Mets to adorn Citi Bikes with logo for summer sweepstakes

The New York Mets are getting ready for an amazin' ride this summer — at least on bicycles they are.

In a first, 50 Citi Bikes will be decked out with Mets logos to kick off a month-long sweepstakes which will allow one lucky winner to throw out the first pitch at Citi Field against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 2.

Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson will announce the contest at Central Park South and Sixth Ave. Wednesday afternoon.

.@MLB @Mets @MrMet now getting around town via @Citi bikes thanks to #CitiBikeSweepstakes http://t.co/iaGYZ9XYMi NYSJ pic.twitter.com/rapDyCPnTe

— Barry Janoff (@barryjanoff) July 1, 2015

New Yorkers are all too familiar with the ubiquitous Citi Bikes jamming up the streets of New York City and, love-em-or hate-em, the bikes have become a way of life there.

To enter, Citi Bike riders must find one of the Mets-themed bikes and post a picture on Twitter or Instagram using #CitiBikeSweepstakes.

Yankees fans might feel a little slighted (they don't play at Citi Field), but just think of what they could post with Mr. Met's face.

Curtis Granderson chews out Angels fan who touched him (VIDEO)

You could say Curtis Granderson wasn't exactly in a touchy-feely mood Friday night and, after he felt an Angel fan's hand on his back following a play in right field, he turned around, pointed his gloved hand back at the guy and read him the riot act.

The invisible line between fan and player had been crossed and Granderson reminded the grabby young man of the cardinal rule he and all players want respected during a game.

”Say whatever you want to say, boo, cheer, clap, cheer for your team, cheer for the other team, but just don’t physically touch the players,” he said.

Granderson yelling at fan #Mets #Angels pic.twitter.com/p6LwSgxCuu
— xBigNick (@xMetsmatician) April 12, 2014

The play occurred in the eighth inning of the Mets 5-4 loss at Angels Stadium. Angels left fielder J.B. Shuck hit a fly ball into the right field corner, near the foul pole and fence.

Granderson came over to the make the catch and as he was about to throw the ball back, and the fan touched his back.

What and why?," was his first reaction, said Grandy. "I know where I am on the field so I got a general idea that it’s a person in the area but to what extent and how it’s going to be, I’m not too sure. Once I turned I was able to see where I was at and able to address the situation. Made my comment and I was able to go out and play after that.”

Granderson told the fan not to touch him. It was the first time that had happened during a game. Between innings, Anaheim team security asked him if he was OK and he said he was.

He does not know what the stadium protocol is but he will not be pressing charges.

It seems as if the fan was escorted away from his seat, though the section of the stadium chanted "Let him stay" as security was about to remove him. If the fan was thrown out, Granderson is fine with it if it is the rule at the stadium.

"Definitely don’t go out onto the field of play and obviously the players are on the field of play," Granderson said.

"Once you come onto the field of play, whether it’s reaching over or actually stepping onto the field of play, obviously, then the rule has been broken."

One bit of advice for the guy. Don't try that with Adam Jones.

Curtis Granderson will donate $5 million to new University of Illinois-Chicago baseball stadium

University of Illinois trustees got a lot more than they expected when Curtis Granderson attached his name to building a new baseball stadium at UI-Chicago back in February—about $5 million more.

The New York Yankees centerfielder— who had his jersey retired at his alma mater when he announced he would help build the new stadium is generously donating $5 million of the $7 million needed to complete the project in a plan approved by the university's trustees this week.

In return, the new open-air, brick and stone stadium which will seat 1,200 is attaching Granderson's  name to the front gate. It is going to be named Curtis Granderson Stadium in honor of the ballplayer.

To put Grandy's gesture into perspective, that's  one-third of the $15 million he'll make this season, part of a $32 million contract he signed in 2008. Granderson, who is currently on the disabled list after breaking a knuckle in his pinkie, will be a free agent after this year.

The stadium is expected to open in 2015. The plan calls for using the field for Flames games and events for Chicago Public Schools and youth organizations.

Way to give back, Grandy Man.

Hal Steinbrenner says 'scrappy' Yankees can win with $189 million payroll

One word which is never usually associated with the New York Yankees is "scrappy." Powerful, favored, high-priced and sometimes maybe even underachieving are words more apt to be used in describing the makeup of the team.

That was until Hal Steinbrenner referred to his team with the S-word in describing the depleted Yankees' surprisingly success a quarter into the 2013 season and holding forth on his commitment to get the payroll below the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million for 2014.

"I'm proud of them, my family's proud of them,"said Steinbrenner following an owner's meeting at Major League Baseball's Manhattan headquarters Thursday. "They've been fighting hard all year long, and despite significant adversity, they've persevered. It's fun to watch. They're scrappy. Coming from behind, it seems like certain times in the past, it's not something you had confidence in."

The Yankees are 25-16 and in first place, a game ahead of the Red Sox, despite using a team with a current on-field payroll of about $140 million — and that includes the return of Curtis Granderson ($15 million) this week. With Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez watching from Tampa, that, amazingly, leaves still more than $70 million still on the DL.

"I always believed it could work if ... the young players, which I've been saying all along, pan out and do their job," he said. "We still have [Michael] Pineda coming back, so we'll see how he does. I think he's going to do great.

"But the key is going to be the young players stepping up and really making contributions like they're doing right now."

Keeping the payroll under the threshold is going to be tricky for the Yankees if they plan on signing their best player Robinson Cano.  

Steinbrenner sounded optimistic about keeping his All-Star, and not because Cano's firing of Scott Boras and signing with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. 

"I still have faith that the player has a big say in it," Steinbrenner said. "I know that Robby wants to be there, and Robby knows that we want him to be here. We want him to end his career here. I think to me, whether I'm right or not, that plays a big part in it regardless of who the agent is. But we're going to continue to try and push ahead and get something done. We want him to be a Yankee."

And as for recent speculation about the Yankees being put on the market in the near future, Steinbrenner channelled his inner George. 

"Absolutely not selling the team," he said. "Have not been talking to anybody about selling the team. Have no intention of selling the team. What would I do?"

For now, the Yankees will stay the course by trimming the payroll and lowering the average age of the roster — for now.

"The math works to me if the young kids do their job," said Steinbrenner. "It has to happen. And I've been saying that for over a year now — that's the goal we're going to push for. But again, I'll reiterate what I always reiterate, which is we're always going to field a championship-caliber team."

There's that other S-word — succeed.

King Felix blocks basepath, leaves game with tweaked back as Yankees rally for win

Felix Hernandez was cruising along for six innings against the New York Yankees until a series of odd mishaps forced the Seattle Mariners starter to exit the game with a 3-1 lead.

King Felix's exit was preceded by a play at first base when he blocked the baseline and appeared to be pushed by Lyle Overbay as he raced to first. Overbay's push was incidental and was more of a courtesy  tap than a shove.

Hernandez, however, appeared to hurt himself later in the sixth when he fielded a comebacker, pivoted and threw to second for a forceout. The Seattle ace twice kicked his left leg near the mound, trying to get loose, and seemed to mouth the word "ouch" a few times.

Up to then, Hernandez had outpitched CC Sabathia in the first matchup between the former Cy Young Award winners.

Manager Eric Wedge and a trainer visited Hernandez and left him in. Overbay followed with an RBI double that made it 3-1. There was no announcement on whether Hernandez had tweaked something, was injured, or why he was pulled after 97 pitches.

Hernandez's removal gave the Yankees the opening they needed and Robinson Cano later hit a two-run double, Lyle Overbay delivered a tie-breaking sacrifice fly and the Bronx Bombers rallied to beat the Mariners 4-3 Tuesday night.

Hernandez allowed one earned run in another strong outing at Yankee Stadium, and leads the AL with a 1.53 ERA. Sabathia, who had won his last eight starts against Seattle, struck out 10 in 6 1-3 innings while giving up 10 hits.

Raul Ibanez hit a two-run homer for Seattle in his return to Yankee Stadium. New York star Curtis Granderson came off the disabled list and went 0 for 3 with a walk in his season debut.

Down 3-1, the Yankees rallied for three runs in the seventh to win for the seventh time in eight games.

Girardi flip-flops on Granderson-Gardner fielding switch

It looks like the Brett Gardner-Curtis Granderson experiment in centerfield has concluded even before it really got started.

Gardner started in left field Sunday — even with Granderson out of action with a broken forearm — with Melky Mesa in center leading New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi to admit that the whole idea of flip-flopping their positions this season is basically over and done with.

"I'm not 100% sure, but that's what we're talking about," explained Girardi. "We don't really have the chance to work on it.  There's a chance to work on it.  There's a chance  I'm about to abandon it."

It is most likely, from the sound of it, that Granderson will return to centerfield when he returns from the DL in early May.

"I don't know how many games he would have in his rehab coming back," Girardi said of Grandy's return.  "And that's a concern for me. So I want him to be comfortable wherever he's at, because his bat is important to us."

The manager first thought about switching the two players on Feb. 22 — but that was two days before Granderson was hit by the bone-breaking pitch.  He is expected to miss 10 weeks.

The Yankees will have to make some adjustments until Granderson comes back.  Look for Ichiro Suzuki to return to right field with Mesa, veteran Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera or newbie Zolio Almonte to pick up the slack in center.  Unless, of course, if Girardi feels more comfortable with Gardner roaming center with left-handed pitching.

However the whole situation shakes out, expect some interesting developments during Granderson's absence.

Ichiro Suzuki walks away from Tampa car crash

Ichiro Suzuki walked away from a three-car crash late Saturday afternoon after a woman cut off the New York Yankees outfielder on a Tampa highway.

His Land Rover wasn't so fortunate.

"He is fine," said Yankees general manger Brian Cashman.  "His interpreter called to let us know."

Ichiro was headed south on a Tampa highway about 4 p.m. when he slammed into a woman making a left hand turn in front of him, said Tampa police.  He had just finished playing a game against the Detroit Tigers and was about three miles from George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"He struck her," Tampa Lt. Ronald McMullen told The New York Post. "She ended up hitting a third car, but there were no injuries."

The female driver was cited for the accident.

"The officer didn't even know he played baseball," McMullen joked. "He said, 'I know the Rays but the Yankees?'"

It is unclear if the 39-year-old Ichiro, who was picked up last July from the Seattle Mariners, will miss any spring training games because of the fender bender.  The rightfielder was not scheduled to play the Red Sox in Ft. Myers on Sunday and the Yankees didn't say if he would make the two hour trip south.

The Bronx Bombers have already lost centerfielder Curtis Granderson for ten weeks due to a broken forearm and couldn't afford to lose another veteran outfielder.

You could say the crash gives new meaning to hitting the cut-off man — or in this case — woman.

Girardi reached out to A-Rod after playoffs says source

There are a lot of things swirling around Yankee Stadium these days that aren't being caused by Frankenstorm —  better known as Sandy to the more genteel — and these issues will be hanging around long after the storm leaves town.

Joe Girardi, who said he would contact Alex Rodriguez in the wake of his controversial postseason benching, has called the New York Yankees third baseman to talk, reports The New York Post — possibly putting this Category 3 squall to rest for now.

"Joe knows Alex is sensitive and needed to have a conversation," a source told The Post.  "He couldn't go into the winter not knowing what was going on and wanted to clear his head.  Now both of them are ready to go."

In a press conference last week, the Yankees manager said he would need to speak to Rodriguez before spring training after the $114 million slugger struggled through a horrendous postseason.

Girardi had no comment about the reported hour-long call to A-Rod on Monday but has said he is concerned about any of his players' mental state after a managerial move.

"I'm always worried about whatever move I make, how it affects the club or affects the player," Girardi admitted last week at Yankee Stadium.  "Sure, [there's a possibility] I might have to deal with it more that I expected, but I may not have to deal with it at all.  As we move forward, I'll get a temperature on it and keep track of it and see how it's going."

Al Roker couldn't have said it better.

Rodriguez joined a long list of key players who had dismal postseasons but have been reached out and touched by the Yankees organization.

Yesterday, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson got more than phone calls from the Yankees.  Both postseason flops had their $15 million options picked up by the team.

The plight of a downgraded Nick Swisher is not so clear.  But it is likely the "sensitive" outfielder has worn out his welcome and will be playing for another team next season.

Expect a lot of Yankees updates this winter.

Yankee fans vote to dump A-Rod, Swish and Grandy in polls

Brian Cashman is going to have his hands full when he starts working the offseason phones this winter.  But, if it were up to New York Yankees fans, he could start by dumping Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson right off the bat and nary a fan would cry — at least around 75% wouldn't.

In two separate New York tabloid polls, The New York Post and the New York Daily News readers unanimously voted to dump all three players after pitiful showings in the 2012 postseason.

A-Rod seemed like a no-brainer and former-fan favorite Swisher's exile was expected but Granderson's — a 40-home run hitter — percentages were closer than he probably deserves.

Take a deep breath New York.  Getting swept in the ALCS by the Detroit Tigers is no reason to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge or poison yourself with 32 oz. sugary drinks.

The polls, taken a day after the disaster in Detroit, may have been swayed by seeing the fresh kill all over the news, but the winds of change have swirling around the Yankees for the past couple of post seasons.

The polls were both pretty much in the same ballpark when it came to percentages.

Not surprisingly, a couple of the new guys like Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda, who both played up to snuff, got a lot of love.  As were some old faces like the remaining Core Four triplets Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.  All three were in the mid-80% range. Jeter and Rivera will both be coming back from the most serious injuries of their Hall of Fame careers while the 40-year-old Pettitte is still undecided about making another run with the team.

A couple of other key players still had legions of fans forgiving them for their miserable postseasons.  Both Mark (all glove, no bat) Teixeira and Robinson (29 at-bat hitless streak) Cano were given passes by the voters.

The fans also gave a vote of confidence to two key decision makers.  Manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman were both voted back by sizable percentages.  But that could all change if A-Rod is still wearing pinstripes next season.

The Yankees' ace CC Sabathia probably had the highest "stay" percentages (near 90%) but Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova hovered around the 60's.  Both of them could be trade bait this winter.

Fans were still in love with postseason hero Raul Ibanez but voted for Joba Chamberlain to take his trampoline act on the road.

These percentages may mean nothing in the grand scheme of Cashman's offseason, but here's a number the GM won't soon forget — a .157 team batting average in the ALCS.

Granderson gave up shot to share HR title with Cabrera

Curtis Granderson had a chance Wednesday night to tie his old teammate Miguel Cabrera for the AL home run lead and put the dreaded asterisk next to the Detroit Tiger's historic Triple Crown feat.

The Yankees outfielder already slugged two home runs against the Boston Red Sox — giving Granderson a career-high 43 for the season — and pulled himself within a single home run of tying Cabrera for the AL lead — when manager Joe Girardi asked Granderson if he wanted one last at-bat.

The Yankees were already blowing out the Red Sox, 14-2, in the seventh inning when Girardi approached his hot-hitting center fielder.

"No," Granderson told the manager.  "Give it to Melky [Mesa]."

By passing on the at-bat, Granderson avoided any chance of getting No. 44 and tainting Cabrera's magical season.  The pass secured Cabrera's Triple Crown title — the major league's first in 45 years.

Cabrera had already compiled a league-leading 139 RBI, .330 batting average and the 44 home runs when he was pulled from his final game in Kansas City.

"I wanted to get Melky [Mesa] in there to hit again," Granderson explained, referring to the rookie who had just one at-bat.  "I didn't think about it until CC [Sabathia] saw me sitting down.  he said, 'Man, you could have had one more up there.'  I was looking at the innings and where we were, and I could have had another at-bat."

"The funny thing is, earlier in the day, I taped a congratulations video to Miguel  [for winning the Triple Crown]," said Granderson, who played together on the Tigers in 2008 and 2009.  "That would have been a weird situation."

Granderson said he wasn't bothered by conceding the home run title — and a chance to be in the record books — by having Mesa pinch-hit for him.

Was it because he didn't want any chance of ruining Cabrara's season for the ages on the last night, as it was suggested.

"I was just asking all those questions if I knew,"  replied the popular Granderson.  "What would have happened , how would it have been perceived, whether it would have been tied.  It would have been a confusing moment for me.  But again, congrats to him.  An amazing hitter.  An amazing teammate.  And a lot of fun to watch."

It sounds like Grandy is the amazing one.

Big Yankees fan tears off railing pad going for foul ball

There wasn't even one out at Friday night's Mariners-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium when a fan— who had obviously been watching too much gymnastics on TV— tried to imitate Gabby Douglas on the balance beam.  The only problem was that this Flailing Squirrel weighed about 250 pounds and the beam was the first base railing.

The man leaned over the rail to try and grab Curtis Granderson's line-drive foul ball only to fall head over heels onto the dirt ripping the padding off the rail and shredding any dignity he had left for at least 27 more outs.

His buddies cracked up as security came over to give the big guy a lecture— and maybe a low score on his form.

The guy's friends were laughing so hard, one had to towel off the sweat from his own face— or maybe he was just hiding it.

Stick to watching the game big guy and let the gym pixies do all the balancing.

Mariano Rivera to pitch new Yankees fragrance

The New York Yankees are releasing a new fragrance inspired by "baseball's most legendary franchise" and have signed Mariano Rivera and Curtis Granderson as "brand ambassadors" for the cologne.

All-time Major League saves leader Rivera and two-time All-star Granderson will be making public appearances to promote "New York Yankees" for men and "New York Yankees" for women which went on sale this month.

They should have called it Chanel No. 42.

Don't expect the smells of Grandy's high socks or Mo's bat-burning cutter either.

The aroma of "New York Yankees" will smell like "fresh wood tones and earthy patchouli," according to the manufacturer — the Cloudbreak Group.

The women's version is described as "a juicy blend of fruit notes" mixed with water lily and sandalwood.

A.J. Burnett Shows Curtis Granderson Some Love For His Glove; Yanks Win, 10-1

A.J. Burnett salvaged his much-maligned season and the New York Yankees staved off playoff elimination because of a pair of magnificent game-saving catches by centerfielder Curtis Granderson.  New York defeated the Detroit Tigers, 10-1, at Comerica Park on Tuesday night to even the ALDS at two games apiece and force a Game 5.

Nobody was more thankful for Granderson's acrobatic catches than Burnett-- and he showed his love.

The series shifts back to New York and the deciding game will be played Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

Burnett was the unexpected-- after originally being slated for the bullpen-- starter for tonight's do-or-die game.  The erratic hurler has been the bane of the Yankees rotation most of the season and had a lot to prove.

Manager Joe Girardi has stuck by Burnett all year and, after last Friday's rain postponement threw the Yankees scheduled starting rotation out of whack, he was left with no choice but to use the battered Burnett to extend the Yankees season.

It looked like another bad night for A.J. right from the start after he loaded the bases on three walks (one intentional) with two outs in the first inning until Granderson made an unbelievable over-the-shoulder catch of a Don Kelly fly ball to centerfield.  Granderson's catch saved at least three runs and-- more importantly-- a possible Burnett meltdown.

Granderson and his glove weren't through yet and he made an even more spectacular diving catch in the sixth of Johnny Peralta's two-out shot to left center with a runner on base.

When the centerfielder returned to the dugout, he was mobbed by his appreciative teammates and none more than Burnett who motioned his game-saver over to him and gave him a cheek-to-cheek hug.

Burnett (1-0) also got plenty of love from his happy teammates when he was pulled in the sixth inning.  The Yankees infielders all crowded around the pitcher when Girardi took the ball from his hands and the players patted Burnett on the back for a job well done.

The Yankees starter finished with 5.2 workman-like innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run.

It was a big change from this August when Burnett was just plain awful.  This victory redeemed his value to the team and, hopefully, tranquilized his fragile psyche.

After Burnett was relieved in the sixth by Rafael Soriano,  a six-run Yankees eighth inning blew the game open, while Phil Hughes and Boone Logan pitched the final hitless innings.

Thursday night's game will be a rematch of the Game 1 starting pitchers.  The winner of that game,  Ivan Nova, will start for the Yankees and the Tigers will counter with Doug Fister.

Burnett may have one of the worst seasons of his career but it funny how one good game can make everyone now see only rainbows and unicorns.

If anyone needed a hug tonight, it was Burnett and he got one... then gave another.

A-Rod Will Be Yankees X-Factor In ALDS

If you ask Alex Rodriguez, his surgically-repaired right knee and sprained left thumb are fine and sitting out last night's season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays was just precautionary.  The New York Yankees third baseman made it clear that he intends on being in the lineup tomorrow night for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

Last week, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that one of his intentions was to get A-Rod a full week of at-bats to get him ready for the upcoming series.  Last night, all he got was a session in the batting cage.

"I was going to go out and take one or two at-bats, but we felt it was probably smarter to stay off the turf for one night," Rodriguez said.  "Turf is always an issue when you play multiple days back-to-back.  there was just a little soreness, but it's all the turf.  Since surgery, I haven't felt any pain or discomfort."

If it's not the knee, maybe it's the thumb.

There must be some reason he is hitting .171 (6-for-35) with one home run and six RBI's over his last 10 games.  Not exactly boot-shaking numbers.

Rodriguez, missed six games from Sept. 10 to Sept. 16 after the thumb flared up but hitting coach Kevin Long believes his aging charge is not favoring the knee or the thumb.

"His timing is off," said Long.  "We are working with his leg kick and and getting better pitches to hit.  As long as he is healthy, he can help us at the next level."

The next level is exactly where the Yankees will need A-Rod's help.

Just because the Yankees are loaded with power doesn't mean A-Rod is expendable.  The team did lose the last four "meaningless" games of the season.

For the Yankees to battle the Tigers' 1-2 punch of Justin Verlander and Doug Fister, Rodriguez will have to revert back to his 2009 form.  Remember when the slugger carried the Yankees to the World Series with his first certifiable monstrous postseason?  During that run, he hit .455 in the ALDS and .429 in the ALCS with five home runs and 12 RBI's.

This year, the 36 year-old Rodriguez finished this regular season by playing in the fewest games of his career (99) with a .276 average and career lows in home runs (16) and RBI's (62).  Not prototypical cleanup numbers.

If the Yankees can't depend on Rodriguez to be their big time bat, they have other offensive power at their disposal.  Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano have combined for 108 home runs and an impressive 348 RBI's, but combine them with a robust A-Rod and you have the Roar Four.

All three of those players have been shuffled between the No. 3, 4 and 5 spots all season, but now with Granderson safely ensconced in the No. 2 slot, it's up to A-Rod to be No. 4 and make it more difficult for the Tigers pitchers to go around anyone in the middle of the lineup.

If Rodriguez is not healthy, Girardi will have to choose between either rookie Eduardo Nunez or veteran Eric Chavez.

Nunez is more of an offensive threat over the slumping Chavez--  although the fresh legs that gave Nunez 22 stolen bases belong to the same inexperienced head which made numerous mental errors in the field.  The youngster has 22 errors and, in the playoffs where every play counts, that's a real concern.

Chavez, on the other hand, is flawless Gold Glove infielder who has been known to get timely hits but has faded down the stretch.

Both are capable, if not dangerous, replacements if Rodriguez's physical ailments continue to pester him.  A bigger concern could be A-Rod's head.

After his sensational playoffs two years ago, A-Rod withered back to his old big-game habits.

He followed up 2009's breakout postseason play with a dismal outing last year against the Texas Rangers-- batting .190 with 2 RBI's in 25 plate appearances.

"I don't really have a concern about him [Rodriguez]," said Girardi about last night's sitting.  "The turf can do that to you sometimes.  He'll be ready to go (tomorrow)."

Now the hurting Rodriguez faces another October.  Which A-Rod will show up?

Cervelli Takes Two For The Team But Yankees Lose To Orioles in 10th

Two collisions at home plate involving New York Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli were the only highlights of the team's 10th inning loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

The spirited Cervelli almost single-handedly won the game by blocking the plate to save game-tying runs in consecutive innings before Scott Proctor surrendered a walk and two singles, the last which gave the Orioles a 5-4 win in Camden Yards.

Cervelli's heroics were in vain and probably left the catcher in a lot of pain.

The Yankees were clinging to a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning when centerfielder Curtis Granderson fielded Vladimir Guerrero's hit and threw a strike to second baseman Robinson Cano, who fired a perfect throw to Cervelli at the plate.  Cervelli didn't budge as he was bulldozed by Nick Markakis, ala Rose-Fosse.  The catcher went flying, but held on to the ball to preserve the lead.

In the following inning, Granderson caught the ball and cut down Mark Reynolds at the plate, in an almost identical play, with another great tag by Cervelli.  Robert Andino followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 4.

Andino would deliver the decisive hit in the 10th, singling home Nolan Reimold from second base with one out.

Yankees starter Ivan Nova (15-4) kept his consecutive win streak of eight straight starts intact but got a no-decision.  He didn't have his best stuff but was able to get out of trouble in the fourth and fifth innings and left the game in the sixth, after allowing five hits and three runs.  He threw 97 pitches.

The Yankees appeared to have the momentum with Cervelli's two clutch plays but couldn't hang on.

It's a sure bet the Yankees are glad they won't see the Orioles anymore this season.  The last two series were marred by weather, scheduling and home-run controversies including an 11 p.m. (?) start time after a four-hour rain delay on Tuesday night and playing in a monsoon on Wednesday.  They might want to change their name to the Baltimore Ducks.

Now they lose two in a row to the pesky club.

Sabathia Gets Monkey Off His Back & Girardi Goes Ape As Yanks Beat Sox

It was like old times at Fenway Park on Tuesday night as tempers rose and benches emptied during the New York Yankees 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.  Batters from both sides were plunked and Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected.

The good news for the Yankees was that  CC Sabathia finally won a game against their division rivals.  The victory pulled the Yankees to within a half-game behind the AL East leaders.

It was Sabathia's first win this season against the Sox after losing his first four.  The victory was no thing of beauty, but it had to look like Miss America to the Yankees ace.

Sabathia (18-7) scattered ten hits and struck out the same amount through 6 1/3 innings. He threw 128 pitches-- the most ever in one game as a Yankee-- and was lucky the Sox stranded 16 runners.

The Yank's bullpen wasn't perfect either,  but were good enough to preserve the big guy's long-awaited win.

Boone Logan bailed out Sabathia by relieving him with two men on and one out in the seventh.  Logan struck out two after loading the bases.

Rafael Soriano threw a scoreless eighth and Mariano Rivera wrapped up the game in the ninth.

The real excitement was centered around Red Sox starter John Lackey (12-10) and his penchant for hitting opposing batters.  He now leads the league with 17.

While Sabathia did hit Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off the first, it was Lackey who was retaliating throughout the game.

In the first, Lackey bopped Curtis Granderson, who started towards first base, but was called back by the home plate umpire Ed Rapuano.

It was in the seventh, when Francisco Cervelli added a little spice to the game after Lackey's brush-back hit the Yankees player.

Cervelli, who sent a home-run ball sailing out of Fenway in his previous at bat, probably ticked off Lackey, who couldn't have liked the way the Yankees backup catcher clapped his hands as he emphatically hopped on home plate after circling the bases. 

After Cervelli got popped, he started to rush the mound before being held back by Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltamacchia.  Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild rushed in and was tossed out of the game by third base umpire Mark Wegner.

In the ninth, Girardi took offense when a Saltamacchia's check-swing stopped a Rivera cutter on his  arm.  This time the batter was awarded first.  Girardi stormed out and was hopping mad.  He was quickly sent to the showers by Wegman after arguing that the Red Sox batter had swung into Rivera's pitch.

It's good to see a little fire in the old rivalry.  They'll do it again tomorrow night.

Showalter Fires Back at Girardi's Lack of Compassion

Buck Showalter wasn't too happy with his former team, the New York Yankees, complaining about how this weekend's games were rescheduled due to Hurricane Irene.  The Baltimore Orioles head coach was making a reference to the O's plan of refusing to play a double-header on Friday.  Showwalter directed most of his anger at Yankees head coach Joe Girardi for his lack of compassion.

The Orioles had scheduled a Friday night tribute to former-Orioles pitcher, team executive and broadcaster Mike Flanagan who took his own life last Wednesday.

Girardi was puzzled buy the Orioles decision not to squeeze in the make-up game the same night and said their final say was "silly to me."

This remark steamed Showalter and the Orioles organization, who were still reeling from Flanagan's sudden death.

"First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny, quite frankly," Showalter said when told about the Yankees condemnation of this weekend's scheduling.  "That didn't sit well with me very well.  I can tell you that.  We didn't say much-- I think we had an April rainout there-- and they just told us we were playing.  We were OK with that.  Like I told you the other day, you tell us when we're playing, we'll play."

The Orioles had a moment of silence and a video tribute to Flanagan on Friday which highlighted his career.  A large #46 (his number) adorned the visiting scoreboard instead of the out-of-town scores and the Baltimore players wore a patch on the right arm of their jerseys.

It was a nice ceremony-- even the Yankees team came out of their dugout, but didn't exactly take up a lot of time. 

Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson also expressed his frustration at the O's decision by issuing a prepared statement to the press criticizing the Orioles handling of the schedule  and saying the solution was inadequate.

Girardi wasn't quiet about not playing a double-header on Friday after Saturday's game was already considered a wash-out due to the hurricane.

Showalter said the Yankees called Orioles president of operations Andy McPhail only 24 hours before the series started-- asking to play two on Friday.  The O's declined for a list of reasons -- including the short notice and loss of money in playing a Friday afternoon game.

The Yankees were not pleased with the outcome-- using a Sept 8 off-day to make up one of Saturday's double-header games.

Asked if there was any way avoid using the Sept. 8 off-day-- which is one of two remaining off-days for New York,  Girardi opened up the idea of playing the game as part of a split-doubleheader in New York instead of Baltimore in a move that would help the Yankees because they travel cross-country to Anaheim to play the Angels on Sept. 9. while they are in the middle of a playoff race.  I've got my own team to worry about says Bucky.

