With the season on the line, many expected Game 5 of the ALDS to be a bullpen affair, especially with neither teams’ aces starting. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland made it clear that Justin Verlander would not be coming on in relief. NY Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that CC Sabathia would be available.

Don Kelly

I don’t think Girardi expected to need the bullpen SO early in the game. After just two innings, Girardi went to Phil Hughes. Down 2-0 after starter Ivan Nova allowed back-to-back solo homeruns in the top of the first inning to Don Kelly and Delmon Young, many thought that the move was because of Nova’s ineffectiveness (he allowed three hits and threw 31 pitches). However in the in-game TBS interview, Girardi said that Nova had tightness in his forearm. That certainly was not news Yankees fans wanted to hear about the talented rookie.

Tigers starter Doug Fister danced around trouble throughout his five innings of work. He worked around a one-out double in the 2nd inning. In the third inning, he struck out Robinson Cano with two men on base to escape the jam. In the 4th inning, he got back-to-back infield pop ups to escape a bases loaded, one out jam.

Hughes pitched a scoreless 3rd inning, but after allowing a one out single in the 4th, Girardi went to his only lefty in the bullpen, Boone Logan. After allowing a single to lefty Alex Avila, Logan escaped the jam.

» Continue reading “Tigers Celebrate in the Bronx”

Weekend AL-East MVP goes to Boston's Pedroia for finally letting us get some sleep at 2am on Monday morning. Getty Images

The headlines of the All-Star Game are now old news to baseballs fans. The American League East kicked the season back into gear and revamped old rivalries with intra-division match-ups all weekend long. To specify, the New York Yankees packed their bags and took a trip to The Great White North to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted their rivals from New England, none other than the Boston Red Sox, and their party lingered on into the wee hours of this morning. Sorry Orioles… looks like you were not invited.

The Toronto Blue Jays shook up the New York Yankees in the first two games of the four-game series. The Yankees’ defense was somewhat stifled with the loss of third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who is serving from four to six weeks on the DL after knee surgery. However, on Thursday night, it was Bartolo Colon‘s pitching that did the Yanks in. Colon started the first inning, but was hooked off stage before he could finish; only after he allowed the Jays to tack eight runs to the board. To the Jays’ dismay, All-Star and team hero Jose Bautista went down at third with a nasty grimace that explained his ankle injury. Bautista left the game but was able to walk off the field on his own, and he is currently on the day-to-day with a sprain. Later the Pinstripes rallied to score seven runs, but ultimately the Jays soared triumphantly at the Centre with a 16-7 win.

On Friday night, the Blue Jays were more than O.K. — they beat the Yankees for an encore to the previous night’s performance, this time 7-1. How did the New Yorkers respond to their losses? They accused Toronto of stealing signs. This outcry stirred up several snickers amongst the Jays fans on Twitter, but then it was the Yankees left laughing along with their aces C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes, who both threw gems on Saturday and Sunday for a little afternoon delight that lead the Pinstripes to victory.

For scoop on the Jays look to Way of the Jay. Yankees fans, start Spreadin’ the News.

» Continue reading “AL-East Threw A Party: O’s Had Their Own”