Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Another Bloody Weekend

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Another Bloody Weekend: One Dead, Seven Wounded in Night of Violence By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 9- The latest series of weekend violence a...

Another Bloody Weekend

One Dead, Seven Wounded in Night of Violence

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 9- The latest series of weekend violence across the borough and around the city, has left one man dead and seven injured.

Officers from the 44th Precinct were called to E. 158 Street and Park Avenue at 3 a.m. on Saturday, September 7. The male victim was discovered in the street across from the Jackson Houses, he had been shot several times in his chest and shoulder.

Police say the victim, identified as Karshon Brooks, 26, of Brooklyn, was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Lincoln Hospital.

A second victim, only identified as a 21-year-old male managed to seek refuge inside of 3073 Park Avenue after being shot in the left leg. He was also transported to Lincoln Hospital and was expected to recover. Cops say the injured victim was an innocent bystander.

Detectives report no arrests or motive in the case.

The violence began at 8:25 the previous evening when three men were discovered shot outside of 1187 Anderson Avenue in the Melrose section. Police say a 30-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and shoulder, a 23-year-old male was shot in the thigh and another 23-year-old man was grazed to the hand.

All three victims were transported to Lincoln Hospital and expected to recover. Police were looking for the shooter, described as a male Hispanic wearing an orange shirt, blue jeans and a green Yankees baseball cap who fled northbound on Anderson.

At just before midnight another man was wounded at 345 Cypress Avenue in the Mott Haven section. The unidentified victim was recovering at a local hospital.

Another unidentified male was wounded on the corner of Neill Avenue and Hone Avenue in the Morris Park section. The 38-year-old victim was shot in the thigh and is said to be recovering at Montefiore North Hospital.

Westchester police were also investigating the wounding of a 20-year old man who was shot in the chest along Mount Vernon Avenue and North Bleeker Street.

Police say the unidentified victim had been previously stabbed back in April. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Police sources say two suspects were captured shortly after the 1 a.m. shooting, but had not yet been charged.  

Heartbreak for Andy

Bullpen Collapse Leads to Boston Domination

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 7- After Friday night’s game between the Yanks and the Red Sox, Boston’s skipper John Farrell remarked, “It was almost two different games tonight.” The Yankees led 8-3 at the end of the fifth inning, but were held scoreless during the final four frames while the Red Sox scored nine runs in the seventh and eighth.

During the first five frames, the Yankee offense was in full throttle. In those innings, every Yankee batter had successfully reached base at least once. The Yankees scored two runs in four of the first five innings and six different batters recorded RBI.

Four of the first five Yankee runs were scored by batters who were walked by Red Sox starter Felix Doubront. After Derek Jeter walked with one out in the first inning, Alfonso Soriano struck his 13th home run in pinstripes since joining the club on July 26. The four-bagger was his 30th of the 2013 campaign.

Vernon Wells drew a base on balls to open the second inning and scored on a triple by Eduardo Nuñez, who later in the inning scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Stewart.

Two out walks issued to Mark Reynolds and Stewart in the fourth were transformed into runs when Brett Gardner drove in both runners with a triple.

In the fifth, a double by Robinson Cano followed by singles from Wells, Nuñez and Reynolds resulted in another two run inning.

After the contest, Yankee starting pitcher Andy Pettitte gave credit to the offense, “The offense has been great. I like the way the guys have been swinging the bats. I love the fight in us.”

Unfortunately, for the large crowd (44,117) of Yankee fans, the offense was unable to continue the fight after the fifth. Boston relievers kept the Yankee batters scoreless and hitless during the final four frames. Six of the 12 outs were by strikeout.

Andy Pettitte had another quality start. In six innings, he yielded three runs on five hits. The veteran has turned his season around since problems earlier in the year. In his last five starts, the left-hander is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.71. The competitive hurler was self-critical despite his fine performance. “I wish I could have gone a lot longer in the game.”

In the past two games with Boston, the failure has come with the depleted relief corps. Mariano Rivera pitched in the previous three contests and was unavailable David Robertson, who pitched in Thursday’s game was found to have tendonitis in his shoulder and will be out for several days. Shawn Kelley is also not available for approximately one week.

Phil Hughes, removed from the rotation for David Huff, made his first relief appearance of the season. In the seventh, he gave up three hits and a walk on 0.1 inning, all of whom scored. Hughes honestly commented on his performance, “The stuff was flat. It was a terrible inning. It cost us big time.”

