The Yankees didn’t score any runs and they didn’t allow a run, not until 2 men were out in the bottom of the 9th. That’s when Ben Zobrist’s single gave the Rays a 1-0 win.

And so it goes for the 2014 Yankees.

“You feel like you’re due at some point,” Brett Gardner said after the game. “I don’t feel like it’s been a couple of games. I feel like it’s been pretty much all season. We’ve had flashes of being pretty good, but for the most part, we’ve just struggled to get guys across the plate. It’s frustrating because, with all the injuries we had to our rotation, the guys that have come up and come in from other places have really stepped up and done a great job, pitched really well and kept us in the ballgame. Just like tonight, all we needed to get was just one or two runs and we couldn’t even get that. It’s just really frustrating. Guys are working really hard. Guys are trying. Guys are putting in the effort. For one reason or another, we’re just not getting it done.”

Picture by Bags. 

Masahiro threw today. Not exactly sure why the Yanks are so eager to bring him back this year.

Yanks in Tampa for the last time this year. Cappy goes tonight.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Martin Prado 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran DH
Chase Headley 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
John Ryan Murphy C
Brendan Ryan SS

Never mind the blooming’ onion:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Wolfgang Volz]

The Yanks almost won the first game on Friday and they almost won last night. But this ain’t no Golden Ticket kind of season so in the end, they lost. Brian McCann hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead but David Robertson couldn’t hold it and the Orioles won, 3-2.

Our boy Jeter was 0-4 and he looks gassed. Maybe a day or two off would help but at this point that’s a tough call because fans are hoping to get their last look of him every game. He’s trotting up there like a monument not a ballplayer and that’s got to make him uneasy. But unless your name is Rivera, Mariano, even the great ones like Jeter don’t go out on a high note. S’alright. He’ll be ok. And so will we.

Picture by Bags.

Sunday Night Baseball, guys. Jeter’s final game at Camden Yards.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner LF
Martin Prado 3B
Brian McCann C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chris Young DH
Stephen Drew 2B
Antoan Richardson RF

Never mind October:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags.

It’s too late to get excited but any time the Yanks win is a good thing.

Really tough stretch for our man Jeter, though. He went 0-3 with a walk and is now 0-for-his-last-20. He hit the ball hard once yesterday, hard once the night before, but I’m sure that’s little comfort for him. Just to say it’s gotten to the point where bad luck is hitting Jeter along with a string of overmatched, tired-looking swings.

Be interesting to see if he can have a few good games before the season ends. For his sake, I sure hope so.

Picture by Bags. 

Time waits for no man.

Jacoby Ellsbury DH
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Martin Prado 2B
Brian McCann C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chris Young LF
Antoan Richardson RF
Zelous Wheeler 3B

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Christopher Vu]

The Yankees scored 1 run yesterday; two games, 20 innings. The first one was close, but needless to say, the Yanks lost both.

Stick a fork in ’em.

[Photo Credit: Thomas Hoepker]

The Yanks have kicked the Orioles’ can for a long time but that’s all over now. Our boys are gasping for breath in the playoff hunt, O’s are cruising to October.*

Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it?

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Martin Prado 3B
Brian McCann DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chris Young LF
Stephen Drew 2B
John Ryan Murphy C
Brendan Ryan SS
Antoan Richardson RF

Never mind the odds: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Drawing by Barry Windsor-Smith.

*They did take a hit this morning though as Chris Davis got handed a 25 game suspension (including the postseason) for amphetamines.)

Alex Cobb took a no-hitter into the 8th inning last night, the Rays up, 4-0. This one was over, folks. With 1 out, Chris Young doubled and there was a sense of relief–at least the Yanks weren’t going to get no-hit. That was it for Cobb which turned out to be bad news for the Rays because Martin Prado followed with a 2-run home run. Derek Jeter got hit on the elbow but the Yanks stranded a pair without scoring again.

Frightening moment in the 9th when Jake McGee hit Chase Headley in the chin to lead off the bottom of the 9th. This shortly after Mike Stanton was hit in the face in the Marlins-Brewers game. The stadium got quiet and so did players on both sides, concerned looks on their faces, as they waited and watched. Headley eventually sat up and was able to walk off the field. Ichiro doubled and after Zelous Wheeler struck out, Young–again, that’s Chris  Young–turned around a 97 mph fastball and hit it over the wall in left field.

Game-ending 3-run home run.

Yanks 5, Rays 4. 

Yes, Suzyn, you just can’t predict it.

Picture by Bags.

No Gardner, Prado or Carlito. But, there is Michael Pineda: Jacoby Ellsbury CF Derek Jeter SS Brian McCann C Mark Teixeira 1B Chase Headley DH Ichiro Suzuki RF Stephen Drew 2B Chris Young LF Brendan Ryan 3B Never mind the power outage: Let’s Go Yank-ees! Picture by Bags.

Yanks down 4-0 in the first? No, sweat. They come back and win, 8-5.

Our man Jeter didn’t get a hit. In his third at bat, he swung at the first pitch and hit the ball to the warning track in what was formerly known as Death Valley (I guess it was never known as that in the new park but you get what I mean). The TV replay of his parents was sweet. Dad looking down as the at bat was starting but watching his son by the time the pitch was delivered. Mom looking on. After the ball was hit she said, “Oh.” Their bodies tensed as they watched flight of the ball. “Please go,” she said, “please go, please go.” She held her breath then said it again. Please Go. But he didn’t get enough of it. When the ball was caught, Jeter’s parents reflexively jerked back in their seats.

Ohhh. His mother leaned back and clasped her hands behind her hand. His father smiled.

Their son might be old, in his last days playing a game for boys, but they still looked like Little League parents. It was still fresh for them. They were still right there.

Cool.

[Photo Via: N.Y. Post]

When a team is as sucky-good as the Yanks it’s hard to get too excited but we still tune in. Maybe not for the whole game–a little bit on the radio on the way to pick up your kids–but we still check it out because the Yanks are still our boys. That doesn’t change even if they are half-horseshit.

Only a few weeks left in our boy Jeter’s career. That alone is worth watching.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Derek Jeter DH

Brian McCann C

Mark Teixeira 1B

Chase Headley 3B

Ichiro Suzuki RF

Stephen Drew 2B

Chris Young LF

Brendan Ryan SS

Never mind the doldrums:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags.

The Yanks were luckless last night as their slight playoff chances decreased again. The Rays chased our man Hiroki early and had what seemed like a comfortable 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 5th. Yeah, 3 runs ain’t much but this year…So the Yanks get a rally going against Chris Archer, who hit Chase Headley to start the inning. Then comes 4 straight hits. The last of which sent Stephen Drew home where he was tagged out. Didn’t look like the catcher gave him a lane and the play was reviewed but the cockamamie rule was upheld and Drew was out.

From Chad Jennings:

“To begin with, just a bad send,” third-base coach Rob Thomson said. “Just an error on my judgment. I take full responsibility for it. We’re all accountable around here. It just wasn’t a good decision. Nobody out, the middle of the lineup coming to the plate, I’ve got to stop him right there. I thought the outfielder was going a little bit further to the line. He came up and squared up (to throw) pretty quick. I should’ve stopped him. … From my perspective, the ruling doesn’t really come into play. It’s just a matter of whether I think that guy is going to be able to score or not, and (the rule) shouldn’t come into play, especially with nobody out.”

Or, to put it another way:

“You can’t make the first out at home,” Joe Giradi said. “It’s a quick decision he has to make. It’s a bang-bang decision — and it’s not an easy job — but you have the bases loaded and nobody out (if he doesn’t send the runner).”

So, here are the Yanks, down 4-3 with runners on first and second, 1 out, for Jeter. And he hits the ball hard–the only well-struck ball he had all night–but it’s right at the second baseman who flips to second to double off the runner.

Couple of innings later, Ichiro singles with 1 out, steals second and then runs to third and looks to have another stolen base, except the batter (Drew) swings at the pitch, lines out to right, and Ichiro is a dead duck. Another double play.

Yanks lose, 4-3.

Picture by Bags.

Let the Chris Young Era commence!

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Stephen Drew 2B
Chris Young LF

Never mind the standings:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Kelly Nicolaison via This Isn’t Happiness]

There is no shame in going out on a weak team even if it is something to which you are not accustomed. Jeter looks old now at the end, he looks tired, and so do the Yankees. He hasn’t had that Willie Mays 1973 moment of humiliation but he was so bad in August that the talk radio chatter about dropping him in the lineup seemed to be getting to him. Every at bat is a Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony. It must be exhausting. Top of that, the Royals had a kid starting today throwing 98 mph. Almost each guy out of the pen throwing 97 plus. Good luck, old man.

Nobody hit much of anything today. Royals didn’t hit much, either. But 2 is more than none and they leave New York with a series win.

Final Score: Royals 2, Yanks 0.

The usual suspects were there to honor Jeter (Torre, Cone, Paulie O, Bernie, Jorgie, Tino, Torre) but also childhood hero Dave Winfield, pals Gerald Williams and Tim Raines, and fellow icons, Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken and Michael Jordan.

Jeter addressed the crowd and said the he hoped he’d brought us joy and entertainment. That you, did, Hombre. He said the right thing as always, but you can’t imagine it was much fun for him, all the attention on himself instead of the team, playing out the string without much of a chance for October.

The Farewell Tour begins its Final Weeks! run. now. I’m sure Jeter will be hugely relieved when it’s all over.

Saying goodbye is never easy.

Smile, DJ. I’m sure you’re loving’ this.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Martin Prado 2B
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Stephen Drew DH
Chase Headley 3B
Ichiro Suzuki LF

Never mind the Hoopla:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Andrew Theodorakis/N.Y. Daily News]

Brandon McCarthy, who looks like he comes from an earlier time, pitched well yet again today. His old pal Martin Prado had 3 hits, and Ichiro had 2 as the Yanks beat the Royals, 6-2.

The fans who came to say goodbye to Jeter saw him collect a sac fly RBI, ground out twice and whiff. It was hot and humid as we had another day of the summer weather that we mostly avoided this year. The fans may have been bummed about Jeter’s day at the plate–he DH’d and didn’t play the field–but they were also easily pleased: singing “YMCA”, watching themselves dance on the jumbo screen, doing the wave, and rooting the Yanks to victory.

[Photo Credit: Dorothea Lange]

Who will be in the house for Jeter day tomorrow? The usual suspects–Posada, Bernie–of course. Yogi? Reggie? And then: Jordan? Tiger?

Hell, think Barak is around?

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter DH
Martin Prado 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Zelous Wheeler LF
Brendan Ryan SS
John Ryan Murphy C

Never mind the storm clouds:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Bags]

Pineda was good, Sheilds was better.

Yanks lose, 1-0.

[Illustration by Daniel Stolle]

Yanks and Royals both looking to take care of business this weekend. Yanks hanging on to slim playoff hopes, not that anyone  expects them to make it.

The good news is that big, bad Michael Pineda is on the hill tonight. Man, does this dude needs a nickname or what? I mean, c’mon, just look at him. Any thoughts? I haven’t landed on one yet.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Derek Jeter SS

Brett Gardner LF

Carlos Beltran DH

Brian McCann C

Mark Teixeira 1B

Stephen Drew 2B

Chase Headley 3B

Ichiro Suzuki RF

Never mind those George Brett flashbacks:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Larry Sultan]