A-Choke Strikes Again!

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Yanks Blast Four Homers, but Lose to Angels, 10-8

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 16- The mound matchup of two 10-game winners, Jared Weaver and Ivan Nova, created the expectation that the finale of the three-game series between the Yankees and Angels would be a tight pitchers’ duel. Instead the batters unloaded 27 hits including eight home runs, four by each team, during the Angels 10-8 win.

Each team put runs on the scoreboard via four baggers with one out in the first inning. Erick Aybar (4) and Albert Pujols (15) hit back-to-back home runs. The homer was the 450^th in the Hall of Fame career of Pujols.

After Curtis Granderson singled, Alex Rodriguez smacked his 643^rd career homer into the right field stands to tie the game.

The Yanks scored single runs in the second, sixth and seventh frames. A solo homer by Granderson (250) in the sixth and Eric Chavez (8) accounted for two of those runs.

The Yanks were topped by the visitors who scored eight runs on 11 hits in the final four innings. Maicer Itzuris’s first homer of the year scored two in the sixth. The play of two young phenoms, Mark Trumbo (26) and Mike Trout (20) led to several scores.

Trumbo was on first and scored on the homer by Itzuris. He led off the ninth with his 24^th home run of the season. The homer was his sixth in the last seven games against the Yanks for the “Yankee killer.” Trumbo raised his season batting average to .310 after getting five hits in 12 at bats in the three game series. The outstanding 2011 rookie is 14 for 30 against the Yanks in 2012 with six home runs and 11 runs batted in.

Sensational rookie Mike Trout doubled and scored a run the next inning with his second double of the contest. After going seven for 12 in the three multi-hit games, Trout’s A.L., leading batting average rose to .349. A sensational catch by Granderson in the third robbed Trout of another extra-base hit. In his last 21 games, Trout is batting above .400 (35 for 86).

A two-run homer By Mark Teixeira and four walks in the ninth gave the Yanks three runs to bring the game closer. With the score 10-8 in favor of the Angels and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, A-Rod stepped to the plate. With many fans screaming for him to break Lou Gehrig’s record of 23 grand slam home runs, the game ended as a-Rod popped to first. The batter stated, “I put a good swing on it and I just popped it up.”

Both Rodriguez and Yankee manager Joe Girardi, although disappointed by the loss were pleased by the never-say-die attitude of the club. According to Rodriguez, “You can’t win every day. I like how we battled. Our objective was to win the series and we did that.”

Girardi commented, “When you come from behind, that’s how you win games. We were one hit away.” The Yanks have won a major league leading 29 come-from-behind games in 2012.

Yankees stats-Derek Jeter’s single was the 3,204^th in his career. Cano’s two singles tied his career high hitting streak of 18 consecutive games. He is 29 for 72 during that period. The Yankees have scored at least three runs in 39 straight games, a single season team mark. The Yanks have hit a major league high of 142 home runs in 2012, 41 in the last 21 contests.

Phil Hughes (9-7) will go to the mound in the first game of a three-game series with Toronto on Monday evening. Henderson Alvarez (5-7) will start for the Blue Jays.

Can Do!

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Cano, Grandi-Man Homer Yanks to Stuff Angel

(Photos by Ken Carozza)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 14- The Yanks successfully continued their quest to compile the best mark in the majors at the conclusion of the 2012 season with a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon. The win was their sixth in the last seven contests; their record of 54-33 is the best in MLB.

Yankee starter Freddy Garcia ran into difficulty in the first inning as the first two batters singled and later in the frame were driven across the plate on a single by third sacker Alberto Collapso. Yankees skipper Joe Girardi confessed, “Anytime a pitcher labors in the first inning, you get a little worried.” 

Garcia explained the difficulty, “They’re a pretty tough lineup. They don’t swing at a bad pitch.”

Garcia limited the Halos to two hits and one run in the other four innings he pitched. After throwing a season high of 98 pitches, Garcia was lifted after the fifth.