Hughes was followed by Boone Logan who also lasted 0.1 inning. The second batter he faced, Mike Napoli, just cleared the glove of right fielder Ichiro Suzuki for his second grand slam against New York in 2013. The game was tied at 8 at the end of seven.

Logan explained the problem that will have him undergo an MRI on Saturday, “It’s been a long year. I felt a little tightness 2-3 pitches into Napoli’s at bat.”

The story of the previous game was repeated as other relievers gave up four additional runs in the eighth to Boston. Preston Claiborne, the losing pitcher, and Joba Chamberlain each surrendered runs in their respective 0.2 inning stints.

Several spoke of the need for those left in the pen to succeed. Hughes said, “We have to find a way to get it done and not let a quality start go to waste.” The Yankee manager remarked, “It’s a chance for other guys to shine and they’re going to have to do it.”

David Huff (2-0) and John Lackey (8-12) will be the starting pitchers in game three on Saturday afternoon.

Bronx News Sports: Bad Sox

Bronx News Sports: Bad Sox: Heartbreak Over Loss Yankees almost had it against the Red Sox in another important game that goes as a loss By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Bad Sox

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Bad Sox: Heartbreak Over Loss Yankees almost had it against the Red Sox in another important game that goes as a loss By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK...

Bad Sox

Heartbreak Over Loss

Yankees almost had it against the Red Sox in another important game that goes as a loss

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 6- This was a game the New York Yankees thought they had and just as quick it went away as a loss. It took 10 innings and over four hours, a typical Yankees-Red Sox game. It is September and a post season drive for the Yankees and for them it is more important.

The Yankees are 11-6 since coming back to beat the Red Sox, 9-6, a few weeks back up in Fenway Park. It was Alex Rodriquez who hit a home run then off Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster. Four innings before that, he got hit by Dempster in the first inning. That has claimed to be, what has rejuvenated this Yankees team.

A claim to make September interesting and make a push for playing baseball In October, and after a heart breaking 9-8 loss in the Bronx Thursday evening, the Yankees know how crucial this loss was.

“Tough loss,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. His closer Mariano Rivera recorded his sixth blown save of the season. With two outs in the ninth, Steven Drew singled to right-center and drove in Quintin Berry for the tying run.

You can’t expect Rivera, the all-time saves leader and with 41 this season to close them all. Even if it is September and his team is fighting for a spot to play in October, the best can’t be perfect. Berry came in to run for Mike Napoli who would steal second and advance on a throwing error by catcher Austin Romine.

“Its’ part of the game,” explained Rivera. It was a tough one. We have to forget about it.”

Romaine will also have to bounce back. He could not handle a throw to home from Ichiro Suzuki that could have nailed Jacoby Ellsbury. The eventual winning run scored in the 10th as the ball eluded Romaine at the plate. Maybe if he was closer to the plate the Red Sox don’t score.

It was a bad inning for Romaine who failed to nail Ellsbury from going to second.

“I held on the ball too long,’ said Romaine about the play at home. “Ball was short hopped… could have done a little better back there tonight.” He came in for Chris Stewart who was pinch hit for in the seventh, the inning where the Yankees came from behind and scored six runs on five hits.

The Yankees overcame a five-run deficit, and have at least one inning of four or more runs scored in each of their last four games. 

Joba Chamberlain will have to forget about this one also. He got the loss in a 10th inning that saw the Red Sox score the decisive run, and quietly getting ejected for barking at a call he thought should have went the Yankees way on a check swing third strike to Shane Victorino.

It was a tenth inning the Yankees want to forget and all that was heard in the clubhouse was, “We have to bounce back tomorrow.” Every game counts, with 22 remaining, and it will be up to Andy Pettitte on the mound Friday night to hope and get the Yankees to bounce back.

But, these are the Boston Red Sox who scored 20-runs the night before against the league leading hitting Tigers. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and threw 58 pitches in two innings. The Red Sox scored two runs, though the Yankees and Nova got a break when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ground rule double that bounced over the center field wall that scored Will Middlebrook.

Nova was fortunate to get out of the inning giving up only two runs. The three –hit inning and two walks, one intentional to David Ortiz, ended when he caught Mike Napoli looking with the bases loaded.

It was going to be that typical Yankees-Red Sox game. New York came back in their half of the inning scoring two runs off Boston starter Jake Peavy who recorded a no-decision, Robinson Cano with the bases loaded, off a good  Derek Jeter at bat, who walked, lined a ball to right that almost cleared the wall and went for a two-run double.

