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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Bronx News Sports: Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...

Bronx News Sports: Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...: By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13- Joe Girardi said 35 more wins would be needed in order for the New York Yankees to make the po...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...: By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13- Joe Girardi said 35 more wins would be needed in order for the New York Yankees to make the po...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Pray...: By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13- Joe Girardi said 35 more wins would be needed in order for the New York Yankees to make the po...

Kuroda Might be the Answer to Yanks' Pitching Prayers

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13- Joe Girardi said 35 more wins would be needed in order for the New York Yankees to make the post season this October. It does mean the pitching rotation will have to do their part if that is going to happen with CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes needing to make the adjustments and get back on the winning track.

Though the odds are against them, New York is not entirely out of the playoff picture. The wild card is not out of range seven-games from the second spot coming into play Monday night against the Angels in the Bronx

One arm in that rotation, right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, Monday night once again gave the Yankees another superb outing in the Yankees 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Kuroada has been Mr. reliable for Giaradi. As has been Ivan Nova, 5-4 and a 2.93 ERA who gets the ball Wednesday night in game three of the series against the Angels.

So, there was Kuroda again on the mound. One ground ball out after another. Getting the strikeout again when it was needed as he two-hit the Angels for eight-innings on 107 pitches before Girardi went to his bullpen.

In the eighth inning, a 1-0 lead was in jeopardy. Kuroda used his effective slider and got pinch hitter Hank Conger to pop out to Eduardo Nunez at short in between Robinson Cano. That has been the type of innings Kuroda has been giving the Yankees who improved to 11-7 with an ERA of 2.33.

“With the close games I wanted to avoid big home runs,” commented Kuroda through his interpreter. “I was able to keep the4 ball down.”

Girardi knew he did not have Mariano Rivera available. The all-time saves leader had blown the last three games. But, Rivera was due for a day off after consulting with Girardi and pitching Coach Larry Rotschild,

“He gave us those eight innings,” said Girardi about Kuroda who has held opponents scoreless for the fifth time in his last seven starts. That’s how good has Kuroda been and the Angles only reached base four times

He has a Major League high nine scoreless starts overall this season. And compared to Sabathia and Hughes, both leaders in giving up the home run ball in the American league, Kuroda has not allowed one in his last 51.0 innings, the longest such streak in a single season of his career.

“He kept us off balance,” said the Angels’ Mike Trout. “A lot of fastball counts, he threw off speed and like I said, kept us off balance.”

Girardi said, “The bottom line is winning. We knew we needed a lot of distance out of him tonight.” In a stretch of games when Kuroda is on the mound, the Yankees feel confident about another win.

The question is can Sabathia, Hughes and Pettitte give them that confidence also?

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

A Masterful Mound Performance by Hiroki Kuroda Leads to a 2-1 Yankee Win

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13- Hiroki Kuroda has been a blessing to the Yankees since joining the club in 2012. The 38-year old has been, by far, the most impressive starting pitcher in the Yankees’ rotation. His work on the mound on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels made him appear much younger than his chronological age.

The native of Japan compiled outstanding statistics in eight innings. The superlative performances have come regularly since his first disastrous start of the year on April 3. He did not allow a run for the ninth of his 24 starts this year.

If the starting pitcher does not give up a run in the game, it would appear likely that the club would win that contest, yet the weak hitting 2013 Yankees lost two of the contests in which Kuroda left the mound without surrendering a run.

Although Kuroda’s ERA of 2.33 is one of the lowest in the majors, the lack of run support by his teammates has resulted in a Yankee loss in nine of Kuroda’s 24 starts. The Yankees run support for Kuroda of 3.38 runs per game is a lower level of backing than given to all other of the team’s starters this season.

The batters of the Angels only managed to obtain three hits off the righty. This was the fifth start in which the stingy veteran hurler did not yield more than three hits in one of his starts.

Kuroda is not only stingy in not allowing hits, but he rarely issues walks to opposing batters. He issued a base on balls to only one Angels’ batter on Monday. Kuroda has not exceeded that lonely number in 19 of his 24 starts in 2013.

Yankee skipper Joe Girardi, like everyone in the stadium, was in admiration of the performance, “You get a brilliant performance from Hiroki. I don’t know if you can expect anyone to be that dominant.”

When asked by a reporter to explain Kuroda’s improvement over his excellent 16-11 mark in 2012, Girardi remarked, “It took him a month to get comfortable last year. That’s probably the biggest difference.”

Despite the chant “We want Mo” from the fans in the stands, Girardi did not use Mariano RIvera in the game, but used Boone Logan and David Robertson in relief. The two made it interesting and dramatic as collectively they allowed one run to score and completed the game with the bases loaded by Angelinos.

Girardi explained the absence of Rivera in the save situation, “We thought it would be better to give him the night off.”

The Yanks achieved a two game win streak for the first time in exactly one month.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Community Plays Hardball with Strippers

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Community Plays Hardball with Strippers: Doesn’t A-Rod have enough distractions?  BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 12- Community leaders are fuming over a sign promoting a strip club in th...

Community Plays Hardball with Strippers


Doesn’t A-Rod have enough distractions? 

BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 12- Community leaders are fuming over a sign promoting a strip club in the shadow of Yankee Stadium.
The following letters was sent to OTR MEDIA GROUP, Inc. calling for the removal of a sign advertising Scores strip club in the shadow of Yankee Stadium.
To whom it may concern:
As District Manager of Community Board Four, I write to inform you that we have received several complaints regarding the choice of advertisement currently displayed above 103-107 East 161st Street.  While we respect your right to contract and post advertisements, we feel this particular ad is simply not appropriate for the area and not the image that we have fought hard to change.
We pride ourselves as the Capital District of the Bronx. Our district is a great place to visit, work and live. We are the host community to the world renown, Yankee Stadium, The New Gateway Center at the old Bronx Terminal Market, the Bronx Museum of the Arts and many Art Deco buildings along the Grand Concourse Historic District. We just recently developed and renovated recreational facilities, such as, tennis courts, a state of the art track & field and a new water front park.  We are the administrative center of the County, housing the offices of the Borough President, The District Attorney, the Courts and the County Clerk. 
We are a community of contrasts. Sleek silhouettes of art-deco buildings are a short stroll away from lovely small homes. Acre for acre we have more parks throughout our two square miles than any other district and as such we have experienced a commercial, residential and economic revival, nearly 200,000 residents celebrate our resurgence, and welcome new cultures, languages, hopes and dreams of the many new Americans making this district their home, from around the globe. We celebrate their distinct and varied positive contributions.
While the ad itself is not overtly suggestive, we believe this to be an issue of image and mindset not morality. It is our hope that you understand and so we respectfully ask that you remove said advertisement and place one that does not directly contradict the change and changes we have for the area. 
Sincerely

Jose Rodriguez
District Manger