Do or Die

Yanks need to Beat Birds After Yesterday’s Marathon Loss

 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 11- The close competition between the Orioles and the Yankees continued on Thursday night. In a 13-inning encounter that lasted four hours and 31, minutes, the pitching of the Birds held the Yanks in check. Each club now has two victories. The winner of Friday night’s contest will move to the ALCS and the season of the loser will end.

The pitchers of each team, especially the relief corps, were in command throughout the game. Zeroes were posted on the scoreboard in 23 of the 26 half-innings. Each squad only managed to obtain multiple hits, 2, once during the lengthy game,

Both starters, lefty Joe Saunders for the O’s and righty Phil Hughes for the Yanks, only gave up one run during their stints on the mound. As has been the weakness for Hughes all year, he gave up a four bagger that scored the only run off him. On a 1-2 pitch, left fielder Nate McLouth hit a hanging slider into right field to lead off the fifth. After the homer, Hughes struck out the side to end the frame. Hughes gave up four hits and three walks in 6.2 innings, but the home run put up the only score off Hughes.

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi complimented his starter, “With the exception of a few [2] lead-off walks, he threw an outstanding game.”

Despite only being 2-2 after four games, Yankees starters have been effective. The four starters have compiled an excellent 2.35 ERA.

Girardi spoke of the outstanding pitchers of both teams during the first four games, “You’re seeing some real good pitching in these four games with the exception of one inning. It’s really been difficult to come up with hits.”

Saunders, also, gave up a single run. The Yankees scored a run in the top of the sixth on a ground ball out by Robinson Cano. Derek Jeter led off the inning with a double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ichiro Suzuki. Mark Teixeira waked before Cano’s run scoring ground out to second.

The Yanks had another opportunity in the eight as Suzuki and Teixeira led off the inning with singles. They remained stranded on base as the next three batters were retired. The Yanks failed to hit successfully with runners in scoring position in nine attempts during the contest.

The final run of the game, in the Baltimore 13^th, came on two doubles off rookie David Phelps. Another rookie, Manny Machado, doubled to lead-off. With one out, J. J. Hardy doubled over Suzuki’s head in left to score Machado. Hardy commented, “We had a lot of opportunities. It was nice to come through.”

The 2012 percentages came through again for the Orioles. The have won 17 of 20 extra-inning games and 31 of 41 one-run contests.

The Yankees ace, C.C. Sabathia, will start in the final game of the ALDS. Jadon hammel will strat for Baltimore. They were the starters in game one.

 

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Parkchester News: BOMBS AWAY!

Parkchester News: BOMBS AWAY!: Ibañez Homers Inch Yanks Closer to WS (Photos by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, October 11- Game 3 of...

BOMBS AWAY!

Ibañez Homers Inch Yanks Closer to WS

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 11- Game 3 of the ALDS was a classic. The definition of the word for this story is taken from the 2012 book written by managerial great Tony La Russa, “The game has to have serious stakes. The competition between the two teams has to be both fierce and equal. The performances of individual players have to be of extremely high caliber. The outcome should be in jeopardy until the final moments. The action has to arrest your attention because of the brilliant, the surprising, or the unique nature of the performances or the personalities.”

The closeness in the competition between the Yanks and Orioles continued at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night when the ALDS shifted from Baltimore to the Bronx. The two clubs split 18 contests during the regular 2012 season. The teams also split the first two games of the ALDS.

Wednesday night’s contest featured an old fashioned pitchers’ duel between Miguel Gonxzalez of Baltimore and Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The rookie hurler for the O’s pitched with confidence and poise for seven innings. Only five batters reached base, all with base hits. His control was outstanding. Seventy percent of his pitches were strikes. No Yankee batter drew a walk, but Gonzalez fanned eight. The only Yankee run off him came in the third frame. Russell Martin doubled and scored on a triple by Derek Jeter.

Although his first appearance in the majors was May 29, Wednesday was his third start at Yankee Stadium. He earned a win in each of his previous outings in the Bronx on July 30 and August 31. He pitched a total of 13.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs for an ERA of 2.63.

Before the game, O’s manager Buck Showalter said of the 28 year old, “The guy does so many things that give himself a chance to be successful…We’re real proud of him.”

Kuroda accomplished what would normally result in a win. He pitched 8.1 innings, a mark he reached only twice in 33 previous starts this season. He also only gave up five hits, but two were crucial, a first pitch solo homer by Ryan Flaherty in the third and a solo first pitch home run by Mario Machado in the fifth. The two rookies showed no fear of playing in the postseason in Yankee Stadium.