It went on with the Yankees and Red Sox scoring runs. There were six stolen bases by the Yankees, a season high, including one by David Wells in the six-run five-hit seventh that put the Yankees ahead, 8-7 and their third big inning on this home stand that happened also this week with Baltimore and the White Sox.

And there was the go-ahead single, and what the Yankees thought would be the winning run from Lyle Overbay in that seventh inning, a run that would not stand up.

There was that bottom of the ninth inning when it appeared these comeback Yankees were headed to a last at bat walk-off win. Alfonso Soriano would draw a walk and steal second after the Red Sox botched the pick-off attempt. With Curtis Granderson at the plate, Soriano got nailed trying to take third that went from the pitcher-to third-to shortstop- to second.

“Just trying to go to third,” claimed Soriano who has been a major part of this post season playoff push in the Bronx. It is a stretch of baseball being played in the Bronx that did not go the Yankees way in the first of four against the rival Red Sox.

There is more to come for sure, Friday night in the Bronx.

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

Sabathia gets a needed win

Yankees Sweep Sox

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 5- New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he needed the ace CC Sabathia to go deep into the game Wednesday night in the Bronx against the Chicago White Sox. If New York has any hopes of continuing their September run for an AL wild card spot, and baseball to be played in October, they need Sabathia to give them innings on the mound.

“He gave us distance,” commented Girardi about his ace after the Yankees 6-5 win and three-game sweep over the White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia (13-11) allowed three runs in 7.1 innings on five hits. He walked and struck out four. It was his longest outing since August 7th at Chicago, and he remained undefeated in seven career starts against the White Sox. It was not dominating, but an outing Sabathia was looking for.

And the Yankees were certainly content with the outing by their ace who has struggled. Winning the fourth time in his last five starts, Sabathia had overall good command of his fastball and this may have been his best outing of the five.

More importantly, for Sabathia, winning games again has come at the right time as the Yankees have put themselves in the hunt for a post season wild card spot in the American league.

The Yankees improved to 5-1 on their current 10-game home stand, and are 11-games over .500 for the first time since June 9th as they await a crucial four-game series with first place Boston that begins in the Bronx Thursday night.

And the Yankees are aware of the task ahead.

“It’s extremely important, it’s a tough series,” commented Girardi. 

The four games will not determine first place in the AL east. New York trailed Boston by eight games in the division starting play Wednesday night, and any significant amount of losses with 23 games remaining could end hopes of a wild card spot.    

Sabathia got off to another shaky start in the first inning as the White Sox took the early 1-0 lead. Avisail Garcia doubled to right that scored Gordon Beckham who singled. It was the 18th time in 29 starts this season that Sabathia has allowed the first run in a game.

“It feels good especially the way I have been battling and helping the team win,” said Sabathia about the win. He said about that the first inning, “Did not have the command but made the pitches he needed to.” The pitches he needed caused the White Sox to not score another run until Sabathia was lifted in the eighth inning.

Over the years though, the White Sox are one of the teams that Sabathia has handled well on the mound. He improved to 19-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 33 career rtlitng and starts against them, the highest career winning percentage against Chicago among active American League pitchers.

Robinson Cano, 3-for-4 got the run back for Sabathia with a first inning home run, his 26th of the season that went deep to left. The 203rd of his career surpassed Bill Dickey for sole possession of 15th place on the Yankees’ all-time home run list. A Brett Gardner two-run triple, seventh extra base hit in his last eight at bats, in the fourth, added to the lead 4-1.

After giving up three hits going into the eighth inning, Sabathia gave up consecutive hits with one out. After 111- pitches he was lifted for David Robertson. The White Sox would get to Robertson who allowed four runs, two inherited from Sabathia, including a two-run single to Josh Phegley, and a hit to Marcus Semien that cut the Yankees lead to 6-5.

”I stunk out there today,” said Robertson who has been reliable with an ERA of 1.88. 

Robertson would leave with two outs as Girardi went to Mariano Rivera with the tying run at second. The all-time saves leader got Alejandro De Aza looking at a 90-mile cutter to end the inning. It would turn out to be a four-out save for Rivera as he retired all three batters in the ninth.

It was Rivera’s first four-out save since July 24, 2011 against the Oakland A’s, and 41st of the season.

“We are still fighting,” said Rivera about the urgency of rescuing Robertson and the Yankees playoff push.

Now it’s the Red Sox and another series of important baseball games being played in September, a total of 11-games also with Baltimore that will in all probability decide if the Yankees make it to October.

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