The relievers, Cody Eppley, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano, saved Garcia’s victory by yielding only two hits and no runs in the final four innings. The save by Soriano was his 22^nd in 23 save opportunities.

Girardi commented, “It’s hard to say where we’d be without him [Soriano]. He’s beren tremendous.” When asked if he was surprised by Soriano’s superiority as a closer over his work as a setup man, Girardi responded, “A lot of guys thrive when the adrenaline is pumping, so I’m not surprised.”

The win was the fourth straight for Garcia, who lost his first two decisions of 2012. He is especially dominant over the Angels. His mark is 16-3 with an ERA of 2.66, the highest winning percentage of any pitcher against the Halos.

Home runs again controlled the outcome of the contest. Derek Jeter led-off the bottom of the first with an infield single, his 3,202^nd base hit. With two out Robinson Cano took a 2-2 pitch into the left field stands to tie the game. The homer extended Cano’s hitting streak to a season high 17 games. He has raised his batting average to a team high .315. The home run was his 10^th in the last 24 games.

In the third, Curtis Ganderson broke the tie by driving in two runs with his 24^th home run of the season.

The Yankees lead the majors with 138 home runs. They have hit 37 homers in the last 20 contests. They also lead all MLB teams in slugging percentage.

The Angels’ rookie sensation, Mike trout, continues to impress New York fans. He hit successfully in his first three trips to the plate. After singling in the third, he stole second and third. He leads the A.L, with a batting average of .348 and paces the league in steals with 30. In the first two games at Yankee Stadium, he has five hits and four stolen bases.

The finale of the three game series will be played on Sunday afternoon with two 10 game winners on the mound. Ivan Nova (10-3) will face Jered Weaver (10-1).

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Clip Angels’ Wings

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Clip Angels’ Wings: "New York Yankees Leather Computer Back Pack" "New York Yankees Doormat" "New York Yankees 3 Piece Bath Rugs" Yankees start second half ...

Yanks Clip Angels’ Wings

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Yankees start second half with win over Angels

(Photo by Gary Quintal)

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 14- Mark Teixeira said the four-day hiatus this week for the all-Star break was what he may have needed, and the New York Yankees know the rest did him well. He hit two home runs Friday evening in the Bronx that enabled New York to open the second half of the season with a come from behind 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Teixeira hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to left field and catcher Russell Martin fighting out of a slump, hit a two-out single that overcame the Angels 5-2 lead.

“I had a good batting practice today and the extra energy,” commented Teixeira who recorded his 36^th career multi-home run game, now with 17 on the season. He also drove in five runs for the third time.

Teixeira commented, “It’s a new start. The first half really doesn’t mean anything.” In essence the first half did mean something as the Yankees opened the second half with a seven- game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League east.

The Yankees won their second straight and fifth in their last six games. The win, first of three games with the Angels, was the start of a six-game home stand that will continue with Toronto.

“Sure the break helped him physically,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi about Teixeira. “New York, at 53-33 went a season high 20-games over .500 with the best record in baseball.

Prior to the second home run by Teixeira, the Angels’ Mark Trumbo hit his team leading 23^rd home run giving them a 4-2 lead. It was the 15^th home run this year by Trumbo that has tied a game or given the Angels the lead, and his fifth straight game against the Yankees with a home run.

“We set the table for him and he got a big hit at the time and just missed another one,” said Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia. Nick Swisher robbed Trumbo of another home run when he leaped and got the out, a ball that looked like it was clearing the outfield wall in right, in the Angels eighth inning.

C.J Wilson pitched seven solid innings until Scott Downs (1-1) imploded for the Angels in an inning that started with a Derek Jeter double and a walk to Curtis Granderson.

Hiroki Kuroda did not figure in the decision for the Yankees after throwing six innings and giving up two home runs. Chad Qualls (1-0) got his first win for New York and Rafael Soriano recorded his 21^st save in 22 chances.

Martin, hoping for a better second half got it off to a good start. He drove in the game winning run in the eighth inning and also nailed two Angels on the base paths.

His throw to Jeter at second, with two outs in the ninth, nailed Howie Kendrick, the tying run to end the game.

 “Three guys out, the game winning hit,” said Girardi who added the game by Martin was important for him. Martin ended a, 0-for-30 slump last Saturday at Boston before the break.

Freddy Garcia (3-2) gets the start for New York Saturday afternoon.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Superstar Trout Makes First Visit to Yankee Stadium

(Mike Trout steals second base in the top of the third inning, but is stranded.- Photo by Gary Quintal) 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 14- Currently ranked in the top 10 in almost every offensive category and leading the American League in batting and stolen bases, 20-year-old Mike Trout, like his counterpart in the National League, 19-year-old Bryce Harper, is bringing excitement to every city in which he plays. The two center fielders are reminiscent to older fans of the entrance of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays into the respective New York City center fields of Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds in the same year, 1951. Although no one can accurately foresee what each will accomplish in his future career in baseball, each has proven to have excellent talent.

Trout, who began the 2012 season with the Angels on April 28, made his first visit to Yankee stadium as a player on Friday, the 13^th. The young man’s visit was quite meaningful to him, “Just being in the same place as so many Hall of Famers played is awesome.”

In a pre-game press conference, the New Jersey native was questioned about his childhood baseball preferences and responded, “I was a Phillies fan, but Jeter was my guy. I always liked seeing him play. I played shortstop my whole life until my senior year [in high school] when I changed to outfield. I’m out there hustling on every play. That’s how Jeter plays the game and that’s how I want to play the game.”

The two will be even closer in the future and family members and friends of Trout were invited to watch Friday night’s game in Jeter’s luxury box.

Trout was selected by the Angels as the 25^th pick in the first round of the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft. On Friday, the youngster commented, “Going 25^th gives me the motivation to prove them wrong.” He has been spurred to exhibit the capacity he possesses to be a star quality player in the majors.

Although he played 40 games with the Angels during the 2011 season, Trout is still considered to be a rookie. Thus, he is currently a favorite to be voted both the Rookie of the Year and the American League MVP. This is a rare honor previously won by Ichiro Suzuki and Fred Lynn.

Trout leads all American League rookies in every offensive category except triples in which he ranks second. He is the first rookie in AL history to rank first in batting average (.341) and stolen bases (26) at the All Star break.

Trout’s performances during May, June and early July added to his personal popularity earned him a place on the A.L. All-Star Team. He recounted his feelings on that memorable day to reporters at Yankee Stadium, “It was a great experience for my family and me and my friends. I started to feel a little nervous when I looked in the dugout and saw Derek Jeter and when I looked in the stands and saw my family.” Hid nervousness wore off quickly as he singled in his only at bat and stole a base. He was the youngest player to hit successful in the Mid-Summer Classic in 57 years.

The second youngest player currently in the majors was asked to comment about the youngest, Bryce Harper, “He’s a great guy; he plays the game the right way, hard; he’s got the same focus as I do, get on base and score a lot of runs. It’s only been one-half of a year, we have to keep working hard and making it happen.”

The two are on teams that appear to be heading to post-season berths. The Halos were only 6-14 prior to Trout’s joining the club, but have amassed the best record in the majors (42-25) since that date.

Trout’s first game in Yankee Stadium, although in a loss, was impressive. He singled and doubled in four at bats. He stole two bases and scored a run.

On Friday, at the age of 20 years, 10 months and 5 days, Trout described his experiences in the majors, “It’s definitely surreal. I try not to think about it during the season; it could give you a big head. I’ll talk about it with my parents after the season.”

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mom Indicted for Gassing Kids

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mom Indicted for Gassing Kids: BRONX, NEW YORK, July 13- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced that a grand jury has indicted Lisette Bamenga for allegedly murde...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mom Indicted for Gassing Kids

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mom Indicted for Gassing Kids: BRONX, NEW YORK, July 13- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced that a grand jury has indicted Lisette Bamenga for allegedly murde...