Yanks' Unable to Recover After Bullpen Falters in Ninth

Ivan Nova pitches against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.  (Getty Images)

The Yankees were unable to recover after their bullpen faltered in the ninth inning to snap their five game winning streak.


Nova allowed 1 run on 6 hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 3. Nova exited with one out in the eighth after throwing 98 pitches, 58 of them were for strikes. Nova took the no decision in tonight's game. 

The Yankee offense came in the fifth inning. Alex Rodriguez laced a double to left center field that hit off of Alejandro De Aza's glove to score Curtis Granderson that tied the game up at 1. Robinson Cano was next and he gave them the lead after hitting a double to right center field that would score Alex Rodriguez.

Mark Teixeira would add on a run in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 3-1.

Rafael Soriano was unavailable to close tonight. Soriano threw 30 pitches yesterday so Girardi gave him the day off.

Joe Girardi decided to mix and match in the ninth. Cody Eppley remained in the game after getting the finale out in the eighth. Eppley allowed a single in the ninth inning. Clay Rapada came in to face the left hander with one man on and threw away a come backer that would have been a double play. David Robertson allowed a three-run home run to Dayan Viciedo to give the White Sox the 4-3 lead.

The Yankees were unable to come back in the ninth inning against the White Sox closer, Addison Reed.

The Yankees and White Sox will play game 2 of 4 tomorrow night at the Stadium.

Derek Jeter Ties Cal Ripken Jr. on All-Time Hits List

Derek Jeter collected his 3,183rd hit on Thursday night with a single to center field in the seventh inning. Wiht that hit, Jeter has tied Cal Ripken Jr. for 13th place on the All-Time hits list. 

Jeter hit a 2-1 slider that trickled up the middle for his 96th hit on the season. 

Derek Jeter needs 58 more hits to tie Nap Lajoe for 12th place on the All-Time hits list. 

Alex Rodriguez Ties Brooks Robinson on All-Time Hits List

With his double to left center field on Thursday night, Alex Rodriguez has tied Brooks Robinson for 44th place on the all-time hits list with 2,848 career hits.

Rodriguez laced a a first pitch fastball deep to left center field that hit off of Alejandro De Aza's glove and trickled away with him.

Alex only needs two more hits to put him in a tie for 43rd place with Jesse Barkett.

Question: Will the Yankees Make a Trade?

The Yankees have some holes in their rotation that could easily be filled with a trade for a pitcher that is on the market. Zack Greinke will most defiantly be on the market as the deadline approaches. Wandy Rodriguez and Matt Garza are two pitchers that the Yankees have been watching for a while now. The question is, will the Yankees make a trade?

The Yankees are very fortunate as they have a lot of young pitching in their system. They don't need to go outside and scoop up big name pitcher in exchange for 2 or 3 young players that could make an impact in the future.

It is very doubtful for the Yankees to trade some of their young players for a rent player like Zach Greinke. I say rent players because Zach Greinke is a free agent at the end of the season and the Yankees wouldn't considered signing him because of their budget. I don't think that Greinke can even handle the New York pressure. Greinke will probably sign with a team that is in contention for the playoffs, but isn't a huge city like New York. Greinke also has been suffering with anxiety issues and if he does in fact come to New York, anxiety could be an important factor for him.

In short, will the Yankees trade for Zach Greinke? Absolutely not.

There are other decent pitchers out there that they Yankees could scoop up. Brian Cashman and the Yankees are looking to stay inside their organization for pitching help, but Cashman is open to going outside and looking for a pitcher if they need one. The Yankees could possibly trade for Wandy Rodriguez or Matt Garza. In order to get these pitchers, it will not cost them as much as it would to get Zach Greinke. The Yankees have showed interest in the past for Rodriguez, but they were unable to make a deal. Matt Garza has been on the Yankees radar for a while now so it is possible that they could trade for him.

Will the Yankees trade for a decent pitcher? It's possible. 

The Yankees have Adam Warren coming up to give them some starts and they have David Phelps, who in the past has given them some quality starts. The Yankees have a comfortable lead in the AL East right now and i think that they will stay within their organization in order to get the job done.

Pre-Game Notes: Roster Moves, Injuries, Updates

The Yankees lost C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte yesterday. In order to fill the holes of those key players, the Yankees have made some roster moves before their game tonight against the White Sox.

• The Yankees have recalled right-hander Ryota Igarashi from Triple-A.
• Adam Warren has been singed to a MLB contract and has been added to the Active Roster. Warren will start Friday against the White Sox.
• C.C. Sabathia has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a Grade 1 groin strain. Sabathia is expected to miss 2 starts and hopes to return after All-Star break.
• Andy Pettitte has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a fractured left ankle. Pettitte looks to be back by mid August or early September. 

Freddy Garcia threw 2 1/3 innings against the Indians on Wednesday. Garcia was scheduled to start on Friday, but his start has been pushed back until Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Brian Cashman appeared on the Michael Kay Show today and he talked about the injuries to Sabathia and Pettitte. Cashman revealed that David Phelps could be called up by the weekend to help out with Freddy Garcia and Adam Warren. Phelps was sent down to Single-A Tampa to stretch out his arm on June 14th. Phelps could make a couple of starts and help out with the bullpen. 

Russell Martin is not in the lineup for the opener against the White Sox on Thursday. Martin has been dealing with on-going back stiffness. The Yankees will likely not put him on the disabled list, but they will give him a couple of days off. 

The Yankees will have to battle with the recent injuries on their club. Adam Warren can provide help for the immediate future with the short loss of C.C. Sabathia. Freddy Garcia has to step up for the long run as he is the pitcher that will replace Andy Pettitte in the rotation.