Yankees Falling Fast

Yankees Falling Fast

Yanks Drop Further from First Place after Series Loss to Houston

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- The Yankees ended a very disappointing homestand with a mark of 5-5 after winning the first three contests. 

Before the 10-game home stand began, the Yanks had compiled a record of 32-21 in games at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks had hoped/expected to be secure in first place at the conclusion of the just ended homestand with Minnesota, Cleveland and Houston, but the Wednesday matinee 6-2 loss dropped them to 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

The three-game series with the Astros was especially embarrassing and does not portend well for the final month of the 2015 season for the New Yorkers. Houston pitching limited the Yanks to four runs in the three games combined. They held the Yankee batters to a minuscule batting average of .165 in the series (15 for 91), and even worse with RISP the Yanks were 0 for 14. 

Thanks to the outstanding pitching of Nathan Eovaldi on Monday night, the Yanks were able to register their only win of the series, 1-0 with a walk-off sacrifice fly by Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the ninth, an inning without a Yankee hit. Beltran has been especially effective at the plate as of late. He extended his current hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first on Wednesday. He has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games, .338 (23 for 68).

On Tuesday evening, the Yanks were again held to only one run. Dallas Keuchel, the Houston starter, registered his 15th win of the season. Yankee pitching was very troubling as it gave up a season high of 15 runs. Yankee starter Ivan Nova yielded seven runs in four innings. Infielder Brendan Ryan was called upon to pitch the eighth and ninth frames during which he held the Astros scoreless. To add to the club’s embarrassment, he was the most effective of the Yankees pitchers. 

Wednesday’s matinee was another disaster for the Yanks. Michael Pineda, in his first start in more than one month, surrendered five runs in 4.1 innings. Each of the nine batters in the Houston starting lineup reached base safely during the contest. The two home runs by designated hitter Evan Gattis raised his team’s total to 174, first in the majors. The win for starter Collin McHugh was his 14th of the 2015 campaign. 

Saturday’s and Sunday’s winning pitchers combined total of 29 is the highest of a duo of every major league club. 

The Astros are no longer the mediocre National League team of past years. Their 71st win on Wednesday is the highest total they have achieved since 2010 (76-88). Yankee skipper Joe Girardi described the first place club in the American League West, “They pitched very well; they field well; they hit the ball out of the ballpark, and they run the bases well [first place in the American League in stolen bases-97]. That’s a pretty good combination.”

Girardi admitted his team did not hit well, “We didn’t swing the bats well enough versus Cleveland and Houston. It’s been somewhat inconsistent. We got a lot og guys scuffling at the same time. With that’s it’s tough to score runs.” He still remains hopeful. “They can get refreshed. Hopefully, the day off  [Monday] will help us physically.”

#Yankees #Astros

BRONX NEWS: Manhattan College Murder

BRONX NEWS: Manhattan College Murder: Manhattan College Murder BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- A body was found outside Manhattan College and police have released surveillance vi...

Manhattan College Murder

Manhattan College Murder

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- A body was found outside Manhattan College and police have released surveillance video in an attempt to catch the killer.

On Tuesday, police responding to a 911 call of a  man passed out on the street in front of the college at 4582 Manhattan College Parkway, instead found a dead body. Cops say the victim suffered gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

An investigation by 50th Pct. detectives identified the victim as 39-year-old Jorge Luis Vargas of Saint Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. 

Police released surveillance video of the white sedan they believe contained the shooter. 

Anyone with information is urged to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls are confidential.

BRONX NEWS: Reward Offered for Armed Gunman Who Robbed Cell Ph...

BRONX NEWS: Reward Offered for Armed Gunman Who Robbed Cell Ph...: Reward Offered for Armed Gunman Who Robbed Cell Phone Store By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The NYPD is offering a $2,500 r...

Reward Offered for Armed Gunman Who Robbed Cell Phone Store

Reward Offered for Armed Gunman Who Robbed Cell Phone Store

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The NYPD is offering a $2,500 reward for the arrest and conviction of an armed robber who held up a Norwood phone store.

Officers from the 52nd Precinct were called to the AT & T store located at 315 East 204 Street, after the hold-up reported at 9:22 a.m. on August 6.

Officials say the slim gunman entered the store and displayed a handgun and wrote a note to employees demanding cash. The suspect reportedly sped away from the scene in a silver, 4-door BMW with an undetermined amount of cash and property.

The manager at the AT & T store refused to comment on the incident. Officials stated that no injuries were reported during the hold-up.

