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AL East Round Up- “As Pitching Goes” Edition
By Shaun Doyle
Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees
The Yankees played .500 ball this week. Hiroki Kuroda chipped in a quality start against the Orioles on Monday. Ivan Nova was rocked for 7 ER in just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Masahiro Tanaka struck out 10 Orioles on Wednesday. He went 7 innings and gave up 3 ER. Thus far, Tanaka seems “get-able” but he’ll rack up the strikeouts. So, teams will get their chance to score, but don’t expect many of those chances. Michael Pineda also gave the Yankees a solid start on Thursday. Pineda really “stuck it” to the Red Sox. Pine tar aside, he’s starting to look like he’ll make the Mariners wonder why they let him go. Is it too early to say that C.C. Sabathia is just not the pitcher he used to be? He may be able to win…some, but he is just not dominating. Good thing the Yankees locked him up for a long time and for a lot of money.
One week is too small a sample size to indicate success. But, they Yankees starters are performing well enough to keep them competing (with the odd blip). The bullpen is another story. They’ve been lights out. Aside from Vidal Nuno being absolutely rocked (7 ER in 3 1/3 innings) by the Orioles and Shawn Kelly blowing Tanaka’s start, the bullpen has not given up a run. Two bad outings in a week where players from the bullpen were used 22 times is not bad at all. Granted, those two outings cost the Yankees wins, but there is lots for Yankee fans to be excited about considering how many questions surrounded their bullpen coming in to this season.
NOTES:
-In one of my favorite quotes from the early 2014 season, Joe Girardi addresses his decision to sit Derek Jeter on Saturday. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com gives us Girardi’s response to fans’ disappointment. He says, “I have to manage him with the focus of winning games and keeping him healthy, not it being a farewell tour,” Girardi said. “I wasn’t hired to put on a farewell tour”. What? A Yankee isn’t interested in a spectacle?
-Speaking of “The Captain”…Jeter passed Paul Molitor to take over 8th spot on the all-time hits list. Celebratory butt pat for Jeter! We’ll ignore that it came against the Blue Jays.