"We hope we can be as competitive as they are," said Showalter.  "I respect where they are in the season and what their people are saying about the competitive part of it, but it means something to us too."

Girardi might want to stop whining and start winning.  The Yankees Bartolo Colon was outdueled by the Orioles Zach Britton, 2-0, in the first game of the night-day doubleheader on Sunday.  

The Yankees are 14-10 so far this August and head to Boston on Tuesday.

Yankees Beat A's With Record Three Grand Slams and Posada Playing Second Base

Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson each belted a grand slam as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Oakland A's, 22-9, at Yankee Stadium today.

The three bases-loaded home-runs are a MLB record for most grand slams by a single team in one game.

Phil Hughes started the game and was hit hard early.  He went 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs.

After a rain delay of almost an hour-and-a-half, the Yankees were looking up a 7-1 A's lead.  After four innings, the home team then scored 20 runs to rally for the victory.

Cano hit the first grand slam off A's starter Rich Harden, in the fifth, to knock the deficit down to one and Russell Martin followed up with his slam in the sixth to put the Yankees in the lead.  Granderson put the game in the record books with his home-run in the eighth.

The wild and lengthy game ended with the appearance of Jorge Posada grabbing a mitt and playing second base in the top of the ninth inning.  It was garbage time, with a big Yankees lead, and there was no chance of blowing the game because A.J. Burnett was no where near the mound.

Posada, the former-catcher, appeared rusty.  In the game's final at bat, he fielded a routine grounder and almost, single-handedly, made it look difficult.  It seemed like he was gunning out a base-stealer at second from behind the plate, after he drilled the ball into the dirt in front of the first baseman.

Nick Swisher, playing first, scooped up the ball and rolled over the base for the out as the hitter jumped over him.

Posada and Swisher had a good laugh afterwards.  Posada, who played second base in the minors, volunteered to take the position in the top of the ninth and the Yankees leading by 12 runs.

"I wanted to give Russell [Martin] a break and grabbed a glove and said put me in," said Posada.  "It's been a while since I've been in the middle of the infield."

Martin had two home-runs and the catcher recorded a career-high six RBI's in the game. 

Too bad Hughes couldn't have reaped the rewards of this historic slugfest.  He had won his last two outings but it took 78 pitches to get eight outs in this game.

Derek Jeter got his 3,056 hit to pass Rickey Henderson as No. 21 on the all-time hits list.  He is now batting .299.

The game lasted four-hours and 31 minutes.

Mariano Rivera Has Another 'Uh-Oh' Moment; Yankees Beat Angels, 6-5

Today, under the brilliant blue skies over Yankee Stadium, hot-hitting Robinson Cano made the Los Angeles Angels pay dearly for an error by Macier Izturis, after the second baseman muffed an easy ground ball that should have ended the seventh inning.  The goof led to the winning margin of a Yankees victory.  The only grey cloud in sight, on this sunny day, was the one hovering Izturis' head the rest of the game. 

With the score tied, 2-2, and two outs,  Mark Teixeira squibbed a soft blooper towards second.  Izturis bobbled, then dropped the ball after it hit him in the chest.  Teixeira was safe at first and the Yankees had the bases loaded.  Hot hitting Cano came to the plate and sent the next pitch from Scott Downs over the right field fence for the fifth grand slam of his career and a 6-2 Yankees lead. 

The Yankees held on to win the game and the series, 2-1, from the Angels but the 6-5 victory didn't come without any trepidation about Mariano Rivera.  The Yankees closer had another "blip" in the ninth inning after another fine start from starter Bartolo Colon.

Colon went six strong innings although he ended up with his second straight no-decision. The rotund righty continues to build on one of the great comeback stories in the major leagues this season.

The only slip-up in Colon's day was giving up a two-run to Alberto Callaspo in the fifth inning which gave the Angels a 2-0 lead.  Fourteen of Colon's 18 outs came from strikeouts or infield outs.  Colon finished the day going six innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out three.

The Yankees once again called on the smoking bat of Curtis Granderson.  The Yankees centerfielder skied--and I mean sent into orbit-- his 32nd home run of the season off Angels starter, Tyler Chatwood.  The homer knocked in Derek Jeter to tie the score.  It was Granderson's fourth dinger in three games.

Everything looked good for the Yankees after Robinson's curtain call.  That was until Rivera was called in to bail out an ineffective Cory Wade with one out in the ninth.

Rivera came in after Wade struck out Vernon Wells and allowed two hits which put two men on base. The Hall of Fame closer was coming off a blown save and a loss-- "a blip" as manager Joe Girardi calls them-- and a lot of hand-wringing by Yankees fans.  Rivera only needed to get the final two outs.

Digging in at the plate was the Angels pinch-hitter Russell Branyan.  Branyan-- who had eight home-runs in 47 at-bats at Yankee Stadium-- immediately sent Rivera's first pitch into the right field stands to close the score to 6-5.

Rivera did a half-snarl/half-grin as he watched the ball sail over his head and into the hushed crowd.  Uh-oh.  Could what was once called a blip, now be an epidemic many anxious fans were probably wondering.  Things were getting interesting-- and too close.