Captured on surveillance video, the suspect appears to be a tall and slim male who was wearing blue jeans and a baseball cap. The individual's identity was partially concealed by a hooded jacket.

Anyone with any information on this individual is urged to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS, all calls remain confidential.

#NYPD #CellPhone

BRONX NEWS: Gomez was the Story in an Ugly Yankees Loss

BRONX NEWS: Gomez was the Story in an Ugly Yankees Loss: Gomez was the Story in an Ugly #Yankees Loss Shouting Match Breaks Out in the Bronx By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- The cente...

Gomez was the Story in an Ugly Yankees Loss

Gomez was the Story in an Ugly #Yankees Loss
Shouting Match Breaks Out in the Bronx

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- The center of attention Tuesday night at Yankees Stadium wasn’t how the Houston Astros easily won a unanimous decision over the Yankees 15-1 which put New York a game back of the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, Carlos Gomez who was almost wore a uniform of the cross-town Mets was the center of attention.

And for the Mets’ sake, keeping Wilmer Flores was the proper decision. For one thing, Gomez has not made much of an impact in Houston at the plate, and the other aspect of not bringing Gomez to the other side of town is his often and too much of a combative attitude.

Yes, the Yankees could not do anything against Astros’ left hander Dallas Keuchel. He has a 22.0 inning scoreless streak against New York, 2.1 with a 1.13 ERA, and Keuchel became the first 15-game winner in the American League with his 8.0 innings of six hit ball which also gained him more momentum for Al Cy Young Award consideration.

And the Yankees could not get their bats going again, attributed also to a dominant pitcher. The issue of the Yankees once again not scoring runs and getting on base should be more significant for manager Joe Girardi. And there should be this late August concern about right hander Ivan Nova, who gave up five first inning runs and allowed a season high seven runs.

But Gomez and that combative attitude got to Girardi and the Yankees. And on the other side of town the Mets may be relieved they don’t have to deal with a situation that Girardi and his team had to deal with when it came to Gomez.

With the Yankees trailing 9-0 in the sixth inning, and with Gomez at bat, he flied to center off a pitch from Chris Capuano and flipped his bat to the Houston dugout. Gomez said something and the Yankees took exception as the shouting went back and forth.

“When he came back he started yelling at me,” Girardi said. “I wasn’t the guy who said anything. He is a kid who plays hard. But there have been a number of clubs who have taken exception to some of the things he does on the field. He just got a little heated.”

And it went on. As Girardi said, “I just told him, ‘Play the game the right way.’ I know you missed a pitch and you are frustrated by it. I just think it is a little too much.”

Gomez, with that combative attitude would shout back three times, “Shut up” to Girardi and the Yankees bench. And of course that’s when the benches and bullpens emptied with no punches thrown because of the quick actions of the umpires.

But it was another Carlos Gomez incident that occurred on another bad night for the Yankees in the Bronx. And Gomez would later hit his second home run as an Astro, a three run homer to the Yankees bullpen in a six run seventh inning off Capuano, redemption, but not for the Yankees who saw Houston record eight extra base hits and three home runs.

The question is, has Gomez become a team player or one who can’t control this competitive and combative attitude on the field? The Yankees took exception to that fire as they got blown out, and those across town with the Mets may be fortunate they did not have to deal with a player who can spark controversy at any moment.

To the contrary, Houston manager A, J, Hinch was protecting his player. He said, “Carlos is just trying to compete. He’s an emotional player. Obvious they took exception to a few of the actions. It comes from a good place Carlos is just trying to compete. Obviously it is what is is and calmer heads prevailed. It’s a tough feeling on the other side when you have a game like that and it is starting to unravel. He’s an explosive player and can be an impact player If we get a confident version and tonight we saw the emotion,”

Said Gomez, “I did not understand very well what people were yelling at me. I just asked, ‘Why are you yelling at me?’ And then someone came out of the dugout and started screaming, and I said. “Shut up. If you want to tell me something come here and say what you have to say.”

Of course it did not have to come down to the shouting. or the benches and pens coming on the field. Girardi said it is a game of emotions. and there were many times during the course of his playing career where things were said and he showed restraint.

However, Gomez does it his own way no matter how good a commodity he is for the Astros, or for that matter any team. Except the Mets were fortunate to renege on a Gomez deal in their quest to overtake the Nationals, because the last thing they needed was a combative player who would disrupt the good ship at Citi Field.

As for the Yankees, the good thing about baseball is Wednesday and another game with the Astros they need to win.

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso