will be offering two all-inclusive ticket and food packages:
Legends Club Package #1
This special ticket package starts at $449.50 per ticket and includes:
A Ticket for a prime seating location in Sections 22-29.
Access to the Legends Club with all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Entry through the private Suite Entrance.
Legends Club Package #2
This special ticket package starts at $329.50 per ticket and includes:
A Ticket for a prime seating location in Sections 17B-21B.
Access to the Legends Club with all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic beverages .
Entry through the private Suite Entrance.
Additionally, if interested in securing one of the exclusive Luxury Suites for this event, please call (212) YANKEES to reserve your spot in line.
To complete a transaction, you will be required to either create a new Ticketmaster account or login using your “My Ticketmaster” account. If you already have a “My Ticketmaster” account, please use your existing “My Ticketmaster” account and associated e-mail address and password to login. If you are not sure of your “My Ticketmaster” account login and password, please contact Ticketmaster or follow the Ticketmaster online instructions for “Forgot Password.”
The Yankees recommend that you have a Ticketmaster account and Ticketmaster password before you attempt to purchase the limited number of tickets available for sale during the Pre-On-Sale. Please be advised that your “My Ticketmaster” account is different from your “My Yankees Account.” Your “My Ticketmaster” password is different from the password you receive to participate in the Pre-On-Sale, and your password to login to your “My Yankees Account.”
For guests with visual impairments, if you have any difficulties navigating the Pre-On-Sale purchasing process via yankees.com, please contact the Yankees’ Office of Disabled Services at (718) 579-4510 (voice) or (718) 579-4595 (TTY).
Robertson Yanks spokesman for Wounded Warriors
David Robertson has assumed the role of Yankees spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). He will represent the Yankees in Wounded Warrior Project outreach efforts and participate in Wounded Warrior visits to Yankee Stadium throughout the season. The role was filled the previous two seasons by outfielder Nick Swisher, now with the Indians.
The Yankees welcomed to Friday night’s game approximately 25 Wounded Warriors, all of whom were injured while serving their country in the armed forces. Their activities included a private tour of Monument Park and the Yankees Museum presented by Bank of America, along with spending time with Robertson in a quiet setting at the Stadium.
During a pre-game, on-field ceremony Sunday, the New York Yankees Foundation will make a $100,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Additionally, in a separate ceremony on Sunday, two Wounded Warriors, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Rodjean Thorman and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jay Lawrence, will be recognized for their service. The pair will represent a group of approximately 25 Wounded Warriors who are attending the game with members of their families through the generosity of Manfredi Jewels of Greenwich, Conn., which is providing tickets for their visit.
“The Wounded Warrior Project has been close to our hearts for many years,” Yankees senior vice president of marketing Debbie Tymon said. “By continuing our relationship, we hope that the public further recognizes the magnitude of the sacrifices made by so many members of the armed forces. We owe it to these courageous men and women to extend our hands, hearts and resources to help them readjust to civilian life as quickly and thoroughly as possible.”
The mission of the non-profit and non-partisan Wounded Warrior Project – http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org – is to honor and empower wounded servicemen and servicewomen. WWP’s goals include raising awareness and enlisting the public in aiding the needs of injured service members. WWP also provides unique and direct programs and services for injured veterans.
“Wounded Warrior Project would like to thank David Robertson and the New York Yankees for their continued commitment to supporting our mission,” WWP deputy executive director Al Giordano said. “Taking the time to give back to our nation’s injured servicemen and women not only speaks volumes about David’s character but also of the Yankees organization as a whole. This ongoing support promises to provide memorable experiences for our alumni throughout the season.”
Yanks doing things right against lefties
That vulnerability the Yankees once showed against left-handed pitching appears to have worn away. Their 5-4 victory over the Astros Wednesday night improved the Yanks’ record to 8-3 in games started by left-handed opposing pitchers, including their past five at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have won six of the past eight games against left-handed starters.
Nevertheless, they continue to seek ways to bolster their lineup against lefties. After the game, the Yankees announced that they had acquired infielder Chris Nelson from the Rockies in a deal for cash considerations and/or a player to be named. Nelson, 27, was batting .242 in 66 at-bats for Colorado but apparently was available because Nolan Arenado was seeing more playing time at third base. Nelson was a .301 hitter with nine home runs and 53 RBI in 2012. He bats right-handed, can play third base and second base, although defense is not his strong suit. Nelson is expected to join the Yankees Friday night when they open a three-game series against Oakland.
The Yankees cleared space on the 40-man roster for Nelson by assigning catcher Francisco Cervelli (broken right hand) to the 60-day disabled list. They will have to make a move for the 25-man roster when Nelson is activated, most likely returning infielder Corban Joseph to Triple A Scranton.
