After 157 games of competition, it's hard to believe the Yankees' long season will be decided over just five games against the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox. Yet, their performance over the next several days against those two teams will be precisely what determines their fate.Five games.AL East division champs, Wild Card No. 1 or No. 2, or worse yet—no playoffs at all. All options are on the table, yet the most promising news for the Yankees is that they control their own fate. Take care of business ...
MLB contenders have just six games to play in the 2012 regular season as they jostle for the remaining playoff berths.At this late stage of the season, we determine the strength of each team's schedule by individual matchups. Between pitchers and batters, catcher and baserunners, outfielders and ballpark dimensions, etc.My focus is on the playoff chase, so let's ignore the four National League clubs that have already punched their tickets to the postseason. Also, the AL's Texas Rangers can taste the champagne with the potential to lock up a spot ...
Another start for Ivan Nova, another reason why the New York Yankees couldn't possibly start him in a playoff game.The MLB postseason is rapidly approaching, and while the Yanks might have their first three starters figured out, their No. 4 is nowhere near certain.Nova had the upper hand to make the playoff rotation coming into 2012 after a stellar rookie campaign and successful playoff start. But you can throw all that out the window because he hasn't been anywhere close to his 2011 form.The 25-year-old is currently 12-8 with a ...
The New York Yankees swept the Toronto Blue Jays last week by outlasting them with excellent pitching performances and simply out-slugging them in the series finale en route to a three-game sweep. Tonight, the Yankees will look to pick up where they left off in New York as they head north of the border to take on the Jays for a crucial four-game set at Rogers Centre. The Yankees are 9-5 against a weak Toronto team this season, and will need to continue their dominance over the Jays as ...
The finish line is in sight and the path looks mostly clear, though there are still some roadblocks and obstacles for the New York Yankees to overcome in order to win the American League East.Seven games remain for the Yankees, and all of them will be against familiar foes within the division who are begging for the season to mercifully end. The Bombers make their final trip north of the border to take on Toronto for four games, and then close the season out in the Bronx next week against ...
I often take predictions with a grain of salt, particularly when it comes to predicting what will happen in the short-series, little-room-for-error crunch of October in Major League Baseball, where a team is even more defined by how good its starting pitcher is on a given day.Still, it can be a lot of fun to make predictions. So after giving this a lot of thought, I’m prepared to offer my 11 predictions for the New York Yankees heading into the postseason. Why 11? Well, for a division champion, it still ...
Not too long ago, I wrote about CC Sabathia's struggles and how they were hurting the Yankees.Before Wednesday, Sabathia hadn't won a start since August 24, posting an 0-3 record in five starts.However, over the last two starts, the Yankees ace seems like he has reverted back to his old form.In his previous start against the Oakland A's back on September 21, Sabathia went eight innings, allowed no runs on three hits, walked two and struck out 11.Sabathia left the game with a 1-0 lead and would have picked up the ...
If the New York Yankees are going to make yet another deep postseason run, some of their under-the-radar players are going to need to step up. Names like C.C. Sabathia, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are some of the first that come to mind when discussing the Bronx Bombers. However, production from those guys is expected. And World Series championships aren’t won without a team effort. David Freese demonstrated that last season when he stepped up for the Cardinals in the postseason. With names like Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday ...
The magic number for winning the American League East is seven for the New York Yankees as they carry a 1.5 game lead on the Baltimore Orioles, but its been proven in baseball over and over again that no lead is safe. Manager Joe Girardi's team has had several different looks during the 2012 season, whether it be switching lineups or the ever-changing starting rotation that has fallen victim to many injuries. But if it came down to one game for to save their season, what would the Yankees' lineup look like?Begin Slideshow
With the Yankees in the middle of a pennant race, most people’s eyes are fixed on the 2012 Yankees. But, for some of us, the future is too tempting to wait for the offseason. There’s no doubt that many faces the club planned to see throughout the year barely made an appearance.Newly acquired Michael Pineda’s season ended before April started, Brett Gardner and Mariano Rivera have appeared in 18 total games this year and Andy Pettitte’s year has been split in two. So, close your eyes and imagine all of ...