In the pre-game press conference, Joe Girardi commented on the native of Japan, “I feel good about him on the mound because I’ve seen what he’s done all year for us.”

The Yanks tied the contest at two with one out in the ninth. Girardi removed the designated hitter, Alex Rodriguez, for pinch hitter Raúl Ibañez. The New York native parked the baseball in the right field seats to electrify the sell-out crowd of 50,497.

After the game, Girardi explained the decision that reporters called a genius move, “It’s a tough move. I just had a gut feeling about a left-hander who’s a low ball hitter. Raúl came up with some clutch hits; he’s been doing it all year. Sometimes you have to do what your gut tells you.”

The game ended in a most spectacular fashion as Ibañez led off the 12th with a walk-off home run. The unbelievable event prompted Yankee starter Kuroda to say, “It seemed like it was something out of cartoon.”

Ibañez whose wife gave birth earlier in the month remarked humbly, “I’m a very blessed man. I have a healthy baby boy; my wife is healthy.” Of the two home runs, he explained, “I was just trying to get a good pitch. I was not trying to do too much. Fortunately, it worked out.”

In game 4, Phil Hughes will start for New York against lefthander Joe Saunders, who was announced as the starter by Showalter in a post-game press conference. If the Yanks win on Thursday they will advance to the ALCS.

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Bronx News: Rite Aid Robber Sought

Rams Edge Out Georgetown

Fordham Tops Georgetown Hoyas on the Gridiron, 38-31

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 8- In an exciting, high scoring contest, the Fordham Rams (4-2) defeated the Georgetown Hoyas (3-3), 38-31 on Saturday afternoon at Jack Coffey Field at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. The victory at home was the third straight for Fordham, a mark the Rams last accomplished during the 2003 season. The contest was the 54^th between the two football teams in a rivalry that dates back to 1889. Georgetown has been Fordham’s opponent more often than any other team.

Both the offensive and defensive units were effective contributors to the Fordham win. Senior Ryan Higgins, after only 11 starts at quarterback in his first three seasons at Fordham, is doing an outstanding job as the team’s field general. The Long Island native, Merrick, moved the ball 305 yards in the air by completing 29 of 38 passes. Brian Wetzel was the favorite target for Higgins. Wetzel caught eight passes for 123 yards. It was his third 100+ receiving games for Wetzel in 2012. None of the throws by Higgins were intercepted, yet two were thrown for touchdowns.

A 19-yard toss to Greg Wilson gave Fordham its first touchdown and a 10-7 advantage with 3:26 left in the first quarter. His second touchdown pass, 25 yards to Blake Wayne, came with only 1:25 to go in the third. Seconds later, his throw to Dan Light produced a two-point conversion to give Fordham a 31-24 lead.

Senior Carleton Koonce carried the ball 27 times for a net gain of 99 yards, bringing his total gained this year to 812 yards. Two of the carries on Saturday resulted in touchdowns, a 44-yard run in the third and a two-yard rush with nine minutes remaining in the game. That carry broke a 31-31 tie and resulted in the Fordham win. The transfer from Hofstra has gained more yards on the ground this year than he had on the ground and air combined in the previous two seasons.

Patrick Murray, another senior, has been a kicker for all occasions for Fordham. He does the punting, kickoffs, extra points and field goals. On Saturday he kicked three field goals from 30, 44 and 43 yards respectively. His eight punts averaged 47.8 and his kickoffs averaged 65 yards. His efforts repeatedly kept the Hoyas far from the Fordham goal line.

Fordham’s first year coach, Joe Moorhead, said of Murray, “He’s the best kicker in the country.’ Moorhead also remarked, “He’s a triple threat, punts, kickoffs, field goals.”

Despite the 38 points, the defense was indispensable to the win. Two passes were intercepted, three fumbles were recovered and a goal line stand late in the fourth quarter prevented the score from being knotted.

With 2:54 left in the contest, Georgetown had the ball on the Fordham two. Nick Campanella moved the ball one yard. Three runs could not penetrate the Fordham defense and the Rams took control of the ball with 1:43 on the clock.

Linebacker Michael Martin, who made a career-high of 18 tackles, commented on the key defensive plays, “We knew what we had to do. We came together as a defense. We couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”

The proud coach feels his club is, “Setting this program on a course for greatness.”