With all their injuries, the Yankees have had to use left-handed batters against left-handed pitching, and it has worked out. Travis Hafner walked and scored in the second inning, and Robinson Cano belted his eighth home run in the third.
Lyle Overbay doubled, walked twice and made an alert base-running maneuver that led to the deciding run. In the sixth inning with the score 4-4, Overbay was on first base and Eduardo Nunez on third with one out when Ichiro Suzuki, another lefty swinger who had two hits, hit a grounder between first and second. Overbay stopped in the baseline and forced second baseman Jose Altuve to throw to first base while Nunez sprinted home before the Astros could complete the double play by throwing out Overbay in a rundown.
“It takes a heads-up play like that to prevent the double play from happening,” manager Joe Girardi said. “That is what veterans do. They don’t get frazzled by situations.”
Neither did the Yankees’ bullpen. David Phelps was okay in his start (four runs, eight hits, one walk, five strikeouts, two hit batters in 5 2/3 innings), but Boone Logan (2-1), David Robertson and Mariano Rivera (11-for-11 in saves) combined for 3 1/3 spotless, two-hit innings with four strikeouts.
It got a big scary for Mo in the ninth when rookie outfielder Brandon Barnes led off with a line single to right. Matt Dominguez hit the ball hard, too, but Cano made a back-handed stab and got an unassisted double play by tagging Barnes, who was running on the play. Rivera reared back and fired three strikes past Marwin Gonzalez to end a stretch of 16 consecutive dates of games in which the Yankees went 11-5 and won four of the five series.
Yanks have had recent success vs. A’s
The Yankees will complete the current homestand with a three-game series against the Athletics Friday night and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The teams will play each other again June 11-13 at Oakland.
The Yankees have won 32 of the past 44 games against the A’s since the start of the 2008 season, including victories in 18 of the past 26 matchups. The Yankees have also won 10 of the past 14 games and 17 of the past 22 against the A’s at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have recorded five straight non-losing home series against Oakland and are 27-14 against the A’s at the Stadium since 2004.
At the current Stadium, the Yankees are 14-5 (.737) against Oakland, matching their second-best record against an American League opponent with Texas. The Yanks’ best record at the current Stadium against one team is the 10-3 mark (.769) against Detroit.
CC Sabathia, who will start Friday night’s game, has had only marginal success against the A’s but has been strong in recent outings. Sabathia’s career mark against Oakland is 8-8 with a 4.56 ERA, but he is 6-1 with a 2.47 ERA over his past 11 starts against the A’s.
Francisco Cervelli may be on the disable list, but the catcher will receive a deserving award in a gala event Thursday night at Cipriani in Manhattan. Cervelli will be honored with the Project Sunshine Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award for 2013. Project Sunshine is a nonprofit organization that provides free educational, recreational and social programs to children and families facing medical challenges. Cervelli has made numerous hospital visits to spend time with children and their families over the past few years.
The first five hitters in the Yankees’ starting lineup Tuesday night against the Astros were all left-handed – Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, Robinson Cano, Travis Hafner and Brennan Boesch. It was the first time the top five hitters of a Yankees lineup were all lefty swingers since July 28, 1995 when then manager Buck Showalter used Luis Polonia, Wade Boggs, Dion James, Paul O’Neill and Don Mattingly 1-though-5 in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota.
Youkilis joins crowded bunch on DL
The Yankees’ disabled list continues to grow. Kevin Youkilis became the sixth regular position player to go on the DL, joining Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Francisco Cervelli as well as a regular in the pitching rotation, Ivan Nova.
Youkilis, who has alternated at first base and third base for Tex and A-Rod, has been bothered by back soreness for more than a week. He received an epidural Tuesday to help combat a lumbar spine sprain. Yankees management admitted it was a mistake for Youkilis to have played Saturday. Had he not played, Youkilis could have been back-dated on the DL to April 21, which would have made him eligible to come off sometime later this week. Now he cannot come off the DL until May 13.
The Yankees recalled infielder Corban Joseph from Triple A Scranton. Joseph, 24, played second base mostly at Scranton where he was batting .273 with six doubles, four home runs and nine RBI in 22 games and 88 at-bats but will be needed mostly to play third base and shortstop. He situated himself next to Jeter in the dugout, which is a good place to be if you want to learn about the shortstop position.
Vidal Nuno did well in his major-league debut Monday night in a mop-up role in the Yankees’ 9-1 loss to the Astros. The lefthander, who was recalled when Nova went on the DL, pitched three scoreless innings and allowed four hits and no walks with two strikeouts.
Before Tuesday night’s game, Mariano Rivera as part of his farewell tour in 2013 met with 20 of the Yankees’ longest season ticket-holders in the press conference room on the service level of Yankee Stadium. Mo took part in a question-and-answer session with the fans, each of whom received an autographed photo of the closer.
Jack O'Connell
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