Mariano Rivera Has Another 'Uh-Oh' Moment; Yankees Beat Angels, 6-5

Today, under the brilliant blue skies over Yankee Stadium, hot-hitting Robinson Cano made the Los Angeles Angels pay dearly for an error by Macier Izturis, after the second baseman muffed an easy ground ball that should have ended the seventh inning.  The goof led to the winning margin of a Yankees victory.  The only grey cloud in sight, on this sunny day, was the one hovering Izturis' head the rest of the game. 

With the score tied, 2-2, and two outs,  Mark Teixeira squibbed a soft blooper towards second.  Izturis bobbled, then dropped the ball after it hit him in the chest.  Teixeira was safe at first and the Yankees had the bases loaded.  Hot hitting Cano came to the plate and sent the next pitch from Scott Downs over the right field fence for the fifth grand slam of his career and a 6-2 Yankees lead. 

The Yankees held on to win the game and the series, 2-1, from the Angels but the 6-5 victory didn't come without any trepidation about Mariano Rivera.  The Yankees closer had another "blip" in the ninth inning after another fine start from starter Bartolo Colon.

Colon went six strong innings although he ended up with his second straight no-decision. The rotund righty continues to build on one of the great comeback stories in the major leagues this season.

The only slip-up in Colon's day was giving up a two-run to Alberto Callaspo in the fifth inning which gave the Angels a 2-0 lead.  Fourteen of Colon's 18 outs came from strikeouts or infield outs.  Colon finished the day going six innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out three.

The Yankees once again called on the smoking bat of Curtis Granderson.  The Yankees centerfielder skied--and I mean sent into orbit-- his 32nd home run of the season off Angels starter, Tyler Chatwood.  The homer knocked in Derek Jeter to tie the score.  It was Granderson's fourth dinger in three games.

Everything looked good for the Yankees after Robinson's curtain call.  That was until Rivera was called in to bail out an ineffective Cory Wade with one out in the ninth.

Rivera came in after Wade struck out Vernon Wells and allowed two hits which put two men on base. The Hall of Fame closer was coming off a blown save and a loss-- "a blip" as manager Joe Girardi calls them-- and a lot of hand-wringing by Yankees fans.  Rivera only needed to get the final two outs.

Digging in at the plate was the Angels pinch-hitter Russell Branyan.  Branyan-- who had eight home-runs in 47 at-bats at Yankee Stadium-- immediately sent Rivera's first pitch into the right field stands to close the score to 6-5.

Rivera did a half-snarl/half-grin as he watched the ball sail over his head and into the hushed crowd.  Uh-oh.  Could what was once called a blip, now be an epidemic many anxious fans were probably wondering.  Things were getting interesting-- and too close.

Not to worry.  The usually reliable Rivera got the next batter to ground out and the final out was a short fly to left which Brett Gardner gathered in as he crashed into the box-seat wall.

Game over and Rivera picks up his 30th save of the season for a record-extending 14th time.

It's been a long time since Yankees fans held their breath when Rivera was on the mound, if ever.

It was the ninth straight home series the Yankees have won and gave the Yankees a comfortable eight game lead over the Angels in the wild-card race.

Except for Wade, the bullpen was nearly perfect.  Rafael Soriano continued to play like the 45-save closer the Yankees spent $35 million for.  He handled the seventh inning handily but gave up his first hit in five appearances since coming off the DL on July 30.

Dave Robertson was perfect in the eighth.

After the game, Girardi was asked if he was worried about Rivera.  The manager joked, "If it happened for a month."

Girardi continued to downplay the anxiety surrounding Rivera and believes hitters are just being more aggressive with Rivera so they don't fall behind.

"He's close to the perfect closer as we'll ever see," said the manager.  "[But] He's not perfect"

Rivera said he wasn't concerned about his weapon of choice-- the cutter.

"I didn't lose velocity, " said the 41 year-old Rivera.  "I put the ball where I want it, that's about it."