Next Saturday evening Fordham will be in Ohio to play the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.

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Parkchester News: Bring on the Rings?

Parkchester News: Bring on the Rings?: At the end the Yankees seem to have it all together as they await the next step By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, October...

Bring on the Rings?

At the end the Yankees seem to have it all together as they await the next step

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 5- The Texas Rangers or the Baltimore Orioles are awaiting the New York Yankees Sunday night as the new wild card format this season has the lower seed teams hosting the higher seed in the divisional series. But, the Yankees don’t care where they go, or who they play.

Momentum has become a major player the last month or weeks of the baseball season. The Yankees have that right now, so similar to what the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals had in 2010, and last year. Their late season surges continued right to a World Series championship.

And, as every baseball or sports fan knows, a New York Yankees season is not complete, or a success, unless they bring a World Series trophy back to the Bronx. They finished with the best record in the American League, decided when they clinched their second straight division title Wednesday night with a sweep over the Boston Red Sox.

Home field advantage for the first two rounds of the post season goes to the Yankees with a 95-67 finish, second best in baseball to the Washington Nationals. Though sweeping the lowly Boston Red Sox to finish off, and scoring 14-runs in their final game, don’t make that a barometer that they will dominate from here on in.

This was the Red Sox. Not the Rangers, Athletics, Tigers, or the Orioles where pitching, with perhaps the exception of the Rangers collapse, won them games this time of year. The Yankees inconsistency of their pitching staff could be their obstacle as to getting a 28^th championship.

“Now the real season starts,” commented Derek Jeter, the Yankees captain who knows something about the meaning of October baseball with five World Series rings.

So, with a September that was one to remember, the Yankees had to fight to the end with Baltimore. The 27-time world champions are confident. Yes, momentum is on their side as the pitching and hitting have come together, as well as a healthy compliment of players off the disabled list.

The season of adversity, one key pitcher or starting player hindered by injuries hurt the Yankees as they struggled and surrendered a 10-game AL east divisional lead to the Orioles.

“This year we had to fight, scratch and claw,” said Nick Swisher who had his struggles and finished with a strong September.

The Yankees at one time or another this season, and Girardi utilized what he could from the roster, saw different players at third, first, in the outfield, at DH, and on the mound.

The losses of pitchers CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, and other role players, for a short or extended period of time had an impact but they overcame the adversity.

That also included losing all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera, with a freak season ending injury in the outfield shagging fly balls prior to a game at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City. Rafael Sorinao stepped in the closer role, and overall with 42 saves but had the tendency to throw the home run ball in the late going.

Gardner is back and could be on the post season roster, but getting on base and speed came when the Yankees acquired the able Ichiro Suzuki in the second half. Robinson Cano struggled, and the final three weeks the all-star second baseman had the highest hitting percentage in baseball.

The last seven years, New York has won the World Series once, so the obvious dynasty in baseball is a thing of the past with parity an obvious part of the game. However, as was the case with the Giants and Cardinals, pitching wins games this time of year.

“To have the best record and not know where you’re going is strange,” says Yankees manager Joe Girardi. They probably would prefer the Orioles. They split the 18-games between them and scored more runs. The Rangers, though struggling, know how to handle this time of year.

And when it comes to the Yankees and Rangers in October, Girardi is aware that Texas has come up short the last two years in failing to win the World Series, but the Yankees have never done well at the ballpark in Arlington in October baseball games.

The tentative starting rotation in the best- of- five opening round will be Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Pettitte, and Phil Hughes. It looks good, though Hughes has been ineffective in his last three starts and gives up the home run ball. Hughes getting the ball in a game three or four could be detrimental.

“The fact we struggled, we overcame the adversity, I am proud we are at this point,” says Girardi. Driving in the timely run has been the inconsistency and striking out to much, and Curtis Granderson had a team high in strike outs when he was not hitting the home run ball.

Just about every position player is liable to hit the ball out of the park. The Yankees finished 2012 with a club record in round trippers. But we saw something the past few weeks that started to develop.

The Yankees played small ball with the bunt, steal, and that produced some run production that helped them win some close games on the road. They finished four games over .500 away from the Bronx.

The team works out at Yankee Stadium early Friday evening and will watch the wild card game between the Orioles and Rangers. From the Bronx they will have the bags packed and ready to begin the next journey.

The new season begin Sunday evening. The quest with momentum is to bring championship number 28 to the Bronx in a few weeks.

E-Mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com/ Facebook.com/Keep it in the Ring

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