Not to worry.  The usually reliable Rivera got the next batter to ground out and the final out was a short fly to left which Brett Gardner gathered in as he crashed into the box-seat wall.

Game over and Rivera picks up his 30th save of the season for a record-extending 14th time.

It's been a long time since Yankees fans held their breath when Rivera was on the mound, if ever.

It was the ninth straight home series the Yankees have won and gave the Yankees a comfortable eight game lead over the Angels in the wild-card race.

Except for Wade, the bullpen was nearly perfect.  Rafael Soriano continued to play like the 45-save closer the Yankees spent $35 million for.  He handled the seventh inning handily but gave up his first hit in five appearances since coming off the DL on July 30.

Dave Robertson was perfect in the eighth.

After the game, Girardi was asked if he was worried about Rivera.  The manager joked, "If it happened for a month."

Girardi continued to downplay the anxiety surrounding Rivera and believes hitters are just being more aggressive with Rivera so they don't fall behind.

"He's close to the perfect closer as we'll ever see," said the manager.  "[But] He's not perfect"

Rivera said he wasn't concerned about his weapon of choice-- the cutter.

"I didn't lose velocity, " said the 41 year-old Rivera.  "I put the ball where I want it, that's about it."

Asked if he sees any trend to his last three outings, Rivera shook his head.

"It's always only one pitch, stressed the closer.  "It's one pitch, but it can't be like that."

Ivan Nova Makes Case For Permanent Spot In Rotation; Yankees Win, 9-3

Ivan Nova pitched six strong innings tonight and has made it almost impossible for the Yankees to send the pitcher back down to Triple-A.  Nova's workman-like performance guided the Yankees to a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels and snapped New York's three-game skid.  It was Nova's seventh straight win.

You can add the word "stopper' to the 24 year-old Nova's  resume.  He is 3-0 this season in games after a Yankees loss.  The only problem with Nova's victory, it didn't do anything to clear up the six man logjam in the team's rotation.

Nova was consistent, if not as overpowering as in recent games, through the first six innings.  He gave up a couple of harmless singles and a hanging fifth-inning slider cost him a solo home-run to Peter Bourjos.

In the seventh, Nova started to lose his fastball.  Up until then, it was clocked in the mid-90's and his slider was mostly good.

Vernon Wells' RBI single knocked in a run in the seventh, leading to Nova's exit with the bases loaded and no outs.  He received a warm ovation from the fans in Yankee Stadium as he exited the diamond.

Enter Rafael Soriano into the precarious situation.  The former-closer has been lights out since returning from the DL.  Soriano didn't disappoint.  He got the first batter to hit into a run-scoring double-play and the next batter, Jeff Mathis, popped up to end the threat.  He threw a total of four pitches

Since returning from the DL, Soriano hasn't allowed a single base runner in four appearances.  He pitched a critical inning in last Friday's win against the Red Sox and tonight, quite possibly, saved a trip to the minors for Nova.

"He's back to himself," said manager Joe Girardi when asked about the difference in Soriano at the beginning of the season and his appearance tonight.  "Sometimes, coming here could be an adjustment.  What he did tonight was huge for us."

Nova's final line read:  six innings, three runs, three walks and no strikeouts.  In his last outing, Nova dominated the White Sox and struck out 10.  Still, since returning from the minors on July 30, Nova (11-4) has three quality starts under his belt but Girardi did notice a slight change from Nova's last outing.

"He [Nova] had to work a little harder tonight," said Girardi of his pitcher's adjustments.  "It's a sign of maturity.  He's made great strides as a starter since last year.  He's more consistent and developed another pitch."

Nova agreed.  "My fastball wasn't there, my slider wasn't there," he told the YES Network.  "I battled to the end and got the win."

Luis Ayala came in to pitch the eighth and ninth innings.  He allowed three hits and struck out three.

Offensively, the Yankees didn't make Angels pitcher Garrett Richard's major league debut a red carpet affair.  The newbie walked the first two Yankees batters he faced,  before Curtis Granderson hit the first of his two home-runs on the evening.  Welcome to the big leagues Garrett.  It could be Grandy was trying to atone for his base-running gaff which ended the game last night.   Robinson Cano came up one single short of hitting for the cycle.  He had a double, triple and home-run.

The Yankees victory was the first against a pitcher making his debut in seven years.  Oddly, the team has lost the last six meetings to starters making their debut.

Nova's victory-- with Soriano's assist-- is sure to keep Girardi awake at night thinking about how to slim down his six-man rotation.  Or at least until Saturday, when Phil Hughes goes to the mound.

How can the manager send Nova-- who has the second most wins (11) on the team, behind CC Sabathia (16)-- back to the minors?

 Hughes got rocked by the Red Sox, in a relief role, last Sunday, and hopes to rebound this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.  The righthander needs a good outing to keep him from returning to the bullpen.

Meanwhile, Sabathia has been grumbling about the over-stocked rotation, and the extra day between his starts, and wants Girardi to "make a decision on who to pitch."

Tonight, Nova didn't make it any easier.