Asked if he sees any trend to his last three outings, Rivera shook his head.

"It's always only one pitch, stressed the closer.  "It's one pitch, but it can't be like that."

Yankees Could Put Six Position Players on 2011 All-Star Team

Alex Rodriguez leads a team of nine New York Yankees All-Star hopefuls listed on the American League All-Star ballot released today.  The way things look right now,  six Yankees position players alone could be playing in the July 12 classic--maybe even seven.

A-Rod will be looking to be elected to his 14th All-Star game.  He is one of the league leaders in batting and RBI's with 17 and having one of his best starts ever.

Shortstop Derek Jeter, while showing signs of inconsistency this year, is always a perennial fan favorite and will be looking to make his fifth straight appearance and 12th all-time.  Even the one year Jeter wasn't there, other players said it didn't feel just right without The Captain.  Could it be his last?

The Yankees have been sending the ball over the fence at an unbelievable rate and all those home-runs could lead to All-Star turns for their sluggers.

Surprisingly, centerfielder Curtis Granderson is tied for the league lead in home-runs with seven and is looking to make his second All-Star slot.  His first and last was for the Detroit Tigers in 2009.

Another wonder has been catcher Russell Martin.  The off-season pick-up, with the rehabbed hip, is lighting up pitchers with a .328 average, six homers and 16 RBI's so far this season.  His OBP is one of the best in the league.  Martin was a two-time National League All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira round out the six Pinstripers who could be showing up at Chase Field in Phoenix for baseball's big showcase.

Cano, one of the best all-round players in the majors is batting .314 with 4 HR's and 14 RBI's.  It would be the second-baseman's third appearance.

Teixeira, battling his usual m.o., started the season fast then slumped badly.  Over the past week, the first-baseman has picked up steam and seems to be back on track.  He has six home-runs and 16 RBI's already this year.  His last All-star appearance was in 2009.

The Yankees could bring their own Home-Run Derby to the 82nd All-Star Game.  Five players--A-Rod, Cano, Teixeira, Martin and Granderson have 28 home-runs between them.  If you throw in Jorge Posada, who is on the ballot for the first time as a DH after five All-Star games as a catcher, you have a major-league leading line-up boasting 34 dingers between those six players.

N.Y. Yankees Digging the Long Ball and Not Much Else

The New York Yankees are tied for the league lead in home runs with 18 but still look anemic at the plate.  A .236 team average is something the team is not used to--even if it is only nine games into the season--and seems worse when you realize four regular starters are well below the Mendoza Line with two others barely above it.

The Yankees No. 4 and No. 5 hitters,  Robinson Cano (.324) and Alex Rodriguez (.321), are batting at least 115 points over the leadoff and No. 2 spots--Brett Gardner (.167) and Derek Jeter (.206).

Out of the Yankees 70 total hits this season, 18 have gone over the fence.  They are on pace for a record 324 jacks and only 1260 hits.

Hot starts by Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are faded memories.  The sliding threesome went 0-for-9 with 8 strikeouts against Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.  They have combined for nine home-runs but, with an average of .182, Teixeira is the stud of that bunch.  Take away the homers and those three are a combined 6-of-81.

Yankee hitting coach Kevin Long hasn't heard the Steinbrenner alarm yet--thanks to the awful start by the Red Sox and he puts on a happy face when asked about the slumping players.

"I've felt good about our offense thus far and I still do," Long said after the Sox ace struck out ten Yankees on Sunday.  "This isn't any time to hit the panic button just because Josh Beckett came out and threw the ball really well."

True.  But how does he justify the lack of hits against pitchers who didn't throw the ball as well as Beckett so far this year?

It seems unlikely that Jeter or Gardner won't pick it up at the top of the order or that Mark Teixeira won't be rattled from his annual April swoon.  And there's no way that the DH Posada or outfielder Granderson will still be batting .138 and .172, respectively, at the end of the season, but there has to be concern--even with a 5-4 record.

If anything the Yankee hits have been timely.  They were sixth in runs scored (50).

Manager Joe Girardi knows nine games do not make a season.  "You can't make too much of a few at-bats," he said.  "You can't just do it because early in the season you're going to see guys have ups and downs.  You're going to see it, and then as they start getting more at-bats under their belts, they start to get more consistent."

The Yankees may be hiding their lack of hits behind their home-run onslaught.  Everyone knows chicks really dig the long-ball, but I don't think hitting coaches do.

Yankees Teixeira Deals With April's 'Funky Stats' Again

If New York Yankees Mark Teixeira is 0-for-18, it must be April.  Never mind showers that bring flowers, it's usually his April slumps that bring a little power every spring.

Teixeira, notorious for his slow spring starts, may have been fooled by the season's early start date and stormed out of the gate.  He batted .333 with 4 home-runs in his first five games leading fans to believe the first-baseman had conquered the spate of early-season struggles which have dogged Teixeira throughout his career.

The surprisingly great start had a reality check and now a dreadful 0-for-18 slump leaves Teixeira batting .182 in the third spot.  The slide was highlighted by a hitless weekend against the Boston Red Sox.  The Yankees dropped 2-of-3 against their division rivals culminating with Josh Beckett's 2-hit gem on Sunday night.

Teixeira, who turns 31 today, had a blistering start to the season.  He hit four home-runs with 10 RBI's during that span.  He now has six hits and 10 strikeouts in 33 at-bats.

The top of the Yankee order is, so far, pretty bland and can't be helping Teixeira much.  Leadoff batter Brett Gardner is hitting .167 followed by Derek Jeter and his piddling .206 average.  The healthy stats of the No. 4 and 5 batters, Alex Rodriguez (who sat out last night's game) and Robinson Cano, make Tex less of a concern to opposing pitchers than the hitters who follow him.  Teixeira has become the cheese on a white-bread and multi-grain sandwich.

"They pitched me really tough this weekend," Teixeira said last night.  "Any ball I hit hard got caught.  They pitched me tough.  [Today's] day off will be nice to just regroup and get back to work on Tuesday."

Teixeira doesn't have to feel relatively bad about last night's three-strikeout performance.  Beckett made the rest of the Yankees team look just as small.  The rejuvenated Boston right-hander mowed down 10 pinstripers on strikeouts and looked like the Beckett of old.

For the weekend, Tex was 0-for-12 with six strikeouts.  When last seen he was arguing a strikeout call against Jonathan Papelbon.

"He [Beckett] was really good tonight," said Teixeira.  "Some nights you beat yourself up and some nights you tip your cap and this was one of those nights."

It looks like the Yankees will have to just wait until May for Teixeira to get his groove back.  While the four-time Gold Glove winner earns his keep in the field, Teixeira says he doesn't put too much emphasis on early-season swoons and batting stats.

"If I did, I would have retired years ago," he said.  "The first nine games you're going to have some funky stats.  You're going to have guys that you say that this guy is going to be the next MVP and he's sent down a month later.  You're going to have guys that are hitting .050 and then he wins the MVP.  It's a such a small part of the season."

Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, seems to take Teixeira's .232 career April average in stride.

"He's just missing balls a little bit, that's all," the manager said.  " And you're seeing good pitching out there."

Teixeira may be sugar-coating his frustration.  While the Red Sox were celebrating their win, after Teixeira's final swing, he followed the umpire to dispute the call.

"You guys saw it," Teixeira said.  " I'm not allowed to say anything.  I didn't yell at him.  It is what it is.  He said he might have missed it.  I wasn't going to hit a grand slam with no one on.  I might have gone nuts, but we didn't get the job done."

"It's raining, it's cold. You can't get a rhythm sometimes," said Teixeira.  I'd love to be able to hit .300 from day one...that's the way baseball is."

Funky.